The trek back, regardless of its length, was punctuated by little moments of love as the two casually joked along until their destination. By now, the first tables were being allowed to go up and get their plates sorted. Strategically, they’d been organized so that the highest volume of families would be served first. Prioritizing the children eating was philosophical, but not without practical reasoning. Family tables kept units together, made sure that those who needed most ate first… 

For their turn, it’d be at least another hour. They were included in the third block, which was Temple staff and honored guests. Which was, frankly, the only company Lynette actually wanted to be around. Thus, parties were satisfied waiting and-
Getting back, the tables were already piled with snacks, hors d'oeuvres and pitchers of beer. Bottles of wine were uncorked, being passed about, and there was a [i]fucking bread basket[/i] in front of Casey and Trisha’s seats. The note, hand written in red ink, was penmanship Casey knew well.

[color=54678a][i]Dinner will be a while. Try my newest recipe: Safe for all parties. A gift for coming festivities. I encourage scrutiny, followed by delight. Enjoy, and see you later.[/i][/color]

There were also little jars of her honey specially packaged after being whipped with a uniquely prepared butter. A special request that Andrade had been working on for Trisha after talking about what would make the product better for [i]her[/i]. Thankfully, for the moment, Ezra and Tansy weren’t there. Leon and Cass were, at the moment, thoroughly distracted at the next table, having a seemingly enthusiastic conversation with Max and Sylvie, which gave the couple enough time to formulate a short gameplan.

Casey could immediately tell that they weren’t normal pastries… But that didn’t mean they were like the usual formulae. Whatever this essence came out of, it’d been farmed. Sourced, even… Some extraplanar alternatives to the typical. Casey couldn’t confirm, however, until he ate it himself.

[color=577d06]”Uh… You read this? What do you think, here?”[/color]

Trisha scanned the note, tilting her head as she did so. She could guess what the honey was, but the bread? A new recipe? To scrutinise and then enjoy? She wasn't sure if she had an appetite at all after everything they'd talked about… And if the bread wasn't made from normal ingredients, she was a little suspicious about it.

[color=d1b300]“I’m not sure."[/color] She admitted. She picked up one of the honey jars, popping it open. It smelled good… she reached out for a knife, scooping out some of the honey before carefully tasting it. 

It wasn't as sweet as normal. The distinctive taste of the honey still shone through, but it was more evened out by the savoury taste of the butter. It meant it didn't lose any of the taste she liked about her honey while reducing the sickly sweetness that led to her eating less and less of it. The gooey goodness coated her mouth, perfectly chasing away the remaining bitterness after her heaving earlier.

[color=d1b300]“Well, this is the honey-butter me and Andrade talked about… it's really good. I assume the bread isn't normal? I know he says it's safe but… I'm not sure about trying it until I know what it is? Or, might do."[/color]

[color=577d06]”Well… I think that’s what he meant by scrutiny? I’m trying them, I mean… I can smell them, they’re beating my nose up.”[/color]

Casey reached down, taking in a delectably warm cinnamon swirl bread slice and tipping it off into his mouth. Then another, and one more slice as he furrowed his brow and sat down. White Lux was practically bubbling off of him as he came to a memory from long ago, when he was still a boy. There were plenty of good ones mixed in with the bad, after all… The quiet times. Andrade’s little dorm room on the old Temple grounds, mixing ingredients and running them down the hall to the shared kitchen. It stank like sugar and laughs, and Andrade’s music filled the entire dorm hall.

Casey was just a boy… But the others didn’t get time with Andrade like that. Never had…

But there was a reason for it to be so strong. So [i]surfaced[/i]... With it, he influenced a trailing spell to track the life of the ingredients. Back, back in time further and further until a time when the world was primal. Goliath Grain, straight from stalk to table pulled through temporal means across time and space itself. It wasn’t like infusing usual grains with Apparitional essence, in that it simply had the same energy naturally. 

Granted, as he traced it back, he could feel it getting stronger and stronger. Clearly it lost a great deal of potency in the harvesting and processing, but that was for the best. If it retained full potency, he doubted there were many Adepts who could handle it as a regular dietary supplement. They’d invariably rip themselves apart in some sort of Luxal accident.
But it was [i]clean.[/i] There was no instant gut reaction like the usual food, and he didn’t see many of the others necessarily liking it because of that. It filled, but it didn’t [i]fill.[/i] Yet, the same initial sugar rush-like boost to his Lux occurred… 

And with what he’d noticed himself, he thought maybe there was merit to getting a boost. Especially without using the super secret table seasoning.

[color=577d06]”Oh, Babe… Eat this. It’s good, it’s good stuff. I think it’s really special, actually. I hope we see more of this, actually. See what the Queen thinks…”[/color] he intoned, offering Trisha the basket to pick from.

[color=d1b300]“It's not too filling?"[/color] She asked, looking through the basket before picking up just a simple roll. She held it, looking at Casey for an answer before she ate. Not because she didn't trust him… but because she needed to at least force herself to eat some of the actual dinner, and that would be more difficult if she ate extra filling bread beforehand. 

[color=577d06]”Yes and no, I guess. Magically, it is. So, still don’t eat a lot, but… Here, let me see-”[/color]
He took the little jar of honey butter and slathered a big glob on a second piece of bread before chowing down.

[color=577d06]”Awwww, fuck… I’m gonna kill that guy, I swear he wants me fat and useless.”[/color] he joked, taking another scoop out and offering it to her for her roll.

[color=577d06]”Pretty sure they found the way to go back in time. Which is a [i]way bigger deal[/i] than I’m even going to give time for. Frankly, there’s a good chance the research is gone in a few months and totally unrecoverable.”[/color] he admitted to her.

[color=d1b300]“Oh… So we should try enjoy it while it lasts?”[/color] Trisha smiled slightly, quickly cutting open the roll before accepting the big scoop of honey onto it. She’d just eat the roll, then. If it wasn’t… physically more filling than normal. 

She was a little curious by what he meant by magically filling. And he didn’t really need to go into details for her to know how impressive properly going back in time was. Even the Stygian Snake couldn’t go [i]back[/i] in time like that, even if it could manipulate it. 

She raised the roll to her mouth, taking a little nibble. Her eyes widened in surprise. The bread itself wasn’t entirely overpowered by the stronger honey butter, its own unique flavour blending well with all of it. It was… really good. As she took another, bigger bite she heard a soft sigh in her mind. 

[color=c18e1b][i]You should eat more of that, my darling Beekeeper. Ah… how nostalgic.[/i][/color]

[color=d1b300][i]Just this piece. I won’t be able to eat anymore.[/i][/color]

[color=c18e1b][i]Ah, you mortals and your pathetically tiny appetites.[/i][/color] The Queen’s gentle voice rang teasingly in her mind. 

Trisha shook her head, before proceeding to eat the rest of the roll. As she did, she felt the strange rush as it boosted her own magic as well as appeasing the Queen. It was like… She was more sensitive. She could sense a faint pheromonal trail for her to Princess in her bag at her feet- one she knew she could grasp to connect with the bees within. She could also practically smell all the pheromones she’d soaked Casey in- where she normally didn’t pick up the non-active ones. If she actually had any bees with her, or tried to infect anyone with her pheromones… It would probably be easier than normal. 

[color=d1b300]“It’s good. It’s really good. The Queen agrees.”[/color] Trisha said as she finished off the roll. Her hand listed forward for a slice of bread, picking up another jar of honey butter to slather a light layer across it. 

[color=d1b300]“If I could, I’d just eat this instead of the rest of the meal… But I shouldn’t, so I’ll just have this other piece.”[/color] She started to nibble at the slice, savouring the flavour. While her Apparition didn’t say anything, Trisha could feel her contentment.
[color=d1b300]“If the Queen had her way I’d eat the whole basket… Not that I could ever do that.”[/color]

Casey was fist-deep in an eclair full of the most incredible filling he’d ever tasted. It’s white frosting atop the actual finger was laden with colorful sprinkles.
[color=577d06]”It’s a fucking Dunk-e-doo flavored eclair… This guy, he doesn’t forget [i]anything.[/i] When I was little, I’d go and visit him in the dorms, and he’d always have a stash of Dunk-e-doo packs that he’d let me have. I’d eat the cookies, then scoop the cream out of the container with my tongue…”[/color] he grinned.

[color=C67C12]”Someone said Dunk-e-doos? Oh, we were so trying not to get into that thing when we got back. What’s going on with the note?”[/color] Leon asked, turning back to them to start heading for his seat.

[color=629c3f]”Yeah, it was seriously testing my self control!”[/color] Cass was right beside Leon. She was carrying a whole bowl of… nuts, it seemed, which she was throwing into her mouth near continuously. The earlier Green Lux usage had left her even more starving!

