Meetings and Greetings

Mid-day, and the latter portion of that, to boot. The lunch rush has surged and ebbed back down to a lull. One more patron is added, or relocated, as Aya exits a room to the mezzanine and then descends the stairs to the main room. It could be that she wished to avoid the rush, or made a brief visit, or simply chose to sleep in. Regardless of reasoning, it seems that hunger calls, given that she moves to the counter to request a platter of bread and cheese.

Seated at the bar, is a man in black armor, with black hair and purple eyes that roam the area with distant interest. He takes a swig of his beer, which is unlikely to be his first - if the smell of alcohol coming off of him is any indication. He brightens somewhat as Aya approaches the bar, giving her a once over and smiling. "Hey there."

Ous didn't know where he was exactly. He knew he was in Alexandria, but this being his first time, that didn't mean a whole lot. Finally the boy did the universally accepted rule and followed his nose. Ous' nose in turn led the man to the Fernwood, and thus he enters quietly. Closing the door behind him as he shifts his body to the side, habit not allowing him to keep his back to a door.

It was hard to peg the age of the man. Emerald green eyes peered out from behind a thick, ungroomed beard and framed by a mane of thick black hair. the rest of him was obscured by a cloak, not of one single color, but mottled in hades of grey, green, black, muted yellow, and brown. The rest of his clothing consisted of a hide and wolf pelt shirt, leather breeches, and fringed, knee high leather boots.

"Hello," Aya greets Aragos in return. "You look to be well into your day. Does it go well?" Perhaps her observation is due to his bright-eyed expression, and surely not from the brewed aroma in his vicinity. As she awaits her own order, her eyes drift briefly past him to the door, making note of the latest arrival to the Fernwood.

Aragos ignores the door save for a brief glance in that direction. "Better now that you're here. Why don't you stick around and have lunch with me?" His grin widens somewhat at his offer. "I'll buy."

Making his way to the bar himself, Ous looks around for a moment before looking back to the barman. "Aye, 'l 'ave a beer, an another beer after tha'. We'll see where th' mood take sus after tha' but ah'm thinkin' it may well lead t' another beer." Spoken in a lilting accent that didn't really place the man to one single origin, but rather a mixture of them, the tall bearded man reaches up and begins to unsling a longbow and quiver from his back.

Aya arches one snowy brow at Aragos. "Do you make a habit of exchanging coin for companionship?" As she inquires, her platter arrives. After a moment of consideration, she directs the keep to Aragos with a light gesture of hand. He did offer. "You are in luck; my meal arrives, so we are dining together." The other alcohol aficionado receives a nod in greeting and acknowledgement as he joins the bar patrons.

The meal is paid for, and another round of drinks for himself, and Aragos snorts at Aya's question. "Sounds lovely." He says without comment on her jab, finishing off his beer and waiting for the next to come along. Ous doesn't get a glance at this point, but Aragos shifts his posture subtly so that he can keep the other man in his peripheral vision. "So, what brings you in here? Just lunch?"

Leaning the bow and quiver against the bar, Ous receives his beer and nods to the barkeep. Noticing Aya's greeting, he smiles and offers a half salute with his newly acquired beer. "Afternoon" it's then that he notices Aya's food and his stomach growls. Looking back to the barkeep, he adds. "An' a sandwich when ye have half a moment."

Aya picks up a morsel of cheese and consumes it before answering Aragos' question. "Lunch, wine, and the fact that the room is conveniently between my door and the exit." She gestures casually from the stairs to said exit with a curl of mirth on her lips. "He is here for food and drink, obviously," a nod towards Ous before she inquires of Aragos. "What of yourself?"

"Here for the drink mostly." He eyes Ous a bit before returning his attention to the woman at his side eating. Aragos takes gratefully accepts his new beer a moment later, taking a swift drink of it and sighing happily. "But you never know what else might come your way. Like a pretty lady."

Concentrating on his beer for the moment, Ous turns his head slightly as Aragos begins to eye him up. Waggling his eyebrows at the other man, he offers another half salute with the beer.

Having nothing better to do for the moment, he listens to the pair conversing, making no pretense of doing otherwise.

Aya dips her head with Aragos as she casually dines: another morsel of cheese here, a chunk of bread there. Between these, she comments. "The pubs and inns can be entertaining in the unknown. Good drinks, attractive women, handsome men, spilled drinks, erupting brawls... It can be quite the surprise. I would say that the Fernwood is less prone to some of those than, say, The Ox-Strength."

Aragos grunts at this. "The Ox-Strength is a better bar in some ways, but I'm not always looking for a fight." Not always? Most of the time then perhaps. He starts to say something else and notices a bit belatedly perhaps that Ous is eavesdropping. Aragos turns on him and looks at him irritably. "Hey. You mind?"

Taking another drink of his beer, Ous raises his eyebrows at Aragos as he is spoken to. Holding up a finger to signal 'one second.' he finally places the tankard down with a grin. "Not at all Mister. Ye're doing fine! Ver' entertainin'!" Leaning closer, he speaks in a slightly softer tone. "Ye should tell her ye like a girl wit' spirit. Ah'm told they like that sort of thing. Aye know the conversation has kind of swung past that moment, but Aye have faith in ye. Ye can swing it back aroun' to it."

