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Post by Bee on Nov 23, 2010 0:55:36 GMT -5
Illyria was so engrossed in the interesting series of events playing out before her that she barely murmured a reply when her aunt slipped off to the bathroom. It was so strange, seeing other Yarrows interact with men, seeing professional interest come before what must have been personal prejudice. Her aunt had refused to be served by a male waiter.
Then the little mix faced her, really faced her, and spoke to her in a voice that was surprisingly deep for a girl their age. She had a cute, quirky little smile, and Lyr fumbled out a nervous little one of her own when faced with it.
"Oh--I--" She glanced rapidly back at the empty seat to which her aunt would surely soon return, and then back to the girl and her company. She seemed awfully nice. And as rude as would be to intrude, would it not also be rude to decline such a kind offer? And surely her aunt wouldn't remain upset with her when she saw what company she was keeping.
Her face reddened and warmed as she realized she was just rationalizing a decision she had already made. She didn't usually think that way. Her smile became moderately less insecure. "I think I will, actually. Thank you."
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Nov 23, 2010 1:15:53 GMT -5
What a weird sensation in the pit of her stomach. Sophie wasn't sure if she liked it, and she had the dim idea that perhaps that sensation wasn't going to go away until after the other girl had answered. There had been another woman there before - mother? Older sister? Some other relation that Sophie hadn't considered? It seemed very likely that the pretty little girl would turn her down, in light of that. This was a stupid idea. Sophie could feel herself start to wilt when the girl looked back at the seat that had been occupied.
The response was, surprisingly, positive. The hybrid girl stared for a minute. Then she blinked. Then she smiled again, and her cheeks darkened with a sudden blush. "Oh!" She exclaimed, then got better control of herself.
Quickly, she pulled the chair beside her out, making space for the other girl to sit down. "I'm Sophie. This is my uncle, Mikael. My mother is Her Majesty Donalda, but she's over there." So many words coming out of her mouth! She was certain to mess something up, but it would be rude to say nothing now. "We're going to the Selkie Lakes. Have you ever been there?"
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Post by Bee on Nov 23, 2010 1:56:19 GMT -5
She cast one more fitful glance at her table, abandoned salad and abandoned seat alike, and knew that if she let the worry take root, it would be all she would be able to think about. If it didn't push everything else away, it would weave through it, poison her conversation. So she endeavored immediately to push those thoughts away and focus on the girl--on Sophie. She slid into the chair.
"I'm Illyria," she said. She ducked her head in what was half a modified curtsy and half a momentary nervous avoidance of eyes. "I'm--I'm glad you said hi. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Mikael. And no, I've never been there." She wasn't sure how she'd react to large quantities of open water, in all truth, but she had heard it was a lovely vacationing spot in addition to a business hub. "Oh! I used to live in Esterberry, though, for school. I came home in the summer, of course, but it was very nice."
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Post by The Jenn on Nov 23, 2010 15:39:47 GMT -5
"Very true," Donnie agreed mildly, trying to get a bit of a sense for the man. He was an important figure, yes, to have the sort of money it took to invest in oil. The Corvies lapped the stuff up like black cream for their mad experiments. Whatever kept them happy. Kept them out of everyone else's hair.
Her stance relaxed a tiny bit and she inclined her head. "I will look for you at the ceremony, then, as I imagine that we'll probably be housed somewhere nearby. We'll be catching a nearby carriage in a little under forty-five minutes, manned by one of the Mayor's staff. Which reminds me... if you'll excuse me." With a polite gesture, she made to leave for her original destination. A however-long carriage ride would necessitate a trip to the restroom. She'd likely have to push her daughter into doing the same. Children were strange like that.
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Post by Lucca on Nov 23, 2010 15:59:49 GMT -5
It was a bit hard to get a measure of a man in a casually tense situation like this one. At least, that was what Graeme would have thought. In a situation such as this formal meeting (and whatever was done to disguise that fact, this was, indeed, a formal meeting) no one was really themselves. Still, Graeme decided that the Queen seemed...different than he had expected. Which was a little silly, if he thought about it. Had he expected to hear condescension dripping from her tone because of his gender? Had he expected her to be angry and vicious without provocation?
Heh. How silly. He should know better than that, after all his years of experience dealing with others, some Yarrows among them. He smiled and did that half bow again. "Of course, Your Majesty. Ah'll look forward ta seeing ye there," the Duck said, and turned back to glance at her table once the Wolverine had left. She'd brought with her another noble from her Court...and a child. Her child, if he had his guess. Interesting. But then, perhaps she was training her daughter to someday take a place among the nobility as well? Something like this might be a good introduction to show what sort of routine events a Court member may be required to attend.
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Post by The Jenn on Nov 23, 2010 16:44:11 GMT -5
When she returned from the ladies' room, Donnie passed by McDuck with another very slight, curious glance before making her way back to her own table. His was simply on the way. She remained curious.
