Completed The Gentleman's Return

[Vard Briar]

Timestamp: 42nd of Summer 514 AV The wind blew melodically in the valley, and the Symenestra who had finally arrived breathed a sigh of relief. He walked through the Gaping Maw wearily, muttering his reply to the oft repeated question. Vard Briar had finally returned to Alvadas, and home was just as beautifully chaotic as when he left it. This most recent pilgrimage had left him wrung out and thoroughly exhausted. He strode through the sanity center just to get his bearings and drop off his belongings, nodding to Serenity Berrel as he passed through. Adjusting his cape, Vard began to search for a place to bunk down for the night. Dashing past a spiky wall which fell from above, and twisting through an alley which sported rapidly firing gouts of flame, Vard finally staggered to a halt in front of The Withering Rose. He'd heard good things and bad about this tavern that had such an ominous tone. The singular topic that the few he'd spoken to had agreed on, was not to pick a table with a black rose resting upon it. Looking to his sides, he saw what looked to be The Cubacious Inn standing several blocks away. That had been his ultimate destination, but Alvadas it seemed had lead him here. He shrugged sleepily and entered the restaurant, telling himself he'd find his way to the inn eventually. The last rays of sun were extinguished when he closed the door behind him. With dusk not quite upon them, The Withering Rose seemed to have only just opened for business and most of the tables were free. Vard, mindful of the advice on floral centerpieces, chose to sit down at a table near the bar that was furnished with a delicate red rose. "Not black," He muttered distractedly, as he awaited his server. Just before entering the city, he had partaken of a deer and was quite full. The wine selection though, was his primary incentive for taking a seat in The Withering Rose. A small spark of worry hit him when he remembered that he'd left his horse and belongings inside the Sanity Center. Serenity was a sweet woman but her self-awareness was somewhat in question. He put the matter aside, trusting the mad woman was a given in The City of Illusions. On that note, he cleared his throat and made a gesture as though praying. "I thank you Ionu for having lent me your guidance, I shall partake of my beverage in your honour!" Mostly, he was expressing his gratitude to the patron god, but he also hoped whoever was meant to serve him heard and got the hint. Class, is all about saying one thing and thinking another thing.

[Phobius]

Where is it, where is it...oh no, no, no...where did I...?

Phobius traipsed up and down the sidewalk, momentarily managing to ignore the switching of the buildings as they crossed over one another and changed colors right beside him. Normally he'd be put off by such changes, overwhelmed by the deity of illusion's trickery, but as of right now the Inartan boy had more important things to worry about. Like the thing he'd lost.

It was odd, really. He couldn't exactly recall what it was he'd lost, or how he'd lost it in the first place, but he had a feeling that it was something important to him. Small, too. And he felt as though he must have left it at the last place he'd been in. Which was...

The Rose.

Right, right, The Withering Rose. He'd gone there yesterday by himself to get a snack, on account of it being the only eatery to appear within a block of the inn. It'd moved a few bells later, of course, but for the moment he'd allowed himself to enjoy it. When he'd left, he figured that he must have left behind his thing, too, since it's appearance didn't dawn on him until the next morning, and the boy had gone right back to his room to snooze after eating. If he didn't find it there, or if he couldn't eventually remember what it was, Phobius supposed that he could keep wandering around until some memory came back to him and got him back on track.

It was annoying, sometimes, being as forgetful as he was.

A few chimes later, the boy found himself right in front of the restaurant's entrance, the faint yet enticing scent of roses wafting out from the door. He let himself right in, amber eyes immediately scanning the many tables and chairs, only to discover that the place was mostly empty. Then again, the sun hadn't went down completely, yet, still hovering above the horizon line as a big bright orange ball, and The Rose seemed to be more lively at night.

Standing in the front door, Phobius shifted a bit uncomfortably on his toes. He wanted to see if there'd be a waitress or someone else whom he could ask, and hoped that maybe they'd remember the thing better than he had if they'd seen him there the night before, but then the boy's attention immediately shifted over to the lone man at a table towards the far end of the restaurant, his only company seeming to be a small, red rose. Phobius tilted his head at him, curious. How come the man was sitting alone like that? It was awfully strange, with the lack of people and all...

