RP:The Worst Valentine's Date Ever

Summary: Alvina and Hudson take Mercedes and Cleo to Obedience Training, drop the kiddos off at E.L.'s and head out for a romantic Valentine's Day Dinner Date Night. After presenting Hudson's expensive gift, Alvina tells him she's taken a gig in Frostmaw as the Royal Blacksmith. Hudson is furious, because he thinks Lionel is just trying to charm Alvina. Alvina, on the other hand, thinks Hudson doubts her Engineering abilities and storms out of the restaurant after making a scene.

On The Way To E.L's

After the events at the Restored Trembling Tree, Alvina finds her way home with a sprained ankle thanks to the time honored tradition of carriages. Alvina is livid with her new ride, and tells Hudson about what happened, even the bits about Lionel having to bring her back. It could have been construed as a fabrication, except for the fact her ankle is swollen and useless for a short while. The events are as follows; Mercedes did not want to go to Frostmaw on Alvina’s instruction because it was too cold and dumped her at the base of a tree and sprained her ankle. Alvina tried to stand, because she wanted to get away from Lionel as quickly as possible, and fell into a freezing moat. Lionel had to pick her up and put her in a canoe, and row them back to a road where she could take a carriage. End of story. So Alvina has insisted that her and Hudson take Cleo and Mercedes to a behavior management class. They do it for dogs, why can’t they do it for horses? The bard insists that the couple bring both horses because Mercedes refuses to do almost anything without Cleo, unless she spots a cute guy horse. Then it’s all over, and they bicker like school children. And Mercedes is a total flirt, so she almost always wins. It’s the day of the class, and Hudson and Alvina are in a carriage, heading back to E.L.’s. Marge is fine with the girls today, told them to go have fun...but the look on Alvina’s face is dread and dismay. The instructor told her that she had to appear bigger than she was and in control. Alvina was none of those things. She was only mad, and still hurt. Bardic magic could only do so much to repair a sprain. Most of it’s recovery was due to Hudson and his sports medicine knowledge. Playing Kickball and Baseball had really come in handy (for once). She lets out a loud sigh, as they turn into Cenril and off the main street, still a few turn’s from E.L.’s home. “She’s never going to listen to me…” She whines, leaning back against Hudson for Moral support. The look on his face is probably one that says ‘this is dumb, but I support you.’ Normal boyfriend opinion.

Hudson hadn't really loved the story about Lionel rescuing Alvina from a sprained ankle but he can't exactly take the other position which is to say express his view that this was an unnecessary interaction. He hadn't really thought anything of Lionel - apparently the guy's name isn't Lyons, oops - the man had seemed besotted with Alvina and kind of pathetic for it, but this plot Alvina relates is just too coincidental that it strikes a personal chord. The world's a big place. She just happened to be riding and fell off in his presence? Or more likely they were riding together when it happened, that's what it seems to Hudson, and she'd taken a page right out of his book and fabricated this explanation. It's not that he thinks anything is happening with Lionel, she's spending far too much time with their children and flirting with him for that to seem credible. She'd have to be like CIA levels of duplicitous, and for a woman who most of the time wears her emotions right on her face he just doesn't believe it. He is still of the mindset that Alvina must love the attention and is protecting him from information that would hurt him, it's just he'd been there once too, and fed her the same lies. At the end of the day there's nothing to say about it, especially if you're a former cheater yourself. And so all he'd been able to do is tease her about Lionel and express gratitude for the guy's assistance in returning her safely. And agree to this obedience school for Mercedes, who behaves fine with him, it's his view that Alvina probably isn't being dominant enough with her, and Mercedes is just doing what she likes because she doesn't respect Alvina's authority. Maybe if Alvina had to deal with herself all day she'd have more practice. (He thinks he's funny, personally.) Indeed Hudson's reaction had been quite smug when the instructor had more or less told Alvina the Same Damn Thing at the lesson. Alvina has been pouting since it ended. He slides an arm around her. "You just have to work a little on being bossier and she'll listen," he says, reiterating the theme of today. "Don't treat Mercedes like Aria, she's way too big to have a mind of her own. You have to act like you're in charge. If she starts doing something you don't like you have to be firm about it. You see how I'm a bit forceful with her, that's how you have to be. In the meantime, you can ride Cleo but even she requires a bit of a backbone, babe, so you have to learn. You can't just expect your admirers to always be lurking around waiting to pick you up in the event of flying horse ejection."

