RP:One Night Only

Part of the Through The Looking-Glass: Return To Wonderland Arc

Part of the Magic, Madness, and Mayhem Arc

Summary: Meri, Lanara, and Talyara throw Khitti a bachelorette party!

Lanara's Room Above The Flower Shop, The Enchantment

Lanara eagerly awaits the arrival of Talyara and Meri, greeting them both as soon as they enter the Green Fairy with a quick hug, and ushering them upstairs to the suite that they rented for the evening. “You guys go and prepare your things! Meri, I figured you could set up on the right side of the room, as it has the best lighting? And Taly! You can arrange everything in the center of the room, since I imagine we will be going back and forth to graze. I’ll wait here to bring Khitti up when she arrives!" Since she didn’t have far to travel as she was residing in Enchantment, it made the most sense that Lanara was the first to arrive, and so she had been busy all day in the rented room. Furniture had to be moved, supplies had to be brought in, and everything had to be just perfect for Khitti’s last night as a single woman! Each of Khitti’s friends had planned something special for the redhead, and so Lana had designated the left side of the spacious room to house her activities. Two large tables had been erected, with a comfortable cushion running the length of them, and a small pillow where ones head could rest. The shelves which were meant to be used to store clothing, held a variety of manicuring tools, nail polishes, and lotions, in every color and scent that one could imagine. A quartet of freshly laundered robes and towels is on the top shelf, for when the masseuses arrived later in the evening. Lanara is dressed casual, in a pair of dark blue jeans, a white off-the-shoulder blouse, and a pair of flats, looking relaxed to the max. Tonight was a night to unwind, and not think about things that had been plaguing them all week! As Khitti appears, Lana smiles and immediately approaches, “Hey! We’re so glad you could make it! We’ve rented a room upstairs, come on up!” Gently taking her hand, she leads the way through the crowd and up to the suite.

Talyara bustles around the rented suit above the Green Fairy, fussing over the circular food and drinks table in the center of the room which had been laid with an elegant midnight blue tablecloth. Despite the fact that there were only four of them in attendance she had gone a little overboard with the refreshments. Aside from a few bottles of normal items like vodka, rum, whiskey, and some wine, the witch had set up a “bubbly bar”, complete with an caligraphied sign. Alongside several bottles of chilled champagne, Taly had glass bottles of freshly squeezed juice including orange, peach mango, and strawberry kiwi, as well as a platter of fruit to add to the flutes. The food had been agonized over longer than the drink selection; with their plans for the evening Taly didn’t want them to be bogged down with a sit down dinner or anything too heavy. So she opted to do small platters of portable food. There were cups with a layer of creamy dip at the bottom and filled with an assortment of vegetables. There were skewers of savory beef, chicken, and shrimp with various dipping sauces and broths. A variety of crackers and at least a dozen cheeses from all over the realm were also available to sample. Finally, for dessert, there was a chocolate fountain with several different items to dip into the velvety sweetness--marshmallows, bananas, strawberries, pretzels, and cubes of angel food cake. The witch takes another cursory stroll around the table to ensure that everything is laid out properly, along with glasses, plates, utensils, and napkins, before looking for Meri. “Do you need help with anything?” she asks of her friend before smoothing down her outfit. The witch wears simple black leggings paired with a lavender wrapped sweater with two-button embellishment near the v-neckline and brown leather ankle boots on her feet. Her hair, as usual, was left to do it’s own thing, those crazy curls bouncing with each step she took. She would of course, assist Meri if she needed it, before waiting for Khitti to arrive. When her sister ushers the redhead up to the suite, Taly rushes up to her to give her a hug (she’s excited!). “Hi Khitti!”

