Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

With the others perfectly content to stay inside where it was both warm and dry John headed outside. It was still raining, but the droplets were falling at an angle meaning that if he leaned against the back wall of the forge he could stay mostly dry (and more importantly he could actually light up the cigarette). He took in a deep drag, blowing it out in a steady stream through his lips. John had never learned to blow smoke rings as he thought it made the person doing it look like an incredible douche. He could feel himself relaxing as the nicotine began to hit him, some of the tension slipping from his shoulders. As always he bent one leg, resting his foot flat against the wall. From his spot he had a fairly decent view of the comings and goings of this particular section of the military town.

Chas didn't find himself at all surprised at where Fia's thoughts were going. If a regular pyrokinetic like Cal was naturally drawn to fire and crafting with fire then the pull of the combination of beauty and leathalness that was forging must be far, far stronger for phoenixes. They did have a background in being warriors after all, the way Fia had been completely at home in the armour proved that. "Jay would probably say something like you can never have enough blades. She has an unhealthy amount" Chas added, with a slight smirk. Jay never went anywhere without some form of blade on her, be it a dagger or a sword they were her preferred weapons after all. Rinaa on the other hand was very much a gun-girl, she could respect blades as a weapon, but preferred to use them as a tool when building or fixing something. "And as for making a blade? From what Dan says, and he's most definitely the expert on this" Chas had spent a considerable amount of time one the island quizzing the blacksmith about various aspects of running and working in a forge (completely availing of the runes that allowed him to communicate fluently with the blacksmith). "It takes months to get the skills refined enough that it not only looks like a blade but is weighted like a blade and even then it mightn't actually act as a blade. In other words, if you want to try, either you have to be some kind of child prodigy and do it between now and the time we go back to Earth or it's something to do in your time."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia smiled at Chas' words, knowing he was completely right, as she had seen for herself in her time just how many blades Jay had as she was the one who helped her train in combat both with blades and melee after all. Kay just had that smile that said 'and now she's been encouraged all the more' which she didn't particularly consider a bad thing as she felt glad her kid in the future was more than capable than looking after herself and able to defend herself. Fia found what Chas had to say interesting, knoei g that if anyone would know what Dan had to expertly say on the matter, it would be him. "makes sense that it would take that long to refine the skill, it's absolutely fascinating to watch though, even if it does give me the urge to learn it. I can never get enough of finding new things to learn. I know it's our priority though so knowing me I won't actually go through with it until my timeline but it's something to think about" she replied.

Kay was impressed with the maturity that Fia took on when replying to the both of them, especially with what Chas said making her see just how highly Fia respected his word. "I've always said you're never too old to learn a new skill. Even if Dan might disagree with this particular skill, but it's always good to always find something new to learn. Shows what a broad mind you have kiddo" she told Fia honestly. "I just found that if I was going to be at home most of my young life then I'd need to find an unlimited amount of things to learn to keep me occupied, ontop of normal school work at home. So far it's done me well, and if I'm to choose between forging and something else, I actually wanna learn basic Attili first" Fia then replied just as honestly as Kay had spoken. Kay could see the logic in Fia's thinking, and had to admit that considering she grew up with Elliott in her life and visits from Cal and Cliff, it was surprising that she didn't know basic Attili already.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas completely agreed with Fia's opinion that forging was fascinating to watch. He had been surprised at first that such an ancient practice existed in such a technologically advanced civilisation, until Cal and Dan explained to him the history and heritage of the craft as well as the way art was prized alongside science on Attil. There was a beauty in the practice anybody could see that- the striking contrast between the rough and almost angry hammering on the anvil and the beautiful pieces produced at the end, the combination of the the light of the sparks, furnace flames and heated metal with the darkness and shadows of the forge interior. It was like some kind of ancient worship the way the tools were wielded and there was no denying the simultaneous strength and the elegance of the craft. It was completely gripping to watch Dan, Cal and the apprentice work. For Chas it had felt like a privilege. (He could also understand why Cliff had spent so many hours leaning on the half-door of the forge just watching Cal work, when you were crushing on somebody as hard as Cliff had on Cal, it must have been incredibly hot to witness). "I fully agree. It's an incredibly beautiful skill, you could lose hours watching it. There's so much more to it than just hitting a lump of heated metal with a hammer. It's an art form pure and simple. If you ever get a chance to see Cal, Dan and Simeon all working together you should take it. The combination of their skills with the material and their respective powers in quite something to behold."