Alvina grumbles, because she isn’t a stern disciplinarian. This might come into play more when their daughters want more out of life than to chew on the corners of the drywall. “She should listen because I’m her owner! She’s smart enough to know that…” Being smart was half of the horse’s issue. The other half being sass obviously. “I think she only like men.” The instructor was also a man, and had no trouble handling Mercedes, who was happy to follow him around on her tip...hooves, if he’d only asked. Hudson got along with her too. Alvina felt like it’s a doomed cause. “If she doesn’t respect me now, it’ll be even harder to get her to.” A valid complaint. It’s harder to change someone’s opinion of you once it’s already formed. And boy, let me tell you, Alvina is not the spitting image of authority or dominance. Especially not when she’s sulking and pouty. “I don’t like to be bossy!” As if that’s an excuse. What did she think would happen with Luna wanted to stay out late?! Just let her! Heavens NO. Then came Hudson’s remark about Lionel and Alvina huffed. The subject was just about as tender as her ankle still. “Admirers. I told you that guy is just misplacing his feelings. I don’t encourage him.” It’s true! She really doesn’t! She goes to great lengths to DISCOURAGE him. “Cleo is nicer, we should switch.” It’s a last ditch effort to not have to ‘man up’ and earn Mercedes’ respect. Even E.L. doesn’t seem to struggle with either of the horses!! Ugh! It’s not fair. “What do you want to do tonight…?” She asked, trying to change the subject. If she’s not mistaken, it’s Valentine’s Day. It’s possible that in the madness of babies...they’ve completely forgotten.

"You have to be bossy, we're not switching permanently, just until you learn to be bossier," says Hudson patiently, frowning against her hair as the conversation moves back to Lionel. She isn't exactly correcting his private narrative about the guy, or her narrative, which he assumes is made up. "Misplacing his feelings maybe, but you like the attention," he comments in a dry tone. "Gods know what really goes on inside that head of yours. Hopefully you keep it out of the bedroom." He curls his arm around her to let her know that he's not truly angry (but still...) and with that lets the subject lapse, in any event she's asked him a question. "Well mum said she'd watch them after Marge is done for the day. Sort of assumed we'd go out to eat and I'd give you something unreasonably expensive?" he teases her. "I guess we have some time we can fill before dinner, do you want to go shopping or something?"

Alvina isn’t thinking about Lionel and therefore can not correct Hudson’s secret narrative, even though the entire situation was true as she’d told it (minus the exclusion of Lionel’s LOVE feelings). That was silly, did not require explanation again. They’d already talked about it. “I don’t! It’s creepy and makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong.” Is it possible to feel guilty because someone else likes you? That’s what it’s like. “I just want him to get a girlfriend and stop showing up at odd times.” That part was true! She did want him to find someone...there were just moments when she’d like to be that someone. Only when she suffered from a madness that made her forget how good her life really was. It happens, that doesn’t make people cheaters. Is Hudson really jealous? Maybe she’d better not tell him anymore of these Lionel situation stories. He didn’t like them. Alvina tries to lean over, to kiss Hudson’s cheek, but the positioning in the carriage is awkward and she ends up kissing his chin. Okay that’s fine, she guesses.

