Soul of a Human

Mor and his father stayed with Dino, watching him and making sure he didn't say anything stupid or reveal himself while chatting happily with the woman Ruth.

°Pretty boring… Do you think everything went well with Orth and Clare?° The human started.

°I don't know, and no, we will not ask them. You said to leave them alone.° Mor answered.

°I know, but I thought watching Dino would be more fun. He's just a rambling drunkard right now…° The human complained.

°Yes, he is, but if he's having fun and not getting himself in trouble, that's fine.° Mor chided the human.

°Since when are you such a goody two shoes?° The human asked with a sigh.

°Well, I have accepted Dino's offer and am now just as responsible for the royal family's safety as my parents.° Mor retorted, ending the discussion for now.

In their boredom, Mor and the human let their gaze wander and finally settled on his father's face. It was just too funny, watching the mimic of Morokhan while he was getting more and more annoyed at Dino's appearance until finally, Ruth left for a moment to freshen up and get some more drinks. Morokhan used this chance to round on Dino.

"Why did you run from me?!" He growled.

"Because you're a killjoy, and I wanted to have fun," Dino answered with drunk confidence.

°Finally some action. Like watching a TV Drama!° The human sniggered, and Mor sighed.

°Again with your strange words… Also, please stop having fun with our problems…° Mor complained.

°No.° The human simply started and enjoyed the show.

"Fun?" Morokhan asked incredulously. "ARE YOU STUPID?!"

"What, can't I have some fun with commoners because I'm the pr.." Dino started but was interrupted by Morokhan's hand clamping over his mouth.

"That's it, you don't have yourself under control anymore. I'm getting you home." Morokhan hissed.

"No, I don't wanna!" Dino complained.

"Mor. We're getting him out of here and home." Morokhan ordered his son, his tone not allowing any protest.

"Sorry, Dino, but when fathers like that, I have to obey," Mor stated.

"What?! Even you? I thought you were the fun one…" Dino grumbled, but without results.

His two bodyguards flanked him and tried to pull him up from the bank, and Dino smiled slightly as the physically strongest Soul-kin struggled and failed to remove him from his spot.

"Stop this childishness!" Morokhan sighed, pulling harder. In Mors' mind, the human laughed and encouraged Dino further.

°He can’t hear you!° Mor said straining.

°I know, but it's still funny!° The human answered.

"Come on, Uncle!" Mor tried, but Dino resisted, sitting there glued to the ground.

The two men continued trying without success but then had to scramble back to their seats quickly as Ruth returned with drinks for everyone. Dino only gave them a victorious grin, and Morokhan's annoyance reached a whole new level.

"Did you miss me?" Ruth said with a warm smile, giving out the cups.

"I did! While those TWO killjoys wanted to get me home!" Dino complained.

"Really? But maybe they are right? Let's make our next drink our last. Then I could bring you home, or you could bring me home." Ruth almost purred, getting closer to Dino.

°Whew, that's an aggressive one.° The human sniggered, triggering another sigh from Mor.

Mor raised his cup for a drink, his nose twitching from the scent, when a hand from behind him simply took the cup from him, making Mor turn around in surprise.

"You're too young for that," Sophie said, spilling the drink on the ground and casting a poisonous look toward Dino and his new "friend."

"You're not of age?" Ruth asked, surprised, seemingly not recognizing the devastating looks from Sophie. "You look like it. You're going to be a big one when you're old enough then."

Mor just shrugged, noticing Dino's unusual silence. Dino did his very best not to make eye contact with Sophie while looking at Morokhan accusingly. Now, it was Morokhan's time to grin victoriously, as he had informed his wife of Dino's defiance and called her over. "If reason doesn't work, then threats will," he thought.

Sophie stared at Dino until he couldn't ignore her any longer. With a stern look and an aggressive head jerk, she wordlessly made clear that the fun was over, and it was time for Dino to head home.

Dino, still fueled by drunken courage, wanted to take a defiant sip of his drink. To his dismay, he noticed that the wine was now a solid block of red ice. He gave Sophie a protesting look, but she simply raised an eyebrow, daring him to voice his protest.

"You're going home," Sophie ordered the drunken prince.

"I don't want to!" He protested but quickly had to recognize his fault as Sophie grabbed his earlobe and pulled.

Dino wanted to try the same trick again and make himself immovable, but the irresistible force of Sophies pull gave him too much pain, and he was pulled along and away.

°The irresistible force of a mother against an immovable idiot.° The human sniggered, much to Mor's confusion.

"Sorry for dragging your conversion partner away, but his father would give me hell if he got wind of this." Morokhan apologized to Ruth, and she waved the apology off with a smile.

"I have this feeling that I know Tim from somewhere, so don't worry. I have a feeling I will see him again." She said and walked away.

°Why is Dino so scared of your mom?° The human asked.

°Because you never saw her getting pissed. The last time he denied my father a day off, she froze all his boots, literally.° Mor said, and the human laughed at the image of a cold-footed Dino.

After this bit of excitement petered out, the festival continued for a few hours more, but slowly, those still capable were leaving, and those too drunk just slept where they fell, to be taken home the next day.

°That was fun!° The human said. °I'm really looking forward to next year.°

°Yes. Still, Zalethas's appearance was a surprise, and we never found out about Orth and Clare.° Mor agreed on the enjoyable walk home, accompanied by his father.

"I love my wife." Morokhan suddenly exclaimed in the quietude, still riding the high of his "victory" against Dino's stubbornness, and Mor snorted in amusement.

"Indeed, a successful and fun day, Father." He answered, and both chuckled.