Chas had also been surprised by the fact that Fia had no knowledge of Attili. Even he'd picked up a little bit of it just from being around when Elliott was a young teenager. There had been an interesting phase where Elliott spoke a strange half English half-Attili combination and got royally frustrated when nobody could understand him. Unfortunately some of Chas' Attili words and phrases came from what he'd scream when in the grip of a nightmare. As Kay had seen and Fia would know, Elliott always reverted back to Attili when dreaming. As it had been John who'd done the bulk of teaching Elliott English (and as he got older a selection of curses and phrases in other languages) John had been the one to learn the most Attili, at the same time as he taught Elliott, Elliott taught him. For the first few years, any way to communicate with Elliott was a good one. Sign language hadn't stuck (something that both John and Elliott regretted not trying harder at now that Cliff was in their lives). But to heat that Fia had a desire to learn the language now brought a smile to his face. "Good plan, languages are always useful. 'specially with Cliff in your life, you're lucky she knows English or me and you would be royally screwed trying to talk to her. I've no doubt Elliott would be willing to teach you. he did teach John after all, so it can done." Chas' tone was joking adopting the tone of 'if it can be done by or to John, then any of us can do it'.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia listened as Chas agreed that forging was a fascinating skill to watch be in action, glad that she wasn't the only one who found it pleasant to watch. Like Chas, she thought of it as an art form, and one that should be highly respected by anyone and everyone. She knew forging did still exist in her time but not quite to this rustic old school manner, so it was nice to see it be done in such a way. She also listened as Chas explained that Elliott would probably be happy to teach her Attili, and that it wouldn't be a bad idea to learn it anyway. With the mention of luck when it came to Cliff speaking English, she smirked and nodded with a light half chuckle. "I agree there about Cliff. But I think out of the three of us, mum would be more royally fucked if Cliff didn't speak English than you or I" she smiled, gesturing toward Kay opposite her at the table. Kay had to chuckle at the remark as she knew Fia wasn't exactly wrong with that assumption.

"and I guess I'll be nagging Elliott for lessons" she then grinned. Truth was, when on Earth she never saw the point in outwardly learning the language as she could have always just used her communication rune to be able to talk any language she came into contact with. Sure, it was a lazy way of thinking about the subject but it never failed her yet, so she saw no point in changing it. Now she was on Attil however, she saw a reason to have learned the language and wished she always took it up. "never seen the reason to learn any other language until now. Got way too lazy the moment dad taught me the communication rune and I instantly tattooed it on" she admitted to the two of them. "and this is why the easy way out isn't always the best way" Kay retorted.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Fia made a fair point, Chas had to admit, but that didn't make his original one any less valid in his opinion. Hearing that it had been the communication/translation rune that was responsible for Fia not bothering with learning any other language made Chas sigh slightly. It was a completely lazy way of doing things, and the fact she'd tattooed on the rune made it even lazier. She even didn't have to draw on the rune each time like John or Elliott did. He had a feeling had John been in the room when this came out he wouldn't have approved at all. As John was fond of saying (and knew all too well from personal experience) magic had a cost and shouldn't just be used to cheat our way out of blood sweat and tears. So to hear Fia had taken the easy way out would have annoyed him and frustrated him.

"Well that backfired badly on you didn't it?" He replied, the rhetorical nature of his question very clear."And besides Attil's far from the only place where you can't use runes like that. At some point your going to have to learn another language the hard way kiddo. Knowing more than one, that's the way of the future really, especially now that Earth is becoming more aware of the fact that we aren't the only life forms out there and far from the smartest. The effort is worth it.... And besides, it's hardly like you need an excuse to hang out with Elliott." He finished with a fond smile, it was after all blatantly obvious to everybody else just how much Fia loved her older brother and spending time with him almost always made her day.

 

[MzHyde]

She knew John wouldn't have approved of her methods, but in Fia's eyes, it's not like she ever hid the fact she tattooed runes that she considered important on her body, as she almost always unashamedly had them on show due to always preferring racer back vests or tank tops to wear than a proper shirt. She always did them in a way that she'd still have to manually activate them if she wanted to use them, just like she did on Cliff's home planet in front of John and Kay. She also knew he wouldn't approve because it was quite the intensive borderline heated discussion in her time when she did the first one (which was the protection rune on her left collarbone). It was one time when future Kay and John both agreed on their opinions of Fia's actions until she managed to calm John down enough to make him see where she was coming from and proved she knew what she was doing.

