Forged Anew (Inactive)

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

Having finished her seconds Derika laughs, "Oh yeah, I wish I had known too. I can't say that I've ever had pudding before, but if it's chocolate...it sounds good." Getting a slightly pouty look she says, "I don't know if I could safely handle it right at the moment, could we maybe just have a couple of minutes? Maybe we can...visit for a little bit first and then have some?" She looks around, hoping that's okay with everyone. She really wanted to try the chocolate pudding that their mother was talking about, never having had it before she could only imagine what it would be like, but if Gashka perked up hearing about it...she supposed it had to be good.

"Alright then," Kealey responds.

Taking a small sip of wine she looks up at her recently found family, "So....I was just wondering if it would be okay if I kind of asked some questions? I mean...I guess there's things I've always wondered, adn I'd really like to get to know all of you better. So, can we just kind of talk for a little bit while we wait to have dessert?" She had so many things she wanted to know, but she didn't want to overwhelm them with questions right away and she wasn't even really sure where to start.

Seeing that there were things that her sister wanted to talk to her parents about, Gashka stands up a little and stretches. "Would you like for me to start taking these things to the kitchen mama? I can start washing them up while you guys talk...if you want me to." Gashka offers.

Looking over at her older sister she gives Anyka a smile, "You can come help me if you want. I need to do something with all that good food sitting in my belly or I'll go to sleep." She says, chuckling slightly.

Thrainn smiles at Derika. "Go ahead."

With a nod and a grin Anyka gets up and starts gathering plates. "I know what you mean."

Gashka leans into Chris a little, "We got the dishes if you need to take Renard out or anything. I'll be back in a little bit." Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, she gathers up the rest of the dirty dishes and follows her sister to the kitchen after giving Derika a supportive nod.

Catching Gashka's nod, she gives her a grateful smile. Maybe things really would be alright.
Giving Vishanti's hand a little squeeze she looks up at her parents after giving her younger siblings a shy smile.

Taking a steadying breath she says, "I know next to nothing about you, except for what I can see. You're kind and loving, and devoted to your family. It's obvious that you've been together for quite some time....and that the love you have for each other, is only surpassed by the love you have for your children. So, I guess...I'm curious how you two met, and...if you fell in love right away, or was it a gradual thing? Is that okay?"

Thrainn taps his chin. "How I met your mother? I guess that's an interesting story..."

He takes a drink from his tankard. "I guess you could say that I'm not like other orcs. My grandfather once saved an alchemist, though he would have admitted that it was a mistake more than anything. So the alchemist did my grandfather a favor and made him and his family a little less ferocious and a bit more long-lived. Those benefits passed on to my father and to me. We passed for half-orcs and lived around where Kealey did. I became a carpenter's apprentice and, one day, Kealey drags in this huge spinning wheel. Turns out it was busted up. My master didn't have the slightest idea how to repair it and neither did I. But she had this look in her eyes that I couldn't say 'no' to. It was probably all those tears."

He chuckles for a moment before Kealey smacks Thrainn's arm. "It was my grandma's spinning wheel. I was very emotional about it."

"Anyway, I told her that I'd do my best to fix it," Thrainn continues. "She went home and I fooled around with it without any success. She came by everyday after that to check up on it. Kealey would bring little sandwiches and cookies to 'keep up my morale'. I had to walk two towns over to find someone who knew about spinning wheels and how to fix them. About two weeks later, I got it working again, good as new. She came to pick it up and I didn't see her for a few days after that."

Thrainn gets a look of reminiscence on his face. "I had gotten used to the lunches she brought and how she made work a bit less like work. So, I asked around town and nobody could tell me where she lived or where she worked. About a month later, when I just about put her out of my mind, she dragged that same spinning wheel back into the shop."

"It was an antique by the time I got it, Thrainn," Kealey says.

Thrainn chuckles again. "I offered to fix it for five lunches and one date. She grew to like me as much as I liked her. That spinning wheel broke down three more times before it gave up the ghost, but I got a proposal in before then."

Derika sighs, "I think that is one of the most romantic stories I have ever heard." Looking at Vishanti she says, "We met while investigating a haunted keep. It wasn't until we got stranded in Nicae that I came to realize just how much she means to me. We just sort of...came to rely on each other, and whenever things were at their worst...she was always right there beside me, making it better." Lifting her love's hand she gives it a kiss.

"Well, that's how it's supposed to be when you're with your soulmate," Kealey remarks.

Derika smiles at Vishanti before looking back at her parents, "So, you're a carpenter then? I mean aside from the story, Gashka said you were helping that woman repair her cafe after those people tore it up. Is there anything else you like to do?"

"I fish and do a fair bit of hunting," Thrainn says. "More out of necessity than sport."

She nods, "Those are good things to know how to do. So, do you still sew?" She asks Kealey, "I mean I know you made a dress for Gashka...do you still do it? Do you stay home with your children, or are there things outside of the home you like to do?"

As Gashka and Anyka do the dishes she says, "Well, it seems to be going well at least."

Kealey chuckles at the rapid-fire questions. "Yes, but I don't make outfits anymore. I stick to mending clothes these days. I stay at home since I could still do my baking and clothing repairs without having to go out. If I get out of the house, it's to take the kids playing or on a picnic. My family brings me the most satisfaction and it's not like we're hurting for money."

Derika smiles a little shyly, "I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions, I just...I want to know you guys better. I guess a lot of that will happen over time as we spend more time together. We have a couple of months while planning for this wedding. I can tell you're both wonderful parents, and that you love your family. There's nothing wrong with being at home. Someday...maybe when things are a little calmer, I wouldn't mind being at home more and maybe having a few children of our own. There's lots of great kids that I'm sure could use homes, I'd just want to make sure that we'd be able to be there for them first and not leaving every other week to go fight something or another." She says with a smile at her love.

