Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 23, 2020 19:33:26 GMT
As Kendry lead Sophia and her guards out of the bustling Marketplace and into the blend of homes and businesses of The Streets, he made sure to stop often to allow the queen to greet any citizens that recognized her presence. A calculating stare would settle on his face as he watched Sophia interact with others, his lips moving to imitate phrases and expressions, focused on the way she reacted. Always kind and gentle...
He realized that it was something he had always desired – the tenderness of someone else, someone who was patient with him despite his sometimes erratic behavior. Growing up, Kendry lacked a female role model, and he wondered about the bond that Sophia had shared with her mother. The gentleness she shared with others could very well be something she learned from the previous queen.
“Want to take a peek inside?” Having moved further down the street, Kendry pointed out a home that doubled as a business with the name Trail's End. Seeing that it was built into the owner's residence, it was very small for a tavern, more like a hole-in-the wall bar. “I feel like a place like that could offer something more unique than the more common, ah, alcoholic options.”
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 23, 2020 21:23:46 GMT
Sophia followed Kendry dutifully, and of course - she did have to stop and talk to quite a few people. Well, she chose to. She knew it was best for her to speak to all the people that wanted to speak to her, giving out a few coins here and there as she had before. She loved boosting people's spirits, it was one thing her mother had really instilled in her. Keep the people happy.
And really, making people happy made Sophia happy, so it was a win-win situation.
Sophia turned back to Kendry as he spoke and motioned towards a small tavern a little ways away. She nodded when he spoke, looking back at him for a moment before looking towards the tavern again. "That looks very interesting." She couldn't say that she had been in a small shop like that, she never usually went inside places when she went out and about - the marketplace was really about the most adventurous that she was.
But she was getting stuff done today, so she headed towards the door.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 23, 2020 22:08:09 GMT
“If it is undesirable to have alcohol as a part of a gathering at the palace, I'm certain we can find more favorable beverages for your guests.” Kendry had never been to a party that didn't have alcohol, but he had no idea how 'party' was defined when at Taras Castle. It was very likely that it could be considered a safety issue, or perhaps the Queen herself would always avoid inebriating her senses to remain alert. Now he pondered if parties would be more stressful on Sophia than fun...
He hid a frown as he approached Trail's End, opening the door briskly which caused a small bell to chime overhead. Before entering, he stepped aside for Sophia and her guards, one hand pressed firmly against the open door as he forced a smile. “I don't mind being the taste tester,” he joked with a wink.
The inside of Trail's End was relatively cramped but decorated in a way to make it feel cozy. There was a small bar with limited seating and a single long table at the center of the room. Large windows that faced The Street were swung open to let in the light and the breeze. A fat and furry cat snoozed on the cobbled floor which was warmed by the sunlight, clearly too busy with its nap to care about the door being opened.
(ooc: I hope you don't mind me just making a place up.)
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 23, 2020 22:50:26 GMT
Sophia shook her head gently when Kendry spoke of alcohol, "No. I'm pretty sure all the parties my mother hosted had alcohol too... we can have other things, but we definitely need alcohol too." She chuckled softly, at least alcohol opened up people's inhibitions and made people talk a little more freely. That was always good for parties. Though, she herself hadn't really partaken in much alcohol. Too dangerous.
When Kendry opened the door, she stepped through, between the two guards. They scouted the area before relaxing again, standing near her but still alert. She stepped forward, looking around the room. It was a quaint little place, and she actually really enjoyed the feel of it. She spotted the cat and grinned. She had always loved cats too.
She moved towards the bar, looking for whoever worked there. She spoke to a young woman, trying to figure out what was available for her party.
(ooc: nope, that's perfect!)
Last Edit: Feb 23, 2020 22:51:00 GMT by Sophia Durham
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 23, 2020 23:13:40 GMT
Kendry followed the others inside, stopping to squat down and pester the lazy cat who welcomed his pets by rolling onto its back. He joined Sophia at the bar where she was speaking to a young woman - the owner, maybe? - and sat down beside her, feeling more comfortable now that they were away from the throngs of people outside.
He scanned the kegs and bottles that lined the shelving built into the wall behind the bar - the options seemed plentiful and he was eager to taste a few if Sophia allowed. Removing his coin purse from his belt, Kendry peered into the almost weightless thing to count what was left. Mercenary work payed well, but one needed to survive off of that singular payment before landing a new contract. If drinking booze under the midday sun wasn't considered surviving, then what was?
