Shaking off the Nerves

Log Info

• Title: Shaking off the Nerves

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Ravenstongue, Telamon

• Place: Ravenstongue and Telamon's house

• Summary: Ravenstongue is quietly rejoicing that all of the wedding party favors have been packed when Telamon arrives home with his father, Telperius Atlon. The trio get to discussing the wedding, and the elder Atlon soothes the soon-to-be married couple's nerves about the ceremony and the party to follow. The visit ends with a plan to take Telperius to the Rosalian Rose, and Pothy cries that Ravenstongue is becoming all grown up.

Lúpecyll-Atlon home, evening.

There's a sigh that leaves Cor'lana as she sinks down into the couch, a weary look on her face as she throws one of the blankets over herself and snuggles into the fluffy fabric. "Finally. All set. All done," she says, definitively. "All of the wedding favors in their little bags and ready to go."

Pothy is, of course, on the coffee table, where he dines on a variety of nuts dipped in sweet yogurt and left to dry until hardened. "I mean, you and Tel just had the unseen servant do all the hard work," he says between bites. "I'm surprised you didn't decide to spend your free time smooching him instead."

"No, I needed that time for calming tea," Cor'lana says, lifting a cup of lavender-mint tea she'd brought with her to the couch to her mouth. One of many cups of calming tea that she'd needed today, in fact.

For his part, Telamon had to step out to meet his father, and soon the pair return. The door unlocks, and Telamon calls out cheerily, "Honey, I'm home! Father's with me!" Just in case Lana's had an attack of feytouched mischief and plans to ambush him in something lacy.

It's happened before. Just saying.

The elder Atlon is dressed down a bit, the coolness of the evening air forcing him into a long cloak over a heavier padded tunic and trousers, with boots. Instead of objecting to Telamon's greeting, Telperius smiles slightly. "Very much like how I would greet Ariana when I came home." The arching, angular features are relaxed, though there's signs of fatigue in his gaze.

Thankfully, there's no swimsuit-lingerie confusion like the one time, and Cor'lana is wearing a comfortable and long wool dress that goes down to her ankles today. It is, after all, autumn--which means that the blankets and the cups of tea are prized even more by the mistress of the house on evenings like this one.

"Welcome home!" she calls out, putting her teacup down on the coffee table as she springs up from the couch. Fuzzy bear slippers pad on the floor as Cor'lana goes to meet Telperius and Telamon, giving her soon-spouse a kiss on the cheek and a hug hello to her soon-second father. "Nice to see you again, Telperius," Cor'lana says with a smile.

The hugs and kisses are exchanged all around, and Telperius brightens immediately. "It's good to see you again as well, Cor'lana. Or shall we say, daughter-by-bond?" He sinks down into a chair, and stretches. "Gods. I apologize in advance if I am not at my most sharp. The negotiations are tiresome, and there was a personal matter I had to tend to."

Telamon putters around, pouring cups of tea for his father and himself, and refreshing Lana's. "You mentioned something about that, father. Something about a house that collapsed in the university district? I hadn't gotten all the details."

Cor'lana brightens with the daughter-by-bond remark, the smile widening on her face and her violet eyes sparkling a little. "Very soon that will be true," she says. "A week. I can't believe it's happening so soon..."

She walks back to the couch and throws the blanket around herself again in sort of a vaguely shawl-like fashion. The mention of the house collapsing gets her brows furrowing, however. "A house that collapsed? Gods, I really have been too focused on the wedding if I haven't heard about that."

Pothy, meanwhile, flaps over to sit with Telperius. "Hello," he says in his cherubic voice. "Oh, wait, you haven't heard my real voice before, have you, Telperius? Umm... Merp."

Telamon cuddles up with Lana on the couch. He's dressed a little lighter, though not inappropriately so, his light gray tunic trimmed in bright green and his white trousers contrasting with his slippers (swapped out when he came in the door). "We've both been focused on the wedding. I didn't know about it either till father told me." He refrains from facepalming at Pothy, and adds, "Mourner Verna put an enchantment of speech on the house. 'All beneath this roof shall hear and understand'. The tongues spell, I believe."

