A/N: Sheesh, how long did it take to get this chapter out? I've been
waiting for new reviews, but nobody has reviewed me in so long, so I
figured I'd better finish this up and post it on ff.n. So, you'd better
read & review! It can be your birthday present to me, m'kay? Hee hee, today
is my 15th birthday!
Chibi Slayers characters: *pop up with a purple cake* Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Meeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllll……..Happybirthday to you! Make a wish and blow out the candles!
*candles are blown out, chibi Slayers chara's pop down (er, disappear…)*
All righty, well anyhoo, let me know what you think of this chapter, and we'll see how long it takes me to turn out chapter seven! Yeah, it could be a while considering I've got about 4 other fics started, plus mid-terms this week and a Japanese paper to write. *sigh* On with the story!
Chapter Six
Opening the main door of the tavern, it's easy to spot Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadiss. Well, it's easy to spot Lina and Gourry. They're sort of an eye sore, right in the middle of the room. Calling out for the waiter to bring them more, the pair eats furiously, not mindful of other customers. With the small princess eating moderately and the mysterious cloaked man sipping coffee beside them, Filia and Xelloss find them hard to miss as they enter the restaurant.
Filia pauses before they notice their presence.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to interrupt them when they're eating? You know how Lina gets when you disturb her food-intake…" she warns nervously.
"Relax Fi-chan. I don't think you're really nervous about what Lina will do to you," Xel observes wisely, slipping his arm around her shoulder.
"What do you mean? What else would I have to be nervous about?" Filia replies with an anxious laugh.
"Oh, Fi-chan! Don't pretend you're not wary of their reactions when they find out that two former enemies have become engaged. And don't worry; if they try anything funny, I'll blast them to oblivion," he offers, comforting her.
"Because you're the big bad Mazoku, right, Xel-chan?" the dragon teases.
"Anything for my darling." He nuzzles her cheek. She giggles, soothed by his kind words and encouraging affections.
"All right, let's go." Filia takes a deep breath and walks hand-in- hand with Xelloss up to the table.
"Um, hi guys…" she meekly tries to get their attention. Zelgadiss just stares at her, Lina and Gourry continue wolfing down everything edible in sight, but the princess greets the couple.
"Oh Mr. Xelloss! Miss Filia! We were wondering where you had run off to yesterday. Are you all right? You had me so worried! When I saw the looks on your faces, I knew something was up, and that we were making you uncomfortable, and I tried telling that to Miss Lina and the others, but no, they wouldn't listen! So I—"
"Amelia! It's okay, we're fine," Xelloss placates the dark-haired woman. "We just want to talk to you all."
"Yes, we have something VERY important to tell you," Filia adds.
"Oh…Well, you should probably wait until either Lina finishes eating, or the kitchen runs out of food. Either way, there will probably be a Dragon Slave happening, so brace yourself," Amelia advises.
"Do we have to wait? Why can't they just take a short break? It'll only take a minute and I think they'll definitely want to hear it," Filia explains.
Amelia gapes at the blonde in horror.
"Do you want to be the target for her Dragon Slave? Have you forgotten everything of the year you spent with Miss Lina?! Are you INSANE?" she cries.
Filia bows her head and mumbles, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just really nervous and I want to get this over with."
"Don't worry, Fi-chan. And remember what I said: I'll blast them to oblivion if they try anything funny. Okay?"
Sighing, Filia nods and takes a seat at the table to settle in and wait for the meal to be over. Xel pulls up a chair close to hers and Amelia returns to her original location, giving them puzzled looks.
* * * *
Hours later, Lina and Gourry are STILL eating. Filia has fallen asleep on Xelloss' shoulder, Amelia's forehead is firmly planted on the table, and Zelgadiss is sitting (dare I say it? Yes, I dare ^_^) stonily, having been forbidden to leave before the all-important announcement is made.
