Private Unexpected Company

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru
​

"Valor is the insufferable one. He has been running around with Ko Vuto ever since Ko decided to settle in with him," Braze explained, a hint of fond annoyance softening the words.

"Yeah, he is trying at least. My mother has been resting, and I have not really gone to see her yet." His shoulders rose and fell in a small shrug, the tines of his fork lazily tracing a circle on the edge of his plate. "I am still trying to figure out what to say when I do."

He caught himself, then gave a tiny shake of his head as if brushing the thought aside.
"But that is a mess for another night. We do not have to wade through all of that here."

He speared another slice of steak and a piece of pineapple, taking a bite before continuing more lightly.

"I have been trying to decide if we should get a tractor or two for the fields. Ko has been helping me sort that out. He was in the AgriCorps before, so I trust his judgment. I just wanted a few neat gardens at first, and somehow it turned into planning irrigation and crop rotations and soil treatments. Apparently that is what happens when you give me land and time to think."

His gaze drifted back to her and stayed there, the corners of his mouth softening into a soft smile.

"Can I admit something a little selfish?" He rested his forearms on the table, leaning forward just a little. "I am really glad Master Tirin tricked me into this. Sitting here with you, like this. It feels… good. Different from all the running and fighting and errands."

He was quiet for a time taking a few bites.

"It feels like we skipped a few chapters somewhere. I remember temple raids and bad ideas and the way you used to look at the horizon like you were already halfway gone. Now you are here, stronger, doing relief work, building something new for other people instead of chasing ruins."

He toyed with the edge of his napkin, then met her eyes again.

"I would like to get to know who you are now, not just the version of you I have in my memories. When you are not saving people or buried in supply manifests, what actually makes you happy these days?"

His fingers shifted closer to hers on the table, not quite touching, an open invitation as he turned his palm upwards.

"And if you want… after Refuge, I could show you Tidewatch properly. The farms, the sea, the quiet. No titles, no courts, no errands. Just time to figure out who we are now."

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"Mmm.. Can't say I do know who Valor is. But it sounds like he's been frustrating to you." Frustrating Braze was quite the role reversal, at least from what she remembered of the little hellion Braze had once been. Still, he seemed to want to stop talking about it, at least for now. She was more than willing to go along with it, especially as the topic changed to tractors of all things.

"The more food that can be made, the easier it will be to keep people fed. It's one of the biggest issues that people can face."

She smiled in turn, just a little before she looked to her hands. Idly flexed her fingers. A couple chapters? "Mm.. You all have been living your lives, going through your chapters. I had to skip some chapters to grow again. To not be held back. So I let myself grow." There was a blink then. A pause as she looked to his hand. Confusion at first before her smile grew.

"If you asked me sooner, I might've told you no. But I want to now. See who we both are now."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru ​

Braze took a slow breath, almost as if he were settling something inside himself, and let it out in a quiet sigh.

"In that case," he murmured, "I should warn you. If you come to Tidewatch, you may find it very difficult to leave~" There was a glint of playful mischief in his eyes as he went on.

"The sea is calm most days. The air smells like salt and flowers instead of exhaust. There is a little rise above the fields where you can see both the water and the temple roofs if you stand in the right spot."He tilted his head slightly, studying her.

"I could show you my favorite place to sit at sunset. In return, you can tell me when I am being an idiot.... But I'm all for this. "
By now Braze had eaten quite a bit of delicious succulent steaks! He selected a few more choice pieces as the waiters came around once more. He was debating tapping out and getting a desert. He did move to flip his little card over.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"I wouldn't mind having a place I don't want to leave." It came out as a soft whisper, much more meaningful than she'd expected. Still, she was smiling as gentle as ever, even briefly just letting her fingers brush against his. That was about as much as she dared, though. Instead she was back to food, humming happily as she took another bite of the steak she'd selected.

"It sounds more like you just want me to call you an idiot. I have far more to offer than the occasional bullying. Or is that all you think I'm good for?" She smirked, just a faint one, as she looked right up to him.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru
​

"I do not know~ I cannot help but remember you seeming to think that was what I was," he mused aloud, clearly not offended in the slightest by the accusation. He did not seem to mind the fleeting brush of her fingers at all, and turned his attention back to the last of his meal, taking his time with each bite and savoring the sweet, smoky flavors.

"What I do tends to keep me traveling quite a bit," Braze went on, voice softer, "but it is nice to have little safe spaces to return to. Whether it is the ship, or my new little selfish slice of serenity by the ocean." He breathed out a quiet sigh, though his eyes never fully left her face, the warmth there making it clear that Tidewatch was not the only place he meant she was welcome to stay.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

There was a long pause this time. Her eyes flicked between Braze's own. It was an offer. Aliris wasn't so daft that she couldn't sort that much out at least. But was it something she wanted? Was it something she was comfortable with? Yes, was the answer to both of those. At the same time, was she worthy of such an offer?

"I don't want to just insert myself as a big part of your life, not after being gone so long. It feels.. Way too selfish of me."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru ​

Braze watched her for a long moment, his expression softening instead of pulling away.

"If anyone here is being selfish, it is me," he said quietly. "I am the one who keeps asking you to visit Tidewatch, to stay on the Duck, to walk fields and watch sunsets with me. You did not force your way into my life. I opened that door first." He turned his palm fully up on the table, a clear invitation now instead of a tentative one.

