The Art Of Chaos

"Can you move it just a little to the left. No wait, my left. Your right. Yes, that's it, perfect," Turvi said, watching his new monitor screen.

A tall human man with short, cropped, dark brown hair and a litany of old, yet wicked-looking scars on his face stepped into view at the order window. "Are they all good now?"

"Yes Rhys, thank you. That was so much easier than trying to adjust them myself."

"That's what tall friends are for," Rhys said, smiling genially.

Earlier in the week, Turvi had installed new cameras on the outside of his food truck. He didn't worry about the truck when he wasn't open, because it stayed at the Hub, and that was fenced and gated. But Davrin had been after him about having a little more security while he was out working, especially since he was usually alone. And so Davrin had helped him pick out the equipment and helped install it. Everything was working, but making the finer adjustments by himself was tedious work. Rhys was tall enough to tilt the cameras without needing a ladder and Turvi was able to watch the monitor or make sure they were angled properly. 

Turvi now had 3 cameras that he could use to watch the outside of the truck - one by the back door, one near the order window, and one that watched the backside of the truck. He thought the last one wasn't necessary, but Davrin insisted that he needed one there since Turvi's truck had no windows on that side.

"At least here your height is an advantage, unlike out on the water," Turvi said, teasing.

"It's not my height that's the problem when I'm on my board. But the old war injury can be annoying," Rhys said, lifting and stretching his leg. 

"When are you coming out surfing again with me?" Turvi asked.

"We should do that soon. But now I gotta go man the doors. Save some tacos for me."

"I'll try my best." Turvi was parked outside the Crow's Nest bar where Rhys worked as general security. It seemed tonight he was on door and bouncer duty. He liked it when Rhys worked the outside. His friend could come chat when they both had a lull, and if Turvi had any unruly customers, Rhys was nearby and all too happy to help escort them away. 

With the cameras situated, Turvi started prepping to open the truck. As he worked, he found himself thinking of Naera. She wasn't with him tonight. Naera had a date, and she was taking him to the bar so that she could stop by the food truck so Turvi could vet the guy. He'd done this for her a few times now. None of the men had been winners, usually getting a grade of "meh". He knew she could do better, and he couldn't figure out why she kept picking such unremarkable men to go out with. 

After he'd been open a little while, he saw Naera with her date, heading into the bar. She looked like she was enjoying herself, her body language relaxed and she was smiling. That was a good start, better than some of the other dates he'd seen her on. She looked over at the truck and gave him a little wave when their eyes met. Turvi waved back and watched them go inside. He hoped she'd have a nice time tonight, and that he could give this guy a thumbs up. She deserved to have fun and meet someone worthy of her. Though he was puzzled to find that thinking about her being happy and going home with someone else gave him a queer feeling in the pit of his stomach, he didn't have time to ponder it for long as business started to pick up.

==

A few hours later, Turvi had just finished clearing out a line when he heard Naera's laugh. He looked up and saw her with her date, leaving the bar and heading towards the food truck. She had her arm looped in his, laughing again as her date told her some story. Surely that guy couldn't be that funny. He brushed aside any uncharitable thoughts and smiled as they approached the window.

"And then I said, if you believe that, then I've got a condo in Vol Dorma that I could sell to you," the man said, delivering the punchline. Turvi did his best not to grimace as Naera nearly doubled over with a fresh wave of laughter. Once she caught her breath, she smiled up at him.

"Hey Turbs. Busy night?"

"Pretty average," he said. "Though your timing is good, you showed up during a slow spot."

"Lucky us," her date said with a smirk. 

"We are!" Naera agreed. "Turbee, this is Elek. Elek, this is Turbee. He's my next-door neighbor, and I help him out with his food truck sometimes."

"Nice to meet you," Turvi said, nodding at the other man. 

"Likewise," Elek said with a smile that left Turvi feeling unsettled. He couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"Well, are you guys hungry? What can I get for you?"

Naera's eyes lit up in that particular way they did when she was excited for food, making Turvi smile. "I'll have my usual," she said.

"Do you want the loaded seafood fries too?" Turvi asked, knowing she could easily eat them and the tacos she'd ordered.

She scrunched her brow slightly, considering. "No, I think just the tacos tonight, Turbs." He was unable to stop the look of surprise on his face. He couldn't recall a time when Naera had placed such a small food order. 

Nae turned to her date. "While you're figuring out what you want, I'm going to run to the ladies quickly. I'll be right back," she said, giving Elek's arm a little squeeze before heading back into the bar. Turvi watched to make sure that she got inside before turning his attention back to Elek, who appeared to be studying the menu.

"I'll just have the same thing she's having," he said.

"Good choice," Turvi said as he was putting the order in. 

"So you two are neighbors, eh?" Elek asked, making small talk to fill the silence.

"Yeah, we met a few months ago, right here actually," Turvi said, and told Elek the order total.

"This a good place to meet women, then?"

"The bar? Probably. While I'm working in the food truck, not so much. I'm usually too busy to chat with customers when I'm set up here," Turvi said.

