A Drink (open)

[Aleshanee]

It had been a couple of days since Winston showed up at her door, and things seemed to be going along nicely, much more comfortably then she thought it would be. The girl was rather surprised with the way things were starting to turn out. After their dinner the other night, he never did tell her what he found out, for he had crashed shortly after eating. She would dress herself in a pair of loose fitting blue jeans, though not loose enough nor worn in that sagging fashion, that annoyed her highly. For her upper torso she wore a black tank top with spaghetti straps. Black heels adorned her feet, most of the time she was wearing heels of some sort, for she didn't want to get out of habit.

Winston was still sleeping when she set out from the room, she would know as she passed the couch on her way out. Moving just on the pads of her heels which wasn't that easy to do, she managed to get out without to much noise. It was once she was out of the room with the door shut that she had to decide where she was going to go. She had heard that the place had a bar and perhaps to some it was way to early for someone to be searching out the bar, but heck it was five o'clock somewhere like the song said right?

So it was to the bar she would go, now that she was away from her room, she would begin to walk normally upon the heels, there was a bit of a strut to her walk. Once she made her way to the bar, she would look around the place, before sitting on a stool near the bar. If she was back home she would of just went behind the bar, and got herself her drink, but she was not so she would wait a little bit, and decide what she wanted to drink, before making any rash decisions.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

He was up before the sun was up. He did that a lot though and there were a lot of nights he was in bed before the sun went down because of it. It was the early morning hours he liked best because they were the ones with the most quiet.

He spent a lot of the real early hours at the gym, a lot of them running and other physical sh-t outside, and some in his room playing drums. Not a huge drum set least not here at the inn. Drum pads and some bongos he'd gotten overseas. Dirty hippy like he was he liked his bongos best. They calmed him down. He was always a fan of things that mellowed him out.

Right now though he was coming from outside. Sweaty as hell from a lot of running his plan was to head up and shower. But on his way through he thought about food. And a drink. Nothing like a cold beer with some eggs, bacon and toast. Except for six beers with some eggs bacon and toast. Maybe. He'd see how things rolled. So he took a turn to the bar.

Brow lifted when he saw someone else here already. "Early riser early drinker?" He said it with a half smirk. In his family that was the norm to be one of those. Which is why Tobias was here so early himself. He came to a stop next to the counter a couple seats down from her but he didn't sit yet. He gave the counter a knock because he didn't see a bell. It would be a royal suck if the bar was closed.

He gave her a second glance. "Sorry bout the stink. Sweating out bad memories, like my Uncle Teddy says." Blunt as usual. "How long have ya been here, sister? Any signs off life from back there yet?" He thumbed over his shoulder at the door to the kitchen. The -back there- that he was talking about.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

It was not often that the bar saw patrons in the early morning hours and that was the most probable reason as to why no one was quick to see to the two people who were currently sitting there. Sometimes one of Venis' employees came down - the ones who were working the bar at the time - to get breakfast plates from Armandeus and take them to their respective people throughout the Inn. That, in general, was the most activity the bar usually saw until the afternoon and it suited De'Ryanna just fine. She had been talking to Armandeus about this and that when the knock on the counter caught her ear.

Excusing herself she headed towards the kitchen door to see what the matter was and perhaps, if things were settled enough in the kitchen, she would be joined later. A light push of her hand was all that was needed to open the door so that she could step from the kitchen to the bar. Once she was through the door the very polite smile she wore nearly wavered when she saw the patrons. The lady she did not know, but Tobias was another story. True, they had only had one other prior encounter but the impression he left then was not the best and the one he was making now was even worst. It was one thing to have a dirty look about your person, but it was quiet another to have that smell attached to you. At times like these she thought her heightened senses a bother.

Taking her eyes from him she nodded at the lady and took up a position behind the bar. As usual she was put together well in a lavender colored roman style top with golden accents, and a matching gathered skirt that covered her feet. Once she was in place - perfectly centered between the two of them - she placed her hands on top of the counter and laced the fingers together loosely. "My name is De'Ryanna." That was for the lady's benefit. "What may I get the two of you this morning aside from giving Tobias directions to the nearest shower."

His room did have a shower, she was nearly certain of it. True she had removed all furniture, but he had linen for bathing.

[Aleshanee]

She had not really been paying attention to people that might be entering the bar. Instead she had been sitting rather quietly, for she did not wish to make noise and perhaps wake other patrons of the Inn. It wouldn't be the noise that alerted her to not being alone anymore, it was the distinct scent. Her nose would wrinkle a moment, before her head would turn towards the person entering. She would have a look upon her features that would not show that she smelt anything amiss at all.

It was the man’s first words, that had brought something of a smile to her. A shrug of shoulders as she let out a laugh, “Today I am…” Sense of time was all messed up, even when she was back home, parties that lasted for days, sleep coming in snatches, she was just starting to get used to sleeping every night instead of going out to socialize.

“That’s what that smell is?” Most people she knew would of never addressed such a thing, for they liked to think of good things only, and she wasn’t one to dwell upon it either. At the second question her head would give a gentle shake in the negative fashion. “Not to long….and...” She was in the middle of that answer when the lady did appear.

Shane not having met the lady, would look between the two of them. When De’Ryanna did speak, she would give a nod of her head. “Nice to meet ya. I’m Shane.” So she didn’t give our her full first name, she didn’t answer to it, and the only people that used that name were her parents, and usually when they were upset she hadn’t come to visit in a while. They didn’t seem to understand why she wouldn’t come and visit them nor did she understand why they couldn’t come out to her side of the tracks. Her lips quirked at the mention of giving the man directions, Tobias it seemed his name was, to the nearest shower. “Would it be to much of a bother for a strawberry margarita? If you don’t have those, perhaps just a glass of whiskey?” She wasn’t much of a picky drinker, she’d give pretty much anything a try.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

"Today you are?" Echoed back at her. His Boston accent was obvious. More lower class than it should sound. Which was the way he liked it. "Some kinda special occasion?" For Toby getting up in the morning was special occasion enough to drink.

