(no subject)
Lethe
Daveis
Lethe is manipulative and cooking, and Daveis is oblivious :D
Lethe had arrived a little earlier than the appointed time - meat was quick to rot, and she wasn't willing to risk having the lamb go even the slightest bit bad. This dinner was important, after all - she had an impression to make.
The other had been certain this dinner would be a great opportunity to solidify a friendship with the ex-"bodyguard" - perhaps something more. Gaining the trust of the sister was also a must - these people were her doors to her mission, and she wanted them both open.
Cooking the meat was quite the slow, boring process - perfect to initiate idle conversation with the sister. She was sure the girl's trust wouldn't be difficult to earn, but it wasn't either persona's style to spare efforts.
"Um," she started, suitably shyly. "This will likely take a while... sorry for the kitchen invasion." Smile. Lousy starts for idle chatter meant nervousness - and she had every reason to appear nervous, after all.
Daveis had been flitting in and out of the kitchen when Lethe had first arrived, checking up on the sleeping patient in one of the siderooms and then giving medicine to a girl for her mom, but had settled in front of one of the counters and began to cut up some roots she picked up earlier.
"It's not a problem! We don't often have home cooked meals. We're too busy, and Ri- Arden, he can't cook at all. It's really disastrous when he tries."
It did look like they didn't cook often - some of the utensils were rather dusty. Lethe chuckled at the other woman's statement, turning to check the meat for a moment. "Oh, he didn't really strike me as the cooking type... more as the eating type, really."
"He doesn't do enough of that either. He is far too skinny, no matter what he says." Which ended up being a lot and very defensive, but she was the person who knew this sort of thing and he just knew how to be a bodyguard. "He's so dumb."
"Maybe he just doesn't have time to eat," she noted, turning back to Daveis. "He seems like a very busy man." Defending him was one way to show her interest, she figured - the other agreed, even if she didn't quite like this tactic. Romance wasn't really her forte. "He doesn't sleep much either, does he?"
"Not on his own. Sometimes I help." Sleep medicine was so nice, it really was. Even if she had to sneak it in his drinks. "Well, if he's not busy he mopes and acts like an old dog, so being busy is preferable. But that is no excuse to not taking care of himself, because then he just falls further and further into not being in shape and then he'll really be like an old dog."
And if he knew she was talking this much about him, she'd probably get thrown across the room sigh.
So she 'helped', huh? Valuable information, that. "You worry about him a lot, I see," she said with a smile before turning to get started on the yogurt to go with the lamb. "I think I can understand why. I'd probably worry a lot in your position, too."
"Yeah." Sigh, Ricky. "How did you meet him?" She knew a bit, but not really much.
"Oh, it was over the journals. I was looking for a job in Lenster and he offered to help out. Tested me in a duel. I... lost, but he seemed to think I was good enough, so he helped me get a few odd jobs here and there."
"...was that when he was fighting on his broken wrist?" And getting drunk and causing her to meet the new king skjfsdklj. Anyways. "He's nice like that."
"Yes, he insisted, so..." Lethe nodded and smiled again. "He is... he said he was just bored, but still, he didn't have to do all that for me, and he still did, so..."
Hmmm. She grinned, down at the roots she was still chopping. They'd need another round before she could store them, probably. "Well, he was bored, I know that." And so very stupid. He was such a boy. "He's always been like that, though."
"Well like I said... bored or not, he still helped me a lot when he didn't have to," she said with another nod. "And I'm glad he was bored, really, or I'd still be looking for a job, and would probably never have run into him at all."
"Do you have a job now?"
Even more hmm. Not running into him at all was a bad thing?
"Ah, no, it's been difficult finding mercenary work outside of the ones he got me," she said with a sigh. "But I'm looking."
"What sort of mercenary work?" That sounded dangerous, really. She did that sort of thing?
"Oh, things like... escorting people from one place to another, or guarding merchandise... small stuff." She set down the bowl with the yogurt, and again turned to check the meat. "I used to travel with my master and we did more dangerous work, but... now that he's gone I'm not sure I can do much else on my own, really..."
