Coffee or Tea (Artskaf)

[Claude Saint-Clair]

Claude had arrived at precisely 9:50.  He was a firm believer that you were on time if you were five minutes early, and late if you were on time. Of course this meant that he left even earlier to prepare for any possible delays in his travel.  At least that is what he had told himself when he left his hotel that morning to come to cafe that Nora had mentioned to him. He was anxious for this meeting.  Nora had said in her text message that she was fine, and it wasn't often he wanted to contradict his sister, but since the fire at Moscow HQ, she had gone almost completely silent.  What communication they got from her was vague.  It was very unlike the Nora he had known before the fire.  Despite her words, Claude knew something was up.

Artskaf was a unique place, nothing seemed to match, and Claude found he liked it.  It seemed to be a place where art was allowed to thrive.  Indeed there were several pieces on the wall for sale.  Claude took a table underneath the only one that wasn't - a portrait of a woman in the neoclassical style.  The golden eyes of the woman made Claude wonder if the model for the painting had been a wolfkin, and if she had been, if she was still around.  Once more, Claude thought about whether or not such people (and people they were) should simply be removed for no other reason than existing.

Claude ordered and Earl Grey tea with honey, deciding against coffee even though he had mentioned it.  His mood was different today, glad to be seeing Nora, and worried that the meeting might not be a happy one.  She had always been protective of him, and he had always returned that feeling.  Still he hoped for the best.  He steeled himself for the conversation.  She would try to convince him to leave Moscow - he was sure of it, but he was here, and had no plans on leaving.

[Liam H]

He hadn't been grounded exactly, not that it would matter anyway he'd have snuck out of work when his Dad was busy. No would even know. It's not like he hadn't done it a thousand times before. Though Liam knew that his dad probably knew everything that happened in the building. But there was this thing. They'd let him go off to school with Sterling. She was doing better than she was in regular school. There were tight rules even though it was held at a burlesque club -- tho that part was totally left out. Nox had said it was at his place and it was -- mostly.

But today he'd already planned to meet with Cali. He missed her. He wished things were different but it is what it is and he loved his sister. They had scheduled their catchup at a little cafe they both liked. Liam arrived early with his laptop. He could do some of his work from the cafe -- school or otherwise.

There were lots of people on this cold day. He had an ice coffee with peppermint candy and whipped cream. It was all the rage for Christmas. He liked it. And even though it was cold he needed the icey feeling to keep his focus. His fingers fidgeted with the cup as he stared at his screen trying to read the report that had landed on his desk about some IT thing that one of the labs wanted to add. It was technical and boring and he'd rather be researching things about cybernetics and genetics and a billion other things that caught his attention.

He didn't notice the man who'd sat down at the table next to him.

[Calliope]

Cali pressed the lid of Liam’s laptop down, and placed the plate on top instead. His favourite pastry sat on top like a prize jewel, which by her smile she certainly considered it to be. No tech, that was always the rule. It wasn’t like they were able to see much of one another, not since Cali left for the Brotherhood.

“You didn’t order for me!” she exclaimed with a laugh as she sat down, depositing her scarf and coat on the armchair behind her. “And since when am I ever late?”

She was dressed warmly underneath, a knitted jumper with the Brotherhood’s pin nestled discretely amongst the wool. No expensive brand names, she didn’t have a Haart allowance now, but Cali’s tastes had always been simpler anyway. The winter chill blushed a rose into her cheeks and nose, so that she somehow looked simultaneously invigorated and at war with the weather. Her hair was neatly braided around her head, the blonde strands bright in the light. She had her own pastry (cinnamon) in front of her, and a cup of green tea, though she eyed the whip on Liam’s like she might scoop a finger in.

Cali could swear every time she saw Liam he grew taller, looked more like a man. There was a lot of their father in his looks, same as with Cali, but Liam’s apple definitely fell closer to their mother’s branch of the family tree in terms of temperament. “So how’s life, little brother?”

[Liam H]

The lid to the laptop came down and the chocolate croissant that sat atop it meant Cali was here. He looked up with a bright grin on his lips to greet his sister. "I got here early. I didn't want anything to get cold!" He carefully lifted the plate from his laptop and slipped the computer into his bag. He loved spending time with his sister. And he moved a little closer to her, the chair scrapping against the floor as he did. He had lots of things to say. He wouldn't details as much as he had with Gideon. That excitement had fled but the memories were still fresh.

