Lunari
34
Widower
Tresterian Ambassador
Tier 2 Character
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Post by William deGrey on Jul 26, 2020 0:13:31 GMT -5
Triston knew he didn't have to say anything for his brother to understand. It was rare that they openly spoke about things like this, so it was almost foreign and strange, but that didn't mean he didn't know that he could go to him about it if he truly needed to. Perhaps, once he could get a grasp on his thoughts, he might take him up on the offer to talk. Right now, his mind was a jumbled mess and he couldn't seem to weed through it.
When his brother's gaze drifted back towards the pair at the piano, he was looking back as he laughed. Suddenly, Olivia was playing, just a little bit, and his expression softened considerably. She seemed so happy and content in that moment, willingly wanting to learn something new. "I wouldn't be surprised..." he answered Triston with a light shake of his head in disbelief.
"I did, Olivia-" he called back to his daughter. "I'm very proud of you, sweetheart." He wondered if this would stick. He wondered if Lady Roquefort would be willing to teach her. Olivia seemed to be so taken aback by both sisters, and his attention lingered upon Marinette for a moment as Wesley spoke with her. Yes, he might have a plan..if she was willing.
The squeeze to his shoulder brought his attention back to Triston, a light smile curling his mouth. "Thank you. I've...just been thinking about it for awhile now. And I much rather aid you or the queen-" William paused to regard his brother with a sincere expression. Despite what he had said of Eleesa weeks prior, he still thought she was a good woman, and respected her. And knowing Triston, he was going to help her even if he didn't get the regency. And Will wanted to help the both of them and this kingdom. "Than travel this world and be taken from my family."
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Soleil
28
Single
Captain of Tresterian Army: Infantry
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Lucian deGrey on Jul 30, 2020 21:47:29 GMT -5
Lucian had quite a few tales about Wesley that he could easily tell Helene all about. The two brothers had been close growing up, and even still-- no matter how much time had gone by without them seeing one another, it was as if they just picked up right where they had left off. Lucian loved that about Wesley. They always managed to get into trouble with one another, but Wesley typically caught or took the blame for it all. Who would believe quiet, sweet Lucian would do anything wrong?
He opened his mouth and took a deep breath as if he were about to start spilling his guts, but he happened to glance over at Wesley and noticed him staring at him and Helene. Oh, this was killing him, wasn't it? But then he mouthed her name, and Lucian's mouth immediately shut and he gave Wesley an innocent look, mouthing back: "What?
Lucian watched as Wesley walked off, fighting the urge to stick his tongue out at him. When he was out of earshot, he turned back to Helene and whispered to her. "He's threatening me." He smirked and shook his head. "So you can't tell him I told you anything, or use it against him until after tomorrow." Lucian laughed stood up straight, pretending to tie more ribbons to a branch. He didn't lean in closer towards her, as to not make it obvious that he was telling her things. Instead, he spoke quite enough so only she would hear, but kept his gaze straight ahead on the tree as if he were concentrating really hard on that branch.
"We call him Patchy." He motioned to Triston and William and grinned slightly. "I guess when I was born... He was angry about it because he wanted to be the youngest and all the attention was away from him. So one day, he stole my blanket from my crib and decided it was his." He chuckled softly, "and after that, he never let go of it...It was his blankie and no one was allowed to touch it...He dragged that thing everywhere...Wore it like a cape... It got really disgusting... Gross, tattered...Had a million patches all over it. But he still insisted on keeping it and even cried for a whole day when our mother took it to try and clean and repair it some more... With more patches. He's horribly defensive over the whole thing."
He glanced over at Triston who was seemingly listening because he had a wide grin on his face and was laughing quietly to himself.
"Hmmm... What else? He's convinced that he can do a back flip, but always ends up doing a cartwheel..."
Lucian was typically quiet, but now that Helene had him going, he couldn't stop talking. Unfortunately, it was all at Wesley's expense, but he loved it. "You also have to be careful with him... He's great at fibbing and telling stories." He laughed and looked over at Triston. "You should tell her...The robbery story..." Triston had been there when it happened.