[color=d1b300]“I never actually had those. Whenever we had them in the house the biggest, fastest siblings would eat them, and by the time I was old enough to go to a store myself… I wasn’t really eating that kind of thing.”[/color] Trisha admitted, looking at Casey’s eclair with a hint of curiosity. It seemed like… A lot of sweetness. She turned from that towards Leon. 

[color=d1b300]”The note [i]feels[/i] like it’s Andrade being cryptic. If Casey didn’t have White Lux, I’d have no idea what the bread was.”[/color] She said with a slightly joking tone.

Casey was so keyed up from the Goliath Grain, it was harder for him to [i]ignore[/i] seeing the interest in Trisha’s eyes. Rather than fousting the half he still held upon her, he ripped a chunk of the end off and brought it to the open end to scoop out a bit of the filling. The best of both worlds, which he delicately offered to her.

[color=577d06]”Uh… Nah. It’s not cryptic enough. Security’s on high: It was either try and get this out so me and her would actually [i]eat something,[/i] or risk us being less effective.[/color]

Leon was probably, maybe secretly, the only Temple Member somewhat unaware of there being any kind of threat. With no desire to overexert, he was clamping down significantly upon Lelou’s influence. It was incredibly limiting to his senses, but it was all he could do at this point to keep her calm.

[color=C67C12]”Security is on high? Your call?”[/color]

Casey shook his head. If Lynette was listening, she didn’t respond, but Casey made a very clear gesture toward her at the other end of the table. In response, Leon’s head tilted backward in a nod.

[color=C67C12]”Ohhh… Guaranteed?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”I don’t know. Something big would be incredibly bold. Play it by ear, Big Brother. Have a pastry.”[/color]
As Leon reached out, Casey turned his head to Trisha.
[color=577d06]”I’m [i]really[/i] hoping that there’s not much else to go wrong… But you know how life can be.”[/color] he admitted with a hint of sadness.

[color=577d06]”Go on, Cass! I bet if you put some nuts on that sticky bun there, you’ll have an awesome snack.”[/color] he wagged the basket. Turning his head only slightly, he smiled back at the two of them as they took their seats fully.

[color=629c3f]”Oh dude… I already finished the nuts!”[/color] Cass laughed, gladly grabbing the sticky bun and tearing right into it even without extra nuts on top. She hadn’t realised there was a risk of shit like that going down… But it just made her more glad to be here. 

Trisha furrowed her brow, finishing off the end of the eclair. So that was what Ed had been looking into… She’d guessed something was up, but she hadn’t realised it was on that scale. Bad enough that [i]she[/i] needed to be effective too. At least now she could sense the bees through the connection that Princess had with their hive. It brought some comfort. 


[color=d1b300]“It’s alright, if anything happens we’ll handle it together.”[/color] Trisha said softly. What other choice did they have? As long as whatever might happen waited until after the proposal… Her head turned away from Casey to glance at the empty chairs where her siblings should be. They were both Blind… So if something happened, would she have to protect them?

[color=629c3f]”Oh, where are you siblings?”[/color] Cass asked, pointing to the empty chairs as she noticed Trisha’s gaze going towards them. She leaned forward to snag another roll. 
[color=629c3f]”I know we ain’t getting food for a while, but everyone else up here is sat down!”[/color]


Trisha shrugged one shoulder. 
[color=d1b300]“Probably mingling or something. I should be glad I get less time with them, but I’m worried Tansy will have accosted some poor staff member and Ezra’s boring some other business owner to death.”[/color] 

For once, her arrival was not announced by an ear shattering trumpeting of Trisha’s full name. o As if summoned by her name from the pits of hell, Tansy Vanburen approached the table as swiftly as her high heels would allow.  A singular swathe of hair had come undone from her updo and she swatted it away with a furious backhand. She had a quiet look of fury in her eyes of a general who had just learned that their men had disobeyed her orders and were now being outmaneuvered by their enemy because of their insubordination.

There was no hello, nor nod, nor even look of acknowledgement as Tansy marched past her sister, just an almost silent muttering to herself as Tansy bitched, [color=springgreen]“How fucking hard is it to put a fucking pair of tongs back? Im-fucking-possible. Stupid to think a single one of these fucking suckers have a working fucking braincell. I fucking said there should’ve been fucking servers. Fucking cheapass bitch, cut my fucking budget? Suck my dick, you tax-exempt cu–”[/color]

Tansy cut herself short by snagging a piece of bread from the basket and shoving it into her mouth. There was no reaction towards the deliciousness of the sweet, sweet carbs she had let herself indulge in for the first time in weeks as Tansy snatched the pair of tongs meant to accompany the basket  and departed as swiftly as she had arrived. She strolled past a man in a casual fall suit who held a cell phone up to one ear and covered the other with his hand as he paced near the edge of the tent. Tansy gestured at him with the tongs and drew his attention to the table, to which he answered by holding up a finger to show one minute and turned his back on her. 

There was the briefest pause from Tansy as she squeezed the tongs and glared at the man’s back, as if she was determining if the tongs were sharp enough to murder him with, before she clacked them at his back and made her way towards the catering catastrophe. The man turned his head and, seeing that Tansy was heading in one direction, headed in the other towards the table. He quickly finished up his conversation on the phone before making it to the table, rolling his eyes as he put away his cell. 

[color=darkgray]“Sorry I’m late. Gotta love multiple Thanksgivings. I see I already missed the first blow up. What did you say to set her off?”[/color] he asked, raising an eyebrow at Trisha before locking eyes with the fellow next to her. He extended a hand towards Casey. [color=darkgray]“Hi, Ezra. Nice to finally meet you.”[/color]

Whiplash aside, Casey found himself looking at this man for the first time in the Flesh. He could only vaguely see the places where the two siblings shared some genetic lineage; position of the eyes on the head, shape of the ear lobe, length of the neck, amazingly… They were siblings in the loosest possible sense short of being unrelated. Which made a lot more sense when the White Lux of a dozen different Adepts crashed across Ezra Vanburen’s robust Emotional Field… 

Casey’s in particular wasn’t subtle, and given their proximity, even an untrained Adept would have a pretty good indication of the source of the spell… [i]Of course[/i] he was an Adept. Successful people weren’t [i]just[/i] successful, after all; typically they were lucky like rabbit’s feet earrings. Whether he was trained, however, or simply gifted was a completely different question. Casey’s hand stretched out, wrapping around Ezra’s and shaking it.

[color=577d06]”St. Portwell’s best kept secret. What’d you mean, though,-”[/color] he asked finally, tilting his head slightly to look at Trisha before looking back.
[color=577d06]”-like, Trisha? Puffy red eyes? We were actually out by the beach… [i]Really[/i] talking about what we’re thankful for. It gets emotional, you know I’m sure. Welcome, welcome, uhh… It’s a big table, do you want introductions all around? You’ve… Met dear old Mom before, I know that.”[/color] he admitted, pointing down the end at Lynette. 

In return, the Coven Matron gave a wry smile, blowing a kiss at Ezra before tucking back into her massive wine glass. The conversation over there seemed to be extensive, with voices being raised and laughter from a group Casey wasn’t expecting to see it from.
[color=577d06]”Yeeeeah, she remembers you.”[/color] Casey giggled, smiling at Ezra.

[color=darkgray]“Sure,”[/color] said Ezra quite tersely, although it was unclear what he was sure-ing. Perhaps it was just a knee jerk reaction to respond to whatever Casey had just said to pretend like Ezra hadn’t noticed the magic fiddling around with his Emotional Field. It could’ve been that he was dismissing his alleged familiarity with Lynette out of fear of being further associated with an alleged cult. It could’ve been that he was trying to work through the coded language to figure out what this fucking guy had actually been doing with his little sister on the beach. Possibly, he’d just simply agreed to wanting introductions.

Trisha wasn't sure if Casey had purposefully or actually misunderstood what Ezra had said. Of course he wasn't talking about Trisha. Like he'd look at her closely enough to notice something like that. Obviously he meant Tansy storming off like the tongs were the clue to who'd stolen her latest designed bag. For once it wasn't even her… But, wait.

[color=d1b300]“Are my eyes really that red?"[/color] Trisha frowned, raising a hand to her eyes. She'd made sure her makeup hadn't run… But it wasn't like she could prevent any signs that she'd [I]cried[/I] early. Not that the tears had fully escaped her eyes. 

It was probably fine. 

[color=d1b300]“Anyway- He meant Tansy. I have no idea what set her off, it [I]wasn't[/I] me. I haven't said a word to her… Nice to see you too, Ezra."[/color] She managed to keep her tone from being too snippy, smiling at her oldest brother. 
[color=d1b300]“I’m [I]so[/I] glad you could tear yourself away from your mother's Thanksgiving to join us."[/color]

It was difficult to keep up some semblance of a mask when with Casey- who it slipped so easily in front of- and talking to Ezra- who it had never really existed with, nor did it with any family. Not unless they were at public, fancy events where they really had to pretend to tolerate each other. But the more comfortable she began to feel the harder it was to pretend and cover up what she actually felt…

She tilted her head back towards Casey.
[color=d1b300]“Introductions make sense… Oh, but you'll have to do them all again when Tansy sits down. Maybe just the people near us? I know Ezra doesn't like wasted time."[/color] Her eyes flickered back over to him.

