"Victor"

That boy we traumatised earlier

>>882654
Ooh. I remember that...

Let's follow Shane (that's the boy's name, I think.).

I'd like to see how Nick is doing.
The brother of the rabbold Emils took the form of.

Victoria. I wanna see how she takes the news when Emils explain we killed Lust.

>>882651
Victoria

Sure, let's go with Victoria again.

>>882654
Seconded.

Victoria. We need more Red Eyes

Bag!

Wild Hungry Slime

>>882664
Alright I'll change to Victoria. I got distracted by the new NPC and forgot what we had planned.

I look to Strix, “What the hell was that?!”
He looks back to me with a smirk, “I must say, Victor, you’ve picked up a rather special little girl.”
“...And?”
He sighs, “I’m sure you’ve heard me mutter under my breath. I’ve developed a bit of a habit of correcting people in Avarian.”
I shake my head, “That doesn’t sound like Avarian.”
“Ancient Avarian. My family goes back that far. Your little girl can speak a dead language perfectly.”
“That... doesn’t mean much.”
“The pronunciations can only be produced by Avaros throats.”

“Also, there’s something wrong with her eyes.” Strix says as he crosses his arms and taps a finger against his beak. “There’s no life in them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve seen people who have given up in life. Those who have accepted their lot in life, and wouldn’t refuse if death comes their way. She has the same look in her eyes. She might put up a mask of emotions, but there’s still something deep in her that she’s blocking out.”
“I’ve tried asking her, but she does not remember anything beyond a few days before my people found her.”
“Well,” he starts, straightening out his clothes, “I am not child psychologist, but perhaps she refuses to remember what happened. A mental barrier to stop herself from facing what happened to her... or her family.” He frowns. “I’ll check the census of nearby villages and towns to see if there has been any incidents or missing people.”
“Alright, thank you.”
“Ah yes, I would also like to invite you and Emils to my sons birthday.”
“What? Why?”
“My son has a rather... unique temperament. Frankly, I’m rather worried about him making friends, and perhaps Emils stoic nature might help.” He holds out an invite. “What say you?”

Oh, you're probably just surprised someone finally managed to rebuff you. Nothing's impossible with magic. Our ward is a perfectly normal albino forest rabbold. Perfectly normal.
Decline the offer - Emils is the center of a swirling vortex of chaos and he wouldn't want his son sucked into it.

>>884715
"I'm not sure Emils would be a good influence on your son, but we can attend."

(So the whole talk about the stink was done in ancient Avarian? Hah.)

First, reply with a small burn,
"It's unfortunate to hear that your son's childcare has been problematic as well. As you can see, childcare is not a simple thing."
And then accept his request,
"As you wish. But do remember that, as her guardian, I will have to watch carefully that she's not getting any sort of.. negative influence"
Also, ask him if his son speaks only ancient Avarian or something.

Of course. It would probably be good for Emils as well.

>>884715
Kind of worrying that evidence seems to imply she's gone through trauma.
Anyway in regards to the party, maybe it would be good for both of them.

Emil's has a knack for languages. And there's currently no problems with attending the party, though who knows what the future holds.

Especially considering certain recent events that really need to be discussed with someone.

>>884715
Alright. Emils could use the social activity as well.

Note to self: ask Emils how many languages she can speak. Research possible explanations for this ability.

>“What say you?”
"Well, alright. I make no promises Emils won't eat him alive, though."

>>884753
It's one of her starting skills that she's gifted with languages. Dunno if there's a hard cap, or if there's even a cap.

>>884819
I meant Victoria should do that.

>>884825
Oh okay.

She may look serious but she did messed with her colleagues. Don't be so sure your son will have a stoic to serve as a role model, he may end up as a victim of an uncommon prankster.

"I'll accept the invite." I said, taking it from him.
He grins in that annoying way that politions have when they get their way.
"I'm glad. And please find something nice for Emils to wear. I would hate to see her develop your tastes in fashion."
"Pardon?" I glare at him, I just know he insulted me somehow.
"I said I will look forward to your visit." He bows before leaving.
I said my goodbyes and he waves without turning around.

As I return into the house, Emils walks out of the bathroom.
"Emils."
"Victoria."
"Where are your clothes?"
"They stink."
"That's not what I... I mean why aren't you wearing clothes?"
"They stink."
"Your clean clothes."
"They're in my room."

I press my hand over my forehead. I'm too tired for this.
"Emils, We've been invited to a birthday party. I need to get you some party dresses."
"Oh."
She tilts her head, "What's a birthday?"

A grim reminder of our mortality. Also they serve cake.

Hey, Vic, you should have Emils around more often when you have to talk to that guy. You'll get insulted less if he's understood by her.

"You know how you're supposed to wear clothes, right Emils? Try bringing clean clothes into the bathroom before you shower next time.