As for the smell? "Sure thing. This stink s'probably bout ten miles worth a runnin coming out these pores." This wasn't his area so he didn't know for sure how far the route he'd taken actually was. As he said that he'd flash his charming Kennedy grin at De'ryanna. She had some perfect timing. He'd seen how she looked him over when he checked in. Which is probably why he was grinning at her now. And why her sweet little comment about the shower almost made him laugh.

He propped his arms up on the bar. Leaned towards De'ryanna some. Maybe so she could get a better whiff of him? "Sister, if by the time I get back here there's a huge omelet with every breakfast meat there is and a beer in the tallest glass ya got sitting here?" He tapped the counter to indicate where. "I'll shower up for you so clean that when I come back if ya pinched my cheek I'll squeak." Would that be clean enough for her? Not that he expected her to actually pinch him when he came back.

He leaned back. Giving De'Ryanna a wink to boot. "And if you're lucky maybe I'll even dress like I'm going to Sunday service." If Sammy where here she'd know what a deal that was. Toby getting outta his grungy threads was a sure as hell special occasion. But he could clean up real nice when he put his mind to it. He was a Kennedy after all it came with the territory.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

"For your sake, Tobias, I hope your words were not in jest." If he thought that she would not pinch his cheek then he was sorely mistaken. De'Ryanna would do more than that to make sure that he was presentable enough to receive his food.

Standing there she gave him a quick look over, eyes scanning from the top of his head, down as far as she could see of him from behind the bar and then back up to his eyes. "See if you can't do something about your hair as well." That was added in as an afterthought. If he were going to clean up it was only logical that the hair was included. Still, it was a small gamble since she remembered that his hair was some sort of 'style' but if was worth mentioning.

That examination over she turned her back to them for a moment to reach above her head to one of the cabinets. Since it was first thing in the morning, the bowl of fruit had yet to be set and she might as well give them something to eat while the orders were prepared. A simple, round wooden bowl, sanded and polished, was retrieved and set on the counter top.

"One strawberry margarita," repeating the orders while she bent down to retrieve the fruit basket from the shelf in the bar. "I assure you that it's made from fresh fruit, a tall order of beer, and an omelet of every breakfast meat we have." That they have, and not that there was. Hopefully he got that distinction for she was not about to have Armandeus scour the area collecting meats from various establishments in the city. That was simply ludicrous.

De'Ryanna filled the bowl with four apples, they sat in the bowl forming a square. In the middle of the apples she placed an orange and, at the junction of each apple, she placed an banana for a total of three. Then, to top it off, a collection of red grapes - still on their vines - circled the base of the orange. She was very meticulous in this task and she said nothing as she put the fruit in the bowl. Once done she put the feeder bowl back in its place behind the bar and looked between the two of them.

"Help yourself to some fruit. I will return with your orders."

That was all she said before she turned and headed to the kitchen.

[Aleshanee]

A nod of her head at his words, for that was what she said, wasn’t it. She wasn’t fully awake yet or she would of repeated that to him. Instead he would get said nod, along with his next question. Shoulders would lift in a shrug before answering. “I woke up this morning with a taste for strawberries.” And when one thought of strawberries who wouldn't think of drinks. It wasn’t a special occasion it was more of a whim, and she was used to doing what she felt like, when she felt like it. The girl did have sass and if she had been awake longer then the few moments it took her to get dressed and out of her rooms who knew what would come out.

Now she knew what caused the smell and in the future she would be sure not to stand down wind of the man if she could avoid it, just in case. There was nothing there that would require her to make a reply so she wouldn’t. Although she had heard about the amenities that the Inn did have so she would ask to either that wished to reply. “Does the Inn have a gym?” She really should be exploring the place more, but she hadn’t felt up to it, though she was sure that was about to change. She had found a plug that would work to charge her cell phone though she wasn’t sure if it would get any service, she had yet to attempt it.

Fruit, it was her own candy, least when she was in public lately. She was suppose to give up sweets though she was often caught snatching a snack or five. Her agent kept telling her she couldn’t continue to eat like a teenager and still compete with the teenagers because her body was aging. She knew the bowl wasn’t set out just for her, but still the same a “Thank you” would be uttered before fingers would dip and slip out a grape, which was popped into her mouth.

She would give a nod towards De’Ryanna as she repeated the orders and turned to get them started. Before she looked over at the man, to see if he ran off like a good little boy, or more into his reaction to De’Ryanna. But her gaze did not linger long. She would move her arms to place her elbows on the counter top, and setting her head in her hands, she let her mind start moving over the things that were currently plaguing her.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

His sake? He didn't touch that comment. Who knows who's sake was a stake when it came to his words about pinching. "Oh I don't need to see anyone to know the answer to that question, sister." He grinned. Left it up to De'Ryanna to figure out whether that meant he was or wasn't going to do something about his hair. Chances are probably not.

The other move he made. He did it when De'Ryanna's back was turned. Reaching deep into her nice fruit arrangement and digging out an apple from the bottom. After yanking it out the fruit on that side that whole half settled down. Leaving the arrangement looking like a sorry Leaning Tower of Pisa. He figured that would get De'Ryanna's goat. He was good at getting goats, came with the territory of having two siblings the same age. He smirked triumphantly at Shane. "Apple a day, right?" It would give him something to eat while he was showering.

"There is a gym." Said as he started backing away from the bar. Heading towards a shower. Had to keep up his end of the bargain right? He tossed up the apple and caught it. "Not a bad place. Friggin huge." See? He was taming his language some in front of the ladies.

He was gonna add that he'd be right back but it looked like Shane didn't want to be bothered. Toby was the type to respect that boundary. Since he hated when people twisted his arm when he didn't feel like getting it twisted. Though he couldn't help wondering if she was hung over. She had that kind of sour look to her. Maybe she was drinking to drink the hangover away. Something he'd done himself back when he got hangovers.

He turned and headed to his room to get washed up. Expecting breakfast when he got back. In the meantime at least he had an apple.

