a private dinner party

OoC - 50° Mia 81380. This thread is private, though I highly encourage everybody to follow along because our characters are going to IC’ly lay out the ideas for a large event that will be taking place in Dyo! Oh, and before I forget, this is rated <font color="red">MATURE</font> because of some tasteful but straightforward sexual content that might burn out your eyeballs if you’re young or uncomfortable with that sort of thing.

BiC - Plicae took a deep breath as he adjusted the sleeve of his corduroy jacket. The looming shadow of the Grader mansion was thrown over him, and he felt small and insignificant standing in front of the great manor. Even its front doors, just feet away, were impressive to the point of intimidation – they were well over ten feet tall and had quite an impressive amount of gilding around their collective trim. After he was done fussing with his jacket, Plicae took a deep, steeling breath and stared at these doors, wondering why it was that he felt so nervous.

Was it because Koani was indoors, and he feared her on some level? Was it because the well-known thill had invited him to her home – just him, and no one else, at least when it came to colleagues? Was it because he was uncertain as to whether the nature of this rendezvous was political or personal? Was it because he was nervous about meeting her “secret" son and his mate? Was it because he had brought Villi along and had no idea how his daughter would react to the situation? Did it all come down to this being a very personal meeting, with quite a few secrets being entrusted upon his shoulders, and he was simply unsure of how worthy he was of such treatment?

Truth be told, it was probably all of these things, but at least when the doors began to open and Koani’s colorful form appeared on the threshold, Plicae swallowed all his nervousness and bowed his head. “Good evening, Koani. How are you?"

Villi stood off to her fatherÂ’s left side, blankly gazing around. The house was enormous, and it made the lukuo feel very small, but she was not impressed to the point of being nervous, like her father was. After her colorless gaze had wandered over the view of the Grader manor, it landed upon the black arden, and she watched as he toyed with his jacket sleeve. Lately, her father had been much more nervous than usual, even though the anniversary of his wifeÂ’s and her motherÂ’s death had come and gone without much incident. Villi sometimes wondered whether he was cracking under the pressure of his duties in law, and she wanted to hug him. Right here, right now, she wanted to wrap her arms around the fidgeting arden, and tell him everything would be all right.

Instead, the large doors to the mansion began to open, and Villi instinctively stepped a pace closer to her father and put her arm around his. He warmly accepted her arm even as he bowed to Koani Grader, who was in the doorway, and Villi stared openly at the kiom. She was beautiful, the little lukuo noted, with a definite air of dignity. Honestly, though, Villi wanted to get inside and meet her son – the one nobody was supposed to know was her son – because the nine-year-old thought he was rather fetching. She had seen photographs of him and his mate in a tabloid, and had pretty much fallen in love with them both.

Several days prior, Plicae had told her the information about Cayson’s parentage, and had informed Villi of how precious a secret it was to their family. She didn’t really care too much about that possible “scandal" though – she was just interested in meeting him and Riot, though craning her neck did not help her in sighting them behind Koani’s slender form.

. . .

The doorbell rang, and Riot’s ears flicked. She watched as Koani placed a bundle of freshly washed salad greens into a bowl, dried her hands on a rag, and then padded stealthily towards the front foyer. Her keen sense of hearing easily picked up the sounds of the Grader’s feet as she moved towards the doors, as well as the noise of the doors being opened. Greetings were exchanged with whomever it was standing outside – Plicae and Villi Decatur, Koani had told her. Plicae was a potential council member, and Koani had invited him to this dinner because she had some proposals for him. She also identified with him on a lot of levels and genuinely enjoyed his and his little white daughter’s company.

Tuning out the sound of the new arrivals, Riot chanced a quiet smile towards Cayson, who was on the other side of the table, arranging a set of silverware next to one of the gleaming white plates. He seemed very interested in making sure the dinnerware was all perfect, and Riot thought that perhaps having a pristine dinner table was instinctive for him, given his “royal" blood. As it was, he was too preoccupied to notice her small grin, so the thill prowled around the large table – it had eight seats, though only five would be filled tonight – and squeezed him playfully.

