Nuruk felt a small tickle at the end of his nose, and a pixie suddenly became visible there, standing at the end of his snout and smiling. Her arms were behind her back and she leaned forward slightly. She had a greenish hue to her skin and butterfly wings "Oh, he's a polite one!"
A second pixie appeared, this one blueish with dragonfly wings. She hovered a few inches away to his right. "A very clever one, to know we're here."
A third appeared inches to the left. She was pink, with fuzzy moth wings. "Can we keep this one?"
Karley could hear the tiny voices, and if she glanced up, would see that Nuruk had a facefull of fairies.
Out back, by the pool, Khalil spoke with the water weird, requesting a bit of water for the sapling. The creature complied...by hitting Demalyn full in the face with a big spout of water. She stood there a moment, blinking, hair suddenly dripping wet, loose strands clinging to the sides of her face, wearing a startled expression. She slowly turned to face Khalil and the look wavered, her lips quivering, shoulders lurching, as a snorting sort of laugh escaped and she broke down into mirthful laughter at the elemental's prank. The sapling had, indeed, been watered.
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Vash fights down the response Willow's curse elicits the best he can before turning to the tiefling with a small smile. "Tis nothing to worry about. We have other priorities at the moment."
Willow stares at the half-elf for a long moment, silver eyes narrowing at him before sighing heavily. "Fine, keep your secrets." Willow bites the inside of her lips to resist a grin, squeezing the bard's shoulder affectionately.
"I suppose we should go check on how the others are doing...especially Karley." Willow will exit the hut with Vashrin, looking about at the others who are completing their tasks.
As she surveys things, Willow bites down another smile as she catches Demalyn's giggle and Khalil's enraptured expression, deciding to leave the pair to their own devices. She makes her way over to Nuruk and Karley, eyebrows raising at the sight of the golden dragonborn with a face full of little fae.
"Need any help over here?"
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Nuruk's eyes had a hard time focusing on the pixie that manifested before him, those red eyes staring down at the little figure standing on the end of his snout. His face split into a small smile; this was at least the beginning of a parley with the Wee Folk. Another appeared before him on his right, fluttering with dragonfly wings. Another appeared on his left, softly speaking with moth wings. When they mentioned keeping him, he let out a belly laugh and shook his head before regarding the three of them.
"It is my pleasure to meet you three but no, you may not keep me. I am already owed to o-...two...others. I am Nuruk Faerjhan, Knight of the Order of Brambles in service to Queen Titania, lover of Willow Breakbough. While you cannot keep me, I can be your friend." He puts down his greataxe, offering the head of it to the two floating in the air to have a moment to stand. "Please, tell me your names. It is only polite while we talk, yes? See what we can do to turn this party around?"
He blushes as soon as Willow and Vash return, giving them a small wave before shaking his head. The dragonborn was confident in his position. The pixies wanted to talk and he was willing to discuss things with them. If they decided to push it...well...they were perfectly set for him to breathe fire on them all.
"Not yet! These friends have been playing tricks on the table. We're seeing what we could do now, aren't we ladies?"
On the walk over Vash comments seeing the burgeoning romance between Demalyn and Khali. "Another couple formed it would seem." With a wink he adds, "Still time to place that bet on who's next between Karley and I."
Approaching the area where Nuruk and Karley are attempting to set the table, the bard sees the pixies fluttering around the dragonborn. "Careful Willow. It would seem you have a bit of competition for the big guy's affections...although he does seem intent to rebuke that competition."
Hearing Nuruk's response to Willow's question, Vash says, "Well let's get on with it then."
"The cake is on its way." he adds gesturing toward the former-ooze cake that is lurching its way toward the table.
Glancing back at the cake, the bard mutters to himself as much as anyone else, "Gods, that's just not right..."
It all happens much too fast. Khalil's request on the dryad's behalf and her subsequent drenching by the water weird. The druid tries to throw himself in the line of fire, but only blocks a tiny fraction of the spray. He is about to deal the fey water creature an angry rebuke when Demalyn breaks out in laughter. Seeing that she isn't hurt or anrgy, Khalil breathes a big sigh of relief and then breaks into his own easy laugh. Taking Demalyn's hands he guides her away from the pool and hopefully out of range before rummaging through his pack for his best bit of cloth.
