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Political Chatter[Complete]

Started by Draconian, April 09, 2018, 03:36:12 PM

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Draconian

[ @nephero  ]

It was strange to hear rumours about the people that have been spotted around. Pallaton was concerned. It was hard enough with everything he had to do and now there was... Strange creatures. Humanoids. Pallaton frowned down at his hand, going over this initial meeting in his head.A mock up of how it should go. What questions he should ask and how he should ask them. Doing his best to paint a picture of these people he was meeting in his head. An idea. The initial description was that they were mostly tall. Pointed ears. Elf-like but not Serenian. Pallaton sighed and closed his eyes before going into the grand ornate office.

There was a throne in this room. A grand throne that sat empty. Pallaton was not a King but a Regent and in the absence of the leader he was it. A tall man, Pallaton was imposing, tanned skin, short hair with a few braids decorated with a small mount of charms and beads. Golden eyes. Stern look. It was clear he wasn't or at least hadn't always been a political figure, the scar that cut across his ear and face, the scar opposite on his neck. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, imagining these creatures. Apparently there were fangs as well and so far the imagine his mind painted for him was a less than flattering one. Beast like. Pointy ears. Maybe kind of like orcs? His lip pulled to the side in an ill disguised grimace about what he'd been dealing with soon.

The request for an audience was a surprise to say the least. The request alone meant that they weren't hiding from anywhere or at least weren't wanted for criminal reasons. That was good. Or, they were from so far away it didn't matter if they were wanted by whatever law. Pallaton sighed and brushed off his clothing, picking invisible strings from the fabric and fixing the way it looked. He needed to look regal and imposing. His height usually did that. His golden stare was intimidating. This was a new situation though.  There had never been a request like this before and he wasn't sure how to handle it. Did he put on the tough-leader cold stare routine? Act giving and welcome them with open arms? Pallaton didn't know all the details - that was what this meeting was for. Get everything on the table and discuss the future. Pallaton seated himself at the long table. Water with a few tin cups were placed off to the side and there were three chairs across from him. Their supposed leader and two body guards.

It was only fair he let the bring in body guards. If it was an assassination... Well, he would be replaced quickly. Pallaton was not the King and the people would not mourn him.

Impatiently, Pallaton looked at the window, frowning at the light before he rolled his shoulders and tried to get comfortable in the seat. This was always the worst part. The sitting and waiting to do something part. The sooner these colourful orc-elfs got here the sooner they could have a discussion and the sooner they could... Leave? Have a home? What exactly was he supposed to do here? He supposed if there weren't too many of them he could put them up in the Castle like a good host. Would they be worth it? Could they fight? Could they farm? Do anything? Another sigh, his hand moving to his face and he leaned back in his chair and stared across the room at the door, ready to sit up and look imposing and regal when his guests were finally announced. Either way, it was going to be a long day.

nephero

   It had been a long, arduous and altogether painful journey. But that was always a part of it, wasn't it? The notion that no matter how harsh the terrain, how hard the journey, it was infinitely better than the alternative.

   They'd lost two after leaving the arctic. Two woefully young elves, just past maturity; they'd already been fading fast long before the group had left their homeland and started the journey south. No one expected them to really make it, but there had been this underlying hope that maybe, just maybe, they'd all get to where they needed to go in time.

   They'd needed the hope. Losing Rinys and Allysta had been a blow, and having to bury them so far away from home, away from the kilns and reliquaries that would guarantee they'd never be forgotten, that had dampened the party's spirits significantly. What if they all died out here, one after another? Just kept dropping one by one until the only thing left was their bones scattered across this strange, foreign land?

   More than once, Valys had considered that he would die here, a stranger, and with no one to know or even remember he even existed in the first place. And more than once, Valys reminded himself that even that price was a worthwhile one to pay if it meant he wouldn't just sit, staring and aching at the horizon until he simply couldn't hold himself up any longer.

   At least this way, he tried. At least this way, they all tried.

   It took some time to get this far south. A few more had died in the mountains between the land of Connlaoth and Serendipity, and a few had scattered in each land as the deep longing in their bones pulled them eastward or westward or out to the coasts. Towards the part of them that was missing and called to the fabric of their very being.

   Valys was almost jealous, each time he saw the recognition light in his kindred's eyes, each time the malaise lifted from their face and they set off on their own. His own soul still ached, still pulled him ever onward, and so what had once been a company of thirty hopefuls eventually dwindled to twelve. Just in time to cross over into Adela and head for the capital city. It had taken some getting used to, the warmer weather and the strange people and the stranger looks they got in return. The weird, terrible food that was hard to chew. The painfully tiny beds.

   More than once, Valys had to sleep with his legs half off the bottom of the bed. It wasn't at all comfortable, and didn't make for restful sleep. Exhaustion piled on top of exhaustion, and now that they were here, in Ketra, so painfully close to their goal, Valys was altogether ready to be done with it. Anastolyr had bid them all be patient, but even Valys could tell the other elf was equally anxious to be finished.

   They'd come so far, after all. Left everything they had and all for the small hope that this wouldn't be their absolute doom. They were all nervous.

   But finally, finally, the day had come. The day where they would be able to plea for mercy and an allowance to stay, would be able to freely move about the country and not have to worry about being expelled from the land they needed to be in. Just a gentle plea to these Adelan's leader, an explanation of the situation and hopefully...

   The end of a struggle.

   Anastolyr looked to Valys, and Valys nodded in return. He and another Phaeton stepped to either side of the much smaller Procyon elf, and followed at a steady pace out of their lodgings and on their way to their fate. Unsurprisingly, the minor parade they three made drew plenty of stares, but Valys at least was able to distract himself by keeping watch for hostile behavior. The more he did his job— act the bodyguard for their little ambassador— the less he would worry about how strong that bone-deep pull had become.

   His was out here, somewhere. Valys took a steadying breath, and kept his pace slow. Kept alert. Kept on guard. His was out here, somewhere, and he'd find them. Just one last chore to be done, and Valys could run off just as the others had, full of light and hope and joy and right to the person who the stars had aligned to bless him with.

   The strain of keeping under control very nearly had him trembling by the time they reached the palace proper. Various guards verified their identity and led them through doors, until finally they arrived outside of the main audience chamber. Another human, gruff and scarred and scowling and thankfully not in harmony, gave the three elves a decidedly suspicious once-over before opening the doors and announcing their presence.

   Anastolyr went first, head bowed in deference to this Regent— all this way and they weren't even meeting Adela's King, it figured— a gesture Valys did not mimic. Instead, he kept his head high, looking across the room and across the long table to where the Regent sat and—

   Very nearly froze in place for it. It was a good thing Valys wasn't here to do the talking, because he was pretty sure his tongue would never allow it. Not when those golden eyes stared right back, beneath pitch lashes that only made the stare more intense. Valys hadn't been expecting much from this Regent Valerius, lovely name though it was, and he certainly had not been expecting the man to look this... well. Gorgeous.

   Valys stopped short of the table alongside his fellow bodyguard, and was thankfully allowed to fold his shaking hands behind his back while Anastolyr bowed in greeting.

   "Thank you for granting this audience, sire," He began, gesturing between himself and then to Valys and the other in introduction. "My name is Anastolyr Rael, and these are my companions Rhosiris and Valys. We've come to seek asylum."


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

These were not orc-elves.

Pallaton couldn't keep the look of surprise off his face when his guests finally entered the room. They weren't ugly at all. There was a exchange of confusion between himself and one of the guards inside the door. Pallaton hadnt been expecting such... Unique looking people.

Or huge.

He eyed the two tanned ones, though his eyes were mostly fixed on the pale one in the middle. "Welcome to Adela," Pallaton said, giving a nod forward before glancing away and clearing his throat. He didn't see the teeth, in fact these people were beautiful in their own way and while it was rude to stare he found himself unable to stop.

"I am Pallaton Valerius, Regent in the Kings absence," He looked to the two bigger ones again before he smoothed his hands on the table and gave the smaller one, the leader, his attention. "I understand that you cannot return home," Pallaton glanced between the faces before him, still not really sure what he was dealing with.

"How many of you are seeking asylum, Anastolyr?" He kept his voice soft, while he wasn't concerned for these people - they weren't his yet - he was worried if there was a great number of them. "And what are you planning on doing once you're part of my Country? I can see that your... " Pallaton paused, confusion flashing over his features, "Men..." Pallaton trailed off. They were men right? They were seemingly shaped like men but they were all so pretty. "They seem like fighters." He finished lamely.

