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Post by manju on Apr 3, 2008 16:28:36 GMT -5
As she watched the handsome bartender rummage around, Nasrin soon rose her voice in a rare moment. Her suggestion was odd, even for Manju to comprehend. As far as she knew, from what mental image she had painted about Nasrin's home, the desert had no fish. If that was the case, would Nasrin even know how to fish? Manju thought not, and took the opportunity to voice her opinion.
Kicking Nasrin's leg, sliding her feet of their former resting place, she slammed her hand on the table. Looking Nasrin in the eye, her eyebrow raised to a disturbingly high level. "Dummy. Jou even know 'ow to fish? Wait, don' tell me...dey 'ave sand fishies in de Si Wong."
Manju thought she was quite clever, but saw no threat in Nasrin. The sandbender had never once attacked her, and she was glad. A bit bored at the lack of a reaction, but thankful she had a punching bag for her random bouts of teasing.
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Post by nasrin on Apr 7, 2008 8:46:29 GMT -5
Nasrin turned her head only slightly to meet Manju's gaze. Her expression remained placid as the Igni girl questioned her suggestion. "Nope," the sandbender said casually.
"Here you are," came the voice of the bartender, who interrupted the two for a moment to place a mug of ale and a bowl of nuts beside Nasrin. "Your dumplings will be up in a moment," he added with a slight smile to Manju before wandering back across the bar.
Nasrin paused a moment to slide her refreshments closer to herself with a sweep of her arm and then tossed a few nuts into her mouth. "But that's why now would be a good time to give it a shot," she said, continuing their previous conversation. "Not going to be another chance to fish once I'm back home." The sandbender took a sip from her mug to wash down her food and then picked up another handful.
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Post by manju on Apr 7, 2008 21:11:05 GMT -5
Honey-colored eyes following the bartender, Manju quickly averted her gaze to Nasrin. Not that she was ashamed to gawk at his god-like sexiness, but she knew the barkeep wasn't about to disappear into thin air. He said he would be back soon, and Manju would hold him to his word. If not, it was no skin off her nose.
As Nasrin spoke, Manju thought the sandbender was showing an uncharacteristic interest in fishing. Granted, she had never fished before, but Manju thought the activity really wasn't Nasrin's cup of mead. But she pondered it for a second. Sitting lazily, waiting for fish to bite, probably sipping beer...yup, that was Nastin alright. Again peering at the handsome barkeep out the corner of her eye, Manju gave her reply. "Better now den never, I guess."
Manju was usually one to stay detached, particularly after her arrival in that new land, and the sandbender's mention of leaving for home barely rose Manju's eyebrow. Nasrin mentioned it so many times before that it was hardly disconcerting to the Igni. Letting out what seemed a mixture of a sigh and huff, she looked at Nasrin and gestured at the barkeep with his head. "'E's pretty hot for an Earth Kingdom guy."
It was then that she wondered if Nasrin had any interest whatesoever in the opposite sex.
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Post by nasrin on Apr 8, 2008 16:16:13 GMT -5
Nasrin flcked another shelled walnut into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully as she mulled over Manju's fascination with the man behind the counter. The strange Igni girl, with her tattoos, piercings, short hair, and boyish build hardly seemed like the type to gawk at men. As long as she'd known her, Nasrin had almost come to think of Manju like an annoying little brother. She even recalled Manju referring to herself as "De Wonderboy!" once...
Still, considering how little she let her feminine side show, Nasrin couldn't rightfully be one to judge. After all, her encounters with the opposite gender were few and far between and rarely did they last very long. Perhaps Manju was simply feeling some of her baser instincts after suppressing them for so long in favor of travel.
The sandbender had taken a short while to mull these thoughts over, letting Manju's last statement go unanswered. After a few more seconds, the bartender flitted back to them and deposited a small plate with three rows of dumplings on it, each skewered by a stick. "Enjoy," the young man said, taking only a moment to glance at the amount remaining in Nasrin's mug before wandering off.
The moment his back was turned the sandbender said quietly, "A little young for my taste... But about now I'd take anything." Nasrin swiftly picked up her mug and began to take a long sip, though she was curious to see Manju's reaction.
