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Busy Night (Rhi)

Started by Katie, December 08, 2012, 07:37:20 PM

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Katie

Every now and then, you just needed some relief. Tonight was one of the now's. Fatoumata didn't come to the Randy Peach that often, but she was kind of a regular. It had gotten to the point where the lady at the desk didn't even ask her who she wanted to see. She'd met Rose (not what she was really called, and her hair wasn't actually pink either, but that was none of Fatoumata's business) on her third visit here. And asked for her again on the fourth visit, because she hadn't done the look--between her legs, breasts, face, between her legs again, momentary expression of shock--the first two had. And then again, and she stopped asking for everyone else.

She guessed they were sorta friends. Rose had to be nice to her customers, obviously, and they'd never talked outside of work--but Rose had a couple different smiles, she'd seen, and she could sort of feel the difference between them. Rose had started giving her the real thing a while ago. (It wasn't that she was trying, but she always felt something unless she went for a full lockdown, which was too draining to do all the time.)
When she got there, though, the clerk said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, Rose is currently with a client. I believe Willa and Anders are both open, if you'd like to see either of them?"

Fatoumata shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll wait on her."

"An excellent choice, ma'am. You'll be informed if she'll be an overly long time. The usual price." She paid up, adding in the tip for the clerk, and went into the common room. She bought herself a drink--the ale was good here, if a little over-expensive. High-class place, pricy ale, even when it wasn't much different from the stuff she could get down the street. Fatoumata found herself a seat at the last empty table and made herself comfortable.

Rhindeer

Sita was still a little banged up from his drunken adventure several nights ago--swollen nose, dark bruises here and there, but he liked to think it added to his rugged appeal or something--when he strode into the Peach. It had been a good few weeks since he'd been there; business had been steady and a few complications had set him back. But after a while, your hand was a pretty damned lonely thing and besides, his favorite whore would probably be throwing a fit at him if he didn't show up soon with some pretty new rock from across the plains.

And he knew where to find him, too. Gods, he spoiled him. Couldn't even remember how that whole gift-offering thing started. Probably as an apology for doing something stupid.

He'd cleaned up for the occasion, so he smelled like soap instead of horse, sweat, and dung. He'd even worn his new clothes, the ones he had to buy because his old ones were stolen during that brawl. Or bet. Or whatever it was.

Good times.

After being greeted and set up by the clerk--it would be a bit still because he was busy, which figured; the guy was popular--he headed into the common room and was surprised to find it full.

He scoped out a table with seats left and headed over--and then paused and did a double take at its one lone occupant, right as he was pulling out a chair.

Was that...a guy or a girl?

The face said one thing, the clothes said another. Besides, the hell would a girl be doing in a place like this?

Unless she worked here, that is.

He realized he was staring, trying to puzzle it out, and cleared his throat. "Mind if I...?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

She registered the curiosity even before she looked up and saw the guy staring at her. He looked pretty good--nice tattoos, little scruffy but not half as bad as she got sometimes (except for the beard). Fatoumata couldn't tell exactly what he was wondering about, but most times people looked at her like that, they were trying to decide if she was a man or a woman. She'd developed a "let 'em stew" policy. It was a laugh-or-cry kinda deal, and she'd had her fill of crying over it since about forever.

"Yeah, go on," Fatoumata said. "Just get your eyes off me, I ain't a peach." She smiled, to take the sting out--they were both here for a good time, after all, plus being tense'd make it harder on Rose--and took a drink of her ale.

Rhindeer

Well, the voice said female. Which was...strange. He stared a moment, utterly perplexed, because what business did a woman have here? Not only that, but this was the second woman he'd encountered here who wasn't a peach. Clearly, Adela was turning strange, men letting their women run off to play with whores.

He blinked. Well. It wasn't his place to judge, and it certainly wasn't his place to open up his mouth and drive business away. Not his culture, not his wife, not his problem. And fuck, he was hardly one to talk.

With a groan, he settled down into the chair, muscles protesting. Damn. He probably wouldn't even be doing any vigorous exercising tonight. At this point, he'd be satisfied with just a massage; that guy had magic fingers. Maybe even literally.

"Uh. Of course," he said after a pause, for lack of knowing how else to respond to that. He cleared his throat. "Pretty busy night."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

"Yeah," Fatoumata said. She felt the current of curious settle. Good, that always got real awkward if it went on too long. She could also vaguely feel those bruises. Nasty, that. Hoped he'd given as bad as he got. "I'd say it was some kinda mass leave, but there are about three military folks here and one of 'em's me."

After a moment, for lack of anything else to talk about (silences were also real awkward), she asked, "Y'alright?"

Rhindeer

Sita had to do a double-take at that new piece of information. Wait. She--he?--was in the military? The confusion came flooding back, and he gave her another quick once-over. Alright. He was now officially lost. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe this actually was a man; not every fellow had a deep voice and some men had softer features--he should know because those were the sort he liked. And then to add to it--as if the situation needed to be any more awkward--gods be damned he hated military folk.

Adelan military folk, to be exact.

The question drew him away from his scrambled thoughts and he gave a little jolt, for a second thinking maybe his thoughts were playing out across his face--and then checking himself when he remembered how he looked.

Right.