Telperius does a kind of double take at Pothy, though he doesn't seem out of sorts. "Well. It's not as harsh as the usual croak, I'll say that." The elf reaches out to stroke Pothy, as he looks to the couple. "But yes. I... knew you were busy, so you might say I subcontracted out." His expression grows slightly pained. "I will have a report ready soon -- the head ambassador insisted, since I was tangentially involved -- but suffice to say it is an excellent lesson in why one should always take care when meddling in certain magics."

Pothy's tail wags up and down happily as he's patted. He's just happy to receive affection. Cor'lana, meanwhile, looks at Telperius with a bashful look. "Despite how he sounds," she elaborates, "he's actually quite old, so don't let him beg any snacks from you. Although he is insufferably good at it."

She leans a little into Telamon, frowning a little at the discussion of the exploded house. "What happened, exactly? Are you at liberty to say, or is it... a hush-hush sort of deal?"

"My silence can be bought," Pothy cheerfully informs Telperius. "With snacks."

Telamon furrows his brows as well. "That sounds slightly ominous, father. Was it something related to... well, the various politics, or machinations around Alexandria of late? There have been issues, after all." His lips quirk up sardonically at his own understatement. "If it's something Lana and I need to be aware of..."

Telperius raises his hand. "No, nothing like that. Just... mild embarrassment. Tel, I don't believe you ever met the man but I might've mentioned him -- Colin Phileaston. A skilled sculptor and mage."

Telamon inclines his head. "I remember you talking about him once, that he'd managed to win a substantial commission -- and made good on it. What happened to him?"

Telperius actually looks pained. "An accident, as near as we can reconstruct from the adventurers' accounts and what we could salvage from the ruins of his house. He was attempting to 'wedge' an extraplanar space into his dwelling -- he'd been trying for weeks to get permission to expand his home or find a larger one, with no luck -- and it went very, very wrong for him."

Cor'lana looks uneasy at the implications of Telperius's last statement. "Really," she murmurs. "And with the warding block on summoning or conjuring magic in Alexandria, that obviously resulted in catastrophe. I... That's almost foolish."

Her frown deepens on her face. "The stereotypes around magic users is true to some extent. Some people get so excited by the potential or possibilities that they don't stop and ask if they should, or they assume that nothing will go wrong simply because they're skilled enough or powerful enough. I can't imagine what those adventurers saw."

"That's why Lana's mother never claimed she was a genius," Pothy pipes up. "Only a smoothtalker with enough wit to get her out of bad situations."

For his part, Telamon seems to be trying to visualize what happened. "Damn. I think I can see what happened -- you can get away with small extradimensional 'ports' within the ward, because they only go to one 'place'. That's why my haversack, or a bag of holding, still work. The problem is when you try to put the 'space' you want inside the city itself, the ward reacts badly because it looks like an attempt to bridge..."

Telperius raises his eyebrows. "You have been keeping up on your studies, I see. And yes, Lana, it was foolish. I was going to meet him and dissuade him from trying anything foolhardy, but I was too late." The diplomat sighs, heavily. "The only good news out of this is that the adventuring team shut down the effect, which caused the whole thing to collapse -- which was what caused the building to take structural damage. The city's decided they'll level what's left, and rebuild something new there."

"Yes, we've both managed to keep on top of things besides wedding preparations," Cor'lana says with a smile returning to her face. "Can't pay for wedding expenses if we're not adventuring, after all, although I've been lucky enough to get some things 'on the house'. Addy refuses to charge us for the wedding cake, for example."

"The wedding cake samples were super yummy," Pothy says wistfully. "Can we have... another wedding? Just so we can get more samples?"

That gets a laugh out of Cor'lana. "Pothy, if you just want Addy to make you cupcakes, then I'll put in an order for cupcakes, although I'm sure we'll have a vow renewal ceremony at some point later in our lives."

She looks to Telperius. "Speaking of vows, I'm sort of curious, though. How did you meet Ari, anyway?" she asks.

