sweethymns | Mι∂ηιgнт ιη Ƥαяιѕ

[A few weeks is a long time to not hear from someone.

Oren and young Solomon Grey Oakes are one of the few people who could discern the more hidden moods of Iona Jacqueline Oakes. Of course, she was always optimistic regardless of how she truly felt, but the former saw how she always glanced at the doorway every time they opened up the cafe and the latter was noticing that she had been texting him a lot more out of boredom and telling him to visit her more often. And when Solomon managed to find the time in his schedule to go to the Grind (he was still in the middle of a lengthy house renovation project), his baby sister would then burst open, spilling out the contents of her worries and concerns.

"Oh god Sully, what if I really screwed things up for them?!"

"Jackie—"

"I mean, they're probably lying low. I mean, they'd have to, it'd look suspicious if they always headed towards the same alleyway and those shady guys are probably stalking them to see where they're headed—"

"Jackie—"

"—He's been thrown into the river more than once. What if it's permanent?! There's no real way to contact them and I'll have to keep waiting and waiting and by the time that happens, they'll be 50 and—"

"JACKIE."

"..."

"... Wanna watch a new movie together?"

"... Thanks Sully."

He hadn't been the best big brother in the past, but at least he knew he was probably doing something right in the present if she was confiding in him again.

❇❇❇

A tall dark man with a light fuzz of beard around his face and long dreadlocks that reach down to his shoulders, studies the new wooden table and bench seats that is situated on the far side of the cafe, a beautiful piece, refurbished from scraps of wood, pieced together and finished with a mahogany stain so that it could proudly be part of the Midnight Grind.

He takes a seat on a bench and looks up at Oren who gives his approval with a nod and a cup of hot coffee for the man.]

"Better for study groups."

[Solomon chuckles.]

Glad to hear it. That way you and Jackie won't have to rearrange furniture all the time.

[He takes the coffee breathing in the aroma with satisfaction.]

This should keep her happy for now, you think?

"Distraction. Your work good. Loves anyway."

Well, even I can't keep her distracted forever...

[ It's been a hectic few weeks.

Bearing the brunt of the abuse was Claude, of course— what could reasonably be blamed on the half-brother-turned-impromptu-guardian would inevitably be blamed on him, and a majority of the rumors (and the ensuing injuries) were attributed to his carelessness. Some even questioned his loyalty, citing his tenuous familial ties as a reason for him to stir trouble, but his flippant willingness to allow whatever punishment to befall him was what caused his temporary house arrest as opposed to something more drastic. That would account for Claude's momentary disappearance.

Gus, on the other hand, suffered something more stifling: where Claude doesn't mind solitary confinement, Gus finds surveillance cloying. Being guarded day and night is his reason for not showing up, and as the weeks passed and no immediate danger presented itself, the number of people constantly watching him dwindled, dwindled...

...until he found himself being able to speak without being spoken to in return, found himself being able to walk without being asked where he was going.

So.

Obviously, this results in him looking for a door; a very familiar door, one that leads to a place he'd been itching to go for days, weeks, months. He runs all over town looking for it, stumbles into more than a few wrong houses along the way, before he trips headfirst into the entrance of the Midnight Grind.

Momentum pitches him forward, has him stumble on nice leather shoes and skid, skid, skid...

...into a faceplant on one of the nice rugs. ]

—Table for one...

[ He says, through a mouthful of fabric. ]

[There is a very long moment of silences as Oren and the unknown guest regard Gustave, the former with silent and stoic aggravation and the other with morbid fascination.

Oren is the one to speak up first.]

Gus.

[Solomon. Just stares and takes a long drink of coffee to see what happens next. When did this become a sitcom...??]

Oren...

[ Is the somewhat pathetic reply, and it's a name he hasn't spoken in a while. So, naturally, his reaction is to jerk his head up and say it again, properly, as if he can't believe he's actually saying this without being questioned about it. ]

—Oren! Oren.

[ Yes honey we get it ]

Oren... Iona! [ Words are hard. ] Where's Iona?!

School.

[Gonna be squatting down and picking Gus up from under his arms. Oren holds him up as if he's a puppy (but of course) before answering. The image is silly of course and Solomon is trying not to chortle into his cup.]

Up. No one followed you?

[ He lets Oren pick him up, dusting himself off as he hangs like a limp noodle against the golem's arms. ]

School... [ The disappointment here is palpable. ] No one followed me, but Iona's at school...

[ Whine whine whine ]

So much testosterone, Oren... so much.

Only men watching you?

[He'll put him down now, he's 60% sure Gus can stand now. Hopefully.]

Been a while now. Couldn't visit because of business?

[ He's still noodling, slithers on over to the nearest seat... which happens to be right by Solomon's bench. Gus tilts his head when he melts onto the surface of his table, fixes beady blues on the stranger sitting calmly near him. ]

Not business... behavior patrol.

[ His words are still a little disjointed, partially from the running and partially because he's glad, glad that he's found this place, glad because he thought, maybe, just maybe—

—he'd never be able to see her again. Iona. ]

[Solomon raises his brows at Gus and then at Oren who just stares back at the both of them.

