jamiemarathrace

[jamiemarathrace]

stoneward-princess​:

There was something so effervescent and bright about Jamie that Jo found herself relating to. She supposed they were similar, bright smiles, cheerful dispositions, a sense of sunshine and joy. It was no small thing to maintain, and even harder to come by someone like Jamie who seemed to radiate it from within. “My personal favorites are sunflowers… even if that’s a tad predictable… but they seem so… happy.” It did sound odd but growing flowers in her gardens at the palace was something Josefin took pride and joy in.

“Pleased to meet you.” She grinned, before an idea passed her thoughts. “Can I at least buy you a drink… or a meal? For running into you?” She asked him, “Or… would you allow me to show you the gardens at the palace if you do like flowers? My family doesn’t have any interest in them and I’d love to show someone what I’m tending.”

“I don’t think there’s anything predictable about sunflowers,” Jamie said sincerely, “I think they’re joyous. And lovely. And it doesn’t surprise me at all that they’re your favourite,” the young elf grinned, “-as you strike me as rather joyous and lovely too.”

When she invited him for a drink or a meal, Jamie had already made up his mind to say yes - but when she offered him a tour of the palace gardens, he lit up brightly. “I would love to see the gardens,” he said happily, adding, “Though you did mention the palace and your family in the same thought, so I’m wondering if an apology is owed, m’lady - statecraft has never been my strongest suit, I’m afraid.”

[jamiemarathrace]

lordtayaca​:

“I’d rather not have to explain how this particular accident happened.”

Jamie was right, after all – nobody threw a party like this without the expectation of a few mishaps and broken items, and coming from Marathrace stock meant that Jamie had party etiquette running in his blood – but Taya was feeling bullish. His nephew was with him to learn, after all, wasn’t he? And part of moving through courts meant dealing with unreasonable demands and protocols that made no immediate sense.

Yes, that was it. He was being this way for Jamie’s own good. Someday the boy would thank him for it. “I’d never have become High Chancellor of all the Vailen without the guidance and wisdom of my Uncle Taya”, was what he’d preface every honour with. Yes. Absolutely.

“We have to reconstruct it,” Taya said. “They obviously use flowers from their own gardens. We’ll have to surreptitiously collect a few blooms and arrange them. You recall what it looked like before you damaged it, don’t you?”

Jamie looked abashed for a moment, only to have his eyes widen considerably when Taya let fly with his plan to fix things, gaping at the older elf as though he’d suddenly grown a second head. “Reconstruct it?” the boy squeaked, “You’re barking! That’s an enormous floral arrangement, Uncle - put together by Glasswater’s premier florists, likely overseen by the Golden Princess herself - and you think we’re just going to pop outside, cut a few stems, and voila?”

“I never even noticed the bloody thing until I was sat in the middle of it,” Jamie whinged, “I don’t even know where to start! I mean, did you pay it any special attention when we came in? I was far more interested in the piano - until the candelabra went flying, any road.”

[jamiemarathrace]

lordtayaca​:

Glean What Afflicts Him \ Jamie + Taya

“Handkerchiefs? Wine? Tumblers?” Taya’s incredulous repetition of the things that had distracted Jamie made each sound more ridiculous and egregious than the last, as if tumblers as a whole had absolutely no reason to exist. “These are the things that occupied your attention so deeply that you couldn’t manage to keep track of one not-so-terribly-small cat?”

As Jamie went on, Tayaca felt a brambly little ball of emotion start to make its way around in his belly, gathering new and not entirely welcome feelings as it rolled: slight irritation at the younger elf’s distractability and lack of responsibility, and then a touch of remorse at the way Jamie was obviously crestfallen, followed with a pang of wistfulness as his hazel eyes brightened with renewed hope. 

So much like his mother, those mercurial emotions. 

