Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 13, 2016 9:10:08 GMT
"Honestly, I was probably just going to go home after this." Veronika gave a small laugh, she must sound so boring. "But, I don't know if I'm quite ready to go home yet. There's nothing to do there!" She smiled.
"If you decide to go to the pub, do you mind if I join you? I'm not sure what else I'd have to do tonight if not." She knew a female drinking spirits was improper, but she didn't have to drink any, and even if she did have one, Lasair seemed nice, not like the type to judge.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 13, 2016 9:28:46 GMT
“I think I know a good place to spend some time.” He thought to himself for a moment, picking out the location in his mind. Deciding on one, he offered he arm to Veronika with a smile. “May I?” Whether she accepted or refused, he would begin walking out of the square and lead the way to the destination.
“I know a nice place with good atmosphere not too far from here. It’s a little small, but they always have a good band playing a catchy tune,” he explained. They could continue to chat until they got there, discussing various things such as the city or the stars, but when the arrived, Lasair took a moment to step forward and pull the door open for her, nodding his head as he did so. “After you,” he spoke and followed her inside, picking out a table to sit at.
The pub was named The Lizard’s Tail and was, indeed, how he described it to be. A little cramped from being sandwiched between too larger buildings, but not quite to the point that would make someone feel claustrophobic. The bar counter was to the left while the back of the room housed the small band. At the moment they were playing something with a fast beat and there were a few pairs of people dancing along with it. Well, some of them were falling and stumbling more than dancing, but they were all having a good time. The dancers were far enough back not to cause any trouble for the people sitting at the tables, however.
“What’s your poison?” he asked once they sat down, in reference to what she’d order to drink.
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 13, 2016 20:50:08 GMT
Veronika linked her arm with Lasair's with a single nod, wondering where he would lead them to. Veronika tried to make polite conversation while they walked, commenting here and there on small things.
When they arrived, Veronika thanked Lasair warmly for opening the door for her. "Thank you!" She watched the people in the back dancing and as they took a seat, she admired one of the women's glossy curls bouncing as she moved clumsily with her partner, a man in brown and blue striped trousers. They looked happy, but she didn't doubt one bit that they were corned as ever. She thought about what the mistress of the orphanage she grew up in would think of this woman's behaviour. She'd probably call her a disgrace, or loose, completely improper as a whole. But, Veronika didn't think of this woman as immoral. She smiled happily at the knowledge the woman was enjoying herself.
They took a seat, and Veronika mulled over Lasair's question for a moment. "Probably just a beer or two." She finally answered as she handed the bartender the proper amount of money. Wine was expensive, and she didn't mind beer. She glanced back to them once more in amusement to see them holding both hands and swinging in circles while they laughed uproariously.
She curiously asked Lasair, "And what do you think you'll have?"
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 14, 2016 1:57:05 GMT
Reaching into his pocket, Lasair pulled out the bit of money required to pay for his drink, as well as a little extra to pay for a few more tonight. “Rum and cola,” he said to both Veronika and the bartender. “I usually like the sweeter stuff, but tonight I’m feeling like having something normal. Beer’s never been my favorite though. I can drink it, but I don’t enjoy it as much,” he explained. “If you’d like to order something else after that, you’re welcome to. I can cover the cost, promise. It’s worth it to have a good time.” He chuckled, noticing how she was glancing over at the people dancing to the side.
“Do you like dancing? I’ve been cursed with two left feet, but it’s always fun to watch.”
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 14, 2016 4:20:23 GMT
"Oh, I see." Veronika smiled as he spoke, nodding to let him know she was listening. "I usually don't drink alcohol at all, to be rather honest, but it sounds good right now. And no, no thank you. I think after this I'll have some water." Veronika was usually a very careful person. "I don't enjoy hangovers much, and I'm a bit of a light weight with this height of mine." She laughed.
