all about us ;; piers

[Chord D'Antoine]

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Karenth, Eastern Niendra. Chord sighed in dismay; he often enjoyed his visits to the castle, but this was not a happy occassion. His cousin had been kidnapped by the Carthonians, and it seemed it had caused a big uproar in the capital city. Apparently, the crown-prince was up in arms about his friend's captivity, and it was true. Unlike the sunshine which normally fell upon the city, there were grey clouds looming above. Such an odd site- whenever he had visitted, it had always been sunny.

He had left ahead of his family- his mother and siblings would be on their way. But Chord would be going to stay with his father in the family's other estate on the outskirts of Karenth. And soon, his family would move out here completely.

He already missed the snow. All of his furs were stored away for when the winter months hit the east hard, but right now there was no practical use to wear them, so he didn't. Especially since on he was quite the spectacle without them. With his fair skin, hair, and eyes, it was obvious that he was from the North. He had been told by several priests that he reminded them of the paintings they'd seen of Lilith- but he never saw the similarity.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way into the palace courtyard. He knew that many of those in court wandered the gardens this time of day, and he was searching for on in particular, assuming that his friend wasn't busy. He was, in a way, hoping to catch him by surprise. He hadn't sent word of his coming into town, something he did regret after thinking about it. Piers Cavendish did, afterall, have quite a busy schedule with his fencing practices and such.

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^{TAG - Piers!
WORDS - 300ish
NOTES - CHIERS IS BACK!
TUNES - DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[Piers Cavendish]

Despite the cloudy, up-to-no-good skies, Piers had decided to spend a couple of hours in the garden with a book he had been wanting to read for a long time. Appropriately to the cold winter air, he wore a warm coat in navy blue – the colour the Cavendish dynasty had included in their Coat of Arms – with a collar of gray, soft fur, paired with a pair of gray pants and boots. The blue coat stood out in the rather bleak, winterly surroundings, just as Piers would always stand out between his fellow Niendrans.

These were strange times. The capital was struck with grief, despair and confusion ever since the so-called Peace Conference and the battle that erupted during it; a lot of Niendran citizens were killed and many more were injured. Luckily, none of Piers' friends got hurt, but Felicite d'Amorele, a new member of court, got kidnapped. Although the young nobleman didn't know the unfortunate one very well himself, he could see Daenyeh'l, who Piers had witnessed with the boy numerous of times, was quite upset about the unexpected twist of events.

It must be dreadful, he sighed, closing the book and the gaze of his brown eyes wandering around his surroundings. The fencer had picked out a bench, which offered a view of all the entrances to the walled garden, in case someone he knew would walk by. In all honesty, Piers would have preferred a more energetic outdoor activity to reading, but his half-Carthonian looks only got him in trouble with people who didn't know who he was. Especially now. And since he had decided to spend some time in court to show his support to the crow-prince, he was imprisoned between the castle walls for the duration of his visit.

It was an unusually slow afternoon, with no more than a servant hushing by every now and then, and so it didn't take a lot of effort to notice the radiantly light-coloured figure entering the court. The slender, feminine figure, the softness of the facial features... it could only be one person. Chord d'Antoine. Putting away his book on the wooden bench beside him, Piers stood up with controlled excitement. He hadn't seen his musically-inclined friend since the last winter, and he was genuinely glad to see him, not only at the prospect of ending his lonely moment. The nobleman waited until the other laid eyes on him – dressed in the bold colour, he was hard to miss – and offered him a smile and a small waive as an invitation to join him.

[Chord D'Antoine]

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His black, thinly veiled cloak swept out in the wind, giving his appearance an even greater ethereal feel. It seemed almost too perfect of a moment- the gust of wind causing the cloth to billow out just as soon as the half-Carthonian man had stood in greeting. He put a hand to the base of his neck where the cloak was tied and gripped onto the gem brooch as he stepped closer, a smile on his face.

It had really been far too long since he had been to the Eastern Court. But he knew that within months, he would be missing his home. This time, there was no guarantee when or if he would be returning. It seemed that most of the noble families now resided in Karenth. His was one of the few that had chosen their main residence in the North. Even the R'leyons had left, and the North had once been their family's land.

He stopped before the other noble and gave him a bow- Piers was of higher status than himself, and he was always certain to be polite, even to his friends. "It's good to see you again, Piers..." he didn't, however, use formalities in the names unless requested. Bright blue eyes were shining at the other male. He was obviously content, now that he had seen a familiar face.

