Just roaming around...

[François Valmont]

François had taken to roaming around the city when the mood took him and when he had a rare lull between meetings, debates and councils.

He'd taken the Queen up on her advice and visited as many of Corus' beauty spots and wonders as his various guides were willing to show him, and yet he still felt more at home down in the city, wandering amongst the normal folk. At the end of the day, François might rub shoulders with the great and powerful of the Eastern Lands, but he was a simple country boy at heart and an ardent revolutionary to boot. It never sat quite right with him to have to make polite conversation with people he'd have had executed in Tusaine, and gladly so.

He was dressed simply, a plain velvet frock coat that showed some signs of wear and cotton shirt and breeches. He was well know around the palace for his lack of fancy attire and it quite sickened him how much the weathy spent on edgings and jewels - enough to feed some of the youngsters who begged around the square for months, years maybe.

He paused for a second to watch a juggler and applauded with the rest of the little crowd that had gathered as the performer sent clubs spinning through the air with great dexterity. He smiled and went to move on, chuckling as he noted the crown agent who casually tailed him. This was not a rarity when François went solo in to the city, merely the Queen ensuring he wasn't stirring up sedition.

He tipped his hat to the man with a slight sardonic smile and strolled on.

He paused again when he came to the speaker's corner - people of all ages gathered on the weekends to stand on boxes and crates and spout out their particular polemic against one thing or another. Some cried for an end to taxation, some for revolution, others for attacks agains the evil religion of Westerners. You could browse a whole range of political ideals and spectrums just by walking a matter of yards.

He was going to pass on when he noted, with due admiration, a young man using François own political tracts as a basis for his call for a Tortallan revolution. The boy's impassioned speech was met with a mixture of cries of concurrance and cat calls and boos. François stopped to take in the rest of the speech, even though it was potentially unwise in light of his human shadow trailing behind him a few yards away. Still, the Queen could hardly expell him for listening to her own people.

[Savannah Fox]

ll hope you don't mind and that this wasn't meant for someone else if it is;; I'm terrible sorry ll

Savannah Fox considered herself free now. I mean what else could she call it. Savvy could now run around as she pleased, leave her home without an escort approved by her mother, not dress up everyday for nothing, and idle watch the clouds moving for there was nothing better to do. And for Mithros' sake, she had no corset to where. Sure, she would wear it when needed,but just around her new little home, she had no need for something taking away her breath. So, thus, if you walked up to Savvy at the moments he would tell you she was the most happy person alive.

At the moment the young woman was on her way down to Abelin Square. Her hair was tied up into a bun, more fitted for a noble then a commoner, but it had always been the way her hair was done. With so many curls pinned close to her head and then just a few strands that got away and framed her face. The sleeves of her dress were rolled up, letting the sun soak the white skin there. Her dress was blue, most of her dresses were, for she had loved blue as a child, and her mother had always ordered her dresses in blue, or made sure the Nanny made them in blue. For Savvy wouldn't wear it if it didn't have blue on it somewhere. She was just that picky.

Savannah had her hands holding upon a basket. In the basket was nothing, at the moment, but the girl had hoped to get some food and what not, she was still trying to get a job, and wasn't having a good time finding one. She wanted to find a job as a seamstress, but she couldn't find somewhere where she was needed. She needed a job, and soon, for the money she had taken from her mother was running low. She only had a few more coins left, enough for next months rent, and some food for the rest of the month, but then, then she would be poor. Savannah knew she would have to face the word sooner or later. It was going to happen whether she liked it or not.

Savannah came upon the Square and smelt the smell of fresh bread cooking. She smiled, satisfied as she began to come into the Square more she looked around. She was beginning to get the hang of where things were in Corus. At first, she was like a goose among ducks, not knowing at all where to go, or what to do. Especially her first night here. She had to sleep in a tavern, and didn't like to recover the thought to the surface of how dirty she felt. But this is besides the point.

Anyway, the lady came upon the square and began to wonder around for deals upon cloth, food, and other things that might be of use to her, but as always, Savvy became occupied by the performers and what not, and her task was forgotten in mere minutes. It was like her to do this, forget. It was something she was good at. She let her basket slip a bit as she watched some boy try to juggle as his father stood behind him juggling like mad. It made her smile at the attempt of the son. Who seemed to be about 7. That would be two years older then Savvy's nephew, the young lad she hadn't seen in such a long time. Newton Fox. A sigh came as she though of her nephew. A very, very adventurous boy. He worried his mother all the time. But him and Sav got along famously.

