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Post by The Jenn on Dec 24, 2010 0:45:44 GMT -5
Donnie silently agreed with McDuck. Yes, now this was a beautiful and moderately tasteful example of wealth for the region. Walking through the Mayor's mansion, she could appreciate the thought that went into the aesthetics of the decor. More masculine than she might have preferred for herself, but the art was exceptional and varied enough to hold her interest.
An upraised hand was all it took to catch the attention of a servant bustling past, a woman who greeted her with a lovely little curtsey for her rodent frame and a fluff of her short, white skirt. Along with the tea and biscuits - something floral and something fruity for her - she requested a small mirror to check her hair. That turned into an unexpected and entirely pleasant five minute random conversation on mane color and dying fur. Voices moving nearer the door eventually prompted the Selkie back to her task and she skittered off with a quick bow to fetch the requested items.
Amused, the Queen sipped at her recently delivered tea - delicious - and glanced towards the door as someone exited. A Morganberry? She didn't recognize him. Seemed to have quite the opinion of himself, too, from how high that muzzle sat in the air. An instant dislike made itself apparent in the slow stiffening of her posture. He didn't seem to recognize her either and she privately sneered while maintaining a bland and disinterested politeness, returning his nod with a shorter one. Provincial nobles were all well and good, but only the lazy ones didn't keep up with Court politics to some extent. Especially if they were involved in the field of law, which his title seemed to imply. Pff.
The rat girl returned with a hand mirror only a moment later and held it up for her obligingly while she twitched at her hair with impatient human fingers. Not much fiddling necessary, especially not in front of others, but... just enough. Good.
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Post by Nathalia on Dec 29, 2010 21:02:10 GMT -5
The doors in the back of the room finally opened again after 15 minutes and the Hawk reappeared, bowing once and introducing Sir Maveisto Dalphus, Mayor of the Lakes. A broad-shouldered Biped wandered into the room, his finely tailored suit swishing, small suit tails waving about with his own wagging one as he approached the guests with open arms and a booming voice. "Ah! Honored guests, absolutely splendid to see you, I am simply delighted. Terribly sorry for the short wait, small issue on the waterfront, nothing to worry about. It's been taken care of."He moved forward to give the Spades Queen a deep bow, going all the way down on one knee and keeping his hands to himself. As a man, he knew better than to touch a Yarrow mix. "I am so very pleased you could make it, the oil wells have been doing just the job and I can't begin to describe how amazing it will be for the economy."He pulled at the jacket lapels gently, so as not to wrinkle them, and unbuttoned the top, showing off his King of Spades ranking and Suit. "Got to keep the wealth in the right family, after all. I thought it would be appropriate to do a small charity with yourself, your majesty, and to make certain that our business is discussed before any of it goes out to the public for sectioned business."He made a small gesture and the Hawk bowed and stalked out of the room as though on errand. He gave the rest of the room a bright smile. "Please, do tell me who you all are, I really am quite pleased to see you all. Pleasant business is so rare for high office officials."He sat down behind his desk after gathering himself some tea and waited for the others t introduce themselves and expound a bit, chatter...good stuff. It was good to have guests for a good reason...so many had been so bad lately... |
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 3, 2011 3:53:51 GMT -5
The Mayor knew how to entertain his guests in his absence, certainly. Donnie sipped at her tea and admired the furnishings. A varied and eclectic taste from what she could tell, but all of it complimented the general decor. Had the man selected everything himself or had the room been professionally decorated? Probably the latter. He'd approved of a good design, however.
When he finally showed himself, his presentation of himself likewise met with her approval. Neat and trim, well-mannered, he appeared to be everything that a high-ranking regional political figure should be. She had met a great many of them during her reign as Queen. At least he didn't try to touch her without permission. She appreciated the gesture, or lack thereof.
"Sir Dalphus, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. And I say that sincerely. You presented yourself very graciously in your request for our presence. It's always rewarding to see other Spades succeeding, and in such style. I would be more than happy to discuss such business in the near future and to hear your proposals with regards to the Court." A great deal of nothing, but it certainly set the right tone for the meeting.
