the fae of the inne [open]

[Ferret]

When the activity inside the Inne increased, the various noises encouraged the minute body to stir in her makeshift bed and open her eyes. Above her was a darkness that her eyes failed to penetrate, beneath her was a solid wooden floor, but around her there were several furry pelts that radiated warmth and kept her all snuggled up and cosy. Yawning, she stretched out her limbs and strained with the movement before working her way out of the fuzzy pile; eliciting a few squeaks of protest as the family of mice that had taken her in during the storm the night before let her know that they weren't quite ready to move yet. Petting their heads absently, she wriggled away as they closed the gap behind her and she blindly made her way out of the mouse hole into the bright light of day, crawling across the floorboards until she was able to stand up to her full height - a lofty six inches - and stretch once again.

A brief fulgent light grew around her body as she lengthened her wings to work out the kinks, giving the leaf like protuberances a quick test shake before fluttering aloft like an orange groggy butterfly and taking the time to get her bearings and making a fae-line for the bar. She didn't notice much the night before, she had only operated on the information given her: that free room and board could be acquired by those who had signed up for a life of adventure with the Heart could be found here, and after being given a ring, insignia, borrowed a better sword and a change of clothes she had decided to wriggle in with the mice to help chase away the chill of the evenings harsh rain, and regroup in the morning.

Sure, she could have stayed in the taproom by the fire, but the mice were safer, softer, and didn't ask stupid questions.

"Aha!"

Alighting on the bar, she skipped over to whom she reckoned would be a likely bartender and smiled up at them, her light voice a bit sluggish given that she'd just woken up but still what you would expect from a fae of her stature.

"Good morning! Nice place you have here, very roomy, though don't people get lost? Anyway. You don't happen to have any aelfengrape tea on hand do you? Only I could murder a cup - just a little one - and its been simply weeks since I've had a taste."

She waited expectantly, and as soon as she was offered whatever passed for a suitably sized cup - thimble with the holes stoppered up maybe? - she would set to blowing the steam and sipping away as she sat cross legged on the bartop out of everyone's way.

[tesarikfive]

Well with Warren being there as often as he tended to be, just to visit with his friends who weren't from the North, he'd made a few of the mugs nice and fairy sized just for him....And others that were of his stature of course. He'd been here and there, out and about, roaming the lands and just doing the things that he did. But today he was at the inn, or more so just showing up.

He fluttered there just outside the door, still not having convinced Maria to instal a fae sized door to make it easier. But as soon as someone opened the door he darted right inside and gave a small smile and a sigh. Finally, he'd been out there for like....Minutes.

After a second to get a hold of the who's and whats that were there at the moment, but the second he spotted the normal sized person, another fae, sitting on the bar he beemed a wide smile and his little butt went to wiggling for just a second before wings sent him toward her in bullet like speed. A blur of fairy buzzing past a few heads just before he came to a skidding stop there in mid air just next to her and waved rather happily.

"Hello new friend!"

No, they hadn't met. Yes, she was already his friend. No, he wouldn't accept anything else. Why? Because she was a fairy, so she had to be his friend! A wide beaming smile on his face as he practicly wiggled there with joy. There were more faries around! Yay!

[Rhyldrin Ken'rae]

The opening of the door that the second fae, Warren, had used to enter the Inn was thanks to another short person of the realm; BOOMSWORTH! As always he was muttering to himself while his fingers moved a pencil vigirously over the blank pages found in the book currently acting as a home to his nose and eyes. "Too much sulfur....?" His words weren't to anyone specific and he hopped down the main step into the common room to make his way toward the bar.

Upon nearing the row of stools a loud pop followed by a "swiiiiish" erupted in the immediate area as Boomworth was sent into the air with two jets of flame erupting from beneath his boots. Landing with a thump, on his rump, upon the stool he didn't even miss a beat in the conversation he was having with himself or the notes he was taking. A loud growl filled their ears and caused him to break off in mid-sentence..... He was hungry and his stomach was telling him so.

Clearing his throat with a subtle hint of rose appearing on his chubby cheeks Boomsworth would place his pencil inside the book, close it and then rest it upon the flat bar in front of him. "The daily special if you please!" His words were slightly high, he was a gnome after all, very polite and most certainly clear and crisp... if not a little on the loud side. Twiddling his thumbs he would watch the tendress nod and make her way to the back, his gaze following her with a smile until they fell upon the pair of fae on the bar next to him.

"Oooooooh! What do we have here?" Soon they would see a massive eye peering at them from behind a magnifying glass that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, just mere centimeters from their tiny bodies. "Oooooo!"

[Ferret]

She would be grateful that the lady at the bar had some fae sized vessels for her tea: it was surprising of course, but it made things so much easier that she didn't think about it too much. At first, she was so intent on drinking her tea that she didn't notice the other fae whizz inside on the heels of someone else, not until he was almost right on top of her did she notice the disturbance in the air, and of course, the only voice in the room that didn't somehow sound unnaturally deep and booming.

Wait.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Another faerie?!

She narrowly avoided blasting him with a spray of tea as she performed a spit take, sitting there slack jawed for half a millisecond before she was wiping at her mouth with her cuff and buzzing around in a blur of autumnal leaves.

"Omg seriously? Seriously?! I haven't seen any kin since I left Kyngfeld months andmonthsandmonthsandDAYS ago! This is great! Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you here? What's your favourite color? Do you like berries? I like berries. What's the weather like outside? My name is Ferret!"

Spinning around him like a whirlygig, she finally came to a screeching halt midair and gently poked at his arm.

"You are BLUE! I have NEVER seen a blue fae before. All my family are shades of gold and brown and white. Wait wait .. are you cold? If you're cold, there's a family of mice just over there that make good blankets. I can vouch for them."