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Post by manju on Apr 13, 2008 21:19:33 GMT -5
Manju chuckled at Nasrin's response, only because it made her seem like so very desperate. Manju had no idea whether or not Nasrin had fooled around with any men in her lifetime, but she concluded it must have been so. Considering her approximate age, the Igni thought it would be amazing for a girl to have not lost her virginity by then. Back on the Ignis, it was unheard of for most anyone male or female to stay a virgin into adulthood unless they were a total loser. Nasrin was quiet and a bit of a drunk, but didn't quite fail at life miserably.
She soon finished her dumpling, devouring them with voracity, then locked eyes with the bartender across the room once more. He seemed to avert his gaze almost immediately, but Manju lingered a bit longer. That is, until Nasrin's suggestion about fishing resurfaced in her mind. Nudging the sandbender with her foot, she figured they had better get a quick start. While not thrilled with the idea, she figured they could get it out of the way so that more amusing activities could be had. "Well, c'mon. Let's go fishin' before it gets late."
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Post by nasrin on Apr 16, 2008 17:01:38 GMT -5
Manju's obvious fixation on the bartender managed to amuse Nasrin as she sipped from her mug. The sandbender had seen such behavior before... back when she was barely a teenager. But then again, she was never making the puppy eyes, just observing the ones who did. It was both cute and pathetic at the same time, but ultimately Nasrin felt nothing more than the vaguest form of entertainment from it.
"In a minute," she replied to Manju's sudden desire to get the fishing over with now. "I've still got food, and you can take this chance to ask your friend to come along..." Nasrin picked up a few nuts from the bowl and tossed them into her mouth, somehow managing to offer her companion the slightest of smirks. "He can teach you how to fish," she suggested, cocking her head to the side toward the bartender.
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Post by manju on Apr 21, 2008 20:56:03 GMT -5
"My friend?" Manju inquired with an expression somewhere between confusion and amusement. Though if there was any underlying joke, it flew over her head. She knew in essence what Nasrin was referring to, the hot bartender, but Manju would definitely not let Nasrin have the last word in edgewise. No, not a soul could get away with teasing Manju...at least not in her mind. As the sandbender showed a rare bout of mockery, the Igni knew retribution was in order.
"Pssh, I already know 'ow to fish, probly way better den 'im. Maybe he can come along to teach you!" Manju said while poking Nasrin in the ribs with her foot. However lame a reply that was, ultimately proving nothing at all, Manju let out chuckle or two. It really did take so little to amuse the Igni girl, particularly things she said herself. Even so, she knew Nasrin wouldn't return anything with much force, so she felt a certain sense of accomplishment. Then, resting her feet in the sandbender's lap again, she yawned. "So, we should go now..."
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Post by nasrin on Apr 27, 2008 1:16:37 GMT -5
Manju's attempt at a come-back was rather feeble. So much so that one might think she was the one who'd had a few drinks. Nasrin ignored the little poke to her ribs, and as the Igni girl badgered her to get on with the fishing, she merely replied, "Kind of hard to go with your feet on me."
The sandbender lifted her mug up once more, and in one long chug managed to drain the remainder of its contents before placing it back down on the counter of the bar. "But maybe..." Nasrin said, her voice trailing off into nothingness as she considered what Manju had suggested about the bartender.
Speaking of the devil, the handsome man suddenly made his way over to the unusual duo upon seeing Nasrin finish her drink. "Can I get you another?" he asked,hooking the handle of the mug with his fingers and picking it up. Nasrin replied with a sideways wave of the hand that declined his offer, and instead she pulled out a few copper pieces and slapped them down on the counter to pay for her meal. "Thanks," the bartender said, smiling, "Anything else I can do for you?"
Nasrin's glance slid slowly to her side and fell on Manju for a moment, and an amusing idea popped into her mind. "What time do you get off work?" she asked, looking back at the bartender, who seemed a little confused.
"My shift ends around mid-day... 'bout a half hour," he replied while dropping Nasrin's used mug into a sink full of water, "Why do you ask?"
