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Post by Ladorak on Nov 28, 2008 10:51:36 GMT -5
North of a Stratospheros, the capital of Galdea, a small river empties in to the sea. A peaceful little fishing community resides here, deriving its income from both the river and the ocean. Winter was coming on, but snow did not yet touch the grounds of the seaside village. It went by the name of Thorpe, named after its founder one supposed.
It was here that a certain stoat with a certain past had come to settle after his departure from the Vulpine Imperium. He was tall, a little more so than his average species. Pure white fur ran the length of his body, from eartips down to toe claws. It was winter after all, and his fur was that of the ermine, taking on a white color rather than his normal deep russet red in the Spring and Summer. A single pair of golden pince nez spectacles rested on his snout, in front of his opaline green eyes. He had a craggy, weathered look about him, as if he were born on the very sea itself, and he almost nearly had been.
He was clad simply, not wearing anything other than a blue jerkin and white cloth pants. His boots crunched under him as he walked, his paws folded behind his back and tail swishing about behind him, moving left, and then right every so often, as if bored with life itself.
His heart was broken in several ways. He had never been able to stay in one place for very long after leaving his home island. Good riddance for that place, but after that he had struggled....struggled to find a home. After accidentally washing ashore at the Vulpine Imperium, he had really thought that that could be home, that that could be his one place to finally fit in. But it lasted barely 2 years....and he had been driven from that place as well, a wreck, a shambles, nothing left except his vast fortune which he didn't care much for. It had been an inheritance of sorts from Ublaz Mad Eyes but Ladorak Fugate had always felt uncomfortable with it.
His thoughts drifted back to his castle, back to his residence in the Imperium. He had settled for something far less ostentatious this time, dwelling in a simple house here by the sea. He longed for something....anything, to help him forget his pains. But lobbying for an active command when there was nothing but peace in this region got him nowhere. The Galdean Navy just didn't have any openings despite his qualifications.
The ermine was heading down from his house to town, wondering if could check in at the tavern for news or gossip about happenings in the world. It was then that he saw them. Like clouds they floated towards the harbor, three white sails that billowed and bulged under the wind. A ship....was ship was coming in, but why? They didn't get many merchant or ferry boats. Normally it was just the small fishing vessel but this looked like an actual ship. He paused on the hill he had been walking along, his ears out towards the harbor, a brow raised in curiosity. This....this could be something then. But what?
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 1, 2008 12:37:26 GMT -5
Jayd was a young stoat. Her heart was filled with adventure and not much has scarred her thus far in life. She was kind and loving and just couldn't wait to have the opportunity to settle down. Yes firm ground beneath her footpaws was what she was looking forward to rather then the rocking of a ship. She also longed to leave her past behind, well more like her families past. Not everyone was so excepting of a girl that had a pirate for a father, even though they weren't the typically dubbed 'pirates' in the sense that 'usually' they preferred to barter and trade rather then steal. And usually killing was never an option unless the family’s survival depended upon it.
Tightly the female gripped the railing of the ship as it entered into port. She wasn't about to miss this, landing in the place where she would call her home. Indeed she was excited, her now long white headfur billowing in the wind behind her as her smile grew to look about a mile wide, and this season her fur turned to the color of snow white earlier then usual. Jayd took that as a sign for a hard winter ahead. This in itself made her a little nervous, knowing that she was about to enter a foreign land and without a way of making money for her living.
Her heart began to beat hard within her chest, the fact that her footpaws were about to step out onto firm ground caused a thrill to run up her spine. She could hardly wait! The female would be the first to exit the ship. Inwardly she wanted to kneel down to kiss the ground but that might seem a little silly to most.
Despite the fact that there were a few curious beasts there to meet the ship Jayd eagerly got off, trying hard to keep to herself. She was sure that this was a friendly land but a single female who was traveling alone could never be too careful. Perhaps this was the type of life that she's led. For a pirate it was usually shoot first and ask questions later. But oh how her sea green eyes darted about, avoiding the living souls but concentrating on the layout of this beautiful land. It was quaint, just what her heart had been desiring.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 1, 2008 17:39:39 GMT -5
At first, the passengers disembarking from the ship drew little interest for the male stoat. They just seemed to be tourists....sort of disappointing really, as he was hoping for something a little more exciting. News perhaps about a new assignment, or possibly news that war had broken out and the Galdean Navy was looking for recruits, anything. But Thorpe sometimes drew the tourists as well, and it was just an unfortunate part of the small village.
He shoved his paws deep in his pockets and began walking in to the town once again, figuring he could at least get a stiff drink or two. Vodka...rum....whatever really, so long as it helped ease his pain. Ladorak was by no means a drunk, but he would indulge every so often to help him take his mind off of things. What he really right now was a good....