Thrainn nods. "That's understandable."

She thinks for a little bit, "I'm not sure I can think of anything else to ask right now. Is there anything you'd like to know about me?"

Kealey thinks for a minute. "Where did you grow up? Who raised you?"

"Well...I was left at a Temple of Desna and they took care of me for a while. I....was difficult to deal with though, and some issues that they weren't able to deal with. As I got older, I got angrier and after a while....they couldn't handle me anymore. So, they took me to a Military Academy in Ganz and left me there. I wasn't so much raised, as I was trained. I wasn't very good at following orders though, and when they started doing things that I couldn't go along with or accept, I was basically told to leave and not come back. That last part kind of happened while we were investigating the keep. That's how we met our friend Jerrica. They were mistreating her and said that she did something and the whole thing just sounded fishy to me, so I wouldn't let them take her. I smacked one of the peons and told them to get their commanding officer, which happened to be someone I had known for a while. I basically told him off and then he said he would leave Jerrica with us and if either one of us showed our faces in Ganz again we'd be considered criminals and "dealt with". Guess we don't have to worry about that anymore though." She explains as well as she can.

Vishanti squeezes Derika's hand, bringing it up and kissing it.

"I'm glad you're here now," Kealey says. "And that your life is a bit calmer too."

Leaning into Vishanti's side a little, Derika gives her cheek a kiss. Smiling back at her parents she simply says, "Me too."

"I don't know of what else to ask you," Kealey says. "Unless there's something you want to talk about. Otherwise, how about some pudding?"

She thinks for a little bit before shaking her head, "I can't really think of anything at the moment. Pudding sounds good though, just not too much please. I'm not sure I could eat a very large serving, but I definitely want to try it."

"Sure," Kealey says, getting small bowls out and serving everyone.

Before dessert

As they're washing the dishes Gashka looks over at Anyka, "Are you doing okay Sis? I...I know I'm going to be moving in with Chris tomorrow, but I hope you know that you're still really important to me and you can come talk to me anytime...about anything, you know...if you need to that is." She says, hoping that Anyka knows that she's still going to be there for her even though she's moving in with someone else.

Anyka?

"Yeah, just processing I guess. I know you're always there for me." Anyka replies with a grin. "I think I just need time for what's in my head to form into words before I can express it, y'know?"

Finishing up the dishes she gives Anyka a smile, "Yeah Sis, I get it. It's quite a bit to deal with all at once."

Before dessert is served

Getting up, Derika goes into the kitchen. Giving them a smile she says, "Hey, you guys almost done in here? I think we're all ready for some of that chocolate pudding."

Chuckling a little she nods, "Yeah yeah, we were just finishing up. Let's go have some pudding." Giving Anyka's arm a supportive squeeze, she follows her sister back into the other room to have some dessert.

Once everyone is back at the table and her mother had served dessert, Derika dips the spoon into the strange looking brown stuff and tries a bite.

Smiling she looks up at her mother, "That is really good."

Chris nods. "Yes, I've never had something like this before."

Gashka enjoys a few bites before smiling at Chris, "If you like this, just wait till the holidays. I might be a little biased, but I think everything she makes is amazing. I kind of regret not learning more from her in the kitchen." Giving his hand a squeeze she blushes slightly, "I guess it's good for the both of us that you're such a good cook."

Derika looks up from her dessert and smiles at her sister and Chris. She was relieved to see her looking so happy. Maybe she could finally stop worrying about her so much. Looking at Chris and Gashka she says, "So, you're both going to be moving into that house together tomorrow? Are you going to need any help moving anything?"

Gashka's blush darkens, "Ummm...not too much really. I mean...I'm leaving my bed in the other house for Vaeri....and I'm not sure if there's furniture ikn thed other house or not, and other than that I mostly just have clothes and stuff....but....but if we need help moving anything I'll be sure to let you know okay?" She replies, hazzarding a look over at her parents to see if they reacted at all to what she said. Even though they seemed okay with it, and even seemed to like Chris, she still felt a little nervous.

Derika shrugs as she finishes her dessert, "It's fine Gashka, I just wanted to let you know that we can help you if you want or need it."

Gashka nods, "Thanks Derika."

Thrainn finishes his pudding and looks at Gashka. "Do you want me to get anything from Mr. Meacham's for you? Say, another bed...or anything else you might need?"

Chris tries not to laugh at Thrainn's implication. Mostly because he knew the huge orc was much stronger than him.

Seeming a bit flustered she says, "I uh...I don't know. I don't even know if it's furnished, or with what. Ummm....maybe we should take a look at it after we're done with dessert? You know...so we can see what we might or might not need? What do you think Chris?" Oh why did Derika have to bring up the move right then? She had everyone perfectly distracted.

Chris nods. "That would probably be an excellent idea."

"Do you have the key with you?" She asks, not knowing if he brought them with him or not.

Chris checks his pockets. "Yes."

Nodding she says, "Okay, we'll go look at it in just a few minutes then." Gashka looks from Chris to her parents, before going back to her pudding.

Derika looks over as she hears the shift in Gashka's voice and sighs inwardly. As Gashka finishes her pudding, Derika wipes her face with a napkin and looks from their parents, to her sister, "Would you like for us to wait here while you check out your new house?"

Having not really thought about it, she looks up from her now empty bowl. Shrugging she tries to sound casual, "Sure, it might be quicker if just Chris and I go take a look. That way if it does need something, we can come back and let Papa know before going home. If that's okay with you Papa?"

"If that's what you want to do," Thrainn replies. "It's not like Kealey and I are going to set a time limit on how long you're there."