“It looks great," she said, gesturing towards the set table. “We done good," she joked. “Things have been going smoothly with your mom, too, there’s almost no tension between us anymore," Riot added. “I’m glad for that. I don’t need any more cold shouldering from her or anyone else – I’m still plenty cold from yesterday’s sledding adventures," she finished up, shivering sillily for effect.

 

Plicae smiled at KoaniÂ’s casual greetings, which eased his nervousness. He looked down and nudged Villi when Koani said her name, and then he began to walk forwards and into the house, with his daughter still on his arm. Though he had thought Villi might behave shyly or else hold back in some way, the little lukuo eagerly tagged along, almost pulling him across the threshold of the enormous manor.

Upon setting foot inside the house, the first thing Plicae noted was the array of smells. He inconspicuously sniffed at the scents, and closed his eyes as they flooded his nose. They were such domestic aromas, and they made his mouth water. He tried to focus on their succulence instead of on the sharp pain that stabbed at his chest just then. The smells reminded him so much of his late wife, who had cooked every meal at home, without fail. But now was not the time to lose himself in his grief. The arden forced a smile and pondered over what exactly was going to be on the menu tonight.

“Oh, no, thanks," the gracile arden said when Koani offered to take his coat. “If it’s all right, I’ll keep mine on. Villi, did you want to keep your jacket or take it off?" he asked, turning to look at the female whose arm was still looped in his. She was peering around the house, but gazed up at him when he questioned her. She shrugged. “Okay, then," Plicae laughed, turning his warm eyes upon Koani again. “She’ll keep hers, too. So, where are Cayson and Riot? I’ve been looking forward to meeting your…" Here, he paused a beat, not knowing how he should refer to Case. “…son."

Villi obligingly trailed along with her father, her eyes flicking over everything as they entered the mansion. Her colorless gaze drank in everything, but though the decor was quite nice, she was not interested in interior design. She was waiting to catch a glimpse of Cayson, and as she waited for him to pop into sight, she wondered how tall he was. And what did he sound like?

Just as she was wondering this, VilliÂ’s ears flicked. She heard something beyond her fatherÂ’s and Koani GraderÂ’s exchanged pleasantries. Straining, Villi thought she could just make out a voice, a masculine one, singing somewhere. It was very, very muffled, and it stopped almost as soon as the little lukuo picked up on it. Frustrated, she glared in the direction it had come from, and that was right when her father asked if she wanted to keep her jacket. Villi just shrugged, impatient to get to the table already and meet her idols, Cayson and Riot. Of course, that was when her father asked after them, and Villi looked hopefully at Koani, awaiting the answer to PlicaeÂ’s question.

. . .

As Case held onto her and began to sing, Riot could not help but withdraw her lighter from a pocket, hold it up, and sway in time to his voice. She even hummed along with his crooning, her mismatched eyes closed as she “got into the groove."

This farce dissolved into a fit of muted laughter, and the thill then watched as Cayson addressed his invisible audience as well as an imperceptible fan. She chuckled at him when the arden turned to her and offered her the fake bouquet. Playing along, Riot grabbed the invisible flowers and then pretended to set them on fire with her lighter. She finished up her show by throwing the unperceivable, flaming flowers to the floor and stomping them out.

It was then that Riot heard the approaching sound of feet and voices, and she quietly flicked her candy apple red lighter off and inserted it back into her pocket. Dropping the asinine expression off her face, she scooted in close to hold onto Cayson’s arm, so that she appeared “presentable" for their guests. She hoped her outfit – a low-cut, lacy shirt mostly concealed by a vintage suede trench coat, and a pair of designer jeans – would be considered fitting by their company. At least Case and Koani seemed approving of her choice in clothing.

 

Plicae tagged along after Koani, his gait soundless as he followed the Grader. As he walked, Villi loosed her arm from around his, which earned a brief look from the arden, but he did not mind too much. His daughter seemed so eager – first, she had nearly dragged him into the house, and now she was skipping nearly one step ahead of him. He quirked a brow in an amused fashion, wondering what she was so excited about. Was she curious about the large house? Was she looking forward to eating the foods that smelled so darned good? Plicae had no idea about her “worship" of Cayson and Riot, and so he did not guess that she was excited to see the two older pendragons.