Pallaton frowned, and finally dropped the Good Leader Facade he'd been playing at. "What are you? I've never seen your kind before."

nephero

   "Y... es." Anastolyr said, after a moment of trying to figure how to answer. That, of course didn't exactly instill any sort of confidence in anyone, getting a hesitant answer, and so after looking to the side at his companions— and lingering a little longer than usual on Valys' own face— he met Pallaton's gaze with a sheepish sort of smile.

   "It's rather hard to explain in very few words, which is why I really wanted to do this in person to better explain ourselves, as I can't... give you a definite answer as to how many of thus there may very well end up being."

   Another glance towards Valys as this was said, and Valys himself was all too aware of it. He tried his best to keep his features schooled into one of ambivalent boredom, and not like this meeting was one of life or death. Which it was— and Valys hated the notion that they were asking for help from a people who might very well decide "death" just because they could.

   It was almost as bad as asking for help from a people who really only cared about how far this alliance could carry them, and it was at Pallaton's question as to 'what they could do' that Valys looked up to lock eyes with those haunting golden ones. They were like an animal's eyes, bright gold and hauntingly dark pupils that bore into you and clocked every movement, sucking in the light around it and leaving none of its own.

   It would be like an animal to ask after its own well being. Not that it wasn't understandable, but still... Valys felt just this side of disappointed for it. Like he'd somehow been expecting better of this Regent, despite only knowing him for less than five whole minutes. Valys' jaw set a bit, lips pursed in disapproval but otherwise not moving from his station beside their leader.

   "They seem like fighters because they are." Ana said, carefully, pride similarly wounded but having a much better hold of diplomacy than to display such a thing, "We're the Ztara Vratazi. The ah, what's the Trader's words for it... Starstriders. We live above the snowline, what is called Hyoite. Or, rather, we did live there."

   This was all taking far too long. Valys let out a little breath, the earlier 'disappointment' mixing poorly with the itch in his bones, all of it shaken up in a bottle of low-grade anxiety to make every agonizingly selected word test his patience.

   Before Ana could get in another word, Valys was folding his arms across his chest, squeezing tight to combat how hard it was to breathe whenever the Regent looked at him.

   "We're here because the alternative is wasting away in the snow. And down here seems to have a lot less of that going on, so— ow." He hissed as Ana jabbed an elbow into his side, teeth bared for half a moment before Valys fell back into proper stance. Right. Bodyguarding. Less talky, more looking scary.

   "Nice one," Rhose muttered, just underneath Ana's attempts to get back on track. Valys arched a brow but said nothing further.

   "Valys is correct," the smaller Procyon said, somehow keeping agitation to a minimum, "our kind experiences very... deep emotional bonds, and being separated from this bond is... I won't mince words, typically lethal. We followed ours here, and are hoping to find the source before it gets to that stage. There's many back north who don't even believe that Adela really exists, so I can't really say how many would also look to travel here even if we report success. However,"

   And there it was. The bargaining. Valys chewed at the inside of his cheek to keep from speaking out of turn again, though he kept his gaze fixed on the human that so thoroughly held their lives in his hands. Hopefully he wasn't secretly the sort of monster who would twist them over the rack for all they were worth. The thought alone had Valys' teeth on edge, and for a hot flash of a moment he considered putting his hands on the table and daring the man to do them wrong.

   "However I can guarantee every one of our number is willing to treat this country as their own, and all that implies. Warriors, scholars... whatever you need."

   "Not that we're desperate or anything." He mumbled under his breath, though not nearly under his breath enough, because Ana took a deep sighing breath and tried for a most charming smile.

   "Exactly. We're desperate. A star elf doesn't last long without their resonance, and we've already lost more than half of our number getting here. So... whatever it takes, consider it yours. With our thanks."


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

The Valys one was clearly not content with this situation. Pallaton frowned deeply, looking between them. Sensing the disappointment. He could practically taste it in the air and his eyes bored into Valys every time he? spoke.  There was clearly some ill disguised disgust toward the Regent from the elf and Pallaton closed his eyes for a moment.

"I didn't mean to imply that you're not welcome.  I only meant to ask what you plan on doing here." Pallaton sighed and moved the chair back, standing up slowly and standing with his hands held behind his back. "You're putting me in a hard place."

A few steps away from the desk while he processed this new information, for the most part he ignored Valyrs's snide comments, "You're telling me if i turn you away you'll surely die. Putting the deaths of you and yours on my shoulders. Luckily for me you seem like you have a lot to offer this country." Pallaton had to make a choice now and he took a deep breath, turning away for a moment.

"Your asylum is granted. As a show of good faith to you," Pallaton turned around and looked down at Anastolyr, face neutral, "and yours," He looked between Valys and Rhose with another nod, "I'll have rooms made up in the castle. If you're from so far north I assume you'll need lessons on how day to day things work here." He let his hands fall to his side and he took a breath.

"I also need to meet the rest of your party and one of you will have to sit down with me to explain the intricacies of your species better. Perhaps in a less formal setting." Pallaton breathed slowly and finally looked Valys down, the one that seemed to have the worst problem with him. "You seem to not be afraid of being too truthful," A sharp smile to the snarky elf befoe he turned to Anastolyr, a genuine smile on his face.

"Welcome to your new home, I hope you find everything you're looking for." Pallaton kept his hands at his sides, even though he wanted to cross his arms or rest them on his hips. "The servants will get you situated and I will see you," Pallaton looked at Velys, an eyebrow raised, "Tomorrow afternoon. A servant will bring you to me and we'll discuss what I need to know."

Without waiting for an answer Pallaton tucked his hands behind his back, "Gentlemen," and he gave a nod and left the guests to the servants.

nephero

   It was like breath had been returned to them. In their own time and their own way, all three of the elves let out the breaths they had been apparently holding when the Regent Valerius gave his final decision.

   They could stay. All their fate and all their fortune had aligned in this singular moment. They could stay. There was still hope. A thread of it, still, but there was hope. Valys still itched, still felt that overwhelming push, the vibration in his bones that mimicked the sound in his ears. But now it was more in line with excitement versus lingering dread. He, and so many of the others, they had a chance now.

   What Valys hadn't been expecting was to be addressed directly. Maybe to be reprimanded for his tongue, sure, but certainly not to be summoned for a later appointment. And certainly not a later appointment that involved something like explaining all of what was going on. Valys blinked, and looked down at Ana, who was also in the process of Blinking.

   "Ah. Certainly, sire. Thank you again for your generosity." Ana said, the usual platitudes and niceties expected of such a meeting, and ones that Valys tended to tune out of almost immediately.

   Not that he really needed much help in that. He was still a little dumbstruck at being singled out, and combined with the how keyed up he already was, it was a singularly... heady sensation. Like the result of guzzling a tankard of mead on an empty stomach.

   Still, there wasn't much arguing with it, and like that, the elves were shown out by yet more humans, to their newfound quarters in the castle.

***

   It was the preparation that was the real hell. After they had been left to their own devices, Ana had become a whirlwind of anxiety, and Valys had the misfortune of being the exact focal point of that same anxiety. Valys had barely been allowed to sleep, let alone have a moment to himself for all the nagging that took place.

   Don't slouch, don't fidget, speak clearly, practice speaking this wretched common tongue better, try not to be such a complete asshole. The list of demands went on and on, and Valys was pretty sure Ana was about to drop dead at at least three points in the conversation just that following morning. Breakfast had been... an interesting event. Between getting used to these peoples' cooking (how the hell did they chew this stuff?) and getting bombarded with a crash course in diplomacy (as if Valys hadn't been present for every single freaking meeting Ana had been), it was enough to put him in the mood for a really, really stiff drink.

   Which, of course, he did. But secretly and from a flask, because he was also super sure Ana would pop a blood vessel and both hearts with it if Valys was spotted "partaking" before his appointed meeting.

   But seriously, there was only so much adjustment to his clothing that he could take. He hadn't brought much with him, and certainly nothing flashy; he wasn't the wordsmith here, he was just the big guy there to protect the wordsmith, so what did it matter what he wore?

   Which was... not what Ana wanted to hear either, and so after much fussing and arguing the least worn down set of clothes— pitch black to avoid any stains— was selected and Valys was summarily collected by the Regent's servants.