He leaned in close. Their meetings were already clandestine. "Dad and Mum would probably kill me if they knew, but I went to a dark web party. I mean I was grounded for going, but they don't know the whole store." He giggled a little as he spat the next words out. "I... uh... had sex for the first time." Liam didn't blush but he whispered the rest. "It wasn't with just a girl, her boyfriend too. I think it was her boyfriend." Liam shrugged didn't really matter either way. "I was the middle of the threesome." The last came out in a hushed whisper, Cali would have had to be listening closely to hear the words. And he knew she would. Secrets were part of their family and Liam had many -- so did she. So did their father, and so did their mother, or at least Liam assumed she did. Why else would she marry into the family?

[Calliope]

The way Liam scraped his chair along the floor probably announced to the whole cafe that he had a burning secret to share. A smile flickered to Cali’s lips as she leaned on the table between them, her chin propped on her fist to listen. Dad and Mum would probably kill me if they knew, buuut was such a common disclaimer on his antics that Cali could almost have parroted it along with him. She barely paused over the fact he said he was grounded, that was pretty normal, even when she’d still been living at home. And she didn’t know what a dark web party was, though it didn’t sound like the sort of place a sixteen year old ought to be.

His giggle made her smile – his effervescence always did, even when they were small. There was only four years between them, and they talked about most things completely candidly; they always had. When Cali tried drugs for the first time on campus, for instance, she’d told Liam about the experience. Not that they had been illegal ones, but both of them were curious creatures, even when Paragon gave them the insight to know better. As for sex, it was natural and not something shameful; they hadn’t ever been subjected to the strict religious upbringing of their father (that’s how he would term it – subjected) so there was no judgement even though she was momentarily surprised. Liam was always unexpected but a threesome wasn’t remotely what she had been prepared for him to blurt.

“In the…” she repeated. She made some offhand, very vague gestures with her hands while she processed what he meant by middle. Then her eyes rounded with understanding as her chin returned the cup of her palm. “Didn’t that hurt?” Her curiosity was entirely genuine. Though the proud way he said it clearly revealed he’d enjoyed the experience, so even as she spoke she realised it was a redundant question. “You were safe though, right? With both parts of that equation?”

[Liam H]

Liam grinned when she made the connection. "A little at first. But it was worth it in the end. But I have nothing to compare it to. I think every other experience is going to fall short from that. Most people don't have good first times." Cali knew it was his first time. Hell everyone probably knew he was a virgin up till that time. It's not like he met many girls who didn't want him for his daddy's mommy or his mommy's fashion. Her money too. Someone always wanted something. And Liam wasn't exactly a model student. It required actually attending class to ya know meet other kids.

Cali's next question left Liam staring agape at his sister. The words made sense. But he honestly didn't remember. He knew what it was to be safe. It was logical even something he should have thought about but he didn't remember. "Gideon gave me something." He remembered the exchange before they had gone into the party. But did he use it? Did they have more? Liam hung his head and whispered. "I hope so."

There was some minor terror running through his brain. The chaos of the night. The kissing, the touching, the feeling... It was like reliving the memory except he was looking for that one thing, that one moment that he knew would prove he'd done something stupid. What if they had an STD? What if she got pregnat? The what if's piled up.

[Nora Saint-Clair]

Even though Nora had told Claude to meet her at ten, she was, as usual, running late. The bright hum of Artskaf buzzed just beyond the glass door when she reached it, her stride quick but unhurried—like she had every reason to be delayed, and none to apologize for it. As her hand brushed the handle, someone else reached for it at the exact same moment.

The man—a wiry, thirty-something in a slightly rumpled blazer—stopped short, his eyes snagging on her like he'd forgotten what he was doing. Nora’s presence had that effect sometimes. Her hair was loose today, thick waves tumbling over her shoulders with an effortless kind of drama. A swipe of sharp eyeliner framed her dark eyes, the smoky edges softened just enough to keep her bold makeup from veering into theatrical. She wore black ankle boots and a tailored jacket over a cropped sweater, a look that said she belonged equally on the sidewalks of an artsy city block or striding confidently into an atelier.

“Oh, I insist,” he stammered, stepping back to pull the door open for her, his hand fumbling just slightly.

Nora let a faint, bemused smile curl across her lips. “You’re too kind,” she said, her voice honeyed with just the right amount of teasing. She patted his arm lightly—like they were old friends, though she’d never seen him before in her life. “What would I have done without you?” she added, her tone sliding between sincere and sardonic so smoothly it was impossible to tell which one she meant.

The poor guy laughed nervously, stepping aside as she breezed past. She barely managed to suppress an eye roll as she entered the café, though. She didn’t mind a little chivalry in theory, but the assumption that her arms might as well be painted onto her sides? That she hated.

