DAWN
"It's Jae'an, right?"
Nothing good ever followed that question. Jae had just recently joined this mercenary band and he was already making enemies of those who had been put off by his loud mouth and explosive temper, putting him on alert for in case anybody wanted a fight. The Sihai turned around to find a hulking man stand before him, his features and teeth signifying that he was a half-orc. Somebody like this already seemed to be trouble, and Jae was sure that something was about to happen. However, when he looked down, he saw that the half-orc was holding a tray in his hands with two small cups sitting on top.
"Yeah, that's me, need something?" Jae asked, not sure what was happening. The half-orc smiled and sat down on a nearby crate, handing one of the cups to Jae. Not sure what to do, Jae sat down and looked into his cup to find warm tea, his eyes darting back up in confusion. He slowly took a sip, tasting honey and jasmine.
"Name's Galmar, by the way," the half-orc said, "you seemed like you needed somebody to talk to."
"Why me?" Jae asked, "anybody else would probably be better anyway, I'm apparently some angry rookie with something to prove."
"I believe you just need to understand that you aren't alone," Galmar responded, taking a sip from his tea, "I'll admit that you do go off at the others more than you probably should. Why is that?"
Jae didn't really know how to answer, or perhaps he didn't want to. Part of him had figured that being the toughest man in the company on the first day would garner some respect, but it had instead drew ire and contempt. "Not sure," he finally answered, "maybe I thought that being strong would get me friends here, had enough of being seen as weak."
"I've found that respect is a lot like making tea," Galmar said, raising his own cup, "trying to rush the process only makes a mess, and leaves many with less respect of you than before. One needs to be calm and understanding, going through and figuring out what is best for others."
"You sound like my family," Jae replied, "I mean I appreciate the tea, but I don't know how I..."
"Give it some time, I'm sure you'll eventually understand," Galmar said, a grin on his grizzled face. "Anyway, we have a few hours before duty, interested in some more conversation?"
Jae'an sat in his chair and watched as the first rays of the morning sun reached the balcony where he rested, signifying the coming of the new day. Smiling, he got up from the chair and headed inside; the children would still be asleep and he thought it'd be nice to make something for them. He went into the kitchen and set a pot of water boiling, adding some spices here and there before pouring the drinks into a set of cups he had put out earlier on the table. He went into each room, setting down one cup next to each bed and two for sleeping couples. Once he was finished, Jae turned and began heading out the door, grabbing his cane and feeling ready to experience whatever the world had for him. When the rest of the family woke up, they'd find warm cups next to their beds along with a note:
I hope you enjoy the jasmine and honey tea, I've always believed it's the best for starting a new day.
Love,
Jae'an-ha
@Nesstro @HereticTakao @Battlebrawn @Natannine
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