Welcome to Aldrect! Here you'll see vast, towering buildings of pure alabaster and marble, and the business of the townsfolk. The religion of the Holy Triumvirate was begun here, and in the center of the city is a grand fountain of the gods. (+2 Defense, +2 Fame)

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[K29] [P29]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 12:19 PM

Even for royalty, that dress looked incredibly gaudy and over-the-top; but none of what Kuzey thought of it would change Primrose's mind about putting it on. Admittedly, it probably reminded her of the clothes she used to wear before all this,

"Do you mind?" she asked, motioning to the bathroom.

He shrugged. "Be my guest."

Like a little girl who'd be given the okay to wear her pretty new dress, Primrose smiled and closed the bathroom door behind her. In the meantime, Kuzey eyed the suit he was expected to wear. Even with the majority of it still tucked inside the dry-cleaning bag, it was eye-blinding. He couldn't even imagine how ridiculous he would look wearing the thing; not to mention that Primrose was right in saying he would need to leave the hat behind. He liked to stay covered and to avoid grabbing people's attention, and these clothes were doing the complete opposite of that.

He sighed and sat down on the couch as he waited for Primrose to finished changing.
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[K30] [P30]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 12:30 PM

It didn't very long for the Princess to change, and soon enough, a bright bundle of flashy golden colors emerged from the bathroom. Kuzey squinted, but even he had to begrudgingly admit that the clothes looked a whole lot better on someone than they did loose.

"Ooph, they're a lot easier to slip on than the clothes I'm used to!" she said, dropping her own clothes on the bed, and then twirling with a little flourish. "Well?" she asked, stopping to face him. "What do you think?" she added as she picked the ends of the puffy dress and spread the material.

He didn't look very convinced, but he quietly said, "I suppose it doesn't look so bad."

She smiled widely. "Right?" she said, waving the dress this way and that. "And it's so comfortable, too! I love it," she said, and she immediately made her way towards the bed. "And I'm sure it'll look great on you too, Kuzey!"

He frowned at her assumption, arms crossed, and she pulled the suit out of the bag. "Don't give me that look!" she told him, and she brought the suit over to him. "At least try it on before you dismiss it."
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[K31] [P31]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 12:55 PM

He wanted nothing more but to avoid this suit, but in the end he groaned and rolled his eyes before taking it from Primrose's hands. She stepped aside as he got up and aimed for the bathroom, noting that he hadn't yet taken his hat off. Although the door was already closed, she reminded him, "Take off the hat!"

As she waited for him to change, she looked down at the dress some more. It wasn't something she would wear or keep in her wardrobe, but it was definitely a change of pace.

She turned around and noticed the large window in the back of the room. The receptionist had mentioned the room had a beautiful, and now was a good time for her to confirm that for herself. She stepped closer to the window and spread the curtains away. By now it was almost nighttime, with the sky going down from a salmon color to a dark navy blue, with a few small stars starting to show up ahead. The city almost looked like it was made of gold from all the decorations and festivities; like a castle or the city of a rich emperor.

In a sense, it made her feel homesick. She was standing here, alone, admiring sights that, under normal circumstances, they would be admiring together. They could've enjoyed the festival together, and then stop for a while during the night to stargaze, as they usually did.

And instead, she was here, alone - running away from the very person she wished would be here with her.
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[K32] [P32]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 1:06 PM

As she looked over the city sadly, she eventually heard the bathroom door open. She immediately turned around, both out of curiosity, and so she could think about something else. She stared for a second before simply exclaiming, "Oh!"

She had seen Kuzey wear slightly different clothes before, but nothing so drastically different. Since he was always so covered, he had a very light skin tone, which was made to look even paler compared to his short dark brown hair. Being so short, his hair looked nice whether it was combed or messy, but it looked like he had made an effort to straighten it out. He had indeed taken off the hat, and it was such a huge part of his style that it was always a little jarring to see him without it.

