Homeless

[verypatientwoman]

Dear Miss Mundane,

while I am quite grateful for the free lodgings you have granted me, and am indeed rather flattered by your interest in my person, I would, if I may, like to make a modest request.

So far, your expression of my character has been fairly volatile. It is true that I prefer practicality over following any flighty fancy; such a mindset, however, does not necessarily lend the person possessing it to violent acts of the kind you have attributed me with. I am also beginning to feel somewhat distressed about the cynicism inherent in the way you seem to assume myself to perceive my marriage. John is a good, honest man; thinking of our union with that level of worldly misanthropy would border on disrespect.

With hope for continued and improved cooperation I remain respectfully yours,

Mary Watson

((ooc: non-graphic mention of rape in comment narrative.))

Comments

[verypatientwoman]

[Eyebrow. You're a woman, so she can allow herself to be slightly less Victorian and polite than usually. Also, she's heard about you, and possibly has a certain level of curiosity of her own.]

Snared, is it?

[ofquestionablememory]

[A little smile-- whoops, says that smile.]

Just a turn of phrase; I meant no offence. I'm sure there was no snaring involved from either of you; nothing so indelicate.

[verypatientwoman]

Or, indeed, violent. [Considering she just wrote a long letter about wanting to be portrayed as less violent. She's also possibly bringing up violence since the few little things Watson has mentioned about you indicated that you might not be entirely unfamiliar with an occasionally violent lifestyle.]

[ofquestionablememory]

Of course not. You've spoken eloquently on the subject in regards to yourself, and it has been my experience that Dr. Watson generally restricts such things for people who are deserving of it.

[Occasionally. It's a hazard of the profession. She prefers to avoid letting things get to the stage where violence becomes a necessity, but of late it has, more often than not, and she is capable of dealing with that.]

[verypatientwoman]

Indeed. Although he, at times, feels that his portrayal too leans very much much towards a rather physical interpretation.

[Folding her hands before herself and giving you a blankly polite, curious look. Never mind her, she's just a woman asking perfectly innocent questions.]

What about yourself? Do you feel your writer interpreting too much physicality into your character? [Violent physicality. Or other physicality. She's purposefully not specifying.]

[ofquestionablememory]

[Ah, yes, the much vaunted Watson temper. She's not seen much of it herself, outside of meta, but as they are in meta, she allows a faint smile. The innocent blankness she meets with an equally charming expression, one that says, ever so politely, that she sees the ambiguity in that question and thinks it's cute. You Brits and your doublespeak.]

No, I do believe in that regard she seems to have quite the right idea.

[Both in regards to violent or other physicality.]

If I have any small complaint-- though I would of course hate to be churlish-- it would be that she has little idea of my history before I found myself entered into my current occupation. My girlhood seems to elude her.

[verypatientwoman]

[It's not doublespeak. It's called being polite. But then, what with you being from New Jersey, Mary's not surprised you're having difficulties with politeness. Don't worry, she's not holding it against you. In fact, she thinks it's sort of adorable.]

[The physicality statement just gets an eyebrow raise. Indeed. Everything as it should be, yes? Glad to hear that.]

Ah, yes. [This second statement she can genuinely sympathize with.] My writer does not seem inclined, either, to decide on specifics as far as my childhood is concerned. Possibly because she seems to feel that little of note and consequence could have happened in the first decade of my life.

[ofquestionablememory]

[Difficulties being polite? Nonsense, Mrs. Watson; Irene is a far more continental creature than you are, whatever her roots. She's quite capable of being absolutely the most decorous of ladies.]

[Everything quite as it should be, indeed. Though a curious choice of question for Mary.]

I believe mine is having some difficulty determining how precisely one would bridge the gap between a childhood on the east coast of America and my... current occupation. But I have no doubt we shall work it out in time, with cooperation.