In Ur Garden; Up Ur Tree

[onlytolerable]

 Sophie learned her lesson during the Arcana incursion. She'd spent far too much time buried in old tomes. On more than one occasion, she'd had to be carried to bed. So now, she paces herself. She gets the same amount done as she searches in vain for mentions of past magical failures--at least they have jumping off points--but she makes time to take the occasional break and clear her head.

That  still doesn't explain why the 8 of Diamonds is seen outside scrambling up trees.

Curiouser and curioser.

Comments

[denythyfather]

"What are you doing?" Adrien asks with an amused air, looking up at Sophie from his very safe spot on the ground, Sitara's hand in his. "Shouldn't you be doing work, Miss Berthier?"

[onlytolerable]

She opens her mouth to reply, spots Sitara, and clams up again. "Winter tree inspection, naturally. You've never pulled the duty?" She smiles down at Sitara. "You aren't afraid of heights are you, mon chou?"

She can't tell you, Adrien. It's a surprise and the recipient is standing next to you. She settles on a branch and amuses herself by attempting to toss a twig into his hair. Don't bother trying to look up her skirt. She's wearing ribbed--and opaque--tights, thank you very much.

[denythyfather]

"They've probably never given it to me because they know I won't do it." He grins, hefting Sitara up into his arms (though she's starting to grow too big for this).

She thinks for a moment before shrugging. "I dunno how to get up there," is her final answer.

[onlytolerable]

"Shirker," she chides good-naturedly before smiling at Sitara. "Well, of course you don't! You've never done it before." She swings down a few branches until she's safe enough to drop. "Now, until I say so, you're not to climb without someone to spot you." Like that had ever stopped her. Hands on hips, she scans the immediate area for a suitable tree.

"Here. This oak has lower branches than the maple I was in. Hold out your arm, lovely, and let me get a look at it." Sophie extends her own arm and circles her biceps with her other hand. "Rule of thumb: if a branch is as thick as this part of your arm, it should be able to hold your weight. Even then, never trust in it fully until you've tested it. Ah, it's easier said than done.

Can you jump up and grab that branch--closest to the trunk, always. Try to scramble up. Use your feet."

Don't worry, Adrien. Auntie won't let her fall.

[uncutclarity]

"This is unusual," Avery says after a moment of watching Sophie climb the tree in skirts, scrambling over branches. "Did you find out that the key to solving the mystery was at the top of a sycamore?"

She only wished, really.

[diemwnt]

...Sophie Emmeline Margaux Berthier, what on earth are you doing, and why are you clearly only doing it to send Cadogan's heart into a panic that you will break yourself in half on the way down.

Don't make him actually frown at you. Let this face which is like a line be enough. There's too much on his plate without worrying about the fact she'll clearly fall to her doom if he doesn't stop walking right now and stare up at her.

[dysphoria_abounds]

Pity she wasn't wearing a skirt. He'd have loved the view.

"Should I even ask?" he called out from below.

[onlytolerable]

Sophie peeks down at the question from below. She hooks one arm around the trunk and waves with the other. "Would you believe a fresh perspective?" She laughs and shakes her head. "I needed to clear my mind, let the little pieces sift through and hopefully land in a pattern.

"Coming up?"

[onlytolerable]

Her Cadogan Senses are tingling. Sophie hooks her legs around a branch and swings upside-down to look. Yep. Disapproving Ten at 6 o'clock. It's not very ladylike, but then neither is climbing trees while wearing a skirt. The tights count, right?

"Don't look like that. I spent most my childhood hiding up trees. Besides--" State whispers. "I'm on a Top Secret Mission." She waggles her eyebrows. "I'll tell you if you come up."

[onlytolerable]

She waves at the visitor and considers her answer. She's scouting tree house sites, naturally, but no need to let the cat out of the bag. She wouldn't want Sitara to hear.

"Thinking about moving my office," she replies, not even bothering to hide the dimples. "Nicer view. Exchange glass ceilings for leafy ones, that sort of thing." She shifts and settles on a branch. "Enjoying the break in the weather, Doctor?"


[ooc: Actually, Sophie only wears pants when working out or riding, so she's wearing a skirt, but with heavy, ribbed tights, so pretty much like leggings.]

[dysphoria_abounds]

(( Still. No view. =| ))

"I would be if things were less hectic around here." He was inundated with requests for bereavement counselling even though no one could prove that the disappearances were fatal or permanent. It wasn't his speciality, but they didn't have one on-Deck right now so they'd have to make do with him.

Which didn't explain why he was here right now, but a working man could take a break from the madness too, couldn't he?

"How are you going to relocate your office into the top of a tree?"

