It's All Routine [Invite]

[Kazn Ezel]

Even after many months the ball room was still a wreck. That fateful evening at the Devil's Ball had simply been several disasters piled on top of one another. Kazn would rather not think about the incident.

Each and every step on the newly tiled floor was resolute--full of purpose. Once the rubble had been cleared many artisans had found full time work in repairing the grand room, and many slaves had been forced into difficult labor and subjected to humiliation when they were unable to perform tasks well beyond their minimal skills.

There was a clash of steel in tandem with the click of Kazn's boot. The man advanced another step before holding up a hand to sign for a momentary pause. Something astray had grabbed his attention. "Does the organ look out of place to you?"

He was asking the advice of someone not nearly so musically inclined as he, but he expected that Anolean would at least recall where the organ had been before the destruction of the room. There was an ideal location in the room selected specifically for the highest quality of acoustics.

Kazn made a mental note to inform the workers once they finished with their break. His mind disapproved of the poor management of living resources--he was certain that a great deal more work could be finished if the workers were more closely administrated by he or Naelona, but the other duties of the Palace were quite busying.

That, and Kazn was not supposed to really be involving himself directly in administrative affairs any longer. The eldestt Ezel waved it off with his hand. "You said you had something to talk with me about earlier?" He quietly wished that this conversation had little to nothing to do with Naelona. Almost immediately he dismissed the childish thoughts, but it did not change the fact that they were desirable.

[Anolean Ezel]

One had to wonder if this damn ballroom was ever going to be rebuilt in proper order. It was taking far to long to get this room finished when it should of been completely fully a month ago. Stupid humans and lazy monsters couldn't seem to get anything done right.

That was one of the reasons why Anolean was right here in this very room with his father. They where to check out the room and see what needed to be done and direct. Well, more like Anolean was supposed to be directing the room in a matter of speaking, but he had people do to that for him.

Anolean pulled back, heels clicking on the new tiles, he lowered his cane sword in an arc. His pale brows came together in thought as he stared at the organ in question. Truely, it looked to be slightly off. "I believe it is indeed, Father. It should be two feet to the left and an inch down if memory serves." Ah, the odd things that Ezel's happen to remember and keep track off.

Oh well, that was how things went in this family. Speaking of going, Anolean thrusted forward with his sword without warning to either gain his fathers attention or to stab him in the belly. "Ah, I did have a matter to bring up with you." Stated the son as he took a step back out of harms way. "There is this small matter of Akio."

From the corner of the room, the small snuff of a leopard could be heard. It seemed Anolean's own familiar was tired of hearing his Master talk about a subject it heard far too often at home.

"I've been informed by my sister, that I am supposed to marry a woman." And here it comes, "And I do not wish to be married at this time or ever for that matter." Anolean had a big no-no sign when it came to relationships. He did not like them nor did he ever want to be in one. So, it was no surprise that he brought this up at all.

"If anyone should marry, it should be my Twin."

[Kazn Ezel]

Anolean's assessment of the organ seemed appropriate. Kazn would pester the artisans to move the massive instrument to an appropriate position. It would be slaves that performed the heavy lifting, even if Boogies were better suited to it. After all, the humans had to be punished for creating the mess in the first place.

The thought of that masked boy on the balcony still disturbed Kazn. There had been a blatant disregard for any life--human or otherwise. It meant that the one edge Kazn had assumed was held over the rebellion did not matter. They would gladly die for their cause. They might even willingly toss away the lives of those that did not wish to die for their cause. It meant that they were fighting on nearly equal footing with Boogies so far as moral quandaries would be concerned.

Ah, but he was losing himself in his thoughts. Anolean had taken the pleasure of bringing him back with a thrust. It was not nearly fast enough to be dangerous, save for a distracted man. Kazn managed to deflect it to the side with his saber before taking his stance once again.

Kazn was forced to remain calm and keep a clear head as he practiced swordplay with Anolean. It was very fortunate for Anolean, because the boy managed to say nothing that pleased his father. At all. That was quite the accomplishment. It was very daring too. Kazn Ezel had killed for less.

Instead of letting out his rage in some rash and unreasonable manner, he smiled at the young boy. "Arrangements were, in fact, made for courtship between you and a suitable female, yes." It hardly meant that a union was going to come of it. Anolean was a charming young lad, but he could easily find a thousand and one ways to mess it up somehow. Unless Naelona had truly found a brazen woman with an inexorable will. Such specimens were rare, but not impossible to find.

