2nd adventure: sightseeing and debrief

Almost half an hour later, Fedler and Mihai steps through the door, and see Konrad sitting at the table with Breeze. He has finished his meal, and the bartender has just cleared the table. The redheaded hunter walks towards the two of them, and sits down on the chair she left not so long ago.

Breeze appears a little surprised, but doesn't say anything.

Mihai follows suit and sits down on his own chair, albeit a bit more slowly. He's also wordless.

"I'm good, thank you."

"...Maybe after," replies Fedler.

He nods, then pours a drink from his bottle of imported rum.

As soon as he has finished said drink he says, "Mihai, I am very sorry for yelling at you. I got annoyed, but I ruined the mood and as you can see I sent everyone packing at different times. I said some very nasty things about you after you left, and I am sorry for saying them. It was all uncalled for."

"Fedler, I am sorry for the way I have treated your boyfriend. It was savage behavior and very patronizing, and I would not like anyone to treat me or my friends that way. I never meant to speak for you, but I understand if you saw it that way."

That, Mihai wasn't prepared for - "I'm not sure what to say... but sure." - he manages - "Accepted."

Fedler exchanges a surprised look with Mihai, as she is also taken aback by this turn of events, but then quickly refocuses on Konrad. Breeze is listening attentively, not daring to say a word.

"Yes, apology accepted," she responds, uneasy. "And... I guess I should also apologize. For threatening you."

Mihai sighs - "Why is it so damn important that you know it? He's an asshole. Always was. Son of the Boss, used to having it his way all the time. His father is ten times the man he'll ever be. Maybe some things i'm just not willing to part with yet."

Konrad smiles, blinks a few times, and answers, "It's not important to me. It's important to you, which I just can't wrap my head around. I don't understand what's so private about this little prick's name..."

"You know what irks me?" he continues. "Everyone knows what we both used to be, it's all out in the open - fun fact, what we used to be have more in common than you might think - yet I'm the one agonizing over how people view me now. How to deal with that. Next to that, what does it matter when I say my captain, now deceased, was Iron Luther? On the high seas, there's nothing more fierce, none more dreaded than a high-ranking Lorinthian navy officer turned pirate." Unless we're including natural disasters and bloody krakens. "The names from our pasts are nothing more than juicy details, pieces of a puzzle one no longer needs when they have the picture of the box right in front of them."

"But here you are agonizing over one little name. That's what irks me. I guess I'm just looking for a little reciprocation, in one form or another. What do you say, mate? Can you give me a little reciprocation?"

Tired, Mihai takes a breath before speaking up - "It was never about knowing or not knowing your past, Konrad. You took that Captain's chair without a second though, but didn't spare a second to think we should have known what we were putting our lives on the line for. Even forgetting about that, that you were risking your secret coming out at a critical time, and just sat on that powder keg while going on about courage and death. Every time you looked at us, you knew. When you went and talked to me that morning at Zest's gate, you knew. If at any time i'd known my past concerned the job that the team were risking their lives for, i'd have never let them do it in ignorance. And maybe that's just me, but i can never accept doing it the way you did."

Mihai sighs again, annoyed - "It's Griggs. Happy?"

"Griggs," he drawls, testing the sound of it. "Thank you. Thank you very much, mate. Perhaps one day I'll help you kill him. Would you like that? As a thank-you for helping me do the same, and otherwise tolerating my presence and my continued 'assumed leadership' of this adjunct? No really, I mean it."


Konrad places his elbows on the table and folds his arms. "But I think you ought to be more accepting. You weren't putting your lives on the line for some secret, in fact my little secret is what got us that job in the first place. I'm not asking you to thank me, only to recognize your good fortune because it's only thanks to me that Steve isn't serving jail time for writing some embarrassing letters which I'll admit, I didn't see that coming. You may not like it, but it's the truth. If you should be mad at anyone, it's the demon Snicker, who ruined everything for everyone. It called the kraken, remember? I just wanted everyone to forget about what I used to do, but that'll never happen now. A number of factors, primarily my temper, got in the way."

"I'll kill him if i have to. I've seen what bloodlust does to a man, and i don't mean you. As for your 'assumed leadership' of my team, well... guess we'll deal with that as it comes."

"As for the rest, yeah, i want the snickering to end. Speaking of which, how long have the two of you been alone here now?"

Fedler has been listening to this long conversation, but she appears expressionless; maybe a little tired. As for Breeze, she looks at Konrad, wondering if she should answer Mihai's question.

Konrad deflates at being shrugged off. Really, I do not want to win every argument! I only want to win an argument when people are wrong...

"Half an hour." Not being liable enough to be chained up does not necessarily mean he's no longer a liability. "I'm shackled to the Coins, remember? And there are fairies everywhere. Stuffing one fairy inside my possessed mouth and getting a bounty put out on me isn't a very good plan when there are tons more that pose a threat. That's probably a waste of a good deal."

"Well, maybe let Breeze have a break if she needs to." - he recommends, then - "And about what you used to do, i can't change any of my past either. All i can do is try to do right by everyone right now; for whatever that's worth." - he confesses, then remembers something - "And Breeze, don't give any Love Globules to anyone outside the team for now. I'll explain later, when we're in a better spot. Otherwise, i think we're good here." - Mihai looks at Fedler for confirmation. If she's good to go, they'll leave the tavern.

Breeze puts her finger on her upper lip when she hears Mihai's request. "Uh? Okay, I won't."

When Mihai turns to Fedler, she nods at him, and affirms, "Yes, I guess we're good. You two did most of the talking anyway..." She gets up from her chair. "Later Konrad. You know which inn we're at if you need us."

They both leave the tavern.

OOC:

When Steve wakes up the next day he'll suggest to Zelk that they invite Konrad (and Breeze if she is with him) to breakfast, since he's staying at the same inn. He figures its better to get the apologies finished as soon as possible. That way they can also tell them about the ball in Walkerfree and that will take care of half the people they might invite.

Konrad hears someone knock at his door. It's Steve.

Konrad is sort of dressed and messing with some rings when he hears a knock at the door. He puts the rings away and opens the door. "Good morning, Steve. Am I invited to brunch?"

"Oh, hey Steve!" exclaims Breeze, who is sitting on one of the pillows on the bed. She's happily waving at him.

"Hi guys. Yes, I was hoping both of you would join us for a late breakfast. You guys in?"

"She's waiting for us downstairs. We can go as soon as you're ready." Steve will wait for them to finish their routines and then lead the way.