Heart on the Menu

[Avis]

It was strange, to feel nervous about a dinner that she had arranged in her own home. Perhaps it was because of how important this was for her. A chance to regain a sister in the absence of two others.

Or, perhaps more likely, it was because she hadn't yet mentioned her feelings to Star, let alone to July. And certainly not Arthur. She and the Herald hadn't had much of a chance to bond, so she couldn't claim to know his mind, but she doubted he would have an issue with this. He seemed enviably relaxed most of the time, and she doubted this would ruffle him at all.

As for July, well, they had bonded like any two soldiers in the field had bonded, but that only went so far. She had no idea what his thoughts might be about her having approached his lover without his knowing. And there was a part of July that was strung very tight. This very well might tug exactly upon that.

But, really, there was no point worrying about it now. Her cabal knew she had invited another Mage over for dinner, and that they had something serious to talk about.

And there was a knock at the door, now.

Avis pulled open the door, greeting Varyx with a small smile and waving her into the theater. Unlike when they'd had Sushi, it seemed the Talon had reverted back to a tanktop and sweats. Though, at least the cotton of these pants wasn't dull and grey, but was rather blue and sprinkled with brightly colored avant-garde sprinkles. Clearly a failed statement from the 90s.

[Varyx]

Varyx was faintly annoyed with herself for having taken so long to get ready. She had no idea what to wear. Not formal, obviously, but would it look disrespectful to show up in torn jeans? Or would she look like an idiot if she arrived wearing something nicer? As much as she liked Avis, the fact that everything always meant something with her was currently driving Varyx up the wall. Because she felt like she'd be making a statement to the Talon with every little thing she wore and brought and said, and she knew that, she she wanted her statements to say the right things, but would her desire to control what messages Avis got say something of its own?

Fuck it. It was dinner with friends, nothing more. When had she gotten wound so tight?

She forced herself to relax, and arrived just on time, dressed in dark pants and a matching lace top. She knocked, and found herself amused at her own internal stress about what to wear when Avis opened the door wearing sweats. And not only that, ridiculous ones, straight out of the 90s. She stepped in through the door, returning the smile with one of her own and nodding in greeting. "Hey, Avis. Thank you for having me." She held up the bag, slightly too large to be a purse, slung over one arm. "I brought wine. Wasn't sure what we were having, so I don't know how well it'll pair. I made an educated guess." She shrugged.

There was a pause while she peered further into the theater, half-expecting to see other members of the cabal milling about. Another smile, this one contained by chewing her lower lip, played across her face when she realized that, given July's apparent surprise at the news, Star and Arthur still might not know what the dinner was actually about. "So imagine my surprise when I mentioned your invitation to July and he had no idea what I was talking about," she began, the mirth audible in her voice. "Am I to expect that Star and Arthur are still in the dark?"

[Star]

Sometimes you can live with someone and never know who they really are.

Or what the upper halves of their ears look like.

One of the days of the week, in between leaving in a flourish (not really) of car coat and camera over the shoulder and returning with a random bit of news -- today's was that the Stockton Asparagus Festival was safe -- the Illusionist had made the lower half of the mop disappear. Undoubtedly to go somewhere, as someone, other than than the familiar. Don't stare.

The purple and ebony innards of the theater disgorged another inhabitant, wiping his hands on a towel of some unremarkable and indeterminable color. Much like it's user.

"Hey!"

The word warbled across the hall.

"Who is that? Is Arthur here? Like, when are we sitting down? I just gotta, you know, know when. So everything's ready. And hot."

Speaking of hot?

Was that Mystery Blueberry Varyx?

[Arthur]

Unsalted butter, unsalted. Key word right there. Waste of a trip. "You'd think they'd make the label easier to read but no, unsalted, salted, looks the damn same." Arthur mumbles to himself as he walks through the open front door head down...wait.

Eyes look up followed by the rest of his head. "Hey.." Damn "Cool, I'll be right back, need to get this unsalted butter to Star before it melts like the salted butter did." A bag weighted down by a block of salt and batteries get shifted. "But ya, be right back." A chin up to Avis and July, should have dressed better. A dark red polo and jeans aren't good for tonight.

Arthur plows down the hallway towards Star, calling out to the Theurgist. "Didn't notice red vs blue, sorry it took so long. Nice cut." Makes him look older..which seems wrong.

