Always Time for Tea [Raithen]

[Hilana Chenzira]

51 Ash, Year 122

[Closed - Raithen]

Hilana always enjoyed her mornings. Perhaps it was the fact that she had gotten used to never having a schedule when she was in the sands - that sometimes they traveled at night, sometimes during the day. Sometimes she had watch at night, sometimes she slept. Wildness might have had something to do with it; Hilana rarely needed as much sleep as she had seen others require. And even as a herbalist, she constantly encouraged people to get themselves on a regular sleep schedule if at all possible, and to make sure that they were taking the time to rest. The body knew what it needed… sometimes the challenge was quieting the mind. Still, between studying, and starting to practice with Hayima’el to condition both of them to get ready for Glade, her lessons and work, studying from the books and greenhouses, taking Finn into the Sands… when she slept, she slept well, and she was always ready to go again.

Hilana liked seeing the sunrises and the sunsets - and if she didn’t have a reason to stay in her bed, such as company or oversleeping, dawn was beautiful. Even if it was sitting on a roof somewhere and watching the phantasmagoria as the colours washed over the districts. It wasn’t quite the same as sitting atop a camel on the dunes and looking on, but the beauty of the colours washing over the various architectural designs of the capitol was breathtakingly beautiful in its own right. She was fortunate enough to have good views from her apartment, though she knew she was incredibly lucky in that regard. But today, she’d gotten to watch the sunrise from her kitchen with a cup of tea while the bougatsa baked in the oven. Last night had been busy with the ball, but Hilana was up and firing on all cylinders. On the days in which she baked pastries for breakfast, she had gotten into the habit of bringing them in to share. Vasilei enjoyed them, and Hilana just liked sharing the food that she made and seeing people happy about it. Besides, she'd taken off most of the day before, and she had work to make up.

And today was no different. She had made a quick trip to Æden's home to drop off a number of the fresh pastries as a thank you to him and his family before taking the rest of them with her to work. Hilana had another morning lesson with Vasilei, another test of her studying and her memory, but rather than just asking her to identify ingredients, he had set her to work on making the propolis burn gel. It was unsurprisingly popular, because not only did it take care of regular burns from hot surfaces or sunburn near instantly, it worked wonders for those injuries sustained from magical, chemical, and acidic burns. It sapped out the heat and helped repair the skin and restore the blood supply underneath, all while keeping infection at bay. And considering the frequency of encounters with Wyverns and basilisks, not to mention the popularity of Elementalism, and in a city full of mages and no Mendicants… along with a fixation on appearances and vanity… it was a perfect storm. And Vasilei enjoyed testing her with this.

“Are you sure you’ve added enough propolis? What about the moss jelly?” The man challenged her as he watched her with the spoons, scales, and bowl. “You’re forgetting something, aren’t you?” It may have seemed harsh, but he liked to keep the pressure on her as she worked. They had peace and quiet in the store, there were no customers in a bad state needing something whipped up right there… all but barking at her questions and trying to shake her faith in her own abilities. See if he could get her to hesitate or make mistakes. This way, in a bonafide emergency… she would be ready. He’d tested her before with other scenarios, and more than once involved his children and his children’s friends to try to shake his student up and build up some anxiety in order to ensure she could beat it.

“I did,” Hilana glanced at him as she took the bamboo whisk to the mixture, having propped the mixing bowl on a little towel to help give it some traction. “It’s weighed out as per the recipe in the book.”

“Are you sure about that?” That was one of his favourite questions with the bubbly girl. He used it often, not just when he wanted to challenge her, but sometimes as a warning. Think hard.

“Yes.” Hilana was firm in that. “I am.”

“You’re missing something,” he reminded her, reaching over and flicking the sturdy cover of the book where it was on its stand, angled and out of the way of the ingredients gathered. The resulting thump got her attention and while she kept whisking, she was going over the recipe again, reading it and recounting everything that had gone into it. He could watch the way her eyes darted around the table, inventorying the components. “That looks like it’s going to split and break.”

“It isn’t,” she was stubborn, lifting the whisk and watching the way the gel had coagulated and thickened. “That looks about right from the bottles you’ve made and the last time I cooked it.”

“‘About right’,” he repeated. “Is it right or isn’t it?” He kept on poking at her.

