Fantasy The Illustrious Estate of Lord Solberg v3 - In Character

[Benthelame]

Alfred had never been very open about just why it was that he left his family, but to Cecilia, his unease at the entire situation was certainly understandable. A merger would certainly mean a bigger and more profitable company, but it also meant a very unhappy Alfred. " There are a number ways we could deal with this Alfred, ' she began with a smile that was somewhat sly. "What I need to know is which one you'd prefer. We don't even have to allow your family admission to the ball. Or if you'd like I could finance a little getaway for you." She shook her head slightly, "No, then you'd have to miss it.."

 

[The Forgotten Host]

"I don't-" He threw is arms into the air at a loss. "I spent my entire life serving the Solbergs. Your father. His father. His mother. Her father. That is five generations of Solbergs!" He realized how uncouth he was being. "Lady Cecilia... My father was a terrible man. He made me miserable. He made my mother miserable. He made my siblings miserable. And when they needed me most-" He looked out the window, it was a pleasant day. "I ran... I ran until my feet hurt, and I kept running. I ran until I collapsed and I had nothing left to lose in the world. " He looked back at the Lady of the mansion "I am indebted to your family for giving me a life in the estate... A home. The Shah company has enough resources to let Solbergs flourish beyond their dreams. But my family..." He looked defeated. "If my family finds me the way I am after all these years, the shame it would bring me. But I cannot let this opportunity fall from the Solbergs. It goes against everything I promised for the family" Another loss for words. "I don't know what I should do..."

Mentions: Benthelame

 

[TeslaRolePlays]

He followed Alannah closely as they walked towards the library. The child was afraid to utter a sound. He didn't want to make her more frustrated than she already seemed. He figured he would let her lead the conversation. He wanted to see if Klarion had ended up following, but wasn't sure if he should. Instead he kept his eyes forward, and followed her silently. (Sorry for post length, but I didn't see enough interaction opportunities.)
User L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel

 

[Benthelame]

"You're starting to sound like Isaac and quite frankly, I know you to be wiser, more level headed and definitely better company," Cecila replied. "Ultimately, It'll be Julius's decision whether we accept your family's deal or not, but I assure you, if he did so, it wouldn't fulfill any dream of mine." She smiled, "What's all this talk about being ashamed? Why would you want the approval of someone that went out of their way to make your life miserable?" She paused. Out of everything Alfred said, there was a single sentence that was pounding against her skull like a stone. "He made my siblings miserable and when they needed me most, I ran . I ran until my feet hurt and I kept running." The thought twisted and twisted until it melded with another "I'd probably only...what, lose a foot? A worthy sacrifice, I'd say!"" Her eyes softened a little.

 

[The Forgotten Host]

"I am a hypocrite, lady Cecilia" Alfred explained, but he had a feeling she already understood. "I could live to be a thousand years old and spend every second serving the Solberg family. But I can never be proud of it." It was easier for him to talk now. He found his stride again. "How can I? The Solbergs can live on without me, but my family can't- my family couldn't. I thought I could put it behind decades ago. But no matter what I do. No matter where I go. They will come to haunt me. I don't think I can wash those sins off my hand, milady. They run too deep in my core."

Mentions: Benthelame

 

[Benthelame]

"The fact you can admit that, means you do more than most people are willing to," she stated somewhat sheepishly. "Besides, we're all hypocrites in some ways. I doubt even Klarion has no regrets." Thoughts of her latest adventure began to fill her mind . This place always caused her to think. "I haven't always been around when my siblings needed me either. Nothing good can come from beating yourself up about your mistakes." she concluded with a sigh, Was she seriously trying to give Alfred advice? It felt a little strange to say the least.

