Who: Noah, Calum, Shay, Dmitry When: Current, this was on like the 18th because Arno's sleeping off the three day workfest of Paddy's Day weekend. Where: Gatehouse, Craigcrook Castle, Edinburgh What: Noah's inviting folks over occasionally to relax. He's doing some embroidery and chatting with Calum about feeling at home. Then Dmitry has angst about his canon future possibilities. and...things. Rating/Warnings: Templar drugging is mentioned? Uh nothing terrible. Status: Complete
Since Arno and Shay complained about their weird half naked Greek man, Noah's made it a policy to include them in his "Shaun, I'm here at about this time" updates for scheduling. It's not a bad idea to let Basch and Jacob do their talking as well, so just making it a habit of "I'm doing some work tonight, dinner'll stretch to feed people" seems - simple enough?
Tonight, he's planning on some simple embroidery on a less perfect shirt appropriate for a kilt, to run it by Calum to see if it's all right. It's something he remembers his mom doing, and he learned how to do it himself. He didn't do it often, in the army, due to lack of time, but it seems like good luck. If Calum doesn't mind.
It's probably something Noah should pay attention to, that nagging feeling that it's wrong to do a Landisser traditional embroidery on something without permission.
Well, who’s going to give him the permission to go traditional? Is that something he should be asking the only other Landisser here? Because Calum’s not going to be judgy about combining traditions for this thing. Mostly, instead of dictating what they want to do, he’s interested in organizing wedding things to make it the best for Sebastian and Noah, according to what they want. It’s fairly simple to do that sort of a thing, really.
And it’s not like HIS wedding, which was full of dictated chaos and negotiations and neither party being all that interested in the details, so... Maker, but he does miss Eliana though. Not half so much as Iomhar, he thinks, but that’s another thing all together. At the moment, he’s glancing over at Noah occasionally, before going back to typing something, cackling and clearly erasing, and then re-typing things. He’s got a headset on so he’s not really part of things right NOW, though.
Work on his and Iomhar’s novel seems to be going well.
"Calum? Should I worry what's going on in the plot?" Noah smoothes out the reinforced cuff and moves to thread his needle. "You might want to see how this is going."
“Nooothing.” Calum drawls, which means it’s OBVIOUSLY something, but he’s quickly closing the file, smirking to himself as he tugs off the headphones. “Let’s take a look then. “ He moves around to have a peek.
“Oh, that’d work well, I think. From home?”
"You'd - often do it when you replaced shirt collars or on the cuffs." Noah's frowning, not sure if the blue's pale enough to not be that visible. Though . . . . "It'd reinforce the fabric a bit, and make the shirt look newer? Hide if the new fabric didn't match. Do you think that'd be bad? For the wedding?"
“I think it’d suit.” Calum says, peering at it carefully. “The blue’s a good touch for a wedding too. Luck, you know. Bas will have his heather, so...seems reasonable you’ve got something of your own pulled in there, on the rest of that front.” He smiles a bit. “And it’d go well with the bit of blue hidden in the weave, on top of that. Subtle.”
"I thought it looked like a cooler tone of white." Noah's moving back to finish with the blue before he'd consider doing a line of green. "What does the heather mean? Other than that he likes it?"
“Tradition from here, actually. But with his position and the fact he’s made so much a home here, he said that it felt right.” Calum says. “Brides usually carry a sprig, I’m told, for luck. It’s a little hidden usually, but he’s going to pin it on. Wants that prominent. Can’t say I blame him as there’ll probably be photos that make their way out eventually. No outsiders to the ceremony, but…”
But you learn to expect that some things will happen so….”I’d thought we accidentally leak a couple candids, day of, get people off your backs a little. Give the media just enough to...well, a lie’s halfway around the Minanter before the truth’s got it’s boots on, so...might as well not the lie get past.”
"Would one of the people we're buying stuff from be fine with providing the background?" Noah's looking thoughtful. "I could see - I don't know, checking out the socks to a kilt or a knife. Might be a little more comfortable. And advertising them?"
“I think that’d be fair.” Calum nods. “And hah half of Auld Reeky would be clamoring for that. Probably half the COUNTRY if we want to get technical. The pair of you are definitely making a splash. Exotic Foreigners turned local leaders, and if I can be cynical a moment, there’s some ...other reasons too. It’s quite the stance against a lot of problems in the world. AND they like you. A real triple threat if you asked me.”
