RP:Better Halves

Part of the The Dust Up In Cenril Arc

Summary: Hudson and Alvina invite Hudson's boyhood friend and current Cenril mayoral candidate, Fitz Johnson, as well as his wife, Uma Abelin, to dinner. While Hudson and Fitz go about grilling, Uma and Alvina realize they have a great deal in common. They are both working mothers, but beyond that, they have both stuck by men who have caused them great pain. (Uma does not reveal the details of Fitz's indiscretion.)

The Landon Estate, Cenril

Hudson and Alvina's housekeeper had worked overtime to make the house ready for the Johnsons. Marge had been retained for the evening - she usually had those off - and has made ready the girls' playroom with toys that might appeal to both Harper and Luna but also little Marco, Uma and Fitz's son, who was conveniently around their age. They are playing quietly as Hudson and Alvina make with the last of the preparations. Alvina had strenuously opposed any sort of GRILLING, arguing that the dinner should at least try to be classy, but Hudson had reassured her that he and Fitz would want to grill, they go way back, etcetera, Fitz and Uma needed to impress them, not the other way around. They're the ones with the checkbooks. And she'd after a time relented, maybe because grilling means he's doing most of the work and she's free to make some sides and then loaf around with Uma, whom Hudson has already gushed about. Gushed for him. Generally, her friends are "cool" or "nice" or "fun," so his making more substantive remarks is a departure. If he were more self-aware, maybe he'd realize that what he likes in Uma is what he likes about Alvina. "You're going to love her, I don't know how Fitz convinced her to marry him," he'd told Alvina. "She's got this really intelligent air about her like she knows what she's doing, but when she speaks she comes off very approachable. I kind of get the impression that without her, there'd be no Fitz, or he'd look like an idiot, like she's just really got it together." He'd casually added, as the discussion between them had progressed, that Uma is a witch, and noteworthy for her involvement in Cenril charities, and that maybe she'd be a good person for Alvina to know if Alvina wanted to get involved in some of that stuff. Also they're mothers of children around the same age, they could do play dates. He is very excited for Alvina having a friend of whom he approves politically, but also a friend whose professional ambitions seems to match hers. (Josleen cannot be that friend, she doesn't work and she's a low key fascist, and Kam can't be that friend... for obvious reasons. Though Kam really is nice, Hudson and Alvina have concluded.) "Am I being so annoying right now," jokes Huds, as they help carry out some of the sides to the pool patio. "It's like I'm trying to set you up on a date or something, I'll stop. I just really think you'll like her."

Alvina was programmed to immediately feel threatened by any woman described in great length. After a while though, Hudson's praise talk melts her down to feel exactly like she's being set up on a blind date with someone who is out of her league. "Speaking of incredible women with questionable men..." She teases, giving him a shrug when he turns to her and sticking out her tongue at him, when he spins around to deal with some toy of Luna's still on the carpet after the fifteenth living room sweep. "Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration from the opposite gender to really motivate people to turn their lives around. Though I don't think most dive off the deep end and start drug cartels...but you know what I mean." Playful ribbing, Marge can't hear them it's fine. Alvina isn't even discouraged that Uma is a witch. It's not like she's triggered with the word or anything. She can make witch friends, doesn't have any racist tendencies and would prefer to become good friends with Uma because she has a recent lust for friendships. Surrounding yourself with Powerful Women is not a bad place to be, she reasons. Especially if Hudson is going to be rubbing elbows with all kinds of people. She steps forward to straight something on his shirt that didn't need to be fixed so she can get close to him and smile. "It's okay, it's cute when you're nervous or excited. I'll take it as a compliment." She kisses him on the cheek just as the doorbell rings and Alvina makes a 'ready?' expression before marching through the house to the door to usher their guests in.