Claude was easy to spot, seated at a small table on his own. His posture was impeccable, his expression a mixture of bemused patience and fondness that only a brother could muster. Nora raised a hand, motioning for him to stay where he was as she made her way to the counter. Ordering was quick: a cortado and a flaky almond pastry. The barista nodded appreciatively at her ensemble, though she didn’t linger long enough to acknowledge it. She had things to do. 

Snaking between the chairs, she wove her way through the café with the grace of someone who was used to being noticed—and knew exactly how to handle it.

“Claude!” she exclaimed brightly, her face lighting up as she reached him. She leaned down to kiss him on both cheeks, the gesture half tradition, half affection, and entirely Nora.

[Claude Saint-Clair]

Claude looked up and Nora approach the door. He watched with a bemused smile as she had a silent argument with the wiry man on who should enter the cafe first. Claude knew how it would go down, but it was still a fun show. Claude moved to stand as she came in, but she waved him off with hand. Claude remained seated and took the opportunity to check the time on his wallet while she ordered.

How typical, he thought. Arrives late and makes a spectacle of an entrance.

Not that Claude was angered by her tardiness. He had expected it just as Nora had known she’d find him sitting there when she arrived. There was a consistency to it that was in itself refreshing and comforting. No matter what happened in the rest of the world, Claude could always count on her to be Nora. As she moved through the chairs to wear her was seated, he couldn’t help but think of the differences between them. He the studious aristocratic gentleman and she the adventurous woman with a rebellious streak. It was still odd to him that she had become the Atharim scholar (not by choice) and he the hunter. He also knew that was a hot topic for her, and hardly mentioned it. To be fair, he thought the family had done the organization a disservice by keeping her from the hunt, but their parents had always been overprotective of her. Especially since she had trained with Grym.

Claude smiled as she arrived and kissed him on either cheek, a gesture which he had returned with affection. ”Nora,” he said, his lips turned up in a pleased smile as he gestured to the chair opposite him. ”It is wonderful to see you!

He took a sip of his tea as he waited for her to sit. It had been a long time since Nora had left in search of Grym. He had known of her quest. Nora had confided in him as he had confided in her. Claude felt relief at just seeing his sister, and all anxiety of this being a bad meeting left. It wouldn’t be. Claude had always looked up to her, and he still did - even as adults. As he saw her in her artsy outfit, contrasting with his tailored suit (although he wore no tie), this meeting just felt right. He had said it was wonderful to see her, and he had meant it with all of his heart.

”How have you been, Nora?” he asked, opening the conversation. ”Were you able to find Grym?”

[Calliope]

Cali pondered it with fascination. Not her brother’s escapade, obviously, but just about that kind of experience. It wasn’t necessarily because it was something she wanted for herself – she’d never thought about it before – but because she was inquisitive. “Well don’t tell the next person you’re with that!” She laughed a little, though the advice was quite serious, because Liam talked without thinking a lot of the time and she could quite imagine him chattering on without considering what kind of pressure it would pile on any future partner. Talk about a mountain to climb. Though maybe he’d just seek similar experiences. As long as he was happy, safe and kind she didn’t give it too much thought.

She glanced up briefly as a beautiful woman joined the table nearest them – most of the cafe did – but it was only in passing. Her nose scrunched a bit at Liam’s rumination of comparison to something more ‘ordinary’. It wasn’t like she had any sage words to offer there either, and anticipating he might turn the tables to tease her friendship with Quillon, she reached for her tea. But Liam’s eyes glazed wide then, and she ended up reaching to pat his hand instead. To remind him where he was in the moment. She was here, and though she was no longer welcome at home, it had never impacted their relationship. There wasn’t a problem he’d ever have to face alone.

“Cousin Gideon’s an arse sometimes but he does look out for you. If she had a boyfriend then she’s probably already on contraception. But if the rest is going to worry you I’ll make an appointment? I’ll come with you. Or we can ask Gideon if you’d rather go with a man. I’m sure he already knows all the gory details huh." She leaned to whisper the last conspiratorially  "– and guarantee you he’s been to a clinic a time or two himself.”

[Liam H]

Cali's hand on his helped. He focused on her and her words. "I won't." It wasn't a promise to not tell but he'd try. He'd probably forget.

"I think that would be good. You and me. Gideon doesn't need more to pick on me." He grinned at Cali. "He's always looking for more even if he's looking out. I have something else, but let's talk about you first. I know how I get."