When Chas said about it backfiring badly on her, she just sheepishly smiled and shrugged in a 'eh, yeah, so sue me' tone whilst listening to the rest of what Chas had to say, feeling like she really was getting the godfatherly advice before just smiling at the last remark. She knew it was no secret she adored her big brother and she did enjoy spending time with him and she didn't care. She was proud of him and his influence on her as she grew up. He may not have lived at home but he was still an important figure in her life, which was something she would never be ashamed of. "touché Chas, touché" she replied with a smirk. "he's right though, you can't abuse who you are and what you can do to get an easy ride in life. And I'm sure Ell will be more than happy to teach you" Kay then added, also glad that John wasn't in the room when Fia admitted all she did. "I've learned that now" Fia retorted.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas completely agreed with Kay's words, you couldn't abuse who you were to get an easy ride in life. It was inevitably going to backfire, and the later it backfired in life the worse it would it be. Kids and teenagers always got a certain amount of leniency and were told to use their failures and backfired plans as 'learning experience' to do better next time. There was no way to cheat life, things were gonna go bad at some point, but in Chas' experience if you'd done things the hard way you had a far better chance of coming through intact. It was like taking an exam, natural talent could only take you so far, sure some people were lucky enough to be able to coast through life getting straight As with minimal effort, but once things became harder it was those students who really struggled to maintain any kind of decent grade as they essentially learn how to work. "And besides, it's easier to learn new things as a kid, your brain is more malleable. So in a way learning stuff as a kid is the way to avoid all the really hard graft you'd have to do as an adult."

John came back after about fifteen-twenty minutes, the smell of cigarettes was barely noticeable on him as the whole forge smelt of fire and embers and metal. He'd taken the opportunity to call Elliott while outside to find out what the news was on their end. Elliott had emphasised what he'd said earlier, that things were going better than they thought (but not suspiciously well), there didn't seem to be any ulterior motives among the various people they'd be working with. The second meeting had been with somebody Cal used to go to school with who was now practising law. Cal had suggested him as a pair of fresh eyes on the matter as he'd been living and studying off-world ever since he was accepted in university. They'd just finished up with that meeting and he had confirmed what they all though, the whole trial thing was legitimate, and more importantly, wasn't even a trial of Elliott, it was the state system itself that was on trial.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia just nodded at Chas' words as more and more was said about the whole learning and not taking the easy way out. She partially felt they were both repeating themselves but she still took their words on board. She never really understood why she took the lazy way out with learning another language when she was such an avid learner for everything else. "yeah I know, I don't know why with this I'm lazy when I'm such avid learner the proper way with everything else. Latin is the only language I've learned the proper way for obvious reasons." she explained to them both as she noticed John coming back inside. "hey dad" she greeted as he came back into the room.

"everything alright?" Kay couldn't help but ask in a casual tone, not that she ever got the feeling something was wrong when he returned to the room, but for some unknown reason to her, it felt like the thing to ask, not realising that he was on the phone to Elliott for a good amount of the time he was outside having a smoke. She did take in that he wasn't entirely wet so he clearly took shelter outside, as well as his general demeanor didn't seem to be stressed out so clearly the time outside did him the world of good.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas looked up as John came back in, noticing that some of the tension was gone from his friend's shoulders. While John had perfected the art of looking completely casual and relaxed outwardly, Chas had known the man almost all his life and could see through the facade with relative ease. There had always been a tension of some sort lurking over John since they'd left Earth to chase after Elliott. There had been moments where it had vanished completely (like when he'd been on the island with Cliff's family), so for some of it to have lessened, he took it as a sign of good news. Given where they were and what they were attempting to do, he guessed it was from Elliott. "Good news?" he asked at the same time Kay asked if John was okay.

"Yep" John popped the 'p' as he plonked himself back down in the chair from earlier. "For once." He added with an expression that clearly said 'it's about bloody time we got some good news'. "I was just talking to Ell while I was outside. Apparently Cal has a friend from school who studied law and the second meeting they had was with him, she wanted fresh eyes to look at everything." "Smart move" Chas replied, having seen on many mornings Cal, Cliff, Elliott, Jay and sometimes Rinaa) scrutinising the files within an inch of their life. Getting some fresh eyes was always a good policy. "Agreed." John replied before filling them in one what Elliott had relayed to him, taking particularly relish in revealing that it wasn't actually Elliott on trial but the state. "Cal and Cliff really do know a hell of a lot of useful people, we'd be utterly screwed without 'em." John nodded his agreement. "Apparently Cal was always one of the more popular kids at school and had a lot of friends, seemed to get on with most people. After what happened to Elliott, the fact she'd run away from home and was surviving by doing who knows what" John waved a hand to convey 'yada yada yada' "it gave her quite a reputation as being this I quote 'tough as hell badass from a broken home'. Cliff's words not mine. And she stayed in touch with them after leaving, and now they're willing to help her out now that she's callin' in favours."

