Marian's 5th Milliversary

[queenofmay]

Marian entered through the painting of The Dogs Playing Poker, carrying a medium sized lacquer box, and giving very little attention to her, once again, missing Door. Especially once The Bar presented her request for a tea and biscuits service, with that of May Lily tea and the gift of a medium sized cake, iced with the number five in dark emerald

Comments

[will_scarlett]

Sherwood is cold and Will has found a door, so he's glad of a chance to escape the confines of the caves.

He brushes snow from his cloak and smiles when he sees Marian, it's been far too long, "Good eve to ye."

[queenofmay]

"And you," Marian had been a touch distracted looking from the paper in her hand up. But then her smile blossomed, sudden and pleased, like the thaw, when she found who it was. "Will."

[will_scarlett]

"Aye, 'ow are ye? I've na 'ad a door for a time and lose track o'what passes 'ere,"

He's grateful to see her as he doesn't know if she's spoken with Sir Guy yet. As he sits in the seat next to her, a mug of mulled cider and some bread and cheese appears for him.

[queenofmay]

"Well, enough. Home is--" She scrunched up her nose slightly. It's a testament to their friendship that it's as congenial, and non-formal, an answer as it is. "--normal. Nottingham Castle as it's coziest." There's a trite note running through all that.

Her childhood was Nottingham at its coziest.

Never once did she dream of being its prisoner.

Then, with a nod to the cake. "Apparently I've been here five years."
This comment though does have some quietly, resigned, confusion to it.

[cutting_edgex23]

X pauses by Marian's table, looking both startled and pleased.

"You are here."

Beat.

"Hello."

[queenofmay]

Marian looking up from the small side pile. Distraction turning to pleasure both from the voice, and then even more than the face. "Fair eve, Laura."

She made a move to shift some of her trove. "Would you care for a seat?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Okay," X says, careful to take her seat without disturbing any of the items on the table.

Then she hesitates.

"I -- "

Beat.

"You can call me X. Please."

Sometimes it feels important.

[queenofmay]

There is an interest that touches Marian's expression. Faintly apologetic, but never to embarrassment or rebuke. It's more tuned to some surprise, and quite curiosity.

"You've decided, then?"

[landlesslord]

When Guy enters the Bar, from a couple hours spent walking in the cold, his thoughts are filled with Marian.

This is where the conflict arises when he spots her at her table. He doubts she would welcome his presence and yet... he still wishes dearly to spend time with her.

Now that he has so much of it and is acutely aware of her mortal lifespan.

It doesn't make it easier to decide whether to go over and talk to her or not though.

[queenofmay]

There is actually one tiny artifact still left in the box. Well bundled. Apparently it's been both years and weeks since she's seen it. But she can't bring herself to take it out yet. Some of the rest of this was hard enough already.

It's why the box sits closed. Because it's still holding it. Safe. Somewhere not quite near, not quite here. She can still decided how to proceed with doing the right thing later. Much lat--

It would help if she hadn't tried to breathe in her tea when she looked up and spotted him.

[landlesslord]

The idea that he could try to be inconspicuous and somehow just stroll across the room without Marian noticing is dropped when Guy realises that she has seen him. Not that someone who had spent all those years as the Nightwatchman would not notice someone of Guy's size trying to skulk off to his room.

There's nothing for it. Guy takes a deep breath, braces himself and takes the few steps to stand on the other side of her table.

He's silent while he tries to think of something to say that wouldn't frustrate or anger her. He's mostly failing.

[queenofmay]

There's time to unflattering manage to swallow the tea she tried to breathe, as he's walking toward her. But even when her eyes teared up from the surprise and effort, she refused to wipe her face, to blot out her vision and betray...what?, she didn't know.

It takes five or six seconds of him standing there, saying nothing, before, she realizes he's not going to say anything. That she yelled at him, and he's going to stand there. Saying nothing. Looking at her as much as not looking at her.

She pressed her lips together, not pleased and more uncertain than it.

There was not a sigh to start it. "Fair eve, Sir Guy."

[luvitwnurescume]

Dixie's never seen anyone enter the bar through a painting before; that alone's got her watching Marian. The assortment of objects she's been given are intriguing but puzzling to a stranger.

She approaches boldly. "If I had to guess, I'd say you've got a curiosity shop back home." Dixie carefully keeps her hands to herself, smart to avoid handling what doesn't belong to her in almost all instances.

[queenofmay]

Marian looking up with some surprise at the sudden voice, but she offer a congenial enough. "Fair eve." Before glancing back at everything laying before her on the table.

"They are all the mementos of the time I have spent here."

[luvitwnurescume]

"Oh," Dixie remarks softly, eyeing each object in turn before looking Marian in the eyes; she's met Will and is slightly accustomed to the notion of a stranger speaking Olde English. "It looks like you've had a wonderful adventure."

[queenofmay]

Marian was a small bit surprise by the last word, but it caused her to smile in that surprise. "Yes. Perhaps." So much joy sat on this table, so much loss, so many stories, so many truths.

"Would you care for a seat? And tea?" She made a gesture to the tea service. "There are extra cups, and I am never against the company of new faces."