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Description
paaaage 6iiiiix. inked, then shaded with pencil rather than toning. :-D we'll just test out everything, won't we preciousssss

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io, endis, ari, gaebel (c) me; mary (c) =Caladria

story snip to follow, from "keeping up appearances" in the yet-to-be-name saga.

---

But Mary didn't look amused. She didn't look amused at all. Even
if Mr. Endis had been named after a flower, so what? She could
spot a childish attempt to insult someone from 20 miles away and
she didn't like it one bit.

"Excuse me," she said, her eyes very critical, now, of the pretty
blond elf who was trying to put on a show of seriousness. She
walked the rest of the way down the stairs to stand beside Endis
and faced his tormentor, "But I can't let you talk to my Dad that
way. This man has helped many people, cared for them, protected
them, when they didn't have anyone else to rely on. And he's willingly
hurt himself to do it. He's about one of the most selfless people I know
and I want to be LIKE him when I grow up. My name is Mary, and it
means the 'bitterness of the Sea'. Do you want to say something funny
about my name too?"

Mary knew she shouldn't get involved in Adult Things, but, by god,
after everything that Mr. Endis was going through, had gone through
just on her account alone, he didn't need some pretty elf prince
looking down on him and making fun of him. Mary's blue eyes were
challenging. She might get yelled at for this, and she was ready for it,
but at least she had said her piece to support her 'dad.'

Ionorin watched Mary somewhat passively for a moment, his expression
inscrutable. Then he sighed somewhat sadly, if a bit dismissively.
"No," he answered. "Of course I do /not/, Miss Mary. But," he added,
turning bright blue eyes on the girl, blond brows drawn together in
earnest, "you should know whom it is you're wanting to be like. What
you say is true, your dad's people are known for these attributes,
when they can afford it. But beyond that, I would imagine he's told
you nothing about himself, what he's done. What his people-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" Endis roared finally, stepping between them,
fists clenching.

Ionorin lowered his brows and looked sidelong up at the taller man, .
"Going to hit me /again/, Seeker, in front of these children you care
for? At least have a little respect for youth if you won't for the
Lady."

"Don't you dare try to talk to Mary like that, about me! You don't
even KNOW me, but I know you, /General/. Slaughterer of families,
murderer of captured and defenseless soldiers."

"I did no such thing," Ionorin growled, now visibly nearly as pissed
as Endis was. "You and your Seeker propoganda. You sound as if you
actually /believe/ that nonsense!"

"I was THERE," Endis rebutted. "In Galaghie, in a rescue team just
minutes too late! I saw the carnage, the families murdered in the
attempt to flee. And I SAW you raise your sword to order the last
round of arrows that killed the last of the victims, you COWARD, you
MURderer!"

Ionorin was quiet for a moment, seething with his eyes. "Impossible,"
he said presently, having composed himself. His voice was barely
above a whisper in his drive to remain calm. "I was never in
Galaghie. You're mistaken, Seeker. In point of fact, when I heard
about Galaghie, I was in Evershale, and prepared to wheel my own
troops around to send aid, but was commanded to stand down, as there
was reportedly no one left to save. It wasn't me, Seeker. The elves
didn't massacre Galaghie. Do not forget that we were not your only
enemy, just your favorite one to blame."

Endis was quiet for a moment, thoughtful but still quite pissed. Ari
watched, tense, and Gaebel, who'd come with Mary but stayed a bit
behind when she'd made her overture, stepped over to Ari and watched
as well, wide-eyed. Of course, they'd just been talking about how
they didn't know much about Endis, when they were trying to figure out
how to help him. The boy supposed it was possible... and if something
so awful had happened - General, carnage? must have meant war of some
sort - who wouldn't have wanted to keep it secret and try to forget
about it, but... Endis? A soldier? He didn't even carry a sword or
bow! He didn't even like to fight at all, didn't ever spar with men
in the caravan or even roughhouse with older caravan boys looking to
him for good-natured tussling. It was hard to believe he might have
been fighting in a war when right now he seemed to more match the
origin of his name. But Endis wasn't denying it either.

