The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
Oriana had a drink in her hand, and it was not soon enough in her opinion. It had been a trying day. An entire family had needed a wardrobe for a ball they were hosting. A narcissistic couple, three daughters who had learned from their mother, and two sons from their father. It had been a nightmare. Getting pinched by the boys, eyes rolled at by the girls. It was definitely driving her to drink tonight.
But she had managed to at least get one good thing out of it. She had dropped enough breadcrumbs throughout the various fittings, and now they were throughougly convinced that a family portrait was needed. So while they were an annoying family to deal with, their wealth could at least continue to help a friend. Or at least someone she didn't hate.
Speaking of the blond. "Alaric!" Raising her glass and gesturing to the seat with wine waiting she had a smug smile on her face.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Feb 6, 2023 23:37:39 GMT -5
Alaric had had a fairly productive day. He'd not only finished a painting, but he'd acquired new pigments for his work. Usually, he liked to make his own when he had time, but some pigments were easier to buy than to make. One such color had smeared on his fingers when he checked the quality of the powder and the deep blue hue hadn't washed off all the way yet. A minor annoyance, but at least it wouldn't rub off on anything while he was out to see a friend.
His eyes went right to her when she called out to him, raising a glass, "Oriana, my dear," he said when he was close enough to hear. He sat down and took a sip from the wine that she had waiting for him, "I see you started without me. Pray tell, were you plagued by another of our proud noble families?"
"After my day, I wish I could have started earlier." But poking people with pins would probably be a bad idea, and drunk hands were not steady hands. So alas, she had been sober, but she had got her job done and hopefully more cash from a bunch of pricks.
Taking a sip she leaned her head on her hand. "But on the plus side, now that I've got them all fancy they want a portrait. Almost as if I planned it." Winking at Alaric she wasn't sure he'd even want to deal with them. But money was money. And that mattered when you were a commoner.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Feb 10, 2023 22:06:06 GMT -5
"They are unworthy of your talents," he said sympathetically. He'd had his fair share of clients who made him want to guzzle a whole bottle of wine. Some of them thought they knew a lot more about painting than he did, "Let me guess...the lady of the house insisted that she could squeeze into something that is much too small for her?"
He put a hand to his heart, "Why! My muse," he grinned, "did you secure a commission for me? And I didn't get anything for you. I really must step up."
"Thank you darling, if only I could work with the best and kind. Alas, they can't pay half as well." The hoity toity nobles and their boring as hell attitudes. It was just too much to bear sometimes. But the worse they were, the more she could gouge their pockets. Certainly wouldn't look good for them to haggle.
With a snort she rolled her eyes. "The two poor maids pulling the corset looked like they might have heart-attacks from the effort. Of course nothing a few compliments couldn't fix." She had been so vain that it hadn't even taken long to convince her of her beauty. "One of the daughters insisted on her own dress design. Hideous thing, luckily i had already made a spare." And the family had to pay for both of course, even the nasty feather one.
"You really aught to, I feel like I do all the leg work sometimes my dear friend." But on occasion he came through, and so he was worth keeping around. For now.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Feb 14, 2023 20:45:53 GMT -5
Alaric nodded his head sympathetically, "Yes, I know exactly how you feel. But it's like I always say," he waved his hand in the air like he was conjuring up the words, "If you have enough money, you can afford to be insufferable," he raised his glass with a smile, "Here's to us taking the money of the insufferable."
"I've wondered how some of those noble ladies manage to keep themselves alive in their pursuit of retaining their beauty and youth," he'd sworn he'd once seen the corset string of some noble lady snap free during a rather lurid boudoir portrait the lady had commissioned as a present for her husband. He had really stretched the definition of "artistic license" that day, but he managed to change a snowman into an hourglass.
"And what fine work you do, my dear," he sipped his wine, "Truly, I would be lost without you. The next round of drinks will be on me," he reached into his pocket with the grin of a satisfied cat and slapped some coin and a card on the table, "But oh! What is this?" he feigned surprise, "It looks like I did get you something," his face turned serious a moment, "I should warn you though...I suspect the lord of the manner may be a bit grabby. His wife certainly was."
"Cheers to one day being just as insufferable then." A tinkling laugh let her lips as she raised her glass to meet his. It was nice to not have to pretend to be some pious commoner around Alaric. They both dreamed of better things, and she certainly had no plans to stay in her apartment forever.
Smiling at Alaric she clapped her hands together before snatching up the card and looking at it. It wasn't easy to convince a lady to leave her old seamstress, but if anyone could do it, that was the blonde across the table from her. He had a way with his words, one of the many reasons he was worth keeping around.
"Are they ever not?" Rolling her eyes she took a sip of her wine. "They see something pretty they want and don't see why they can't have it." Nobles were all the same. Yes, she of course still wanted to be one again, but that didn't mean she would stop grumbling about how insufferable they were. A shameful waste of wealth.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Feb 18, 2023 15:54:55 GMT -5
"Exactly so, dear, exactly so," he made a little wave with his hand, "Although, when my subject is an older woman, I sometimes find it wise to let her think that she could get something other than a portrait out of me," he gave a hearty laugh, "An indiscreet compliment goes a long way," sometimes they expected him to pull through with it...and he occasionally would.
"I still think you ought to let me paint your portrait, dear. I can see just how it should be," Alaric put his arms out toward her, making a frame with his hands, "Something dramatic, yet elegant. You'll wear something red, or perhaps blue. Something that will show your clients what they could be while wearing your work."
"Alaric please tell me you don't think that's any kind of advice for me? You think so little of me?" She wasn't some innocent who didn't know how to use her charm. It's why the two of them worked well, could see through each other's bullshit and still continue to spout it anyways. "Men are easier though, bigger egos, it's the wives I have to be careful of, I'm bet half the woman's husband's don't even notice the compliments." Raising an eyebrow Oriana figured she was right, but Alaric did have to deal with some insufferable folks.
