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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Mar 4, 2023 4:18:53 GMT -5
"What do you mean you 'don’t have spare clothes'?"
Kamille looked mortified when Astrid told her, in her very non-chalant matter-of-factly way, she didn’t pack a bag with at least a change of clothes. The Witch could assume one not caring for it when on the road, but.... a girl needs the finer silks and furs right?
Astrid's grandma had a clear predilection for the dark purples and blues - and it became clear when the Witch brought her into her walk-in closet, trying to find a spare robe for the kid while she was over. Not only that, but her tastes could be certainly classified as expensive. Zeinavian silks that felt they were woven with threads of water, rich and dense furs from the Frost Gale and the finest velvet from the Capitol. Gem incrusted transparencies and fancy leathers alike, Kamille, very much like a noble lady, had quite elegant, classic and expensive tastes. Business must be doing good, right? Not only that, but Astrid knew the Witch received a lot of gifts. Zeinavian jewels and silks were abundant in her closet, and it didn’t need much thought to know where they came from: half hidden between her daily cotton shirts and leather pants, a single, lonely black robe hung, just as fancy as her own purple robes, if not more. Embroidered with moon patterns in silver, it was clearly not cut for a woman’s figure.
Any high-society woman would be envious of such collection.
But for the day, Kamille shoved one of her own silk robes on Astrid, saying they would be out the next day and to pack a bag. She didn’t say were they were going, so it might have come with a surprise that she asked Astrid:
"Have you ever been to the Crescent Isles, Astrid? To Starlight City?"
The destiny might've come as much a surprise as their means of transportation: by now, Astrid already knew one of the most recent additions to Kamille's personel. Kalaf was a gentle giant, yet his massive size alone was enough to stirr fear in people's hearts. The black dragon was often seen sleeping nearby her house, but this time he would be their ride to the Starlight City. The beast's blazing scarlet eyes rolled over Astrid as Kamille explained to him where they were headed interrupting her with a low growl. Kamille looked thoughtful for a moment, then glanced over to Astrid.
"Yeah.... I guess so... You could say she's my hatchling, yes...."
After having had a good sniff at the girl, the dragon seemed to be content enough. Despite being a fire-breathing, spike covered, muscled beast, Astrid would have the feeling he was much more chill than Frok, the Storm - and the irony of that was just on point. Kamille settled Astrid in front of her for their ride, and they felt his powerful muscles shift and turn beneath them as the giant beast leaped into the air and took the skies. Astrid wouldn’t see Kamille giving Kalaf commands, but still the beast would follow as intended to the Starlight City. The saddle she had made for Kalaf had lots of places they could safely hold onto, and she made sure to even strap themselves to it, and it became clear why: no matter how exciting dragon riding could be at first, a long travel might become boring.... so sometimes Kamille would have Kalaf do something more exciting, like diving or making a complete 360 roll in the air.
The landing was as troubling as the rising, and when Kalaf pulled the wings closer to dive, Kamille braced herself for the impact. They landed on a small patch of woods near the city, as to not draw too much unwanted attention and unnecessary drama from the guards. When they finally arrived at the city on foot, it was already night and they were both tired.
The Starlit Sky was the place the Witch chose for them to spend the night - a luxury inn, of course, frequented by lords and ladies. A look of recognition imediatelly lit up the face of the girl serving a few patrons, and she quickly approached them.
"Ah! Lady Kamille! Good evening! You were expected! Our Lady has expressed her desire to speak to you. Have you made a good travel?"
"The winds were easy on us, yes, thank you. I hope the lady would want to speak now? Tomorrow will be a long day."
"That can be arranged. Good evening, little one. Is she one of your apprentices?"
"She's my grandaughter. Can you take her to our quarters while I confer with your boss? I'll be back in a moment, okay Astrid? You can ask for a bath or anything you might want, okay?"
The look of shock on the girls face upon knowing who Astrid was was hilarious. It would seem Kamille still had a secret or two after all....
