​The Oval Plaza
 A certain air of tranquillity pervades this great oval plaza. Somehow it seems set apart from the everyday bustle of the surrounding city, its pristine pavement is a testament to the nightly ministrations of the Royal ground staff. To the north, a dozen guards stand vigilant before the great gilded gates, beyond which can be glimpsed the slender towers and golden domes of the Palace.
 The plaza itself is scattered with trees and many delicately sculpted benches. Its focal point, the Ogier carved fountain, gleams white marble.  Sunlight glints lazily from the crystal clear water cascading about the twin Lions that seem to play perpetually at its centre.
 To the east lies the well appointed Lion Banner Inn, while south is the
main route back to the Inner City.
[ Exits: n e s ]
A finely crafted fountain is filled with sparkling water.

​

​Entering the Oval Plaza, Kiera pauses a moment to gaze upon the fountain.  [Kiera]

Kiera casually walks over to the fountain and peers down into it's crystalline water curiously.  It's not that she hasn't seen a fountain or water before, she's just new to the city.

Seeing as no one seems to be paying Kiera much mind, she bends down to scoop up some of the cool, clear water.  [Kiera]

Kiera hums softly.  The water is cool and refreshing.  She stands back up and dries her hands on her breeches, glancing around to see if anyone took offense.  She waits the span of two or three heartbeats before heading over to a bench beside a tree.

Still under the impression that no one is watching Kiera steps to look behind the tree.  What is this woman? Gone completely insane?  Is she playing hide-and-go-seek with her imaginary friend?  As she steps back around from behind the tree she chuckles softly to herself and shrugs before moving to sit down on the bench.  [Kiera]

Kiera muses to herself, her words spoken just slightly under her breath, "Quiet city for being the capitol.."

Clad in fur and mail, a tangle bearded man sits with his feet straddling the fountain, one leg in the water, the other on dry land. He is happily, and messily, munching on a strip of jerky, with a flagon in hand.  [Ragnarr]

Kiera tilts her head in either curiosity or exasperation, it's really rather hard to tell.  She had just taken a drink from that fountain, the memory of what she thought was crisp, clean water is now erased.  Her sour expression fades away quickly enough, she's had to embibe worse in her life.  As she's been peering in a manner that could be considered rude by some at Ragnarr she decides it's time to employ her manners and offers him a nod in greeting.

The girls manners are repaid.. well, hardly repaid in kind. The bearish man cocksh his head to the side to study her, flicking a crumb from his beard before offering a lascivious smile in way of greeting, booted foot in the fountain idly swinging back and forth to stir the water.  [Ragnarr]

Kiera studies the burly man as he half-wades in the fountain.  The action which once seemed to disgust her begins to amuse her.  While most women might blush or shy away from such a smile, she returns his smile, however hers is not as scandalous as his.  With a small nod, as if she agreed with an internal voice, she rises, brushing dust from her breeches, and begins to make her way to Ragnarr.

Clearly intrigued by the uncommon reaction, Ragnarr laughs and lifts a hand in greeting to Kiera, saying simply, "Hullo." Was she approaches.  [Ragnarr]

Little-letty runs through the streets, stopping on occasion to watch the horses trot by with large, wide eyes. Suddenly, she darts off toward the fountain, screaching "Woop-wop" and does a canonball into the fountain.  [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Kiera stops within arms reach of the broad shouldered man, resting her hands on her hips.  Though this isn't the usual hands on the hips stance, she's not accusing him of anything, it's more of what may be considered a natural stance for her.  As Ragnarr lifts his hand in greeting she catches his and shakes it, "Hello, good sir.  A pleasure to make your aquaintance."

Doused by the splash, though none the cleaner for it, Ragnarr shoots a mean glare back at the child before peering back at Kiera, "Is it now? We'll see about that. Got a name for yourself, lass?"  [Ragnarr]

No sooner than Kiera's words leave her lips the splash from Little Letty's cannonball douses the Altaran woman.  "well.." she brushes at the water that's splashed upon her breeches, "that's new."  Her attention is drawn back to the barrel-chested man's words, "Indeed I do." Her lips curve into a bemused smile.  [Kiera]

The girl splashes happily before touching bottom with her feet and standing. Letty scowls back at Ragnar, "I kin make a meaner face" She uses her hands to twist her face around and sticks her tongue out at him.  [Jasmyne]

Ragnarr attention appears torn between Kiera and Letty, back and forth his head swivels, as though unsure who to settle upon. Finally his head stops turning this way and that, gaze resting upon Letty. He screws his face up, twisting before suddenly barking out a loud, bellowing roar in the girls direction, spittle and fetid breath spraying from his lips.

