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votivescholarsWelcome to the world of the Durants...
Guests from the Nexus are met by an Isidor who is still dressed for business when she PINpoints them directly to the venue. She is on a mission and pleasantries are swiftly exchanged so that she can give instructions and explain how the day is going to go. The first thing to hit them is that it's hot, and bright. They are now in France, Isidor tells them, her narrative changes appropriately as she leads them from the small stone building, through immaculate gardens and towards a sprawling palace which she insists is small for what it is. This is the home of Gnonyma Durant, her grandmother. A 17th Century French palace once owned by royalty but was gifted to her family as thanks for 'a service' which Isidor says was so private that even the mage's journal doesn't detail what it was.
The air is dry and still, which makes the cool shade of indoors a pleasant relief. Like the ornate facade, the interior of the building is lined with intricate mouldings; decorated with impressive portraits; painted in bright, colourful shades; and filled with flowers and draping fabric. There is plenty of space, a fact emphasised by tiled floors that amplify each step and word. It looks as though almost every room is being used, from the way all the doors are held open for the steady flow of traffic. They are, however, let through the building and out another door. It's the quickest way to where seats sit lined up to face a gazebo decorated with ribbons and flowers that stands in front of a pond that might as well be a lake. Some people might notice the air above them ripple slightly, which certainly has nothing to do with the perfectly ornate poles at each corner of the seating area.
There are already plenty of people milling about. Servants stride from one place to another, expertly staying out of the way of the guests. There are some men and women who are dressed well for the occasion, but like the servants they stay out of the way and scan the area repeatedly, making no attempts to engage with the guests - security, judging by their earpieces. Members of the Durant family are easy to spot. They move in groups or pairs, often getting headed off by people looking to talk to them. A large majority of them also sport sashes of either red or purple with gold trim and ornate pins that vary from person to person. This, Isidor explains, is how you spot a patron and an accomplished scholar, based on the red or purple respectively. Viatorus is not yet an accomplished scholar, which is why they have no sashes. Members of Runa's family are equally easy to spot for those that know her. They would be the large group of tall, golden haired men and women with the distinctive Swedish accents happily talking to anyone and everyone.
After guiding them to their seats she tells them that the ceremony will be another twenty minutes and takes her leave to go and sort out the other numerous things on her endless list. Nobody bothers them while they wait. Everyone is too busy spotting old friends or making their way to their seats. It's a good time to enjoy the scenery. There is a small collection of musicians with harps, violins and flutes to one side. Even the breeze is smelling sweet with the perfume of the bouquets.
Within fifteen minutes Viatorus appears in a tailored suit of light grey and deep purple. He is closely followed by an older, stocky looking man in a black suit and purple tie, and sporting a red and black sash that is even more ornate than any others. Whatever the man is saying to him Viatorus barely gets more of a wave of recognition in to his friends before he's being guided to the gazebo and kept there. Shortly after he's joined by a young man and two women with tanned skin and black hair dressed in simple, but high quality clothes of purple, draping fabric. They look as serious as the man beside Viatorus. That is about the time Isidor reappears in more appropriate attire. She in turn heralds the appearance of a woman who shares her features, dressed in elegant gold and black, who is accompanied by a man whose black suit and purple tie are considerably more simple than his purple sash. Its intricacy matches that of the red one worn by the man standing next to Viatorus. The mood seems to shift at the appearance of these last two guests, becoming quieter, expectant. The Durants gather together, and Viatorus' fidgeting increases tenfold as they exchange words. The men with the sashes and the woman in gold take their seats, many of the guests follow suit.
The ceremony begins...
The young man in purple walks with his staff to stand at the head of the aisle and asks that everyone takes their seats. Exactly twenty minutes after the Nexus guests were shown their seats, the ceremony begins. The young man introduces himself as the high priest of Despoina and welcomes them to the union of the two families Durant and Nyström. As it is a ceremony to mark the union of two families with two sets of tradition and two sets of gods to honour, this will be a merging of these two cultures. It will be a handfasting ceremony of the Old Ways, he explains. This means that the couple will be as man and wife for a year and a day, and after that time they must choose if they wish to marry or separate. The guests now better informed, the priest stands back under the gazebo where a nervous Viatorus and patient Isidor stand waiting. On cue, the musicians start playing unfamiliar, but pleasant music to introduce the arrival of Ingirun dressed in white and accompanied by a rounded, red cheeked man, and followed by a woman who must certainly be one of her sisters. Once she was beside Viatorus, Ingirun's father sat down and the ceremony began.
