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Having worked out a time when the two of them are both free, Annie is sitting on a bench in the Freehold Hollow, tuning her violin while she waits. The Nymph is dressed casually today: black jeans and light green teeshirt, with a rainbow magen david and "B'Tzelem Elohim" in Hebrew on. Her sneakers are lying discarded on the grass below, so she can more comfortably sit with her feet tucked underneath her.
Charlie enters, holding onto one of her wrists while her the fingers on that hand move like they're playing some kind of insane piano medley. When she sees Annie, she visibly relaxes and waves at her, a warm smile on her face. She heads over and calls out, "Hey, Annie! How are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
Eugene is wearing the sort of thing Eugene usually wears, which means a black tank top, black jeans, black boots. They're not color-averse, but they like it to make a statement when they choose to wield it.
They make their way directly for Annie when they enter, and when she comes into site they pause to just watch her with a dopey smile. It's not easy to see, since their face is made of swirling smoke, but it's there. They've noticed Charlie, but they're too busy admiring from a distance right now. At least until they're noticed.
"Hello, Charlie. I have been good, if worried about my friends. Yourself?" Annie answers, glancing up with a smile. Which turns into an outright beam when she spots Eugene. "Yu Jin! Come closer, do."
"Oh, um, pretty good? Also worried about stuff but I think that's more of, um, my permanent state? Mind if I sit?" Charlie says, returning her hands to their vaguely protective state. "Hi, I'm Charlie!" She says to Eugene.
"I have such a wonderful view from here," Eugene responds, but they none the less move their feet to approach Annie and offer an embrace and an affectionate kiss. Only then does their regard return to Charlie. "Hello Charlie. I'm Eugene." Their voice is soft, quiet, and in a range where it's exceedingly hard to try to pin it as being either feminine or masculine, for people inclined to do that kind of thing.
Annie is more than happy to accept both the embrace and kiss, setting her violin aside to rise for them. "Feel free," she asides to Charlie after the kiss finishes. "I know I promised you a performance, Yu Jin, but would you mind giving me a quarter to make this violin better first?"
Charlie is, unfortunately the kind of person to try to pin that. It visibly confuses her. "Hi, Eugene?" She says, more of a question than a statement, "Are you and Annie girlfriends?"
She immediately perks up. "Ooh, are you going to perform? I love your music!
Eugene reaches into their pockets in search of the requested coinage and comes up with just the clip with their cash, ID, and a couple of other cards. They slide a dollar bill free from it and asks, laughter in their voice, "will you accept a dollar, instead? Will it earn me four times the performance? I don't have anything smaller." Then they answer Charlie without reproach, "I'm not a girl, but we are dating."
"I suppose I can settle for a dollar," Annie teases, taking the note. Then dropping it to the ground, scuffing the dirt to bury it before she runs her hands over the violin lovingly. "That was the plan, yes, Charlie. You are more than welcome to listen, of course." Her attention returns to Eugene, then. "We should probably discuss what terms we are using for each other, at some point."
"Oh! Sorry," Charlie says, nervously blushing. Darn, she was supposed to be better about this stuff. "Partners then?" She ventures. "And I'd love to listen, if you'll have me."
"We should. I would be happy to call you my girlfriend, but only if we talk about it later and you tell me that's what you'd like. I'm not going to pressure you for an answer in front of others," Eugene replies in patient affection. They find a place to sit and say to Charlie, "it's okay. Don't beat yourself up over it, I'm not offended. I should have mentioned that my pronouns are they/them when I introduced myself. Join us, though."
"A fair point," Annie nods, taking up her violin and bow and beginning to play.
Is Charlie sniffling a little at the performance? Definitely. Tears are welling at the corners of her eyes, but she does her best to wipe them away. "Oh my god, Annie, that was so beautiful! You're so lucky, Eugene. Golly, wow."
Eugene quickly shifts from a seat on the bench to sitting on the ground in front of Annie, where they watch with rapt fascination to the brilliant performance. Even the shifting smoke that they're made of slows, like every part of them is holding a breath, and when the song finishes they let out a sigh. "Annie," they say breathlessly. Almost Reverently.