She'd wrinkle her nose and pick a strand of fur from her shirt before grinning broadly at the other fae. It was so weird being able to look at someone and see SOMEONE rather than just a massive head or hand or foot or eyeball or ...

Eyeball?

Turning her head slowly, she'd peek cautiously over her shoulder and finally come face to face with that glass shielded monstrosity. She stared at it, and it stared back. She blinked, and a massive eyelid closed over that ocean of blue.

She took a deep breath.

And screamed at the top of her little lungs.

"ITS A GARGANTUAN BEHOLDER! EVERYBODY FLY FOR YOUR LIVES!"

So intent on the new discovery that was Warren, she hadn't noticed Boomsworth set up a pew nearby, all she saw was a massive eyeball grow to enormous proportions thanks to that large magnifying glass! It didn't matter how brave she was, any normal person would feel a bit disturbed when greeted by an eyeball that big!

[HASH]brp

[tesarikfive]

He gave her a wide spread grin as he stood there as proud as one could be. Chest all puffed out and arms crossed there in pride at being a fairy, as well as seeing another of his kind right there. Being a fairy himself he had no trouble with turning, tilting, and spinning on his heals to keep up with her buzzing and darting about, all the while smiling away to her bombardment of questions. Something he was rather used to, and often did himself, so nothing new to him.

"I'm Warren! I come from the mountians in the North, to poke many things in the eyes and play games! Oh..Ohohoh BLUE! And berries are good, but honey is better!"

As for the weather, well he didn't get the chance to get to that before he was poked in the arm and it made him giggle just a little before he wiggled just a touch where he stood.

"I'm blue because I'm a Frost Fairy! I like the cold!"

Though he wasn't cold, yes he might of been a little cooler to the touch than she was used to, but he wasn't out right cold. And then the eyeball came to peek at them, a giant eyeball. Blink. Blink. Blink. He'd just fought a giant eye ball not long ago, a beholderkin in fact. So after a sort second he drew his bow from his back and fired one quick shot from that bow right at the spyglass that was the giant eye. The force arrow clinking on the glass and disappearing as it fell off to the side. That caused him to blink just a few more times.

"It has a magic shield!"

Warren being Warren he puffed out his chest again and flew straight up drawing back on his bow again only to finally see who it was attached to and that made him grin.

"Oh! It's just someone with a big eye!"

Looking back down to Ferret he smiled down to her and wiggled just a little at the discovery before he came to land at her side once more. Now distracted by the huge eye and forgetting the questsion he had for his new fae friend that he had a few moments ago.

[Rhyldrin Ken'rae]

A gnome seeing something rather new and very interesting meant that Boomsworth had no manners at all. When they began to get all hostile and freak out, even though he was of small stature himself, he thought nothing of how the chuckle currently escaping his mouth would sound, feel and smell to the little faes. He would also feel little empathy as he began to poke at the blue one with a blunt metal piston of rather unique thinness. 

When they finally calmed down Boomsworth moved closer with his big, all seeing and all gnowing (did that on purpose) eye to get an even closer look. If they were feeling frisky they may even notice the white whiskers on his face were within range of various antics.

"EH!??"

That was the sound he made after the tendress came back with his food and thwapped him something good on the back of his head. "Leave the wee ones alone! You should know better!"

Rubbing his head he would glower at the woman before sticking his tongue out at her after she turned to check on the little faes. "Going to turn you into a robo-chicken...." Was mumbled under his breath before the tendress spun around and glared at him. "What was that??"

"Nuttin!" He began to eat the daily special before she could poison it, though the look she was still leveling at him could kill him right easily enough!

[Ferret]

She watched as Warren - so bravely! - confronted the gargantuan eye head on, though his arrow plinked harmlessly off some form of barricade and as the cry of magic shield went up her heart sank. But no. She was fae, and she could do nothing but fly in the face of danger: whether it had a mouth, or a massive pupil. Reaching towards her shoulder she was dismayed to find her sword missing and cursed, she must have left it in the mouse hole! Her wings fluttered anxiously before she set her lips in a thin line and readied a determined stance: thrusting her hand out confidently and gripping the wrist with her other in order to steady it. When a giant eyeball was concerned, there was only one real line of defence when pointy things failed!

"Gather! O river of light that's guided by the fairies! Shine! In order to destroy the fangs of evil!"

A soft glow formed around her body and culminated down her extended arm, her mouth spreading in a great shit eating grin, vast amounts of light pulsing erratically.

"Faaaairrryyyyyyy Glitttteeeeeerrrr----!"

Wait what?

The glow sputtered and died before it could burst and essentially burn out the eyes out everyone present. She looked over at Warren, then back at the eye, tilting her head this way and that, before reaching out and grabbing one of Boomsworth's whiskers and giving it a brisk tug.

"Heyheyheyhey quit poking him with that whateveritis! Such tomfoolery! Anddon'tyouknowitsrudetostare! Honestly!"

Her cheeks puffed out in annoyance, letting go of his whisker as the tenderess whapped him on the back of his head. Letting her breath escape her lungs in a loud woosh, she looked over at Warren and thought about it for a minute.

"...Though it was kind of funny. A magic shield!"

She smothered a laugh behind her hand, at least they had the tenderess on their side! Though if it had been a gargantuan beholder beast and not a gnome with poor boundary issues, whatever would they have done? With a brave ranger and a blinding attack, it would have worked out eventually.

[Rhyldrin Ken'rae]

The gnome straightened out his offended whiskers while watching the two from behind his food bowl...... Robofae.... could he make robofae..... Munch munch munch. However, this gnome was smart and every time the tendress would turn to look at him, to make sure he was staying out of trouble, he would quickly avert his focused eyes back to his bowl. Cough.

