A Simmering Life

[heady creek]

It was my understanding that Groves were groups of ~~half-~~elves who wanted to go back to old elven society.

[lime birch]

There are small communities of half-elves that have a poor grasp of what the society of their full-elf ancestors was actually like, since there are none left to tell them about it. Old Eflish society was much more flexible than Grafted Grove half-elves believe it is. They are a huge, irritating minority.
You could compare them to the Amish or Mennonites or those kinds of people in our modern day world.
But less quaint and more culty.

Brekk: "Oh. You really don't have any shoes."
Cobalt: "sorry for just, you know, coming over like this..."
Brekk: "No. It's okay. Just... hmm... My apartment is a bit... uh... dark. And we need to be quiet, okay?"
Cobalt: "okay."

Cobalt: "Oh. It is dark in here. And blue? And... moist."
Brekk: "Ew. Don't say it like that. It's humid. Let's go to my room."

[lime birch]

Fudge. I forgot that I changed Brekk's hair. Everyone pretend you don't see it!

[ornate oasis]

🫣

[lime birch]

[A while later]
Cobalt: "And then I just stormed out." [sniff] "[Expletive] I'm still so angry."

Brekk: "Why would he say that?"
Cobalt: "He's classist idiot."

Brekk: "Oh, no. I agree that he's in the wrong, but don't be insulting. He's my boyfriend too, remember?"
Cobalt: "Sorry."
Brekk: "It's okay to be angry though. I would be."

[heady creek]

Was Brekk tying back his hair during the conversation?

[lime birch]

Sure. Let's go with that and not that I forgot to update the mini 😉

[lime birch]

[Ding-ding]
Brekk: "Hmm. It's Rollo."
Cobalt: "I blocked his number on my way over."
Brekk: "I'm going to tell him that you're here, but that you don't want to talk. Okay?"
Cobalt: "Fine."

Brekk: "I don't want to be caught in the middle of your two fighting."
Cobalt: "You won't be. I'll message him in the morning and tell him that he's unblocked but I'm still angry."
Brekk: "I agree with you; he was in the wrong. But I'm not going to take a side or get involved. Okay?"
Cobalt: "That's fair."
Brekk: "Okay. Let's go to bed."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Your bed is so smol 😄."
Brekk: "I am a lot smaller than you and I never have people over."
Cobalt: "Good thing I like snuggling 😃 then."

Cobalt: "Can I ask you a question?"
Brekk: "Is it why the rest of the apartment is so dark and humid?"
Cobalt: "Yeah."
Brekk: "My grandma has some special needs for her health..."

Cobalt: "Will I meet her?"
Brekk: "Oh god. I hope not."
Cobalt: "What? Why?"
Brekk: "This is the worst timing..."
Cobalt: "What?"

Cobalt: "Are you ashamed of me? Is it because I used to be a [redacted]?"
Brekk: "What? No. No, no, no. No, it's not you. Cobalt, you're perfect."
Cobalt: "What's wrong then?"

[modest sentinel]

Tell him tell him tell him tell him tell hi-

[lime birch]

Stretch this out for another 3 or 4 days worth of posting, you say? Ooof. I mean. It's gonna be a lot of work.

[modest sentinel]

Cruel Author. Jail.

[lime birch]

takes all the toys and goes home to jail

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Brekk?"
Brekk: "Suf is- Please don't leave me..."
Cobalt: "What? Over your grandma? What, is she a little grabby or something?"

Brekk: "Suf is a [mumble]."
Cobalt: "A what?"
Brekk: [just the smallest voice] "a goblin"

Ugh, Clyde. Calm down.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Oh. So."
Brekk: [sniff sniff]
Cobalt: "So, that makes you a goblin."
Brekk: "Mmmhmm."

Cobalt: "I... I would have guessed orc."
Brekk: "most people do"

[granite goblet]

uh oh cobalt what are you thinking

[lime birch]

tfw you realize that you have not been a good person

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "ohmygods... Brekk... I... we watched that Portal Wars movie together... I..."
Brekk: [sniff] "don't say you're sorry unless you actually mean it."

Cobalt: "I am sorry. There's just no excuse. I'm really, really sorry, Brekk. I promise, I'll be better."

Brekk: "Are you going to leave?"
Cobalt: "What? No. Noooo. If anything, I should be begging you not to leave me. You'd be so justified."
Brekk: "You... you think that?"
Cobalt: "Absolutely."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Brekk, I'm so sorry. I've been so grossly ignorant and insensitive. Even if you can't forgive me, I promise I'll be better. I understand if you can't. Please, please give me a chance to be a better friends and partner to you."

