Closed [The Coastal Clam] Not so Goody Two Shoes(Lander)

[Lavira]

Summer 10, 513

The wonderful aromas that permeated The Coastal Clam were a welcome thing to Inartans and Bay-dwellers alike. The seafood specials they had were delicious, the staff was friendly, and the prices were usually affordable to Chiet and higher. While it wasn't a place for partying, there were fine drinks available to those interested in some evening entertainment.

It was this pleasant, not outdone atmosphere that Vira particularly enjoyed from time to time, and for the first time that season, she was able to enjoy something other than the standard provisions given to working Inartans back in the city. She'd travelled down after browsing the market on the mountain and was now comfortably seated alone at a two-seater table. There was a basket of bread on the table, its yeasty aroma savory as she split one of the rolls and spread some goat butter across the flaky interior. The butter was quick to melt and release its own delicious flavors into the air.

Vira took a bite before the waiter approached. "Anything to drink?" He asked her, to which she nodded and smiled.

"Just a glass of wine, please."

"Have you decided on dinner?" Vira nodded again.

"The shellfish delight sounds fine. Any dessert specials?"

"We have an apple custard tonight with fresh meringue."

"That sounds good." The waiter bowed his head and retreated, leaving the Chiet alone now as she munched on her roll. The flavorful butter made her mouth water; she greatly looked forward to the dinner to come. Her eye roamed the rest of the room as she munched, browsing the faces casually for anybody she might recognize, but none stood out. There were many avora out tonight, and there were a few off-duty Endal as well. No Chiets, but a bunch of fishermen. Looked like party night for the Chiets, probably dancing in the Inclement Weather. It was better than the Lost Sense, though.

The waiter returned quickly enough with her glass and a wine bottle, pouring some into the swirled bowl, the patterns of the glass quite beautiful. They must be from one of the master artisans up in the city. Or a really crafty apprentice. It didn't matter in the end, it was quite lovely and payed a pretty compliment to the dark wine that now filled it.

[Lander]

The day was turning out to be a very uneventful one. He hadn't seen any familiar faces down in Thunder Bay, which was odd. Usually he knew at least a handful of people on the streets. He'd gone to Myraiik Cliffs already, and ended up showing off for a trio of lovely Inartan triplets. Even stolen a kiss from the oldest. But still, the day was uncharacteristically boring. So he ended up at the Coastal Clam. Lander had been kicked out the previous year for accidentally getting into a fight. He hadn't meant to, but it turned out a woman he was flirting with was spoken for, and her lover was the jealous type. He touched his jaw where the man had hit him all that time ago, not quite sure if he was just imaging the memory of an ache. It had been a very impressive right hook. Hopefully no one would recognize him in the restaurant. He had been ordered to not come back. It was unlikely, since last year his hair was down to his shoulders. Now it was cropped and he had a short beard. He itched the prickly hairs as he brushed through the doorway, instantly getting hit by a wave of delicious aromas. He inhaled and sighed, unable to keep a smile from creeping onto his face. Any day could be made better by a full belly and a good drink. Lander sat heavily at an empty table and waved at a waitress. She smiled and picked her way through the seated customers to where he waited. "Hello, sir. What can I get you today? Would you like to start off with a drink?" He rubbed his prickly chin and nodded. "What do you have here again?" "We serve ale and two different kinds of wine. The first is provided in a pitcher, and the second comes in your own bottle imported from Riverfall." He didn't even hesitate to choose. "I'll take that last one. The bottle. And a glass, of course." She smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'll be right back with your wine." Lander tilted his head and watched her round hips sway as she walked away. He sighed and smiled again. I remember now why I liked this place so much. Great staff.

[Lavira]

The tables were starting to fill slowly, Vira watching casually as she sipped her wine and chewed on the bread. The wine was rich of flavor, a sweet, but nutty taste that was sure to go well with the dinner. But then, she was far from a wine connossieur; she just liked the taste from time to time, and today was the first market day since the season began.

The teen had picked up a new hood for Tulaj, and a new outfit, which was currently being worn. It was a black, silver, and gold combination. The silver and gold were stitched as complicated florals upon the short-skirt and bust of the kitanu. The skirt itself sported two long pairs of strings on either side of the hip, the bits hanging down comfortably so as to not be in the way. The leggings of the bryda were of a transluscent silk-like material, also black. The top itself was similar to her standard bryda, the one in which Vira commonly worked in, except for the colored patterns and the semi-transluscent material over the top of her chest. It was far from scanty, but a girl had to pretty herself up once in a while, afterall!

She was just about finished with the first glass when Lander entered, settling in at a table a few over from hers, well within sight of her since the crowds had not yet packed the spaces between. The waiter had come to take his drink order before scurrying off and her own was on its way over, having noticed the dry bowl of the glass. He brought the bottle with him as he stopped, offering another. "Hm? Yes please." She said, leaving the glass on the table to be refilled.