Noah winces. "The - uh - one side of me is hating that it's me, but - I can see where it's good, and - I don't want to hide. I wasn't sure if - I still feel like I need to make this subtle. Not too loud." He's gesturing at the embroidery.
“Well, what would it be for you at home?” Calum asks. “You haven’t got to hide anything with US, you know. Especially not that. I think we know the worst possible thing about you and we don’t mind THAT.” he eyedarts. “Well, now that you’ve gotten RID of those socks at least.” He’s not going to go into the real part of this that he doesn’t want to state out loud and disturb Noah with, so...an out. A graceful one, if a little stupid seeming. It’s still better than just leaving things there, he thinks.
“I do ken what you mean about the being noticed but...there’s a chance to do some good with it. I’d look to that. It’s a comfort at the hardest times of being noticed.” He shakes his head. “I had no head for ruling, when it came to it, in the circumstances, but I’d decided, all the years of doing my duty that if someone could profit, then I’d do my best seeing it through. Sometimes, it’s what you’ve got.”
"I think you're -" Noah hms. "I'm pulling you from the writing. But -" He waves a hand. "When I got here, you asked if I felt safe saying no, and safe saying yes. What I'd need to feel at home and welcomed. And that was so novel that I had no real idea - I understood the ideas of making sure people felt safe, but not applying it to me. And that, I think, is a good ruler."
“You’re fine.” Calum waves a hand. “Iomhar’s looking up mattress thicknesses as is. It’s for the plot;” he adds, and OH, that’s probably a bad sign. “And well, it’s part of that, I’d say. To be fair, I did get a bit, a LOT, of shan with how things went, but it’s sorted itself out rather decently. We’ve got a tidy enough bow on that part of the past, at least. But you?” he leans forward a little.
“How’s that feeling to you these days?”
"Getting married? Or feeling at home?" Noah leans to start stitching again. "It's - I do feel comfortable. I kind of want to keep quarters here, just as - a quiet place. And I think I'm feeling like I want somewhere slightly separated. It's probably selfish, and I should talk about it with Basch." He's been thinking about it. "Just - the reading room up here, and the kitchen, and not feeling odd about keeping odd hours. I suspect my room here and the guest room could go to Basch's purposes or guest rooms. There's new mattresses at least."
And let's see if that's the source of all that cackling.
“I’d say it’s a reasonable request.” Calum looks thoughtful. “After I was married, we had our own house, Lily and I. Iomhar was actually married first but stayed around, though there were apartments he and Maeve moved into. Privileges of the heir, in my case.” he explains, “And traditionally marriage was when we did step out. Hardly selfish at all. You need the space sometimes, don’t you? To really get a feel for...KEN each other.” Then he pauses. “Not in quite the carnal sense of it either. “
He does duck his head a little at the last mention to hide the smile.
“So there are.”
"And it's traditional in Archades to make - a place you feel comfortable, ideally not just the bed. I think part of it was encouraging young couples to discuss, and if you could handle a fight over a desk or paint, you could handle more serious things." Noah smiles back at him. "I'm happy here. Happier than I was for years, but happy here, if you know what I mean." The emphasis on here probably helps.
“That’s fair.” Calum nods, seeming impressed. “A lot of logic in that idea, I think. It’s not until you’re trying to move furniture around you really know how petty someone can BE. And how much it sometimes doesn’t matter at the end of it. I’m glad.” he adds, nodding firmly. “It’s important you’re a part of things.”
"What about you? It sounds like the wedding is going to be politically messy." Noah frowns. "There is a train of thought here, after a fashion, but what's your opinion of kittens?"
“Not so much politically messy as a little busy for a bit.” Calum grins. “I’m looking forward to it. Between Evan and Hans and I, we’ll get it all in order before too long. And keep in mind, it’s about what the two of you wish first. I’m just here to iron out the details and push you both to DO it, but the choices should be yours. And kittens? I quite like them.”
"Sebastian was talking about taking in an animal. I could see that being pleasant. I'd want to ask Hans what his and - you and your brother's feelings are, but - I was thinking a cat might be a comfortable companion."