The poor waiter, who had served this one table for the vast majority of his 8-hour shift, is ambling out of the kitchen with a giant platter of shrimp. He makes it to the table, and before he sets the platter down, informs them, "This is the last of the food. You've cleaned us out! None at all left. I better get a BIG-ASS tip for this…"
Lina shouts, "Yay! Shrimp!" and grabs the tray, digging in before it's even in her hands. The waiter collapses from exhaustion and is promptly dragged away by some other miscellaneous kitchen workers.
The noise causes the other four to stir and wake up, blinking and rubbing their eyes.
"Goodness, they're not done yet?" Filia exclaims, disappointed.
"Maybe we should just go. We'll tell you our big news tomorrow." Xelloss and Filia push back their chairs, preparing to retreat to their room. But before they can walk away, there is a sudden silence, a sudden cessation of eating that makes the couple pause and turn around again.
Lina sits back in her chair, patting her stomach. (which hasn't grown an inch, of course) Gourry has procured a toothpick, and is now busy working scraps of meat out from between his bicuspids.
"Wow, that was one good meal! My compliments to the chef!" the red- haired sorceress calls out. She then turns to her companions and notices Xel and Filia. "Hey, when did you guys get here? And why are you leaving already? You just got here, why don't we order some dessert, ne?"
She rubs her hands together hungrily and whips her head around for a waiter. Gourry groans.
"I don't think I could eat another bite! I'm stuffed!" he declares.
"Oh, don't be such a wuss, jelly-fish brains! Come on, let's have a chocolate mousse-eating race! Garçon!"
"No, wait! Miss Lina, Mister Xelloss and Miss Filia came here to tell us all something, and we've been waiting for hours for you to finish your meal! So why don't you take a break and listen to them? Please?" Amelia pleads, dreading the thought of another few hours waiting on edge to hear this announcement. The princess is pretty sure she knows what it is, but maybe that's just the hopeless romantic side of her talking. Besides, she wants to hear for herself.
Lina hesitates, weighing her options. On one hand, her friends, whom she has known for years now. They really are very dear to her, and she really does care about what they have to say. On the other hand, chocolate mousse. If their dessert was as good as the main courses, then…Hm, tough decision…
Lina's face twists in thought; she holds up two hands looking at each and muttering to herself, "Friends. Mousse. Loved ones. Chocolate. People with whom I've been through so much. Delicious, lip smacking, mouth watering chocolate mousse."
In an instant, she makes a decision. With an apologetic look to her friends, she calls, more loudly this time, "WAITER! Bring me food!"
Everyone else at the table facefaults. An exhausted, and terrified, waiter approaches the yelling sorceress cautiously.
"Oui, madame?" he ventures nervously, hoping she would only like to know where the bathrooms are.
"Gimme some dessert! Everything you got, I don't need a menu!" she orders, waving a dismissive hand at the poor guy.
Sweating profusely, the waiter tries to put it in a way that won't get him blown up. (Rumors of Lina's Dragon Slave have traveled far and wide in the past few years. Now, no innkeeper or barmaid will mess with her!)
"Er, ma'am, I, er, regret to inform you that…well, um, what I mean is…there's no food left," he squeaks, holding up a tray to shield his head and cowering on the floor.
At first, Lina shows no reaction. But slowly, her face grows dark, her head turns toward the frightened man, eyes seem to be glowing with rage.
Luckily, for the waiter, and for anyone in a 10-mile radius, Amelia jumps at the furious woman, attempting to distract her.
"Miss Lina! Calm down! Think happy thoughts!" the princess shrieks.
Lina's eyes gradually stop glowing, and they turn into little piles of gold. While the coast is clear, Amelia turns to the waiter and motions for him to run. He obeys, and is out of sight before anyone can say "evil rabid puppy cow."
When Lina's normal vision returns, she looks around for the waiter.
"Where is that little pipsqueak?! I'll blow him to bits unless he brings me cake and pie and cookies and mousse and tarts and…" she continues listing her favorite desserts (basically every pastry known to man) and holds up her hands, gathering a Dragon Slave.
Sighing, Zelgadiss levels with her.
"Look, Lina. We've been waiting for YOU to finish so we can hear Filia and Xelloss' special announcement, whatever that is. Why don't you hold off on the pulverization for a few minutes while you hear what they have to say? You can kill him AFTER they finish talking and BEFORE we go to bed."