[lime birch]

Brekk: [sniff] "I... I never thought you were malicious. You and Rollo... You're actually the kindest people I've ever been in a relation with." [sniff] "Most goblins don't even know they're goblins... You couldn't have known..."

Brekk: [sniff] "Thanks for apologizing though... I means everything to me." [sniff] "Nobody else ever has."
Cobalt: "You definitely deserve better. I'll be better."
Brekk: "I know you will."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: [snrk]
Brekk: "What?"

Cobalt: "Well, now I can say, with total certainty, that I've slept with someone from literally every species."

[alpine lark]

GG @lime birch, you just advanced to level 44!

[lime birch]

haha

perfect

[wind tapir]

Nerds

I mean that very affectionately btw. They're too cute and it makes me nauseous

[lime birch]

Is the plural of doofus doofuses or doofi?
In my house we call each other badoofus

Brekk and Cobalt, definitely doofuses.

[ornate oasis]

I've always heard doofuses

[proven burrow]

genuinely though this is so well written and flows so naturally, loving it. cannot believe i was not in this forum sooner

[lime birch]

put in #1086221229469474826
I read

[lime birch]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy it.

(Content Warning: The next few scenes are gonna be spoilered for the uncomfortableness of caring for an elderly family member in decline.)

[merry drift]

hoo boy, time to feel really bad

[lime birch]

||Brekk: "Guulka, [you need to put clothes on.]"
Guulka: "[I'm clothed.]"
Brekk: "[No. No, you need clothes. Come on.]"

Guulka: "[Don't touch me.]"
Brekk: "Guulka, [please]."
Guulka: "[Where's the dwarf?]"
Brekk: "Jonki [will be here later.]"

Guulka: [aggressive sniffling] "[You smell like a man"]
Brekk: "[I am a man-]"
Guulka: "[You're a jie-]"
Brekk: "[No.] Guulka, [no. I'm not. I'm a kasesi, it's different. But I'm still a man. Come on, put your pants on.]"||

[scenic sage]

I ❤️ Guulka

[pallid hull]

Oh yeah, I've dealt with this before. 😩

[lime birch]

ngl, there are a lot of elements from my real life sprinkled through out all my stories. Not everything is 1:1, but there's sprinkles.

[scenic sage]

Yah, definitely big relate to that series.

[lime birch]

Every time I tell my hubs about my funnier scenes, he's like "is [character x] just your self-insert?". Babe, there's a bit of me in every character.

[merry drift]

That's basically what I do when i make a character. I put a little bit of myself into each one

[sharp plaza]

👍

[lime birch]

||Brekk: "Ow! Guulka!"
Guulka: "[Get away from me!]"
Brekk: "Guulka [wait]!"
Guulka: "[GET AWAY FROM ME!]"||

[lime birch]

||Guulka: "[ranting]"

Guulka: "oof"||

[dry yoke]

i'm not sure whether to fear for Cobalt or brace for Guulka being Guulka

[scenic sage]

I figure there’s a 30% chance the first comment is about elves without shoes.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Uh. Hi there."

Guulka: [It's difficult for non-speakers to determine the tone of the Goblin language] "[?!]"
Cobalt: "Uh... Brekk...?"

(time for composites)

[scenic sage]

Loose translation “What the [expletive] is an [expleting expletive] doing in my house!?” ?

[lime birch]

Probably closer to demanding to know who he is and why he smells like a human and that she still has some fight left in her.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Oh, Guulka."
Guulka: "Brekk!" [Speaking Goblin]

Brekk: [Speaking Goblin]
Guulka: [Speaking Goblin]

Brekk: "Guulka," [speaking Goblin] "okay?"
Guulka: [grumbling]
Brekk: "Okay." [speaking Goblin]

[wind tapir]

Writing all my dnd characters and giving them to my DM is exactly that too 😆

[lime birch]

Brekk: [sigh] "Sorry about that..."
Cobalt: "I didn't realize Goblin was such a moist language."
Brekk: "Ew, Cobalt."

||Cobalt: "What happened to your head?"
Brekk: "I caught the end of her cane."
Cobalt: "She hit you?"

Brekk: "No... she hit a stranger trying to undress her..."
Cobalt: "Oh, Brekk... I'm sorry..."
Brekk: "This is why I don't have people over..."||

[lime birch]

Brekk: [sob] "She's not normally like this..."
Cobalt: "Has she hit you before?"
Brekk: "No" [sigh] "But she's definitely getting worse..." [sniff]
Cobalt: "Are you working today? Do you have help?"
Brekk: "Yeah. Jonki'll be here soon. Suf's not dwarf's first goblin patient. Just the oldest living one."