Like a plume of smoke dissipating into the air, Phobius forgot about what he'd came in for, and walked over to the man instead. It was more or less a policy of his to never let people be lonely.

Even if they weren't.

Standing near the chair across from him, Phobius offered the man a warm smile and said "Hi! Is it okay if I come and sit with you? You look awfully lonely here, by yourself."

"Speech-Common" | "Nari" | Thoughts

[Vard Briar]

"Hi! Is it okay if I come and sit with you? You look awfully lonely here, by yourself."The friendly voice startled Vard from his reverie, and he looked up to see a fresh-faced Inartan smiling down at him. He seems fairly young, at least in demeanor. Vard mused, before returning the smile and getting to his feet. "Please allow me," he said a touch of amusement in his voice. He pulled the chair out and then returned to his seat. While he waited for the boy or man, he still wasn't sure yet, to settle at the table he caught a glimpse of an employee behind the bar. "Excuse me miss!" He called out politely, "We would like a bottle of your finest wine if you please!" His keen eyes spotted the sharp nod from the waitress even across the murky room. Then turning back, he leaned back in his chair. "What brings you here my friend? Frankly, I'm quite used to being avoided given my race. Nevertheless, a host is only as good as his victuals, shall we see what The Rose has to offer tonight?" Inwardly, Vard was enjoying himself immensely. He had never before been given the chance to treat someone to dinner, and now a quite bold individual had made himself known. He would just have to see how bold this Inartan really was. Class, is about being a gracious host.

[Phobius]

Phobius merely stepped to the side and blinked in confusion as the man got up from his seat and came around the table. At first, the boy was tempted to awkwardly hold his hand out to him. Is he...coming to give me a handshake? ...Or a hug?

He was even more confused when the man pulled his chair out for him, before returning to his own. For a few ticks, he stared down at the chair as if he wasn't sure what to do with it. Maybe the man was just being nice...? Phobius couldn't ever remember having someone pull his chair out for him at a restaurant or...anywhere, to be honest. It was odd, but nonetheless a kind gesture. Once things seemed to click in the boy's mind, the smile returned to his face, and he sat himself down, moving around a bit as he got himself comfortable. As he adjusted his katinu so that it didn't bunch underneath him, the man across the table called for the woman who was a few yards away.

"What brings you here my friend?"

The words seemed to snap Phobius to attention, like a switch had been flicked inside his brain.

Friend? We're friends, already...?

They'd barely talked to one another. Did the man really see him as a friend? Phobius was tempted to ask him, but chose not to, content with mulling the concept over in his own private thoughts. Besides, he was being asked a question, and the proper thing to do would be to answer. "Avoided...? That's not nice," the boy remarked once the man had finished speaking, tilting his head a little. "I wouldn't do that. Actually, I think I met someone like you, before. And he was nice, like you. People are people." The last phrase was accompanied with a shrug on Phobius' part, as he was being entirely honest. The boy just didn't see a reason to treat people differently or stay away from them just because they looked different. They were still people, and people could still have their feelings hurt. Phobius would never dare to hurt someone's feelings on purpose, and on the off-chance that he did by accident, he'd apologize as much as he could to show them that he was sorry.

Looking a little closer at the man, Phobius came to the conclusion that he didn't even look scary. His skin seemed pale and thin, and his eyes were a color that eyes usually weren't, and his ears seemed to be a bit pointed, and his hair was as white as ash-laced snow, but all those things aside he looked like anyone else. As a matter of fact, the boy thought those differences made him look more interesting than most people.

"Ah! I-I'm Phobius, by the way," the boy added after a few ticks, outstretching his hand over the table and the small rose. "What's your name? And how come you're here by yourself? Usually I see a lot of people in here, but I guess that's only when it's darker outside."