“It’s right,” she set the bowl in front of him and let him look at it. He used a spoon to test the thickness and colour, how well it had come together in a uniform mass.

“I suppose it is,” her mentor said finally, but there was approval there. “Not bad at all, wild child. You did well. You can bottle it and tidy up. I’ve got some house calls to make,” Vasilei smiled at her, packing up his leather satchel. “I’ll be back later on to check in on you, and you can tell me how the Ball at the Embassy went. Thank you for breakfast,” he took one of the bougatsa from the warming plate that she had placed them on before he headed out the door.

“See you later, Vasilei,” Hilana’s good cheer was back as she waved him off, getting the short, squat clay jars out before using the wide-mouthed funnel to spoon the gel in and get them filled up. Most of their wares were stored in glass, but this one kept better in clay. Once everything was tidied up and her hands washed, Hilana let Tiaz curl up on his driftwood branch while she opened up the enormous book while tea steeped in the pot over the Runeforged hotplate near the back table. The tantalizing aromas of pastries and tea added to the scents of herbs and flowers and plants that was usually predominant in the shop. The Vastiana was visible from the door, her long black hair still smooth and shinier than normal from the styling products of the night before, though it was wound into a thick bun atop her head, and her long skirts pooled around her legs under the table, a pale green the colour of seafoam. Her short shirt didn't cover much at all, leaving her arms free and her dusky skin contrasting the white fabric. Her bright clothes were a contrast to the black and gold she had worn the night before, but it definitely felt good to be out of those sleeves...

[Raithen]

The previous evening had been... eventful, to say the least. Raithen was still tired, still feeling the effects of not nearly enough sleep after a night of public and private entertaining that contained significant levels of taking it all in, so to speak. A smile curved his lips as this phrase crossed his mind and his feet found their way over the threshold of Sweet Remedies. The expression was immediately pulled apart by a massive yawn of the type only young men with little understanding of their own appearance can manage. When he came out of it he said,

"Hullo, Hilana." With a little wave before walking over and wrapping the woman in question in a sleepy, lingering hug.

"You wouldn't happen to have some very strong tea brewing among all the potions, would you?"

The scents filling the shop were even more enticing than they usually were and his stomach, never one to stand on politeness, growled, reminding him that he had eaten only a light supper before attending the reception ball, and nothing since. Well... nothing that he had been able to swallow. Well... nothing of significant nutritional value.

When he released his hug he nodded to Tiaz, poking out a hand for the reptile to scent at before setting with his arms on the counter top.

"Sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodnight yesterday, you seemed to be all wrapped up in your companions and I was about my mother's business." His face colored faintly above the return of his smile. There was no shame in the thoughts that accompanied the next sentence, only pleasure that caused him to color,

"And once things wound down I was about some business of my own. Did you notice Ser Ayreon? He was the guard for the Ambassador, on the dais with the Queen."

[Hilana Chenzira]

When the bell tinkled above him to announce his entry as the door opened, Hilana looked up from her book, already smiling. But her expression brightened several notches from her usual sunny smile, and she came around the table where she had been sitting, her seafoam green skirt hanging off of her hips. She was all too happy to step into his embrace, tucking herself up into the handsome Avialae’s chest, her arms going around him and under his wings. “Good morning, Raithen, how are you? I have tea on,” she beamed up at him, not inclined to let go for a while either, just enjoying his feel and his scent. She flirted with kissing him, and went for it, kissing his cheek gently.

She heard his stomach growl when he released her. “I don’t suppose you might be hungry? I made bougatsa this morning when I got up.” Wherever she got her energy from, considering she had danced quite enthusiastically with any number of people last night, and then got up and made pastry and got to work with all of her usual passion, was something else. When he extended a hand to Tiaz, the snake lifted his head, his tongue flickering as he looked him over. Him, he recognized, and he looked like he was going to leave his driftwood basking perch in favour of the winged princeling’s arm, too. “I would have had more fun dancing with you, but I can understand being busy there, all things considered,” she smiled at him at that. Sometimes you had to do what you had to do; she was no stranger to being on deck to hosting and entertaining at family events in Tertium. “I still don’t know how I even merited an invitation, but I had a lot of fun. You look like you did, too,” she teased. She hadn’t known that Raithen was a prince until last night, and she thought she might ask him later if she should be using another title in public like she did for Arvaelyn... she always called the noble half-breed Dominus in public, after all, but Raithen had said before that he didn’t answer too quickly to any of his titles... but she would see what his preferences were all the same.

