So called because its owner is named Ale and finds it amusing, the House of Ale is medium-sized stone house that occasionally doubles as a bed and breakfast. With a nice, pleasant stone fence and a green lawn, it is one of the more enviable properties on its planet. Few lots can support grass, here.

---

River Rose
Helantri Deru

House of Ale I

---

Ting straightens her appearance briefly, but doesn't particularly primp, just before knocking on what seems entirely too laid-back for an archangel's front door.

"It's open!" Ale calls from inside. He actually is sorting his groceries, conveniently enough, and putting away the unfinished food that he and Ting had begun earlier.

Ting peeks her head in the door. "On with the 'coming in' then? Of course he means that." She giggles a little, and steps inside.

"Hey, you! I have a bone to pick with you, miss Ting." Ale bunches his shoulders, amused.

"Oh? Which bone?" Ting tilts her head. "Is it a ticklish one? 'Cause I've already done that song and dance today. You don't want to mess with me tickling. I am the tickle-master."

"I'll bet! Actually, I was thinking that I really, really wanted a hug from you." Ale puts away the last of the groceries. "I was scared to death for you," he adds, voice shaking a little, "and I didn't have time to properly express that."

"Aww..." Ting heads over his way, setting the plant aside, and hugs him tight without further discussion. Really, it's a good answer...she really, really needs a hug, too. "I'm okay," she assures after a few seconds, nodding.

"I knew you would be. But I still..." he hugs her tightly, careful not to crush her too much. "Your muscles are so tense, Ting..."

"Well..." Ting wrinkles her nose. "To make a long story short, my home got levelled, and then when we were recovering on the nether plane, some weird lady drugged my mom unconscious and she enchanted my brother so I had to beat the crap out of him and then pretend to be Minna to help Minna. And then the weird lady turned out not to be so bad her her little pet warlock who was a really freaking tough little warlock got all pissed off and I had to fight him and then I came back home and there was some demon fixing it? But I was soo not ready to see someone else scary and is it possible to take a vacation from my whole life?"

"Sure," Ale nods, his hands stroking up and down her little back. "You're here now. Just be here."

Ting sniffles a little, but smiles faintly. It feels so goooood. She just leans her forehead against his chest and stays. Really, it's almost silly. She doesn't know him that well. But...right now, he's the a person she really likes who's removed from all the nastiness in her life.

"It's okay to let it out if you have to, Ting," he assures her, his hands melding over her shoulders. "I have such a crush on you, and it means I'm here to help."

Ting smiles, though her cheeks color just a little. Yup. She likes Ale. "Well, everyone needs some Ono-grade drama around occasionally, just for interest," she observes after a few moments, grinning slightly. Is starting to feel silly now...but, at the same time, not.

Ale just rubs her shoulders slowly, smiling in answer. "C'mon, Ting. Let's sit down and relax... I strung my guitar, so... if you'd like, I can play for you!"

Ting smiles a bit. "That would be nice." She nods, and grudgingly gets her head off of him. Glances at her plant. "Hee...Yue was all freaked out over the demon guy, but he wasn't so bad. He brought back my plant! I was sad it was gone I took care of it for years and years."

"They sent an enforcer after all that?" Ale steps away from Ting's touch, reluctantly, and reaches for his guitar. His wings puff out a little bit, fingers idly picking out a dreamy melody.

"I think so, yes." Ting smiles a bit at the music, looks around, and settles herself in a comfy comfy corner of the couch. "His name was Amhersch. He told me I'm too nice. But I hugged him anyway for fixing my plant." She giggles quietly...kinda tiredly.

Ale grimaces at the name, but catches himself.  Turns the melody into something more akin to a lullaby, rich with soft, starry tones. Just for her.

"You are too nice," he admits, "if there's some level of acceptability, you're much more than that."

Ting grins a bit...purrs softly at the music. "Should I be less nice, then?"