"Are you alright? I suppose I should have expected some trickery." He says a bit chagrined at not being more specific with his request of the tricky water fey. He hands Demalyn the makeshift towel. It is his soft summer weight cloak of deep green with simple vines of lighter green and yellow stitched along the edges. "I guess our part here is finished, we should get back and check on the others." He says after Demalyn has a chance to dry herself.
Droplets of water on Demalyn's face seem to sparkle like morning dew, her skin somewhere between that of a human and a plant's, causing the water to bead more than it might on another. Her laughter made her whole face seem to light up, and she took his hand gladly as he led her away a bit and handed her his soft cloak. She took it gratefully, patted her face dry but letting her hair remain mostly wet, for the sapling's sake. That had been the idea, after all. She handed the cloak back, and her hand lingered on his a moment, her joyful expression meeting his gaze. "Khalil...I am glad to be here with you," she said softly, a little shyly.
Willow and Vash joined Nuruk, who was doing a fine job of charming the little pixies.
"Queen Titania?"
"Is she as pretty as everyone says?"
"Of course she isn't, but she's a queen, so who's going to tell her otherwise?"
The dragonfly-winged one alights on his offered perch, but the other flits around, inspecting the axe curiously.
"I'm Dapplebloom!" declared the butterfly.
"Sundew!" cheered the dragonfly.
"And I'm Strawberry!" declared the moth. "And I'll bet all three of us are prettier than Titania. She's got to be ten thousand years old."
Willow chuckles softly at Vash’s comment, shaking her head. ”They’re sweet. It’s nice to see Khalil so animated. He’s so quiet with us.” She watches them a moment, biting down on the corner of her mouth to stifle a smile at the sight of their romance.
”I still have bets on you, Vash. You’ve got the whole angsty musician thing down,” She replies, amusement in her tone despite her neutral face. ”People love that.”
Willow watches the pixies flit around her lover with mild amusement, raising her eyebrows at Vash’s statement. She had caught Nuruk’s introduction to the pixies and made note of her inclusion in the introduction. A small flush appeared on her cheeks, darkening the lavender skin to a deeper tone. She didn’t reply, but Vash would notice her struggling not to smile before she turned her attention to the strange, undulating cake. ”It really isn’t. Surely, we don’t have to eat it?” She mutters to Vash, her distraction over Nuruk letting worry seep into her tone.
"It's no wonder he's been a bit quiet with us, well me anyway...I wasn't exactly the most welcoming during our first meeting with him. But I agree, it is good to see something decent coming out of all of this."
Vash says in reference to the druid.
"Angsty? Sure in my personal life, but when I'm on stage I don't think I come off that way, do I?" the bard says, with faux offense and a wink to the statement.
The thought of eating the ooze-cake hadn't crossed Vash's mind until Willow mentioned it. He turns ever-so-slightly green with a look of worry on his face. "I hope we wouldn't be expected to, but we did make I suppose..."
Approaching Karley, Nuruk, and the tricksy pixies, the bard says to the paladin, "Cake's made. Looks like Khalil and Demalyn have the water situation squared away. How's it going here? Looks like you've made some friends?"
"Queen Titania is as beautiful as a sunrise is bright. I...I would not have the words to paint a more beautiful picture than the nobles of the Summer Court could create. She breathes life into everything and every place she touches." Nuruk reminisces with both a look of reverance and a bit of confusion. "It was hard to...perceive her. Power like that doesn't exist the same way you and I do. As for prettier, each of you are like beautiful flowers. Just because you're not the sun doesn't mean you're not pretty yourself!" He explained as best as he could to the little pixies. They were growing more comfortable, Sundew settling onto the axehead while the other flitted by to examine how the blade gleamed in the sunlight. He turns towards Vash, grinning at the man before he gestures to the three pixies.
"This is Dapplebloom, Sundew, and Strawberry. Ladies, this is Vashrin. This is my love, Willow. This is Karley. Over there is Demalyn and Khalil. We're here to help these lands and beat back the darkness that has taken hold. It seems that this ogress here has gotten wrapped up into something...strange." His tone had grown more serious then, his lips pursing together. "Do you think you could help us help her? She looks like she's at her wit's end..."
