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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Oct 15, 2007 15:05:59 GMT -5
(OOC: I don't know if the Common is actually a common, but just for safety's sake this takes place in a small park.)
Annikka skirted the edge of the small park on one of her walks around the city, a minor freedom from the constraints of being Head Healer. She was mildly sure that several important nobles, her mother included, would all suffer cardiac arrests if they were aware how much time she spent in less reputable districts of the city, turning a partially-sighted and very tolerant eye to some of the less savoury sights.
This time, she'd only come out to walk, not shop or watch a Player troupe. The sun was shining, it was very cold -Annikka had taken care to wear several layers- and the day was on the whole rather nice, and made nicer by her awareness that she'd delegated a large chunk of highly unpleasant paperwork to someone else.
She caught sight of a nursemaid watching warily over her young noble charges as they played and laughed and behaved in general like the monkeys in the Queen's menagerie. While Annikka had seen too many bites from those pernicious and probably rabid animals to like them, she did appreciate the sight of happy children, although they were probably little brats when you got to know them. Apart from anything else, there were six young and very grumpy noble influenza cases in the Healer's Wing, and it was pleasant to see children who weren't miserable and fractious (the state Annikka encountered most children in) for once.
It was, in fact, idyllic, and therefore Mother Nature demanded that something had to shatter the cliche little scene. Annikka noticed a very large dog bounding cheerfully towards the children, owner presumably somewhere nearby, and frowned. She changed course, now heading towards the nurse and her charges. Just in case.
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Post by spigurl on Oct 18, 2007 18:52:51 GMT -5
Caden had escaped the palace early this day. He had been feeling trapped lately and was regretting his decision to come back to Corus. What was he thinking? Solitary life was what he knew. That was how he did things. By himself.
So, when the opportunity presented itself this morning, Caden slipped away. He had thought of going to his family's townhouse, but wasn't ready to meet with his brother. The knight found himself wandering the Common. It felt a little bit more natural for him to be among commoners.
The man spotted a small park and decided it looked nice. He strolled in quietly, taking in the sights. It was when he was looking all around, that he didn't notice the person standing closest to him. Caden stopped himself inches from running right into the head healer.
"Lady Annikka," he said, attempting a smile. "I'm sorry."
(OOC: Wow. I am so rusty.)
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Oct 19, 2007 14:53:55 GMT -5
(OOC: So is everyone. And there's a very simple way of remedying it, is there not?) "Lady Annikka," he said, attempting a smile. "I'm sorry."Annikka started, surprised. She was used to being addressed as Lady Annikka in the palace by just about any random person, but out here few people would know her name. She spun, and saw Caden Laken. "It's all right," she said. "It's not as if you walked into me, and I wasn't looking where I was going." She smiled. "I didn't even notice you. You gave me quite a shock." Annikka spared a quick glance for the dog and children. The dog had stopped, and was sniffing at something, and a girl was hiding behind the nursemaid's skirts, but the other girl and the three boys -she was pretty sure they weren't all related; surely the bright red hair on one of the boys and the girl who was hiding would have appeared in the others if they were related- were still playing and taking very little notice of the dog. There hadn't been any rabid canine attacks yet, but she decided to keep an eye out just in case. It was probably abnormal to see the health hazards in practically everything, but Annikka wasn't sure she cared. She turned back to Caden. "So what brings you out to this part of the city? I know most nobles over the age of twelve don't come anywhere near it, and knights who are around at Midwinter usually prefer to stay within the palace walls."
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Post by spigurl on Oct 19, 2007 21:08:37 GMT -5
(OOC: Yup. ^^)
"I didn't even notice you. You gave me quite a shock," she told him. Caden noticed she glanced over toward a group of children and presumably, their nursemaid. There was a dog near them and the knight noticed that was what the healer seemed interesting in. He raised his eyebrows slightly. Surely she wasn't afraid of that dog being dangerous. He looked for himself and noted that the dog didn't appear to be hazardous in the slightest. It didn't seem to be carrying any deadly diseases, at least none that would transmit to humans. Caden knew what those looked like. He had seen so many before.
