[PRP] Afternoon Tea (Xiu / Edel + Ivar)

[Kaiyumi]

It...just appeared, and now it won't come off? Xiu instantly shuddered, one hand coming up to touch her neck as she was reminded of the time that the same thing had happened to her. The fact that they didn't know much about the ring unnerved her, and in light of what had happened at school that day, she feared that it would try to influence Edel as the crown had influenced her.

"I've had...something similar happen to me once, and jack, please be careful, Edel," she pleaded, ears drooping, "There's no need to apologize either! I'm glad that you were willing to talk to me about this, and--NOPE."

The ghoul pushed her seat back and stood up as soon as the demoness started her "just in case" disclaimer. "No. Nope. Not going to happen--don't even joke about that," Xiu frowned, her tail puffed up and lashing behind her, "We're going to find out what exactly this ring is and how to get it off of you, even if we have to beat up those two gangs for answers!"

Violence was never the answer (unless Edel was going to die, then it was totally a feasible way of going about it).

Zyphiris

 

[Zyphiris]

The frost demon was caught in a stunned silence at the reaction the baku gave, now regretting having told her at all.

She raised her hand. "Ok but first of all, calm down." The ghoul motioned for Xiu to take a seat.

"Let's start with the ring, okay. It doesn't appear to be too harmful, just that I am less calm with the small effects of wrath." She held out a cup of tea to the baku, urging her to take it. "The only problem is when the two groups are coming after me for it, which they aren't for now. Going to fight them isn't going to help with that either."

"I wish I were joking," she said seriously, "But I do need someone to help me with that, alright? And -" Edel was briefly interrupted with a message notification from her eyephone, to which she excused herself to tap out a quick reply. "I am being careful, which is why I'm taking the necessary precautions."

It was a bad idea to tease her, Edel concluded.

"So-" she started and began to gesture. "So.... actually, I don't really know what to do," she finished lamely, with her hand hanging midair.

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

At some point Xiu had inflated her cheeks, so as she grudgingly sat back down, her expression was pretty much just: >:T.

She knew that fighting them would solve nothing (except make her feel better), but it frustrated her to no end knowing that another of her friends had been dragged into this whole mess. It wasn't like Edel hadn't already had a few run-ins with the two gangs, but now there was the threat of them actively pursuing her since she was in possession of the ring.

Her intense frowny face relaxed a little when she took the offered tea and took a sip, and a second sip seemed to calm her further. When she finally spoke again, her tone was even, albeit quiet. "Good to hear that the ring hasn't been affecting you too badly, and yes, I know." Xiu let out a heavy sigh, her lashing tail slowing before flopping down altogether.

"Okay. I don't want to think about it, but I promise I'll do what I can if...anything happens." Xiu cringed as soon as the words left her lips, leaning back in her seat. Curling her hands around her teacup, she gazed absently into her drink.

"Call me paranoid, but the idea of you being completely alone makes me anxious," Xiu confessed, shifting uncomfortable, "If you want to stay at my house for a bit or this cafe during the day, you're always welcome. I guess it's okay so long as they haven't discovered that the ring is with you, but if--once--they do..."

Zyphiris

 

[Zyphiris]

"Ah, well, I'm sure you'd figure something else with Shun." Shun again, it was starting to bother her how much they relied on him. "How is he anyway? I'd hate to be such a bother for him." She recalled seeing his phone's wallpaper, and hoped that whoever he was with wasn't getting any wrong ideas about the messages sent to arrange meetings.

"Er," Edel started to blush a bit at the mention of staying over at Xiu's place, "actually -" Her phone started to ring, and the ghoul gave the baku a nervous laugh as she silenced it. "There have been some arrangements" she muttered quietly, looking off into the side. The phone lit with once again with another notification, prompting her to turn it over face down.

"Aren't you worried though, that the cafe might attract the wrong attention?" she tried to change the topic.

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

"He seems to be doing pretty well lately!" Xiu smiled, leaning forward again, "He's...well, the same as usual really. I mean, aside from the fact that he now has two students he's training and the fact that he's married."

She said the last bit completely casually, even if she couldn't really believe it herself. Married. Her brother. It had completely completely out of the blue, and she was still having some trouble wrapping her head around the idea that this had happened--and with no celebration, either! Did a lot of others know about this, or was it something that was hush-hush? She assumed the latter, especially since she could imagine Shun saying how it wasn't important for others to know.

Except it totally was.

Xiu began to squint at the blush that was blooming over the ghoul's cheeks, something so rare that it was hard for her interest not to be piqued. "Oh...? So you're going to be staying with someone...?" The ghoul asked, a grin sloooowly tugging at her lips.

"Gene and I wanted this cafe to be a safe haven for friends and students, so keeping everyone safe is our priority." Xiu waved her hand dismissively, and then set her elbows on the table and her chin in her heads as she blinked at Edel with wide eyes. "So..." She wasn't getting off that easily.

Zyphiris

 

[Zyphiris]

Edel choked on her tea as she took in the last part of the sentence. Shun. Married. The ghoul's mouth quivered as she tried to stifle her laughter, which eventually broke down into a fit of silent laughter.

