debonairmonk (debonairmonk) wrote in emillion, @ 2015-02-27 15:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, !plot: faram's mass, arielle chiaro, aspel cassul, drake liu |
Who: Drake, Aspel, Ari, and a bunch of NPCs
What: Visiting Drake’s family for the holidays (Part 1)
Where: Mostly someplace in Ordalia
When: Capricorn 1-5 (December 23-27, 2015)
Rating: PG-ish
Status: Complete
(Capricorn 1) The second he took his seat on the airship, a feeling of dread swept over him. This was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. It wasn’t even introducing them to his family - and it would be his entire family; Tavian had messaged him just as he was boarding to let him know that he’d be there for Faram’s Mass Eve and day - but he couldn’t shake the suspicion that others would show up. His mother was way too invested in Drake’s relationships; for all he knew, she’d invited everyone he’d ever met from the guild to come to dinner. And that wasn’t something Drake wanted to deal with, nor was he prepared to deal with it. And Faram forbid any of his grandma’s guild show up. Greigor was nice enough, and Anora had seemed fine, but Drake was still trying not to think too hard about what role he’d had in picking… whatever position it was in the local Bards’ Guild. He still wasn’t sure if when he stepped foot off the airship if Liara would try to off him. Or Nia. The last thing he needed was someone trying to kill him. That would just go over so well. And then he’d have to explain things to Aspel and Ari, and while Ari had a vague idea of what he’d done, he hadn’t mentioned it at all to Aspel because things had been weird and awkward, and oh Faram, things weren’t any better now, were they? A quick glance was given to his traveling companions and he forced a smile to his face. “Hopefully the flight will be smooth.” Aspel had managed a small nap in the dead of night, but due to her own severe levels of distress it unfortunately hadn’t lasted more than a few hours. This meant that the smith had been awake since three in the morning, and had plenty of time to sit about her apartment - wishing she hadn’t promised Ari to not smoke anymore - and work herself up to the point of nearly talking herself out of this entire ordeal. However, she had agreed, and while the smith didn’t view herself as much, Aspel Cassul always did her best to stick to her word. With that in mind, she’d paced the apartment back and forth, checked, double checked, and even went as far to triple check her luggage, and eventually decided to simply head out early because if she stayed in her apartment until the originally planned leaving time - a message had been sent to both Ari and Drake to let them know she’d arrive early - she might just lose her mind from the anxiety of it all. Yet, as soon as she was in her seat on the airship, a significant deal of her distress began to melt away. Not all of it, but enough. The trip would be miserably long, and her legs would likely hurt terribly by the end of it - this certainly wasn’t her first, or last, trip to Ordalia - she knew how this would go, and Aspel also knew how she wished they could travel it instead, but… Well, that simply wasn’t an option for this trip. Maybe the next time one of them wanted to gallivant off somewhere she’d suggest one of the trader’s she knew. At least they’d be able to move about the ship more freely than… Clearing her throat, fingers brushed across her lap. “Surely, it will go smoothly enough.” And with that, Aspel was already looking over her shoulder, clearly seeking something, and frowning when it hadn’t crossed her vision yet. “Mhmm.” That Ari had followed the conversation even this far was actually a fairly impressive feat. She sat in the corner by the window, hands wrapped around a very large travel mug (filled with the strongest coffee she could brew) and tried valianly not to nod off. Having slept through the departure of more than one morning flight in her life, she had chosen simply not to sleep at all -- which had certainly ensured her timely arrival at the Aerodrome -- but sometime after five, she had begun to fade. Well, it wouldn’t be her first stretch of wakefulness over the course of a couple of days, though that didn’t mean it would be enjoyable for her, either. Drake nodded, trying to relax as the flight took off. He was only a few hours away from his doom. Luiz had said he’d meet them at the Aerodrome with the bikes (a friend of his had offered to drive one since he was flying to Kerwon that morning to see family anyway). He just had to get through the flight, and the first introduction, and then the introduction to his mom, and then he was home free. Sort of. Some days, he really wished he drank. Aspel’s eyes had continued to wonder the cabin, not even noticing when Drake nodded along, and barely registering that Ari had responded at all. “How long is the flight?” The smith knew the times for the areas she normally went to but… This was a new locale for her. Though, her train of thought seemed completely tossed aside when her eyes finally caught what she was looking for. “Pardon.” A faint, strained smile was tossed back at Drake and Ari as Aspel left her seat to go speak to one of the servers that seemed to be moving about to check everything before take off. It would only take a few minutes for the interaction to complete before the smith returned to her seat with wine in hand. A glance was given to Drake as she