23 years, 100 hospital vists and counting

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October 2nt 1622 12:00 PM

Thorn had woken up a bit late and was going through the silliness of getting himself ready for the day, He had forgotten to check his calendar from being in such a rush, though he had not forgotten to feed his mouse Shadow.

He rushed out of his room and onto the stairs railing sliding down to the bottom to avoid rushing into a maid. The ending was still rather unfortunate as he ended up falling onto his butt when he didn't jump off in time. "Ow..I need to practice that.."

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Normally, Saul would have gone upstairs and dragged his sibling out of bed four hours ago, but being that it was Thorn's birthday, he didn't.

Instead, he sat in the main foyer on a posh chair, sipping at tea with a small tray of cookies on the coffee table as he read a book. Beyond used to his brother's klutziness, Thorn's spectacular entrance didn't incite an immediate reaction, and Saul simply finished the sentence he was reading, tucked a bookmark in the pages, and sat the book aside.

"I would say you do, Thorn." Saul said jovially. "I would rather not have to take you to the hospital on your birthday." Smiling, Rare sight by anyone other than Thorn himself, who was really the only thing that could keep him from being a grumpThat and kitty cats, but he'll deny it

Saul stood and walked over to his brother, still grinning at his antics, and if Thorn hadn't already scrambled to his feet, help the younger Darcy to his feet.

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Thorn was rubbing his butt as he got up and looked over when his brother spoke up. Birthday..? He looked around quickly to find the calendar, it really was October second. It took him a minute before he replied. "Huh, It is my birthday isn't it?"

He smiled slightly, then became slightly relived as to waking up late. "Thank you Saul." he quickly glanced over to the window to be sure it wasn't raining. Twenty three years old and he hadn't killed him self yet in some embarrassing manner that was a achievement for him.

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Saul stood next to his sibling as he did his normal weather check. Rain on a birthday wasn't fun. He'd wait until his kid brother was done running around and settled back to some form of paying attention.

"Twenty three years and you're still in one piece. I don't know if my efforts have done anything, or if you're just a really lucky person." Saul joked, plucking some dust from Thorn's jacket and flicking it aside.

His expression sobered some and he put his hands in his pockets casually. "Eleven years since Mom and Dad died. If they could see you now, I'm sure they'd be proud, if a little concerned." He chuckled. "Come now, you're not going to wear that on your special day, are you? Go get your good clothes on, and meet me in the study. Go on."

With a light shooing motion, Saul sent his brother upstairs to change and turned to head to the study, leaving he tray of tea and cookies for the maid to take care of.

Once he got into the study, Saul would walk over to one of the locked cases and pull the key out of his pocket, unlocking the case and opening the wooden doors, revealing the contents. He'd withdraw a single item and close it, relocking it. The study had been their father's, but upon taking over the manor, Saul had claimed it and it's contents.

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Thorn had finely settled down looking to his brother with a smile. "Hahaha, I suppose so, I should thank you and the friends I have for that." He chuckled at his brother. Ahh and then the somber reminder, it really had been that long hadn't it? He couldn't help but smile when he heard Saul say that.

"I think they would be the same for you." he smiled with a slight chuckle. "Alright." he grinned rushing off to his room quickly to change. After what seemed to be more then twenty minutes Thorn came back down the stairs, careful not to fall down them, he was in much more causal clothing.

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"Heh, well, we can do that later." Saul dismissed, before shooing Thorn upstairs to get changed.

Inside the study, Saul stashed the item under the desk and then waited, noting that Thorn was taking forever. What was he, a woman? It didn't take twenty minutes to change your clothes!

Once the door opened, Saul let out a small relieved sigh and turned to his brother, only to let out a small annoyed groan. "Thorn, is that what you classify as your 'good clothes'?" He asked, exasperated. "You look like you're about to test out one of your inventions. I'm talking your nice clothes, your dress clothes!" Oh Thorn, how much of a pain you could be to your dear brother's backside.

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"But it's comfortable!" he replied in something in a whiny tone, pouting at Saul for a minute before huffing.

"Fiiine" he groaned heading back up, and lesser then the time he took before came back down in his nicer clothing. They may never know, Thorn did look a bit to snazzy to be a normal man.

"Better?" he asked when he came back down feeling slightly silly, but only slightly with a teasing smile.

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Saul didn't reply in words, and simply raised an eyebrow in a manner that beget the need. Thankfully, Thorn went to go change and was back in much shorter order, looking every inch the noble youth he was.

"Much, I can almost bear the thought of you being seen in public." Clearly Saul was joking here. "You look great, you really should dress like that more often. You're a handsome man, you'd have no troubles finding a woman if you put some effort behind it." There Saul went again. Pushing Thorn to find a bride of noble status, though with his affiliation with that easterner, he'd settle for anyone who wasn't eastern.

Well, neither here nor there. "Anyway, do you have any idea why I've asked you down here?" Saul asked. Once he was given a response, he'd continue. "Well, I thought long and hard on what to get you for your twenty third birthday, and after a while I decided on something." Saul would reach into the desk and withdraw the item he stashed, revealing an older, but well taken care of and rather beautiful rapier. "I know you've never been fond of the art of dueling, but I thought that maybe you'd want this. It was Father's. He planned on giving it to me when I turned twenty three, I'm told. He never got that chance, but..." He paused and smiled fondly at the item, before handing it to Thorn with both hands, laying it flat on his palms. "It wouldn't hurt for you to at least learn to use it, for self defense. It might help you get over your two left feet, too." He chuckled.