"Speech-Common" | "Nari" | Thoughts

[Vard Briar]

Vard smiled faintly, watching the Inartan speak. He reminded the Symenestra of another individual he'd met a long time ago in another place. Of course, that had been when he still held company with his own race... "Avoided...? That's not nice, I wouldn't do that. Actually, I think I met someone like you, before. And he was nice, like you. People are people." He shrugged, and Vard nodded his agreement. "Indeed, people are people..." The Inartan was staring at him for a long few minutes and Vard twisted in his seat, feeling slightly ill from the scrutiny. "Ah! I-I'm Phobius, by the way," The Inartan said, offering a hand across the table. "What's your name? And how come you're here by yourself? Usually I see a lot of people in here, but I guess that's only when it's darker outside." A beat passed, and then Vard took Phobius' hand. "You may call me Krovard, Versdabius." Then after another moment, he realized certain things would need to be explained to his new acquaintance. "My people use special titles to say how we feel about each other. 'Versda' means good brother or friend, and when I combine it with your name I say Versda-bius." He looked into Phobius' face to see if he understood, but just then the waitress arrived with their drinks. She hurriedly placed both wine glasses on the table, uncorked the bottle and made to leave. Vard sighed, Even in Alvadas, it seems there are still those who fear me. How tiresome. He called her back and returned his attention to Phobius. "Versdabius, what would like to eat?" He could feel the waitress staring at him in fear and shook his head. Class is about persevering through adversity with grace.

[Phobius]

Phobius heartily shook the man's hand, his smile only widening until it seemed to make his entire face beam like a lantern. Krovard. What an interesting name the man had! It sounded kind of like it'd be the name of a bird, to be honest. A big, powerful bird. Maybe even a sort of eagle.

Then the man continued, and the boy was once again confused when he referred to him as "Versdabius." That wasn't...his name. Parting his lips, Phobius was about to hesitantly correct the man before he stepped in to explain himself. So it was a Symenstra thing? He didn't know much about their kind, save for the fact that they were incredibly pale people. Then again, people had a tendency to tell the boy that he was pale. That this man he'd literally just met was already referring to him as a friend—a true friend—made the boy feel happier than he'd felt in a while.

For a tick or two, Phobius was tempted to try it, himself, and combine Krovard's name with the amiable title. He reconsidered, however, and decided not to.

Just then, the woman from afar came over with two glasses of a deep-colored drink and placed them down on the table. As distracted as Phobius was with his own thoughts, it didn't take much effort for him to notice how uncomfortable she looked. Turning his head to fully look at her, the boy frowned. That's rude. He's not scary at all! She's acting like he'll turn around and eat her...

Briefly tearing his disapproving glance away from the fidgeting woman, Phobius said "Uhh...umm...chicken is good. Thanks for asking," he replied, managing another smile. Then he picked up the wine glass in his hand and swirled it around a little, inspecting it. "What's this stuff, again? I don't think I've...ever really had it before. ...Oh. Thank you, though. And thank you, miss."

Shifting again in his seat, Phobius took a moment to rearrange the scarf around his neck, scratching at the band of leather underneath. It was warm inside the restaurant, and warmth tended to add a lot of weight to his already heavy-ish clothes, along with making the skin beneath his scarf itchy. Absentmindedly, he wondered whether or not the collar had bore a rash of some sort into his skin, yet.

Oh well. It's not like I'll ever be able to know, I guess.

"Speech-Common" | "Nari" | Thoughts

[Vard Briar]

Vard laughed heartily, "Have you never had wine before Versdabius?" A nervous peep from behind him made him snap. Of course, he didn't show any outward irritation but he had a mischievous thought cross his mind. Vard turned in his seat and put his hand on the waitress' shoulder. "Please go prepare my friend's meal." She flinched and nearly sprinted away. Fortunately for her, she managed to keep her composure and walked briskly behind the bar to prepare the chicken. Vard allowed himself a wicked grin and then he turned back to Phobius. His dinner partner was scratching at his neck, as though something was constraining it. In an instant, Vard was out of his chair and on his feet. He brushed back the hair that hung over his ears and knelt at Phobius' side. "Is something wrong Versdabius? You seem uncomfortable, is there anything I can do to help?" Vard's throat itched and automatically he reached for his wine glass. Sipping from it, he cleared his throat. "What brings you here anyway? I myself have just returned from a pilgrimage to Windreach. It um, didn't end well." He was still concerned about Phobius despite making small talk at the same time. Slowly and gently, in case Phobius was uncomfortable with touch, Vard reached for his scarf. Class, is being concerned for another's welfare.

