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| Menagerie and Terrace Park — Landing, Imperius |
| This park is most aptly named due to the various tiers and terraces that are neatly stacked with one another to create a rather pleasing aethestic. It is accessed through a series of pathways leading from the Statuary Forum. It encompasses about two square kilometers of space that, when combined with the various ups and downs of the tiers, means for quite a harch for those trying to explore every inch of it. Built within the parks architecture is a stream that burbles along and cascades over the tiers. Each tier varies in its ratio to lawn, trees, and flower beds. Some have stone bench seating, while others encourage sprawls across the plush grasses.
Tucked in the center of the park is a modest zoo and aquarium that is always open to the public and contains a wide range of animal life from all over Haven. |
| June 11th, 3013 |
Lorelei's decided to try a completely new area. New things to look at, new inspiration, new place to clear her head. Trying to get her head wrapped around the first two wars is hard enough without distractions. she's ended up sitting on an upper tier, on the grass. She's wearing a pretty blue dress, nothing too outlandish, but the color suits her. She has her writing book with, and is bent over slightly as she scribbles something quickly in with an old fashion pen. She'll pause, staring at her words, pen raised like she's about to scribble them up, but isn't sure.
Taryn is actually already in the park. He is sitting a few tiers below Lorelei. His normal clothing has been exchanged, as he is wearing a new dark blue tunic. He is sitting on the grass, lost in his own thoughts. Someone observant might notice the tension around him, looming like a metaphoric storm cloud above him.
Lorelei huffs, this isn't right either. Her attention is too frazzled. She'll close the book and get up. Maybe a different tier will be better. Or back to the Forum. She'll smooth out her skirt and then start walking down. Once she hits the level Taryn's at, it's not hard for her to notice him, and his rather…..strained mood. Walking up, in a soft voice she'll ask, "Are you ok Taryn?" If he looks up, she has a worried look. He's not one to usually look this….tense.
The normally very observant Taryn jumps slightly at the sound of the voice so close to him, as he was lost in his thoughts. He looks up, and seeing that it was Lorelei, he offers a slight smile. He shrugs slightly, "I guess…" He doesn't really sound all that convincing.
Lorelei's eyebrows draw together, she'll glance at the tunic. Looking to see if it has any markings. Biting her lip a moment, she'll just make the decision to sit down next to him. They're friends, that's acceptable, right? "Are you sure about that?" She'll give him a soft smile, tilting her head questioningly.
Taryn's lips draw up into a dry, sarcastic grin.. or grimace. "Honestly, Lorelei, right now, I'm not really sure of anything… " He shakes his head, "I'm just in a bad mood… physically, I'm fine… so nothing to really worry about." He glances over at the book, "Writing your grand masterpiece?"
Lorelei sighs softly, worry clear in her voice, "Just because it's not a physical hurt doesn't mean it's not important." Giving him the same soft smile, "It might help if you talk about it?" She'll glance down to her book, and almost mirror his sarcastic grin/grimace, "More like I'm scribbling more out than anything."
Taryn chuckles slightly, "Well the physical hurts are easier to deal with… " He looks down at the grass before he reaches down and plucks a blade of grass from the ground. He shrugs slightly as he first fidgets with it, then slowly peels one side of the grass away from the vein that runs down the middle. "Well, I pretty much screwed myself out of a great job… but I don't even know if I'm upset about that or not… " He looks over at her, "Why do women have to be so damned infuriating?" It is rather obvious that he is not talking about Lorelei specifically.
Lorelei blinks, not having expected that question.Clear friend zone question, that answers that. "Oh…well, if it helps, men aren't really that much better?" She'll give him an apologetic smile, "Which job?" She'll watch his fingers peel the grass, frowning slightly, unsure if he's meaning to be symbolic or not with his actions.
