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

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

Not in this life. Perhaps I'll keep that in mind for the next. [sets the bottle of rum down on the counter, taking Sebastian's words literally] Would you care for a bit more then?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[Sebastian is hardly going to protest this; he smiles] I should hardly protest if you were to.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[and he starts pouring some more in!] Tell me when.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[Sebastian allows Straxus to pour for some time] I suppose that's enough.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[and he stops, slowly setting the bottle down on the bar] Sebastian, I don't profess to have the best understanding of humans; often, I find the vast majority of them confusing and very difficult to talk to or understand at all.

But not you. I believe that may be why your fountain now has singing fish in residence.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[considering this for a moment] So... there are singing fish in my fountain because I'm not mysterious enough.

It's some consolation. Though I'd hoped I was always mysterious, so I'll have to put more effort into it. That's a very indirect way to say you're fond of me, you realise.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[he might've just realised that, yes] Ah...yes. You do have an air of mystery about yourself, however. [like why anyone his age carries a stuffed bear around and presumes it can eat fish of any variety]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I like to think so. And I like you too! Why do you worry so much about things? Oh, I forgot the name. Where is it you're from? Somewhere that sounds Irish, I recall.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

Gallifrey. And I do not worry about things all the time. [frowns]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Certainly, you do. And if you aren't very carefully you shall die of heart failure from all of your worrying.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[sounds amused] It'd be very difficult to die of such a thing. Two hearts, remember?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

You worry a great deal.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[takes a drink] How so?

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I haven't kept track of the ways. It's in how you carry yourself and how you treat things. I'd be very concerned for you if you didn't drink as well, but you should be able to make it through. You can't even tell someone that you're fond of him.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

Expressing feelings is a difficult thing for my people. It's not something we actually do on a normal basis.

...Though we do have anger and jealousy down well enough.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

You sound like the picture of pleasant people.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

In the eyes of many species we are, but not for our lack of skill in expressing oneself.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

There are always a few very good reasons not to like a group of people, so I try not to hold it against anyone lest it be held against me.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[he considers that for a moment and nods, impressed] Fair enough.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Perhaps they don't like you because you keep all the singing fish to yourselves.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

[slightly confused] To myself? Oh no, that isn't the case at all. I only own a few.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I meant the lot of you. You really mustn't be so literal.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

Forgive me. It's part of my nature. [though sometimes, it's part of his nature to take things literally just to annoy the other person.]

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Is talking figuratively another thing your people aren't very good at doing? Perhaps it has something to do with you and your emotions. Poetry is of course the realm of the emotional, and figurative language is the heart of poetry. How self-demonstrative. But then I suppose literal poetry would be incredibly dull and flat, and not in the least bit obscure, which is so important in poesy. You must take up writing poetry! It will help you with your feelings.

[damn-time-ring.livejournal.com]

I actually meant that to be literal, but...poetry? [such creativity is not encouraged! it's a cry of individuality!] I am not so certain that's something for me, Sebastian.