Screw angst, make my muse genuinely smile in one sentence or less: “I have been all across Tyria, and I have never seen anything as beautiful as your smile.”

Adri giggles, shaking her head with an adoring smile. ‘Now, that’s cheating!’ She closes the small gap between them to hug her close. ‘Especially since just seeing you tends to make me smile.’

Out of sheer joy, Caroline gifts Adri a year’s supply of her favorite tea!

Adriwyn blinks in stunned surprise, not quite able to take in the nature or amount of the gift at first. ‘You… you shouldn’t have…’ she splutters ineffectually, while her thoughts race. That’s too much! It doesn’t even keep that well that long… oh, Six, what does she… no, you idiot! This is just Caro being nice! She doesn’t want anything from you! And don’t be such an ingrate about how it won’t last… it’s still a halt a year’s worth or more before it gets stale, and she thought to try to do this for you!

Finally, she looks up from the tins of tea and manages a smile for the gunsmith, getting brighter as she speaks. ‘Thank you so much! This will find a lot of use!’

White; Any regrets, Or anything they wish they could change?

‘There… are a lot of things I regret, really… and yet, I didn’t know any better at the time, and wouldn’t be who I am now without those experiences. I guess, by that, I mean that wishing I could change them… is too far-fetched for me to contemplate.

‘I suppose one big one is when I freaked out on Amari and ran off to Orr. That poor, sweet lass deserved a lot better from me. But she seems to have moved on, and interrupting her even to apologise seems… like it wouldn’t help her at all, and might make things worse, by reminding her.

‘And then…’ she pauses, eyeing Luna. ‘Well, you don’t remember… but at least some of the reason you don’t… would be another.’ She sighs. ‘And that’s pretty well beyond redemption, as well.’

Aleyanna and Nikki, both in aviator attire, would arrive at Adri’s door, and a knock could be heard. If and when the door was opened, the progeny would cheerfully exclaim, “Trick or treat!”

Answering the door again, Adri smiled brightly. ‘Excelsior! Did you have a good flight down here?’ She digs out her stash again to offer candied apples and/or snack-sized sweet-cakes.

On the official day of Mad King’s Day, Flintlock Burnfur would take her warband mate, Mia Corpseburn, trick or treating. The shy, very small charr in all her 16 years has never gone trick or treating. Mia is a recent member of the Priory, and is actively learning to read. But on this night, she’s all about her princess costume. If anyone knocks on the door, it’s Flintlock, who shouts out “Trick or Treat”! If Adriwyn answers the door, what would her reaction be?

After a quick blink of surprise at the voice, which she’s pretty sure she recognises, Adriwyn shadow-steps to the door to answer it. ‘Flinty! And… oh, my! Who’s this lovely princess?!? I’m afraid I only have candied apples and sweet-cakes to give out, though. Well, unless charr digestion can handle the treats I have for my cat and the ravens, that is….’ She offers the sweets from her little stash by the door, even so.

If it was Adriwyn who would answer the door of the house rather than Alexandria or Mirex, the end result was the same. Witch and Princess, coming about the refuge in search of candy, with their dotting mother hound walking a short ways behind them off in her own thoughts. Sarah and Eleanor kept their composure, even though they wanted to show off their costumes proudly to Adriwyn. Instead, they held up their bags and proudly proclaimed; “Trick or treat!”

Checking the door, Adriwyn was all smiles for the girls. ‘Oh! Hullo! Goodness, I didn’t know we had a princess here! And what sort of witch are you, sweetie?’ While talking she’d get out the treats she’d stashed away, just in case, giving each girl a candied apple and an individual-sized sweet-cake.

‘Are you lovelies going to show me your costumes, or are you in too much of a hurry to collect more goodies?’

A Letter, Delivered by a Raven in the Reach

eleanorasmith:

«Does Sunday, Oct. 9th, work for you? I’m free until 7:30 PST/10:30 EST.»