He told her her dinner would be arriving shortly and then scurried off once again. The Chiet turned eyes to the table Lander was at, just casually observing all as she had been doing. He, however, was admiring his tenders gait, and more. To this, the teen could only roll her eyes. Men...She wondered how many Inartans actually thought with the right head, sometimes. So many of the men were just...simple...in that respect. Having an absurd urge to say something, Vira called out against her better judgement.

"Instead of oogling like a rut-driven deer, you could offer the girl something she might actually enjoy."

[Lander]

Lander looked over at the interjection of this new woman. She was very blunt, but he liked that. He preferred people to speak their mind. But she also caught the attention of the waitress. She looked back at Lander, and he smiled, half-apologetic. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, realizing she'd been the one getting 'oogled' at, and she dashed back into the staff kitchen. Lander sighed, looking back to the culprit, but he was grinning. "I could offer her plenty of things she'd definitely enjoy. And you, too." Ever the charmer, and never very discreet about it. "Do you usually skulk around here bursting men's bubbles? No harm in looking. She has a great ass, it deserves to be admired."

This one, she was finely dressed. That was something else he could admire. Even though he was tailor, Lander dressed pretty plainly. Mostly because he didn't make much, and his funds were in the red. And by in the red, they were nonexistent. An empty table was between them, and the restaurant was still rather barren. He leaned forward, bracing an elbow on his table and pointed at an empty chair across from her. "Care for some company? Rut-driven deer are all lonely, deep down. We just want a hug and a pat on the shoulder." Before she even answered, he lurched to his feet and sidled around to where she sat, grinning crookedly. Lander pulled the chair out and sat, crossing his legs dramatically and leaning back against the back rest.

He was a forward, gutsy man. It'd gotten him slapped more times than he could count. Anything to make the day more interesting. "Your drink good?" he asked rather innocently.

OOCLike I said in chat, I had a good reply typed up for this then lost it. So this is my mediocre attempt at piecing at least some of it back together. Stupid computer...

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[Lavira]

OOCHey, I noticed in your ledger you have this thread marked as Spring, not Summer 513

The woman rolled her eye from where she sat, the damage on the opposite side enough to make the rolling look kind of strange. Evil almost as the dead eye stared upwards slightly before straightening as the muscles relaxed it into a forwards position. "A dog will offer the paw in hopes of a pet; that doesn't mean the master will." She countered sharply, placing her chin on her knuckles and smiling crudely back at him. However, his additive of the poor waitresses rump had the chiet snorting almost disgustedly. "And you've probably scared the girl off to dish duty; guess you don't get to ogle her any further."

Vira could see from here his judgement being made, her own head canting slightly, casting the damaged side of her face in the shadow of her ginger hair as she stared back at his almost combative leering. It was a rare thing for the teen to don finer cloth than her casual work-wear (mostly for the cost of such clothing; it was expensive to dress nice and most of her seasonal income went into taking care of that bloody harrier!) but tonight was her seasonal special-night. She had to dress nice at least once a season if for no other reason than to feel pretty and not...awkward and unsocial.

When he asked if he could join her, however, the ginger narrowed her eyes. She had never been very good at gauging people, let alone speaking to them. She'd managed a handful of rare eloquence in her life, and the last time her words had inspired had been when the Valintar was placing her in her caste a few weeks after her birthday and the accident three years previous. Since then, everything had been work. The woman much preferred the company of birds to the company of the other races, especially her own. For all her friendly manner most of the time, she still felt...out of place...when dealing with other Wind Reachers.

Before she could respond, however, Lander was rising and quickly moving to her own table and dropping into the chair opposite her. This left Vira gawking a little, mouth slightly open in not quite disdain. Really? Was this really happening?

"Did it look like I invited you over?" She asked rhetorically, though she did glance down at herself to see if she wasn't giving off the wrong signals as was wan to do sometimes. Then he wanted to know of her drink?? Her eyes drifted to the glass, frozen on the table by the weight of her hand over the rim, and her brows raised. "Yes, actually. The Clam's always had the best wine. But I somehow doubt you'd drink something so refined." She jeered again. "I bet you're more of a..hm..." Vira considered carefully.

"What do they call it at the Inclement...Ivak's Fire? If nothing else, definitely a vodka-boy." She swirled her glass and raised it to lips once more, taking a sip while still staring from across the glass.

Cocky man, isn't he...Looks like a bird took a bite out of his nose, though. Probably insulted a hatchling, hehe. He might be handsome if he combed his hair, I bet...Hmph, what he thinks is charm is really no better than false-flattery. Wonder how many have given him a good slap or kick in crotch for that mouth of his.