She graced him with a smile. "You can of course call me Queen Donalda if it suits you, but I'd much rather you called me Donnie. The nickname fits much more comfortably. With me is my daughter, Sophia, and her friend Illyria." She would leave it for the others to introduce themselves.
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Post by Lucca on Jan 3, 2011 9:52:44 GMT -5
Graeme didn't mind the short wait, not when the place was so tasteful and a servant had obligingly brought him a cup of tea (much, MUCH better than the lackluster hotel fare of that morning), and when the Mayor snowed up, the Duck was not disappointed. He'd never met the man in person, but he'd heard a lot about him, most of it good, and all of it confirmed as he gave the Biped a cursory glance and a polite smile.
His smiled widened at the mention of how well the oil wells were doing...and threatened to falter at the mention of that most horrid of words...charity. Bah! Giving a bunch of money to Cards who were too lazy to earn it for themselves or had the bad sense to have children when they couldn't afford it. Through years of practice, his smile remained firmly on his bill, though it was slightly strained. He supposed it made sense that the Mayor would do something of that sort...after all, it tended to help one's reputation to be generous. One of the many reasons Graeme would never involve himself in politics.
After Donnie greeted the man, Graeme turned and doffed his hat to the Mayor in greeting. "Th'name's Graeme McDuck, owner of McDuck Enterprises," he said, customary Highlands accent thick. "Ah helped te fund this venture and own a portion o'the land the wells are on," he explained further, though he was sure the man probably knew that much already. He briefly pulled back his jacket to show his own Jack of Spades Ranking. "Ah agree it's best t'keep the wealth all in the family, so to speak. It's an honor to meet you in person at last, Mayor Dalphus, and an honor to be here for this event." He slipped his top hat back on his head and stood politely, waiting.
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Post by Bee on Jan 4, 2011 0:37:36 GMT -5
"You did give me something nice," she had whispered to Sophie, and the speaking helped her rile up a bit of courage; touching her on the shoulder seemed a reassuring and appealing thing to do, as much for herself as for Sophie, and she did it. She should focus on the little things. She was good at focusing on the little things.
If Sophie still wanted to be her friend, then that was good enough. No one, she thought hopefully, had even immediately shunned her. There was a small possibility that she wouldn't even need to spend the rest of her life locked in an attic back at her aunt's place in the Gardens, surrounding herself with fifty bandersnatches for company. "See? I can give you shade now."
The wait for the Mayor was short, and the room was beautiful. The Mayor himself was effusively hospitable and polite; had the behavior been directed at her, she would be been reduced to discomfited silence, but it was almost an amusing show when there were more important people in the room to accept the display. She smiled politely and dipped a very small bow when she was introduced--thankfully introduced by someone else--and otherwise tried to draw no attention to herself.
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 12, 2011 19:15:55 GMT -5
((Mayor Dalphus begins to speak at length about the oil wells, mainly addressing McDuck and the Queen of Spades.
He is highly interested in a full partnership and wishes to share the oil with everyone and assures McDuck, laughingly, that any charity work will be taken from his own property to hand about, as opposed to the areas sold to McDuck enterprises.
He then pulls Mikael aside and begins to discuss some of the finer points of the painting he wants to commission, telling the others that he will happily take them down to see the oil fields.
As they walk, he appears engrossed in the discussion of some of the finer points of painting, his sister was half-Villa and he likes to paint a bit himself.
The halls are as lovely as before and the servants escorting them out have brought refreshment as they circle the building and make their way to the back.
Behind the building, the group has a lovely view from the hilltop of the far end of the city on their right, the edge of the great lake, and the large well below them. Odd, metal machines, operated by Selkies and Corvie/Selkie mixes are all around the huge opening in the ground and a black substance can be seen being filtered from the machines into large tubs and magically sealed for shipping.
Various, small drops have been spilled on the ground.
The air smells heavily of oil and...ink?
At the hilltop, the Mayor is called off to the side by a servant and tells the group to feel free to explore and he'll catch them up in a minute, thanks. Feel free to look around, but be careful, those machines are big...and something in the air feels...off...