[Guest]

The previously mentioned employees for this particular day were Andrew and Shamus. Who were running late this morning. As for the reason for their tardiness, with a wedding, a Salon opening, birthday parties, and regular as well as extra duties, the men were getting stretched rather thin. But they were coping.

So would they tell De'Ryanna and Armandeus this when they got to the kitchen? Probably not. Though, De'Ryanna and Armandeus were more apt to be less mad than Manny about them being late. But excuses didn't really hold water with those two either. So the two employees just rushed to the bar to get to work.

"Good morning sir." Said to the leaving man who smelt rather pungent as he was leaving. Andrew had thought it best to speak to the man rather than breathe. Shamus had just held his breath. But as they neared the bar Shamus spoke first this time. "Good morning miss." To the lovely lady sitting at the bar.

As they rounded the bar to go to the kitchen they slowed their pace so they didn't run into anyone with the door. Slowly Andrew pushed the door open. "Good morning Ar, Miss Aybara." The men had never been given official permission to call her by anything less than that, so even after all this time it was still Miss Aybara.

Shamus was right behind Andrew as the two entered the kitchen. "Sorry we're late. We will deliver the breakfasts as fast as we can and come back down to help. Looks like it's an early day for some." Though, for the employees, the day had long begun.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

After making her comments to the pair at the bar, De'Ryanna turned and started back to the kitchen door. The polite smile stayed perfectly in tact on her face while that side of her was visible to them but as soon as she was looking at the door it vanished and was replaced with slight annoyance. Something Armandeus would see as she entered in. "The peace of our morning has been disturbed Armandeus, for there is a drink and a large food order at the bar."

Just then the door opened once more and she turned around to see Shamus and Andrew walking into the kitchen and making their apologies. As this was a large kitchen the normal morning deliveries were already set aside on the far counter. Not out for long, the plates were kept nice and hot. “Good morning. Your deliveries are over there,” she indicated the location with a wave of her hand. “We have the bar covered, thank you.”

"Such is the fate of running a kitchen." Armandeus chuckled at his joke from the far side of the kitchen. He was standing, head bent over the fountain that hung beside the back door. In his hand was a bright orange bottle, the contents he was shaking into the water. Looking up, he gave her a curious look. "What's wrong?"

He saw them as well and returned their welcome with a nod and a polite, “good morning,” before he returned waited to hear the answer to his question.

It was her guess that she would let him start on the food, and she would get about the drinks. Shamus and Andrew had their duty and she didn’t think anything else needed to be said to them. With that in mind she dusted off her hands and made her way to the sink to wash them, though she gave him genuine smile as she passed. "One of the Inn's newest patrons, a mister Tobias Kennedy," a haughtiness in her voice, a hint of scoffing. "The second time I've had the pleasure to see him. His up keeping needs work."

The way she had said the man's name, as well as the tone in her voice, left Armandeus fighting a grin. He could only imagine what this new patron looked like to make such an impression. Focusing on the fountain and the fish instead for a moment longer than was needed, he finally turned back around to face her, all hint of a grin gone. "I take it he is the one with the food order?"

When her hands were clean she took out ice cubes and a lime, setting them on the counter before she went for the liqueurs. "Yes, he would like a very large omlette with every type of breakfast meat that we have. But he is only to get it if he comes back in a clean and presentable state." She began to crush the ice. "So you may be making it only for it to be left uneaten. The man was joking when he said I could pinch his cheek. Unfortunately for him I didn't take it as a joke." Oh, Tobias will be getting the clean test.

After the night he had returned to her room covered in dirt Armandeus had a feeling of empathy towards this Tobias and the awaiting horrors of the clean test. The feeling was one short lived by the words 'every type of breakfast meat' and it earned De'Ryanna a long Elven stare. "Every kind? You must be joking. Do you know how many kinds we have?"

The clean test wasn't that bad. It was only worse for Armandeus because she held him in higher regard. If anyone asked her, De'Ryanna was quite pleased about checking out this person for dirt. She liked to examine things. "I believe that we have a lot. Even the rare dragons meat?" It was something that they did not pull out often due to the people that resided in the Inn. "He will make good for it, I assure you that and, if he doesn't meet my standard and cannot eat we will put your creation to good use." It wouldn't be wasted.

"There's a lot of that to which I blame no one. Have you tried it?" Rare or not, dragon meat was not a delicacy to an Elf. Mentally he was going through the list of meats they had in storage. It amounted to a rather large list, considering the Inn's varied patrons, and there were even many things upon it he could not pronounce. "You are sure he wishes to have every kind? That will be quite the bill." He knew it would not go to waste, for nothing in his kitchen ever did.

"We can cut down on the list by what would only go with breakfast." The Margarita was nearly done. The ice taken care of she was adding in the liquer and the fruit. "Though it says nothing about what certain people have for breakfast." Pausing she set her hands down upon the counter in thought. "We don't serve everything for breakfast, so he'll have to take the meats that we normally have for that time. Of course,” turning her head to look at him with a sly grin. "We will have to add the dragon meat."

Using only breakfast related foods cut Armandeus' mental list down by more than half, though he still didn't seem fully convinced on the idea. After nearly a year of preparing new dishes for others one would think he'd be used to strange requests, but it was rather the opposite. Besides, he had yet to find someone who wanted the same thing every day for breakfast. "Dragon meat for breakfast..." In a very un-elf like move he rolled his eyes at her as he went to the storage freezer, muttering in Elvish.

She may have given him a strange request, but she knew that he was capable of fulfilling the order. And, even though he couldn't see it, she smiled at him as he went to get the supplies. "Diola lle." She wasn't asking for too much... just a very large omelet. No doubt they would need more eggs for the afternoon. The thought caused her to pull out a cookie sheet. This would be placed over the stove. "I think this will serve as the pan. Should be big enough to cook the large omelet."

"Lle creoso." Only a moment or two passed before Ar was back from the freezer, his arms full of white paper wrapped pieces of meat, including a large package that read DRAGON MEAT across it. Sitting it all on the counter he went to get the eggs. "What else did he wish to include in it? We have an assortment of vegetables and cheeses as well."

