The Captive Prince (o/o) closed

Fi smiled in relief when Levi dropped the conversation, nodding eagerly at the double doors. "Yep! I haven't been down here in ages, I miss it a lot." He pushed the doors open with a bright grin and the sound of bustling people and hushed chatter floating up from the center of the kitchens.

A woman scurried up, shooting them both a disapproving look before her eyes landed on Fi's face and she softened. "Cadmus' in his usual corner, lad. Make sure ye' both wash yer hands before you scuttle deeper into the kitchen." She spoke with a thick drawl, something vaguely southern.

Fi laughed and nodded obediently. "We will, Thelma. Is… um… is he working?" The woman laughed, warm and familial.

"He's always working ye great brute. But… he'll be happy to see you. He's missed yer sorry ass."

Fi brightened at that, pulling Levi deep into the depths of the kitchen. He paused only to wash his hands in a large stone basin of water, pushing Levi towards it impatiently as he dried his hands off on his trousers. He was thrumming with an unusual excitement, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for his friend to finish washing.

"Great!" Fionn beamed at Levi and he seemed truly happy for the first time since he'd met Levi. His normal shy smile was nothing compared to this, a dazzling spectacle that lit up his face and turned his severre features into a work of art. "Cadmus was my bràhiar, my… second in command. He's had my back all my life you'll love hi-"

He was cut off when a boy came rushing up from the kitchen, launching himself into Fi's arms with an equally bright smile. His skin was tanned, his eyes a dusty green, and Fi only flinched for a second before his arms locked around his thighs to hold him aloft. "Fi!! You're back you ass, I thought you were gonna tell me when you were gettin' back!!"

Fi held Cadmus until he wriggled impatielty and got set down, sticking close to the other boy with a dazed sort of smile. It was clear he held a lot of admiration for Cadmus and even clearer that he'd missed him. Cadmus just laughed when he noticed how close Fi was hoovering, popping up onto his tiptoes to ruffle the prince's hair with a jovial smile before he turned to Levi. "Nice to met ya'. I'm Cadmus, though I expect the great lug's already told ya that. How're you finding our fine palace?"

Cadmus reached out and gave him a firm handshake. His hands were calloused and covered in a thin layer of flour. Fiori hoovered behind, watching the two talk with a soft smile. It was clear he held a lot of affection for this man, even more than he did for Tharis. Cadmus leaned casually against his broad chest, letting Fi wrap his arms around his waist. "The dazzle of the place'll fade, the dazzle of this monster," he patted Fi's cheel affectionately. "Will not. Has he been a good guide?"

Fi smiled dreamily down at Cadmus before he popped up and offered Levi a slightly goofier one. He nuzzled the top of Cadmus' head happily and Cadmus reached up to pat his cheek. "Ah! Tharis, what a dame. How's she been? I haven't been up to visit her in ages, she's been so busy lately."

"Of course ya can!" Cadmus smacked Fi's wrists lightly to get him to let go, tromping down the stairs without a care in the world. Fiori followed easily, gesturing for Levi to join them down on the kitchen floor. When they got there Cadmus was already ruffling through some cabinets, checking around for pota and pans. He popped his head up when he heard them approaching, slapping a pan down on top of a crude woodstove. "I'll fry you up some bear meat, d'you think that'll hold you over?"

Cadmus laughed, a lilting drawl that seemed as golden as the sunlight streaming in from the windows. Fi seemed to melt when he heard it, giving Cadmus a fond look as he slung a few slivers of meat into the pan and began to fry them up. "Levi, hon, would you be a doll and grab some bread for me? It should be on the counter, I just wanna make sure we can get a full meal in ya before ya go."

Fi, who had seemed determined to maintain a bit of polite distance fro Cadmus while Levi was still around, immediately attached himself to the cook's side with a soft smile. One of his arms was slung around Cadmus' waist, casually possessive, while the other gestured mildly as he talked about what had happened while he was away. Cadmus was petting him again, hands dragging slowly through his short black hair.

Cadmus turned to look it over, tapping Fiori's hip gently to get him to detach as Levi walked closer. Fi did do easily, squeezing Cadmus closer slightly before he let go and started looking through the cabinets for a frying pan. "Yup! You want me to fry it up with the meat, or just toast it for ya?"

Cadmus laughed warmly and took the pan from Fi once it was offered, giving him a small private smile when their hands brushed. "You must be mighty hungry, yeah? Why don't you take a slice of bread now, soothe your stomach a bit. Fi can lead you to some other snacks while you wait for your meal to get fried up."

Cadmus gave him a warm smile and turned to the stove, turning dials and tossing some wood into the burner to get it going. Fiori led Levi over to the cabinets with a soft shrug. "I haven't been down here for a while, but they used to have…" His tongue poked out of his mouth slightly as he ruffled through the cabinets, absolutely focused on finding some treats. "… these!" He turned around with an excited smile, pressing a small bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans into Levi's hands. "They're really good."

Fiori laughed and took the bag, popping a few into his mouth with a grin. They were bitter with the right hint of sweetness. "You might wanna slow down there, iceblood. They're coffee beans, you'll jump right out of your skin if you have too many."

Fiori frowned at the gesture, popping a couple more into his mouth and then passing the bag back to Levi. He was like a puppy, confused about why its master was acting the way he did. "They grow well in hot weather, I think. Why are you doing that?"

"Where'd you get it from?" Fiori asked, still seeming a bit confused. His eyebrows were pressed together like he was concentrating too hard. Where did you build a reflex like that? It didn't seem to have much of a purpose, and it didn't seem like something important enough to really think about ingraining.