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?"
Farmer McGuiness grows increasingly more worried as the shrooms are ingested. Whispers to himself something incoherent. "Uh... We got them from the swamp. I don't know why the kid wanted them. He spent some time reading some book or somesuch and demanded we go get them. So we did. Didn't want to make him mad."
Pranciskus smiles. Creepily and eats no mushrooms. Instead, starts eating the cake. With his face. And no table manners whatsoever. "Father was smart not to make me mad. And to keep me home." Laughs evilly, at the mushroom consuming. Watches, knowing stuff is about to happen to the freeswords.
Tam blinks blearily at Charles for a moment. Hadn't he been a badger a minute ago? He thought that he was the only shapeshifter here! And a giant octopus was WAY outside of his abilities. "That is a pretty good trick, Charles," he says, "Sort of reminds me of somebody." He turns his attention back to Pranciskus. "So," he asks, "How should we celebrate your 16th birthday kiddo?" After hearing that the mushrooms are from the swamp, the Tanuki shows no outward signs of concern, but it explains a few things. He casually reaches out and pops another mushroom. "Hey now!" he says amiably, "That's no way to treat a cake!"
Rainer should really learn to look at what he's putting in his mouth once in a while. "Did you say swamp?" His ears perk right up to attention... and promptly wilt to the sides, his gaze pulled to Pranciskus' ravenous feasting. "Where -are- your manners, child?" Suddenly up from his chair, he spins 'round the table to instead drop into Tam's lap, swinging arms to encircle the tanuki's neck in the process as well, cooing at him, "I hope you'll teach -our- little ones better~"
The child doesn't stop with the cake eating. Wolfs it down. Or, uh, badgers it down, yes. Stops and looks up at the two freeswords. "Manners? This is a cake. I'm eating it." Slightly more adversarial in tone, less montonous. Expressionlessness becomes a small grin at the apparent effect the shrooms had on Rainer and Tam. Uses his imagination.
Now, we have Charles looking mortified. He knew all too well what would happen with the mushrooms! Helpfully, he says so: "Oh, I knew this would happen!" This is probably why the kid has no friends! "I'm sorry, really. I shouldn't have let him read that book on toxicology." His pronunciation is bad, but the word comes across clearly.
"They'll be fine, father." REturns to the cake.
Realizing that something is certainly amiss, Tam decides that he might as well give the kid a show. "Sure thing sweetie!" he says to Rainer as the wolf wraps himself around the tanuki's sizeable neck, "How many you think we'll have?" He even goes so far as to plant a chaste little kiss on Rainer's cheek. Having that giant octopus hanging around was a little unnerving, but it seemed friendly enough. He then turns his attention back to the surly badger boy. "Toxicology?" he asks, "That's a pretty big word! You a big reader then?" Just for the heck of it, Tam pops another mushroom, enjoying the way the colors in the room are so bright. This was nothing like visiting with Zimla!
"Oh, I couldn't guess." Rainer blinks his eyes wide and tilts his head down, pondering his bare torso. "Twins? Maybe triplets?" Tam receives a loving squeeze before he swings his head 'round to grin sheepishly at the elder badger, "They'll be lucky if they don't get their mother's ghastly nose, hm-hm~ Urrrraaaap!" The pup startles at his own belch, and swiftly brings a hand to his abdomen. "Oh, honey! I think they're kicking!"
"Toxicology. Yeah. Studying things... that do stuff..." Charles clearly knows nothing about it. Whereas Pranciskus adds some stuff. "The study of how poisons and other similar things affect beings. Like what's happening to you two. I find it amusing." Cold, monotone once again! Is still gnawing on that cake. "It'll wear off in about an hour or so. Or longer. Haven't gotten to test it properly. Thanks for coming to my birthday."
Tam nods, rubbing Rainer's flat belly. This was certainly exciting! Not quite so wild as a vision from Zimla, but exciting! "You are pretty messed up kid!" Tam chuckles, a pleasant, friendly sound, "Especially with the way that cake is screaming! But if we pepped up your birthday, then it was worth the trip out here!" The tubby tanuki happily throws back another mushroom. Who knows? Maybe Zimla would show up! He chuckles down at his 'wife' hoping that Rainer didn't decide to try to give birth here.
