Scenario Entitled: Boy Meets GurlCharacters:
Gareth, buffoon. Rumored to be quite mad.
Rayne, damsel. Rumored to be quite mad. This could be interesting. . .
Location: Druid's Grove, located in Freedom Plaza.
Date: Summer, 109 P.A.
Gareth stumbles inside the grove from the plaza and makes hasty brushing motions on his new looking duds. He mutters, "S'truth...Bloody femme..." He huffs and puffs and meanders further inside, giving himself a squeeze and a pinch to make sure all his equipment is in the right place.
Rayne blinks, looking up from a crystal she has clutched in her hands at the disturbance at the grove's entrance. Not recognizing the man (at least, not from this distance), she huddles closer to the tree she's leaning against and curls her knees tighter to her chest, eyes going wary.
Gareth clears his throat and takes a peek out the entrance one more time, just to be sure he's not being followed by that damned junkie again. Do they think he carries a huge stash on his person or something? He'll have to work on his rep in the very near future. With a large sigh he advances further into the groove and inhales deeply. His nose wrinkles a little, but it's a definite improvement from the plaza. He trundles towards the hut, curiosity peaking inside his noggin.
Rayne's wide eyed innocent stare follows the large, dark man as he comes more clearly into view from where she sits. A shudder runs through her thin, pale form and she tucks her crystal into a small pouch. Rayne looks somewhere on the verge of trying to melt into the scenery or running... a timid deer caught in headlights.
Gareth approaches the hut and pokes his head into the entrance. He offers a throaty, "Huullloooooo," and a guffaw. After rumbling with mirth over just how amusing he thinks he is, he rustles around in a pocket for a moment. After finding something, he pops it into his mouth and starts chomping voraciously on it. He begins strolling about the grove absently, hands jammed into his pockets and his mind wandering about.
Rayne tucks her pouch under her billowy skirt and rubs her temples anxiously. She calls out in a soft, sweet voice to the strange man, "Excuse me, sir? Are you looking for someone in particular?" The sound of her own voice seems to startle the woman at first, but a deep cleansing breath brings her back to at least looking calm, her shaking hands falling to her lap the only sign that she's a little unnerved.
Gareth nearly jumps out of his trousers at the sound of another voice. It's somewhat too late to try and contain the initial shock, but he's going to try damn hard like it didn't spook him at all. "Aye?...Just look'n." He resumes his chomping and a small nervous grin creeps onto his face. Is that the owner? He tries to get a peek at the owner of the question. "Where yew be, femme?"
Rayne grimaces, meekly waving a hand to get the gentleman's attention, "Over here, sir. I say, can I help you? You look... um, a bit displaced." After dry washing her hands on her skirt, she still seems nervous and wary of the stranger.
Gareth gathers more confidence into his stride and demeanor. She seems to have a pleasant voice, perhaps her kit will also be an eyefull. "Aye..." He trundles towards the voice and catches sight of Rayne. He takes a moment to squint his one good eye and a crooked smile materializes. "Mebbe yew can, S'truth. I be a bit dizzied by tha bloody plaz'ah. Too many blokes, femmes'n panzies if yew know whut I mean."
It takes a minute for this strange man's drawl to make sense to her, but finally comprehension dawns on Rayne's face. She smiles warmly, "Ah, yes... the plaza is always busy this time of the afternoon. Lunchtime for many, you know." She gestures to a spot near her on the ground and says, "Please, have a seat? You can enjoy your..." she pauses, watching the man chew... something before saying, "Your lunch here with me."
Gareth doesn't seem to clue in at first regarding his supposed lunch. The hot firey pepper-chew he's been chowing on finally allows a neuron to zap in the right place and he nods and smiles stupidly. "Aye aye, me lunch. I'd luv'tah join yew, S'truth." He makes his way towards her, notes the ground and has some misgivings over what it might do to his clothes. He finally decides to seat his caboose on the earth after reasoning that if it isn't wet, it won't do anything horrific. As he settles his girth down he yammers, "Y'know...Yew look fam-il-ar, S'truth." Chomp chomp chomp.
Rayne rubs her chin thoughtfully, then lays her hand back in her lap, trying very hard to look relaxed. Her stiff shoulders, neck and back are a dead giveaway, though. She mumbles softly, "Television, maybe? I do late night commercials...." she shrugs then adds, "Or maybe you've seen me in the shop I work at, though I doubt it." She sniffs disdainfully, as if not visiting her workplace might indeed be some mortal sin.
