I need a drink!

[Mayquiri]

Staring at Lee for a few moments, Arjan eventually relized what the boy was getting at with a furious blush.  He had been more or less asexual for so long, Arjan had doubts as to whether or not he could become aroused, especially by a pre-puberty boy.

"Kid, I already toldja, \'m not inta sex that much." He sighed, swallowing thickly as the young man tried to calm himself down.  "I\'m gettin old," Hah, he was only in his twenties, even if it felt older sometimes, "I could use some help gatherin stuff."

[pinkroses]

Liam smirked at Arjan’s obvious discomfort at his suggestion, wondering how a guy his age managed to care so little about sex. He’d said he wasn’t all that interested in sex, so Liam had guessed that maybe he was gay and just didn’t like to admit it, maybe he just really didn’t want to admit it, surely no one cared nothing for sex? If that was true he would really be a unique character.

“Gatherin’ stuff? Sure, I might b’ able t’ do that, I’ll think about it,” he said with a grin. Learning the stuff he was offering would be interesting, and useful, but he was still finding it hard to believe that all Arjan would want in return was help with gathering herbs, a job Liam would probably be rubbish at anyway because he knew nothing about them. He’d probably end up just picking weeds, and besides, what would be the point? It wouldn’t get him any financial return for quite some time, he’d need to learn all the stuff, then gather it, then try to find people to sell it to. What was the point when he could just steal and use other means to get money?

“Y’know, not many folks’ believe y’. About y’ not bein’ int’ sex. Y’ll be surprised at how many men enjoy doin’ stuff that ain’t…usual,” he said, cocking an eyebrow slightly with his last words, not wanting to say outright that he thought Arjan might be homosexual and just not wanting to admit it.

[Mayquiri]

"Glad t\'hear." Arjan replied, beaming.  Even if Lee didn\'t get any gold out of this endeavor, he\'d at least learn about certain herbs for his own benifit.  Besides, Arjan couldn\'t in good conscience let the poor boy work for him without at least the option of food and possibly even bed.

Of course, the Lee\'s further words made Arjan shift about uncomfortable on his seat.  "is not that I dun\'t like sex." He started slowly, face blushing faintly, more of a deeper embaressment then the shocked display earlier, "I like men an women both well enough.....problem ain\'t never been that."  By Talon this was hard to admit to, especially to someone so young, and so strange.  Arjan really did like looking at people and fantasizing about sex, every once in a while he\'d even become aroused, but that was always the problem.  Despite being mentally turned on, his body never really seemed to cooperate with him, so eventually, Arjan began to give up trying.

[pinkroses]

Liam cocked an eyebrow as he listened to Arjan try to explain, but he still didn’t quite get it. So if he wasn’t fussy about the sex of his partner… then what was the problem? He could see that the older man looked uncomfortable talking about it, but that rarely stopped the teenager from speaking his mind. How else would you learn?

“So what be the problem?” he asked with a frown of curiosity. Maybe there was something else, maybe some medical problems, but surely if Arjan was all that skilled with herbs then he would be able to deal with that. Liam had heard of men and women who would use different food and things to make themselves sexually aroused.

[Mayquiri]

Oh, as if he didn\'t get the hint?  Arjan would have assumed that a boy as \'learned\' as Lee would have been able to understand that Arjan was hinting at.  But, either the boy didn\'t understand, or he was just eing an ass.  Either way, Arjan would have to spell it out for him.

"It dun\'t quite work like it should." He said softly, not wishing to draw to much attention to himself.  "Tried sex, but my body dun\'t take t\'it.  Can\'t seem t\'stay up." He then added on, just in case Lee didn\'t quite catch the meaning behind the first bit.

[pinkroses]

Lee gave a grin at the fact that he had managed to get Arjan to spell it out, after all, it was better to have it said straight then maybe getting the wrong end of the stick. After all, it might have been that just no one found the healer attractive enough to want to be with him (but then again there were always prostitutes), or he might have just been too shy.

