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Written By Freja

Sept. 25, 2016, 7:42 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Ida

I had once commissioned a sword from the smith, at my brother's silver and suggestion. It still sings true against others in spars, and I only hope to get to use it against some shavs some day. For now, I find myself seeing more and more of Ida and it is a welcome change to my usual routine. Lacking physical strength in exchange for the speed I have cultivated, a woman of her prowess marvels me. She has three children full grown, a booming business, and is still bettering herself and living life? I always thought of children as the end. A dismal one at that. She is surely a woman to admire, evidence that you aren't tying your own noose with such a thing. Hell, she knows how to have fun better than most.

Written By Cara

Sept. 25, 2016, 7:37 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Prospero

What a charming man. Very intellectual and seemingly concerned with the greater good -- or at least, that is the particular tactic he has chosen to advance. Perhaps something useful will come of the acquaintance.

Written By Dagon

Sept. 25, 2016, 7:22 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

I believe the fencing competition held by Sir Silas was quite the success. Even if I did not win, I am rather pleased by my showing. I had put some of my training to the side to handle other business and to prepare myself more for the future. Now? Now I will continue my training and perhaps do even better the next time there is any sort of competition.

Prince Fergus is the one I will need to try and have a rematch with some day. He had the better of me yesterday unfortunately. Credit where credit is due, the man is talented with a blade.

Written By Isolde

Sept. 25, 2016, 7:18 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Occasionally, you have a crystalline moment where the world seems to take shape, and you feel satisfied with your understanding, with the natural order of things. You feel as if your every breath satisfies you.

And then, you have weeks like this.

The good. The bad. The mysterious. The understandable. I'll take it all, but never let me ever hear myself say my life is boring.

Written By Margot

Sept. 25, 2016, 6:25 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Dawn

A tea companion with whom conversation is interesting and has lead down some interesting rabbit holes.

We are both much alike in our positions in many regards and both so unalike otherwise.

Written By Joscelin

Sept. 25, 2016, 6:23 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Valkieri

I'm not sure what to make of this man. Stiff, noble, and ... uncertain? Hard to tell.

Written By Joscelin

Sept. 25, 2016, 6:15 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Aureth

Aureth Grayhope has lingered at the edges of my circles for a long while now, but I had the chance to actually speak to him today.

The man likes his coffee.

Written By Aureth

Sept. 25, 2016, 6:14 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Joscelin

Warm, talented, generous ... and she fed me and gave me coffee. Who charms the charmer?

Really.

Mistress Arterius has agreed to make me a set of carnelian buttons in exchange for a reading. I promised her that it would be thorough. She showed me the image of a ring she made based on a dream. It's been a long time since I interpreted a dream ... my own or anyone else's; it just hasn't been the vogue, and I am nothing if not thwarted by style.

I might need to do some dreaming for this one in the future, though ...

Written By Aureth

Sept. 25, 2016, 5:44 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Lola

Blushes prettily when teased. Cleaned honey off of Hammar's beard this morning. He said he'd like to lap at her like a kitten. I could give worse relationship advice.

Young enough to be my daughter. When did that happen?

Written By Aureth

Sept. 25, 2016, 5:42 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Hammar

Enormous and lonely. When I look at him I think of what it would be like to live without my wits, except that I think that without my wits, I would simply be dead in a gutter somewhere, most likely.

I read a card for him for free. The Queen of Spades.

If there is a woman for him, she is a kinder and more patient soul than I. Although of course, many people are.

Written By Hammar

Sept. 25, 2016, 5:23 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

Hammar hear people train at Training Center, so Hammar go see who want whack. Hammar think no one want fight, but then Duke Niccolo say he want fight. Duke Niccolo big important, so Hammar excite! Duke Niccolo hit Hammar hard a couple time, but Hammar whack hardest. Duke Niccolo tell Lady Dawn Hammar good fight, so Lady happy, Hammar Happy.

Written By Kima

Sept. 25, 2016, 5:04 p.m.(9/4/1004 AR)

I know that this is a service to the gods, the Compact, and history itself, but sometimes I cannot help but cringe at the sheer banality of it. 'Dear Journal, today I ate porridge.' 'Lady Felatia's shoes were pretty. I am jealous.' B A N A L.

Yet what am I doing? Engaging in the same process, dulling the mind of the hapless reader of these entries. If my scholar has grey hair, it is not for the more exciting entries, it is because sheer boredom is draining the life out of the man. Is it wrong to want my every word to drip as though the ink were instead gold? When you are your center - and everyone is their own center, never doubt - no, this is not unusual, or even indicative of serious narcissism.

I sparred with my brother today, to the viewing pleasure of Duke Niccolo, Lady Aislin, and even Hammar. Of course he lost. His talent lies elsewhere, though this is not to say Eos is not an accomplished swordsman. Also, there is something peaceful in having your own brother as a sparring partner. There may be those who claim that it won't do much to improve ones skills if you can fall into a predictable rhythm, but they can- well, I digress. The importance of sparring, of practice, is to become intimately familiar with forms and routine.

