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just b r e a t h e [fayt]
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 11, 2013 15:49:51 GMT -6
Morning sunlight filtered in through the window that she left open to let the cool spring breeze blow into her room. The feeling of air moving across her face caused her eyelashes to flutter open, though jade eyes took a few additional moments to gain focus. She sat up and looked around the room in a way that suggested immediate confusion. When the events of the previous days hit her all over again, she was quick to move the covers off her and stand up, crossing over the window to look out of it. Ilusia wasn't Heim. It was the exact opposite in many ways, but with that also meant that her mother wouldn't suddenly spring up and remind her of all the things she should be doing that she had yet to do. Her eyes softened a bit at that realization all over again - her mother was not in Ilusia. For the first time in many years, no shadow hovered over her to make sure she did everything to perfection. She could take a breath of air without feeling like she needed to earn the right to do so. Adell and Xara were there to keep her safe, not constrict her. Yes, yes, yes! The outfit she picked would be good enough for the day; red button up shirt with a black tie, black overcoat with golden buttons, matching black skirt that stopped a bit above her knees, red leggings to match the shirt, and black strapped shoes to finish it off. Most of the other clothes she brought were too formal for casual day-to-day wear outside of the palace. Finding something to help blend in might be a good idea. Having a summer knit cap to go along with her current outfit would be a step in the right direction. There were still minutes before her morning tea would arrive with breakfast. After she locked the door behind her, she hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen. With any luck the one she was looking for would still be there. "Fayt? Are you in here?"★ fayt devanti
★ you there, tall man, you will be a suitable meat shield for the day |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 14, 2013 12:25:48 GMT -6
Mornings were downright routine for Fayt at this point. Get up with the sun. Work out. Bathe. Start making breakfast if someone else hadn't already started on that. Of course, getting Holly out of bed before eight was a struggle in and of itself, so he never had to worry about it being her in the kitchen. But sometimes it was one of his parents, or maybe Wynter, and he never really minded when he wasn't tasked with cooking the first meal of the day. On this morning, however, he was. Well, he knew how to make regular pancakes, so regular pancakes it would be. With his hair tied back out of his way and his sleeves rolled up, he got to working on the batter. They could keep it covered and simply make the pancakes fresh as people wanted them. That definitely made for the easiest solution. With the batter prepared, he fried up bacon and laid it on the rack to cool. Once that was done, eggs whisked up with milk, poured into melted butter and the bacon grease, scrambled, and cheese put on top made for scrambled eggs the only way worth eating them. It occurred to him that the Heimites might not like their eggs that way. It also occurred to him that if they had a huge issue with it, they could make their own damn breakfast. More could be prepared easily enough, because it was a simple as hell breakfast and took next to no time to prepare. He had just finished his own food and was in the process of making up what would be taken to the princess when he heard a very familiar voice. Glancing back, he raised an eyebrow. "Morning, princess," he said with a casual note in his voice that had definitely not been present when he had last spoken to her. "Need something?"★ lycoris sotiris
★ wait what no i don't want that
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 14, 2013 14:13:25 GMT -6
"I..." For some reason, it felt like whatever she wanted to say died on the tip of her tongue. Very peculiar - she wouldn't go as far as saying her tongue got tied, but trying to remember what she did want suddenly felt like an extremely troublesome task. Being addressed so informally by a person she did not know for the first time in years tended to have that effect. "Do you not have a chef to prepare your food for you?" With only him in the kitchen, that conclusion could be drawn easily enough. Her expression slipped into one of sympathy. "It did not occur to me how rough you must have it living here. Why you work more than one job makes sense. Helping to support your family is an honorable goal."She took a few steps into the kitchen to look around. It was simple and quaint, having most of the necessities without some of the charms she admired about the palace cooking quarters. Granted, she wasn't exactly supposed to be down there, but exploring came natural to children when they wanted to learn about their own home. Hers being the size it was just made for more ground to cover. "The weather today should be suitable for looking around. You will take the morning and afternoon off to accompany me. If you are worried about this negatively effecting your standing at either place of employment, rest your mind. You will be compensated for your time as my escort." Lycoris moved both hands in front of her waist and bobbed forward just a bit. "That is, you do not have more pressing matters, yes?"★ fayt devanti
★ this is why you have had your free will revoked |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 14, 2013 15:04:31 GMT -6
...wait, she pitied him because he had to cook for himself? What kind of world did this girl live in- a royal one, right. Well, wasn't that just special? The urge to roll his eyes was fought as Fayt turned to look at Lycoris, raising an eyebrow slowly. Of course, first things first, and was she actually offering to pay him to spend time with her? That was probably the most depressing thing he had ever heard. She could phrase it however she wanted, but what it boiled down to was, "I want someone to spend time with me and I will give you money if you do so". Was that another thing that royalty had to put up with? Having to pay people so they'd want to do things with you? Not that he'd say no to it, of course. "You know, most people say, 'It's a nice day out. Want to go spend some time with me?'" he said, setting down the bowl of pancake batter. "To which my response is, sure, we can do that, but do you want to eat breakfast first? I mean, you do eat... y'know, pancakes, bacon, eggs, the like for breakfast, right?"