“I can’t see it being a bad thing.” Calum looks thoughtful. “Might have to make sure they’re fine with dogs, when Ellie comes around, there’s Nova, but I don’t see that as being an issue on that side of things. Only they might be a little small. We’d have to keep a closer eye out. Nothing insurmountable. We always had them around the place at home, in some way or another. Decent mousers, even if we’ve got exterminators now.”
And he pauses.
“NOT that I’m saying I’ve seen any mice around the place. A couple large bugs.”
"I think it'd be something to look at." Noah hms. "I could suggest to Sebastian that we push forward on it. It'd be cozy, to have a cat by the feet, and if they're safe outside, it's warming up enough to let them carefully explore."
“Sounds good to me.” Calum nods. “Worth it, as far as I know. I don’t think anyone’s got objections to it, but I can ask as well. Hans hasn’t really ventured an opinion one way or another but if all else failed, we’d keep it from my study and it’d work out fine.”
"I just - get the feeling he had little comfort at home, and he's not used to - the absence of malice was the best he hoped for or being ignored. So - it seems good to check." Noah suspects new dogs would be more of an issue, since they can be ill tempered on bad days, but it seems good to check.
“Aye, for a long time.” Calum nods. “I can tell you a bit more about it, sometime, if you’d like, when he was younger. You’ve got the basics but I have specifics he’d not mind me sharing, but wouldn’t do himself. After our grandfather died, I TRIED to be the one to pull him back, same as I tried when I came here, with Aedan, for a while, but…” he shakes his head. “There was a LOT I didn’t understand. Both cases. In the second one, I needed to butt out.”
"Wait - you mean Sebastian?" Noah blinks. "I was talking about Hans, and his family. But . . . Sebastian's talked a little about it. I think he has trouble admitting that the church did not always have his best interests in mind."
“Ah that. “ Calum nods. “I get that impression too. I’ll broach the subject, just to be sure, then. I’d VENTURE it’s people who’ve caused more of that problem, myself, but...it IS hard to know everything. Aedan would know more. They’ve gotten close.”
"And - for your brother -" Noah frowns. "Feel free to ask him, but I think I should as well. I think sometimes he feels like his feelings aren't things to get voiced. Sort of . . . even if he's giving his all, it's not enough. It's one reason why I'm trying to gauge how much I should advocate that he take time for what he wants. Trying to find out his desires, instead of what he likes that I ask for."
“Aye, a lot’s had its way of making him feel a bit...not so valid, I suppose.” Calum frowns a bit. “Ruling would have likely deepened it. I’m glad that’s not the way of it here. But he does have a way, I’ve noticed, of...throwing himself at things and making them his focus to the exclusion of his wants and needs. When he tries…” he winces a bit.
“Well, naturally it’s a mess, a bit”
"I'm not great at it myself, but that's more -" Noah waves a hand. "I didn't do this, in Archades, because I can't imagine having the spare time or the casual clothing to do this to. I think Sebastian's feeling more confident." Noah pauses. "It was sort of adorable when I offered that we formally move forward on the courting, and he just wanted to stay a while, just with us, to enjoy that feeling, before going to the others."
“That IS, actually.” Calum smiles. “Makes sense I think, that he would. It’s a good sign. I’ve worried about him for a long time. You make me worry much less.”
Noah grins. "Just tell me that your lad in the book isn't testing a mattress, and I'll worry less."
“I…” Calum eyedarts just a little. “Nooot exactly, no.” It’s a lass, in this case. Had to insert some deniability after all.
“So then,” another voice is carrying a bit, across the way, “He presents me with this box. Says it SHOULD have been done sooner, but something about finding a GOOD watchmaker and he didn’t know how Balthier was at clockwork, and I’ve got an engagement gift, several months late.” Shay, apparently.
There’s a bit of a laugh there, too and someone’s answering...something, and then there’s a knock.
Noah gets up. "I'm coming." He's heading over to open up the door. "Hey. Dinner's basically ready, if you haven't eaten yet." He was expecting Shay and perhaps - not Arno, by the story. But it's friends, if they're with Shay.
Dmitry, actually, who waves as he pops in. “Pack...thing.” he explains, with a little bit of a nod. “Hello, everyone. Arno’s apparently dead to the world. We’re hoping.”
“Sleep deprived Arno is a sight.” Shay shakes his head. “I slipped him something that’ll keep him out a while. He’ll have NO idea. It’s better for us all this way. Hullo again.”
