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Post by The Jenn on Jan 10, 2010 22:30:54 GMT -5
Thyme took a breath and stared at the ornate palace, the smell of roses almost violently assaulting her senses. It was a good smell, but overpowering to a wolf with extra scent receptors in her tail that were even more powerful than her already respectable nose. She sneezed three times in a row and wiped a little at her eyes before moving forward up the walk to the palace proper. Maybe Rose could just trot on up to the palace and anger nobility with impunity, but she had her reputation to consider. And her Court's reputation. That one was the real kicker. She had to go through official channels if she wanted to visit another palace or people would start asking questions that really weren't necessary. She approached the attendant inside the front of the palace and stated her name and title. She requested a visit with the daughter of the King of Hearts, her niece by her sister Rosemary, and spent a few minutes waiting on the man to confirm something. Hopefully this wouldn't be too complicated and she could meat the girl without a whole damned ordeal. At least the fact that she was a Highland noble would be respected here. |
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 10, 2010 22:46:18 GMT -5
Long day. Slow day. Boring day. Suits alive, was there anything more uninteresting than penning out a reply to the nineteenth person asking about the absence of Highland nobility - this week? Apocalypse slipped the tip of his quill into his mouth, gnawing at it until he felt it snap between his teeth. Which was amusing, except now his mouth was full of feather-bits. Ptheh. Just to make life harder than it was, these were bits which he couldn't exactly use his fingers to remove, considering it had been a hot day and the scent of the roses had been utterly unavoidable. He licked at the inside of his mouth for a while, then pawed at his mouth with the back of one hand and then running his tongue across the roof of his mouth to bring the fibers away. Nothing left. Good. He clicked his tongue against his palate softly, lips curling into a grin. Heh, he'd figure this hand-thing out, especially now that it didn't feel like the damn things were just going to figure out. " Fuckin' yeah," he chuckled to himself, turning his attention back to the paper. It was about that time that the attendant that was standing in the doorway and, in fact, had been doing so for several minutes decided to clear his throat and call attention to his presence. The King jumped, hissed, and then regained his composure. A few minutes later, he'd been briefed on the situation and was heading down to meet the noble who wanted to meet his daughter. He still wasn't sure why, and there was a hint of confusion on his face when he stepped out. " Your Highness," he greeted, giving her the small nod of one King to another and then raising an eyebrow. Huh. Odd looking girl, wasn't she? " I would have sent Linnea to you directly, but she's only two and I'm afraid she doesn't quite have the command of language required to meet with Nobility. She's also having her afternoon nap at the moment and would be quite unhappy, should I wake her. Perhaps I can help with whatever your issue is with her?" |
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 10, 2010 22:56:37 GMT -5
Thyme continued to wait, trying not to sway from foot to foot or jiggle her tail or any other sort of embarrassing impatient gesture that would likely get an eyebrow from the attendant in front of her. Aunt Josephine had spent long enough trying to get her to stop things like that. At least she was conscious of the behaviors now. It was taking longer than she expected for permission, though. Hopefully Rose hadn't caused trouble...
She blinked when the attendant announced the arrival of the King of Hearts and bowed in turn, shallowly, in recognition of his status as 'the' King of his suit. "Your Highness, it's a pleasure to meet you. I don't have an issue with Linnea, I assure you. I'd just hoped to meet her today, as I was traveling through the region on my way to visit relatives. I'm her aunt."
Hopefully this wouldn't cause a scene. Didn't the man know? She certainly never kept her relationship with her sister a secret. Had he ever actually talked to Rose before?
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 10, 2010 23:09:11 GMT -5
While the look on his face never stopped being mild and the strange kind of "pleasant" that was considered court-appropriate by most, something in his gaze did change as the woman gave her short introduction and then continued to speak. He had always known a day like this would have come, but he had honestly hoped that he would be able to avoid it for much longer than this. At least until his daughter was old enough to meet with someone without his constant supervision.
Or even just the ability to speak. Speaking would have been lovely, but her vocabulary was quite limited. Conversation generally stuck to the basics - "Daddy", "Mommy", "Red", and "No" were all quite useful. Just not interesting, in terms of sitting down to meet with family. He'd be the go-between, then. Maybe it would get Xiven off his case in regards to the little squirrel...
"Ahhh, of course," he replied with a smile and another small nod. He shot the attendant a glance, indicating that he would really rather speak to this woman without having his every word listened in on. In reply, the man buried himself in the mound of papers waiting. Feeling satisfied, Apocalypse turned back to the odd Wolf. "It's lovely to meet some of her family beyond Rosemary." His voice became oddly strained as he said the woman's name, but he quickly recovered. "...Out of curiosity, is your sister in the area as well, or is this simply your own curiosity?"
