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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 22, 2011 21:21:32 GMT -5
I had managed to convince Lady Elise (out of Papa's hearing, of course) that an errand to Mont Nuit was necessary. Of course, she well knew that the Temple of Kushiel seldom needed assistance from adepts, but I thought I saw a hint of a smile cross her aged features.
She remembered what it was like to be a young woman in Kushiel's service.
In the end, we reached a compromise. I was to barter for herbs with Balm House, but I was to travel with an escort, one of the priests who had had military training. "For my own protection," she explained.
The likelier explanation was that she wanted to be certain I did not engage in the sort of behaviour that my peers did late at night when they were supposed to be sleeping in their beds.
As soon as I had stepped over the threshold that separated the temple from the outside world, I immediately asked my escort where Orchis House was located. If he thought that it was an odd question, he gave no sign, just summoning a carriage and relaying our destination to the driver.
In truth, I did not know what to expect regarding the exterior of the Houses, only that they seemed...plain. The temple of Kushiel was not known for its grandeur by any means, but apparently my imagination had been a tad...overcompensating.
Well, maybe all of the ostentation is on the inside, I thought as I stepped down out of the carriage and made my way to the door of Orchis House, having convinced my companion that we would stop for the herbs later.
When I reached the door, I took a deep breath and knocked, wondering if he would even be there.
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 22, 2011 21:33:56 GMT -5
I had stopped my incessant pacing after my talk with Jules, his words bringing much into perspective about Adelaide and any feelings I may have for her. I still wandered, though, around the halls. Walking was best for when I was trying to muddle through things in my mind. I went through the halls numerous times a day, crossing in front of the front doors of the House what felt like hundreds of times. I was usually the one to answer should a knock sound, since I was almost always within earshot due to my back-and-forth meander.
As I walked past the front doors of Orchis on my way through to the back yard, I heard a knock at the door. My eyebrow raised, and I stepped over to the doors to throw one of them open with a flourish, thoughts of Adelaide pushed to the back of my mind for the moment.
They came flying back to the forefront, though, as I saw who was standing on the other side of the door. "Adelaide?! What brings you to Orchis?" I asked happily, utter surprise in my voice and, I was sure, on my face as I took in her adorable features. It didn't take long for my grin to come shining through, and I opened the door wider to allow her access to the inside of the entryway.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 22, 2011 21:45:02 GMT -5
The door swung open and all thoughts of what I would do if Remy was not in residence evaporated when I saw that it was, indeed, Remy who held the door open.
"R-Remy!" I sputtered, eyes wide with surprise. "What are you doing here? Don't you have servants who open doors for you in the Night Court?" Realizing that I was standing on the threshold with a somewhat imposing musclebound black shadow following on my heels, I immediately gestured to my companion.
"Oh, this is--" I paused. "What is your name?"
I received only a grunt in reply. Evidently, Lady Elise had not selected this one for his conversational skills.
I turned back to Remy. "This is Messire Grunt, he is my escort while I am on this very important errand for the Temple of Kushiel. I'm supposed to..." I reached into the folds of my robes to withdraw a scrap of parchment. "...Gather herbs...something named Nulis irritum." I replaced the scrap of parchment, shrugging. "Well, Lady Elise didn't specify when I was supposed to return, but I gather she expects me home before sundown."
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 22, 2011 21:57:24 GMT -5
"We have servants, I simply happened to be passing by the door when I heard a knock, and since no one was about, I thought I'd answer it." There was no need to tell her of my meanderings, and just how many times I'd passed by the front doors of my house that day alone, not to mention the previous three.
I raised a brow at the looming man behind Adelaide, and grinned as she gave him her own name. "Messire Grunt, I bid you welcome as well to Orchis House," I said sincerely before I took my attention from him and turned it back to Adelaide and simply drank in her features.