But his thoughts stopped dead in his mind. His eyes had wandered back over to the ship, out of nothing more than curiosity, and it was if a bolt of lightning had split the skies and struck him then and there. He froze in his tracks, his eyes resting upon a rather good looking and (dare he even imagine this?) attractive female stoat who was taking her leave of the docked vessel. What....was something like that doing out here?
For a moment, nothing really stirred save for his fur that was being tussled a bit by the breeze. He swallowed, his eyes following her as she moved down on to the dock. She turned in his direction, seemingly scouting the land out. It was as if his whole inner workings stopped at that very moment. He almost wanted to duck out of sight, but it seemed as if she didn't look directly at him. Good......he couldn't....he couldn't do this anymore, he was too weathered and worn for games like this. He had left so much behind him after all.....things he was trying to forget.
But why was she here? What was she doing? His curiosity was rising, and he wanted to find out, he wanted to greet her, to welcome her here to Thorpe, but he caught himself again, reminding himself that games like this were no longer good for him. But still...it couldn't hurt to get closer, right?
Continuing on his path, he reached the village, trying to keep his eyes off the ship and.....her. He knew that the main road led past the tavern, and that most newcomers would pass by it on their way to wherever as it was one of the biggest buildings in town. Hoping secretly that she would pass that way, the ermine entered quickly, ordering a cranberry and grapefruit juice drink with vodka. Taking it outside, he sipped away, pretending to mind his own business, but keeping his eyes on the first few tourists heading in to town. Please...please....please....oh stop this Ladorak!
His mind was chiding him about something so foolish as this. He sat down at one of the wrought iron tables outside of the tavern, and tried to get his head straight. He should just get up and go back home, away from this but....he DID want his drink after all, and she might not pass this way. He gulped down a few more sips, and raised his eyes in to the approaching crowd slowly, almost shyly, wondering if by some chance this newcomer stoatess had attached herself to the tourists....
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 1, 2008 18:00:21 GMT -5
This was too good to be true! The land, the scenery, the new life... and oh that good looking male stoat standing over there, obviously he was scanning the newcomers. Jayd shyly took a double take. She never really had one of the opposite gender catch her eye before. Where's he going? Jayd's countenance dropped but she inwardly told herself that she'd probably run into him again sometime.
What should she do now? Follow the crowd she supposed, but for a few moments longer she longed to gaze over the land. Jayd took in a rather deep breath as she smiled, thinking too about the male's expression that he wore on his face. Was he sad? The white furred female swiveled upon the balls of her footpaws and strode toward the crowd, hopping and skipping to catch up to them. Perhaps he wouldn’t notice her following him if she blended in with the others.
It was just as she suspected. She saw a tavern a short distance away. Subconsciously she licked her lips. Surely from her journey she was parched and rather hungry. With a purpose her five foot stature sauntered right up to the building and of course instantly taking note of the male sitting at an outside table. Softly she smiled at him, hoping that he'd notice her as well. What was it about him? He seemed to want to keep his distance but at the same time his eyes were so inviting.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 2, 2008 9:27:31 GMT -5
He was caught by surprise when two of the tourists walking by parted ways, not wanting to go in to the tavern it seemed. Behind them, not failing to see him almost at once, was the female stoat he'd observed, back at the end of her group. He froze as her lips turned upwards in to a smile. A smile? Why was she....smiling at him?
It was as if he had been turned to stone, his green eyes locking with hers and his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't move, couldn't think. His body told him to run, to flee, because he couldn't get in to something like this again. It wasn't worth it....it wasn't worth it.
He tried repeating that in his mind, but it didn't seem to help much. Without even realizing it, his own mouth was curling up, and he was soon smiling back at her. Not a huge one, just a short, simple little smile. His eyes blinked behind his spectacles, being the first thing outside his mouth to move. No! No! Why had he come down here and positioned himself in such an obvious spot!? No! He should have stayed inside....away from...the crowd and this smiling female.
But it was too late now, and he couldn't just get up and walk back to his house. Well he could but....he didn't do that. There would be no point....no point at all in fleeing. It was the strangest thing. Before, he had shyly groped his way in to a relationship, but now that it was over, he didn't want to repeat something like that....not ever again.
But she was holding him strangely within her gaze, as if she had a power over him, and he found himself unable to resist. As much as he wanted to ignore her, his eyes were held by hers, and he could do nothing else. He realized she might be expecting him to say something, to greet her or welcome her to Thorpe maybe. He only hoped this wouldn't go too far......but best get some information out of her.