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Soleil
32
Single
Council Member of Tresterian court
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Triston deGrey on Jul 31, 2020 0:15:09 GMT -5
Triston laughed as he heard Olivia's asking her father to take lessons. He grinned and lightly nudged William as if to say told you so. But he said nothing. Instead, he glanced over at Olivia and smiled at her. He loved seeing her so excited and happy. It lightened his heart and he felt that innocent joy that radiated off of her.
He turned his attention back to William and nodded in understanding. It would be nice to have one of his brothers stay put with him and be here to help him out, so he loved the idea if only for that. But William was a smart and resourceful man and he knew he would be perfect as an advisor of sorts, whether it was for him, or for Eleesa. Or both. "It would be good to have you in one place." He chuckled softly. "Olivia would love that I'm sure...And I won't be the only mother nags on constantly because I'm the only one she has the chance to." He grinned and laughed out loud, just picturing their mother nagging on William for one reason or another. They never knew what her mood would be like on any given day.
And then he overheard Lucian telling Helene about Patches. He grinned and chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Oh, if Wesley knew Luci was telling her this, he'd be six feet under right about now. And then the back flip thing. Triston let out a louder laugh, mostly because he was picturing Wesley as he confidently would stand there, hands out, 'Alright guys! I'm really going to do it this time!' They'd stand and watch, taking bets on whether or not he would, 1. fall flat on his face. 2. injure himself, 3. actually pull it off, or 4. do a damn cartwheel. Again. It was always the damn cartwheel. Though, Triston always betted he'd injure himself and was always trying to reason with his younger brother to not try it. He never listened.
Lucian was seemingly on a roll now. He was typically the quiet one until you really got him going--and then it was as if someone turned a switch on him and he didn't stop. He laughed, and now suddenly, Lucian was pulling him into this. Oh boy-- How did that happen? He hadn't agreed to fall into this embarrassing Wesley game, and Lucian was reeling him in.
Triston looked at Helene and smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "He broke a vase that was mother's favorite. We were chasing each other and he bumped into the pedestal it was one, and it crashed to the floor in hundreds of pieces..." He turned his gaze to the tree, not wanting to be caught in this conspiracy. "Patches over there... Told mother a thief broke in and did it...That he climbed up, climbed into a window... Saw the vase and thought it was filled with lots of coins...So he smashed it so he could collect them all... But there were no coins, so he ran down the hall and broke another vase..." Triston glanced at Helene, raising a brow slightly, whispering, "to which Wesley broke another one just to try and prove the story was real..." He smirked and shook his head, glancing away and back at the tree. "So Mother asked him all sorts of questions, trying to get information out of him... To describe the vase smasher. Wesley just kept digging himself into a hole...Creating this elaborate story. And then mother got someone to come investigate--because if there was a bad man running around smashing vases and trying to find money...They needed to find him... And they'd have to let the king know, and what would he think about all this?" Triston grinned and let his eyes quickly flicker over to where Wesley was before he looked to Helene. Luckily, he was occupied with Olivia. "Wesley started to panic, then... And his story suddenly kept changing. But mother didn't let him know that she had seen the whole thing happen... She just let him keep going on and on with the story until he finally caved in from the panic and confessed. Mother has always been tricky and smart like that..."
Triston smirked and winked at Helene, "I think Patches still fears her sometimes..."
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Magpie
26
Unmarried
Noblewoman
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Marinette Roquefort on Jul 31, 2020 18:49:45 GMT -5
Marinette laughed softly as Olivia requested that she be able to learn to play the piano--she got the feeling from William's mild exasperation that this was perhaps not the first new hobby that she'd gotten interested in--although it was at least a little more productive than the ribbon addiction she and her sister had inadvertently inspired. Wesley's approach surprised her but seeing how at ease Olivia was with him (in addition to her own sister's fixation) put her a bit more at ease than she might have been otherwise. She smiled at him and offered her arm for the white ribbon, feeling rather pleased that she'd now match the brothers with wearing one of her own. "You think this is bossy, do you? She's only getting started," Marinette teased quietly. She may not be quite as loud as her sister, but she could keep up, after all. "Just do your best to stay on her good side, and I'm sure you'll be fine."Olivia's question caught her attention and she turned back to the girl with a smile. "I absolutely will. But while I do, could you do me a favor?" She pointed to a little table near the front door with a series of white paper bags on it. Each one had a guest's name on it in neat print. "Could you possibly pass those out to your uncles for me? They're my little Yule gifts for you all. And there's one for you too, of course. While you do that, I'll play the other waltz that I learned for Lini--Ah, Helene's Yule gift. " She blushed slightly at having slipped up and used the nickname, but kept going. If Olivia did as she asked, each deGrey would receive a gingerbread version of themselves, complete with frosting outfits and little frosting ribbons in the colors Olivia had tied on them. Olivia's had a lovely lavender ribbon in her hair and a purple dress fit for a princess decorated with sugared violets. Marinette glanced up at Wesley as she began to play. "You're welcome to sit with me if you need a break. I'll defend you if needed." She grinned for an instant, then turned to the keys intently as she began to play.