   It was almost a relief, really. Out of sight of Ana and thus out of earshot of more nagging, the quiet was more than welcome. It gave him time to study the surroundings in greater detail, at any rate, no longer as focused on the movements of these Adelans and out to spot whatever threat they might pose.

   It was all certainly different than what home was like. Grander. Ornate. But still somehow impersonal. Like it had been picked at random just because it looked suitably fancy. Or maybe that was just a wild assumption on Valys' part.

   "So, who picks out the flowerpots around here? Is there a royal flowerpot picker? Or is it more of a committee?" He said, trying to at least engage in some kind of conversation and receiving only weird looks in return. Well, so much for that. Maybe Ana had been right to be worried.

   Still, it was too late for that now. He was led back the same way from the day previous, and just like the day previous, was treated to a perfectly awful sounding stare-down before being led inside. Seriously, he pitied whoever was involved with that guard. That sounded like a match made in hell.

   Valys shot the Regent a wide, crooked grin once he spotted him; partially in greeting and partially because the itch in his bones demanded he be as far opposite to what Ana had coached as possible. He couldn't even put to words why, but he wanted to see Regent Valerius squirm.

   "How you doin'?" he said, stepping back over to the table and pulling out a chair for himself, settling down with a sigh and keeping his arms loosely crossed. And distantly wondered if he could get away with propping his boots up on the table. And then even more distantly wondered if he cared about getting away with anything. So he did.


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

Regent Valerius didn't know how to squirm.

If there was one thing about the man it was that his spine was ramrod straight and the most people got out of him was an exasperated sigh, roll of the eyes and quickly ignored. After the meeting he'd gone to his personal rooms, changed out of the stuffy garb into something more comfortable and spend the evening with his daughter. She was old enough for simple conversation. Old enough to start being a tiny person instead of just a weird baby-thing that ate and pooped. They'd fallen asleep together by lamp light with a book of pictures he'd commissioned of various foreign animals.

So far, Lucille's favourite animal was the lion and Pallaton was worried that perhaps he was giving his daughter unrealistic idea's of just how big they were. Lion's were kitties. Someday he knew it was going to be a thing. That was how he woke up the next morning, a crick in his neck and his arms full of his tiny little girl. Rosie cheeked and drooling against his shoulder, Pallaton woke her up, set her off with her maids and began his day. Of course, that was the plan. He'd pulled a loose white shirt on and was buckling his belt up when a servant reminded him that he was to meet with one of the new guests.

Who?

Pallaton stared for a moment before he remembered. Ah yes. The long elves.  Fuck. Why did he want to do that today. Not that today was significant, it was just one extra thing to do today. One extra thing to add to the list of things. A frown at himself in the mirror and he fixed his hair and pulled at his shirt a little. Well, he was already dressed and the servant was here to collect him for the meeting.

Casual meeting then. Adelan citizen to ... New one. More than Regent to subject. Or something. Pallaton didn't have leader brain at the moment and instead made sure he looked at least decent instead of stuffy. Easy to talk to instead of hard to speak to. A roll of his shoulders, a fix of his cuff and away he went.

Pallaton was getting comfortable in his seat by the time Valys had gotten in. Golden eyes flicked to the guest and he rose an eyebrow at the grin, offering his own lopsided half-smirk in return. Did he remember how to smile? He smiled at his children, but he couldn't really remember the last time he smiled on purpose. Already though, he was enjoying how purely irritated this person seemed.

The voice threw him off. It wasn't overtly masculine - his own was deep and when any degree of emotion was in it there was a rasp to it - and it wasn't entirely feminine and it wasn't odd it was just another thing on the long list of things he'd grown used to from people but was just different here. Not different bad though. Different refreshing. Pallaton took a deep breath and sat back in his chair, elbows on the arm rests and he visually examined Valys while he threw his feet up onto his desk. Pallaton frowned, eyeing the space under the desk to make sure there had been no papers there.

Feet on his desk was not different refreshing. It was different rude and he cleared his throat and stood up. The day before his clothing had been ornate. A show of status and rank. A display of Adela. Today was plain clothing, the pants tight and the shirt loose. His hair mussed but not tangled.

"Valys," Pallaton waited a moment if here were to be corrected, "I am doing quite well. Get your feet off my desk, if you require your feet be up we can get you a foot stool." Then Pallaton stood and moved to the other side of the desk, standing beside Valys' sitting form, resting against it before he crossed his arms over his chest. "I asked you here so that you can help me understand what you are better. You mentioned that you're following something and if you don't follow it you'll die. Is it a... illness inside?"

Pallaton pursed his lips and tilted his head before he continued on asking questions, not waiting for an answer, "And I didn't ask your numbers directly, how many men and women are with your group? I imagine your kind want to settle here and have families - I myself am a father of two - I'd just like to know what sort of accommodations I should be expecting to make." Pallaton sighed, "You're pretty enough, I imagine your women are quite beautiful. Shouldn't be hard for them to find husbands."

nephero

   Don't slouch, don't fidget, speak clearly, try not to be an asshole. They were really just such easy rules to follow. It would have taken minimal effort at best to avoid breaking any one of them, and yet, somehow, Valys Dei had broken several in the space of five entire minutes. At the command to get his feet off the desk, the elf paused, before slowly lifting his boots and swinging his legs to the side, settling them down on the floor before crossing one long limb over the other.

   All while maintaining eye contact, of course. Ana might have forgotten to tell him that people didn't tend to like the "mad dog stare" much, or maybe that particular rule had been lost in the sea of last minute "training" from the night before. Still, eventually Valys grew bored with trying to get a rise out of this guy, and hummed quietly as this Regent Valerius got right down to business.

   Which was all well and good in the elf's book. The sooner they got through this the sooner Valys could go back to his original post and the sooner Ana could stop yanking out every last strand of hair on his head. If he hadn't managed that, already. Valys actually pitied whomever was saddled with that one; he was exhausting to watch.

   Saddled. Right. Valys had been 'invited' here for information. He looked up, chin resting in one hand as he considered the human before him, the boot on the ground starting up an involuntary sort of tapping the more Regent Valerius looked at him. Feeling a bit like someone who'd been overfed sugar and was now forced to stay completely still, Valys uncrossed his legs and set them both to jiggling.

   "Illness, yes. It's called resonance." He waved his free hand as if the term itself wasn't so important, which was kind of true when explaining to non-elves anyway, "My people hear pretty damn good. So we pick up on... ugh, what is the word? Souls? Not quite souls. But basically, you have a sound, I have a sound, everyone has a sound that is theirs."

   This should have been Ana's job. It really should have been, but Valys bit down on his own frustration and pressed on, trying not to let it all show on his face as it did.

   "You get one resonance in your life. And that person, that other sound, it completes your sound. And without it, it's like... like if someone suddenly stopped banging a gong in your ears and one of them never stops ringing. You're incomplete, and the idea that you never will be complete, I think even you can sympathize is pretty damn heartbreaking."

   Unable to stand looking at the Regent in the face as he spoke, Valys stood up from his chair, arms folded tight across his chest if only to avoid fidgeting with every last shiny thing in the man's office.

   "I met someone who dropped dead out of anger once. When we feel, we feel. Kind of the balance, I guess, since otherwise we just kind of... go on forever. Have to be fair to the rest of the world, or something like that. Anyway..."

   He trailed off, just as Regent Valerius continued with his questioning, and Valys felt his own frown deepening at the thought of settling. Families. Two little children. Valys wondered if they looked the same (a lot of these humans did), all golden eyes and stern brows. The thought was amusing, even if Valys wasn't sure he liked it.

   Being called pretty, though. That he liked, plenty. Enough to ease the edge that had been growing since he'd arrived, anyway, and enough to let Valys turn back to face Pallaton once more, mouth curved in a smirk.

   "We don't 'have' women. But yes, the end goal would be to have families. Right now we're sitting at ten individuals, last I counted, and quite a few are... what's the phrase you sorts like, 'chomping at the bit' to get out into the countryside. So don't worry, your lordship." Valys couldn't help a wide, fangy grin, "You'll only have to accommodate Ana and I after a fashion. Unless I find that husband, in which case, good luck watching that one worry himself to death."

   It was a wonder it hadn't happened already. Somewhat sobered by that thought, Valys chewed at the inside of his cheek in a moment's hesitation before barreling on.