 

[The Forgotten Host]

Alfred nodded. There was a resigned look on his face. His life had fallen apart once. Could it happen again? He was not afraid anymore. He was tool old to be afraid. Instead, the frustration that came from the situation manifested itself into something else.
Anger. Just another check mark in a long list of failures. "I know everyone has secrets to keep. But they're secrets tend to be buried six feet under. People know how to forgive themselves because that is the only way they know how to live on. I haven't forgiven myself because that is one principal I will hold for the rest of my life" His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "If I may speak out of line milady, if you are a hypocrite like me, are you willing to forgive yourself with such haste?"

Mentions: Benthelame

 

[Benthelame]

"Probably not," Cecilia admitted with a shrug, but I know that I'd have to eventually because if I were to keep focusing on a single mistake I made, I'd never grow as a person. You've stayed with our family for years. We'd fight, do just about everything you told us not to-- I think I even cut off half of your beard once," she reminisced with an amused laugh. "No matter how much pain the Solberg Family brought you, you stayed. If anything, that means you've learned from your mistakes." She looked down at her feet for a moment "Isn't that better than dwelling on them all the time?"

 

[The Forgotten Host]

Cecilia's words hit him like a bolt of lightning. He had done his lady disservice. His eyes softened, finding solace in the window view. It was rather scenic. "Cecilia." He dropped the honorific. "I served this family, served you, because it brought my life meaning. The debt I owed to the Solbergs, was considered paid by the first lord of the estate. I did not stay because I had nowhere else to go. I stayed because the Solbergs bring me purpose." There was a youthful glint in his eye. "You can never make my mistake because your family knows no error. I and the rest of the staff made sure of that."

Mentions: Benthelame

 

[Benthelame]

Alfred stayed because he wanted to. The thought was a pleasant one. The idea that a family this reckless brought meaning to anything was one she seldom entertained. Just what was it with Julius anyway? Did he feel life was purposeless? --that he could wake up to find a vacant home full of dust or the Solberg Mausoleum with each of its new additions and be happy? She amused herself with the thought that she'd haunt the old place-- watch him emerge from within his slimy prison with a stupid and triumphant look. She imagined that even as a relic of ages past he could neither see nor hear, he'd be able to feel the cold and piercing glare she'd give him from then on. She'd stalk him everywhere like the plague or like Alfred's sins. She chuckled a little as Alfred deemed her family one without error, " No one on earth fits that description, old man."

 

[The Forgotten Host]

"I beg to differ, milady." Alfred stroked his prayer beads, walking towards the door. "After five generations of employ. You are more likely to sprout wings and have tea with your ancestors in heaven before you make that kind of mistake under my watch. It is my responsibility as a servant of the estate after all. But if you find yourself making that mistake. You can confide in me if you don't want to confide in your brothers and sisters. For what it is worth, I will be the last person on the planet to judge you... If I lived that long." He opened the door for Cecilia, solemnly. "If it means setting a proper example for you and the Solbergs, I will confront my family, Lady Cecilia. If you find yourself in that crossroads that I once did, I want you to know if I had the courage to deal with it, then so will you." He bowed, grateful that the Solberg humored him for as long as she did.

Addressing: Benthelame

 

[Benthelame]

Cecilia exited slowly, thanking Alfred as she did. She'd almost forgotten about the ball, but to hear that Alfred was going to confront his family was a relief. She'd definitely be there to see it, and if any one of them gave him a hard time, they'd regret it. She'd make sure of that. The Solberg estate was her home and she was charged with its security. She paced the paths of the estate aimlessly. It was just so freeing to be able to stretch her legs. Wayne must have felt even better. He had put on an excellent display of manners at Alannah's insistence. Cecilia hardly ever managed to do that. From what she knew of teaching and learning, it was a two sided process. They had much to teach one another, that was certain.

