as you can probably tell, i’m pretty fucking sick of you right now. — daphne from @contrabends >:)
YOU ARE EATING AN ORANGE // accepting . @st4ysoft . @contrabends (and a pinch of @fairb4nks mention)
"Dearest, I do not think there has been a single time you were not sick of me since I first walked in this room and acknowledged your existence." she hums more to herself in half a snort than to the other. Still, the other's feelings aside "Which is fine." it was certainly a choice. Daphné smile twists, her brow arches. There weren't many people that had been quite so outright hostile towards her but she supposed that might be what she should have expected when outside of the circus that was court.
And further away from the capital. Truthfully, it was more entertaining than she'd expected. Even if the physical threats silently hanging the air and in her eyes weren't welcome "Though it does make me curious as to the why."
And she had had some time to think about it.
Turning on her seat, Daphné pulls the red dress as to allow her to cross her legs, allowing but a glimpse of the white slipper to peer through the many skirts. Leaning on her knee, her hand touches her own chin.
"At first I considered, is it my way of talking?... And while it could certainly be the case, you would not be the first, I don't think it is the only reason. Now, is it the way that I dress? Perhaps, I've had more than a handful of people feel threatened by the wealth on display. Some people also are very uncomfortable with having someone... well, like me" pausing, she gives the other a significant look to the other. What the 'like me' could mean, stays up to interpretation of her expression.
Like her. Someone designed to the shape and details of the 'other woman', the shape of a married man's desires. The form of someone who could fulfill a void of any kind. Of a bird that sang as ordered "around their loved ones. I would find it frankly... well, disappointing if that were the case."
Shrugging, Daphné hums to herself and deep green eyes move to focus on Tess. Wondering if she should stop talking "But I have been disappointed by people before. I'm a big girl, I can handle disappointment."
The answer is yes, she should. And yet her smile curled further against the hand that is cupped under her chin, her eyes narrowing as her voice grows into a husky whisper. She supposed if anyone deserved a small shadow of honesty and sincerity in this place, it should perhaps be Tess, after all, she had offered Daphné little else.
"If you ask what I think is the main reason? I think you are afraid." you are constantly afraid. And she knew because she herself was constantly afraid. Even being there for the amount of time she had dared was likely something she would need to work around and find ways of smoothing over. But those things are not visible, as the fear isn't.
Sometimes fear revealed itself in the shape of anger and protectiveness. That would have been a better trait, Daphné considered, hers was often in the shape of the bottom of a bottle and in a warm hand against her lower back "Afraid for yourself maybe, but certainly afraid that any new person that comes in will destroy this little operation you both have going."
Daphné wasn't even sure if it was necessarily to do with the operation. Or something more personal. Truthfully, apart from the fact that it was useful information to discover and the deep entertainment potential, Daphné did not care.
Tess was painfully transparent. That was the main issue, perhaps. And it wasn't an issue that only she had. The bleeding hearts would bleed not only on floors but on walls, on anything they touched. They would leave a trail all the way back to her. And so, back to Daphné, this was also the reason why she hadn't been involved with any of the sort of activities that Marius often got himself involved in. It was dangerous work, passionate work, foolish work. Hard. Hard to the heart and heart to his loved ones.
If Daphné cared, and if she weren't afraid to further antagonise the other, she would have said it plain as day: Tess wouldn't need anyone from the outside to come in and destroy all that she had worked for. Her untempered and wild temper would do it for her. She would destroy herself and all that she loved all by herself, she would never need Daphné. Plus, the mage refused to be seen like a catalytic just because she existed.
In the end, beyond the fear of physical harm, Daphné cared little if she annoyed the other. Or made her feel insecure. Truthfully, Daphné cared little unless she got what she needed out of this. Whatever issues she had, were hers and had been hers long before Daphné ever walked in.
"Feel free to deny it" Daphné hums, shrugging and giving the other one final look over before walking to the side - never turning her back towards the other "though I'd suggest keeping the threats off the table, I can assure you I have little to no power or interest in meddling in... whatever you both have going on," she waves her hand dismissively "even Fairbanks will tell you I am a useful person to have as a friend."
And someone that would be terrible to piss off.
Not because she held much power, she didn't, but they didn't know that. And while there would not be much she would be able to do if Tess truly decided to hurt her, Daphné had survived so far. The way that her eyes look at Tess tells her this: she would survive this too. And there would be hell to pay. Perhaps not now, but with enough time? Well, Daphné had a way of outliving people that hurt her, she was planning on continuing the trend.
"I find threats of violence in extreme bad taste. Plus, I have quite a few people that would have questions you don't want asked if you decide that laying hands on me is a good idea." pouting, Daphné picks up the quill once more "And you see... I'm a terrible liar."