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Tendy
27
Widowed
Noble
Tier 3 Character
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Post by Helene Hewitt on Aug 1, 2020 0:02:17 GMT -5
Helene waited patiently for Lucian to spill all of Wesley’s deep dark secrets. Admittedly, she wanted to know more about him, and who knew him better than his own brothers? She didn’t realize how much she wanted to know about little Wesley until it looked like Lucian was about to spill guts, only he stopped, and she looked curiously up at him. He was looking at someone behind her as he mouthed a word. Helene shot a quick glance over her shoulder to see Wesley moving over towards Marinette and Livvie.
She glanced up at Lucian as he whispered to her. “Is he now? Well we can’t have that. Your secrets are safe with me my dear Lucian.” She whispered back, winking up at him while she pretended to be busy, fixing ribbons and other ornaments. While they looked busy, she turned her ear towards Lucian, focusing on what he had to say. She found herself glancing up periodically to look at him, a slow smirk appearing on her face. Oh she was going to love this…
And she did. In fact, she had to pause in her decorating to reach up and cover her mouth to prevent any hint of laughter from coming out. Wesley was downright adorable. She could practically see him, running around with that blanket. Those bright blues of his filled mischief, as he ran around getting into trouble with his ever-faithful Patchy at his side. She couldn’t help but let a little giggle out. “Oh he thinks so does he? So what you're telling me is, I need to ask him to do a back flip? To prove he can do one?” She asked, clearly amused.
Her dark eyes turned greedily to Triston then when it seemed like there were more tales of Wesley, and she found herself scooting closer, not wanting to miss out. “You definitely need to tell me this robbery story.” She whispered, grinning over at Triston. The deGrey brothers certainly had her attention. Triston had her captivated with the tale of the great robber and breaking the vases. It was getting harder and harder to keep a straight face, and practically gave up and couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “I like your mother already.” She informed them, and couldn’t help but chuckle. She reached out to adjust another ribbon, her gaze turning to where Wesley was with Marinette and Olivia. Her smile softened before she turned back to her two new favorite people. She had one burning question that she needed answered. “Alright, one question.” She whispered. Looking between Triston and Lucian. “Does he still have it?” The curiosity was going to eat her alive, and maybe she wanted to see this Patchy one day in the flesh. Or...shreds...Whatever state it was in. She glanced over William, doing a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure that Wesley was still occupied. “William, you're the oldest, what sort of dark secrets do you know about our beloved Patches?” She whispered.
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Lunari
7
Daughter of William deGrey
Tier 4 Character
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Post by Olivia deGrey on Aug 2, 2020 18:49:11 GMT -5
Oh, she really wanted to learn now! Even from that little bit, she really thought she could do it and maybe one day be as good as Marinette. She would have to ask Daddy again, but right now, she was given a very important job to do!
Those doe eyes lit up when Mari mentioned the white bags, each filled with gifts, and the little girl practically jumped right down from that bench instead of gracefully sliding. "Of course!" she declared. She turned, about ready to run over to the table before she stopped herself; dropping down into a little curtsy. She nearly forgot her manners! "Thank you," she said before running over.
She probably could have grabbed a couple at a time, but Olivia decided that she was going to deliver them individually to each uncle, swaying and dancing as she went in tune with the piano. First, she brought Uncle Triston's his, seeming to be too excited in this little task to care what they were all talking about. Without her, mind you. Then, she brought a bag to Uncle Wesley, then Uncle Lucian before one to her father. When that was finally done, she looked into the one with her name on it and squealed in delight at the gingerbread cookie. "It looks just like me!" she declared to the entire room.
