22 Brussendar (Whelsen/Wednesday) 845 PD
After dealing with the attempted assassination that morning and the discussion with Abassador Krynn from the Xhorhasian Embassy, Rinn, Stubby and Tāmarai are left to try to figure things out. Tāmarai reassures Stubby that yes, she and the other young woman are a team, no matter what Tāmarai had said to Abe to try to deceive him. She then leaves Rinn and Stubby to put together some breakfast.
Rinn is still awkwardly on edge, listening to Stubby chatter about her family and their history with Vasselheim, but he does notice that she’s rattled as well, and tries to reassure her that he will help her get home- not remembering at that moment what he originally came over here this early to try to discuss with them. Stubby is pleased, and starts talking about having Rinn help her with building stuff, especially magical things- which gets him back to rattled again, burning the breakfast he was attempting to reheat. (Stubby did much better making grilled cheese sandwiches.)
Tāmarai comes just in time to make sure the burned leftovers don’t catch on fire, and they settle down to eat. She then also brings up the idea that if they’re going to be working (or at least hanging out) together, they should know what the others can do. Which is as much of a segue as Rinn can hope for, and he brings up that, while he can’t get out of his contract with the Take from his end, if they go and request a different escort, he should be free of it that way. That is, ‘please fire me’. Tāmarai and Stubby are both taken aback, Stubby upset, as didn’t Rinn say he’d help her get home? Rinn forgot about that, and Tāmarai wants to know why, but he evades that question and she relents, not wanting anyone working for them that doesn’t want to be there. So Rinn finally gets what he wants, and should be free to leave-
Except as they discussed earlier, there is no way to really leave New Vasselheim.
Stubby rallies, standing up to go get dressed, and wishes him well- and steps over to give him a hug before Tāmarai (who realizes that Rinn does not like to be touched and has a suspicion why) can say anything to stop her. Stubby gets shocked, but Rinn has more of a panicked reaction than anyone normally would have, terrified that he might hurt her by accident, simply from a touch. Tāmarai gets him slightly calmed down and to sit back down. Stubby correctly identifies it as magic, and doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Tāmarai manages to dig some information out from Rinn, even though it doesn’t make sense. He wants to leave before everyone knows, especially since Ivan Von’s daughter Victoria (“Local Vic”) already spotted something ‘different’ about him, and how soon until everyone knows?
A few more questions reveal that Rinn is afraid of other people finding out about his magic, and that it’s something he’s been hiding, trying to appear normal, and not ‘A freak, witchy, dangerous’ as he puts it. It wasn’t anything he wanted, and he is certainly of the belief that it is not normal and ‘wanted’. They tell him it is, and that he certainly belongs with them- breaking down years of built up emotion from the poor young man. That’s enough to get him to stay with them- at least for a while- and they do not have to go and try to break his contract with the Take.
Now on to their plans, since they do want to see about getting Stubby back home to Whitestone, but all things considered they may be in New Vasselheim for a while. Tāmarai wants to see about getting herself some work (hosting tea and beverage parties) at some of the higher end restaurants, and Stubby and Rinn can help by accompanying her as assistants as she talks to the owners. Stubby wants to work on projects. They both want to go to Old Vasselheim- though Tāmarai doesn’t want Stubby to go because it might be dangerous, and the gnome is still responsible for Stubby- though she was originally only responsible for teaching Stubby, not for the older teen’s safety! There’s plenty of arguing back and forth over this, also bringing Rinn into it, as Tāmarai says it wouldn’t be fair to drag him along to Old Vasselheim and put him in danger as well. Rinn finally steps into the argument, trying to get them both to calm down a bit, and adds that he does want to go to Old Vasselheim as well. (There was that dream-dare, afterall.) That seems to solve things (for the moment), and Tāmarai and Stubby start looking over their funds, which include loot taken from a White Dragon’s lair in Draconia.
Stubby runs out to get some supplies from her smithy area. Rinn follows, to apologize/reassure her that he did mean what he said about getting Stubby home safe- he had just forgotten that he was sort of trying to get them to fire him from this escorting job. All good, it seems, though Stubby then gets the info out of him that he arrived from the last ship that made it safely to New Vasselheim, from Nicodranus in Wildemont. (The first ship that was leaving when he arrived in that city.)
They get what she came out for, and go back to Tāmarai, who while was checking the loot for magical items also started looking around the Tal Dorei Embassy, and found that the bathtub in the bathing room is magic- a bit of a spell to keep the water warm, and help with filling and draining the tub quickly. Useful!
They go over more loot and plans, with ideas to head to Old Vasselheim in a week or so…