My Priority

"Intentionally vague," I grinned as I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm guessing the booze just isn't doing it for you?"

"Yeah, it's just so hard for me to get drunk, it's almost tiring to try," she groaned. "Being an elf is not always the easiest."

We chuckled at one other for a moment and I sat with her as she proceeded to read the paper. The sun began to peek downward and I gleefully looked forward to closing the bar soon and retiring to the upstairs. However, Mom stepped lightly behind the bar counter and started taking inventory.

"What's with the apron?" I laughed as Mom grinned at me.

"Well, I decided I'm taking over for the rest of the night, and you can join the crew at the Holiday Festival," she said as she opened a few bottles of wine.

"Wait, you left this to me for the last couple of years. What changed your mind?" I said quizzically.

"I dunno, just thinking of how much of a stickler I have been regarding the festival lately and how much of a workaholic my daughter has become. Plus, I will be gone on the holiday anyway, so enjoy the festival," she said with a wave of her hand.

---

The air was quickly getting cold as the sun slowly descended, setting the horizon ablaze, but the festival grew louder as the dark overtook the scene and I had begun to feel the warmth of the bonfire as I neared the grounds.

Lights, entertainers, food, snacks, contest, and dancing parties were all around me as I navigated throughout the festival. Everyone was happily bustling about and partying hard; which was evident when someone puked all over one of the beer decks, me happy that it was, for once, not my bar they were doing that within.

I made my way over to one of the larger stages that advertised the Holiday Play. Navigating to the front of the stage, I had found Jeramin talking to his excited wife about the event.

"Hey," I said with a little wave.

"No way, you actually found time to make it out here, and the play starts in an hour and a half!" he said as he got up and gave me a hug.

"Yup, Mom actually took over, which is weird for her to do," I said as I hugged his wife.

"It's so odd to see you anywhere besides the lodge," she happily chirped. "It's so good to see you. Thanks for getting my dolt of a husband back home last night."

"Not a problem, and thanks!" I stated excitedly as a few kids pushed passed us impatiently. "Can't wait to see this play, everyone's super excited for it; and you know me and how much I like legends. Where is everyone else right now?"

"They all broke up a while ago, but they agreed to meet back at the Ferris wheel at five-twenty," he said.

"Going to go catch up with them, but I'll see you for the play," I said as I waved to them.

The Ferris wheel was a monstrosity that daunted anyone that was intimidated by heights, but I supposed the floating house or giant moth rides weren't any better. Treading up to the Ferris wheel initially made me feel that I had missed them, but was quickly hugged from behind as Trevor screeched happily at me.

"Glad you made it!" he said all too excitedly.

"I'd figured you have rotted in the bar by now," said Lorelei as she shoved a cola into my hand.

"Heh, Mom decided she would actually take over for a change," I said as they all threw me incredulous stares.

"Heh, Boss is actually working at the lodge, good on her," said Emmie as she clinked her bottle with Hunter, who's arms were around her from behind.

"Boss is great; glad to see you out here for a change," he said.

"Heh, I get out of the bar just fine," I joked. "It's just exclusive to when I'm getting employees safely home."

"Only allowed out for an hour on most days, but you're here to hang with us now," said Lorelei as she rose her glass. "To Boss!"

Everyone, including myself, repeated the phrase and clinked their glasses together.

"So, what's the first event that no one should ever miss?" I asked as the crew started formulating ideas.

We ended up in the exotic beer table and took several mugs of various ails and attempted to talk about their differences; but eventually just laughed and drank them, voicing our favorites and quickly moving on.

"You seriously never get days off?" Trevor asked.

"Haha, I do, but I have to assign someone to watch the bar when I'm gone. Outings like this don't occur much because someone has to be in," I said with a smile.

We stopped at several shops, buying treats or light consumables to share with each other.

"Try this," Trevor excitedly stated as he handed me a tiny chocolate.

"Mm, mint, that one's really good," I said in surprise as he beamed a smile at me.

We ate at every snack stand we could get, me gathering a menagerie of popcorn, chocolates, candies, and bread. There were a few soda carts that managed to deliver the flavors they had advertised.

"Funnel cakes are the best, man!" I exclaimed before devouring the item.

"We were going to grab one for you after the play; but now you can have them here, fresh and hot." Lorelei said with a shrug.

