Everlight Family/Nerida/Visitor

Nerida Everlight

(2021/01/14)

Something was wrong with the Margravine's face.

Perhaps she had tweaked a taut muscle in her neck, or was dislodging a morsel from between molars. This must be the case, for there appeared to be a one-sided smirk upon the Lady's visage as she folded and sealed a small parchment. Business did not entertain as a rule, and Nerida was not given to good humour, so of course it could not be a smile.

The stern-faced woman gathered together her few missives, and her gaze could be seen to linger once again over a letter on the camp desk--were there anyone else in the command tent to see it, that is. To this absent eye the sigil of Laststar might be recognized on the opened letter, and a question come to mind of what the young knight could have written to cause such a pause in the brusque and businesslike Margravine.

Sebastian Laststar

(2021/01/22)

Sebastian wondered if people really did have butterflies living in their stomachs. Because his insides feel like somebody had kicked an entire nest of them as he finally rode into the open garden courtyard of the margravine's estate. Curiously, no one was around to meet him and his bannerman.

Maybe he arrived too early? He wanted to be fashionably early for this meeting with the margravine. Or was it called being fashionably late? He never understood what time had to do with fashion. His brother Oliver would know. He couldn't remember now as the irate butterflies kept tickling in his stomach.

Anyhow. Time was being wasted and the sun dragged on in the sky.

"Phillip. Go ahead and look around for somebody to... Uh. Invite us in." His bannerman made no comment on the awkward order, and went to do the lord's bidding, soon disapearing around the corner of the main building. It had passed over Sebastian's mind whether or not he should have knocked on the front door.

Now Sebastian is alone, and as he dismounted his horse, decided to walk around a bit himself. Maybe burn off his anxiety. He wondered if he was at least dressed well enough. His wardrobe style wasn't the best, that's for sure, and he had to wear one of his older, more fashional military suits. A simple uniform of a dull violet which matches Dhara's colors. Nothing else he had seemed good enough.

The uniform was old for sure. He had almost outgrown it, its seams could be almost heard screaming in pain each time his muscled shoulders shrugged forward. Sebastian looked more like a bear stuffed into a suit heading to a dinner party.

He comes to a stop under lone tall oak tree in the middle of the courtyard, and his ears twitch at a muted sound. That's odd. Was someone sniffling?

Sebastian looked up and was surprised to see a small, maybe 8 year old girl up in the tree; rubbing at her eyes. They were red and puffy. She had been crying awhile. She's likely a child of one of the servants by how she's dressed.

"Hello? Are you alright?" Was the tree upsetting her?

"I-I'm s-stuck."

Well this wouldn't do. The poor thing is trapped in a tree! Sebastian soon learned the girl had been up there alone for some time now after trying to bring her own pet cat down, and nobody else inside the estate was able hear her calling for help.

So. What else is there to do? Sebastian ignored whether or not he soiled his clothes and immediately set to climbing up the tree in order to rescue her.

"W-Wait. Uhm..." The little girl tries to protest, her eyes widening.

It was too late though. In a surge of inborn athleticism, he scooted up the tall trunk and into the uppermost boughs so high off the ground in record time. But he soon realized. He couldn't get back down either. Hm.

If only he saw the ladder laying on the dirt several feet away.

Everlight

(2021/01/22)

Perplexed confusion met irritation in the dark line of Nerida's brows. This was improper. The anticipation of this day had brought her uncharacteristic cheer these past two days on the road from Celtiberia, and that fragile emotion was now in danger of being blasted to ash in sharp defensive temper.

At least the stablehand knew his duty. The spry olive-skinned young man dashed out to take charge of her mount as her archer battalion dispersed to their barracks.

"That one, too," she commanded with a gesture. "I can only assume it belongs to my guest. We do not need creatures untended wandering the lawn."

As the horses were led away, she again scanned the verdant expanse. Neat hedgerows were too short to disguise a man; the new cherry trees planted along the promenade were spindly sticks; and the grand oak tree that marked the border of her estate with that of Mossy Oak had branches that started above her head, no place below to hide someone. But something was on the ground there... Irritation piqued for items left untidy in her manor grounds when she was expecting company, the Margravine strode over to investigate. The cooling shadow of the giant stretched over her as she discovered a ladder left awry on the ground.

