Stranger in a Strange Land

[Aya]

Aya's looking up at him still, from where she's almost seated at the bar.  Her eyes are gentle, and her expression a serious, rather than light-hearted, smile.  She listens to him, nodding just a little, wondering why he over-thinks things so much.

 

At his final comment she just snerks, the short high sound of amusement escaping in an instant as that bright grin overwhelms her again, "I just love it when people tell me I'm smart!"  She stands up, beaming with that amused, lustrous grin.  "I may not know everything." she answers with a wink, her tone sunny and pleasant., "But I know you have good friends.  And they watch out for you, just as you watch out for them."  She lifts her chin a little, looking down at him, grinning yet, "I also know you're a lot more fun than you let on."  As she pronounces the word he sees her suddenly pouring from the amber bottle again, which she somehow managed to fetch without his noticing.  Grinning, she stops pouring as it gets about half as full as it had been before.

[Warren Castille]

"I used to be a lot of fun!" He raised the glass in the salute she'd likely seen thousands of times by now. "It just got harder as time passed. The world got dreary, and it took me with it. I'm trying, though. Trying real hard."

 

He took another swallow while he half-considered he was just being reeled in. Old paranoia doesn't just evaporate overnight. "And don't tell yourself things like that. You could just work here, tell people what they want to hear and stash away the tips. Buy an island somewhere or something. You seem to legitimately care about the people you meet, though. That's good! It's rare these days. Worth protecting. It's no small wonder everyone who comes through here loves you."

[Aya]

Aya's grin refuses to fade as she listens to the idea of how to spend her tips~

 

"An island!" she laughs bemusedly, "You know I might just settle for a beach house!" she shakes her head, giggling still at the idea of the apparent fortunes of barmaids.  "I don't know why you act like you used to be fun, you're fun right now, Ser Warren!" She giggles some more, "An island!  I'll make sure to invite you once I've bought it!  Maybe we can take my yacht?  We can swim along the shore, go diving for pearls, while my servants cook a fantastic, tropical feast for dinner!"

[Warren Castille]

The knight just grinned, pleased to see her running off in her imagination a bit, even if she was just making fun of his ridiculous idea.

 

"That'd be nice, huh? You'd get to call the shots. Be the boss lady. Waking up to the warm ocean breeze and the sun, throwing parties all night. Me, I'd just run an inn or something, but I could see you off the shores of Costa, drawing all of their tourists. Who wouldn't want to go?"

[Aya]

Aya grins, laughing softly at the thought.  Shared daydreaming was a delight; doesn't everyone deserve a chance to imagine a better tomorrow?  Even a barmaid?

 

She shakes her head a little back and forth, letting the gentle laugh finish as her grin becomes just a little smile, her eyes glancing down at the bar between them.

 

"I think I'd take the chance to just lay in the sun and listen to the sound of the sea.  What about you?"

[Warren Castille]

Warren followed the ratcheting down of the conversation from fabulous party life to a quieter moment by the sea, though he couldn't be sure if he was imagining the mood shift or not. He let the silence between them linger for a moment while he ran a finger around the rim of the glass. The quiet noises of the Quicksand seemed muted, even for the hour.

 

"I prefer the quiet myself. Give me a gentle rainstorm or the ocean over music and crowds any day."

[Aya]

Aya lifts her heads, tilting her head a little, as she casts a warm, appreciative smile Warren's way.  "That doesn't really surprise me, Ser Warren.  You seem like the contemplative type.  Personally, I like some of both.  There's nothing quite like the energy and fun of a good party, but sometimes you just need to lay back and enjoy the world moving around you."

[Warren Castille]

The knight smiled and laughed, shaking his head. "I suppose I'm not exactly full of surprises, am I?" He really was genuinely enjoying himself, and could only remember one other time in recent memory where he'd been as relaxed as he felt then. He smile turned from one of amusement to one of gratitude and there was a slight shine in his eye.

 

"I needed this sort of thing, Aya. If I can ever return the favor, I'd like to."

[Aya]

Aya laughs, a little sparkle in her giggling eyes.  "What? You don't think you have already!"

