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 Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:08 am
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Lydas bellowed another hearty laugh and placed his hands on his hips as he straightened, "All comments are appreciated!" He looked to Niamh and with a hand to block his lips from Leukos he murmured not so quietly, "I like this one~ Do your best to keep him, eh?"
Niamh's face flushed as he shooed the cook, "Bring me some food, Lydas..." His comments surely weren't any help in this situation. Niamh took his glass as he averted his gaze out the window, "Don't mind him... He's... well, He's Lydas. And that'll never change." Laughing through his embarrassments, he turned his attention back to Leukos and let out a slow breath, "Alright, well then, aside from performing and beast taming, do you have any hobbies? What do you like doing in your downtime?"
Before much more could be said, another male in chefs clothes but with a white apron emerged from the kitchen with two small servings of soup and two snifters of a deep colored fluid that held a caramel amber color when held to sunlight, "A cream crustacean soup paired with an island cognac." the young man placed the items before them, then bowed and slunk back to the kitchen.
Finishing off his first drink, Niamh grinned, "This smells... So good." his stomach practically twisted in knots from the neglect it had suffered throughout the day. He was so wrapped up in the ******** of the day that he hadn't stopped for lunch. Raising the glass he swirled the contents, breathed the aroma and gave a small sip of the fluid, "Oooh~" he licked his lips, "It's strong... as compared to our last drink, but has sort of an earthy fruity front and a hint of caramel in the aftertaste." He was pleased with the choice of alcohol with their dish. The cream is rich which helps with the stronger alcohol, but the earthy tones will match the sweet, nutty flavor of the crustaceans in the soup. Struggling hard against making short work of his soup, Niamh waited for his guest to approve of the dish before helping himself.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 3:56 pm
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Leukos brought his fist up to his face to cover the amused smile that had sprung up there, glancing from Lydas to Niamh as he chuckled quietly. Oh, the poor thing! While the remark may have been embarrassing for Niamh, it was pleasantly entertaining and flattering to Leukos, who silently took the compliment, wiggling his fingers in a departing wave to Lydas as he strode back into the kitchen. Perhaps they’d gang up on the boy later for some good-natured teasing~
He gently coughed into his fist as Niamh’s attention settled back on him, his amused grin being replaced with polite interest. “Oh. Well, when I’m not practicing, I do spend quite a bit of time working out. But I suppose that’s just another form of training, so that doesn’t really count!” He laced his fingers together under his chin, resting his elbows on the table. “My hobbies… aren’t very exciting, just things like shopping if I can and playing instruments, or organizing my stuff. I’m sure it’d be much more interesting if you told me what you like to do~”
But it would appear he’d have to wait for a reply to that because food was coming out for them. Leukos thanked the man as it was placed in front of him, discretely swallowing down the saliva that had pooled in his mouth as the heavenly aroma wafted up to his greedy nose. Following the lead, he finished his drink, and then turned his attention to the soup, taking a spoonful into his mouth and humming appreciatively, “Mmm, this is wonderful. If everything else tastes as good as this, I don’t know why your friend was worried; I don’t see how anyone could not enjoy it!” He took a sip of the cognac, nodding his head in affirmation, “Even the liquor is delicious. This place is so nice…” He glanced down at the soup, then back up at his dining partner with a smile, brushing his foot along Niamh’s calf as he crossed his legs under the table, “…I don’t deserve to be treated to such luxury. It was so good of you to invite me…thank you.”
[9/10]
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 10:17 am
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Niamh's eyes flickered with delightful surprise at the delicate touch against his calf. His gaze softened as he too tested the soup and was pleased with how well the Cognac paired with the dish; just as he anticipated. "What can I say~ You looked like a man who could find a certain appreciation for the finer things in life~" he added while sliding his foot to rest alongside Leukos's.
Giving an amused smile he continued, "Your hobbies are surely more exciting than my own, I would relish the opportunity to watch you work out." Might even get a bit of a work out himself for how hard his heart was racing merely fantasizing about it. "Unfortunately, I spend a good portion of my time shuffling papers around, tracking shipments, making connections with various vendors all around Tendaji; through letters, of course. My father would likely fall over dead if I actually worked up the nerve to leave port." there was a bitter undertone to the way that last bit was spoken, he heard it himself.
