The Magic Guild, Meribia, and the Seas: Farewells

[gorgonfondness]

Mia takes a moment to check over her bag one more time, making sure she's got all the necessary papers for the Magic Guild as well as clothes and toiletries for the week. This includes some outfits for Scorpius and Kaworu so that they fit in a bit more seamlessly.

She finds something in her bag that she most definitely didn't pack: a green teddy bear.

"Cepheus?" she calls. "Cepheus, did you put your bear in Mama's bag?"

He toddles into his parents' room, sippy cup of pumpkin juice in hand and nude except for his diaper, and goes, "Beaw, Mama?"

"Yes, I've got your bear," she says, handing it back to him. "And did you take your clothes off again? Scorpius and Kaworu will be here soon."

"Scowpus an' Kawoo?" he repeats, bobbing a bit.

"Yes honey, Scorpius and Kaworu."

Cepheus toddles out of the room in excitement, calling, "Daddy! Daddy! Scowpus an' Kawoo!"

Mia smiles as she watches her son leave the room, checking through her bag to see if he stuck anything else in her bag.

Comments

[creationofwill]

Well, there are no bumps in this arrival. Kaworu's heard many things about how an entrance or an exit from the bar can be.... quaint, to say the least. He's not disappointed to find out that doesn't apply here at all.

Doorway into a hallway! Bye, bar. Kaworu's too distracted by the trip to think of it after he closes the door. He can hear Cepheus a little already! That is just fantastic.

And it's not like it's not obvious or something which one to knock on so he just goes ahead and does that right away.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia's quick to get the door with a bright smile. Cepheus is at her feet, drinking from his sippy cup, though he's smiling around the spout.

"Hello Kaworu," she greets, reaching to give him a quick hug. "Are you ready for the trip?"

[creationofwill]

"I hope so," he says. "I didn't really know what to bring."

He never does, even if he's told every single necessity in detail. Kaworu just can't keep track of things like that.

His duffel bag is really clothes and that's it. well, a book , Ceph?" two. Always need that.

"You excited, Ceph?" he asks, kneeling down to smile at him.

[gorgonfondness]

"Just whatever you might need when you're away for a week," she says.

"Yah Kawoo!" Cepheus says in answer to Kaworu's question, bobbing a little again.

"Cepheus is going to have a boys' week with Daddy, aren't you?"

[creationofwill]

"What's a boy's week?"

Kaworu looks completely blank at the term.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia shrugs.

"I'm not a boy so I wouldn't know exactly. I suppose it's opposite yet equal to a girls' week. But it mostly means that Draco and Cepheus will be spending the week together without me interfering with my girliness."

She gestures into her apartment with Cepheus toddling back in.

"Do come in. I've got a sitting area in here and I've just about finished packing my bag. By the way, did you happen to see Scorpius on his way yet?"

[alsoagreengrass]

"Here I am," Scorpius meekly announces from the doorway.

"Sorry, I, uhm - I completely forgot until coming here that I owed Cepheus a present still. From his, er, birthday? And so I stopped to do that and, er - Right."

He holds the said present in hand. A plush toy broom, fashioned from magic and not meant for any sort of flying, only cuddling.

"Hi."

[gorgonfondness]

"Hi!" Cepheus says toddling back to the door and reaching either for Scorpius or the plush broom. "Hi, Bahdah, hi!"

"Hello, Scorpius," Mia says with a bright smile and a one-armed hug.

And then, gesturing with her free hand, she makes the necessary introductions.

"Scorpius, Kaworu Nagisa. Kaworu, Scorpius Malfoy."

[alsoagreengrass]

Returning Mia's hug, Scorpius then scoops Cepheus up into his arms, gifting him the plush broom as he does so.

"Er, uhm. Hi, er - Hullo, Kaworu," he says, greeting the other boy.

[creationofwill]

Did Kaworu get Cepheus anything for his birthday? He can't remember. That's just as bad as not doing anything at all, so he feels really great by comparison here.

"Hello," he says, "Scorpius."

Kaworu has his absolute best poker face.

[gorgonfondness]

Cepheus, meanwhile, is hugging Scorpius, the plush broom, and his sippy cup all at the same time. Mia takes a moment to take the sippy cup from her baby.

"So, I've got some clothes for the both of you," she says. "To make you fit in a bit better and avoid what might be some odd questions. Though I doubt anyone will say anything about what you both have on now."