 

[MzHyde]

To hear that John had good news was of a relief to both Kay and Fia, as they really didn't want anymore bad news of any level come their way in such a short amount of time. It also said a lot to Kay that both her and Chas asked him if all was good at the same time, in different wording. Fia just just made a brief but small smirk at John popping the 'p' on his reply as it seemed more like something she'd do, than him in some ways. With John sat down at the table, Fia couldn't help but lean forward ever so slightly and lean on her elbows to hear what he had to say, finding that being on the phone to someone in the other group made sense for the length of time he was gone for. She and Kay both agreed that getting a fresh pair of eyes to look over everything they currently had was a smart move when John explained what was spoken about.

Hearing that there was a much bigger picture going on with this trial and it wasn't actually Elliott per say that was on trial, but the state was of a great surprise to Kay and Fia, but the news was also quite curious to them both. They too also found that if it wasn't for Cliff and Cal they'd be beyond screwed with this and it was feeling more and more that they'd be forever thankful to their contacts as well as them. They listened to John explain about Cal's past and surprisingly didn't find it all that shocking as Cal just seemed to be the type to be quite popular in her school days. Yet they did smirk a bit when he said it was Cliff's words and not his. "we'll either way seems we're to be greatly thankful of their contacts as well as Cal and Cliff" Kay commented.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Chas' eyebrows rose dramatically when John said that it was actually the Attili state who was on trial. The whole time he'd been under the impression that it was Elliott on trial. But having it the other way made a lot of sense. It had been the state who was at fault, a whole plethora of Elliott's right had been ignored as a kid in order to fuel a hate campaign that wasn't even agreed with my most of the Attili population. Historically he knew there had been feuds between magic-based and science-based civilisations for dominance in this corner of the universe, but that was hundred and hundreds and hundreds of years ago. If Cal and Cliff were to be believed (and so far they'd proved to be completely reliable) it was only a select few in power pushing this anti-magic agenda, most of the ordinary citizens were actually fairly accepting of magic and it's users. The people putting the state on trial was their way of making a stance and trying to bring about change. Elliott just happened to be the ideal image to represent their cause- particularly his scar.

Hearing that Cal was popular at school wasn't too much of surprise to the cabbie either. They'd all seen how she acted with people, there was no doubt that she had both charisma and an easy going, yet sharp humour. When John quoted Cliff Chas' smirk grew. "Cliff saying that doesn't surprise me at all." Chas replied. "She really does think the world of her wife. And yeah, we're gonna owe them so much when this is over" Chas agreed. Cal and Cliff had done so much for them, taking every bit of the craziness and complications in their stride. Some of it might have been out of obligation- John and co were family after all- but everything else had been because they genuinely cared. "I know" John groaned slightly"I wouldn't even know where to begin with repaying them. If they ever come visit us we're gonna have to make sure that absolutely nothing goes wrong, sideways or just batshit crazy in general."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay didn't think there'd ever be a time when something not utterly crazy would happen to them. It was an somber way of looking at her life and in turn, everyone else's lives, but she as much as she tried to rely on hope to keep her going, she was also a realistic. One that knew no matter how much she would like to have a break of nothing crazy or complex happening to her, it wasn't going to happen ajy time soon simply because of who, no, what she was. "hate to be the person that says it, but can we really see any of that not happening when people visit?" she remarked. "ever the realist" Fia retorted back, making Kay just shrug but thinking Fia was all too used to that kind of remark in her time by her alternate Kay.

"I may be a realist but that doesn't mean I ever lose hope either. Or the desire to want no craziness" Kay finally said back to her kid. She then turned to John deciding to move forward on the subject ever so slightly, "so what are the others doing now? Heading back to the apartment, meeting us here or something entirely?" she asked curiously. "and Fia has decided she wants Ell to teach her Attili in other news completely" she added.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John was all too aware of the fact that if they tried to prevent anything crazy from happening when they had visitors it would ultimately be a fruitless effort. Unless they got very, very lucky, there would be some kind of drama when there were visitors around. Usually in the case of John and Cheryl meeting up it was one or the other (or sometime both) dropping some kind of massive bombshell on the other sibling. With other guests, it was more dramatic things, usually involving violence and Downworlders/demons that needed to be dealt with. That was why for so many John was associated with danger- wherever the mage went trouble seemed to follow or amplify. "Yeah, I know that all too well, but at least if we try we can say there were good intentions there in the first place instead of 'ah fuck it I'll just ride out the wave and see what happens'."