This wasn't what she was here for, of course, and he smiled apologetically and gave her a slight shrug. "Unfortunately, like I said before, Linnea's still sleeping right now. She'll be awake in an hour or so, if you don't mind the wait - I can send for tea in my office?" Say no. Come back another time. He smiled brightly, extending an arm for her to take should she desire the offered tea, desperately hoping all the while that she would turn him down.
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 10, 2010 23:17:48 GMT -5
Well, this wasn't quite the unpredictable sex fiend she was expecting. Thyme's expression turned slightly rueful as he spoke. "Rose is certainly an odd duck. Wolf. Squirrel. Regardless, we're traveling together to go and visit our aunt deeper in the Highlands. I told her I wanted to meet Linnea and came to the palace. I'm not exactly sure where she's gone."
Truth, there. She wasn't sure. She had a very strong inkling that Rose had breezed into the palace to go and visit the nursery, but she didn't know. Maybe she'd gone to chat with the Queen. Maybe she'd gone for a meal first. Who knew?
"I certainly don't mind waiting. I'm sure that Rose can entertain herself, wherever she ended up. Tea would be lovely, Your Highness, so long as I'm not keeping you from anything important." A bit surprised by the formality, she nevertheless very carefully considered her next move. "Unfortunately, due to an unusual accident as a child, it's probably better for us both if I don't take your arm. I thank you kindly for the courtesy, however. Please lead on."
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 10, 2010 23:40:08 GMT -5
Something in Thyme's words made Apocalypse pause, rolling them thoughtfully in his mind. He knew it was common for sisters to have rather strange relationships, and it seemed as if this pair fell into that category with the way the Highlander was referring to Rosemary. It wasn't her words, exactly, that made him feel that way. It was more in her tone and expression. She almost sounded... tired of the Tulgey's antics. "Completely understandable," he replied with a smile. "You're not your sister's keeper, after all."
Maybe this wasn't a complete waste. He could find out something more about Rosemary, and, in exchange, Thyme would meet her niece. It seemed like a small thing to give up a bit of his time.
Her reaction to his offered arm wasn't entirely expected either, and he inclined his head to the side. An accident? Part of him wanted to ask desperately what she meant with those enigmatic words, but he said nothing, just giving her an understanding nod. They'd all had their mishaps with magic, and he wasn't about to go prying into her personal life about it. "For once, I'm actually fairly caught up with my workload. You picked a good day to stop in." He smoothed over his upset at her staying with a good-natured grin. Now was a good opportunity to maintain his carefully formal demeanor, and he began to lead her down the hall. When they reached his room, he opened the door, holding it for her and then following her in.
"Is there any sort of tea you'd like? I can't guarantee that we'll have it, but I can at least try." As soon as he was settled at his desk, he relaxed noticeably. This was his environment, and it helped him feel more secure. His oversized claws tapped lightly against the surface of the table. "If you're at all hungry, I can also send for something to eat as well."
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 11, 2010 0:00:51 GMT -5
"I'm really not," Thyme agreed with a small, wry smile, "and I don't think there's a person alive who could survive that job. Trying to keep a Tulgey Queen? My father managed, with difficulty. Rose is no one's toy." Despite the fact that, from what her sister told her, this little tryst was apparently magically influenced.
Even with that being the case, it seemed that the King was amenable to meeting with someone who wasn't Rose. She walked with him politely, just a step behind. Well, for the most part. She didn't focus on it too hard. When they reached his office, she waited and settled into a chair as it was indicated.
The ticking claws couldn't help but draw her attention for a moment. Those things were... huge. Trust Rose to be drawn to a freak. It wasn't like it didn't run in the family somehow. "If you have a Highland tea that you prefer, I grew up in the region. Or Tulgey. Either would be very welcome." Her stomach decided to answer the second question, quietly enough that she felt more than heard it. They'd been traveling for a good part of the morning. Her aunt's tutelage kicked in and she ignored some of it. "A small meal wouldn't go amiss, since we have the time. Thank you kindly."
While they waited for the servants to return, she pulled herself upright and tucked her tail close. Better to 'smell' her own powder than everything else that lingered in the office. Sex. Sweat. Blood. This was a used room. The things people did in their personal spaces... she just didn't want to know, except for the curiosity niggling at her mind. Scents lingered oddly in fabrics. No matter how you cleaned and aired a room, they would remain.