“Look, now,” Taya said more gently, “Pellet’s smart, but he’s still a cat, Jamie. He can get lost from time to time. And he has an awful sense of direction if we’re not in Vailantis. We’d better go try and find him.” Tayaca started to move, then paused and pointed a finger at Jamie. “Don’t tell him I said that. He’s very sensitive about how easily he gets lost, and then he pouts. If you think Pellet’s hard to deal with when he’s annoyed, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Jamie’s wince deepened with each new accusation, unsure how to explain to his uncle that the festival was just so very... well... festive, and one ill-tempered orange cat was not quite the captivating figure that Tayaca seemed to think he should be. He was feeling worse about his failings by the minute - any number of terrible things could have happened to Pellet and it would be ALL HIS FAULT - when Uncle Taya suddenly softened, and Jamie nearly did a double-take he was so shocked by this turn of events. His uncle wanted to help him. That was-

Well. It was likely that Taya just wanted his cat back, but Jamie wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Help was help and he would take it.

“I won’t say a word to him, Uncle,” Jamie promised, very much meaning it - not wanting to see his furry minder in a worse temper than usual. “But let’s go now, yeah? The sooner we start looking, the sooner we’ll find him. I’ll take you back to where I last saw him and we’ll go from there. He can’t have got far - I’ve never seen Pellet run as far as I can remember.”

[jamiemarathrace]

sirensbeckon‌:

JAMIE MARATHRACE

     HER  LIPS  CURVED  UP  IN  A  PROUD  GRIN.  it  was  refreshing  to  hear  of  someone  else’s  escapades  ,  her  too  often  on  the  other  side  being  met  with  a  disappointed  gaze.  elena  thrived  in  the  shared  mischief  ,  and  only  wished  she  had  been  there  to  see  everyone’s  face.  “  jamie  ,  you  sly  bastard.  ”   the  name  struck  a  sense  of  familiarity  ,  but  elena  had  met  a  wide  range  of  people  in  her  travels  to  arelwen.  still  ,  she  could  not  put  a  face  to  the  mystery  man.  “  i  hope  he  was  worth  it.  ”  she  teased  with  a  wink.    

     “  this  is  wonderful.  ”  elena  exclaimed  and  then  fell  silent  ,  hearing  her  own  words  for  herself.  “  perhaps  not  wonderful  ,  but  you  must  take  advantage  of  this.  i  can  show  you  all  over.  ”  though  bards  led  a  life  meant  to  be  spent  entertaining  others  ,  in  between  parties  and  visits  ,  elena  was  alone.  friends  were  a  sacred  thing  to  her  —  even  more  sacred  than  her  patrons  ,  though  she  would  not  be  caught  dead  admitting  that.  she  often  sprung  on  whatever  opportunities  concerning  her  friends  that  came  her  way.  

     “  i  returned  home  to  mer  sereine  for  a  month  or  so  —  my  aunt  was  persistent.  i  have  been  in  elysi  ever  since  i  left  there  ,  taking  advantage  of  my  patrons’s  hospitality  ,  ”  she  chuckled  ,  “  in  truth  ,  the  festival  rescued  me  from  gauging  my  eyes  out  from  boredom.  ”   

Jamie flushed and shot Elena a grin. “Oh, he was very much worth it,” he said, “I quite miss him since I’ve been away - though I imagine his wife is glad to have his attentions to herself again.”

“And I would love for you to show me around,” the elvish boy beamed, “Someone needs to save me from my dithering - and to save you, apparently, from the perils of boredom.” “But who’s your current patron, love? Anyone I should be impressed by?”

[jamiemarathrace]

avitejkumara‌:

“Of Marathrace, yes.  Ah!  Marathrace - from the north,”  Avi finally identified the name, with the triumph only a drunken person could muster.  “I’ve visited Arelwen a few times, but not as much as the southern half of your lands.  The cold, you see.”  Avi rubbed at his arms, as if feeling that northern chill even here on the warm beach.  

He wasn’t ignorant of that particular shiny look in the elf’s eyes though and it made Avi smile and add,  “All the more reason to retain and generate warmth between bodies, I suppose.  Under furs, ideally.”