offered out the cup for him to take for a moment. “If you would, please?” She’d wait for Drake to assist before settling back into her seat appropriately before taking the cup of wine back, and with a sigh, then a strained smile she’d raise the glass in a toast towards her two traveling companions. “To Ordalia.” They were several hours into the flight, with Drake having wandered off in search of the bathrooms, before Ari actually spoke a complete sentence. She had at last drained her entire cup of coffee, and as her internal clock moved closer to noon, she was starting to feel a bit more like a (sleep-deprived) hume rather than one of the undead. Progress. With Drake absent, Ari eyed Aspel’s empty glass (she hadn’t counted them in her stupor, but she was fairly certain it wasn’t the first) and at last uttered: “In case you’re interested, I have Ordalian firewhiskey in my bag.” Because while she preferred wine, she was also trying to be a bit more covert about her desire to be mildly or not-so-mildly buzzed for the majority of this trip, and firewhiskey went down quickly. Quickly enough to be put back in her bag before Drake returned, hopefully. “Oh thank Faram.” The tone held more than a hint of relieved desperation in it. “Yes, please.” Came the whispered agreement of alcohol consumption from the smith. While the wine had helped relax her some, the spacing out combined with… Well… The tiny glass… And Aspel’s rather high level of anxiety, had made her barely feel anything at all for effects, and her own stash of harder liquors, well… That had been in a checked bag… Which she regretted the instant they’d all began to settle into their seats. Besides…. Aspel had a sneaking suspicion that the Kerowian hard liquor she’d stashed away may just be needed later far more than it would be now. Perhaps it was the coffee kicking in, but Ari moved rather quickly to extricate her bag from underneath her seat. The bottle was found with suspicious speed, as well -- it was clear she’d known exactly where to look, and implied that it had likely been on her mind for some time. She unscrewed the cap, took a quick swig from the bottle, then, making a face, held it out. “Well, if the coffee didn’t wake me up, this certainly will.” And, unfortunately, she would probably have to limit herself to one. Having considered it long and hard over the last few days, she could only really go into this hiding behind her usual tactics -- life was a performance, and the role of “beloved only son’s perfectly acceptable lover” was hers to play. Having never actually played a role while liquored up to the gills, thanks to her mentor’s strict tutelage, she had decided to attempt to walk a very fine line. One drink would see her through the next few hours, surely. Aspel glanced briefly about to check the rest of the cabin before taking out the offered bottle and taking a quick swing of her own, before her face scrunched as well. “It is named appropriately.” Was really all she could add, though the feel of something stronger being in her system at least allowed for a faint, yet sincere, smile to be offered to the bard. “A bit more with us now?” “I may regret this,” a gesture towards her now-empty coffee cup, “in an hour or two, but, for better or worse, yes. Why are commercial flights always scheduled in the morning? Why not a nice, sane overnight?” As she said this, she reached for the bottle, prepared to tuck it away before Drake’s return. A low, amused huff was earned. “I could not imagine ingesting quite so much… Caffiene.” Really, it’d been quite some time since she’d pulled all nighters at the forge at this point. Though at the question Aspel gave an a slight shrug. “I have not the faintest. I barely slept thanks to it.” And the stress… And the anxiety… And the frustrations… And the thoughts about just not going… And… A glance was given to the bottle, clearly a strong debate on if she wanted another swig before it was put away, but sighing, she sorrowfully relented it back to the bard. “You’ll know where to find it if you decide you need mor -- oh, hello, Drake.” Ari’s smile was almost entirely natural as she continued to rummage in her bag, withdrawing, at last, a completely innocuous hairbrush (the bottle tucked away in the nick of time). “I was just telling Aspel that I’ve decided to rejoin the world of the living.” And the warmth in her stomach from the firewhiskey would hopefully be sufficient until she could sneak another drink. Three hours in -- or was it closer to four? -- her optimism was, at best, cautious. The first thing he did when he stepped off the airship was stretch. Long limbs and confined spaces never mixed well, but there wasn’t anything to be done about that. He waited while Ari and Aspel gathered their things - he’d packed a nice suit for Faram’s Mass, but that was about it; he had gotten some new clothes when he’d been out here last, and they were probably hanging, newly washed, in his closet - and looked around, trying to spot Luiz while he shook off the stiffness in his legs. He sensed the movement behind him and turned, blocking Luiz’s kick in the knick of time. “You know,” he groused at his step-father, “normal people don’t greet each other by trying to decapitate them.” Luiz chuckled. “Just making sure you’re not out of practice.” With someone dashing out of no where and instantly moving to attack, Aspel’s instinct was to go for the sledgehammer strapped to her hip. While she didn’t