[color=darkgray]“Oh, most of these people are a waste of time?”[/color] said Ezra with a wry smile, pretending like he hadn’t just checked his watch. [color=darkgray]“Well, I’m happy that we got sat at this side of the kid’s table then. You’re looking well, Cass. Good to see you again. And is that the living reincarnation of Gravity Richoux? When are you gonna stop dominating these shallow waters and go after your next major title?”[/color]

Trisha rolled her eyes with a slight laugh. She was glad she didn’t have to sit through the same introductions twice… Or Ezra greeting everyone at the table. It wasn’t like she’d be able to talk to anyone else, sitting between Casey and Ezra as she was.

[color=629c3f]”Thanks! Great to see you again too, Ezra!”[/color] Cass grinned as if she hadn’t totally forgotten she’d met Ezra before. When was it? Probably… sometime when she came with Trisha to St Portwell while they were at University? Obviously nothing interesting had happened if she didn’t remember it… But that was fine! Fake it till you make it!

[color=629c3f]”You’re right to be happy being at this end of the table- this is the fun end! Ain’t that right, Trish?”[/color] 

Fun was one way to put it. Trisha shot a sarcastic smile over at Cass.
[color=d1b300]“Sure… It’s not like it's any quieter down there. But at least this side isn’t drunk yet.”[/color]

Cass tilted her head back to laugh, before one hand lashed out to slap Leon’s arm multiple times. 
[color=629c3f]”Yeah we ain’t lightweights! But shit, Babe, who would’ve thought [i]the[/i] Ezra Vanburen knows about boxing!”[/color] She spoke as if she was a St Portwell native, as opposed to someone who’d only heard the full details of Trisha’s family background over the past month.

Leon didn’t stand, rather reaching his hand out across the table with a very casual motion. He was at least smiling, and seemed to have not concerned himself with the comment about shallow waters.

[color=C67C12]”Yeahhhh, the type of fan I usually don’t see: Those guys in the stadium boxes with the one-way glass. Good to meet you, Mr. Vanburen. Why don’t we remedy the sad state of affairs; we’d love to see Vanburen Limited’s name come across the sponsor boards, honestly!”[/color] Leon grinned, hoping to part a rich man from a fist full of dollars.

[color=C67C12]”I bet you’d be able to sponsor a real title fight, and the current World Champ is a bit of a douche. Put us up, I’ll win it for you no problem, we all make enough money to come home with.”[/color] he winked.

[color=577d06]”God, Leon, are you begging? Or is this just how things usually go for you guys in the league?”[/color] Casey giggled, poking his brother on the shoulder across the table. The reply was a grin and the shaking of his head.

[color=577d06]”Anyway, Ezra! Gosh, I mean I wish Tansy had stayed; if she bothered to ask, we’d more than willingly accommodate someone assisting her with getting food… I mean, she’s not even meant to be up there right now… But, you’re patient! Bread? Please, help yourself, it’s Andrade’s newest flour blend. An old-world oat we’ve managed to revitalize…”[/color] he grinned, holding up the basket.

[color=577d06]”Trisha, have you mentioned anything about the honey since the last time you guys talked? I thought it was great that you were worried about her, Ezra; when she brought up all the business stuff to Andrade, I was thoroughly impressed.”[/color] he offered, Richoux chaotic nature slowly manifesting in a manic enthusiasm for a conversation that was being forced out by circumstance…

The opportunity to trap an unwilling participant…

Trisha shook her head. It wasn’t like she and Ezra had so much as exchanged a text since that last phone call.
[color=d1b300]“I sent him a jar of honey after, but never heard anything about it.”[/color] She said simply. 

Ezra had responded to Leon’s offer of sponsorship with a little smile and a soft laugh, treating the suggestion as if it were a joke. The last thing he wanted was for his family name to become further intertwined with the Temple of Carnies and Grifters. Already one of his half-siblings was literally in bed with a cultist and another was running events for them. He looked at the bread with a bit of apprehension as if he were trying to determine if the ancient grain had been cut with some kind of psychiatrics to make him more susceptible to joining the drum circle or whatever other pagan bullshit they were bound to bust out as the evening progressed. Apparently he detected no tomfoolery, or perhaps he simply decided that seeing how Andrade had managed to iterate on bread was worth the mental mindfuck, as he picked up a piece, took a small bite, and placed the bread on his plate. 

[color=darkgray]“How the fuck does that guy keep doing it?”[/color] whispered Ezra, shaking his head in bafflement at what had to be the best damn slice of bread he’d ever had. If only he’d gotten his hands on Andrade first. 

[color=darkgray]“The honey?”[/color] said Ezra, stirring back towards the current conversation. 

Oh, right, that would explain the jar that had arrived mysteriously at his office. He’d just assumed after his phone call with Trisha that she would’ve given up on the whole thing sooner or later and had filed the memory away to the part of his mind reserved for unimportant information like birthdays or the names of the friends of the people he was dating at the time. What had ever happened to that thousand dollar jar? He’d probably given it to his secretary. 

[color=darkgray]“Yeah, it was alright,”[/color] said Ezra with a nod. [color=darkgray]“How is the honey business faring now that the bees have settled down for a cozy winter?”[/color] 

Alright? It was alright? Had he even tried it? If he had, it must have just been a quick taste. Because there was no way everyone around her- [i]Andrade[/i]- was lying about it, right? What would they benefit from it? Andrade was literally paying for it… 

Trisha was so caught up in stopping herself from getting visibly mad at Ezra that she almost didn’t think about his question and just gave the honest answer. Her eyes widened slightly. Shit. Shit. What did she say? She couldn’t exactly say there was a magic Greenhouse outside their home that had so many flowers in it the bees couldn’t hope to pollinate it. Or that if that wasn’t the case, there’d be no way she wouldn’t have at least a hundred with her right now… 

[color=d1b300]“Oh, it’s doing just fine. Greenhouse technology is quite impressive these days. We have a state of the art one near our home. Bees don’t need to hibernate for the winter if they’re given a hive in a warm enough spot, so they’ve been collecting nectar like normal.”[/color] Trisha answered as smoothly as she could without bringing up the reality- magic. 
[color=d1b300]“I have a standing- contracted- order with Andrade, which has been fulfilled so far. In fact… There’s even a raffle for my honey tonight! A whole thirty two pounds of it. So that’s sixty-four jars, made just in the last fortnight.”[/color]

[color=darkgray]“And this is that thousand dollars a jar shit?”[/color] asked Ezra, tearing off a bit of bread and gesturing at Trisha with it. Or perhaps he’d just checked his watch again. [color=darkgray]“That is a pretty hefty prize to donate away for some raffle. Hopefully you got a receipt so you can get a tax break. The ticket price would have to be pretty steep to compensate, too. Do you know who benefits from the proceeds?”[/color]

It was a loaded question, aimed to drive more doubt into Trisha that her busy little bee business was being exploited by the Temple. A hostile takeover could easily be disguised with a warm smile, a firm handshake, and an initial promise of mutual benefits with actual follow-up. Ezra would know. He continued to pick at the bread instead of eating it just as he would’ve continued to pick at Trisha’s business sense if she wasn’t saved by a shrill, [color=springgreen]“Darlings~!”[/color]

Tansy clopped over to the table, all signs of her previous frazzlement reversed by a quick touch-up in the bathroom. She descended on the grouping like a bird of prey, swooping in to give a peck on the head to Ezra, Trisha, and Casey in that order, hands pressed firmly on their shoulders to pin them to their chairs if they attempted to struggle or get away. 

[color=springgreen]“Isn’t this just going swell? Everything is just absolutely [i]perfect[/i]. I already know what I’m thankful for, don’t you?”[/color] she said to nobody in particular, laughing at her own attempt at a Thanksgiving flavored joke. [color=springgreen]“Have you tried the bread yet? It’s absolutely marvelous. What are we all talking about? Oh, Cass, you made it! I was [i]worrried[/i] that Patricia wouldn’t invite you.”[/color]

Trisha was, for the first time in her life, relieved when Tansy appeared. It was short lived, disappearing the moment the dreaded Tansy grip- one that every Vanburen sibling knew they couldn't escape, because she'd honed it to perfection- pinned her to her chair for the kind of ‘familial affection' she hated. Brief as it was, reactionary disgust still clutched her. 

But at least she didn't have to keep answering Ezra's questions. She'd managed with the first, but by the second she was beginning to falter. A receipt for tax breaks? She didn't have that. She knew the ticket price was plenty with the amount they were planning- and expecting- to sell. As for the proceeds… had she even asked? She wasn't sure… It was difficult to ignore the creeping doubt. A couple of compliments about her honey and some success, and she was already acting like everything would work out. But it wouldn't, would it? Not when she was the one running it. 

