[paris] there is no friend like a sister [rumjana]

If he was being honest with himself, it was somewhat strange having someone inside of his home with him. Yordan walked down the long hall that led to the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast. He wasn't sure if his sister was awake yet, but he figured breakfast would be a nice thing to wake up to. Blue eyes looked towards the hallway as he though of her. They spent the entire day before roaming the streets of Paris. There was so much to see, so much to do. He wanted more than anything for he experience to be memorable, to have brought some joy into her day. Yordan knew that building a relationship with his sister would take time. He knew that the most part of the blame went to him. He had after-all jetted away after school with barely any visits home. Well, except of course for holidays and such, where he only stayed the minimum required amount of time.

Yordan hoped that the time they spent together would serve to build a strong bond some that she could be apart of his children lives. The likelihood that anyone else in their family would be was rather slim. The room filled with the smells of sausage and and bread. He moved about the kitchen gathering everything to set the table. Neatly he arranged the plates, cups and silverware on the table. Would she still be up to going out to his workshop? Or would she rather just rest for the day, they did do a lot the day before so he would understand. He hoped that she would still wanted to go out back, she seemed pretty interested when he spoke about his work. Maybe he could convince her to make her own sword? Juice was poured as he thought about the possibilities of the day. He moved to plate the food after he'd put the pitcher of juice back into the fridge. He'd pretty much cooked several thins, not knowing what it was that she ate.

The thought of this caused him to frown. He would have to ask her questions to get to know her, which he figured she would hate as much as him. He wondered if he should go and wake her. Well if she was to eat while the food was warm he would have to. "Ru--" he cleared his throat, feeling his deep voice to raspy. "Rumjana breakfast.." He spoke into the hallway so she could hear him if she was awake. He would wait to see if she emerged before going back to the room to knock.

Rumjana was an early morning riser, even in foreign countries apparently. She was pleased to find that even different time zones didn't alter her sleep patterns as she relished the early morning quiet. After spending the day yesterday exploring Paris, which had been interesting and insightful, the Bulgarian girl was grateful that she had some time to herself to relax. She had woken with the sun, just as she always did, and at first she felt out of sorts, seeing as she was still not accustomed to her brother's apartment. She had brought along her journal, however, so writing in that passed some time and made her feel more at ease.

She was sitting near the window when she heard her brother moving about in what she assumed was the kitchen. And while they had spent the whole day together yesterday, she felt herself holding back so she didn't consider joining him until she heard him call her name. She neatly finished her last line before closing her journal, spelling it locked with a charm she had mastered, and then exiting her room with a silent click of the door behind her.

Rumjana, by all measures, was dressed and ready for what the day might bring. She was wearing a pair of dark navy blue slacks, a grey long sleeve shirt, her grandfather's cuff on her wrist her only decoration. When she came into the kitchen, she was surprised to see how much food he had made. And that he had made food at all. As far as she knew, her father had never cooked anything. Ever. She looked to her brother, studying him, as she came closer. "You can cook," she said and then as she realized what she said, she tried to hold back a blush. What an idiotic and obvious statement. she chided herself.

In an effort to force attention away from her stupid comment, she busied herself with sitting down at the table, arranging the napkin on her lap with care. "What are the plans for today?" she asked. She didn't exactly want to reveal that she wanted to go to his workshop as he had mentioned, but her curiosity was burning at her. She silently hoped that he would still be set on showing her more about his work. After watching him for a few moments, she tentatively filled her plate with small helpings of the foods she liked most, waiting however for Yordan to fill his plate before taking a bite of anything.

Yordan couldn't help but smile as she walked into the kitchen. The man liked knowing that someday they could be friends. His smile only widened when she spoke. "Yes, it took me awhile to learn to do it properly though. I find that it's better for me to cook my own food, I tend to be picky."  As he spoke he took his chair at the table, resting his hands next to his plate as he seemed thoughtful. He had wondered a bit about what the day would entail for the two, hoping of course she would be up in the mood to do something. "Well, if you don't want to sit inside I can think of a few things. It depends, um.." As he spoke he reached out to put food onto his plate. "I have to do a bit of work today, so we would have to do it a bit later."

