Trog's Tavern: Roman Numerals Are Dumb

[Ironsmith]

"...I do not." Comes the reply, in the form of a reverberating, vaguely wet-sounding voice. "What remains is a gratuity. A reward for prompt and professional service." The knight lifts the stein to its helmet and throws back its head, the liquid disappearing into the gap between the front plate. "There is no call to be stingy. I am not long for this world. Why would I hoard wealth I will not be around to spend?" That would be pointless, wouldn't it?

[Rebonack]

Zee watches silently while Arthfael flounders around and probably makes himself feel even more foolish in the process.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess she probably isn't too disappointed that you got whomped by some kind of spooky psychic mind-wedgy," she finally says. "But! You can probably find out whether she's direct or indirect! How does she normally approach problems? Is she the sort of person who tends to face things head on or not? Is she usually pretty upfront with what she's feeling?"

Given what Arthfael knows about Khannie that should be relatively easy to answer.

Khannie tends to be very...

Straight forward.

With how she approaches things.

Which is kind of odd for a zoroark but Khannie really isn't your typical illusion fox.

[Keeper]

G'nichi turns in his seat to look at the knight.
"Are you sick, sir?" asks the paladin.
"Or are you expecting to be going on a suicide mission?" knights are known to be doing that sometimes.

[Hraithre]

Gaul ponders the armoured man's question for a moment, briefly scratching his chin as he does so.

After several seconds, he speaks up. "Immediately? I'd want the fork out of my hand. I'd probably want to get you back for it soon after, though. You watch cartoons, right?"

"Yes."
"No."

The armored man and Hoshiki glance at each other, before returning their attention to Gaul.

"Okay, but if I take the fork off, just so", the man continues, opening his fist and lifting it off the table, "just why would it be important to get back at me? Is it not enough for the pain to end?"

[Gold]

Gaul glances at Hoshiki, but doesn't seem too surprised at his answer.

The businessman shrugs. "Well, it's culture, really. Nobody wants to leave an interaction feeling like they lost, or got walked all over. Taking revenge is more satisfying."

[Hraithre]

"So an evil spirit would think", the armored man says dryly, "and that is why we call them 'evil'."

Hoshiki sits in pensive silence for a moment. Just when looks like he's about to say something, the armored man lifts up a finger. "But! There's another reason. Would you like to hear it?"

[Ironsmith]

Zee watches silently while Arthfael flounders around and probably makes himself feel even more foolish in the process.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess she probably isn't too disappointed that you got whomped by some kind of spooky psychic mind-wedgy," she finally says. "But! You can probably find out whether she's direct or indirect! How does she normally approach problems? Is she the sort of person who tends to face things head on or not? Is she usually pretty upfront with what she's feeling?"

Given what Arthfael knows about Khannie that should be relatively easy to answer.

Khannie tends to be very...

Straight forward.

With how she approaches things.

Which is kind of odd for a zoroark but Khannie really isn't your typical illusion fox.

"...Sort of." Arthfael admits. "She's never been shy about when she's mad, I guess. And she's... kind, when she feels for someone. Honest, as far as I can tell. I... guess that makes her sort of straightforward, doesn't it?"

The summons all nod in agreement, along with mumbled affirmations that this was what they'd observed as well.

G'nichi turns in his seat to look at the knight.
"Are you sick, sir?" asks the paladin.
"Or are you expecting to be going on a suicide mission?" knights are known to be doing that sometimes.

The black knight's helmet slowly creaks as its beady, recessed eyes fix G'nichi with an incredulous look. The knight flops its gauntlet-less hand onto the table, fingers wriggling unnaturally like so many slugs in death throes after having salt poured on them.

It doesn't need to say it, but the sentiment of "yes, mustache man, this is clearly what a healthy human being looks like" is definitely there.

"...In sixty hours, I go to a duel with a dishonorable woman, that is sure to end in my death." The knight rumbles, spooning a cluster of maggots into its mouth. "Should I win all the same, I will at least see justice done, for this woman his murdered what remains of my kin, and they will have their vengeance in me." The knight shakes its head. "That is not the outcome I would hope for. Mine were not a vengeful people. It would... be a tainted victory, at best."

[Fenric]

"Not a satisfying answer, that first one."
"Pretty sagelike though."

