What if you wanted to kiss Addam Origo but the Architect said haha, he's married

It started out simple. Mild. Addam, at home in Aletta, mentioned offhand to Flora that his friend Minoth, you know, the Blade from the Praetorium, had been taken in for an experiment by his Driver, and could he maybe come here to stay, because really it's a hostile environment for him over there, no one's looking out for him, what do you say? And Flora hummed and said well can't he look after himself, and I don't really believe you, you want him to come here to stay stay, and Addam hung his head and said yes dear, yes I do. And so Minoth made his entrance into and onto their silly little stage.

What Minoth brought with him, however, were the two Aegis Cores that Amalthus had stolen down from the World Tree, and he offered them idly to his benevolent hosts and said I may have human cells now, but I can't be a Driver, so here, why don't you take the purple and you take the green. Flora took what she was offered, but she was also growing another set of human cells of somewhat her own at the time, so she did nothing with it, and it was only the former that was to be awakened by Addam's hand at any near future point.

Everything still fairly simple, if one man, one Flesh Eater Blade for whom the man was more or less his Driver, and the man's pregnant wife who was now more like their mutual wife sleeping together in a villa manor in a militia garrison could be called simple. Oh, and we can't forget the Gormotti boy Addam had brought home some weeks earlier, scooping him up from the aftermath of an orphaning flood sweeping through his village and bringing him into the fold just as swiftly.

So now there were four, soon to be five, occupants of Aletta Manor, and they went about their business tending to the Arduns and harvesting the Lucky Lettuce and the Deviled Onions and the imports of Barbed Tomatoes and Creeping Starpeppers from Gormott. The baby, a boy they named Alexander Hugo Origo, was born, and he had golden eyes like his father and freckles like his mother. Milton, where before he had insisted that he was not to be a son of the Origo household, now proudly proclaimed that he was the big brother, and everyone else could just stand aside - he and Xander were bound to be the best of friends!

Can we still call it simple? Perhaps we can, and then enter Malos, some lazy year and a half later. He and Minoth eyed each other up, to say nothing of Addam, and decided that they were well matched in averted dismal futures. Of course, in this incipient fantasia, that meant that they were not brothers but partners, and that they should jump each other's bones or Blade-facsimile facsimiles, and often. Don't look at me, I'm just telling it like it was.

And how was it? Fine and peaceable, but Malos was afraid to hold Xander, and rather unfortunately the larger male-like figure became somewhat standoffish. That didn't faze little Xander one bit, and he crawled, then toddled, all over and around the bulky Blade whenever he got the chance. With the watchful eyes of Addam, not to say Minoth, and certainly let alone Flora, upon him, well, Malos made nice with the tiny boy (and, begrudgingly, Milton as well). Why not? And that is the theme here, isn't it: why not?

A band of travelers came by eventually - what a precious long eventually, because by that point there had arrived another child, this one named Evelyn with middle name a placeholder and the blue eyes of not necessarily Flora but of Minoth, and the darker complexion of that very not-a-Blade. She stared at the zephryous priestess with face identical to the troupe's leader with doest eyes, and gentle Haze smiled her own brightest back, and her Driver Lora said oh, this isn't very much like a palace at all, it's so homey, but still we're very sorry for trespassing.

Sorry? What ever for? Because, after all, someone else was also making doe eyes, this time those of Malos staring at Lora's other, original Blade Jin. Minoth elbowed him and said oho, so you've got a crush, and Malos elbowed him back with twice the force and said wouldn't you? If you were me, or even if you weren't me. Privately, indeed the playing field was somewhat leveled, because whatever compelled Malos to Jin, and vice versa, in the past or adjacent besides utter logosed lust was not present here. Fair enough! A reticent orphan by the name of Mikhail also accompanied them, and though it wouldn't be fair to say that Milton abandoned Xander outright...well, he did. After all, someone closer in age is always more welcome, to people so small, or even those of a medium size.

Small though they were, Xander and Evie were hesitant to trust the steely man of ice, scary mask and all, even as Xander and Lora became those very besties and Haze absolutely doted on Evie, but when they found out he was a better cook than even Flora was, why, they were immediately head over heels (and so was everyone else). Months marched on, and our aforementioned Emperor Hugo arrived to the harbor with his trusty Blades Brighid and Aegaeon in tow. Quite a gaggle of guests to observe, but their newfound imperial contingent took it in stride - though the dealings of the world as centered on Mor Ardain couldn't quite stop wholesale for a vacation, they could certainly pause a week or two.

