03.08.3014: Not the Lunch Expected
Summary: Chiron happens across Cyrielle in a cafe, soon followed by Lorelei & Ephraim
Date: 12/4/13
Related: None
Chiron Cyrielle Ephraim Lorelei 


Cafe, Beacon, Imperius
See log.
Saturday, March 8, 3014

The Hollolas holdings comprise of some interesting landscapes. There's the oceanside, where The Hand towers over the sprawling seaside town, but there quickly beyond that form hills and the trees more classically expected of The Spine. Even there, the weather is oft lovely. Balmy temperatures, gentle breezes, and an overall pleasurable experience regardless of the weather elsewhere on Imperius. The steady onset of Spring, however, does bring with it the rainy season. Today, thankfully, the weather is just humid. The sun shines and the earth gets an opportunity to begin to dry a little, the plants their chance to feed and grow.

The small cafe hasn't seen Lady Cyrielle Hollolas in over a month's time and they're making more an affair of her return than she'd otherwise like. Still, it's not as bad as matters at The Hand, where she's waited on nearly hand and foot. The young woman had come out to this place alongside the road because it's the closest to her treehouse. The treehouse that she'd much rather be spending her recovery in, but the stairs within just aren't something she's capable of yet.

Attired in loose, grey slacks and a blue fitted top, she doesn't look the part of nobility. Not that Cyrielle often does. Still, the cafe is slow in the afternoon hours and so, the youngest Hollolas is seated in a wheelchair at a table in the center of the establishment, watching in something of a mute horror as a larger-than-necessary luncheon is spread on a table before her.

Chiron has managed to get away from his training for the day, and as usual sets off to explore the Spine. Last time he went to Beacon was the ceremony for the Cape Amran incident, of which he still feels slightly guilty for. He's wearing his green hooded cloak, black vest and blue long-sleeve shirt. Thankfully the coast is not quite as cold as it is in the city of Arboren.

His hood is up as he enters the Cafe, noticing Cyri sitting at a table in a wheelchair. When he arrives next to the table he gives her a soft wave and says, "Lady Cyrielle. How are you doing today? I see that you're out of the hospital now." He says, giving her a warm smile.

The arrival of a familiar face sets Cyrielle perhaps not quite at ease, but certainly in a measure more comfortable than she had been. The woman gestures at a chair on the opposite side of the table. "Ah! Chiron. Please, have a seat. Join me. I don't think I could ever manage to eat all of this." The cybernetic is not immediately visible; the pants she wears is covering it. Still, rather than the usual boots she would wear, the woman is wearing some lighter weight shoes. Not quite slippers, but close.

"Yes, at long last. Though I fear they wanted to keep me there longer, but the medical team in Beacon assured them they'd keep my therapy on pace." There's a slight wrinkle of her nose. "What brings you out this way?"

"I managed to get a day off from training, so I thought I'd explore some. Better then doing chores at home, right?" Chiron laughs, then realizes he's stuck his sister with /everything/, causing him to stop laughing and clear his throat. "Glad to see you up and about. How much longer do you need Therapy for?" He asks, sounding genuinely concerned. "Anything I can do to help?" He's not sure what he can do, but it can't hurt to ask, right? He begins eating the enormous portions food in front of him. "Thanks, I was getting hungry."

Once she's certain that Chiron will actually help her eat the food, Cyrielle begins to partake as well. The woman's own portions are much smaller. Likely a small appetite, after so much time in Willowtree. Hospital food and medications can do that to a person.

"Likely a few months yet," she says, frowning slightly into a glass of juice before taking a sip. Setting it back upon the table's surface, she gives a small shrug. "Because I waited so long, the transition… it's not easy. They still have to keep updating the sensors and connections, but they think everything's settled enough." There's a moment for eating, but finally a small shake of her head. "Don't think so. Seems like learning to walk again is something you've got to do on your own."

