Dinner and a show

Hadama might not frequent brothels, Mer or human, but he was still a king of Torchline. He was no stranger to certain aspects of houses of pleasure and vice, certainly not from a business perspective, though he was not one to frequent them or partake in their wares. Not most of those wares, at least. But some exceptions could be made, even for a demigod of Safrin with the reputation that the Tidebreaker had accumulated over the years.

"I have heard," he confided to Maea in solemn confidence as they walked along the cobbled street beneath a darkening sky, "that the finest chef in Stormbreak is employed here." The clouds may have brought an early twilight to the city, but the lanterns and lamps that lined the streets of the Silk Houses were riotous with light and color that was even brighter and more vivid at night than in the daylight.

And Hadama was leading them to the doors of the largest and best-lit section, whose gates were open and welcoming to customers and patrons from all regions, and whose attendants were wearing clothing that consisted of significantly less silk than bare skin. Hadama nodded with serene courtesy to one such woman who approached them, her smile bright as she ran brown eyes over the pair with open admiration. Upon her question as to what pleasures they sought at Mother Molly's, Hadama requested a table for two and dinner - which earned him a blink from the hostess and then a return of her smile as she led the way into the sprawling compound of buildings, stopping at last in a high-ceilinged room, elegantly appointed in reds and golds and boasting a number of smaller tables with varying levels of privacy. She left them there, but only after a server - only slightly more covered - arrived with menus for the table and a willingness to take their drink orders immediately.

"Mmh. I will try the house special," Hadama decided. "And a...hmm. A 'storm warning.'" The cocktail was excitingly named and sounded intriguing enough. Turning to his dinner companion he raised steely brows a fraction in curiosity of what she would choose as their handsome and scantily clad waiter leaned attentively forward.

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

A brothel was the last place she had expected the Tidebreaker to choose for their dinner. Though her time spent in the Dusklight had taught her that more than the expected things usually were on offer in establishments like these, it was not without a degree of apprehension that the pale little woman followed Hadama inside. She was glad for the elegance (and the coverage) her velvet gown offered. If the stares of students had made her self-conscious before, in here they took on a completely different meaning - of a nature that would be deeply unsettling if she'd not had other things to distract herself with. Like food.
"They must be extraordinary if to make you come to a place like this," she murmured so only Hadama might hear, faking a stiff smile at the winking hostess as they were led to a table. "Are you sure your reputation can withstand this, though? Being seen with anyone in an establishment of this nature, let alone someone as ill favored as me..?" Word had a way of spreading, and the most innocent of visits could be twisted way out of proportion as stories traveled.

Determined to keep her eyes away from the multitude of exposed skin, Maea bowed her neck over the menu. At some point she had dropped the glamour, allowing candlelight to gleam on the curve of horns and snag on the point of a sharp fang as she looked up to the waitor to place her order. "The fish plate, please. And a white wine of your recommendation... not too dry."
As the waitor left she leaned back in her seat, questing for something to rest her eyes on that wasn't sultry or seductive. In the end, she settled for the carved border near the ceiling; it took her a while to realize that even those held suggestive shapes that drew a flush into her cheeks.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Maea's interest in the chef might not have been quite as piqued as Hadama's own, but he was pleased to hear that she was now also intrigued - and willing to follow him into an adventure of a different sort than their usual hunting forays. "That is what we are here to learn." Hadama tilted his friend a subtle wink as their hostess turned away to lead them into the brothel's depths. "Just how extraordinary they are..." But the concern over his reputation had the humor fading to a thoughtful silence and he was quiet as they were seated.

Once their orders were in and they were alone once more, the Tidebreaker turned his calm gaze upon his friend, even if her eyes were on the ceiling and a delicate coral blush lent her pale cheeks some color. "I do not find you ill-favored," he said quietly. "And this is the most respectable brothel in Stormbreak. If my reputation cannot withstand either of these, then it is time it was broken and reforged."

He tilted his head, serene gaze on his dinner companion as he studied her face, concern warming his emerald eyes and gentling his voice. "What has happened?"

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

"Nothing, really." Feeling his gaze on her, Maea endured the silence for a while, then let her gaze drop to meet Hadama's with a barely audible sigh. "Honestly. Nothing has happened, and that's the heart of the problem. I was reminded recently of how poor my rapport is with the leaders of basically all the regions are, and of my lack of strength to solve problems should they arise." Hadama might not consider her ill-favored, but he would be in the minority. "I don't know how to get stronger, and I don't know how to mend fences with people who won't talk to me. That's all. I suppose I'm just... frustrated."

Toying with the napkin, her restless fingers quickly undid the elegant folds. "Feels like I've fallen behind," she admitted, more quietly this time. "All the time I spent on my own emotional fireworks is time people around me used to improve physically, in weapons and abilities and experience. And the harder I strive to improve and be useful, the less I actually accomplish. Yet the idea of doing nothing, or just the bare minimum... It's suffocating." She had to look no further than across the table for a prime example. When they first mer, she and Hadama had been of similar strength, equal ability – yet he was king and demigod while she... Maea shook her head, warring with a black jealousy that was none of his fault and had no place at the table.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Silence was indeed his response to the claim that 'nothing' had happened. He did not imply that he did not believe her, but he sat quietly and patiently until she was ready to speak again. Nothing became something as a result, and he tilted his head thoughtfully as her concerns emerged into the light. Already his thoughts began their slow turn to try and find answers, but as he sat with his hands resting on the table in front of him, still and calm, she continued.

