[Tavern|Open] The Jaedaxian and the Crown

[Évariste Verdier]

Timestamp: 30th of Ioannes, Summer of Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIII Post Fractum.

Evariste swaggered into the common room. It was true, he needed to rent a room for an uncertain number of nights, which he wasn't entirely sure of how to go about, but for now he was uneager to make any arrangements regarding that and needed a decent glass of red, red wine instead.

Sliding into a seat at a table that housed about three or four others, the Jaedaxian hailed a waitress, a buxom looking girl with long blonde hair and laughing eyes. She smiled at Evariste as she waited for his order.

"Bonjour, mon cher. A bottle of your second best red wine, S'il vous plait. And... zhe chef's special from zhe menu, merci."

He gave a wide smile as the maid bounced off to do his bidding, and couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her a little too long before returning his attention to other matters.

At this time of day, probably about mid afternoon, the crown was not immensely crowded but there seemed to be a decent amount of people around, all immersed in eating, drinking and conversation. Ahhh, but some company wouldn't go amiss. The road from Jaedaxia to Prime had been a lonely one, and Evariste sought to rectify that state of affairs.

OOC: Please please please please roleplay with me please!

[Odyleon]

Odyleon Q. Meiers was not fond of the Crown Inn. Too busy, too crowded for one who suffered from slight agoraphobia and enjoyed above any other those places where you could hear the sound of your own thoughts. He was the type who would try and focus on each of the thousand conversations merging together in the air, and his inability to do that annoyed him to no end. The way the expedition to the Isle was being prepared also annoyed him greatly, for he was a manic planner at heart and they had left him out of any decision process. And he missed Robyn badly, which was probably the true reason behind his being annoyed.

He sat down at the nearest table with an available seat, without even looking at the other patrons until he'd made himself comfortable. His motions were springy and exaggerated, his white gloves rapping on the surface of the table. His cream-colored cloak was emblazoned with strange black symbols, and his dark shirt featured a golden infinity sign pin. Even without his strange antics, he would have stood out like a sore thumb.

"Serale," he managed to utter, without much enthusiasm, truth be told. Approached by a waitress for his order, "Water," he gave the simple answer, "and dessert." At the question of which one he wanted, he blinked as if not understanding. "All of them," he explained, his tone indicating that he thought it obvious. He could take away what he didn't eat on the spot - assuming there would be anything left. His metabolism remained a mystery even to him.

And so it was that pitch black eyes, so black that one would have a hard time telling the pupil from the iris, scanned each person sitting at the table. He wasn't too subtle about it - but then, he was a moodswinging Truthseeker in a bad mood.

[Shorty]

The two adventurers' meals were interrupted by two black-clad squires from the Order of the Black Rose.

"Odyleon Q. Meiers?" Asked one.
"Évariste Verdier?" Asked the others.
"What good luck!" Both of them cheered.
"We have letters for you two." They said in unison. The two squires handed over envelopes containing the seal of the Black Rose.

Evariste Verdier,

Congratulations on being picked to join the Imperial Expedition to the Isle of the Crown. Please report to Wharf 30 in the Rynshaven Harbor at the 10th candmark of the 34th of Ioannes. Present this letter to validate your place on board one of the Ships of the Imperial Classis. The Expedition will leave promptly and remember that you will be outfitting yourself.

Regards,
Sir James
Order of the Black Rose

Odyleon Q. Meiers,

Congratulations on being picked to join the Imperial Expedition to the Isle of the Crown. Please report to Wharf 30 in the Rynshaven Harbor at the 10th candmark of the 34th of Ioannes. Present this letter to validate your place on board one of the Ships of the Imperial Classis. The Expedition will leave promptly and remember that you will be outfitting yourself.

Regards,
Sir James
Order of the Black Rose

[Évariste Verdier]

Évariste gave an intrigued peer in Odyleon's direction as the man sat down at the table without so much as a word of greeting. Rude, indeed, yet the man seemed to have no idea that the Jaedaxian was even sitting there. Thus, perhaps he was just absent minded, even a little... eccentric, rather than just plain crass and mannerless? The Jaedaxian was rather fond of eccentrics, finding them to be a reliable source of entertainment and of course, his beloved city was ever full of natives who were not quite living entirely in the real world.

The Jaedaxian peered curiously at the emblazoned cloak the stranger wore, which only enhanced his curiousity about and confirmed his opinion of the man. He was just around to open his mouth to say something when the waitress came back, the same one that Évariste had spoken to previously, who dumped his order of food and wine down on the table. Idly picking through his money, the Jaedaxian couldn't help but smile when Odyleon ordered every dessert on the menu. Surely, the man had a sweet tooth! Counting out the money he placed it gently in the hands of the waitress with only a smile that was the tiniest bit suggestive whilst she bobbed her head at Odyleon's order, obviously trained to give the customer what they wanted without questioning it. Upon which, she left to probably give the kitchen a heart attack.

