Amends (the whole gang)

[Lyra Newbury]

That was enough to make Lyra forget all about any concerns she may have had with their current form of transportation. Lyra found that she was rarely anxious when she was working or discussing anything even remotely related. She had truly found her passion and the excited gestures she used while chatting and the lights that sparkled in her eyes as the conversation went on was proof enough. She would be forever grateful to Sam and Julian for pushing her in this direction.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant Lyra was starving. She hadn't eaten much of anything today, not wanting to look puffy for her first night out with Julian in a while. But as they stepped inside the smells that attacked them were so delicious that Lyra's stomach gave a small rumble.

[Julian Faust]

"I heard that." Julian said giving her arm a gentle squeeze and a teasing look.

"Who didn't?" Nik snorted, "Would an apple kill you? Don't tell me you're turning into one of those rib cage girls."

"Rib what?" Julian asked.

Sam rolled her eyes, "It's really self explanatory if you think about it." Nik had scolded her often enough about the same thing, then again she actually had an eating disorder when she was younger. It was mostly her mother's influence, but it also helped her feel in control. It was a habit she had since kicked.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra gave a sheepish grin in response to Julian's gentle teasing then a hard look at Nicolas. "Apologies if I happen to care about the way I look. I know that's a foreign concept for you."

[Nicolas Everhart]

"Well when you look like I do, being attractive is simply a state of being." he said with a grin.

Sam who was well used to their quibbling ignored them and gave Julian a look, but Julian was surprised both at Lyra's antagonism and Nik's conceited reply. It was so different from what he knew of both of them.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra rolled her eyes loudly, as she often did with Nicolas. "Does this place have a bar we can sit at, so I don't have to look at him the whole night?"

Instead, they were seated at a private table and greeted with a bottle of champagne. Lyra waited for Julian to help her with her chair and gave a loving smile as thanks. She picked up her menu and scanned the list of entrees. 

"They have coq au vin," Lyra said softly to Julian, mangling the pronunciation. She was horrible at speaking French but knew Julian thought she was adorable even when she butchered the romantic language.

[Nicolas Everhart]

Julian did find it adorable, La Vie en Rose, as they said, he saw everything she did through rose colored glasses.

Meanwhile Nik repressed a snicker at Lyra's mangling of the dish's name.

When the waiter stopped by their table to retrieve their drink orders Nik conversed with the man in fluent french.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra wasn't positive that Nik knew she disliked people speaking around her without her understanding, but she took his fluent conversation with the waiter as a personal slight. She pursed her lips. Then she turned to Julian.

"What are they saying?" she asked, then followed with "will you order for me? I don't want to look stupid."

[Nicolas Everhart]

Like all of Nik's actions toward Lyra, they were only intended to make her feel silly, but he never made her look bad in front of others. What they had was personal, a mild game between the two of them.

Julian was about to assure her that she wouldn't look stupid, he was also about to translate the menu when it translated itself explaining each item in English. Nik winked at her.

[Lyra Newbury]

A game between friends, as they now realized they were. Strange friends with a weird relationship, but friends nonetheless. Had Lyra ever had the opportunity to have the upper hand and help Nicolas out when he needed it, she surely would have been there to do so just as he was doing now. Lyra, however, was generally the fish out of water in this group and therefore her biggest contribution to helping anyone with anything was simply her big heart and protective nature over her friends and loved ones. Hence the dinner in the fancy restaurant where she couldn't understand anything on the menu.

Until the words shifted into English. She looked first to Julian who seemed as surprised as she was, then over to Nicolas who gave her an arrogant wink. "Tosser," she called him with a smile.

[Nicolas Everhart]

He only smirked in response. Since he was familiar with the restaurant as well as the specialties, he had no need to look at the menu, and sipped on champagne.

Julian caught yet another exchange between the pair and laughed, "You two are ridiculous."

Sam caught Julian's eye and rolled her own, "You have no idea."

[Lyra Newbury]

"He's ridiculous, I'm delightful," Lyra said as she looked at Julian and lovingly brushed her shoulder against his. "What are you getting?" she asked him.

