There was a rapping at the door. Valkyrie almost dropped her jacket on the floor by the hooks as her instincts took hold and only steadied herself just in time, catching the label with the tips of her fingers. She was always on guard when she visited Haggard, especially when guests weren't expected at her parents' house.
At the last second, Valkyrie remembered herself that she was the one who had invited China along to this visit to Haggard. Since she was the only one out the of three of them who understood female fashion beyond timeless class and the intricacies of its construction (on Ghastly's end) and something that had to be worn now and again for the sake of keeping up appearances (on Valkyrie's end), she tended to be roped into dinner parties and family visits more often than Ghastly whenever Valkyrie thought her job and adult life would be called into question.
When one needs to construct an elaborate lie, one always calls in the experts.
Her parents hadn't seemed to have heard the knocking at the door and so none of them immediately called out for the other to "go get it before China gets cold," or appeared in the corridor. Valkyrie deactivated the facade and greeted China with a smooth face, letting the chilled air cool her now bare, strong arms even more.
China had obviously seen the occasion of visiting her parents fitting enough to dress in one of her even less casual than usual outfits. The dress with the subtly puffed sleeves oozed professional style, and even though a paper bag would have looked like the height of gorgeous fashion once it graced China's frame, Valkryie appreciated how her outfit made her, impossibly, more beautiful than usual.
She was dressed to impress.
Valkyrie looked into those pale blue eyes, and saw a hint of -guilt? Amusement? - there at being caught out.
"Behave," she said, in a low voice so that her parents wouldn't hear.
"As if I would do anything less than act impeccably, Valkyrie."
"You look lovely, by the way. Come in." China nodded, and, stepping over the threshold, stopped to examine her fingernails, as if for dirt.
"Those protection symbols are working as well as ever, I see. What's for dinner?"
"No pastries, so don't worry. Just chicken and veg, that stuff."
China flicked her eyebrows up in amusement.
"How considerate." Raising her voice slightly above normal so that it would carry through to Valkyrie's parents, she added, "Mr. and Mrs. Edgely, good evening! Thank you for inviting me over tonight." Valkyrie reactivated the facade and they walked back through to the dining room. China hadn't brought a coat. She never did.
Her parents were standing around relaxedly, sipping their watery wine - but when China came into view, standing by Valkyrie near the dining room's threshold, Valkyrie saw them stiffen minutely. Valkyrie's mother straightened her posture and her father seemed to suck his stomach in the exact same way Valkyrie had seen Gordon do many times before, but other than that there was no reaction. Valkyrie approved.
"I'm sorry I'm late - we had business to attend to. Someone ruined the last order's delivery…" China let herself trail off, the picture of a high-powered business woman. She tutted, and then moved toward Valkyrie's parents, hugging each of them in turn and exchanging pleasantries and greetings before being presented with a glass of -neat- wine.
"Dinner's ready now, everyone! Sit at the table, I'll dish up," Valkyrie's mother called, moving once more off to the kitchen.
Valkyrie and China took their places on the left side of the family's dining room table whilst Valkryie's father sat on the right, helping her mother to ensure that everyone had a healthy portion on their plates.
Valkyrie had once believed that China would be one of those women who never ate in the company of others, or was simply too glamourous for regular meals. In fact, the opposite was true. As someone who lived alone and was neither insecure about their looks or someone who led an inactive lifestyle, China always ate portions as big as anyone else's, as long as the food being served was up to her standards.
And Melissa Edgely was a great cook.
After they'd finished eating and were either sipping at their wine or mopping up the last of the food on their plates, the conversation between the four of them turned to focus on Valkyrie and her work, as it usually and unavoidably did every visit.
China managed to field most of the textiles and work-related questions, as she normally did - Valkyrie tended to act like her father used to, with the same air of 'I'm very good at what I do but for god's sake don't ask me about it' that he used to exude whenever well-meaning strangers at family reunions used to try and ingratiate themselves with him. Luckily, this evening her usual approach held.
