[Closed] Young Blood {Jed}

by **Edmund Morealis** on June 17th, 2014, 2:21 am

4th of Spring, 498 AV
The Whiplash Estate

Little boy Edmund had seen the Whiplash plantation house once before, but he hadn't actually gone in. The previous visit had been nothing but his cousin babysitting him outside while uncle entered the great brick building to discuss politics with the Radacke head. Edmund remembered a delightful Kenashern day outside the front of the manor, while Remy and Dimitri taught him how to play Fortune using one of the Radacke bushes outside the door. It continued until they were told (somewhat rudely) to stop by one of the Radacke, a tattooed man somewhat older than Remy. Then uncle Dimeer emerged from the manor and they had left.

Now, though, Edmund was actually inside Whiplash, and he was admiring its interior quite avidly. For all the impressive sturdiness and prominence of the red brick exterior, it came nothing close to matching the grandeur of what was held within.

Uncle Dimeer and cousins Remy and Dimitri led the way through the halls of Whiplash, with Edmund lagging behind somewhat. The young Morealis' eyes were overwhelmed with aesthetic brilliance, darting constantly between the beautiful walls to the arched ceiling to the lacquered furniture and embellished paintings. Even if the boy could not fully comprehend the value of all that he saw, he was well capable of appreciating the visual appeal given. There were even some pieces of art that Edmund didn't recognize in the slightest, possibly from cultures far beyond even Cyphrus. He would have spent all day exploring the manor and admiring the many works within, if not for his uncle's constant ushering and insistence that they really should be attending this banquet sometime soon.

Eight year old Edmund hurriedly caught up with his uncle and cousins, checking his silk vest one last time before two house slaves moved to open the doors. Remy rested a hand on Edmund's shoulder, who looked up and met his gaze. "You look fine," he said, smiling down at the boy. "A handsome little orchid."

Edmund beamed just as the great doors to the banquet hall were swung open to admit the four Morealis into its embrace. The aroma of food overpowered the meager scent Remy had offered him, great textures of well-cooked meat and other culinary wonders that wafted through the air. It was enough to set Edmund's heart thumping. However, he knew better than to go chasing down all the wonderful smells, and walked patiently behind uncle Dimeer as they approached what looked to be their designated seats in the massive room.

All around them was the chatter of roughly two dozen individuals, all dynasts of the other great families, with a number of well-dressed house slaves attending them. Edmund saw the women all dressed invariably in those bright dresses with the silly frills, and the men all wearing their smart vests adorned with an overabundance of brooches and other accessories. Everyone was trying to impress the other equally overdressed dynasts, and the result was a busy collage that was distracting to the eye. Edmund and his cousins shared a smile before taking their seats where uncle Dimeer gestured for them to sit, while he went to find the Radacke's Head of House. "So why did you ask to come along, little cousin?" Remy asked, taking the napkin at his place and folding it in his lap.

"It's been so long since I've last had the chance to leave Blacksugar," Edmund replied, trying to practice the articulation he had been taught, pronouncing the 't's as best he could. He mimicked his cousin, taking the napkin from the table and trying to spread it out on his lap. It was a crumpled mess.

Remy nodded his understanding as he lifted a hand to flag down one of the house slaves. "That's right, you don't get many chances to leave the manor, do you?" Remy asked. "How about the three of us go on a little adventure tomorrow, get out of the house. What do you say?"

"Yes please!" Edmund's reply was so enthusiastic that he forgot himself for moment, letting his voice climb a little too loudly than was polite. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands, and both Dimitri and Remy shared a chuckle as one of the servers came over with the beginning of their meal.

OOC :

by **Jed Radacke** on June 26th, 2014, 8:56 pm

It was with a reasonable amount of protest that Jed was dragged to the table that night. He had no interest in the politics of the families, nor the appearances he was required to uphold. Follwing his two parents and tailed by his two siblings, Jed grumbled his way into the dining hall. Most of the Radacke family was there, especially Mica himself. Usually Jed, his siblings, and his father would not attend such feasts. His mother was the only political one of their branch of the family, although today Jed's mother wanted him to participate. Beside him, his eight year old sister giggled as she took her seat, wide eyes looking at the different races that surrounded their family's table. The young Ismerilda earned a glare form both Jed and Risa for that. Pulling out his seat instead of letting one of the slaves do it for him, Jed slumped into his chair, realizing that they had been placed in the kid's section of the table. The children were sat at the end and away from the adult conversation.

This made Jed's back slump into the chair, brows furrowing together. He'd rather be in the gardens playing with his cousin or teasing the slaves, not at this boring dinner party. "Cheer up, Jeddy. Just a few hours and then you can go play." Jed heard his father's voice behind him as the Alvadian man went to take his seat next to his wife. Jed knew the man was only trying to help him, but Jed gave no reply. The man wasn't even from Kenash! He couldn't tell Jed it was no big deal. What did he know?

