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 Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 3:27 am
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Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 3:17 am
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“Out of breath yet?”
Grinning, Kursha turned back to check on his companion. His breath came out as a warm steam, crystallising in the chill mountain air. The climate crisp and cold, even near the base of the mountain at the train station, where he had met Elidae. Since their ascension up the hillside, it had only gotten colder. The climb was not an easy one, but Kursha kept them going at a steady pace, distracting from the fatigue of the march with casual conversation.
“Or do you need me to carry you?” he asked, eyes sparking with amusement. He slipped his hands into his pockets to watch the yellowblood's progress. Though the mountain path had been cleared recently, it had snowed since, leaving an inch or so for them to trek through. For the most part, it had not been a problem, but sometimes...
“Ah! Careful!” He took a step towards her, hand outstretched as she hit a patch of ice.
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:37 pm
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Elidae spent so much time feeling excited for being there she failed to understand the being on a mountain part. It was cold. So very, very cold. And it was getting colder. While she didn't mind the trek, going uphill definitely tired her out. Not to mention the definite wrong choice of shoes. But she'd be mortified if she didn't look good, enduring Busthind aside.
Doubling over for just a moment, Elidae heard Kursha call out to her. She admitted to herself that the offer, while blatant as a playful jest, tempted her. Would he even be able to carry her, she wondered? All the way to their destination? That would be impressive! Elidae pulled her jacket close to herself, trying to slow her ragged breaths to a steady rhythm. After a moment, she popped up with a bright grin for him, noticeably quickening her pace. The chattering of her teeth, however, didn't ceased.
"N-n-n-nnnn-nope! I c-can- ah- walk!" Elidae insisted, pep to her step. "I-" A patch of ice, indeed. Foot slipping beneath her, Elidae sucked in a surprised gasp and skidded, hand desperately reaching and clasping Kursha’s. She wobbled for a moment, arm outstretched for balance with an incredulous look slapped across her face. Finally still, Elidae slowly straightened herself. It took her a moment to register, but she started giggling, loosening her hold and taking a careful step forward. "Thank y-" Another choke of frigid air as her boot slipped forward once again. Clinging to Kursha's whole arm now, Elidae kept a nailed death grip on him as her feet tried to catch solid ground.
"Maybe I d-d-do need you to carry me!" Elidae laughed pathetically, flushing yellow. "Sss-s-sorry!" Eyes focused intently to the ground so she could maneuver out of the patch of ice, she quickly let go of him and hopped about. Straightening her scarf, Elidae surveyed the surroundings and she continued the walk. She couldn't deny the mountains and untouched snow looked breathtaking glittering in the moonlight. Such a view, and they weren't even at the village yet! "Ahh! Sooo prettyyy~!" She commented with a dreamy tone. Then, she playfully kicked at the snow. "You must be used to all this, living here and all." Deliberately, she neglected to add she thought he was insane for wearing shorts and sandals.
Green Minuet ok i lied its a lot sooner than i said
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Posted: Fri May 06, 2016 10:48 pm
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Elidae slipped not once, but twice. As she grabbed hold of his arm for the second time, he struggled to keep his balance. For a moment, they both tipped dangerously. Then he found his centre and planted his feet. Grabbing ahold of the yellowblood with his free hand, he steered her upright. “Got it?” he laughed.
She let go a second later, huffing an apology. Kursha watched a moment, just to be sure that she did not slip again, before joining her on the trail. The snow crunched beneath his sandals and between his toes. “Yeah, it's not so bad,” he replied. “Blizzards are still be a pain in the spinal crevice though. Two sweeps ago there was one so bad, I was stuck in my hive for two and a half weeks. The snow came all the way up to... around here maybe.” Kursha held his hand out to demonstrate, wavering between his chin and his shoulders.
“The Colonel wanted to clear it of course, so we could do our usual training exercises, but had to give up when the ice glued her wing feathers together. Funniest thing I've ever seen in my life, her hopping around in the snow and screaming bloody murder. Talk about lack of restraint.” He rolled his eyes at the memory. “I guess it was one of those things you'd have to be there for though...” Trailing off, he shrugged.
