Bright, Beautiful Future

Cillian would be the first to admit that he was not big on formal events. Being dressed up in a suit and tie made him feel stuffy and claustrophobic, and reminded him a bit too much of the life he’d lost so long ago. However, he did enjoy parties and gatherings where there were tons of food and people. To call him a socialite was an understatement. But more than that, he enjoyed spending time with Dela… and making her happy was worth bending a few of his preferences for.

Besides, there were a couple of things to celebrate tonight.

Cillian had pulled out all the stops for tonight, and he planned on making it one that Dela was sure to remember for a long time to come. He’d picked her up at her room in Era dressed in a full three piece suit consisting of a dark plum color that was nearly gray with silver pinstripes running through the coat and pants. Beneath was a crimson colored button up shirt with a white tie beneath a black vest. The top couple buttons of the shirt had been left undone – more for his own comfort than any sense of style, though the look certainly gave him a bit more of a roguish vibe. He even wore a set of thin reading glasses, which Moxie had insisted would be something that Dela would enjoy. He wasn’t sure what the reasoning behind that was, but he’d shrugged and gone with it all the same.

He’d given her very little information about what the plan was for the night, merely picking her up with a devilish grin and a kiss before escorting her to the nearest train station headed toward Crocus. The nation’s capital was the biggest attraction for New Years Eve celebrations, so the trains were fairly crowded – as were the streets. But that was part of the tradition for the holiday. The vast majority of the roads in the center of the city had been blocked off to accommodate the ungodly number of pedestrians. There were countless stages along the way with different bands and singers putting on musical performances while people danced and partied. A large number of restaurants along the main strip had left their businesses open, hoping to profit from the crowds that were almost constantly in search of sustenance and, more importantly, alcohol. There were uniformed Rune Knights spaced out around the area en masse to serve as a peaceful presence to keep people from getting out of hand, and in the center of the city a large structure had been erected to count down the time to the end of the current year and the start of the new one.

Cillian walked along the street with Dela at a casual pace, in no hurry to get anywhere or do anything other than hold her hand and enjoy her company. If she wanted to stop and listen to any music or get anything to drink; anything she wanted to do, anything that caught her attention, he was all too happy to partake in – except for anything illicit. Not that he was interested in that. The two of them had finally popped one another’s cherry’s on Halloween, though Cillian had temporarily been transformed into a woman at the time. Cillian had never really thought much about sex through most of his life, but the few times he had he’d never imagined that his first sexual experience would be from the perspective of the opposite gender. He could only hope the encounter would help him be a better sexual partner for Dela, as he now had some first hand exposure to what kind of things did and didn’t work for women…

…but that was a thought for later in the evening, when he would hopefully be able to sleep with her as a man, finally. The last two months had been unexpectedly busy, and while they had certainly made time for one another there hadn’t really been an opportunity to follow up with any other forays into pipelaying. Dela was almost constantly besieged by war efforts, and Cillian’s entire life had been turned upside down by Port Lavanitir being overrun by a vicious dark guild called Divine Calamity. He’d barely gotten there in time to smuggle Laverne out and to the mainland safely, and ever since he’d had to put a lot of focus into try to make sure the older woman was taken care of. He’d managed to find a place for them to stay, but it was temporary at best and not exactly ideal. So, Cillian had been spending a lot of time trying to find something more permanent – especially since his prior guild, Abyssal Fleet, had disbanded, leaving him without a steady source of income.

It had been a tough time, but thanks to a rather fortuitous concidence the future was looking brighter than ever, and he had quite the surprise in store for Dela. As they got closer to their destination, he smiled down at her. “Alright, before we get too much further I’m gonna need you to close your eyes. I’ve got somethin’ I wanna show you, but I don’t want to spoil it too early.” Presuming she played along, he’d lead her by the hand for a ways down the roads, careful to help her get past any obstacles, especially as the road turned to an area of cobblestone. The noise of the crowds grew a little quieter and more distant as they veered slightly away from the main attractions toward an area where most businesses were closed for the holiday.