Telamon snorts. "Yeah, the festhall's not going to pay for itself. The down payment I had to give them made my eyes water. So..." He shrugs lightly, grinning. "Lana and I keep our hands in the game, so to speak. Though at some point we'll probably move to Ylvaliel. Alexandria is fun, but... I think I want to put my roots down there in the Mythwood."

The elder Atlon smiles genuinely, leaning back a little in his chair and absently petting Pothy some more. "I won't deny the family would love that, Telamon, but be sure it's what you and Lana want, not what Ariana and I would want." His eyes are gentle. "At some point, the bird must leave the nest."

At Lana's question, Telperius's expression becomes quizzical. "I... hm. I would've thought one of us would've mentioned it. She's the daughter of Karlov Hravson -- his family's originally from Stormgarde, but came south to build a mercantile network. They've done very well over the years, and as a result, they are courted for all manner of projects, both small and large. Ariana accompanied her father on several trips, and we met when he was negotiating a route through the Mythwood."

For a moment it seems like there's something off about Telperius, then it suddenly becomes clear. Ever so slightly, at his cheekbones, there's the hint of a blush. "She was, well, is, one of a kind. Blazing brightly. I... found her terribly distracting, to put it mildly."

"Well, of course, the bird must leave the nest," Cor'lana agrees. But she takes Telamon's hand and squeezes it gently. "But there's more than just the entire Atlon clan to settle down in the Mythwood for. Grandfather finds it easier to cross between Quelynos and our realm there, for one thing. And... it's soothing to me whenever we're there. Probably the elven sensibilities in my blood."

Then there's a blink, followed by a grin at Telperius's cheeks actually coloring. "That's sweet," she says. "Telamon mentioned Ari was from a merchant family, but never really mentioned how specifically you met. I... fully admit that I'm learning what a successful marriage looks like from you both, since, well--"

"Nadi was never the marrying type," Pothy says.

Telperius seems to get control of himself after a moment, but he's still smiling. "It was, is, a work in progress. There are some elves who believe that a marriage is in itself a kind of curuchuil, and that the art is to be found in a happy household." His eyes glint. "Mind you, I did not say harmonious... for life is chaotic by nature. But happy." His fingers form a steeple, a familiar mannerism. "Of course, both of you will always be welcome to visit. Though I must warn you, Ariana has already stated she wants to see grandchildren at some point." He forestalls any protest with a raised hand. "I know, I know, you've said you're not ready yet. Perhaps in a year or two we can revisit the question -- though I shudder at the kind of familial pressure both Ariana and Alud'rigan could bring to bear."

Telamon gives his father a stare. "Oh, wonderful." He looks at Lana, and raises her hand to his lips. "We definitely need to plan for more adventuring, because those two working in tandem..." He shudders. "I wonder what the Jade Islands are like this time of year? You think we could ask Skiel to give us an introduction in Mictlan?"

Cor'lana blanches. "Both a former fey noble and my beloved Telamon's mother working hand-in-hand to demand grandchildren? Yes, we need to continue adventuring. 'I'm sorry, Ari, but with all of the adventuring we've been doing, it simply wouldn't be safe for the baby.' 'Oh, Grandfather, your latest set of baby dresses are adorable, but I'm an adventurer. Please sit down and drink the tea...'"

She sighs, but gives Telamon a smile. "Years, plural. We need to be firm on that. Both of us are still young... And I want my adventuring career to come to an end on my terms rather than as a surprise."

"Good food in the Jade Islands, at least," Pothy says. "Mictlan probably has nice food, too. The makari cuisine is deeeeeeeelicious!"

Telamon smiles back. "Well, we knew what we were getting into, love. I mean, unless you want to elope, and run away -- far away -- and I don't think we can outrun Grandfather. Hells, I don't think we can even outrun mother when her mind is set." He taps his fingers. "We may need to sit them down and explain things. I will note, however, that when that time comes, both of us will set aside our adventuring boots. I will be there, with you, as husband."

