Meeting in the Light (Roka)

[Chamaeleon]

If she noticed the gazes, it was with a detached air. Honestly, the looks weren't something new. She was a fresh-faced young woman to the eyes of those here, and they taped accordingly with lust, envy or greed on their varying faces. Roka was not ignored either. His face was handsome enough to draw attention, his build subtle enough to make some want to touch him and make him their own. Chamaeleon felt a bite of defence at those looks. She wanted to tell them that Roka was hers, and that she would not allow anyone to touch him with the intention of doing harm.

Yet, Roka was not hers, despite the tangling of their long fingers. She had to remember this. What she owned was a pony, some clothes, and those useless coins that couldn't be worn but that still meant so much. Roka was her friend, a warm hand to hold in the cruel city. She cherished that. She would protect him from them for that.

"I am fine with anything, Roka. I've not eaten much so I don't know whats good." She began to rise so she may go up to place their order, drawing a good amount of silver and gold from her bag into her hand, trying to keep it discreet. Someone nearby grabbed her in a drunken grope and she gasped at the shock of it. She turned to see what it was, who it was, but there was nothing glaringly obvious about the table there except that they were all laughing.

Chamaeleon found these drunken louts detestable. Disgusting. Was it a good idea to bring Roka here?

"Do you have any idea of what you'd like to eat?" She turned to him and smiled gently, glittering blue eyes bright in the dim.

[Roka]

As they entered he could smell the ale upon the loud, mouth-breathing people at varying tables. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much and only this time. He was not sure that is, until a wandering hand reached to unwelcomingly grasp at his companion. His head turned to scorn them with daggering looks at the sound of her surprised gasp. He was unable to spy the culprit, between the drunken and giggling buffoons before him. They all seemed equally as likely upon first inspection. He had no intention of fighting, but that was not to say that the contact irked him.

He snaked his arm about her waist and pulled her to his side as they continued to the counter to receive some kind of food. He leaned over, his nose coming to rest about in her glowing blonde curls. She smelled sweet, like the very air of the sky had bottled itself into the essence of each strand. He smiled unwittingly as he took in the smell and his lips brushed over the delicate lobe of her ear. "I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable..." he began a sigh forced back from his mouth as he tried to continue, undistracted. “ I just don't want anyone to believe that you are here alone."

He took in a lingering moment before pulling his focus forward again as the bar manager, Merv cleared his throat impatiently before them. "What can I get ya?" he asked his hand planted on the counter expectantly.

[Chamaeleon]

The smile that answered Roka's gesture was genuine. She didn't find the touch uncomfortable, even if it came off as sudden. She couldn't remember the last time someone had wrapped their arm around her. It hadn't happened before.

The man tucked his nose against her ear, and she laughed lightly. There were eyes watching them, guarded and hostile, but she couldn't be bothered yet. This was better than holding hands. It filled her with foreign sensations.

"I'm more worried about them thinking you came alone, Roka," she replied to him. Honest truth.

Merv eyed them expectantly, his old face furrowed as he awaited their order nearly impatiently. Did he really sell food here? This almost cantankerous old man?

"Do you serve cooked meals in here?" Chamaeleon asked him, speaking up to sound over the ruckus. It occured to her that some of the sounds were an argument, but every other time she had been here there had always been an argument. "Fresh, preferably?"

Merv eyed them with distaste. She found it rather shocking that he could take such a dislike to them in such a short time, but Sunberth was ripe with curiosities like these.

"Not often people come an' order food from me," Merv grunted eventually. His calculating gaze focused between the two of them, almost sizing them up. He didn't like the sight of the horns on either side of her head, but Chamaeleon didn't care. "I reckon that I can get you salted pork or beef, some kind of mishmash of berries and meat traders like to carry, or the meal of the day."

Chamaeleon stared at him for a moment or two. Were humans this difficult to deal with all the time?

"What exactly is the meal of the day?" She asked him, slowly.

"Does it matter?" Merv replied, just as slowly but with a smile behind his beard.

Chamaeleon sighed and looked to Roka.