Brighid, for her part, took a rapid shine - or shall we say a ravishing flame - to Flora, who was certainly top of their chain of command in every way, but who needed a...partner in crime, shall we say (if a skilled lockpick, why, even better), especially with all those pesky men men men around, in any interpretation. Minoth tried to sneak in his own appraising affections, and was batted away the overwhelming majority of the time - you're no catalyst, petty director of our scene, but oh, we do like you anyway. Yes, we'll make Evie's middle name Lora, now stop bothering us, why don't you go tell her about it?

Aegaeon and Hugo were just about equally blithe about the whole literally romantic literal affair, but the Water Blade was then assaulted by another form of affection: Xander and Evie, finding out that even beyond Addam, and Minoth, and Malos, and Jin, Uncle Aegaeon, as they dubbed him through their most stilted teething, was the strongest of all, and could lift them highest into the air - at the same time, even! So they gave him plenty of kisses on his stoic, ever-unblushing cheeks to say thanks. (Perhaps then he blushed, after all.)

They remembered at last, thanks to Brighid's meticulous matroning, that the green Aegis Core was still as yet unawakened, so they piled into the den, all fourteen, and cheered Flora on as she brought Mythra into the world, blinding white and shining bright and fiendishly clever just like her Driver. Too, we can thank someone, maybe the Architect or maybe not, that Malos didn't end up straying towards any of Daddam, so perhaps the preternatural predestination just saw itself conveniently reflected here, where it wouldn't have been shown had their golden prince and this new golden girl been paired together.

Are we all present and accounted for, then? Yes! Oh, no, not quite, because they all pounced on Minoth for him to read his newest play to the set-expanded group, and he complained that he'd need to yell loud enough for Azurda to hear, they were so packed in and there was no room for rhetorical oratorio's echo, and so then they went outside and all gathered around the very dragon, Minoth seated atop the stony-grassy back, and what did he read for the amassed them? It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter, you see, because he never got the chance. Lora and Haze were in their own little world; Flora was enjoying Brighid's fiery retort at her husband's latest impotent joke; Jin and Malos were doing whatever it was Jin and Malos did to show care for each other, or the example of the moment at least; Hugo and Mythra were commiserating; Milton and Mikhail were also commiserating but with a considerable touch less long-contained ire; and Xander and Evie were cuddled up with Aegaeon once again. Nothing to do but sigh.

What, indeed, if you wanted to kiss Addam Origo, but the Architect said oh, a funny thing that, would you look here, it seems he's married?

Some notes:
- The "Nature" attribute refers to a dichotomy of ether types that I...made up (just like the rest of this, but you know).
- Some of Evie's attributes are airlifted from Roc, who doesn't appear in this universe but who does in YDDHYUIS, where she does not exist.
- Too, the children's heights are obviously not relevant to their last referenced ages.
- Azurda's attributes refer to his Blade form, even though I don't intend to stray much to fighting; it's mostly just the swimsuit.
- With that in mind, I have left out all descriptions of weapons, skills, Arts...I don't know if we'll have to kill Amalthus yet again, but let's not trouble ourselves with war just yet, eh?
- Mikhail's attributes call back to being a Blade Eater, again in YDDHYUIS, as do Milton's for being his Driver.
- The Old Torna Drivers take their initial weapon elements implicitly, and after all the devs chose those for a reason, they match pretty darn well.
- Xander and Evie's crafting categories...very interesting. Those decisions were made a long time ago, and they just so happen to match up now.
- The last character is just a mostly irrelevant wild card thrown in for fun because none of their attributes were usurped by anyone else - enjoy!

