Welcome to Gaia! ::

Titan's smile widened, his lips parting to reveal gleaming white teeth that seemed somehow out of place next to his otherwise filthy exterior. " Aye, thank'ya." The offer to stay made him pause though, his eyes unfocusing as he went over his mental checklists. The caravan had to move on soon but he did want to sleep for abit, if only an hour, and the hard ground was not so inviting as one might think. "Aye....that might not be a bad idea.....Oh! Do ya ken the direction of Strata?"

He had been told to go south, that it was intensely sunny, and several other things he really hadn't paid much attention to really, and this place fit atleast part of the criteria. To be honest, he'd kind of slacked off when they went over the maps and such in class, so it was no suprise he was lost. Either way, he'd need to assess where he was.

But First, coffee.

He'd scoop the mug up with exaggerated care, not feeling the ceramics heat up against his bare flesh. Hell he barely knew he was holding onto a mug it was so small in his hands. One quick knock back sent the scalding liquid down his throat, the heat and the caffeine successfully waking him up alittle more than he had been.

" Aye....maybe a short stop is just what I need..." He murmured to himself, unaware that a murmur for him was normal talking levels for anyone else.

It was just breaking into the later hours of the evening and all was eerily silent outside the characteristically soothing atmosphere that the tavern provided to those seeking shelter within it's walls. A few sounds, mostly those of settling were natural for a building of it's age and least of which they weren't quite enough to put off the fair-haired Seer as she crept carefully down the hallway from her bedroom and to the stairway.

Her small bare feet hardly made much more than the tiniest creak with each footfall against the carpeted steps. She wasn't going to be disturbing anyone, and continued her brief descent into the open commons of the tavern.

Rasilyn had gone to bed fairly early after a tiring day and only now just woken from her rather peaceful sleep in desire for a glass of water. Or juice.

She rubbed sleep blue eyes and took the final step. The child paused only a moment long enough to revel in how her bare soles felt against the much cooler hardwood flooring; she wiggled her toes some and giggled in her innocence before moving along towards the counter. No one was downstairs, and she was free to roam about in her pajamas as she pleased.

Humming a little bit to herself along her trip to fetch something to drink, Rasilyn realized upon arrival that she was unfortunately a little bit short of reaching a glass.

Hmm.

The little blond gave a good sweeping glance around the tavern commons before settling on the nearest table and chairs. She could use one to stand on. Thankfully, the chairs were light and easy to drag over to the counter so her task of plucking a glass from the shelf went smoothly. Once that was taken care of she nudged the chair aside and ran the tap until suitably cold, for her tastes anyway. Small hands thrust the glass under the stream and filled it about little more than half.

Satisfied, Rasilyn collected the glass, shut off the tap and took a few sips whilst walking the floor.

Perfectly quiet.

Until a blood curdling scream broke the silence in the area outside of the Tavern's front door.

"EEK!"

Rasilyn yelped and the glass slipped from her hands, falling to the hardwood floor and shattering upon impact. Her eyes were wider than quarters, and her mouth agape in a state of momentary shock.

all Lacey could do was throw her head back, scream, and beg for this to kill her and end

More screaming. Shouting, the sounds of pain and who knew what else, it caused the Seer to start backpedaling in fright before she whirled right around with intent to rush up stairs and pound on her Master's door...

It was fairly difficult to concentrate on anything other than work during the busier hours of business and while the owner of the small establishment might have otherwise appreciated the influx of customers to keep herself occupied, but the terribly inviting weather outside was far more interesting and what Rai wouldn't give to just call it a day and head down to Gambino shore and enjoy such a nice afternoon.

It wasn't very fair.

So, she resigned herself to forced smiles and chipper greetings, bustling about and tried to ignore the sunshine peeking through the far too large windows just across from and to the left to the bar.

Mmn.

She mused, pouting only slightly with a brief pause in the flow of bodies and drink orders.

Maybe she could get away with calling it a holiday and closing early enough to catch some sunshine before the day's end?

No. That wouldn't be very fair to her customers...