"Can I have just one?" He finally asked with a hopeful look, as if the idea of sharing with the tendress suddenly made it all the better! "You can keep whatever one you want!"

If they thought his eye was big before, it was nothing to what both of them became at that very moment. What would cause such an expansion of those blue and white darlings? Why the appearance of a dreaded and feared item by males the world over: THE WOODEN SPOON!

"Oi! Oi! No need for th...." His words were silenced as his mouth was filled with the spoon and he was pulled up and onto the counter by the tendress as if she had pulled on his shirt. She was so angry she put a hip out and rested a hand on it even! "You listen to me you little gnome and you listen good. Those two are members of the Heart and aren't to be used for experiments!" She then presented the second most thing feared by males the world over, "and if I'm not scary enough for you I'll get Maria involved!"

"N....u.....th....at.....o.....k......" Such TOMFOOLERY!

[tesarikfive]

Pokepokepoke. His tiny little body would jostle just a little with each poke as his hands pushed and swatted at the thing that he was poking him with. Finally a big huff of air came from him before he puffed out his chest and crossed his arms, eyes narrowed at the gnome, but only really for a few seconds before he gave a little bit of a giggle and leaned over closer to Ferret with a big beaming smile.

"He's a funny little big person!"

But then he asked if he could have one and that made one of Warrens brows lift as he gave a tilt of his head. Keep a fae? The tenderess should let him keep one as his punishment for asking to keep one. That poor gnome would be begging to get rid of it in only a few days. Faries didn't make the best prisoners.

"Hmph! OH! I like Maria! But she needs to put a normal sized door somewhere, so us normal sized can get in." He turned to the tenderess with those words as he gave his best winning smile and nodded his head rather rapidly. There was even a bit of a wiggle of his bottom at his idea, happy as it were. It was difficult after all for a six inch tall person to open a door, and sometimes it wasn't so fun to wait for someone to open it for you.

"OHOHOHOHOH! Honeychip!?!?" A hand darted down into a pouch at his side as it worked about before pulling out a fae sized piece of pure honey that was the size of a normal potato chip, only in fae porportions, and offereing it over to Ferret with a smile. How rude of him not to offer! It must of been the eyes fault for distracting the so easily distracted.

[Ferret]

Ferret blinked her eyes rapidly as the tenderess stuffed that wooden spoon in the giant gnomes mouth and pulled him over the counter: giving him a tongue lashing he wouldn't soon forget. It made her laugh, little giggles bubbling up from her throat that tinkled like bells – typical faerie stuff – as her arms were wrapped around her stomach to hold her sides in.

''I LIKE her. She's sassy.''

She was nodding enthusiastically to Warren's proclamation – Boomsworth was indeed a funny big person – when her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates as her brain finally caught up with reciting the minutes of this eventful meeting.

''Wait, we can live with you?''

Keep a fae. Invitation to live with a gnome. Same difference.

Grabbing Warren's hand, she tugged on it excitedly before fluttering up into the air and whizzing circles around Boomsworth's head like a cracked out ioun stone while he choked on the wooden spoon.

''You can take us? In your house? Are there fun things? Big things? Do you have cats? I bet you have cats! And MACHINES. Gnomes like MACHINES. I don't know what a MACHINE is but I've heard of them they do THINGS like go ping! We can play all day and night and day and have ever so much fun! Can we? Please? Please? Please? Now? Please?''

She'd alight on the handle of the wooden spoon and stare entreatingly up into those big baby blue eyes, little body wriggling with anticipation She'd started batting her lashes before she suddenly spun in a circle and launched herself at Warren: coming to a halt mere millimetres from his face. She'd look down at his hand, look back up, then back down again as her face creased up with indecision.

''Butbutbut .. I don't have anything to give YOU! I only just got here.''

Glancing around, she'd eye up the gnome and reach out a hand to grab a bunch of gnomesleeve and give it a pull.

''Here! Have a gnome!''

Grinning broadly, she'd await the delicious honeychip with her free hand extended. Omnomnom!

[Rhyldrin Ken'rae]

If one could imagine a gnome cat.... the slow swishing of the tale, evil stare, and general annoyance and not being able to get its prey, all they had to do was look at Boomsworth and add a tail and ears.... He was sulking gnome, his mouth still sore from the spoon attach. He had pulled himself free and was still rubbing the roof of his mouth with his tongue. He was keeping his distance though, just as instructed.

"Hmph.... a badger is sassy.... she is downright mean." He of course mumbled his words to avoid another lashing before shying away a bit as the fae went all... well whacked out ion stone.

He wouldn't reach out and instead just studied it. Surely he wouldn't get in trouble since it came to him. Most normal and intelligent creatures, especially those with a desire for self preservation, would probably have backed away quickly at seeing such a crazed display of.... well it was hard to put into words what was happening. Not Boomsworth! The of having a gnat on speed hanging around was very appealing... especially given the fact he wanted to study it!

"Why yes I do! You are most welcome!" Smirk was thrown toward the tendress 'take that' it silently said.

He then raised an eyebrow as she tried to give him away for a chip.... "Don't you think you should get a whole bag for someone my size?"

[tesarikfive]

He offered a bit of a giggle to the spoon in mouth treatment, not because it was painful for the gnome, but it just looked funny. "Oh! I like badgers too!" He turned to the gnome with a beaming smile to that.

Though when Ferret tugged on his hand before bolting off and wizzing about in a flurry of little legs, arms, and wings. Laughing softly his head twirled and twirled to keep up with her movements, though for a fae that really wasn't difficult to do. He was used to keeping track of fast moving things like that with his little sister always pestering him back home. Though when he finally cought on to her asking the gnome if she could live with him he blinked a few times and then shook his head.