Honeysuckle then stops being a fox, and starts being a human with a fox's ears and tails, so as to place some gold coins on the bartop and ask for another round of drinks. She is, as always, wearing a visor that covers her eyes, so that she doesn't accidentally look at anything.

"The rest, yeah."
"Someone else's past at best."

Kind of a shame to hear, but good to have a reason to stop wondering.

"No worries. Nobody else's seen anything like it neither."

"How about a good piece'a trivia instead?"

Fenric looks thoughtful

Uhm... You would like a bit of trivia about the Nexus? Hm... The Temple of Inari is the oldest still-running temple in the Nexus, but it wasn't the first! Any guesses as to who was venerated at the first temple established in town?

[Rebonack]

"Well that pretty much answers that question, then! If she thought what you did was cowardly she'll probably tell you," Zee reasons. "But just in case it's still a good idea to look for hints that she might drop about how she's feeling and what's wrong, though really it probably won't come to that. She doesn't sound like the sort of person who will glare at you and tell you that you know what you did wrong."

Usually there are HINTS that come before that behavior. Hints that are obliviously overlooked.

Good thing Arthfael isn't oblivious at all, right?

"If you want my advice go find her and let her know you're okay. I bet she's worried about you."

[Earl of Purple]

”My schools weren’t ever anything to write home about before. I guess thanks to Sai I could have moved to a nicer college but it just didn’t feel right to leave everyone behind.”
Besides, she had the money to commute magically. Which is kind of still cool every single time?

"But you went to college, you were educated by people who were, themselves, educated. I wasn't. I learnt how to read, count, and write from a group of scavengers and thieves who are happy enough to survive they've never tried to thrive. I was taught stone knapping, and fire-making, and breaking and entering. I don't know how to count in letters, or bake bread, or how a car works. Nobody who lives in the Clattering does." They've got a mix of technology and magic they've stolen and figured out how to use and maintain, but need to steal or barter for spare parts if it breaks. Most of their dwellings don't have electricity or power, and the ones which do are rarely trusted because of the risks of poorly maintained electronics in a forest.

[Ironsmith]

"Well that pretty much answers that question, then! If she thought what you did was cowardly she'll probably tell you," Zee reasons. "But just in case it's still a good idea to look for hints that she might drop about how she's feeling and what's wrong, though really it probably won't come to that. She doesn't sound like the sort of person who will glare at you and tell you that you know what you did wrong."

Usually there are HINTS that come before that behavior. Hints that are obliviously overlooked.

Good thing Arthfael isn't oblivious at all, right?

"If you want my advice go find her and let her know you're okay. I bet she's worried about you."

Arthfael nods slowly and stands up. "Right. I... I should totally do that, yeah." He says, dusting off his shirt. "...Do you guys want to come with, or-"

"Nah." "We're good." "This is really more a 'you and her' thing anyway." "I'm not even half done yet."

"I guess that makes sense." Arthfael smiles and waves to Zee as he steps out the front door. "Thanks!"

What a nice lady.

Although... now that he's outside, he has to try and figure out where she actually went. Home, maybe? Back to the field? Right around the corner so she could ambush him as he came out?

...It's totally that last one, isn't it?

[Rebonack]

Arthfael gets a departing wave from Zee. "Good luck!"

Then it's just a matter of heading out into the night and finding Khannie right? Easy! She's probably right over there ready to pounce on him when he rounds the corner and-!

Nope.

Not there.

Looking this way and that, Khannie won't be seen anywhere! There's actually a good reason for that. Mostly because Khannie found an empty alley nearby and set up a screen at the entrance so she can change out of her costume in peace.

She's busy pulling her regular clothes back on and hasn't noticed Arthfael.

[Keeper]

The black knight's helmet slowly creaks as its beady, recessed eyes fix G'nichi with an incredulous look. The knight flops its gauntlet-less hand onto the table, fingers wriggling unnaturally like so many slugs in death throes after having salt poured on them.

It doesn't need to say it, but the sentiment of "yes, mustache man, this is clearly what a healthy human being looks like" is definitely there.

"...In sixty hours, I go to a duel with a dishonorable woman, that is sure to end in my death." The knight rumbles, spooning a cluster of maggots into its mouth. "Should I win all the same, I will at least see justice done, for this woman his murdered what remains of my kin, and they will have their vengeance in me." The knight shakes its head. "That is not the outcome I would hope for. Mine were not a vengeful people. It would... be a tainted victory, at best."