Jed could hear his sisters beginning to whisper beside him, pretending they where bargaining deals and alliances. Rolling his eyes, Jed straightened his back and turned his head to see what families had dragged their heirs along as well. He could see a few kids but not many, most of them were late teens at youngest. Jed couldn't tell who was from what family, and decided that he didn't care either. If he could stay away from his parent's politics, he would.

Beside him, a boy around his sister's age was talking to someone else. Much older who seemed to be friendly enough. The babble of the adult's conversations had begun to grow, and anticipation filled the tense air as an array of slaves brought out the food. Delicate looking sculptures of food served as the appetizers and wine was poured into glasses. Of course Jed and the other kids weren't served any. Before him, Jed could see small triangles of a crispy bread which held mysterious contents that Jed was eager to taste. Tiny saucers of a thick purple paste for dipping lined the platter and Jed straightened himself to dig into the steamy appetizer.

But before he could do so, a slave reached over him. She pulled a few triangles from the platter with tongs and placed them on a small plate in front of him. "No, no! I can get them myself. I'm not a toddler." He tried to wave the slave away, intent on showing that he could serve himself without making a mess. The woman nodded silently and moved to serve his sisters who couldn't reach the appetizer.

Jed moved to his knees, pulling one of the tiny saucers from the rim of the platter and placing it near his plate. He looked to the side to see how many others had gotten one of the triangles before he grabbed another. It occurred to him that he hadn't even greeted any of the guests. No one had reminded him, but he knew better. Situating himself back onto his bum, Jed turned the boy beside him. The one who had been making conversation with someone else a few minutes earlier. Jed pulled the napkin onto his lap and discreetly wiped his hands, even though he had not yet gotten them greasy, before turning to the boy beside him and sticking out his hand. "Hello. I'm Jed Radacke. I'm sorry I neglected to greet you earlier." Embarrassment heated his face as he looked at the boy, hoping he wouldn't find it offense, even though he knew that the other Dynasty kids might not be as uptight as their parents just yet.

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Thoughts

by **Edmund Morealis** on July 3rd, 2014, 9:27 am

Though he was physically capable of observing the newcomers out of the corner of his eye, too concentrated was he on his conversation with Remy and Dimitri to really take notice. "Where were you thinking of visiting, cousin?" Edmund asked, trying to contain his excitement to some degree. It was difficult to keep his voice level.

"Oh, we're not sure yet," Remy said. He looked to his younger brother, Dimitri, who shrugged. "I suppose a boat ride down the Kenash river would be a fun outing, so long as we turn back before we stray too far into the Sitai plantation."

Despite knowing full well that such an outing would hardly yield anything that any normal dynast kid would call exciting, Edmund still nodded enthusiastically at the prospect. For Edmund didn't really consider himself a normal dynast kid, as he spent far more time inside than any other dynast child he had ever heard of. Even his own sister, Amarantha, spent far more time outside and with their cousins than himself. Edmund did not consider himself particularly lonely, however, merely far less adventurous than the average excited child. If there ever were such a thing as average, even among boys his age. "That sounds marvelous," he told his cousins, earning a due smile.

Just as Edmund had responded, the first food of the evening was brought out to the children's end of the massive banquet table. When the silver coverings were lifted, the children were greeted with their little bite-sized sandwiches. Delicious they looked, and Edmund guessed that, with some of the other dynasties attending, the Radacke would be sure that even the children walked away satisfied tonight.

Or at least he would have, if he were not trying to pack his plate with food.

No sooner had he - and some of the assisting slaves - filled his dish with the little sandwiches than had Edmund begun already to eat them. Properly, though. He made a conscious effort to retain manners befitting his class, holding the sandwiches delicately in one hand and eating along its length. Whether or not anyone would actually notice was an entirely different question altogether, but just in case he had to behave impeccably.

A quick dart of the eyes to his side confirmed that Remy and Dimitri weren't eating the sandwiches, but rather something more appropriate for gentleman their age. Edmund felt no jealously though, for he felt no strong desire to grow up and more quickly than he already was. As a matter of fact, Edmund felt pleased, for it meant that his cousins - who could have chosen to sit at the more mature end of the table - chose instead to sit by him. Even if he was reading too much into things, the presence of his cousins gave him a gentle feeling of comfort. They were family, after all.

"Hello, I'm Jed Radacke," came a voice from Edmund's other side. He turned sharply, coming face to face with another boy who looked a few years his senior who was offering his hand. "I'm sorry I neglected to greet you earlier," Jed went on to say.

Edmund was about to reply when his manners crossed his mind, and he set his unfinished sandwich down on his plate before wiping his mouth with the napkin provided. Then he wiped his hands to remove any grease, and only after he was finished did Edmund extend a hand to grip that which was offered. "Edmund Morealis, pleasure to meet you," he introduced himself as, smiling. Edmuned didn't know whether or not uncle Dimeer was okay with him mingling with the host dynasty's children, but he figured that Remy would stop him if he were violating some unspoken rule.

Either way, it would be good to at least make polite conversation with my neighbors, he thought. Uncle always said that talking is the first step toward an relationship, business or personal. Remember, start with talking about them, complimenting them a little to make them feel comfortable.