Contemplating this for a minute, Lina asks, "But won't he get away?"
Zelgadiss calmly replies, "You saw that guy. He's scrawny; he won't get too far. Besides, he's probably too chicken to run anyway."
"All right, but make this quick. I haven't blown anything up lately, and the frustration is starting to build." Lina assents and sits back, folding her arms across her miniscule chest and looking expectedly at the dragon and Mazoku.
"Oh—okay then…Well, Xelloss…would you like to tell them?" Filia stumbles over her words nervously. The whole time they'd been waiting, she hadn't even thought of exactly what to say.
"I'm not sure how to tell you this…" she starts, looking at Xelloss imploringly. Suddenly, she is reminded of that morning three years ago when Filia had to deliver another shocking piece of information. Three whole years ago…Wow, she had never realized how long it had been. Although every morning was begun with a look into the enchanted mirror to check up on her daughter (for it was indeed a girl born into the loving family hand-picked by her biological parents), Filia didn't realize quite how long it had been in her time. In her daughter's world, 17 years had passed, and Filia had become lost in this alternate universe, watching her daughter—her daughter!—grow up and become a woman.
Cutting through the nostalgic fog in her brain, Filia hears Xelloss say, very plainly and openly, "We're getting married."
She snaps out of it and holds up the hand adorned with the engagement ring, beaming happily.
Lina, Amelia, and Zelgadiss's jaws drop. Gourry smiles, congratulates them, and goes back to playing with the piece of lint he'd found earlier.
"Gee…Miss Filia, Mister Xelloss…" Amelia mumbles in surprise, "I know we were talking about this yesterday but…"
"We weren't serious! We never actually thought you two would hook up!" Lina cries, completing Amelia's thoughts.
Zel remains silent, in shock, for a moment. Then he signals the barkeep and yells, "COFFEE! NOW!"
Holding her head in her hands, Lina sighs heavily and then looks up at the proud couple. "So when did this all happen? Recently? Couldn't have been more than a year. That was the last time we talked to you."
"Well, um…actually it started about…three years ago…" Filia laughs nervously, hoping that Lina won't Fireball her instead of that waiter.
"THREE YEARS AGO?!" Lina, Amelia, and Zel facefault. Gourry bends over to pick up another piece of lint from the floor so the first one won't be lonely.
"Yeah, it's been about three years. We've tried to keep it secret. You understand…" Xel explains casually, looping his arm around Filia's waist.
"How could you not tell us? How could you not tell ME?" Lina cries. "Filia, I thought we were friends! But I guess I was wrong. What about all those years spent together? All the adventures we shared, didn't they bring us closer together? You know, there was a time I would have considered you like a sister…"
Amelia joins in the admonishing action, "Lying is a sin! And keeping secrets isn't good, either! You really should have told us earlier, you know we would have been supportive. OK, maybe Lina would have been a little mean, but that doesn't make it right for you to keep something so important clandestine!"
Zelgadiss also adds his voice to the commotion: "Where's that damn coffee? I could have sworn I ordered it loudly enough. I need caffeine, no cream, no sugar, no milk. Good old black coffee. Well, considering the circumstances, maybe I should reconsider and go for Irish coffee…"
And, unable to hear his own thoughts over the din at the table, Gourry begins narrating (out loud) the story of his lint people. "Hi what's your name? Hi I'm Gourry, the world-famous swordsman. Who are you? Oh, I'm Tina, a beauty queen! And I just think you're absolutely gorgeous! I think so too! I mean, I think that you're gorgeous, but I'm pretty good-looking myself. So, do you wanna go get something to eat? OK, I'll go anywhere with you, you stud!"
Filia and Xelloss sweatdrop, listening to four different people talking about four different things, all very loudly. They share a look, and start trying to break up the pandemonium before they get thrown out.
"Lina, I'm sorry! You're a great friend! In fact, you're my best friend! No, Amelia, you're my best friend, too! What do you mean I can't have two best friends? I love you both equally, and I'm sorry for lying to you, but it was necessary, trust me!" Filia comforts the whining women.