"I don't think you have to worry about the dog," he told her, hoping to ease her fears. "He's not rabid and doesn't appear to be carrying any diseases that could harm the children. More than likely he's just a stray looking for a home."
"So what brings you out to this part of the city? I know most nobles over the age of twelve don't come anywhere near it, and knights who are around at Midwinter usually prefer to stay within the palace walls."
"I'm not most nobles," Caden replied. He didn't confess any of his previous thoughts about feeling trapped inside the palace.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "Besides watching strays, of course."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Oct 20, 2007 6:11:55 GMT -5
"I don't think you have to worry about the dog," he told her, hoping to ease her fears. "He's not rabid and doesn't appear to be carrying any diseases that could harm the children. More than likely he's just a stray looking for a home."
"I know." She shrugged, and spared another glance for the group. Caden was right; the dog didn't look dangerous. "Call me paranoid if you want, but it's something most healers do, look for things that might be accidents about to happen." It was very cold out; she warmed the tips of her fingers with her Gift, her gloves being too thin. "It saves time when they do happen."
"I'm not most nobles," Caden replied.
"I guessed," Annikka said dryly, and picked up a ball that had rolled to her feet; an overenthusiastic game of catch had strayed close to where she stood. She tossed it back to the owner, who caught it and waved in thanks.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "Besides watching strays, of course."
She laughed. "One part procrastinating to one part escaping from the palace. It's always full at Midwinter, and everyone catches some sort of cough or cold, so we're even busier than usual. There's a breathing space right now between the last round of wounded soldiers and knights while nearly everyone trickles back home for Midwinter and the annual round of influenza among the pages. I don't know how it is, the last Head Healer spoke to the training master time and again about sending them to us before they give it to all the others, but every single year one of them contracts it somehow and it spreads like wildfire. So I'm out here enjoying the relative peace and quiet while I can."
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Post by spigurl on Oct 22, 2007 18:03:00 GMT -5
"Call me paranoid if you want, but it's something most healers do, look for things that might be accidents about to happen," she told him. He wanted to say that it wasn't just healers. Caden had learned that the vigilant stayed on top. It was a hard lesson, but once you learned it, you never forgot. Caden's respect for the noblewoman grew. If she had made such a comment, surely she knew the gravity of it. "It saves time when they do happen."
"Yes," he agreed, softly. "You're right."
When Annikka said she had guessed at his not being like most nobles, Caden laughed. What a keen observation. Caden thought the he would really get to like Annikka. She was different than the rest of the nobles he knew. Like she had said, this was an unusual place to come. Yet, she was here.
"So I'm out here enjoying the relative peace and quiet while I can."
"Sure, I can understand that," he replied. The knight waved his arms in the air, as if to explain about the weather. "Most find this weather a bit cold. I can't imagine why." The sarcasm in his voice was slight, but unmistakably there. If she was as smart as Caden assumed her to be, he knew the healer would catch it. He added to her sentiments on the flu with the pages. "Maybe if the pages spent some more time outside, they wouldn't have time to get sick. If they spent less time at balls doing ... nothing."
His voice tightened a bit toward the end, but Caden fought to control himself. His face remained expressionless, eyes roaming the park. Balls were silly. Doing nothing was even more foolish. He didn't like either. Caden hated Midwinter. The season brought up bad memories and everybody was to happy. He didn't know why he had gotten so worked up. Things were just so frustrating lately. Caden had his own way of venting. Probably not even a clear way. He didn't even know if he had made any sense.
"Sorry," he muttered, making up for the sudden silence and what he had said before.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Oct 23, 2007 6:22:15 GMT -5
"Yes," he agreed, softly. "You're right."
Annikka said nothing, but nodded slightly, and shoved her hands into her pockets. Of course he knew what she meant. He was a lone knight, and he'd probably have to do the same thing. In fact, most of the knights would. She wondered if the pages had any idea what they were getting into when they became pages. Probably not.