[Phobius]

OOCVard: the most gentlemanly of all gentleman. XD

Wine? So that's what it was. Now that the man mentioned it, Phobius could recall him having used the term to refer to the drinks before. Actually, he'd heard people talk about wine a lot of times. The tendency to snoop in on conversations was a tendency that the boy could never really get rid of, but it had helped him learn a lot of things that would have otherwise taken days or personal experiences to find out. In the case with wine, people seemed to like to drink it when they had celebrations for things. There was no celebration going on at the moment, but the boy figured that if they had anything to be happy and festive about, it was new friendship.

Phobius held the glass up to the light as he continued to look it over, squinting his amber eyes at the dark liquid. It reminded him of tomato juice. Or blood, if it was thicker, maybe. "Nope. Never had it at all," the boy replied, tipping the glass down so that he could take a whiff of the wine. He wrinkled his nose a little at it, and looked as though he'd sneeze for a moment. "How's it taste? Is it sweet? Is it...is it sour...? Bitter? Spicy?"

Still staring at the glass, the boy considered tasting it for himself, despite how unsure he was. With his free hand he kept scratching at his neck, his fingers pushing at the woolen scarf. All of a sudden, Krovard sprung out of his chair and came over to him. Phobius saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, but didn't fully notice the man until he was kneeling right beside him, looking...worried? Did I say something weird...?

Phobius was a little startled, but said nothing for a moment. Then he chuckled a little, the sound nervous and just the slightest bit forced. "Huh? No, no, I'm okay. My throat's just a little itchy, that's all," the boy said, trying to reassure the man. "It's okay."

It was okay, though at the same time, it wasn't. But Phobius wasn't about to prattle on about his discomfort to his new friend, concerned as the man was. It wasn't something he necessarily enjoyed talking about.

Then Krovard changed the subject, and the young Inartan almost let out a relieved sigh. At the mention of his home, Phobius even lit up a bit. "Wind Reach? That's where I'm from!" he exclaimed, his hand falling away from his neck. "I grew up there and everything. Actually, I'm still kinda new to this place, since I came a while ago, early in...the season..."

The boy's words trailed off into the air as his eyes suddenly became fixated on the man, who seemed to be reaching toward his scarf. Instinctively, Phobius froze up, his hands going up to the blue woolen wrap and clutching at the fabric. The amber orbs of his eyes began to widen in fear, as if he thought that the man intended on stealing it away from him. "Don't!" he nearly barked, shrinking back into his chair a little. Then he blinked, and an embarrassed wave of red came over his face, making his cheeks burn. When he spoke, again, his normally chipper voice was quieter than normal. "I-I'm sorry, I just...I don't...don't touch it, okay? I don't...I don't like people touching it..."

Immediately, he regretted ever putting up as big of a fuss as he just did. The nice man deserved an explanation, but Phobius wasn't sure that he could bring himself to give one, his eyes drifting down to his feet beneath the table as he fell quiet.

"Speech-Common" | "Nari" | Thoughts

[Vard Briar]

OOC : Ahem, the name's Briar, Vard Briar! ;D "Don't!" His young friend exclaimed and recoiled away from him. Vard smoothly drew back his hand and bowed his head. "I-I'm sorry, I just...I don't...don't touch it, okay? I don't...I don't like people touching it." Vard drew himself up, gave Phobius a pat on the back and returned to his seat. Just as I suspected, he thought. He seems to be rather withdrawn despite his cheerful expression. "It's my fault for overstepping your boundaries. I should have said something, it won't happen again Versdabius." Several more long moments passed in the interim, before Vard thought to change the subject. "You were asking how wine tastes eh? Well that particular bottle was made this season so it hasn't aged. Aged wine usually has a stronger taste so a new bottle like this one is a good wine to start with." Vard quickly became lost in the challenge of describing and analyzing the wine to its fullest. He sniffed it, whirled it around in the glass and took numerous sips of varied length. "The aroma-how it smells-is cherry, so it's very fragrant. The overall sweetness is medium, it's not a very bitter wine. Hmm, and it's got a fairly large body but that Versdabius, is something you'll only understand if you try it." He sighed contentedly and poured a little more into his glass. It was very delicious, one of his favourites that he'd tried so far. He corked the bottle and downed the rest in a single gulp. Vard didn't approve of overindulging in alcohol, getting drunk wasn't very classy at all. Yet another empty moment, and Vard hesitated. Should he continue the conversation? He shook his head and contented himself with tugging at his hair. "Dinner is served!" The waitress was back, hefting a big platter of delicious looking chicken. Delicious looking, because a Symenestra's diet was decidedly less glamourous and certainly less seasoned. The smell was, all right, but then it was a dish mostly consumed by humans. The waitress had hid her head behind the platter rather rudely, and now with nothing to shield herself from his gaze she paused hesitantly. "Are you going to-" Vard cut her off sharply, "No. Thank you for the food and the wine, your payment." He placed the Mizas in her hand and then gently directed her back toward the bar. He returned and put his head in hands. That wasn't very classy.

