"Oh, I thought you wrote it after we got back." Her face softens from anger a little.

"Listen, she knows how you feel. She hasn't screamed at you or anything has she ?" She looked at Lance and shook her head slowly.

"Lance." She sits down next to him.

"Your feeling hurt and low. No one wants to have unrequited love, except for masochists and poets. I understand and I am sure Ballad understands. Right now you only have I would guess a moment of embarrassment and the pangs of heartbreak. It could be worse. She could hate you. She doesn't, heck she tried to cheer you up with those songs. So she does care."

Looking at him she knocks on his head lightly, "So, be happy for what you do have. Four new cousins that are friends, including Ballad. Things might develop between you two but it is clear she wants or needs time. Don't you dare exile yourself because you will make me walk the pattern to chase you down. You would be hurting other people, I think including Ballad if you did that. You have a family now, friends, heck your royalty Lance ! Your a royal of an incredibly powerful lineage. Whether you realize it or not you are handsome and tall, and when your not feeling sorry for yourself you are rather charming. Show that side of yourself have some confidence because you will need that. Just don't go past confident into arrogant, that is unattractive."

  Lance looks at Jade.  "You see more in me than I see in myself, cousin.  I've always seen myself as the odd man out, as it was said back on Earth.  Others have told me that I'm handsome, but I just don't see it.  When I look in the mirror, I see the flaws in myself, and sometimes it's a hollow reflection looking back.  I never felt that kind of attraction to anyone until I came here.  It's all just so new to me.  Maybe I'm just overwhelmed, and a little bit frightened.  No, really frightened.  So many expectations, so much to live up to.  A family I never knew I had, a love I never thought I'd feel.  People actually trying to kill me.  It's a lot to deal with.  I'm like a ...a fish out of water, and the incoming tide seems so far off." He thought the analogy might express it better for her than anything else he could think of.

  He smiles a little.  "But I really appreciate you trying to help me figure it out.  It means a lot."

Jade nods and gestures about, "True, all of this is hard to suddenly take in all at once, and with the gray men trying to kill us, your not alone. We are all dealing with this being thrust on us. The only reason I can accept it a bit better is being so close to Amber during growing up. Still this is a much different life then I am used to. Good choice of words fish out of water is exactly how I feel too. I don't know if I am screwing up or if I am doing the proper things as a royal."

"When we were in the bar I tried not to have things lead to bloodshed but I may have embarrassed family by leaving instead of fighting. What I am saying Lance is that your not alone. Ariadne would be good to talk to, your both from the same world and coming to this very different world must be a lot to deal with."

She smiled, "I try to help, I don't know you well, though you seem nice enough. The others will help to if you let them. Now I have to go and read up on that play. Try and have a good night Lance, I hope you have pleasant dreams and heal up."

  Lance stands and walks with her to the door.  Before she leaves, he opens his arms for a hug, if Jade allows it.

“Thank you, Jade, for everything.  If my opinion counts, you did the right thing by finding a way to stop any bloodshed.  Better than rewarding rudeness with free drinks or having people get hurt.  That was true royalty right there.  And your song was lovely.  I hope you’ll finish it for me someday.”

Jade nods and gives lance a hug.

"I may at that, I love to sing. Thank you, and I did find rewarding rudeness with free drinks odd too. Rest well."

She gives him a brief squeeze in the hug then heads back to her chambers after retrieving Odile.

There is a knock at the door of Flora's chambers.

"Eh?" says Flora, slightly surprised. "Shall I go see...?"

Flora gets up and heads to the door...

(REMINDER: This thread is visible to all.

NOTE: If this messes up any timelines, then OH WELL. But I figure it shouldn't be too bad, because Lance has been off in Shadows, and who knows how fast or slow time's been running out there...

NOTE: Okay, Lance, this is your turn to beat your mother to the door if you'd rather. If not, just say Lance is staying put at the table, and I'll have Flora open the door.)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Sun 31 Jan 2021.

  Lance asks Flora if she would like him to answer it for her, but she is already moving towards it.  He stands, for politeness sake.

  When Flora opens it, he sees the green tresses just past Flora’s shoulder.  He waves hello to Jade.

"Hello aunt Florimel." Jade gives a wide warm smile.