She forced herself to stop thinking about it by facing the new horror that had descended upon them, turning to face Tansy with a smile. At the same time she subtly shifted her body towards Casey, one hand under the table reaching out towards him.
[color=d1b300]“Tansy… I'm glad you could drag yourself away from torturing the poor staff to join us. Ezra was just enlightening us in [I]incredibly interesting[/I] business strategy. You know, the typical stuff."[/color]

[color=629c3f]"Tansy, hey! It's been a while… A year or so? That last time I visited Trisha and you swung by? Wow, you haven't aged a day since!"[/color] Cass' response was much brighter, as she grabbed another roll and tore into it. 
[color=629c3f]"Of course Trisha would wanna invite me… But I dunno how many invites she got? Course she'd prioritise family and all!"[/color]

Trisha held back a laugh at that, knowing both her and Cass knew that was a lie. If she'd had any choice in the invite list neither Ezra nor Tansy would be here. 

[color=629c3f]"Y'know, I almost wasn't here cause [I]someone[/I] assumed I wouldn't wanna come, what with the being English and all. Like that stops me enjoying good food and company!"[/color] Cass laughed, patting Leon's arm and shooting him a teasing grin. 
[color=629c3f]"Oh, you ain't actually met yet, have you? Guess I get to do the intros… Tansy, this is Leon- Casey's oldest brother and my boyfriend… I'm sure you've already heard plenty from Lynette!"[/color]

She was hoping to turn some of the attention away from Trisha, to give her a bit of breathing room, and onto her attention loving boyfriend. 
[color=629c3f]"I bet you'll get on… you can share oldest sibling tips or some shit!"[/color]

[color=C67C12]”Being the oldest isn't something you really trade tips for. It's instinctual.”[/color] Leon joked, hand stretching out to Tansy.
[color=C67C12]”Funny, though; I always expected Ezra to be the oldest. Kind of explains the whole ‘Should’ve gotten waiters’ thing, at least.”[/color]

They had happened across one another at some point, of course. While Leon had been taking care of Layla, Tansy and Lynette had been in a meeting over plans. Though, from everything he'd heard, the giant was sure that she'd forgotten the entire moment. It was lost somewhere, stuck in the endless void between her ears.

[color=C67C12]”We met [i]very[/i] briefly after few days ago. You seemed stressed, like you did a few minutes ago.”[/color]

Slowly, surely, there was another face edging its devious way into the moment.

[color=92278f]”Well nowwwwww… Vanburens worth talking to. Tansy, Ezra- Maxwell Richoux V, please call me Junior. Youngest brother, fourth of five, a pleasure, seriously. Tansy? You. Are. [I]Gorgeous[/i] tonight, Sweetheart. And, Ezra, so [i]dashing![/i]”[/color]

Leon's face scrunched up slightly as Junior inserted himself into the conversation. Suddenly, he was flanked on both sides in a situation where he was just as ready to run… But from where Casey was sitting, the imminent scenario wasn't such a nightmare. If Junior hitched his horse to the Vanburen carriage, then that was time he wasn't going to focus on Trisha. And if they got uncomfortable enough, maybe they'd leave?

What little remaining connection between the two brothers went into the rapid formation of a mental uplink. Casey wasn't interested in receiving very much, but a quick broadcast between them was easy. It was purely intention-based, allowing both parties to declare without speaking. The understood agreement was that the two Vanburens were fair game, so long as boundaries of play were established.

The Richoux Entrapment…

[color=577d06]”Little Brother here is an internet wizz: Impress ‘em, Juni, maybe Ezra will be kind enough to find you a job.”[/color] Casey joked knowing full well what ‘impressing them’ would entail.

[color=92278f]”Oh, I couldn't possibly. Besides, Trisha's here, Cass is here. Women in the STEM fields should have the platform to shine these days.”[/color]

That was [i]not[/i] the expected stance, leaving Casey confused and unsure of what was coming.

[color=springgreen]“Oh, what a [i]humble[/i] little charmer. But don’t you think that work should go to the most [i]qualified[/i] individual, shouldn’t it?”[/color] said Tansy, the wound from being incorrectly identified as the eldest Vanburen soothed by Junior calling her gorgeous. She shifted her shoulder ever so slightly to cut Leon out of the conversation as she turned towards Ezra. [color=springgreen]“Do you not agree, [i]big[/i] brother?”[/color]

[color=darkgray]“The small businesses I work with don’t typically have extensive IT programs,”[/color] said Ezra with a dismissive shrug. 

[color=springgreen]“Well, I for one would love to [i]actually[/i] see something impressive today,”[/color] said Tansy, the corner of her eyes slightly spasming as her stepford programming malfunctioned at the sly insult that included herself in its targeting. She smiled through it as she turned towards Junior and took her seat. She leaned forward, propping herself up just so that her hand disappeared Leon from her periphery like he was an enemy of the State. [color=springgreen]“Ezra isn’t the only person here who can offer you a [i]job[/i].”[/color]

[color=darkgray]“This a pour-your-own affair?”[/color] groaned Ezra as he facepalmed and looked for a drink. 

Junior was immediately taken in by the allure of crawling into Tansy’s life. Even the slightest hint of acceptance was like carrion to the vampire’s senses. He licked his lips. Watching, Casey was beyond curious to see where this would go.

[color=577d06]”Only if you want it to be… Beer? Wine? We [i]can[/i] get things brought up here as you can see, it’s just… The actual dinner, y’see. We’re big eaters, you’ll see people coming back with three, four plates. We can’t possibly expect wait staff to dedicate all that time. But, there’s almost double the alcohol staff. Since it’s beer garden style, they- Oh, look. See?”[/color]

And there, in the crowd, were three people carrying what looked like three equally brash mountains of beer to a nearby table on the main floor. As Casey hopefully distracted Ezra, Junior had a mission of his own now.

[color=92278f]” Now, Tansy… Tans? Ah, Hell, [i]Pretty Lady[/i]... What sort of information technology services are you looking for in your day to day life? Tell me how [i]I[/i] can make your day- No! Tell me how I can make [i]the rest of your life easier.[/i]”[/color] he grinned with a sickeningly sweet smile that really showed off just how charmingly built his face was.

Leon just looked at Cass with a joking frown, somehow feeling suddenly put out of the conversation!

[color=629c3f]”[i]Awww, Babbyyy,[/i]”[/color] Cass giggled under her breath, hands coming up to cradle Leon’s face. She squished his cheeks- somehow- while still keeping her body turned to retain her involvement in the conversation.

[color=d1b300]”I need a drink too,”[/color] Trisha muttered, looking much more similar to her oldest brother in the moment she also looked around for alcohol to help deal with Tansy. Her eyes followed Casey’s direction to stare at the staff in the hopes they’d come over. At least her siblings had completely ignored her STEM involvement… Well, no. Tansy had taken it and implied she was [i]worse[/i]. Which was true, of course, but it didn’t make it sting any less.

Sensing Trisha’s despair, and seeing that no one else was going to valiantly step up to prevent the strange flirting between two literal nightmares, Cass saw that once again she had to step in. 

[color=629c3f]”Whoa, that women in STEM thing went out the window fast, June! Damn!”[/color] Cass laughed.

[color=629c3f]”You don’t sound like you’re just offering a tech solution… I mean, shit, you planning to make some kinda robot to do everything for her? Oh, but Tansy, didn’t you see that wellness influencer… What’s her name? Oh! Joanne White… Anyway! She recently did a video about how using too much tech in your day to day life is really bad for your skin [i]and[/i] could give you cancer, especially if you're in your thirties!”[/color] It was, unfortunately, a real- if completely bullshit- video. As for why Cass had watched it? Because one of the people she worked with on a contracting job had found it [i]hilarious[/i].

 [color=92278f]”Watched it; shit source. Come back with science. Besides, you clearly have no schooling in marketing this shit, despite how good your portfolio looks. I mean, I [i]know[/i] you didn’t go to school for any kind of business. Good, good. Anyway, Tansy, listen; I could offer you a computer service that wipes your digital ass: It’s all a matter of what you’re looking for!”[/color] Junior very quickly redirected back to positivity.

After all, he knew how to speak rich cunt. Gender neutrally, of course, he figured he could probably just as easily sell a service to Ezra. It was all about plying the ego and slipping into the crack made wide. Easily learned from his dear Mother.

Tansy appeared to be deeply enraptured by the tech conversation, but in truth she was merely pleased that the conversation was revolving around her. A chatty table was a good sign for any dinner party and was even more impressive considering the ungodly wait that it was to get some food. The fact that the Vanburens and Richouxes hadn’t started tearing each other apart with fork and knife was, clearly, because she was such a fantastic dinner guest and an even better host. While she stroked her ego, Ezra had laid claim to some beers for the table, passing one off to Trisha and leaving the remaining ones for the wolves. 

