Aspel Cassul: When in doubt, Aspel! (weaponry) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-12-29 22:01:00 |
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Everything in the last several weeks had been nothing but a terrible mess. Between Drake dodging her, her avoiding him, Mag, Ari, the attack, and her now - still - fairly wounded body… Well, Virgo and Libra could both go shoot themselves in the foot for all she cared at this point. However, maybe, just perhaps, with at least one, if not two, major issues out of the way, things might begin to ease up at least the tiniest of bits. Or at least, that was what Aspel hoped. The conversation with Drake - she suspected - was a good start. Admittedly, she was still a bit tender about the mess as a whole, but… It had been a misunderstanding. What else was she to do? Yet, somehow, Aspel still found herself ill at ease as she laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling debating what to do with herself that day. Laying about wallowing wouldn’t do her a bit of good, and… Well… What else was there for her to do? A heavy sigh fell from her lips as eyes turned towards the clock near her bedside. Well, there was only one thing to do at this point, and that was to drag herself out of bed to begin figuring it all out. Ari had let him know that Aspel had gone home, and so he’d stopped to get some flowers (sweet briar and creopsis) and some bread and cheese. He wasn’t sure if she had eaten yet - probably not, since it was Aspel. He smiled in fond exasperation as he pictured her trying to go about her day with the wounds she’d managed to sustain. But he did quicken his steps. Aspel was dumb sometimes, and he wouldn’t put it past her to try and do some work in the forge. Once he got the shop, he sent her a quick message that he was outside. By the time she heard the tell-tale ping of a message from the communicator Aspel had managed to hobble into the kitchen, and had left the communicator in the living room. A heavy, frustrated sigh - she ought to know better about this sort of thing by now - was given before carefully limping back to retrieve the device. Honestly, she’d expected someone else. Or if it had to be from Drake, likely something else other than…. Well… What this was. A brief response was typed out - a pause taken as it still seemed rather…. queer - before it was sent. However, now would come the challenge of facing the stairs. Something she’d hoped to stay away from for another day or two yet, but….Well, that simply wouldn’t be the case. It would be another fifteen minutes before Aspel managed to make herself remotely decent, and slowly - literally one step at a time - descended the stairs at a crawling pace. Yet, it would be done, and the door would be pulled open to greet the man who had - rather patiently she’d have to admit - been waiting behind it. “Good day.” He took one look at the woman in the doorway and shook his head. “You could have just unlocked the door upstairs,” he told her. “I could have figured out the lock on this one.” Probably. He held out the flowers and then thought better, pulling them back. He could carry her upstairs on his back. “Good day to you, too,” he added, grinning. “Now, give me a second and then I’ll carry you upstairs.” An eyebrow slowly rose. While she had known that Ari could pick locks she’d never quite realized the same was true of Drake. Instead of answering immediately, she paused a moment, and began to reach out - it was pure reaction really - when he started to offer the flowers forward only to pause, and withdraw her hand when he pulled back. Things really were a rather queer mess between them, weren’t they still? Though the next words out of his mouth caused her face to twist up in a mix of confusion, and… Well, she wasn’t even really sure what other emotion was displayed - uncertainty, surprise, unease - across it, but after a split second Aspel’s brows furrowed and a slight frown rose. “I made it down them well enough on my own, certainly I can make it back up them as well.” “Yup,” he agreed. “You’re a strong, independent woman. Doesn’t mean you can’t make your life a little easier.” He turned around and squatted, waiting for her to climb onto his back. “I can stand like this all day,” he added cheerfully. Aspel couldn’t help but simply look at him with disbelief, and the faintest hint of amusement beginning to linger in. “Then stand that way all day you shall.” With that, she shifted moving to push the door closed around him before turning to head for the storage room that lead to the stairs. Drake sighed and moved out of the way for her to close the door before following her. “You know I could just pick you up and carry you, right?” He wouldn’t, of course - if she wanted to climb the stairs in her condition, then he’d let her. Still, it seemed silly for her to be this stubborn about something so simple. But then, when had the women in his life ever been attracted to simple? “I am sure you are quite capable, correct.” Aspel confirmed without much thought as she continued back towards the stairs. A brief pause would be taken at the doorway between the shop and the backroom, an eyebrow raised that seemed to question if he was coming along or not. With confirmation the smith walked through the boxes stacked in the storage room to the stairway and paused at the bottom of the steps. Looking up at them she sighed with a frown. This wasn’t going to be fun. “What brings you here this day?” Perhaps if she tried to talk through it, it would make the whole ordeal a bit easier. With that a hand went to the bannister, and one foot raised, and then placed