[Phobius]

To Phobius' relief, the man drew away from him shortly after he'd stiffly instructed him not to touch the scarf. The pat on the back made him start a little, but the boy was able to calm himself once Krovard had returned to his seat. Once again, Phobius reacquainted himself with the comfort of his own chair, his arms and legs no longer stiff with the impulsive fear that had seized them mere ticks ago. He studied his new friend's face as he shifted around, trying to pick out any annoyances or tinges of anger in his expression. What did the man think of him, now? Was he judging him? Was he doubting their friendship? Did he regret that Phobius had ever made his way over to the lonely table in the first place?

The boy's mind whirred with possibilities and assumptions, each one more unpleasant and disconcerting than the last. Once he realized that they were starting to get ridiculous, however, he stopped himself and returned his full attention to the speaking man.

Oh good. The subject had changed. Now they were discussing wine.

Phobius listened a bit eagerly as Krovard spoke and "tested" the drink. He was being a lot more thorough with it, but the way that he went on about the wine made the boy think that he was pretty smart in the area. They were pretty big words that he was using, but Phobius got the gist of what the man was saying. The wine was sweet, and not too bitter. A good choice for "beginners" such as himself.

Then Krovard tilted the edge of the glass toward his pale lips, and took a sip. Ever vigilant, Phobius watched his face closely as he drank, waiting for any grimaces or signs of general displeasure.

...Nothing. It all seemed fine, which meant that the drink was safe to...well, drink.

Feeling a bit encouraged, Phobius took his own generous sip. His immediate reaction was to spit it out, but he managed to keep his face straight for a couple of ticks as he tried to get a good sense of the taste before swallowing. It had that somewhat powerful feel to it, one that he imagined came with all alcoholic drinks. And for a tongue like his, that wasn't used to the taste of spirits, it was especially true. But the boy swished it around in his mouth a little, and was surprised at how sweet it turned out to be. A bit tart, but still sweet. Likeable, even.

"Huh. That's—" the boy began, pausing to cough a few times before he went on, having put the glass back on the table. "—pretty good, I guess. I thought it'd be kinda sweeter, but it's...it's good."

Just then the woman returned, hefting a steaming plate of chicken in her arms that she set down right in front of Phobius. The boy didn't realize how hungry he actually was until he saw the food, and almost drooled as he sat there and stared at it. Impulse told him to dig right in, but his mind was quick to remind him that he was with company. He looked back up at the man, only to see the woman make a hasty retreat as Krovard gave her some money. Then he put his head in his hands.

Phobius frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, his already soft voice softening more with worry. "Are you...are you mad that you had to pay for me? You didn't have to, honest. I didn't know that you would. I have my own money and I'll pay you back, promise. Cross my heart!"

To show just how honest he was being, the boy wasted no time in digging into one of his pockets and pulling out a handful of Mizas to offer the man. Then he seemed to wilt a little, as if saddened by a sudden thought. "Is it because I snapped at you, before...? I'm sorry, really sorry, I just...people always ask about the scarf and I...I don't like talking about it, and it's warm in here so things get itchy and I..."

He trailed off, again, seeming to trip over his own words.

"P-please don't be mad at me. Don't be sad, either. I don't want you to be sad."

"Speech-Common" | "Nari" | Thoughts