Get to Know You

The date is December 19, 4289.
It is now late at night.

The deep blue night sky is clear and cloudless, and the stars glitter. An icy wind blows from the northwest.

Main Foyer

The Main Foyer of Castle D'Image is an impressive room, black and grey marble columns stretching along the walls to the high vaulted ceiling above. Between the monumental columns are padded marble benches for the comfort of those who would socialize here. The marble floors shine gently in the illumination from everburning tapers that provide a flickering light. The recesses of the immense entryway are still, however, shrowded in shadows.
To the west lies the impressive set of double doors leading into the throne room, and at either side of them are stairs leading up to the foyer balcony. The east end of the roomis dominated by a large gateway leading out of the castle. To the north lies the library, and the north wing. South, an archway leads into the banquet hall, another hallway goes down to the general quarters, and an alcove for recent arrivals can be seen.

Contents:
Julius
Elsha
Kai
Castle Guards
Antha enters the main foyer from the direction of the library, still carrying a text in her arms. She smiles pleasantly to all.

Julius turns to slip back out the gateway quickly. The baron forgot something!

Julius heads through the gateway to the east.
Julius has left.

Elsha nods to Antha, then heads outside.

Elsha heads through the gateway to the east.
Elsha has left.

Antha frowns a little. Strange, she /had/ bathed today.

Kai gets up from the bench he was quietly sitting on, and wanders off out the gateway, still with a far-off look on his face.

Kai heads through the gateway to the east.
Kai has left.

Lawn - Public Gardens

Dancing water is the first thing that catches your eye. Surrounded by green lawns strewn with golden leaves, a graceful fountain of snowy marble tosses crystal spray into the brisk air, catching every ray of moonlight and throwing it back in glitter and rainbows. A broad path of crushed white stone runs in a wide circle around the fountain, ringed in turn by blooming beds of asters, marigolds, and other late blossoms. Beyond them, the lawns continue, smooth and still softly verdant. A row of rosebushes, a few crimson blooms still clinging to their branches, are planted along the stone wall to the north, flanking the gate. The path branches off to the south, where it joins a shady avenue lined with flame-crowned trees, and to the east toward a quiet grove.

The deep blue night sky is clear and cloudless, and the stars glitter. An icy wind blows from the northwest.

Contents:
Julius

Julius had grabbed whatever it was he was missing, and is now standing near the fountain, his cloak and long hair blowing most gracefully in the winds.

Antha glances around the gardens, as if having not seen the gardens before, until finally her gaze lands on you. She gives a quite subtle nod, as if confirming something to herself. "It's midnight" she states, whatever that means.

Julius turns to Antha, hearing her entrance. "Ah, Lady Antha, greetings again."

Antha bows her head slowly in greeting. "What are you doing out here so late, Julius?" Her voice is soft and fluid.

Julius smiles charmingly. "Taking a moonlight stroll. Yourself?"

Antha gestures to you. "I followed you, of course." She lets her eyes take in more of the gardens of the water-spewing fountain. "I'm glad I did. I've never see it at night."

Julius smiles warmly. "Followed me, hmm? I wonder why..." He comments gently.

Antha smirks and eyes you vaguely. "I'm a curious type of person."

Julius smirks faintly. "Be sure not to inform the guard that your stalking a baron." He winks playfully. "So how have you been?"

Antha chuckles, but it's soft and barely heard, as if she laughs for just her. She looks down at the book in her arms, then back to you. She shrugs. "I'm up at midnight after quite a few hours of heavy reading. You?"

Julius shrugs faintly. "I've been working hard on fixing my keep."

Antha cants her head questioningly.

Julius smiles lightly. "My house on my lands... Its a long story."

Antha nods slightly, then makes her way to the fountain and sits on its rim.

Julius watches her move, keeping quiet for the moment, remaining where he is, next to the fountain.

Antha looks up at you from her new position. "I like long stories" she says pointedly, the ends of her lips curled into a daring smile.

Julius laughs and takes a seat next to you on the fountain. "My wife's house was attacked, someone trying to kill her parents and her family, in which they did, but she lived. She inherited the keep, and not to long ago, we married. I've been working on repairing the damages that were done during the battle."

There is disappointment in her eyes, but one would have to be studying her to see it. It flashes, then is gone. She straightens. "Who were they that they warranted an assasination?"

Julius tilts his head to her, answering simply. "Her uncle."

Antha blinks. "Talk about the black sheep of the family" she comments absently.

Julius nods softly. "Indeed." He comments and runs a hand idly through his hair.

Antha rakes a hand through her hair as well and abruptly changes the subject. "So, tell me about your wife."

Julius chuckles faintly. "Baroness Lillian... She's... quite amazing. Skilled in archery and swordplay, rather energetic young woman."

Antha smiles. "How long have you known each other?"

Julius hmms softly. "Two years now, I do believe..."

Antha nods, then quirks her head. "May I ask what it's like to be...oh what's the D'Image word...uh..oh, monogamous?"

Julius tilts his head faintly and chuckles a little. "Can't really answer that." Since he secretly has another lover...

Antha gestures at you. "If you're married, how can you not answer that?" She pauses thoughtfully, then asks, as if a bit insulted. "Or do you think I could not understand that kind of relationship?"

Julius smirks faintly. "No, I have my reasons to my not being able to answer it."

Antha shrugs, her carefree grin returning. "That's alright. No one gives me a straightforward answer on that question anyhow."

Julius laughs faintly. "Fall in love with a married man, and you'll find out why."

