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 Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:56 pm
Yossarian-Lang Romanovitch Vandrooghenbroeck the Thirteenth knew better than anyone how poorly meeting relatives usually went, so why exactly he had volunteered willingly for such a thing, he'd never know-- ...
Or wait, actually that was a lie. He did know why he'd volunteered, and it was all because of a certain butterfurred young woman who he'd never be rid of, for better or worse, until the day he perished. Part of it probably stemmed from some sense of obligatory 'gentleman's' duty to assist her and make certain nothing went catastrophically wrong, but at the same time, maybe he was just a little curious as to this supposedly sane remainder of her family, too.
As expected, of course, neither Kanda nor Shae had been eager to join them on the proposed journey to Xorosho, the former obviously for reasons of less savory family, and the latter for... well, she had simply expressed her wishes to be some place with tamer weather-- not to mention that little wedding disaster and nearly getting thrown overboard.
But no, that was alright; they'd rendezvous back in Erasmus in roughly a week's time. Why roughly? Well, there was no telling as to how things would go and, really, he figured that fate would lead them together again somehow no matter WHAT they did anyway.
It always just seemed to work out that way.
But alas, following a few days of cool down time and decompressing, he'd procured a pair of tickets for ferry to the floating city, and it was off on a new adventure once again!
He could only pray it would be more peaceful than the last.
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:25 pm
Asteria, on the other hand, had found her own 'family meeting' adventures had gone over wonderfully. This meant she'd established the belief that Yossarian's 'introduction' to her 'last sane' family member would go over just as well.
At least in her head while she wasn't making 'Guuuuuuh' sounds of motion sickness (poor girl) and curling up while on the ferry BACK to Xorosho. But at least Yossarian's shoulder had made a wonderful pillow for her to whimper against for the trip, which to Asteria had taken FOREVER.
But things always seemed to be longer when one was MISERABLEZ.
Since everything was once again 'hunky dory' once she was off that ship to roam on her own steam again. Which of course started with her fishing out the (thankfully only one in her bag) piece of paper that had the information she needed on it.
EIGHT DEE.
"Well, I guess I'll make the wise decision with this..." she sighed, following it up by offering it to Yossarian. "I only have a vague idea of the layout of this city, but I will be able to recognize things as we get closer."
She hoped.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 3:29 pm
... Granted, the ferry they boarded hadn't exactly been the world's smoothest ride-- but that still wasn't a proper explanation for poor Asteria's woe along the way. Yossarian couldn't help for feel a pang of sympathy for the woman as she clung shamelessly to his side throughout their trip, even restraining the occasional sigh of exasperation and just checking up on her every so often with a mutter over how she was fairing until, some hours later, they'd finally arrived.
The ship landed in Xorosho's docks with a decidedly lurching clunk upon touchdown, but otherwise it was a perfectly uneventful trip on the whole-- and hey, the air was even a bit warmer than he last remembered! Chilly or not, it still felt a hell of a lot more comfortable than Salig (though he'd brought their jackets just in case, regardless).
"Hmm?" But now it was time to get off and accept the paper she'd just produced, studying it as stoically as one his his position could. "Well... this map seems clear enough to follow without trouble..."
A pause followed as he studied it more intensely a-- ... whoa, this place was located in a really FANCY part of the city, wasn't it? As in, down in the ritzy, expensive housing quarters!
"I believe we can locate the area within an hour or two at worst," he decided, looking up to survey the whole busy flying metropolis ahead of them... Ah, memories. At least they didn't have the other pair to draw negative attention this time, though.
"This person is... monetarily well-endowed, isn't he?"
PFFFFT, that was the understatement of the century!
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:36 pm
Hey, at least the entire TOWN didn't make her airsick! That was always a positive thing, wasn't it? Well, she would have thought so if the idea of getting townsick was even a possibility in her mind. However, like all things with her head, she hadn't exactly thought that far.
LA LA LA LA LA LAAAA~
However, the inquiry about the monetary....ness... of her grandfather earned a slight frown from Aster - not in that 'why does it matter' way, but knowing fully well that all of their run-ins with money hadn't exactly gone over very well over the last year.