   "Two little ones must keep you busy in your, I'm assuming minimal spare time. How old are they?"


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

It was interesting.

Pallaton listened intently, golden eyes moving from those damned wiggling legs to the bright fleshed bright haired man sitting down while he leaned. It was probably rude of him to loom the way he was but... He wanted to be informal and he was almost positive that if he was making Valys uncomfortable, the bright coloured man would be more than happy to make that obvious and would perhaps call it to the ceiling.

The explanation on what a resonance had him remembering his wife. How lost he'd felt immediately after her death. Slowly, he lifted his hand to card through the hair slowly growing out again. A tradition from his family and clan, they didn't cut their hair unless they were defeated. He'd never suffered a defeat before he felt the chest crushing loneliness of her leaving him. Bright golden eyes looked to the golden elf and he listened intently.

If he'd been so completely heartbroken, surely something like that would kill one of theirs.

That was a sobering thought and he sat up a little straighter, looking ahead for a moment before pulling his hand from his dark hair and letting his hands rest on his thighs, palms up. He listened - thought it didn't all process.

It occurred to him then how different a species this man...? Man was to him.

"Did you just say you were going to get a husband?" He tilted his head, confused and then stood up, letting his hands fall at his side, "I hope you realize that human men can't bear children - if that's what you were thinking - and..." Pallaton leaned in slightly, his head giving a curious tilt and he gave a long blink before standing up straight again. Mostly because Valys did and this could probably be one of the first times he'd met someone so substantially taller than him. It was only a few inches but... Pallaton was already a beast in height.

He kept his chin straight and kept the posture for only a few minutes before he relaxed again, arms crossed over his chest with his ass parked on the desk. Feet were a no-no but apparently butts were fine. The speaking and the fangy grin set off a slight zing of something in his spine and he gave perhaps a little bit too much attention to the bright sharp grin, Pallaton cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders, glancing away and fixing his expression before turning back to his guest.

"My daughter is almost three and my son is eighteen," He shook his head, "My wife and I were married right before he was born," a small smile, remembering how tiny the child had been and how young they both were. The smile turned sad though, before he looked back at Valys, "my daughter however, will not grow up with the wonderful woman - she died a year ago and I find myself unable to keep up with the child rearing beyond reading her to sleep. Maribeth was wonderful but..." Pallaton sighed and glanced away, clearing his throat and then shaking the thoughts from his head.

"I'm getting off track," Pallaton - attempting to lighten the mood- leaned in ever so slightly, "Can you tell me what song my not-soul is singing to you, Valys? Can you hum a little bit of it to me, I can't say I've ever heard it myself."

nephero

   Valys' hands itched.

   He didn't know why, just that they did. His fingers ran over the fabric of his vest, plucking at the hemming and feeling along the embroidery work that had been stitched in a subtle curling pattern. Ornate and detailed, and picked up somewhere through Serendipity as their original clothes were markedly inappropriate for the steadily warming climes.

   Picking at what no doubt had taken someone years of practice to stitch so carefully was kind of a terrible way to repay the effort. But it was either that or succumb to the sudden, wild impulse to bury his hands in the Regent's hair and just floof it all about. Which, for all intents and purposes, would have been a terrible idea.

   What Valys wouldn't give just then for a drink. Especially when there came the question of husbands and human men bearing children, and how Pallaton was allowed to use the desk in a way that was decidedly not its original intent, but when Valys did it that was 'rude' and 'get your feet off there.'

   For a single, hot moment of spite, Valys considered what it would be like to set his boots up on the Regent himself, make a footstool of his lap and all the fancy clothing that came with his title and occupation. That'd really get the human scowling, he was sure. Which, of course, would be absolutely hilarious. Especially with how ramrod straight the man kept trying to stand, that strong jaw tilted upwards so proudly Valys had to resist the very real urge to coo and pinch his cheeks.

   Valys slowly made his way back to the desk, despite the itching in his fingers and the prickling desire to do something incredibly stupid, if only so he could more accurately display to the Regent that he was, and always would be, just that much taller than the man himself. It was small, and it was petty, but small and petty or not, it gave Valys a deep sense of satisfaction to put the Adelan on edge for once.

   Still, he managed to keep himself from cooing, instead clicking his tongue in a more sympathetic manner when Regent Valerius spoke of his wife. Again with the feeling Valys didn't like— though this time it seemed to be softened somewhat by pity, able to imagine all too well how much being away from everything you held dear took its toll. He'd moved entire countries for such a thing, after all. Playing at the beleaguered and snarky bodyguard was all well and good, but he felt the ache same as anyone else. It hurt, and the thought of having to live with that hurt for the rest of his days was... exhausting.

   "Still babes," Valys commented, knowing full well that the ages of humans were vastly different but not exactly ready to try to do anything drastic like mathematics over it. "Two children and a country to manage. You're all a rather sturdy lot, aren't you? Like tiny, short little rocks."

   He pinched his fingers together right about the range of where Pallaton stood tallest. Not that he had much time to relish the jab at the human, because soon after the Regent was asking about his sound, and once more Valys felt amazingly off balance.

   "Mm, well, if your lordship were to present me with a piece of slate, I'm sure I could simulate your sound plenty," he shot off, quicker than any training of Ana's could stop. Valys licked his lips, wished solidly for that drink again, and stepped even closer to the human until they were barely a few inches apart.

   Valys uncrossed his arms, and set his hands down on the desk on either side of the Regent, head tilted to the side to better listen to him. His eyes narrowed to thin slivers of sunshine, focusing on drowning out all the other background noises of the world— the gentle clank of shifting armor outside the office doors, the soft footsteps of palace servants going about their regular cleaning duties, the way the wind hit the stone walls of the palace itself and the soft cry of some kind of bird of prey out the window and on a distant rooftop.

   He filtered through Valerius' breathing, the creak of the desk beneath their shared weight, the subtle shift of cloth with every rise and fall of his ribcage. His eyes were closed now, but his bones itched even worse, like a thousand ants were marching through his vein the more he listened, until it came: a soft, low, steady sound, like a lengthy breeze through deep reeds, wind sharp and whistling and definite. Like it knew exactly where it was going and had no anxieties about any part of that destination.

   Valys opened his mouth then, taking in a deep breath and holding it for a single moment before he figured out just how to translate all of that Feeling into one single note, strong winds and strong backs no matter what other storms tried to mix it all up. The result was more of a sigh than anything else, like breathing into a flute versus actually trying to play.

   But that wasn't the problem. If Valys said so himself, it was rather spot on. In fact, the accuracy itself was the problem, and like a man who'd been bitten by the dog he'd attempted to pet, Valys snapped back and away from the human, arms back to the tight cross over his chest as he tried to shake just how good that had sounded.

   Fate was a tricky bitch.

   "Well, there you go. Short and sweet. Congratulations."


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

There were words there, just sitting at the tip of his tongue, begging to be let go. Still, Pallaton held his tongue. Held the words while Valys gained himself and got a little too close for comfort. Was what he'd asked the bright man to do ... Taboo? Pallaton held his breath, like taking air in would throw off this song he apparently wanted to learn so badly. Pallaton chewed on his lip, leaning back slightly so they didn't touch before he finally heard the soft notes. He waited for it to resonate. For it to ping some part of him deep inside and give him shivers. The note didn't do that, it sort of sounded plain and not all that interesting.

Something else made his skin prickle though and it wasn't until Valys pushed away that he finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Sounds better than breaking rock," He said softly, a little confused and a little - not put off but... Displaced. Pallaton swallowed carefully and sat back up fully, doing his best to look not at all fazed by the momentary closeness. He crossed his arms over his chest again and watched the giant elf-person look the tiniest bit rattled. Did his little personal tune have a note of something bad? The Adelan wasn't concerned until he observed Valys acting different - or as different as he could notice given how unfamiliar the colourful man was.

The sound of quick steps - clearly running - had his attention taken away from the grand presence in the room.

"Apa!" a little voice shouted and Pallaton blinked a few times before he saw the tiny girl with a head of dark curls bolting for him. Quickly followed by her nurses. The tiny girl gave a second's pause to look up up up at the tall elf man but, being close to Apa won out and in a flurry of curls she launched herself at Pallaton. He, of course, was already on the ground, one knee with his arms open and scooped her up. A hand was motioned to the nurses who quickly dipped their heads and shuffled outside the door.

