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Post by Silvia Raizer on Sept 6, 2020 23:00:39 GMT
"I'd better get to work quickly then, hadn't I." Silvia grinned. "I do hope you aren't always so hasty. Some things take time and careful thought. Writing, perhaps. Among other things."
She gave him a wink and sipped her wine.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Sept 7, 2020 3:41:37 GMT
"Well you are welcome to accompany me," Nigel offered, with a broad smile. "I mean to present this blade to His Grace as a gift along with the first draft of my new book. Based on what I have learned of the sword, I am confident he will offer any boon desired in exchange. You can enjoy the lavish royal courts, spend some of your new coin at the finest shops on the continent, benefit from the perks of traveling with a celebrity, and perhaps there will be excitement with the Brotherhood of the Silent or the Death Knight on the road." He considered the second question. "I leave those negotiations to my publisher, but in the past they have compensated the other Mighty Thornhearts in exchange for rights to their likeness, merchandising, and the sort." "It does sound fascinating," Justine admitted, trying to conceal the contempt in which she held the Emperor. It might be interesting to meet him even...though the very name of his predecessor stuck in Justine's throat. Surely the man who held the title now would be no different. Juliette whispered revenge at the corners of her mind, but Justine just held a pleasant look on her face. "A gift. How lovely. Not sure how well a boon can be split among our erstwhile companions, though, unless that boon comes in the form of cold hard cash." "I'd like to read the draft of the book, though. And I would be very happy to speak with this publisher. I promise to be extremely exacting in details of your..." she cleared her throat. "Heroism." "Speaking of your heroism...whatever happened to that sad little boy in the well? He was such a tragic figure, poor thing." If Justine's gaze was more focused and her tone a little sharper, Nigel likely didnt notice. |
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Post by Nigel Thornheart on Sept 7, 2020 5:03:31 GMT
"Gold can change a life, but the word of an emperor can change a destiny," Nigel replied, with a flourish. "I will compensate each of you from my own coffers if need be. Though as I said, you are welcome to join me if you have a boon in mind to request." "I will ensure you get an advance copy, though truth be told I had hoped to see you on the cover," he winked, as his fresh drink arrived. "Perhaps on our next adventure." He did not sound particularly optimistic. His books were littered with the corpses of young adventurers. He took a long quaff as he considered her question, as if searching his own memory. "From Marauding with Monsters?" he clarified, stroking his his mustache thoughtfully. "Who can say? That was some years ago." He was careful in his vanity not to say how long ago. "The horrors of the Mist were not a place for a child. You have spent enough time Ceutinde's House of Respite to see what they can wrought on a man grown. The last I saw of the boy he had enough coin in his pocket to start a fresh life, out of the gutters." "I'd better get to work quickly then, hadn't I." Silvia grinned. "I do hope you aren't always so hasty. Some things take time and careful thought. Writing, perhaps. Among other things." She gave him a wink and sipped her wine. "When you live a life as mine, the words just flow onto the pages," Nigel assured the bard. "We lived the hard part. Telling the tale is a simple task by comparison." |
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Sept 7, 2020 6:07:08 GMT
"To be on the cover would be an honor, but that honor seems like it might be a bit more expensive than I am willing to part with. A lady needs courting and you don't seem the courting type." The matter of the emperor could be sorted later. Edysse did seem like a place she would want to go. Despite her roiling thoughts, her glass was emptied and a second one was swallowed down much more quickly. Quickly enough Nigel nearly received a wink of his own. Nearly.
As she studied his face, it was clear he remembered Demetrius as much as he remembered the name of the whore he had purchased three days ago; that is, not much at all. Instead of making a face, she just drank again. "I do wonder what could have happened to a boy like that. I seem to remember someone in the as...someone who once told me a very similar story. I'm sure they got it all from reading your books, of course."
