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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 24, 2007 11:30:21 GMT -5
"Oh, yes. The noble mothers with their precious first-borns -who are generally a lot tougher than the stupid women give them credit for. We had the Marti's Hill boy in for four days recently with a slight fever. The Lady was in and out every half-hour. Horrible trial for the duty healer."
Adina laughed. "If you ask me, you should have a limit on how many times the same visitor can visit one person. Call it a disturbance that will hinder the patient's healing."
She paused. "It could work. My mother's the same way. She never liked to let any of us out of her sight if we were injured in the least. Suffocating almost."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 24, 2007 17:03:42 GMT -5
"Mine would have if she could have," Annikka said absently, "but there are just too many of us. And it's a bit late now, really. None of us are at home any more, except... yes. Except one of my older brothers." She pulled a face. "And yet my dear mother dislikes travelling so much that she won't come down to Corus to see her children, although I expect that'll change at Beltane. Hooray."
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 25, 2007 17:26:16 GMT -5
Adina glanced at Annikka with interest at the mention of Beltane. This holiday, one of the busier ones of the year had always been difficult to explain away to her parents, though admittedly, as Adina had grown older, her parents had asked fewer questions about her whereabouts, taking Beltane celebrations as a part of growing older.
"Your mother's coming for Beltane?" She asked aloud. "My parents tend to make a habit of being elsewhere during Beltane so that they don't feel that they have to question me or my siblings as thuroughly. Don't ask me to explain that reasoning. I' thinking it has to do with them thinking that if they are away, they are not as directly responsible for our actions. Beltane's one of those areas in which my parents seem to have given in to society in regards to us."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 26, 2007 7:01:49 GMT -5
"My parents tend to make a habit of being elsewhere during Beltane so that they don't feel that they have to question me or my siblings as thuroughly. Don't ask me to explain that reasoning. I' thinking it has to do with them thinking that if they are away, they are not as directly responsible for our actions. Beltane's one of those areas in which my parents seem to have given in to society in regards to us."
"A bit like students' parents not asking questions about all the late nights out," Annikka commented.
She traced a ring left by a teacup absently. " But I don't think the words 'give in' form a part of my mother's vocabulary. She's very tenacious, and at the moment-" she sighed- "her mind is running on the track of marrying my siblings and I off. Especially me. And Beltane... because nearly everyone who isn't necessary elsewhere is in the capital..." Annikka shot Adina a helpless look.
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 26, 2007 14:45:26 GMT -5
"A bit like students' parents not asking questions about all the late nights out," Annikka commented.
Adina nodded. "Basically. My parents had a bit of trouble where my brother was concerned and decided that it was better not to ask what we were up to on certain occasions. My father's not home often, and Mother grew up on a rather loose leash herself so..." She trailed off.
"her mind is running on the track of marrying my siblings and I off. Especially me. And Beltane... because nearly everyone who isn't necessary elsewhere is in the capital..."
"I take it your parents suffer from what I refer to as the noble blood disease, the need to marry off children as quickly as possible." She grinned, suprised at how easy to talk to Annikka was. Usually she never spoke this freely with people.
"Surprisingly, my parents are rather lenient in the marriage department. So far, I don't think they've really pressured me to wed."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 26, 2007 14:49:22 GMT -5
"I take it your parents suffer from what I refer to as the noble blood disease, the need to marry off children as quickly as possible."
Annikka rubbed her eyes and half-laughed. She liked Adina.
"Oh, yes. Well, my mother more so than my father... my father just doesn't take that much notice. Mind you, he does know which of my siblings and I is which, so he must have been paying some attention. But my mother usually comes here sometimes in the winter, and more often at Beltane to pester me, and take leave for me so I can go on stupid picnics and talk to stupid young men. Horrible. I'm lucky to have got this far without being married off; I'm twenty-three, you know. My mother was sixteen when she married." Annikka shuddered.
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 26, 2007 19:33:20 GMT -5
Adina winced at the thought of marriage at sixteen. Her own parents had married relatively early, but the thought of someone wanting her to do so was not a welcome one. True, there had been one or two men she could have seen herself possibly wanting to know better, but nothing had ever come of it.