"Ahem" he cleared his throat, raising his glass to his lips again. "Hello. Enjoying our small village are you?" he asked, giving her a slight nod before taking a few more sips. "You're a tourist right?" he asked, not sure if that was the correct assumption. She seemed....different from the rest of the group. Sure she was interested in her surroundings, but it didn't seem as if it were for the same reasons. It was almost like.....she was looking them over for some other purpose rather than sightseeing, but what could that possibly be?
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 3, 2008 10:06:16 GMT -5
Jayd wasn't sure why she had smiled at the male stoat but perhaps it was because he seemed so sad, so aloof, so distant... so lonely. It was in the female's nature to want to make others feel better, about themselves, about those who surrounded them or just about life in general. Inwardly though she was telling herself the same thing... don't get close, stay back. It wasn't for the same reason that he was telling himself to keep a wall up, no, for her it was mainly due to the fact that her father was a per-say 'pirate'. He was in control of a pirate ship but really her family wasn't bad beasts, such was what the female stoat kept telling herself even given the fact upon first glance, what they saw on the surface, others would beg to differ. If one lived on a pirate ship that meant that they were a family of pirates. But Jayd refused to believe that.
It was to late to run though. Jayd was in this to deep to take flight. Instead she continued staying true to her personality, that being a sweet and gentle stoat-tess. To prove this point to herself and to him her smile became even bigger once he began to speak. Her heart fluttered, thinking that his voice was as smooth as honey to the taste. "Mmmm... Yes. I'm enjoying it immensely. It's beautiful, but I'm not just a tourist. I'm looking to settle down and I think that I just found my new home." Jayd grinned and then took a deep breath of the pure country air.
Jayd then took the liberty to sit down at the very table that he possessed, sitting opposite of him as her eyes drank in his impressive presence. "I just need to find a job and a place to live. Are you from here? Perhaps you could give me some advice." The female clutched her only material possessions to her chest as she leaned forward, longing to hear what he had to say. Surely he was from around here or he wouldn't have asked her if 'she' was a tourist.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 3, 2008 11:12:11 GMT -5
When she spoke it was like a soft and gentle autumn day, and it sent a feeling of warmth circulating about inside of him. His ears pitched forward a bit, and it was the exact same thing as the last time this has had happened....the last he'd....become enraptured with a female. It didn't happen very often with Ladorak.
He gazed up at her as she talked, agreeing with her that it was beautiful and nodding a bit...and then she sat down right across from him. Yikes! That wasn't part of the plan! He almost pushed his chair back so that he could stand, but that would have been rude. He swallowed thickly, growing intensely nervous in her presence. What did she think of him, and why had she singled him out?
Well the latter was easy to answer, he was a stoat, and a male to boot, and probably wasn't too bad looking either, but Ladorak hadn't been keeping tabs on his appearance lately. It hadn't diminished with his departure from the Imperium, as he still continually worked out, but he appeared far more washed up and sullen than he normally was. His mouth opened a little at her words of staying here...settling down....and finding a job. She was staying HERE? In Thorpe?
He took another hesitatingly nervous drink and smiled again, a very small and reserved thing, as he didn't want to seem too open to her. "I.....would be delighted to." he said, closing his eyes for a brief moment to get a handle on the situation. "I'm not originally from here myself, but I've lived here for the past few months now, and have decided to make it my new home, so I'm still relatively 'new' here myself." he explained, opening his eyes to look once again in hers. He didn't go in to detail about why he was new here though.
"I'm nominally working for the Galdean Navy, but peace time there's not much too, and I have and over abundance of free time." he explained, finishing off his drink. He gazed at her with very shy and reticent eyes. "Would you....like a drink maybe? I'm sorry I didn't offer right off." he said in a lower, almost embarrassed voice. "Thorpe is such a charming little village, and there's not much too it. Most of it is right here by the sea, and there's that spit of land that juts out that you can see over my shoulder where the lighthouse is." he said, nodding back over his right shoulder to a sandy spit that stretched and yawned outwards in to the ocean, a tall white lighthouse standing solitary like a sentinel at its tip.
"What um...what sort of profession are you looking to get in to?" he asked now, wondering if he could help her find a place here. It was strange, offering to help this stranger, but Ladorak was overall a kind stoat by nature, and wanted....almost desired, to help this new female, but he cautioned himself as well. Don't get too comfortable...for one's world can often come crashing down around one's self without warning....
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 4, 2008 10:50:30 GMT -5
Jayd's mind was twirling with thoughts but mostly she was trying to figure out what this male's story was, sure that he wasn't revealing everything about himself to her. Of course! Why would he spill his guts out to her? They only just met by a chance meeting. Still though, his eyes were kind and endearing and Jayd liked that, very much. Obviously there was something about him that was.... attractive.