Meri lived relatively close to Enchantment, which was good given the gear that she was hauling into the Green Fairy. Kadence was a perfectly capable horse, but every creature appreciated shorter trips when hauling a variety of items. Meri made sure to arrive with plenty enough time to allow her to unload everything from horse and haul it up to the suite that had been rented for purposes of this little shindig. Everything was set up in the side of the room that Lanara left open for her, she was right. It did have better lighting. Four wooden easels have been set up, each with a canvas on it and each covered with a dark cloth. Beneath each easel, cloth has also been spread about so that they don't stain the floor with paint. This was not Meri's own space and she did not want to be held accountable for any cleaning or floor replacement. Once uncovered, the contents of the canvases will be quite familiar to Khitti, for it is a scene that she and painted Meri have painted together. One canvas contains a picture of a handsome blonde prince. Hm. Another a mermaid. The third canvas depicts a ship, probably where that blonde prince lives, while the final canvas is clearly a mermaid's grotto. At this point in time, none of the canvases have been painted. Meri has only done a sketch outline of the image for the ladies to paint together. Talyara's offer of assistance was definitely taken since she had a bit of free time before Khitti arrived. She and Meri would work together to lay out paint brushes, fill a variety of glass jars with water for rinsing brushes, and etc. Meri was just putting the finishing touches on her portion of the set up when Khitti arrives. The redhead is greeted from a distance with a slow smirk, "Now I know you really wanted strippers...." Naw, she was pretty confident that this was the last thing that Khitti wanted. Unless Brand was that stripper.

Khitti || This was… not something Khitti expected. Well, if she’d been in a better frame of mind lately, she probably would have. She’d found that note eventually--and thankfully she’d made her way to the bakery at some point before the date of the get-together--and just kinda stared at it. Khitti’d very nearly said ‘no’ to the whole idea of it. There wasn’t time. There were other more important things to do. She needed to look after Brand! Dominic may have been given over to Victoria to babysit, but that still left her dear Captain. He’d found her in the middle of writing an I’m sorry letter to the three of them and promptly snatched it up off of the table in front of her and crumbled it up. ‘You’re going’, he’d said. She’d known better than to wait on him like she was that cinder princess in her beloved book of fairy tales--this just wasn’t their way with things! After a silent staring contest and a bit of arguing--this part WAS their way of things; look, they’re both stubborn jerks--Khitti finally gave in with a very teenager-sounding “Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnneeee.” Hopefully, for Brand, this is not a foreshadowing of how Dominic might be when he’s a teen. Khitti did as instructed, wearing a casual outfit--her usual sleeveless, knee-length dress; thick leggings and a short, cable-knit duster to ward off the autumn chill; and her much-adored travelling boots that probably should’ve been replaced a few years ago; of course, all of this is black as she’s not been in the mood for color lately--and made her way to The Enchantment and it’s Green Fairy inn within. There’d been no time to tame her hair beforehand (she was still arguing with Brand about this almost all the way up to the time she needed to leave, because as previously mentioned, she’s a stubborn jerk) and so as she walked towards the inn, she tied up her hair into a ponytail with a black ribbon, leaving two long strips of hair on either side of her face as her bangs. She’d let Lanara drag her upstairs, to which she’d be greeted with hugs and the “disappointment” that there’d be no strippers (Khitti would absolutely be okay with Brand as a stripper for the night, but sorry ladies, she’d have to take him elsewhere), and in return Khitti would give her own greetings. Once that was done, she’d take a look around the room, eyeing the areas that’d been set up for various purposes, Khitti’s brows knitting together in a mix of confusion and concern, “You guys… did all of this… for me?” There might be a hint of guilt there too, but not quite as much as the other emotions (When is Khitti ever without a bit of guilt? Would she even be Khitti then?).

Lanara excitedly watches Khitti’s reaction to all they had planned for the evening, delighted that they were able to give her a proper bachelorette party. Each woman had gone all out for their close friends, and there was even a theme in place! “Surprise! Basically… The three of us decided to go with the theme, ‘Old, New, Borrowed, Blue’ as it has to do with weddings. And although tonight isn’t your wedding, we were hoping to give you memories that you can carry with you on your special day and for the rest of your days…” The meaning behind each piece of theme would be described once Meri unveils the drawings and the blue item would be held until later in the evening. Perhaps, after a few drinks were had?! Lana pauses to eye the display of fine food and drink her sister had expertly laid out, the fruit and champagne catching her gaze and holding it for a moment. “You will put Whamsey to shame, Sister!” She giggles, before approaching Meri’s artsy area, curiosity in her expression as she eyes the cloth covered canvasses. The witch was always a bit nosey, and she’s wondering what sort of drawings rest beneath, and the memory behind the drawings. Khitti is staring a bit wide eyed at the set up displays and for a moment she’s silent, which is causing Lana to mildly panic. Did she not like what they arranged? Was she surprised? Would she have preferred an actual night on the town? “Of course this is all for you! You’re getting married! What sort of friends would we be if we didn’t throw you a bachelorette party? We know that you prefer your privacy, so we figured keeping things low key would be best… What’s better than painting and pampering, while stuffing your face full of goodies?!” Strippers, Lanara. Strippers would have been better. “Oh Meri! I didn’t even think about hiring a stripper… But I do know quite a few!” They didn’t call her ‘Cinnamon’ back in the day for nothing! “I’m sure I could have conned Nick and the Bards into prancing around in thongs and shaking their booties, but its short notice now…” Maybe they could convince some drunkards in the floor below? She runs her fingers through her long locks and exchanges a look with Taly, wondering if they should go round up some would-be male strippers.