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Lunari
30
Secretly engaged.
Head of deGrey Trading Co.
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Wesley deGrey on Aug 2, 2020 19:10:27 GMT -5
Wesley couldn't help but let his attention flicker over to Lucian and Helene every now and then. It didn't appear as though they were really talking...but their backs were mainly to him, and he just got this feeling. This hunch. Also, it was Helene. She'd tricked him into coming here, forgive him for thinking she wasn't still up to something.
Still, Marinette and Olivia would have most of his attention. Those other two could just sod off. "Only gettin' started?" he echoed Mari's words and pretended to look horrified for a second. "Well, I thought I was doing fairly well, but...I can't help but think something's going on..." Although the feeling was true, he sounded amused as those blues playfully narrowed upon the two conspirators, only to notice that Triston was now lingering awfully close.
Oh no.
Why were they all being so quiet?
His niece was exclaiming, and Wes was quick to grin when she got super excited about handing out the gifts before running off to do so. 'I'll defend you if needed.' At Marinette's words, he was quickly sitting down on the bench beside her, drawing his attention away from the other group. There came a low chuckle at himself before Livi was bringing him his gift bag. Placing a quick kiss to her little knuckles in thanks, he reached in for the cookie and pulled it out for better examination. He laughed again, grinning from ear to ear. "This is charming, thank you," He told Mari, holding it up by his face with the hand that had the very same pink ribbon on his wrist as the gingerbread man. "Looks just like me." He almost didn't want to eat it because it was so adorable.
Blue eyes turned to watch her slender fingers rush across the keys, remembering when his mother used to play. That had been so very long ago, and it stopped when Father had died. There was a pang of sadness on his face for just the briefest of moments before it was gone. "You do play wonderfully. I think I remember...a part of a song from when I used to take lessons?" He was trying not to talk too much in case it was rude or made it difficult for her to concentrate.
He was just strangely nervous, okay?
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Lunari
34
Widower
Tresterian Ambassador
Tier 2 Character
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Post by William deGrey on Aug 2, 2020 19:46:42 GMT -5
Oh yes, it would seem like he was going to have to find his daughter a piano instructor. He laughed quietly when Triston nudged him, also knowing that was exactly what he was going to have to do...but then again, perhaps he already found one? He quietly watched Olivia with Marinette for another long moment, considering something before his brother's words pulled his attention back to him. An appreciative smile curled his mouth to hear that Triston liked the idea, but he was laughing again at the mention of their mother. "I will happily take some of the burden if it means I can stay home," he confessed. Okay, he'd be willing to take a fraction of it away from him, but he wasn't about to voice that.
Suddenly, he overheard something about Patches and both he and Triston realized their younger brother was secretly telling the story. Oh dear, if Wesley overheard, he'd never let Lucian forget it. He'd torment him until the end of time. Well, more than he usually did.
But this was too good not to join in on and William was quietly laughing, trying so hard not to laugh too loudly. Soon enough, Triston was telling another story and his shoulders were rising and falling in silent chuckles. Wes had always been such a fib growing up. He still kind of was, but it was in the sense that you really knew he was lying, and on purpose. It's how he often got a rile or a laugh out of you.
This was also rather interesting, though. How did this conspiracy even start? A brow rose in curiosity amid all the amusement as he watched Helene. Aye, interesting indeed.
"He's got that thing stored in the manor, doesn't he?" he questioned his brothers about the blanket quietly. They all technically owned land (even if they all rarely lived there, if at all), and Wesley had a home right at the shore, a short distance from the docks. Last William heard, it was where he just stored most of his belongings. He'd bet a pretty penny the blanket was there, unless it disintegrated years ago. Finally.
