Chapter 39
After spending a lovely afternoon and evening with their friends, including some time to get back to their Castles games and set some things up for their big weekend, it wasn't such a terrible thing to go back out the next day.
Although they'd miss James and Jacques, they'd all had a lovely visit, and no one had tried to kill them once.
Julian was snuggled into Alex as they pulled up at the Temple garage, and Jacques got out to find Father Stephen, as he'd end up in the front with Jones rather than crowding the priest between people. Jones was happy to be of service, keeping them up on the gossip and his renovations as they drove.
"I'm happy to let it all dry for a day without me, honestly," Jones said again, sitting back and looking relaxed. "Everything smells like paint fumes now, and it's not like I can leave the windows open in this weather."
"Oh, I should make you a freshening charm," said Alex. "It'd be just a one-shot, but I can cobble something together when you drop us off, if you come in for a cuppa."
"That would be much appreciated," said Jones. "Ta."
The door opened then and Father Stephen ducked into the space, taking up the seat next to James with a pleased smile. "It's good to see you alive and well after your near miss."
"I'm harder to kill than that," said Alex. "Murderers find it terribly annoying."
"I find it incredibly comforting," said Father Stephen. "Just as I find it comforting that the Guardians are always willing to send someone to care for you in such situations."
"We're lucky James and Jacques were free," said Julian. "One of these days it'll be some random pair and everyone will be so confused about how to deal with one another."
"Everyone settled?" asked Jones, and they all assured him they were ready, Jacques buckled in front and the rest of them snug in the car's very fancy spell zone to keep limo riders from having to buckle up.
Not to mention Alex's fancy amulet pair still on the car and Jones, keeping everyone safe together.
"We're always happy when we can help you two," said James. "We had another boring politician a few weeks ago, he was so dull, and I swear his kids were the most vapid teenagers I have ever met."
"They even said Castles was so five years ago," said Jacques, sounding offended on their behalf.
"It probably is, Thomas doesn't really keep up with the new stuff," said Julian. "We talked about it a little, but since Castles keeps up with the cool DLC he's pretty much a loyalist. He has other games he plays, but less obsessively."
"That's okay," said Alex. "I don't mind being a little old to some teenagers."
"You are a little old," teased Julian, poking him through the bond and snuggling in to kiss his chin from underneath.
Alex chuckled. "I am robbing the cradle with my lovely younger husband, I suppose," he joked right back. "Good thing for you that I can't throw you over as soon as you hit thirty."
"Good thing for you, you mean," said Julian, giving him an actual poke to the side this time.
Everyone laughed at them, and then Jones was pulling up at the front entrance to the Atrium.
He assured them he had the card to feed himself out back with the other drivers, and they all went inside to find they'd been given a round table for five under one of the trellises with out-of-season roses scenting the air.
"What a lovely setting," said Father Stephen as they all got seated around the table. "They keep the flowers blooming all year?"
"Yeah, they keep the environment all night and day with spells and heaters and such," said Julian.
"It's a pretty cool combination of spells and technology," said Alex. "Not to mention having a Grower on staff who coaxes the best out of every plant."
"They thought they might want some charms from us, but we haven't had time to finalise the order yet," explained Julian. "If Alex and I make them together, we can do a whole big batch of charms to keep plants healthy in the bloom of spring all year round."
"I'm pretty excited about using both of our talents together," said Alex. "Probably more than you need to hear about."
"I always find your work interesting, you know that," chided Father Stephen.
"Yeah, but we want to hear about your work this time," Julian protested.
Before that could go any further, a server came by and got drink orders and made sure they all had their menus, a subtle hint to actually look at them and have their choices ready when she returned.
"Oh, there's a lovely looking filet mignon this time," said Julian. "I could just go for two of those, maybe."
"I'm going to get the eel pie and a steak," said Alex, closing his menu again. "I want a little variety."
"You two eat like Guardians," said Father Stephen. "I believe I shall have the filet as well, the asparagus with it also sounds lovely."
"Two steaks for me, too," said James with a nod. "The rest sounds good but there's something about a good filet I can't resist on a cold day like today."