And of course you don't know birthdays... It's an annual, uh, celebration for the day someone was born, by family and friends. Really they're mostly for kids. Just a way to keep track of how old you are."

>>885403
Make sure you ask Emils why she was in the sewers.

>>885407
Oh right, that too.

>>884864
A yearly celebration of our birth. Sometimes punctuated with gifts and pastry Foods.

>>885403
Hmm this brings up an interesting point. When will Emils celebrate her birthday? Ask her when she considers her birth-date to be.

Also ask how many languages she knows.

>What's a birthday
An annual celebration on the date someone was born.

>>885403
"Annual celebration of your first day of life.
In cases like yours we tend to celebrate the closest approximation, so it would be when you were found."

>>885403
A celebration of someone's life, held every year on the day they were born.

>>885404

>>885404
This is pretty much the best one.

"Birthdays are a grim reminder of how close we are to death. With cake."
I guide Emils to her room, to pick out something for her to wear. There's only one place I can get a proper dress tailored in such short notice. Cheaply.

"Back home, We'd celebrate at the end of the year. Everyone is given a gift by someone older. Giving a gift to someone older is typically between close family or friends. A celebration for them surviving another year."
I dry off Emils's fur as I remind her to wear underwear.
"In here, children are given birthdays when they reach the age of five, ten, and fifteen, and a final celebration when they reach 16, when they're an adult."

"So since I am 10, does that mean I am deserved 10 gifts? or two?"
I frown, "A gift is something close to the heart," I say, patting her chest, "It's something they need. Or if you can't think of something, at best it's something they want."
I help her put on her clothes, "A gift of needs means your thoughts are to their well being. It can be food, clothes, or training. It depends from person to person. There's little need for a child to have a weapon, but teaching them self discipline can aid them deeply. Likewise, a child living away from the city, closer to the wilderness, could benefit deeply from a weapon, either to hunt or just for self dense."

Emils seems to think about it before asking, "So whose birthday will I be attending? And will I need to provide a gift?"
I grab a bag before heading out, "We will be attending the 10th birthday of Silvia Strix Saron. He's the son of the Avaros you just saw. You needn't worry about a gift, since you two are not that familiar. I'll just grab something neutral you can pass off as a present."
"What's he like?"
"Ah... Mind you, I've only heard rumors. I am not sure if any of it is true. He's a rather eccentric boy. He was kind of a normal noble child, up to two years ago. Upright with a sense of noble justice or something like that. He was visiting the girl he was betrothed to, but there was... an accident."
"What kind of accident?"
"Hm. An explosion, if I remember right. He made it out okay, but his fiance had lost an arm and both her parents, while he lost his mother. Strix and his son changed a lot since then. Silvia became more recluse, pushing people away. I think Strix is trying to reintegrate his son to society with this party as an excuse."
I shake my head, "I'm not sure what he's like now, I'm not really a close part of the grand nobility here."

Emils nods, "I see. Perhaps I could talk to him before hand in order to pick of an appropriate gift?"
"That's nice of you, but unfortunately, he buried himself in his projects. Hardly anyone, even his own father, has seen him lately. He has a small laboratory somewhere in the city, if you want to look for him."
"Laboratory?"
"Yeah. He picked up a hobby of item enchanting a few years ago. Same profession has his mother. Since the accident two years ago, he's been focusing hard on his enchanting. Ah, we're here."
The Theater, I grimace.

>Fiance lost an arm
Alice?
I bet he's researching a way to give her a functional arm.

>theater
Oh boy time to visit your favorite person in the whole world. Maybe you can use Emils as a distraction if it comes to it. They haven't seen eachother in a while.

>His mother > explosion > enchantment
This cannot possible go wrong.

It would be rude to visit the neighborhood without meeting a certain someone.

>Enchantment
My guess is that he's trying to make a working prosthetic arm for Alice.

Who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and this will be painless!

>>887424
Try not to make your disgust visible!

>his fiance had lost an arm
>"I see. Perhaps I could talk to him before hand in order to pick of an appropriate gift?"
Well, assuming Alice is his fiance (how many one armed Avaros girls could there be nearby?), maybe Emils could talk to her to find out about him.

>The Theater, I grimace.
Maybe you can use Emils' powers of magical social awkwardness as a shield against your obnoxious ex?

>>887424
"I think it would be best to speak with his fiancee for more information, assuming the engagement has not been called off.
Alice blames herself, and if my guess is correct he does as well - would he, by any chance, be attempting to create an enchanted prosthetic arm?"

>>887424
You forgot to ask Emils why she was in the sewers!

Relevant: >>/questarch/782321

Remind Emils to why we've decided to visit the theater now whereas the last time you told her it was off-limits.

Btw, why did you break up with your ex?

>>889838
Pretty sure it was stated that said ex borrowed Vic's clothing.

>>889856
Yes but that may not necessarily be the reason they broke up.