He made a ‘hm’ noise as he regarded the elf’s deft fingers, shuffling the thick, well-worn cards. Perhaps it was Jamie’s favourite deck, something he’d grown attached to.  Something he’d miss, if it were taken away from him - not that Avi had any interest in cruelty.  So far, the elf had been nothing but charming and friendly.  It was no wonder he’d drawn such a crowd around him.  

“So are you magical, then?  I suppose I tend to believe that all elves are magical, in some fashion.  What is it called?  Future…mancy?”  Avi couldn’t remember the right term.  He’d tried to study a year in the Magistereum, and ran away because it was all so dreadfully dull. 

“I’d be happy to pay you in a favour of equal merit, then,” Avi decided, shaking the elf’s extended hand.  “Trading in favours are common for Loqoans, as valuable as gold.  You won’t be disappointed by accepting this offer.”

He wasn’t insulted by the fact that Jamie didn’t know him, particularly as the elf described his own lack of travel.  “So what’s made you decide to leave Arelwen and travel now?”  Avi asked, drinking from his slung wineskin.  He offered the elf a taste.

Avi tried to concentrate on a question for the cards - he had plenty, almost too many questions in fact, all of them far too dire and serious for this sort of game - but was distracted by Jamie’s answer.  Proudly, Avi smiled.  “I’ve been on a boat all my life, young Master Elf.  In fact, my dear mother birthed me on my father’s flagship.  What do you think of being on the open ocean?  Have you enjoyed it?”

“Yes!” Jamie enthused, when Avi was able to place his family name, “From the North! How lovely that you’ve been to Arelwen - even if our climate hasn’t agreed with you.” He clucked his tongue. “You clearly weren’t sat by the proper hearth with the proper libation if you were allowed to feel the chill.”

Jamie flushed pink in the firelight at the newcomer’s observation regarding body heat and furs, however, murmuring, “You’re right, Lord - sweethearts pass the winter easily.” He paused, then carried on, emboldened. “Have you a sweetheart?” Jamie blushed again, but kept grinning, not abashed enough to look away from Avi’s eyes. “I am without one for the moment - but hope springs eternal; especially in new and exciting lands.”

“And I am magical, yes,” the elvish boy nodded, deftly cutting and turning his deck with a single hand, spinning its portions between his fingers, “But only on a small scale - cleromancy is my only gift, but I like to think I use it well.” They shook hands with Jamie’s free one, and the elf beamed at the idea of a favour exchanged. “Lovely,” he said, “-and a fair swap if ever I’ve heard of one. I shall remember you, Lord Avitej - and make sure to collect on my golden fortunes.”

Accepting the wineskin with the guileless ease of the very trusting and the as-yet-not-disappointed, Jamie took a long drink then passed the skin back to Avi with a laugh. “Oh, that would be telling,” he said, “Suffice it to say that my time had come to see the world for myself, beyond my deck of cards and the latest celebration, and I’ve come to learn statecraft from my Uncle Tayaca - perhaps you’ve heard of him? He’s quite an important man from what I gather.”

Settling down to give Avi a proper spread proved difficult though when Jamie’s attention was distracted away again, this time by the news that Lord Avitej had been born a sailor, and his questions regarding Jamie’s fondness for the sea. “I loved it,” the young elf gushed, “I’ve never felt anything like it, being aboard ship. The depth and the vastness of the ocean - it’s immeasurable. Rather like our lights in the North, I think.”

[jamiemarathrace]

stoneward-princess‌:

Josefin was not alone in her love of a bustling and busy city but she might have been alone in her utter lack of coordination. At least in that moment. And to have run into an elf of all people. How terrible that could easily turn for foreign relations. One sour mood or an unforgiving elder might have ruined Elysi and all they hoped to eventually achieve with the elven people. “Again, I am so sorry… the flower at least looks good on you.”

It was an easy smile that she offered, one full of her usual warmth and her cheeks flushed a very faint shade of pink. “You flatter me sir, but…” She paused, noting the way he averted his attention to the flowers in her hands. “No… no it appears they’ve been spared for now. Good thing, too… I do hate seeing them go to waste.”