Letty's antics seem to be a page straight out of her own childhood.  The clear amusement upon her face wilts as fast as a flower without water when he roars at the girl.  "Tell us how you really feel."  Kiera steps closer to the fountain, more to Ragnarr's right, to catch a glimpse of Letty.  [Kiera]

Little-letty giggles, "You funny! I like you!" She wades back out of the fountain, stomping her feet as she goes, climbes out the side and back over to dry land. The moment Letty's feet hit the ground, she goes zooming around the plaza with her arms outstretched, "Imma bird!"  [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Ragnarr's head drops and his expression deflates like a baloon, by all appearences the mock anger replaced by genuine dissapointment and sadness. Grumbling, the man takes a swig from his drink and looks back at Kiera for sympathy, stating dourly, "Not even terrifying to a bird."

Now if Kiera were more Ladylike she'd not laugh out loud, and if she did she would have at least moved to cover her mouth.  Nope, none of that happens, at all.  "Maybe she's a miniature eagle, they're fierce after all."   [Kiera]

She 'lands' with body tucked tight as her little feet hobble around like a little penguin, mocking the motion of pecking the ground. Then she begins to hop, transformed, in her mind, to a bunny rabbit. Her nose wiggles and her eyes are wide as she hops back over to the fountain. Then hops on the fountain lip. She sniffs and wiggles her nose at the two still standing in the fountain. "Imma bunny now." She sticks out her two front teeth as if chewing on something.  [Jasmyne]

Ragnarr dubiously studies Letty before shaking his head and staring back at Kiera, "I think fierce may not mean what you think it means."

Kiera, too, watches Letty and her amazing feats of transformation from predator to.. well prey but it's cute.  "Oh?" she turns her gaze to Ragnarr for a moment, amusement beginning to creep back into her voice, "tell me then, what should I replace the meaning of fierce with?"  Her hands return to her hips, there's that stance again, as her attention switches between the burly roaring man and the cute fluffy bunny-girl.

"Whatchya doin' in teh foo.. fou...wateh?" She asks, eyes wide as she studies the two. But she hardly waits for an answer when she slides into the fountain, face first, trying to wiggle her body like a snake, but when she comes up for air, she barks, "Arf! arf!" She's a seal. "That the sound they make. Mum said so."  [Jasmyne]

Ragnarr peers at Letty then thoughtfully down at the club at his side, a creeping grin approaching his features as he looks back towards Kiera.

Kiera's eyes widen a bit as Ragnarr gestures to the club, she shakes her head in protest.  She'd speak if she could catch her breath from laughing at the little girl.  She does feel, however, that his movements are in jest... well she hopes that they are.

Little-letty doesnt even notice, she's still wiggling around the fountain churning the water with her antics. She 'swims' up to the pair, twitching her nose and mouth, trying to mock something with whiskers, "Arf! There no fish in teh wateh. Kin I have uh coin?" she twitches her nose again. [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Ragnarr reluctantly releases his grip on the club, muttering beneath his breath, "Wouldn't provide a decent pelt, anyhow..." His lips tug further into a frown, peering at Keira, "You found it more amusing. I just wanted to scare her. I think you owe the poor girl a coin or three."

Kiera hmms, considering Letty's request with slightly more weight than Ragnarr's words.  With a nod the Altaran woman puts her booted foot up on the fountain's ledge.  She bends slightly at the waist and reaches into her boots, producing after a moment a small coin purse.  "Now, there's one condition," she looks to Letty as she says this, opening the purse and reaching inside, "you have to buy something sweet for yourself and save the rest."  She knows it's not much but to a little one it would seem like a fortune.

Ragnarr grumbles absently, "Don't be stingy lass. That's hardly enough for the girl to get a proper drink!"

