Dreams Beyond Sushi

[Avis]

The Kru Restaurant, near the heart of downtown. Fashionable. Expensive. Sushi. It was exactly the sort of place Avis expected to find someone like Varyx at, and so Avis didn't hesitate to make reservations. She was actually looking forwarding to the change in atmosphere. It would be an excellent taste of contradiction. An excellent look through a lens she'd so rarely tried to peek through. And so, to lend herself fully to the experience, Avis didn't just show up in sweats, or something anyone could peg as coming from a thrift store. No, instead she decided to build a lie into the lie, got her hair styled, donned a red leather jacket to add some color to her palette, and set it against black jeans and a black blouse. And then there was the ring. A masterwork of shimmering metal worn casually on her right hand. At times, catching the flash of the ring out of the corner of her eyes made her want to cringe, uncomfortable with the jewlery's visibility, but it represented something she didn't want to hide. And already hadn't, for anyone that was in the know.

Right, Tyria?

A small smirk flickered across her features as the thought came to her mind, but the Warlock let the idea shuffle off, and she amused herself by folding an origami unicorn while she waited for the other Mastigoose to arrive.

[Varyx]

Varyx arrived dressed as usual - fashionably and balancing expertly in the line between being appropriate and scandalous. Today, it was a black dress paired with a leather jacket. Honestly, she had expected to feel slightly overdressed at the restaurant, given Avis' usual preferences, but when she arrived, she was suddenly pleased that she had decided against jeans. She hadn't expected Avis to invite her to such a hot spot. Avis was right - it was the exact sort of place she expected to spend her time. It was just that she wasn't quite able to picture Avis here. She stepped inside and glanced around, her gaze lighting on... was that Avis? Her expression lit into a grin and she approached the table, slipping into the chair across from her Councilor. "I love your jacket," she gushed, and the expression on her face said it was entirely sincere. Really, she didn't understand why Avis didn't dress like this all the time. The dress from that Consilium? She got that - it wasn't really Avis to look like that. But this was... this was badass. And hot.

She glanced down at the origami unicorn and smiled, taking up a cup of the green tea that was omnipresent at sushi restaurants. She took a sip and sighed, clearly pleased. "I'm glad you called."

[Avis]

"I am too," Avis replied, sliding the little unicorn over to Varyx with a slight smile.

"And thanks," she added, glancing briefly down at the scarlet piece of apparel, then over to Varyx's own leather jacket. "I see we were of the same mind today."

It was a silly coincidence, that they happened to both be wearing the same style of jacket, though Avis found something soothing in that little twist of fate. It suggested that, maybe, what she was about to suggest wouldn't be that different from thoughts that Varyx, too, might have had.

"But, um, excellent choice in clothing aside," she continued, raising her gaze back to meet the blonde's alluring eyes, "there were a few things I wanted to ask you. Separate things, so don't worry about having to say yes, or no, to both."

The Warlock paused, her left hand drumming out a quick beat, as though consulting the wood of the table with her message before giving breath to the words.

"So, first thing: I would like you to be my second. And replacement." She paused another beat. "What do you say?"

[Varyx]

Varyx smiled when the little unicorn slid across the table towards her. She picked it up and began to look closer at the meticulous little folds, her gaze lifting over it towards the woman sitting across from her as she spoke, as a silent indication that she was still listening even while her visual attention remained with the little paper creature. Avis seemed nervous, which struck her as somewhat surprising. Whatever it was she had in mind, it was clearly important. Sensing the tension, and that this was a conversation that required her full attentiveness, Varyx placed the little unicorn down next to her place setting and held her Councilor's green gaze.

Once the question was out, however, there was a pregnant pause as Varyx blinked for a moment in response to Avis' question. She opened her mouth slightly, inhaling as if to respond, but she stopped, pursing her lips. From the slight quirk of her lips into a small smirk, it was clear that Varyx was amused, and perhaps slightly confused. "Actually, to be honest, I thought this had already been decided at our last meeting. You said that were a replacement to be required, you'd want the most experienced of us to take your place, and that meant me. I had simply assumed you felt no need for the position to be official, but if you'd like to make it so, then sure, of course I'd accept." She smiled, though the smile faltered after a moment and she licked her lips. "Although, I did just speak with Arthur about joining the, em, welcoming committee, so to speak. And I recall there being a rule about no one person being allowed to hold two positions at once, correct?"

