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 Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:08 pm
Menelie Masozi's conversation with Eniko had certainly given him a lot to think about. For the next few days he seemed lost in thought, and even he was focused he was in a very contemplative mood. He was planning something. A way to have a frank conversation with Coracias that was away from snooping eyes and ears, and as free as possible from their work and the power dynamics it implied.
One weekend day, early in the morning, Masozi slipped an invitation under Coracias' door, then quickly flew away. The invitation read:
Dear Coracias,
I'd like to invite you to my home tonight for a private dinner and conversation. I hope to see you just before sunset.
Warmly,
Masozi
That evening, Masozi was beginning preparations. He cleaned and polished the wooden table, then put a white linen cloth over it. Carefully he set the table with plates and utensils, a vase of flowers, and a short, thick candle sitting on a glass dish. He glanced outside. She should be here any moment. He checked on dinner, which was finishing up on the stove. He had made grilled smoked pork with stewed cabbage which was flavored with saffron, mushroom pasties, and for dessert an apple pie. There was red and white wine to drink, along with a pitcher of clear water, which we was just now putting on the table. Daisicle It was Cora's day off, and she was enjoying it as she did many of her days off - by sleeping in far beyond what would normally be considered a respectable time. The sun was already half-risen, the birds no longer chirping their morning songs when she willed herself out of bed. Her limbs felt vaguely sore - but not in an unpleasant sense - from the first physical use of them in over a month. She yawned and stretched as she walked around to brew a cup of tea when something ... unexpected ... caught her attention. A piece of parchment on her floor. She picked it up and looked it over as she walked to her kitchen area before tossing it on the counter.
Bossman needed her for something on their day off? And at his place, not the bar? Huh... She had a bit of an inkling, but she yawned and brushed the idea off - she didn't see him as the aggressive type, so it was probably just a way for him to catch her up on what she missed while she was gone.
She popped by the bar for lunch cause she was feeling far too lazy to cook, and courtesy of Eniko, ended up making out with quite the surprise in the form of a half-filled bottle of brandy. L-u-c-k-y. Curiously, she ended up passing by the rest of his bunch - Kasmai, Cari, and Cosme - as she headed to their home after and exchanged hellos. It wasn't too long after that he'd hear a knock on the door. Menelie Masozi opened the door and smiled warmly. "Coracias! I'm glad you're here. Please, come in!" He opened the door wider to admit her. If she were astute she might notice that he was wearing a subtle fragrance, only really noticeable when she passed near him. He'd worn it mainly to boost his confidence.
"Dinner is just about ready. Can I get you a glass of wine in the meantime?" Daisicle Cora smiled as she was let in and looked around. Well, didn't it smell lovely in here - what was that? There had to be something there that she didnt quite recognize. The interior was... well it was about what she expected from him, nice and clean and tidy. At his question, she grinned and presented her newfound pride. "Thanks, but I have something even better... look!" Man did that brandy look good - and she was gonna drink it all tonight, courtesy of Eniko. Menelie Masozi looked over his shoulder, then turned his body to look fully. That decanter could only have come from one place. He wasn't sure whether to thank Eniko or curse her. Suppose it depended on how tonight went. "Oh wow," he said with a smile that was just a touch more forced than he would have liked, "Let me get some small glasses for that...I know I have some somewhere. Make yourself comfortable!" He headed to the kitchen for some smaller glasses for the liquor. While he did, he took the roast off the heat and set it on the counter to rest for a few minutes. "Aha," he said softly once he found the glasses. Perhaps the application of more alcohol would help him calm his nerves. He'd planned and rehearsed everything, but now that she was actually here, in his home...he had the shakes. He returned to where Coracias was with the glasses. "Found them," he said cheerfully, holding them up. Daisicle "You don't need to get one too small," she called out as she continued to look around and then settled in on a couch in the main room. She held out the decanter to him with a grin as he returned, then seemed to try and peer in the kitchen. "So what did you end up cooking bossman? It actually smells pretty good."