He didn't say anything upon coming out, but Primrose took it upon herself to comment. "Oh," she said again, approaching him. "Oh, you look..." she paused, and she put a hand over her mouth as she looked him up from head to toes, "... stunning." Being a traveling mercenary, she hadn't really imagined him in such a regal look, and while he didn't quite look the part, he looked incredibly handsome.

He didn't share the sentiment, scoffing and rolling his eyes at the exaggerated compliments she'd given him. He looked and felt absolutely ridiculous - not to mention completely naked without his hat on.
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[K33] [P33]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 1:40 PM

Not surprised by that reaction, she walked over to him. "Don't be like that! I'm serious," she assured him, and she reached for the clothes; only to be stopped again.

"What?" he asked, pushing her hands away.

"Hey, stop that," she insisted, and she pushed his hands back as well. "I just want to fix this up a little bit," she promised, fixing his collar and the tie so they were straight and flat. She also tapped and tugged here and there to adjust the vest, which was admittedly a little tight for him, even if barely. She took out the small handkerchief and folded it nicely before putting it back into the pocket, tapping it lightly so it would look nice and even.

Throughout the whole thing, Kuzey simply stared at her in awkward and uncomfortable silence. She looked incredibly focused on the task at hand, but he was uncomfortable having her touch him everywhere like that. "Are you done?" he asked eventually, wondering what in the world she needed to tap and tug for.

"Yes, yes, here you go," she said, double-checking the collar and the tie before stepping back and looking him over again. "Now you look even more handsome."

He audibly groaned. "Are we going or not?"
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[K34] [P34]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 1:54 PM

She couldn't tell if his reaction was from wearing the suit, or if was from the fact she was complimenting him. "Would you rather I don't call you handsome?" Admittedly, she really wanted to know.

He rolled his eyes. "I couldn't care less," he said sharply, dropping his hat on the bed and heading for the door.

It was a little bizarre for her, but she didn't argue with him. "All right," she said, leaving it at that. As he went for the door, though, she hesitated for a second before saying, "Kuzey?"

He had his hand on the door knob, but he looked over his shoulder at her. He waited for her to say what she had to say, and she sheepishly looked away. "Thank you," she said softly, "for doing this." He hadn't wanted to stay here for so long, and she could tell he was way out of his comfort zone. "I really appreciate it."

He looked back at her for a moment before shrugging. "Sure," he said, and he opened the door. "Are we going or not?"

She nodded. "Yes, yes; let's go!" she said, stepping up to him so they could leave the room and go out there to enjoy the festival. Her heart starting beating faster; finally, a night where they would get to unwind. Now that they were stepping out the door, she couldn't wait to get back out into the streets.
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[K34] [P34] [C13]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 2:01 PM

Meanwhile, in another part of Aldrect, Caldwell was trying to make his way through the crowded streets. He'd told Primrose and Kuzey that he would be surveying the area around Aldrect, but part of that had been a lie. The area was being surveyed: he just wasn't the one doing it.

Fortunately, the city was so busy and so vast that it would be difficult for them to meet up here again. He'd purposefully taken care to enter the city from another entrance, leaving the group in completely different areas of the town. That being said, he wasn't exactly here to interact with them: he was here to meet with someone else. If they hadn't bailed on him yet, that is.

He slipped through the crowd, his white attire giving him few looks, thanks to the golden theme of the celebrations. Despite him lacking the said color, white was close enough amidst this sea of people that few noticed him. Regardless, soon enough, he'd found the place where they were set to rendez-vous - one of the biggest and fanciest hotels Aldrect had to offer. The place sure fit the bill, but he would know for sure only once he got inside.

"Welcome to Aldrect's Chic Stay-In," the receptionist greeted as Caldwell stepped inside. "Do you have a reservation, or are you looking to stay the night?"
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[K34] [P34] [C14]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 9:37 PM

Caldwell stepped towards the counter. "Good evening, I have a reservation of sorts," he explained. "I'm with someone who's already checked in. They told them they would be in room 1073, on the tenth floor."