The priest talked of uniting the two families, naming the virtues of both, as he got the bride-and-groom-to-be to hold hands which he bound in ribbons. He then took them through their vows before invoking the gods and goddesses to bless the union. The mixture of Greek and Norse deities made for a complicated blessing that might have been compared to seeking the approval of two powerful families. With wishes given, the priest unwrapped their hands and had the betrothed drink from the same cup. All in all it was a short ceremony as ceremonies go. A few more blessings were given and then the couple were prompted to kiss to seal the pact, which a bright red Viatorus did, very timidly. Luckily that only made Runa beam more brightly than she already was.
Dinner was in a large hall with close family at the head of the room and everyone else seated at round tables. Every position was carefully chosen, of course. The inevitable speeches came from the father of the bride (who rambled joyously about how happy he was to see his daughter with such a fine young man) and the mother of the groom (who gently, warmly, welcomed Runa into the family and spoke of how proud she and his father were). Drinks were plentiful, as were the courses. There were six in total with a selection of each: Appetisers, soup, fish, the main course, dessert, and a palate cleanser. No one will be going hungry tonight, that's a certainty.
After dinner it's Isidor who stands to say a few last words. She thanks everyone for coming and instructs them to enjoy the evening and all the festivities which "will go on at least until dawn". With that, guests are bid to go and enjoy the entertainment filling the palace.
And now for the party...
There isn't a single place that isn't being used for the party. The gardens have pleasant music playing in them, chairs and tables laid out with cushions and blankets for people to lounge in. One of the largest halls is set out for dancers and their spectators to enjoy live musicians that will play ballroom music for the first part of the evening and be replaced by a band that plays modern music for the second. There is a small room of bookshelves and leather armchairs where men congregate to sip whiskey. Rooms with couches and chairs have people moving in and out of them joining and starting conversations. The priest tends to three statues of goddesses that stand at the end of one room. Here he collects gifts and offerings for the couple's happy future. A man with a perfect smile enthralls a crowd with stories that are only exciting because of the way he tells them. A demure woman facilitates a conversation between straight backed men with chiseled features and shorter tanned men who look equally as disciplined. Servants are found throughout, bringing drinks and snacks to anyone who asks or so much as looks as if they're considering either.
((Feel free to backtag, threadhop, start threads, look for more NPCs, whatever you like! If you're unsure of something, looking for more details, or want to plot then you know the drill - Send a message my way and we'll chat!
Note about gifts: It will say on your character's invitation that gifts are optional and it is suggested that a gift to the gods/goddesses would be more than suitable instead.))
The Nyströms | Hephaestia | The Archon, Liselotte & Stathis | The Priest | Oraskis - The Seer
Lieselotte or Stathis | Poenia & Sagyne | Harrowheart & Anna | Adia | Felix & Jim | Evening Event | Isidor | Klaus
Guests from the Nexus are met by an Isidor who is still dressed for business when she PINpoints them directly to the venue. She is on a mission and pleasantries are swiftly exchanged so that she can give instructions and explain how the day is going to go. The first thing to hit them is that it's hot, and bright. They are now in France, Isidor tells them, her narrative changes appropriately as she leads them from the small stone building, through immaculate gardens and towards a sprawling palace which she insists is small for what it is. This is the home of Gnonyma Durant, her grandmother. A 17th Century French palace once owned by royalty but was gifted to her family as thanks for 'a service' which Isidor says was so private that even the mage's journal doesn't detail what it was.
The air is dry and still, which makes the cool shade of indoors a pleasant relief. Like the ornate facade, the interior of the building is lined with intricate mouldings; decorated with impressive portraits; painted in bright, colourful shades; and filled with flowers and draping fabric. There is plenty of space, a fact emphasised by tiled floors that amplify each step and word. It looks as though almost every room is being used, from the way all the doors are held open for the steady flow of traffic. They are, however, let through the building and out another door. It's the quickest way to where seats sit lined up to face a gazebo decorated with ribbons and flowers that stands in front of a pond that might as well be a lake. Some people might notice the air above them ripple slightly, which certainly has nothing to do with the perfectly ornate poles at each corner of the seating area.