“You’re not peeking are you? I don’t want to have to punish you, but I will…” If nothing else, he was getting better at flirting. Once they were where he wanted to take her, he positioned her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her from behind, his tall form practically bending in half to reach her. “I know I’ve been busy lately, and haven’t seen you as much as either of us have liked… But I was finally able to secure a place for Laverne and me… and one other thing.” His voice had softened a bit, and after a small breath he told her, “Alright. You can open your eyes.”

She’d see a tall four story building in an older but well kept area of Crocus, the corner structure full of life and character with rich colored brick exposing in places beneath textured plaster. The higher stories were clearly living flats, but what would draw the eye was the first floor. There was a door leading to a small lobby outside what appeared to be a modestly sized restaurant – not huge, but not tiny either. It had a quaint atmosphere to it, with striped awnings and flowers. Outside the building on one side of the large glass double doors was a smaller sign for a place called Golden Dragon Tattoo, which by the downward arrow on the plaque appeared to be an establishment in the basement of the structure. But over the double doors was a larger sign for the restaurant itself:


Vera Jayne’s Bistro.

Cillian grinned cheekily at her comment about being too busy at work to keep tabs on him, the look very much an amuse, Mhm, yeah sure, babe. But true to her word, she closed her eyes and kept them shut as he lead her down the road to the building he’d recently purchased and outfitted, giving a little giggle when she questioned how tall it was. “You’re more correct than you might think.” In truth, the building was much taller, as she’d soon come to realize.

He finally gave her the cue to open her eyes, the blonde taking in the sight of the corner establishment for several long seconds. The cook knew the moment she caught sight of the restaurant’s name, an involuntary sob escaping her lips just before she put her hands to her mouth. Cillian held her a little tighter from behind, silently encouraging her while letting her have her moment, knowing from the start that this was going to be a bit of an emotional reveal. When she was ready, he looked down at her with a soft smile as she turned to face him, cupping his face on either side and telling him it was perfect, letting him know how proud she was of him.

“Thanks,” was the somewhat bashful reply, his arms wrapped around the small of her waist as he held her up against his chest. “It was time for a change, and not just for me. When Laverne lost her home, well… she deserves something better, and after how she took me in I figured I owed it to her to return the favor.” Turning her back around somewhat, putting her more at his side than anything else, one arm still wrapped around her waist, he pointed at the upper levels. “I own the whole building. There’s three flats above the bistro. The first one is Laverne’s. The next one up is Estelle’s – she’s the owner of the tattoo shop that’s renting out the basement space. And the flat at the very top is mine.”

With a nod toward the building, he pulled her along and unlocked the exterior door that led into a little foyer, locking the door again behind them. Directly ahead was a set of double doors with glass panes that lead into the restaurant itself. While he did not take her into the restaurant, which was currently closed, there were still enough windows in the foyer and lights on inside for her to see the interior. He’d steered into the rustic look of the building, with lots of light colored brick and stone, wood and wrought iron tables and chairs, booths with rust red leather upholstery, and brass chandeliers. The restaurant was in the general shape of an L, giving its location on a corner lot, with the largest area of the bistro designated as a more formal dining area, while the smaller branch supported a smaller collection of tables with a full sized bar.

Rather than steer her fully inside, however, he instead turned a different direction. There would be plenty of time for her to admire the restaurant later. For now, he had other surprises for her. There were two other doors in the foyer, each on either side of the restaurant main entrance. One was labeled up to be the way down to the tattoo parlor in the basement. The other door on the opposite side was more discrete, leading to a small private hallway where there was a set of stairs and an elevator leading up to the floors above. Cillian directed Dela inside the elevator, selecting the button for his apartment and taking her up to the top floor where they were greeted with another small hallway that sported a single door. Unlocking it, he pushed it open and gestured for her to lead the way in with a smile, following in after her.

It was a really nice flat. The theme of brick work from the building itself continued through all the rooms, giving it a more cozy and earthy feel rather than a city slicker penthouse vibe, but that didn’t stop it from being a textbook luxury flat. A brown and red checkered marble floor led the way toward a lowered living room that sported a large sectional sofa, an arm chair, square coffee table, and a massive lacrivision affixed to one of the brick walls. To the left were floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the rest of the square below. To the right, just before the living room, was a set of sleek black stairs that led up, and to the right of the living room itself was a large kitchen with brick walls, black cabinets with white marble counters, steel appliances, and lots of open shelving where he already had a few herbs growing in little pots.

