𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 / 𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑺 .

She always knew how to act, how to present herself, how to always stay calm, until she didn’t. She felt the walls closing in around her, her voice caught in her own throat. First the Queen was dead, then the reality set in that she would soon be married and leave the home she knew, and her sisters, and now she was stuck in this unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people until a new successorw as chosen. How long would that even be? July tried to see the light, and remain positive, and she was, she truly was happy and excited in some ways about all the change, but in this moment of weakness she let herself feel a little defeated with any doubts or feelings of sadness she had. After paying her respects to the Queen, she found an empty corridor in duck into and catch her breath.

She leaned her whole body agains the wall. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. She said this to herself over and over again until she felt the rush of emotions subside. The sound of footsteps, however, caused her to quickly stand up straight. She wiped the few tears that had managed to escape, glad she could at least blame them on mourning. “I apologize I didn’t know anyone would be coming back here. I was just collecting myself.”

of  all  the  things  emery  oldflowers  was  most  certainly  not  accustomed  to    (  and  the  list  was  quite  long  ,  to  be  sure  )    it  was  death  .  thus  far  in  his  life  ,  he’s  only  experienced  it  once    -    next  to  his  mother’s  bed  ,  feeling  how  cold  her  once  -  warm  skin  felt  beneath  his  small  ,  tear  damp  hands  .  ‘twas  not  a  mother  now  ,  however  ,  though  emery  is  sure  her  dragons  disagree  ...  the  queen  is  dead  ,  and  everyone  has  been  rushing  around  helplessly  as  though  they  think  the  faster  they  move  ,  the  more  likely  it  is  that  the  late  dragon  queen  will  rise  from  the  dead  .

but  emery  had  not  known  the  queen  personally  .  while  yes  ,  the  lord  had  shed  a  few  tears  at  the  news  ,  it  was  mostly  due  to  the  fact  that  everyone  in  the  streets  had  seemed  so  distraught  .  panic  had  set  in  ,  and  the  lord  succumbed  to  the  crowd’s  mood  .  now  ,  things  have  calmed  only  a  little  ,  and  emery  once  again  finds  himself  on  the  street  ,  this  time  wandering  with  less  purpose  and  more  worry  in  his  chest  .  curiously  does  he  end  up  turning  down  an  alley  ,  and  even  curiouser  does  he  gasp  at  the  sight  of  a  woman  crying  .  he  rushes  to  her  ,  though  not  too  close  .  her  clothes  are  ones  he  recognize  as  well  made  ,  and  his  eyes  trail  the  fabrics  and  stitches  with  a  sparkling  admiration  .    “  don’t  apologize  !  it’s  all  right  !  ”    emery  tries  to  sound  calm  ,  but  without  feeling  it  himself  ,  it  doesn’t  come  off  that  way  .    “  are  you  okay  ?  did  something  happen  to  you  ?  ”

             delicate fingertips thread through golden locks, parting waves with ease. there’s a vibration easing out of lithe frame forming a hushed tone. melodic like singing as her hands continue to thread through the golden locks in front of her, forming two braids. they meet in the middle and the ruling lady is quick to finish, adding a signature pin with the ever so present form of a tiny wolf. and she’s moving to help the little girl slip off the chair. ❝ mind your step, sweet girl. ❞ dark gaze is set on her daughter as she carefully moves over the mess of shoes on the ground. bright gaze lifts, a mirror of her father’s, easily finding the darker hues of her mother. and lianne couldn’t help the delicate smile that found her lips at the mere sight of her daughter. ❝ all good, mommy !! ❞ she’s nodding in response, bending to gather the small shoes before placing them in ada’s wardrobe, an attempt to help her handmaidens and ada’s nursemaid. 

patting small palms against the sides of her dress, the small framed lady moves to exit the room, extending her hand out to the little girl. tiny fingers wrap around her own, not quite big enough to grab her hand. and they’re walking down the halls of king’s landing’s very own castle. dark optics flicker around the outdoors, not yet used to the lack of snow. motherly eyes finding her first born almost immediately. and he’s beaming at her, finding his way out from the huddle of nothern boys playing. there’s a tug on her hand, calling for her attention. ❝ go on, then, ada - not too far from rose. ❞ one of the many nursemaids keeping watchful eyes on the young noble children. ❝ jon !! mind your sister. ❞ lianne instructs, watching as the little girl rushes off towards the younger girls. and she shakes her head, smile in tact even as she turns. gaze lingers, as a mother’s would, before she turns on her heels. and a breathless gasp leaves her lips, a small hand flying towards her chest because the old gods knew she was not expecting anyone to be there when she turned. ❝ gods, you move quietly !! ❞ 

          𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑹𝑫𝑬𝑵  𝑯𝑨𝑫  𝑵𝑶𝑻  𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑵  𝑯𝑶𝑴𝑬    to  any  children  since  emery  himself  had  been  a  child  ,  and  even  with  his  own  childhood  ,  it  had  stopped  being  a  joyous  affair  after  his  mother’s  passing  .  once  old  enough  to  listen  (  though  listen  he  rarely  did  )  ,  emery’s  father  had  told  him  to  be  a  child  was  to  be  foolish  ,  and  a  man  should  always  be  glad  to  shed  his  childish  days  and  become  someone  with  dignity  .  but  emery  was  never  ,  ever  any  good  with  dignity  .  he  found  himself  enthralled  with  the  innocence  of  the  younger  folk  ,  and  when  he  was  older  and  ventured  out  of  the  estate  (  the  few  times  after  which  he  had  been  sober  enough  to  remember  his  doings  the  previous  night  ,  that  is  )  emery  had  recalled  giving  all  he  had  brought  with  him  to  a  few  children  who  had  found  themselves  somehow  living  on  the  street  .

now that robb looks closer,  he can see that emery is indeed clad in a rather sensible cloak  ––  robb cannot see it well enough to gather whether or not it is made from fine northern furs,  but it hardly matters  ––  though the oldflowers seems to have caught cold.  there is a quality to his voice that suggests not all is well.  then the dying light catches emery’s cheeks,  and the glimmer of tears jump out at robb,  revealing the cause of said quality,  and for a moment,  robb is at a loss for words.  still, emery seems to be in decent spirits,  all things considered.  or,  at the very least,  is not void of energy.  robb smiles,  and nods.  “ yes,  i am well.  and i have a few, ”  he says,  and he steps forward to take his place at the bench.  “ what of you?  are you well?  besides not being cold. ”  the smile he’s affected since finding himself in emery’s company takes on a rather sheepish quality for a beat or two,  and then his expression slips back to its most common form,  which is to say neutrality,  bordering on a frown.  he means nothing by it;  it is simply his face.  “ i would ask what possessed you to be out here at such an hour,  but i fear that would make me something of a hypocrite.  we are in this together,  now. ”

          𝑯𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑵𝑮  𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹  𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑵  𝑨  𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑹    to  tears  (  or  ,  truly  ,  showing  them  ;  though  he’s  never  done  so  in  a  public  setting  ,  as  he’s  never  had  the  chance  to  )  it  is  not  an  uncomfortable  thing  to  be  caught  shedding  them  .  emery  believes  they  are  natural  ,  though  he  is  not  yet  privy  to  the  belief  that  only  women  have  the  outright  privilege  (  rather  ,  perhaps  ,  the  expectation  )  to  do  so  without  the  judgement  of  the  seven  kingdoms  .  one  last  sniffle  ,  and  the  lord  smiles  weakly  at  a  man  he  considers  his  friend  .    “  oh  ,  lovely  !  ‘tis  nice  to  have  company  for  a  change  .  ”    emery  hesitates  ,  however  ,  at  the  question  .  he  is  not  often  asked  it  ,  after  all  .  not  with  any  real  feeling  .    “  i  suppose  i’m  sort  of  stuck  between  missing  my  home  and  hoping  to  never  return  there  .  it’s  a  strange  feeling  .  silly  ,  isn’t  it  ?  to  want  something  and  to  not  want  it  at  the  same  time  ?  ”    emery  slowly  shakes  his  head  ,  dismissing  his  own  words  as  if  they  mean  nothing  .  and  perhaps  they  don’t  ,  he  thinks  .  or  maybe  he  simply  needs  to  find  something  to  eat  .  green  eyes  go  wide  as  robb  continues  ,  and  emery’s  mouth  gapes  open  just  an  inch  before  his  features  stretch  into  a  wide  ,  toothy  smile  that  reach  his  glassy  eyes  in  no  time  .  he  sniffs  ,  reaches  to  wipe  his  cheeks  ,  and  nods  once  .  an  affirmation  .    “  together  ,  ”    says  emery  ,  uttering  a  word  he  isn’t  at  all  used  to  .    “  but  in  truth  ...  it’s  quiet  here  ,  and  i  find  very  few  people  here  at  this  hour  .  it’s  a  nice  place  to  come  when  my  room  at  the  inn  becomes  a  prison  .  what  of  you  ,  lord  stark  ?  are  you  sure  you  don’t  want  to  discuss  why  you  came  here  ?  i’m  here  ,  and  i’m  listening  !  ”

             𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓  𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐒  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄  of  a  burden  than  anything  else  .  more  and  more  strangers  fill  the  streets  of  a  place  he  now  refers  to  as  home  …  some  strangers  venturing  from  what  he  previously  knew  as  a  poor  excuse  for  a  home  .  he  never  did  like  the  north  much  –  his  family  shared  the  cold  demeanor  that  the  temperatures  did  .  all  he  ever  wanted  was  to  escape  ,  and  though  it  took  him  years  ,  he’s  built  a  decent  life  for  himself  .  he’ll  be  damned  if  someone  from  house  glenmore  or  any  northerner  threatens  to  take  that  from  him  .  so  the  man  is  on  edge  ,  can  one  blame  him  ?  his  nights  are  either  spent  alone  in  his  shop  ,  specifically  in  the  loft  above  ,  or  in  a  nearby  brothel  or  tavern  .  some  nights  ,  all  he  wants  is  the  company  of  another  while  others  he  isolates  himself  ,  but  one  thing  never  changes  …  he  always  desires  silence  .

it’s  why  when  he  hears  a  commotion  right  outside  his  doorstep  ,  he  heaves  over  the  hearth  to  retrieve  his  prized  weapon  .  the  screaming  startles  him  ,  more  closer  than  it  has  ever  been  before  .  he  knows  of  the  city’s  thieves  ,  in  fact  he’s  come  quite  acquainted  with  them  .  they  have  shared  blows  and  punches  before  ,  as  belos  has  never  been  one  to  tolerate  their  deals  in  exchange  for  his  work  .  he’s  not  a  man  to  be  threatened  .  with  his  warhammer  hoisted  over  his  shoulder  ,  the  blacksmith  swings  open  the  door  of  his  shop  and  glances  in  the  direction  of  commotion  .  even  in  the  dark  ,  he  suspects  he  knows  the  thieves  and  will  deal  with  them  in  the  morning  .  they’re  crafty  ,  but  they  know  when  to  scatter  .  it’s  the  unfamiliar  stranger  that  has  him  narrowing  his  brows  and  taking  but  a  step  closer  .    ❝    seven  hells  …    ❞    he  mutters  ,  the  faint  light  of  a  nearby  lantern  showing  the  wetness  on  the  other’s  cheeks  .  belos  lets  his  weapon  slip  off  his  shoulder  and  into  the  dirt  with  a  thud  .    ❝    i  believe  i  just  saved  your  coin  ,  perhaps  even  your  life  …  no  thank  you  or  anything  ?  gods  ,  i’m  not  going  to  hurt  you  .    ❞    

𝑰𝑺  𝑰𝑻  𝑷𝑶𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑩𝑳𝑬  𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻  𝑯𝑬  𝑱𝑼𝑫𝑮𝑬𝑫  𝑻𝑶𝑶  𝑺𝑶𝑶𝑵  ?    the  stranger  is  hardly  a  threat  if  he  isn’t  actively  swinging  the  large  weapon  in  his  grip  ,  right  ?  emery  wants  to  think  not  ,  though  in  truth  ,  he’s  not  at  all  sure  his  bad  luck  will  stand  for  it  .  the  shadowy  man  ,  however  ,  heaves  the  weapon  lower  ,  and  emery’s  gaze  follow  its  weight  .  he  can’t  help  but  flinch  and  jump  back  when  there’s  a  thud  in  the  dirt  ,  but  the  lord’s  gaze  soon  travels  upwards  and  away  from  the  weapon  .  but  then  the  lantern  eliminates  sparkling  blue  eyes  ,  and  suddenly  emery  feels  a  little  less  afraid  .

𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑫   𝑬𝑴𝑬𝑹𝒀   𝑶𝑳𝑫𝑭𝑳𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑹𝑺   ! 𝑻𝑨𝑺𝑲   𝑶𝑵𝑬   !

EMERY OLDFLOWERS ; 

                   warm  winds  ruffled  the  veiled  curtains  which  hung  around  the  balcony  in  shades  of  crimson.  with  an  exhausted  sigh,  ursula  flopped  back  onto  her  bed,  head  cushioned  by  many  custom  frocks  which  she’d  recently  had  commissioned.  the  fair  haired  lady  turned  her  gaze  slighty  to  the  person  next  to  her.   ❛  i  just  don’t  know  which  one  to  wear  first,  ❜  she  sighed,   her  expressioned  troubled.  it  was  though  it  was  the  most  pressing  thing  in  the  world  &   to  ursula  in  that  moment,  it  was. 

she  hopped  up  from  her  spot  and  held  a  gown  of  myrish  lace  to  her  body,  which  was  soft  lilac  in  colour,   ❛  this  gown  would  surely  suit  tea  in  the  gardens?  ❜  she  asked,  but  then  quickly  moved  to  pick  up  a  sapphire  toned  gown  with  bold cutouts,   ❛            while  this  one  is  useful  for  attracting  a  far  better  suitor  than  the  one  I  currently  have…wouldn’t  you  agree?   ❜  she  swayed  with  the  gown  &  let  out  a  laugh.   ❛  do  you  think  me  silly,  emery?   ❜  

          𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑵  𝑬𝒀𝑬𝑺  𝑯𝑨𝑫  𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮  𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑬    drifted  closed  ,  assisted  by  the  calmness  usually  accompanied  with  lazy  days  and  good  company  .  though  it  was  not  dreamland  he  had  ventured  into  .  (  and  emery  knew  this  because  his  dreams  were  not  often  a  very  nice  place  to  be  ,  and  he  did  not  have  a  habit  of  willfully  reaching  for  them  when  he  was  not  at  last  half  full  of  wine  )  .  the  lord  is  comfortable  ,  and  at  peace  ;  surrounded  by  not  only  luxurious  fabrics  and  colors  that  please  the  eyes  ,  but  a  friend  fast  in  the  making  .  and  so  it’s  easy  when  a  smile  appears  brightly  on  his  lips  when  ursula  speaks  ,  and  emery  suddenly  sits  up  ,  the  picture  of  boundless  energy  .

as the hour grew later,  the gardens emptied,  rendering them the perfect place to be.  he’d been told as he’d left his room that he ought not to go out  ––  he might catch a chill  ––  but the south didn’t know what a chill was,  and besides,  the lightest of his cloaks were still warmer than those belonging to most southerners.  he’d only wanted a moment to himself,  to think,  and take the air,  but did not leave as soon as that moment was up.  instead,  he went to find a seat.  there had been a place by a bed of roses he’d walked by the other day,  and beside it,  what had looked to be a comfortable place to read.  it wasn’t yet too dark to see  ––  he might as well.  when he reached it,  however,  there was a familiar figure perched atop the bench.  “ hello again,  emery, ”  he said as he approached,  and then frowned.  “ are you not cold? ”   /   closed  for  @petalgold

          𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬  𝑨𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑬  𝑰𝑺  𝑬𝑨𝑺𝒀   to  come  by  for  emery  .  being  a  ruling  lord  ,  one  would  think  ,  brings  company  and  laughter  and  echoes  to  ones  bedchambers  ––  but  emery  had  not  exactly  flaunted  that  title  upon  arriving  in  the  city  ,  had  he  ? terrified  of  being  in  his  father’s  position ( or  simply  of  being  his  father  ) the  young  ruling  lord  has  not  told  anyone  explicitly  ,  though  undoubtedly  has  let  it  slip ;  but  he’s  never  announced  it  on  purpose  .  the  loneliness  gets  to  him  ,  though  he’s  loath  to  admit  it  if  only  because  doing  so  makes  it  more  real  .  however  ,  that’s  exactly  he’s  done  tonight  ,  and  therefore  has  found  himself  in  the  gardens ––  the  place  that  reminds  him  most  of  his  mother  .  not  ashamed  to  have  shed  quite  a  few  tears  here  ,  he  doesn’t  hide  the  wetness  on  his  cheeks  when  a  familiar  voice  picks  up  nearby.    “ robb  ?  ”    says  emery  ,  and  he  bounces  from  the  bench  and  is  suddenly  smiling  ,  though  he  sniffles  slightly  .    “ cold  ?  no !  this  is  fur  from  the  finest  of  your  people  ,  or  so  the  merchants  on  the  kingsroad  told  me  ...  ”    another  sniffle  ,  another  bounce  .    “  how  are  you  ?  are  you  well  ?  come  ,  sit  !  that  is   ...  if  you  have  a  moment  ?  ”

