[Episode] Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming

Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:15 am

S

leepy Forsberg lies westward upon Toroa’s coast, resting comfortably around a single large lagoon that fish migrate into in the breeding seasons, where fishermen fish them out. Past here, a handful of farms and vineyards sprawl out, supplying themselves and other neighboring towns with with bread and wine and the occasional red meat. Some outsiders started calling Toroan cuisine a poor man’s Pucci, but locals eventually decided to make the comment a symbol of pride.

They were right to. Toroa carried a rosary of jewels and gemstones, of which Forsberg was but one bead.

The reputation evidently stuck, and Forsberg would become an attraction for anyone looking for respectable local food with a quiet, homey atmosphere. Or Marines who wanted to pretend they were eating in Paradise without their wallets showing the burden.

Business was good for Old Byron’s Tavern. Salmon netted from the lagoon were being prepared into smoked steaks with their roe marinated with soy sauce and saké as a topping for rice and milt into tempura, all as an afternoon-to-evening special. It was far from Old Byron’s only item on the menu, but it was the one that several visiting Marines found to be a hit, especially when paired with beer or wine.

One Marine in particular was having a bit too much fun. She danced on one of the tables around her half-finished plate, swinging her mug—more of a shot glass, really—rhythmically to a shanty. None of her histrionics were hampered by the fact she barely passed the five-inch mark. “Way, hey, come one and come all! Drinks’re on me for today! Issun ain’t sober to know any better! Whee! Hic!” She wasn’t. If she was, Issun could be as stingy as an old tycoon duck, on account of having a family to send money back home to, but with that accounted for, all bets were off.

It took ten minutes before a confused busboy could find out where the noise was coming from. Even then, he was bewildered by how such a small body could carry such a loud voice. “Uhm, ma’am . . . ?” His in comparison barely rose to a whisper. That’s how it often was with teenage part-timers. “Sorry, ma’am? I’m sorry, but I need to ask you to keep your voice down; it’s disturb—”

Now that he actually had the dwarf’s attention and shut Issun up for a moment, he realized other Marines had been rather chatty themselves. Though it was true Issun had been the rowdiest of them all.

Issun only looked back at him innocently, hiccuping. “Huh?”

The busboy, feeling curious eyes fall to their table, started to go red with embarrassment. “I-I mean to say, you shouldn’t be dancing on the tables, ma’am, because it might break the plates. In fact, you should be careful about standing on the tables at all . . . because . . .”

“Huh?!” The busboy recoiled. Issun simply put her mug down and walked to where an empty chair was to drop down to its seat. In normal human terms, it probably would have been the equivalent of dropping down from a house roof, but Issun landed with ease (if you can call a drunken stumble graceful enough), turned around, and leapt back up, aided by a second hiccup.

The busboy’s blush reached up to his ears. “My gosh, I am so sorry! I’ll leave now! If you want to continue dancing, there’s a theater to your right! Please enjoy your stay!” He rushed himself out, probably ready to call it a day.

Nobody was quite ready to deal with a dwarf who had been drinking her body weight’s worth of alcohol, after all. “Hyuk-hyuk-hyuk! Gets ‘em every time. Hey, fellas! Don’t overindulge! Hic!”

♛

Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:03 pm

Payday. Normally, it was another day for Anton, mainly because any day in the marines meant he would be doing another dangerous assignment that would continue to add to his anxiety. But today, today was different. Not only was he getting paid, but he was off duty! He could rest. He could relax. Today was actually peaceful!

Well, peaceful might have been a bit much. He had been pulled along by a bunch of marines to a nearby tavern to drink and celebrate. Unlike the others, he kept more to himself, refraining from drinking and more just having a pleasant meal. Celia was joining him as well, not exactly approving of the others' more rowdy behaviour, but more or less letting it slide. That was, until the little dwarf started giving the hapless server some hard time. Anton blinked as Celia got up and strode over to the table. "C-Celia, hold up!"

Celia didn't listen, walking over to the table, bending over, and picking up the small dwarf by the back of her outfit, lifting her into the air. "I think you'd have enough," she stated, glaring right at her. Anton was quickly on his feet and behind her. "S-Sorry about that! Sh-She's just one for order and protocol, you know what I mean." Celia gave Anton a harsh glare, causing the marine to take a step back as she still held the little dwarf aloft.

[Episode] Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming

[Episode] Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming

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