"Well peaches, I'm sorry to disappoint, but we don't really have the herb selection that Balm House does. But I'm sure you knew that already," I said with a warm smile to her. Had she come here just to see me? I didn't know if I dared to hold my breath.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 22, 2011 22:12:58 GMT -5
I shrugged. "Well, as I just finished telling Messire Grunt, we are going to stop at Balm House...eventually. I just...thought...since I was headed to Mont Nuit, I thought maybe..."
I was momentarily distracted as I stepped over the threshold, eyes taking in the room before me. "...so...colourful..." I was used to the austerity of Kushiel's temple, but compared to Orchis House, it was plain indeed.
"Is this really where you live?" I asked, afraid to blink lest all the colour should drain from the walls. "Or do adepts have separate uniform little cubicles off to one side somewhere, and this display is only for patrons?"
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 22, 2011 22:25:36 GMT -5
My grin widened. She had come to see me! I was absurdly touched. I had missed her more than I realized, given the days I spent thinking of her. Watching her suddenly become immersed in the bright, cheery colors of my House gave me a surge of pride that Orchis was where I served, and I nodded.
"Yes love, this is where I live. Adept quarters are up those stairs," I said as I gestured to the staircase. "My quarters overlook the back yard and the garden," I continued as I glanced down at her with a smile. "Would you like a tour?"
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 22, 2011 22:48:26 GMT -5
"A-A tour?" I found myself asking, as if I had never heard of such a thing. "Do you charge exorbitant fees for those too?" I grinned though, to let him know that I was teasing. Would he have offered if he thought the price was beyond my means? "I feel I should inform you that I'm only given five gold pieces a week." I looked down at my feet, suddenly aware that he probably received ten, no...a hundred times as much from his patrons.
A moment later, I was distracted by the walls again. "Everything is so bright here!" I exclaimed, my jaw snapping shut with an audible click as I realized that I was probably being a great deal louder than was proper. "Sorry," I said sheepishly. "It's just...compared to the temple, this place is so...so...alive..."
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 22, 2011 22:57:36 GMT -5
My eyebrows raised. "The tour is complimentary, love. It costs nothing," I said with another warm smile for her as I held out my arm, intending for her to rest her fingers upon it.
"No apologies necessary, please feel free to look all you want. I'm going to go ahead and skip the adept quarters, since the access is limited only to members of the House," I explained.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 22, 2011 23:17:44 GMT -5
I gave the stairs a cursory glance as my fingers rested against the crook of his arm. "If your quarters are anything like the ones we acolytes use, then they are nondescript little rooms in neat rows, and your neighbours snore in their sleep."
I turned my attention to what lay ahead, stopping suddenly. "Ah, wait, Remy..." I said, glancing up at him. "Um...are we...what I mean is...am I going to hear anything...odd?" I didn't know how to phrase it in a way that wasn't in very explicit terms.
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 22, 2011 23:28:30 GMT -5
I held back a laugh. It was difficult to do; she was so delightfully candid. "As to my quarters, no; they're not simply little nondescript little boxes. They're quite roomy, and I've yet to hear any snoring from my own bed at night. Concerning any noises we may hear, you will not be getting close enough to the patron rooms to hear anything, love," I said. Her fingers were slight and warm against the crook of my arm and even the light touch caused my blood to heat slightly in my veins. But since my talk with Jules, I'd been doing better at keeping my desire at bay when it was necessary, like now. So I pushed my desire backward in my mind and concentrated on how delighted I was that she'd come all the way to Orchis simply to see me.
My eyes sparkling with mirth, I led her to the door of the sitting room and opened it. There were adepts and patrons alike, conversing with one another and other couples and groups. It was a large, spacious room filled with comfortable furniture both for larger groups and for couples who wished for a bit more privacy.
"This is the sitting room, peaches. Patrons are led here if they do not already have a certain adept in mind or would simply prefer light conversation." I spoke softly, leaning down close to her ear so that we did not disturb the goings-on as I watched her and waited for her reaction. She would likely to have questions, inquisitive little pixie that she was.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 22, 2011 23:49:23 GMT -5
I glanced around at the adepts and the few patrons that accompanied some of them. The way they were talking and laughing made it seem as if I had walked in on any dinner party that was held in the City.