“Y’ve got ‘erbs an’ stuff though, don’ they work? Maybe if I’ve no’ got the right stuff I could get y’ some… for a price o’ course,” he said, leaning forwards a little and lowering his voice. It was fun teasing people, but he knew when to be more subtle. Surely if Arjan could get up, then all he needed was a bit of help staying up.

[Mayquiri]

Of couse there were herbs.  There were also aphrodisiac foods and other such items as well.  The only trouble with them was they were either rare, expensive, dangerous to ones health, or they simply didn\'t work.

As for shyness, Arjan was anything but shy with people.  He loved to socalize with people.  He just became very shy and guarded when people began asking him things he considered to be very personal.

"Already tried some." He repleid softly, ordering another drink, this time something a bit stronger then a cider, "Most\'r useless.  S\'all in yer head wit\'em.  Others\'re more coin then I got\'re care t\'spend.  An th\' rest, well, they might make it stay fer a while, but the guard\'d ave fun makin fun o\'me corpse.  I dun\'t think sex is worth dyin over."

[pinkroses]

"Meh, alright," Liam murmured with a small shrug, deciding not to push Arjan any further when he\'d already given him so much personaly information that he obviously wasn\'t comfortable with. Liam wasn\'t old enough to really have experience the racing hormones that urged him to go out seeking sex, he\'d just done it when there was a coin in it for him and never with anyone he cared about. There wasn\'t anyone to care about apart from himself, apart from Mia who he was firmly focusing on disliking after she had left him.

"Y\'never did say, what would y\'want in return for teachin\' me \'bout some o\' this stuff? I mean, if I did fancy it?" he added, faking indifference as he watched the bartender fatching Arjan another drink, and scooping another peice of potato from the healers plate and popping it in his mouth without thinking about it, just acting on his hunger.

[Mayquiri]

"Meh, alright," Liam murmured with a small shrug, deciding not to push Arjan any further when he\'d already given him so much personaly information that he obviously wasn\'t comfortable with. Liam wasn\'t old enough to really have experience the racing hormones that urged him to go out seeking sex, he\'d just done it when there was a coin in it for him and never with anyone he cared about. There wasn\'t anyone to care about apart from himself, apart from Mia who he was firmly focusing on disliking after she had left him.

"Y\'never did say, what would y\'want in return for teachin\' me \'bout some o\' this stuff? I mean, if I did fancy it?" he added, faking indifference as he watched the bartender fatching Arjan another drink, and scooping another peice of potato from the healers plate and popping it in his mouth without thinking about it, just acting on his hunger.


"I jus like company  Dun\'t like bein alone fer to long.  \'Sides, I knows what is\' like t\'be on yer own.  Tough.  \'Specially iffen y\'dun\'t have a way t\'make money.  A good way." He explained, clairfying before Lee said that he could always sell himself.  "Also, th\'winter was hard.  I\'m not feeling as good as I was last summer.  Might need some help gatherin things.  Y\'don\'t need t\'stay with me, or eat my food iffen y\'want t\'learn."

[pinkroses]

So he needed an assistant. Well, that made sense if Arjan wasn’t too well and he would have to train up anyone he took on. Someone young made sense, Liam wouldn’t have enough money or experience to be able to set up some kind of rival business for a few years so Arjan’s would be safe for now.

“Alright,” he said after a moment, lifting his chin slightly before giving a nod. “I’ll learn what y’ll b’ willin’ t’ teach m’.” It would be handy to learn these things anyway, the stuff the healer had put on his cheek earlier had definitely stopped the stinging pain of the cut.

[Mayquiri]

"Alrigh\' then." Arjan replied, finished his drink in one long draught.  "Iffen y\'want, I\'ll show ye t\'my shop.  I\'d tell y\'the name on the sign, but I cain\'t read it.  If I \'member right, y\'said you cain\'t either.  Wrap up wass left o\'that pasty.  Y\'cin finish it if y\'dun\'t want t\'stay at m\'shop fer the night."  The young man then said as he paid for the food and stood.