"This is my first trip to the coast," Nasrin answered, "And I'm looking for someone to take me fishing." She attempted to make herself look friendly, but aside from the slightest upward angle at the end of her lips she still had her usual half-lidded, apathetic expression. "Do you know the waters?"
"As good as any," the bartender answered, "but I don't know if I'd be the one to se about that sort of thing."
"Don't have a boat?"
"Well, yeah, but you can fish right off the pier without one."
"Then how about I buy another ale for four silver pieces and you let us rent some fishing poles and an hour of your time?"
The bartender didn't answer immediately as he seemed to mull over the proposal in his mind. Four silver pieces was not exactly a hefty bribe, but it was more than he usually made in an hour doing honest work. The man looked over Manju for a moment as well, obviously weighing her foreign appearance into his decision. "Welll...." he said at length, dragging the word out for a few seconds, "I guess it couldn't hurt to show you ladies the tricks of the trade."
"Fantastic," Nasrin said, somehow managing to say that word without a scrap of enthusiasm. She shelled out her promised price and dropped it on the counter. "We'll meet you by docks in a half hour or so," she stated. The bartender made swift work of fetching Nasrin another beer while pocketing his pay, and the sandbender woman scooped up the mug and the remaining walnuts in the bowl before turning to Manju.
"Ready to go?"
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Post by manju on Apr 28, 2008 18:59:54 GMT -5
Manju was impressed. As far as she could remember, she had never heard more than a dozen words from Nasrin on any given day, but the sandbender seemed to surprise the Igni on a frequent basis. She should have known better than to provoke Nasrin, since it was more than likely the sand nomad would oblige Manju. It was really no problem, though. She probably wouldn't fawn over the bartender too much, and was likely to befriend the young man in a relatively short time. Whether they would stay on good terms was up for debate, though.
In the meantime, having been evicted from Nasrin's lap, her feet found residence on the edge of the table while her chair barely balanced on its two back legs. Rocking back and forth lazily, the Igni crossed her arms. "Yeah, I guess," Manju said with an unnecessary amount of sass in her voice, expertly launching her feet in a high arch from the table to the floor. Raising, she took a step toward the door without a single regard for the man who would join them. "Well...c'mon."
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Post by nasrin on Apr 30, 2008 14:35:01 GMT -5
Nasrin grabbed her mug to take with her and got up to follow Manju. The Igni girl seemed slightly perturbed that she had gone ahead and arranged something without asking her. Nasrin partially wondered if Manju simply didn't like the man and had been toying with him, or if the Igni girl was upset that she wasn't the only one being random for a change. That thought brought a slight smirk to the Si Wong native's face. It was a fun idea to consider.
Perhaps Manju was so accustomed to other people being static and predictable that she felt it gave her license to be chaotic and wild. As long as everything else remained the same and people stuck to their habits she could do what she pleased and still not be left behind. However, when the playing field was constantly changing and other people were just as unpredictable, then she had to be more reserved; play it safer, lest she get comepletely lost in the scheme of things.
Nasrin had retreated almost completely into her own mind at this point. Her legs were moving of their own accord, trailing Manju which her eyes were still focused on automatically. Even her arm seemed to know to lift the mug up to her mouth after enough time had passed, and before long they were back out into the town. They had some time to kill, but unless Manju broke Nasrin from her musings, she would likely just stand there and stare off into space until the bartender caught up with them.
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Post by manju on May 2, 2008 14:42:49 GMT -5
It didn't take long for Manju's vague annoyance to wear off, as even her first step on their walk to the pier was completely without concern. They would be kept company by the total stranger whose name neither of them knew, and that was just fine in her book. It seems both of them would have eye candy during their outing, unless Nasrin was just leading her on. That is, if he even took Nasrin seriously and decided to join. There was no loss if he stayed behind and did whatever his handsome self wanted, but his presence would certainly improve the scenery...especially if he took off his shirt.
During their walk, Nasrin was quiet. Really, she seemed contemplative. Over what, Manju had neither a care nor an idea, but the fact still managed to capture her attention. It wasn't really unusual for Nasrin to walk behind Manju and stay silent, but the Igni still saw no wrong in starting an idle conversation.