When he leaned on the counter, Hilana picked up the warming plate to put it on the big wooden table where she had been sitting. It was loaded with rectangular pastries, all of them dusted with icing sugar, and she reached to take Raithen’s hand from where he was leaning on the counter to bring him to the table to encourage him to sit with her, pulling out the chair opposite of her own for him to sit. “I saw him, yes, and I definitely wondered about him. Did you take him out?” her eyes danced with curiosity, and she put an earthenware plate in front of him before she picked up two teacups to pour the strong tea into. She’d had her share to drink last night, and the tea would certainly help both of them a bit further on that end, as she passed one of the cups to him before sitting opposite. “Help yourself,” Hilana encouraged. He’d enjoyed her cooking before when they had set out for Vectria and on the return, and these goodies looked like they might be more of the same. He could smell the cinnamon in with the sugar that dusted the top of the phyllo packets, each of them stuffed with a custard cream that was thick enough to not completely fall out when he bit into one, but remained smooth at the same time.

[Raithen]

He turned his head cheekily into the kiss to his cheek so it brushed his mouth before finally releasing his lovely hostess.

A groan and a nod were the response to the offered hospitality, accompanied by,

"I'm starving!" In a tone that sounded as though he thought he might actually perish from the affliction.

"I had a light dinner before the reception because I didn't want to be muddle headed and then, after, I got into trouble instead of a meal."

His laugh washed away the sound of neglected animal from his voice but did nothing to lessen his puppy-dog eyes as food and drink were offered.

When Tiaz seemed as though he might also want to hug him, Raithen left his arm extended, letting the snake do as he would while the people chatted.

"I did want to dance with you, but my mother had other plans for me for the reception itself. I made my own plans after." The wickedness that somehow only enhanced his angelically innocent looks slipped back into his expression. "You looked like you were having fun though. I was surprised to see you there. Happy, but surprised, it's usually hundred of people who all want something from each other at those things."

The scent of the fresh pastries hit him like an arrow from some sort of love god and it took all of the well-drilled manners his mother had insisted on to keep himself in check as he was led to the table. Once he was seated he took one and put half of it into his mouth at once. Little flickers of the magically drugged wine he'd indulged in the night before were still present in his head and, for a moment, as the warm custard spread to fill his mouth it felt like his whole form was being engulfed in the warm, sweet flavor.

He swore to the twins, or tried to, but his mouth was full. When he swallowed he looked up at Hilana, from where he was half leaning on the table as though unable to hold himself up, like she was a goddess herself.

"My house and life are yours, at your service." He said it as a joke but it hardly sounded like one as he continued to eat. He was just finished with the first bougatsa when Hilana finished pouring the tea, so he took his mug in both hands and sighed contentedly as he sipped the hot liquid.

"I did." He answered her question about the Knight he'd mentioned, his own eyes sparking with mischief. "He wanted to see the city, and not the pretty, well lit parts either. Luckily for him I happen to know my way around the Umbra and am well acquainted with her delights."

He ate his second pastry more slowly, and accepted a second cup of the strong, dark tea when it was offered.

"I found out all sorts of things about him in the course of being a very good host. Couldn't let him leave thinking ill of our city." Here he winked and then laughed at himself, more in delight than shame.

[Hilana Chenzira]

When he turned his head ever so slightly so that she caught his lips, Hilana was not at all put out. That pleased her, because when his lips met hers... She loved his energy. It sang to her own, and she enjoyed that sensation. Raithen’s zest for life always brought hers out, and she enjoyed any amount of time they got together. Up close like this, she could smell the faint remnants of sex, alcohol, and incense. All signs of a good night, and a lot of fun.

Tiaz made his way along Raithen’s arm, and up over his shoulders, much the way the weighty snake settled on Hilana. This wasn’t so bad, and Hilana was glad to see it, especially the way Raithen hadn’t been so inclined to hold them on their first meeting. But he got comfortable up there, and his skin was cool to the touch, helping leech out any extra heat that the Avialae may have been feeling. “There will be other times to dance,” the girl smiled. “Maybe not at those parties, since you’ve got your duties there, but outside of them... But I had a good time. More fun than I had when I had to go to the dances in Tertium, at least... probably for the same reason." His reaction to the bougatsa more than satisfied her, and and his delight pleased and tickled her.