Josefin offered a hand, ready to shake his, “I’m Josefin Stoneward, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Please,” Jamie said brightly, “-don’t give it another thought, m’lady. I shan’t. And I thank you for the compliment - I have always been a fan of lilies.” Jamie raised a hand to be certain that his newest adornment was in no danger of being lost, then grinned, enchanted by the young woman’s blush and the way it flattered her as she reassured him that her bouquet was indeed safe and sound. “I’m glad,” the young elf said sincerely, “I’d have hated to see them go to waste, myself.”

Taking the blonde woman’s hand, Jamie raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, his smile still firmly in place. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Josefin Stoneward,” he told her, “I’m Jamiyllanfairfechan Marathrace - but you may call me Jamie.”

[jamiemarathrace]

lordtayaca‌:

Taya stared at his nephew, layers of white underskirts and red boots visible and then covered again as Jamie picked himself up, then stared at the floor behind him as Jamie fussed with his headgear. “Never mind your flimmit hat!” Taya said, grabbing Jamie and turning him around to see what had happened. “Is there anywhere you go that your arse doesn’t get you in trouble, Jamiyllanfairfechan? That was–”

Letting go, Taya picked up the gilded pot, picking out clumps of petals and broken stems, letting them sift through his fingers to the ground as he glared at Jamie. “This,” he intoned direly, “was one of the Stonewall key arrangements, I’m sure of it. They’re very significant to the family, Jamie, at these important events. And you’ve smashed this one to paste with your clumsiness.”

(Never mind the candelabra, of course; that was understandable and harmless.)

“We need to fix this,” Taya said firmly. “Right now.”

For a moment, Jamie just gaped at the ruined arrangement, then turned back to his uncle, stricken. “Fix it how?” he asked, “As you’ve said, my bum has pulverised the entire bloody thing. That pot just sticks out like a sore thumb now, or a blacked out tooth - and what can we do about that? I mean, my magic extends no further than cleromancy, and unless you think diplomacy is suddenly going to refresh those flowers, I’m all ears for solutions, Uncle.”

Jamie looked at Tayaca a bit hopefully. “Do you think that maybe, if we explain that it was an accident, we might be forgiven? Accidents do happen, after all - at a rather alarming rate sometimes. Especially at balls and parties...”

[jamiemarathrace]

lordtayaca‌:

“I’ll take your word for it. Petticoats hardly seem worth the trouble in my books.” Taya compulsively smoothed out his own outfit, making sure the crisp lines hadn’t creased any. Jamie’s sense of clothing left him at a loss, but at least here at a masquerade ball, the young elf’s flamboyance fit in without anybody batting an eye. 

So far.

Jamie’s little knowing expression, though, as he looked up at his uncle and put Taya squarely on the spot with that comment about what Gwen had seen fit to share with him – silver moons, but did she have to tell her boychild everything? – got the older elf’s nerves ruffled the wrong way. “Now, listen here,” he began, and leaned closer, intending to set this undignified rumour to rest–

–only to knock the heavy candelabra off the piano, Pellet immediately jumping off and disappearing out of the music room like the fair-weather animal he was.

“Well,” said Jamie, finally attempting to straighten his voluminous skirts at least a little bit, “I wouldn’t want to wear them every day, but for a ball they’re quite good fun. And I look smashing in them, so they’ve got that going for them as well.”

Uncle Taya looked a bit disgruntled though as he leaned in a moment later, and Jamie mentally prepared himself for the bollocking that was sure to come, having teased the older half-elf with just a touch too much familiarity where his mother was concerned, only to give a little yelp and scramble back on the piano bench when Pellet took off and the candelabra fell to the floor; his skirts throwing him off balance and sending him careening directly into a rather elaborate floral arrangement sat just behind him.

“Oh fucking hell,” Jamie murmured as he righted himself again, “-is my headdress still on straight? I thought I was done for there.”