She smiled when he laughed. Caden wasn't bad company at all. He didn't feel the need to address her as 'Lady Annikka' with every blessed other sentence that passed, and he actually had common sense.
"Sure, I can understand that," he replied. The knight waved his arms in the air, as if to explain about the weather. "Most find this weather a bit cold. I can't imagine why."
She laughed, catching the sarcasm. "Neither can I. They've spent too much time lazing in silks is the only explanation I can think of. Naturally a change of weather that doesn't allow for garden parties takes them by surprise."
"Maybe if the pages spent some more time outside, they wouldn't have time to get sick. If they spent less time at balls doing ... nothing."
Annikka looked at him and raised her eyebrows. She could hear his personal opinion of balls loud and clear in what he didn't quite say. "I'll have to take your word for it. Personally, I didn't think pages spent any time doing nothing. I'm not quite sure how they find the energy to run around like small children who have had too much sweet, only with a purpose, but they do always seem to be doing something reasonably constructive. Even if it is breaking each other's fingers."
"Sorry,"
"Don't worry," Annikka said absently, shooting the group of small children another glance. They were all completely ignoring the dog now, and one of them had just stuffed a snowball down the back of another's coat. "It's not my business if you don't like Midwinter. Not everyone does."
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Post by spigurl on Oct 27, 2007 14:23:15 GMT -5
Annikka laughed with him, clearly getting the sarcasm. He knew she would get it. Caden couldn't help but notice how much he liked her laugh. The knight didn't think he had heard it before. It had a pleasant ring.
"Neither can I. They've spent too much time lazing in silks is the only explanation I can think of. Naturally a change of weather that doesn't allow for garden parties takes them by surprise."
"And what would we do without those tantalizing garden parties?" he joked. "I don't think I would be able to live without them, which is why I'm so upset at my late arrival. All of those missed gatherings." Thank the Gods for that, he thought the grin still on his face.
"I'll have to take your word for it. Personally, I didn't think pages spent any time doing nothing. I'm not quite sure how they find the energy to run around like small children who have had too much sweet, only with a purpose, but they do always seem to be doing something reasonably constructive. Even if it is breaking each other's fingers."
Caden kept his expression blank. He didn't know what had prompted him to say all of that before. It was so obviously the wrong thing to mention. He decided to keep things on a light note. "Well, I certainly remember broken limbs. The best part of training."
"It's not my business if you don't like Midwinter. Not everyone does."
"Do you?" he asked. "Like Midwinter, that is."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Oct 27, 2007 15:41:10 GMT -5
"And what would we do without those tantalizing garden parties?" he joked. "I don't think I would be able to live without them, which is why I'm so upset at my late arrival. All of those missed gatherings."
Annikka grinned widely. She liked Caden. "Dear me, how you must have pined for them. I revel in them, myself. All those opportunities to be bored to death by important people."
"Well, I certainly remember broken limbs. The best part of training."
Annikka fiddled with a stray thread on the inside of one of her pockets. "Glad you enjoyed it. The teachers always seem to think broken arms and legs are no excuse for being late back to a lesson. I did once have to stop one of them scolding someone for being five minutes late to their next lesson with a fractured ankle." She grinned ruefully. "I got the scolding instead, which amused the page much more than it did me."
"Do you?" he asked. "Like Midwinter, that is."
She shifted from foot to foot and shrugged uneasily. "Some bits of it are good, yes. People smile and wish you happy Midwinter, and the parties... some parts of those are dull, of course, but sometimes it reminds me of being a child and seeing parties at home through the banisters, the bright lights and the colours and the laughter. And I like the snow and ice, because it means I can skate. But when family descends on you- well, me -and I just know they're going to ask all sorts of questions that'd better stay unanswered if I want a peaceful few days' holiday, well..." She glanced at him, having spoken most of that to the tips of her boots out of embarrassment. "Do you like it?"
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Post by spigurl on Oct 28, 2007 20:35:51 GMT -5
"Dear me, how you must have pined for them. I revel in them, myself. All those opportunities to be bored to death by important people."
