Birthday Bash:
One of those many times of the year came for everyone within Vesuvia to celebrate a birthday of Countess Nadia Satrinava. A time when all of citizens would gather together to show their appreciation toward their Countess this day. Streets of city would end up being decorated by the citizens pleased with how they could make the place beautiful for her. Wanting to show they were thankful for the improvements from the aqueducts to the restoring the flooding sections. Working in secret whenever the Countess wasn't seen around the city in the company of her children or wife. Left one her children on his daily visit to a shop upon walking a familiar path from the Palace's gates to backdoor step. Before he could lift his hand to knock on the door and see who would answer to let him with smile to greet him.
The door would be kicked opened by a angry Juliana shouting at the top of her lungs at someone that was making a point. Dismissing her point when she got a sight of Narseh just standing before her holding a bag and wearing scarf around his head. Two would stare at each other in quiet sense with Cant running around the inside of the shop. Familiar sight of a large brown month resting on one of Jewel's centerpieces in middle of the table just observing. Left the person that Juliana was addressing at top of her lungs to come from behind her and invite in him for tea. That person being Kipling with a knife in hand and half-carved figurine in other as he wore a rather defeated expression on his face.
"Have I interrupted something?" Narseh asked not moving.
"Kipling is being a boob." Juliana huffs.
"I was only making a point." He sighed.
Cant's clucking wasn't helping when on to the table she would scramble to start flapping her wings and getting louder. Making Juliana sigh and ask the two why her parents agreed to let her live instead of eating her. Kipling would look to Narseh without answering what was asked before stepping aside to allow him in. Juliana would cross her arms and do the same with her head turned away from Narseh whole time. Inside Narseh would walk asking about where everyone currently was at this hour as he set his bag down. Making his way toward the table to greet the Toworu resting on the large leaf.
"Mom stepped out with Julius and your sister is upstairs still asleep." Juliana slammed the back door closed. "Dad is covering the front."
"You and Kipling seem to be entertaining your selves." Narseh removed his scarf.
"More like failed attempts of reviewing different forms of childbirth." Kipling pointed over to the table.
On one half of the dining room table was cover in a few medical books and Julian's case files from his most recent cases. Papers filled with notes and pens beside ink well were scattered in front of the seats that held a shawl over the back. Wood carving could be found in a pile on the floor before the leg of another showed where the two were seating. Centered around the decorative piece made by Jewel, that was acting as a resting perch for Juliana's familiar. All to review before Juliana was off to country of Italia to be trained a nurse next month on a ship by Grandma Mazelinka.
"You getting anywhere?" Narseh asked.
"You want to tell him or should I?" Kipling asked Juliana.
She ended up sighing when she drew the curtains over the door's window taking a breath before going over what she learned so far; from learning on her own or from her father. Making sure to recall the last time she sat down with her father and went over latest medical lesson. Using terms that Narseh's only heard when Nazali was in town and spoke about her latest adventure. Kipling was impressed with the knowledge she absorb besides ways to fight with someone.
"What?" She asked feeling their eyes on her.
How could either one of them tell her that their minds have been blown with what she just shared in simple conversation. Would be clarified by one of them wasn't for a housecoat clad Nessaea making a loud yawn. Wondering what all the screaming was about while still dressed in her nightwear with her hair swept sidewards. Sleep was still present with her from what she stood rather laxed and with droopy eyelids.
"Good morning to you too." Juliana and Kipling stated.
"Mother insisted I bring your a few things from home." Narseh pointed toward the bag. "Being that you will not be home to celebrate."
"Not like what I did blew over," Nessaea asked her brother.
Having six women of all different personalities nitpick the latest bit of gossip that servants were spreads around the Palace. Natiqa would be the one that would that negativity would speak about how she sounded like a drunkard and tart. Nasmira'ssmothering about this fling would never help and Nafizah truthful words would cut to the core. Nahara and Navra hands-on approaches would only make things worst for her. Nazali was only one that would want both side of the story before further saying anything else on the subject.
