Quiet when I'm comin' home

"I'm sure you'd get right back into it. I could talk to costuming and see if you could be added! And there is lots of help needed just taking measurements and taking in some of the clothes that are already there. The program tends to reuse costumes when they can. Like--I bet they'll repurpose a lot of Grease for this years! And maybe even some of Chicago from last year. I-I mean--not to bully you into it or anything. I'm sure you want to enjoy your time off."

"Oh, I don't mind being given a bit of a direction for my free time." Florian chuckled. "I think Lucy gets a bit sick of me over the summer. Always dragging her away from her nice paddock to put her to work. And I've never really done anything with the play, in all the time I've been here. It's probably about time."

A smile spread across Judy's face. "I can work with a little bit," she replied. "What if we get a mild dish and a mildly spicy one and share those?" she suggested. That way if the dish she considered to be mild was still too much for him there was another option. Judy glanced down at the menu and decided on one of her favorites that she was fairly sure was a comfortable spice. Something with a hint of orange for flavor.

Now that she decided on that, she set down the menu and focused her attention back on Florian. And really, how lovely it was to sit across the table of someone so handsome and charming. She should just go for it before she lost her will again. "Before we order though, I wanted to ask you something," Judy said quickly, taking a breath and letting it out again. "I've really enjoyed getting to know you with our little coffee meet ups and dates, and I wondered if maybe... you'd like to continue to do that with me at prom. I mean...as a date," Judy added, because she knew some people did go as friends and all. But she wanted to be clear with her intentions.

Her cheeks flushed and she glanced down at the menu again as if to confirm what she'd chosen before.

His attention was drawn back to Judy, however, when she spoke again. At first, he wasn't entirely sure where the conversation was leading. He watched her expression, noted the way she spoke quickly, like she was trying to force the words out in a rush, before she could think better of him, maybe. It felt sort of like she was gearing up to confess something, but what, Florian had no idea.

Prom was almost not what he had expected, but it did make perfect sense, when he thought about it further. It was almost upon them, really. Not too long, though he was so caught up with end-of-the-year work that it usually did sneak up on him. Which was exactly why he hadn't really thought about it, despite the fact that he generally did enjoy prom, and it was always nice to go with someone, wasn't it?

"I would like that." Florian said. Judy was looking down at the menu, and so he reached across the table, covering her hand with his momentarily, to grab her attention. "As a date." He agreed.

"I will make sure to pass on the compliments to our Chef, and to Miss Song." Wolf said, even though he did not really believe it was the food or the ambiance that actually had Florian here, but he got the sense that directly confronting the man would not get him very far. But he would be keeping a very, very close eye on the guest that Florian had been visiting.

"I suppose it makes little sense to pay for a room when you live so close," He finally added, gliding down the gravel drive with almost no sound. "Although I am assured that the rooms are worth it." Wolf gave the ghost of a wry smile.

Not that he thought it would change any impression Wolf had of him. Florian knew that he spent far more time at the Inn than a mundus should, especially when, as Wolf pointed out, he had a perfectly good home of his own. How much of his wages did he spend in the Hauntley's dining room, he wondered? All on the off chance that one night, he might see a familiar face, one who had spoken about a certain safe haven in Swynlake many times before.

"They certainly do seem it." Florian chuckled. After all, he had just come out of one, so he couldn't deny it. The gravel seemed to crunch under his feet much more loudly than it did under Wolf's. "But I think I'll be glad of my own bed." He added. "For the little time I spend in it." Now it was his turn to smile wryly. "What time do you finish work? Or does one shift simply bleed into the next?"

"Yes, I help with the costumes sometimes," Destiny told him. When she wasn't too busy taking care of her mother. "The summer is always my favorite time of year. There is so much to do. With the farmer's market, prom, the community play! And it must be nice to get a little break from school. Are you planning on getting involved with the theatre this year?"

Destiny figured he wasn't in the show, if he didn't even know it was happening, but there was always time to lend a helping hand, so maybe he'd do that.

"I hadn't really thought about it," Florian admitted. "I'm not sure what I could lend a hand to, to be honest. Maybe help with the sets?" Although, he wasn't exactly handy... "I was taught to sew a very long time ago, but I'm not sure I'd be any good at it now." He chuckled. "Are you helping out there as well?"