"Want to try that?" She asked him, uncertainly. She would follow suit with what he chose.

[Roka]

A grin spread across his face, in obvious delight at her response. It was a more satisfying feeling than he could have expected that began to simmer in his abdomen. He hummed a quiet noise of pleasure, and could not even begin to feel annoyed at the crabby expressions curving into the leathery face of the man before them. His lips cemented in a curved and upright position.

He listened with resigned amusement as Chamaeleon conversed with the other, her pinked lips just as eye catching with each word as he had found them the very first time they had encountered by happen-chance in a darkened alleyway.

He hardly registered much of Merv's unsavory tone as he unhappily recited the only two available food choices. Two choices of meals did not seem out of the ordinary only because he had not attempted ordering food from any other business.

He chuckled turning to Chamaeleon as the other awaited an answer. He supposed it really didn't matter much. "The meal of the day sounds great."

"How much?" He asked reaching for his cloth pouch of coin.

Merv shifted on his feet, rubbing his greasy hands over the rag hung from his shoulder. "Two silver mizas."

Roka pulled the coin from his bag. "Each." the grumpy barkeep added, and Roka nodded without argument, already realizing this fact, and slid the four silver mizas across the counter.

"It'll be right out." Merv responded, grasping the silver coin in one swift motion.

The Kelvic returned his attention to Chamaeleon and they turned to overview the layout of available seats. "See anything you like?"

[Chamaeleon]

Chamaeleon beamed widely at Roka's large smile. Her blue eyes gleamed in the dim light as she watched Roka interact with Merv. She watched the grumpy old man take the money and walk out, and then she turned to Roka and tilted her head at him. "I was going to buy for us," she said. She shook the hand carrying her few coins, allowing him to hear the rattling. She hoped these people wouldn't become alert at the sound as well.

The Ethaefal turned to survey the room with Roka, eyeing the tables and their occupants warily. She did not forget that one of these people had touched her without warning.

"Well, Roka," she said softly. "I do like something in here today, but I think in terms of seating, we should try and make for one of those empty spots against the wall." She turned again, looking up at him as Merv returned. She smiled at them both, bright and cheery, and took both wooden bowls after jabbing two roughly hewn utensils into the contents of the bowls. She was glad Merv chose not to put their food on plates in a place as crowded and rowdy ad this.

"After you," she told Roka, nodding at him to lead as she carried. Teamwork would get them through this crowd.

[Roka]

He shook his head at her statement, his hair tossed about in an ebony wave as he did. "What kind of gentlemen would I be, if I let a beautiful woman buy a meal when I'm capable?" This statement comical only because he could not even consider himself a man, much less a gentleman, he was an animal, a wild animal, but he wanted something different than an animal would want at this time. His gazes were barely able to conceal his wanting. He put his hand atop her closed fist to lower it to her side and eyed her lips for a brief passing before realizing his actions and halting his continuance.

He cleared his throat and joined in looking about the room for seating. A hidden smile still lingered, but he turned to hide the satisfied look of his face. He decided instead to simply nod at her suggestion and reply with a more reserved tone "Okay." Merv returned placing the bowls down and departing without another word. Chamaeleon grabbed for the bowls first letting them rest in each palm. He nearly objected but then realized he’d rather have a free hand in the company of such a woman, and the deemed crude limbs of every other male in the vicinity.

He led the way through the narrow ways between the tables to a spot that held his gaze along the back wall, seating fit for only two. He continued to turn to keep a watchful eye upon Chamaeleon, finding it nearly impossible to think of anything else but her presence. "So is here fine?" he asked when they were only a few feet from the table his hand signaling to the small table in an almost presenting fashion.

[Chamaeleon]

Chamaeleon smiled widely at his words, his quickly spoken compliment. Now, some people had called her beautiful before, but she felt it meant much more when spoken from someone she cared about. The undulation of his long black hair was eye catching and amusing, to her, and she felt the desire to reach forward and run her fingers through she strands to see if they were as glossy as they looked.

But it was best they didn't cause a scene in this room of sharks.

