Winter Wonderland [Closed]

"Something to keep in mind about Alain, he doesn't want to hurt people. He doesn't want to hurt people so much that he tries to distance himself from others while still being friendly." Serenity nodded in agreement, her smile showing she understood completely. "When he invited me here... I was wary at first. I hadn't lived with anyone since my parents, so I didn't know whether it'd work. I didn't want to get in the way." Serenity explained as she went to stir the stew and then sat down on a kitchen chair. "I don't know how long you've been here, but you've probably not heard of him going out with friends or even having friends over, have you?" Serenity thought about it for a moment. "You're right... I don't know if he ever had a friend over and he slept in his office the past two weeks, which is why the front yard if covered in snow." she looked off a bit, lightly scratching her cheeks as she thought, "Of course, I left for a while. I just barely came back this morning... Ah... I need to apologize about that. My note said a couple of days!" Serenity mentally face-palmed and let out a small chuckle. She had almost forgot about that. She'd need to say sorry about worrying him, if she did.

Serenity brought her head up to look at Helena when she felt the woman's hand lay on her shoulder. "Give him some time, he'll come around to his senses." Helena said, causing Serenity to smile even bigger and nod in reply, "If he doesn't," Serenity blinked as the woman picked up a ladle, "I'll just smack it into him." Serenity blinked. She didn't know if Helena was serious about that or not, but there was still only reaction that would be appropriate for both. She giggled about it. That was when she stood up and made her way over to putting things in the sink to wash later. She began talking herself down, speaking of Alain deserving more than she could offer. She didn't know that this talk made Helena want to pop her with the ladle. When she realized what she was saying, she found the conversation a little inappropriate and offered to return to the living room, but Helena thought differently. "I think I'll stay in here, help clean up some more. As well as talk to you some. You're a lovely young lady. Just stick to your heart, and you'll get his." That smile instilled a little more confidence into Serenity's heart. Unlike Magnus, Helena made her feel like she was welcome, like she was home.

Serenity went over to Helena's side and helped her with the dishes. The two of them stayed in the kitchen for the entire time that the food was cooking. Serenity felt no need to leave. She was having so much fun with girl talk and not feeling the aura of disapproval from Magnus. Finally, the dinner was done. Serenity and Helena set up the dinner table, served the food, and even set aside some salad and dinner rolls that they started about twenty minutes prior to the stew finishing. "I hope you guys enjoy the food... I'll go get Magnus and Alain." Serenity said cheerfully as she made her way out of the room and went to find the men, where ever they'd be an hour later. "U-Um..." Serenity's confidence was sucked away the moment she saw Magnus, but she pulled some of it back, "Dinner is ready, please come eat." Serenity was about to turn away, but hesitated just for a moment to look at Alain. She didn't know why she did it, but it happened. She smiled and hurried back into the kitchen, not wanting to leave Helena alone for a single moment more. "They should be coming in now." Serenity told Helena. She stood off to the side, waiting for the men to sit. She did not want to accidentally sit in the chair that was meant for Magnus.

Serenity waited for the men to choose their chairs. Once Magnus sat down, she pretty much figured out where the rest were going to sit before they did. She hesitated for a moment, but when Alain motioned for her to sit next to him, she smiled and gladly took her spot. She was so nervous about the quality of the food, she could barely hold her spoon between her dainty little fingers. She glanced over to Magnus when he took up his first bite and held her breath. She watched, tensing up when he looked toward her. She recieved two nods and Serenity finally let her breath out in a quiet sigh. She placed her hand over her heart for just a moment with a "Thank Rydia" expression on her face. She gripped her spoon like normal, feeling much better when given approval and took up her first bite. To her, the food was wonderful. It even tasted better than she remembered; she mentally thanked Helena for that. She figured it was her help that allowed the stew to be so wonderful. The meal was silent for some time. Serenity wanted to ask questions and bring up conversation, but was still nervous. She was happy when she heard a voice speak up, but her gut curled when she realized it was Magnus.