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Post by Nigel Thornheart on Sept 7, 2020 6:24:59 GMT
"To the contrary, I feel most women would consider an invitation to join a celebrity on vacation to the capital, a shopping spree in its finest establishments, and hobnobbing with the cream of Innuria in the royal court to be be a courtship worthy of a legendary romance." Nigel twirled his mustache, as he sold the experience. "Do not mistake persistence for laziness. Nigel Thornheart does not cut corners."
"Fans have a habit of filling in the blanks and let their imaginations run wild. If I had a gold piece for every conspiracy theory I heard from the most devoted of Thorn Hearties...well...I suppose I do. Aha!" It was good to be rich. "I cannot say how the boy's life turned out, but I can say it was infinitely more interesting having crossed paths with that of the Adventurer Extraordinaire."
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Post by Silvia Raizer on Sept 7, 2020 17:31:15 GMT
"When you live a life as mine, the words just flow onto the pages," Nigel assured the bard. "We lived the hard part. Telling the tale is a simple task by comparison." "I can see the sense in that, being a storyteller myself. Though of course the hero always sounds much cleverer and braver in a story or a song, and the hard decisions are agonised over for no more than a moment." She thought about the fact that she had never quite believed in Thornheart's adventures as true stories. Having met him she saw that there was much more truth in the stories than she had ever dared imagined, particularly with regard to Nigel himself. "I haven't yet started on the ballad of our grand adventure. Perhaps if you're very lucky I'll manage to complete it in time for your book signings." |
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Sept 7, 2020 17:51:52 GMT
"To the contrary, I feel most women would consider an invitation to join a celebrity on vacation to the capital, a shopping spree in its finest establishments, and hobnobbing with the cream of Innuria in the royal court to be be a courtship worthy of a legendary romance." Nigel twirled his mustache, as he sold the experience. "Do not mistake persistence for laziness. Nigel Thornheart does not cut corners." "Fans have a habit of filling in the blanks and let their imaginations run wild. If I had a gold piece for every conspiracy theory I heard from the most devoted of Thorn Hearties...well...I suppose I do. Aha!" It was good to be rich. "I cannot say how the boy's life turned out, but I can say it was infinitely more interesting having crossed paths with that of the Adventurer Extraordinaire." "Vacation?" Justine smirked. "A working one, I would think." Spending time with him was indeed a lot of work, but she still found herself tempted. If Demetrius hadn't returned, she may well have agreed to go along. There were worse things a girl could do than travel with an adventurer or two. The long pause of consideration could have even made Nigel think that she would say nothing but yes, yes, yes. "I'm sorry, Mr Thornheart. It sounds like a jaunt, but my dearest companion has come to Bastion and I don't think he would like me to leave him again so soon. Perhaps he and I will put our heads together to solve the mystery of that strange little boy from the well." She winked at Nigel as she raised her glass, which was somehow full again, to him. "To crossing paths with the Adventurer Extraordinaire!" |
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Post by Thalia Vedas on Sept 7, 2020 18:00:04 GMT
As the other woman bought into Nigel’s narcissism, Thalia instead engaged with Herneiros, “I haven’t finished the translation yet, but I found out that there are five other facilities like that one, in various places, none are close though, it would be another expedition.” Thalia confirmed to him, smiling even as the others droned on about shopping, “I am curious if we could find more globes there, or more information, with some study perhaps we can find a way to push back the mist.” She nodded, “is that something you’d be interested in?”
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Post by Geoffrey Ravenhurst on Sept 7, 2020 18:09:33 GMT
As the other woman bought into Nigel’s narcissism, Thalia instead engaged with Herneiros, “I haven’t finished the translation yet, but I found out that there are five other facilities like that one, in various places, none are close though, it would be another expedition.” Thalia confirmed to him, smiling even as the others droned on about shopping, “I am curious if we could find more globes there, or more information, with some study perhaps we can find a way to push back the mist.” She nodded, “is that something you’d be interested in?” Herneiros had been staring intently out the window in order to avoid getting into another argument with Thornheart. When Thalia spoke to her, he turned to her in surprise and grinned, thankful for the distraction. "Aye, I should like that. I was planning to ask Lady Searshe about the facility itself, but I think right now, I think you're the best hope we have. I only read Elven, but... I am very familiar with the continent, having explored it most of my life. If there were a map of these facilities, we could combine what we know and work something out." He spoke softly in Elven so Nigel wouldn't try butting in on their adventure. |
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Post by Thalia Vedas on Sept 7, 2020 18:17:59 GMT
“That would be agreeable.” Thalia replied also in eleven, “when I say the facilities are not close, I mean nine are sitting a thousand miles.” She confirmed, wondering if he had ventured that far, “I am hoping the other book contains more information, but I have not even started that one. Did you have any more texts? I know Ceutinde took some also, I may ask to look at hers also.”