"I could coach you. Right foot, left foot, right foot. No stumbling!" Chiron lightly teases her, casting her yet another smile. "The food is good here, do you come here often?" He asks, not sure where to take the conversation next. "I… am sorry all of this happened to you." He says finally, a frown cast on his face. "I'm sure your family will be glad that you're recovering."

There's a snort at the mention of coaching. "You've a long way to go to compete with some of the therapists I've had in the past month." Cyrielle prods absently at her food, before affecting a small shrug. "Quite often, actually. I… generally reside in a treehouse near here. I had a lot of trouble adapting to being back in The Hand, so Ephraim helped me get a treehouse built." Because that's what brothers are for; getting their sister a clubhouse of sorts.

"It's my own fault," she offers, in the wake of his sympathies. "If I hadn't been such a stubborn fool when I first got hurt, they would've had to replace less and the adaptation period would've been shorter." Cyrielle's right hand falls beneath the table to rub absently at the place where flesh meets synthetic materials. "I'm sure they will. Likely hoping I go back into naval training."

"Your therapists are worse then that?" Chiron asks, sounding quite surprised. "You'd think they'd be nicer and /not/ like a drill sergeant…" He rolls his eyes and shaking his head. "Treehouses are cool, that was rather nice of him. I admit… I'm not a huge fan of Ephraim." He says, his eyes diverting away for a second before meeting Cyri's gauging her reaction to his statement.

It's a muggy, humid day in Beacon… but at least it isn't raining. The rainy season is always fairly oppressive, but the days where the sun shines and the flora gets to grow just that much more can be glorious. Not far from the Treehouse — within the forests of Hollolas holdings — is a cafe, that is nestled by the roadside. There are other establishments and homes around, but the cafe has become a frequent haunt for one Cyrielle Hollolas. Which is likely why they've made a big deal of her finally returning — after more than a month — to the area. Even if it was just for a visit, as she's not capable of resuming residence in the treehouse just yet.

"You've not seen me when I don't want to do something." Cyrielle was raised around sailors. Just imagine her vocabulary when it comes to… choice words. "Therapists can be quite pushy, I've found." There's a slight wrinkle of nose, but it's in the shadow of a smile. The last Chiron offers earns a slightly chewed lip as the woman looks down towards her plate. "I don't blame you," she finally offers, pushing food around absently. "I'm pretty miserable at the prospect of losing the person who has been by my side the longest."

"I guess I've never really dealt with a therapist, then." Chiron notes, laughing a little. He seems content to eat food and talk at the moment. "He seems nice enough, I just… worry, is all." He frowns, leaving the subject alone for the time being. He feels slightly awkward, not really knowing /what/ else to say.

Arriving at said cafe, coming in from that slightly oppressive moist blanket over Beacon, Ephraim is in the company of Lorelei. Opening the door, it is most likely they walk hand in arm, hers into his. They seem in good enough spirits, unmindful of the time, the day, or even the year perahps. All is well in the world. "And then, Quibble charged Bart, the Dastardly, breaking the vase in the process - all Quibble, not me … I told mom it was Dylan and Irvette, she still believes it I think." Well, most likely not, but he still insists he didn't break that vase.

Lorelei 's shaking her head, not believing a word that's coming out of the nobles mouth. Giggling softly, "Ma would have skinned us if we had broken a vase like that." She's dressed in her pretty blue dress, she must have hurried and changed after her chores. She doesn't look around at first, eyes staying on Ephraim. "Do you think you'll be able to come to the stables for some riding soon?" She'll even keep Hubert away from him.

"Worry? About what? His past?" Cyrielle snorts absently. "It's no different from most nobles who don't have a sense of direction. He's a good man and, from experience, I can tell you that when he cares about someone… Well, it becomes an almost single-minded focus, to the exclusion of most everything else." Which may explain her own fears, though she's not about to expand on them too much.

Especially upon seeing who enters. The young woman straightens, back stiffening. She's in a wheelchair, though her cane — in its collapsed form — is visible on the table, in the midst of all the food the women at the cafe have insisted on serving her. Food she's sharing with Chiron and his more expansive appetite. "Ephraim," she greets, voice briefly strained. She clears her throat, however, before adding: "Miss Quellton."

