Meeting the fiancé's otherworldly friends

[volurofthehearth]

The invitation was very clear about the nature of the gathering. Or as clear as the upper class get about these things. He had needed to insist upon doing them himself as her eyes had brightened and she'd smiled wide at the mention of making them. Rather than the texts that are often favoured by Nexus residents, these are paper invitations delivered by couriers post-haste. They specify the time and date that each person is invited to come and meet his new fiancé. A simple chat over tea to make introductions.

Isidor, insisting she would only be a distraction, left Viatorus to handle things with Lyall guarding the door as per usual. If Viatorus were the suspicious type he might linger on the notion that she vanished purposefully to put himself and his wife-to-be to the test, but then that wouldn't be very nice of her.

Viatorus' office apartment is... different. The main room which everyone enters into feels warmer, closer, inviting. The chairs and couch face each other a little more, tables positioned perfectly to make sure everyone can see everyone with ease. There are vases of flowers here and there, pale and demure bundles with little bursts of colour. Above each of the doors are smaller bundles of dried plants that twist and intertwine so that once pinned up they appear as decorations that makes the apartment feel more like a natural space. The air smells ever so faintly of vanilla and cinnamon, the last gift Ingirun gives to Viatorus' Nexus home.

It is only because of his company that Viatorus has chosen to wear a relatively untouched blue-grey suit and even a blue tie to match his light blue shirt. Ingirun's impeccably pinned up hair makes her retro ensemble of a loose white silk shirt and long green skirt appear as the perfect combination of smart casual. With cakes, pastries, sandwiches and mini-tarts all prepared, now all they need to do is wait for the first visitor to arrive.

Comments

[juststeverogers]

"Well, good though! That's good. She seems to like you, for one. And if they know a lot of people, then it...I mean. It shows that they're considering you and your feelings."

Steve had been worried that this mysterious fiance would be someone authoritarian and severe, someone who would look to control Viatorus rather than support him. And granted, he's only just met Miss Ingirun, but she seems alright to him.

"She..yes. Oh, yes. She uhm. She does do that. It's cute, right?" Should it be cute? Steve honestly didn't notice all that much. Do dames bounce? The ones flirting with Bucky seemed inclined to now and again.

[volurofthehearth]

That would be a nice thought. Viatorus is sure that at least partly his sister has done her best to rig the decision in his favour. But he's also very much aware that he is clueless about his family's hidden motivations. They're not a particularly open or chatty sort of people.

"No," he replies defensively. He's seen what happens when a man calls his sister cute. Realising his haste comes across as rude, he scrambles to correct, "I-I-I mean, it's… nice, but… not cute. It's… good. She's very nice. Very friendly." He fidgets and looks over to the kitchen door before quickly shifting his attention back to his friend. "I'm sorry. I am glad. That she's friendly, I mean. But I… I'm not sure what to do. It's strange, all of this." A thought hits him and he leans forward, lowering his voice. "Is this what a date is like?"

[juststeverogers]

Whatever question Steve was expecting from Viatorus, that wasn't it.

As such, he's unable to hide the completely blank look he gets when Viatorus asks if this is what dates are like. Steve's fairly certain he's never been on a date in his life. Bucky would ask him on double dates back in Brooklynn. But that always ended up being Bucky's date and her sister or friend hitting on him and ignoring Steve. Not that he minded, exactly? He knows what he looks like and he knows what Bucky looks like. He's not blind. And if he were a dame? He'd like Bucky too. It was what it was.

"Uh..."

Might as well come clean, Rogers. Lying won't help anyone.

"To be honest, Viatorus? I have no idea. I've never...been out with a dame before."

[volurofthehearth]

"Oh." He shouldn't be surprised. Steve has mentioned not having much interaction with women before, but he comes across as much more experienced in, well, life than Viatorus. Looking to him for answers seems natural.

The opening of the kitchen door distracts him anyway and Ingirun enters with a tray of pots and cups. Viatorus stands immediately. "L-Let me help you with that."

"No, no. It is okay." She brings it to the table and sets everything out carefully, as if each thing has its correct place. Once the tray is set aside she begins pouring out the tea and coffee, pausing only to ask Steve if he would like milk or sugar. "Where are you from, Steve? Where was your home before the Nexus?"

