Ceit knocked on Ovu’s door with the ornate bull knocker. She could hear it echo heavily on the other side, despite the thick wood of the door. Xia lingered by his bike, making a show of parking it on the street, procrastinating. Ceit watched him, amused, while she waited for Ovu to make his way to the door.
Ovu let them in with an exuberant ‘Ceit!’ Xia’s presence apparently secondary. ‘And Xia. How welcome!’ He said, catching the appearance of Xia over her shoulder, eyebrow raised. Ceit snickered quietly, stopping as Ovu’s attention switched back to her, an innocent look on her face. ‘Well, don’t stand around, come in.’
They shuffled in, exchanging their shoes for house slippers and taking off their motorcycle leathers. ‘Can I make you some tea?’ Ovu led them into his parlor, a round room with a ceiling mural of the night sky and an immense opaque window at its peak, a silvery shaft of light illuminating various books and astronomical instruments scattered about. ‘I’m really more of a coffee person.’ Xia spoke up, looking around curiously.’ ‘I’ll make you black tea with milk.’ Ovu responded. Xia made a face behind his back. ‘Green for me, please.’ Ceit called out as Ovu left, presumably to assemble the drinks. He came back in with a tray of hot water, honeyed milk, and tea leaves in pretty painted tins, placing them carefully on the round center table and passing them each a delicate teacup with saucer, different flowers depicted on the porcelain.
‘So,’ he started, ‘you’re here to talk about becoming an acolyte.’ ‘What?!’ Xia exclaimed, staring at Ceit in shock, his mouth gaping almost comically. Ovu ignored him, his eyes on Ceit. ‘Yes.’ Ceit placed the tea bag on the saucer and took a steadying sip of her tea, the water still a little too hot. ‘I want to follow Oongx’s calling.’
Her voice came out much more firm than she had expected, directed at both Ovu and Xia. ‘Spoke to you, did she?’ Ovu stirred his tea gracefully, unphased, his expression that knowing superior one Xia disliked. ‘She told me she wanted me, at the ceremony. And…I want it too.’ ‘What?! She spoke to you? I thought that was something that only happened, like, in stories!’ Xia exclaimed, apparently regaining coherence. ‘When do you want to leave?’ Ovu cut in, ‘you will need to be ordained. We could do it during the end of summer ceremony, when the stars fall.’ He had such a dramatic way of saying meteor shower, Ceit thought, wondering if becoming an acolyte meant she would have to learn to make things more theatrical too. She hoped not, it was so pompous.
‘Ooooh! That’s why you want a hoverbike, so you can follow her!’ Xia blurted. ‘A good decision,’ Ovu approved. ‘When were you going to tell everyone?’ Xia asked, Ovu looked on curiously. ‘I only just decided last night! I get a little time to think it over before! But maybe dinner tonight? Honestly I’ve been a bit…apprehensive. What will they think?’ Her voice lowered, the last statement said softly, nervous. ‘You know you can literally do no wrong, right? They’re going to be proud of you no matter what. Oongx even talking to you, is like, really big. Even if you didn’t choose to go, they’d be impressed with just that.’ Xia snorted, amused. Ovu peered at him, disapproving, ‘it is a great honor to be called personally, of course she has to follow!’ Xia glared at him, ‘she can do whatever she wants, she doesn't have to do anything.’ ‘Alright, calm down,’ Ceit eased the tension, doing her best to pacify them both, ‘I want to go, no one is forcing me to do anything.’ She directed the last part to Xia, reassuring. Ovu harrumphed, Xia crossing his arms. It seemed like a good time to head out. ‘I think the meteor shower is the right time to be anointed, it's in a couple months. If I really work at it, could I get my bike working by then?’ She asked Xia. He shrugged a little, an unencouraging response ‘Probably?’ ‘That’s really reassuring, thanks Xia.’ She said sarcastically. ‘It is best to head out soon after the ceremony, though not right away, some time for healing from the implants is necessary.’ Ovu offered, indicating his own horns. ‘We’ll make it work.’ Xia affirmed.
