Garnedell laughed at that then nodded, pulling it up, but the blue sobered him a bit and Joe could understand how easily those colors could really affect a person, especially since they were so intrinsically tied to success or failure. The very color itself came to represent your place in society, status itself. Well… let’s push the positive! Ooh! Maybe it’ll be easier than I thought… thirteen learning? How did… ah! Right. He’s got double learning with one of his titles. Heh. Ok. This’ll be easier than I thought. Nice!
“Really nice. Really! And your current job?”
He flipped it over, and found it level five and he grinned, “See! No problem at all! Already level five in a single morning.”
Garnedell’s face beamed, but Joe could see the relief infusing everything even as a trace of worry still struggled against it and Joe chuckled softly too himself. He leaned down and whispered in his ear.
“You can change any time… very easily.”
Garnedell’s underlying tension eased and he nodded up at Joe, replying in his own whisper, “I know, and thank you.”
Joe nodded, then turned back to everyone, “Well… lunch?”
With this, Gwenvair smiled thinly but the other three smiled or shouted with excitement and quickly began packing their equipment while Joe packed his bag and readied to leave. They were soon leaving the dungeon and into one of the guilds for lunch. The meal occurred as normal as any other day and while Joe was a bit concerned by Gwenvair’s request, the other’s seemed unconcerned and boisterously enjoyed their meal. Joe joined in the conversation as well and for a time, they discussed the new titles with Joe explaining what each of them did. Gwenvair proved quite excited to learn about them but soon they were done eating and Gwenvair did not forget. She called for the meeting.
“Zilnek? Garnedell? Could we meet you at the bath house?”
Zilnek and Garnedell quickly stood, fleeing the room, abandoning Joe behind.
“Traitors! Leaving me here at the mercy of the two women!”
Zilnek actually stopped, looking back at Joe, but Garnedell just started laughing and beckoned to Zilnek to come, “Private problems are privately solved! Good luck!”
Joe smiled while the girls began giggling at Joes antics. They enjoyed the moments, Joe smiling quietly while the other two continued laughing. After the two boys had left, Gwenvair activated their privacy magical screens and Joe settled the butterflies in his stomach, leaning forward to attentively focus on Gwenvair.
Gwenvair eyes narrowed as she looked at Joe, “Tell me your intentions for Kilniara.”
Joe blinked, stared at her for a moment, then burst out in laughter. He giggled for a good time then waved his hand, calming Gwenvair while also trying to get his laughter under control. He laughed for a good bit of time, and struggled to get himself under control as he saw Kilniara’s face starting to drop and Gwenvair’s anger rising. Joe quickly controlled himself.
“Please… please… just a moment! I was… I’m… surprised and relieved! Just… a moment… please.”
Joe saw them calm a bit and he leaned back to let his laughter run its course, but did put effort into ending it quickly. A few moments later, while he was still laughing, he was able to speak a bit more clearly and began with an explanation.
“I am… truly sorry for laughing. Your serious attitude just made me worried, Gwenvair. I’m simply very relieved and find the question funny. That is all.”
“It is not a funny question. It is quite serious.”
Joe nodded quickly, calming his humor, “Of course it is a serious question, but the circumstances are quite humorous. Kilniara has a girl she has met only for about two weeks speaking for her while her brother flees the room?”
At this, the two girls grinned, then chuckled a bit before nodding, “Possibly, but it is still… a legitimate question.”
“Certainly. One Kilniara and I already resolved. But as you are bringing it up, there must be differences in our people’s ways, so please explain clearly and I will explain clearly. What is the … what is missing?”
The two girls looked at each other at that point, Kilniara shrugging and seeming to offer Gwenvair the lead.
“Do you claim her?” Gwenvair asked, it what appeared to be quite a blunt statement that was not usually said as Gwenvair’s cheeks flushed red with the statement.
Joe stared at the two carefully, eye’s bouncing back and forth between the two as he tried to understand, but just couldn’t parse the meaning of the language and finally decided to simply ask.
“What does claiming mean?”
Gwenvair’s eyes shot wide at this, then she looked at Kilniara again before finding herself struggling to explain.
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“It’s… you claim… her. She is… you claim her as yours. She is yours.”
Joe pondered a bit, still not understanding the concept, “Is this like… marriage?”
Gwenvair quickly shook her head, “No. It is prior to marriage, but a promise to seeking it out.”
“So like… a fiancé? Where one asks the other to marry them?”
“Wha…? No… it is not a proposal or an engagement… it is… a… it is a claim…” Gwenvair trailed off, obviously unable to explain.
Joe stared at the two for a bit before taking a deep breath and shaking his head, “I’m not certain I understand. Let me explain my people’s courting practices and levels of relationship. Maybe you can understand or be able to explain more clearly once you have heard of my people’s courting practices.
“First, my people have mainly lost the art of courtship, although I am of the belief and habit to still practice such things. Despite that, there are basically three levels of relationship between individuals who romantically love each other and pursue one another. This does not count for friendships, or unrequited love, or other such things. This is for two individuals who acknowledge their love for one another and pursue it with one another.
“The three levels are girlfriend and boyfriend, engaged, and finally marriage,” Joe paused at that, remembering the concept of friends with benefits and frowned before continuing.
