Everyone enjoys the revelry, the wine and ale flowing freely as the Tavern section of the Inn is packed nearly full. Much to Vivi's relief, after the boar is brought out, multiple platters of steamed vegetables and potatoes are brought out to go with it. It is set up like a buffet, where you get a slice of boar, then help yourself to the sides.
Ameiko excuses herself to the back, stating a need to check on the soup. She winks at Vivi as she passes him in the throng, continuing to the kitchen. After a few moments, the front doors of the Inn crash open. At the threshold stands a late middle-aged Tian man dressed in blue robes of obvious quality. He quickly presses inside, barking out in Minkai:
Vivi helps himself to a plate of vegetables and potatoes and digs into them with a relish. "No, Del, she is uninjured in body, but still bears wounds in spirit that have a long ways to heal.... much as you do... much as I do too. I hope she joins us shortly, I do wish to hear about this hunt."
About the time Vivi is digging into his second plate the older Minkai man barges in. Daughter... is that Ameiko's father?
Vivi rises and stands before him with a polite bow.
He smiles to the man, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Something is off about his attitude.... I don't know what though.
Vivi turns and heads toward the back to find Ameiko
Vivi calls as looks around the kitchen.
Kiley feels a little better after talking with Vivi. By supper she's closer to her normal self and as ale begins to flow and the boar is served up, she's fine.
That is until the head of the Kaijitsu house appears. Kiley stands up and moves over to Vivi's side. After the monk walks off, she turns to Lonjiku.
"Is there a problem?"
Sited with the other people of the town Delendir talks vigorously about the hunting day. When the man talking strangely enters the inn, he stands up and moves on to greet him, but when Vivi responds by talking in strange language too, he senses the rigid expression of the man. The half-elf decides then to stay observant, lying against the wall and trying for his eyes not to close while finishing another tank of ale.
The Minkai man stares condescendingly at Vivi before the monk retreats to find Ameiko. The man, Lonjiku, then slowly sweeps his gaze to Kiley, eyes narrowing.
The man speaks in accented Common, "There wasn't a problem until you filth came along. You, and that whore (Jessica), and that bastard (Tal), and the crackpot (Delendir), and the newcomer (Vivi). You should have left the town in the hands of the guards! How many innocents perished because of your actions!?" He shakes his head derisively.
Vivi, having delivered his message, returns to the front to ensure the peace is not disturbed by the man too much further.
Vivi smiles politely as he speaks and indicates a table away from other patrons to sit at.
Jessica stops what she is doing as the man delivers that insult, shocked that he would do such a thing to someone he doesn't even know. As she gets over being shocked, she becomes outraged at the implication and begins to let him have it in a low quiet voice, "How dare you speak that way about a priestess of Shelyn sirah. We are not Callistrians, our goddess does not encourage whoring as there is little of love involved in it. You seem to be sorely lacking in education if you believe otherwise. I doubt you even can see the beauty of the world around you, I doubt you even understand love. If I'm not incorrect, I imagine Shelyn has turned her back upon one such as you. If she hadn't before, she might well do so now."
The man turns his withering glare to Vivi, sneering. "I would sooner dine with dogs than sup with you, fool."
The man seems reproached by Jessica, but there are powerful emotions at work in him. His voice is shaky, his gaze unsure, but he plows forward, anyway. "My mistake. Slut, then...at least whores demand coin for their actions." He doesn't meet Jessica's eyes, choosing instead to look towards the kitchen.
"Ameiko, get out here right now!"
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Annoyed by the man by his degenerate name calling of him and the woman he is currently pursuing, Tal casts grease at the mans feet from the cover of the crowd and the music of the people chatting and instruments. He never did like nobles anyway.
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Jessica, even angrier than before, smacks the man across the face for his insults. "May Shelyn turn away from you, may you never know beauty or love again." With that, she will storm off to her room, her evening ruined.
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Tal was approaching the disturbance when he heard the insults flowing and was just in time to witness the final insults and consequent smack in the mans face. Across his face run a myriad of emotions from anger shock satisfaction then sorrow as he sees Jessica walk away, the night ruined.
He advances to Lonjiku and says
"You sure know how to drive women away Lonjiku. If I recall correctly we saved a lot of towns people when the goblins struck. It was the mayor and sherrif's idea to stick us with this title, not ours. If you have issues with it, you can sod off and take it up with them. Insult anyone of my friends like that again and you will find yourself in the mud with the pigs. I'm sure you are not stupid enough to turn the towns "Heroes" against yourself, not to mention a bunch of armed adventurers who don't give a rats ass about your silly title. So I suggest you keep your insults to yourself or you can expect to walk away with more than just a smack in the face. "
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Hearing the insults the man has delivered to him and his friends, Vivi simply takes off his tunic and hands it to Kiley. His brands are now visible.
