Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Both mages adjust reasonably well to their new settings. Seraphina stays out of the way and doesn't cause any trouble. She's surprised at the stipend, but is hardly complaining, and saves to buy a travel-sized harp, which she takes to playing at the hub. When she finds out that tips are offered for this sort of thing she uses them to supplement her stipend. Other than occasional musical displays, she attracts no attention and blends in reasonably well.
Surprisingly enough, Xiara manages to do the same. She makes an expansive underground home, hides the entrance, lights the interior, and moves in. Some of the necessities are harder to come by, but Xiara is accustomed to handling it and does so. Her ghosts keep her company, and she lies low. Three years is not a long time to her, she'll grow bored eventually, but for now - she can just get accustomed to the world. It's quite strange and foreign.
Adarin studies American marriage traditions. He knows how marriages in his culture go, but he feels no requirement for keeping to the Kystle traditions. He likes his new home, and if he sees any of their habits he likes, he'll use them. Several Google searches later and he decides that he likes wedding ring traditions. Vern has informed him that Isabella likes having things from him - so he will make that happen. Diamonds seem shiny but kind of boring - they get thrown out as a main gem idea nearly immediately. Adarin goes ring shopping, and finds a lovely platinum engagement ring with an emerald as its centerpiece. He has his own bank account, filled with a percentage of the proceeds from portal capitalism, so he uses that. The ring is bought, and Adarin starts plotting how he's going to propose.
Then, because it seems proper, he picks a Sunday and offers to go fishing with Charlie.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Hello," replies Adarin brightly. "I've never gone fishing before in my life so uh - correct me if I mess it up and hook myself."
Vern gives Kesathi a friendly trill. "Hi!" she says.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Thanks."
Off they go! Adarin will wait a little while before dropping the bomb of 'I am going to ask your daughter to marry me' - bonding time, first. Besides, he might even end up liking fishing.
Charles Swan
sundayfish
Alicorn
"That's the spirit."
There is parking. There is walking. There is setting up, which Charlie explains mostly via demonstration and not talking.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
There are all of those things! Adarin takes the hint that this is not a talky kind of thing. That's fine by him.
He's a quick study and catches on to setting things up. Then - fishing! It proves to be a little boring, but also surprisingly soothing. He's pleasantly surprised.
Charles Swan
sundayfish
Alicorn
Nibble nibble on the end of his line.
Charlie notices and walks him through getting it reeled in, but it's about three inches long, so at the end of the process it gets tossed back.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin's going to be grinning for the next hour. Ha! He caught a fish, he is now pleased with himself because of this fact. He suspects he'll want to come fishing again later. Maybe not every Sunday, but every now and then, certainly. It's nice.
A little while later, with no more nibbles for Adarin's line in sight - he pulls out the box with Isabella's ring in it, and quietly shows Charlie.
(He's a little nervous.)
Charles Swan
sundayfish
Alicorn
Charlie glances at it. Kesathi sits up to pay attention.
"Obvious thing?" he asks.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Obvious thing," agrees Adarin. "Haven't asked her yet, but - didn't want to cause problems for when I do."
Vern fluffs up a little, looking nervous.
Charles Swan
sundayfish
Alicorn
Charlie's silent for a bit.
Then Kesathi speaks up. "You and her fit real well."
"She loves you to bits," Charlie says.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin smiles fondly. "I love her, too. More than I find the words to say."
Vern adds, "It's not just love, too. She and Path are smart and have good goals that match our own and we can work together to help the world."
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
He laughs. "It's a mystery, certainly."
Vern trills and nuzzles Kesathi. "We are glad you approve!"
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"We're not sure, but we worried about it all the same. You could have had very legitimate grievances that we hadn't thought of," replies Vernaia.
Hug! Vern helps, with a wing.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"I wouldn't blame you in the slightest," he agrees. "Obviously something would be wrong with the relationship if that were the case. But it's not and so I can marry her."
He sounds really pleased with the idea. Also vaguely smug. He gets to marry Isabella and no one else does, ha, he wins at life.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"That'll work. Thank you. Hopefully she'll react the same," he says, smiling.
This has gone extremely well! Adarin is pleased!
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Thank you," he says with a smile. "I'd like that."
Look at them! Bonding!
Vern flops next to Kesathi and looks generally pleased. Today is a good day.
Charles Swan
sundayfish
Alicorn
Kesathi noses her.
"You're welcome," says Charlie. "You want to talk to Ranata? Sounds like she's upstairs."
What the upstairs currently sounds like is someone attempting to teach herself the cello.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin nods. "I do, yeah. Thanks!"
Vernaia gives a little head-bump towards Kesathi, while Adarin heads upstairs to talk to Ranata. Separation is still subtly helpful, even now.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Sure!"
His diabolical plan is working. He is befriending his girlfriend's parents! Bwuahahahahahahahahaha!
Renée Higgenbotham Swan
kindestgarden
Alicorn
"That's what happened the first time I went too!"
Zoom! To the taqueria they go. It's raining a bit but Ranata doesn't mind.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin knows a way to protect himself from rain with magic, but doesn't use it because they're still not quite ready for mage reveals. So, he'll just put up with it.
"Maybe one day, I'll catch something bigger."
Renée Higgenbotham Swan
kindestgarden
Alicorn
"Maybe. I go only every year or two so I haven't had much practice that really stuck, you know?"
Here's the taqueria! Cloud-pines sure are fast.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Yeah, makes sense."