Elek nodded. "I hope she eats fast, because I can't wait to get her out of here."

"Oh? Going somewhere else after this?"

"Hopefully back to my place. She doesn't seem too bright and she sure likes to talk, doesn't she? But I've had enough talking. She seems like someone who would put out on a first date. Can't wait to get my hands on that ass and my face in those tits. No need for talking to enjoy those, am I right?" Elek said with another of his smarmy smiles. Turvi got the impression that if he'd been standing on the sidewalk too, Elek would have playfully elbowed him in the side several times. Turvi's mouth thinned into a tight line.

Turvi leaned out the order window, resting on his forearms to get closer to the shorter man. "Actually, you'll be going home alone."

"What?" Elek said, his smarmy smile turning into a smirk.

"You're going to leave now, and Naera will be staying here; she will not be leaving with you," Turvi repeated.

"I don't think that's up to you, friend," Elek said.

"Well, you see, Naera's my best friend, and she trusts me. So when I tell her that her date is a disgusting jackass, she's going to take my word for it. You can go ahead and leave now."

Elek continued smirking at him and crossed his arms, which Turvi found extremely irritating. "It seems to me that you don't own this sidewalk. So I will wait for my date, if it's all the same to you."

"It's true, I don't. But we're on bar property. And my friend Rhys over there, he can make you leave," Turvi said, nodding over at Rhys. Elek looked over in time to see Rhys nod back. Turvi gave Rhys a wave, inviting him to come over to the truck. Rhys didn't hesitate and started to walk to them.

Elek shook his head. "All right, I'll go. I'll go. She's not worth this much trouble." 

By the time Rhys got to the truck, Elek was gone. "Everything goood?" he asked.

"Yeah. That guy just needed some extra motivation to leave. Thanks for the backup."

"Anytime," Rhys said, walking back over to the door of the bar.

Turvi watched Rhys open the door for Naera, and the two of them exchanged pleasantries as she exited the bar. She walked over to the food truck, looking confused.

"Where'd Elek go?"

Turvi sighed. "I told him to leave."

"What? Why would you do that? We were having a great time," she said.

"Nae, he was saying some pretty awful stuff while you weren't here. He wasn't actually into you, and he acted like he was putting up with you long enough to get you into bed with him. I had to veto him, there was no way I could have let you leave with him."

"Oh."  Turvi watched as her whole body sagged, such a change from earlier.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you sit down and I'll make your food, including the loaded fries. If you want to wait and hang out here, I'll give you a ride home in an hour or so," he offered. At the mention of food, she perked back up.

"I'll wait for you, if you let me inside the truck with you. And make the asshole's order for me too. I'm gonna eat it all."

Turvi grinned. "I'll go open the door."

==

A couple of weeks after Turvi vetoed Naera's awful date, it was his turn to bring someone around for her to vet. He wore dark khaki pants and a bright blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up on his forearms. Turvi's date was a lovely lady named Osla that he'd met while he was working his food truck outside of the museum. She had shown up when it was slow enough that they'd had time to chat and exchange numbers. Turvi had been nervous to text her; it had been some time since he'd gone out with someone he barely knew, but Naera had encouraged him to try. And so he did.

Turvi was early and he waited out in front of the museum, enjoying the early evening air as it began to cool. He'd offered to pick up Osla, but she'd insisted that she could just meet him at the museum. Turvi leaned against the building with his hands in his pockets, resisting the urge to text Naera. They'd already discussed what section she'd find them in to be able to meet his date. Nae had even given him a plan of which exhibits to be sure to bring his date through, which he had appreciated, since art was not one of his usual interests.

He spotted Osla walking down the sidewalk while she was still a good distance away. She was dressed nicely, in a black pencil skirt and a smart-looking white blouse. Her long dark purple hair was loose, catching the golden hour sunlight brilliantly. Turvi laughed to himself, wondering what it was that drew purple-haired women to him. Or was he drawn to them? Did he have a type? He had to laugh at himself again. Two girls with one similar trait didn't make a type, it was just a coincidence. Probably. 

Osla spotted him, giving him a little wave, and he was thankfully forced to give up his odd train of thought. Turvi smiled and returned her wave as he waited for her to make her way to him. Once she was close enough, he said hello and opened his arms with the offer of a hug. She didn't refuse but leaned into it stiffly. Naera was such a cuddly person, he forgot that not everyone was like that. He gave her the lightest little pat on the back and shoved his hands back into his pockets so he wouldn't accidentally make her uncomfortable again. 

"Hope you didn't have too much trouble finding a parking spot. I had to circle the area a few times before finding one a couple blocks away. Downtown can be so busy in the evening," he said.

"Oh, I didn't drive. I don't live too far from here so I just walked," she replied. "One of the benefits of living right in the city, I don't even have a car."

"That makes sense. I have an older VW Bus, but I need a vehicle to transport my surfboards."