The first drink was nearly done, all she had to do now was add a bit of the fruit mix and it would be done. And the salt around the glass, of course. Turning to the sound of the freezer closing she saw Armandeus returning with an armload of meat. "Truthfully, aside from meat, I doubt he cares what's in it so make it to your hearts content." Besides she was curious to see what he would put in such a thing as this order was turning out to be. "I set out the cookie sheet for you since it will be a rather large omelet. "

A rather large omelet indeed. Armandeus found it a bit hard to believe that one man would be able to eat such a thing, but stranger things had happened. "For an omelet this large are you sure something beyond the clean test will be preformed?" Returning to the counter with the eggs he sat them aside and began preparing the meat.

What he said confused her slightly. Now, this was one of the few people whom she would show confusion to for Armandeus has seen her at her worst moments. The confusion now came in the form of all ceased movement save for the wide eyed expression on her face and a tip of the head. "Something... beyond?" He wasn't hinting at other things...was he? She would go for something else. " It is going to go on his bill. He'll pay a pretty penny that’s to be sure and whatever do you mean?" The last few words nearly ran all together.

What he had said made sense to him, though her look of confusion caused him to pause in what he was doing. "I was thinking we could make him do the dishes for all the extra trouble. I think it would be fair considering, is it not?"

"Oh. Oh. Oh." That tossed her a different way and she let out a slow breath. Dishes... yes dishes. What else could he have meant? She cleared her throat and shook her head only once. "Sounds fair." Tall glasses. She would get a pitcher to put the beer in . "He can wash the dishes and wipe down the bar. You can supervise him, of course. "

With that, she would while Armandeus cut up the meats and prepared the omelet.

[Aleshanee]

It wasn't that Shane did not wish to be bothered if she truly wished to be left completely alone she would of never made her way to the bar. One with half a brain would know that there was a good chance if one was in the bar that they would have company of sort. She was not a morning person, not at all, usually the only way she got out of bed before noon was for a fat paycheck. The fact that the girl couldn't sleep, with the thoughts tumbling around in her head, had effected her a bit. She was not trying to be anti-social, that was not her goal, just lot's of things on the girls mind.

It would be when the man left, that she would notice that she had dazed herself out, those thoughts could be dangerous. So when the new voice's spoke, she would snap out of her thoughts. A smile would tug itself up a bit as she looked to the one that spoke to her, "Good morning." And then they were gone and fingers would be dipping into the fruit bowl again, snatching a grape for her to pop into her mouth. Though she was starting to get a inkling for chocolate covered raspberry's, perhaps she would have to stop by that bakery and see what they had or if they could do that for her.

She would take in the silence, as she debated what to do with Winston. She knew she couldn't keep him on her couch indefinitely, but she was not sure if she wanted him any where else. Right now, she was calling the shots, but if she took him back she knew that things would change. She also knew that they were going to have to face the what is going to happen eventually. But she hoped that they could just be friends for a while before she had to figure out what she wanted, and really so he could revaluate what he wanted as well. She knew what he would say, but she wondered if he just wanted her for her connections, and because of the way his friends and those in his business world opened up to her. A small shake of her head, she wasn't going to think about this right now.

Instead she would look around the bar, as she awaited on the strawberry concoction and for the clean test that De'Ryanna had said she was going to perform on the man. The thought of the interaction between the two of them, would bring a little smirky smile upon her lips, for she had a feeling that things might just get interesting here. And if not, it wouldn't hurt her to socialize would it?

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

Didn't take Toby long. Fifteen minutes give or take. When he walked back in ready to claim his breakfast it'd be obvious his shower was hot. Because his skin was still red from it. Hell he might still've had some steam coming off of him. He'd turned the hot water up hot as it could go. Figured if De'Ryanna wanted clean he'd give her steam clean. A temperature that would burn most people. So how come he wasn't burnt? He had his ways. A golden touch, you could say.

He didn't do anything to his hair. Still twisted in dredlocks he wasn't about to let those go just for some omlette. He just made them neat and other than that he cleaned up well. It was part of being a Kennedy. Polo and khakis, loafers no socks. Not a wrinkle anywhere. Clean shaven, cologned. Especially because look at that, all of his tattoos were out of sight. That didn't happen often these days not when the weather was warm. He'd even covered the one on his left forearm. All this work he felt like he was headed to some political event.

If it wasn't for two things he'd be right out of a country club brochure. His hair, sure. But also the gloves he was wearing. Thin black gloves in a tight sleek material with the very tips of each finger cut off. He always wore gloves of some kind if he knew he was gonna be around people. Helped him watch what touched him and keep the absorbing to a minimum. De'ryanna wouldn't know it but he'd put on his "fancy gloves" for her. So he was top clean he could be.

Hand raised to Shane as he came back in. He was glad to see the place hadn't crowded up while he was gone. He wasn't a fan of crowds. "Hope you didn't get lost while I was gone." He said to Shane with a smug grin. Her head wasn't in her hands anymore that was a good sign. Then he turned towards the kitchen to call out. "Rub a dub dub, boy's come back from his scrub for his grub!" See. He had a sense of humor when he was feeling alright. Sitting down he knocked the bar counter just like he did when he got De'Ryanna's attention in the first place.

Until they answered in the back he'd ask Shane something. "Aren't you going to eat?" He was toning down the wrong side of the tracks Boston accent. To sound like the part of Boston he was actually from. De'Ryanna better appreciate all this efforts. But just because he had to he switched two pieces of her fruit sculpture around while he waited.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

Making the cookie-sheet sized omelet did not take very long once Armandeus had started on it and it was for De'Ryanna to wait until it was done. By the look of it she was going to produce quite the balancing act in order to hold a tray with the drinks as well as the food, but it was something she would think about when it was time to preform the act. She could, in honesty, use a bit of the Source to secure the objects so that no matter what she did they wouldn't fall off. But that would mean opening her senses more so than they already were and, if Tobias had not made good for his clean test she would only get irritated.