Talyara glances over her shoulder and grins at Meri when she makes the comment about strippers. “-Technically-, we do have a stripper here,” she says teasingly, inclining her head in Larana’s direction. “The infamous Cinnamon.” Turning back to her sister she gives her a playful wink. Khitti’s words are met with a smile and a firm nod as she echoes what Lanara’s sentiments. “Of course! You’re getting married and we wanted to do something fun and special for the bride-to-be!” The compliment bestowed upon her about the refreshment table is met with a slight blush to her cheeks and she giggles. “Oh I could -never- put together huge banquets like he does!” Turning back to Khitti she gives her friend a nervous smile. “I wasn’t sure what you would have liked in terms of food so I just went with some light basics that we can walk around and nibble on throughout the night since we have several activities! Wait until you see what Lana and Meri have planned, you’re going to love it!” She is about to list all the food in detail when she catches Lanara’s eye and gives a firm shake of her head, grabbing her sister’s hand as if worried she might spring from the room and hire the first man she sees. “I think Khitti is happy with no strippers here tonight.”

Meri :: Oh. Whoops. She was not expecting to give Lanara ideas with mention of the stripper and now she was giving Lanara looks...but what was Meri going to do? Stop two full grown women from scouting the bar for a decent candidate? Not likely, she'd let Khitti try and put a stop to those shenanigans. Thankfully Khitti might not have to. Meri taps out of the stripper portion of the conversation completely and while the three other ladies wrap up that line of chat, Meri is removing the cloth from the four easels so that everyone can get a view of the sketches she's done -- though again Khitti is already familiar. "Well we hope that you love it at least. I mean, it's hard not to enjoy some spa treatment. Some pampering before the wedding day that is right around the corner...And a bit of painting. I know we have already done this piece before, but I figured the four of us could recreate a smaller version for you to house in your space above the bakery." Meri has not assigned anyone to any particular canvas, she figured Khitti would get first pick of which one she wanted to paint...and then Lanara and Taly could select would canvas they wanted to paint. Meri would get whatever piece remains. "I'm guess you'll want to claim the hot prince as your own canvas to paint?" If yes, that would leave the mermaid, the ship, and the mermaid's grotto left for the other ladies to pick. "Not that you have to rush into painting...We have food, we have booze, it looks like you can get your nails did....It's your night, so your pick!"

Khitti quickly shook her head, “No no! No strippers. I’m uh… It’s not really my thing, to be honest.” She coughed awkwardly, then moved to where the food was (while trying to hide the fact that she was blushing a little), eyeing all that Talyara had laid out, “I don’t think I’ve ever been picky about food in my life, so this works perfectly.” Whatever reserves she had about coming to the party were slowly starting to melt away as she took in the whole of the room, a hand carefully plucking up a skewer of beef, a sauce randomly chosen, and the whole thing (sans skewer) popped into her mouth. Thankfully for everyone, Khitti’s polite enough to not be a double dipper! Were this something that Khitti and Brand eating together, there’d be mass chaos amongst the sauces with some used for double-dipping… and some sauces even mixed together! Gasp. It’s quite clear Khitti approved of the food as she chewed it thoughtfully--she was definitely having a bit of a mouthgasm at the moment from how delicious it was. It was soon interrupted by the sight of the unveiled canvases, to which Khitti nodded in the affirmative to Meri’s question of painting the hot blonde prince, “Yes. Yes, I do.” The redhead did a bit of a spin then, eyeing everything carefully as she tried to make her decision. “Hm.” Tick-tock, tick-tock, Khitti. “Let’s do… snacking and drinking while painting and then move on to the nail-painting… and maybe some more eating and drinking,” she said at length with a smirk. “I’m a multi-tasking kind of girl.” She’d gather up a some food on a plate, then set to making her drink. She’d be starting slow for the moment, opting for the champagne and strawberry kiwi juice, while she got food in her stomach. Khitti may have somewhat returned to her path of alcoholism for the moment, but she tried to be smart about--the less chance of a horrendous hangover, the better. She’d take these things over to her chosen canvas and stared at the “prince” that was so obviously Brand. She couldn’t help but smirk at it, as Brand was anything -but- a prince. “I should poke at Brand’s first mate, Dozla, to do something for him too. If she hasn’t already thought of it, anyway. Poor guy would probably be in for a full night of pranks though. Dozla’s got a penchant for shenanigans.”