Rainer's belly gurgles and growls as Tam rubs it, much to the pup's delight... despite the fact that he's clearly nauseous. "Oof, poor dears must be -famished-. Pass me some more of those scrumptious viddles, won't you, love?" He flutters his eyelids in the direction of their host, all smiles, "Now come on over, dear, pull up a chair and have a seat with us."
Pranciskus is far from happy about being referred to as messed up. Which results in a screaming cake being flung against a wall and an angry glare. "Don't make me angry, Tam." Charles approaches. With another chair and potatoes, which are set on the table. "You won't like him when he's angry... He lights things on fire. I just got this place rebuilt two months ago..." Clearly, he is nervous and afraid of the kid. "Umm... Is everyone having fun?" The evil kid responds quickly, with a smile. A completely unthreatening smile. "I am, yes."
Ah! Now this was more like it! "Nothing wrong with your nose, gorgeous," Tam says giving said nose a little peck before going in for a deep kiss on the beautiful wolf woman in his thick arms. The tanuki frowns a bit as the screaming squirkik cake is hurled against a wall, but his smile returns as he apologizes to the giant Creator who has decided to pay them a visit. "Sorry pal," he says, "Kid here thinks he's hot stuff and is just showing off a little. But it's his birthday." He waves at Charles, the giant octopus as well. "Should we take the party outside, then?" he asks amiably, "I'm sure Prancer isn't nearly so bad as you think! And we are all having fun here!" He smiles at the beauty in his lap, "Aren't we sweetheart?"
Rainer giggles at first, then hums delightedly as once more he gets both arms around Tam's neck, squeezing for all he's worth through the duration of that lip lock, swinging his legs forward and back just off the floor where they dangle. That shuts him up pretty good, and he just looks about at the others present all flushed and giddy, then helps himself to a potato off the table, shoving it, in its entirety, into his muzzle. A few chews in he makes -some- remark, presumably answering Tam's question, but obviously it's muffled beyond comprehension.
Pranciskus, who is quite proud of his name and it being pronounced correctly... Sets a potato on fire. With little effort. The father speaks, quietly and to himself while shaking his head: "Why did I give him a mage adept soul again..? Gotta stop burning potatoes! It's bad for... things, yes." Child once again glares at his father, who is visibly afraid of this. The young badger, despite the fiery outburst, continues to smile: "We can go outside if you want. We've had the cake and the mushrooms. All that's left is the gifts you brought me." Monotone voice continues to be... monotone.
"Chill, kiddo!" Tam says, extinguishing the little blaze with a thought, "Not in front of my girl here!" Somewhere, deep down, the tanuki knows that it is really Rainer, and that he is hallucinating too, but Creators, she is gorgeous! "You're cute, Pranciskus," he says, "But I've been playing with fire since before you were a glimmer in your Daddy's eye." The tanuki smiles amiably, never losing his temper or being rude. "Now," he asks, "What would you like for your big, sixteenth birthday?"
Rainer is without question the loveliest, most charmingest dame in the room. And so talented! Look at how he can swallow that entire half-chewed potato! "Mage is a perfectly fine trade for a growing boy." he says to dismiss the father's moaning, "Never any shortage of work for a properly skilled magician. Why, I bet he could fix up that melting wall problem you have lickity-split if he applied himself!" Tam's neck gets another gentle squeeze, just a quiet reminder that the tanuki is the love of his life~
Angry badger child squints at Tam. With his eyes. Squinty, badger eyes. Of evil. "What do I want?" He steeples his fingers, prepares to say world domination. Changes his mind: "I want friends. Who won't leave because I gave them mushrooms." Simple request, from the antisocial mage kid with anger issues. The father doesn't seem at all surprised by this request. "Asks for that every year, he does. That or a mother." Sadness on the Charles face, before he responds to Rainer. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine, maybe he'll be a freesword someday." He looks to the door, which remains closed. "Thought I had a third guest coming. Seems I was wrong..." Again looks nervous for some reason.