Addam

- Full Name: Addam Leigh Origo
- Date of Birth: 07/28/3540
- Height: 6'2"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Tornan (mostly...)
- Type: Human (Aegis Driver)
- Blade(s): Minoth, Malos
- Class: Attacker
- Idea: Compassion
- Element: Electric
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Staple Foods
- Category 2: Charms
- Favorite 1: Energy Stir-Fry
- Favorite 2: Galaxy Charm
- Crafting: Key Items
- Swimsuit: Pro Surfer Addam

Flora

- Full Name: Flora Evelyn Origo (née Hentisane)
- Date of Birth: 03/17/3541
- Height: 5'2"
- Handedness: Left
- Nationality: Tornan
- Type: Human (Aegis Driver)
- Blade(s): Minoth, Mythra
- Class: Healer
- Idea: Truth
- Element: Ice
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Veggies
- Category 2: Fragrances
- Favorite 1: Pickled Purses
- Favorite 2: Winterwind Perfume
- Crafting: Food
- Swimsuit: Luna Lei Flora

Xander

- Full Name: Alexander Hugo Origo
- Date of Birth: 06/15/3564
- Height: 5'10"
- Handedness: Left
- Nationality: Tornan
- Type: Human (Unbonded Driver)
- Blade(s): Minoth
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Bravery
- Element: Water
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Meats
- Category 2: Scripts
- Favorite 1: Sweet Feris Dumplings
- Favorite 2: Beyond Endless Dunes
- Crafting: Charms
- Swimsuit: Waverider Xander

Evie

- Full Name: Evelyn Lora Origo
- Date of Birth: 07/23/3566
- Height: 5'7"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Tornan
- Type: Human (Unbonded Driver)
- Blade(s): Minoth
- Class: Attacker
- Idea: Truth
- Element: Wind
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Seafood
- Category 2: Charms
- Favorite 1: Caramelized Seafood
- Favorite 2: Hollow Charm
- Crafting: Talismans
- Swimsuit: Soothing Breeze Evie

Minoth

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 10/29/3553
- Height: 6'3"
- Handedness: Ambidextrous
- Nationality: Tornan (no really!)
- Type: Blade (Flesh Eater)
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Attacker
- Idea: Compassion
- Element: Earth
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Staple Foods
- Category 2: Fragrances
- Favorite 1: Ruska Dumpling Soup
- Favorite 2: Exquisite Perfume
- Crafting: Scripts
- Swimsuit: Sun & Sand Minoth

Mythra

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 04/07/3567
- Height: 5'3"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: N/A
- Type: Blade (Aegis)
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Attacker
- Idea: Justice
- Element: Light
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Desserts
- Category 2: Meats
- Favorite 1: Miracle Parfait
- Favorite 2: Bunnit-Stuffed Peppers
- Crafting: Food
- Swimsuit: Radiant Beach Mythra

Malos

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 12/29/3565
- Height: 6'4"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: N/A
- Type: Blade (Aegis)
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Justice
- Element: Dark
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Seafood
- Category 2: Desserts
- Favorite 1: Deep-Fried Tornan Fish
- Favorite 2: Inconceivable Pudding
- Crafting: Charms
- Swimsuit: Sun's Out, Guns Out Malos

Azurda

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 11/16/2780
- Height: 5'9"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Tornan
- Type: Blade (Titan)
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Healer
- Idea: Bravery
- Element: Fire
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Veggies
- Category 2: Talismans
- Favorite 1: Bonytongue Casserole
- Favorite 2: Unforgettable Talisman
- Crafting: Fragrances
- Swimsuit: Grassy Palms Azurda

Milton

- Full Name: Milton Gerran Howell
- Date of Birth: 04/09/3554
- Height: 5'8"
- Handedness: Left
- Nationality: Gormotti
- Type: Human
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Healer
- Idea: Bravery
- Element: Water
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Seafood
- Category 2: Scripts
- Favorite 1: Sweet-Stewed Sculpin
- Favorite 2: A Happy Encounter
- Crafting: Talismans
- Swimsuit: Sunny Smile Milton

Mikhail

- Full Name: ???
- Date of Birth: 10/18/3555
- Height: 5'11"
- Handedness: Ambidextrous
- Nationality: ???
- Type: Human
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Justice
- Element: Dark
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Staple Foods
- Category 2: Talismans
- Favorite 1: Sumpkin Griddle Cakes
- Favorite 2: Fierce Talisman
- Crafting: Key Items
- Swimsuit: Beach Bum Mikhail

Lora

- Full Name: ???
- Date of Birth: 02/19/3537
- Height: 5'6"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Tornan (mostly...)
- Type: Human (Driver)
- Blade(s): Jin, Haze
- Class: Attacker
- Idea: Bravery
- Element: Fire
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Meats
- Category 2: Talismans
- Favorite 1: Ruby-Stew Buloofo
- Favorite 2: Golden Land Talisman
- Crafting: Charms
- Swimsuit: Volleyball Ace Lora

