The hobgoblin's beady eyes narrow.
"Yes, it is my weapon. Keeps things at a comfortable distance, and it's great for sweeping feet. My name's Lang Xiao Bai, but people who are scared of me call me Gui Lang. He pauses for a moment to consider, "Perhaps you should just call me Lang. How should I address you? As Lang converses with Karval, he looks across the table to see what the Catfolk will say to the Nagaji's offer.
The hobgoblin nods, not looking at Lang. "My name is Karval."
Karval's hand rests on his scimitar, and all his attention seems to be on Tong Kai.
Noticing the hobgoblin staring Kai pours some of the liquid in his tea and says, "Suit yourself." He takes a drink and sighs deeply.
"My name is Kai, from the house Tong." He bows respectfully.
Karval's hand leaves his weapon, and he seems to relax a little.
The large cloaked man bows in kind, slightly lower.
Best to give a lesser man honor than slight a better man his due...
He brings his fist together with a flat palm held vertically, showing his left hand is shod in a heavy iron gauntlet with small spikes at the knuckles. Between it and the arm behind it, you figure he would be a harsh man to cross.
After a moment of due etiquette, he chuckles- a deep sound that comes more from the chest than the mouth, but shakes his whole frame heartily. Turning to Karval, he waves his right arm in a slithering motion, then makes it into a miniature man. Starting with his hands a small breadth apart, he opens them to indicate "more", then makes the slithering motion again, followed by touching a finger to his brow.
Realizing his lack of manners, he brings a fist to his lips as he has seen so many do before as they clear their throat; but he does not. After a moment, he pulls aside the left breast of his cloak, revealing a cuirass of wood, stamped with the Tian name-sign "Tof-Han", an epithet around it's circumference: "Stormcaller".
For the very educated of you, or those trying to visualize it, it's a Mwangi name; but Toph doesn't know that.
Karval nods at Toph.
[sarcasm][/sarcasm]
Tophan lets his cloak flow back over his enameled cuirass, falling more heavily than the fabric would suggest, suggesting impregnation with an oil of sorts. This may explain the slight odor that surrounds him, but then, it could be anything.
He bows politely to Araki, returning the catfolk's pleasantry, and follows the gesture by holding a silver up until he holds a cup of tea instead, which he enjoys in minuscule sips with his back to a wall, his glowing ember eyes fixed steadfast on the door.
As Kai stands straight you notice a gold ring dangling from a chain around his neck. He hastily grabs it and hides it under his cloak again and sullenly resumes drinking his tea.
Karval raises a very thin eyebrow at Tong's hiding the ring. The hobgoblin's hand strays to a dirty cloth sling around his neck...then falls back to his side. He sits down at the table and stares at his cup of tea.
Toph looks pointedly out a window, holding first four, then three fingers up to the sun, measuring the time before sunset. Seemingly satisfied, he mimes bringing soup to his lips to a servant as she refills The Wolf's tea, forcing his attention back to the preacher.
Making a quick sign of superstition, the hulking man man points first to the sky, then to Lang, bringing his fingers to his thumbs repeatedly to signify talking as he waits on his food.
Does the sky talk to you?
"He's wondering if the sky talks to you," Karval explains to Lang Gui.
The hobgoblin takes a sip of his tea and scowls. "It's cold."
It's probably only cold because he's taken so long to start drinking it, but this clearly hasn't occurred to him.
Kai looks from Tophan to Karval and back again. "How do you know what he's saying?" He seems puzzled for a second, but then his expression changes and he turns to Toph. "What happened to yer tongue?"
Toph opens his mouth to show his intact tongue, but smiles. He taps a finger to his ear, then claps his hands loudly once together, and shrugs. He draws his hand horizontally across his throat, making his sign for talking, and pats the trident slung on the back of his hip knowingly. Through the shadow of his hood, there's the ivory flash of tusks, barely discernible in the secluded light.
