[Ah, he wants both... Excuse Liem a moment while he types and formats this entire thing.]
It goes like this:
Fair treasure, let Me pay the debt I owe thee for a kiss Thou lend'st to me; And I to thee Will render ten for this.
If thou wilt say, Ten will not pay For that so rich a one; I'll clear the sum, If it will come Unto a million.
He must of right, To th' utmost mite, Make payment for his pleasure, (By this I guess) Of happiness Who has a little measure.
[How can a merchant prince not like this excellent combination? Surely one doesn't have to be a fussy man to appreciate a romance poem full of money-related wordplay.]
[Credit where credit is due: it's very cute, for a poem about kissing-as-debt-repayment. Very charming, and okay, it gets him to chuckle. Liem, sir...]
I do like it, but it didn't make me blush. Perhaps your original verse will go the distance, as it were.
[Kissing debt poem but make it lewd: the challenge.]
[Hmm... The bar has been set, perhaps, ambitiously high now. Can Liem write salacious poetry of a quality that he'll be willing to let it see the light of day? Only time will tell. If nothing else, at least he'll now have something to occupy his mind during nighttime walks.]
What kind of games? Are you meaning ones like those in that arcade? Or... board games? I'm not much of a strategist, I confess.
[War games are quite popular in Taldor, but he's never found them especially absorbing. He may be kind of a fussy little nerd, but evidently he's not that kind of fussy little nerd. Aside from those... what other kinds of games do adults play? He has no idea.]
[Board games, huh. That's Liem's cool date idea. Not that Constantin doesn't have a small pile of board games sitting around in his house someplace, purchased all at once on a whim and only barely cracked open, but still! Board games!!]
No, more along the lines of sports. You said yourself we ought to avoid sitting around in one place for too long!
[Oh, sports... On a date? A novel concept, but he's listening.]
Ah! I see your meaning.
[Does he, though? The last time Liem participated in a game that involved moving around, it was a combination war game and ballroom-dancing competition. These Taldans...]
I'm interested. What sort of games does one play in this city?
No, of course not. I was often sickly and my mother felt my time was best spent on other studies, when I was not. Sometimes I would get to kick a ball around!
Hm, yes, that aptly describes my younger years as well.
[At least, if you replace "mother" with "caretakers and/or senior clergy." Also if you imagine that instead of a palace, this is all happening in a temple that is also a bank.]
But I spent plenty of time doing sums, so in the event that we need a scorekeeper, we will be well supplied.
I hope you're prepared for the possibility of a religious awakening, then, because I've met at least two people here who never gave me reason to doubt the quality of their childhood.
[Like, he never specifically asked if anything about their childhood was terrible, but still. People with good childhoods exist, and he may even have met some of them!
He's not denying that his own childhood sucked, though.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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But I still do want to please you a little. I'm afraid that just comes with the territory.
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[Like, don't be Weird, but Liem is far too fussy to be Weird, he thinks.]
I will be expecting at least one verse, you know.
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Are you expecting an original verse? I do know other charming little poems. You might like "Kissing Usury."
[What is not to like about a poem that combines the ideas of kissing and money lending? He's not kidding.]
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Of course I'd like an original verse! But tell me about Kissing Usury anyway.
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It goes like this:
Fair treasure, let
Me pay the debt
I owe thee for a kiss
Thou lend'st to me;
And I to thee
Will render ten for this.
If thou wilt say,
Ten will not pay
For that so rich a one;
I'll clear the sum,
If it will come
Unto a million.
He must of right,
To th' utmost mite,
Make payment for his pleasure,
(By this I guess)
Of happiness
Who has a little measure.
[How can a merchant prince not like this excellent combination? Surely one doesn't have to be a fussy man to appreciate a romance poem full of money-related wordplay.]
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I do like it, but it didn't make me blush. Perhaps your original verse will go the distance, as it were.
[Kissing debt poem but make it lewd: the challenge.]
How do you like games? For the date.
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What kind of games? Are you meaning ones like those in that arcade? Or... board games? I'm not much of a strategist, I confess.
[War games are quite popular in Taldor, but he's never found them especially absorbing. He may be kind of a fussy little nerd, but evidently he's not that kind of fussy little nerd. Aside from those... what other kinds of games do adults play? He has no idea.]
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No, more along the lines of sports. You said yourself we ought to avoid sitting around in one place for too long!
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Ah! I see your meaning.
[Does he, though? The last time Liem participated in a game that involved moving around, it was a combination war game and ballroom-dancing competition. These Taldans...]
I'm interested. What sort of games does one play in this city?
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[Date Rules]
I will find the most exciting one, rest assured.
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Not that the idea of trying some sort of sport isn't novel. Did you ever have the leisure to do this sort of thing back home?
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[Pure athleticism......]
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[At least, if you replace "mother" with "caretakers and/or senior clergy." Also if you imagine that instead of a palace, this is all happening in a temple that is also a bank.]
But I spent plenty of time doing sums, so in the event that we need a scorekeeper, we will be well supplied.
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[So there. No multitasking, be fun. Also...]
I'm starting to believe it would be a grand miracle if any of us had even the barest facsimile of a decent childhood.
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[Like, he never specifically asked if anything about their childhood was terrible, but still. People with good childhoods exist, and he may even have met some of them!
He's not denying that his own childhood sucked, though.]
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I will let you know about the sports, in any case, when I find one that looks like fun. Or if I don't!
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And I am sure you will do splendidly! Remember that I will make it worth your while.
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Is that meant to be encouragement, or inspiration?
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