"Oh, you surf?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

And so they walked and chatted as they made their way through Naera's exhibit plan. The path they took turned out to be perfect, as it managed to take in all of Osla's favorite pieces. Turvi was more than happy for her to lead the conversation and just listen to her talk. She wasn't as animated as Naera when she was talking about a favorite painting or sculpture. Osla was more clinical, interested in techniques and what made the pieces more or less valuable or interesting to collectors. He mentally chided himself for continuing to compare the two women. There was nothing wrong with Osla's academic approach to art, though it made him wonder if she was like that when it came to other aspects of her life as well.

"Oh dear, listen to me rambling on, not even letting you get in a word edgewise!" She exclaimed.

Turvi chuckled, "I don't mind listening to you ramble on."

"Yes, but then how shall I get to know you, too?" Turvi shrugged, conceding her point.

"Now then, I know where you work. How long have you worked in the food truck?" she asked.

"I worked in other friends' trucks for a few years before I got my own. I've had They Sea Me Rolling for 6 years now," he said, unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

"Oh. That was your truck then?" she said, surprised.

Turvi laughed again. "Yes, that is my truck. I call him Seymour." Osla did not seem to be amused by his truck's name. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but chose not to. There were a few moments of awkward silence before she asked her next question.

"Being a small business owner at your age is impressive. Do you have any big life goals for the next 5 or 10 years?"

Turvi cocked his head, weighing his answer. He wasn't sure what she was looking for with this line of questioning. "I hope I'm still running my truck successfully. I worked really hard to get it to this point."

"Oh yes, I can see that. It's quite the popular food spot." Osla didn't ask any more questions about the food truck, instead asking him about his family and how long he'd been in the city. Their conversation went along more smoothly with the change of topic. Turvi wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but figured it was simply that they didn't know each other well enough yet.

The next exhibit room they entered was the Brother Genetivi display, where they were supposed to meet Naera. He picked her out of the crowd easily, with her amethyst hair and bright yellow dress with a professional-looking white blazer over it. She was wrapping up a conversation with a tourist and looked up as they were walking in. Turvi met her eyes and smiled, and she did the same. 

Osla spotted a painting in the room and happily pointed it out, immediately heading for it. Turvi followed her. She got as far as telling him the name of the painting and the artist, when Naera walked over to join them.

"Are you a fan of Brother Genitivi?" Naera asked.

"Oh yes!" Osla gasped. "He's my favorite. I adore his works of the Temple of Sacred Ashes."

"I did my final project in college on Brother Genetivi," Naera said.

"Osla, this is my friend Naera. She works here at the museum."

"Nice to meet you," Osla said politely.

"While you guys wax poetic about Brother Genetivi, I'm going to go say hi to Lydia really quickly," Turvi said. Osla nodded, but he didn't fail to notice the way she frowned slightly at his statement. He didn't bother to address it; she'd be fine with Naera for a few minutes. Nae needed to be alone with her to vet her, and he wanted to tell Lydia about the newest vegetarian item he was trying out for the truck next week.

Turvi left the Genetivi exhibit and found Lydia. They chatted for a few minutes but he did his best to keep it brief and not leave Osla waiting for too long. He didn't think Naera would need much time anyway, as Osla seemed nice enough. She was certainly better than that Elek guy he'd vetoed for Naera.

When Turvi walked back into the exhibit room, Naera looked unhappy, and Osla was off on the other side, alone. He was unsure which woman he should talk to first. He started to walk to Naera when she spotted him and shook her head, which meant she was vetoing his date. 

"No," was all she said when he got to her.

"Why?"

"I think you need to hear it from her."

"What am I supposed to ask her, Nae? Excuse me, but would you mind telling me why my friend says you are not good girlfriend material?" 

"No, of course not," Naera said, rolling her eyes. "Ask her what she reallythinks of your food truck."

"But we talked about it and she seemed fine with it."

"Please, trust me Turbee. Just ask her," Naera said, laying her hand on his arm.

Turvi walked over to Osla, who gave him a halfhearted attempt at a smile when he got to her. "So did you get to nerd out with Naera over Genetivi?"

"A little."

"I see." He paused, trying to figure out how to broach the subject of his truck and decided to just go for it. "Osla, do you have a problem with me owning a food truck? If you do, you should tell me now, since it's a huge part of my life."

She sighed. "No, I don't have a problem with your truck. But you aren't getting any younger. I think the truck is a great learning experience, but is it really something you want to rely on long-term? You could sell the truck or let someone else do the grunt work, and you could get a restaurant job, something with a much more secure future. You could run your own kitchen, work less days on a more regular schedule. Make enough money for a proper health plan and actually save for retirement," she explained.

Turvi was stunned. "How do you know I don't already have a schedule I love? And savings or a health plan?" He was failing at keeping the bitterness from his voice.

"Oh, please, I saw your truck. I seriously doubt that you have enough of a profit margin for any of those things," she said matter-of-factly. 