Since the insult is delivered in Common, he switches to it.
"Dog, eh? Old man, you should watch who you unknowingly give insults to. In addition to insulting a priestess of a local deity, which is never wise, you have also insulted a me." he displays his brands to the man and switches to Tien.
Vivi is clearly angry, but also as clearly only stating options matter-of-factly.
Jessica slaps the man, leaving a pink mark upon his cheek as she storms off to her room, distraught. As she leaves, it seems to only embolden the man, who listens to Tal and Vivi with the air of superiority that only fine breeding can establish. He opens his mouth to speak, but at that moment, Ameiko comes storming out of the kitchen, ladle in hand. She looks angry.
Lonjiku: "Shut your mouth, girl. Pack your things, we are going to Magnimar."
At this point in the short conversation, Ameiko stands before her father, arms crossed, dark look on her face.
"You listen to me, you little whelp! I've allowed you your fun, now you obey your father and gather your things right now!"
Vivi listens to the "conversation" and decides to act.
"You were asked to leave. I suggest you do so."
Vivi draws both kama and places one's blade inches from the man's throat.
The smile on Vivi's face is cold.
Delendir observes the scene with fun. When Jessica smacks the old guy he starts laughing abruptly and then takes another sip of ale. The half-elf giggles after Vivi's menacing position in front of the man, then he slowly approaches to the elder from the back.
At that point he politely opens the door and shows it to the man speaking in very slow, a bit drunk, words "I doooon't know... what you would have done in our place? Just stay there and see the others die?" he makes a reverence, almost kneeling and continues "Forget my fellows, I guess we all are too nervous, but if you fear that much you better fly away to a saver region. If goblins are problem for you, you don't want to see the giants." He makes a pause offering the door to the man "And do not fear for your daughter, she is a well resourced one and for more you don't like them, she has good friends who will take care of her."
Holding the position the half-elf waits a bit, and either if he leaves or not, he adds "Good night *hic*"
With a rage that is obviously misplaced, Ameiko whirls on Vivi, face a livid mask.
She then turns to regard Tal, somewhat more calm. "Don't expand the problem with your threats, Talwin. I am quite capable of taking care of my affairs."
Delendir just maintains his kneeling open door position but raising face to see Ameiko. That's some strong personality there.
Vivi lowers his kama as he finishes, but keeps them in his hands.
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Tal turns his angry glare away from the old noble and turns to Ameiko with a more neutral look, though still somewhat tense. "Very well Ameiko, I'll leave the situation in your capable hands. As long as he doesn't step out of line and try to insult one of us anymore. Then either you use the ladle or we use our fists. There is only a limited amount of patience we can muster in the face of his undeserved insults. And it becomes our affair when he continues to do so unpunished. Fair?"
"Fine, but next insult he throws lands him on his arse," Kiley, who'd been very quiet up until now growls.
The two go back to their argument after Ameiko's admonishment. As the Minkai woman starts to speak, Lonjiku suddenly reaches out and grabs her hair, making as if to pull her out of the establishment. Swiftly and reflexively, Ameiko decks him with the soup ladle, tonight's dinner accompaniment splashing liberally onto the noble and those nearby.
He lands on his rump, more surprised then hurt. He gathers himself up with as much dignity as he can muster, hissing out something in Minkai.
He then departs the Inn. Ameiko stands there, ladle in hand, looking equal parts pissed and upset. Finally, she forces out a chuckle, almost shouting, "Guess I got to go clean this ladle. I wasn't serving jackass soup!"
A light round of applause sounds, and the merriment is back underway, if a bit more hushed.
Vivi watches him go, placing his kamas back in his belt again.
Wordlessly he returns to his plate and finishes his meal, refusing to talk to anyone, even when directly asked questions. Once finished he heads upstairs and meditates for a few minutes before retrieving the scroll he made yesterday for Ameiko and heading back downstairs with it. He hands it to Tal.
So saying he bows to Tal and sets off for the beach to await Lonjiku's decision.
As Vivi returns downstairs, the proprietor of the Rusty Dragon is waiting on him. Her cheeks are still flushed, but she seems to have calmed a great deal in the few minutes that have passed by.
She walks forward, going so far as to grasp his hands in hers.
She looks down at his hand, looking up at him curiously. She asks in common, "What's that?"
Meanwhile, a few of the patrons come and clap Delendir and Tal on the shoulders, grinning ear to ear. "Ameiko sure gave that old man a wallop he's not likely to forget, eh?"
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Tal looks upon the scene with great mirth and low fivves with a couple of the men present.
Before he can answer Vivi's request he grins widely and says in elven "I think that won't be necessary. Good luck Vivi. Now if you excuse me I have a pretty woman to comfort." He says and heads upstairs to Jessica.
He knocks on the door and asks "Jessica? Can I come in dear?"