move forward the weapon was drawn, moved into combat stance, and the smiths face instantly fell serious as she took in the environment around them, and the potential damage dark magicks might do to the people and surrounding areas here. However, they were then talking, cheerfully…. Which caused an eyebrow to slowly raise though the seriousness of a potential combat situation hadn’t fall away from her face quite yet. “Are we going to have a problem, gentlemen?” There was a curious edge to her voice, even if it had a definite firm backing of sternness as well. Having gone from barely conscious to hyper-aware over the course of the last several hours, Ari had come to an entirely different conclusion. Perhaps it was all the time she spent around fighters lately, but the kick had come across to her as nothing more than a greeting of sorts; her hand shot up to rest on Aspel’s arm as she said quietly, “I really think not.” Good first impressions. Ajora. They were certainly making one. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Luiz’s greeting could be mistaken as an attack, but then, after everything that had been going on in Emillion, he couldn’t exactly fault Aspel for the conclusion. He smiled at her sheepishly and ignored the broad grin on Luiz’s face as he looked the two women over. Lech, he thought, elbowing the man in the ribs. “Nope,” he said to Aspel. “This is my stepfather and former mentor, Luiz. Luiz, this is Aspel” and motioned towards the taller of the two women, “and Ari.” Under his breath, so that the other man could hear him but not the two women, he muttered, “please don’t make me regret this.” Luiz gave no indication that he heard, and moved forward, giving them an exaggerated bow. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” A brief glance was cast at Ari’s hand on her arm, and then the raised eyebrow quirked higher at the information presented from Drake. A low, metallic grating echoed in her head, and an inhale was taken as the sledgehammer was slowly lowered, and reholstered at her side. While Drake’s stepfather would seem to enjoy making a show of their greeting, the smith simply returned the greeting with a very slight lean forward, and bowing of her own head. “A pleasure to meet you as well….” An eyebrow quirked at the man, as if to exaggerate the point of her trying to grasp on to what to appropriately call him.. “Luiz…?” “The pleasure is mine,” Luiz grinned. “Or rather, perhaps it is mutual.” Ari neither curtsied nor bowed -- neither seemed quite right in this time and place to her mind -- but she offered the hand which had formerly rested on Aspel’s arm to the grinning man for a shake with the most charming smile she could muster. Even sleep-deprived, she thought it ought to be more that sufficient. That she’d have to charm her way through several days, well… Best to take it one person at a time. “Ari,” she offered. Definitely not her full name, and if Drake was wise, he’d neglect to mention it at all. Luiz took her hand and placed a kiss on it before withdrawing and glancing back at Drake, who was looking like he was waiting for the world to explode. “I hope this knucklehead isn’t too hard to deal with? I know we beat manners into him, even if he can’t do a proper introduction. Luiz Flores, Fighter’s Guild.” Drake rolled his eyes. “Let’s get going. Mom is probably counting minutes.” With more proper, and formal introductions seeming to be all the rage suddenly Aspel nodded, and was instantly a bit more relieved as this felt a great deal more normal for her than not. “Sir Aspel Cassul, Emillion Fighter’s Guild councilor, as stated previously, it is a pleasure to meet you.” A beat. “And my apologies for the previous response, it is a bit… Ingrained.” A slightly apologetic, and mildly sheepish, but sincere smile was briefly offered with the words as she completely left the technicalities of her nobility related titling out of it… Quite frankly, it was a bit much to include in all of this anyway. Besides Lady Sir sounded rather odd in the end, and addressing a more FG bent would likely be best here. Though, an eyebrow quirked at Drake’s commentary. “I would loathe to keep anyone waiting if it need not be.” With that, a glance was given back as she hoisted up her baggage, and glanced at Ari’s to check with the other woman if assistance was needed. Assistance might certainly have been required -- Ari was not a proponent of light packing -- but fortunately, she had Drake upon whom to foist her bags, and he seemed more than willing to take them, leaving her with only one aside from her eternally-present instrument case. In her case, it wasn’t quite as obvious as it was with Aspel, but she, too, went nowhere unarmed these days. “I’m not quite as impressive, I’m afraid,” she said, still wearing her easy, charming smile. “Just Ari -- Chiaro. As for any difficulties posed by Drake, he tends to make up for them in his own way. Thank you,” this to Drake, who was really quite overloaded with her baggage, “for helping with those.” Drake could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on trying to figure out how he was going to get the luggage on the bike. “One of these days,” he said, “I’m going to teach you to pack lightly.” Maybe there was a delivery service he could send her bags ahead with… And just by thinking it, he saw the telltale sign. “I’ll be right back,” he said, but before he left, he looked over at Aspel. “We’re taking