Ari/Aspel (+Ric) | 2:00am
Having gotten to know the bard better over the last couple months made this a bit easier for Rictor to process. He liked Ari. The chance to hang around with her was enjoyable enough. But It was late, he was tired, he’d already lost his tie somewhere in the room, and he’d stayed far, far longer than initially proposed. And his throat was swallowing and he was trying not to stare. And failing.
“I should, uh,” Ric spluttered, “try to find Seloria, see if she’s still around, if she needs an escort home or anything. It’s late, ladies, so I should be off. Have fun, yeah?” And with another strangled little noise, he clapped Aspel on her other shoulder – the one not currently housing Ari’s head – and disappeared.
Ari bit her lip, but still couldn’t help a tiny snort of laughter. He had taken off so quickly that she hadn’t even had an opportunity to tell him good-bye. “I think I make him nervous,” she said, obviously amused. “I wonder why?” Though she had a few guesses on the subject, of course, and most of them led right back to Aspel. Stripping out of her costume in front of him last month probably hadn’t helped matters, either.
“And now, poor you -- you seem to be stuck entertaining me all by yourself.” She looked up at Aspel and grinned. “How terrible for you. Whatever shall you do?”
"Go rest." Would be the only words given to Rictor, and the urge to lean over and place a kiss against his cheek was repressed. While bridges may be mending with him, the smith was still uncertain precisely where they stood in regards to anything much more than shared time and space. Instead a hand reached out grasping his and giving it a brief squeeze if he would allow. "May Faram bless you with a peaceful slumber." While the night was late, and Aspel knew she should also retire soon, the smith was much more accustomed to staying up until terrible hours of night, and day much - she would assume - unlike Rictor.
However, with her brother having made a speedy retreat, Aspel repressed a sigh. Had she just undone the work they both had worked so hard towards? A certain worry settled itself in her gut and across her features with eyes trailing after the broad shouldered bull of a man she called brother. This would only last for a moment before Ari's voice chimed in and Aspel's gaze turned down to take her in. "Do you?" There was a pause, Aspel considering the notion for a moment before a lowly murmured "Curious" slipped out.
"No thoughts as to why I take?" An eyebrow quirked, a memory flaring of Rictor mentioning his run in with Ari at the show, and Ari mentioning Rictor coming backstage as well… Perhaps there was something more than what met the eye in this instance.
"Whatever shall I do?" Aspel half mimicked, and half mocked the other woman's statement, a glint beginning to show in her eyes that complemented the smirk pulling at her lips. "Would you happen to have any suggestions you may care to toss out? I fear I may be at a loss without at least some guidance." Which wasn't entirely true but… This was a game after all, wasn't it?