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Thorn rolled his eyes with a smile, and stuck his tongue out at Saul quickly an childishly. "Because if I did that, they would get ruined, you know this." he grinned, poking fun at his own clumsiness. "....and that's another reason why I don't" He added, what was with him and wanting Thorn to get a girlfriend..? Thorn just rolled his eyes, as if saying no thanks.

"No." Thorn quickly replied. What had he asked him down here for?...And in these itchy garments no matter. Thorn nodded as Saul continued. A slight nervous look came to his face seeing the blade " Weapons..Oh yay. " He thought seeing it. he was surly not one for fights. Though upon hearing what meaning there was to it, he relaxed, actually smiling. "Alright." he nodded, but mind wondered to why on earth he had to get all dressed up? He felt silly! but was not going to mention that to Saul.

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Saul chuckled and raised an eyebrow at his brother's childish display. Oh Thorn, how hard you made it for your brother to see you as anything but a boy still. "Well, just walk slowly and don't fiddle with your machines and you'll be fine. You're always in such a hurry, so wonder you trip over yourself." And he was scoffing on finding a wife again. Saul was hesitant on arranging something himself, but if Thorn kept this up...

Was it fair to push the fortune on Thorn? He always thought that it would be best, let Thorn have the fortune, Saul could easily support himself, but... If Thorn never married, or married that Easterner... As much as he was loath to do it, as he disliked female tittering and tottering and how fake they were under all that makeup, powder, and money, he seriously began to consider finding a bride, if for no other reason than to produce a son to carry the Darcy name.

"I really do want to be able to teach you how to use it, Thorn. It's dangerous out there, and every man should know how to wield a blade." He explained. "But that is for another time. For now, we have a date for afternoon tea outside the capital building. We're meeting someone there." He'd remain vague as to who, though.

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"I think that maybe a bit impossible to do." Thorn chuckled, but huffed, he'd carry it but not all the time to make his brother happy. "Lest it keeps me thin I suppose~" Thorn joked with a silly smile on his face. Oh Saul you really have no idea how capable your brother is at times do you? Thorn just stood there blissfully unaware about what was to come. "Alright Saul. If you really want to I am willing to take lessons from you." he smiled crossing his arms.

"Meeting someone..? Huh, who? Is this is why you made me get dressed in these silly things?" He questioned his brother following him when he started to walk. He had a sudden uneasy feeling sitting in his stomach that he chose to ignore.

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"Well, never hurts to try." Saul chuckled, though when he agreed to accept sword lessons from him, Saul's slight smirk turned into a warm smile. Aside from books, his passion lied in sword play, and having Thorn accept instruction was a magnificent thing to him.

"Yes, and we need to get going. Come now, the carriage is waiting for us." Saul stepped towards the door to the study and proceeded to lead the way to the main door, pausing only to grab a light overcoat to ward of the October chill later in the evening.

He'd wait for Thorn to catch up and lead the way outside, climbing into the carriage after signalling the coachman the destination. He wouldn't say anything right away, and really until Thorn spoke up.

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"Indeedly so, that's why I try despite all the injures I may receive" He chuckled, grabbing his own coat as he followed Saul out the door, still wondering what was going on and wondering why his brother wasn't answering, that unsettling feeling was starting to worsen, making him feel ready to vomit. "Now really Saul who are we meeting?"

He asked again sounding a bit stressed from the feeling in his stomach as he entered the carriage and sat down, he turned to look out the window to try and get his mind off of what Saul maybe planning. He didn't like surprises, not at all, it is why he had staid away from the inventor's quarter, it was loud and the sudden explosions where to much for his nerves.

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Saul chuckled and grabbed his coat, stepping outside and climbing into the carriage, feeling it lurch into motion and bring them to their destination. "You'll see. I actually think you might like this, even if you might not think so at first." Saul gave his brother a sly grin, before looking back out the window, watching people milling about.

After a few minutes, the carriage would come to a stop and, before letting Thorn out, Saul would give his brother's clothes a once over, before opening the door and stepping out, letting Thorn follow.

He'd look around for a moment before getting a small smile and gesturing for Thorn to follow. He'd lead the way to a small table outside the cafe, under a large umbrella which shielded the glaring sun from them.

Sitting at the table was a woman about Thorn's age, light brown, blondish hair, pale and freckled. She looked just as nervous and uncomfortable as Thorn was likely feeling, shifting constantly in her seat and repeatedly looking over to a much older woman also sitting at the table, who seemed to be the mother. The girl's apple green eyes flashed as she looked around, and gently biting her nail as she seemed to be waiting for someone or something.

"Ah, Mrs. Redberry. I'm glad you and your daughter, Juniper could make it." Saul greeted, walking up to the two women. The older woman nodded but the one named Juniper seemed to be as jumpy as she was nervous, and leapt to her feet in such a rush to be polite that he knocked into the umbrella and knocked it over, sending it toppling over into the next table with a resounding crash, which created a domino effect, toppling every table and sending tea and cookies flying.

Saul stood there in silence, Juniper turning red as a beet and looking like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

"S-Sorry." She squeaked.


[[OOC: Picture of our hapless lady: Juniper Redberry. Yes, I shamelessly used a doll maker. IT WORKED.]]

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As Thorn fallowed his brother and saw the women he let out a groan leaning his head back. "Oh for fuck sake Saul..." Thorn grumbled as he followed, the uncomfortable feeling turning to about a the size of medium sized flame of anger, but he kept it hidden best he could not wanting to to scar the poor women.

Thorn then made a face as he saw her due something extremely expected of him, he felt more embarrassed realizing he was just as bad. "It's fine Ma'dam....Uh..Who are you two?"