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Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Post by Markus Woodrow on Sept 22, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -7
[attr="class","mwoody"]
[attr="class","mwoody2"]
[attr="class","mwoody3"]A PREDATOR OF THE SEAS
[attr="class","mwoody4"]CURING THIS OCEAN DISEASE
[attr="class","mwoody5"] The reading of the contract was a test as much as anything. This attorney had worked with him for a long time - likely why the lawyer was so skittish - and Woodrow knew that it would be completely accurate to everything that they had said that night. And so, if Pelagia had a problem with anything as the lawyer spoke, it would show on her face, and it would be telling for him. And so, if she voiced any problem, he would know that her prior actions had been a facade, meant to persuade him into letting his guard down for this moment.
He did not expect her to pass... And then she did, so Markus' view of her was shifted again.
He felt his mouth go a little dry, and he cleared his throat, averting his gaze. Perhaps I remain exhausted, He thought, And this woman before me a twisted amalgam of Xista and Kitai. A woman of status and power with a woman of perfect beauty and integrity. That is what I am seeing, because that is what I want. I am seeing it because of what happened with Tehodis. My mind is reeling and--
"Seigneur Woodrow," The light from the door opening hadn't stirred him from his thoughts, but the voices of the staff had. They cleared the bouillabaisse free, and replaced them with exquisite desserts "Dame Xista."
It was not their waiter who was serving them now though, it was the chef himself. Woodrow wondered if he had already introduced himself to Pelagia - which he had. The man's name was Shariq Claude-Bufont. He had even explained to Pelagia his inspiration for Saveur, and how his parents were from Niseca, and Submiere respectfully, and that they were both chefs in their day. Woodrow had heard it all before, and so he had missed nothing, not the way he shortly would.
The desserts were spectacular. They would have looked small and simple on the plates if it were not for the swirls of sauces shaped perfectly into the swan-like crest of the SSPB, and the enlarged rose petal it sat upon. The meal itself was a thin crusted pastry of sorts, garnished with a pistachios, and filled with a classic Sumish-style cream cheese. "Classique Submiere halawat el jibn with herbs of Montevier's most exquisite gardens steeped for three days to ensure the flavour. Served upon an enlarged rose petal from Rosemere herself. And this," The chef magicked a bottle of something with a thin spout, and dashed it over both of their meals. "Rosewater made of the very same rose, touched with Submiere's highest proof Arak."
The chef performed an impressive flourish with the bottle, somehow flipping and transmuting it into a small shower of sparks - which caught the rosewater-Arak mixture aflame, bringing the dessert to a flambe. Just as quickly, the chef snapped his fingers, killing the flames and leaving the sugar of the liquid crystallised atop the dessert like a warm syrup.
Bowing deeply, the chef gave his permission for the two to dine, "Bon appetit, mon Seigneur, mon Dame. And bonne chance." He offered Woodrow a wink, and Woodrow merely smiled back with a thankful nod. Perhaps if he had not been so distracted by Pelagia, the wink would have reminded him precisely who had been meant to be dining with him tonight. He would have remembered precisely what was inside the dessert in front of Pelagia. He would have recalled that tonight, this special night at Saveur turned contract conciliation, had been meant to secure an engagement with Tehodis Kitai.
He would have remembered the ring.
"Bon appetit," Woodrow quoted, raising a glass to Pelagia in an attempt to silence his exhausted, traitorous thoughts with wine.
Post by Pelagia Xista on Sept 26, 2017 16:04:36 GMT -7
Evidently Pelagia was continuing to please, given that Woodrow almost seemed surprised at the fact that she had offered her final approval of the contract terms. She wondered if he was even aware of just how much his face gave away. Most likely not; in all prior instances of hearing of Woodrow, and even on the rare occasions of exchanging words with him, Woodrow had always been an iron vault when it came to prying out his intentions and thoughts. Aside from the annoying level of confidence he possessed, he was notoriously hard to read according to every source she knew. He was also banefully intelligent. And yet... this evening, he displayed so much for her to pick up on, and was remarkably easy to read, especially compared to their meeting earlier on in the day.