As Endis had not yet responded, Ari cleared her throat. "Clearly,"
she said quietly, "There has been quite a misunderstanding here."

"Clearly," Ionorin agreed. "Obviously-"

"Please be quiet, your Highness."

Ionorin blinked, then snapped his mouth shut, smiling sheepishly and
nodding an obvious 'yes, of course, whatever was I thinking.'

"Now, if you two can behave for a few moments, I believe Mary and
Gaebel and I need to have a secret conference to figure out what we
believe to be true and what we feel to be complete nonsense. We may
be asking you questions, but I want NO TALKING until such time as
questions are asked."

Ionorin pulled his brows together in some distress, but didn't say anything.

"Don't worry, I will try to present both of your cases fairly, Prince."

Ionorin winced. "Please don't-"

"Shut your-"

"Endis!" Ari warned.

"Quite, Seeker!" Ionorin agreed wholeheartedly.

"Don't call me that!"

"ENOUGH."

Both of the men looked at her, mouths open in whatever they'd been
ready to say to each other. Simultaneously, they snapped them shut
again and hmpfed loudly.

"Now, do you promise not to behave like men while we are talking? You
first." She nodded to Ionorin.

"Of course, you have my word." Endis rolled his eyes.

"Endis?"

"What do you think?" he said, obviously still highly disgruntled.

Ari raised a brow. "I /think/ that if you don't promise not to hit
him again, I shall practice magic on you, which may or may not end
well for you."

Endis quirked a lip at that and looked more or less afraid for his
life. He swallowed and said, "Yes, I solemnly swear that I will not
hit or swear at the pretty elf boy, even if he really really deserves
it."

Ari smiled forcedly. "Very well," she said, turning to Mary and
Gaebel. "Why don't I let you in on what's happened just before you
came down, shall I? Over here, where the smell of testosterone isn't
so strong." She gestured to a table.

Description
paaaage 6iiiiix. inked, then shaded with pencil rather than toning. :-D we'll just test out everything, won't we preciousssss

prev: [link] || next: [link]

io, endis, ari, gaebel (c) me; mary (c) =Caladria

story snip to follow, from "keeping up appearances" in the yet-to-be-name saga.

---

But Mary didn't look amused. She didn't look amused at all. Even
if Mr. Endis had been named after a flower, so what? She could
spot a childish attempt to insult someone from 20 miles away and
she didn't like it one bit.

"Excuse me," she said, her eyes very critical, now, of the pretty
blond elf who was trying to put on a show of seriousness. She
walked the rest of the way down the stairs to stand beside Endis
and faced his tormentor, "But I can't let you talk to my Dad that
way. This man has helped many people, cared for them, protected
them, when they didn't have anyone else to rely on. And he's willingly
hurt himself to do it. He's about one of the most selfless people I know
and I want to be LIKE him when I grow up. My name is Mary, and it
means the 'bitterness of the Sea'. Do you want to say something funny
about my name too?"

Mary knew she shouldn't get involved in Adult Things, but, by god,
after everything that Mr. Endis was going through, had gone through
just on her account alone, he didn't need some pretty elf prince
looking down on him and making fun of him. Mary's blue eyes were
challenging. She might get yelled at for this, and she was ready for it,
but at least she had said her piece to support her 'dad.'

Ionorin watched Mary somewhat passively for a moment, his expression
inscrutable. Then he sighed somewhat sadly, if a bit dismissively.
"No," he answered. "Of course I do /not/, Miss Mary. But," he added,
turning bright blue eyes on the girl, blond brows drawn together in
earnest, "you should know whom it is you're wanting to be like. What
you say is true, your dad's people are known for these attributes,
when they can afford it. But beyond that, I would imagine he's told
you nothing about himself, what he's done. What his people-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" Endis roared finally, stepping between them,
fists clenching.