hoverbikes to the house. If you have bulky luggage, I’ll send it ahead with Ari’s.” Aspel frowned, obviously a bit… Concerned over the idea of how this all was going to work as she cast a glance behind herself and pulled up on the handle of the case to display it for Drake to see. “My armor case is the largest item I have brought.” Which, admittedly, the sleek black armor had a rather large case that came with keeping it maintained and appropriately stored. Other than that, a large camping bag had been the only other thing brought along with her that housed everything she’d needed. Which well…. She wasn’t traveling as lightly as she could have, but years on the road had curbed any thought, or even remote feeling of packing anything even close to Ari. “Okay,” Drake sighed. Why did women have to pack so many things? And what did Aspel think was going to happen here, anyway? He shook his head and rearranged Ari’s bags before holding out his hand for Aspel’s case. “I’ll put it with Ari’s and they’ll deliver it to Mom’s.” There was an obvious worry that streaked across her face briefly and she glanced over to Ari for reassurance, but after a moment Aspel shifted, lifting the case off the ground and offering it over to Drake with a certain hesitance. Regardless, this was for the best, and if anything came up between here and there, well… She did always have Dullahan to help. “Thank you, darling!” Ari called after Drake as he took on yet another item and trudged off toward one of the far counters. To hide her discomfort of being left with Drake’s stepfather (at least she had Aspel with her, thank goodness for small mercies), she added, “I did try to pack light.” But, as always, it had all gotten away from her. Add in the worries about what exactly one might wear when meeting the family of one’s lover (Ajora) and of course her bags were even more copious than usual. “At least the weather ought to be nice for a hoverbike ride. The desert is far preferable to Emillion this time of year.” Jie would be happy to know that she’d trained her son well; Luiz snickered. By his estimate, he had about three minutes before Drake came back, trying to hide his panic at leaving his two girlfriends (and Ajora, he knew Drake wasn’t the type to be tied down, but two? He could barely handle one at any given time) alone with his stepfather. “The weather’s nice out today, and the ride here was great.” He eyed Aspel; Ari seemed more or less comfortable, but the councilor seemed a bit on edge. Not surprising; he’d known Hsu for a while, but the second he’d had to meet her as ‘Jie’s fiance,’ well. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d nearly broken a teapot just by lifting it. “So, how long have you guys been involved with that knucklehead?” “With sincerity? I would wager the past eleven months for myself.” The response was easy, almost thoughtless actually. Aspel’s eyes had trailed after Drake hauling off her armor. There was no way she could replace that if it got lost. The materials alone, never mind the time investment it would take as well…. Ari, however, was far less concerned with her bags than with the question which… she didn’t think four years or so, though it was mostly for amusement so we weren’t really keeping track was the right answer, so she said simply, “We’ve known each other somewhat longer than that,” and hoped to leave it there. Again, her hand went to settle on Aspel’s arm, partially because the other woman seemed dreadfully tense, but at least in part because she wanted the comfort of contact, too. Luiz wasn’t a stupid man, and he knew when a question was being avoided. He’d mentored plenty of squires to learn those tricks, and while Ari was much better at it than they were, he still noticed she hadn’t answered the question, at least, not as precisely as Aspel. He also noticed the way her hand settled very familiarly on Aspel’s arm, and before he could ask how long the two of them had been together, Drake returned, a hassled look on his face. “Bikes are outside, Liu,” Luiz said; he’d question Drake later about whether or not his girlfriends were also seeing each other. Not a problem, but he hated not having all of the facts. “Shall we?” Drake nodded and turned to Ari and Aspel. “Shall we?” Jie was waiting for them as they pulled up, her eyes focused on the figure of her son. One of the girls was riding with him, and the other with Luiz, but she did not know which was which. She should have had Drake at least give her some description, but nevermind that now. A pleasant smile was fixed on her face to hide her nerves. It was a milestone she had feared Drake would never reach; he had always been determined to not settle down, and while it was a bit eccentric to settle down with two young women, it was better than she had originally hoped for. Depending on how this visit went, perhaps she could resume hoping for grandchildren. Drake helped Ari from the back of his bike and waited until Aspel dropped down from Luiz’s before he took a deep breath (and Ari’s and Aspel’s hands, because if he was going to do this, he may as well go all out) and walked over to his mother. “Hi, mom.” Jie raised an eyebrow at her son’s lack of manners, and Drake grimaced. “Mom, this is Aspel Cassul” he raised Aspel’s hand slightly before lifting Ari’s and finishing with “and Arielle Chiaro. Aspel, Ari, this is my mom, Jie Flores.” Ari didn’t wince, to her credit, but she did say, “Just Ari, please. It’s