The Time is up (working title)
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,829
Reviews:
13
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
6
Views:
2,829
Reviews:
13
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Dingo
Title: The Time is up
Author: madlodger
A/N: This is moving a bit slower than expected; I am below my personal goal. Will have to play catch up. Oh well, hope the fic is ok so far. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and rated, especially Lisa. I always get that word wrong, hehe. Fixed. Thank you for pointing it out, a spellchecker always misses this sort of thing.
Chapter 4
Evan woke up in the darkness, not knowing where he was. He was still wearing the same clothes he left home in, now wrinkled and a bit ripe. It took him a few minutes to wake up and remember that this was his new home and to find a light switch.
The dorm room was tiny, with two long single beds and a small desk with a single chair by the window. There was a sink and a narrow kitchen counter in a corner by the door. Evan's stomach growled loudly and he opened a built-in mini-fridge under the counter. Nothing but stale smell and stains. It wasn't even turned on. The cabinet above the counter top was empty as well.
Overall, the new dorm experience turned out a bit shabby.
Evan took a towel and his washing supplies and went out looking for the bathing facilities.
There were communal showers and a restroom on the end of the hallway. The showers were covered in bland white tile floor to ceiling and, Evan noticed with discomfort, offered nothing in regard to privacy, not even a lock on the door. He showered fast, constantly checking the door. He was naked in the ghost town and felt small and vulnerable, even though people would need an ID to get into the building. The disturbing thoughts about how he is supposed to use the showers when the dorms overflows with the students were firmly pushed out of Evan's mind. One thing at a time, and now he was a starving man.
*****
Evan walked the stone path to the South Gate in the darkness. A creepy feeling what this is not real, but a dream made his skin crawl. The cool breeze touched his back, making him shiver. Evan stopped and turned his head, sniffing the air. His nose became extra sensitive from hunger. More breeze and there it was, a subtle scent of pines and soil of the forest floor.
The National Evergreens Preserve was calling to him.
He stood for a minute, staring into the darkness and then sharply turned south and sped up towards the gate, eager to find some food.
*****
The Fat Dingo's Bar & Grill was brightly lit and had a huge OPEN sign in the front window. Evan stalled for a minute before walking in. Massive smell of spices and grilled steak hit him in a face and made his stomach growl indecently loud. There was a tall bar on the right and a large room with wooden tables, chairs, and low hanging dim lights. A few lone customers were eating at the tables and watching news and sports on TWalls.
Evan shyly sat on a tall bar stool at the bar. He stared at the shiny plastic surface of the bar counter for a bit and then lifted his eyes to freeze in shock.
The bartender was fat. Fat and tall. Simply enormous, like a mature hippopotamus in an apron. His head was bald and shiny, dark eyes under thick eyebrows fast and sharp and he had a badge on his chest which said: "Dingo".
"What would you like to drink?" The big man's voice was big and rumbling as well.
Dingo's eyes bore into Evan's and the boy felt that the man could read his mind and see every little secret.
"Juice?"
"What sort of juice? We have a huge variety starting with a mild Valmerian honey beer and ending with a genuine Hell's Inferno rum.
Evan's eyes flicked to the drinks menu board behind the bartender. The prices were pretty high and he had no idea what most of those drinks meant.
"Do you have, maybe, some orange juice?"
"Orange juice. Of course."
The bartender turned around to get juice. Evan couldn't stop gawking at his huge belly and thick neck. Dingo moved with ease, like his size meant nothing, and it was obvious that he was not a man to cross. Evan was so hypnotized watching him work that he nearly jumped when Dingo turned and placed two large glasses in front of him.
There was orange juice in one glass and an unknown glowing milky liquid in another.
"On the house," the bartender smiled, "It's a tradition to give a free drink to a first student customer of the new school year."
"Maybe I am not a student?"
"Right."
Evan peered into the glass and sniffed it. The drink smelled of caramel apples and cinnamon.