[jamiemarathrace]

lordtayaca‌:

Pellet gave belated growl when Jamie mentioned the brilliant red velvet bow the cat was wearing, as if the cat only just remembered to hate it, and gave the adornment a desultory scrape with its back foot before going back to enjoying the music. Taya shook his head, muttering, “I don’t know how you even manage to play as nimbly as you do when you’re decked out like that. You’re three times your usual size and most of it is skirts.”

The little jest his nephew made (was it fond? were they at a place of fondness yet? Taya didn’t want to think about it too hard) got the half-elf harrumphing in direct correlation to his cat, and he dropped Pellet on the music-holder, saying, “Gwen can’t possibly have said that. I was never fun at anything. And besides – when your mother entered a party, there was nothing else to be paid attention to, ever, aside from her.”

“Oh, you like it,” Jamie cheerfully admonished the great orange cat as the ginger beast made it’s general displeasure known, then grinned again at what he was fairly certain counted as a compliment from his uncle - on his playing, at least, if not his dress sense. “It’s all in how you choose to sit,” Jamie beamed, “-and really, this frock isn’t half as elaborate as some of the costumes I’ve worn back home, so I’ve had a bit of practise.”

The younger elf stopped playing for a moment. “But as far as Mum goes, she absolutely did say that. She said you were her favourite dance partner when the two of you were young, and that you were really quite funny when you put your mind to it.” Jamie’s eyes twinkled. “And you wouldn’t be calling my dear sainted mother a liar, now would you, Uncle?”

[jamiemarathrace]

“I can mingle here just as well as anywhere else,” Jamie announced with a grin, still happily playing the piano though his frock needed a bit of a straighten. “My mum tells me you used to be great fun at parties, Uncle - this is my chance to see it for myself!” The elven boy beamed, winking at the bow bedecked cat, “And besides, Pellet matches my dress; I can’t go far without him.” Jamie trilled another little chorus of the song, then stopped, his fingers still dancing lightly on the keys. “And anyway, I actually quite like my old uncle,” he teased, “Though whether the feeling is mutual or not rather depends on the day.”

fool and king

If there was something that Taya had every confidence in his nephew knowing, it was how to act at a party. Which was why they’d found themselves in one of the palace’s music rooms, with Jamie merrily playing a lively tune on the piano and singing little snippets of the song. How he managed while still chatting nineteen to the dozen, Taya wasn’t sure, but it was faintly impressive. 

“Would you rather be mingling?” Taya asked, though, as Pellet jumped into his arms and purred, beginning to knead. “This is the first ball you’ve been able to attend since you left Arelwen, after all. Stuck with your old uncle.”

[jamiemarathrace]

.. the spring festival masquerade ball

left - jamie marathrace  right - tayaca orellana-elydir

[jamiemarathrace]

COTTONTAIL CHARACTERISTICS: Smallish • Gentle • Cute • Faithful • Passionate • Impatient

THE IRRESISTIBLE COTTONTAIL

Cottontail personalities are small, gentle individuals with a tendency towards shyness and have an instinct to scuttle at the first sign of danger. Their extraordinarily acute senses are always on the lookout for impending peril.   But the hallmark of cottontails is that they are astoundingly cute and rely heavily on their adorable personalities and vulnerable appearance to garner friends, mates and resources.

COTTONTAIL PERSONALITIES CAN BE QUIRKY

These beautiful and skittish creatures have the most elegant imaginations of all… spending endless hours creating magnificent castles in air and populating them with a variety of whimsically pastoral characters. These romantic dreams dramatically influence the cottontail’s behavior, and — although they could be described as quirky – they’re friendly, warm, and understanding.

Although they are bright, cottontails often hide their intelligence if it threatens to interfere with their primary method of survival: cuteness! Almost all mammal personalities find them to be irresistibly attractive and cottontails rarely need to employ personal resources to succeed in their careers or relationships.

COTTONTAIL PERSONALITIES ARE SOCIALLY ADEPT

Their quiet, solitary behavior is often mistaken for timidity, but cottontails are actually quite aggressive in their search for resources. They may lack the physical strength of larger animal personalities, but count on their social skills to compete in the workplace.

