Escorting Allisande home

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I led Allisande out of the Cockeral and turned us towards the Night Court, settling in to a casual pace.

"How are things going?" I asked her.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"Passably," I admitted. "It's a little strange with my not taking patrons, but I'm passing the time. I don't think my gowns have ever been so carefully looked over at once, or spent so much unspaced time in the salle."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I chuckled softly, understanding how being thrown out of one's routine could leave one with seemingly nothing to do.

"How are you feeling?"

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"No different, if that's what you mean," I replied, cocking my head sideways and raising a brow. "In general, doing well but for being at loose ends."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"I guess I meant a bit of both, wondering about you overall and if anything had changed," I said.

Now the hard part… did I play the game of words and dance around things, or did I just say it? I seemed to have left my desire for games at the tavern.

Stopping, I turned to look at her. "I've missed you," I told her. "I thought you wanted time alone, and if I was wrong, please forgive me. I wasn't avoiding you."

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

Smiling slightly, I nodded. "I'm sorry if I over-reacted- stress tends to do that to me. I'm no good with new thing, which all of this is and all I can do is fall back on habit. You need no forgiveness from me. I would have written but..it's a long story.:

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"We have a bit of a walk ahead of us if you want to share," I said, smiling and starting us walking again.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"If I tell you, you'd think less of me," I assured him. "It's one of those traits people with intelligence value and I, as a matter of ill luck, happen to not possess even through my best efforts. Still, if you ask again, I will tell you."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"I doubt anything you tell me could make me think less of you," I replied. "I would like to hear, only if you want to tell. If you would rather not, I will not press and we can speak of other things."

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

My pride locked my throat but my will fought through. "The idea to tell anyone of it has never come across my mind before, but considering I would like to hear from you I suppose I should at least warn you. There is no point in sending me notes- I can't read them."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

Knowing that my handwriting was legible to the point of obsession, I knew that she didn't mean she only couldn't read notes from me. Also, knowing that as an adept, she would have been taught the skill, it wasn't a lack of teaching. She was smart, so that meant it wasn't a lack of ability either.

"Is it your eyes?" I asked, guessing at the next possibility.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"Not really," I replied as I thought. "My vision is good when it comes to anything but letters and numbers. They move about in strange ways when I try to pin them down. My signature is the product of having someone long ago do a signature and then my copying it to mindlessness."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I nodded as I listened to her.

"Why would I think less of you because of something you can't control?" I asked, glancing at her and smiling.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"It's a sign of a weak mind or bad breeding," I replied simply. "because it's a deception I've always kept, hiding it to the best of my ability to the extent of lying. Every menu was a guess rather than knowing- every note I recieve one of the trainees reads for me."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"I see it more as ingenuity on your part for learning how to deal with a problem that was presented to you," I said, shrugging slightly. It really didn't bother me in the least. "Not everyone can do everything, and this is just one thing you can't do."

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"It's not an easy thing, or just a problem to overcome," I replied, glad he didn't think less of me but now wanting him to understand a little. "Imagine being in your House and unable to understand the concepts of basic arithmetic, if you can. You would have to memorize every answer, never stopping to work it out if necessary."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"I never thought it was easy, but I don't think it's quite the same as your example. If I couldn't understand math, I would never have been accepted into Bryony. Reading isn't part of your requirements as an adept," I replied.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"Reading is required for all adepts- for contracts," I replied. "Or so it seems. Luckily, Sabrie has always helped with such things when possible and had others do so when not."

Shaking my head I then tucked my hair behind my ears. "It's of no importance- just something I thought I should share. My apologies for going off of the track of conversation again."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

I stopped again and looked at her.

"Stop that," I said. "Stop deflecting things I say by falling back on manners. I understand how this is a big thing for you, and how it has shaped who you are - but I happen to like who you are very much so I have trouble thinking of it as something bad."

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"I like who I am too, but I don't like looking back and seeing the hard reality of what it took to become me," I replied, meeting his gaze. "A great deal of my habits are from necessity. Wandering the City and MOnt Nuit? So I would know where I was without street signs or shop names. What others read I listened to over and over until I knew it as well. Is it right to take the chance of passing such traits on to my child?"

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"Do either of your parent's have this same problem?" I asked.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"My mother began teaching my brothers and I to read," I replied simply. "My father's an Illyrian carpenter- I've never asked. He may never have been taught."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"If he's a carpenter, then he needs to read at least some. Ask them, and if neither of them have this problem, then they didn't pass it on to you, and you probably won't pass it on to your child," I said. I had almost said 'our' child.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

Thinking about what he said I nodded, deciding he was probably correct unless it had come from my Illyrian grandparents. That didn't bear mentioning- surely inheritance didn't work that way with d'Angeline blood being so strong. "You are very wise," I told Fisher. "How do you know so much?"

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"Because I deal a lot in wills and inheritance decrees and knowing a thing or two about bloodlines is good for business," I told her, winking then beginning us walking again.

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

Smiling as well I walked alongside him, silent for a moment. "I think I've just been thinking too much," I finally said. "Too much time, I suppose."

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"That's understandable," I said, nodding and grinning. "I could give you some gossip or business tips to distract you if you'd like."

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

Laughing lightly I shook my head. "Not unless you're in it," i replied.

[Fisher nó Bryony]

"Me? In gossip? Never," I said, pleased to have made her laugh. "It is my job to hear it, not be it."

[Allisande nó Dahlia]

"Always so watchful," I teased. "But then, I'd rather not be in gossip either. Rumor, perhaps, since that conveys some sense of mystery, but not gossip."