[Avis]

And then, suddenly, they were all together. All of Veiled Threats, current and potential, and it didn't feel wrong. Avis didn't feel tension. She felt...motivated to see what the rest of the night would hold once they began to eat, and most importantly: talk.

"To answer your question, Varyx, yes, it was kind of a surprise. But now it's out in the open, so, uh, why don't we all head to the dining room? You all can taste the wine or what not, I can help Star finish up in the kitchen, or, um, we can just talk until the food's on."

Avis gave a brief jerk of her head in the dining room's direction and then began to lead the way, taking a moment to point out the dojo, shooting range, and bathrooms. Their destination was self explanatory.

Star's haircut, though, was not.

Holy...office cut, corporate man.

"What made you decide to do this?" Avis asked bemusedly, walking up to Star and giving his hair a teasing ruffle.

"I never would have thought I'd say this after you decided to go shaved for a while, but damn, Star, I almost thought you were someone else."

She didn't duck away, even if he did decide to get his equally ruffly revenge on, but she did turn her attention to the other Obrimos and gave him a welcoming smile.

"Hey, good to see you, Arthur. Seems like our schedules conspire to keep us apart, huh?"

[Varyx]

The three remaining members of VT appeared one after another in quick succession.

Varyx opened her mouth to respond to July's greeting when Star called out from across the theater, asking who was there. "Hey Star!" And there was Arthur, mumbling something under his breath as he came in the door behind her. "Hi Arthur."

She followed Avis, nudging July with her hip as she went by. She found herself surprised by the amenities in the theater. Honestly, she realized belatedly that she shouldn't have been - with the First Talon and a Sentinel under the same roof, it shouldn't have been surprising at all. Besides, even without official positions, maybe Star and Arthur had their own means of exacting violence. Didn't seem all that likely, given what she knew of them, but then, that wasn't saying much because she didn't know all that much. Don't judge a book by its cover and all that.

She smiled at Star when she reached him, placing the two bottles of wine - one white and one red - one a table before leaning easily against the wall. "Nice hair. And the food smells amazing."

And the hair ruffles? Adorable.

[Star]

"Well, yeah. That's why, you know, I asked someone else to..."

Trolling Arthur got put on 'PAUSE' for a ruffle.

"Oh, ummm. Ethanol? Pacific Ethanol, there's this deal with Candlewood and I needed to get into a shareholder's... Okay, wait. Was that, like, rhetorical?" It's amazing how much leg-work goes into conspiracy theories. And when the whole world is lies within a Lie? There's a lot of theories. His head bobbed side to side as if making up his mind; finally, he gave in with a grin and returned the favor to Avis . "You should have seen me earlier, though. When I, uh..."

Borrowed some of Arthur's Nice Clothes. Shhhh.

"Anyway. Ummm. Hi." A greeting that was more of a question drifted off, and hands went akimbo. Brows furrowed, and eyes zero'ed in on a small mole on Varyx right cheek. "You're... not really who I was expecting? So this kind of feels like, I dunno. That old saying? When the cards are dealt and you can't figure out who the sucker is? But you brought wine, and as long as there's no, ummmm, Iocane powder in it, I guess I can wait to find out what I don't know. So, like, everyone sit?"

Well. Not everyone.

"Arthur, ummm, grab silverware, July , grab drinks. Pour me some of that red. Okay. I haven't, like, plated this..." He'd wandered back over to a counter, and silver flashed off of cutlery. "But no bigs. Right? It's really best fresh."

He turned, holding a cutting board. Ta-da. Sure, okay. It's not a steak, but anyone who had a problem with that could take over getting The Pudding Monster to eat Leafy Greens.

[Arthur]

"They sure seem too Avis, good to see you too." The welcoming smile is returned as Arthur fishes out the butter, unsalted, and places it near Star before putting the batteries on the counter but out of the way. Eyes flick between Varyx and July before shuffling back to the counter, right silverware.

"Yep" July and Varyx? Damn it....well at least it's July. And he can kick my ass At least that temptation is firmly off limits in the land of "ahahhaahahha noooooooooo".

A glance at dinner, Star had to have gone somewhere to learn that, and Arthur pulls out forks and steak knives. Then gets plates for Star to begin dishing out the goods.