Welcome to Gaia! ::

You're all very thoughtful, but really, I'm fine. However, if you feel you absolutely must assist me, I could perhaps use someone to cut up vegetables for me. I hope some stew is something you'd all enjoy.

John grinned down at the two women, almost clapping his hands with glee. "What a coincidence - I was hoping to make a stew!"

Stew was best for a soldier - a good collection of vegetables and meat, covering all the things a strong warrior needed, as well as hot broth to warm their bellies and bodies. Stew could be kept for a long time as well - the longer the juices soaked into the meat and vegetables, the better it tasted and was good for the consumer. Typically, John would actually wait a day until serving stew, just because of that - allowing it to actually 'stew' gave it more flavor...

But they had hungry stomachs now, and apparently, young Tilly didn't know how to cook! John nodded to Vargus, accepting her permission to assist, before turning to Tilly, smiling down to her, noting the woman's lack of confidence. "Miss Tilly, cooking isn't all that hard, you just have to be methodical and follow the recipe. A stew is quite simple, I'll show you how to peel and dice vegetables, and Miss Vargus can show you the rest..."

He took a small knife from a knife block in the corner of the kitchen and took any vegetable Vargus would throw at him, piling them up next to the chopping board. The giant would then usher Tilly to stand before the board, with knife in hand, and lean over her to show her how to peel or dice the vegetable. He was big enough - and she was small enough - that it was almost like a father teaching a daughter.

Everything else seemed to fade as he showed her how to grip the potato in one hand and turn it slowly on the edge of the knife, allowing a little spiral of potato peel to come from the tip to the bottom, working its way down the potato before finally coming to an end. He grabbed the peel and held it up, bouncing it like a spring with a grin before tossing it to the wayside and allowing her to attempt it, whispering advice and encouragement to her as he did, peeling the other potatoes as she would work on her first.

Then carrots - he showed her how to slide the blade just under the skin so only a wafer-thin peel curled up from the bottom to the tip, allowing the curl to fall to the side before turning the carrot and doing it again, working methodically...

((I love cooking. Beef stew is my personal favorite. Lovely rich broth....mmm. I want some now gonk

Oh. Oh no, this was bad. John was getting up and offering to cook, and Maximos did not like it. He imagined his stomach was about to dislike it even worse. It was true John was a soldier, and as such perhaps he had to prepare food, but food at wartime was not know to be delicious so much as nutritious. The Shadow frowned a wide and obvious frown and looked at Raven, as if she could perhaps save him. Food was infact, linked to morale...but Tomorrow was a viking. Vikings were not exactly known for having wonderfully high morale, so much as they were known for being in a terribly violent disposition and...

Vargus was standing, insisting really. And this time, Maximos did not dare argue. He looked, he just hoped, he might have even prayed if he did not believe Nocturne would consider this a terrible joke and make him suffer through it anyhow. Though speaking of such, while Ryugi's statement was not a joke, the irony of it did make Maximos laugh. He replied to the dragon by chuckling and saying. "So in the end, the hero actually got the...princess?"

He made a dismissing sort of wave in front of himself accompanied with another small sip of his wine and said. "Well, honestly Ryugi..."

Max was about to make a comment about it all being very boring and dismiss the subject as easily as he always dismissed mentioning Aria. But with Damion joining in, he was now the relative center of the attention and there was no polite way to go about it. The room had turned on him! He shook his head and softly laughed under his breath and the finished the sentence an entirely different way than he began it.

"...it really depends on if your first born, or second born." The words may have been stated as directed at Ryugi, but his glance shifted from the dragon to Damion and then down to his hands as he continued.

"First born's are tasked with carrying on the family traditions and honors. They are believed to be closer to the Shadowfather as they came from him first. They're given formal markings, seals, and blessings and are pampered a bit more until they're old enough to join the Academ. Relatives and a member of the clergy are set to watch over you, monitor your actions to properly assist in giving you your second and third names when you reach quarters." Max moved a hand to his wrist and slid his sleeve up just enough to show a hint of the sort of markings he might have meant. But then he let his sleeve drop and almost unceremoniously added. "If your second born, in my age anyhow, your meant to be a soldier. You'll be carrying a sword as soon as your able too and in combat every day since until your old enough to officially go to war. They dont waste much time on blessings or names. If you stand out, you may be sent to the Academ. Tragically, most arent expected to live until their quarters ceremony. You can probably guess which I was."

