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Post by Ziya on Oct 11, 2018 8:16:40 GMT -5
The clone watched the sisters finish the last of the dishes nervously, having finally run out of ways to delay them. As the final dish knife was dried and put away he sighed and took a step forward. "Alright, I'll get them back here." Before he could dismiss himself Jen surprised him by touching his arm gently and speaking. "Hey, we're not gonna tease you two. That's still off limits, and as long as you're happy it doesn't matter." Smiling slightly, the clone finally allowed itself to vanish.
As the clone's memories merged with Jason's he teared up slightly at the last interaction. Wiping them quickly he smiled at his love and pulled him to his feet lightly. "Let's go together. Something tells me we'll be just fine." A quick wink hopefully conveyed the full meaning to the wolf-king.
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Post by Conrí on Oct 11, 2018 9:24:56 GMT -5
Conrí's heart started to race slightly as the minutes passed. To his chagrin, those minutes felt like really uncomfortable hours, as his mind raced over every possible outcome. He took a deep breath in and held it for a few seconds before releasing it. Right after, the wolf boy looked over at Jason and noticed that he was wiping a couple tears from his eyes. In a natural response, the would be king leaned over and kissed his love's cheeks softly. "Ye don't need to hide those from me. Ever. Got it?" Conrí asked in a soft whisper. For once, his nerves had buried themselves inside him.
Jason pulled him to his feet lightly and said that he wanted them to walk out together. Conrí noted the wink, and sighed slightly. His body relaxed. He grabbed Jason's hand tightly and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. The would be king felt a slight blush come to his face as he faced Lucia in particular, though, that was more because he felt the cord around his finger tighten when he looked at her. Knowing she could see his aura also put him slightly more nervous, too. The wolf boy also looked in shock at the finished food, and coughed slightly. "Next time, maybe summon more than one, so that we're not making others do our work for us, a stór mo chroí," he leaned over and whispered in Jason's ear. Conrí slowly let go of Jason's hand and quietly sat at an empty place at the table. The cottage pie looked so reminiscent of his mam's that he nearly started crying.
Instead, the would be king cleared his throat and swallowed back the feeling. He decided to break the silence. "So, what's the story?" He asked the sisters, realising just how much his accent was coming out lately.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 11, 2018 12:27:02 GMT -5
Jason's smile only grew at his love's gentle kisses and words. "Got it, my love. I'd never even consider it." Some part of him recalled doing just that to his friends merely a month before, but he had learned his lesson then, and never wanted to hide away again. His left ring finger felt odd as he walked hand in hand back into the kitchen, but paid it little mind.
Lucia, on the other hand, immediately noticed the cause, answering Conrí's blush with a knowing grin as she subtly tapped her own wedding band, though hers had been fused to the hand it was on. A similar cord was wrapped around it, stretching off a few feet before fading out. Jason was too distracted by the wolf-king's whispers to notice, replying before he began serving the food. "I uh... actually can't summon more and keep them physical."
All three looked at Conrí in confusion at the mention of a story, though Jen at least had the sense to ask, though her tilted head made it somewhat comical even then. "Um... what're you talking about?"
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Post by Conrí on Oct 11, 2018 14:25:52 GMT -5
Conrí smiled a bit sheepishly as he noticed Lucia's subtle tap to her wedding band. He nearly sighed in relief, but, shook his head, laughing ever so slightly at their comical looks. Jen's head tilt just made him laugh harder, until he realised that he had indeed slipped a bit too far into his dialect. "Ah, um...what's the craic is also another phrase from my world, in case it slips out of me mouth, too. Eh, what's the story is the same as what's the craic. Both, essentially mean something akin to, 'What's going on?' or other variants of such phrases."
As Jason served the food, Conrí couldn't help but notice his love's left finger, too. He blinked a little at it, but, soon enough, his food was in front of him. As he breathed in and inspected his handiwork on the puff pastry, tears came to his eyes. He knew he'd have to talk if he started crying outright, and, despite what he'd just said to Jason, he really did not feel comfortable crying in front of the others so easily. "Ah, the dish is cottage pie, with a Tir Tairngirian twist. It always reminds me of home, and of family. So, I thought it would be fitting to share with my pack here." As he said this, a lump formed in his throat, but, he managed to swallow it down. "Jay, dear, do you want to tell them the other news?" He blushed a bit at this, but, he knew it would probably be better said now, rather than waited on for the "right time".
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Post by Ziya on Oct 11, 2018 16:20:44 GMT -5
Jen's expression changed from confused to an amused smile as Conrí explained himself. "Okay, that makes more sense. We met the Mink that hadn't met us yet, and then came back here." Jason gave her a blank look as he tried to wrap his head around the implications of that, then gave up with a shake of his head. as he sat next to his love.