"Oh, Zel-chan, if you wanted coffee, all you need do is ask me! Here you are! Not enough whisky? OK, here, have some more. Er, another cup? A pitcher? Coming right up. Gourry, sure I think you're a stud…heh heh, yeah I'll go to dinner with you and your little friends…Why don't you invite Zelgadiss and we'll get him some really strong whisky?" Xel takes care of the gibbering guys.
At some point, after about 3 minutes of people trying to argue and talk over each other, Filia looks up and towards the door to the tavern. Her eyes grow huge as she gasps, and puts a hand to her heart.
"Xe—Xelloss…" she whispers, tugging on his sleeve, yet not taking her eyes off the person in the doorway.
"Yes Fi-chan? What is it?" he answers, looking at her face, then following her gaze to the entranceway. Then Xelloss, too, becomes wide-eyed in astonishment.
The cause of their disbelief looks rather mundane to the others, who cease their noise when Filia and Xelloss do.
"What are you staring at? It's just a girl…She's wearing some weird clothes, but she's nothing to shocking," Lina states.
"It's not nice to stare, Miss Filia, Mister Xelloss. I'm sure you're making that poor girl feel just awful!" Amelia reprimands.
The girl being discussed is standing nervously near the door of the tavern, looking around and looking a bit frightened. She's tall and blonde, hair reaching almost down to her rear end, with purple streaks throughout the golden locks. Her eyes are wide and hazel, no glasses. The clothes she wears are, indeed, very peculiar. A blue overcoat or cape of some sort (although much shorter and tighter) mostly covers a white shirt with light blue writing across the chest. Her leggings are also very strange, nothing like those of most peasant women or sorceresses. They are dark blue, made of some odd-looking material, and fit tightly up until the bottoms, which flare out quite a ways over her light brown boots. On top of everything, a large, gray satchel is strapped across her midsection and she plays with the zippers anxiously.
"Xelloss," Filia breathes. "It's…it's…can it be?"
"I do believe you're right, Filia-chan…It's our daughter…" Xelloss agrees.
"Miranda…?"
Chibi Slayers characters: *pop up with a purple cake* Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Meeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllll……..Happybirthday to you! Make a wish and blow out the candles!
*candles are blown out, chibi Slayers chara's pop down (er, disappear…)*
All righty, well anyhoo, let me know what you think of this chapter, and we'll see how long it takes me to turn out chapter seven! Yeah, it could be a while considering I've got about 4 other fics started, plus mid-terms this week and a Japanese paper to write. *sigh* On with the story!
Chapter Six
Opening the main door of the tavern, it's easy to spot Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadiss. Well, it's easy to spot Lina and Gourry. They're sort of an eye sore, right in the middle of the room. Calling out for the waiter to bring them more, the pair eats furiously, not mindful of other customers. With the small princess eating moderately and the mysterious cloaked man sipping coffee beside them, Filia and Xelloss find them hard to miss as they enter the restaurant.
Filia pauses before they notice their presence.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to interrupt them when they're eating? You know how Lina gets when you disturb her food-intake…" she warns nervously.
"Relax Fi-chan. I don't think you're really nervous about what Lina will do to you," Xel observes wisely, slipping his arm around her shoulder.
"What do you mean? What else would I have to be nervous about?" Filia replies with an anxious laugh.
"Oh, Fi-chan! Don't pretend you're not wary of their reactions when they find out that two former enemies have become engaged. And don't worry; if they try anything funny, I'll blast them to oblivion," he offers, comforting her.
"Because you're the big bad Mazoku, right, Xel-chan?" the dragon teases.
"Anything for my darling." He nuzzles her cheek. She giggles, soothed by his kind words and encouraging affections.
"All right, let's go." Filia takes a deep breath and walks hand-in- hand with Xelloss up to the table.
"Um, hi guys…" she meekly tries to get their attention. Zelgadiss just stares at her, Lina and Gourry continue wolfing down everything edible in sight, but the princess greets the couple.