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For just a moment Khalil looks into Demalyn’s joyful eyes and sees his own happiness reflected in their lovely gaze. His heart pounds like the drums of a midsummer festival, his cheeks grow rosy once again. And yet he finds his mind and spirit becoming surprisingly calm. He isn’t sure exactly what is happening within his mind and heart, but just like when he takes the form of a spider or the stars themselves, it all just feels…right. His eyes turn upward, peering into the fog shrouded sky. Although he cannot see them, he feels the stars in the heavens. Their twinkling smiles shining down upon their wayward ward. He turns his eyes back to Demalyn.
”A few days ago, I did not really know happiness beyond a few simple pleasures. A good harvest. Cooking a meal from food grown with my own labor. Seeing the plants and animals in my charge were safe and well taken care of for another night. Helping another in need.” He says softly, gently taking Demalyn’s hand in his own. ”I believed true happiness only really happened in the fairy stories told around the fires during a stormy winter’s night. Princes and princesses defeating evil with love and friendship and kindness.” He sighs softly. ”I did not think such things were meant for a lost boy like myself. I could only dream of such things, make them up in stories of my own. Stories I shared with the stars as I fell asleep alone each night.”
He looks around toward the front of the hut, where he can barely hear Nuruk’s rumbling voice along with that of Willow and Vashrin.
”I thought I had discovered happiness in finding old friends and connections to a past lost long ago. And indeed, it has been a wonderful surprise and I am glad fate drew us all together again. For it brought me not only friendship, but to you." He looks back at Demalyn, his own eyes overflowing with joy. Slowly, gently he reaches a hand up and barely brushing a finger against her cheek to catch a lingering drop of water. Within the drop, a single mote of the pool’s magic still sparkles like starlight upon on his fingertip. He smiles.
”It isn’t until now, working side by side, hearing your laughter, looking into your eyes, seeing you smile while our hands hold each other with kind tenderness...” He pauses, breathes deep of her sweet wildflower perfume. ”Only now, with you, does true happiness pour itself into my heart to warm and nourish my soul.”
”He sure talks a lot, huh?”
”Sundew! Don’t be rude!”
”How is that rude? He does!”
”Forgive my sister, Nuruk Faerjhan. That’s Duchess Grime. She used to be a person – a human one I mean,” Dapplebloom explained
”Old Lorna got mad at her and made her crazy and ugly. We keep her company and play with her,” Strawberry explained.
”It’s getting very boring. Why don’t YOU play with her…and then we can play with YOU!” Sundew declared.
—-----
Meanwhile, behind the hut, Khalil was creating poetry with his words to Demalyn. When he looked up to the stars, or where the stars would be, she followed his gaze curiously, staring with an adorable sincerity as she tried to see what he did, in the haze. She was still looking upwards as he began to speak, and she turned her attention to his words, head cocked to the side in curiosity.
She understood the first part. Hearth and home, caring for the harvest, protecting the land and life upon it – all of these things were what drew her to him. She’d never met a human before, but she’d heard they were dangerous, taking from nature without giving back, trying to bend or break nature to their will. He was none of those things. It had been like meeting the boogeyman and finding out the tales about him were all lies, and he was actually a lot like you.
Then he started to speak of things she did not follow. The only fairy stories she knew were warnings about their capricious, prank-filled behavior, and she’d heard no tales around fires of royalty or good versus evil. Demalyn had her tree, and the creatures of the forest around her. A few of her sisters had lived near enough to visit with, and a half dozen or so travelers had crossed her path over the years. Zybilna, of course, and the harengon.
But she understood dreaming of something more. And she didn’t interrupt him to ask questions – she was enjoying his voice and his smile too much.
Then he began to speak of her. His hand touched her cheek and she felt very warm all of the sudden, blushing dark green. She liked him, very much. Her stomach was all fluttery when he was near. And the pretty words he spoke resonated with her, as she felt much the same way about him. But she had no idea how to express it. Dryads usually took mortals as mates, as there were no male dryads, but she’d never met one she felt a connection with like this, and had no idea how humans courted one another. She did know her own words would never be a match for his.
So as he finished speaking, her mind raced, trying to decide what to say. “Me too” sounded so inadequate. But she felt so flustered around him she couldn’t think straight. So Demalyn gave up on words. And she kissed him.