He was just about to dig into his own dinner again when Robbie hissed across the table, "Of course that's all you weirdo fairies care about. It doesn't belong here. Not around real people."

"Robert Fitzwalter that is enough!" Marian snapped.

But at the same time, she couldn't help the instinctive flash towards Florian to see if he'd heard. If he understood the point.

She should have told him the truth of course. About Chris. There was no reason not to considering the fact that both of them were far from their upbringings and here in town together. Except. Except for years she'd lived with the fear that anyone finding out about Chris's parentage would mean his death. That the Order would never allow him to exist or forgive her for hiding him. Even now, far from those rules, she couldn't entirely let the fear go.

She should have told Florian because he was family. It was precisely because he was family she hadn't been able to find the words.

As those thoughts flashed through her mind, Robbie shoved back from the table and stood up. "You always take his side! I can't say anything."

Before she could respond, he stormed away from the table to go back to his room. The sound of a door slamming echoed through the house a moment later. Chris had stopped eating and was just looking down at his plate.

He saw the way it caused Chris's shoulders to hunch, his eyes resolutely on his plate. Another thing Florian was no stranger to: arguments at the dinner table. When you had enough children, particularly boys, Florian thought, arguments over dinner were almost inevitable. They were never any less awkward, but they were almost nothing new.

Florian winced when the door slammed, the force of it seeming to reverberate through the walls. He looked at Marian, apologetic; he couldn't help but feel like he was at least partly at fault. Had he not told the story at all, there wouldn't have been an argument to begin with.

There was no sound coming from Robbie's room. Should he do something? No, surely he should let Marian deal with it. What could Florian say to Robbie anyhow? The last thing he ought to do was put his teacher voice on and try to admonish him.

After a beat, he said to Chris, "It does sound like its okay. Maybe one day I can take you out there to see it." He glanced at Marian, adding hastily, "From a safe distance."

Exam season. Ah. Judy winced at the mention of it. "It sounds miserable. Do you think those types of blinds would help keep them focused?" It was possible of course. Less to be distracted by looking. But the darkness from those sorts of blinds could also potentially make them drowsy and unfocused in that way, she supposed.

Judy admittedly hadn't really had to work with children all that much. She didn't know what worked best. "I think having those myself would just make me tired probably." She finally remembered there was a menu and glanced at it. Should she ask him his preferences? Should she ask him about prom before they ordered? She tapped her fingers nervously on her leg. "What dishes do you like better? Personally I like some with a little bit of spice to them."

Florian looked down at the menu as Judy did, also only just seeming to remember it was there. "I don't mind a little bit of spice." He agreed. Ruefully, he added, "Though I think a little bit is about my tolerance level. I don't mind trying something new, though, if you have a favourite."

She probably could've found the handle by herself, but she appreciated not having to walk her fingers around the very hot cup.

And she appreciated the slightly rough, warm touch of Florian's hand.

"U-uhm, t-thank you," she stuttered.

"Did you see about the play?" she blurted as she lifted her tea mug to her lips. Otherwise the silence would stretch horribly. "My friend Joy got the lead! Oh, wait, maybe you know her? She teaches with you..."

"I know her, yes. I didn't realise she'd gotten the lead - she's braver than I am, evidently." Florian chuckled. "Are you getting involved with it at all? I hadn't even realised it had come around again, in all honesty."

Scenic honestly meant a couple things. Mostly, it just meant she was going to go fast and through some backroads to shortcut them back towards Florian's apartment. Those backroads might be a little bumpier winding, he'd be holding her tighter than before.

The hum of the bike between her thighs and the way he felt pressed into her back was really the power trip she was craving. She accelerated once they were clear of the more populated areas, bending around a turn easily as the bike tilted before righting itself again.

She couldn't get a look at Florian, but she hoped the adrenaline was building back up as quickly as hers was.

It continued for what seemed like way too long before the town was in their sites and she slowed the Rebel down to something more Swynlake appropriate, navigating through the intersections and over towards where she picked Florian up.

Getting off the bike made him feel a little bit clumsy, almost; maybe the ride back really had been longer than he thought. He took off the helmet first, holding it under one arm as he got to his feet and waited for Audrey to join him.