 

She draws her finger to her lips, pursing them and looking thoughtful for a moment.  Even with her voice light and playful, her accent seems to dance along the vowels, touching each with that little hint of mystique that is the Ishgardian national virtue,  "Okay, Ser Castille," she says in faux seriousness, "maybe all of the free liquor was on me.  You can return that favor sometime if you'd like!?" She winks and grins again.

 

"Besides," she adds, "you know you're always welcome here!  You're a friend of the Quick Sand's, if we've ever had one.  And someone I would like to call a friend, if I were so lucky!"

[Warren Castille]

Warren once again seemed disarmed at her commentary, but he gave her an affectionately goofy grin. "You know I can't so freely buy pretty girls drinks anymore, but I'll check and see if there can be an exception." There was amusement in his face when he said it and beyond that, there was pride.

 

"I'd like to call you a friend, too. And while I consider the Quicksand my home inside of my home, I also know that this sort of one-on-one time isn't part of the typical service. Unless you make everyone feel this trusted and special and I just didn't notice." He shot her an accusing, albeit playful, glance before he took another drink and resumed smiling.

[Aya]

Aya pouts, "I'm not a pretty girl, Ser Castille!  I'm Aya!" She struggles to hold off a smirk, her pursed lips twitching just a little, "Coatleque wouldn't mind!"  She draws that finger quickly up to her lips again, eyes-widened "At least I don't think she'd mind!"

[Warren Castille]

"I don't think she'd mind either, but I'm not going to try and explain that to her if she does mind. I know I get right jealous lately, and if I saw her buying some smooth talker a drink, I'm not sure I'd be able to keep his face in one piece." Warren laughed and shook his head, swirling the glass.

[Aya]

Aya continues to tap the fingers of her right hand against her pursed lips, her left hand wrapped supporting her elbow.

 

"You're probably right....!  I wouldn't want to see her mad, especially not at me!" she looks away, turning her head a bit, and then looks back to his grin, "Shame to waste a perfect good free drink though!"

 

She taps her fingers against her lips a little more, reminding herself of why relationships are such trouble!

[Warren Castille]

Warren smiled and showed no intention of letting any good drink go to waste by further removing the contents of the glass in front of him. "I don't think she would be mad at you. She'd be hurt and upset, and that would be squarely on me. And I can't do that to her, for obvious reasons. Until further notice, any wine or chocolate or flowers or anything else like that has only place to go."

 

There was a pause as the words sank into his brain and then he smiled deeper, his expression visibly content. It was obvious what he was thinking and feeling. He'd missed that feeling, and he had suddenly reminded himself why relationships were worth all the trouble.

[Aya]

Aya's smile softens for a moment, as she glances down at the bar, drawing her hands down and folding her fingers together, interlacing them loosely. "Luckily its not something you have to worry about!"

 

She nods, her bright smile returning as she meets his eyes again, "You've more than earned a couple of free drinks, my friend."

[Warren Castille]

While he was tired and perhaps a little tipsy, Warren's strengths still resided in his assessment of people. There was an innocence and a vulnerability to her stance suddenly, and Aya's nonchalant dismissal of the subject did not go unnoticed. Warren didn't say anything but he let his gaze settle on her for a moment.

 

"I'm not one to pry, Aya, but..." He paused to shake off the thought, then took another sip of the drink. "Nevermind. Not my place to wonder."

[Aya]

Aya smiles brightly to Warren as he begins to ask his question. She gives her head a  shake, as if to say, "huh?", causing her earrings to ring again before he stops himself short.

 

"Sometimes the mind wanders a little at this hour, hmmm?" she giggles softly, before covering her mouth and letting out a small yawn.  "Fortunately its more fun with good company around!"

[Warren Castille]

"Sometimes? All the time, Aya." He smiled knowingly to himself and gestured at the bottle she'd been pouring from. "I think I'll take the rest of it. Drinks like this are meant to be shared with friends. No, I don't care what it cost. I won't have you putting up for me out of your own pocket, and I'm not going to just freely take. Not in my nature, you know."

