Where water, drink and love flows
@Questor
"The Hot Plateau Hotel has a long and disheartening history.
Built only a season before the era of discord started it had bankrupted the newly named Hotbarrel household. The hotspring attraction turned into a fountain of water colder than ice and as fear and chaos griped the empire, so did it strangle the desire for enjoyment the Hotbarrel family wanted to provide.
In the span of a generation the family went from riches, preparing to live the rest of their lives in luxury to living in a grand hotel worthy of any royalty, to having to sell firewood and spring water to get by. But a griffin is nothing if not a stubborn creature. The family had clenched their beaks and promised that no matter what, the dream of the hotbarrel family would come true come tartarus or chocolate floods.
They maintained the hotel all throughout the discordian era. The hotspring did not return however. the water cold if less so. They had a source of water but having to constantly boil and carry all the water necessary would be impossible. Then came the steam pump. Once again, using all their money they had saved up they made perhaps the most complex steam and water system in the empire. Using the boilers to heat the bathing water and the steam pumps to make it flow.
unfortuanately, it wasn't enough. A marvel to be sure but one hidden behind walls and under the floors. Keeping the hotel running would still be expensive with the coal needed for the boilers.
Wanting to find something more to make the hotel a truly one of a kind place in the world, the head of the Hotbarrel house, Hedwing Hotbarrel, learned how to make shroomshine. But for him it wasn't enough to learn. He saw the popularity of the strong alcohol and so he set out to master the art. Through trial, error and experimentation at the distillery his neighbours, a family of diamond dogs who sold the hotel coal, he found his calling and learned to made drink far superior to any in the whole empire.
They had it. A way to call their customers to the hotel but alas, the money was out. The distilling system the family thought up which would be able to supply a hundred and one soldiers on leave, that would save the Hotbarrel dream was simply too expensive. Until-"
"Until you came in and invested in the hotel, funding the distillery and making the hotel into the success you see before you." Interrupted her dance partner. "The Hotbarrel family and I, Fiolina Tulb mit Hotbarrel bid you welcome to our hotel. Enjoy your stay at the Hot plateau, home of the Hotbarrel distillery. Where hot water and strong spirits flow. VERY sensational story. Touches the heart."
"Hmmph! You rude, rude bird brain!" Slapping him lightly with her wing. "Mocking your special someone like that." She hoped none of the guests around them noticed. Wouldn't do for some rumor to spread about the hostess right before her big inauguration speech.
"I'm serious. it's great. Trust me, it will be a smash hit."
"You think so?"
"I know so." he said in his normal cocky confidence.
"Hmmm. Guess i can forgive you... after you tell me about what i've been hearing from my father." matching his tone and smirt as she turned the tables on him.
'Oh, that was a new expression on him.' She thought. Slight panic and embarrassment. Her father had told her it was important to be able to catch your partner on the back paw, no matter the nature of said partner.
"I swear i thought you said your family name was TULL and it didn't come up again." Came the sheepish excuse. "I was too preoccupied with thinking up my 'Fine-olina' compliment."
Her laughter came before she could catch herself. "It would take all your vast intelligence to come up with that." …Fethernandes always knew how to calm her down.
He lead the dance through a slow spin and a dip before they came back face to face. The band was good she thought and the other guests seemed to enjoy it to.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "I'm glad we got this chance. I've been working so much we've barely seen each other. All this is much more hectic than overseeing a mine. Did I tell you that a trade fleet captain came here and basically just started a discussion about her fleet exclusively shipping Hotbarrel alcohol to neighpon? Apparently she bought two medium barrels and they were bought within the hour of the ship touching the dock. Some group called Oni she said?"
"Windholm right? I heard about it. Oni look a bit like diamond dogs if you shaved them and made them walk straight on their hind legs. Apparently love alcohol to an obsessive degree. What did you tell her?"
"We, I met her with Hedwing. Had to almost chain him to his chair with how excited he was and then how horrified he was about the 'weak boiler water they DARE call drink' she brought back along with complaining about everything from their bottles, barrels, what she brought back, what she didn't bring back and everything in between. I couldn't even understand most of it. I managed to get a good deal before Hedwing forced me to sign just so he could get ready to get to the next ship leaving dock. Prices, exclusivity licence fee and percentage of sale. I have no idea how she could agree to the terms, I was prepared to haggle it down. Should probably see if I can invest and buy a boat she can crew."
"Sounds rough. Your golden egg going away at the start of the business."