Taryn snorts softly. "I don't know about all men… but I don't think that I'm like that at all…" He sighs softly. "The Sauveur stables… I practically called Lady Soleil a spoiled, stuck-up brat…"
Lorelei chuckles softly at his snort, "Of course you are. It's nature. We all are." She'll nod at which job, "Oh…Well, was she being one?" It's not asked in a gossipy way, more a sympathetic one. She's dealt with Nobles. They can be. Loree will lay her book down on the ground between them, and draw her knees up, keeping her dress flat to not be improper. She'll rest her chin on her knees and study Taryn with large eyes, "You have other job offers though, right?"
Taryn rolls his eyes. "When isn't she one?" Even as he says it, he pauses for a second, as recalls a couple odd moments with her where she was quite the opposite. "Well, I have a feeling that the one from Lady Sophie is just as much out the window, and the others are not really possible, at least not yet." He looks over at her with a bit of indignation, "And I am never an infuriating prat like that… If I say something you can pretty much put money on me actually meaning what I say."
Lorelei tilts her head as much as she can with her chin on her knees, "Why are the other's not possible?" She'll try and fail to not giggle at his irritation, "I didn't say you were a prat. Part of what makes you infuriating is that you say what you mean, everything be damned." She's still smiling, "It's charming, but really annoying too. It's part of why I've not offered to let you read my work."
Taryn sidesteps the part about the other offers, at least for the time being. "Why is honesty infuriating? I don't really understand why everyone around here insist on dancing around the truth like it is some plague-touched abomination… I'd much rather have someone be completely honest with me than not." He then turns that all too familiar devillish grin of his, "Only part? What's the other part? Let me guess… there is too many descriptions of my noble cheekbones being kissed by the afternoon sun… or how my hair is like sun gold shimmering in the city's lights… " He grins and waggles his brows, "I honestly just figured you were one of those that likes to write but hates for people to actually get a view into the very depths of your painfully exposed soul as you put it on paper."
Lorelei sighs , "It's not the honestly, it's the frankness of it." She'll narrow her eyes when he turns towards her, her cheeks starting to flush before he even starts talking. Pulling her head up, "Right there! While that maybe what you thought, saying it like that, it's meant to amuse you! What good is that going to do for me? Besides to upset me or get me riled up?" She'll huff, and poke a finger at his shoulder, "And if I ever use terms like noble cheekbones or gold shimmering, just throw me to the Hostiles." She's trying to look intimidating, but she really doesn't have it in her to pull it off. Especially with the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Taryn sighs, "No, that's not what I thought… and it was not meant to upset you. I was only trying to joke with you… I am pretty certain that no one would ever describe me anything like that…" He shrugs, "It's kind of like a defense mechanism… to distract you and to take the attention off of me…" He smirks slightly, "Ironically by putting it on me…"
Lorelei raises an eyebrow but lets him finish talking before asking in a soft voice, "and that's not infuriating?" She rest her chin again on her knees looking at him, "I'm not mad, or anything, we all have something like that, a defense mechanism."
Taryn cants his head slightly, "Actually I thought it was supposed to be charming… I mean you generally feign anger more than you seem to be angry… or you laugh.. or you blush… in that I'm mildly embarrassed but not humiliated kind of way… I do it to amuse you more than anything."
Lorelei's eyes go down for a moment, she knows she does those things. defense mechanism, right? Sighing softly, she'll smile, looking back to Taryn, "It is…I'm sorry. I'm just having a …day." Yeah, she's a wordsmith.
Taryn looks over at the poetess, "Okay, you know why I'm having 'a day'… why are you having 'a day'?" There is an honesty in his voice, more than his little bit of jest. He really does care what's wrong.
Lorelei lets a small laugh escape, "It's not anything like losing a job or anything." She'll take a deep breath, considering her words before she says them, "I think I'm being courted." there, that's simple, and the base truth of it. She'll watch his reaction, almost like she's waiting for him to laugh at her for being worried over something like this.
Taryn shrugs slightly, "Can't really lose something that was never yours to begin with… " He then turns and looks at her. Both eyebrows arched, as he awaits for her to continue. "And?"
