[027] OOM - Meet the Parents

[tristranthorn]

As every good traveler knows, there must be a destination for which to head towards - otherwise, there is aimless wandering which makes for wasted time, wasted resources, and a more or less miserable time

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[tristranthorn]

The walk is familiar; so much so that it brings to mind a thousand little memories, like photographs in an album.

He remembers playing here, or walking along here to get to school. And he remembers the time - in this spot right here - when he'd had his ears boxed by his father for behaving badly.

Good times, really.

Tristran climbs up the small stony pathway that leads over a short hill and towards the familiar Thorn farm, where he hopes his family will be when he arrives.

[nosequels]

"Oh!" she flashes a suddenly bright grin.

"Are we getting married too? Am I allowed to get a new dress if we are? Oh - a fancy one, one with laces."

[nosequels]

"Louisa," another low laugh. "Fetch your mother."

Because he's certainly not doing it.

"Fine, fine," and she's off, down the hall - but not before leaning back into the room with a final. "Remember, Tristran - laces."

[tristranthorn]

He nods, trying to hold in his laughter, but not doing a very good job of it.

"I am afraid it isn't such big news as that," Tristran says, turning back to his father with a slight shrug. "Big news, indeed, but none like marriage."

The thought sends a wave of heat to rise in his face, starting from his neck.

[nosequels]

"For shame," he quirks another grin in his son's direction. "Now you'll crush all of her dreams, Tristran."

No wedding means no new dresses - and new dresses means no reason to look astoundingly attractive in public. (Public where Bobby Robinson might be.)

"Though my poor wallet does thank you for the moment."

[tristranthorn]

"Then I welcome your wallet," Tristran says, grinning a little bashfully.

Still, marriage. A wedding. It is certainly a daunting thought. He wonders how Yvaine might feel about that. It isn't particularly anything they've discussed in any detail whatsoever.

[nosequels]

"Breathe, Tristran."

A laugh, and he settles himself down into one of the chairs in the sitting room, very clearly amused.

"No need to be mentally planning a wedding on your sister's behalf."

[tristranthorn]

He shakes his head.

"Oh, no. No, no. Nothing like that," he says, going to join his father in one of the chairs opposite from him. "It is still a big step for me, though."

[nosequels]

"Getting good at those, aren't you?"

And then the sound of footsteps once more and not-so-quietly whispering female voices. Or, a not-so-quietly whispering female voice, really.

"Dresses, mum. You would have to let me, you know. If there were, for instance. Not that there is, but I'm just saying."

The one that replies is just naturally quiet, "You'll have to talk to your father about that, dear."

[tristranthorn]

He sees them as they enter the room, and a fresh wave of affection goes out to his mum - the woman who took care of him all these years with a fair level of caution and weariness that he didn't understand until now.

"Hullo, mum," he greets, rising to his feet.

[nosequels]

"Oh, hello there, Tristran. Now, aren't you looking very handsome - all this sun does you well," she steps forward into the room - arms very neatly, and very tightly around him, dismissing her daughter's continued case-making with a mild.

"Behave, Louisa."

Dunstan grins smugly from his seat.

"And you too, dear," she steps back enough to glance around Tristran's shoulder (and straighten his lapel). "Sometimes you are worse than the children."

[nosequels]

Dunstan settles back almost immediately.

"Tristran has something to say - which, one might imagine, is important enough to drag him all the way back here."

[tristranthorn]

Tristran smiles quite a bit as he hugs his mother, and then clears his throat a moment afterwards in preparation for his announcement.

He feels a little nervous all of a sudden, though he knows he doesn't really have any reason to be.

(Though that pesky narration would once again object to that, considering there is a Yvaine waiting outside of the village for him and his family, and that - well, enough said.)

"Yes, well. It is just - as you know, I've...I've met someone," he starts, very decidedly avoiding Louisa's very focused gaze on him. "She is actually waiting right outside the wall, in fact. She...well, she cannot exactly come into the village, you see."

[nosequels]

(Hey, the narration would also like it to be noted that it knows what it's talking about. It has personal experience with that Yvaine.)

Daisy's back straightens and her lips pull into a frown, one hand bracing itself upon her hip.

"Are they not letting the poor thing through?"

[tristranthorn]

"Ah, not...exactly," Tristran says, refusing to shuffle his feet like he used to when he was younger, and guilty of causing some sort of trouble (though that wasn't particularly very often).

"It is more that she ... she is ... not -" he pauses. "Not exactly..."

[nosequels]

"Real," Louisa supplies dryly. "Now I'm never getting a new dress."

Bloody figures.