Forcythia gasped quietly at the rather rude gesture Cy had sent Bothe's way. "How uncouth..." She shook her head in mild disapproval, though smiled upon seeing her cousin's greeting, even if it were less enthusiastic than she had hoped for. "Bothe, could you be a dear and hold my bag for me while I greet my cousin?" Bothe, having ignored Cy's gesture, carefully accepted Forcythia's bag with a grin. It was then that the tall, beautiful elfess started to approach Cy and Carley. Pausing some distance from the pair, she extended her arms towards the little elf. "I believe I do deserve at least a hug for my troubles in coming here to see you, yes?"
Carley just sort of smiled at Cy before pulling from him, not answering the question. He'd find out soon enough. "Yeah, yeah, s'pose ya do Cythia." Carley grinned at Forcythia then approached so that they might embrace.
Well, that name was familiar. Cy's arm fell to his side, but only briefly. His hands soon rested in his pockets.?Carley's words made much more sense at that point. Cy stayed where he was, but he looked over at Bothe. He had Cythia's bag. One of his dark eyebrows slid upward as he watched the big man. He couldn't have been planning... he thumbed at Forcythia and Carley?while looking at Bothe. A silent question. He figured the question would be understood.
Bothe was content to sit back and watch the family reunion, all while grinning somewhat stupidly... He caught Cy's silent question, which normally would have been answered with smug gestures and fist pumps. This time however? He actually looked rather innocent. Confused even, at what Cy was implying.
Pulling away from Carley, Forcythia looked her over, but only briefly. Soon her bright gaze averted to the tall elf, taking him in. He was handsome for sure, but so rough around the edges. So uncouth. He was perfect for Carley. "I am happy that you two have finally started a relationship, given how fondly my cousin spoke of you in her letters, although I am remiss that this is the way I had to find out." Carley sighed but didn't interrupt her cousin. "Cy, was it not? I am Forcythia, though you may call me Cythia as most do." She stepped closer and offered a delicate hand.
That didn't seem normal to Cy at all, Bothe's reaction. He was thinking. At least until Forcythia started talking to him. His dark brown eyes shifted to look at her. Cy, of course, was very casual. Any shaking of hands or pleasant greetings were usually not his thing. "Cy, yeah. Pretty happy to be dating Carley myself." One of his natural smiles appeared, though it was more because he was thinking of what he said than trying to be pleasant. Normally, he'd have left it at that. Given that this was Carley's cousin, he at least reached out to give her hand a shake. He didn't pull his fingerless glove off for the gesture.
Forcythia's handshake was about as dainty as her hand looked, lacking any real power or gusto to it. Withdrawing her hand, her lip curled somewhat at the stains on her skin. Acquired from that dirty glove, of course. A pleasant smile soon reappeared, however. "I do look forward to getting to know you better, Cy. I did not have the fortune of meeting the last man that captured my cousin's heart, so this is a pleasant change." Her attention turned back to the little elf. "I am to be in town for quite some time now, so I should have plenty of time to catch up with you and all those important in your life. As you are working now, I will not linger long and interrupt your productivity. Perhaps Bothe here might escort me to where you are living now, that I might wait for you to finish work?"
Escort Forcythia to where she lived now? But she lived with Cy now! Carley's eyes widened a touch, almost panicked. There certainly was no room in the apartment for a third person, not to mention she didn't want her cousin knowing her business! Her doe eyes were directed to Cy, silently pleading for help.
Cy's arms crossed over his chest. "Might regret saying that, yeah?" He smiled a little at Cythia. What he'd said had been a joke. Cy was?not wordy, but that was nothing new.?Cythia was rather dainty and proper, it seemed to him. He listened as she spoke to Carley, and upon seeing those doe eyes of the latter, Cy came up with a quick story. "Letting her use my place right now. Been staying here on the ship while she does." The why, well, he'd leave that to Carley. It had been better than nothing.
Carley smiled and exhaled a breath of relief. Cy's story had been perfect! Unfortunately... Big Mouth Bothe was there and he had to live up to his legendary name. "Yo, what the hell are you talking about?" He laughed a bit. "You never stay here anymore! The two of you may as well be attached at the hip." Carley suddenly found herself wanting to push Bothe off the airship and into a propeller. Cheeks puffed faintly, she peered over at Forcythia.