When Helene turned her curiosity to him, he had to think about it for a moment before he was laughing again. "Well...there's the bee story." Triston and Lucian were both there for that one as well. "He was, I don't know...seventeen? He found father's stash of very expensive whiskey. So, naturally the lot of us decided to drink some of it." He couldn't recall if Lucian had tried some or not, but he and Triston didn't have a problem with it, considering it was going to be Wesley's ass on the line for stealing the bottle from the locked cabinet in the first place. "Wesley was completely drunk, and Triston had the brilliant idea- wait, no-" William paused, laughing a little louder then, remembering. "Sorry, I actually dared him to knock down the beehive..." He cringed a little at that. In reality, it could have been bad if his brother had been overly stung, but clearly he survived. "It was there for weeks in one of the trees and people were too afraid of getting stung. So, completely inebriated, that idiot didn't just swing a broom at it, he tossed that thing like it was a spear, and actually managed to knock half of it to pieces!" William added in a quiet exclaim. "But then, the bees came. They swarmed all around him and he started screaming and flailing. We told him to run to the lake, but he thought it wise to run back towards the house with all of them following him, stinging at him. He was freaking out so much that he began to strip out of his clothes mid-run...rushing right through the kitchens with his trousers at his knees." William would never forget how the cooks and maids screamed in horror, and they were finding bees in the house for days after.
It was nearly impossible not to laugh, but fortunately Olivia was bringing over some sort of bag for him. He bent to ask her what it was and she told him Marinette had asked for her to hand them out. As she ran off, he was standing to his full height to peer inside. A gentle chuckle, he was smiling at the sight of the cookie. Unsure of whether it was just from Mari or both sisters, he said his thanks to both women regardless. "Livi, do you still have the gifts in your bag?" he questioned her, glancing over to see she was already nibbling on the cookie. She'd probably get a sugar rush. "Oh, yes!" she jumped and went in search of her purse. Dinner was a little unexpected so he hadn't much time to find their hostesses much, but he had refused to arrive here empty handed.
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Soleil
28
Single
Captain of Tresterian Army: Infantry
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Lucian deGrey on Aug 2, 2020 22:12:26 GMT -5
Lucian grinned with Helene's promise to keep his secrets safe. He wasn't sure if that would matter anyway, because Wesley was probably already assuming the worst and suspicious of them. He already threatened him with Anemone, which meant he would probably embarrass him anyway.
"Of course you need to ask him to do a back flip," Lucian smirked, trying not to laugh out loud as to make it obvious. But it was getting difficult, especially as Triston was chiming in and telling the story about the vase smashing robber. He listened intently, his smile growing wider as the story went on.
He glanced at his older brothers, chuckling quietly as Helene was suddenly dragging William into this. Oh, if Wesley knew this was going on and hearing it, he'd murder them all. But Lucian would not regret this, not for a minute.
Just before William started his story, Olivia was handing him a small bag. He glanced in it and saw the gingerbread cookie, pulling it out and admiring it with a wide grin. He, at first glanced at Helene and then back at Mari, "this is so nice! Thank you! I'm not going to want to eat it, though." He laughed. It was too perfect, and he imagined it had taken a lot of work.
But then, as William began his story, he stood there, pretending to admire the cookie, even though he was listening to the story with a wide grin on his face. He had almost forgotten about this one and William told it perfectly.
As William was finishing the story, Lucian had forgotten that they were trying to be quiet and he suddenly burst into a fit of laughter before finally realizing that he had. He clapped a hand over his mouth but continued to laugh behind it. Oh, he loved his brothers so dearly.
"He should have just jumped in the lake..." He mumbled, shaking his head as he chuckled quieter this time.
