castleinthemist | 02-- Things might yet turn around.

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02-- Things might yet turn around.

So he's taken to spending quite a bit at time in the common area of the residential chamber. Usually? Chilling out at the table or finding a nice little niche to settle in. Right then? He'd found a stone bench near a window that looked out onto the courtyard. On the opposite bench, a green-gray crate with numbers on it and a packing label. Someone got a package today. How? Probably a good question.

He'd gotten it the night before at the fountain while he was still restlessly awake. Didn't really take him long to figure out what had happen once he decided to throw a coin in and make a wish but he didn't think for a second that it would work. About two hours later? He asked again. Past midnight.

Now. It was late afternoon and he'd held off from indulging long enough. He settled onto the window seat, propped a leg up on the opposite stone ledge and plucked an apple from the crate of perfectly ripe fruit. Strawberries, mangoes, apricots, grapes, apples and pears. Perfect. He took a bite out of the apple, sighing contently.

So he'd lost his nerve for a spell. So those damn Shadows sapped a bit of his courage away. Didn't bother him so much right now. He'd just have this and enjoy his little birthday eating, drinking and being merry. Like you're supposed to do.

"Bottoms up." He said, drinking the last out of his flask before looking to the bottle to fill it back up.

[OOC: A window seat are common structures in castles. They look like this. Feel free to join Duo and have a drink, eat some good food, he's happy to share and plenty to go around. Also I may prefer prose but you can also respond in comment spam. I really don't care either way.]

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Cordelia had been exploring the castle on her own, even making a small make-shift map (although it got harder and harder to properly map the place, with all the stairs and layers...).

It stood to reason she'd eventually run into Duo.

She discovered the man in a window seat, with a box of fruit, no less, which made her stop in her tracks. Now where had he gotten that one from?

She knocked at the wall, in lieu of a door to knock, then stepped a bit closer.

"Uhm, hello. I hope I am not interrupting anything - I couldn't help but notice you there, and particularly that box of yours. Might I inquire where you obtained it from?"

Duo swallowed the sip, turning his head to this woman and his brow immediately raised. Of all the people he has met this one was dressed the strangest by far. Oh yeah. When she gestured to his loot, he looked from it to her and then took another sip, lowering the flask.

"Aaah. Well. I said I wanted it last night when I was by the fountain down stairs. Ever heard of a wishing well? Cause that seems to be what it is."

"It really works?" Cordelia answered with astonishment in her voice. "I've heard of them, but I thought they were just stories."

She paused for a moment. "Uhm, I think we haven't met before. I'm Cordelia. Is there something on my face...?"

She had noticed his raised brow, after all. She just didn't know why he looked at her like that.

Duo nodded, taking another bite out of his apple. Yep. He was pleased with what he had and he gestured to the box. Help yourself!

"Cordelia, huh? I'm Duo." Then? He paused, his brow raised again.

"Uuuh. No? Why do you ask?"

Cordelia blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just thought..."

"...Nevermind. Uhm, delighted to make your acquaintance, Duo."

She noticed his gesture, and followed the invitation, a bit hesitantly, but that was less because of Duo and more because situations like this still gave her some trouble. She just wasn't used to them that much.

"Thank you." She said, after sitting down, then carefully picked up an apple, and looked back to Duo as if asking for a final approval before finally probing he fruit's skin, then trying to take a bite.

"It's good, though I've never seen a fruit quite like this."

Delighted? He nearly laughed, and a look of amusement crossed his face the moment she said that. So prim and proper, he thought. He shrugged a bit, leaning back in his seat as he watched her move.

As if she needed permission. He nodded again and took another bite of his own apple. "I think that's a Fuji. This one is a Braeburn apple. There's a couple of trees in the courtyard, in case you want more."

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" She did notice his amusement, causing her to sigh.

"It's my language, isn't it...?"