She also didn't fail to notice the conversation going on between her daughter and the newest person sitting at their table. Convenient that it had been made to comfortably seat four. Huh. And it was the pretty little Kahmden mix. She had to work quite hard to refrain from smiling.
"We're in for a long ride, Sophie," she said simply, giving her daughter a pointed look. Hopefully she would get it, unless she wanted Mommy to go ahead and tell her to potty in front of a new friend. Then she glanced towards Mikael, hoping for any briefly exchanged insights via glance but not really accepting much.
Her attention returned to the young, unknown quantity. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss. Unfortunately, our meeting will have to be cut regrettably short. We'll likely have to depart the building in a few minutes to make a carriage."
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Nov 24, 2010 1:28:22 GMT -5
With her mother preoccupied with talking to the funny-looking Highland-mix, Sophie was able to settle her attentions fully on the girl who she'd invited to sit with them. She said quite a lot of things, much more than she normally said (which still meant she didn't say any more than was absolutely needed). She spoke about the Courts, the mission she was on, and some of the aspects of why she had decided to sneak away with her mother and uncle. Any questions that came her way, she was all too happy to answer, and to ask some of her own about Esterberry schools and were they terrible and did Lyr ever want to run away.
It was interesting. Sophie felt almost comfortable around the young girl, and words came easily. Perhaps they were not the most graceful of words, but they were much more eloquent than the single-syllable utterances that normally made their way out of the hybrid's mouth. An idea dawned on her, and she blinked.
"...I bet you could come with us. You know, as a court-exercise. We would both have to help my uncle out, but I could teach you about politics." Without understanding why, exactly, Sophie blushed. It was after the girl responded positively that her mother appeared again, and Sophie turned to make her plea to the Queen.
It came out in a jumble of words, all of them begging and hopeful, a thousand little promises. It would be a chance for her to show how responsible she could be, extra help for Mikael and anyone else who needed it, and someone for her to play with when Donnie just needed to be alone. "I'll even go to the bathroom now," she added hopefully, eyes going uncharacteristically round.
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Post by The Jenn on Nov 24, 2010 1:58:27 GMT -5
...that was the most ridiculous end to a favor-plea that Donnie had ever heard. And she had heard a lot in her position. She stared down at her daughter, mouch settling into a hard line, before she glanced between the two girls and then over to Mikael. Her gaze returned to Sophie.
"...what the hell. This is not a little kiddie trip." The words came out more snappish than she had perhaps intended, but really. There was no other way to deliver them. She stared at her daughter, watched the expression slowly begin to fall, and then made a snap call. Because really. She would almost pay real money to watch her daughter try to woo a little lady.
"You know what? Sophie? You're already on 'probabion'. Mikael is watching you right now. You have to get his permission." And she turned to look at Mikael with the kind of flat, even look that any subordinate dreaded. Once both girls had looked at him, though, she let a smile creep through before dropping it. He would have seen.
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Post by Bee on Nov 24, 2010 2:04:24 GMT -5
She did a much better job not worrying than she ever thought she would be able to, because she scarcely noticed her aunt returning to the table, scarcely noticed her eyes burning in her direction. She had been emboldened by the little conversation she was having, talking more and more easily than she had in a very long time. She didn't even feel wretched talking about herself, as she usually did; the exchange felt equal and balanced, and she felt free to share.
She was devastated, then, when Sophie's mother came to inform them of the end of their time together. It was like being struck in the face. It had been so very short. She couldn't manage any words in response, so it was fortunate that Sophie had--and Lyr clung to idea like a limpet. Go with them! It was an exciting and admittedly deeply terrifying thought.
And then it was shot down.
And then--hope.
Well, that was rather dizzying. Lyr turned to Mikael, who was now apparently the arbiter of their fate, with eyes as wide as Sophie's had been, feeling a deep and dreadful anticipation and a desperate longing.
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Post by Nako on Nov 24, 2010 2:10:37 GMT -5
Mikael had thought it a pleasant enough thing to have the girl come over and sit down, maintaining a polite indifference to their conversation as he picked at what was left of his food. When the girl went and said something like that to her mother though, his hackles nearly raised on his back. Wuh… say what? Way to throw him under the bus! His head snapped around so hard that he got a crick in his neck.
His ears flattened when suddenly the attention was on him. It was… his call? His gaze flicked toward his Queen in an almost panicked state, but he was quick to gain some composure as he took a moment to think about it rationally. It wasn't a secret that Sophie… wasn't exactly a feminine girl. Obviously she was going to have preferences growing up but… she wasn't really all that pretty either. Or rather, that dark little part of oneself that could actually -admit- such a thing about a loved one could say that. Mikael would probably never admit that Sophie was such an awkward, strange thing. Mikael had the bonus of a mask! Hur hour.. it had a mysterious appeal, after all. Nobody had to know if he was fugally or not underneath.
In reality… this girl needed all the help she could get, even at a young age. And was that a bit of a smile on Donnie's face? Probably.
"Okay… okay. Fine. Assuming everything is okayed on her guardian's end then yes."
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