People arrive as the evening goes on. Sasha greets the guests with warm smiles and gentle hellos while Annie fusses with the food. They've both dressed for the occasion, with Sasha in a sleek red cocktail dress and Annie in a flowing green creation embroidered with a glittering leaf design across the midsection. The chantry's long-time owner and recently returned resident looks softer tonight than many are used to seeing her - though the telltale evidence of manual labor still marks her scraped and calloused hands. Both of the women look lovely. Annie makes a point to steal away from her kitchen duties to greet Kiara and offer her a tight embrace. There aren't many of their ilk in Denver any longer. Perhaps seeing Kiara reminds her of a different time.
Later, Kiara pulls Sasha aside to talk, but whatever it is they discuss, they keep the details to themselves.
Leah doesn't make an appearance until about fifteen minutes after Sera arrives. When she comes trotting down the stairs, she makes her way into the kitchen to steal a spice cookie from one of the plates, munching on it distractedly. She's dressed in a pair of tight-fitting black jeans, red heels and a gold satin halter top. The makeup around her eyes is smokey and dramatic. Her hair is pinned back in one section but otherwise left to flow in soft, dark waves around her face and shoulders. With the addition of the heels, she is the tallest woman in the room. It makes it difficult not to notice how much she's changed since the time she spent with Sera and Jim and Sid in that cabin in the woods.
She almost twists her ankle on the way to the living room to give Sera a hug. (It's the heels. She's not entirely used to them.) Kiara gets a slightly more reserved (more complicated, though no less genuine) greeting.
Early in the evening, Henry arrives with Red trotting in at his side. He is, as always, bright and warm and charming and he greets the women as though they were all dear, old friends. Annie is reserved when she welcomes him in, but whatever anger she may have had toward him seems to have settled. Only Leah seems disinclined to speak with him, and offers him a lingering, quiet gaze before drifting out of the room. The old Hermetic helps himself to two plates of food and a mug of cider before settling into one of the rocking chairs by the living room fire. He sets one of the plates on the floor for the fox to devour and spends most of the rest of the evening animatedly telling stories to anyone who will listen and bickering affectionately with Red before he drifts off into a long nap.
Two other people arrive as the night winds on. One of them is a tall, sharp-featured man in his early forties. He seems less comfortable there than the others, a bit stiff and formal. He's dressed in a very nice suit and introduces himself as Richard Oenomaus of House Quaesitor. Henry welcomes him with a hearty smile and a warm hug that Richard returns with markedly less enthusiasm. They are, as it turns out, father and son - though they could not be more different in demeanor. Annie greets Richard quietly, and there's a moment of aloof tension between them before Richard glances back at the door.
"If you'd rather I go..."
Then Annie sighs and gives a soft shake of her head. "No. Stay." She reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder for a moment and some of the tension dissipates.
He doesn't talk much, Richard. Mostly he spends the evening either with Sasha or his father or alone with his thoughts, gazing out the windows at the dark lawn.
The last guest to arrive is a young man, about Leah's age, with dark hair and tanned skin wearing a biker jacket. He's dressed less formally than many of the others, and when he notices this he laughs self-consciously and apologizes, though Sasha (who opens the door for him) gives a dismissive wave of her hand and welcomes him inside. "You must be Atreyu."
A moment later Leah appears in the foyer. The smile she offers him is reserved but meaningful. "You came."
"Of course." Atreyu looks around as he hangs up his jacket. Beneath it he has on a band t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "This house is amazing," he adds with honest appreciation.
"Thank you." This from Annie, who appears to size up the new arrival with an assessing gaze. "Food's in the dining room. Help yourself to whatever you like."
From that point on, Leah and Atreyu barely leave each other's side. Whatever the nature of their relationship, the chemistry between them is both palpable and obvious.
At some point after she's had a couple of drinks, Leah pulls Atreyu into the living room, slips off her heels (which are clearly starting to annoy her) and goes to change the music playing over the sound system. "Ian sent me a playlist for Christmas. I'm kind of in love with it."
After that, the music changes to a more modern selection. The playlist in question moves through multiple genres, with most of the songs coming from more obscure bands. A number of them have a good beat to dance to, which Leah and Atreyu take full advantage of, spinning around together like playful children on the open floor. At one point the tracks shift to Sarah Blasko's cover of Don't Dream it's Over and Atreyu's movement comes to a sudden, unnerved halt.
"What's wrong?" Leah asks, breathing hard. The candle lights in the room make her eyes glisten.
"Nothing, I've just... I've heard this song before." He's quiet for a moment, gazing into the distance. "In another life." He glances around the room, a sad expression coming over his eyes. "It makes me think of someone who isn't here."
Leah is quiet a moment. Then she reaches out to take his hand. "Yeah." Like she understands, because she does. They all do. She pulls Atreyu against her. The contact is hesitant and difficult (contact with men has always been difficult for her) but once they're there like that - once she has him in her arms - she relaxes into it. He buries his face against her hair and they dance like that: the Phoenix and the Ouroboros.
Later they disappear into the woods. Annie tries to follow them, but Sasha stops her.
As the evening winds down and Richard leaves to drive Henry home, the remaining two Trinity members find themselves dancing together by the fire. It's a sweet moment, and a rare picture of vulnerability for Annie as she all-but collapses into her lover's arms.
