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Alliance by Necessity {darkest_fate & Vanein}

Aelius lifted an eyebrow at the initial reticence of the half-tabaxi warrior, but didn't pursue things all too much there. He figured she might be a bit weirded out about Felicity at the moment, given what she likely knew they had dealt with. But Aelius was honestly...enjoying himself, bumps in the road aside. Zafah was delightful, Nia was delightful, Felicity was beyond delightful, it stood to reason Tawny was delightful. Things had not gone as he might have wanted, sure. Life took unexpected turns and there were consequences, but...Aelius was someone who truly believed the sun would come out the following day and he was going to see new dawn come to them if it could.

It also told him not to push Tawny on things. Not about any of his comrades. No, right now? He wanted to talk to her, get along with her. "Well, that seems reasonable," he said with a nod, not missing Tawny was now a bundle of energy. "Well, that just gives me time to plan-....okay, now you HAVE to let me throw this party. After suffering in dresses, you're going to need it!" The next words though...Aelius took on a warm look there, at the mention of Nia. The Tiefling just looked compassionate there, warm. "....She deserves it..." he said quietly. "I'll play the music for her to dance to myself....I'll compose a poem for her as well." Nia was absolutely not his type, but why should that get in the way of friendship? I'm also...relieved to hear you like us," Aelius said. "I'll educate Felicity about the difference between prettiest and sexiest," he chuckled at that, holding and tapping his mace on the ground as he pondered things.

"So, you say we're cool, but unfortunately, there is something we haven't QUITE settled..." Aelius's expression grew solemn before he flicked his tail up. "Okay, mine is CLEARLY the better. See? I simply cannot have it that she's out to chase yours there!" H saw Tawny rise and stretch up. "Restless?" He asked her. "Yes, Varrik is...like that sometimes when he doesn't sleep well, Luc when the moon is particularly high up..." He hopped to his feet, giving a stretch as well, happy he and Tawny seemed to be getting along so well. "I'd offer to arm wrestle!...if I wasn't so sure I needed these arms, soooo..."

"You'd be surprised. Usually other way around in my experiencce, far as mixed relations go," Varrik said as he saw Zafah adjust. "Yeah, don't worry, I think we're pretty good on that front. This doesn't seem like a bad novel here. With Zafah down, he slid over like a silent shadow and bent to his task, kissing at her stomach, then downward as he helped her legs widen more. Leaning in, the half-elf slipped his tongue against her lower lips. He began to lick slowly, gently at first, tracing up the slit before he slipped his tongue inside her with the skill he'd shown Felicity as well. Good, slow, skilled, hoping to ease Zafah's tension immensely.
 
No wonder he got on so well with Felicity: he talked a lot like her, only less spacey. Was that just a tiefling thing? Tawny knew to more or less remain quiet, letting him say everything he had to say, nodding along. Oh, she moved: holding still was just proving... hard for her. But she was still nodding along, at least partially focused on the conversation, enough that she let out a rough laugh as he mentioned the tail contest again. She looked to his, looked to hers and flicked it, and considered. "Honestly? I think Felicity wins," she said, half smiling. "You guys are way more agile with yours than I am with mine. I can mostly just,' she curled it on on herself, and flicked it, letting it sway.

Tawny shrugged. "It's cool, You don't have to worry. I just... it's the feline in me. I wanna move," she stretched again. "It's also why the dresses are gonna be a pain. I... a lot of clothing feels, weird," she gestured toward her body, "confining. I actually liked it best when I was younger and could just walk around in just pants, maybe a loose top," she sighed, rubbing at the back of her head. She didn't want to go too much into details. most races didn't get that it was literally racial. She wore little clothing because clothing felt too heavy, too confining, almost too much. And there were other fun racial benefits, like the Heat, or the couple of extra near erogenous zones.

That last could sometimes be fun though.

She was prowling now; she, again, couldn't help it. Her attention was focused on the night, her ears twitching, feline eyes practically glowing their borderline alien green. She could practically hear Zafah and Varrik doing something away. Unwinding? Talking about something? Not something Tawny needed to hear.

Last thing Zafah wanted was a bad novel; she'd leave that to Felicity. The tiefling probably would've asked Varrik to be her long-lust brother, with lust that couldn't keep them apart. Zafah was cool with just a friendly acquaintance. "Your aim's off," she informed him as his lips hit her stomach, likely noting the slight concave slope. She shifted to help him move or push aside panties. If he was expecting a lack of hair like a certain tiefling or elf, he'd be surprised. Zafah's wasn't quite wild; she'd trimmed it with alarming regularity, and there was an almost shape to it. Didn't help that it was as blood red as her hair, deep.

"Not bad,' she allowed, watching him. She propped herself up on her elbows, more determined to just let him do his thing. She could correct if need be. "If you aim for the clit, go slow. I'm not a horny teenager: too much there just fucking hurts,' she shifted slightly. The warmth had started to build. Her eye closed for a moment, letting her mind drift, just listening to the light sound of his tongue caressing her, feeling the heat as it spread, moving around her body. It felt good in a sort of guilt free, easy to take way, a slow fire burning.
 
Tawny wasn't very talkative, sure. But hey, he got a laugh out of her! Aelius considered that a victory. He figured that keeping her own council was a half-Tabaxi thing. Or maybe it was just a Tawny thing. He flicked his tail in time with hers, looking delighted at the little smile she was offering him. He tapped his. "FELICITY wins? I had no idea she was even competing here!" He gave a playful scowl there. "Tsk tsk, can't even allow me one little victory....but I acknowledge the clear and devastating blow!" He beamed at her, with his tail swishing lightly.

"As far as the feline in you goes...well, move around all you like! I'm hardly offended or stopping you.Though...you know what else feels weird? When a Tiefling swipes your shirt and leaves you with just the vest." He grinned, to show he was still playing about. "Well, I'm hardly giving you a har time over it, Tawny. Wear as much or as little as you like, don't worry about my sensibilities...my interest is only in you being comfortable, us being friend and our groups getting on as best as possible." He watched as she prowled along, his hands folded behind his back while he kept his eyes on her close.

Wow, no wonder Zafah liked her so much. "I much prefer we all be friends here...we're in for the common goal after all. Making sure Nia gets to dance as the prettiest girl in the hall. That's something I think we can drink to...any ideas what you plan after that?" He swept his eyes out over the horizon there, seeing if anyone was approaching.

Varrik was pleasantly surprised by the sight of Zafah there. His lips had teased at the pale skin of her belly, not shocked to see what else was below. Lovely red down there, his finger running against it while his head descended. 'Not bad' was probably a decent compliment for the rough half-elf warlock, he thought. He leaned in, his mouth at work now as his tongue made wet noises upon her pussy's lips.