Little-letty touches the bottom with her knees and claps her hands and arms together, "Arf! Yesh ma'am! Tankyou ma'am!"  [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Ragnarr glances towards Letty, "It's not hardly enough to help get a drink and something sweet, is it?"

Little-letty blinks at Ragnarr, "Do you have uh coin, too?" She stares at him with wide, puppy dog eyes. [NPC played by Jasmyne]

With coins in hand Kiera lifts the purse to her mouth and using her teeth to aid her, pulls the purse closed.  Instead of it returning to her boot however she tucks it safely within her corset.  Five shiny coins tink in her hand, two slightly bigger than the others and silver in nature, the others are copper.  "You're welcome," she holds the coins out in her hands, open so that Letty can gather them up.  As the seal-child asks Ragnarr for coin Kiera cannot bear to not jump in, "If you donated to her cause, after all it was a brilliant performance, she could have sweets all day."  [Kiera]

Ragnarr winces softly, shaking his head to Letty before leaning over towards Kiera.

Ragnarr whispers to Kiera, 'spare me a coin, lass? I haven't got two to rub together to give this wee lass, and don't want to let her leave without one from me. I'll even go fishing for it.'

Little-letty scurries to her feet and wades closer to Kiera, eagerly taking each of the coins, "Oh wow! Tankyou, ma'am!" She looks at each of the shiney coins with ever widening eyes, "I t'ink this is a lot.. Is it a lot?!" she looks at Ragnarr, holding the coins in the flat of her palm. [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Let it not be said that Kiera was incapable of blushing, apparantly all that is needed for this to happen is a cute little kid at play.  She nods to Ragnarr and retrieves her purse from it's safekeeping.  In attempt to help the large man save face with the girl Kiera nods to her, attempting to pass the small coin purse to Ragnarr.  [Kiera]

"Well, you have two silver marks," Kiera begins, pointing at the silver coins, "and these," again she touches the coins but this time the coppers, "are coppers."  She smiles to Letty, "when I was little, about your age, I could get candy for a copper that tasted like cherries."  [Kiera]

Ragnarr smiles happily as he discreetly takes the purse in one hand, his other hand just as discreetly slipping into his furs to retrieve a handful of coins from a hidden pocket to match Kiera's added donation. Peering thoughtfully at the girl, he shakes his head, "No... no, it doesn't seem like terribly many. Here, try now."

Little-letty wades close enough for Ragnarr to deposite more coins into her tiny hand, her eyes widening more, "Imma gonna get sweets.. an'...an'.. the rest ta mum." She beams happily, closing her little fist around the coins. [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Kiera genuinely smiles as Ragnarr gives Letty an equal amount even if it isn't from her purse.  "That sounds like a wonderful idea," she rests her hand upon Ragnarr's shoulder, "doesn't it?" She asks him.  "I'm sure she'll be delighted."

Ragnarr grins roguishly and hadns Kiera back the empty purse, though he does keep a wary eye on the hand on his shoulder.

Kiera moves her hand from Ragnarr's shoulder to discreetly palm her now emptied purse, however her other hand moves to rest on his shoulder.  Her response to his rogueish smile is an all too sweet smile.  Uh, oh.

Little-letty doesnt even notice the interaction between the two as she wades around the fountain, jumping up and down and making waves that splash merrily about the edge. "yay, sweets..." she climbs over the edge of the fountain again, her feet touching ground  and arms swinging out into giddy flight once more. [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Ragnarr peers suspiciously at Kiera, asking, "Why do I feel like you're about to try to fleece my pouch for kind-heartedly tricking you to be more generous to the wee lass?"

Kiera tucks the empty purse back in her corset.  "Mayhap the same reason you thought you could fleece me and me not know it?"  She watches Letty fly about the Oval, a smile on her lips even though her words are somewhat serious.  "As you have the lot of my coin, and I gave to her what I could what I knew she'd be able to keep from bullies, why don't you buy me a drink?"

Ragnarr laughs, grinning, "Consider the extra you gave her generosity to the bullies. They have to drink to, you know. Here, take a swig, if you dare. The mothers very own milk." He grins, offering the flagon out to Kiera.