[color=springgreen]“Well that’s just the problem, isn’t it [i]Maxwell[/i],”[/color] said Tansy, finding it impossible to call someone who wasn’t wearing a propellor hat with an ice cream stain on their Mickey Mouse shirt Junior. [color=springgreen]“I’m so technologically inept that I wouldn’t even know what there is to look for! Although I wouldn’t mind that robot Cass mentioned. It could manage my socials for me and shield me from that [i]dangerous[/i] blue light.”[/color]

Tansy let out a little chortle as if to say that, like Junior, she believed Joanna White to be an absolute charlatan as she made a mental note to look up that video after dinner. Meanwhile, Ezra sipped his beer and made a faint ‘eh, not bad’ face. He wasn’t a beer guy, but he sure as shit wasn’t about to subject himself to whatever well whiskey was stocked to for a dinner this size. 

[color=darkgray]“So big brother is a boxer and little brother is in charge of polishing the glass ceiling,”[/color] said Ezra, gesturing with his beer towards Casey. [color=darkgray]“What line of work are you in?”[/color]

Trisha was more than happy to have her hands on some form of alcohol, drinking the beer like it was water until she'd finished about half of it. It helped her zone out Tansy and Junior's equally grating voices. Hopefully Cass would give an extra buffer- even if she too had grabbed a beer to chug to cope. Trisha looked up from drinking at Ezra's question, gaze turning to Casey. It was almost earnest- like she hoped that by answering, it'd put any stupid worries Ezra had to rest and then she wouldn't have to deal with further questioning.

[color=d1b300]“Tell him where you served,"[/color] she said softly, as if Casey wouldn't if she didn't prompt him to.

Hearing Trisha urging him along made him want to go full gungho over his service. To laud it over yet another man too old to serve and be called upon. People like Ezra didn't go to war anyway, they paid the draft office fine and continued along their lives. But someone like Ezra also contributed more in war bonds and other fundraising endeavors than any other tax bracket. Just like everything else, they must believe their freedom is simply purchasable.

He bought it. Knew others who bought it too. They called it “Buying a Farm” in the exact same way you send a dog to the great dog park in the sky. A better place, free from the pain of war and the suffering of its indifference. Cradled in the arms of the lord, the asking price is young men's lives. By the thousands. Who did Casey really [i]need[/i] to impress? Small children, elderly folks, the broken and beaten, the downtrodden; people who needed the inspiration to see a future with themselves in it. A reason to get up, stand up, one more time. Again, and again.

His head turned slightly to Trisha, and he smiled warmly, then looked back at Ezra with the same expression.
[color=577d06]”I was a Chief Warrant Officer with the United States Armed Forces. Warrant Officer is a weird position, because you're basically a man attached to a bigger group; someone above you said ‘These guys need your help’. You usually have some kind of skill or training others don't have, and you slide into a unit to impart your knowhow. Started in a different outfit, fighting in French Indochina, joined the Army once we got involved, fought with the Brits in Africa, crossed to Italy, scaled the Alps and made it into Berlin to see the Ruskis demolishing the statues.”[/color]

He took a sip of his drink, leaving his older brother to lean forward.

[color=C67C12]”Y'know, the amount of times I heard you say ‘Chief Warrant Officer’ could probably clog my brain. But, for the life of me, I don't remember what it is you specialized in.”[/color]

Casey realized only then that he'd never really bothered with the specifics. Mostly because it felt hard to quantify, and didn't do his participation any kind of justice. His specialization made him feel like a camp vendor in an RPG.

[color=577d06]”Well, my MoS was logistics and repair. I'm a licensed, trained, fully accredited gunsmith. I've got certs having to do with everything from ammunition loading to shit you probably wouldn't want to think about. But my tactical specialty is force multiplication. I took a lot of classes in between getting shot at. Lots of qualification courses. Aptitude tests. It was determined that I'm pretty competent at setting up things like coordinated assaults, ambushes; things that require a creatively devious mind.”[/color]

He grinned at Ezra now, lips pursing slightly.
[color=577d06]”I'll be out of a job here, pretty soon. No chance you're looking for a new head of security, hey Ezra?”[/color] he playfully stuck his tongue out knowing full well he didn’t need to work a day in his life.

But it'd be potentially useful to see more of him. To get closer. Even if Trisha thought he was boring, Casey had experienced worse. Boring only meant there wasn't a lot of extra shit going on. Direct and to the point made for the best orders…

Meanwhile, a devil was trying to sell lightning in a bottle to a presumably unsuspecting victim.
[color=92278f]”I do have access to a basic AI infrastructure. If you're willing, Tansy, we can uh… Train it. To fit you, essentially. We feed it as many of your text messages and social media posts as we can, it replicates your texting patterns, and voilà! A machine that you feed basic information, and it spits out a blog post or a social post. Whatever you tell it to. How's that sound? Your own digital you!”[/color] Junior grinned, pulling out his phone.

[color=92278f]”Also, uh… Can't polish something that doesn't exist, big business man… Look at your sister, look how successful she is and tell me there's a glass ceiling… God, men in women's issues am I right?”[/color] he did his best to stifle the evil in his grin.

[color=springgreen]“And imagine how much more successful [i]I[/i] would be if there were two of me,”[/color] giggled Tansy, quite certain that there was no other sister that Junior could’ve been speaking about. 
[color=darkgray]“There’s a difference between being fortunate and being successful, but I digress,”[/color] muttered Ezra into his beer. It was a snipe not only aimed at Tansy. He leaned back in his chair and gave Casey a curious look. He had taken the long, go-around way of saying that he was gainfully unemployed. [color=darkgray]“Does the Temple’s Thanksgiving typically double as a job fair? Or is this just special treatment caused by the jangling of pockets?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Well, it’s really all we know you by around here. Seems to be the tune St. Portwell dances to, ain’t it?”[/color]
Casey spread his arms dismissively.
[color=577d06]”As for the job fair vibe, I mean sure. There’s plenty to be done in a thriving community. Probably nothing like that conglomerate of yours, but hey the little guys need someone to play the music closer by. Especially if the other pastures are gated communities. Fair, I guess, shepherds typically don’t want their prize livestock tainted by that [i]other guy’s wretched freakish herd.[/i]”[/color]

Casey’s attitude had plummeted, though he maintained a chipper tone in spite of it.There wasn’t a great deal to talk about besides these sorts of things, were there? But his words were escaping the tone regardless; so it’d either be damn the entire dinner and piss Trisha off, or pull back and save face. A subtle look at Leon’s expression told him how he [i]should[/i] handle it.

[color=C67C12]”Hey, now… We dance the ol’ raindance in these parts. Vanburen money is [i]not[/i] a major concern, we get by just fine under the patronage of the Church and our generous contributors. But I don’t think it’s wrong to be of a fundraising mind at all times. Who knows, as in we certainly don’t: You [i]could[/i] be a quiet fan of the league! You [i]could[/i] be looking for an expert soldier to head up some internal security force. Tansy here [i]could[/i] be looking for someone to fix her up with a social media bot.”[/color]

Leon’s massive shoulders shrugged, and he took a sip of beer, free hand playing with Cass’ in his own.

[color=C67C12]”You can let go of your purse strings, my Man. Nobody’ll cut’em here.”[/color] he finished, raising his glass up slightly at Ezra.

[color=92278f]”We could [i]always[/i] talk about the other thing our beloved Temple is famous for…”[/color] Junior leaned in, suddenly far more interested in the brewing of tea than the financial pillaging of his saxon forefathers.

Trisha was getting visibly tense. She was doing her best to hide it, but it was difficult when she felt like she was being pressed on all sides. The polite smile had dropped into a flat line. Her shoulders hunched up and her hands clutched her skirt, fabric bunching up between her fingers. Of [i]course[/i] it was going this way. Of course Tansy was acting like she was the best. Of course Ezra assumed everyone wanted his money. He’d come in with suspicions and was just having them confirmed. She could practically feel him judging her for it. Sure, she wasn’t successful. But she wasn’t stupid either.

[color=d1b300]“Casey was clearly joking about the job, Ezra.”[/color] Trisha said tersely, shifting herself forward in her chair to be more in between her brother and boyfriend. As if she could hide someone almost a foot taller than her… She didn’t like how Casey had responded, but she didn’t like Ezra’s questioning either. Casey’s tone had been so obviously non-serious! He didn’t need the fucking money!

None of them did! The only one who needed a job was the one person who hadn’t asked for one yet! And why did she even care? It wasn’t like she needed her brother’s approval-
[color=d1b300]“Nobody’s looking for your money. It’s like Leon said. They don’t even need it. You don’t always need to assume the worst, Ezra. Please? Stop acting like the Vanburen company head- like [i]dad[/i]- for just a couple of hours?”[/color]

[color=629c3f]”I dunno, I actually need a- Just kidding!”[/color] Cass went to joke, stopping herself as Trisha twisted her head round to stare at her. Like Cass would actually want another boring office job… No thank you! She smiled comfortingly at her friend, going back to chugging her beer and gently scratching her fingers against Leon’s. He had given a pretty great answer, after all.

