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[Broderick Venture]

Broderick frowned in thought. In truth, he really hadn't thought this far ahead. He wished he could be more like Father in that aspect, with his carefully thought out plans for every conceivable situation, accounting for every possible variable, but Broderick had been served quite well by simply following his instincts.

Well. Usually. And right now, his instincts told him to stall.

"Well, there's the theater," he mused aloud. "They say a new show's to be starting soon, as soon as they can afford to ship the dance troupe up from the Islands. There's nothing going on in the middle of the day, of course, but sometimes if you're lucky they'll let you have a look around anyway. Or we could gawk at some of the keeps in the Silver Quarter, I suppose. Have you seen them up on top of Keep Sureau, Aaron? Painting that bloody dome every other day? As if none of us know they sold the gold off the thing ages ago. Seems to me, there are a lot easier things to sell discreetly than your own roof, but the Sureaus never did have much common sense." Bah. Give a Venture the opportunity, and he'd rant about the Sureaus for as long as you let him. Better change the subject again. Where else could he take her?

"The shopping is quite good in Luthadel," he continued, "if you know where to go. Of course, I doubt a proper lady like yourself would be interested in the locations of the better dueling arenas, but there's that as well I suppose.

"So! Does any of that strike my lady cousin's fancy?"

[Adala Venture]

Oh why did you have to say it like that, cousin? Adala thought with a silent sigh. Because of course she couldn't say she wanted to go to the dueling arenas now, not when Broderick reminded her how improper that interest of hers was.

But really what was improper about watching two men beat eachother up? It was honorable, they were always doing it for a reason. It was an important part of their society, and sometimes they tore their shirts and Adala could see their bare chests. What wasn't proper about that?

Still, the other things he'd mentioned did spark her interest, if not to the degree duelling did, "There's theaters?" She almost smacked herself for how stupid that sounded, of course there were theaters. This was Luthadel, the center of the empire. They probably had more theaters here than the rest of the empire put together. "I mean, of course there are theaters, but that is to say there are ones we could go to now? I would love to go to the theater, my brother adores them you see," and some of that adoration had rubbed off on Adala after the many, many times her brother had dragged her to the theater, "I would love to be able to talk about Luthadel's theaters in my letters to him." Speaking of letters she should probably write some tonight, her family would want to know how she was settling in. But maybe she should wait until after her first ball so she had plenty to talk about.

But she was getting distracted, and she still had to find some way to get to the dueling arenas, now that Broderick had put the idea in her had she couldn't shake it, "And perhaps we could go to the dueling arenas later, it seems only fair that we go to places you like, as well as myself. This day is for all of us, isn't it?" There, that would work. Hopefully.

Edited by Noelle, 27 December 2013 - 03:44 AM.

[Broderick Venture]

Broderick grinned. Honestly, he had sort of been hoping she would be interested in that. He'd been hoping for the chance to show off a little. And not to mention, if he got into a duel, or was able to show Adala a few things, then he would be able to tell Father that he'd got some training in, and hadn't been goofing off all day. Except, of course, he had been. It would be the perfect crime.

At least, it would be if Father weren't so bloody smart. But it was worth a try, especially if it meant getting to spend the rest of the day with such good company.

"As you wish, my lady!" Broderick said with an eager grin. "Aaron, will you be adventuring with us? Or do have to bid us farewell already? I'd hate to be deprived of your company so soon, but I'd also hate to get between you and some important heir business or some such."

Edited by KChan, 27 December 2013 - 05:08 AM.

[Aaron Elariel]

"Why Broderick, I'm surprised at you. Attempting to get rid of me before the adventure I helped to suggest even gets started." Aaron gave Adala a gentle nudge with his elbow, and covered his mouth with his hand, pretending to whisper to her privately. "You must be cautious of your cousin, milady," he said in a stage whisper, "I fear he will try to keep you all to himself. A temperament like his does not earn many friends, and even fewer who are as fascinating as you are."

Aaron straightened, ignoring Broderick's comment about being heir, and plowing on before unpleasant thoughts of his duty could trouble him. Besides, he was doing his duty, wasn't he? "Suffice to say, on a less whimsical note, I would would be happy to accompany both of you today. In fact, since Lady Adala is new to Luthadel, and I am a newly a representative of great import from House Elariel, it is surely my duty to ensure you Ventures do not give her a skewed view of what Luthadel is."

[Adala Venture]

Why Lord Aaron, Adala thought to herself, Aren't you trying to do the exact same thing? There was no denying it, Aaron was a shameless flirt. But there was a self-awareness to his flirting, the playfulness of it, perhaps, that made Adala amused rather then annoyed. And at any rate, Adala was never above poking fun at a male relative.

"Is what he says true, dear cousin?" She asked, holding a hand to her mouth in mock shock, "Are you really trying to keep me all to yourself? That will not do! But-" she added magnanimously, "I will forgive you for your attempt, this time." She threw him a friendly wink to take out any bite from her words.

She smiled at Aaron's next words, A skewed view of Luthadel indeed, why she was not even sure if Broderick was capable of duplicity, he seemed, far from having a bad temperament, to be like her brother Aldric. If much more amusing. "Then let us go to the theater," she said with a grin, "And I can get the Venture and Elariel views on it."

Edited by Noelle, 29 December 2013 - 10:17 PM.

[Broderick Venture]

"All shall be done as you desire, My Lady," Broderick said with a grin, sweeping into a low bow that, miraculously, did not cause him to topple over. "And you as well of course, Your, er, Envoyship." There; that would have to work. No doubt it would give Aaron some opening to tease him again, so instead he would just have to lead them off on another tangent before that happened.

"Now then! To the carriage with the lot of us!"

This adventure will continue in Part Two!