Solomon is about as tall as both Oren and Gus. Despite his frame and his decidedly intimidating looks (his left arm was covered in a dramatic tattoo sleeve, both of his ears were double pierced, and he sported very muscular arms), his presence is very serene.

He also has eyes similar to Iona's, although the brown is decidedly darker. Solomon takes another sip of his coffee before he speaks up candidly.]

Go on. I thought we were getting to the good part.

Edited (GRAMMAR /SHAKES FIST) 2015-11-04 08:21 (UTC)

[ Something about the new guy definitely reminds Gus of Iona, and he figures that he must be someone Iona knows, or is related to— did he see a photograph when he was at Iona's house? He vaguely remembers, though Claude's probably the one that would recall it with more accuracy, he was too busy tinkering with all the gadgets.

Chin propped on his forearms (his manners foregone for the moment), Gus tips his head to the side, steadies his breathing. ]

There wasn't a good part. The one time I tried to sneak past security, Evange— a scary lady caught me halfway down the street and made me spend the whole day modeling dresses as punishment...

[ The woes of being Gus. ]

[Gus...

Solomon shrugs as he finishes off his coffee and hands the empty mug to Oren who goes to refill and make a drink for Gus.]

I could think of worse ways of spending the day. Although dress arrest probably isn't any better than house arrest.

You have to be kidding, have you spent 4 hours in a corset?! Never again, never again.

[ Meaning, Eva is ruthless... he shudders just thinking about the things she's capable of without batting her very long lashes. ]

...How do you know Iona, by the way?

[ Just. Making sure. ]

Huh. They still wear those?

[He gives Gus a dry smile as he asks the inevitable question. Solomon seems to give his question some fairly deep thought before replying.]

Well.

She makes me good drinks and lunch.

[YOU WANNA INTERPRET THAT GUS.]

[ NO... ]

It's too late.... she got married?!

[Okay, Solomon's face breaks into a smile as he cracks up. Oren comes back with his and Gus's coffee and he tilts his head slightly as if actually reacting to Solomon's laughter (because honestly, it's been a while since he's laughed).

He turns to Gus as he sets down his serving, intervening with one word.]

Illegal.

[ This doesn't compute with Gus for a second, and he looks back and forth between Oren and Solomon, with the look of someone who's slowly trying to digest this. ]

...You're not telling me he's younger than 16, right.

[ HE JUST HAS NO IDEA ANYMORE... these magical people and their ages?! ]

Kid, I'm an adult.

[Solomon exhales deeply to recover from his laughter and then stands up to move over to where Gus is, holding out his hand.]

And I'm an Oakes. Solomon Grey Oakes. I'm Iona's brother.

Edited 2015-11-08 03:40 (UTC)

Oakes...

[ Right! Now it finally all sinks in, and Gus springs up from his chair to take Solomon's hand in a firm, enthusiastic handshake. ]

...Brother, right! Dieu, you almost gave me a heart attack— I'm 'Gustave', call me Gus.

[ Bright!! Shining! Smile! ]

Has Iona said anything about me, or...?

She might have mentioned a name or two.

[Casual as casual can be. He plops himself back on his bench and rests one arm on the table.]

Apparently you've been away for a while.

...About that...

[ Gus is noticing that Solomon is very even-tempered, which seems almost like a running theme among people who stick by Iona: calm, grounded. Maybe because Iona is so fiery? He's glad that she has these people to lean on, if nothing else. ]

...She didn't think I'd forgotten about her, right?

[Compared to most of her peers, Iona was an unpredictable spark. Oren, Hei, and now Solomon; all who allow her to do her thing for the most part, acting as pillars of support in the background.]

Nah. She was more worried that you got tossed into a body of water more than anything else.

Tell me, who does a guy gotta piss off enough to even get to that point?

[Solomon though, definitely shares Iona's penchant for harmless teasing.]

Ahh, I didn't really 'piss anyone off'.

[ That gentle teasing is met with something slightly muted on Gus's end, which may come as a surprise, since he's usually so much more forthcoming with his emotions— but then again, Solomon might not know that. ]

They wouldn't have thrown me into the river! Look how handsome I am, that'd be a huge waste.

Right, right... Anyways, Jackie's told me enough about who and what's been keeping her busy. I'm surprised you keep coming back.

[So that means, he knows about he parallel timeline about Iona's adventures in alternate 1879 Paris and she mentioned Gus and Claude's names a few times.]

Although it makes her happy. Repeat visitors I mean.

[ He huffs a bit at that first assertion, and works on correcting that one before anything else (even if Gus sympathizes, even if he's also just as grateful for the 'repeat customers' in his own life). ]

What do you mean, surprised— Iona's a gorgeous girl, inside and out! Why wouldn't I want to bask in her!!

[ BEAMS... ]

Wow.

That was a nice compliment, but wow.

[Oren... May or may not be debating about making a cake with non-sugar sweetener soon...

Solomon's just weirded out by this weirdo.]

You're pretty bold. Saying something like that to the big brother.

❇ ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴ ＧＲＩＮＤ iii ❇

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❇ ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴＧＲＩＮＤ iii ❇