It wasn’t the first time she had – when he’d come to her rescue and freed her from her petrification, she’d been so relieved she’d given him one. But this was different. This was not a soft, grateful peck. This kiss conveyed what her words could not, an outpouring of the feelings in her heart. It was not lusty, or filled with heated passion. It was innocent, a first kiss, shy, curious, and sincere. And it lingered for quite some time.
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*crack*
Somewhere in the multiverse a witch’s finger breaks. For such things happen when two hearts, mortal and fey, find such happiness as that shared by Khalil and Demalyn in that moment by a sparkling pool.
For Khalil, it is his first true kiss. Certainly, he had been kissed before. Chaste kisses that said ‘thank you’ or ‘aren’t you a nice, sweet boy’ or ‘gotcha, ya silly mortal’ like so many fey folk are prone to do. None were even remotely like this singular moment of his life. This was a true first kiss. Given freely, filled with hopes, happiness, tenderness, and love. It was something that mattered in the grand scheme of things. And although neither of them really knew what love truly meant and felt like, for neither had experienced it before, others did. The gods knew. The stars shining above knew. Even the evil things dwelling deep in their shadow drenched lairs knew. Some who know laugh and celebrate such things while others curse and stomp in wild, hate filled madness.
For Khalil, his initial heartbeat of surprise dissipates quick as frost in a noonday sun. Demalyn’s lips lightly and gently pressed against his release all of the feelings swirling in his own mind. Feelings that words so often inadequately express. He returns the kiss. Letting his growing love flow in the energy already swirling and dancing between them. A strand of her flower covered hair reaches out, nuzzles his cheek. His hand, calloused from years of working the land, brushes her neck, caresses her ear. Another leafy strand of hair curls gently around the back of his neck. The scent of summer brings dreams of loamy forests and playful breezes as her arms wrap around him. His own arms hold her tight, but with the gentleness of one hugging a precious rose.
His knees weaken, but do not buckle. Never that. For he is stronger and more certain than he has ever felt before. None of the usual worries, questions, or self doubts can stand before the flood tide of joy crashing across his soul. Yet, fall he does. His heart falls into hers. His mind and spirit dive into uncharted depths of caring, passion, and love.
Always and forever, he vows to himself gazing into Demalyn’s beautiful eyes, this is a moment that will not be stolen, sold, or given away. Having lived all of his known life among the fey, he knows many will try to do so. For such a memory would be rich coin indeed to many such creatures. But this is a moment so indelibly intertwined with who he was, who he is and who he will be, that nothing, perhaps not even the black abyss of death itself, will be able to wrest it from his soul’s grasp.
Finally, slowly, reluctantly their lip’s part. Still holding her in his arms, his mind inches upward to breach the surface of that roiling emotional sea and regains some semblance of thought. Time ticks forward.
He remembers to breathe. With that first chasing breath, they each remember where they are. Standing amidst a fetid swamp cursed by a great evil. Despite every desire to never leave this place, this moment, there are friends and others counting on the both of them. Counting on them to help free Hither from a hag’s evil rule.
Lips part to speak. To say something, but for the moment no more words come. None are really necessary. Their bodies, their hearts have said it all. All that is needed is his hand holding hers, knowing she is there as they slowly make their way back to the front of the ramshackle cabin.
"Indeed, I do talk a lot. I was taught by an old man. The old get very lengthy explaining things, so I've been told." He said, waving off the apology from Dapplebloom. His smile stays on his face as he interacts with the pixies, though a look of consternation slowly begins to spread across his face as he thinks. "Duchess Grime. She sounds like she was a lot more fun back when she was normal. You wouldn't happen to remember exactly what Old Lorna said when she transformed her and made her crazy, do you? She's expecting a party for Zybilna but that doesn't seem feasible. I think it'd be fun to break the curse, stick it to the old, mean hag. Eh?" He looks at his comrades, nodding for them to help him convince the little ones to work with them rather than against them.
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Karley goes off about what Nuruk assumed to be some kind of playwright before she casted a spell at the poor, cursed, slightly overwhelmed ogre. Before he can stop her, the ring casts whatever it was casting and a ray shot out. At the end of it, some strange, watery realm appeared with a man there. Nuruk really couldn't make it out but before he could figure out how to help the transformed woman, Karley's hands burst into fire. His nostrils flared wide and his patience had finally hit its limit.
