Dionysus Be Praised! - Girl's Night, Part Two!

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla could not have gotten out of North fast enough. She insisted she didn't need to go to the hospital. Her gunshot wound wasn't deep and she was just limping a tiny bit. Her shoulder was only the tiniest bit sore, and you could hardly tell that she had a cut on her temple. Shula had told her she had to spend a little more time in North City, taking care of some business. And so Csilla fled back to Central City. And the first thing she did was take a LONG sleep in her own bed. She had definitely missed it. She honestly did not do much, those days she spent in her apartment. She drew a little bit but mostly just waited for the message from Shula that she was back in South.

AND FINALLY IT CAME! Csilla quickly packed up a bag and headed down to South. She was surprised by how different it seemed since the last time she had been there. It was starting to get more developed, although it still seemed rather deserted. But the people would come. Who could resist a full on tourist town? The people of Amestris needed a little fun in their lives after all of the horrible things they had gone through. Csilla spent a little bit of the morning wandering through “new South” and seeing what everything was like. As afternoon approached she went in search of a liquor store. And luckily, she found it! She had never been a drinker but after everything that had happened to her in the past few months... it was a little necessary. And she couldn't believe that she had Spade to thank for the fact that she was able to buy alcohol. She grabbed a bottle of strawberry margarita mix and then after careful thought... grabbed one more. Paying with a chuckle, she headed off to the address Shula had given her for her new home.

Shula had said it was a loft and it definitely looked pretty from the outside! Csilla really liked the look of the building and just the vibe it gave off. Fit for the gods, this was. Up the stairs she went, up and up and up. And suddenly, there was a door. Shifting her backpack and the brown paper bag that held her surprise, she knocked on the door, calling out in a singsong voice. “Hellllooooo? Anyone hooooooooooome?”

[Shula Brighton]

It really was a beautiful day. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue; it was often that way in South. It was nice in theory, but did nothing to ebb the dry heat that was a constant most of the year there. The addition of the world's largest manmade lake, though, seemed to work for and against everyone, the water adding to the humidity and causing the wind that blew across the area to feel hot and sticky. The way the light bounced off the water brightened the area, though, and really added a whole new feel to South that had never been there before. Before it seemed to just be a desert with some nice landscaping that felt stiff and dry as the people who lived there. Now South was a havan; a sign of rebirth seen all across the country. People had flocked to South as it had been reclaimed and was being rebuilt. The population was growing daily, things were being built and planned, and soon the tourists would come from all over the world.

The little loft next to that shining lake was built by Shula's family from the Ishval settlements who had been visiting. It was made with her in mind, and designed to let in as much warmth and light as possible, large windows covering one side and overlooking the hundred mile lake. Shula loved it. There was light, open space, room to dance, and she'd been working to create a floating garden the whole world could appreciate. Her home still had very little in the way of furniture, and honestly still smelled of fresh wood and carpet, the loft being less than a month old and Shula not having spent enough time actually in it to break it in.

The day was warm. The loft was warm. But Shula felt so cold, like she was still drenched in the torrent of frozen water in Drachma. Like a cold she'd never shake off, no matter how many hot showers she'd had. Shula had taken a few days off to recover on the suggestion of everyone she knew and the counselor on base, and was presently curled up in her bed. She hadn't gotten up all day. It wasn't worth it. Sheets lay tangled around her thighs, white hair loose and in every direction. She was wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a long men's dress shirt; one of Acra's that she'd gotten from Wallace. She Wanted Acra. She wanted her derpt puppy BACK. Her bed was too big for her; this loft too empty alone. She wanted arms arond her waist; she wanted soft breathing in her ear while they napped. Even if that idiot never kissed her, just having him be awake and come back to her... Spade visiting and staying when she'd gotten back to South had helped, but once the house had resumed its emptiness Shula only realized just how much emptier she felt.

Knock knock knock knock knock!“Hellllooooo? Anyone hooooooooooome?” Shula sat up in bed, rubbing a swollen eye with the sleeve. Someone was at the door.... Csilla? She was here? Shula sat up higher, reaching from her phone; Csilla had sent several texts, none of which she'd even noticed. Oops. Slowly she pulled herself from her bed, legs bare and dress shirt hanging down to her thighs, the ginormous sleeves covering her little hands as Shula went downstairs from her open bedroom. Eight locks undid, one by one and slowly the door peeked open to reveal a hint of Shula, looking at the beaming sunshine that was her best friend.

"H-Hey Csilla... Glad you found the place OK..." She sniffled lightly, trying to force a teensy smile as she opened the door wide enough to let her friend inside.

