"Orbital-Halo is certainly on its way out, nice bit of orange to the skyline." I quietly remark as I continue to polish the same spot on the counter. Plenty of shine to come and a reflection comes into it. Looking up a little, my eyes can't help but shift towards Inerish as she continues to read her book and sip her most recent cup of tea. The back of my claw goes against the kettle and I ponder turning it back on as the cold becomes noticeable.
"Nin, can you come and help me with this metal crate? It's too heavy." Liada calls and I turn her way, a little confused. Letting go of the cloth, I come on over and she snatches me up into her arms, pulling me through the closing door. The slam lingers in my head and I blankly stare at her glare before she backs off into a frustrated pace about.
"So where's the item that's too heavy?" I ask with a joyous huff to try and defuse whatever situation might be coming. She looks back at me, her expression milding only for it to burst into flames. Her sharp nails come for me and stop short on crooked fingers.
"Why's she still here!?" Liada demands to know with a harsh whisper and all I can offer is a shrug. I really do not know, Inerish just dramatically turned up. My thoughts run the details through before they can get onto my tongue.
"Liada, it's not time to close yet and she's been otherwise keeping to herself and ordering things." I explain and she scoffs, clearly not buying any of it. Unlike Inerish, who's bought plenty of tea and the occasional slice of cake.
"She's here for you! Do not even try and dismiss it, I know full well those eyes of yours are too well-trained to miss her behaviour." she hisses and I can't help but shrug again which only makes her get up in my face with pointless aggression. I lean away all the same, however.
"Bear in mind we've not spoken outside of me giving her what she's ordered." I try to explain and it just makes her go off again. Whatever words Liada wants to get out, she can't and it all devolves into annoyed hand-throwing and other kinds of groans.
"Go out there, see what she wants and get rid of her!" Liada demands and my brow rises, arms crossing down below.
"The shop is not closed, Liada. She's done nothing wrong. But, fine, I'll go talk to her." I point out as a claw grabs the door handle and I go back out. Inerish looks up from her book and I catch the signs of a smile while my ears pick up on Liada's points and the abused surfaces.
Arriving at Inerish's table, I pull out a chair and sit down, glancing back towards Liada. My friend gets back to work, although, she's otherwise struggling to keep her focus on these tasks. Whatever enters her hands is quickly thrown out of it and everything's done with stropping haste. Our eyes keep meeting and each time they do, I notice the twitches surrounding them.
"I do not need anything else, thank you." Inerish says and I bring my attention back to her.
"No, I think you do." I correct and the book comes down, the facade of innocence being put on display. With a gaze that keeps sneaking away from me as Inerish's body relaxes. She takes one final sip of her tea and leans forward, her mostly exposed leg crossing over the other. Her back arches forward, her chest pronouncing itself close to me while her exposed back twists ever so slightly into view.
"Ah... That's better." Inerish gently moans as she melts away into the comfort of her new sitting position. One that puts a bit more weight on one side of her bottom so that the other can rise.
"Inerish..." I sternly go and she smirks, reaching into one of her stretched-out pockets for something. She takes her time cupping and massaging her body, the item slowly slipping out.
"I wanted to give you this." she finally explains, a small tablet coming into view but not towards my claw. Instead, she puts her lips upon it, marking it out with the nominally embarrassing shape of a woman's lips. I move my palm forward and she brings it closer to her mouth, just short of touching it. I grasp the tablet as her breath breezes over my carapace.
A high-pitched scrape fills our ears.
"And this is...?" I question as I start to give it a read and I can't help but be a little confused. This is a list of locations, brief descriptions of what's there and an attached bounty. Followed by Inerish's direct seal of approval.
"You asked me last night before -we danced- and -you walked me home- to get in contact with the guild. So, I did, here are some jobs I've earmarked explicitly for you." Inerish explains with a tone of voice that rises at the worst possible parts and I nod as well as hide my face. Loud stomps come around to the seating area and Liada makes a point of not caring about her tail. It crashes and bangs tables and chairs aside, her hands quickly finding my shoulders.
"I'm so sorry, Ms, but, we're closing. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Liada strains out and I take note of how tightly she is holding my shoulders. Not enough to hurt me, far from it, it's more like knowing an insect is crawling through your body hair. Well, back when I had it.
Inerish checks her watch and smiles back.
"I don't think you are. Says here that-"
"We're closing early!" Liada interrupts, leaning in close with her passive-aggressive features while I am weighted down by her chest.
"No, I don't think you will be." Inerish chirps and her fingers flexingly dance their way towards the menu stand. It slides away, nearly flying off the table and a redskinned hand comes back to me.
"My place, my rules. Now, go." Liada demands and Inerish stands up, her coat and hat coming back on. Liada backs away, two different kinds of clicks filling the air as Inerish's heels chase after Liada's toe-claws. Shifting my chair about, I watch carefully in the event something happens.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Am I forgetting whose city this is? Whose rules are followed, Baker Liadanann?" Inerish taunts with the sharp straightening of her mixed-up uniform. A hand going through her hair ignites embers that flicker away.
"It's Cakesmith!" Liada snaps and Inerish's mouth mockingly agapes, a hand coming to cover it.
"Last I checked, this is a bakery, is it not?" Inerish questions, looking around with a sneering giggle.
"It's my Cakesmithy! It's a pun on the fact it's a converted blacksmith- NINNNN!" Liada snaps out before she screams my name and Inerish joins her looking my way.