good to finally meet you.” And Faram, that was a flat-out lie, but she would sell it. She could see where Drake got his looks, at any rate -- and she could pretend not to squirm under too-frank scrutiny. Just keep smiling. “Thank you for inviting us -- I look forward to a holiday utterly devoid of snow.” The whole ordeal was quite queer. The ride with Luiz had been pleasant enough, and Aspel had attempted to engage him in minor pleasantries when given the chance, but both thankfully, and unfortunately, a hoverbike allowed for little of such luxury. With such presentation from Drake to his mother, Aspel couldn’t help but blink at him for a moment, seemingly mildly baffled before facing his mother, and giving the woman a slight bow. “A pleasure to meet you, I assure, and you are welcome to address me as formally, or informally as you wish.” And it wasn’t a lie at all. Aspel had no issue meeting Drake’s relatives, it was context in which she was meeting them that made the whole thing far more complicated than it ought to need be. “Please, do let me know if there is any manner in which I may assist while staying under your roof, no?” The offer was sincere, and a faint, pleasant smile lingered at the corners of her mouth. Leave it to Aspel to offer to help, Drake thought, but he knew his mother: Ari and Aspel wouldn’t have to lift a thing while they were guests. He, on the other hand, was going to be slaving away the entire time. “The pleasure is mine,” Jie replied. “I am glad you could accommodate a visit last minute.” A reproachful look was thrown her son’s way, and he sheepishly looked at the sky. To address Aspel’s offer, she simply said, “Thank you, Aspel, but I could not imagine asking a guest to help. If there is anything the two of you require, please let me know. Drake, their things arrived. Please take them to the guest room and then start lunch.” “It was no trouble at all,” Ari assured quickly. In fact, she was rather grateful this had all come together so quickly -- considering that if she’d had longer to fret about it, she might have fretted herself into the sort of state from which pretense at normalcy couldn’t be extracted. Really, the fact that she hadn’t known about this very long was to their mutual benefit. And it was rather amusing, she had to admit, that Drake was to be put straight to work. As for them and their guest room (she noted this, too: singular), she could only be grateful that she wouldn’t be left alone at night in this unfamiliar house with its unfamiliar rules. Anyway, she and Aspel could make good use of her stashed firewhiskey this way, so it wasn’t all bad. She tried not to be paranoid about the fact that they were clearly to be staying separately from Drake -- surely it was practicality and nothing else. Drake sighed in resignation. “You know, I could be tired. I could have not slept at all last night.” Jie gave her son a droll look. “The moment you do not fall asleep at a quarter to midnight is the day I join your grandmother. And change your clothing, there’s a rip on the leg of those trousers.” “Come on,” Drake grumbled at Ari and Aspel. “You guys can get settled in while I slave away.” “If you need help, just let us know,” Ari said, all innocence, as she followed. Because it would come across perfectly sincere, but Drake knew she couldn’t cook her way out of a paper bag, so she honestly doubted her aid would be called upon. Aspel… well, maybe if she took it upon herself to make muffins... "Ah, but that is why one offers before being asked." There was good humor in her tone, and reflected in the smile on her face. "And please, do not be too harsh upon him. If there is need for the placement of blame for the timing of this it should rest squarely upon my shoulders as I was the one who suggested it." A bow of her head was offered. "My apologies for the inconvenience of it, and my thanks for your graciousness of accepting the offered timing as well." Aspel would just do her best not to think about all the technicalities of it right now or she might flip out and run for the door. With the directions given however, another nod of her head was offered before following along as appropriate for now. Really, if she could make sure her armor had made it safe that at least would be one thing within her control that she wouldn't need to worry about anymore. Drake led them through the house to the guest room, which had once been his grandmother’s room. The urge to knock overcame him, but he swallowed it back and opened the door. It was different now, not that it should have surprised him. Hsu’s full bed was gone, replaced with a king-sized mattress that had three pillows at the head of the bed. Three… He was going to strangle his mother. “This is the room,” he told them. “I’ll be right back, need to stop by my room real quick.” Drake backtracked down the hall and opened the door to his room: his bed was still there, but it was stripped bare. A quick look in the closet showed that his clothes were there, freshly laundered, but no bedding. Jie was in the kitchen when Drake found her. “Where’s my bedding?” “You won’t be needing it,” she replied smoothly. “And I thought I told you to change those trousers.” “I will, but I’d like to make my bed first.” Jie looked at him as though he were intellectually challenged. “You’ll be sleeping in the guest room,” she told him. “I would hate for them to be uncomfortable, and you are a grown man, Drake. I am aware