"My son tells me you are a famous healer." Magnus said. She blinked a few times, surprised about the apparently subject of some of his and Alain's conversation. Since she was chewing, she set her spoon down, covered her mouth, and nodded politely as she finished her bite. Picking up a napkin, she pat her mouth dry, keeping to her well mannered behavior and set it to the side of her bowl. "Besides what it is you are 'known' for what else have you done?" Serenity took note of the tone of disbelief. It didn't bother her. She wasn't exactly one to care about whether she got credit for her work. She had a power that no one else did, so she was going to use it to help. She did not need anyone to believe her, though she'd like it. "I am happy to say that I have not done very much with my life until recently..." she said with a soft smile, though only slightly forced. Most people would 'regret' to say they haven't done much with their life, but Serenity wasn't one of those people. "I was adopted, so I lived with my Mom and Dad until I was very much an adult. I lost my father to sickness when I was twenty-one and my mother a short three years after that. I lived my life happily with them; they were the world to me, so once they were gone, I didn't know what else to do, so I began harnessing my power over Arcana. I even studied with the Queen." Serenity perked up when recalling that; she had done something with her life.

Serenity doubted he'd believe that, but that didn't matter. She had the ability to literally walk up to the castle, say hi, and tackle hug Queen Aranhartte if she wanted. They'd believe her then! Serenity realized at that moment that she felt this strange need to prove herself to both Helena and Magnus, though mainly Magnus. She continued. "While I was studying there, that's when I had to help with the outbreak of CAE in Aria. Beyond that, since I'd rather not bore with details of that, I became a little too... famous. I was harassed and stalked, so Lillia-.. The Queen had a house built for me to the West of here. That's where I met Alain. He happened by in an extremely bad storm, so I asked him to stay out of the rain for the night. One thing lead to another and I ended up here. Your son has been very kind to me. I don't know where I'd be now if he hadn't been so generous as to open up his home." Serenity smiled, but toward Alain. Funnily enough, all this talking with his mother, meeting his parents, and realizing how wonderful he really had been to her (even if she was gone for a while), made her look at him a little more... intently.

Magnus' comment on Serenity's past was a huge compliment to her. She had done something right again, so it made her smile. Luckily, no one was sitting across from her, so they couldn't see her legs happily swinging back and forth while she ate her food. She was short, she couldn't touch the floor, so her childlike behavior would go unnoticed. Dinner was finished and Serenity cheerfully went to clean the dishes with Helena right by her side. Though it was a quiet time, she was so happy that the atmosphere was just light and friendly. Serenity did not feel the need to speak until they were finally finished. She pulled off her apron and hung it on a hook on the inside of the pantry. She knew it was time to go back in the living room, but hesitated just enough to have Helena move with a 'nope' action and drag Serenity into the room with the others. Upon arrival, Serenity kept standing, not sure where to sit.

"So..." Serenity's attention turned to Magnus when he spoke, but what was said she was not expecting at all. "When should I be expecting grandchildren? I want to make sure our boat can make it back in time." Serenity froze. If this were an anime, her body would have turned to stone and crumbled away with that statement. Before she could answer, Helena thankfully spoke up. "Magnus! You can't just ask her that! As much as we both want grandchildren, that's just rude!" "Is that so...? I apologize for being rude then. The question remains, however." Through out this conversation, Serenity was looking to Alain in hopes of him answering, but it seemed he was reluctant to do so. Shooting a glare his direction, though a playful one, she contemplated saying "It's up to your son." or "He hasn't made a move on me, yet, so I have no idea." Luckily, she had a little bit of self control and did not do such.

The moment she realized she had to answer that question, she stood there with her head lowered, her bangs covering her eyes, fiddling with her fingers, and glancing away with the hugest blush on her face. She had no idea how to answer that question, especially when Magnus was the one asking. "Well... I-I... am sorry to disappoint you, but Alain and I are currently..." she hesitated for a slight moment, wondering if the word 'currently was accurate, "...just friends. We're not even in that sort of relationship, let alone planning children." Serenity's tone accidentally hinted the slightly feeling of disappointment on the line 'not even in that sort of relationship', but she did not notice it. She was merely speaking from the heart. Deciding to sit down on the couch where there was a space for her, Serenity turned toward the fire and stared into it. "It is still too early to go to bed, so is there anything that any of you would like to talk about or do?" she asked kindly, "If you want, I can start up a dessert." Serenity cooked when she was nervous or had a lot on her mind, so she was currently using it as her own fallback.