As soon as he was on his feet, the bruised healer stretched a bit, his back popping loudly in several areas as he did so.  "y\'ready t\'go?"

[pinkroses]

“No, I cannae,” Liam said in agreement when Arjan said he couldn’t read. He hesitated for a moment when Arjan asked if he was ready to go, his instincts telling him that this was a bad idea, going with someone he barely knew back to his shop and home, but if it was a warm place to stay for the night…

“Aye, I am,” he said, grabbing the rest of the still warm pasty to eat on the way, holding it between his grubby fingers. He wasn\'t about to let good food go to wate. The young boy stood up and followed Arjan, letting him lead him to his shop hoping that this wasn’t going to be a waste of time. He glanced towards the woman who had given him a few coins earlier and gave her a wink as they left the tavern and moved back into the cool night air.

[Mayquiri]

And if Lee, for that was what Arjan still knew the boy as, had voiced his concerns, Arjan would have merely chuckled.  If the healer had turned on Lee, odds were in his favor tht he could beat Arjan into submission, steal anything that might make some coin, then run off.  After all, quick and intellegent Arjan may be, but strong and hardy he was not.

Nodding slightly to Lee\'s agreement, Arjan smiled, "Alrigh\' then.  Lessgo." He said, grinning cheerfully as he exited the tavern to lead Lee through the streets to his home.  

Unfortunately, things weren\'t so simple as that.

"There y\'are, ye worthless scumova healer." A stocky woman growled testily as she glared at the man fro her doorway.  Behind her, three terrified, yet oddly excited children stood just inside the house, watching almost gleefully as the broad housewife began marching over towards Lee and Arjan.

[pinkroses]

Lee had just shoved the last mouthful of pastry into his mouth, feeling a little more relaxed now that his belly was full of warm food. He swallowed the food as a large woman suddenly addressed them and began stalking towards them. Lee glanced up at Arjan, then back at the woman, guessing by the way she had addressed them that it was the other man she was angry with, not the teenager.

“Friend o’ y’rs?” he murmured out of the side of his mouth, his eyes darting over the kids in the background. Liam didn’t want to get into trouble that he hadn’t caused and this woman looked ready to kill. If Arjan couldn’t cool her nerves, or handle whatever attack she might throw his way, Lee guessed he would be out of here in the blink of an eye… or it was tempting to stick around just to see exactly how badly the healer would be pounded.

[Mayquiri]

Wincing visably when the woman started after him, Arjan sighed heavily.  "Not really.  Her oldest son\'s dyin.  Nuffin I can do t\'save \'im.  She dun\'t understand that."  He explained softly as he stepped away from Lee and raised his hands slightly.

"Ma\'am, I already toldja Ah caint fix \'im.  Iffen yer gonna be beaten me up a bit, dun\'t y\'think y\'should wait until me bruises yellow a bit firs\'?" He asked, his face losing it\'s jovility.  

"But mah son!  You bastard, yer not a healer.  Yer jus\' a fraud.  When yer fronted wiv sumfin more\'n a scratch, ye back away sayin nuffin can be done.  Someone autta put you in yer place." She snarled.  Now that she was closer, one could see the red rimming around her eyes and the wetness just below them.

"If ah could save him, ah\'d be workin on him righ\' now.  Mebbe yer right.  Mebbe ah\'m just a fake.  But iffen ah was a fake, dun\'t y\'think I\'d sell y\'some fake stuff, over charge, then when it didnt work, shrug an say \'oh well\'?  Ah cain;t save im.  I didnt charge fer yer time, and he\'s gonna die.  Stop yer whining and sit wiv \'im till he does.  \'E should be dead in a week." He snapped, a small flare of anger crossing his face at her accusations.  Arjan may have been used to such treatment to people in denail about a loved ones mortality, but it still angereed him that they cared only about the person dying.  It was as if the ones still alive didn\'t matter in the least.  At least they still had others to care about once the one person finally kicked the bucket.