"He's got someone with him?" Noah's waving them in. "Come get a mug of something. I see it's started raining again." He frowns. "Does - pack things involve customs? I'm totally clueless about it, so I might need some tips. There is a warm room where I and Calum were. We can take dinner up there, if you're hungry."
“Deimos is minding him.” Shay shakes his head, an amused smile on his face. “He’s actually the best man for the job. You give him actual tasks, and if he wants to do them, usually for some kind of a bribe, he settles to. He’s actually not so bad as Arno thinks. Bit rough around the edges but I’ve known men to be worse. I said I’d bring back katafai...it’s some kind of pastry nut thing. The delli always has it.”
"Sounds good. I think I've heard about it - I was looking up things about baklava and a - there's a thin shreds of phyllo thing. You steam them a bit and then make nests." Noah shakes his head. "The things you end up doing for a bakery. Either way, want to look around Shay? Calum's upstairs, Basch is out at work."
“Right, that exactly.” Shay nods. “He’s very much the honey type, which gets things done.” He grins. “We may at some point have to try ourselves. He only killed one electronic last week, so credit where it’s due. I’d not mind, actually. Just for peace of mind.”
"You're welcome as well, Dmitry. Or I can get you a mug of something and show you what I made?" Noah tilts his head. "Last time Shay was here, he was having a bad day, so I offered."
“He was filling me in on that.” Dmitry nods. “I’m fine with heading in. I trust his….” He isn’t quite sure how to PUT it, but…”And everything smells safe.” Which is probably the weirdest statement out of context, ever. “And my roomate says hello. He sent some cookies.” Dmitry tugs out a small tin. “He’s trying out some new experiements. There’s something italian in there, and some kind of lacy...thing.”
Noah perks up a little. "I think I know what that might be. They've got a nice caramel taste, if I'm thinking of the same." He heads for the kitchen and digs out his phone to tell Calum and the general house chat that food's done in the gatehouse. "Rice is done. I was waiting on it to steam."
“Sounds nice.” Dmitry smiles. “We still have to finalize what we’re bringing to the thing, of course. How’s that planning BEEN?”
"It's been good? I was doing some embroidery you'd do at home, to see if it'd look nice on the shirt for the wedding." Noah's bringing down some mugs and digging out bowls. "Stew and rice, and a hotter sauce if you feel like heat. Coffee. Tea. There's bread and desserts over there, if you feel like something sweeter?" He's getting a mug of the stew and rice with a good dose of the spicy sauce and a splash of yogurt. "How have you been? I could see something like cookies and maybe some things to go with bread could make a good spread of things."
“Sounds lovely.” Dmitry nods. “Some of the old peasants, the women, did embroidery for things, at home.” He moves around. “Here, let me help with some of that. Tea sounds amazing. And I’ve…” He pauses. “Well. Let’s say it’s good that some of our pack’s hanging in there, staying strong. Feels like we’re getting closer. Couldn’t tell you what’s all going down on top, but it’s dramatic.”
"Sounds rough." Noah reaches to slide him a mug. "What helps? I mean, I know I'm not pack, but what helps you?"
“Hmm.” Dmitry considers, taking the mug and snagging a bit of bread first off. “It’s funny, actually. More of a remembering I’m not alone in all this, I think? That there are people, options. Always said I didn’t need or want them,” And he’s scoffing now. “Maybe I did. And...got a weird question for you. Really weird.”
Noah leans on the counter and waves a hand. "Trust me. I've probably heard a few weird things in my day."
“Here goes,” Dmitry perches a little, against the counter, avoiding upsetting any of the food at least, and shrugs, then plays a little with the bread in his hand.
“It’s….out there. Trust ME. Do you suppose it’s possible for somebody to fall in love with someone that they’ve never REALLY met? I’ve found the spoilers, for what’d happen, if I’d been at home. Everything about me here, as much as I’ve pretended to deny it’s still pointing in one direction. We SAW each other once, when we were kids, but…”
He shakes his head, laughing a little.
“Princesses don’t marry...this. This world says she died.”
Noah hmms. "Well, I'm technically marrying a prince. And I was hardly noble at birth." He is thinking about it though. "So you met a princess, as a child, and the story says you'd fall in love with her. I'd see it that - well - she met you again, right? So she met something she loved. If you asked me, before I met Sebastian, if I'd marry anyone at all, can you guess what I'd think?"