"Lucille," Pallaton said softly, hefting her up and resting her on hisside. The little girl let her head rest on her dad's shoulder and she stared with big blue eyes to Valys. "Lucille, you know you shouldn't interrupt me when I'm in this room," she gave a noise, wriggled and turned her face against his neck. His hand moved to her cheek and he pushed her hair behind her ear before he sighed and looked to his guest before giving an apologetic look.

"Valys, this is my daughter Lucille," he moved closer so the elf could see her. A sign of trust at the very least. Pallaton sighed and smiled, looking between his daughter and the newest addition to the country. "Would you like a tour of the castle? I can't imagine you and yours have had much to explore besides the rooms you've been asigned" He nodded to the door Lucille had burst in from and took a few steps towards it, the little girl alternating between being shy and staring.

"Apa, the elf is pretty." she whispered as children do. Loudly and unapologetically. "Yes, the elf is very pretty. He's going to be staying with us for a while. He's moved here from far far away, left his family to join ours." Pallaton leaned so Lucille could watch Valys again while he slowly made his way from the room and down into the hallway.

"Why are you so bright," she chirped, staring at him, "Can I braid your hair later?"

nephero

   Regent Pallaton Valerius sounded better than breaking rock. Sounded way better than breaking rock— it was as if someone had coiled up a rope deep beneath Valys' ribcage and then suddenly let it all loose again. Like getting well and truly drunk, listening to the Regent sent a warm tingle to Valys' fingertips, leaving him full of sparking energy that yearned to be expended with as much gusto as possible.

   But, seeing as running through the castle halls screaming at the top of his lungs was, understandably, not an option, Valys instead resigned himself to his suffering and kept still.

   Or as still as he could, fingers tapping some complex rhythm against his bicep until a suitable distraction showed up in the form of a tiny little human child.

   It was always fascinating to see how much they were a miniature of their parents. For Valys' own people the difference between parents and offspring could be like night and day— in many unfortunate incidents, sometimes a little too on-the-nose-like. His own parents had been nothing close to him in terms of pallor— his birthgiver a tall, broad Archernar, all sapphire blues and his opo a downright petite Procyon. He hadn't even inherited his opo's freckles.

   But humans, humans... they seemed to excel in making tiny, precious copies of themselves, copies that shot up like grass in the spring and grew what would have taken an elf half a century. It was remarkable though, how you could look into their faces, hear their words and watch their mannerisms, and see just where each parent had fit in shaping them.

   Regent Valerius scooped up the little ball of curls and energy with a practiced ease that had Valys' stomach absolutely filled with butterflies, but even that sensation didn't last as Valys picked up the sounds of further footsteps in hot pursuit.

   The itch in his bones turned to hot fire in an instant, Valys' eyes snapping to the doors and hands at his sides as tension rippled over his shoulders. The reaction was entirely instinctual, and easily blamed on the fact that Valys made his living bodyguarding. It didn't quite explain why he felt the overwhelming compulsion to sink his teeth into whatever was chasing the mini-Regent, but at least with all the commotion Valys had the opportunity to get himself under control and go right back to crossing his arms and looking unimpressed.

   The Regent dismissed what Valys then took to be the child's usual keepers, marvelling again at the strangeness in which these humans operated. Though maybe that was why the babies all looked exactly like them— with so many caretakers, how else would you keep track of which one was yours?

   Valys met Lucille's curious gaze, marvelling at the bright blueness of her eyes for half of a moment before he promptly contorted his face into some silly misshapen expression, complete with a stuck-out tongue. He snickered a bit, at least until the Regent spoke and Valys' brain did that thing where every last sense was summarily turned over to fixate on the human man.

   "A tour might help. For the most part, it's been getting to your office and getting to our rooms. Ana was so afraid I'd make you into a mortal enemy in the span of an hour he kept me locked to the sitting room. Something to do with 'boots on tables' was in there, I think." He made a grand show of shrugging, as if he knew exactly what the thing with the boots was but was perfectly content to play dumb anyway.

   He stepped in a little closer as the humans approached, and held out his hand palm up to make another grand show of shaking Lucille's much tinier hand, similar to how he'd seen human merchants do when they were trying to pretend they hadn't just overcharged you.

   "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Lucille. I got this bright by eating a lot of fireflies— it was very gross. Definitely not worth it. No amount of salt makes it taste any better."  Valys grinned, feeling more at ease in that moment as he pulled back and settled his hands on his hips. Even the buzzing in his bones had eased somewhat, enough for Valys to feel a bit more like himself and not like a man who'd just learned that the closest thing to a soulmate he had was in fact leading a fucking country.

   Valys chanced looking up from Lucille's face and at the Regent again, hoping the way his hearts rattled didn't at all reach his face when the human man mentioned joining families. He took a breath, the lapse in speech no more than a heartbeat before he barreled on with what he was saying to Lucille. "Would you, really? I never figured out how to braid it myself. I just make a tangled mess of it."

   Valys huffed, shaking his ponytail a bit as if to further chastise the golden mass for being so uncooperative.


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

Pallaton had opened his mouth, taking a breath and was about to mention the decorations. Explain the decor. It was ornate and fancy but, Lucille had her few moments to process the comment about eating fireflies. Her face contorted and she just wrinkled her nose.

"Fireflies?" She repeated, voice high pitch and she looked at her Apa. "Raw?" Another wrinkle of her nose and she buried her face in Pallaton's neck, to which he gave her back a rub and finger combed her curls. Walking past a few grand windows, he looked over to his tall guest and felt Lucille wriggle around again. A smirk and he paced himself so he and Valys were walking side by side.

"Apa,"Lucille said, leaning back in his arms and giving him a look before she shifted sides of his torso and leaned over to Valys. First her fingers were on his shoulders, and then she reached a little slippered foot -making sure it caught in his clothing for support and within twenty seconds, Lucille had spider monkeyed her way out of Pallaton's arms and curled her way around Valys.  There was complete trust and she curled her little arms around the bright shiny person's neck and breathed in deeply.

"You smell nice," she said brightly, resting her cheek on Valys's shoulder. Pallaton looked offended for a moment, glancing at his guest and his child but... Little beast wanted to move so he'd let her. Pallaton put his hands behind his back, holding them loosely and while they moved leasurely through the lower levels of the castle he pointed out a few of the more important rooms.

"This is... By far the most..." Pallaton frowned slightly, moving to open a door to a room not unlike a ballroom. Clearly for celebrations. "Ketra is very influenced by our northern neighbours," He said motioning to the shiny polished room, "Adela as a whole has... Many..." Pallaton paused for a moment, his political mind slowly seeping away because he wasn't staring into the rooms or the halls but watching his tiny daughter cling to the bright sun shiny person that was taller than him. Damn that pissed him off.

"Uh... What was I saying?" He paused before clearing his throat and pretending to ignore how Lucille was idly playing with Valys's hair, enchanted by the bright colour. Ketra wasn't not racially diverse, but most of the people she had contact with looked like her. Dusky skin. Black hair. Pallaton pushed a hand through his own dark hair, remembered his wife's dark hair. Looked at his daughters black hair. "Ah... Everywhere here is different enough to take some adjusting. Though, Ketra will be the easiest because we're so in contact with Serendipity - So if you and yours have spent any time in Serendipity, you should be fine here for the most part."

Pallaton pushed a grand door open at the end of a hallway of other doors, held it for a moment. Into the grand foyer and motioned to the stairs. "Might as well go for the whole tour if you ever do need to find me and I'm not in one of the offices, we can hand her back to her nurses when we get to the personal suites," He smiled, wrinkled his nose at Lucille when she poked her tongue out and Pallaton gave a soft chuckle before exaggeratedly rolling his eyes. Lucille simply tucked her head against Valys shoulder and twirled his hair between her fingers. "Up the stairs and to the left, there are some doors and then there are... My apartments, I suppose. I live in the castle, though I have a family estate for when the King returns and I'm not needed." A soft smile and Pallaton began to ascend the stairs, shoes making a soft thump through the carpet, taking careful easy steps so he didn't rush his companion.

nephero

   "Oh, yes. See, if you try to cook them, add a bit of flavour, you lose out entirely on the glowing-bits, and then I wouldn't look nearly so shiny as I do." Valys continued with his horseshit, grin wide and fangy in utter delight at how the tiny human girl hid against her father's neck. It was adorable, and he simply couldn't help but continue the game.