Caden gave his own smile in reply. For a second, his mind flashed back to the last time he had smiled. It didn't surprise him when he couldn't remember. He found it nice to be in a place where he had cause to turn his lips upward. "Yes, my heart ached all the while I was gone. Being bored by important people is a hobby of mine, you know."
"Glad you enjoyed it. The teachers always seem to think broken arms and legs are no excuse for being late back to a lesson. I did once have to stop one of them scolding someone for being five minutes late to their next lesson with a fractured ankle. I got the scolding instead, which amused the page much more than it did me."
"Of course that's what they think," he replied. "The whole point of being a page is to be worked so hard that all you want is to leave, then find you're too tired to go." The knight paused, reflecting on his own pagehood. It wasn't all too bad. In fact, the years were some of the best of his life. "It's also about forming friendships and learning who you truly are. Well, not the page part of it. That comes later, but the skills learned from being a page help."
Caden listened carefully as Annikka spoke of Midwinter. She said there were good and bad, in which Caden fully agreed, but her body language said she was uncomfortable with it. The knight smiled when she mentioned her like of the weather, that it reminded her of her her childhood.
"Do you like it?"
He took his time before answering, thinking about what he really wanted to say. His eyes were on the children, still playing across the way. "I guess I don't really know. I haven't had a real Midwinter in nine years. At first, it was because of my father. Then --" he shrugged "-- I just didn't. I was on the road nearly every winter. No time to celebrate then."
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Oct 29, 2007 6:59:45 GMT -5
He smiled back at her. She decided it looked like he didn't smile much, but it was a nice smile now he was using it. He looked distinctly mischievious.
"Yes, my heart ached all the while I was gone. Being bored by important people is a hobby of mine, you know."
"I'm not surprised," Annikka said. "After all, who doesn't live to be talked at? You must have half-died of deprivation."
"Of course that's what they think," he replied. "The whole point of being a page is to be worked so hard that all you want is to leave, then find you're too tired to go." The knight paused, reflecting on his own pagehood. It wasn't all too bad. In fact, the years were some of the best of his life. "It's also about forming friendships and learning who you truly are. Well, not the page part of it. That comes later, but the skills learned from being a page help."
Annikka thought for a moment. "I understand, I think. Like a healer being worked to exhaustion in their first week at a battle post so they don't have time to think about the morals of a war."
"I guess I don't really know. I haven't had a real Midwinter in nine years. At first, it was because of my father. Then --" he shrugged "-- I just didn't. I was on the road nearly every winter. No time to celebrate then."
She looked in the direction he was looking as he answered. "You must feel a bit like a fish out of water, then," she replied. "With all the festivities and the preparations and everyone getting excited for Midwinter, even the people who think they're too old and dignified to get excited."
She watched a snowball fight develop, and, having watched her nieces and nephews play like this before, began to count down the seconds until one of them decided to take matters a step further. Sure enough, one of the children stuffed a snowball down another's jumper, prompting a wail and an instant fistfight developing between the two children. The nursemaid hurried towards them, calling out admonitions. Annikka winced. "Knew that was going to happen."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 3, 2007 20:43:48 GMT -5
"I'm not surprised. After all, who doesn't live to be talked at? You must have half-died of deprivation."
"Only about a quarter, I think. The other half of me was already dead, so I needed something to live on," he replied, a touch softer.
"I understand, I think. Like a healer being worked to exhaustion in their first week at a battle post so they don't have time to think about the morals of a war."
Caden took a moment to think about that. It was a good analogy. Being a page extended a bit longer than a week, but otherwise, it was correct. "Exactly," he told her. "I don't think I knew what I was getting into as a page. Which was probably a good thing. If I did, I don't know if I would still have chosen this path."
"You must feel a bit like a fish out of water, then. With all the festivities and the preparations and everyone getting excited for Midwinter, even the people who think they're too old and dignified to get excited."
"A bit," he chuckled. "I don't suppose you know any place I can hide away in?"