He'd nearly forgotten that he still had a blade to finish, so much had been on his mind that it seemed things were slipping through the cracks. "You don't have to stay inside, you can venture around if you like. I won't be too far." His head inclined towards the shed outside the kitchen window. It had been converted into his own personal work-space. "If you want though I can show you how to make a blade. Maybe if your up to it, you can try making your own." Blue eyes rested on her for a moment before he began to eat a bit of food. His mind drifted back to memories of him making his very first sword. The way he felt when he held it in his hand was indescribable. "I hope the food is too your liking." Briefly, the worry set into his handsome features before vanishing.

Rising his glass to his lip Yordan took a nice long drink from his juice. "Did you sleep okay?" a soft thud followed his glass being sat down as his gaze rose to her face once more. It was strange to be sitting across from someone, this was his fortress of solitude. The place he went to be himself without feeling judged. He didn't think that Rumjana would judge him for the choices he made, but he knew that his choices might have affected her as well. The more his mind drifted the more he thought about how distant he was with his family. It made him wonder if he would be a good father, or if he would somehow find a way to make his own child feel unloved. "Did yesterday change your mind about Paris or confirm some theories?"

His voice shocked him momentarily as he drifted back into the room completely. This was their time and day-dreaming was not allowed. "I remember when I first made it here, I was walking and I stopped across the water to look. Thinking that maybe the waves would offer so solace to my worries of the future." Dirty blond hair shifted atop his head as it shook between his words. "I just remember feeling completely at ease. It was like everything that had weighed on my shoulders vanished when I found this place, secluded not too far from the water." His gaze shifted back to his plate as he ate more food. He couldn't say that Paris was where he would spend the rest of his life, but he knew for now it was home.

"Have you thought about what you might do after school?" 

Rumjana nodded as he spoke about the food, but also wondering why he smiled so much. She wasn't sure, but she thought perhaps it was just a default for him. She wondered if he even knew he was doing it. Then to her horror, she felt a small smile curving up the corners of her mouth in response. She busied herself with her food, loading up her fork and chewing to cover the reaction as she assessed what was happening. She found she was.. comfortable with her brother. What an odd sensation..

She gazed at him as he gave her options as to what she could do, narrowing her eyes in the slightest. They had spent the day together yesterday exploring the city. Perhaps him offering for her to venture around on her own was his way of subtly saying he didn't want to spend the day with her again. Rumjana tried to act as if that didn't bother her at all, but in truth, it stung. She again took another bite of her breakfast, the food not as appealing as it had been a few moments ago.

But then she stilled at his mention of his workshop and him offering her to make her own blade. She slowly lowered her fork to the table and looked at him, her green eyes meeting his blue. He was serious, she thought. The idea sent thrills through her and for once, she didn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "I want to make my own," she said with a decisive nod and a lilt of excitement coloring her tone. "I want to learn how." And then she nodded once more to his question about food. "You're a good cook," Rumjana remarked and that was practically her declaring sisterly love for Yordan. Rumjana didn't compliment people, almost ever. Just ask Desi.

She shrugged as her mouth was full at his question about her sleeping. She never slept very well in places she wasn't familiar with, but she wasn't much of a complainer either. She did find it amusing that he was this chatty in the morning and she found that she didn't mind it as much with her brother as she would have if it was anyone else. "Confirmed," Rumjana said with a grin and a gleam in her eye. She was amused. "Paris is no Dobrich," she said, a playful challenge in her eye, daring her brother to say any other place was better than Bulgaria. He would get a fight on that fact and she wasn't exactly against that prospect.

Rumjana was finishing her food as her brother spoke and she glanced at him in between bites to get the measure of him as he spoke. He was surprisingly open and she found she liked that. He was just so.. different from their parents that she almost didn't know how to handle it. His confession, his open admittance of his feelings for this city were met with a mix of curiosity, wonder, and a tiniest hint of envy. "I'm.." Rumjana started and then stopped at she glanced down at her hands, unsure if she wanted to continue. "I'm glad you found this place then," she rushed through her comment and then refused to let the blush on her cheeks show. She wasn't one for being sentimental. Her brother was already starting to rub off on her.

The brunette nodded quickly, eager to change the subject, as she glanced back up at Yordan and eyed him for a moment before sharing her thoughts. "I want to run the family business. Get it back in order. Make it something we can be proud of again," she said with threads of determination and steel in voice. She hadn't really shared that with anyone in her family before and she looked at Yordan, both curious and cautious of how he would react to that. Not many in her family would take a fifteen year old seriously and she didn't quite know yet what Yordan would think.

