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[ a measured pause, in which Ellis weighs up his answer and its omissions. ]
I'm not unwell, [ is what he settles upon. ] Even if I were, I wouldn't have you miss any part of the celebration on my account.
I'd rather hear from you everything that happened tomorrow than attend myself.
I'm not unwell, [ is what he settles upon. ] Even if I were, I wouldn't have you miss any part of the celebration on my account.
I'd rather hear from you everything that happened tomorrow than attend myself.
Happy Satinalia, Mister Ellis.
[If she is at all primly disappointed to have failed in calling him down, then so be it. Surely it can be the first time Wysteria has failed to have her way in something. One must enure oneself to defeat now and again.
So there the conversation ends.
Just kidding. How long does it take to traipse up five flights up stairs? Slightly longer than that, on account of first engineering to steal an entire half of a cheese tart from the party, and then: a brisk rap of knuckles on a door.
If Ellis is not in his quarters, or has already gone to bed, or simply ignores the knock the so be it. Otherwise, he may be subjected to the unannounced visitation of a particularly stubborn Nevarran corpse.]
[If she is at all primly disappointed to have failed in calling him down, then so be it. Surely it can be the first time Wysteria has failed to have her way in something. One must enure oneself to defeat now and again.
So there the conversation ends.
Just kidding. How long does it take to traipse up five flights up stairs? Slightly longer than that, on account of first engineering to steal an entire half of a cheese tart from the party, and then: a brisk rap of knuckles on a door.
If Ellis is not in his quarters, or has already gone to bed, or simply ignores the knock the so be it. Otherwise, he may be subjected to the unannounced visitation of a particularly stubborn Nevarran corpse.]
Had someone else come calling, the likelihood of the knock going unanswered would have been all but a certainty. The narrow strip of light at the bottom of closed door certainly indicates someone within the room, but Ellis is reasonably comfortable in the idea that those ignored would move on. He is hardly a bigger draw than the festivities in the courtyard.
However, at this knock Ruadh rolls over on his bed, cropped ears pricking up, sniffing delicately at the air. When he swivels to Ellis, it's to deliver an encouraging boff. The number of people who would prompt that reception are very few and very limited, and neither prone to giving up if they've made it all the way to his doorstep, and so—
The door is pulled open. Ellis is barefoot, laces undone and gambeson shed. His mace is propped by the door alongside his unlaced boots, in concession to the near-yearly tradition of disaster striking Satinalia gatherings. The oil lamp is turned low, meant clearly for the benefit of a person propped up against the headboard where the pillow is rumpled and a book has been laid facedown on the bedding.
Ruadh stretches deeply and theatrically, before rising to trot across the room to inspect the new arrival at the same moment Ellis says, "You'll be missing the party."
However, at this knock Ruadh rolls over on his bed, cropped ears pricking up, sniffing delicately at the air. When he swivels to Ellis, it's to deliver an encouraging boff. The number of people who would prompt that reception are very few and very limited, and neither prone to giving up if they've made it all the way to his doorstep, and so—
The door is pulled open. Ellis is barefoot, laces undone and gambeson shed. His mace is propped by the door alongside his unlaced boots, in concession to the near-yearly tradition of disaster striking Satinalia gatherings. The oil lamp is turned low, meant clearly for the benefit of a person propped up against the headboard where the pillow is rumpled and a book has been laid facedown on the bedding.
Ruadh stretches deeply and theatrically, before rising to trot across the room to inspect the new arrival at the same moment Ellis says, "You'll be missing the party."
"I have already been to the party and have seen Kostos Averesch run headlong into a stone pillar. Unless more skeletons come crawling out of the harbor or Enchanter Julius's elusive red lyrium dragon comes calling, I very much doubt anything more exciting than that is likely to happen. And if it does, one might argue that I'm much better off here than in the courtyard. Here you are, Mister Ellis."
This last bit is to punctuate her passing him the plate with the half of a group sized cheese tart.
"I thought that, given your being too tired to join the festivities, I might at least see a very small portion of them up to you. You will forgive me for not bringing along any of the musicians. Although, popular consensus seems to be that you may be better off without. Hello, Ruadh. Would you like a bit of cheese tart as well?"
Her plain black mask has been pushed up into her hair, leaving her with a funny half face of makeup where Wysteria had drawn exaggerated cheekbones on herself with some heavy dark powder, and had blacked her nose and darkened her lips with the same.
This last bit is to punctuate her passing him the plate with the half of a group sized cheese tart.
"I thought that, given your being too tired to join the festivities, I might at least see a very small portion of them up to you. You will forgive me for not bringing along any of the musicians. Although, popular consensus seems to be that you may be better off without. Hello, Ruadh. Would you like a bit of cheese tart as well?"
