Apologies for unfortunate relatives [5/4, evening, Abrielle & Narcisse, closed]

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Although the nights were remarkably cool compared to what she was used to, Narcisse found it a rather pleasant counterpoint. The gardens in particular were a draw to her attention, as the plants were so much different, and quite often they were lit in very creative ways. And so it was that frequently, if she had nothing else to do, after dinner she would take a book and wander until she found someplace interesting to read, and she would stay there until the night air grew too cool.

Tonight her wanderings had taken her to a small pond, fairly out of the way of everything. Torches were placed around it, and so along with her small lantern, Narcisse had been reading quite comfortably for a few hours now. That was, until voices nearby had disturbed her concentration. It had sounded like someone was having an argument, although she was trying her best to keep reading and stay out of whatever trouble it was. Often when she was reading, the rest of the world faded away, and she could block out any annoyances, and it was mostly working with these two...until one came and invaded her space.

Initially she was annoyed, but a moment of peering over her book into the shadows to discern her intruder's identity made her switch gears. Abrielle! Shutting her book and tucking it into the small bag she'd brought, she crossed over and sat down beside her friend, looking into her face and putting a hand on her knee. "Abby, are you alright? What's happened?"

[Abrielle Laroche]

Abby had parked herself at the pond, not paying much attention to who was around her, she'd assumed that Etienne would follow her, but he must have given up. She slid her shoes off and put her feet in the water, allowing Al to slip down and drink if he'd like, heaving a sigh at the day she'd had.

Just then a familiar voice approached, not one that sounded alarms in her head, but one that gave her ease. She looked up to see the girl she wanted to be like when she got older and couldn't help but smile just a little.

"Narcisse, I've had an interesting night, I'm glad it's just you here now." Then she finally put two and two together and realized that Narcisse and Etienne were family. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't be rude!

"How are you tonight?" She tried to move along the conversation, maybe Cisse would forget, probably not though.

[Narcisse Fleurant]

"Interesting night, hm?" Narcisse had the feeling that this conversation might take awhile, so she followed Abrielle's lead and slid her shoes off, setting her feet on a rock that was just barely in the water. Getting her feet all the way in the water was too creepy...you could never be sure what was in these ponds in the first place, and when it was dark it was just that much creepier. So she contented herself with just dipping in her toes.

"I'm doing alright. I like wandering the gardens to find good places to read. The plants and things are so different from home, don't you agree?"

[Abrielle Laroche]

Ahhh new conversation! As Cisse talked Al scurried along the edge of the water away from Abby and in response she hopped up and caught him before he could get away. "Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed with a giggle.

"It is really beautiful here." she had Al in her lap now and he was crawling up the bodice of her dress slowly. "But yes, it is so different, it makes me miss home. I just came out here to think ... but then ... urgh."

She couldn't hold it in anymore. "Etienne. Is he always so awful?"

[Narcisse Fleurant]

The sight of something crawly slithering in the shadows made Narcisse want to scream. She nearly would have, if it weren't for Abby's giggle. It was hard to scream at something someone else was giggling at. Instead, she pulled her toes from the water and folded her legs in front of her, tucking her skirts over them. Maybe that would quell the creepy crawly feeling she couldn't quite shake.

"The contrast does make me miss home, but..." she was distracted for a moment as she watched the...well, it looked like a lizard, crawling up Abby's bodice. "But it's nice to get to see places that are different. It often makes it so you value your home more, the more you travel. Or at least I find that to be true."

She couldn't help but laugh when Abby asked about Etienne. It wasn't out of cruelty, but...well, she just couldn't keep from finding it funny somehow. "Is that who's bothered you so much? I thought I'd heard his voice shouting, but I hadn't been sure..." Now she wished she'd paid attention. It seemed whatever he had said had really bothered poor Abby. "He's not always so awful, no. He can be charming, if you'd believe it." Given the looks of the situation, Abby wouldn't. "Had he been drinking, could you tell? He's prone to getting in moods when he's gotten himself drunk."

[Abrielle Laroche]

"I miss home. I haven't been there since father died." she heaved a sigh, but then smiled, she didn't want to bring down Narcisse's mood too. "But the Linnet's land is very similar to my home. I just have to be more proper when my uncle is around. I can't run around naked and play in the water."

She had noticed Narcisse watching Al, but it was the topic of their conversation that distracted her from it. "I do believe he reeked of alcohol and he had a bottle in his hand. I don't quite know what got him into that state but he was quite awful. So much so that if I bumped into him sober I'm still not sure I'd talk to him, even knowing what you just told me."

Abby shook her head, a stubborn look her face, she meant it. Little did she know ...

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Narcisse suddenly felt bad for bringing up home. She had known that Abrielle was a ward, but she hadn't remembered the specifics of the arrangement, if she'd ever known them. "I'm very sorry to hear it's been so long since you were home...I'm a little surprised they didn't send someone to ward you there. Although even if that were the case I'm not sure you'd be able to get away with playing naked in the water." Narcisse smiled down at Abby; it was true that she wouldn't necessarily be caught skinny dipping, but it wasn't really a hobby she could look down on. Unless it were certain members of her family doing it.

In a move that was slightly out of character, Narcisse put her arm around Abby's shoulders. "I'm so sorry you had to see him like that...he doesn't get in such a state often, but when he does he certainly makes up for lost time." Oh, the stories she could tell from when Etienne found himself in the bottom of a bottle.

"I don't blame you. He's gotten me so mad sometimes that I've not spoken to him for a week." Boy, Renate would be entertained to hear that Etienne had pissed off the Linnet's ward. He'd be angry, of course, but also smug. It was almost good enough that she wondered if she shouldn't go tell her dear lord brother, or let him find out through Lord Linnet. "I know it doesn't seem possible, but he is better when he's not at the bottom of a bottle. He can be a proper gentleman, even. If you ever wish to give him a second chance, you'll have to let me be there. He's rarely ever ill behaved when I'm around."

[Abrielle Laroche]

Abrielle nodded, a sobering thought, her childhood was gone. Her time of running around even only half clothed in the water, it was gone, no she was only to be proper and fully dressed at all times. Damnit.

When Narcisse's arm wrapped around Abby, she felt oddly safe, as if she were in the arms of the sister she never had. She listened to all that the woman had to say, attempting to defend her brother and Abby finally shook her head. She was only able to find one thing that surfaced to her mind so quickly, it was the one thing that made her the most angry, and she said it.

"He kissed me. Saying mean things. Picking on me and Al too!" She paused for a moment. "He stole my first kiss with his drunken breath."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Abby's words surprised Narcisse. "He kissed you?" She knew Etienne had the propensity to be a bit violent when he was drunk, but she hadn't thought he'd push himself on a lady. And then to find out that it was her first kiss! "He had no right," she said, not even bothering to defend him now. "Drunk or no, that's no excuse to do such a thing..."

Her mind was moving quickly, trying to find some way to make her feel a little better. "He may have pressed his lips to yours, but believe me, that's not a kiss." She shook her head for emphasis. "Nobody can steal a first true kiss. That's reserved for you to give away to someone who deserves it." Okay, so that was a little fairy tale-ish, but it sounded good, and Narcisse really did wish the world worked that way.