“Anyway, this season has been pretty mild, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.” He glanced over at the yellowblood. Despite her cheery demeanour, her face was flushed and her teeth chattered. It might have been a bit much to ask her to walk all the way up the mountain with him. A moment later and he had shrugged off his jacket and dropped it over the yellowblood's shoulders.
“We're almost there,” he said. “Just around those rocks there.” He pointed further up the path, where the trail met the top of the rocky cliffside they had been following. “So, what's New Hemisect like? I don't spend a lot of time in the big cities.” Crossing his arms behind his head, he grinned at her.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 5:16 am
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Momentarily forgetting how cold she felt, Elidae listened to him with eager, a genuine smile forming as she absorbed his every word. Truthfully, she had never seen him talk so much. She liked it.
"Oh! S-So, is the C-Colonel your lusus?" She asked the obvious, brushing a few bangs out of her face. She supposed the mention of winged feathers would make it a yes. His story felt a bit questionable, but Elidae shrugged it off. He was right, she didn't really understand, but enjoyed him sharing with her regardless.
"I bet I could handle it, though!" Giggling, Elidae held up her arms in a dramatic pose to display determination, brow quirked. Settling down with her subsiding laughter, Elidae felt a shiver run down her spine. Soon after, Kursha dropped his jacket on her shoulders. The extra warmth accompanied by a strong scent of gunpowder came as a surprise to her. Giving him a questioning look, she blinked, opened her mouth to protest, but snapped it shut it when he continued. A small smile curved on her lips with a hint of yellow flushed her cheeks. She pulled his jacket closer around her, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and uncertainty.
"Really?! I'm so excited!" The freckled yellowblood lit up as they neared closer to their destination, lightly grabbing Kursha's arm and picking up the pace. "Oh, New Hemisect is wonderful! I mean, once you get past all the smog and constant rush everywhere you go. But everything you could ever need is right at your fingertips! And you meet a lot of interesting trolls! I see so many different faces all the time at my work. Hive is a little cramped and hivestems can be a pain, but you got the whole city around you to explore...!" Turning to him with an zealous look, Elidae inhaled a sharp gasp. "You should definitely come over sometime! I can show you some neat places around NH if you want, or we can- we can, I don't know, do whatever at my hive! I mean, like, after tonight! Later! Eh- ah, if you want to, of course!" Staring straight ahead and trying not to fidget, Elidae smiled nervously. "But yeah! City's great! Its not as nice as Civisect, but... its got its own character!"
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Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:49 pm
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“Yeah, sure. I mean, I've been through NHC a couple times, but it was always on business. It would be nice to get an official tour.” Kursha smiled over at her. “Speaking of...” His hand snaked up and slipped around hers so that their palms were touching. His grin widened as he gave her hand a warm squeeze. Suddenly he tugged her forwards. “Yours begins... now!”
During their conversation they had neared the top of the ridge. As Kursha pulled her forwards however, they passed around the last of the rocks. Sure enough, the village lay just around the corner, as promised. It was as rustic as a mountain village could be. Buildings stood no more than three stories tall, though many less. Rooftops were capped with snow, and lights glowed within all the windows. Smoke curled up from a few scattered chimneys. Lamps helped to illuminate the narrow streets. Winter gardens decorated many of the store fronts. Somewhere the faint sound of bells chimed, under the chatter and bustle of trolls wandering the streets.
“So, first things first... You hungry or anything?”
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 3:15 am
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Coming to her as a slight surprise, Kursha pulled Elidae around the corner, the long awaited village directly in front of her. It was even prettier than she imagined! It was like something out of a storybook! Biting her lip, she looked between Kursha and the village with eagerness.
"Let's go, let's go!" Now her turn to tug him along, Elidae held on Kursha's hand to enter the street, taking in all the delightful sights and sounds with awe. Mouth agape, her eyes sparkled as she turned in a circle, twisting her grip on his hand, but then clasped it tightly once again as soon as she continued in an aimless direction. Of course, she didn't want to get lost. Also, it was warm. Stopping briefly by one of the first shops, she peered in the display window with bubbling curiosity. Kursha's question pulled her attention back.