Hudson makes an ambiguous noise that denotes affection in the base of his throat in response to Alvina's drawing a parallel. It hadn't been lost on him either. He retrieves a one-armed (the other has broken off) wooden raptor off of the carpet. "Woooooow," he says casually in response to her playful little critique of his business. He jump shots the raptor toy into a toy bin. "BOOM," he declares, his playful demeanor lingering as Alvina approaches him under the pretense of fiddling with his shirt. He'd shaved his face for this event, and he grins into the kiss that Alvina presses against his cheek. The doorbell rings, and his hand connects with her backside in a conclusive 'let's go get 'em' pat, like they're both on the same sports team. "Go time. Seduce her, with your mind!" he whispers to Alvina, right before he puts on his game face and follows her to answer the door. Fitz and Uma have brought a couple bottles of wine - ah well, that's too bad - and of course young Marco. The couple of honor are dressed much like Hudson and Alvina are: in nice adult daytime party clothes. Fitz has on slacks and a dress shirt, no tie, sport coat. Uma has on a flowing navy skirt and a yellow short-sleeved sweater, the summer kind. A colorful scarf is tied at her neck. "Huuuuuuuds," intones Fitz, and that kicks off the tone for the party. After the introductions, including the greeting of wee Marco, the parents usher him over to the playroom, and all of the appropriate noises of admiration are made about the other couple's child/children. The party relocates out to the pool patio after that. Hudson and Fitz are like two dogs that have been reunited at their favorite park. They're loud, immediately talk sports, and express strong opinions at one another as they mutually undertake the grilling situation. ("What are you doing? Are you a sociopath? No. No. Don't do it that way? Dude! You're fired!" Yes, because this is high stakes.) This leaves Uma and Alvina to lounge and pick at a bowl of mixed nuts. They exchange a few pleasantries about child rearing ("Those legos, they love them but if you step on one..."). Uma seems to be perpetually on the verge of laughing at her husband but manages to reign it in, smiles like a cat that ate the canary, as she picks out the cashews. Eventually, after the men generate a small explosion of sorts to get the grill started, she lifts her eyebrows and reaches for the wine, slyly observing, "Well. That is happening." She pours a glass and offers it to Alvina first. "I understand you're a very accomplished engineer and still work full-time," she says breezily, her gaze seeking out Alvina's as if to convey that she considered it no small feat. "That's nice," she says, and means it. She drinks from the well of her wine glass, and then elaborates: "Your daughters will see that you work and know that they can too." She eyes the nut bowl. Alvina hasn't eaten one in a while, so she is hesitant to reach for another handful. There is a social contract in such things! You may only pick at an appetizer after someone else has. She must wait. (In the background, Huds to Fitz: "Maybe we should conduct an experiment where we try to use different snack foods as kindling and rank them?")

Alvina tries not to laugh with this ‘seduce her with your mind’ business but she’s failing. Amusement is written all over her face when she pulls the door open and they begin their mingling. Uma and Fitz are very much a mirror image of Alvina and Huds. Little Marco is adorable and happy to impress Luna and Harper with his mastery of legos. He even looks to be building something when they leave. Oh my! An architect in the making! Marge waves them out to the pool patio. It’s kind of cute to watch their men foam at the mouth over starting a grill, the mini mushroom cloud signifying that FIRE has been created. Why all this fuss? She assumed Hudson didn’t like to use alchemical fire on the grill. Maybe it undermined his ‘manliness’. Alvina graciously accepts the glass and thanks Uma again for bringing the wine before very slowly sipping it. She’s taking great pains to make sure to be casual about the speed. No need to set of any alarms here. When Uma comments on Alvina’s work and status for the sake of their daughters, Alvina grins. “I feel very much the same. I never want my daughters to think they can’t or shouldn’t work. There’s a lot of pressure to remain a stay at home mom. People love to give their opinions on how you’re doing it wrong.” They share a small laugh and Alvina reaches for a cashew that she’s been eying. “Tell me about what you do? Hudson is an adoring fan of you and Fitz, clearly.” She gestures with a salty finger in their direction. Did they just open a bag of chips and put them –in- the grill? “How did we get so lucky?” She wonders aloud with a small glazing of irony.

Uma lifts her eyebrows again, drinks some of her wine. "I'm sure they'll learn to keep their opinions to themselves by the time the kids are in school," she quips, in tone that suggests she plainly thinks it'll only get worse. She reaches for more cashews since Alvina has engaged in her half of the social contract. "Well I'm a witch," she says neatly. "But specifically I work in Big Agriculture, so I consult with large farms to bless the harvests and sometimes modify the crops a bit for consumers. Seedless oranges? That's me. Farming is very male dominated so it's not been easy, I'm sure you know what I mean." She pauses here. "That's .. special." She watches the men, who are setting fire to what appears to be a Frito and making notations about how fast it's burning. She drinks in response to Alvina's observation, her mouth curved in a conspiratorial smile. "At least they're cooking, in their own way," she remarks. "Let's walk around, we can pretend it is exercise." She rises, wine in hand, and lets Alvina lead the way around the yard since it's her property after all. Away from the men, the conversation develops a bit better. Uma asks Alvina how she met Hudson, where she grew up, and how she started to learn engineering. She met Fitz through a mutual friend and confides in Alvina that before him she was dating a professional hockey player in Frostmaw which was "a little fun" but he was dumb as a brick. They do a loop back to the wine, and Uma refills her glass. The men have in the meantime finished their scientific experiment with snacks and are now grilling. Uma and Alvina creep up to the property line and engage in a bit of good natured gossip about the Easts. "I know this is a bit rude of me to say as we just met and she's your neighbor..." begins Uma, "But you know Kam has seen cosmetic enhancement witches about basically her entire body? I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. It's a profession but it's not fair I think, for little girls. Also not fair to grown women but I like to think grown men are not so stupid so as to think Kam is all natural. Fitz is aware, at least, but I don't think he cares. That she's enchanted everywhere." She rolls her eyes. "He's a good husband and father to Marco but that's men for you." The air is filled with the smell of grilling meat. "Maybe this is the wine speaking," she continues, "but I feel like I can tell you this. I heard a rumor about you and Hudson and why your engagement broke, before... I'm sorry, is this awful of me? Please - I'm on your team - I don't judge you at all, life is hard and complex and messy, I'm bringing it up because Fitz mentioned that one of the policy agenda items Hudson is asking for is a pardon for that woman. I know her, of course, she's a bit infamous in the community because of the whole... reason she needs the pardon." She is quiet for a moment, suggesting that perhaps she has read between the lines there. "I just felt as one woman to another you should know. I can try to kill it with Fitz if you'd like, so there's no need to speak to your hus- Hudson about it."

