The Exploits of Misfit Company

Alys would tilt her head from Kasha’s giggling. She’d swallow her mouthful before gently poking the druid in the arm with a playful grin of her own. “What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve done?”

"Oh that's an easy one." Kasha nods. "When I was about nine, I would take huge gulps of one of my dad's stronger ales from his cabinet when he wasn't looking until my cheeks were like a chipmunks, then I would gulp down, and then when I was going to throw up, which I usually did, i'd run upstairs and leave him a surprise on his bed sheets." She laughed for a good thirty seconds, falling over to the floor, and wiped her face. "Oh, man, he was also so angry with me. You should have heard his cries of disgust. I've done some really naughty things but that one stands out. He was always exhausted of me. This is fun!"

Kasha turns to Alys. “Truth...or dare?”

Alys will snicker and giggle when Kasha would tell her story. That’s so Kasha. She was glad she shared a little piece of her history. “If you do that tonight, pick Stella’s!” She’d joke. Feeling a tickle on her lip, Alys will go to scratch it, only to realize she’s had milk on her face this whole time. In horror she’ll frantically wipe her face. Then when Kasha would turn to her, her eyes will go wide in ‘fear’.

Odd: Truth Even: Dare 

1

The elf would squirm a little bit before answering, “Truth .”

It was time to drop the bomb. Like a giggily schoolgirl, Kasha asked one of the most typical questions imaginable during sleepovers for girls.

”Who..do you have a crush on?”

And like a bomb it was. Alys' face and ears turn red again. Immediately she felt her heart start to race, feeling like a shy schoolgirl in the 'hot seat'. She had to swallow to keep the haunting peppers from coming up. Her blue eyes dart from Kasha's and to the other girls, and back, all waiting for her response. She'd stare down at her hands. Alys would start poking her two index fingers together as a way to fidget, trying to reel in her thoughts, fighting to keep her answer simple. The elf's eyes would glance to Vastra. There was no way she could get away with recycling the same answer, even when it articulates how she feels. She'd look back to her hands.

Alys' interpretation of the word 'crush' relates to feelings of affection. And in truth, she has felt something for everyone in varying degrees. Each one of them has played a part in touching on her emotions, having her feel deeper and more genuinely than she has before. She is fond of all of them. She cares for all of them. Some, attraction. And a few, affection. Alys feels as though she's developed bonds, which she's never really had before. And as an elf, who could live many lifetimes, how does she measure those bonds against another? She'd look up to meet Kasha's eyes. The halfelf asked 'who', specifically. Sweet Kasha was simply fishing for a name, perhaps even suspicious already. Alys would look back to fidget with her hands. She had to name one. If she was to be honest with herself and admit the truth of her feelings out loud...

Her crush would have to be the person who she felt most safe around. Not simply sheltered from danger, but where she felt free of judgement. Where she felt comfortable, free to learn and be, Alys. The person who made her feel grounded, as sure as the earth beneath her feet. The last person she'd want to hug goodnight, because... it felt like home.

And at that point, perhaps it was obvious. It was... "Yvan..."

Kasha gasped. Loud.

Maybe a little too loud. Yeah that was definitely loud. Might of overdone that one. Given away a few feelings there with it.

Just be cool. You weren't expecting that answer. It's ok. Don't let them read your face. Take it easy. Play it off. Come on.

He's like a brother to you. Anyone would be lucky to love him. He's an amazing catch, he's sweet an--

No, not HIM, you idiot. HER.

Huh?

You were expecting HER to say YOU. 

Oh. Well, a little? I guess? What's wrong with being liked in that way? I've been with them a long time. She's sweet, and kind, and she likes doing my hair, I feel like she gets me, like Yvan does. Or..is getting me. She goes out of her way to be kind, and sensitive. She likes having me around. She sincere and affectionate, and I like the way she's so shy. And..she's pretty. I thought..maybe..

Well, she doesn't.

Ok.   

A lot of things were going through Kasha's brain. This back and forth self reflecting went on for a few more quick moments, then she smiled and clapped, and bobbed her eyebrows at Alys, letting her know she picked a VERY good choice and was very brave to do so! "Excellent choice!!" she commended.

Alys' eyes would look up to search Kasha's. It's not that Alys thought Kasha was lying or being insincere, but she was worried things could change. That was a loud gasp.

Insight: 4

The elf felt vulnerable and exposed. I should have picked dare.

As far as you can tell, Kasha is pleased with your response and is very proud of you for being so brave, and wouldnt give you the impression your friendship with her would be any different. With that amazing insight roll, lol, she would not or should not make you feel bad for that choice. 

"That's nothing to feel ashamed of, Alys. Yvan's a good man with a gentle heart. Perhaps you could ask him to dance tomorrow."

Kasha nods approvingly. "He is. He's like a brother to me. I can't think of a better soul to get to know better. On the days I really miss my dad or my mom, he would let me sleep on his back, or he'd give me piggy back rides running through the forest, or so many other kind things. He's not JUST a raging, murderous, mindless killer, you know. KhkkKH."