Jin

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 01/24/3547
- Height: 6'0"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Tornan
- Type: Blade
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Attacker
- Idea: Truth
- Element: Ice
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Seafood
- Category 2: Charms
- Favorite 1: Steel Salmon Tempura
- Favorite 2: Organic Charm
- Crafting: Food
- Swimsuit: Sandcastle Guardian Jin

Haze

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 05/28/3559
- Height: 5'6"
- Handedness: Left
- Nationality: Tornan
- Type: Blade
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Healer
- Idea: Truth
- Element: Wind
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Veggies
- Category 2: Scripts
- Favorite 1: Wildflower Salad
- Favorite 2: The Knight of Torna
- Crafting: Talismans
- Swimsuit: Vacation Maiden Haze

Hugo

- Full Name: Hugo Alan Ardanach
- Date of Birth: 06/06/3544
- Height: 5'0"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Ardainian
- Type: Human (Driver)
- Blade(s): Brighid, Aegaeon
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Compassion
- Element: Earth
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Veggies
- Category 2: Fragrances
- Favorite 1: Rhogul à l'Ardainaise
- Favorite 2: Eternity Perfume
- Crafting: Key Items
- Swimsuit: Well-Deserved Rest Hugo

Brighid

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 07/01/3560
- Height: 5'9"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Ardainian
- Type: Blade
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Bravery
- Element: Fire
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Seafood
- Category 2: Scripts
- Favorite 1: Gormotti Sashimi Plate
- Favorite 2: What You Must Protect
- Crafting: Fragrances
- Swimsuit: Water Lily Brighid

Aegaeon

- Full Name: N/A
- Date of Birth: 01/08/3558
- Height: 5'9"
- Handedness: Ambidextrous
- Nationality: Ardainian
- Type: Blade
- Blade(s): N/A
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Bravery
- Element: Water
- Nature: Invigorating
- Category 1: Desserts
- Category 2: Talismans
- Favorite 1: Rich Platinum Bonbon
- Favorite 2: Farsighted Talisman
- Crafting: Food
- Swimsuit: Valiant Baywatch Aegaeon

Vandham

- Full Name: Aquila Paronet Sol Esteriole
- Date of Birth: 09/12/3610
- Height: 6'5"
- Handedness: Right
- Nationality: Urayan
- Type: Human (Driver)
- Blade(s): Roc
- Class: Tank
- Idea: Compassion
- Element: Electric
- Nature: Cauterizing
- Category 1: Meats
- Category 2: Scripts
- Favorite 1: Love-Hate Sausage
- Favorite 2: Community Spirit
- Crafting: Fragrances
- Swimsuit: Kahuna Hunk Vandham

What a bunch of idiots this is. A family? Sure. It's a family. It's a family, and Addam's ridiculous estate in Aletta is home. But they're making s'mores.

S'mores. And yeah, Malos likes to burn things, he's not a Fire Blade but he still likes watching things go to charry ash, but...s'mores?

Stupid name, too. Why would you name something after the way it makes you feel? Why don't you name it after what it is, like a normal person?

Normal person. None of these people are normal. Now, neither is he, but that's not what we're here to discuss, hmm?

The most prominent one there is Azurda, who's once again ploughed on the side of the moor to shield against winds from off the side of the Titan that'll threaten the bonfire in the pit Addam and Hugo built a few weeks ago, just before Evie's fifth birthday. Addam himself is apparently missing, along with Flora and Brighid...and Minoth and Jin too. Huh.

Why is Malos out here, again?

Something something adult supervision, probably. Only, Lora and Hugo are here, so that's plenty of older people to watch the puny rascals. In total, it's...how many? There's Hugo, Aegaeon, Mythra, Lora, Haze, Xander, Evie, Milton, Mikhail, and Azurda, for kicks. Plus Malos himself. So eleven, and five more inside makes sixteen.

That's too many people. Isn't, like...five enough? Five people who were all adults and also didn't act like children just because they could. Now that sounded like a family Malos could handle.