Still, I couldn't help but feel that I was an interloper, demurely turning away as one of the men craned his neck to accept a kiss from another man.
It wasn't that I was a stranger to seeing such pairings at the temple, but the solemn presence of Kushiel's servants did much to discourage such...displays.
"Remy, I..." I could tell I was blushing. "I feel like I'm...somewhere else...like a different nation, almost..."
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 22, 2011 23:55:23 GMT -5
I smiled tenderly down at her as I quietly led her away from the sitting room. I stopped by a hallway that led to other hallways branching off in either direction so that I could get a good look at her.
"Is this making you uncomfortable, Adelaide?" I asked her honestly, the tender smile still on my face. "You know we can stop at any time."
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 8:16:38 GMT -5
I shook my head. "It's...not that, I just..." I tried to grin. "I'm not accustomed to seeing couples act...like that. The temple does not encourage such...displays."
I wondered if my cheeks had reddened further or if my blush from before was still staining my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'll...try to be...impartial. Lord Kushiel loved men as much as women, after all."
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 8:48:37 GMT -5
I nodded and moved my fingers to where hers were resting sweetly on my arm, grazing my fingertips lightly across the tops of her fingers in a soothing gesture. Her cheeks were still quite pink, and it seemed the two men sharing a kiss had affected her. Ah, well, Naamah's pleasured knew no bounds and I was sure that, even as an acolyte of Kushiel, she would probably understand that.
I tossed my head in the direction of the hallway I'd stopped in front of and looked down at her, meeting her eyes as I spoke. "Those are the patron rooms, down that hallway," I said quietly, pitching my voice so that she could hear me.
I moved toward an ornate door set into the opposite side of the wall from the hallway and pressed my ear against it. It was silent, no voices or other sounds, and so I opened it onto a room with a circular stage in the middle of it, lined with curtains of sheer gauze. Around the
"This is the Showing room," I said. "It is for Initiates and patrons alike who wish to view the beauty that we perform in Naamah's service. Two adepts are there, in the middle of the stage," I gestured, "And the Initiates and guests, not together of course, are in the booths flanking the edge of the stage."
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 9:09:52 GMT -5
I bit my lip nervously as he indicated the hallway where the rooms for the patrons were located, but to my relief, he crossed the hall and opened another door.
I had an idea as to what a Showing entailed, but as I stepped over the threshold and examined the room, I found it hard to believe that what he said was true.
"So they...have congress...here?" I ventured, eyes drawn to the stage. "I...this room seems so...so...plain!"
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 9:17:22 GMT -5
"Yes love, they 'have congress' here, although we use slightly more romanticized terms," I teased lightly as I smiled down at her. "And it's not plain, it's simply understated. The guests and Initiates aren't here to enjoy the decor, they're here to watch adepts." There was no one here and, to my knowledge, there wasn't supposed to be another Showing for at least a few weeks. "You are welcome to look around a bit, if you like, and I will stay right here so that you need not worry about anything untoward happening."
Not that I would do anything anyway; only an idiot tried to make love to someone in a damn Showing room in his own House as an unmarqued adept... midday. I may have been aroused by her nearness and the thoughts in my head of what happened on that stage, but I was not stupid, nor was I that reckless with my future. Even so; the looming man --Messire Grunt-- was incentive enough to keep my hands and other parts to myself.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 9:34:29 GMT -5
I was sincerely hoping that blushes were not permanent, else I would have some explaining to do when I arrived back at the temple. Lady Elise could only keep Master Auberon occupied with the temple's accounts for so long.
I was in the middle of intently examining a cushion when a thought gave me pause, so I turned to face him. "So you...you have...been in here...with the adepts...when they..." I shook my head. "Of course you have, you were an Initiate too...right?"
