[ He’s not surprised at himself, that he wants one. But later maybe he’ll be retroactively surprised that he was so ready and unabashed to say so, without hedging or trying to get a read on Byerly first or to avoid being teased. ]
For sometimes. Sometimes I would like people to be able to see that I have someone.
But that’s it. That’s as far as it goes. No vows in front of Chantry Mothers, I swear.
[ He's surprised at the unguarded swiftness of that answer. For a moment, he think it's a bit - yes, and an elephant named Bing-Bong - but the facetious answer doesn't come.
And so he ends up simply pleased that he asked. Pleased that he had the courage to bring half-sincerity to it. A ring. ]
I want it to look like you. Like something you would wear, I mean. Maybe on the less flashy end of that spectrum, but not all the way to my end of it. Something our friends will look at and guess came from you, you know?
[ He glances up. ]
Do you want one?
[ The ring he gave Byerly before wasn’t for this—not for promises and claims and labels. It doesn’t count. ]
[ He'd have hesitated if Bastien hadn't been so certain. Would have hemmed and hawed a bit to save face. So he's glad Bastien answered first, so that he can be forthright. ]
[ That earns a quick, broad grin. A fox to curl around his finger—it’s a nice thought. Perhaps he can find someone to enchant it. One of the littler enchantments. Some resistance to cold. ]
How badly do you think we would tease ourselves, if we were twenty [ -something ] again?
Mm. I would love you desperately no matter what, of course. With all my heart, for all my life.
[ Disgusting. ]
But if we didn't have something to make it unusual and avant-garde, I would have to be a little meaner to you. Ironic, you know? Cool. Since you have brought all this untraditional business into it already, I can be nice to you all the time.
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But until then: ]
Conjoint, then? If someone needs and deserves to know and we don’t have time to recite entire poems.
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[ He likes it. It doesn't have the transactionality of husband, and it's odd. He likes the two of them being a little odd. ]
Do you want a ring?
[ It's half-facetious, but only half. ]
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[ He’s not surprised at himself, that he wants one. But later maybe he’ll be retroactively surprised that he was so ready and unabashed to say so, without hedging or trying to get a read on Byerly first or to avoid being teased. ]
For sometimes. Sometimes I would like people to be able to see that I have someone.
But that’s it. That’s as far as it goes. No vows in front of Chantry Mothers, I swear.
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And so he ends up simply pleased that he asked. Pleased that he had the courage to bring half-sincerity to it. A ring. ]
Not even prostitutes dressed as Chantry Mothers?
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Rowena might get a kick out of it. But not so much of a kick we wouldn’t need to pay her.
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Plain, or gaudy?
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I want it to look like you. Like something you would wear, I mean. Maybe on the less flashy end of that spectrum, but not all the way to my end of it. Something our friends will look at and guess came from you, you know?
[ He glances up. ]
Do you want one?
[ The ring he gave Byerly before wasn’t for this—not for promises and claims and labels. It doesn’t count. ]
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[ He'd have hesitated if Bastien hadn't been so certain. Would have hemmed and hawed a bit to save face. So he's glad Bastien answered first, so that he can be forthright. ]
Something with a fox.
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How badly do you think we would tease ourselves, if we were twenty [ -something ] again?
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[ He grins in return. ]
I think tease is an understatement. Mock, more like. It's disgusting how sentimental old men get.
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[ Disgusting. ]
But if we didn't have something to make it unusual and avant-garde, I would have to be a little meaner to you. Ironic, you know? Cool. Since you have brought all this untraditional business into it already, I can be nice to you all the time.