Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 14, 2011 12:32:19 GMT -5
One of the inconveniences of no longer being bond to Heliotrope was that if something in the salon broke, I had none to blame for it by myself, and none to task with fixing it but myself either.
And so it was that one late evening, tired of a day's work, I tripped over the chair I kept in my personal quarters, tripped and found myself... alas with both a sore calf and knee, and a three-legged chair.
I could purchase a new one or attempt a fix, and I supposed the fix would be less pricey – as it was for my personal use, I did not mind it so much, and so I set out, seeking an artisan who could be contracted to fix furniture at an affordable price.
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 14, 2011 23:41:36 GMT -5
I was walking down the street of the Artisan's District when I saw a dark haired woman. I gave a bow, "Good day to you, m'lady" My eyes searched hers as it seemed like she was a little confused, "Can I be of help?" I wasn't sure if I could help her, but I was willing to help any lady in distress.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 15, 2011 0:08:23 GMT -5
I blinked, and the gentleman who approached me seemed all intent on helping me, so I smiled, accepting a kind offer graciously, as befits.
“I seek a craftsman, my lord,” I replied after I'd given him the appropriate curtsy. “One who may fix furniture, at an affordable price.”
I'd never had to run such errands before, and so was completely uncertain where I could find such a trade being practiced.
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 15, 2011 0:42:55 GMT -5
I nodded, "I think I saw such a store not too far from here the other day. What are you looking to have fixed?" I gestured toward the store up ahead. I offered her my arm if she wished, "I'm Marquise Renard de Valliers, at your service." I gave a small teasing grin.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 15, 2011 1:07:30 GMT -5
"Your Excellency is most kind," I replied very politely, my tone cultured as I was taught at the Night court. I slipped my arm in the offered hook, smiling pleasantly.
"My name is Geraldine Grangier, and I am the unlucky proprietor of a broken chair, as it please you, my lord."
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 15, 2011 19:53:07 GMT -5
I shrugged my shoulders at the woman's compliment, "Tis no big effort for me. I am only doing a gentleman's duty."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Grangier. Were you looking for some wood to fix the chair, or were you hoping for a craftsman to visit your home and make the repairs?" I wondered what specifically she had in mine, or if she had thought of the specifics.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 15, 2011 20:31:16 GMT -5
"A craftsman, if you please," I replies elegantly, "though thank you for giving me enough credit, to think the wood would have sufficed." I laughed lightly, self-deprecatingly, "Alas, I am rather useless where craft is concerned."
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 16, 2011 10:50:45 GMT -5
I nodded in understanding to the woman, "I hope you didn't recently purchase this chair? Do you know how it broke?" I wondered if someone had taken advantage of her. If so, I would want to know who, so that I could have a significant discussion.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 16, 2011 13:12:14 GMT -5
I shrugged, still gentle about my response. “It was purchased second-hand, and bound to break one day,” I replied indulgently. “In all earnest, I didn't quite well expect the best of it, and so long as it holds true in the future, that is all I need, my lord.”
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 16, 2011 23:48:13 GMT -5
I nodded at her explanation. It sounded like the broken leg was most likely due to normal wear, not do to a corrupt salesman. I found myself relaxing almost instantly.
As we came to the store, I opened the door for her and gestured for her to go inside, "Feel free to call me Renard, Lady Grangier. I'm not opposed to informality."
As we came inside of the store, I walked up to the counter, "The lady is looking for a craftsman that could come to her residence and repair a chair. Might you have any available?" I watched as the clerk nodded, and then went to go check.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 17, 2011 0:05:21 GMT -5
“As it please you, Renard,” I'd replied softly, and quietly, I'd added, “If you would call me Geraldine, of course.”
Then I followed Renard, if that was how he wished for me to call him, hands joined politely to the front of my gown, and looked curiously at the shop's offerings as he bartered with the clerk on my behalf, and the clerk left us.
“Thank you so very much for taking the time and trouble,” I said once we were alone, “truly, I am touched...”
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 18, 2011 1:25:53 GMT -5
I nodded agreeably, "Geraldine it is then. " She seemed like a very pleasant and polite woman so far.
I bowed my head lightly at her gratitude, "It is not nearly as much trouble, m'lady....Geraldine. I had finished my duties in the city, and I was looking for something to do. I love getting involved in projects. I'm touched that you are allowing me to be apart of this. Do you know the wood or the name of the original craftsman?" I wondered what kind of chair she was referring to, and I believed that it might also help the craftsman in gathering up the proper tools.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 18, 2011 8:43:14 GMT -5
I blinked, I'd never in fact thought of such details. “The wood is lightly colored, but I'm afraid I couldn't tell you if it is pine or maple,” I replied. “As for the craftsman... I don't know, alas.” I thought perhaps there was a mark on the chair, a stamp of sorts identifying the maker, but I hadn't thought to look for such a thing before I set out.
[OOC: So looks like the craftsman is coming over after all - does that work for you? LOL]
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 18, 2011 10:54:18 GMT -5
I nodded in understanding, not surprised in the least that she didn't know the wood. I try not to make assumptions about women, but she had admitted to having little knowledge on the subject. I gave her hand a light pat, "I'm sure we can figure it out." I hoped to alleviate her embarrassment.
I looked back at the counter just in time to see the clerk and a craftsman coming our way. The craftsman looked at us both and gave a brief bow.
"Good day to you, sir. The lady was looking for someone to repair her chair. She's unsure of the type of wood or who the craftsman was," I spoke easily, giving him all the information that I knew before turning to Geraldine.