There are already plenty of people milling about. Servants stride from one place to another, expertly staying out of the way of the guests. There are some men and women who are dressed well for the occasion, but like the servants they stay out of the way and scan the area repeatedly, making no attempts to engage with the guests - security, judging by their earpieces. Members of the Durant family are easy to spot. They move in groups or pairs, often getting headed off by people looking to talk to them. A large majority of them also sport sashes of either red or purple with gold trim and ornate pins that vary from person to person. This, Isidor explains, is how you spot a patron and an accomplished scholar, based on the red or purple respectively. Viatorus is not yet an accomplished scholar, which is why they have no sashes. Members of Runa's family are equally easy to spot for those that know her. They would be the large group of tall, golden haired men and women with the distinctive Swedish accents happily talking to anyone and everyone.
After guiding them to their seats she tells them that the ceremony will be another twenty minutes and takes her leave to go and sort out the other numerous things on her endless list. Nobody bothers them while they wait. Everyone is too busy spotting old friends or making their way to their seats. It's a good time to enjoy the scenery. There is a small collection of musicians with harps, violins and flutes to one side. Even the breeze is smelling sweet with the perfume of the bouquets.
Within fifteen minutes Viatorus appears in a tailored suit of light grey and deep purple. He is closely followed by an older, stocky looking man in a black suit and purple tie, and sporting a red and black sash that is even more ornate than any others. Whatever the man is saying to him Viatorus barely gets more of a wave of recognition in to his friends before he's being guided to the gazebo and kept there. Shortly after he's joined by a young man and two women with tanned skin and black hair dressed in simple, but high quality clothes of purple, draping fabric. They look as serious as the man beside Viatorus. That is about the time Isidor reappears in more appropriate attire. She in turn heralds the appearance of a woman who shares her features, dressed in elegant gold and black, who is accompanied by a man whose black suit and purple tie are considerably more simple than his purple sash. Its intricacy matches that of the red one worn by the man standing next to Viatorus. The mood seems to shift at the appearance of these last two guests, becoming quieter, expectant. The Durants gather together, and Viatorus' fidgeting increases tenfold as they exchange words. The men with the sashes and the woman in gold take their seats, many of the guests follow suit.
The ceremony begins...
The young man in purple walks with his staff to stand at the head of the aisle and asks that everyone takes their seats. Exactly twenty minutes after the Nexus guests were shown their seats, the ceremony begins. The young man introduces himself as the high priest of Despoina and welcomes them to the union of the two families Durant and Nyström. As it is a ceremony to mark the union of two families with two sets of tradition and two sets of gods to honour, this will be a merging of these two cultures. It will be a handfasting ceremony of the Old Ways, he explains. This means that the couple will be as man and wife for a year and a day, and after that time they must choose if they wish to marry or separate. The guests now better informed, the priest stands back under the gazebo where a nervous Viatorus and patient Isidor stand waiting. On cue, the musicians start playing unfamiliar, but pleasant music to introduce the arrival of Ingirun dressed in white and accompanied by a rounded, red cheeked man, and followed by a woman who must certainly be one of her sisters. Once she was beside Viatorus, Ingirun's father sat down and the ceremony began.
The priest talked of uniting the two families, naming the virtues of both, as he got the bride-and-groom-to-be to hold hands which he bound in ribbons. He then took them through their vows before invoking the gods and goddesses to bless the union. The mixture of Greek and Norse deities made for a complicated blessing that might have been compared to seeking the approval of two powerful families. With wishes given, the priest unwrapped their hands and had the betrothed drink from the same cup. All in all it was a short ceremony as ceremonies go. A few more blessings were given and then the couple were prompted to kiss to seal the pact, which a bright red Viatorus did, very timidly. Luckily that only made Runa beam more brightly than she already was.
Dinner was in a large hall with close family at the head of the room and everyone else seated at round tables. Every position was carefully chosen, of course. The inevitable speeches came from the father of the bride (who rambled joyously about how happy he was to see his daughter with such a fine young man) and the mother of the groom (who gently, warmly, welcomed Runa into the family and spoke of how proud she and his father were). Drinks were plentiful, as were the courses. There were six in total with a selection of each: Appetisers, soup, fish, the main course, dessert, and a palate cleanser. No one will be going hungry tonight, that's a certainty.
After dinner it's Isidor who stands to say a few last words. She thanks everyone for coming and instructs them to enjoy the evening and all the festivities which "will go on at least until dawn". With that, guests are bid to go and enjoy the entertainment filling the palace.
And now for the party...
