"Meribia isn't very far from Vane, a decent commute," Mia answers as she pries Scorpius's small hand out of her hair. "As for the sort of job, that's kind of up to you but most of the work I can get for you easily is related to the library."
They've stepped inside a hallway of the Magic Guild Mansion, an oxymoron of ancient arcane history and new paint. Just in front of them and to their left is a guard standing by a door.
"Good evening, Majesty Mia," he greets with a bow. "Have you brought another visitor to the Magic Guild?"
"I have," she replies with a nod. "This is my friend Autor. He'll be staying here in the Magic Guild Mansion for a while."
"Autooooooow," Scorpius coos before jamming his teething ring back into his mouth.
Mia then turns to Autor and explains, "These are my quarters. We'll have to go downstairs to get to where you'll stay. By the way, would you prefer one of our private guestrooms or would you like to see the dormitories?"
They've stepped inside a hallway of the Magic Guild Mansion, an oxymoron of ancient arcane history and new paint. Just in front of them and to their left is a guard standing by a door.
"Good evening, Majesty Mia," he greets with a bow. "Have you brought another visitor to the Magic Guild?"
"I have," she replies with a nod. "This is my friend Autor. He'll be staying here in the Magic Guild Mansion for a while."
"Autooooooow," Scorpius coos before jamming his teething ring back into his mouth.
Mia then turns to Autor and explains, "These are my quarters. We'll have to go downstairs to get to where you'll stay. By the way, would you prefer one of our private guestrooms or would you like to see the dormitories?"
From:
no subject
Kids always have too many teeth.
"How about we take him to his Nana and big brother before our dinner? His coming with us probably wouldn't be pleasant for anyone involved."
"Bih bah?" Scorpius asks.
"And Nana."
"Anana."
Mia tilts her head and says, "Her rooms are down this hallway. And it would probably be a good idea to meet Mother anyway since you'll likely work with her."
From:
no subject
Then he glances up at Mia's face. "Oh, right, um. And you, too." Of course she does. Mothers always need a break from their kids.
He nods stiffly. "I'd be honored to meet Lemia."
From:
no subject
She runs her hand through Scorpius's blond hair as they make their way down the hall. A gentle rap on the door at the end and there's a careful creak.
She looks very much like Mia, only older with deep blonde hair. Her smile is gentle yet her posture imposing. Even if Autor had never seen a picture of her before, there's no mistaking that this woman is Majesty Lemia Ausa.
"Oh Mia, has Scorpius calmed himself?" she asks, voice as delicate as her smile.
"Mama!" comes a familiar cry and Cepheus glomps his mother by the legs.
From:
no subject
He's a bit relieved that Lemia stands the way she does; in a way, her bearing reminds him of Punie's. The two women are used to holding authority, and one would have to think very, very carefully first about challenging them.
Intruiging, he thinks, repainting his picture of her. If I'm to work under her, this job will be interesting, indeed.
From:
no subject
"I've a guest with me tonight, Mother," she explains. "And we were about to go to dinner but Scorpius is getting rather tuckered out."
Lemia smiles wider and doesn't even say anything before taking the baby from Mia's arms. The younger woman gestures to Autor with her now-free hand.
"Mother, this is Autor. He's interested in working with you at the library."
"It's a pleasure, young man," Lemia says with a diplomatic nod.
From:
no subject
Then he steps back, nodding politely at Mia.
... And if he can get away with it without being seen, he'll grin and wink at Cepheus. Clearly they're going to have to play together soon.
From:
no subject
"Cepheus, can you watch Scorpius for us?" Mia asks her son. "I'm sure Nana will be happy to help you."
"I watch baby!" he answers. "I'm th'big bratha!"
"I knew I can count on you."
The older boy then lets go of Mia and ushers Lemia and Scorpius back into her room. Lemia indulgently lets him with another nod to Autor.
"I look forward to getting to know you," the former Guildmaster states.
From:
no subject
Only after she breaks eye-contact does he turn his gaze to Mia.
From:
no subject
"Shall we?"
From:
no subject
Then he blinks, and flushes brightly. "Um," he says, fidgeting. "Sorry. I was thinking out loud."
When did I start doing that!
"So," he says, and coughs, "where are we going?"