Unfortunately, he's stuck with what he's got. Milton is handing out the skewers (wood, not metal, so if somebody gets hurt it's sure as hell not going to be Malos's fault) and Malos takes one, boredly. Starts using it to pick his teeth. Whatever. It's basically a toothpick, in size and in shape. If they didn't want him to do that, they shouldn't have sent him out here with all of the miniature people. Hell, even Azurda'd probably be a little fetus-shaped dragon...thing if he wasn't an actual fire-breathing dragon.

Everything's fine and dandy until Milton frowns, ears furled, and starts pointing-counting around the circle of shady faces. His hands are empty but for a single twig, and Mikhail is hovering anxiously over his shoulder.

"Aw, man. We're out of sticks!" he proclaims at last. There's a general conciliatory muttering noise, and a series of offerings made towards Mikhail to take mine instead, I'll be fine without one, go on, I know how excited you were...and then something sharper comes.

"I know how to solve this." It's Haze, and she marches up to Malos with hands on hips and stance of wide pants even wider. She waggles a finger, closes her eyes, holds out an open palm and beckons with it. "Come on. I know you don't like s'mores."

Malos is frozen, there with the point of the skewer somewhere around his back-right molar. "Uh...yeah I do." No he doesn't. But the victory wrapped up in keeping this toy instrument from her is far too great to be sacrificed over the meting of petty preferences.

Haze shakes her head, vehemently and then again vociferously. "Don't lie to me, Malos - it's not good manners." Then she leans in and grabs for the stick, seemingly unbothered by the plethora of germs that are surely manifest upon it, and Malos has to lean back in turn and hold the stick up, up, up, away.

He's nearly a foot taller than her. There's no way he's going to lose this.

Well. That's what he thinks.

Morytha hath no fury like a Haze scorned, so instead of fruitlessly waving her hands up under his jaw, she sets her own and starts climbing. The armor on his knees makes for a good first footrest, then there's the ribbing on his hips, then the pauldrons that he for whatever reason is still wearing during evening bonfire activity time, and he's pretty sure he even feels her foot tap squarely on his head as she makes the final push to reach the skewer and then jump back down, wind aiding in a graceful landing.

Climbed like a tree. Literally.

"Did she just..." Malos trails off as he feels distractedly at his pompadour, reluctant to realize the description of recent events into words. No matter; Evie is all too eager to oblige.

"Yes!" she cries. "Yes she did! Haze is AWESOME!!"

"Awesome," repeats Malos. "Yeah, sure. Okay. But I better not see you or your brother climbing me like a tree, you understand?"

Haze, roasting stick now safely in hand, makes a perching face from where she's sat back down next to Lora at the firepit. "Well, Malos, you are something of a tree trunk."

Something of a...I'm what.

Malos stares again, screws his grey eyes into slits. Evie's giggling, tiny laughter hidden behind tinier hand, and Xander and Lora are wearing matching expressions of half-sympathetic amusement. Mythra looks elated.

A couple more beats pass. The fire gives a dangerous crackle-flicker jump, and Aegaeon startles; Hugo has to put a cautious hand to the Water Blade's forearm to stop him from casting the offending blaze out immediamente, drenching all of their much-anticipated treats in the process.

Whatever. They're all idiots. Where's Minoth, anyway? He wouldn't be making stupid jokes like this.

And then again...Evie's his daughter. He lets her do whatever she wants - when she turned four and realized more fully that each and every one of them was so fallen face-first over her as to be willing to get her as many Ponios as she could dream of, and then another whole half a herd more, at the drop of a hat, the silly cowboy had only chuckled and asked Brighid if there were enough overpopulated in Mor Ardain for that to be amenable.

(There was only one, after all, there among the Armus, but Malos was no stranger to being asked to go brush it when the little girl forgot until well past her bedtime, every now and then. And of course it had braids all over its mane, which were hell to detangle. Haze's fault, again.)

Well. So at least Jin wouldn't put up with any of this bullcrap. Jin would know how to deal with Haze's...Haze, too.

Plan in mind, Malos gives one last impotent sweep of his arm over the group (they somehow seem to miss it despite all the intensity of their motive mocking), wobbles his head in preparation for having to hear his own half-nauseated half-nauseating tone, and spits out, "Oh, sure. I'm treething of a tree trunk."

They're still giggling, all of them, as he drums his tone back down to its regular depth and turns to trudge away. Idiots.

"Jin, dear, what's this?"

