Of Cocoa, Forgiveness, and Hugs

Log Info

• Title: Of Cocoa, Forgiveness, and Hugs
• Emitter: Aelwyn
• Characters: Aelwyn, Ygraine
• Place: A03: The TarRaCe, Colosseum District
• Time: Friday the 9th of December, 2022
• Summary: Returning to the TarRaCe, Ygraine once again encounters a somewhat unconventional waiter - from whom she receives cocoa, advice, and moral encouragement.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-<* The TarRaCe *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

       Inside, this two-story structure has been almost completely opened up. Generous windows on both stories allow daytime sunlight and cooling night breezes to flow in as needed, while the brick walls have been whitewashed - contrasting with the dark-stained beams and supports, and the rich polish on the wooden floor. A broad strip of stone runs from the entrance to a framed doorway set into the opposite wall, with a sign above the lintel declaring that the baths are to be found that way.

       The ground floor is sprinkled with tables and chairs of assorted sizes, offering welcome to guests both large and small. One whole corner of the building - into which guests are not permitted entry - has been given over to the kitchen, which serves as the domain of the famed monster chef Ligum Serforus. Mundane meals are available, but the chef delights in offering up obscure dishes made from the freshest of monster ingredients.

       Opposite the kitchen a small bar runs in front of an array of shelves, displaying a broad selection of beverages (most of them alcoholic). The bar-top has been fashioned from what looks to have been old pieces of armor, fused and welded together before being polished to provide a near-smooth finish. Set above it, three human-sized statues have been built into an alcove in the wall: Tarien, Rada and Ceinara jointly keep benevolent watch over the room and its occupants.

       To the right of the entrance, a small stage offers a platform for a handful of performers at a time. To the left of the door, a spiral staircase of wrought iron winds its way up to a balcony dining area, that is chiefly reserved for special events and parties. 

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The weather outside is frightful, but the baths - they're surely delightful... or so Ygraine hopes, at any rate. True, things are nowhere near as bad as the blizzard in which she struggled her way to the Temple of Elune a couple of days ago, but the Muse is still trying to limit her time outside to those periods when she can 'cheat' and shield herself with the aid of her Lady's magic. But after a busy effort to investigate quite how to make use of her unfamiliar current degree of wealth, she knows that more conventional warming might be both wise and very pleasant indeed.

Consequently, she slips into the TarRaCe with some speed, taking care to securely close the door behind her before flipping back the hood of her cloak and offer the statues of the three goddesses two respectful inclinations of her head and one deep bow... to be followed by a happy smile. Then, while starting to strip off her gloves, she ventures farther into the great chamber, casting her gaze around to survey its present occupants - and particularly to look for any familiar faces.

The noon crowd was beginning to shuffle in. Or more correctly, starting to head in for the hot soup, the chef's special, and everything else to fight the cold. A certain sith-makar could understand that.

Which is why he has been on towel duty all day.

Walking away from the Bathhouse, Aelwyn flips a towel over his shoulder, unrolling up his sleeves; a casual amount of steam was slowly trailing after him, sliding off his ruddy scales. All in a good day's bath. The sight of a familiar face makes him pause for a second, but the draconian in his waiter's apron-loincloth and white blouse makes his way over.

"And it seems yet another has survived the weather," The Dragoon greets, and then bows his head. "Muse."

Permitting herself an amiable laugh, Ygraine cracks a grin as she offers the Sith-Makar a bow. "Aelwyn! It is a pleasure to see you again," she says warmly. "I had hoped to find at least one familiar face here. I hope that the day is treating you well, thus far."

Aelwyn walks over and puts his hand down on his hip, the other holding onto the towel. "Thus far, only better." The draconian responds, tilting his head up. The red ribbons around his horns make a little fluttery motion. "And how can the fine establishment of the TarRaCe treat her today?"

Flashing another grin at Aelwyn, Ygraine takes a moment to gaze around the chamber once more - smiling happily as she does so. "Oh, I think that a warm drink and then some warm food would be a good start. I am happy to try out the chef's latest experiment for the latter, but perhaps some coffee to begin with...? Or is there anything else that you would recommend today?"

Aelwyn slides off the notepad from his pocket, soon fetching a pen to follow. After a moment of pause, he scribes _something_ down in big blocky letters. "Hmmh," The ruddy sith-makar begins, sliding the pen behind his pointed ear. He gives Ygraine a long look over, from boots to top of her head, before he tilts his head. "... hot chocolate, served spicy?" He offers with his teeth flashing. "After the cold, a little bit of red flush would suit her well." He keeps grinning, before he gestures with his hand, urging her to step further into the tavern.

Laughing once more, Ygraine formally inclines her head... flashing another grin at Aelwyn. "I am willing to accept your guidance. Thank you. That sounds lovely. So long as it no trouble to you, that is - I don't want to send you off to prepare something from scratch just for me!"

Aelwyn rumbles, crossing his arms across his chest. "Hrrhn, it is her coin. What else would this one do but to serve her?" He asks, before with a bow of his head and a flick of his tail, he starts to turn towards the kitchen. "It will be a moment." With that, he walks towards the kitchen with the rolling gait of his; peering intently at the scribbles he made before.