There isn't a single place that isn't being used for the party. The gardens have pleasant music playing in them, chairs and tables laid out with cushions and blankets for people to lounge in. One of the largest halls is set out for dancers and their spectators to enjoy live musicians that will play ballroom music for the first part of the evening and be replaced by a band that plays modern music for the second. There is a small room of bookshelves and leather armchairs where men congregate to sip whiskey. Rooms with couches and chairs have people moving in and out of them joining and starting conversations. The priest tends to three statues of goddesses that stand at the end of one room. Here he collects gifts and offerings for the couple's happy future. A man with a perfect smile enthralls a crowd with stories that are only exciting because of the way he tells them. A demure woman facilitates a conversation between straight backed men with chiseled features and shorter tanned men who look equally as disciplined. Servants are found throughout, bringing drinks and snacks to anyone who asks or so much as looks as if they're considering either.
((Feel free to backtag, threadhop, start threads, look for more NPCs, whatever you like! If you're unsure of something, looking for more details, or want to plot then you know the drill - Send a message my way and we'll chat!
Note about gifts: It will say on your character's invitation that gifts are optional and it is suggested that a gift to the gods/goddesses would be more than suitable instead.))
✣ · ✣ · ✣ · ✣
The Nyströms | Hephaestia | The Archon, Liselotte & Stathis | The Priest | Oraskis - The Seer
Lieselotte or Stathis | Poenia & Sagyne | Harrowheart & Anna | Adia | Felix & Jim | Evening Event | Isidor | Klaus
no subject
Date: 2017-06-21 03:28 pm (UTC)"Anna, great to meet you. You go right ahead and call me Jim." He follows Harrow's gesture over to Felix and can't help the proud smile that flits across his face when he catches sight of the conjurer. "Yeah, Felix is over there doing what he does best." He's better at it than even Jim is, if someone asked him about it.
"Ha! That doesn't surprise me. I've only ever known your brother as Harrowheart, though I'm assuming that's not his given name hearing yours now." Jim looks between the two of them, all bright eyes and bright smiles. Though he doesn't ask the obvious question sitting in front of them here. not in public. It's a question for later, possibly in the company of alcohol.
"I'm James Kirk. Pleasure to meet you Anna. I heard through the grape vine (more like raisin vine since it was from Naugus, but details) that you and yours were staying in the Nexus these days. I hope it's been a smooth adjustment?"
no subject
Date: 2017-06-21 09:35 pm (UTC)A silence fills the space between the two siblings for an uncomfortably-long time before Anna eventually nods at Jim and forces a watery smile. "We live with Ixis Naugus, yes. He's been very, very generous. He pays for all of our food that we don't grow ourselves, he gave us clothes, we've all got a soft place to sleep. It's a little crowded, but there are an awful lot of us there. Mom, Dad... Two other sisters, four brothers including the one you know, my sister's girlfriend and my other sister's husband, and their daughter and newborn baby..." She glances to her brother to be sure she's getting them all, but he's got to think on it too. Sounds about right, he figures, and so he nods at her, and Anna nods at Jim.
"We've been working his land, gardening, taking care of his little 'chao' creatures. It's different, and it's small, but it's the safest any of us have ever felt. Even with that whole..." She pulls an uncomfortable face and refuses to say the exact words, opting instead to describe it as an "...Incident that happened? We went inside his castle and we knew nothing could hurt us. If I was religious I'd say we're blessed, but really we're just lucky that my brother found the Nexus and made the friends he did."
no subject
Date: 2017-06-22 12:12 pm (UTC)Though at the mention of a daughter and a baby he's reaching over to clap Harrow on the shoulder again. There's genuine happiness in his eyes when he leans in to speak.
"You didn't tell me you were an Uncle, Harrow. That's good, great even! You got them somewhere safe, and they can raise their family now." His siblings and their children are lucky to have Harrow. To have someone who puts their safety first. Jim couldn't be more proud of his friend. He actually looks a bit choked up about it for just a second. Though Jim rebounds quickly.
"The Nexus is a good place, Anna." Just let him clear his throat there, for absolutely no reason. He wasn't emotional for a minute there, no. Of course not. James Kirk is always cool and in command. "Though....it's not perfect." Bringing up the Khan incident does do a remarkable job of making Jim's overly exuberant demeanor sober instantly. He checks his dark expression though and nods her way. "We'll keep it safe. The nexus. Don't you worry."
no subject
Date: 2017-06-26 02:01 am (UTC)What Jim has to say about the Nexus, Anna takes at face value. She believes it, too, if her humble smile and the tiny though nonetheless grateful nod of her head says anything.