No sooner had he sat down than Conrí asked him about sharing the "other news" with the others, something that took him a moment to figure out. "Oh, right. Well, I've decided to live here instead of moving to New Yuio with you two. And um..." He trailed off with a blush, only for Lucia to finish the sentence for him. "And you two are going to be here together, I take it?"
She smiled even as Jen finally connected the dots, the elder sisters blue eyes lighting up before her face fell slightly, though she did try to mask it. "I'm really, really happy for you! We'll be sure to visit lots, and you better too!"
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Post by Conrí on Oct 11, 2018 19:00:02 GMT -5
Conrí poised his fork over his dish, half expecting a crack from his boyfriend about being able to use utensils at all, but, before any kind of quip could be made, the wolf boy realised no one else was eating just yet, and Jason had just seated himself at the table, right as he had asked him to tell Lucia and Jen the other news. The would be king found himself setting his fork back down.
He looked over at Jason and almost blushed when he saw his crimson eyed one blushing. He took a quick breath, preparing to speak for himself. Lucia, however, finished his love's sentence before either of them could. This caused the wolf boy to scratch the back of his head and chuckle a bit. He smiled a bit, as Jen expressed her happiness, but, he also picked up on what was underneath quite quickly."Deirfiúr, I'm sure I'll be around for training more often than not, and, well, I'm sure Jay knows how to tag along, at least, until I can maybe start making my own portals." He instinctively rose from the table and wrapped Jen in a hug. "You've me word, sis. Ye won't miss us for too long at a time."
Conrí stepped to Lucia and bowed slightly. "My apologies. I don't normally move so fast on things. I'll heed your call to train however often you wish. If ye think I'm just a frisky pup, and have your reservations, I understand, and I ask for the chance to show you what's in my heart. Especially in regards to him." He noticed that his voice dropped a little, and his tone got serious. He then hugged Lucia and whispered in her ear, "Something tells me you already saw." With his conscience made clear, he sat at the table again. He raised his glass and said, "Sláinte!"
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Post by Ziya on Oct 11, 2018 21:36:39 GMT -5
Jen hugged Conrí back, possibly just a bit too tight but only for a moment before loosening to a gentle embrace. "I wasn't worried about missing you two, bro. I was just reminded of me a month ago, and I'll do everything I can to make sure nothing like that happens again."
Jason smiled sadly and moved to hug Jen as his love shifted over to Lucia, who listened to him with that soft smile on her face before hugging him back with a whisper of her own. "Take your time. This fate is something to enjoy, not rush."
Once he returned to his seat and said his cheer the others tried to imitate the word, stumbling slightly with chuckles and giggles as the four glasses clinked together and they finally began to eat.
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Post by Conrí on Oct 12, 2018 4:47:55 GMT -5
Conrí winced a little when Jen hugged him at first, until the hug loosened a bit. Before the wolf boy could say anything, Jason had moved from his seat with a sadness in his smile that made Conrí's jaw tighten a bit.
Lucia, as usual, just listened to the would be king with her typical smile. He stiffened a bit and then simply nodded at his Master once the hug ended.
After Conrí said his word for cheers, his jaw dropped when everyone else tried to follow suit. He chuckled along with them, and even heard Fen give his approval. The would be king slowed down the word, as he picked up his fork again. When he bit into the cottage pie, he sighed. The puff pastry was done just the way his mam used to make it, and, the flavours and textures reminded him so much of home that he saw himself sitting at the table of his childhood, listening to his mam sing to him. As the memory left him, he instinctively touched his cheeks, not surprised to find them wet with tears.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 12, 2018 20:31:39 GMT -5
The trio repeated the word a few times to themselves after Conrí said it again, eventually getting on the third or fourth try as they ate. Jason paused for a moment once he noticed his love's tears, leaning over and kissing the glistening trails softly before gently wiping them away and hugging him. "I'm here for you, lilulf. We all are." Jen and Lucia shared a smile at the tender moment, not wanting to ruin it with a jest or tease.
Jen was somehow the first one done a few minutes later, despite everyone else not even being halfway yet, and sat back with a sigh. "That was really good! You two should cook together more often!" Lucia nodded in agreement, though she refrained from speaking until she swallowed. "I'd have never thought to make a pastry top to something like this. That's a really nice touch, Conrí."
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Post by Conrí on Oct 12, 2018 21:16:25 GMT -5
Conrí shook slightly as Jason kissed his cheeks. Normally, he would have shied away, but didn't this time. As Jason wiped away his tears, he shuddered and sighed.
Conrí smiled when Lucia and Jen complimented their cooking. "Well, in that case,I think we can whip up something when you come visit." He looked at Jason and smiled.