"This is a very impressive house," Edmund said politely, withdrawing his hand and folding them both on his lap. Questions are also good for stimulating conversation, perhaps about the manor. "I don't know anything about construction of any sort, but as far as I can tell this house looks well-built. Architecture aside, the decorative pieces your family chooses to display are very exotic. Which are your favorites?"

Edmund spoke steadily and as articulate as a child can get, always pronouncing his T's, although at times a little too hard. He was still learning, after all. Other than that, however, if the young Morealis seemed precocious it was due to his over-extensive studies of rhetoric and literature. When he became capable of reading, he became capable of studying, something his uncle stressed routinely. Time would tell in how such an upbringing would affect his demeanor and others' perception of him.

by **Jed Radacke** on August 17th, 2014, 1:32 am

Jed was wrong. Edmund seemed almost as posh as any of their parents, a true Dynasty trainee. It made Jed sit up a little straighter, paying a little more attention to his words. The boy was younger than him and had already outshone him. Although his family didn't follow the traditional dynasty path, they were still considered one of the ruling families, and so Jed was determined to hold his family name.

But he didn't have to like it. Jed let hs blue eyes slide around the dining room for a fraction of a second as he struggled to remember proper conversation etiquette. It wasn't fair to say etiquette was the only subject he didn't take seriously, his tutors were beyond fed up with him at this point, but he honestly couldn't remember one rule, so he decided to go with it. "Well ... I like all off the items that my family brings back from around Mizahar." Jed said slowly, thinking that he had to do something about turning the conversation towards his guest. Jed scraped his mind for information on the Morealis Dynasty. The Radackes and the Morealis were almost polar opposites. Where one functions off of proper manors and unbeatably high culture, the other thrives in brutality and the concept of doing the dirty work themselves. Sure he could ask about the Morealis' crops, but that would be terribly boring. "I'd be happy to show you around after dinner if you'd like." Too late. Jed groaned inwardly at his own words. He wasn't used to this sort of posh talk. "Although we have been getting a lot of rain this spring, how are your families crops doing?" Jed had fallen into the politeness trap, and now he had to keep it up for the entire dinner, unless he could find a way to sneak out. The adults wouldn't really care ...

"Hey, do you want to go outside or something? The adults will hardly notice we've gone. You don't honestly want to sit around talking for hours, do you? We could find a deck of cards or play fortune or something." Jed had waited for Edmund to answer, paying no attention to his polite words. Instead Jed put his own offer out a little too quickly after Ed spoke the last words, ignoring any questions Ed might've asked him. Jed didn't want to be at that dinner, and he'd be surprised if Ed was as proper as he sounded at the moment.

PC/NPC Talking -- Common -- Thoughts

by **Edmund Morealis** on September 13th, 2014, 2:26 am

There was something stimulating about talking to other people in a political setting. Even if Edmund was not taking part, simply being here and talked to another with his practiced manners and attempts at concise articulation made him feel like he was representing his family. His cousins often said that he was hurrying too quickly to grow up, but if adults had the opportunity to do this frequently then why would Edmund not want to grow up quickly?

"Yes, exoticism is such a wonderful quality of display pieces," Edmund replied with a grin, eager to make use of the word he had just learned recently. Furthermore, Jed's offer a tour prompted a vigorous nodding of the head from the younger boy. "Yes, please. I would like that very much."

If there was anything sub-par about Jed's speech, Edmund either did not notice or paid it no mind. Either way, the eight year old boy was too focused on his own manners to bother nitpicking those on display by Jed. It seemed like better manners in the end as well, to not bring up in conversations where the other person could stand to improve themselves. People, especially adults, did not seem to appreciate that greatly.

The conversation suddenly took a turn for the boring, however, when Jed brought up crops. Now, Edmund was eight. He was being crammed full of book knowledge, numbers and manners and composure lessons that were filling his head with the information necessary to one day serve the family. Nowhere in there did agriculture of any sort manage to sneak its way in. Edmund felt bad about lacking knowledge in a subject that his host - or his host's family - brought up, but really the fact that he had not even a shred of knowledge made the prospect of conversing about such a topic immensely dull.

"I do not know," he said honestly. It was all that he said, and Edmund hoped that they would move on from this topic quickly.

Luckily, they did. The mention of Fortune in particular caused the young child to perk up imperceptibly. As much as Edmund was interested in the political game he would one day be playing, he was still a young boy. Actual games were just as interesting.

"I would enjoy that very much," he answered quickly, looking over to his cousins for confirmation. Remy smiled and nodded, and that was all that Edmund needed. "Where shall we go? We must let my cousins know so that they can find me later."

After Jed told his cousins where they could find him, Edmund pushed his chair back gently and stood up, smiling at the Radacke. "Lead the way."

OOCI'm so sorry about the time it took for me to get to this. I just wasn't feeling it until recently. Hope we can pick this up and meet in the present sometime too.

Flashback [Closed] Young Blood {Jed}