Lanara catches her sister’s wink and chuckles, “Hey! That’s –ex- stripper! There’s no way I could pull off those dance moves or wear a leather bikini and look –that- good again! Although… I –have- been doing a scatload of squats and my arse is almost back to its legendary status!!!” She’d bring sexy back, one day, but for now she’s content not having to count calories or shake her booty for coin. The drink table is approached and Lana pours a shot of vodka into a flute of peach mango juice, giving it a dainty swirl, before she takes a sip and eyes the mountain of food her sister laid out. “There’s enough here to feed an army of razurath!” It’s then that Taly is taking her by the hand and shaking her head, likely thinking that Lana was now plotting to find some reptilian strippers, and the elder sibling cannot help but tease, “Taly… It’s been too long since I’ve had a man. All those long months pent up in a padded cell…” She can only maintain a poker face for so long, before she bursts into a fit of giggles and takes another swig of her drink. “Ooh the drawings are amazing!” Dragging Taly over towards the canvasses, they admire the professionalism of each portrait, and Lana’s eyes widen, “So this is something that you’ve painted before? Oh! I understand! It’s a –borrowed- memory… But it’s a –new- painting, with –old- friends!” She claps, fully catching onto their theme, and eyes each drawing closer, “So when they are placed together, it will be one massive painting! It’s so beautiful, Meri, you truly are talented!” As Khitti plans the evening, Lana chimes in, “Perfect! The hired masseuse’s should be here when we are finished painting and doing our nails, so they can end the night on a relaxing note! I hope –they- are handsome, since we aren’t doing strippers. I feel like Khitti should at least –look- at a handsome man tonight, since she’s tying the knot!” With their luck, it would be two women kneading their worries away! Lanara fixes herself a plate of fruits and vegetables, with some dipping sauces, and she eyes the drawing of the grotto, “Can I paint this one?” She looks to Meri for approval, “And… Do I paint with the dark or light colors first? Do you have any tips?” She wanted to do her very best, as Khitti would be hanging this on display!

Talyara follows her sister and Khitti towards the circular table and approaches her “bubbly bar”. The witch is a traditionalist and pours herself a mimosa of champagne and orange juice. She continues to eye Lanara suspiciously, even wrinkling her nose a bit when she mentions her lack of male attention as of late, but her sister breaks out in a fit of giggles and Taly shakes her head. “I guarantee you have men fawning all over you no matter where you go.” Just as Talyara is about to sample some refreshments, she feels herself being pulled from the food table to get a better look at the canvases that Meri had set up and to glimpse the sketches she had drawn. Despite having helped set up the art section she had been well behaved and not taken a peek! Once upon a time, Talyara had been an avid sketcher, even carrying around a book with her everywhere to jot little doodles in; however, she had been out of practice for some time. “They are wonderful, Meri!” Even without the paint, you couldn’t miss the care and detail that went into the drawings. She nods in agreement with Khitti’s proposed itinerary and meanders back over to the food table to take some vegetables and a skewer of chicken and shrimp (which was wrapped in bacon, by the way!) and takes both glass and plate over to the paintings. “If Khitti has the Prince and Lana the grotto, do you mind if I take the mermaid? I’m worried I won’t get the details of the ship perfect. But if you’d rather I do it,” she adds quickly to Meri. “I don’t mind. I’ll do whichever!”

