Xiara, when her mana recovers, is directed to teleport to a tucked-away part of a temperate national preserve, told to lie low, given a list of endangered species she is not to eat or disturb, and left to her own devices with a mirror in case she wants to talk about something or needs help with a park ranger or something. Isabella could use an architect, but mostly on the colony, which is not to be known to any mages yet.
"Ooh, I was just thinking, I'm sort of in the mood for Mexican, do you want to go to the taqueria?"
His diabolical plan is working. He is befriending his girlfriend's parents! Bwuahahahahahahahahaha!
"All right then." Castarilan flies into her hair, she puts the cello on the bed, and follows him out. "What brings you here, though?"
"I went fishing with your husband," informs Adarin. "It was nice, I'll probably do it again."
Onto the cloudpine! He's quite used to them, by now. "I caught a little tiny fish, and felt quite accomplished - but it wasn't big enough to eat."
Zoom! To the taqueria they go. It's raining a bit but Ranata doesn't mind.
"Maybe one day, I'll catch something bigger."
Here's the taqueria! Cloud-pines sure are fast.
That they are! How fortunate!
Vern nuzzles him, while he plots how to let Ranata know about his plans to propose. .... Probably just telling her, honestly. In a bit, when they're safely inside and polite smalltalk is out of the way.
They get a table! Ranata has apparently earned a string of visits to this taqueria by doing some thing some time in the past. She starts hmmmming at her menu while Castarilan zooms around her head.
Vern is on his lap and will get to nibble things if she likes.
Ranata wants flautas! They come with rice and beans. Everything comes with rice and beans, including Adarin's chile relleno.
"So, what have you been up to?" he asks, between bites of chile relleno.
"I borrowed a friend's cello - she's pregnant and finds playing it awkward while she's so huge, so I've got it for a few months to decide if I want my own - and I've been messing around with that. I went to Vancouver last weekend and saw a play but it wasn't very good."
He likes movies. They're fun.
She tells him the title, and her opinions of exactly why it wasn't very good and how much nicer it would have been if only they would have replaced this character with a Greek chorus.
Vern noses the pocket with the ring in it, then steals another bite of his food. He snickers. "So - Charlie's mentioned that you think Isabella and I are cute?" he asks, amused.