"Your know out grandparents are going to wonder where you would be?" Narseh reminds her.
"They're going to be busy congratulating you." She looked at Juliana. "Everyone started worrying your would never find a bride."
"I didn't want just any girl." Narseh would remind his sister.
Nessaea would roll her eyes at her brother's comment about him and Juliana finally becoming a couple after confessing at The Rowdy Raven. Somehow this news made it back Nadia's and Portia's ears that following morning. Placed smiles on both their faces to see that one of their kids were happy after putting his feelings to words.
"Not all of us are you and the doctor of Vesuvia's hero." She looked at Juliana.
"Well..." Juliana commented back. "We all don't steal from their mother's wine cellar, hook up with our father's former fling, and drink until you blackout."
"Not that anyone of us is impressed." Kipling finally spoke.
Made Nessaea leave the place she standing at since she came down those stairs with a huff on her breath and nose turned upward. Making her way toward the bag brought to her by her brother and kneeling over to pick up with one hand. She would carry with her back up the stairs telling all them she wants to be left alone and not joining them for breakfast. Which left Narseh at a loss of what to do since he came here to see how she was doing with their parents' blessing. Juliana would chase after her and try to convince her to stay down here with them to help her study. Wasn't for the hopeless feeling that could be felt in her pounding heart and left her to start tearing up at the thought. Had Kipling welcoming Narseh to their study session until Jewel and Julius came back from the market with full basket. Through the back door where Juliana's study session was coming to end after Kipling and Narseh went through the material.
Julius would be the one to take the full basket from his mother to place on the table as he greeted Toworu along the way. Jewel was left to walk to the front part of the shop and find Julian fooling around these animal figurines behind front desk. He had a voice for each one when he moved them around the others he had carefully placed before him. End up being asked by Jewel which one of those wooden figurines that Kipling made was his favorite one. Which startled him and had him knocking over the ones he so carefully placed around the Raven and the tarantula. Putting on his goody smile before coming up with an answer and tilting his head toward the still standing Raven and tarantula. Made Jewel walk over toward the back area of the counter where he was with a smile slowly form on her face.
"I like this Kipling." She shared a recent change in their household.
"He's a half Vesuvian, good with a knife, can hold his drink, and can read my handwriting." Julian list most of Kipling's good traits. "I have to like him too."
"You forgot he plays the flute," Jewel added.
Julian hummed at the memory he caught his daughter, his son, and Narseh all listening to Kipling play once. They were all sitting in the kitchen with a single lantern sitting in the middle of the table that all sat with glasses of pomegranate wine. Soft tones of a flute being played by skilled fingers glide over the holes of a hollowed-out tube.
"We should hire a band." Julian's smile grew wider at the idea.
"You forget." Jewel stopped inches from him. "I not an instrument."
"You can sing?" Julian teased her.
Before she could say that didn't count since last time she actually did sing was when their children were small, and lullabies were a song. Julian's arms were around her waist and pulling her close enough to him. To be positioned right behind the counter where she could see the wooden Raven and tarantula from his point-of-view. Told that her voice was the most natural instrument he even heard that first night she sung hushabye mountain.
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Jewel accepted Nadia's invitation to attend her birthday bash with her whole family and their closed loved ones attending. Just that small room that was given to Jewel within the palace as her own wasn't going to work for who was coming. Led to the connecting room being given to Kipling and Julius while Juliana wanted to stay in Narseh's room. Asra with Muriel would stop by some time that evening to join them all got Julian practically hugging Jewel to death. She had to bite his ear to get him to calm down enough to openly threaten him about being left to sleep in his sister's cottage. I got a smirk out of him and asking about the use of cords whenever they were alone in the room. Her got a was another bite this time harden into the top of his ear which ended with his happily hissing.
"I don't know what to wear to this kind of thing." Juliana huffed.
"You know this nothing like the Winter Ball or the Masquerade?" Narseh addressed her.