She followed him, humming happily under her breath, seemingly having forgotten the incident of the grabbing, greedy hands. She was watching, though. She didn't meet their eyes, knowing just how quickly angers could be sparked if someone detected defiance behind a solid blue gaze. She tried not stare at Roka either as he walked in front of her.

Her feelings for him were growing confusingly loud. She was new to this world still, not quite done being mystified by it all, and the growing and unstoppable feelings that were developing for her cheerful, animalistic friend were not making the transition from her former life into this one any easier. She could say with certainty that she wanted him, but she couldnt put into words exactly how she did. Was he just a friend to her or something more? It felt like she would be pondering this for quite some time.

Whenever he looked back at her, she would flash her smiles at him. She didn't want to worry him with wearing her emotions blatantly. She liked his smiles and didn't like the thought of him beiong too upset. "Here is perfect," she said to him. She winked at him playfully and nodded, signalling he could sit and that she would join him, and when they both did she passed him his bowl.

"Let's give this a try now, shall we?" She grinned at him, her curiousity peaked now that she could get a full smell of the food in her own bowl. She wasn't a great judge of cooked meals, but she felt this one nay be much better tasting than it looked. Her delicate, long-fingered hand lifted her utensil and buried the pronged stick into the bowl's contents.

[Roka]

They both seated themselves at the shabby table away from reaching hands but not from wandering eyes. Roka chose not to acknowledge them any longer, no matter how unsettling, he wanted to enjoy this, as much as one could enjoy a cook and likely poorly prepared meal, but then again that isn't what he was really enjoying.

He nodded to her proposal, picking up an eating utensil in an awkward fashion. It had been some time since he had eaten with any kind of flatware. His practice as to actually position his fingers upon it was rusty. Upon a brief glance to watch her fingers delicately wrap around it and rest it on her fingers he tried to adjust. He managed a decent enough attempt, still viewing a bit odd in mannerisms.

He stabbed at a heap of clumped and stringy meat and guided it to his mouth with a tentative bite. He let it slide around in his mouth, pulling at the think flesh with grinding molars. It was not detestable, but the tedious task of sizing it into bite-sized pieces was becoming tiresome. Beyond that the assault of spice and tang was overwhelming and his face scrunched as he scrutinized it with each spurt of the meat's juices.

Finally managing a full swallow, his vision set on Chamaeleon. "It's not....horrible." he said with wrinkled brow wondering as to what her reaction would be, a smirk creeping over his pointed teeth.

[Chamaeleon]

Lips curved in a small smile as she discreetly watched her companion shape his long fingers around the simple utensil, amused at his clumsy attempts and charmed by him at the same time. How could a seemingly normal human manage to be so endearing as well as appearing gracefully bestial? Weren't humans usually more boring than this?

She discarded her thoughts and dug into the mess of meat and... stuff... Her utensil snagged on to the stringy food and she forked it into her mouth, forcing her face to be smooth even when the assault of spices ran tingling over her tongue. Perhaps she could have greatly enjoyed the food, even liked it so to speak, but she did not like the assault of spice and herb upon her tongue. Like Sunberth itself, the chef who made this seemed to try to embody the violence of the city in a simple meal. Not one to complain, however, she gave a wider smile after forcing down a swallow. She didn't chew it fully, and her eyes watered, but she wiped the offending moisture away and chuckled. Somewhere, people laughed, but probably because of some humour shared among them that had nothing to do with her. Her blue eyes still flashed around at the surroundings idly before she took another bite, chewed it more thoroughly, and looked at Roka.

She smiled at him, taking the liberty of another light laugh. "I agree... It's okay, but kind of too... sharp for my taste." To demonstrate that she wasn't exactly complaining, she ate a bit more, smiling secretly to herself while doing so. She would have been humming with contentment if not eating, her companion more than making up for the food Merv decided to give them.

It was a curious feeling to be eating and not feel hungry at the same time. She didn't know what about the sunlight that made her feel content all day, but it felt good to be eating. Reaching over with her free hand, the Ethaefal patted Roka's hand gently to express her gratitude.