"Hmm?" She blinked up at him, then gave a lighthearted shrug. At the moment, she was more interested in exploring the village than grabbing a bite to eat first. "No, not really! I-" A loud, rumbling noise erupted from her digestive cavity. Elidae paused, both her eyes and smile widened nervously. As she let go and brought her hands up to hide her face, Elidae chimed a sheepish laugh. Betrayed by her own bilesack! "Maybe a little!" She admitted, playfully peeking between her fingers. Elidae then giggled and pulled at the collar of his jacket around her. She looked to him with an expectant smile. "So what's good around here, tour guide?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 10:39 pm
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Kursha could not help but grin at Elidae's enthusiasm as she bounced around. It made his cheeks hurt. He rubbed the area around his mouth to loosen the muscles. A moment later though, the yellowblood's stomach growled and his smile returned in full strength. “Oh? Is that a grizzlebeast I hear?” he teased, as Elidae flushed and laughed it off. He then pretended to consider her question. While he may not have visited the village often, he would be an idiot not to do some research beforehand.
“Hm...” he mused. After a second his face lit up. “I've got just the thing! Follow me!” He bounded forward, before almost immediately stopping in his tracks. It had been his intent to play it cool, but in just a few seconds he had let his guard down and fallen prey to excitement. So much for that plan. Might as well run with it. Whirling, he took hold of both Elidae's hands and pulled her along. “Come on, come on!” he laughed.
After a few steps he ended up releasing her. Still leading the way, he went about two blocks down the street before taking a left down a side street. He stopped in front of a dingy little shop, tucked back away from the others. It looked dark and cramped, but Kursha propped open the door. “After you.”
Despite its exterior, the inside was warm and pleasant. The smell of baking bread, spiced sausage, and various other meats filled the air. There were only thee small, round tables in the entire restaurant, but it seemed more like a kind of place one ordered take-away at. A menu over the register listed popular orders as well as the various specialties. Notably they were all calzones.
blackbird cake I LIED ABOUT WHERE WE WERE GOING. |
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Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 1:12 am
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Surprised by the sudden flurry of energy from him, Elidae blinked in response at first, her excitement steadily becoming rekindled by Kursha's own enthusiasm. Hands suddenly grasped, she smiled. "Okay!!" Elidae responded, eager to see just what had come to his mind. She laughed with him, following at his heels willingly, though she often distracted herself with the cozy setting around them during their short journey, having to bound forward occasionally to keep up with his pace. As they approached what would soon be their destination, the mouthwatering scents had Elidae's stomach rumble again.
"Thank you!" Heading in the door opened for her, Elidae turned and gave him a curtsy with an imaginary skirt with a giggle. "Oh! Such a cute place!" It was small and quaint, something hard to find in the city, though it seemed tucked away and exclusive. "You must know the area really well!" Elidae commented additionally with a quick turn of her head and raised brows, clearly impressed. Putting a finger to her chin, the yellowblood stepped further into the shop as she debated over the options.
"What do you like?" With a bright grin, the yellowblood turned once again towards Kursha with eyes wide as the moons, filled with genuine curiosity. Her fervor intensified as she awaited an answer. For the rest of their outing, Elidae vowed to learn as much as she could about him.
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 3:21 am
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In response to Elidae's off-hand remark Kursha faked a laugh. “Yeah,” he lied, and hoped she would not press the subject. Truth be told, he had spent the last week staking out the village's shops and sites to ensure that everything met his standards. Though a perfectionist, even Kursha recognised how excessive his actions were. Normal trolls did not break into restaurants just to inspect their kitchens. Maybe he was being paranoid. Maybe he was taking things too seriously. But he had never before so badly wanted to impress someone.
Regina? Sure. That had been out of necessity though. He had been looking out for his own hide. Failing the empress meant exile, execution, or worse, consequences that he tried not to dwell on for obvious reasons. This... this was an entirely different situation however. He had nothing to gain from Elidae and nothing to lose. Yet he here was, acting like a lunatic over a simple date.