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla walked into the apartment, placing her two bags on the ground before dragging Shula into a good old-fashioned, suffocation-type-hug. She had heard about Acra being in the hospital and that it was going to be a tough time, seeing what would happen. She also knew that Shula was taking it very, very hard. Being in love with someone who was so far away... yeah, she could understand that well. She held onto her friend for a few moments, stroking her hair gently. She then leaned back, smiling brightly. “Come now, friend. The time for sadness is over, eh?” Csilla closed the front door to Shula's apartment, swiftly locking up all the locks. She left her backpack near the door and began to wander aimlessly until she discovered the kitchen. She set the brown bag down on the counter, pulling out the two bottles of margarita mix. As she began to dig through Shula's cabinets, she continued speaking.

“Today is a time for a celebration, darling. So out of those sad clothes!” Csilla herself was in jean shorts, calf-high boots (yes, even in the heat!) and a crimson tank top. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and she squeaked in pleasant surprise as she dragged out her prize. Blender, ho! She then went into Shula's freezer, pulling out ice. “We need to drink to our departed friends and their safe travels to the Underworld, we need to drink for those still healing and...” She looked up at Shula, eyes glittering with amusement. “Then we need to take after the boss and drink to Dionysus and his glory!” Laughing, she shooed Shula off to change and clean herself up. Humming to herself, Csilla began the oh-so-delicate art of mixing margaritas. And to think that just a few months ago, Csilla was not a drinker. It was a surprise, seeing what crazy things that would lead her to enjoy getting tipsy.

[Shula Brighton]

Boobs were such funny things. They were warm, and squishy, and on girls who had them, they jiggled and bounced a lot. They smooshed into clothes and people, always looking like when they unsmooshed they should make a boing noise. And if you were someone short hugging someone taller than you, there was a good chance those boobs would be smooshing into the top of yor own chest or neck. And as Csilla pulled Shula into a tight, massively-squeezing hug, said taller girl's boobs made a distinct smoosh against Shula. Shula clung tightly to her friend, squeezing and comforted by her coming, her scent and by being held. Alone was the opposite of what Shula wanted to be right now. Alone meant she was thinking. Thinking meant she was thinking about people she wanted but couldn't have for one reason or another. Which led to crying, which was all she'd been doing today. As Csilla pulled away from her, Shula could see that her infectious smile was as warm and bright as the light alchemy she used.

"“Come now, friend. The time for sadness is over, eh?” Crying time was over. If Csilla could make time hurt less and make that void in her soul not ache as much, Shula would light incense and thank the many gods that Csilla prayed to. All eight of Shula's lovely new locks were re-locked, letting that tiny feeling of security return at least. Shula raised her arm, wiping her face with the overly-long sleeve. “Today is a time for a celebration, darling. So out of those sad clothes!” She wiped at her face again lightly, her feet padding along the new floor as Csilla wandered into the loft's kitchen and began digging through the cabinets. The apartment was still so new and Shula had spent so little time in it; even though most of the things in the house itself were used, found and bargained for by she and her family rummaging and being good at trade business, they were still new to her. She had enough dishes to have dinner parties like she used to, but with her boss and friends being in Central and Acra in the hospital, throwing a dinner party seemed like a bad idea.

Csilla squeaked as she found the large blender that looked like it had been pilfered from some bar, large and heavy duty and designed with multiple blended drink buttons on the front. Shula remained quiet, watching as though waking up from a dream. “We need to drink to our departed friends and their safe travels to the Underworld, we need to drink for those still healing and... Then we need to take after the boss and drink to Dionysus and his glory!” Drink to the heros, the beloved dead and party for the sake of still being alive. Although Shula could feel her cheeks warming slightly at the thought ofhow many Spadey habits she personally had been picking up since meeting him and him visiting making her realize so many things about herself. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she went to the stairs, quietly excusing herself to go dress. Csilla said she needed to change and join her to celebrate life, so... It seemed like a much better idea.

A few minutes later Shula came back downstairs, face washed up and hair brushed. The pale olive green kurtis was trimmed in gold threadwork that looked like a patterned wheat field, the long cotton tunic hanging down to her thighs over her jeans. Thin gold and rhinestone bangles made a pleasant jingling noise on Shu's wrists as she stepped behind Csilla, wrapping her arms around her friend's waist from behind and squeezed affectionately. "Thank you, Csilla. I think I needed this." Shula gave another small squeeze before letting go, walking to her small fridge and pulling out a small container of strawberriers and plopping them on the counter, holding one up for Csilla to try.

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla looked up at her friend with a smile as she came back, looking much better, although there was still a sadness lingering in her eyes. She felt Shula squeeze her and reached an arm back, squeezing her arm, even as she fought with the giant blender. She had finally succeeded in getting the blender to blend the way she wanted to, and then had dug through Shula's cabinets for glasses. She successfully poured the margaritas into their respective glasses, chuckling to herself triumphantly. She looked at Shula to see a strawberry being held out to her. She took it and popped it in her mouth, sliding a strawberry margarita across the counter to Shula in return. She slowly chewed on the strawberry, sticking her tongue out a moment later to remove the green leaves that rested there. She rakishly balanced the leaves on the edge of her glass before lifting it to Shula. “To our friends.” She spoke with a somber smile, the two glasses gently clinking together. Csilla pulled back her glass and lifted it to her lips with both hands, taking a slow drink.