that you have s--” Drake cut her off. “I’m going to go change.” And then he dashed out of the room. When he returned to the guest room, he was wearing new pants and a disturbed expression. “Hopefully you guys don’t mind sharing the bed.” Ari, who had started looking bewildered when Drake had all but bolted out of the room and had yet to wipe the expression from her face (behind a door, at last), pointed out, “It will not be the first time we’ve all shared a bed.” And, well, to say that it had hardly been frequent, either, would probably help nothing. “It’s… thoughtful?” Though the word came out more question than statement, in the end. Somehow, she hadn’t bothered considering sleeping arrangements prior to their arrival here. Aspel couldn’t do much more than blink when she realized precisely what was going on here. Admittedly, she wasn’t entirely fussed by this. Surprised, yes, confused, a little, and there was a hint of being bothered, but it was more out of concern for Drake’s comfort and generic formality that had been beat into her while growing up than anything else. From there her mouth had opened to speak, and then promptly closed again, an eyebrow being raised at the door, and then at Ari before an amused shake of head, and huff of air was given. Though Ari’s words…. Aspel felt herself stiffen a little. Everytime they’d shared a bed before hadn’t she been… Drunk….? …. Oh Faram. What was going on here? Clearing her throat the smith chimed in. “It is.” She confirmed Ari’s… Question of a sorts. “She is clearly quite accepting of your unusual circumstances. You should be thankful of such kindness and generosity.” The words were soft, perhaps even a little dispirited at absent thoughts in her own head, but really now wasn’t the time for that sort of thing. Drake shook his head. “I’m sleeping in my room. You guys can have the bed. I’ll let you guys get settled. I’m going to go and start lunch before my mom gives me the death glare.” “Oh?” Ari said, eyebrows rising. “And the third pillow is for whom, Luiz?” “He is a rather attractive man.” “I’m not listening to this. I’ll grab you when lunch is ready.” Drake turned and left the room, leaving the two women alone. “It is probably best,” Ari said after a moment of silence, “not to comment upon the good looks of Drake’s mother’s husband. Probably.” “A joke. I assure.... Would it be a point better made if I commented instead on the looks of his mother?” “Oh yes,” Ari said with a giggle that was only mildly hysterical. What had they gotten themselves into? “That would have been so much better. At least,” she added, going over to where their bags were neatly stacked and prodding at one of hers, “if he’s really going to abandon us, we have alcohol, and no sober monk to look disapprovingly at us as we indulge. So that’s something.” A low amused huff of air was released at Ari’s response. Though… This whole situation brought up another issue Aspel had been far too panicked to even remotely consider before, and she felt her stomach sink. “Spirits would be stellar about now. I have some Kerwonian liquor with me as well in case we start running low.” Because Faram, and all the heavens above, they were going to need it. When Nia entered the kitchen that evening, he didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Set the table,” he told her, stirring the pureed squash on the stove. He didn’t catch Nia’s eyeroll, but he heard the cabinets open and the light clank of dishes being removed, so at least she was doing as she was told. By the time the table was set, Drake had finished the last of the food. “I didn’t think you knew how to make anything that wasn’t pre-made,” Nia commented idly, although her expression when he looked at her was condescending. Drake fought to keep his expression neutral and shrugged. “I guess old dogs can learn new tricks.” He didn’t say that Jie had made the meat, and Luiz had actually pureed the squash. His contribution had been the warm bread that he was taking from the window and the sauteed vegetables. Although, if his mother had any say in what he took home with him this time, the ability to cook an entire meal would be it. Nia grabbed the bowl of vegetables and the tray of meat - duck in some sort of glaze that had a lightly yellowish tinge, making it completely inedible for Drake - and led the way to the dining room. Drake followed with the bread and squash. Fortunately for all parties, Jie had come around offering wine to the two guests, who were, of course, not to do anything (though Ari had a motion Aspel might have tried despite these instructions). The bard hadn’t bothered mentioning the two (all right, two and a half) drinks she’d had earlier and had gratefully accepted a glass from the pleasantly smiling hostess, shooting a bright smile at the very pretty and very grumpy young woman who came in and began setting plates down on the table. Drake’s stepsister seemed determined to dislike them on principle, so of course Ari was already constructing a game in her mind of winning her over. Better to think about that than the fact that she’d traveled halfway across the world for Faram’s Mass with her lover’s family. That was a bit too frightening to contemplate for long. The rather sweet plum wine was explained when Drake came in carrying a duck on a platter, and Ari couldn’t help but smile and say: “You make duck? Now there’s an extremely useful skill I was unaware of.” And would take advantage