The expression Magnus was giving his son was also lost on Serenity. She still felt slightly unwelcome by him, so what he would consider a look of approval was not something she'd be able to comprehend just yet. "Serenity, why don't you sit by me?" Helena offered and Serenity perked up a bit, gladly sitting next to the kind woman. "Okay, if you're sure." she said as she leaned back into the couch, feeling quite comfortable as her petite form molded with it. Feeling her shyness still, Serenity offered dessert, but the other's were full on the stew. This made her smile. They had liked it enough that they'd all stuffed themselves. Seeing Alain pat his stomach, she smiled even more, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. It's strange how the words of a few strangers could make a young woman realize a little more about herself and her feelings. "Alright, I'm glad you all enjoyed dinner." she added in a softened tone.

"Why don't we have a drink then?" A drink? Uhh... Was that smart? Alcohol was something she had not tried before. "That would be nice. Won't you two join us?" Serenity saw the four glasses being brought out and looked at the whiskey bottle curiously. "I don't see why we can't drink tonight." Alain spoke up. It felt like it had been forever since he chose to say word, at least since his parents arrived. Serenity looked to him and saw the look on his face. At first she looked a little worried, but then smiled happily. Sure, she could have a drink with Alain. "Okay then. I'll join in! I've never had alcohol before." Serenity happily clapped her hands together and looked cheerfully at the other two, "Can I ask what kind it is?" The moment she was handed a glass, Serenity brought it up and took a quick smell of it.

"Oh my..." she said, wriggling her nose a little bit, "It's pretty strong..." Serenity blinked, wondering whether she should drink this or not, but then shook off the thought. "To great friends." she said, raising her glass for a toast and then took a decent sized drink of the whiskey. That was a new feeling she had never expected before. It felt warm as it fell back over her throat and into the pit of her stomach, but it wasn't long for that to change. She should have known better than to try something new without knowing what was in it. Serenity's entire body tensed up. She tried to swallow, but couldn't. She opened her mouth, taking in a gasp of air, but realized that her throat was closing. She looked to the glass in her hand with wide eyes, wondering what exactly was in it. She struggled again to take in another breath, almost looking as if she were gagging, but when she grasped her throat, it would become obvious to most that she couldn't breathe. She panicked. Before Serenity wasted anymore time, she stood up and ran out of the room, dropping her glass as she vanished so quickly from the living room.

Serenity wasn't aware of the woman following her to the back. She made it to her room and a lot of panicked loud shuffling could be heard as she ravaged her own dresser trying to find something. Serenity wasn't able to find an EpiPen in her drawer. She turned around to see if there was a place she missed, but felt herself on the edge of blacking out. At that moment, she saw that Helena found exactly what she was looking for. Thank Rydia. She waved to Helena and pointed to her leg, but as she did so, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed, now lying perfectly still on the floor.

Serenity was fading fast. She had fallen unconscious and her body was still fighting to breathe. She was completely unable to move and fear had overwhelmed her at this point. Finally, she felt the strong pinch in her leg and the pressure behind the one holding the Pen. She could feel the medicine rapidly forcing it's way through her veins, rushing through her bloodstream and loosening up every tense muscle she had. It took around five full seconds to have any visible effect and when it did, Serenity wouldn't be surprised if people jumped back away form her. The moment she was able to pull in a bit of air, Serenity's body turned on it's back. Her back arched upwards as she desperately filled her lungs with oxygen. Her eyes opened as she breathed heavily, looking around at those looking down on her.