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 5, 2023 15:37:55 GMT -5
It’s not Astrid’s fault the potion she and Kamille made ended up exploding liquid all over her. What’s the big deal? It’s not like it hurt either of them, and she can just wash her clothes and wear them again. What are a few stains and a day half naked among family?
Clearly, enough to warrant an entire journey to [city name] for a shopping trip.
“I mean, I didn’t bring me Court dress with me ‘cause I didn’t think I’d need it,” she murmurs. Astrid did bring her little owl onesie, so that becomes her at-home comfort while her clothes hang out to dry.
Watching Kamille pick through the extravagant wardrobe full of things Astrid has no idea how to appreciate is an odd one. To her, all the clothes just have extra bits and bobbles that don’t serve much purpose other than to look pretty. The gems could get caught on something easily. The embroidery is hard to repair. Furs are great for cold weather, but what use have they only around the neck or wrists?
Fashion is an odd thing, Astrid decides, but it’s important to Kamille and Cantio. Her dad has taught her some appreciation for the design of clothing but implements some level of practicality into the things he makes for her – or rather, with her. While Astrid loves things with a certain amount of aesthetic value, in her mind, function is the most important thing. Pretty armor has to function at the end of the day, otherwise, it’s pointless.
The next day, they’re packed and ready to go, Astrid with much lighter bags than Kamille, though heavy with the thought that her bag will be full after this shopping trip. Luckily, she can just pull Charles out of the magic pocket she keeps him in and stuff everything in his storage compartment. In all honesty, Astrid’s excited that Kamille wants to share one of her hobbies with her. It’s been a grand time learning alchemy from her official grandmother, so learning how to appreciate fine clothes just gives them something else to talk about.
As they’re loading up, Astrid looks at Kamille when she asks her question. “Aye, I’ve been ta Eclipse City,” she says. “Me an’ Blue Raspberry went ta help some fishermen an’ got eaten by a sea monster off the coast. That was… real weird.”
Luckily, Astrid doesn’t have to explain who Blue Raspberry is to Kamille since the knight who’s secretly an ooze joined her on her trip to Bellighul’s and immediately after to the Sludge Pits where they first met the Witch of Moonglade. Last time Blue came up in conversation, Astrid slipped up a little, but luckily some avianbears distracted them from the finer details of the man described as a wolf who ate some chairs or something. If she’s lucky, Kamille won’t bring that up. Luck only lasts so long, child, and not everything can cause a distraction for you.
Flying on dragonback is quite the experience, one reserved for the worthy. If being Kamille’s “hatchling” makes Astrid worthy, she’s perfectly fine with that. Besides, she likes the warm fuzzy feeling of being considered family. It’s funny to Astrid that Kamille has a companion that’s a dragon after their first adventure together involved taking down a cocky young adult dragon, but Astrid’s met plenty of friendly drakes on her adventures, so she really doesn’t mind the scaly creatures if they’re not wreaking havoc.
It’s a long and tiring journey, and by the time they get to the inn, Astrid’s surprised to see how decadent it is. Last time she stayed in an inn anywhere near this fancy was when she crashed with Cantio after the Black Harvest Ball, and they only slept there because the owner owed Cantio a favor. This place is even more luxurious. The street urchin Astrid feels quite out of place and sticks close to Kamille’s side. Unlike her trip to Court, this wasn’t earned, and she looks too scrunkly to fit in here. Maybe she should have brought her Court dress.
When she’s mentioned by the server woman, Astrid gives an awkward wave of hello. “Aye, I’m a bit of an apprentice too, though,” she says. “Gran’s lessons helped me impress the Golden Consortium enough ta get in.” While Astrid doesn’t feel particularly dirty from their travel, if they’re going to be shopping for fancy clothes, she should probably get cleaned up. “Um, sure, a bath’s probably good. I’d love ta eat somethin’ too.”
