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Work had been nothing but stressful. Client after client grumpy about one thing or another, a coworker mixing up paperwork, his pen broke and ruined a nice shirt... Ergon was more than ready to get home, grab a bite from the kitchen, and hide out in his room. At least there, he could work on his plans for Iryana in peace. Just a little more saved up, and he could make things official.

The happy thoughts of his girlfriend were abruptly cut short the moment he opened the door to his family's home and caught that first pungent whiff of.. what the heck was that? Was mother trying to cook by herself again?! He hung up his cloak and marched through to follow his nose to the kitchen. "Mother?" He grimaced and paused in the doorway, scanning the bounty beyond. "Sylvirah? Did you have to bring the whole dock back with you?"

Ergon's brow knit. Heil.. what? "What did you call me?" he asked facetiously, fanning the air in front of his face. He walked over to the indicated pot to give it a peek, finally smelling something a little more tolerable. When he went to look at what was currently being made though, his nose wrinkled further. He liked fish as much as the next guy, but what was this interesting looking concoction?

"Special.." he murmured, giving Sylvirah a side look. "While I appreciate the thought... perhaps you are thinking too hard?"

It was certainly strange to hear Sylvirah tell him welcome home. "Okay. Stick to 'heil go shell,' then," he replied. Despite the snark, he realized that he was actually getting used to seeing Sylvirah around the house. It wasn't long ago that he probably would have been upset with her presence. Yet, as she was saying... his mother had been a driving force in the matter. He cleared his throat and looked away bashfully. "You've been good for mother, in your own way. Speaking of mother, is she out with the nurse?"

Lips pressing, he peeked into the bowl of mystery snack. What he would prefer? A half smile rose and he followed after to tentatively sit. She sure filled a plate. Perhaps he would be filled up by the rabbit and be too full for the surprise. "This is.. quite generous of you. Thank you."

"Heil og sæl," he repeated, raising a forkful of the hare in a sort of toast. It would be interesting to see if mother would react at all to the stench now filling the home. At least the hare was worth eating. He wasn't sure what he had expected from a northern heathen, but he was pleasantly surprised with the result.

That didn't make him any less concerned about the- "Akutaq?" Had he heard of that before? "What constitutes a special occasion in the north, if you don't mind me asking?" He pressed his lips slightly while gingerly scooping up a small sample onto his spoon. A lesser man would avoid a special made meal. Ergon was not so small! He tucked the spoon into his mouth before he could change his mind, bracing himself for the taste to match the smell. After a moment, he let out a surprised 'huh' and set his spoon back down. It.. actually wasn't bad.

He poked at the plate to make the mixture jiggle and chuckled lightly. Would it be better if it was actually fluffy? "I know mother will appreciate that you made dinner for us tonight." There was a brief pause. "..As do I," he said as he took another bite of the main dish. It was a new feeling, to be sure.

Leaning back in the chair as his belly filled, Ergon's expression softened the slightest bit. "Well, no children have been born here lately, I doubt anything would be considered a 'legendary' feat as of late, and this wasn't hunted for. What occasion is it that has you making this?"

Ergon's eyes went vaguely distant. His instant reaction was, naturally, to be happy to be rid of the complications Sylvirah's presence brought to his house. Yet, there was a strange tugging of remorse as well. ..Oh well. Whatever brought that on would fade with time. "I am pleased to hear you found help. I know you have been eager to return to your family." That last word dragged the slightest bit, but he shook that off, too. "You needn't worry about helping me to celebrate though," he mused, a playful smirk rising along with his spoon. "The town already has a whole party planned for when you cross that border."

His tongue slowly dragged along the spoon in a contemplative manner, expression going more serious again. "Just.. so you know... you are welcome here any time that you wish in the future," he said as casually as possible, eyes tight on the spoon he held. "Mother will be happy to see you."

It would be best to keep his attention on the food. After the shock of the revelations surrounding Sylvirah's circumstances, he had suspected that he would never be alright with her presence. Yet, here he was, enjoying food that she had made and actually inviting her to return... What was this world coming to?

Listening to the reply, Ergon only smiled sadly. How was mother going to react when her "daughter" left? Would she even notice? She would surely notice the absence on her better days. He peeked over to Sylvirah's back, and then quickly again to scraping his fork along the plate. Maybe, just maybe, he would be okay with it. "I suppose I might be alright." Who would have thought...