"Osla, They Sea Me Rolling is very important to me. I've put years of work and sweat and tears into it. At one point, the profit margin was indeed so low that I was eating ramen while serving my customers seafood. But now my truck is popular, and I regularly sell out before closing time. I will not be selling it to work in a corporate setting, not even a restaurant." Turvi scrubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think you and I are very compatible, but I'd be happy to walk you back out of the museum."

"Okay," was all she had to say. 

They didn't speak while they walked, and when they got back out onto the sidewalk, they exchanged polite goodbyes. Turvi watched her walk away, and contemplated what to do with the rest of his evening. He only thought for a minute before making a decision.

He went back inside the museum, to the Genetivi exhibit. He sat down on a bench in front of Naera's favorite painting, a depiction of the Dread Wolf, looking out over the landscape of the Silent Plains. It was something about Elven symbolism that she liked. He sat there alone for a few minutes. He didn't look around for Naera, he knew she'd find him, and it was only a couple of minutes before she sat down beside him. She wrapped one arm around his back and rested her head on his shoulder, taking his hand with her free one.

"I'm sorry, Turbs."

He shrugged. "It's okay. I'm not upset we weren't going to work out; that's the risk you take when going on a date. I just don't understand why she wasn't truthful with me."

Naera rubbed his back slowly while she considered his question. "I guess some people think they'll be able to change someone, once they're invested in the relationship." 

Turvi made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.

"I know," she said consolingly. "Honestly, you don't need to be hanging around with someone that is going to poison all of your dreams and everything you've worked hard for. If it makes you feel any better, she didn't even like the good Genetivi pieces, just the ones with the highest market value. So really, I think you dodged a bullet there."

He huffed a small laugh. "I had to rearrange my whole weekly schedule to be able to make this date. I should have just opened the truck instead."

"Don't say that. You can't get out there and meet people if you are always working," she insisted.

He looked over at her dubiously. "It's how I met you."

She shook her head at him. "That was a special case."

"Even before you vetoed her, the date was just okay. I don't think I'm cut out for dating like this, Nae."

"Why not?"

"Going out with people I barely know just makes me feel like I'm squandering my free time. We have a polite time at best, and then they either get vetoed by you or I don't feel like I want to hang out with them again. I think I'd have had more fun staying in and watching trashy TV with you than wasting my time getting dressed up and going out."

"Oh Turbs. It's good to get out of the apartment and have fun sometimes, with the right person. And I don't want you to waste your night off or your fancy shirt. Have you eaten yet?'

"No, we'd planned to pick somewhere after the museum."

"Well, you're in luck. I am officially off work now. Let's go get some food, I'm starving."

Turvi laughed, for real this time. "Nae, you're always starving."

"The weather tonight is perfect. Take me to a food truck, and let's sit outside and enjoy being out of this stuffy museum." Turvi hesitated, and she elbowed him in the side. "Eh? Eh?"

He pulled out his phone to check the food truck guild schedule. "I know just the truck we can go to," he said, grinning at her. 

"Yes!" She said, hopping up and pulling him along by the hand, both of them laughing. 

==

"Do you mind walking there? It's only a couple blocks that way," Turvi asked, pointing down the street.

"Not at all. It's so nice out," Naera said, looping her arm through his. "So are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"You'll see soon enough," he said cheekily.

"Fine, keep your secrets," she pouted playfully.

"Nae, we'll be there in 10 minutes," he laughed.

"That's forever," she whined.

"You can do it, I believe in you," Turvi grinned at her. "Tell me about your day," he said, distracting her to pass the time. So they chatted and walked. He had seen her that morning before she went to work, but they still had plenty to talk about. Turvi was pretty sure they'd never run out of things to discuss.

They rounded a corner, and a food truck came into view. "Griffon Wild Wings!" Naera squealed. "How did you know I've been dying to go to Bellara's truck?" she asked, turning her face up to him, eyes shining happily. 

"Naera, please. You've only mentioned it every single day since you got to meet them."

"It hasn't been every day."

"I'm pretty sure it has," he said, smiling at her. "They look pretty busy. If you don't want to wait in line, we can go somewhere else."

"I'm not going anywhere. Standing in line will just give me time to decide what I want to order." 

Turvi pulled out his phone and brought up their menu before handing it over to Naera. "Here you go. I really like their traditional hot wings in medium sauce. And their street corn has a secret Dalish seasoning that is out of this world."

"Ooooh, a secret spice. I obviously need to try that," she said, reading over the menu. "What is this special? The Griffon Flight?"

"That's a huge meal. It's a little of everything they make. Great way to try out the menu."

"Let's get that, we can share it." Turvi stared at her. "What? You just said it was huge, that should be plenty for the two of us."

"Yeah, plenty for two people if one of them isn't you. I've been told that we could share something before and then I didn't get any of it."

"Are you saying I eat too much?" She frowned and stepped back slightly.

"Never," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close again. "You should eat as much as you want. I just want there to be some left for me, so we should order something else too."

"So… two Griffon Flights then?" she said, perking back up.

"Maker no, I can't eat that much," he laughed.

"Oh, come on, live a little," Naera teased.

