Chapter 29
'Friday Night'
'Unexpected Encounters'
'99.99% Unpure'
There is a huge banner hanging across the pillars of the Delta Psi Gamma Fraternity:
'Rally Against the Trade Federation Interference …then Party Here!'
Chaz Darklighter is inside spinning micro-disques on the digital console. The place is already full of students and it is still early.
Dantius does not recognize anyone in the place that he regularly speaks to; but then again, he only knows a few people. He weaves his way through the first room. It is crowded. Someone shoves a drink in his hand.
"An empty hand is an open door to the devil's playground."
"What?"
"Drink up, Bro –."
"Oh…I don't…"
"Relax, man. You can sleep in tomorrow. Prosit!" He taps his bamboo cup against the one he gives to Dantius. Dantius reciprocates the toast but with less enthusiasm.
"Prosit."
"Rock on, man."
The student then turns to offer drinks to other guests. Dantius looks into his cup. The liquid is the color of cloudy lemonade. A swirl of blue vapor rises above the rim. Dantius hesitates for a moment then brings the cup to his lips and drinks. Someone slaps him on his back and he lurches forward. He watches as some of the beverage splashes onto his parka. The voice behind him is familiar but he still turns and looks up to see who is there.
"Hey! It's Paste!"
Dantius gazes at Doug Cooha'ki. This cannot be good. Dantius raises his hand in defensive mode.
"Listen, I don't want any trouble."
"Hey, you'll get none from me. What brings you to this party?" Doug has a full cup of his own. He has not taken a drink yet. Dantius was hoping that Doug is just drunk.
"I was invited."
Doug laughs.
"Yeah, that's what they all say. The flyers are all over campus, Dude. Anyone can pull one out of the recycle bin and still get in. Well, bottoms up!" Doug takes a big gulp from his cup.
Dantius nods then finds a safe place to stand out of the way. He is curious to know why Doug has not tormented him. It seems as if Doug's memory has been erased regarding that encounter they had last semester and during the winter break. This appears to be the handiwork of Boone. But why erase Doug's memory now? It does not matter as long as the big oaf leaves him alone. He is probably not so bad these days. Dantius can excuse a little spilt alcohol. Just as Dantius is about to change his attitude towards the jock, Doug flicks Dantius in the back of the head and walks away.
"Easy on the liquor, Paste! Don't go doin' anything crazy, you little freak. I'm going to look for my posse. I believe they're in the next room where all the 'cool' people are."
More liquid from the cup Dantius is holding, spills onto his down parka. Nothing has changed. Doug Cooha'ki is still a jerk.
The drink is actually good. Between sips, Dantius watches as more students arrive. Everyone is in a happy mood. A few guests have already had a 'happy hour' before the party. The steady stream of partygoers brushes pass him. He eavesdrops on the wide range of topics being discussed, from sports to drunken escapades on the way over to the party, and galactic politics. Two students stand nearby. They are complaining about one of the campus professors.
"Yeah, that Philosophy professor is such a tool, man. He gave me an 'effing' 'C'!"
"I told you not to take that class. Everyone thought they were guaranteed an 'A' with a guest professor."
"I've got to find a way to bring my G.P.A. up, man. My parents are going to make me work the Borgo Asteroid Belt ore mine this summer if I don't bring my grades up soon. I'll do anything but that?"
"Anything, dude?"
"I'd join the military before I go there."
Dantius loses interest in this discussion. He takes another sip from his cup. Suddenly there is a commotion at the front door. An entourage of male students burst through the door. He sees a flash of flaxen-blonde hair the middle of the crowd. He cranes his neck to see who it could be.
Sigrid is greeted like a goddess by the throngs of unworthy male subjects. Dantius stops sipping his drink and waits for her to acknowledge him. He smiles but her attention is focused on the beautiful young men who opted to sun themselves on the pristine beaches of Kashyyyk and Yavin4 during the winter break instead of hitting the slopes on Hoth. Her smile is as beautiful as ever. Sigrid barely glances at him. Dantius is heartbroken. His smile quickly fades as his beautiful Sigrid is whisked away to chat with her admirers.
.
Dantius pushes through the crowded room to get some fresh air. He does not get far. He runs into Boone at the front door.
