Philia - Friendship Love
Nickname: Aath
The petite blonde storms into the Horned God followed by her very own and personal ‘cloud of gloom’.
Luella has seen her in this sort of mood before and simply nods to her as she places a tall glass of Apple and Cranberry juice on the bar. The woman is dressed in her version of combat fatigues. A yellow sports bra and desert camo trousers. Almost as an afterthought “I’ve ordered you a platter of steak strips.” Pointing to a booth in the corner, “They’ll be delivered there.”
Yes, Aath may be pissed, but she also knows Luella well and stops long enough to take a calming breath and retrieve her drink. She looks to the booth and back and nods “Thanks Lu … and sorry.” Her answer is a warm smile from the ever-patient barkeep.
Lifting her drink she takes a solid sip, another breath as she moves to the indicated booth thinking to herself “Fv#<ing Al! … Why couldn’t he remain a complete a###hole? Why did he have to apologise? Why did he have to sound like he meant it? … What gave him the right to show any degree of wholesomeness?”
Plopping her butt into the corner of the leather cushions covering the booths bench, she stretches her legs up onto the bench as well. Surprisingly to any except those who know her, her boots have heels and the heels are stained.
Thinking about the infuriating Alpharius had brought her anger closer to the surface again. “Fu#< you Al! FV#< YOU!!” She stops as another line of thought intrudes. This time she can hear, in the voice of Lera, “Why don’t you two just get to the make-up sex?”
She huffs in frustration, loud enough to draw Luella’s eyes. Aath gives the barkeep a wry smile and mouths, “Sorry.” Aath has a lot of time for Luella and her retired employer Astrid. The two of them had helped Aath become dry, and she had remained so for the past four years … not a bad effort for a barkeep.
Returning to her thoughts, slightly calmer of mind.
“Why did she hate Alpharius? It was a really good question.” She takes another sip and completely misses the promised steak strips being delivered. Unconsciously, she tips the inky black contents of the small boat accompanying the platter. She had become addicted to Worcestershire Sauce.
When she first heard of Al, it was Rox telling her that he had betrayed her and her family. This was the biggest ‘sin’ in Aath’s eyes. Her hatred had gone as deep as was possible in an instant and very little had been able to adjust her feelings of loathing for the man. This included further clarification of what had actually happened.
Her view wasn’t changed by the fact that he had been forgiven by Roxana and also her goddaughter Astra. It certainly wasn’t helped by the fact that he seemed to go out of his way to push Aath’s buttons and was just so good at it.
Sometimes she thought everyone was ganging up on her, just so fv#<ing Alpharius could taunt her. It had become so bad that Roxana had to get Aath to promise that she’d not do anything to harm the irritating man. In truth Alpharius had only recently found out exactly how dangerous Aath could be and if she were supported by her husband, Brean … so much worse.
But in truth, it wasn’t only the promise she made to Roxana that had stayed her hand. It was the fact that he’d gone out of his way to help and protect those Aath considered important, family.
The anger bubbles to the surface again when she wonders for a fleeting moment “Maybe he’s not so bad … FV@< that for a joke!” She slams her hand down on the table, next to her platter, drawing another spocked brow and look from Luella.
Aath silently apologises to her friend again and takes a sip of her juice to calm herself again.
All seemed back to normal when, after a training session he’d intimated that he’d ‘liaised’ with the older Ceara. If she hadn’t walked away then and there she’d have broken her promise.
She’d heard through the grapevine that he’d been taken to task not only by her eldest daughter Áiny and also Astra. She hoped that this would demonstrate to her kids that he wasn’t to be trusted and was a complete arsehat.
Her angry thoughts continued, “But no … he’d apologised … to all of them … He’d apologised to me” She catches herself before she can slap the table again, “and the apology gave every impression of being genuine.”
Her face drops into her hands as she suppresses a soft sob. She thought, “It’s so much easier to be able to hate you … I’m sure it was fake … It has to be fake …” another frustrated sob “But, it didn’t seem fake. Fv#< you Alpharius … stop acting like a normal man sometimes.”
Again in her head she hears Lera’s voice “Why don’t you two just get to the make-up sex?”
Stifles a sob and mutters out loud, but under her breath “Get out of my fv#<ing head Lera!”