FADE RIFT [INBOX]

[shri]

ＬＡＤＹ ＬＡＫＳＨＭＩ
( Lady Lakshmi, Bai Saheba, Rani Lakshmibai )

ＶＯＩＣＥ | ＡＣＴＩＯＮ | ＮＯＴＥＳ

Unavaliable To All:

• 30mins around dawn
  
  Only to Voice:
  
• Hour training morning and evening
  
• Any time she's gone riding.
  
• When she's in the field.
  
  Only to Book:
  
• When she's otherwise in a meeting, leave a message.
  
• Very late at night or early in the morning.
  
  Other:
  
• She usually takes her morning meals in the mess hall with everyone else.
  
• Her days are usually spent in Kirkwall seeing to either her personal business or Inquisition tasks.
  
• She has a bath twice a day, every day.
  

Comments

[shri]

That, most certainly, is not happening.

Which, is probably not fair. Lakshmi had never been a woman to sulk over much of anything, but that was in many cases, she simply could not. A simple matter of the scale of the life she had lived. If she didn't have the time to mourn a child and husband, what chance did anything else have?

"Benedict. Up. We have to talk, or I am going to steal all the blankets off your bed. Then what will you do, you little lordling."

It's the mutter, and by sheer habit, she goes around cleaning up his room. What a mess. Finally finding the bottles, and beginning to place them on the desk. Then clothes that might be left around, folding them up in her hands. Annoyingly, constantly, there. Worse, making noise as she mutters to herself at the state of him.

[altusimperius]

"Talk about what," he grunts into his pillow, rolling onto his stomach, "how that bear woman treated me? Why did you bring her?" His voice is whiny and Injured, and he turns his head to level an accusatory glare at Lakshmi. He's still very much under the covers, and seems intent on remaining there.

"...and you struck me," he adds, woundedly.

[shri]

Well, she had to tell him sooner or later. "Because she is dear to me, shares my bed and my heart." And unless you want to hear more details of your not!mother's sex life, the look seems to fix Benedict with, he won't bother asking too much.

"Yes. I did. I take it that bitch of your mother never bothered to discipline you herself, and your nursemaid would never dare lifting her hand to you?" If she should speak of his mother in such a tone, is completely not of interest to her at this moment. "Yes, I struck you, I was furious, if you had been my son I would have done worse. You had been a fool. A fool who nearly lost his life, and almost cost the life of someone I respect - over what?"

[altusimperius]

"Don't talk about her that way!" Benedict snaps, his anger rising, even though he doesn't-- it's a point of rebellion, now, remaining in bed, propped up on his elbows and shrewdly watching Lakshmi storm around his room.

"Worse?" The word is incredulous, but comes off almost like a dare-- what could be worse than being slapped? In front of not just anyone, but two people he now loathes?
"I wouldn't have lost my life. I was fine, until that Orlesian ferret got involved."

[shri]

"Why? It is true, is it not?" And Lakshmi just keeps on sorting out the mess around her. The bottles set aside to be taken out, the next is the books stacked about, beginning to pile those up.

"Benedict Artemaeus!" That makes her snap, turning on her heel, facing him directly. "His name is Marcoulf de Ricart, he is a better swordsman and rider than most could ever hope to be, and more your equal, and if I catch you speaking of him in that tone, yes, there will be worse." Firm, she swallows on striking on something crueller. "Did you not think? Do you not see? You have been with me in the streets? That mark is damnation to the eyes of your countrymen. Every day I must fight to be called a person, and not a demon and you-"

[altusimperius]

"No!" It might be true-- he's certainly thought it before, but that doesn't mean anyone else can say so.

He's slightly taken aback when Lakshmi pulls out his Full Name (sans the Quintus), and although it throws him off for a moment, he's still not keen on being lectured. Heaving a deep and dramatic sigh, he rolls his eyes at her. See how unaffected he is!

[shri]

It's a wonderful truth of her existence, and to be a Queen - she doesn't need anyone to talk, or respond when she's decided she's speaking. She scoffs at that petulant little whine. "No? No! No has nothing at all to do with what you've gotten yourself into. What your mother has gotten you into!"

So thank-you Benedict, for the silence, she will just keep going. " - Well whether you like it or not, you have done it now. Did you even think - ? It is bad enough for me, and I have no magic in this place." Immortality didn't count, and he didn't need to know about that. " - But you! A mage from the place no one trusts! What if they take your damn hand? What then?"

[altusimperius]

It's not that she isn't right. In fact, she very much is, and Benedict is well aware of that, and the more Lakshmi rants on the matter, the clearer it is how badly he's made a mess of things.
But the courage to face his problems head-on is still... in development, and in moments of weakness, it's far easier to fall back on the behavior that's gotten him through so much of his life. Perhaps, if he sasses the demon long enough, it'll go away.
And so it's another long-suffering sigh and roll of his eyes that has him turning over in his bed, turning his back on Lakshmi and pressing his pillow over his ears. "Maker, you're not in charge of me!" he groans sourly, "it'll-- it'll be fine!"

It's impossible to say what makes him do it; perhaps it's a test for both of them, set by someone who's never been given a rule he hasn't wanted to prove he's above.
Keeping his back turned, he adds, "go slap the ferret around, it's not like he can get any uglier."

[shri]

She gives him a look, that says, she sorely might want to strike him again. Very soundly, for daring to speak of Marcoulf like that. A clench of a jaw and she levels down at him - not as a woman concerned, but something far stiffer, back straight, the sword on her hip, and the words pronounced in her mouth. Hard not to pronounce words when her temper was up like verdicts. That absolute way she saw the world.

No. No, if she was ever going to get through time. "Look at me, Benedict, right now. I risked a great deal for you, the least you can do is look at me back."

[altusimperius]

At first he resists, just to see how far he can push her: what will he gain by proving that she's wasting her time? The upper hand, somehow? Or just another door slammed in his face, an empty room left behind by someone he had come to trust?

He angles his head to look at her, sardonic and sour.

[shri]

She steps towards him, flat and risen up, shoulders rolled back - "A friend is someone that - no, is not your keeper, but they are someone who steps in. When they know someone they care for is at risk. Just like I did for you, just like Marcoulf attempted as well to spare you my ire over what you did."

Lakshmi isn't shouting, perhaps it would be merciful if she were, for it is true that most of her temper snaps - hot and fast. But this, this is flat, quiet, not so different to the woman that had watch advance on them with two swords in hand, fighting and protecting and bleeding and breathing war cries on a hoarse throat. It did not stop until she is quite done.

"So you need to think, Benedict, about who it is that stands there by you, and who sends you on stupid quests for petty reasons and which one of them deserves the same amount of respect in return."

[altusimperius]

Marcoulf. Why not dedicate a Chantry to him, then, if he's so marvelous and selfless?
Though Lakshmi's words hit their target, Benedict's face doesn't change, remaining stuck in a sullen pout, no words leaving him lest he slip up.
Let her think she's won, if that'll make her go away.

...she has.

[shri]

That, that is all that has to be said. This isn't how she wanted to talk to him, isn't what she came here to say, but God witness the day her temper didn't get the better of her, not let her blood get up so quick.

But it was done now, and there was nothing else to be said until he decided to listen or not.

And with that - one last look of him up and down - she leaves, and yanks the door hard behind her when she leaves.