"Oh Mr. Xelloss! Miss Filia! We were wondering where you had run off to yesterday. Are you all right? You had me so worried! When I saw the looks on your faces, I knew something was up, and that we were making you uncomfortable, and I tried telling that to Miss Lina and the others, but no, they wouldn't listen! So I—"
"Amelia! It's okay, we're fine," Xelloss placates the dark-haired woman. "We just want to talk to you all."
"Yes, we have something VERY important to tell you," Filia adds.
"Oh…Well, you should probably wait until either Lina finishes eating, or the kitchen runs out of food. Either way, there will probably be a Dragon Slave happening, so brace yourself," Amelia advises.
"Do we have to wait? Why can't they just take a short break? It'll only take a minute and I think they'll definitely want to hear it," Filia explains.
Amelia gapes at the blonde in horror.
"Do you want to be the target for her Dragon Slave? Have you forgotten everything of the year you spent with Miss Lina?! Are you INSANE?" she cries.
Filia bows her head and mumbles, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just really nervous and I want to get this over with."
"Don't worry, Fi-chan. And remember what I said: I'll blast them to oblivion if they try anything funny. Okay?"
Sighing, Filia nods and takes a seat at the table to settle in and wait for the meal to be over. Xel pulls up a chair close to hers and Amelia returns to her original location, giving them puzzled looks.
* * * *
Hours later, Lina and Gourry are STILL eating. Filia has fallen asleep on Xelloss' shoulder, Amelia's forehead is firmly planted on the table, and Zelgadiss is sitting (dare I say it? Yes, I dare ^_^) stonily, having been forbidden to leave before the all-important announcement is made.
The poor waiter, who had served this one table for the vast majority of his 8-hour shift, is ambling out of the kitchen with a giant platter of shrimp. He makes it to the table, and before he sets the platter down, informs them, "This is the last of the food. You've cleaned us out! None at all left. I better get a BIG-ASS tip for this…"
Lina shouts, "Yay! Shrimp!" and grabs the tray, digging in before it's even in her hands. The waiter collapses from exhaustion and is promptly dragged away by some other miscellaneous kitchen workers.
The noise causes the other four to stir and wake up, blinking and rubbing their eyes.
"Goodness, they're not done yet?" Filia exclaims, disappointed.
"Maybe we should just go. We'll tell you our big news tomorrow." Xelloss and Filia push back their chairs, preparing to retreat to their room. But before they can walk away, there is a sudden silence, a sudden cessation of eating that makes the couple pause and turn around again.
Lina sits back in her chair, patting her stomach. (which hasn't grown an inch, of course) Gourry has procured a toothpick, and is now busy working scraps of meat out from between his bicuspids.
"Wow, that was one good meal! My compliments to the chef!" the red- haired sorceress calls out. She then turns to her companions and notices Xel and Filia. "Hey, when did you guys get here? And why are you leaving already? You just got here, why don't we order some dessert, ne?"
She rubs her hands together hungrily and whips her head around for a waiter. Gourry groans.
"I don't think I could eat another bite! I'm stuffed!" he declares.
"Oh, don't be such a wuss, jelly-fish brains! Come on, let's have a chocolate mousse-eating race! Garçon!"
"No, wait! Miss Lina, Mister Xelloss and Miss Filia came here to tell us all something, and we've been waiting for hours for you to finish your meal! So why don't you take a break and listen to them? Please?" Amelia pleads, dreading the thought of another few hours waiting on edge to hear this announcement. The princess is pretty sure she knows what it is, but maybe that's just the hopeless romantic side of her talking. Besides, she wants to hear for herself.
Lina hesitates, weighing her options. On one hand, her friends, whom she has known for years now. They really are very dear to her, and she really does care about what they have to say. On the other hand, chocolate mousse. If their dessert was as good as the main courses, then…Hm, tough decision…
Lina's face twists in thought; she holds up two hands looking at each and muttering to herself, "Friends. Mousse. Loved ones. Chocolate. People with whom I've been through so much. Delicious, lip smacking, mouth watering chocolate mousse."