Eventually the candles burn down and the remaining food gets stored away. Whoever remains, passed out on sofas or guest beds, is left to sleep as long as they like. When Kiara wakes up, she'll find a soft-woven blanket draped over her.
-------------------------------
Later, Kiara pulls Sasha aside to talk, but whatever it is they discuss, they keep the details to themselves.
Leah doesn't make an appearance until about fifteen minutes after Sera arrives. When she comes trotting down the stairs, she makes her way into the kitchen to steal a spice cookie from one of the plates, munching on it distractedly. She's dressed in a pair of tight-fitting black jeans, red heels and a gold satin halter top. The makeup around her eyes is smokey and dramatic. Her hair is pinned back in one section but otherwise left to flow in soft, dark waves around her face and shoulders. With the addition of the heels, she is the tallest woman in the room. It makes it difficult not to notice how much she's changed since the time she spent with Sera and Jim and Sid in that cabin in the woods.
She almost twists her ankle on the way to the living room to give Sera a hug. (It's the heels. She's not entirely used to them.) Kiara gets a slightly more reserved (more complicated, though no less genuine) greeting.
Early in the evening, Henry arrives with Red trotting in at his side. He is, as always, bright and warm and charming and he greets the women as though they were all dear, old friends. Annie is reserved when she welcomes him in, but whatever anger she may have had toward him seems to have settled. Only Leah seems disinclined to speak with him, and offers him a lingering, quiet gaze before drifting out of the room. The old Hermetic helps himself to two plates of food and a mug of cider before settling into one of the rocking chairs by the living room fire. He sets one of the plates on the floor for the fox to devour and spends most of the rest of the evening animatedly telling stories to anyone who will listen and bickering affectionately with Red before he drifts off into a long nap.
Two other people arrive as the night winds on. One of them is a tall, sharp-featured man in his early forties. He seems less comfortable there than the others, a bit stiff and formal. He's dressed in a very nice suit and introduces himself as Richard Oenomaus of House Quaesitor. Henry welcomes him with a hearty smile and a warm hug that Richard returns with markedly less enthusiasm. They are, as it turns out, father and son - though they could not be more different in demeanor. Annie greets Richard quietly, and there's a moment of aloof tension between them before Richard glances back at the door.
"If you'd rather I go..."
Then Annie sighs and gives a soft shake of her head. "No. Stay." She reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder for a moment and some of the tension dissipates.
He doesn't talk much, Richard. Mostly he spends the evening either with Sasha or his father or alone with his thoughts, gazing out the windows at the dark lawn.
The last guest to arrive is a young man, about Leah's age, with dark hair and tanned skin wearing a biker jacket. He's dressed less formally than many of the others, and when he notices this he laughs self-consciously and apologizes, though Sasha (who opens the door for him) gives a dismissive wave of her hand and welcomes him inside. "You must be Atreyu."
A moment later Leah appears in the foyer. The smile she offers him is reserved but meaningful. "You came."
"Of course." Atreyu looks around as he hangs up his jacket. Beneath it he has on a band t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "This house is amazing," he adds with honest appreciation.
"Thank you." This from Annie, who appears to size up the new arrival with an assessing gaze. "Food's in the dining room. Help yourself to whatever you like."
From that point on, Leah and Atreyu barely leave each other's side. Whatever the nature of their relationship, the chemistry between them is both palpable and obvious.
At some point after she's had a couple of drinks, Leah pulls Atreyu into the living room, slips off her heels (which are clearly starting to annoy her) and goes to change the music playing over the sound system. "Ian sent me a playlist for Christmas. I'm kind of in love with it."
After that, the music changes to a more modern selection. The playlist in question moves through multiple genres, with most of the songs coming from more obscure bands. A number of them have a good beat to dance to, which Leah and Atreyu take full advantage of, spinning around together like playful children on the open floor. At one point the tracks shift to Sarah Blasko's cover of Don't Dream it's Over and Atreyu's movement comes to a sudden, unnerved halt.
"What's wrong?" Leah asks, breathing hard. The candle lights in the room make her eyes glisten.
"Nothing, I've just... I've heard this song before." He's quiet for a moment, gazing into the distance. "In another life." He glances around the room, a sad expression coming over his eyes. "It makes me think of someone who isn't here."
Leah is quiet a moment. Then she reaches out to take his hand. "Yeah." Like she understands, because she does. They all do. She pulls Atreyu against her. The contact is hesitant and difficult (contact with men has always been difficult for her) but once they're there like that - once she has him in her arms - she relaxes into it. He buries his face against her hair and they dance like that: the Phoenix and the Ouroboros.
Later they disappear into the woods. Annie tries to follow them, but Sasha stops her.
As the evening winds down and Richard leaves to drive Henry home, the remaining two Trinity members find themselves dancing together by the fire. It's a sweet moment, and a rare picture of vulnerability for Annie as she all-but collapses into her lover's arms.
Eventually the candles burn down and the remaining food gets stored away. Whoever remains, passed out on sofas or guest beds, is left to sleep as long as they like. When Kiara wakes up, she'll find a soft-woven blanket draped over her.
-------------------------------
I am so tired of waiting,
Aren't you,
For the world to become good
And beautiful and kind?
-Langston Hughes
Aren't you,
For the world to become good
And beautiful and kind?
-Langston Hughes