Rai perused the "dining room" the tavern commons, and let her eyes make a trail along the tables and over to the sitting area beside the fireplace - which wasn't in use at the time seeing how winter had finally fled. In one of the oversized chairs was a heap of a girl, only slightly mussed blonde haired head hung down past the cushioned arm while she held a book out at arm's length. She was arched over in a fairly humorous, childish position as she read. How she managed to enjoy her book like that was only something Rai herself could understand, having partaken in such a silly act many many times.

She looked comfortable enough, but then again, she was either very easy to please or notably fussy - more often the former thankfully.

Still, Rai couldn't help but focus on Rasilyn's consistent activity. All she seemed to do was sit and read, write or other various tasks all of which took place indoors.

It was such a nice day, and yet the girl was content to sit inside so obviously it was natural for Raien to express her mild concerns or at least say something.

Seeing the break was going to last a while, she slipped away from the bar and crossed the room to grab a temporary seat on an adjacent armchair. "Hey. What're you reading?"

Rasilyn pulled the book down to her chest and averted her gaze to the woman, blinking her large blue eyes in acknowledgment. A little smile followed suit, "It's the one you let me borrow. From yesterday. See!" She thrust the book back up and flipped it around to let Rai see the cover and then laid it back down on her person. "I like it."

It was very hard not to smile back at the girl, she had an innocent sweetness to her, which was part of why Raien felt the emotional obligation to look after her and essentially take on a maternal type of role.

"Well that's good. Um..."

Seeing her hesitation, Rasilyn squirmed and actually sat correctly in the chair, though not without slumping down into it comfortably much unlike her usual proper and lady-like behavior. You didn't see her slouch and recline all haphazardly very often unless she was truly comfortable in her surroundings, so it was endearing to know she felt that way about the tavern, more having to do with Rai's presence than the actual establishment.

The tiny blonde sunk into the oversized chair, almost seeming to swallow her whole if it weren't for the obvious attentive eye contact. "What?" She coaxed.

Rai pursed her lips, removed herself from the opposite chair and plopped down on the arm Rasilyn had been draped over previously. She let a hand come to rest on her head affectionately, like a mother or older sister might do and started to speak up again. "Oh, nothing. I mean, It's good to see you so into reading buuut - don't you think it'd be fun to get outside once in a while? The weather's really nice today, and I'd be happy to come out and play with you on my lunch break. And I am willing to bet no one has ever taught you to skip rocks?"

She tried, but the girl looked back confused for only a moment, swinging stockinged legs back and forth slightly but it was only a brief moment and no sooner did she smile, hunker down further into the armchair and express her contentment. "That's okay." Without more to say, she cracked her book open again and resumed her reading.

Rai didn't want to press the issue and accepted Rasilyn's decline to do something outdoors for a change. It wasn't a secret that the girl was pale enough to be considered a touch sickly, though so far her health had held up so she chalked it up to a lack of outdoor activities.

"Okay. Well if you change your mind, just let me know. I think it'd be fun." She resolved with a smile and left the girl to her reading.

The rumble of a motorcycle engine, a fairly recognizable sound, came into earshot and the actual vehicle in question effectively rolled into view if one were to spy out the large window on the wall adjacent to the front door.

A potential customer had essentially set foot on her front step and it seemed like her break time was now officially over and it was likely in Rai's best interests that she get back to work. Rasilyn had said nothing further and only smiled silently to acknowledge that the offer or suggestion rather was on the table before getting lost within her story yet again.

Making a patron wait was something Raien absolutely hated to do. It was akin to a strict character trait and she would chide herself for hours if it ever happened. So when the door creaked finally and allowed a body to enter, she was ready and waiting behind the counter.

When the rider entered and freed a head of fairly vibrant red hair from the helmet and seemed to peruse the tavern commons approvingly, it certainly encourage Rai to offer up her best customer greeting smile. It came down to a deep rooted pride in the establishment, even if she had stepped up to the plate in regards to overall management and overseen the renovations some months prior.



She made eye contact and hopefully exuded friendliness and not an eagerness to sit back down and relax. Her break had been sufficient so there was no pining for another. "Sure thing and - " The woman turned her torso just enough to grab a freshly washed glass from the drying rack and had meant to continue further but the other woman had seemingly read her mind.



