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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 23, 2007 23:05:04 GMT -5
And so off to Desir we were. It would have been a short walk, but I insisted on the carriage, not accepting any other answers than a yes – simply because her dress was pretty and there was muck on the street.
It was short, and so I entered with Lady Mauvais on my arm, and ordered the best table in the establishment. We were set in a quiet rotunda, one where lighting and décor were perfect, and I held out a chair for my companion.
“Does this suit, My Lady?” I asked elegantly as I waited for her to sit at ease.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 25, 2007 20:57:12 GMT -5
It was almost like a dream: A handsome prince whisked me away in his carriage to this wonderful place. Taking my seat, I said, "This is more than enough, Amir. Your generosity is humbling."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 25, 2007 22:32:47 GMT -5
"Bah, it is only lunch," I told her with an easy smile as I sat in front of her. "So tell me about your House, Avive," I started, and correcting myself, I added, "We should call each other by name, should we not? In my country, to eat together is the foundation of friendship..."
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 26, 2007 19:41:48 GMT -5
"It is only with your permission that I may call you by your first name, my lord," I said, a little hesitant to call him by his first name. "Here, it is polite to refer to one's superiors with a title."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 26, 2007 19:44:21 GMT -5
"I understand," I replied, nodding. "Ummayyatti society is very hunched on protocol, in fact, but I will admit it has always weighed on me. Please, will you do me the honor of calling me Walid, then?"
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 27, 2007 17:01:39 GMT -5
"Yes, my- Walid," I said, stopping myself and laughing a little. "It will take some practice, I'm afraid."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 27, 2007 21:12:52 GMT -5
"I have patience," I replied, laughing with her. "Besides, that's entirely charming, Avive."
The lass came by, and I gestured for my companion to place her order first.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 28, 2007 17:10:56 GMT -5
"I'll have the coq au vin, please, with garlic whipped potatoes and asparagus," I said. "And a glass of sparkling water."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 28, 2007 17:53:38 GMT -5
I gave the lass a nod, and indicated that would be a double order. It was simple: I had no idea what to order - it was my first meal out.
"It sounded so delightful, I could not resist ordering the same," I told her with a sheepish smile. "Will you tell me of your choice, and why it retained your attention?"
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 28, 2007 17:58:31 GMT -5
"Well," I said, "coq au vin is chicken in red wine sauce. It is a light enough meat for lunch, and very flavorful. Garlic whipped potatoes are mashed potatoes with butter and garlic. They are a spicier alternative to the sweet chicken. And asparagus is just a vegetable that I like."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 28, 2007 23:57:45 GMT -5
"It sounds indeed like a pleasant choice," I told her with a grin. "And it allows me to know your tastes better," I added, looking at her from under my eyebrows. "That isn't a displeasing thought."
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 29, 2007 17:44:06 GMT -5
I must have turned the color of the red wine dressing my meal, though it pleased me that he was flirting with me. "But then, how will I ever know your personal tastes, Walid?" I asked, winking.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 29, 2007 17:59:32 GMT -5
Within moments the girl had come and served us our food, adding a bottle of wine, compliments of the house. I served Avive and myself some, affecting not to notice her redness.
"Oh, don't worry," I replied, smiling devilishly, "I don't keep them secret in anyway." I twirled my wine, and took a sip. "It's lovely, very flourished," I noted. Looking at the label, I added, "From a Siovalese sapling, it seems."
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Nov 30, 2007 10:35:15 GMT -5
"Siovalese?" I asked. "I'm Siovalese!" My cheeks were pink with excitement, and I took a sip of wine. "I've been away from home for the whole winter, but this brings me right back." I said,
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Nov 30, 2007 12:46:04 GMT -5
And there she was, all girly and free, lovely in her childish excitement. I laughed lightly, and said, "Well, bring me with you, if you like. I've never been to Siovale - will you tell me of it?"
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 1, 2007 23:46:06 GMT -5
"It's so beautiful," I said. "Green, rolling hills, wide, lush valleys; it is a vision of bounty and produce." I tilted my head at him. "Will you tell me of your homeland?"