John shrugged in response to Kay's question. "I'm not entirely sure what they plan to do with themselves, and I don't think Elliott was completely sure either. There was talk of maybe going to find Jay, make sure she doesn't start some kind of planet wide punch up or whatever. Though I'd also say food ha got to come into it somewhere, they probably haven't eaten since morning and we all know how Cliff is about eating enough food and at proper times. I've told them where we are either way, Cal's the most likely to come by if she wants to use forging as a way of venting." It was clearly implied that if John knew how to forge it would be something he'd use to vent instead of going on a bender. "So I guess we'll see really." John raised one eyebrow slightly when Kay mentioned that Fia was finally thinking about learning Attili. "'bout bloody time, that's all I'll say."

 

[MzHyde]

Kay agreed that it was purely a case of expecting some kind of bombshell to drop on them all and thus try to do all they can to prevent it from happening, than just riding it out when it does happen. Like John said perfectly, if something bad happens when they've attempted to prevent it from happening, at least they could say they tried their damndest to stop it. She then listened to his answer about what the others were doing, only to find it seemed that none of them really knew what they were doing but the suggestion of finding Jay seemed like an important and sensible choice to do, along with the lot of them eating. She also could see how Cal would use coming to the forge as a way to vent and John's tone didn't go fully amiss on her either, especially after what Fia was saying only moments before.

"makes sense I guess, finding Jay does seem like a sensible thing to do if you ask me." Kay replied, before nodding and smirking at John's reaction about Fia learning Attili. "of course you'd react that way" Fia said rolling her eyes but a small slight smile on her lips as she said. "but yes, I've been thinking about it for days to be honest, but what with everything going on, never got to bring it up before now. Didn't seem like the most important thing to do in comparison I guess" Fia explained. Kay had to admit she did see where Fia was coming from, even if it was yet a new reason given in comparison to her other reason before John came back into the room. If Kay really thought about it, she probably would have used the same excuse for herself not learning basic Attili to get through this trip as she too focused on the main situation at hand, rather than 'oh I'm on a different planet, better learn their language'.

 

[_gallifrog_]

John didn't believe that Jay really would make a massive incident, she knew what was at stake just as well as the rest of them (maybe even more than the group in the forge as she'd been at the legal meetings). A slip up on her part could seriously damage Elliott's case after all, and if there was one thing Jay did care about it was Elliott. But the assassin was also a hot-head, they'd seen how in times of stress and emotional turmoil she could so easily lose it and lash out, and in Elliot's case he'd been on the receiving end of such anger. The black eye had been impressive and may have prompted many jokes (particularly from John and Cal), but it was also a very poignant reminded that just because Jay liked somebody it didn't mean they were immune to her anger.

Chas though it very sensible of Fia to give a different explanation to John explaining why she never learned Attili. Even though it wasn't on this John's that this Fia hadn't learned Attili, Chas knew he'd feel somewhat responsible anyway (just like both Kay and Fia did for the way the alternates in Rinaa's timeline systematically destroyed the girl's life). Fia's other explanation as to why she didn't learn the language did make sense, especially given the fact that until time travelling to Attil she'd barely left the city, let alone the country. There was, John supposed, no need for her to learn anther language as most people in England spoke some form of English. "Might stop this Elliott from completely stressing out of his nut." John replied in a more contemplative tone, leaning back in his chair so that he touched the rough brick wall, mirroring Chas' earlier sitting position. "I think the real question is what are we lot gonna do? It's still shit out by the way."

 

[MzHyde]

When Fia gave her other reason for wanting to learn the language, it wasn't entirely a lie as she did think about it a few days ago, even to the point of asking either Cal or Cliff to teach her when they weren't working if Elliott was too busy looking at trial related things. So she knew when she gave that reason it wouldn't come across as a lie like she had another reason before. She didn't even think about think about the possibility of John feeling remotely responsible in lew of his alternate self if he had heard the previous reasons she gave. Yet the idea of spending quality time with Elliott and being taught by him was even more appealing than learning from Cal or Cliff, so when John said it would probably help Elliott not go utterly insane with everything trial related, she couldn't help but smile and nod.