He glances up from his knife work for only a second, not to ascertain but to acknowledge the newcomer at the hall threshold, before answering: "What's what?" Because whatever it is, he'll be best served by a description of what Flora doesn't understand about it, rather than what she does, or what he thinks she does, or should, or doesn't, or could...et cetera.

"These pink packets - they look like teabags, but they're so much fancier than anything I usually get in from Auresco."

"Which hue pink?" The heel of the knife descends upon a stem, then the tip rotates ninety degrees, along with the receiving palm, to slice into the core of the current target.

Flora, meanwhile, turns over the sample packet she's plucked up, looking for any identifying information. "More of a raspberry, I suppose. Is this raspberry tea?"

"Love Raspberries are a prize crop from a small cluster of trees in a fairly secluded cove on the lower level of Mor Ardain. They're maintained by imperial gardeners personally."

With a definitive clack of the side of the knife on the rim of the colander, Jin moves to the sink to spray his yield of mixed Juicy and Bitter broccoli florets with fresh spring water, letting Flora begin to cobble together the clues.

"I know I'm not the only one of your many companions who can recall how much you love not having to brew your own," comes the conclusion along with the faintest hint of a smile.

Oh, is that so? Nevertheless, she's too confused to color. "But who...?"

As if on cue, because oh, what fun would it be if it wasn't, Brighid enters from the dining room nearer to the front of the manor, crimson heels clacking in time underneath plum navy dress and flaming fluorescent fuschia hair.

"Mystery is a mark of luxury, in today's society," she comments, somewhat enigmatically. Were it not for the entirely on-the-nose choice of Aux Core, Flora might think her merely an observer to the lavish choice of gift to one pink lady from one secret admirer, but of course she understands immediately: it's from one pink lady to the only other.

Objectively, it's wonderful. Subjectively, it should be the same. However she might feel about the sudden, and no doubt expensive, gift, it's no trouble at all for Flora to step closer to Brighid and link arms with her. "I didn't know you thought of me as someone who goes in for luxury, Brighid."

"I don't," Brighid returns dryly. "But, I buy myself enough makeup, and seeing as you never seem to need any..." she leans in to kiss the blushing nose covered in fresh wrinkles and old freckles alike... "I thought I might as well splurge."

"Anything for me, Brighid?" Jin's leant his elbows on the counter in preparation for his rare indulgence in the lighthearted mood, and his eyes flick from one woman to the other in gently coy time.

"If I told you..."

"...then Malos and Minoth and Addam would all be hounding after you for their own spoils. I know." Up he goes, again.

"See? I told you." Quizzical, Flora turns up her chin to meet the line of Brighid's eye(lid)s, the precious miniature pouch of tea itself dangling fruitlessly by its tag from her fingers. (Jin surreptitiously fills the kettle.)

"Mystery is a luxury few can afford."

Brighid doesn't...hate Minoth, no. She couldn't possibly, considering she's agreed to be at the not-so-distant edge of the fantastical polyamorous analogue of a common-law marriage that arises from longtime roommatery into which he has also been entered.

She thinks him somewhat pathetic, though, despite his apparent intent to act as a sort of suave vassal. She thinks him...high-minded, low-bodied. She thinks him not quite so polished at his execution as he manages to seem to everyone else, and to his own self.

Most everyone, anyway. This cockamamie arrangement has made them all more than a little uncharacteristically stupid (for some, anyway). And that's acceptable, for her bimonthly sojourns to Torna for a few days, maybe a week, wherein Aegaeon regales the children with sweets and strongarms and the general pleasantness of his presence, and Hugo chats with Addam and Mythra both, for the quiescence of it.

And wherein she gets to see Flora. She does not mark herself remiss in being enamored with the young, quasi-accidental Lady of Aletta; indeed, she would mark herself a monumental offender were her feelings twisted the other way round.

It is in the natural disposition of all citizens of Alrest to find Flora agreeable and beautiful. She's socially harmless (close family quarters, you know?), she's quite smart and knows when to show it, she smells lovely and she walks in a pleasant manner, she cooks serviceably and of the heart, she hums pretty little tunes without even knowing she's doing it...Flora is a love.

Of course, then, Minoth thinks so too. Brighid does not begrudge him the thought.

(Doesn't think of him, also, as just such a "monumental offender".)

It's only when she thinks she's at the point of getting the little lady alone, towards the winding end of the evening, that his sub-simpering attitudes begin to grate upon her well-manicured (well-tempered, shall we say, of course) nerves.