Then, in the shade of the ancient tree, she heard voices.

Two voices.

Peering up into the foliage she spied a red-faced lavender-suited young man who she suspected to be her missing guest (impossible to tell with him monkeying about in the tree, she'd never seen him without helm), and the cook's girl, Ginny. Her face fell and one eyebrow lifted at once.

"Just exactly what is transpiring here?"

Laststar

(2021/01/22)

"Now it seems we are both stuck up here..." Sebastian sighs as he and Ginny now sit side by side on one of the lower boughs of the great oak, and idly swing their feet together above the ten foot void of space below. He had thought about calling for help himself, but the tree just seemed so convenient. It gave him a lovely view of the whole estate, with its rolling hedges and one could even see the plains in the distance from here. Behind him, closer to its center, the old tree had a gnarly growth that could be used as a bed to even nap in.

Why bother living in fancy houses and manors when you have comforts like this?

"I tried to warn you..." The little girl Ginny teases him. "You left the whole ladder down there!" Her scared sobs had ebbed away by now that she had somebody to share in her plight with, and more-so that an adult is with her. She's even beginning to smile at the silliness of it. She knew better than to call the odd nobleman 'Silly' though.

Sebastian had the decency to look shocked, and he leaned forward, spotting finally his mistake down on the ground. Ah. Done it again.

"Oof! So I did..." He shoves his hands in his face to hide some of his embarrassment. Maybe he ought to plan things more thoroughly once in a while, like his Father always scolded him. Ginny pats at his arm consolingly. The child is now offering support. The irony of it was lost on the young knight though, of course.

"What's done is done... Anyway..." Sighing, he recovers and turns to the little girl to introduce himself, holding a hand out to her even for a shake. "My name is Sebastian Laststar. What's yours?"

"Sebastian?" A shock comes over the small girl and she just gapes at him. "Sir Sebastian?! Oh you're the one meeting Lady Nerida today! She is really excited to meet you... Well. Excited for her." She adds with a blush.

"Oh no!" Sebastian cries out as he realizes. The Moonlit Villa looms large in his vision again. Somehow it all slipped his mind. "That's right. I'm supposed to be meeting her, I'm going to be late!" He, suddenly frantic, starts tossing around on their shared tree branch looking for a way to hurry down, shaking it violently; causing Ginny a fright again. The little girl tackle hugs his side so she isn't knocked off as well.

Then comes the ice cold voice from below.

   "Just exactly what is transpiring here?"

The severity of the tone surprises them both, like a physical blow, and it was the last thing Sebastian needed to knock him out of his seat. Ginny cries out, trying to keep a death grip on him. Sebastian snatches at the other branches flying past him, but they barely help to slow his fall.

So he hits the soil landing on his back at Nerida's feet. Just a moment later Ginny lands, rather cat-like—and more safely—on her butt right on top of his stomach. It pushes the last of his breath out of him. Oof. The fall didn't knock him out at least. Remarkably nothing inside him was broken either.

Sebastian rolls to his side, knocking Gilly off him and sucking in breaths. He gasps, eventually moving to stand up. "Errggh... I can't be late." Never mind the fact he just fell down around ten feet. He had somewhere to be!

Everlight

(2021/01/26)

Her stern voice lancing into the foliage above claims a victim: the young man in faded lavender tumbles heavily from the branches to meet the turf with a thud. The cook's daughter breaks her fall on the unfortunate fellow, leaving him winded.

The visiting knight? Surely not...

   Sebastian rolls to his side, knocking Gilly off him and sucking in breaths. He gasps, eventually moving to stand up. "Errggh... I can't be late."

What an odd day this is turning out to be. Surely this is the knight Laststar she has seen from a distance? He seems blissfully unaware of her identity. Nerida's dark brows stretch back out into a more pleasant, though still not welcoming, expression. She is unaware of their forbidding nature as she schools her voice into something more proper for a Margravine and hostess. One corner of her mouth quirks as an idea strikes--to find out if he guesses who she is without giving herself away.