To get to something that was more comfortable to speak about, Rumjana said with one brow perked, "When are we going to your shop?"

The smile that spread across her face reminded him of his own when he'd first had the chance to make a blade. Yordan could remember his travels being the best times in his life, the joy of following his own dreams. He realized just then that he wanted the same for his sister, she deserved to follow whatever dream she had. He would support her in those dreams because he knew what it was like to do it alone. He knew what it was like to feel as if no one believed in him. Sadly, he knew what feeling unloved felt like as well. Rumjana had fortunately come out on the long end of the stick in that department. "Well in that case the workshop it is...but..." He lifted his glass to his lips once more for a drink. "a few ground rules.." The soft sound of his glass touching the table followed his words.

"You can't get distracted in there, it could be dangerous. We're going to be using potions and hot steel will be all around you." He could remember being reckless and he had the scars to prove it. Being unfocused wouldn't be allowed. She would understand before they headed out that her being careful was a must. He didn't want her to get hurt and if she did he wasn't looking forward to explaining. Taking the last few bites of his food Yordan nodded as his little sister spoke.

Although Paris had somehow become home for the older man, it was in fact no Dobrich. No place could ever be in the Bulgarian's life. Although he rushed to leave and find a place of his own, he knew where his heart would always be. Standing he took his time to clear both their plates from the table. "You're right, no place may never be." Walking over to the sink, his back to her he spoke once more a bit lower than before. "I don't think i'd ever move back though." He wasn't sure if he would change his mind when it came to that. He wasn't sure about a lot of things if he was being honest. All he knew was being in Dobrich meant he was going backwards in his life.

Turning he simply looked at her. His mind working over various thoughts before deciding to speak. He wanted to be sure that he didn't say the wrong thing, but he didn't want to be too gentle with his words either. She was still young and her mind may change. Her voice however told him otherwise. "Have you spoken to Luben about your future plans?" He doubted she had because he could remember just how frightening their father could be. "Regardless of what anyone thinks or says do it. Don't let anyone or anything get in the way of your dreams, Rumjana."

Sounding like a brother was somewhat weird for the older man, but it was something that seemingly came natural to him. "If I can help in anyway just let me know." He wanted her to know that if no one was in her corner he was. Clapping his hands together he walked over to the table to grab his wand. With one flick the kitchen began to clean itself. "Come on, lets go outback." Holstering his wand he walked for the door, pausing to grab a box from a shelf near the door. Stepping out into the cool morning air relaxed him as always, though he was sure that going to work was the cause.

His backyard was spacious, with just a few trees spread out over his property. The water could be seen just beyond his workshop. Long strides led the way along the bricked path to the front door. Pausing as he always did he looked off towards the water for the longest moment before stepping inside. The light was flicked on as he walked over to a long worn out table in the center of the room. The walls were covered in shelves that held various objects, some small projects he did to pass the time. The floor was bricked like the path they had taken to get there. In each corner rested rather large cauldron like pots. There were racks lined against the wall, each holding several large pieces of steel.

Resting under the only window in the room was something that looked like a bookshelf filled with potions. Where there was not potions were bottles of various materials he would use when needed, some crushed to grain with its bottle and some left in tiny chunky pieces. He took his time opening the box which contained a few pairs of gloves and protective wear for his face and eyes. "Ok, come over here." His eyes didn't rise to see if she was near him or not as he sat a pair of gloves off to the side for her.

"First thing first, do not under any circumstances take these gloves off once we get started." It was then that blue eyes rose to catch her gaze. "And you will need these later." He put an apron and some protective eye and face gear top the side for her to see. "If you would like a pair of boots for your feet let me know. Sometimes things spill over."  Shifting he rested his elbow on the table as he thought for a second. "I have the feeling that an ordinary blade wouldn't be good for you. So now we plan what kind of blade you want."

His head moved from side to side for a moment. "First lets talk about how long you might want it, then we can talk about properties it can have." It was this aspect of his blade making that made him a valued commodity when he went to work during the week. It had taken him years but he'd perfected adding magical properties to his blades without taking away from the blade itself. "We can pretty much give it any kind you might want, depending on what you might want." This was the hard part, the planning. Making the blade would be the best part him and he hoped for her as well.