When the food was done Armandeus helped her stabilize it on the tray she held in her right hand. She was steadier with that hand and therefore the heavier item went there. The drink tray in the other. While she could have opened the door for herself - would have taken a bit of mastery in balance to prop the door open with her foot - she had help in that area and the door was held open for her and she skillfully made her way out. She had to turn to the side to get through the door, both arms held at 90 degree angles. The omelet rested on a dull silver tray and measured 20 inches in length and had an average height of 6 inches. Very plump, and very full - as was expected with all the meat and vegetables wrapped inside - this delicacy easily weighted 20 pounds and it appeared that she carried it with ease. Sometimes her fathers gift came in handy.

"Your orders." She even managed a smile, even if it was just as civil as before she left them. Walking smoothly she returned back behind the bar, in almost the exact middle, and bent at the knees. Turning she lowered her left arm first and set the tip of the drink tray down before her hand slid out from the bottom and the tray was on the bar. This left her hand - now free - able to asst in taking down the food and placing it on the side closest to Tobias. After it was done she shot the man solid look. His food was there but he best not touch it until he was checked if he wanted to remain in one piece.

The look was gone moments after it was given as the smile took it's place. A quick shake of her hands and she took the margarita off the tray first. "One strawberry margarita for you, enjoy." The fresh strawberries were easy to smell, especially with the frosted glass. The drink could have come out of a picture because it looked perfect. There were even four slices of a strawberry on top of the drink in a cross pattern.

"As for you, Tobias," he had her attention again and she stood there examining his face before she quickly pulled her eyes away and down to the rest of what he wore. "It appears that you are not allergic to soap after all. I believe you owe me your cheek." She said the last as she headed down the bar and rounded the side. Surely he did not expect her to lean over the bar in order to get to his cheek. De'Ryanna would not lean over a bar. In the time it took for her to walk around the bar she brushed her hands over the cream colored apron that covered her skirt. "Don't worry about my hands - they are clean." And they were.

De'Ryanna stopped half an arms length besides him, he may have been a little taller than she as her height was only 5'4 and no, she was not wearing heels. He did clean up well, she could even still smell the heat of the shower he had taken, or was it the color of his skin. Not that she was paying it much attention. "Stand up straight now, don't slouch." And look at that, unless he stopped her she had a full mind to dust his shirt at the shoulders and brush down his front. She had a soft touch, it wasn't gruff or hard as her fingers moved about his shirt, though they did move in a calculated manner. It was true that he was wrinkle free, but she did it anyway, not making eye contact at all, but following her hands. The shirt sat on him well and even though his hair wasn't washed, he had made them tidy so it would suffice. After she was done with the shirt she'd leave the pants alone and remove her hands. A step to the side, followed by another, she made a semi circle around him to check out the back before she moved back to his front.

Stall tactics, that's what it was. She acted cool and collected - that's how she was trained to be - but inside she was full of nerves. There were very few people that she touched - in fact she could count them on one hand. Establishing that connection through a flesh touch was something she avoided. Not being able to back out now her hand pressed upon his cheek. As it trailed down her fingers drew together and lifted until her thumb and forefinger were the only ones left and his cheek was pinched. A quick puff of breath and her hand was removed and she took a step back.

"You may eat." Was all she said as she clamped her jaw shut and made to go back behind the bar. There was a tampered bowl of fruit that needed rearranging.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

Food done so fast there wasn't even time for small talk. He liked that kind of service. It was the kind he was used to. Though he wouldn't come out and say that most of the time. He could spend a year on a desert island with nothing but coconuts and no hammer and the Kennedy in him wouldn't wear off. The breeding must be in the blood. With the other talents he had.

"There's the hot stuff!" He said that after De'ryanna shot him that look. Needling her. Because was he talking about her or the omelet? There was where the needle was. In the ambiguity. One thing was sure he didn't have a problem with the size. With all the running he was goddamn starving.

"Whether or not they're clean isn't the problem." He thought that was a candid answer but unless you knew the right thing about him it probably wouldn't make much sense. He stayed put while she rounded the bar and when she started brushing his polo. She might see or feel him tense up but it was nothing critical. Skin to fabric, nothing would come of that kind of touch.

It was when she made the slouching comment that he grinned. "Sister I don't stand at attention unless it's for something worth my while." Crude, right? He'd must have taken a liking to her. Because he was doing some serious grade school braid pulling with his comments. Just to see what they'd make her do. Maybe part of it was even to see if he could get out of the cheek pinching. Couldn't hurt to try. It wouldn't be a hand to hand touch which was the one he couldn't control at all but still. Sometimes with any skin to skin stuff rubbed off on him. And he that what was just temporary for him......well sh-t had consequences. He'd learned that the hard way.

When she circled him he was all ready to say the old 'if you take a picture' bit but before he could she touched. When her skin was against his skin he went still as stone. The whole time. Was even holding his breath didn't want to move at all just in case. When you were a guy that could absorb the properties of things and people for a short time and not always voluntarily you'd stay still as hell too. Especially around this place. Rhy'din. With all the creatures of the night and not to mention the day ones too he'd started wearing the gloves because who knew what he'd turn into. Even if it was always just temporarily.

When used right it was a damn convenient ability. But when things went wrong, they went seriously wrong. When De'ryanna took her hand away he didn't feel anything different. So he figured coast was clear. "Damn right I can." Did he sound relieved? Maybe. He sat down and took up his fork and knife. Time to cut into that bad boy. But not before glancing at the two women. "Am I the only one who eats around here? Or do you two just pick at seeds like birds?" Now he could eat.

[Aleshanee]

Fifteen minutes, that was not a very long time at all, especially when one was washing off. And this time when he reentered the bar, the smell wasn’t the same, which Shane was rather thankful for. Although the smell of a good work out, with some body types, was not so bad. Not that she was saying anything about that to anyone, or explaining anything to anyone either.

Shane was rather glad that the bar was still slow in the morning. She liked to drink in the mornings, but when a lot of people joined in and began drinking, there was usually one person that had to start something. And at the moment, she wasn’t so sure she would have been able to resist, the temptation to go back and forth might be to much.