If it weren’t for the sounds of the men gambling being interrupted by whispers of confusions and the bustle of people, the blond would have turned and struck at the man that had dared to put a hand on him - after all, it wasn’t beneath iron born to play dirty and have someone try to get a lucky lick in. It was good, for the lord’s sake, that the blond had been able to hear the commotion before he felt the hand on his shoulder - and it was especially good that the lord had the good sense to withdraw his hand from his shoulder. “Why? Because it’s fun,” he said with a chuckle, the men - and even women - among the crowd laughing out lightly. “Though I suppose you wouldn’t know much about that, would you?” The silks and linens that he wore were beautiful, the colors bright and vibrant, and he could essentially guess what part of the Seven Kingdoms this man was from. “There’s a reason that Highgarden had been so easy to capture during Queen Daenarys war against the Lannisters.”

          𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐘  𝐇𝐀𝐒  𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍  𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃  𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇  𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  .    while  able  to  recall  mistakes  ,  the  lord  is  less  practiced  with  attempting  not  to  repeat  them  .  rather  ,  he’s  found  himself  in  familiar  (  and  often  disagreeable  )  situations  more  than  once  or  twice  since  journeying  away  from  his  home  in  the  reach  .  and  this  ,  he  thinks  ,  must  be  near  the  top  of  that  ever-growing  list  ...  still  ,  emery  will  undoubtedly  stop  the  next  fight  he  sees  (  or  what  he  thinks  is  a  fight  )  despite  knowing  quite  well  that  the  large  man  before  him  could  easily  take  him  down  if  the  want  arose  .    “  how  is  hurting  each  other  any  fun  ?  ”    his  tone  is  less  shocked  now  ,  though  still  surprised  ;  but  now  it  holds  curiosity  ,  too  .  the  other’s  next  words  come  to  emery’s  ear  sharply  ,  and  while  he  recognizes  them  as  perhaps  an  underhanded  insult  ,  they  do  not  bother  him  .  after  all  ,  the  other  man  is  correct  ,  is  he  not  ?    “  no  ,  certainly  not  .  i’ve  never  fought  anyone  in  my  life  .  ”    said  with  both  innocence  and  pride  ,  eyes  wide  as  he  listens  intently  to  what’s  being  said  next  .    “  oh  ...  i  suppose  that’s  true  .  but  what  does  any  of  that  have  to  do  with  fighting  in  the  streets  ?  you  know  ,  i  don’t  think  the  royal  guards  would  take  kindly  to  a  brawl  taking  place  this  close  in  time  to  the  landsmeet  .  ”    what’s  meant  as  an  innocent  warning  comes  off  unknowingly  as  a  threat  ,  and  emery  stands  innocently  ,  a  small  smile  on  his  features  and  wide  ,  green  eyes  sparkling  in  the  sun  .

𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬  𝑯𝑨𝑺  𝑨𝑳𝑾𝑨𝒀𝑺  𝑩𝑬𝑬𝑵  𝑬𝑳𝑼𝑺𝑰𝑽𝑬  𝑻𝑶  𝑬𝑴𝑬𝑹𝒀  .      perhaps  it  wasn’t  time  itself  ,  but  the  management  of  it  ;  emery  has  always  found  himself  losing  track  of  it  ,  even  as  a  child  getting  lost  in  the  once-lively  gardens  of  his  home  .  now  ,  however  ,  it’s  the  darkening  streets  of  king’s  landing  at  dusk  that  become  more  and  more  unfamiliar  as  the  ruling  lord  walks  further  south  (  or  is  it  north  ?  )  and  becomes  slightly  more  aware  of  how  late  the  hour  is  .  soon  ,  it’s  dark  enough  that  emery  sees  lanterns  being  lit  in  windows  as  he  passes  shops  and  houses  ,  and  it  isn’t  long  before  he’s  tugging  his  fur-lined  ,  red  silk  robe  tighter  around  himself  .

