Who told you so, dilly dilly, Who told you so? ‘Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, That told me so.
ouch is one of the most intimate, romantic ways to be close to someone else. The Town knows this very well -- the Town wants everyone to be as close as possible.
Perhaps that's why this bonding is so...aggressive.
Because you're in for quite the shock on this otherwise peaceful day when you brush against the next person on your path.
Maybe you're going out of your way to touch people. Maybe you've got a terrible urge to just see what's lurking in someone's heart. Maybe you trip over a conveniently placed rock -- whatever the cause, you're getting an up close and personal look into someone else's heart.
Welcome to Awash's eighteenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to make your own logs and posts for this event!
If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!
Watch your tongue. I do not know why the castle appears this way, but I will not tolerate your brusque irreverence. Regardless of the appearance, you stand present in the heart of a prince.
She scoffs, because is authority supposed to impress her?]
It's your heart or something, isn't it? If you wanted me to treat this reverently then maybe you should have made more of an effort in recreating it and making it look nice, "your royal highness".
[That seems to strike a chord with him. Berkut looks away, albeit with visible difficulty. There's a retort on the tip of his tongue—if only it would roll off as easily as it should.
Suddenly, a myriad of whispers fill the empty space around them. Gaining in volume, the voice of a man stands out as it shouts, The right of kings is not decided by blood or station. It lies in a man's actions! Berkut raises a hand to his head, as though pressing against his forehead might stop the incoherent jumble of words.]
[Damn her conscience and the her of two minutes ago who never ever fully thinks about the consequences of her actions or her words.
She can see the way he turns, seemingly bothered and she bites her lip, unable to follow that up with a parting shot of any kind. She isn't unkind and the guilt is what has her head snapping up to focus on anything but what she may have just inadvertently said to some random stranger.]
What if it was? I fail to see why that should matter to you.
[He pauses, because he understands that ending it there would sound juvenile at worst and defensive at best. With a contemptuous smirk, he lowers his hand and straightens.]
There is truth in his words. A man's actions must measure up to his worth—any less, and he has shown himself to be an incompetent. But the rest? [He snorts.] Nonsense.
It doesn't matter but I'm at least human enough to feel sympathy. [Which is more than she can say about him, it seems, her expression unimpressed.]
But I guess I can agree with the rest of the stuff you just said. So what are you, a prince who was too far down the line to be considered for the succession? Or the crown prince that got deposed?
No. [Yes. But not exactly, and his one-worded reply comes as quick as lightning.] You are mistaken. I was present, but his words were not referring to me. They were meant to elevate the commoner leading what should have been that man's army.
That maggot hails from another country. If he thinks himself capable of seizing the Rigelian throne for himself, he is sorely mistaken. The next time we battle, he will learn his place once and for all.
More like that's the fate of a sad, lonely man. Greatness isn't measured by how well you can alienate people and make them hate you, you know.
I mean, I'm not going to give you a speech about the power of friendship and how your friends are your strength. But if you can't trust even a single person around you, if there isn't a single person with you who will sit down with you for no reason but to talk and to lend you a sympathetic ear... isn't that really sad?
[The gall! He doesn't need anyone. He can handle all the challenges that life throws at him on his own. But before he can get a word in edgewise, their footsteps seem to echo more dramatically—almost as though another pair of feet were walking alongside them—and the soft voice of a woman gasps: Oh! Berkut, my lord. Have you finished your report to the emperor?
His heart reacted subconsciously to Shiho's comments. Even without a face, it's easy to picture a kind smile behind those words.]
[Shiho has a pretty good idea of exactly how he wanted to end that sentence. Probably by talking about how he didn't need anyone, friends only slowed him down, etc. Does he know that just makes people more determined to befriend him?
But before she can make fun of him, there's a disembodied voice of a woman.
[One of his eyes twitches. The warm voice appears to have tempered his haughtiness, if only by a margin. He feels a greater need to set this straight than to continue their argument.]
You insult her. She is not a friend, but my betrothed.
Huh. Your betrothed, is it. [She sounds skeptical but deep down inside she's kind of relieved he actually has someone in his life. Even if he continues to be in dire need of a lifestyle change brought on by liberal application of friendship speeches.]
You know someone could be both, right? A friend and your betrothed.
[Reaching the midpoint of the corridor, they empty out into a larger hall that, at a straight glance, continues farther down. A sideways glance yields the view of tall doors that presumably lead to a chamber.
Berkut doesn't look either way. He stops to level a frown at Shiho.]
[If only she could just touch this castle and see the whole layout, she thinks. But this is some kind of metaphorical castle and who knows if he wouldn't just know somehow that she was reading him? This is his heart, after all.
So she focuses instead on him after looking first at the hall then at the new doors coming up.]
It means that you're a brat. [Regardless of how old he actually is.] If you're going to marry someone, at least do them the decency of treating them like a person who can have many identities and roles.
[She should try it and find out—and she had better take that back right now.
Berkut barks out a mirthless laugh. Almost every last one of them in this accursed town is like this.]
I don't need you to lecture me on how to treat a noblewoman.