The friendship between Nik and Lyra had blossomed while Julian was still hiding in his art studio. Lyra wasn't sure how much of the background had been shared with Julian, about Nik's suspicions that Lyra had been using the men and Sam to gain a position in society, but she hadn't discussed it with him at all. Samantha was privy to the whole ordeal, so the relationship may have appeared less surprising to her. But from Julian's perspective the two went from hardly any contact whatsoever to antagonistic teasing and sly winks at their own jokes. Lyra was afraid of mentioning the transition as that would lead to talk of that dark period where she was dating Mason while pining over Julian. Instead she ignored their past and honestly didn't think anything strange of how they acted in the group.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam had been privy to it, and even she harbored a little jealousy at the pair, but for Julian the sly winks and antagonistic teasing spoke of a deep familiarity. What was more shocking was that Nik wasn't the type to engage in that sort of behavior at least not that he knew of.

But he didn't think too deeply on it as Lyra once again distracted him, he told her what he was thinking ordering.

[Lyra Newbury]

After everyone had ordered Lyra lifted her glass of champagne slightly and looked at the group. "I'm so happy we could all step away from life's chaos to have a little fun tonight." She looked at Sam and smiled, keeping her promise to not mention any cheering up in front of Nik. "To good friends," she toasted.

[Nicolas Everhart]

Sam and Julian both knew who their little get together was for, at the time Julian had merely thought it was Lyra's big heart that pushed towards this evening. But he was quickly learning there was actual friendship or something between the two.

"Here here." he said lifting his glass.

Sam smiled and raised her champagne flute and Nik winked, "And good enemies." he teased.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra rolled her eyes at Nik's addition as she sipped her champagne.

The meal went on with much of the same; Lyra flirted gently with Julian making sure to be careful not to move too quickly or make the evening seem like a real date, she teased and taunted Nicolas, and she spoke warmly with Samantha while making plans for a girl's night in so that she could show off the projector Julian had bought her. She felt the evening was going rather well and it more than made up for her rude behavior with Nicolas the week prior.

[Nicolas Everhart]

Julian was a bit more subdued than normal. He had imagined that he and Sam would have to carry the conversation, or at least that Sam and Lyra would talk and he and Nik would talk, but he hadn't expected Nik and Lyra to get on so well. They had so many inside jokes it was hard to keep up.

Sam merely rolled her eyes, but at least she was aware of their relationship while Julian had been completely blind sided. He wasn't upset, not really, but it was hard to explain how he felt when he saw his best friend and his non-girlfriend acting as though they were best friends or something else, something that made Julian's chest seize up whenever the idea crept into his mind.

As for Nik, he felt lighter than he had in years. Lyra's delightful antagonism distracted him through what had been the most painful part of the year for him. Also because she had taken some more responsibility at the magazine he was able to see Sam more. They may have had an adversarial relationship, but he truly treasured her beneath it all.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra was blissfully ignorant to any concerns Julian may have had. She felt comfortable in the group and didn't find it strange that she talked so much with each person at the table. Lyra loved to talk and she hadn't considered the possibility that talking with Nicolas would cause Julian any sort of discomfort. On the contrary, she assumed her getting along with Julian's friend was a huge step up compared to the mess she made with his other friendship.

As the meal wined down the waiter brought around the dessert menus and Lyra's eyes lit up. Everything sounded amazing but Lyra had eaten plenty already. She looked to Julian. "I don't think I can eat anything to myself. Do you want to share something?"

[Julian Faust]

"Weak." Nik teased.

Sam shot him a look, "Funny I was just about to ask you the same thing..."

Nik's expression changed as he catered to Sam.

Julian only smiled, "Of course pet, what sounds good?"

[Lyra Newbury]

"Have you ever finished a dessert on your own?" Lyra asked Sam teasingly. The girl was thin, not in an unhealthy way, but seeing Samantha eat an entree and dessert to herself would have been a miracle. Lyra, on the other hand, normally had plenty of room for something sweet but the savory French food was richer than she was used to and she was sure Julian would end up eating most of their dessert.

"Something with chocolate," she answered him as her eyes ran down the menu. "Ooh, what about this?" she asked, pointing to a chocolate confection with a raspberry sauce.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Julian happily complied with her decision and waived a waiter down to take their desert orders.

When music began to play Nik smirked at Sam, "Well?" she rolled her eyes and put her hand in his.

Julian smiled at Lyra, "Would you like to dance?"