Gareth runs a hand almost daintily over his hair and settles into a good seated position which looks suspiciously like it might sprawl any moment. He scrutinizes Rayne's face and pouts his lips while his mind works feverishly to place a name with a face. "Aye...Un-fortunately I not be a big tee-vee bloke. More in'tah tapes'n flicks. I shud take a gander at sum late stoof on tha tee-vee tonoight then. See if I kin spot yew...Whut sort'ah com-ercials do yew do? They fer yer shop?" He continues to chew like a cow and seems to still on the path to discovering the act of etiquette.
Rayne tilts her chin a little higher, a pout puckering her full lips, "Why, I'm a well known psychic! I provide psychic services to those in need, both over the phone and at the Hanged Man." Despite her sudden haughtiness, she doesn't seem altogether surprised that her fame hasn't carried far and wide. "And you sir? What profession affords you your worldly comforts?"
Gareth's mouth form an 'o' and he nods slowly. "Aye...I see." Now that the topic is on him again he gets all self-important. "Well...I gots me a gym 'oop onn'ah west side an try'n tah expand a wee bit. It on'lah be due to me sup'ah-dup'ah busy-ness skills tha I kin make so mooch mun'ah." He grins broadly. "It be all 'ard 'ard work, S'truth." His mind nips at something in his subconscious and he blurts, "Yew'ah princess'r druid! S'truth...bollocks...Uh, Green dress..." His eye rolls up as his brain desperately tries to unknot the memory currently in his brainpan.
Rayne stares blankly at the man for a moment, then blinks, then returns to staring. A long moment passes, and finally she says, "What? I mean, you run a gym? That's nice. I hope it's nothing like that one that I heard about... the one where prostitution was going on or something like that. I can't remember. Terrible shame." She clicks her tongue. "People should know better than to defile the Goddess, eternal be her voice, or so you'd think." She picks at her skirt a moment then says, "What about a princess druid??" Rayne truly looks innocently befuddled.
Whoa-oh, she's a zealot. Gareth gets a little aprehensive in his outward appearance with talk of the Goddess. He's not sure exactly which one she's refering to, but once heard a story about one rampaging a town somewhere. Best not to upset followers of the faith either, no sir. He nods along with the stupid grin on his face again. "Aye...shame on them, S'truth. Bloody terr-ible stoof..." His mind barrels back to the pesky memory that seems to be evading the light of illumination. "Uh...Dance'n...purrty dress...Uh..." He snaps his fingers and smiles. "I wuz a fat cat. The bloody ball."
Despite being awfully pretty, she doesn't look terribly bright at the moment. The blank stare seems to be a permanant part of her face. Finally, memory kicks in and Rayne's whole demeanor brightens, "Oh! The costume ball!" She claps her hands together, "yes, yes, now I remember. A little at least. You're, um... friends... with Rooke? Something like that? I seem to remember her eyeing you, at least." She shrugs, as if it's no important matter to her. She recovers her manners and cheerfully says, "Well, it's good to see you again, though for the life of me I can't remember your name. I'm Rayne, by the way." She extends a delicate hand.
Gareth extends one of his gloved hands and gives her hand a squeeze and a pump. After doing so he immediately chastizes himself from not doing that hokey smooch on the hand thing he's seen in pretty pictures and flicks. He'll have to make up for it later. "Aye...Most like'lah Rookie. She does git around a 'hole bunch, S'truth. She know a-lot'ah peep-le. Guess that be normal...since she wuz all civic a-while there, S'truth. Uh...Me name be Gar-eth. Pleezed tah meet'cha a-gain Rayne. Yew seem tah still be just as purrty as ev'ah...tha's whut 'elped me rec-o-llect, S'truth." He winks and grins smarmily.
Rayne blushes a deep shade of red and picks at her skirt, mumbling a soft thank you. She glances up at the large man through lowered lashes and asks sweetly, "So what brings you here? You hardly seem the outdoorsy type? No offense, of course."
Gareth utters a loud, "Naaah." and waves his hands about as if trying to wave off such things. "Can't stand be'n 'oot-doors unless I be onn'ah trip'r on busy-ness. Too many bugs'n...trees? B'sides, there be plen'tah 'o fairies'n whatnot 'oot there. Yew dunn'ah want tah mess with them twinkly bastiches." He waggles a finger. Where was he? Oh yes, why he's here. "Well...I be 'ounded by a bloody ju...Well, an old friend tha I dunn'ah think be too virtuous no more, S'truth. She be...naught'ah with them 'orrible 'orrible droogs. Dunn'ah want tah git messed 'oop with 'er, S'truth. Thought I culd do'ah quick-quick sneak-sneak'n 'ide 'ere. An I be sooo glad I did."
