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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 16, 2010 22:03:39 GMT -5
It was a lovely, albeit cold, day and I wanted to get out. I had been cooped up at the inn I was staying in for days with only Oisin for company. While I loved him dearly, the both of us were feeling rather in need of the fresh air.
Originally, my destination had been out of the City, but instead I had gravitated toward the Palace. I had not been there since midwinter, where I had gone looking for Fin and found Decimus instead. The ghost of a smile hovered on my lips at the memory, and I resolved to seek him out again at a later date. I hadn't yet only because I was a little bit concerned about things being awkward between us now.
These thoughts were on my mind as Oisin and I meandered about until I realized that my feet had carried me into a lovely garden, even in winter. Because it was cold, there were no d'Angelines about, secretly I thought they might freeze to death just looking out of the window. I myself wore only breeches and a light tunic, a fur cloak tied around my neck but thrown back to let the sun shine onto my pale limbs.
I thought I was alone but then Oisin barked and tore off through the bushes. "Oisin?" His hackles weren't raised, so I knew he wasn't threatened, but he had taken off like he had the scent of something - a rabbit, maybe?
I turned the corner to see him frisking playfully about the knees of someone I recognized at once.
"Fin!" I exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace him, fairly knocking him over in my excitment. "Finally!"
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 17, 2010 15:35:31 GMT -5
I hated living in the palace, especially now that Maire had gone missing, it had near broken my heart when I had woken in the morning to find her gone, though the maids said that her stuff was still there and that it had appeared she was coming back once and awhile. I didn't care, my mind with wrought with worry that something terrible had happened to her.
So I did my best to get out as much as I could, to search the city in hopes I would spot her, or that I would find some clue as to where she had gone. But on this day I had found nothing, and so trudged back to the palace to find some distraction of any kind. I took a walk.
I began to wander through the south gardens, hands in my pockets and I looked down at the ground, my boots a stark contrast to the white snow. I would have kept looking except for the fact I was nearly bowled over by a dog. He jumped at me, and at first I wondered at who he was before I realized I recognized him as one I had seen back in Alba. It made me chuckle and I tussled his fur playfully. That was until I was then nearly bowled over by another.
"Niamh." I said with a little laugh. "Goodness cousin what are you doing here?" I asked in our native Eiren tongue.
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 17, 2010 18:03:12 GMT -5
"Visiting you!" I said, enjoying speaking my native tongue once more. "Well, that's what I told my father, at least. What I've mostly been doing is finding trouble and going to fetes. Were you at the masque? I looked for you." All of this came out in a rush as I stepped back from him, regarding him critically, as if searching for signs that living in the City was making him soft.
Finding none, I settled on a bench nearby and patted the empty seat next to me. "Sit and tell me all about the City and what you've been up to." Oisin danced around happily, his tail wagging and a wolfish grin on his face. "Oisin is happy to see you as well, I see."
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 18, 2010 22:30:43 GMT -5
What had I been up to?
"The City is dismal," I began as I sighed and sat next to her with a listless sigh before I hooked my arm around the back the bench. "Its nothing like I had imagined." I added as I looked to her before looking at her wolf dog and petting Oisin's head as he nosed about at me.
"I was at the masque," I continued, ignoring the comment about the pup. "I ended up getting in a fight with Ferris mab Eideann and then sleeping with Mairin mab Halcycone, only to wake up in the middle of the night to find out she'd disapeared from the palace." I quirked a brow and looked at her. "What did you do, what sort of trouble did you get into?"
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 0:10:15 GMT -5
I frowned slightly as Fin sat down next to me, obviously in some distress. I, for one, had found the City fun and interesting, full of trouble to get into and adventures to be had. It was disheartening to see that it had not been so for my cousin.
I blinked in surprise at his tale of the masque. "You and Ferris fought? And you and Mairin...?" I trailed off when he asked me about my night. I laughed, smiling wryly.
"Let's just say it was a good night for the Halcyone clan." I felt my cheeks flush with the memory. "I suppose I should have written to let you know I was coming, we might have found each other sooner," I said, changing the subject quickly.
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 19, 2010 0:16:19 GMT -5
"Decimus?" I asked as I looked at her. "You jest." My brows furrowed, I should have been pleased, but I was far too over protective of her to even get to that point. "I'll kill him."
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 0:27:09 GMT -5
I rolled my eyes and punched him in the arm. "Oh, don't start acting like one of my brothers, I left Eire to get away from that sort of thing. Do you know how hard it is to have suitors with those three about? Besides, it isn't as if he took advantage of me, I practically had to drag him out of the fete." Well, that wasn't entirely true - as I recalled, the two of us had fairly run out to the carriage to get to his home as fast as we could, but I decided that Fin really did not want to hear about that.
"You and Maire, though? I don't know her well, though Decimus has spoken of her, but I didn't know that you had feelings for her. Or is that a new thing?" Then I laughed shaking my head slightly. "Look at us, coming across the sea to Terre d'Ange only to get romantic with people we could have been with at home!"
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 19, 2010 0:42:06 GMT -5
I cringed each time she spoke, my head jerking back and forth as I closed my eyes and tried to drown out her voice; I gave up and put my fingers in my ears. "La la la la la!" I called out as I drowned out the sound of her talking, but by then it was too late. "Dagda Mor Niamh, you're like a sister to me, I don't want to hear about your sexual escapades. Nor do I want to hear them about... Mairin's, the woman I think I'm in love with...brother!" I grunted and jerked backward a little. "Gods be damned, was is that so... why is it that we've traveled all the way here and we're both ending up with people from back home." I was really frustrated now, my arms crossed tightly across my chest. "You know, I was actually thinking that I'd consider trying to find a wife here?" I shook my head. "But no... And you know... its all because she wants Him!" I scoffed. "You know... I mean... is that what love is? Wanting some one because they don't want you, but are actually in love with some one else... Who! Coincidentally, doesn't love them in return?!" I shook my head further, the words had simply tumbled from my mouth before I looked over to my cousin. "Forgive me," I then added with a sigh. "Now you can see why the city as been so dismal."