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion grinned. It was now evident that a lot of his teeth were missing and were replaced with gold. They glinted in the light (Idk I just thought it would add to his character.) The flames coiled up his arm, not dispersing. It was like a snake, hypnotised by it's masters movements. He let it hover for a good few moments as he sauntered behind them, just to tease his sister, then the flames dissapated to smoke. The crimson man was like a shadow, gleefully waltzing about behind them. He lit a cigarette with his finger, inhaling a lungful of smoke, "What exactly did you do to be sent here?" His ruby eyes flashed wickedly, "Don't spare any juicy details, I hate when people do that."
TeslaRolePlays

 

[TeslaRolePlays]

The kid glared at him. "I stole a few things to feed a friend of mine. His father was a drink and his mother... Was with different guys all the time... He relied on me to live." The child huffed, and continued. I repeated this action, and was caught a good 1/15 of the time. After the third time I got caught... I was sent here. He quoted the judge figure again "Until I can prove myself a positive and productive member of the magical community."

 

[Jinx of Chaos]

~ ~ ~​

Genevieve followed the two quietly, until they got to the observatory. It was a hard place to hide around in, so the girl decided to just stay outside, behind the wall. She slid down, deciding to not peek inside as she could easily be spotted. Therefore, best bet was to stay outside, and hope they talked loud enough for her to hear. A maid walked out shortly after, and once spotted, the girl quickly brought her finger to her lips to signal the maid to be quiet. Thankfully, the maid just walked away as if she never saw Genevieve, and a little sigh escaped her. She then pressed her head against the wall and closed her eyes, focusing to listening in on them.

A lot of their conversation did not make much sense to the girl. Was Alfred scared of his family? The way he worded himself, made it unclear for the girl. However, the more he explained, the more Genevieve wondered if he felt guilt for running away. He acknowledged the fact that Solberg's would thrive if they were to have a partnership with this Shah and Partners. But also that if his family saw him, he would feel shameful. Why? Sure, he said something about his father being a meanie... Suddenly the girl's thoughts derailed. If Alfred was that old, how old would his father be? Was his father even alive? And how would he look? Perhaps he was like Alfred, but shorter and he would be more hunched over, with a walking-stick. The girl shook her head quickly, focusing on listening again.

Cecilia was talking something about cutting his beard. Well, it did sound like something Cecilia would do. The girl wondered what happened to the beard that was cut off, perhaps Julius used it for some potion. Pfft, no, the old mans beard would probably not do much unless a potion specifically said "beard of an old man". Yet again, the girl catched her mind wandering and had to focus on listening, and by now the conversation had gotten to the point where Alfred talked about the Solbergs not being able to make mistakes, or something like that. Well, the girl knew for sure that both Cecilia and Klarion had made a huge mistake when they voiced their opinions about the teatime in such a rude manner.

Suddenly, the voices were getting closer, and the girl had no time to run away - she would definitely be spotted. So, she took the chance and stood against the wall, hoping that neither Alfred or Cecilia would see her. She would have to ponder over the meaning of the conversation later.

~ ~ ~

Benthelame The Forgotten Host
Mentioned Midnight Paragon L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel ​

 

[The Forgotten Host]

With nothing left to do, Alfred collapsed into the form of a cat. His burden was far from lifted, but it did feel ever so lighter. In this smaller form, he could observe everything with greater insight. His feline brows furrowed when he happened across Genevieve. She must have ease dropped on the conversation. The girl was a rare kind of human being. One in a million, no doubt. There were glimmers of the first lord in her eyes, and her personality was not far off. If she heard everything about his family, she would mull over it. Alfred knew, If the youngest lady of the estate was set on something, it was almost impossible to get it out of her head. When she could barely walk, she somehow managed to find herself on the highest counters, her hands in the cookie jar. Definitely like the first lord...
Luckily, Alfred had a system for dealing with her. "Lady Genevieve. you seem distraught. May I help you?"