"I'm going to have eel pie and a steak, just like Alex," said James.
"May I suggest French onion soup for everyone?" said the server, who had returned while they were talking.
They all agreed that sounded amazing for a cold winter's day, and soon enough they each had tea or fizzy drinks as was their wont, and everyone had ordered and assured the server they'd all want dessert later.
"I do like the tea here," said Alex, taking a nice big drink of his cup. "Plus the cute sugars are charming.
They had sugar bowls with the sugar in the shapes of soft green leaves, red blossoms, and yellow bells for the season.
The colour didn't affect the taste at all, and the shapes were a tiny delight in the bleakness of winter.
Snow was still piled up outside all over the city, though the streets and sidewalks were clear, and the spectre of that big blizzard could still be felt.
But not in here, where there were blooming flowers, warm tea, and adorable sugar shapes.
Julian sighed and tried to appreciate his privilege, to be able to be in here with the elite instead of out there with the workers.
He'd have to do a share of his own trekking around outdoors to harvest winter berries when the time came, not just for Alex but the Grower's Guild as well, but he'd always have comfort to come home to at the end.
Julian shook off the dark thoughts and fixed up his tea, sipping it slowly and tasting the fine Darjeeling, no doubt expensive and rare. They never really worried about the bills at such places, another privilege, and Julian sent up thanks to whoever was listening for it.
"Well," said Father Stephen, once they were all settled in with their cups, "I've been doing mostly the same things I always do.
The Small Good class has been going very well this time around, with a lot of interesting ideas.
It's always humbling to realise that youth can have as much wisdom as old age, without the same layers of time obscuring their vision. "
"You're the most modest man I've ever met," said Alex. "I suppose that helps keep you that way, though."
"What new ideas have they brought you, Father?" asked James. He had a fizzy drink, though Julian had gone for tea, feeling too chilly in the grey day for cold drinks.
"One of our acolytes carries around stickers with positive if rebellious messages on them to cover bigoted graffiti with," said Father Stephen with a chuckle. "Apparently there's been a small rash of stickerings on the train, and theirs cover the unpleasant ones just fine."
"That's clever," said Jacques. "Not that we take the train much anymore, but I do remember our acolyte days, taking trains and buses from temple to temple."
"Another told me of a new thing popping up, little free libraries and art galleries, which are tiny windowed boxes with doors that open, and you may take or leave either books or art," said Father Stephen.
"A truly delightful addition to the landscape when libraries can seem very far away, and art galleries unwelcoming to the average person. "
"Everyone deserves a bit of art, or something to read," agreed Julian. "Maybe I'll see if we can put one in my community garden, or one of each. There's a few spots where the plants are beautiful and supportive but not edible, and we could stick something in."
"We certainly don't need one on our home ground," teased Alex. "But really, that's a lovely idea."
"We're considering adding a few to temples, if we can figure out how to keep the acolytes from reading on the job," said Father Stephen with a chuckle.
"We could support that," said Julian. "I mean, with a donation. And then you can acquire me a pair of boxes for my garden at the same time."
James laughed. "Efficient and generous, that's usually Alex's game."
"He's taught me well," teased Julian.
Servers arrived then with everyone's soup, and they spent a few minutes just enjoying the food.
The cheese was melted atop the softened bread, and the soup was a beautiful clear broth that sang on the palate.
Julian sighed over the luxury of good, hot food again and tried to cheer himself up that he was going to do some small good.
"I think Julian's just feeling the winter," said Alex. "We might also donate somewhere that gives away coats and the like."
"Oh, yes, there's a non-denominational spot for that I can recommend," said Father Stephen. "Not that you two haven't earned the luxuries with your generous hearts and the risks you take for others."
"I'm not sure being so annoying that someone poisoned me is a risk I took for anyone but me," said Alex dryly. Then he launched into the tale, not of the mystery, but the vision he'd had and the very clear message he'd been given to just be patient for his new magical abilities to settle.
Father Stephen was keenly interested there, so Julian just sent Alex a thread of love and support and went back to his food.