Oh, so it wasn't as dangerous as she thought. That was good! Ricky's job was dangerous enough, even if it was a very good job. Really. "There isn't a lot of that here?"
"Oh, there is, but there's a lot of mercenaries, too, so..." She frowned. "I'm thinking maybe I could get some other kind of job instead. Arden insisted I shouldn't let my fighting skills go to waste, but... really, I'd be glad with a job like... a waitress or something. I don't mind."
"A waitress is a very good job! Better than...a brothel, or something." Ew. "Or...I don't know. Cleaning?"
"Er. Yeah, a brothel doesn't... really sound very good. But... cleaning is still dignified, I think?" Mmm, the meat was still largely uncooked. Good, this meant it'd likely be done only around the time Arden got back.
"It does! And it's very important because cleaning helps everyone and keeps things looking pretty."
Lethe nodded. "Most jobs are important somehow... oh," she turned back to Daveis, looking a little sheepish. "I don't think I brought enough salt... is there any I could use?"
Mm. This girl was fairly easy to figure out, it seemed like. Though she did seem to talk a little too much - that might be a problem, the other noted.
"Salt? Sure, over here!" She put the knife down and grabbed the container that held their salt, and brought it over to Lethe with a smile. "There you go."
"Thank you." Lethe took the salt container and turned back to the food. "You two make me kind of envious," she said with a small sigh. "I mean... having family and all. Before it was just me and my master, and- well, he was my master, not really family, even though he was... pretty close to being family, I guess..."
... He didn't tell her?
"That is a family." She went back to cutting up the roots, nearly done. "We're, we're not biologically." Which she always found sort of apparent, since he was tall, with pale eyes, and she was short with nearly black eyes. "But we were at the orphanage together and just. Stayed together, as a family."
So they weren't related by blood, after all. The other one had suspected it, but there wasn't really any evidence. "Well, he still calls you a sister. With me and my master it was just - master and student."
"Maybe he thought of you as a daughter, but was never able to say it?" These were done. She scooped them into their own container, and then started on another set of herbs.
"I don't know. I'm not even sure I would have thought of him as a father... and... well, I can't ask now. But you, you still have your family, so..." Hm, she should get started on the sauce, probably. "...Sorry, I don't mean for this to sound like a pity party, or anything. I just think it must be nice, having someone to call family."
"No, it's okay. If you want to talk about it, it's fine. It's a nice change in conversation from 'What hurts?'"
"Oh, no, it was just a comment." This girl and the "bodyguard" were obviously very close. Did she know about her 'brother's' true profession, the other wondered? "At what time do you think he'll arrive?"
"He said after sundown. Not sure how much later, he's been out a lot more lately. Are you almost done?" It was nice that she wasn't really on a timetable for this, and could just stop whenever.
"With the extras, yes, but the meat will take a while longer," she said, mashing a few herbs to put in the sauce. "I just didn't want him to have to wait, it'd be kind of... I don't know, odd, since I offered to cook and all. But... if it's after sundown, I think it should be done by then."
"He's probably happy enough you're cooking for him that waiting for it to finish wouldn't be that hard." Okay, so he looked more panicked than happy, but that was just him being a boy.
"Happy? You think?" She seemed curious enough that anyone would've thought the idea of him being happy made her happy. This persona was turning out to be a lot more deceptive than the other would've given her credit for...
"I do." He was going to be completely unhappy during the meal, wasn't he? It'd be like him.
"I'm glad," she whispered, still smiling. Well, this much wasn't a lie, at least - Arden being happy with something she was doing did work to her advantage.
...mwahaha. So her assumption was right! Outside of the part where it wasn't, but she didn't know that.
"Do you need any help with finishing?"
Lethe had absolutely no qualms with letting Daveis thing her assumption was correct, of course. 8)
"Mm, no, I think I'm good, thank you."
:3
"Okay, if you're sure." Back to chopping, then.