Turning his faded gaze from her, he looked into the rooms that they passed, quite impressed by the size of the manor. His own home was rather small, since it only needed to house himself and Villi. Of course, their first house, the one that had been burnt to the ground, had been a mansion. Thinking about it caused his old, blistered wounds to sting, and so he shrugged his thoughts about houses off, and instead flicked his ears forwards and paid strict attention to his hostessÂ’s words.

“Oh," the dark lukuo said rather easily. His small tail flicked. “I’ve just been keeping busy, especially with all the changes going on in the government. Speaking of that, I never got a chance to express my sympathies for your father," Plicae added, referring, of course, to Zamfir Grader’s recent death. “I never thought that he would die. He seemed immortal. Ah, well," he said with a shrug. It was apparent that, despite the Graders’ tie-ins with his spouse’s death, he held no outward grudges. “What about you, Koani? Have you come up with any ideas about how the government is going to be set up from here on out?"

Even if she hadn’t been busily keeping an eye out for Cayson and Riot, Villi would have tuned her father’s voice out. She loved him and all, but political banter did not interest her in the least. Now, if Plicae had been talking about biology and genetics, the little white lukuo would have been all ears. However, she did not take after her parents – she had little to no interest when it came to law and the government.

As KoaniÂ’s singsong voice came in reply to PlicaeÂ’s questioning, the trio finally emerged into the dining room. VilliÂ’s eyes immediately flicked to the two pendragons standing nearby to the table, and she sucked in a quick breath. They were more gorgeous in person than they were in the magazines! Her stomach suddenly felt very hot and heavy, like it was full of lava, and the spokes on VilliÂ’s ankles flared with nervousness and excitement.

“Hello," she said to them, her voice rather meek as she offered a small wave. She wanted to rush up to them and cling to them, but she restrained herself. Maybe, after being formally introduced, she could shake their hands, and perhaps even by the end of the night, she could give them a farwell hug. Right now, though, she was restricted to simply eyeing them – which she did quite liberally, her colorless eyes often straying to the platinum band around Riot’s left ring finger.

. . .

Riot offered the Decaturs a soft smile when they entered the room, her tail flicking as she appraised them both with mismatched eyes. The arden was a rather tall fellow, with a slender build and handsome, brooding features. His daughter, a stark white in contrast to his dark pelt, was a tiny little thing, with excitement glowing in her eyes. Villi, Riot knew her name to be, seemed very interested in her and Cayson, and the teenaged thill almost chuckled. She had had “fans" before, but never one so young, and she had no idea what to make of it.

She wanted to introduce herself to Plicae and Villi on a formal basis, but Riot held back, instead waiting for Koani to do the honors. Her mismatched eyes strayed to the hostess, and Riot tried to read the GraderÂ’s expression. There was no tension between them, but the younger female knew that she was only being tolerated. She hoped that, one day, she would be able to prove her love for Case in a way that Koani could truly appreciate and respect, but until then, she would simply be civil to her not-quite mother-in-law.

 

Plicae listened attentively as Koani continued her half of the conversation, though when she eventually trailed off, he did not reply because they had finally reached the dining room. The lukuo smiled warmly at the two young pendragons standing near to the table, and stretched out a hand when Cayson stepped forwards and offered his.

“It’s wonderful to meet you," he said kindly, and watched as Case then shook his daughter’s hand. Villi seemed elated by this, and Plicae began to get the slighest inkling that she had a crush on the arden. “It’s nice to see that you’re in a relationship, too," he pinned on, for he didn’t want Villi getting any false hopes.

Riot absently smoothed the front of her jacket as she watched these interactions, a quaint, knowing smile upon her muzzle. Both Plicae and Villi seemed enchanted by the orange arden, and she just hoped that they would like her, as well.

She patiently waited for the three of them to exchange handshakes before she then stepped to Case’s side and offered her own small, white hand. She noted that Plicae’s grip was warm and firm, and his gaze was melancholy but likewise warm as he bent a little to grace her knuckles with a platonic kiss. The thill found this to be a bit peculiar – so genteel, not to mention surprising, when considering that Plicae was one of Koani’s colleagues – but she offered him a pleasant smile nonetheless.