Taking another sip of cognac he let out a deep breath, "It's moments like this that make it all worthwhile, though." Niamh gently nuzzled Leukos's foot and gave a soft smile, "When not consumed in a sea of paperwork I like to peruse the marketplace to see what sort of merchandise is peeking the interest of the public. Assuming I can stay on top of trends, our family runs a very lucrative trading company." He gave a soft laugh, "See, not nearly as interesting as beast charming in a traveling circus." after clearing his bowl, Niamh rested back into his chair with the remainder of the cognac and traced the rim of his glass with his finger, "So Instruments~" His mind ran with the thought of Leukos playing a flute... in more than one fashion, but he kept it well hidden behind a coy smile, "What do you play~"
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Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 4:49 pm
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As easily as a ship sliding into port, Niamh’s foot found its place next to Leukos’. His eyes flicked down: a futile motion to attempt ―the table blocked the view― but they went there anyways. Then they were back up again and with it came a grin that stretched his full lips, listening with more than just polite interest as Niamh went on. He took occasional spoonfuls of his soup all the while: it would be a shame to let it get cold. There was a dip in the lighthearted tone of his voice as he spoke of leaving that did not go unnoticed, Leukos frowning slightly; clearly there were unresolved hurt feelings in that department.
But just as soon he was moving on to topics that made him smile again, and Leukos was glad for it; he had a lovely smile, like a pretty little crescent moon.“Well, I am not familiar with the ins-and-outs of macro economics, but I am sure there are plenty of things that you handle every day that would make me freeze up in fear. I’ve never had a head for numbers! And playing the market is a dangerous game with many risks; I think you are more daring than you believe you are.” There was a natural lull in the conversation after that, both men turning their attention fully to the food in front of them, until both bowls were eventually drained.
And then there were just their drinks to finish, and more questions to answer. Leukos took another sip, twirling the contents of his glass, “Oh, I dabble in quite a few. I’m not a professional by any means, but I like to think I’m pretty good. I have an oud that’s made of just the loveliest white wood, a kamanche I got from an old friend, this lyre I found in a small town market for a steal, and a beautiful dark crwth…”
He blinked, laughing as he tapped his glass on the table, “It would appear I might have a propensity for collecting stringed instruments! But I guess I can’t help myself; I see a beautiful piece of art that’s just begging to be touched, and I have no choice, I need to have it…” He brought his eyes back up to his dining partner, scanning from his chest to his lips through his long lashes, pushing his foot further up along Niamh’s leg, “I adore playing lovely things until they sing for me…”
[10/10]
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 9:24 am
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Niamh listened intently as he went over the many presumably stringed instruments he owned and felt the Matoran was speaking a whole new language... He was truly out of his element with this topic and made a mental note to study up on the topic. Draining his drink he swallowed hard. Coughing slightly, he nervously laughed, "That.... I wasn't even aware they made such things." Feeling Leukos's foot tease the inside of his thigh, Niamh's face lit a soft fuschia as he rested back into his chair and gripped tight to the edge of the chair. His heart jumped into his throat and Niamh so desperately wished he knew even the slightest bit about these silly stringed instruments Leukos spoke of.
The young woman unnoticedly scurried in and scooped away the empty vessels in time for the younger chef to return with the second course of food. Clearing his throat he began, "This is an assortment thinly sliced seafood, presented on a bed of steamed grains and dried sea vegetation. This dish is paired with a fermented grain alcohol infused with island berries."
Niamh was startled as his attention snapped away from Leukos, to the server as he introduced the next course. In this moment he became painfully aware that all he wanted was to be somewhere alone with his dining partner. Realizing there were at least a couple more courses after this one, Niamh's trembling hand reached for the infused grain alcohol and he poured each of them a hearty serving in the small clay vessels provided. Resting the bottle back on the table, Niamh smiled politely, "It would seem they will be opening for business soon." His voice implied he had other things on his mind that he wasn't willing to share in the company of others, but he wasn't going to suggest leaving unless his partner was finished.
missmisnomer Even if Leukos agrees to leave after this course I plan on having Lydas burst from the kitchen and make them have one last course... Gotta bring the "Fish Sticks" into this somehow right... Why not use it to build... tension. X'D
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 1:28 pm
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Leukos’ grin was rather foxlike as he silently watched the stream of changing reactions Niamh was so kind to present for him. He’s adorable. Trying so hard right now… Leukos turned his attention to the server who came back out again, eyeing the plates of fresh food that were placed down for them with interest. “Thank you, that sounds delicious~” And then Niamh was pouring the drinks out for them, what a gentleman… even if the tremor in his hand was visibly apparent from across the table. He leaned forward to take the cup, nodding his head in thanks to his… delightfully eager partner.