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Mar 19, 2023 20:13:15 GMT -5
The look on the woman's face was comedic, as she tried to wrap her head around the idea this scrunkly child was both related to Kamille and a member of the Golden Consortium. Nonetheless, Astrid was guided to some private quarters where a warm bath and even a fresh robe was ready for her. Sometimes it was easy to forget Kamille had friends on high places, or that she probably had much more gold than she let on... But in the end, Astrid would have a hint of that during the days she spent with her. The Witch had an unsuspected talent for making money work for her, instead of the other way around - and, of course, it was made much easier when she had a head start in life because of her father's previous position.
Her private conversations didn't take long, and Kamille quickly joined Astrid. But after their long journey, even if on dragonback, they were too tired to make too much of a mess before getting some food and going to bed.
The morning came too early it would seem, and Kamille quickly shook Astrid out of bed a tad more vigorouly than usual.
"Astriiiiiiiiiiid! Come on! Let's go! Dress up! We're gonna have our breakfast out!"
Kamille looked excited, unceremoniously throwing the child out of bed... as best as she could, and wouldn't stop talking while brushing her hair and helping her getting ready for their daily activities.
"First we are gonna fix breakfast at a place I know to serve some awesome pie, and then we're gonna go to the street of silk and buy you a couple of things. You'll need some cotton shirts, a few pairs of pants... It's always nice to have some skirts and, of course, a few dresses!"
Her hands worked quickly, gently untangling Astrid's hair with the patience that was so characteristic to her, trying not to pull at her hair so much. When she was done, Astrid had two small and neat braids.
"But first! I need to stop by a friend to deliver something, and then we can go shopping!"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 23, 2023 23:17:24 GMT -5
Astrid takes a lot of pride and joy in the baffled expressions she gets from people. Somehow with Kamille, it feels even more fun. The two share some prankster energy deep down, it’s just a matter of capitalizing on it between the both of them. Even small things like walking into a much too fancy inn can exacerbate it.
The bath is incredibly fancy. The robe is the softest she’s ever felt. The bed is cloudlike. Even the carpet is plush. Never in her life would Astrid have opted for a place like this to stay. It’s far out of her budget (or so she thinks), and having been used to a meager means of living, this is quite extravagant.
Usually, she doesn’t much like people who opt for places like this. They usually have their heads up their arses. Kamille is different though. Her tastes are certainly expensive, but she doesn’t act like all the jerks in the Courts that think they’re better than anyone else. She likes that about her.
There’s a lot Astrid doesn’t know about Kamille, things the witch doesn’t often speak about. It gives her a mysterious air, and while Astrid wants to know more, she doesn’t push her luck too much. Sometimes when she asks questions of people, she’s not always ready for the answers. Besides, some people tend to open up in time. She and Kamille get along well – well enough that Kamille’s dragged her across the ocean to go shopping! No reason to do anything to compromise that.
The night is surprisingly restful. When morning comes, Astrid is difficult to wake up, much more difficult than any night spent resting roadside. With Kamille nearby, she can fully relax. Sleep is safe. So when Kamille shakes her whole body, Astrid groans tiredly.
“I’m up, I’m up…” she says drowsily, rubbing her eyes.
Apparently, she isn’t up soon enough because Kamille dumps her out of bed. Astrid crashes to the floor. “Oof!” Well, she’s definitely awake now. “Gran…”
Getting dressed is a blur, and before long, Astrid’s sat in front of Kamille while she brushes and braids her hair. What are usually two short pigtails are now two neat, short braids. It feels weird to have her hair pulled in such a way, but Kamille’s having a good time, and it feels nice when she’s brushing it. She likes letting Cantio play with her hair while she tinkers with things.
“I’ve got shirts an’ pants,” she protests. “I was wearin’ ‘em on the way here.” If she ever needs a new shirt, she simply manifests the magic Kamille taught her and summons one to her from her closet at home. There’s no reason to wear different clothes every day while you’re traveling. Granted, this whole adventure was spurned because she forgot to pack a bag while going to visit Kamille.