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 1:08:06 GMT -5
I laughed at first, the way he plugged his ears and tried to avoid hearing my voice. This was a familiar game, and it made me feel content - we were in another country, but some things never changed.
My laughter died down, however, when I began to see how frustrated, and hurt, that he really was. In love with Mairin? And she wanted him? Him who? Ferris, I realized after a moment.
"You don't have to ask for forgiveness," I said, sliding closer to him for comfort, if he wanted it. "'Tis a bad situation you're in. It seems that I have arrived just in time," I said, only half in jest. I did not like to see him like this, and I was already thinking about what words I would be having with Mairin if I should happen to run into her. "I wish I had some good advice for you, though," I said with a sigh, "but as I have never been in love, I can't say. Though I have wanted something that another possessed, and for what it's worth, I'm not sure that's love ... but there's no sure way to tell, is there?"
I sighed and leaned against him, my head on his shoulder. "It seems that 'Love as thou wilt' is a bit more complicated than I thought it would be."
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 19, 2010 1:32:00 GMT -5
I sighed gently, my arms crossed against my chest still but more relaxed as I slumped a little into my seat. "I don't know if I love her Niamh," I said with an exhale. "I know she's harboured feelings for Ferris for some time, but he's such an idiot about her." I shook my head and looked at her as best I could despite her head on my shoulder. "Part of me thinks that its really about the fact that she wants him so badly and doesn't want me, that may be I want that in a woman. I mean... there are plenty of women that want me, not to make myself sound that great, but its not hard to find women like that here in the city. But the way she see Ferris, its this... devotion, this utter selfless devotion that goes far beyond just 'wanting' some one, or wanting them in a lustful fashion." I shook my head a little and clucked my tongue. "She really loves him, and silly bastard doesn't want her." I shrugged, but not hard so that I didn't bounce her head. "I guess... its more jealously then anything. He has something I want, and he seems to inspire it from more then just Maire."
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 1:59:14 GMT -5
I listened, then lifted my head and kissed his cheek lightly. "A fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Fin," I said, shaking my head and smiling softly. "I can't make it better, but don't concern yourself overmuch with Ferris. I'd wager that Mairin will see soon enough that he doesn't feel the same for her, and then she can sort out her own feelings. But whether or not she wants you, cousin of mine, there's naught you can really to force the issue."
I knew this probably wasn't what he wanted to hear, or maybe it was that he knew it already, but I had no better advice for him. "Now, we're in Terre d'Ange, the land of angels, with amazingly beautiful people all around us, I think maybe we need to take advantage of that fact. There must be some lovely lady around here who's taken your fancy, no?"
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 19, 2010 2:08:59 GMT -5
I thought about Ferris and Maire and shook my head a little, deciding that I needed to push past it, to push past those feelings. "No," I said in replied to Niamh as I turned my head to look at her. "I was thinking about... about going to the Night Court; the Queen gave me a token for which ever house I wished." I looked away and bit the inside of my cheek a little before looking back at her. "But to be honest," I scrunched up one side of my face for a moment. "I don't want to go alone. Ironic isn't it."
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 2:42:17 GMT -5
"She did?" I asked in amazement. I had toyed with the idea of going myself, but aside from my brief foray into gambling at Bryony, I hadn't really had the nerve. "Any house? That makes it hard to choose..." I said, looking sidelong at him and wondering what house he would select, and what, if anything, that said about him. "It's not ironic, I think it's normal, at least for us." I laughed, heat coming to my cheeks again. "I've thought about it too, I've even befriended an Adept, but it just seems such a strange and unnatural thing to do ... I haven't gotten up the nerve." I felt better, confessing it, even though it was somewhat embarrassing.
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 19, 2010 2:51:53 GMT -5
I looked at her a bit the inside of my cheek again. "May hap... you and I should go together?" I looked at her as I furrowed my brows together. "I'm sure I could get one for you as well, a token I mean, we could find a house and go at the same time. May hap it wouldn't be as... scary that way." I chuckled at the idea of being scary, but it was a bit overwhelming, the idea of an entire house, there simply to please you in the most... seductive ways. "What do you think?"
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 10:39:43 GMT -5
"I like that idea," I said, nodding, my mind already racing. What House would I choose? At first I thought of Orchis, of Sandrine, but while I liked her well enough, I was not the type to be interested in a woman that way.
"Have you thought about a House? I mean, which one you'd be interested in?" I wondered if discussing this with me would make him feel awkward; I tended to be rather frank about such matters. "I think I'd be open to most any of them except perhaps Mandrake or Valerian ... I think that's a little much for me, what do you think?"
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Post by Fin mac Ahern (R) on Apr 19, 2010 22:57:43 GMT -5
I shrugged a little. "Not Valerian or Mandrake for sure." I replied as I looked at her. "I don't know... A softer house most definitely. Perhaps, Balm? Or... Jasmine?" I shrugged again. "Theres also Cereus, Heliotrope, Camellia or Dahlia." I looked at her for a moment. "What do you think?"
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Post by Niamh mac Igrainne on Apr 19, 2010 23:24:59 GMT -5
"Jasmine," I said, grinning at him. " 'For pleasure's sake', sounds perfect to me." It did, actually, I reflected. Out of all of the houses, Jasmine seemed truest to the point of the whole thing - why else did one go to the Night Court but for pleasure? "What do you think, are you interested in Jasmine?"
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