She tried to hide a laugh at her own wry thoughts by raising the glass a little higher. It didn't quite work and certainly couldn't silence the half-snort she gave as her lips pressed against the back of her right index finger.

[Lander]

OOCHadn't even noticed, thanks. I needed to do some work on my thread list anyways, so that gave me incentive.

He wasn't sure why, but he hadn't noticed her eye. Possibly because of his distraction with the waitress, added on to the fact that he hadn't look at her all that closely in the face. Mostly the chest and bare shoulders. He could see the damage through a part in the locks of her hair, and wondered if she wore her hair like that on purpose so it would fall over the eye. Lander finally caught himself staring, a little guiltily, but mostly just curious. He rubbed his prickly jaw, the callouses on the pads of his fingers giving off a soft, sandpaper rasp. Too late to hide his lapse, so he didn't try.

Scars and deformities had never really bothered him. His mother had actually been missing part of her pinky and ring fingers on the left hand. Life was harsh, and everyone bore the signs of survival. Even if a flawless female body was a sight to be behold, beggars couldn't be choosers, because that was something very hard to come by. And he really liked this one's attitude. Lander was grinning from ear to ear, soaking up her comments like a plant's roots with water. He leaned back in his chair, putting a hand over his heart, twisting his face into an expression of mock pain. But the effect was rather poor, because he couldn't help but smile, even if a little.

"Here I am, trying to be a sociable young man, and I get cut down for my efforts. Is it so bad to come to this fine establishment and give the staff the attention they deserve?" He grinned again, dropping up the laughable attempt at looking chastened, and winked at her. "And the customers, too." He was really laying the bullshit on thick this time. "You've got me all figured, though, it seems. Wine was never my favorite." Now Lander went for a melancholy look. "I guess my liver is just too picky. Can't get drunk on the stuff. But, what can you do?" Back to smiling, he leaned forward again, folding his arms on the table and taping his fingers across the wood.

"You, I'm sure you're a very work oriented woman. Look how stiff you're sitting, as straight-backed as a board." He motioned up at down at her with a finger. "You really should relax. You're drinking alcohol after all, even if it's weak shyke. No one's unhappy with a glass of anything in their hands that's got the possibility to get them messed up." Lander wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe you should drink while you work. I do it all the time!" But knowing his luck, Evie would be in this petching restaurant eavesdropping, so he peeked over his shoulder, trying to look casual. All clear. "I think it lets me stitch a straighter line," he said, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Lander peered at her for a moment, lips twisted with amusement. "I'm not so bad, honest," then showered her his crossed fingers. It wasn't a lie if your fingers were crossed. At least he could make jokes at his own expense, and pestering her was turning out to be pretty entertaining.

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[Lavira]

Could he sound any more pathetic? One eyebrow raised at this simple thought while listening to the dribble coming from his mouth. Leering at the staff and customers like a...Vira paused with this train of thought and laughed in spite of herself. She murmured quietly to herself, "...like an Inartan" If questioned, she would shrug and shake her head, smiling once more with that 'Go on, bullshyke a little more' look. He was a pushover and a tryhard, that was for sure.

When he began nit-picking her stiff posture, however, she scowled a little. "And you're a little too loosey-goosey, for my tastes. I'm sure the Valintar would love to hear you've been drinking during your shift...whatever it is you do. Gods I hope you've nothing to do with the Eagles. Of course, I'm sure a fine, upstanding member of the city such as yourself has no trouble socializing with our fine and upstanding providers, hm?" She mimicked his motion of finger going head to toe in pointing at him, a smirk upon her lips. However, when he spoke of stitching, the woman burst into laughter, leaning back in her seat with a hand on her belly and mouth wide with mocking guffaws.

"Wow! A drunken tailor! No, no, with your charms, I bet they call you a seamstress instead!" She hawked, arms now crossing over her chest. "The drunken seamstress, it's like a bad bar. If you're ever in need of a bad stitching, just seek-" The woman paused, arms uncrossing to lay on her legs instead. "-...what do they call you" She searched for a name. It was rare that Vira actually teased someone, her nature more gentle and nurturing, not...harassing like she did now.

"Well, whichever the name, it's shameful that you're drinking on shift. Have you so little pride in the work you do?" The chiet scoffed and grabbed her glass up to mute the smirk still on her lips with a sip.

[Lander]

This one really did hit the nail on the head. But he wasn't actually a drunk, he just... drank often. True, that it wasn't the best move doing so at work, but dealing with Evie would drive anyone to a bottle for comfort and distraction. He hid it at the bottom of the scrap bin, because she never emptied it. That was one of his many jobs, so he always just scooped most of the fabric out, leaving a little to cover the bottle. It was perfect, because she would never suspect it. They always had scraps lying around to toss. Might as well just be truthful. "I think, to a degree, the Valintar would understand why I drink," he said with a smile. That was probably stretching it a bit, but who knows. "Believe me, my boss is a witch. You'd be crazy not to drink with her around."

