Incline 25: Ivahstar

Dumping the unconscious, naked waiter behind a pile of bin bags, I straighten myself out. Leaving my stuff with him, I get to precisely setting the details of my IED. I pop it onto the plate and cover it up with the fancy restaurant silverware. I head back into the establishment and slip on in, not acting out of line.

"Hurry- Hurry along with that!" one of the kitchen staff urges, their attention too set and sturdy on their current task. I nod with a slight bow.

"Of course, sorry, sir." I answer, shifting my vocals around to create a more familiar accent. He waves me off, an annoyed furrow to his brow. I fall in line with the other servers and make sure to grab an extra dish on top of it. I double check the serving details and head on out to the floor. The last fancy night out this Mui and her friends will ever find themselves having.

Quite the dish I've got prepared for them, made with the finest blood wasp honey glaze. It won't survive the explosive flavour, but it'll certainly have a sharp crunch when it cools down. A perfect desert to finish the night off with. Wouldn't want any myself, though, too sweet for me. Don't have the teeth for it.

Then again, neither will she when she gets her first bite of it. Not her, not her friends. No one near and around will be able to stomach another bite. It's certainly quite the dish to eat, yes it is indeed.

I make sure to drop off the safe dish first and survey the dining floor. I'm not all that sure as to which one is Mui, but I have a hint to look for. It's the girl Heiya gave a good haymaker back when we got into town. The signs are still no doubt there.

So, where are you, Black-Eyed Girl? Where are you indeed...

My posture remains professional and I stay under the watchful eye of other restaurant employees. Thankfully for me, it's busy enough that they can buy me needing to find an alternate route. I slither my way to the front of the establishment and get my bearings. One conversation sticks out above the rest and I turn to give it a glance.

A greeter at the entrance, doing much as the name suggests. I approach the woman at the entrance as she finishes meeting and greeting some more diners. She's double checking a reservation book. Perfect.

"Excuse me, sorry to be a bother, Sweetie." I greet, approaching the woman. She turns around and smiles, though I can see the confusion in her eyes.

"Got lost, have we?" she asks, giggling a bit as she looks around. I look around with her, nodding as I adjust my grip on the dish to keep it stable. No moving the lid off, not now when it's on a hair-thin trigger. 

"I'm afraid so. The busyness has made me lose my path. Which way to... A Mui's table? A gentleman from another table sends this with his compliments." I explain, keeping the act up as the greeter's eyes roll for the heavens and beyond. Guess she's seen a lot of it, not anymore, though. She won't be seeing much of that anytime soon. 

"Of course, some old fart is trying to impress the pretty young girls. Well, let me see... Here, Table Thirty-Six." she answers and I nod with a smile. Turning around, she points me in the rough direction, contextualising the floor plan she has on hand. I take my notes and get my escape route into order, not that it's really changed since I got started. Out the front door and around the back, I will go.

"Thank you, Sweetie. Oh, by the way, I also came by to tell you that you were being swapped off? I'm not too sure what's going on. The boss will explain." I tell her, offering my thanks by giving her a chance to escape the blast. Not that she knows, now.

"Oh...? That's odd. Well, uh, thank you. I... Eh, no one's coming anytime soon." she mutters, heading off and I get going to the named table. My time is short, and it's only getting shorter. I turn upon an occupied slab of polished and clothed oak. One surrounded by girls and nothing more. All giggling and enjoying themselves without a care in the world.

"I can't believe Puhak stood me up!" what I assume to be Mui complains. A smirk comes to my face and disappointment fills my head. Some precious sweetheart this creature is. So out of contact with her lover that she doesn't even know he died in a fire. Or from bleeding out, I do not know. I do know how Mui here will die, however.

"Compliments from a very sorry Puhak, Ms." I lie, setting the expansive, covered dish down. Mui flinches in surprise and her annoyance turns to a smile.

"Are you not going to reveal it?" she asks, a confused giggle erupting among her friends.

"Mr Puhak gave me firm instructions to not do it myself. He felt the surprise would be better for you to do, personally. I'll leave you to it." I say, gnashing for that hope the girl is wishing for a visit to the temple. The girls start to squeal and Mui lights up with fidgeting joy as she flaps her hands.

"Gods and goddesses, gods and goddesses!" she goes again and again, her imagination getting the better of her. Only a few patrons note me slip out through the front door and I turn the corner, a smile on my face. The street shakes and it roars with screams, broken glass and blood wasp honey-laced fire. The panic gives me my cover and I start to strip down to my bottoms. Dumping the used up disguise into a bin, I head back around back.

Gathering up my things, I straighten myself out and tip my hat to the knocked out waiter. He played his part, and I played mine. The memory of my wife is avenged in small part tonight. My daughter's self-esteem and her confidence restored. 

"Gods and goddesses, never let me see my daughter like that again." I threaten the divine with, staring up to the cavern roof and through the surface and clouds above. A scoff ripples through me and I get going, Gamtambo returning to mind now that I am done. He's next. He will most certainly be next before my life reaches its end...