The receptionist turned to his computer. "Not a problem," he said as he looked over their records. "Let me just see what we have on file." He could see the man's eyes twitching this way and that as he reviewed their system; eventually, the receptionist asked, "Your name, sir?"

Caldwell glanced around. "Caldwell," he said, when it looked like there was no security around. "I believe you also want this," he added, slipping something to the receptionist across the counter.

The receptionist took the paper and pulled it down behind the counter to look at it. "Perfect, thank you," the receptionist said, and he turned around to get a card key for Caldwell to use. "The gentleman is expecting you."

Caldwell took the card key and slipped it in one of his pockets. "I'm quite sure," he agreed. "Thank you, then; I'll be on my way."
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[K34] [P34] [C15] [O1]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 10:09 PM

He made his way to the elevator, and he made sure to get in the elevator alone. The floors ticked upwards; one, two three, four... up until he was up on the tenth floor. The floor was quiet, but the chic was definitely part of the style; the carpet let out a lush "thump" as he walked to the room. It was far down the hall and down a few turns. Good: the more secluded they were, the better.

He eventually reached the room. Not a soul was around; even while walking down the hall, he hadn't come across anyone else. People were either relaxing in their room, or they were out there enjoying the festival.

He brought his hand to the door, and he knocked in a specific rhythmic pattern; knock-knock. Knock-knock-knock. Knock-knock-knock. Knock — short knock. He stepped back, and he waited. Soon enough, he heard clicking sounds on the other side, indicating that the other person was starting to unlock the door. He saw movement in the small peeping hole of the door, and then he heard more clicking. A few more seconds, and the door opened just ever so slightly. Someone looked in the crack to make sure it was really the right person; and the last chain lock came apart.

Caldwell smiled, and he lightly pushed the door open, stepping inside the room.
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[K34] [P34] [C16] [O2]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 10:42 PM

Caldwell stepped inside and let the other one close and lock the door behind him. "So you haven't bailed on me yet, I see," he pointed out, shrugging. "Happy to see that."
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The one who turned around was a young man, one a good few years younger than Caldwell. He was a bit smaller in stature, and while his clothes were of different colors, his suit was very similar to Caldwell's.

Caldwell settled himself on the couch, and he loosened his tie, letting out a sigh. He still looked tattered and bruised from the ambush from before.

The smaller man approached the couch. "Of course not," he said to Caldwell's worries. "We have an agreement — Jivana will not let you down, Caldwell."

Caldwell had been passing a hand through his hair, but he stopped to look at the other man. "You're cute, Oriole," he said, "I don't know just how much that's worth, but thanks."
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[K34] [P34] [C17] [O3]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 10:59 PM

Oriole frowned. "Caldwell, you're the only one from Chandra that we can trust anymore," he pointed out. "And with your close connection to Prince Quacey, we need your help if we want to have the Princess back in Jivana safely."

Caldwell sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he scoffed, "that's nice." He straightened up and pulled out a small bag from under his vest. He unclasped it and threw it at Oriole to catch. "Here's your intelligence, little guy," he said as Oriole struggled to catch the bag.

"What's in this?" he asked.

"What the Queen wanted, what else?" Caldwell explained, and he sighed. "I'd brief you and all, but I'm beat," he added, letting his head rest and rubbing his forehead. "I need a shower." Admittedly, he needed something else too, but a shower was a good start.

Oriole had started looking through the small bag. "Well, the room has a shower; you're free to use it," he offered.

Caldwell laughed. "I wasn't gonna ask for your permission, but good to know."
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[K34] [P34] [C17] [O4]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 11:15 PM

Caldwell's attitude was always a little rough around the edges, but he certainly looked a lot more stressed than usual. While he relaxed and showered, Oriole settled down on the couch and looked through the documents Caldwell had brought over.

