A garment box arrives at Ceridwens home in the early bells. It is wrapped simply on the outside and shows no real sign of sender or location sent from save a small ‘B’ printed on the top.
Inside is a folded ladies coat in an Ul’dah style seen most commonly at the Golden Saucer along with a small jewelry box.
There is a letter on top of all of this written in Bryces hand.
My Lady,
Please forgive me for making you worry so. I have received ample chastisement from her Ladyship for causing such distress in both you and she. I send this letter to you with hopes you will join me for a holiday date at the Golden Saucer. Far from home, I am aware, however I have a lovely evening planned should you accept my invitation.
Should you not, I hope you accept these holiday gifts with all my affection. Irregardless of what happens with my recent issues, I do hope to see you soon.
Like any noble Starlight affair, the feast that Rosaire had arranged was bountiful and sumptuous to behold, and to partake. Of course, among friends, the dinner wasn’t the quietest, or politest, of affairs. But Ceridwen had more fun with everyone together, than she’d had at a starlight party in such a long time. For the first time in years, Starlight felt like a proper holiday to celebrate.
Bryce stood up on the snow covered hill, looking northward toward Ishguard. He had stopped in the Observatory and left a note with the Chocobo keeper for any who came looking for him. It was nothing more then a map with an x marking a small cave to the south. He was almost there, intending to hideout for the night. He knew it wouldn’t take his father very long to send out notice for his capture. He wanted to be long gone within two days, his idea to go all the way south to the desert and blend in among the other gamblers at the Gold Saucer.
Most admirable quality: “I’d say Bryce’s most admirable quality is umm... his intelligence. Man’s smart. And he seems to use it wisely. Most of the time.”
Most attractive physical feature: “Uhhhh... I don’t know. I mean... I guess... his hair? I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”
Most annoying habit: “He keeps pissing off my sister. Like... Fury’s mercy. You’d think he’d learn.”
Something they would like to do with them: “Travel. He’s pretty road savvy. I’d love to see more of the world.
Dwen & Bryce
Most admirable quality: “His wish to see Ishgard in a better way. More equitable and such. And the efforts he’s made to protect his sister.”
Most attractive physical feature: “He’s got nice hands.”
Most annoying habit: “He’s got this sense of... perverseness to him. It’s not quite chauvinistic. But he skirts the line pretty close sometimes.”
Something they would like to do with them: “I would like to see my friendship with Bryce grow stronger. I know that’s not a specific activity. But... it’s what I want.”
Dwen & Chastity
Most admirable quality: “She’s survived so much. And flourishing so well, now that she’s safe and cared for. She’s taking her fate into her own hands and running with it.”
Most attractive physical feature: “Her blonde curls are so pretty. Blonde is such a nice hair color.”
Most annoying habit: “She’s still so shy. So sure that someone’s going to lash out at her. I know she can’t help it. And that only time will heal her of what was done to her. But... I kinda want to just take her by the shoulders and remind her, every time, I can never be upset by her.”
Something they would like to do with them: “Oh by the Fury. There’s so much. I want to take her places. Show her things to learn. See her grow into the lovely woman I know she’ll be.”
Sirus & Chastity
Most admirable quality: “Her positivity. And her willingness to try new things. She’s a good kid. A really good kid.”
Most attractive physical feature: “I like her smile. She’s so open.”
Most annoying habit: “Her shyness. Kiddo could use a bit more confidence.”
Something they would like to do with them: “I would love to show her some of the animals I’ve observed in the Sea of Clouds.”
The slamming of a manor door rang in the quiet evening streets. Nothing new for the city, an echoing bang after dark, and certainly nothing new for that particular manor. It was, however, on that evening not an irate Lord who stormed from the steps, or even an unhappy businessmen, but the heir of the house instead.
A wintercoat was pulled up against the wind, doing little to cut the chill that this angry man could feel as he storms through the snow. His own common sense was alight, screaming at him to turn back around and set right the argument he’d just had as well as the commotion he’d caused.
Bryce Starshield pauses at the end of the street, wind whipping through his loose hair. He glances back up the street, then snears and turns to walk down a side street. His aim was the great dragon bridge. He needed out of this stale and overly political air before he succumed to the choke.
In his head he continued to go over the conversation he’d had with his father. He had gone to the older Lord of the house and presented the man with the final piece of his coop. Not only was his personal suit accepted with the woman he intended to marry one day, but his own investagators had found one very intriguing piece of information that his father had held from him all this time.
He had stood firm in his conviction, ousting his father for years of lies and deceat. No, he would not give up his romantic persuit. No he did not care the family of his Lady was once accused of harasy. Yes he was aware of the political unrest in the streets and no he would not support his father’s side. Change was coming to their city and their people, and Bryce firmly believed that it should be left on the shoulders of those who would live to see that future instead of argued about by those who were not long for the world.
Once more Bryce pauses in the snow and pulls from his pocket a pair of items. One was a twisted and melted bit of metal, barely recognizable as the pocket watch it had once been. The other was a locket of antique silver, stained from the blood it had sat in far too long when it’s last owner died.
