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Post by Ladorak on Dec 4, 2008 16:55:19 GMT -5
He nodded at her first statement about broadening horizons...something he was uncomfortable with to say the least. She got up though to get a drink, and he wasn't able to protest about not receiving anything from her. He was rather surprised though when she did bring him some food.
"Hey I...." but she cut him off, saying that it would make her happy if he just accepted it. He paused, staring down at it. He didn't want to accept gifts from her.....this was too much too soon. "Thank you." he said at last, his voice low and hard to read. He didn't take the drink just yet though, as he didn't want to risk getting too intoxicated too soon. One more would be OK, but slowly.....
Taking the sandwich, he ate while he listened to her. Another place to settle!? No! He tensed up a little as she said those words, but tried to focus on his sandwich rather than that thought. Why did he care? He felt as if he wanted to get to know her better, but was still very afraid. He feel her eyes upon him, inviting him to gaze deeply...so deep in to them, to fall down, to never come out.
It was too dangerous. She finally settled on orphanages or healing. He nodded, taking a sip from the drink she brought, stronger than what he was normally used to. "No...." he said, feeling drawn, beyond his control, to look in to her eyes again. She was still looking directly at him, and her assessment of her gaze was very fair. It was hypnotizing him, as soon as he looked right at her, he was under her spell again. No orphanages in Thorpe....mostly in the cities..." he explained in a slow voice. Her eyes...they were so beautiful....so inviting, and he was unable to look back down.
He moved his sandwich up to his mouth, taking another bite, eyes still locked with hers. "I think you should stay....I could try and help you." he stated, his voice become softer.....almost warm now. "There's some property out near my place..." he could feel his brain loosening a little from the alcohol, just a bit. "Or....you could perhaps rent from me..." he stopped, blinking, looking away from her eyes at long last. Wait! What had he just offered!? Rent from HIM?! Why had he offered to do that?!
"Um....I...." he shifted a little in his seat, uncomfortable again. "There are many opportunities to learn the medicinal trade...but as far as housing goes....as I said several properties near my place, and my place is fairly big.....I would....." he was having trouble saying this last part. "Be willing....to perhaps rent part of it to you as well.....do you have many belongings?" he asked, feeling his throat closing up in nervous angst over what he'd just offered.
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 4, 2008 17:12:15 GMT -5
Even his gaze was enticing to the female. She had a hard time looking away from him but she had to if she wanted to eat and to drink. Jayd wanted to seem natural to him, not one that was out looking for a meal ticket, an easy ride. That wasn’t like her to do that though. She worked hard her entire young life, mostly to survive, never being able to taste even a little bit of the good life.
After chewing her mouthful she looked back up at him. Had he just offered her to stay with him? Softly she chuckled. "Well maybe I could stay with you for a little while until I find a place of my own. I could cook and clean for you for rent if that would work for you. Honestly you wouldn't even know that I was there. I'm very quiet." Now that was an understatement. She was probably far from quiet but she longed, for some reason, to make it sound good, being rooming partners that is... with her.
Jayd took another sip of her stiff drink and then answered him, with a rather strangled voice due to her drink. "No... I only have a backpack full of things. I'd be no trouble. I promise. Perhaps after we eat you could show me your place and then maybe tomorrow we could go house hunting for me?" She would love a tour of the area and truthfully she would really love to get to know this mysterious male a bit more.
Out of the blue she just stopped and looked up at him and then reached over to brush a crumb from his lip. She pulled her paw back with a blush and then shoved a piece of sandwich in her mouth, trying to talk at the same time. "Oh sorry... you... had a piece... you had a crumb. It's gone now though." What an idiot! Mentally she was banging her head on the table, wishing that she could take what she just did back.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 5, 2008 23:13:30 GMT -5
Ladorak tensed up a bit, wondering why she was reaching out across to him, to brush.....a crumb away? What? He was stunned at first, not moving, not being able to do anything but sit there stiffly, staring across at her. "Um....thanks." was all he could say at first, the alcohol having some minor effects on his thinking process.
Twitching his whiskers a bit, he finally looked down at his plate. Brushing a crumb away? What a strange....gesture to partake in. He wasn't sure how to react, and looked at her again with inquisitiveness. He felt like backing away, keeping his wall up and leaving her to fend for herself....but something about her made him stay. Maybe she could help him forget...but she could also be dangerous too.