He began to tenderly slide his tongue into her, finding her spots to tease there. In and out his tongue moved, Varrik losing himself in the taste...at mention of the clit, he went up and kissed it, moving his tongue there after gently exposing it more. Gentle, slow, tongue doing its work, before he went back in to continue his work inside her, alternating between them as he pleasured the warlock.

He was unwilling to admit how much he was enjoying this.
 
Tawny let out another slight laugh, but nodded. Again she lapsed into a silence. There was no tossed barbs, no excited babbles or giggles, no cautious extensions, just an almost intense silence, the prowling her only movements. She did snort as he made the joke about stealing, but gave him a look at the bit about clothing. She actually believed it of him. That he wouldn't do what every man did when they saw her in action, and a lot of women. She didn't blame them, and sometimes she liked it, particularly with someone who could hold their own. But it just seemed hard. These fools should try hitting a desert or jungle some time.

Ah, plans for the future. Tawny flicked her tail. "I would figure we keep going," she said, nodding slowly. "I know it's not... grand, but I like what we have, what we do. The only one of us who might settle someday is Nia. She wants the traditional life. Me? I want to get better, to prove myself," she shrugged, looking back at him for a moment. She waited a beat, and figured she could show some trust. She loosened her top; not enough it to fall off, but enough that it was much easier to see her underneath, the unbroken expanse of sunkissed skin just covering the incredibly well toned body beneath. Muscles rippled with almost every movement, as if she were about to spring into action.

She supposed she could go further: "Long term... a certain devil asshole owes me a rematch. And we'll have to check in with Felicity's parents eventually." She thought a little while longer. "What about you? You seem to be very... in the moment," she gestured at him. "No offense. It's a good mindset. It's where I fall naturally."

The guy was a natural; she'd give him that. Though if he were expecting giggles, or cries, or really any vocal sounds, he'd be almost disappointed. Zafah reacted, but subtly. Her body shivered. She jerked a little, as if going through a muscle spasm. Her abdomen flexed, internals quivering about. And of course he could taste her, this strange flavor, not the sweetness, but maybe not as ashen as it should be, coming from someone who lived on cigarettes and coffee. It almost had this bitter flavor. obviously another invocation from her patron, one a little less traditional than most.

She let out a soft, wordless grunt as his tongue hit her clit. The little nub looked worn, and he'd actually notice something else: a ring of metal shot directly through. It hung down, and she could obviously hide it when need be, but there was no avoiding the highly sexualized piercing. It also became apparent for the warning, because each time his tongue moved, Zafah stirred a little: tiny motions, body tensing. "Bite it," she told? Suggested? Was it the piercing? The clit? She didn't seem to make it clearer, and if he pulled up to ask, her hand would go to push him right back down.

"Sides too," she tapped her upper thigh, just a little off from the main center. the pale flesh there already quivered. She could feel the heat rising inside her, a curling, almost dark thing. It stirred, stretching lazily throughout her, spreading like inevitable liquid fire. Much pooled between her legs, in her modest chest, but the growing heat always felt wonderful. Her lips parted, not realizing it, as the seductive, slight crackle of her voice leaked out, as though she were speaking fire from her tongue. If he knew Infernal, he'd realize the words, another suggestion, command, that amounted to taste it all... and she spoke it as if she had the forked, slit tongue of a native of the planes of hell.
 
"Ah, I heard that!" Aelius chirped practically, flexing his tail as he observed her prowling in such a feline and heated manner. The look she gave him could maybe best be described as incredulous, but Aelius's look was totally genuine. The tiefling rarely lied, never if he could help it. He liked Tawny, truly he did. He didn't know her as well as the others, but that could change, couldn't it? Things could turn around for all of them, Aelius told himself. "I mean it!" He said with a disarming laugh. "Look, people who lust a lot? I can't deny I'm one of them. But I know my place here!" He said slyly before he leaned his shoulders back.

"Wellll...I like that...I'm not sure any of us are the settling type. I actually like that...a lot. Proving ourselves, moving forward," he looked as she undid her top, continuing on. "Adventures and onward, hm? I admit, from the times we've seen one another in the past, well...I kind of had a feeling that was the goal. WHo needs grand? Sometimes it's enough to greet the new day." He couldn't help but admire the muscled body underneath her top, happy she trusted him. "...I respect you," he added, slightly seriously. "Varrik does. Adrian does. Luc does. That's important."

The mention of the devil made his sunniness vanish for just a moment. "...Yes. I would appreciate if you could, well, kick that ass once or twice," he said. The subdued demeanor didn't last, the smile spreading back. "I think Zafah is...considerably better than she knows....or lets herself realize. But then, that can apply to a lot of people. A friend of mine told me that once...helped me break away from something as well." He closed his eyes, his smile slowly spreading over his face. "...It's nice. To go on. Sometimes that's hard."

Varrik smirked as he felt the jerk of Zafah's body under his mouth. Her body was quivering, her muscles shuddering. He was savoring the unique flavor to her body, finding how much he liked it. He was coaxing the pleasure from her body, his tongue touching her clit delicately to loosen a borderline growl from her lips. The little ring made him grin all the moment. He decided to simply use his best judgement, setting his teeth to the piercing, then slightly harder to the clit itself. When facing a dilemma, he simply decided "Yes."

He leaned to the side, kissing, sucking, licking and biting all at once. She was managing in Infernal now and he was quite here for it, tasting every sweet drop she had.
 
Somehow it didn't surprise Tawny to hear the Wolves didn't settle. Perhaps one in ten did, and their one was a little elf who would be quite happy with a family of her own. She was slightly more surprised, in a pleased, good way, that he simply looked at the well toned body, and had an almost admiration. It looked, at least to Tawny's vision, less like he wanted to have his way with her, and more that he acknowledged the work that went into having a body like hers. Her tail flicked, and she felt the slight beginnings of a prideful purr building up, one that she swallowed.

The last thing she wanted was for the wolves to know she purred.

"Zafah has done some truly awful things in her life," said Tawny. "I think I've only heard half. And too often she forgets that her decision not to keep doing them makes her better than she was then." Going back over what he said, thinking on it, she thought she noticed something else. She glanced back at him, still unwilling to break from her watch.

"If... if you want to share, you can. The monks taught me to listen. If not, well," she shrugged, looking ahead, "they taught me to sit in silence." She waited only a moment, her nose wrinkled, tail flicking. "I hated that part."

"Mmn," came out of Zafah, another grunt, acknowledgement. A hiss as she felt the teeth around the metal. It would seep into him, a burning fire, obviously forged with the same magic that kept flowing through her. But just that little twist, that bite, sent a sharp, piercing note up into Zafah. It hit her just right: a strong, powerful lance of red hot pleasure, one that burned with just the right amount of fire. She tensed again, toes curling into her boots, hand gripping the earth. Her head lolled back, and she swallowed.