Boone seems to be in a partying mood as the rest of the crowd is. He does not appear to hold any grudges against Dantius for that unfortunate incident during their recent ski holiday on Hoth. Dantius almost killed his most loyal fried that night. As far as Boone is concerned, all is forgiven and the past is not brought up again. He even greets Dantius cheerfully.
"Hey, Bro! You showed up after all. Leaving so soon?"
"Yeah...it's a bit too noisy and crowded for me."
"Well, I'm here to hang out for the duration. Did you check out the hot chicks?"
"I saw Sigrid."
"You saw Sigi?" He reads Dantius' feelings then leans in to offer some friendly advice. "Forget it, Bro, You're never gonna get Sigi…lower your standards…Come with me."
Dantius follows Boone into a room towards the back where about a dozen girls are milling about. The young coeds are checking out their male counterparts. They are suddenly and inexplicably drawn to Boone. They even laugh at his bad jokes. Dantius tries to follow Boone's lead but does not do as well. The female students respond with blank stares. Boone is too caught up in the attention he is getting to notice. Instead, he turns to Dantius with a big grin on his face and gives him the 'thumbs up' with a wink. He turns his attention to his adoring instant fan club.
"Oh, ladies, if you're interested in getting to know more about the 'Boonster' follow me." He waves his hand.
The girls respond like devoted subjects. "We're interested in getting to know more, Boonster." The girls giggle as they follow him.
It is obvious that Dantius does not possess the level of charisma that Boone has. He watches as the girls continue to be enthralled with whatever Boone has to say. One of the girls runs her fingers through his soft mop of curls.
"Gee, Boone, you look hot tonight. Did you comb your hair?"
"Only for you, ladies."
It appears that everyone at the party is pairing up nicely. Dantius backs up against the wall after three failed attempts to mingle with the other women in the room. The drink is starting to have an effect on him as it mixes with the dose of Anafill II he had taken earlier. He feels strange as if he is going to 'hurl' as Boone would say. The beat of the music pulses throughout the house. He has a difficult time distinguishing the bass from Chaz's speakers and his own heartbeat.
Dantius takes another sip from his cup. There is someone else standing against the wall just a few feet away. It is the girl from the checkout counter at the school bookstore. Kiri the Twi'lek. Kiri is wearing a knit tunic over form-fitting leather pants. Her brain tails are dusted with sparkling lightsaber crystal dust. The scent of her Freesia Mist body spray reminds him of the first time he saw her across the counter at the university bookstore and then again that evening at the evening at the pharmacy. It is sweet smelling but the fragrance is also making him dizzy. She is chewing bubble gum again, just as she was that evening at the bookstore. He watches as she blows a bright pink bubble. He turns away and takes another sip from his cup. She surprises him when she speaks.
"Cool party."
Dantius stops drinking and lowers his cup.
"Wha?"
"The music is really good." She bobs her head to the beat.
Dantius feels awkward about engaging in conversation with her but she keeps talking.
"You're that guy who came into the bookstore that night with your friends. You bought a bunch of Halo comics and cheerleader calendar." Dantius pretends he does not know what she is talking about as he shakes his head 'No.'
She continues talking. Now he just wishes she would shut up.
"You asked about 'Hutt and Tails' Magazine…"
His face turns an embarrassing red and he calmly but vehemently denies this.
"That wasn't for me."
He is fortunate to be distracted when he sees Sigrid in the room across the hallway holding court. Her male admirers surround her. A commotion ensues when one of the admirers sweeps her in his arms and raises her above his head. The others join in. She giggles and squeals.
"No! Put me down; I'm not kidding!"
One of the fraternity members laughs as he helps keep her airborne.
"Hold on, sweetheart!"
Dantius tosses his cup aside and storms into the room.
"What are you doing? Didn't you hear her tell you to put her down?"
One of the fraternity members turns his head in the direction of the voice.
"And you are…?"
Another frat boy laughs.
"Oh-oh…he's defending your honor, Sig."
Sigrid smiles as she remains hoisted in the air.
"Aww, Dani, you're so sweet…I'm fine."
"Yeah, she's okay; you can go now, 'Pale Rider'."
Another frat boy stands in front of Dantius forcing him back towards the entrance. He grins at Dantius then closes the door in his face.
The door slamming in his face he could deal with, it was the sight of the beautiful Sigrid laughing as she is being hoisted around like a trophy after a game. He fumes as he returns to lean against the wall. He feels humiliated. Why them and not him? Surely, he is more worthy of her attention.