"You still have to dress up rather formally for those." She reminds him.
"I am still willing to help you." He offered.
She spun her eyes at him with a scuff in her breath she put down yet another dress she thought wasn't right for her. Stepping back and staring at Narseh with a twitch in her eye before asking him to choose for her. Forward he stepped telling her of the countless time he aunts and grandmother would take him shopping in MANY markets. How he was stuck always sharing how he thought his aunts and grandmother looked in the clothes they tried on. Making him develop a sense of fashion when looking for that perfect dress or formal robe one should wear to an event.
"Got any color in mind?" He asked her with his fingers thumbing through beadwork.
"Blue like that one dress I wore when we first were introduced." She was going to test him.
"When we were children or again we were tweens?" He asked.
How she hatred when he had such a great memory whenever she brought up their past as children and even babies. Had her huff and watch him speak to the vendor about something in a blue with beadwork. Not so sheer or transparent like most of the nobles that visit or live in Vesuvia were known for wearing. Granted him one garment that had to be pulled from the back since this was a recent arrival.
"I think I found what we were looking for..." Narseh placed a few coins down. "Hey, Juliana."
He would gently lift to show off to her with not wanting to tear the fabric that made up the piece within his hands. She walked up to him to look over the piece of clothing with the as careful eye with a thumb up. Before watching his fold up the dress and place inside the shoulder bag he decided to wear on his person.
"You win this round." She warned him.
"Score?" He asked.
"..." She looked away from him.
He ends ended up changing the subject to what they were going to get his mother for her birthday this year. To only be reminded that his mother had almost everything in her possession from her own pet to her closet full of fancy clothes. Made getting her anything a problem since she once told her son that he and his sister were her most wonderful gifts.
"Maybe get herself something with magic?"Narseh asked.
"Really?" She looked at him. "You forget what happens between your moms before you came along?"
He grew quiet while adjusting his loosely done up ponytail to his shoulder with breath being released through his nose. The slight flare of his nostrils had him trying to not agree with her on magic-infused gift being too much.
"I not ready for being a father." He wasn't ready to give his mother grandkids.
"I don't think she will ever be ready to be called grandma." Juliana joked.
"You should have been her when she found out she was pregnant with my sister." Narseh tried to not smirk. "She thought that was hell."
Juliana ended up hearing how Nadia went through the miracle of giving life twice in her life in the form of Nessa and Narseh. Her sisters and parents visited throughout nine months until she gave birth within the walls of the Palace. After she gave birth those both times and waiting out for her body to heal in those six weeks of no strenuous activity. She regained her body after a strict diet and an exercise routine for the first 2 years of his children's lives. Even going as far as training her hips back into their former shape with proper corset while raising her children into proper royals.
"We agree to have kids when we're both ready." Juliana stuck her hand out.
"God. Yes." He took her hand and shook.
"What is this about kids?" julius asked them.
Juliana would jump out of her skin when the voice of her brother asked what the subject of children was about. Slowly she turned toward to find him with one of his arms full of scrap wood he collected for Kipling. He stated he just came from the city's art district for usual check over of people there in exchange for wood.
"So..." julius looked at his sister.
"We were just agreeing about having kids when the time calls for it," Narseh answered for her.
"What he said." Juliana pointed at Narseh. "Are and Kipling thinking about kids?"
"We plan to use a magically assistant to have them naturally." He explained.
He ended up walking with them back to the shop while discussing how two men could have children in this world. The answer came from Jewel when she was found on top of a ladder hanging a strange lamp. She climbed each step saying she had a ritual related spell that implanted an article womb in a man.
"All we need is a full moon and a special paste." Jewel placed her feet on the ground.
"Ew and painful." Juliana looked up.
"That magical lantern I heard so much about?" Narseh asked her about it.
