Painting Trip

[Sky]

Demetrius scratched his chin in thought. "Well, I don't want to jinx Prince Sky's relationship with Bloom . . . and besides, what do I know?" Always loyal to the prince, Demetrius continued, "Maybe he is happy with her and I'm just imagining things or my mind's just playing tricks on me. Maybe I just think that there isn't any girl out there worthy of him. He's a good guy, after all. Sure, he's been spoiled and maybe he is a tad bit vain, but he's one of the best young men out there. And he isn't stupid; he has good judgment. If he says Bloom is the one for him, then I've just got to take his word for it."

[Demeter]

: "A bit spoiled? A bit vain?" Rowen repeated. "Are we talking about the same boy? Last letter you sent said you ready to strangle him if he didn't stop thinking he was, excuse the expression "all that and a bag of chips" as some of those old hip phrases say."

[Sky]

Demetrius crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Well, even so, Prince Sky is a good person. So what, he has a few shortcomings - who doesn't? If you just get past his vanity and his insatiable need for adventure, which, true, does have the tendency to get him into trouble, well, then he'd be as close to an angel as you could possibly get."

[Demeter]

: "No need to get defensive," Rowen said. "I trust your judgement, my friend. Although, if Bloom is like the way Flora describes her, then the reason he loves is a mystery." He laughed quietly.

"Are you sure he's not your son? After all how much of an insatiable need of adventure did you have when you were his age. I seem to recall you dragging me a long on some of those hair-raising adventures."

[Sky]

Demetrius raised his brows questioningly. "And here I thought Bloom and Flora were quite good friends; I just can't imagining your daughter saying one less than friendly thing about anyone else - especially someone who is her friend. Shows how much I know, hmm? I must say, I feel quite out of the loop."

[Demeter]

: "Flora said that Bloom's been incredibly moody since the start of term dance and that she doesn't understand why. It's not like Sky ignored Bloom - at least, Flora said he didn't."

[Sky]

Demetrius sighed. "Women. If their men aren't spending every moment of their time with them, they feel neglected. Whatever Bloom is feeling, it's her own imagination. Sky knows how to treat a lady right." Puffing up his chest, Demetrius added, "After all, he was taught by the best. You remember how in our day, I was quite a popular gentleman. Why? Because I knew - and still do know - what women want."

[Demeter]

: Rowen kept his expression perfectly schooled, mainly because he didn't have the heart to remind his friend that earlier in the conversation Demetrius had told him that his wife had gone home to her parents - a clear sign that in that case, he didn't.

"You know, you did promise to tell me the entire adventure during that summer you spent in the Magic Realm. So, tell me. I'm quite curious. That's one realm I've never been to."

[Sky]

Demetrius furrowed his brow, "Goodness, that feels like it was an eternity ago - although it must have only been about six or seven years bacl. Sky's just changed so much since then - he must have been only about eleven that summer, but now, why he's virtually a full-grown man." Shaking his head in disbelief, Demetrius continued, "A lot of things happened that summer. Some good, some bad. Let's just say though that the Magic Realm is one realm I will never visit again. It seemed so perfect there on the surface- so peaceful and undisturbed but there was something wrong with that place. Something evil, I'd say."

[Demeter]

: "It is home of the Four Brothers of Magic," Rowen said quietly. "The darkness could have been whatever influence the Red Wizard had that remains. But that's just a theory, old friend." Now that he thought about it, the Voice had been screaming a name - a name that was used for a long dead wizard.

Rowen placed a hand to his head. "Do you have any good Eraklyon wine? I suddenly crave it, I need something to settle my nerves."

[Sky]

Demetrius grinned. Dramatically he spread his arms and bowed exaggeratedly, feeling as though he was a young man all over again, and replied in a booming voice, "My dear old friend, wine is never in short supply in Eraklyon. You may have as much as you please, but we shall have to go to town to find it. I know of just the place - it is the best in all the realm because it stocks every kind of wine imaginable. You needn't even look at the list of wines because chances are they have." Mischievously, he added, "I think you'll quite like it there."

[Demeter]

: "Thanks, my friend," Rowen said quietly. "I really could use a drink to get my thoughts off of the Voice of Nature. All the screaming is driving me to the brink of distraction."

[Sky]

"Well why didn't you say something sooner?" Demetrius asked with a frown. Then, with a firm nod of his head, he continued, "Your wife is probably going to hate me for this, but I'll just have to take my chances." Giving Rowen a pointed look, Demetrius finished, "That's right, old friend - we're just going to have to get you raving drunk. That'll get your mind of the screaming, no doubt. It's like what my pop used to say: 'There ain't no better cure for anything than a bottle of potent Eraklyon wine.' I'd say that he speaks the truth - and you'll be agreeing with me within the hour. Now, let's get going."


OOC: Shall we jump over to a bar scene now?

[Demeter]

OOC: let's

: "Thank you, my friend. I just hope Wysteria's okay, and I suppose she's going to want to kill me. I haven't answered her letters in days - I got a bit distracted. Voice and all the beauty."

[Sky]

Demetrius laughed, already feeling the warm, relaxing effects of the glass of wine he had just finished. Tapping a finger against his chin, he reclined back in his chair and replied, "I wouldn't be surprised if Wysteria found a way to find you to do just that." Throwing his head back in laughter, Demetrius added, "You wouldn't last a minute if your wife gave you a thrashing. You'd be a dead man, if I ever saw one!"