Kendry glanced over to Sophia, wondering if she would dare to sample anything. Of course, he was ready to leave if she so desired, his body language telling her so as he propped one elbow on the bar, listening to the words that the women exchanged between each other.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 27, 2020 15:00:41 GMT
Sophia continued talking to the woman for a few moments, before she turned away to grab some glasses, filling each of them with just a little bit from each of the kegs that were behind her.
Sophia sat next to Kendry, relaxing into the bar stool as she waited for the woman to pour samples.
Moments later, there were many glasses in front of them.
She looked over at Kendry and grinned. "Ready to taste test?"
She knew she had to be a little bit careful, she didn't drink a lot, so she knew she shouldn't drink too much. But a taste test should be fine. She reached for the first glass and took a sip, looking over at Kendry again.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 27, 2020 16:08:27 GMT
Ready he was, raising the glass he had chosen from the samples to Sophia with a smile. Kendry reminded himself, as he tilted the glass, not to just down it all in one gulp - this was a taste test, after all. Great seriousness and full concentration was necessary. The party depended on the pair to perform their duty justly. The smile in his eyes remained as he met the queen's.
Setting the glass down, he waited for Sophia's opinion before he gave his own and before he took another sample. "What do you think?" Kendry, never too picky about the alcoholic beverages he consumed, was pleasantly surprised! This little hovel of a tavern might end up spoiling his dismissive attitude toward drinking just to get a buzz.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 27, 2020 16:20:44 GMT
Sophia nodded after the first sample, smiling. "This one is OK." She grabbed another, taking a sip of that one as well. It was also just ok, but the third sample she took.. that was delicious. "This one is amazing."
She personally liked sweeter alcohols, though she knew others liked different things. That third one was super sweet, and oh so tasty. Some sort of cider, she thought. She took another sip and looked back at Kendry once more.
"What do you think?" She definitely wanted his opinion, she didn't want to serve alcohol that only she liked. She wanted to know what others liked as well. She shifted slightly in her seat again, sipping the drink just a little more.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Feb 28, 2020 5:25:43 GMT
Kendry was keen on trying the sample that Sophia enjoyed, deciphering which one it was based on the color of the liquid. He took a drink, savored it for a moment, and swallowed, holding the glass upward with a smile.
"Definitely something the ladies will enjoy," he quipped, having enjoyed it himself. He tapped at an empty glass to indicate which was his favorite. "I am quite fond of the malty one."
This simple activity, shared with the queen, was honestly just fun. He didn't realize it until he was in it, but Kendry needed this break. It was worth the worry that he felt earlier in the marketplace.
"We should include a napping cat, as well," he joked, pointing to the feline that was still sunbathing on the floor.
After tasting the remaining samples, he remained true to "the malty one," asking the young woman who served them about it while also expressing interest in Sophia's favorite. He wanted to include the guards, but understood that they were likely not allowed to partake in alcoholic activities while on duty - especially when that duty was guarding the Queen of Atelus.
He held up two fingers between himself and Sophia, saying, "We've got our supply for meat," pointing to the first finger, "And our happy drink supplier," pointing to the second. "Music is next, then?" he asked, flicking up a third finger.
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 29, 2020 21:43:48 GMT
Sophia nodded when Kendry said that the one she liked was something the ladies at the party would enjoy. That made sense to her, though there were definitely women who liked the less sweet things, she knew a lot of her friends liked the sweeter stuff as well.
She also acknowledged the one that he said was his favorite as well, keeping a mental note of that one too. She did like that one as well, it just was a little too bitter for her tastes. She grinned at Kendry when he spoke of the cat, looking over at the feline with a loving gaze. "I've always loved cats." Though, in her life, it was hard to own something like a pet. She'd always thought about it, but something always held her back. It was hard to give something her whole attention, when she had so many other things to worry about.
Though this made her slightly sad, she realized just how much she was enjoying herself. It was so nice to get out of the castle and do something... well, something just a little bit off track. She was technically getting work done (sorta...) but it didn't feel like it.
She finished her samples as well, and watched as Kendry spoke to the woman behind the counter, giving her their choices. She offered to pay the woman, and threw in some extra coins as well. It was a large order, and she knew how much work it would be.