Telperius nods in agreement with Telamon. "I will take up the question with Ariana, though I can't swear I can keep her at bay forever. But I can buy you time, if nothing else." He clearly approves of the whole way this is being discussed. "When your days of delving and derring-do are done, Telamon... don't be afraid to look me up. We discussed this when you set out, a year ago: a sorcerer-diplomat would be a formidable man indeed, in the ranks of the Mythwood."

Cor'lana sticks her tongue out playfully at Telamon. "Honestly, I fear Grandfather less than I fear your mother," she says. "Mostly because I know he adores me and would probably stop asking if, as you suggest, we sit him down and explain it all to him."

Pothy looks at the two half-elves, and then back at Telperius. "I don't know if Lana's had her brains scrambled or not to think an ex-fey noble is not scary as Ari," he tells Tel-elder. "But I'm okay with whatever, so long as good food is in my future."

The sorceress smirks a little. "Well, we'll see what Ylvaliel's finest fest-hall has to offer for food, considering we can't lug freshly-cooked pasta from the Rosalian Rose all the way to the Mythwood," she says. "Speaking of which, Telperius--Telamon said he'd had food in Rosalia with you before on a diplomatic mission, and there's this place here in Alexandria we can recommend now that we've tried it."

"The food will be primarily a buffet, with several cultures represented so everyone should be able to find something they'll like. I mean, we have makari, khazadi, humans, sil, oruch... quite the variance for a wedding in the Mythwood." Telamon snickers. "I'm sure there'll be plenty for you as well, Pothy." He runs his hand through his hair. "But I admit to a certain amount of... anxiety. I've actually put my alchemy tools away for a bit, because I realized I was having trouble focusing. Was it like this for you, father?"

Telperius nods gravely. "Absolutely. I paced so much Telgari threatened to tie me up till the ceremony began. I... think it's part and parcel of being a groom, and soon to be husband. We're always nervous. All you can do is have friends and family to prop you up a bit when the time comes."

At the mention of Rosalian food, Telperius raises an arching eyebrow. "Really? It's hard to find good Rosalian cuisine the further you get from the Myrrish kingdoms. I think they don't like to export their recipes, or for that matter their chefs. If you'd found a good one, I'm all ears." A pause, then a smirk. "Well, granted, as an elf that's a given, but..."

Cor'lana snickers at the ear remark. "Yes, the Rosalian Rose," she says. "It's owned by my mother's cousin, Gerald Branfeax, and his wife, Liandra. It's... a bit difficult to get a table, apparently, but Telamon and I have more or less been offered the opportunity to use Gerald's private table whenever we'd like to use it, provided that it hasn't already been 'booked' for the evening."

She looks to Telamon again with a small smirk. "Well, if it helps, my starborn prince, I went from being anxious that surely this was all some fantastic dream where I get to marry the man of my dreams that I'd wake up from soon... to suddenly being anxious that yes, it's real, it's happening, and I need to make sure it all goes off without a hitch. You're not the only one that's anxious."

"See? They're perfect for each other," Pothy informs Telperius. "Just two little anxious people who are probably going to collapse from relief on the night of the wedding that it's all done and over." He speaks like he knows from experience.

"Probably," Telamon admits with a rueful smile. "There are days when I wonder, 'is this really happening?'. That I can't have found the most wonderful woman and am going to marry her. And yet... here we are. Right before the precipice, ready to take flight." He looks into Lana's eyes. "Queen of my heart," he replies with a smile.

Telperius chuckles softly, not put off by the couple's endearments. "Well, I don't expect any trouble -- the most I've had is some curiosity from the priests about officiation, but I've assured them it's handled. They mean well, and they're not trying to pry." He mentally taps his fingertips together. "All that's left is to, well, do the deed. I've already made arrangements to take a short leave of absence to attend the wedding -- in fact, we'll be traveling together to Ylvaliel." Telperius's eyes dance -- they're not star-shot like Telamon's are, but there's definitely a resemblance in the restrained but wry merriment. "This will give us a few days to get a reservation, since I'm quite curious now about this Rosalian Rose."