Before he could object to that though she was right on top of him and tugging onn the clothes of the gnome in an offer. Smileing wide as he could he placed the honey chip down into her hand before he flew up and came to land right on the top of Boomsworths head, claiming his new gnome, and looking down to Ferret before speaking.

"For a whole Gnome you can have lots and lots of honey chips!"

He giggled at that before he went to work messing with the gnomes hair, getting it juuuuuuust right so it wouldn't tangle up on his feet and then plopped right on down to sit down. "I have my own house in a tree in the mountians."

Just a little bit of information sense it seemed relevent, at least for the moment. Though he didn't stay up there long and with a roll of his body he was off again, flying quickly back down right to Ferret as he almost plowed her over in a big hug and spin while he picked her up and flew just a few inches off the bar top with a beaming smile.

"No ones ever given me a whole gnome before!" Granted that wasn't saying much, but it was the thought that counted, right? Giggling a little finally came to a stop and let them both back down on the bar top and turned to Boomsworth to give him a good inspecting stare. Hmm. Yes, he would do. Not sure what he would do, but he looked healthy enough to do something!

[Ferret]

"One is enough, I wouldn't want to get greedy."

The little faerie was humming happily to herself, it was only her first day in Sarkotos and already Ferret had made two new friends (mice family notwithstanding) and she had been invited to play at someones house. With machines! It would be way more interesting than some fusty dusty musty gusty rusty mouse hole: sure it was warm fuzzy and cozy and the mice made some really adorable squeaking wheeze noises when they slept, but at his house there were MACHINES. And a GNOME. That was already recipe for disaster, but throw in one - maybe two - fae and it would simply be epic. And fun. Probably should be illegal.

When Warren offered up the honeychip she took it gratefully, popping it in her mouth and letting it dissolve slowly on her tongue; taking on a blissed out expression for the meantime, bright eyes glazing over a little. That was the stuff right there.

"A house in the tree in the mountains? I used to live in a house in a tree in a forest! Are the mountains cold? I'll bet they're cold. Do you have bears? Mountain bears? And mountain lions? And mountain wolves? Mountain beavers? Do you get together and have mountain parties? With bearsandlionsandwolves? Oh my! Poor beavers weren't invited. We should bring the mice!"

She was jiggling around as the honey packed in a sugar rush, squealing when he barreled into her and lifting her up into the air, the autumn fae squeezing her new friend tightly as then spun.

"I've never had a gnome to give before! Its like birthday and yule and giftday and today all at once!"

When they landed, she put her hands on her hips as Warren turned to investigate the gnome, and she would tilt her head side to side critically.

"What are you going to name him? If I might suggest, Gigglebunny has a nice ring to it, or maybe Fluffykins: his hair IS kinda floofy."

Especially after Warren mussed it up to make the perfect faerie armchair!

[Rhyldrin Ken'rae]

Like someone trying to catch a flying insect (no disrespect intended!) Boomsworth became perfectly still as Warren came to rest upon his head. As the fae began to rearrange his awesome gnomish hair due he slowly began to lift his hand from his hip - he was going to CATCH IT! However, two things happened before he could. The first was that Warren flew away just in time and that damned tendress whacked his hand with the spoon! "OUCH IT ALL FUSTY WOMAN!"

Oh things just got real up in the tavern! The next few minutes, while the faes discussed the weird things about nature and other fae things Boomsworth was running for his life around the tables and chairs, the tendress and her wooden spoon of death hot on his heels! Oh she was MAD, red and all! However, gnomes = fast as lightning and slick and snot! As such soon she was exhausted and he was hiding behind a table and chairs near one of the pillars out of sight. A huff from the tendress signaled his victory and though he didn't blatantly display it a big ole' toothy grin and victory sign with his fingers - V - was given in her direction.

After she was back behind the counter he would slowly and carefully make his way back into the open, putting as much furniture between them as possible. "You two ever seen a robochicken?" Oh he was just so smoooooth!

[tesarikfive]

He giggled and wiggled just a little there, listening to her blur of questions again, my she was a curious one! Not that he minded, in fact it was refreshing to get to talk to someone as curious and energetic as he was. Not that he got to show that to often, with doing most of his adventuring with the giant people and all. They didn't tend to like the true Fairy ways, but found the toned down sort of moods to be good, at least as far as he could tell.

"Ohohohohoh! Yes, lots of mountain things!" His head nodded rapidly as he smiled as wide as that little mouth could smile. "All sorts of them. Got fishes and lizards, and squrrials too!" Just to name a few others.

Though when she asked about parties he giggled a little more. "No, we don't do silly things like have parties. They don't know how to dance the right way, but I talk to them lots and lots." Well, humans and the like didn't know how to dance right in his mind either. If you weren't a fae, your dancing sucked.

And then came the naming of the Gnome. Hmmm. Oh, good question it was. With Boomsworth all the way across the room Warren had to narrow his eyes a little just to inspect him better, but before he could come up with a name the man said robochicken....Oh poor Gnome.

"I think I'll name him........ Robochicken? What's that?!" Blinkblinkblink...Sounded like fun! Even if he knew better, it still sounded like fun.

[Ferret]

Oh she would just laugh and laugh .. the mental image of extended talk sessions with squirrels just tickled her right down to her core: what did squirrels have to talk about anyway? Backbiting the grasshopper? How many acorns they'd scored that afternoon? The teeth on that lovely little thing three trees down? Whatever it was it sounded interesting: her squirrels didn't stop around to chat, though in truth it was actually because she couldn't speak squirrel .. and hadn't stood around long enough to listen, there were usually bears afoot and they were always good for a laugh.