Her mouth moved, more sinful words pouring out: You do not stop. Bite harder. Tease my body and taste me, she was only dimly aware of her switch, the subtle acknowledgement that this is what she spoke when sexually excited, this part leaking out. Small gouts of harmless flame jetted from around her fingers, scorching a few blades of grass before fading; a warm gust of air wafted over them.

"Bite and pull," she said, before realizing it, switching into Common: "Bite the ring, and tug," she instructed, her breath coming increasingly fast. Getting someone to do this just right was always tricky. But now, she could already feel herself getting close, the stimulation there definitely enough to send her into orgasm. The lingering question was whether she'd just stop at one.
 
He could hear the beginning of a rumble in Tawny's throat that died quickly. He gave no indication he heard it, no chuckle, not quirked brow. He just smiled at Tawny and admired her muscles. he could appreciate just how hard she worked for a body like that. He could absolutely admire how attractive she was, but he didn't stare with forceful lust at her. Instead, his gaze was friendly.

And, hell, she purred. It was adorable! But don't tell HER that. "I know something about that. And forgetting what you've done to, well...make it better. It's not easy," he said, suddenly aware how much he was sharing. "I mean..." he shrugged helplessly. "It's not exactly a big secret. My family line has a history with infernalists...oh, you know, every so often, oen of us gets selected as their little pet, plaything, official demon summoner, that sort of thing...well, let's just say those make for poor boyfriends. It's a constant reminder of how little you matter. How much you do for others....how you don't have a will of your own. How even pain is just...something else to endure, through rituals, and everything else...until you meet a paladin and a warrior who see you as something more. First people to believe in you. Along with a half-elf former killer and a few others." Aelius exhaled softly. "No need to sit in silence. It's not really a very interesting story. But...I know. How she feels. A lot." He grinned again, shrugging slightly. "When they got me to Lathander's temple, it was because it was the closest one after those knives did their work. Must've been coincidence, right? but every night in that cell, from since I could remember, the one happy memory I had was watching the tiny sliver of the sunrise. Enough to make you believe, in the end...."

Zafah's groans, her growls were honestly spurring Varrik on. The flames poured into him and made him gasp, not having expected this. But fuck's sake, he adapted quickly. He bit again, slightly harder as he set his teeth there, while he buried his face between her legs. He had never, he thought, been this into eating a woman out like this.

He felt heat from above, grabbing her thighs to keep them pulled apart. He feasted, ate, drank, devoured, bit again at her as he licked furiously into her, before his teeth seized the piercing and he pulled obediently. He didn't wait for a command there after he had released it. He did it, seizing it and tugging again while she was cumming,.

And then did it a third time.
 
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Once again, the monk lapsed into silence. She prowled only for the first few moments of his story, the nervous energy forcing her to remain in motion. But she seemed to wind down as he continued. Infernalists; she'd heard of them of course. Heard more than she'd like, with having Zafah as a friend and oft-times lover. And she certainly agreed with his assessment on one thing: they made for very poor boyfriends. There was a stark difference though, and one that Tawny wasn't about to bring up. Aelius had been tricked, coerced, possibly handed to this devil. A family thing, an offering.

Zafah hadn't just picked it. She'd walked in, open arms, asked for it, for power, and relished in it after it had been given. You could argue Zafah's life left her little choice: street raised, doing what it took, but they all knew it was an excuse. The thrill had been there, the joy of power and putting yourself above everybody else, because fuck them. Tawny could still remember Zafah confessing those exact words, her fried voice sounding sorrowful, but in a wistful way, like some part of her craved it still.

"In this world? I'm not sure coincidence is a thing," offered Tawny after he'd finished, waiting only another moment to make sure he had truly done so. She thought a moment. "For me... it's always been about improving. Showing yourself the master over your instincts, your base drives. That may be the cat, or just the same impulses we all got. Or it may be the cult that raised you, or the demonic lover you still crave. Pushing beyond that," she extended a hand, "fighting to be better. That's the important bit. Least that's what I think. Ask Nia if you want philosophy," she let out a wry laugh. "I sucked at that too."

Her tail flicked, and she looked into the night, focusing. She could just hear the slight chanting of a familiar sultry voice in Infernal, taut, tensed.

So much was internal with Zafah. She could feel it broiling, heat spreading its familiar sinful fire throughout her body, inflaming her veins. Teeth went back, seized. The pain cut through the molten haze, sliced deep into her. She relished in the sharp lance, body tensing, a low hiss escaping around her mouth, little flames spurting up around her as the magic continued to roll a little wild.

Another shift, licking, teasing, stoking the flames. Zafah felt the tension starting to build even before her command, before teeth returned to it, pulling her most sensitive flesh taut. While she begrudged the asshole many things, she never begrudged him this little pleasure he'd permanently grafted her. The metal went cool for a moment amid the heat, the tension of pulling drawing her flesh up for a moment. Another sharp spike of pain mixed with the pleasure.

Zafah's body stiffened. It jerked around him, thighs clasping together, holding his head more or less in place. She could feel the burst, the primal joy singing its siren song into her body. everything tensed as she drew inward, letting out a sharp grunt, another hiss of pleasure leaking out from around her as she released a bit more of her self and the borrowed power around her. More harmless flames flared: moments, bursts of heat, nothing more. Her body tensed underneath him. Sex moved, jostled---

--spike. She let out a grunt, twisting against his body as he pulled again. Had she told him to do that? Had he learned? Or was he trying to punish her? She didn't fucking care. It sent another of those painfully delicious spikes into her body, arching, another orgasm. The ring often was like that, just a tug, particularly when worked up, and cooled metal---

---spike. Fuck she hissed out in Infernal, the word taking on different meanings. The third in a hurry mixed far more of the pain than the pleasure, her body tensing, her clit feeling it. Stop! she hissed, hearing it, before realizing: "Stop!" she gave him a yank. Not yelling, just determined. She'd pull his head off her, yanking on his hands, and push a little back, shivering, thighs in particular quivering.
 
Aelius was recognizing he had perhaps shared more than he intended, even with someone he considered a partner now. The Tiefling was also trying not to perpetuate any unfortunate stereotypes about Tieflings at the moment. The tiefling flicked his tail behind him, not minding Tawny's restless energy at all. He actually expected it and it made for a very active audience, though...albeit, he was being mute on several things, namely how much he had been taught to even enjoy what had occurred at times. Something he still lingered with and something he shared with the rest of the Wolves. Aelius could only imagine how hard it was for Zafah at times, giving him a new sympathy for the warlock...