Her plain black mask has been pushed up into her hair, leaving her with a funny half face of makeup where Wysteria had drawn exaggerated cheekbones on herself with some heavy dark powder, and had blacked her nose and darkened her lips with the same.
There is a stretch of quiet from Ellis, perhaps processing the amount of cheese tart that has been handed to him or the costume Wysteria has put together or the effect of half a face of makeup. (Or acclimating to her presence here, somehow unexpected and all the more blinding for it.)
Ruadh, however, is undeterred by these factors. Having vacated his nest of blankets, he's trotted over to butt his head against Wysteria's hip in both a request for a proper greeting and perhaps to offer her the single seat in the room.
"You're very kind," is what Ellis settles on. "Bastien did not play this year?"
He is still standing, cheese tart in hand. Aware that this is not a space well proportioned for entertaining.
Ruadh, however, is undeterred by these factors. Having vacated his nest of blankets, he's trotted over to butt his head against Wysteria's hip in both a request for a proper greeting and perhaps to offer her the single seat in the room.
"You're very kind," is what Ellis settles on. "Bastien did not play this year?"
He is still standing, cheese tart in hand. Aware that this is not a space well proportioned for entertaining.
"No, he and the rest of the Riftwatch players were mercifully spared. You ought to have seen him cavorting around. I think he rather enjoyed being unshackled from his bow."
Her hand has dropped with automatic practice half to fend off further headbutts from the mabari and half simply to oat him on his great scarred block of a skull between his wedged ears.
"Here, let me take at a bit of that tart—"
Obviously Wysteria has brought the knife that had been laid alongside the plate with her, and so it takes almost no effort to take it up and hack a corner off the tart's end. She takes one bite to reduce the square to a into a far more reasonable waning moon before offering it to Ruadh.
Her hand has dropped with automatic practice half to fend off further headbutts from the mabari and half simply to oat him on his great scarred block of a skull between his wedged ears.
"Here, let me take at a bit of that tart—"
Obviously Wysteria has brought the knife that had been laid alongside the plate with her, and so it takes almost no effort to take it up and hack a corner off the tart's end. She takes one bite to reduce the square to a into a far more reasonable waning moon before offering it to Ruadh.
For a creature with such a fierce appearance, Ruadh uses his teeth so, so delicately when nipping his share of tart from Wysteria's fingers. A lap of his tongue follows, appreciative.
Having been charged with the management of the plate, Ellis sets to clearing his little side table. Balancing one-handed, the few items occupying the space are set into the drawer (a hand-carved mabari, a folded paper dog, a pair of worn books) so the plate might be set down and cut from as they please.
"I've no wine to offer you," Ellis tells her. He is aware of his own relative state of dress, undone laces, bare feet. Sound still carries up to them through the cracked shutters, the party she should be attending going on without her. "You can sit if you like."
If she intends to stay for any length of time, is what Ellis isn't asking but attempting to determine.
Having been charged with the management of the plate, Ellis sets to clearing his little side table. Balancing one-handed, the few items occupying the space are set into the drawer (a hand-carved mabari, a folded paper dog, a pair of worn books) so the plate might be set down and cut from as they please.
"I've no wine to offer you," Ellis tells her. He is aware of his own relative state of dress, undone laces, bare feet. Sound still carries up to them through the cracked shutters, the party she should be attending going on without her. "You can sit if you like."
If she intends to stay for any length of time, is what Ellis isn't asking but attempting to determine.
"Oh, that's all right. I've had a few cups already."
With a last pat for Ruadh, she wanders in across the threshold and is abruptly inside the room rather than nearly out of it. His invitation to sit happily accepted, she perches herself primly there near the foot of the bed and makes a great 'come up here, come here' show of patting the space on it beside her for the mabari whole saying, "I promise not to keep you long. I know you're tired."
Ruadh satisfies himself with sitting very close in against her skirts and putting his head on her knee. With a judgemental sniff, Wysteria's attention turns back from the dog.
"Did the gloves I left for you fit? If they don't, I can make arrangements to replace them."
With a last pat for Ruadh, she wanders in across the threshold and is abruptly inside the room rather than nearly out of it. His invitation to sit happily accepted, she perches herself primly there near the foot of the bed and makes a great 'come up here, come here' show of patting the space on it beside her for the mabari whole saying, "I promise not to keep you long. I know you're tired."
Ruadh satisfies himself with sitting very close in against her skirts and putting his head on her knee. With a judgemental sniff, Wysteria's attention turns back from the dog.
"Did the gloves I left for you fit? If they don't, I can make arrangements to replace them."
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