thepicketfencecliche | regency au } { of beignets and full moons

Ben: [and one day he will need to go to the market to grab a few things. He's run out of paper and ink for his journal, plus it was a few days before the full moon and he was feeling antsy and needed to get out for a bit. He's taking the long way down from his wing to the front hall where he left his cloak by the fire to dry.]

Hope: [and she's coming in from the kitchen, and sees him as he's on his way down, flashing him a smile] Good morning, Lord Stilinski.

Ben: [smiles and gives a head bow] Good morning, Lady Mikaelson. Have you been settling in well?

Hope: I'm learning my way around. How have you been?

Ben: I've been well. Trying to keep up on correspondence with some friends from tourney and I've run out of ink, so I have to brave the cold to head to town.

Hope: Would you like company? I haven't really had the chance to go to town yet.

Ben: Sure. I can wait for you to join me.

Hope: Wonderful. Let me go grab my cloak. I won't be long. [and with that, back to her room she goes to fetch her things]

Ben: [and he will wait, walking the edges of the room to keep from fidgeting]

Hope: [and as promised, ten minutes later she returns, cloak draped around her shoulders and nods to him with a smile] Shall we?

Ben: [and he will stop and go join her, offering his arm] we shall. [and off they go to the market]

Hope: [where she will see if there are any paint colors she doesn't already have, and pick up some spell ingredients that she and Freya might need at some point. after all, they packed light initially, so there's some things like candles and herbs that they may need sooner rather than later]

Ben: [and he will take her to the correct stores, carrying her packages as they go from place to place. He will also grab a few things he knows Dina may need, and some things for his youngest siblings. Before they head back, he will also stop to grab some of the candy that his mother loves]

Hope: [and as they head back, she smiles at him] It's a lovely little town.

Ben: Wait until the summer when the outdoor markets are full of produce and traveling merchants. It's amazing.

Hope: It sounds exciting. Things do seem like they get rather quiet here in the winter. Orleans isn't like that at all.

Ben: What's it like there around now?

Hope: [smiles softly] It always feels like the streets are full of music. And our weather is fairly mild in comparison, so the same merchants cycle through all year round. Plus, there are beignets.

Ben: [confused] What's a beignet?

Hope: [her face says makes it almost seem as though she feels sorry for him] They're ... pieces of confectionary heaven, covered in powered sugar. They're my favorite dessert in the world.

Ben: They sound good.

Hope: They're delicious. Maybe the cook will let me make them while I'm here.

Ben: She may ask you to teach her.

Hope: I can do that! I learned from the best baker in Orleans.

Ben: Should we pick up anything for them before we go back?

Hope: We'd need sugar, yeast, eggs, milk, flour ... [her voice trails off] Sometimes they have fruit in them. Is there something in particular your family is fond of?

Ben: Blueberries and lemon.

Hope: Then perhaps we should see if they have some here? The rest the cook should have for making bread.

Ben: Blueberries may be hard. they are out of season. But I know a place that has an indoor lemon tree.

Hope: Then lemons it is. Lead the way.

Ben: [and he will take her away from the main part of town, weaving through narrow side streets until he finds a hut that has a large canvas top, uneven and very much looking like a tree is hidden under it. He will smile and push the door open, and they are in what appears to be a tea shop] Hello? Lady Raven?

Hope: [follows in behind him, taking a deep breath for the soft tea scents and offering the proprietor a small smile when she appears]

Raven: [it's an older woman in her fifties, a purple cloak wrapped around her shoulders. When she pushes her hood back, her hair is silver, but she has a smile on her face] Lord Benjamin. What a wonderful surprise. And who is your friend?

Ben: This is Lady Hope Mikaelson.

Hope: It's a pleasure, my lady. You have a lovely shop.

Raven: Thank you, my dear. Mikaelson... are you in relation to Lord Elijah Mikaelson?

Hope: [nods, not sure if that's good or bad, but we'll see!] Elijah was my uncle, yes.

Raven: [smiles, sighing softly] Oh, he was a handsome one, back in my younger days. And such a rake. But a gentleman as well.

Hope: [she nods] He certainly had his moments.

Raven: [nods, enjoying her memories a moment longer. Did she have a little fling with Elijah on the tourney trails years ago... the world may never know] Excuse an old lady's memories. Now, what is it I can help you with?

Ben: We came to get a few lemons. Hope is going to make beignets.

Raven: Of course. I always keep a few in reserve for your family. Let me go fetch them.

Hope: Thank you. [also, she wouldn't put her past her Uncle Elijah, tbh.]

Raven: [and she will walk past the wooden beaded doorway, leaving the beads tapping against each other in her wake]

Ben: [and he will go to look at some of the glass containers on the shelves]

Hope: [she glances around as well, taking in the shop] Do you come in here often?

Ben: I do. It smells nice in here, and Lady Raven makes special teas to make a person feel better.

Hope: Is she a witch?

Ben: Not that I know of. She's just from a long line of tea makers.