Letting out a sigh, "He's…older and it's weird. But he's very sweet and I don't know what to do… He's a Noble." The last part is said with slumped shoulders. Loree just looks down at her book confused. "There was some one else I thought I liked, but he never really made any kind of true indication that he liked me back, and now…" She'll shrug lightly, letting a hand drop to lay on her book.
Taryn pauses and lets out a soft, 'huh'. He looks over at Lorelei questioningly, "So, is this older man… " He quirks a brow, "And how much older are we talking about 40? 50? 60?" He shakes his head, "So is this older man someone that you think could make you happy?"
Lorelei makes a face, "I don't know for sure, 30?" she's 18, everyone is old. She'll sigh again, keeping her eyes on her book, "I don't know? I mean, I guess, I just…I never thought I'd be in that kinda of position. Can you even imagine that? What if he was betrothed, or something awful then?" Her fingers trace the edge of cover of her book.
Taryn hmms slightly, as he remembers her quite clearly stating that she would never be a companion to a noble. "Well, those are valid concerns… and if this is somoene that you are seriously interested in… then you need to sit down and make sure you are both on the same page on these things… " He nods, "Not quite twice your age, huh? Well, if it is love.. then it knows no time or age… I guess the question to ask is it love or not?"
Lorelei nods, keeping he chin on her knees and her eyes o her books. But then she'll huff, looking up, "Love? How would I even know that? He's nice, I sent him a poem because he got hurt fighting the Hostiles and next thing I know, he's showing up in Arboren." she'll frown softly biting her lower lip as her eyes swing around the Garden once, making sure no one is with in hearing distance. Sighing softly, she'll chastise herself, "With all the problems in the worlds, I'm complaining about this."
Taryn furrows his brows as the thinks on that. "I honestly wouldn't know.. I've never been in love myself… but I would expect that it would be something that you just feel… something about him that lightens your world… that thinking about him brings a smile to your face… that you would put yourself between him and harm if you could… " He smirks, "I never said I couldn't have sappy moments…"
"But….I feel that way about my friends…I wouldn't let harm come to you or Eilara or anyone else…." Loree'll bring her eyes up, "I mean, isn't that friendship?" She'll huff "What if he's just a kissing friend?" Her eyes go a bit wide and she'll lower them quickly. There's the second blush. She'll grimace, "You know what I mean…"
Taryn cocks his head, "I think it if is love-love… it's supposed to be even more… " He shrugs, "And so what if it is just kissing friends with this old guy… If you make each other happy… and you are both comfortable with the relationship, then what's the problem with it? There is a big difference between being a noble companion and being a common whore…"
Yeah, that frankness she was talking about? Right there. Lorelei glowers slightly, but at least he's made it clear she's not messing anything up between them. She'll raise her hand from the book cover to wrap her arm around her legs, "I don't know." She'll sigh and mutter, "It's not like I have to decide right now, I guess." Taking a deep breath, and clearly trying to change the topic back, "So, are you all dressed up for losing your potential job, or some other reason?" She's smiling not smirking, so the tease is light.
Taryn chuckles, but it is not from any amusement. He flings himself back onto the grass, looking up at the evening sky. The unnaturally lit evening sky. "No… last time I saw my shirt a group of nobles were laughing at my expense while it burned in a trash can because it offended their fashion tastes."
Lorelei gasps softly, "Oh Taryn!That's awful!" Instinctively she'll reach for his hand, "Please, just come to Arboren, the Nobles there are different. If not, I know my parents can always use an extra hand, without me around. Until you found something. Sir Agnes is supposed to be wonderful, and Lord Aidan is ok, and all the Arboren Family are good people." There's honest mortification in her voice as to what was done to him.
Taryn does not recoil as she takes his hand, in fact, he smiles softly. He shakes his head, "Lord Aidan has already offered me a job in the Peake stables… but for the time being, I have to stay here in Landing… until." He suddenly quiets up. He smiles, "I'll be fine… "
Lorelei shakes her head softly,concern lacing her voice "Until what? What are you waiting on?" She'll frown at his last statement, clearly he's not, if anyone is treating him that way. "Do you have a place to stay, at least?" She'll squeeze his hand lightly, trying to give him support.