Turvi shrugged. "Okay then."

"Yay!" she said, bouncing on her toes.

When Bellara saw them when they made it to the window, she waved excitedly. "Oh, hi guys! So nice to see you tonight! It's lovely out, isn't it? I love it, but it's been crazy busy. What can I get for you? Just tell me what you want, I've got this one."

"Oh no, you should let us pay," Turvi laughed.

"No way. I insist," Bellara said, waving his suggestion away. 

"We'd like two Griffon Flights, please," Naera said. 

"Griffon Flight, got it. Great choice,' she said, punching it in on the register.

"No, Griffon Flightsss. Two," Turvi said, holding up two fingers.

"Oh! Okay then. Two Griffon Flights. That's fine. I'm still not taking your money," Bellara said, smiling down at them. "Any drinks? You definitely want a drink. There are a couple of pretty spicy sauces in that box."

Turvi realized he had no idea whether Naera even liked spicy food. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows, leaving space for her to answer. 

"Just water is fine," she said.

"Same for me."

"Perfect. Give me a couple extra minutes to get your food out, this is a big order," Bellara said with a little giggle.

They stepped to the side to wait, but it was only a few minutes before Bellara was calling to them to get their food. She handed out two large cardboard containers, one at a time. Turvi handed one to Nae before accepting the second box, and he was amused at her eyes widening when she felt how heavy the box was.

All of the seating around the food truck was full, so they walked down the street a little way to a raised garden in front of an office building. The edge of the garden bed was wide concrete and made for a comfortable place for them to sit with their boxes set between them. Once they sat, Naera opened her box and inhaled deeply. 

"This smells amazing. What should I try first?" she asked.

"Do you like spicy food?"

"Mostly. I can enjoy it to an extent, but I don't want to burn off my taste buds."

"I'd start with the spicier ones then. Here and here," he said, pointing them out. "That way you get to eat those first and have lots of less spicy things to finish out the box."

Naera grabbed a wing and dug in. She nodded her head in approval at the flavor. "Spicy, but its really good."

Sitting there on the street, enjoying the perfect evening temperatures, they worked their way through their flights. Naera thought Turvi's favorite sauce was a little more spicy than she typically liked, so she traded for some of the milder flavors from his box. Turvi did his best, but stopped about half of the way through the box, telling Naera that if he ate another bite, he might explode. 

Naera was down to one wing and a few potato wedges in her box. "I don't think I've seen you leave food behind before," Turvi remarked.

"I'm not leaving it behind! I can finish it. I just need a minute to let some food settle first." Valiantly, she picked up the wing and managed to eat it, but smudged sauce on her face in the process.

"Here, let me get that for you," Turvi said, pulling a napkin out of his shirt pocket, and gently wiping the corner of her mouth. 

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Do you always carry napkins around, grandpa?"

"Grandpa? Come on, Nae. I grabbed a handful of napkins before we walked away from the truck, so we wouldn't have to walk back. And we're eating wings! A food that is known to be messy!"

"Mmm hmmm."

"Next time I'm just leaving you a mess. Have fun walking around with hot sauce on your face."

"I'm sure you could think of another way to get it off," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"By licking my thumb and wiping your face, like my Nana?" 

"Ew no," she laughed. "Please Turbee, that's the best way you could come up with?"

He shrugged. "It's the first thing that came to mind." Naera rolled her eyes at him. "Are you done, or are you going to try to finish those potato wedges too?"

"What's that?" Naera asked, pointing behind him. Turvi turned around to see what was there, and heard a rustling behind him. 

"I don't see anything," he said, turning back around. 

"Oh. It must have gone by too fast," she said, dusting her hands off. Turvi looked down and saw her takeout box was empty and that his seemed to have a suspicious number of potato wedges. He looked at her and she was grinning like a cat that had just caught a mouse. He snorted and closed up his box. After taking care of their trash, he offered her a hand up. 

She took it and stood, smiling up at him happily. "Where to next?" 

"Next?"

"Yes, next! It's too early to go home. Or is it past your bedtime, grandpa?"

He shook his head at her. "All right then. Where do you want to go?"

"I want to dance," she announced without hesitation. 

"To the Crows Nest then? I can probably get a discount on drinks there."

"Sounds perfect!"

He looked down the street, thinking about where they were in the city. "Do you mind walking there? I parked Petunia in the opposite direction, and then we'd have to find parking again, which might not even be possible with how busy things are tonight."

"Walking is fine. It'll help digest all that food," she said.

==

They arrived to find a long line at the entrance. Naera started to slow down to join the queue, but Turvi tugged her along. She looked at him questioningly and he just shook his head. He walked straight up to the bouncer at the door.

"Turvi! What are you doing here on your night off?" Rhys asked, sticking his hand out. Turvi shook it and pulled his friend in for a one-armed hug.

"Bringing you dinner," Turvi said, handing him the box from Griffon Wild Wings.

"Sweet, I love their wings. Thanks man," Rhys said, happily accepting the box.