At the question of what they could now do now they've eaten, successfully warmed up and dried off from the rain coming up, Kay and Fia both starting thinking of what there was to do. Both of them knew there wasn't much to do in the forge as neither had forging skills to make themselves useful and not possibly be in the way, yet the idea of going back out in the rain just yet didn't feel all that appealing either. "if it's still shit out there then I cant see any of us wanting to walk back in it just yet, considering how warm it is here, so it's a case of a finding something we can do without being in the way or just begrudgingly go out into the rain and head back. That's really all I got" Kay spoke. "makes sense, is there like a card game or something we can play whilst here, if there's a deck of cards around that is. Or some other kind of game to play?" Fia then added in.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Neither John nor Chas were in love with the idea of heading back to the apartment, while they mightn't be affected by the cold and rain as acutely as Fia and Kay were, they were also human and would rather be somewhere warm than outside in the pissing rain. This willingness to stay indoors was also aided by the fact that the dining room-kitchen area of the forge, despite it's small, slightly cramped size had a very homely feel to it. Despite it's rough stone walls, which were made of incredibly thick blocks of local rock it managed to look welcoming and not imposing like the outside of the building did. "I'm all for staying inside where it's warm and dry." "Same here mate, same here." John agreed.

As soon as the words 'deck of cards' had left Fia's mouth John was already reaching for the pocket of his coat. He always had a deck of cards on him, a habit he picked up when he was younger and was using cards to hustle people. (He had over the years accumulated a full repertoire of cards tricks, both shitty 'magic' ones and real genuine magic ones). "I always have a deck on me and we've got enough people for a good game of... well pretty much any card game." Four was, in John's opinion the ideal number for a card game. Two was too low and you could easily predict what the other person had and the same applied for three. But once you reached four predicting the others' cards became far, far harder. It was also the easiest number to fit around a table,with everybody at right angles to one another, it made looking in to your neighbour's deck and cheating based off what you saw nigh impossible to do without being caught. "I'm game." Chas replied.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay felt relieved that John and Chas both had no desire to leave the forge just yet and go outside in the cold and wet. If they did desperately want to go back, she would have agreed to go but she wouldn't have liked it, so when neither wanted to leave she was greatly happy about it. For Kay, it didn't matter how small and slightly cramped the room was that they were in, it was still more homely than some of the places she had spent stormy nights. Fia just didn't want to leave because she was cosy, even though she would have happily gone back to the apartment if bit mesnt she could have grabbed her duvet off the bed and used it as a blanket on the couch, thus becoming a walking burrito. That would have been her only reason to accept going back, but she definitely preferred staying in the warm forge at the time being as it was continuing to be a change of environment.

Fia noticed John instantly start rummaging through his coat pockets, remembering that her father always carried a pack of cards for such occasions, smirking at his reply. "I'm obviously game as I threw the idea out there to begin with" she replied after Chas. "I'm also game" Kay added, shifting on her chair to sit up a bit better and readjust her comfort. "so what shall we play daddio? Your deck your rules" Fia chimed up in a cheeky tone, which told Kay she had used that nickname and statement before in her timeline and reminding her that her kid really did have a smart mouth when it suited her.

 

[_gallifrog_]

While John completely agreed with the idea of 'your deck your rules' (it was one he himself had used before and had heard before from others) he wasn't at all in favour of Fia's chosen nickname, going as far as to grimace as he heard it. Part of him suspected that Fia knew full well that both he and future John hated it, and used it for that exact reason. John already had a game in mind, one he knew they could all play (as they'd played it on the island with some of the others, adding in a second deck so there was enough cards to keep things interesting) and one that he knew they all enjoyed (again based on their experience playing it with an extra large group on the island).

As was customary in their group the person who had the deck shuffled and dealt out the first hand, with the winner dealing the next round. While John didn't quite have the graceful fluidity of a casino croupier/ex-croupier he could shuffle and deal without even looking like he wasn't devoting any brain power to what he was doing and was instead acting on muscle memory. With the cards dealt they settled down for a long session- the game John had chosen was one of those games that had the potential to go on indefinitely, but usually ended because one person did a very sneaky play or more rarely just got lucky. It was also a game with many local variations, with different people giving different meanings and rules to the various 'special' cards.

