Dragon Harem Quest - Or: Saying You Were Gay Wasn't The Conversation-Ender You Hoped For

"I would like to handle entertainment for the party, Mother," you say as politely and confidently as possible. It immediately makes her suspicious, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinises you for some sign of whatever it is you have planned.

"That so?" she replies. "Do you feel like sharing what you have in mind to entertain an entire clan of dragons, or is that something you feel like playing by ear?"

She doesn't know you don't have to tell her she doesn't know you don't have to tell her she doesn't know you don't have to tell her "I have a few personal matters I've been attending to since we last met and I feel confident they'll bear fruit suitable for the party. So to speak."

She keeps shooting you that look. 'I feel confident' are not words that should be coming out of your mouth. You don't actually feel confident, sure, but it's still highly irregular for you to say it at all. What could be going through her head? She can't be thinking anything drastic surely, like 'oh yes mother and I plan to execute the entire clan in one fell swoop for this entire time I have been playing the fool and with this masterstroke I shall crown myself lord of all blue dragons'? No, it must be something pedestrian. Assuming you're pulling things straight from your ass and hiding it better than you usually do. Which is also cause for alarm you suppose. Because it's true.

"Very well then," she says languidly. "And I speak for all our relatives when I say I cannot wait to see what you choose. I'm sure whoever winds up in charge of management will get in touch with you soon." She waves a claw. "You may go now."

And that's... it. The meeting can't have taken more than a handful of minutes and could've easily been resolved via courier, but she was in town anyway and you assume she just couldn't resist. Your irritation that she would waste your time like this is equalled only by your relief that she isn't making you stay longer. You incline your head and politely excuse yourself, thanking Mother for her time, then turn and power-walk out of there like you've got an emergency appointment with a bathroom and running is too risky. You snag Jun-ho's wrist in a death-grip as you pass, bodily yanking him back through the door and stabbing the 'call lift' button over and over until the next car finally arrives. You shove him inside and pull the grille, only releasing the breath you were holding once the lift begins to descend with a soft bing.

"Haaaa," you say, the descent blissfully silent but for the muffled mechanical sounds of the lift shaft. "That went well."

"Oh, good," Jun-ho says, in the tone of one that really doesn't understand what just happened. "But... what do you have in mind for entertainment? I can't think of anything off the top of my head."

"You see Jun-ho, while I was out with Issachar at the mansion I met a very particular man," you say. "A man of great skill and class and presentation - I saw it with my very own eyes - who was once a living legend a century or so ago. He's on his way here now, very much grateful to me for freeing him from his cursed resting place. All I have to do is tell him I have a venue where he can play to a captive audience of dragons - he's likely to downright climax at the idea." You pause. "And Makram still owes me two wishes so I can probably pry something out of him too."

"Ooooh," Jun-ho says with sufficient awe and approval. Another pause, more muted gear-grinding. "But have you actually asked them yet?"

You purse your lips and stare straight ahead, swallowing. "Minor detail, sure to be smoothed over immediately. If not I can always adapt! Very adaptable, I am. Improvisation is my middle name. Now back in your mortal disguise, Jun-ho, we're nearly at the bottom."

The floor indicator says no such thing but you transform back into Lord Elding anyway, so Jun-ho shrugs and shifts in kind. You're once more standing shoulder to shoulder with a tall, lanky sharkman dressed like he's on shore leave. The stuff rumours are made of. You've heard many a horror story about the chafing - yet another way that armoured dragons are far superior to soft, squishy mortals.

Actually... speaking of Jun-ho. What he said earlier twinges a certain nerve, returning with a vengeance. You still don't actually know what he wants. With everyone else it's fairly self-evident, some of them practically wear it on their sleeves. With Jun-ho he just seems kind of... there, and whenever you have the cause to try you can't fathom why. Here, now, it's beginning to chafe.

"Do you... actually want to be here?" you ask.

"Mm?" Jun-ho turns to look at you, brow furrowed quizzically.

"At the spire. Living with me. 'Courting'," you say. "You said this was Mother's show from the start and you're just scared of her. Is that the only reason? Or is there something else you want?"

He looks even more confused. "Why would you think it's still like that? Do I have to be wanting to 'get' something or under obligation?"

"Everyone else is," you say matter-of-factly. "Here, there, everywhere, it kind of forms the basic building-blocks of society. Everyone has something they want, I just don't know yours yet. So..."

"Oh." You don't know why but he looks very sad for a moment. If you were in a radical mood you might even venture to call it pity, but you don't know who that would be for or why. Instead he controls himself and thinks about it. "I don't... really know about a lot of this stuff yet. We haven't had an abundance of time together and I know it's not really a done deal for us to be together just because your mother set it up and I don't know how I feel about you yet but... I do know that I like every day I've spent at the spire so far."

He shrugs helplessly. "So I don't know. Maybe we'll figure out today or tomorrow or in a week we love each other - I don't know what that feels like. Maybe you'll pick one of the others. Even if that happens I want to stay because I like everyone there."

There's a long silence, the cable gently creaking high above as it slows, anticipating the final descent.

"And I think you do too."

You look at him. He looks at you. You part your lips to say something, but you find no words waiting to pass through. Instead you remain silent for as long as it takes the lift to reach its former resting place, settling in at ground level and pinging softly to alert you. You reach out and mechanically tug the grille back, letting Jun-ho exit first before following and closing it behind you.

You haven't actually spent much time with him, have you? It wasn't a conscious decision. It certainly isn't a mistake or 'your fault'. You've had a great deal on your plate, your fortunes reversing and re-reversing and reversing one more time for good measure at every turn. You can't expect to keep track of everything and everyone, you're only one dragon. But the thought, that memory of him saying the two of you haven't had much time together, makes your gut twinge oddly.

You look up. He's already halfway across the lobby, half-turning to shoot you a questioning look as he realises you aren't following.

"Eldingar?" he asks.

You don't know how you feel. You blame Mother. That sounds about right. Maybe Belial too for good measure.

[ ] Change the subject and go home for the night. You're still discombobulated from having to see Mother, you're in no fit state to entertain. Jun-ho will understand a minor delay.
[ ] Take Jun-ho out to dinner.
--[ ] Somewhere upscale, where he can get a taste of culture.
--[ ] Somewhere mid-level, the good stuff without too much pressure.
--[ ] Somewhere on the street where you wouldn't be caught dead as Lord Elding, just to stuff your faces.
[ ] Take Jun-ho to the markets so he can get a taste of retail therapy.
[ ] Take Jun-ho to find some entertainment, like a play or some other performance, whatever's on.
[ ] Take Jun-ho to the docks. Maybe you can wrangle a boat and take him out to sea like mortals do it.
[ ] Take Jun-ho to search for a map-marker you remember. He was the first to show up at your spire and he's approved of the map's taste thus far, maybe he'd enjoy getting to meet a brand new boyfriend-to-be first.
--[ ] The city. You're already here but it's a big place with not a lot to go on. At least it can double as an impromptu tour of the place.
--[ ] The island. It's a long flight and it'll burn the rest of the day for sure, but he seems the type to relish a dive for some sunken city.
--[ ] The roaming spot. Even less to go on than the city, pass.
--[ ] The Plutocracy. Too far and too little daylight, pass.