Aelis beckoned Tawny to continue, his smile growing at what she said. "Well, that fits with all of us, doesn't it? Me, Var, ade and Luc alike...all impulses we push against. Oh, as for philosophy, you did a remarkably decent job! That was positively inspirational!" He said, hands behind his back. "Actually, it's...similar to things I've heard from my own crew before. And from those no longer with us. Not giving yourself enough cred- " he could recognize Infernal when he heard it, being quite fluent in it. "Hmmm..." He tried not to make that awkward. "Still, you have one thing people have that others don't, in addition to discipline; a wonderful tail! Even if mine IS better." He walked over to give Tawny a playful wink at it, flashing sharp teeth again in that grin of his.

It was at the same time Adrian had walked back, still considering how poor a job he'd done and wanting to try to make it right...his first place he went was for Felicity, checking to see if the Tiefling was actually asleep, trying to find the proper words. He'd met Luc's gaze upon his return, the Paladin only feigning sleep of his own...but Luc, having already guessed something was up had given Adrian a clear look, without words needing it:

Fix it. That was an order.

Varrik could, for his part, feel Zafah's heat, burning as his tongue and teeth did their work. He could tell she liked a spot of pain with her passion and thankfully, Varrik enjoyed giving it within consenting bounds. He lost himself in her scent and taste, sinking in his teeth as fires seeped into every pore of his very being. He panted slightly, more excited than he'd been in quite a while. He kept her thighs pulled apart, hearing Zaffah groan, hearing the noises of his tongue sliding along her wet sex.

He could feel bursts of flame...this was perhaps not overly conducive to stealth and remaining on the down low here...but hell, he didn't care at the moment. He didn't so much coax her pleasure out as seize it and pull it from her with the tug to the ring below. The way he sent flames through her made something coil passionately within him. Hungrily he went down on her, ravenous to make her cum. She moaned something in passion, before-

Stop. She was pushing him back, ordering him to end it. He was pausing there, wanting to continue but...

Consent had been revoked. The rule there was STOP. So he did. He looked up at her, without resentment or confusion. "You alright?"
 
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What did she have that others lacked? Tawny tilted her head, curious, wondering if there was something she should be emphasizing more, continuing to build upon .Only to have him lift up his own tail. She had to snort at that, covering her mouth a little. She swallowed, straightening and nodding. "I think mine is cuter, but yours is more useful," she offered, flicking her own, "so maybe we should trade," she smiled at the joke ,but turned as she saw Adrian coming. The smile fell in that instant, and her eyes narrowed. Ears flattened slightly, the tail swishing turning irritated, almost spastic.

"Let her sleep," she said, canting her head slightly. Adrian was lucky that Felicity hadn't told the rest what he'd said to her. In this case, he was really fucking lucky, as Tawny was already a bundle of nervous, edgy energy. "She flops out quick, but takes forever to wake up," she gave Aelius a knowing smile. There was no way he hadn't realized that in the morning. She looked back. "Unless we need a thief for something?" Then Tawny would return the favor Felicity had earlier and wake her. Quite probably the exact same way.

At least Felicity's tail wasn't attached to an extra erogenous zone.

Fuck, this felt good and wrong in almost the perfect mixture. Zafah slumped back, not sure if she was relieved or pissed that Varrik had actually listened to her. Her thighs still trembled slightly, and she turned, seeing some of the small fires. Sighing, she patted them down, recognizing it for what it was. She plucked a singed blade of grass, looking it, feeling the arcane energies bubbling up inside her. it fell slowly from her hands, and she rubbed her fingers.

That one dark eye turned to him, blinking away some of the extra devilish taint. "Better than, actually," she rolled, patting for her pouch, digging out a familiar packet. "The ring's a little gift from the asshole. He knew I get off on a little pain in the mix, and he wanted to pretty much give me an orgasm lever," she flicked out a smoke. When she moved to light it, the flames flared, nearly burning her face. She smirked down at him, waving the last singes from her fingertips. "He wasn't an asshole all the time. I'm not that much of a masochist," she inhaled the smoke, blowing it out slightly.

"Figured I'd cut that off, answer the questions and all," she said, shrugging. She raised her hips, pulling up her panties slightly. "You're not bad, by the way. case you were wondering. Not as good as the Yuan-ti or the Marilith," the smile let him guess whether she was fucking with him or she'd gotten oral from snake people. Knowing Zafah? Probably both.
 
Aelius positively beamed at getting a laugh out of Tawny. One of his chief abilities, maybe even chief weapons, was to have a joke at almost every opportunity. It did wonders for cutting tension and assisting others...shame that Adrian and Luc had not mastered the art as he had. Varrik...well, his friend and occasional lover did know his way around sarcasm and humor, but Aelius had a way about it. "I can hardly deny yours is adorable," he said cheerfully. "Oh, perhaps I could compose a poem to it! But then again, I also have a lovely pair of horns...granted, you have impeccably formed ears there! And I can see how much training you've done to get such a body there!" Were they actually bonding now? Aelius was delighted to see it...all this tension...

He wasn't even remotely upset about Zafah's earlier nastiness to him. Why would anyone hold grudges? He looked over to see Adrian near Felicity, recognizing instantly...something had happened. Adrian was not like this usually. Aelius frowned softly to himself, putting things slightly together and clicking his tongue behind pointed teeth. AH, he thought. Lathander's burning eyes, did he have to do everything about this? He saw Tawny looking at him. "I have...no idea what you mean, madam!"

"...I've just...gotta talk to her," Adrian said simply. "It's...important. If it's gotta wait till morning, but...I really should. Sooner than later..." he looked torn on waking her or not." He glanced up at Tawny, seeing her toned figured and the half-orc gave an approving nod. "Looks like you've been through good training. Strong." He said with approval.

Well...Zafah had warned Varrik he wasn't getting a favor returned. The half-elf settled to that, with Zafah's sex still in front of him, her body shivering and shaking while he remained there. This would not be a taste he forgot anytime soon. Damn, that passion, that fire. "I mean, I kinda figured that much. It had an effect on me with it." He didn't make mention of her sex, ignoring as the smoke touched him.

"If I'm gonna be honest with ya, Zaf? I wasn't gonna ask. Your secrets are yours, your body's yours. I'm not prying into one where I'm unwelcome anymore than I am to the other. Thanks there, by the by." he added on the latter, grinning at her. "...And you're not bad, either. In fact, I think you're way better than you give yourself credit for." He had a hell of a hard-on at the moment, something he was doing his best to ignore. "Ain't saying you're wrong about...anything, ain't here to try to over-analyze you. But..." He grnned and shrugged. "...You're pretty cool, y'know?"
 
"Please don't," managed Tawny, referencing the poem. The last thing she wanted was to hear an ode to her tail. She was just thankful that nobody had put it into Felicity's head that she might be a bard, because the tiefling would be way too good at it and probably make everyone's lives miserable, particularly Tawny's. She did have to smile at the rest of the compliment, tail flicking contently. She probably would've responded back, but Adrian was there.