Taryn closes his eyes as he lays on the grass beside her. He reaches back and laces the fingers of both hands together to form a pillow. "I don't know… I just know that I'm here for some reason… and I hope that I'll know and recognize it when I finally stumble across it… whatever it is."
Lorelei frowns and shakes her head softly, but luckily Taryn can't see her. She'll glance down to her hand, where he pulled away from her and sigh softly. She must have been imagining it. So she'll force a smile and reach down for her book, flipping several pages back.In a quiet voice, almost afraid that someone besides Taryn will hear, "In stone and steel forest
A benchmark appears, with words
and sweet juice from fruits in a world
filled with war, but
chasing dreams a recourse still"
There's pink rising in her cheeks if he looks,and she'll quickly close the book, "There. No noble cheekbones."
Taryn smiles slightly, but remains quiet for a bit. If she watches, he is mouthing the words over and over. There is a look of concentration. Before he sits up, looking over at her. "Now take this from someone who's just a dumb country bumpkin, and admittedly one that doesn't have a lot of exposure to literature… but I like it… I'm not quite sure that I understand it all… but I do like it…" He looks down, "You know… I said that I don't like talking about myself… well… I'm here because I had a dream that told me that I needed to be here… and it seemed pretty important…" He pauses, chewing on his lower lip. "When I have dreams like that… they're important and come true… I just don't always get it until sometimes when it's too late."
Lorelei gets nervous when he doesn't say anything at first. Her eyes are wide as she watches him sit up, hands tight on her book. Her grip loosens and she'll smile softly at his approval. She'll take a deep breath and listen to him talk, not wanting to scare him out of speaking. When she's sure he's done, she'll nod. "Ok. then you stay." She'll smile a bit brighter, "What can I do to help?" She doesn't question dreams, she knows enough people who have prophetic dreams to just go with it.
Taryn shakes his head, "We can talk about that later…" He says as an almost after thought, "or not…" He is really not comfortable talking about him being an Awakened, not even to one of the few people he's met here that he actually does trust. "I hope I didn't upset you about what I said about the poem…
Lorelei glances down at her book and nods, she can't force him to talk.She'll let out a small laugh, "No, of course not. I'm just glad you didn't hate it, "she'll look up and any disappointment on him not wanting to talk to her about his issue is covered up by a bright smile. "I need to be better at letting people hear them, if I'm going to be published in any way."
Taryn grins, "Even if I didn't understand any of it… I wouldn't hate it… " That impish grin of his makes an appearance again, "Now, if it was about my glistening golden locks… or my divinely handsome face… I'm pretty sure I'd loved it." He winks at her, obviously teasing her in all good nature.
Lorelei rolls her eyes, but laughs. In a truly mature move, she'll pick a blade of grass and flick it at him. "You're awful!" she'll extend her legs out so she's sitting more normal now as she looks around. She'll mutter underneath her breath, "golden locks.."She'll giggle to herself.
Taryn laughs as he gets hit with the blade of grass. He chuckles, "Well, I guess I should be thankful that you didn't hit me with your book again… you brute." His demeanor sobers up a bit. "And about the other… it's not something that I really talk about… Honestly, it scares me a times… and in the Vale it's not unheard of for sorcerers to seek out others to test their mettle… so I hide it.. I have since I was a child." Now that was also because of the paranoid concerns of his mother, but that's neither here nor there.
Lorelei she'll roll her eyes," Lorelei the Brute, maybe that's what my pen name should be." she'll turn back to look at him, giving him an encouraging smile, "My best freind is. Hell, half her family is." She'll tilt her head, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I've heard a lot from Eilara. If you decide you just want to talk, I can listen."