Cottontails function best in situations that don’t involve confrontations, which means they are not natural salespeople. Instead, their ability to play well with others means they are well-suited for careers in customer support, diplomacy, administrative work and nursing.

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP

Cottontails can be impossibly cute, and while their gentle natures makes them thoughtful partners, their propensity to follow-the-leader makes for something of a lackluster lover. Unbridled passion might be the cottontail’s promise but its tendency to go with the flow makes this bunny’s love life predictable and submissive.

So why do people love cottontails so much? Perhaps it’s because they put the feelings of others before their own. The cottontail’s partner always comes first, even before its children and siblings. But this doesn’t mean that cottontails are desperate for mates… they choose their partners deliberately and carefully.

Cottontails have an annoying habit of leaping into bad relationships… it’s the cottontail curse that irresistibly draws them towards stronger animal personalities who offer the strength they crave.  

(x)

[jamiemarathrace]

lordtayaca‌:

“All I asked you,” Tayaca said, thumping his hands onto his nephew’s shoulders so he could stare the younger elf directly in the eyes, “was one simple task. One small responsibility. That was all you were assigned, Jamie. I didn’t count on it proving too much for you so soon.”

It would be a lie to claim that Taya didn’t feel a frisson of somewhat mean pleasure at the panic in Jamie’s eyes, wide and guileless, hazel as the water of the streams in high Marathrace. But as he was beholden to none aside from himself when it came to how he dealt with and trained the lad, Taya’s less-than-noble methods didn’t trouble him any. Nobody else needed to know. 

With a slight shake of his head, Taya gave Jamie’s shoulders a couple of heavy pats before taking his hands back and dusting them in a show of preparation, the heavy milky-white opal insignia ring on his right little finger making a faint rasp against his skin. “You’ll just have to dig in and help me find Pellet, then,” Tayaca declared. “Morrwen’s not that diverting a city. Tell me, Jamie – where were you when you lost track of him? What were you doing? Think, and answer me true!”

@jamiemarathrace​

“Well... I don’t know, do I?” Jamie said a bit helplessly, “I mean, one minute he was there, making that noise he does when I’ve done something he doesn’t approve of, and then next time I looked, he was gone! Just... poof. Thin air! No more Pellet!”

“Gods, where was I? I was...” The boy grimaced, thinking hard, wanting very badly to please his uncle and knowing that was an unlikely possibility given that he’d just lost the older elf’s cat - a cat who was possibly Taya’s only friend in the world, if you didn’t count Jamie’s mother. “There was a girl!” he said suddenly, remembering, “A little girl selling handkerchiefs - I stopped to look at those a moment - and some tumblers - they were brilliant, Uncle, you really should have seen them - and I stopped to have a cup of wine...” Jamie sighed, his misery written all over his face, “...and that’s when I noticed he was gone. But in all honesty, he could have wandered off long before then.”

“Are you cross?” they younger elf asked, hope that this might not be the case flickering across his features - and then his face fell even further as he muttered, “What am I thinking? Of course you’re cross. I’ve lost your bloody cat, how could you not be cross?”

“But he’s a smart cat, is Pellet,” he added, perking up again, “Maybe he’s already on his way home!”

Glean What Afflicts Him \ Jamie + Taya

[jamiemarathrace]

stoneward-princess‌:

@jamiemarathrace​

As the festival picked up and more and more visitors made their way to Glasswater, Josefin found herself caught up in the crowds and the excitement. Perhaps everything would be fine, after all. They had tripled… quadrupled security for the festival and Glasswater itself was highly defensible… against invading armies at least. That was to say nothing for an enemy who could show up at your door without you knowing there was anyone there at all. That was… to say nothing of an enemy who was a shadow.

Taking her time stopping by different vendors, Josefin sighed quietly. She had stopped by at least most of them already, spreading her coin around as much as she could. At least during the festivals, vendors and chefs and barkeeps were not hurting for money. Business tended to boom in all of the cities. For that, it was one of the brightest spots of the year.

