faderift | Hot or Not

Their mustaches are very similar in style, if I am thinking of the right men.

[ Maud digs in the front of the brush against a stubborn clump(? clot???) and makes sure to follow that suggestion about keeping her mouth shut. So she has to pause to ask ]

What is this list in aid of? Are you in search of a husband, Wysteria?

[They are completely different mustaches, is very much the look she slings in both their directions, utterly bewildered how anyone single person (much less two!) could make such a mistake.]

No. —Well yes, of course. At this rate, I think I shall die without being married. But no, the list is purely for our amusement. And to illustrate, perhaps, the truly dire straights of Riftwatch's ranks.

I will give you that many individuals in the Gallows are perfectly well in appearance, but as to the question of true eligibility? Well.

[Well.]

Proud to be numbered among the ineligible, [ Athessa says, amused, then returns to the topic of Wysteria's husband. ] I'm sure you could have your pick of husbands, even beyond our ranks.

Actually. [ Thoughtful, as she wets her brush again and works a stubborn clot out of the bristles. ] That might be a good way to gain influence that you can use in the war.

[ Maud remains politely silent in response to most of this, focus firmly on her scrubbing, putting her back into rubbing away some sort of ugly angular rune. ]

What would you require for true eligibility? [ she asks after a moment or two ] Perhaps knowing the criteria may suggest an answer.

[ Let's say that the arrangement of the area and the sound of the scrubbing makes it plausible for someone who's a relatively quiet walker (thanks, years of sneaking around Circles to get laid) to have come close enough still unnoticed to have overheard enough of the conversation for that person (Kostos) to have enough context to say: ]

A fucking enormous amount of patience.

[Coming up alongside Kostos, wearing the usual feline confidence:]

Hmm, fair point. Have you enough patience to survive any of the men among us, Miss Poppell? [With a shallow incline,] Ladies, good afternoon.

Edited 2020-09-05 17:13 (UTC)

[If a pointed look is shot in Athessa's direction, it is flashed en route to swiftly transforming into some purposeful attempted at unaffected and is punctuated with the judicious unhooking of her skirt's hem from her broad belt (goodbye, to that flash of blue stocking) so as to be practically (hm) invisible.]

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Passing through, I hope? If they've sent five people to scrub walls, we may need to reevaluate more than just the organization's fitness for marriage.

Have you been acquainted with Miss Van Klerk yet?

[is not throwing the young lady in question under the oncoming carriage to distract from other subjects. It is polite.]

[ Athessa simply reapplies scrub brush to sigil, shaking her head and laughing quietly to herself at the timing and the look and all. ]

[ Maud observes the look with a brief furrowing of brows and then sets down her brush and turns a polite smile on the unfamiliar bantering gentlemen. ]

No, we haven't yet had the pleasure. Good afternoon to you both.

[ Kostos tips his chin at Miss Van Klerk, rather than ignoring her, because he's not a complete boor. ]

Kostos.

[ But that's the extent of it, before he's stepping closer to Athessa to say, ]

Did you have the map last? We need—what are you laughing about?

Nothing, just remembering something.

[ She steps back from the wall and half-turns towards him, holding her suds-and-diluted-blood soaked hands away so as not to drip anywhere that matters. ]

Map's in my pocket.

Leander, [by way of introduction.

He then knocks his knuckles against Kostos's upper arm to stir him out of whatever argument he's thinking of having, jerks his head, Let's go.]

Well, we'd best be getting on. Ladies, enjoy your work. A pleasure to meet you, Miss van Klerk.

[Kostos Averesch is going to go digging around through Athessa's pockets, so in reply Wysteria clears her throat loudly and makes every effort to ignore that the two of then exist in favor of valiantly interceding - metaphorically closing ranks between the three of them - so that Maud might avoid being scandalized.]

Before you do, perhaps you might do us the favor of taking a look at a few of the runes I took the liberty of copying down before we started washing them away. My notes are here somewhere. There were a number I didn't recognize—

[ Kostos looks at Leander first, when his knuckles knock. The absence of irritation at being told what to do counts, from him, as outright friendliness. He even nods at the silent instruction. But he also holds up a one moment finger, and then yes, definitely digging around through Athessa's pockets, including one or two that clearly and obviously could not contain a map. ]

[ Maud does raise a brow at Athessa as her intention becomes clear and then at Kostos as he follows it through, before turning back to Wysteria and Leander and the subject of her notes, which are here somewhere. Deadpan, she suggests: ]

Perhaps in a pocket?

[ She either doesn't notice or simply doesn't acknowledge Wysteria clearing her throat or Maud's deadpan quip, too busy succeeding. And directing something of an inside-joke (more of a reference than a joke) to her good buddy. ]

How are you today, Kostos?

[Leander has dutifully spread the usual polite veneer over his impatience—]

He's busy.

[—albeit a little translucently.

To Wysteria,]

Thank you, I'd be pleased to examine your observations—at the end of the day, let's say, in case you encounter any more. We really ought to be moving along.

[Maud's crack warrants an alarmed sidelong look. The rest—]

Athessa, [she says without looking around to the pair in question] I believe Enchanter Leander is waiting on your friend.

[ At Leander's he's busy, Kostos tips his head at Athessa a little bit, because it's true. But she's also getting a smile. The first one? Maybe? Thanks for helping him irritate Wysteria, says the smile, and maybe also nice ass. He finds the map (in the first pocket he would have checked if he were being reasonable) and holds it aloft, shoulder-height, in case anyone doubted it existed.

The smile is gone when he turns around to follow Leander off to wherever, but there's a smug little hint that it once existed. ]

Enjoy your scrubbing.

[ Maud may redden faintly at Wysteria's look, but out in the sun as they are it's difficult to say for sure. She does nod rather primly to Leander and wish him ] A pleasant afternoon, Enchanter.

[ When both men have gone she looks from Wysteria to Athessa and back in anticipation of comment. ]

[ Athessa has the presence of mind to keep her silly, surprised grin at seeing Kostos smile facing the wall, even if she can't push through the shock enough to keep scrubbing until she feels Maud's gaze on her.

She looks at Maud, raising her eyebrows. ]

I believe the question was about Wysteria's criteria for eligibility, wasn't it?

[Yes, but consider—]

He really is dreadful, Athessa. Though I suppose we should all be thankful that you have distracted him from the rest of us.

[ Maud has looked away to Wysteria and now slides her gaze to the bucket, crouching to rinse her brush. ]

This is just the sort of thing Tantervale matrons believe goes on in Riftwatch.

[ Well that's not what she expected to hear. Rather than address Wysteria's comment, she looks at Maud. ]

What the fuck does that mean?

It means [Wysteria translates slash opines] Tantervale believes we are all debasing ourselves on the Gallows island, never mind whatever other outrageous rumors there might be about the nature of our work.

Which is something of a problem for some of us who might eventually need to rely on our reputations, by the way.

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