"You have not even started into the courtship process, and so I will not hear complaints about what you do not wish to do. Wishes are childish fancy." Kazn delivered a rapid series of feints before swinging his sword at Anolean's leg.

"And dare I ask for your reasoning for your claim about your twin?" The man did not even skip a beat in the discussion.

[Anolean Ezel]

There should be awards given out to those who managed to piss of his fatehr as quickly as he could. True, his sister did it with a much better style as she spoke with a sharper tongue then he did. However, this was not the point, the point was that Anolean did not like his life being altered. No one would, in fact, would like that but this was normal for the Ezel family.

The boy was not worried or concerned with what his father might say or do with him. He knew his father well enough to know what to expect when he opened his big flapping mouth to speak of matters beyond work. Truely, he was a daring lad and always will be.

Raising his sword, he carefully deflected the rapid attacks and twisted away from a leg wound ready to happen. "Now, Father." He started as he was coming around to attack his rathers open side. "I can arrange my own courtships if I so happen to find a suitable partner." However, that would never happen as Anolean had that Holyer-Then-Though personality. He would not settle for anyone at all! He disliked romance, relationships, and over all being tied down to a single individual. Just the mere thought of it made him want to hurl his lunch into the nearest corner.

"Very well, then I will not court the woman and thus will end my whinning."

Now, the matter of his sister. He loved her ever so much, well as much a boogie can love anyone for that matter. Yet, could he throw her to the wolves? If it came to him remaining as he was at this moment, then the answer was not a yes, but a Hell Yes. Beside, his dear loving twin had been off for a very long time, she was indeed of a dire change in her life, one that Anolean was up for offering.

"Clearly, she needs a man in her life of the none-human kind. She needs someone strong to take charge and keep her in line. I am very certain you agree with that, Father." Anolean struck out at his father again, and then held up his hand for a sudden stop.

"And is it just me or does that tapestry seem very out of place? I don't recall a red one being on that wall."

[Kazn Ezel]

Anolean was a stubborn man. Kazn would have been able to appreciate the way the lad twisted words if they followed any real logical progression. Instead, the eldest Ezel merely had to acknowledge that he had spent years attempting to nurture something that just was not there.

Acknowledging the fault would do him no good now. Likewise, he had left himself open to his son's assault. It was easily remedied with a rapid spring backwards, but now Anolean was on the offense. Defense was a losing strategy for a sabreur, but Kazn had no choice but to play defense until his son left himself open for a riposte.

He listened to his son speak and silently mused over the fact that swordplay and wordplay were exactly the same at this time. His son was on the offense, but his attacks were ineffectual. Kazn doubted that the boy's heart was firmly rooted on the platform of victory. The riposte was nearly effortless.

"If you truly think your sister needs to be reined in, then perhaps you should copy her manner of stepping out of line with greater frequency."

There was a pause almost immediately after his statement. Kazn took note of the tapestry. "I believe it was a much darker color previously--a deep burgundy border instead of bright crimson." It was barely noticeable and had little effect on the nature of the decoration, but it was a change. "I can't decide if I like it."

His attention turned back to the swords. He gave his son's sword a light tap; normally it was the way a foil fencer notes that they are taking the right-of-way. "The source of my disapproval is not in your behavior, but in your lack thereof."

Kazn advanced towards his son with repeated twitches of his wrist that made the sword bob close to the boy's. He was feinting to unnerve the boy and get him to lower his guard.

[Anolean Ezel]

For a brief moment, Anolean looked truly perplexed by his fathers words. Did he just tell him that he needed to step out of mine far more then normal? Surely, that wasn't the case. Anolean was far more better then his sister and much more organized and it also helped that he felt nothing for his slaves. Unlike her, who seemed to have a fling with a one eyed boy that she couldn't seem to let go of. Granted, he didn't see anything wrong with it right off and still didn't, but he would prefer it if his sister didn't cling to the human so much.

Anolean was at a lose for a moment, Kazn had thrown him a curve ball. "Surely, you jest." He stated with a startled look, backing up a few steps in order not to get stabbed.

He could agree with his father on the tapestry, but not the words he chose to use against him. Especially, when it came to his lack of actions. "I believe Naelona does enough actions to count for the both of us..." Anolean raised his blade to counter the blows, but took one shot across the arm. His poor white cotton shirt was ripped across the forearm, but he was not harmed.

He glanced at it for a moment before stepping forward and swapping at his fathers chest in an arc. "My behavior is in line to my duties. I am not the type to get my gloves dirty while I have other, more capable beings, to do my work for me. Isn't that what Ezels do?"