Pelagia suspected that this was likely the result of him being off his game. She found herself thanking her lucky stars for whatever tumultuous event must have transpired in Woodrow's life recently; he'd been absolutely haggard when she saw him earlier today. He'd been flustered when she had arrived to dinner, to a room that had evidently been intended for someone else. He'd been almost vulnerable once she flashed a bit of feminine charm and made herself look weak. Whatever had happened to the Lord before her, the timing could not have been any more perfect for Pelagia, and could not have been any worse for Woodrow. It meant he likely didn't realize how easily he was playing into her hands. Emotional vulnerability was something most nobles didn't allow themselves to feel in the presence of a rival.
Essentially, the deal was sealed. Woodrow would support her. Woodrow seemed to believe in her, now. Or at the very least, any lingering suspicions were heavily being put to question. All that remained was to cap off the night with grace and pleasant conversation. And thankfully, the dessert that now awaited them did look delightful. When the chef had come out to place it on their tables, explaining it and even showing off the flambe, Pelagia could honestly say that the treat was the first thing all night she felt genuinely excited to eat.
Woodrow offered his glass up, and Pelagia was perfectly pleased to meet it this time, the clink signaling them both to drink. Pelagia actually found herself thinking she could legitimately enjoy the remainder of the evening now, seeing as how the major tasks at hand had already been cleared and Woodrow was being more (revoltingly) pleasant to her as the night wore on.
After they had both taken a drink and exchanged warm grins, Pelagia picked up her fork and took her first bite of the delicious-looking pastry in front of her. It tasted divine, meeting her expectations quite nicely, and she was confident that if nothing else, she'd like to have this one dish available at a regular basis in her own home. She made a pleased hum as she enjoyed it, looking across to Woodrow. "My deepest compliments to the chef. This is fantastic, Markus."
She glanced down again, sticking her fork in for another bite, and that's when she saw it. Poking out of the cream in the exposed center of the pastry, there was a ring. And not just any ring; a solid gold band, upon which sat a glinting blue diamond, with small cuts of Glitz scale surrounding it like a blooming flower. Pelagia almost dropped her fork, and she could feel her stomach turning.
Pelagia's impeccable skill at acting may have been perhaps one of the best in the world, convincing to even some of the most distrusting. But even she couldn't completely stop her smile from dropping at the sight, not at something so unpleasantly surprising. There were some kneejerk reactions that were difficult to shake, such as wanting to vomit at the thought of Markus Woodrow proposing to her.
However.
While her smile did indeed drop, she had the presence of mind not to let it turn into an expression of disgust, instead letting her shock show plainly on her face. Genuine surprise, as she was sure anyone in this situation would likely be feeling, regardless of circumstance. She kept her grip on her fork, and after a second or two she reminded herself of the information she already knew about the room, about what this evening had been planned for. Of course, she wouldn't have guessed that the woman Markus Woodrow had intended to bring here tonight was also to be the target of his marital pursuits. That was... certainly interesting to know, once she'd succeeded in confirming to herself that this ring was not for her.
Though her surprised expression stuck on her face for a few seconds, she managed to recover, and was fairly sure nothing on her face had given away her absolute displeasure at the sight before her. She set her fork down gently and took a deep breath, daintily placing her fingertips against her chest to make a show of getting herself under control. "My, that... surprised me, Markus," she said, offering a small chuckle. She gingerly plucked the ring out of the pastry and set it down on his napkin. "For a moment, I thought... well, I'm sure we both know that it's a ridiculous notion, but you can't blame a woman for a moment of..." she trailed off, shaking her head. Letting Woodrow think she'd actually let herself believe it was for her for a moment, feed his ego some more. "I'm sure I was not your intended recipient, of course. Although I must say, whoever was is an incredibly lucky woman for you to have procured such an enchanting ring for."