"Mama, godda boom!" Cepheus tells Mia with delight.

"You've got a broom?" Mia asks with exaggerated surprise. "Well we should go show Nana, shouldn't we?"

"Yah!" he answers back.

"And the sooner we get him to Nana, the sooner we can be on our way to Meribia and our ship."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Oh! Right, er - "

Scorpius returns Cepheus to the floor with an affectionate mussing-up of his hair.

"We'll see you when we're back, then? Go on and show Nana your broom."

[creationofwill]

Clothes affect how someone is perceived? Well, Kaworu supposes so. It's not something he even knew to think about so it's a lucky coincidence if he's just fine.

"Will it be very hard to get there?" He doesn't know very much about this either. He doesn't like not knowing very much.

[gorgonfondness]

"Oh no. Mother lives here in the Magic Guild Mansion. We'll just have to go downstairs and down the hall to get there. After that, we'll be going to harbor in Meribia to board our boat. Though if either of you would like to pick up some last minute supplies in Meribia, I wouldn't mind stopping at some shops."

Mia grabs her bag and rejoins Scorpius at the door.

Cepheus walks over to Kaworu, dragging the plush broom in one hand and holding out his other.

"Hey, comeon," he says to Kaworu, ready to lead him. "Comeon!"

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius hardly knows much about this himself. He's been to Vane and the Magic Guild before, but it was new then and still seems new now.

(He's a little more comfortable with the not knowing something, though.)

"First visit?" he asks Kaworu when Cepheus starts acting the part of group guide.

[creationofwill]

Well, of course Kaworu accepts that hand immediately and easily. Cepheus is just not someone he can ever deny, no matter what.

"I haven't gone outside the Bar in over a year."

Even then it didn't really count.

[gorgonfondness]

Then it's good that both of them will have ample opportunity to explore.

"This will surely make up for that," Mia says, leading the group down the stairs. "We'll be seeing two continents and a good part of ocean and forests over the week."

Their pace is slow until they get to the bottom of the stairs, Cepheus taking his time down. Once they're in the hallway, though, they have to take off to catch up with the toddler.

"Nana!" he calls down the hall. "Nana!"

A door creaks open at the end of the hall and Cepheus is scooped up by Lemia Ausa.

[alsoagreengrass]

Lemia is someone Scorpius remembers, though he doesn't know her all that well. He offers her a shy wave as they approach.

"Have you been Bound?" he asks Kaworu quietly before they reach her. He's curious about the other boy.

A year is an awfully long time to be cooped up.

[creationofwill]

"Dead." Yes, that is easy for him to say. Kaworu is proud of becoming that way and will never think otherwise.

What is not so easy is dealing with strangers, even ones that are related to some of his most Important People. So he just hangs back and stays quiet from that point on.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia doesn't interrupt, letting Kaworu and Scorpius talk as well as keeping an eye on her baby. Though she'll likely have something to say to Kaworu about keeping quiet later.

"Nana, godda boom!" Cepheus tells Lemia.

"Scorpius brought it for him," Mia explains. "He and Kaworu are here."

Lemia looks on with a smile, though her expression briefly dims when she sees Kaworu and her hold on Cepheus more protective.

"Mother, it's okay," Mia says, catching the look. "He's not who you might think."

Lemia lets out a breath she didn't fully realize and says, "I'm sorry. My mind likes to play tricks on me."

[alsoagreengrass]

Dead? Right. Scorpius can handle that just fine.

There's nothing to handle, honestly. So Kaworu is dead. Scorpius won't treat him any different.

It's the feeling lost that makes him feel so -


Well. Lost.

He looks between Mia and her mother, then at Kaworu, wondering what he's missing.

[creationofwill]

But, see, it's that sort of thing that makes Kaworu reluctant about strangers! It isn't that he cares, not really. liar It's that the people he love care if he's taken wrong.

"I play nice, ma'am," he says. Let's try to have a carefree tone, okay? "No worlds get toppled under my watch."

Also, Scorpius totally gets points for not reacting to 'dead'. Kaworu sees reactions far too often and that's just annoying.

[gorgonfondness]

Lemia isn't exactly sure how to react to that.

"Kaworu is very sweet," Mia assures to her mother, not knowing or caring if that would embarrass him.

"Kawoo weet," Cepheus mimics.

The eldest Ausa looks over Kaworu again, reflecting the curiosity her daughter inherited.