Addressing: Jinx of Chaos

 

[Jinx of Chaos]

~ ~ ~​

Genevieve turned her gaze to the cat, which she recognized as Alfred, and sighed a little. She wondered if he was aware of her listening in on the conversation or not. In case he didn't know, the girl decided to just pretend she knew nothing.
- I wouldn't say Im distraught, but I am feeling.. Her sentence came to a sudden stop, as she started to wonder how she felt and how to express it. Didn't anger mean that someone was so upset that they threw things around or destroyed things? At least that was what she imagined it being, so anger was not it. Sadness? No, she was not crying or feeling like crying. Betrayed? No, not that either. Feelings were a tricky thing for her - just recently, a few months back, she had started to notice that her feelings were stronger than before. What before didn't bother her, could now cause her to be upset. And it was hard for her to find the right words to describe how she felt at any given time. Like now, she was not content - that much she knew. Genevieve also knew this was because of what happened during the teaparty. As puzzling as Alfreds conversation with Cecilia was, it had not distracted her from the feeling she had. All these words to describe her feelings, but she couldn't tell which one was the right one to use. And so, she chose the easy way out:
- Nothing, Im feeling nothing. The girl muttered to Alfred, her facial expression remaining unwavering, as if her statement was true. She brought her arms behind her back, holding onto her left wrist with her right hand. The last thing the old man needed now, was to solve her emotion-issue.

~ ~ ~

The Forgotten Host ​

 

[The Forgotten Host]

Alfred nodded. This was worse than he thought. She was going through some very complex emotions and didn't have the faculty to address them. Luckily, he had planned for this. "Well milady, I think I might have something lift your spirits." He looked down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. This was to fain her importance and he really did rather if this was kept between the both of them. This would occupy her thoughts with something much healthier for a girl her age. He leaned closer to the youngest lady of the estate. "Can you keep a secret, Lady Genevieve?"

Addressing: Jinx of Chaos

 

[Jinx of Chaos]

~ ~ ~​

The little girl lifted her eyebrow as she was suddenly asked if she could keep a secret. It was slightly amusing, considering how a lot of her life consisted of keeping secrets she had either intentionally or accidentally found out about whenever looking into peoples minds - she was like a walking teacup, filled with secrets. Sometimes the cup got too full, and when that happened, the girl often went for a long ride in the woods with Orion, telling him some - if not all - the secrets she knew, thus making the cup a little emptier just so it could be filled up again later on.

What could Alfred possibly want to tell her? Surely, if it was that of a great importance, he would've gone to one of her older siblings - just like he did a moment ago with Cecilia. Unless the secret was that there was a shapeshifting monster in the estate, disguising itself as one of her siblings, and she was the only one immune to it. But that would make no sense at all - if the monster had possessed one of her siblings, it would be quite obvious. And if this monster truly would possess someone, it would leave the whole estate within 40 seconds of meeting the other Solberg's - either out of fear or by deeming the family too crazy. No, definitely not a possessing monster.

She nodded a little, crouching down to be closer to the cat, willing to hear out the old man if he thought that she should be the one to carry the secret.

~ ~ ~

The Forgotten Host ​

 

[The Forgotten Host]

She was curious. Perfect. It was good that she found out first. It would be a headache off her psyche if she shared a clandestine thought with someone "I hired a new made a few months back. Her name is Virginia. You might not have seen her but she's hard to miss. Not very smart, but very strong and very fast. She is always breaking things so the staff does not like her. Do you know why I haven't fired her?" Alfred looked behind him again to make sure there was no ease-dropping like before. "She is related to you. I haven't told anyone else yet. The staff might panic and your siblings will be too busy with the legal hullabaloo to give her that Solberg family love." He looked to his side again. "Virginia doesn't know she is a Solberg either. She doesn't live here. 'Rides a bike to the mansion everyday. I don't think she will take the news of being a Solberg very likely. She's prone to panic. So it is our job to make her feel at home. Atleast, until I can find a way to let your brothers and sisters know without starting some kind of mean rumor."