"I do not mind," Aya notes, concerning the other man's dropping of eaves. "Perhaps he is also interested in what he might see-Ahh," she ammends when Ous speaks up. "See? He is not any different than yourself..." Another morsel is eaten. "Yes, I have spirit, though not enough to seek a fight as often as some. I am also quite spoken for, in the interests of fairness."

Aragos blinks at Ous, but Aya's words have him frowning more for a moment. "More's the shame that. But I should have known a pretty lady like yourself would have a man. Where's he at?" Aragos glances around the bar, looking for anyone that seems likely.

Hearing Aya, Ous grins wide. Surprisingly white teeth showing from behind the wildly matted beard. "Apologies miss! Ahm not meaning tae be pressing my suit. Is that wha' they calls it hereabouts? In any case, ye're a ver' pretty lady, but after six months wanderin' I'm really more interested in th' beer this place has tae offer...maybe a meal. Aye havenae had tae cook meself. After tha' maybe I might consider th' ladies. One cannae go being a disappointment tae th' ladies on an empty stomach."

Leaning back once more, Ous nods to the barkeep as his sandwich is delivered. "There now! tha' is food fit for a man about tae be a disappointment tae th' ladies!"

Aya's latest chunk of bread doesn't make it to her mouth. Instead, it vanishes into a glutenous near-singularity as her hand abruptly closes into a fist around it. Her sudden scowl is only slightly less firm. "He is away, dealing with family matters. He will return soon enough." The micro-morsel is dropped back to the platter.

The other man's comment and self-deprecation, tempers her expression some into a smirk. "If that's so, drink and eat up, and worry of the rest after."

Aragos arches an eyebrow at Aya. "I take it there's a story there, one that means you don't approve of his going perhaps?" He shrugs. "I don't mean to pry, so I won't. It's none of my business."

He glances toward the other man, and makes a face. "Maybe you'd be better off with the ladies if you visited the TarRaCe and took a bath."

Nodding to the both of them before taking a bite of his sandwich, Ous chews thoughtfully, enjoying the flavor of the meat. "Ye know. Next time I head into th' wilderness, Aye need tae remember salt."

As Aragos mentions a bath, the Ranger nearly spits the sandwich out again. "Wait. There's BATHS!?"

Aya simply nods firmly to Aragos, smirk vanishing, to imply that he is correct on one or more assumptions. A comment may be imminent, but this is interrupted when Ous nearly loses his sandwich. Her expression tempers again into a near-smirk. "Yes, there are baths and, he" a nod to Aragos "do agree on that much: bathing is highly recommended if you wish to make a good impression upon a woman, as opposed to a merely strong one."

"Here. I'll even do you a favor." Aragos states, pulling out a piece of paper and a piece of charcoal. He draws up a very, very sketchy map of the city using various landmarks. It is by no means a very good map, but it's better than nothing. He slides the paper over to the man and tucks his charcoal back away. "There. A map to get you there. It's not the best thing I've ever drawn, but it should lead you the right direction. If you get lost though, just ask someone for the TarRaCe. It's got a damn nice bath house."

Looking around, Ous begins to wolf down his sandwich. The feats he manages with the thing are rarely done by creatures without the ability to unhinge their jaws, but by the gods does he try his best. Pausing on the last mouthful, the man's emerald eyes screw up for a moment as he groans and leans forward, bracing himself on the bar. There's a ten count before he reaches for his beer and washes the sandwich down. Looking at the bar keep, he calls out. "Was a bit of bone in th' sandwich mister."

Looking from Aya to Aragos, he takes the map and grins once more. "Ye have no idea how much Aye appreciate this. Do they have a laundry as well? Ye know what? Aye dinnae even care! Pleasure tae meet ye both, Ay've been Ous (pronounced us with a hard o instead of a u) An' ye have both been a delight!" With that, the man is off his seat and running for the door, quiver and bow in hand. It was a little eerie if one were to consider the fact that the tall human was moving a breakneck speed and making almost no sound in the process.

Perhaps there at least two things that Aya and Aragos agree on. "Yes, the baths are wonderful. I indulge in them from time to time...." And then Ous is on his feet and going, going, gone. Both brows arch before she looks to Aragos. "You seem to know how to convince others to run away from you, at the least..."

There's a grim smile from Aragos. "Suppose you're right. You gonna run along now too?" He drinks from his cup steadily, not seeming to get much drunker than he is. If he is at that. "Now that you've finished your meal." He nods to her empty plate.

Aya considers the bare plate at his comment and nod, as if she might not have been otherwise aware. "I will, yes," she admits, stretching slightly as she slides from her seat. It's not until after that she adds, "though not from any convincing of yours." A not-quite smile forms briefly before her expression flattens. "My day is only begun, and there is much to do. Try not to drink yourself off of your stool."

Aragos grunts in reply. A noncommittal response that has him not promising any such thing. He orders another beer. And probably another one after that. Might drink himself into a stupor just to be contrary. The day is young.

-End