Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Trip to the Temples(1x1)

"No need to thank. I am what you would call an empty nester, and the maids are not the kind of company I keep. If you need to talk, find me." grim emotional matters made a solid meal. Regardless, he stepped out, going about whatever a Qinglau does alone, which sadly wasn't much these days. If she slept through the few hours, she might miss the shufflings of a maid cleaning up table parts, or his direction, "Prepare the tea alongside a large meal for two." a starry eyed, curly red haired girl with a nose mounted monocle looked starry eyed. Stripes both black and blue cut her skin, but the rest was hidden under a classic maid outfit as she skipped into the kitchen. If the whistling teapot and smell of traditional breakfast didn't rouse her, perhaps him sitting at the edge of the bed will.

Chiara slept soundly for the few hours, and breakfast smells didn't wake her. She woke when Qinglau sat down on her bed, and he might notice that a plush wolf, a rubber duck and a book had joined the dinosaur on the bed. She'd yawn and sit up, looking around, feeling slightly disoriented. "Um...goodmorning." She's a little embarrassed, and she tries to sweep her things behind her. "Where did you say the restroom was?" She needed to brush her teeth and all of that.

He stared at her, blankly, then embarassed and gaining a few hues. "I... don't have one." he stood, walking back to peek his head out of the door. "Mitzi, dear?" -yessir?- she sprung forward, smile wide and final step full of bounce. -Breakfast is almost ready, sir. - "Wonderful. If I were to enter the Haven's main lounge, how far is the nearest bathroom?" -why, you'd have to visit the maid quarters. Lord zom doesnt seem to need a bathroom. I'm surprised you do!- he turned to call back to Chiara, "We'll take a detour while dinner finishes up." and Mitzi was then totally curious, trying to lean around him to see his guest, while he confirmed, "I don't. I'm not used to mortal guests."

Chiara looked a little surprised, "Oh..." Thankfully he was seeing about getting her to one, otherwise she didn't know what she was going to do. While he speaks to Mitzi she's going to get in her duffle and grab the little bag she had with her toiletries. She doesn't mind going to walk around in her sweats, and she'll head over to Qinglau, unaware that Mitzi was being overly curious.

Chi would give the maid a bright smile, "Hi there!" Her odd looks didn't even have Chiara batting an eyelash, "The food smells delicious." No reason not to compliment the girl! Her eyes drifted over the maids outfit, "Do you make your own uniforms?"

All at once, the maid flushed. -I... Did not know you had a queen, milord.- "I don't." the moment of being dejected quickly turned to brief hope, and then ire towards the girl. "No. Lords Zom and Zenthus shopped for the originals. Their son, Master Nes, does residual shopping.- she answered flatly, not responding to the thanks. Instead, she briskly turned away, a zebra tail sticking up in her irritation and showing her finest underwear while she left, nose high. -Breakfast will be done in ten minutes or so.- she called back. Apparently he'd caused confusion over the second plate. "Let's hurry then, Chiara." he offered his hand, heading for the archway she should be familiar with by now. Back into the darkness for a short walk, offering his arm as guide. "Forgive her behavior. The poor girl is one of many sexually frustrated havenites. That and my position as king has made her unhealthily fixated. I don't like power climbers. I'd be no one to her elsewise."

Chiara would shake her head, "I'm not his--" But Qinglau was jumping in and saying she wasn't. Chiara didn't understand the hostility, and she looked a little bewildered as the girl stomped off. "She's not going to poison my food is she? Goodness."

Qinglau was explaining, "I'm sorry to hear that...." She wasn't entirely sure that was the case though, given that he seemed inexperienced in the area of women. "Have no fears about me, I like you for your brain." She'd give him a grin, just trying to lighten the mood some.

"I would hope not. We could always go ways of olde and let her test her own food before us." the walk was characteristically short, with method left to mystery before he turned, entering a smooth, stone hued lobby with furniture of earthen tones and ocre across the furniture of a surprisingly quaint home, well lit by unwatched lanterns glowing with a recognizeable firefly light. There were no windows, but an open den, with a small bar and mini-kitchen. A few hallways led about, one of which he gestured her towards. "You... are about to be immortalized." he said with an odd, crooked grin for his usually meek face, but far from a serious tone. Doors lined walls, but it wasn't until knocking on a hall end door that the fun began. A heavy metal clang preceded the opening of the door, and as they walked through gate spikes loomed overhead before entering a kitchen larger than most houses, with many rows of counters and various utilities. People bustled about until seeing him. A few continued, trying to look --