The Shadow smiled, despite the dark nature of what he was saying. He laughed again and took another bubbling sip of his wine. "Look at that, you both have me rambling about nothing. Damion, I think its your turn."

People talked and arrived. Alexa even allowed herself to laugh at the antics displayed between Maximos and Tomorrow. Tilly she recognized from her first encounter with Ryugi in the plains. Damion she had never actually met.

When Maximos mentioned Ryudo's mental intrusion, she allowed herself to shoot him a dangerous look from the corner of her eye. While she didn't entirely distrust the Shadow Dragon, she certainly didn't like him, a major factor being his awesome telepathic powers. She didn't like the feeling of helplessness that came with knowing that your psyche was a simple plaything for someone who could read everyone like an open book. She relished her mental privacy, which is something he scarcely granted.

Then came the big moment. When Vargas emerged from the room with her daughter in tow, the expression behind her eyes noticeably lit up. Externally, Alexa was as stoic as ever. Internally, was fawning over the adorable newborn dragonesss. While she wasn't proficient with raising or dealing with children herself, Alexa was still rather fond of them.

Her, she amusingly watched Maximos give the child another name. In the end, he came up with a fitting and beautiful name for the small dragon child, despite his initial doubts.

When the discussion came to gifts, Alexa flushed for a brief moment. As she received a last minute invitation, the thought of providing a gift never even crossed her mind. Culturally, this could be seen as an insult to the dragon family.

Fortunately, the frost paladin was quick to recover. Reaching into the pouch she kept at her side, she pulled out a small, ovular disk wrapped in blue cloth. When unraveled, the perfectly smooth silver mirror would be cold to the touch, though not quite cool enough to cause numbness or discomfort. Upon closer inspection, it would be possible to tell that the mirror was not created out of glass or any material one would expect, rather being comprised entirely of enchanted ice.

"The Glacial Mirror is something I created while I was learning to perfect the powers granted to me by my lady Solais. Unless subjected to extreme heat," she said with added emphasis directed at the Fire Elementalist(s), "this mirror will never melt. Unlike typical glass, it is far more difficult to break or fracture... though I still don't recommend throwing it across the room."

It was a fairly low-rank magical item, but it was charming in its own sort of way. The knight only hoped that Ryumi would enjoy it when she was older.

Following this, Ryugi proposed to share Damion's gift of Faye Wine with his friends and comrades. Now the paladin had nothing against alcoholic beverages, but there were certain substances that were simply too much. While she was generally more accepting of magic in Gaia nowadays, she wasn't about to drink or eat anything that portrayed a realistic image of anything laughing or frolicking around in it. Besides, it looked like something that a mentally unstable Sorcerous Knight or HoH Captain would drink. She certainly didn't feel that she fit into either category.

With all due respect, I think I'll pass on the Faye Wine.

At least, that's what she wanted to say. As it clearly wasn't poisoned or immediately bad for her health, protocol dictated that she would eat or drink anything generously offered to her at the table setting. In her culture, to refuse or even attest would be an unforgivable insult to the host. Raising her glass as it was presented to her, she joined in the toast with no further thought on the matter.

"To friends, family, and the start of a new adventure."

Following this, she drank deeply of the strange liquid, playing her part with perfect demeanor. One thing was for absolute certain: Damion had completely understated the strength of the Faye Wine.

Alexa wasn't considered a lush (especially considering her position), but she had a socially acceptable drink from time to time. She knew how to find her way around any bar or tavern. However, the woman had never tasted a grade of alcohol nearly as potent as the enchanted Faye Wine. Even so, the wine was far too rich for even her tastes. Perhaps winging it and drinking half of the glass was a good idea.

Still, the paladin managed to keep her nearly flawless composure, though her cheeks flushed to betray her thoughts. It would be difficult for even her to hide her surprise at the drink.