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Delendir nods at them "It's no good thing to misstreat parents, so maybe things went a bit too far."
The half-elf leaves then the inn and looks to catch up with the old man to him he says "Please, don't leave with this angryness, you will never pardon yourself. Ameiko has gone too far misstreating his father, but there is a moment everyone has to break up the parents saving belt and go do their own life. For most we suffer seeing them making their errors. Please, forget us if we seemed reactive, but your words were just too much insulting." Delendir shouts this to him if he does not stop to listen.
When you call through her door, you can hear the sound of her voice in her room, but she doesn't reply.
Vivi nods in understanding and wordlessly hands her the scroll.
"It is merely what I told you about yesterday. I apologize for being hasty with drawing my weapons in your establishment. Please forgive me."
He formally bows, and switches to Tien.
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Tal tries to open the door and sticks his head around the corner.
"Jessica, are you all right? You sure missed a sight you wouldn't want to have missed. Ameiko slapped her father with a dirty ladle and he fall flat on his rump."
Tal walks in closer and studies Jessica's face if possible. He sits next to her on the bed and lays his hand on her shoulder.
"Look love, you shouldn't hold too much weight on the words of others. Especially nobles like Lonjiku. They have no idea what they are talking about and only wish to insult others to raise their own standing."
Ameiko smiles as she accepts the gift from Vivi.
Delendir keeps walking around the city during a couple of hours after the event. The recall of his daughter has taken away his desire to feast, and the fresh air helps bringing peace to his soul.
At some point he approaches the docks and sits. You had to go. It doesn't matter what the risks. You had to follow that uninhibited gipsy. Delendir looks up at the stars in the night thinking of his lost daughter For more angry I was at that time, I guess it was for the best. Otherwise you might be burned by now like Amira. I just hope I had given you my blessing, perhaps you would have tried to keep me updated and I will know now what has it been of you Sonia.
As the darkness starts to become deeper and the sounds of the night more intense, the half-elf stands up and comes back to the Rusty Dragon. He smiles and greets the remaining people in the party, and then he goes upstairs and closes at his chamber waiting for a good rest and a better next day.
Dreams are about wild and noble boars hunted down by gipsy rebellious daughters.
Vivi smiles the first warm smile he has since the old man entered.
"I will be, do not worry for me."
So saying he sets out to the beach, kama in hand.
Once Vivi arrives to the beach the Tien monk finds Delendir soaking his feet in the water over a stone and looking at the stars.
Vivi nods to Delendir when he arrives but is otherwise silent. He faces away from the surf as he kneels down, placing his kama to either side of him. Vivi closes his eyes and seems to go into a trance.
If he does arrive, let me face him with honor. As I face him with honor, let me defend the honor of my school, my friends, and myself. May Daikitsu watch over me as I fight, and may the good spirits guide me along the path to my next incarnation should I fall.
Delendir respects his friend trance and stays with him immersed in his own thoughts for one hour.
Then, he says "What if he does not come Vivi?
Vivi does not open his eyes or move his head... only his lips move. "Then it is as I told him in my language: his daughter's sense of honor came from her mother's linneage, not his. I promised Ameiko that I would not pursue the matter further if he did not arrive, so I will not."
Vivi's mouth forms a small smile, but his eyes stay closed.
"Besides... at that point it is his honor sullied in the murk, not mine or my school's."
Delendir looks at Vivi full of kindness "I had to get used to raise without honor when I was a child. Take care of it, it is important to be respected by others." the half-elf yawns and gets more comfortable in place "This is going to be long."
As time passes Delendir fights against the day fatigue, but eventually it hunts him and he gets slept. His dreams going as said in post before.
Delendir would follow Vivi to the Rusty Dragon and sleep in that case.
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Tal waits until Jessica is ready with her prayer before continuing. Waiting patiently and perhaps walking around the room, observing Jessica's belongings.
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Vivi and Delendir do indeed sit on the beach for naught, as Lonjiku does not arrive to salvage whatever honor the man might have. Vivi puts his arm around the ranger's shoulders, slowly guiding him back to the Rusty Dragon.
As they enter, the crowd has died down, most of the town's permanent residents having returned to their homes. Ameiko comes out of the kitchen, nodding at the monk's gesture. She seems to remember something, extending her arms up and to her left in a showman's gesture as she smiles widely. Hanging above the door to the kitchen is Vivi's scrollwork, its intricate designs on display for all to see.
As she sees Vivi is trying to escort Delendir to his room, she lowers her arms, going so far as to blow the Tien man a kiss and give him a short little wave before starting to help clean up the place.
There is not much to look at, it's obvious Jessica didn't plan to stay here for long. There is a small amount of makeup sitting but not much more. When she finishes after a few more minutes she looks at Tal, "I'm glad to hear that man got told off though I am sorry I lost my temper. Was there something you needed Tal?"