Garis and Neli: The Odd Couple

From FiranMUX

South of Anarinuell: Aurik's Apple Orchard

    The summer heat barely penetrates the foliage of the evenly spaced 
    apple trees here, and while bees busy themselves about this orchard,
    it's a comfortable and idyllic place. Luscious red apples hang from 
    the tree branches, and a lovely little villa home can be seen up  
    ahead.                                                            
                                                                      

Obvious exits: Aurik Villa North South West Garis comes in from the west. Garis has arrived.

Garis moves very quietly into the area as he sees Neli while taking a short cut through the Aurik sheep farm. He isn't really spying on her, nor is there anything but affection in his deep blue eyes. He just watches her, taking in her motions, be they simple or complex in detail, and enjoying the actions for their unimportance and naturalness.

Neli picks a few apples up from the ground, putting them in her basket for early cider. She goes on about her day's work, looking and picking. Tossing a few apples out further from the orchard for the birds to fight over. Completely engrossed in her work, as always.

Garis enjoys his fairly secluded vantage point as he watches Neli move about a routine she could do in her sleep. Why, Uf? Why did you not let me find her after Zurena instead of Anala? He inquires in silent thought. There should be nothing seductive about such a simple and thoughtless activity as she performs, and yet, to the old farmer, it is entrancing... more so than Zutiva's dance of scarves.

Neli carries the basket close to her, going over the apples again to make sure the ones she's decided on aren't too badly bruised. She smiles, this place being one of her favorites. Out of the heat of the day...the smell of apples all around. She sets the basket just past the edge of the orchard. Spying one apple that she's missed, she picks up the perfect little green fruit and takes a small bite. It's all she can stand as her face squints and puckers. A laugh erupts, unchecked....hadn't done that in years, she thinks.

Garis does all he can to avoid laughing and scaring the life out of the ol'girl.. Course from his vantage point, stolen as it is, she really is a good looking woman: rounded not scrawny, pretty good looking woman, the kind you want to have grown old with. He does allow him self to grin, and enjoy the expression on her face. He thinks for a second, looking down and shaking his head.. He has just got to grow up, staring at a woman from a bush like a damned teenager. But without any control his eyes pull themselves back up to do just that.

Neli tosses the apple off...after taking one more punishing taste. She chuckles to her silly self, and goes back to the trees. Hmm, this one'll have to be pruned before frost. She takes one scrap piece of linen, tying it round the branch of the tree. No sense in her cuttin' herself to pieces prunin the trees this fall, but even worse sense sendin' someone in who dun know the trees like she does. She pulls a few small oak saplings that have sprouted up from goodness knows where and tosses them out of the orchard. Her tasks are menial, and mundane. She does this every week. But it's good to her. Keeps her outside...keeps her smiling.

It takes little to keep his interest, it seems because she definately has Garis', his attention locked to her as if she where a burning building. Each apple moved, each action taken is watched without even wanting to blink, but having to now and again. Garis stands, not really wanting to, he wants to stay there secluded and watch her completely hidden, but somewhere in the aging knave is obviously a bit of dignity, if not for himself, then for her. He moves quietly and carefully to the northern fence, and leans naturally on the post, speaking at last, "I don't suppose you would be interested in sharing a glass of last years cider?"

Neli jumps, startled despite his careful machinations. She turns quickly, dropping a green piece of linen on the grass at her feet, "What're ye doin' back old man? Not come fer more...." she can't bring herself to say it, so she simply turns away, looking to the scrap cloth at her feet. She picks it up, moving to the next tree, a few feet closer to Garis.

Kissing, liplocking, smooching, tongue, or lip wrestling? Which one can't she say? Garis doesn't care but he blushes a bit at her thinking he cannot get enough of grazing her cheek. Worst part is that she so right. "I said cider didn't I? If I wanted to kiss ya again I'd ask to kiss ya, not to get cider." Okay, so he lied a little.. Oh well. He also cannot seem to get the smirk/grin off off his face.

Neli takes her turn at blushing, blast it all! Why'd he have to say that? She huffs slightly as she finishes her chores, picking up the basket before she heads over to where he stands...looking so cocky. "I've go plenty o' my own cider from last year... thank ye." she replies.

Neli's blushing does not help Garis to stop it himself--at all. He just keeps grinning as he tries to think up a catchy reply. She looks so dang fiesty. "Neli, I know you do but, you can still share a glass with me. I just hope, but I have to make sure for myself that you have been told... you are goodlooking woman when you're blushing."

Neli turns away...she'll not be made a fool of. Not by this man. "Nay, I think ye'd best be gettin' home t' yer wife, old man. She'll be worried over ye to be sure."

Garis arches a brow as she suddenly turns away from him. Anala worried over him? Only if she managed to see his will. He frowns a touch, "What's wrong Neli? Now-- you listen a bit for you storm off, what I just said was the truth and then some, by all that's holy. You are a good looking woman and there is nothing wrong with tell'n ya.. A lot wrong with not."

Neli sighs as she stands there. This is all new to the woman...she's not one to be coy or flirtatious. Nor is she used to being the center of this -kind- of attention. She turns back toward Garis, "I think yer addled, old man. Everything's wrong with you tellin' me such a thing. Ye can't act on these attentions yer givin'...and ye know I wouldn't let ye if ye could..."

Garis looks at Neli, who says he couldn't? He most definately could, but there was that annoying part about her not letting him. That would stop him. He smiles though, he hadn't gotten to that point yet anyway in his thinking. "Just cause you are a good looking woman doesn't mean there has to be anything more than you being a goodlooking woman. You just are. You should be told that."

Neli hmphs, holding the handle of her basket tightly as she turns and starts toward the manor, a ways on. "Yer a fool, Garis Istariniad," she calls over her shoulder, "And there's no fool like an old fool."

Garis calls out as she starts her stalking away, "And you are a good looking woman Neli, and there is nothing like a good looking woman who smells of apple blossoms to make an ol'fool smile."

Neli can't help but smile--even if only briefly as she walks toward the west. "Old fool..." she mutters, the corners of her lips turning up slightly.

Neli leaves west, toward the Aurik Manor.