Tam laughs openly at the boy's birthday wish. It is a warm, happy sound. "Done, kiddo!" He says, "Long as you don't mind hangin' around with a grubby dumpling chef!" The tanuki gives his pretty lady another kiss and fishes around in his pockets before producing a pair of little tickets. "Here!" He says handing them to Pranciskus, "They're tickets to see Evil Antler fight next week! We'll make an afternoon out of it!"
"Isn't he just the sweetest?" Rainer murmurs of his beloved, rewarding Tam with another extra squeeze and a peck on the cheek. "So your mother's gone, is that it?" Suddenly the pup is quite... sober. "I know how hard that can be. I didn't have a mother, either. Or a father, actually, so... you know what they say. Count your blessings, eh?" His stomach gurgles again and he grimmaces, "I wish these pups would settle down."
Pranciskus nods, expressionless. "Mother died when I was born. Or that's what I was told, anyway." Takes the tickets from Tam, almost smiling. Clearly trying to fight it for some reason. "Thank you. Next week? Will you both be there?" Pockets the tickets. Plots great evil for next week... Or good things. Hard to tell.
Charles, at this point, is rubbing his face. "His mother was a great woman." Stands from the table gets all up on the cake cleaning. "I don't have enough room for yous to spend the night, but I don't want to throw you out while you're all... mushroom-y..." Squints at the door as it opens and a trunk is pushed inside. Whoever that was then leaves. "Ah, good, it's here." Moves it out of the way, returns to the freeswords. Nods at them. Trying to indicate that was their pay, silently, so Pranciskus doesn't know about it. The kid doesn't even ask. Is too busy with his friend plots.
Tam grins at the gorgeous Rainer in his lap. "If Rainer wants to come along and watch a big blue deer in a wrestling match fighting all comers, then I think we could manage it," he says, tempted to play a little tonsil hockey, "But if not, I will definitely be there." The kid obviously had some problems, but it was nothing a wily tanuki like Tam couldn't handle. "And no need to put us up," the tanuki says, "We can take care of ourselves, can't we beautiful?" Tam rises from his seat, Rainer still held in his thick arms. "Happy birthday, kiddo!" he says, "See you next week!" He seems to have no interest in the mysterious box.
Rainer aims a wane, sympathetic smile at Charles. "I'm sure she was." He wiggles a bit closer to Tam, no doubt spurred to by all this dwelling on lovers long seperated, and as he's lifted he angles his head to rest cheek against cheek with his 'husband,' closing his eyes and sighing contentedly. "Yes, thank you so much for having us. We had such a wonderful time~" Gurglegurglegrowl. "...maybe I shouldn't have eaten those sugared rock spiders."
Both badgers blink at Rainer. "You ate what now?!" Simultaneous questioning. Pranciskus stands, smiling, amused with the evil somewhat gone for the moment. "I should be heading to bed. Because I want to." Clearly, this is of his own volition and not because it's dark outside. "You should bring me these rock spiders next time." Departs the room. Into another room. One of only two doors in this small house.
Charles is mildly concerned. As he has been the whole night. "I, uh, you sure you're alright? Anyway..." Opens the smal trunk, takes out two bags of what is probably money and offers it to the freeswords. The money was obviously given to him by someone else. For some reason. "Thanks for coming, yes."
"No need, really," Tam says, cuddling Rainer close as he heads for the door, "I never take money from octopi." The tanuki is glad he came! This was more fun than he had hoped! He pops another mushroom from the table as he heads for the door. "These are really pretty good!" he says, then looks down at his trousers, "Huh. If that ain't the strangest thing I've seen all day." He swings Rainer gently around. "Let's go sweetheart," he says.
Rainer waves off the offer coin sack as well with a giggle. "Oh, no thank you. Gop makes me gassy." The pup peeks up at his raccoonish husbando bringing a hand up to stroke his cheek as he's carried off into the night. "Have I told you today how wonderful you are?" Then, catching glipse of Charles over Tam's shoulder, he raises his hand high to wave, calling back, "Good night~ Thank you for having us~ Lovely party~"
