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“I may have a few stories to tell,” you say carefully, giving Master Tomoe a faint hint of a smile, “I've hunted things worse than any boar, and this talk won't turn my stomach. This is far from the roughest meal I've ever had. I could tell you, but... Well, Juno and I played a little game earlier today. She told me what I wanted to know, and I told her what she wanted to know.”
“An even trade,” Master Tomoe agrees, his eyes glinting with amusement, “I'll admit, Master Pale, that you've got my attention. Do go on.”
“Don't play his games,” Juno whispers angrily to you, kicking you lightly under the table.
“I'd like to know everything you know about my late father,” you press, ignoring Juno's warnings, “And in return, I'll share a tale of my own.”
Master Tomoe leans back in his chair and lights a long cigarette. “Your father... Your father was a man who stood at the edge of greatness, but couldn't commit. That was the impression I always got from him. He had seen things, done things, that no other man had. But he shied away from them, and that – I suspect – is what destroyed him,” he recalls, “Really, he should have been a Tomoe.”
“That's all very vague,” you point out, “You could be talking about anyone.”
“No. I could only be talking about one man,” Master Tomoe shakes his head, “Ultimately, your father was still a man who lived by society's rules and morals. He flirted with Calamity, but in the end he was afraid to fully embrace it. A shame, really. But I can see that you've started on the same path that he has. I wonder if you'll be bolder than he was.”
Slowly, you take a sip of wine. Master Tomoe's voice has grown louder, more exuberant with each word he speaks, until his face positively glows.
“Well, I'll consider you a work in progress for now,” Master Tomoe concludes, snuffing out his cigarette with a quick flick of his wrist, “Now, about your tale...”
Pushing your disquiet aside, you adopt a suitable ghoulish expression and begin your tale. “This story is about a certain remote manor in the mountains. In the spirit of gentlemanly behaviour, I shall leave it unnamed,” you start, “This manor belonged to a certain family...”
-
Master Tomoe listens to your story with a fascinated expression, one corner of his mouth curled up into a loveless smile. Juno feigns boredom, toying with her silver cutlery, but you can tell that she's listening intently. When you describe the battle beneath the Iron Keep, her hands clench white knuckle tight. By the time you're finished, her shoulders are tense.
“A most impressive tale,” Master Tomoe breathes, “Tell me one thing, Master Pale. These creatures that you hunted... does it bother you, to think that they were once men?”
“I didn't see them as men,” you answer, shaking your head, “I just saw them as beasts.”
Master Tomoe's smile deepens.
[1]
