Changes

Ashley Isherwood-Sutherland's longtime friend and would-be suitor, Sivadian Trade Minister Brian DelMarenno, finally makes his feelings known. Unfortunately for him, he quickly finds out, Ashley has gone through some changes ...

DelMarenno emerges from the Commerce House. There is no surfboard slung over the businessman's head now; instead he slides a small cardboard box into his jacket as he steps onto the street and holds his hand out for a taxi.

Sivadian Patrol Bot X-12 drops low toward a yipping poodle and extends a scanner armature, sweeping the animal with a beam of reddish-tinged blue light. Detecting no weapons or apparent threat - despite the obnoxious yipping - the bot states: "Have a nice day." It elevates to normal height and continues its patrol.

Sivadian Patrol Bot X-12 whirs away toward Montevedo Street North.

Ashley is just turning onto Montevedo Street from Isherwood Avenue, a large, hardbound book cradled in the crook of one arm. She too pauses to look around the street, perhaps also looking for a cab, before a familiar figure captures her attention and she waves in his direction instead, pitching her voice as she calls, "Brian!" to gain his attention before he departs.

DelMarenno turns just as the taxi pulls up. Spotting Ashley, he smiles broadly and takes a few steps in her direction. "Well hello there!" he calls back. "Fancy sharing a cab?"

Ashley hesitates briefly before she looks quickly in both directions, crossing the street to his side. "Where are you going?" she asks at a more comfortable conversation level as she walks up.

DelMarenno helps to close the distance with a few more steps and turns with her as she steps onto the street. "Ashley, good to see you. I was going back home for the day, but if you'd like to go somewhere for tea?" he lets his voice trail off a little.

Ashley nods with a small smile as she shifts her grip on the book, holding it in a more comfortable position - a glimpse of the title would reveal it to be: Sivadian Country Estates and Families. "I did promise you tea."

DelMarenno chuckles. "You make it sound like an obligation," he chides gently. "Would you like to?" His eye glances down to the book, and his brow knits slightly, but he says only: "Here, let me carry that for you." He holds out his hands for the heavy book, pausing only a moment to whistle with two fingers and wave his cab back to them.

You hail a passing hovercab and it pulls up to the kerb.

"Oh, that is quite all right, I can carry a simple book on my own," Ashley mock chides in return, her smile widening slightly before nodding, stepping into the cab. "Where?"

DelMarenno slides into the cab next to Ashley, closing the door after him. "You name it. My door is always open to you, of course, and I believe I know a place in uptown Sanjuni, if you'd rather go out for tea. I leave it to the lady." He glances again at the book, curious, but directly back up to Ashley's eyes.

Ashley no doubt notices his curiosity concerning the book, but simply lets it remain a mystery for the moment as she nods, stating definitively, "Sanjuni, then."

DelMarenno slides one arm back onto the rear of the cab cushion behind Ashley's shoulders, pointing forward with the other. "Onward then, noble driver," he says. "Sanjuni Plaza. I'd say make haste, but then, taximen always do," he adds, perhaps with a note of wry displeasure.

The Specialist Cabbie accepts your money and says, "All right, guv. Off we go to Sanjuni Plaza!"

The hovercab launches off the road and onto Regreb Bay as it speeds toward its destination.

The Specialist Cabbie brags proudly, "I once had Paul Truffaut himself in this very cab. Course, that was before he went crazy, you understand."

The Specialist Cabbie remarks offhandedly, "I don't like the way this weather is looking, not one bit."

The Specialist Cabbie turns to you and says, "Here we are, guv. Thank you!"

Ashley chuckles. "My most pressing business tonight is sorting through some old boxes and sleep. There is not so much need for haste," she notes, watching the swift slide of the landscape outside before she exits the cab when it settles once more.

Sanjuni Plaza

The Sanjuni plaza is the heart of the commercial sector of Sivad. Set overlooking a line of cliffs, high above the other levels of the city, the view from up here is spectacular.

The plaza itself is neatly paved with white granite, with a large fountain in the center that is commonly used by the locals to cool off on hot days. The edge of the plaza is entirely lined with one and two story buildings, at the 4 cardinal points of the compass, roads stretch off, with the single exception of east, where in place of a road a large viewing platform looks out over the ocean.

All the buildings here are shops or coffee bars and the like, with the most expensive places actually being built into the cliff wall itself.

Stars glimmer in the sky over Regreb Bay, and the shining disc of the polydenum-rich moon, Morrigan, rests in its quadrant.

DelMarenno slides a few yojj-sterling to the driver as tipmoney and then closes the door. "Forgive me if I'm prying, but would that have something to do with that bloody great book you've been carrying around all night?" he remarks wryly, looking around. "Ah, there it is." He points to the Soul Time Cafe. "This way, my dear." He smirks, perhaps a little impishly, and gestures grandiosely with a hand.

DelMarenno offers his other arm to the Baroness in another gentlemanly gesture, still with that impish grin.