Annie blushes slightly in response. "You liked it, then?" Her voice is soft, almost shy. "I do not play as often as I would like, so I am always worried about becoming out of practice."
Charlie boggles. "If that's you being out of practice, then I think you could outplay David if you're in practice!" She looks a little nervous at that comment, like she might be expecting a smiting. "Have you ever thought about recording an album?" Her eyes are back to bright and eager after that though.
Eugene takes another breath and lets it out in a ragged judder. "It was brilliant. You're brilliant. I'm pretty sure that I could happily sit and listen to you even just casually as you did the dishes, and find it an act beauty." A quiet laugh comes from the darkling. "You could probably sell some albums if you recorded them, if you had a mind to."
Annie's blush deepens at the continued praise, as she replaces her violin and bow in their case. "I had not thought about making recordings, no. Do you really think I should?"
"YES!" Charlie all but screams, before blushing and covering her mouth. "I mean, yes, you should. Um, your music is amazing and it makes me feel all sorts of stuff? It's like, um, almost perfect!" Sorry, Annie, Charlie is not giving up today.
"I think you could. Should is something that depends on your own desires, doesn't it?" Eugene stands up slowly and moves to their seat on the bench again. "I'm happy to talk through the decision with you, but should or shouldn't is your choice to make, not mine. I can tell you I'd love to hear it, though. It sounds like Charlie would, too."
"Perhaps when I have the time, then," Annie says, leaning against Eugene affectionately. "What have you been up to?"
"Me? Well, um, Wren and I have talked about doing some Oneiromancy-" a word done no favors by Charlie's pronunciation, "And, um..." She preemptively blushes, the veins of gold on her face turning to rose gold, as of she's planning to tell the dirtiest secret. "We're thinking about sleeping in the same bed for it?"
Eugene puts their arm around Annie. "Yes, your copious free time," they tease gently. "If it's something your heart desires I'll help you to make it happen, though. I'll support whatever decision you make." They lean slightly to look at Charlie. "That sounds like it might be an interesting experience. Do you have a goal for your Oneiromancy?"
"Thank you, then, Yu Jin." She turns her head to kiss the Darkling on what is probably the cheek. Not that she can distinguish their features well enough to be sure. At the mention of Oneiromancy her attention returns to Charlie, curious as to her answer.
"Oh, um, I have a lot of nightmares and we're hoping her being there might make them easier to deal with. Have you two ever done it?" Charlie asks casually before going pale, "I mean Oneiromancy! Done Oneiromancy!"
Eugene's answer to the kiss is a soft squeeze, but not a distraction from the conversation. "I have. I'm a Joyeux, and also someone dedicated to helping people with their mental health in a professional capacity. I've had to go into dreams to help a Changeling patient more than once." They don't answer the question Charlie hadn't intended to suggest in the first place.
"I have not, as yet." Annie shrugs slightly. "I am still only a Page, though, and my studies are focused on physical wellbeing, not mental health." She also doesn't answer the unintended question.
"Should I, um, be worried about it?" Charlie asks, hiding her face in hopes to stop herself from accidentally making innuendos again. Or at least to hide her shame from the last one. "I'm already plenty worried about the sleeping part, let alone the her seeing my deepest darkest fears part."
"Probably not," Eugene tells Charlie. "At least not in the sense that it could be dangerous. If you're not prepared to open up, it could leave you feeling more vulnerable than you want to be. Have you talked with Wren about your concerns and set boundaries about what is and isn't acceptable?"
"I do not think Wren would take advantage, if that is something you are worried about. She wants you to be happy, Charlie." Annie adds. "But yes, talking to her and establishing explicit boundaries on this is probably a good idea."
"How do you do that without freaking out though? I only just got to a spot where I was able to set up any boundaries at all, let alone explicit ones. Sorry, um, I should shut up about myself. Where did you two meet?" Charlie says, throwing the best distraction she can grab on to.