When she saw a young girl, perhaps eleven, maybe twelve, selling a car full of flowers, Josefin smiled, taking her time to watch as she tried to get people to buy them. When a few passed her by, Josefin approached her, holding out her coin purse. “I’ll give you whatever’s in this bag for a dozen of those.” She pointed to a bundle of wildflowers. Some daisies, smaller sunflowers, a few asters and cosmos, even a lilly or two. The amount of coin in that bag could easily purchase the whole cart but Josefin simply waited patiently as the girl loosened the bag and peered inside. Her face went a little pale but Josefin’s smile didn’t waver. The girl quickly pulled the bundle of flowers and handed it to Jo.

“Th-thank you… I….” She began but Jo shook her head.

“If you bring your cart to the palace, I’ll see to it that you get triple that for all of it.” Jo continued and the little girl ran off to a woman who was talking to some gentlemen beside a table with a spread of more flowers, though those were clearly grown specifically for the occasion.

Jo nodded when the woman caught her eye, the woman giving Josefin a quick curtsey before looking down, a blush painting her cheeks. Speaking briefly with one of the city guards nearby, Jo took one more look at the little family before turning to leave. As she did though, she ran smack into another person. “Oh gods, I am so sorry!” She caught her balance, reaching out for the other person to help steady them as well.

“Are you alright? Again… I am so sorry!” She looked him over. An elf. They weren’t uncommon to be seen in Glasswater, especially during one of the festivals, but she hadn’t expected to run directly into one. “H… here… Please accept this.” She said, pulling a flower from the bouquet and handing it to the man.

Jamie wasn’t sure who was minding who. If it were he keeping an eye on Pellet, or if the enormous marmalade beast was the one doing the watching. All he knew for certain is that one moment he’d been walking along happily, only  momentarily distracted by a collection of players performing, Pellet just a little ways ahead - and the next, he’d nearly been knocked off his feet. Though the person who’d careened into him made sure not to let him fall, apologising as she steadied him.

Jamie righted himself quickly enough - Pellet now lost to the crowd - and turned his attentions to the lovely young woman stood before him, shaking his head graciously to dismiss her concerns. “I’m fine, m’lady, thank-you,” the elf said, and he beamed at her, “Besides, I can think of worse fates to befall me than to be tumbled,” he winked cheekily, “-by a beautiful woman on a festival day in the bright sunshine.” 

“But thank-you all the same,” he said accepting the lily she offered, tucking it behind his ear, its sweet scent already bringing a smile to his face. “Now how about you though, miss? I haven’t crushed the rest of your posies, now have I?”

[jamiemarathrace]

sirensbeckon‌:

     ELENA  ACCEPTED  HIS  HAND  AND  LANDED  BACK  ON  HER  FEET.  immediately  ,  she  pulled  jamie  into  a  hug  and  replied  ,  “  i  can  hardly  believe  it’s  you  ,  here!  ”  elena  released  him  from  her  embrace  ,  trying  to  clearly  remember  the  last  summer  and  the  days  she  spent  in  arelwen.  it  seemed  she  had  not  learned  since  then  how  to  handle  her  liquor.  a  toothy  grin  split  her  face  ,  “  i  am  doing  well  ,  aside  from  my  sore  arse  that  is.  ”  a  laugh  spilt  over  her  lips.  “  i  never  would  have  thought  i  would  see  you  in  elysi  ,  how  did  this  happen?  ”

Jamie returned Elena’s hug enthusiastically, quite pleased to see a familiar face, and he gave her a little spin round before setting her down again. 

“And I am glad to hear of it,” he enthused, “-sore arse notwithstanding,” though he pulled a slightly sheepish face when the bard asked after what had brought him all the way to Elysi, chuckling, “Well, I suppose I should be glad that news of my indiscretions has yet to extend outside of Arelwen - but the truth of the matter is that I got myself into a bit of trouble not so long ago.” The young man winced comically. “I was actually caught doing a bit of card-reading... in the bed of married noble.” Momentarily distracted by his own story, Jamie added, “Lord Aberfan, it was - did you meet him when you were in Arelwen? Anyway, the scandal, as you can imagine, was enormous, and Mother and Father decided to send me off to live with my Uncle Tayaca until the gossipmongers at home could be quelled.”