And somewhere, deep in the forest, a certain goliath's ears begin to burn for seemingly no reason.

"So anyway, what do we do next?"

“You guys can watch me chug this bottle of Imperator’s Bane!” She took the bottle and looked at it. ”Oh yeah. I can do this!”

"Go ahead."

Kasha uncorked the bottle, took a fee deep breaths as if she was doing a deep drive underwater with no equipment and began to chug.

6

She squinted and blinked a few times, turned a little red, but keep chugging. She didn’t even come up for air. She gagged once or twice while gulping, and then the bottle was rattling on the floor, empty. She held up a finger, and let out a burp a dwarf drunkard would be proud of.

"Well done. And I guess with that we go to bed?"

Stella nods, having clearly been a little woozily tired for the last round or two. "Bed sounds good."

Alys would open her mouth to try to find the words but couldn't. Ashamed.

Scattered memories rushed forth at Vastra's choice of word. Her mentor was wise and picked up on her sense of shame. And it wasn't because of Yvan. Her shame was her own. But the assurance was still there, allowing a smile to crop up on her face. Alys appreciated her care and guidance. If she could blush more, she would have when she'd suggest a dance. "I-I haven't danced since..." Well, she couldn't remember.

Hearing Kasha jump in gush about him to reassure her of all the things she already knew made her feel even more like a schoolgirl. Alys would listen intently to everything she had to say with a shy smile on her face. Since the very beginning, there was something that touched her heart about the relationship those two shared. How they cared for each other... it was beyond endearing. And that bond will forever be theirs.

Before Alys knew it, Kasha has a bottle of strong liquor and would down it. The elf would want to reach out to suggest maybe sharing, but she downed it. Sucking air through her teeth, a little concerned as to what drove the druid to chug the whole bottle by herself, Alys would reach to offer to pat Kasha on the back after her award-winning belch.

Alys will eye the empty bottle before looking back to Vastra and Stella who agreed to bed. "Sure..."

Alys wouldn't rush to bed though. She'd putter around washing her face and completing a nighttime routine. She'd make sure everyone else was settled okay in bed first and would get to sleep okay. Finally, on the way to her bed for the night, the elf would pick up Kasha's empty bottle. She'd turn it over a couple of times in her hand before placing it on its side on the ground. She'll spin it, watching it for a moment before walking away, not waiting to see where it stopped.

Kasha watched everyone get ready for bed. She was flush and warm in the face, and her eyes didn't exactly look straight or blink simultaneously anymore. She swaggered slightly and looked out the window as everyone was tucking in. With a loud hiccup, Kasha was all, "Oh no. I aint goin' to bed, you old maids. You!" she took Alys by the arm and walked with her. "We're going outside. This shit show ain't over yet, sister!!!" she screamed, maybe a little too loud.

She took Alys to the highest level, stumbling on stairs and giggling, pausing to wipe her eyes. "You're gonna like this. I ho- HIC- pe." Kasha led Alys to the roof, and climbed up where they could see the stars and sit down. Kasha almost bailed and nearly scraped her shin in her drunken stupor, but was more or less ok once she sat down next to Alys. Wrapping her legs around with her arms, she looked up.  

"I'm gonna tell you a little story. This is very personal, you see. But i'm gonna share it with you." she cleared her throat. "Before I became a misfit, I roamed around the sword coast aimlessly and without purpose. I never really fit in. No one really liked me. Even when I was young and in school I was teased and made fun of, and all I wanted to do was to roam free and be by myself. You can only live off forest food for so much so I was always hungry and I used my mother's powers to steal things and cause trouble so I would be able to eat for the day. I came up with this crazy shit idea since I can talk to animals and I made friends with Terrance, he's a huge crocodile back home. I'd feed him goats and he'd pretend to let me wrestle and win in carnivals and stuff - made lots of money and things got a little easier but I still felt like I never belonged anywhere. People just thought I was strange. So one day during a spring carnival, there's me and Terrance wrestling it up and the crowd thinks i'm like, super brave and strong and i'm all sweaty and heaving and pretending like it's a huge struggle." she pretends she's wrestling Terrance and with her arms imitates some of the moves. Then she stops, as if thinking about something fondly. Her voice got a bit softer. "And that's how I met Yvan. He was in the crowd that day. After the show, everyone left completely fooled but he was the only one I couldn't trick. He saw right though my act. He was huge, like a mountain of a man and he told me about the Misfits and he just..knew. He just knew I was lonely, and sad, and wanted to be normal, and told me there was a place for people like me..so I didn't have to feel those things anymore.."

Her eyes water, probably from the alcohol. "And that was the last time I saw my dad. I told him I was leaving and he..he didn't really seem too broken up about it. I don't blame him, I was trouble since the day I was born." he cleared her throat, as if to do anything from crying. "So, I lost my father that day, but I gained a best friend!! And now I don't feel so alone anymore. Yvan knows how I feel about him. I hope one day you have the courage to tell him how you feel."