[ we're at chilly's for curfew, just having a nice, quiet night! there are frozen margaritas and a decent spread for two people to pick at before the inevitable wave of sleep hits them. artemy as always dresses comfortably in the booth just kind of slowly stirring this margarita like he doesn't know how he feels about it! but in any case, happy curfew. ]
I'd say hell of a week, but that's always been the case. It just gets a little more crazy each time. [ a soft smile ] Almost to the finish line, though.
[ speaking of dressing comfortably, everyone was complaining about his blue version of this but sweet rosamund sent him a purple one so. he's wearing it. it's comfortable and he really could not care less that it's considered tacky.
mordalion picks idly at his nachos, watching artemy stir the margarita like it's got answers for them. he cracks a tortilla chip pointedly between his teeth, leaning back with a sigh. ]
Almost. You'll be thrown right back into hard work though, won't you? No time for a holiday. [ ...well, ] Unless you go to Australia, I suppose.
Hah... I don't think I have the time to go to Australia.
[ he takes the lime from the edge of the drink and peels the skin off of it slowly. maybe he's done with gazing at his drink like it has answers for him on how to get out of being forced to sleep while someone goes and gets murdered again. ]
[ like how time gets all weird here. maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take a little vacation, but then again there's no way it wouldn't be soured by all the murder. ]
Oh, you know. Back to work as usual. There's a lot of cleanup to still handle, but maybe I'll find somewhere quiet to station myself for a little while.
Even if - I miss my kids... I don't want to wait anymore.
[ australia is the last thing on his mind, truth be told, he's stubborn, has a course charted and has been plucked from it twice. but he still smiles a little bit about it. ]
Something mundane sounds nice once everything's all said and done. Just for a bit. Doesn't have to be forever, but breathing would be nice.
If you have children waiting for you, that's understandable. Seeing them might be a relief on its own, hm?
[ tilts his head, thinking. his ears twitch a little. ]
It's definitely worth it to find breathing room. [ sighs. ] Part of the reason I accepted captaincy was to occasionally choose my own missions. Finding places to work and relax at once. Reconnaissance by the beach, things like that.
Recon by the beach? [ leaning back when he's done trying to divine
his margarita, taking a sip. ] Sign me up once I've settled my Town
and figured out a care plan for them all... the beach sounds nice,
actually... don't get those out in the steppe, really.
Suppose we'll have to see if we get lucky enough... I mean, it is a place
of travel. Maybe we've gathered enough achievements to make that possible
as well.
[ said with a hopeful note in his voice. ]
Hmm... it's perhaps not so fanciful as some of the places others come from.
The Town's pretty rural, built out in the Russian steppe - there's one
train that runs to the Town itself, carrying passengers, supplies, all
that. Lots of bulls roaming around, and the further out you go, the wider
the grasslands get. The Kin live... well. They will live in Shekhen,
a ways out, sacred land for them. You might see an herb bride or three,
wandering about, helping the plants grow with their dances...
[ thoughtfully: ] Once everything's all over, my job will be
to re-establish a clinic - make my way out to Shekhen to tend to the Kin
when they need me. But... it'll be peaceful, perhaps. Raise my kids... send
them to school or teach them myself, the choice will be theirs to make.
[ flatly. but he listens attentively, since he did ask and he is curious. it's the kind of explanation that speaks volumes about someone's connection to a place. mordalion may not know what a russia is but the steppe - similar land to the border with the empire, perhaps. flat plains before hitting the wall of the great dragonia range. rural grassland with sacred energies. even the herb brides sound a little similar to the mages who connected with traveling flame dancers.
a precious place, needing infection removed. ]
Fanciful doesn't mean important. It sounds like a place with a lot of history and belief connected with it. The Kin are the traditional keepers of the land? [ he's inferring. earth had only humans after all, right... and, hmm - ] Kids, you've mentioned. A wife or husband?
[ he's mid-coffee sip when he's asked that, sputters a little
gracelessly at the notion (he's going to have to drink that later. ugh.)
his thoughts are... indecipherable, a knotted up mess. like i could drag
someone else into my mess... ]
They're adopted. [ he tilts his head a little bit, and there's a
quick, short shake of his head. ] ... My father was originally
watching over seven of them, teaching them, guiding them, but after his
death... I inherited that job. Sticky and Murky are the two who've stayed
with me the most, however. They're the ones that will live with me once
this is all over and I've managed to clean up my father's rotting house...
[ there's a slight widening of his eyes at the reaction - that surprising to ask, really? - but the stray thought amidst the muddle changes the surprise to understanding quickly enough. ]
Ah, that's how it is. I thought you were a little young for multiple children. [ by normal human standards. ] You seem pretty fond of them. "Sticky" and "Murky"... nicknames, or self-governed?