 

[MzHyde]

Seeing John grimace at the nickname just made Fia smirk and lightly chuckle as she knew full well he hated it, which was exactly why she did it every now and then, exactly how he assumed. Luckily for both Johns it wasn't a regular thing and she only did it on the very odd occasion. With the game decided and one both women remembered from playing at Cliff's, they all let John deal and shuffle the cards for them all. Neither Fia or Kay thought anything of John's shuffling skills as neither of them were any better than he was, instead just focusing on taking the cards that they were dealt.

Both girls got into the game quickly, finding it was yet again gripping enough for them not to get bored too soon whilst also both women could let their competitive streak shine through which would always bring out some amusement to the group, especially as Kay hadn't let her competitive streak be shown since the flight to Attil when she was gaming and playing twister with John. It felt like a positive breath of fresh air for Kay in particular to just let loose in a good game with people she cared about greatly, making her almost forget that there was the much bigger situation outside of the four walls they were surrounded by.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Out of everybody at the table, Chas was the least competitive, playing for the fun of the game, not to one-up anybody and certainly not playing to win. Kay could certainly hold her own when it came to playing against competitive people like John and Fia, that became blatantly obvious as the game progressed. Kay wasn't the only one letting loose in the game, for Chas it had been one of the most relaxing things he'd done in the past few days (which he was aware was sort of ironic given how competitively people were playing the game, particularly when it came to catching somebody not obeying the rules) and for John, it only furthered the relaxation he'd had whilst smoking outside. The tension left them as they focused completely on the game, barely registering the few occasions Dan or the apprentice went into one of the nearby store rooms.

After about an hour and a half of playing and friendly bantering and trash talk, the sound of raised voices could just about be heard from the forge. "Anybody know what that's about then?" John asked, to which Chas shrugged, he didn't recognise the voices and the muffling effect of the thick stone walls meant that even if it was an argument in English he mightn't have been able to make out what was being sad. "I can't make out a thing, and it's probably none of our business yet." It was only when a third voice joined in that both John and Chas got up to investigate- the third voice belonged to Cal. Looking around the corner of the door and into the forge they saw the familiar faces of Cal, Cliff and Elliott all soaked from the rain that was still bucketing down outside. Near Cal, and the source of the earlier arguing was the apprentice and Blue (the musician whose band Rinaa had played with a few night ago). Both were glaring at each other, and it would be clear now why the apprentice looked so hazily familiar- they were siblings.

 

[MzHyde]

Kay always enjoyed proving that she could hold her own when it came to card games as well as any other type of game as she knew she never particularly looked the type to be competitive or really get involved in group games. Or so Sam always told her, which she always remembered and just accepted it instead of trying to protest it. She knew out of the two of them she was the quiet loner book type artist that would prefer to be alone than with others, yet she also Kew that mindset was changing the more she spent with John and Co. Yet she also knew it was games such as these that her smarts and observation skills really came into their own and got highlighted showing she wasn't always someone to be messed with so to speak. Whereas Fia grew up in this kind of environment and doing family games that would sometimes be for pure fun (especially if Elliott and Jay or Sam came to visit) or as a way of honing her skills and teaching her vital skills that would help her survive out in the real dark world without her really knowing it.

By the time the argument could be heard, Fia also found her curious mind intrigued to what was going on but knew at this moment it was best if John and Chas just saw what was happening. All she could summarise initially was that it clearly was becoming heated rapidly. At the sound of Cal's voice, Fia really wanted to go see what was going on but let Chas and her dad do the spying first before she couldn't take it anymore and just had to know. So she got up and peeked round the corner behind John and Chas (very much looking like she was an extra out of scooby doo) and recognised Blue instantly. "oh that's why the apprentice looks familiar, he's clearly related to Blue over there" she said quietly to her dad and godfather. She wondered what would have brought Blue to the forge so much that it resulted in an argument with the apprentice but also knew it was none of her business.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Both Chas and John thought there was something familiar about the younger boy, but neither of them could put their fingers on it what it was, until Fia appeared behind them, leaned over their shoulders and provided the missing piece of the puzzle. "So that's where I know the younger one from!" replied John, mentally kicking himself for not making the connection between the dark haired musician and the boy arguing with the apprentice earlier. He kept his voice low when he spoke, watching what was playing out in front of them. Chas hadn't thought there was anything familiar about the apprentice earlier, having seen him on some of his previous visits to forge. But now seeing him next to Blue, it was crystal clear they were siblings, albeit ones who clearly didn't get on. "Good spot there kid."