"Sparrow? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be…" He starts to say before realizing that telling her she should be at the stables when he's having lunch with Cyrielle would be a very /bad/ idea. "Glad to see you're out and about. How are you doing?" He glances over at Ephraim giving him a polite nod. "Ephraim, how are you?"

Grinning, Ephraim nods to Lorelei, seemingly ready to return to his attempts at riding horses. Then they are greeted, and he turns to his sistor and Lorelei's brother. "Well hello, a pleasant surprise." Both of them actually. Giving a slight look to Lorelei, an unspoken question between them. Still, he offers over to the other two, "We're not interrupting anything are we?" Though his smile is in good nature it would seem. "We just wanted a quick bite …" As for who's supposed to be doing what at the stables, Ephraim can't comment on that one, but he can say, "I'm doing quite well actually, my spirits have been uplifted as of late."

Lorelei looks over, clearly surprised to see her brother here. A small smile,"Lady Cyrille, Chiron…." Her eyes narrow, she knows that tone, and that trailing off of words, "I did all the chores. The mares are prepped and ready, and Zeus should be coming in a day or two for the studding." She'll frown slightly, as she's been doing all the chores, with Chi's training and Bey's schooling. "And the fence check isn't due for another few days…" Her hand tightens slightly on Eph's arm but she smiles again, "I'm fine. L-Ephraim and I were getting lunch, and then were going to walk by the boats."

"I came to visit the treehouse, since I can't move back in yet." The wheelchair likely serves as evidence as to why. "And the fine ladies here thought that the hospital surely hadn't been feeding me properly, so they made all this…" Cyrielle waves absently at the vast spread on the table. "I begged Chiron help me eat it, lest I'd have to be rolled out of here."

There's a glance cast for Lorelei, eyebrow rising slightly. "Fair ways to walk for the boats. If you were just heading to the treehouse for some alone time, there's no shame in that. Just replace any of the alcohol you drink." She lifts a fork, shaking it at Ephraim, "You owe me a bottle of bourbon."

"no, not at all. I was just exploring some. I haven't been here in some time." Chiron replies to Ephraim. "It's been sense the ceremony…" He stars to say, trailing off." He glances over to Lorelei, she's pissed. "Oh, well. Why didn't Bey help you? Isn't he off school or something?" He probably isnt' but he doesn't know. He's silent as Cyrielle mentions 'alone time', 'alcohol', and 'treehouse'. He raises an eyebrow, but continues to eat and say nothing. "Come, join us." he says in between bites.

Grinning himself, Ephraim seems at ease or obtuse, or both. At least when it comes to bourbon, he has an answer, "That wasn't me, it was Irvette …" Forget she's been off doing real stuff at sea, like scanning/sweeping for underwater hostiles and real dangers. As for boats and eating, "Fair way to walk for some decent grub, but its worth it, and you're positively swimming in it Sis, we should help alleviate you of this situation." He doesn't mind inviting himself, not really. Then to Lorelei, "You don't mind, it looks like a good sampling of some of their best …" The cafe's best, as for Balius and where he is, Ephraim doesn't know, he just wants to enjoy the day it seems. No comments on alone time.

Lorelei nods, but then flushes as Cyri gives permission for alone time. She'll bite her lip, lowering her eyes. "No…we were going for a walk." Shiftign some, she'll look up to Chi, "Bey's at school, and has been studying when he's not." Figures Chi's not even reallized she's doing everything. "Poor Bey's been super stressed." She'll put on a smile for Ephriam, "Sure…we can."

Is it permission or merely giving in to the inevitable? The tides do what they will and Cyrielle has enough fighting to do to get herself walking again without having to deal with those that care not a lick for what she may think. The woman gestures to other chairs at the table. "Irvette would replace the bourbon," she points out to her brother as he takes a seat, waving a fork his way.