A rush of guilt and embarrassment overtook her. She also felt angry. This was her fault. She knew better than this. Of course, she had never been allergic to a drink before, so it can be understandable. No matter, she was angry with herself for doing this, for making them have to deal with such a horrid scene. This shouldn't of happened. "I-I'm s-sorry..." she laid there, still breathing heavily and having a hard time speaking, "I'm so sorry..." Not really wanting to be looked at right now, she brought her arm up and over her eyes, gritting her teeth. She continued to repeat "I'm sorry" until she finally sat up. "I..." she hesitated to take a breath, "... have never been allergic to s drink before... I don't understand. Do you know what that drink was made out of?" Serenity turned to Magnus when she asked that question.

Once Alain would return with the water, she'd give the sweetest smile that she could while taking it. "Thank you." she said before taking the drink. She'd set the glass on the dresser and then push herself to her feet. Serenity was a bit wobbly at first, but she was going to be alright. She stood there for a few moments, her hand resting over her heart as she tried to calm down. She looked to the others, but especially to Magnus. "Thank you!" Serenity's childish nature took over for a moment. The intimidation factor this man had was gone, for this moment, and she raised her arms and hugged him tightly. "You saved my life!" she said, giggling happily, but then realized what she was doing. As if she had gained some new ability, Serenity suddenly vanished form sight and appeared behind Helena, trembling in fear.

"S-Sorry... But thank you."

Serenity sat there holding her throat, trying to think really hard on what could have been in a drink for her to react so badly. Her throat still felt tight, like it was ready to shut again at any moment. Once she had some time alone, since she would not do it in front of them, she'd take precautions. Epinephrine wore off after a bit of time and it wasn't long enough for the drink to be completely through her system. "Whiskies can be made of corn, wheat, barley, or rye..." Alain spoke up, causing Serenity to scoff at herself and shake her head. "Rye would do that... It's one of my major allergies. I probably should have written down a list of them a long time ago..." Serenity decided to stand up then. This conversation would have to wait; she felt the urge to huge the person who seemed to know what to do. That made her happy. She was living because of him and she appreciated that.

"There's nothing to thank me for. I'm not going to have someone else die in this house."

Wait, what? Serenity couldn't remember whether Alain had told her about someone dying in this house before. She didn't think the hint on that was completely intentional, so she shoved the thought from her mind. She'd ask Alain about that later, when his parents weren't around to hear. "Why don't you get some rest? You've had a long day, and after that episode, you're probably a little tired." Serenity nodded in agreement. Yes, she was tired. Rest sounded wonderful right now. "You did just get back home today. Why don't you rest some?" Serenity turned to him, smiling, and nodded again. "Okay. Sounds good to me, but if you guys need any help with anything, don't hesitate to wake me up." Serenity asked as she was being lead to the bed. She curled herself under the covers and, as her habit makes her, pulled her pillow into the tightest hug ever. Alain would remember that hug.

"We'll be in the room across the hall, so don't be afraid to call if you need anything" Serenity looked up to her and smiled even wider. "Alright, thanks..." Serenity stopped as if she were going to say something more, but caught herself. It took quite a bit of control not to say "Thanks Momma". She only stopped because it'd make Alain feel a little awkward about the marriage thing that was previously brought up. Serenity rested quite well for a while. When she woke, it was from a nightmare. Her eyes snapped open as the clips from her bad dream repeated in her mind. It was a dream about Helena, Magnus, and Alain saying "Not again" after she was killed by Carl in their home. What Magnus said about someone else dying in this home bothered her. She wanted to know! She rolled over in bed, looking out the window toward the night sky. She wanted to wait, but it was going to bother her.

Serenity gave in. She changed into something more comfortable at this hour, which was some shorts and a tank-top shirt that showed a hell of a lot of cleavage, but they were obviously a matching pair for pajamas. Walking on her tippy toes, Serenity made her way out of her room, down the hall, and half-way up the stairs before a creak in the floor caused her to freeze for a moment. It wasn't too loud, but it was possible to wake someone up. She continued on her way up the stairs until she got to Alain's room. "Alain..." she stepped in and sat down on the cold floor, on the side of the bed he was facing, "Alain... Can you wake up, please?" She moved a little closer, brushing her fingers through his hair to move it away from his face. If she had to, she would sit on the side of his bed and shake him softly until he finally woke up, but she did prefer him waking up without that having to happen.

