constantin "tragic baroque painting" d'orsay (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
takeroot) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
felldenlogs2020-03-26 09:16 pm
takeroot) wrote in felldenlogs2020-03-26 09:16 pm
closed
WHO: Connie takeroot n Felix brothered
WHAT: quest
WHERE: Moon territory
WHEN: right the hell now
WARNINGS: nope
[It begins with a dinner, or rather, a dinner interrupted by a Temple messenger and honestly? Thoroughly ruined by news of civil unrest. Constantin remarks not... kindly, necessarily, that some people could learn to wait until after other people have finished eating before tossing news in their faces about a missing duke and a gaggle of local lords and ladies ready to stage whatever kind of coup that will work for them before the chair is cold, all while the civilians flounder. The messenger leaves and that ends what could have been an ordinary, relaxing evening, now spent picking at meals and murmuring to each other about what the plan of action should be for this kind of mission. Constantin can hazard a guess at why the two of them have been scouted for this task; one of them knows how to fight and the other knows how to talk, simple enough!
Still; as harrowing as it is to hear that an entire duchy is ready to collapse under mismanagement, he manages to spare a moment to tell Felix just how lucky it is that they've been sent to work together. Felix can hold the sword and Constantin can point him in politically optimal directions. It's the perfect plan! No, no— there isn't a plan, even the next morning when it's time to go.
Or rather, late into the next morning, as a duchy on the verge of collapse is important but the ride is going to be long and the business longer, and Constantin has a building full of children and one (1) anxious adult to look after them all for who knows how long. He doesn't dally, but it takes him some time to settle affairs at the orphanage; Ragnar needs to hear the itinerary for the days ahead no less than six times before his panic subsides (and fair to him, considering Constantin's predecessor was, hmm, abruptly murdered and left Ragnar all on his own); the twins need to be reminded how to behave (and demand an audience for their very impressive new sword skills with their toys before anyone is allowed to move on); the other children understand that Constantin will be away, there are plenty of hugs, Luther in particular won't let go of him for the better part of fifteen minutes— but finally, in the late late morning, that business is done.
He meets Felix again on horseback, chatters something nonsensical about how Dorte had better not try bothering Marigold the farm horse, you know, because Dorte is so fond of flowers— and he deserves whatever rolling eyes he gets for that one. Then they're off.
As expected, the ride is long; it's seemingly no secret why they've arrived when they do, a handful of townsfolk in the city around the duke's manor eyeing them critically as they ride in and more servants doing the same in the manor itself. The meeting with the duke's advisor is brief and just about as clipped as the missive that brought them here; the duke is in trouble, etc, a lowborn man rising to power and making some choices that the other nobility don't agree with, and so on— Constantin can't say he's surprised the man is being threatened. Most courts are dens of vipers, and to have a commoner risen to power is a surefire way to raise tempers among the old money...
Eventually they're left alone, the two of them, to stand around in the duke's abandoned office and— well, who knows what they're meant to do, the advisor had merely told them to wait while some secret communication with the duke is made and who knows how long that will take, but the door closes and Constantin immediately drops himself into the duke's very fine chair and picks up the topmost letter on the pile on his desk.
The man's already in hiding! A little invasion of privacy is par for the course! This is helping. He skims a few lines, humming, and glances up at Felix.]
They know all of his deep dark secrets, apparently, [he says, waving the sheet of paper a little.] I've never seen a more vaguely-worded threat in my life. Do you suppose they were fishing, and like a fool he bit?
[Let him just rifle through more of these... hmm yes... The cheaper paper in the pile gets his attention; he skims one again and scoffs, just holding that one out for Felix to take.