She'd just been about to ask that.

"Let me grab you a menu. It's not too big right now, since we're still in the process of changing things around but I'd like to think it's enough to satisfy." While one hand gingerly held the glass under a small spicket, her free arm plucked a menu from a short rack sitting on the counter top just a reach away and laid it down in front of the other woman..

She could browse the selection while the hostess topped off the glass with the spring water they offered and eventually passed it off.

The patron's thanks was met with the atypical response of "No problem!" and the hostess dabbed at any stray water that might have escaped the tap moments earlier, giving the other woman time enough to make her selection.

There wasn't any rush, since everyone else was taken care of and didn't seem to show the slightest bit of interest to anything taking place over at the bar, though she spotted Rasilyn peeking up from her book every so often out of innocent curiosity.



That hooked her attention and reeled it right back in. Rai looked back inquiringly.



The comment made her smile a little warmer and her whole demeanor softened. "No, charming doesn't sound bad at all. Or maybe I'm the odd one out? Anyway - I'm glad you like the place. We're still somewhat in the process of moving things around, sprucing up and all that but I still try to keep it cozy.

Raien might have asked if there was anything on the menu that particular;y interested her but she seemed to be halfway perusing it yet still - until she spoke up.

"Cheesebread it is then. Don't worry about it, if you find you want something more just ask. It won't be an inconvenience."

The menu slid along the counter back towards her and Rai collected it, carefully replacing it back amongst the others. "Business? Around here? Hmm." The question gave her pause but not a long one, just a brief moment to think about the answer.

"It's quiet. In a good way though I like to think. It's right on the edge of town and closer to the backroads and woods so we get a lot of travelers, hikers, campers, and definitely plenty of tourists from outside of Durem. The locals we get are the ones who know the place exists and happen to be regular customers. The crime rate in this part is fortunately lower - that or I just don't hear about everything that happens but I'm inclined to think it's honestly the former. The land's really good though, away from the dirt and grunge of the inner city. Durem looks like a nice place to the outsider but it gets kinda seedy further inward. Prices for real estate are hit or miss - you just kind of have to do your homework."

She practically went on a ramble but that typically happened when you initiated deeper conversation than what you wanted to eat and the cost of a room for the night. However, if the woman was looking to start up a business of her own, Rai was more than eager to offer her advice and two cents.

Appearances didn't chalk up to much, and the hostess herself wasn't your run of the mill bar-maid - looking more like she came straight from either the Isle de Gambino or the deserts of Strata with her deeply tanned skin and dark features. In fact - if Sam were to look around she might realize the diversity amongst the other patrons with the exception of Rasilyn - who at least looked like she belonged in Durem. And she did.

A pad and pen found their way to Rai's hands after she had finished her bit of advice and discussion regarding business life in the area. She quickly scribbled some notes on the order slip, cheesebread most importantly a part of those notes.



The hostess looked up and back to the woman she was serving and who seemed to be honestly weighing her formerly given advice. She kind of grinned knowingly, maybe as if she were expecting an addition to the order, even small as it was.



"Trust me, you'll be happy you did. They're pretty awesome. As long as I have any say in how those guys put together a good dessert at least." She joked, and scribbled away on the slip before tearing it off the pad.

However, she wasn't about to run off just yet. "Relocating? Hmm. I don't know how much help I could be on that subject. I've been here as long as I can remember..." Her voice seemed to trail off into nothing for all of a second. The statement could not have been more true. It had only been for as long as she could remember and trying to think of anything before it was unusually fuzzy and obscure.

Still, Rai only quirked an eyebrow and moved on to the next subject - getting the woman a refill on her water, which she was happy to do.

"Oh, sure thing." It took little skill to grab the glass, return it to the tap and let it fill to a reasonable level.

"Here you go-" Rai set the glass back down on the counter. "Let me get this back to the kitchen and get them started on your order before they get any funny ideas about taking an early break."

With the slip in hand, she turned away from the bar to face an approaching Rasilyn. The girl had left her book on the chair and was smoothing out her dress, an unconscious habit to make herself look presentable. That was a fairly obvious sign she was coming over with intent to dine.