Alvina listens with interest as Uma explains her job. There’s no negative reaction when she admits to being a witch, yes Alvina knows. Hudson told her. That sounds like a lovely job, fighting the man and trail blazing for working women everywhere. Alvina is very much in support of that. The two women take a short tour of the gardens on the other side of the house, the pool still in view. There are various herbal flowers mingled in with the decorative sort. Alvina explains how Hudson and her came to be, through the Eyrie assigned to a special project that ended up causing them to spend way too much time together. Hudson was more about having casual relations while Alvina wanted something more permanent. “He even gave me this line about being friends that kiss sometimes…” She laughs, it’s clearly something endearing now because they have this little growing family and a home and separate businesses they are managing. “I believe it,” the bard comments in reply to Kam being enchanted everywhere. “She’s very nice but you can tell she’s not happy with herself unless she looks this way. It’s probably because she saw women doing the same and looked up to them. It’s a self feeding cycle, really.” She waves her hand politely to decline another glass; glad it doesn’t become a ‘thing’. When Uma very politely brings up the reasons behind her and Hudson’s previous engagement failure, her face stiffens a little with fear. Was Uma a friend of Val’s because they were in the same community? “No, no..” She says, deflatedly dismissing the accusation that it’s rude of her to mention. Clearly Uma was a woman who said what was on her mind, and Alvina appreciated that forwardness. There it is, that rough spot of bitterness, being scratched below the surface. The Valrae barrier that was Cenril could be maintained if Alvina wanted, and Hudson wouldn’t even have to know. Her features scrunch in distaste, then thought before a sigh permeates the air. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about saying yes but…” The wine glass in her hand rotates a small dot of wine around the bottom of the glass, coating it in a way that made it look like stained glass. “Valrae doesn’t deserve to be exiled, as much as I don’t like to admit that. I haven’t told Hudson or really anyone, because they would think I was crazy but I just felt betrayed by HER too. I thought we were friends, and she lied to my face about…well everything.” Her lips tug in a smile, recognizing her own pathetic mood. “We didn’t know each other that well but she shouldn’t be penalized by the city, anyway. I think it should be lifted. If I selfishly want to keep it, it’s because it makes me safe, that we won’t run into each other and that maybe there won’t be any more incidents but…at the end of the day, I have to place my faith in my husband to be. It’s up to him to decide how to handle his life, and if he wants to find a way to get caught up again, he will. People do what they want. That’s one thing he’s taught me. I just can’t spend my life trying to hide from her or the possibility of her. Does that even make sense?” Alvina laughs, feeling highly exposed all of a sudden. “Please promise you’ll come over sometime to swim with us. The pool water is enchanted to remain a comfortable 70 degrees, no matter the weather.” It’s not a gracious change of conversation topics, but Alvina is never use to the role of Hostess, especially not with powerful women.

Uma drinks from the well of her wineglass, all the while giving Alvina a pained look, as if it hurt her to hear Alvina's response. She feels a closeness to the other woman, it's probably just the fact that they've been milling about and drinking together and talking about a subject that's burned the both of them, that'll do it. "You're really, really gracious," she murmurs reverently at Alvina, like she's in the presence of a saint. She catches the attempt to change conversation topics, and her gaze connects crisply with Alvina's, as if to say, I see what you did there. She looks at the pool, though, playing into it. "Obviously," she agrees. "Maybe when the campaign is done, that'll be nice. I'm over it already." A bit of a foreshadowing there. A comfortable silence weaves its way between them, and then she looks at Alvina. "I'm sorry, you're just... this is it, really. The worst thing about it," she says, seamlessly referring to the topic of infidelity, "is how nice you feel you have to be after these things happen. Nice to him, to the world, nice to... these women. When it happened to me I felt ugly and wanted to be a monster. And it was so much energy pretending every day that I was this .. gracious human who has this inhuman capacity for forgiveness and understanding. Because that's the only person you get to be, because everybody is looking at you, waiting for you to show weakness or snap or..." She sighs and steals a glance at Alvina. "Anyway, you can be a little bit of a monster with me if you want. I won't judge you. If you change your mind, let me know."

