Sometime Indeterminate Time Afterward at Ardane

?If there must be so many cookies, can we start voting on the flavor?? Bianca asked as she nibbled on an oatmeal raisin cookie and sipped at lukewarm milk. A generous layer of cookie crumbles lined the bottom of her glass. She debated if she would drink them or not when she got to the bottom of it.

?You dunn like oatmeal?? Amthy asked as she mushed some modeling clay into a lopsided ball. The nymph looked up at the woman from the floor. Her head tipped back and gradient green hair spilled down her spine. The color was a bright splash against the solemn sorrel color of her dress. Before her outstretched, open legs a similarly misshapen menagerie had taken form. Clumsy blue, red, yellow, and green constructions tipped and toddled. What species they portrayed was a mystery to all but their creator.

?I just think we should all have a say,? Bianca answered, ?especially if we have to eat the rejects and get fat.?

?I don?t think you?re getting fat,? Nysden said soothingly from a chair across the room.

?Just your butt is,? Gina chimed in mischievously.

Bianca narrowed her eyes at Gina as Neano laughed behind his hand. ?Are you suggesting my butt is big?? she asked slowly.

?I vote for gingersnaps,? Aurora voiced neutrally, pushing her dark hair from her face.

?I?m just saying you need to do something before the season starts or you?ll squish your ride,? Gina returned with an outward thrust of her tongue. Bianca answered with a volley of cookie pieces that arced across the room. Gina squeaked and laughed as she tried to avoid the dense lumps of rolled oats. One arm shot up to protect her face. ?Hey!?

Cayt grimaced and rubbed her fingers to her eyes. ?How is the matchmaking going, Amthy?? She asked.

Gina perked. ?Amthy?s matchmaking again?? She asked as she plucked a chunk of cookie from her lap and ate it.

?Since when?? Bianca looked over to the nymph.

?Told you she wouldn?t stop,? Neano said from the background.

??s goin? well, I think an?m no? matchmaking. They?re already an item, I think,? Amthy answered cautiously. ?He should clean up nice.?

?Did he like the clothes?? Cayt asked.

?If you aren?t matchmaking, what are you doing?? Bianca sounded disappointed.

??m helpin? him seduce the girl,? Amthy answered as she set the newest figure?that may or may not be a duck?on the floor. She smooshed its legs into the ground when it fell to its side in an effort to give it support. ?I haven' given them yet, but I dunno tha? he?d tell me iffin he didn' like'm.?

?What did you tell him to do?? Bianca asked in morbid curiosity.

?Nothing, yet. We jus? spent the day getting? cleaned up an? presentable. But I think,? Amthy twisted around to view as many of Ardane?s inhabitants as she could as she spoke, ?he should be himself. Doesn? help anythin? to pretend to be any?un else.?

?He?s already being himself and he wants your help,? ?Rora observed.

?He?s jus? no? showin? himself to a good advantage,? Amthy decided. ?He needs to take her on some spectacular dates. They can be cozy an? comfortable any ol? time.? She pinched some red clay off a larger mass and rolled it around in her hands to warm it.

?I think I?d like it,? Cayt answered companionably. ?Comfortable is underrated.?

?Yeah, an? you also dunn date. Ever. Never-ever. Ever.?

?Gee, thanks for noticing,? Cayt answered dryly, but without injury.

?You?re going to tell him to be adventurous?? Nysden questioned. He didn?t sound sold on the idea.

?As long as it?s within his comfort; Iffin he wants her involved, he?s gonna have to make an effort to, well, involve her. ?s a hard thing t?do, you know. It might stretch his idea of comfortable.? Amthy allowed as she started to roll the red clay into a long, thin line. ?No?un likes t?be at the edge all the time?on the outside lookin? in, you ken?? Amthy coiled the roll of clay as neatly as she could. ?Iffin she doesn? think he?s tryin? hard enough, then he?s no? pullin? her in.? She pulled her balled hands to her chest to illustrate.

?And you think going a few places is going to change that?? Neano asked with a shake of his head.

??s a place to start. An? it?s place to start buildin? the gentle things an? encourage them to grow. Besides, it shows int?rest, an? tha?s really important, too. His girl should feel special.?

?You should work on your delivery before you tell him that,? Neano grumped as he turned away from Amthy.