“I accept,” she joked back, nodding her head. “I will be sure to never abuse the privilege. Unless you want me to,” Hilana sipped her tea as well. The hot liquid was strong, as she said it would be, but the spice was evenly matched with the nuggets of honey that had melted within it. The combination of the many herbs within the drink took the edge off of any lingering, residual hangover, and the spices within the drink went well with the creamy custard of the cinnamon-sugar dusted pastries. Once he had finished his first cup, she poured him a second one.

“I think you were the right man for the job, then. What all did you find out about him? He’s got good taste, clearly, since the two of you had some fun. Does he like multiple partners?” her eyes danced, and Hilana picked up one of the pastries to take a bite. “Will he be staying a while?”

[Raithen]

The weight of the snake wending itself over his neck and shoulders felt almost like a cool massage, which was nice. He briefly wondered if Tiaz might get tangled in his feathers but snakes ate birds, right? They could deal with feathers. Probably.

"If you like to dance there are several good places in the Umbra." He said, half into his cup as he washed down the excellent pastry, tongue flicking out to get the last of the custard left on the corner of his mouth. "Are the parties in your home as stuffy?"

He had imagined that things were basically the same everywhere. The clothing and decor might be different but the upper class gate-kept parties that weren't very much fun and the lower class opened their, much more fun parties, to all comers. It didn't seem like a very good system but he saw the value that it held for the ones in power and figured, as it happened in any place large enough to have class distinction, that it would continue forever.

There were places in the lower city, dens carved into the rock, where hookah smoke made the bodies of the dancers seem almost mystical as they moved. He'd been fascinated the first time he'd observed the lithe movement, the heady beat of the drums, as a youth and it had not been long before he'd been up and asking to be taught. The things he had learned from them had been useful on dance floors as well as in bedrooms, but he hadn't really put the act to practice since he'd been accepted into the royal guard. He was like to need some practice before the places of his youthful enthusiasm would accept them onto their stages again.

The thing was, Raithen actually liked performing. He had no desire to rebel against his family and make his living in either pleasure houses or dancing dens, but he enjoyed indulging himself in either and had worked hard to ensure that he would be welcome to join the professionals whenever he had the urge.

His head came up out of it's slump covered in a wicked little grin at her insinuation as to his proclivities. He was not into the type of enjoyable abuse that some others were but he had enjoyed observing it on occasion. The caffeine and heavily spiced flavor of the tea was beginning to rouse him back into feeling a part of the world instead of just floating through it.

"Well," He considered as he finally sat up like an adult at the table and leaned back against the chair, "He's hot."

This was said in all considering seriousness, like a scholar discussing his personal project. "Aside from that, he's honestly a bit..." He considered through 'arrogant', and 'conceited' but found neither felt right so settled on, "Selfish? I mean, he asked for a night of indulgence so it wasn't bad but I guess I wasn't expecting it from someone of his rank."

Raithen's eyes moved from the table top to light on Hilana's and his smile turned to mild abashment. "That sounds kinda shit of me, doesn't it? I mean, I'm used to hanging out with knights and army men and they don't act like that. I should look into his lineage; maybe he is like me, born high but then chose to serve with the strength of his arms rather than try to play in politics."

Here he hummed before reaching for another pastry and giving it the courtesy of taking a normal bite. Once this was swallowed he answered the other questions.

"He certainly doesn't mind multiple partners, though he does not seem at all comfortable with people setting boundaries." His tone wasn't overly judgemental, but it was spiced with it. "He isn't pushy or anything, but his interest wains quickly when told 'no' about something. Not that it can't be brought back with a little effort. I don't know how long he'll be staying, we didn't actually... talk... that much." The flush that prettied his cheeks over a return of the iniquitous grin only heightened the effect.