G'nichi's associates are a kaiju angel-dragon (who is currently about thirty feet away), her miniature dragon daughter who is also a glass wolf with a thousand hands, a buzzing swarm of gray goo that pretends to be person-shaped and gives him missions, a werewolf druid, and an eight foot tall deer-man and his swarm of deer/cherry-tree hybrid children.
His impression of normal is broken irreparably.
"Then don't." G'nichi says flatly. He's not incredulous. In fact he sounds like this is a conversation he has had before.
"You may feel bound by your people's memory and honor to do this, but if there is no chance of a good outcome then it is not worth doing."

"But you went to college, you were educated by people who were, themselves, educated. I wasn't. I learnt how to read, count, and write from a group of scavengers and thieves who are happy enough to survive they've never tried to thrive. I was taught stone knapping, and fire-making, and breaking and entering. I don't know how to count in letters, or bake bread, or how a car works. Nobody who lives in the Clattering does." They've got a mix of technology and magic they've stolen and figured out how to use and maintain, but need to steal or barter for spare parts if it breaks. Most of their dwellings don't have electricity or power, and the ones which do are rarely trusted because of the risks of poorly maintained electronics in a forest.

"Well I went to a public school in a bad neighborhood for most of my life. But point." Mina's mother is a barely-magical fortune teller and they had very little money until the whole Sai Time Travel incident.
"And being fair I don't think I know how to bake bread or how a car works either. My big hands aren't great at making stuff..."

[Ironsmith]

Arthfael gets a departing wave from Zee. "Good luck!"

Then it's just a matter of heading out into the night and finding Khannie right? Easy! She's probably right over there ready to pounce on him when he rounds the corner and-!

Nope.

Not there.

Looking this way and that, Khannie won't be seen anywhere! There's actually a good reason for that. Mostly because Khannie found an empty alley nearby and set up a screen at the entrance so she can change out of her costume in peace.

She's busy pulling her regular clothes back on and hasn't noticed Arthfael.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), Arthfael can't see through Khannie's illusions, and promptly dismisses the empty alleyway as being just that.

So she's not around here anywhere.

Dammit.

With no idea where to go looking for her from here, Arthfael reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He should be able to get ahold of her that way, right?

All he has to do is call her and talk to her. How hard can that be?

...

taktaka

Arthfael turns and walks away, leaving the now-broken phone where it lay on the street, the cracked screen still displaying "Khannie <3" as the highlighted contact.

G'nichi's associates are a kaiju angel-dragon (who is currently about thirty feet away), her miniature dragon daughter who is also a glass wolf with a thousand hands, a buzzing swarm of gray goo that pretends to be person-shaped and gives him missions, a werewolf druid, and an eight foot tall deer-man and his swarm of deer/cherry-tree hybrid children.
His impression of normal is broken irreparably.
"Then don't." G'nichi says flatly. He's not incredulous. In fact he sounds like this is a conversation he has had before.
"You may feel bound by your people's memory and honor to do this, but if there is no chance of a good outcome then it is not worth doing."

The black knight stares at him again, even more incredulous now than he had been before. "...Of course." It rumbles, its voice dripping with sarcasm. "An elegant solution. One I most certainly would not have thought of on my lengthy journey here. Truly, you have shown great wisdom this day, sir knight."

Just don't.

Why didn't it think of that?

"Although, did it occur to you, as you were pondering this problem, that perhaps there is a good outcome to be had from all of this?" The black knight asks, following up the question with a spoonful of maggots.

[Earl of Purple]

"I could only make a car move by pushing on it, and that's not great since they are quite heavy." Jack has never been inside a car, so she couldn't even open a window without experimentation and guesswork. Though she'd be able to use the car's radio, if it has one, since she's used those before. "I wouldn't necessarily change it, though. I wasn't particularly happy there, but... Because of that, I came here, and I am happy here. I see a lot of people who aren't happy here, and most of them had a more coherent education than I did." But they'd also likely be unable to survive in the way that Jack does, given she's functionally homeless.