Trisha’s head then snapped over to glare at Junior. The other thing they were famous for? What, being a cult? Magic? No, that was only known to the magical community. Ezra and Tansy were blind. 

[color=d1b300]“I don’t know what you’re talking about, [i]Maxwell[/i], but I doubt my siblings are interested in discussing anything related to the Temple.”[/color] 

Ezra generally kept a fairly strong poker face, but the glances he’d started throwing at his watch were quite telling that he wasn’t much interested in discussing anything with someone related to the Temple, let alone about it. He’d clocked Casey’s change in temperament, too; he imagined the soldier was simply upset because he hadn’t bent over backwards and thanked him for his service. However Tansy, having sensed the downward shift in the atmosphere because someone’s name was being said more than her own, became animated at the idea of quickly shifting the conversation away from whatever boring drivel they had all been going on about. 

[color=springgreen]“Patricia, please. Perhaps you don’t want to know, I would absolutely love to hear more about our [i]gracious[/i] hosts. There’s just such an [i]intriguing[/i] air of mystique surrounding the Temple. I always hear so much about them from my girl friends, yet nobody even has the faintest idea of what they actually do,”[/color] said Tansy, putting a finger to her chin and tapping it. [color=springgreen]“A bit of common ground they share with you, [i]dearest[/i] brother. Go on, Maxwell. Illuminate us.”[/color]

Both older brothers were also keyed into the fear of not knowing what was coming next. This bastard…

[color=92278f]”Andrade’s cooking, obviously. Big Brother? Can you pass that bread down here?”[/color]

Casey deflated at Junior’s menacing grin, eyes twisting from the high of recognizing the shifting Emotional Field from his brother’s face to the basket and back. Leon could only start laughing.
[color=C67C12]”Y’know? That’s great. It’s a good topic, honestly. His entire repertoire of styles is on display tonight.”[/color]

[color=92278f]”Now, I know carbs ain’t friends, but Andrade really knows how to make ‘em friendly, Tansy. Uhhhh-”[/color] Junior paused, mulling over the basket as he received it before spinning it around to Tansy.

[color=92278f]”-There’s a [i]petite[/i] dinner roll, just at the base of the precarious baguette sitting so wonderfully erect in this here basket… I would [i]encourage you[/i] to try a piece. And when you like it, try the whole thing. These are, I’m told, from Andrade’s new [i]Guiltless[/i] experiments that he’s doing over at his test kitchen. All the love of bread, none of the [i]pain[/i].”[/color] he finished, chordling in a French accent.


Trisha wasn’t sure what Junior was trying to do. Have Tansy gorge herself on carbs and spiral about her health, taking it out on everyone else around her? Not, that didn’t make sense. The bread was safe, so he wasn’t trying to kill her Blind sister somehow. Tansy had already eaten from the basket. Was he hoping she’d somehow pick up on the subtext of what he was saying and assume most bread was made via the murder of ghosts?

She couldn’t even argue that much, because Casey had handed it to Junior. 
[color=d1b300]“Tansy already tried some earlier. She knows how nice it is… And it’s not really any different from the rest of the food. High quality, made by or under the guidance of Andrade.”[/color]

[color=629c3f]”Oh dude, you [i]cannot[/i] hold that this close to me.”[/color] Cass’ hand shot out to snatch up the pointed out baguette, unable to resist when she could smell the bread again. Damned extra sensitive nose…

[color=springgreen]“Oh,”[/color] said Tansy, staring at the temptation placed before her as her eyes briefly glossed over. She’d been hoping to hear something a bit more scandalous. She quickly course corrected with a wooden smile. [color=springgreen]“Of course! I did already try one, but I suppose it is Thanksgiving. A bit of [i]indulgence[/i] is always apropos.”[/color]

She grabbed the tiny dinner roll and took a miniscule bite, [color=springgreen]“Mm, scrumptious! How does Andrade do it?”[/color]

[color=darkgray]“MSG?”[/color] offered Ezra.

[color=springgreen]“Be serious, brother,”[/color] snipped Tansy as she scarfed the rest of the roll. [color=springgreen]“Andrade would never. [i]Everyone[/i] knows that stuff is toxic.”[/color]

[color=629c3f]"It definitely ain't MSG. This is just real good fucking bread,"[/color] Cass commented as she munched on her baguette, not even bothering with Tansy's belief MSG was toxic. 

[color=d1b300]“It’s only toxic if you believe everything you read from those ‘wellness’ magazines of yours,"[/color] Trisha rolled her eyes at Tansy, before managing to go back to the act of pretending to be a good little sister. Anything to keep the conversation on food, rather than risk Junior actually start talking about unsavoury Temple issues- or god forbid, really decide to cast magic in front of her siblings. 

She held out a little tub of honey whipped with butter towards Tansy with a smile.
[color=d1b300]“Since you've already indulged, why not a little more? Try some with this- Andrade made it too. You'll never guess where the honey came from."[/color]

Junior’s hand swept out.
[color=92278f]”Oh, no no. See, you’ve all [i]totally[/i] missed the point. Forgive me; I’m nowhere near as good at selling food as I am software. I guess using terms like ‘Miracle’ and ‘Magic Product’ just feel silly, but… Well, if you can believe it, these really are [i]guilt free[/i]. Absolved, as it were, of their demonic carbs and sugars, these breads are made with incredibly rare ingredients. The caloric sum of that little bun? Ten calories. Ten [i]precious[/i] calories, dedicated to a full dinner roll experience.”[/color]

It may’ve been gauche to use the phrase “magic product”, but under the circumstances, there was no chance they were getting away without rounding back to the [i]actual[/i] topic. He wondered how long Ezra would be able to hold out once it started being broached in a heavier fashion.

[color=92278f]”Obviously, I’m not some gastronomist. I don’t know [i]how[/i] Andrade did it. But, I mean, he was telling me all about it before the event: Really, truly impressive stuff. You guys ever hear the rumor that he’s, like, a Wizard or something?”[/color]


[color=577d06]”Oh, he is… Kitchen Wizard. Big doings, that kind of a life. But, the bread is impressive for how [i]filling[/i] it is. Definitely tricking the stomach with that kind of thing.”[/color] Casey added, never sure of where his demonic little brother was on the move toward next.

[color=92278f]”How would you make a guy like that [i]better[/i], Ezra? Like, the [i]perfect version of himself.[/i] It’s gotta be hard getting much more perfect than a chef who cooks like this. I guess, what, you just… Make him taller? He’s a lil’ Latin hunk, he doesn’t need the height from what I’ve seen.”[/color] he grinned, presenting a very non-veiled question so long as the context was appreciated. 

Wizards, magic, making people perfect… Maybe he was worse than the others because he didn’t just [i]read[/i] the dossiers and files gathered up by the Temple’s vast network; he compiled them. Who else would take the time and effort to organize these sorts of things digitally for easy access by Temple security and the absolute upper crust of their society? All that mattered is, White Lux prodding him or not, Junior knew a Hell of a lot more than the others at the table about Ezra. Maybe not [i]terribly personal[/i] things, but personal enough to be concerning. 

The very subtle Orange Lux; he’d titled the observed abstraction “Midas’ Touch”, and only wondered if the stuck up businessman before him had ever bothered to name his own abstraction. There was a pang of doubt, of course.

[color=C67C12]”Also, Tansy, trust me: MSG isn’t any kind of problem. You look at any modern study, it’s no worse than table salt. Now, if you wanna stay away from both, fine, but your body’s not gonna thank you.”[/color] Leon shrugged, unable to let the sweet, sweet embrace of MSG be put down by an ignorant fad dietist.

[color=springgreen]“I think the real problem is this honey. It’s to [i]die[/i] for! I’m afraid at this rate that I might fill up on bread and honey before we even get around the having the actual meal,”[/color] said Tansy.

If Ezra had picked up on the obvious undertones of Junior’s rambling then he didn’t show any signs of it. He treated Junior as if he was the one guy who had drunk way more than everyone else and started to express some poor takes on the actual effects of vaccination–by showing him enough attention that he wouldn’t feel like he had to repeat himself, but not engaging so he wasn’t trapped in a stupid conversation. His gaze drifted away almost immediately, and it was only when it returned to find Junior still looking his way that Ezra finally felt obligated to answer.