"Yup, but I really thank you guys for agreeing to that; I only ever get funnel cakes once a year," I stated.

"Surprised you have not found a way to sell them at the lodge," Emmie giggled.

"Nope, the equipment is so bulky and I doubt anyone would buy them," I said with a shrug.

"I'd buy them," said Hunter with a thumbs up.

Dancers crowded around the area and begun one of the traditional holiday dances, complete with perfect outfits and lights that only magic users would carry.

Several dragonkin revealed their wings and shot up into the sky to emit fire of different colors, drawing shapes of stars and animals in the sky that burst into large displays of fireworks when they threw small boxes within them.

"It's been a long time since I seen fireworks," I whispered.

"I like them a whole lot; just inspiring," Trevor mused next to me.

"They are better when it's darker," Emmie joked as Hunter tickled her from behind.

"No being cynical," he whimsically said.

"I was kidding!" she squealed in reply.

"Geez, get a room," yelled Lorelei and everyone decided to jokingly 'boo' her.

The group meandered around some shops with knickknacks, setting our attention temporarily away from food now that our bellies were plenty full. Trevor picked up a few trinkets as the shop owner went into lengthy detail, and Lorelei was quick to flirt with a shopkeeper selling wood pipes.

"You guys tried to ditch me," she playfully quipped when she joined us a few minutes later by one of the game stands.

"Seems like you wanted to jump in bed with that dude," Emmie jabbed back with an equally playful tone.

"Guys, quiet! I'm trying to concentrate," Trevor stated before throwing his dart at the board of balloons posted onto a wooden back and popped one, earning a piece of candy from the guy that ran it.

"I was trying to get stuffed turtle," he said to me sheepishly. "Think I drank a bit too much to play this game."

"Heh, you did a good job," I said while patting his back. "And you really aren't that drunk, but whatever."

Trevor giggled and surprised me as he grabbed my arm and pulled it around his shoulders, causing my heart to jump just a little. He blushed quickly and decided that we were to continue to walk that way as we followed the rest of them throughout the crowds.

A mirror found our reflection as Emmie and Hunter decided to stop at a shop and inspect a set of jewelry, that very reflection catching me entirely off guard. Trevor appeared to be my female date; his small frame fitting perfectly under the arm that he held so closely to him, me looking like a monolith comparatively. It was common fare for me to tower over both the girls and the guys that I had dated in the past, but seeing the two of us side by side made me blush just a little.

My mind wondered as I thought about how cute Trevor would look in some of the jewelry that Emmie had tried on, and even cuter with some of the dresses that adored the shops. He and Emmie briefly chatted about color coordination as I watched them giggle at each other, him waving a hand at her joke with beautifully animated expressions.

He really was pretty, slowly captivating my attention and allowing me to consider, for just a moment, what it would have felt like if we were on a proper date; if I were to dote on him as if he were one of the pretty girls from my past. I expended effort to ignored the thump in my chest and barely heard Emmie address me.

"OK, I would pay to see you wear one of those," Lorelei stated as she pointed to a frilly pink dress with a hoop skirt and shot a look directly at me.

"And who would you seriously pay, my Mom? I wouldn't wear that thing even for her and my Dad's renewal wedding," I said with a snort as I fought laughter.

"You don't like dresses?" Trevor asked, giving me a quick look of confusion.

"I've never seen her in one," Lorelei joked. "I think she's allergic."

"Pffftt, you guys are crazy, I was wearing a dress the other day," I snickered.

"That is a long tunic that you wore with pants," she corrected. "I dare you to wear one of Boss' dresses."

"Yeah, not going to happen. You guys win, I'm not into dresses," I said with a smirk.

"You're barely into women's clothes at all," Lorelei snorted.

"It's a nice dress; the fabric is light and I really like the low cut top. It's cute," Trevor said as he marveled at the item.

"Never said it wasn't nice; just not my thing," I said with conviction. "Would look cute on someone like you, instead."

My hand picked up a trinket to stare at it before what I so casually said had sunk in. My cheeks burned and I slowly turned to peek at the rest of the group behind me, who were all staring at me with a mix of expressions.

Before I could react, Trevor stuck out his tongue and let out a giggle as he gripped the hand he was still holding. "Gemini's just being a tease."