Cor'lana, of course, can't help but return the look that Telamon gives her, and she leans in and pecks him affectionately on the lips. Then Telperius's revelation that he'll be traveling with them to Ylvaliel puts a grin on her face. "Oh, that works out wonderfully!" she exclaims. "I think just about everyone in the bridal party is going to either be traveling with us or adjacent-ish to us. My cousin Addy is coming with us, as well as her twin sisters, who have volunteered to act as my 'stylists'. Gerald and Liandra have indicated they'll come to the wedding, too, but with their own transportation."

Then she looks back to Telamon with a grin. "I'm sure we can get a room at the Rose again," she says. "I have a feeling that Gerry might chat your father's ear off, however. I guess Addy had to get it from somewhere."

Telperius seems unfazed by the idea. "Talking is far better than other, less constructive pursuits. I prefer it, in fact." He smiles slightly. "It's the diplomat in me, I suppose. In any case... yes, it's going to be a large group traveling. Which is for the best -- even with the wights repelled, no point in borrowing trouble."

Telamon snickers at Lana in the meantime. "They say a politician is someone who can talk for hours and never actually say anything. That can apply to diplomats as well, dear." He wraps his arm around Lana's shoulders, squeezing gently. "One more week. We just need to keep everyone from flying apart for one more week."

"One more week," Cor'lana echoes, smiling as she leans into him with the squeeze of her shoulder. "The Lúpecyll family dies--but the successor arrives. The Lúpecyll-Atlon family. I am more than happy about that. So is Grandfather, honestly."

She looks to Telperius with a smile, her violet eyes twinkling. "I think he's been reluctant to say so in your presence, but Grandfather has quite a love and affection for Telamon in his own manner. I can't count the number of times that I've come home and find the two of them smiling and laughing about something. He's very pleased with who I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with--and to forge this new family tree with."

"Then everything truly has worked out for the best. You've found a love, a home, a family. The past will always be with you -- it's what molded you, after all -- but your future lies ahead, and it looks bright." Telperius's voice is gentle and warm. "I suspect this new tree will be broad and strong indeed. I can't wait to see how it grows."

Telamon leans into Cor'lana in turn, blushing a little bit, but clearly pleased. "It's been a strange and wonderful year. I wonder what next year will be like? Hopefully a little more peaceful." His eyes look thoughtful, as he looks to his father. "Will you be returning to the embassy, father? I admit we don't have much of a guest room, but all we have is at your service if needed."

"We can, umm, at least make the sofa palatable if it comes down to it," Cor'lana admits with a bashful smile. "Telamon and I have plenty of blankets. Neither of us are fans of the winter, so I made sure to purchase plenty of them... And, of course, Grandfather has given us a few, too. They're the nicest ones in the collection."

"Not to mention, you get to use me as a pillow," Pothy says. "Lana used to do that to me all the time."

That gets Cor'lana even more bashful. "Pothy, that was when I was a child, and you always wormed your way out of my grasp eventually," she says, although she's grinning.

Telperius laughs softly. "I've slept in much worse conditions. But no, it's all right, you two. The embassy prefers I come back to sleep there. Something about not wanting me to fall back into bad habits. Can't imagine what they mean by that." His grin is crooked, sly, and suggesting that the staid and polite appearance he puts on is a very thin veneer over something a bit more... adaptable. "You two deserve your privacy. But if you need to get in touch, you know how to find me." He rises to his feet. "Keep on the path. I assure you, the reward is worth all the worry. I know it was for me."

Telamon stands as well, to walk his father to the door. "If you insist, father. But make sure you come by for tea as needed. Even if you can't discuss the negotiations, it's good to be among friends and family and relax for a time."

Cor'lana divests herself of her comfortable blanket as she rises from the couch with Telamon, smiling with him. "Please come by for tea," she requests. "You are, after all, the first proper father figure I've had in my life, and I feel like both Tel and I could use someone to occasionally keep us both grounded and not fly off our feet in nerves. Grandfather's busy back in the Mythwood, after all."

Pothy just stares at both of them from his comfortable spot on the chair where Telperius had been sitting. "Don't worry about them!" he calls out. "I'll peck both of them if they start getting nervous."