The papers were all in reference to plans and procedures Prince Quacey was anticipated to put into motion in the next few weeks and months. The majority were battle and invasion strategies for the nearest cities that hadn't yet been conquered by the tyrannical Prince, while others were scheduled dates for executions — some public, some private.

Looking through the papers, Oriole could see why Caldwell was looking worse for wear every time they met; the man wasn't just Prince Quacey's confidant and head butler: he was literally everything else as well, from his military leader to the head executioner. Through the invasion papers, Caldwell's name was listed almost everywhere. Looking through these papers, Oriole always wondered why Caldwell didn't try to use his position to sway the Prince back on the right track. These papers also brought up another issue Oriole had noticed: the Prince was but that: the Prince. Where were the King and the Queen, and why were they not mentioned anywhere in this papers?
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[K34] [P34] [C18] [O5]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/05/2017 11:25 PM

As usual, Oriole took the papers in order to bring them back to the Queen. In exchange for Caldwell's intelligence, Oriole provided some of their own strategies to counter Prince Quacey's ever-growing invasion. While the information they shared with Caldwell was limited, the parties had come to an understanding: Caldwell was risking his life acting as a double agent to his own home kingdom, and in exchange to keep up the cover up, he needed a certain amount of exclusive information about Jivana to bring back to Prince Quacey. Ultimately, it was a fair exchange.

He'd just finished pulling out his own papers when he heard the shower shut off in the bathroom. He heard noise coming from it, and before long, Caldwell was out of the bathroom, hair drenched and his body still relatively wet, with only a large towel around his waist for cover up. Oriole stared in silence as Caldwell walked over to the bed and laid right down on it, taking in a deep breath, and then exhaling.

Oriole had expected Caldwell to say something, but instead, the two men sat in awkward silence in the hotel room, with one of them being half-naked. Admittedly, Oriole wasn't very comfortable with all this, and he started fiddling with the papers in his hands. "Did, uh... Did the shower help?" he asked, trying to get some kind of conversation going.
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[K34] [P34] [C19] [O6]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/06/2017 12:23 AM

Caldwell sighed. "The back could be better, but it's a good start." He stayed down on the bed for a bit before eventually sitting up. "So then," he said, looking at Oriole and extending a hand, "you got something for me?"

Oriole nodded; he got up and brought his share of the intelligence to Caldwell for him to review. He turned around and sat on the edge of the bed as Caldwell looked through the sheets. He listened to the shuffling of the pages; of the few there were, anyway. After a moment, Caldwell complained, "What even is this?"

Oriole looked over his shoulder, and he noticed Caldwell frowning, looking dissatisfied with what he'd received. "This is our Jivana's share of the intelligence," he explained.

"I know that," Caldwell snapped, and his frown got worse. "But this garbage is all you have for me?" he asked, tapping the papers angrily. "Is this measly amount of information what I'm risking my life for?"
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[K34] [P34] [C20] [O7]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/06/2017 12:50 AM

Oriole was taken by surprise. "I— We always give you less than you do," he pointed out. "I thought that was the agreement." Jivana was supposed to have the upper hand in this hard times. If they shared just as much information as Chandra did, neither kingdoms would be getting anywhere.

"Are you kidding me?" Caldwell hissed. "I need something to bring back, Oriole," he insisted, and he flipped the pages to show Oriole. "What can I use here for Prince Quacey? I have maybe one or two defensive setups I can bring up, but that's all you gave me."

"But the agreement is exactly that," Oriole reminded Caldwell, trying to stay calm; admittedly, Caldwell made him uncomfortable. "If Jivana gave you as much information as you give us, then we wouldn't be keeping up the upper hand."

"That wasn't the agreement!" Caldwell said, and his voice got more aggressive. "The agreement was that I'd help Jivana fend off Prince Quacey's invasion so that the Princess could get back home as safely as possible," he corrected, and he got up to walk over to Oriole and look at him face to face. "You hear me?" he asked, poking Oriole on the chest with a finger. "That was the agreement."
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