That they are! How fortunate!
Vern nuzzles him, while he plots how to let Ranata know about his plans to propose. .... Probably just telling her, honestly. In a bit, when they're safely inside and polite smalltalk is out of the way.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Food! Adarin picks something from the menu he hasn't had before. If he ends up not liking it he can just fix something when he's home.
Vern is on his lap and will get to nibble things if she likes.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin thinks it's delicious and gives Vern nibbles of it because she is his magic talking bird.
"So, what have you been up to?" he asks, between bites of chile relleno.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"That's interesting," says Adarin. "Which play was it? I'll avoid it, though I don't watch many plays anymore. Mostly movies, now."
He likes movies. They're fun.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin snickers. "That sounds kind of annoying! I'll avoid it."
Vern noses the pocket with the ring in it, then steals another bite of his food. He snickers. "So - Charlie's mentioned that you think Isabella and I are cute?" he asks, amused.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Thanks. I thought so, too."
Permanent smile. Just - this is his face now. It's stuck this way, forever.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Sure, he'll have that. Tres leches, coming on up.
(The box goes back in his pocket. He'll ask Isabella when it seems appropriate.)
Renée Higgenbotham Swan
kindestgarden
Alicorn
Dessert is delicious!
Ranata asks him if he wants a ride back to Seattle, when they're done. Castarilan, on the other hand, zooms straight home.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
It is! Delicious dessert.
"That'd be great! If it's not too out of your way, that is."
Renée Higgenbotham Swan
kindestgarden
Alicorn
"You're welcome."
It's not such a long trip by cloud-pine.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Bye," he says, and he waves.
Off he goes, to the portal, and to home. It's convenient like that, though the crowds are annoying. If fantastic because it means he and Isabella are making absurd amounts of money. He head off to find Isabella.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Vern nuzzles Path, and says softly, "We had fun fishing."
Adarin will hang back and wait.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
"My Isabella didn't even get that the time she went," laughs Path.
Isabella hangs up the phone.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Vernaia giggles. "It's okay. Adarin loves her anyway." Nuzzle, nuzzle.
Adarin smiles at Isabella. "Hey."
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"If you want the reminder now I can just get it for you, but if you want it to do a fancy thing I will need time."
Subtlety? What's that? He doesn't know the meaning of the word.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Nope. Easily wearable."
But the emerald's reflective. He can use that.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin rolls his eyes and laughs. "You know what, love? You're a smart woman, I am fairly certain that you already know what it is."
He kisses her cheek, then kneels in front of her. "So," he says, retrieving the box, "I'm just going to ask it." He opens it and shows the ring. "Isabella. Will you marry me?"
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Kiss! Onto her finger it goes. Adarin grins, then kisses her again. At this point in time, he's the happiest man in the world. Kiss.
"So - guessing the second sentence you figured out I was planning to propose?" he teases.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
All of the kissing.
"I love you," he whispers.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Then it's back to kissing.
Vern is currently glued to Path.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
The humans sure are fond of those activities. And each other.
How convenient that the progress of world takeover is mostly limited by Adarin's mana, which will automatically restore itself over time even if he is not paying attention to anything but his fiancée.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Very convenient! Adarin will therefore be giving his fiancée a lot of attention.
A few days after he proposed, Adarin finishes another portal, has a long talk with Vern, and then goes and finds Isabella to snuggle. This wouldn't be particularly noteworthy - except soon after, Vern mysteriously finds her way into Isabella's lap.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
Isabella holds very still.
"Hi, Vern," she murmurs.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Hi," she replies, snuggling on her lap. Her location is not an accident. "We think it should be okay."
Adarin is still cuddling her, leaning his head on her shoulder and otherwise not interfering.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
"Yes," says Vern.
Adarin kisses Isabella's cheek. "Thank you for being careful, though. You don't have to if you're concerned about it."
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
"Just checking."
And she strokes a fingertip along the length of Vern's wing.
(Path fluffs up and hops onto Adarin's lap.)
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Neither of them pull away. Vernaia leans into Isabella, making a little trilling sound. Adarin closes his eyes and shivers, curling up on his fiancée and sort of melting into her. He's not capable of speaking, right now, but it's very obviously not painful.
After a little while Vern nudges him, and he opens an eye and holds out a hand to Path.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
Path snuggles up under the hand while Isabella strokes Vern's feathers again.
The completed circuit is a little different.
Isabella makes a whimpery sort of noise.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Adarin mumbles something incoherent and nuzzles Isabella, incapable of doing much else besides being a puddle of Adarin on her.
Best idea.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Nuzzle, nuzzle.
Now that the message has made it to her, he can just stop thinking and enjoy this.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
It's very enjoyable!
...It's not clear how they're going to decide they're done!
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
This could take hours.
Pleasant dozy snuggly intimate hours.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
Yes. Yes it could.
That is completely fine with Adarin and Vern. Supported by, even.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
Yaaaaaay.
Hours later, Isabella's stomach rumbles and Path starts shifting under Adarin's hand.
Isabella Amariah ⍋ "Amariah"
dark_light
Alicorn
Path helps disentangle himself. Isabella slides her hand off Vern's feathers and does not pet her again.
"Nnnff," Isabella opines.
Adarin Evaniel Sorelas
prodigal_miser
Aestrix
It will take a little while for Adarin to regain conscious thought, even after the daemon touching has been concluded.
"That," mumbles Adarin, "was the best idea."