Turning to lean back on the counter, he added, "And yeah, we do all of our own cooking and baking here. It's not so bad, though. I'm not much for baking bread or cake, but I'm pretty good at cookies and pies, and I like cooking. It's actually pretty fun in the right mindset, but I'm going to assume you haven't done it before."★ lycoris sotiris
★ damn free will. at least i wasn't using it anyway.
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 14, 2013 16:12:42 GMT -6
"I do not dislike eggs and bacon." The response that came from the princess was slow and uncertain. What was the last time she actually tasted bacon? Years ago, if memory served her correctly, before her father died. After that no one in the palace was allowed to eat it with the morning meal. Being his favorite food, her mother insisted that if he could not enjoy it, no one else should be able to either. No protests were made against it. "As for whether or not I have participated in the act of preparing food in order to feed myself and any others that need proper nutrition, then no, I have not. There has never been a time in my life where a chef was not preparing food for the table." A person who claimed to like cooking did not necessarily make for a good cook. Testing out his culinary skills would be the first thing on today's agenda. Her thoughts returned to eggs, bacon, and pancakes as she moved to stand near the window. Brown hair toppled down her shoulder when she tilted her head to the side, jade eyes narrowing a bit at the same time. "A pancake is easy enough to prepare. All a person must do to complete it is acquire a plate, put one of the cakes on it, and apply a generous amount of syrup to taste. Some prefer to add butter or fruit, but that does not taste as delicious. Powdered sugar can also be added for some additional texture."★ fayt devanti
★ but cooking is easy and you're just a pool boy |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 14, 2013 16:59:34 GMT -6
...it was almost impossible to be frustrated with her because there was something about her that was just kind of... ...well, hilarious. Fayt managed not to start laughing and just shook his head, placing two thick slices of bacon and two spoonfuls of eggs on a plate. The tea had already been prepared, so he left it to steep. "It's not... really that easy," he said with a quirk of his lips. "You have to make the batter first. You mix flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, baking powder, and salt all together. Then, take about a quarter cup of batter and pour it in a hot skillet. Leave it until bubbles start to rise, about thirty seconds, and then flip it." As he spoke, he did as he was indicating with the batter; when bubbles started to rise in the batter in the skillet, he flipped it, showing the golden brown surface. "And you have to make sure to only flip it once, for the best pancake."
Once that pancake had been prepared, it only took a minute for a second one to follow. The pancake plate, egg and bacon plate, container of syrup, and small pot of tea were placed on the kitchen table as Fayt started cleaning up to make the next round easier for Wynter when he came in. "I'd recommend eating in here," he said over his shoulder. "The dining room is cold in the mornings. But you're welcome to, if you'd rather."★ lycoris sotiris
★ now i want to see her attempt cooking. DO IT ROYAL BRAT.
