Josephine Mariette (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
untiltheyarent) wrote2018-01-28 01:05 am
untiltheyarent) wrote2018-01-28 01:05 am
IC Inbox
[Verbal correspondence and scenes only! Ya girl can't read.]
Good of you to check, [she says, and means it.]
I'll do my best. But you must protect me if the conversation gets out of hand.
I'll do my best. But you must protect me if the conversation gets out of hand.
[A small giggle,] my chevalier.
[It seems almost as though the conversation is concluded, but she speaks up again a moment or so later:]
Bastien, I’ve had a thought in my head that won’t seem to go away. I hope you’ll tell me if it’s foolish.
[It seems almost as though the conversation is concluded, but she speaks up again a moment or so later:]
Bastien, I’ve had a thought in my head that won’t seem to go away. I hope you’ll tell me if it’s foolish.
I…
I think I’d like to see the Crossroads. But I don’t dare go alone. I’ve never so much as stuck anyone with a knife.
[Thats what giant dogs are for.]
I think I’d like to see the Crossroads. But I don’t dare go alone. I’ve never so much as stuck anyone with a knife.
[Thats what giant dogs are for.]
Mlle. Mariette,
[ a few years past that particular address, but whatever ]
How has the leg been treating you?
[ a few years past that particular address, but whatever ]
How has the leg been treating you?
[She looks up over her shoulder with a cheeky smile, acknowledging his presence without stopping her work.]
Why is that, messere?
Why is that, messere?
Oh--
[she is, quite frankly, not all that used to receiving crystal correspondence from anyone but a select few.]
--paining me some, but on its way to healing. Thank you for asking.
[she is, quite frankly, not all that used to receiving crystal correspondence from anyone but a select few.]
--paining me some, but on its way to healing. Thank you for asking.
Yseult told me.
[ By executive fiat, her current work is dusting, and Bastien extracts a handkerchief from his pocket to join her, one shelf over so he won't be in the way. ]
I thought we were friends.
[ He's not bothering to pretend looking upset. He's delighted. ]
[ By executive fiat, her current work is dusting, and Bastien extracts a handkerchief from his pocket to join her, one shelf over so he won't be in the way. ]
I thought we were friends.
[ He's not bothering to pretend looking upset. He's delighted. ]
[When she takes his meaning, Fifi goes very still, all at once: her rag, mid-swipe on the desk, her eyes down.
Then she turns to face him in her delicate, trained-dancer way-- and he's smiling, but Bastien doesn't always mean it when he smiles-- she watches him, measured, with the air of a rabbit frozen in a predator's sight: quite tellingly, she does not immediately smile back. She's only good at lying when she isn't already caught.]
Then she turns to face him in her delicate, trained-dancer way-- and he's smiling, but Bastien doesn't always mean it when he smiles-- she watches him, measured, with the air of a rabbit frozen in a predator's sight: quite tellingly, she does not immediately smile back. She's only good at lying when she isn't already caught.]
[ His head twitches into a curious tilt at the way she's looking at him. The smile doesn't go anywhere. ]
I won't tell anyone else. And neither will she, I'm sure.
[ He's special. He's the closest thing Yseult has to a peer. ]
But I think you should tell everyone. I mean, I think you should join Scouting outright. Get a uniform and a little pin. Come to meetings. Do some field work. You would be good at it.
I won't tell anyone else. And neither will she, I'm sure.
[ He's special. He's the closest thing Yseult has to a peer. ]
But I think you should tell everyone. I mean, I think you should join Scouting outright. Get a uniform and a little pin. Come to meetings. Do some field work. You would be good at it.
[Fifi's anxiety seems to abate, if only slightly: Bastien has never been unkind to her before, and though she doesn't know why Yseult would tell him, she has to trust it was for good reason.]
I, [she says with a fluttery, uncertain smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes,] I don't think so.
[She's still caught off-guard, which translates easily to scared; life has not been forgiving of her missteps, and what is this if not a misstep?
The smile drifts off, her face ashen, shamed.]
I'm sorry I kept it from you.
I, [she says with a fluttery, uncertain smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes,] I don't think so.
[She's still caught off-guard, which translates easily to scared; life has not been forgiving of her missteps, and what is this if not a misstep?
The smile drifts off, her face ashen, shamed.]
I'm sorry I kept it from you.
Of course, I regret I'd not looked in sooner.
[ everyones been busy, but this is ostensibly his job. one of his jobs. ]
Do you think it up for a long walk?
[ everyones been busy, but this is ostensibly his job. one of his jobs. ]
Do you think it up for a long walk?
Did you have a destination in mind, Messere?
[ He shrugs, still dusting. ]
That is the work. You think I'm not keeping anything from you?