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:09 pm
Menelie Masozi took the decanter and the glasses to the table, and poured them both a small amount. "Ah, it's the weekend. I'm just Masozi today," he corrected gently. "And for dinner we have grilled smoked pork and stewed cabbage with saffron. For dessert, apple pie. Which this spirit will go marvelously with," he added, bringing Coracias her glass. The glasses were made by Kasmai, and they were clear glass with little flecks of minerals which made them sparkle in the light. Daisicle Cora raised a brow just slightly at his comment, but internally shrugged and brushed it off as she reached for the drink. "If you say so - sounds like you went all out by the way, Masozi." She brought the spirit to her nose to smell, then looked down to watch as she swirled it around lightly in the glass before lifting it up to the light. "Did Kasmai make these? They're lovely." Menelie Masozi nodded. "Mhm. When he was experimenting with adding minerals to glass to color it or add other effects, he made a bunch of small drinking glasses so as not to waste material. I liked how these ones came out so he gave them to me." He swirled his own drink and took a sip. "Wow," he squeaked, then cleared his throat. "Eniko really gave you the good stuff." He set his glass down on the table and held up a finger. "The mushroom pasties are done, I'll just go get everything now. If you'd move to the table~" Daisicle Cora nodded along at the explanation, making a mental note to ask Kasmai later if she could order a few for herself. She then took a sip at the same time as Masozi and sighed contently. "Yeah she did." One day she'd have to figure out how the girl did it, but for now, she was just happy to drink the stuff when she could.
At his suggestion, Cora gave a thumbs up and relocated herself. "Would you like any help with that?" It'd sounded like quite a bit from what he'd said. Menelie "I'm good, but thank you!" He called from the kitchen. He plated up some of the pork and cabbage for each of them, along with a pasty just out of the oven. He brought the plates out and set them in front of Coracias and his spots. He sat down and smiled. "I hope you enjoy," he said. Daisicle She quietly sat and sipped on her brandy, then stood up to bring the decanter to the table, then sat back down as she waited. She was pouring herself a second drink when he arrived with the food. "Oh wow, this looks lovely." She reached for some cutlery and began to cut into the pastry, glancing up for a moment before speaking.
"So, if I may ask, what's the occasion? It's not often your supervisor invites you over for a nice meal on your day off."
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:10 pm
Menelie Masozi bristled at the use of his title, again. He was starting to worry that he knew where this was heading, but there was no turning back now.
"Um, well, I didn't invite you as your supervisor," he began. "You have my apologies if that wasn't clear. I was, um, hoping to clear some things up, I guess." This was harder than he thought. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I've been, uh, a pretty solitary man since my wife passed." Guardians, it was hard to think about her, even after all this time. "I didn't think I could ever love anyone again. But, uh...I was wrong." Daisicle Cora glanced up with her eyes as she began eating, thankful that the food tasted as good as it looked. For the most part, she held a pleasantly-neutral expression as he spoke. It was her way of giving what seemed to be an unexpectedly-serious conversation an iota of respect, but it may have come across as almost uncharacteristic of her.
She reached to take another sip of her brandy as he paused in the conversation. "The food really is quite good." She coolly began to try and change the course that she presumed the conversation was taking, "So the rumors about your late wife were true - what was she like, if that isn't too hard for you to talk about." Menelie Masozi, thankful to delay the inevitable for a little longer, took another sip of the brandy and nodded. "Um...it's been a long time," he said. His voice was hoarse, either from emotion or the spirit. Or both. "Some days I barely remember her, other days it's like I can still see her. She was beautiful...a lot more fun than me..." He chuckled. "And full of surprises." He'd forgotten there for a minute how spontaneous Miniel had been. Daisicle Cora nodded along and continued to eat and drink as he spoke, even pouring themselves some more spirit - first him, then herself. She sipped on it slowly. "You must have truly cared for her." Another sip. "How did she pass, if you don't mind." Menelie "I don't...really know how to explain it." He sipped gratefully at his drink. "It was like she almost...faded away. In a literal sense. I don't know if the Guardians took her, or what. She was with me one day, then she was like a ghost, then she was gone. The weird part is that she didn't seem to notice. She acted totally normally. " He rubbed his jaw and took another sip, then fell silent and cut into the meat. Daisicle Cora continued to eat as he spoke and let the silence hang for a bit. Not uncomfortably, but rather, she wasn't quite sure what to follow that up with. It seemed she'd been successful at moving along the conversation at least. "How strange..." was what she eventually settled on, followed with, "I'm sorry for your loss."
