After a rather interesting invite from Benedict Delaney, she let herself linger on it for only a moment as she caught sight of her Delaney twin. Frederick coming towards her with a slow gait and a rather sad, depressed puppy look on his face. She let out a long breath, her arms crossing over her chest as he stood before her and opened his mouth to say nothing.

Veda already knew he wouldn’t be able to say anything to her until she broke the silence. Those blue eyes were soft, the dark lashes wet around his eyes and she shook her head. “I thought I taught you better. Heel of the palm to the nose, Fred.” She tapped her fingers to the heel of the palm before she reached to her pocket. Pulling free the Crystal she had been trying to give him.

“You left so quickly that you left this behind.” She offered it to him, dipping her head to try and catch his gaze. “Made sure it was specifically charged and ready to go for you. Rose Quartz, for love and luck…”

Fred was ready for the rebuttal and he looked sheepish and disappointed in himself for having failed so miserable. In spite of Bulger's size, Fred was trained well enough that he should have been able to beat him, or at least he believed so. If he'd focused on his training over his emotions he might have actually ended up the winner of the day. Instead he had lost, it really wasn't even close. He lifted his hand to look down at his open palm. Heel of the palm to the nose. He did know better.

He let his hand fall dejectedly and gave Veda a pathetic nod to show he understood why he had failed. Then she offered him a crystal and he looked up at her in surprise. He really shouldn't have been at all surprised by the gesture yet he was. In spite of his regular crushes and many failed attempts at courtship, she was giving him something that was actually supposed to bring love and luck? He took the crystal gingerly and held it tenderly in his palm, his thumb moving softly to caress the edges of the crystal. Maybe if he'd had this then he would have managed to remember his training and defeat Bulger. Alas, he had been in too much of a hurry.

"Perhaps there is still luck to be had," he said, closing his hand around the stone. "Thank you, Veda, truly." He then collapsed around her in a heavy hug, his dripped clothes getting her dry ones wet.

After a moment and a good hard squeeze he stood again and looked at her. "She did say that I might have well been the one to catch the wreath in her eyes," he looked delighted at the thought but then his smiled faltered a little and he leaned a little closer to ask her something. "I know the goddess in the two-fold coven is meant to bless the connection between the witch and the man who catches her wreath. Do you think it's bad luck to try to connect with her when it should be another?" he asked, looking worried.

Every time Fred looked surprised by her actions, she just about wanted to smack his jaw closed. Had he not come to realize that she wanted him to be happy? In her own twisted way, she didn't care how it happened, but if it brought him joy... she wanted it for him. If it meant she needed to spend some time praying to the Goddess or over some crystals, why would she not spend that time dedicated to her? Her coven believed that a pleased witch as a strong witch, and if her partner was constantly sulking... that meant she was going to be focused less on her own enjoyment until she could get that smile from him.

It also helped that whenever he had been happy, at the highest and most promising times with his Latest, it was typically when they were the strongest they had ever been. "You act as if this comes as a surprise to you Frederick Delaney." She scolded, yet she peeked at him from the corner of her eyes and her smile told him that she was anything but angry. Annoyed, yes. But not angry with him. Not until his hulking figure draped over her and started to soak through her clothing. "FRED!" She quipped, patting his shoulder quickly before trying to escape him. "The bottom of my dress is wet as it is." She told him before he was backing off.

And just like that, Fred was back. He never stayed down too long. "Well, while you might have not snagged it," she brushed her hands over the wet spots that had appeared thanks to his squeeze. "I don't think she counts it blessed when the man was after the wreath for someone else. Not for himself. If anything, Lord Morrigan better be cautious of those wreaths he had collected. Might be cursed for the rest of the year." She shot a look over to said Morrigan as he had them collected.

Fred gave her a little guilty smile when she chided him for getting her wet. He honestly hadn't thought about it before he'd done and though it hadn't been his intention, it was kinda funny.

He gave a little devilish smile at the idea of Lord Morrigan being cursed but a devilish smile from a man like Fred came out far more impish than anything one could actually take as a threat. He turned his attention back to Veda though. "Wait, what about your wreath. I didn't see it. Did it make it out to sea?" he asked her, a hopeful look in his eyes.

The idea of the Morrigan being cursed seemed to be the cherry on top for Fred. His face twisting in a way that reminded her of a boy who had just gotten away with sneaking an extra cookie on the cooling rack without being caught. It made her huff a little laugh before he seemed to remember that Evanthe hadn’t been the only witch to toss out a wreath.