Led to an idea Narseh had when he looked to Jewel with a question about commissioning a special gift for his mother. Jewel was game since Julian wasn't any help in his endless ideas of gift to give to Nadia that were rejected one by one. All they needed was Kipling's carving talent and a few panes of glass to create something that all could give to Nadia.
"Narseh, take Juliana and get four panels of glass small enough for a table lamp." Jewel opened the shop's front door. "Kipling you can stop distracting Julian."
Footsteps from the second level of the shop where Julian was in the middle of being entertained by Kiplings's knife skills. He comes to share with Jewel when he came scrambling down those stairs to tell her. Describing how Russian roulette using a sharpened blade and a bare hand laid flat on a table with the fingers spread.
"Not even once did he cut or slice into his hand." Julian excitedly stopped before her. "That's the coolest thing I ever see."
"You can tell me more after you and Narseh come back from the glassblower." Jewel placed a few coins in his gloved hands.
He would grant her when he kissed her goodbye for now and called to Narseh for them to go on a short stroll. Narseh would be granted when he followed out the door toward the direction of the Marketplace where his shop was located. Ordering four panels of glass while Kipling got to work on piecing together a lantern using the wood julius brought. He was careful in cutting into each piece with instruction from Jewel of what needed to be carved into the surface. Stopping when the piece he made matched Jewel's standards exactly before handing the finished piece over. Where Jewel would place among the others that had been finished would lay awaiting while Juliana, Narseh, and julius watched.
"Your taking notes?" julius asked his sister.
"May need to learn to make one someday." She hinted with a wink.
"Mom just put one above the shop door." julius pointed toward the door.
"Never understood how something can turn on or off to show when a place is opened." Narseh was still trying ot get his head around something.
"The salamander you understand," julius remembered.
A memory of when Narseh first observed a small lizard spark the logs that were placed within the small stove on a cold day. The way that small lizard encored with an affinity for the fire element dragged his body across the surface of the wood. Forming a small flame that would grow amazed Narseh in a way that still stuck with him to this very day.
"Would you want me to be like my father?" Narseh asked julius. "Use newly discovered magic for harm."
"I am not in the mood to place hero." Juliana stared at them. "No offense mom."
Jewel happily smiled stating she never wanted her children to inherit her and Julian's debts to their patron Arcana or make deals. Suing those times as a bedtime story for times her children wouldn't get to sleep as little ones back in the day. Made her happily sigh as she watched Kipling work with the basic knife and scraps of wood I nimble fingers.
"How may I ask did you learn this skill?" Jewel asked.
"Your my family's garden before he died." Kipling put down the last piece.
"One those things that attract me to him." julius reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a miniature version of a raven that strongly like Duchovny in a perching stance when on a ledge of a building. Looking over at someone with a piece of ribbon wrapped around the neck that had everyone carefully staring. Ribbon's color was so faded, that one couldn't make out the color and was stained in dried blood splatter.
"Your hair was a lot longer back then." Kipling looked at julius' hair.
"I didn't have time to focused on my appearance when finishing school." julius rubbed the back of his neck. "I was becoming homesick."
They would go on to speak about the blood-soaked ribbon being one that julius wore in his long hair before the indecent. An event that resulted in him putting his medical education to use and meet someone that would meet his heart. The reason that julius would cut his hair to a short style he wore now when told he had some lovely eyes by Kipling.
"Way more romantic than how we got together." Juliana looked at Narseh.
"Me confessing you and you giving me head." Narseh gave away the details. "You have never been for tradition."
"Hush." Jewel looked at them. "I and Julian only follow one tradition when we got married."
When spring took place within the city-state of Vesuvia with flowers of all colors started to bloom and sunlight spreads warmth. The smell of the sea that was carried on chilled breeze when flowing through the rooftops by help from the air currents. A sight that always left Jewel to remember that fateful time when she and Julian were wed within the Temple District.