That meant his father, sisters and brother, wife... he'd lost so much more than most already. It explained quite a bit about his demeanor. It wasn't really a shock, but it was a bit different to hear from the source itself.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:11 pm
Menelie After a moment to eat and be fortified, Masozi took another deep breath and brightened his demeanor. "I appreciate you listening." A genuinely warm smile crossed his face. "It's been a long time, and it's time I open myself up to happiness again." He cleared his throat and blushed. "That's...that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Daisicle Cora nodded and offered a small smile as she set down her tableware - now finished with her meal - and smoothly finished what was left of her brandy. The alcohol felt like it warmed her from her stomach to her limbs in the most pleasant of ways. She then reached to refill it, noting that the decanter was falling dangerously-close to empty at this point. "It's wonderful to continue to move beyond your grief - it requires a lot of strength. I'm sure your family will be happy to hear that you're moving forward, if you haven't yet told them."
She glanced down at her brandy a bit, musing about what type of pae'il he'll become once he lets go of his grief. Surely it'll be someone far more interesting that he even is now. Menelie A brief, puzzled expression crossed his face. She was either hiding her thoughts exceptionally well, or she was genuinely not picking up what he was putting down. "Thank you..." He agreed cautiously. He thought for a moment about how to move forward with this conversation.
"In that spirit, I've got to put all my cards on the table." He cleared his throat and straightened a little, pushing his now-empty plate away from the edge slightly. "You're an observant woman, and I've been informed recently that I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve, so I'm sure you've noticed...a few things." Good Guardians this had been much easier when he'd rehearsed it. He blushed and pushed on. "I enjoy being around you. Quite a lot, in fact. I missed you when you were on that trade trip. Not as a colleague, but as a person." His heart was pounding now. No turning back. "And these last days I've had to admit something to myself that I'm going to admit to you now."
"I've fallen in love with you." Daisicle Cora became acutely aware that she wasn't going to be able to get out of this conversation at this point, and remained silent out of respect for the determination he must have built up. The dinner, the background... clearly it was all for this moment. It would have been entertaining to poke fun at him so many times as he talked around the point - each time he blushed, or complimented her, or admitted the little things. And after this conversation, he'd surely continue to grow into someone ever more interesting. It was going to be fun to watch and to be a part of.
She glanced away and down as he finally confessed, then looked back and offered a warm, yet somewhat conflicted, smile. Perhaps the first genuine one of the conversation. He surely knew what was coming next.
"Thank you ... but I'm sorry. I can't reciprocate your feelings." Menelie Masozi nodded slowly. He couldn't say he didn't expect this, but he had allowed himself to hope. His facial expression was tight, as if he were straining to keep his features neutral. In reality he was crushed. The first time he'd dared to open his heart up again. He'd known it was a possibility, and despite the pain, it was worth it to know for sure. "I understand," he said finally, his throat tight. Masozi reached for his water glass and took a drink. "I appreciate your being honest with me." Daisicle Cora nodded, that conflicted smile still on her face as she looked down at her hands. When she looked back up, it'd returned to the neutral one from earlier. "It's truly a shame you're my boss... but alas, you are. You might be comfortable with such a relationship, but I simply can't cross that line." Her words were soft, but firm.