"Practice," answers Eugene, tone soft and patient and understanding. "You start with small boundaries, and ensuring they're respected. You regularly bring up conversations about new ones, minor ones. You ask people about theirs. With time you get used to having those conversations, and develop habits." They smile, which is more the suggestion of the shape of one in the swirls of smoke that make up their face. "I don't mind you talking about yourself, and I especially don't mind you asking for help. I respect you for asking for help." They stop to look at Annie. "Do you want to tell the story, or should I?"
"Asking for help is a good thing, yes." Annie nods, before glancing at Eugene. "How we met is not much of a story. How we went from there to dating, though..." She grins. "I am happy to tell it, if that was what you meant, Charlie."
"I just like to hear romantic stories," Charlie says, daring to peek out from behind her hands. "And, um, thanks for giving me help, both of you."
"Not much of a story to you, maybe," Eugene responds. "To me, it was the day that a vision of beauty filled my eyes and my heart with her presence. Sometimes I worry about coming on too strong, though." They lean in to kiss Annie's cheek. "You tell the story, though. You were there for the strangest parts of it. That meddling fox." To Charlie, "you're welcome."
Annie is turning to smile at them just when they lean in for that kiss. Which is probably not unwelcome, especially as she's not about to let it turn into just making out in front of Charlie. "Meddling for a good cause, though," she teases, turning to Charlie after. "We actually met in the Spring Hollow and just chatted about minor things at first. I did not realise they were interested in seeing more of me until one of the other Springs said as much, and even then I was not sure how seriously to take her at first." She dimples slightly. "Luckily she turned out to be making a match, not trouble."
"There are springs who make trouble? I figured you guys were all really nice, like you two!" Charlie says, naively, "But it's wonderful that you two found each other! You're both great people who deserve the best."
"Oh yes," Eugene answers with a laugh, which seems to make the smoke they're made from pulse to the rhythm of it. "I can make trouble too, sometimes. I just try to limit it to people who I know it's not going to genuinely upset, which typically means just my friends and loved ones. Memento Mori is definitely trouble, but in a usually delightful way." They look at Annie. "I would usually take her seriously, but always be careful for a hidden trick, too."
"That makes sense. She is a fox, after all." Beat. "Though I must admit that I am curious as to what sort of trouble you make, now, Yu Jin. Should I be upset that you have not made any for me?" Annie's clearly teasing, as she glances at Charlie. "Some would consider my setting you and Wren up making trouble, you know."
"Is she, um, an actual fox or are you guys just saying she's pretty?" Charlie asks, lowering her hands and fidgeting them. "And it, uh, it was a little troubly at first. I couldn't really figure out what you were up to, but now I have my little bunny and everything is great!" Her eyes practically turn into hearts.
"A good question." Eugene smiles at Annie. "I haven't found the right opportunity or inspiration for trouble, I suppose? It's usually other things you're inspiring in me." They shift their attention to Charlie, back to Annie, and then to Charlie agian. "Annie set you and Wren up? I hadn't heard that, I don't think."
"Yes," Annie deadpans in response to Charlie's question. "Mostly talking them through their worries about pursuing each other, in all honesty." She glances at Eugene then. "I suppose I can settle for inspiring those other things."
"Sometimes that's all it takes," Eugene points out. "Helping people get out of their own way, or just playing intermediary for their efforts to feel one another out." They lean against Annie. "Do you feel up to playing another song?"
"I could, yes." Annie smiles, retrieving her violin and bow once more. "This may not be as good as the last one, though." Beat. "Unless you have another dollar for me, Yu Jin?"
"I do, but does it work if I just dig up the last one and give it to you again?" Eugene asks in a much more impish tone. They don't wait for an answer but disentangle themselves to dig up the previous bill. "Oh, look what I found!" They offer it. "For you."
"I have money too," Charlie pipes up, "unless it needs to be from a true love or something."
"What a precious token," Annie chuckles, immediately burying the bill again, then glancing at Charlie. "Oh, no. Just accepted in payment for the Contract and then buried. I do not want to put you out, is all." She pauses for a moment, chewing on her lip in thought, before beginning to play once more.
Eugene sits down next to Annie again and listens, watching her with rapt attention the entire time.
Charlie sits cross legged and watches Annie like she's watching a beautiful woman play violin. Which, you know, she is.
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