"It's been far too long," six months to be exact. Technically, he was back in court sooner than was to be expected. It should have been at least another two months for him to return, but with the recent events, things had changed. "How have you been? We've received news of the Peace Conference's failure..." and his cousin's kidnapping, though he decided not to touch on the latter subject, not wanting to get into such a discussion right away. Today wasn't a day to dwell on the negative, but rather to celebrate the positive.

He shifted his weight, letting his book exchange from one hand to the other. It seemed he'd had the same idea as his friend- the book had been a back-up option should he not find anyone to converse with. Spending so many months in solitude, he really did enjoy his time in court and attempted to be sociable while he was there.

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^{TAG - Piers!
WORDS - 400ish
NOTES - CHIERS IS BACK!
TUNES - DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[Piers Cavendish]

The young Count greeted the smaller male with a subtle bow after Chord had offered him this sign of politeness. “Chord,” his rather low, masculine voice had a soft touch when he spoke the other's name. “The pleasure is all mine.” Piers' rich brown eyes greeted Chord's blue pair with a glistening behind them; the half-Carthonian was clearly just as pleased with their encounter. Gesturing towards the bench with a smile upon his full lips, Piers invited his friend to take place. Even if it was the courtesy traditionally directed at women, he wouldn't sit down before Chord did.

“Yes, indeed,” the noble offered a polite phrase to counter the other's remark. But his engaged expression suggested it wasn't just a set phrase he had said because this was what you said in such a situation. Piers was always glad to see the young man from Northern Niendra around in court: The fencer cherished him for his exceptional musical talent, and besides, Chord was a pleasant conversation partner. Every once in a while, while attending concerts especially, Piers found himself thinking of his feminine-looking friend. “You are early to come to Eastern Niendra this year, no?” It was usually already snowing when the d'Antoines arrived, the white surroundings accentuating Chord's light skin-tone, he remembered.

“Ah, quite good, actually,” twisting his upper body into a position facing his friend, Piers smiled brightly. “It had been a prosperous time, especially with fencing.” The Cavendish-heir had won several important competitions, but he wasn't going to boast about it, even if he did take pride in his achievements. It was rude to do so if Chord didn't inquire about it explicitly, and the rules of etiquette sat deeply with Piers. “Besides, my family has become more besetting about my future and finding a good match for me,” Even if his grandfather didn't look favourably upon the prospect of having a half-Carthonian as an heir and was still hoping for another male grandchild, there was the social pressure to pair off the young with someone (preferably prestigious) that the old patriarch couldn't ignore. Especially since his own firstborn son had resisted marriage successfully. “They begun hosting parties and inviting their daughters much more frequently and their efforts to somewhat conceal their intentions are really amusing,” Piers was being lighthearted about it, he had no intention of revealing the dark family drama in the background.

Yet his face darkened a little at the mention of the Peace Conference. “Failure? A tragedy is a more appropriate word for the outcome.” Piers sighed. He knew the kidnapped boy was actually Chord's cousin, but he wouldn't bring the topic up unless Chord did. “But tell me, what are your plans for the upcoming days?”

[Chord D'Antoine]

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As the gesture came for him to take a seat, he gladly accepted with a smile. It was so strange to him, as they began to really converse, just how the simple 'small talk' actually felt indepth and pleasant with Piers. He didn't feel forced in the least to speak with him. Perhaps it stemmed from Piers's ability to take in information without having to press for details. He knew that if Chord wished to disclose something, he would. And the same courtesy was returned to his friend.

The blonde pushed back a few stray strands of his wavy blonde hair and gave the other a smile when the question was presented. "Ah, yes... well, with all of the recent happenings, my family has deemed it wise to return to the capital's stronghold. There isn't much protection in the North. It seems to we are often forgotten..." he trailed off. In some ways, he could understand. But if there was nothing in the North, why would the Carthonian's go for it. "We wish to show our support for the crown during this time."

He finally concluded. There was multiple reasons for the move, but he only stated the two deciding factors. This was to prevent too much information from spilling at once and boring the other male. But now that he had told something about himself,he wanted to know more about his friend's time. "Prosperous? Does that mean you have been victorious in your matches?" he gave a playful smile, but the sentiment was still the same. He may not be a fighter himself or good at sports, but that didn't mean he wasn't interest in Piers's activities that were important to him.

A good friend was always supportive, even if they held no real interest in the subject themselves. Of course, he supposed he had taken somewhat of an interest in fencing- not that he would participate in any way, but he knew a few of the terms and what to look for during matches. And he was always concerned that his friend did well in his endeavors.

"Ah... yes... marriage," Chord gave a soft laugh before glancing to his side. "My parents mentioned something along those lines... about being here in court, I might become a proper suitor for a nice, young woman," to him, the idea was laughable. He would rather be alone than marry someone he didn't love. And he felt no sexual attraction towards girls, he knew, it wasn't normal... he did feel a pull towards males. But, living in Niendra, the feelings only meant he would have to continue to lie to himself.

"They are more concerned with my brother, though because he's serving the crown, they aren't as worried," his brother had joined the military ranks shortly before the attack at the Peace Conference. While he hadn't been at the scuffle, it was how they had heard word of it so quickly.

Chord took a deep breath, the smile fading from his lips, "I suppose I just prefer to try to prevent myself from becoming emotionally involved... my cousin is still missing," he spoke in a very soft voice that showed he would be more than glad to get off of the subject. And luckily, Piers offered him a way out. "Well, my family will be moving into our estate here for a more permanent residence... I suppose my parents will be wanting to celebrate... but I would just like to relax and see everyone that I have missed. I must have gotten lucky today. I didn't expect to see you here."

He let his eyes travel over the other man's figure, taking in his appearance. He didn't make it obvious that he was doing so, however. He didn't want Piers to freak out- he was just simply thinking to himself how the other seemed to change every time he saw him. And yet, somehow, he stayed the same.

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^{TAG - Piers!
WORDS - 700ish
NOTES - CHIERS IS BACK!
TUNES - DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[Piers Cavendish]

Upon hearing the question about his favourite activity, Piers' smile widened visibly. ”Yes,” he admitted, as nonchalantly as he could. Brag about one's successes was considered distasteful, and so the fencer tried to keep his voice void of his enthusiasm when he was inquired about fencing. But, Chord had seemed to show genuine interest in the subject, so he explained. ”I've claimed the main prize at the Niendran Championship without losing or ending a match in a tie.” The noble wasn't aware just how much his friend understood about rules of the sport, so he wouldn't bother him with the technicalities. After all, he found that only fencers could appreciate descriptions of every single hit in great detail.

He laughed a little upon Chord's comment of his parent's attempts of pairing him off. Yet Piers wasn't plagued with troubles similar to his pale friend's. Always having possessed a natural curiosity, the fencer was excited about the numerous new possibilities to meet ladies. And to his experience, they were equally as pleased and ready to explore the realm of physical love. Needless to say, he was quite enjoying this phase and dreading a time when he'd actually had to settle for one person. Though marriage didn't necessarily went hand in hand with exclusivity, he consoled himself.

Hearing about Chord's sibling joining military forces made Piers go back to a trail of thoughts that had been plaguing for a couple of days. After receiving the news about the Peace Conference, a mixture of different feelings had hit the noble. On one hand, he was very relieved he was safe at home when the chaos broke loose. Yet at the same time, there was a tightness in his chest because of not being able to help his country and his friends. With his level of sword-mastery, he'd make a great addition to the Niendran army, there was no doubt about that. Staring into the distance absentmindedly, he pressed his lips tighter together. As an aristocrat, he was never expected to fight the war(unless in the utmost emergency – but even in such a case, he'd probably have a way to escape confrontation), but he was asking himself if maybe, it was the “right” thing to do. Having to remind himself that he was in a conversation at the moment, Piers returned his gaze to his friend and forced a small smile.

Piers was also thankful for the change of subject. The war did affect everyone, it wasn't just a kitchy phase, the young noble understood now. But the subject was too dark for the light of day, and he was glad of leaving the real that preoccupied him too much than he liked to admit. ”Will you be moving to the mainland permanently?” the Count inquired with interest. Piers was glad to have another friend, not to mention such a talented performer around for more than just a couple of months in winter. Carried away by the idea, he started picturing a garden party on a warm summer evening. Oh, Chord would be a priceless addition to one of those! Piers' face lit up with a bright smile. ”That's wonderful!” And, after a short pause – ”Have you ever experienced a hot summer?” The few times the noble had visited Northern Niendra, it had always been the same – an impressive landscape of snow and ice – all the while the summers in Eastern Niendra were quite mild in the North and could get really hot in the South.

