Tall Tales or Short Lies? [Phlox]

[nineofswords]

Dunsk let out a low growl when Quentin asked if he'd let Dunsmith up now. Yes, their face was no longer red as the peppers they'd eaten, but they were still in clear distress.

Dunsk put his face inches away from Dunsmith's. Quentin still in pain, yes? he asked, bringing Dunsmith's attention to it and away from whatever nonsense he'd been babbling about. Fix it. Show them same care you would own child, yes?

Dunsmith balked. They aren't my child! he protested, having the sense to keep this particular conversation private. They're fully grown. They don't need me to baby them!

And if son - who also grown - had bellyache, you help, yes? Dunsk prompted. Dunsmith seemed to have no retort to that. Not need go as far as would for son, Dunsk said, tone softening slightly, feeling Dunsmith's feelings at the mention of his son across their bond. But be kind, yes?

Dunsmith let out a defeated sigh. Fine, he agreed. Dunsk let him up. Without a word, Dunsmith went back towards the food and got a glass of water. Bringing it back to the table, he took out a handkerchief and used the cool water to soak it. He draped the handkerchief over the back of Quentin's neck. He looked at the table, seeing how many of the fruit were left, and knowing that Quentin hated waste, he started popping the various fruits into his mouth. Seeing this, Dunsk was satisfied and padded out of the dining hut once more. "Faranth," Dunsmith grumbled. "Thought he'd never leave." He shook his head as he peeled the skin off a round orange fruit he'd had before and quite liked the taste of. "He's an odd one, that wher. Whoever heard of one that fussed over and babied everyone but their handler? I mean, after all, I am an old man, here! I could've broken a hip when he knocked me over. I may not be his favorite person, but he's still going to feel it if anything happens to me! You'd think he'd take a bit more care of me and trust other people to look after their own welfare."

[FirebrandPhlox]

Quentin groaned a relieved sigh as Dunsmith put the soaked cloth over the back of their neck. It felt quite nice after all the sweating they had been through. They lifted their head slightly and nodded at the man, mouthing thank you. They focused intently on not getting sick in the middle of the dining hall and watched as the old man went about eating the fruit.

Slowly, Quentin went back to sitting upright. They groaned as their stomach protested, but gave Dunsmith a weak smile. We both know you're sturdier than you look, they signed, not daring to attempt speaking at the moment. They watched as Dunsmith peeled the orange fruit. Huh, that's how you eat that one.

[nineofswords]

Without thinking, Dunsmith patted Quentin's shoulder when they let out a groan. It was a more paternal gesture than he'd meant to extend.

But feels good, yes? Dunsk prompted. Dunsmith ignored the wher, shaking off the odd emotion. Quentin wasn't his child. He wasn't going to pretend he was.

At Quentin's comment on Dunsmith's sturdiness, he gave a weary sigh and hunched over, making himself look older and frailer than he was. "I don't know what you're talking about, my young friend," Dunsmith said, adding a waver to his voice that was not uncommon in elderly individuals. "I'm as fragile as a newborn foal. A strong gust of wind could knock me over." He chuckled, straightening back out with a snap, crackle, and popping of his spine. "Faranth, but that's rougher on my back than I remember it being..." He really was starting to get old.

Dunsmith looked at the fruit in his hand. "Yes. An odd quirk of the fruits this far south is that many have very thick skins which are unpleasant to eat. I do not think any are poisonous, but I'd just as soon not be the one to find that out. I often find the best way to determine how to eat a fruit is to cut it in half first and examine the insides before deciding how to proceed." He gave an impish smile. "And I often find it helpful to do so without a mouthful of fire, but to each their own."

[FirebrandPhlox]

Quentin winced a bit at the display of noises Dunsmith made when he cracked his back. Normally things like that didn't bother them much, but normally they weren't a few seconds away from losing the contents of their stomach. They tried to smile, knowing that Dunsmith was spouting his usual hot air.

They slowly sipped some water as Dunsmith explained the fruit. Now I know for next time, they signed. I still need to find that fruit that takes away the heat.

[nineofswords]

"Now you know indeed," Dunsmith said. "Truly, I would encourage you to give some of them a try. Many of them are actually quite good." He grabbed a small berry and popped it in his mouth.

When Quentin said they still needed to find the fruit that took away the heat, though, Dunsmith winced. "I would rather you make any further attempts while I'm not around, if you must?" he said, half asking. "Dunsk decided to be overprotective of you about that particular issue. No idea why, but I'd rather not be knocked over by him again." He flapped a hand. "And anyway, it was just heresay. There's likely not a fruit that'll do that at all. Or...maybe there's one that does, but not for peppers, or maybe not some that hot." He shrugged. "I don't know. Anyway, just...don't experiment about it around me."

You took absolute wrong lesson from it, Dunsk sighed at him, exasperated.

This is why you can't try teaching an old dog new tricks, Dunsmith retorted glibly.

Dunsk sighed across their mental link, then projected to Quentin again. Do not try again alone, he said. Could hurt self. Would be bad. Or try smaller amount. Honestly. There was one braincell between these two, and its name was Dunsk. It was exhausting being the only one with sense here.

[FirebrandPhlox]

Quentin gave a slow, weak nod, still too nauseous to move much. Perhaps Dunsmith and Dunsk had some wisdom in this matter. Their stomach did ache and threaten to revolt with every movement they made with that display. Next time I will try less, they signed. Groaning, they put their head back down on the table, appreciating the cool surface against their skin.

They lay there for a few moments, taking deep breaths before slowly sitting up again. Bed, they signed as they carefully attempted to stand up.

[nineofswords]

"Mmmm, yes. Less food does tend to improve the quality of one's eating experience. Particularly when one is attempting to eat food that is physically painful to the eater." He popped another portion of his orange fruit in his mouth. "Behold, the image of a man unencombered by pain."

Stop gloating, Dunsk growled in Dunsmith's head.

I am not gloating, Dunsmith retorted back. I don't want to deal with this again either. You were the one who was so hung up on me learning my lesson here, but now I can't hammer the lesson home into the kid's head? Dunsk had nothing to say at that, but there was a smugness coming across their link that Dunsmith didn't like and therefore decided to ignore.

"Bed is a good call," Dunsmith said. "Start heading to your room, and I'll bring you something you can throw up in if that issue forces itself." Dunsmith patted Quentin on the shoulder and got up to find a terribly thrown pot or something equally disposable to bring Quentin. And he was POINTEDLY not acknowledging Dunsk's continued, radiating smugness.