The craftsman offered his hand toward us, "I'm Geoffrey. What's broken on the chair, m'lady?"
I shook the man's hand, "Renard." I introduced myself and then turned to Geraldine to see how she would respond. I assumed that the repair had to do with the leg of the chair. That was usually where most things broke on the chair. I was curious to learn more about the condition of the furniture.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 18, 2011 11:08:21 GMT -5
“Geraldine Grangier,” I replied to the crafstman. “The leg broke last night – I suspect it might have been loose for a while.” I chuckled, unamused at the thought of what consequences falling off the chair would have caused. “Thankfully it was just a trip. I promise you, I didn't sit on it.”
My tone was wry, bantering, light. It was hard for me to resist making small jests at my own expense, particularly when the situation truly beckoned it as it did now.
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 18, 2011 11:16:56 GMT -5
The craftsman nodded, "A pleasure to meet you, Lady Granger. I can go get my tools and then I'll follow you to your home. I'm guessing your husband will wish to come as well?" He looked at Renard, obviously implying that he was married to Geraldine.
I laughed softly and shook my head, "I'm just some random stranger, although I appreciate the compliment. That would be up to Geraldine." I turned toward her then, "Would you like me to come along? I'm honestly fairly eager to take a look at the chair after we've been speaking of it this whole time."
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 18, 2011 11:25:49 GMT -5
I raised a quizzical eyebrow at Renard, I was in fact fairly amused by the turn of events, and I could feel my lips quirking. “You may come see my chair,” I told him with mock imperiousness, “and as you've been so very kind to me, you are welcome to join me for tea, while Goeffrey tends to my famous chair.”
I was thinking, if the chair was such a celebrity, that perhaps I should make it an attraction to my salon – would it bring more patrons? I thought not, but the jest amused me profusely.
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 18, 2011 13:16:20 GMT -5
I smiled back at Geraldine, and I gave her a slight shrug, "What can I say..? I enjoy projects. Are you new to the city? You seem well established here."
Geoffrey left briefly to retrieve his tool box, then he came back. He opened the exit door for them both, "Lead the way, m'lady." It wasn't very often that he needed to leave the shop in order to make repairs, but he enjoyed going somewhere else. He hoped this would be a simple repair, but when it came to a chair, how complicated could it be?
I followed behind Geraldine, keeping my eye out on the craftsman. I didn't think Geoffrey would harm her, but one could never tell. He was some inches shorter than me, 5'9" and had the look of someone mixed race with his skin coloring, and dark hair and dark eyes. If I could guess I would probably assume he was part D'Angeline and part Aragonian. I turned my attention back to Geraldine, curious to learn more about her.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
|
Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 18, 2011 13:33:02 GMT -5
“This way, please,” I replied to Geoffrey and Renard after our party had slipped out the door. “To answer your question,” I told Renard as we walked back, “I was born in Eisande, but I came here as a child, and lived here ever since.” I looked ahead, to Mont-Nuit and the houses perched above. “I was fostered at Heliotrope and only recently made my marque. Night's Doorstep is my home, now, I suppose, or was. I just moved to the Artisan's district.”
It was just a few ways away, a bit of a long walk, but I had no carriage or horses to call my own, and so I did everything on foot. If push came to shove and I needed a carriage one day, I would have to rent it – but that would be in the course of an assignation, and at the patron's expense, as expected.
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 18, 2011 14:23:54 GMT -5
I nodded when she mentioned where she was born. I had never been to Eisande, but it was familiar to me. I followed her look towards Mount Nuit and my eyebrows raised as she spoke about being raised in Heliotrope. I tried to remember my studies on the Night Court, I knew there were 13 houses. It took a moment, but the cannon came to me easily, "Thou and no other?" I spoke the question quietly as if I was trying to remember it for myself.
I had heard a lot about the Night Court from my male friends. Many of them had urged me to partake of their services as well, but I had always politely refused without explanation. Whenever I thought of being with another woman, Sariel would come to my mind, and all I could feel was anger. I hated what she had done to me, and I wish I could find some way to move past it. I had courted a woman briefly in Camlach and when she was ready to take me to her bed, I was too struck by bad memories to continue. The scene had been the second most humiliating of my life. I couldn't imagine enduring such embarrassment in front of a Courtesan. No...it was much better that I should find myself a proper wife and produce an heir, so that I would not have to visit such memories again.
I walked with her while I was lost in my memories. The responsibilities of a Marquis was not everything I had hoped it would be, but I would perform my duties as well as I could.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 18, 2011 15:12:53 GMT -5
I was about to explain to him the canon of Heliotrope, but Renard lapsed into silence, and seemed so very lost in thought that I did not dare interrupt his brooding.
I remained quiet, leaving him with the initiative to speak, when he felt ready.
[OOC: And maybe we can assume that the walk is quiet all the way to the salon, and I can move the thread there after your post?]
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Post by Renard de Valliers on Jun 18, 2011 20:41:34 GMT -5
I remained quiet as well as we walked. I wasn't sure why Geraldine had not responded to my semi- rhetorical question, but I didn't say anything about it. I just looked straight ahead as thoughts of how I would accomplish my goal went through my mind. I didn't have any specific qualifications for the right wife for me. A part of me wanted someone to love, but another part thought it might be better to have a loveless married. That way, I could make sure no one every hurt me again, emotionally or physically.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 18, 2011 21:04:54 GMT -5
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