Tawny didn't know the details, but she'd sensed the tension there with the entire rest of her team. However, he'd done nothing to her, so she kept her expression neutral, everything even. Talk, important but not dire. Tawny considered, half ignoring the muddled through compliment. Yeah, yeah, she got it: she had lots of muscles. She traveled with Felicity; she heard that all the time. There was definitely something here though. Shouldn't Adrian want to talk to Nia? Or had Felicity made some move on him?

It bugged her that she didn't know, but she also didn't quite want to pry .Her team would come to her if they needed support; she'd kick anyone's ass for any of them, no questions asked (had it already come up? This was the problem with her cat-brain sometimes). She seemed to realize that she'd been too in her head there. "She wakes up late," she offered. "If you want, you can have the job. The Renegades certainly don't want it," she shrugged. Technically Nia would do it most of the time, and this was Nia: she'd never complain. They were friends for the weirdest of reasons: Tawny and Zafah often had to go off and fuck to keep Tawny under control, which meant that the two had to keep each other entertained. Once it became evident that Nia saw herself fully as a woman, to the extent that she had no desire to have her clit sucked or slide it inside anyone, they'd had little choice but to get close.

They were called Renegades for a reason: they were all kinds of fucked up.

Zafah snorted at the first, but allowed herself that smirk. Her eye flicked down, and there was a small moment of pity for the guy. Oh, it wasn't enough to throw him a bone: she had not been kidding. She didn't suck a guy unless she was super in the mood or she was getting something for it, and she didn't want dick inside her right now. "Eh, just wanted to---" she gestured, "give a big picture, I guess." She shrugged, looking at the various spots of ash. She almost wanted to ask if she'd singed the half-elf, but she didn't feel like going there.

You're pretty cool, y'know? "He says, sporting a hard-on and a look of hope," she said. She let out a dry laugh, turning to cough a little. "Keep hopin'. You could probably wake up Felicity with that thing. Or ask Nia," she looked skyward, "she's probably coming out of the Trance soonish," fuck, that meant over half the night was gone. Shit, Zafah would actually need some sleep. She awkwardly got to her feet, tugging her panties fully on, then pulling up her pants.
 
Aelius was barely listening, his mind wandering. "Tawny, Tawny, Monk with muscle, watch her on her mercenary hustle..." he rubbed his chin. "Hm, it's a start." He cut himself off, snapping his fingers before he looked to Tawny excitedly. "Imagine a chronicle about us all one day!" He added, before he glanced at his companion. From behind Tawny's back...well, Adrian could be read like a book to the Tiefling. Out of Tawny's line of sight, Aelius folded his arms and gave him a look.

Adrian was not someone who admitted fault easily, or backed down. With Aelius looking at him so ferociously, with a stern glower...well. He didn't show it, but it made him wilt, maybe even harder than Luc did. Adrian, on the other hand, was glancing to Tawny, trying not to alert her anything was up yet.Things with Nia were awkward enough as it was now. Aelius drummed his tail upon the ground, having had a lovely time with what he considered to be a brand new friend.

The Wolves could be dysfunctional, but they were a team and family as well. Estranged or no, and Aelius viewed it as his job to keep it that way. Friends, occasional lovers in spaces...and Aelius was the conciliator. That extended to other groups as well. Adrian nodded firmly at the offer. "I'll take it," he said. "Keep by. I wake up early. I'll talk with her," he said simply. He hadn't even meant to try to flatter Tawny with the comment. He liked and recognized strength.

Varrik wasn't really expecting anything. The hard on was a reaction of the body, a natural thing right now. Zafah had made the bounds clear before they started and, well...Varrik didn't really care to break boundaries. Besides, if it helped to lighten her mood and diffuse some tension? And he had just, well...enjoyed eating her out. He'd take care of himself later. "Hey, I hear you. Big picture," he said airily. The grin spread over his face a bit.

"Savin' hope for another time. Look, one thing I like about you, Zaf? You're honest. Blunt as a fuckin' frost giant's mallet, but you're up front. Told me right from the get go, no returning the favor or anything. Sure, not gonna deny eating you out is fucking exciting and no way in Mask's black temples could I do it and not get hard as a dragon's fang. But I'm not about to try to alter the terms of what that was." He gave her a smile, suddenly genuine.

"I ain't saying it trying to get you to pull off those panties or return the favor or any bullshit right now." He pulled his cloak back up. "Speaking as someone who's made his share of fuckups to another..." he gave a shrug. "Being hard on yourself is easy. Sometimes seeing the good spots in you is harder. So, without any ulterior motive at the moment, if you wanna eldritch blast me for overstepping, go for it. But I'm gonna say it: You're pretty fucking cool, Zaf."
 
A start? That wasn't a start. That wasn't even a "sta-" and Tawny was almost tempted to say as much. She probably would've, but she had Adrian to deal with now. And why was Aelius glaring? This obviously had something to do with Adrian's earlier awkwardness and some of what had been said. What all had Tawny missed?

"Right, glad you'll... take it?" she still wasn't quite sure what was going on. Hadn't she promised to kick Adrian's ass for something? Was it something involving Nia? That girl did have this oh so fun tendency to fall in love at the drop of a pin. So maybe it was that?

Tawny's tail twitched in irritation, her ears following suit. Stupid short-term cat memory... or maybe she'd just not been paying close enough attention? She should keep a closer eye out, particularly on the more vulnerable members.

Was it getting close to the time to wake Nia up? Well, probably be less waking and more inform her she should stop brushing her hair and just come out. Honestly, Tawny did not understand the elf's fascination with keeping up her appearance like that. Then again, she supposed it was sort of like training, preparing yourself for who you wanted to be and all.

Big picture? Yeah, that sounded more or less right, right? Zafah shrugged, not sure what else she could really add. Sometimes she overshared, like she was testing, pushing, seeing what she could get people to do, how they'd react. Sometimes for shits and giggles... okay, most times for that.

The compliment was longwinded, a little roundabout, but genuine. Zafah looked at him for a while, first just to let him talk it all out, then to wait and see if she'd actually finished. She did take a few more puffs of her smoke, before kicking it out in the night, watching the spiral of flame spin, then sputter out. She blew the smoke out again.

"Yeah, I guess," she offered, shrugging. She nodded to him, then headed back to camp. "Still want to get some fucking sleep. Double-watches suck. Need to remember," she paused to yawn, "to yell at a tiefling in the morning."
 