"Young sir, are you the knight who is expected this day at Moonlight Villa?"

Laststar

(2021/01/27)

Sebastian dusts himself off as he stands with a grunt. That's going to be sore. He feels at his tender shoulder, barely even noting the woman standing at his side. Instead Sebastian focuses his attention on the little kitchen girl once again, who was quite shaken from the fall.

Not realizing he was pointedly ignoring Lady Nerida herself- he bends down to Gilly's height to pat her shoulder consolingly with a warm smile. Quite a contrast to the noblewoman behind him, with her brows drawing into severe lines of a stormcloud. Gilly's eyes bulge when she finally realizes who it is behind Sebastian. At Nerida's expression she squeaks out, "I'm fine!-ThankYouSir!" before making a hurried escape; hoping she wasn't recognized, but surely was.

That's odd. Sebastian frowns watching the girl make her escape, and he finally turns around to face the unknown woman next to him. She's certainly tall. Sebastian notes she towers over him by a good handful of inches.

Maybe one of Nerida's servants?

"What was that?—Oh yes." Sebastian kept losing track of his thoughts. Right. The meeting.

He suddenly stands up straighter (still not quite enough to match her height), while tugging on his too tight jacket and nearly making it tear at the seams over his broad shoulders. Why did he wear this? It's so suffocating.

"I'm Sebastian Laststar, of Paisly. You-" He trying—and failing—at his best serious, haughty-looking impression of a lordly noble. "You are to bring me to the Margarine-" Damnit. "-Margravine immediately. I am to meet her today."

Everlight

(2021/01/30)

The girl wisely dashes from sight as the man begins to speak.

   "I'm Sebastian Laststar, of Paisly. You-" He trying—and failing—at his best serious, haughty-looking impression of a lordly noble. "You are to bring me to the Margarine-" Damnit. "-Margravine immediately. I am to meet her today." 

Nerida's brows jump up out of sight. She blinks in disbelief.

"You have provoked enough curiosity that you are not ejected and banned from these grounds permanently, young Laststar," she says, her voice tight and low. "Make yourself presentable and announce yourself properly at the Manor. Surely a Knight of Paisly can find the main entrance."

Terse words delivered, Nerida spun on her heel and left the man behind, closing her ears to any response and trying not to care about how sweet the man seemed to be.

Right before she turned the corner, she tossed over her shoulder, "And learn your proper forms of address, Sir. I assure you that not all Margravines are as forgiving as I."

Laststar

(2021/01/30)

The mysterious woman left Sebastian's sight, and he was left to mull over her words under the massive oak. As forgiving as I? That's odd. That sounds like she's... At last, even though rarely used, a dull synapse in the young knight's brain finally flares to life like a candle. The professional attitude, the curt tone of her words. Sebastian gapes at the spot where the woman was just a minute ago.

Unless there's another margravine sister in the family, and Sebastian wasn't sure there wasn't... That was for sure Nerida!... Probably! Oh no!

A sudden desire to cringe and hide under one of the hedges washes over him. Sebastian realizes he shouldn't have pretended to be like his brother. Maybe he could still make his escape... profess a sudden illness perhaps. His churning stomach at the moment would agree with the sentiment.

No. Sebastian frowns. I have to stick through this.

Summoning a deep breath, Sebastian finally makes his way to the front of the villa after navigating once more through the hedge gardens. He was about to knock on the door when he realized his jacket was still a mess of twigs, dirty streaks, and scratches.

   Make yourself presentable and announce yourself properly at the Manor...

Sebastian remembers the haunting words. Thinking quickly, he tears off his jacket, leaving only a crisp white short-sleeved shirt beneath hugging his frame. And then like a child hiding his mistake, he stuffs the dirty garment behind a rosebush that was conveniently right next to the door. No one will find it! Hopefully! Though the lavender sticks out a bit.

