Aimèe met his smile and nodded, he didn’t want anything to eat. That was alright for her, though she felt he should eat given how thin he was. It wasn’t a burden on her coffers to feed him, but he had already declined, saying the tea was alright with him. The Zeltivan wondered how old the boy was. In truth she didn’t believe they were too far apart in age. She had just turned twenty that very day, and he was younger than her. That’s all she was sure of. He was a thin boy, but apparently going through the changes a young man went through; she had seen many acne-faced boys in her time. Atticus was no exception.
The waitress came over, the same one that gave Atticus the towel, and Aimèe ordered the lunch special for that day, not bothering with the details because she trusted the establishment to deliver well-made food. From what she could see, the establishment was prestigious, even hosting a large buffet table. In Zeltiva her father possibly would’ve treated her to the buffet. Now that he was gone, she could not have such things, nor was she certain if she wanted them. Growing up in mild wealth was a past part of her life and, while it made things easier, she was on a new phase entirely.
Once the waitress was away Atticus’ voice piped up asking why she was there. A moment earlier, in the same breath, Atticus said he would stay until they ran out of tea. It made her happy to see. She wouldn’t be spending her birthday alone. Though it may have been awkward for him to watch her eat, and awkward for her to have him watching her, she was not alone. That alone was worth several kinas more than a buffet.
“It’s my birthday,” she informed him with a small, sad smile on her face. “My father used to treat me to a nice lunch every year. I wanted to continue the tradition, so I came here.”
She then shook her head at his concern, waving her hand almost hurriedly for him to stay seated. “You’re not in anyone’s spot,” she quickly said. “I’m very much alone right now, and I would like it if you stayed. Until the tea’s run out, right?”
Aimèe was a little desperate. Knowing it, she fixed herself up and sat up straighter. It was embarrassing to have to ask him to stay seated. She wasn’t used to being alone in all honesty, and after a recent trip from Zeltiva to Lhavit, a trip she was very lonely for, she very much wanted to be with company.
Unfortunately, her moment of desperation wasn’t over quick enough. Atticus nodded to her but left her writhing in the next moment of silence. Embarrassed, Aimèe avoided his eye contact, instead looking to the depths of her pink colored tea. She brought it to her lips, cradling the brim on her lip before drinking. Setting it down, Atticus finally fumbled to speak, offering her a tour and asking if she could teach him about medicine in exchange. Still, he seemed to doubt her interest in such a thing, and doubted his ability to give the tour he had brought up.
Aimèe needed a tour, needed someone, a local, to take her around. She was utterly lost in this city. “I’d like that,” she said, hoping to put an end to his self-doubt. A part of her wanted to take him by the bootstraps and tell him to be more confident in himself, but they barely knew one another as he had stated. She’d wait and see how much self-deprecating behavior she could take before she would say anything on the matter.
“A project of your own?” she questioned after he informed her about what he was working on.
The project sounded interested, but also sounded very foreign. Still, she figured that if she didn’t leap on chances to expand her horizons, on chances to live outside of her box, she wouldn’t be living up the promise she had made to herself once she arrived in Lhavit. Here she was attempting to do that, and Atticus was kindly offering.
“I’ll teach you what I know if you give me a tour and let me in on your project,” she bargained, a small smile on her once despaired face. “How’s that sound?”
The Zeltivan was actually excited for this little exchange of information. Two scientists sharing their trades with one another sounded like the perfect thing to do in a scholarly city such as Lhavit, even if there was a fair few of devout and pious souls.
“What made you get into that subject?” she questioned. “Is it against your superior’s wishes? You sounded like you didn’t agree with what your associates were studying, the stars and all that. Are you against it or do you just think it’s time to study something else?”
She held her teacup by the handle in one hand, the other holding the saucer gingerly, yet strong enough to keep it all from crashing down. Her fingers were practiced in this way, a doctor having to perform very delicate procedures when treating a patient. The practices had bled their way into her everyday life, having been placed there by her father in the beginning.
The waitress came over, the same one that gave Atticus the towel, and Aimèe ordered the lunch special for that day, not bothering with the details because she trusted the establishment to deliver well-made food. From what she could see, the establishment was prestigious, even hosting a large buffet table. In Zeltiva her father possibly would’ve treated her to the buffet. Now that he was gone, she could not have such things, nor was she certain if she wanted them. Growing up in mild wealth was a past part of her life and, while it made things easier, she was on a new phase entirely.
Once the waitress was away Atticus’ voice piped up asking why she was there. A moment earlier, in the same breath, Atticus said he would stay until they ran out of tea. It made her happy to see. She wouldn’t be spending her birthday alone. Though it may have been awkward for him to watch her eat, and awkward for her to have him watching her, she was not alone. That alone was worth several kinas more than a buffet.
“It’s my birthday,” she informed him with a small, sad smile on her face. “My father used to treat me to a nice lunch every year. I wanted to continue the tradition, so I came here.”
She then shook her head at his concern, waving her hand almost hurriedly for him to stay seated. “You’re not in anyone’s spot,” she quickly said. “I’m very much alone right now, and I would like it if you stayed. Until the tea’s run out, right?”
Aimèe was a little desperate. Knowing it, she fixed herself up and sat up straighter. It was embarrassing to have to ask him to stay seated. She wasn’t used to being alone in all honesty, and after a recent trip from Zeltiva to Lhavit, a trip she was very lonely for, she very much wanted to be with company.
Unfortunately, her moment of desperation wasn’t over quick enough. Atticus nodded to her but left her writhing in the next moment of silence. Embarrassed, Aimèe avoided his eye contact, instead looking to the depths of her pink colored tea. She brought it to her lips, cradling the brim on her lip before drinking. Setting it down, Atticus finally fumbled to speak, offering her a tour and asking if she could teach him about medicine in exchange. Still, he seemed to doubt her interest in such a thing, and doubted his ability to give the tour he had brought up.
Aimèe needed a tour, needed someone, a local, to take her around. She was utterly lost in this city. “I’d like that,” she said, hoping to put an end to his self-doubt. A part of her wanted to take him by the bootstraps and tell him to be more confident in himself, but they barely knew one another as he had stated. She’d wait and see how much self-deprecating behavior she could take before she would say anything on the matter.
“A project of your own?” she questioned after he informed her about what he was working on.
The project sounded interested, but also sounded very foreign. Still, she figured that if she didn’t leap on chances to expand her horizons, on chances to live outside of her box, she wouldn’t be living up the promise she had made to herself once she arrived in Lhavit. Here she was attempting to do that, and Atticus was kindly offering.
“I’ll teach you what I know if you give me a tour and let me in on your project,” she bargained, a small smile on her once despaired face. “How’s that sound?”
The Zeltivan was actually excited for this little exchange of information. Two scientists sharing their trades with one another sounded like the perfect thing to do in a scholarly city such as Lhavit, even if there was a fair few of devout and pious souls.
“What made you get into that subject?” she questioned. “Is it against your superior’s wishes? You sounded like you didn’t agree with what your associates were studying, the stars and all that. Are you against it or do you just think it’s time to study something else?”
She held her teacup by the handle in one hand, the other holding the saucer gingerly, yet strong enough to keep it all from crashing down. Her fingers were practiced in this way, a doctor having to perform very delicate procedures when treating a patient. The practices had bled their way into her everyday life, having been placed there by her father in the beginning.