[Hilana Chenzira]

“I love to dance,” she was cheerful about that, taking a bite from her bougatsa. “I learned more of the rhythm dances from the tribes; but all the courtly, proper dances I had tutors for when I had to go back into Tertium when I was 19. A lot of learning on how to behave, or some level of it, in higher level crowds. I liked the clubs better, Tertium does have a very thriving nightlife in that regard, especially with the number of peregrini there. But my father usually insisted that one of my sisters chaperone if I went,” she crossed her eyes at that, as if to demonstrate her opinion of the notion. But whatever tutors she had had made the lessons stick, considering the girl had been in fine form the night before, in black and gold. “Just depends on where you go. There are some that are strictly Equestrian and up, like there are here. This one was more enjoyable because I could just dance with whoever I wanted. Back home that wasn’t the case, but I think you know how controlling parents can be,” she sipped her tea with a smile of her own.

The python was utterly unbothered by his feathers, as he settled on his shoulders and over the tops of where his wings met his back. If anything, Tiaz made himself comfortable there, and Raithen felt his rounded nose by his throat, as the snake’s tongue flickered, tasting all of the different scents on the Avialae. Hmm…

Hilana had never considered Tertium her home. It was, at best, a temporary space, despite the grandness of her family’s estate and influence. It was a holding cell. She was more at home in the sands where there were fewer walls, and she slept in her saddle after taking the night shift with her pack. Or had fun in the tents and danced around the fires to the drums, letting them rhythm tell her which way was best, her skirts shaking and swaying with every movement of her hips. If anything, despite it was only her second season here, Hilana could see the capital becoming her home. She could still go out into the sands… but she was freer here though it was more dangerous in a way. Perhaps because she had found friends and formed herself a new pack, and wasn’t being locked down like some delicate doll to be warded and displayed.

She smiled across the table at him as he considered his words. She could agree that the knight was rather hot; she had seen him there whilst she was making her rounds on the dance floor. But when Raithen had approached the dais and left empty-handed, that was definitely that. Hilana wouldn’t have dreamed of approaching, nor would she have ever have been allowed to. When he asked her if she thought that assessment was a bit shit of him, she shook her head reassuringly. She had learned long ago that your gut instinct was usually the right one, and if Raithen felt the Knight was selfish and disliked boundaries…well, perhaps his thoughts were right. Raised high and preferred to serve that way was understandable. You had a better chance of a long life that way than you did when you mired yourself down in politics, if their world was anything to go by. She didn’t know much about Aurisian politics, so perhaps they were tamer than Solunarian ones, but who knew? His grin was infectious, though, because Hilana was grinning back at him. “Will you meet up with him again?” She raised an eyebrow, and under the table, Raithen surely felt her toes against his ankle and calf as she enjoyed the creamy custard of the pastry.

[Raithen]

Listening Raithen tried to imagine living among the tents and tribes of the deeper desert; fighting and dancing and moving with the herds. It was the sort of life he would likely have been better at than the one he currently enjoyed, but it wasn't something he longed for as some did.

"I learned to dance from courtesans and professionals, both those sponsored by my mother and not." Much like Hilana herself was describing, some of his skill was intended for ballrooms, some for rooms heavy with smoke, and some for around fires. He considered getting up and comparing steps but his body was not in a place for such high energetics even now that the tea was beginning to kick in and his stomach was no longer trying to consume his spine. Resting his chin on one hand, the elbow of which rested on the table to blinked languidly over at Hilana, eyes wandering in a way that told the tale of lingering substances in his blood.

"How long are you minding the shop today? Are there things you need to accomplish? Potions to brew, little witch?" His teasing was affectionate, flirtatious even.

He made a considering face at her last question as to the previous evening's tryst,

"I dunno. I would, if he was interested. I have a better idea of what he seems to be looking for now so I could show him a better time. Last night was good but it was a stab in the dark as far as knowing what sorts of things he wanted."

The toes under the table were making him smile, and only partly because his skin was sensitive enough that it tickled a little. He was wearing the same fine, nearly transparent garment he'd worn to the party and while it was arranged, draped and clasped back on expertly, it was assuredly wrinkled from having spent some time being sat on and some time forgotten on the floor. His hair was, if not a mess, certainly tousled, he looked like nothing so much as a young man who'd spent the night drinking and wenching and somehow managed to be healthier for it.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana would never blame him, or anyone else, for not desiring a life in the sands. When you had access to every privilege, there was not many who were willing to give it up. The fact that there were those amongst the tribes that settled in villages and towns throughout the realm was indicator enough that even those who were born to it sometimes grew tired of it. The Wildness in her bones always urged her on and into it, into the open air, the freedom where there were no walls, nothing to pen them in... but Raithen already had that in the sky when he opened up his wings. While she loved being on the move, she could at least see the benefits of having a home base, somewhere that was hers to come back to. A steady routine, constants...

