Tristran Thorn

Tristran laughs a bit.

"I hope so too," he says. But it doesn't matter too much about what Yvaine might think; she's pretty much seen him in every situation possible, after all.

He smiles to himself as they near the gap with the guard-towers. This is it!

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"Mister Bromios!" Dunstan calls out cheerfully. "Why, you do make my life easier on an increasingly regular basis."

The tall man laughs, loud and deep, smile curving upward pleasantly and head bowing in a gesture of thanks.

He knows the drill.

"I had a feeling that the little mouse over there was waiting for you," he grins, clapping the other man on the shoulder when he's close enough. "So much trouble, Mister Thorn."

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"Right, well, I'm really sorry," Tristran says, quickly. He is already looking beyond the wall for Yvaine.

"We won't cause any more of it - soon enough."

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The man booms out another laugh, sweeping out his arm in a gesture for him to continue forward - eyes bright and knowing.

Dunstan nods gratefully, rolling his eyes at the other man behind his son's back.

So impatient, young people in love.

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The star had moved right past impatient and back into fluttery and paranoid within the passing of a mere handful of minutes - and pacing had gotten rather boring (and vaguely achy) after a little while too, really.

So she's flopped herself down on the grass not too far from the gap in the Wall, hands folded in something resembling propriety and head tipped back and blinking toward the sky.

She hasn't quite figured out how she plans on getting herself up quite yet.

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That's quite all right; in no time at all, the Thorns will be about and will be happy to lend you a hand.

Like, now, for example!

Look yonder! There they are, Tristran leading the brigade.

He waves.

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It does not take very long for Louisa Thorn to catch up to her brother, and as she pokes her head over the side of his shoulder, she mentally scrutinizes the girl her silly brother is so infatuated with.

Tristran's girlfriend has to be pretty, but not too pretty (at least not as pretty as her, since she still has to be the best looking in their family) and she must be as smart, as clever, and as capable as her but not any more.

"Hullo," she says, her tone quite polite, "it is nice to meet you. I'm Louisa Thorn."

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The bright smile that made its way across her face at the sight of Tristran (The waving is terribly enthusiastic. It's charming.) flickers a bit, tapers off into an equally polite curve of lips.

It's the dangerous sort - Tristran may very well be familiar with it.

"Yvaine," she replies - voice mild and musical and eyes just as calculating, but with many more years behind them. "Very pleased to make your acquaintance."

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"Yvaine!" he says to her almost too cheerily, as though there is a rather impressive bucket of nerves lodged somewhere in his stomach. (Which would not be far from the truth, actually.)

He clears his throat, takes his sister by the elbow, and pulls her a little farther away from the star.

"Right, so. This - this is Yvaine."

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Louisa wrinkles her nose at being displaced, resisting the urge to stick out her tongue at her brother in a rather impressive moment of maturity.

He really is a rather spectacularly rude, isn't he?

Her head tips back at the sound of her father's voice piping up from behind her.

"One would certainly hope so, Tristran."

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Her gaze slants upward, lips twitching amusedly, and she holds up her hands in expectation - tugging his fingers in quiet affection once she's properly upright.

And then - well - oh.

The grin flickers just a bit nervously and she keeps herself rather close to Tristran's side. (Well, he has offered himself as a human shield before - she figures that the offer still stands.)

"It is," she blinks, clears her throat. "I mean, I am. Yvaine. Pleased to meet you."

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"Oh, likewise my dear, I assure you," comes Dunstan's voice, the amusement of his voice and his smile reaching his eyes.

Daisy smiles politely. "We are, as you probably know, Tristran's family. I'm his - well, I'm Daisy. This is Dunstan, and our daughter - Louisa."

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Well, this is going - well, it's going a lot better than it really could have.

At least there is politeness, and friendly smiles - and suddenly, Tristran feels a whole lot more nervous than he had originally.

He isn't sure just what to say next.

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No one is bleeding? Or being recruited by goblins?

"Sorry."

She blinks again, looking mildly surprised with herself - and rightfully so, really, as she doesn't generally tend to use that phrase even when it is appropriate.

"I just mean," she swallows, tilts her chin - and if Tristran ever had any hopes of getting his fingers back anytime soon, he's sadly mistaken. "I'm actually rather terrible at this and I am relatively certain that Tristran wants you to like me."

She laughs sheepishly, adds a hasty, "I would like you to like me as well, of course. It is just that you are terribly important to the m- him and - well, yes."

They really should have gone with the plan where she was mute.

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There's a moment of silence - not quite awkward this time around, just thoughtful - before Dunstan lets out a laugh.

"Goodness, Tristran," he grins conspiratorially, patting his wife's hand where it's tucked into the crook of his arm. "Whatever did you tell the poor girl about us?"

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"What?"

He seems to have zoned out, and is zoning back in quite instantly.

"N-nothing! I mean, nothing terrible, of course. It's just - she really wanted to make a good impression on you both, that's all."

He squeezes her fingers back, possibly in reassurance, and possibly to let her know that he, too, was feeling uncharacteristically off.

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Louisa crosses her arms, smiling at the couple with what might be labeled as 'teenaged smugness'; after all, this sort of thing? Would never happen if it was her and Bobby in this exact situation.

"Well, you're honest if anything," she says.

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She and Bobby won't ever be in this situation if her father had anything to say about it.

"Louisa," he warns lightly. "Play nice, dear."

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Now that gets Yvaine's attention.

She doesn't think that she's ever needed anyone to play nice with her before - it's rather entirely undignified and utterly out of character.

Disappointing lack of backbone, Yvaine. Completely disappointing.

"Oh no," she replies, shoulders straightening in a manner vaguely reminiscent of someone being called to attention. "That is quite alright - one would honestly hope that I would have learned how to play along by now."

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Dunstan's amused look only increases as he raises his eyebrows.

"Indeed," he says, making the word sound like something halfway between a statement and a question.

"Ah," Daisy interrupts softly but with a firmness that expresses quite clearly that whatever animosity about to start should immediately be put out. "So, my dear. You have -" She reaches out to touch the star's hand, and immediately jumps back in surprise. She lets out a startled "Oh!" at the tingling sensation.

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Tristran is about to open his mouth - just to give his mother warning - but it is too late.

"...Yes. She - well, you know she is a star. She's got this thing where - well, yes. There you go."

He shifts a little uneasily, but is relieved that his mother doesn't look scared or anything - simply startled.

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Yvaine snatches her hand back just as quickly, eyes flying wide and skin shimmering reflexively, and mutters out another quick apology.

She isn't quite so used to not knowing what to do with herself.

(Not that Tristran is helping.)

She lets out a laugh, grinning sheepishly, and offers out her hand again - palm up this time, "You do get used to it. Or at least I think Tristran has by now?"

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"Well, I must admit that I've been curious," Dunstan says, reaching one hand forward and turning the star's into a rather firm handshake, laughing again at her startled blink and the fumbling attempt to reciprocate the action.

"It's not everyday that your son informs you that he's bringing a star to visit, my dear."

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Tristran is still a little flustered, but he manages to regain his composure - at least enough to clear his throat and formulate a proper sentence.

"Yes. So as I've told you, she could not come into Wall because she is a star, and Wall isn't particularly conducive to things that aren't...their version of normal."

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