Meri :: There was no expectation that each of the ladies finish their paintings. Whatever they did not have a chance to paint, Meri could complete and touch up prior to the wedding -- without completely robbing the personalities that any of the painters might have injected into their piece in particular. When Lanara selects the canvas that she wants to paint, the grotto, Meri nods without hesitation. Answering Lanara's question gets less of a clear answer. "Ah, a complicated question. One artists debate over. I could give you some long winded answer...But. Honestly? I have formed the opinion that there is no correct answer. Some artists are steadfast with their rules and their methods, my gallery is named the Rebel Room for that reason. Do what you want, do what you feel. If it were me though? The approach I would take is this: we probably don't want the grotto to be too dark, or too light. So I would start with the middle tone blues that you want to use as background colors and build from there. I would imagine that your darkest darks and your lightest lights are probably going to be accent colors primarily, so they'll be last. In this case. But who am I to tell you what colors to use?" Talyara's inquiry is answered next, "Yup! The mermaid is all yours!" Meri would be the last to meander over to the bubbly bar. The blonde has still been doing a pretty good job about keeping her drinking habit in check. For awhile, she was completely sober but she has slowly started to enjoy a drink or two during special occasions. Like tonight. She'd follow Talyara's lead and mix herself a mimosa, one that is a little bit on the weaker side. She'd pluck up a few snacks for herself as well, no one likes to paint on an empty stomach. Besides, it is probably a good idea to keep the werewolf well fed, no? Hanger. Once she has fed herself, Meri would pick up her brush and set about painting herself a ship.

Khitti nodded to Lanara as the witch picked out the grotto, and Meri and Talyara picked out their own canvases, “One of my favorite fairy tales is of this mermaid that falls in love with a prince and makes a deal with a sea witch so she can go on land to find him. Meri and I painted it in Dominic’s room on the Tranquility, before he was born.” A few more pieces of food is stuffed into her face (sorry everyone, Khitti is -not- a lady by any means) and swallowed promptly before she went on, “The, uh… mermaid might be me… and the prince might be Brand.” Insert another awkward cough here. “I don’t think either of you have seen it yet, but the ship is Brand’s too, The Tranquility.” The appropriate colors were chosen, and a brush taken up and dipped in said colors. The prince’s hair was started on first, the base blonde with shades of red and even the tiniest hint of grey mixed. When she was satisfied with that, she’d start in on the rest of him. She might even have had sort of dreamy look on her face--look, she’s really obsessed with fairy tales and mixing that with Brand turns Khitti to mush. Their life is anything but a fairy tale--maybe one of the really dark ones--but it’s nice to think about it at times. Especially when the “times” were as bad as they had been lately. “I really appreciate all of this. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any real time to myself.”

Lanara listens intently to Meri’s instruction, and she eyes the brushes of various sizes, before she picks a medium sized one and dips it in the navy blue paint. They are all somewhat quiet as they work on their paintings and eat their food, that’s it’s a welcome distraction when Khitti mentions her favorite fairytale, and it’s in comparison to her love life. Lana smiles, turning to face her friend, and she goes to point to her chest when she realizes she’s still holding the brush covered in paint! A smear of blue is over her left breast, and she scowls, as she’s proud to be a creature of balance! “Oh dear…” What was she even going to say in reply to Khitti? They may never know, because the canvas is momentarily forgotten, as Lana dips the brush into some sky blue paint and smears it over her right breast! “That’s… A little better.” She looks as though she’s considering rolling around in glitter next, as she slyly eyes the shelving on the opposite side of the room. Not bothering to glance at her sister, as she knows she’s probably horrified at the fact that she’s painting her white blouse instead of a painting for the bride. “Yes, this is so…” Frustrating? Difficult? Damaging? “Relaxing.” Pulling her hair into a ponytail, Lana glances at the other canvasses, all of which look as though they belong in a gallery or museum. The canvass of the grotto looks as though it were buried in the grotto at this point, but hopefully with some more paint and special effects, Lana can salvage the painting. She clearly isn’t artistic! “I just realized that I’m the –only- single one at this party… Have you and Cal set a date yet, Meri? And Taly… Are you and Krice discussing marriage?” Towards Khitti, she’s careful not to stab herself again with the brush, or the redhead, “Have you planned a honeymoon?”