Her thoughts drifted to the two wars that she had been a part of in such a short period of time. First with Creta and just recently with Drachma. What a mad, mad, mad, mad world. Her lips lingered on the glass as she sent a silent prayer to Hades, asking him to watch over the good Amestrian soldiers that now stood at his gates. Setting her glass back down, she reached over to Shula and squeezed her hand with a smile. She went over to her backpack and withdrew a large jar candle, a simple vanilla scent. She slid it across the counter to her friend. “Here. Not a fire in the hearth, per se, but a fire for Hestia to grace. Every new home needs one.” She smiled brightly. “Speaking of homes, may we indulge in a tour of your lovely abode?”

[Shula Brighton]

Spoiler:

The beautiful brilliant red of the strawberry, booze-laden slushie was poured into the thick, chunky tumblers, filling the kitchen with its sweet smell. The fresh strawberries brightened the room too, only making the little strawberry party seem that much more delicious. Something about the smell of fresh fruit brightened the day, and something about the smell of booze seemed to be more and more promising. She really had been spending too much time Spade, hadn't she? Spade... Shula shook her head fainltly to herself, pushing those little thoughts aside for now. The feelings were just... so complicated and just made her want to go back into bed and sleep until she found her life's reset button. The drink was slid to her as she leaned against the side of the little bar-table, looking at it thoughtfully before clinking it to Csilla's. "To our friends." Shula nodded, taking her drink and taking a long, slow gulp.

Sweet. Tart. The wonderful burn of the tequila... and the burn somewhere in the middle of her chest mere seconds later as the alkahestric array activated, nullifying the alcohol and its wonderful effects that it would bring her. Hells bells... Not being able to be poisoned is great, but no medicines touch me AND no fucking alcohol?! I can't even get a small buzz? Man... Still, at least the drink itself was tasty, and the company was nice; the secretaries in Central loved to come to Shula with their problems and fill her in on all the juicy gossip, but Csilla was her best friend that she could go to for most anything. Much as she loved talking to Acra and Spade and getting their insight, there were some things you just needed girlfriends for.

The sound of something else heavy and full-sounding sliding to her caused Shula to look back up from her thoughts. A vanilla candle. “Here. Not a fire in the hearth, per se, but a fire for Hestia to grace. Every new home needs one.” Shula smiled gently, picking up the candle and sniffing it lightly, the smell of something vanilla bean comforting even without being lit. Shula moved to a drawer at the bottom of her counter and pulled out a lighter; fire alchemist or not, lighters were good things to have handy. The gentle glow that came from the candle's flame carried the warm vanilla scent upward as Shula went to hug Csilla gain.

"Thank you.. I haven't had much time to even break this place in, so it doesn't even smell like incense and oils yet."[/i] Shula took another slow sip of her drink, smiling at the flavour of the strawberries and alcohol, even if she couldn't get drunk off it.

“Speaking of homes, may we indulge in a tour of your lovely abode?” Shula took another sip and put her drink down, stepping over to take Csi's arm.

"Well, it'll be a rather short tour, but there's some really nice things in here. My mother's family came out from the Ishval settlements to help with trade in town and helped build this place for me. A lot of the stuff in it Uncle Pasha bought, found or traded for... He's awesome that way." Shula walked Csilla around the small open kitchen dramatically, stopping at the pantry. "So you've already become friends with my kitchen. This is my poor empty pantry that needs me to do some serious food shopping. And you've discovered my front door... it's front door-tastic." She stuck out the end of her tongue playfully, grabbing another strawberry and escorting Csilla across the wide area. She bit the end of the fruit, then pointed with it.

"So that there is a 3/4 bathroom with a standup shower. I guess Uncle Pasha figured it might come in handy to have more than a powder room. This little room next to it, washer, dryer and water tank and I get suuuuuuuch long hot baths. It's a treat!" The walls were still a neutral colour, waiting for Shula to paint all over them and fill them with vibrancy and life, tall windows lining the wide-open room as Shula walked toward the large living room. The right wall held a tall staircase with a closet door beneath it as well as a large bookcase. On the left, Shula's computer desk, filing cabinets and another bookcase. The living room was a wide, open area with a large plush rug over the thin carpet. "I dunno where they found the sofa and chairs. They almost match, and the sofa becomes a queen bed. It's REALLY comfy to sit on, too. The TV is old as hell but works, and my cousin donated me his old Xbox." Shula let out a soft laugh, letting go of the aching weights in her heart to enjoy just this moment, like she had in Central playing with those kids.

