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]

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."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Isidor isn't letting him go anywhere without him. She glares at him as he yells his request for dessert and is hot on his heels when he returns inside the tower.

Starting the conversation off with admitting to lying and then bluntly bringing up the topic that has had her on edge all through dinner... is not the way she'd hoped this would begin. Isidor folds her arms disapprovingly but doesn't move from her spot.

Hoping that Lawrence is as clueless as she thinks, she responds with a bite to her words. "A chat. About what? Your brother's 'affection's are his business. I don't see why you want to talk to me about it."

[weathering_it]

Lawrence plucks at one of his eyebrows while he tries to keep his calm. His chest hurts from fighting to repress the urge to call her out here – an urge which he eventually loses. "Weird, because your brother just got done telling me you're his official cock-blocker. But the rules are different for you than for everyone else, right? That's the vibe I get from the way you acted at dinner."

He flicks his wrist in the bitchiest way possible, shooing away the argument and (some of) his negativity in one flip of the wrist. "Anyway. I brought you in here because I thought you might be interested in knowing that my brother – who you clearly have nothing but contempt for – is crazy in love with... Your brother."

And now to stand back and hide his expression as he enjoys her inevitable shock!

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Her grip on her own arms tighten. Just as well she folded them, it helps with the urge to summon a fistful of fire. Now more than ever she can see the resemblance to Harrowheart. Clearly it's Weatherhill boys who know just how to rub her up the wrong way.

Just when she's sure he's about to infuriate her even more... He tells her about Harrowheart's affections for her brother. She stands, stunner for a whole half a second, and then laughs. Loudly. The kind of laugh that starts with a forceful burst and ends up with her needing to put one hand on her stomach, the other on her hip.

She grins broadly at Lawrence. "Peter isn't in love with Viatorus. Believe me, if he were I would know, and we wouldn't be here."

[weathering_it]

Anger, scorn, even avoidance, those are things Lawrence can handle no problem at all. But now she's laughing at him, and it pisses him right off instantly. He stands straight – even leans back just a hair – and grits his teeth. She thinks this is funny?! His nostrils flare and his mechanical fist grinds as it clenches to its limits.

But then. Then.

"Why do you keep calling him that?!" he shouts, throwing his arm and open palm off in another direction as if to point to someone who isn't here. He brings his arm back and points an accusatory metal finger at her, then hisses through his teeth, "You can laugh at me, you could talk shit about me if you wanted, and I could sit by with my mouth MOSTLY shut about that, but I am NOT gonna stand around and listen to you call my brother by a name he hates one more time! It's bad enough his own family doesn't respect him enough to call him by the name he chose, but now his friends don't either?!"

His hand clenches into a fist and he drops it to his side. "I'm not gonna let you deny him all the things he is, no matter how dishonorable you think they are. I don't want to hear how it's so distasteful to civilized blood to be a filthy worgen, and how being undead might as well mean he's not part of the family anymore. I shouldn't even have let you say it in the first place, and I regret not standing up for him earlier, but SOMEHOW he considers you his friend and I didn't wanna get in the way of that. And here you are. Laughing and talking about how easy he'd be to throw out of your life."

He stops himself to breathe, winded by his shouting and red in the face. He can't go on screaming, as much as he wishes he could. Instead he glares at her bitterly and wonders aloud, "Why the fuck did he invite you, anyway? Someone so... fucking contemptuous of everything he is? Was it pity for you? Guilt? Or doesn't he know how much you disrespect him when he's not around?"

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Considering Lawrence's track record, Isidor isn't surprised that her amusement makes him so angry. She can hardly help it. The idea of Harrowheart loving her brother is laughable. Viatorus (apparently) catches the eye of plenty of people, but Harrowheart is certainly not one of them. What she doesn't expect is for Lawrence to rage at her for a completely different thing.

She looks as stunned as she feels. It's a slap in the face that she hadn't prepared herself for. Slowly her own anger begins to build again and a frown forms on her brow. She's ready to protest, to counter his arguments with her own, but he doesn't give her the chance. He roars and growls and by the time he's finished her fury has circled back around to a low, intense fire.