Taryn looks at her, "The Mystics of Arboren aren't the same as Valen sorcerers… they're peaceful and enlightened… we tend to be explosive… " He frowns "Please don't tell anyone, okay? I kind of outted myself the other night… I had to warn Lady Sophie of something… and I couldn't get her away from a couple of others… I imagine it's only a matter of time before everyone knows… "
Lorelei wonders if Taryn's ever met Keanen. Explosive is definitely a word she'd use. But she'll nod, not wanting to stop him from talking at all. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. I swear by the 6." Biting her lower lip in thought, "Perhaps part of why you're supposed to be here is about becoming ok with it?" Enlightened or Explosive, she's gone through watching enough of her playmates be upset about this at on point or another. "Or being ok with others knowing?"
Taryn shrugs, "Maybe…" He doesn't sound all that confident. "But normally it hits you over the back of the head… Lord Aidan and Sir Agnes figured it out… and Lady Sophie, Lady Ariana, and Lady Reena all know… and now you… and I didn't feel any cosmic 'duh' or sense of completion…"
Lorelei blinks, that's a long list for a super secret. "Ok, it was just a thought." sighing, she'll smile down at her book, "I remember when Eilara went away for training, I was so sad. …and jealous." She'll look up, almost apologetically, "Everyone around me was able to do these amazing things, and I was stuck at home." She'll straighten up some, "Well, what are you going to do. Just wait for it? Or do you want to see if anything clicks?" She's honestly trying to help with the offer.
Taryn didn't look none too please that the cluster of three noble women knowing his secret. He is still frowning at the thought. "Before that… there has only been two other people to know… My mother… and a friend of my father's… Osric is the one who trained me to control my powers enough to gain a hold of them and to not expose myself… For me.. it was a constant fear of being found out… " He shrugs slightly, "I don't really know, honestly… I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with either Lady Sophie or Lady Sir Ellinor… because of a second dream I had… they felt connected, which hasn't really happened before…"
Lorelei will offer quietly, "Can Osric help you?" She'll watch him, concerned etching her brow. She looks like she wants to reach out again, but isn't sure if she should. She'll pause, giving him a moment before asking, "Do you want to tell me about the dreams?" There is not demand to her voice at all, just an offer to listen.
Taryn shakes his head, "Osric died a few years ago…" It's not a fresh wound nor one that hasn't healed yet. He shrugs "The first one was pretty direct… It was like I was floating high above landing… and then my perception zoomed downward… and I was standing there was the crowds moved past me, like a time elapsed sequence, with this feeling deep down in the pit of my stomach that I needed to be here.. for something… " He sigh slightly, "I just have no idea what that something is… then the second dream… I saw a young eagle, hooded and jessed, clutching a piece of tattered and torn purle and gold fabric… the eagle was put in an cage that was setting on top of a drake's skull… and Ladt Sophie has a fondness for drakes… and Lady Ellinor hunts them… so I figure the second dream is a warning or something dealing with one of them. I warned Lady Sophie…"
Lorelei listens to his description, her eyes getting a bit of a far away look. Nothing supernatural or awakened like, more deep, deep thought. She'll blink away, giving him an almost nervous smile, "Sorry, I was just…If I had written that, I was trying to figure out what I would have meant by it."
Taryn chuckles softly, "Yeah… that's one of the things… most of the time, the dreams make no sense, what-so-ever… it's like you know something that you don't know… and can't remember how to remember it."
Lorelei wrinkles her nose some, "I'm sorry. That must be horribly frustrating." She'll watch him for a minute, and then , "I'm hungry. come help me find food that didn't have a face?" she's not even subtle about the change in topic, but will smile brightly at him.
Taryn chuckles and shakes his head then grins, "You know… oysters, clams, and a bunch of shellfish don't have faces…" He stands up brushing the grass and dirt from his clothes. "But I have a feeling that's not what you had in mind."
Lorelei really wrinkles her nose now, "Yuck!No!" She'll stand as well, a brief thought of something else crosses her mind and she'll smile to herself. Picking up her book, she'll also brush off her skirt, smoothing it so it's at least not too wrinkled. "No trying to feed me anything that I won't like!" She'll then grin, "Unless you want to see tears….trust me you don't."