Kiri is still standing to his left quietly bopping her head to the music. Dantius rolls his eyes as he considers something. He finally glances over at her.
"So, Uhm…you want to get out of here?"
Kiri smiles as she looks at him.
"Is there something better than this?"
"Definitely."
They leave the fraternity house. Adso Bar Binks sees them and calls out.
"Yousa be leavin' now? Party justa startin'to jam. Yousa be missin' bombastic slammin' show."
Dantius ignores him and waves him away.
"Go away."
"Humph! Yousa butthead! Don't yousa be wavin' yousa hand in meesa face! Adios, paleface!"
Adso waves his hand back at Dantius and sticks out his tongue. Dantius is too far away to take notice. Adso immediately forgets the incident when another stream of partygoers arrives. Among the guests are Vernu and her brother Uli. They are dressed casually but still look out of place with their conservative apparel. She is visiting him after learning he has been accepted into Magnum Ro Tau Fraternity. Her brother is unimpressed by her visit. He suspects he has other reasons for visiting the university.
She looks around at the crowd near the entrance then turns to her brother.
"Wouldn't it be something if we ran into Dantius while we're here?"
"He would never be caught dead in this place."
"I suppose not."
"Why should you care? Why did you ever want to come here tonight? After the horrible way he treated you the last time you were here? Forget about him."
"Just curious…"
She takes one last glance across the room before heading for the door. She turns down the beverages handed to them by Roman and another student who have taken over from the previous servers.
Roman and his helper determine that the 'punch' bowl needs a 'kick' and pour their own concoction of cheap Alderaan wine, Nexu Dunkel Meister, Eriadu schnapps, and some Tatooine Wild Sarlacc. 'Wild Sarlacc' is a grain alcohol. The name on the label of the durasteel-cooper bottle does not do it justice. The high alcohol content will cause a person to feel as if their stomach is consuming from the inside out. After one shot, you have a hangover for a day; two shots will put a person out of commission for three days. It is cheap to manufacture but the bottling drives up the price because it leaks through aluminum. The copper stabilizes it while maintaining its potency. One shot in a punch bowl goes a long way.
A thick frothy film settles on the surface of the bowl. The bowl is actually an inverted borosilicate glass lab boiler fused to a copper base and is siphoned from a lab faucet. Some students in the chemistry department late one night, with Roman's help, constructed it. That Roman was good at this one thing. Boone called him a 'scientific idiot savant' and suggested there was hope for him in passing an exam after all. 'There is a functioning brain under that thick skull…amazing…But not enough to stop paying me to tutor you.'
More people file into the fraternity house, which has long passed the legal maximum capacity. Roman takes a bite from a cheese sandwich. He pops up the copper plate at the top of the glass and peeks inside. Bits of crusts from the Corellian bread, shredded onion and cheese drop inside. One of the other students on duty at the 'refreshment' table scolds him.
"Hey! Dude, don't eat over the cauldron."
"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to contaminate the juice."
"It's not contamination I'm worried about, the bits and pieces will float into the output hose and clog the tap."
"Oh, right. Good to know."
"Dude, you built the thing."
"Oh, yeah…right."
The other student is 'Scrat,' a thin young man wearing his fine blond hair parted down the middle in a hastily tied ponytail. The hair under his bottom lip is a neatly sculpted soul patch. He is dressed in a tan thermal tunic over orange pilot trousers.
Roman hawks the beverages. "Cold refreshing 'Snappin'Nexu'...don't cost nuthin' Step right up, folks! Hey, how you doin?" He winks at Vernu. She recoils and moves away from the table. Scrat offers a cup to Vernu's brother who accepts it so as not to appear out of place. Uli looks in the cup and notices the film. He makes a face. They walk through the crowded room for a few minutes.
Vernu and Uli decide there is nothing more to see here and it is time for them to leave.
"The question I want to ask is why you wanted to come here? You never hang out."
"I can hang out."
"Trust me; you have never 'hung out'"
"Do I look that out of place?" She giggles then follows him.
"Yes, yes you do…we both do." He smiles at his sister. "Come on."
