World: Castle D'Image
Scene: Caffe Dolce, spring, 4286.
Players: Phaedra = Abby; Leroy = Manda
Phaedra is slouched comfortably at one of the long tables in the Caffe Dolce, with a white china coffee cup in front of her, idly drawing patterns on the tabletop with the end of one finger.
Leroy grins at her, looking a bit weary but in good spirits, "Hey, Phae! Sorry I'm late. I had a lot of last minute bull to deal with before I could get free."
"Hey!" She glances up, breaking into a grin. "'Sallright, I only got here about fifteen minutes ago, myself. C'mere sit."
Leroy says, "Ah good, I thought you were gonna be gone by the time I made it here." He settles down by her at the table and immediately makes to start filling his pipe. "I busted my hump today..."
Phaedra grins. "What happened?"
Leroy says, "Oh I was giving the gals in the kitchen some help with these sacks of flour that no one else was having much success lifting out of the creepy pantry."
"The creepy pantry." Phaedra raises her eyebrows.
Leroy says, "You know, down under the kitchesn where it used to lead to the underground river but now it's all sealed off? Back from that earthquake what... four years past now?"
Phaedra snorts. "Yeah?"
"Yeah, my back's killin' me." Leroy waves to Mama and asks for a cup of coffee and a plate of lasagna.
"Aw." Phaedra smirks at him affectionately. "See where chivalry gets you. Ought to tell the stupid chits to get the stableboy next time."
Leroy chuckles, "They said they'd cook me up something special tomorrow night, so I guess it's a fair trade."
"Ha! Might have guessed." She kicks him gently under the table.
Leroy smirks a bit. "Hey! That's barter for you."
Phaedra grins. "Nice girls'd do that for you regardless." She picks up her coffee and sips it, carefully, puts it down again. "Anything else thrilling happen?"
Leroy chuckles, "Nah, not really. I'm going back on days for a good while now, the Captain's promised me... that's good. I'll feel a little less like I'm missing you all the time. No more of this third shift business... how about with you?"
"Oh, not bad, the usual crap, brats in the salon and streetwalkers in the foyer..." Phaedra shakes her head, tossing her braid back over her shoulder. "Pretty dull. That's good for you, though."
Leroy grins, "All kinds pass through that hunk of stone, for sure. YOu know, I hear that in some countries, the common folks aren't even supposed to look at the nobles... but here... but then, those are the same countries where they'd poke your eyes out in punishment or cut off your hand or something... but you'd think people'd have a little more respect." A chuckle. "But maybe not."
Phaedra rolls her eyes. "'Course they don't. Goddess forbid. I'll tell you, there've been a couple I'd just as soon see without hands..."
Leroy chuckles, "You're telling me... I'm still waiting for this Torrent to loose his noggin."
"Or heads," Phaedra agrees cheerfully, "or other useful bits --"
"I hear that Torrent's already lost his useful bit!"
Phaedra grins seraphically, and downs another swallow of her coffee. "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."
Leroy says, "I heard a rumor from Cal on third shift that someone was gonna come down and torture him, but the new captain put a stop to it... he doesn't like any of that bloodthirsty business... but in his case, I think it's warranted."
Phaedra wrinkles her nose. "Mmh."
Leroy shrugs, "But... he'll be dead enough either way, pretty soon, I reckon."
"About time." She slouches forward again, leaning her head in her hands. "Goddess. Tired."
Leroy gets his plate of food and picks up his fork to dig in. He suggests, "Drink more coffee... or get some sleep." A wink, and he takes a bite, and burns the roof of his mouth.
Phaedra sputters with laughter. "Easy there."
"Haaaaa." Leroy drinks his coffee, which is, oddly, cooler than the lasagna, and thus at least brings the volcanic pasta down to a reasonable enough temperature to chew and swallow. "That's gonna leave a skinflap for sure," he grumbles after it's down.
Phaedra chuckles. "A little warm, dear?"
Leroy says, "Hotter then the pits of hell."
"Teach you to be careful." She punches him in the arm lightly.
Leroy teases lighthearted and affectionately, "Watch out, you might be starting to sound like someone's Maw."
Phaedra grins. "Somebody's gotta look after you. Sure as hell won't be those fleabrained kitchen sluts."
Leroy laughs aloud, thumping the table. "Someone's eyes are looking distinctly greener! Good grub or not, I'd rather have you at my side then any of them. A pot roast won't cover you in a knife fight, that's for damned sure."
Phaedra narrows her eyes at him, amiably. "Better believe it, big guy."
Leroy reaches over and tries to put his hand on your wrist, food forgotten while it cools. He says with a slight soffening of his gruff manner, "I'm tellin you, Phae... I don't have eyes for any other gal."
Phaedra abruptly flushes scarlet. She peers into her coffee, but fails to pull her hand away.
If Only Leroy could articulate how much trouble he went through to try to get himself back in time so that they'd have more off-duty time together. Alas, he's not the sort of man for very pretty words. Instead he just holds his hand over hers for a while.
Phaedra bites her lip, not looking up. "Well, I..."
Leroy suddenly feels a bit too forward and withdraws his hand. "You?" He asks in a prompting sort of way.
"Dunno what to say, that's all." She rakes a hand vehemently through her hair. "Ah, hell."
Leroy chuckles a bit, just a twinge on the self-conscious side, "I'm sorry, Phae... You don't have to say nothing back... But I've known you a long time now... long enough to know some things."
Phaedra flashes him an uncertain glance. "Yeah."
Leroy shrugs for lack of a better thing to do, "... that you're the best buddy I got."
Phaedra blinks, once. "Yeah," she says in rather a different tone.
Leroy says, "And... if that isn't a good point to start at... well then... I don't know what is..."
Phaedra studies the tabletop a moment. Finally she says, in a rather subdued voice, "I should get back."
Leroy looks a little worried, like maybe he's said the wrong thing. No wonder I'm still single, he thinks to himself. He clears his throat. "Yeah... I'll see you in the morning, eh?"
"Yeah," Phaedra says, a trifle too brightly, and pushes to her feet. "G'night. Take care of yourself."
Leroy nods, "You know I always try..." He replies, and picks up his fork to eat his food now.
Phaedra says again, superfluously, "Night," and dodges out.