Daveis
Lethe is manipulative and cooking, and Daveis is oblivious :D
Lethe had arrived a little earlier than the appointed time - meat was quick to rot, and she wasn't willing to risk having the lamb go even the slightest bit bad. This dinner was important, after all - she had an impression to make.
The other had been certain this dinner would be a great opportunity to solidify a friendship with the ex-"bodyguard" - perhaps something more. Gaining the trust of the sister was also a must - these people were her doors to her mission, and she wanted them both open.
Cooking the meat was quite the slow, boring process - perfect to initiate idle conversation with the sister. She was sure the girl's trust wouldn't be difficult to earn, but it wasn't either persona's style to spare efforts.
"Um," she started, suitably shyly. "This will likely take a while... sorry for the kitchen invasion." Smile. Lousy starts for idle chatter meant nervousness - and she had every reason to appear nervous, after all.
Daveis had been flitting in and out of the kitchen when Lethe had first arrived, checking up on the sleeping patient in one of the siderooms and then giving medicine to a girl for her mom, but had settled in front of one of the counters and began to cut up some roots she picked up earlier.
"It's not a problem! We don't often have home cooked meals. We're too busy, and Ri- Arden, he can't cook at all. It's really disastrous when he tries."
It did look like they didn't cook often - some of the utensils were rather dusty. Lethe chuckled at the other woman's statement, turning to check the meat for a moment. "Oh, he didn't really strike me as the cooking type... more as the eating type, really."
"He doesn't do enough of that either. He is far too skinny, no matter what he says." Which ended up being a lot and very defensive, but she was the person who knew this sort of thing and he just knew how to be a bodyguard. "He's so dumb."
"Maybe he just doesn't have time to eat," she noted, turning back to Daveis. "He seems like a very busy man." Defending him was one way to show her interest, she figured - the other agreed, even if she didn't quite like this tactic. Romance wasn't really her forte. "He doesn't sleep much either, does he?"
"Not on his own. Sometimes I help." Sleep medicine was so nice, it really was. Even if she had to sneak it in his drinks. "Well, if he's not busy he mopes and acts like an old dog, so being busy is preferable. But that is no excuse to not taking care of himself, because then he just falls further and further into not being in shape and then he'll really be like an old dog."
And if he knew she was talking this much about him, she'd probably get thrown across the room sigh.
So she 'helped', huh? Valuable information, that. "You worry about him a lot, I see," she said with a smile before turning to get started on the yogurt to go with the lamb. "I think I can understand why. I'd probably worry a lot in your position, too."
"Yeah." Sigh, Ricky. "How did you meet him?" She knew a bit, but not really much.
"Oh, it was over the journals. I was looking for a job in Lenster and he offered to help out. Tested me in a duel. I... lost, but he seemed to think I was good enough, so he helped me get a few odd jobs here and there."
"...was that when he was fighting on his broken wrist?" And getting drunk and causing her to meet the new king skjfsdklj. Anyways. "He's nice like that."
"Yes, he insisted, so..." Lethe nodded and smiled again. "He is... he said he was just bored, but still, he didn't have to do all that for me, and he still did, so..."
Hmmm. She grinned, down at the roots she was still chopping. They'd need another round before she could store them, probably. "Well, he was bored, I know that." And so very stupid. He was such a boy. "He's always been like that, though."
"Well like I said... bored or not, he still helped me a lot when he didn't have to," she said with another nod. "And I'm glad he was bored, really, or I'd still be looking for a job, and would probably never have run into him at all."
"Do you have a job now?"
Even more hmm. Not running into him at all was a bad thing?
"Ah, no, it's been difficult finding mercenary work outside of the ones he got me," she said with a sigh. "But I'm looking."
"What sort of mercenary work?" That sounded dangerous, really. She did that sort of thing?
"Oh, things like... escorting people from one place to another, or guarding merchandise... small stuff." She set down the bowl with the yogurt, and again turned to check the meat. "I used to travel with my master and we did more dangerous work, but... now that he's gone I'm not sure I can do much else on my own, really..."