At that, she shot the rest of her brandy in one go and set the glass on the table with a sigh. "That said, I'd be happy to be your drinking buddy for tonight if you don't make it weird."
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:12 pm
Menelie Masozi nodded again. He'd suspected as much. "I agree it wouldn't have been appropriate." He smiled a somewhat pained smile as he stood up. "Can't blame a man for trying, though," he said with an open gesture, almost a shrug but not quite, and laughed nervously. "Pie should be ready," he said as he made his way to the kitchen. "We can have a slice while we finish the spirits." He tried to lift his tone to be more airy and cheerful. Don't make it weird.
Masozi took his time to slice and plate the pie. Should he fight for her? Or hold with the boundary she'd set? Perhaps she'd think more highly of him if he pressed on, tried to find a way to remove the professional unevenness between them. He thought of his conversation with Eniko. Perhaps he should be more bold. But ultimately...she'd set a completely reasonable boundary and he wouldn't respect himself if he crossed it.
And so. He envisioned himself packing his heart away again. Simply colleagues. You did this for years, you can do it again.
He sprinkled some golden sugar on top of each slice and brought out the small plates, along with a clean fork for each of them.
He was practically a different man when he emerged from the kitchen, all smiles. "Couldn't for the life of me find cream to whip for the top," he said as he set the plates down. "So I put a little golden sugar on top. Fancy it up a bit." Daisicle Cora smiled warmly as he stood up and left, but it faded once Masozi was out of sight. She softly traced to top of the glass with a finger and sighed through her nose. Well... at least she wouldn't have to worry about this particular problem now. They would finish their little dinner, she'd keep nursing this buzz she had going, and then they would move on like this little conversation had never happened. She'd keep teasing him when she could, continue fostering positive, arms-length relationships with the locals... it'd be good. Give him some time, he'd get over her and could find someone else to replace her - that would be for the best.
Even if it was a bit sad to think about.
She stretched her arms over her head and yawned a bit before giving herself two small pats on the cheek to get her smile right again, just in time for him to enter. "Oh, now don't those look good." Menelie Masozi sat down with his pie. "Don't they? Thank you. Been a while since I baked anything. Apples from the village orchard, of course." He took a bite and smiled genuinely. Yeah, this had come out perfectly. He reached for his glass, the last of the spirit. He'd already had two, which meant that anything he had from this point would affect him. He twisted the glass in his fingers, admiring again how the glass caught the light. To hell with it. Impossible to feel any worse than he did now. He took a large sip, finally getting used to how it felt when air hit his mouth afterward. "I was right, goes beautifully with the pie." Daisicle Cora picked up a fork and took a bite, then pointed at him with the utensil with a smirk. "Man Chief, you're gonna make a helluva wife someday with this sort of cooking." It was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek and start resetting their interactions back to what they previously were.
She then noted that they were out of the brandy, but she'd just dedicated herself to getting incredibly drunk with him. "So... where's that whine you mentioned earlier? We might as well finish at least a bottle of that too." Menelie Masozi chuckled with a modest smile. "That's the goal, isn't it?" He responded. Damn, this pie was good wasn't it?
"Ah, wine, yes. I've got a couple things open..." He went to the kitchen again and came back with both a white and a dessert red. "And, yknow, there's always other unopened bottles if neither of these suit your fancy." Daisicle Cora raised her glass in cheers as he brought out more of the good stuff - looked like the night was young.
Relatively early the next morning, she woke up in an... interesting... position on the couch, her hair all sorts of a mess and her vision blurry still. That had been a night, especially when the rest of his family came home similarly inebriated. She yawned and looked around - both Masozi and Cari had made it to their rooms, while Kasmai slept against the door to his (it'd been too much of a pain to open) and Cosme on the kitchen floor, a half-eaten slice of pie on a plate in his lap (he'd dozed off mid-snack).
After rubbing her eyes and stretching, she helped herself to the stove to make herself a cup of coffee and then, after leaving a note to return the cup at a later time, excused herself to return home.
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