The dragonborn didn't shout her name but there was certainly more air in the words than usual. Standing up, he would pick her up by the waist so her flaming hands could not grab the table, the plates, or anything else that could catch on fire. "Come with me. We're going to the pool." He would say, leaving the others to deal with the pixies as he carried her to the water. The plan was to try and douse her hands off before she could cause more damage.
"Why are you picking on this poor woman? I know trickery is a common thing but that lady is cursed. She has a madness upon her, much like Elmer did." Nuruk says with exasperation, rubbing as his brow as he tries to pour out the water upon her hands from his canteen first. Lowering his head down so he can be eye-level with her, he'd gently nudge at her shoulder. "Is everything okay? Do you want to talk? I-I know a...lot...is happening with you. I'm here for you if you need it. Even if there are infinite you's, you're my Karley and I want to help..."
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Khalil and Demalyn just round the corner hand in hand, when Nuruk's roaring voice rumbles across the courtyard. Both are speechless as Karley's flaming hands bounce past, the halfling dangling in the firm grip of the big dragonborn. In the moment offered, Khalil reacts on instinct and quickly imposes himself between Demalyn and the fiery pair of torches that are Karley's hands.
"Uh...Nuruk..." Khalil says a bit belatedly when he realizes the knight is headed for the pool. "You might want to be careful of the...."
But he is too late, Nuruk is already pouring out his canteen and ready to dunk the halfling's hands in the pool before either druid or dryad can intervene and warn of the water weird. With a soft sigh and shrug of his shoulders, he gives Demalyn a knowing look and pulls his makeshift towel-cloak back out of his pack.
"It WOULD be fun to stick it to old Lorna!"
"It's always something different."
"Last time she was throwing a birthday party for a hippopotamus."
"What did ugly old Lorna say? You were spying, weren't you Dapplebloom?"
"The Duchess sought a deal with the hag. She wanted to be more popular and throw the finest galas. I can't remember how it was worded, but Lorna smiled all ugly like and said she'd get to throw parties until she threw the best one in Hither. But then she made her an ogre."
Karley's Ray strikes the ogre, and her eyes go unfocused, glowing white. "I've sailed further than most men have dreamed..." she murmurs, her consciousness clearly somewhere else as she beholds the entire film in the space of a minute, the spell basically planting it into her brain.
Out back, the living pool withdrew from the flaming hands, sloshing over to one side impossibly. A mound of the water rose up in the shape of a cannon, aimed directly at the dragonborn and halfling. It swelled as though read to fire, but Nuruk doused Karley's hands with his canteen, and the water sloooowly relaxed and reformed into a pool again.
Demalyn, with a seemingly permanent giddy look on her face, giggled at the scene, and wrapped one of Khalil's arms in a hug, clearly conveying to the rest of the Defenders the two had grown closer.
"Until she throws the best one in Hither? That's rather subjective, isn't it?" Vash asks. "Of course, Khalil and Demalyn have cleaned the water, and Willow and I 'made' the cake. If the area is properly set, what can we do to make this party qualify to help the Duchess out?"
Willow's eyebrows raised as she witnessed her lover's patience pushed to its limit. She crosses her arms behind her back as she watches before turning her attention back to Vashrin with a nod. "What about entertainment?"
Nuruk's questions go unanswered and he offers a small, saddened, but reassuring smile before patting Karley's shoulders. "Maybe she'll want to talk another time." He thinks to himself, rising up from the ground and securing his waterskin again. At least there sounded like there was some headway being made back at the table.
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Seeing that Nuruk and Karley seemed to have worked things out without getting drenched by the water weird, Khalil repacks his cloak turns back to join Willow, Vashrin, and the pixies. His arm still held by Demalyn, the druid wears one of the biggest smiles any had ever seen on the man. His eyes sparkle and his feet practically float across the ground as he walks. The two walk up in time to hear the pixies share what they know about the witch's curse upon the ogre woman.
"Well, I can honestly and wholeheartedly say..." The druid says his smitten eyes snatching a quick glance at Demalyn before he goes on. "That this is by any measure the most wonderful and magnificent party I've ever attended. I really can't imagine another happening anywhere in the Feywild, that would be better."
There was a strange sound. Like a hiccup almost, only it lingered a few moments. The Duchess had doubled over as though in pain, and her bulky form began to tremble badly.