She glanced down at a wet spot on her chest, brushing the fabric yet the spot remained. “It made it at least to the end of the dock, but I lost sight of it there.” Veda looked back at him, a small smirk on her lips, “At least I think it was mine.” For all she knew, it sank a few feet from her as she had bowed her head in prayer.

“It’s in the Goddess’ hands now. Nothing I can do further to hope she blessed me,” or cursed her. Veda still wasn’t so sure, and though she had that famous Chaudhari posture and confidence, she wasn’t sure if she’d be lucky enough to escape an arranged marriage for benefit over love. She was running out of time. And arranged marriages had worked well for most of her family… from what she had seen.

“Your brother invited me to his home tonight. Apparently him and Ellison hold some yearly party? Why have you never brought me?” She asked, swatting his arm as she directed them to start walking back into the town square.

Veda seemed always so quick to let the Goddess' take her fate into their hands. Fred couldn't imagine just hoping that things would work out based on a deity rather than just trying to get what he wanted himself. Not that it had worked out so well for him up to this point. Maybe he ought to take a page out of Veda's book. It might do him some good. He never really thought too much about what their partnership might feel like once they were both married but it crossed his mind now and a curious feeling lingered in his chest that he couldn't quite place.

It was her final words though that chased any other thoughts from his mind. She had started to move them back towards the town square but his feel remained rooted to the ground for a few seconds as she started to walk away. Finally he seemed to find his footing and his words as he jogged to catch up to her.

"Wait- wait, what? Ben invited you to the party tonight?" he asked, his mouth suddenly dry.

Veda didn’t stop walking, even when she didn’t see Fred at her side or hear his footsteps. He’d catch up, they’d done this long enough for her to know she had just shocked him.

A small smirk curled her lips, walking with a certain confidence when she heard the sudden quick footsteps and his voice. An octave higher than normal. “The party? Well that makes it sound so much more fun than before.” She snagged a stick of fried dough covered in cinnamon and looked up at him. “So? Why haven’t you invited me? Think I’d ruin your fun?” She asked before taking a bite of the food.

The thought that she was now potentially more interested horrified him. No no no. He wanted to make it less exciting, not more so. He had to fix this. Damn Ben! Why did he have do shit like this!?

"What? No, of course not." Yes? Technically he supposed her being there would ruin his fun but that wasn't why he'd never invited her before. Given what little he knew of her coven it might actually be a good fit for her, so then what? Embarrassment? The complication of trying to explain to her that he regularly slept with his brother's wife and said brother was more than okay with it. It was strange and complicated to explain and he definitely put on a persona of being more innocent than that himself. Maybe the truth was that he was afraid of how she might look at him if she found out.

"More that it's just not really that good of a party," he lied. "You'll just be bored really, I always am but I go just to support Ben." Lies lies lies.

Veda chewed slowly, thoughtfully as she turned to Fred. Her dark brow rising as he denied that she’d ruin his fun. Even her eyes narrowed slightly as he went in to claim how boring the party was and how he only went to support his twin.

“Fred,” she took another bite of her fried dough before she offered the end towards him, offering him a bite of it as well. Sharing food wasn’t exactly off the table between the two of them. Part of being partners really. “You expect me to believe that Ben and Ellison host a boring party?” Had Fred met the two of them?

“Please… what should I wear? Considering I can’t wear this I’m assuming?” She reached one hand down to lift her skirting to point out the mud across the trim.

Fred didn't even think twice about leaning forward to take a bite of her treat when she offered it. He didn't even take it from her first, he'd simply leaned forward and took a bite. No hands. His cheeks pinkened further as she pointed out that Ben and Ellison weren't the type to throw a boring party. She was right of course. He couldn't even imagine them being successful at being boring if they actually tried to do so.

So he didn't try to argue against her. Nor did he outright agree. "I dunno," he murmured as his gaze fell to the mud on her skirting. "Something clean." He was being stubborn but it didn't last long. This was Veda after all. "And pretty. I'd go with something slim and sleek over too...poofy."

But then he waved off the question. "Really it would just be more worth your time to get some extra rest for our shift tomorrow." If she came then they would surely both be dead on their feet in the morning. These parties tended to go until very, very late.

Veda almost smirked when he leaned forward and accepted the bite she offered him. He did so with complete trust, without hesitation. They had worked so hard to get to this point and it was small moments like this that reminded her that they had come so far. She immediately took the next bite as he went on to what she should wear.

Huh. “Slim and sleek,” she parroted, thinking over what she had in her wardrobe that would fit that. She doesn’t get far before he’s once against insisting she not go. “Why are you so set on me not going?” She turned abruptly and stared up at him. “I mean really? I’ve never had you try and push me off so much. Is it the new one?” Meaning Evanthe. “Does she not like me?”