Like, what kind of fool writes to his old bandit gang about their bandit plans? No wonder!]
takeroot n Felix brotheredWHAT: quest
WHERE: Moon territory
WHEN: right the hell now
WARNINGS: nope
[It begins with a dinner, or rather, a dinner interrupted by a Temple messenger and honestly? Thoroughly ruined by news of civil unrest. Constantin remarks not... kindly, necessarily, that some people could learn to wait until after other people have finished eating before tossing news in their faces about a missing duke and a gaggle of local lords and ladies ready to stage whatever kind of coup that will work for them before the chair is cold, all while the civilians flounder. The messenger leaves and that ends what could have been an ordinary, relaxing evening, now spent picking at meals and murmuring to each other about what the plan of action should be for this kind of mission. Constantin can hazard a guess at why the two of them have been scouted for this task; one of them knows how to fight and the other knows how to talk, simple enough!
Still; as harrowing as it is to hear that an entire duchy is ready to collapse under mismanagement, he manages to spare a moment to tell Felix just how lucky it is that they've been sent to work together. Felix can hold the sword and Constantin can point him in politically optimal directions. It's the perfect plan! No, no— there isn't a plan, even the next morning when it's time to go.
Or rather, late into the next morning, as a duchy on the verge of collapse is important but the ride is going to be long and the business longer, and Constantin has a building full of children and one (1) anxious adult to look after them all for who knows how long. He doesn't dally, but it takes him some time to settle affairs at the orphanage; Ragnar needs to hear the itinerary for the days ahead no less than six times before his panic subsides (and fair to him, considering Constantin's predecessor was, hmm, abruptly murdered and left Ragnar all on his own); the twins need to be reminded how to behave (and demand an audience for their very impressive new sword skills with their toys before anyone is allowed to move on); the other children understand that Constantin will be away, there are plenty of hugs, Luther in particular won't let go of him for the better part of fifteen minutes— but finally, in the late late morning, that business is done.
He meets Felix again on horseback, chatters something nonsensical about how Dorte had better not try bothering Marigold the farm horse, you know, because Dorte is so fond of flowers— and he deserves whatever rolling eyes he gets for that one. Then they're off.
As expected, the ride is long; it's seemingly no secret why they've arrived when they do, a handful of townsfolk in the city around the duke's manor eyeing them critically as they ride in and more servants doing the same in the manor itself. The meeting with the duke's advisor is brief and just about as clipped as the missive that brought them here; the duke is in trouble, etc, a lowborn man rising to power and making some choices that the other nobility don't agree with, and so on— Constantin can't say he's surprised the man is being threatened. Most courts are dens of vipers, and to have a commoner risen to power is a surefire way to raise tempers among the old money...
Eventually they're left alone, the two of them, to stand around in the duke's abandoned office and— well, who knows what they're meant to do, the advisor had merely told them to wait while some secret communication with the duke is made and who knows how long that will take, but the door closes and Constantin immediately drops himself into the duke's very fine chair and picks up the topmost letter on the pile on his desk.
The man's already in hiding! A little invasion of privacy is par for the course! This is helping. He skims a few lines, humming, and glances up at Felix.]
They know all of his deep dark secrets, apparently, [he says, waving the sheet of paper a little.] I've never seen a more vaguely-worded threat in my life. Do you suppose they were fishing, and like a fool he bit?
[Let him just rifle through more of these... hmm yes... The cheaper paper in the pile gets his attention; he skims one again and scoffs, just holding that one out for Felix to take.
Like, what kind of fool writes to his old bandit gang about their bandit plans? No wonder!]
763
~fin~
Well, be quick, and so on.]
Alright. I'm sure we'll get along splendidly here. [and, dryly:] Thick as thieves.
[Archimedes, to his credit, winces.
And so proceeds a very thrilling several days of Learning To Govern and Making Apologetic Speeches. Constantin has the ability necessary to smooth over most of the nobles' most upset moods, at least enough to keep things from imploding anytime soon— and Archimedes is... not the ideal student of The Politics, but he isn't unwilling? He's a work in progress, that's for sure. Constantin still can't say he likes him very much, all things said and done.
But the dust has settled, or will soon enough, and with a stern guiding hand perhaps the duchy will be back on course sooner rather than later.]