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Music is played by the local orchestra that were all Countess's favorite songs while servants handed out her favorite foods. Everyone wore their formal clothing while sipping glasses of wine from vineyard belonging to Consul Valerius. Some were dancing on the floor with each other in pairs as others were standing around just soaking in the atmosphere. All found time to congratulating the Countess for the work she put into improving Vesuvia. She accepted wholeheartedly as her eldest son was busy introduce his aunts and Grandparents to a nervous Juliana. She wore the outfit that Narseh had picked out for her and held onto his arm when she was shown around to his relatives.
"This daughter of the Magician and my former student." Nazali looked her over.
"Welcomed to our family." Nafizah was always welcoming Juliana into the family.
"You're going to fit right in." Navra has already loved the news.
"I can't wait for your wedding." Nasmira was already imaging.
"You make an endearing couple." Natiqa looked at her nephew and Juliana over.
"Makes me want to test your magical prowess." Nahara couldn't wait to test that part of Juliana.
Namar was too overjoyed of the love he could feel between his nephew and Juliana to give his blessing. Way his grandson present himself with this girl on his arm and Juliana moved with beside him. Showed these two already had a natural rhythm most couples take years to create.
"We hope you two work out better than your father and mother." Nasrin looked over at her daughter and Portia. "I'm just glad to found someone that truly makes her happy."
"Grandma!" Narseh sighed.
Juliana squeezed Narseh's arms as a way to compose himself take what his grandmother had to say about his mother's happiness. He would nod his head and take a breath agreeing with his grandmother on the very subject of his parents. Stating he hopes he and Juliana become happy with each other like his mothers had become when raising him and his sister.
"It's your sister I worry about." Nasrin looked toward her granddaughter and Valerius.
Way Nessa kept her distance from Consul Valerius during his interaction with the head of the serving staff on how his wine. Sadness her eyes carried would tell anyone she wanted to be near him without coming off as to smothering or immature.
"I feel that girl is following in her father's footsteps." A maid addressed Former Count Lucio's relationship with Consul Valerius.
Everyone one of Nessa's aunts agreed with Narseh's maid before she would nod her head in respect to his grandparents before she moved on. Keeping her self together when she passed Praetor Vlastomil by a few feet without even flinching. Only allowing him to make a few seconds of eye contact before she quickly made her way toward Kipling and julius. Stopping to inform them that she would be honored to dance with one of them during the next song. Which was grated by julius as Kipling would be given the task to get Nessa away from pining over something that wasn't happening? When he took a walk toward her with his hand taking hold of hers and pulling her to the dance floor.
"Ready?" He asked her.
"Yes, since he's to busy." A smile appeared on her face.
"Good." He took her into a dancing stance.
He ended up drawing her close enough to start moving move the melody of the music started to play for them. Making sure he moved in guiding matter that would draw out her smile even further and forget about Vlastomil. Worked when she picked up the pace with him and moved with his on over skirts of the main group of dancing pairs. Created quite a scene when everyone who wasn't dancing to watch them almost glide across that polished floor. Nessa's family liked the way she slowly starts to smile that spread across her face as Narseh and Juliana waved at them. Julius and a maid were soon to follow beside them to add to the growing attention on Kipling and Nessa.
"Reminds you of something?" Julian leaned toward Jewel.
"You talking about last night or this morning?" She teased back.
"hmmm..." Julian hummed at the memory.
Jewel ended up pressing into him in agreement about the dancing reminded her of their younger years. Stomping around on the desk of Mazelinka's ship to the tone of sea scanties doing the sailors' jig. Swirling of silk scarfs belonging to masked beauties doing a traditional Bell Dance for their entertainment. Diverse forms of sword dances that could be found in different places the ship had made port each time. Way bladed weapon was used to the tune of music and clothes worn always changed with each person.
"Their memories I have never once forgotten." She answered. "Since they were all with you."
She ended up standing on heeled tiptoes to reach the corner of his mouth and place a kiss with gloss cover lips. To be held in place next to him when she was reminded he was still holding onto her waist with a gloved hand. Allowing her to stay close to him for a little while longer and watch their kids interact with one another.