Isidor glares at him with her chin tilted up ever so slightly, her hands long since having dropped to her side and her shoulders back. When in doubt she must remember: She is a Durant. Her voice is low and risks trembling. Each word is spoken with a sharp edge, and a fire that forces her to speak slowly or risk breaking the thin veneer of calm. "You know nothing about me, or my brother. Nothing about what we think or what we have endured with your brother. So instead of making a fool out of yourself and insulting me by twisting my words maybe you should stop speaking."

"I have done everything I can to try and be respectful to your family. It was your family who asked me to use his name, my duty as a good guest to oblige. It was out of respect I didn't lie to your family, or treat them like glass fools. And it was you who was crass. You who attacked me." She takes a moment to check her anger, tone becoming a hint authoritative. "Now. I am going to go outside and sit down, smile, and then after dessert Viatorus and I will leave. You can stay here, or come outside, sit, and stay quiet until we leave. Do we understand each other?"

[weathering_it]

He listens as she talks, still fixing her with a bitter stare all the while. His eyes dart around her face, observing her but also certainly scheming up his reply. Finally Lawrence scoffs, a half-laugh despite it all.

"You're going to give me orders?" It's almost funny. Almost. "No, we are going to carry the instruments outside so everyone can enjoy the music they're looking forward to, I'll play the violin for everyone who's waiting, and then I'm coming back in here. You can stay out there with them all night for all I care, but before we go I'm setting a few things straight."

This time when he gestures it's without the wild anger. He points a stiff hand toward the doorway and says, "My family has no respect for my brother. Even if they think they do, they don't. They want reality to be something it's not. They want him to be some fake idea of what he should be that they've cooked up in their heads. And maybe I'm a cynical mother fucker, but I'm not going to buy into their shit, and I don't like watching his so-called friends buy into it either. Tonight you had a choice of who to side with, and as far as I'm concerned? You picked wrong."

For once since he called her to the castle his body language and his tone relax. "Now," he says, his voice soft and casual. "I don't like your whole..." He motions vaguely to her. "You. Everything about you is what we grew up distrusting. Rich folks, foreigners, over-educated, you name it. But I'm gonna go out on a wild limb here and guess that you and my brother have already had this conversation. Pretty often, I bet, because I heard Anna bitching him out about disrespecting his rich friends at least once. Despite everything that I will always dislike about you two, my brother cares for the both of you. He talks about you both constantly. And one of you – and you're saying it is not Viatorus – he describes as the kind of person he wants to tell his secrets to. You might not know him well enough to know, but for my brother? That's huge. He trusts you to defend him when he's not around to defend himself. He sees something in the two of you that makes him want to love and be loved in return. And you're implying to me that you care about him in some way, too. Now, I see no evidence of that, but I will try – try – to take you at your word and assume I was wrong in every way about who you are and the nature of your relationship with my brother. On one condition."

He nods his head in the direction of the door. "After you walk out that door, decide whose side you're going to be on. You can either go back to doing what makes the family happy, or you can do what would make him happy. Call him by the name you know he'd want to hear even if everyone cringes when you do it. Stand up for him even if you think other people don't want you to. Because that's what friends do. And if you can do that even once I'll let him know that dinner went great, and I'll even tell him I was the asshole who blew his top for no reason, which I'm sure he'll believe. But if you can't do that, I'll tell him what I feel I saw tonight and we'll see what he decides from there. Now do we understand each other?"

[heirtothedragonsfire]

She scoffs in disbelief. "You're threatening me?" Then she suddenly takes a step towards him, rising to his challenges. She narrows her eyes and clenches her jaw. "I am not going to be treated like some puppet by an insolent bully."

"I am doing what I think is best, and I am not going to get caught up in your family feuds," she snaps. Gods, she wants nothing more than to challenge him on the spot. To defend her family's honour and her own pride. Instead her nails dig into her palms as her hands ball into tight fists. "I will not be punished for your prejudice, or because your brother didn't have the courtesy to tell us what to expect or how to navigate it."