"I want to ask you about something..." she'd say once he woke up enough to realize she was there. Depending on how he woke, if she had to shake him or not, she'd either be sitting above him on his bed or sitting on the floor with her knees up and her arms wrapped around them. "I don't know if you wanna tell me, but... something your Father said bothered me... and I keep having nightmares because of it..." Serenity lowered her head, her heart racing at the thought of asking this questions, "Who died in this house?" Serenity gave him the most innocent and curious look she could conjure. She wasn't trying to be nosy, but it bothered her enough to bring up bad dreams about Carl finding her here. "If this is your secret, I can count it as my winnings for the snowball fight..." Serenity said playfully, "Because I won."

Serenity had a feeling she was going to strike a nerve with him. His shocked expression gave that away pretty fast. She felt guilty for asking, but there was no harm in trying, right? "That's..." Serenity tilted her head only slightly, wondering if he was going to tell her. It was okay if he didn't want to. Sure, they had known each other for a decent bit of time, but she wasn't exactly around that entire time. His hesitation was followed by a sigh. The look he had given her let her understand how painful the memory was. She would push no further if he didn't want to tell. "That's not something you need to worry about, okay?" he said. His tone was actually kind of heartbreaking. She didn't know what type of memory she had really stumbled upon, which caused her curiosity to raise, but she wouldn't pry. She'd never pry, not when he looked at her like that.

She tried making light of the situation by joking, but it didn't work to well. "I don't think either of us won that..." he said. As she recalled, he couldn't remove her from his waist. She had won that battle through hugs and fun; he would admit it some day. "If anyone won... it was my parents. But please, forget what my father said and don't let it bother you. I promise it's nothing you have to worry about... It was a long time ago, okay?" Serenity stared at him, not allowing her inner thoughts to show on her face. A few moments later, she stood up from the floor, leaned in, and kissed his forehead. "I won't ever ask about it again. I'm sorry." she told him as she turned and stepped toward the door, "Goodnight, Alain." Serenity stepped out of the room. She had so many thoughts swirling through her mind; there was no way she was going to be able to go back to sleep tonight.

Serenity walked quietly down the stairs and made her way to the kitchen. The first thing she did was put on some tea and sit down on one of the chairs, facing the counters as she sat there thinking. She thought the nightmares had stopped, but she was wrong. Serenity leaned forward, laying her head on the side of the kitchen table as she watched her tea closely. She didn't want the whistle to go off, so she was paying close attention to it. If she had been paying any attention to anything else, she'd of realized that she had goosebumps because of how cold it was. She was just too lost in thought.

Serenity wasn't aware that Alain was coming down with her. When he arrived, she was facing away from him, her eyes fixated on the kettle. She could tell it was about to come to a boil. She stood up and walked over to it, waiting for the lowest of whistles and then immediately pulling it from the fire. "If that's tea, pour me a cup too." a smooth voice came from behind her. Serenity jumped, startled by the sudden sound. She looked back to him, gave a soft smile, and pulled a second cup from the cupboard. She stayed silent as she poured the tea. She set the cups and the kettle down on a small tray and made her way into the living room where she found Alain getting a fire going. She set the tray on the table and picked up Alain's. "Sorry about that. I'll tell you sometime probably, but..." As he sat, she'd hand his tea to him and then return to the tray to get her own. She sat down on the couch, her knees curled up to her chest a bit as she brought the warm tea to her lips. "I don't think it's something you should worry yourself about when we're only this far in our friendship."