The youngest Hollolas leans back slightly in the wheelchair, opting to just sip at her drink for a moment. "And please, help. I couldn't eat all of this if I was given a week to do so." That's a stretch, to be sure. To Ephraim, she adds: "I may take after our father in some ways, but the endless appetite is not one of them."

Chiron seems to keep digging himself into a deeper hole, but for whatever reason can't seem to stop himself from talking. "I've not seen him much, honestly. Training has become more difficult as of late. I think Sir Agnes wants me to be knighted soon, so she's… accelerating the process a bit." He frowns, she's been acting odd as of late, married life has changed her it seems. "I've not met Lord Hollolas, though, I've heard he throws some pretty good parties." He smiles at Cyrielle, trying to change the subject as quick as possible.

Lorelei and Eph sit down, he's quiet for once, but that could be the food causing him to not speak. She'll nod, "I…I think it would mean a lot to him if you tried to spend a little time with him. He's been trying so hard. This is his dream. It would be like if we didn't support you in your squiring…." She knows there's a rift between her brothers, and it kills her. She has yet to meet the Lord Hollalas either, so she just nods as well.

Holding a chair for Lorelei, Ephraim follows suit, listening to the light conversation. Responding to his sister, "Indeed, no, you only have his more admirable qualities - having left the unsavory sort for your brothers." Ready to dig in himself, he looks up at everyone else, "Her other brother I mean." Half a grin, he readies his own eating utensil then. "Well you know, if you want to try fishing, offer is out there," says Ephraim, "If we made a real effort of it, father might be lured out for the sport of it."

"You should have come to the cruise," Cyrielle offers to Chiron, casting a glance towards Ephraim. "Unless my brother was too distracted to remember to give invitations." Which is rather likely, considering. "Bey seems to be doing fairly well," she adds in. "Since he has to be by Willowtree often anyway, he stopped in to visit me a few times."

The brunette snorts softly, casting a look towards her older brother. "No, instead you got the qualities that leave father suspicious of any other noblemen. You've doomed your sisters to all be spinsters for he'll never want to send us off with the rakes he assumes all young men must be."

"Nobody told me about a cruise, no. The point is moot, anyway. I would have had to be squiring. Anybody interesting go?" Chiron asks, raising an eyebrow. He frowns when Cyrielle mentions that Balius had visited her in the hospital a /few/ times. He raises an eyebrow. "Bey interested in you or something?" Then focuses his attention to his sister. "Father doesn't care about what I do, and Bey apparently has time to go to Landing and visit his girlfriend…" He continues to stick food in his mouth. He's pissed about something, very clearly.

Lorelei frowns again, keeping her eyes down. She catches the second verbal jab, but doesn't respond to the Lady. Altgough her eyebrows crunch together at the news he's been visiting. He was supposed to be in class, studying. Loree quietly moves her hands to her lap, but Eph can see Chi's words have her white knuckled. Her voice is soft, but slightly edgy, "I care what you do. You've both been distracted…It's…. understandable. I just think it would be nice for us to do something…like we used to."

His own hand goes down as well, perhaps after Lorelei's hand, Ephraim won't fish to far in that direction though, so as not to look inappropriate at the table. "Yes, we should do something like we all used to do." As if that has settled some matter, "I propose a game of tag in the forest, followed by some marshmellows over an warm fire. We can tell stories as the stars ascend. The first ever Hollolas/Quellton —- Day of Reckoning. We can add more events, leaf races, bottle ship races, an art contest … an obstacle course or something." His smiling, but he might as well be serious.

The change in Chiron's tone earns a furrow of Cyrielle's brow. She leans forward, setting down the glass she'd been holding. "Bey is my friend," she offers, almost simply. And yet not. "He has classes that take him to Willowtree, for observation. It wasn't out of his way to check in on me. I appreciated the company. I loathe being trapped indoors." As do most born within The Spine. "He cares for me yes, and I him. We went through a nightmare on Lazarus Island and he stuck by my side when he didn't need to. He had no armor, yet he stood with me against the Hostiles. He helped cut down the bodies strung up, flayed, that had been left for us." Her own voice has hardened somewhat, hands falling to the arms of the wheelchair.

