Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 0:41:50 GMT -5
Father had sent me a letter telling me that he thought it appropriate that I begin tailoring the townhouse to my own tastes. With the letter was a note to the factor in the City giving me access to more funds. It had taken me at least a week to decide I really was going to change a few things.
And today was the day I was going to start.
I had wandered around the Artisan’s district a little, finding a few pieces I’d purchased and arranged to have delivered. The sun was warm though so I decided to go into a store and take advantage of the shade for a little while. The displays in the window caught my eye and I entered a place I’d never visited before to look around in here.
Inside, a display of carvings caught my eye and I moved closer to examine them.
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 12:21:34 GMT -5
I'd been in the city of Elua only a week, and Dyan had decided to give me some funds to pick up some things for myself. It was nice of her, considering that I hadn't found either her or her husband, Ivolde, very personable since I'd been there. In fact, I thought Ivolde was a bit hostile, but perhaps I was being paranoid.
At any rate, here I was, shopping in the City. I was paying attention to the sights so that I could accurately describe them in my letters to the twins. Dyan and her children (a nephew, Dane, and a niece Francine, after our mother) were with me, but it wasn't long before I wandered away from them.
A display of carvings caught my eye, reminding me with a blush of Manot. I moved closer to better inspect them, when I accidentally jostled a woman next to me. Glancing over, I tried my best to look friendly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump you."
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 13:13:16 GMT -5
I was trying to decide between a carving of a woman beneath a tree and another of a man on a horse when I felt the bump of a body against mine.
“No harm done,” I said with a smile. “I probably drifted into your path, I wasn’t paying much attention.”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 13:18:10 GMT -5
I smiled in relief. I was really hoping that the unfriendliness of Dyan and Ivolde wasn't symptomatic of the City itself. I turned to regard the carvings, though none of them really struck my fancy. I glanced again at the woman beside me, hoping I wouldn't seem too forward for striking up a conversation. I had to admit, I was rather tired of only talking to my sister's children.
"Which one do you like?" I asked, gesturing at the carvings before us.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 17:49:19 GMT -5
“That’s the problem, I like two of them,” I said with a chuckle. “This one and this one.” I pointed to two I was trying to choose between. “What do you think?”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 19:01:21 GMT -5
I pondered the two carvings she pointed out. "Well, they're both nice work, but for myself I like this one." I gestured at the statue of the woman under the tree. "The lines seem to flow better, if that makes sense." I thought that might make me sound like I actually knew something about sculpting, so I added "Not that I'm an expert or anything." Considering the sculptures, l nodded toward the one of the man on the horse. "Also, this horse just looks irritable." I grinned. "I'm Sophine, by the way. Sculpture critic extrodinaire."
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 19:58:28 GMT -5
“Pleased to meet you Sophine,” I said with a smile and a laugh at her observation about the horse. “I’m Raegan. And now that you’ve pointed it out, you’re right, the horse does look irritated. The woman and tree it is.”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 21:28:10 GMT -5
"Pleased to meet you, Raegan." I said, smiling as she chose the statue of the woman. I took a moment to look around at some of the other statues. I thought it would be nice to have one for my room, if I could find one I liked.
"I think I might like one as well, if I can find the right thing." I pulled my lower lip through my teeth, a habit that had earned me plenty of slaps as a child in Eisande. "Something that evokes the ocean." I added, in case Raegan had any ideas.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 21:36:44 GMT -5
“Are you from near the ocean?” I asked, memories of trips to the sea in Kusheth coming to mind.
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 22:05:13 GMT -5
"Kusheth." I replied without thinking. Memories of the sea were making me homesick. "Well, Eisande originally." I corrected after a moment. "I've lived in Kusheth so long I sometimes forget it's not home." But it is, really, I thought to myself. More so than Eisande had ever seemed.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 22:06:10 GMT -5
My smile bloomed even wider. "I'm from Kusheth as well," I told her.
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 22:13:11 GMT -5
I felt a rush of something - relief? Kinship? - toward this woman I barely knew. "Really?" I said, grinning widely. "How long have you been away? Do you miss it?" I felt like a starving man who had just been tossed a crust of bread. Finally, someone I could relate to in this unfamiliar place.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 25, 2009 23:18:14 GMT -5
"I've been here since just before last Midwinter, and yes I still miss it," I answered, returning her grin. "I'm learning to love the City though."