Benbow maybe wasn't the nicest apartment block, but it wasn't terrible, either. Florian had never really had any qualms about bringing anyone back to it before, and Audrey really didn't seem like the type to care. "Right this way," He said to her, leading her inside and up the stairs to the second floor. He fished his keys from his pocket, unlocking the front door and holding it open for her. "After you."

Were they there because they were morbidly curious about the gothic? The ghost hunters and influencers who just wanted to snap some photos. Were they there to chase the high of a vampire bite, or because they were one of the people who got off on it all?

Or were they there to try and strike out?

He had seen them all, and he had to know which. Florian didn't seem to fit, and it grated on Wolfgang's nerves with every single occasion. Did this smartly dressed young man just somehow happen to know lots of vampires and seek them out? With no seeming motive? It made no sense, and nothing seemed to unpick the mystery to him.

"Oh yes. We have some who only come once; people who just want the novelty value. Mundus usually," Wolf said gruffly. "But we have many customers who come back at least once every year."

He was, however, filled with the sudden urge to reassure Wolf that he was not one of those people. Although, would he even believe him? Florian knew how it looked — the time he spent at the Inn. The way he just kept coming back. He thought that Snow thought nothing of it, but Mr. Amadeus with his suspicious streak….

Florian smiled, disarming and charming as always. “Well, you know how often I’m here — I understand why they come back. Never spent the night, though. Well,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Never officially. If I leave any later it might as well be staying the night.”

So many people saw who he was on the surface and assumed that was everything. It was a fair assumption - one he encouraged most of the time for a myriad of complicated reasons. But at the same time, there were moments where it could get exhausting to only ever be one thing. He needed those little bits of a break.

"You mean the classrooms don't redecorate themselves just because you ask? There goes one of those urban myths from growing up," he joked.

"Still, sounds like a good plan to cover the next couple months. My schedule means that I can technically take time off any time of year if I need it. In practice, I haven't had much reason to take the time and its easier to be consistent so the rest of my tea can take their vacations when they need it. But we'll see if that changes."

"You know, you'd think in Swynlae the classrooms would magically redecorate themselves." Florian said with a smile. "Maybe that's something to look into."

He looked over at Maximus again, though this time a small crease formed between his brows. "Don't tell me you don't take any time off?" Florian asked. The horses plodded along, Lucy's steady gate making him sway a little. "Maybe I'm spoiled by my two weeks off every other month, but everyone needs a little time to relax."

"I'm doing well," Judy added. "Really glad I get to see you again." Judy had really enjoyed the dates they'd had here and there, and meeting him for coffee. It was coming to the point that she was eagerly awaiting the next time they would bump into each other or meet up purposely like this.

"I reserved us a nice secluded table where we could talk comfortably," Judy informed him, opening the door to the restaurant now that they were both there. It didn't take long for someone to lead them back to the table she'd requested. Judy sat down on one side. "Have things been pretty busy at work lately? For me it's been surprisingly quiet," Judy said, knocking on the wooden table quickly in the hopes that would prevent the misfortune of that suddenly changing.

"I hope you haven't just jinxed yourself." He chuckled. "I've been busy, though, yeah. Exam season," Florian blew out a breath. "I don't know if you've ever tried to get a room of ten year olds to sit down for a mock exam, but it goes about as well you would expect. I'm thinking about boarding up the windows. Or at the very least ordering blackout blinds." He added with a laugh.

Nothing here really changed.

"Yes! Definitely, the beginning of spring is always so lovely."

~*~*~ MAGICAL WIND CHIME NOISES OF TIME CHANGING ~*~*~

Destiny perked up upon hearing her name when she entered Hatter's for her usual date (though, she meant that in the most colloquial way!) with Florian. They tried to grab coffee at least once a week, but sometimes it didn't happen quite that much. Mostly because of Destiny, having to cancel and rearrange her schedule due to her mother's illness.

"Hello!" she said, making her way over to where she'd heard Florian calling her. "Sorry. The rain can make things...a little more difficult," Destiny said as she set her umbrella by the wall and felt for the chair to take a seat. She smelt lavender and smiled, her hands slowly slipping over the table. "Did you order my latte for me? It was my turn to pay!"