From:
no subject
Mia opens the doors to the front of the Magic Guild, letting Autor out first and giving him his first glimpse of the Lunar sky, the Blue Star glowing bright in the night.
From:
no subject
"Mia," he says, catching up to her. "When you said you lived on Lunar"--O, swear not by the moon, the fickle moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable!*--"I thought you meant a place called Lunar. Not the actual moon!"
His stomach drops. The dizzy feeling makes him laugh a bit, releasing some apparently built up adrenaline. "Were I to come here a little bit ago, I would have called you a lunatic."
*Shakespeare
From:
no subject
She's tempted to take hold of him but isn't sure if that will help or only make things worse.
"It's all right, Autor. You're only a trip to Milliways away."
From:
no subject
I wish, he thinks, with a tremulous smile, that I could be as calm as Lemia. Or even Lohen--oh.
The thought of the Knight sobers him right up. He drops his hands to his sides and stares at the road.
"All right," he says quietly, once he looks up. "I'm ready. My apologies for the inconvenience."
From:
no subject
What in the world got him to switch so fast?
She reaches for his hand but lets him decide whether he wants to take it.
"Here, let's go eat. You might feel better with some food in your stomach."
From:
no subject
"So," he says. Time to concentrate on anything and everything that won't remind him of a frie--a man, flinching. "Since we appear to be on the moon, how are we even breathing? Where do you grow your food? How did you manage to farm everything? Do you have poetry about the Eart--er, the Blue Star like we have of Lunar?"
From:
no subject
"We don't have a scientific explanation but there are legends. It's believed that the Goddess Althena transformed this place into a world of life when the Blue Star became uninhabitable. It's as livable as the Blue Star used to be. And we do have poetry about the Blue Star."
The walk is short and hopefully comforting to Autor, the lights of the restaurant coming into view and, once they reach the door, the soft sounds of dinner conversation.
From:
no subject
What did I say, exactly? What was my tone? I know what my intent was, but how much did I tell him? He was terrified for a moment, completely terrified. I couldn't have rattled him more if I tried! But I did try... so what did I say?
His thoughts have crowded out everything--to the extent where when he's handed a menu, he has to focus to make out the lettering. The panic draws him back to the present. If he can't read Lunarian, he can't work in Vane.
Luckily, he can. "Barrel snake steak tips braised in truffle sauce and served over Iluk greens?" he says, blinking. "That sounds awful."
From:
no subject
She glances just over the top of her menu.
"Don't mind the names so much. I've had food from your home before and trust me when I say a lot of it does taste similar."
She puts her menu face up on the table and points out an option with her finger.
"Their blue gunfoot steak is really good. It's similar to flank steak from a cow."
Except for the part that it comes from a gunfoot.
And has its own built-in truffles.
From:
no subject
"Everything seems to have truffles," he remarks, gesturing to the menu. "From the Cave of Trial, I assume?"
Then he changes the topic abruptly. "How much does a room in the dormitories cost?"
From:
no subject
Mia thinks it over.
"I'll have to check the records. It's usually included in tuition but we do have it itemized."
Their server returns with their drinks about here and waits to take their order.
From:
no subject
Her mention of tuition has the gears turning. I could go to school here, and learn magic theory. But would I age, if the Story--
He straightens, abruptly. The Story. It gasped, and jerked into life again. How could he have forgotten that? Am I growing older, then? How strange! ...I have so much work to do.
"I'd like that," he says to his dinner companion eventually. "And I'd love to see if I'm able to study magic theory as well. Thank you again for this opportunity."
From:
no subject
"Oh? You should try some, then. We're close to some of the best seafood sources in the world."
Mia makes her order, which is the aforementioned blue gunfoot steak, and asks their waiter if he could please send along a message to Lady Jessica to meet them after dinner. This has her occupied enough to miss his start.
"Certainly. You should take the opportunity to explore your surroundings and try new things."
From:
no subject
"Then get better and meet me again." Lohengrin's steady voice floods Autor's ears as pain arcs up his shoulder.
No, he thinks, biting his lip. Not the sword. I would have learned it for you, but you won't want to fight me again, will you? There's no point in learning anymore.
He sips his water, drowning. "Do they still spar together?"
From:
no subject
She shakes her head a little with a laugh.
"I would think they spar even more now that Kyle is Master Mel's son-in-law."
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: