Masquerade - These Masks We Wear

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Oh, c'mon, Caden." She reisted the very strong urge to snatch his paper away from him. "Your work can wait. It's our honeymoon."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"It's very time sensitive, and besides," Caden glanced around quickly for another excuse before picking up his cup again, "I still haven't finished my tea."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Riva smiled. "You can bring the tea with you, dear."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

He sighed, "you're not going to leave, are you?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"No. But I'd love for you to eat with me, Caden."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"If I have dinner with you, will you leave me be to work on this?" He nearly growled at himself for negotiating, but he knew how insistent the Raveness could be.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Yes," she promised, smiling. "I meant what I said last night, you know. I really don't want us to have a poor relationship. And to do that, we really ought to spend time together."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

He glared at her, "respect also comes to mind when you try to have a 'not poor' relationship."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"It's not respectful to bring my husband some tea after a long day of work?" she pouted.

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I was referring to intrusions on my personal spaces, something that you're very fond of doing." Caden tapped the tea cup before taking another drink.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She chukled and hopped off the desk to sit on his lap. "Yes, I am, aren't I?"

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I was trying to say that it would go a long way if you chose to respect those spaces," Caden said as he leaned back, not looking overly shocked at the movement, but more like he was looking at an annoying child.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

She smirked. "You'll get your room back eventually, love, I promise. For now...." She got off of him and grabbed his collar. "Dinner time."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

Caden rolled his eyes, trying to rip his collar out of her grip. "I can find the dining room on my own, woman."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Yes, but I just got here." She rushed around the desk to pick up the tray again. "Maybe I need your help finding it. Oh, and Caden? I don't know if you recall, but I do have a name and I'd like it if you were to use it."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"What was it, Rava?" Caden furrowed his brow, pretty sure that didn't sound right. 

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Riva. Please and thank you."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Right," Caden said, moving to take the lead to the dining room. "Well then, 'Riva,' I've been thinking on a specific subject." He hardly paused speaking, taking little to not time to think over his words as he normally would. It would have struck him as odd if he weren't so caught up in his train of thought, "why the change?"

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"What change? In my approach with you?" It's working, she thought giddily. 

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Before the wedding, I got the distinct impression that you wanted me to hate you, to fear you." He looked at her skeptically, "unless you have decided to go about a different and strange method, I can't say why you changed."

Edited June 26, 2021 by The Ward's Guard

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"I realized that you already hate and fear me," Riva admitted. "But everyone feels that way. Our relationship has the opportunity to be different and... I would like that very much."

Edited June 26, 2021 by Zephrun's Imperium

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"I'm not convinced that you're doing this, how do you say? 'Out of the goodness of your heart,'" he said as he turned back to looking down the hall, his face turning stone hard. "Such a thing never exists, and if it does, it is quickly and brutally crushed."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"You're certainly entitled to that opinion; I'm sure your cold life has led you to believe such a terrible thing. For, indeed, I can tell that it's been cold. People like us don't turn out the way we are without traveling through Mal for a while..."

[The Ward's Guard he/him]

"Then why are you doing all of this? Why are you not content with the two of us simply letting the other be, and what could you have to gain from it all?" He paused, "I don't expect you to answer truthfully, but I nothing you've said to explain it thus far has been particularly believable, given your reputation." Caden finished his sentence just as they turned down a hall, the door leading to the dining hall just at the end of it.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"Well, then maybe don't judge people based on reputation. I'm down in the dungeons almost all the time, no one knows me enough to make a proper judgement."  She shook her head and set the tray of tea down on the table. "I may be a torturess, but I still have a human soul, twisted though it may be. And anyway, I do have something to gain from all this." She paused, trying to figure out a more eloquent way to word, A friend. "I've never had the opportunity to really make a connection to someone not strapped to a table. I would like it very much to have some sort of real companionship."

Edited June 26, 2021 by Zephrun's Imperium