"So your Highness, I'm sorry, I have to ask. What do you actually know about Rosemary? Her stories about Linnea have been somewhat vague." A tad unbelievable, since Rose was always one for tales, but it was hard to be sure.
So much sex. Her nose twitched, even though it wasn't the organ to smell with.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 11, 2010 0:17:20 GMT -5
The mention of her mother and father brought a strange expression to the man's face, though with his leading the way, it wouldn't be visible. But wasn't that a strange situation? Strange and somehow unsettling - the child of a woman and the man who loved her. He'd assumed that it was that touch of weird that had made Rose as utterly intolerable as she was, but now, meeting the girl's sister...
Appearances aside, Thyme seemed... remarkably normal. Well-balanced, even. Huh. Maybe she was the only normal one in the group, a possibility which seemed to be entirely likely, with his limited knowledge.
In reply to her request, the man nodded and then stood once more. Maybe he could order a plate with a variety of sandwiches. It seemed like with options like that, his guest would have a better chance at finding something she wanted. A moment of speaking with a passing servant later and he returned to his seat. "They should be back shortly with the tea and some sandwiches." He smiled. This was easy, but he knew that fact would be changing very shortly. Now that pleasantries were over and done with, he was open to...
....questioning. There it was. He managed to keep his expression completely calm as she asked, even if his gut was doing that uncomfortable little jig it sometimes did when he felt uneasy. He just hoped that this meant she didn't know very much about him at all. "I know very little. She'd been friends with... someone I knew before, but that's about it. One thing lead to another, and I adore Linnea, but..." He shrugged, his discomfort clearly beginning to show through. "...I could count on one hand the number of times I've actually spent time with her."
To emphasize his point, he waved one clawed hand. The one that was missing two fingers. Hopefully, she wouldn't get mad at him for doing... something. He wasn't sure what, just that it seemed possible that sibling-protective-status could kick in at any point.
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 11, 2010 0:32:08 GMT -5
If Thyme had ever been protective about people feeling iffy with Rose, that time had long since passed. Her sister went off and did who knew what with who knew who, coming back with sometimes entertaining and sometimes just bizarre stories. She loved her, but she didn't expect anyone else to unless they were a special kind of touched. The same kind their entire family seemed to be.
"That sounds a lot like Rose, somehow," she agreed with a small sigh. "Having a child with someone she barely knows and never really spoke with. The rest of us are more moderate, I swear. Neither Sage nor Parsley carry the same kind of... ah... careless disregard for normal decency. They're our sister and brother, in case she never mentioned them. She never told you much about our side of your daughter's family, did she? Especially if you never spoke with her." Which his grossly over-sized, distinctly lacking hand seemed to indicate.
There were things she wouldn't share with a member of another Court. Things that she'd shared with a stranger in a bar, oddly enough. But if he was in some small way now drawn into their particular brand of oddness then he probably deserved a little something. And Rose didn't seem the type to give it.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 11, 2010 0:44:26 GMT -5
It wasn't so much that he actually cared what the rest of Rosemary's family was like; no, it was far more simple than that. For months, Xiven had screamed at him to let Linnea's father into her life, and Apocalypse had put his foot down on the issue and refused to budge. He knew nothing about the woman beyond that she sometimes vanished for days, sometimes weeks, sometimes... years, if what Rhiannon's memory said was true.
The King pursed his lips for a second, considering what the woman was saying. Careless disregard, eh? "I think that, given an opportunity, Rosemary wouldn't have ever had a child with me. Especially not on our first meeting." He smiled wryly. Maybe Peaches didn't want her ability to be known, but Apocalypse had no intent to keep it quiet. "Truth be told - I never really liked your sister, but that first encounter led to a necessity for there to be others, and it makes me feel... Uncomfortable."
That was a way to put it. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and he called the servant in, watching as they brought in a plate of tea and sandwiches. Idly, he picked one up, not really paying attention to it as he turned it between his claws. Then he took a bite. Eugh. Cucumber. Not exactly what he'd been looking for, but he could deal. He stared down at the food, then set it on the small plate intended for his use. "I apologize for getting a little off-topic. ...And for my bluntness. Again, she is your sister, I cannot blame my issues with her on you." One side of his mouth turned up into a crooked smile, almost embarrassed. "I don't actually know very much about your family. I went with Rosemary to the Wood once, to meet Linnea's grandparents. That... is about the extent of what I'm aware of."
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