[Rebonack]

Khannie doesn't notice Arthfael looking down the alley mostly because she has her back turned toward the street whilst putting on her pants. Sure no one should be about to see her but if she can't see THEM either it feels less awkward.

So she doesn't notice.

Not until she hears the crash of glass and plastic against the street.

That gets her whirling around (a bit awkwardly) and thus spots her boyfriend skulking away.

"Hey wait up!"

Khannie frantically shoves one shoe on and comes hopping out of the alley while trying to shove the OTHER shoe on in a laudable display of balance. Her jacket is dangling uselessly off one arm.

She comes to a halt after a few hops, her attention catching on, "Hey you dropped your phone. Are you okay?"

Khannie knows that he isn't okay.

But she isn't asking that question to find out.

She stoops down to tie her shoes and-

No.

She doesn't pick up the phone. She'll let Arthfael get it.

[Ironsmith]

Arthfael tenses when he hears Khannie's voice, freezing mid-step.

She's not nearly as out-of-reach as he was thinking, apparently.

Now, if Khannie can read all the context clues right, she probably already knows what's going on. And Arthfael... well, he knows how clever she can be. There's not much room for doubt on his end, either. He knows she knows.

"...h...h-h...." The strigoi's shoulders start shaking as a deep, vaguely rhythmic, throaty sound emanates from him... like he wanted to laugh and cry and growl and somehow stay quiet all at the same time.

It takes him a few minutes to settle enough to find his words.

"...You hate me again, don't you?"

[Keeper]

The black knight stares at him again, even more incredulous now than he had been before. "...Of course." It rumbles, its voice dripping with sarcasm. "An elegant solution. One I most certainly would not have thought of on my lengthy journey here. Truly, you have shown great wisdom this day, sir knight."

Just don't.

Why didn't it think of that?

"Although, did it occur to you, as you were pondering this problem, that perhaps there is a good outcome to be had from all of this?" The black knight asks, following up the question with a spoonful of maggots.

"Getting yourself killed is not a good outcome." G'nichi responds, completely ignoring the sarcasm being piled onto him. It is a good sign, though. Usually the people walking into suicide missions are the kind of humorless folk with no self awareness like the dragonborn that tried to kill him.

"I could only make a car move by pushing on it, and that's not great since they are quite heavy." Jack has never been inside a car, so she couldn't even open a window without experimentation and guesswork. Though she'd be able to use the car's radio, if it has one, since she's used those before. "I wouldn't necessarily change it, though. I wasn't particularly happy there, but... Because of that, I came here, and I am happy here. I see a lot of people who aren't happy here, and most of them had a more coherent education than I did." But they'd also likely be unable to survive in the way that Jack does, given she's functionally homeless.

Mina sighs. "I remember when I used to fit in cars." Nowadays she walks everywhere despite probably being rich enough to afford a plane.
"If you're doing okay then it doesn't matter. Education helps you do what you want to do, but it's not the only way to get there. For lots of things at least."

[Rebonack]

Yeah he's totally not okay.

Whatever that centipede thing did, it must have messed him up more than she thought. And considering that he actually managed to weather a Witch's labyrinth on more than one occasion that speaks to whatever horrors were inflicted on him. Then he starts...

Khannie isn't even sure what that sound it. It doesn't strike her as good, though. Once her shoe is tied she cautiously approaches, a look of deep concern on her face.

And then?

Arthfael asks her a question.

Which gets a totally different expression from her.

"What?" she replies, confusion written across her face. "No. What kind of dumb question is that, why would I hate you? You got decked with a mind-whammy and we legged it. If someone goes down you bail and get to safety, that's heroing one oh one."

Right up there with making sure there aren't any civilians in your line of fire.

The frown gets a little deeper here. "You think I would hate you just because you couldn't take a psychic attack to the face without getting knocked on your butt? That stuff is nasty you did fine. Just... probably don't draw mister centipede guy again he was bad news."

[Ironsmith]

"Consider the alternative." The knight rumbles, curling its fingers around the bowl in front of it. "A life in unceasing disgrace. My kin knows me as a traitor. My Lady, as a coward. And my enemies, as a monster." The knight's helmet briefly flares open at that last bit, giving G'nichi a glance at the lamprey-like mouth underneath it. "It is only right that such a man would die, and not on a bed surrounded by loved ones. The only questions that remain are how, when, and where." The knight fixes G'nichi with a glare again. "The answer I give is that it will be in pursuit of justice, sixty hours from now, at Inside's northernmost gate. And that is the last word on the matter."