Cobalt: "Do you need more help? Is there anything I can do for you?"
Brekk: "Honestly?"
Cobalt: "Honestly."

Brekk: "I... I need to be able to spend the weekend at your apartment with you and Rollo. Separately is fine. But it's... it's my only break. I know you're mad at Rollo, but if you can just-" [sniff sniff] "just pretend while I'm there... I'm sorry..."

[sharp plaza]

That lighting is interesting, did you use the dark lighting or whatever?

[lime birch]

Yes.

Dark Magic setting for the goblin apartment.

In the unwrittenforged cannon, it comes from fungus that grows on the walls because of all the extra moisture. Not as destructive as it would be in a real world apartment building and instead beneficial.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Don't be sorry. You come over as usual and don't worry about Rollo and me. You won't even know we had a fight, okay?"
Brekk: [sniff] "Okay."
Cobalt: "And let us drive you to and from work for a while, okay? That bus ride eats up so much time."
Brekk: "okay..."

Cobalt: "Love you."
Brekk: [sniff] "I love you too."

[sharp plaza]

oooh very interesting!

[lime birch]

[Later...]

Rollo: "Oh, good, y-"
Cobalt: "Shut up 🤬. Still mad at you."

Rollo: "Alright then."

Cobalt: "But." [deep breath. deep breath.] "We have a bigger problem than you being an [expletive]."
Rollo: "And that is?"
Cobalt: "Brekk."
Rollo: "Brekk?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I stayed at his place last night and met his grandma."
Rollo: "Is it bad?"
Cobalt: "Gods, I hate the sound of your voice right now."
Rollo: "Cobalt. Talk to me or don't, but don't be like that."

Cobalt: [huffy sigh] "Just... It's way worse than he he told us."
Rollo: "How much worse?"
Cobalt: "He got a legitimate head wound this morning, just trying to get her dressed."
Rollo: "Why'd he keep this from us?"
Cobalt: Well, I know why he kept it from you."

Rollo: "No. I ain't doin this. I'll be in my room when yer ready t'be respectful."
Cobalt: "You're calling me disrespectful?"
Rollo: "I ain't the one bein 💩y by puttin words in someone else's mouth right now."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Wait. Wait." [still a bit huffy] "I'm still really angry with you."
Rollo: "I can tell."
Cobalt: "But. I love Brekk more than I'm angry at you right now."

Rollo: "Can you be civil while you tell me bout it?"

Rollo: "You wanna just text me after you've calmed down a bit instead?"
Cobalt: "No. I'm going have a bath and then we'll talk. We have to talk about this before he comes over this weekend."

[lime birch]

[Later...]

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Tsk. Give up on quitting smoking again already?"
Rollo: "Geez, Cobalt, gimme a break. I ain't had a smoke since I joined the Watch. Simmer down just a little. Please."

Cobalt: "We need to talk about Brekk."
Rollo: "Kinda relyin on your to fill me in on the situation."
Cobalt: "He's coming over this weekend and I promised he wouldn't be able to tell that we're fighting."
Rollo: "Alright. But what's goin on at home?"
Cobalt: "You need-"

Rollo: "No. Gonna stop you right there."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I get that you're angry, and that's your right. I ain't gonna apologize till you stop bein angry cause I know you ain't gonna listen. But if you wanna talk to me bout Brekk, you need to get a handle on the anger. I ain't gonna stand here and be attacked by you. Glower all you want - hell, throw a punch if it'll help you feel better - but stop attackin me. And I don't 'ppreciate you insinuatin that Brekk can't be honest with me. Got it?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I'm not sorry."
Rollo: "I know you ain't. That's fine. You gonna talk to me like an adult or you gonna keep bein petulant?"

[lime birch]

Some of his past life shining through.

[lime birch]

[After quite a few deep breaths]
Cobalt: "It's bad. Brekk's grandma needs full-time care."
Rollo: "He says he got a dwarf that comes in."
Cobalt: "Only so he can work and sometimes have a weekend out though."

Rollo: "And she's in bad shape?"
Cobalt: "Hmm. Brekk says she sometimes doesn't recognize him. She hit him with her cane while he was getting her dressed this moring. Hard enough to draw blood. That's new, apparently."
Rollo: "💩"

Rollo: "I'm feelin like you have ideas."
Cobalt: "Well. No. Kind of. I said we'd take care of driving him to and from work for a while. That bus ride eats up so much of his time."
Rollo: "And the late bus is a rough crowd..."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "How're you thinkin of handlin him comin over this weekend? Last thing he needs is to feel caught in th'middle of somethin."
Cobalt: "Yeah... Yeah, he said pretty much exactly that."
Rollo: "You ready to accept my apology?"
Cobalt: "No."

