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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 6, 2008 16:04:57 GMT -5
Leclerc sent me home, but I didn't quite obey. My head was throbbing still from the headache, and I didn't feel like being home just yet. It felt... premature.
It had been a while, since I'd seen my Gad - busy, both of us, I gathered. I needed to catch up with him. Mayhap this was the itch that begged to be scratched, that ate at me even in moments that qualified as relaxed.
I made for the Generous Patron. It wasn't as riotous as the Cockerel, it was nicer than the Poulet Gauche, but it wasn't half as snotty as the White Hart and the Lord and Lady Inn. I didn't feel up to the Tsingani or the Alban hideouts either. For some strange reason, this place felt right.
So many things had happened. Events galore - the L'Envers wedding, the spars, the friendships, and the Shahrizai Fete on the eve of us, yet another event to part us. We needed to see each other.
I ordered ale, and as I downed a good draught, I found my headache subsided some. I begged a quill and parchment from the innkeep, and drafted a letter.
Gadleon, my dearest Serpent,
It feels like I haven't seen or heard of you in eons. Do tell me you are in good health, and that all is to the best.
If you can, will you meet me at the Generous Patron, tomorrow at sundown?
Missing you sorely,
Julie
That done, I finished my ale, and had the missive delivered.
On the morrow, I was at the inn on the dot, dressed in my regular attire, though one might have found my hair was nicely untangled, and that something akin to the smell of roses hung around me. I was trying.
I took a table, and didn't order anything for then. I waited.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 7, 2008 10:15:11 GMT -5
I got Julie’s missive and did not bother responding. Instead I simply saddled the buckskin and took myself to the Patron. I gave the usual warnings whilst handing over my mount and then made my way in. It did not take long to spot her with the thick mane of red hair so I made my way across the room and simply leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“Good evening Julie” I offered in soft tones with a smile and then made myself comfortable. “I got your note as you probably noticed.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 8, 2008 15:54:04 GMT -5
When he entered, it seemed the room spun a little, as though his presence had altered the fabric of reality for a moment. He closed the distance, and his lips grazed my skin. He was gentle. I wondered.
For his little jest, I chuckled, and looked at him affectionately. “So I see, Gad. It’s good to see you. How have you been?”
It was strange – it felt like for ever since our last parting. I’d missed him.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 8, 2008 16:54:08 GMT -5
I propped elbow on table and chin in hand and fixed her with my eyes “About the same as usual and for that I cannot complain. I do declare we are a complicated race of people to make socializing seem as if it is a job and thus so vastly complicated.” I gave a small feral grin and then added “Good to see you as well” though the later was in softer tones.
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 9, 2008 12:49:06 GMT -5
I looked at him a moment. He was rakish as ever, but his edge was gentle. I let my hand reach across, not touching him though I longed for the intimacy.
“That bad, is it?” I asked gently. Shahrizai politics. I'd been told before, things about staying away from them. But if I was Gadleon’s, I had very little choice, didn’t I? “How does the family fare, then?”
It was touchy. I was curious to hear about his project with his matriarch. I didn’t want to know anything about the pleasures they might have shared, though.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 9, 2008 13:42:49 GMT -5
I reached over and let my hand cover hers when she extended her arm and smiled “It seems to go well. As best I can tell I am one of the more stabile members of our little clan. Of course that thought is rather disturbing in and of its self.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 9, 2008 16:46:36 GMT -5
I laughed lightly, turning my hand to let it twine with his lightly. “I think you have a measure of good sense, love,” I replied warmly. My eyebrows lifted a little, and I gave him a questioning look. “Did you ever doubt it?”
I was happy to see him, I was happy that we were talking, though I felt the urge to curl up in his arms, like the affectionate pet that I sometime thought myself to be. The thought that his family was more than disturbed did concern me though. One step at a time, I figured.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 10, 2008 10:45:15 GMT -5
I rubbed her fingers with my own and pondered “Well I do have enough self knowledge in me to realize that I am a quirky thing. I think when others are being polite they describe such mannerisms as slightly eccentric a nice way of saying mildly insane really.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 10, 2008 14:56:56 GMT -5
If Gadleon was the sane one in his lot, and yet thought himself insane, I had cause to concern. I swallowed some saliva, trying to undo the budding knot in my throat.
