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Post by Kitty Pryde on Aug 19, 2007 19:00:21 GMT -4
Katherine sat in the drawing room, her legs tilted to the side and crossed at the ankles, her back perfectly straight and her hands folded primly on her lap. Any moment now a servant should arrive to announce her guest. It was not to be a long meeting, but one of business; business regarding the crisp, white envelope that sat on the desk beside her.
When she had received the request from the young journalist, the princess had been delighted. The letter had been so refreshing and honest that she couldn’t help to acquiesce. In fact, she had wanted to approach the young woman herself, but that would hardly be proper. So instead she had sent for one of Guido Carosella’s stage hands to deliver the letter to the girl who was currently working at his studio. Certainly he could spare one for a short period of time, especially one by the name of Jamie Madrox.
Many people liked to brag that there was plenty of them to go around, but when it came to Jamie Madrox, this statement was nothing but the truth. Not only was there plenty of him to go around, but plenty of each of them as well.
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Post by madrox on Aug 20, 2007 2:17:19 GMT -4
Jamie had to take this one himself. As much as he despised leaving the dupes in the studio to their own devices, he had lost all of his trust in them after the "Flag Football Team" incident.
This, is a long story.
So, Jamie decided that he should meet the Princess to deliver her parcel to the studio. After a considerable drive, he arrived at the castle and entered. The Princess was seated, like a princess ought to be, awaiting his arrival. It was a bit sickening to Jamie, such a young girl, forced into such formality. He much would have preferred a more casual royal family.
"So." Jamie said, characteristically awkard, "You have something that needs to get to the studio. Right?" Jamie adn't so much approached the Princess, but he thought he was at least close enough for her to hear him.
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Post by Kitty Pryde on Aug 21, 2007 16:45:05 GMT -4
Hearing the voice from the doorway, Katherine quickly got to her feet and executed a graceful curtsy. Her guest appeared uncomfortable and awkward, something that was both appealing and tiring.
“Yes. Thank you for coming, Mr. Madrox. I appreciate your punctuality,” she said, smiling politely. “May I offer you something to drink?”
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Post by madrox on Aug 25, 2007 0:47:29 GMT -4
Jamie hated castles. They were big, ugly, and full of people that also tended to this description. Katherine was an exception. She was quite pleasant toward an obvious inferior, not something found often in this day and age. He started to care a bit for castles.
"Just some ice water, at the most. I'd hate to hold up anything much longer for you. Plus, If I leave the rest of the gang all alone, well, you know them. Because you know me. Or you've just met me. So you've just met them."
Jamie really disliked his fumbling. It wasn't normal for him, and it gave off an unintended flirtiness, like Hugh Grant without those haunting teeth. He happened to be quite tired. So, everything was working at different speeds.
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Post by Kitty Pryde on Aug 25, 2007 8:29:00 GMT -4
Katherine couldn’t hold back the giggle that suddenly escaped her lips. It was probably less than polite, but he was so bumbling and nervous that it was simply charming. So much better than all the pompous blowhards that so often traipsed through the castle. On the other side of the coin, he also wasn’t falling all over himself to please her, which was another plus.
Lifting the phone receiver from the desk, she brought it to her ear and hit a few buttons to put her on a direct connection to the kitchen.
“Yes, two ice waters to the drawing room, please,” she said before hanging up the phone and reclaiming her seat. Aw, crap, she’d said ‘please’. That was far too polite when speaking with a servant, wasn’t it? Maybe he didn’t notice.
“Have a seat, if you wish. They will only be a moment.”
It was true that she didn’t know him, or them for that matter, but she had heard the stories. Apparently he had put on quite the show at the ball. She had heard her sisters gossiping about it, but she had missed it herself, having been… detained with other matters.
So not going there.
“I hear they can get quite out of hand without your supervision. It is quite a fascinating ability, though.”
((If one of the servants would like to pop in to drop off the water in a post or so, that would be lovely. If not, we will just NPC a random inferior. No biggie.))
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Post by Kurt Wagner on Aug 25, 2007 9:54:08 GMT -4
And here he was, back to reality. It wasn't easy, but Kurt had gone out of his way to avoid the princess since the awkward, embarassing, unbelievable night of the ball. He wasn't sure he could take another moment like the last time he had seen her...her harsh detachment...suddenly being treated like a random inferior.
It's what he was. He had no illusions that he was anything else. No....he did. And he didn't want it tarnished or shattered by the truth.
He knocked softly and entered, carrying two fine crystal glasses and an elegant carafe on a small silver tray. He said nothing and he tried to blend into the background as he carried them to a small service table. Though he stepped lightly, the crushed ice made a slight, musical sound as it brushed against the crystal of the carafe.
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Post by madrox on Aug 26, 2007 1:32:19 GMT -4
Jamie sat down. He looked at the servant. He was scraggly, but well dressed. There was something decidedly odd about him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was a look of dejection on his face, in a way. Oh well.
"So, who, in particular, did you wish to contact? Was it Ms. Braddock? If it is, I might have to pass. She...uh....doesn't like me."