Talyara approaches her canvas and, after nibbling on a carrot and taking another sip of mimosa, begins to select her colors. She smiles softly when Khitti explains about the fairytale and how the Prince represents Brand and the mermaid is her. Well then! Taly, likewise, decides to start on the hair first and occasionally throws looks Khitti’s way, studying the way the light reflects off her fiery tresses and doing her best to mimic them on the canvas. She obsesses over it a little bit, wanting to make it as perfect as possible, before opting to focus on the tail. She agonizes over it for some time, having never read said tale, she’s unsure if the color of the scales matters, but the witch opts to give is an iridescent appearance. She is so absorbed in her own painting that she doesn’t notice her sister misbehaving until the sky blue paint is already applied to her blouse. Talyara just stares at her, not quite in surprise, but with a touch of disgust. “Lana!” she hisses and clicks her tongue. “I swear, you’re supposed to be the -older- sister! Paint on the canvas not your clothes!” Rolling her eyes she reaches down to take up her flute and down the rest of her mimosa before returning to her own painting. When discussion turns to there various love lives, she feels her cheeks heat with a blush. She allows Meri to answer first hoping she wouldn’t have to; however, she knows her sister won’t let up. “No, absolutely not,” she says quickly clearing her throat.

Meri :: Prior to taking a more simple approach to her artistic expression, Meri thought it was a good idea to own a place in Larket where she gave lessons in painting while people got wine-drunk. There was nothing that Lanara could come up with that Meri has not seen, including obsessions with glitter. There is also a reason that Meri very rarely bothers with white. At least with her blacks, there was some hope of sometimes hiding the paint stains...depending on the color. Of the four canvases being painted, the one that is gaining the least attention from it's painter is actually Meri's. She's periodically straying away from her work to check on the witch sister's work. They weren't being graded, of course. But Meri would slide in and offer pointers, especially to Lanara, so that maaaaybe the finished product that will hopefully end up on Khitti's wall is not a horrid mess. Maybe this...will end up being more of a...dark hallway piece....than a living room piece. "You know, I have often toyed with the idea of hosting a painting party." She's not really sure who the audience would be, but clearly Lanara would have a blast. "Where nuts on large canvases in..uh... a more abstract way." Clearly she never has gotten around to it. Meri and Talyara were in the same boat when the subject shifts to love lives, except Meri manages to play her answer off more casually. There is no blush from her, just a casual shrug and a slow, "Naw." Yes, Lanara. Make Khitti answer questions about her honeymoon, leave Meri and Talyara's love lives alone! Khitti is the one who is actually doing exciting stuff with her relationship right now, she's got the things to talk about. "Are you offering to babysit for her to be able to honeymoon, Lanara? I think you are. I swear I heard those words come out of your mouth." Not that Aunt Meri ever mined time with Dominic. It just seemed like a good way to tease the witch.

Khitti watched as Lanara painted both of her boobs with the paint, the redhead finding it hard to resist a smirk as the witch tried to balance out her mistake. “If we were going to do body painting too, I would’ve brought a change of clothes,” she said, teasing Lanara. She squinted at the thought of Krice being a married man and she just kinda… went cross-eyed. It’d been some time since she’d spoken to him--and they’d never fully gotten along--but he didn’t seem the type. But, maybe Talyara would change that in time. “We’ve not thought about the honeymoon yet, honestly.” Khitti chewed her lip a moment before finally revealing the thing she’d told Meri, but not Lanara--and obviously not Talyara, “I just want to take things one step at a time. Brand was… stuck in the Shadow Plane… for almost as long as Meri had been. It wasn’t a pleasant experience by any means. I almost cancelled the wedding entirely. It might’ve been something I want, but it’s not something I need. He comes first. And if he’s not up for it, then we’ll take our honeymoon later on.” Khitti finished up the likeness of Brand as she spoke, then downed the rest of her champagne, offering the three a smile, “But, that’s not a bad thing either. We’ll figure it out soon, and one of the three of you--or even all of you--can babysit Dominic… and probably his chickens.” Another smirk made itself known, the redhead giving a shake of her head, “Let’s take a break and do the spa stuff, if we’re able to?” She looked to Lanara for confirmation. “Looks like Lanara needs a breather before she paints all of the room instead of her canvas.”