"I've got a nice hammock outside and can overlook the lake from my balcony. I'm working on making a new garden too, like my last one. But thiiiis-" Shula let go of Csilla's arm, walking to the righthand corner of her home. A sprung wooden floor rested a few inches above the carpet in front of a tall, wide mirror with a barre cutting it in half width-wise. "This was a really sweet addition. They added a practice floor, mirror and barre, just so I could keep up with my ballet since I didn't want another house as big as the one in Central was. I miss having a whole studio room, but this works just as well. It's just me, so..." That thought stung a bit, but she swallowed it down, forcing the small smile back up. Shula stepped away from her tiny dancing floor to the base of the stairs, looking playfully at her friend over her shoulder."Sooo... Ready to head upstairs? Some of the real fun stuff's up there."

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla smiled fondly at her friend, continuing to slowly sip her drink as she grabbed a strawberry for herself. The kitchen was lovely, despite the empty pantry. It was mostly the openness of the apartment that Csilla was falling in love with. As Shula showed off her ballet area, Csilla wandered over to the large windows staring out onto the lake. She bit into her strawberry, letting sweetness roll over her tongue. Her thoughts drifted for a moment, back to Drachma. Back to that kiss. It was lingering in her mind, whether she wanted it to or not. With a deep sigh she came back to herself, turning to see Shula standing at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled brightly at her friend. “Downstairs is lovely, Shula. I'd love to see the action upstairs.” She came up beside her friend, squeezing her around the shoulders. “Remind me to tell you something after the tour.”

She quickly went up the stairs before Shula, taking a quick glance around the area before resting her glass on a chest of drawers. She then decided to quite gracefully swan dive onto Shula's bed. She started laughing, rolling over and sitting up with her legs crossed. “I think your bed has passed the test.”

[Shula Brighton]

Csilla bounded up the stairs ahead of Shula, running into the loft. Where the stairs ended was an open door and a large wall mirror. A pot of bleeding hearts hung from the ceiling and brushed against the wall; the only really solid wall in the room, the rest of it open to let in the light and overlook her home. Shula's furniture, keeping with the rest of the house, was totally mismatched as the antique dresser with the mirror, wide bookcase, larger dresser and night stand didn't match in the slightest, nor did they really have enough clothes in them to justify that many drawers along with the walk-in closet large enough to put a spare cot in. She was tempted to shove the bigger dresser in the back of the closet, turn the bookcase against the bathroom wall and the other little dresser to mirror it in order to open that view back up, but for now? That could wait. Drinks were placed down on the small dresser as Csilla jumped and dove into Shula's messy bed, the bed bouncing up and down with the movement.

Her bouncy bed was still new to Shula, but had obviously been broken-in by some previous owners in order to make sure it was comfy in all the right places and very bouncy. But as Csilla's bouncing came to a slow and she sat upright, Shula couldn't help but blush very faintly, a teensy smile warming in the corner of her mouth. Her bed was very comfy and bouncy, and had fit two people far better than it had fit just her. ”It's ridiculously comfy,” Shula said, plopping down to bounce on the corner herself, glad that Csilla didn't have canine sense to smell any lingering trace of their boss sleeping in that bed with her. [color=green]”Dunno where Uncle Pasha found it, but I like this one better than my last one.” Shula raised a hand, pointing to her closet. ”So, yeah. Massive closet that I could store a whole other person in, equally awesome view from my bed, and you will LOVE my bathroom.”

Shula slid off her bed with a small bounce, walking around her bed and opening the bathroom door. The bathroom, like the rest of her home, was large and open, the end of it boasting a large and inviting bathtub and a big round spa shower head. The tub was gloriously deep and wide, and would allow for two if you sat the right way or were really skinny. ”This tub is a DREAM. It's got little jets and things and I can sink up to my neck and not overfill it! But the real treat is in here~” Shula popped away from her bathtub to a narrow door at the end of her bath; one might have mistaken it for a linen closet, but really it was so much more. The door slid open, and revealed two wooden benches, one higher than the other and both long enough for an average adult to lay on. In the corner was a tall metal box, made to house a heating element and release steam. It was a small, two person sauna. Shula grinned faintly and playfully. ”I could live in my bathroom.”

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla rose from the bed, grabbing her margarita as Shula showed off her huge closet. She chuckled, "I think that'll be my room when I visit, eh?" Then Shula led her to the bathroom. Oh. Wow. It looked... so... - a sauna?? Smiling brightly, she nodded in agreement to Shula. "Um, yes. I think this will be my room when I visit, actually. It looks so relaxing." Csilla could only imagine the heat of the sauna enveloping her skin, relaxing her tense muscles. Maybe even relaxing the knots of confusion that rolled around in her mind. Stepping back into the bedroom she noticed that hers and Shula's glasses were rather near empty. Csilla felt a buzz growing as she grabbed Shula's glass from her hand and went back downstairs to the kitchen. Shula didn't even look the littlest bit of pink in the face. Csilla began to blend up a new batch of margaritas, chewing on the side of her lip as she did so. She needed to just come out and say it. She needed to get these... events with Elastor off of her chest. Maybe speaking it aloud would give some clarity to the whole situation? Then again, maybe not. But she knew that with Shula, she had a person who wouldn't judge her or make her feel horrible about what she was feeling.