Her eyes slide to the instruments and then narrow at Lawrence. "And I will not help you after how you've acted." She straightens and nods ever so slightly at him. "Now. I should return to my hosts." And then she'll turn and head for the door. She's well practiced in turning expressions of loathing into publicly acceptable smiles, but even this takes effort.

[weathering_it]

He tried – in his opinion – to be calm, and still she acts like this? More than anything it stuns him. He blinks hard when she comes back at him with such a bite and he listens in quiet, lingering surprise until the end.

There's a Hell of a lot he wants to say, but as she leaves he simply watches her with narrowed eyes. If he didn't like her before he certainly doesn't like her now. Everyone else be damned, there's no way he's going back out there with her. He's staying in that castle as long as the Durants are on the grounds. Probably for the best worst; it gives him more time to consider how he wants to retell this story to his brother.

Outside, the Weatherhills await Isidor's return anxiously. As soon as she's in sight Anna hops up from her seat and hurries over with a worried smile. She puts a hand on Isidor's lower back as they walk and whispers quickly, "I hope he wasn't too much of a prick. Everyone could hear him yelling, but nobody could hear what he was saying. Whatever it was, we're all on your side, don't worry. He's always doing things like that. He's desperate for attention. Please don't let it ruin your night or how you feel about us..."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

Despite the Weatherhills already being aware of the conflict Isidor smiles, standing tall and speaking calmly. It's as if the more people are watching the easier it is to put on the face of the eternally strong, continuously controlled Durant. "Don't worry, Anna," she says, equally quiet. "I understand how family is... but I'm afraid he seems to have lost his desire to play music."

Viatorus is as relieved to see Isidor emerge as Anna is, even if part of him can't help but be anxious. After all, until Lawrence emerges he can only hope his sister didn't cast anything. It doesn't seem like it, though, and surely his sister wouldn't be so rude, so he tries to relax.

Upon opening the desserts the Weatherhills will have discovered that they consist of one large strawberry pie and a box full of cinnamon rolls. All freshly baked, although they're not perfect in the way most store bought things are.

[weathering_it]

Lawrence not wanting to play music was a foregone conclusion the minute they heard him shouting, so Isidor's announcement doesn't surprise them. What does is the final revelation of the desserts. There are a few whispered 'Ooohs' and a whole lot of smiling leveled on the Durants.

"Did you conjure these yourselves?" Odilia asks, taking a cinnamon bun to inspect it from all angles. She giggles after she sniffs it and sets it down to look between the siblings again. "It's been a long time since we've had conjured buns!"

Once Hardtman has taken a bun for himself Anna takes it upon herself to pass the rest out. Isidor and Viatorus get theirs first, and then the box is passed around the table for everyone else to take their own. Some forgo rolls in favor of pie, and so there's enough to go around. The only one who doesn't take anything at all is Tamminy, who smiles guiltily at Isidor before she slips off her place at the bench and heads for the tower. No doubt she's going to exchange some words with Lawrence behind the scenes.

[heirtothearcane]

Isidor and Viatorus share a look of confusion, but Isidor soon smiles apologetically at Odilia. "We don't know how to conjure food."

"Runa, m-my fiancée, made them," Viatorus explains after thanking Anna for the roll. "She likes to bake and she insisted. Um, she thought you'd like it better than if it was bought from a store." He lifts a half curled hand to preemptively placate any issues. "B-B-But don't think you have to eat it if you don't like it."

Really, it's not bad dessert, but he can't help but worry. After trying enough of her baking maybe he'll learn to have more faith.

[weathering_it]

Don't have to eat it? Don't like it? Viatorus, you're already way behind. The Weatherhills hardly wait for the food to be passed out before they're digging in and very openly enjoying themselves. Nobody wants to talk around full mouths, but Anna is willing to pause in her eating to speak – if only for a moment.

"I've never heard of mages who don't conjure food! That's what they're most famous for on Azeroth. Fire, ice, arcane... And sweet rolls." She laughs and shrugs playfully. "I'm sure even Khadgar gets asked to conjure cakes. And I'm sure they're sublime! If either of you ever go to Azeroth you're going to have to learn the spells for sure."