   "See, if you try to cook them, you end up looking a little bit like my cousin. Mashed peas and mud. Though he does smell a little bit of butter, which is surprisingly not unpleasant." His eyes were practically glowing with mischief as he looked to the side where the Regent was now keeping pace. Not that Valys would make such a thing easy for the human man— no, hearts a-flutter or not, there was no resisting teasing such a serious face, and so Valys kept his stride just long enough to make sure Pallaton Valerius had to work for it.

   Not so that poor Lucille was dislodged, of course, and even Valys had to put his mischief aside as the little human clambered across from her father's arms and into Valys' own. There again came the weird, irrational sensation that anything that came running at them in this particular moment would regret it, thoroughly. Luckily, though, no one seemed to have that kind of bad luck, and so Valys shifted his arms to allow Lucille to more comfortably settle against his chest.

   After all, the look on Pallaton's face after being so thoroughly abandoned was just too funny. Valys quirked one golden brow upwards at the human, not even pretending like his attempts to hide his smirk were at all genuine.

   Still, politeness dictated that Valys at least pay attention to what was being told him. In between making little faces at Lucille, of course, carefully schooling his features to be politely blank any time Pallaton's gaze wandered their way. Which seemed to be often, if only because he seemed rather put-out by the whole situation in general. Valys decided, somewhere in the least rational part of his mind, that he absolutely adored the little wrinkle that formed between the human man's brows every time he was trying to not look agitated.

   Now that would be a fun game: seeing just how many different ways Valys could make the wrinkle happen. It was entirely against his general interests, of course, considering this man was perfectly capable of banishing him into the dankest gutter of this bizarre country. But then again, that was half the thrill, wasn't it?

   Definitely worth undoing his ponytail and letting the full golden mass fall over his shoulder, giving Lucille plenty to toy with without having to reach over his shoulders to do so. The leather thong that had once held it all back, Valys simply pocketed inside of his jacket, thumbing at the flask already occupying that particular space before deciding he could be patient for the time being. It'd be too much of a bother trying to shift Lucille enough to get at it, and that sort of thing Valys was sure would get the sort of ire that was less "funny" and more "get the hell out."

   "Ah, Serendipity. Amazing wine, amazingly pretentious about it, too." Valys hummed, stepping through the huge doors that led to the grand foyer. He was suddenly glad he hadn't tried for a drink— there would have been no remembering any of this if he had been inebriated. Not to mention the fact that the thought of the personal suites made it exceptionally difficult to breathe, and thus required all of Valys' spare brainpower to keep from dissolving into "blushing maiden mode". Eugh.

   "Oooh, a family estate. Is that at all occupied while you're here being His Majesty's vicar, or is it one of those 'collect dust and be damned anyone else who might need it' situations?" Valys cooed sweetly, smile not entirely meant innocently.

   That had been the weirdest aspect of coming to these lands, how many houses stood empty and ornate and unused, collecting dust in between periodic washing by servants, summer houses and winter homes and expansive gardens that would only be enjoyed during short periods of the year. Back home, well. They didn't have anything like it. It came with living as a collective rather than these tiny human family units, Valys supposed, but it still rubbed him just the wrong way. Their entourage had passed by too many a soul begging for scraps just out of sight of city guards, from Connlaoth to Serendipity to Adela itself.

   It wasn't as if Valys planned to do anything about it. But that didn't mean he wasn't willing to give the Regent a hard time over it. Less for any sense of justice and more just needing to put the man off balance.

   He ascended after the Regent, taking the steps easily, even with his arms still full of tiny human, smoothly keeping pace with the man meant to be giving him a tour and not the other way around.

   "It's no wonder you keep so fit, with all these hallways and staircases. Certainly not a role for a layabout."


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

    Dealing with Valys was like trying to deal with a strangely gentle plant that also bit. Foreign. Odd. Pallaton kept his expressions as neutral as he could and did his very best not to let his face melt into a content little smile to see Lucille so taken with the large bright elf. It was hard to believe that she barely spoke to her nurses and here she was talking about eating bugs to glow with the newest... Adelan. Pallaton was only mildly hurt that she abandoned his arms so quickly but... When Valys wasn't looking - or at least when Pallaton wasn't paying attention to Valys paying attention to him - his gaze softened. "My family lives in the estate but... If your kin need somewhere to stay and the Castle makes them uncomfortable, I'm sure we can arrange for them to live there while they get settled. There might be enough room."

    If he'd been on the fence about these people his childs instant adoration would have swayed him. Good thing he'd made a choice before that and no one could claim that a young child made choices for the Regent. Pallaton made sure to keep an easy pace, showing Valys the library and the few desks off to the side for writing. A few more hallways. Polite nods to the help. Ahead, by the doors were two petite women, dark hair back in thick braids, caramel ski, eyes bright and focussed on the little girl. Though their faces were concerned at the sight of their charge in the arms of a giant elf man. They caught Pallaton's eye and simply nodded before ducking their heads down.

    "These are the personal suites," He said as the doors open. A small apartment of sorts that led to various bedrooms, his own, his son's. Lucille's. The two women followed in after them and moved to Lucille's nursery, the doors being opened and they went in to clean the various toys off the floor. Lucille of course started to squirm at the sight of her room, having gone quiet when she saw the nurses. Once she'd squirmed her way out of Valys' arms and down onto the ground she reached for Pallaton's hand. Of course, Lucille had done her damage to Valys' hair and had left it with messy half done braids.

    "Apa," she whispered, looking past him to Valys before she turned shy again and as silently instructed, Pallaton quickly sunk to the floor of her nursery and a book, two stuffed animals and Lucille was in his lap. "Care to join us?" He said, tossing his head to get the loose hair off his face while Lucille got herself comfortable with her back pressed against his chest and a book opened up on her lap. He paused for a moment after patting the ground beside him. "I apologise for getting sidetracked, this is hardly professional," Pallaton smirked and gave a little shrug, "She'll fall asleep in a few minutes, and once I tuck her in we can get back to the real tour." Another smile though, he smiled up at Valys, looking years younger and cheerful even before he nuzzled against Lucille's hair and opened the book.

    "Ever hear a story about a tortoise and a hare? It's quite a tale."

---

    It wasn't much longer later, maybe twenty minutes of reading about the quick hare and the sturdy tortoise. It wasn't not a children's book, but it was wordy and there were few pictures. Lucille was snoozing away against his chest, legs tucked up under his arm and Pallaton closed the book and gently stroked her cheek. Good. Pallaton looked to Valys and offered a small smile before he carefully lifted his daughter into his arms and stood up with a soft grunt before he moved to the bed far too big for a child her age. Gently he placed her in it and moved a stuffed animal into her arms.  Once he placed a kiss on her brow, Pallaton quietly left the room, hands tucked at his back and his chin up. Cheeks puffed up for a moment while he breathed and gazed out at the room. He'd been here for a while now and he still just felt like a guest.

    Pallaton chuckled, a little exasperated, "I promise when I plan on things being official in any capacity it doesn't go so off track." He hummed and glanced away for a moment before he went to a little nook with a few amber coloured beverages, a small glass was filled and he tipped it back quickly before rolling his shoulders and neck. A sigh and he stretched his arms, his back popping a few times "Any questions? Do you want to do anything? See anything? If I can make it happen, I'll do my best. Today I am your guide - and I will probably ask you more questions past that singing thing." Pallaton motioned to the nook, "care for a drink? It's whiskey."

nephero

   The tortoise and the hare was not a tale that Valys had ever heard before. It likely had something to do with the fact that there weren't many tortoises, where he'd lived previously, and certainly he wasn't young enough to go looking for children's tales in the long trek southward.

   And he didn't have any children of his own, either. Valys chewed at the inside of his cheek as he listened, head tilted just so he might better enjoy the sight of Pallaton, cross-legged on the floor, Lucille in his lap and her tiny head nodding more and more as the story went on. Eventually, the mini Regent fell asleep, and Valys was given a couple courteous moments to get his emotions and expressions under control.

   He knew, of course, that the moral of the story was little more than a reminder not to be so hasty. To a human, that's all it could be. But for him it was a reminder of things that he really preferred not to remember at all. Slow and steady wins the race, but not if what you're chasing is the hare itself.

