Unto The BreachThe Lie Of The Land
Supply And Demand
Supply And Demand
Arc 720, 41st of Ashan
Darius knew of Cally's, but he'd never stepped inside. Much like its founder, Faith Augustin, the venue had a famous reputation, but few Scalvorians had had the good fortune to get close enough to know what it was really like. On another trial, the seafarer wouldn't be the sort of clientele that would visit such a place.
But this was not that trial.
He was on a mission, and although he was still not sure how the jigsaw might fit together, he knew that one of the critical pieces was the upmarket restaurant. It was with that understanding of the critical nature of his visit that he had come to the restaurant, just one trial after securing funds and medical supplies from the Order of the Adunih. His clothing was not particularly fine, and he was sure he wasn't dressed in the manner that a regular patron might be, but the confidence that Faith had in him was evident in his calm and controlled expression.
Pushing open the door, he looked about, noting the fine cloths and the shiny cutlery, but the desk was unmanned. It was then that he saw movement nearby. He looked up to see a feminine figure from behind, and her red hair and slim build made him wonder for half a moment if Yeva had a job at the restaurant. She was fond of making food, he knew, so perhaps she had found work as a waitress and simply hadn't mentio--
"Why, hello there, handsome."
Darius suddenly realised that the woman had turned around and was looking at him, her husky voice escaping a pair of painted lips that had curved into a coquettish smile. This, he immediately knew, was not Yeva!
"Good trial to you," Darius barely managed to say without stammering, though his cheeks were already burning beneath his beard.
The sight of his blushing seemed to cause the woman's blue eyes to light up in a mixture of humour and delight. She wore a cross-lace bodice that clung tightly to her form, over a green-sleeved dress. Her lips were coloured with lip stain.
"I'm Trudi. Now...table for one?" the waitress asked, before leaning forward and dropping her voice to a whisper. "Or should we make that a table for two?"
A playful wink followed, and for a few trills, all Darius could think about was how pretty the woman was, and his mouth felt dry. His brow furrowed, the confidence he'd felt as he'd entered the building quickly eroding.
"Uh...I'm here for Faith," he said, sending a furtive glance back towards the dining room.
"Oh?" Trudi responded, her voice betraying her surprise. "Don't you know she's married?"
"No, not like that," Darius managed to swallow, despite the lump in his throat, and he wondered if somehow the waitress had heard of the time he'd swept Faith off her feet. "She sent me here."
It was Darius' turn to lean forward, then, his eyes focused in a way that he hoped Trudi might recognise the seriousness of the situation.
"I am not here to eat," he spoke quietly, "but I do want food. A lot of food. I came here to speak with someone from Isonomia."
Naming the faction seemed to have an effect, and Trudi's demeanour changed. The flirtatious grin faded, and her posture straightened.
"Isonomia, you say?" she asked, pursing her lips in thought as Darius nodded his head in response. "If you're after a lot of food, you'd best speak with Jo'get. Come with me."
But this was not that trial.
He was on a mission, and although he was still not sure how the jigsaw might fit together, he knew that one of the critical pieces was the upmarket restaurant. It was with that understanding of the critical nature of his visit that he had come to the restaurant, just one trial after securing funds and medical supplies from the Order of the Adunih. His clothing was not particularly fine, and he was sure he wasn't dressed in the manner that a regular patron might be, but the confidence that Faith had in him was evident in his calm and controlled expression.
Pushing open the door, he looked about, noting the fine cloths and the shiny cutlery, but the desk was unmanned. It was then that he saw movement nearby. He looked up to see a feminine figure from behind, and her red hair and slim build made him wonder for half a moment if Yeva had a job at the restaurant. She was fond of making food, he knew, so perhaps she had found work as a waitress and simply hadn't mentio--
"Why, hello there, handsome."
Darius suddenly realised that the woman had turned around and was looking at him, her husky voice escaping a pair of painted lips that had curved into a coquettish smile. This, he immediately knew, was not Yeva!
"Good trial to you," Darius barely managed to say without stammering, though his cheeks were already burning beneath his beard.
The sight of his blushing seemed to cause the woman's blue eyes to light up in a mixture of humour and delight. She wore a cross-lace bodice that clung tightly to her form, over a green-sleeved dress. Her lips were coloured with lip stain.
"I'm Trudi. Now...table for one?" the waitress asked, before leaning forward and dropping her voice to a whisper. "Or should we make that a table for two?"
A playful wink followed, and for a few trills, all Darius could think about was how pretty the woman was, and his mouth felt dry. His brow furrowed, the confidence he'd felt as he'd entered the building quickly eroding.
"Uh...I'm here for Faith," he said, sending a furtive glance back towards the dining room.
"Oh?" Trudi responded, her voice betraying her surprise. "Don't you know she's married?"
"No, not like that," Darius managed to swallow, despite the lump in his throat, and he wondered if somehow the waitress had heard of the time he'd swept Faith off her feet. "She sent me here."
It was Darius' turn to lean forward, then, his eyes focused in a way that he hoped Trudi might recognise the seriousness of the situation.
"I am not here to eat," he spoke quietly, "but I do want food. A lot of food. I came here to speak with someone from Isonomia."
Naming the faction seemed to have an effect, and Trudi's demeanour changed. The flirtatious grin faded, and her posture straightened.
"Isonomia, you say?" she asked, pursing her lips in thought as Darius nodded his head in response. "If you're after a lot of food, you'd best speak with Jo'get. Come with me."