Once more, Évariste was about to open his mouth and introduced himself, when yet again, something else interupted him. However, it appeared this interuption would be just as pleasant as the last. Squires, indeed! He bid them merci and hastily unraveled the note he had been sent, noting that Odyleon seemed to have such a parchment from the very same source. He read the note in a relieved manner.

"Merci, good squires! It iz good to know exactly how long I must rent rooms in zhis tavern. I zhank you for your speedy delivery." He gave a nod to Odyleon, finally managing to speak to the man. "You are zeeking adventure on zhe isle too, Monsieur?"

[Odyleon]

Big tavern, big menu, big dessert chart. It all made sense, and if the waitress gave any sign of shock at the unusual order, Ody paid it no attention, merely making sure that there was enough room on his portion of the table to accomodate the tray that no doubt would be delivered to him soon. This entailed pushing a few bottles and mugs out of the way. Really, going to the tavern to get drunk. People knew nothing about the real pleasures in life. Fully satisfied with the catering, his mood dropped a little as the squires of the OBR approached them and handed over their letters.

They were making it sound like they had just won a lottery, truth told, when in fact they were volunteering for a possibly deadly expedition. But then, rhetoric was also this, Ody guessed. He folded the letter in two, then four, then eight, then sixteen, all the way to 128, but the last step was not really successful. Regardless, he pocketed the lump that was his letter and turned his attention to his obviously Jaedaxian neighbor... and apparently comrade, Évariste. "Not sure," he shrugged a little, "I may just be insane, all things considered, but insanity is not something one can diagnose oneself with." He grinned, rapping his fingers on the table.

"My name is Odyleon Q. Meiers," he introduced himself briefly, "nice to meet you." At least they shared that peculiar form of insanity, as the identical letters they had received so proved. "Je parle un peu de Jaedaxienne, but I'm afraid I've never visited your city, Monsieur." In fact, his accent would likely sound strange to the native Jaedaxian, being the accent of one who derived most of his knowledge from books. "Myself, I've been living in Sheria for a while... among other places."

At that very moment, the waitress came with a tray that may not be the last one. The young man's black eyes filled with glee at the sight of a particularly yummy-looking slice of chocolate cake. "As they say, bon appetit," and he stuffed most of the cake in his mouth, not unlike a child. "8.5 out of 10," he commented afterwards, "that's what I would rate it. Excellent texture, quality ingredients, slightly unimaginative." His finger hovered near several other pieces of different cakes, unsure which he should tackle next. "So, what brings you here from the far north of the Empire and into this mission? Seriously, if I had to pick a single reason, it would be a favour I'm doing a friend." He picked up a slice of cake and inspected the bottom to make sure it had been baked uniformly.

[Évariste Verdier]

Evariste pondered over Odyleon's words for a few moments, wondering what to make of them. He also couldn't help but observe when the man folded the letter into tiny tiny proportions and then placed the slip of paper in his pocket. Evariste on the other hand, had just left his lying on the table whilst he took a nibble of the food he had been served and decided it was to his satisfaction. Unsure of what to answer to his companion's musings upon the subject of insanity he merely introduced himself instead.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Meiers, I am Evariste Gaston Narcisse, of House Verdier. Likewise, it iz a pleazure to meet your acquaintence, mon ami."

The Jaedaxian was clearly pleased that the Jaedaxian language was not unfamiliar to him, but a look of shock crossed his handsome features for a moment when Odyleon professed he had never visited the city, which, in Evariste's opinion, was something akin to sacrilage.

"Ah, but monsieur, you must! Zhere is not a place in zhe empire like it! Zhe food, zhe entertainment, zhe women... zhey are all things that must be experienced." He paused, and after a moment, added, "But Prime, she iz a tres remarquable, oui? I 'ave only been 'ere a short time, but already I am impressed with her."

Evariste observed Odyleon in a fashion of intrigue... possibly nearly bordering on the point of rudeness as he indulged in the food that had just been placed on the table. Chocolate cake. Evariste had a fondness of food but he tended to find that particular morsel a little heavy. He preferred his desserts light and sweet. He started slightly when Odyleon began speaking again, and gave a slightly lopsided grin to cover it up.

"A favour for a friend... a most 'onourable reason to be here, I think, Monsieur Meiers. Az for me..." He paused for a moment, in a dramatic sort of way, posed in a look of both concentration and someone thinking of a higher purpose. "Well, I am 'ere to prove my worth to zhe empire. Zhe people need to know zhat zheir future Emperor iz not afraid to ztep into zhe breech for zhe good of his country, oui?"