[juststeverogers]

"Thank you for getting this for us, Ma'am."

He isn't sure how old Ingirun is actually, but everyone is sir and ma'am to him unless told otherwise. And then even after that for a little bit until he breaks the habit of doing so with that person. He's giving Viatorus a supportive smile that turns grateful when he looks back at his fiancee again. "Black is fine please."

But he will let it sit a moment before taking a sip.

"Oh. I'm from Brooklyn, New York. December, 1941." He's grateful that Ingirun is from an alternate version of Earth, as it makes the explanation a lot simpler. "Took a long while to get used to this place."

[volurofthehearth]

After pouring out the tea and coffees she takes her cup onto her lap to sit at during the conversation. She sits close to Viatorus but turned towards Steve. She smiles and titters a laugh at his answer. "Oh, I cannot imagine. New York, how exotic! What is it like? I have only seen it on television."

http://tinyurl.com/hskxygl

[juststeverogers]

She seems very thoughtful. It hasn't escaped Steve's notice that she's doing her best to acclimate Viatorus to her presence while also not demanding anything from him. He wonders if Viatorus has noticed how careful she's being about her boundaries. It's quite different to the women who used to hang all over Bucky when they'd go on those dates. Or, well, 'dates' in Steve's case, since Bucky was the only one who ever wanted him there for them.

"Well, likely much different than the New York on your television. There weren't so many lights, for one. And the kinds of folks they considered to be 'outsiders' were different. My folks were Irish immigrants so we lived in the poorer parts of Brooklyn with our own community. I..uhm...here."

Steve reaches into his jacket pocket and withdraws a small leather bound notebook which he passes over to Ingirun. Inside is full of sketches of his home, family, and friends.

[volurofthehearth]

Ingirun is perfectly attentive, watching Steve with big eyes and sipping at her coffee quietly. The appearance of the sketch book confuses her at first, but once she sets her cup down to accept and open the book she smiles brightly. "Oh, you're an artist!"

Viatorus scoots closer to catch what glimpses he can of Steve's work, which Ingirun is happy to share with him. "You're getting even better," he comments with an encouraging smile.

"These are beautiful…" Stopping on a page with a picture of Bucky she looks up at Steve again. "Are these people you know? Or models?"

[juststeverogers]

"Yes'm. I..uh..I went to school for it, actually."

Steve has long since stopped arguing that it isn't his title. It fits him better than anything else does, and it is how he makes a living inside the Nexus. So he supposes it's a lot more true than 'no, I was a soldier'. He never made it into the service, back home.

He brightens visibly at Viatorus' comment, happy to hear that all that free time he's put toward his craft is noticeable. For one thing, his art isn't nearly as melancholic as it once was. There are the occasional somber sketches, but there's more life in the pictures now. More warmth.

"Ah--well, Buck would probably be pleased as punch to be asked if he was a model. but..n-no. He's my best guy. We've known each other forever. Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky."

[volurofthehearth]

"Ah, I see. He sounds like a lovely man." Turning a grin to him she adds, "And he looks like a charmer." She moves a little closer to turn the sketchbook more towards him. "Who are these other people? Where are these places?"

[juststeverogers]

"You've no idea."

Steve gives a put upon sigh and a slight shake of his head at all the memories of tagging along with his best friend to the dances they'd go to, or on the 'dates' Bucky would try to include him in on. The ladies always did have a soft spot for James Barnes.

"That's Mrs. Donlan from across the way. One of my Ma's friends. I didn't see much of her after my Ma passed on from tuberculosis. All the places are the architecture around my neighborhood. Though..." He pauses as Ingirun gets to the last used pages of the notebook. He stops on a rather surreal sketch of Viatorus peering into a door leading to a lush garden while he sits dozing in an overstuffed chair with a book splayed across his lap and a cup of tea on the table next to him.

Steve knows it's not entirely accurate--that Viatorus is supposed to use his 'special bed' when he does this sort of thing. But the experience when he'd been in the other's body had been incredibly inspiring once Steve was safely back in his own skin and had time to think about the other's abilities without panicking.

"Some of these are of my home here in the Nexus. And of my good friends."