[Much less one who's engaged to him! Seething inwardly, he gestures sharply toward the doors with a contemptuous smile. Right now, she can fall into a pit and he wouldn't be able to care less.]
I haven't even begun to lecture you on how to treat your fiancee. [She has so much more she could say like maybe talk about her by name, maybe. And not referring to her as a noblewoman which sounds so much more like she's a thing and not a person.]
And you know you're just making yourself look more like a petty, small-minded, unhelpful, unpopular, friendless, touchy brat, right? [And so instead she'll set her hand on the door and not open it, attempting to read it with her psychometry. Besides, she kind of wants to know if it'll work if she's reading someone's heart-castle or if he'll block her instead.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ouch is one of the most intimate, romantic ways to be close to someone else. The Town knows this very well -- the Town wants everyone to be as close as possible.
no subject
Then why does it look like this in your heart? Is it supposed to be a metaphor? Your heart is an abandoned, decaying castle?
no subject
Watch your tongue. I do not know why the castle appears this way, but I will not tolerate your brusque irreverence. Regardless of the appearance, you stand present in the heart of a prince.
no subject
She scoffs, because is authority supposed to impress her?]
It's your heart or something, isn't it? If you wanted me to treat this reverently then maybe you should have made more of an effort in recreating it and making it look nice, "your royal highness".
no subject
Suddenly, a myriad of whispers fill the empty space around them. Gaining in volume, the voice of a man stands out as it shouts, The right of kings is not decided by blood or station. It lies in a man's actions! Berkut raises a hand to his head, as though pressing against his forehead might stop the incoherent jumble of words.]
no subject
She can see the way he turns, seemingly bothered and she bites her lip, unable to follow that up with a parting shot of any kind. She isn't unkind and the guilt is what has her head snapping up to focus on anything but what she may have just inadvertently said to some random stranger.]
......Was that to you?
no subject
[He pauses, because he understands that ending it there would sound juvenile at worst and defensive at best. With a contemptuous smirk, he lowers his hand and straightens.]
There is truth in his words. A man's actions must measure up to his worth—any less, and he has shown himself to be an incompetent. But the rest? [He snorts.] Nonsense.
no subject
But I guess I can agree with the rest of the stuff you just said. So what are you, a prince who was too far down the line to be considered for the succession? Or the crown prince that got deposed?
no subject
Neither. I am next in line for the imperial throne. And there is nothing that can change this fact.
no subject
[Because that's the only other explanation she can think of.]
no subject
no subject
no subject
[He snorts. The sheer gall!]
That maggot hails from another country. If he thinks himself capable of seizing the Rigelian throne for himself, he is sorely mistaken. The next time we battle, he will learn his place once and for all.
no subject
....you're not the kind of person that has a lot of friends, huh.
no subject
[The question comes out reflexively. What kind of a statement is that? Is he supposed to care? He gives a dismissive wave.]
That matters not to me. The fate of a great man is to have no one he might call a friend.
no subject
I mean, I'm not going to give you a speech about the power of friendship and how your friends are your strength. But if you can't trust even a single person around you, if there isn't a single person with you who will sit down with you for no reason but to talk and to lend you a sympathetic ear... isn't that really sad?
no subject
[The gall! He doesn't need anyone. He can handle all the challenges that life throws at him on his own. But before he can get a word in edgewise, their footsteps seem to echo more dramatically—almost as though another pair of feet were walking alongside them—and the soft voice of a woman gasps: Oh! Berkut, my lord. Have you finished your report to the emperor?
His heart reacted subconsciously to Shiho's comments. Even without a face, it's easy to picture a kind smile behind those words.]
no subject
But before she can make fun of him, there's a disembodied voice of a woman.
She sounds very sweet, Shiho can hear that much.]
....Oh, so you do have a friend.
no subject
You insult her. She is not a friend, but my betrothed.
no subject
You know someone could be both, right? A friend and your betrothed.
no subject
For you, perhaps, but I assure you that that isn't the case here.
no subject
Besides, he walked straight into it:]
What, so you're not a too-serious brat and a crown prince at the same time?
no subject
Berkut doesn't look either way. He stops to level a frown at Shiho.]
What is that supposed to mean?
no subject
So she focuses instead on him after looking first at the hall then at the new doors coming up.]
It means that you're a brat. [Regardless of how old he actually is.] If you're going to marry someone, at least do them the decency of treating them like a person who can have many identities and roles.
So where does this door go?
no subject
Berkut barks out a mirthless laugh. Almost every last one of them in this accursed town is like this.]
I don't need you to lecture me on how to treat a noblewoman.
[Much less one who's engaged to him! Seething inwardly, he gestures sharply toward the doors with a contemptuous smile. Right now, she can fall into a pit and he wouldn't be able to care less.]
Go and see for yourself.
no subject
And you know you're just making yourself look more like a petty, small-minded, unhelpful, unpopular, friendless, touchy brat, right? [And so instead she'll set her hand on the door and not open it, attempting to read it with her psychometry. Besides, she kind of wants to know if it'll work if she's reading someone's heart-castle or if he'll block her instead.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)