Taryn grins at her, "How do you know you won't like it, unless you try it. I didn't think that I would like sheep's testicles the first time I tried them… I was right, but that's not the point.. the point is I tried them…. Fried up with butter and garlic… " He arches an eyebrow, "You have not lived until you have had bacon wrapped dates… Trust me… you'll forget all this no meant stuff."
Lorelei turns slightly green, although she looks somewhere between losing her lunch and laughing at him. She'll point at him , "No!that is disguising, on so many levels!" She'll shake her head, but is smiling, "I've lived plenty!I don't need to eat flesh to live." Then she'll make yuck face, which is just her wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue.
Taryn grins, "I'm not going to try to convince you to eat meat… but does that mean I can't if I go and eat with you?" He does look at you, "I can tell you though that cows don't mind if you eat a hamburger around them…" He says that as if he knows it first hand. "And for the record, I'd never try to get someone to eat sheep's testicles… I did it on a dare… " He shrugs, "What can I say… I was young and dumb…" He grins, "Still partially true."
Still with a wrinkles nose, "I can't stop you." Lorelei gives Taryn a slightly mortified look, "that's awful!You do not eat hamburger near cows!" Her lips are twitching up though, she's trying to not laugh. She does laugh though about the dare, "Serves you right for even taking that dare!" Still giggling , "Only partially true?"
Taryn looks at her quite matter-of-factly, "Yes, in fact I have… And I wouldn't feel bad about eating pork… pigs are quite happy to eat their own kind…" He shrugs slightly, "It was really salty, a little bitter, and kind of chewing… " He draws his dagger, "I won this out of the dare… so I say I came off better for it…" He sheathes it back, "Well, I really won't call myself young anymore."
The amusement fades some in Loree's face,as Taryn goes into a bit more detail than he needs to, "Ewh…ok. Enough." she'll glance at the dagger, but doesn't look to impressed. Glaring at him slightly for the unnecessary trivia still, "How old are you?"
Taryn laughss. He reaches up and combs his hair back with his fingers, "Alright, alright.. I'll quit." He grins over at Lorelei, "I'm sure you'll think I'm ancient.. but I just turned twenty-two years last month."
Lorelei' eyebrows do go up, "Really? that old?" 4 years is huge. She'll look at him, chin out slightly like she's trying to decide something, "I bet you didn't do anything for your birthday, did you? Or if you did, it was all by yourself?"
Taryn grabs his chest like he's having a heart attack, "That old? Just shoot me and put me out of my misery… " He cocks his head, "You would be wrong on both parts… I took one of the horses out for a long ride… So I did something… and I wasn't alone… the horse was with me… and his name was Thunder… in case you were curious. He was very good company."
Lorelei makes a motion with both hands, one holding her book, like she's drawing back a draw string on a bow at him. She'll giggle softly, "Well, never mind then. I can't top Thunder."
Taryn shrugs slightly, "Growing up.. I never wanted to do anything with my birthday… It just didn't feel right… " He frowns slightly, "I guess I always realized that we didn't have much money and I didn't want Mom to try to scrape together for anything extra."
"I can understand that. We always had just enough, but there were 3 of us…I get it." Lorelei bites her lower lip, looking to Taryn, "Can I buy you diner? For your birthday?" She'll smile brightly, "If I had a horse here, I'd offer to go riding, but diner's the runner up."
Taryn looks at her, "You know you don't have to do that. I'm not going to starve to death. But if you are sure it won't put you in a bind, and you promise to let me return the favor one day, then okay…"
Lorelei smiles, "I know. I want to." She'll giggle, "Well, you can get me on my birthday, alright?"
Taryn grins, "That works… of course, you'll have to tell me when it's your birthday…" He walks slowly out of the park with Lorelei as they head off looking for non-face bearing food.
Lorelei laughs again, a small bounce in her step and she'll turn with a grin that matches his, "I said you could buy my birthday diner, I'd didn't say I'd tell you when it was." She'll emphasis the fact he's 4 years her senior by sticking out her tongue as they head out the park.