“Yes actually that would be great. I’m looking for something with no midsection, too many sparkles, and a lot of flexibility. I’m sure you can help me find that right?” It’s all a joke now, but she feels better talking about this with Hudson. Otherwise, no one else sees it. The way Lionel looks at her. It’s flattering for two seconds, and then it makes her uneasy. Like a puppy, waiting for a biscuit. Complete, unfiltered devotion to a woman he barely knew. If only Hudson looked at her that way!! She’d have joked but the subject is over, she drops it. “You don’t have to keep giving me gifts you know…” A comment meant to discourage extravagance. “You could just like hug me or something?” A beat, while she waits for him to. He doesn’t. She nudges him with her elbow. “Hey, I just want some hugs okay. Can we work on this bossy thing? Where are my hugs??” Another elbow nudge. “What do you want anyway? Do you want me to get you some flowers?? I’m not sure what guys like for this kind of thing...and before you throw something more questionable into the ring, let me just stomp that fire out right now with a solid no.”

At E.L.'s

Hudson strokes the back of Alvina's neck in a manner that's meant to be consoling. Easy, he's not mad about Lionel. Just giving her a hard time, he's still in 'cool' boyfriend mode. Except she doesn't want to go shopping, nor does she want expensive gifts, apparently. Hugs? Are they in grade school now? He feels a little unbalanced by the suggestion, like she's rejecting his attempts to spoil her because she herself feels guilty or otherwise not surefooted in their relationship. He neglects to hug her, he's looking at her like there's another shoe to drop. There it is. That must be why she doesn't want any nice gifts, because she believes they come with a quid pro quo. "Woooooooow," he drags the word out, his gaze lifting to the ceiling of the carriage as he rolls his eyes. "First of all, it's not that unreasonable for me to want something like that. It's Valentine's Day and I got you something nice," he elaborates. "Second of all, why don't you love me as much as I love you? What, don't give me that look. No, the driver can't hear..." They've stopped in front of E.L.'s home now, so this conversation probably can't continue without becoming totally weird. She's outside with Marge, each of them holding a bundled up child, and she waves at them as they get out. "Helloooo! We have just been getting the mail here. How did it go with the horses! Were they sad that you left them at the training padlock? You know I hear they're very good, those people, I'm sure they'll soften up that Mercedes in no time."

Alvina and Hudson climb out of the carriage and go about greeting the two women, and their individual bundles in turn. E.L. leads them all inside to offer drinks and the latest gossip. Marge enjoys her stories, and laughs loudly at all her jokes. Apparently she is a hard core fan of E.L.’s novel series and happy to discover she works for the author’s son and what she assumes is her soon to be daughter in law. Alvina waves off any implications about proposal again ( a common topic recently) and refreshes everyone’s drinks and makes the girls their bottles. They chat for a good while about the lessons, Alvina occasionally will touch Hudson’s knee with affection. He throws his arm around her and nods along, trying to show an interest in the story he’d just today lived through. The mother of his children is making a big scene of saying Mercedes doesn’t respect her but E.L. and Marge chirp up with the same advice; Alvina has to be stern, it’s the same way with children. She nods, rolling her eyes internally before standing to stretch. “It’s getting a bit late, we really should get on if we are going to make those reservations…” She nudges Hudson, who looks to be almost falling asleep about this chatter, especially since Luna and Harper were quick to do the same.

At The Restaurant

Hudson had wanted to leave earlier but hadn't wanted to interrupt the family pow-wow and seem too eager to ditch their children. His mum is really great with the girls, he considers himself incredibly fortunate and is grateful for it. Because of her, they can unplug from babies a bit. But still can't appear too eager for it, that seems for some reason rude to all involved. He's glad Alvina's the one reminding him. "Yes," he agrees, rising from his chair and reaching for her as she gets up beside him. This is the cue for everyone to say their goodbyes, and the little visit wraps up with Marge agreeing to retrieve the girls in the morning. Hudson tries not to show his enthusiasm about the prospect of sleeping in for a change, but it's there. It's the first thing he comments on to Alvina, with no small amount of enthusiasm, as they climb into the carriage on the way to the restaurant. It's a nice enough place, the liberated parents are seated soon enough and served with wine to await the arrival of their food. "Did you want your gift now or later?" asks Hudson, sinking back into his chair and surveying the room. He seems to be waiting for something, and considers Alvina with amusement. "I didn't say I have it with me now, I just asked whether you wanted it now or later."