[uncutclarity]

The instinct's to say no. Avery's been very proper Diamond lately, out of habit mostly. She'd given up sometime around Hector's death ever actually getting Säde's approval, but by then she'd found herself in a habit of silk shirts and trousers.

It was as good a time as any to change that, and Avery reached for the lowest branch, heaving herself up. "I can appreciate that," she said. "There are a lot of little pieces, I hope." Better a lot than none at all.

[diemwnt]

It's not very ladylike, but hell if ladylike is a requirement. It doesn't seem like the sort of thing that makes a lady overly happy to have to be all the time, and a happy Sophie is much better than an overly dignified but unhappy Sophie.

But the idea that he'll come up a tree?

That's neither ladylike nor fun and happy. That's just ridiculous. He's got nothing to say to it except to arch a brow up at her.

[onlytolerable]

If a Diamond does something, it stands to reason it must be proper.

"Too many to count," she says, obligingly moves down to a sturdier branch so they can share, "and not a one useful. The Magician said moving the artifacts would cause problems. Whether or not that's true, it's apparent something's up with the magic that holds us together. We should have an engineer or architect take a look at our new buildings--from outside. See if they're all of similar construction and time period. Then--"

She stops abruptly. Avery doesn't need help doing her job. "Sorry. Babbling. Anyway, I took a break to scout out suitable treehouse trees."

[onlytolerable]

Good thing he's of the male persuasion then, isn't it?

"Come on. Triple dog dare you." She scrambles lower to a branch sturdy enough to support whipcord thin Ten and slender Eight. "It's for Sitara." She adds the last as enticement.

[onlytolerable]

[Certainly not!!!]

Sophie gives his question some consideration. "A system of pulleys. I'll need a platform first. Do you suppose I can use vines and swing through the garden a la Tarzan?"

Tree climbing makes her whimsical. She can just imagine how that would go over among the stuffier portions of the Suit. So easy not to take oneself seriously when caught up a tree, complete with added benefit of being too far away for blushes to be apparent.

[uncutclarity]

Sophie would be a good Jack, Avery thinks; it's a shame she hasn't got any real say in the matter. Silas will listen to her opinion, but ultimately it will be up he and Säde.

She just hopes they decide soon; it's a bad time to be down one Face Card.

"Treehouse trees? Oh, for Sitara?" She grins a little at that, looking at the one they're sitting in. "My dad tried building me one when I was about five. I think building projects have, generally speaking, gone better."

[diemwnt]

Sitara is a well-played card, to be sure. It's absolutely got him setting briefly into that suspended place that comes between action sometimes while his mind catches up with itself.

/You can tell me just as well from the ground, I'm sure./

No dice, Sophie. This is actually one of his nicer suits.

[allthesamemask]

Is that Sophie up there. Are there other redheaded ladies who climb trees in skirts in wintertime.

Maybe there are. She's not too sure.

Still, she'll be down here squinting up into the tree and trying to figure out if it is Sophie.

[onlytolerable]

Sophie hasn't given much thought to Jack, other than hoping the position gets filled soon. She doubts Cadogan will be offered it (even though he deserves it) so long as Sade is in charge. Maybe Claudia Chareut. It would make Mme. Chareut ecstatic and Claudia worked closely with the king. She tugs her skirt down over her knees (a futile gesture) now that she's sitting on a limb and not climbing willy nilly.

"That's right. She's shaping up to be a bit of a tomboy. I spent half my childhood hiding up trees. I would have adored a tree house. I'll have to enlist someone's aid to build it. The thought of Adrien with a hammer frightens me." She smiles. Adrien possesses many qualities, but she doubts construction ability is one of them.

"How are things with you?"

[onlytolerable]

Bah. She'd almost had him. There are times to coax and cajole and times to not. This time belongs to the latter, so with mock pout she swings down to the ground.

/I bet you're a champion tree climber./ She pauses to daintily dust off her behind. /Tree house. Sitara needs a tree house./

[onlytolerable]

"What do you know about tree houses?" Sophie calls down. "Care to help a perplexed librarian out?" There, she thinks. Between voice and reference, Leigh should be able to place her.

[diemwnt]

...damn it. He does want to help with that.

Maybe when he's not dressed so neatly. That seems like it must be a reasonable compromise.

/Is there a timeline for that need?/

[denythyfather]

Adrien watches as Sitara slips down from his arms, runs over to join Sophie at the tree. She’ll listen silently, looking down at her own forearms before clambering up onto the lowest branch. It’ll take a while, but she finally triumphantly stand up on the branch, only wobbling slightly.

[allthesamemask]

The brightening of her face as Sophie confirms her presence is a little like the sun rising. Surely this means tree climbing to facilitate better communication, yes?

"I only know a little. And not with nails or anything, just balancing planks properly." Beat. "We fell out a lot."