Family Makes the Ride Worthwhile

[weathering_it]

Certain things have changed on Naugus’ grounds since the last time Viatorus paid the Ixis a visit. A few structures have been built in the chao garden to give them refuge from the cold during the winter, wooden lean-tos and tiny mock homes complete with mini doors and chao-height windows with tiny shutters to close them. The largest body of water has been made safer with a low bridge to cross it. And now that spring is arriving and the ground is warming slightly it seems that a few furrows of ground have been prepared for later planting. In fact, all around the castle the ground has been disturbed or cordoned off with low fences to mark future sites of gardens to be.

And of course the greatest change of all must be the dozen Overlanders taking up residence on the grounds. Each of them is busy, not paying mind to the time or to the inevitability of guests arriving but working on their future gardens or mending clothes or ensuring the stability of the chao homes. Each of them is dressed in plain beiges, browns, and reds, and they all look like they’ve stepped directly out of the 1930s with their suspenders and cabbie hats, though their overly-thick gloves and heavy boots should be familiar to Isidor as Azerothian vogue. Evidently they live inside the tower, as no human structures have been built for them to stay, though they have added a few comforts for themselves. The most obvious is a massive, U-shaped outdoor benched table designed to comfortably sit the entire family and potential friends. And right now, that table has been set for a meal.

It seems all the dishes and utensils are made of the green crystals Naugus is known to conjure, which makes the whole affair of eating at an oversized park bench uncharacteristically classy. No food is set out yet, but someone is already sitting at the table. Someone perhaps not quite human. She can’t be more than three feet tall, though her seat on the bench has been specially designed to rise her up to a comfortable level. Her arms are long, her legs short, and her head, with its pixie cut, naturally pink hair, is disproportionally large compared to her body. Frankly, she’s got the proportions of a human baby with the face of a woman in her thirties. Isidor might recognize her as a gnome, and like any good gnome she’s busying herself with a stack of schematics and calculations spread across her plate (and the neighboring ones as well.) Now and then she looks up from her writing to check the path to the tower in hopes of catching sight of the promised guests.

When she finally sees them she hurries to weigh her papers down with her plate. She leaves the bench in a hurry and scuttles over to them before they get too far onto the property. Rather than extend a hand for a shake or even bother to greet them she puts one hand on her hip and holds the other palm up to stop them.

“Before you two sit down, listen: Harrowheart isn’t going to be here. He stopped by earlier to say they’re extending his shift in Acherus, so he’s out there…” she waves her hand and flippantly guesses, “Eating souls? I thought it was only right to tell you before they noticed you, in the event you wanted to leave. Which I hope you don’t, if I might be so bold? Some of them really want to meet you. Especially Odilia, and I hate disappointing her.”

Comments

[weathering_it]

Everyone looks to each other as if to pool their collective memories. Have they ever seen a Draenei? Eventually they're all shaking their heads

"Draenei don't have business in Westfall, really," Mrs. Weatherhill says. "The Alliance sent a night elf druid to help our lands during a few hard seasons, but he's the only non-human we've ever seen."

Tamminy 'hmmmm!'s thoughtfully, grinning as she does. Mrs. Weatherhill playfully swats the air in her direction. "You know you're part of the family, Tammy! You're an honorary human as far as we're concerned."

Tamminy laughs and sits straight with her chest proudly puffed. "A high honor, certainly." Whether she believes that or not she's at least willing to play along.

Mrs. Weatherhill smiles sweetly before she turns back to the Durants and says, "Don't Tell Peter, but as much as I wanted to meet Farina I have to admit... I'm relieved we never did. I'm not sure I'm ready for any of my children to be in an... Interracial relationship." She has the sense to be a little bit embarrassed of her opinion, though apparently not embarrassed enough to have not said it in the first place.

Robin rolls her eyes and whispers something to Estella, who laughs under her breath and whispers back. Anna and Matt look uncomfortable at their mother being openly racist at the table. Mr. Weatherhill, though, is dead quiet as he watches Lawrence pull a strange sort of face, a twist of his lips that's barely keeping him from laughing. And Tamminy is wrestling the exact same expression. Mrs. Weatherhill, some people must find you very funny!