"If not, what would you have me do? Marriage won't fix the issues." He shuddered at the idea.

[Kazn Ezel]

"I never jest." Nothing else needed to be said about it. Kazn was certain that Anolean knew the rest. Also, it could be said that completing the response would serve to create a pretty paradox. It would be better to allow the opportunity for droll theatrics to pass unmentioned. This was a serious conversation between father and son.

And his son just did not seem to get some things. Most peculiar was Anolean's inability to defend himself against an attack that was not an attack. Kazn attempted to get the boy to lower his guard and then instead ended up cutting his sleeve. "You need to focus, boy," he announced in a matter-of-fact tone.

The boy's attack was met with Kazn's preparedness. The swords had nearly been crossed just seconds before and Kazn was able to pivot his arm and make the boy's swing go wide. If the boy had neglected to keep his fingers in a firm grip around the handle, then he might have to deal with the shame of retrieving his sword as well.

"She does more than enough for two people, but there are many whom would shirk their responsibilities. An Ezel is a public servant, first and foremost. If there are others more capable or competent, then you must lead and inspire them. Otherwise, you must take matters into your own hands and get them dirty." And the Powers knew just how dirty Kazn's hands were.

Kazn took a jump back and returned to his basic stance. "Marriage need not be the end result of this juncture in your life. If you fail to take charge of your own life, then others will take charge of it for you. It is your duty to convince us that you are capable of taking charge and making something of yourself. Words will not convince, Anolean. Only actions will suffice."

[Anolean Ezel]

Truly, his father never jest on any matter. Especially, when the matters rotated around Anolean. Granted, the son would of loved to see his father jest about something...like this idea of marriage for example. Though, he could never be that lucky, at least not for very long.

Anolean peered down at his ripped sleeve for only a moment and sighed in irritation. He was focusing, however on the wrong subject now that it was in his head. Ugh, the idea of being together with some random person made him ill to his stomach. "I am prefectly focused." No, he wasn't but he was willing to lie about it for now.

Countering his father, he sighed again. "I do my own work well enough. I finish why I start." However, he did little in the first place to even put a stop to whatever he was working on. But still, he did what he was supposed to do and nothing more. He wouldn't do anything else extra, call it laziness.

Though, Anolean didn't take the idea of being threatened with marriage very well. He left his father know how he felt about it as he came up in an arc with his blade and then reversed the slice back down, hard. "And how would marriage encourage me to improve my work, father? Surely, having a man or woman by my side will not give me motiviation as you surely hope for."

Cause he might kill the person before any papers where signed.

[Kazn Ezel]

Repetition was a key part of perseverance. Success did not come to those that gave in because something was hard or challenging. Kazn Ezel was not the sort to give up, but he was not the kind to enjoy repeating himself. Forced verbal repetition suggested that the ways in which he spoke were unclear. Sometimes he spoke in ways meant to befuddle and bemuse both casual and dedicated listeners. However, this was a time when he thought he was speaking clearly.

His son, Anolean, failed to understand him and his motives. Repeating them felt as nothing more than wasted effort. Anolean's focus was simply on the details that he did not like. He was single-minded in regards to the matters at hand. The boy was also a poor exemplar of dutiful behavior and sensible manners. Anolean certainly must know that was how his father felt. Kazn chose to be tolerant and personable in spite of his personal feelings on the matter.

Anolean was pushing things much too far. Kazn subconsciously noted that his fingers were grasping his saber a touch too tight and his nape was growing uncomfortably warm under the collar. Steel clashed on steel and Kazn intended to give Anolean a sound verbal thrashing, but his foot touched a poorly placed stone and it shifted under the pressure of his shoe.

That tiny distraction probably saved Anolean from one of his father's tirades. "Miserable wretches fail to even perform the most basic of tasks in a satisfactory manner," an irate Kazn mumbled. He kicked the stone once or twice and tested the nearby stones with the hard heel of his shoe. "You will find out who did that tile and make sure they receive that proper reproach," Kazn said with a grimace. Business thrust upon him in such a way was always certain to make him miserable.

He allowed for a brief moment to relax before tensing back up in order to speak to his son. Kazn did not resume a combative stance. "I do not care to explain my motives to you again, Anolean. You have heard my justifications. It is something of a test. Nothing more."

The curious twinge of curiosity rose through Kazn's being. At least, he presumed it to be curiosity. It was hard to recognize the sensation when it was separated from blood and muscles and tools with a table. He resumed his backsword fencing stance. "Riddle me this: if you were to chain your sister to a similar fate, whom would you suggest?"