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Soleil
32
Single
Council Member of Tresterian court
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Triston deGrey on Aug 2, 2020 23:48:54 GMT -5
Triston laughed as his older brother volunteered to take some of the burdens that was their mother's nagging. "I'm sure mother would love to hear that." He often wondered if Anne nagged him just because he was the only son that was around all the time, or if she just found a lot of things to nag him about. Triston found himself wondering if that would ease up at all if William was around more. Only time would tell. He grinned, trying hard not to laugh. "He sure does have that thing stored in the manor..." He glanced at Helene and offered a wink. She was getting quite the amount of dirt she wanted, he was sure. However, it was only about to get better with William's story. " Ahhh... The expensive whiskey... Some of the best whiskey I've ever had," Triston chimed in. But as William was about to throw him under the carriage for suggesting their younger brother do something idiotic while intoxicated, he opened his mouth and inhaled, about to speak up against taking the blame. But then William corrected himself and a laugh quietly escaped with his exhale. He was picturing Wesley, all over again, throwing the broom like a spear as if his life depended on it. Triston laughed and shook his head. The four of them got into quite a bit of trouble when they were together--and throw alcohol into the mix, and it was worse. As Olivia came up to him, he crouched down and took the bag from her, placing a kiss to her forehead, "thank you, love." He stood up as she rushed off and looked into the bag, finding the cookie. He smirked and looked between the two ladies. "Thank you, this is perfect." He remembered that he had left his gifts in the carriage, so he quietly excused himself, letting them know he would be right back, and he stepped outside to retrieve his things. He had noticed some other gifts in the carriage that had been left behind, presumably from Lucian or Wesley, so he grabbed them as well and carried them inside, setting them down on a table. He grabbed two boxes and handed one to Helene, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek, and then he moved towards the piano where he handed Marinette the box for her, also leaning down to place a kiss to her cheek. While it may have come across strange to the two women, it was just how Triston was. The two ladies were his friends, were they not? When the women would open their gifts from him, they would each find a beautiful shawl that was neatly folded in the box. "Happy Yule," he spoke genuinely happy to be part of theirs. Marinette's GiftHelene's Gift
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Magpie
26
Unmarried
Noblewoman
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Marinette Roquefort on Aug 3, 2020 0:09:19 GMT -5
Marinette glanced up at Wesley as he held the cookie up to his face, laughing softly at his reaction as she continued the piece. She almost tripped over one of the notes but managed to catch herself and keep going once she had her focus back. The song was a complex one, but luckily she was nearly at the end when Wesley spoke up again. She blushed slightly when he said she played beautifully, and would have argued but she couldn't think too hard about it and not ruin the song. "Thank you," she murmured instead. She soon finished off the ending, then looked at him curiously.
"Can you show me what you remember? It might be one I know." She didn't know how much he'd be able to play, but she was more than just a little bit curious to see what song had stuck in his memory. "And may I ask where you learned to play?"
She was waiting for his answer when Triston approached, and she glanced up at him. She honestly wasn't sure what he might need from them, and assumed it was Wesley that he wanted to speak to. She couldn't have, even in her wildest dreams, guessed that he was coming over to give her a gift for Yule and kiss her on the cheek. She was left bright red and stammering as he stood back up. "Umm, Happy Yule! Thank you!" she replied with a smile, despite being flustered. She honestly didn't know how to handle this many people being kind to her in one evening. Compliments on her cookies and her playing, gifts, small children wanting to learn from her, displays of affection...it was enough to turn a girl's head!
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Tendy
27
Widowed
Noble
Tier 3 Character
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Post by Helene Hewitt on Aug 3, 2020 1:03:14 GMT -5
She couldn't keep the smile off her face, and soon enough her own laughter was chiming in with the deep tones of the deGrey brothers. This was what she wanted. A good Yule well spent in good company. She was glad she had pounced on Wesley during the chase. Gaining her, her prize, and that prize was...this. The cheery happy atmosphere of friends spending time together for the holiday and enjoying each others company. She didn't know the last time she'd been this happy. She glanced over her shoulder as she saw Livvie handing out Mari's bags, and her smile warmed, watching the little girl for a moment before giving William and the bee story her full attention. "Oh no..." She whispered quietly. She could see it now...The look on the young Wesley's face as he threw that broom, and she could just imagine his shrieks of terror running into the house. His poor mother...
"Ssssshhh! He'll hear you!" Helene nudged Lucian in the arm at his burst of laughter to try and get him to be quiet, but her own laugh joined in and she had to cover her mouth with a hand. "He really is not one to say no to a challenge is he?" She found herself giggling behind her hand, trying to keep her laughter down but she knew she was failing. She took another glance around the room, smiling at everyone watching Olivia nibble on her cookie after bringing William his bag.
She was caught by surprise then when Triston was handing her a box. She eyed him curiously, and then her eyes widened a bit as he kissed her cheek. Not expecting the friendly affection. "Oh-Thank you." She murmured. A small smile appearing as she watched him go give Mari her present. Unable to help herself she peaked into the box, and gasped slightly at the beautiful shawl. "Triston." She whispered in shock, but also in sternness. Not expecting anything of this sort from him, but it warmed her heart to think he had already thought of her and Mari as friends to do something this nice. "Alright, my turn!" She happily sang, going to the table she reached under it where she'd kept the box out of view. She set Tristons's present down, and then began to walk to each of the brothers starting with Lucian. "Speaking of whisky..." She whispered with a small giggle as she handed him the small bottle. "Minus bee's." She added softly, before going to William and handing him a similar one. She stopped at Triston's side, giving him a quick side hug in thanks for the shawl. "Thank you, its beautiful." She told him, standing up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek before handed him his little bottle of whisky, and then...She turned to Wesley.