Jamie grinned. “So here I am. A veritable nomad, traipsing about after Taya and his cat, trying to make myself useful.”

“What about you though, Elena, love? Where have your travels taken you since you last left Arelwen?”

[jamiemarathrace]

avitejkumara‌:

The cheery smile the elf gave was brilliant, unthreatened.  Even though he was surrounded by rather boisterous and very drunk noblefolk, and none of them elves themselves.  Even as buzzed as he was, Avi had to tip his hat over that level of composure.  

Or well, it was either composure or naivety, Avi couldn’t tell which just yet.

Regardless, he flashed a grin of his own, although the smile didn’t quite reach his dark eyes.  “Clear the way,” he ordered, as he pushed closer to the elf, to find a perch on the log.  He was irritated now by the jostling revelers around him.  

“Excuse me, Sir, but we were here with him first, and –” Protested of the minor lords - a Midlander, from his accent.  Avi had no time for Midlanders.

“Oh that’s nice.”  Avi replied, lifting his vest to reveal a rather nasty-looking sheathed curved dagger.  “I’m with him now.  So clear off.” He glared at them all, like a jealous dog guarding a newfound juicy bone, until the other noblefolk grudgingly found somewhere else to party.

“Drunks, can’t stand ‘em,”  Avi said with a drunken smirk.  “I apologize if I got rid of your adoring audience, elf.  I’ve just never met one who does…card reading, you said?  Fortune-telling, for free?  You must have some price.”

Jamie of Marathrace.   Why was that house name familiar?  Then again, all of those elfish words sounded alike to Avi - all very pretty and musical and light on the tongue.  

“I go by Avitej of Kumara,” he said, using the elf’s own way of introduction.  With little modesty, he smirked.  “You may have heard of me.” He motioned to the cards being shuffled.

“So how does this work exactly?  Despite my seafaring ways, I’ve never had my cards read before.  My people tend to read fishbones and sandollar for our fortunes.” Among other more gory things.

The closer the newcomer came, the more handsome he was revealed to be, and Jamie found he couldn’t mind too much this man’s slightly brutish interjection of himself into the action, as it were, even if he insisted on calling Jamie ‘elf’ for the duration. “Jamie,” Jamie said patiently again, his hand on his breast, as though his new friend might simply have missed it the first time round, “And no price, no.” He smiled brightly, “I read cards because I like to; because I’m good at it. And because everyone deserves a glimpse into their future now and again - but if you insist on paying, m’lord, I’ll be quite satisfied with your attention and company for as long as it takes to read the cards.” Jamie grinned. “And if you think I’m worth more by the end of your reading you may gift me however you see fit, yeah?”

“Because it’s a pleasure to meet you Avitej of Kumara,” the young elf proclaimed, extending the hand not holding his cards, “-but I’m afraid I haven’t heard of you at all. In fact, until quite recently my whole life was spent making merry in Arelwen, and I’m afraid I’ve barely heard of anyone. I have no head for politicking.” Jamie shuffled his cards again grandly, his motions graceful and showy. “But this works precisely how you think it does, Lord Avitej - I clear the deck, you focus on the questions you’d like answered, and I’ll do your spread. The more complicated the question, the more complex the spread.” Jamie winked, “Though I know nothing of fishbones, so we’ll have to leave those out.”

“Have you been a sailor long, my lord?” he went on as he continued to shuffle, “I ask because the only sailors I’ve known have been rather a lot older - and a fair bit more grizzled.”

[jamiemarathrace]

Festival Fashions:

Left: Jamie Marathrace

Right: Lord Tayaca Orellana-Elidyr

(outfits curated by @jamiemarathrace)