[ betty steadfastly keeps her eyes on the ceiling as she passes through the naked section and makes her way over to ambrose. she can't recall if they've ever met in person but she recognizes him from seeing him on the network at least.]
Oh, god, Please call me Betty. [ she says with a warm, amused smile, offering her hand in return.]
[ambrose grind at her. he's certain they must have shared space at some point, but she's very pretty up close. he feels at ease. or as near to it as possible considering what he's stressing about.]
Betty. What sort of tea would you like? [he gestures at the menu. there are a number of herbal sounding blends, as well as straight up vanilla and spice, dried fruit, mint in plenty.] I'll order us the pot before I throw myself onto your shoes.
I'll let you decide-- [ he seems like he'd be wise in ways of tea and she's got pretty vanilla tea tastes, she's an earl grey girl for sure.] Surprise me?
[ambrose chooses a pot of something that seems to be based on earl grey, but with a couple extra notes of something experimental. he accepts the pot of water and the unfolding pouch of herb. he guides her over to a little table that's fortunately placed out of line of sight of the nudie zone over there.]
All right, [he says.] I'm sort of hoping your life experience might be sort of a bridge between my culture and the one I'm going to have dinner with tomorrow. I'm about to meet my partner's father.
Your partner's father is here? [ she looks at him incredulously as she sits down. it's not something she's heard of, family members being brought here and she shudders to think of father showing up here.]
[at this point, he's studying her face rather intensely.]
I was hoping you'd guarantee there was nothing to worry about straight off the bat, [he said.] I watched a lot of television for... A few decades, and I hoped all the shows were exaggerating. They're usually exaggerating for comedic purposes. Aren't they?
It depends on what TV shows and what your concerns are. [ she's almost wry in her response but she doesn't want to appear flippant. she will answer him honestly, she just doesn't know... what he means.]
[ambrose subsides with a little laugh, shaking his head. right yes. no it's fine.]
All right. Well, the lady is young, like yourself. Her father is an immortal of immense power. I'm under the impression a bit of a scary bloke, and wouldn't hesitate to take on the police if they crossed him. She's his only daughter. I'm going to make us all a dinner.
I've never done this before. [he opens his hands.] And I've done a lot.
All right, all right, [ambrose's brow sinks in a moment.] Well there's a lot of those. I know a bit about the history of the United States of America, and you know the country's immortal residents always like that. And magic. Hobgoblins, demons... comparing notes. Similarities, differences.
That's always interesting to you, isn't it? [he studies her.] You've met loads of witches.
[for an instant, that knocks him out of his fear. into delight. he looks at betty, imagining her sitting across a table like this one from sabrina. he imagines that sabrina would have been very upfront about magic. it warms his heart.]
She wouldn't be nervous about something like this. That must be the mortal half. You've met loads of boys' and girls' parents, I bet.
It's normal to be nervous. [ she offers him a smile after which, she laughs a little.] I was never really nervous because I grew up in Riverdale, it's a small town as you know, so I always already knew everyone's parents, since I was a kid.
lmao i did not read it in any special way you are the best. perfectible, in fact
[ambrose studies her with interest. he was, at the very least, a traveler of continents; he didn't even know everybody's parents in witch society. and his people tend to be cagey, anyway.]
So it wasn't any different once you got into a relationship? Had to come over for dinner?
Well... [ she laughs again, glancing down at the table.] At first, my mom didn't approve of Jughead so he didn't come over much and his mom left a while back and his dad was in jail during that time then... My mom and his dad started dating again after his dad was set free and my dad went to jail so... Riverdale is a mess.
[there's a long pause. ambrose is a bit taken aback that a girl who presents like her would be dating somebody who had that much disreputable family stuff, but mostly...]
Jughead? [he repeats. in his imagination, klaus isn't much a fan of that. 'ambrose' is much more elegant. point to the spellmans.]
Forsythe Pendleton Jones III is his real name, he just goes by Jughead. [ she pauses, wrinkling her nose.] I'm not really sure why "Jughead" specifically. [ she does know why he didn't want to go by his grandfather's name.]
[ her expression falters a bit as she shakes her head.] Not anymore, no. He's been gone for awhile. [ she offers him a sad smile.] But I'll see him when I get back home.
Oh, I'm sorry. [bloody relationships. humans. well, no, that's unfair isn't it? witches and warlocks are as often just as susceptible, much as ambrose would like to think otherwise. he's seen evidence of that.]
Look, you've been a great help to me. I'm feeling somewhat more confident about the task before me. [it's a dinner, ambrose. it's a dinner. 'the task before him.' lol.] I'd like to put a smile on your face. What's something-- not Jughead, I don't want to be creepy-- that's a good laugh for you?
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Oh, god, Please call me Betty. [ she says with a warm, amused smile, offering her hand in return.]
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Betty. What sort of tea would you like? [he gestures at the menu. there are a number of herbal sounding blends, as well as straight up vanilla and spice, dried fruit, mint in plenty.] I'll order us the pot before I throw myself onto your shoes.
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All right, [he says.] I'm sort of hoping your life experience might be sort of a bridge between my culture and the one I'm going to have dinner with tomorrow. I'm about to meet my partner's father.
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Wow, um. Okay. Ask away.
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I was hoping you'd guarantee there was nothing to worry about straight off the bat, [he said.] I watched a lot of television for... A few decades, and I hoped all the shows were exaggerating. They're usually exaggerating for comedic purposes. Aren't they?
[aren't they?? bettyyy]
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Exaggerating about what exactly?
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All right. Well, the lady is young, like yourself. Her father is an immortal of immense power. I'm under the impression a bit of a scary bloke, and wouldn't hesitate to take on the police if they crossed him. She's his only daughter. I'm going to make us all a dinner.
I've never done this before. [he opens his hands.] And I've done a lot.
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Making dinner is a good start. And maybe making sure that you keep the conversation rolling but on topics you feel comfortable going with.
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That's always interesting to you, isn't it? [he studies her.] You've met loads of witches.
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Until I got here and met you and Sabrina and Nick.
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[for an instant, that knocks him out of his fear. into delight. he looks at betty, imagining her sitting across a table like this one from sabrina. he imagines that sabrina would have been very upfront about magic. it warms his heart.]
She wouldn't be nervous about something like this. That must be the mortal half. You've met loads of boys' and girls' parents, I bet.
[that's not a negative thing, in his mind!]
wow that typo of mine above is atrocious
lmao i did not read it in any special way you are the best. perfectible, in fact
[ambrose studies her with interest. he was, at the very least, a traveler of continents; he didn't even know everybody's parents in witch society. and his people tend to be cagey, anyway.]
So it wasn't any different once you got into a relationship? Had to come over for dinner?
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Jughead? [he repeats. in his imagination, klaus isn't much a fan of that. 'ambrose' is much more elegant. point to the spellmans.]
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Perhaps because he was a delight to drink from, straight from the mouth.
[the boy does sound like a delight. that he brought her some delight, anyhow.]
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Is he? He's here then, with you?
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Look, you've been a great help to me. I'm feeling somewhat more confident about the task before me. [it's a dinner, ambrose. it's a dinner. 'the task before him.' lol.] I'd like to put a smile on your face. What's something-- not Jughead, I don't want to be creepy-- that's a good laugh for you?
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I appreciate that. But humor me. It can be anything. A song, a color.
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