of once they returned home, certainly. Aspel - quite honestly - had wanted to drink more than she had. However, when Ari - of all people - had chimed in that she ought to be a bit more careful regarding her alcohol consumption, Aspel had acquiesced. However, that hadn’t been before she’d managed to get a pleasant buzz going that she knew would linger. Perhaps, at some point, she’d have to venture off shopping and sneak some random Ordalian something or other in between the bags. Or, Faram, perhaps an even better idea would just to be to buy some particularly pricey booze as a ‘gift’ to go along with dinner one night or another. That would be a reasonable way to cover her tracks, wouldn’t it? Though… That still didn’t solve her other problem… The one that potentially could give us the most problems outside of her regular nightly alcohol consumption while back in Emillion… The thought was shoved aside, she’d figure that out later… Maybe she could talk Ari into a… ‘Walk’ later. Regardless of herself, a soft smile had remained across her face as they’d come out to dinner and settled down. A bow of her head was given with the offered wine. “My thanks.” The smile widened, and a curious look crossed her face when all of the food started pouring out with the smile beginning to edge on a smirk. “Hidden skills indeed. These would have been quite useful several times over, no?” “Don’t get used to it,” Drake warned them. “I’ll ensure that he has the proper recipes if the food is to your liking,” Jie interjected smoothly, indicating that everyone should sit. She took the head of the table, Drake to her left and Luiz to her right. Nia sat beside her father, leaving the seat beside Drake and the opposite end of the table free for their guests. Jie frowned and turned to her son. “Let one of them sit beside me,” she told him, and Drake sighed, moving over one chair. Jie smiled; this way, her son’s lovers could both sit beside him. It would likely be more comfortable for them to have at least one familiar face next to them. Drake reached for the squash, but a sharp look from Luiz had him withdrawing his hand before his mother could swat at it. He’d forgotten grace; clearly, he’d been living like a heathen too long. He sighed, again, and waited for Ari and Aspel to sit so that Jie could lead them in prayer. Ari was quietly grateful when Aspel took the seat between Drake and his mother. She probably owed the other woman for that -- not that she wouldn’t have managed, but all in all the grumpy stepsister was a preferable neighbor (especially considering she was already halfway through her own freshly poured glass of plum wine -- Ari thought joining her neighbor in another drink could only be polite). Fortunately, she took the cues from the rest of the table and had not quite begun reaching for food when it became clear there was ceremony to sit through here. She masked her annoyance (she had never been a particular fan of this sort of thing) and folded her hands in her lap. While Drake and Ari would be out of place with this, hilariously, Aspel would easily - and to some degree thankfully - fall into step with barely any hesitation at all. She hadn’t realized that Drake’s family was Pharist to this level, and while it threw her back to her childhood, and some of the meals she’d shared with… Other groups… It had always been a welcome part of her life. Her head bowed, and what she could remember of what she knew of this specific Ordalian variation was followed along with. At the end, she couldn’t help the rather bright smile that planted itself on her face. “Thank you.” A brief nod was offered to Jie before Aspel glanced down the table to take in how everyone else was doing, and try to gauge where they’d go from here. Drake lifted his head from the prayer and immediately reached for the squash. His mother’s glare, however, had him slowing down. “Would anyone like the squash?” he asked. “Yes, please,” said Ari. Drake’s mother gave him another Look (Ari had to admit that under her discomfort, she was becoming quite amused by this dynamic) and he began filling her plate. Ordinarily, she might have made a comment about how he was rarely so obliging, but she was playing nice, so she simply gave him an amused smile (he’d know well enough that teasing would eventually ensue), then took the serving bowl from him at her other neighbor’s too-sweet, “Me next, please,” and passed it down, wondering if there would be any left for Drake at all by the time it got around to him. (It was, after all, the sort of petty thing she or Aud might have done.) “Ari, Aspel,” Jie started, passing the squash to Aspel, “for Faram’s Mass, which mass would you prefer? I figured one of you could come with Drake and I to the midnight mass, and one to the morning mass. I attend both.” Drake’s sagging shoulders were ignored; she had long suspected he had been slacking on his religious duties. “Ah.” There was a beat as Aspel attempted to school her panic, and disappointment at not being to attend a Mass on her own. “Mass attendance is a tradition of my own as well.” A pause. “If there are no objections, I would be pleased to take the morning Mass with you over the evening.” A lingering glance was cast down the table to look for any potential disagreement even though she felt she was unlike to obtain any at this point. The smith hated the idea of throwing Ari to the wolves first, but at the same time… Well… It would be a nightmare to