Alvina clears her throat, acutely aware of Uma’s gaze while she sets her now empty wine glass down on the table. “I’d really like that.” For Uma to come swimming, for them to have a little friendship where they might gossip about women in the business of politics and remark on their tasteless dresses or their latest affairs. “I can imagine…” Alvina starts, in reference to the exhausting work of campaigning, before her companion really gets into details that she most certainly can imagine. Her face slacks, reflecting on her own matching impulses to be a monster and rip her revenge out of anyone who would listen. Alvina uses her empty hands to take Uma’s, in the way friends do to show they understand the severity of something being said without interrupting it. “To be honest, I was a little bit of a monster at first.” She hands her head, but still holding Uma’s gaze. “I wanted to stomp right up to her and demand an answer. From the both of them because they both saw me and they both knew. I wasn’t some faceless stranger rooting around at the top of a castle far, far away. I’m a woman, with insecurities. I worry about being beautiful, and I guard every little thing I said. And Hudson,” She huffed, happy for one second to talk to someone who wasn’t going to turn Valrae into a criminal again. Hopefully. “He kept looking at me like...I was trying to hold it over his head forever. Suddenly it’s my fault that I’m still hurt, you know? Like you are entitled to your feelings of infidelity but I’m not entitled to be hurt?” The corners of her emerald eyes drop, frowning. “It felt like I was the only one who wasn’t allowed to have a bad reaction and when I did eventually react like a monster, I was chastised for it. -Hudson- demanded I fix it instead of standing up for me.” It was more complicated, she’d almost gotten Valrae into trouble that the witch didn’t deserve to be in. Cenril, part two. “I feel like I’m the one who has been paying the price for every stupid thing that happened and until recently I thought I might be paying that price forever. People look at me and I can see the pity in their eyes when I tell them we are engaged again. They think, poor Alvina. Marrying the father of children, even though he was unfaithful. They have no idea the time or work we’ve both put in to rebuild what we have. The fighting, the endless hardships…” Alvina sniffles, unaware of how passionate she’s become in the past few seconds, both of her hands still gripping Uma’s. “I’m not gracious. I’m bitter, and I worry. I have bad days, where I look at women on the street and wonder if he’d leave me for her. Is her hair nicer? Is she more flexible? Or passionate? Or full of something I’m not? But I have good days too, and we talk like we’re best friends again and I think we’re invincible. But no one ever sees that. They see the time Hudson messed up, and they see the weak girl who took him back for their children but that’s not the case at all...I took him back because I love him. Because I knew we could figure it out if we really wanted to and he made me believe he really wanted to. I don’t know if that’ll change how things go in the future but I believe that for all his mistakes that he really does love me at the end of the day, and wants to be beside me. Otherwise, he’s had a million chances to leave. And maybe it’s not my place to say so but.... Toi think they know that Uma. I think they know that these little side...situations are one thing and we’re another thing altogether. I’m not trying to justify the behaviour but...I think he’d be lost without you and he knows it.” Now, Alvina sees fit to drop her hands away from Uma’s and laugh awkwardly through a brief silence that follows. Is that disbelief on her face or is Uma thinking that Alvina is hopelessly naive and bound to relive her Valrae experience again? “Either way, not to come on too strong but, I’d love a swimming buddy.”

Uma squeezes Alvina's hands and nods along with what the other woman is saying, a wan smile encouraging her to keep going. They can be honest with each other, they have suffered a similar wound. Her eyes are brimming with empathy. Yes, Uma understands the shame in getting back together with someone who has publicly humiliated her, although maybe Alvina doesn't know her story. She'll tell Alvina another time, she decides, right now, they've moved onto something solid together, a new friendship, forged in shared vulnerability and maybe a little wine and contempt of their other halves. "Every relationship ages and develops blemishes, the question is whether you're better together or apart," says Uma, a tone of practicality in her voice. Maybe she's less of a hopeless romantic than Alvina, or perhaps she's just re-phrasing what Alvina's said in her own words. Uma's smile grows as she considers the other woman. "Anyway, I'll be your swimming buddy, I partied a little hard this winter - ate a lot of carbs - and like the idea of swimming. It seems clean, maybe because water is involved. I hate sweating so I never go running or to the gym. I'm awful, I know." Uma's gaze lifts to the grill to see Hudson and Fitz waving at them from a distance across the lawn. Hudson cups a hand to his mouth. "Women!" he shouts. "Dinner is served!"