Her eyes spot Lance, "Just who I am looking for."

  “Hi Jade.  Glad you stopped by.  I just got back into town, and have a message for you, but you first.  What’s up?” He says, casually, a glass of white wine in his hand.  Jade can see redness around his wrist, like a rope-burn.  He looks like he’s fairly banged up.  Clothes bloodstained, some rips and tears and dirt apparent.

Jade holds out her hand a wrapped and bowed gift box in it.

She smiles.

"I wanted to give this to you after your Pattern Walk but you seem to have taken it then left without so much as a word."

  Lance takes the package, smiles.

  “Thank you, Jade, but you really didn’t need to.  I suppose I do owe an explanation as to me walking it on my own.  The truth of it is that I could not have done it with the distraction of having everyone around.  I almost didn’t make it as is.  I know you all wanted to be there for me, and I suppose I let you down by going on my own, but I’ve got a lot that I’m trying to work through, and being around everyone was only making it tougher.  I need to work on myself before I can be any good to anyone else.  Right now, I feel like the fifth wheel on the wagon, and it seems like everyone is better off without me around to drag them down with m mopey moods, and Random had a task that needed doing.  But where are my manners?  Would you like a glass of wine?

"Oh yes please." Jade asked if Odile would not mind waiting while she visited for a bit with her aunt and cousin.

Lance pours her a glass and hands it to her.  His other hand is equally beaten up.

  “Excuse my looks, it was quite a day.” He says, aware of how bad his wrist looked.  “Should I open this now, or wait?” He asks, indicating the gift

"Oh, please you can open it now."

"So, did the mission not go well ?" Her look becoming more empathic.

Lance talks as he unwraps the package.

  “The mission was a success, although it didn’t go quite as planned.  I got the information that Random wanted and managed to kill two grey men along the way.  I also bumped into your mother in the process, which brings me to the message for you.  She asked after you, wanted to know if you were well.  I told her you were.  She said she missed you, and is looking forward to seeing you when she is able to return, but she’s rather caught up in something critical right now.”

"Did it look like she might need me Lance, like she is in trouble ?" Jade's emerald eyes widened.

  “She is well and has a handle on things, but the place where she is has a natural interference with the cards, so it’s difficult for her to get messages back.  I am heading back as soon as I have healed up so that I can give her some backup and act as a runner for her, so if you want to send her a message, I will see that she gets it.  I’ll bring her some comforts from home, if you can think of anything she might like to have.”

  He smiles, “So I found a way to serve the kingdom , get some time away from things, and earn my keep without going out pulling plows.  Lets me work out my inner demons too.”

"Oh, yes before you go I will give you a letter and a small gift package for her." Jade will then sip her wine.

  "Great!  So, what kind of mischief has everyone else been up to while I was out and doing that?  I expect everyone is rather annoyed at me for not waiting for everyone?"

  By this time he has managed to unwrap the present.  He looks at it...

A small wooden box with his heraldric symbol on it. It is hinged and has a little snap catch on it. A light click sound indicates something is in it.

  Lance looks at the box, smiles, traces the heraldry with his finger and shows it to Flora.

  "What a lovely box!  Thank you, Jade, this is very thoughtful.  I guess this means the Herald approved my arms?  That's good.  I'll have to get a banner or two made up next.  But hmm, what could be inside?  Let's see..."

  He opens the catch and peeks in.

Inside is a card of Lance all done up looking like stained glass.

  Lance gingerly pulls it out and looks at it. "Whoa!  Did you make this?  Is this like one of the other cards?  Mom, check this out, the artwork....just amazing!"

  Showing the card to Flora, Lance is in awe.

Jade smiled proudly.

Her heraldic symbol is on the back of the card.

"Yes it should work just like the family cards, You can give it to whomever you wish. Please don't tell the others I am going to give them cards also after they walk the Pattern."

  Lance puts down the box and walks over to give Jade a hug.

  "Thank you, Jade....it's beautiful, and it really means a lot.  I thought that your mom was the only one who knew how to make these, but I guess she passed the talent to you!  Thank you, thank you...a thousand times over, thank you.  I hope you'll forgive me for walking it alone, but you know what I'm going through."