Savannah was planning no writing her mother a letter soon. She was sure she had already panicked and called upon everyone to search for her missing daughter. For she believed her mother would read her note and crumble it and tell everyone else that Savannah had run away, or been kidnapped, and that her daughter should be found. but this was only what Savvy believed, and knew not.

Savannah moved on to stop once again as someone was talking upon a box, where most talked of political matters, something that bored Savvy to the extreme. She pushed her way past, but on her way her basket caught upon someone and fell to the ground, she quickly turned to retrieve it but bumped into a young man as she did so. She winced as she quickly grabbed her basket and blushed. "Sorry about that, Mister.." She said, her voice soft as she bowed her head to the man whom she had bumped into.

[François Valmont]

François had been so caught up in listening to the speech that he was taken a little by suprise when he was suddenly jostled forwards by someone bumping in to him.

City life had taught him to instantly check his purse, in case some pick-pocket was using the tried and tested technique on him. He did it under the pretense of straightening his coat, no need to advertise to the crowd where he kept his coins. He turned to glance around and see where the jostling had originated from and was greeted by a slightly shame faced young woman apologising profusely, her face almost as red as the firey knot of hair that topped her head.

François returned a slight bow. "Apology accepted, don't worry yourself, in such crowds these things happen." He smiled to show that it was of no concern to him. His accented common sounded odd to his own ears when surrounded by the chattering of the Tortallan crowd. It was strange but true. When he spoke one on one he barely noticed it but amongst the carcophany in the market place his voice sounded more remarkable with it's sing song, lilting Tusaine tones.

"I hope you didn't loose anything?" He enquired, noting the woman's empty basket and scanning the flag stones beneath their feet in case something might have spilled out on to the floor amidst the press of the crowd watching the speech-making.

[Savannah Fox]

Savannah smiled happily over at the man as he did a slight bow, making her face even redder. For she was not use to the attetion. When she was younger she was, being that her father was well known. But now, now she had no idea how to react. She had no idea. "Apology accepted, don't worry yourself, in such crowds these things happen." He smiled again as he said these words and she blushed harder and let her blue eyes glance down to her shoes. She could tell he was not from her, this man. His voice was something that Savvy would say she had never heard before. She just nodded her head some..

"Yes, I know..but still I send apologies. Ma raised me right," Savannah said to the man. She smiled brightly over his way, Savannah had been known back from her own place of how kind she could be once given the chance. But back home, she never got to show off how nice she could be. Her mother kept her cooped up like a chicken. Savvy, as a child never got around, and when she did, it was at teh sea with her dog, Jasmine. Which Mithros stole from her when she was younger. Leaving her with no friends but her dreaded Nanny. Who never gave enough time to the young child.

"I hope you didn't loose anything?" He asked, his eyes looking over to her empty basket, then around the floor beneath them for anything that might of been in her bag. Her face, now not as red, smiled, yet again at the man. His voice had something that made her want to smile. She didn't know why, but she couldn't help but smile. It was like when you saw a kitten playing with a ball of yarn, you just had to smile at the cute kitty. You just had to. "No, I haven't had much time to get anything to put in my basket yet.." Savannah told him as she nodded her head and then she nodded her head a bit.

"And who do I have the pleasue of meeting? For I am Savannah Fox..." She did a small curtsy, for the space was short. She only bowed her head and held upon the middle of her dress. Her basket one her wrist.

[François Valmont]

François smiled and bowed his head slightly in return, touching his hand to his hat in a gesture of politeness, then offered his hand to shake. It was a far less formal greeting and one more suited to the bustling market.

"My name is François Valmont." He replied "it is a pleasure to meet you Miss Fox."

He jerked a thumb towards the speakers, who were still in full flow and competing for the crowds ears. There was much thumping of fits and gesticulating wildly as they illustrated their points.

"I have to confess, this is somewhat marvelous to see. The common man preaching to the common people. Tell me, are you politically minded Miss Fox?"

((sorry it's a short post! I was struggilng for inspiration...I'm not sure what they'd have to talk about!))