"I really am sorry for my reaction," Lemia says. "It's not fitting for me to act that way towards a guest. And I'm sorry for not greeting you or Scorpius properly. It's good to see you again, Scorpius, and I am glad to meet you, Kaworu."

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius tears his Ravenclaw-curious gaze away from Kaworu about the same time that Lemia apologizes for her reaction.

"It's good to see you again too, Lemia," he says, focusing on her instead.

[creationofwill]

"I'm glad to meet you as well."

Actually, honestly, he has no idea if he is or not. But that's more according to how his brain looks at interactions than anything else. It's just something he'll never know about a lot of people.

"No need to apologize. It happens more often than you might think."

Except you're not supposed to say that, Kaworu!

[gorgonfondness]

Lemia would act on her gladness but has an armful of Cepheus, so she gives both boys a nod instead before turning her attention again to her grandson's broom.

"In any case, we just popped by to drop off Cepheus and should make our way to Meribia," Mia says. "Our ship won't wait for us forever."

"Of course. You take care of yourself. And I expect you boys to keep an eye on Mia."

Though this is a bit playful on Lemia's part. She knows just how strong her daughter is.

[alsoagreengrass]

"We could try to keep an eye on her, but I think mischief has a way of finding her. Or, uhm - She finds it? I don't know how it works exactly. Mischief could be running in the other direction with a high-pitched scream and Mia's chasing after it," Scorpius rambles, fiddling with the hems of his sleeves.

He's getting a bit nervous - in an excitedly anxious sort of way, that is - about the trip to Meribia. He's never been on a ship before.

[creationofwill]

Probably the best eye one could keep on Mia and mischief was deciding to film it for posterity. Clearly they have all learned the score.

"She will return in one piece."

That's the important thing, right? Right?

[gorgonfondness]

Mia softly giggles before giving Cepheus a kiss and getting one back from the toddler.

"Sounds like we've got some mischief to find. We'll return in about a week."

She then moves to lead the boys out of the Magic Guild, hopefully without the word Goodbye being used. Otherwise Cepheus will know what's going on and make a fuss.

"Is there anything we need in the city? Maybe something to ward off seasickness?"

[alsoagreengrass]

Scorpius doesn't think he'll be needing anything for seasickness - he doesn't even know if he gets seasick - so he merely shrugs and looks at Kaworu. Do the dead get seasick?

[creationofwill]

"Not for me."

Kaworu just does not get sick anywhere. Unless it has to do with medication.

But he likes to pretend that doesn't actually count.

[gorgonfondness]

"Very well then."

She wouldn't be surprised if they change their mind once they actually get to Meribia.

They're outside of the Guild now, the Blue Star shining bright in the daylight. Some are out in the streets, taking advantage of the lovely summer day. Mia leads them down a main road that, once they reach the physical edge of the city, becomes a staircase.

"Mind the steps on the way down. It's a long fall from the top of the city."

[alsoagreengrass]

"Have there been accidents before?" Scorpius asks, counting the steps as they go. He's liked the walk and seeing the city again, the bright, summer just making it all the better.

(He does miss his broom, though. It'd be a nice day for flying too.)

[gorgonfondness]

"Usually not, no," Mia says, glancing back before continuing down. "Usually it's intentional."

[creationofwill]

" 'Accidents', then," Kaworu says, accompanied by the usual quote marks. Perhaps political? Had any ever tried to take the easy way out? Ones that are not at all relevant or specific, of course.

Right.

And he knows that he really ought to try to memorize the sites, but he's more drawn to that sky. It's the most familiar that he's seen in a long, long time.

[alsoagreengrass]

"Oh."

'Accidents.'

That's depressing.

Why did he start this line of conversation...?

Scorpius clears his throat.

"Right, er. How big is this ship then?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Big enough for ocean travel, certainly. You remember meeting Master Mel the last time you were here, right, Scorpius? He was a pirate before he became the governor of Meribia."

Mia smiles, thinking of happier memories to switch gears.

"At some point, he met Dyne, who was still on his quest to become a Dragonmaster in those days. They fought for a week straight. Or that's how I've always heard the story; I imagine there's some hyperbole and they likely rested at some point. Still, it's a testament to Dyne's strength, as Mel can swing two axes at once as though they were no heavier than salad forks."

[creationofwill]

"Two at once?"

The gravity of that situation seems a little impossible to him.