Her brother, however, earns a slow look. The ire fades, perhaps, but there's still something of the hardness in Cyrielle's mien. She starts to say something, but the words die before they ever find air. "If you wish."

"I don't think she meant you, Ephraim." Chiron says, rather rudely, cutting him a mean glare. His gaze travels to Lorelei. "Or maybe you did, do you do anything without /him/ now?" He says as he grabs a roll, standing up from the table. "Bey and I live in the same /house/, yet somehow he finds time to see you in between classes?" He scoffs, shaking his head again. "I'm sure he's got a thing for you, last time he ditched us was for a noble girl…" He starts to move away from the table now. "I need to go hit something…" Why weren't there any hostile's nearby? Grr…

Lorelei finally looks up, eyes meeting Eph, "I…yes. we could. I did mean just my brothers, but…That could be nice too." She clearly bristles as Cyri starts on Bey. "Bey was very brave. We're all very proud of him." When Chi starts to leave, "Chiron!" She looks honestly hurt by his words, but shrinks slightly at his last statement, letting him go for now.

Blinking a moment between the going ons, Ephraim nods, "I assumed you meant with your brothers, but seeing as Bey had spent time with Cyri, I was offering it as a family bonding thing …" But it wasn't taken that way it would seem. Then over to Cyrielle, "Well, this couldn't have gone any better … and in fairness, I was honestly trying to be nice." Turning to look more at Lorelei as he says that, "I'm sorry, I'm trying, I'd like to get on your brother's good side, I don't think he wants me there …."

"I rather doubt he has a thing for me," Cyrielle says dryly, but she finds herself reaching for the controls of the wheelchair. There's a glance cast for Ephraim. A look that all women earn at some point when they reach adulthood. The look that says 'We'll talk about this later.'

"Lorelei, Ephraim. Enjoy the food. The ladies will be glad someone did. I just don't have my appetite back yet." And then Cyrielle is angling away, trying to follow Chiron… though she's restricted by being in a wheelchair and thus a fair bit slower. "Chiron," she calls after him, "could you at least help me to the transport?" Back to the Hand, like as not.

Chiron huffs, wanting to just leave the whole situation. Though, there could be dire repercussions to /not/ answering Cyri's request. He opens his mouth, no doubt ready with some other nasty quip, but thinks it better to let it go for now. "Sure." he says after a few seconds, his eye twitching. "Maybe you can tell my bother the next time you see him that I'd like to spend time with him at some point, sense seems like you'll probably see him before me." He starts walking out, still rather angry.

Lorelei just nods to Eph, she knows he didn't mean anything by it, other than the offer. She'll grit her teeth, but just nods again. it won't do her any good to say anything right now. She'll just close her eyes and raises a hand to rub her temple once as her brother leaves and Cyri follows.

"That's how you know we're all becoming adults," says Ephraim as everyone else clears out, and they are left with the feast prepared for Cyri. "Nothing seems to go quit so well - the simplicity we knew as kids has been replaced by the complexity of the world. I vote, more playing." Then he leans more in, giving her hand another squeeze, "I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do, I know how important your brotehrs are to you."

Lorelei keeps frowning. "Why did you sister do that?" She'll turn to look directly at him, "She made sure to make comments to imply things. She said them to get to me, but they upset Chiron." Her eyes drop to their hands, "It can't be all games, Ephraim…"

"I think that would be a fundemental difference between Hollolas and the rest of the world," responds Ephraim. "I'm sorry she implied things so candidly, but we sort of assume any healthy relationship …" Maybe that's not the best approach, he looks more directly at her, food forgotten. "Better, if its said teasingly, or vulgarly, or in what might be a mean spirit - its actually meant in a good way. With a Hollolas, its when they are silent - or quiet, that's when its serious I guess. She was teasing me by saying that, she knows I wouldn't do that in the tree house, its sort of her sanctum."