“I’ve got a skirt too,” Astrid adds on. She’s of course talking about the fairly ratty pink skirt she wears as part of her adventuring getup. A little splash of color to her otherwise bland daily wear beneath all the armor. “Da made me a real nice dress fer Court that fits with me armor. It’s real fancy.”
Being a kid from the street, it’s definitely weird to have a dad and grandma who both care so much about clothes and fashion.
Her mind wanders back to the topic of breakfast. “Pie sounds good though.” Astrid peeks up at Kamille from under her bangs once she’s finished. “Ya gotta deliver somethin’? Is it a secret?”
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Apr 7, 2023 11:19:46 GMT -5
Kamille didn’t look too impressed by Astrid's asorted collection of ragged clothes. She would take care of that, for sure. When she mentioned her "secret", Kamille flashed a smug smile towards her grandchild - but said nothing as of yet.
For the day, Kamille had chosen a very different outfit: it was a kimono, as it was traditional to the Crescent Isles. More or less traditional, as it was probably a little bit more showy than it should be, leaving her shoulders bare. It was black with pink flowers, just as luxurious as most of her clothes were. She made a passing comment on how she would want to buy Astrid a kimono for her as well, so that would be their first stop after their pie.
After Kamille deemed her ready to leave, she guided Astrid through the streets with a happy hop to her step. They were in the middle of some sort of spring festival, as flowers and lanterns decorated the streets. It would probably be quite a sight during the night.
The streets were busy for such an early hour of the day, and although it reminded her a bit of Sol City with its daily noisy hustle going on, it felt the city wasn’t as noisy or dirty. Compared to the streets of Sol City, it was actually quite pretty.
"You must know by now, right Astrid? I don’t sell only potions, elixirs and healing.... Mostly, I often deal with secrets. So... Yes, I got a few secrets... For example, I will share one with you: every year, around this time, during this festival, my father would bring me here. Every. Year."
Kamille never mentioned her family before. Nor her past life, except for some passing comments about the Court life, but nothing ever personal or particularly deep.
"I would say I am... somewhat good at getting people's secrets..."
Nothing that a few spells and a network of spies couldn’t do. With a smug smile, she glanced towards Astrid and indicated the place they were supposed to have their pie. It was a really small stand squeezed between two larger stores. The smell was amazing.
"What’s your favorite pie?"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 7, 2023 23:01:15 GMT -5
If kimonos are meant to be worn the way Kamille wears one, Astrid isn’t so sure she wants to wear one. Having sleeves hanging off one’s shoulders seems really inconvenient. What if something happens? Shouldn’t she bring some of her armor along? Astrid’s attempts to wear at least one piece of armor are thwarted by Kamille’s quick hands, and after some struggle, she finally relents. Kamille can’t stop her from summoning her war hammer if they get attacked by avianbears or something like the last time they tried to just have a nice jaunt into town, and Astrid does well to remind Kamille of this. The witch seems unbothered, and with Astrid dressed enough to look presentable, the two of them depart from the inn.
The streets of Starlight City are decorated thoroughly for some sort of festival. It’s entirely different than anything Astrid ever saw in Sky Peak. The colors are softer, warmer, and with the open blue sky, everything feels more inviting than the murky gray of Dragon’s Cradle. Even the hustle and bustle don’t feel particularly overwhelming as locals prepare for the spring festival.
“Aye, ya have yer own secrets,” Astrid says, turning her attention from the decorations up to her gran. “Everyone’s got ‘em.” Kamille sharing one with her, however, is unexpected but also appreciated. “Every year? Whoa… That sounds really nice.” Her eyes trail off to the decorations around them again, wondering if she’ll make any yearly traditions with Cantio. They haven’t even known each other for a year yet, but maybe Kamille would be interested in sharing this with her again another year. “...Maybe the two of us could keep that goin’?” she suggests a bit sheepishly.
As they stop in front of the pie stand, the scent hits Astrid’s nostrils. Oh, that does smell good. “Me favorite pie?” she echoes. Her hand comes to her chin while she thinks about it. “Hm… shepherd’s pie. Tasty, hearty, all good pie qualities!” Dessert pies are good, but sometimes they’re too sweet. Being a child who rarely got sweets, Astrid does love them, but a good meal is more important to her. She looks at the pie stand. “Ya think they got it here? Oh, or a meat pie! Chicken pie is good too.”