Alvina was sipping her glass of wine when he asked. An eyebrow raises, checking his hands and finding nothing before he clarifies. “Why would you ask if you don’t have it with you?” A laugh, and her hand snakes across the table to hold his. “You’re so cruel, don’t get me anything. You already got Mercedes. I’m not high maintenance, I don’t need a lot of things.” It’s easy to get use to having all these things and take it for granted. Also, she feels a bit guilty. Maybe she should leave the news of her new gig a secret until tomorrow, when it’s not Valentine’s Day. It’s easy to read on her face, the more wine she drinks. “Are you just teasing me? So rude… I didn’t get you anything.” A lie, she did get him something. Something silly, but also that she hoped he would like. Maybe he wouldn’t ask about her recent letter / visit to Frostmaw and they could just pretend like he was the breadwinner and she was the stay-at-home food machine for the babies. She felt underdressed to be here. “Do you want it now or not?” A smirk, because he made a face that says he didn’t believe her about her not getting him anything. Damn him. He was so much cuter than Lionel anyway. Especially when he smiles. Lionel never even smiles. “Come on, I haven’t got all night. And no, it’s not the fact that we get to sleep in tomorrow. That’s an added bonus.”

Hudson snorts at Alvina's suggestion like she's inviting him to step into a bear trap. "Yeah OK, you can't just opt out of Valentine's Day," he comments, giving her hand a squeeze but otherwise reaching for his wine glass and eyeballing her over the rim. He grunts into a sip from the glass as she pretends she didn't get him anything and then reveals the joke. "It bodes well for me if you've got the gift on your person," he remarks, grinning as he continues, "Since you're not going to give me what we both know I really want, I lit a candle to the gods that you got us behind-the-plate tickets for the Cubbies game on opening day. Which is a fairly close runner up." He makes a beckoning gesture with his free hand. "Let's make a trade, you first," he says, throwing a look behind him at the passing wait staff. 'Five minutes,' he mouths, turning an expectant look back on Alvina.

Alvina is giving Hudson a look like ‘who the heck do you think you are’ but grinning all the while. She does indeed have his gift on her person, and pulls out what looks like a small cufflink box. Which she hands over dutifully, waiting for him to pull the lid back. To be fair, the gift ratio was definitely more in his favor than usual. Men! Never satisfied! This comment about Cubbies tickets phases her, so she’s looking away to try and keep the secret. “Just open it already,” she says, waiting for him to reveal his gift...which actually was just what he’d asked for, and a bit more. She’d been put a waiting list to get season tickets for the Cenril Cubs this year. Behind the plate, best you can get. It really took Lionel offering her the job to know she could afford them, and she had. Bought them with HER money, and not his. From the few commissions she’d done and the work in Frostmaw. BIG MONEY ALVINA over here. At triple salary, hard not to feel like a big deal. She’s grinning fiendishly while he examines the contents, feeling her excitement feed of his.

Hudson takes the box in hand and shakes it by his ear a little. He has a good idea of what's inside - there's really only so much jewelry you can get men - but he does it for show. "Hmmm. This does not appear to be Cubbies tickets," he observes, as a cushioned rattling sound issues therein. "I'm sure this is something far better, I just didn't know I wanted it until right now," he jokes, lifting the lid off of the box. Indeed, to his non-surprise, there are cufflinks. He'd been prepared to smile and kiss Alvina across the table but his excitement grows at the sight of the tickets. So this is her revenge for his blender-containing-a-bracelet caper. "You," insert expletive that ends in 'ing,' "troll," he accuses her under his breath, as he goes about prying loose the tickets to have a better look. It doesn't take long to ascertain that they're season tickets just where he wants to sit. He looks at them with stunned amazement, as if he couldn't believe what he's reading. "Babe, I... thank you for knowing me, and you know I love you, but this is too much," he informs her, looking wide-eyed at her. "Way way way too much, you shouldn't spend this kind of money on me?"