Mrs. Weatherhill adds, "And Ms. Runa will certainly have to come over to bake with us some day! Being able to buy anything we want is so convenient, but I miss baking shortbreads and pies. You know, when Peter was growing up he loved to be in the kitchen with me no matter what I was making, but especially if I was baking. I think at first it was his excuse to eat the dough, but he really learned to love to cook. In fact, he made us all something very interesting the other day! What was it called?"

She looks to her husband, who, after thinking for a moment or two, calls it, "Pizza. A piece of bread with tomato stew on the top, and cheese baked over that, and vegetables and meat to top it all off. He said it was an Earth food. Sharing it with us was part of his adventure in teaching us about your world. He really seems to like it. Says more than anything he'd like to go back." A little smile crosses his features as he says, "He's joked a few times that he might try to replace one of the cooks in your kitchen."

"Or become Isidor's butler," Anna says with a laugh.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

"Viatorus able to conjure his own food, now that would be the day," Isidor says with a playful smirk. "He nearly burned his apartment down making toast once."

Viatorus wrinkles his nose up at his sister's joke and focuses instead on Odilia. "I think she'd love that. Runa, I mean. Coming over to cook. Not Isidor having Harrowheart as a butler- Not that she wouldn't like him as a butler. I-I-I'm sure he'd be a great butler. Not that I mean to say h-he's like a servant-."

"V? Breathe." Isidor's mouth is still quirked into a smile but she speaks softly to interrupt her brother. Then she looks back to Odilia. "He mentioned cooking before, but I admit I'm impressed to hear he made pizza. I don't think that's easy to home cook without the right oven."

[weathering_it]

Jokes about burning houses down go over... Quietly. Matt laughs awkwardly, but he's the only one who does.

Somehow Viatorus' scrambling and stuttering is what saves the conversation this time. Sure, some people's lips tighten at the use of the wrong name for their son and brother, but the disapproval is there and gone again in a flash.

"I knew what you meant, dear," Odilia says softly in an effort to comfort him. "We'll all be looking forward to the day we get to meet your fiancée. And of course you know the two of you are welcome back any time you'd like and for any reason, whether Peter is here or not. I've always found that when life gets tough working in the garden has a powerful way of clearing my mind. We've always got an extra pair of gloves waiting for someone who needs them."

[heirtothearcane]

"Thank you." Viatorus smiles meekly at Odilia's reassurance, glad that he managed to avoid offending anyone and avoid any more raised voices.

His sister, having figured out why the table went quiet as the grave at her small jab, is eager to encourage the return to easy conversation. She looks around with a smile. "You've done a wonderful job here. It looks very well organised and very well kept."

[weathering_it]

Hardtman especially is proud to hear Isidor compliment the work they've done on the grounds, though everyone accepts it with humble smiles or gracious nods.

"You're both quite kind, aren't you?" he says, still smiling. "You've been such good guests tonight. It's been a real pleasure having you both. I'd say you ought to stay a while and sing some songs with us, but maybe tonight isn't the night. Another time, I think. A good excuse to return."

He isn't going to outright tell his guests to leave, but the sun is low and darkness is setting in. The dishes need to be done and the family needs to sleep before another long day of work.

[heirtothearcane]

"You've been exceptionally gracious hosts," Isidor returns with a dip of her head. She rises to her feet and Viatorus follows suit with a smile and a more enthusiastic nod. "We all have work in the morning, so we won't keep you from your beds."

"I hope we meet again soon," Viatorus adds. Though preferably with a Harrowheart to keep everything running smoothly.

Once they've untangled themselves from the table and their seats, Isidor smiles and offers Hardtman a hand to shake. "It's been very good to meet you."

[weathering_it]

Hardtman moves as if to take Isidor's hand but instead pushes himself up from the table. He stands for a moment, smiling at her, and then he spreads his arms. He hugs her gently, a friendly embrace with no more intimacy than a new acquaintance would be comfortable with, though it might be a very personal gesture for a Durant.

"I warned you that might happen," he says, smiling warmly as he pulls away. He pats her shoulder and gives her one last thoughtful look before his final nod of both approval and goodbye.