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Apr 16, 2023 17:56:36 GMT -5
Kamille sounded adamant about not wearing armor on the street - what could happen in the middle of the Starlight City? But then again, Kamille never relied on weapons or armor for a start... Of course, last time they went out to have a nice time together the city was attacked by owlbears, but still.... no way that would be happening again, in a busy city like Starlight City right?
..............Right?!
The Witch seems to notice Astrid squinting her eyes at her choice of outfit. While Kamille looked comfortable enough in the way her attire was set up, she would definitely let Astrid pick whatever kimono she wanted and wear it whatever way she wanted it...
"...without armor, of course."
Starlight City clearly held a special place in her heart, even if now the memories had been tainted and brought a bittersweet taste in her mouth. They were truly sweet memories of her holding hands with her father, a tall figure with a stoic air of calmness and patience. At this time, he often wore his black hair long, and would let her braid it, while he himself had learned to style the daughter's hair too so they could sport matching braids. She remembered he had the long fingers of a scholar, patient and expert, but she never wondered how strong he could be until...
Until he decided to close his hands around her neck.
Kamille shook such thoughts away. The day was too bright and beautiful to let such dark memories resurface now. And now she had an opportunity to reframe the way she saw that place, making it a tradition with her found family. The Witch smiled at Astrid, taking her by the hand for them to walk along the colorful, flowery streets.
"Of course we can. Tell you what. Have you heard of the Talking Heads? We can communicate through them, no matter were we are. I'll give you one, so no matter where we are, we can arrange to meet here every year to catch up. Does that sound good to you?"
Once they arrived at the place, Kamille went to get them their pies, chosing to pick shepherd's pie for both of them and giving the largest piece to Astrid. There was no sidewalk tables to sit, but she brought Astrid to a bench beneath a tree for them to eat peacefully, watching the comings and goings. It was truly a good pie.
"What is your friend's favorite pie? I would love to have him over one day... What does he like to eat? Besides chairs?"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 26, 2023 20:06:04 GMT -5
It doesn’t escape Astrid that Kamille’s expression briefly grows distant, and she seems to shake the thought away. The girl wonders if maybe Kamille’s memories with her father aren’t all pleasant, but she would never ask that. It’s not something that she wants other people to pry into about herself, so she wouldn’t dare pry about something that brings up hurt to think about. But that’s okay, because they have each other and the rest of their weird found family, and they can make happy memories together. Astrid gives Kamille’s hand a bit of a squeeze, some silent reassurance that she’s here for Kamille as much as the opposite is true.
“Aye, I’ve heard of Talkin’ Heads,” Astrid says. “Mister Zarius showed ‘em ta me, an’ we used ‘em for a mission. They’re real handy. I’d love ta have a set fer callin’ da at home an’ fer talkin’ ta ya an’ anyone else!” Hopefully, the cheerful nature of the conversation draws Kamille away from whatever hurtful thoughts she has. “It sounds real good. I’d love ta come back here with ya. It’s real pretty.” It doesn’t occur to her to explain who Zarius is. At this point, Astrid just assumes Zarius and Kamille both know everyone somehow.
With some nice, hot pies in hand, little pockets of warmth stuffed with meats and vegetables, the two sit on a bench together to have their breakfast shaded from the morning sun. Astrid watches people walk by while she munches on her pie, noticing that many people are wearing similar outfits to Kamille though in different ways. She recalls Kamille mentioning something about getting one for her, and now Astrid’s a bit more interested.
Then Kamille asks her question while Astrid is mid-bite. “Huh?? Their favorite pie??” she repeats, muffled by a mouthful of hot pie. The half-dwarf gives the witch a quizzical glance. Where is this coming from? What friend is she talking about? – Actually, that’s a good point. Astrid has multiple friends now.
