Beach Buddies (09/05/2023) - Sparks-in-Shade
May 10, 2023 7:31:23 GMT
Andy D and Jax Mango like this
Post by Sparks-In-Shade on May 10, 2023 7:31:23 GMT
Sparks-in-Shade gingerly pushed open the door to his cluttered, messy bedsit in Castleside. He winced as the hinges made a loud creak. The morning sun shone brightly through the parted curtain, dust specks in the air briefly illuminated as Syranita's pale yellow light fell on them. Sparks couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that had followed him since he returned to Portal Plaza not half an hour ago.
"Where have you been?" Spark's familiar, Mac stood perched indignantly on the back of a desk chair. Mac could choose to appear as almost anything, but this morning he took his usual form of a large raven with piercing blue eyes and a shock of white feathers on the left side of his head.
"What do you mean? That sounds very accusing, Mac. I haven't been anywhere." Sparks tried to dodge the question, avoiding eye contact. He knew he was in trouble.
"Oh really? Why is there sand on your clothes then, eh? And what are you doing wearing a sarong?" Mac's glowing blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, as his tone shifted from curiosity to anger. "You've been with another pet, haven't you?"
Sparks stammered for a moment, realising he'd been caught. Damn it, couldn't even get through the door without being found out, he chided himself. He was used to deception, in fact he considered himself rather excellent at it. But Mac was impossible to fool.
Sparks doubled down on the lie "No! No no no, no. Never." but relented when he saw Mac's expression completely unmoved "Well ok. Yes."
Mac gave an exasperated sigh. "Who is she?"
Sparks took a moment to compose his thoughts as he paced over to his dilapidated sofa, slumped in the centre of the small room. He sat down and a cloud of dust mushroomed into the air.
"Look. It wasn't planned. I went to the beach. Met some new friends. Two bugbears - enormous, the pair of them but very different in their own ways. Thurgor and Jax. Lilia, a stealthy human Cleric. And Robin, the wizard." Sparks fixed Mac with an expectant stare. Surely this explanation would calm his familiar down.
"So you're saying you went for a nice day out at the beach and left me at home? Like I wouldn't be annoyed at you for that?"
"Well... yes. If you boil it right down, I suppose that's one way of describing it. We played some beach games. I dived into a sunken wreck and got beaten up by an octopus. Met a beautiful seal woman. It was a whole thing."
"Hmmm. Sounds like you had the best day ever, without me." Mac was clearly hurt at being left out. "But if that's all there is to tell, then I can forgive you. Is there anything else?"
"Actually there is one more thing..."
Spark's saw Mac's eyes dart to the doorway as he heard a slapping, lolloping sound coming up the stairs.
"There's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Ermintrude."
The slapping sound grew louder and stopped suddenly as a large seal flopped its way into the room. Mac stared in dismay as he realised this creature was likely his new roommate. Dismay turned to horror as he noticed that the creature was lying on its back staring at the wall, its expression utterly vacant.
Mac looked back up at Sparks.
"I'll get some water. We'll talk about this later. In private."
"Where have you been?" Spark's familiar, Mac stood perched indignantly on the back of a desk chair. Mac could choose to appear as almost anything, but this morning he took his usual form of a large raven with piercing blue eyes and a shock of white feathers on the left side of his head.
"What do you mean? That sounds very accusing, Mac. I haven't been anywhere." Sparks tried to dodge the question, avoiding eye contact. He knew he was in trouble.
"Oh really? Why is there sand on your clothes then, eh? And what are you doing wearing a sarong?" Mac's glowing blue eyes narrowed suspiciously, as his tone shifted from curiosity to anger. "You've been with another pet, haven't you?"
Sparks stammered for a moment, realising he'd been caught. Damn it, couldn't even get through the door without being found out, he chided himself. He was used to deception, in fact he considered himself rather excellent at it. But Mac was impossible to fool.
Sparks doubled down on the lie "No! No no no, no. Never." but relented when he saw Mac's expression completely unmoved "Well ok. Yes."
Mac gave an exasperated sigh. "Who is she?"
Sparks took a moment to compose his thoughts as he paced over to his dilapidated sofa, slumped in the centre of the small room. He sat down and a cloud of dust mushroomed into the air.
"Look. It wasn't planned. I went to the beach. Met some new friends. Two bugbears - enormous, the pair of them but very different in their own ways. Thurgor and Jax. Lilia, a stealthy human Cleric. And Robin, the wizard." Sparks fixed Mac with an expectant stare. Surely this explanation would calm his familiar down.
"So you're saying you went for a nice day out at the beach and left me at home? Like I wouldn't be annoyed at you for that?"
"Well... yes. If you boil it right down, I suppose that's one way of describing it. We played some beach games. I dived into a sunken wreck and got beaten up by an octopus. Met a beautiful seal woman. It was a whole thing."
"Hmmm. Sounds like you had the best day ever, without me." Mac was clearly hurt at being left out. "But if that's all there is to tell, then I can forgive you. Is there anything else?"
"Actually there is one more thing..."
Spark's saw Mac's eyes dart to the doorway as he heard a slapping, lolloping sound coming up the stairs.
"There's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Ermintrude."
The slapping sound grew louder and stopped suddenly as a large seal flopped its way into the room. Mac stared in dismay as he realised this creature was likely his new roommate. Dismay turned to horror as he noticed that the creature was lying on its back staring at the wall, its expression utterly vacant.
Mac looked back up at Sparks.
"I'll get some water. We'll talk about this later. In private."