Lanara smirks at Taly’s disapproval, for it was purely accidental that she had splashed paint all over her blouse! The old Lana would have likely tossed a plate of paint at her sister’s head, all in good fun, but this somewhat marginally more mature Lana, returns to sprucing up the areas on the painting that didn’t look all that great. She was better with magic or dancing, as arts and crafts was not her forte. She isn’t surprised that Krice shied away from bringing up marriage, but she senses that her sister is hopeful with the way she clears her throat, “You know… Maybe just hint to him that you want to take things to the next level? It can be a private ceremony or you can elope…” Krice valued his privacy, but her sister shouldn’t have to suffer! Lana’s only trying to help, which is why she takes the bait that Meri tosses her way, “Actually… I wouldn’t mind babysitting for a week or so! I’m actually great with kids –and- animals, so I could look after the menagerie while they’re on their honeymoon. It’s all assuming… Well, you know.” That she’s proven innocent and doesn’t burn at the stake. It leaves a sour taste in her mouth, and she sips her peach mango concoction… Not realizing that she dipped her paintbrush in the wrong cup! Thankfully, she swallows the disgusting liquid like a champ, rather than turn her head and spit all over her sister, or Goddess forbid, the painting. She had gotten more paint on her shirt and in her belly than on the actual canvas, and she was done with this little activity for the moment. Lanara slides from her stool and grabs a napkin, which she dabs at her smurf painted lips, before dipping some marshmallows into the fountain of chocolate and trying to get rid of the taste. The grotto –would- make a lovely addition to any dark hallway! “Meri, that sounds wonderful! I’m sure Fleur and Dominic would join, and some other children in the area! Hell, -I- would love to get some better brushing skills.” Khitti’s comment about pampering themselves catches her slightly tapered ears, and she laughs, “It’s a good thing that Meri put tarps on the floor, or I’d have to pain the entire Green Fairy in shades of blue, so all the rooms matched!” Now that she was in her element, Lana gleefully shows off all the popular colors of the season, which are plums, maroons, and shades of brown. The glitter glue is wiggled before Meri, as if the psion would actually partake in dipping her nails into something that sparkles. Naturally, Lanara chooses a hot pink polish, and proceeds to paint her nails, while kicking off her shoes. She’d get to them next, but she has an ‘aha’ moment and expertly plucks a gift bag from the third shelf, without marring her nails. She’s had enough practice being a lady! “Khitti… This is your something ‘blue’ and you can wear it on the night of your wedding…” She is about to make a quip about Brand being unable to imagine the Shadow Plane while Khitti is dressed in –that- but it’s a sensitive subject. “Whenever he is ready, we are all here to help you through anything you both face, you know that…” Inside the bag is a sheer powder blue negligee, soft to the touch, with a matching pair of panties. It’s not overly revealing, it’s the perfect size, and Khitti would feel both sexy and classy, which would hopefully make her feel comfortable on their wedding night. “I hope you like it…”

Talyara coyly gives Meri a thumbs up for navigating the conversation back to Khitti when it comes to love lives. It’s not that she’s not willing to -talk- about her and Krice but marriage was sort of a touchy subject. Her and the warrior had never discussed it (she wasn’t sure that was something he wanted) and the last time she had talked about marriage with someone he broke her heart. Taly is making some finishing touches on her Khitti mermaid (Meri might have to finish up the background); however the woman herself is nearly completely and does have a likeness to the redhead if she does say so herself! She looks towards her friend when she talks about being unsure about a honeymoon and her expression falls slightly when she confesses that Brand was in the Shadow Plane for some time. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she says quietly, rinsing her brushes in a cup of water. She didn’t want to dwell on it if Khitti didn’t want to talk about it, but she wanted to show her friend some empathy. “Well, when the time comes, I volunteer to help babysit! I love kids! And chickens! I used to have a pet chicken!” Of course she doesn’t mention that she slaughtered said pet when she was possessed, they didn’t need to know that. After making a pitstop at the chocolate fountain to snag a strawberry, she glances at the selection of polishes and chooses a maroon color and begins to expertly do her nails. “If you set up that painting class, Meri, I will personally pay for Lana to take lessons.” The ladies continue to chat and pamper themselves before Lana offers her gift to Khitti. Naturally, Talyara wolf whistles when the lingerie is unwrapped and she grins. “I bet that will look lovely on you!” She’s someone who can appreciate subtle sexiness without it being over the top revealing. Taly is just contemplating on whether she should paint her toes as well when there’s a knock at the door. Once more she eyes her sister suspiciously, vaguely wondering if she somehow psychically conjured up some strippers. “I’ll get it!” she says quickly standing, hoping to fend off the would be dancers if she needed to. When she swings the door open, however, she is surprised to see Nick from the Backstreet Bards standing there. “I’m here with the little people,” he says nonchalantly. The witch blinks in confusion. “Uh, what?” Nick barrels his way in and behind him are four dwarves. “Lanara said she needed four little people so here I am!” Talyara spins around and looks at her sister incredulously. “Um what is he talking about?”

