Styrmsthal made his way straight from Barnacles' Reach to the Upper Decks and to the Bismarck, specifically. Lolotaru generally dined late and was fond of the venue, although he generally brought his own wine and spices to liven up the dishes. Unfortunately, having gotten mussed and muddied with Joz and having walked the whole way in the rain, the staff was unwilling to let him enter. Being the sort of man he was, the ruckus he caused caught Lolotaru's attention and the lalafell finally, with considerable effort, managed to persuade them to allow the roegadyn entry.
They seated themselves in the of the balcony area, barely covered from the rain. Lolo went to pour the bigger man a glass of wine, then thought better of it and handed him the whole bottle.
"Well?" he asked. He seemed tense.
Styrm feigned offense, waving his arms in an exaggerated pantomime, "Woah, woah, woah, Taru. S'that any way to talk to an ol' friend?"
Lolo hissed in response and motioned for him to be calm, "Fine, fine, you're right. I'm sorry. But please do try not to draw so much attention."
"Gods, she's really got ye lookin' o'er yer shoulders, ain't she?" He looked at his diminutive companion in bemusement. Lolo did not respond. Styrm took a long swig straight from the bottle, sighed appreciatively, and put his hands on the table in front of him.
"I ain't got it fer certain ye need to be frettin' yerself so, friend. I spent longer with 'er than I meant, but not fer suspectin' nothin'," he said. He flipped his hands palm down on the table in front of him, an emphatic tic, and said in a low but intense voice, "The girl's a crack, Taru! Ye didn't tell me she was a funny one! Jus' shy o' cute, too." He grinned and winked. In the dark, he couldn't tell whether or not Lolo was blushing. Styrm laughed to himself at the thought.
A look of confusion crossed Lolo's face, but he didn't comment, instead brushing his damp hair from his forehead, taking a gulp to rival that of his tablemate, and asking, "And what did you find?"
"Nothin'."
"Nothing? What do you mean, 'nothing'?"
The roegadyn laid his elbows on the table's edge, careful not to tip or break it, and leaned in. "I mean nothin'. Gods, girl seems twice as worried o'er ye, Taru. A regular cold an' sober fearin'. Don't think it's jus' the homework, neither. Ye've got 'er spooked, some way."
The look of confusion returned and deepened. "She's scared of me?" He felt upset and was unsure if he should. If she was scared, she might leave him alone. But if she was scared, she might leave, abandon her studies. And if she was scared, she'd have a reason to dig.
"How much food did you take to her?" he asked.
"'Bout two, three suns' worth. But she looks a sack o' bones, so that bag may be empty by t'morrow night." He shook his head. "Taru, we known each other a li'l while now. What's it about ye got her shakin' so? Ain't yer magic, nor yer gil. It's somethin' about ye."
"Styrmsthal," he replied, eyes downcast, "you know I can't tell you that. You're my friend and you know that I trust you, but--"
"Yeah, yeah. I gotcha, Taru. I ain't one to begrudge a man 'is past. I'll work 'er next time I'm by, but I ain't no good at lyin' and she fits right in me soft spot, so ye may have more luck jus' askin' 'er yerself."
"She's scared of me, Styrm," Lolo replied. His wore a sad face, and his words were full of a world of regret. "I can't."
They seated themselves in the of the balcony area, barely covered from the rain. Lolo went to pour the bigger man a glass of wine, then thought better of it and handed him the whole bottle.
"Well?" he asked. He seemed tense.
Styrm feigned offense, waving his arms in an exaggerated pantomime, "Woah, woah, woah, Taru. S'that any way to talk to an ol' friend?"
Lolo hissed in response and motioned for him to be calm, "Fine, fine, you're right. I'm sorry. But please do try not to draw so much attention."
"Gods, she's really got ye lookin' o'er yer shoulders, ain't she?" He looked at his diminutive companion in bemusement. Lolo did not respond. Styrm took a long swig straight from the bottle, sighed appreciatively, and put his hands on the table in front of him.
"I ain't got it fer certain ye need to be frettin' yerself so, friend. I spent longer with 'er than I meant, but not fer suspectin' nothin'," he said. He flipped his hands palm down on the table in front of him, an emphatic tic, and said in a low but intense voice, "The girl's a crack, Taru! Ye didn't tell me she was a funny one! Jus' shy o' cute, too." He grinned and winked. In the dark, he couldn't tell whether or not Lolo was blushing. Styrm laughed to himself at the thought.
A look of confusion crossed Lolo's face, but he didn't comment, instead brushing his damp hair from his forehead, taking a gulp to rival that of his tablemate, and asking, "And what did you find?"
"Nothin'."
"Nothing? What do you mean, 'nothing'?"
The roegadyn laid his elbows on the table's edge, careful not to tip or break it, and leaned in. "I mean nothin'. Gods, girl seems twice as worried o'er ye, Taru. A regular cold an' sober fearin'. Don't think it's jus' the homework, neither. Ye've got 'er spooked, some way."
The look of confusion returned and deepened. "She's scared of me?" He felt upset and was unsure if he should. If she was scared, she might leave him alone. But if she was scared, she might leave, abandon her studies. And if she was scared, she'd have a reason to dig.
"How much food did you take to her?" he asked.
"'Bout two, three suns' worth. But she looks a sack o' bones, so that bag may be empty by t'morrow night." He shook his head. "Taru, we known each other a li'l while now. What's it about ye got her shakin' so? Ain't yer magic, nor yer gil. It's somethin' about ye."
"Styrmsthal," he replied, eyes downcast, "you know I can't tell you that. You're my friend and you know that I trust you, but--"
"Yeah, yeah. I gotcha, Taru. I ain't one to begrudge a man 'is past. I'll work 'er next time I'm by, but I ain't no good at lyin' and she fits right in me soft spot, so ye may have more luck jus' askin' 'er yerself."
"She's scared of me, Styrm," Lolo replied. His wore a sad face, and his words were full of a world of regret. "I can't."
