(no subject)

[i_am_your_host]

It's a few days after the New Year's Eve party, and Emcee has not been seen since then.

That's because he's been upstairs in his room, preferring to deal with hangovers and exhaustion on his own. It's all right. It's the good kind of exhaustion. But there is no good kind of hangover.

Eventually, in the wee hours of the night as is his nocturnal habit, he can be found curled up under a blanket in an armchair by the fire. He has the bottle of liquor that Yrael gifted him, and is sipping the gin-like spirit from a glass. He also has a container of Baze's peanut butter chocolate no-bake cookies, one of which he's nibbling on (he ate most of them while recovering). And there are earbuds in his ears, as he listens to the recordings Autor gave him of Autor's own own piano playing.

It was a good New Year's Eve.

Comments

[iprotectyou]

Baze, armorless, sits at a nearby table, using a pneumatic graver to etch designs into two pieces of a prod, or bow, that he forged himself out of aluminum. A pitcher of ice water sweats near his left elbow, along with two glasses, only one of which is full. He also yawns periodically, as he's still quite worn out from three days' work in the forge, and the party afterward.

He spots Emcee, and raises his hand in greeting, unsure if the man wants company.

[i_am_your_host]

This languid, tranquil, pensive creature by the fire is such a contrast to the unstoppable party animal from several nights ago.

Noticing the gesture out of corner of his eye, he turns his head and smiles. He pulls the earbuds free and stops the player.

"Hallo, Baze," he says brightly enough. "How are you this evening? Thank you for these treats, by the way, I have no idea how you made them without baking them but they're delicious."

[iprotectyou]

Baze notes the contrast, and feels like he's intruding. Still, Emcee did greet him.

"Tired, but quite well, thanks for asking," Baze replies, smiling at the erstwhile bartender.

"How are you? And they're boiled, actually."

[i_am_your_host]

"Boiled? I wouldn't have thought that anything boiled would taste this good."

Learn something new every day.

"And I am perfectly marvelous, thank you," he purrs with a bit of a stretch, his toes pointing out from under the blanket. "Did you enjoy the rest of the party?"

[iprotectyou]

"Yeah, Oswin taught me to make them. I just adore Oswin," Baze says, etching a groove into the soft metal.

"And yes! I met a lovely woman named Nancy, and we talked practically the whole night. Did you have a good time as well? I hope you did."

[i_am_your_host]

"Ah, yes, Oswin," he says with a nod and smile. She probably didn't receive his invitation since she comes downstairs so rarely.

"I'm glad you met a new friend. I met Nancy at the first New Year's Eve party I threw here a couple of years ago. I hope she's doing well."

He laughs a little at the question. "It would be an odd thing indeed for me to not enjoy my own party, but I certainly did, very much so. Alas, it was all over so quickly... Oh! But now I have your party to look forward to!"

[iprotectyou]

"She seems to be! Nancy, I mean. She's taking care of five orphans, and the war in her world is over for now," Baze says, carving an angular spiral into one of the pieces of the bow.

"And I'm glad you enjoyed your party. And yes, you do have our party to look forward to! I'm so excited for that. We're taking your advice, and including the cookies."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee breathes out a soft chuckle. "So the war does end. That is good to know." At least, it's good to know someone who got through a war that has yet to happen in his world.

"Oh, excellent. I can't wait to see what else you come up with."

Now Emcee just...has to find a way to fill his time. He doesn't want to think about the thing he has to do. Not yet.

"Is that your special weapon that you're working on?"

[iprotectyou]

Emcee's soft comment fills Baze with worry. Is Emcee going through the same war that Nancy just finished? Are they from the same time? Baze doesn't know how to phrase his questions delicately, and realizes that asking them might upset Emcee. So Baze doesn't, simply keeps them at the tip of his tongue to ask later, if he thinks of a way that will keep upset to a minimum.

"Yes," Baze says, gleefully, to the question.

"It's a lightbow, the traditional weapon of the Guardian of the Whills. I'm hoping that by finishing its construction, I can be a Guardian again."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric comes down and settles on the couch at Emcee's side, resting his head on Emcee's knee. He looks rather tired himself.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee chuckles softly and lays a hand on Sinric's pale, golden head. He says nothing for the moment, but offers him one of his earbuds, so he can listen to Autor's piano playing. It's very soothing at a time like this.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric shifts to make it easier, so the cord isn't stretched too far, and settles against Emcee to listen. Autor is a very good player and the music is lovely.

[i_am_your_host]

When the last piece finishes, Emcee sighs contentedly and turns off the music player. He removes the earbud, smiling over at Sinric.

"That was Autor playing, you know," he informs him. "He gave this to me at the party."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric returns the earbud. "He's very talented. If somewhat... melancholy? It's a lovely gift."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee slowly winds the earbud cords around the music player.

"He is. But I'm fairly sure these are recordings of him from before he was sent to war. He's doing a lot better these days, but I didn't think to ask if he'd taken up the piano again."

[thewidewideworld]

"We should inviting him to play sometime. I'm sure the bar would let us borrow a room with a piano if we wanted somewhere private."

[i_am_your_host]

"Hopefully he takes to the idea," he says with a small, thoughtful smile and nod. "Sometimes he needs to be convinced that he might enjoy something."

[galen_erso]

"That was an excellent party," says Galen Erso, approaching quietly and calmly, and using a soft voice. "Would you like some caf?"

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee notices the approaching gentleman and raises his eyes to him, politely removing the earbuds to hear him.

"Why, thank you, Galen, I'm so glad you enjoyed it," he says, his expression beaming in the glow of the firelight. "And I would love some, thank you. Bodhi first introduced it to me."

[galen_erso]

"Just a moment," Galen says.

He goes to the bar for caf, and brings back a huge steaming mug for Emcee, and a smaller one for himself.

"I'd tell you just how much I enjoyed your party, and how memorable that midnight was, but I don't know if you can quite appreciate the appreciation right now."

His face is much livelier than Hannibal's, with little grins and grimaces and a genuine smile where Hannibal is all smooth, polite mask.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee accepts the mug carefully and with smiling thanks. Without the distraction of dance music and sparkling lights and the chatter and laughter of partygoers, he can better tell the difference between Galen and Hannibal Lecter. It's actually quite fascinating to observe.

"Oh, I can appreciate quite a lot," he chuckles, blowing on the caf to cool it. "I did see you and Bodhi on the dance floor."

[galen_erso]

"We did get a bit emotional at midnight," Galen says, blushing lightly while at the same time unable to suppress a wide, happy smile.

So not Hannibal at all.

[i_am_your_host]

"Aww," he coos, as he sips the caf. "It means a lot to me to know that you were able to share a special moment together. It sounds like your new year is off to a good start."

[galen_erso]

"Yes, it hopefully is," Galen says. "And we are going to get married in the spring."

[i_am_your_host]

"Most definitely something to look forward to," he says with a smile. "Do you know what kind of ceremony you're having or are you still planning it?"