"Not in the least," Ale is quick to respond. "You're just about as close to perfect as it gets." He plays for her as though he will never get to do so again, with genuine feeling in his fingers and his movements.

Ting blushes a bit, but smiles. Now that she's sitting down, and relaxing a bit, and the music...she's sleepy. "You're probably pretty great too, you know," she observes, absently content, and petting one of her plant's blue flowers. "Since I feel like stalking you each chance I get." She giggles quietly.

"I think you feel like resting," he notes, playing more soothingly, "I think you should sleep, Ting. I won't wake you until I need to hear your voice. I promise."

"Aww...you just want to play funny jokes on me in my sleep."

"Maybe," Ale chuckles, "but you would find them funnier than I would, I think. Tucking you in and all... for the second time."

Ting smiles, and blushes a little. She giggles. "Well, it was cute, anyway." An impish grin laces across her face. "'Mommy'."

Again, Ale's tune decrescendos, a little softer. "You certainly were, you little scamp." Ale's eyes set on Ting's, warm and compassionate, full of life, and still as placid as a still lake in the wilderness. "I look a little more manly than that, though, right?"

"Aww...it actually worried you? That's so cute!" Ting grins. "Of course you did. I thought you knew that, that's why it was funny." She giggles again, settling into the pillow a bit. Her feet get a quick magical cleaning before pulling up onto the couch with her.

The angel just plays on, giving her a pouty, put-on kind of look. "Feet on my couch, and you had to clean them first! So Ting... what are you doing tonight, if all the badness has passed?"

"Mmm...well, I don't have any plans." She scrunches her nose. "That's okay! At this rate, something or other will blow up."

Ale stops playing quite suddenly, and sets his guitar aside. "Would you like to learn to play, then?" His eyes hold that same soul-searching quality, peering deeply into hers.

Ting's ears perk, eyes clearing just a little of sleepiness. She's not really physically tired, so much as mentally worn. "I think that'd be fun! Hmm..." She examines her claws, and holds them out. "Do you think I'd damage your guitar, though?"

"C'mon, you're an Ono. Surely you can make those claws go away. For a bit." Ale beckons to her. "C'mon, don't worry about the guitar."

"Oh, yeah!" Ting giggles, and scrunches her nose a little at them. Blinks at human fingernails. "Gah! These things are...freaking weird? How the heck do you even scratch itches?"

"Like this," Ale proudly answers, reaching out to gently scritch her hair. He lifts the guitar in his other hand, lets his scritching fingers mold lightly against the back of her neck.

"Ooo..." Ting's eyes widen, then droop contentedly as she leans into it, actually purring just the littlest bit. "That feels sooo good...."

Ale sets the guitar down, a light smile on his face. His other hand joins the first, gently rubbing up and down Ting's poor, knotted neck muscles. A little divine restoration flows through his fingertips, just for a little edge.

"How about now...?"

"Mmm..." Ting grins dreamily back at him, just a little over her shoulder. "I think you just earned those wings, buddy."

Ale just smiles, slowly moving further down her shoulders with each stroke. "Just as long as you feel good, the wings are just props." He squeezes lightly, working on those knots as gently as he can.

"Hee...but pretty ones!" She continues to purr quietly, relaxing bit by bit...god that feels so good! "I think it's really cool that you're an angel," she notes. "I know it's kind of silly because it's pretty much old news to you, but it's still pretty nifty!"

"Angels are nifty, sure. You know that you're all but unique, right, Ting?" His hands come back up, and go back down. He has no desire to push anything on her, just to make her feel better... and get her back unknotted.

Ting smiles a bit at that...though it's hard to tell because she's smiling anyway. He's so sweeet...! "Hee...yeah, except my brother. And I guess in a few months another one too." She blinks, slowly for her being-massaged-ness. "That'll be kinda different."

"Having a baby around? Sure. Babies are really, truly impossible creatures." He gently guides her to sit on his couch, his fingers still working softly against her skin. "Sit here, Ting."