"You didn't come all the way here just to bring me food, did you?"

"We're just out enjoying a night on the town. Naera said she wanted to dance, so that's what we're gonna do."

"Well, then go on in, no need to wait. Have fun, you two," Rhys said, waving them through.

Inside, they headed to the coat check to leave Naera's blazer and bag. It was loud and dark, and Naera was short enough that he was worried he'd lose track of her. So Turvi grabbed her hand and guided her through the crowd. Weaving in and out, he finally made it through the press of bodies to the dance floor.

They danced together, part of the undulating crowd, and yet feeling entirely separate from it. There were people everywhere, but she was the only one that mattered. He marveled at the way she moved, dancing effortlessly. She was normally much more clumsy; he'd seen her trip in the apartment more times than he could count. But on the dance floor, she was a different creature. 

Lost in the music, she was moving her body smoothly with the beat. He matched her energy, following her lead. Song after song, she didn't seem to get tired but instead appeared energized by it all. They'd started at a polite, friendly distance apart. But with each song, the distance unconsciously closed. Before he realized it, their bodies were touching. His hands skimmed her hips, and hers roved his biceps and waist. Dancing with her was natural, their movements fluid, as if they did this together all the time. 

They were fully pressed against one another when the next song ended, both breathless, sweaty, and flushed. He couldn't help but admire the way the blush dusted her nose all the way to the tips of her ears. He leaned down close, and his lips nearly brushed her ear so she could hear him over the music as he asked her if she wanted to go get a drink, and she nodded vigorously. He didn't pull away, just stood back up and kept her tucked close as they made their way back over to the bar.

He was pleased to see that he recognized the bartenders on tonight, both his friends. On one side was Zalan. His dark, luxurious hair was pulled into a neat bun, and a curtain of fringe that fell like ebony silk beside his face. His dark button-down shirt was neatly cuffed to his elbows, showing off tattooed forearms. Turvi could see a woman at the bar staring at them as she gave Zalan her drink order. Zalan smiled at the woman and tugged on his charcoal colored vest with an embossed paisley pattern. He had to admit, while he would never wear anything like it himself, Zalan was cutting quite the dashing figure tonight, and the woman at the bar looked like she agreed.

With practiced ease, Zalan grabbed a glass, flipped it deftly in the air, and filled it from a bottle of alcohol under the bar. After dropping in exactly one perfectly round ball of ice, he slid it over to the customer. The woman smiled at him, leaning a little too far over the bar, and Zalan gave her a charming smile as he smoothly stepped back ever so slightly. Turvi realized he hadn't watched Zalan in action before, and was impressed at the way he worked the bar. They were going to be the next customers he served, and Turvi briefly wondered if he should have gone around to the other side of the bar instead. But it was too late, as Zalan turned to them and smiled in recognition at him.

"Turvi! Do you have an actual night off?" 

"I do!" Turvi said, grinning back at his friend.

"Is it snowing outside then?" Zalan asked, smirking.

"Ha ha," Turvi said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"And who's your lovely date?" Zalan asked, turning his dark-eyed gaze to Naera.

"This is my friend Naera," he said, unable to help the smile on his face as he looked over at her as he introduced her. Naera smiled at Zalan, still glowing from their exertions on the dance floor, eyes shining happily. Turvi didn't think she'd ever looked more beautiful. 

"Mmmhmm," Zalan said, keeping his smile in place but narrowing his eyes. "What can I get for you two?"

"Something fruity and sweet, please," Naera answered. "I'm gonna run to the ladies' room, I'll be right back." She squeezed Turvi's arm before she left, weaving through the crowd. 

Turvi must have watched her walking away for longer than he realized, because when he turned around, Zalan was standing there smirking at him.

"Why didn't you just call her your date? You're clearly here with her."

"She's just my friend."

"Your girl friend?" Zalan teased.

"What? I can't hear you over the music," Turvi said, louder than necessary.

"You can too hear me. You guys are cute together."

"It's so loud in here!" Turvi said loudly.

"He said YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS CUTE!" shouted a female voice from down the bar. Turvi looked over and saw the other bartender, Ayla. She handed over some drinks and came to their end. Her raven hair was loose around her shoulders in flowing waves. She was wearing a black button-up shirt that was similar to Zalan's, only it had to be at least two sizes too small. The first four buttons were undone to showcase her ample bosom, and the other buttons were valiantly trying to keep the shirt on her body. She bounded over and Turvi couldn't help but chuckle to himself, as she was the very definition of breasted boobily.

"Hey Turvi," she said, grinning cheekily. "Was that your date with the purple hair?"

"No, I started out on a date tonight but it didn't work out. So Naera's just trying to cheer me up," he explained.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Right. And I'm the owner of this fucking bar." Before Turvi had a chance to object, she continued, "What kind of drinks are you getting?"

"Nae just said something fruity and sweet."

"I know just what to make for her! What about you?"

"Same thing, but not too strong. I have to drive home tonight."

