[PRP] Shelf Life [Ollie x Borr]

[and be blue]

It was hardly Ollie's first tour of the tower -- if running laps up through each of the floor and exploring everything that wasn't locked could really be called a tour -- and it also wouldn't be his last. The boundless energy that drove him into constant motion made it hard to pick any one place to settle, or any one room to focus on, for particularly long. It was fortunate his footsteps were soft, near silent, or else someone would probably object to the blur of fur that passed their doorways.

Open doorway. Room beyond. It made him pause, just a little breathless, to blink in at Borr's hall. Gold eyes flicking from barrel to barrel, Ollie leaned in the door to recover from his run, and if the other horseman was in sight, he wouldn't immediately notice. He was too distracted by unfamiliar stuff.

This room didn't look like others he'd ducked his head into.

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

The room was all stone and gleaming wood. Stacked barrels dominated a whole wall, the other inset with a grated off fire place. The only furnishings to speak of were a long heavy slab table (well-polished) and a dozen or so stools set up around it. The corners of the room were inset with shelves covered in varying sizes of mismatched mugs, flagons and steins and the only decor to speak of were animal furs on the walls and floors. One spot at the table was covered in papers, a quill and a half full mug of dark ale.

There was another door open, shuffling heard on the other side, but no one was there to witness Ollie's arrival.

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

He should have, at least to some degree, made his presence known: should have shouted a hello, perhaps, or at least cleared his throat to excess. Instead, Ollie took advantage of the absence to poke around just a little. First he stepped up to the table, fingers smoothing along the rough edge, curious. Then, a soft pad to push one of the chairs back, to study the seat and the workmanship, fingers on the wood.

He stole just a brief peek toward the doorway as he stepped up to the casks, a hand pressed against one to feel its weight --

Except, of course, that it was empty, and as he pushed against it, it fell to the ground with a thrum and a crash loud enough to about send Ollie jumping into the rafters.

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

The crashing sound brought the massive stallion out of the back rooms with surprising speed. His eyes dragged over the still bobbling barrel as it rocked on the stone floor. How had it moved?

"Someone there?" His voice rumbled curiously. With his door wide open he was essentially asking for company. Borr would find no fault if someone had investigated.

"Put this back..." He mumbled to himself, picking up the offending barrel and setting it back in place. The soldier didn't even think to look up.

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

He hadn't, of course literally gone into the rafters -- but he had disappeared into the sea of barrels to watch this out, and as Borr put the one back, he made a quiet sound, dodging out of the way and back into public. It hadn't broken, at least, but as Ollie made himself seen he froze again, torn between bolting for the hills [because Borr was a rather large horseman, after all] or staying to see how it all turned out...

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"You're a bit of a noisy burglar." The older stallion chuckled upon hearing the shuffling to his side as he righted the empty barrel. He leaned on it as he turned and finally pinned the small horseman with his gaze. He didn't often think to look down for scurrying invaders but Ollie succeeded in making enough noise to clue the larger man in.

"Something I can help you with?" Borr wondered if they'd slipped something into the water recently. Besides Wrath, all those he'd encountered had been rather.... tiny. "The rest of them are full so I doubt you'll be over turning them. Can I help you?"

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

"What's in them?" Maybe he should have started by apologizing: surely that would have been Lala's instructions. Or orders, as it were. Instead, he frowned up at Borr and dug into the disaster, pretending that nothing had happened. It meant that he frowned up at the other horseman as he said it, hands slowly settling into his hips, and chin tipped up just a touch. Not that, even like this, he could look down his nose at Borr...

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

The smaller horseman's challenging stance made Borr smirk. "Well the full explanation of what's in them would reveal trade secrets." He stood a bit straighter, regarding the smaller stallion with a cool blue gaze.

"But the short version.." His knuckle rapped one full keg. "Beer." Another. "Ale." Another, leaning in now and looking side to side as if he were imparting a secret. "Lambic."

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

Ollie's mouth fell open in a quiet 'o', thoughtful as his eyes swept over the piles and piles of barrels. It was a completely genuine, naive expression of surprise -- mingled with a healthy dose of teenaged curiosity. It took a moment for his attention to resettle on Borr.

"All of them?"

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Every single one." He chortled as his knotted knuckle rapped on another couple barrels and the ensuing sound indicated they were all full of liquid.

"What's yer name son?" Borr had the urge to place his hand on top of the lad's head and ruffle him, but didn't. Not without at least an introduction.

"Did you want to sample some?"

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

"Ah." It wasn't that he was completely naive. Somewhere, in there, he know what was in the kegs -- or, at least, the basic concept of what it was. Still, his hesitation showed Ollie's definitely ignorance in this realm, his lack of experience. A dose of hesitation that spoke to -- well. He probably wasn't supposed to.

But instead, at last, he grinned up at Borr, any hesitation or attitude melting away into something thoroughly real. "Yes. I'm Oliatos -- um. Ollie."

And he offered a hand.

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"A pleasure Master Ollie." Borr's massive hand closed around the younger stallion's in a firm shake which may or may not have jolted the smaller horseman's arm. "I am Borr."

He released him and nudged out a stool with his foot. "Why don't you have a seat. Do you have a preference? Dark or light or strong.... fruity perhaps?" His hand dragged over each barrel almost reverently. He didn't think to ask if the drinking was allowed, as ages weren't often an object to the clans.

Still, he wouldn't deny any clansman a good drink and if Ollie hadn't tried ale before, there was never a bad time to start.

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

Ollie swayed under the shake, shifted in place, but caught his balance quickly -- springy thing that he was. And Borr didn't need to ask twice before he claimed a seat on the stool, elbows settling onto the counter in front of him and eyes still locked on the giant of a horseman as he surveyed the barrels. There was a quiet moment while he considered what he liked.

Dark and light didn't mean much, but fruity caught his attention. He tipped his head to shake hair out of his face and offered Borr another flash of a smile. "Sweet?"

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Hmmm.. sweet." Borr's thick fingers ran through his beard a moment, "The sweetest thing I have is a bit of wine. But I didn't make it." He usually took a small glass before he set down for the night, heady and sweet and made for sipping. The bottle was back in his personal rooms but he wouldn't mind sharing with a new friend.

"How about first we will try you on some lambic?" The stallion slow and methodically retrieved a smaller sized tankard, one that Ollie wouldn't need two hands to lift, and moved to one of the tapped barrels. When it was set in front of the younger horseman the aroma of raspberries encompassed the cup. It wasn't sweet, persay, but it was bubbly and fruity and had a bit of tang from the berries.

Borr hung expectantly, almost hovering, waiting to hear an opinion.

and be blue

 

[and be blue]

"Hmmm." It was obvious, even to the relatively clueless, that this was something Borr took very seriously -- and so, naturally, Ollie would do the same. He'd take a long, slow, whiff, hair tucked back behind his ears and around his antlers so that it wouldn't tumble into the glass, and then tip his head to one side like he was thinking about it.

Borr would have to wait while Ollie, somber, wrapped both hands around the mug and took his time lifting it to his lips. The smallest sip, and then he had to pause, considering.

"...I don't know." And he meant it, too, expression going from serious and intense to more thoughtful, maybe a touch confused. He took another tiny sip, licked his lips, and set the tankard back down. "...I don't know."

iloveyoudie