As the blender buzzed away, Csilla thought back... No. Do NOT get into that. Shaking her head quickly, she turned off the blender and refilled the two glasses. Turning to Shula, she handed her her glass with a smile. "You seem to have got a better tolerance than me. I suspect it's because you've been hanging around Spade more than I have." Csilla laughed shakily and took a large gulp from her glass. Setting it down on the counter she went over to her backpack, reaching for a folded piece of paper that was hiding at the bottom. "There's something I want to show you." She walked back to the counter, and gently unfolded the paper, spreading it out to make it smooth again. She gazed down, a troubled look causing her eyes to darken in color. She had not look at this picture of Elastor that she had drawn since the day she drew it. It was strange... seeing it again after the recent events. "I don't know if he looks familiar to you, but he should." She then quietly explained her strange meeting with Elastor five years ago, the days she went missing after the bombings in the battle against Creta and what happened just a short time ago in Drachma. She never looked at Shula once during this, instead looking down at the sleeping form on the page. She sighed a little bit, raising her head to look at her friend. "I don't know what to do, Shula. I mean, I've interacted with him all of three times. Each time was confusing and frustrating, yet he's all I can think about. ...He makes my heart skip a beat. A lot of beats." She took another sip of her drink, remaining quiet. She wasn't sure what else she had to say. She felt... better, getting that off her mind. But she didn't feel as much clarity as she was expecting. Maybe that would come later?

[Shula Brighton]

With a faint smirk, Shula moved back to her cup to nearly drain it before setting it down again. "If my bathroom had a mini fridge, it'd be where I host parties." She wateched as Csilla took their now empty glasses and glanced at the soft pink dusting that crowned the top of her friend's cheeks. Shula gave another small glance to her bed as Csilla started back down the stairs. The dress shirt lay rumpled on top of the messy covers, and part of her still wanted to just crawl back in and not come out until her head made sense again. She stepped to her night stand and touched the pendant Acra had given her before the war, the large ruby shining in the light. He'd given her that to keep her safe, but something told her then tht it was more than just tat, justa s she'd given him Gustav's ring. The ring hadn't kept him as safe as she'd have liked, but at least he lived... She looked at the gem and his shirt she'd snitched, and then at her bed, a sharp pang of guild stabbing into her stomach.

"I wonder how many times I've fallen in love with you..." A small shiver ran up Shula's spine as she turned to her stairs, following after Csilla. Csi had a plan right now, and that plan seemed to involve enough tequila and strawberries to make them both quite happy and forget thier problems. Well, Csi at least. The blender was already going and happy when Shu got back down into her kitchen, the Ishvallan reaching for a strawberry.Round number two was poured and Shu's cheeks went bright pink. Hanging out with Spade too much... She let out a small nervous laugh. [color=green'Yeah, it takes a lot to keep up with him, huh?"[/color] Csi seemed bent on going through a few glasses at least, Shu watching Csi take large frozen gulps of her booze-laden slushie before she went to pull soething from her backpack. Shula took several small gulps from hers, really wishing she could get the alcohol down long enough just to feel a buss even for a moment or two.

A sheet of paper was handed to her with a sketch of a sleeping man on it. Shula pu her glass down and took the page, looking at it more carefully. He should look familiar to her... and he did, but who.... Lightning hit her head. "The scowly soldier from Creta," Shu murmured, looking closer at the drawing. Huh... He seems less scary when he's asleep. Shula took a few more slow, patient drinks, listening as Csilla poured out her heart and mind like Scrabble tiles. The blonde didn't look up once to her while she spoke. So... Csilla had been in Creta with him and the'd already known each other from before. When Csilla did look up finally, Shula let out a small sigh. "Wow, Csi... That's... pretty intense." Intense might not have been the right word, but Shu didn't know what was. That was the sort of relationship, if youl could call it that, that could get her and the Cretan soldier in a lot of deep trouble. The good news was that she and Csi were good enough friends that Csi would know Shu wasn't about to tattle. Shula wished she had an extra bottle of tequila handy just to pour a bit more in Csi's drink to help her feel better about it all. Yeah, you totally can't tell who I spend my time with, nope...

"It sounds like you really like him... Do you have any way to get a hold of him? Maybe you two can talk about actually trying to go out sometime and see where that goes...." Shu was hardly an expert in a fied where she was more a cheerleader and spectator than anything, but moved to hug her friend regardless. "But maybe seeing each other again and really talking about things would help to clarify them. That was you'd at least know if he wanted you that way, too."