I tried to look into his eyes. His Shahrizai, deep cerulean gaze. The eye of the Serpent, in which lurked the Dragon, ready to strike, if he let it. Mayhap a little, then…. “Well, maybe you’re a nut, but you’re my nut,” I told him affectionately, giving a little squeeze. Seeing as he’d been holding the right, happily, I held out my left hand. “Look, the stitches are gone! Isn’t that wonderful?”
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 10, 2008 16:51:19 GMT -5
I could tell I was troubling her but that was a bit of my insanity I suppose that I oft enjoyed making others wonder. I took her other hand and turned it palm up and studied it “Yes it seems to have healed up nicely. You are lucky the hand can be a tricky place.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 10, 2008 17:47:56 GMT -5
“I am lucky in many respects,” I replied softly. I closed my eyes, and took a breath. “You know, I gave my first blood wound yesterday.”
I felt funny about it, too. I would have expected to feel thrill, exhilaration at it. Instead, I felt guilty and shallow for my actions. Aleron no Liatris. I barely knew him. I didn’t like him. But I’d injured him more than he deserved.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 15, 2008 10:28:12 GMT -5
"Oh?" I quirked my brow "Do tell me what happened." At this point I had no clue if it was an altercation or if some training simply got out of hand.
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 15, 2008 13:21:46 GMT -5
“I went to training at House Liatris,” I started, fiddling with his hand. “As you know, I’ve been remiss,” I added, giving him an accomplice smile. Of course he knew – I’d skipped practice a few times on his his behalf, though not at his request. It was all my doing, and not his. “So Leclerc, I guess, saw it fit to pit me against another one who was there. Called himself Lady Liatris’ Whore. He needled me until I lost it, and nigh cut his arm.”
Gods. He’d been awfully insulting too. I wondered if I would have it in me to prevent myself from pounding his pretty little face to shreds.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 16, 2008 9:40:18 GMT -5
“I see” I nodded “training out of hand then. Take care though there is a lesson in there.” I gave one of my reptilian grins “A cool head is a good thing to go with hot blood. Generally when such things are for real one needs to ignore the needling from one’s opponent and let their blade do their talking. It can be hard but when driven by passion killing becomes an imprecise thing. Experience has taught me that it is best accomplished with clinical detachment and a training field is the best place to learn to ignore verbal barbs.” I leaned in a bit “Besides one can get plenty of satisfaction by silently kicking the arse of such an opponent.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 16, 2008 10:03:41 GMT -5
His smile chilled me to the bone, and quickened me at the same time. I drummed my foot against the floor, fidgeting a little. “I know, I know,” I replied. “I thought I’d feel wonderful for hitting him, and instead I feel like an idiot for letting him get to me. Gods.” I shook my head, and said, “I really need to learn that.”
I took his hand in both of mine, and put my lips to his palm. Against his skin, I whispered, “How do you do it, love?”
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 16, 2008 11:57:50 GMT -5
I let her take my hand to her lips and then absently toed with the underside of her wrist. The serpentine smile never leaving my lips “It is an ugly business really working with blades and is always the best to be the one inflicting the carnage instead of receiving. It sounds like you did just fine.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 16, 2008 16:59:30 GMT -5
His touch was strangely soothing, and I relished it as he spoke. “I guess so,” I replied thoughtfully. “But then why do I feel so terrible about it?” The truth was, Aleron had almost only parried. Had he taken some chances, mayhap I’d have been stitched myself.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 17, 2008 10:09:02 GMT -5
“I have no idea really” was my honest reply. “I suppose it is ultimately something you will have to decide if you can handle if you plan on continuing to play with sharp and pointy things.” A bit harsh yes, but not everyone has the temperament for warfare. Better to find out on practice ground instead of for real.
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 17, 2008 12:13:15 GMT -5
There were moments like this where Gad didn’t seem insane at all to me. Rather, he was talking as though he were much older, much wiser. I shrugged. There were a lot of things I had to decide for myself apparently. The shrug was followed almost immediately by a chuckle.
