The awkward party with the kid - RPLOG
Participants
Date
10/11/477
Log
Alright, so, the setting. the important stuff. What we got here is a farm. With fields. Of vegetables. In the ground. A small farmhouse, with a door. And a badger standing out on the porch in front of it. The farmer who sent out the request, probably. Just waits for people to show up, fidgeting nervously.
Fenris comes trundling up the dirt road in the guise of Tam Mikuzukinoyoi, the Tanuki food vendor! He has his little cart with him, full of all sorts of delicious goodies. "Hiya!" he says amiably, "Heard you were looking to throw a party!" The rolly tanuki smiles amiably as he waddles up to extend a hand to the badger. "Call me Tam!" he says.
Rainer -was- coming up the road. But then he saw a flock of cackles and, well. "Bwahaha! Fly! Fly away, while you still have wings!" Aggitated cawing accompanies the glare of sunlight against a polished metal surface that waves to and fro amongst the taller plants in the field. Shortly after the wolf emerges with a leafy rustle, scant few steps from the farmhouse and the two beings out front of it. "Howdy, neighbours!" Blinks, brushes a couple stray feathers out of his fur. "Um, nice weather, eh?"
The badger, who is clothed completely, with peasantry clothes, all brown and cheap... responds to the one known as Tam and Rainer with a nervous smile. "It's nice enough, I suppose. The weather, I mean. I am Charles McGuiness. And, uh, I needed help with my son." Blinks as a swarm of cackles fly towards the farm. And leave. Without incident. Because they're afraid of Rainer, possibly... "See, I got all the food. Even got a cake. But he has no friends for reasons I can't fully comprehend." Takes a step forward, attempts to shake the hands of the freeswords who have likely had (no) stranger jobs than this one.
Tam looks a little disappointed when he finds out that the food has already been provided, but it does not dampen his spirits for long. "No trouble at all!" he says with a chuckle, "Glad to help out a kid for his birthday!" The tanuki smiles at Rainer, extending a chubby paw. "Hi!" he says, "I'm Tam!"
Rainer shakes hands first with Farmer McGuiness, then Tanuki Tam, looking momentarily flustered by all the attention. "Uh, Rainer. You might've heard that name tossed around. In the city." Soon as they're free he puts his hands on his hips, furrowing his brow towards the badger in need. "So, what, none of the families on the neighbouring farms have kids his age, or something?"
The badger looks concerned for a moment. "Uh... something like that, I suppose... He's a good boy, mister Rainer. Doesn't have a lot of free time for making friends. His name is Pranciskus, by the way. Don't tell him I payed you to be here. He'd be angry." And as an aside to himself: "I don't like him when he's angry..." Opens the door, steps inside and leaves it open for the other two. "Come in, yes?"
This here interior, it's got multiple small tables. With vegetables on them. And mushrooms. Powerful mushrooms perhaps... There's a multitude of chairs, wood, low quality... scrapped together for the party guests, most likely. Sitting dead center in the room, is a younger badger. Probably about 15-16 years of age. Gifted, if the soul pendant is any indication.
Tam begins to get the idea that this guy is afraid of his child. That is worrying. "Hey kiddo!" the tubby tanuki says, following the badger into his home, "Heard there was a birthday here needed celebrating!" The hefty canine eases himself into a squat in front of the boy and holds out his meaty hand to him. "You can call me Tam," he says, "What's your name?"
Rainer contorts his face and makes a stifled coughingesque sound that puffs out his cheeks, the instant after the name of the badger's son is revealed, holding this look for a good half-minute before straightening out his features again. A sideways glance at Tam before he lets the tanuki take the lead, loitering just inside the door with arms folded over his chest and his usual cheery grin, a slight wag in his tail.
The badger known as Pranciskus looks up at the tanuki and wolf. With a cold, dead-ish expression. "Hello. I'm Pranciskus. And my birthday is today." Monotone. Creepy, perhaps. Standing, the kid is about 5'0" tall, and scrawny in build. Not underfed looking, but thin. Unlike the slightly bulky farmer build of his father. "We will celebrate. With potatoes. And cake." The vegetables happen to be potatoes, at least the majority are.
Charles, the father lest his name was forgotten, remains by the door with Rainer. Shuts it. Still fidgety.
"Sure thing, Pranciskus," Tam says, not the least bit put out by the kid's monotone, "How old are you today?" The tanuki looks over the spread of potatoes with a smile. "You like potatoes?" he asks, "Not a bad birthday food at all!"
"Great." Rainer blinks once, "Potatoes." And then he blinks again. At least the unsettling monotone was enough distraction to keep him from near-cracking up at the poor kid's name ag--SNERK. Dammit, Tam. Putting fist over mouth he attempts to conceal his mirth with a throat clearing, and sashays his way over to drop into a seat at the table with the boy. "Hey, I've seen you around town sometime, haven't I? In the market, maybe? Rainer, by the way. Might've heard the name before... kind of a local hero..."
Pranciskus has the most blank expression a badger can have. No emotion. "Rainer? Yes, I've heard of you. From yourself. Just now." Pranciskus stares at the wolf. "I've never been to the city. Father says it would be dangerous." Shifts his gaze over to Tam. "I am 16 today. I hate potatoes." Blasphemy! "You should try the mushrooms. They're powerful."
Charles, almost on cue, brings over the cake, mushrooms and potatoes. Looks concerned. GEnuinely concerned. "I'm not sure the mushrooms are a good idea, son." Immediate personality shift on the kid, looks angry: "No, we need them and the cake. Both. For the celebrating." Returns to his monotonous tone and blank expression: "New friends Tam and Rainer agree, yes? That we need the mushrooms."
"Sure kiddo," Tam says amiably, "Nothing wrong with some good mushrooms!" The tanuki is interested in what is going on here and idly pops a mushroom in his mouth and chewing. "Huh," he says, "They don't taste especially powerful. You grow these yourself?" He smiles at Rainer. "And I have heard about you, Mister Rainer," he says, "You're one of them Lightbringers, right? Fine bunch! Fine bunch indeed!"
Rainer's brow crinkles at the answer to his introduction. "Old man doesn't let you out much, eh? Hey, you're about the same age as me, though! ...Probably. I think." His gaze wanders as so does his mind, and he absently grabs up a few of the shrooms set near him and pops them in his mouth. "Lightbringers, yeah... that's us~" Still chewing as he asks of Charles, "Um, izzit a'rite that we're startin' without the missus?"