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 14, 2013 17:22:03 GMT -6
People actually ate in the kitchen? That was a real thing outside of books? She couldn't tell whether to be intrigued or horrified at the thought of not having breakfast at the dining room table. A little voice in the back of her head tried to tell her that she was making a big deal out of the littlest of things, but she ignored it. What did that little voice know, anyway? It was the same little voice insisting that she should remember what he just showed her because she might need it one day in the future, so it definitely did not need any attention paid to it. A few experimental bites were taken. She was very particular about alternating bites; some pancake, a bit of the eggs, quarter of a piece of bacon, and back to the pancakes. The bacon brought out additional flavor in the syrup, earning it an additional fourth of a star in approval. That brought it up to a grand total of two stars. Passable for now; she would make breakfast tomorrow and let him know how much better she could do. Women were born with some kind of cooking instinct, weren't they? Sure she had it too. "In which room do you reside?" Making light conversation as she ate would help distract her from the fact that she might like the eggs more than she wanted to admit. Whatever he did to prepare them, it just worked wonderfully together and created layers of flavor. "I have yet to look around the inn beyond where you have shown me, but it would be in my best interest to know which room is your in case there is an emergency in the middle of the night. Should something happen and Adell is not roused from his slumber, you will be the official second."It had nothing to do with planning breakfast in bed. No, no, of course not, nor did it involve sneaking out one night to see what Asgard's night life was like. She would never do that. ★ fayt devanti
★ but don't you like having the kitchen in one piece? it's a nice kitchen |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 15, 2013 10:48:29 GMT -6
She wanted to know where his room was? Raising an eyebrow, Fayt set aside the prepared breakfast things and instead filled up his mug with coffee again, turning to face her and taking a sip of it. A bit strong, but he had the feeling he'd need that, for the day. "See that doorway?" he said, nodding towards a different entrance to the kitchen from the one that Lycoris had come through. "That leads back to the staff quarters. My room is the second one on the left." Of course, he somehow doubted that Shining Armor would have a problem rousing from his beauty sleep if something were to put the Royal Brat in danger, but it was easier to just answer the question rather than deal with her running around and trying to find him at some point. Turning back to her, he raised the mug back to his lips and took a second sip before setting it down beside him. "So, what exactly are you wanting to do today?" he asked, raising his arms to fold them again. "I mean, wandering around looking at stuff only takes so long, so..." He shrugged one shoulder a little. Of course, if all she wanted to do was wander around looking at stuff? ...she'd... be weirder than he initially thought, but he could deal with that too. ★ lycoris sotiris
★ ...oh, yeah, good point. |
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 15, 2013 11:46:52 GMT -6
Remembering where his room was would be easy enough since she needed to cross through the kitchen to reach it. As long as she never forgot where the kitchen was, everything would be perfectly fine. Waking up early tomorrow and trying to mimic what he did to make the pancake batter was something she would not do, no, not at all. It just didn't hurt to know that she could if she wanted to and that she also knew where his room was if she wanted to make sure no one intruded while she made him sample it. "I..." What did she want to do today? Trailing off like that would only buy her a little bit of time. Lycoris blinked a few times before she raised her index finger to her mouth, biting down on the tip of it lightly. "...I would like to go shopping. There are some things that I did not bring with me that need to be replaced. After that, would like to show you something." Then after that? Well... she'd figure it out or she would release him from his service. "Let me notify Adell of my temporary absence. A moment is all that is needed." While the eggs and bacon were completely gone from the plate, only about half of the pancake plate was eaten. It was nothing against the pancakes - those eggs were just really good and learning how to cook those would be next on her cooking agenda. Or! Or maybe pumpkin pie and peach tarts. Those were delicious. A note slipped under Adell's door would keep him from assuming the worse. Lycoris tucked a small bag full of gold coins in her skirt pocket and returned to the kitchen, peeking in the same way she had earlier. "Everything is set. Is there a store in town that sells trinkets?"★ fayt devanti