He opens the locket and looks at the crumpled parchment he’d come across in it, sighing. Could it really give him the freedom he needed? He closes the locket with a snap and slips it around his neck, then continues his walk for the city’s edge.
Before crossing the bridge, he pauses at one of the dark alleys leading down to the Brume and gives a small little girl who answered his call a bag full of gil and a single letter, to be delivered to the home of Lady Deschamps at first light. He pats the girl on the head, then turns and heads out into the blinding snow south of the city, putting as much distance between himself and the coming fallout that would soon come upon him from his father’s ire.
~{BREAK}~
At first light a tiny knock comes to the entry of the house Deschamps. The little orphan presents the Lady’s maid with the letter, then waits as one would for a treat, as is the usual for delivered post to this particular Lady.
The letter is hastily written in Bryces scrawl, lacking some of his usually thought out niceties.
Lady Deschamps,
I hope this note finds you well for it is not good news I bring upon you this cold morning.
As unrest continues between the people of our city, I have saught to find my own way to see our people to a brighter dawn only to stumble into the shadows of the past.
I send this letter to you in the hopes that as close friend of my Grandmother you saw nothing to do with her death. As you have told me time and again, I hope your word that she sadly died peacefully in her sleep is the only truth you know.
I have come across a piece of jewelry she once wore about her neck daily, no doubt you would recognize the silver locket if I showed it to you. But the soaked in stain I hope you would not recognize.
I found the secure lockbox my grandmother left for my eyes alone, and only if I could prove my selflessness in her eyes to find it. I find myself wondering how she had this particular safeguard built into our family tomb beneath my grandfather’s tombstone, or even if she had the help of an ally in doing it.
I must unfortunately be brief, but what I found will have my father pushed from the house and the entire holdings mine by the time you read this letter. Or I will have fled the city to preserve my life.
To be perfectly selfish I do hope for the first solution, for I go now to confront my Father about his role in my Grandmothers murder.
I await your response to this letter with your promise you knew nothing of my fathers plotting. And my most sincere hope you did not have a hand in it.
Also, p lease see to it the young child I send to you is given a warm meal. I intend to leave whomever I find to deliver this letter to you with enough Gil to eat for a time, but if you are still the good woman I know you to be, please see to a touch of comfort for them.
If you find I have fled the city, send your letter via safe means to the south. I will not say here where I intend to flee to, but there will be those at the Observatorium who will be privy, whom I trust.
I would kill you. ✧ I would physically hurt you. ✧ I would attack you unprovoked. ✧ I would manipulate you. ✧ I dislike you. ✧ You annoy me. ✧ You scare me. ✧ You intimidate me. ✧ I hope I intimidate you. ✧ I pity you. ✧ You disgust me. ✧ I hate you. ✧ I’m indifferent toward you. ✧ I’d like to get to know you better. ✧ I’d like to spend more time with you. ✧ I’d like to be friends with you. ✧ I’m unsure what to think of you. ✧ I’m unsure how I feel about you. ✧ You are my friend. ✧ You are my best friend. ✧ You are my mentor. ✧ I look up to you. ✧ I respect you. ✧ You are my hero. ✧ You inspire me. ✧ You are my enemy. ✧ You make me happy. ✧ I want to protect you. ✧ I would fight by your side. ✧ I consider you an equal. ✧ I think you are beneath me. ✧ I think you are above me. ✧ I would lie for you. ✧ I would lie to you. ✧ I would sleep with you. ✧ I would sleep by your side. ✧ I would hug you. ✧ I would kiss you. ✧ You are family to me. ✧ I would die for you. ✧ I would kill for you. ✧ I would trust you with my life. ✧ I would trust you with my most precious belonging. ✧ I would trust you with a secret. ✧ I would trust you with my biggest / darkest secret. ✧ I love you (platonically). ✧ I love you (romantically).
I would physically hurt you - Dwen still harbors some hurt over what happened. But she’s healing little by little. She would only need a real excuse though, to go after Bryce with a book.
I would hug you. - She’s working her way into being more comfortable with Bryce. She still gets nervous holding his hand. So, little hugs aren’t common. Yet.
I would trust you with a secret. - Bryce already knows one of the worst parts of Dwen’s history. His own involvement in that, and apparent remorse for what he was powerless to do, merits him a certain amount of trust.
I love you (platonically)/(romantically). - Dwen cares about Bryce as a friend. She’s shy about it. But it’s there. The seeds for romance are needing a bit more time.
♔ - one Muse hits the other while opening a door too fast/forcefully
Ceridwen was arguing with her brother. They did this frequently. Not that it would matter, the moment she stepped into the hall.
She’d known her father was having one of his regular guests today. She hadn’t known that this guest would be bringing his son over, for the first time. And thus, when she’d slammed open the door, in her childlike fury at her twin’s annoyingness, she’d clipped the the other boy with the edge of the door, and knocked him off of his feet.
This of course, prompted a flurry of concern from the small twins. And a lecture from their family seneschal, for taking out her temper on the door. And their guest.
Little did Ceridwen know, that apparently this wouldn’t slow Bryce Starshield down in the least.