She still took another bite, though. "So are fruits like this common in your world?" she asked, after chewing and swallowing her bite. "Quite interesting they have those same fruits in the courtyard here. Are you from this world, then, if I may ask?"

And now he was just watching her, the amusement falling away from his face leaning only an expression of confusion. Language? Christ. This kid was something else, wasn't she?

"You're not doing anything wrong, kiddo. Just relax! And sorry, I just haven't seen anyone with... You're pretty fancy is all. Just not used to it." He shrugs and then nods at her question.

"From this world? I might be! It has the same kinda plants as Earth, same kinda architecture only maybe three thousand years before I was even born... Does that make sense?"

Cordelia took a deep breath, trying to regain a bit of her composure. Awkward...!

Instead of apologizing again (which probably would be rightfully considered obnoxious at this point), she tried a nod at his first sentence, to then answer the second, which seemed to offer far less possibilities for her to put her foot in it.

"I see, that's interesting and probably quite reassuring. Maybe I'll just have to look around more to find some flora I'm used to. Still, I couldn't help but wonder: How do your buildings look like, if it's three-thousand years after castles?"

Yes, that's how she was supposed to do conversation, right? Gee, these lessons sure had been a while ago... And to be fair, the building thing actually had piqued her curiosity somewhat. Sure, castles at home didn't quite like this one, but they were at least castles. Maybe they were flying castles, like in stories?

Duo listened to her, reaching over for another strawberry. He could relate to her being homesick, if that were really the case. If she were really from a world where they didn't even have apples? Guess then this Cordy'll be a little disappointed.

"If you say so." He said, then pondering an answer to her question. "They're efficient. Tall so you can fit more people in the same general area but on different levels. You don't have one building spanning as such a large area like this castle here. Maybe a hundred yards long. Tops. Depends on what kind of building it is."

"So...you basically all live in really tall, large towers?" Cordelia mused, trying to picture what he was describing. She didn't know scyscrapers, after all.

"I guess we have wizard towers, but they are mostly for mages and people training as them, not for, uh, common people as some would say."

She thought about that for a moment. "Do you even still have kings or emperors?"

"Uh. No. Towers are different. Buildings. Just square or rectangular. Not so tall. It's for efficiency, not for looks." Duo replied, looking out the window.

"Wizards, kings, Emperors. None of those. Everyone is pretty normal. No powers. Well... Heero maybe. Quatre. They coulda both had em but I never really asked. We had a dictator ship for most of my life. Now we have a senate forming. Democracy. That means our leaders are voted for by the public." Duo explained, taking another strawberry.

"So it's a bit like these republics I heard about, then?" Cordelia said, while shily moving her hand towards the box, to take what Duo was having, a strawberry.

"There was someone else who was also from one of those places. I guess it does have an advantage when only competent people get put into positions of responsibility."

While she was of royal blood, her past experiences made her consider the merits of such a system, at least. For one, she thought, surely only good people would be voted into office, so they'd probably not run away when things got bad. Unlike some of her family, sadly.

"...Those are sweet!" She suddenly exclaimed, right after finally eating the strawberry. Sure, they had similar fruit at home, but those tasted differently, so to her, a strawberry was a kind of exotic foreign delicacy kind of thing.

"I guess." Duo watched her take the strawberry though far more concerned with him. They were his favorite so there were plenty of them. Once finished, he took another.

"That's not really the case. Sometimes elected officials are corrupted too, but sometimes they're not. Historically? Things got really bad some times, so I tend to hear. But then that happens everywhere. Corrupted king, president, it doesn't matter. History repeats itself."

Time and time again, it seemed. That little girl was right. "Yeah. They are sweet. Don't you have anything like that at home at all?"

"Oh...it really sounded better for a moment." She admitted. "Those ideals never really match up reality, don't they...?"

She sighed, then continued to speak. "Oh, we have all sorts of fruits, like sun fruits, they're a bit bigger than your apple, bright yellow, and a kind of sour fruit. Or several kinds of berries, but they're smaller than those of yours."