[ he hums. by normal human standards. it's not lost on him - nodd
was half elf after all, the man was long-lived as well. curious as
always. ]
Self-made... Sticky and Murky were both orphaned - the latter's parents
died during the last bout of the plague, the one quelled prior to the most
recent outbreak I face now. The children of the Town are a bit more
independent than most. Probably why my father put so much weight in them.
[ he doesn't sound like he agrees, though. children should be
allowed to stay children for a good while should they desire. ]
Rural children tend to be so. Comparing the children of border towns to the uppity Capital kids is like trying to reconcile a dagger and a cushion.
[ we're ignoring that he was born in ketergia himself. he hasn't lived there for yeeears. there's a slightly cautious kind of hum, mostly agreement but with an edge. ]
There's a girl on my squadron at the moment - Serendis. She's human, came to us only two years ago. She's still just sixteen, now. Incredibly talented, very shy. I keep making her mad accidentally and she hits me. [ despite this, he sounds fond. ] I worry that she's more mature than I am.
Cushions to daggers... you have a way of describing it perfectly. Having
spent time going to school in the Capital, well, that's not far from my own
experience. I was more an oddity myself coming from the steppe to study
modern medicine there.
[ a little chuckle leaves him before he settles in to listen about
serendis, nodding softly. ]
She sounds a little like my Murky, but much older. Girl says she hates me
one moment, then climbs me like a tree the next to pull my hair and say I'm
walking too loudly, disturbing the herbs.
[ playfully: ] Oh? What makes you think Serendis is more
mature than you, hm?
Visiting Ketergia after working for years on the surface just makes me uncomfortable now. It's only ever boring business that requires a visit, too. [ and, with a little breath of a laugh; ] Both the oddities at our alma maters, then, though mine was more because the student body was almost entirely beast- and plant-folk.
[ amused at the imagery at play here, a faint smile past the usual expression. ]
There's always some way for them to act out, even well into their years. She'll probably keep that up into adulthood. [ a slightly sheepish droop of his ears... remembering some scolding. ] I've been told as much to my face, and I suppose she's never had to write me an apology note, while mine might be in the double digits by now.
Apology notes, huh? What have you gone and done to write so many of
those...?
[ just sipping unknowingly on his pre-death margarita like nothing
is wrong, amused just a little. under the table he will tap the tip of his
shoe with his boot lightly. ]
[ haha yayyy pre-death drinks. he's not yet responding to that little foot-tap but he's not moving away from it, either. ]
She works with fabrics and textiles, takes a lot of pride in it. I think they're very impressive, but apparently she doesn't like that I compare the colours and textures to poisonous plants and insects. Even though they're supposed to be toxic. [ sips his own drink. ] Despite reminders, I keep doing it out of habit.
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timeasmymeasure
w6, thursday; curfew
Date: 2025-07-18 01:14 am (UTC)I'd say hell of a week, but that's always been the case. It just gets a little more crazy each time. [ a soft smile ] Almost to the finish line, though.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-18 03:32 am (UTC)mordalion picks idly at his nachos, watching artemy stir the margarita like it's got answers for them. he cracks a tortilla chip pointedly between his teeth, leaning back with a sigh. ]
Almost. You'll be thrown right back into hard work though, won't you? No time for a holiday. [ ...well, ] Unless you go to Australia, I suppose.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-18 03:44 am (UTC)[ he takes the lime from the edge of the drink and peels the skin off of it slowly. maybe he's done with gazing at his drink like it has answers for him on how to get out of being forced to sleep while someone goes and gets murdered again. ]
And what's waiting for you back home?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-18 04:00 am (UTC)[ like how time gets all weird here. maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take a little vacation, but then again there's no way it wouldn't be soured by all the murder. ]
Oh, you know. Back to work as usual. There's a lot of cleanup to still handle, but maybe I'll find somewhere quiet to station myself for a little while.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-18 04:19 am (UTC)[ australia is the last thing on his mind, truth be told, he's stubborn, has a course charted and has been plucked from it twice. but he still smiles a little bit about it. ]
Something mundane sounds nice once everything's all said and done. Just for a bit. Doesn't have to be forever, but breathing would be nice.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-18 05:22 am (UTC)[ tilts his head, thinking. his ears twitch a little. ]
It's definitely worth it to find breathing room. [ sighs. ] Part of the reason I accepted captaincy was to occasionally choose my own missions. Finding places to work and relax at once. Reconnaissance by the beach, things like that.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-18 07:34 pm (UTC)Recon by the beach? [ leaning back when he's done trying to divine his margarita, taking a sip. ] Sign me up once I've settled my Town and figured out a care plan for them all... the beach sounds nice, actually... don't get those out in the steppe, really.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-19 01:38 am (UTC)[ amused. other places had allowed for travel between worlds, right? maybe it could happen. ]
Aside from the pestilence and the giant needle, tell me more about your home.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-24 08:40 pm (UTC)Suppose we'll have to see if we get lucky enough... I mean, it is a place of travel. Maybe we've gathered enough achievements to make that possible as well.