"Exactly! At least managed to convince him that he had to make a stock large enough to last until he comes back and that he doesn't take so much time over there experimenting. I swear, he'd make a whole distillation ship set up in their harbor just to experiment with everything from their fruit to their wood for barrels and their spring water. Doesn't he realize just how important the first impression is?! ARGH!" She let out a groan of stressed frustration into his neck feathers. Staying there while they moved slowly to the music.
"I'm scared." She said quietly.
"This is your first thing on your own isn't it?"
"yes." the 'what if I screw it up?' went unsaid.
"Then let me tell you this as a businessgriff." They stepped back enough that they were beak to beak again. He looked her straight in the eye. Those beautiful brown eyes hiding nothing from her.
"What you've done here is brilliant." He said, not as an opinion but as fact. "You are share-owner of THE resort in the empire and you are honorary family member of the griff everyone is calling the Archimedes of brews. Every rich griffin in the empire will come here and not one beak wont thirst for the shine from here. You are going to make enough money that in 20 years there will be a hot resort in every corner of the empire." His eyes never left hers, showing nothing but truthful admiration.
She could feel herself blush. "Stop it, you are making me embarrassed."
"Never." He chuckled. "I'm a truthful griff and I enjoy making you flustered. And i know that you love it when i talk profit to you.
"...I do." Oh dear ancestors what was she saying?
The waltz was slowing down.
"I do love you." The words came out before she could even think to say them.
He didn't look surprised, or shocked or anything but that soft look he got when they were alone and he just looked at her. He didn't answer with words instead moving forward to kiss her. It was perfect. Unfortunately time can't stand still and even perfect moments must end.
"...If I wasn't a more restrained griffin would ask you to marry me right here and now." Her love told her, his voice slightly masked by the applause to the orchestra.
"...I would say yes."
He gave her that smirk that had first caught her eye. "I'm an old fashioned Griff. I haven't courted you like you deserve yet… and it's time for your speech."
"And after that, you are having dinner with my parents. I look forward to it." she broke off and took a step before looking over her shoulder "You better 'court me like I deserve' quickly or I'm going to take matters into my own claws."
She didn't wait for a reply and walked over to one of the waiters carrying out drinks of fruit juice with sweet alcohol in luxuriously thin and tall glasses, ringing it with her claw to gain the attention of the party.
"Ah. Young love." Jonah Tulb sighed
"You were right it seems." Roxanna Tulb said with a smile. "That Fethernandes doesn't seem half bad. I'm still going to give him the 'scary' act though."
"Oh you couldn't chase him off with a mercenary troop. Not could we keep her from him if we locked her in a dungeon." Roxanna looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I can tell these things"
"You old romantic." Roxanna Tulb said teasingly. Not that she could trick her husband with her fake nonchalance. She hadn't been this giddy in a long time.
"What? Just because you grow old you can't be romantic?" He held his claw over his heart to show the grievous offence he had suffered.
"You are a hardened business griff. You'd think that you would be able to see a young couple in love without turning into fluff and honey."
"Oh ho ho. so that's how it is? guess i will have to prove my masculinity by showing that i still have what it takes to pacify 'the cave lioness'." he said with a smug voice as he closed in on his wife, using the nickname she earned among her competitors.
"Don't you d- HMMMmmmmm~" her protest was interrupted as he pushed in with a kiss. This one nowhere near as innocent as the one shared by his daughter and courtee.
It lasted several sentences into Fiolina's speech and when it was over his wife was left panting lightly and her large eagle wings spread wide open.
'Knew it was smart to pick a table out of sight' he thought slyly.
"How was that dear? Do I still have the touch?" He asked with a voice as innocent as a babe's.
"I am SO going to make you regret that~" she growled out, eyes filled with… hunger.
"Not now honey, our daughter is holding her speech."
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Oh dear God I can't stand trying to polish it more. I'm just gonna post it.
For those who saw my post on RUM, yeah, Hedwing is gonna do that. I'm thinking him as one of those perfectionists of his craft. Which is to say he is going to be nigh on insufferable.
Anyway, 'grats to Fethernandes. Probably gonna insist on a wedind dress from neighponese silk.
Not much that I ripped off-site I mean got inspired from. Just some basic scene that could be in any bargain bin romcom.
Only thing of note is the family name thing.
"Mit" means "With" in German. I decided that when you become a honorary family member and you speak your full name you basically say that you are with that family. When Fiolina marries Fethernandes her full ye olde formal name would become Fiolina Featherweight war Tulb mit Hotbarrel.
