Nightcap

Aubrienne fretted a little more than usual over her after-work rendezvous with Titania.  It wasn't like it was the first time they'd spent together socially; they'd hit the town plenty of times with Zola, Gabby, and the rest of the usual suspects.  But something about Tits' invitation this time had seemed more...personal, somehow.  Aubrienne was trying to sort out her feelings on that for the remainder of the evening, helping take care of Jaspart notwithstanding.

It didn't help that Dorien had left before she could make her buy for the evening, apparently for some kind of family emergency.  That was strange and concerning enough on it's own; her impression was that he didn't see much of them these days, and he'd gotten a hard hit last week already.  She made a mental note to check in on him soon.

Spending the rest of the evening on edge and unusually nervous, Aubrienne sat humming along at the bar through the end of Zola's set.  Normally, she was quite appreciative of her friend's repertoire, but the collection of love songs was perhaps not the greatest balm to her currently muddled feelings.

Jed's act did lift her spirits a bit, and Aubrienne felt bad she was so distracted for his first solo performance.  Still, she cheered, laughed, and applauded with the best of them, making sure to flag her friend down for a congratulatory hug when he was finished.  She promised him a nice dinner out on the down to celebrate, later, and waved as Briza led him off to continue what she was sure was already going to be an unforgettable night for Jed.

At length, she snagged two bottles from Neva: a rich red she remembered Titania mentioned a fondness for, and a strong bourbon she herself was prone to indulging in when she was feeling like not feeling.  Grabbing two accompanying glasses and a corkscrew, she made her way to the back office, coming to a halt in the doorway to Tits' office.

"Say hey, pretty lady," she said brightly, holding up the two bottles.  "I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for, so I came prepared for contingencies."

"Those seem like excellent choices," Tits said appreciatively. "Come on in and pour me a glass of that wine," she added, standing to move from her desk to the comfortable sofa that stood against the far wall. "How was the rest of the night? Jed's impromptu solo show went pretty well, I heard."

"Yeah, he did great, especially for not having much time to prepare," Aubrienne responded with a smile, setting the bottles down on Titania's desk.  "You should think about making it permanent."

She made a show of uncorking the wine, pouring a generous measure for both of them.

"Other than that, a normal enough night, I suppose.  Zola had 'em shimmying, as usual.  Hugo kept things hopping."

She shrugged and passed Titania a glass, sliding onto the couch opposite her.

"How was your night?  I guess you don't get as much chance to just enjoy the show, huh?"

"Not as much as I'd like. It's funny - when I started this place, I imagined it would be a lot of dancing and partying and having fun. Like building my own private playroom. Nobody warned me that running a business involved work," she joked, taking a sip the wine. "Actually that's not true - my father told me. I just didn't believe him."

"Well, in fairness to your imagination, it is a lot of dancing, partying, and having fun," Aubrienne teased. "It's a shame if you're not able to indulge."

Aubrienne took a sip. It was nice, but her taste in alcohol didn't really extend much beyond that distinction.

"Do you like it, though? Work and all?"

"Yeah," Tits replied. "I spent years doing nothing other than going to parties and dinners and making sure I looked pretty. This is more interesting by a mile. And if I get tired of it someday, I could always hire someone to take over the full-time running of the club, and then just spend my nights at the bar, watching the show," she added with a smile.

"What about you - do you enjoy working here? And what would you do if Jed did start his own act - how could you replace him?"

"Hey now, Jed's pretty and all, but I like to think I have some charms," Aubrienne answered. "He's too talented to stay my assistant forever, and I'm sure I could find someone to fill his shoes. The rest of his outfit might be a bit of a problem, admittedly."

"As to working here...I feel kind of embarrassed saying this," the sorcerer said, a nervous look crossing her face.

"It's basically all I've wanted to do for, ah, a very long time. I mean, not necessarily here, but now that I am here...it's definitely where I want to be."

With a grin, Titania rested her hand reassuringly on Aubrienne's arm. "I'm glad to hear it - nothing to be embarrassed about, either. I mean, I guess I hope that this is a good place to work, so that talented folks like you will want to stick around and not run off as soon as they get a more exciting offer. So far it seems to be working out that way, at least."

Aubrienne raised a sardonic eyebrow.

"Well, it's certainly been exciting lately."

She shifted slightly, enough that her arm moved, acknowledging the welcome presence of Titania's hand.

"I don't think anywhere else can offer what this place does."

"I could stand for things to be a little less exciting, in general," Tits said with a weary smile. "I'm calling for a complete moratorium on any weird creatures, barfights, or people getting drugged - whether accidentally or deliberately - for at least a week."

"Well, a few might grumble about that last bit, but I think we can get by," Aubrienne said with an answering smile. "But, yeah, I could do without the weirdness for a while. Let us focus on good, old-fashioned debauchery."

"That's an excellent resolution," Titania said with a grin, and took another swallow of her wine. She moved her hand just slightly off Aubrienne's arm to rest on the back of the couch not far from her shoulder. "Tell me a little bit about yourself," she inquired. "I know the basics, I think, but I'd like to get to know you better." Her smile was friendly, but maybe with a hint of something more flirtatious.

"I'm an open book," Aubrienne replied with an answering smile. "I grew up in Diablotin, as is right and proper, and it was likely the last right and proper thing I did."

She grinned.

"Okay, not strictly true, but it feels that way sometimes. I think my parents might still be hoping this whole show business thing is a lark, and I'll come back and take over the shop. I guess that's a reasonable fall back if I can't make it here in the limelight."

Aubrienne shrugged, the took a sip of her wine.

"Like I said, it's what I've wanted to do for forever, and they've been very supportive, moreso lately."

She frowned and looked away for a moment, suddenly seeming unsure.

"Something bugging you?" Titania asked, looking a bit more concerned. "I know it was rough today, with Jaspart... I'm worried about him too."

"Oh, no, not that," Aubrienne replied, waving her off. "I mean, yes, that, I am concerned about Jaspart too. A lot. I was just thinking about family stuff, which I guess is kind of related."

She was quick to correct any possible implications there.

"I mean, Jaspart is so messed up from the war and...my little brother, he, he didn't come back. I keep hoping he's out there somewhere, but even if he is, and he's feeling like Jas..."

Aubrienne paused, looking distant for a moment before her attention came back to Titania.

"I'm sorry, I meant to come here to cheer you up."

She offered a troubled half-smile, raised her glass in salute, and took a drink.

"I'm sorry to hear about your brother," Titania said with a concerned look. "You don't have to always be 'on', you know, honey. You're allowed to have nights off from cheering everyone else up." She offered her glass up in a matching toast. "To friends you don't have to pretend with."

Aubrienne's smiled melted into a look of grateful appreciation, holding Titania's gaze for a long moment before looking away as a small, genuine smile returned.

"I appreciate that. I guess I'm just used to , well, putting on the show."

She shrugged and leaned more heavily into the couch.

"What about you, sweetie?," Aubrienne asked, turning back with a look of genuine concern and friendly interest. "I hope you get the same opportunity to let your hair down and all. My wanting to come make you feel better isn't an affectation. I know it's been a rough few weeks, and it has to have been moreso for the boss lady."