capeandcowllogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

WHO:

invoking
WHERE: Out and about
WHEN: Monday, May 7th
WARNINGS: nope
SUMMARY: Ce'Nedra and Gilbert are going to meet and be fancy.
FORMAT: w/e bro.

Ce'Nedra was still learning about various goings-on within the City. She was sure that it was a process that would never end, actually. The place was filled to bursting with brand new things to do an see. So she made it a habit of exploring a little every day, by herself or in the company of whoever was available, to either expand on the border of what she'd seen or to participate in some new activity.

She'd come across opera while attempting to research popular arts. So she found herself outside of a theatre, walking leisurely around it perimeter and reading whatever material found itself posted. It seemed like an interesting enough affair, in honesty. She'd have to figure out the purchase of a ticket, perhaps see if Rapunzel would like to come along.

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Having no knowledge of how the public transit in this time worked, Gil opted to walk toward the theatre and take a look himself. If he found an interesting show and a good weekend for it, he would purchase tickets, he told himself. He was not accustomed to doing these things for himself as the times he had gone to see a performance the tickets were paid for. Certain privileges of noble life allowed for less complications or time wasted when he could be spending it with Oz.

Again, he had found himself too preoccupied with his thoughts of home (Oz, Pandora, Leo Baskerville, the sudden revealing of his brother's allegiances) that he hardly paid any heed to anyone around him until he felt himself bump into something smaller and solid.

"Oh."

Ce'Nedra had been distracted with reading a nearby sign when she found herself knocked into. Her first reaction was to be outraged, how dare somebody be so careless!, and she regarded the perpetrator with wild eyes for a moment before smoothing herself out. She didn't automatically call up the same attention that she did back home; the boy simply didn't know any better.

It didn't stop her from regarding him cooly, offering a clipped, "Excuse you."

[[ooc; Sorry for my timing! I got called up for a last-minute overnight trip. ]]

He could already feel the slight burn of embarrassment on his face for walking into someone who was right in front of him. While in most cases he would have steadied any young woman from being knocked over, her tone made him raise his hands to assure her he meant no harm.

"Sorry about that," he said.

[ ooc: it's alright! ♥ ]

Well, fine then. That was easy enough. Ce'Nedra gave the young man one more look over with critical eyes. He was odd for a person from this City, and so perhaps he wasn't from the City originally at all. There was no clear indicator for these things, most usually, so she supposed she'd have to let it go as mere possibility.

Tone still aloof, she replied, "Good. You should be." After a moment's pause, she softened just slightly. "You should watch where you're going."

Gil had pondered the same thing; this young woman's hair, though curly, was as red as Duke Barma's and could have been considered a sign of foreigner. It was hard to ascertain who was imPort or a Cityzen.

He nodded, his expression a cross between sheepish and apologetic. Then he turned his gaze upon whatever posters hung on the building's walls. Was she just looking at them too? He mulled over asking her whether or not she was familiar with the opera.

He cleared his throat. "Were you looking at the performance listings?"

Deciding that he seemed meek and apologetic enough, Ce'Nedra put no further arguement into the issue and tended instead to the question. She turned back to the display on the wall of the building, nodding one firm nod.

"I was." She allowed her stance to relax further. "I'm growing used to things here. Understanding a culture's art is a more entertaining way to learn, if nothing else."

His curiosity gave way to surprise. "You're an imPort?" Although he did not say it, it was partially relieving to hear he was not the only one who was still trying to understand the culture of this era (or world). It made him feel less like a fool, at least in that moment.

"As much as I find the term a little silly," she started, rolling her eyes before fixing them on him once more. She was used to imports where they concerned economics, that most usually didn't include people as product. "Yes. I'm from another world."

She then remembered something, and drew her posture up, suddenly wary. People had demonstrated lately that they didn't care for imPorts. "And you?"

The brief thought of home made his heart feel heavy. Away from everything he had ever known -- again. Away from the duties that made him feel as if he had purpose. There was nothing like that here.

He tried to shrug it off. "That's right. I take it you're still--" New? It sounded too odd. "Well, you haven't been here long, have you?"

"I have not." She was glad that it wasn't so immediately obvious, that her status as a particularly unusual person, even among what was presented here, wasn't as glaring to at least one other individual.

Her eyes wandered back to the posters. "I don't know much about this world at all, so I'm trying to find what I can."