Lawrence soon composes himself enough to speak without smiling. In fact, he's got something rather serious to say. "Harrowheart," and he pauses pointedly there, "Told me he was interested in someone again. He wouldn't tell me who, but he did describe them. Said they were... Beautiful and cute at the same time. Powerful with magic. That they had lovely, dark hair, and gorgeous eyes, and a wonderful smile, and every time he sees them it makes him smile too." He rolls his eyes and they settle on Viatorus, whom he affixes with a long stare. Eventually he clears the air saying, "Stupid romantic stuff." And news which everyone seems to take in stride. Nothing out of the ordinary, really.

"But," he says, and once more pauses. "They're a breather." And that raises some eyebrows. All around the table faces contort in thought, each mind working out how they feel about this. Nobody is immediately offended, and certainly not disgusted, but some find it easier to handle than others. Anna especially seems unsure of this news and looks to Lawrence to tell them more. He, of course, has to bask in the momentary power and attention before he spills any more details.

"We talked about it, and he's not sure what to do going forward. Because now he's the Farina in the situation." Whatever that means everyone at the table seems to get it. The realization dawns on them and they begin to nod in somber understanding.

[heirtothearcane]

"I'm sure if you'd met her you would have changed your mind," Viatorus offers, hopeful for Mrs. Weatherhill's liberal side. After all, how prejudiced had he been when he first saw Harrowheart's terrifying figure? "I think it's different when you meet someone."

Isidor smiles gently at her brother's optimism, but it's short lived when Lawrence speaks up again. She purposefully breathes slow and calm, still as she watches everyone, including her own brother become thoughtful. The Dreamwalker wonders silently why Harrowheart never mentioned anything, but on recalling his own dramas with relationships, quickly decides he knows the reason why. All that thinking means he isn't asking the question Isidor wishes he would ask. It's left up to her.

"What... What do you mean 'he's the Farina'?" she asks, trying to sound curious instead of anxious.

[weathering_it]

Anna sees Lawrence part his lips and hurries to speak before he can. She's sure she can approach this more diplomatically than her brother can.

"When Peter met Farina, he was... Twenty three? Farina was six hundred years old. He told us that's young for a Draenei. Some of them have been around for thousands of years. They don't die of old age like we do. If the two of them fell in love and made a life together, eventually there would be a day when she was still around and he wasn't. She told him it hurt too much to think about falling in love with someone whose life would be over in just a few years. I... Imagine fifty years didn't feel like much to someone who had already been around ten times that long."

Everyone lets that sit for a moment, silent and uncomfortable with the kind of talk that doesn't feel right for a dinner with friends. Lawrence, unperturbed, fills in the unspoken blank.

"He's probably gonna live forever, you know? Harrowheart, I mean. Nobody really knows for sure, but it's not like he's falling apart, and he's not exactly getting any older. We're all gonna be bones and robot arms in the ground some day and he's gonna be... I don't know. Here. Alone."

Robin puffs out her cheeks and slowly exhales in the silence that follows. Lawrence goes for a second serving of carrots and doesn't mind the way his silverware clinks against his crystal plate.

[heirtothearcane]

Isidor turns from Anna and Lawrence to face the table properly once again. She hadn't considered that. A thousand things and she hadn't considered Harrowheart's impending immortality. It didn't seem quite the same thing, living forever, when he's already dead. She's as silent and as uncomfortable as most of the Weatherhills.

It's Viatorus who tries to continue the conversation, albeit very quietly. He turns to Lawrence to softly ask him a question that he'd left the dreamwalker with his casual rambling of fatality."Do you, um, do you, maybe, think you, um, could turn into a... a-a-a, well, a full robot some day? Since-Since you're part- you're part robot already."

[weathering_it]

Lawrence may be a gruff man inside and out, but he's not above being patient for Viatorus' question. He leans in to better hear him, but doesn't interrupt or mock his stutter. But if any of that gives Viatorus the impression that he's going to be reasonable in his response he's got another thing coming.

"FUCK no!" Lawrence shouts, startling Anna and bringing a frown to his father's face. "I hate this thing! I hate technology! If I have to get another Light damned robot part I'm just gonna go ahead off myself! Pull the trigger!"

