Who

Echo, Neryk

What

Two folks in for a drink or to escape the outside heat. Echo likes eating peanuts and Neryk has a bunch.

When

It is afternoon of the nineteenth day of the eleventh month of the twelfth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Dustbowl Cantina

OOC Date 04 Jan 2018 07:00

 

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Cantina

To enter the Dustbowl Cantina is to descend: the heart of the ancient tavern lies half underground, at the foot of ancient steps, insulated from summer heat and winter cold by the volcanic rock surrounding it. A windowless place well-lit by glows, it is homey, even cozy, with a certain bijou charm - but for the deep gouges worn in wooden table and solid stone, some clearly lingering evidence of boisterous brawling. The wall behind the well-polished bar, though, remains free from scars or graffiti, as does the door into the small kitchen, and the stairwell up into the owner's quarters: the barkeep and his staff reign, and they guard their territory well. After all, only a fool angers the source of the booze.


It's the afternoon in Autumn and with Rukbat's light so mercilessly bright, the respite of the dimmer Cantina is sought be a particular auburn-haired Zingari girl. As Echo steps in from outside, it takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dimmness and she blinks her eyes as if that could clear the spots that are dancing in front of her vision. She's dressed in a simple outfit of leather trous cut to her knees, short boots and a matching leather vest-like top that shows off her midriff. At her neck she is wearing a leather choker with a silver pendant hanging from it. She manages to make her way to the bar and slips onto a stool. "Zingari Red please." she asks the bartender. When the spots in front of her eyes finally fade, she looks around a bit, examining her surroundings, making it obvious it's her first time here.

With the utter, terrible heat and bright trapped outside, Neryk has found the Cantina by way of escape from the outside and the lack of something else to do. Days like this mean the cheese-making at Virjilio's is done early and Neryk's usual want to help Traders unload or reload or move, or whatever menial task they needed done has been stifled by the weather. One would think that half a lifetime in the desert might have gotten Neryk more accustom to that sort of thing, but no, he is at the bar now, whiskey in one hand and a little bowl of peanuts in front of him. CRACK. The pile of shells is growing as Neryk methodically breaks the hard nuts open and seperates the good stuff away. One pile of nuts, one pile of shells, and one bowl of the soon-to-be shelled. Neryk seems oblivious to the newcomer, reaching for another nut as a pair of firelizards lay on the bar watching him. A small, pale blue, and a large, dark gold, both watching with the quiet boredom that might suggest Neryk has been at this a while. As Echo escapes the bright, that little blue head swivels to look at her, Alzirr blinks, shifts and stands, walking over to her curiously, but with a slight shyness that he often displayed with new people.

As the bartender brings over her drink, Echo murmurs a thanks and hands over the requisite marks for the drink before taking a long sip of the red colored whiskey. She looks as if she wants to say something as the bartender turns and heads back to what he was doing, cleaning glasses or something. Echo looks a little crestfallen that she hadn't mananged to speak up. Coming to Igen was supposed to be transformative, she needed a fresh start so she could finally try and overcome the anxiety that had consumed her for most of her adult life. And in some ways it already was, she thinks to herself as she touches the pendant at her neck, a little smile and a calm settling over herself as she finds her voice to call after the bartender, her voice almost confident. "It's a great place you got here." She is rewarded with a genial smile and a "Thanks!" Even though he isn't the owner, just random bartender NPC, he will take credit. Success! Echo takes a triumphant sip from her drink, sitting up a little taller on the stool. When in the corner of her eye a flash of blue makes itself seen and she looks over at the firelizard walking curiously over to her. Although not always a fan of people, Echo gets critters. She stays still, not moving towards him, but says instead in a soft voice. "Well aren't you a handsome little guy. I'm sorry but I don't have any treats if that's what you want, the only thing in my pockets are sweetener cubes for my runners." she says as she takes one and places it on the bar in front of her. "Sorry." Even though he is a firelizard, she seems to have no problem talking to him as if he can understand everything she is saying.

Alzzir stares at the little cube, his eyes moving between it and then up to Echo. Back to the cube. And… .Back up at Echo. Finally, the pale blue inches forward and sniffs it. It is not something he is interested in, but wings open and he hops up slightly, one small claw balancing on the cube, neck streaching up to the trader girl. Hello. This is Alzirr. He can certianly be talked at. He likes being talked at, even if he doesn't understand the words. CRACK. Alzirr's eyes flick back to his bond, still shelling peanuts. With this. Claws digging into the cube and wings opening. Alzirr flutters up, takes the cube of sugar and flaps on over to Neryk. He drops the cube into Neryk's bowl of peanuts and for the first time, the young man looks up from the task. He looks startled, looking at Alzirr, at the cube. Then slowly turning to look at Echo. The cube of sugar is hastily fished out of the bowl and offered to Echo looking almost apoligetic. "Sorry. He doesn't mean to steal things."

