crystal;

[heirring]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Wysteria
RECIPIENT: Everyone
NOTES: A very heartfelt announcement. No shenanigans here, no siree.

[The sun is—well, not quite shining as it is rather very overcast. The birds are—shrieking is really more in line with what the seagulls swooping about the Gallows do. But at least Wysteria Poppell is this morning at her most aggressively bright:]

Good Morning, Riftwatch. This is Miss Wysteria Poppell with a very brief but quite happy announcement.

For those of you who are not otherwise engaged outside the Gallows on the date in question, I should like to cordially invite you on Summerday to bring your best clothes and join the company which will be travelling from here to Edlingham Hall in the Vinmark foothills.

Warden Andrasteia has helped to arrange a very lively party there. We will be camping in the ruin overnight, and expect to engage in all the usual dancing and playing of music and general revelry which is typical in celebration of myself and Monsieur de Foncé's most sincere wedding vows.

Gifts are not unwelcome, but are hardly necessary; we wish only to celebrate our most enduring happiness with anyone who should care to share it. Thank you in advance for all your kind words and congratulations.

Comments

[bouchonne]

[ And, a bit acidly: ]

Miss Poppell, when have you ever given a fig for kindness?

[heirring]

Often. I think it very fine.

[bouchonne]

Yes, I suppose I can understand that. I think fire-juggling is very fine, myself.

[heirring]

Then I hope you will practice at it.

Now, if you will excuse me Ambassador, I have just remembered a previous commitment.

[bouchonne]

[ Of course. ]

I hope that the commitment will help you find some milk of kindness, Miss Poppell, before your union. Poor de Foncé.

[heirring]

[Be done with this, Wysteria. Simply set it aside.]

Do you take some pleasure in being cruel to me, Mister Rutyer?

[bouchonne]

[ And By, too, knows he shouldn't, but - ]

I might ask you the same question.

[heirring]

No. [Is snapped back.] Which is precisely why I never care for our conversations, given that you insist on it.

[bouchonne]

Incivility, my dear girl, always starts with you. Even in this conversation, my intent was nothing more than to ensure that you were not in a state of distress or difficulty, and you made particular point to remind me that you'd had done with me. That you had no use or desire for my conversation any longer. What, pray, did I do to earn that unkindness?

[heirring]

[Somewhere, her jaw sets. Then carefully, at a pace strictly measured:]

That particular point was a reminder that we were meant to be done with arguing.

[bouchonne]

[ Sardonically: ] Ah, so then it was meant kindly.

[heirring]

[Stony silences are more effective when they are adopted in person.]

[bouchonne]

[ He grits his jaw so hard he can feel his teeth creak.

But what he spits out is: ]

You are a talented and intelligent young woman, Miss Poppell. It is my ardent desire that you not smother your talent by marrying a feckless fool due to - some lack of resource, or a sense that you must do this to make your position in Thedas more secure, or something of the sort. Men like de Foncé have a way of extinguishing the flames of good women.

[heirring]

[That rigid quiet stretches on so long that it almost suggests the person on the other side has set her crystal aside. Tucked it in a drawer. Stuffed it under a pillow or--]

Well I thank you for your concern.

[bouchonne]

[ He could tear out his hair. ]

Is not one of your principal complaints that I have not, in the past, given enough weight to your intellect?

[heirring]

Yes, I thank you for that too.

[bouchonne]

I have no desire of thanks.

[heirring]

Then what would you have me say instead?

[bouchonne]

Why you're doing this. For starters. What you're doing to keep yourself safe.

[heirring]

I have no obligation to tell you my mind. But I will say that you are both not giving de Foncé nearly enough credit and his powers over me far too much. In fact, I am the one who suggested the idea.

So as you see, your concern is entirely unnecessary.

[bouchonne]

[ He wants to rip out his own hair as he grates out: ]

Concern does not answer to necessity or a lack thereof. It remains regardless.

[heirring]

Then I can do little for it.

[bouchonne]

[ UGH. ]

You can at least offer it a few tiny droplets of respect.

[heirring]

[?????????????????????????????]

For stating your mind?

[bouchonne]

I did not request respect for me. I requested some respect for the concern itself. The fact that there is some bit of - care for you out there in the world isn't something to scorn.