Dmitry laughs a little at that part. “Fair point. It seems a bit of a far stretch, everything considered and I mean…” he shrugs. “It feels a little foolish, like I’m waiting around for something that might not come, but...I was ten. There was a parade...The car came through and I managed to dodge the guards because…” He shrugs. “Couldn’t tell you why. But I just..something made me do it. And she smiled at me and...it was like there was no one else there.”
"You don't seem that bad to me? Someone who's seen hunger and fears being hungry again, and willing do do what it takes to live." Noah reaches to touch near Dmitry's hand. "I was in a warzone. Never was as desperate, but I met people who were. I think if you met her, you might fall in love with her again, and her to you."
“It’s silly, but...I cling to it, a little?” Dmitry shakes his head. “Good to know there’s someone who doesn’t think so, though. Feels so...irrational.”
Noah offers his arm. "Can I offer the idea of a hug? You ask, where I'm from, and I try to do it here, even though it's not the custom."
“I...sure.” Dmitry blinks. “I wouldn’t mind that.” SOMETIMES Vlad’s hugged him, briefly, so it’s not totally alien, after all. They’re not practically strangers, but Noah’s probably not that anymore either, so...why not, right?
Noah hugs his shoulder lightly. "I don't think it's silly to cling to feeling safe. To me, that's what it is. I said if I did my job and kept an eye out, I'd be safe, and - I clung to that. Are you worried that she'll hate that you're not a prince?" He lets go and nudges the food toward Dmitry a bit. "Try this? See if you'd like it? It should just be stew like."
“Not at all.” Dmitry says to that. “She’d obviously know THAT, straight off the bat. Does in fact, in what I saw. It’s more a...can you ask someone to leave behind the family they’ve only just found...will find for you? And things are not the same in Russia. There ARE old ties to consider, families.” He shrugs. “I’d suppose HERE, it didn’t make a difference any longer.”
"It might not be that simple for her? She might think it's worth it to talk to her family for your sake." Noah stirs his stew and has a spoon of it. "Do you feel that you can't offer much, if you met her?"
“Exactly that.” Dmitry nods. “I’d try, regardless. It’s more the fact of, it’s so WEIRD, being here, knowing it’s not likely and THEN the other complications come to play. I couldn’t be what she’d need, but I’m not supposing it’d stop a girl like Anya.”
"You see, I thought I was not what Sebastian needed. I thought he was - I was a fool, and an angry one who made terrible choices. Untrustworthy. And he seemed - almost perfect to me. Caring guy, honest about running into limitations, utterly willing to listen. Maybe a little slow to make choices, but it was care, not neglect that slowed him." Noah tilts his head. "Want to take dinner upstairs? And we can sit and chat? He turned out to see himself differently, and I came to believe him, that I too was more than I thought."
Dmitry nods at that. “Seems reasonable enough. It’s not as though I think I’m all that awful, Just that circumstances, present ones, do sort of...complicate things. Dinner is a good idea. It’s been a while since I’ve been around.”
"If it helps . . . sometimes it's worth restarting things for people, because you find other things. Like here - I'm not home, and I honestly can't go home. But I've gained a lot of things." Noah gathers up his things and tops off his mug of tea. "Shall we head up?"
Dmitry nods and picks up his own dishes, after having grabbed some. “Let’s. Shay should be back around soon too, I’d think.”
"I'm glad he looks like he's feeling better? A little weirded out by the drugging Arno, but - if it works for them, I'm not going to get in the way." Noah's heading up the stairs. "I could see stress would change how you map those equations."
“Well, to be fair, he probably needed it.” Dmitry offers. “He was awake three nights straight and working. And I don’t think he was doing anything but cleaning up the pub in those off hours.” So, you know.
“Not ideal, but not awful.”
"That sounds miserable." Noah makes a face. "I wonder if it couldn't hurt to hire some temporary help for those nights."
“Well, they won’t be worrying about it for another year at least.” Dmitry says. “So there’s that. Desmond was around, and they had a girl who didn’t look old enough but must have been in too. Biggest drinking occasion of the year I’m told and nobody knows how to hold it.” he shakes his head and sighs.
“Somebody should teach them to drink like a Russian. It’d all be a lot easier.”