Pelagia shook her head slightly, her expression one of apology. "I do dearly hope that my arrival today didn't waylay your plans, Markus. Whoever this woman is must be very important to you; I'd hate for you to have decided to prioritize me of all people above her."
And there was her bait and hook. She'd been curious about the specifics of this little situation since she arrived this evening, and had been hoping she'd get the chance to question it. Hopefully, with that statement and the ego-feeding remarks she'd dropped, Woodrow would think her sincere enough to actually tell her about it. She'd been doing so well with him tonight, after all. If he was now willing to discuss it, to tell her about the Mysterious Heartbreaker, that'd be the final proof Pelagia needed that she'd managed to win him over.
Post by Markus Woodrow on Sept 27, 2017 14:26:11 GMT -7
[attr="class","mwoody"]
[attr="class","mwoody2"]
[attr="class","mwoody3"]A PREDATOR OF THE SEAS
[attr="class","mwoody4"]CURING THIS OCEAN DISEASE
[attr="class","mwoody5"] The halawat el jibn was delicious. He hadn't been expecting anything less, as the chef at Saveur was a veritable culinary genius, but this was truly a tour de force. Markus had heard that the man had created it for the first meeting between King Toran and the Sultan, and so of course Woodrow had demanded it be recreated for his proposal dinner--
Bonne chance, The chef had said.
Woodrow had forgotten entirely about... Between Tehodis' mostly unavoidable injury to the contract with Pelagia, his plans had left him. When they had arrived, the room was set for it's original intent, and he had thought that was all. He had not thought about, remembered the ring. The ring. His eyes shocked wide and his hand moved to cross the table at the same moment that Pelagia's face twisted in tune. His hand was drawn back as he realized what her expression was in relation to, and he began to sort ways to save the situation. This was not good. The Pelagia he had known would use this as an opportunity. She would barb him, and not only that, likely keep the ring as proof for telling the tale to those who would appreciate his indignity.
Tonight's Pelagia was not one and the same. She was surprised, because yes, of course she would be. And then she was... What in the world was that response? You can't blame a woman for a moment of... Hope? Romanticism? She was a woman, he supposed, which meant she was predisposed to romantic ideations, they were slaves to their wombs, after all. Though he could not say he had not thought of his hand against her's, or her warm within his arms, or the brush of her wing against his cheek, but none of those would lead down a road of marriage. The thought made his skin crawl somewhat, which made it easier for him to school his features to seriousness. That ring was for Tehodis Kitai, and no one else. Pelagia could join him in his bed, but there was no place in his heart for her, no matter how beautifully her hair glistened in the candlelight.
His face set firmly with somewhat of a frown, and he held his hand out for the ring, which Pelagia gingerly placed in his palm. It wasn't sticking with sugar or cream cheese, he noted. Another spell, he confirmed as he looked down at the thing. It almost burned him as he held it, as he thought of Tehodis suffering somewhere while he sat here dining on gourmet cuisine with another woman. A woman who evidently held a thought or two about him in a dishonourable (but not dishonourable enough) way. Pelagia speaking about Tehodis only made the burn worse. Yes, he didn't choose to stay here in Submiere, it was a fate insisted upon him. But in a way, he had. He should have followed after them himself, had Vincent attend this stupid meeting, or delayed it. Moann knew he had delayed numerous other meetings with Pelagia - and this time he would have had more reason than just pure entertainment.
"I did not," He finally stated, eyes screwing to Pelagia with the fire he had been lacking all night. He was firm, he was in control - he was Markus Woodrow once again. He continued, cold to her now, "Our evening needed to be put on hold for circumstances outside of our own control. You have not been prioritised, Pelagia. Merely an approvable replacement to not put out the generous Chef Claude-Bufont, particularly when you and I had such imminent business to discuss. The fate of the world, and the fate of the peaceful people of Atton, is of great importance to me. I viewed this as a place of excellence to ensure we would be in the best frame of mind for our negotiations. Be assured that when she is healed, we shall have a night of utter perfection in honour of the solemn promise this band represents."