Speaking of laugh, the gnome was doing silly things again while Warren was studying him and it was just fun to watch: honestly her sides were getting a bit sore, and she was finally beginning to run out of steam. Which was probably for the best, her high tinkling laugh was more than a little annoying.

Rubbing at her eye with a hand, she'd turn her attention back to Warren with a touch of confusion.

"You think you'll name him .. what? What do you think you'll name him?"

Blinkblink

"Robochicken?!"

Ferret suddenly became very very still, though if one looked closely enough they could see the very air around her body vibrating: it was soon obvious that she wasn't still at all, she was merely moving so fast that you almost couldn't see it save for the quivering of her wings.

"Omg a robochicken?! I LOVE robochickens! They are SO much fun! With the robo, and the chicken! Glee!"

Her body hummed and thrummed as her eyes crinkled up with excitement and her cheeks puffed out until it looked like she would surely burst; before all the air was released in a long whistling whoosh.

"What's a robochicken??"

NOW she was still, standing on her tippytoes as she leaned in very close to the gnome with an avid expression, her wings fluttering about to prevent a mini pratfall, her hands were clasped against her throat.

[tesarikfive]

Well, it seems the gnome had gone into some sort of coma. Probably a fairy overload or something. Poking at his hand and seeing a blank stare Warren offered a small shrug of his shoulders then before he spun around on his heels with a bit of a flare of his arms and smiled wide to Ferret.

"Did you come to help the big people with all their silly problems too?"

They did seem to have a lot of them, though Warren didn't mind, it's why he was there after all. Most of the time the things he was able to do were fun! Not to mention he had lots and lots and lots and many and more friends because of it.

"I think we overloaded his brian." A quick set of nods of his head was then made as he pointed up at Boom, offereing up a bit of a giggle to go along with it. Stepping away he then plopped himself right on down on the bar near Ferret and looked around. "Oh! Watch out for cups and things. Sometimes the big people don't see us first. I almost had one smush me with his drink!" Yeah, he'd have to tape of a 'no cup zone' for fairy sitting propbably. Or, just make use of peoples shoulders and heads more often while in the inn.

[Ferret]

Normally the phrase one would use to describe such a person was that they were 'away with the faeries'. But in this case? Boomsworth was distinctly NOT with the faeries, or if he was away with any of them: they were a different bunch, as Ferret was still standing on her tiptoes with a wide eyed astonished expression plastered on her face as she awaited information about the mythical beast known as a Robo Chicken.

But alas, no such information was forthcoming, and being a faerie it meant she had a short (though easily caught initially) attention span, so now her entire focus was back on Warren (with all thoughts robo chickens flying from her head), and it was indeed a sight for sore eyes: able to clap her vision on someone who didn't basically make up a giant nose floating in front of your face was a blessing indeed! I mean c'mon .. after a while you got sick of counting peoples nostril hairs, but it was so hard to look away. Her record was thirty.

"YEAH! Well, kinda. I got bored rescuing bears out of trees - they seem to like climbing them? Maybe if Auntie Nell didn't set off so many fireworks behind them they'd stay on the ground more, but fireworks are SO PRETTY I don't know why the bears want to get away from them in the first place. Bears have silly notions about pretty sparkly things. Maybe its the singed fur ..."

She trailed off a minute, eyes rolling up to look at the ceiling as she thought about fireworks and bears and Auntie Nell.

"Ummm .. Oh yeah! Big peoples problems are always so different and they make no sense which makes them FUN. I mean I'm sure the big people don't like the problems, but hey with two faeries on the job we're bound to fix them up in a jiffy and no one will have any problems! Then we can have cake."

She grinned. Someone, somewhere, felt a mournful threnody rise up in their thoat that chilled the air - and they had no idea why. Sparing a glance for Boomsworth, she nudged her head in his direction.

"Think he's thinking about cake?"

Careful consideration was soon given to the hazards of cups and things, her face screwing up in intense thought before her expression smoothed out, one hand spreading wide as the other formed a fist and smacked it.

"Yes! The treacherous bartop, a known peril amongst faekind. What we REALLY need is a balcony! A nice long shelf up there with railings. If its high up, the big people can't crush you with a mug! Though they can throw them .. mm .. well .. most of them have terrible aim. They'll probably hit each other. That should be fun!"

Her wings fluttered in excitement, a big grin splitting her face!

[tesarikfive]

Warren gave a slight tilt of his head as she started to talk about getting bears out of trees, and the reasons as to why they had gotten up there in the first place. A small giggle came from him while he listened, nodding his head rapidly in a few places of her little explanation.

"I know a bear! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeell. I know someone who likes to turn into a bear." He nodded rapidly to that. Granted he did know a few bears too, but they weren't the point. And they were always so grumpy toward him, so he wouldn't mention them just yet.

"She's a little big person too. OH CAKE!" Stare. He looked at Ferret, licking his lips a little, almost as if she were a peice of cake and needed to be devoured. Nomnomnom. A little cake danced around in front of his eyes for just a second before he came back to the world. "I like cake."

The rest of what she'd said sort of went away from thought for just a bit, though before to long passed he fluttered his wings, getting just a few inches into the air before he came back down onto the bar top and smiled wide to her. "The big people here don't throw things at us in here. Nope. Maria wouldn't be very nice to them if they did! Their all scared of her." He giggled again picturing some of the larger men scared of the little woman. "I normally just find a good shoulder to sit on." Firm nod offered to that.

"They have really big cakes....." Cakes the size of houses! Well, for a fairy anyway.

[Ferret]

"She can turn INto a bear?!"

This seemed to be the biggest thing Ferret had heard all day, bigger than the robo chicken, bigger than the giant eyeball even. She chewed on her bottom lip as she digested this information before screwing up her nose.