With a shake of her head, Oriana dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand and a sip of her wine. "Maybe someday when I'm a lady of a household and can pay you properly darling, but I don't need a picture of myself to remind me I am nothing other than a seamstress." Because it's all she was right now. Sure she was gifted which made her better than the rest of the people around her, but she didn't have the title needed to make a difference.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Feb 26, 2023 14:42:35 GMT -5
Thouroughly chastened, Alaric let his usual sunny smile die, "Of course not, Oriana. I apologize. You are a smart business woman of great class and charm," and he meant that. Of all the women in his aquantaince, he respected Oriana the most.
"If we're talking about egos, men are the easier to work with, yes," as long as he wasn't caught seducing their wives, he added himself. Jealous husbands were the worst, "A small compliment here, a 'yes my lord' there, and they're happy for the most part," his smile returned, "Although I'm sure any compliment from you would make any man notice, married or not."
"Have I told you of my recent client? You'd be in a fit if I sent her your way. Her figure reminds me of a snowman, and she wears clothes two sizes too small, and insists that she has the waistline of a 16 year old debutante," he leaned back in his chair and threw out his hands in frustration, "Forgive me for being crass, but I'm surprised her clothes don't fly off her when she walks down the street. Buttons are always flying like arrows during her painting sessions."
"Just a seamstress?" he was agast even as he knew where the thought came from. The noblilty for all their politeness were cruel to those they viewed as lesser than themselves, "My dear, you spend backbreaking hours making combly women with no figure look as if the gods blessed them with beauty and grace while dealing with their pettiness and lack of awareness of what hardship really is. If anyone calls you 'just a seamstress' I will strike them with the back side of my paintbrush!" Alaric was usually not one to act with violence...a bad punch could lead to broken fingers which would be a loss of income for him, after all. But he would risk his fingers for a friend.
"And don't you ever forget it darling." Winking, she absolutely adored having Alaric around. He had a way with words, and sometimes you needed that when all day you heard the same. Pity neither of them had better luck in life to be where they should be, shining examples of how Loren should be.
And as always he had an interesting story to tell. One that made her happy because she wasn't the only one dealing with bastards and bitches. Not that she'd ever use those words aloud, it simply wasn't lady like. And she, unlike the aging debutante, was still very much a lady. "So did you paint her as she saw herself? That must have been a work on your imagination Alaric."
There were always going to be women who believed their waists were smaller than they were. And while on occasion Oriana gave them the hourglass figure that they were looking for, they would find it suffocating to say the least.
"I wouldn't have you waste your breath on them. I know how important I am, just need to wait for the rest of Loren to see it too." That would come in time. But for now she was glad to play a part and go undetected. Too many unknowns to show her hand, even to people she considered a friendship with useful.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Mar 6, 2023 20:44:50 GMT -5
"Oh gods yes," he slumped back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose as he recalled the horrific painting sessions, "You know I do enjoy a lurid boudoir portrait as any man worth his salt would, but this woman should not have bothered. It is a test of my own skills!" He shook his head, "The task of inverting her figure without making it look like she was about to be split in half was a headache. So I tried tapering her in a little and the old bat smacked me in the head with her fan!" he pointed to his noggin as if the fan were sticking out of his skull, "I don't even know where she was keeping that club of a fan...she must have pulled it from between her--" he stopped himself before he said 'breasts,' "Pardon me, Oriana," he cleared his throat, "It's been a trial, but I've managed to bend reality to suit what she wanted."
"Well, the people of Loren would be fools not to see your worth, my dear," he took a sip of his drink, "I believe it will happen sooner, rather than later."
Oriana shook her head, but a less than lady like mischevious smile crossed her face in instead. "Maybe you need a proper figure to work with to keep in mind for your next mind-bending boudoir portrait." Winking, she couldn't help but laugh a little bit. Alaric's company was far too fun, especially with all of his hilarious stories, one's she could actually relate to compared to some of the woman she kept company with. Especially the disdain that leaked into both of their tones.
"Well I should hope so, I look beautiful and am in my prime, better now then when I'm trying to squeeze into something too small." Not that she'd ever let that happen to herself. She'd sooner off herself.
Post by Alaric Melbourne on Mar 29, 2023 17:48:36 GMT -5
Alaric smiled devilishly in response to her wink, “A proper figure…I could use one of those. It would be as much a pleasure to look on as it would be to paint,” his smile turned impish, “Ah, but you always say no, my muse.” Alaric had always enjoyed their banter. It was good to have a friend that he didn’t have to grovel and brown nose for a commission. Oriana understood the need to please the obnoxious about as well as he did, and venting with her was always a highlight.
“My dear Oriana, I cannot imagine time or fat grabbing you with their wicked little fingers,” brown nosing he would not do to Oriana, but he was not above slapping her with compliments, “They’d be in too much awe of your outstanding presence.”
"Better to leave everyone guessing, you included my darling." Laughing, Oriana tossed her hair. It was nice to have a man that wasn't constantly trying to worm his way under her dress. It was boring and cliche, men and women could be friends without it having to be weird, and it was an absolute bless that Alaric understood that. "One or two of your clients must have at least been fun to paint this week? I would hope for your sanity anyways." She always enjoyed at least one or two during her week, made her look forward to the projects at least.
Raising an eyebrow at Alaric, Oriana still smiled all the same despite the over the top complimenting. "You'll fill my head with lies and make it swell Alaric." Taking a sip of her wine, the seamstress had every plan to return the favor. "If only I could wax poetic as well as you to return the favor."