"How about you, Jim?" she asks. "I hope it's not a bad question to ask, but do you have any children of your own? Or nieces and nephews?"
no subject
Date: 2017-06-26 03:58 pm (UTC)His chuckle is soft and genuine. Blue eyes shining while he listens to Harrow talk. Harrow has a family. And by the looks of it, a living one at that. until now he'd never stopped to consider who his friend had to protect or go home to and he's so glad that there is someone after all. A place where he can feel at home.
Though he coughs at Anna's question and barks out a laugh.
"Me? God I hope not. Children, I mean. I don't know that I do." He doesn't know that he doesn't either buuuut his single life before meeting Felix is not exactly polite conversation by any means. He could have children.
The thought is terrifying and depressing. If he does, whoever it was with certainly didn't want him to know.
"I don't, no." He starts again with a shake of his head. "No chance of it happening at the moment, considering my partner. And no family to have nieces or nephews from. Maybe if Felix's brother gets a ladyfriend, that'll change."
no subject
Date: 2017-06-29 02:52 pm (UTC)"Hopefully you don't, then," she says, patting his arm gently. "Our brother Lawrence likes to joke with him," she motions to Harrowheart with an open hand as he's staring into the abyss, "That one day a whole litter of puppies are going to show up on our door calling him Daddy."
Harrow, eyes wide, turns his head owlishly and stares at Anna. After a prolonged pause he reaches out and pokes her in the shoulder. "You're going to make him think I'm out there lovin' animals. Just 'cause I'm a hick don't mean I'm into that."
Anna tisks and whisper-scolds, "We're at a fancy party, don't talk like that! You know that's not what I meant! They'd be worgen puppies, obviously..."
no subject
Date: 2017-06-30 05:45 pm (UTC)At first Jim shoots a grin Harrow's way. It must be a farm-boy thing, to get accused of the casual bout of bestiality from time to time by city folk. His communications officer had made much the same sort of stab at him when he'd first ended up joining Starfleet.
But there's a wrinkle to this one and not just in Harrow's defensive posture that makes Jim pause. Frown thoughtfully before he looks between the two of them again.
"What's a worgen?"
no subject
Date: 2017-07-01 07:52 pm (UTC)He finally sighs and motions to himself. "A worgen is what I am. Not the whole dead thing, it's like..." He rolls his eyes upward as he thinks. What was the Earth word for it? "Werewolf? You know what a werewolf is? Before I died I was bitten by a worgen and became a worgen. I can turn into a wolf... man. Wolfman. But I haven't shown that to many folks in the Nexus 'cause I didn't know how y'all were gonna take it..."
Then he lays a hand on his sister's shoulder and says, "My whole family's been thinkin' about havin' me turn 'em into worgen, actually. I figured everyone'd find out if or when we go through with that."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-02 09:18 pm (UTC)No?
Just going to...stare awkwardly at those curtains as though they're the most interesting things ever in Anna's case and continue giving Jim that expectant look in Harrows?
Oh.
Oh.
What the fuck?
"I'm not sure if your luck is terrible or awesome, Harrow." On the one hand cursed like twice over. On the other, badass frost magic AND a fuckall powerful doggy form? Actually this is still a lot for the human with no magic in his day to day life to process. He's trying though!
"It can't be all that bad if your family wants in though...right?"
no subject
Date: 2017-07-05 03:42 pm (UTC)"I'm not so sure about my luck, either. And, y'know? It really ain't that bad. I love bein' a worgen, now that I don't turn feral every night. My family'll go through the ritual that'll make 'em not feral, too. We'll be one big, happy, functional worgen family."
Anna rolls her eyes and in an amused, sarcastic way says, "I can't wait to start planting crops by digging holes in the ground with my paws."
no subject
Date: 2017-07-10 03:40 pm (UTC)"Can't argue with the efficiency." He gestures with his glass toward Anna at her own humor. It sounds like there's no real harm to such a change, if they are able to undergo a process that allows them to be fully in control of the transformation and their actions afterward.
If it makes Harrow and his family happy and able to protect themselves, there's nothing wrong with such things, right?
"I'm just glad everything seems to be going your way, you know?" He positively beams between Anna and Harrowheart. "You deserve the break."