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 25, 2009 23:34:22 GMT -5
I wrapped my arms around myself as if to ward off a chill, though it was quite a bit warmer in the City than I was used to. "I hope I will too. I've only been here a week, and it just seems so ..." I didn't know what words to use. Big? Sophisticated? Way out of my league? I settled for a vague hand gesture, hoping she'd get what I meant.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 26, 2009 10:02:24 GMT -5
“Crowded?” I suggested with a chuckle. “And foreign even though it’s full of d’Angelines?” I smiled and nodded slightly. “I do understand what you mean, it has taken awhile and I’m still not fully used to it.”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 26, 2009 15:54:34 GMT -5
"Yes," I nodded vigorously, "that's it exactly!" I smiled what I hoped was a friendly smile. "So what brings you to the big City?"
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 26, 2009 16:26:57 GMT -5
“My father thought it was time for me to have some time on my own,” I said, smiling. That was close enough to the true reason. “Yourself?”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 26, 2009 16:36:15 GMT -5
I nodded, then sighed. "You know, I'm not sure why I'm here." I spread my hands helplessly. "My sister insisted I come, and my father agreed, so here I am." I leaned in closer and lowered my voice, "I think my sister means to try to marry me off. Apparently there wasn't anyone good enough for me in Kusheth." I rolled my eyes to show what I thought about that.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 26, 2009 21:53:00 GMT -5
My eyes went a little wide, she seemed awfully young for someone to be trying to marry off. “Did your sister not spend time in Kusheth?” I asked.
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 26, 2009 22:19:20 GMT -5
I shook my head. "No, she's quite a bit older than I am, so she married when I was a child. Then I was fostered in Kusheth for six years, so we don't really know each other well." I shrugged. "I guess that's why it's hard for me to figure out her motives." I realized then that conversation was becoming rather one-sided, so I added, "What about you? Any siblings to give you a hard time?"
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 26, 2009 22:25:20 GMT -5
“No, I’m an only child. I’ve never been sure if that made for an easier childhood or not,” I said, chuckling. “I wanted to look through the store some more, would you care to join me?”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 26, 2009 22:36:42 GMT -5
I nodded. "I'd love to. There's a lot of interesting pieces in here, don't you think?" I walked around to another shelf, this one full of pieces of a more sexual nature. "Oh my." I said, blushing. "These are ... interesting."
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 26, 2009 23:18:37 GMT -5
“That’s a good word for them,” I said with a chuckle. “They are well done though.”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 26, 2009 23:27:09 GMT -5
"I suppose they are." I said, trying not to show my naivete in such matters. "I'm not sure I'd want this in my house though." I said, pointing to a statue of an obscenely large phallus. "It might make future lovers feel a little intimidated." I stifled a giggle.
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 26, 2009 23:31:45 GMT -5
I burst into giggles and had to cover my mouth with my hands. “That could be,” I agreed, eyes dancing. “Now that’s all I’m going to be able to think of when I see a statue like that.”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 26, 2009 23:41:24 GMT -5
I let a few giggles of my own slip, ignoring the looks from some of the older patrons. "I mean, it's a great likeness, but the size is just... it's just... well, so large." It was an understatement, I knew, but what else could one say. "I wonder if there's a female counterpart around here somewhere?"
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 27, 2009 0:21:19 GMT -5
“Oh I’m afraid to look, I’m already unsure enough about myself,” I said, laughing. “Should we find something else to look at?”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 27, 2009 0:28:16 GMT -5
I laughed. "That's probably a good idea." I wandered over another aisle. "Oh, look, another horse. This one looks much nicer. You can almost see the mane streaming in the wind." It really was a nice piece. I glanced around. "Rather than a sculpture I think I'd like a painting. Do you know a good place to find one?"
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Raegan Brice
Aristocrat
Future Comtesse Brice; House Brice
Posts: 2,808
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Post by Raegan Brice on Feb 27, 2009 14:47:28 GMT -5
“I would try the Artist’s Guild, there are a lot of lovely paintings there,” I said, smiling. My attention was caught by some small, carved tables. “Oh, these are nice.”
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 27, 2009 15:06:59 GMT -5
I followed Raegan's lead and ran my fingertips along a tabletop. I nodded in agreement. "Very nice." We browsed for a few minutes in companiable silence, before I broke it with a question. "Are you shopping for anything in particular?"
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