He hadn't taken the opportunity to learn more about this place the first time he was here, so he would have to make a better attempt now. Anything that might hint at an exit out of this place that wasn't through that Porter machine.

"There are large libraries in this city," he said. "I haven't been through many books, but there's many that explain the history of this country."

"I was directed to the library upon my arrival, more or less." The Mayor was only so helpful in that he recommended she learn local politics, where Ce'Nedra was convinced he could've been a little more accommodating than that. She was determined to show him what was what, when the opportunity arose. That wasn't particularly much to do with this moment, however. "I have a general beginner's knowledge of things, I feel. It still requires a good deal of adjustment."

"It must not be easy," he said, though it seemed more to himself than Ce'Nedra. Even the people who had been here a while, there were a few that stood out as uncomfortable throughout their entire stay so far.

But that was a given, right? Just a normal reaction. Who would want to be torn away from their home and everything they knew?

The tone did, indeed, suggest it as more of a note to himself than much to remark on for conversation's sake. Ce'Nedra stood for a moment unsure of how to continue forward, perhaps waiting for him to say something else. When he didn't, she glanced back up at the building beside them.

"Are you familiar with this particular brand of performance, then? Or are you here coincidentally?"

He canted his head to look at the posters. The titles of these operas didn't ring a bell, though they couldn't have differed too much in all these years. That one man he spoke to on the Network when he inquired about the theaters seemed awfully disenchanted by the so called modern day musical.

Gil nodded, then leaned closer to read whatever information was on the poster.

"A... friend of mine wanted to see a show. And you, Miss...?"

"Ce'Nedra," she gave her name, understanding the note of question withing additional questioning. She couldn't properly resist the addition of a title or two. "Queen of Riva and flower of the Tolnedran Empire, not that it means much here."

About that opera, though. "I'm only looking for things to do with myself. I think I'll end up seeing one at some point."

Everything about the opera had been forgotten the instant Gil heard Ce'Nedra proclaim herself as queen. He jerked back slightly, eyes widening in complete surprise. She didn't appear to be lying, and he had never met the queen back home or heard many stories of her. In this case, he had no idea what the proper etiquette was.

"Queen. You're--" he paused briefly. "I'm very sorry about earlier--" Your Highness? Majesty? Ma'am? Putting sentences together was suddenly a lot harder.

Again, she had to regard him with a degree of surprise. The reaction wasn't all that expected, but not unwelcome. A little proper weight to her titles was enough to make her feel generally better about this place. Still...

"You don't have to sound so frightened about it. Now... What about this opera business? You have no interest at all; it's all for your friend?"

"A... belated birthday gift." He managed, trying to regain his composure and maybe some parts of his dignity. "And I'm not frightened." He had to add, sounding a little miffed at the idea.

"You certainly seem it." But, fine, she'd drop it if it was such a problem. Although she would keep the teasing smile that came along with the jab.

"Oh!" Something occurred to her a little late. "Who are you, then?"

His face burned with slight embarrassment. He had never taken well to teasing, having been a victim of Break's harassment throughout all the years growing up. And of course, being bullied by his own master. Still, he attempted to make himself appear bold.

"I was just surprised!" he cleared his throat. "Gilbert. Gilbert Nightray." He added after a beat.

"Gilbert Nightray," she repeated cheerfully. It sounded a little odd, but so did plenty of names in this place. She had to stop herself from saying at again just for fun. He didn't seem to take the prodding very gracefully.

"Well, it's always nice to meet another imPorted person, Gilbert Nightray."

Okay, so... Not always, but Gilbert seemed pleasant enough.

"It's nice to meet you... too." He supposed it was true. He felt more comfortable dealing with other imPorts than the wary natives of this world. "How long have you been here now?"

"Oh, goodness." She had to think for a moment, consider what she knew about calendars here versus back home, and it pained her to consider it now that she did. "About a month, I think it is?"

She let out a little, sarcastic laugh. "How dreadful."

He offered a sympathetic look. If she was a queen, she was certainly not accustomed to having to practically fend for herself in this city. He hated how helpless this world could make him feel alone.

"I suppose your home is nothing like this world," he sighed.

"It's not, no." She let out her own little sigh and considered his own manners in asking the question, the way he dressed and carried himself. "Is it much the same for you?"

