most people don't have to do this twice.

[dogbitesman]

As parties went, it had been mostly unremarkable on the larger scale; another of the large gatherings that took place from time to time, notable mostly because it was Festivity in the Face of Fear or some such

Comments

[dishabille_mal]

"I think I pulled another stitch dancing with Harkness," Maladicta muttered, one arm crossed over her chest, gently plying at the fabric of her dress with her fingertips over the bandage.

"I thought stitches were supposed to... to stay where they were."

[dogbitesman]

"...what is maybe what the jewellery is for?" William said, meeting Maladicta's glance with a faintly quizzical one of his own. He felt a little like he'd skipped a sentence somewhere while skim-reading on that last point.

[headline_maker]

"Distracting with shiny things, perhaps," Sacharissa deadpanned, arcing up to kiss Maladicta again. She had plenty of distraction right there, come to that.

[dogbitesman]

"I think that is sufficiently shiny, personally," William said, head tilting slightly as he brushed Sacharissa's hair out of the way to kiss the back of her neck. "But there's a ruby under her shirt if it something more tangible becomes necessary."

[dishabille_mal]

"Hey," Maladicta protested, laughing huskily, looking up. She paused a moment, then shrugged, digressing.

"Well, it's true."

[headline_maker]

"That you've got the ruby," Sacharissa asked, "or that you need distraction?" She smiled, then turned her head back to look up at William.

[dogbitesman]

"Well, I know the one's true," William said, smiling down at Sacharissa. "The other..." he shrugged, slightly.

He knew he didn't need distracting. Because, frankly, he was perfectly happy with where his attention was right then.

[dishabille_mal]

Maladicta was nuzzling Sacharissa's neck right beneath the corner of her jaw when she paused.

"...My name's going to get longer, isn't it?" she murmured, frowning a little.

[headline_maker]

"That hardly seems possible," Sacharissa said, sounding a bit distracted herself. "Anyway, there's no way to arrange three names to sound right together. It's just a sort of unnecessary mouthful, don't you think?"

[dogbitesman]

"Two names on top of what you already have is a drop in an ocean, Maladicta," William said, having to release Sacharissa's earlobe in order to speak properly.

[dishabille_mal]

"Yes, I know, but it is my name," Maladicta said, not shortly but with a clipped sort of tone that meant she didn't want to talk about why it was an issue, "and it's- look, I just have to figure it out," she said. "I mean which are we going for? Oh, I almost wish we were back on the Disc. A vampire taking the de Worde name. That would just be fun to watch ripple through the circles of undead society." She absently ran her fingertips along the small of Sacharissa's back as she mused this, then flashed William a grin, half hiding the expression against Sacharissa's shoulder.

[headline_maker]

"I don't see the need to change them," Sacharissa pointed out, hands traveling along Maladicta's waist. "There's three of us - it would just be awkward. Besides, I'm still me, married or not." And though she didn't have the same name issues as Maladicta, her name still mattered to her. She had been the last in her family, and she was certainly the only Cripslock here.

[dogbitesman]

"I suppose the change in byline would be somewhat confusing for readers, as well," William said, although there was a faintly doubting edge to it.

But only faintly. Dubiousness seemed out of place in that particular moment. He shifted slightly so he could lean over and say against Maladicta's hair, "Not to mention the fit Ankh-Morpork Society would have."

[dishabille_mal]

Maladicta smiled to herself, letting her eyes close and leaning back against him a little.

"Well, regardless of what you two do, I'll have to do some rearranging. It's a vampire thing. It's like a historical record, and so far mine consists of a lot of, well, generally unpleasant people. This is important enough to warrant recording, I think," she murmured, curling her fingers the fabric of Sacharissa's shirt, looking thoughtfully downward.

[headline_maker]

"You can keep track for the lot of us," Sacharissa said softly, smiling. "I'm not sure how much more pleasant that'll make the records, but I suppose it's a start."

[dogbitesman]

"It seems eminently sensible to me," William agreed, eyes closed. "They wouldn't just go on the end, so you'd have three perfectly pleasant names bracketing all the unpleasant ones you can ignore?"