Anna gasps, "Lawrence!" Tamminy pats her arm and leans back so that she can speak to Viatorus.

"Don't listen to him, he's just being a Lawrence. I assure you, in theory it's entirely possible to turn a person into a full-blown robot! I made that arm for him, and I know I could make any other limb just as easily -- which is to say with a lot of effort and trial and error. I think we could overcome the loss of an organic torso with a complex chemical filtration system until all the organic parts of the system were replaced. The hardest part would be the brain. Would we leave it in tact in a robotic shell, or in a few generations will we have the technology to extract a person's thoughts and emotions and place them into a computer? Can a personality be an operating system? And what happens to the soul at that point? Of course we could put the soul into the robot with magic, but would it still be connected to the mind? I'm not sure I'm prepared to answer those kinds of questions. That's why I'm satisfied researching photoelectricity, not giving people... Robotomies."

Lawrence, satisfied with his moment of Being a Lawrence, soon calms down. As if he hadn't just had a major outburst he casually adds to Viatorus, "I'm thinking about having Harrowheart turn me into a worgen, though. Maybe it'll fix my hairline..." He runs a hand through his hair and cups his palm over the thinning spot on the crown of his head.

"We're all thinking about it, actually," his father says. "None of us see the downside of it. Winters wouldn't be so cold, physical labor would be easier. And... I know my son is lonely without anyone like him around. It might bring us all closer in the end."

[heirtothearcane]

The unexpectedly loud outburst from Lawrence makes Viatorus jump in his seat and startles him so much he doesn't manage to form his usual rapid fire apologies before Tamminy takes over. The hypothesising and unanswerable questions are familiar territory, but he continues to glance to Lawrence until the man seems to have thoroughly calmed. It's only then that he smiles weakly and nods in agreement with Tamminy's conclusion and thanks for the thoughts.

Once it becomes certain that Lawrence isn't an actual threat to her brother, Isidor also calms. She's far more interested in the topic that follows. It's just on the tip of her tongue to ask if that would conflict with Mrs. Weatherhill's feelings on 'interracial' living. "Really?" she asks instead. "Don't you think that would feel strange? To change what you are like that. Wouldn't you feel like you'd… lost a part of who you are?"

[weathering_it]

"What we are isn't what we look like," Hardtman says softly. "It's the things we've experienced, how we relate to each other, and who we want to be inside. We decide for ourselves who we are in our actions and in our words."

In a calm and even way Lawrence says to Viatorus, "Am I not the same person I was before because I lost my arm?" His mechanical fingers flex before Viatorus to prove his point and even, just the tiniest bit, he smiles.

"You're definitely more of a whiner," Robin says with a laugh, spoiling the moment but bringing a soft and genuine smile to Lawrence's face. For a second there he really does resemble his brother, until he elbows her and she 'oof!'s, giving him a certain kind of satisfaction.

He returns his attention to Viatorus and confirms, "Maybe I'm a bigger whiner, but I'm still the same person. We all want to believe Harrowheart is the same person he used to be even after everything that's happened to him, too. I don't know if he believes it, but I think it's true."

"The same," Anna begins thoughtfully, "But... Happier? Now that he's someplace new. And I think we're all happier, in a way? Ever since we left Westfall we... Really learned a lot about who we are." She looks around the table to take in the sight of her family and friends. "Right?"

Some nod immediately, but others take a moment to survey the scene around them. Jacob and Heather consider their daughter and their son, Matt stares at his palms while Robin turns her eyes toward the work they've done on Ixis Naugus' land. Mr. Weatherhill reaches out to hold his wife's hand, and she takes it with a smile.

Softly Hardtman whispers, "You're right. I think we've all learned that finding out who you are... Sometimes it means taking a big chance. Making a change you never thought you could, and seeing what you're made of when you come out on the other side."

[heirtothearcane]

The banter and play between the Weatherhill siblings gets a large smile from the scholar who leans back slightly to give Lawrence and Robin space to elbow each other to their hearts' content.

"Maybe you're not the same, then, but better?" Viatorus chimes in, hastily adding, "N-Not that you weren't good before, I mean, but... You've grown."