It wasn't hard at all for Forcythia to piece together two and two. Why Carley hadn't told her of where she lived now. What Bothe had just said. Her cousin was living with this man! She frowned deeply at the young elf and shook her head in an obviously disapproving manner. "Oh, Carlisle..."
Cy shot Bothe a look. A look that might as well have been a fist, minus the actual contact. "Dumbass..." Cy muttered to himself and shook his head. He looked between Carley and Cythia. He wasn't really sure what to say. Maybe the truth would be better. Or at least part of it. He glanced at Carley. It was going to get out sooner or later. "She needed a place to stay. Wasn't about to turn her away when she needed my help. Don't think an inn's good enough for her." His eyes moved to Cythia as he was speaking.
Once again, Carley found herself smiling. Where had this come from? She wasn't aware Cy was so good at saying such things on the fly... Seeing Forcythia consider his words, she chimed in herself. "Yeah, he was just bein' a good friend, Cythia. S'not like it's all for hanky panky - I sleep on his couch." She nodded a bit, thinking perhaps that would help, not realizing Bothe was going to tell everyone that little factoid.
Forcythia pondered a moment before furrowing her brows. "So while an inn is not good enough for my dear cousin, your couch is?" Why did he not sacrifice his bed for Carley's sake!? "Oh dear, you have so much to learn, Cy."
Cy listened to Carley as she spoke, then turned to Cythia to see her reaction. One of Cy's eyebrows went up as Cythia spoke to him. He had much to learn??"Look." Cy spoke flatly. "Not gonna force anything on somebody. If she wanted the bed, she knows I'd let her have it. Even if she wasn't sleeping on the couch and was in the bed with me, it wouldn't be any of your damn business." Cy might have been just a liiittle agitated at what Cythia had said. Even so, his tone remained flat. There was no anger in his words.
Forcythia, Carley, and Bothe all looked very shocked at what the tall elf had said. Forcythia most of all, as she was rendered speechless, uncertain what to say to Cy. It was Bothe who finally broke the silence, not that it was terribly surprising. "Yo." He stepped closer to the trio. "What was that inn near your apartment? That nice one a couple streets over." The question had been directed towards both Cy and Carley, though it was the latter who spoke up to answer.
"Nn... Mead and Oak, I think?" Carley pondered a moment before nodding in the affirmative. "Yeah, Mead and Oak." She wasn't about to address her cousin or Cy for the moment, or touch upon what he had said. She really wasn't sure what to say. It had surprised her.
Bothe nodded and smiled brilliantly to Forcythia. "How about you let Bothe escort you to that inn and get you set up? You wouldn't be comfortable cramped up with those two anyhow." He nodded his chin to Cy and Carley. "But you'd be close so you can all still catch up, yeah?" Forcythia thought that sounded just fine, not to mention she found herself feeling a bit uncomfortable. She didn't want to linger any longer, so she simply smiled and nodded to the big man.
Cy simply listened for a moment. His expression didn't change, nor did his arms unfurl. Bothe made up for running his mouth with that suggestion of his in Cy's mind, so he upnodded to the big man. He glanced aside at Carley, briefly. Really he wasn't sure what she would say to him about his words, if anything. Even later. Cy apparently, had said all he wanted to say.
Bothe offered his free arm to Forcythia, which she gladly accepted. "I'll take care of her, Carley, don't you worry!" The pair began to depart, their pace casual.
Carley wasn't terribly worried about Forcythia being in Bothe's care. He was rather tough, after all, so she knew he'd keep her cousin safe. "You better, Bothe!" Her gaze shifted to Forcythia as she departed. So quietly at that... "Hey, Cythia!" She flashed her a smile. "I'll drop by soon as I'm done here, 'k?" Forcythia seemed happy to hear that and nodded as she continued her departure with Bothe. When the pair were off in the distance, Carley averted something of a bland gaze towards Cy.
Cy watched Bothe and Cythia go. His arms finally uncrossed when he looked at Carley. Her expression prompted him to speak.?"She was the one being rude." In his mind, at least. Of course, Cy had been rude right back. "Not letting somebody I don't know talk to me like that."
Carley's expression didn't change very much. "Tch, just don't go punchin' her in the face or nothin'." Pivoting on the ball of her foot, she departed towards the bridge. There was a lot of work to be done, after all. She couldn't let her cousin's untimely arrival impede that.
He had no intention of doing that. He'd just been annoyed at what Cythia said to him.?He rolled his eyes as Carley departed. "Whatever." Spoken quietly and to himself. He stalked off toward one of the Towers.