Why else do I find myself employed again and again as an instructor for those youths wishing to learn the sword?

To conclude today's uninspired ramble: I know that actual battle is not predictable, or routine. It's piss-your-pants-fear and the wild rush of adrenaline. It's stupid luck, so that even the peasant with a well-placed pitch fork might unseat an armed and armored knight. I wonder why there isn't a goddess amongst the pantheon that is a flec?

Maybe that's one of Tehom's aspects. I shall have to ask one more learned than I.

Written By Samantha

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:56 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Dawn

She spent a great deal of time training with Duke Gabriel when we were children and I was living under his roof. She was my first female friend and today one of my staunchest supporters in my efforts to rebuild my house and speak for the common people.

Written By Samantha

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:51 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Gabriel

He rescued me when I was a little girl, and in the early years after, I was effectively his ward. He didn't necessarily have a lot to do with me directly but he's always been passingly fond of me, and spent much of my early childhood as part of his household before returning to Old Oak to to learn how to rule it as Marquessa. As far as I can remember, he is the closest thing to a father figure that I have. I am grateful, I want him to be proud...a part of me wishes I actually was his daughter.

Written By Sylvie

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:46 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Fergus

His Highness, Prince Fergus Redrain, is quite the impressive figure. His win at the dueling tournament proves his skill with the blade, even if it still leaves me with the question of why he would tie the peace knot to it.

A man's skill should never go wasted.

I am also relieved that my Lord Valkieri Rubino bested the best. They certainly are two of a kind.

Why am I always surrounded by gruff, tempered men? I do believe I saw the Prince almost smile once, though.

Written By Darren

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:45 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Isolde

Princess Isolde is a fine person.

Written By Darren

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:43 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Joscelin

Mistress Joscelin came highly recommended to me by her patron, Lady Dawn. She's made a couple of pieces for me now, but her latest creation is by far some of her finest work. Here's hoping that it will be well received.

Written By Sylvie

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:39 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Dawn

It honors me to be the Lady Dawn's distraction for even an afternoon of tea. Were it that she did not need one, because my heart feels for her and her own circumstances. I have suffered loss, but my loss hasn't carried with it the expectations and uncertainty of a whole realm.

And where I may suffer alone, the Voice of Grayson has no such time when she must keep the world turning.

Written By Isolde

Sept. 25, 2016, 2:16 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Relationship Note on Darren

Prince Darren seems rather an all right individual.

Written By Mae

Sept. 25, 2016, 1:36 p.m.(9/3/1004 AR)

Right, right, I'll try to slow down my talking. Start over. This slow enough for you? Feck it's like they don't train you scholars for folks as talk a little faster than the rest.

So I'm doing this thing right and there was extra in it for me if I could do it before the next mark on that thrice-damned candle the cull uses to make sure I'm not like popping into pastry shops along the way or something I don't even know what he thinks I do but it doesn't seem to be 'oh Mae is a professional who goes and does just what she's been hired to which is run and hand this thing to that cull and she's been doing this for years now maybe I ought to believe she's doing what she's good at the way she's good at it instead of giving her those feckin black looks like she's shit-dipped gutter trash that wrapped itself in clothes to pretend to be a girl'

Where was I?

Right.

So I was doing the thing I do and do well been over those roofs more times than I have hairs on my head when I hit this patch of leavings from a hawk-struck pigeon and wouldn't you know it I go down over the shingles like a merc chasing knights and my shirt's rucked up to my neck in the back and my ass is feeling like Ol' Dan's mule kicked back and caught me like when I was wee and used to tweak its tail to make him bray.

You're getting faster at this that's good. Keep up, boyo.

So I hit the edge and it's one of them curvy roofs like the fancies prefer to make their houses look like jewelry because feck they can't touch a damned thing without shouting to the gods 'look what good feckin taste I've got how many pantheon points does that win me' and I dunno if you've ever tried catching the lip of something that swoops up after a hard drop when you're going full speed because your boot soles are slicked with pigeon offal but it's hard, cully.

What I'm saying is I went flying. Wasn't the first time but usually it's just because I'm trying for height and making a jump right?

Sure, sure, I'm getting to the point keep your sandals on.

So there I am pretending to be the damned pigeon that got me in this mess even got its feathers stuck to my ass and thanks be to the powers there was this carriage coming and I rolled in the air because feck that, Mae's no pigeon, I'm a bloody hawk, and I came down on top it sweet as you please with just the littlest bit of thump so soft and light not even the coachman looked around but the horses were wise to me and took off running like their tails were on fire and that's how I caught a ride up-Borough to deliver Sir By the First Mark in my Feckin Candle Mae You Hear Me Girl's missive to the actress he's hoping to swive in half the time I ever made before on that run.

She tipped me good too.

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