She smiles, and is more than happy to settle in wherever she's guided to. Giggles. "It'll be nice having one more dumenkitty around, though. I'm really glad I'm a twin...it can get really, really lonely being one of a kind."

Ale sits behind her, taking his time now that she's off her feet. He rubs her shoulders and neck a little more, and moves to her arms, massaging each separately, down to her hands, which he kisses in turn. "You'll be a good big sis to this one, too," he tells her, evading the easy 'with me you won't be lonely' line that comes to mind.

Ting reddens, but in a good, truly bashful way, at the hand-kisses. "I hope so..." giggles quietly. "My brother and I were both able to use a lot of power pretty much from birth...if that happens again, dad especially will need all the help he can get."

"I'll bet you were a destructive baby, weren't you?" Ale chuckles his humorous little chuckles, moving to massage her scalp last. He won't push any farther than that.

Ting grins, though she practically melts at the scalp rub. "Oh yes...me and Dewei both..." she laughs softly. "It's why mom told Yue to shoot her if she had twins again...oh god that feels good...."

"Good! That's how it's supposed to feel." He slows his ministrations down a little, scootches closer, and wraps his arms around her little shoulders to nuzzle her hair. "Better...?"

Ting smiles softly, and is happy to cuddle up, laying her head on his shoulder. "Much."

Ale smiles softly, feeling so content right now that he doesnt know what to do with himself. He holds her gently and lays back, resting her against him and stroking her hair. "Good," he whispers, "that's how you're supposed to feel."

Ting smiles softly, and just settles in, eyes closing lightly. "You're not allowed to move awhile," she murmurs.

"That's okay," the angel whispers, "I hadn't planned to." His lips find her hair again, and he holds her gently, but firmly, so she'll feel safe and welcome. "Go to sleep. I promise I'll just hold you."

Ting's face melts to simply...content, at this. Nuzzles his shoulder lightly, once, almost on instinct, and then snuggles in. Before long at all, she's curled asleep to the archangel's side.

Most angels would have already pushed for something unsavory. Or done so while she slept. Ale, though, is fairly atypical where the divine are concerned, and simply revels in her company until he, too, succumbs to sleep. She does smell nice, after all.

---

Ting's ears are perked when she appears in Ale's living room, feeling for where he is.

"... and... function! Aw..." The angels voice alternates with the sound of a stovetop being smacked now and again, but of course it stops when Ting appears. Ale peeks his head over the kitchen island to make sure it's her. "Hello, Ting. I'm having a wrestling match with the oven, it seems."

Ting's quiet just a second, and then has to giggle, her dark mood suddenly much closer to broken. "Are you winning, or is it business as usual?" She heads over that way.

"Oh, it has me by the hojos." The angel makes a point to clean his hands before turning back to Ting, all smiles. "To what do I owe the honor today?"

"Things are weird at my house again today, so I thought I'd bring the weird to you!" Ting grins, wiggles briefly in warning, and pounces him...knowing full well he knows how to catch, evade, or fall well by now.

... which is part of the reason he'd cleaned his hands. A smart clap of his hands behind her back catches Ting neatly in the air, and Ale turns with her to set her gently on the kitchen island. "Hi. I know what I want for supper, now."

Ting grins at him, quite happy again. She does so like Ale. "Since when do you have to buy dinner dinner?" She fiddles with his hair with one hand's claws when the shininess gets her attention. Pretty!

"I just thought I'd make you dinner." He affords her the same treatment, sans claws, smiling his angelic smile just for her. "You know." 

Ting smiles. She actually hasn't slept with him yet, but she's more than a little forward, herself, so the attention isn't undue. She leans forward to kiss his forehead. "Aww...he tries so hard!" Giggles.

"He does!" A hint of blush brushes his cheek. "So Ting. What sort of weirdness did you bring me? Hopefully it's the kind where I get to look at you."