"Is she hurling?" Sundew asked, excited by the prospect.
"I think she's dying" yelped Strawberry.
"No! They did it!" Dapplebloom exclaimed, her sisters still clueless.
The Duchess seemed to implode, deflating, shrinking in on herself until her ratty clothing hung so large on her it was more like a collapsed tent. A figure emerged, holding the fabric wrapped around herself. She was human, beautiful, though she wore a traumatized expression. Her long brown hair was a mess, and there were bags under her pretty eyes.
The dress's tatters flung around her like a toga, she looked at her own arms and hands in awe. "Can it be? Am I dreaming?" she whispered. She looked around at all of you.
Vashrin was reaching for his lute and about to answer Willow's question affirmatively when the Duchess's change began.
"Appears I won't be needing this..." he quietly comments, stowing the instrument away again and turning his attention to the now former ogre.
"No, it's not a dream my good lady." the bard says slowly walking towards the woman to help her to the table. "Please, come sit down. You've been through an awful lot."
Khalil formally bows to the lady. If he'd heard correctly, she was a Duchess in the Feywild, and thus there were protocals he was cautious to set aside despite the circumstances.
"It is no dream, my lady, but as my friend says." He rises from the bow still smiling. "It is a most wonderful party you have thrown, and the unfortunate curse placed upon you appears to be broken."
When Nuruk returns, he stares a little aghast as the woman goes through her transformation. Not because of her beauty but the fact that Khalil had so calmly found the way to break the curse. He turns towards the woman, nodding softly towards her before pulling out a chair for her to sit.
"Well done, friend." Nuruk murmured to the druid, patting his shoulder as he turns towards the Duchess.
"Please, sit my lady. I am sure you have been through a lot."
Willow schools her face into something as pleasant as she can muster without smiling, raising an eyebrow at Vashrin. She huffs softly, wondering if this will result in her winning the bet–him or Karley.
The tiefling looks the woman up and down, frowning softly. She digs in her bag, pulls out one of her extra changes of clothing, and approaches the newly-transformed woman with soft black breeches and a purple tunic. ”Welcome back. I’m Willow. I thought you might like a change of clothing,” She says, a bemused expression on her face as she offers the garments.
Seeming to glean Willow's meaning from the expression, Vash subtly shakes his head to the negative.
After leading the woman back to the table and a seat, Vash quietly says to Willow, after the tiefling offers the woman a change of clothes, "Nothing of the sort intended...just being polite."
Khalil turns to Nuruk. He shrugs his shoulders a bit bashfully at the dragonborn before shifting his gaze to watch Willow and Vashrin help the confused duchess change into some better clothes.
"To be honest, I am as surprised as any." He smiles at Demalyn. "What I said, it really was nothing more than the truth."
He spots the magnificent cake sitting on the table and gives a low whistle.
"My goodness, did Vashrin and Willow just whip this up?" He says surprised once again. "And here I thought Karley was the one who took a real interest in the culinary arts." He steps toward the cake, stomach grumbling after the hard work of clearing out the pool, not too mention the long hike through swamp mud that got them here. "Is it angel food, chocolate, carrot? Did they say?"
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Seemingly in shock, the Duchess allows Vash to steer her to a seat, Nuruk pulling out a chair. She sits and just keeps staring at her own hands and arms. "Every day...every day it was the same," she murmured. "She told me...I knew what had to be one...but it never mattered. How does one throw a party in a swamp?" She was rocking back and forth a bit, and glanced at Willow. She dipped her head into a small bow, after a moment's hesitation, and took the clothing, but didn't put it on yet.
She frowned with confusion, and murmured words that made even less sense, under her breath. "He doesn't have a home or people to care for. He's not afraid of anything, men least of all. He's fast and strong like a big wind...” She shook her head as if to clear it of the last remnants of Waterworld.
Vashrin quickly turns his attention to the hungry Khalil as he approaches the cake and flatly states, "I wouldn't do that if I were you..."
Just as quickly the bard's attention returns to the Duchess. "Apparently a party can be held in a swamp...or at least one good enough to end your plight."
Vash strains to listen as the Duchess mumbles something that doesn't really make a lot of sense to the half-elf. "Pardon me madam, but who is the he you are referring to? Perhaps more importantly, what is he?"
