It was with some hesitation that Ori walked up the steps to the Inn. Not because he was worried about going into the place, or at least not entirely because of that. No, it was mostly because the stairs gave him more than a little trouble. It was, unsurprisingly, a bit difficult to go up stairs when your legs are significantly longer than they had been only two days ago. He made it without falling or otherwise making a fool of himself, though, and tugged open the door.
There, he paused momentarily, trying to process the sights of the Red Dragon's commons room. Eventually, he realized he was standing like an idiot in the open doorway, and stepped inside. He moved a few more paces into the room, then hesitated, looking around. There were a lot of people in here, and at least one of them was clearly not human. He felt a wash of relief at the sight of Lelah waving to him, and headed her way a little faster than was strictly necessary.
"I'm sorry I'm not a good conversationalist. I never learned the fine art of small talk. Not much opportunity to meet new people and all,? Lelah said softly to Gideon, with whom she was sitting at the bar, enjoying a glass of Laphroaig. God above, she was such a monumental dork sometimes.
Gideon ran the tip of his tongue over the edge of his inner lip and settled back against the bar stool, arms crossing. "No, luv, you're fine." Still watching the other man's approach with chagrin. This ought to be good.
"Hey," Ori said when he was close enough not to be screaming it out to the room. "How are you?" Good manners had been drummed into him from a very young age.
She darted a look back and forth between Gideon and Ori, noting the defensive posture the former had adopted, and inwardly smirked....and then immediately felt guilty for it. ?Hi, Ori. I'm doing well." She flashed him a smile and then nodded to Gideon, holding out her hand in gesture to him. "Ori, this is my...friend...Gideon. Gideon, this is Ori. The wizard I told you about."
Gideon bit clean through the inside of his cheek in an effort not to grin like a maniac, though the corners of his lips twitched upwards of their own stubborn volition anyway. "Hullo, Ori."
"Hello, Gideon," he said politely. "Nice to meet you." He glanced between the two of them for an instant, then, "I didn't interrupt, did I?"
She ticked a look at Gideon, brows tugged down for a moment. "No, not really. We were just chatting. Want a drink?"
"A pleasure," Gideon said. The flash of teeth before he deflected his attention in favor of reaching for the bottle of Laphroaig to refill his glass and top up Lelah's. He was silently repressing a great deal of laughter. Wouldn't do to be turned into a newt because he couldn't hold his tongue.
"Well, I suppose one wouldn't hurt, as long as it's not as strong as last night." Ori gave her half a grin at that.
A soft chuckle for Ori's comment. "How about a beer instead? I know the perfect one for you." She flashed Gideon a grateful smile as he refilled her drink and then headed for the beer cooler.
"Yeah, that would be fine." Ori could handle a beer. Especially now.
She nodded and grabbed out a Silver Mark, popped the top and handed it over to the wizard. And cue the triangle of awkward silence. She picked up her glass, sipped it, dark eyes ping-ponging from Gideon's to Ori's face.
The back and forth of Lelah's wide eyes were almost the tipping point. Gideon bit back a grin and turned attention toward Ori. "Lelah get you drunk and take advantage last night?"
"Thank you." Ori accepted the beer and took a cautious sip of it. Turned out to be pretty good, actually. Which made it doubly unfortunate when Gideon's comment caused him to choke on it.
The snark of inhaled alcohol earned a broad, dangerously pleased smile that belied the forced innocence of the rest of Gideon's expression. "Oh, so she did, then?"
Gideon had comedic timing. Really, he should see about a stand up gig. And maybe a waterproof tarp to cover his clothing with, because Lelah spewed a mouthful of scotch all over the counter. "Sh*t," she muttered and quickly ducked behind the counter, hiding the furious blush the man's comment had caused.
Gideon gave Lelah a cheeky wink as he lent forward on the bar with both elbows, hands toying gleefully with his glass of scotch. "Wicked girl." He drew his glass quickly out of the way of her explosion and his shoulders shook with silent laughter.
There, he paused momentarily, trying to process the sights of the Red Dragon's commons room. Eventually, he realized he was standing like an idiot in the open doorway, and stepped inside. He moved a few more paces into the room, then hesitated, looking around. There were a lot of people in here, and at least one of them was clearly not human. He felt a wash of relief at the sight of Lelah waving to him, and headed her way a little faster than was strictly necessary.
"I'm sorry I'm not a good conversationalist. I never learned the fine art of small talk. Not much opportunity to meet new people and all,? Lelah said softly to Gideon, with whom she was sitting at the bar, enjoying a glass of Laphroaig. God above, she was such a monumental dork sometimes.
Gideon ran the tip of his tongue over the edge of his inner lip and settled back against the bar stool, arms crossing. "No, luv, you're fine." Still watching the other man's approach with chagrin. This ought to be good.
"Hey," Ori said when he was close enough not to be screaming it out to the room. "How are you?" Good manners had been drummed into him from a very young age.
She darted a look back and forth between Gideon and Ori, noting the defensive posture the former had adopted, and inwardly smirked....and then immediately felt guilty for it. ?Hi, Ori. I'm doing well." She flashed him a smile and then nodded to Gideon, holding out her hand in gesture to him. "Ori, this is my...friend...Gideon. Gideon, this is Ori. The wizard I told you about."
Gideon bit clean through the inside of his cheek in an effort not to grin like a maniac, though the corners of his lips twitched upwards of their own stubborn volition anyway. "Hullo, Ori."
"Hello, Gideon," he said politely. "Nice to meet you." He glanced between the two of them for an instant, then, "I didn't interrupt, did I?"
She ticked a look at Gideon, brows tugged down for a moment. "No, not really. We were just chatting. Want a drink?"
"A pleasure," Gideon said. The flash of teeth before he deflected his attention in favor of reaching for the bottle of Laphroaig to refill his glass and top up Lelah's. He was silently repressing a great deal of laughter. Wouldn't do to be turned into a newt because he couldn't hold his tongue.
"Well, I suppose one wouldn't hurt, as long as it's not as strong as last night." Ori gave her half a grin at that.
A soft chuckle for Ori's comment. "How about a beer instead? I know the perfect one for you." She flashed Gideon a grateful smile as he refilled her drink and then headed for the beer cooler.
"Yeah, that would be fine." Ori could handle a beer. Especially now.
She nodded and grabbed out a Silver Mark, popped the top and handed it over to the wizard. And cue the triangle of awkward silence. She picked up her glass, sipped it, dark eyes ping-ponging from Gideon's to Ori's face.
The back and forth of Lelah's wide eyes were almost the tipping point. Gideon bit back a grin and turned attention toward Ori. "Lelah get you drunk and take advantage last night?"
"Thank you." Ori accepted the beer and took a cautious sip of it. Turned out to be pretty good, actually. Which made it doubly unfortunate when Gideon's comment caused him to choke on it.
The snark of inhaled alcohol earned a broad, dangerously pleased smile that belied the forced innocence of the rest of Gideon's expression. "Oh, so she did, then?"
Gideon had comedic timing. Really, he should see about a stand up gig. And maybe a waterproof tarp to cover his clothing with, because Lelah spewed a mouthful of scotch all over the counter. "Sh*t," she muttered and quickly ducked behind the counter, hiding the furious blush the man's comment had caused.
Gideon gave Lelah a cheeky wink as he lent forward on the bar with both elbows, hands toying gleefully with his glass of scotch. "Wicked girl." He drew his glass quickly out of the way of her explosion and his shoulders shook with silent laughter.