"I'd think it would be awkward having your mother around during Beltane." she commented.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 27, 2007 14:17:32 GMT -5
"I'd think it would be awkward having your mother around during Beltane."
Annikka shrugged. "Not on the actual day. She always develops a headache or sunburn and refuses to let me heal it, saying she'll do it, and then retires to her room for the entire day. But she generally recovers in time to go to the ball." She smiled. "I haven't been invited in the past few years, so I just join my friends at the festival, which is usually quite fun." Annikka winced. "If we steer clear of a few places."
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 27, 2007 20:51:05 GMT -5
Adina raised her eyebrows, interested. It seemed unusal to meet someone under age fourty-seven who didn't jump over the embers during Beltane. Then again, Annikka had proved thus far to be an unusal case.
I haven't been invited in the past few years, so I just join my friends at the festival, which is usually quite fun." Annikka winced. "If we steer clear of a few places."
"What is it that you usually do, or don't do, if you don't mind me asking." she ventured. "It seems that you don't engage in...conventional Beltane activities..."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 30, 2007 9:57:22 GMT -5
"What is it that you usually do, or don't do, if you don't mind me asking." she ventured. "It seems that you don't engage in...conventional Beltane activities..."
Annikka grinned at the cautious look on Adina's face. "Nothing a mage who was ever a student at the university here does is exactly conventional. Also, drink has... unusual effects on mages, so it's generally best to stay sober. Watching drunken mages can be quite interesting if you do it from a suitable distance away, by the way. I always go down to the festival with my friends, and I refuse as many drinks as possible... um, there was a, er, situation a few years back that made me start doing that... and I try to make sure we all get back in one piece." She thought for a bit, then added: "And if humanly possible, with most of the belongings we left the Palace with."
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 30, 2007 15:10:33 GMT -5
Adina listened with interest to Annikka. She'd never been to a Beltane celebration prior to joining the Rogue, her family had occasionally gone to what her parents considered suitable parts of the celebration, but she had little knowledge of what an independent someone such as Annikka would do on Beltane.
"I always go down to the festival with my friends, and I refuse as many drinks as possible... um, there was a, er, situation a few years back that made me start doing that... and I try to make sure we all get back in one piece." She thought for a bit, then added: "And if humanly possible, with most of the belongings we left the Palace with."
"Situation?" Adina asked, slightly more than she probably had a right to be. It was hard to imagine Annikka in a compromising position.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 30, 2007 15:15:18 GMT -5
"Situation?"
Annikka slumped slightly in her chair, starting to blush. She knew that this conversation was entering... dangerous territory, and didn't like it, but forged on nevertheless. "Let's just say that never, ever, ever, ever will I participate in a drinking game or accept a drink from someone I don't know ever again. I was eighteen and stupid," she added in mitigation. "And I'd just graduated."
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 31, 2007 15:37:56 GMT -5
"Let's just say that never, ever, ever, ever will I participate in a drinking game or accept a drink from someone I don't know ever again. I was eighteen and stupid," she added in mitigation. "And I'd just graduated."
Adina cocked her head with interest. "Sounds to me as if it's one of those stories that are told during drinking parties." She said lightly. "Do you mind telling me anymore? I doubt it's anything I'm not familiar with." she added with a small grin.
She paused a moment before daring, "Does it have something to do with your friend Markkus?"
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Mar 31, 2007 15:47:20 GMT -5
"Does it have something to do with your friend Markkus?"
"Yes." Annikka fiddled with the hem of her shirt, hoping Adina would change the subject, but eventually realised it wasn't going to happen. She looked away and then back at the other woman and sighed.
"Long story, or short?"
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Post by Kmiri Kalasin on Mar 31, 2007 17:16:42 GMT -5
"Long story, or short?"
Adina grinned, feeling like the a naive, sheltered girl she grew up as, who delighted over dirty secrets or thoughts her friends used to share. She shook this mind from her head, not sure why the connection had come in the first place, and said,
"Long, if you don't mind. I'm in no rush to go anywhere."
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