[Chord D'Antoine]

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Hearing that Piers had taken the championship caused the blonde male's smile to widen. He wasn't surprised in the least, but it was still good news to hear that his suspicions had been confirmed. He knew that the Cavendish heir poured his heart and soul into his sport, just as Chord, himself, poured his heart and soul into his music. Yes, their passions may be separate, but they could still appreciate and admire each other's talent. And that is what made them good friends.

As the subject drifted, Chord began to notice all of the features of his friend. Speaking of his brother joining the military ranks seemed to cause an unreadable change within Piers, which could only mean to him that he was considering the same course of action. The forced smile was all he needed to confirm his thoughts. Although, he could not say anything since the topic remained unspoken between them. He could only hope that his friend would make a choice that would make him happy. Of course, selfishly, he realized that he hoped that he wouldn't. He was already facing the possibility of losing his brother to battle, he didn't want to have more of that fear added within.

"Well, temporarily permanently, I suppose..." he trailed off, trying to best explain his current situation. "If war does break out, which seems imminent now... then we should be here until it ends. At least, that is my guess," he gave a small smile. He would miss his home, and thinking about the possibility of leaving forever was a bit too much to take in. He liked to think that he would return one day, even if it was no longer his primary residence. He loved the ice and snow, thrived in it. But he supposed the greenery of the eastern lands wasn't too terrible of a trade-off.

Another smile. "I have not! This year shall be my first!" there was an upward infliction to his voice, showing his excitement at the prospect. Of course, having never experienced it before meant that he would likely find it too hot and spend most of his time in doors, but he didn't know that. And he would like to experience it, at least once.

Setting his book to the side, he crossed his ankles and twisted his body ever so slightly more so that he may talk to Piers with greater ease. "I must say, I am quite excited to be back. I hope that I will get to come to one of your competitions," smiled, then, at the thought of seeing Piers fight. He had seen him in action quite a few times, and he had always enjoyed it. There was something exciting about seeing someone you care about win in their endeavor.

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^{TAG - Piers!
WORDS - 500ish
NOTES - CHIERS IS BACK!
TUNES - DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[Piers Cavendish]

The look of excitement on Piers' facial features became more apparent upon hearing the same emotion in Chord's reply. ”Excellent! Up in the North of Eastern Niendra, around Sorrowfield, the summers are quite mild. Karenth is similar, though you do get a couple of hot weeks. The heat can get quite unbearable in the city, so I like to spend that time at our estate at the sea. Besides, we do have mountains in the East of our lands, so you get a refreshing gush of wind now and then,” the fencer chattered on; it was clear by the light tone in his voice just how much he enjoyed the hottest months of the year. ”Oh, you should come visit us!” Piers put his gloved hand on Chord's upper arm when he spoke his invitation to express it's sincerity.

”There are a lot of summer activities you must engage in, too! Hiking, mountain climbing, swimming...” Piers had to take a breath. There was just so much more to do in the summer, when the weather played along and you weren't limited to staying indoors like you were due to cold weather. ”Horseback riding is much more fun without all the additional layers of warm and heavy clothing, too,” he offered Chord a genuine smile. The noble was eager to show all the things he loved about the summer to his friend. But then he remembered that he hadn't seen the North Niendran engaged in a physical activity. How careless of him! Piers retracted his hand and bit his lower lip. ”You musn't do anything, of course, if you aren't inclined...” he added, in a more quiet tone.

After Chord had turned slightly to face him, the fencer mimicked his movements and put his arm on the back of the wooden bench in a relaxed manner. After all, he did feel comfortable around the other male, and he didn't think he'd mind, even if some elders would probably frown upon this kind of ungraceful gesture.

Another smile tugged at Piers' lips ad his friend spoke about his wish to see him at a fencing competition. He was flattered by it, there was no denying the fact, especially since Chord wasn't a fencing enthusiast himself. It showed how the other appreciated his fencing skills; a sense of pride swelled up in Piers' chest. The young man was blind to the other possibility for his friend's interest – special feelings towards him. At the moment, there was no reason to assume it, after all. ”Well, one is supposed to take place at the end of next week. But I'm not sure it will, given the circumstances and considering it's only a small competition within court.” a small sigh escaped Piers' full lips.

”I am looking forward to listening to your performances, I must say. The court is lucky to be enriched by your talent,” he complimented Chord. Even if the young Count wasn't one to blurt out such compliments carelessly and on a regular basis, he felt that his friend had truly deserved it. His magical power intertwined with a passion for the activity when Chord performed, capturing the audience and Piers among them.