...
.....
...
s**t, they had been together for a while, hadn't they? Huh, felt like such a short time to her. But... "Well... he's well off. I wouldn't say that he comes from 'old money', he worked hard to get where he is.. but he lives comfortably."
Because if she'd been born into a family of 'old money' and all that good inheritance stuff, Asteria Georgelas would likely be a very snobby rich-and-fullbreed girl.
AH HA HA .
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:34 pm
Well he'd really only been curious due to the placement of the supposed household on his new map, nothing more! After all, given Xorosho's rather monetarily segregated layout (for housing, anyway), it was pretty easy to tell who was well off and who wasn't... and he couldn't help but wonder: just how on earth HAD this unknown person come across it all?
Apparently he'd worked for it, so said Aster, which earned more of a mental kudos than the 'old money' bit would've. Funds earned were always better than funds given, after all.
Now, to just FIND the place and they'd be all set...
"And you said you recall the image of this household, correct?" he asked, taking the lead (once he'd taken her hand, anyway) to start that inevitable journey off and into the ship-city's heart. "Do you remember any general direction?..."
Or where they obviously WEREN'T supposed to go, maybe?
He was already getting semi-oriented and headed off in what he thought was the right direction, but any other reassurance was still welcome!
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:37 pm
Well one who had earned their lifestyle may have also felt... entitled, so while there would possibly be some humility to go for there, who knew what else there was a possibility of in her family.
s**t, she barely remembered most of it at this point. Her 'family' was what she was 'married' (AH HA HA, FAT CHANCE OF THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENING, SIGH) into.... but imagining either Langston or Moacyr being like her grandfather (hey, she knew what he was like!) was almost...
...
...
Very very hilarious, actually. Because being blindsided with paternal affection would be wonderful (not as wonderful as other affection she got, but still wonderful, yes).
But alas.
"Well, I remember it was closer to the Inn we were staying in last time, because I walked from it to the house on my own without getting lost."
Mmmm, hands <3 SHE'D JUST DISCREETLY OOZE HER APPRECIATION OF IT, YES.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:02 pm
"Good, then. Just keep your eyes sharp."
... He could probably feel the oozy waves of affection radiating off her, but he didn't comment on it-- so pathetically accustomed by now that the LACK of happy would've fazed him infinitely more than any overabundance. But whatever; holding hands was more or less normal for them and, really, it would just make sure NEITHER of them (... not that he'd admit that part) got lost from one another during the epic journey.
Though thankfully, this time around it didn't seem quite as epic as before.
Maybe it was because they weren't dealing with kidnapped comrades or imminent forced marriages, but the whole pace of the city felt a bit slower, and more relaxed, as they traveled through it. He rather enjoyed the lack of urgency... though at the same time, he didn't want to dawdle, either, and it wasn't too terribly long before they'd made it to a somewhat more secluded than usual block of homes larger than 'usual' for the area, with more ornate trimmings, slightly wider avenues, and just a more... luxurious feel, if that made any sense.
Certainly did in his mind, anyway. He could only pray that there were bells of familiarity ringing somewhere in Aster's brain-- or starting to-- so that she could step up and finally GET them to the wretched place.
Too bad that once they arrived, the nightmare (or what he assumed could be one) would only be beginning.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:06 am
Hey, it wasn't any 'epic' adventure to her either -- simple a 'familial introduction' that she was HOPING would...
....
.
End...well. Yeah, end well. Cough hack. Nothing suspicious about everything related to their little romping trip! NOPE. NOT AT ALL. However, that was easy enough for her to hide with her UNBRIDLED LOVE AFFAIR WITH HEART OOZING (Somewhere in the 10 foot radius of it there was an elderly couple oozing at each other). Ah ha ha.
Though, as was hoped, Asteria soon just clamped down on Yossarian's hand and went on her little bit to start LEADING THE WAY! Which of course was a good sign they weren't lost. Though it also meant that UNclamping hands wasn't something in the near future.
But after a few streets of this walking, she paused and looked over her shoulder to Yossarian.
