#earthrunes

He nods.

She wraps her arms around him. "People here love you, August. Any jest is meant in good will. I'm sure of it."

"I'm not sure I agree with you, Coradel. But I can accept that you believe it."

"Well, any jest here, I mean." She kisses his cheek and murmurs, "You're tense from all that...come, let me relax you..."

"I should... put up my sword. And, put this away...." The rosary.

"Do. I'm going to change..." Another soft kiss on his cheek, and she drifts away to do so.

Wrapped up in his thoughts still, he does those things, and finishes getting ready for bed, himself.

The Rosary glimmers as serenely as a moonbeam through a church window

And Coradel returns to bed, and urges August to lie down so she can give him a slow, luxurious massage.

He -is- tense, muscles tight. He settles in tentatively.

.... and eventually, he drifts off under Coradel's attentions.....
((FtB))

-----

Leonora, Fiona Archer extraordinaire is furious. She crackles , she seethes. and servants make.a.hole.

And she seems on her way to the sparring area.

Thanes turn a paler shade of blue.

Vince, heading down a hallway with a box of supplies in his hands, quickly ducks into a side room as she approaches, out of harm's way. Peering out after her, he shakes his head and murmurs, "Hell hath no fury... oh, I pity the cause!" Before returning safely to his tasks.

Indeed, it's almost as if the furniture is out of the way, but Vince did over hear her mutter something like 'narrowminded arrogant son of ...'

Once in the sparing area, rather than her usuall bow and arrow, or even the sword that she's been learning to use from Coradel, Leonora seizes a large Troll Axe and hefting it with BOTH hands, begins hacking, slashing, and whacking at the training dummy.

Coradel strolls in, ready for a bit of training...and and blinks at the fury unleashed. She leans against the door, arms folded, to watch appreciatively.

"WHACK, "intolerant..." WHAM... "SELF RIGHTEOUS..." HACK! "InGRATEFUL"SLICE

She lets the other Fiona wear herself out.

Well...okay, that's not likely, but at least take the edge off.

Taking note of the direction of her- well, it would be rude to call it a rampage... Vince heads to the bar. A chiller bucket is quickly assembled with some refreshments - low ABV beers, crisp and fresh on a warm day (especially after a spar) - and all in cans, to avoid potential broken glass, packed loosely in ice to keep cool.

This is carefully set just inside the doors to the sparring area, along with a small basket with chips, pretzels, and other snacks. Vince gives Coradel a small wave, holds a finger to his lips.

Fiona, don't sweat, they glow. So she's got glow going down her forehead by the time her rage is spent.

At least, at full fury. Non Fiona can face her again

Coradel blows Vince a kiss and gives him a grateful nod, but doesn't otherwise speak.

As Leonora lowers the axe, Coradel begins a slow-clap. "Impressive, house-sister."

He slips away as quietly as he came.

"Hardly, I thhink I hurt my arms. How do they carry these things? " Breathing a bit hard, "I'm sorry, I..was in a poor mood."

"Really?" Mock shock, and she scoops up the bucket and comes to the edge of the ring. "Vince offers tribute to the angry goddess."

"He's not nude under a tree with a bow around his tail is he?" She actually tries a smile

"Not at the moment, but he takes requests." A grin in return. "Come sit and eat and drink and talk." She indicates a bench outside the ring.

She takes a seat, "Sorry, Coradel, Baroness. I ...ooo are those chocolate coated almonds?"

"Looks like. Here..." She passes the treat. "And let's let the titles drop for now. What happened?"

"Oh Corry I...well, I was having a wonderful time with a knight further out in the county. Smart, sexy, intelligent, and a Fiona So the 'are you seeing anyone else' convo comes up and I admit that I'm dating others , so is he so not a problem. Then... then the subject came up of..well, without naming names? I mention 'one guy I know is the nicest liam ' and...my date suddenly looks ta me like he I was a walking VD poster. It went downhill from there"

She begins to munch chocolate Almonds.

A blink. "....Really...." A slow simmer. "In this county, you say?"

"Wait...he's Fiona and he took that attitude?"

"YUP." Angry munch

Coradel grabs a few of the chocolate almonds for herself. Crunch.

"Corry, Sparrow was at a Fiona hold and some of them weren't kind to her. So I guess this place had me... I got used to HERE where folks have seen TWO Liams act heroially and kindly. Do you know Gwydions treat Liams better than some Fiona do? Not all Fiona, obviously, but a large minority of our House are so hung up on 'oaths equalling honor ' that.. oh I just ... they almost make me embarrassed to wear the Lion"

"True...what they did to Deryn...." A sigh. "And August still struggles with what the Dougals put him through. Dammit." She kicks a post for the ring boundary. "Aside from...from finding somebody who can reweave the da'an of the entire Liam house, I don't know what we can do about this. The stigma travels with them."

"You know what? Way I see it, it's like trying to uncircumscice a guy.Whatever your views on the practice, it ain't going back so enjoy!" Zealous Munch

A smirk, and she passes Leonora a beer, and takes one for herself. "So...if things went so badly downhill...I assume you're not seeing this knight anymore?"

"I almost challenged him to a duel!" She snorts deliately, then drinks a beer, "Oh god, I'm drinking beer?

A chuckle. "Let's be low-lifes." She clinks beer cans with her, sips, then makes a face.

More seriously. "Leo...I know it wasn't something you even had to think twice about doing...but thank you for standing up for him."

"thinking once probably didn't come up. " She confesses, "And no need to thank me. August is a big boy who can take care of himself when he feels he must." pause " Where he gets the patience I don't know."

A thoughtful pause as she looks at her beer can. "He would say it's from his faith, I think. I don't know."

"Turn the other cheek and all that? Yeah, well, better person than I" She says then thoughtfully "I adore August,, obviously. but ..wait, the Dougal put him through? "