-

"I'm not talking about the mind-whammy." Arthfael says bitterly. "Before he even had the chance to do anything, I was saying we should run. We had them outnumbered six to one and I was saying 'run'. You even managed to knock one of them out and I was still saying 'run'. And because I was saying 'run', instead of winning easily, like we should have, and did as soon as I was off the scene, I... I was probably going to get us killed."

"...And if that wasn't bad enough on its own, the reason I kept saying to run? Was because I was scared." Arthfael's voice trembles as he continues. "And I know what you're going to say, that was one of my nightmares, it's different, but... no, it's really not. I've gotten into fights with worse things than that, even without you. It didn't feel any different. But I still made a horrible call for the worst reasons and..." He clenches his hands up in front of him. "...and I don't have any excuses. I was scared and I acted scared."

[Rebonack]

Khannie listens.

And waits.

And listens some more.

She's trying to keep her expression level here as Arthfael beats himself up over what just happened. He was confronted by his nightmare and he was scared. He's confronted other things and was scared then, too. And he made some bad choices because he was scared.

Okay.

"So what?" Khannie retorts. "You got spooked and made some bad calls. Learn from it and do better next time. Everyone gets scared. I get scared and mess up sometimes. Probably less than I should because pokemon are stupid aggressive and even when I was human that never really went away. I'm not going to hate you just because you froze up. I-"

Khannie pauses, crossing her arms and looking away.

"-I want... I wanted to know if you would come to the Thanksmas party this year with me. That's why I wanted to talk to you. I thought it would be romantic and stuff, asking you out under the stars."

And it is!

S-sort of.

Eating rabbits and beating up nightmares is a very romantic evening.

"You didn't ruin anything. Everything worked out fine. And I still want you to come to the party with me."

[Ironsmith]

"...H...gaheh..."

Okay, that one sounded a bit more like a laugh. Or maybe a cough.

Arthfael finally turns to face her, puffy-eyed, with an unsteady smile on his face. "...It's... it's just that simple, huh?" He sniffs, rubbing his face against his sleeve.

Admittedly, that wasn't how he would have pictured their first "date" to have gone. Or their first patrol together since Khannie stopped being Olympia. And he certainly wouldn't have described their evening as "romantic".

But...

if things can go that badly and Khannie's still willing to talk to him, that's... still a win, right?

"...I'll be there." He says finally, with a little sniff.

[Rebonack]

Haha what a disaster that was.

Nearly arrested and releasing some crazy monsters that tried to wreck her. Arthfael sure knows how to keep things exciting.

If he's willing to put up with how much of a stupid overly aggressive pokemon she is, how her first instinct was to FIGHT instead of retreating like he wanted to? If he can overlook that then everything should be fine, right?

"Being complicated is exhausting," Khannie admits. "My life is weird enough already. Don't need to make it weirder by getting all-"

She wrinkles her nose.

"-judgey at my friends. Or boyfriend. At both I guess. I don't have enough energy to make things complicated."

Khannie grins a wide, foxy grin that doesn't quite look right on a human face. "See you there! Just remember, no centipedes."

[Ironsmith]

...Well when she puts it like that, it seems kind of obvious, doesn't it?

Though Arthfael doesn't quite like the implications that she's not mad at him because she's too lazy to be, at the moment, he can just enjoy the relief of knowing that tonight didn't send them all the way back to square one.

Arthfael smiles back, just a little bit too buck-toothed to be comfortable. "Great, then. It's, um... it's a date."

...Heh.

Yeah.

Yeah it is.

[Earl of Purple]

"I'm sure you could get a car that can fit you in it, you aren't the only person of your size about, y'know." Says the short flying person. Earl tends to run cars in Skyside as being a bit impractical and typically on the small side, although Earl also tends to stick to the poorer and more industrial areas that Mina probably doesn't live in. "Yeah, that's true. But I'd kinda like to see the Clattering improve, but they don't have the impetus to do it, y'know? Give everyone after me a better start so they don't have to go down a sea cave inhabited by cannibalistic worm-women to recover a pirate's treasure in order to live comfortably. Because that cave was pretty scary and I could have died several times. Even before I got there." There was a sparrowhawk that fancied a meal of jackdaw, which Jack nearly fell afoul of.

