[sansa beams with pride at being considered for this task. she even looks a bit like a governess in her grey linen dress and wide leather belt. lady settles in a corner, her eyes and ears following bethany's general direction. sansa speaks very clearly.]
Oh, I should be very glad to see my good friend, Lady Bethany. We always have such a nice time talking; she has very interesting things to say.
[she smiles at pal, briefly conspiratorially, and then peers around, rising to her tiptoes with an expression of innocent concern.]
Bethany? I was hoping we could spend some time together. Lady is very much looking forward to it.
[There's a ghostly kind of shuffling noise from up in the loft when Sansa speaks, as little Bethany clearly has a private war with herself about whether to continue sulking for attention or actually come down and get her attention. After a moment her little ghostly hand pops out over the edge of the loft, waving in a distinct 'come here' fashion. Palamedes heads for the loft ladder, obligingly.]
That's my cue. Hold on a moment.
[He's tall, so he doesn't need to go all the way up the ladder to reach Bethany's doll 'body' and bring it back down, where he sets it on the arm of one of the two comfy armchairs not behind his desk. Once he's done that, Bethany's spirit manifests again from out of the doll, settling into the chair and spreading her hands over her plain skirt in her lap like a fine little lady (one who immediately begins to fidget with the hem of the skirt anyway, but like, she's trying).
She clears her throat, a chalky sort of noise, and Palamedes yet again obligingly moves aside, going to sit at his desk.
Bethany, in her wispy, ghostly voice, says,] Hello, ma'am.
[sansa waits politely as bethany is settled into place and offers her a wide smile when she reveals herself. lady obligingly trots up to within petting distance and sits neatly down, huffing happily.]
Bethany! It's good to see you. I was very sorry to hear you've been unhappy. Last month was very trying for all of us. Is there something bothering you in particular? If you could tell me what it is I could see if there is something to be done about it.
[Bethany folds her hands in her lap to stop fidgeting, and then almost immediately starts fidgeting again when Sansa asks her what's wrong. There's obviously a thing, and she keeps glancing at Lady instead of either of the humans in the room. Lady is much easier to look at, while anxiety-ing about this thing...]
Well, [Bethany says, and gives Sansa the quickest glance she can before looking down again. If she could blush, she would.] It's fine here! Really, it is! But, um- ma'am...
[She trails off, then balls her tiny ghost fists in her skirt for Confidence.]
I want to have pretty clothes like you, ma'am, and go to parties and- and I can't! Because I'm like this!
[Palamedes, for his part, takes this as his cue to spin his chair around and study his bookshelf, good golly, very interesting over here... He's not interrupting this.]
I want those things for you too, Bethany. I would make you dresses to wear, if I could. I'm very sorry you can't do everything you'd like, but I think we might be able to have a party for you here in the Sanctuary...
[she glances at palamedes––or at least, the back of his chair.]
Lord Palamedes? Do you think you might put wards like these on one of the spare rooms, so we might have a party for Lady Bethany, and perhaps other children in her condition?
[Bethany goes through a rollercoaster of emotions in a few seconds, crestfallen at the fact that she can't have pretty clothes but perking up considerably at the idea of a party. For her? A whole party??
Palamedes' head appears around the side of the chair back, and then a thumbs up.]
Absolutely.
[And Bethany, twisting the hem of her skirt so hard she would fray it, if it were not spectral, all but bursts with nervous excitement:] Oh, can we? Can we really? Ma'am, do you know where there are other kids like me? I want Grandpa to come, too!
[sansa was already considering the possibility of ghost fabrics; bethany's sorry face has her wondering how one might go about killing a dress. fortunately, she seems excited about the party, and crucially, palamedes is on board. sansa beams at him and then at bethany.]
Of course we can have a party, and everyone at the Sanctuary is welcome.
[is that rude witch still here? oh well. if no one else can keep her occupied, sansa is willing to endure a little torment for the sake of the ghost children.]
We have been looking for more children like you.
[well, sansa is not yet equipped to sense anything inclined to leave behind a ghost, but allen can sense souls, and she's sure she can rope him into it. he spends enough time wandering around the city, anyway.]
Last month it was very difficult outside of the Sanctuary, but now that things have calmed down some, we can resume our search. I don't know that we'll find them in time for this party, but I'm sure all the children who come here would be very glad to meet you properly.
[sansa's younger siblings would have loved to meet a ghost, at least, and it's hard to imagine there aren't any children at least as gruesome in crenshaw. she can always ask around in cellar door. she grins.]