"I'm not sure...part of the dream I found myself in. A great hero named Kevin Kostnorf..." She shakes her head again. "Forgive me. My manners have decayed like all else in this place. I am the Lady Adela Isobel Theodora Essendon, High Duchess of Melengar." She looked around, and down at herself, and winced. "Rather, I was. I fear I have been here for quite some time. I'm fairly certain my seat will have been filled in my absence."
She took a steadying breath, and held her chin high. "Call me Adela. Please. You all have saved me from a horrid fate, and I cannot possibly repay your kindness."
The pixies were very interested in this new development. "Seee? Told you she was a person."
"Aww, does this mean no more games?"
"It just means we have to come up with NEW ones!"
Seeming to glean Willow's meaning from the expression, Vash subtly shakes his head to the negative.
After leading the woman back to the table and a seat, Vash quietly says to Willow, after the tiefling offers the woman a change of clothes, "Nothing of the sort intended...just being polite."
Willow's face breaks out into a small smile and then immediately, she covers her mouth with a wince. She nods at the half-elf as she works to school her expression back to neutrality, eyebrows raised and jaw tensing just enough to betray her mild amusement. "I'm just teasing, Vash." The cleric finds a seat of her own next to Nuruk, leaning into the golden paladin affectionately before looking at the duchess.
"What do you plan to do now, Adela?"
The paladin has a wide smile on his face and for a moment, is more than eager to dig into the cake. When he is told not to, his eyes narrow slightly and he glumly puts down his utensils and sighs. The glum look slowly vanishes as he slips an armored arm around Willow, squeezing her gently as he quietly listens to the Duchess explain what has been happening.
"What? Why's that..." Khalil says with a start to Vashrin when the half-elf stops him from slicing into the cake. It isn't until he looks gets a bit closer with the knife that he notices the cake begin to quiver and slightly pull away from the simple utensil. Just to be certain his eyes are playing tricks he moves the knife close again only to have the cake slide backward a second time. Turning a bit pale and green in the cheeks, the druid finally nods his understanding and steps back over to Demalyn's side.
"Best to follow Vashrin's advice about the cake." He whispers to the dryad. To ease his growing hunger the druid once again conjures another handful of berries sharing them with Demalyn and anyone else who might be feeling a bit peckish while the duchess changes into a new set of clothes.
"No offense taken... the bard says in response to the tiefling woman's comment.
Vash does his best to stifle a small chuckle, seeing the greenish tone to Khalil's face.
"Kevin Kostnorf?" Vash silently mouths, glancing toward the embodiment of chaos everyone called Karley, while waiting for Lady Adela's response.
"What do I plan to do now? I'm... Not rightly sure." She frowned in thought, and got distracted momentarily as Demalyn, staring at the cake intently with a studious frown, tried to poke it gently with a fork, and it dodged her.
Adela shook the distraction away. "I...I wasn't good at much. There's a reason I got myself into this mess. I was a socal butterfly trying to gain status by throwing galas the other fools would talk about for months. But now? Well even if I find my position waiting for me, I don't think I want to plan another party for as long as I live.". She sighed. "I'm not sure I have a home left to go to."
"You can stay with us, then!", Dapplebloom cheered.
"Yes! You were very fun as an ogre. Maybe as a person, too?" Strawberry added
Hearing the pixies' offer to Adela, Vashrin makes an offer as well.
"It would seem these fine feyfolk would be happy for you to stay here with them, should you so choose. Alternatively, if you do wish to return to your home, I am sure we would be happy to escort you there. Even if your seat has been filled in your absence, I have to imagine that it would be nice to be home again."
"Begging your pardon my lady, but I'm not familiar Melegar." Khalil says having never spent much time traveling the broad expanses of the Feywild outside of the few areas who purchased food or stock from the farm. "Is Melegar here in Hither, or is it located in some other part of the Feywild? If it is beyond Hither's boundary, I'm afraid your return will have to wait anyway, since the hag's magic blocks all travel out of the realm."
Adela opened her mouth to answer Vash and Khalil when Karley's odd version appeared. "Err...beg pardon but no. It's MelENgar, and I don't believe that's the way..."
She turned to Khalil. "It's not part of the Feywild, actually. I hail from a world called Elan. Bavlorna brought me here to deal, and...well." She made a 'the rest is history' sort of gesture with her hands. She glanced at the fairies.
