#kc_necropolis

"I hope so... it's ah, nothing fancy. I mean, seriously, your mom's cooking makes me feel stupid for even trying" Sheepish and he lays it out in front of her.

"Oh, stop," she smiles. "Mom would be upset if she heard you say that. Well, first she'd be upset, and then she'd offer you cooking lessons, probably."

"Ha. Well, I did learn a little cooking. We split the job with my liege and Sir August"

"At first? It was PBJs... but I got a few hints at Earth Runes and ah.. a home ec class"

He blushes at that

She looks puzzled at the blush. "I didn't even know you were particularly interested in cooking. I think that's cool." She looks at the plate. "Um...should we start?"

"By all means.. ah, I'm sorry, it won't let us have wine."

"So... any preference on the drink? "

He seems a touch nervous.

"Um...I like seltzer with a little pomegranate juice," she suggests, also nervous.

The gloves are fast on that, for two, and put in champagne glasses.

The Jukebox begins to play The Nearness of you

Sylvi hears the music, and looks a bit more self-conscious.

"I did not tell it to do that.." Colton shoots the jukebox a LOOK

Food prepared, juice in glasses, and music playing by candle light

"I don't mind," Sylvi says, though it comes out a bit closer to a whisper.

"Oh, well, then...I should thank it later" A smile, and he holds up a glass, "To beautiful music to match beautiful company"

A nervous smile, and she holds up her glass as well. "To...us? And time together."

"To us, and time together" they clink glasses gently, and it chimes.

A little smile, and she sips her drink.

"How have you been? I miss you a lot now that school has started. "

"Yeah. Texting just isn't...." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "It's been busy. Oh, we had a big rescue this past weekend...." And she tells him the tale of the prayer camp as they start to eat their dinner.

"No way" He gasps "You guys didn't just rescue a kithain, you shut down a banality factory. That's amazing"

She beams at the compliment. "It was very satisfying. Dagmar did the immediate rescue, but gathering the evidence helped get everybody else out. So...how about you?"

"I never would have thought about recording it, not until after. Brilliant" He says then when the question is asked, "Well ,with the return of Sir August, it's about to get political I think. Banner House Truthbranch might be a thing. Isn't that great? "

"I...guess? I mean, I'm happy they're finding out their story, but I don't really understand what it would mean. What does it mean to be a banner house? How would it be different?"

"I'm not sure I understand myself, but apparently it's.. kind of extra power for House LIam if it goes through, i nthe parliment of dreams for a start. It also brings some extra glory to Earth Runes..and most important, if rumor is true..Sir August might be Baron August and co rule. I don't know though.. it's.. really a lot of stuff"

She blinks. "Wow. That's...a lot of changes. Is your liege part of House Truthbranch too? I mean, I know she has the name, but I don't know if that's the same thing....?"

"I think she is or was, or has the right to be. Actually it makes me feel almost boring. All i did was stomp a nightmare and patrol a lot" A shrug

"A nightmare? Tell me about that?" She listens while enjoying the meal. Her posture has relaxed a bit as they trade their latest tales.

"It was uuuugglee.. I won't go into details, but think the ugliest parts of a naked bat and a squid in shape and it would swoop down on people and stick tentacle tips into ears."

She makes a face and her shoulders tighten up. "Ohhh...UGH. That's...." A headshake. "I don't want to try to imagine that."

"Don't.. it'll ruin dinner. Anyway it was stalking peopole at night and making them paranoid untiil they broke into a panic and endangered themselves. I managed to corner it by trailing a dreamer who I knew was a night owl. When I heard the scream, I knew Bob was in trouble."

"Oh!" Concern. "You saved him? Bob?"

"Of course. I would have hated myself if I hadn't. Bob's .. Bob is this dreamer... he's got phobias and anxiety and stuff, so he writes it to the 9th degree as horror stories. I mean, I think your friend Symon would love him"

"So he probably got some more good material from this thing. Ugh."

"I Hope so.. important thing is he is alive." a sigh

"Yeah. That's great, Colton." She smiles appreciatively.

"Not as awesome as shutting down that camp. You're like a sexy heroine from a novel." His eyes dance, "I could read you all night "

She blinks and blushes, smiling. "I...um...."

"Too forward? i'm not sure I can bring myself to apologize for it."

Sheepishly said

"Don't. I...don't want you to." Blushing hard, and she sets her fork down, taking another sip of her drink. "I, uh, kind of wish this could be wine."

"Me too. But for..well, silly reasons"

A curious smile. "Silly?"

"Well, because wine is normally associated with the finer moments in life, and treating the one you love as ...well, worth celebrating. I'm not good with poetry, but the symbolism is why and I guess that's probably silly but... there you have it. "

She shakes her head. "It's not silly. It's..." she stops and just looks at him a long moment. "Colton...are we...do you...." she stops again and glances involuntarily at the large empty-seeming room as if it's suddenly feeling too exposed.

"Are we..." Curious

She looks at him with a little annoyed expression, then it passes and she sighs. "I think...I wonder if maybe...we're...ready?" Awkward.

He takes her hands in his if she lets, and looks at her in the eyes, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you, but... not tonight. I don't want you thinking that this was just a ..just a set up." what am I doing? She's asking me if I want to.. no.. hold on "I want us to.. share that one day. And... I don't mean like 'years from now' , but it shouldn't be something we just... "A breath "I want it to feel so right neither of us really even has to think about it? Is that ...stupid of me?"