--busier. A few cooks dropped things, and most went sheet white as if in fear, trying to hide the mistake. The maids, three present, giggled amidst themselves in a bundle... then stopped when they noticed Chiara was, in fact, not Mitzi. Three violently seperate reactions painted on their faces. "The lady's room." he let his eyes close calmly and a passive smile come to his face. It was always refreshing, the very aura of the isle, 'gentle soul' or not. They pointed, with mixes of shock, confusion and anger and he gestured her for an adjacent hall, with the gated door visibly overturning by the mechanical use of a minotaur man--towering over a motley array of smaller humanoid species. The halls continued, and the maids grew more dense, with eyes displaying vivid assumptions, quickly passing through the halls behind them. Eventually, it was a theme matching restroom to one side, furnished with unidentifiable, oddly colored plants, full ammenities and even tasteful tiling and rug. The mirror was as close to a--

--window as she would have yet seen. Everything, while bright and homey, was completely contained. Well, it was that pleasant in that region. Once in a while, a door slammed metallically, or a scream might faintly pierce a wall, almost unidentifiable from the squeeky faucet, still looking polished and new, like the entire environment. He gestured her in with a nod. "Not as much as you once seemed to, I'd hazard." well, that was probably mortifyingly dead on from the guy who seemed bright as a rock that way. She hadn't registered as twitterpated. ...you live off of mortal emotion and impulse, and have super sensitive eyes, you register respiration changes, however subtle the difference of beating heart. With that, he pointedly turned away, leaning on the wall and giving her ample time to close a door and get ready. "Understandably." he still joked, facing away. "I feel like I've sprung a mental leak over time." ignore the nosy attendant leaning around a corner 'discretely' through a plant.

"I'm hope we wouldn't need to do that..." She hadn't really thought of needing to protect herself from poisoning on this trip. She also isn't sure what to expect when they got to Haven, she just really had to pee. "Immortalized?" She didn't really have much time to question that, because the doors swung open and there was what felt like every single person in the place in the kitchens. Everyone is staring, and color slowly creeps up her cheeks. She didn't say a single word, though she could feel that she wasn't welcome and that made her extremely uneasy. For the first time since coming on this trip, she regretted being here. What kind of person didn't have his own bathroom??

She'll let out a sigh of relief when they finally make it, and she'll do her thing, using the bathroom and then getting herself cleaned up. "As much as I once seemed to?" Once she finishes up, she's heading back over to him, "I think poisoned breakfast would be easier to deal with than all this staring...." Yes, she'd like to go back now please!

"It would be illogical for her to poison a guest of the King, or the Lifelord would find new tortures and deaths to exact upon her." the nearby lanterns swelled with brighter light, -Indeed. She, above all, should know that.- o...kay. For as passive as he is, he sure is surrounded by a grim crowd. She questioned his earlier comment and he shook his head. "Nevermind." Her discomfort made him have to battle a wry grin coming to his lips. "You should wave to the nice people. They don't often see a mortal guest." but regardless, walking back into the den they had begun in, they were greeted by a young man no older than 15 with hair to the floor in a tri-color braid of black, white and blue, a suit and pair of large, dark sunglasses reading from a notebook. -Hello sir.- his voice and pacing were robotic. -Pops told me to run changes by you on your next visit, so as not to disturb you at home.- he traced ideas with a pen, but was interrupted by both the lanterns and Qinglau speaking, "Not now, Nes." Zom sounded --

--urgent and frustrated, with Qinglau more... Flustered. "Leave your notes at my desk, sealed, at your convenience." and with that the boy bowed forward his torso and stepped aside, leaving the stone walls cracking open and Qinglau escorted her again. "...Well, that went better than expected." and you expected... what? The chill of his own place was a fierce contrast to cozy haven when the door opened again. A hot breakfast was being laid on the table, in the center foyer, which had bright, warm lights cascading in from the stairs above, shafts of which were beginning to paint vivid images throug the window stairs. "It appears sunrise is beginning. Would you like to have your breakfast up top?" qinglau disappeared into his room as he spoke, leaving Mitzi glowering at Chiara. -I know what you're doing.- she mouthed as clearly as she could, preparing to regather plates on the platters to take them up the long stairwell if asked to.

Chiara wasn't one for waving and she definitely didn't like all this attention on her. She just tried to keep her head down, and not look at anybody directly. Nes stopping them gets her to look up, but she doesn't speak to him either. Why had she thought this was a good idea to begin with? She's thankful when they make it back to his place, and she relaxes slightly, "Sure, that sounds lovely."

Qinglau wanders off, leaving Chiara with Mitzi. She looks behind her and then back to Mitzi with a confused expression, pointing to herself as if to say 'Me?' If Chiara was doing something, even she was unaware of it.