Taking in a deep breath, she felt a little more relaxed. She took a sip of the tea and then proceeded to drink it fully. With the fire and the tea going, Serenity felt much warmer. It would have been smart to get something warmer to wear, but she didn't exactly have anything. Once she drank enough, she set it on the table in front of her and decided it was time to break the silence her lack of reply had caused. "It's nice to know you're planning on keeping me around for that long." Serenity said quite bluntly. She wasn't joking at all. There was no hint of 'kidding' in her voice, even if it could be taken as such. She really was glad that he wasn't planning on kicking her out or anything like that. "You don't have to tell me anything... I've learned that you're pretty private, even if I haven't been here for as long as I would've liked." Serenity said with a smile. She laid her head on the side of the couch, looking toward him. "I think I like the air of mystery lingering around you anyways. I still can't tell what your feelings are toward your parents." she said sweetly, "Your mother is wonderful. I had to fight calling her Mom when she helped me into bed. And your Father is quite nice as well, I just wish he'd smile."

"It's not fair..." she mumbled. Her voice sound troubled, like she was hurting. "I realized I don't know anything about you, besides the fact that you joke a lot, and I am extremely confused as to where you got that from." Her voice lightened up quickly. Her previous tone was her just trying to pull on his heart strings. She wasn't actually upset or anything, though she would like to know something about him. And she was going to ask too. "So, it's your turn. You know about my parents, my being adopted, my studies, my all-... I need to make a list of those." Serenity suddenly stood up and walked off, grabbing a pen and paper before she returned. When she did, she sat down on the floor to Alain's side, closest to the table. She took a few seconds to write down every allergy she had and then handed the list to him. "Here... Now you understand why I have to be so picky about what I eat. These are all of my allergies." she said as if there was nothing wrong. It's a shame when you look at the list and realize that the poor thing has never been able to eat something as common as cake.

There was really something wonderful about sitting in front of the fire at night. The flames heated the room enough that Serenity no longer felt like she was freezing. There'd be a moment every now and then, mainly because she was sitting on the floor like a dope, that she would feel a little cold, but she ignored it. She didn't want to stand. She liked being this close to Alain, though she wasn't fully aware that being near him was the entire reason for it. "You've got no place else to go, so why would I kick you out?" he said with a tone that only made Serenity's smile stick. She shrugged innocently, but she knew there were some people that couldn't handle her. Even the villagers, though they seemingly cared for her, were afraid of inviting her over for dinner because of her allergies. Not many wanted the slightest chance of someone dying on their kitchen table because of something they cooked. That's a fear even Serenity has, not that she'd die, but that her cooking some how hurt someone she cared about. She couldn't have that!

"And... it's odd to say, but I kind of like you living here. It makes the house seem a lot less empty." Serenity appreciated that a lot, but she puffed up her cheeks a bit, pretending to be upset at it. "How is that odd to say?" she said while pouting a bit. She only smiled a moment later, knowing he didn't mean it that way. The talk about his Father came and there was only one thing that came to mind. "I wonder if Lillianna knows him..." Serenity said curiously, "I don't think she'd like knowing that working for her armies made him not able to smile..." Serenity then wondered how many of the Queen's soldiers got to meet her. Maybe they could all take a trip to the castle? Would Magnus like that? Their conversation was going pretty well. Serenity liked being able to sit and talk to Alain without the scary man looking all grr at her. "Not from either of my parents, that's for sure. I had a good friend and that's the only way we could get along." Well that statement caught Serenity's attention quite well.

"So you do have friends..." she said as she handed him the list of allergies, "Your Mom pointed something out to me today; you don't often have people over, do you? Am I a rare occurrence? Is that why they're expecting grandchildren?" Serenity added that last question on purpose. She wanted to tease him about it all day, but shied away from it when they were around his parents. For one, she didn't want to embarrass him. For two, she didn't want to give false hopes. "I'll keep these in mind, thank you." he said and she nodded in reply. She was a little lost in thought, so she didn't pay much attention to the fact that he was squinting. It was just a natural assumption that he wasn't wearing his glasses, so he couldn't see perfectly. Nothing else about it went through her mind. "It must not be fun to be forced away from these things..." he said. She shook her head. "I've had people cry for me when they realize I can't eat something like pancakes, cake, ice cream... blah, blah, blah." Serenity shrugged and waved the entire matter off like it was nothing, "I'm used to it. I have no problems with it. It helped me discover cooking."