[Avis]

"Right," Avis confirmed, careful to savor that previous feeling of reassuring serendipity as she pressed onwards.

"I wanted to ask you, officially, so that you'd know it wasn't something I was doing out of some...I don't know, background criteria. If there's an office that you're already considering though, then I think you should take it. I'm not trying to stifle you. I'm just...trying to let you that I respect you. And trust you."

A bold statement given how little they'd actually spoken, but Avis nevertheless felt it to be true. There was something about Varyx that the Talon liked. Not due to instinct, but rather, a knowing that extended beyond the logical. A knowing that didn't need to rationalize itself. A sense that didn't need to be clouded by anterior "facts".

"Which brings me to my second question. Or, offer, I guess," Avis added, a shrug momentarily rocking her shoulders. "I tried to hint at it when we first met, and maybe you picked up on that, and maybe not, but I just want to say this so that its undeniably out in the open. So, to put it bluntly, I want you to become a part of my family. If you don't wanna say yes or no now, that's fine. The offer is open."

[Varyx]

A leather-clad shoulder came up in a half-shrug in response to Avis' promise that she wasn't trying to stifle the blonde. Not that Varyx had ever imagined she would try such a thing anyway. "Well, the other office is by no means confirmed as belonging to me, so I'll certainly keep your offer in mind," she promised. The smile that graced her lips then was genuine - not a touch of politeness or amusement to be found. Just an expression of honest pleasure. "Still, it means a lot that you'd make the offer. I appreciate it. And I'm glad I have your respect and trust. You don't strike me as a woman who trusts easily, so thank you."

The next offer, though, did surprise her. Lips perfectly lined with pinkish-peach lipstick formed a small "O" of shock. It wasn't so much that Avis had been trying to hint at an offer for her to join VT when she'd first arrived. Varyx had, in fact, picked up on that hint. It was that, now, even with a cabal to include her officially as a member of the Consilium and to offer mutual protection in what was obviously a dangerous city, Avis still wanted Varyx to join. Honestly, she'd been of the impression that at least part of her offer had been an awareness that the new Warlock was alone, and wouldn't survive long as such. The fact that there was still enough desire there for Avis to be trying to "poach" her, in a manner of speaking, from a newly formed cabal put an entirely new spin on things.

That genuinely pleased smile returned, then, this time growing into a full-blown grin. "Really? I'm, I mean..." She paused, searching for the right words, then chuckled. "Well, it's not often I'm left speechless, so I suppose I'll let that speak for itself. Truly, though, I'm honoured that you'd make this offer, and I'd jump on it in a moment had I not already joined another group. But, there's a promise implied in forming a new family, and I'm not one to break that kind of promise lightly. Which isn't to say I'm refusing, just that I need more time to consider before I come to a final decision."

[Avis]

Well, that definitely hadn't been what Avis had wanted to hear, but the Talon kept her face neutral and instead turned her attention to the tea that sat waiting on the side of her table setting. So, nodding briefly to acknowledge Varyx's point, Avis took up the tea and slowly sipped at it, considering what had been said. For, though Varyx was right, suddenly leaving your cabal for another wouldn't reflect well on your sense of commitment, Avis didn't really care. For, as her detractors likely suspected, she wanted her ambitions to be fulfilled, and for the moment, that meant driving a wedge between Varyx and Steel Panther.

Thankfully, that likely wouldn't be hard to do.

"So things are going well for your group?" Avis asked, setting her teacup down, yet idly turning it between her thumb and forefinger.

"How about you and July?"

It was a low blow, and likely one a woman as beautiful as Varyx had learned to deflect long ago, but the opening was there and the Talon couldn't ignore it.