Raien had nearly forgotten the time and only now realized that the last time Rasilyn had eaten was quite some time ago. Typical enough.

"You're hungry now I take it?" She gained that 'motherly' quality to her tone pretty suddenly and always when dealing with the young seer. All that came in response was a sheepish, but knowing smile and bob of her head.

"Alright. Give me a sec then. Go sit down and make up your place, unless you want to sit at the counter." Rai laid a hand on her small blonde haired head momentarily and just as quickly turned tail back into the kitchen through the swinging door.

Rai had caught a slight glimpse of the woman's puzzled expression and then her spoken thanks. Realization dawned upon her that there had been a very funny misunderstanding. She hadn't actually asked for dessert, it had been a word but not the word the hostess thought it had been.

French was a lovely dialect, but anything other than the common spoken language around Gaia was foreign and totally unfamiliar to her. The only reason she recognized some for what they were was thanks to the diversity of the visitors who passed through.

It would years of study for her to pick up on anything more than one or two familiar words though.

The young bar manager found herself laughing at her mistake after passing off the ticket to the kitchen crew and passing back through the swinging door into the bar again.

"Well, a sweet treat never hurts." She entered in time to see Rasilyn hesitate on the woman's invitation to sit, not out of distrust but simply unfamiliarity. Coming up behind the small blonde, Rai reassured her, encouraging her to sit at the bar where she might keep on eye on her easier. "Go ahead and grab a stool sweetheart. I'll come around and get you whatever it is you'd like."

"Alright." With a little more eagerness now, she did as told and slid onto a high stool tucked in close to the counter, which Rai placed herself behind once more.

"Don't mind it. Rasilyn's just a little shy around people she doesn't know."

She came to a sudden realization. "I can't believe I haven't actually given you my name yet - I'm Raien. Raien DeCuir - I guess i got so wrapped up in conversation since I'm usually good about that."

"Tell me about it." Rai muttered - but amusingly as she went along straightening up around the bar counter, waiting for a notice from the kitchen. "I don't think there's much if any French in me at all - or at least maybe some small fraction. I certainly don't look the part, or even speak the language. It's hard to be sure though. Who knows where my roots actually lie." Her lips curved into a grin. Raien was a girl who enjoyed a little mystery and had a very devout, natural curiosity and generally when something of interest was also unfamiliar to her, she typically made it a point to figure it out.

"But it's a pleasure to have you Samantha." She turned around to the wall of shelves at her back and plucked another regular glass from the rack. Holding it carefully, she moved to a micro fridge at the end row of shelving units against the wall, opened it and retrieved a pint of milk all while continuing to chat. "I get a lot of men through here mostly," The obvious next step was her filling the empty glass a little over halfway and turning back to face those sitting at the bar. "And even the women who come by are never quite as friendly and willing to make a lot of conversation."

With a sweet smile, she placed the glass in front of Rasilyn who didn't bother with it initially. Instead, she was slightly startled by the question directed at her.

Raien excused herself politely and was spirited away back to the kitchen, leaving the girl to respond to Sam's inquiry.

Shy she was, but most certainly not rude. It didn't stop her from fidgeting every so slightly in her seat while retaining her exceptionally proper posture and poise that might otherwise seem unusual in most young girls, especially her age. "Oh. I don't mind." She mumbled, somewhat quietly, but sweet in her usual timid fashion. "Just normal studies, Ma'am." She hadn't been sure whether to address her as Miss or as she had, but went with what she figured the proper choice. "I don't attend school. So I learn in home. Nothing special." Rasilyn glanced past Samantha and looked toward the book she had left sitting on the oversized armchair. "But I do read for fun when I have the time."


By now, Raien had arrived yet again - with a tray in hand no less, carrying Sam's cheesebread and the parfait ordered out of amusing confusion. Another plate carried only a sandwich - obviously for Rasilyn.

"Alright - here we go. Smells good!" The hostess deposited both the bread and dessert in front of the woman, and delivered the sandwich to the patiently waiting Rasilyn, who promptly thanked her as politely as possible.