"I'm afraid I have the same problem." She laughed again. "I never really could dance. But if you want to, I can try to give it a go." She spoke the last sentence with apprehension. She was having a good time, but knew any dancing would lead to embarrassment. She knew how to waltz, learning from the other girls in the orphanage, but she never enjoyed it or was particularly good at it. She was far more interested in painting and drawing. "It is fun to watch though, especially if they're drunk. They look like they're so happy! Tomorrow, however, they'll definitely be fishy about the gills." She cringed for them internally.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 14, 2016 8:45:55 GMT
“If one beer gets you drunk then you’re the lightest weight I’ve ever met,” he said with a light chuckle, but tried not to make it sound like he was teasing. When their pair of drinks arrived, he took a swig of his and smiled as it went down, enjoying the familiar taste. He should have visited this pub more often; it always had a good vibe to it.
Looking back to the dancers, he honestly considered her offer, but couldn’t quite make up his mind about it. “Tell you what, let me get through another drink or two and I’ll take you up on that offer. I’d be too worried about how terrible I am otherwise.” Smiling, he took another drink and set the glass down. “And the hangovers not that bad if you know what you’re doing. They might get one, might not; hard to tell.” Turning to face Veronika again, a question jumped into his mind that he couldn’t ignore. “You new to the city? Sorry if this sounds rude, but you seem like you are, just something about you.” Maybe it was the posture or the actions. He couldn’t quite place it, but there was something about her that made it seem that way.
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 15, 2016 9:40:25 GMT
Veronika nodded. "I could probably have a few more, but I think I'd rather not get to that stage is all," she said laughing.
Veronika shook her head to his question awkwardly, swallowing a mouthful of her beverage. "Sort of new. I lived in Brisol until I was 16. When the head mistress of the orphanage I'd been living in arranged a marriage for me, I came to live with my husband here in Lodan, but I was sort of a housewife, and didn't leave the house much unless to do necessary things, so I didn't see the city a whole lot." She hesitated, but continued. "But, unfortunately my husband passed last year, and now I'm out all on my own, so I joined a guild to pursue art and to make a living. I've started venturing out into the city a little more, but not much yet. Lodan is pretty big." She knew she was rambling a bit, and desperate to seem nonchalant, she pulled her hair up into a long ponytail, trying to busy her hands, but not wanting to randomly start sketching, as that would be rude in the middle of a conversation. "And you? Have you always lived in Lodan?" She asked him, trying to peer through her bangs while she tied her hair. "It's a rather nice city, I think."
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 15, 2016 19:09:26 GMT
He listened to her story, nodding with a smile, sipping from his drink. That is, until she got to the part about her husband and how he had passed. She was one of the ladies stuck into a marriage at sixteen, hm? The smile faded from his face and in its wake a look of calm concern took over his features, cobalt eyes watching her evenly. He set his drink down and leaned forward somewhat. And as she continued and seemed to be making the best of the situation, he smiled again, relieved that she at least had a bit of a handle on her past. It was more than many had.
“I’m sorry to hear of your husband, may he rest in peace.” She had probably heard it hundreds of times before, but it would have been rude not to say it. Directing the conversation back at him was welcomed in this moment as he leaned back, a nostalgic look on his face. “I was born here, but when I was young I left to see the world. Traveled far and wide and had the time of my life. But, I missed home. So I came back here a year or so ago. City had changed while I was gone, but it’s still home. I can show you around if you’d like. You’ll be working in the Theater District mostly, but the rest of the city has enjoyable parts too. Just get up and walk around. Never know what you’ll find. Or who.” He smiled at her and reached out for his drink then. “Are you staying in the guild dorms or do you have a place?” he asked then, curiosity in his tone.
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 16, 2016 6:03:16 GMT
Lasair seemed sympathetic when Veronika said what she had. She expected it, but wasn't offended in the slightest, for if someone has given her a piece of information like that, she would show it too.
She listened to him talk intently, wondering what he had all seen during his travels. She liked the way he talked about missing Lodan, and she felt almost a little bit jealous, as she didn't have anywhere to miss anymore. She wondered in which way the city had changed for him, what it had been like before, but decided not to ask, in fear of seeming too inquisitive.
"I live in a house still, the one I first lived in when I came to the city. I'll be using the money I make from now on to keep it." She had pride in her voice, in being able to own a house by herself now, no matter how small it was, or how it broke her each month. It was different living alone for the first time in her life, but she didn't mind that too much. She had lots of space for her art supplies now, and canvases were everywhere, even in the small kitchen in the back!