And then the conversation happened. Serenity listened intently to every word that Alain said. She didn't know why, but she liked hearing him talk. She always liked learning new things about people, but for a reason she didn't understand yet she enjoyed him talking more than other people. "I doubt their opinions could stay the same." Serenity raised an eyebrow. "I accept your challenge." she told him, quite seriously in fact, "I highly doubt my opinion of you will change... If it's that big, I can't promise that I'll instantly be all happy, cheery, and accepting. I might need a little bit to think, but you're a good man. There's nothing wrong with needing time to sort through your thoughts. No bad deed can outweigh that... Got it?" Serenity gave him a look that said "deal with it". He didn't have to tell her anything now, but she really did doubt her opinion of him will change at all. The conversation continued on and Serenity moved over to sit in front of his chair. She liked that spot better. "The most interesting thing that happened to me so far... has honestly been meeting you." Her cheeks turned red. Serenity really did not have the willpower to fight that blush in any way shape or form. It was going to happen. 

"In a close second are my years at Rydian as a student." Serenity just kept staring at him. She was very much concentrated on the compliment he had just given. She'd ask him about Rydian another time, right now she was blushing too hard. "Mmm... Stop that." Serenity whined a little and looked away, "You and your parents have my brain rushing in all directions and I can't think straight." Serenity sighed and laid back, sort of sprawled out over the floor. It was cold, but she ignored it. The fire made it better. "I had never even thought of marrying anyone until your parents decided to speak up about it. Now my thoughts are running rampant... and I can't even say it's a bad thing. I probably should settle down some time. I'm not exactly getting younger. I wouldn't even know how to go about getting a guy to like me, especially that way." Serenity sat up again and looked up to him. "Have you ever been with someone?" she asked, her intentions behind the question being a little more innocent than either of them, her creator, and Alain's parents would of liked, "You don't have to answer. I was just curious. I've never been with anyone, so I dunno..." Serenity sighed, staring up at him with her mind continuing to wander.

"My house is out of the way and not really good for entertaining people. Not to mention most of my friends are coworkers, so planning a day for all of us to get together is like trying to get every dragon in the world to meet in one place." Serenity couldn't' help but giggle along with him. "Well maybe we should have a party. I can cook?" she said, "It'd be nice to meet some of the people you know." Serenity was surprisingly serious about that. It was for a reason that she was suspicious of. For some reason, her concentration was about meeting all of the women he knew. Whether it was to see if they were prettier, smarter, or nicer, she didn't know. She just kinda felt a little inferior for a moment there. Though, the thought of her actually living with him was a bit of an advant-. What in Rydia's name was she thinking about!? Serenity took a second to shake those thoughts as fast as she could. Her own thoughts caused this extremely deep random blush to appear on her face for seemingly no reason.

Time for subject change!

"The reason they're expecting grandchildren is because I'm thirty and still unwed, let alone in a serious relationship..." His tone was fun. She liked it. She wasn't treating it like the tone he was actually using, but it what he was saying made things rush through her mind. "Not to mention you're probably the first girl they've seen me bring over here." That made her smile and giggle like a teenage girl. Once again, her mind was filled with ideas and wonder and curiosity and, the smile faded. She placed her hands on her cheeks and shook her head. She was probably seeming like a weirdo at this point. And subject change! No matter what Serenity was telling him, she could tell that he was still reluctant. That kind of upset her. She hoped he would open up a bit, not about his secrets, but at least trust her enough to not wave what she was saying off. When he did, she narrowed her eyes and glared at him like she was ready to smack him. "Don't make me tell your Mother." she said. She was joking, but what he had just done was not only surprising, but it did annoy her.

"If you don't trust what I say, fine, but don't wave me off like I need to just shut up; It's rude." Well there was a mood change for a good moment. Serenity stayed silent until her optimistic mind brought her right out of that mood and she began to romanticize again. And then came the question. She just barely saw the shocked look he had when she asked it and almost wanted to laugh, but chose not to. She smiled, waiting for him to answer the question. "I'd feel bad if I lied..." Serenity raised an eyebrow, wondering if his original thought was to lie to her. That's not cool. She never even thought of lying to him. "And if I don't answer, you'll think I've slept with all the women in Arcadia—except the Queen, of course." "And me, of course." Serenity added in quite innocently, though there was a thought about them literally sleeping in the same bed when they first met. "I've been with a handful of women, but it never got serious enough to consider marriage." Serenity's eyes brightened, which was likely a little shocking to Alain, but Serenity had a curious innocence that caused her to act oddly.

