The solid clunk of door in frame sounded behind her as she left the Studio, her brother's laughter still ringing in her ears. Cool metal in her pocket the catalyst for such a reaction. "Lor' an Skies, so I need him ta use th' mods fer two secs and he turns inta a detective." Taking the steps to the street below, she paused at the bottom. "Sometimes I think it would ha' been tons easier if he'd a been a girl." And with that, Juliane joined the hustle on the sidewalk and started off towards the boatyard.
Hudson leaned against the heavy door to the building which housed the L?ir Mothan and swung it closed. The small gift of thanks he had found for Juliane had been weighing heavily on his mind for several days, and today he had the time to deliver it. Intending to take out the boat for her first run on the open ocean in the morning, he wanted all debts to be cleared. Winding his way through the boatyard and toward the busy sidewalks, he absently turned the long narrow box over and over in one scarred hand.
A quick stop into a store along the way added a bagged bottle to her cargo. Feeling a tiny bit guilty of not purchasing a bottle from Jolyon, she pushed the thoughts from her mind. "He needs ta sell th' cases fer th' highest prices, yeah? Could ya really let him refuse ta let ya pay fer one, Halo? Nope, didn't think so."
Crossing the bridge from the south side of the bridge to the north, Hudson was frowning slightly, deep in thought. Still, that wasn?t enough to keep him from noticing the tall, slim figure with the shimmering gold hair as she weaved her way through the crowd from the north to the south. After a moment he stopped dead, staggered as a pedestrian behind him was caught unawares by the move, and then recovered his balance. ?Juliane Smith, be that ye??
Pulling up short, she turned and caught sight of a plaid-clothed figure and couldn't help but grin. "Well, I was th' last I checked, yeah?" A large cart trundled past before she ventured to cross to his side of the bridge. "And if it ain't the very person I'm a going ta see. Afternoon, Hudson."
?Latha math, Juliane. Ye come in search o? me? Well, there be a twist o? th? fates, for that I had been seeking ye.? Sun-lined creases showed at the corners of his eyes as Hudson smiled briefly. ?And since we ha?e each found th? other, where would ye care tae head? For I think we block th? traffic, standing here.?
The observation was more than obvious. Native Rhy'dinians were not graced with the builds of the Scot nor the height of Juliane. Shoved roughly another step closer to him, she chuckled, her head shaking in agreement. "Yeah, an' th' sooner th' better, yeah?" Spying the proprietor of the Teas-n-Tomes placing a menu placard outside, she pointed in that direction. "Would ya care ta go there?"
?Sure and why nae? ?Tis a grand place and I always like tae visit.? Hudson caught her elbows as yet another shove had her staggering, and released her when her balance was regained. His low chuckle was barely audible in the crowd. He stepped around her to break the path through the masses of pedestrians, leaving a clear space just in his wake. ?Although I ha?e tae confess I usually stop by there in th? evenings, after work.?
Following gratefully in the path he cut through the crushing throng, she spoke up so as to be heard over the din of commerce. "Are ya sure ya don't want ta go somewhere else then? I've only been there th' once myself but if ya frequent it often, ya may be in the mood fer something different, yeah?"
Looking back over his shoulder, Hudson ricocheted off of a passing trader and apologized before he replied to Juliane. ?Nae, I gae there sae because I like th? place. It be peaceful there. And if ye?ve only been there th? once, then ye?ve nae had th? chance tae try more than one o? th? pastries there. I ha?e a mind for sweets at th? moment. If ye wish sommat more substantial we can stop in tae somewhere else, though??
"And since when did ya ever know a woman ta refuse a man encouragin' her ta have somethin' sweet, yeah?" A grin as they made it off the bridge and the crowd thinned considerably with the ability to careen in countless directions. "B'sides, I didn't even have a pastry th' time I was there. So it seems I'm at a deficit ta yer expertise." Able to walk beside him now, she did so comfortably. "Ya will have ta suggest somethin' tasty, yeah?"