They are about to step outside when Uli realizes that he is still holding the cup. He looks around on the porch for somewhere to dump it. The cold night air freezes the film in the cup instantly. Vernu takes one last look inside the fraternity house then slowly backs out through the doorway. Her brother sees a waste receptacle at the end of the porch and is about to toss the cup. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices something going on by the side of the porch near a stack pile of empty Corellian Ale bottles in crates. The bottles seem to rattle slightly every few seconds. The side rail of the porch and the wall rattles too. Uli focuses his eyes to get a better idea of what is going on in the darkness, perhaps a few stray voorpaks looking for food. He stands still. Curious, Vernu walks up behind him and smiles.
"What are you looking at?"
He snaps back.
"Nothing, let's go.
There is a tone of panic and anger as Uli attempts to shield Vernu from what he sees. Vernu is persistent, eager to take in the gritty activity of a lawless frat house. She wonders if this will be the same as in Magnum Ro Tau Fraternity. The thought is intriguing. Vernu smiles sheepishly as Uli turns to face her, primarily to block her view. She blushes then giggles softly at the two figures in the distance towards the back of the house. Her smile gradually fades and turns to a horrified frown. She recognizes one of the figures as a dim light hovers from the awning. The other figure is pressed against the wall of the house. She lets out a gasp, covers her mouth. Before her brother can say anything, Vernu has hurried off into the night. Uli tosses the drink into a planter.
"Vernu! Wait!" He runs to catch up with her.
Dantius senses someone near but he is in the throes of passion to know who it is.
After a few moments, it is all over. He straightens his disheveled clothes and zips up his parka. He barely makes eye contact with Kiri.
"Well…you should go."
Kiri stares at him for a moment. She reads him well. This perfunctory transaction is complete. She slides her leather pants up and fastens them. She understands the game, besides, she is too proud to take offense. Kiri points to the front of the house.
"I left my coat inside."
His response is disingenuous.
"Ok…well…I would wait for you but…"
"It's cool. I can find my way back."
"Suit yourself."
He is relieved because he had no intention of walking with her anywhere.
When she returns to the house, Dantius lifts the hood of his parka and disappears into the darkness.
A few lampposts on the way back to the campus are out, possibly due to a fraternity prank. Dantius turns briefly to see the glow of lights and activity at the fraternity house. He wonders what Sigrid is doing. He turns back around and continues towards his dormitory. He knows the way even in total darkness.
Frank Jarman is on duty at the front desk this evening. He sees Dantius enter Jaffan Hall Dormitory. It is half past one o'clock, early for anyone on a Friday night. Frank buries his face in the Coruscant Times and pretends to read as Dantius whisks pass the desk. Frank can feel the hairs of his mustache bristle. It is the mixture of sweat, alcohol, and carnal encounters. There is something else wafting through the air. A familiar sweet fruity scent reminds him of kids playing. He remembers now; it is Gin-jang berry. His nieces and nephews chewed it all the time. 'Goodvalor's Little Bivoli Super Double' bubblegum. It is the favorite flavor of the younger set. He recalls growing up, when there were only three flavors: Endor Mint, Sandalwood, and Tang root. There were no fancy flavors back in his youth. He wrinkles his nose. The lobby is quiet once more.
Dantius slams his dorm room door once he is inside. He immediately tears off his clothes, leaving them in a pile at the door. The last item to be ditched on the heap is his blue parka. He grabs a red laundry bag and crams the clothing inside then kicks it against the door. He steps into the shower scrubbing every inch of his body followed by a thorough brushing of his teeth to the point where his gums begin to bleed and his skin is bruised.
He changes into a clean set of pajamas and slips into his clean bed. He sleeps without an ounce of guilt of his lustful encounter.
Dantius does not see Sigrid that weekend in the dining hall. He suspects that she spent her time at that poor excuse for a fraternity house. He would be wrong. Sigrid spends the weekend with Son'ya and Fern by the lake for a girls 'weekend at a spa by the lake. Dantius is satisfied thinking the worse. He is infuriated with her.
Dantius is sullen and envious that Sigrid had chosen the company of the brainless fraternity brothers rather than being with him. He would prefer to think of them as brainless; it would make him feel superior. They were actually quite a clever lot he thought. The know how to have fun. He imagines Sigrid having a good time without him.
He faces a new week dragging himself to the student dining hall for breakfast. He lingers indecisively at the hot food station. Viola, the typically chatty food service operator does not greet him with the same enthusiasm he had earned being around his rebel friends. He does not realize that he has uttered a greeting first.
"Good morning, Viola."