Of course, if anyone ever accused him of such a thing, Kursha would flat out deny it.
"What do you like?"
The question caught Kursha by surprise. Somehow in all his planning, he had not prepared for such a simple query. “Oh, er... I...” Raising his fist to his mouth, he disguised his stammer by pretending to clear his throat. He coughed. “I usually go for the barbeque cluckbeast calzone,” he responded. Oops. Another lie, or half lie to his credit. He had tried it before. Even so, Kursha continued to push the conversation along. “Everything here is pretty good though. Once you make up your mind, let me know and I'll pay.” He threw in a friendly wink. |
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 4:56 am
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Once they had placed and paid for their order, Kursha and Elidae were left with several minutes to fill as their food was prepared. Kursha engaged Elidae with small talk (albeit forced), asking about New Hemisect and as well as her job. Sweeps of training had paid off, and for the most part he managed to keep from fidgeting. He looked perfectly at ease, despite a dogged nervousness that wore at him like an itch. Whether Elidae felt the same way or not was impossible to tell. She prattled on with carefree grace that helped to settle his nerves and distract him from his own thoughts.
When their order arrived, Kursha nudged Elidae outside. He was getting restless in the small space, and needed to give his feet something to do. They could eat while they explored the village. Once Elidae was bundled up again, they forged out into the snow. Relieved to be on the move again, Kursha happily joined in the conversation, occasionally pointing out interesting landmarks. At one such time, he seized the opportunity to take a bite from Elidae's calzone while she was admiring a shop's wintry window display. As soon as she looked back, he offered her some of his own with a grin.
After a while, they ducked into a glass shop to escape the cold, where a bored purpleblood in glasses greeted them from behind the counter. Kursha paced around the aisles, out of place but curious despite himself. At one point he could not resist jingling a set of glass icicles dangling from the ceiling, which promptly earned him a scathing look from the shopkeep. Thereafter he stuck close to Elidae, who seemed both delighted and entranced by the displays. As they browsed, she surprised him by prodding with more questions, but gradually he began to open up in his responses. No more hasty, one word answers, though once or twice he flushed and clammed up. Still, over time what began as stilted conversation, marked by the occasional anxious pause immediately followed by them talking over one another, matured into well-paced, back and forth banter.
When the purpleblood cleared her throat for the third time in a row, Kursha took that as their cue to leave and move on to the next destination. It was a short walk thankfully, so they were not out in the cold for long. As they approached, Kursha instructed Elidae to close her eyes. Once she obliged, he put a hand on either shoulder and guided her down the street. A couple blocks and one right turn later, he told her to open her eyes again. They had arrived at a... wax museum.
“Not what you were expecting, was it?” Kursha asked her with a grin, before dragging her inside. Like most of the buildings in Busthind, the museum was on the smaller side, with cramped corridors. What it lacked in size however, it made up for in content. There were wax sculptures of all kinds: animals, fictional characters, celebrities, and of course one of the empress herself. It did not take Kursha long to find trouble.
“What kind of scene should we make?” he asked suddenly. He made no further attempt to explain. Giving the yellowblood a wink, he stepped over the velvet rope between the walkway and the displays and—before she could protest—began to shuffle around the figures. Some scenes included Regina, queen of the wigglers; Hobbs, the cartoon lusus attacking a model ship; and Eddard Curren, upside-down in the trash where he belonged. (Meanwhile the figure of Klinte Estwud went reverently untouched.) It was only when they heard footsteps around the corner, that they decided to retreat.
- - -
“... a lot lighter than I expected. We probably could have carried one out with us,” Kursha was saying, as they made their way back down the street towards a café. A gentle snow fell from above. The previously clear night sky now wore a soft grey blanket. Kursha grinned over at Elidae, unphased by the cold. “I could still go back and get you a souvenir, if you want,” he said. He leaned in towards her and plucked a snowflake from her hair. Without a thought, he tossed it back into the breeze.
“Just tell me which one, and I'll have it special delivered.” Winking, he moved to get the door. It swung open with a merry jingle, and they were assaulted by a wave of warmth and the smell of coffee.
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