[Csilla Angelis]

Sighing, Csilla moved out of the kitchen, leaving her margarita behind. “I don't know, Shu. I'm just so afraid that he'll hate me. I can't handle that.” She walked absentmindedly through the living room and out onto the balcony. She rested her arms onto the railing, leaning down. She looked out to the lake. Elastor Ito was a problem. A really big one. And it was something she would have to deal with. But maybe that could wait until after her little vacation in South.

Vacation meant that it was no time to be mopey, so she took a deep breath, putting a smile back on her face. If the body kept smiling, maybe it could trick the mind and heart into believing they were all happy. Csilla turned around on the balcony, getting ready to join Shula back inside, glancing down as she did so. She paused, one foot inside the door. Her eyebrow raised slightly as she stared at the strange object that seemed to litter the balcony's floor. Cigarette butts? That seems... odd. There were quite a lot of them down there and there was only one person who Csilla could think of that smoked THAT much. Continuing back inside, she waved her hand back towards the balcony. “Hey, Shu. Who was here? Spade?” She arrived back into the kitchen to see Shula turn pink in the face, doing a combination of twitching and bouncing from foot to foot. Csilla looked completely puzzled at her friend, knowing that something HAD to have happened to make Shula this uncomfortable about their fearless leader. “What happened? I just spilled out my heart, you have to tell me.” She smiled playfully, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the counter. She looked up in surprise when a resounding knock on the door sounded. Csilla remained exactly where she was, raising an eyebrow at Shula. Just waiting for an answer.

[Shula Brighton]

The funny thing about having houseguests was that no matter how good you were, sometimes it was impossible to cover all traces of people being there. They were staying there, so that sort of thing just happened. Shu had always been pretty good at keeping house, but sometimes small details did escape her; out of sight, out of mind, as they say. Her house was spotless inside, but the empty soupcan Shu had given Spade to use for his cigarettes had been forgotten about outside on the balcony. Oops. She wasn't sure why she was so paranoid to keep it a secret for now; just something about the rules regarding cohabitating with your CO made her somewhat paranoid. And despite how well she'd been "taught" to hide her feelings on things, others still just made her squirm a bit and went right up to the surface no matter what she did.

Csilla looked at her expectantly, and she knew that look. It said "So spill!" very plainly; she used that look often enough on the secretaries that used to come running to her desk to get help with their personal problems or fill her in on all the good stuff. Shula took another quick gulp of her drink and a deep breath, looking up at Csilla sheepishly.

"Riiiight, so don't freak out, but um... You know how Central's mostly still a mess and Central HQ is still under construction and a lot of the soldiers that work there are temping here. So, ah... Spade and I came home from North and on the way he sorta kissed me and told me he loved me and I might have sorta kissed back and I think I really liked it and wanted another and then when we got here I told him he could stay here with me since he has nowhere else to go right now and I might have given him my soul and he kinda accidentally groped my boob and so he's been sleeping in my bed with me and his sister's sleeps on the sofa bed." Shula let out a massive exhale, cheeks deeply flushed as she emptied her cup in one or two giant gulps, but not at all from the alcohol content rushing into her veins.

Csilla was her best friend and Shu knew she could keep a secret, but this was one of those things where Shu was rather worried by the rumour mill. Shula was waiting for Csilla's reaction whatever it may be when the door suddenly knocked. Spade and Aishe were supposed to be out all day, and they wouldn't be knocking to come home... Shula hopped up from the chair like it were going to bite her and quickly undid the locks that went from top to bottom, the door opening wide. The tiny Ishvallan was caught in a state of total surprise, the person at the door one of the last people she expected. By all outward appearances, the middle-aged man was Amestrian, neatly trimmed brown eyebrows sitting over hazel eyes. Wrinkles set into his forehead, around his eyes, and deep smile lines around his mouth. He was taller than Shula (though who wasn't, really?), but the shape of his eyes matched hers. As soon as the door was opened all the way, the man in the dress shirt and cardigan put a large box down onto the floor, immediately wrapping his arms tightly around the petite woman.

"ENGEL!" Shula let out a small noise as she was squeezed, her personal bubble popped, invaded and taken over by the older man who seemed to have no intention of letting her go. "Baby, I've missed you, I was worried when you stopped answering my messages!" He finally released her as Shula began to frantically tap him to silently beg for air but was unable to escape without a kiss to her forehead and another (shorter) squeeze. Shula shifted from foot to foot and looked over to Csilla, and then back to Phillip.

"Ah, Papa? What are you doing here? You didn't come all the way here for margaritas, did you?" Shula smiled faintly, trying to tease a little as she looked back to Csilla. "Csilla, this is my Papa, Phillip. Papa, this is Csilla." She gave Csilla an apologetic look, knowing she hadn't had a chance to explain or answer anything but surely she would know that now wasn't the time for it. She then looked back down to the floor at the large case that had been set down.