The evening took a turn for the worse as they finished the slivers of cheesecake Melissa had bought from a local bakery and their second glasses of wine. Made bold by the unthinned wine or possibly just frustrated by Valkyrie's laconic answers to their questions about her work life, both of Valkyrie's parents seemed to simultaneously decide that today was the day they wanted to micromanage their eldest daughter's marriage prospects.
"This cheesecake is delicious. We should really tell Mrs. Agnew thank you! I hope she makes more," Valkyrie's mother said, as she put her fork down on the plate with all the finality of a gavel at a murder trial. The previous conversation about the well being of certain residents of Haggard had wound down with the amount of cake consumed, and China had taken the opportunity to withdraw from the conversation and excuse herself to make a quick call. She hated familial small talk.
"Stephanie, have you spoken to Alison lately?" she continued. "She's found herself a new boyfriend - he seems like a dreadful character, all New Agey and violent, too."
"I blame video games," her father commented from the other side of the table, face sleepy. Valkyrie's mother nodded.
Valkyrie felt the small smile she'd been wearing all evening downturn. "Actually, he's not new age. He's just a vegan. And he's not violent - he kickboxes. As a sport. He's on the team at her uni."
Her mother made a face that was two parts understanding and one part disbelief.
"I didn't get a good impression, that's all - and how about you, hmmm?"
Valkyrie felt herself freeze.
"Yes, daughter dearest. If you're not going to supply us with grandchildren, you can just come out and say it, you know. We'll just beat Alice over the head until she settles down to have little baby kickboxers, or whatever," her father added. Valkyrie tried furiously not to blush.
She suspected that he'd had more wine than she'd thought he had.
The look on her mother's face immediately turned to one of concern.
"We don't expect you to be settling down just yet, Stephanie. Don't worry. But… How is your life, these days? Any special people in it?" Valkyrie's face went from flushed to cold when she noticed her mother trying to look toward the door where China had disappeared through surreptitiously.
She realised she was going to have to tread carefully.
"Actually, mum, it's just complicated at the moment, really -" Yeah, give her false hope, Valkyrie thought to herself savagely, you idiot - "I mean, work doesn't leave much time for anything! I wouldn't neglect to visit you lot if it didn't. I really miss you guys, you know." Well enough managed, she thought. Her mother nodded, and leant forward.
"Because, you know, we wouldn't mind if, ah, you had met someone? And maybe didn't want us to meet them? I'm sure as long as they don't kickbox for a living, we'd be delighted to make their acquaintance. Unless we've already met…?"
God, wasn't her mother being terribly unsubtle. The irony was that if Valkyrie did end up finding a partner any time soon, they would definitely be the sort to kickbox and more - everyone Valkyrie knew flashed through her mind, in a sort of gross montage of violent sparring and yes, lots of kicking and punching.
Fortunately, China took this opportunity to sweep back into the room.
"Stephanie, dear, we've had another large contract from the March client - isn't that wonderful?" China summoned a look of graceful delight onto her face and sat down once more, taking the time to carefully and deliberately place her hand on Valkyrie's.
Ah, that explained the perfect timing. Once again, Valkyrie was in awe at China's ability to seemingly manipulate any situation without effort, and thought privately that if China had decided to take telepathy up as an Adept discipline rather than her symbols, she would be ruling the world right now. She could certainly see why she'd been such a charismatic leader of fanatical cults, and such.
Valkyrie made sure to leave her hand long enough for it to be noticeable before shifting it, shifting her entire body toward China's and letting a look of exaggerated relish flood her face.
"That's brilliant! We can talk about it later - I don't want to bore Mum and Dad." She gave her what she hoped looked like a meaningful look from her parent's point of view, and China returned it; although Valkyrie's had been more one of 'I am pretending to know what a March client is and what I want with one,' China's look was more in the line of 'you and I are going to have a very long talk in an hour or so, and you won't like much of it'.
Seemingly satisfied by their apparent display of subdued couple-ness, Valkyrie's parents let the conversation wind down to a near standstill and didn't even protest when China made a great show about checking the elegant timepiece on her thin wrist and exclaiming regretfully that they really must dash, and how wonderful it had all been, but they needed to clear things up. After a long goodbye, China and Valkyrie left the house and walked to where China's assistant had driven up, idling at the kerb. They got in.