deux

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

{The roses are in full bloom in the forest, which has drawn Robespierre to them. He's looking rather nostalgic, and despite his usual prim and proper self, considerably more relaxed.}

How long it has been. The roses of Arras could not compare. The Rosati Society would sure be marveled by such blooms...

{He pauses to pick one of the roses, and recites what seems to be a long-since prepared speech}

"It is happiness that I wish for you. Such happiness awaits you if, true to the charm of your vocation, you prove zealous in fulfilling the sacred obligations it imposes on you. In short: love the rose, love your brothers; these two precepts contain the whole law..."

{But after his cryptic speech, he starts to pick other roses, thinking to make something nice to put in the rather plain room he's sharing with Lorenza and Cagliostro. Feel free to ask if he's gay, or something. Or Sebastian, Dorian, and Robespierre can start a super gay roses club. Either or.}

Comments

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

If only they did. Lovely though, aren't they? I haven't seen a garden that can match them. I wonder how they grow.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

You could really only wonder about the mechanics of many things here. There is no sun nor rain, yet they grow more brilliantly than many tended gardens. It is a marvel, at its least.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Perhaps all the English gardeners truly have it wrong. They'll be so disheartened when they find out.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

{"the english have lots of things wrong"}

It is not only a problem of the English, though. The French gardeners of even Versailles only rarely manage it.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[too cool for patriotism]

They would with all the uprisings, wouldn't they? I suppose these roses must be to make up for the sublime bleakness.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

Though I would perhaps call the political situation bleak, I would not venture to call Versailles itself so.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

[gently wry] I meant the Astral Plane.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

{you so did that on purpose}

Ah. Excuse me for the misunderstanding, then. It seems that such a description fits the country too well.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

I hate bleak winters. It's never summer here, is it? It was winter, though, or at least it snowed. I don't know how anyone could set their calendar here. Aloysius has far more tolerance for cold weather than I do. You must tell me more of Versailles.

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

I always thought it a bit strange to equate happiness with roses. Most people don't find pain an enjoyable sensation.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

{He's somewhat surprised by the quick change, there}

...I...In all honesty, I cannot tell you many of the good things about it. Though I served as a dragoon, I no longer hold any endearment to the nobility.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

"We gather strength from sadness and from pain. Each time we die we learn to live again." It is a necessary part of life, and there is little better to represent it than the delicate flower who has shielded herself in thorns.

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

I've always seen it as being someone who's too afraid of the world and hiding behind her own defenses, myself. [she smiles, though, charming and soft and enjoying this] If we need the pain, why shield yourself from it to begin with? We'd grow so much faster if we didn't.

[because she's one to talk]

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

Humans are not perfect beings, so we shy away from what we consider unpleasant. Only the greatest of men--and women--are able to embrace such pain and carry it upon their shoulders so that they may do something great. If you think of what we traditionally consider a hero, their lives were paved with pain. We must exempt the heroic nobles since that is not quite what I mean to say, but their lives of pleasure are painted with the pain of other people. If we were all to swallow our human suffering, then it would be less remarkable for the great humans to arise from it.

[fruitbrandy.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. Are they being quite awful? I'm told we tend to do that. I myself am a total layabout and a shame to my class. I'm sure I get it from Papa.

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

You give humans far more credit than I think some of them deserve. [namely: Mal] I can't say I fault you for it, though. So few bother to stop and see the world as something beautiful instead of dirty.

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

Quite. You are English nobility, then?

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

I give it less credit than you think. The world is quite an ugly thing, but that is why change is so vital.

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

And how do you propose to bring about this change?

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

{He's quite serious, but it may be a joke}

Through the power of God.

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

[she's Buddhist. the concept sort of works but not really to her]

And what do humans do in the meantime while God sorts it out without them?

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

It may disagree with many theologies, but I do not believe that God can simply sort it out without human hands. The power of God is not reserved for Him alone.

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

How does one harness this power, then? [to her, it doesn't sound much different than the Alliance being all-powerful, really]

[le-traitre.livejournal.com]

I would not know. {Liar}

[elegantthestars.livejournal.com]

That doesn't seem like such a steady plan, then. [she wouldn't doubt he's lying, but she's trained to be sensitive, so her words are kind instead of accusing and she smiles sweetly] Though I don't think I've had the pleasure of knowing the name of the man who intends on saving humanity.