[x] I...don't know whether to be flattered she'd go that far for you and me or just sad she'd even have to consider it at all. I wish she didn't have any reason to.
((()))
“I'm not sure if I should be flattered she'd go that far for us,” you say, shifting around sideways on Morgan's lap so you can get your arms around him again, “Or just sad she'd even have to consider it. It has to be really hard for her to have a relationship like that.”
“It's not easy,” Morgan says with a grimace as he holds you close, “But she's not going to let my father walk all over her.”
“I don't think
anybody in this room is the sort to be walked over,” Hanse says with a modest smile, “Now, is there anything else you'd like to discuss with me, before I get back to work, and let you two go find some music?”
“Nothing comes to mind,” Morgan says, shaking his head, a move you mirror.
“A good day to the two of you then,” Hanse says with a smile, before rising from the table, and heading out.
“So,” Morgan says, a smile returning to his face as he looks down at you, “I've been picking up a new form of dancing. Would you like me to show you?”
You grin.
((()))
You spend a good hour and change in a mid-sized room at Davion Palace getting a good workout in with Morgan
(((()))
Unfortunately, you still have classes and other responsibilities that call you back to campus soon enough, and you're back through NAIS security in time for lunch. The daily grind continues, though you find yourself humming happily rather than feeling restless throughout the day. You're scheduled to have dinner with Morgan and his parents at 7 PM at one of the fancy on-campus restaurants, and while you're not exactly positively disposed towards Michael, he can hardly be more imposing than Hanse or Katrina, and certainly not enough so to spoil your good mood about dinner with Morgan.
Things are winding along towards finals, and with the aggressive pace set in NAIS classes, that also means that the last week or so of class is review. Working through the same material again is a mixture of dull and interesting, as it
is a rehash, but reviewing it in light of having some idea how it's actually
applied, both in supporting later material, and in how you've ended up using it in your design project, puts it in something of a new light. It's also, thankfully, somewhat easier than continuing to cover new material constantly, allowing you to 'ease up' a little with the amount of frenetic aggression you put into things.
Of course, when Mary swings by to see if you're ready to go down for dinner, she finds out that you won't be joining the kitten mafia as usual, and
why.
“Did you already get to dance with him?” Mary asks eagerly, grinning widely just reading your expression, “You did! Do you think I can blackmail Hanse into a double-date that includes dancing somewhere appropriately discrete?”
“...Probably?” you say, “Still holding not dancing with you at the Harvest Ball over his head?”
“You bet!” Mary says cheerfully, “I've only got so many months that I get to hold 'hiding me away in secret' over him for, so I need to take advantage of that while I can. Do you know if he's planning to propose while he's on-planet?”
A silly grin spreads across your face again, and Mary crows in victory.
“It's technically dependent on his father's approval,” you try to caution, “But that's mostly a formality at this point, which is also part of why I'm having dinner with him tonight, so that he can get to know me some. With Marie's support though, there's not much leeway he has.”
“Not to mention the whole 'instant ace' thing,” Mary says with a snort, “I'm still not sure if it's a good or a bad thing just how much more weight that carries here than in the Commonwealth.”
“If we weren't in a time of perpetual war,” you say, shaking your head, “I'd say it's unhealthy; war is ultimately about destroying the enemy, rather than building yourself up. But we
have been at war for longer than our grandparents lived, and the Suns in particular aren't against enemies you can afford to lose to.”
“Yeah,” Mary says, sticking her tongue out in distaste, “But let's leave the more morose subjects for some other time. Do you know what you're going to wear for dinner?”
“My uniform?” you say, looking at her a bit oddly.
“No, no, no!” Mary says, shaking her head emphatically, “You might be on campus, and a military cadet, but it's a
fancy restaurant. Half the fancy places on campus have live music in the evening; you might even get to dance. You should be wearing something appropriately fancy and formal, and
no, your dress uniform isn't going to count! Something with a skirt.”
“Weren't we just talking about how the Feddies respect military accomplishments that much more than Lyrans do?” you shoot back.
“Yes,” Mary says, “But knowing Morgan, his father is already
plenty aware of your accomplishments. You need to be ready to have a good dance with Morgan, and believe me, once Michael sees you and his son dancing together, he won't be able to argue against the two of you getting hitched worth a hill of beans.”
“I think you might be over-estimating his sense of romance,” you point out, “Marie hasn't had
romance with him for… years, the way she talked about it suggests probably fifteen or
twenty. If he hasn't learned how to be attentive to his wife in that span of time, if even just to suit his own purposes given he doesn't have any other children for marriage alliances, and his only shot at more power is through his marriage to her, I don't think he's going to be particularly susceptible to the warm fuzzies.”
“That's a far better point than it should be,” Mary says with a scowl, “A nice dress is still suitable for a fancy restaurant though.”
What wear?
[] Cadet Dress Uniform.
((()))