[volurofthehearth]

She utters a soft mention of her condolences, enough to acknowledge the mention of his mother's death, but hopefully not too awkwardly so as to derail the conversation. Besides, there's a much greater distraction waiting on another page. At the sight of the picture Ingirun lights up, turning to Viatorus and waving her finger at the page. "Look! Look it's you!" She beams at Steve. "This is beautiful! Oh, could you do another? We could frame it and put it on a wall!"

Inaccurate though the image might be, it makes Viatorus smile as well. It's images like this that help him see more in the dreamworld, and being able to inspire it in turn gives him a small surge of pride.

[juststeverogers]

"You can have that one if you like it, or...I mean do you want a larger one?"

Steve ducks his head a bit and flushes with embarrassment at how much praise Ingirun is giving his sketch. He has them of all of his friends in the nexus. Blaze and Ghost, Harrowheart, Viatorus, Theodore, Isidor, Tony Stark...so many friends he's made during his time here. People he's grateful to have gotten to know as much as he has. It helps remind him that he's not alone. Helps keep him from getting quite so homesick.

"It's not terribly accurate of his abilities, either. Eheheh..."

[volurofthehearth]

"It's perfect, Steve," Viatorus assures him.

"Ah, but an artist is expected to be creative," she points out. Turning to Viatorus and back to Steve, she pauses. "Would it be possible to commission a larger one? It doesn't have to be the same if you would like to do it differently."

[juststeverogers]

"Have you...shown Miss Ingirun your magic yet?"

Steve gives Viatorus a curious glance. If there's something specific she'd like him to draw from, he'd be more than happy to. Though, Steve very much doubts even if she's seen it she'll have seen it the same way Steve did. Considering..you know..Steve was in Viatorus' body at the time. He's not sure how the perspective would change if it was someone else.

He should ask Harrowheart what it was like. He had come along, after all.

"I'd be happy to make a larger one. I thoroughly enjoyed sketching this and I could do something more given more space. And don't worry about a price." Steve holds up a hand before either of them can object. "We'll call it a present."

A wedding present, but Steve isn't sure if Viatorus is okay with the 'W' word yet.

[volurofthehearth]

"No." Viatorus fidgets and starts looking guilty.

"He hasn't has the time. He does so much study, you know," Runa interjects quickly, throwing in a smile for good measure. The two share a brief look and Viatorus smiles gratefully at her for a split second. She's quick to turn the conversation back to art. "I would love that! You're so kind!" She claps her hands. "Go wild! We can pay for the materials at least!"

"I must ask you about how you found the dreamwalking," Viatorus pipes up, a little more energetically this time. "I haven't heard someone else's perspective before."

[juststeverogers]

"Alright, that seems fair enough. I'll leave the framing and the like to you as well then."

In case they want an enchanted frame or something so fine Steve doesn't even have the imagination to think of what sort of material they'd make one out of. He pulls a small flip style notepad out of his pocket and flips to a To Do list and adds the request to it with a star next to it. Very important, of course. High priority.

Away go the sketchbook and notepad now that the conversation has moved on and Steve gives a thoughtful frown while he thinks on it.

"To be honest? At first I truly thought I was home. I didn't realize it wasn't real. Not right away."

[volurofthehearth]

Viatorus shuffles forward without noticing his obvious interest. "What gave it away?" Steve is barely left a moment to answer before the scholar continues, "Was it difficult to move, or travel? Or make decisions? Did you see others there? Did they have the right faces for who they were meant to represent? Could you talk to Harrowheart?" He scoots dangerously close to the edge of his seat. "What did he look like? What did he feel like?"

Suddenly Runa laughs and rests a hand on Viatorus' arm. "Give the man a chance!" She tips her head to Steve. "I think he would make you write an essay on it if he could."

"Would you?" The dreamwalker's enthusiasm takes a minute to calm when Runa gives him a gentle, meaningful look. "Sorry."

[juststeverogers]

Steve thinks back to their body swapping adventure with a thoughtful hum. He's not sure how to talk about it politely, without ruining the nice visit they're having. But he's determined to try, because with everything that happened at the time, they hadn't really ever had the chance to talk about it then.