Karval shrugs. "We've fought together a few times. He can only hear thunder, and never learned our speech. He's not bad at working out what we say to him, though." The hobgoblin nods approvingly.
Kai looks confused for just a moment, but then pulling the flask from his cloak again he takes a swig and shakes his head.
Toph grins, touching a finger first below his eye, then pointing at the group, then taps his mouth. His meaning is fairly obvious- he reads lips.
He lets out a thankful sigh as the soup arrives. He holds the steaming bowl in his gauntleted hand, bringing the spoon gingerly into the dark folds of his hood. Looking up from his meal and seeing the attention diverted to him, he takes a step back towards the wall and makes a show of sipping at his bowl.
Too much attention; can't see all the lips at once.
The corner of Karval's mouth twitches. He gestures to the flask. "Is that what I think it is?"
Toph takes a sharp breath suddenly, as if he had burnt himself.
He didn't sip any soup before he inhaled; he's really just trying to politely smell the room.
"Rasamoro." The up until now quiet Nagaji spoke up once no one had further introduced themselves. Sitting towards the back of the small group he would have been relatively unnoticed, despite his large frame. "I will provide what protection we may need on our mission." Evidently he cared little for the little intricacies and nuances that his supposed companions displayed and the games they'd dance around each other. They were brought together for a purpose; this purpose must be fulfilled.
Settling himself back into his seat and nursing a steaming concoction, Rasamoro continued to calmly monitor the ones gathered around the table with serious, red-tinted eyes.
For what seems like the first time a smile plays at the corner of Kai's mouth. "That depends on what you think it is." He takes another swig and offers it again. His glance reaches Rasamoro and says something that sounds to most of you like a series of hisses and sighs.
"If the sky does talk to me I haven't heard it yet. I can read it though. Weather and such."
"What I think it will be is irrelevant. I will perform my duty. There can be no more." Rasamoro replied, keeping steady eye contact with Tong Kai. When the other beings to speak in their native tongue, he narrows his eyes a little, but replies in the same tongue.
Toph inclines his head to Lang, denoting his understanding. A few dark gray tendrils fall from his hood; the ash-choked and salt-filled locks of his hair, twisted into cirri one or two fingers thick.
He waves away the nagaji's offer of the flask politely, but fixes his eyes intently on his scaly lips. After a moment or two of the strange tongue, he shakes his head in exasperation and repeats to Karval his more-snake statement, this time with less mirth, before bowing low to the witch.
Karval takes the flask. "Perhaps, but I believe I know the identity of this brew. Next to this tea, I'd be happier with phase venom."
He takes a swig.
Kai shakes his head, still not understanding this weather speaking. He again turns his attention back to Rasamoro.
Karval nods. "Good." He takes another swig.
Toph chuckles, miming "snake" and "fangs".
Karval scowls at Toph.
Toph chuckles slightly harder, but he's seen the hobgoblin angry.
He puts one hand on his trident.
Seeing Toph's movement, Karval's hand flies to his scimitar. His calm countenance doesn't vanish, but his stance is ready. "Enjoying the tea?"
Toph simply nods, not in the least concerned. He holds forth his bowl of soup as if to say, "this too".
Might I have a pull from your flask Mr. Tong? He looks over Rasmoro and Tong hissing at each other, and Toph and Karval's hands on their weapons. Looks like we could all do with a little relaxation. Ther'll be plenty of time for hot blood later I'm sure.
"I am perfectly relaxed." Karval turns his scowl on Lang.
Rasamoro nods at Tong Kai, satisfied with the answer his fellow Nagaji gave him. His attention then turns to Tophan and Karval and he scowls at both of them. "Division in our ranks will not be tolerated. If you cannot save your anger for our enemies then I have no use for you."
Karval turns to Rasamoro, still glaring. "I am perfectly happy. I am not angry at all. Please try to keep in mind that our facial expressions are different from those of the Nagaji."
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Rasamoro hissed in response to Karval's statement. "Very well. Then please keep your 'happiness' in check for our enemies in the name of our Lord."