She sounds bored. There is no passion in her voice. That sassy attitude, when she snaps at the students who neglect to read the menu board featuring the days' specials, is all but gone. He almost missed the old times when she was downright hostile towards him. It was almost endearing. She was not popping that chewing gum or rolling her eyes and calling the kids stupid fools. What the hell happened? She is like a docile tauntaun now. What a pity.
"Good morning, Dani. What would you like today?"
Viola started calling him Dani after hearing Sigrid and Fern. She never addressed him by name before Sigrid and the others started speaking to him.
Viola impulsively grabs hold of a spatula over the oblong steamer pan and pushes around nerf sausage links smothered in sweet and sour phraig. Dantius looks at the dry-looking brown mush covering the plump, greasy sausages. His first thought is 'She's got to be kidding!' This dish was obviously concocted by someone on major drugs. He wrinkles his nose then smiles.
"Uhm…let's see…waffles and Eopie bacon please."
"That's not your usual." She is waiting for him to reconsider his selection.
Another voice behind him whispers in his ear.
"Yeah, that's not your usual. Big appetite today, eh?"
Viola hands him his plate. He takes the plate of waffles and bacon strips and places it on his tray.
"Thank you." Dantius responds to the second voice with an air of indifference. "Oh, hello, Sigrid, How are you?"
He continues on to the beverage dispenser and fills a glass with tomato juice; Sigrid follows him carrying her own tray.
"I'm great. I haven't seen you since the party at the frat house Friday night. Where have you been?"
"I'm fine. I've been busy." He glances at her with a judgmental tone. He pulls two napkins from a dispenser. "I see you're no worse for wear."
"What does that mean?"
"You were quite the social butterfly on Friday night."
"I was having a good time with friends."
"I didn't think you associated with that crowd."
"They're not so terrible. They made a big contribution to our cause. Not all frat guys are creeps, Dani. Some are really nice."
"Really? Do you think that they respect you?"
She takes in his comment then nods slowly.
"It was a party, Dani. They were just having some fun. No one got hurt."
"I just feel they were behaving inappropriately. I didn't like the way they carried you around as if you were a sports trophy. It was common."
"Dani, are you worried about me?"
"Just a concerned friend."
His tone is not friendly at all. He takes on an opinionated tone with her.
"You're sweet; but not to worry. It was all in good fun." She watches as he sets the glass on his tray. She makes a face." Tomato juice with waffles, Dani? Honestly?"
"It's good. You should try it."
"I think I'll pass. So…are you coming to sit with us?"
He turns to survey the dining hall to see what his options are. Another student occupies his old solo dining spot. He takes another scan of the room, desperately looking for an empty table, tapping on the bottom of his tray with his index finger. He slows down when he sees someone. It is Kiri. She is sitting at a small table near a window. She is reading an E-textbook. A half-eaten breakfast sandwich is on her tray. Dantius gulps then walks over to the table. He figures Sigrid will leave him alone if he sits there. Perhaps even make her jealous.
"I'm going to join someone else. Excuse me."
Sigrid watches as Dantius walks ahead of her towards Kiri's table. He politely speaks to Kiri.
"Good morning, is this seat taken?"
Kiri looks up from her E-textbook on abstract art by Baltus Calamari. She has just eaten a spoonful of yogurt. She licks her lips to clean away any residue. She lifts her chin in the direction of the empty chair at her table. There are several empty tables and chairs in the immediate area.
"No, it's not…you need an extra chair? Take it." She sees Sigrid standing a good distance behind Dantius. Dantius' senses have grown sharper over the holiday. He feels Sigrid standing, waiting, and wanting to be in his company. He responds to Kiri's approval to take the chair.
"No…I was going to sit with you…if that's alright…if you don't mind." He is already preparing to set his tray on the table. Kiri watches as he pulls out the empty chair from her table.
"It's not taken."
"Splendid!" He makes sure Sigrid hears him. He sits across from Kiri then proceeds to eat his breakfast.
It is an awkward moment as Kiri continues to read her E-textbook. This is embarrassing for Dantius.
Shortly after Dantius begins to eat the first forkful of waffle, a tattered messenger bag is hurled across the back of the seat at the adjacent table. A tray plops down and the screeching sound of the metal legs of another chair is pushed towards the table. Boone hops over the chair back and takes a seat beside Kiri on her left.
