Making it Official

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 29th March 2009

Characters: J'gen, Irlani
Description: J'gen asks Irlani to move in with him and Gyta
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 5

"Where're my girls?" J'gen called out as he entered the small quarters he
shared with his daughter. He could hear noises coming from Gyta's room so
knew they were in there doing something.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. We're not here." Irlani called, still out of
sight. J'gen could hear the subsequent giggles that followed.

"Okay, okay. Enough! I guess neither of you would like the gifts I have for
you, since you're not here." he laughed, and tucked the two small packets
back into his jerkin, as he strode across to his daughters room. He had a
special question for Irlani, and the gift was his way of coaxing her -
Gyta's gift was just to make sure his daughter didn't feel left out.

"Gifts? He has gifts for us, Gyta." Irlani's disembodied voice echoed past
Gyta's sleeping area. "If we want presents we might need to come out."

"Race you..." Gyta laughed, as she bounded from her bed. The last month or
so had been interesting for the child as her life had finally settled, being
able to talk to her father, and Irlani, had given her a new self confidence
that she had lacked since her mothers death. "Daddy!!" she called excitedly
as she pulled the door open.

"Oh...._now_ you are here." he said with pretended annoyance, as he reached
down and scooped her into his arms. His eyes caught Irlani's as she entered
the room, and he winked at her. "You won't come to see me for me, but for
gifts, you'll come. Humph!"

"Of course." Irlani followed the child at a much slower, calmer pace. "We
see you every day." The foster mother stood on tip toe and gave J'gen a
peck upon the cheek. "But we don't get presents every day."

"I should be gift enough - for _both_ of you." he quipped but reached into
the pocket of his jerkin and removed the two packages, again. "Hmmm...let's
see, who's is who's?" he passed one to Gyta, and slid the child back down
onto the floor, ruffling her hair as he did so. "Something to keep this
unruly mop of yours a little tidier, maybe?" he said with a grin. Then
turned to Irlani, and for you, my dear..." he took her hand and pulled her
across to the couch and pulled her down to the seat with him.

Irlani didn't resist and fell beside J'gen. "Go on, Gyta, open yours."
The woman encouraged, saving hers for when Gyta had gotten a chance to see
what her gift was.

Gyta pulled open the wrapping on her gift and pulled out two beautifully
carved combs. Each had a beautiful golden dragon engraved in the top of the
comb and inlaid with shell which caught and reflected the light. "Oh
Daddy!" she exclaimed, "they're beautiful!" she raced forward and wrapped
her arms around his neck. "I love them."

"Oh, they are lovely!" Had J'gen gotten them matching sets? That would be
cute. "We can put these in your hair and you can wear them to dinner and
show them off to the rest of the Weyr." Irlani suggested as she gently
tugged at a strand of Gyta's locks.

"Can I?" the child's eyes shined brightly. "Thanks Irlani." she tilted her
head towards the woman as she placed the combs in first one side and then
the other. "What did you get for Irlani?" she asked her father, glancing at
him from the corner of her eye.

"You'll have to wait and see." J'gen replied, wishing she would open it
soon, he wanted to ask her one of the most important questions he would ever
ask her, and hoped Gyta would be obliging with the request as well.

"I suppose that's my cue to open it." The foster mother lifted the box and
held it before her, turning it around in her hands. "I wonder could it be.
Should I shake it? Is it breakable?"

"It's not breakable," he shook his head, "but.... well just open it and
you'll see." He hoped the necklace he had purchased would please her. It
was of a bronze dragon in flight, on a chain of burnished gold - something
for her to wear and always have a part of him with her.

Irlani started to open it, then took a moment to shake it. She grinned at
the expression on J'gen's face at her hesitance and finally took the top of
the box. When she pulled the chain a pendant fell out, she lifted it up to
the
light to admire it. "It's lovely J'gen!"

"You like it, then?" he asked, a smug smile on his face, "Well, that was
just to butter you up, actually."

"I love it...but now I'm wondering what you did that requires buttering up."
Irlani lowered the chain and looked squarely at J'gen.

"I wanted to ask you..." he hesitated, wondering if now was the right time.
"I wanted to ask you if you would..."

"Hmm?" Irlani looked back to the necklace and began to fiddle with the
latch. She opened it then slipped the jewelry around her neck as she waited
for J'gen to finish. Evidently she changed her mind, decided to beat him to
the punch and leaned over to kiss him. "The answer is yes."

"Yes?" he looked at her puzzled. "Yes to what?" his eye opened wider in
question, had she read his mind?

"Yes." Irlani repeated then glanced about the Weyr. "Might need to see
about getting a bigger place - unless you prefer to stay here. I can deal
with it, as long as I'm with you two." She paused and looked to Gyta.
"That is...if it's all right with you."

"You..... you knew what I was going to ask?" he asked, a smile creasing his
face, "So that means, I don't have to ask?" He looked down at Gyta, who was
still fiddling with her hair. "Is is okay with you, sweetheart?"

"You mean you'd be living here with us?" she asked, Irlani, her eyes wide in
wonder.

"Yes." Irlani nodded, then added, "But only if it is all right with you."

"Yessss!" Gyta jumped up and hugged her foster mother tightly. "I would
love you to live here with us."

J'gen smiled at Gyta's reaction, relieved that his daughter felt the same
way that he did. "So.... tonight? Or would you like me to see about our
moving into a larger quarters, before you make the move official?"

"Considering how many of my things are already here," Irlani stated with a
hint of amusement, "I would say the move has mostly been completed, you just
officially asked - sort of."

He wasn't sure whether she was hinting or not, but decided to follow through
on his plan. Taking her hand in his, he smiled into her eyes, "Would you
move in with us, Irlani, and make this relationship more permanent?" he
asked, no longer nervous since he already knew the answer.

Irlani laughed and squeezed his hands. "Didn't I already said I would?"
She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'll go speak with the
headwoman tomorrow - it will be a nice little outing with Ravyan and Gyta."

"So you'll mention to her about a larger weyr, too, then?" he asked. "I
suppose Gyta really is getting too small for the alcove, now. And my room
isn't really big enough for two."

"Though we've been making do thus far." Irlani pointed out cheerfully, "But
yes, I will ask her about a larger weyr."

"It's cozy," he smiled, "but there's not enough room for another locker and
chest of drawers." He smiled happily from one to the other, "I feel like
celebrating. Who's for a nice meal and a drink?"

"Food sounds good to me." Irlani held her hand out for Gyta to take. "But
you don't sound like you have the weyr cooking in mind."

"Why? Because I said a _nice_ meal?" he asked a smirk on his face.
"Actually I was going to ask for a picnic basket and thought we'd have
something to eat down at the beach, how does that sound?"

"That sounds lovely." Irlani agreed, then offered an alternative. "Or we
could be daring and try the Tavern at the Vintner Hall."

"Oh, I never thought of that." he answered in surprise. "Would you like to
go there, instead?"

"I'm fine either way, I was just giving you optoins." She looked between
father and daughter. "You two decide. I'm just happy to be with my loves."

"We'll go!" J'gen smiled widely at the pair, "And we'll have a great night
together - as a family!"

Last updated on the April 27th 2009

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Making it Official