Villi, meanwhile, had tiny, cold hands, and she gave RiotÂ’s arm a vigorous shake before letting go. The brown thill gave her a quizzical smile and then stepped backwards and to the side, placing her spry digits across the back of one of the chairs.

Now that all the pleasantries had been exchanged, four pairs of eyes turned to gaze expectantly at Koani, awaiting the invitation to sit or help out. The table was bare, but it would not be long before the Grader set the entire, succulent spread out before them. And if things tasted as good as they smelled, it was going to be an absolutely wonderful meal for all five of them.

 

When Koani called her name, Riot quickly let go of the chair and padded towards the kitchen. Cooking smells were thick in the air, which was warm, as the thill moved towards a counter and put an oven mitt over her right hand. She then grabbed some hot dishes and carried them back out to the dining room, steam billowing in her face as she set the food on the table. She repeated this two more times before she shed the oven mitt in the kitchen, returned to her chair at KoaniÂ’s urging, and finally sat down. Though the scents were tantalizing, she did not yet help herself, but waited for Cayson and Koani to sit down, as well.

Meanwhile, Plicae watched as the spread unfolded before his very eyes. Marinated meat dishes, vegetables stewed in sauce, even some simple scree with pilldickle nectar in a fancy little pitcher – all of them placed inches from his nose. He wanted so badly to dig right in, but he waited patiently for Riot, and then Cayson and Koani, to take their seats. When they had, he then obligingly pulled the salad bowl towards himself, grabbed the tongs, and began to ration some onto his and Villi’s plates.

As he filled the plates, Plicae picked up the conversation where it had left off moments before. “This food looks absolutely great," he said first, giving Koani an appreciative glance. “So, what sort of things did you want to discuss? I’d love to be privy to your thoughts about the set-up of the government. Things need to be settled down. It feels like we’re stuck at the moment. You are, of course, a very capable leader, but without organization, even the best do not get very far."

Villi watched as her father scooped the salad onto her plate. While he was doing this, she grabbed a nearby bottle of creamy dressing, and began to shake it. She soon noticed that the bottle was slippery wet with condensation, and she gave it an almost horrified look as she set it down and used a napkin to dab delicately at her moist hand. It was the hand that had shaken CaysonÂ’s and RiotÂ’s, and she never wanted to wash away their traces.

Across the table from the two lukuos, Riot helped herself to some food, too, but not before she grabbed Cayson’s hand for a few seconds and whispered a small prayer of thanksgiving. A moment later, her plate had little piles of food – a little bit of everything. Riot had only tasted Koani’s cooking once before, and she had enjoyed it, but these dishes were different from last time. She wanted to make sure she tried everything and could give her not-quite mother-in-law some compliments after the meal.

 

Plicae smiled sheepishly at KoaniÂ’s words about eating. He had always been very tall and slim, though he had lost a few precious pounds since his wife had died. In the first few months after her murder, he had simply had no appetite, and even when it had returned somewhat, he had been unable to keep a lot of foods down. Since then, he had also buried himself in work and involvement in VilliÂ’s life, and he scarcely gave much thought to nutrition.

The instant he had stepped into this house and smelled the home-cooked meal, he had realized how much he missed eating heartily, and how good Jejunum had been for him. More than almost anything in the world, Plicae wished he could just have Jejunum and all her wonderful talents back, though it looked like Koani and her excellent cooking skills would at least see to PlicaeÂ’s nutritional needs.

The lukuo forced a laugh, but did not reply, at least until sheÂ’d switched subjects and spoken about the government. His colorless eyes expressed surprise when she told him that the Council of Twelve had been dissolved, and he immediately wondered what was going to replace it. Perhaps Koani would simply take the helm by herself, and have a few advisors? Plicae thought the Grader would make a capable Arch Magosai, but in the name of a more democratic government, he hoped she would spread some of the power. Even beautiful and intelligent Koani, with good intentions, could get sucked into the dirtiness of politics and end up being bad for the state of government.

“Ah, so, what’s going to replace the Council?" Plicae asked when Koani was finished, and as he awaited the reply, he scooped a fork full of meat into his mouth. Chewing, he closed his eyes at the sheer deliciousness, but then opened them once again so that he could make eye contact with the kiom as she answered.