Oh, so it wasn't as dangerous as she thought. That was good! Ricky's job was dangerous enough, even if it was a very good job. Really. "There isn't a lot of that here?"
"Oh, there is, but there's a lot of mercenaries, too, so..." She frowned. "I'm thinking maybe I could get some other kind of job instead. Arden insisted I shouldn't let my fighting skills go to waste, but... really, I'd be glad with a job like... a waitress or something. I don't mind."
"A waitress is a very good job! Better than...a brothel, or something." Ew. "Or...I don't know. Cleaning?"
"Er. Yeah, a brothel doesn't... really sound very good. But... cleaning is still dignified, I think?" Mmm, the meat was still largely uncooked. Good, this meant it'd likely be done only around the time Arden got back.
"It does! And it's very important because cleaning helps everyone and keeps things looking pretty."
Lethe nodded. "Most jobs are important somehow... oh," she turned back to Daveis, looking a little sheepish. "I don't think I brought enough salt... is there any I could use?"
Mm. This girl was fairly easy to figure out, it seemed like. Though she did seem to talk a little too much - that might be a problem, the other noted.
"Salt? Sure, over here!" She put the knife down and grabbed the container that held their salt, and brought it over to Lethe with a smile. "There you go."
"Thank you." Lethe took the salt container and turned back to the food. "You two make me kind of envious," she said with a small sigh. "I mean... having family and all. Before it was just me and my master, and- well, he was my master, not really family, even though he was... pretty close to being family, I guess..."
... He didn't tell her?
"That is a family." She went back to cutting up the roots, nearly done. "We're, we're not biologically." Which she always found sort of apparent, since he was tall, with pale eyes, and she was short with nearly black eyes. "But we were at the orphanage together and just. Stayed together, as a family."
So they weren't related by blood, after all. The other one had suspected it, but there wasn't really any evidence. "Well, he still calls you a sister. With me and my master it was just - master and student."
"Maybe he thought of you as a daughter, but was never able to say it?" These were done. She scooped them into their own container, and then started on another set of herbs.
"I don't know. I'm not even sure I would have thought of him as a father... and... well, I can't ask now. But you, you still have your family, so..." Hm, she should get started on the sauce, probably. "...Sorry, I don't mean for this to sound like a pity party, or anything. I just think it must be nice, having someone to call family."
"No, it's okay. If you want to talk about it, it's fine. It's a nice change in conversation from 'What hurts?'"
"Oh, no, it was just a comment." This girl and the "bodyguard" were obviously very close. Did she know about her 'brother's' true profession, the other wondered? "At what time do you think he'll arrive?"
"He said after sundown. Not sure how much later, he's been out a lot more lately. Are you almost done?" It was nice that she wasn't really on a timetable for this, and could just stop whenever.
"With the extras, yes, but the meat will take a while longer," she said, mashing a few herbs to put in the sauce. "I just didn't want him to have to wait, it'd be kind of... I don't know, odd, since I offered to cook and all. But... if it's after sundown, I think it should be done by then."
"He's probably happy enough you're cooking for him that waiting for it to finish wouldn't be that hard." Okay, so he looked more panicked than happy, but that was just him being a boy.
"Happy? You think?" She seemed curious enough that anyone would've thought the idea of him being happy made her happy. This persona was turning out to be a lot more deceptive than the other would've given her credit for...
"I do." He was going to be completely unhappy during the meal, wasn't he? It'd be like him.
"I'm glad," she whispered, still smiling. Well, this much wasn't a lie, at least - Arden being happy with something she was doing did work to her advantage.
...mwahaha. So her assumption was right! Outside of the part where it wasn't, but she didn't know that.
"Do you need any help with finishing?"
Lethe had absolutely no qualms with letting Daveis thing her assumption was correct, of course. 8)
"Mm, no, I think I'm good, thank you."
:3
"Okay, if you're sure." Back to chopping, then.