[closed, for alex]

[fairywren]

It's been a solid couple of weeks since the beach party, so when Wren runs into Alex as the charity gala winds down, it doesn't feel too over the top to remind him he's still invited over for trading music and stories.

"This weekend, maybe," he says, and gave him an innocent look over his glass, "--unless you also have a quarter million you're planning on dropping on a date with someone, in which case I'd completely understand being occupied."

Now, he's just hanging out, lazily layering loops of guitar and synth into a background wash of music, watching Inari growl at shadows in the corner. Maybe he'll open up some wine later. Depends on what happens; he's not too worried about it.

Comments

[sirenstoryteller]

"Not a bother at all. It could prove useful in my work so I should thank you for giving me another angle to research. Not a bother at all." Not that he was ever really short of those but he would never say no to a new one. Especially if it would assist someone else. "You said your mother sang it to you. Where is her family from if I might ask?" It would give him a place to start.

Alex was an active listener usually. He didn't so much keep eye contact but he kept his gaze on the speaker and watched for the story their expression and body told as much as the words he was listening too. And he had been actively watching Wren since with all of his attention. Perhaps that was why he suddenly felt overwhelmed and he had needed to concentrate on something else for a moment.

Talking about Henry was much easier then it used to be. The older three brothers, Henry, Will and Alex, had all been rather close. He didn't know why, he loved Phil and Ed just the same, but it was different. But eventually, Alex had realized that not talking about Henry was doing the memory of his brother a disservice so he refused to shy away from the topic any longer.

He looked up when Wren sat on the arm of his chair and, surprisingly to himself, leaned closer. Not quite touching, but definitely taking comfort from the closeness. "Me too. But that's why I think I prefer the version where the mother knows what happened. Personal experience."

[fairywren]

Wren smiles. "Well, here, actually. Way back. The Sauvageons are spread all over the east coast and up into the Canadian maritimes, these days, and we don't settle well, so I'm sure I've got a thousand second cousins I've never met. But that side of the family claims roots in Siren Cove from back when this place was a trading port. Before that, France, and the UK, I think. Our family seems to collect sea stories, though, the more fantastic the better, so I don't know if that'll help you exactly."

He nods, glancing at his own wine. "I've never lost anyone that close to me. Friends..." He's had a couple of friends who overdosed, and one who killed himself, but in retrospect the fact that there weren't more seems remarkable. That period of life was verging on a cautionary tale. "I guess I am glad I'm not just wondering." He pauses. "I don't have any idea about my father, though. At this point I don't care - he certainly doesn't - but it is a little odd to think how little I know." He takes a drink. "That's one reason I used to like this song, when I was too little to appreciate all my mother did. The magical father returning for his son. A little silly."

[sirenstoryteller]

"Really." Well, that was a bit of a surprise. That they were from the same region and probably the same line of sirens. The name Sauvageon did make Alex's eyes go wide for a moment but he hid it at the mention of a family collecting maritime stories. He'd stumbled upon that family name a few times in his travels and it had always turned out, well, embarrassing. It also solidified Alex's theory of Wren's siren heritage. "You'll have to share any other stories she's passed down. I'd love to know them."

The thought of not knowing a parent...that was something Alex couldn't relate to at all. The Senator and his wife were not always the easiest people to have as parents but he knew without a doubt that they both loved their children. "That's understandable though. It was easier as a child to create a romantic version of events. It's not silly at all. And I'm sure your mother knew you appreciated her, even while wanting your father to return."