Post by Pelagia Xista on Sept 30, 2017 15:06:22 GMT -7
Damn.
Much as she hated to admit it, Pelagia couldn't win every small battle, and she found herself internally scolding herself for bothering to push this envelope. It had backfired, certainly. One moment she had had Woodrow eating out of the palm of her hand, and now... she supposed she must have underestimated the level of devotion the man held for this mystery woman. She could hardly be blamed; to imagine that a sexist pig like Markus Woodrow could hold any level of true devotion for a woman was an absurd notion. And yet, here it seemed that for all that Pelagia's wiles had managed to distract and pull at him all evening, the act of bringing his focus back to his bride to be was enough to dispel Pelagia's charm.
She was rather upset over the blunder, honestly, but simultaneously she couldn't think of what she could have done to avoid it. That damned chef had gone and put the ring in her dessert, after all, and one way or another it was going to remind Woodrow of whom he'd meant to spend the evening with. And furthermore, his words to Pelagia were certainly...
Infuriating.
With his senses seemingly collected, he had adopted a cold tone like that which she'd gotten used to from him, and he spoke to her as though she was nothing, and most certainly not a priority. An acceptable substitute. Oh how she would love to ring his neck for that. But, despite everything, this was not unsalvageable. And frankly, it was almost relieving to have Woodrow speak to her so coldly again; her stomach turned less when he was being that Woodrow, after all. It also gave her an excuse to "remind" herself of propriety, so that she could stop affecting her weak, girlish act in front of him without it seeming unreasonable.
And that is how it would appear to him. That his return to form would remind her of where they were and what they were here to do. She stooped her head in a manner that could be interpreted as just slightly morose, and spoke softly. "Yes, of course," she replied. "We mustn't be distracted from where our priorities lie."
It was spoken to sound almost wistful, as though Pelagia was letting herself dwell for just a moment longer on the fanciful idea of this dinner being... something (and she thankfully managed to keep her dessert down in spite of that horrid notion). And then she straightened herself up, lifted her chin to its usual proud position, and steeled her eyes in much the same way Markus had when he looked upon her after the return of the ring.
"I find it admirable, Markus, the commitment you hold for your values. Justice, virtue, equality. Law. Faithfulness. You are truly a paragon of a man." She offered him a pleasant smile, her voice back to sounding measured and controlled as it always did. The voice which Woodrow would believe now to be her 'mask', her tough exterior she wore for the world. Pelagia simply knew it to be her true self. "And this evening has been quite the pleasant one. I suppose, then, all that is left to do is to make it all official. Shall we sign the contract, then?"
Post by Markus Woodrow on Oct 2, 2017 9:05:34 GMT -7
[attr="class","mwoody"]
[attr="class","mwoody2"]
[attr="class","mwoody3"]A PREDATOR OF THE SEAS
[attr="class","mwoody4"]CURING THIS OCEAN DISEASE
[attr="class","mwoody5"] With Pelagia's sour reaction, Woodrow felt more himself. He felt powerful. She was embarrassed, she was... Disappointed? He didn't smirk, he wouldn't smirk, because he felt a deeper kinship with Pelagia now than before, but damn in he didn't want to smirk. Instead, he nodded sternly along with her compliments, easily agreeing to her claims. Yes, he was virtuous. It was good that she had finally taken notice.
He placed the ring into his pocket, Pelagia's words somehow absolving him of any of the shame or regret that he had been feeling, and cut into his dessert as Pelagia insisted they stop their evening short with the signing. Ah, yes, that. Why, there was no option to Pelagia for a romance with him, so she would not press her time further. She would likely return to wherever she was staying in Eersaeb (where was that, exactly? Woodrow would find out), and wallow in the despair that he had already been claimed, and she could never have him in any official capacity.