It's making Donnie think it might be a great idea to eat one of the three little fruits growing slowly from the tree on her daughter's little friends' back...))
~Nathalia
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Post by Lucca on Jan 17, 2011 11:17:31 GMT -5
Graeme was glad to hear that none of his properties and stakes in the venture would be going to charity, and he wasn't ashamed to show his satisfaction on that fact. Why should he give anything away to those too lazy to earn for themselves? It was this opinion that had netted Graeme his nickname of "Scrooge", but unlike the Queen, he didn't have to worry so much about his reputation as a 'nice Card', just that everyone who mattered respected him as a businessman. And the Mayor seemed to, which definitely made Graeme grin as they walked towards the water.
He took a moment to stop and look, leaning on his cane as he watched the machines do their work pulling the oil up out of the groun...or so he assumed. Wnhat curious inventions...he'd never seen their like in his life! And he'd been to Corvistowne itself many times. He turned to to ask the Mayor about them, only to see him get called off by a servant. A slight frown creased his bill, but then Graeme shrugged. "A busy man, that mayor," he muttered, half to himself, and twirled his cane once, glancing at his companions. Whatever they decided, he was going to explore around a bit.
But...he sniffed the air experimentally. It smelled heavily of oil, which was expected...and ink, which was not. How very bizarre. "Do you smell that, Your Majesty?" he asked in an undertone, wings rustling a bit as an odd sort of anxiety played at the back of his mind. Something just felt...-wrong- here. It was a subtle feeling, and he dismissed it as nerves and pushed it away. He started slowly down the hill towards the machines, wanting to get a closer look.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 19, 2011 18:59:31 GMT -5
Despite herself, Sophie found a genuine smile was starting to wriggle its way onto her face, supported by Lyr's reassuring kindness. Things had gone wrong, horribly wrong, with the mask... But perhaps all was not lost, at least not with regards to the Canine's budding friendship. In response to the kind offer, the much bulkier child leaned against Lyr's side, as if giving her an opportunity to lend shade already. "Thank you."
The politics of the place weren't the most interesting to the girl, but she listened regardless. Someday, the information could be useful. It was also funny to watch her mother's interaction with both of the men - so formal! Even more formal than she usually was when dealing with politicians. That made her smile, just a little bit. It was because men were Awful Things, but they didn't react well to hearing that, no matter how true it may have been. Sophie knew that well, and was proud of how polite her mother was being. Someday, maybe, she could be that good at talking to people...
The walk was lovely, as was the chance to actually see the grounds. Sophie sipped on her drink as she surveyed the place, her attention largely focused on making sure she wasn't underfoot. The lake, the trees, the.... machines? Those were... Odd. They certainly didn't improve the view much, and neither did the smell that was coming from them. The stocky girl moved towards them, then paused when she felt something wet underfoot. Frowning, she raised it to investigate - ugh, she'd gotten some of the black stuff on her... She gave it a small sniff, then tried to wipe it off.
Why did it smell like drawing?
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 19, 2011 23:27:36 GMT -5
The business conversation was more intriguing than Donnie might have given it credit for being. A generous man and his money were apparently eager to part ways for a good cause. She would have to see how well he was able and willing to stick to idle promises when it came time to actually divvy out a portion of his spoils. It would make for an interesting little political dance.
Talk soon turned to other things. She remained entertained by snippets of the conversation she caught between the Mayor and Mikael, having something of a classical education, but the finer points of painting were beyond her realm of interest. She cared more to appreciate the exquisite work that decorated the halls of the mansion as they walked. A glass of iced tea refreshed her and a few light, quick bites of finger food were welcome. All of this nibbling would make her hungrier for an actual meal eventually, but that was fine.
Her view as they approached the hill was... unexpected. She knew that they would learn of the excavation taking place to unearth the oil, but she hadn't quite expected such a first-hand approach to the machines that pulled the stuff up from the ground. What great, unwieldy contraptions. Her aesthetic appreciation for the landscape frowned at what the hulking things had done to the natural beauty of the lake, but her Court economic understanding remained curious as to just how much oil reached the surface and how often.