Isidor doesn't look convinced. The corner of her lips pulls in uncertainty. "But changing species... That's different. That's big. It's not just an experience. That's changing your very blood." She hesitates, trying to figure out how best to word it. "Don't you feel like that would be disconnecting from your ancestors? From the blood that ties you to your world?"

[weathering_it]

Viatorus' correction of his statement gets a few good-natured laughs and encouraging nods. He gets it! The family is ready to foster that mindset in their own ways. Even Lawrence nods, if more reserved in his enthusiasm than the rest. The kid's on the right track, he can commend that.

But Isidor...

"Who gives a shit about that?" Lawrence asks her, then scoffs. This woman is horrible and so are her ideas.

Hardtman, though, seems to think otherwise. He places his palms on the table and calmly says, "Our guest does, or she wouldn't have asked. And if it's important to our guest, then it's important to us. Let's show some grace and answer her honestly."

It shames Lawrence, if only enough to make him look at his once more empty plate in frustrated thought. If anything, his father defending Isidor probably isn't going to make him like her any more, but at least for now he bites his tongue.

Hardtman continues on unperturbed. "It's a hard question to answer, Ms. Durant, I won't lie. My answer might not be the answer that would change your mind if you were in my situation, but I can at least tell you my own story." He takes a deep drink of his water before he begins, which he's in no rush to do.

"My grandfather was born in a place on our world called the Arathi Highlands. The Kingdom of Arathor dates back to the beginning of humanity thousands of years ago. It's where we first discovered magic, where we made our first allies, and where the seven human kingdoms began. Being an Arathi human was – is – a great honor. But one day when he was a young, successful man my grandfather was presented with an opportunity to be gifted a small parcel of land in Westfall if he would take himself and his trade down there. Of course this was decades before the droughts hit, back when Westfall was a fertile but more dangerous place. It was a good offer back then, and not an easy choice to make. He had to sit down and really weigh his options.

"On the one hand, he could stay true to his roots and honor his ancestors and the ancient lands they were buried in... On the other, he was a freshly-married man with a child on the way, and it was his duty to do everything he could to secure a prosperous future for his family. In the end, he thought he found a way to do both. He looked back at the history of Arathi and realized it was the starting point of humanity... But that humanity had only become a great race because of its willingness to forge its own paths. Brave men and women set out from the highlands with no proof of their destinations – only hope for their futures. Eventually, over many generations, those people formed kingdoms which stretched across the entire world... The Kingdom of Arathor was everywhere, he realized – not only in the lands of her people or the people of her lands, but in their new lands, too, and all the people who lived in them. Our blood was in our veins, but also in our art, our culture, our trade, and our thoughts. Who we were became what we did, and what we did changed the world.

"When I was a young boy my grandfather told me that he learned a great many things when he made his final choice. Throughout my childhood and until I became a young man looking to forge a future for myself he taught me those lessons. And one of them was this: Your past only exists to create your future. Every choice a man – or a woman – makes in his or her life, they make it for a day they haven't yet lived. Sometimes they make choices for days they know they won't live to see. A thousand years ago a group of humans left their only safe-haven for the far-off mysteries of the unknown world, hoping only to be safe for one more day. A hundred years ago a man left his homeland in search of prosperity for his child who was soon to be born. A few months back a man and his family left their world behind for a mysterious new place, where now they work the land in hopes that in the seasons to come something good will grow. All of them are the same story, Isidor. The story of my blood is of risk, and change, and hope for the future, and it's told just by me being here today. It's the story of my children's blood now, and their children, too. No matter what any of us do, the blood of the first Arathi people will always be a part of us. Even when our stories are long forgotten, what ties me to my ancestors is that I've existed at all. It means they've succeeded in some tiny way.

"If I became a worgen tomorrow that could never take away what gives my blood its meaning. Nothing can change my sixty years as a Westfall man, or turn me into anything but the grandson of an Arathi man, or disappear a thousand years of Arathi men and women that lived and died as part of my story. As long as I was, I am."

He reaches for his glass once more and takes a long, long drink then. When he sets his empty cup on the table once more he very quietly chuckles, humbled and embarrassed at having said so much. "And what I am is very thirsty, because I don't think I've spoken that much at once in years."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

After the relaxed approval moving around the table, Lawrence's outburst catches Viatorus off guard (again) and he flinches. Isidor, however, expected some kind of reaction, but she reflexively stiffens and straightens at the aggressiveness, affording him a side glance but nothing more.