The thinning of the crowd meant that they were able to arrive much faster at the shop, and Hudson pulled open the door to the tinkling of small bells hung over it. He held the door for Juliane with a thoughtful look on his face. ?Aye, that I can dae. Dae ye prefer sommat o? th? chocolate, or fruit, or th? citrus ? or sommat else entirely??
Hudson leaned against the heavy door to the building which housed the L?ir Mothan and swung it closed. The small gift of thanks he had found for Juliane had been weighing heavily on his mind for several days, and today he had the time to deliver it. Intending to take out the boat for her first run on the open ocean in the morning, he wanted all debts to be cleared. Winding his way through the boatyard and toward the busy sidewalks, he absently turned the long narrow box over and over in one scarred hand.
A quick stop into a store along the way added a bagged bottle to her cargo. Feeling a tiny bit guilty of not purchasing a bottle from Jolyon, she pushed the thoughts from her mind. "He needs ta sell th' cases fer th' highest prices, yeah? Could ya really let him refuse ta let ya pay fer one, Halo? Nope, didn't think so."
Crossing the bridge from the south side of the bridge to the north, Hudson was frowning slightly, deep in thought. Still, that wasn?t enough to keep him from noticing the tall, slim figure with the shimmering gold hair as she weaved her way through the crowd from the north to the south. After a moment he stopped dead, staggered as a pedestrian behind him was caught unawares by the move, and then recovered his balance. ?Juliane Smith, be that ye??
Pulling up short, she turned and caught sight of a plaid-clothed figure and couldn't help but grin. "Well, I was th' last I checked, yeah?" A large cart trundled past before she ventured to cross to his side of the bridge. "And if it ain't the very person I'm a going ta see. Afternoon, Hudson."
?Latha math, Juliane. Ye come in search o? me? Well, there be a twist o? th? fates, for that I had been seeking ye.? Sun-lined creases showed at the corners of his eyes as Hudson smiled briefly. ?And since we ha?e each found th? other, where would ye care tae head? For I think we block th? traffic, standing here.?
The observation was more than obvious. Native Rhy'dinians were not graced with the builds of the Scot nor the height of Juliane. Shoved roughly another step closer to him, she chuckled, her head shaking in agreement. "Yeah, an' th' sooner th' better, yeah?" Spying the proprietor of the Teas-n-Tomes placing a menu placard outside, she pointed in that direction. "Would ya care ta go there?"
?Sure and why nae? ?Tis a grand place and I always like tae visit.? Hudson caught her elbows as yet another shove had her staggering, and released her when her balance was regained. His low chuckle was barely audible in the crowd. He stepped around her to break the path through the masses of pedestrians, leaving a clear space just in his wake. ?Although I ha?e tae confess I usually stop by there in th? evenings, after work.?
Following gratefully in the path he cut through the crushing throng, she spoke up so as to be heard over the din of commerce. "Are ya sure ya don't want ta go somewhere else then? I've only been there th' once myself but if ya frequent it often, ya may be in the mood fer something different, yeah?"
Looking back over his shoulder, Hudson ricocheted off of a passing trader and apologized before he replied to Juliane. ?Nae, I gae there sae because I like th? place. It be peaceful there. And if ye?ve only been there th? once, then ye?ve nae had th? chance tae try more than one o? th? pastries there. I ha?e a mind for sweets at th? moment. If ye wish sommat more substantial we can stop in tae somewhere else, though??
"And since when did ya ever know a woman ta refuse a man encouragin' her ta have somethin' sweet, yeah?" A grin as they made it off the bridge and the crowd thinned considerably with the ability to careen in countless directions. "B'sides, I didn't even have a pastry th' time I was there. So it seems I'm at a deficit ta yer expertise." Able to walk beside him now, she did so comfortably. "Ya will have ta suggest somethin' tasty, yeah?"
The thinning of the crowd meant that they were able to arrive much faster at the shop, and Hudson pulled open the door to the tinkling of small bells hung over it. He held the door for Juliane with a thoughtful look on his face. ?Aye, that I can dae. Dae ye prefer sommat o? th? chocolate, or fruit, or th? citrus ? or sommat else entirely??