[ said with a hopeful note in his voice. ]
Hmm... it's perhaps not so fanciful as some of the places others come from. The Town's pretty rural, built out in the Russian steppe - there's one train that runs to the Town itself, carrying passengers, supplies, all that. Lots of bulls roaming around, and the further out you go, the wider the grasslands get. The Kin live... well. They will live in Shekhen, a ways out, sacred land for them. You might see an herb bride or three, wandering about, helping the plants grow with their dances...
[ thoughtfully: ] Once everything's all over, my job will be to re-establish a clinic - make my way out to Shekhen to tend to the Kin when they need me. But... it'll be peaceful, perhaps. Raise my kids... send them to school or teach them myself, the choice will be theirs to make.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 12:34 pm (UTC)[ flatly. but he listens attentively, since he did ask and he is curious. it's the kind of explanation that speaks volumes about someone's connection to a place. mordalion may not know what a russia is but the steppe - similar land to the border with the empire, perhaps. flat plains before hitting the wall of the great dragonia range. rural grassland with sacred energies. even the herb brides sound a little similar to the mages who connected with traveling flame dancers.
a precious place, needing infection removed. ]
Fanciful doesn't mean important. It sounds like a place with a lot of history and belief connected with it. The Kin are the traditional keepers of the land? [ he's inferring. earth had only humans after all, right... and, hmm - ] Kids, you've mentioned. A wife or husband?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 01:23 pm (UTC)[ he's mid-coffee sip when he's asked that, sputters a little gracelessly at the notion (he's going to have to drink that later. ugh.) his thoughts are... indecipherable, a knotted up mess. like i could drag someone else into my mess... ]
They're adopted. [ he tilts his head a little bit, and there's a quick, short shake of his head. ] ... My father was originally watching over seven of them, teaching them, guiding them, but after his death... I inherited that job. Sticky and Murky are the two who've stayed with me the most, however. They're the ones that will live with me once this is all over and I've managed to clean up my father's rotting house...
[ so no. there is no wife. no husband. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 01:37 pm (UTC)Ah, that's how it is. I thought you were a little young for multiple children. [ by normal human standards. ] You seem pretty fond of them. "Sticky" and "Murky"... nicknames, or self-governed?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 02:25 pm (UTC)[ he hums. by normal human standards. it's not lost on him - nodd was half elf after all, the man was long-lived as well. curious as always. ]
Self-made... Sticky and Murky were both orphaned - the latter's parents died during the last bout of the plague, the one quelled prior to the most recent outbreak I face now. The children of the Town are a bit more independent than most. Probably why my father put so much weight in them.
[ he doesn't sound like he agrees, though. children should be allowed to stay children for a good while should they desire. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 02:48 pm (UTC)[ we're ignoring that he was born in ketergia himself. he hasn't lived there for yeeears. there's a slightly cautious kind of hum, mostly agreement but with an edge. ]
There's a girl on my squadron at the moment - Serendis. She's human, came to us only two years ago. She's still just sixteen, now. Incredibly talented, very shy. I keep making her mad accidentally and she hits me. [ despite this, he sounds fond. ] I worry that she's more mature than I am.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 03:43 pm (UTC)Cushions to daggers... you have a way of describing it perfectly. Having spent time going to school in the Capital, well, that's not far from my own experience. I was more an oddity myself coming from the steppe to study modern medicine there.
[ a little chuckle leaves him before he settles in to listen about serendis, nodding softly. ]
She sounds a little like my Murky, but much older. Girl says she hates me one moment, then climbs me like a tree the next to pull my hair and say I'm walking too loudly, disturbing the herbs.
[ playfully: ] Oh? What makes you think Serendis is more mature than you, hm?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 03:58 pm (UTC)[ amused at the imagery at play here, a faint smile past the usual expression. ]
There's always some way for them to act out, even well into their years. She'll probably keep that up into adulthood. [ a slightly sheepish droop of his ears... remembering some scolding. ] I've been told as much to my face, and I suppose she's never had to write me an apology note, while mine might be in the double digits by now.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-25 06:08 pm (UTC)[ seeing the droop of those ears, he hums ]
Apology notes, huh? What have you gone and done to write so many of those...?
[ just sipping unknowingly on his pre-death margarita like nothing is wrong, amused just a little. under the table he will tap the tip of his shoe with his boot lightly. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-07-26 01:50 am (UTC)She works with fabrics and textiles, takes a lot of pride in it. I think they're very impressive, but apparently she doesn't like that I compare the colours and textures to poisonous plants and insects. Even though they're supposed to be toxic. [ sips his own drink. ] Despite reminders, I keep doing it out of habit.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-26 07:16 am (UTC)[ he can't help himself, it's maybe both amusing and intriguing? ]
no subject
Date: 2025-07-26 11:58 am (UTC)[ hmmm. other examples... ]
Her previous work was a brightly saturated red. Like the cap of a fly amanita.