"You weren't exactly nice to me these past years," she said, with a fondness that did not match her words. "I suspect that is merely your nature, though, and was not intentional. And were it not for you three I'd have been completely alone." The cake juggled, and the pool rippled. Adela chuckled. "Forgive me. I should have said, I'd have been without conversation."
Her attention returned to the rest of you. "Strange as it is to say...I think my home is here now. It....needs some cleaning, for certain. But I think here is where I shall remain. You're all welcome to stay as long as you like, any time you need to. I cannot thank you enough. It wasn't just my body that was transformed, but my mind, and finding my sanity again is a relief I cannot put into words."
While Khalil had enjoyed the inn, having a less mobile location to safely rest for a night felt like a substantial boon. And so hearing the Lady Adela's offer, the druid smiles and offers another bow.
"Such an offer is most welcome." He says. "I'd be happy to continue helping fix things up in return for a bit of warmth and a dry spot to sleep for the evening."
Willow sits quietly for most of this, not having much to offer to the conversation other than a polite, pleasant look. She leans against Nuruk, looking pleased that Adela was satisfied with her place in the Feywild. The cleric quietly added this injustice to the long list of things that she was holding against Bavlorna. She would surely savor the taste of vengeance when they were able to get their hands on the hag.
"Rest isn't a bad idea, I think..." Willow offers, thinking about the possibility of another bath to get the smell of swamp out of her hair, if only for a moment. "And maybe some real food."
The cleric turns her face toward Nuruk with a bemused expression, wiggling her eyebrows at the dragonborn. "That key I got from Jingle-Jangle apparently makes a private hut overnight...next time we can settle in for a night," She murmurs to the paladin with a raised eyebrow, pitching her voice low.
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Nuruk was pleased to just see the woman cured of her madness and her transformation, returned to some semblance of normalcy. His grin was contagious even as his stomach rumbled in disappointment that the cake was not comfortable with being eaten. Yet the chance to rest on solid land and out of the mud sounded incredible. Before he spoke though, Willow would lean up carefully to whisper about the hut in his ear and the dragonborn's face would flash through a dozen shades of gold.
He nearly shouted, the cake quivering for a moment before strangely turning to stare at him. A sheepish look spread across his face "Apologies...let us help you clean this place."
Vashrin smiles. "Very well, Lady Adela, if you consider this your home now, who are we to argue."
Taking note of his companion's desire to stay and rest, Vash agrees. "Thank you for the offer to stay and rest. Most appreciated."
What had begun as a quite ridiculous encounter ended as a very merry evening.
You helped Adela clean the home she'd let fall into disrepair while under the effects of the curse. The place had the potential to be quite cozy, once the spoiled food, cobwebs, and such were cleaned out. She still had various food staples in her pantry that had not gone bad.
Adela set the fairies to a game -- a race to find the most berries. They came back with prize after prize, and the former Duchess baked a delightful pie, explaining she'd always loved cooking, in spite of having servants to do it for her. Warm food, dry surroundings, and laughter at the pixies' antics made for a peaceful evening.
Willow used her key out in the clearing, and a cottage sprouted up beside Adela's. She and Nuruk take their leave, and Adela finds blankets and cushions for the rest of you, welcoming you to find a spot in her common room.
Willow would sit with the others before they all turned in, enjoying the chance to relax and enjoy the company of her friends, new and old.
"Alright," Willow says, a smileless, amused expression on her face. "We're close to our first goal...I think now is a good time to tell our best debauched stories, hmmm?" The cleric would pull a flask from her pouch, take a drink, and offer it to the others.
"Nose goes?" She proposes, quickly moving to tap her small, button nose with her index finger.
When Willow used the key in the courtyard, a small, mushroom-shaped hut appeared. Willow looked pleased, her tail whipping back and forth as she inspected the outside, running her hand along the rustic, wooden door and the flowering vines that were around it.
When she entered, the inside was quite simple: a large, comfortable bed took up most of the space, piled with pillows and blankets in shades of purple, pink, and light blue, all swirling together like a cloud.
When it was made, she went and gathered Nuruk and waved at the rest of the Defenders. "Goodnight, everyone. See you all in the morning," She says pleasantly, her small, lavender fingers weaving between the dragonborn's golden, scaled ones while they disappeared into the hut.