[color=darkgray]“Oh, I assumed that was rhetorical,”[/color] said Ezra, shifting in his seat and shooting his beer a look of disappointment for not being stronger. He sighed ever so slightly as he repeated the question. [color=darkgray]“How would I make Andrade better? Well, frankly, I wouldn’t: I’m not a chef. Now if we’re assuming he’d come to me for business advice, I would suggest that he avoids catering. It might feel like it’s easier, but the loss in revenue you could’ve made by forcing people to actually go somewhere could empty out your retirement fund faster than Tansy is going to empty out that jar of honey. ”[/color]

[color=springgreen]“It’s positively [i]diabolical[/i]. Anymore and I fear that I may have to [i]hibernate[/i] this winter,”[/color] said Tansy with a titter, smearing another roll with a honey-covered knife. She turned enough to finally grant Leon some attention.[color=springgreen]“Cass. You and [i]your friend[/i] simply have to try this!”[/color]

Trisha had no idea what Junior was trying to do, and that made her nervous. Why was he going on about making Andrade perfect? The constant heavy leaning on the words magic… She could see the angle. But her siblings were Blind. They weren't going to pick up on it, were they? So why? She turned to look at Casey with a slightly furrowed brow, looking a little confused. 

At least Ezra easily brushed it off. Maybe that's what Junior was looking for, for some godforsaken reason. Business advice. Ezra was well known for [I]improving[/I] and [I]perfecting[/I] small businesses he invested in. 

And the topic turned back to the honey. Even though she'd handed it to Tansy, she felt conflicted. She wanted to brag. Each compliment from Tansy was a tiny confidence boost. She felt [I]smug[/I] about it. Because it was coming from someone who'd spent Trisha's whole life putting her down… but did she want her to know? And risk the compliments changing to snide remarks? 

[color=629c3f]"Oh, I already tried plenty earlier! Andrade was going around brandishing a honey covered spoon like a weapon!"[/color] Cass laughed. But she did stretch out a bit in her seat, hungry look in her eyes at the thought of more bread [I]with[/I] Trisha's honey. Plus, she didn't have to worry about filling up- cause her appetite was way beyond human at this point. 

She didn't take the little jar Tansy was making her way through, angling her body slightly towards Trisha, who handed her another jar. Then Cass grabbed a roll and absolutely smothered it in honey. She took a big bite, groaning slightly. 

[color=629c3f]"Fuck, it's good… Want some, [I]buddy[/I]?"[/color] Cass snickered, holding the honey covered roll towards Leon. Her other hand had returned to his, fingers playfully wriggling in his. She was completely unbothered by Tansy calling him her friend, and whatever was going on there- after all, she was confident enough in her relationship that it didn't matter what someone else said! Nevermind Trisha's pretty awful sister. 

[color=d1b300]“I’m glad you're enjoying the honey, Tansy. You know, Ezra said that it was just [I]alright[/I]."[/color] Trisha couldn't resist at least saying something, further bolstered by Cass' enjoyment. Just not quite outright saying-

[color=629c3f]"Which is fucking insane! This is the shit- God, Trisha, your bees are fucking insane. How do they make honey this good?!"[/color]

Leon’s mouth easily wrapped around the end of the roll that still had honey on it, and rather than let Cass have the rest, he purposefully jawed down on it. Sliding the whole thing out of her hand, the wolfman swallowed it with little to no effort, simply grinning back at Cass. There was already a lot going on between his two brothers muscling around; he didn’t want [i]that[/i] much friction on Thanksgiving. It was nice just to be with Cass in the atmosphere of a public space. So many bodies gave his brain a tingling sensation thanks to Lelou.

Meanwhile Casey, still doing his best to not let what Ezra said earlier drive him off the edge of the conversation, took Leon’s subtle queue and resigned into his side of the table slightly. He leaned on his right side toward Trisha, taking in what Tansy was saying about the honey. Sure; better conversation overall; more open and positive at the least.

[color=577d06]”It’s because Trisha really puts in the effort. Just because the flowers are down for the winter, doesn’t mean that tending to your bees just stops! She actively feeds them still, and more than they need, so they feel stimulated enough to continue producing honey. She’s real attentive, it’s a great quality of hers.”[/color] he grinned warmly at Trisha, hand reaching out for hers.

But Junior was brewing… Boiling. How [i]dare[/i] his prodding be deflected? He would have his reaction… Whether anyone else wanted him to have it or not, he was hungry now. Like a wolf on the hunt, he smelled blood before it’d even leaked. It wasn’t so much a question of [i]why[/i] either. To Junior, the why so often faded into the background. The philosopher’s problem becomes the engineer’s, and the motivation is simply finding an in. A tiny, little crack. Though, it was no secret that Pappa Vanburen was a known playboy. When considered in conjunction with the dirty little secret quietly dispersed across the table, however…

[color=92278f]”Well, Ezra, the catering’s clearly not for his profits. He’s a good friend of our family, loves cooking, and community… Makes enough from the restaurants, I think he can lose a night on the catering. [i]Anyway[/i], since you’re clearly tense and [i]not[/i] enjoying our company, let me ask a new question, something maybe that’ll clear the air. Correct me if I’m wrong, but… Well, actually I don’t know! How many Vanburens [i]are[/i] full siblings? God, there’s more of you than of us by like threefold.”[/color] 

He reached out to take another roll for himself, and not-so-subtly doused it in the special Apparition table salt that was in his personal shaker. Casey’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he watched Junior ingest a concentrated dose of the [i]good stuff[/i], and all the perceptive Paranormals at the table would be able to feel an intense wind of White Lux as he instinctively bolstered himself for the conversation to come…

Because if this guy stayed this tight? Junior knew he’d have no other choice but to bring in his observational skills… And he didn’t want to. He wanted a nice, easy surface kill. Something he could spear from the boat.


Trisha had been looking at Casey with an incredibly sappy smile, a light blush colouring her cheeks as warmth spread across her expression. She immediately took his hand, fingers curling in between his. But as Junior talked again- as he asked about how many Vanburens were full siblings- her expression dropped. Her whole body went tense, and she gripped Casey's hand like it was a life line. Wasn't it at least obvious she wasn't the other two's full sibling?! Ezra and Tansy if you squinted, maybe. Of course Junior would ask something like that. Of fucking course. Trisha didn't say anything, but she wasn't able to hide her awful expression as her gaze turned to Ezra… Waiting to see how he'd respond. Dreading the possibility of him immediately, coldly, saying the truth.


[color=darkgray]“We’re still at zero as far as I’m aware,”[/color] said Ezra, utterly unphased by the question. 

Perhaps it had been a sore spot when he was younger, but his father’s legacy of “trying to collect one of each” (as the late-night hosts and tabloids had put it years ago when people started catching wind of his galavanting) didn’t bother Ezra anymore. Or, if it did, he didn’t let it be seen. Tansy, on the other hand, sat there with a hand over her mouth as if Junior had just pulled it out at the dinner table. As if Trisha’s stupid gross little bees being the source of such scrumptious honey wasn’t shocking enough! A sharp [color=springgreen]“Ah!”[/color] that would often be followed by a request to speak to the manager escaped Tansy’s mouth. Her hand twisted the table cloth, perhaps because she found herself sitting too far away from Junior to strike his across the cheek. 

[color=springgreen]“I-It doesn’t matter anyway! Daddy always said it’s bonds, not blood that makes a family. I [i]love[/i] all of my half Vanburen siblings like they were my full Vanburen siblings, even if they are [i]different[/i],”[/color] said Tansy. [color=springgreen]“Such a [i]dull[/i] question! Why even ask it?”[/color]

[color=darkgray]“Technically, Tansy doesn’t even have half-siblings. She’s adopted,”[/color] offered Ezra unhelpfully.

[color=springgreen]“[i]Ezra! Stop saying that![/i]”[/color] said Tansy with a whine that temporarily deaged her by over a quarter of a century. Growing up it had been a mean game amongst the others to tell Tansy she was adopted, although the validity of that statement was uncertain. Somebody had once told Tansy if it upsetted her so much to just get a blood test. Who knows if she ever actually did, but it was around that same time she began expressing the viewpoint that you couldn’t really trust doctors and instead started investing heavily in alternative medicines.

[color=springgreen]“It’s [i]simply[/i] not true,”[/color] said Tansy, shaking the honey jar in her hand as she tried to shift the topic of conversation back to something more pleasant and sweet. [color=springgreen]“Just like how I cannot [i]believe[/i] that this honey comes from you bees, Patricia. Maybe Andrade [i]actually[/i] is a wizard!”[/color]

Trisha’s expression only continued to get worse. From Ezra coldly confirming it like she feared, to Tansy acting like… Tansy. While Trisha didn’t like any of her siblings, the whole half-sibling thing [i]was[/i] a sore spot. It wasn’t like any of them had full siblings? So what was the difference? It was just another way to put her down. Making her more inferior… 

She was gripping onto Casey’s hand tight enough that it would’ve really hurt if she was stronger- and he was weaker. It stopped her from running, or from completely snapping. Because of course Tansy couldn’t believe it was her honey. Because she didn’t believe that Trisha could do anything!