"But, I wasn't teasing," I lightly said before he dragged me away and the group moved on.

"Wow, it looks even better in the stand," Trevor said as he stepped towards a larger shop with a tall glass display, eyeing a ruby necklace that looked all too fancy for even Mom to wear.

This particular shop held expensive looking gold earrings, watches, diamond necklaces, and everything you could think of. I stepped back to view the familiar name and return my focus to the light gold chains with large pendants.

"Ah, it's Zilara's; a bunch of Mom's jewelry comes from here," I stated, noting the delicate craftsmanship that she was familiar with.

The golden rays of the sunset was sure to appear to set the gold aflame. Each and every piece boasted a beauty that was unmatched by most jewelers within any of the surrounding cities.

"That would look very beautiful on you," said the shopkeeper. "Sure you don't want to try it on?"

"I would love that, but I can't afford it," Trevor politely stated.

"No, no, once you see it's beauty, I am sure you will rush to come back for it," he coolly stated as Trevor smiled and lightly approached the man.

Trevor removed his cloak to reveal a dress with a bright pink corset that dipped low, giving him a small cleavage. The diamond laden chain lightly adjusted itself as the shopkeeper laid it gently onto Trevor's skin, the pendant was a heavy ruby that teetered on the side of being fuchsia colored and boasted a carefully cut depth that bounced light all over the shop's enclosure. Trevor lightly touched it, his reflection copying him as he stared, stunned at the jewelry that sat upon his bosom.

"Maybe a lovely girlfriend would be able to purchase this treasure for you, my lady," the shopkeeper eloquently stated as he rose an eyebrow to me.

Before I could pose a rebuttal, Trevor inhaled and looked behind himself at the man. "I'm not currently dating anyone, but I will keep this in mind. I'll check back in several months if you still have it."

"Not a problem, lady. My main shops are always open for my guests," the shopkeeper said as he gently removed the expensive item from Trevor and set it back into it's enclosure.

"Wow, those were some high dollar items; that's really where Boss goes?" asked Emmie.

"Yup, and I'm sure that he recently started a shop here, as well. He's initially in Lavillarah, but Mom has been trying to get him to build one here for years. Maybe she finally got to him," I stated.

"Boss has expensive taste," Hunter said lightly.

"Yup, that's her," I stated.

The sun magnificently burned as it finally hid behind the mountain peeks, still setting the horizon ablaze as the purple night begun to enclose, displaying the usual sight of the planets rings and multiple moons.

"Nice to see that it's not another snowy night," I said.

The group neared a large wooden dancing floor that was overflown with drunk people who were swaying to music that married the quick beat of the drums with a piano and deep cello; which was honestly something I have never heard of before.

"What is this?" I asked the group. "It's fantastic!"

"Something the halflings invented with the airels!" exclaimed Lorelei as she grabbed my hand. "Did not know that something like it would make it all the way out here."

She quickly dragged me to the middle of the floor and told me to mimic her movements, which was hard to do but she was sure to specify how I lacked the blessing of being drunk enough. Swinging briefly close, she spun around on her toe and did a few boxy movements that involved heavy use of her ankles before I had chose to omit that from my general move set. Everyone sort of devolved to jumping with the beat or swaying as they were lost in the waves of magic that the band had released while the dragonkin drummer burped some different colored smoke that gave a whole new feel to the general environment.

"This is nuts!" I said to Lorelei, getting swept into the excitement of the crowd.

The rest of the group were on the floor, Emmie and Hunter danced slowly close together, ignoring the beat.

"Hey Boss, gotta ask you something," Lorelei said as she pulled in close and caught my arms.

"I'm not Boss, but what's up?" I answered while getting lost in the beat.

"The crew has been worried about you lately; no judgment, but that one girl has been getting free stuff out of you for the last couple of months. We think your being fooled so I was voted at the one to check on you," she belted nonchalantly and added a little shrug. "I mean, do what you want, but just wanted to talk to you."

"Did Mom tip you guys on that or something?" I asked with a grin.

"Nope, the whole lodge could see it. We even got some guests asking about you. She treats you like butt," she said as she closed her eyes and released my arms to swing hers upward.