She was about to ask him the same question when she realised she didn't know if he was in a guild or not. He hadn't answered the last time she asked, so she didn't ask again, just in case he had avoided the question for some reason before. Instead she asked, "What things of interest did you see while you were away from Lodan? I'd love to hear about it." She peered at him curiously.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 21, 2016 0:01:16 GMT
“Your own house? That’s awesome, I’d love to see it some time if possible.” He smiled at her, vaguely wondering for a moment what it would be like to live in a house alone, since it’s something Lasair has never done before. He lived with his parents until he left to travel, traveling was usually at an inn or maybe outside, and now that he was back, he had moved into the guild HQ. Never totally alone or empty. A curious idea to consider indeed.
To her second question, he had to stop and think for a few moments, musing to himself as he sipped from his drink once or twice. “Lots of everything, really. Beautiful scenery, like forests and mountains and waterfalls. Interesting people too. Most were friendly but a lot of them weren’t either. I spent a lot of time just exploring really. Taking one road to somewhere. Didn’t know where, but I went. Saw a lot, did a lot, and then the trip back I did even more. It’s hard to capture into words, but if you want a specific story, I can recall them.” Leaning back in his chair he reviewed his words and wondered if there was some way he could phrase it better. Unable to find one, he continued. “Anyway, it was a good experience. But I’m back now and still getting used to things. Have you traveled at all?”
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 21, 2016 4:51:02 GMT
"Yes, feel free to stop by whenever you'd like. I'm afraid it's rather small and cramped, though." She laughed.
While he answered she tried desperately to imagine the scenes he described as he sipped his drink. Forests? Mountains? Waterfalls? They all sounded beautiful! She found herself with a touch envy, wondering what those places would be like be to see in person. She wondered if they inspired awe or fear, or maybe both.
She shook her head to his question. "Not since I came to Lodan from Brisol! I didn't see a lot. The shades in the train were down." The chaperone from the orphanage that accompanied her to Lodan on the train was a bit strict, and hadn't allowed Veronika to open the windows to see outside on the trip there. Because of this, she was forced to read the entire time, being told an educated lady was a handsome lady. When Veronika had commented on the fact that the book was about baking, and not something scholarly, she'd been shushed and told it was unbecoming to talk back, though that had certainly not been her intention. Despite how annoying that would have been to most people, Veronika's mouth twitched into the smallest of smiles at the memory.
Curious, and once again demonstrating her bad habit of asking too many questions at once, she asked him, "What were the mountains like? Did you climb one? Are they really as big as people say they are, or is it more just like a large hill? What kind of animals did you see?" She clamped her lips shut tightly, stopping the curiosity from rushing forward anymore than it already had.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 21, 2016 5:23:05 GMT
Noticing that she wasn’t really drinking her beer, he tipped his cup towards it slightly as he reclined, relaxed in his seat as he spoke to her with a light smile and a look lost in the distance. When he spoke, the ring on his lip would catch the light at times and shine. Sometimes when he moved his head slightly, the sapphire stud would catch as well, but that was left often.
“I sort of climbed on, but it was to get through a pass, so not all the way to the top. And they’re not as big as people say—they’re much, much bigger. You’ve seen a couple of the clocktowers around the city, right? Some of the small mountains were around that height. The largest one could maybe double it. Getting to that pass was troublesome but it was better than going around, at least.” Pausing, he gave her a chance to hear his partial story before he continued again. “As for animals, I’ve seen lots of them. I stay away from them mostly because I tend to have bad luck with animals, but I’ve seen a bear up close. As well as a cheetah. I actually touched a fox this one time, because it was friendly and seemed to tolerate me. But I didn’t want to press my luck. Saw a lot of other exotic animals as well, animals that are never seen around here. Do you have a favorite creature?” Again with the passing of questions back and forth. She had a tendency to respond to them with short answers, but that was okay. It just meant Lasair had to try harder to find a question that would merit a good response.
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 22, 2016 3:42:46 GMT
Veronika noticed him tip his cup towards hers as a reminder that she had a beverage to drink. She smiled thankfully, hoping he understood the facial expression as the thank you it was meant to be. She'd nearly forgotten about it, but took another sip, mentally telling herself she wouldn't forget it again. She found herself admiring his lip piercing for a moment as it glinted in the light. She'd always thought piercings looked nice on people. She complimented him briefly, hoping it didn't seem too random in the conversation, but still feeling like it needed a mention. "I like your piercing!" She hoped he might tell her something about it, as she was curious, but didn't ask, for it was not the conversation at hand.