The female stoat took a deep breath and then giggled as her words came forth. "Yes... I'd like a drink and something to eat. I'm famished! What would you like? I'll go inside and get it for us." Jayd didn't get up, yet. Instead she allowed him to finish his part of the conversation as she pointed in the direction of the tavern door. She wasn't sure if the servers came to check on the outside beasts or not.
Slowly her paw fell as he mentioned the village, the land behind him and the fact that the area was charming. Jayd nodded her head in agreement. "Yes this place seems very winsome. I think that I'll be content with living here. Tell me... Where do I stay? Oh and I don't really know what I want to do for a living yet. I never had the opportunity to expand my horizons in such a manner. Do you know of any jobs available?" Jayd's eyes lit up when she spoke of her future. This to her was like magic, the whole idea of being on her own and settling into a place.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 4, 2008 15:30:47 GMT -5
There were a few questions he had to address, but he was getting uneasy around her. He wasn't sure how he felt about her moving here. At the same time he was excited, but wasn't sure if any reminders of his past would be healthy or detrimental. Probably the latter, given his reactions right now. "Oh no....you don't have to get me anything....really." he replied, shaking his head. "Its alright, I mean I was planning on getting just a simple cheese sandwich or something, you really don't have to pay for me." he stated, hoping he was insistent. No point in having her buying him things, that just wouldn't do.
As far as staying here, there's the tavern but your choices would be limited without having your eyes set on an actual home here. Thorpe is fairly small, not big like Stratospheros. There were a few homes for the sale on the outskirts of town, I'm pretty sure of that. I live out in that direction myself. You were....planning on buying I'm assuming, right?" he asked, running a paw down his shirt in a thoughtful manner.
"As far as jobs go....well its more of a bring your own trade to the town type of thing. They're pretty accepting here of whatever profession you have" he was trying to avoid her eyes, trying to just keep out of falling in to something too rapidly here. "so I think...well what did you do beforepaw? Surely you worked before coming here right? Couldn't you apply those same skills somewhere here?" he asked, giving her a very small smile.
He was being careful. Cordial and friendly, but not overly so. He was treading on thin ice and he knew it. He knew next to nothing about her, including her piratical acts before this, and so he wasn't aware that his previous question was probably not the best one for her. He was just trying to be cautious though, as he had been hurt, not just in his love life but in life in general, and the ermine was finding that putting his age old, customary wall up was falling back in to place. It was horrible....he hated being this way. It was like relapsing after making so much progress....but he was no longer able to help himself. When experiences repeat themselves and make you sore and hurt, you tend to guard yourself for future repetitions. It was nothing against her at all....just his old nature winning out thanks to his recent experiences.
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 4, 2008 16:20:50 GMT -5
Jayd could sense the hesitation, the resistance and she could clearly feel that wall being built up... brick by brick and it was going up quicker and quicker. She wondered if 'she' did something wrong, even though it was impossible since they both just met.
The female shook her head. "Oh.. a home? Of my very own? I'm not really sure. I never had a real home. I mean my family traveled all the time and so we never got to feel what it was like to stay in one place. That's the main reason for my moving here. I want to grow roots some place. I want to settle down and broaden my horizons. You know what I mean?" Her words were filled with meaning and her facial expressions backed them up. This would be an adventure of a lifetime. At least it would be for her.
Jayd then stood up. She wanted a drink and excused herself to go get one, not taking the time to allow him to rebuke the idea, and really not even telling him that she was getting him something as well. Soon she returned with a tray filled with things, his cheese sandwich and one for her, and two drinks that contained alcohol. Perhaps the magical liquid would loosen him up a bit. "Here... I took the liberty. No arguments. I'll hear none of it. Just share this stuff with me and it will make me happy." Softly she smiled at him, trying to get him to show her a little of the real him.
The female served them both and then sat, continuing the conversation where it left off. "Now... What did I do before I came here? Well my family and I traded and traveled. I cooked and cleaned. I'm not sure how useful I'll be around here. Maybe I could try another place to settle down? I dunno." Jayd looked down, almost embarrassed that she had not been trained to do anything. She thought hard about what she would have liked to do with her life but really didn't have time to make any solid decisions in that regard, but she did have ideas at least.
Thoughtfully she took a sip of her strong drink, which made her gasp for a breath after swallowing. "Wow... Strong! Anyway... I thought of perhaps being taught the art of healing or something along those lines. I love kits, maybe something with them? Are there any orphanages around here?" Jayd looked at him intently, being aware of how he tried his best to avoid her hypnotizing gaze.
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