Appiano sighed, sipping his glass half-full of spritz as he looked at his guests drinking, eating, chatting and overall enjoyign the party he had set up. Specifically, Appiano was looking to Cherry Crash, who was drinking airag hile sitting alone o n the sofa, and Curly Winds, who was looking Flameboy Shy from top to bottom while scratching his rather well-kept goatee.
"Alright, Curly Winds and Cherry Crash are here," he muttered to himself, as he finished his spritz "Which is how I wanted this to be. Now, how do I get to break Cherry Crash's hand? And, would give Curly Winds a little speech work?"
Appiano went back to the table to grab the prosecco and use it fill his glass.
"She will surely get drunk soon, but I don't know if she would arm-wrestle me, and, without the amulet, I am pretty sure I cannot break any bone," He muttered to himself, as he put down his glass quickly grabbed a stripe of dog jerky and started to slowly chew on it "Besides, I think that my arms' muscles suddenly swelling up would like like a thumb in the eye. I have to be a little more discreet."
He mumbled to himself, repeating his points for several minutes, until he finished his jerky, raising his head at the same time, only to see Curly Winds carefully nibbling on a sandwich.
"Maybe I am better off trying to deal with Curly Winds first, as I can at least improvise something while we talk." He said, as he downed his glass of wine, before walking next to Curly Winds and patting his back.
"Dè, how things are going, Curly Winds?" Appiano said. Curly Winds stuffed the entire sandwich in his mouth, then- as slowly and carefully as humanly possible- turned around towards Appiano.
"Good. At least, I guess." He said, gulping his mouthful, in a vague monotone "They have stolen my copies of 'On the Sublime" by Posidonius and 'Nicomachean Ethics' I had bought for the upcoming Philosofy Competition at the Friendship Games."
"They?"
"The people that have done it today, and in the past, are variated. I never found out any names, and, honesly, it matters not. The thing that matters, in this case, if to me to succeed in the competition for my school's, Principal Cinch and her husband Sombra's, and maybe my own, prestige." He said, his face relaxing in a small frown, his voice still a flat monotone, one that made Appiano's left hand twitch a little.
I swear, if he keeps using this tone, I'll feel his pulses to check if he's even alive or not. Appiano thought. However, forcing a little grin on his face, Appiano sighed and spoke up again.
"Sure they are quite ungrateful for your efforts, if they try to sabotage you," Appiano stated "Perhaps you could show them wha've got and how your contribution to their victory matters."
Curly took a crane-like stance and adjusted his hair.
"And fail? You are quite amusing." He said, letting out a small snicker, before going back to his monotone, as he then took the airag bottle to fill up a glass "Besides, my personal philosofy tells me that the wise man knows what is the order of the Universe, and what is his place. I am not the dog dragged on by the cart described by Zenon."
Appiano smirked.
"And how can you be so sure you aren't dragged by said cart? After all, I have heard that, in other occasions, you've been complaining about this sort of thing happening to you often. Maybe, if you were to react, despite sounding against your princiles of ataraxia, it may bring you to the happiness you sought for." He said. Curly Winds' face wrinkled and recoiled, before going back to composure and shrug.
"Maybe." And with that, he walked away hastily. appiano chuckled and made a toast to himself.
Dealt with! Appiano thought, as he then went to put some white wine inside his glass, so to actually toast with something.
Hours went by. Some of the guests had went back home, leaving only a few of them around.
Appiano sighed, as he watched a somewhat wasted Intestinal Beetle improvise a dance over the notes of the Saltarello, only to look like an hippo trying to do the same. From his position next to the table- now cleared of any kind of bottles or foods- Appiano could see Sunset, Fluttershy, Flameboy, Lyra and Cherry Crash spectating Intestinal Beetle's dance, and trying their hardest to not laugh or giggle too loudly.
Everyone there, except Cherry Crash, who, hunched forward and with a red nose, laughed loudly.
"Hey Shaka! You're *hic* like a hippo!" Cherry Crash said loud, before breaking in another loud giggle, before standing up and stumbling backwards. Gasps came from the crowd, Intestinal Beetle stopped o dance abruptly to turn his head around towards her.
"How did ya call me?" He asked, rapidly moving towards her, who, with another hiccup, stood her ground.
"You look like a hippo when dancing'round Shaka, my man!" Cherry Crash cheerfully declared. Intestinal Bettle grabbed Cherry Crash by the shirt's neck.
"My name is not Shaka, it's Intestinal Beetle, ya hear me?" Intestinal Beetle declared, as the onlookers stood by, clearly frozen with fear, at his display of strenght and rage. Cheery Crash, seemingly not understandign the danger, shrugged.
"Oh, osrry Shaka. Not just chi-" She said, before begin interrupted by Intestinal Beetle throwing her onto the sofa and rushing over there. Cherry Crash started to flail around and kick the air under Intestinal Beetle's weight and strenght, while he grabbed Cherry Crash's left arm and forcefully pressed it against the sofa's back.
"Say it one more time. I dare you, I double dare you!" He screamed in anger, while Cherry Crash flailed around.
"Shaka, what the fu-" Intestinal Beetle, with a one, isngle, fluid movement, pushed Cheery's left arm over the edge, cauising a faint cracking osound to be heard "Oooowww!"
"That'll teach ya!" Itestinal Beetle said, getting up and dusting his own arms, while Cheerry Crash carefully moved his damage arm closer to her.
"I'll call an ambulance!" Lyra loudly declared, as she scrambled in her pockets for the phone. Flameboy had ran away in the bathroom, while Fluttershy went towards Cherry.
"That was unexpected, but good for my plans. Still, poor gal." appiano muttered to himself, as he ran away into his kitchen.
"Dè, I will fetch the ice!" Appiano loudly declared, as he went in the kitchen to do just that.