It's Kind Of A Big Deal (Chris, Janus, Alden)

[Deleted]

Marie rubbed her temples. This was all very hard. This was her first time cooking such a big, important meal. For the parents, for the sibling, for the husband, for everyone! She let her hands drop and took a deep breath. Anxiety wasn’t good during pregnancy. Or at least, she assumed so. She had yet to get the What To Expect book. She rushed around the kitchen, checking this and fixing that. They could be here any time. Last she knew, Chris was getting the dining room set up. She’d quite lost track of time, though, so no telling honestly. She peaked in the oven. Honeyed ham was the choice of the day and wow, did it smell good. Okay, check. She went to the stove and stirred the mixed vegetables. Hmm, needed a little more help. She went to the refrigerator and got out the stick of butter, then went back to the pot and took a butter knife to cut a sliver into the pot before putting the stick away again.

Drinks! No alcohol, of course. She had gotten sparkling grape juice instead, from the vineyard near the aqueducts. And there was the crème de la crème right there hidden in their fridge. She had found a recipe for homemade tiramisu! It had been a bear and a half to make, but she had tried a little half spoonful and it seemed good. So it ought to be done setting just in time for dessert.

She went back to the oven and grabbed the oven mitts and got the ham out, which filled the kitchen with its rich aroma. She let out a sigh as it washed over her, proof of a job well done. Or, well, hopefully well done. Her husband and guests would determine that. Marie stretched her arms high up, then adjusted the dress she was wearing to make sure it sat right after the big reach. She vaguely wondered how long it would be before she had to start shopping for maternity clothes. Either way, she liked to think she looked good for this particular celebration. “Ready in here, dear!” she called to Chris. Assuming he was still at the table where she thought he was, he’d surely hear her. And she didn’t fancy the idea of carrying all this to the table herself, so she had full intent of using her eyelash-batting powers to the max.

TAG: Christopher Ashby @janus Alden Nolan
WORDS: 403
NOTES:

[Deleted]

Alden had gotten the invitation to his sister’s house for a quiet dinner, something important she had said. Well, important or not, he would be there for her no matter what. So after his morning exercises and trainings, he went to the baths and got a long hot bath to relax his muscles and to calm his mind, that mind that was always in conflict thanks to his father’s DNA in him. He didn’t complain anymore about it, he even knew that it was necessary for the things that he was capable to do in the battle field, the strategies, all of the multiple decisions in his mind and the capacity to get the one that fit the best to each situation. He knew all of that was thanks also to his father’s DNA in him, so he was convinced that he needed to focus on learning to live with it and to use it in his benefit. The bipolarity that his sister and himself shared was by many considered a curse, he had done it too, but not anymore, he considered an opportunity to see things in ways that others could never do.

He opened his eyes and looked around, he had almost fallen asleep being in the hot bath, he sat up and looked around again, there were almost no people in there. He rubbed his eyes and then suddenly looked around again and got up really fast splashing water all over the place. He got off the bath tub and grabbed a towel, then he ran to the dressing room and put on the clothes he had chosen for dinner, then he passed his fingers through his messy long hair and then he ran to the place where Marie and her husband lived.

He stood by the entrance a couple of minutes, he knew that he had forgotten something, but what was it? He checked and double checked, he had taken a bath, he didn’t smell like pork’s stable, he hadn’t forgotten his shoes or his head back in the barracks. He chuckled and as he again walked back to the entrance of his sister’s house when he remembered it, right where he thought he would leave his head, he had left the bottle of grape juice that he knew Marie loved. So he sighed as he mentally scolded himself and ran back to the barracks, he was in good shape so he only did 15 minutes and was back at the entrance.

He breathed deeply to calm down and cleaned his forehead with the back of his hand. Then finally he knocked at the door waiting for someone to open the door.

TAG: Marie Ashby Christopher Ashby @janus
WORDS: 454
NOTES: Sorry for the delay

[Deleted]

Janus had received the little sealed envelope on his altar in the temple of the minor gods and had to admire the handiwork. Obviously, his daughter had put much effort into making sure her penmanship was perfect. It was an invitation to dinner. Something important, she said. Though she had said not to bring anything, he found himself in a little book store in San Francisco. He found the perfect thing. He knew she was studying to be a counsellor and he admired her for it. He had all the faith in the world in her. So he grabbed a rather advanced book on phycological theory. Then he ran his fingers across the spines of the psychology books section until he found something for his son, Alden, too. The Bipolar Advantage. He knew his boy was not always fond of his inheritance, so he wanted to make sure he had the resources to see it was not a curse. Then off to the leadership section and found a good book for Chris too, whom he was grudgingly accepting as family. Well, half of him accepted him entirely, and the other loved to bring up the fact that the boy had nearly killed her with a wayward lightning bolt. Anyway! He went to the counter and paid for the three books, then headed out into the street. When he got into an alleyway, he tucked the books into his jacket, where they would never fit if he weren’t a god. He pulled his key out and let himself out of the city and into New Rome.