She listens to Hardtman's story as carefully as any tale of her own family history. Lineage is important and she will give it every respect she would give another noble family. Perhaps even more. When he finishes she smiles politely and dips her head in thanks and understanding.

"Our family line was born from the union of a family descended from a great dragon and another blessed by the goddess they worshipped with great power and knowledge. This union brought together the power and principles that made our family what it is today." She's silent for a moment. "If I were to look to become another being, another species, I can't help but feel that would be disrespectful to the people who came before me. They all worked to make our family something to they felt they could be proud, or even prouder, of. To take such a firm step away from them would feel like I was saying the bloodline wasn't good enough for me, or that I wasn't proud of the heritage they left me."

She glances to Viatorus who is staying particularly quiet, making efforts to pick at his remaining food in order to avoid participation in the conversation. Realising his discomfort, she puts on her smile again and turns it back to Hardtman. "There is a difference between a family linked by blood and one linked by deeds of course."

[weathering_it]

A dragon! Well that wows most gathered, especially Mrs. Weatherhill, who clasps her hands together excitedly. When Isidor is quiet Hardtman nods in understanding, though also with some small amount of disappointment. Perhaps he and Isidor aren't going to see eye to eye on this, but he accepts it.

Lawrence picks up his silverware only to set it down with forced composure. He leans back, laughing like Isidor just has the most interesting small talk in the world, and with a smile jokes, "If that's what you feel about being a worgen, I can't imagine how you'd feel if you wound up undead."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Respect is all she asks for. That she and Hardtman both seem to have an understanding when it comes to their opinions is a good start. It's more than she has with most of the people she dines with.

That small victory is short lived, however, with Lawrence's sly remark. For a moment she's tempted to pardon her brother and herself, making some excuse for their sudden departure. But she's faced worse, she reminds herself. She endures Poenia's company on a semi-regular basis, after all. Her lips press into a thin line and she pulls a smile. A thousand answers race through her head, but she settles on, "Complicated, I would imagine."

[weathering_it]

Lawrence throws his head back and barks one loud laugh. He wags a mechanical finger at her like she's just told a fantastic joke, and he begins to say something, but before he gets farther than "I'd have thought –" Tamminy makes a loud sound with her silverware and blurts out, "Dessert!"

Lawrence closes his mouth and looks at her as she motions to the boxes the Durants brought with them. "You all just reminded me, we've got dessert still! I've been absolutely dying to find out what's in those boxes. Gnomish curiosity, you know!" She laughs, just a smidge manic about it, and waves between Isidor and the boxes.

"Is it time? Can we have some? And then maybe we can play some music! Lawrence, you should show everyone how good you are with the violin! If you want to go get all the instruments I'd be glad to go with?"

Tamminy, wise woman that she is, has distracted him, at least for now. He hasn't forgotten, of course, because his reply takes some deliberation, but at the very least she's bought him a moment to reconsider making a total prick out of himself in front of family and friends. He rises from his seat, but just as Tamminy turns to follow him he turns back to the group.

"Wait a minute," he says, holding out a hand for Tamminy to pause. "If I'm going to bring the instruments I should have someone tall to help me out. No offense, Tams. How about..." He scans the crowd and finally lands on... "Viatorus? Why don't you come with? Everything's right inside the tower, and nothing's too heavy. Just gonna need you to be careful with the strings."

The change of plans leaves Tamminy slightly anxious, but she at least must not think Lawrence will do Viatorus any harm, because she accepts it all with nothing more than a half-hearted wave and a return to the possibility of desserts.

[heirtothearcane]

With the growing tension Isidor had been preparing herself for a sharp remark in return when Tamminy intervenes. Quietly grateful for the distraction, she lets go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She's happy to turn her attention to helping with desserts and clearing the table. Just when she thought Lawrence was leaving, he has to go and ask for Viatorus' help and once more she finds her muscles tense.

The dreamwalker jumps and glances over to meet his sister's gaze for a split second, enough to see her uncertainty but no outright protest. Then he looks back to Lawrence and nods, awkwardly clambering out of his seat and trotting over to follow the man. "Yes, yes of course. I'm, um, I'm happy to help."

[weathering_it]

Viatorus' compliance is, despite his cooperative personality, still somewhat unexpected. Seeing him approach softens Lawrence's expression, and when he's close enough he guides him to the tower with a metal hand lightly resting on his shoulder.

He doesn't speak until the magical gateway of the castle opens up to envelop them. Dramatic as the entrance is, it's still the same old castle inside, aside from the smallest details -- shoes, drawings -- that mark the presence of its new humans.

"You're an okay kid," he says. It's his own attempt to clear the air right off the bat. "Quiet, but not bad. I can see why you're friends with my brother."

With his hand still on Viatorus' shoulder he leads them to what passes for a living room in Naugus' castle. There's an uncomfortable-looking stone throne currently covered in pillows, and many more pillows and bedrolls laid out around the room. No doubt this is where the family does their sleeping, all dozen of them and a baby together in a room. In the corner are the instruments Lawrence had hinted at: a violin, a banjo, a guitar all resting quietly against a wall.

Lawrence frees Viatorus from his touch and waves him over to the instruments, but before he picks them up he blocks the way and looks his brother's friend in the face.

"I got somethin' serious to talk to you about, though, if you think you're ready to hear it. I wanna ask you something, and I want you to be honest, if you can." That statement sits for a breath or two before Lawrence finally asks, "This person my brother is interested in... Do you have any idea who they are?"

[heirtothearcane]

Watching her brother walk away with a man who doesn't seem all that stable makes Isidor's stomach clench, but now is not the time to be the overprotective sister. Pushing down the sick feeling in her stomach, she smiles and turns to the remaining Weatherhill's to help them clear the table and set out dessert.

It feels strange to have a near stranger hold him by the shoulder and talk to him with such familiarity. Then again, Lawrence does resemble Harrowheart a little, in the way he looks and speaks. So perhaps he's not that much of a stranger.

He smiles and nods his thanks at Lawrence's compliment, but tries to look attentive and serious for Lawrence's serious question. It's not one he expected and he blinks a few times. "Oh." He blinks some more and looks away, embarrassment sneaking onto his face. "No, actually. I-I-I feel a little bad, really. I've been so... wrapped up in my own troubles with... um, with, uh, relationships, that I never thought to ask Harrowheart about how he's doing with them. I'm... I'm, um, not very good at asking about that sort of thing anyway," he admits sheepishly.

He looks at Lawrence and then turns his gaze around the room as he thinks. "Dark hair and a powerful mage... I suppose there's my sister and I. There's... also a mage named Felix and his brother... Stra... Stratos, I think? I can't remember. My sister's always been a little better at remembering people's names. I know they're mages, and I think they have dark hair too? I... I can't think of anyone else."

This time there's concern in his eyes when he looks back to Lawrence. "Do you have to give them a message? Like my sister had to give to... to people who... who hoped to be more than friends?"

[weathering_it]

Viatorus mentions his sister and himself and Lawrence's head crooks closer, eyes wide. Aaaand then he goes listing off strange names and Lawrence's eyes have already glazed over. He only barely shakes himself awake when he realizes Viatorus is asking him a question, and still he has to piece it back together retroactively.

"Huh? Uh, sure. Sure. Whatever weird shit you people do, yeah, uh, us too." Though the more he thinks about it the more it comes together. This boy is utterly clueless in matters of love and his harpy of a sister swoops in to 'give a message to' all prospective lovers... It's probably for the best that he brought him someplace private to divulge this coming secret.

He takes Viatorus by the shoulder and lowers his head to be on level with him. "My brother might look strong, but I wanna tell you something right off the bat: He's a delicate guy inside. He cries a lot – basically about everything, all the time – and he especially doesn't handle rejection well. He takes it way too personally. So when I heard he was interested in someone, I knew I had to look out for him. Right? I mean, I might be a shit human being, but I try to be a decent older brother. And that means keeping my brother from getting hurt too bad. And that means when I find out he's interested in someone, I need to step in and make sure that when he finally gets up the nerve to ask them out they're ready to let him down in a delicate way. Because, I mean... He's my brother, and I love him, but I know he's kind of in a... Unique sort of... Situation. He's not something most folks are interested in, and I get that, but I just don't want him to have to hear that from the person he's got feelings for. I don't want him to spring his emotions on someone and get dumped harsh in the heat of the moment. That makes sense, right?..."