   Valys sighed, long legs stretched out from where he sat on the floor, and he let his head fall back a bit to consider the ceiling while Pallaton tended to his sleeping daughter. Eventually, the elf got to his own feet, working out the muscles that needed no real working out save to give him something to do that wasn't openly staring at his host.

   Pallaton made a sound, though, like he wasn't terribly pleased but was resigned to it nonetheless. In that moment, Valys couldn't have related more. He bared his teeth in a facsimile of a smile, head cocked and messily braided hair sliding over one shoulder as he considered the human man. The hare.

   "Don't apologize on my account. Keeping official and proper and all is a load of yak-shit." Even outside of Lucille's room as they were, he kept his voice low, both as a courtesy to the girl as well as to prevent letting too much of his uncouthness show around someone still so young. She'd grow up so quickly, so soon, sprouting like the southern grasslands. Valys wouldn't be the one to speed that up any more than he had to, and if that meant keeping conversation polite, well. Sacrifices worth making and all that.

   But then, then, Pallaton went across the room and into a little nook, producing a glass filled with something that stunk to high heaven in a way that Valys had learned to appreciate meant one thing and one thing only: alcohol. He couldn't keep the naked delight from his face, and in very quick long strides Valys was in the nook himself, serving up a glass and swallowing half of it in the first gulp.

   Sighing like a man who'd been dying of thirst, and feeling altogether much warmer for it just from that one drink, Valys turned back to the dark hare he'd been tasked with chasing.

   "Considering you invited me up here to answer your questions, I can hardly argue against it. I even cleared my whole schedule of standing around and watching a grown adult fuss about more scheduling." Valys grinned, taking another solid swallow of his drink and rapidly refilling his glass before finally vacating the nook.

   It was easier, dealing with how far along into the race Pallaton already was, if Valys was utterly fucking smashed for it.

   "That's the one thing I won't miss, I'll be honest. Standing around tables, listening to people drone on and on and on, as if anyone needs to spend an hour learning how to share day in and day out. Though considering half of you all are barely over the age of adolescence, I shouldn't be surprised."

   Another, possibly too-bitter grin, and Valys took another swallow of the whiskey, shivering a bit at the tang as it faded. It wasn't unlike choking down medicine, but the results were infinitely worth the suffering. Another thing that Valys could relate to, in that moment, watching Pallaton's eyes without a care for how he was staring.

   "I'll be stuck in Ketra myself for the foreseeable future, at any rate. Perfectly easy to play the 'bumbling foreigner' card any time I act... unseemly." This time his smile was far more genuine, if a bit predatory, his tongue darting out in a quick golden flash to wet his lips before he took another, smaller sip. "But you, my dear Regent, have to be proper. You poor sod. Mincing words so you end up with thirty when it could be said in two."


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

__guilds, yo__
The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

There was no way his cheek would survive his tenure as Regent. He could already feel how chewed it was. How often he had to ground himself with the pain of teeth in this cheek. Keep himself from scowling. Keep himself from giving some dry sort of laugh at how ridiculous some of the stuff that went past his desk was. If he wasn't stoic he wasn't neutral and the major part of his job was being neutral. Pallaton let his eyes drift close for a moment, listening to Valys meander his way to the nook full of alcohol. He cracked an eye open and watched Valys drink, lifting an eyebrow and tilting his head ever so slightly.

Pallaton helped himself to a second drink, downing it quickly before pouring a third and looking off into the distance. Letting the warmth of the alcohol seep through his guts and curl up into his spine. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, fluffed his hair back and ground the palm of his hand into the stubbly hair on the side of his head. A sharp reminder of exactly what this past year had entailed. Pallaton sipped his drink, letting it numb his tongue and burn his throat. It wasn't until a few moments of staring into space that he realized he'd been making unbroken eye contact with a set of very brilliant eyes.

Well. He cleared his throat and glanced away after a moment, glancing back at Valys' face. Taking his features in. Pallaton had been polite to not stare at Valys or the other guests, even though they were very interesting looking. Now though, with the liquid courage and the very clear unspoken 'whatever' that Valys just oozed constantly, Pallaton took his drink and moved towards yet another desk, tucked to the side beside the Alcohol Nook. The papers on it were stacked nicely and it was clearly just to be read with a simple lamp, no ink, no writing tool. He leaned against it, crossing one arm over his front and resting his elbow on his hand so he could sip his drink slowly. Savoring the tingling feeling the whiskey left.

Usually he left any drinking for later. Today was different though. Apparently.

"Adolescent?" He mumbled, glancing off to the side squinting at a window while he tried to calculate just how too old to be an adolescent he was. He sighed and remained silent, squinting at Valys, eyes widening for a moment when even his tongue was golden. Pallaton almost tossed his hands up into the air because he was used to pink tongues and the razor thin control he had on being him and being The Regent was almost gone. "Well, I guess I'll do my best not to mince words," Pallaton sipped his drink and put the half-empty cup on the desk.

"So," he crossed his arms over his chest and looked Valys up and down, "Your kind doesn't have 'women'," He moved a hand and indicated all of Valys, stopping in the middle-ish-area. "Where do your babies come from? Because, well, not meaning to offend, you're more or less shaped like a human man." Pallaton frowned for a moment, "Though alarmingly tall." He gave a chuckle and actually smiled a little bit, "And I say that as an already alarmingly tall Adelan."

nephero

   Valys hummed, low and almost obscenely musical in his throat. Another lick of his lips, and another sip of whiskey, and another bout of careful staring ensued as Valys considered all the lines of fate laid out before him. There was coy, there was polite, there was in simple, easy terms that even a member of a completely different species could understand...

   There were so many ways to answer Pallaton's question, but the heat in Valys' belly and the numbness sinking into his fingertips demanded nothing but open, fluid action. After all, the tortoise may have won the race to the finish line, but he certainly never caught up with the hare in time to make any real difference.

   Valys needed to be the hare.

   He gulped down his glass of liquor, wandered over to the nook, refilled that same glass and then drained it again, before setting the cup down onto the surface with a final, ringing chime.

   "My kind does not have women the way yours seems to. There's no... external difference between us. You either are a woman, or you're not, and that's up to you to decide. Truth be told I thought you were both different species, though closely related. It's the ah," Valys gestured a bit, right around his own chest area, before sweeping his hands up and around his face and hair, "you know. The tits. I've yet to figure out their purpose beyond a distinct fascination for them by a percentage of the general population."

   Not that he seemed to much care for the functional purpose of breast tissue, anyway, the elf shrugging it off almost immediately before he began the slow walk towards the desk upon which Pallaton was leaning.

   It took every fiber of his being to keep from moving too fast, or looking too nervous, or allowing his hearts to beat so loud that even someone with dull as dishwater senses could pick it up. But, alcohol was a tricky thing, and while it kept him from moving anywhere too fast (or with grace), it didn't keep his eyes from dropping to look at Pallaton's lips as he drew close, stopping just inside the human's personal bubble.

   No mincing words. He had to be the hare.

   "Our kind... the Ztara Vratazi... we're of the stars. Bits of dust fallen from where the lights are most potent. But so are you." He looked up then, into Pallaton's eyes, relishing the few inches he had over the Regent if only because it gave Valys some sense of control. If nothing else, he would be able to posture the same as any one of them.

   Still, if he thought he'd had enough to drink, that had been a mistake. One easily rectified by reaching out the few inches between him and the human man before him. He took Pallaton's glass, took a sip that didn't quite drain the glass, and let another all-too satisfied sigh escape him as the fire in his veins robbed him of what little cares he had left.

   "Very small. Not very potent. But stardust nonetheless. And so, fate was kind enough to grant us happiness, to grant us heirs, no matter how much stardust there was between us. Our babies, Regent Valerius..."

   It was unfair how nice that sounded.

   "Our babies would come from me. Or, should I have been graced with one of your women for a resonance, they would come from her. And if that still confounds your sensibilities, your lordship, I would be perfectly content to grant you a demonstration."


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

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The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

Draconian

It was for the best that Pallaton didn't have a drink in his mouth. Or at least for the best that he wasn't a complete weirdo and just held alcoholic beverages in his mouth for the taste. Hearing the word 'tits' come out of anyone elses mouth in a setting that wasn't a tavern was jarring. Watching them semi-mime it was hilarious. Ah... Tits. Tits was a great word. He'd also have to explain their use to Valys at another time, because after the miming the elf-man just breezed right past the double-whammy of a topic. Okay. Pallaton didn't move. Instead he curiously watched the elf oh-so-calculatingly saunter over.