The siblings continued to glare at one another, but even from this distance it was clear that the apprentice's gaze was the stronger, more annoyed one. Cal had evidently walked in on the argument and had taken matters into her own hands, yelling at them to cut the shit and act like grown-ups. She stood in right between the two siblings, arms crossed in disapproval, something in her posture suggesting this wasn't the first time she'd interrupted an argument. Dan had been in the forge when the argument started, but hadn't realised how far it was escalating until it was too late. But now he was aware and had set down his tools, fully ready to involve himself in what was going on. The tension was mounting in the room, like some kind of Mexican stand-off. It only lasted for about twenty seconds (though to those involved and those watching it felt like far longer).

The tension was broken by Blue, speaking to his brother in a pleading tone. The words only further enraged his brother, who through his arms up in the air angrily and yelled something back in Attili before turning and walking storming off back to the workbench. Blue tried again, in the same pleading tone, but once again the apprentice was having none of it and yelled something back that had all the fluent Attili speakers in the room wincing. It was then that Dan spoke, his gravelly voice directed at Blue "you'd best go, you'll only make things worse by staying." The younger boy sighed, nodded and ran a hand through his hair before leaving, pulling the hood of his coat back up as he left. Cliff took that as her cue to go over to the apprentice, while Cal went to Dan and Elliott came over to Chas, Fia and John. "Don't suppose you know anythin' about that Ell?" John asked, briefly wrapping one arm around Elliott's shoulder in a brief half hug before letting go. "No, nothing, I'd only seen him once before today."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia smiled when it became clear that she figured it out before her paternal figures, finding that her obversation skills hadn't got sloppy in the slightest since being back in time. Her smile only grew into a grin when Chas openly complimented her for her spot. She continued to watch on as the two brothers kept their argument and outright stand off going whilst Cal stayed between the two of them to try and stop it. Despite it feeling utterly heated and tense in the forge, Fia couldn't stop herself watching it unfold. She may not understand Attili but she could understand the tones in which the words were spoken which made her believe Blue was trying to fix something that possibly couldn't be easily fixed, whilst his brother was being adamant in not complying to Blue's pleas. When Dan stepped in and told Blue to go to save it getting any worse, Fia actually felt sorry for Blue as he always seemed like a decent bloke if what she witnessed at the club was anything to go by.

When Elliott came over to them when it all broke off and ended, she let John give him a half hug and to ask if he knew what was going on. "what was Blue begging of his brother?" Fia couldn't help but ask. "he seemed really cut up about something" she then added. Whilst everyone else was being nosey, Kay was still sat at the table minding her own business and being the only one not interested in teenage dramas when she didn't know who these people were. "Fia you can be really nosey at times" she remarked, causing Fia turn her head over her shoulder and just waving her mother's words off like it was nothing before looking back at her brother.

 

[_gallifrog_]

If looks could kill John was fairly certain the apprentice would have been hauled away on a murder charge. The look he was giving his brother was filled with real contempt, whatever was going on between them, it ran deep. Chas chose to focus on the body language and tone of the brothers as the stand-off progressed, hoping it might tell him something about their argument. Blue was trying to persuade his brother of something, something evidently important to him. The brother was refusing to even hear Blue out, the pleas only serving to make him angrier. The expression of hurt on Blue's face at his brother's final, cutting remark made him pity the younger boy. Whatever it was, he was genuinely upset by it, wanting to make some kinds of amends. Chas believed that Dan made the right call in telling Blue to leave, the younger boy staying would most definitely make things worse.

"She's not the only one who wants to know" John called back in response to Kay. John knew he himself was damn curious about it, and guessed Chas was as well, but that the cabbie was just doing a better job of hiding it (and was more inclined to respect other people's rights to privacy that John himself was. Chas just rolled his eyes, not at all surprised that John would be intent on finding out about this new drama. Though, looking on the bright side, at least it wasn't directly connected to Elliott or the trial coming up.

"Obviously I don't have the full context of whatever's going on between them." Elliott stressed, wanting to make sure that Fia (and the others) knew that what he was saying was only part of the story and he could easily have the complete wrong end of the stick. "But they seemed to be talking about a girl, Blue wanting to see her, saying he both wanted to and had a right to see her. That's what the begging was about. His brother on the other hand, who I think is called Simeon is the angrier, and I believe the more hurt one in this situation. He's refusing to let it happen, saying that Blue lost that right when he sided with their parents." "And that final remark? The one that had you all flinching and this Blue kid looking like he'd been slapped in the face?" John asked, leaning forwards. "A really, really nasty insult, which I'm not going to translate for you, followed by telling his brother to fuck off back home and continue being the favourite kid."