He dabs the back of his human hand against his forehead and stops for a breather. He's rambling, but the idea of cutting to the chase feels so strangely uncomfortable. There are too many sordid facts to sort out when dealing with reality. Nevertheless, stalling isn't going to solve this. He's just going to have to say it.

"What I'm trying to avoid saying is... Viatorus... You realize the person he's in love with... Is you?"

[heirtothearcane]

Love is an awkward enough topic without speculating on your friend's love life, but Lawrence does seem entirely earnest in his questions and concern. It doesn't make it any more comfortable as the older man shares his experiences of his brother that feel so private. Viatorus finds himself trying not to squirm as he feels more and more rude for listening to all of this. He finds himself desperately wishing Isidor was here instead of him. Even moreso a second later.

Viatorus' face drops, cheeks flushing bright red and eyes going wide. "No!" He yelps suddenly. Lawrence must be wrong. He must be. "H-H-He can't! He doesn't! He can't! I-I-It's not like that! I'm engaged! He's met my fiancée!"

[weathering_it]

"You're engaged?! Lawrence asks it so fast he nearly chokes on the words. That little fact is surprising for so many reasons. He leans back and eyes Viatorus in disbelief, accepts it as a fact no matter how improbable, and turns away with a scowl.

"I can't believe my rat bastard of a brother would go after an engaged man... He knows how I feel about that! I don't care if he's got the strength of a horny orc, I'm gonna whoop his ass next time I see him."

His monologue of vengeance over he returns his attention to Viatorus. Now both of his hands are on his his shoulders and he squares him up to keep looking him in the face.

"So he knows you're engaged and he's still crazy bout you? That makes this way harder. Do you think if you started to show your fiancée a ton of affection he might get the hint? Or would he, I don't know, go wild with jealousy and axe-murder her? I feel like you know him better than me when it comes to that stuff."

[heirtothearcane]

"He-He's not crazy about me, he... He said he liked Runa, m-my fiancée, I mean. He... He's glad we're together." Even with all his protests and initial certainty, he starts to feel more and more unsure. When others had affections for him he'd been clueless, oblivious to all the warning signs that others seemed to pick out so easily.

He rubs the back of his head and then grasps a clump of his own hair as if it might help him think. "This isn't right. I... I'm sure he's not in love with me... I think." Viatorus looks at Lawrence, brow furrowed with worry. "Isidor would have talked to him about it if she even suspected. She'd know. She always knows. And she'd... sort it out."

[weathering_it]

Lawrence looks toward the door, brow furrowed in thought. He mumbles understand his breath, "Isidor would have known, and she would have set him straight?..."

That's when his eyebrows rise and he even gasps at his realization. "That's why she's been such a bitch about him all night, isn't it? Using a name he hates, talking about how being a worgen is dishonorable, being all cagey about undeath. Shit, it all makes sense... She knows he wants to take you to pound town and she hates him for it. I'd say she's probably jealous if she wasn't clearly a lesbian."

He rubs at his chin, scratches his beard, and it seems to work to bring more thoughts to the surface of his mind. "I gotta talk to her now, tell her that this whole thing she's upset about is definitely not happening. Fuck, I don't wanna be alone with her! But I can't do it in public..."

His scheming eyes take in the sight of Viatorus as he cooks up a plan. "Okay. Go back out there and tell your sister that your noodly little arms couldn't carry the instruments. Make her come in here and help me out, and I'll have a chat with her. We'll figure out how to let my brother down easy and save you and your fiancée from a gravedigger three-way, don't worry..."

Before Viatorus has a chance to go Lawrence gasps again. "Oh! Shit, tell her to bring me some dessert before Robin eats it all, too."