"That must get awkward, wouldn't she go through a lot of clothes that way? OH the tailors must just LOVE her! Well. If she's a big-little person like Fluffy she probably doesn't need as much material as your average big-BIG person. How many miles of cloth does it take to make a big-big-BIG person's outfit? How do they fit it all in their shops?"

She looked down at her own clothes: they weren't much to write home about, just a long tunic and some trousers made from simple cloth. They stopped her from being naked in public, and probably took about as much material as your average mans handkerchief. Though less snot.

"....I want cake."

She narrowed her eyes in a conspiratorial fashion, looking past the friendly barlady and into what she judged was the kitchen. Well. It was a doorway that was situated behind the bar, so that was a logical assumption!

"Do you think they keep the big cakes in there? They wouldn't notice some missing surely .. "

She looked from the doorway and back to Warren, then back to the doorway. Faeries ate so little that they'd barely dent the icing: though Ferret was very familiar with the old 'eat the cake from the inside out and leave the icing shell for funsies' trick. Big people made all sorts of funny faces when they pulled that one back in Kyngfeld!

[tesarikfive]

His head nodded rapidly to her as she questioned the turning into a bear part. Assuring her with that simple gesture that the woman did indeed change shape. Though at her next comment about the clothes he giggled a little, offering a tilt of his head as he thought about it some. Hmmm. Good question. The giggle of course was a result of her changing back to her normal form, with no clothes....Cause her bear form ripped them all up. Though his mind didn't factor in any of the naughty bits, so it was safe. Just skin tone and a barbie doll like blankness.

"Maybe they change too? But cloths are just silly, all you really need is a little wrap to keep the naughty bits hidden!" At least that was his thoughts on the matter. Granted he wore clothes like everyone else, but it was just because they seemed to like it when he did. If it was up to him though he'd go around in little more than a loin cloth sense the cold didn't bother him one bit.

Cake.........Yup. He narrowed his eyes as he followed hers, looking right at that door almost as if he was trying to burn a hole in it to see what was past it. "Lets find out!" Why not? Nothing bad could come of a pair of fairies checking out the kitchen in a inn. Right? And as he said that he crouched down just a little, his bottom wiggling behind him as he held his hands out to his sides....Juuuust waiting.

When the door finally opened though he was off in a blur of wings and feet. Darting up high, above the heads of the others, and flying through the open door and right into the kitchen, fully expecting Ferret to be right there with him so he didn't even bother to look back.

[Ferret]

“The clothes can change too...?”

She ceased her conniving glances and halted her machinations as she considered this. Ferret was doing a lot of considering today! She supposed that a bear with changing clothes would make sense, otherwise you would either end up with a lot of naked big-little people or a significantly large tab at your local tailors. She had to wonder how it worked, and gradually her eyes took on that look of amazement once again.

Bears. Wearing. Top hats.

That MUST be how it worked! The clothes changed WITH the bears! They must grow with the shifting shape so the clothes themselves don't get damaged, so there must be a group of bears roaming the forest wearing little hats and waist coats and trousers and all sorts of things. She had to wonder how a bear could walk in a ball gown and was just lifting her finger to begin such a statement and ..

He was off!

She blinked a moment, then

“Oh, right. CAKE!”

And flexing her large autumnal wings she sped off after him. He was much faster than she was at this stage, but she was not far behind, speeding into the kitchen before the door could close on her and effectively cut her off from her new friend and potential treats. Plural because well .. why stop at just cake? Sure they were tiny and had significantly smaller stomachs than anyone currently in that inn – even the mice – but damnit it was a scientific proven FACT that everyone had second stomachs for desserts. And if everyone had a second stomach, fae must have three, at LEAST.

Once in the kitchen she skidded to a halt and looked around. It was a foodie paradise, everywhere she looked there were bubbling pots and meals-in-progress. She supposed they prepared a lot of things in advance and kept them preserved elsewhere to make sure the wait time for the afternoon lunch rush wasn't too horrible. It was supposed to be the most popular inne in all the lands, the placard said so! Gasping, she quickly grabbed Warren by the arm and yanked him down behind a large stack of plates: a fierce looking cook strolling by with a large wooden spoon. Ferret held her finger to her lips and made a not-so-quiet shushing noise, waiting for the cook to move to the other end of the massive kitchen.

“....do you smell cake?”

She asked him in hushed tones, wrinkling her nose and making exaggerated sniffing noises. She could smell a lot of things, but so far cake was not one of them! Maybe Warren had spotted one while she was busy eyeing up the pig turning on the spit over the hearth?

[tesarikfive]

His eyes were going all over the place as he stopped there in the kitchen. Looking left, right, up, and even down to try and find the cake. They had to have it in there! Where else would the cake be?! Nevermind a bakery, that was just nonsense, it should of been there. Because thats where it should be. Yup.

But before he could spot any he was tugged off to the side by Ferret, hidden behind a pile of plates, and just as his mouth opened to say something he was shushed and that made his eyes go wide before he looked up to see the cook and he silently gasped. Now that didn't look nice.

Of course he'd help her sniff out the cake though! Sniffing and looking around from their hiding place he bounced from foot to foot while he tried to hunt for that yummy sweet fluff that was cake. But nothing sweet came to him, nothing jam packed with sugar....It was all the stews, roasts, breads, grills, and the pig of course. Huffing he almost whimpered in disapointment. "I can't smell it....." Pout.

[Ferret]

She stared at Warren and her lip began to vibrate, her large copper eyes showing the precursors to welling up with tears. She may have even whimpered a little in her throat, the tiny autumnal fae slowly sinking into despair: there is no cake!

But no!