“I think I felt bad because he wasn’t really threatening my life, as much as he was pushing at my dignity,” I replied. “And either I have a bad case of misplaced pride, or indeed, I have to re-consider my options. Practice gone wrong… it’s not a feat. It’s a mess.”
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 17, 2008 13:27:56 GMT -5
“Wounds to the pride tend to hurt more than physical wounds. In fact many will feign physical wounds in order to try and avoid wounds to the pride. It is alright to get beat because you are hurt but one simply cannot handle getting beat because well they got beat.” I smiled a bit more “At the end of the day the exercise often ends up being as much mental as physical.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 17, 2008 14:48:23 GMT -5
“So it seems,” I replied, smiling. It was true that my sparring partners had always been, before Aleron, people whom I actually liked, or better yet, loved. It made me careful, more so than I’d been at the salle.
“If anything, it will teach me something about myself, in time. I’ll just need to grow myself a thicker carapace.” I shrugged, and added, smiling tenderly“But enough of this ridiculous thing. Tell me, what have you been up to?”
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 18, 2008 9:44:16 GMT -5
I rolled my shoulders and shook my head “Mostly work and keeping mostly to myself to be honest. I did have a drink with your brother a while back and we did not even strangle one another.”
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 18, 2008 19:07:23 GMT -5
I felt my eyebrows lift at his casual mention of having a drink with Kendrick. “You did?” I asked, looking at him carefully. “Well, that’s interesting.”
A world of questions swirled my mind. For example, why didn’t he tell me? Why didn’t Kendrick tell me? I was certain that all of them were splayed on my face. I’m transparent, like that. Can’t help it, Julie.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 18, 2008 19:46:43 GMT -5
I could see the bewilderment on her face but I did not comment on it. She would voice her concerns in her own time. "Yes, I did he was in sore need of some slumming and I am just the man for such jobs."
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 18, 2008 20:45:41 GMT -5
"My brother, who wanted to gut you because of my stupidity, was in need of some slumming, and went with you?" I looked at him in disbelief. I prayed he was lying. I was also disturbed that my own brother hadn't gone to me - I slummed too, didn't I?
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 18, 2008 22:23:22 GMT -5
I shook my head no "Actually I sent him a note and asked him to join me. I figured it best if we got to know one another better. He came, we talked, and it seemed to go well." I shrugged "I figured it was better than us seeking to gut one another."
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 18, 2008 23:15:07 GMT -5
The smile that creased my lips was… the first real happy smile I’d felt spread across my face in a long time. He may be a bit insane, somewhat particular in his ways, but… I couldn’t resist it. I moved, and wrapped my arms around him, planting a very warm and sensual kiss on his lips. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done,” I whispered softly. And feeling suddenly that it was an incredibly self-absorbed thing to say, I added a bit whistfully, “I’m just glad you and him get along. You know… it’s important to me.”
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 19, 2008 11:30:03 GMT -5
I laughed at that and hugged and kissed her back "If that is the nicest I would hate to know what the worst is. It was a small matter and I am not meaning things are all roses with your brother and I either. It just seems a bit better." I winked "Your welcome."
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Post by Julie Deveroix (D) on Jan 19, 2008 13:00:49 GMT -5
What the worst thing was? I couldn’t quite think of it just now. Well, no, I could, but I didn’t want to, so I instead grabbed myself a chair close to him, and took his hand. He wasn’t very proactive, for one who just usually jumped me without a second thought – that made me wonder if he desired me, still.
“So how was he, when you saw him?” I hated to admit it, but I hadn’t been home much, and he hadn’t showed up for the family lunch – so I was sincerely worried about Kendrick. This wasn’t an easy time of the year, for him, yet it seemed the best I could do was stay out of his way.
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Post by Gadleon Shahrizai on Jan 21, 2008 11:16:10 GMT -5
I settled in near her and held her hand as she took mine "He was as cantankerous as ever, but other than that appeared just fine." I tilted my head and regarded her "The two of you having a tiff?" It struck me as odd she was asking me how her own brother was.
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