?I will,? she huffed back at her most-times Keeper. ?I?m gonna take him out first so he can see how nice it is.?

?That sounds wonderful,? Bianca said with a smile.

?It sounds awful,? Neano said at the same time, his voice overlaid Bianca?s.

?It?ll be perfect,? Amthy assured everyone assembled. As the conversation devolved back to cookies and growing backsides, Amthy?s attention focused back on her clay and what animal she would make next.

Spring was glorious. The season was shaping up to be everything it had flirted that it might be. Oh, there was the odd cloud drifting over the boundless blue sky, but the sun was warm in the day and the nights were just cold enough to remind a body that winter had just past. The early spring bulbs were beginning to bud and bloom; tulips and hyacinth showed in window boxes and the odd city garden. Amthy admired them as she wandered along the sidewalk, peeking in store fronts and admiring the bright candy-colored fabrics.

One pane of glass to another until she was looking at a very familiar sight -- checkerboard flooring, formica, and chrome. Her heart skipped a beat and she got all warm and fluttery at the thought of sugar -- sweet, sweet sugar. The door jangled as she pushed it open and the youth behind the counter turned toward her at the sound. He was clothed in the typical attire: white paper hat, white short sleeved shirt, and a light blue bibbed apron. Amthy flashed him a grin and moseyed on over to a booth. She flopped down onto one of the bench seats and tucked one foot beneath her as she got comfy. "A mint chocolate shake, please," she chirped to the server, "with lots of whipped cream atop." With the order given, she leaned forward against the table and folded her hands together and people watched while she waited

As much as Colt enjoyed spending time with Amthy and even was entertained by her lectures as to how to get and keep Tenacity, this particular conversation was not one he'd been looking forward to because it meant facing that the conversation would have to then be had with Ten herself. Yet, Amthy had found a way to make it a little less painful. She had incorporated food. There was little a Daniels boy loved more than food.

He stepped into the building, shooting a grin to the server as he requested a sundae doused in hot fudge. Amthy was easily spotted. The trail of energy she left behind was just as sweet and delightful as the desserts they were preparing to have. Folding his large frame into the bench seat opposite Amthy, he forgot the purpose of the pow-wow long enough to level that grin on her. "You're lookin' lovely as always, Amthy."

Colt arrived and Amthy squealed in profound joy. She unfolded her fingers and fanned her hands in excitement, palm down above the table. "You are going t'love the fudge sauce," she squeaked. "They make it here," she informed him with wide-eyed excitement. As she spoke she edged closer and closer to the table until she was nearly on top of it. "We should get'un o' those monster sundaes tha' has a scoop o' every flavor. I bet we could eat it."

He gave a big warm laugh as he sunk in a bit further into a comfortable slouch. There were lots of women who were willing to give the unabashed commitment-phobe advice but few were able to do so while still making him feel relatively at ease. "It's the off-season. I can eat whatever I want. Although, I have a hard time believin' that your itty bitty self can keep up with me when it comes to downin' a monster sundae."

Amthy leaned back away from the table. A thoughtful expression creased her brow as she touched a finger to the tip of her nose. "I bet I could eat half," she decided. "But tha's why you eat it with some'un else. Then they get to have the rest," she grinned as her finger moved from her nose to wind around a hand of her olivine hair. Unblinking tsavorite-hued eyes flicked toward the youth behind the counter who was loading up a tray with Colt's sundae and her shake. "Wanna try?" She drawled the question out in beguiling temptation.

The idea of that much ice cream suddenly made his stomach turn. It was hard enough getting through this conversation, did he really need that much sugar on his stomach when he did it? Although his brothers would be embarrassed, he eventually shook his head. "Next time. Definitely next time. I've got somethin' I've got to talk to you 'bout today."

A giggle bubbled and spilled from her as she tugged her length of captured hair. Her head tipped with the pull and her mouth twisted to the side. "Aw, no' a social call?" Lantern-like eyes twinkled with curiosity and the room warmed with the scent of ginger. A well timed delivery brought a fluted edge stemmed bowl to Colt and a tall frosty glass and a matching metal mixing cup to Amthy. The nymph murmured her thanks, but her attention was on Colt. The wheels in her airy head were turning and she was trying to divine just what it was he had to say.