★ it amuses me knowing how formal she would like to be and how informal what she's planning is |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 15, 2013 16:30:18 GMT -6
As Lycoris left to inform Adell (Fayt had the sudden mental image of Shining Armor stalking them around town), Fayt cleaned up the remains of her breakfast and downed his coffee. Oh, yeah, he was going to need the boost from that. By the time he had finished, Royal Brat had returned, so he offered her a nod of acknowledgement before pausing at the phrasing of her question. "A shop that sells..." he murmured before nodding, a little uncertainly. "Well, there's the general store. They sell a bunch of basic goods and the like, but they have an in-house artist, so they'd be a good place to start." Yeah, having her meet Aelrich would be an interesting experience, if the guy was actually there. He made certain to hold the door open for her - not due to any respect for her position, but simply because she was a girl - before following. At least he was actually off today, but there was no need to tell her that. As they walked towards the actual shopping district, Fayt placed his hands in his pockets. "So," he began, well aware that they couldn't just travel in silence the whole time, "what sort of things are you going to be looking for?"★ lycoris sotiris
★ somehow i think this day will end in tragedy
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 15, 2013 17:08:07 GMT -6
"...colored pencils, some more paper, a wind chime, and a dreamcatcher should be good for now..." Walking beside him made it impossible not to realize just how tall he was. Just because she noticed his height before didn't mean it fully sank in how much of a gap there was. Never in the past had she considered herself short until now. "The sound of wind chimes is soothing. It helps to chase away dark thoughts when the night feels as if it will swallow everything whole." Some people used stuffed animals to hug and others found comfort in the arms of another. For now, the song that wind chimes composed would do. "Keeping a dreamcatcher near my bed is something my father taught me a long time ago. My dreams are chaotic, but when one is near it will make sure no nightmares are able to haunt me in my sleep."The action was debated for a long moment before she went through with it. Reaching out with both arms, the brunette looped them around one of the blonde's and held on as she walked, keeping her head down just a bit. "...it would look more natural if we walk like this. People are more likely to look at you and dismiss things. That is... it will not get you in trouble with your girlfriend, will it? I did not want to give the wrong impression by reaching for your hand, so this seemed better."★ fayt devanti
★ no, not at all. xara isn't here - it can only end in minor tragedy |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 18, 2013 9:55:22 GMT -6
When Lycoris reached out and wrapped her arms around his, Fayt didn't resist it. Of course, he hadn't been expecting it, so his surprise overrode any protests that he might have formed about it. And honestly? He didn't really have a reason to protest. She wasn't really clinging to him, and he was an escort. It did, however, simply serve to make the situation more amusing. If she thought that, somehow, making him look like a formal escort would keep people from looking twice at them... well, she didn't know him, so she wouldn't understand why the thought of him in such a position would be funny. "I don't have a girlfriend," he said, his tone suggesting that he didn't particularly care. "Not at the moment, anyway. So I don't think you're going to offend anyone with your actions." He was pretty sure he didn't have someone secretly lusting after him, either, so no harm there. As far as the dreamcatcher went... "I was always taught that you needed a dreamcatcher with feathers to hang on the wall over your head. As it caught more nightmares, the feathers would fall off. When all of the feathers were gone, you needed a new one. If none of the feathers were falling off, it meant that it was actually preventing your nightmares."★ lycoris sotiris
★ xara's presence only livens things up, don't be silly
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 18, 2013 10:54:47 GMT -6
"It is hard to picture you keeping a dreamcatcher in your room..." Just by looking at him it was hard to imagine he was the sort to suffer from nightmares. Her father liked to tease her that only those worried by too many thoughts were likely to have some of them become dark. From what little she knew about man, believing him to be over burdened by thoughts didn't really fit. No, that wasn't even meant in an insulting way; it was just that he had this look to him that suggested no cares or burdens fell on his shoulders. It must be a nice thing. "What do you think of Adell?" The question came out differently than she wanted it to, but it would serve as a buffer for what she really wanted to ask. "I have known him for most of my life. While he can be difficult to understand at times, his heart is in the right place and he is a good person. When the two of us were younger, I would often