I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same.
?Changes? David Bowie
David was at the Red Dragon, which was more than he had wanted. There seemed to be a laundry list of reasons why he shouldn't be doing this anymore. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he'd taken the time to come down here tonight. He wasn't planning to go in, and he wasn't wearing his uniform, either. He walked up the stairs to the porch, glanced in the window, then just sat down on the swing, watching the street.
Riley soon made her way to the Inn and paused on the cobbles in front of the porch steps, looking up at Lo-Mein with a faint frown of confusion on her face. "Uh," she said slowly. "Aren't you a little under-dressed?" she asked. Not that she minded seeing him wearing a shirt that showed off those lovely, strong, toned arms, but it wasn't what she had expected to see him in at this hour, in this place.
He watched her walk towards the porch, and nodded when she spoke. "Yeah, guess I am," he replied. "Wanted to talk to you about that."
She sighed unhappily and trudged up the porch to sit down on the swing next to him. "You're quitting," she said. It wasn't a question.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so," he said very softly. "Been thinking a lot about it."
She angled to face him, her eyes narrowed a tiny bit. "Is it because I left?"
He glanced around. Even though the porch was empty aside from them, he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it here. There always seemed to be ears around, no matter how private you thought you were. "In part," he said.
She cocked her head to the side, studying him quietly. "Tell me," she said and reached to take his hand, twining her fingers with his.
He squeezed her hand softly, glad for the contact. "You already know part of it. The attitudes."
She nodded. "Yeah. I kinda know how missionaries feel now." She gave him a little grin.
He snorted. "Good analogy."
"So...what will you do now?" If his sense of smell had been anything like hers, he would have gotten a big nose full of nervousness, fear, and trepidation.
He shrugged a bit. "You gave me one option, already...if you're planning to continue with it." He paused, looked around again. "If that doesn't happen, I could teach baguazhang."
"You're staying then. Here. In Rhy'Din." The look he was gave her was more than just a 'duh'. It was more on the order of 'Did you really just ask that ridiculous question?' She frowned at him. "What? It's a legitimate question." She slid a little distance away from him and let go of his hand to cross her arms defensively over her chest.
He shook his head. "You're stuck with me, woman."
She heaved a sigh of relief and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. "I'm glad," she said quietly and probably unnecessarily.
He slid his arms around her waist and hugged back fiercely. "Me too," he whispered.
She sat back with a sigh, taking his hand once more. "So...I've been thinking about my little business proposition."
He raised a brow fractionally, leaning back against the swing. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna start it out small, I think. Protection, testing security set-ups, advising about the same. Only...I don't really know a lot of about that kind of thing. So...I'll need you. Full partnership sound nice?"
That quicksilver grin flashed across his lips. "You need me. I like the sound of that."
She arched a brow and slowly shook her head. "Yeah. I need you. Professionally." She turned her head a fraction to hide the smirk that bloomed.
He clutched his heart in mock agony. "I'm crushed."
She chuckled softly and turned back to face him. "Does that sound okay then?"
"Sounds good to me," he answered.
She smiled and shifted slightly on the swing, getting comfortable. ?Do you want to rent the studios? For your bah-whatever? I mean, to teach others."
"Don't know yet. Depends on how busy this other business gets. Might not have the time."
"You'll have time. At least at first. Who knows further down the road?"
"Well. Honestly, I haven't taught in a long time. I'd like to just focus on you for a while." That could be taken in more than one way, obviously, but he didn't bother elaborating.
She blinked and a ghost of panic slipped through her eyes. "Me?" she squeaked.
"You," he confirmed, raising a brow a bit. "What's that look for?"
She slid forward on the swing, gripping the edge of the seat, feet flat on the floor, in preparation for getting up. She glanced sidelong at David. "Thirsty?" she asked, as if she had no idea he was actually wanting an answer to what she had assumed was a rhetorical question.
He shook his head. "Come on. What was that look of panic for?"