"So...how 'bout de weader?"
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Post by nasrin on May 6, 2008 8:36:53 GMT -5
Barely roken from her inner musings, Nasrin seemed to reply automatically with a mumbled, "Yeah. It's nice." She tilted her head back slightly and opened her mouth in a deep yawn that seemed to come out of nowhere. The sandbender rubbed her eyes afterward with the palm of her hand and then took a seat on the pier with her feet dangling over the edge of the wooden walkway.
For the time being she was content to just sit in silence and finish her ale, leaving Manju to do whatever it was Ignis did. She assumed the girl would resort to toying with her spindle disk or maybe start walking around on her hands. Both seemed likely enough.
But as a half hour passed them by, their boredom was broken by the sight of a man approaching from the town with a pair of fhishing poles in his hands as well as a small wooden tacklebox. Nasrin was only slightly surprised that the man actually accepted their offer, and she slowly rose to her feet while placing her empty mug on one of the pier's wooden columns.
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Post by manju on May 8, 2008 12:41:45 GMT -5
Manju's spindle-disk wound up captivating her attention after a few minutes. Walking on the pier behind Nasrin, she grabbed it from her backpack and began lobbing it up and down. The device was rather common to her people, who were fond of rope weaponry, but she knew a bit of practice was needed before she mastered its use. For now, Manju could expertly do exactly what she was doing, but that was useless for combat. Despite the simplicity of the weapon, it still took a little more skill to slam it into someone's face.
It wasn't long before Manju, unusually silent, saw Nasrin rise from her position and head in the opposite direction. Of course, facing the sea, Manju saw nothing of interest in that direction. She turned to see no one other than that handsome young bartender heading toward them with fishing poles. Truthfully, Manju was surprised that he wasn't just humoring the two strangers. Returning the odd implement to her bag, she followed Nasrin but stopped only a few feet from the actual dock. Perching her hands on her hips, she smirked. "So, decided to join us after all, eh?"
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Post by nasrin on May 11, 2008 22:48:03 GMT -5
"A deal's a deal," the bartender said as he approached the women with the fishing equipment. He stopped in front of the two and then handed each a fishing rod. Nasrin accepted the rod with her usual stoicness and lowered it to her side. "You ladies ever been fishing before?" he asked, seeming like he was making an honest attempt at friendly conversation.
"First timer," Nasrin said, raising her hand slightly. Her phrasing could have been a bit more precise, but she didn't care much. She was still toying with the notion of attempting to ruffle Manju's feathers by hogging the man's attention. "So how do I cast this thing?" the sandbender asked while turning to the side. She raised the rod while gripping it around the middle and flicked it toward the edge of the dock. The hook shook loose from where it was tucked and swung out wide, causing the bartender to yelp and duck reflexively.
"Whoah!" he said, standing up as the hook came to a rest dangling at the end of the pole. "One step at a time... Let's start with putting the bait on first." The man seemed like he suddenly realized just what level of inexperience he was dealing with, but still he managed to maintain a friendly smile. "Let's head to the end of the dock, shall we?"
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Post by manju on May 15, 2008 14:57:40 GMT -5
"Pfft, newb," Manju grumbled with an unusual amount of spite in her voice. She was only a bit jealous, but more confused that Nasrin would even think of being so manipulative. Honestly, she thought the epicene sandbender was merely joking when the notion of fishing was suggested. The Igni supposed that was her happy reward for showing weakness - in this case, physical attraction.
She had no clue why the sandbender was turning the tables, but figured she would allow it. If Manju sought great joy in randomness, then why would Nasrin be any different? Why would any person be She would let the desert native enjoy herself for once. Still, it wasn't very nice of her to hog all the attention. There wasn't holding Manju back from being a total attention whore.
For now, she sat on the side of the dock, her pole cast in the shallow blue waters and her body slouched a bit. Her eyes gazed upon the depths, where tiny fishes made themselves known every now and then. She figured she would eke out as much enjoyment as possible before she got bored. That would take at least five minutes.
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