Ashley smiles with a wry dip of her head. "You are forgiven, for now." She hesitates, ever so briefly, before laying her near hand lightly upon the proferred arm. "And it all has to do with the fact that I am changing my main residence, though I think I will retain the Sanjuni residence for now. It's near a very lovely beach."

DelMarenno tilts his head. "I see ..." he says, and then confesses, "Well, really I don't. But no matter." As they walk, his grin slowly slides into a mildly perplexed look for the briefest of moments. "I do hope you're not moving too far away," he says, smirk returning. "I'd hoped to see you about town more often, now that your business and mine both bring us here."

This time, a longer hesitation before Ashley sighs. "Well, it is not so far that one cannot take a cab. However, it *is* off the mainland. Westshire Island," she says with a hint of an embarrassed blush as they approach the cafe. "I...was recently gifted the deed by the king. But do not worry, I will be in and out of Enaj quite often, I expect. By royal decree, no less."

DelMarenno raises both eyebrows. "By royal decrees," he echoes, searching Ashley's face. "You're blushing," he notes quietly.

"Am I?" Ashley murmurs, her eyes focused studiously ahead. "And please forgive me, Brian; I have been making several jokes at your expense. It was not so much a royal decree as an - expectation." She pauses briefly as a group of students exit the cafe, and then slips inside before the doors drift shut again.

Soul Time Cafe

Before you is a medium sized coffee bar that is fairly packed at all hours. Set against the right hand wall of the building is the bar itself, with a large selection of coffee, tea and iced drinks listed on the priceboard above it, and an excellent selection of pastries on display in the glass cabinets.

Scattered around the room itself are various tables and booths, if you take a table you can expect company from anyone, but booths are considered more private, it's polite to ask before joining.

The single exception to this layout is the back wall, which is a single massive window looking out over the ocean, the seats here are comfy armchairs, and getting one can be hard.

DelMarenno shakes his head. "I'm sorry," he says, the polite, impersonal tone creeping at the edges of his voice. "I believe I'm treading where I shouldn't." His voice has fallen somewhat; he seems disappointed, perhaps a little confused, and hiding it - but Ashley should be able to pick up on that, she's known him long enough to tell by now. The way his brow knits together ever so slightly gives it away. At this hour, the seats near the back window are available; he heads in that direction perhaps automatically. Uncharacteristically silent for now.

Ashley does not look at him yet as she moves with him through the maze of tables toward the window, but her hand gives his arm a soft squeeze before she releases it completely. "It has been a very strange...and eventful few weeks," she says quietly as she moves behind one of the empty chairs, setting the book down before pulling it out. "Not an excuse, but...a few things have changed, I'm afraid."

"It seems they have," DelMarenno says, exhaling heavily. "It seems that, between us, they often do." He offers a half-smile. "I must admit to you, Ashley, that I am having trouble keeping up with all these changes." His voice becomes more frank, still gentle, but firmer. His eyes seek out hers as he sits across from her, interlacing his fingers and setting them out on the table in front of him.

Ashley sighs as she relaxes back into her chair, gazing across the table at him with a small, wan smile. "I suppose it began with all that replacement Specialist nonsense...things never really felt right after that. Portmeirion..." Her lips thin in tension for a moment before she shakes her head, resolutely putting it out of her mind before she gives a soft, wry chuckle. "And then Westshire kidnapped me - us. When put in words, it sounds so...utterly unbelievable. I suppose I am simply trying to say...that I have been off my balance for a while now, and everytime I think I have just found it, I get knocked over again. But hopefully - *I* hope - that this is the last transition I'm going to make for a long time. Provided Richard does not change his mind."

DelMarenno extends a hand towards Ashley, setting it on the table. He returns her wan smile in kind. "Your disappearance left me a great deal put out as well. I'm sorry I pressed the issue earlier, it's just ..." a corner of his mouth crooks upwards, leaving him grinning crookedly, maybe a little embarrassed. "Well, to be perfectly honest," he exhales, "I haven't had this much trouble saying something in quite some time. I got rather used to having you in my life, and I hope that while you find your balance again ... I want to be a part of that." And there he is, looking just like many other men Sivadian and otherwise throughout time, grinning a little like an idiot across the table at an unsuspecting lady. He seems out of things to say.

Ashley's smile wilts by another notch at his words before she rallies a bit, looking down at his extended hand though she does not move to take it yet. "How...much of a part were you looking for?"

Surprisingly enough, DelMarenno doesn't waver. "A larger part than before," he says, "But ... I hope not quite so large as what you're worrying over," he adds, gaining a little confidence. "Beyond that ... who can tell?"

Ashley's mouth twitches before she nods, finally reaching out to take his hand - and give it a brief, friendly squeeze before pulling back. "Thank you for your patience, Brian. I...am not certain just how things will work out, but I will be honest with you. It will take me some time to figure out just what it means to be seeing someone who happens to be a king, but I'll at least make time for tea, on occasion," she says with a hint of her old humor, mouth curving in a crooked, somewhat self-deprecating smile.