I tried not to imagine what he could have done with his hands before he had touched me with them. "I--I hope you wash those regularly!" I exclaimed, fuming as I gestured towards the offending appendages.
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 10:06:34 GMT -5
How was it that she had a way of knowing just how to agitate me? Frustrating creature.
I took my hands from her and clasped them behind my back. "As it happens, I wash all of myself regularly, Adelaide," I said quietly, trying my damndest to keep the irritation from my voice. "I'm really a rather clean person. All of the adepts of Orchis are, and I'd imagine the other Houses as well; we take this very seriously and if one of us were to become sick, it could put us out of commission permanently. None of us are willing to take that risk. So yes, I wash them regularly but if you doubt me, as you did at the temple with my intentions, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Gods, woman, how low do you think me?!"
A more prickly female I'd yet to meet. Gods. Maybe I should start trying my damndest to prefer men... No, that would never work. I breathed slowly, evenly, and tried to calm myself. I wouldn't have minded the statement if it hadn't been hurled at me as if I were a brainless Initiate who'd never seen soap before.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 10:17:51 GMT -5
I blinked. "Oh, yes, that...makes sense...I suppose. A-Are you mad at me?" He had that look on his face, the one that polite society uses to mask when they would really prefer to do something violent when they know their kind hearts wouldn't permit such a thing.
"I-I'm sorry, Remy. This is all so new to me and I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" I exclaimed, twisting the fabric of my robes in my hands, a nervous habit, and one that would leave my robes all wrinkly. Well, more wrinkly than usual...
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 10:37:16 GMT -5
I instantly regretted my words. I hadn't meant to make her think I was truly angry at her; she was just so damned prickly sometimes! I sighed and felt the beginnings of what would likely be a rather large headache later. I was doing too much thinking.
I took her hands in mine and squeezed lightly, my thumbs rubbing along the backs of her hands as I looked down at her. "Adelaide, stop, you're making me feel like some sort of monster," I said softly to her, a grin on my face. Hold it in, Rémy. Don't kiss her unless you want to be ripped to shreds.
"I realize this is all very new to you, peaches. I'm sorry for snapping. Just..." I trailed off. "Just try and have a tiny amount of faith in me that I'm not steering you wrong, hmm?" I knew how difficult it could be to put your heart out there, to place faith in another, but it was what had to happen in order for relationships to work.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 11:06:44 GMT -5
I looked down at the floor. "Oh, okay..." I said slowly, looking up at him. "I'm an acolyte, we're supposed to have faith, right? Lots of faith.
I took one more glance around at the room. "Although, if every room is as understated as this one, I might leave Orchis house feeling disappointed!"
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 11:15:06 GMT -5
I couldn't help but laugh. "No peaches, they're not all understated like this. You should see some of the patron rooms," I said as I led her from the Showing room.
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Post by Jules nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 11:27:00 GMT -5
It was a quiet day at Orchis- a little too quiet. That was never a good sign, especially since I hadn't seen my best friend in at least a couple of days. Yes, his duties kept him busy, but he needed to learn to drag himself away from his desk at least every once in awhile. With that in mind I'd devised a plan and procured the required materials. It's a good thing I had a friend at Jasmine who didn't ask many questions.
And that's how I found myself walking toward the Second's office, dressed in a hareem-girl outfit like the sort that the dancing-girls wore in Akkad or the Umaiyatt, with a veil over my face and head to cover my more obvious features. The outfit was just opaque enough that nothing was glaringly obvious and I'd stuffed the top with socks to imitate certain features that I personally lacked, but otherwise it was completely decent enough to be seen outside of a pleasure-chamber in, especially in the halls of Orchis House. It probably wouldn't fool Keegan for more than a second or two but hey, the thought was what counted, right?