I blink at the pair of them, practically able to see the thorns drawing blood.
"Liada, close the shop and you go upstairs to my room. We'll talk about this." I say, my claws striking my thighs with a pair of solid whacks.
"NI-" Liada interrupts for obvious reasons.
"Quiet!" I bark and I get what I want. Liada's body slumps and she slowly nods, getting to it by first starting at the door and its lock. The 'We're Open' sign quickly follows and I glare at the Grandguard as she stands there with her smirk still. She walks towards me, an exaggerated swing to her walk.
"Which way to your room, Dark Crow?" Inerish asks with an enticing whisper and I gesture her with a wave. Knowing better, I stay in front and wait at the top of the stairs while Inerish otherwise takes her time. She fiddles with things and I can't help but growl even as she starts to go up the stairs, her coat just so happening to fall without a care.
"Cut it out!" I go and she raises her hand before going to get it. Liada's gaze enters my field of view and I can't keep my eyes up in the face of her glare. Inerish finishes up with the booty shaking and she's up here with me in no time. But she can't just let it down, she has to motion me with a finger.
"Come on, Hero, where's our privacy?" she asks and I cross my arms, shaking my head all the while.
"The other door." I correct, taking one final glance at Liada as she starts to make a point of hiding her expression. I groan a sigh and head to my room, closing the door behind me while Inerish flops down onto the bed.
"You don't seem all that grateful for what I have done for you. And you came to me in the middle of dinner to ask for it..." she mockingly complains as she dances a finger around my pillow. The scent of my bed loudly fills out her nasal canals while she knocks one heel off her foot. Her legging-covered toes catch it by the slimmest of margins.
"I told you not to worry about it." I remind her and she puts a finger on her lips, the memory clearly there but just so conveniently forgotten. She smirks back at my annoyance and sits up, shuffling to the bottom end of my bed. With a thud, she drops the shoe and knocks the other one off, her legs keeping to the softness of my blankets.
"I have plenty of reasons -to- worry." Inerish emphasises and I pull out the chair by my desk. Rubbing a claw along my head, it comes off and turns into a fist.
"And how does any of this lead to you coming here to taunt my friend?" I demand to know and she shivers in delight, this being all a game to her.
"You came to me because that creature simply isn't doing it for you. Your heart is set on another in its entirety!" she giggles and my eyes flare. I rise and stomp my foot, coming just short of punching a hole towards the city. A claw so very close to wanting her neck in its tight grasp.
"AND THAT OTHER IS NOT YOU!" I roar in her face and she flinches away, a hand on her beating heart while a smirk starts to come back.
"I know. But, I don't think I will let that stop me from trying, especially with how you are trying to move away from your little water princess." Inerish explains and my eyes narrow, my carapace crunching under the strain of my fists.
"Be very careful with your next line." I caution her and she stands up, the usual professional straightness coming with it.
"Look, there are the jobs you asked me to get for you and now we can help each other out." she says, her focus going down to the feather necklace Smiling Jhurack guided me to.
"Now we can help each other out?" I repeat, the words tasting foul on my tongue.
"Why, yes. As Grandguard, I am expected to be able to display my own personal talents. As well as what I can do in the defence of this city and its mountainous territories." she explains and I recall the details of those jobs she's gotten for me. I suppose the mark she put down is equivalent to it being reserved for her.
"Seems a little counterproductive for the head of security for an entire country to potentially die in some ditch..." I point out, not liking where she is taking this.
"As a matter of fact, no. Back in my time as the warden of my family's fortress in Errakur and others. It is quite expected of you to go out and fight with the men. It's all about morale and the image you project. Walls scare some but not all, the other part of the equation of defence is the myth you can create. Now, because of Smiling Jhurack, I've got quite a bit of a backlog and well, as you've just put it... I can't be put in too much risk by doing this on my own. You do not sally out as the flag carrier, after all, you grab a lance and ride at the tip." she explains and I slowly nod.
"Fine, whatever. When are these jobs exactly?" I go, asking the important detail and she starts to laugh, her fingers mimicking a cage.
"When I call on you." she smiles and I sense for Liadanann who is not far from the door. Sighing and looking to the ground, I feel her shifting about and slowly moving away to elsewhere in the house. She's certainly close enough to pick up on the details.
"And my ability to say no?" I ask, looking back to the invasive woman.
"Practically non-existent. As Grandguard, I get to call on you and you'll be mine until the job is done." she giggles, putting her shoes and thrown off clothes back on. Watching her approach, she puts her hands behind her back in a girlish manner and her weight moves against me.
"I will warn you once, do not make a point of making this maliciously awkward for Liada." I tell Inerish as she smiles innocently. The dark-skinned woman starts to blush and her purple lips find my cheek once again. She flutters a wave goodbye and she's out the door. The excited tap of her heels on the stairs makes way for the same on the ground floor and the bell above the door rings.
The door itself clicking shut.
Coming out, I barely catch her disappear from my restricted elevation and I turn to Liada. Her eyes glued to the kiss mark on my carapace. Sighing out my knowing, I start to go down the stairs and she moves, her arms quickly around me. A wet smack repeats itself across my body and cheeks, a 'hmph' comes out her lips and she stomps off.
Going down the stairs to where Inerish was sat, I collapse into my chair, the tablet in my claws once again. I sigh, hard.
"Am I damn glad Rose'lhia vanished in those miserable five years!" I swear under my exasperated breath.