"I see. So you have some experience in that department then?" Serenity glanced away with a huge mischievous smile on her face. She was only being a brat. Part of her wanted to know exactly how red she could get Alain, but she hadn't seen him blush once, so she doubted it would happen anyway. It was just fun to shock him. "Lucky... I think. I don't know." she said, her tone becoming light as she sighed, "Your turn. I've been asking all the questions and am wide awake. Unless we want to sit here in silence until you go to bed..." Serenity was too wide awake, so she wasn't going to bed any time soon, "... it's your turn to ask something... or tell a story, something." Serenity turned over on her side, now facing away from Alain and toward the fire, waiting for him to be the one to bring up something to talk about now.

"Sorry, that wasn't my intention, but let's move on please." Serenity looked at him suspiciously and then smiled. "Okay, sorry." she said happily. She often took things wrong, so it wasn't shocking. It was just easier to smile and move on. She was having too much fun talking to him anyways. "Yes, I have. I can't lie about that now. But most of the time, I felt the woman wasn't happy enough... so I decided to let her go. Nobody should be stuck in a relationship they're not happy with." Serenity was kind of shocked by that. "That's... slightly heartbreaking." she mumbled under her breath. With that bit of information, she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She thought she might bring up some bad memory and she had done enough of that tonight. It was time to move the conversation on again, but she no longer knew what to ask. There wasn't much that she could ask without likely being pushy or prying into things she didn't need to pry into. He was making it a little difficult to know what she could ask.

"I'm better at people asking me stuff than me telling stories. Like I said, I haven't had an interesting life." Serenity nodded in agreement. She didn't feel like she had an interesting life either. She was just more open and thought of the smallest things she could tell someone. When she asked for a story, it didn't need to be some big thing, just a little something to give her a piece of who he was. "I can try to tell you anything you'd like to ask about... but I honestly can't come up with anything worth talking about on my own." "I don't know what I can ask anymore..." she said quietly while watching the fire. "But if I can ask a question about you... I'd like to know what your adoptive parents were like. I'm sure they were great people to have raised someone like you." She looked toward him from her place on the floor and gave a warm smile. She wasn't expecting him to be interested in that. Of course, that's one thing she had over him. She could actually meet his parents.

"They were wonderful..." she turned back to the fire and watched the flames dance around as she thought of her past, "They found me laying in a field of white flowers and green grass, at least that's what they told me. I was crying while they walked by. They picked me up and took me home... I was their little girl from that day on. They taught me everything, treated me like a princess. Even when things got hard, they didn't try to worry me at all. I wasn't sheltered like some people, but I never had to really worry about anything. When they got older, we sold the farm and moved into Aria. I got a job to help support them, but Dad got sick. I had to double my hours to pay for the medication, but not only his, mine. Those shots don't come cheap and I needed a lot." She said, referring to the EpiPen. She sat up and crossed her legs, "After some time, Dad passed on and three years later Mom went with him..." She lowered her head and then looked to him. She raised an eyebrow at what she saw and stood up, walking toward the couch.

"Must have been more tired than he thought..." she thought as she picked up the blanket that always sat on the back of the couch. She walked over to him and covered him up. Like before, she pushed his hair out from in front of his face and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight Alain." she whispered before laying down on the couch. She curled her knees up to her chest, still facing the fire. The silence in the house was a little disturbing, but with Alain not five feet away, she felt at ease. She watched the fire flicker for a little while longer, soon finding herself falling asleep there. Her eyes closed and she was out. A short time later, Serenity and Alain were both unaware that they had been caught. Helena came out with a second blanket and covered Serenity up. Helena left the room with a single glance back and one last thing to say.

"Goodnight to you both."