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 Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:45 pm
Looking at the menus placed before them, the hraapea picked one up and scanned it quickly. The truth was, he didn't really know how to read. His guardian had never taken the time to really teach him.
"Oh... So you have a steady home." Dropping the booklet, the boy flashed a simple smile. He knew that very few people traveled like he did, but it wasn't very often Helias was allowed to talk to people in general, let alone inquire about their lifestyle. "That must be nice."
At the fisherman's first real question since their meeting, the lyrebird heaved a sigh and shrugged. "I dunno. I wasn't ever told, but I think we're on the way to... Somewhere else. Just passing by." It was probably a good thing he was never told, as he wouldn't have been allowed to tell the truth even if he did know. Helias had all sorts of problems with lying which his guardian acknowledged and went through great lengths to hide.
"Have you seen someone like me before?" With one hand, the hraapea gestured to his hidden wings and the twin feathers that peaked out from his tied hair. He had initially spoken with the man because they had one thing similar, but it was a disappointment to find that Kaden was more human than... Whatever the hell he was.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:00 pm
Kaden idly flipped through the menu. He wasn't sure why he was still here, but Helias seemed to be happy to have someone to talk to. The fisherman didn't think that Nikolai did much talking with the poor guy. Sometimes it was nice to just sit and chat.
"You don't?" Helias' comment made Kaden look up from the menu and study the young man. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to not have a home to go to each night. Or a boat to sail in, though he knew most people did not have one. But to a fisherman born and raised, it was odd.
"I can't say I have," Kaden replied. Everyone he'd seen before was normal. Or, what was considered to be normal. Though, with the coat and hood, Helias could pass for normal as long as one didn't look closely at his face. "What... uh, what exactly are you?" The question was probably rude, but he couldn't stop it.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:12 pm
"Nope. We're always traveling. Except.. Sometimes." Helias frowned, trying to think of the appropriate words for the situation. Eventually, he gave up on the chase and looked at the table. Setting his elbows on the wooden black, he pressed two fingers to each temple, rubbing it as though the last question had put him in a bad spot.
"Mmm... I'm... I don't know. Not human, I think." Nikolai had never said the word 'hraapea' around him, nor had they ever discussed the finer aspects of his individuality. The boy had always wanted to ask, but one rarely asked anything from the mercenary aside from punishment and war tactics. He only knew one of three things: Be hidden, act human, and keep to one's self.
Drooping a little now that Kaden was not only not like him, but also lacked knowledge of anyone that might have been more similar, Helias sighed and slumped forward on the table. No sooner had he touched down was he yanked back up again, sharply by the collar.
"Don't slouch. The table is dirty."
Nikolai casted a look at Kaden, as if just assessing the situation for the first time. With his abrupt return came a various assortment of food, probably ordered while the two were still poking a the menu. Taking a seat, the man stared the waitress down until she left. Once alone, he picked up a plate and picked a little from each dish. Like a father for a child, sizing out the correct portions before placing the meal in front of his ward. He didn't say anything else, having no real intentions of interfering with their conversation despite his return.
"Ow..." Helias rubbed his throat, lowering his head to hover just above the table as he looked over the food. There was only one thing he liked on the serving of five.
"You didn't ask what Kaden wanted." Muttering the words, the boy shot the fisherman an almost desperate look. Hopefully, the stranger would share something else in common with him-- taste for food.
"He will order for himself if he wants to."
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:42 pm
Kaden watched the boy for a while before glancing back down at his menu. "I... see." It seemed the poor boy didn't know much about himself other than he was different. And it was obvious that he hardly got to talk to anyone. Poor kid.
The fisherman glanced up as Nikolai rejoined them, followed by food. It all smelled good. He couldn't help but smile a bit as the older man made up a plate for Helias.
He turned his attention back to the menu, actually read it over this time to find something to order. Something that was not fish. He ate plenty of that on his own. Perhaps something else...? Though, of course, being a fishing town, it seemed that a good number of the dishes did involve fish.
Finally, he found something and glanced around long enough to catch the attention of a waitress and order. The silence after she left was noticeable now that he wasn't looking through the menu.
"So.... what do you do for a living, Nikolai?" Well, it was a legitimate question...
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:28 pm
Nikolai threw in his own order for a generous amount of liquor once the waitress came to take Kaden's request. With the silence that followed, he watched his ward eat-- clearly making the boy uncomfortable and decidedly not giving a damn. When he was addressed, the redhead ran a hand through his shoulder length hair and turned his gaze to the window briefly. Helias put his hands together and half-bowed to Kaden as a means of thanks.