He inclined his head in acknowledgment of Maea's conundrums. But he remained silent as their server returned to deliver their food and drinks. Seeing the pair involved in serious conversation, the discrete young man did not linger but instead swept off to see to another table with livelier occupants.

Taking up his fork and knife, Hadama turned his attention to his meal - an elegant pastry shell formed around tender beef, and began to carve away a few bites. "Mmh. Strength and abilities will come with practice, and with time. Time will mend some fences, as well." Not all, but some. Though it might take a year or two for the high emotions to fade. "Not long ago you seemed determined to start fresh. To move forward. The leaders of Caido are powerful, yes, but they are not... mmh. Not the only ones who matter. Are there other alliances you could forge beyond them?" He took the first bite of his meal and after a long, thoughtful moment his eyes closed in benediction as the rich steak and savory, buttery pastry melted on his tongue.

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Assessing the dish placed before her – a lovely assortment of seafood, some raw and some lightly seared or glazed with light coatings of various sauces, all served alongside fresh spring greens and a generous serving of rice – Maea took her time to answer. The impulse to snap or say something snarky came as much from the frustration as her concern around reputation did. It was a testament to the efforts she had already put in that she could recognise and stop herself at all – a sign of progress, even.

"I still am," she replied, a faint wrinkle appearing between her brows. "I can't simply erase the past though, and sometimes it gets in the way of things I'd like to do. Maybe there are other forces out there, but when it comes to politics..." She shook her head and speared a slice of tuna, glistening and plump, and silenced herself by taking a bite.

Whining about it was pointless. What could Hadama do? Even if he tried to speak on her behalf to other leaders, it would not erase the main problem. What she ought to be doing was just that; spend the time and put in the effort, until she didn't need anyone else to accomplish something.

"My apologies, for bringing it up. I'll stop complaining – "

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

That she continued to speak with him and take his words into consideration even when they were not what she wanted to hear - perhaps not even all that useful - was, indeed, noted. Hadama reached for his cocktail, swirling it lightly before taking a sip and letting it linger on his tongue. He closed his eyes to savor it before swallowing, and only then looked once more at his dinner companion with solemn understanding.

"I am glad you trust me with your complaints." A simple statement, quietly spoken, but holding implacable sincerity. "Is this not what friends do for one another?" He took another bite of his dish, taking the time while he chewed to consider his next words. "Politics... the currents between regions move and reshape themselves constantly." His fork stilled as he looked over Maea's head, his gaze seeing something in memory, something that drew the light from his eyes, far away from the mellow golden wood of their booth. He spent several seconds in distraction before he sighed and shook his head. "But I do not wish to make you dwell on what is troubling you. How is your meal?"

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Watching him between bites, Maea nodded in agreement; that was what friends were for. To listen, offer advice whether helpful or not... and occasionally to point out when the other was whining instead of working towards a goal. "Thank you, for listening. Feel free to say whatever you want - I'm your friend, too." And hopefully not the vampiric sort who only took without offering anything back. 

"My meal is quite good," she informed him, "though I am unsure if it really warrants the pricetag... I think you did just as well with mutton and some mushrooms." Or was she being biased? Taking another bite to test her theory, Maea savoured the freshness of the fish, the tangy sauce, sampled a sip of wine and wound up shrugging. "Nope... given the same ingredients, I'd say you're on par. Now, does that make you a master or them a fraud..?" Her eyes glittered, leaving it to Hadama whether to pick up the thrown glove and change the subject, or to lighten his own heart of whatever he'd been about to say.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Her offer was met with a thoughtful silence as he considered his current woes. The who and the why of them. And then he raised his head, letting his gaze travel around the plushly appointed restaurant in the heart of Stormbreak's finest brothel. And he remembered what Sunjata had said of his first meeting with Dahlia, in the House of Midnight.

"I will take you up on that," he murmured quietly, emerald gaze falling back to meet Maea's with solemnity and caution - but with gratitude as well. "The next time we meet. I have news to share but... it will wait, for now. Perhaps the Climb?" Or anywhere that was not so gently held in purple coils as their current location. There was no true proof against Vox's eavesdropping yet, but there were places it was decidedly less wise to engage in boasts of recent exploits and further plans.

He took another few, slow, savoring bites of his meal as Maea spoke as a staunch friend, and the expression on Hadama's stoic face lightened, emerald eyes twinkling with appreciation at the compliments. "Mmh. I have mostly retired from the business. But I did run a restaurant once." The Tidepool Bar in Torchline, a cafe that had been built to serve both Mer and humans, with a focus on breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The pressures of kingship and demigodhood had combined to steal his time so that he was rarely able to pursue his two passions of smithcraft and cooking.

So when his friends gave him an excuse to indulge either, he was always grateful.

"I am glad to hear my skills have not been entirely lost." He raised his glass to toast his friend, and a genuine smile lifted the corners of his mouth and crinkled his eyes.

Proof that even in the heart of shadowed territory, they could still make a little light of their own.

~Fin