She came up behind him while he sat next to Marinette. reaching around down for the purple ribbon draped around his neck. It was one of the longer ribbons, so she easily plucked it off, and quickly tied it up around his head, giving him a little bow. "I think that looks better, though pink is still your color." She said in amusement, before she placed a hand on his shoulder and reached around, placing the bottle right in front of him. She kept her hands on his shoulders, leaning down to whisper into Mari's ear. "Should we unleash the hot coco?" She asked quietly. It was beginning to get a bit late, and she knew they had a younger guest who probably had a bed time. She straightened, waiting for Mari's direction.
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Lunari
34
Widower
Tresterian Ambassador
Tier 2 Character
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Post by William deGrey on Aug 3, 2020 9:36:09 GMT -5
As Lucian burst out into laughter, it was impossible for him not to as well. The stories were ridiculous, but they were wonderful at the same time. And Wesley wasn't the only one who had such tales about them. They had all been young and stupid once, Wesley just happened to keep that...obnoxious charm? Were those the words he was looking for? Idiocy, maybe? Trying to think of it just made him laugh again.
"I wonder if he keeps it in a shrine," he murmured in amusement. "A locked box to ensure Lucian can never have it." Chuckling, he shook his head at the lunacy of it. It was probably in a chest somewhere completely forgotten about. That is, until their brother got wind of them talking behind his back, then William wondered if he'd purposely go find the thing, if it wasn't already falling apart and in shreds. Again.
Then, it seemed, like they were exchanging gifts, and he was looking for his daughter again who probably misplaced her bag. William almost cringed, knowing he shouldn't have let her carry the gifts for the sisters, but she had insisted and seemed so happy to. He was just about to go find her when Helene came over with the bottle and he was laughing again. "How did you know?" he joked lightly, but it was certainly still ironic. "Thank you, Helene."
"I've got them!" Olivia announced as she came running back into the room. She was out of breath as her little shoes clicked upon the floor with each rushing step. How much sugar did she already have, or was she just naturally excited? It was always a tossup with her and he was still grinning about it. Settling the bottle of whiskey and little white bag aside for a moment, he held his hand out for her. "Alright now, come here." As his daughter came to his side, he'd walk with her over to the piano where the sisters were and Olivia burst out laughing at the sight of Wesley with the ribbon around his head. Of course, now, that would just give the little girl the idea that, if she couldn't tie a ribbon in your hair, she could just tie it around your head.
Thanks, Helene...
William crouched down to peer into that little bag of hers. "Alright, would you like to give them their gifts?" It was just for the sisters, as he figured he and his brothers would exchange later or tomorrow during the ball. Olivia was bouncing on the balls of her feet and nodded before she was pulling out a small box, wrapped with a pretty ribbon, rushing on over to Helene to hand it to her. Her little hand waved her down so that she could whisper into the woman's ear, "I had to help Daddy pick something out." It hadn't meant to be so much as a tattle as it was Livi telling her that she was proud of what she picked.
Then she skipped around everyone crowded on the bench to the other side so that she could give Marinette her gift. It was something small and thin, almost like a pen, and was wrapped in a soft velvet cloth...naturally tied with a ribbon as well. Olivia had taken forever to tie both gifts, but the triumph on her face at the end had been worth it. Even if they had been in a desperate rush to leave the castle.
Her little hand rested on Mari's shoulder as she rose up on her toes to whisper to her as well, "Daddy saw this and thought you should have it." With a little twirl, Olivia was floating away, running back to her father where she threw herself into his arms while he still crouched there. "So, am I getting a pony?" she asked him. William looked at her in exasperation, "A pony?!"
[ Helene's gift ; Marinette's gift ]
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Lunari
30
Secretly engaged.
Head of deGrey Trading Co.