Ionorin lowered his brows and looked sidelong up at the taller man, .
"Going to hit me /again/, Seeker, in front of these children you care
for? At least have a little respect for youth if you won't for the
Lady."

"Don't you dare try to talk to Mary like that, about me! You don't
even KNOW me, but I know you, /General/. Slaughterer of families,
murderer of captured and defenseless soldiers."

"I did no such thing," Ionorin growled, now visibly nearly as pissed
as Endis was. "You and your Seeker propoganda. You sound as if you
actually /believe/ that nonsense!"

"I was THERE," Endis rebutted. "In Galaghie, in a rescue team just
minutes too late! I saw the carnage, the families murdered in the
attempt to flee. And I SAW you raise your sword to order the last
round of arrows that killed the last of the victims, you COWARD, you
MURderer!"

Ionorin was quiet for a moment, seething with his eyes. "Impossible,"
he said presently, having composed himself. His voice was barely
above a whisper in his drive to remain calm. "I was never in
Galaghie. You're mistaken, Seeker. In point of fact, when I heard
about Galaghie, I was in Evershale, and prepared to wheel my own
troops around to send aid, but was commanded to stand down, as there
was reportedly no one left to save. It wasn't me, Seeker. The elves
didn't massacre Galaghie. Do not forget that we were not your only
enemy, just your favorite one to blame."

Endis was quiet for a moment, thoughtful but still quite pissed. Ari
watched, tense, and Gaebel, who'd come with Mary but stayed a bit
behind when she'd made her overture, stepped over to Ari and watched
as well, wide-eyed. Of course, they'd just been talking about how
they didn't know much about Endis, when they were trying to figure out
how to help him. The boy supposed it was possible... and if something
so awful had happened - General, carnage? must have meant war of some
sort - who wouldn't have wanted to keep it secret and try to forget
about it, but... Endis? A soldier? He didn't even carry a sword or
bow! He didn't even like to fight at all, didn't ever spar with men
in the caravan or even roughhouse with older caravan boys looking to
him for good-natured tussling. It was hard to believe he might have
been fighting in a war when right now he seemed to more match the
origin of his name. But Endis wasn't denying it either.

As Endis had not yet responded, Ari cleared her throat. "Clearly,"
she said quietly, "There has been quite a misunderstanding here."

"Clearly," Ionorin agreed. "Obviously-"

"Please be quiet, your Highness."

Ionorin blinked, then snapped his mouth shut, smiling sheepishly and
nodding an obvious 'yes, of course, whatever was I thinking.'

"Now, if you two can behave for a few moments, I believe Mary and
Gaebel and I need to have a secret conference to figure out what we
believe to be true and what we feel to be complete nonsense. We may
be asking you questions, but I want NO TALKING until such time as
questions are asked."

Ionorin pulled his brows together in some distress, but didn't say anything.

"Don't worry, I will try to present both of your cases fairly, Prince."

Ionorin winced. "Please don't-"

"Shut your-"

"Endis!" Ari warned.

"Quite, Seeker!" Ionorin agreed wholeheartedly.

"Don't call me that!"

"ENOUGH."

Both of the men looked at her, mouths open in whatever they'd been
ready to say to each other. Simultaneously, they snapped them shut
again and hmpfed loudly.

"Now, do you promise not to behave like men while we are talking? You
first." She nodded to Ionorin.

"Of course, you have my word." Endis rolled his eyes.

"Endis?"

"What do you think?" he said, obviously still highly disgruntled.

Ari raised a brow. "I /think/ that if you don't promise not to hit
him again, I shall practice magic on you, which may or may not end
well for you."

Endis quirked a lip at that and looked more or less afraid for his
life. He swallowed and said, "Yes, I solemnly swear that I will not
hit or swear at the pretty elf boy, even if he really really deserves
it."

Ari smiled forcedly. "Very well," she said, turning to Mary and
Gaebel. "Why don't I let you in on what's happened just before you
came down, shall I? Over here, where the smell of testosterone isn't
so strong." She gestured to a table.