As I walked I saw Remy moving down the hall with another girl who was looking around curiously and I gave them a playful, exaggeratedly demure lady's wave and giggled as I walked toward them. I wasn't sure who she was but she could easily be another adept or that acolyte he was speaking of before. Well, no reason to hide the nature of her boyfriend's House from her. "Hello Remy," I said in a cheerful tone, my eyes showing a flash of mirth. "Want to come surprise Keegan with the Dance of the Seven Veils? He's been locked up in that office for too long."
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 11:39:43 GMT -5
I blinked as I saw someone in a harem-girl outfit greet me by name. Now that I looked a bit more closely, those eyes could only be one person's, and the voice could only belong to one adept.
"Jules," I said with a grin. "No, I will have to take a rain check on the Dance of the Seven Veils; I only have six, myself. I've never earned my seventh. But tell Keegan I fully agree with you, if he doesn't wrap one of those veils around your pretty little neck and squeeze, my friend. He does need to get out of there. Especially if we have to see you traipsing about in various stages of undress. Nice breasts, by the way," I said and reached out to squeeze a stuffed cup of his top. "If I have to blow my nose, I'm coming to find you and your magnificent cleavage."
I suddenly realized Adelaide was standing next to me and cringed, and I didn't even want to know what she looked like; she would think us all depraved. "Jules, this is Adelaide, the girl I was telling you about," I said to him . "Adelaide, my good friend and fellow adept Jules."
Leaning down, I whispered in her ear, "Don't mind him, he's the prankster of the house. One never knows what he might do or say next, but he's harmless."
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 12:11:50 GMT -5
He ushered me out into the hall. I opened my mouth to say something more, but I suddenly found that my jaw had fallen slack as I stared at the hareem girl in the hall.
No, not a hareem girl, I realized as she came towards us, but a man dressed like a hareem girl.
I was so busy staring that I almost missed when Remy introduced me to his friend, whose name was Jules. I barely heard Remy's whispered reassurance in my ear.
"Oh, hello!" I squeaked, voice pitched even higher than it was when I was especially excited. "P-Pleased to meet you..." Gods, his bosom was more ample than mine, and I wasn't pretending to be female!
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 12:26:32 GMT -5
I grinned at her reaction. Well, this was the way my House was, even on a quiet day. Jules always found some way to liven it up.
"I'm giving her an abbreviated tour," I said to Jules. "The dining hall was going to be next. I don't suppose you're hungry after practicing your veil dance, hareem girl?"
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Post by Jules nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 12:50:31 GMT -5
"And hello to you, Adelaide," I said, giving the girl an exaggerated curtsy before rising. How coddled were they keeping the priestesses these days? It's not like any of the Temples weren't of the Companions to Elua and didn't attract their own sorts of of love-play. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but I really must continue on to find more men unafraid of the lures of the Seven Veils Dance." With that I adjusted my fake busoms and squeezed them back into shape. "You two behave yourselves now." With that I gave Remy a wink and continued on toward Keegan's quarters.
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 13:02:57 GMT -5
I stared after him as he sashayed down the hall, intent on bothering this Keegan fellow, whom I assumed was important, or perhaps unlucky...
"Well, you...certainly have...interesting...housemates," I said, stepping closer to Remy. "I...don't quite know what else to say."
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Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 23, 2011 13:20:32 GMT -5
As she inched nearer to me, my arm instinctively came around her shoulders and squeezed lightly before I realized I would probably get in trouble for doing that. "Sorry," I murmured as I let go and took her hand to rest it on my arm once more. "And yes, Jules is very interesting. Keegan is our House Second, and he and Jules are the best of friends. They're forever doing things like this to each other."
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Post by Adelaide nó Nicodeme on Mar 23, 2011 13:25:26 GMT -5
I blinked. "Oh, so they aren't...lovers?"
Silly, adepts can be friends without being lovers, just like everyone else.
"I-I mean...I just...I don't know what I'm saying!" I exclaimed, tearing my eyes away from him to stare straight ahead. "I just...think I'll try and be quiet now..."
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