The attention Valys was giving him had his spine tingling for a reason other than alcohol and he shifted slightly, not uncomfortable but not quite sure how to deal with it. There had only been one person who'd looked at him like that and had made his spine tingle in such a way, and by now she had returned to the earth. Pallaton took a breath and calmly listened to the story about his species, frowning only slightly when Valys stole a sip of his drink. Which he promptly grabbed for, so he could drain the rest of the glass spitefully.

Of course, once Valys had finished his tale about Where Babies come from, he could only tilt his head and look Valys up and down. A few slow blinks and he looked to Valys' midsection and tried to imagine how he'd look when his own wife had been full of baby. Glowing. Ecstatic. It alarmed him for a moment when it fit so well and Pallaton pinched the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat. Guilt settled like a heavy weight into his chest and he glanced away for a moment. His true heart had been his wife and she was dead. Entertaining the idea alone of 'our babies' was... Wrong. Even if, on some level, it didn't seem that bad.  The offer of a demonstration had his golden eyes pop open and he decided that enough was enough.

Pallaton cleared his throat again and rested his hands on Valys' biceps, thumbs making soothing circles before he shook his head gently. At least he learned a very important fact about the Ztara Vratazi. They very clearly couldn't hold their alcohol. "I'm sure our children would be gorgeous, just like their..." Pallaton paused before he moved and carefully inserted himself under Valys's arm and then turned to examine the golden elf's features, "Mother." Because if Valys was the one having the babies, that made him the... Mom.  Once he was sure Valys was secure, he hooked his arm around the other mans middle and started to gently steer him away from the nook and the personal apartment back to the set of rooms that were a makeshift embassy.

"We should get you back to yours. I'm afraid I don't know how to deal with a Ztara Vratazi saturated in alcohol," Pallaton at least was entertained now, "And please. My name is Pallaton. You only need to refer to me as Regent when I'm in a stuffy looking article of clothing or we're in the office. I'm not working. I'm Pallaton. Now," He continued to meander, movements careful and his arm secure around Valys' middle, "We're going to get you back to Ana, yes? And he'll take care of you."

nephero

   Up in the north, existence was harsh. Even in the well sheltered spaces occupied by his ilk, death was no stranger. Valys and his fellow elves were, after all, carnivorous, and he'd gone hunting on more than one occasion with his opo, out snaring crystal-white hares and shooting the great, angry, gluttonous wolverines that might otherwise have sought to steal their kills.

   Life was harsh. Sometimes, the hare would wriggle loose, and take off in great bounding leaps across the icy snowscape, until the winds and surrounding blankness hid it from further view. Sometimes, there was simply no helping the strength of the trap, the tightness of the rope, the stability of the knot. And once Valys had laid his hands down one of these captured creatures, that was the end of it.

   A snap of the neck, and it was all over.

   When Pallaton pulled away as he did, pinched his nose as he did, shook his head as he did... in that moment, Valys felt a bit more like the hare than he had ever intended. Caught, fluttering, and now with the pressure of a hand at his throat and just shy of the moment where he, too, would go limp and be done with it. Pallaton put his hands on his arms, around his middle, but the hold was so familiar to Valys at this point there was no escaping the sterile implications of it.

   He'd been dragged from bars before, after all. Plenty enough to know what was coming— a whole heap of fucking nothing. Valys licked his lips, but his mouth was overdry, and he was already being led far away from the glasses and tumblers and all the amber golden forgetfulness each of them promised.

   And that was the state in which Valys was delivered to his own. Head swimming and chest an open, empty cavern. The contrast to before was agonizing, but he was entirely too far gone to put any of it to words. Even if he could speak, it would only be wild, slurring nonsense, which might have been a bit of a comfort if he weren't feeling quite so sharply.

   "You all wear stuffy things, Regent," he said, slow and deliberate as if they were the most important things in the world, "even when you think you're not."

   "Oh, hell." A third voice came out of nowhere, or so Valys thought, and in a flurry of movement that threatened to turn his stomach, he was pulled from Pallaton's grip and into much stronger arms. Valys hissed, teeth bared at such an intrusion, such familiarity, the briefest of passing contact between Ana and Pallaton setting his blood to boil well beyond what he was capable of processing.

   All the better that he was passed off as soon as possible, lifted up and brought deeper into the borrowed apartments their delegation had been gifted. Still, it wasn't far enough to cease hearing that soulful song in his bones, or the fading conversation between Ana and the Regent and all the apologies in the world.

   For a blissful, blackened moment, Valys felt nothing but the bed beneath him. But it was only for a moment, because a swift hand caught the heel of his foot— somehow, his boots had been removed in the process of getting him on the bed.

   "Just what the hell were you thinking!" Ana hissed, his own teeth bared in a fangy snarl unlike anything Valys had ever had a chance to witness before. It made him wonder what Ana needed bodyguards for, at least until the other elf took another swat at him and had him hissing in return.

   "Fuck off!"

   "Valys Dei I will personally skin you alive if you've gone and ruined everything by being an idiot!"

   "Ruined what? Ruined what? There's nothing for me to ruin. It's already done. There's nothing. He's so old, Ana, he's so fucking old, he has a son. He has a daughter."

   "What, the distillery?" Rhosiris quipped, popping up out of nowhere in his gruff, silent way and finishing up the unhappy task of getting Valys out of his good clothes before he ruined them.

   "The Regent," Valys spat back, flesh heating wild and hot between the alcohol and his own frantic feelings. At that Rhosiris's mouth snapped shut, and he turned alarmed, golden eyes onto Anastolyr, who looked back with just as much knowing fear. Mixed as it was, of course, with mild self-serving relief that this wasn't their own fate.

   The selfish fucking pricks. Valys snarled again, and slumped back against the pillows, eyes shut tight and willing the world to stop spinning so violently.

   "You felt it?" Ana asked, a bit more quietly. A bit more gently. A bit more better with words than marching right up to a man who'd already had his family and outright offering to have him on the office floor.

   "He wanted to know what he sounded like," Valys grumbled, pulling one pillow over his face and fighting the urge to scream. Fought and lost, and between the sharp edges of his nails and how forcefully he had to hold it to prevent anyone from thinking he'd been murdered, Valys pulled the pillow away with a fair trail of feather stuffing left behind.

   "I fucking hate this country," Valys said with an air of finality that decided it would be best if he was allowed to sleep this off.


——

   It was easily midday by the time Valys woke up again, mouth drier than if it had been salted and with a splitting headache to match. He cracked his eyes open, hissed at the agony the sunlight brought, and snapped them shut again. It took some shambling to get out of bed, a slow shuffle to the nearby washbasin. He picked up the jug that was meant to fill the sink and took a solid gulp of water from it, before pouring the rest into the wide, low bowl and promptly dunking his face into it.

   Sopping wet but mildly more himself, Valys set to the task of washing and redressing himself. It was late, and the apartments were quiet. Which meant that more than likely, his companions had decided to leave him in merciful sleep while they went about their day wherever that might have taken them.

   Which meant, of course, that Valys had no reason to act properly, and thus was free to take whatever fool notion popped in his head and just... run with it.

   Like how the only cure for a hangover was a bit of the poison that'd caused his suffering. Cora'mate. Hair of the dog. He distantly remembered the tour of the castle he'd been given, those memories thankfully well beyond his inebriation and so still somewhat useful to him.

   Strapping on his boots and belt, and then his jacket over it all, Valys strode out of the borrowed apartments, and set about the task of finding something to eat and, more importantly, something to drink, and certainly not caring for whomever he might have passed in the halls and offended with his disheveled state.

   The kitchens, at least, were a bit more like Valys was used to: big and crowded and with plenty of food stashed away in barrels or hanging overhead, bustling with movement as the midday lunch plans were put into effect for all the other residents of the castle.

   It was certainly enough movement for him to snatch up a plate of what seemed to be slices of beef and walk out with it unnoticed, tearing into a thin strip with his teeth and easily rending it into more manageable bites as he wandered out and into the castle courtyard. And promptly sneezed at the sudden wafting of pollen from the overabundant gardens.


VIGILANCE WALKING THE TOAST
Characters here!

__guilds, yo__
The Territok Orcs // The Oratok Orcs // Fausteth // The Ashmen

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