DelMarenno blinks. He blinks again. Still choosing his words. "Seeing." There is a pause. "*I* see. My, don't I feel silly." He sets his hands on the edges of the table. "Of course I suspected, but I allowed myself to believe otherwise." Another pause, and he leans back. "I suppose I shall need something a bit stronger than tea." He shakes his head. "No, thank you for *your* patience, Ashley. I suppose I was quite tiresome, always calling while you were ... well, seeing the King. I apologize. I should have told you sooner." He lifts his chin to look into Ashley's eyes. "Perhaps kings are unaffected by such beauty, but ... in your presence I find myself at a loss for words." He can do nothing else but let his gaze linger.

Ashley takes a breath, holds it as she gazes upon him with a touch of surprise, before her gaze drops with a soft, embarrassed chuckle at the complement. "Thank you, Brian. And do not short-change yourself so. This...has been 'official', I suppose you might say, for only the last two weeks. And considering how we acted toward each other before...well, I would be surprised if anyone else suspected. I certainly had not, though...I might have hoped. Just a little."

This would be the first time, with the possible exception of Portmeirion, that Ashley has ever seen Brian genuinely sad. "I suppose that's to be expected," DelMarenno says. "After all, who wouldn't want to date the King." He quickly appends that with a sigh, and: "I'm sorry ... that was unfair." He pushes his chair back and rises in a daze. "I should be going, I think." Also one of the few times DelMarenno has ever truly been indecisive. "I'm sorry, Ashley. I feel ... such a fool."

"It is awkward," Ashley agrees quickly, shaking her head as she sees him rising. "But there is no need to assign foolishness, for there has been none. And yes, that was unfair...but I assure you, I am not oblivious to the consequences of such a stature. Not only the benefits, but the potential costs as well. It is not a whim that had me granting him permission to see me."

DelMarenno pauses, then turns. "Ashley," he says, "I can't. I can't just walk out like this. Can you tell me honestly right now that there was never any kind of spark between us, no ... well, no love?" His expression is earnest - searching, but not desparate. "Can you tell me now that you would not consider, or you never would have considered allowing me to see you in that regard?" He rests his hand on the back of the chair. "Every time I tried to get close enough, to say what I said just a few minutes ago - something would happen. You would have to leave, or you would disappear - I never had that chance, not really. But Lord knows I would have wanted nothing better. Ashley ..." A final look into her eyes. "I don't know which would be harder to bear. Not seeing you at all, or seeing you and ... knowing you were with another man." He shakes his head. "God, why didn't I say this before it was too late."

Ashley's lips part before she hesitates, pondering her next words, and then she says slowly, gravely, "There might have been. I thought, a few times, that those might have been your intentions - and I cannot say that I had not wondered before what it might be like to go on a 'date' with you. But...whenever I did, there was always a sense of doubt. It was always after 'if' I accepted such an invitation. But...when Richard asked...I did not hesitate. There was no conditional. Does what I am saying make sense?"

"Can he make you smile, Ashley? Is he earnest? When you wind up doing something you hadn't expected to do with him, is it a good thing? Will he keep up with you, Ashley? Can he surf? Is he always there? When he thinks you're dead, Ashley ... does he put a bounty out on your murderer, and fly with Baron Cobb in the hopes that somehow you're still alive, and he can help?" That last comes after a brief pause, but once he starts, there's no turning back from saying it. DelMarenno shakes his head. "Ashley ... there should always be doubt. That doubt makes it more exciting." He steps back, face firm. "I'm sorry. I cannot give up hope that there will be something between us again. I can't, and I won't." He looks so far into Ashley's eyes it may seem he's looking right through her. "I can only hope ... there's something of that in you too." Brian steps back again, this time with an air of finality. "I may not be a king, Ashley. But I love you. And I will." He turns for the last time, and he looks over his shoulder at the Baroness as if about to say something else. At last, his shoulders sag, and he shakes his head. Lifting his chin, doing his best to recover - but, as Ashley and probably very few others would notice - only going through the motions. Still in a daze, he begins to head towards the exit.

As the list begins, a progressively more somber look overcomes Ashley's gaze, though a small, unconscious smile lingers at the mention of smiles and earnestness and keeping up. At the rest of his admission, though, she desceneds into solemness altogether, and as he begins to depart, she says after him, "I cannot repay such kindness and consideration, Brian - but, perhaps, it is not me who should be repaying you, but another lucky woman whom you choose to shower with such affection, and who returns it in the same measure. I do not know how - if - this relationship will work out. But I would not see you continue to pine, simply for the hope that it might not."

DelMarenno stops. "Ashley ... I don't want another woman." He meets her gaze one last time. "I don't want you to be unhappy, although I cannot honestly say that I do not want things to fail between you and Richard - because I do, and now you understand why. But most of all, I want ... you." There is a last small smile. "Think about the good times we have had, and ask yourself if a King can do anything that we have done - conspire of opening nightclubs and orbiting casinos, share tea and pass entire afternoons talking ... I have already spoken of that. I won't give up." He steps again to the door, and opens it. "I love you," he says, "Goodnight." And with that, Brian is gone.