There was a sharp sound as her palm connected with her cheek, snapping herself back into perspective and leaving a nice red welt on golden skin. Ferret was a tracker. That was her thing. She found people, hunted them down, and shook them until they gave up whatever it was she was looking for in the first place. Sometimes she even tied them up, it was funny watching them squirm, why, this one time .. but she was getting off track. Why should a cake be that much harder to locate than that wild pig in the woods who stole Mrs Habbleberries apples? A determined look on her face, she nodded briskly to Warren.

"Can you track?"

Ferret was no chef, but she crouched down behind that big ole pile of plates and began looking around on the counter. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but she was certain that she would know it when she found it: the little fae crawling along with her nose an inch away from the wood. Eventually ...

"Oh, flour! I found flour!"

The surfaces of the kitchen had been meticulously cleaned: but the advantage to being so gosh darned small was that you could see even smaller things not picked up by the big people; as such, Ferret was able to poke at one of a few minute specks of flour that had escaped the big cooks notice.

"Flour goes in cake, right?"

[tesarikfive]

Warren was a ranger, of course he could track! He did the tracking, the finding, the looking, the searching, and the hunting of things as well as anyone. Yup yup. And when he was asked if he could track he turned to Ferret and nodded his head rapidly with a smile. As she dropped down to crawl on the counter top though he gave a little giggle, only to follow her lead, being as sneaky as could be....And with how small they were they'd surely be sneaky!

"Oh! Yupyup. It does." Flour had to go in cakes...Just had to. Why? Well he didn't know, but if it didn't go in cakes then what did it go in? Hmmm. Probably pies......Mmmm. Pies. Sneaking his way right up next to her he looked to the flour, eyes drifting over the little spot they were found before he leaned up and looked around more. Nope, not there.....Not there either....Ah, maybe that metal thing could help?

With a flutter of his wings and a quick little hop he darted a good three feet away to hide behind a large metal can type thing. With a jump and grunt he pulled himself up near the rim only to slip and fall, landing right on his bottom with a thud. "Oooooo ouch!" Standing back up he reached back to rub the pain out of his rear, only to smear more flour onto his butt. "Oh! Found the flour thing. See?" And thats when he turned his rear to Ferret, wiggling it to show the white palm prints as proof.

"Hmm. So, it was mixed here. I bet the icing has to be close too!"

Well couldn't have the icing way across the room now could we? That'd just be silly.

[Ferret]

“Flour DOES go in cake? Fantastic! We are getting closer! Onwards!”

A return to the simple concept that Ferret was not a chef: which meant that she did not realise that as far as it goes – pastries, cakes, breads, sauces, thickening agent, papier mache base – flour was used in a lot more than just a cake! She would be a very very upset autumnal faerie if after all this trouble she goes through with her new blue friend she will end up sweetless and cakeless.

But she would wing up and be a fae about it. No snivelling. Well. Maybe a little lip wobble.

“Ooooo look you've got flour all over your bum!”

Ferret was sent into peals of (quiet, they were still trying to be all sneaky like) laughter, a hand covering her mouth to stifle the sounds. But with the general hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen it wouldn't be too hard for them to remain unnoticed, so it was ok if she indulged in a bit of amusement so long as it didn't get out of hand. Calming down safe for a big grin on her face, she rose to her feet and dusted off her trousers as she looked around the place with a sharp eye. Hmmmmm.

Warren had mentioned icing, but icing was the last step a cake took in the process she thought, otherwise all that delicious sweet melt-in-your-mouth tastiness would burn up in the ovens, and then it wouldn't taste so good. Or maybe it would? Burned sugar was pretty tasty in and of itself .. mm .. sugar .. Ferret spaced out with a blissful expression for a minute before she realised where she was and pulled herself back together and assumed a determined, defiant expression. They would find this cake and eat it, come hell or highwater!

“Onwards, to victory!”

All that thought about flour and icing and sugar and other such deliciousness had her thinking that she was simply looking in the wrong place. And so back those eyes went to peering around, the little fae ducking behind various kitchen implements as this or that worker strolled past as she sought to identify the massive constructions in the kitchen. Finally, she clapped eyes on a large brick device with a huge metal door and a roaring fire beneath it: that looked interesting! Jerking her head at Warren, she mouthed 'come on!' and snuck to the edge of the counter, looking left and right before she flew off quick as a flash.

“I think this might be it.”

Hovering around the outside of the massive brick thing, she placed her hands on the edge and felt the heat inside, but was stymied by the heavy metal door. The audacity! She was not strong enough to open such a thing! What if the cooks didn't know what they were doing, and the hundreds upon hundreds of cakes inside decided to explode!

There was that lip wobble again.

“Warren .. I think the cakes are trapped .. !”

[tesarikfive]

He gave a little giggle and a bit more of a bottom wiggle to her as she pointed out the flour there. Sure, he'd pointed it out first, but her pointing it out too just meant it was even more funny that before. Never the less he took a few seconds to look around, tiny feet tracking fairy foot prints of flour across the counter as he moved. Warren, while he could dry meats, make honey chips, and make a few fae dishes he wasn't really a cook either. But flour in a cake? He knew that was true! The rest of the stuff flour went in? Not so much.

When Ferret got close to the edge and wanted him to follow he tilted his head some before watching her dart off when traffic cleared. Then seeing what she was going after, the big brike fire box thing....Oh no! Fire! Granted Warren hadn't seen an oven that way before so he didn't know what it was, but what he did know is that there was fire and fire was bad! When Ferret got so close to it he darted right after her and coming up behind her he reached down to grab hold of the waistband of her pants, tugging backwards on them to get her away from the fire as he spoke.