Once Telperius is on his way, the couple return to the couch, cuddling up again. Telamon looks to Lana. "You know he appreciates that. I think he likes the idea of gathering you under the 'Atlon branches' as it were, because you needed a family so much." He gives her a squeeze. "Regardless of what happens, you'll be part of us."

Pothy's mouthing off draws a sigh from Tel, and he just shakes his head. "I believe you'd do it, too. Well... one more week, and then we can stop worrying. Happily married, as it were." He mulls the thought over. "It's going to be interesting, no longer just being 'Telamon Atlon' but 'Telamon Lúpecyll-Atlon'. A new experience."

Cor'lana smiles at Telamon as she curls up next to him, her hand going to rest on his leg. "Not only will I be gathered into the Atlon branches," she says, "but I've been brought into the Branfeax family, who are all delightful in their own ways. Then, of course, there's Grandfather--not to mention family I've practically made by adopting them, like Patch and Boti. I went from having very few I could call my family to... more than I ever imagined."

She leans into Telamon and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "It's something we'll both have to get used to," Cor'lana says softly. "Cor'lana Lúpecyll-Atlon. Telamon Lúpecyll-Atlon. Not to mention, the pixies will probably call you merely Lord Lúpecyll now, and that's got to be as weird-feeling as it is for me to be called Lady Lúpecyll."

Pothy excuses himself to the kitchen quietly--presumably to give the couple a slight amount of alone time. Cor'lana just happily nuzzles into Telamon for a moment. "Just a week from now... comes the rest of our lives, but together," she says. "Once I get all the nerves aside... I'm more excited than anything. I love you, Telamon. I truly do."

Telamon folds his arms around Cor'lana, resting her under his chin. Happy place! "I know. I was so damned happy when we found out about the Branfeaxs. It... was another connection for you. Family can be complicating, but it's better to have it." He rests his cheek against her head, happily relaxing against her.

"'Lord Lúpecyll'... hm. Don't know if I'll get used to it, but still, I'll have the time to do so. Frankly, I'm happy to be 'Telamon Lúpecyll-Atlon'. Lordships just aren't that important to me." Telamon lifts his head, and grins at her, eyes dancing, stars whirling in them.

As Pothy slips out to give them a little privacy, Telamon nods. "Now and forever. I love you too, Cor'lana. I know we've talked about fate, and things being 'meant to be'... but I think you might've been right. This is how it should be. You and me, together."

Cor'lana plants another kiss on Telamon's cheek, apparently now in a feytouched mood to dispense affection. "I won't complain about you not realizing it was fate sooner," she says. "I don't know what else is... well, fated for us. But whatever happens--together."

Then a wide grin spreads on her face. "So... Do you want to try the couch?"

"Oh, gross, right here? In front of my peanuts?" Pothy complains from the kitchen. He makes a noise of disgust and flies off to the study.

That sends Cor'lana into a proper giggling fit, and she hugs Telamon tightly for it. "I was joking," she says. "Let's stay in for dinner tonight. It won't be the Rose--but I can put on some soup." Her eyes are twinkling with amusement.

Telamon's eyes widen slightly as he realizes Lana's in one of those moods. Wisely, though (he's a fool, not an idiot!) he doesn't object, instead commenting, "I think staying in might be best, yes. And hot soup is definitely a good meal when it's getting colder outside."

Then he gives Lana a sly grin, "Good thing we have all these blankets... and someone to share them with. It's always so much easier to stay warm together, after all."

Meanwhile, in the study, Jyndei is offering sage advice (of a sort) to Pothy. "Really, friend Pothy, this is part of life. And they do make each other happy. Look on the bright side -- eventually there will be hatchlings, and a whole new generation to introduce to the joys of snacks."

Pothy looks down pitiably from his book nest. "I know it's part of life!" he says, sulking. Of course he sulks. Peanut-time got interrupted, which is the most important time of all Pothy-times in the Lúpecyll-Atlon household.

Then he... sniffles? "My little Lana is all grown up!" he wails, throwing his head back. "She's getting married! Nadi would be so prooooouuuuud!"

After all, a little brother is allowed to shed some tears for how grown up their big sister is now.