Nisa stared in wonder at the man who spoke to her. She smiled wider and nodded. "Indeed, what has become of the younger generation? That is why I wish to fix things and make people proper again. I'm even willing to give you a lesson for free if you'd like. Cheers?" She brought her glass to his suddenly enough to make the two clatter enough that the wine spilled on the man. She gasped in surprise. "Oh sir, I do apologize. Please, let me offer to compensate the price of cleaning. Would you like to step by my home tomorrow for the money?"

The man, not entirely following what she was asserting, raised his glass out of habit. Except: glasses collided. They collided hard. Wine was everywhere. There were a few raindrop-sized beads of red on Nisa’s sleeve, but the vast majority of it doused the inebriated man.

“What!? What have you done!” he hollered, looking down at himself and then to her in rage. Who are you!?”

“Now dear, I never even liked this suit on you,” the woman with him said boredly with arched brows, stepped back from the faux carnage.

“Well, I did!” he roared. “You listen here! We are surrounded by witnesses-” a bunch of heads whipped away from gawking when he gesticulated to them, “and this suit cost a small fortune! Where do you live!”

Nisa gasped placing a hand to her face, seemingly frightened by the angry man before her. "I told you, I was sorry, sir. And I already offered to pay. " She nervously told him the address and made a show of trying to wipe at the wine droplets on her sleeve while dabbing at the full crocodile tears. "How can you yell at a lady in public, when she's already apologized and tried to make things right?"

More curious eyes turned on them, though the man seemed oblivious. Martha lightly elbowed him.

“What kind of lady soaks a man in wine?” he barked.

“Come now, the matter is practically settled,” Martha beseeched.

Meanwhile … having jettisoned anything he’d dared drink, Aslan returned to a continuing waking nightmare. He saw his sister, of all places, in the middle of a thickening crowd.

“Excuse me,” he murmured, though was firm in moving those who didn’t out of his path.

“Nisa! What is going on?”

Nisa continued to look upset though she tried to hold her ground at the man. Before she could open her mouth, she heard her brother and immediately came to his side. "This terror.. I tried to do a toast with him to be kind, and he brought up his glass suddenly. The glasses came together too hard and it made a terrible mess. It was all just an accident and I immediately apologized and offered to pay, but he has just been vicious to me since without reason." She lowered her head as she placed a hand to her face peaking at the other man through her fingers just slightly hoping he wouldn't disappoint her.

Is this how he intended to spend the rest of his life? Quelling Nisa’s fires by throwing others in to smother it?

“What do you have to say for yourself, sir?” Aslan demanded, bracing an arm protectively around her.

Yes. Yes it was.

“Rein your useless wife-”
“-Sister-”
“-in, at once!”

Aslan rolled his neck and stared Hubert down.

“Well?” Hubert snapped.

Aslan loosened his right arm on Nisa, shook his head as though that was the end of that … and then grabbed her glass with his left. He threw the remainder in Hubert’s face. Martha screamed. A few people gasped. Hubert launched toward him with both hands. The much larger Hubert got a mean right hook to his face, and another to his stomach that looked pretty damned painful.

It was hard to tell what was wine and what was blood when Aslan smashed the glass over Hubert’s face in a most ungentlemanly manner, driving him back with the shards still clinging to the the stem.

For all he had wanted to present as high society tonight, they did not teach this at boxing school.

Nisa gasped at the fight and after getting blood and wine on her dress, she moved to her brother and used her handkerchief to clean his fist as she cast a dirty look to the fallen man.

"You terrified me and my poor brother had to protect me from you. A true gentleman never acts in such a way to a harmless woman , and should listen to the women in his life. If you'd listen to yours, "She gestured to the woman at his side. "None of this would happen. And you'd have money for a bright new suit. " She sniffed pitifully and fanned her face as if she might faint.

"You were quite a hero, brother. Words can't convey my gratitude for rescuing from this brute. We should go see the constable. He might still be here?" She said pitifully as she looked around to search for his face in the crowd.

To the average onlooker, Aslan appeared calm. They didn’t know the minute tightening in the right corner of his mouth that yearned, desperately yearned for Nisa to be the wonderful young woman their father had been so sure of. The caring, doting sister that she presented herself to be. Someone who saw pain as something to be alleviated rather than used.

Hubert wiped wine from his mouth, gaping … but more ‘wine’ poured from it. Martha was sobbing beside him. Aslan was dutifully avoiding Martha’s gaze.

“Hubert, let’s- let’s just go!” She shot a frightened look Nisa’s way. “Before things get worse!”

Though Nisa was already doused, Aslan still drew his hand away from her and pressed, careful not to let his blood near her.

Crane. Cold shot through his veins. The last thing he needed was her paying more attention to Crane – or vice versa.

There was still a few open gawkers around them, gossiping loudly about what they’d just seen. Unfortunately for Aslan, someone else had already had the same idea as Nisa and went to get Constable Crane.

“Shall we report first, or take a moment to properly clean up?”

He didn’t want to be alone with her, but better him than getting Crane mixed up in this.

Nisa played the role as the perfect and caring sister. She ignored that she was already a mess, and let him use her handkerchief for his injury. "There are plenty of witnesses. They know you rescued me, so there is no worries. But I do not think we can clean up much here, it's already such a disgraceful mess.." She glanced towards Hubert and Martha.

"Oh Constable!" She tried to call out though she didn't see anyone. Her head turned immediately back to Aslan. "Perhaps we should get you a doctor?" Her hands were shaking, and most would see that as a frightened woman in a terrible situation. The anger that boiled just under the surface had been steeled over time to spring when best, and she couldn't in such a crowded location. She had already memorized their faces, if Hubert didn't come to her home for compensation, she was sure she'd find them soon enough.