[Chord D'Antoine]

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The touch on his arm created a reaction within him- he felt his heart leap and heat rush to his cheeks. With his pale skin, it would be easy to tell when he was blushing; however, he would simply blame it on the cold for now. There were certain thoughts that you didn't let yourself have about certain people, and he wouldn't allow himself to have those thoughts about Piers.

He was fine on his own. He always had been.

Chord began to relax a little as the subject began to slide and change, and as he was able to give his own input. "I would enjoy it very much, I believe," the blonde gave his friend a genuine smile once more. Piers hadn't made him feel as if he was obligated to experience such things, but he had introduced them in an enticing way that made Chord inclined to want to do them. "Although, I'm not quite certain how well I would be at climbing a mountain or hiking..." with his weak ankles, it may not be such a good idea.

"But I am looking forward to trying! And I've always wanted to swim in warm waters," it would be inadvisable to swim within Northern Niendra's waters unless you had a power of body-heat or something to keep you from dying. And in a country surrounded by snow, it would be difficult to prevent illnesses that would result from it.

So, along that line of thought, it was true that Chord had never gone swimming. But the waters were beautiful, and he was certain that when it wasn't freezing, it would be a delight to be immersed in them.

He didn't mind when Piers put his arm on the back of the bench and relaxed. In fact, it made him happy that his friend was so comfortable with him that he didn't feel the constant need to put up such formal appearances around him. But if that was the case, why couldn't he let his own mask fall?

"Well, you will let me know, won't you?" he was certain Piers would, but he had to have the conformation.

The compliment had him smiling and trying to hide his happiness. He did take some pride in his magic, but he never believed he was extraordinarily gifted in sound- he simply knew and understood it better than most. At least, that would be his description. "I suppose that I will be singing... but as you said, it will likely be after the current situation has settled." he looked forward to it, but he knew that in times of great stress, certain occasions were uncalled for. And that was one of them.

"I do hope... that we will be able to settle things without war," but he knew that was impossible. War was here, the battle had already begun.

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^{TAG - Piers!
WORDS - 510ish
NOTES - CHIERS IS BACK!
TUNES - DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0}

[Piers Cavendish]

The sudden rush of colour to Chord's cheeks didn't escape Piers' attention. And, similarly to Chord, he blamed the cold Niendran weather for the blush. Yet, unlike the other male, the fencer didn't doubt this judgment, admiring the contrast of the red against the pale skin and the scarce light against it for a while in stead. Even if he dismissed those who couldn't believe that Chord was, in fact, male, as ignorant most of the time, at times like these, Piers had to admit he could understand why many people mistook his friend for a girl – his built was very slim and fragile, and his bone structure was very delicate.

”If you wish, yes,” he laughed softly as his friend requested him to let him know about his next match. It wasn't as if finding out when and where fencing competitions took place was a very difficult thing to do, especially since this one took place within court and would be a part of the entertainment program for the nobility, but Piers enjoyed the prospect of telling Chord about it himself. The other male was pleasant company, as far as Piers was concerned. Besides, Chord was quite interested in his sport, wasn't he?

A sigh escaped Piers' full lips. War seemed to lie in the air, it was all everybody around the young Count seemed to ever talk of. It was a heavy subject, pressing on everybody, yet Piers had the impression his other friend, the crown prince, was somehow affected by the unfortunate occurrences at the Peace Conference the most. Of course, he could understand it, it was Daenyeh'l own country that was probably going to be at war, a prospect that was depressing the whole royal family. The crown prince would have to be strong not only for his family, but for the whole nation.

Yet there seemed to be something so very personal in his sadness, even if Piers wasn't an empath as his father, or even that adept at reading other's feelings in general, he could feel it when he was with his friend. It was like he was grieving... Somehow, it seemed to be connected to the kidnapping of Chord's cousin. It was a tragic event, Piers agreed with everybody else, but had the crown prince been that good friends with the newcomer to court? Things didn't seem to add up quite right. Yet Piers still tried to show his support in every way he could think of.

Yet now, sitting on a bench in the court garden with Chord, enjoying a conversation, the brutality of an impending all-consuming war seemed to be so far away. It was so simple, talking to Chord, the conversation developed itself without much effort. Piers was thankful for the lightness his friend had brought into his routine and dark thoughts, wishing this state would last at least a little longer, if not forever. Yet with that thought, he became aware that this wasn't going to be the case. Both of them would have to get back to their tasks soon enough. But he would at least enjoy the last bit of this pseudo-escape from the troubles of the world.