And she would be lying if she refused to acknowledge the fact that she loved having access to so many ingredients for cooking. Even the oven that she had in her apartment was bigger than the portable ones that she had used over her years and years of traveling. She loved cooking over a fire or using the glyphed pans, but... It was the people, like the Avialae across from her, that made the city bearable.

"Well, I'm in here all day today, I'm afraid, though we can close up for lunch and go find something to enjoy," her eyes danced with a bit of amusement. Raithen already had an idea about her tirelessness when they went to investigate in Vectria, and this was more of the same. Dance all night, she had left with one of the few Platinum elves in the city, then got up at enough time to make the pastries that he was now enjoying, and got to work. And she had no problems with it. "I made a gel this morning that was for drawing out infection and stemming bleeding. We could make some more, though," she was thoughtful. "Let's see, what kind of potions should this little witch make?" she made her eyes quite wide deliberately, smiling rather mischievously, tapping her cheek. "Something that can heal, or perhaps brighten and enhance your senses? Or would you like a poison, maybe, to take with you for your blades? Or maybe you'd like a massage, to help get those kinks out from yesterday? Or learn about the pressure points of the body, where you can push just so and the other might collapse like a rag doll?" All of these were perfectly good options to Hilana; she could also see what he knew of first aid techniques. She did like to teach, all things considered, and while he did have a perfectly capable group that he went out with... the idea of him coming back with a serious wound, or not coming back because of said serious wound, could be an issue.

"You did the best you could. The first time is usually a bit awkward, but once you know, you know. Who knows, if you see him again maybe we'll try double-teaming him and see what happens," she grinned, her toes continuing up and down his ankle and calf rather deliberately. She could think of another couple of things that the two of them could do right there in the shop, but Founders forbid Vasilei came back and found them doing a horizontal tango... But in the meantime? There were all kinds of things she could do with him that would just build up until she could take Raithen somewhere quiet and get them out of their clothes.

[Raithen]

The young Avialae pulled a face that was sort of put out, sort of commissary.

"I was more wondering..." He cut himself off as Hilana began regaling him with the options for potions they might possibly make together. As tired as he was it took him a moment to realize that she had understood him and was teasing him right back, at which point he grinned and shook his head in both humor and defeat.

"I suppose I should wash this one off before I try for another anyway. I can't keep up with you on no sleep, if I can at all." He drank off the last of his second cup of tea before giving her suggestions actual consideration.

"I prolly should learn some healing. Can't always rely on alchemical and runic remedies, I guess." So far, he'd done just that, either being in range of a good healer or carrying alchemical substances that aided in quickly closing and healing wounds or other injuries in the field. Phocion was a master alchemist, though Raithen wasn't sure if that was where his mother obtained the supplies he was always provided with or if lesser actors were also toiling away over beakers for the benefit of his family. Thank the Twins he would never be expected to take over the family dealings, there were too many for him to even think about.

The crease that had formed in his brow as he tried to think about it eased away at the desert woman's latest suggestion.

"I can't say I'd mind." His eyes moved to consider some of the herbs hanging, dried, from the ceiling. "I don't know if he's racist, some Plats are, and they aren't the only ones." Trying to remember if Ayreon had specifically dismissed the idea of sexual acts with anyone of specific races or colorings did not do anything to relieve the mystery. So far as he noticed, which, admittedly, hadn't been a lot, as high as he'd been, the man hadn't been picky. "Didn't seem that way though. If I run into him again and the opportunity arises I'll try and lead him this way, or at least send an invitation.

Another massive stretch, which this time included his wings, and yawn were pulled from him. The act made the inappropriateness of his ballroom-sexual-object attire for day time in market area show starkly.

"Maybe I should go bath and put on enough clothing that the fish wives aren't eyeing me like the day's catch." He laughed at himself and then shook his head. Little glints of the gold paint that emphasized his coloring were also still visible in some places, while in others it was conspicuously absent.

"Leave you to your work and then come back to kidnap you tonight? Dinner maybe? I could take you to my place if you wanted to see it, or yours, if you want to show it off?"