An idea seemed to cross her mind. "Mind if I take two or so? I don't know how long we're stuck in this place, so I'd like to try planting a few of those."

She could make things grow fast, after all.

"Nope." Duo said, popping that p just a little more than he ususally would.

Planting? Huh-- Okay. That's a good idea. He pondered that and took out a small handful of fruit. A variety. Pears, Apple, strawberries and apricots.

"The weather may not be that great for all of em. I think you've gotta mush up the berries to get the seeds but hey. I'm no gardener. Are you?"

"Oh, the weather isn't really an issue." The ex-princess replied absent-mindedly while thinking about it. This was one of the few things she could use her abilities for that probably wouldn't cause too much trouble, with proper care. "The main problem really is finding proper soil, but I've seen a few places I could try."

She glanced at all the fruits he had. Really, it was interesting how exotic different worlds were!

"I'm not a gardener by trade, no, but I've got a hand for growing all sorts of things."

If she took proper care, that is.

"Y'sure?" Duo wondered, then considered the soil. "What about in the court yard? We can always find a place there to use. You should do what I did and ask the fountain for some supplies. Gardening and the like. Wouldn't hurt to get some seeds of other fruits and veggies either." He mused, his arms crossed.

"So yeah, if you can do that? Everyone will be grateful, you can count on that." Though, if it were him? He'd ditch those fancy clothes for something more practical.

Cordelia nodded. "That could work, it really is large enough. And I suppose using the fountain is a good idea, I didn't know about it until you mentioned it. Thank you for that, I should say."

As long as she could have some time without others watching, the court yard would do fine. They'd think her methods to be pretty odd.

"I'll give it a try, at least. Though if we can just use the fountain, it may end up being somewhat useless."

As for the clothes, ~~her mun is lazy at icon editing~~ she just hadn't thought of it yet. She had arrived in these particular clothes pretty much by accident, after all.

"If the fountain stops working for some reason? Then what? You're better off starting a garden. I'll tend to em time to time if you like, but I got other work to do." Duo reached over for an Apricot and took a bite out of it.

"You sure your green thumb will actually be able to do the job though? Weather is still a big factor. I just hope you know what you're doing. But let me know when we got a strawberry patch. Maybe next time we'll just have to get a raspberry bush going."

"You're right, the fountain could stop working. I didn't think of it."

She pondered. She was used to magic and to thinking it'd just keep on working but...maybe this wasn't true here. Duo was entirely correct. She hadn't thought of that.

"As for the 'green thump' as you called it, it'll do fine and be much quicker than you think, don't worry. As long as the soils work and the seeds are plenty, I'll manage. I might take a few tries to get them right though."

She sighed. "And I guess you are right, there's also the castle itself to take care of...

Damn right he was right about that. He watched her think, those wheels in her mind turning. Heh.

"Well... I think I just don't know what you're saying. How are you going to manage? How exactly are you gonna make this work?"

"Oh, uhm, it's a kind of magic. It makes plants grow without additional sustenance, at a really fast pace. It just needs a few precautions, but nothing that should be of concern."

It was the one aspect of her...power... that she didn't mind people knowing.

"You should get on that. Make it your own project. It'll get people to rely on you a little and in a situation like this, that isn't a bad thing." Duo pointed out, looking out to the window.

"What if the magic fails? Best take the sun and water into consideration either way."

"That is a fair point." Cordelia admitted. He was right. She simply had not considered that possibility. This place had already weakened abilities earlier, it could do so again.

"I suppose a part of a courtyard is really the best idea, then. Water would probably have to be supplied, since I haven't found any running water. It is a castle, after all..."

He had given her ideas, at least!

02-- Things might yet turn around.

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Ak sorry, didn't see the notif >_<

Sallright.

Re: Sallright.

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Sorry that she's a little awkward!

I don't mind! XD It's them that have to deal with it!

Hah, true!

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