"I...." he said at first, unsure of what to say. What a strange female! He thought of something to keep the conversation moving, as it was obvious she was very embarrassed. He wanted to recover this situation, not wanting it to end so soon. "Yes....we could take a look at my place but I really don't think you have to clean it. Payment can be done with regular cash, I can't ask you to work." he said, shaking his head. "You're not my servant after all." he said, giving her a truly genuine smile now. It was almost inviting in a way.
"Could I ask you though...have you ever been to a Bathhouse? There's one near here, and its really a splendid type of place." he said, taking another drink, seemingly relaxing a little now.
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 8, 2008 11:54:10 GMT -5
Presently Jayd just tried her best to handle the tension between them that was just mounted by her because of the whole crumb situation. Jayd took a deep breath and then smiled at the male, wishing for him to think that she was relaxed... here... with him. "You are quite welcome." She responded, without skipping a beat.
The female pondered inwardly over the fact that she didn't have any cash to give to him as rent but she supposed that she'd discuss that with the male later. For now she found that she only wished to get to know this male better.
Slowly Jayd shook her head. "No... I've never been to a bathhouse before. What's it like?" What the female stoat didn't want to tell him was that usually her bathing consisted of a wide open sea and a cake of perfumed soap. Regardless of what most thought... her pirate family happened to be very clean and well groomed.
With a smile as bright as the sun she gazed at him and then spoke once more, a light bulb going off in her brain as she thought of something else to say. "Oh! How rude of me! I didn't even offer you my name did I? My name is Jayd Jasmyn. Might I have the pleasure of knowing yours?" Indeed it would be nice to know this interesting stoat's name. Clearly he interested her greatly.
Jayd finished her stiff drink. Even though her size may not reveal it she was able to hold her own when it came to drinking. Partaking of the wines and spirits were an every evening thing aboard the ship. From little on up she was allowed to drink, in moderation of course, that is until she became of age and it became her own decision to drink heavily at times if she longed for it.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 8, 2008 12:30:44 GMT -5
Ladorak felt frozen in her gaze, her warm smile beginning to melt his chilled innards and caused a sense of relaxation to begin to seep in to every crevice and corner of his soul. He felt as if he could bathe in her gaze for any length of time. He blinked though, realizing she'd asked a question. His name? Should he really give that out to her so soon?
Had she even heard of the far off Imperium, or was that really just something that would become a distant memory with him? Some called him criminal, others a hero, but he felt like he fit the bill of neither. A disgrace maybe, or somewhere in between that and exile. To be exiled was to be disgraced. There was no real difference in his mind.
Sighing, he nodded. "You may. Surname Fugate, given name Ladorak. Middle name Diomedes. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ms. Jasmyn." he told her, wondering where the Jasmyns hailed from. "I've been all over the place.....hoping to settle down. Hasn't happened yet though, maybe never will." he said in a lower voice, shrugging and looking down with almost a forlorn look.
"But yes the bathhouses. Its where beasts can go to unwind after a long day. They can work out, bathe in hot or cold baths, and otherwise socialize in a rather friendly and open environment." his eyes were upon her again, and that lost, forlorn look was gone. It was replaced with one of contemplation. "Perhaps you could try for a spot at the bathhouses here. They aren't as big as the ones in Stratospheros, but it pays well from what I hear. I receive half pay from the Galdean Navy, but its not much. Sharing my home would definitely help with expenses this time of year until I get a far more steady job at sea." he explained, not telling her he was really quite wealthy, but that most of his money was tied in banks back in the Imperium. He was working with his father on getting them transferred, but it would take some time, and right now his half pay was just barely enough to get by.
"Oh yes.....since the holidays are coming up soon" he grimaced as he thought of the warped, rather backwards holidays of the Imperium. THAT was one gripe he had with that place. "You can invite your family to my place for celebrations if you wish, I don't really mind, so long as the rent comes in." he smiled no, creasing his weathered features again. "Do you have any relatives on Galdea or are you here alone?" he asked, knowing that as an island, Galdea was rather remote from the rest of the continent. It was great for a stoat like Ladorak, wishing to isolate himself from the rest of the world, and Galdean culture was just enough to keep him content with his new life, if still feeling lonely and cast out. Time would tell if his position would improve here on the powerful island nation.