As they watched the snowball fight progress, Caden frowned as it turned into a fistfight. It was smothered a bit when he heard Annikka's prediction. The knight wasn't exactly used to seeing a fight that wasn't serious or a drunken brawl. He had seen children fighting like this over a scrap of bread. To do it over a bit of snow puzzled Caden a bit.
"Why?" he asked, the confusion in his voice plain. "It's only snow."
(OOC: Sorry about that. I promise to try and reply more regularly.)
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 4, 2007 6:51:41 GMT -5
(OOC: That's all right. ) "Only about a quarter, I think. The other half of me was already dead, so I needed something to live on," he replied, a touch softer.Annikka chewed on the inside of her lip and forced herself not to ask. No matter how much she liked him, she really didn't know him well enough, and she didn't want to offend him, so she tried to keep it on a fairly light footing. "I'm sure the Royal advisors will think of some excuse for a party to bring the dead quarter back to life. The half is probably just up to you." "Exactly," he told her. "I don't think I knew what I was getting into as a page. Which was probably a good thing. If I did, I don't know if I would still have chosen this path.""You're right. If I'd known when I was ten how messy a ward near the border is at two in the morning the day after a battle, I don't know if I would still have chosen to be a healer." She closed her eyes briefly. "Nothing prepares you for any of it." "A bit," he chuckled. "I don't suppose you know any place I can hide away in?"She grinned at him. "The library is usually a safe bet." "Why?" he asked, the confusion in his voice plain. "It's only snow.""They're only children," she told him. "Children who are secure in knowing where the next toy or meal or sweet is coming from. They haven't got anything better to fight over, and they aren't rational." She rolled her eyes. "Small children like those rarely are, and the fight was just started because one of them thought it would be an interesting idea to put a handfull of cold snow down the back of another's shirt. There wasn't anything serious to it. Watch," she added. "In a few minutes' time, they'll be playing again as if nothing had happened."
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Post by spigurl on Nov 4, 2007 10:32:45 GMT -5
"I'm sure the Royal advisors will think of some excuse for a party to bring the dead quarter back to life. The half is probably just up to you."
Caden gave a small smile, a bit unsure how to respond. It was apparent to him that she was wondering more. The knight liked that she wasn't as openly curious as some would be. Many people would ask him outright why he said such a thing. Finally, he said, "I'm working on it. Speaking of advisors, that woman with the ridiculously long name is one, is she not?"
"Nothing prepares you for any of it," she said with her eyes closed. Caden nodded, clearly understanding. He wanted to pat her shoulder in comfort or something, but wasn't sure that was acceptable. A nod would just have to do for now. "I suspect if children knew how hard it was to grow up, they wouldn't. It's a tough world."
The library is usually a safe bet."
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied. "You never know. I might just fancy some reading during a ball."
Caden listened to Annikka's explanation. It made sense from her standpoint. The knight supposed she hadn't seen children fighting like their lives depended on in it much before.
"You sound like you speak from experience." Caden didn't really want to ask if she had her own children. That was just a bit personal for their first time really talking together. She would tell him if she wanted.
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Post by Rainstorm Aria on Nov 5, 2007 16:33:24 GMT -5
"I'm working on it. Speaking of advisors, that woman with the ridiculously long name is one, is she not?"
Annikka hoped she hadn't offended him with her previous words. "Kaitelanna Delarendiere? Yes. By the way, she's nasty to everyone. Tongue of acid. Just in case you were wondering why she behaved as she did in that awful meeting that never got anywhere."
"I suspect if children knew how hard it was to grow up, they wouldn't. It's a tough world."
Annikka looked at him and smiled lopsidedly. "Some grow up before they should have to, but yes. I see your point."
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied. "You never know. I might just fancy some reading during a ball."
She grinned. "The courtiers never go into the battle history shelves, so if you feel the need for escape that's probably the best place to go in the library."
"You sound like you speak from experience."
She shrugged. "Nieces, nephews, cousins of various ages. I have a very large family, and it believes in family get-togethers. Unfortunately for my sanity. Years at the university and at court have ruined my ability to survive at family parties. I no longer know the best escape routes."
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