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Wesley deGrey on Aug 3, 2020 10:33:20 GMT -5
Wesley was briefly startled by Lucian's sudden laughter, followed by William's, and he was looking over at them again in suspicion. But once again, Marinette had his attention, his brows shooting up in slight surprise. Show her what he remembered? He couldn't even remember the name of the song, only that his mother had loved it. Maybe that was why he stopped learning the piano, because she had stopped playing.
Bright eyes glanced down at the keys, fingers of his right hand just hovering over them as he tried to remember. It was probably quite obvious that he was a little embarrassed about it, nor did he wish to break the spell in the room with his horrible piano playing. Still, he was trying to remember as he answered her question. "My mother loved to play, and there was one song in particular..." The very one he was trying to search his brain for, even if just for a snippet. "She stopped...when Father died. Therefore, I didn't care to learn anymore..." He lied and said it was because it hadn't interested him, but the truth of the matter was, there was no point. Trying to learn his mother's favorite song, one that had clearly reminded her of her husband just held no purpose after his death. Wesley couldn't even remember the last time he had heard it.
A finger tapped a single key, then another. It wasn't much of a tune yet, but he was slowly beginning to recall it while he hummed faintly to himself, feeling it slowly coming back. Triston came over he realized, but his eyes were still fixated on the keys. After a few guesses and mistakes, he managed to remember the first three notes. Progress! It seemed they were exchanging gifts, but he was still trying to remember this piece, the name of it just at the tip of his tongue.
He felt the ribbon slide from around his neck, just as he was managing to remember a couple more of the notes and the melody was beginning to form. It was Helene, tying the thing around his head but it still only drew half his attention away, even if his head turned in her direction as if to acknowledge her- his eyes still stayed on the piano keys. Wesley seemed to be in half a trance because he wasn't even trying to pull the bow from his head. "Is that for me?" he asked when the bottle was suddenly in front of him, his free hand subconsciously rising to rest against her own on his shoulder. He chuckled lightly then, tapping a couple more keys and managing to remember just a second more of his mother's favorite tune.
Suddenly, his back straightened. "Because I love you," he blurted out. Blue eyes blinked as he snapped out of the daze. Um, yes, let's elaborate on that, please. He was turning towards Mari after Helene had whispered to her. "That was the name of the tune." Just to clarify that he wasn't randomly yelling strange things out.
Suddenly Olivia's laughter garnered his attention and he was immediately a goof once more as he tilted his head to model his fancy new ribbon that she found quite amusing. His niece was then handing out the gifts from her and William, and he'd wait before shifting on the bench to face Marinette again, drawing out a small bundle of beautifully embroidered handkerchiefs to give to her. They weren't wrapped in anything, but were tied together with a ribbon. "There's an old woman near the docks that makes these. Really lovely things..." He hadn't known if they were good enough to be a Yule gift, but Marion was always a sweetheart whenever he passed by, so he bought some from her. The stitching on them were some of the best he'd ever seen, and he normally didn't care for such things.
Of course, he still had something tucked away for Helene, but he suddenly felt a little strange to simply hand it over right now.
[ Anne's favorite piano tune. ]
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Soleil
28
Single
Captain of Tresterian Army: Infantry
Tier 2 Character
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Post by Lucian deGrey on Aug 6, 2020 21:55:18 GMT -5
Lucian grinned, chuckling quietly at Helene's nudge. He couldn't help it. Wesley was certainly a character, and he kept them all on their toes and kept things interesting. But the man would also do anything for those he cared about. He was a genuine human being and although he was offering up some of these embarrassing stories, Lucian would also defend and speak highly of his older brother. Any of his brothers, really.
"No... He very rarely turns down a challenge," Lucian laughed. At least not any from his brothers.
"Yes- I wouldn't doubt if he keeps it in a shrine," he agreed with William, chuckling into one of his hands to try and stifle his laughter.
Then it was gift-giving time, seemingly, and Helene was handing him a bottle of whiskey. He couldn't stop his laughter this time, and he grinned widely, "thank you, Helene." After she walked off, he noticed that Triston had placed his gifts on the table that he had left in the carriage. He moved over to the table and grabbed the two bottles of wine and waited until both ladies were free before he handed each of them one. "Happy Yule," he smiled and gave each of them a hug.
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