It’s all right, I’m the same, still the man with no name. Who: Altair and Juliette What: Tea with the Demiels Where: The Demiels' estate When: This afternoon Rating: G or PG Status: Complete
Altair almost felt bad—almost, but not quite—for continually dredging up Audrey's past. He knew she was traumatized by losing her family. For three years, Altair was sure she was dead, until he saw her again at guild headquarters. He was fine with calling her Audrey and letting her live the way she chose. He would not, however, pretend that the first ten years of her life didn't exist. One could reinvent oneself, but it was impossible to truly get away from one's past.
She, herself, seemed torn between the ties to her past and her determination to pretend it had never happened, which was why Altair found himself cozying up to the Demiels far more often than he would have liked. They'd taken in her baby sister, the only known survivor of the Coulombe family. It had been a long process to get to the level of friendship he now shared with the Demiels. In the years following his mother's death, he had split his time between pathological lying and psychological warfare. Most of the other nobles had chalked it up to acting out and the fact that teenagers are terrible people. His father had to stop bringing him out in public.
When he'd re-entered society as an adult at sixteen, most of the older nobles were willing to forgive him for his previous behavior, at least on the surface. The Demiels were among the first to welcome him back into their lives, with apparent sincerity and an abundance of overbearing concern. Altair knew enough to cultivate that relationship when it was offered. By then, Juliette was a quiet, school-aged child, and he felt awkward trying to befriend her. So, he focused most of his attention on winning over the Demiels, and, when he came into the picture, the dog as well.
By now, the Demiels considered Altair a family friend. Juliette seemed suspicious of him which, frankly, spoke well of her character. In her position, Altair would have been suspicious of any friend of the Demiels' as well. Boris the dog turned out to be the best source of information, when Altair could get a moment alone with him. This was unsurprising. While dogs couldn't always interpret what they saw and heard and smelled, they were very intuitive about human emotions.
After Audrey's concern about the rumors surrounding Juliette and Storm, Altair had contacted Lady Demiel via the network and had secured an invitation for tea. Upon arrival, the butler had invited him into the parlor while he went and got the family.
Boris had followed him into the parlor. Seated on the couch, Altair held out his hand for the dog to sniff. "Hey, buddy," he said in the gentle voice he reserved only for animals. He scratched the dog behind the ears, listening patiently while Boris told him of all the exciting things he'd eaten and smelled recently, followed by an update on the girl.
"Well, that seems more or less the same," Altair sighed, not certain whether to be relieved or worried. He sensed someone in the doorway then, and stood to greet them.