He shook his head, trying not to dwell on the differences too much. But it indeed bother him a great deal. On one hand, he wanted to find a way out of this place that preferably didn't deal with the Porter directly. (He did not like New Zealand in the end.) On the other, he had to find something to do to at least settle himself in properly this time.

Just until he could finally get out of here, of course.

"Some people have told me I'm from the past." He gazed up to gauge the size of the theater. "And that this is what the future will be like. It's almost hard to believe."

Ce'Nedra looked up as well, and then her eyes wandered to the rest of the buildings around them. Yes, she definitely agreed with him on that matter. This place was remarkable, maybe a little terrifying.

"I'm from a different world entirely, but I know that it's similar to the past of this world in many ways, amazingly so." That's was attempts at research in the library had granted her, at least. "I only wonder if my world could end up like this one. That is a strange thought."

He could barely imagine that some day people would travel into space. Possibly discover other creatures living out there. Really, it all sounded like some sort of adventure novel to him.

"I have to admit some of the technology is incredible. Especially the ones that help cook food. They've been useful."

The idea of space travel is one that hadn't quite met Ce'Nedra's acquaintance. She would think it madness more than fiction, however. With talk of the City's alien invaders still drifting around, perhaps it was the sort of thing that she was pointedly ignoring rather than embracing.

But, yes, kitchen appliances. Again, Ce'Nedra didn't want to seem foolish. She didn't know how most of the items in her apartment properly worked, however. The few that she did know a little about, however...

"I'm not used to cooking at all, but I would have to agree. Tasks are rather simplified here."

Simplified was one way of putting it. Were people just lazy in this world or did it make everything easier? But boiling water was so much faster than it was for him back home...

"Oh, right. You must have your servants do that." He half-mumbled.

"Mostly," she chimed, shrugging. After a moment of thought, however, she continued. "Though, I do think that Lady Polgara, ah, my husband's aunt, is probably the best cook I've ever met. She's hardly a servant of any sort."

She won't mention that she herself has tried cooking and was lousy at it. It was something that took skill, she knew, birth station be damned.

He mulled over a particular question he had in mind. While part of him felt it might have been intrusive to someone's title way above his, he almost felt a need to know how people managed in this world.

He didn't feel he could trust Katurian's words alone.

"Have you looked for any sort of job here yet?" He stuck his hands into his pockets. "Two hundred dollars is hardly worth much here."

"Oh, I know. It's horrendous." If there was one thing that Ce'Nedra was set on learning well in any environment, it was economics. The amount of money given to the people who arrived here would certainly never be enough to live on for very long. She wasn't overly used to budgeting so carefully.

She huffed, setting her hands on her hips, because the very idea was something to look plenty defiant about. "But, no. I haven't. I don't particularly understand how to find any sort of employment that would be remotely suitable."

There was a pompous air to it, but he supposed that was just the way all members of nobility and royalty were.

"If you wanted, you could use the communicator to ask about it. Some of the other imPorts have been helpful."

"I may. I may not have much of a choice in the matter."

She did sound sour about it, certainly. When it came to jobs, the people over the communicator had been less than entirely helpful, which was what she expected people to be. Oh well, though.

"Have you had luck in that?"

"In asking the other imPorts for help?" he paused, a tad bashful now. He felt like a chunk of his pride had been torn out when Donna had had to come to New Zealand and bring him back to the City. "The people I knew from my previous stay have always been helpful."

She raised her eyebrows a little bit, not knowing where the slight change in demeanor was coming from. At his answer, she pursed her lips slightly.

"Well, that's all well and good for you, having been here before," she started, a little snippy, but she paused to smooth her tone. "I'll just hope that perfect strangers are just as kind."

He quirked an eyebrow at the tone. Had he done something wrong? He could never tell right away with women.

"Have you decided on a performance you're going to see?"

Stepping back from conversation of jobs was just as well. She shrugged, reaching up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "Knowing nothing of opera, I suppose I'll pick the most poetic-sounding title and attend that performance."

Brilliant solution, obviously.

"Maybe there's something in the newspaper about the performances. Reviews." They still had those, didn't they? Or had the Internet once again taken over?

Ce'Nedra paused at the suggestion. She knows what a newspaper is. At least, she thinks she does. She's never had a compulsion to buy one, but... She assumes she knows what they are.

"I've never read one. If they have something like that, perhaps I should try it." She smiled, slightly self-mocking. "I'll put it on my list of things I ought to have known about."

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