on the step before she paused to bring her other foot up to the first step as well. Drake watched as she very slowly began her ascent. “Figured I’d come by to see how you were feeling. I brought food, too. And flowers. Which I’ll put in some water once we’re upstairs.” After hopefully getting her to sit down and not move for a while. A pained smile crossed her features, one she was oddly thankful that he couldn’t see as she continued to slowly move up the stairs, her hand remaining on the bannister the entire time. “Better than I have been. My apologies for having to leave the council duties to you for a day or two longer than originally planned.” A sincerely apologetic smile was cast over her shoulder back towards him. This movement caused only the slightest sway in balance before she looked forward again and focused on finishing her ascent up the stairs, and pushed the door at the top open without much thought. “It is very kind of you to bring such things however. Thank you.” Drake waived her apology away before realizing she couldn’t see it. “It’s fine. I’m a big boy and can handle cranky teachers and guildmembers on my own for a few days. It’s more important that you rest and heal up.” And if her really slow gait was any indication, a day or two longer was going to end up stretching to longer if he had his way. “And it was the least I could do.” He hadn’t been out there with her, and so he blamed himself for her getting hurt. Irrational, yes, but he was starting to realize more things than he’d talked about, and well. Love was irrational. “Did you need any errands run while I’m here?” “There will likely need to be preparation of a statement of some sort.” Her tone was more thoughtful than debating. How many statements had they made at this point? How many more would they need to make? It was exhausting, and… Well… It made her entire body feel even more weighed up, and strained than it already did. “No, but thank you for offering.” She had some basics in the house. For a day or two they likely would be passable. If things stretched out longer they certainly would not but… Aspel shunned the thought with a low grating noise backing up the notion in her head. A day or two would be all she would take. Her good arm raised, left hand signaling for Drake to make himself comfortable as she left him to close the door when upstairs. “May I offer you a drink? Tea perhaps?” It was really what a good hostess should do after all. “You should sit down. I can make the tea if you tell me where to find everything.” The sooner he could get her seated, the sooner he would stop worrying about her. Ari didn’t generally throw herself into danger - Aspel seemed to have a mysterious sense that told her something was going to happen and exactly where so that she could be in the thick of it. It was really worrisome if he stopped to think about it. But didn’t he do the same thing? Was it just a fighter thing? Probably, he decided. They were a crazy bunch, but that didn’t mean he was okay with Aspel getting herself seriously banged up all the time. Aspel couldn’t help but give him a slightly weary smile. “I may be injured but that is no excuse for being a terrible hostess. Please, it is only polite.” However, she would wait for his consent before continuing to move along with the task. He wanted to argue - he really did - but instead he took a seat like a good guest would. “You know, you wouldn’t be a terrible hostess if I made the tea, but if you’re determined.” And he left it at that. Because he knew that she was determined. She didn’t seem to like feeling useless. Not that he could blame her - he was the same way. “Are you feeling any better than you were a few days ago?” He’d heard a little from Ari; he’d have tried to see her earlier, but since he hadn’t gotten knocked around too badly, he’d been dealing with council work. Someone had to be available for the flood of questions that inevitably came in after an attack. “I would feel so.” Aspel calmly replied. Especially, considering their…. Relations… Still seemed so… Queer. With the unspoken agreement of him sitting Aspel shifted, limping carefully towards, and then into the kitchen. At his question a glance was tossed over her shoulder as the teapot was being filled. “Yes. Quite.” Which considering the state she’d been in a few days ago, well. Anything was better than that really. “I hope things have not been utterly disastrous for you?” “Business as usual,” he replied, thinking about Merri and his arm. Drake had gotten off easy. there was no way he could keep being that lucky. “Work. My mom has been bugging me to come out and visit.” With you and Ari he didn’t add. “Also someone broke one of the shower heads in the women’s locker room. Again.” “Family is important.” The words were absent in some regards, distant in a way as well. While she disobeyed her family regularly, it didn’t mean she didn’t love them, and didn’t want to see them nearly all the time. It was just… Complicated. Though as she put the kettle on to warm the water, and began to fetch the tea leaves a heavy sigh - one that could be heard all the way into the living room where Drake sat. “I am beginning to think we ought to demolish all of the halls and reconstruct the entire things of mithril at the rate with which things are constantly broken.” Fighters often were not a delicate lot, and even more often forgot their own strength but Faram. This was just ridiculous. “Yeah,” he said, agreeing with her on the halls and family. This was actually probably as good a time as any to bring it up, though… “My mom wants me to bring you and Ari with me,” he blurted out. Aspel’s