Upstairs was where she would find the bedroom and bathroom, the latter of which sported a long wooden counter with two sinks and a mirror that ran the entire length of the wall. There was a luxurious white tub that could easily fit two people, and a door past it that led to a spacious walk in shower. Opposite the bathroom at the top of the stairs was the bedroom, which also sported plenty of room. There was a vaulted ceiling with wooden beams, flagstone tile flooring, and a king sized bed with red upholstery and some drawers for storage. A tall bureau and walk in closet faced the foot of the bed on the opposite wall, and there was a tall mirror between the two windows to the side.

Only once she had taken as much time as she wanted acquainting herself with his new living arrangements did he give her another mischievous smile. “I do have one more surprise for you.” Pushing aside a sheer white curtain that covered another window in the bedroom, he revealed it to actually be a glass door leading to a rooftop balcony. There, with a view tall enough to look over the city of Crocus, was a single table set for two. Rose petals were strewn romantically about the white table cloth and a few on the floor, with a vase of red roses in the center next to a lit candle. Two plates with covers sat waiting on either side, with glass stemware and fine cutlery. Leading her to the table, he pulled out one of the chairs for her and slid her up to the table, where she’d be able to smell a freshly cooked meal hidden beneath the covers on the plates.

Before he did anything else, Cillian picked up a remote that was sitting to the side and pressed one of the buttons. Music drifted into the air from a set of speakers that were spaced around the balcony, giving them some ambiance as he pulled a bottle of wine from an ice chest and popped it open, pouring her a glass and then one for himself. Smirking like a man that for once in his life knew exactly how suave he was being, he finally removed the lid from her plate and his own, revealing a tender steak with roasted and seasoned vegetables and baked slices of potatoes that were covered in melted cheese. “Enjoy,” he said, inviting her to dig in as he took his own seat across from her.

“As I said before, I have been just a tad busy, as you can see.” He grinned up at her as he gently cut his steak into bite sized pieces. “I haven’t gotten the chance to tell you yet, but I joined a guild. That new one based out of Reinford called Confidence International. I’m one of the founding members, actually. The guildmaster, Trevor – he’s a cool guy, and really passionate about artists of all types, which I guess includes my culinary skills. He’s the one who put the idea of opening my own restaurant in my head. Estelle, the lady who runs the tattoo place, is also a member. She’d been looking for a spot to set up shop and when I found this place I knew it would be perfect for her, too, so I pulled her along with me.”

There was more to it than that, of course. Confidence International was more than it seemed on the surface, with a hidden criminal side that focused on hustling money from the greedy, rich elite. In truth the restaurant itself was a front for a hidden base where guild members could take shelter and perform guild work, the secret entrance for which was in the basement past the tattoo shop. However, as far as the general public was aware, they were just a group focused for helping artists find their footing and turn their passions and skills into tangible careers. “What do you think?”

Cillian giggled when she stepped inside and was immediately floored. Considering the meager way he’d lived with Laverne before, he had assumed that Dela wouldn’t expect anything like this. The truth was, Cillian was fairly rich, and had been for a long time. He’d raked in quite a bit of dough during his time as a pirate with the Abyssal Fleet, and he also got paid pretty decently to clean up bodies and crime scenes when he worked for Hidden Blades. Add to that the fact that Laverne had never truly charged him rent, as his cooking and cleaning and otherwise caring for her in her twilight years as his “payment”, and Cillian had been able to build up a rather remarkable savings. Sure, a large chunk of that had been used to purchase the building and get it fixed up, but that was only going to turn around into more cash flow once the restaurant was live.

He watched her explore the space with a self-pleased grin on his face, content to linger somewhere behind her while she wandered at her own pace and discretion. When she remarked about the interior design, Cillian merely offered her a smirk. “I can’t take full credit. I had a contractor in charge of renovating the whole building, and part of what I paid her for was to make suggestions. But all the final choices were mine. You do know that being a chef requires having a mind for design too, right? Your food can be the best tasting thing in the world, but if it’s not presentable and eye-catching, no one’s going to give it a second glance.”