Mention: Jinx of Chaos

 

[Midnight Paragon]

Pacing through the hallways, Julius brought a hand to his chin in thought as he walked in a rhythm across the velvet floor. There was still so much to do, and he couldnt decide what to start on first. This was a common enough dilemma for the silver-haired noble; the decision almost always come down to what would be fun and what was important. It would be fun to start on Robert, who was squirming around in his vial, but Julius knew the letter to mother and father took more importance. The question was how was he even going to write it? Even when he went to his favorite thinking place on the balconies, he still could not think of the right words to say. He sighed, stopping in his tracks as he closed his eyes and brought a hand to his head.

When he opened them again, he realized where he was; just outside the music room. That was strange, especially considering the distance. He must have been in greater thought than he knew to have gotten this far. Without really thinking, he reached out and opened the grand doors. The music room was a very large room, dotted here and there with instruments from all kinds of countries, and even had a small area for a choir, should it be needed. But Julius' favorite, the grand piano, modest and sleek, lay in the middle of the room. A large stained glass window took presidence over the middle of the room and the piano. With the sun beginning it's long trek over the horizon once more, it sent lovely hues of green, red, and blue all over the room. Julius smiled at the sight; it never failed to move him, seeing these colors.

He took a seat at the piano, sighing as he did so. His hand swept gently across the polished wood, leaving no streaks behind on its glossy surface. Well...what was one more distraction, eh? Thankfully, Julius was the last to have played on it; the sheet music for his favorite piece was still sat upon it. He cracked his knuckles, sat up straight, and began to play.

​

Fur Elise was perhaps the best piece Beethoven had ever composed, at least in Julius' opinion. He felt his thoughts become looser as his fingers darted from key to key and his feet hit different pedals. His mood began to improve just by hearing the high pitched notes swivel around the area! Julius was enamored by the piece even as a child, going so far as to say he would name his first daughter Elise in its honor. He was joking of course; for the most part anyway. But regardless of his past promises, he could feel a smile appear on his face as he moved his head along with the melody, truly content with himself...

 

[Jinx of Chaos]

~ ~ ~​

The girl frowned a little, and appeared to be in thought for a moment. A secret relative, now that was interesting. How come it was a secret? Maybe she just liked being a maid, or something. It didn't matter, because it seemed that Alfred wanted her to befriend Virginia. Genevieve wasn't exactly the type to have friends, she was more of a lone wolf - had been since childhood. But she had a lot of respect for Alfred, and adults in general, so she would try her best to be nice to this maid. Besides, it wouldn't hurt her to socialize with others than her siblings - especially now when she was not interested in talking to two of them. The girl nodded.
- Very well, your secret is safe with me. She pet Alfred's head gently, as she often did if she caught him in the cat form. Animals had a certain effect to them, causing people to pet them purely because it felt like the right thing to do - and Genevieve was no exception. She always had wanted a cat, but Alfred was perhaps even better - he could feed himself, didn't yowl or destroy furniture. And on top of that, the old man was almost like a grandfather of sorts - the way he scolded her or her siblings if they did something dumb, and the way he had the tendency to know exactly what to say or do in many situations. The feeling, which without doubt was a very negative one, was fading as she looked at the cats eyes - Alfred had managed to make her feel better, at least for now, and it didn't require much more than him just being a cute ball of fur and distracting her with something. The least she could do for him, was to keep this secret.

~ ~ ~

The Forgotten Host ​

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected that. His confusion was replaced with a pang of anger. How was that fair? His hands crackled for moment, “Huh,” He replied, pushing the anger down deeper. He ruffled the boy’s hair, “Good, you did the right thing kid. I’m proud of you.” His voice didn’t have his usual sarcasm. It was... softer. “Don’t think of this as a punishment. You’re gunna learn a lot here and I’ll make sure of that.” He smiled, “Cecilia will teach you how to help people and I will teach how not to get caught. Deal?” He ran a hand through his crimson hair and eyed his sister. He flashed her a grin.