Aelius was pondering if the poem could be elaborated, perhaps if 'Moody' could rhyme with 'Feline Beauty.' He was pondering it a touch, but also deciding not to open his mouth and create more issues where there didn't need to be any. Well, at least he had enjoyed Tawny's company. Still, looking at his comrade told him there was quite a bit going on and evidently Adrian was going for a chance to speak with Felicity. The Tiefling considered this to himself, hoping Varrik was holding up well-

Hell, he'd heard the noises, probably better than well. He hoped Zafah was doing alright then. Aelius liked her, acid tongue and all. Sure, if looks could kill, he would be deader than if he was snapped down by Dendar the Night Serpent, but there was a nice quality to her. Hell, when he thought about it, Aelius liked all the Renegades. Okay, Aelius didn't dislike most people, but...Tawny was a brawny delight (okay, he'd have to remember that one for a poem), Zafah was....Zafah, Felicity was was Felicity and Nia...

Well, Nia was just delightful and sweet, purely a good individual who only wanted to be herself, live her life and live happily ever after. How could the Cleric of the sun god not want that for her?

"I'll take it," Adrian said, looking at Tawny calmly. The muscles were admirable, but confusion had taken the place of belligerence. He wasn't really in the mood for anymore fighting now, either, having watsed it all on the wrong fights....still, he thought briefly of Nia and... "Aels, Luc's watch up soon with Nia?"

"That would be correct. Luc's a light sleeper," Aelius said. "If he's still abed, you can rouse him soon." He looked at Tawny.

"Think you might manage some sleep with all that energy? We may need it for any coming fights. I'm having the idea it won't be long till we have a fight."

"Hm. What'd Aels do to provoke that," Varrik asked with the quirk of an eyebrow. He didn't push her on anything, didn't try to overstep his bounds. He just folded his hands in his pockets, just watching her. "Actually, don't tell me. Whatever it was, his ass deserved it and more. Let's go get some sleep."
 
Yes, there was something going on there, something that Tawny just wasn't quite remembering correctly. She'd figure it out later; the Renegades probably needed an all girl talk, figure out what was being said and what all they should really tell the boys before things went forward. Put all that shit out in the open, as a certain half-elf would say. For now, Tawny just rubbed at the back of her head, allowing herself a slight yawn.

Which apparently meant Aelius should talk right then. "Eaah ah can," she managed, mouth lowering, "anyway, yes, I'll be fine. I'm..." she gave a little smile, tail twitching, "pretty good at naps," she gave a nod, before moving to Nia's tent. She lightly tapped the door, not at all surprised to see the pretty feminine face coming out. Tawny nodded, tilting her head back toward the watch area, before padding back over to the bedroom she'd been on.

The monk actually circled a few times, seeming to find a good spot, before collapsing down, sprawling her body out, as if she'd just dumped all that loose energy into the air. The shifts meant that her already loose clothes started to roll free, and the monk seemed to realize this. Sleepily, she tugged her shirt almost free, and the pants halfway down, not quite stripping naked, but definitely showing more than a lot of females would be comfortable showing. And all her undergarments clung beautifully to the well muscled frame beneath.

Nia noticed, glancing over and flushing. She'd already changed into a set of robes, a lighter set of elfish chain hanging over atop it, helping to amplify her body. The long hair had been twisted up out of the way into an intricate sort of flip, strands of it fanning out behind her, almost looking like a sunrise of gold. She walked delicately, smiling at everyone, though it slid slightly as she saw Adrian still up.

Zafah, who walked in at about that time, was a little less... friendly. her eye narrowed, and her fingers twitched as if she suddenly had another craving. She twisted back though: "Wrong tiefling!" she offered Varrik, hopefully making that a little clearer. That settled, she gave Aelius a tired nod, Nia a tired little wave, and Adrian a rude gesture. If he tried to talk, he'd get a very curt: "Not the fuck now: I haven't slept yet, and I don't wanna lose my buzz," before she opted to crawl into the tent Nia had left open, only pausing for a bit to look back out at Nia. "Really? Did you use hair oils?"

Nia flushed a little, hand rising. "Um, it was being---I wanted to get it--" but Zafah was already grumpily getting to sleep. Nia looked to the others, shrugged, and moved to sort of tidy their camp a little, probably getting things ready for something of a breakfast. It looked like several of the party would need it, judging by how Tawny twitched, Felicity snored, and Zaf... looked like hell, actually.
 
Adrian was not looking forward to talks of his own...still, he knew he could rely on the others to at least give it to him straight. That mattered a great deal...it was good to have friends who could tell you when you were being an idiot. And from how Luc and Aelius had told him as much with his looks...the half-orc was determined to put it right, best as he could.. Aelius was letting his gaze run back to Tawny, smiling graciously. "I'll let the obvious jest about naps go unsaid!" He said as he waved to Tawny. "And fare thee well, sweet warrior! Rest well and don't forget to take care of that lovely tail!"

He centered his gaze on Adrian. "You know, Ade. Part of the purpose of watch is...actually getting rest?" He said as Tawny moved off. "Now why would you want to speak to Fels...? Never mind, I already figured it out. Do that again, I'll crack you in the kneecap with my mace. I can heal you from it. So just try me."

"Isn't wanton violence against your religion?"

"Oh, I have a feeling Lathander won't begrudge me this one. At any rate...have a talk with Felicity when she's up. I'm not going to tell you what to do. You made the mess, you figure it out. Luc and the rest...." Aelius just gestured. "He'll be fine, we'll be fine, and we're doing this so they'll be fine. Understood? Just make sure he's alright when..." Aelius looked upward. "This close to the moon...it actually worries me a bit he's not more restless...You remember how it went in Ravenloft."

"I remember, Aels," Adrian said as he headed back. He looked at Nia, debating if he should say anything, before...he raised a hand. "Hey, Nia..." He said quietly. "You're doing okay?"

Luc was arriving, quickly defusing the situation while Aelius yawned. "I'm going to head off now...good night, everyone!" He smiled and bowed graciously to Nia. "And you, my dear lady...please try not to light the night too much with your radiance!"

Lucian shook his head, grabbing Aelius by the horn and giving him a light shove off in the direction of the camp. "Will SOME of you get some sleep? Varrik, if you say any word about Mask, I'm going to smite you. Adrian, just...whatever, right now. Aelius?"

It wasn't long before Luc ushered them off...leaving him alone with Nia. "So, umm..." He smiled at her. "You look very nice. The hair...it suits you, I mean!"
 
Did... did they not realize that Nia was awake? She stood there, feeling more and more awkward by the passing moment, almost wanting to just sidle into the fire. She told herself to just keep focusing on the cooking and prepping and cleaning and all. But... but surely they realized she was there, right? And that she had elfish hearing? Like, even if she wasn't right there, standing among them, she'd probably be hearing everything, as she'd been awake for the better part of an hour and a half now. There were bits about the moon and something involving Felicity and Ravenloft.