try to make her go in the morning even more. They’d all be better served by this arrangement. Indeed, Ari shot her a grateful look, though the whole situation was generally unexpected. How many years had it been since she’d gone to mass? And even more telling -- how many years since she’d gone to mass without getting paid? The latter number was even bigger, but the former was significant, too; she’d stopped taking one-night jobs from the church years ago, and had wished them good riddance. For Drake’s sake (love made you crazy), she kept smiling and said, “Midnight will be perfect.” At least she’d be awake for it… though perhaps that wasn’t much benefit. At least Drake would have to suffer twice. “Then it’s decided,” Jie pronounced, and Drake sighed, spooning what was left of the squash onto his plate. After everything was said and done, with smiles and good evenings given to any that were still awake Aspel had first given Ari a passive out - As you have yet to fully unpack, and it has been a terribly long day, it may be wise to begin that process soon, no? - and retreated to the confines of the guest room. Ari’s rather excessive traveling gear had to have been noticed by nearly everyone at this point, it seemed a reasonable enough way around everything tonight. Once inside, with the door closed Aspel felt all of the good cheer, soft smiles, and positive facade drain from her almost instantly with a heavy huff of air. This was exhausting. “Faram.” Came the soft, mildly frustrated, and slightly bewildered mutter as one hand rose up and fingers raked through her hair. “What have we gotten into here?” Once the door closed, Ari wasn’t smiling anymore, either. She gave her baggage a considering look before deciding she could only deal with so many stressors at one time and falling inelegantly back on the bed instead, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. “I don’t know,” she said, “but no one warned me I’d have to go to church.” All right, so perhaps she sounded a little petulant. But really, Aspel might not mind it, but her… “Four days,” she said. “We can survive anything for four days. Can’t we?” The hand fell down to rub at the back of her neck, another huff of air given to the whole thing, before Aspel’s posture twitched slightly, and Ari’s final question earned a light, nervous laugh. A sound uncommon to the smith… Period. When was the last time she had been nervous about something? Anxious. Certainly…. But… Blatantly nervous? What the hell was wrong with her? With that she was moving to drop down on the bed with Ari, and tugged at the other woman’s arm to pull her closer, and wrap her arms around the bard. “I have not the faintest.” A beat before a thought seemed to occur. “Something… Simpler to think of… Perhaps?” “Hmm?” Ari said (a testament to her own distracted thoughts) before she deciphered the meaning of the words and let out her own brief laugh against Aspel’s shoulder. “I think they’re still washing dishes on the other side of the door, you know.” There was a mildly disgruntled noise before Aspel sighed, shifting to place a kiss against Ari’s neck. The smith was generally one to not be deterred at this point but… Another sigh before burying her face between Ari’s shoulder and head. “Thoughts?” The single word was muffled by the fabric of the bard’s blouse, but clearly she was trying. “Mostly mild panic,” Ari said, though really, that hadn’t entirely been the question. Then, “It has been a long day. I could use a shower.” Another pause. “Water makes convenient white noise.” And really, that was the best she had to offer. A brief bark of confirmative laughter was given regarding how panic inducing the situation had been. “Mm.” Was followed by a sigh as Aspel shifted, moving to release Ari - reluctantly - so that the other woman could go to shower, but then came the rest of the thought and Aspel paused mid-release. There was a moment of processing - as she had been exhausted, and drinking most of the day - before the light bulb went on. “Ah.” A beat. “Indeed it does.” Another pause. “I suspect it would be wise to warm both ourselves, and the water before we start.” With that Aspel leaned in for a heated kiss. He didn’t bring it up until they were already in bed and the lights were off. Jie was comfortably ensconced in the comforter and Luiz was staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out a way to broach the subject when his wife shifted and said, “They do not appear to be uncouth.” Luiz shrugged and rolled over onto his side. “The three of them make a cute couple.” He frowned; that didn’t sound right. “Throuple? Group?” From the little bit of light filtering into the room from the window allowed him to make out the very confused features on her face. “What are you on about?” Luiz laughed. “The three of them? They’re all dating.” “You mean Arielle and Aspel are…” “Yeah.” “Oh.” A pause. “Oh.” Another pause. “Well, I suppose that goes a long way towards explaining things. And it greatly increases the odds of him providing us grandchildren if he will not be forced to choose.” He could make out Jie nodding to herself. “Yes, this appears to be a most satisfying solution to the problem.” Luiz shook his head and rolled onto his back. He almost pitied Drake - Jie could be very adamant about certain things, just as her mother had been. But if the kid couldn’t even clarify the situation himself? Well, maybe he deserved what he was going to get. |