The situation practically wrote itself.
The girl weaved in and out of stories like they were water. It reminded him, distantly, of the women who would come see him before a match. You have to let him win, they’d say, and they’d always have a threat laced beneath their words: their brother was dangerous, their boyfriend owed a debt, their cousin just wanted to win. And when he said no, they’d snap –
– start walking fingers up his arm, giggle and ask him about his Selections. What are you all shy for? Let’s go get dinner.
Weird comparison, but a strong one. It made him suck in a breath, kept him from answer for the longest moment. The look on the girl’s face was pitiful, but there was a monster behind her gaze. Say no, and she’d probably go back to boxing him. Say no, and nothing stopped her from yelling at him.
So. Didn’t have much of a choice, did he.
‘I got it,’ he said finally, tone flat but not dismissive. ‘You had me at monster.’
And what he wouldn’t give for some Sea Monster right about now.
‘– hope you like wraps, kid.’
His feet found new traction against the burning asphalt.
“Huh? What’s a wr-hey! Wait up!”
It was a quiet little joint. Kind of quaint, really more of Nahlum’s pace. She didn’t like the busy streets of the big city, it just didn’t suit her. There was too much going on at once, and she liked to set the pace, not have to keep up with it.
Despite her loud, energetic and bustling personality... she was still raised a village girl in the quiet location of the middle of nowhere.
Her teeth sank into flatbread, meat and lettuce, gnawing and chewing and gnashing at it with little regard for the bits that fell on the plate or on the table or on the floor. In little under thirty seconds, she had already devoured the first one, and looked pleadingly at the strange man, expecting more while she picked up the pieces that had fallen on the table and not so discretely scooped them into her mouth.
“You sure are a lot nicer than the usual guys I talk to, mister,” her tone sounded genuine, but the grin she was wearing almost made it seem like she was conning him...
“Hey, speaking of which, what’s your name?”