What a smell. She wrinkled her nose, disliking the pungent fumes of the oil. It smelled like the Corvie district in the Capital on a bad day. She would hate to visit the actual realm. But there was something else on the wind, wasn't there? Something... strange.
Something curious.
Her eyes slid thoughtfully down and to the side, resting on the fruit dangling conspituously from her guest's new leafy growth. Twitching, her hand remained firmly at her side for a moment. Then, almost of its own volition, it reached out and plucked a little fruit from the girl's body. Seemingly without conscious thought, hand moved to mouth and she ate the thing as though dazed.
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Post by Nathalia on Jan 20, 2011 15:54:38 GMT -5
((With an almighty lurch the Queen of Spades knows she has done something wrong.
Her chest tightens and she experiences trouble breathing, falling to the ground as a dark substance pools from her chest right over her heart. She feels power and knowledge seeping out of her body with shuddering jerks and twitches.
Her Suit has completely changed; she is now the same rank...but irrevocably a Diamond.
Her summon will remain, though it is no longer a summon, but a rather well-trained pet and appears suddenly and will act confuse and lost for a bit, sticking near its owner.
All of her other, ranked abilities are replaced thusly:
Basic Magical Ability: She can act charismatic and persuasive at times, whether or not she actually has the natural charm and grace to pull it off.
Moderate Magical Ability: When activated, she can decipher up to two languages of the player's choosing. These languages are in addition to the common tongue and the Diamond house language.
Strong Magical Ability: When activated, she can cast a lie-detector spell on a Card of any Suit, except for Spades, and of a rank lesser or equal to her own, once per day. Cards of equal rank would be aware of the spell, but Cards of lesser rank would not.
Powerful Magical Ability: When activated, she can fly for up to 40 minutes. Winged Diamonds can use this ability for effortless, perfectly controlled flight.
Shame to lose one, but at least Lyr knows what those fruits do now!
She has two left; the only two ever to exist and that ever will exist; guard them carefully.
When eaten, PM the Admin and she will send you your new set of abilities to replace your old ones. Your Suit changes at random and you cannot request, bargain, plead, or swindle for anything other than what the dice roll up for you. The only guarantee is that the Suit of said character will no longer be the one they started out with. There is a very very slight chance that it will cancel out Suit entirely and make them a Joker instead.
Goodness, Donnie!
The Mayor seemed to place an awful lot of pride in his Suit...best find a way to hide that, quick!
Finishing up his conversation, and looking a bit grave, the Mayor trots back over to the group. Smiling nervously.))
Probably best to get back up to the mansion." He said, trying to appear casual, though it is apparent he is ruffled. "Strange rumors...I'll explain once inside."
Once back inside, he gathers them back in the previous room, glancing over at the small girls, he nods to a staff member. "Perhaps you could take these two off somewhere more entertaining? The grounds perhaps? A dull office is no place for children."
The Hawk from before, nods, gesturing to the children before leading them out and down a long hall.
"The grounds are just down this hall, down the marble staircase, and to the left, the kitchens very near it, ask anyone any questions you may have and stay clear of the cellars."
He seems nervous and trots back to stand outside the door worriedly.
Wow! Free to explore! The Mayor's mansion is three stories high, with all of you currently on the second floor...what are you to do?
The Mayor shifts in his seat after the girls leave, seeming grave again. "Not news for children."
He mutters, blowing his mustache-like terrier fur out of the way before continuing.
"It would appear we're having...a small spot of bother, my friends. I didn't want to mention it, but it's getting out of hand now. You see..." He looks abashed. "We've been having Lakelanders turn up...well, dead for the past few weeks now."
He fumbles for a drink.
"All the same way, untouched except for some odd...substance, rather like ink the Police say, from their eyes..."
He shifts, highly uncomfortable. "Began once we got the oil wells fully working. Not too sure what to do, but it seems rather a bit dangerous now as um...our engineers down on the project you were just looking at seem to ah... Have been discovered that way about 10 minutes ago."
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