“What does he like to eat? Besides chairs?”
Astrid nearly chokes on her pie. Oh, that friend. She coughs a little to avoid inhaling mincemeat. “Uhhh…. I dunno what ya mean, Kamille,” she lies. Badly. “I dunno why anyone would wanna eat chairs! What a- What a silly thin' ta eat!”
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 9, 2023 4:54:56 GMT -5
Astrid quickly brought Kamille back to the present, with a warm smile as they talked about more day-to-day things. She speaks of Zarius, and she assumes it's the same Zarius that she knew, so she assumed she could arm the girl with weapons to provoke the charcoal skinned fellblood. If she was really her grandchild, she would know what to do.
"Ohhhhh, you know Zarius as well? Next time you see him, ask him if he's still sticking his arm into acidic oozes............. Don't tell him I told you that, though."
It would probably be evident, though.
Few people had the audacity to wear a kimono the way Kamille wore, the traditional way being much more modest and comfortable, at first sight. Of course she would allow Astrid to chose whichever style she preferred, and they would have all day to settle that... As well as buy another wardrobe entirely for her little gremlin.
But right now, Kamille quietly rejoiced in the reaction she got out of Astrid. Apparently, the girl couldn't handle lying for long - much like herself. Kamille tried to look unfazed.
"Well...... That's what you told me, remember? You said he ate the chairs at the tavern... I even went and talked to the tavern keeper later on, you know, to tranquilize him about you and your friend..."
And to make it clear she would be held responsible for the damage they would do there in the future, but Astrid didn't need to know that now.......
She tried to look serious as she turned to face Astrid.
"Astrid, he told me some weird things about your friend......"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on May 29, 2023 16:14:15 GMT -5
Just like Astrid figures, Kamille knows Zarius. “Aye, I know Zarius!” she pipes up. “He helped get me off the streets an’ took me on me first adventure!” It’s a surprise to her though when Kamille mentions that the fellblood stuck his arm in an ooze, and Astrid’s expression looks perplexed.
“Wait… Why the heck did he go an’ do that? Musta had a good reason, right?” Astrid’s seen what an ooze can do to someone’s appendages, but Zarius came out alright, so Kamille must have helped heal him. She’s definitely going to have to keep the information about Blue away from Zarius as best she can…
And then the conversation turns to the topic of the very same ooze, except… Well, Astrid only ever mentioned that she had a weird meal with a wolf before. Okay, calm down, you can play this off.
“Ohhh, aye, aye, back in Moonveil, I remember,” Astrid says quickly to recover as best she can. “Aye, so I went on a bit of an adventure on me own an’ I ran into a big wolf in the forest. Seemed pretty smart, an’ it helped me find some bandits. I made some pretty good coin from dealin’ with ‘em, so I paid fer a big feast fer me an’ the wolf. ‘Cept the wolf ate the chairs at the tavern an’ left me alone. I’d fallen asleep, so when I woke up, I had ta spend the rest of the coin I earned payin’ fer the furniture. Never heard of a wolf that ate wood before.”
None of what she says is a lie, she simply omits that she eventually learned that the wolf was an ooze knight.
“So yeah, I’m sure that lady told ya all kindsa weird stuff about that wolf.”
And that’s that. She thinks.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 12, 2023 9:13:56 GMT -5
So... Zarius took Astrid off of the streets? That's something she wouldn't expect to come from the fellblood, and yet... She felt grateful for him. Might be a good thing to mention it next time they met. But if that was a good decision on the fellblood's part, sticking his arm on an ooze was not so much...
Kamille chuckled softly.
"Can't figure a good enough reason to stick my arm into an ooze. You could ask him next time you meet. Make sure to embarrass him."
Yeah, maybe Kamille wasn't the best influence on Astrid...
When Astrid started to talk about her friend, she side-eyed the young girl, squinting her eyes at the story. It was... a story severely lacking in details. Kamille herself knew to be lacking on the deception aspect, and on account of that, knew how to skirt around a subject without having to lie and avoid relaying more information. She knew exactly what Astrid was doing.