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Post by Nigel Thornheart on Sept 7, 2020 18:28:28 GMT
"I can see the sense in that, being a storyteller myself. Though of course the hero always sounds much cleverer and braver in a story or a song, and the hard decisions are agonised over for no more than a moment." She thought about the fact that she had never quite believed in Thornheart's adventures as true stories. Having met him she saw that there was much more truth in the stories than she had ever dared imagined, particularly with regard to Nigel himself. "I haven't yet started on the ballad of our grand adventure. Perhaps if you're very lucky I'll manage to complete it in time for your book signings." Nigel looked puzzled by this concept of exaggerating your acts of heroism. "I am certain inspiration will strike on the voyage," Nigel twirled his mustache devilishly. "You will find that I am a muse without equal." "Vacation?" Justine smirked. "A working one, I would think." Spending time with him was indeed a lot of work, but she still found herself tempted. If Demetrius hadn't returned, she may well have agreed to go along. There were worse things a girl could do than travel with an adventurer or two. The long pause of consideration could have even made Nigel think that she would say nothing but yes, yes, yes. "I'm sorry, Mr Thornheart. It sounds like a jaunt, but my dearest companion has come to Bastion and I don't think he would like me to leave him again so soon. Perhaps he and I will put our heads together to solve the mystery of that strange little boy from the well." She winked at Nigel as she raised her glass, which was somehow full again, to him. "To crossing paths with the Adventurer Extraordinaire!" "A pity, I had hoped to convince His Grace that his predecessor was perhaps hasty in the judgement of the de Vair family and a royal pardon was in order," he remarked, wondering to himself if a person spent enough time in the gutter they began to delude themselves that they belonged there. He clinked his glass against her own. "May you wander but never be lost, seek but never go wanting, and always be legendary." |
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Post by Geoffrey Ravenhurst on Sept 7, 2020 18:41:01 GMT
“That would be agreeable.” Thalia replied also in eleven, “when I say the facilities are not close, I mean nine are sitting a thousand miles.” She confirmed, wondering if he had ventured that far, “I am hoping the other book contains more information, but I have not even started that one. Did you have any more texts? I know Ceutinde took some also, I may ask to look at hers also.” "I... I do actually. I took a book from the village we landed near. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it's had a preservation spell laid upon it. It should still be with my other belongings. I can deliver it to you at your residence..." |
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Sept 7, 2020 18:46:20 GMT
"Yes, always legendary." She drank and grinned. "You would be late to that game. It was my price for the journey, above and beyond the gold. I am a free woman again, thanks to Searshe." Privately she had several nasty thoughts about the sort of ruler that would come down that hard on an innocent woman and little children, but she didnt exactly have to worry about using her real name anymore.
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Post by Thalia Vedas on Sept 7, 2020 18:54:21 GMT
“No need, I could always come to you if you’d prefer “ Thalia assured him, “I wanted to speak to your fellow misthunters anyway, I heard rumours they have stories about my mistress,” she assured him, nodding
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Post by Geoffrey Ravenhurst on Sept 7, 2020 18:57:27 GMT
"Oh, my father knows everyone. Until we met Lady Searshe, I honestly thought he was the oldest living sentient creature on this world. Although you would never know it from the dirty jokes. He makes the mundane magical and the magical mundane. I would happily introduce you."
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