When the man spoke to her she would turn her head to look over at him. She was the sort that usually looked at whom she was speaking to, at least in the beginning. “I am not usually a breakfast time person. Not that I have anything against breakfast food.” She was more into French toast at noon or dinner.

Then when De’Ryanna came back in, Shane was watching them both from under lowered lashes. She couldn’t help it, it was the interactions that she paid attention too. Then when he made his second comment after De’Ryanna said he could eat, she would speak once more. “And fruit is usually fine enough to much upon until lunch.” She looked between the two of them. “And I am not usually such a early riser.”

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

Keep your mouth shut and your focus on something solid, that was what the Sisters in the Tower told her to do when her mind was threatening to veer off in a direction other than the task at hand. There were too many things going on inside of her head right now and she was trying to get a reign in on all of them. It was taking visible effort for her not to start flexing her fingers or brushing her hands down her skirt to relieve some of the tension she was feeling. All of it just from that from one touch and what he had said.

It didn't help that he tensed at her touch. The slight change was noticed by her but she didn't say anything, nor did she stop her task. Perhaps he didn't like being touched either....

What was said in conversation from Tobias and Shane washed over De'Ryanna as she took her place behind the bar again, quiet and contemplative as she got a hold of the things in her mind. She was unresponsive until...“And fruit is usually fine enough to munch upon until lunch.” Shane's voice came through like a light in the darkness for she had said something that snapped her back to the here and now: fruit.

Before she went in to place the orders she had set out the fruit bowl and that was something she would be able to focus on now. "Fruit is enough to carry a person's body through until lunch, Shane. You are right." There was only a small hint of restraint in her voice as she sought to make it more casual without the business edge. "There's no need to eat for four..." Leaving the last to hang, her eyes diverting to Tobias for a momentary look before she took note of the fruit bowl.

It wasn't anything like the way she had left it. The missing grapes were not such much of a problem - she did tell them to eat the fruit - still, it was that a fruit had been picked purposely from the bottom of the bowl. She would put a wager against that fact. Though this was good as she finally had a reason to do something with her hands.

De'Ryanna pulled out an empty bowl, same size and shape as the one the fruit was currently in, as well as the stock pile fruit bowl. "Tobias is up early due to exercise, you said you are not a morning person, Shane, is it a consequence of today's work schedule that has you gracing the bar or is it a fault of conscious." She glanced up at the pair of them as she busied herself with filling the new bowl with fruit, making it a replica of how it was before someone stole the apple from the very bottom.

"As for you, Tobias, the chef as decreeded that for the extra work in stuffing your omelet you are to help wash the dishes as well as having your meal billed to your room." Then she added in after a pause. "I don't eat like a bird. I had my breakfast earlier."

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

When De'ryanna looked at him making that comment about not needing to eat so much Toby looked right back. Fork stopped hauling long enough to say. "Sure about that, De'ryanna? I mean I don't exactly got a spare tire do I?" His metabolism was pretty damn high. Because of his mutation. Took the body a lot of work to shift up its properties that's a lot of energy to burn through which meant a lot of food. So when he asked De'ryanna those two questions he looked smug about it. Like he was saying score one for him.

In case that wasn't bad enough he needled at her again. "I mean if you're not sure. Or you need a closer look. It's no skin off my back to take my shirt off and flex the pecs." A smart ass grin. And then he looked to Shane. "If you're not sure too. I'll be generous and equal opportunity about the offer."

Tobias went back to his food. He wasn't going to say anything else since De'ryanna was chatting up Shane but then she went and mentioned dishes. "What about the extra work it's taking -me- to stuff this omelette, sister?" Down his throat he meant. "Chef's not the only one working here." No yes or no about dish washing. Maybe the Kennedy was used to that kind of thing taking care of itself. Or maybe he was just giving her a hard time.

The one thing he didn't say was that he wasn't up early to exercise. He was up for another reason. Which exercise seemed a good way to work out. But that wasn't the sort of stuff Toby offered up as small talk. He went with a final jibe instead. "Not afraid to pack food in then? Sounds like a pie eating contest." He'd love to see De'ryanna getting all messed up probably just as much as she'd been interested in seeing him cleaned up. He was being polite suggesting a pie eating contest rather than mud wrestling or something.

"Just pick a date and I'll bring my bib." He picked up his beer chugging without coming up for air. He'd need a refill by the time he put the glass down.

[Aleshanee]

Lips would curve into a grin, when she heard De’Ryanna agree with her comment about fruit. One might not be able to tell by looking at Shane herself, but she could pack away food with the best of them. Most of the other ladies that were in her profession hated Shane for the fact that she had such a high metabolism. Everyone said that it would change the older she got, it seemed every year someone tried to curse her with that, thankfully for Shane and her appetite that had not happened. She even joked with people that were close to her, about having a tape worm, she named him George. Not that she really did have a tape worm, at least not that she knew of, nor that any doctor could find. Though we weren’t going to follow that path anymore.

She was still paying attention to the two in the bar with her, but she wasn’t fully aware of all the go betweens with them, or all of the under currents, though she thought she did feel something between them, yet she couldn’t quite place her finger upon it just yet.

But she did hear the question, and head would turn towards Tobias, whom she had heard the name from De’Ryanna, though she hadn’t quite introduced herself either. So she figured to remedy that, as she turned towards him in her chair, her manners might seem to be a bit lacking at the moment, for her hand did not lift, though her left hand did curl around the margarita glass. “Perhaps on our second meeting….I’m Shane by the way.” A small grin, for once she wasn’t trying to imply anything, more just playing.

She would move her right hand up and grasp one of the fresh strawberries from her drink, and pluck it into her mouth before, lifting the glass and taking a drink. Setting the drink down she would turn to De’Ryanna, “Thank you, this is the best I have had.” Yes, she could tell that from her drink she had taken.

She would then wait until De’Ryanna did get the fruit bowl organized, before eying it, debating what she was going to eat out of the fruit bowl. She was going to try not to ruin the bowl like Tobias had, she was more about eating it from the top to the bottom. And no hands digging on and touching all the other fruit that wasn’t going into one’s mouth. You never knew where someone’s hands had been.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

It didn't seem that Shane, as the lady had called herself, was going to answer the question on what had her up at this hour and that did not bother De'Ryanna one way or the other. Some people preferred to keep their business to themselves and maybe she was one of them. However, she was here, down at the bar and engaging in conversation so she at least had a small social habit about her.