He rose to standing, finishing his sandwich and drink, and stretching his back a bit. "I can take you up to the house whenever you're ready." he offered, rubbing his paws together to warm up a bit.
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 8, 2008 13:54:32 GMT -5
"Ladorak.... Diomedes.... Fugate... What a nice strong name." Jayd smiled and then plucked one last piece of food into her mouth before looking back up at her new friend. She hoped that he wouldn't mind compliments because she was certainly very good at giving them.
What she failed to tell him that Jasmyn was her middle name. To share her true last name would or may give away the secret that she held so dear to her heart. Why had she held it so dear? Simply put... She was afraid that someone may know or heard of her family and their trading practices. The last thing that she wanted to be labeled as was a black pirate of the sea. Usually the name pirate didn't have a good thought or impression behind it.
"Well perhaps this will be the place that you will finally settle down. It certainly is a beautiful place and I find the company comforting and pleasurable." Jayd blushed a bit as she quickly shot into the 'bathhouse' part of the conversation. "Perhaps later we can go there together. You can give me a tour, we can bathe and I can apply for a job there." The thought of bathing publicly was something that really wasn't all that foreign to her but a more intimate setting might be just a little heart fluttering. For now she'd have to wait and see what sort of atmosphere it was. There was no use in jumping to conclusions, needlessly causing stress where there need none be.
Jayd then stood once Ladorak did and she nodded, politely pushing in her chair and placing everything neatly upon the tray so that the tavern keep could pick it up later. "You sure you don't want a drink to go? A little brandy would warm up the bones on such a chilly day." She waited for him to respond, of course before she would turn to take her leave, to follow him or to walk beside him.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 9, 2008 19:35:26 GMT -5
"Oh...no, I'm fine thank you." he said quickly, reflecting about her words about settling down here. Well...he MIGHT be able to, but he was looked down upon in the Navy for several reasons. One was that he was from the Imperium. And an advanced nation like Galdea naturally would look down on a backwoods country like that. He wasn't born there, but he had come from there. Second, he had tried to enforce a an-anti trade law between Galdea and the western continent, but he'd found that that had been unpopular as the commanding officer of the region had not encouraged the law to be enforced as the trade was rather lucrative.
Thirdly, he seemed to hang around with the wrong crowd, namely the King's son, who always managed to get himself at the center of one scandal or another. It wasn't good for his image, and Ladorak, though a very competent and effective officer, was seen as that "outsider" who ran with the wrong beasts. The ermine had tried to correct this of course, but his reputation had already taken a fall, and it would take some work to get it repaired.
It was his age old problem of not being able to fit in. The Imperium had accepted him, but only so long as it was convenient, and his headstrong personality had landed him in trouble after awhile, and now that too was all over. He was quiet as they headed to the outskirts of town, up a hill and to his home on the other side. He was nervous around her, unsure of how she saw him or what she was thinking. He wanted desperately to say something, but he wasn't sure what.
He felt....very uneasy that she had told him his name was strong. Yes.....it was....but it seemed to be only a temporary thing, never a permanent one. He wanted so desperately to just belong.......but he half turned to her, trying to think of something....anything, to say. His mouth was locked however, his brain unable to comprehend anything. He felt horrible for being this way, but it was as if a numbing paralysis had settled over him.
Eventually though, his house came in to view. It was large, much larger than she'd probably imagined. Being of the countryside, it was stone, with a large right wing that seemed to be the main portion of the place, an expansive palladian window on the front looking out over the sea. Shingled roof, with a thick chimney in the main portion. To the left was a smaller but still impressive looking wing. A rather magnificent garden was out front, but sadly the plants and flowers were all dead, the winter cold having killed them all off for the season...but had it been spring, it would have been an eye raising sight. Gardening had become a pastime of the stoat's, having not much else to occupy his time except for reading and training his body.
It might have seemed weird, a hardened sea captain raising and growing spectacular and breath taking flowers and plants of various species, but the bespectacled mustelid had found it a rather pleasing and satisfying hobby. He also liked hunting, but found he was a lousy shot with a gun. With a sword or a crossbow he was superb, almost TOO good, but something about the gun made him seem second or third rate. One often joked that Ladorak was more of a threat to his hunting party than to the game, but it was just one of those things that the stoat wasn't able to perfect yet.