[color=d1b300]“Oh, Andrade didn’t touch the honey! In fact, he loves the raw product so much he’s practically buying my whole regular supply!”[/color] Trisha managed to not quite fully snap, if only because she didn’t want to ruin things. Not when there was still the proposal. Not when Cass, who didn’t know as much as Casey did about her family situation, was right there. Years and years of experience with Tansy helped.

[color=d1b300]“We can even ask him later if you don’t believe me. But why wouldn’t you? Didn’t you say you love all of us like we were full siblings? Are you not happy that I’m making something so nice?”[/color] She tilted her head, though her expression was tight enough it was pretty impossible to read anything but annoyance. Suddenly, the topic being about her honey wasn’t so nice anymore. She should’ve expected that. 

So she glanced over at Junior. 
[color=d1b300]“I’m surprised that [i]you[/i] hadn’t heard [i]any[/i] of the rumours about our Father. It doesn’t even take much digging.”[/color]

[color=92278f]”Oh, who hasn’t heard, [i]Patricia?[/i] It’s not about hearing from a tabloid, it’s about the pearl falling out of the swine’s mouth. [i]Adopted…[/i] Y’know, Tansy, they hit me with the same one whenever I come around. For the first few years there, Leon had me [i]convinced[/i] I wasn’t part of the family. That they kidnapped me from an alternate dimension. Creative, that one.”[/color] Junior grinned, clocking the guarantee that Ezra’s mother had to be his real focus. The next target to catch strays, from wherever she happened to be anyway.

Casey gritted his teeth.
[color=577d06]”That’s a family name, June.”[/color] He intoned quietly, not loving one person latching onto Patricia, never mind two… 

[color=92278f]”Oh, chill. The warlock’s hardly my concern at the moment.”[/color] Junior waved a dismissive hand, smiling.
[color=92278f]”An [i]alien.[/i]-”[/color] he continued, trying to take Tansy’s attention off that and back to a place he wanted to explore. Discomfort by sledge. [color=92278f]”-Can you believe that? How rotten a big brother is he?”[/color] he laughed aloud.


[color=C67C12]”Yeah, yeah. We’ve all been cruel to children at one point or another, haven’t we?”[/color] Leon’s vague yet unavoidably sinister remark passed across his lips like any other breath.

[color=92278f]”Oh, yeah, sure! Definitely, we were all truly cruel as children. It's all they know, which is why they’re so precious. We need to help them, edu- Ooooh, you sly dog! You got me monologuing, I see you… [i]Anyway[/i]... I’m sure, Tansy, that you and Trisha never had any problems like that, right? Being such a diverse group of kids, must’ve been a great reminder of just how beautiful the cultures of our world really are!”[/color] he continued to prod, leaving few if any clues as to where this was going next.

[color=springgreen]“Sure, right, that’s what I meant,”[/color] said Tansy dismissively to Junior, turning her attention to Trisha with a too big smile. [color=springgreen]“Of course I’m [i]happy[/i] for you, Patricia. I was simply [i]teasing[/i].”[/color] Tansy turned her head to Junior. [color=springgreen]“See, we’ve never had a single problem. Not back then, not now. Isn’t that [i]right[/i], Patricia?”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“[I]Right[/I], no problems at all,"[/color] Trisha intoned, sarcasm dripping from her words. But it was easier to say something that Tansy's twisted mind would take as agreement in that moment…

[color=darkgray]“Speaking of children: where’s your father, Junior?”[/color] asked Ezra, almost innocently.  

[color=92278f]”Chances are high, probably dead. As far as the law’s concerned, he’s a goner! Tragic: Maxwell Richoux IV, vanished! Thin air! He finished his fight at the venue that night, all of us were there, he seemed fine! Went off with his crew, we go to the hotel, and woke up next morning, Dad’s not there! No info to this day, in spite of having international police investigations and the like.”[/color] Junior’s hands raised in the air sharply, as if asking the powers above for answers.

Casey shook his head in annoyance. The same person who so often made things about [i]the honor of their name[/i] so casually talking about their Father’s situation made him sick. It only made him sicker that he had answers. Not that he could ever tell whether or not Junior [i]also[/i] knew… He only hoped that wasn’t the case. Nobody else needed to know where he was. What’d been done… 
Looking up slightly, he saw Lynette’s eyes open wide and unblinking, staring across the table as she listened in on their side. Her expression dared him to do anything but sit and take it.

He grabbed his beer and stood. He’d not be made a fool of. The glass raised up, and the massive frame of Max III instantly shot up from his chair with his own stein, setting off a chain reaction of people standing for an expected toast.
[color=577d06]”Thankful for you, Father of mine! May Maxwell IV rest forever among the stars!”[/color]

There was a rousing [i]Santé[/i] and glasses clinked. People drank, then clinked again where applicable, and sat back down. Leon hadn’t bothered to put Cass down, clinking his glass with her rather than his brothers. For Casey, Lynette’s expression of expectant discomfort became one of quiet appreciation. He could only return fury. 

But Junior’s hands waved around as the cheer finished, and he comfortably smiled at Ezra.
[color=92278f]”Ah, Big Brother here, giving us a nice demonstration: Really, he’s always in our hearts. Now, where’s uh… Well, I heard Trisha’s Mom was supposed to be here. But, where’s everyone else’s? Ezra, really, I think everyone here would love to talk to your Mom specifically.”[/color] 

[color=darkgray]“Oh, that must be because they don’t know her. She sticks to Florida this time of year,”[/color] said Ezra before lifting his beer in salutation. [color=darkgray]“Sorry about your old man. I’d hoped to meet him.”[/color]

Had he? Hard to tell. Ezra very well could’ve been attempting to cover up a failed jab as innocent ignorance. 

Trisha's breath hitched slightly at the mention of her own mom. She'd managed to get past the point where she immediately panicked when she was brought up, but it was still difficult to stop the immediate spiralling. Her hand went for Casey's again, both to ground herself and comfort him after all the talk about his dad. Because she knew he was dead… Her gaze turned to Casey, eyes filled with warmth and sympathy. Being there for him helped to dull her own anxiety just a little bit… 

[color=d1b300][I]”I love you.”[/I][/color] She did her best to mentally project at him, hoping his awareness of her Emotional Field would mean he picked it up. 
She just wanted the evening to be over so they could go home together…

[color=629c3f]"Why're you so interested in his Mum?"[/color] Cass bluntly asked Junior, gesturing her beer towards Ezra. It was hard to miss the sudden focus and she wasn't the type to leave questions unanswered. 
[color=629c3f]"You hoping to find some juicy family secret? Ain't really the time or place, is it?"[/color]

Casey wasn’t terribly tense. It was more Lynette than it was the idea of Max being dead. Sure, that sucked, but at least knowing for sure meant that his cheers could really be sincere. He had taped his channeler to his thigh, the skin on skin contact being plenty for casting spells efficiently. He’d let another subtle burst go in order to check on Trisha, and caught her trying to project her love toward him. It was adorable.
He was no Pink Lux Adept, so he couldn’t simply impart the emotion he felt. But, he could easily return words to her.

All at once, spread so tightly that individuality was lost for the bigger picture, Casey’s voice repeated something a dozen, maybe a hundred times as one loud, cacophonous [color=577d06][i][b]”I love you.”[/b][/i][/color]. The thunderclap of emotion was followed by a long trickle of mental images taken from Casey’s POV, each one lovingly staring at Trisha until she was looking at her own face being projected back to her in real time.
Then it all faded away, and he was there again, smiling at her.

[color=92278f]”This is a Temple event. It’s always time for family secrets around here.”[/color] Junior giggled, having no intention of backing off now.
[color=92278f]”But, also, if enough people know about something, is it really a secret? I mean, come on… James Vanburen, leaves behind a pile of kids, and none of them make much of themselves, yet here we’ve got the oldest son. Clearly, most successful-”[/color]

However, loud speakers that had been announcing the different sections of guests to head up for their meals opened up overhead:

[i]”Section C: Temple staff, honored guests and friends of the Richoux family, please stand and make way for the serving area.”[/i]

The interruption brought Junior’s exposition to a halt as bodies filling the private box stood and damn near sprinted out toward the catering area. Leon knew he didn’t have to wait, and was up with Cass [i]before[/i] the announcement was finished. He had her by one arm, and with the other hand, pushed off the edge of the box to hurdle them off and toward the food. Whether such a move was because he was hungry, or because he was uncomfortable, had yet to be seen.

But Casey could only laugh as he watched the two feral wolves sprint off for their meal.
[color=577d06]”You two sticking with me and her?-”[/color] Casey asked, pushing up from his chair and looking down at Tansy and Ezra.
[color=577d06]”-Or, you gonna take a break and fade into the crowd?”[/color] he asked casually, still hoping that things weren’t going to be a nightmare between himself and the elder Brother. Soon to be brother-in-law…