[ He thinks: he should have dug into it after those dreams. The ones where she was tangled up with Fen'Harel somehow. But she doesn't seem to be in any state to take that commentary in good humor. ]
I am not angry, Fifi. I think you are clever and subtle and you should be proud.
That is the work. You think I'm not keeping anything from you?
[ He thinks: he should have dug into it after those dreams. The ones where she was tangled up with Fen'Harel somehow. But she doesn't seem to be in any state to take that commentary in good humor. ]
I am not angry, Fifi. I think you are clever and subtle and you should be proud.
Well, I thought to myself: Maker, I'd like to take someone dancing. And then I thought, isn't that dreadfully presumptuous to put on a stranger? Yet somehow worse for a friend - they might acquire entirely the wrong idea. So neither will do, and an enemy's right out, for we've simply too few to make it work. And by then I'd nearly walked into a wall, so I decided that dancing was a lost cause regardless.
[ a breath: ]
But the wall had a poster on it for some sort of show, and I've had no company of the theatre since Miss Fitcher took her leave.
[ in his absence, under circumstances he’s pieced together only through unhappy record ]
Would you like to come?
[ a breath: ]
But the wall had a poster on it for some sort of show, and I've had no company of the theatre since Miss Fitcher took her leave.
[ in his absence, under circumstances he’s pieced together only through unhappy record ]
Would you like to come?
[She almost laughs-- he's right, of course, and it's funny, in its way, that this is how things are. But even as her face trembles into a smile, a tear slips from her eye that she hastily brushes away.
The tension of it, the fear: she'd never have the courage to face anyone more aggressive than Bastien.]
Thank you.
[Fifi's mouth twists in the way of one trying to keep it still, and she watches him almost longingly-- dare she initiate a hug? She needs one.]
I, [she says softly,] find it easier to not think about it at all.
The tension of it, the fear: she'd never have the courage to face anyone more aggressive than Bastien.]
Thank you.
[Fifi's mouth twists in the way of one trying to keep it still, and she watches him almost longingly-- dare she initiate a hug? She needs one.]
I, [she says softly,] find it easier to not think about it at all.
[There's a long pause, as if she's considering, taking in his words: when she finally answers, it seems far more likely that Fifi is simply shocked.]
I would love to.
[her voice is low and gravelly. fuck yeah dude are you kidding]
I would love to.
[her voice is low and gravelly. fuck yeah dude are you kidding]
[ Reading faces is what he does (narrative hints permitting). Longing doesn't automatically lead into for a hug, but it's enough of a hint for him to try it in stages. A hand on her shoulder first, then all the way around to pull her in, chin on her head.
He doesn't respond right away, but eventually he asks over the top of her head, ]
Had you done anything like it before Riftwatch?
He doesn't respond right away, but eventually he asks over the top of her head, ]
Had you done anything like it before Riftwatch?
[She embraces him tightly, trusting, and gives her head a little shake into his shoulder.]
I had-- grand visions of it, [she admits, face growing hot with the memory of her foolishness,] when I went to the Freemen. My Jacques was no fighter, so perhaps I would be, for him.
[Has she mentioned Jacques to Bastien? If not, might as well: she owes him the truth about one thing, at least.]
But though free, they were still nobility. I was set at once to cleaning up their messes.
[Pulling out of the hug, she perches back against the desk, eyes downcast and weary.]
...it's what we do, isn't it. They didn't even ask what I was good at.
I had-- grand visions of it, [she admits, face growing hot with the memory of her foolishness,] when I went to the Freemen. My Jacques was no fighter, so perhaps I would be, for him.
[Has she mentioned Jacques to Bastien? If not, might as well: she owes him the truth about one thing, at least.]
But though free, they were still nobility. I was set at once to cleaning up their messes.
[Pulling out of the hug, she perches back against the desk, eyes downcast and weary.]
...it's what we do, isn't it. They didn't even ask what I was good at.
Splendid.
[ let’s not look – whatever’s going on over there, emotionally - in the eye ]
It’s a Marcher production, so we’ll need to get someone to explain what’s going on. It’s some sort of - mn, play about prairie disasters. I believe they call it Spinners.
[ let’s not look – whatever’s going on over there, emotionally - in the eye ]
It’s a Marcher production, so we’ll need to get someone to explain what’s going on. It’s some sort of - mn, play about prairie disasters. I believe they call it Spinners.
[a gasp,]
Spinners!
Magnifique. One of my-- I know someone in the dancing corps. I hear it is,
[another loaded pause,]
very artistic.
Spinners!
Magnifique. One of my-- I know someone in the dancing corps. I hear it is,
[another loaded pause,]
very artistic.
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