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Post by Kitty Pryde on Aug 26, 2007 11:10:41 GMT -4
Oh man, it was him. Why did it have to be him? In a castle so large, it was quite easy to avoid one person, and she hadn’t seen him since their encounter at the ball. Her last words to him had been a harsh dose of reality that she was sure neither of them had wanted to face and it should have made it easier for them to return to their respective roles, it was supposed to, but all she still wanted to do was apologise.
She should at least thank him for bringing the water, right? No, everyone else tended to simply ignore the servants, comfortable with the idea that it was their job to follow out orders and therefore not requiring gratitude. It was such a horrible frame of mind. Sneaking a quick glance in his direction, she was glad when Jamie spoke again, giving her something more to focus on.
“I, uh,” she paused, clearing her throat and forcing her smile to return.
Focus! Entertain! Be witty and charming as a hostess should!
“I have a hard time believing that,” she said lightly. Yes, that was good. “But no, it isn’t for Ms. Braddock. Mr. Carosella has a young journalist under his employ, a Ms. Jubilation Lee?”
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Post by Kurt Wagner on Aug 26, 2007 12:29:41 GMT -4
Kurt set the tray down silently and waited, his back toward the room, for a break in the conversation to fill one of the glasses.
As much as possible, he wanted his presence there to be invisible to their discussion.
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Post by madrox on Aug 30, 2007 0:50:22 GMT -4
Jamie sighed bigtime.
"Well, that is certainly a good thing. She kinda...freaks me out, and we don't get along without being...we don't get along. But Ms. Lee, I can certainly attempt to get something to her. I always have at least a couple sets of eyes. Get it? This is all I have, giggle, pretend, something?"
Oh god, stop....he thought, you have derailed, mayday, MAYDAY!! Did you just tell her to laugh? You IDIOT! Don't order a Princess! She orders you, that's why you're here. Oh no, you haven't said anything! DEAD AIR! DEAD AIR! AHHHHHH! Speak you FOOL!
Trains and fighter jets crashed in Jamie's mind as he continued to smile feebly at the Princess.
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Post by Kitty Pryde on Aug 30, 2007 11:47:14 GMT -4
Oh, but he was an odd duck. Before she even had chance to giggle or pretend or something following his joke, he was asking her to do just that. Then came the silence for all she could possible do was stare at him for a moment. Was this really the real Jamie Madrox and was he always this nervous? Or was this an extra special, nervous, twitchy double? Did it really matter? It probably did to him… to the real Jamie, at least.
Laughing suddenly, Katherine shook her head.
“Please, there is no need to be nervous. It’s not like I’m going to, like, string you up if you bore me,” she said, smiling as reassuringly as possible. “… I leave that to my sisters.”
Alright, maybe it wasn’t time for such a joke. No, it was time to stop avoiding and be a proper hostess.
“That was a joke,” she amended quickly before he could reply. “You look like you could use that water. If you would?”
With those last words she had forced herself to look at Kurt. Did he always have to look so good? Maybe it was just the forbidden fruit thing. Nothing more. Nothing.
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Post by Kurt Wagner on Aug 30, 2007 22:52:28 GMT -4
Kurt filled the other glass. He picked up both drinks, turned and nodded to Katherine, then to her guest. Without comment or indeed any noticeable sound, he placed one first in front of the princess, then slid a small cloth napkin from one of his waistcoat pockets, put it near the glass and then reset the glass on top of it. Quickly, silently he repeated the process for her guest.
He bowed and stepped back out of the way.
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Post by madrox on Sept 3, 2007 1:01:10 GMT -4
Jamie sipped down a good deal of water. Geez, that servant was creepy. Jamie hated putting humans into categories, or discriminating. However, tolerance was punishable by death, as the Princess' father had stressed. To him, the only thing that made them less of mutants were their physical characteristics. This man here was clearly just as neurotic and disturbed as Jamie. In that way, they were just the same.
"I don't mean to be so jittery. I'm not used to talking in rooms that don't have either pictures of television stars, or monitors everywhere, or those soundproofing foam egg-carton thingys. This is a tad bit elegant for such a simple little meeting. Speaking of which, I should probably head back soon. Is there any rush to deliver to Miss Lee?"
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Post by Kitty Pryde on Sept 4, 2007 12:50:51 GMT -4
Oh man, it was so hard not to pay him any attention. Maybe she should get him alone and talk to him about this whole mess.
Bad idea! That's how this whole mess got started in the first place!
Why was she even worrying about it? He was back to being the servant, and her the princess, and everything was how it should be. She should just leave well enough alone.
Company! Focus!
Taking a dainty sip of her water when what she really wanted to do was guzzle it, Katherine set the glass back on the napkin and smiled at Jamie.
"It's quite alright. It's a reaction I'm met with often," she said in a joking tone, though if anyone looked close enough they could see the tiniest spark of sadness in her eyes. The life of a princess was a lonely one. "No rush, though I do believe she will be expecting word soon if there is to be a reply at all."
Picking the envelope up from the desk, she held it out.
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Post by Kurt Wagner on Sept 4, 2007 17:05:08 GMT -4
And this was the very best part of Kurt's day. Any day. Standing idle, in attendance, waiting for something to do. Beneath notice but able to simply observe.
My God, she was beautiful.
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