Alvina is thrilled. He didn’t suspect a thing. Is this how he felt with the blender escapade? Why thank you for this gift I didn’t really want- what the heck, oh my gosh. YOU ARE THE GREATEST. She laughs, and watches him react the way she had to all his gifts so far...with bewildered amazement. How could she afford this? How did she know? She’s amped up! Feels like she’s on top of the world for once! Lionel wants to be a punk and stop being her friend, FINE. Her man crush mondays boyfriend, father of her children was so utterly in shock and love right now with her that she could be fueled for thousands of years on his excitement alone. She was untouchable. “Nothing is way too much for you, babe! I’ve been hired on in Frostmaw, as the official royal blacksmith...so I’ll finally start pulling my weight financially and I can start taking care of you as well as you’ve been taking care of me. Luna and Harper will be set for life. Their children’s children will still be fine after we get through. Your girlfriend is now officially making steady bank. We can take the girls to the first game! Harper will love it.” It slips out, she’s just so proud she can make him this happy. Alvina loves Hudson so much, she wants to give him the world but he always beat her to the punch. “I love you…” She’s smiling, trying to go in for a kiss, even in front of all these strangers. Forget hugs.

Hudson is calculating how much Alvina spent on him while he's relatively certain that the balance is still easily in his favor in this couples' ledger, he still thinks she spent far too much but he also is utterly delighted, so... the feelings are complicated. He scoots his chair closer to her and kisses her with the sort of boundless enthusiasm of a dog licking its owner. (Less messy, though.) "You're sooo bad," he tells her, looking at the tickets which are now approaching his daughters in how precious they are, "but you're also the best. Thank you." He kisses her again, and returns to his seat only for her to begin explaining how this incredible gift was only made possible through her new job. How quickly his excitement is dampened, his stunned expression returns as he processes this truth. She kisses him now and he barely remembers to react. "I love you too," he says, automatically, then, "Babe you're really - You - uh, you didn't need to get a job? This is a wonderful gift, but you don't need to work or buy me expensive things? I'm fine to take care of you and the girls, I like to." He doesn't know how to express his discomfort with this revelation. "I want you to be able to spend as much time with them as you want and to have the help you need to do that and not go crazy." He means Marge, of course, but he'd not foreseen that one day Alvina would go back to work, he'd just imagined they'd become some sort of dynamic duo. "Frostmaw is kind of far from Larket..." he notes, trying to curb the feeling that's building, "... I guess I should ask uh, well how often, what sort of... I mean how all did this come about?"

Alvina feels like she’s won the award for best girlfriend this year, even if Hudson had a tendency to outshine her in the gifts department. He’s kissing her, it’s all so great, they are going to make out like teenagers when they get home...and then he isn’t kissing her, so much as turning towards her and making the automatic ‘mwah’ sound with his lips. “Hello there?” Earth to Hudson, your babymomma got you an awesome gift, why aren’t you kissing her? Oh. Because…he doesn’t want her to work? Hadn’t the plan always been she’d go back to work when she recovered and they got a good nanny to watch the girls, especially while they are still too small to remember anything that’s happening. “I didn’t need to but I wanted to?” She tells him, trying to play it off as a non-issue. Hudson continues, building a case against why Alvina should just stay home forever. It’s a little alarming. She tries to keep her cool and not get upset. It’s shocking, she should have waited. “Frostmaw is a bit of a trip, I do agree but...I got that letter a couple of weeks ago. They held interviews, because they needed someone...and I went because I...want to do something good. They’ve been very good to us Hudson, the job we had working for the Eyrie...that’s how we met.” Try to pull it back to something romantic, it’s Valentine’s Day after all. “I don’t know the details about how often I will have to be there, or be called away to work but I’m sure I can do a lot of stuff from Larket. Especially now that Josleen is like a queen there. (She most definitely is the Queen there) Frostmaw and Larket are allies...we can do both things”. So far she’s failed to mention Lionel in all this purposely. “But they are desperate. T-they offered me three times the normal salary before I agreed. They think I’m the best choice…and I don’t want my talents to go to waste just because I’m a mother now...The girls won’t remember these first couple years very well. After I do this for a while, we’ll be set.” She didn’t want to say it, but it’s hanging on the tip of her tongue. Maybe Hudson could even stop trafficking drugs and go back to a legal job? Didn’t he see how her decision was for the best?