"Harrow and I were ourselves. I was back in my apartment in Brooklyn and was gonna show him around. Tings were...fuzzy around the edges like any other dream. It seemed to take no time at all to show him the place I took art classes at, the place where Bucky and I worked sometimes, the movie theater. But, Viatorus I was dreaming a lot about home back then. I didn't want to be awake. When I was sleeping, I was always home. I figured it out when Bucky showed up. It was the same dream I had lots of nights. Being back home, seeing Buck....and realizing he had to leave. Go to war. Without me. And if it was a good dream we'd split up just like we did. And..if it wasn't...I'd see what he became. And he'd usually kill me. It was a reoccurring nightmare I had a lot, back then."

Steve shrugs his shoulders while he takes a sip from his coffee.

"I'm not hiding in the past nearly so much, these days. But Me, Harrow, and Bucky all looked normal. I don't really remember there being too many other folks. Like, they were there. New York's a busy town. But it was almsot like they were background fixtures. I didn't notice 'em much."

[volurofthehearth]

Viatorus' fingers twitch as they rest on his knees. The telltale sign of his urge to take notes. Mental notes will have to do for now, but committing this information to memory is rather fitting. That's how he takes notes on his walks, after all. He nods at various intervals to show he understands what's being told to him and to encourage Steve's story. Runa, on the other hand, takes strategic, silent sips of her coffee and stays still apart from glances between the other two. To her, it's clear she's an honoured guest hearing a personal story.

Once Steve finishes, Viatorus nods some more, his hands finally coming together to fidget. "That makes sense. I… I almost wish you could have tried more, to see what you would have experienced…" He drifts off into thought only for a moment before snapping back to reality and smiling gently at his friend. "It's better that you didn't. You're already a vivid dreamer, clearly, and you, um… you seem to enjoy what you did. So. That's… That's better."

[juststeverogers]

"I don't think you would have wanted that. You about had kittens when you found out I'd done it at all, accidentally or no."

Steve gives a soft chuckle and a shrug of his bony shoulders. He's had a lot of time since the incident to mull over the dream and as Viatorus said Steve spent a lot of time dreaming, especially the year before. He gives Runa a glance then and makes his smile a bit wider.

"There was an...accident in the Nexus that caused a bit of a stir, and I ended up with Viatorus' magics for a time." Among other things. "It got a bit awkward, but we came out closer for it, I think."

[volurofthehearth]

Runa looks between Steve and Viatorus who is nodding his head in agreement with his friend. "Oh, was this the time you swapped bodies..?"

Viatorus' cheeks flush red. "Isidor told you?"

"She was warning me about the dangers of the Nexus," Runa explains and then smiles with a friendly tilt of her head. "It's part of her role to warn me of dangers you face." Ignoring the concern appearing on Viatorus's face, she turns to Steve again. "That must have been quite traumatic for everyone. I'm glad something good came out of it."

[juststeverogers]

"Uhh.."

Very eloquent, Rogers.

Certainly not suspicious whatsoever if this was something that was supposed to be kept a secret. As is the panicked look he shoots Viatorus in a desperate attempt to gain insight as to how he should respond. Ingirun won't suspect a thing. Except she totally knows what's up already and now Steve just feels awkward.

"It was...uhm. It was definitely one of the more alarming situations that befell the Nexus. But Harrow, Viatorus, and I became rather close because of it. And I've heard we weren't the only ones who bonded because of the event. It's interesting how many of these situations end up bringing the denizens closer together, rather than driving wedges between us."

[volurofthehearth]

Runa nods slowly as Steve talks, eyes wide and attentive. "It makes you a family because of it. You grow and learn together. I wish people on our world acted as kindly." She tilts head and leans a little closer. "Does it scare you that things like that can happen? Do you ever want to live somewhere else?"

[juststeverogers]

The smile Steve shoots Viatorus then is all the confirmation Runa will need to know she's right. He considers the dream walker and their deathknight companion his two best friends in this place and despite the things that happened during the body swap, he wouldn't trade it for the world because it's made them so much closer friends.

He's grateful he's had the chance to walk in their shoes, if only for a little bit. Gotten a fresh perspective on things.

Been able to share his own story with them in turn.

"Everything always goes back to normal soon enough. I'm not as frightened by them as I used to be. It's just something to get used to in the Nexus. And as infrequent as the events are, it's not really worth stressing over." The last question gives him pause, at least a little.

"...Somewhere other than the Nexus? Well, I can only think of one place I'd rather be. But since its inaccessible, the Nexus has become my home."