( closed ) when it's family,

[champions]

WHO: Caspar, Nikos & Marisol
WHAT: Marisol invites Caspar and Nikos over for drinks, but omits some details to her dear cousin
WHEN: backdated to pre-Antiva
WHERE: Marisol's hightown estate
NOTES: she's helpful

( It's late in the evening, which means it's probably early in the day for Nikos, and they're both laughing over something stupid. Or, at least, Nikos is hiding something resembling a positive expression behind a wine glass, and Marisol is laughing.

And then a servant arrives at the door, and Marisol glances to make sure that there are no grapes in Nikos' reach, and gently slides the plate closer to herself. Removing projectiles? Yes. Getting a snack? Also yes. )

Caspar. ( She stands, smiles warmly, and crosses the room to meet him. ) We finally meet.

Comments

[excipio]

[ Ignoring the rant, ]

This was strategic.

[ Which doesn't omit the trick part. Caspar gestures towards the seats, a 'shall we' for Marisol. He could just invite himself in and have a seat, but manners. Also, he's still deciding how close he wants to sit to Nikos, both for reasons of respectability and personal safety. ]

Your cousin is a very smart woman.

SORRY FRIENDS i did a failure

[champions]

( She squeezes Caspar's forearm gently, and crosses the room to kneel beside the sofa where Nikos is sitting. )

Nikos, please forgive me for keeping this from you. I simply... I know that Caspar and your shared cause is a massive part of your life, and— perhaps selfishly I wished to know more of it. You, who think more carefully and critically than anyone else I know, treasure him above all else, and I did not think you would willingly bring us together of your own volition.

( Marisol doesn't presume to place her hand on Nikos', but does hold hers out, palm up. ) If you are so wounded, I will withdraw for the evening, and allow you two privacy to spend time together. If, though, you can... consider the possibility that this was meant earnestly and with all the love in my heart, maybe we can simply have a nice evening the three of us.

forgiven, tag in grace

[exsecutus]

My cousin is a lot of things.

[One of them being, kneeling right beside him. Nikos sits up a little straighter, already wary of her proximity. He is still not looking at her, or Caspar--but he is, of course, out of the corner of his eye. He does not miss the plaintive gesture, her hand open like a leaf.

Nikos rolls his eyes up at the ceiling and thinks a string of swearwords. He thinks them so hard they burn, sort of, in the air around him. Then he reaches over and folds closed Marisol's hand, a brisk and dismissive gesture.]

Oh, sit down. Both of you. This is idiotic. Not as idiotic as the suggestion of us spending the evening together, without you, in your stupid hulking mansion. Pour me some more wine.

[There, is everyone happy, they're going to have a nice evening together.]