The mood is curdling a bit now, Hudson can tell. Alvina's immediately defensive, so is he. Hadn't they talked about their family before and agreed that she wouldn't work more than part-time? He feels blindsided by this gig in Frostmaw, if Alvina was so integral to their operations, why hadn't Hildegarde mentioned it to him over beers and wings when he'd seen her recently? Frostmaw is full of people they know, they just spent a long time there with their newborn children, so why is she being vague and referring to "they"? (He thinks he knows why, it's annoying him now.) What even is this suggestion that she work flex-time in Larket and commute to Frostmaw when necessary? If his hunch about the "they" is on point, that's a load of crap she's feeding him. He feels the floor drop out from under him, like they're on completely different pages here. He'd just moved the lab for his operations to Larket in order to cut down on commute and spend more time with them at home, and now she's secretly - because she likely knew he'd have an issue with it - gone and picked up a full-time gig that she didn't need all the way in Frostmaw, because "they" have some pretextual/alleged need of her. Surely his daughters need Alvina more than Lionel does! And he can hardly believe that his innocent, sweet Alvina had done a devious thing and created this sandwich by telling him through the purchase of season tickets. He is speechless, and to make matters more awkward the waitstaff arrives carrying a gigantic bouquet of roses for Alvina (from him, of course, he'd choreographed this to happen). He clear his throat, waits for them to peel away before looking at Alvina, who now appears to be coldly arranging the flowers on the other side of the table. "I just don't like this, I did not have the impression you were going back full time to working," he says, feeling now like he has to get it all out, like vomiting really. "And I think it's weird you didn't tell me you were interviewing, and weird that you're using the word 'they' when we know basically everyone there on a personal, first-name basis, and I think it's weird that you chose to tell me this after surprising me with season tickets so that basically I would be forced to support this thing you probably knew I wouldn't."