And then she remembers. Aw, goddamn. Is silent a few seconds, uncharacteristically tongue-tied. Finally: "There's a lady goddess named Lysaria there didja know that an Armageddon thingie is coming? That's kinda trippy." She tilts her head.

Ale's expression distorts, and he knows that he doesn't have to tell her he knew it was coming. He can feel that unwelcome bunching of his brow, by now.

"She didn't tap you," he wonders aloud, "did she? You aren't going to have to fight, right...?"

"I don't think so..." Ting admits. "But she mentioned Makyon, and my mom, and my dad too. She didn't say outright that Ding and I wouldn't, though...so I don't know if we're not or if she just didn't want to freak my already freaked mom."

Ale sighs a soft relief. "She shouldn't be telling people about this," he grumbles, "it could cause more problems on the way.  I'm not familiar with any Lysaria, but no doubt she's from Pretender's sanctum. Loudmouths." He smiles. "Good at what they do, though, and she IS a messenger."

"Yus, but I don't think Pretender told her to. I think she's probably putting the info out so that maybe possibly my mom thinks of a way around stuff, she's known for that kind of thing especially if she has good reason. And if it happens, she's have a little kid who has to live through Armagednarok, so that's a good reason." Ting grin a little. Wants to say more. Get to what she's supposed to say. Hesitates on it, again.

"I hope she can," the angel admits, "I hope so. I've heard that a good number of officers-to-be are in her direct social circle, which is odd, you know. She might have the influence to do it." He looks at her, looks deeply into her eyes. "Ting, what are you trying to get yourself to say?"

"I..." memories flashing through her mind, slashing at her. Being used for information, by people she thought she cared about. Double-crossed, abused, poisoned, betrayed, twice. Led on...a thousand times. She just...no. She can't do the to Ale. Can't sneakily try to do stuff. Closes her eyes. Takes a deep breath. Isn't sure what's going to come out.

"Lysaria asked that I needed to come talk to you to find out who your deity was and if you actually had anything to do with Radivishe Moorn's assassination 'cause apparently Pretender doesn't think it was just a little conspiracy on Spintrius's side and Lysaria says as soon as she got back she'd be required to report back to Pretender about where she'd been and then Pretender would probably immediately send Lysaria's brother out to bring you to her and apparently he's a big tough swordy slashy guy don't hate me." Cringe.

Ale tilts his head over a little, but his lack of dramatic reaction is a surefire indication that he'd been waiting for the question.

"You want to know if I helped set him up, basically? The short answer is yes. The long answer is 'yes, but I didn't know the plan was to kill him, hence my getting my ass kicked trying to stop the attack when I found out'." The angel pauses, so Ting can have a moment to think about this.

Actually, she comes noticeably close to literally fainting with relief. "So...that was someone's plan, though? Not just Spintrius stuff?" Her questions remain tentative.

"I think Spintrius wanted him dead, for sure. Almost everyone in the universe seemed to. But the only place that order could have come from would be our deity, Dun."

Ting's eyes widen a little, then she scrunches her nose over in consternation. "Dun...why does that sound familiar...oh! Isn't that Ai's mom and I think maybe Lysaria's sister or sumit?"

"Ai's mom, yes. I don't know about a sister, though... she could be. And if she was really married to Moorn, I could definitely understand the hostility."

"Hmm...yup! I think so." Considers, rocking back and forth a little where she sits. Blinks. "I...think that's it. So...you're not mad...?" Her ears are still down and back, and she's avoiding his eyes.

"You aren't stupid. You would have asked eventually." The angel lowers his own eyes shamefully. "Much of the attack plan was my doing. The job was to storm the keep and restrain him, threaten him, whatever it took to keep him off the field come time for Armageddon. Or that's what I thought. I know how much it hurt Ai and your aunt. I couldn't bring myself to admit that it was my reconnaissance that led to his murder."