Lorelei's eyes narrow, "No. That's not…Stop acting like Hollolas' are different than everyone else. To imply things like that, it's just rude. And it even worse that she would say such things in front of my brother!" Loree pulls her hand away, turning to look at the food on the table, "She can assume all she wants. She has no right to comment on it. If the two of you wish to speak on how healthy we are, leave me out of such conversations. Leave my family out of them. Gods, did you say anything like that to my Da?" No wonder Da won't tell her who the hunting trip went! "She looked at me when she said that, Ephraim. She wasn't teasing you. She was digging at me." She'll shake her head, starting to stand, "I…I think I want to go home…"

Moving to stand the same, Ephraim shakes his head, "She honestly has no interest in how healthy we are, she knows its really between us." Using that reference for other things as it seems to work well. "She is only worried that we will do well for each other, care for each other, but that real stuff she worries about, she keeps between us, when she wants my honest answer and not a joke or a jab at her. Your father asked about it, muck like Benedict, and Chiron, and even Bey. I told your father the same thing I've told them, I love you. They want me to explain it, but they already question my honesty - so I explain it and ask them to simply let me prove myself, because my word is no good. Your father accepted that in the woods, we have an understanding, your father is the one who deserved the answer." Pausing, he says, "I'm sorry my family talks like sailors - but we are … sailors. I don't think its different, I think its normal."

Lorelei shakes her head, turning and not looking at Eph, "No. I don't think she's worried that we're healthy. i think she's worried that we're together at all." She'll straighten her skirt, steeling herself to look up, "I don't care if your family is sailors. I care that I'm not spoken to with respect. No one here in Beacon has disrespected me except your sisters. And that's because of their station, that they're allowed to." Loree tilts her chin, a sign of trying to not cry, "If that's what you think is normal…" She'll shake her head again, "I'm going home now." alone is definitely implied.

There are a good number of places Ephraim could go where the citizen's speak to him just the same way, but then considering the respectable, he thinks it would be a good idea to offer to take Lorelei there. "And you don't think I feel offended when everyone that knows you questions my own honesty? Or when Benedict shows up to claim you like some object, questions my integrity the same - and no one believes me?" He walks after her, curious how he got into this situation when he was trying to help everyone get along.

Lorelei's eyes flash, and while her voice is kept low, there's an edge to it, "And do I let them say those things in front of me? Don't I defend you? Did I go with Lord Benedict? Didn't I tell you immediately?" She'll inhale, "It's hard for anyone to take you seriously, to believe you when you try to twist every conversation to humor, or play!"

Blinking a moment, Ephraim shakes his head, "I didn't say otherwise, I was only saying those things hurt but I didn't blow them up or direct my hurt at you in any way. I make everything humor or play because life is serious enough with everything else that I don't want to spend time arguing. I spoke quite seriously with your father, because you're important to me and he of all people is deserving to know my honest intentions. All I can say is I'm sorry, but if it hurts when my sister jokes like that, I don't know how you'll act if my mother jokes about our relationship, or my father even; I'm worried about that, its why I don't invite you to the Hand as much as I'd like too. Even if my family is joking, I don't want you to be offended by them."

There's honest hurt in Loree's eyes and the 19 year old turns away from the noble. She knows she's in an impossible situation. Always has been. her hand absently covers her side, when the scar from the Hostile ax is. "how I'll…." Some how this is turing into she's not acting proper? She'll blink a few times,and then she sounds defeated, "Fine." A deep breath, "I'm still going home." and with that she'll start walking towards the way gate.

Still confused even as she seems deflated, Ephraim calls, "Lorelei," but he won't chase. Every nerve in his body says to chase, but Bey warned him that wasn't a good idea. He still doesn't know how things went where they did even. Looking between a table of uneaten food, and everyone seeming to have been offended some how when he wanted to have a good day. He looks defeated too, so he simply moves to the woman of the cafe, pays for the food if it hadn't been already then, wonders how this might be made right. He takes out his smart device, forges a message to Lorelei, 'I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I don't know what happened. I love you and miss you already.'

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