seek him out in order to play random children games when I should be studying instead. The number of secret passages a person can discover in their own home is surprising." To this day she knew of five different ways to enter and exit the palace. Such things were best kept secret. Lycoris tilted her head up in order to look at Fayt, squeezing his arm slightly as she did so. "He does not have much male companionship that I know of. Most of those were instructors or superiors, and off hand I cannot recall a single person his own age that he often associated with. This might be a strange request, but if it is not too much trouble, do you think you could make the effort to try to get him to relax and have fun? The three of us will be here only for a short period of time, so it would be good if he could enjoy himself before returning to the routine back in Heim."She hummed thoughtfully, then ducked her head a bit to try to hide a smile. "If you can do so, then I will owe you a favor that you can request in the future."★ fayt devanti
★ you get to clean up all of the xara-related messes then because she isn't potty trained yet |
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Post by Fayt Devanti on Sept 24, 2013 12:37:45 GMT -6
Wait, was she actually asking him to attempt to make friends with Windsor? Wasn't that something usually reserved for overprotective mothers of precocious children? "Oh, my little so-and-so is just very intelligent and he's very sweet when you get to know him, so would your little what's-his-face mind playing with him occasionally?" It was absurd, but it was another thing that struck him as funny. It wasn't helped by the fact that she seemed to sincere in her request, like this was perfectly normal. From what he could tell, Adell was his age, if not a little bit older. Shouldn't he have been perfectly capable of making his own friends? Of course, he said none of this. For one thing, despite the level of respect he held for Heim's royalty, he knew you couldn't flat out contradict one of them like that. For another, she would owe him a favor for just trying, and he couldn't just ignore that. "I don't know him well enough to have a real opinion of him, but he seems very... dedicated," Fayt said, nodding a little. It was an accurate description of the man that he had seen so far. "I wouldn't mind spending some time with him, provided he has the opportunity to do so. I also wouldn't be surprised if he refused to leave your side."
The General Store didn't take long to reach, thankfully, but nothing in Asgard really took long to get to from anywhere else. He held the door open for Lycoris to pass through first, then followed her. Not seeing anyone immediately, he called out, "Hey, Murphy, Aelrich, either of you here?"
There was a silence before the curtain separating the front of the store from the back rooms opened and Aelrich half stepped out, one eyebrow raised. He looked at Lycoris, eyes moving over her curiously, and continued staring at her as he addressed Fayt. "Murphy had to step out for a moment. What is it?"★ lycoris sotiris
★ oh no, that's a terrible idea
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Post by Lycoris Sotiris on Sept 24, 2013 13:06:51 GMT -6
Dedicated described Adell Windsor extremely well. Loyal and protective, he lived up to the things that his job required of him. Gone was the youthful boy she used to play with as a child. A man filled his shoes, eager to prove himself to the world. Little things like that were difficult to overlook despite the differences that caused the two of them to drift apart. What did he think of her now that they were both older, both affected by the world in which they lived? Circumstance had a way of drawing people down separate paths. When the paths joined together, was it possible to get back things lost, or at least possible to find new things? It was a nice notion, if nothing else. It was almost comical in some ways how quickly a train of thought could fall off the track. The sight of the white-haired, red-eyed elf caught Lycoris by surprise. She managed to keep from going 'oh' out loud, but the widening of her eyes and the way her lips parted gave that away even without her voice. It wasn't every day that she saw someone with such coloring, after all, so her reaction wasn't entirely unwarranted or unusual. "Good day, sir." Recovering quickly, the brunette bobbed her head forward in a brief nod. "I would like to put in an order of purchased. A set of colored pencils, a notebook full of white paper with no lines, a wind chime, and two dreamcatchers with feathers attached to them will do it." If she was buying some things for herself, buying something for her companion as well wouldn't hurt. Money wasn't something she exactly hurt for or anything. "...that is how you do it, yes?" Feeling a bit uncertain, she glanced up at Fayt. "I tell him my order and he prepares it, or do I search for the things myself? I have not done this for some time..."★ fayt devanti
★ but you wanted to involve xara, so it works for me c< |
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