"Fire's bad! Get back or it'll burn!" Yeah, he was no longer worried about the cakes but instead the fire. Granted he didn't think about the fact that she could withstand the heat much better than he could, but he was still worried about his new friend! Tug tug tug.

He gave a shudder at the thought of fire, and being so close to the oven as it were right now he was already starting to sweat a good bit. Blue skin glistening as wings fluttered all the more behind him to try to get both of them away from the thing. "Maybe the big spoon people already got them out?" Well....They did have a lot of big spoons for the stirring and mixing of things.

[Ferret]

As Warren tugged and pulled at the waistband of her trousers she grabbed onto the handle to the oven door and tried to pull it too, thinking that the combined might of the fae would encourage the door to swing open and give up its sugary treats! Didn't turn out that way though, the door was latched tight to prevent it from opening even the slightest bit: letting the hot air escape and preventing the contents from cooking properly. But she didn't know that. Instead she'd pull and pull and pull, until Warren's voice got through to the chaos inside her mind and she let go: the two darting backwards in the air a few paces on account of the tension suddenly being released.

“Yeah fire burns, but look at it, it's so far away, you think the big spoon nabob knows what's .. wait .. Are you ok?”

She fluttered around in the air a little, holding her chin as she examined him this way and that, her eyes darting all over his little blue body with her lips pursing and releasing and nibbling and ..

“OH NO! I forgot!”

She pressed her hands flat against his chest and spurred her wings to action: shooting them across the kitchen floor to get as far away from the heat as possible until they crashed into what would appear to be a gargantuan sack of sugar – sweet grains spraying all over the counter and covering the two in saccharine snow. Sputtering, she resurfaced and wiped the stuff from her hands and hair, shaking her wings and generally looking around in a very annoyed fashion. Who put that sack there?! And left it open?! It was a hazard! Wait, what was it that she .. oh!

“You're a snow fairy! You love the cold! OMG you're melting! I hope you're not melting! I'm so sorry if you're melting! I didn't mean to melt yoooooouuuuuuuuhoooohoooo...”

She sniffed a bit, then coughed as a grain tried to lodge up her nose. Well now, that was just uncomfortable.

[tesarikfive]

Tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuug! Those wings were working overtime to try to pull her back so when she finally let go they would indeed go flipping and bolting backwards, though it wouldn't take to much to get them back on track and upright. He huffed and puffed, catching his breath from all the effort he'd used up to try to get her away as well as the added heat. He was sweaty now all glistening and sparkly as it were. And then he was pushed back even further, only to crash into a bag of sugar and making it go everywhere, like tiny snowflakes.

He coughed and sputtered just a little while shaking his head and letting the sugar fly from his head and hair. Well, what didn't stick to him from his sweat. "I'm ok. Just a little bit hot." Standing back up he wiped his hands off and tried to pat down his clothes to get some of the sugar off of him. Looking back to her he smiled though, his head shaking just a little. "I wont melt! But that was really hot! I'm all icky and sticky and sparkly now!" He blinked....SPARKLES!

A giggle was given as he waved his hands out in front of him just to watch the sparkles a little on them. Though after just a few moments he noticed Ferret infront of him, and she wasn't all sweaty like him. Blink, blink. "That wasn't hot to you?" Head tilt. Hmmm. Oh! Sugar went in cakes!!!!!!!

"Cake Sugar!" And he hopped with a turn before eyes went to darting around instantly to search for the cake. Warren instantly getting excited and eager for cake all over again. Danger of fire adverted so time to get back to the finding of cakes.

[Ferret]

"You're .. you're not melting?"

She wiped at her tearful face with a sugar dusted arm, leaving a trail of sparkles across gold toned skin as she watched Warren not-melt. A giant grin split her face as he proved it to be true, wiping away her forlorn expression as he stood there all sticky and sparkling and blue and not sinking into a massive (to her) puddle on counter. Fae-Saints be praised!

"Yay! You're not melting!"

She lept forward in a spray of sugar and threw her arms around him, giving him a great big rib cracking squeeze - she may not be as fast as him, but she tended to focus on her strength just so she could lift the bigger sword - giggling as she pulled away with her arms splayed dramatically, giving them a shake.

"Are you SURE you're not melting? You're all damp and sticky! After this we need to find a stream!"

She paused, wrinkling her nose.

"Well .. too cold outside for streams. Do they have indoor streams here?"

Her face twisted up into an expression of deep concentration. She knew there was a special big person word for an indoor stream, she had heard it a few times before in her travels, but for the life of her she couldn't remember. She considered this conundrum before remembering that Warren had asked her a question and it would be rude to just leave it unanswered!

"OH it was hot but it wasn't toooooo hot. I like hot ok but I don't want to be IN the fire!"

She laughed at this, willingly skipping into the fire like it was no big thing, it'd burn her up and crisp her wings!

"WAIT! Shhhhh ... do you smell that?"

A sharp exhale dislodged the sugar grain before she began sniffing all over the place like an exuberant puppy, moving off to the side in a stalking half crouch with sugar falling out of her pockets. Whipping her head this way and that, she took a REAL good look around the counter they were on.

And there they were.

BUNS.

Ok not yet a cake, but damnit they were getting closer! And sweet buns were similar to little cakes if you used your imagination. Judging by the heat rising from their sweetened surfaces they had been removed from the oven not long before their sugary escapade, though they remained attached to their brethren and were waiting for whatever icing the Heart's cook deemed worthy. They were a delicious golden brown, what appeared to be raisins mottling their perfect shape, a delicious aroma wafting in the breeze as the kitchen door opened and then closed: the aroma that had finally caught the faeries attention and in the very least set her mouth to watering.

"Target yummily acquired!"

She stared at the pan across the distance, and made it her mark. The hunt was on!