Echo giggles at the antic of the blue firelizard as he steals her cube just to drop it in that man's bowl. "No worries." She replies affably, "I was just showing him that the only thing I have in my pockets are sugar cubes. I've heard that firelizards can be little beggars if you let them." No firelizard yet for Echo, but she would certainly love to get her hands on an egg one day. "I have a runner like that though, which is why I have to stay well stocked." Worrying for a moment that she may be speaking too much, she finally just says, simply, "I'm Echo of the Zingari."

Neryk just looks at her as she talks and finally just places the sugar cube between them and nudges it toward her. "Yes. Beggers." His eyes shift back to Alzirr and he offers a hand to the blue. Instantly, Alzirr is forward, perching on the offered palm and tilling quietly. "Runners are beggers too." Or really, any animal/pet/thing would be if let, thought Neryk doesn't seem particularly into the words. He picks up a shelled peanut from his little pile and offers it to her silently. "Neryk." No title is offered, nor proffession, nor does he wear a knot.

A man of few words indeed. Echo notices the lack of shoulder knot and hikes an eyebrow at the man, curiosity coloring her chocolate brown eyes. But prying is just not in Echo's nature so she holds up her glass instead in greeting and says, "Well met." before she takes another sip from her glass, her mind tripping over itself, wondering if she should try to continue the conversation or if she should just go about her business. Then he offers her a peanut and she reaches to take it from him with a "Thanks." As she picks up the sugar cube and pockets it again. The peanut is cracked open and it's insides devoured. Another sip of her drink to counteract the dryness of the nut. "Are you from here? I just got here about a month ago from another Zingari clan." She says in a way testing out the possibility of the conversation continuing.

Neryk is turning back to his task, starting to tip his lizard back to the bartop when the question gives him a moments pause, "I've been here a while. From High Reaches origianlly." He finally gets Alzirr off of his hand, brain wracking. Was he supposed to continue the converstation at this point? Neryk hesitates and nods, "Trading much fun?" Traveling? Or wait, perhaps this was a silly question. Neryk returns to looking at his peanuts, but not eating them. Finally, he scoops up his little pile of pre-shelled peanuts and puts it in front of Echo.

Echo nods her thanks and digs into the shelled nuts popping a couple into her mouth. "Trading is fun, although I mostly work to make sure the caravan's runners are taken care of. But you get to see many places." Echo adds thoughtfully as she takes another sip of her whiskey. "But we're an entertaining bunch that's for sure." She says with a smile.

Neryk nods. Somehow that niggles a thought. A memory … .lets see, who was it… "Yes. I promised someone I'd go see the show before the Zingari left… . " Who was that? Neryk didn't remember, but his hands move back to thier task. CRACK. More peanuts are shelled and without asking, the almost-empty bowl of nuts are replaced by a full bowl. Neryk starts on a new pile of shelled nuts, his movements easily falling back into the pattern he had maintained before Alzirr broke into it. However, he nods again, not looking at Echo, "Sounds like a fun thing. I think I went to one of the shows recantly." He wasn't sure. He would know later, but right now, he would settle with not sure without questioning or pushing into it.

Well if he is happy shelling the peanuts, Echo will happily eat them. The man is given a curious look again as he seems preoccupied by something, and normally this is where Echo, afraid of over-staying her welcome, would usually retreat. But she has managed some newfound confidence, and instead of assuming, she just asks softly, "Would you like me to leave you alone now?" She says evenly, giving the man an out if he is at all inclined to take it.

Another good set of peanuts are quickly adding up. He pauses the rythum and scoops up the pile, now moving it next to the pile he'd already done. He doesn't like peanuts. Neryk is just about to pick up another peanut to shell, when she askes.This is a question he's heard before, though rarely from strangers. He holds the peanut, just looking at it, but not cracking it open. "Um." The mind turns the question over a few times, "Do you have something else to do?"

"No." Echo says with a shrug, "But I really get not being comfortable in certain situations and I just want to make sure I'm not disturbing your peace." She explains as she takes another drink of her whiskey. "Thanks for the peanuts, by the way. All the taste with none of the work." Echo says as she tosses one into the air and, keeping an eye on it on the way down, catches it in her mouth.

Neryk shifts slightly, eyes slinking over to her, then back to his peanut. Finally, he cracks it open, "I am not uncomfortable." It was a lie, but it was not Echo's fault, nor her words or arrival that caused it. Instead, he nods slightly, slowly falling back into the pattern of peanuts. Alzirr stands again, walking over to the little piles and knocking one over, peanuts dance across the bartop, but not enough to really escape to the floor. "You can do whatever you like, but you are not bothering me."

As she finishes her drink, Echo remembers something as the setting sun comes darkens the light coming in from outside. "Shards! I'm supposed to go have supper with my Cousin and his family tonight. I cannot be late." She tosses Neryk a little wave. "Nice to have met you." She calls as she is already striding quickly out the door.

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