Meri 's lips twitch into a frown, it was her turn to feel a pang of guilt as their inquiries of a honeymoon managed to shift the conversation to more somber things. Even Lanara seems distracted, enough that she did not realize which cup she dipped her paintbrush into! Under different circumstances, Meri would laugh and poke fun. She doesn't though, she just tries to steer away from the current topic of conversation all together. "Oh. Well. I guess yes, I could host a painting party with kids....but if I am being honest...? I really don't think I would have the patience to hang out with a bunch of kids." Meri did not elaborate on the idea of what she did mean for now, it could be a conversation for another time. The ladies were shifting their attention to nails, and Khitti was being presented with a gift. Her something blue. Lanara wiggles that glitter glue at Meri and all the blonde can do is smirk and roll her eyes in a good natured manner. In truth, Meri has gotten her nails done like...once in her lifetime. That one time was when Valrae talked her into getting her nails done at the witch-run nail salon several years ago now...and that would be the only time! That is not to say that Meri does not try and include herself in the festivities in other ways. She'll drink, she'll eat, she'll definitely continue to paint on the canvases...and massages were a must, when that time came. Meri definitely enjoyed those. At least that is what she is thinking prior to that knock on the door, and Nick announcing that Lanara had said they needed four little people? That...really did not sound anything near masseuse. "Uhhh....?"

Lanara is painting the last of her toenails when there’s a knock at the door and Taly dashes to answer it, revealing Nick and four pintsized males. They aren’t dwarves; they appear to be humans… It dawns on her then, that the bard misinterpreted her words…”NICK! I said I needed four MASSEUSES, not MIDGETS! I said we were having a little PARTY, not with LITTLE PEOPLE! I can’t believe this mix up!!!”

Khitti plucked a nice matte shade of plum out of the choices of nail paints, but soon had that ‘blue’ gift given to her. She peeked into the gift bag and immediately turned bright red. “Heh, thanks. I, uh… I’m sure he’ll like it.” Cue her face turning even more red. Thankfully, the only one out of the other three that’s sort of happened upon Khitti and Brand while they were, uh… doing their thing was Meri. Only Meri knew that Khitti and Brand had a full list of kinks, and one of them had been in the process of being a thing one day when Meri came to the ship. As per usual, Brand had been a jerk and left Khitti tied up in their room (!) while he showed Meri around The Tranquility (!!) and had a nice glass of whiskey with her before the psion left (!!!). Sometimes, Khitti was reminded of this day that was so long ago, before she became human again, and those days that she does remember, she’s incredibly thankful that Meri is -very- good at keeping secrets. Thanks, Meri. You’re the best sister. At this moment, Khitti’s incredibly thankful once again because she doesn’t want to imagine the sort of things that Lanara might’ve bought her if the witch had known. “I don’t really have a whole lot of these types of things, so I’m sure Brand will be happy to start a collection,” she said, her face still as red as tomato, and accompanied by a smirk. She’s glad that the three of them managed to turn the conversation away from that of the Shadow Plane. It was definitely something that would bring the excitement of the party down several notches. She felt like it needed to be known at least. No matter how much Khitti tried to avoid it, the Shadow Plane was a part of who she was, for better or for worse. She’d started taking a peek again at the lingerie while Talyara got up to answer the door. The voice of that Backstreet Bard floated into the room as Khitti pulled the lingerie entirely out of the bag. It’s shoved back into said bag with a squeak before any of those dudes could see it. The exchange between witch and bard were smirked at, “Well, if there’s no masseuses, then we can just do that part in the morning! We can go get breakfast at the bakery too.” Khitti -definitely- needed a massage, and she wasn’t going to let Nick deprive the rest of them from it either. The bag with her “blue” gift in it was set aside for now, so that Khitti could focus on dealing with her nails, and eventually eat more and do more painting with her friends. While this whole thing hadn’t been expected… it’d been something that Khitti definitely needed.