...
.....
Was she waiting for something?
"No matter what my grandfather says, I don't have expectations of you following his words."
Wat? Well, she wasn't going to clarify, as it was with that simple statement that she TRUDGED ON, right through the gate of a... actually rather simple house (especially in comparison to it's neighbors). Nothing huge (okay, the GARDEN was), but it wasn't filled with 'assistants' either.
Just a quaint two-story (possibly more with a basement) house that she tapped on the door of and then waited, her stubby tail curling around the back of one of her legs.
Nngn....
But it wasn't too long after that the door opened, answered by a man who looked no older than 70-something. Definitely fullbreed, with hair that looked as though it was once blonder than blonde before it started graying, dark eyes, and very.... butterfurred. Only he was most definitely missing the splotches of white that came in Asteria's fur.
No mistaking this man as ANYBODY else but who they had come to meet.
However, his attention passed barely over Asteria to look at Yossarian (though he did seem to stare at the hand-holding as Asteria was CLUNG FOR DEAR LIFE) with a sort of.... 'primary judgment'. Oh dear.
"................................."
"...........?"
"............................"
"......"
SIGH
"You better come inside if I'm to properly meet this young man."
!! Right! Right..inside..sjdaklf..
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:18 pm
And just like that, they had arrived.
It wasn't the most impressive house on the block of even remotely close to it, but Yossarian was actually rather thankful for the man's more humble taste (even if he wouldnt' admit it), breathing the world's softest sigh of relief-- ... until Asteria made her little comment (which was certain to foreshadow AWFUL SCRUTINY) and that looming front door swung open.
He'd only grimaced and nodded up to that point, but the arrival of the 70-something 'obvious' relative (butterfur wasn't exactly a common thing in Koshka) made him stiffen visibly, back growing rigid and tail hanging behind him without an inch of movement, almost as if inwardly torn for how to respond.
First impressions, after all, were painfully important.
"... As you request, Sir," he responded at last, pretending that long silence HADN'T unsettled him and giving Asteria's hand the lightest squeeze before it was off to step inside... into the unknown of the man's household.
He'd just... hold himself back and remain on 'best' behavior until he knew whether to make heads of tails of the place-- but GOD, the awkward was already accumulating thickly all around them.
This couldn't end well. It just couldn't.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:49 pm
Entry into the house was followed by an awkwardly stiff hug between the elderly Koshka and his grandaughter (oh god, could he see how puffed up her tail was getting from the layer of anxiety forming in the room?) before Asteria retreated from the company of both men to loom at the mantle of the living area.
Not quite a room, not enough walls for that.
However, Asteria's retreat earned a sigh from her grandfather who watched her as she looked over one of the framed pictures on the mantle. "Asteria, you could just take it you know."
"No. No I couldn't."
Her answer, which almost sounded as though it was their third or fourth time passing the words back and fourth, earned a sigh from the older man before he looked to Yossarian with a slight frown.
"My granddaughter has no manners it would seem.." there was a momentary pause as he waited to see if Asteria would suddenly run back to 'correct' whatever it was that had earned the statement, but there was none.
"Which leaves introductions to us. I'm Micheal Louis Marquis -- Asteria's mother was my daughter."
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:08 pm
Yossarian was just as tense as she was-- the only difference being that he managed to keep it hidden, watching from the corner of one eye as the woman scampered off from the awkward embrace to go prodding over pictures that seemed to be of her lost family. The mother, perhaps?
He stayed quiet for the little exchange concerning those pictures, too, merely seizing the opportunity to have a glance around, ultimately rule that it wasn't wise to sit down until their patron did the same, and remain in the very same place he'd been since they entered.
"... My name is Yossarian-Lang Romanovitch Vandrooghenbroeck the Thirteenth." Never one to skip an announcement of his name, he said it all in one breath, and bowed his head ever so lightly in respect. "And it's an honor to meet you, Mister Louis, Sir. My gratitude for allowing our company in your household."
If nothing else, he at least knew how to behave himself like a true gentleman, yeah?