Ryugi might recall his former ally-gone-rogue Moonblade, a man who had expended a considerable portion of his family's wealth to amass the single largest private collection of Faye wine for human consumption (which admittedly, given its rarity, wasn't a whole lot). Whether his mental stability was the cause of the highly excessive mass consumption of the enchanted liquor or vice versa was unknown, but it was certainly a thought worth exploring to someone who actually cared more.
Following a more ginger and delicate sip of the Faye Wine, Alexa responded to Maximos with a shrug.

"Verily, you can't possibly be much worse than I am."

Saying that Alexa couldn't cook was an understatement. Anything that might have been edible before she entered the kitchen would surely be in an incurable state when she was done.

Following this, people talked about their birthing customs and regional cultures, of which Alexa took a genuine interest. Simply looking at Maximos, she wouldn't have guessed him to be from such an unforgiving background. However, that might have only been because she didn't truly know the man at all, having never experienced or heard an account of The Destroyer first hand.

((sorry, I've been lacking in free time. =( ))

"Yes." Was Maximos answer, after a small pause. He saw what Damion was doing there, but after his own attempt at a similar tactic it seemed hypocritical to call him out. Still, there was a certain level of solemness to Maximos tone, as would be expected in the description of any sort of war.

"We were at war with the Children of the Lightwatcher, the Luminai. They constantly invaded our lands perceiving us as a blight to creation simply because we were of an opposite elemental standing." As he spoke, Maximos' eyes drifted over to the mirror the Lady Alexa had presented, and then mischievously over at Hono. It may take dragons breath to melt steel, but it took a match to reduce a home to cinders. And yet still, he wondered what an artifact of such holy origins would produce as a reflection. He smiled, softly, and then turned back to Damion and shook his head.

"Sadly, my friend, I do not know. I am second born, so I was sent briskly off to training and war. My brother attended, but he seemed as xenophobic as the rest of my people by the time the war came to a close so...I would assume it was a school for us Children of the Shadowfather who..." And yet he did not finish his sentence, it seemed Maximos took a more detailed note of the small white spiders pouring off of Damion. Once his eyes set on them, he seemed unable to break contact with them. A mixture of dislike and curiosity on his face. Finally, be broke topic entirely and said. "Damion...what are those?"

Ryugi listened intently after placing the mirror along with the other gifts. Every woman needed a mirror. T'was the way of things. However, Maximos had mentioned he had a brother. Had he ever mentioned that before? Ryugi couldn't recall. He silently wondered why Max hadn't talked about him more. Perhaps he and his brother did not get along well, much like Ryugi and Ryudo over the years. Regardless, the notion of Max having more family was something he'd have to question the man about at a later time. For now, his attention, too, was drawn to the little bugs escaping like rats from a sinking ship from his friend. Far be it from Ryugi to be rude, but he had a certain dislike for spiders, and by certain dislike...

SPIDERS!? Ryugi bolted off the couch clutching baby Ryumi to his chest in the process, frantically looking at himself to make sure he'd escaped their twitchy little legs, and checked Ryumi to see if she'd been spared the same fate. Damion! Why are you covered in spiders!?

It was suprising how one little word could cause such an explosive reaction from a majority of the room, the spark which caused the flames of fear to jump to life. The only indication it was even to begin had been the slight quirk in tone, the change in the Shadow's tone, and then the words. A bird took theoretical flight, A dragon screamed in fear and attempted to reach the heavens, and a viking ran fourth to do battle with supposedly furry beasts, all while the creatures in question scurried for the supposed safety of their chosen home. Panic and fear screamed out through their rudimentary hive mind and leaked out onto their hosts face, a twist of the lips and a flash of teeth from the elemental to scare off the 'predators' who surrounded him.

" Could everyone calm down please?"

Even if his face hadn't revealed just how uncomfortable Damion was at the sudden scrutiny he was under, his tone carried just enough edge to dispel any doubts. He cupped the tiny white spiders protectively against his chest to further shield them from whatever harm the others intended to bring down upon them.

" They're my friends. I feed them and they let me see from new perspectives."

This was only half the case but the full explanation was far more scientific and dull, requiring more of his focus than Damion was willing to give at the moment. Quarter sized spiders peeked out from within the tangled confines of his hair, crawling down his neck and from silk strings to his shoulders and arms like grotesque familiars.