Dating Game
Mollasses #20. Alpha Male with Chopped Nuts, Milkshake, and Malt
Story : knights and Sub Rosa
Rating : PG
Timeframe : N/A
Word Count : 618
Malt Prompt : Dating Game - contestant : Lyssa, winner : Chuth
“It’s nice to get to eat out,“ said the stranger across from her as he flipped through his menu. “I don’t do that very often, Usually I have to make dinner for Kyith.”
“So,” said Lyssa, appraising her companion over the leatherbound pamphlet spread between his hands. “Chuth.” Such an odd sounding name, but then pointy ears hadn‘t been on her list of expectations either. “You’re a general?”
“Apprentice,” he was quick to correct. “Apprentice General. Though Kyith says I’m really improving, so maybe someday soon.” A flush haunted his cheeks as his eyes hastily returned to the menu.
Her own menu laid out flat on the table, Lyssa toyed with her drink. “So, does that mean you have a lot of wars where you come from?”
“Oh, no, not really.” He folded the menu and reached for his glass. “But it never hurts to be prepared, you know. And Kyith especially likes to be prepared. I mean, you never know what you might have to do. So he always has these crazy things he‘s wanting me to learn.” He took a gulp of water. “But you said you were a fighter too, didn’t you?”
“Mercenary.”
Chuth quirked a brow. “Oh?”
“Yeah, mostly guarding caravans and the like. Nothing much of interest in ages.”
“Oh.” His voice fell a bit.
“Well,” she said slowly, mentally groping for anything of interest. “There was a time we came across some rocs along this pass. I mean, they can be kind of scary, but they’re no match for fire-”
“Kyith sent me after a roc once.” The excitement that held him for a moment quickly faded. “Though,“ he added, “well, he had to kill the thing in the end. I still have the scars-”
A server with a basket of bread interrupted his speech. Attention diverted to the food, Chuth tore open a muffin. “Oh!” he said, dark eyes alight. “Almonds! Kyith never lets me put nuts in things. Says they’re disgusting. Can you imagine?”
“Oh, no,” said Lyssa, idly plucking a muffin from the basket herself. “I suppose not.”
“He’s funny about a lot of things that way,” he continued around bites. “Like, one time I borrowed his razor, just for a bit, and when he couldn’t find it…“ She twirled the strap of her dress around one finger as his blather continued, the words slipping from her notice. A bite tucked in her cheek, she surveyed the neckline carefully set across the swell of her breasts. Then she eyed her tablemate, who was prattling on, much enraptured with the wonders of a banana nut muffin, and sighed. “Can you belive a person would do such a thing?”
“No,” she said, hastily, glad to have caught the last line, fervently hoping that a negative was the right answer. To what, she didn’t have a clue. “No… I, er, no…” She forced a smile, eyes leveled at his. “So, what does Chuth like to do?”
“Well,“ said Chuth, with a thoughtful frown, “I like horses,” and, at that he beamed, and Lyssa held out some hope. “I’m a great rider, definitely better than Kyith.” She groaned. “Why this one time he-” The frown returned, and the blush along with it. “Oh… yeah…”
He shuffled a bit in his chair. “I like cards. Not too bad at that either, though I never play with Kyith. I swear the man cheats.”
“You know,“ said Lyssa, clapping a hand lihtly over his. “It’s been lovely. Maybe… maybe sometime you should bring Kyith here, huh?”
“Huh?” His jaw dropped as she stood. “Are you leaving?”
“You’re sweet, really, you are.” She pushed in her chair. “But I’m not too keen on being a third wheel.”
Story : knights and Sub Rosa
Rating : PG
Timeframe : N/A
Word Count : 618
Malt Prompt : Dating Game - contestant : Lyssa, winner : Chuth
“It’s nice to get to eat out,“ said the stranger across from her as he flipped through his menu. “I don’t do that very often, Usually I have to make dinner for Kyith.”
“So,” said Lyssa, appraising her companion over the leatherbound pamphlet spread between his hands. “Chuth.” Such an odd sounding name, but then pointy ears hadn‘t been on her list of expectations either. “You’re a general?”
“Apprentice,” he was quick to correct. “Apprentice General. Though Kyith says I’m really improving, so maybe someday soon.” A flush haunted his cheeks as his eyes hastily returned to the menu.
Her own menu laid out flat on the table, Lyssa toyed with her drink. “So, does that mean you have a lot of wars where you come from?”
“Oh, no, not really.” He folded the menu and reached for his glass. “But it never hurts to be prepared, you know. And Kyith especially likes to be prepared. I mean, you never know what you might have to do. So he always has these crazy things he‘s wanting me to learn.” He took a gulp of water. “But you said you were a fighter too, didn’t you?”
“Mercenary.”
Chuth quirked a brow. “Oh?”
“Yeah, mostly guarding caravans and the like. Nothing much of interest in ages.”
“Oh.” His voice fell a bit.
“Well,” she said slowly, mentally groping for anything of interest. “There was a time we came across some rocs along this pass. I mean, they can be kind of scary, but they’re no match for fire-”
“Kyith sent me after a roc once.” The excitement that held him for a moment quickly faded. “Though,“ he added, “well, he had to kill the thing in the end. I still have the scars-”
A server with a basket of bread interrupted his speech. Attention diverted to the food, Chuth tore open a muffin. “Oh!” he said, dark eyes alight. “Almonds! Kyith never lets me put nuts in things. Says they’re disgusting. Can you imagine?”
“Oh, no,” said Lyssa, idly plucking a muffin from the basket herself. “I suppose not.”
“He’s funny about a lot of things that way,” he continued around bites. “Like, one time I borrowed his razor, just for a bit, and when he couldn’t find it…“ She twirled the strap of her dress around one finger as his blather continued, the words slipping from her notice. A bite tucked in her cheek, she surveyed the neckline carefully set across the swell of her breasts. Then she eyed her tablemate, who was prattling on, much enraptured with the wonders of a banana nut muffin, and sighed. “Can you belive a person would do such a thing?”
“No,” she said, hastily, glad to have caught the last line, fervently hoping that a negative was the right answer. To what, she didn’t have a clue. “No… I, er, no…” She forced a smile, eyes leveled at his. “So, what does Chuth like to do?”
“Well,“ said Chuth, with a thoughtful frown, “I like horses,” and, at that he beamed, and Lyssa held out some hope. “I’m a great rider, definitely better than Kyith.” She groaned. “Why this one time he-” The frown returned, and the blush along with it. “Oh… yeah…”
He shuffled a bit in his chair. “I like cards. Not too bad at that either, though I never play with Kyith. I swear the man cheats.”
“You know,“ said Lyssa, clapping a hand lihtly over his. “It’s been lovely. Maybe… maybe sometime you should bring Kyith here, huh?”
“Huh?” His jaw dropped as she stood. “Are you leaving?”
“You’re sweet, really, you are.” She pushed in her chair. “But I’m not too keen on being a third wheel.”