"Well...so...we're okay, then...?" After glancing up, Ting ducks down a bit, trying to catch his eyes with a little smile and reaching out to catch his cheek gently with her fingertips.

Ale pulls back a little bit, to try and intercept her hand. "We are," he nods, "as long as you are, Ting."

He catches the hand no problem, certainly. Ting smiles. "I think that's a yes." She tilts her head, eyes softening a bit and smile broadening. "Now. What were you saying about dinner...?"

The angel chuckles a quiet chuckle, cradles her hand in his. "I was thinking about a peach, actually." Kisses her clawed fingertips.

"Ale...?"

His eyes rise to meet hers, quietly asking 'yes?' without a word.

"Your metaphors are really starting to confuse me." She grins a little, leaning forward. "I think...whatever real dinner plans you had...maybe you can put them off by an hour or so...?" Her smile's a touch different now.

The angel smiles a little, blushing, but for a reason she probably doesn't get just yet. "I think... now might not be the best time, Ting. Let's just..." looks at her. "Let's just enjoy each other."

Ting is, of course, a bit surprised at this. She's figured she was the one keeping their playful flirting from going farther. Still...after a second, she smiles, nods, and reaches out to hug him. "Okay! Sounds good." Purrs quietly.

He returns the embrace, petting her hair with warm little strokes. "Hey," he offers after a second, "would you like to have dinner with your parents tonight?"

Ting perks up a bit. "I think that would be fun!" She leans back enough to look at him, grinning. "So what are the specifics on this?"

"Just so long as it's not the 'having dinner' you were talking about before, we're good."

That does it. Ting cracks up. "Gah...! Are angels supposed to pollute my mind that much? I mean seriously I didn't need that flash of a mental image." She snickers, and kisses his cheek. "Closet evil!"

"Yeah, we are. It's in the contract." He snags her hand again. "They really... haven't met me that much."

"That's a good point." She smiles, and is happy to be held. "It's kind of short notice to ask my dad to cook...we should go out somewhere you think? It would be kinda nice anyhow."

"Sounds good to me. Do you have a place in mind, though?" Ale looks around. "I guess I could cook. I'm pretty good at it."

"I can think of a couple that could be nice." Ting smiles. "But cooking could also be nice! It would be sweet and personal, yus!"

"Exactly! So... hm. What does your mother eat?" He heads over to the kitchen, still holding onto her hand.

Ting is happy to trot along after him. "Mom's a little boring." Ting titters. "She mostly eats rice. And sushi. And Chinese food, a lot of Chinese food. Dumpling type things some of the time, she likes those. She says that you'll probably always love the foods you grew up with. But mostly whatever my dad cooks. He tries to mix it up a bit, yus." She's quite relieved to have that badness finally out of the corner of her thoughts--she believes Ale when he says he hadn't known, and that's enough for her--and slightly hyper as a result.

"That would explain why I still love breasts," Ale nods, thoughtfully indeed.

Ting cracks up, shoving him just the littlest bit. "Yes. Yes, I suppose it does." She giggles.

The angel smiles a bit. "Hey... how about those bread bowls we talked about the other day?"

"Ooo...sounds good!" Ting purrs. "I bet they'd like that!"

"Yeah! We can invite them and... hm. Your brother and his girlfriend, and your aunt, Minna and her guard, and the other Serinian." Ale reaches down to open his cabinet, hoping Ting won't catch that he's left one resident of Helantri Deru out of his list.

"Hee...a big little event, that!" Ting blinks "Hey didja know Makyon's apparently marriedish now or somethin'? It's pretty trippy."

The angel bonks his head on the underside of his countertop in his instant haste to shoot her a dumbstruck look. "Gah! I swear, one day I'm gonna wina a fight against this kitchen." He looks at her, rubbing his scalp. "What's the guy's name?"