The card had an address on it, but he stalked them enough to not need it. Something about your little girl’s first year of marriage, dear old dad just had to make sure that guy treated her perfectly. He’d never been inside though, as he did respect them. He walked along the via as people went about their days, not minding him. The Mist hid his two faces and would continue to do so until he was within the Ashby residence. Oh ho, what was this? He had been planning on catching Alden whenever he could for the giving of the present, but there he was. He looked a touch nervous. Janus strolled amiably up. “Ah, Alden! Glad to see this is a family engagement. Hope that blowhard king doesn’t show up, hmm?” He smiled and rested a hand on his son’s shoulder. He was proud of his kids. They had a rough way of it, but they were strong. Honestly, he thought Alden should be made a centurion for his excellent handing of his ability to see all sides of every issue. Perhaps the legion would wake up and see how good he was.

TAG: Alden Nolan Marie Ashby Christopher Ashby
WORDS: 460
NOTES: yay group thread!

[Deleted]

It was a very important day for Marie, well... for Chris too, it wasn't just going to be a family dinner, it was going to be The dinner where Marie and him would tell her father and brother and his father, IF he showed up, that Marie was pregnant. It was a very big deal!! They were going to be a family soon, their small family, a new Ashby in the world and for Chris it was something more than... worrying! he didn't have the best family history, his own grandfather on his mother's side disowned him! well, at least he thought he did as he had never gotten any letter from him... but he hadn't written anything to the old 'King' in a very long time either.

about his father, well... his grandfather was a titan, was a jerk and would love to eat each one of them and rule the world again. His father... well, his father had his good moments, but usually he was just in his huge cloud and didn't think to visit him at all, or at least that was how he felt.So for him family wasn't... well... he didn't really have a family relation to base anything. Marie... she was different, even when her mother's family wasn't a jewel, she had a baby brother who adored her and was always supporting her, and her father was always... around, checking on her and her brother. So... maybe it was a good idea that it was her father who... checked on her and the baby... although he would love his father to claim his first born.

After going some hours to the Principia and work there a bit. Çhe planned a new training session with the First cohort and was going to do it next morning, but not that day, he promised Mary to be home early and help her with everything for such dinner. So he was home early, he helped her already with some stuff in the kitchen and also with some stuff around their small house. then finally someone knocked at the door and he went to open it. and there they were... the Janus men. "Welcome to our house! Alden, Lord Janus." He said and smiled at them. Then moved aside to let them pass. "Marie is inside, please come on in."

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Tag: Marie Ashby Alden Nolan @janus
Word: 391
Notes: finally he cooperated!!!

[Deleted]

MARIE

“Chris?” She asked as she rounded the corner to the dining room with her mitted hands holding the heavy ham. He wasn’t in there. She sighed and hoped the guests might be a little late so she could get the food on the table before they got here. Otherwise Chris would simply have to entertain them in the family room until things were ready. She set down the ham right in the center and went back for the carving knife. That was one part she would not do. When she was growing up, on, say, Thanksgiving, her mother would carve the turkey, but she always told her hungry and eager little girl that it was the man’s job to carve for everyone and if her father were there, she would make him do it, god or not. As Marie got older, her mother would explain more each major holiday. From what Marie could tell of her mother’s attitudes about roles, it must be a hit to the masculine ego to not do the all-important job of carving every major dish except, of course, a birthday cake. Those were entirely the job of the birthday girl or boy. Which was Marie’s favorite. She would always cut herself a huge piece with lots of icing. And her mom, the ever-loving woman she was, cut her a good piece of her own birthday cake too. But long story short, Marie, though not having clarified this with her husband as her mother had made it sound like standard practice, was fully expecting him to carve the ham for their dinner.

Then she heard the knocking at the door and stopped short. Currently her hands were taken up with transferring the veggies to a cute ceramic bowl for serving. She heard Chris open the door and welcome them in, her father and brother. Oh no! The table wasn’t ready! How could she tell him? She got in a flurry of panic that probably had no small amount to do with the hormones running rampant in her body, and worked faster. She got the vegetables on the table. She started setting drink glasses at each place. She had, of course, set a spot for Lord Jupiter, just in case. Didn’t want to insult him. After all, he had provided her with a lovely bracelet that was allowing her to have this baby. She went back to the fridge and looked at what drinks they had as options. She got a few out and set them on the counter so their guests could chose without fishing in the fridge. Then she leaned against the counter as the flurry of activity subsided. Yes, this dinner would be a smashing success. She could see it now. Their family would be so excited for the baby, and so delighted by the meal, they would all want to continue this practice and have all the big fun holidays here and it would be smiles all around and her and Chris’ little darling one would grow up surrounded by family and love and fun. She closed her eyes and smiled as she imagined it, completely lost to the fact that in order to get to this daydream being reality, she would have to get her head back in the present.

TAG: Christopher Ashby , Alden Nolan (I will be posting as Janus via Marie’s account as I have deleted his account)
WORDS: 548
NOTES: