Ysa-Sallie, in bar, with the revolver

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie normally doesn't hold with firearms. But, Malcolm asked a favor, and she's perfectly able to clean some of the auxiliary weapons Malcolm needs to prep a job.

So cue old lady, fingers dipped in gun oil, staring at gun parts like a ingredients in a recipe.

Comments

[freedom_is_grey]

Liranan sneezes at the smell of gun oil.

Ysa stops at the sound, gaze turning to --

Oh.

"Sallie? Is that -- are you planning on riding out to war?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"Huh? Oh, hell no. My son uses these and Jayne's ill, so I said I'd help him out and get everythin' spic and span.

"Do I look like an old lady who goes off to battle? Do you even have those in your world?"

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen does not snort.

Really.

"I almost wish Wynne came here, just for this."

Wynne is in her fifties, but in a world like Thedas that's -- pretty up there, so far as ages go.

[realmrsreynolds]

"She sounds fun. We could go be bad guys together. Oh! I meant to ask -- " Sallie puts a bristle brush down and takes a towel off the table for her fingertips. " -- How many folks come here from your world? I meant another lady here not too long ago as well."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Wynne would make a terrible bad guy."

Sad but true.

Ysalwen frowns slightly, as if checking off who is here often enough to be someone Sallie might run into.

"Maybe a handful? Did you meet Cassandra, by any chance?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"No, that wasn't -- that wasn't her name. Dang ma, what was it? Older lady, interestin' sartorial choices?"

[freedom_is_grey]

Oh.

Well, then.

"Um. By interesting do you mean maroon leather or incredibly muddy rags? Perhaps."

[realmrsreynolds]

"The leather. Definitely. With -- " A vague hand gesture towards Sallie's own hair to indicate a ... statement headpiece?

[freedom_is_grey]

"Horns? Or -- I suppose hair that looks like horns. I've -- never been sure which it actually is."

Seriously never sure.

"Did she go by Flemeth?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"That's it! Oh good, I was beginning to wanna say 'Florence', and that wouldn't work for her I think."

[freedom_is_grey]

"No, she's not very. Um. Flower-like."

Understatement.

[realmrsreynolds]

"She was real nice though! Seemed a little sad, but we got to talkin' about bein' old ladies. Wanting to be grandmas, that kind of thing."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Did you?"

Ysalwen breathes, expression pleasant and interested.

(It doesn't take as much effort to keep up as it used to.)

"You know, I hadn't known that about her, really. Huh."

A pause.

"She really doesn't have any grandchildren already?"

[realmrsreynolds]

"She says she has one, but hasn't met the child ever. How sad is that?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"I don't know, really."

Hmm. Deflection seems like a decent plan. Maybe.

"I can't imagine what my own mother might have felt about a grandchild. So."

[realmrsreynolds]

"There's an odd thing that happens when your baby has their own. It's even more than havin' your own, with grandkids you feel like...maybe you won't be gone when you're gone.

"If that makes sense at all. Probably no."

[freedom_is_grey]

"It might, I think? Um."

Ysalwen bites her lip, very briefly.

"Being a Warden doesn't lend itself to children. So. I don't think about it much, myself."

[realmrsreynolds]

"Havin' kids ain't a requirement. Culturally speaking in my world, you were looked at funny if you didn't, but I can't imagine that's the same for you."

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen laughs, very quietly.

"Sometimes that depends on where you live."

[realmrsreynolds]

"Well I like you as is. Such as that counts for anythin'," Sallie chuckles.

"Is it a bad thing that I talked to Flemeth?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"I certainly appreciate it."

The slight smile Ysalwen is wearing fades, after a moment.

"I -- I don't think so? She's -- well. Complicated is one way to put it? And we -- I'm her daughter's friend, you see? And she and her mother don't. Um. Get on. And so I'm very definitively on one side and Flemeth is very solidly on the other. So it's -- awkward."

And Ysa killed her that one time, but bygones.

[realmrsreynolds]

Barman face has to be put on just for a moment. It's easy enough to do - she is the boss, after all.

"Any danger of outside business in the bar? On account o' this...one side and the other."

[freedom_is_grey]

Well.

"She likes to make me uncomfortable when she can -- I do hope that's not why she spoke to you. But other than that -- not really? It's -- old news, honestly, and we both have better things to do."

Andraste grant that remains true. Some things a person doesn't want to have to do more than once.

For a given definition of 'has'.

[realmrsreynolds]

"I appreciate the heads-up on it? Though you're right - I hope you both got better things to do, here at the end o' the 'verse. I've known quite a few people comin' in and out of here that do so specifically on account of trying to find 'better things', so."

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen smiles, only a little wistfully.

"Do any of them find it?"

[realmrsreynolds]

Palms upward, shoulders follow.

"I did."

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen grins, sudden and startled.

"Well, then. I'm glad."