In an instant, she makes a decision. With an apologetic look to her friends, she calls, more loudly this time, "WAITER! Bring me food!"
Everyone else at the table facefaults. An exhausted, and terrified, waiter approaches the yelling sorceress cautiously.
"Oui, madame?" he ventures nervously, hoping she would only like to know where the bathrooms are.
"Gimme some dessert! Everything you got, I don't need a menu!" she orders, waving a dismissive hand at the poor guy.
Sweating profusely, the waiter tries to put it in a way that won't get him blown up. (Rumors of Lina's Dragon Slave have traveled far and wide in the past few years. Now, no innkeeper or barmaid will mess with her!)
"Er, ma'am, I, er, regret to inform you that…well, um, what I mean is…there's no food left," he squeaks, holding up a tray to shield his head and cowering on the floor.
At first, Lina shows no reaction. But slowly, her face grows dark, her head turns toward the frightened man, eyes seem to be glowing with rage.
Luckily, for the waiter, and for anyone in a 10-mile radius, Amelia jumps at the furious woman, attempting to distract her.
"Miss Lina! Calm down! Think happy thoughts!" the princess shrieks.
Lina's eyes gradually stop glowing, and they turn into little piles of gold. While the coast is clear, Amelia turns to the waiter and motions for him to run. He obeys, and is out of sight before anyone can say "evil rabid puppy cow."
When Lina's normal vision returns, she looks around for the waiter.
"Where is that little pipsqueak?! I'll blow him to bits unless he brings me cake and pie and cookies and mousse and tarts and…" she continues listing her favorite desserts (basically every pastry known to man) and holds up her hands, gathering a Dragon Slave.
Sighing, Zelgadiss levels with her.
"Look, Lina. We've been waiting for YOU to finish so we can hear Filia and Xelloss' special announcement, whatever that is. Why don't you hold off on the pulverization for a few minutes while you hear what they have to say? You can kill him AFTER they finish talking and BEFORE we go to bed."
Contemplating this for a minute, Lina asks, "But won't he get away?"
Zelgadiss calmly replies, "You saw that guy. He's scrawny; he won't get too far. Besides, he's probably too chicken to run anyway."
"All right, but make this quick. I haven't blown anything up lately, and the frustration is starting to build." Lina assents and sits back, folding her arms across her miniscule chest and looking expectedly at the dragon and Mazoku.
"Oh—okay then…Well, Xelloss…would you like to tell them?" Filia stumbles over her words nervously. The whole time they'd been waiting, she hadn't even thought of exactly what to say.
"I'm not sure how to tell you this…" she starts, looking at Xelloss imploringly. Suddenly, she is reminded of that morning three years ago when Filia had to deliver another shocking piece of information. Three whole years ago…Wow, she had never realized how long it had been. Although every morning was begun with a look into the enchanted mirror to check up on her daughter (for it was indeed a girl born into the loving family hand-picked by her biological parents), Filia didn't realize quite how long it had been in her time. In her daughter's world, 17 years had passed, and Filia had become lost in this alternate universe, watching her daughter—her daughter!—grow up and become a woman.
Cutting through the nostalgic fog in her brain, Filia hears Xelloss say, very plainly and openly, "We're getting married."
She snaps out of it and holds up the hand adorned with the engagement ring, beaming happily.
Lina, Amelia, and Zelgadiss's jaws drop. Gourry smiles, congratulates them, and goes back to playing with the piece of lint he'd found earlier.
"Gee…Miss Filia, Mister Xelloss…" Amelia mumbles in surprise, "I know we were talking about this yesterday but…"
"We weren't serious! We never actually thought you two would hook up!" Lina cries, completing Amelia's thoughts.
Zel remains silent, in shock, for a moment. Then he signals the barkeep and yells, "COFFEE! NOW!"
Holding her head in her hands, Lina sighs heavily and then looks up at the proud couple. "So when did this all happen? Recently? Couldn't have been more than a year. That was the last time we talked to you."