Meanwhile, across the table, Riot tried her best to tune out KoaniÂ’s and PlicaeÂ’s conversations. She knew the older pendragons would not say anything too confidential in front of her, Cayson, and Villi, but she still felt like such an eavesdropper. Instead, she flicked her ears towards the little white lukuo as Case asked her what she did in school, and she smiled at the littler female. Villi seemed completely enraptured by herself and Cayson, and Riot wondered where her worshipful attitude had come from.

It was likely that Villi read teeny bopper tabloids full of snapshots of young celebrities, and there was definitely no scarcity of photographs when it came to the Stormwing and Lapices coupling. Even without the knowledge of Case’s connection to Koani, the Ramathian paparazzi was very interested in the high profile pair, and they had even been dubbed the “prince and princess" of Ramath-lehi by one farfetched magazine. Riot wondered what the periodical would have to say when they discovered that Cayson practically was the heir to the planet’s highest throne.

“Biology and genetics," Villi answered, cutting into Riot’s thoughts, and she beamed a bright smile at the older arden and thill. Her antennae flickered, too, as if in excitement. “My dad probably wishes I was into law like him and," Villi swallowed, coughed, and cleared her throat. She was still in denial about her mother’s untimely demise. “But he is very supportive of my schooling at Aurius. He was pretty reluctant to ask for a few days off so that I could come here. He wants me to be a straight-A student."

 

As she listened to Case talk about his own schooling at Janardan, Villi used her fork to move her foodstuffs around on her plate. To be honest, she had no interest in the gourmet meal. She was far too excited, and her enthusiasm at meeting Cayson and Riot had totally eclipsed any appetite. In fact, after playing with it for a while, the lukuo finally just laid her napkin and her silverware over her plate and sat back, listening raptly to the orange ardenÂ’s singsong voice.

“I love Uslumset," Villi replied when Case had finished. “I chose biology because I like studying animals. I like finding out how they work. I’ve never had my own pet, though. Dad doesn’t think I’m old enough, and the dormitories I stay at don’t allow pets, anyway."

The small female grinned once more, but she suddenly realized that their small talk had hit a wall. Fidgeting, Villi’s mind overworked itself in an attempt to think of something interesting to say, but she was only nine years old, and could not think up a subject fitting for the two older pendragons. Hence, instead of attempting to talk, she broke the awkwardness by asking, “Where’s the closest bathroom?" and standing up from her seat.

“See that hall?" Riot replied, for she had been in the Grader mansion a few times now and knew her way around quite well. She gestured towards the corrider that ultimately led to the foyer. “Go back that way. You probably passed it on your way in. It’s on the right, and has pink walls," she finished with a nod, ears flicking as she watched Villi trail out of view.

“I think she has a crush on you, on us," Riot whispered to Cayson with a bit of a giggle, before she stabbed at a slab of meat on her plate. She brought it to her mouth and chewed appreciatively. As she prepared to swallow, she noticed Koani’s eyes linger on her for a moment, and the thill offered the Grader a thumbs-up and a nod as if to say, This food kicks ass.

Across the table, Plicae had set down his fork simultaneously with his daughterÂ’s departure, but not because of it. He looked at KoaniÂ’s face with curiosity, and mulled over everything that she had said. The idea of a Council of Thirteen intrigued him, of course, as well as the mention of their having more power than the false Council of Twelve had had. But, of course, the lukuo was most surprised by KoaniÂ’s latest statement, which was undoubtedly an implication that she wanted him onboard.

“Do you," he asked, placing his hands on the table, “want me as a councilperson? What would my duty be?"

 

Though the meal was one of the best Plicae had ever had, he was no longer interested in the food. Leaning forwards on the table, he crooked his arms and set his chin upon his hands. Koani’s wish to have him on the council was a surprise but an honor, and he chuckled lightly when she told him that “his people" had made it difficult for her to contact him. His subordinates were very protective of him, and several of them despised the Grader clan. After all, it had been a pro-Grader organization that had killed his wife and their other boss, Jejunum, and so Plicae was not surprised to hear that they had made things hard for Koani. It was a bit annoying, but gratifying, as well.