"Hey! You're sitting far away, dude. What's up with that?"
Before Dantius has a chance to protest, the old gang from the last semester has moved from across the dining hall to where he and Kiri are now sitting. Someone shoves a third table against the small 'table-for-two.' Sigrid sits beside Dantius on his left.
Boone does not get a response and tries to start up a conversation.
"What's this? We have a new location? How come nobody told me?" Boone stops to smile at Kiri. "How you doin'?"
Son'ya arrives looking annoyed as usual.
"What the 'eff'? Why did we move?"
Boone picks up his knife and fork.
"Sit a spell. Calm yourself, woman."
"I liked where we sat before."
"Hey! Sit!"
Son'ya sulks then takes a plops down her tray.
Fern arrives at the table. She takes a seat at the adjoining table to Kiri's right.
"Hey, how are you?"
Kiri stops reading and smiles up at Fern.
"Fine thanks."
Sigrid turns.
"You know one another?"
Fern uncovers her bowl of fruit salad.
"We're in the same art class."
"Oh, you're the one who won the art honors prize last semester."
Boone barely touches the culinary concoction piled high on his plate. He is too busy staring at Kiri. Son'ya regards Kiri with a bit of envy, especially since her encounter with Dantius in his room last semester did not go well.
"How do you and Dani know each other?"
Boone leans in close to smell Kiri's brain tails.
"You smell like fresh freesia. I like freesia. Gee, you're hot!"
"Kiri leans away as Boone gets inappropriately close.
Roman arrives wearing a silly grin on his face. The music from his earpod blasts the latest tune from heavy metal band Mustrafar 5
"Alright! Now we are definitely the coolest table on campus." He squeals Sweet!"
Fern turns to him in disgust.
"You are so immature. Really."
"What? We have an integrated table. It's awesome. Who else on campus can say that? Huh? Tell me."
Roman and Boone embarrass Fern as they ogle like 12-year-old boys.
"Stops talking and finish your breakfast before you hurt yourself."
"How would I do that?"
"My tray might hit you upside your head."
"How could that happen?" Roman thinks for a moment before figuring it out. "Fern, why are you so cruel?"
"You have to be cruel to be kind. You'll thank me years from now."
Boone rests his elbow on the table and points with his index and middle finger in the form of a 'V' at Kiri and Dantius.
"So…are you and Dano dating -"
Dantius and Kiri respond in unison.
"No!"
"Geez…defensive…interesting…"
Fern studies the response from Dantius and Kiri. Sigrid does too. Dantius wants to leave the table but doing so could arouse suspicion.
Roman gulps down his pera juice.
"Where did you two meet? I think there was a chick that looked like you at the party Friday night. How many Twi'lek chicks are on campus? Does anyone know?" Fern kicks him under the table. He makes a painful grimace, confused as to why she had to inflict pain on him.
The girls strike up a conversation and discuss their classes for the semester. Dantius sits quietly hoping everyone would just get bored and leave. He does not want them talking to Kiri but it is too late. The girls leave the table and invite Kiri to walk with them as they venture out to class.
After that nightmare breakfast, Dantius makes his way to the Student Hall. Boone and Roman are already heading out to catch up with the girls.
Dantius stops by the mailroom to retrieve his mail. He can hear familiar music coming from the other side of the wall of mailboxes. He suddenly gets a vision in his mind of that night at the Frat house party. He hears something that takes his mind off that night.
"Exsqueeze me!"
"Aww, man!"
An odor filters across the wall of mailboxes. Dantius covers his nose then takes a few steps back.
Chaz laughs.
"That was a powerful gas bomb, dude."
"Meesa have mussel and cheese omelet this morning."
"Dude, do the campus a favor and don't eat that anymore. I think I'm gonna pass out."
Dantius manages to open his mailbox by standing several inches away, still holding his nose. He pulls out three pieces of mail. There is a letter from the dean; a bill from Dr. Melfi; and a familiar looking envelope with the blood-red wax seal on the back. He blinks a few times as he reads the note:
'We really must discuss your lapse in judgment and your life choices.'
Dantius stands frozen in place for a moment. This man is definitely following his movements.
This note and Sigrid makes him angry. They were all assuming things about him and Kiri that just were not true. There is plenty of time for him to make a 'reputation' for himself. He just has to continue being the charming and unassuming person he always has been or else die trying.