Hope: [she nods] I see.

Ben: She can look at a leaf or a flower and tell you exactly what it is, and what it can do to the body if you drink, eat, or burn it. My great uncle Peter says she was friends with my grandmother and would make a special tea just for her to provide a clear mind to govern with.

Hope: [she nods] My aunt's started to teach me a little herbology. I'm not great at it, but I have time to learn.

Ben: Raven might be someone who can help you with that.

Raven: [and she returns with a small basket of lemons] Here you go, my Lord. Fresh from the tree.

Ben: Thank you. [and he will take the basket and hold out the money to Raven.]

Raven: [She will take it, then hold out a paper-wrapped bundle] And this is for you. Don't think I haven't looked at the stars. I'm sure you are low on this.

Ben: [licks his lips, refusing to look at Hope as he takes it and tucks it into his back pocket] Thank you again.

Raven: Don't be a stranger, you two.

Hope: We won't. [she does notice that and won't comment for now] Thank you for having us. And for the lemons.

Raven: And if you want to know about herbs, my lady, I will be happy to teach you. [because the place is small and they weren't being quiet]

Hope: I would like that. And I'm sure my Aunt Freya will be by to visit if there's anything she needs.

Raven: Good. And you can tell my stories of your uncle. Or I could tell you some of mine. [there's a sly old lady grin there]

Hope: [she laughs] We'll see. Until then. [and with that she will follow Ben out the door]

Ben: [and he will take a deep breath of the cooler air and start them back for the manor]

Hope: [she'll wait until they're well out of town before:] Do you have trouble with the full moons?

Ben: [licks his lips, then nods] My great uncle Peter, and my uncle Derek both had anger issues when they were my age, and it made it hard for them to control their shifts. It's something in our wolves, something I don't understand. But I don't want my mother to worry about me--she worries about everything--so Raven made a packet for me to help calm me down during the three days, just enough so I can keep that control.

Hope: Anger is at the root of most wolves. [she pauses] It's not ... there's nothing wrong with you.

Ben: I know, but sometimes it doesn't feel that way when you're in the moment.

Hope: I know. [she pauses] Maybe I can help.

Ben: How? [genuinely curious]

Hope: Well there's ... trying to find the source of the anger, so that you can better understand it. Also calming spells, though those aren't a long term solution. The most effective way is managing the anger on your own, but there are steps we can take to mitigate it.

Ben: I've been trying to figure it out. I've been trying since I was ten when Uncle Derek noticed it.

Hope: Then maybe there are ways we can do it together.

Ben: [bites his lip] I've really only just met you. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you seeing me like that right now.

Hope: I understand. But the offer is there, if you change your mind.

Ben: I'll remember that. Thank you.

Hope: Good. [and then with a smile, she sets out quickly ahead of him] Now. Let's go make beignets.

Ben: [smiles and keeps pace] Yes ma'am.

Hope: [and off they go to the kitchen where Hope persuades the cook to let them have the room and they will make ... a mess. but in the end, they will have lemon-filled pillows of fried dough perfection]

Ben: [and there is a large possibility that they won't last long]

Hope: [of course not. they were made to be eaten. Hope reaches for her second as she eyes Ben] So? What do you think?

Ben: [totally has powdered sugar on his nose] These are amazing.

Hope: [grins] See what I mean? They're the best things on Earth.

Ben: When spring comes, I will get you all the different berries to make these with.

Hope: Good. I'll be happy to make them.

Ben: [and he is on his third] We may just have to keep you here to make this forever.

Hope: [she laughs] Well, I do have to go back to Orleans, eventually. But maybe you could visit me instead?

Ben: Maybe. I could always see if I could escort you back when that times comes.

Hope: Maybe. [and she glances down, tucking her hair behind her ear] I would like that.

Ben: [and he will smile, but look at his pastry because talking to new people is still something he's trying to be good at]

Hope: [same for her. she's not used to kids her own age, but she's getting there] Do you think we should see if the rest of your family wants any?

Ben: Do we have to? [he always has to share]

Hope: No. [she shrugs] Just trying to be polite.

Ben: Let's be greedy for this batch, and we can make the non-fruit ones for the family. Otherwise there's going to be fights over these. [and he will take another one]

Hope: I think that sounds more than fair. [and she will reach for one as well]

Ben: [and they can just eat them all and have some tea]

Hope: [and they'll make a batch to go with dessert at dinner that night, but eventually will have to go clean up both the kitchen and themselves from all the flour and powdered sugar]

Ben: [but that was fun, and he will help dust the flour and sugar off her]

Hope: [it was fun. and it gave them a chance to bond a bit which is good.] The one downside to this dessert is that it makes quite the mess.

Ben: It was worth it though.

Hope: It was. [and once all the pans are clean and everything is clean, she glances down at herself again] I should get changed for dinner. But I will see you then?

Ben: Yes, of course. See you then.

Hope: [she nods, and off she will go to get changed]