[Gold]

"Mm." Gaul says in response, nodding quietly. Seems to him that 'evil' isn't anything more than a label in this case, because he doesn't think he's evil.

"Go ahead. What's the other reason?" he enquires.

[Keeper]

"Consider the alternative." The knight rumbles, curling its fingers around the bowl in front of it. "A life in unceasing disgrace. My kin knows me as a traitor. My Lady, as a coward. And my enemies, as a monster." The knight's helmet briefly flares open at that last bit, giving G'nichi a glance at the lamprey-like mouth underneath it. "It is only right that such a man would die, and not on a bed surrounded by loved ones. The only questions that remain are how, when, and where." The knight fixes G'nichi with a glare again. "The answer I give is that it will be in pursuit of justice, sixty hours from now, at Inside's northernmost gate. And that is the last word on the matter."

Alright, well. Time for the nuclear option. Properly speaking G'nichi saying this sort of thing is kind of hypocritical given the number of times he's gambled with his life...but he can't just let this person throw his life away.
"Very well. They do say that dying is easier than living. Your problems sounds quite difficult to solve. Far easier to only have to be a dead monster, a dead traitor, and a dead coward."
He puts a rather distinct emphasis on that last word.

"I'm sure you could get a car that can fit you in it, you aren't the only person of your size about, y'know." Says the short flying person. Earl tends to run cars in Skyside as being a bit impractical and typically on the small side, although Earl also tends to stick to the poorer and more industrial areas that Mina probably doesn't live in. "Yeah, that's true. But I'd kinda like to see the Clattering improve, but they don't have the impetus to do it, y'know? Give everyone after me a better start so they don't have to go down a sea cave inhabited by cannibalistic worm-women to recover a pirate's treasure in order to live comfortably. Because that cave was pretty scary and I could have died several times. Even before I got there." There was a sparrowhawk that fancied a meal of jackdaw, which Jack nearly fell afoul of.

Mina had lived in a very poor neighborhood until Sai dropped a mansion in her lap.
"I never got my license, though. And getting a giant car would be a big expense with lessons. It mostly means I can't get picked up by anyone else."
Mina has a lot of money but no income aside from her rare dungeon crawl.
"But yeah, it's good to help people, I think. I'm still trying to convince my mom to come to my new place with me."

[Ironsmith]

...

If G'nichi was expecting an explosive reaction, he isn't going to get it. Rather, the knight just mutedly pokes at its bowl of maggots, appetite momentarily forgotten.

At least, for a few moments. Before the knight's mouth glints under its helmet as it answers.

"You labor under the assumption that I do not deserve to be regarded as such." It rumbles, resting its uncovered hand on the table. "That I am not, in fact, a monster, a traitor, and a coward. That I have been wrongly accused and am allowing myself to be crushed by the weight of it." It looks up at G'nichi and lets out a deep-throated growl. "But the truth is, I am. And thus I am thrice-damned. Monsters are meant to be slain. Cowards, to die a thousand times, were the valiant to die but once. And traitors... death is far too good for them, but we make do with what we have. I do not go to my death because it is easy. I do it because it is right."

[Earl of Purple]

"I guess. I've not tried to convince the Clattering to come to Inside, actually. I should do that, but... not some will moan. And I'd have to talk to my mother, and... don't really want to do that yet." It's not that Jack doesn't care about her mother, it's just... sometimes she wonders if her mother cares about her.

[Hraithre]

"Mm." Gaul says in response, nodding quietly. Seems to him that 'evil' isn't anything more than a label in this case, because he doesn't think he's evil.

"Go ahead. What's the other reason?" he enquires.

"When your hand brushes against a hot stove, what motivates you to pull it away? The pain does", the armored man says, "just as well, sometimes feeling the same pain as others is vital to understanding that one ought to do something about it. People hurt each other surprisingly often simply because they don't themselves feel it. The reverse applies just as well - a lot of good is left undone, because those who could do it do not feel the good."

"That is quite astute", Hoshiki says, "for an evil spirit."

The armored man nods. "Aye. Which is why it's quite rare to find one that thinks like that."