The wolf boy thought of something he wanted to ask, but he decided against it.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 12, 2018 21:32:23 GMT -5
Jen and Lucia nodded before the former spoke up again. "You three need to swap recipes sometime then too! I bet you'll be able to make all sorts of goodies then!" Jason didn't bother to tell her that combining different cultural dishes rarely went well, instead just chuckling softly.
Lucia, on the other hand, noticed her apprentice's hesitation through his aura and immediately cut to the chase, though she kept her tone gentle. "Conrí, you know I can tell when you want to ask something, right? Feel free to ask anything. I promise we won't bite. Well, Jen does, but only Riley nowadays."
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Post by Conrí on Oct 13, 2018 4:49:10 GMT -5
Conrí chuckled a bit when Jen mentioned mashing up different recipes, if only because he sensed Jason tense and purposefully hold his tongue. The wolf boy smiled a little, then lowered his gaze to his empty plate. The would be king unconsciously took Jason's hand in his for a moment, letting go when Lucia spoke up, knowingly, but gently.
Right, auras. he remembered briefly, then sighed before muttering, "Between you and Fen, Lucia, it's a wonder I've not lost meind." He followed this up with a quick wink. The quip just tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself.
When Lucia mentioned Jen biting Riley, his hand instinctively touched the right side of his neck, and he forced himself not to look at Jason as he blushed slightly. "Actually, what I wanted to ask was about Riley. I understand that he is also a king and apparently a balancer, but, well, as an heir to another kingdom's throne, should I be worried? Kingdoms were said to war often."
There was also something else weighing heavy on his mind, but he focused a thought of privacy through his aura and sent it out to Lucia.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 13, 2018 9:11:04 GMT -5
Lucia giggled at Conrí's quip before looking to her sister to answer his question. She knew that it wasn't truly what he was thinking of, but she felt and would respect his request with a subtle nod.
Jen hesitated for a moment then spoke in a softer voice, her face slightly sad. "Riley's only a king because he married Iris, technically. Now that she's... gone, we're all going to have to work together to lead the kingdom. We don't want to fight the other kingdoms on New Yuio unless we have to, let alone yours."" Her eyes dropped to the table as her loss came to the front again.
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Post by Conrí on Oct 13, 2018 11:10:19 GMT -5
Conrí lowered his head and bit his lip. He'd worried about upsetting Jen. And, he didn't like the fact that he had upset her. The wolf boy rose from his chair, instinctively grabbed his plate, then Jen's, which allowed him to take the opportunity to clear his throat and say softly, "Right. My apologies, sister. If I can reclaim my kingdom, then I will do me best to aid ye however I can." As the would be king moved past Jen, he placed a hand on her shoulder, before moving on to Lucia. He took her plate with a short bow, and moved his eyes to the kitchen.
As Conrí neared Jason, he smiled at the man, swooped in close to him and took his plate quickly while giving his crimson eyed love a light kiss on the cheek. Since he had gathered up all the plates, he carried them a bit stiffly to the kitchen, something he was sure Lucia, and perhaps Jason would pick up on, but, working on some kind of project at hand usually helped him sort through his own mind. The wolf boy put the dishes in the sink and started to wash them, wondering if this conversation was going to be with just Lucia or with her and Jason. Those two options, he wouldn't mind, but, he wasn't quite ready for Jen to see him like this for the moment.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 13, 2018 12:20:09 GMT -5
Jen smiled a little at Conrí's attempt to comfort her, though she still felt the loss keenly. Both Lucia and Jason moved to comfort her, stopping with a pair of grins just before running into each other. A moment's silent conversation behind her lead to Jason staying behind as Lucia slipped into the kitchen after her apprentice.
When she entered it was to find him washing the dishes, something she found odd considering the dishwasher right next to him, but she assumed he either didn't know about it or simply wanted his hands busy. Grabbing a small towel she wordlessly joined him at the double sink, drying and putting up each dish as he finished cleaning them. She knew something was on his mind, but she didn't want to pry so she simply supported him by being there until he chose to tell her.
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Post by Conrí on Oct 13, 2018 14:34:57 GMT -5
"I do know what that is," he said to Lucia, as she came near him and picked up a towel to start drying things. "I just like to work with my hands when I need to have a proper think." He looked at his ring finger on his left hand again, saw that the cord was indeed still there and sighed a bit heavily. He looked through the doorway and to Jason for a second before turning his attention back to his last dish. He finished it, handed it to Lucia, and absentmindedly went for where the mead was kept. He also, without much thought, just pulled down a couple of glasses and filled them with the liquid before handing Lucia a glass, and taking a drink out of his. "So, he and I are destined, but, what if he loses me to the duties of being a king, if I even have a kingdom to go back to?"