"I'll go get the rest of the things... I left Resembool in a hurry, but I was worried about you and thought you could use some looking-after. It's very nice to meet you, Csilla." Phillip smiled lightly, brushing Shula's cheek and looking like he was worried she'd run out the window or vanish if he didn't keep an eye on her right then and there. "You go ahead and open that case, and I'll go get the rest... I brought you some housewarming things." As Phillip turned and trotted back down the stairs, Shula moved the suitcase into the living room with a sigh, opening it up to reveal several folded bolts of fabric of all colours.

"Well... Today just got more intersting, now didn't it?"

[Csilla Angelis]

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Shula had done WHAT? WITH SPADE? Csilla was motionless, her face a blank slate. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape. She had expected Shula to say that Spade had spent the night there but... NOTHING LIKE THAT. Csilla managed to assume a more pleasant expression as Shula went to open the door. That is, the pleasant looked remained until Shula was being smothered by a tall man. Then the look was replaced once again with shock and confusion. What else was going to happen today? She smiled at Shula's father and waved her hand in greeting, managing to cover up her puzzlement once more. The man didn't seem so much interested in her at this moment, as much as making sure Shula was well and truly there. As the man walked out again, it slowly dawned on Csi that Shula had introduced the man as her papa. Her father. Csilla felt a huge thump in her chest, thinking of her own father. She would never get to see him randomly show up at her apartment door. Wiping a quick hand across her eyes, she moved to join Shula near the opened suitcase.

She glanced to Shula, give her a pointed look that clearly said "Later." and then turned her attention to the bolts of fabric. "I would say so, yes. What does your father do, exactly?" She tentatively reached into the suitcase, rubbing a piece of cloth between two of her fingers. "It's all so lovely. The colors."

[Shula Brighton]

The look on Csilla's face was nothing short of what Shula had expected from her best friend: like she'd just had a massive static shock from a frozen seat while watching a polka-dotted unicorn rollerskate to Swan Lake in front of her. Really, the expression was pretty damn funny, and had this been a funnier and less sensitive issue, Shula might have joked that her face was awesome right then. But for the moment and topic at hand? The look was totally understandable. And for the moment Shula was very, very thankful that her father had shown up at the door to distract attention away from it.

Shula sighed, trying to put those gears of her brain on slow to push them to the back, but the look Csilla gave her as the suitcase popped open shot a brief and very clear telegram of We will talk about this later at length in great detail FULL STOP. She just never got a break, did she? Her fingers reached in, knowing to start pulling out the folded bolts to lean them up on each other and fish out her father's magic bag of tricks- his tape measure, pins, thread and little white fabric pencil. And as she was pulling things out on auto-pilot, Shula realized that she hadn't really told many people what her father did for a living, nor did she really talk about her family much. Derp. She looked to Csilla with a small smile, still trying to swallow her other thoughts.

"Papa? He's a tailor. He has the nicest attelier in Resembool, you'd love it!" The sound of a heavy box full of glass bottles clinking together gently took Shula's attention, a warm grin spreading across her lips. Three tall boxes were grouped together, each full of wine bottles, Phillip running back down the stairs to get his traveling workshop. "He also has a small vineyard and bottles his own wine. Generally you can only get it in Resembool." The Brightons. Shula's grandfather and great grandfather both reknowned alchemists. Her father? A tailor and vinter.

As another massive suitcase and sewing machine were dropped in the doorway, Phillip let out a sigh. "Of course you'd have your loft designed OFF the ground with stairs. Next house you get's going to be a nest, isn't it?" Shula laughed warmly, some the missing light returning to her eyes as she stood up to go pull the boxes of wine bottles into her kitchen. Phillip shut Shula's front door, standing a moment and looking rather puzzled at her need for quite so many locks. Central had been a slightly more dangerous city to live in, but South was too new to be THAT bad. His fingers turned only the main deadbolt, then turned back to the girls with a warm smile.

"Soooo~ I've brought you half a cask of the new batch to try. And samples from the new line!" The man beamed, looking rather enthusiastic as his eyes moved from his daughter to Csilla. He looked her up and down slowly. Tall, good legs, hourglass with a short waist. He grinned to himself, The blonde was lovely and her own natural palatte was already making Phillip take mental notes, the gears in his head sounding like a sewing machine's whirring. "So do you two work together, or are you Shu's new roommate?"

[Csilla Angelis]

“Wow, really? That's quite a set of jobs that he has.” She helped Shula move the wine-bottle-boxes into the kitchen, watching as Phillip seemed to be bringing an endless supply of things into the apartment. Before leaving the kitchen she quickly popped a strawberry into her mouth. Yum! Strawberries were officially her favorite fruit. Ever. She noticed Phillip only locked one lock of Shula's door and recognizing her friend's need for insane security, slipped over to click the rest of them shut. She moved back to stand beside Shula as Phillip looked at her. And by looked she meant LOOKED. It was... a little unsettling. He just seemed to be taking her all in. She suspected he was just using “tailor-vision” to automatically assess her. Nevertheless. Eep.