"Flora," she hears him say, murmur gently, from the threshold. The addressed woman turns her head with a light "Hm?" to intercept his query while Addam finishes what he'd been saying and gets up from the table to offer a kiss to her cheek before departing for bed.

Lovely. Just as she deserves. Brighid wouldn't want such affections for herself, but she feels a warmth different from that of her own ether flames at the sheer coziness of it all. The faint sounds of Jin and Malos conducting a grousing game of cards with Mythra and Hugo, Lora and Haze, Milton and Mikhail account for the remainder of the six who sit at head of household, and all is as it should be.

It's never been in Brighid's taste to be the one keeping track of all that, as it always has been in Flora's, but perhaps there is a certain...appeal. To know that the floor has cleared and been cleared. Perhaps.

Except for the western man. And he is...where?

Ah.

(That's not nearly a satisfied "Ah.")

While Brighid's been distracted, Addam has passed fully by his beloved Blade, and Flora has apparently also been absconded with.

Minoth is gone. Brighid hisses a bitter sigh. No, this hadn't been how she'd wanted to see him out of her sights.

They won't have descended to the den, because that's where the games are going on. Flora will sit anywhere, with anyone, but Minoth does prefer the master suite, so quite possibly Addam will have yielded and done away with himself temporarily.

Enough of the plotting and the planning. Brighid does not have alternative shoes and she can do naught but track a stalking clop across the hall to the bedroom, where indeed, Flora is running her hands through Minoth's hair, down, and he's smiling all the bliss of an early spring's sunlight on frost, eyes closed, with his arms wrapped around her waist.

Villain.

She sighs again, and unpauses in the doorway.

Flora looks up, smiles softly in perfect accordance with the hazy lamplight.

"Hello, Brighid. Did you want to sit here?"

She pats the free space on the ample bedspread just behind her knees, but the other hand is still contentedly hooked behind Minoth's ear.

Oh, she could kill him. Both she and Flora keep knives, to varying degrees of use and frequency. She could do it, so very easily, with hers or with hers. She knows where Flora keeps the switchblade's off-duty pouch. She could do it. She could.

That is to say, by all her rights and capabilities, she could. She could. But while Flora is sitting there, so prim and so pretty and so perfect, so almost unfairly perfect? She could never.

So Brighid sits, and without even thinking finds herself arranging her bust in its most alluring position possible. If Flora insists on letting that man hang all over her, then the least she can do is treat herself to letting Brighid hold her. The least.

Minoth mumbles something indistinct - by the Architect, how intoxicated can he possibly be? Was there a Gromrice harvest? Did someone sneak him hallucinogenics, just because he thinks it's academically interesting to let himself go in such ways?

She must be catastrophizing, must be dramatizing. Ugh, and that's what that man would do.

And then she's distracted by Flora eagerly (but only perfectly demurely so) leaning back against her, and motioning for Brighid to undo her braids, if she'd like, with affection pats on her legs just for free.

If Minoth wakes up and gets greedy, then she'll kill him. Surely.

(And just how would that go? She would mention, offhand, "I could burn the hair right off his scalp." Even, she could make it sound throaty, enticing. I'd kill a man for you, you know. As he deserves, and as you do. And then Flora would concentrate all her sternness she's never had to exercise since her last tiff with her mother and say that she loves him with all her heart, so could you not do that, please, and thank you too, and Brighid would reply, stiffly, "Very well.")

Once Flora falls asleep, cheek nestled quite closely against the softest, fullest part of offered décolletage, Brighid makes sure to remove Minoth from her completely.

And she leaves him a gentle - warm, not hot, not scorching nor burning - kiss on the back of his hand for being such a sport about it, anyway.

She wouldn't do it.

She would.

It's a very normal day. She thinks about it - presupposes, rather. She asks,

"Flora?"

She hears,

"What can I help you with, Lora?"

and then she forecasts her own (lame) reply of:

"I was just admiring that trim on your dress. It's very charming."

at which point, if she'd actually said the compliment, if it could even be called that, out loud, she would so ultimately inwardly cringe at the stiffness of it all. So. So obviously she can't say that.

"Oh, nothing," Lora replies instead, "I guess I was just...thinking about you. Do you ever do that?" Haha?

"Think about myself? I...suppose."