Sophia looked back at Kendry as he spoke again, counting off the things that they had gotten done and needed to do. "That sounds perfect." Just one last little detail.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Mar 1, 2020 19:22:55 GMT
While Sophia explained which beverages they had liked the most, Kendry's eyes flicked up to the ceiling as he thought, one hand absentmindedly playing with one of the empty sample glasses. During his short time in Taras, it became wildly apparent that the capital was abuzz with all sorts of places which offered musical entertainment. Bards were sprinkled throughout the streets and taverns, musical groups frequented parties and other such events, and there were even businesses teaching children how to play instruments.
"A choir of children would be a poetic way to revive celebrations at the castle," Kendry mused aloud, giving Sophia a sideways glance. "What do you think? So long as we don't let them near the alcohol," he added with a sly chortle. "I'm sure we could find a keen conductor somewhere."
Maybe it was an odd idea, but there was no use in keeping whatever he thought of to himself - this was a collaboration, and he wore the mask of a collaborator!
Sophia was glad that they were getting things planned, and the idea of a party at the castle just kept making her happier and happier. The idea of bringing a brightness back to the castle after her mother's death was fantastic, it had been a bit rough this last year - her mother's passing had been hard on the kingdom in general, and on her children of course.
When Kendry spoke of a children's choir, she tapped her chin in thought. That would be something different than had been at the castle before, she couldn't remember a time where they'd had children singing. It could bring something quite different to the party, and she liked that.
She chuckled slightly when Kendry spoke of keeping them away from the alcohol.
"That sounds like it could be very interesting, Kendry. It's not something we've done before. We'll keep it in mind, but I think we should look at other options too." She liked to keep her mind open. "We could always open with the children too, and then have something a little different later."
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Mar 7, 2020 21:11:01 GMT
Kendry tried to picture a younger Sophia waltzing with the guests of a royal gathering, smiling slightly at the mental image. He was sure that she as a child was a more adept dancer than he. He was more certain that she absolutely outclassed him as an adult. It didn't change the fact that he enjoyed dancing and would gladly share one with Sophia if given the chance.
"Have you any connections to musicians who have played for your mother's parties? What music did the previous queen enjoy dancing to?" The mercenary realized that his questioning might prompt more melancholic feelings to surface within Sophia, but he was becoming less anxious about mentioning her deceased parents - unless he was mistaken, she seemed to have loved them dearly, so it was ok to think and talk about them, right? Was it ok for him to want to hear her speak of them? It was a connection he yearned for.
Was all of this party planning selfish, then? Something to feel a void within his own heart? Maybe to some degree, but now he felt that this was a mission worth pursuing - he wanted to honor the parents that Sophia had lost.
Sophia thought at the question when Kendry asked it, nodding her head after a moment. "I bet I do, mother kept very good records of things. I bet she has stuff written down." The thought of going through her mother's things was a bit daunting, but honestly she also thought it could be very comforting to see her mother's writing again.
When he asked the type of music, Sophia smiled again, thinking back about what she was used to listening to. "Mother usually chose upbeat music, stuff to dance to. But lots of instruments and less singing, I suppose." She wasn't sure why that was, but maybe singers were harder to come by?
This was definitely making her nostalgic, thinking about the people that she would see again. If they came, she supposed again.
Post by Kendry Yildirim on Mar 14, 2020 17:39:02 GMT
"I'd say we're off to a pretty good start, then." Kendry leaned into the counter, still fiddling with the empty glasses as he placed three beside each other to represent his thoughts. "Food. Drink. Music to be determined. And..." His tone sing-song as he slid a fourth to join the others. "Invitations. How do you decide on guests?" Coal-black eyes shifted to his planning partner. "I suppose a party at the castle couldn't be open to the public - that would be chaotic. Perhaps a festival could take place alongside?"
The elemental laughed suddenly, picking up the fourth glass to examine it, distorted light dancing over his face. "Maybe I'm getting in over my head," he admitted, pursing his lips together. "I feel like I'm giving you more to worry about, your Highness." He held the empty glass between them, cupping one hand over the top. "Starting small might be best, do you agree? Invite the nobles that you and your family like best - more like a reunion than a party. Something more…relaxing for you, something for you to truly enjoy." Ken smiled at Sophia through the glass.