xix. dictated, action

[heloise]

Lana
How about an early morning ride?

Micheletto
You will help me with my crates. [ Because packing is tough. ]

Stephanie
Tell me if you mean to visit, even if not to see me. He would not find unexpected guests so pleasant.

What does it mean when the castle gave some no glimpse of old age?

[ Lucrezia is on her knees in the church in town, hands counting through her white rosary and reciting her prayers under her breath. She keeps her hood over her head.

It might seem foolish to believe that saying something over and over again gives it greater weight, or that time and voice can buy penance, but she feels she must at least-- try. She isn't praying for her own soul, she wonders if she would ever. But she loses count of how many times she has said the Ave Maria, and stands to go. ]

Comments

[ofhope]

[ A little 'hmm' of consideration. ]

How do you wrap a dance in a bow?

[heloise]

[ That brings a chuckle out of her. ]

I could wrap myself in a bow...

[ofhope]

Good thing I'm practiced with knots.

[heloise]

Did you know Rosette is the name of a bow?

[ofhope]

[ ....No, he didn't. So the timing with his comment just makes him laugh. ]

You'll wear a rosette bow, then?

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia's radar for inappropriate sibling relationships is bust. His still functions better, apparently. ]

Perhaps I should leave that as a surprise.

[ofhope]

And I have to wait a week? Not fair...

[ No he loves surprises, so long as they are pleasant. ]

Are you in the city?

[heloise]

Patience is a virtue!

[ No really, she just likes making him wait for stuff or hasn't he noticed? ]

Are you to find me?

[ofhope]

It's a good day.

[heloise]

For a walk around town?

[ofhope]

If you want... There's a soda shop. Or we could find you a dress for dancing lessons. You should fit in.

[heloise]

[ She chuckles. Is this him trying to cheer her up? ]

A dress for a waltz for me and a blue tie for you. And then the soda shop.

[ofhope]

Tie shopping...

[ Wow, that is surprisingly mundane. Also, Joshua has never gone tie shopping, seriously. He just lets other people dress him. ]

Okay. Where do you want me to pick you up?

[heloise]

[ Don't worry, Joshua, they can pick up tap dancing shoes on the way too. ]

Ah, you would have to guess that part.

[ofhope]

[ Pfffft, guessing. It isn't that hard for him to track people down, he's become exceedingly skilled at it.

It just tends to creep people out, so you know, it's polite to ask and stuff. ]

Hide and seek?

[heloise]

I will even go easy on you this time.

[ofhope]

I can't promise the same.

[heloise]

What will winning earn you?

[ofhope]

You treat at the soda shop.

[heloise]

[ She hums, noncommittal. ]

That is not a terrible punishment.

[ofhope]

You're not supposed to get punished in hide-and-seek... You're just supposed to find me next.

[heloise]

Oh. [ Her games of hide-and-seek only end in cuddles... ]

Perhaps I should concede my defeat now...

==> action

[ofhope]

[ Well, frankly, Joshua often doesn't have the attention span and the games would usually end in cuddles with Colette, too. But he tries.

In this he tries more, because this is different than looking for someone in a mansion or castle. The city is big, but he can assume she's not around the industrial district, at least. It's just a matter of listening, watching, and listening. It hurts, but it really is a good day, so it's tolerable. Useful, even.


So rather than respond over the journal, he spends the next ten minutes or so seeking her out. And even with the city folk's old-fashioned clothes, none are quite as elaborate as Lucrezia's, nor do they radiate anything special. To him, they might as well be nothing but a grey background, she stands out so easily. Of course she would be near a church...

Dropping down from the nearby antique shop's roof, Joshua moves silently and slips up behind her, one hand resting over her eyes while the other wraps around her waist. ]

Concede?

action!

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia might never admit that she nearly jumped out of her skin when his hand suddenly obscures her view. Her thoughts go to the darkest places. For a moment she thought, well, there goes their evil plotting, as Stephanie said.

It takes her a minute to finally brush it off, laugh it out even if she's still shaking, placing her hand over the arm around her waist to keep steady. She knows that voice. ]

To you? Never.

[ofhope]

[ Her fear is palpable to Joshua, though it's easy enough to tell in this proximity that it isn't because of him. She seems to relax when he actually speaks, but he's surprised she was so scared at all. Had she been in that stressed of a mood? ]

Not to anybody, I'd hope.

[ His hand drops from her eyes to her waist, allowing him to properly hug her, a gentle enough nuzzle against her hair so that he doesn't actually mess it up this time.

He makes a guess, and it really is one, but considering this has practically been all they've spoken of lately... ]

Is that why you're upset? Stephanie wants you to concede?