[Varyx]

The way Avis asked so very casually about Steel Phoenix made it clear enough that she wasn't pleased with Varyx's answer, but the lovely Warlock had to wonder if Avis wouldn't have at least subconsciously lost respect for her had she agreed to jump ship without even taking some time to consider the weight of her word. She certainly would have lost respect for herself. Honestly, she wanted to agree here and now - not that she disliked the members of SP, but rather than she already had immense respect for the members of VT and a certain amount of affection for some of them as well, Avis included. The only thing that stopped her was the thought of burning bridges with her current cabal-mates. She suspected they wouldn't hate her for leaving, but it wouldn't do anything to endear her to them either. She simply wanted to ensure there was a way to leave without doing too much damage to her working relationship with them.

She took a sip of tea from her own cup and then nodded. "Well enough, sure. I can't say we feel much like a family quite yet, but I suppose that's to be expected. There is some promise, though. Regardless of whether or not I stay, I think they'll do well together." She paused for a moment, considering what the cabal would look like without her. Miach, Pelican, Faust and Wayland... Poor Wayland might feel like the odd man out without her, given that there were two Mysterium there and Pelican seemed to be in the process of becoming a third. Not that she and Wayland had terribly much in common, exactly, but at least, right now, he wasn't the only non-mystagogue. Would he stay in a group that leaned so heavily towards one Order? She supposed that depended on whether or not he had somewhere else to go. Hell, maybe he wouldn't mind it at all.

She had to contain a chuckle of surprise when Avis brought up July, though. What did she think Varyx's relationship with him was, exactly? Though, she supposed given what the Talon had actually seen of her and July, it wasn't all that surprising that she'd jumped to a conclusion that indicated a relationship that was more than what it was. That day at the rink had, in fairness, probably made it look like they were more than the occasional booty call. There was something faintly amusing about Avis trying to tempt her into the Veiled Threats using that sort of tactic, though, and a small smirk curled her lips before she spoke. "Why, are you concerned about noise?" she asked, her tone light and teasing. She pressed her lips together, the very picture of a woman pretending to be serious while holding back laughter. "I've been keeping my own apartment, so don't worry. If I agree to join you, we'll have somewhere else to go if we get too loud."

[Avis]

Oh, so Varyx wanted to tease, did she? Well, it was fair, given the door Avis had opened when she asked about the other Warlock's relationship, but Varyx was going to be disappointed if she expectes wide eyes or a blush.

Instead Avis simply took another sip of tea and then casually replied.

"I'm not worried about the noise. The theaters are soundproofed. Or nearly. So don't feel the need to go anywhere. Especially since if you two really are that loud then we," she paused, gesturing at her ring, " just might ask to join you".

Avis smiled, enjoying their sudden game of prudish chicken. The Talon certainly wasn't going to be the first to flinch. Her dirty laundry had already been dragged through the Consilium, so she had nothing left to hide. Besides, shame was for sleepers. Who would feel embarassed by their own cage? Or the ways they expressed themselves inspite of it?

[Varyx]

Varyx actually did a double-take when Avis gestured to the ring. Sure, she'd noticed it, of course, since it was Avis wearing jewelry, but how in the hell had it escaped her notice that she was wearing it on the ring finger of her left hand? Maybe it was just that Avis seemed so far gone from being the marriage type that her mind had just "decided" that it had to be on a different finger. It stuck her first as a surprise that Avis and Star would have made their relationship official in that sense... but then, when had a conversation with the Talon ever not resulted in Varyx being surprised? She really needed to learn to expect the unexpected.

Still, once her mind caught up to Avis point about she and Star joining in, Varyx began to laugh. Oh, she thought Varyx would blush at the thought of a foursome, did she? Heh. It suddenly felt like a shame that the two of them hadn't been around for New Years.

A pink tongue darted out of her mouth, licking her lips and she turned on her charm. She was biting slightly at her lower lip, the perfect vision of a demure veil unsuccessfully concealing raw sexuality. Leaning slightly forward against the table, she smirked and purred, "Is that a promise?"

It seemed the chances of anything like this actually happening were slim to none, but it was fun to imagine. And there wasn't a chance in hell Varyx would be the one to say no to an offer like that.