(( The return letter is this time delivered by a street urchin whose face is showing signs of a recent seasonal treat. ))

Dear Ms Smith,

Thank you for the reply. That day is quite open for me, aside from wanting to make to tea at Miryssa’s shop. Whenever before that is convenient for you, however, will be fine with me. And a skirt not overly long – nor, presumably overly full, so that I can see my feet – I shall find.

Thank you so much for this! The Six bless you and keep you.

Regards,
Countess Adriwyn Jardin

Another Long-Distance Conversation

alyssiadore:

<All right, dearie, at this time of day, I’m pretty sure you’re awake.>

Adriwyn cracked a small smile as she worked on her jewel-inscribed disc, the only outward sign of her mental conversation. <Aye, so I am. And before you ask, yes I had lunch.>

The priestess laughed upon “hearing” that, shaking her head as she walked along the road, flanked by her minions as travelling guards. <Good. But keep in mind, dearie, that a glass of juice is not a meal.>

<Aye. But Nathan won’t let me get away with that, either. Ham and egg biscuit, besides the juice.>

<Hrmph. Well, I suppose that will have to do. Anyway, apparently you left a bad new first impression with your amnesiac ex-girlfriend.>

<That’s… one way to put it.> She managed not to frown outwardly, but the impression of it went through the link just fine. <So, she really is missing the memories, then?>

<Had them suppressed or removed, more, dearie. I had to check for myself how widespread it was – though I suppose if I’d let you talk to me about it earlier, I might have known. I have a letter that warned me there would be some missing memories – but I had no idea how much.>

Keep reading

Another Long-Distance Conversation

Adriwyn cracked a small smile as she worked on her jewel-inscribed disc, the only outward sign of her mental conversation. <Aye, so I am. And before you ask, yes I had lunch.>

The priestess laughed upon “hearing” that, shaking her head as she walked along the road, flanked by her minions as travelling guards. <Good. But keep in mind, dearie, that a glass of juice is not a meal.>

<Aye. But Nathan won’t let me get away with that, either. Ham and egg biscuit, besides the juice.>

<Hrmph. Well, I suppose that will have to do. Anyway, apparently you left a bad new first impression with your amnesiac ex-girlfriend.>

<That’s… one way to put it.> She managed not to frown outwardly, but the impression of it went through the link just fine. <So, she really is missing the memories, then?>

The small blonde took a few moments to think quietly to herself as she added some more jeweled runes into the disc. <Odette?> came her question after that pause.

Another pause, this time to keep her outward mien under control. <I suppose that means I should just avoid her, then… mostly. It hurts too much, Aly. Even though, maybe… maybe Odette’s even right to cut me out. Luna was out and about, eating again, looking for happiness… I can’t much argue with those results, no matter how much I want to shank her for not warning me.>

<Indeed, sweetie. Not warning you doesn’t exactly make me happy with her, either. But otherwise, as you say, the results are hard to argue. What did you mean by “mostly”, though?>

The Grenthite stopped for a few moments in the road, then shook her head at herself and started walking again. <I … see, dearie. And I suppose you’re right, under the circumstances. Anyway, I hope to talk with her more when Miss Grayson isn’t around – to show Luna the letter I got from Odette. That way, maybe she’ll know you’re not completely crazy, no matter what impression she has of you.>

A vague impression of nodding came through the link, for all the jeweller didn’t physically do so. <All right… please let me know when that’s happened, then? I won’t bother trying to talk to her and give her the earring until after that.>

A Letter, Delivered by a Raven in the Reach

(( The letter is in a nice envelope, addressed to:
Ms Smith
c/o The Don Perevelli Estate
Divinity’s Reach

(( The content is in a fairly well-calligraphed hand, though not quite at the professional level. ))

Dear Ms Smith,

What times are convenient for you with regard to dancing lessons? And, I have to confess that growing up the way I did, I’ve really only barely heard of ballet – how should I dress for it? I didn’t ask when we were discussing it in person because I knew that Arntae would volunteer her answer.

Regards,
Countess Adriwyn Jardin

(( The return address is for the Jardin estate in the Ascalon Settlement. ))

(( @eleanorasmith ))