[outfit, ik this says winter but listen it's cute]

He had chosen a table away from the door and the window, worried about any potential draft the rainy weather might bring with it. Still, he’d tried to get a table that would be easy enough for Destiny to navigate to, which meant he was close enough to the door to call for her when she arrived.

“It was definitely my turn.” He chuckled. “Here,” he moved the mug carefully to her hands, guiding her fingers to the handle.

(outfit)

But, she didn't like to criticize her mother. So, she let the comment lapse. Which was probably for the best because she felt Florian's hand on her elbow. She turned her head towards him but then shuffle forwards.

"A lavender chai, I think," she said, reaching in to take out her wallet as she considered. "But I do always get that, so maybe I should change it up. What about you?"

Florian was something of a creature of habit. He always wondered if that was because of the Order and the way he'd been trained, how he'd been brought up with a routine that they stuck to come hell or high water. He could be adventurous, when he wanted to be. But maybe not today.

He let Destiny pay, intent on making sure he got the next one. "Shall we sit outside?" Florian asked as they waited for their drinks. "Seems like it's shaping up to be a nice day. Might as well enjoy it, don't you think?"

Luckily for her, it was also her turn to plan a little date. So she could spend some time with him and then when the moment was right... she would just ask. Judy was sure if she didn't do it plainly and overcomplicated it she would only stress herself out more.

So instead of the vastly insane thought she had first: something elaborate with a long horse ride in the forest only to find a clearing where she would put up a banner... too much. Far too much. And Judy didn't have enough confidence on horseback for that. Instead, Judy asked Florian to meet her at Imperial City for dinner. She figured they could have a nice meal together and then maybe take a walk and look at the stars. Or something romantic like that.

Judy had requested a table that was a bit more secluded, though she figured she would wait outside of the restaurant, until she finally caught sight of him. "Hi Florian! I'm glad you made it. How are you?"

@onceprince--florian

But he was still making time for the odd date here and there, especially with Judy, whom he liked spending time with, and getting to know more. Florian had maybe a been... well, if he was honest, he had been a little bit of a flake throughout his first few years in Swynlake. Still waiting for Magdalena, still hoping he might find her again. But even now he was seeing familiar faces at the Inn, it felt like he had managed to put that behind him.

Florian was, finally, able to focus on something else. To go on more than two dates before the entire thing unravelled. Hence why he was here, now, walking up to Imperial City and smiling at Judy as she greeted him. "I'm good." He nodded. "How are you? You look lovely."

@officer-judy-moon

He'd burned much to the ground in his decisions. His mother no longer spoke to him, his father in prison, and their estate seized. Luckily, there had been money not based in the Order and provided in trusts to his sisters. But who knew what they'd done with that. He didn't ask considering he was the reason the funds dried up.

Every few weeks he'd get some kind of peppy call from Elizabeth detailing whatever grand adventure she found herself in in the States which would undoubtedly make him incredibly uneasy. Or he'd receive a call from Georgiana which basically amounted to her making sure he was still alive and waving some sort of corporate accomplishment in his face.

"Right, yes, Interpride. I figured I couldn't go wrong schooling so close to a corporate office with job opportunities for solicitors. They usually open up internships in the summer months as well so that might be what's next." John gave a small smile, genuinely, "Yeah, I think I'll be sticking around for a while."

Then again, he could not ever have dreamed up the events that had happened to lead them to here. He had often wondered if one of his brothers, Fabian, most likely, would stage some sort of coup. He had always wanted more than had been allotted to him. But even that had felt almost silly, not anything that could ever really happen.

The exile, the fall of the Order; maybe sometimes Florian did wish it had happened differently. Not that it didn't happen at all, but that it might've happened in a way that his father and his brothers didn't end up in prison, and his mother and sister weren't left alone to rattle around in the big, old house. That he might go home, once in a while.

But he was still enjoying being here, in this spot, talking to John. Things had shaken out rather strangely, yes, but Florian was glad of where he was now. He supposed he had John and the other two to thank for that. "Well, no doubt we'll be seeing a bit more of each other, then. In a small town like this I find it's nearly impossible not to bump into people." Florian chuckled. "Let me know if I can help with Phil and his business ventures at all." He added. "It was good to see you again, John."