“I guess… I forgot one other thing, although this is not truly… romance. There is something my people call friends with benefits where two people will acknowledge that they have no love for each other beyond friendship and no desire to seek marriage with one another. They only seek out sex with one another purely for sex and the enjoyment of sex.
“I… am not one who seeks this out nor do I believe it is wise or good to do such things, but that is my own personal choice. I find joy in physical intimacy… sex… with those I truly love, not with just any woman who would be willing.
“Anyway, for me, girlfriend and boyfriend is the first stage, then engagement when both acknowledge that they wish to marry, and finally marriage which is permanent… well… semi-permanent. For me, it is permanent and I will accept nothing less, but many of my people believe… otherwise,” Joe sighed at that, shaking his head in disappointment before continuing on.
“So, a boyfriend and girlfriend acknowledge that they find each other attractive and are willing to pursue a relationship. Most of my people do this and nothing more. I, however, believe that doing so is not only to pursue a relationship, but to seek out if you are compatible for one another to ultimately marry. If marriage is not the ultimate goal, the relationship is pointless and ultimately detrimental, destroying one’s time and chance for finding one who is worthy of marrying you, but I am… a bit unique in that belief.
“This can last from one year to longer… sometimes even six or ten years. This… I believe is much too long, but I’m willing to be flexible if your people’s traditions are different. It is still wise, however, to at least spend some time making sure of the other person’s personality, maturity, loyalty, and… well… anything that would be very important in a marriage.
“Then, when you are certain of the relationship and, more importantly, of the goodness of this other, we propose marriage. The proposal is usually done by the man, although there are some women among my people who do so. If the other accepts, then they become engaged. Or, they are promised to one another. This means that they will pursue the relationship towards marriage and remain loyal to one another.
“I guess, for me, it’s basically a confirmation that I will pursue marriage unless something very unusual or strange occurs, as the only difference between the first stage and second, for me, is the certainty of marriage. At the first stage, I am willing to consider marriage, but must learn of the other first to wisely make a decision. At the second stage, I am so certain that I’m willing to make a promise to marry, and plans are put in place to prepare the marriage. This can take six months to even two or more years, although it is usually much faster than that as the certainty means the couple is ready to marry.
“Marriage is the complete promise of one to the other. I become hers and she becomes mine.”
* * *
“Marriage is the completion and culmination of the relationship. I become claimed as hers and she becomes claimed as mine.”
Joe’s words continued on at that, her heart pounding at the thought and shocked that the claiming was mutual between the two. Gwenvair looked at Kilniara, both staring with eyes wide at the realization, hearts fluttering in shock but also excitement. A mutual claim! A true mutual claim! His people practice mutual claims. How… it is…
Gwenvair’s thoughts sputtered out when Kilniara quickly interjected, interrupting Joe’s description.
“I would claim you?”
Joe stopped, looking at Kilniara but with a bit of confusion, “Of course?”
Joe then stopped, considering a bit at that, “Is that what claim means? To be married?”
Kilniara quickly shook her head, “No, it is to take as your own.”
Joe paused at that, but then shook his head, “But what does that mean?”
This once again gave Gwenvair pause. It was… very difficult to explain well while being appropriate, but Joe seemed to be willing to be quite blunt in his words and descriptions, even mentioning sex and intimacy which brought a fierce red to her cheeks and left her stiff in her seat, unable to look at Kilniara. She had glanced sidelong at her and had seen Kilniara’s own blush and knew the topic was… quite titillating.
Kilniara looked at Gwenvair and grinned a bit, gesturing towards Joe, “Please, explain claiming, Gwenvair.”
Gwenvair glared, then blushed, then glared again at Kilniara, but she had long since grown familiar and only smirked back. Gwenvair felt a flash of anger then felt it drop just as quickly as it was replaced with a warm sense of closeness that had grown rapidly between the two. Kilniara was probably the first true friend Gwenvair had ever had.
Gwenvair turned indignantly towards Joe. I’ll not be shamed in this! If Joe can speak of this… “Claiming is to say they are yours. They are not to seek out others… to have se… uh… be intimate with others… or to… seek out love with others.”
Joe cocked his head, “Is that… like marriage?”
Gwenvair shook her head holding her embarrassment down by sheer force of will even as her cheeks burned, “No, but leads to marriage quickly.”
“Huh… so… it means that if I claim Kilniara, she should not seek out other men for romance?”
Gwenvair quickly nodded at that, relief flooding her as he finally seemed to understand, “Yes!”
“Oh, then… of course, yes. I claim Kilniara and she’s claimed me, although we will not have sex until we are married. To do so before would be very unwise…. Even foolish, at least for me and my people. Some of my people… well… many of my people do so, but I do not agree or wish to … I don’t want to do that. It would be very poor treatment for Kilniara, especially, but also for me.”
When Joe stated that Kilniara had claimed him, her breath caught in her throat even as her whole body shivered, excitement flushing through her and she felt Kilniara grasp her hand under the table between their seats. Neither could bring themselves to continue speaking, but both trembled, attempting to keep their shock and excitement in control. Joe, however, continued, obviously still oblivious to their moods.