There's an awkward pause; it's the most unfortunate way she could have taken it, but it also isn't...bad, exactly.

Lora chews on the inside of her cheek and waits. She can always count on Flora. Everyone can.

Three... Two... One... And...

"Oh! You mean do I ever think about you. Yes, quite often. I'm so glad we have you here with us."

Done. Right. Good. Great. Awesome.

And then some more time passes, with the knitting and the weaving and the bumbling along, and then Lora bucks herself up and tries again.

"Flora, I have to tell you, I love your dress."

"Hm?" It's always in the little lady's nature to perk up her eyebrows and turn her head before properly responding to and accepting such a compliment, which she does: "Oh, thank you! I've always loved this color, and this style is always so nice on me - or so I'm told, anyway -" here she waggles her eyebrows less conspiratorially than long-sufferingly, "so whichever one happens to be in season, I ask if they can make it up with the other, too."

Lora, still awkwardly standing there and not knowing how to be conversational with that information, just repeats, "It's very pretty - the trim on the skirt, too..."

She feels awkwardly at her own with a few flat fingertips, which isn't exactly plain but isn't exactly charming either. Why shouldn't she have a pair of functionless frills hanging daintily by the heels of her hands? Why not?

Haze bounces in, more elegantly than Lora but also somehow less. She's about to speak up, but then she spies her lady looking somewhat befuddled for no immediately apparent reason, and instead scurries to her ear to whisper, "Is anything wrong, Lady Lora?"

Lora shakes her head, confused herself. "No, Haze, I just...something feels wrong."

Wrong? What could possibly be wrong? It's a beautiful sunny day in Aletta and the sun is streaming through the library windows like heaven's been opened, and everything is warm and bright and cozy, and what could be wrong?

Haze frowns. She has to get to the bottom of this - for Lady Lora, and for Lady Flora too!

So she turns, sweetly, and gestures with some demure part of her wrist. "Lady Flora, I love the trim on the sides of your dress." The compliment comes naturally as anything, but Flora hesitates for a moment, trying to discern alternate meanings.

"Do you mean this here at the hem? That's funny, Lora was just saying the same thing." Everyone blushes, roundabout.

But Haze shakes her head. "No no, the pieces on your hips." It was the part Lora hadn't said out loud, so it bore some overexplication and repeating. "I wish I had a better way to describe them, but they are just decorative, so I guess that's why it's difficult."

"Difficult?" Flora smiles, again hesitantly. "How do you mean? These are pockets?" Her hands abandon the needles and burrow in with immediacy, seeming poised to turn the lining out, but her captive audience has been distracted.

"Oh my goodness!" Haze exclaims, at the same time as Lora coos, "Oh, that's wonderful!"

Flora laughs, and though she doesn't sound put-off in the least now, she's still curious. "I suppose I agree, but I don't see why they're such a curiosity. Haven't you...?"

Ruefully, Lora fills in the rest of the question. "Never. Even in mercenary shops, no one seems to bother adding those to the pattern. It's satchels for rations, and little else. Even Haze's pants have never had them. I wish I'd been able to influence those!"

Haze giggles absolute agreement, and scrunches up her nose at her lady, before returning to the conversation at hand.

"Oh, but...what do you even keep in them, most of the time?"

"Hm? They're not for most of the time, right? I know I've never been traveling like the two of you have - I kept a satchel at school, even - but it's just for little bits of time. I don't keep anything in them, it's the fact that they're there that's important. The principle of the thing, even, like you've both said."

"Still," Lora cuts back in, "what do you use them for? What kinds of things do you put in your big fancy pockets, hmm?"

You see? It IS the principle of the thing.

"Oh, I see." Flora smiles, a light thing, and taps a finger to her lips. "Ah..."

"Kisses, that's what."

Uh oh, Lora thinks, we've been spotted, but doesn't say so; she just lets Addam and Minoth mosey lazily in as they will, making to sit on the arms of Flora's chair and wrap their arms around her shoulders.

"Loves! Do you mind? I'm trying to have polite conversation here, and I don't need you sillies interrupting me. Oh, I'm sorry, Lora, Haze."

"I don't see Lora and Haze making any bones about it, do you, Prince?"

"Not at all. I think this is perfectly polite. We're all family here, aren't we?"

Haze is about to retort, but then she takes a closer look at the mens' pants and realizes - they don't have pockets either!