"You got it!" Ayla became a flurry of motion. Where Zalan was neat and in control, Ayla was chaos incarnate. She thunked two glasses onto the counter and got a shaker and started haphazardly pouring in ingredients. Turvi wasn't able to follow what she was using, but he trusted her. She got a large scoop of crushed ice and split it between the glasses, and then shook the shaker vigorously. 

"You're gonna love this!" she yelled as little bits of liquid were escaping and flying all over the counter. Turvi saw more than heard Zalan sigh as he grabbed a rag and started wiping the counter down. "Here you are - oh wait!" She disappeared behind the counter and popped back up with two little brightly colored umbrellas.

Turvi laughed. "They're perfect. Put them on my tab."

"Do you have a tab?" Zalan asked.

"I do now! Thanks!" Turvi grabbed the drinks and lifted them to his friends in thanks.

"Have fun on your date!" Ayla yelled, blowing a kiss at Turvi before she skipped back to her end of the bar. Zalan shook his head like an exasperated dad at both of them and turned to take the next customer at the bar.

==

Holding the drinks carefully, Turvi started walking to find Naera. He hoped he could find her before all the ice in the drink melted. Scanning the crowd, he wandered slowly in the direction of the bathroom. He turned to look to his right and he spotted her, amethyst hair shining under the lights, already walking to him. He'd felt a little lost, but she was walking with purpose, like she knew exactly where to find him.

He handed her a drink and she accepted it gladly. "What is it?" She asked, going in for a big gulp without waiting for an answer.

"My friend Ayla made it. I honestly have no idea what she put in it."

"Well, it's really good!" She took another big sip of the drink. Turvi finally tasted his, struck by how sweet and fruity it was. He was surprised that an alcoholic drink could feel refreshing, but he suspected that it was much stronger than it seemed. He looked back at Naera to find she'd finished hers already.

"Ayla is a good bartender," Turvi agreed.

Naera eyed his drink. "Are you gonna finish that?" 

"Naera, I just started it," he laughed. But she stared at him with big, pleading eyes. Turvi decided to try to save her from herself and took a big swig of his drink before giving it to her. 

"Thanks Turbs," she said, happily accepting the half-full drink. 

Once she finished the second drink, Turvi followed Naera back onto the dance floor, content to stay at the Crows Nest and dance with her as long as she wanted. Dancing with her, he marveled that he'd never seen her look so happy and free. Except for maybe when they were eating. And he had to agree that dancing with Naera well into the night was a great way to forget about everything for a little while. He wasn't worrying about dates or the food truck, just enjoying the night with his friend.

There were more drinks and more dancing, until the lights flashed on and off, signalling that it was nearly closing time. Naera was determined to keep dancing until they were kicked out, which Turvi knew wouldn't be until there was no one else left. He watched Rhys remind a few stragglers that it was closing time and they needed to leave. The music was still going, though at a much lower volume - still loud enough to enjoy but less all encompassing. Finally, the DJ announced that it was the last song, putting on a slow one for them. Turvi was reluctant for the night to end, but even if he could convince the DJ to play a few more songs, it was late, and they still had to walk back to his van, and there was work tomorrow.

The last notes of the song faded, and Naera was still holding onto Turvi and swaying. "Nae, the music has stopped, I think it's time for us to go."

"But I don't want to be done yet," she grumbled.

"I know. We can come another time, okay? But tonight is done. I still need to settle my tab before we walk back to Petunia." Naera sighed deeply before huffing out a fine. Nae let go and they walked to the bar where Zalan and Ayla were starting to clean up for the night. Turvi handed over a credit card and Zalan had them ready to go in a few button presses.

"Thanks man. I'll be back here in the truck in a few days. I'm planning on making your favorite special." Turvi put an arm around Naera and she gave a happy little hum as she scooted in closer. Zalan's eyebrows rose.

"You two sure are friendly friends," Zalan said.

"Turbee is also my neighbor," Naera pointed out helpfully, only slurring her words a little, and Turvi nodded.

"Well, that sure is convenient for both of you," deadpanned Zalan. 

Naera looked up at Turvi. "But can I sleep with you in your bed tonight? I think I might have drunk too much and I’ll probably end up coming over anyways. I need more cuddles when I’m tipsy."

Zalan sighed again, like he had at Ayla earlier in the evening and gave Turvi a pointed look. "Well then. You two friendsenjoy the rest of your night. I need to close up and get home to my friend Lace Harding."

"Tell her hi from me," Turvi said. He waved goodbye to Ayla, who blew him exaggerated kisses and made a series of complicated lewd gestures that he was pretty sure were suggesting that he should do way more than sleep with Nae once they got home. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and waved her off.

Back outside on the Dairsmud streets, the night air had turned pleasantly cool. It was almost cooler than he liked, but after being on the crowded dance floor for so long, the crisp air was refreshing. 

"Should we call a taxi or something? We're pretty far from the apartment building." 

"I need to go get my van. I parked a couple blocks from the museum. It's at least on this side of it, so it's not as far away as it could be," Turvi said.