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same.
?Changes? David Bowie
David was at the Red Dragon, which was more than he had wanted. There seemed to be a laundry list of reasons why he shouldn't be doing this anymore. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he'd taken the time to come down here tonight. He wasn't planning to go in, and he wasn't wearing his uniform, either. He walked up the stairs to the porch, glanced in the window, then just sat down on the swing, watching the street.
Riley soon made her way to the Inn and paused on the cobbles in front of the porch steps, looking up at Lo-Mein with a faint frown of confusion on her face. "Uh," she said slowly. "Aren't you a little under-dressed?" she asked. Not that she minded seeing him wearing a shirt that showed off those lovely, strong, toned arms, but it wasn't what she had expected to see him in at this hour, in this place.
He watched her walk towards the porch, and nodded when she spoke. "Yeah, guess I am," he replied. "Wanted to talk to you about that."
She sighed unhappily and trudged up the porch to sit down on the swing next to him. "You're quitting," she said. It wasn't a question.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think so," he said very softly. "Been thinking a lot about it."
She angled to face him, her eyes narrowed a tiny bit. "Is it because I left?"
He glanced around. Even though the porch was empty aside from them, he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it here. There always seemed to be ears around, no matter how private you thought you were. "In part," he said.
She cocked her head to the side, studying him quietly. "Tell me," she said and reached to take his hand, twining her fingers with his.
He squeezed her hand softly, glad for the contact. "You already know part of it. The attitudes."
She nodded. "Yeah. I kinda know how missionaries feel now." She gave him a little grin.
He snorted. "Good analogy."
"So...what will you do now?" If his sense of smell had been anything like hers, he would have gotten a big nose full of nervousness, fear, and trepidation.
He shrugged a bit. "You gave me one option, already...if you're planning to continue with it." He paused, looked around again. "If that doesn't happen, I could teach baguazhang."
"You're staying then. Here. In Rhy'Din." The look he was gave her was more than just a 'duh'. It was more on the order of 'Did you really just ask that ridiculous question?' She frowned at him. "What? It's a legitimate question." She slid a little distance away from him and let go of his hand to cross her arms defensively over her chest.
He shook his head. "You're stuck with me, woman."
She heaved a sigh of relief and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. "I'm glad," she said quietly and probably unnecessarily.
He slid his arms around her waist and hugged back fiercely. "Me too," he whispered.
She sat back with a sigh, taking his hand once more. "So...I've been thinking about my little business proposition."
He raised a brow fractionally, leaning back against the swing. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna start it out small, I think. Protection, testing security set-ups, advising about the same. Only...I don't really know a lot of about that kind of thing. So...I'll need you. Full partnership sound nice?"
That quicksilver grin flashed across his lips. "You need me. I like the sound of that."
She arched a brow and slowly shook her head. "Yeah. I need you. Professionally." She turned her head a fraction to hide the smirk that bloomed.
He clutched his heart in mock agony. "I'm crushed."
She chuckled softly and turned back to face him. "Does that sound okay then?"
"Sounds good to me," he answered.
She smiled and shifted slightly on the swing, getting comfortable. ?Do you want to rent the studios? For your bah-whatever? I mean, to teach others."
"Don't know yet. Depends on how busy this other business gets. Might not have the time."
"You'll have time. At least at first. Who knows further down the road?"
"Well. Honestly, I haven't taught in a long time. I'd like to just focus on you for a while." That could be taken in more than one way, obviously, but he didn't bother elaborating.
She blinked and a ghost of panic slipped through her eyes. "Me?" she squeaked.
"You," he confirmed, raising a brow a bit. "What's that look for?"
She slid forward on the swing, gripping the edge of the seat, feet flat on the floor, in preparation for getting up. She glanced sidelong at David. "Thirsty?" she asked, as if she had no idea he was actually wanting an answer to what she had assumed was a rhetorical question.
He shook his head. "Come on. What was that look of panic for?"