motions slowed as she was working on putting together the tray for their cups, her honey, and whatever else may be needed until they stopped altogether. There was a moment of silence before she shifted - the tray forgotten - and turned around so that she could come and stand in the doorframe between the kitchen and the living room with a bewildered look engraved into her features. “..... Pardon?” Okay, Drake thought, maybe I could have brought this up better. “Um,” he started, a stupid please don’t be mad at me smile already in place. “My mom wants to meet you. And Ari. Before the end of the year.” Ari’s mother had had stories and tales written and sung about her long before the chance to meet the woman ever even became a remote possibility. Meeting Ari’s mother - hilariously - bacome more like meeting a legend than meeting a parent in the smiths mind. Then there was that ceaseless curiosity that drove her to want to fit the puzzle pieces together of what was story and what was myth, but… Drake’s family… “I…” A pause, as her brain seemed to be trying to comprehend just what was happening here. “I fear I do not… Understand.” A beat. “She is welcome to come to the guildhall if she would like to meet me.” Well, this was definitely harder and more awkward than he’d thought it would be. Maybe he should have told Ari first and had her help him with Aspel, although he wasn’t sure if that would have been any better. “Actually, she’s invited you and Ari to visit. She doesn’t do a lot of traveling anymore.” There was a beat of silence as Aspel blinked, her face remaining completely blank as if nothing really was quite going to stick. “I… fear I do not understand.” The smith shifted so that she could lean some of her weight against the doorframe to take it off of her more damaged leg, and her face remained distantly blank. “I… Know nothing of your family.” A beat. “Why would…” The sentence trailed off, seeming to be lost in the sea of her own mind. “Yeah, but we’re…” He trailed off and sort of motioned between the two of them. They hadn’t really discussed anything about whether they were dating or not, so he didn’t exactly know what the two of them were, but he liked her. A lot. Even loved her, even if he hadn’t mentioned that part yet. And considering her reaction to this, he was thinking it would be a good idea to keep putting that off. “And so she wants to meet you. Because you’re important. To me.” Aspel blinked, the blank slate of her face giving way to confusion once again as she attempted to interpret what the gesture meant. “Important to you.” The words were repeated, a bit absently as her eyes dipped down to the ground, seeming to consider this. For a few moments, Aspel allowed complete silence to stretch out, in an attempt to process what precisely may be going on here. “Drake…?” His name came out a bit soft, hesitant perhaps. “What…. “ Another beat. “Have you told your mother of me?” And if that wasn’t a loaded question, Aspel knew not what was. That had clearly come out wrong. “I told her that I was seeing you and Ari. That was all the encouragement she needed. Don’t worry, she’s not going to try to marry me off to one of you.” She wasn’t Ari’s mom, fortunately. He still wasn’t even really sure why his mother wanted to meet them, but he’d promised to at least try. If Aspel said no, well. Then she said no. “I think she wants to make sure you guys are real,” he added. “I generally don’t mention the people I’m seeing to her, so when I was talking to my grandmother about things and you two came up, I think she took it to mean that it was serious.” He shrugged. All Aspel could really do was blink blankly in response. Seeing her. That’s… What he thought of their… Relations…? “I would not imagine it so, no.” Was all the words she could muster in response to Drake’s commentary about his mother not trying to get them hitched…. Hitched…. Oh Faram. ’it was serious.’ “Is…. I… See.” Two thoughts collided before both dashed off in drastically different directions. “I…” A beat. “Do…” Another pause, a hesitation. “Do you wish for me to… Meet your blood?” Sometimes, Aspel’s odd phrasing confused him, but he ignored it this time and tried to think. Did he want Aspel or Ari to meet his mother? It wasn’t like she would just suddenly appear on his doorstep - his stepsister might, but he had no problem tossing her at a hotel and ignoring her the rest of her visit. If he said no, then Aspel would decline, and that would be that. It would be nice and easy. Except that now that he was thinking about it, he thought it might be nice for her to meet his mom. And his stepdad. And his dad, the next time he ported in Emillion. So when he said, “Yeah, I think I would,” it was as much a shock to him as it would have been to her. "I." There was a pause as Aspel mulled over the situation, and what information had been presented to her from Darke's answer. She was important to him, and he wanted her to meet his family. Did she want to meet his family? Did this mean they were okay? Was everything she'd thought of in the past few weeks really just all in her head? Eyes dropped down to the floor, and a slight, slow nod was given without her eyes rising the entire time. "As you wish." A pause was taken, a beat as she continued to mull over the situation at hand. ".... When...?" “Now, that’s the question,” he shrugged. “Whenever all three of us can actually get away from the city, which who knows when that will be. Between the attacks and Vivi’s wedding, we’ll probably be busy until Faram’s Mass.” And he really didn’t want to travel during that time, since everyone traveled. “Maybe early next