“Indeed, it looks that way…” He brought the small cup up to his lips, tipping it back to drain the drink. “We won’t have the luxury of having the place all to ourselves for much longer.” Placing the cup back down, he pushed it across the table with a finger to rest by the bottle again, taking his time in pouring himself another drink as his foot nuzzled against Niamh’s thigh. They could leave now; he certainly seemed ready to get things under way. But…
Leukos placed the bottle down again and retreated with his cup, setting it beside his plate as he took up his fork. “Looks like we’ll just have to enjoy the rest of the courses with the ambiance of more company.” A corner of his lips edged up as he took a bite of the food, munching for a bit, and then swallowing. “This is such a nice, light dish; and look how thinly sliced everything is, such uniformity is impressive. All the flavors work together so well, and it’s so moist…” He cocked his head, raising an eyebrow as his foot ventured forward a tad bit more, and then retreated, pulled away to return to its former position along his date’s calf, stroking slowly. “What do you think, Niamh? Do you like how… moist… it is?”
Leukos really was an awful tease. But as tasty as he looked, Leu was hungrier in the literal sense, and feeling a bit selfish. He was excited to try all the other food. And Niamh would see; dessert always tastes the sweetest because you have to wait for it.
[11/20]
akuma_kessaku Nah, he isn't going anywhere; he's too hungry and having too much fun XD |
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 8:27 am
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Niamh placed a few pieces of the delicately sliced fish pieces on his plate and managed to pop one in his mouth; to be polite, of course. Of little surprise to him, he had lost his appetite and it would appear as though his dining partner is finding great amusement in tormenting the ever living daylight out of him; or it could be that he was hungry? The reasons were of little concern to him. Regardless, he would remain here until they finished their meal. Tipping back his drink, Niamh refilled his glass and snatched another piece of fish.
He tried to think of anything to pull his attention from… Other.Things. Counting grains of rice in his food seemed like a lovely way distract him, but just as the numbers began flowing, he felt Leukos’s foot brush his inner thigh. Biting his lower lip he found his eyes tracing the outline of Leu’s lips as he spoke, “M-Moist...” he breathed as his brow furrowed… just what was this man trying to do to him? Whatever his goal… it was most definitely working.
“HOW IS EVERYTHING?!” Lydas cackled while slamming his hands against the back of Niamh’s chair and watching the poor lad bolt upright. Lydas let out a deep laugh as he was both amused and surprised at the fact that he had gotten the drop on him, “You haven’t been messing this up too badly have you?” he joked while rubbing the boy's shoulders and wobbling him back and forth in his chair, “And judging by your guests silence I’d say he’s enjoying my cooking~” Lydas seemed abundantly pleased with that notion.
Somehow, in all the distractions, Lydas’s graceless form managed to slip passed Niamh and get the jump on him; he did so much love his little pranks. Trying his best not to completely loose his mind on the poor chef, Niamh shot a glare over his shoulder, to which, Lydas promptly began rocking him back and forth letting Niamh’s head wobble back and forth like a bobble head. With a grumble, Niamh grabbed the arms of his chair and halted himself, “Lydas, So help me-”
“Your next dish will be right up~” He chimed while releasing Niamh and retreating back to the kitchen before he got himself in too much trouble, “A favorite of Niamh’s, but I’m sure you’ll love it too.” He added while stepping behind the bar to give his staff a pep talk before opening to the public.
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Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 9:54 am
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Being so occupied with enticing his dining partner, Leukos was almost caught unaware of the return of the large man from the kitchen. But Lydas was showing no efforts of making his presence known to them, so it looked like stealth was perhaps on his mind. Stealth intended for Niamh. Which would surely be rewarded with amusing results.
So Leukos made the effort to avoid acknowledging his approach, focusing all of his attention on Niamh instead. And their efforts were indeed rewarded; the poor boy looked like he had seen a ghost, you could practically see his soul leaving his body! Leukos played his part, feigning some shocked surprise. But remaining passive turned out to be too difficult a task, not when Niamh looked so adorably put-out. So he laughed pleasantly along with the large man, giving the boy an apologetic look. “Everything has been wonderful. And don’t worry, Niamh has been equally enchanting as well~”
His laughter died down into amused chuckles as Leukos returned to eating his food, glancing towards the bar, “He certainly is a jovial fellow; very open and honest with what his intentions are. I appreciate that in a person.” After being jostled by Niamh’s fright, his foot was no longer along his calf; which might be for the best, the boy looked like he deserved a break from Leukos’ teasing. So he crossed his legs the other way, eyeing Niamh from over the rim of his cup, “So…would you like to spoil the surprise? Or keep my curiosity in limbo a bit longer?” His smile was warm, and his tone lightly questioning, “What sort of lovely thing has earned the title of ‘Niamh’s favorite’?”