TeslaRolePlays

 

[TeslaRolePlays]

The child nodded slightly. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. He had stolen from the merchant, and had hurt the merchant in the process of helping his friend. While he did what was mostly right, he also did some wrong. He looked at Klarion. "I haven't thought of this as a punishment since I got here. You guys are great, and I think I am going to like it here. If anything it is better for me." The child stated, watching his words carefully, and trying to keep them decadent so as to keep Alannah happy. He wasn't sure how strict she was with the mannerisms, and didn't want to find out the hard way.

 

[Yatasal]

Donna hung from the rock face, one hand gripping her rope and the other holding a small dagger--her talisman. A clutch of lime-green eggs sat in the middle of a large nest. The nest itself was at least four meters wide, and the eggs were only twice the size of chicken eggs. This wasn't a discovery to be ignored, certainly. Such small eggs in a large nest and in a larger cave meant magic had to be involved. No baby could grow that big in a reasonable lifespan having started that small--and Donna suspected they were a rare creature known as fifelli ondraxis. If they were indeed fifelli, then Donna would be the first to have seen them in the wild. They were written about in legends, and some pictures had been drawn, but not much beyond that. Certainly no live specimens had been discovered, and no live specimens had been studied. She'd be the first...

Donna cautiously stepped into the cave, her steps light and as quiet as she could make them. No sign of the mother. Perhaps fifelli didn't have any mothering tactics. She had been watching the cave for several days, and had seen no sign of any parent. She crept forward, opening her pack that she had padded with goose down earlier in the day. She huffed some hair out of her eyes, and bent down. She pointed her dagger at the egg, and with a practiced spell quietly said, "Stay still and quiet, for the journey you must take."

A gaseous spell spilled out of her dagger, and spilled over her chosen egg. The other eggs didn't react. A stone clinked to the floor further inside the cave, and Donna's muscles froze. When no lumbering creature appeared out of the gloom, Donna reached into the nest. The eggs, six of them, were along the edges of the nest, for which Donna was grateful. It made kidnapping one that much easier. She gently grabbed her prize, and nestled it into her bag, covering it with goose down. Now the journey home--back to the Solberg estate.

Donna went back to her rope, and tied it around her waist. She pointed her dagger at the sky, and was about to say the spell to lift her up when she heard a distant growl. It echoed off the walls of the tunnel, and it chilled Donna's bones. Looks like Mama has come home.

"High as a kite, deep as a--"

The growl got closer, and Donna could hear snapping jaws. She swallowed.

"High as a kite, deep as a river!"

She nearly choked on 'river' because as soon as she got it out, the mother had appeared. She was a dark blue, golden streaks lining her skin in a tiger-like fashion. Her eyes were pure white, and she had the shape of a large cat with reptillian skin. Donna blinked, committing the creature to memory. Her rope tugged her upward, and the creature leapt forward, bounding over her nest. Her claws were just out of reach of Donna's boots, and Donna breathed a sigh of relief.

Her rope pulled her to the edge of the overhang she had tied it to. She climbed over it, and pulled herself onto the soft grass atop the overhang. When she caught her breath, she glanced at her campsite. Everything appeared to be in order--a small tent, a few books, some supplies, and a magical backpack to carry it all in. Time to pack it all up and get her new discovery home.

Fourteen months since she left, Donna found herself returning home. She hadn't changed, she didn't think--although now she walked with a limp from a bad fall on her first attempt at rock climbing. She called a nearby maid, and had her take her backpack. "Where's Lord Julius?"

"In the music room, ma'am," the maid told her. "This goes to the ZooLab, then?"

Donna nodded. "Thank you," she told the maid quietly, and headed off to the music room. She had gotten herself cleaned up at an inn she had stayed in last night, and was now curious what had happened in the year she had been gone. She got closer to the music room, and heard Fur Elise by Beethoven playing. She smiled, and stepped inside the music room. Julius' back was turned to her, and Donna sat on a sofa nearby, listening for awhile. It had been a long, long time since she heard proper music--she was perfectly happy to enjoy it for awhile.

Midnight Paragon