De'Ryanna watched this and took it all into account as she listened to Tobias and internally began to fume at what he said. One thing in particular, fortunately for her Shane had begun the game of introductions and it would allow her the ability to voice what was prickling her skin and introduce herself at the same time.

"Well met Shane. I am De'Ryanna." Brown eyes turning to bore into Tobias even though her brows only narrowed a fraction of an inch. "We have been introduced before but perhaps you're incapable of remembering my name. It's De'Ryanna, not sister." Not in the way he used that word anyway. She wasn't much of a fan of nicknames or the casual relaxed tags given to people when they hardly knew the other. She never understood how people could be so relaxed and open with a person on an initial greeting.

"We don't know each other well enough for you to address me so casually." Her last remark to him before she pushed the bowl of fruit towards Shane. She had been eying it and therefore De'Ryanna thought that she would help her decide to actually eat instead of merely thinking about it.

"Would you care for another drink when you are done, Shane? I pride myself on the quality of the things I prepare, making sure they are fresh and pleasing to the eye and tongue. Or maybe since Tobias here states he's working hard to eat his food you can help him finish it. Wouldn't want him to blame me for any extra baggage he collects."

That was the only reference she was going to make about him stripping off his shirt and she was refusing to dwell on it further. Another thing she wasn't going to mention was the pie contest because if Tobias liked pie it would do nothing to help alleviate the tension in her stomach.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

The main event right now for him was eating. By the time De'ryanna was correcting him about her name the omlette was halfway polished off. And his glass was empty. And his fork was back to its heavy lifting. But he stopped eating again though to look at her.

Gave her a totally dumbfounded look, too. "We don't?" Sounded like a shock to him. He put his fork down so he could sit back in his seat and take a thinker's post. "Really?" Even more dumbfounded. Like she'd just asked him how to split the atom. "Huh." Face screwed up in thought he finally heaved a sigh and sat back up. Saying with sadness, "Well I have no choice but to call you 'Yo' then."

He gave De'Ryanna a helpless shrug and turned to Shane. "Shane? That's a nice name. Reminds me of a book I read back in seventh grade or so, title character was named Shane. I'm Tobias Kennedy, Shane, it's nice to meet you. Shane likes Strawberries, that's how I'll remember it, a little mnemonic device for your name." He'd called her by her proper name four times to set up for what he was about to say to De'Ryanna.

Looking the prim girl right in the face he slid his empty glass forward. "Yo, can I get another beer? I'd really appreciate it." Talk about braid pulling.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

The amount of curses running through her head was surely inappropriate for someone her age and station. If her Father were around and she gave voice to the string of words in her head, he would have surely had something to say about it. Her mother? She might have found the entire situation comical to some degree. Tobias certainly found something funny in all of this with his obvious smug comments and purposeful jabs. The shame of the matter is that she knew he was trying to goad her for a reaction. She knew that he was being a pompous miscreant all for the sake of seeing what she would do and it was causing her blood to boil.

She was in need of anger management, or at least finding a place of calm.

At this point Shane could have him and his company, when he set to call her 'Yo' she was through. She placed her hands squarely down upon the counter, her head slightly down. He could remember Shane's name, had no trouble saying it at all. The anger was there, right below the surface. His glass was pushed forward and she reached out to take it, action more clam than she expected it to be. As well as her voice. "Excuse me for a moment please, Shane."

She took the mug to the kitchen - she could have refilled it out at the bar but she needed to step away - and refilled it. When she came back the mug was full and she took it to the smug hippie, cold dead-set eyes on him as she approached. There was a smile as she set his mug down and a small sigh. She untied her apron, folded it and set it on the counter next to his mug. Then she stepped to his side, eyes traveled down his body then back to his eyes. That knot in her stomach was growing tighter but she tried to ignore it. De'Ryanna lowered her voice to speak to him, directing the words straight to his ear.

"I will await the day you say my name, Tobias, for then it would have been well worth it."

She stepped back and looked to Shane. "Enjoy the rest of your time at the bar. You may leave your things there when you are done and if you need anything else, Armandeus will take care of you."

The anger was still there and she was barely holding on to it. Then, without another word or a look to Tobias, De'Ryanna headed away from the bar.

[Aleshanee]

It wasn't that Shane was ignoring the question, it was the fact that she didn't even hear it. She had dazed off a moment, it was something she did on occasion, and it did not mean anything about the company. She was a private person about some things, but most she was like a open book. With her career it was hard to keep anything private, and the few high profile relationships, made it even harder.

Shane knew the proper etiquettes of such things as introducing ones self, and other polite things. She just didn't know if those things that had been drilled into her, were still the same here. And her mind had indeed mulled the very fact before she had thrown it out there. When De'Ryanna spoke again, a smile would tug her lips upwards, as she spoke, "It's nice to meet you, De'Ryanna." Shane wasn't going to shrink the name of De'Ryanna, she didn't know her well enough, and she was the sort to call one how they were introduced...which could be bad, for if someone gave a wrong name they were normally known to Shane that way for a long time.

A shake of her head, as she looked to De'Ryanna, "As pleasurable as this drink is to my senses, I dare say I better only have this one." She did not wish to be completely drunk before noon, it was bad for the complexion. She wasn't big on make-up so she had to take care of her skin the best she could. One could argue the fact that alcohol is bad at all times, but we won't go there. Lifting the glass she took another drink.

She was watching the interaction between the two, and she was trying to follow how he came to the conclusion he had to call De'Ryanna Yo. Her mind wasn't following it, and before she could attempt to catch on, besides the fact he was needling De'Ryanna, she would offer him a smile when Tobias turned his attention to her. "Thank you." Of saying it was a nice name, she then was going to ask him if Shane was a male or female in the book but she had a feeling he was going to say something to De'Ryanna and when he did, she blinked. She had a feeling that wasn't going to be a good thing.