I inhaled and my dancing movements got a bit soggy, but I met her gaze and chuckled a bit. "I can't explain it, but after hearing Mom tell me the truth about that girl, it was a bit easier to let the whole thing go. I think my pride took more damage than anything; I was just really disappointed with myself. I don't think I was ever in love; which feels weird to say out loud."

"Heh, I fall in love every night; so it shouldn't be too hard for you to find someone else," she laughed. "But I'm glad that you know about it; your interactions with her are painful to watch."

"I think I'm going for something a bit more substantial than that, but you seem happy enough with it," I grinned. "Thanks though, I appreciate it."

"No problem. Speaking of which, I see a cutie to my left and going to snag him before the slow dance starts," she said and was quickly to her destination, the guy looking more than flattered with her approach.

I grinned and proceeded to leave the dance floor as people paired up. Emmie and Hunter were gently swaying with their eyes closed, holding each other tightly. Pretty magic shapes briefly fizzled above the dancers before their light disappeared with a 'zap'.

Jeramin joined us part way through the dance and stood around talking with Trevor as I approached them.

"Lorelei finally ditch you?" he mocked.

"Despite your insistence, we are not interested in each other," I quipped with a grin.

"I dunno, that look she gave you," he said with a snicker.

"Oh shush," I said with a laugh.

"So she's at it again," he said with a chuckle.

"Yup, but whatever makes her happy," I shrugged.

There was a pause and neither of us really moved much; an odd sense of tension stagnantly sat low in the air, seeming to hang around the same level as the powder colored smoke. Jeramin coughed and Trevor moved forward to catch my hands in his.

"Um, can we...um...," he stammered in a light tone that was barely audible among the music.

His cheeks flushed, chest shown unstable breathing, his small hand clutched my coat, and his eyes suggested a nervousness I was failing to understand. Jeramin slapped himself in the face behind Trevor and my gaze returned to the little half elf before my dense head finally put the pieces together.

"Hey, um, Trevor, would you like to dance?" I said with an uneasy grin.

He smiled wide and his eyes shined with bliss as he smooshed his face into my shoulder and gleefully grabbed my offered arm. "I would love to!"

Stepping onto the floor was the easy part after Trevor handed Jeramin his cloak, but eventually he turned towards me and I stiffly placed my hands on his waist and left an awkward foot between us as my head went dizzy.

"Come on, Gemini, you know how to dance," I whispered to myself as my feet clumsily moved.

"Are you OK?" he said in nearly a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah...it's cool," I said, trying not to dump us onto the dance floor.

"Is it OK if I try something?" he asked.

"Sure, go ahead," I whispered.

He smoothly glided towards me, his chest coming into contact before the rest of his body met mine. He gave me a brief smile before he rested his head on my shoulder and relaxed, closing his eyes and exhaling contently as we swayed on the floor.

My breath calmed and the world suddenly seemed right as my arms drew in to hold him tight. I gently caressed his hair with my fingers and he murmured something that never met my ears. My head wanted to question everything, wanted to commit to the very improbability that Trevor may actually like me as a person. But there we were, dancing so close that I could smell his raspberry scented perfume.

It was all too short, all too sudden that the dance ended and the rest of the crew were largely grinning at the two of us. Trevor gave me a hearty smile and separated from me to done the cloak he had left with Jeramin, leaving me to briefly miss the warmth I felt against me through my open coat.

"The wife saved us some seats, but we better get in now to avoid the lines," Jeramin stated as we headed to the main stage.

---

The stage came alive with feathers, fake snow, magic lights, and elaborate outfits as actors took to the stage. A dragonkin shifted his form to produce wings and fly about when needed, all adding to the exciting introduction to the story.

"Pretty," Trevor whispered beside me as he was swept into story.

Lovely actors and props told the classic holiday story of the Goddess that modified a planet to her liking and invited all of her fellow gods, demigods, and spirit friends to join her. They celebrated and donned mortal shells in order to experience the sensations of living. Actors flooded the stage as the planets species flowed into existence; airels, dragonkin, dwarfs, nagas, merfolk, elves, halflings, and more sang about living in bliss before they all separated to enjoy their lives.

Soon enough, everyone was busy exiting their seats and joining the rest of the festival to party throughout the night.

"Anyone ever actually seen any of the gods?" asked Jeramin.