She listened to his story intently, and raised her eyebrows in surprise when she'd heard how big mountains could be. "Wow..." she whispered breathily, fascinated by the thought of it. With the size of the clock towers in her mind, she couldn't quite fathom there being anything bigger in the world! She longed to see a mountain someday. "That's so amazing!" She exclaimed with an excited grin.
"Bears? And a cheetah? Aren't they rather fearsome creatures?" she asked. "And wow, a fox! They're adorable, I've seen plenty of paintings and drawings of those. Was its fur soft?" As to the question he'd asked her, she knew the exact answer. "Oh, yes! I love cats. There used to be a few at the orphanage, and a black one named Astronomy would always sleep at the foot of my bed. All the other girls called her unlucky, but she was so sweet." She reflected happily on the memory of her. "I suppose I sound like one of those crazy cat ladies, but I promise you I own none of my own at the moment." She did hope to maybe get a kitten one day, as her house did sometimes get lonely. She had lived with others her entire life, and last year found herself utterly alone. She'd had a bit of hope after her husband's death, but it was not long before that was taken from her too. Her mouth drooped, but returned to a smile with her next thought.
She wondered if he had any pets. Probably not since he had told her that he'd just returned a year or so ago, but she was still curious, and debated asking. She'd always been told that inquisitive isn't a flattering trait in a girl, but she'd already asked so many questions, she figured it couldn't hurt to ask one more, though she'd try to stop a little after this. She tried to imagine him throwing a stick for a puppy, or dropping flakes of fish food into a glass bowl, but couldn't quite conjure the images. "Do you own any pets?" She took another swallow of her drink as she continued trying to make polite eye contact from the corner of her eye.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Aug 23, 2016 2:16:01 GMT
Her compliment came as he was in the middle of sipping from his drink. As he set it down, he smiled lightly and said “Thank you,” before continuing. As Lasair finished talking, he looked towards her and couldn’t help but smile more, enjoying the way she was absolutely enthralled with his explanations and eager to hear more from him. It had been a long time since he had done something like this, where he went out for a night just to have a good time with good company. He’d have to go back to doing this more often again.
“They can be a little ferocious but the ones I saw where more friendly,” he countered to the question about bears and cheetahs. “The fox’ fur was rather soft I will admit,” he paused to chuckle. “That sounds like a wonderful name for a cat! I’m glad you were kind to her despite the protests of the other kids. Black cats have a lot of bad things happen to them. It’s rather unfortunate. But at least this one knew someone kind. Have you thought of getting a cat? They can be good company to an empty house.” Lasair could think of three people he knew who had cats, granted one of them he didn’t exactly know well. Still, they were a popular pet and seemed to be appreciated more often than not. “I don’t have any pets myself thought. I’ve never been so good with animals.” And it was true. Most animals would only tolerate him. Very few actually liked the red head.
Post by Veronika Tallent on Aug 23, 2016 21:57:41 GMT
"Yes. Sometimes I worried for the little thing, but the other girls never hurt her, thank goodness. They simply avoided her. Which, I suppose, is probably for the best if they think she's unlucky." Veronika frowned. "Perhaps she was..." Veronika didn't want to brood during such a nice conversation. She smiled again, making her eyes sparkle as much as possible. "I do miss her though! She was so soft when held." She added a second thought. "Perhaps I should make a painting of her."
She started getting excited at the thought of that, the plans of the painting unfolding in her head like a map, at the speed of light. But she had so many paintings to work on as it was now, and she was running out of space in her house. "On second thought, I'd better not." She laughed. "I'm afraid if I start another painting, I might not have any room in my house to even sleep."
"I may get a cat soon. I'm not sure yet. I think I would enjoy having a cat, as an empty house does get rather quiet at times, but we'll see."
Veronika wondered why animals wouldn't enjoy Lasair's company much, but didn't ask. Instead she nodded, saying "Ah, I see." There was a touch of sympathy in her voice, but not too much, since she didn't know if he was upset by this or not.
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