"Ugh, that's still so far," Naera whined.

"You can make it, I believe in you."

They'd only walked maybe half a block when Naera plopped herself down on a bench. "I can't keep going like this," she said, pulling off her shoes. "I've been wearing these heels for entirely too long." She sighed and wiggled her toes happily. Holding her shoes, she stood again, ready to continue their walk.

"Wait. You're just going to walk barefoot?" Turvi asked, slightly appalled.

She shrugged. "Sure. We're on the sidewalk. My shoes were hurting too much, this is way better."

"But Nae, that's so gross! Not only is it dirty, but what if you step on something?"

Naera laughed. "It's okay Turbee, I'll be fine. I do this all the time."

"I have a better idea," Turvi said as he knelt in front of her. "Climb on."

"Turbs—"

"Just get on my back. We'll go faster that way anyway. It's not so far. Come on," he said, patting his shoulder. Naera stopped protesting and climbed on, wrapping her arms around his neck loosely and doing her best to keep her shoes away from his face. Turvi stood and adjusted her on his back, and did his best not to think too much about how soft her ample thighs were in his hands.

"Wow! Is this what it's like to be tall? I can see so much from up here!" She exclaimed. 

Turvi laughed. "See? So much better than walking barefoot."

"I think you mean this is so much better than walking. This is amazing. I may never walk anywhere again."

"But you won't always have me to carry you everywhere."

"Impossible! I'm just going to keep you forever," she said, squeezing him tightly and smooshing her cheek against his. "Promise me we'll be friends forever."

"Of course, Nae," he said, turning his head to face her. His timing was unfortunate as Naera decided to give him a kiss on the cheek at that same moment. Instead of just kissing his cheek, her lips caught the corner of his - just as soft and warm as the rest of her. He turned his head away quickly, hoping she didn't notice the blush he could feel creeping across his face. 

Fortunately, Naera didn't notice or didn't care. She kept on chatting like normal as they made their way to the van. 

==

Finally, they made it back to his apartment. Naera didn't bother going back to hers and just followed him inside. Turvi tried not to look at the time and think about how hard it was going to be to get up in the morning, instead enjoying what was left of his night out with Nae.

His body was tired but his mind was still wide awake, and Naera seemed to have gotten a second wind, as she was still happily chatting away. 

"But that's why we should be more careful about killing bugs! There are so many of them, and one day they're going to take over and then they'll be the ones squishing us! And we'd deserve it for killing them all the time. Like, I'm on the bugs' side here," she said as she threw her blazer and shoes onto the floor by his door.

Turvi made his way into the kitchen. "I'm going to make some tea, would you like something?" He asked as he started filling the kettle.

"No thanks, I'm not a tea drinker."

"Is there a hot beverage you prefer then?"

"I'm more of a hot chocolate gal."

"Let me see what I have," he said, rummaging through a cabinet. "Aha! I do still have some. It's just the boxed kind, if that's okay."

"Oh, that's perfect," she said happily.

Turvi got out two mugs and a bag of a fruity herbal tea that he liked. "I like to make a hot drink on nights I work the truck late, usually at the bar. Helps me wind down after a long evening, especially if I'm feeling too awake still," he explained. The kettle started whistling and he added water to the mugs, stirring hers before sliding it across the counter to her.

She accepted the mug, turning it and examining it. "A Nug E Cheese mug? I wouldn't have marked you as a fan," she teased.

"My parents used to take us quite a bit when I was a kid. I saved up my tickets for ages to get that mug. I wanted to be cool and mature, like my older brother. But as it turns out, having a Nug E Cheese mug is neither of those things," he chuckled. "And when I moved out, I had to take it with me. It just reminds me of home."

Naera looked up at him wide-eyed. "And you're letting me use it? I think it might be too special for me to drink out of."

"I put your drink in it because it's my favorite," he said simply.

She cradled the hot mug gently. "I'll be extra careful with it then." 

When both their mugs were empty, he put them in the sink to worry about in the morning. Naera happily followed him to his bedroom and pulled a T-shirt out of his dresser for herself to sleep in. 

"I think I'm going to take a quick shower since we got so sweaty."

"No, no shower," she whined. "I'm so tired. Come to bed. You can shower in the morning."

He shook his head at her. "Fine. I won't shower, I'm just using the bathroom." 

When he came back out, she was changed and happily snuggled into his bed. He found a pair of stretchy, comfy shorts and changed before climbing in with her. Naera cuddled in close, sighing happily. Turvi couldn't help but agree with the sentiment. As much as he had wished the night wouldn't end, it was no time at all before he was sound asleep.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 

A very special thanks to @serensama for letting borrow Naera and for bouncing around ideas with me.

Thank you to my tumblr friends for letting their rooks come visit:

Rhys belongs to @seaglassmelody

Ayla belongs to @mushrooms-x-moss

Zalan belongs to @blackwall-my-tiny-husband

Osla belongs to me

Tagging for visibility. Please do not feel obligated to read this. Feel free to read or skip, I promise I won't be offended.