Rayne nods solomnly, "Drugs. Well, it's no wonder. I've tried to help a few strung out junkies before. It's really a shame to see such a waste, but you know, it's not really their fault. It's those dealers! I mean, anything for those extra cred chips to line their dirty pockets! While children starve, drug dealers throw money away, it's horrible!" She shakes her head and sighs, then leans forward and in a soft voice, despite the lack of any other obvious listening ears, Rayne mutters, "Personally, I think all non-medical drugs should be illegal and I think dealers should be sentenced to death." She nods firmly, very self righteous indeed.
Gareth tries his best to appear to agree with her, even going so far to nod emphatically with her suggestions. "Yew know, tha be very sen-sible think'n...cause then there wuldn't be starve'n children'r mun'ah be'n thrown away, S'truth." He fidgets with his hands and after noticing he's actually doing this...stops. "Aye...dir'tah pockies. Yew shud be care-ful though of them junkies. They kin be a wee bit danger-oos. They be so 'ooked on drugies tha they be vary vio-lent. But...what wuld yew do with all tha mun'ah yew saved if yew culd do a-way with them 'orrible drug deal'ahs?"
Rayne furrows her brows a moment then responds, "Why, I'll be honest, I think half my life's work has been dealing with the effects of drugs on individuals and families. I'm not sure what I'd do with the extra money. Probably educate the people that were saved and their children. I'd make sure no one went hungry and everyone had a warm, safe place to sleep." She shrugs, "Not likely I'd be able to get rid of all of the dealers. There's always someone greedy enough to do it." She smiles sweetly and reaches out to pat the man's knee, "Unlike decent men like you who work for a living. Though, I must admit, the gym must be pretty fun, too, right?"
Gareth beams with pleasure. "S'truth. It be a fine fine thing tah be'ah busy-ness bloke. It be a gud gud thing tah provide a le-git-a..a le-git-a-mite place where peep-le kin git fit'n healthy. Nuth'n bett'ah than peep-le be'n fit'n body...an I guess yew wuld be do'n tha git'n peep-le fit inn'ah mind." He smiles broadly. "I be'ah 'appy bloke, S'truth. It be 'ard work though, S'truth. Be'n 'onest'n legit not as prof-itable as be'n a cheat'n bloke." He keeps laying it on like greasy mayonaise.
Rayne nods eagerly, her naivity almost sickening. "Oh, you ARE such a charming man. I'm so glad to finally meet someone who understands." She sighs contentedly, then asks, "So, how does the gym work? Do people pay each time they go? Or is there some kind of membership? You know, I've never even been in one of those places, though I've always thought it might be fun to try..."
Gareth will burst soon if he receives any more compliments. His head will inflate to gigantic proportions and then sail off into the sky. Usually he has to pay for this sort of thing from terrified young women...with scripts provided of course. "S'truth! Well, yew see, peep-le kin either pay day-by-day'r pay fer months'r years. I culd...Say, why dun't I give yew a small tour'n a free day pass so yew kin try tha place 'oot? I culd arrange tah show yew tha ropes'n stoof. I culd broad'n yer...'orizons." He had to think a bit to find the particular word he wanted.
Rayne nods vigorously, "Oh, yes! Yes that would be great! Oh, I'm so excited, I'd LOVE to get to know you better and see your business. I mean, I wouldn't want to take advantage of your kindness or anything, but if you don't mind..." she trails off, batting her eyelashes coquetishly. Oh, how little does the angel know of Satan. Ah well.
Gareth claps his hands together and rubs them vigorously. "S'truth!" He grins so hard it'll hurt later. "Naw naw, yew dunn'ah be take'n advantage, I off'ahed it didn't I? 'Course I did!" He'd better be careful with this smiling bit as his unforgotten piece of gum is sticking to his molars. Wouldn't want to display that on front of a great beaming smile. "Why dun't we go 'ave'ah look now? I not be busy...Or, we culd later?" He inhales deeply and his nose wrinkles again as he awaits her answer.
Rayne suddenly looks doubtful, her eyes gazing up toward the slanting sun, "Well, evening is fast appproaching, maybe some other time? Tell you what, next time you have a free bit of time, why not stop by the Hanged Man and get me? I'm sure I can step away from the shop for a bit to explore your world." She stretches, looking much more comfortable with the man now that she's gotten more aquainted with him. "I suppose I should really head back there now. You take care of yourself though and thanks for chatting." She reaches out and squeezes his leg... or tries to, but doesn't accomplish much squeezing against his rock hard muscles. "Oh, and watch out for that crazy druggie friend of yours."
Gareth nods firmly and winks, which could be a blink all things considered. "Aye...I'll do that, S'truth. Yew take care too." He starts to prepare himself for a departure from the grove, getting his legs underneath him and resuming his frenzied chewing.
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