[12/20]
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:07 pm
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Finishing off his plate Niamh smirked, "Yeah, It'll definitely be a surprise." It would seem as though their conversation had naturally died out and his stomach really couldn't take much more; this is quite literally more than he had eaten all week~ Settling back into his chair, Niamh rested his hand on his stomach and groaned, "Whatever Lydas has planned for our next course, you might have to enjoy it all to yourself!" His laughter subsided as he lifted the bottle to find it mostly empty and poured it into Leukos's cup, "It's a real shame you don't get to enjoy these sorts of luxuries very often. If you stick around, we could do this more often."
The young woman returned to clear the dishes and replaced the empty bottle with a new one, "The next course will be up momentarily," She stammered while peeking up through her eyelashes at Leukos and giggling softly. With the table cleared she retreated to tend to the guests back at the bar.
"I think you have an admirer~" Niamh snorted topping off Leukos's cup and then filling his own. Bringing the cup to his lips he sipped and placed the cup back to the table, "Well, the night is fast approaching, What are your plans after our meal is concluded?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 10:35 pm
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Leukos found himself smiling at the exaggerated antics of the lad, holding his cup out while the dregs were poured in. “Oh pish-posh, I’m sure you must have a small fraction of space left in your belly to at least try whatever comes out next. Wouldn’t want to make poor Lydas cry, would we?” He was still doing rather well as far as appetites were concerned; he’d been very active all day, and it took quite a bit of fuel to power his tall frame.
No sooner were the plates and bottle emptied that the barista returned with new refreshments in hand. The service here really was top notch. Leukos laughed lightly as she retreated, watching her return to her station as his cup was topped off. “Well, she’s a lovely girl, and quite sweet too; I will take her attention as a compliment.” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, holding the rim of his cup lazily between his fingers as he propped his chin on his hands. “But there’s no need to worry yourself over that; there’s only one person I have an appetite for tonight~” Popping a shoe off under the table, his toe traced small circles on the top of Niamh’s foot, smiling sweetly at him with undivided interest. “And unless he has found my flavor not to his liking, I’d love to be able to sample a bit more of him...perhaps away from our current audience, with just the crashing of waves on the sand and the twinkling of stars to provide us company....”
[14/20]
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Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 5:29 pm
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The contact of skin on skin caused a soft pink to blossom across his cheeks as butterflies returned to his stomach, “T-that… sounds lovely.” Niamh stammered, “It’ll be good to walk off some of this meal too~” he added with a soft chuckle. With his quickly draining cup in hand, Niamh found himself lost in the nostalgia of Leu’s company. It wasn’t often that someone so wonderfully eccentric came to town, and was even less frequent that he was able to capture a moment of their time.
Moments later Niamh was drawn to the chrome platter cover placed on the table before him and Lydas’s toothy grin. “Bit of a flare for the dramatic, Lydas, Even for you...” he added laughing at the chef’s childlike enthusiasm.
“C’mon now!” he roared as he lifted the platter’s dome-like cover to reveal their final course, “Fresh caught ocean fish, filled, egg washed and coated in panko, then baked off served with your spicy sauce.” Catching the confused, yet content look on Niamh’s face brought about a round of laughter, “Been making this for you since you were a boy! It’s the only way we could get you to eat fish when you were younger! Told me it would always be your favorite.”
Niamh remembered the conversation as a child and through the surprise a smile spread across his face, “Fish sticks, you called them.” with humor in his heart he shook his head slowly, ‘but why would he make these here...’ his thought trailed off as his eyes widened, jaw dropped and he stared at the seemingly innocent prank, “Lydas!? What the hell!”
The chef began laughing so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks, “Enjoy your meal, you two!” He called between breaths as he retreated to the kitchen, “I’ll have Nainae bring you dessert in a bit…” He snickered while trying to hold back his laughter, “It’s the least I can do for all the abuse~”
Completely flabbergasted by the chef’s actions, Niamh scrambled to come up with a reason, to cover the innuendo, “He just-... I-I can’t… I…” surrendering to the prank he rested his head in his hand and rubbed his forehead gently, “What… A little… s**t.” He murmured while snatching a fish stick, dunking it and chomping it in half. The flesh was still tender, the panko crispy, and the cream caper sauce had just the right amount of smoky spice to accent the seasoning in the breading. The dish was perfectly executed, but it was still no excuse! It had been ages since he had this, and despite the fact that there were so many better ways to serve freshly caught fish… He knew Lydas just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to poke fun at him… He was worse than a big brother! “I apologize. I had no idea he would-” Niamh finally found his words, “ Lydas always thinks he’s soooo funny~”
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Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 8:37 pm
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Catching the approach of the hearty man this time around, Leukos was able to lean back to make space on the table for the large platter that was put down in front of them. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he was very much enjoying the man’s antics and theatrical secrecy: Leukos loved a good surprise.