Oh, look, they realized she was there. "Um, I'm fine, really?" she offered, more nervous about the whole awkwardness of having stood there while they had a moderately private conversation. At least Luc was back, essentially dismissing someone. She thought she saw Zafah crawling into the tent or something, and there was Varrik and---- Did nobody sleep but her? Well, her and Felicity, who's oddly cute noises could be heard, and probably Tawny, who could catnap through just about anything.

"I'll see you all in a few hours?" offered Nia, wiggling fingers. "Or maybe we should let them rest more?" this she posited toward Luc, giving him a slightly abashed smile, as if she were the mother of all these unruly children. That was, however, before he complimented her. "oh, ah, thank you,' she managed, drawing back a little, flushing. Her hand went to her hair, seeming to realize that she probably shouldn't touch it. That was always a problem with her hair up like this, and why there was inevitably a strand that fell down.

She tried just folding her hands together, like she was about to say a prayer or something. "Ah, you look... nice yourself. Very, ah, martial?" she flushed ,looking away, hands fluttering again for a few moments. "Um, I was, ah, just, um, going to, ah, sort of, get things... ready ... for breakfast?" She gestured around the area, as if there were obvious hints toward breakfast around.
 
Lucian was focusing more on Nia, realizing it was...rather rude not to involve her in any conversations. so he gave her the best smile he could muster on things, disregarding the others from his thoughts. Zafah was heading off...and then the others were gone. Varrik...well, he was probably, well...Luc rolled his eyes a bit. Served him just right for all that. At least Zafah, presumably, had a nice time. "So...you and me, Nia?" He asked, gesturing over to the small area where those on watch had been sitting

Or in the case of Tawny, had been previously prowling. "See everyone in a few hours indeed!" He added while hearing Felicity's little mewling noises. Adrian was staying close by to ensure he caught her at waking, while Aelius slipped in close to whisper into Felicity's ear, something related to his cock and the sweet dreams she should have about it that they would make into reality together but he slipped off. Luc decided to let that go, attention on Nia.

"I think with everything...a few hours will be fine. I doubt anyone will remain down too long," he said to Nia as he walked over to her. His smile was warm and friendly, seeing her almost pat at her hair. "Your hair really is nice!" He repeated, seeing how hard she must have worked on it. At the idea of looking 'martial,' he actually laughed happily at that. "Why, thank you!" He said. His armor was off for better comfort, his sword nearby. Under the armor Luc was rather muscled, similar to Adrian is height and built, though the half-orc was slightly more built. Luc stretched a bit, working out his limbs. "What did you have in mind for breakfast?" He asked. "Matter of fact, I could assist, if you like? I used to cook in the temple. Master Kathon used to say a Paladin who didn't know how to cook was never truly armed.....plus, it helps with this lot. Aelius has...many virtues, but that Tiefling and his culinary tastes..." Lucian shook his head. Adrian barely knew what spices were and Aelius...well, the less said of Aelius's favored foods, the better. At least Varrik had a functional palette.

"We're on watch together, we might as well spend some time together," Luc said, his usual cheery and nice self....while also trying not to bring up Adrian overmuch by her.
 
The only signs from any of the slumbering Renegades was a soft coo leaving Felicity's lips after having the sweet whispers of delicious cock drizzled into her ear. Besides that, the rest were in varying degrees of rest/slumber, though it was debatable whether or not Zafah was actually sleeping, or laying there letting her mind wander and do too much thinking. She'd often said there were times she wished she possessed the ability to trance.

Nia, however, remained wide awake. She wasn't entirely sure about the others waking up so early: she knew Felicity would protest; Zafah wouldn't, but she'd feel it; Tawny would be okay; with the Wolves.... hadn't Aelius and Varrik both been up most of the night? That didn't sound conducive to what lay ahead to her. But she supposed she could always just heal them up, use some spells to shore things. And hopefully Aelius remembered to play.

Right, time to focus on the matter at hand. "I, ah, usually make some various oats with a few fruits and spices," she said. "We, um, also have some dried fish somewhere. Tawny likes it, um, because---" she gestured, and obviously looked like she didn't want to point out the obvious, but also knew that, well, that was the obvious answer. The gesture just ended lamely, her hand patting against her leg a few times. "But you could certainly help," she nodded toward Tawny's pack. "There's some dried fruits in there. I'll need to restore them a little, so getting some water ready and the like," she started moving about, obviously comfortable, no, confident in the almost homey task.

Indeed, after a little bit, she started humming a cheery song with a decidedly elfish bent to it, seemingly not even noticing she was doing so.
 
The Wolves had settled to rest, most needing only a few hours...Adrian remained nearby, a very light sleeper, while Aelius would wake with the first light of the sun. Varrik was...well, simply sleeping so lightly that a mouse running nearby might have caused him to snap awake. Luc, for his part was liking the darkest hours of night before it gave way to dawn. Luc gave Nia a reassuring look as if reading her mind.

"We all had a chance to rest previously," he explained to her. "A few hours and they'll be alright for tomorrow. We've gone into battle without much sleep before, just have to keep energy up. Thankfully, all had trained on little sleep and with emotions high...well, Aelius might have expended some energy, but still. At least the cleric could handle this well, with his ample skills.

Luc was already retrieving a pack of provisions, both his party and Nia's own. "You know, given this is a special occasion, we should probably make sure everyone has a good breakfast," he offered to the cleric, giving a soft laugh at the notion of the one with feline blood enjoying fish so much. "I'll be more than happy to assist, Nia." He rubbed his chin as he got the fruits and oats. "We have some biscuits as well...some good bacon still. How would oats with fruit along with biscuits and bacon...and maybe some sweet cream? We have the bowls there." Luc looked slightly enthusiastic when things had to do with good food. "If Tawny likes fish...I do make a good stew for that," he glanced to see Nia working...while the humming was certainly comforting. He let that go on a while, not even trying any music himself.

"So...when all this is done," he said to Nia. "When this quest is finished, what are the first things you want to do?"
 
Well, Luc seemed pretty confident that he and his Wolves would be fine, and Nia supposed he would know better than her. But she was fairly certain that most of them were going to end up with two hours of sleep, possibly less. Then again, maybe they hadn't had it quite as bad coming back? The Renegades spent most of their time pushing through their mutual funks, and trying not to get too close to the smellier members of the group. Again, if nothing else, she still had a few spells she could spread among them.

Oh, Luc was willing to do more than just help, but to supply. Nia didn't know why she found that surprising: it really did make sense that they would be pooling resources. The additions made her consider. "Hm, that does sound like it would go well, but we can't really, ah, mix the bacon in with the rest of it? Some of us don't really eat bacon and meats like that," she said, flushing, which was pretty well a giveaway that "some of us" mostly meant "Niallel." "I don't know if we want to overdue it either," she knew she could use some of her rituals to help prepare the food, along with just having a fair bit of cooking know how. Moments like this made her wish they had a druid in the party; she'd heard excellent things about the spell "Goodberry."

