a posse ad esse

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[Sebastian has been playing croquet, but now he looks almost thoughtful as he sits down on a desk on the Plane and swings his feet back and forth]

I don't like to ask questions without a specific audience, as soliloquies seem so lonely and monologues are simply a bore, but I was wondering if singing fish can live in lakes or if they must have fountains as their habitats? I have never had a singing fish before, so I do not know myself, except that honey helps them when they get sick. They sing very prettily.

[he twines a thread from Aloysius's scarf around his finger]

Aloysius might try to eat them, so it's important they move somewhere safer.

Comments

[polarization]

Uh-huh. [ Nod. ]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[nods] If you cross an ocean on your.... on your right, if you face North, and if you don't stop when you hit the island on the coast, you get to Europe. And then in Europe there are some seas, and Italy is in one of those seas. I suppose against it, but Venice really is in it.

[polarization]

It's... in the sea?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, it was built on... wooden stilts or something like that. They say that it's sinking, though I don't know if that's true.

[polarization]

Sinking!?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

So the story goes. I haven't seen it yet, but it may be true.

[polarization]

But you said your daddy's there, right...?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Yes?

[polarization]

Then that's bad!

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Oh, Papa could leave easily. Though I don't know where he'd go, as he doesn't like England. Somewhere on the Provençal coast, perhaps, or elsewhere in Italy.

[polarization]

Oh... Why doesn't he like England?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I don't know. Because of mummy, I suppose. Or perhaps he doesn't care for the weather and the countryside.

[polarization]

[ Confusion. ] 'Cause of your mama?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[completely undisturbed] Papa and mummy had a falling out. It was all over the social papers. It was years and years ago, so it doesn't mean much any more, except that mummy lives at Brideshead and Papa lives in Venice with Cara. [for once, Sebastian checks himself before he starts talking about his dad's mistress] Cara is a friend of Papa's. She's very lovely. I'm excited to see her again this summer.

[polarization]

[ And this whole thing is very confusing to the eight year old. ] Social... papers? But—but, why?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I don't... [Sebastian frowns] I don't know. It's just how my family is.

[polarization]

That's sad... They shouldn't not be living together anymore.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I don't mind. I think it's better, as it is now. Come on. We should find a good climbing tree.

[polarization]

But... [ He still doesn't like the situation Sebastian's told him of, but now he's distracted. ] We should?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

We should! I sometimes worry about leaving Aloysius alone at the bottom of the tree, but as we have Gabriel, it won't be a problem.

[polarization]

Yeah... They can keep each other company. [ He nods at the idea. ]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Good! Then if you would be so kind as to follow me? [offers a silly bow with a laugh in his expression]

[polarization]

[ Some laughter. ] Okay!

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

This way, then! [Without pause, Sebastian practically skips to the forest, though he tempers his speed to make sure that the child doesn't fall behind him]

[polarization]

[ Sefton chases after, although lacking some of the reckless abandon most kids his age would probably have. ] Coming!