"So actually, he's quite well alright," she wiped away a tear and tried to regain composure. Edel would be looking at the reaper quite differently from now on, as if she hadn't already seen this more...soft part of him when she stole a glance at his phone. "Please do send the couple my warmest regards."

While all this was going on, from the window, a dark figure could be seen approaching the cafe rather quickly. Almost as though they were running. Edel had just barely set the teacup back down before the door chimed as someone entered, having paused outside to straighten themselves out as a courtesy.

"Good afternoon, ladies" the man greeted, giving Xiu a short bow before turning his attention to a certain frost demon who was casually avoiding his gaze.

"Er, as I said, there have been arrangements," she muttered, finally turning around to face him for a very silent exchange of glances. Neither party was backing down, except only until he decided it was most impolite not to introduce himself.

"Ivar Elof, a pleasure to meet you."

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," she promised, amused that Edel found the situation so funny. The news really had come from out of literally nowhere though so she could hardly blame her for that.

Xiu had only been able to pry a little when someone else arrived. At first, the ghoul was a little disappointed--oops, time to pay attention to another customer!--but then she lit up when she realized that this person and Edel were acquainted with one another. Staring wide-eyed at her friend, Xiu grinned. Oh ho? Oh ho ho?

"Good afternoon, Mr. Elof," she greeted politely, rising from her seat and clasping her hands together in front of herself, "My name is Xiu, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well!"

Looking between Ivar and her friend, she cleared her throat. "Are you here to see Edel? Please, if you're in no rush, sit down and allow me to treat you to a piece of cake and some tea."

Despite the fact she had taken on her polite and relaxed cafe owner persona, in her mind Xiu was more like, "Oh my jack who is this? What is his relationship with Edel? Is staying with him what these 'arrangements' Edel is mentioning are? Could it be that the two of them are...?"

Zyphirisx

 

[Zyphiris]

Nodding at Xiu, the Ivar remained standing as he replied. "Ah, thank you for the offer Miss Xiu, unfortunately Miss Zaira and I -" He was quickly interrupted as by the frost demon who spoke a little too quickly.

"You should try a piece," she smiled a most curious smile, holding out the fork with a sampling on it, "My friend is a very good pâtissier." Eat that and be quiet for a minute, she prayed.

Meanwhile, the man could only stare blankly at the gesture, caught in a situation where he was unable to refuse. Throwing Edel a meaningful glare, he bent down and ate off the fork, muttering an unconvincing "It's good," as he quickly straightened himself back up. There was another exchange of stares as she waited for him to actually taste the cake.

"It's delicious," he complimented, more sincerely this time.

Edel seized the chance to speak. "There's an auction house down the street, I was assured that it had the best security to offer," began the most flimsy, incoherent explanation ever.

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

Xiu looked between the two, taking in their interaction with amusement but also a hint of confusion.Although she had quickly formed theories as to the relationship between these two, they definitely weren't giving her anything concrete to work with. She probably would have been content to just stand there and stare for a bit had she not had to answer.

"Oh, thank you! It truly makes me happy to hear you say that,Mr, Elof," she smiled, bowing her head slightly, "And are you sure that you don't wish to sit down for a while? You would be most welcome."

Except before she could push the hospitality a little more, Edel suddenly explained her new living arrangements. Kind...of, anyways. It was so unexpected and vague that the baku was caught completely off guard. "...Auction house?" she echoed, her expression blank as she tried to take this in, "Why--well. Will there be anyone there with you, or will you be alone?"

Zyphiris

 

[Zyphiris]

"Ah, I must apologise for interrupting your conversation," he returned the bow, looking over to Edel as if to ask if he should return at a later time. The frost demon simply shrugged and gestured to the seat next to her. "It's alright, and please do oblige my friend," she assured him.

The two of them sat side by side made for quite a scene, much like that of parents and their daughter, except the reality was much more like the opposite. "There's a residence above the auction house," she clarified, by which it was unspoken but heavily implied that it was his residence, over his auction house, "Mr Elof has kindly lent out a room, as a temporary arrangement." The ghoul glanced to her side, prompting him for an acknowledgement.

"Miss Zaira had informed me that she had come to be in possession of something particularly valuable, which requires her personal attention while the storage is being processed. I am quite skeptical of the hotel's security with regards to such matters, hence this particular arrangement." He paused, with the thought to fill in a particular gap of information, "We are business partners, the Zairas offer storage security while the auction house deals with valuable pieces." An awkward silence hung in the air, hinting that there was something a bit more to it than just business. The two then took to staring at the Baku, expecting her reply and response.

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

In the time that it took for Edel to convince Ivar to sit down and the man to actually do so, Xiu had somehow magically procured another teacup, filling it with a practiced ease before sliding it over towards him. Settling back into her chair, the ghoul placed her hands in her lap as she listened to her friend speak, feeling as if the additional information was simultaneously answering her questions about the auction house while adding more.