One would have to be dumb, blind and stupid not to be able to tell that he had set De'Ryanna off. So when she spoke to Shane she would get a nod, and acknowledgement. "Of course." When she returned to the bar, Shane was facing forward once more, looking at the fruit bowl, before snatching out another grape. So she was not listening until it was appropriate for her to do so. "Thank you! I do appreciate it. Hopefully our next meeting goes better." A small glance towards Tobias, for she knew he needled her on purpose, but she wasn't going to interfere in that matter.

As De'Ryanna did leave the bar, she looked over at Tobias, thinking about nudging him, but something had her rethinking that, "Look what you did!" Sort of like a little kid blaming him for De'Ryanna leaving them.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

De'ryanna reminded him some of Dex. Dex was the oldest of the triplets so TJ had that kind of loyalty to him. But Dex was -on- all the time. About the cause about humans about whatever. 99 percent of the time whenever he and Dex saw each other it ended in a fight with Sammy trying to break it up. Considering they were all mutants those were some interesting fights.

Toby didn't want this to turn into that though. Still he couldn't help but answer Shane's comment with something smartassed. Because he -was- annoyed. People making a whole lot of something out of nothing always peeved him. "What? Objective Complete. No dishes." As he pushed his chair back he added to Shane. "She started on me about how I looked and how much I'm eating and didn't ask me why I call people sister and brother before acting all high and mighty princess and it's look what -I- did?" This seriously was like his fights with Dex with Sammy screaming at him about how he should know better even when he didn't start a damn thing.

Now that he was standing he didn't know which way to go with this. Could go after her. Could leave. He knew if he went after her she was going to expect an apology and he was going to have a hard time giving it. Maybe it was best he left. Same old drill. Things going sour and him always leaving. Thank god Sammy wasn't here watching this. "F-cking Christ." Said under his breath. "Scuse me a minute." Said to Shane.

He went after her. Not before slipping his hand into one of the small pouches on his belt. He was no idiot. He was about to touch iron but thought twice about. If she hit him and struck iron she'd only get madder. He reached into the putty pouch instead. His body wouldn't be soft as a pillow but her hand would sink into him and that would absorb some of the impact on both sides.

No matter where she went he was hot on her heels. He didn't care if he was in the kitchen or the ladies room or what. "Alright Miss De'Ryanna Wellworthit. Tell me something. Why does the whole world have to march to the beat of your drum or else?"

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

If De'Ryanna had gone to the kitchen and Tobias walked in there after her he would have found the nearest pot or pan making contact with his head. If it had been the bathroom it may have been the seat of the toilet - having above average strength came in handy sometimes. Fortunately for the both of them she was headed to neither of those two places but rather to the front door as it was the closest and quickest direct route she could think of that would get her away from him and afford her the opportunity to walk.

She wasn't listening to what the two of them said for she had made up her mind not to spend another fraction of a second thinking about that man. A hard shurg of her shoulders and she was just at the front desk when she heard her name being called. Sharp turn around and she saw it was him, that thin chain around her waist starting to burn even more and she flexed her fingers at her side. That calm composure she had demonstrated just moments was slowly slipping away by the second. He said her name, but it wasn't in the context she wanted. How she wanted to hear it would be a story for another time.

The end of his words were met with the quick strike of her hand against his face, but something was different about it. The touch did not feel like it should, not that she has smacked many people before but she knew how it was suppose to sound and feel against that of a normal person. Besides, she had felt his cheek earlier and it was normal. But her mind was too busy racing right now with the bundling anger that the effects of the hit were put at the end of the list, for her to think about later. "That's for insulting me by disregarding my name." She said as her hand came down to rest at her sides. At the moment she was close to him, about as close as she had been when she stood at his side at the bar. The tone of her words had not changed.

"And for your cheeky comments at the bar. I admit that I tossed out my fair share of cutting remarks but at least I had respect enough call you proper. Just because you're on the other side of the bar doesn't give you the right to be crass and forget how to say the simple words of 'please' and 'thank you'." That was another thing that tended to get under her skin. People wanted things from her because of her position and because of that they often forgot to tag on those two words when asking and receiving.

As she took that breathier the strange thing about his cheek pushed its way to the surface and she looked at her hand and rubbed the fingers together. She knew what it was now. "You're putty in my hand."

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

Sure enough she hit him. That was the good thing about two siblings like Sam and Dex. Thanks to them Toby was pretty good about knowing when he'd likely get hit. When she made contact she left an imprint on his cheek the shape of where her hand had smacked. His head had jerked to the side but barely. He felt the slap but not like he normally would. The imprint would stay there until the absorption wore off. Or until his smoothed his face out.

Right now his attention wasn't on his face. It was on her. Insulting, huh? Because hitting someone wasn't an insult. He was smart enough not to say that to her though. He'd pissed Sam off enough times to know you just let girls rant until they're done ranting.

When she said that about putty it make him smirk. "That's right. You going to say it's insulting that I just didn't let you sock me without taking precautions? Just be happy I didn't touch a piece of iron before coming out here yeah?" He reached up and smoothed out his face some. Wasn't perfect but it'd do until it wore off.

"Listen. If I was looking to be insulting and crass I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of taking a damn shower and dressing like it's the Lord's Day for you, alright? Check in with my sister. I don't clean up for anyone but our family and that's a story in itself. So let's just sit back and realize we're from different places and what's proper to me might not be proper to you and vice versa. Because where I'm coming from people mean more than just how they look and what their name is and to call each other brother and sister's to say we're all connected to the same...universe." Easier just to say universe. His explanation was his time in India showing.

"So. De'ryanna. Thank you for serving me and please don't leave here on my account." He used those polite words she wanted from him and her name pointedly. To prove his breeding maybe. But then he gave her a little smirk. "But just so you know dressing up for you was a one time offer. So if you turn your nose up at how I'm looking next time I see you does that mean it's your turn to get slapped?"

Speaking of slap his cheek was back to normal. He could have held on to the absorption longer if he focused on it. He just didn't want to.

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