one  might  argue  that  emery  should  hear  the  footsteps  rushing  up  behind  him  ,  but  he  doesn’t  .  nor  does  he  expect  the  hands  that  come  to  wrap  around  him  from  behind  and  attempt  to  cover  his  mouth  and  rip  his  robe  and  satin  shirt  from  his  chest  .  he  panics  and  screams  out  ,  for  help  ,  for  someone  to  stop  them  -  “  them  ”  being  thieves  ,  he  realizes  ,  as  their  hands  go  for  his  coin  purse  .  it  only  last  a  few  seconds  before  the  door  of  the  nearest  shop  opens  ,  and  emery  (  and  the  two  thieves  )  turn  to  look  at  who  exits  .  the  lord  feels  himself  being  released  as  soon  as  they  all  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  shadowed  figure  with  a  large  weapon  over  his  shoulder  ,  but  emery  feels  anything  but  relieved  .  in  fact  ,  the  hotness  of  a  few  tears  are  on  his  cheeks  ,  though  he  doesn’t  notice  them  right  away  .  “  hello  ?  did  you  ...  i  ...  please  ,  please  don’t  hurt  me  !  ”

since arriving at king’s landing, adina has spent most of her time just in her chambers reading. or at least, attempting to. it appeared that king’s landing was not known for quiet – being too noisy to concentrate on a sentence, much less the page. she’s not sure how many times she’s had to go back a paragraph simply because her focus was interruptedby whoever outside the chambers. 

adina wasn’t about to complain about the noise, rather just try and solve the problem on her own. with her book in hand, adina disappeared out of her chambers and soon found herself outside of the castle. not after taking quite some time trying to find some place inside the walls but with no such luck, of course. which is the sole reason why she was outside the castle walls, to discover that quiet place that she just knows has to be out there somewhere in king’s landing – somewhere she wouldn’t be disturbed.

but it appeared that finding a spot would be put on hold when she came across a friendly kitten in the streets. and adina would be a monster if she didn’t stop to just give it a few scratches. “ aren’t you a cute one? ”

𝑬𝑴𝑬𝑹𝒀  𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑾  𝑼𝑷  𝑰𝑵  𝑻𝑯𝑬  𝑺𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬    offered  to  him  by  the  many  empty  rooms  and  corridors  that  accompanied  each  lonely  day  .  he  knew  nothing  of  the  bustling  streets  of  any  city  ,  let  alone  king’s  landing  ,  though  the  stories  he  had  always  heard  (  or  ,  though  much  less  occasionally  ,  read  )  had  always  kept  the  young  oldflowers  lord  rather  intruiged  .

and  he  had  not  been  disappointed  .  king’s  landing  was  not  just  as  busy  as  he  had  expected  ,  it  was  more  so    -    and  with  much  more  excitement  about  the  landsmeet  than  emery  had  anticipated  .  while  the  nerves  are  always  present  in  the  pit  of  his  stomach  (  as  he  suspects  they’ll  always  be  ,  though  the  thought  is  concerning  enough  to  make  said  nerves  double  )  he  does  not  intend  to  let  them  get  in  the  way  of  enjoying  himself  .

but  ,  as  ever  ,  even  the  streets  (  as  busy  and  interesting  as  ever  )  are  no  match  for  emery’s  curiosity  .  he  finds  himself  wandering  ,  following  noises  in  alley  ways  and  soon  sees  a  tiny  creature  he’s  only  heard  described  in  novels  .  a  cat  !  a  kitten  ,  really  ,  and  emery  gasps  ;  as  he’s  approaching  ,  slowly  as  to  not  scare  it  away  ,  another  form  appears  and  begins  petting  at  the  kitten  instead  .  emery  clears  his  throat  ,  still  inching  closer  ,  now  suddenly  wondering  if  the  animal  is  carrying  any  diseases  .  growing  up  as  ill  as  he  did  ,  he  supposes  those  sort  of  thoughts  will  always  be  with  him  .      “  is  it  friendly  ?  ”      asks  emery  ,  silk  blouse  threatening  to  untuck  itself  from  his  trousers  in  the  wind  .      “  i  would  hate  to  be  scratched  .  are  you  not  afraid  ?  ”