"Yes, I suppose," He agreed, the wave of his hand bringing forth the lawyer who had been cleaning up the copy he had written. The attorney placed the contract before Woodrow first, permitting him to quickly examine the conditions once more. With an initial to each section, and an illustrious signature at the bottom, it was done. His part, at least. The attorney waved a hand to dry the ink quickly, and then placed it before Pelagia, offering her the quill.
Post by Pelagia Xista on Oct 4, 2017 13:54:16 GMT -7
It seemed that this evening would thankfully be winding down to a close at last. Woodrow said little in response to Pelagia's last statements, maintaining his aloof demeanor, and it made Pelagia want to pound his face into a pulp that she might not have to look at it any longer. But he could let himself believe he'd won. He'd "gotten the better" of Pelagia tonight, as far as he was likely concerned, and she would let him think so. Infuriating though it may have been, it would make things easier in the future.
Woodrow's lawyer brought the contract forward, and he reviewed it in full before adding his signature to it. Then it was presented to Pelagia. She did much the same, scanning the contract for each written clause, ensuring that things were exactly as they had been spoken earlier when she offered her agreement on the terms. Seeing it all to her satisfaction, she too added her signature using the quill the lawyer offered her.
It was done.
Looking up from the parchment as the lawyer set to drying it, she offered Woodrow one more smile. "And I believe that that will settle matters, yes?" She took one last bite of her dessert, savoring the flavor of the only truly enjoyable thing to come of this evening, and then daintily dabbed at her lips with her napkin. "Thank you Markus for an enchanting evening. I am glad we could enjoy such an exquisite dinner while also handling a matter of dire import. This will mean great things for the world, I'm certain."
And with that, she slowly rose to her feet, making sure the action was languid and relaxed, not at all hurried or anxious; both to assure Markus she had no wish to leave so quickly, while also offering him the chance to follow the cue, getting to his feet before Pelagia was fully standing. She maintained her smile as she offered her hand forward. "I take it then that it is time to adjourn. It was a pleasure."
Post by Markus Woodrow on Oct 6, 2017 16:14:11 GMT -7
[attr="class","mwoody"]
[attr="class","mwoody2"]
[attr="class","mwoody3"]A PREDATOR OF THE SEAS
[attr="class","mwoody4"]CURING THIS OCEAN DISEASE
[attr="class","mwoody5"] Markus had to admit to a little surprise that Pelagia still didn't stop the matter before signing. She had been agreeable from the earliest moment of their negotiations, and now that it was over, Woodrow no longer had reason to believe it was an act. She could have so easily pretended to "realise" something as she read through the papers the final time, no longer wishing to impress him solely for more womanly matters, returning to her usual 'all business' demeanour. She didn't though. She approved of everything they had gone over, and that was it. Just like that he was bound to the Storm Temple Accord, and just like that he would be making his own stance and statement against his ruler. He couldn't be sure how Mydas would react, but he knew Kellen would be angry. He was using this war as his own little pawn. Just like everyone else - in fact, just like he and Pelagia, when it came down to it.
She offered her hand to him, and he considered for a moment not taking it... But that was what he would do for old Pelagia, and though this night his opinion of her had shifted in many directions, the conclusion was still more positive than it had been mere hours ago. So, he took her hand gently, and bent to ghost his lips on her knuckles. They were soft, silken almost. For a fleeting moment he wished to continue holding it, kissing it - but he restrained himself.
"I would agree," He mentioned as he pulled back, "You are a better woman than we have given you credit for, Pelagia. I look forward to seeing your own Queen's acceptance of that in brief time."
He dropped her hand then, and as if on cue both of their servants entered the room. Woodrow's attended to his coat, but he brushed them off putting it on himself as he moved to the door. Pelagia could have a moment in the room to herself - Woodrow had much work to do tonight.
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