Vane: Autor's Visit

[gorgonfondness]

"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?"

Comments

[gorgonfondness]

"You saw the guards in my home, right? There's more of them in Meribia Mansion, most of them beastmen and all of them very capable."

Mia thinks for a moment.

"Actually, I wonder how many of them might have been part of his crew during his days of piracy?"

[herr_bookman]

"True, but they can't be everywhere at once," he says, and his posture is a blend between concerned and sulky. "If I were an enemy, it'd only take me a second to hurt her. Then again, Jessica probably looked me twice over for threats the second the walked into the room and saw me sitting with you."

He takes another bite of his eggs. His tongue's almost blessedly numb, now. "Anyway, what are our plans after dinner?"

[gorgonfondness]

"If you made any motion to hurt Rachel, it would take less than a second for retaliation to set in. She's essentially my niece, you see, and I don't leave any member of my family unprotected. It'd certainly give the guards enough time to finish any threat."

She shakes her head a little as Autor keeps shoveling the food in his mouth.

"Sleep? Sleep would be good. I can show you to the dorms and let you have some time to get settles."

[herr_bookman]

"I don't hurt children," he says, and there's more venom in his voice then there is in the eggs.

Then his posture loosens again. "Food and sleep? Goodness, Mia, it's like you've adopted me as one of your own," he says, trying to tease. "Do all of the women in the bar cluck or just the ones I've met?"

[gorgonfondness]

"I trust you don't. But rest assured that Rachel is protected."

She snickers some.

"Just the ones you've met, I imagine."

[herr_bookman]

"Good. I look forward to meeting her, then," he says, nodding. And that's all he'll say on that.

"Which is all of them," he says, scoffing. "Honestly, I have eaten more in the past three weeks than I have in a year. The fairer sex must be built for clucking; they seem to be so fond of it."

Save one, his brain reminds him, and kindles a little fire in his cheeks. Punie.

The last bite of his eggs isn't sour at all.

[gorgonfondness]

"Well, let's see how that works out here," Mia says with a slight nod and a yawn. "And I'm afraid the evening's getting away from us."

[herr_bookman]

Autor nods politely, and polishes off his fourth glass of water. "It's not me that needs sleep, I think. Shall we head to the dorms so that you can return to your family?"

He stares at his hands for a moment, and then peeks up at her. "Thank you for your kindness."

[gorgonfondness]

"Think nothing of it," she says as she stands up.

And she probably means it more than anyone else who says that phrase.

"Come; it won't take long to set up your quarters."

[herr_bookman]

He nods and follows her out the door, still bludgeoned by his thoughts.