"Drink it. You'll like it."
"Thank you."
...
Evan's stomach gave out a loudest sound yet, resembling a wail of a dying animal.
"Aren't you going to order any food?"
"Do you have a menu?"
Dingo sighed, pulled his uPen out of his pants pocket and tapped the bar counter in front of Evan. The counter lit up and the menu appeared with pictures, descriptions, and prices.
Evan's jaw dropped.
The entire bar counter was a tablet! And the food prices were twice as much as what he was used to back home... With a sinking heart Evan realized that in the big city his savings were going to run out much faster than expected. The colorful pictures of food looked so good, though that the boy decided on a big juicy steak with a baked potato and a salad, consequences be damned.
His order was accepted and he got a Thank you, your food will be ready in a few minutes message.
Evan sat sipping at the unknown drink, orange juice forgotten. Dingo didn't lie, the drink tasted great, it was pleasantly cold and thick and immediately calmed hunger pangs in Evan's stomach. He started feeling warm and more clever and confident than ever.
"So, you don't have any waiters?"
"No waiters, exactly, but we have a few all-duty people in the daytime. We still need to have someone to bring the food and to keep the place clean."
"Is the chef an all-duty too?"
"No, the chef is the chef."
Dingo walked off suddenly and came back a minute later, caring plates with Evan's food in his massive arms. In a blink of an eye the food was in front of the starving boy and he immediately dug in, moaning from joy.
The food was amazingly good: a crispy, tasty salad; a perfect, tender steak smothered in delectable garlic mushroom gravy; a fluffy, hot baked potato which came with...
"I can't believe it's not a synthetic butter!"
Dingo's eyes burned with intense fire.
"You can tell the difference?"
"Oh, yes! The synthetic they make now is pretty close, but it's still not the same. There is something about the texture that isn't right or something."
"Most people claim it's just as good," Dingo said derisively.
"They are wrong, the real stuff is better. Especially when baking butter cookies. There is just no comparison."
Dingo beamed like he found a long lost nephew. His happiness was so infectious that Evan beamed back. In their eyes there was a simple wordless exchange of understanding and immediate bonding; the kind of bonding that can only happen between seasoned connoisseurs of real honest to god butter from real flesh and blood cows. It lasted less than a minute, but in that short time a new friendship was forged.
Evan was wiping out his steak plate with a piece of toast and finishing his orange juice. He spent last half hour telling Dingo about his hometown, how he missed his brothers already and how they were still much too young to be left alone with their father. He told about his dorm room and the money worries as well. The bartender listened, nodding his bald head. He cleaned out Evan's empty plates and wiped the counter clean.
"Look here," Dingo said, tapping his uPen on the counter.
The Fat Dingo menu appeared again and he crossed it and clicked through the city menu, making a map appear.
"See, we are here. You need to go to the trolley station right down here and take the trolley 09X. Do not take 09Z, it will go the opposite way. Anyhow, take the 09X and go to the Big Shoe Box, it's huge, you can't miss it. Buy everything for your dorm now. This is the cheapest place and you will get a student discount. Get everything, the pillows, the coffeemaker, whatever. The discount will be gone after the classes start."
"Really? That makes no sense, I'll still be a poor student after they start."
"Well, it is called a Get Ready discount. This goes for your books and food too. So, stock up on cereals and canned goods, they are a student's best friends. Oh, get a cheapest soldering stick the money can buy too and a permanent marker."
"What for?"
"To mark your stuff before it walks off. You do live in a dorm."
Evan's head was buzzing from his drink and everything he had just learned. He wasn't sleepy, so he decided to go and get everything now. With a full tummy, a new friend and a solid plan, the boy felt the happiest since he arrived to Caterra City. He bid the bartender good night and started leaving the Fat Dingo. At the door, Evan paused and turned to look back.
"Hey, Dingo, what was that drink called, the one you gave me?"
"The Pale Virgin."
"Oh..."
Evan turned red and ran outside.