And we can always have another party, another time.
[they do seem to be effective at preventing corruption from taking hold, and she and allen have discussed this obliquely once or twice. sansa is always looking for a chance to bring people together over something lighthearted and fun.]
[Somebody in this town has to know how to kill a dress. Surely. It'll happen. Bethany, for her part, practically wiggles in excitement in her chair, but is almost shy when she speaks again:]
Do you think so? Will they be nice, like everyone here? I don't like that man in the helmet who just yells all the time.
[Sorry, cursed helmet ghost. Palamedes, behind his chair, has begun a spreadsheet for how to find more ghost kids, in... the least upsetting way possible, if he has to like, ask the locals. Yeesh.]
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no subject
Oh, I should be very glad to see my good friend, Lady Bethany. We always have such a nice time talking; she has very interesting things to say.
[she smiles at pal, briefly conspiratorially, and then peers around, rising to her tiptoes with an expression of innocent concern.]
Bethany? I was hoping we could spend some time together. Lady is very much looking forward to it.
[lady perks up and pants obligingly.]
no subject
That's my cue. Hold on a moment.
[He's tall, so he doesn't need to go all the way up the ladder to reach Bethany's doll 'body' and bring it back down, where he sets it on the arm of one of the two comfy armchairs not behind his desk. Once he's done that, Bethany's spirit manifests again from out of the doll, settling into the chair and spreading her hands over her plain skirt in her lap like a fine little lady (one who immediately begins to fidget with the hem of the skirt anyway, but like, she's trying).
She clears her throat, a chalky sort of noise, and Palamedes yet again obligingly moves aside, going to sit at his desk.
Bethany, in her wispy, ghostly voice, says,] Hello, ma'am.
no subject
Bethany! It's good to see you. I was very sorry to hear you've been unhappy. Last month was very trying for all of us. Is there something bothering you in particular? If you could tell me what it is I could see if there is something to be done about it.
no subject
Well, [Bethany says, and gives Sansa the quickest glance she can before looking down again. If she could blush, she would.] It's fine here! Really, it is! But, um- ma'am...
[She trails off, then balls her tiny ghost fists in her skirt for Confidence.]
I want to have pretty clothes like you, ma'am, and go to parties and- and I can't! Because I'm like this!
[Palamedes, for his part, takes this as his cue to spin his chair around and study his bookshelf, good golly, very interesting over here... He's not interrupting this.]
no subject
I want those things for you too, Bethany. I would make you dresses to wear, if I could. I'm very sorry you can't do everything you'd like, but I think we might be able to have a party for you here in the Sanctuary...
[she glances at palamedes––or at least, the back of his chair.]
Lord Palamedes? Do you think you might put wards like these on one of the spare rooms, so we might have a party for Lady Bethany, and perhaps other children in her condition?
no subject
Palamedes' head appears around the side of the chair back, and then a thumbs up.]
Absolutely.
[And Bethany, twisting the hem of her skirt so hard she would fray it, if it were not spectral, all but bursts with nervous excitement:] Oh, can we? Can we really? Ma'am, do you know where there are other kids like me? I want Grandpa to come, too!
no subject
Of course we can have a party, and everyone at the Sanctuary is welcome.
[is that rude witch still here? oh well. if no one else can keep her occupied, sansa is willing to endure a little torment for the sake of the ghost children.]
We have been looking for more children like you.
[well, sansa is not yet equipped to sense anything inclined to leave behind a ghost, but allen can sense souls, and she's sure she can rope him into it. he spends enough time wandering around the city, anyway.]
Last month it was very difficult outside of the Sanctuary, but now that things have calmed down some, we can resume our search. I don't know that we'll find them in time for this party, but I'm sure all the children who come here would be very glad to meet you properly.
[sansa's younger siblings would have loved to meet a ghost, at least, and it's hard to imagine there aren't any children at least as gruesome in crenshaw. she can always ask around in cellar door. she grins.]
And we can always have another party, another time.
[they do seem to be effective at preventing corruption from taking hold, and she and allen have discussed this obliquely once or twice. sansa is always looking for a chance to bring people together over something lighthearted and fun.]
no subject
Do you think so? Will they be nice, like everyone here? I don't like that man in the helmet who just yells all the time.
[Sorry, cursed helmet ghost. Palamedes, behind his chair, has begun a spreadsheet for how to find more ghost kids, in... the least upsetting way possible, if he has to like, ask the locals. Yeesh.]