Someone must have heard him rustling. A servant soon opened the door right when he was standing back up to brush himself off. "Uh..." Sebastian blinks awkwardly, and covertly tries to nudge the jacket further into the bush with his foot. "Hello... Is your Margravine around? I'm Sir Sebastian Laststar, knight of Paisly and vassal to Lord Ulfgang Mormont. I'm here on request of your... Margravine."

Everlight

(2021/02/22)

Nerida could feel her ears burning as she strode lengths wall to wall across her personal quarters. The quick pace had taken the high colour from her cheeks but her ears continued to betray the heightened emotion she felt. It was a roiling mixture of irritation, anger, and... affection?

Her brows fell further down onto her nose as she watched her pacing feet sightlessly. The blasted disrespectful young knight had been insulting, adorably innocent, and almost timid, yet he was a vassal of Mormont's whom she held in high regard. She was certain if Sebastian had even two wits to rub together he'd have figured her words out by now and was certain to be flailing--like he had out of the tree--to figure out how to save face. Her professional standards were at war with empathy for the young man who would be about the same age as--

The pacing halted abruptly. Her eyes closed as though to shutter something out. Several breaths arrived and departed without notice.

A delicate knock at the door crept into the silence.

"Milady Margravine?"

"Yes, Corbin."

"You've a visitor calling, Lady. Says he was summoned by your Ladyship, a Sir Sebastian Lastst--"

"Yes, I'm expecting him," she interrupted, thankful for the timing. "Thank you."

The servant disappeared. Nerida took a long breath and caught sight of herself in the long mirror. Her hair was now twisted up into a knot of shining chestnut brown, travelling clothes traded for a simple floor-length linen gown in a warm rust colour. She was more than presentable.

Her confident strides ate up the passageway and moments later she caught sight of the wide-eyed visitor. He stood jacketless now, a tailored white shirt flattering his athletic frame in its place. Good, it didn't fit him well anyway.

"Sir Sebastian, thank you for coming." She greeted formally. "I... trust you weren't injured from the recent foray?"

Laststar

(2021/02/23)

Sweat was starting to condensate over Sebastian's brow and hands as he waited for the Margravine to come meet him. He was left alone in the main foyer of the manor save for the company of the luxurious oil paintings, stone busts and tall potted plants to drive home the warm rustic feeling of the estate. Sebastian tried his best to not feel nervous, but he couldn't help how hot was feeling even while wearing just his elegantly spun cotton shirt and pants. He shouldn't have worn cotton. Maybe if he could just take his shirt off for a moment...

No. Better not do that.

Sebastian tries to distract himself looking over one of the vases of flowers left out on a table. He pokes at the green stems- leaning in to sniff; and in his clumsiness he knocks the vase over, sending it to the ground in gut-clenching horror. Surprisingly to Sebastian's relief, it didn't shatter, but it was left with a crack in it. Sebastian was left with a mess of soil and colorful blooms on the tile floor.

He didn't have long until somebody showed up again, so in his cleverness he scooped as much dirt as he could back into the damaged vase and hid it behind a pillar.

Hearing footsteps coming up behind him, and no time to put the flowers back, Sebastian spun back around with them clenched in his hands.

"Lady Nerida...?" Sebastian paused to scan over the tall woman's stony expression to see if he guessed right. She was tall enough to loom over him; just like his mother back home. And unlike his mother, rather terrifying. "Yes- I'm uh." He's at a loss for what to say, and responds awkwardly, "I'm fine thank you- I hope you weren't injured during yours."

Sebastian blinks. Realizing he should probably explain the flowers in his hands, and his mind races what to come up with. His face flushes with the effort.

"And I uh. Hm... Picked these for you! Here! Take them!" The flowers are shoved into the Margravine's chest, almost frantically, and at the same time Sebastian remembered all of his social training at the same time; bowing, handshaking, handkissing, smiling and more bowing. So Sebastian greeted her with an awkward mix of everything, with jerky movements, trying to tug on Nerida's hands- realizing they're sweaty and stopping early; then realizing that must have looked awful, and blushed. He recovered with a stiff bow, nearly headbutting Nerida.

He had to give up on whatever smooth motions his tutors tried to teach him, and his anxiety makes his voice go up an octave. He could almost cry. "A pleasure to meet you!"