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus nods along with Lawrence's initial realisation, certain that is how things would play out, if they hadn't already. The second part, however, is not met with such agreement. He flinches, frowning as Lawrence calls her a bitch, and tries to form some sort of protest. "W-W-Well... N-N-I w-wouldn't say..." The term pound town hits him like a smack in the face and he blinks, too stunned to properly react with anything other than bewilderment at the idea of his sister being a lesbian. "But Durants can't be..."

His soft words are a faint backdrop to Lawrence's rambling and planning. Despite his meagre attempts to add his own thoughts to the conversation, he jumps when Lawrence gives him instructions. Confused as he is, he starts walking to the door, pauses, and then walks back. "But, um, I was just going to use magic to help you carry the instruments."

[weathering_it]

"Durants can't be what? Lesbians? Buddy, we're currently hashing out how to save you from carnal relations with a corpse. Do you really think two human women getting wet and wild is as out-there as it gets? Sexual attraction doesn't play by the rules! If it did do you think I'd be banging my doctor? No! I'd be going to bed lonely dreaming of lights-on sex with a human woman in the missionary position for the purpose of procreation, and I'd probably blow my brains out from how boring it got. Expand your mind, little man! If not for your sake then at least for your fiancée's. Light."

He turns away, sighs, and starts to massage his forehead to polish a few errant thoughts into an actual plan here. "Light, and don't be so fucking helpful. I'll use my magic to carry the instruments... When a person is trying to lie to concoct a plan, you need to roll with it. Did Harrowheart not teach you this?" He side-eyes Viatorus skeptically and eventually heaves a huge sigh. He grabs him by the wrist and drags him toward the door which splits open as they arrive.

"HEY, ISIDOR!" Lawrence shouts, "I GOT IN A CRAZY FIGHT WITH YOUR BROTHER AND YOU NEED TO COME REAM ME FOR IT! ALSO, BRING ME A DESSERT!"

He pushes Viatorus out of the castle, then winks at him and whispers, "That was a lie. I'm saving your ass – literally. Just roll with it!"

[heirtothedragonsfire]

At some point after he turns the shade of a red rose, Lawrence will probably see Viatorus' mind start to struggle to keep up with all of this... bluntness. He is at an utter loss to react to what Lawrence says, let alone respond articulately. So he lets himself get dragged to the door and thrown outside while Lawrence seals his death sentence fate. All he can do is cast a forlorn look at the man behind him and then turn to see Isidor striding towards him at full speed.

"U-Um, aren't you going to get him a dessert?" He asks meekly.

"Nope." She doesn't tear her gaze off of the castle door even for a second. And yes, she remembers how seriously Harrowheart takes food and she sorely hopes Lawrence is the same. Isidor arrives, dessert-less, and locks Lawrence with a glare. She approaches slowly, her voice a low growl. "I am trying to be courteous and respectful to your family, but if you think for one second that I will allow you to hurt my brother in any way you are sorely mistaken."

[weathering_it]

Under any other circumstances a mage charging after him on a mission to end his pitiful existence might scare him... Or not, come to think of it. He hasn't got much to lose when it comes right down to it. Still, he's privy to enough facts of this situation to keep calm under the pressure. There's an anti-violence field (allegedly) that should keep him safe, and he never actually hurt Viatorus – not physically, anyway – and to top it all off this woman is supposedly his brother's friend, so she's not likely to do much more than shout at him. And how bad could that be? He's been screamed at by enough women to know how to handle that. So, in light of all of this, Lawrence remains tiredly uninterested as Isidor approaches. He starts to ask something but Viatorus beats him to the punch. Dessert! It's not there! What gives? He tisks and rolls his eyes, then cups his hands around his mouth to holler at his family.

"Hey Tams, save me some dessert!"

With a pleasant smile and a wave she shouts back, "No promises!"

Lawrence levels a disappointed look at Isidor, takes a deep breath, heaves a massive sigh, and waves her into the castle. She can follow or not, but he has the feeling she'll be right behind him.

"I didn't hurt your brother, I just knew it'd get your attention. You and I gotta have a serious talk about my brother's 'mysterious,'" heavy airquotes, "Affections. I didn't wanna embarrass you in front of the family. So drop your attitude, if that's even possible. Go sit in Ixis Naugus' weird rock throne if it makes your dick feel big. We're having a chat."