Hey. Discomfort appeased him. He had certain limits to test, and meals to be filled. Mitzi snorted convincingly. Maybe it was that zebra in her. Qinglau re-emerged, wearing a silver garment trimmed in blue, a long scholar's robe--and, unknown to her, among his insulated wear. He even had a headpiece on, with flaps hanging over either side of his head. In a way it was a nearly priestly look. "Meet us up top before it gets cold, Mitzi." he had one arm carrying a familiar tome, offering Chiara his arm. He was confident in ascending the giant panes, but they lacked any sort of armrail. Cascading light from overhead lit certain panels, casting imagery along the walls of old wars. Most panes were placed by the original king, telling of his glory and favored servants. Meaning... You won't see much if anything recognizeable as Qinglau, water, or anything assigned to him. "You'll see the first King and his dukes along the way. Monuments of time he considered impressive. How the sealing of two gods did not make his--

--his list, I'm not certain." there did seem to be a lot of fire and terror and falling cities depicted artistically.

Chiara just looks at the weird zebra girl, and she debated on saying something before Qinglau was back. His arm is offered, and for a moment the tiny mean streak in Chiara makes her want to rub it in while the zebra girl is there, but she doesn't. Instead she quietly takes his arm with a "Thank you." Before they're heading off.

The artwork along the walls distracts her, "So...this wasn't originally your home?" She'd glance up at him, before looking back to the walls, "He...seems to favor...war..." It really wasn't her thing, and she's not sure what to say about it. "You keep mentioning a first King. Which King are you then?" Chiara tended to even forget that he was royalty, because that wasn't what she'd been first introduced to him as.

"That's as if to say I favor ice." in other words, duh. "He did. It was by his orders that the north became desert, and the south fire, and the east ice... And the west fell by storm. By him that the beasts of the forest went mad. He was the first and I... am the second. His initial reign was about ten thousand years. Here, you see the Flaebeath," a firey birdman depicted strongly on one pane, "The Maeligust," a ferocious tiger with a void for an eye, "And the Wehfre," a fierce harpy lady portrayed as if sweeping in from the wall, talons out, "I daresay his favorites. There is the Darston, which you will primarily see as a great fortress. He was not so fond of me." and yet you somehow inherit his throne? "...Nor I of his tactics." the ceiling was in sight, fromm which an enormous gem filtered sunlight, mostly obscured by the image she had seen cast straight into the basin: a cruel faced man with tiered robes spread like wings, and dangerous jewelry tipping his fingers like talons. It was much more clear --

--than the ghastly version remaining below in the chilly breath in the lair. Once atop, paths led east and west, with the window available to walk across, close to the gem. East was still where the sun came from... And she would soon be aware they were standing high in the mountains, where the breeze was fierce and howling but the view stretching endlessly, even showing the monumental capitol's greater buildings a few hundred miles off. "You may wish to sit. The wind still refuses to listen to me, so you should sit down." he, also, chose to. Mitzi was soon behind, two platters offered to each of them. He shook his head. "One for you, dear. Such food does me little good. I'll try a bit, if you prefer. Sit." oh, so the angry maid did get her food, just... Didn't get to have a private date. Expect silent confusion.

Chiara would listen to her mini history lesson as they walked along, though she did pause for a moment at the picture of Wehfre. "At home, there is a wolf named Wehfre. Or was. He's my late husbands father." Uh.......right. Moving right along, out to the open! Chiara greatly enjoys the view, but she does sit as she's urged to. The plate of food is accepted with a polite, "Thank you."

Even Chiara seems surprised with his asking Mitzi to stay, and she frowns. No, it wasn't that she wanted alone time with him, she just didn't like the obnoxious zebra. Looks like he can eat well, since he seems to be irritating both of them. She'll eat her food quietly, while secretly hoping that Mitzi would go away soon. "The view from up here is wonderful." Even if it was freezing!

"Same soul... different life." he confirmed. "My sister grew tired of the battle over her waning existence and retired her mind. My late boy resculpted the strong soul into a new essence." still, he glanced aside curiously. "What does that make you; my... grand daughter in law?" hm. Saying that made Mitzi suddenly perk. Oh! They were related. Good! (the poor girl was hopeless). "It is a good view. There, you see Torok, along the chincoteague river. Below us is a short desert, but it keeps the dwarves happily apart from most. The goddess there leaves me be and I, her. If you look north toward the sea, Uncron bay is famous for its water dragons... feral types, not the divine." Mitzi did end up staring off. -I... Haven't been outside since...- she apparently didn't have any clue. Passing of days is relative in the Haven. She sighed wistfully and... Leaned against his shoulder. Maybe Chiara could read the immediate tension, the draw of his lips and the slight hint of color to his paleness and see the discomfort.