(no subject)

[regulus]

[Adequate Boxing Day recovery requires tea, a good book, and a comfortable armchair in which to curl up in. Regulus appears to have supplemented his own experience with nicotine, and the Room has offered up a plate of biscuits which he has yet to touch. All of this, unfortunately, has done nothing to stop him from looking as though there were lumps of coal in his Christmas stocking.]

What absolute rot.

Comments

[regulus]

And had to endure the worst party on top of it all.

[pridegoesbefore]

Oh, darling - I hope I got you something wonderful to make up for it.

[regulus]

Any gift is wonderful if it's from you. I believe I'm just constitutionally opposed to parties in general.

[You have one horrifying experience and suddenly they're all ruined for you...]

[pridegoesbefore]

Let me guess... an over-abundance of mistletoe and too many young ladies vying for your affections, whether you want to give them or not?

[regulus]

I don't know what it is that I've done to deserve all that attention.

[pridegoesbefore]

You're the heir, darling boy.

[regulus]

Well, that makes it worse, then.

[pridegoesbefore]

C'est la vie, n'est-il pas? They're like moths, and will always crowd around the brightest; it's their nature.

[regulus]

Mais je ne veux pas être le plus brillant. It's the worst thing to be noticed, especially by the wrong people.

[pridegoesbefore]

Il ne peut pas être aidé. As to the wrong people, that's something you'll need to make a decision about and rather soon, if you don't want the choice taken from you entirely.

[regulus]

I don't think there is a right person, frankly.

[pridegoesbefore]

There might be... but the best you should hope for is someone you get along with.

[regulus]

...Mm.

[Marriage, just the thing he wanted to think about today.]

[pridegoesbefore]

...your blazer is very smart.

[regulus]

Thank you; it's new. I'm sorry I'm ruining the festive spirit.

[pridegoesbefore]

You're not. I didn't really have much of one this year.

[regulus]

I ought to have just hidden away here, I think.

[pridegoesbefore]

Perhaps, if next year looks to be as dismal as this, I'll do that.

[regulus]

We can have our own Christmas celebrations.

[pridegoesbefore]

In our nightclothes.

I won't lie; I enjoy dressing up... but I'd far rather have spent this season in bed.

[regulus]

That really is the only way to endure such a chilly time of year.

[pridegoesbefore]

Preferably with a good book.

Or a terrible one.

[regulus]

You can have all the awful ones. I'll be here with my good literature.

[pridegoesbefore]

Don't knock terrible til you've tried it.

[regulus]

Why would I want to do that? I'm no masochist.