Antha chuckles wholeheartedly and blurts out. "I already did." She laughs some more, though it's seems quite tinged with unbounded fury.

Julius arches an eyebrow, glancing to her. "Oh? Who may I ask?"

Antha shrugs. "Why not? Sir Timothy." She utters a curse in Oomuran, but seems to have calmed considerably and quite quickly. "When I returned, I learned he was married to the castle healer, Brianna."

Julius ahs softly. "Sir Timothy, yes... I think I've met him once before, I'm not sure..."

Antha chuckles. "If you'd met him, you'd remember. Acts pompous and self-important."

Julius hrms faintly. "don't know any of those types, thankfully."

Antha grins. "That seems like all I know." She chuckles.

Julius laughs softly. "Well I don't see myself as self-important, and hope I don't act pompous..."

Antha shakes her head, still laughing. "Okay, maybe I should have should 'the majority of those I know."

Julius grins.

Antha looks heavenward. "It's beautiful" she comments.

Julius glances up and smiles a bit. "Yes, it is... Can you point out any groupings?"

"Groupings?" she asks.

Julius hmms. "Constellations."

Antha nods and smiles with a shake of her head. "I'm afraid I'm not up on my astronomy."

Julius grins a bit. "I'm not much of the astronomer myself..." He laughs faintly. "So what do you do for a living?"

Antha pushes back stray strands of raven hair in an easy gesture. "I own and run a galatea back in Oomura."

Julius ahhs softly and nods. "Ah, I see..."

Antha smirks. "You know what a galatea is, right?"

Julius smirks faintly. "It slips my mind at the moment."

Antha scratches the side of her head. "I believe there are some in D'Image as well, though I haven't come across one yet. It's a hand-to-hand combat arena. No weapons, only fierce brutality."

Julius grins a bit. "Sounds like my kind of fight..."

Antha chuckles. "I thought you liked to swing around your blade" she teases, a flirtacious note back in her voice.

Julius arches a brow slightly, eyes flirtatious for a moment. "Depends on my opponent."

Antha grins and gazes back. "Ever been to one?"

Julius shakes his head. "No, but I've been in a few weaponless duels before though."

Antha nods. "Before I took over the Calan, my galatea, I was a fighter like all the rest."

Julius nods a bit. "I miss dueling..."

Antha smirks. "You don't practice anymore, or do you just miss the thrill of real combat?"

Julius smiles. "I still practice, I just miss the thrill of real combat, yes..."

Antha hmms. "Don't they haven't tournaments in these parts from time to time, Julius?"

Julius says, "I usually miss them... I've been too busy to really do much lately..."

"Busy?" she asks.

Julius nods. "Fixing my house, dealing with financials... etc."

Antha shrugs, biting her lower lip momentarily. "Eventually you'll have time."

Julius nods softly. "Hopefully."

Antha rises from her spot on the rim of the fountain. "If you don't have time, make time. Cut something out that's unneccessary."

Julius hrms faintly. "All of my business seems to be neccessary..."

"Cut out sleeping", she teases lightly.

Julius laughs faintly. "That I don't think is possible." he jests. "I simply wouldn't be able to function then..."

Antha nods her head up and down. "Actually, you can survive on 1 hour of sleep a day for quite some time...though you'd be riding pretty rough."

Julius hrms softly. "Don't want to try it... I have two sons to look after..."

"Two?!" she asks incredulously, her eyes nascent with shock. "How old are you?"

Julius blinks. "Twenty-five... One was just born about a week ago, the other is eighteen in a month and is my ward."

Antha lets out an appreciative whistle. "That's quite a handful."

Julius chuckles lightly. "Actually, Gregory, my eighteen year old ward is a rather responsible young man, getting married soon too, and his fiance is pregnant with his own child... The newborn, is of course, energetic but no where near a handfull."

"Still, I can't imagine trying to raise a child. I, myself, was a little terror from birth, or so says the woman who birthed me." she states.

Julius chuckles a bit. "My mother said I was an angel until I hit four."

Antha chuckles as well, "I thought it was at age 2 when everyone supposedly goes bad." (e.g. Terrible Twos)

Julius laughs. "I survived that age... but surprised my mother when I turned bad at four."

Antha grins. "I was always a bad girl." It's hard to discern if her tone is flirtacious or just point-of-fact.

Julius arches a brow a bit, his eyes assessing her quietly.

"Any in your care have names?" she questions.

Julius tilts his head. "Gregory is my ward, and Jareth is my newborn son."

Antha nods. "So how does it feel to be a father?"

Julius smiles a bit. "Different... thats for sure..."

Julius says, "It feels... Well I feel proud, happy... I don't think things could get any better..."

Antha hmms pensively. "Maybe someday I will know that honor."

Julius nods gently. "I hope you have the honor some day."

Antha smiles acerbically a moment, then her expression to one of suspicious curiousity. "Is your life really so sugar-coated?"

Julius laughs softly. "Sugar-coated? No. Pleasurable and happy? Yes."

"That's what I just said!" Antha chuckles warmly. "Your life seems so...copacetic compared to what the rest of us have to trudge through."

Julius smirks faintly. "I had it hard until I married a Baroness. Even now it is still rough."

Antha sets her arms akimbo across her bosom. "How so?" She adds: "Besides reconstruction of your abode."

Julius laughs faintly. "Being a Baron doesn't mean I have it easy. There is just more work and responsibility tacked on to it..."

Julius goes home.
Julius has left.

Log ended abruptly due to RL circumstances.

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