Alvina hates this feeling. This, how could you go back to work full time after having babies you are ruining our family feeling. “It wasn’t a secret,” She proclaims, just before the wait staff arrives to hand her a bouquet. Why hadn’t she waited? It just felt right that, when he was worrying about how much she’d spent on him, to tell him not to. So he could further enjoy his gift and feel pampered and spoiled for once. Now it’s blowing up in her face like a temperamental souffle and she’s the one that’s scrambling to make it presentable. Hudson’s irritation seems to stem from more than one thing. It’s weird that she didn’t tell him? “I did tell you!” There’s no way she could be missing for an entire day and Hudson not notice. He’d probably just forgotten and was pushing the blame back on her. “I got a letter, I showed it to you before breakfast a few days ago!” In all fairness, he’d been just waking up and probably had forgotten. The venomous feeling of tricking him starts to writhe in her stomach. It wasn’t an intentional thing! She wasn’t hiding anything!! Except maybe Lionel’s name...but she didn’t have to drop that bomb...Hudson was two steps away from saying it. She can read it in his reaction to this entire thing. It wasn’t really about her working... Her face contorts, making a silent “o” shape in realization. So that’s what was going on. He thought this was about her wanting to see Lionel? Glorious. While she’d been out ACTUALLY telling Lionel to back down because she had a family and she wouldn’t be swayed, Hudson was practically accusing her for cheating. On Valentine’s Day. After she went to all the trouble of basically buying an entire panel of people off for these tickets. And of course, it’s also her fault for choosing the wrong moment to make this announcement. It was supposed to HELP them in the long run. And when she drops his name, because she will now have to because he thinks it’s too vague to say ‘they’ even though she wasn’t agreeing because LIONEL had asked her, Hudson will go ballistic and call her a doxy of some sort. “It doesn’t matter who interviewed me, because I’m not working for Lionel, I’m working for Frostmaw!” She’d said that a bit too aggressively, and immediately regrets it. “Hudson, I’m not picking sides or choosing anything over our family. You have to know that. After everything we went through to get here, you guys are my first priority, Always. But…” He’s staring at her now like she’s made of barbed wire and acid. Like he’ll never touch her in a thousand years. Like he might even just burn those precious tickets and storm out of this fancy restaurant where all the other couples are making eyes at each other and planning to head home to snuggle up together. Alvina, was staring sadly at Hudson, with the realization that they would not be snuggling up together under a blanket in an empty house, just the two of them. They would be fighting, all night. And he’d probably sleep on the couch, or in the girl’s room on a fold out and make her feel like the worst person because she’s agreed to help Frostmaw (AND NOT LIONEL) in a difficult time. “He said the previous blacksmith might have been stealing weapons...and was fired recently…” And Hudson doesn’t seem to be buying any of the actual truth she’s selling. It wasn’t fair. Even when she told the truth, he thought she was lying but when he lied, she had thought he was telling the truth. It shows a lot about them, in some oddly skewed way.

Hudson doesn't get answers that satisfy him out of Alvina. She's allegedly told him now? Not that he realized, telling him first thing or while he's in the shower and obviously not listening or even able to hear - or whatever had occurred - doesn't count as telling him! (Also, why does she try to have conversations with him while he's in the shower? Is this what parenting has reduced them to?) Of course she'd like to characterize her part here as fully transparent and him as unreasonable. That's how fights go. He feels a creeping itch skitter along his forearms and with that telltale warning resents her. Now they're that couple feuding over dinner on Valentine's Day. "Right," he says, deadpan, as she insists a bit too defensively about Lionel and the previous blacksmith being fired. He laughs coldly. "In a city of literal giants many of whom are probably out of work now thanks to the war ending, the logical choice for this position is a human woman who has just given birth and lives some ways away," he comments into his wine glass. "Men will say anything to get at a beautiful woman," he observes. "I suppose he got right into your head, the part of you that can't say no to people who need you." Their food has arrived and is set before them. An awkward silence during this process ensues. How are they going to eat dinner and talk pleasantly now? It'll be a sour mood and no conversation and that's hoping for the best result. Hudson is getting a headache. He waits for the waitstaff to pull away before remarking in a low voice, "Well I suppose now it's too late and you can't back out from the job. So I have no choice but to just agree to something you know I wouldn't have agreed to."