“Well, I’m glad that ‘my people’ finally relented. Being a councilperson would be a huge honor, of course. I don’t need to mull it over at all. I would love to be of help in your political endeavors," the lukuo said after a moment, and he cast Koani a smile. “It will be great to work closer with you. We have a lot in common and I feel we would make good teammates. I also look forward to seeing the others on the new Council."

Despite the general excitement and importance of the conversation going on across the table, Riot was not paying attention at all. She was focused upon Cayson, and when he teased her about Villi, she stuck a studded tongue out at him. She then watched him eat, before turning her mismatched gaze upon her own plate. The thill had always been a bit of a light eater, and she was already full. She had done a pretty good job of clearing her plate, too.

Speaking of cleaning, Riot pushed her chair back and stood, and collected her plate as well as a few empty serving dishes nearby. She gave Cayson a look before she then carried her cargo into the kitchen. Once in the warm, fragrant air of the large room, she headed towards the sink, and deposited the dirtied dishes next to it. Spry white hands plugged up the sink and then turned on the faucet. As the basin began to fill with warm water, Riot tugged her jacket off and set it aside, before making one last quick appearance in the dining room.

“Cayson, Koani, I’m going to go ahead and start on the dishes if that’s all right. Case, can you give me a hand when you’re done? It was really nice meeting you, Plicae. When Villi comes back, tell her she’s more than welcome to hang out with us in the kitchen so that you and Koani can have coffee and talk. We won’t make her help, though," the young female spoke, giving the lukuo a grin before she bowed out and headed back into the kitchen.

. . .

Villi found the bathroom fairly easily, but once she was there, she drew a blank as for what to do. She did not actually have to go, but had used the restroom as an excuse to avoid social awkwardness. With a sigh, the little white lukuo nevertheless entered the room, and shut and locked the door behind her.

It was just a bathroom, but it was mightily impressive. Villi eyed the sparkling sink and toilet, as well as the large bath tub. She walked over to its edge and sat down, planning on sitting here to waste a few minutes, when her colorless eyes were drawn to the waste basket next to the porcelain john. It seemed empty, but when she walked over and looked down into it, she noticed that there was a crumpled kleenex in there.

“I wonder if Cayson or Riot used this," she whispered to herself, and plucked the tissue out of the trash. She studied it for a minute before delicately inserting it in a pants pocket. “Even if it was just Koani’s, it’s still a priceless artifact."

 

Plicae offered his plate to Cayson when he outstretched a hand for it, and the lukuo gave the younger arden a thankful nod. He then focused his attention upon Koani, who had likewise pushed her dish to the side so that it could be collected. She seemed a bit surprised, but also pleased, at his quick reply. He knew she was probably wishing to speak with him in more detail now, and this suspicion was confirmed when the Grader rose from her seat and waved for Plicae to follow her.

The two adults headed in the direction of the foyer, obviously heading towards a lounge of some sort. Plicae wondered if Koani would have coffee and dessert already prepared, but it was more likely that the courteous Cayson and Riot would bring some to them in a few minutes. The gracile lukuo was none too concerned with repasts, anyway – he was just eager to discuss more details about the Council of Thirteen as well as his particular involvement.

When they reached the threshold of the foyer and Koani ushered him in, Plicae saw Villi exiting a room just across the hall. He waved at her and pointed towards the dining room. “Cayson and Riot are cleaning up, and would like you to keep company with them for a short while," the arden said to his daughter, and Villi willingly obliged by trotting up the hall. Turning, Plicae then entered the lounge.

“So, tell me all about your ideas, especially for my role," he said as he took a seat on a plush sofa. He did not try to disguise his open excitement over his new position.

. . .

RiotÂ’s ears rotated backwards as she listened to the goings-on in the dining room. She heard as Case collected the remainder of the dishes, and then the unmistakable noises of Koani and Plicae as they left the table. Moments later, the thillÂ’s ears righted themselves as her orange counterpart arrived in the kitchen area and set his own load of dishes next to the sink.