Little-letty's flight takes her out of the oval, cawing and swooping around walking people off towards the sweet tender down the street. [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Kiera's interest is peaked.  She's never been one to step away from a dare, even if it's one that she might regret.  The Rahad can make or break a person.  She doesn't move from her stance, one foot propped up on the ledge of the fountain, the other firmly planted on the ground.  With the hand she stowed her purse away she takes the flagon from Ragnarr's hand.  For a moment she removes her other hand and opens the flagon, taking a preliminary sniff of the liquid within.  Seeming either satisfied or intrigued further, she lifts the flagon to her lips and takes a drink of the foreign liquid.

Ragnarr grins mirthfully as he waits and watches Kiera, breaking only to beckon Letty over.

Little-letty returns a short time later, a sweet in one hand and less coins inthe other. She hops from stone to stone, takes a bite, chews, then takes another hop or two, taking another nibble of her sweet. From the corner of her eye she notices Ragnarr. Darting into a full run, she hops on the lip of the fountain, but pauses before jumping in, a look at her sweet in one hand and hopingit doesnt tumble from her hands. "Wanna bite?!" [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Ragnarr shakes his head to Letty, answering, "Don't tempt me to take it, lass. Sit tight while the girl here drinks her share, and if you're good, she might share it with you like she did the coins."

The initial taste causes her to pause for a moment, sweet but not quite sour. With a faint shrug of her shoulders she lifts the flagon and takes a long drink, swallowing the interesting liquor as Kiera offers Ragnarr his flagon again.  [Kiera]

Ragnarr laughs and nods his head in approval, taking the flask and passing it on to Letty with the simple word of, "Milk." "You can smile, and survive a good drink. Not half bad, lass. My estimation of you is slowly growing."

Little-letty tries to figure out where to stick her coins, then finally just stuffs them into a pocket. She tentatively takes the flask and sniffs at the liquor, "Dun smell like milk" [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Kiera puckers her lips and makes a popping sound , "That's rather strong.." she licks her lips, "but strangely good."  She knows she should say something, she should tell the man no that Letty is far too young however she holds, waiting to see what the young girl does.

Ragnarr nods in agreement, "I'll have to bring my Lunch by next time I'm in the city."

Little-letty takes a tentative sip, then scowls and chokes on it. She flings the flask at him, but if he's a good catch, he should be able to snag it before it lands in the water. "YUCK! Yer mean! Dats not milk!" [NPC played by Jasmyne]

Kiera had figured that Letty wouldn't like the drink, but sometimes one has to let children try new things and decide for themselves.  Having no more coin to offer the child so that she can buy something else to wash away odd liquor she offers her a small smile, "I think it's more of the kind of milk that grown ups like."  She remembers the empty coin purse and decides that the little one can put it to better use.  She withdraws the purse and offers it to Letty.  "But, you tried something like an adult, so you deserve something that adults have.  Here, for your coins."

Ragnarr curses as the flagon crashes against him, splattering him with part of it's contents, before dropping into the water. Grunting, he reaches down after it and retrieves it, heedless of the water that likely polluted it, or the kumiss that polluted the water, "Oi now, lass. That's no way to treat a good drink."
 
Little-letty beams brightly at Kiera, "Tankyou ma'am!" She happily accepts the coin purse and digs for her other coins and adds it meticulously into the pouch, then stuffs the purse back into her pocket. She hops off the fountain, ignoring Ragnarr completely. She didnt like his drink anyway. Little Letty flies off from the oval.

Kiera gently pats Ragnarr's shoulder in what is meant to be a reassuring gesture.  "Maybe when she's older, she'll appreciate the taste." 

Grumbling ill-naturedly about the forsworn gift, Ragnarr abruptly pushes up to his feet and wanders southwards from the square, one booted foot leaving a soggy trail behind him.

Kiera turns and silently watches the burly man leave the Oval, one squishy boot in alternate cadence to the dry one.  "Buggar got my coin too.." she turns her head to the side, away from the already soiled fountain, and spits.  "Fool me once but never twice."

Kiera glances back to the fountain's waters, wondering how long it will take for the odd liquor and the flavor of boots will fade from the water.

Kiera sighs softly and purses her lips in thought.  She glances around the plaza and spies the Lion's Banner.  Maybe she can make a little coin in there either with dice or for the day as a serving maid.  She preens, adjusting her hair and corset before walking towards the Inn as if she owns all of Andor.