Alvina pushes her palms to the table and stands. If he thought she was having some sordid affair, she could deal with that. What she can’t deal with is Hudson’s attitude about her being necessary to Frostmaw’s cause. “Do you think my engineering skills are so negligible that they can find anyone to fill my place?!” The dishes rattle on the table, and people have begun to stare. A waiter comes up to Alvina and asks if she needs anything but she ignores him. “Lionel isn’t the issue here. You are! If you don’t agree, don’t agree. We don’t have to agree on everything and if you think this is too sketchy I’ll back out and Frostmaw can find someone else...but don’t you -dare- insinuate that my abilities are replaceable. Frost Giants or Otherwise. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t do the job twice as well as anyone else. I was trained by the best, and I am the best and I will -never- let anyone come between me and what I love to do - “ The waiter taps her arm politely, “Miss…” He starts, but the manager is already halfway to their table and Alvina feels like she’s She has patience in most things...except where her talents are concerned. So much time and hard work had gone into what she knew, what she’d learned. Lives were lost in the process...actual lives. PEOPLE DIED and Hudson was so quick to write off her being necessary because there are other people with blacksmith skill sets. She could take any amount of distrust with mild irritation and all of her saintly patience...over anything else but this. It’s one of the highest ranked nerves. Right up there with Valrae, and of course her children who she’d give anything for. But the girls were safe. Hudson was safe. Her being gone sometimes wouldn’t change that...but it bruised Hudson’s ego. Made him feel like she was deciding to go back to work full time because some other man had whispered sweet nothings in her ear about heroics or puffed up her ego so she felt she had no choice. She had a choice, and she made it. There’s nothing else she can say. The manager finally arrives, offering to box up their dinners since they appear to be on their way out. Alvina pulls herself free from the waiter’s hand on her shoulder and storms out without looking back. The bouquet of roses in her arms fell to the floor, scattering petals on the table and her chair on the way down. How could Hudson have so little faith in her? How could he say THE MOST HURTFUL THING to her on Valentine’s day. He was supposed to be her partner, and support her when things were tough or when she doubted herself...but instead he was doubting her and basically labeling her worthiness and livelihood subpar. Because being a drug lord was a superior occupation. Everyone bow down to Hudson’s skills in using his alchemy to make a bunch of money and destroy lives. Alvina stands in the cold, in front of the restaurant pacing. Her palms are pressed into her eye sockets, to belay the flood of angry tears that now stain her face. He was supposed to love her. Why did he treat her this way? Why didn’t he understand? He was her best friend...she wasn’t doing anything wrong. That was the kicker!! She’d stood her ground with Lionel and told him to back off because of HUDSON and her FAMILY. And he couldn’t support her. Lionel respected her request, and Hudson was tearing her down. Every fight is the worst fight you’ve ever had but...this one felt ten shades worst because just moments before they were laughing and loving each other so completely. She still loved him completely, even if he was being unreasonable and selfish. Maybe that’s what made it hurt so much more now than ever before. Things had been so good.

"Alvina, sit down," Hudson hisses at her as she rises, evidently incensed by what he'd said. "Sit down, Alvina." Everybody is looking at them now, and she's shouting. They are worse than the couple quietly feuding over Valentine's Day dinner. They are that couple having a Moment in front of everyone. This quickly becomes very embarrassing. "Alvina, please sit, I'm not saying you're not good, I'm just saying it looks obviously like--" there's no point, she's not listening, too busy bubbling over with anger. Arguments have a way of taking flight like this. It doesn't matter that in his book he'd merely accused her of being blind to another guy's attempt to make her more accessible to him when there were other objectively logical options out there. She'd heard something else! And now she's mad. And this is terrible. The manager is here now, offering to box up their dinners, because of course he is, everyone is unsettled by the scene that's now developed. "Thanks," says Hudson, trying to act calm in the face of this mortifying event. The skin on his forearms is burning, his head is so thick with headache he's seeing spots. The attempt at a tidy exit doesn't last very long; Alvina's stormed out, and Hudson looks after her and expresses a number of expletives underneath his breath. "Are you alright sir," he's being asked, probably because he's scratching his skin through his shirtsleeves. "Fine," he says, though he's not really. His vision's getting dim. He sits down. So maybe he won't hulk out in a lycan rage, but the protection spell is debilitating right now. She knows it's debilitating, probably holding it against him anyway. Because he didn't run out immediately, another test he'd flunked. The carry out boxes are deposited on the table. He gives it a second, he pays the bill, waiters help him consolidate everything, gifts too, into one bag. The other diners are now pointedly ignoring him and his exit, as part of the social contract that dictates that we have all been there, best to carry on and pretend it never happened. He gets their coats, because she obviously hadn't taken hers in her flounce there. He wordlessly hands Alvina's to her. He holds up his hand to signal a carriage, and he opens the door for her without saying anything. He tells the driver their address and then shuts the door behind him. They don't talk or touch one another for the duration of the ride.