The wolf boy downed the rest of his drink without much pause, and forced himself to wash out the glass. "Hell, with everything you've been through, what if I just completely fail him, fail my training, and just don't have what it takes when it counts? What if all this cord leads to is just a knot that can't be undone between us?" He heard his tears hitting the glass, which was almost cracking in his grip. He sighed, forced himself to release the glass over to Lucia's towel once he had finished cleaning it. He grabbed the open bottle of mead and just slid down the wall, starting to collapse into his own thoughts. Not wanting Jason to see him like this so soon after his previous outburst also scared him a little, enough that it made him cry harder.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 13, 2018 15:59:05 GMT -5
Lucia took the glass with a hint of confusion before looking back at her apprentice with concern. Not wanting to give him access to anymore of the mead in his current mindset, she downed her own before drying the glass she was handed, kneeling before him with that same concerned expression on her face.
Once he finished talking she reached out to the hand holding the bottle, brushing against it with a mental command to freeze solid before moving to touch his hand as she spoke softly. "We have one rule about drinking: never do it for negative things. As for your worries and fears, I can understand where you're getting them from. But," she moved her hand from his to his chin, gently raising his head to look into his eyes with her own, currently resembling her original color with a deep blue from the feelings, "believe it or not, we've all had those. There are parts of the tale we couldn't tell you where we went through exactly what you're feeling now. Minus the part about reclaiming your kingdom."
Her eyes flared into violet again as she continued with a slight smirk. "And if you're worried about losing him when you become king properly, we do know a thing or two about dealing with stubborn governments without affecting the people much. Oh, and as far as I'm concerned you're a friend I happen to be helping train, and I've seen Jason's aura when he looks at you. The only way you'll fail either of us is to stop trying, I guarantee it. Anything else, and we'll help you through it, no matter what."
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Post by Conrí on Oct 13, 2018 20:17:55 GMT -5
Conrí nearly pulled away and curled up into a tighter ball when Lucia approached him. He was about to clutch the bottle closer to him, but, his Master touched it first, and it froze solid. He wanted to lash out a bit, because she'd just frozen the other thing that reminded him of home, but other than a low growl at the mention of her completely sensible rule, he didn't do much else. He spiraled down a bit further into his thoughts, until Lucia ever so softly forced him to look up.
When their eyes met, he found himself shuddering from the depth of the blue he saw. The sight stunned him so much, he felt himself blush slightly, and then had to focus on what Lucia was actually saying. Now, he noticed a shift in the reason why he was crying. It wasn't out of homesickness or self-pity, but more out of sympathy. He found himself leaning into Lucia after her eyes had gone back to violet, and wrapped his arms around her. For some reason, it never occurred to him that Lucia also thought of him as a genuine friend. As he wrapped his arms around her, the would be king cried harder and held her closer.
Conrí's thoughts finally quieted down, and he let go of Lucia, too shaky to really move. He cleared his throat and licked his lips, but, still couldn't find words. He took a deep breath, and focused on his aura for a second, while pointing at his ring finger. Jason. Please. He figured it was time for him to open up about what all had triggered his emotions to his love, if he was going to do this right.
As he looked at his crimson eyed one, he felt his stomach plummet down to to his knees, suddenly unsure as to what he would say when the man entered the room. Frantically, he looked around the kitchen, but, there was nothing really for him to do, and, his brain went to the next logical thing: training, but, he refused to summon his weapons just yet. He felt the seconds turn into what seemed like minutes as he waited.
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Post by Ziya on Oct 13, 2018 21:34:08 GMT -5
Lucia's smirk faded back into a soft smile as Conrí hugged her and cried, her arms gently closing around him until he quieted. She already knew what he wanted even before he tried to use his aura to tell her, putting a hand on his shoulder before nodding and standing up. "I'll get him in here soon enough. Might want to put the bottle down before you freeze it to your hand though."
With that, she left the room, and about a minute later Jason turned the corner from the living room, concern and worry easily readable on his face. The instant he saw his love he closed the distance and dropped to the floor to hug him tightly against his shoulder, instinctively stroking his back slowly as he spoke softly into the wolf-king's hair. "If you want to talk, I'm here my love. And I'm not going anywhere."
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Post by Conrí on Oct 13, 2018 21:49:22 GMT -5
Conrí noted what Lucia said and very quickly set the bottle down "Ye didn't have to freeze it. It's a bit of a crying shame." He smirked a bit and thought about trying to unfreeze the bottle, but refrained.
Soon enough his love was in the room with him, stroking Conrí's hair and softly talking to him. Willing as always to meet the wolf boy where he was. The would be king stared into Jason's eyes, trying desperately to find words. His mouth opened, then closed, and his gaze shifted to his left ring finger again. "I got scared." Conrí finally whispered. "I was so afraid of failing you. And... I'm still afraid that I won't have a kingdom to take you to, my hus---" the wolf boy really wished that the mead bottle wasn't frozen.
His head dropped a little, and he simply touched his ring finger. "Tell me what you see there, please."
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