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 2, 2007 0:12:13 GMT -5
"A drastic opposite," I replied. "I've been called a Prince of the Sands, before, and it is rather accurate. Ummayyatt is a desert, but our capital city is on the Ocean that leads to Bodhistan, and Ch'n. It is a bustling city with many markets and public places, and one can oft see straddlers lounging under a tarp of braided straw, resting in the shade and sharing tales and a pipe. Out of the city, it is a sea of dunes, rolling hills that are majestic and changing, as unpredictable as the whims of Lady Fate herself."
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 3, 2007 13:27:17 GMT -5
"It sounds marvelous," I said. "It must be so hot, what do you wear to keep cool?"
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 3, 2007 18:09:02 GMT -5
"Light colors, white, mostly, and scarves to protect our heads and flowing robes that allow aeration while keeping sand out. Our life style also reflects the climate - during the zenith, you would be hard pressed to find anyone out on the streets - everyone is fast resting, so hot is the sun," I replied with a gentle smile.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 3, 2007 21:55:52 GMT -5
"So you sleep in the day and work at night?" I asked curiously.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 3, 2007 22:06:23 GMT -5
"Not quite," I replied, shaking my head. "The nights are very cold, and do not lend themselves to work. And so we wake up with the sun, rest a few hours during the zenith, and work more until sunset or about. Besides, one needs light to do most work, building enterprises and such, and so those must be done during the day."
It occured to me that the days had seemed shorter, much so to me as I travelled North, particularly in Frigid Ruskovia, and so I added, wondering what her thoughts on the matter were, "We have longer daylight times, which helps a lot."
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 4, 2007 14:57:38 GMT -5
"Ah," I said. "That makes more sense. Here, schedules tend to stay the same, no matter what the season."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 4, 2007 22:02:04 GMT -5
I looked at her in confusion. "As do ours," I replied, brow furrowed. "Only, our days are longer. The sun sets and rises a little bit earlier, and a little bit later than here." It was something I had observed - in 5 years, I had had plenty of time to come to that realization, though I'd not yet completed my theory on the matter. I'd thought on it, but had no proof of it.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 5, 2007 16:15:04 GMT -5
"Does the length of the days and the hotness not vary at all with the time of year?" I asked.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 5, 2007 18:59:56 GMT -5
I shook my head in negation. "Not at all. Those variations, I observed, since I have been travelling. They seem to affect Ephesus, a little, and more and more as one goes North. In Ruskovia, it was extreme," I noted, remembering the cold winter and early, long nights with a shudder.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 6, 2007 19:12:42 GMT -5
"Ah, I understand now," I said. Having talked so much, I had barely touched my food. Slicing a piece of chicken, I ate it with relish. "This is delicious," I told him. "Thank you again for your generosity."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 6, 2007 19:19:22 GMT -5
I set to eating with pleasure, for I was hungry, and took another sip of wine. "It's lovely indeed, you have good taste," I complimented her.
"So tell me, what of your studies ? I am curious of what you can tell me of your field of interest," I asked with sincere curiousity.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 7, 2007 15:35:36 GMT -5
"Well, I mentioned that I love the study of history and lineages," I said. "The interesting thing about studying families is that you can see personality as well as physical characteristics passed from generation to generation. For example, the child of a kind lord is also likely to be kind. This sort of thing may be due to how the child was raised, but traits also skip generations. For example, say a lord has three children. One may be like him, and the other two may be like each of his parents, or like their mother or their mother's parents. This in general is a good predictor of how people will be have in politics as well."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Dec 7, 2007 19:21:51 GMT -5
I listened to her with interest, nodding. "I see. And what phenomenae have you observed, thus far?" I asked in genuine curiosity - I hadn't met the Great Houses yet, and so I wondered what I should know.
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Post by Avive de Rocaille on Dec 9, 2007 14:32:43 GMT -5
"Well, take my house, for example," I said. "We are Shemhazai's scions, and we basically live to learn. Another particular example is Princess Phreya de la Courcel. She looks exactly like a Shahrizai, but she has the Courcel neck. She holds an estate here in Siovale, which she rules well. The Courcel line are all good rulers."
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