year?” His mom didn’t celebrate Valendian New Year, so he had a little while before she could get mad at him for not showing up. Right. Of course. All three of us the singular part of the sentence echoed in her head. The three of them. Were they… Did he… Should she…. Did Ari…. Oh Faram. It was a good thing she was already standing in the doorway or Aspel may have required something to steady herself right there and then. “Likely, yes.” It was really all she could muster initially as a response. Was he… Silence again as she found herself struggling with even the very thought of the entire situation once more. “I…” Another beat, as her eyes searched the floor never rising to look at him as she mulled over the thought that seemed to keep swirling about in her head. “It would be.” And her sentence faltered again. “There is.” And once more she failed at speaking. “Faram’s Mass.” Aspel finally nearly spat out, feeling an odd sort of panic rising up within her. “We have it off.” And quite frankly, she prayed Drake could put that together, because the thought of going home with him to meet his family for Faram’s Mass was fucking horrifying to her - nearly making her want to attempt to sprint in the opposite direction of where she stood - but the smith was attempting to offer it anyway. “Oh. Um.” He hadn’t expected that. She was right, though - they did have it off. And it wasn’t unusual to go home for the holidays (even if he hadn’t in years), but that was… Didn’t that kind of say something about how… committed they were? Were they even that committed? Did he want to be? And he was overthinking it. “If you’re okay with it. I haven’t said anything to Ari yet, but her show ends before that, so she should also be free.” Oh dear Faram and Ajora. Aspel did her best not to pale at the thought of trekking home with him for the holidays. “It is a time we are all free.” Really, in this instance, that was the best she had. “So, Faram’s Mass, then.” Dear Faram. Was he actually going to do this? “I’ll let Mom know, then.” “As you wish.” The smith couldn’t help but wish her heart would dislodge itself from her throat. Maybe if she just…. “Is there a church there?” A beat. “I attend church on Faram’s Mass.” Drake sighed. “There is. My mom goes every year. Which means she’ll make us go, even if you weren’t already planning on it.” Another thing to warn Ari about, actually. His mom…. Attended Church… On Faram’s Mass… Aspel held back the gulp she wanted to take, and tried to banish the panic rising in her chest with a clearing of her throat. “Lovely.” The smith put as much sincerity into the word as she could manage, and prayed it wouldn’t sound too strained. She’d honestly hoped she would be the only one, it would have been an escape from the rest of… All of this… Even if only a brief reprieve but now… Faram. “Over Faram’s Mass.” A beat. “Right.” Another pause. “Of course.” A slow inhale was taken. “Inform me for when I need to obtain my ticket once you have the details ironed out, no?” Well, at least one thing could be said for all of this. She’d forgotten how much pain she was in. “I’ll take care of the travel arrangements,” he told her, and before she could argue: “It’s my family. Least I can do is pay.” And if his mother found out he hadn’t, she’d skin him alive. “And my mom is super devout. It’s one of the reasons I avoid church now. I always had to go as a kid.” Aspel’s mouth opened in rebuttal, but he started speaking again about how it was his family, and the smith prayed she didn’t turn pale on the spot. Faram, what was she doing? Why was she doing this? Had she ever met anyone’s family before this that she was….. Involved…. With…? “I am capable.” The smith decided on in response, ignoring the ability to respond to the rest of the information presented, but taking note of it since it would be another note of… Misery in some ways. “Never said you weren’t, Aspel.” He had expected this, but Faram above, he’d hoped she’d just let him pay without a fight. “So, how’re you feeling?” Honestly, Aspe wasn’t sure if she wanted the topic change, but… Maybe it would just be easier to… Go with it…. For now. “I will be fine.” A strained smile was offered, even though most of her still ached terribly. “Do let me know what the arrangements are so I can p…” Her sentence dropped off for a moment something serious, and nervous streaking across her face before another strained smile rose. “plan accordingly.” “I will,” he said, noting what she’d said. That was a good sign, right? “And that doesn’t answer my question. I know you’ll be fine. How are you feeling, though?” The smile flickered slightly, Aspel trying to make sure it remained regardless of how much she really, deeply didn’t want it to at the same time. “Tired.” A beat. “Perhaps it would be best if I rested a bit now.” It was a cop out, there were a billion things she was feeling and at this point, honestly, tired wasn’t really one anymore with how wired, nervous, and panicked this whole conversation had made her. So much for quietly resting, so much for thinking Drake didn’t want her, or was upset with her, so much for… Everything. What had her world become? “Okay,” Drake said, standing up. He knew a dismissal when he heard one. “I’ll let you get some rest.” For an awkward second, he stood there, not sure if he should go to her and give her a kiss, or just leave. Desire won out, and he quickly crossed the floor and placed a light kiss on her cheek. “Get some sleep. Feel better.” He closed the door behind him and frowned as he walked down the stairs. At least she’d agreed, even if, for some reason, he felt like a horrible person about it. |