"Well, um…actually it started about…three years ago…" Filia laughs nervously, hoping that Lina won't Fireball her instead of that waiter.
"THREE YEARS AGO?!" Lina, Amelia, and Zel facefault. Gourry bends over to pick up another piece of lint from the floor so the first one won't be lonely.
"Yeah, it's been about three years. We've tried to keep it secret. You understand…" Xel explains casually, looping his arm around Filia's waist.
"How could you not tell us? How could you not tell ME?" Lina cries. "Filia, I thought we were friends! But I guess I was wrong. What about all those years spent together? All the adventures we shared, didn't they bring us closer together? You know, there was a time I would have considered you like a sister…"
Amelia joins in the admonishing action, "Lying is a sin! And keeping secrets isn't good, either! You really should have told us earlier, you know we would have been supportive. OK, maybe Lina would have been a little mean, but that doesn't make it right for you to keep something so important clandestine!"
Zelgadiss also adds his voice to the commotion: "Where's that damn coffee? I could have sworn I ordered it loudly enough. I need caffeine, no cream, no sugar, no milk. Good old black coffee. Well, considering the circumstances, maybe I should reconsider and go for Irish coffee…"
And, unable to hear his own thoughts over the din at the table, Gourry begins narrating (out loud) the story of his lint people. "Hi what's your name? Hi I'm Gourry, the world-famous swordsman. Who are you? Oh, I'm Tina, a beauty queen! And I just think you're absolutely gorgeous! I think so too! I mean, I think that you're gorgeous, but I'm pretty good-looking myself. So, do you wanna go get something to eat? OK, I'll go anywhere with you, you stud!"
Filia and Xelloss sweatdrop, listening to four different people talking about four different things, all very loudly. They share a look, and start trying to break up the pandemonium before they get thrown out.
"Lina, I'm sorry! You're a great friend! In fact, you're my best friend! No, Amelia, you're my best friend, too! What do you mean I can't have two best friends? I love you both equally, and I'm sorry for lying to you, but it was necessary, trust me!" Filia comforts the whining women.
"Oh, Zel-chan, if you wanted coffee, all you need do is ask me! Here you are! Not enough whisky? OK, here, have some more. Er, another cup? A pitcher? Coming right up. Gourry, sure I think you're a stud…heh heh, yeah I'll go to dinner with you and your little friends…Why don't you invite Zelgadiss and we'll get him some really strong whisky?" Xel takes care of the gibbering guys.
At some point, after about 3 minutes of people trying to argue and talk over each other, Filia looks up and towards the door to the tavern. Her eyes grow huge as she gasps, and puts a hand to her heart.
"Xe—Xelloss…" she whispers, tugging on his sleeve, yet not taking her eyes off the person in the doorway.
"Yes Fi-chan? What is it?" he answers, looking at her face, then following her gaze to the entranceway. Then Xelloss, too, becomes wide-eyed in astonishment.
The cause of their disbelief looks rather mundane to the others, who cease their noise when Filia and Xelloss do.
"What are you staring at? It's just a girl…She's wearing some weird clothes, but she's nothing to shocking," Lina states.
"It's not nice to stare, Miss Filia, Mister Xelloss. I'm sure you're making that poor girl feel just awful!" Amelia reprimands.
The girl being discussed is standing nervously near the door of the tavern, looking around and looking a bit frightened. She's tall and blonde, hair reaching almost down to her rear end, with purple streaks throughout the golden locks. Her eyes are wide and hazel, no glasses. The clothes she wears are, indeed, very peculiar. A blue overcoat or cape of some sort (although much shorter and tighter) mostly covers a white shirt with light blue writing across the chest. Her leggings are also very strange, nothing like those of most peasant women or sorceresses. They are dark blue, made of some odd-looking material, and fit tightly up until the bottoms, which flare out quite a ways over her light brown boots. On top of everything, a large, gray satchel is strapped across her midsection and she plays with the zippers anxiously.
"Xelloss," Filia breathes. "It's…it's…can it be?"
"I do believe you're right, Filia-chan…It's our daughter…" Xelloss agrees.
"Miranda…?"