Like, for example, who was this guy really and what was his connection to Edel? Fortunately, she was given the answer not long after, lips forming an "o" shape. "Oh, I see. Business partners, are you?" The way her eyebrows had rocketed up implied that she had some doubts that they were just that, but instead of pursuing that line of topic, Xiu simply smiled. "I see. Well then, that is a relief. So long as Edel and her uh, valuable object is safe and sound, there's little more that I can ask for."

"That was kind of you to lend Edel a room, Mr. Elof," she added, smile shifting into a small grin, "Please do take good care of her."

Zyphiris

 

[Zyphiris]

It didn't take too long for the two to realise that they were being unbearably awkward around each other. There may or may not have been some nudging under the table to tell each other to just relax, and by then Ivar had settled in to concentrate on quietly drinking his tea and having some cake, while leaving the two ghouls to continue to talk. The nervous smile Edel gave to Xiu indicated that she had not told him the full story exactly, and thus yet another moment of silence ensued with glances shifting back and forth from Ivar to Xiu.

Ivar had just picked up the cup of tea when the request by Xiu was made, causing him to pause, as if thinking back to some traumatic dejavu experience that involved a certain rather intimidating father. Nodding, he replied with a simple, "Yes."

"And yet again I must impose on you," Edel sighed softly.

"It's no matter," his tone was a bit more familiar now, as he set his cup back down on the table. He paused, looking down in contemplation.

"This is very good tea," he declared rather suddenly, almost sounding a little excited. Sweeping up from his seat, he wandered over to the display counter, peering at the selection of cakes.

"Miss Xiu, if you don't mind, may I have a sampling of your selection of cakes?" he asked with some amount of restrained enthusiasm.

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

Xiu thought that Ivar seemed quite pleasant, and was therefore decidedly more comfortable at the idea that Edel would be staying with him. All she asked was that she was in a secure place and wasn't left completely alone, and since that seemed to be the case here, the baku didn't have any complaints.

Her opinion of the man increased at the compliment to her tea, and then once more when he went to examine her cakes and inquired about them. Shooting Edel a surprised--but no doubt amused--look, Xiu rose from her seat to join him by the display.

"Yes, of course! I actually sell sample sizes for the cakes on sale each day, so I'll go bring some out to you now if you'd like." Xiu laughed, sweeping behind the counter so that she could grab what were literally miniature versions of the actual things. She carefully arranged one of each of the six flavours on a plate, finishing it off as she usually would with a drizzle of sauce and a delicate gumpaste flower.

"Our selection changes everyday, but there are a few popular ones that are available all week," she explained, picking up two new forks and napkins along the way just in case Edel wanted to give them a try too, "But these are what I've made for today."

She had a good variety too--a mousse cake, cheesecake, and chiffon cake among others--but at least half of them seemed to be flavoured with some kind of tea. The family business definitely showed through in her goods.

Zyphiris

 

[Zyphiris]

Watching the dark elf move to the counter, Edel simply shrugged and returned the look of bemusement to Xiu, propping her head on her hand as she watched the two.

"Ah...thank you..." he nodded to the baku, though it was apparent that his attention was focused on the cakes. "They're very pretty, and if I may-?" he asked as a form of courtesy before he began to sample each of the miniature cakes.

"Are you looking to replace Harold's?" she called out casually from the table.
"That is my intention, yes," he replied, setting down the fork to think over the choices.

"I would very much like to try the rest of your selection, perhaps I will come back on another day, hm. Would you be able to cater and deliver for events? The samples are quite appropriately sized for such purposes..."

"And yes," he continued, but it was clear this was directed to Edel, "It's been one incursion too many on their part, last Webnesday would have been a disaster had you not stepped in to distract the guests with your timely sculpture show. They seem to think they are irreplaceable, given our long time together but," he paused to smile at Xiu, "They would be very wrong. Miss Xiu dear, you may be expecting a few calls this week and the next, if that's alright?"

Edel laughed and went back to her tea, wondering in her mind if he was going to ask Xiu if she did wedding cakes next.

"Would you also be able to prepare wedding cakes?" came the next earnest request.

Meanwhile the frost demon nearly choked on her drink.

Kaiyumi

 

[Kaiyumi]

Truth to be told, the baku was a little anxious while Ivar sampled the flavours, absently wringing her hands. She was flattered that he had liked the tea and had been interested in trying the cakes, but the possibility that he'd hate it unnerved her. Critique was one thing, but scathing reviews were another.

So when he asked about catering, Xiu's eyes popped wide open. Shooting a surprised look over to Edel, she cleared her throat before focusing her gaze back on the man. "Um, yes, I'd certainly be able to do that!" she chirped, attempting to remain quiet and composed while unaware that her tail was wagging behind her in excitement, "I would be more than happy to provide this service for you, Mr. Elof. U-um...business card, business card..."

The last part was muttered to herself as she looked around. She had been about to go and retrieve one when Ivar's next question suddenly caused her to freeze in place. ...Wedding cakes? At once, the baku turned to look at Edel, her eyes moving rapidly between the two of them.

"Yes, of course," she answered, though she had yet to lose that owlish look, "Wedding cake orders are no problem at all."

Zyphiris