But then, she smiled at the girl.
"What was his name, again? Full name. And where did he come from? Does he have family? I'd love to meet him someday, when are you gonna invite him over?"
Despite the pleasantries, her intentions were clear: after all, what was Kamille most known for, after being a powerful Witch? Her network of spies. Astrid had already met her Crows, the Black Quills, but at this point would also have heard mentions to the Sparrows. A whisper here and there told Astrid all she needed to know about them: the Sparrows could be anyone, beggars, shop keepers, guards... Everyone who owed Kamille a favor or two, or hoped to get in her good grace, under the protection of her wings; many more sets of eyes and ears that would relay information to her.
When they were both done with their pies, Kamille stood up.
"Let's find you some nice clothes. I know a perfect shop for it."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Jul 2, 2023 16:44:22 GMT -5
It isn’t that Kamille’s chuckle seems devious or sinister, but it could easily be taken that way with the way she said to embarrass him. “Honestly, I think askin’ him at all why he did it would probably embarrass him enough, don’cha think?” she says, looking at Kamille with a bit of a smirk. Zarius isn’t one to talk about his decisions or personal thoughts very often, so Astrid figures that her knowing that he did something stupid would probably send him down a long line of thoughts about how the heck he’s going to find an excuse for it. Maybe it was a good reason though.
What Astrid can’t figure out is why Kamille is grilling her about the wolf. After all, the girl’s been honest enough about the information. Why is she asking for so much information about this friend of hers? A perplexed furrow darken’s Astrid’s brow while she tries to put things together. Oh, maybe Kamille has heard of Astrid adventuring around with her best friend, the knight Blue Raspberry. That would actually make a lot more sense. Why couldn’t she just say so?
”Oh,” Astrid starts. “Do ya mean me friend, the knight?” she asks, looking at Kamille. “We’ve done a lotta stuff together, figures ya heard about us trompin’ around. That’s Wolfe, me best friend! Which… explains why ya thought they were also the wolf the lady mentioned in Moonveil…” It is true that Blue Raspberry, AKA Wolfe, was indeed the very same large wolf that Astrid fought some bandits with way back when, but that information wasn’t revealed to Astrid for several weeks, and as far as she knows, no one else had any idea they were the same either considering the Blue Wolfberry ran away from town after eating a bunch of chairs and tables.
“I s’pose they’d like ta meet ya sometime,” she continues. “They really like meetin’ folks that are important ta me. They’re livin’ with me an’ da now, too! We go on lotsa adventures together, an’ I know they always have me back. Da a’ ‘course likes me not goin’ alone. I’ll definitely introduce ya!”
With that, she shoves the last bite of pie in her mouth and hops up. “Ta th’ shoff!” ("To the shop!") she says through a mouthful.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jul 15, 2023 17:49:24 GMT -5
Kamille squinted her eyes at Astrid. Clearly, she wasn’t convinced of her story. Something didn’t add up. But that's okay, she would have plenty of time to talk more with Astrid and pry a bit more.
"Oh, and about Zarius.... Make sure to mention his pale friend too... Then you come and tell me his reaction."
As they walked down the street, the warm spring breeze blew their hair and gently ruffled her silk kimono. For someone that was born at the Crescent Isles, Kamille didn’t feel like she belonged there, even if she looked like it. Life at Court took her at an early age, even if her father made sure she didn’t forget where she came from.
Not that the nobles ever let her forget...
Soon, they arrived at the store Kamille was talking about - and as could be expected, it was fancy. Very fancy. The kind of place where the seamstress looked as rich as the nobles they dressed - and nearly as pompous too. Kamille didn’t like such high pomp that would make the seamstress wrinkle their noses at Astrid, but she couldn’t deny they were good. A gentle bell could be heard as they entered the perfumed store. A few racks displayed several different robes and kimonos, fine silks of all different colors and some accessories. Upon their entering, a woman emerged from inside the store, her resting bitch face imediately fading into a worried expression.
