[Some have adapted well where others have floundered. Rufus straightens to answer when a bubble pops against Hansa's shoulder from behind.
In a dimly lit room, Rufus stands in front of a desk that separates him from a smiling man.
"Hey, Rufus. You were excellent last time."
Rufus' face crinkles in visible displeasure.
"What nerve. I wasn't expecting you to bring that up. Was it not a big case? You lied about the reward."
The man's smile stretches into a grin as he replies, "I didn't lie. People make mistakes. I just received a small fee for referring you."
"Don't you think the reward and fee changed?"
"Yes!" answers the man, gleefully. "That's what you didn't learn from Tristan. You have to check the contract carefully! Be careful next time, because there are bad folks out there who exploit others. Think of it as a lesson fee."
Visibly frustrated, Rufus turns his back to the man and mutters, "I suppose that was naive of me. Let's see if you can get away with it next time."
“Hey, kid!” shouts the woman. “Don’t you know who we are? How could you do that?”
Rufus turns to them with a frown.
“What was that? All I hear is the howling of beaten dogs. I won a fair competition.”
“I don’t know if the process was fair,” says the man. “You tailed us.”
“Do you have evidence? If you’re saying that you let me be when you knew I was following you, then you intentionally yielded the prize to me. All I did was accept your kindness.”
“That’s because we didn’t think you would backstab us! Who would’ve thought Legis’ son would turn out this way?” huffs the woman in disbelief.
Rufus’ frown deepens.
“You don’t have keen eyes; that’s why you followed someone like him,” he says. “Allow me to advise: don’t expect anything. You feel betrayed, because you had expectations. I abandoned my expectations of you long ago, and that was for the best.”
The man pauses when realization dawns.
“Do you . . . resent us?” he asks. “Because we left with your father and weren’t there when Melanie collapsed?”
The silence that falls between all three of them is deafening. Uncharacteristically, Rufus breaks it first.
“Did you not hear what I just said?” He glowers at the duo. “That’s when you have expectations. I refuse to involve myself with irresponsible people like you.
“I am aware that the bounties on you two are still active. Please leave now.”]
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[says hansa, in a memloss game,]
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It's like its...blank. And I guess that's the Realm's doing.
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[A low sigh.]
Anyway, I guess you can see what kind of rascal I was as a kid.
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[He smirks a little, but it seems almost bittersweet.]
Sometimes, you just have to be who you have to be to survive.
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But of course. Isn't this a wilderness, of a kind?
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In a dimly lit room, Rufus stands in front of a desk that separates him from a smiling man.
"Hey, Rufus. You were excellent last time."
Rufus' face crinkles in visible displeasure.
"What nerve. I wasn't expecting you to bring that up. Was it not a big case? You lied about the reward."
The man's smile stretches into a grin as he replies, "I didn't lie. People make mistakes. I just received a small fee for referring you."
"Don't you think the reward and fee changed?"
"Yes!" answers the man, gleefully. "That's what you didn't learn from Tristan. You have to check the contract carefully! Be careful next time, because there are bad folks out there who exploit others. Think of it as a lesson fee."
Visibly frustrated, Rufus turns his back to the man and mutters, "I suppose that was naive of me. Let's see if you can get away with it next time."
In a similar room at another time, a woman and her companion corner Rufus.
“Hey, kid!” shouts the woman. “Don’t you know who we are? How could you do that?”
Rufus turns to them with a frown.
“What was that? All I hear is the howling of beaten dogs. I won a fair competition.”
“I don’t know if the process was fair,” says the man. “You tailed us.”
“Do you have evidence? If you’re saying that you let me be when you knew I was following you, then you intentionally yielded the prize to me. All I did was accept your kindness.”
“That’s because we didn’t think you would backstab us! Who would’ve thought Legis’ son would turn out this way?” huffs the woman in disbelief.
Rufus’ frown deepens.
“You don’t have keen eyes; that’s why you followed someone like him,” he says. “Allow me to advise: don’t expect anything. You feel betrayed, because you had expectations. I abandoned my expectations of you long ago, and that was for the best.”
The man pauses when realization dawns.
“Do you . . . resent us?” he asks. “Because we left with your father and weren’t there when Melanie collapsed?”
The silence that falls between all three of them is deafening. Uncharacteristically, Rufus breaks it first.
“Did you not hear what I just said?” He glowers at the duo. “That’s when you have expectations. I refuse to involve myself with irresponsible people like you.
“I am aware that the bounties on you two are still active. Please leave now.”]
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[He doesn't know what to make of it, at first. Its a dispute of sorts, but...this is personal. Between him and the man,between him and the pair.]
["We left with your father and weren't there when Melanie collapsed?"]
[He stares at Rufus for a moment.]
...That man. In the beginning. Is he the one you want to have your revenge against?
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No. That one died reecently.
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thanks for the spelling, phone.
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[Besides the one he just saw.]
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