Omake Week 2019, Day 3: My Phantasy Star omake aren't my most popular, since, well, there's about six people out there who've even heard of the original Phantasy Star series. PS4 came out in 1994. There are people who weren't even born then who have kids of their own now. But Alys's ongoing irritation with Joss's nonsense is my oldest omake series and it wouldn't feel right to go without a new entry!
~X X X~
"Hey, Alys!" Fenris called from the bar and offered her friend a cheery wave as Alys walked through the tavern's swinging doors. "I haven't seen you around in a while."
Alys Brangwin dropped onto a bar stool next to Fenris.
"Yeah, ever since I decided to take on that kid as an apprentice, I've been run off my feet. Not only do I have my usual work, but teaching Chaz the business is its own full-time job."
The boy had promise, not just in terms of physical ability but in smarts and cunning; however, at the same time he was still young, sometimes painfully so. He'd managed to make nearly all of the same mistakes Alys had as a trainee, then added a fine selection of his own originals.
"It's kind of like having a puppy, only at least Chaz is housebroken." She turned to the bartender. "Hey, Garn, one of my usual, and whatever lunch you can get onto my plate the fastest."
"Coming right up, Alys."
"Just hungry, or do you have someplace you have to be?" Fenris asked.
"A little of both. You might notice that Chaz isn't here with me."
"Ohhh, you have him doing something."
"Yep. You remember that merchant from Krup? The one with the big purple tent in the market square and the fluffy moustache?"
"Yeah, I saw him. Kind of hard to miss."
"Well, he had a bit of a packing problem. A bunch of kids were running through the market playing ball—they really were, not pickpockets or a snatch-and-grab crew—and a scoring play crashed right through his tent and his stock ended up all over the market."
"Oh, ouch."
"It's not exactly the caliber of work for a hunter, but for an apprentice, well, it's a little better than a pure training exercise because of the random elements. But I want to get back and check in on him, just in case he's having trouble or getting too creative with his solutions."
"A long leash, but still a leash, huh?"
"If we're sticking with puppy comparisons, yes."
Garn set Alys's drink down, and she took a refreshing swig. It was a good thing, too, because in the next moment she realized that she needed the fortification.
"Yo, Alys, babe!"
The booming voice belonged to Joss Howland, a fellow hunter and all-around lunkhead.
"Hi, Joss," Fenris said.
"Don't make eye contact, Fen; it just encourages him."
"Aww, but it's fun watching you two."
"Explain exactly how it is that we're still friends?"
Fenris was almost done snickering by the time Joss made his way over. He slipped in on the far side of Alys, leaning up against the bar in what he doubtless hoped was a suave and debonair manner. His hopes were doomed to be dashed.
"Has anyone told you that you are looking fine this afternoon, Alys?"
"Just you. Everyone else I've met had better sense."
The intended message, of course, failed to reach its target. This didn't really come as a surprise.
"Aw, Alys, you shouldn't put yourself down like that. Finding you hot is better sense."
"That was vaguely in the direction of being sweet, if it wasn't completely missing the point," Fenris said, barely suppressing another chuckle.
"You're going to pay for this, Fen."
"So anyway, Alys, I haven't seen you around for a bit," Joss continued.
"There are good things about taking on an apprentice."
"But since you're here, how about I buy you some lunch, maybe another drink, and we can make a date of it?"
Alys sighed.
"You know, Joss, there are times when persistence is not a virtue."
"Is that a yes?"
Maybe I should introduce Chaz to Joss, she thought. He could use a good example of what could go wrong.
"No, Joss. As a matter of fact, I only have a few minutes to eat before I—whoa, duck!"
Whatever his other faults, Joss was a trained hunter with plenty of combat experience against biomonsters and criminals alike, so he reacted at once to Alys's words, dropping into a crouch. Or at least he tried. Not being the most agile hunter in the Guild, and having started out leaning to his side, he smacked his head into the very solid hardwood top of the bar and went flopping over unconscious onto the floor.
With a loud, outraged quack, the duck barely managed to hop out of the way of the collapsing hunter.
"It looks like at least one got away from Chaz," Alys said.
"Are you going to take it back?"
"Yeah, but after lunch, first. I hope Chaz isn't going top have us chasing waterfowl all over town, but if that's going to be the way it goes I at least want to fuel up first."
"Makes sense."
"And besides, I want to say thank you. A woman ought to be polite when someone does her a favor."
"Huh?"
"Joss, here." Alys nudged the unconscious hunter with her toe. "Lunch is going to be a lot more friendly now. Hey, Garn!" she called out. "When you get my lunch, can you also set my avian friend, here, up with something? It's on me."
~X X X~
A/N: As readers will recall from Chapter 9 of this collection, Alys did indeed eventually use Joss as a bad example for Chaz.