"Oh! Ohh! Lady Kamille! I'm glad to see you, my lady! But-.... But your comission for the gentleman's outfit will be ready in a couple more days, as we've expl-"
"Good morning, Tanya. Today I'm here to buy something for this young lady here. See if you manage to find something she likes."
The woman tried not to make a face to the young child, offering Astrid the most fake, squirmy smile she could muster. Kamille, on the other hand, nodded and blinked to Astrid with an understanding she could only interpret as a permission to "go make this woman’s life miserable, child".
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Aug 5, 2023 21:07:37 GMT -5
“His pale friend?” Astrid wonders. “Hm, sure, I’ll make mention, an’ I’ll let ya know!” It’s been a while since she’s seen Zarius, so she wonders when they’ll run into each other again. Hopefully, she remembers by their next encounter.
Following Kamille across town, the store they enter is so fancy that Astrid at first considers not going in at all. During her time on the streets, if she made even a passing glance at a place like this, she’d be chased off. Some internalized worry makes her check her fingers for remnants of food and her shoes for even a fleck of mud before she steps in cautiously. This isn’t like a smithy where one can walk around and knock into things and most things won’t break. No, one misplaced elbow here could send a rack of clothes careening to the floor. The horror!
Astrid doesn’t like it one bit.
And then there’s the lady, Tanya as Kamille said it. That squirmy smile tells Astrid everything she needs to know. When the two of them lock eyes, they both know what the other is about. To Astrid’s surprise, Kamille seems to want her to… be a little shit? Well, that’ll be easy. Astrid lets her shoulders relax and looks at Tanya.
“I like clothes that are easy ta fight in, don’t rip easy, are easy ta wash an’ don’t show blood stains. Oh, an’ if I can wear ‘em with armor, then I’ll like ‘em even better!” That should pose enough of a challenge here.
Tanya keeps her fake friendly smile as she glances back to Kamille with her eyebrow twitching. What does Lady Kamille get into with this child?
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Sept 2, 2023 7:28:30 GMT -5
Tanya blinked, her smile flickering for a moment as she heard the child's expectations for clothes. It was clear that, if Kamille wasn’t there, she wouldn’t expect to have clients such as the young lady.
"I'm sorry, young lady. Perhaps there might've been a misunderstanding? I wouldn’t often recomend people to fight in my clothes, as they are often tailored to-"
"You heard the lady, Tanya. I trust your expertise and judgement to bring exactly the right thing."
It was unclear if the woman named Tanya actually valued Kamille as a customer, or if she was taking this personal now, but Astrid would see a glint of determination in her eyes as the Witch said that. Her ego wouldn’t allow her to let a paying customer to leave saying she didn’t get what they wanted. She straightened up her back, stuck her chin in the air and shot the most condescending smile towards Astrid.
"I'll take a look at what I have in your size. I'll be right back!"
Once Tanya dissappeared inside the store, Kamille chuckled at Astrid, plopping herself on a velvet chair nearby, crossing her legs.
"You gave her quite a challenge, she might take a while. But I wouldn’t be expecting you to need to fight in such outfit, if I can avoid it."
....Which was a blatant lie, since Astrid knew how much Kamille rejoiced in a bit of chaos. A Witch that liked to stirr the pot, like any other.
"I'm gonna get you an outfit for the festival, another dress for when you need to attend the Court, a ball dress, some day-to-day things.... Oh! And I might need you to help me pick an outfit for when we're gonna meet your friends! I don’t want to go overdressed..."
As expected, Kamille seemed to care a lot about her clothes and appearance, even if she didn’t talk much about it regularly. She clearly was one of those bitches that kept up a spotless look seemingly effortlessly.
It took a while, but eventually Tanya came back with a pile of clothes bigger than Astrid herself, and a savage glint in her eyes that seemed to scream to the young lady something like "I'm gonna make you suffer as much as I do". Her voice was incredibly sugary.
"Time to try on some clothes!"
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