He was even forcing himself to keep his hands away from his scabbard.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 2:50 pm
Micheal frowned ever so lightly at the sheer LENGTH of Yossarian's name alone. "I always thought that names were meant to be simple."
...
...
"Grandpa!!" Asteria was practically flushed with embarassment from the statement (though she herself had also had a moment of ' eerrrr?' at first with Yossarian's name), sighing a bit before she left the mantle to link one of her arm's around Yossarian's.
The 'gesture of affection' on Asteria's end just caused him to frown with a sort of... disapproval, before sighing and motioning to several chairs that were set out in the next room over around a coffee table (god, Asteria could have used some coffee the way she used to use alcohol to calm her poor nerves.
fjsdlk.
Jonesing, she was going into it). "Sit, I'll go make tea."
Asteria automatically piped up. "I'll make it!"
"Do you know where everything in my kitchen is, dear?"
"...."
"I appreciate your willingness to help, but I'll make the tea. You two sit and chat."
nnnnngh. Asteria definitely was a bit anxious about her grandfather taking his leave, waiting until he'd left the room to actually take a seat and start working on smoothing out the fur on her tail.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:05 pm
He grimaced rather tightly at the obvious potshot, but rather amazingly managed to restrain himself from any bitter commentary over it, simply forcing a thin sigh under his breath.
"... Thank you for your hospitality." Had he commented on it, too, he probably would have wound up letting snappishness get the better of him-- so he just passed it off completely instead, seating himself just as gestured in a stiff backed chair and knitting his fingers across the table top. As for the tension in the air... hell, even a knife probably couldn't have cut it any more.
... SO.
..................
He couldn't hear the faint ticking of a clock that usually came with long silences (probably because half of the quartet wasn't there), but every drop of a pin was still ringing in his ears, which he had to forcibly will to stop twitching. Thank GOD the old codger finally took his leave so he could release the breath he'd been holding, though, and sink ever-so-slightly in his seat.
"... This is quite a start," he commented under his breath, for lack of anything better.
Could it be OVER yet?
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:57 pm
Asteria sighed and reached over to grab right back onto his hand (despite the fact that his hands were really knit together) to give it one of her 'OGODOGOD' squeezes that she did when she was anxious or just needed the 'helpful squeeze' back from him.
"Not as good as mine was -- there's a reason I made sure to brush my hair this time." she answered, frowning a bit then leaning back in her seat. "The first thing he actually said to me to my face was 'Well, you're less presentable than I expected'. He then proceeded to point out my hair, the way my shirt is cut, and some... other things.
He was perfectly pleasant after that though...."
PLEASANT ENOUGH TO MAKE HER TAIL FRIZZ UP IN ANXIETY WITH THE MEETING OF HER MAN.
"I think he just gets his initial thoughts out just so they'll be out and not bother him later."
....
....... UNLIKE HIS GRANDDAUGHTER WHO GOT HALF A THOUGHT OUT THEN TRIED TO BACK OUT OF IT. Such a silly kitten.
"I'm sure he has some other statement that may or may not come out while I'm around, but I think you're wonderful so I'll lather you with compliments later to make up for it." she continued, leaning over and planting a 'support' kiss on her 'other half's' cheek.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:41 pm
... 'Other' things?
Okay, she'd probably not meant to spike his curiosity quite that badly, but dammit, what else could he do except ponder a strangely vague and intriguing hint like that?! There were a lot of things it could've been given the old man's rather... uh... 'upfront' nature about things, but just what had he really?...
But eh, better to dismiss that for the moment and humor her with a little return-squeeze gesture like she so desperately needed (he could tell), stealing a last glance at the door their antagonism had vanished through just to make SURE he was gone before allowing himself to speak.
"... He certainly has no inclination to curb his brashness," he commented under his breath, "but I doubt he's capable of really fazing me. Not with the family I've grown accustomed to."
No, for as irksome as it was, he doubted that ANYONE could come close to the same level of frustrating as his own father. If he could survive Langston for so many years of his life, than this Michael character would be nothing. NOTHING.
"And you say this man is at least of a level disposition, correct?" He wasn't secretly NUTS, right?
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