Dela was just as captivated by the sight that awaited her on the balcony. He sat her down and got her situated with her private, five star dinner before taking his own seat. Cillian knew that he hadn’t been giving her much by way of updates in his own life lately, mostly because he had actively been wanting to surprise her with all of this – a difficult feat, given how determined Dela usually was to get her hands on any kind of information she could. So he gave her the spark notes now about the new guild he’d joined up with and the other member that was going to be seeing a fair bit more often. Apparently it was all a bit too much as Dela insisted that she had been seduced so hard that she was half thinking about disregarding the meal entirely to offer herself in place of the steak, openly wondering what he’d done with her boyfriend.

“Oh, well, if you’d rather I stop and bring him back…” he teased as he cut his meat into smaller bite sized pieces. “Besides, I was planning on saving you for dessert.” Cillian flashed her a wicked look and took a slow bite of a mouthful of steak. From the look in his eyes he knew damn well that he was being a tease, and from the way he didn’t forget the meal in lieu of some hanky panky betrayed that he planned on continuing to tease her most of the night. Oh, he absolutely had plans for the two of them later that very much involved breaking in any and every surface that Dela wanted to test, but Cillian was a patient man and he’d been told by a few of his more sexually driven summons that building her up with teases most of the evening would only result in more enjoyable intimacy later.

And unfortunately for Dela (fortunately?), Cillian wasn’t done with all the things he had planned for the night. Once they were done eating, he pulled her up out of her chair and swapped the music for something a little more exciting. He knew how much she loved dancing, and while there weren’t exactly a bunch of other people around them to fill up the space, it really just meant that the two of them could play around and goof off to their hearts’ content without worrying about anyone watching them. In fact, she’d likely find that Cillian was an infuriatingly good dancer, the training and rhythm from his royal roots still buried deep within him, ready to be found during the rare moments that he took the time to actually try.

The dancing was starting to get a little hot and heavy by the time midnight rolled around, and then the magic finally culminated. Crocus, like many other cities in Fiore, always hosted a spectacular firework show to kick off the new year, and Cillian had discovered they would have a perfect view of it from his balcony. The sky burned and flashed with bright colored lights and explosions, the show itself starting a couple minutes before the stroke of midnight and timed so that the grand finale would go off right as the clock struck twelve. As clueless as Cillian typically was, even he was well aware of the long standing tradition to share a kiss with someone at midnight, the tall man leaning in with a confident smirk to put his lips to hers for a long, passionate smooch.

When he pulled his face away, he still held her close with one arm wrapped around the small of her waist. “So! How’d I do with my first attempt at a real date?” the necromancer asked her with a grin.

It really was astounding how life altering his relationship with Dela had become, how much the one single realization of his feelings for her had completely kick started his brain. He was still a bit of a doofus at the end of the day, and that was probably never going to change… but having this small, blonde spitfire by his side and in his arms had really done quite a bit of eye opening for him, pulling out sides of himself that even he hadn’t known he had.

And clearly, it was having a big effect on his girlfriend. She was doing rather well at keeping herself reigned in, but as the evening went on it was getting harder and harder for her to maintain her composure, especially when the dancing was getting as heated as it was.

“Hehehe,” he giggled at her remark that he’d perhaps set the bar too high for himself in regard to their future dates. Then, he laughed outright at her following comment. “Hey, you and I are in the same boat here, remember? Man, who knew I’d turn out be such a slut. I think you’ve been a bad influence on me.”

He leaned his face down when she slipped her arms around his neck, craning so that their faces could meet, despite the vast height difference between them. “Is that so?” Cillian practically cooed back at her. “Well in that case, why don’t we start with the bedroom..?”

In one swift motion, he scooped her up in his arms in a bridal carry and started making his way back inside the master bedroom. But in the same motion, a faux-innocent smile plastered itself to his lips. “Cause boy I’m sure tired, aren’t you? I could really catch some zeez right now.” For the briefest of moments he would appear to be completely serious… but a mischievous glint in his eyes as he flicked his gaze at her and grinned would be more than enough to betray his teasing.

This night was far from over.