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Been better, if ya want the honest answer, but I ain't gonna keel over or nothin'. Just the odd tussle, y'know how it goes." There was a pause, and then he continued. "So. You're military, eh?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

"That's good," she said. Then she took a drink. Bit awkward, this, but at least he seemed halfway decent. Some didn't stop staring when she asked. Low bar, but it was just for the not-an-asshole designation. Which wasn't very high in itself. There were plenty of not-an-assholes Fatoumata wouldn't give the time of day.

"Yeah," she said. "It's alright. Some parts're better than others." The flying, that was. She'd do the rest over twice just for what flying was like. Fatoumata never had understood people who were scared of heights. It was nice up there, just her and Iraz. Hell, she'd take the rest twice over for them, too. They were kind, under all that posturing. And it was nice sometimes, having someone else in her head.

"What d'you do?"

Rhindeer

"Hmm," Sita said, noncommittal, accepting her answer as-is. She didn't expand upon her answer and he didn't press. He could be civil to military folk, and being civil toward them meant not talking about it. If they didn't talk about it, there was less of a chance of touching upon a topic that would make him do and say things he'd regret.

"Sounds like most jobs, I reckon. Me, I'm a horse trader," Sita said with a shrug. "Catch 'em, break 'em, sell 'em, the whole package. Love it, don't get me wrong, but don't love gettin' kicked or stepped on."

Another pause. Alright, this was just awkward. He still couldn't figure her, or him, out, and leave it to him to open his fat mouth and commit some cultural blunder in the middle of a nice, busy establishment. Smiling what he hoped was a casual smile, he added, "Sorry, I don't think I got your name. I'm Sita."

There was valuable information in a name.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

Horses, huh? She didn't get to see a lot of those--no matter how much she bathed, she always smelled faintly dragony to a good enough nose and horses didn't like that. Most animals round that size didn't, really. Came of being just big enough to make a meal.

The bit about getting kicked sounded real familiar. Horses were probably worse than dragons, not being people and all, but the amount of times she'd gotten smacked in the ribs with a tail or hit full-on with a wing in the early days... Hell, she still cut her hands on Iraz's spines sometimes, if she wasn't careful.

"That's cause I didn't give it," she said. "I'm Fatoumata."

Rhindeer

"Ah, nice to meetcha. I'm Sita. Fatoumata, huh? That's an interestin' name. Very, uh...very..."

Aw, fuck it. He just couldn't keep dancing around the issue anymore. And by now, it was probably obvious.

He sucked in a deep breath and rubbed at his right temple. "Alright, I don't know how else to say this so I'm just gonna do it. Are ya a guy or a girl?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

Fatoumata sighed. Wasn't like she hadn't expected it--she'd felt it coming the normal way and expected it like a headblind person would--but it felt like every new person she met had to ask the same damn question. She could tell he wasn't trying to be rude, but for godsakes.

"I ain't here to fuck you, so I don't see why you care," she said, "But I'm a woman." She took a drink of her ale. This was not a conversation topic she wanted to keep on with.

Rhindeer

"Aw, no, don't get me wrong, it ain't that I care," Sita said, though alright, maybe that was a lie. He cared enough to ask, after all. "It's just, ya know. Didn't know they let women in the army. Huh."

He blinked, staring at his ale for a moment, then took another swig to finish it off. "Seems like an awful bad idea. That a new thing?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

Huh? That was a new one. This was Adela, after all. Fatoumata wondered what kind of backwater he was from, that women couldn't join the army--and why he hadn't already noticed it happened here. He sure didn't seem like the fresh-from-the-country type.

"Course they do," she said, "And no, it ain't new." She raised her eyebrows. "You trying to say I can't do my job?"

She wasn't mad (yet). Just annoyed.

Rhindeer

It was new to him. But then again, he didn't keep up with much, and spent half the year on the plains and more of it traveling. His attitude toward the Adelan army was bitter on the best of days and scathing on the worst.

He shrugged again. "Ain't no judgment on you. Just sayin', battlefield ain't no place for a woman."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

"Why not?" Fatoumata asked. "We get the same training and all. Teachers don't go any easier on the girls." She'd had the bruises to prove it.

Rhindeer

"Yeah, but women got, ya know..." Sita made a face. "Moon cycles."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

Fatoumata snorted. "Moon cycles?" Of all the reasons, that was the silliest she'd ever heard. It was too silly even to be annoyed at. "We have ways of dealing with those, y'know. Those of us who still get them." No need to mention that she didn't know what any of those ways were first-hand. She'd heard enough of the talk in the barracks to have a pretty fair idea.

Rhindeer

Sita held up both hands, grimacing. "Yeah, and I don't care to hear of any of those ways! What I'm sayin' ain't so much 'bout the mess as it is 'bout the...crazy."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Katie

Fatoumata tilted her head. "What crazy?" Sure, they all got a little cranky, but that was just because it apparently felt like getting stabbed in the stomach. Or the kidneys, or something. She didn't exactly tune in.

Rhindeer

"Oh, woman crazy." Sita gave her a sidelong look. "Of course, I'm sure that don't seem like a big deal to you--no offense. Just, I don't expect a woman to see it like an outsider can. But ain't just that. What if she gets with child? And who tends the home? Plus most're smaller, weaker. Awful dangerous."

Another pause. "Ain't sayin' you are, of course. Just most."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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