[Aya]

A blonde eyebrow lifts in response to the request.  Aya tilts her head, earrings dangling straight down, as her pony tail draws along her shoulder.  "The whole bottle?"  She grins, amusement bouncing in her bright blue eyes, "I know you said you're -sure-; but, you know... are you really sure?"  She emphasized the words.

[Warren Castille]

Warren seemed to contemplate this.

 

"I was until you asked me again. Not I'm having second thoughts." A small smile grew on his face, however, and he waved a hand and shook his head. "I'm well taken care of. I tend my own armor. Hells, I own the house I stay in. I keep the rooms in the Hourglass just so I'd got places to lay low if I need to. Aside from keeping myself fed, I don't really have a lot of need for gil. Don't try to talk me out of giving you a huge sale here! Besides..."

 

He swirls the glass again. "It's sad to drink alone. I want to share."

[Aya]

She grins while listening to his self-justification. The rattling off of assets and debts, a sort of mental accounting of just how much wiggle room he had for the purchase of expensive liquor.  She glanced toward the bottle as he spoke, the expensive amber liquid resting so temptingly in its glass bottle.  One of the finest spirits available in Eorzea, it had aged for years in oak barrels giving it a particular dark hue, and a rich mellow flavor edged with the hardness of stiff liquor. 

 

She had chosen to pour a few glasses for Warren, unsure if he would fully appreciate it--she was sure he would now once he saw the price tag. 

 

She glanced back to him just as he was offering to share a glass, drawing a delighted grin, "Now that's an offer!"  she glanced the other way, toward Momodi, "Well I'll be done soon.. I don't think ma'am will mind at this hour, do you?"  Her grin revealed a little hint of playful mischievousness in her eyes, anxious to dance along the edge of what she was "supposed" to do.

[Warren Castille]

Warren and that bottle weren't strangers. He did appreciate Aya for attempting to protect him from what seemed to be reckless bravado and bragging but he was sure what he was doing. The hours were so small now that the sun would likely be creeping up soon and he wasn't sure what her particular poisons were but he'd feel awful if he didn't at least offer. His particular drink was something larger batch than what she was pouring him that night, but he appreciated fine alcohol as well as anyone else hobnobbing in Ul'dah.

 

"Don't let me get you in trouble now. Hardly becoming of a Free Paladin, more in line with a ruffian." He gave her a grin and looked towards Momodi, wondering how the diminutive dame would decree.

[Aya]

Bright blue playful eyes, displaying no hint yet of the fatigue slowly building behind them, looked, smiling, to Momodi.

 

The Lalafel matron looked back, her little mouth hanging just slightly open in a look of utter exasperation.  She rolled her eyes, and shook her head with a dismissive wave of the hand, before she turned back to counting out the night's take.

 

Aya looked to Warren with a wink, before starting to sway her head back and forth with excited energy, biting her lip in anticipation as she pushed the bottle toward him.  She pronounced the words slowly but lightly, her accent filling every word with that little sense of mystery, "So what'll it be Ser Ruffian?" she almost giggled along with the words, her eyes glancing from the bottle and back to him as she raised her eyebrows slightly, while that playful little grin irresistibly won over her lips.

[Warren Castille]

Another smile. Warren placed a hand on the neck of the bottle as Aya slid it his way and he rested his head in the other.

 

"I'm going to need another glass, first." He pointed absently behind the bar and let the volume of mirth and mischief that was streaming out of her wash over him. "And you'll need a seat. Doesn't do to drink good whiskey while standing and hunched over a bar." He offered a teasing smile of his own but knew he was up against a veteran in that game, then sat back setting his hands on the bar, palms down.

 

"You already proposed a toast for me earlier. Might I do the same for you?"

[Aya]

She grinned toward him, as she stood back up, turning around draw a second freshly dried tumbler from the rack.  As she turned to face him again, she reached her leg forward, hooking her foot into a stool hidden under the counter.  With a little pull she dragged it out, in front of Warren.  The stool's were intended as a perch for a Lalafel server, but would serve just as well for Aya to sit upon.

 

She swayed her head back and forth a little, smiling happily as she set the second glass down and took a seat upon the stool, bringing her down to Warren's level.  "A toast!" she grins excitedly.