"There....that's it. That wing off to the side is yours. Would you like to look it over?" he asked, finally speaking and turning to face her. He felt bad now, for this house no doubt made him seem rich, which he was, but not presently as previously stated. His half pay was making it hard to pay the mortgage on this place, but he wasn't going to let his financial problems show forth to her.
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 10, 2008 10:38:05 GMT -5
For a while the pair walked in silence. Jayd didn't mind this at all since her life usually consisted of nothing but noise, even if it was just the sounds of the sea, not that she didn't simply love that but sometimes it was wonderful to just be in silence. So the female didn't think badly of this. Now if she had known the turmoil that was within the male's head, then perhaps the quiet would have concerned her. Without her knowing Ladorak needed someone to talk to she couldn’t properly assess the situation to it’s fullest measure. Maybe she could be this friend for him. If she knew what he had been through then she'd likely work doubly on getting him to trust her and getting him to see that she wouldn't be leaving him if he really needed her.
Such connections would come in time.....
"There....that's it. That wing off to the side is yours. Would you like to look it over?" These were the words that the male finally spoke. Jayd's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. She just couldn't believe that 'this' was his home and that nobody else lived with him. It was so large for just one creature to reside by himself in. But that would all now change. Ladorak would no longer be alone.
Jayd quickly nodded and then shot him a beaming grin. "Yes! I would love to see it! It's simply lovely! I've seen nothing ever like it. It's simply breath taking my lord." My lord... Those words accidently slipped from her tongue. She rewarded him with them simply out of respect, without knowing just what they might mean to him, especially not realizing that he was... well... 'well to do'.
The beautiful female stoat-tess quickly stepped forward and linked her arm into his. Excitement of seeing her new home overtook any reason to what she did. She didn't think about whether or not the male wished to be touched or tugged along. Clearly that was the last thing on her mind. It was just thrilling to be starting a whole new life and actually to be living in a building and not a ship’s cabin.
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Post by Ladorak on Dec 11, 2008 16:09:06 GMT -5
He was taken aback by her words. Lord? He was most certainly by Galdean law not a Lord. He then tensed up, his body going rigid as she happily interwove her arm with his. It was....nice....in a way...reminding him of a touch he used to share with another but...right now it made him unbelievably uncomfortable, and he wanted immediately to extricate himself.
"Yes well....excuse me, I need to unlock that wing." he said, pulling away from her and giving her a nervous smile. Fumbling with his pocket for the keys, he moved over to the left side of the wing. "It used to be a carriage house." he explained, walking through the desolate, dead garden. Come spring...it would be beautiful again.
Turning the key in the brass lock, he unlocked the door with a click, and held it open for her. "It has a living room, bedroom, in kitchen with facilities off in the back." Facilities in the house....a rarity for most beasts. "You may look around all you like, ask any questions you may have, and decide whether or not you'd like to rent." he explained, leaning against the door and standing off to the side so that she could walk past him and give the place a look over. He tried to keep his mind on business and off of her, and so far, thanks to that initial shock she'd given him with her close contact, he was succeeding, his mind numbed in to indifference temporarily.
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Post by jaydjasmyn on Dec 11, 2008 23:15:09 GMT -5
Jayd could feel the tension in his arm but silently decided, nay insisted, that she keep her arm where it was. If he was going to get over whatever was bugging him mentally he'd have to get use to her being around and being touchy, feelie. It was just the kind of female that she was. Surely he'd get use to it... right?
Her eyes strayed around. She could envision what the place would look like in the spring. It wasn't hard to imagine by the look of the dead and wilted plants. Jayd began to become inwardly eager to see it and so she instantly decided to stick around.
When Ladorak stepped to the side Jayd entered. She turned to the side, chest to chest with him, rather close, their faces very close, so close that she could feel his breath. Softly she smiled but kept the contact as brief as possible. The female didn't want to scare him away!
She entered....
After a few moments of looking around she turned to him and grinned widely. "Yes! I'll take it. Do you want to go to the bath-house now? I'm also eager to see if I can find a job. I don't know what I could do there but it's worth a try I suppose." Before he had time to move she passed through the doorway, again brushing her body against his and looking straight into his eyes. Well she had to look up but there was a solid connection there.
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