*****
End of chapter four
Nov 08, 2009
1560 words
Author: madlodger
A/N: This is moving a bit slower than expected; I am below my personal goal. Will have to play catch up. Oh well, hope the fic is ok so far. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and rated, especially Lisa. I always get that word wrong, hehe. Fixed. Thank you for pointing it out, a spellchecker always misses this sort of thing.
Chapter 4
Evan woke up in the darkness, not knowing where he was. He was still wearing the same clothes he left home in, now wrinkled and a bit ripe. It took him a few minutes to wake up and remember that this was his new home and to find a light switch.
The dorm room was tiny, with two long single beds and a small desk with a single chair by the window. There was a sink and a narrow kitchen counter in a corner by the door. Evan's stomach growled loudly and he opened a built-in mini-fridge under the counter. Nothing but stale smell and stains. It wasn't even turned on. The cabinet above the counter top was empty as well.
Overall, the new dorm experience turned out a bit shabby.
Evan took a towel and his washing supplies and went out looking for the bathing facilities.
There were communal showers and a restroom on the end of the hallway. The showers were covered in bland white tile floor to ceiling and, Evan noticed with discomfort, offered nothing in regard to privacy, not even a lock on the door. He showered fast, constantly checking the door. He was naked in the ghost town and felt small and vulnerable, even though people would need an ID to get into the building. The disturbing thoughts about how he is supposed to use the showers when the dorms overflows with the students were firmly pushed out of Evan's mind. One thing at a time, and now he was a starving man.
*****
Evan walked the stone path to the South Gate in the darkness. A creepy feeling what this is not real, but a dream made his skin crawl. The cool breeze touched his back, making him shiver. Evan stopped and turned his head, sniffing the air. His nose became extra sensitive from hunger. More breeze and there it was, a subtle scent of pines and soil of the forest floor.
The National Evergreens Preserve was calling to him.
He stood for a minute, staring into the darkness and then sharply turned south and sped up towards the gate, eager to find some food.
*****
The Fat Dingo's Bar & Grill was brightly lit and had a huge OPEN sign in the front window. Evan stalled for a minute before walking in. Massive smell of spices and grilled steak hit him in a face and made his stomach growl indecently loud. There was a tall bar on the right and a large room with wooden tables, chairs, and low hanging dim lights. A few lone customers were eating at the tables and watching news and sports on TWalls.
Evan shyly sat on a tall bar stool at the bar. He stared at the shiny plastic surface of the bar counter for a bit and then lifted his eyes to freeze in shock.
The bartender was fat. Fat and tall. Simply enormous, like a mature hippopotamus in an apron. His head was bald and shiny, dark eyes under thick eyebrows fast and sharp and he had a badge on his chest which said: "Dingo".
"What would you like to drink?" The big man's voice was big and rumbling as well.
Dingo's eyes bore into Evan's and the boy felt that the man could read his mind and see every little secret.
"Juice?"
"What sort of juice? We have a huge variety starting with a mild Valmerian honey beer and ending with a genuine Hell's Inferno rum.
Evan's eyes flicked to the drinks menu board behind the bartender. The prices were pretty high and he had no idea what most of those drinks meant.
"Do you have, maybe, some orange juice?"
"Orange juice. Of course."
The bartender turned around to get juice. Evan couldn't stop gawking at his huge belly and thick neck. Dingo moved with ease, like his size meant nothing, and it was obvious that he was not a man to cross. Evan was so hypnotized watching him work that he nearly jumped when Dingo turned and placed two large glasses in front of him.
There was orange juice in one glass and an unknown glowing milky liquid in another.
"On the house," the bartender smiled, "It's a tradition to give a free drink to a first student customer of the new school year."
"Maybe I am not a student?"
"Right."
Evan peered into the glass and sniffed it. The drink smelled of caramel apples and cinnamon.
"Drink it. You'll like it."
"Thank you."
...
Evan's stomach gave out a loudest sound yet, resembling a wail of a dying animal.
"Aren't you going to order any food?"
"Do you have a menu?"
Dingo sighed, pulled his uPen out of his pants pocket and tapped the bar counter in front of Evan. The counter lit up and the menu appeared with pictures, descriptions, and prices.
Evan's jaw dropped.
The entire bar counter was a tablet! And the food prices were twice as much as what he was used to back home... With a sinking heart Evan realized that in the big city his savings were going to run out much faster than expected. The colorful pictures of food looked so good, though that the boy decided on a big juicy steak with a baked potato and a salad, consequences be damned.
His order was accepted and he got a Thank you, your food will be ready in a few minutes message.
Evan sat sipping at the unknown drink, orange juice forgotten. Dingo didn't lie, the drink tasted great, it was pleasantly cold and thick and immediately calmed hunger pangs in Evan's stomach. He started feeling warm and more clever and confident than ever.
"So, you don't have any waiters?"
"No waiters, exactly, but we have a few all-duty people in the daytime. We still need to have someone to bring the food and to keep the place clean."
"Is the chef an all-duty too?"
"No, the chef is the chef."
Dingo walked off suddenly and came back a minute later, caring plates with Evan's food in his massive arms. In a blink of an eye the food was in front of the starving boy and he immediately dug in, moaning from joy.
The food was amazingly good: a crispy, tasty salad; a perfect, tender steak smothered in delectable garlic mushroom gravy; a fluffy, hot baked potato which came with...
"I can't believe it's not a synthetic butter!"
Dingo's eyes burned with intense fire.
"You can tell the difference?"
"Oh, yes! The synthetic they make now is pretty close, but it's still not the same. There is something about the texture that isn't right or something."
"Most people claim it's just as good," Dingo said derisively.
"They are wrong, the real stuff is better. Especially when baking butter cookies. There is just no comparison."
Dingo beamed like he found a long lost nephew. His happiness was so infectious that Evan beamed back. In their eyes there was a simple wordless exchange of understanding and immediate bonding; the kind of bonding that can only happen between seasoned connoisseurs of real honest to god butter from real flesh and blood cows. It lasted less than a minute, but in that short time a new friendship was forged.
Evan was wiping out his steak plate with a piece of toast and finishing his orange juice. He spent last half hour telling Dingo about his hometown, how he missed his brothers already and how they were still much too young to be left alone with their father. He told about his dorm room and the money worries as well. The bartender listened, nodding his bald head. He cleaned out Evan's empty plates and wiped the counter clean.
"Look here," Dingo said, tapping his uPen on the counter.
The Fat Dingo menu appeared again and he crossed it and clicked through the city menu, making a map appear.
"See, we are here. You need to go to the trolley station right down here and take the trolley 09X. Do not take 09Z, it will go the opposite way. Anyhow, take the 09X and go to the Big Shoe Box, it's huge, you can't miss it. Buy everything for your dorm now. This is the cheapest place and you will get a student discount. Get everything, the pillows, the coffeemaker, whatever. The discount will be gone after the classes start."
"Really? That makes no sense, I'll still be a poor student after they start."
"Well, it is called a Get Ready discount. This goes for your books and food too. So, stock up on cereals and canned goods, they are a student's best friends. Oh, get a cheapest soldering stick the money can buy too and a permanent marker."
"What for?"
"To mark your stuff before it walks off. You do live in a dorm."
Evan's head was buzzing from his drink and everything he had just learned. He wasn't sleepy, so he decided to go and get everything now. With a full tummy, a new friend and a solid plan, the boy felt the happiest since he arrived to Caterra City. He bid the bartender good night and started leaving the Fat Dingo. At the door, Evan paused and turned to look back.
"Hey, Dingo, what was that drink called, the one you gave me?"
"The Pale Virgin."
"Oh..."
Evan turned red and ran outside.
*****
End of chapter four
Nov 08, 2009
1560 words