True to his word, he eventually arrives with a cup of the hot chocolate, bringing it over to her. "It will be a while longer for the chef's special; it seems they need to reconsider their choice of ingredients." He rumbles with a flash of his teeth.

In the interim, Ygraine has claimed a table and settled herself comfortably into place - with her cloak draped over the back of a spare chair and her gloves laid out to dry. "Ooooh. That looks tempting," she purrs appreciatively when Aelwyn delivers her drink... before laughing and cocking her head. "Now *that* sounds interesting! I hope that nothing fought back against being treated as an ingredient!"

Aelwyn slides the cup down, with its frothy cream and opulent sprinkling of red. It, after a curious sniff perhaps, could definitely be described as spicy, as the ingredients seemed to carry a potent flavor to them. Nice chocolate, though.

"This one will ask the chef, when he recovers from his injuries." The ruddy scaled sith-makar responds with a rumbling sound, before he gestures at the seat, with a tilt of his head. "And may this one partake in her company?" His tail coils behind him.

Ygraine giggles, then nods and gestures to a chair. "If you are at all serious about the injuries, do say. I can provide healing without needing to set foot in the hallowed domain," she says with a smile. "But you are entirely welcome to sit with me, if you like. And to have a drink of your own, if you would enjoy one! I can gladly enough pay for you to indulge."

Aelwyn shakes his head, "No need, as this one will take the tip for the _excellent_ service." He rumbles in amusement, before he slides smoothly onto the chair. He had a flashy show of teeth on his blunted snout. "And if the chef survives, the offer will be passed on."

Leaning back, he tilts his horned head and looks at her. "It seems the weather has slid away from her. How long had Muse been away from this town?"

Laughing and grinning, Ygraine shakes her head. "Subtle. *Very* subtle." She winks... then sighs, lips twisting into a rather rueful little smile. "Two years," she says softly. "I feel more than a little guilty for it. For the people I left behind. Letting people down is much more challenging to cope with than a little weather. For the latter, my Lady can grant me access to some magical assistance. For the former... the guilt and regret are very much mine to try to deal with, and to use as spurs to make amends as best I can."

"Oh? Should this one be more explicit?" The ruddy sith-makar asks and slowly coils out his forked tongue - but as there is a shift in the air, he leans forward on his chair, elbows on the table.

"Two years is a long time," Aelwyn admits, "But even then, it is not a lifetime." He finally says, claws rolling across the table's surface. "Why the regret and guilt? Is not a journey a constant in life? Should she not feel the opposite, having returned?"

Mustering another smile - albeit not *entirely* convincingly - Ygraine shrugs slightly, then nods. "I hope so. I very much hope so. I do worry that I have let people down here, who felt they could depend upon me... even while I was *trying* to help people elsewhere. It all wound up... well. It became a lot more time-consuming and *complicated* than I had anticipated, and I am not even sure that I was very much use in what I *was* trying to do...."

Chuckling slightly, she shakes her head. "I apologise. Truly. Your kindness should not be repaid with a stranger *fretting* at you!"

Aelwyn sits there with a tilt of his head, coiling his tail as he listens to her. Then at her sudden recoil, he offers her a white toothed grin once more - those sharp teeth splitting his cheeks apart in that unnerving manner. "And what kind of a waiter would not listen for the worries as much as excite their patron's appetite?" He asks and leans back on his chair, rumbling in amusement. His tail flops over his chest.

The draconian tilts his head. "Has she met those people, or is she fretting over things that may or may not have come to pass? For tomorrow is always so far away, when everything is in this moment."

"I suspect that most waiters would be keen to extricate themselves," Ygraine notes wryly. "But I really do appreciate your kindness. Thank you. But, err... well. I have met one of the people about whom I am most concerned, but have not yet managed to find the other. And I certainly do not feel that I have managed to make proper amends to either. Not, I admit, that I have much clear idea of how to go about doing so. I am rather hoping that hugs might go quite a long way!"

"Perhaps this one is not like most waiters," Aelwyn responds with a grin. Technically he barely was one. He tilts his head towards the side and crosses his arms across his chest. "Perhaps the persons are the best ones to evaluate when Muse has paid her debt." The draconian points out, though the mention of hugs catches him at a pause. "Hmmh, hugs could indeed." He rumbles in amusement. "If nothing but, it is a start."

Chuckling, Ygraine nods. "I hope so. And you approve of hugs, hrmmm? Which tangentially reminds me... there is something I have been meaning to ask, if opportunity arose. When first you introduced yoruself to me, you told me that you were a 'dragoon'. What did you mean by that - if it is not too rude to ask?"

"This one is yet to disapprove of one." Aelwyn responds, though her question makes him tilt his head. His ribbons follow suit; flopping in the air. "Dragoon." The ruddy scaled sith-makar nods, leaning back on his chair. "It is what this one is; like she introduces herself as the Muse of Ceinara." He gestures with his hand, "The path this one shall follow."

The draconian glances around the TarRaCe, before he slowly starts to swing back up on his feet. "Perhaps the chef has managed to find his hand to finish her dish;" A flash of his teeht, "May she enjoy her evening and nest in peace." He bows his head and begins to head towards the kitchen, with his tail swaying behind him.

Quirking another wry smile, Ygraine cocks her head as she watches Aelwyn depart. "I look forward to our next conversation!", she calls after him. "And thank you again!"