She went to work, restoring and sorting, calmly preparing, losing herself in the task. In fact, she'd gotten so lost that she'd nearly missed the question. "Ah, what? Oh, that's easy," she said, with a light laugh, "um, well, ah, I mean, it's easy, but, um, not quite, ah, as easy to... to share," she bit her lip a little. "Um, well, I mean, the first thing is, um, to get, ah, the um, true polymorph spell," she almost mumbled the last bit, focusing a lot on the prep for a few moments. "Then I really want to, like, um, go clothes shopping, spend some time with the girls,' she let out a giggle that Felicity probably would've been proud of, "Zafah and even Tawny agreed to buy dresses together with me," she flushed slightly pink, "and then we're going to probably have tea and go to a salon, ending at this dance hall, where I'll be the prettiest girl there," she sighed for a moment.

"Oh, ah, um, that's, err, it's, ah, sort of selfish, but, I mean, we do, um, want to stop the gnolls, and, ah, to, um, make sure the relic is...is restored," she managed, flushing again. "Put the bacon in this pot," she pointed, "and we'll make another without it," she pointed to another, before almost laughing. "We really should've checked to see if we had extra gear. Between the eight of us, we're probably carrying enough camping gear for fifteen."
 
Luc for his part was indeed confident the Wolves would hold up well. They were sturdy and used to going without sleep as per their training. Still, there had been a great deal of emotions running hot and cold alike, making him simply long for a bed and a few hours worth of sleep. He wouldn't even mind Zafah snapping at him a bit, at least that would be a comforting familiarity. Plus, he had a feeling he'd need to reckon with Felicity's lusts eventually. He didn't mention it, but the presence of the moon helped to imbue him with extra energy, lending a new stamina for him

And right now? He wanted to cook. . "...Oh, no meats!" He said, thinking for a moment, before he snapped his fingers and dug through his packs. "Alright, forget the bacon! Biscuits with jam and cream then! Where did Aelius put those provisions...yes, right here!" He said, switching gears without complaint. "If you still eat fish, I'll handle that stew....enough for a small portion for everyone, with all essential food groups..." He tempered his enthusiasm a bit, just as he began to assist Nia with sorting, happy to simply not be idle.

"What kind of dresses do you like?" Luc asked, suddenly rather intrigued by this. In fact, he felt his heart warming. Some people wanted gold or riches or fame...Nia's desires were so pure and simple...so much so that even Zafah had offered to go to buy dresses with her. Granted he was having trouble picturing Tawny or Zafah in any gowns. "Well, I'm sure you already are the prettiest girl at the dance hall," he said happily, wanting to help boost her confidence, too. "but...I like that goal, in fact! It's so...well...nice," he said, before he gathered the bacon and set it to the pot, helping to divide food... "You'll like the jam and cream. Aels makes the jam himself, in fact!" He chuckled at the rest. "Well, you know! Always be prepared!" He was enjoying the shy elf cleric's company now. "Perhaps when this's done, too...we can all treat ourselves to a luxury meal as well to celebrate...and the gnolls being handled..."
 
Nia shook her head. "Nope, I can't really, um, digest them all that well," she gave him an almost apologetic smile, as if it were her fault that she had a delicate elfish pallet. She was more than willing to leave the stew to him: Tawny said she always made it too light anyway, and it was likely to be mostly eaten by the half-tabaxi. "Make a lot of stew," Nia said on remembering that little fact, giving Luc a quick look to tell him she was serious.

Then back to considering nicer things. "I like it when they've got lace and are light and flowing. The sort that show off my figure without being too crass about it. Um, mostly elfish stuff, which I know sounds bad, but I've seen some great dresses that humans make too. oh, did you know that the dark elves make them out of spidersilk? I'd love one of those, but they fade away in the sun," she was almost beaming now, reaching up to move her hair, starting to knock loose a golden strand.

"Well, I don't know about prettiest," she let out a light laugh, almost musical, "but Felicity promised to get a dress that would make her look more cute than anything, so probably with bows or something ridiculous, and we all agreed that there was no way Zafah would ever be pretty," she looked serious, holding up a finger, "because she's sexy, and Tawny's beautiful, and that way we all got our own adjective that works,' she let out another laugh, "but we also thought that, um, what was the word Felicity used... jacked worked for Tawny. Zafah said beefy..." she let out another near giggle, "and I suggested robust."

Those deft hands never slowed, and she organized and got water together, weaving blessings into the food with some rituals and cantrips, even helping Luc a time or two. "I like the idea of us sharing a meal together. When we're not all stressed out or squabbling about who's sleeping with who," she sighed, "Honestly, sometimes it feels like people can be childre---" she paused, remembering her own rather childish reaction to Adrian's affections earlier, and flushed. "Well, ah, so, um, aaaah...." she definitely wanted to change the subject, but her brain stopped before getting all the way there.
 
"Don't you worry," Luc didn't seem to have any issues with diet. "I've got you covered, Nia," he said as he began to start on the stew, adding herbs, water and wish to ensure it would boil and flavor it well, stirring in some of their vegetables to give it a good consistency. He raised an eyebrow at that for Nia, before chuckling. "Happily. Hearty it is...." He added some fresh cream as well to ensure the stew was well favored. This was something of a specialty of his as well...and it was nice to collaborate a bit with Nia.

"LAce...light and flowing..." He made a mental note for that fact. "You have any preferences? Between human and elvish?" In fact, Luc had figured that dark elves from the Underdark made theirs from Spidersilk, but... "I'm told the Drow aren't much for sharing. Actually, the ones we've shown...not much by way of spider worship there," he said with a soft chuckle. "We had to bargain with a group of Vhaeraunites from House Jaelre...and then there was the time we had to work with the Eilistraeeans.." Speaking of dancing...he thought, granted there hadn't been many dresses. Or much of anything by way of clothing. "Your hair is very pretty," he said idly, not minding what came loose or not.

It was true. It wasn't just that Nia was pretty. Nia was...nice. She was extremely nice, sweet and supportive, with a gentle demeanor he appreciated. "Pretty is perhaps not the adjective I would apply to Zafah. Sexy does better," he laughed. "I can imagine Felicity in something...noble and elaborate. Tawny..." he paused briefly, looking at the stew. "Yes. Muscular. And very, very beautiful," he said, trying to purge his memories on that end. "...Though I like robust. It's very apt. Tawny is...yes, well, I hope she appreciates the stew." Best, he thought to try to move on there.

He gratefully accepted Nia's help, working all the while with her. "I enjoy this with you as well," he said, before noting her pause...and thinking quick, he remembered Felicity. "Do you like books as well? Poetry?"
 
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