"So how about we do not decide if you are a big part of my life tonight. How about we let this be simple. Come to Refuge, and come see the Aerie. Help me get tractors into doing their job. If it feels wrong, you leave. If it feels right, you stay a little longer. No titles or expectations."

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

She stared at his palm for just a moment longer, then reached her hand down to gently set hers within it. She gave a simple nod. Agreement. She wasn't going to push her way through the door, even if Braze had been the one to open it. But to stand in the threshold and decide whether to take a step later?

That she could do.

"Alright. Okay. I like the sound of that."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru
​

Braze gently wrapped his hand around hers, his thumb tracing a slow, soothing circle across the back of her knuckles as he offered her a soft smile. Then he let her hand go only long enough to reclaim his utensils, clearly in no hurry to cut the evening short. Dessert sounded perfect, so he happily ordered a rich chocolate mousse with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to start.

"They have passion fruit custards and all kinds of sweets," Braze pointed out as the server set the dessert menus in front of them. "Chocolate lava cake, cheesecake, tiramisu, even lemon meringue pie." The options were certainly choice. "Maybe I should get an extra one to take home to my student Leos . He loves chocolate I've come to learn. " Braze offered.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

For as steady as she had been, having his hand actually hold hers again brought red to her cheeks. Faint and brief befofe she turned her gaze around to the desserts. Amusement bubbled out in a brief chuckle at the idea Braze's padawan had started to take a liking to the same chocolates.

That Braze had a padawan.

"You're certainly not the boy I remember. Tiramisu? Since when habe you liked anything bitter?" She teased, but there was some truth to it. He was grown. So much more than she'd realized. Just having an apprentice was proof enough, let alone all the other things he was already responsible for.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru ​

"I just put sugar in my Caf and teas or some really nice flavored creams. Those are always a delight. And if you make it cold or blend it with ice it tastes waaaaay sweeter. " Braze offered simply. " I prefer sweet savory and salty flavors... the bitter I can do with out but I find vinegar helps with a lot so does lemon juice and it's acidity. " Braze purred happily so.

"It's kinda funny though... Even though I'm a young adult lots of older folks still treat me like I'm only in my mid teens. Kinda annoying or folks mistake me for a young lady . I'll tell you what~ Being an adult is waaaaay less fun. So much responsibility~ Enjoy having no responsibilities. "

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"Enjoy having no responsibilities? I'm not that much younger than you, you know. The irony of you complaining about being treated like a kid then doing the same to me." This was a new emotion. A pout. An actual pout. She huffed as she turned her gaze to a tray of tiramisu to snatch up and take a bite of.

Which had her pout melt away with just how good it tasted. She hummed her delightly, idly holding her cheek as she tilted her head side to side. This was wonderful.

Oh wait, she was annoyed. The pout returned as she huffed. Or tried to. The tiramisu was just really good.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru ​

Braze stared at her for few long moments savoring the sight, then huffed a quiet laugh, eyes bright with surprise.

"That is new," he observed softly. "I do not think I have seen you pout before." The corner of his mouth tugged upward as he watched her wrestle with the tiramisu and her annoyance. "It is very difficult to feel scolded by you when you keep making those little happy noises at your dessert, you know."

He set his spoon down and shifted his hand closer to hers again, fingers brushing her knuckles in a light, apologetic tap.

"You are right, though," he admitted. "That was unfair of me. I know you are not some responsibility free stray I picked up outside the temple. You have been carrying a lot on your shoulders for a long time. Organizing relief, looking after people, climbing your way back from everything you went through." His gaze settled on her with open warmth. "I'm sorry I did not meant to talk down to you."

He leaned back slightly in his chair.

"When I said enjoy having no responsibilities, what I meant was... that I want you to have somewhere you do not have to be the one in charge for a while."

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Whatever annoyance she had faded a bit at first, then melted away entirely. She stared at her dessert for a moment, still midway throufh another bite before she lowered the fork and looked up to Braze. Her eyes were studying now, trying to gleam something unspoken before she ended up giggling. "I'm glad you know what you said was wrong, and that you apologized. You really have grown up." It was almost sing song in how she spoke, idly brushing her knuckles back against his.

".. I don't mind the idea of letting you be in charge, I suppose."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Aliris Tremiru ​

"Well… fortunately I do understand manners and etiquette to some small degree, even if I do not always practice them," he mused, a playful note in his tone. "Lately I have found there is a certain perverse charm in how often the so-called socialites from wealthy families are the ones lacking them. You would think they could afford manners. Though admittedly, it is often far more fun to throw proper deportment to the wind and embrace a little impropriety instead."

He let the thought linger between them for a moment before his gaze slid back to her,

"In charge~?" he echoed. "What do you mean by that, exactly?" A few possibilities flickered through his mind, but instead of assuming, he tilted his head slightly and waited for her answer, clearly more interested in hearing how she defined it than supplying his own.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

"That does sound like most nobility. It's pretty aweful just how corrupt so many are." Not surprising, of course. Power had that effect on people. Power corrupted. She knew that first hand. Those somber thoughts faded as she realized she'd spoken aloud. Red flushed right over her cheeks as she hurriedly retreated her hand and cleared her throat.

"Of the relief efforts. It's a pain to have to be the one always coming up with every plan, you know?"

Braze