be discreet | Glowfic Constellation

switch_between

He gets out of the car and furrows his eyebrows at one other car he sees, but puts it out of his mind.

eclipsi

"Swan," Isabella tells the host, and they are seated at a table -

- for eight.

switch_between

Eight?

"Did your mom invite anyone else?" he asks Alex as they're led to the table.

Alex Philip Swan

catalexis

"Didn't tell me if she did. Maybe she thought it'd be fun to meet your folks? Do they live around here?"

eclipsi

Isabella squeezes Sadde's hand hard.

switch_between

"My—"

They're in view of the table.

Sadde stops walking.

eclipsi

"Do you want to go sit in the car while I talk to Mom?"

switch_between

"I—I—I—"

But Tobias has spotted them and stood up, beaming. He's a tall, handsome man, and he has enough presence one almost feels like he's carrying several implements on his person, but he's prim and proper as only a conservative dom can be. His wife and kids are present, too, and Sadde's half-brother stands up as well, though he's more neutral than anything, and certainly no older than twelve if that.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you!" Tobias says to Alex. "You must be Sadde's dom, yes?"

Alex Philip Swan

catalexis

"Um," says Alex, "my sister is holding his hand, so I don't know why you thought that."

Renée Higgenbotham Swan

kindestgarden

"Alex," says Renée - that must be Renée - reproachfully.

eclipsi

"He's mine," says Isabella firmly.

switch_between

Tobias' smile doesn't falter, though there might be the slightest of impressions that he hadn't noticed Isabella there before. "Of course, of course. I'd love to get to know you. Let's sit." He's the first one to, followed by Jonathan.

Sadde looks at Isabella, his eyes suddenly devoid of emotion, and then moves to obey.

eclipsi

Shitshitshit.

Isabella pulls Sadde to the other end of the table and uses her cane to corral a kneeling cushion from another table and sits him on her right where the table will block the line of sight between Tobias and him if he hunkers down.

She glares daggers at her mother.

Renée Higgenbotham Swan

kindestgarden

Renée has no idea what's wrong, but she blinks and doesn't object. "Well... this is Isabella, I must have neglected to give her name in my email, and that's Alex..."

switch_between

Sadde does not object or react to much, and he's put where she wants to put him. He doesn't even comment on being sat on her right, and just keeps his eyes downcast.

"Yes, I do apologize for assuming. It is my pleasure to meet you both," he says, and sounds for all the world like he means it. "These are my son Jonathan, my wife Bethany, and my daughter Sarah."

"It's nice to meet you," Jonathan says, and smiles a bit. The other two merely dip her heads in acknowledgement.

eclipsi

Isabella plants her hand on Sadde's head and pulls it to her thigh, thumb smoothing his hair. "Hello," she says levelly.

switch_between

Sadde's head goes.

"So, how'd you two meet? Sadde hasn't told me much about it, or you."

eclipsi

"We met at school," says Isabella.

Tobias Baldwin

safe_and_sane

"Of course," he laughs. "Tell me more about yourself. And you seem to have already collared her?"

eclipsi

"I'm a psion. Going precog when I'm done with eidetic memory. And yes, that's my name on the collar."

Pet, pet, pet, pet, ceaseless soothing motions of her hand on Sadde's head.

switch_between

Mmhm, yeah, Sadde doesn't look like he'll be issuing many opinions tonight.

"Oh, good for you, you're probably all set for money, then."

eclipsi