"I'm takin' Ten away for a couple days. This beach resort." That lazy drawl of his was suddenly a bit quicker and the words were clipped rather than elongated as if he were rushing through them. A shaky smile of thanks was shot to the server and it wasn't until he was out of ear shot that he began again. "And then I'm takin' her back home to meet my family -- or at least the parts that haven't stumbled their way here in the last couple weeks. And then... then in two weeks I'm gonna meet her family."

Amthy pulled the tall glass cup closer and started to dig into the whipped cream topped mint chocolate shake with a long tea spoon. She crooned happily in anticipation of tasting the sweet melt on her tongue and she sort of paused there with mouth open and ice cream dripping off the spoon. She looked at Colt over the heaping helping and processed the implications. "You mus' really like her," she said carefully. "An' Ten knows she is gonna meet your kin?"

"Yeah. She actually seems excited 'bout it." There was a baffled shake of his head. He hesitated as he stared down at the hot fudge sliding down the ice cream beckoning him to take a bite. But, first, he had to cough up the reason they were there. "But that's not what I'm worried 'bout. I think... I think I've gotta tell her that I love her when I take her out of town this weekend."

While he spoke she greedily consumed not just the helping of ice cream on her spoon, but managed to ladle several small samples to her waiting lips. Her eyes remained wide and focused on Colt like he was--and he was!--telling the most engrossing story ever. Her expression melted and she got all googly eyed and sighed. There was a hint of roses in the air when she tucked her spoon into her glass and squeezed a hand to her chest. "Are you gonna wait until after you've all met every'un or you gonna spring it on her at the beach?"

"See. This is where you come in." The spoon was pointed her way after a bite was taken. His stomach had stopped flip flopping the moment the words were out. "I don't know how I should do this. I was thinkin' the beach. Before the chaos. I dunno even know if it's the right time. Maybe it's too soon. We've been together 'bout three months. There's gotta be a timeline for these sort of things, right?'

Amthy stirred her whipped cream into her shake. "You should take her out to by a swim suit an' some summer clothes for your vacation. An' a nice dress to meet your family." She spooned up some of her shake and let it dribble back into her glass as she ruminated over Colt's quandry. "I do thinkin' it does depend on whucha wanna say," Amthy began. One eye closed. "Iffin you tell her at the beach, before everything, you tell her you love her an' tha' wha' comes next dunn matter. But it might really matter, but iffin she loves you back and actually says so...she canno' really take it back." She scooped up more ice cream to eat. "But iffin you wait 'til after, then you know you honestly do love her in spite of everything--tha' nothing either family can throw at you matters. An' it gives her the chance to make a similar decision." She looked down at Colt's dish and made a motion with her spoon, silently asking for permission to poach. "Have you thought about wha'd you do iffin she isn' ready to deal with you saying you love her yet?"

"I've thought a lot 'bout it." He admitted to his dish of ice cream more than he did to Amthy. Eventually, though, his eyes slid back up to her. "I've thought 'bout it to the point I talked myself out of tellin' her. But... Ten's life is pretty unpredictable. She doesn't think I get it but I do. One day I could have her and the next.. well, the next we could all lose her. It doesn't leave room for leavin' a whole lot unsaid, y'know?"

"Then you should tell her. 's better tha' she knows tha' you love her. Even if she flees," Amthy put down her spoon and reached across the table, her hand close to his. "she will be able to look upon it an' know tha' there was love there, an' remember it with fondness." A warm smile curved her lips and it reached her eyes to wrinkle the corners. "I wouldn' worry about the whens and hows. It will be perfect when you say it, however you choose t'do it." A pause, "but I would refrain from saying it in anger. Iffin you do quarrel, wait t'tell her. It might jus' make a bad thing worse otherwise."

His smile settled in big and wide. The when and how was what he had come here searching for but in the end it was the confidence that he was doing the right thing that he really needed. Amthy had provided that. In spades. "You might just be the smartest woman I know."

And then lifting a hand to wave down the server, a challenging edge overtook his tone. "Now it's time for you to put your stomach where your mouth is. You and I are gonna split one of those monster sundaes and you're not gettin' up until you eat half of it!"


((With thanks to Amthy's player!))