In response to his question, Csilla smiled. “I used to work at Central with Shula, before she got moved to South. I came to visit and help celebrate her new home.” She glanced at her friend, a sad smile crossing over her face. Central wasn't going to be the same without Shula there. She would have to remember to get a larger minute plan on her cellphone because she was going to need it. Keeping Shula updated was going to take more minutes since they would now live so far apart. Quickly clearing her mind of such thoughts, she smiled at Phillip again. “It is a nice surprise to meet you, sir.” She was sincere in her pleasure to meet Shula's father, although she was a bit disappointed to have to wait to hear about the Spade-episode.

[Shula Brighton]

A few bottles of the deep ruby brew were placed in the fridge to chill as the other boxes were pushed out of the way for now. So much lovely wine~ Even if Spade hated the stuff, she knew Aishe probably wouldn't mind some with dinner. She looked up as Csilla moved to do up the other seven locks and noted how confused her father seemed to be by that, inwardly shaking her head. So far nobody had asked why Shula felt the need for that many locks on a house built a story above ground, but even if they had, she didn't know what she'd possibly tell them as a reason. Oh by the way there's ninjas stalking me was sure to go over so well.

Phillip pulled the last of his things into Shula's living room, sitting the sewing machine on the coffee table as the other suitcase was opened promptly, revealing more fabric and pieces, as well as several half done outfits that just needed a body to fit them. “I used to work at Central with Shula, before she got moved to South. I came to visit and help celebrate her new home. It is a nice surprise to meet you, sir.” The tailor beamed as he straightened back up, stepping around his mess that looked like a fabric bomb went off and hugged around the blonde's shoulders in a friendly gesture.

"I'm happy to meet Shula's friends! And please, I'm not a sir; that's my father." Phillip laughed as he let go, going back to his suitcases. Shula was quiet, letting contentedness settle over her, slightly ashamed to realize that as much as she was used to and liked her privacy and seclusion that came from a lifetime of hiding away from people, now that they were in her life and in her home? A day where the house was empty just didn't sit right with her anymore. She was starting to understand how badly she needed the people she loved to support her and stay strong enough to just not let the world crumble. It made her feel a little silly and somewhat embarrassed, but the idea of Spade and Aishe moving out of her little house when Spade had no choice but to go back to his station made her incredibly sad.

She brushed the feeling aside for now, pulling out the half-sewn outfits and laying them across the sofa. There were a few new saris in there, their sequins and beading sparkling in the sunlight, but most of these were new dresses and skirts and blouses. "So this is from your winter line, Papa?" Phillip nodded, pulling up a long tube of shimmering dark blue fabric out. It looked like it would be a dress but it hadn't decided what kind it wanted to be yet. Phillip took the pinned tube from Shu, holding it up.

"Yup! Most of these were the display pieces that just need to be taken in to fit you, and then there's some that just need to be finished out. Buuuut seeing as how you have company..." Phillip's hazel gaze moved to Csilla slowly before suddenly charming sparkles seemed to illuminate his eyes like a large overgrown puppy, his smile beaming with hope. It was nearly the same look Shula had whenever she saw something she really wanted that you know if there were a tail, it would be swishing and wagging happily. "You have to let me make you something, too! I brought more than enough, and I have some colours I just KNOW you'd look good in!" Shula laughed, looking at the look her father gave her best friend. He was about to break out puppy eyes if she leaned anywhere near a 'no,' but really, how could anyone say no? This was better than shopping!

"Careful Csilla. Say yes once and he may try to take you back to Resembool with him to play dress up in the attelier!" Shula laughed lightly, sitting on the sofa as she idly started playing with a bit of black suede.

[Csilla Angelis]

Csilla sat on the edge of the couch and just watched in awe as all of these beautiful creations emerged from Phillip's suitcases. It was... just... there were no words. HOW DID IT ALL FIT??? Ever so casually, Csilla snuck away into the kitchen again to grab a couple strawberries, popping one into her mouth. She was going to have to go out and buy Shula more strawberries for all of the ones she would be consuming. They were just far too delicious for their own good and deserved to be nommed. Phillip was eying her excitedly as she returned, expecting an affirmative answer to his “question.” Perhaps she should just view it as a question, rather than a sugar-coated demand. She had a feeling if she said no, he would just do it anyway. The man was quite excitable that was for sure. She looked slightly alarmed about the prospect of being stolen to go play dress-up. Fun, yes. But also very scary. Csilla wasn't in love or in hate with her body but she wasn't sure she could stand continuous dress-up. But for a couple of days... why not?

She laughed and nodded her head. “I'd love to be your mannequin, Phillip. Although I can't promise I can fit in your suitcase to go back to Resembool.”

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