He couldn't help but wince internally at her mirth toward his line of work. People never expected him to be tailor, and it was a little embarrassing. He was a party boy at night, and he mended clothing during the day. How disappointing. "No, no, I prefer the term tailor. Seamstress is far too feminine for my manly charms." Another eyebrow wiggle. He could take criticism and jeers in stride. "I'd do something else if I could, but my hunting skills are mediocre at best, and no Eagle has ever wanted anything to do with me." The truth hurt, and he shrugged, trying for indifferent. But no Inartan, no matter how truly indifferent they were, felt good about being rejected by the Wind Eagles. He'd pretty much given up on becoming an Endal, so drinking and partying were good alternatives to keep his mind off it.

That, and bedding a lot of women. This was turning into a surprisingly reflective conversation, on his part. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Weird. "The name's Lander, drunken tailor and despiser of his job. At your service." He bowed mockingly in his seat. "I'm sure a lady like yourself has a fine job, and I'm sure I'll admire you for it, whatever it is. After all, a lowly tailor like myself isn't all that important. I only put clothes on your back, make your rugs, drapes, blankets, the works. But you could go without that, I'm sure." Lander batted his eyelashes, returning her little smirk with his own. It takes two to tango, sweetheart.

He might not like his job, mainly because of his boss, but he was good at it and it was important. Even if it was a little embarrassing, especially when he had to repair someone's underclothes. And especially when it was the elderly's. His eyes danced with amusement, though. The ball is in your court, now. It was pretty entertaining, going and back and forth like this with a stranger. Lander was glad he's stopped in here today.

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[Lavira]

When he explained that he'd do something else if he had the skills for it, Vira snorted another little laugh at his expense, intensified by his assumption that the eagles would never have anything to do with him. "Well I can't say my own hunting skills are that much to talk of, either. I spend all day scraping bird poop off the floors, sweeping feathers off ledges, and babysitting baby birds. Of course, they're a little more than baby birds, but you know what I mean." She shrugged absently and finished off her second glass smoothly, a pleasant warmth now spreading in her belly.

With his introduction out of the way, she considered if she should share her own moniker with the likes of the womanizer before her. In the end, the benefits probably outweighed the cons of this and Vira gave a mock-curtsy where she sat. "Lavira, nesting attendant and lover of her job. I get to see the Eagles every single day, including the two eaglets that hatched last season." Her eyebrows rose up and down in a reflective wiggle. "When their mother's at work, I eagle-sit. A lot better than stitching clothes, I imagine."

From the right side, the tender was approaching with the womans food at last. It smelled wonderful, even from here, and Vira wiggled delightedly when it was set before her. "Thank you!" She said and nodded when asked if she'd like some more wine. "That sounds lovely." After the attendant departed, Vira turned back to her tablemate, staring at him with that bird-like leer. "I'm not sharing, by the way. You want some, you should get your own."

[Lander]

"It really just depends on if you like being holed up with a wicked witch, sewing the tears in old lady's knickers, or cleaning up droppings. Both unpleasant, in my opinion. Let's just agree that truthfully, both our jobs aren't the best. Hopefully those eaglets appreciate it. You make sure they don't wallow in their own filth. That would be unappealing. All our Wind Eagles flying and hopping around covered in shit. Very unappealing." Lander ran a hand through his hand and smiled. Her plate of food arrived, and it did look rather delectable. His eyes crinkled at the edges, amused.

"Don't worry, I'll only beg for the scraps. How else do you think I eat? Actually coughing out my own gold? For shame! That'd be too honorable. I seduce lovely women like you into feeding me. But I doubt it'll work this time, even to have a lick of your plate when I'm done." He tried to look sad, and disappointed, but again couldn't help but smile. He would never be an actor. "I wonder where my bottle is?" he inquired aloud, twisting in his seat to look around the restaurant. No sight of the shapely waitress. "Maybe we really did scare her off. Oh well, I don't really want it anymore either."

Lander settled back in his seat, bracing an elbow on the arm rest and placing his chin in his hand. "I hope you don't chew with your mouth full, but I can see you doing that. Bet that's how you try to scare the suitors away, yeah?" He threw his head back and laughed. "Wait! I've got it! I bet you don't have a boyfriend because you eat like the eagles. No chewing at all, you just throw it back and swallow." Then he leaned forward, smiling mischievously. "Do you swallow?" His eyes danced with delight at his own suggestive humor.

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