Ting giggles at the "guy" comment and pats his poor kitchen-whipped head. "It was really weird. Earlier this pretty half naked jinneyeh lady showed up and said she was Shigoriath's wife and that Makyon was his heir and so he got everything including the wifey? Really trippy."

"Jinneyeh. Hm." Ale smiles at Ting a little more brightly. "What do you think of this guy, Makyon, Ting? Seriously." His gaze takes on a quality of intentness, as if the question is far more important than he's letting on.

"He's nice, he is." Ting nods. "He's my best friend! Or one of 'em he's been really weird since I started dating you though and ignores me a lot." She nods a little.

Delalenei processes this for a second. Dammit.

"I have to show you something, Ting." He brushes gently past her, to a lustrous black filing cabinet sitting in the corner. A moment of rifling through papers produces a laminated sheet, which he hands off to her silently.

It reads:

Notice Van. D.

        Order ad Morit, maximum priority -
          "Shigoriath"
          "Makyon"
          "Asiba G."

Last known location: Shigoriath/ Asiba G. - missing
                  Makyon - Helantri Deru

All necessary means permitted - caution - maximum

Ting's eyes widen a little. "What...is this ordering you to do...?"

"It's a termination order, Ting." He leans against his wall. She probably already gathered that, but... he lets it sink in, quiet.

The half Serinian's ears sag immediately. She's at a loss for words for a few moments. "Ale...you can't! He's one of the good guys...Dewei and I would both be dead and Shigoriath would still be around if it wasn't for him!" She's really pleading with him.

"I can, Ting, and I have to." His resolve on the matter is firm, but the look on his face - the way his eyes mist, brows tilt and pull together - tells as well as he ever could how he would rather not. "Makyon is the heir to Shigoriath. He will fulfill that legacy, eventually. Shigoriath can't be allowed to lead the dead, Ting, but a substitute is just as bad. Especially is he has a jinneyeh on his side."

Ting is at a loss for words for a few moments, breath coming a little fast. Her eyes trail off to the side, then back up to the angel, still stricken. "Take the order to my mom. She knows Ai's mom, let her go talk to her."

Ale nods just a little bit. "I'll do that. Just... I wanted to tell you up front. I don't like Makyon, but I know how much he means to your family and I don't particularly want to eliminate him."

Ting tries to smile wanly. Fails. Man...she gets in the most complicated situations. Still...she hugs Ale tightly, duly freaked and needing to cling.

He lets her cling. Holds her. Nevermind the fact that if he did have to eliminate Makyon, he'd end up fighting the lot of them. 

"We'll handle it as soon as you think you're ready. And we can't let him get word of it. Okay?"

"Okay..." she nods, a little hesitantly. Blinks. "Um...actually, we probably need to get someone to talk to Lysaria anyway so that swordy guy doesn't come after you. Pertinitent!"

"You might have a point. Any idea when this is supposed to happen?" Ale tilts his head, looking at her.

"Nope! I got the impression it depends on how long it'll take Lysaria to get to talk to Pretender."

"Well," he blinks. "What'd she say? If she's going straight back, it won't take any time at all. Pretender's 'getting reports' means reading minds of scouts before they have time - or a chance - to blur the edges of their findings."

"Ooo...um..." sheepish grin. "My mom can get ahold of Lysaria fast and we should get there right now. Yesterday actually."

"Better go grab her, then. I'll be along. I need to get some things." Ale looks over to a case on the wall, where his Vanguard sword - a bell-flower crested zweihander - hangs behind a field that looks like glass.

Ting's eyes widen just a touch, almost in a frightened sort of way...it seems almost strange for someone who's such a hardcore little warrior. But she hates people she cares about being in danger, and that's exactly what the sword means right now. She nods slowly. "Yeah...careful, right...?" Hesitates, leans up and forward to kiss his cheek quite lightly, and then is gone.

Ale closes his eyes when she goes. "Yeah. Either way, Ting, I'm covered, right?"