"I bartend when I'm in Aerr. Otherwise, I do whatever I need to get by while I'm traveling."
Shifting slightly on the wooden bench, the man crossed one leg over the other out of the habit. Although he had learned to hide among 'peasantry' relatively well, there were still some habits from his wealthy upbringing that Nikolai had a hard time hiding. Most of it came out when he was relaxed, as he was wont to do at that moment.
For a second, it looked as though the mercenary was about to offer something more-- fortunately, he caught himself as the waitress returned with his drinks. Before Helias could react, Nikolai swiped them away, expertly sliding them until they aligned at the far edge of the table and out of the shorter boy's reach. Of the six drinks that came, one mug was offered to Kaden while Helias was given a cup of water.
"Why can't I have one?"
Helias frowned, staring at the offered alcohol but not rude enough to swipe it from their guest
"It's unflattering for a girl to drink."
Inspecting the mug handle, Nikolai eventually picked it up.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:06 pm
"Bartend? That sounds interesting." In truth, anything other than fishing sounded interesting. Kaden led a rather bland life. "Why travel so much? Surely bartending does well?" Perhaps it did very well. Well enough to let someone travel...
The fisherman was a bit surprised when Nikolai offered him a drink, seeing how the man had been about the food. Perhaps this was more of his style, with the bartending thing? Who knew. Kaden had already come to the conclusion that Nikolai was an odd man. He seemed to do things in his own way, which may or may not make sense to anyone else.
Kaden glanced at Helias, who seemed upset with his drink selection of water. Then again, Nikolai's answer probably didn't help the boy cheer up any.
Not sure what exactly to say to the hraapea, the fisherman just took a drink instead. Now... where was that waitress with his food?
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:43 am
"Bartending can only gather so much knowledge. It's better to travel and learn as you go."
Besides, it helped him out with his underground business so why not? It wasn't that Nikolai particularly enjoyed the instabilities of a nomadic life, but when it came to weighing his own comfort and his job, the mercenary didn't really need to think twice.
"I'm not a girl."
Helias finally piped in, the words lost in a gurgle of water. Nikolai stared at his ward for a minute, the repulsion on his face only a little pacified when the hraapea quickly gulped down the entire cup and set it down. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Helias was quick to throw in a small apology.
When the waitress returned with Kaden's food, effectively cutting off Nikolai a second time, the man merely finished his first drink and started on a second. Sometimes he would offer their guest another drink, but only in a half hearted attempt to loosen the guy up some. Even fishermen may tell interesting tales that can lead to a client or two, provided they lose their sense of self for a bit.
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 12:27 pm
"I see." Okay, he didn't really, but then again he'd never traveled either. He'd spent his whole life here in Korr and most of it out on the sea. That was as much traveling as he did. On a boat.
Helias' comment made Kaden grin a bit. "Of course you aren't." Poor kid. Having to put up with such a guy. He wasn't sure why they were even traveling together as it seemed the older one could barely tolerate the younger. Well, it was really none of his business, something he was sure Nikolai would confirm.
Thanking the waitress, he started in on his food, finishing his first drink only to be offered another. "You two staying in town long?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:34 pm
"No~ we're leaving by tomorrow morning for Nuan, right Nikolai?"
Nikolai didn't often like letting people know where he was heading, but he didn't bother reprimanding Helias for the slip up. It didn't even occur to him yet that he hadn't told Helias where they were going, so the fact that the hraapea knew was kind of a mystery in itself. Instead, he merely focused his drink and continued to try and numb himself a bit. It was impossible for the mercenary to get drunk-- he'd only gotten drunk once or twice before, even when he was first starting out with the whole alcohol thing. Now, after decades of wrecking havoc on his liver, the worse he'd feel was a slight headache in the mornings.
When the six mugs were empty, Nikolai put in a dozen more orders. Not really realizing that people in general shouldn't drink as much as he did, the man simply kept sliding new ones over to Kaden whenever he took the grace to notice the other's empty cup.
Helias watched his guardian in mild fascination, at one point attempting to drink his water as fast as the other was downing the liquor. After two cups, the boy gave up and looked to Kaden instead, eating a spoonful of food every now and then.
"Is it good?" Nodding towards the heavy mugs, it was clear Helias wanted to try. It was a far fetched fantasy, however, as Nikolai wasn't about to let him touch the alcohol even with the slightly relaxed buzz he was undoubtedly feeling right about then.
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