She was standing at the sink, and turned the faucets off as the basin finally became full. Spinning around, Riot made to grab a sponge on the counter a few feet away, just as Cayson went to open a drawer. The result was that she got slammed in the abdomen, and she bent over a bit and let out a whoosh of pained air as she grabbed herself around the middle.

“I think you dislocated my vagina," the thill said jokingly after the initial wave of pain, and she lifted a white fist to playfully punch Case in the arm. “Your loss there, isn’t it then?" she added on in a playfully sarcastic tone.

It was just then that Villi arrived in the door of the kitchen, an oddly eager expression on her face. Riot drew up under the lukuoÂ’s colorless gaze, and gave the younger female a small smile. She wondered if Villi had heard her rather adult comment, and when the kidÂ’s next words came, Riot gave herself an inward kick.

“Did you just say what I think you did? What were you doing?" the nine-year-old said, shuffling further into the kitchen. She glanced between Cayson and Riot. “Were you kissing?" she added on, her voice sounding peculiarly hopeful at the idea of the older two locking lips. “I want to see!"

 

PlicaeÂ’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as Koani spoke. Her table manners had been polite if a bit stiff, but now her demeanor had changed a bit. She seemed more excited, and she was literally on the edge of her seat as she outlined just what the lukuoÂ’s duties would be. All of the pretenses had melted away, and Plicae was likewise quick to get into the spirit of things. As the Grader spoke, he grinned and nodded enthusiastically, and even clapped his hands together a few times. It was apparent that he was hooked on the idea of becoming a councilperson, and that he liked the sound of his new, wider responsibilities.

“It all sounds wonderful," Plicae mused when Koani had finished. He reached up one long fingered hand and brushed his multihued bangs out of his face. Behind his spectacles, his colorless eyes danced like those of an excited nioti. “I am so honored to have been asked. Thank-you, Koani. I’m even looking forward to the paper work involved," he quipped, before placing a hand on his knee and leaning forwards a bit. “Tell me more about this gala? When is it, and how long will it be? I’m sure Villi will be thrilled to hear about it."

. . .

Riot pulled a face when Villi declared that she wanted to watch them kissing, but she quickly smoothed out her features and gave the young lukuo an awkward smile. Even Cayson seemed disconcerted by the nioti’s words, and that was saying something. Luckily, the arden soon interjected and easily snuffed out Villi’s rather peculiar hopes, informing her that he and Riot were doing dishes – and that was all.

Nodding to affirm her counterpartÂ’s words, Riot turned back towards the sink, and grabbed a bottle of soap. She squirted a few drops into the full basin, and then turned the faucet on again to churn the suds up a bit. When this was done, she grabbed a dirtied plate from the nearby pile and dropped it in the basin, letting the warm water soak it for a few seconds before she swiped a cloth from CaseÂ’s pile and began to scrape food bits off the dish.

“So, Villi," the older thill said after a moment, having noted than a tense silence had befallen the three of them. “Do you know how to prepare coffee? I’m sure Koani and your father will want some in a few minutes, so could you brew up a pot for us?" As she spoke, she lifted one dripping hand and gestured towards a rather state-of-the-art coffee maker on the counter nearby. Riot then turned back to her dishes, scrubbing while simultaneously throwing glances towards Cayson.

Villi’s feelers flicked as she turned to face the coffee maker, and she stared blankly at it for a moment. She had made her father coffee countless time at home, but she had no interest in brewing some right now. She was overtly curious about Cayson and Riot, and she had seen snapshots of them in magazines – one photograph, though grainy, had even showed them kissing, so she knew they did so in public. So, why wouldn’t they demonstrate for her? Her curiosity was benign and healthy, right?

“Yeah," the white lukuo sighed after a moment, giving up for now, and she padded over towards the pot and retrieved some coffee grounds. “I know how," she murmured idly as she put the filter in and placed the full pot under the spout.

Riot glanced over her shoulder at Villi, and as if to tease the young female while her back was turned, she then leaned sideways towards Cayson – who was helping to rinse and dry the dishes – and gave him a mischievous lick along his cheekbone, before just as quickly withdrawing and focusing on her work. She began to whistle innocently – and Villi went completely unawares of what she had just missed.