So when the lid was finally lifted, the hype he had been building for the big reveal felt a bit….misplaced? He’d never truly seen food like this before, but aside from the novelty, it wasn’t exactly a very….visually appealing dish. But it seemed like there was quite the story surrounding it, which Lydas seemed to find hilarious for reasons that were not obvious to Leukos. And Niamh seemed thoroughly mortified as the man went on; surely it wasn’t that embarrassing to be served something you had enjoyed as a child? He found the gesture to be endearing. Was it not supposed to be?
Leukos’ expression must have made his confusion apparently clear, glancing from the large man’s back as he walked away, to Niamh’s flushed face, then down to the steaming food. He was clearly missing something. Something funny. Something obvious. What was it? His mind clicked away, searching through the words that had been exchanged between the two, looking for something he’d missed.
They were battered fish. You dipped them in a spicy cream sauce. He’d called them…“fish sticks”?
Fish sticks…
Fish sticks.
All at once the joke became glaringly obvious; the play on words, the situation between them, Niamh’s embarrassment. Lydas had the right to feel quite proud of himself, it was hilarious! What a cheek! He was grinning ear to ear as Leukos silently appreciated the offering, a mischievous spark flaring up in his eyes. He’d have to be a VERY ungrateful guest to not take advantage of the opportunity gifted to him by the man when it was so lovingly crafted and thought out. Lydas wanted Leukos to play along. He simply had to.
Reaching across to take one of the battered morsels, Leukos held it up to eye it curiously, “I can’t fathom why you are so worked up over this. I think it was rather sweet of him to make something so special just for you.” He tilted his head, cocking an innocent smile at Niamh, “What’s the matter, don’t you like fish sticks?”
Leukos brought it up and took a slow bite of the flaky stick, “Mmm, delicious~ The meat is so hot and juicy....” Reaching to the platter to dip it into the white sauce, his eyes locked onto Niamh’s, “But I’m not doing it right…am I? It’s probably amazing once there’s all this luscious…thick…cream on it…” He smiled knowingly and popped the tip into his mouth, eyelids fluttering closed while he chewed. “Mmhnnnnnn…so good. Salty and warm…just how I like it~” Rubbing his foot along Niamh’s ankle, Leukos opened his eyes again, licking his lips slowly to get any crumbs left behind after he had swallowed his mouthful, “I would have fish sticks all night if I could, I don’t think I could ever get tired of the taste~”
[15/20]
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Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 1:24 pm
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“I can’t fathom why you are so worked up over this...”
Niamh’s eyes fixated on Leu as he reached across the table and grasped a fillet.
“What’s the matter, don’t you like fish sticks?”
He was so coy how he went about playing into this little game Lydas had started. Niamh was helpless as Leukos took a slow sensual bite of the fillet. Furrowing his brow, he rested back into his chair and watched as the Matoran across from him continued his erotic display of enjoying this childhood cuisine. Gripping tight to the chair arms his toes curled as Leukos dipped the half eaten fillet into the cream sauce, eyelashes fluttering as he simply oozed satisfaction with the simply prepared dish.
He released a chair arm to bite down on a relaxed fist; partially for the pain and partially to disguise his agape mouth. Niamh couldn’t avert his eyes from this strangely seductive experience. It was nearly over, in more than one way, as Leukos’s tongue ran across his lips, licking up every last crumb…
But what he missed had Niamh sweating.
Releasing his bite Niamh slowly reached his trembling hand across the table and with an extended index finger, he gently wiped off the dripping of sauce on Leukos’s chin. As his finger made contact a weak gasp escaped his lips and his body rested back into the chair. Niamh’s eyed the sauce on his finger, then looked to Leukos with a shy hunger as he licked the sauce, slowly, sensually… delicately sucked his finger-
“I was told to bring you both dessert~” Chimed Nainae as she presented a creamy chocolate mousse like dessert with two spoons in it.
Niamh was startled to his feet as he barely pried his eyes off his dinner partner to stare down the young woman who so graciously brought dessert. Snatching the bowl he attempted to smile, but it turned into a frustrated snarl as he gritted his teeth, “Thank you… For your hospitality.” the tension, or was it frustration, was clearly apparent, “We’re taking it to go… I’ll return the bowl.” He assured her. Returning his gaze to Leukos, Niamh let out a breath and did his best to come down from the roller coaster of emotions, “Shall we take this to the beach?” he asked or rather pleaded with his dining partner. It was clear he was more than ready to be out of the public eye.
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