Rollo: "Look-"
Cobalt: "Don't touch me!"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "We can agree that Brekk's more important right now, right?"
Cobalt: "Yes."
Rollo: "Alright."

Rollo: "I ain't gonna interfere with you an' him spendin time together. Can I expect the same consideration?"
Cobalt: "Yes."
Rollo: "Much obliged."

Rollo: "An if he wants t'watch a movie or something with both of us, we're gonna have to be civil. Can't just ignore each other, but we can let him know we got boundaries. Sound fine?"
Cobalt: "Fine."
Rollo: "And obviously, no [adult activities]."
Cobalt: "Ew. No."
Rollo: "Don't be [poopy] Cobalt."

Rollo: "That's settled then?"
Cobalt: "Yes."
Rollo: "You wanna break my nose?"
Cobalt: "No. I'm going out."
Rollo: "Dressed like that?"
Cobalt: "Pft. I'm slumming it."
Rollo: "I'll see you this weekend then. Be safe."

[dry yoke]

cobalt glaring hits so different

you can really feel how genuinely angry he is

[pallid hull]

Cobalt is 110% in the right to feel how he feels, and Rollo is flippantly cool about it. I could be missing a cultural disconnect, but... :P

[modest sentinel]

He's absolutely justified to be angry but it's not great that he's letting it get in the way of communication, either. Seems like there's nuance

[pallid hull]

Yup yup

[lime birch]

Cobalt is basically a word away from being an enraged barbarian. This is a man who worried he broke someone's jaw when they wouldn't take his "no" for an answer.
And Rollo knows he's wrong. Best he can do is wait for Cobalt to sort out his anger and start properly communicating.
I guess it does come off as a bit flippant.

Rollo is genuinely worried about Cobalt punching him.

[pallid hull]

On further thought, yeah, if I was super upset, I'd probably need time to wickedly cool off

But at the same time, even Rollo isn't giving up the gab. One of those, "we've done this before, and this is how the argument looks like" tenor. LOL

[lime birch]

Think back to Rollo of Oxchapel. He a pretty smooth talker right up until someone threw a rock through his window. That cool-headed lawman is still in there somewhere.
He's probably been on the receiving end of this kind of anger from Cobalt before. Or talked him down from it. Possibly both.

[pallid hull]

That's fair! I sometimes felt like Rollo was unattached to the events happening, but I had to double-take as it's a reflection to myself: if I'm in a heated situation, I try reduce the emotion to lower the emotions of the other to avoid a mirroring effect. 👍 👍 👍

[lime birch]

I hope this feels more like a discussion after watching a show and less like me arguing. (Suddenly uncertain if I seem like I'm being argumentative)

[pallid hull]

Yes! LOL I'm sorry, it was a discussion and me thinking outloud!

[lime birch]

Thanks for the vibe check! Sometimes my brain malfunctions! Yay anxiety!

[lime birch]

[8 years ago...]

Yollo: [groan]
Cobalt: "Good morning 😃."

Yollo: [very thick Elfish-accent] "Whuh? Where am I? Who're you?"
Cobalt: "I'm Cobalt🙂. Want some pancakes?"
Yollo: "Why am I dressed like this?"
Cobalt: "What's the last thing you remember?"

Yollo: "Uh... Well, I went to the club... Had a couple o'drinks...?"
Cobalt: "Wow.🤪"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "So, like, I saw you dancing and was gonna come say "hi," but then this guy asked [redacted] and I was like "yeah." And there were was a couple of- Nevermind. Anyway, when I got back, you were looking really uncoordinated. So I came over and said "hi" and you were like "I'm YOLLO!🤪" and-"
Yollo: "Ugh. Please don't shout."

Cobalt: [whispering] "Sorry. Anyway. Then you puked on me. You were a mess. The bouncers said you had to leave. I tried to get you to tell me where you live, but, like, that wasn't happening🙃. So I brought you back to my place."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I promise, we didn't do anything; there's no way you would have been able to say yes. Okay, well, I did help you get into some non-pukey clothes. But that's it. Nobody wants to sleep in pukey clothes. And my roommate's away, so I put you in her bed. And now I've made you pancakes😃."

[lime birch]

The Discord preview images and my blurry old man eyes kinda make it looks like Cobalt's got something on his teeth, like braces or something. And I am just dying at the thought of him being this super energizer bunny party boi with braces.

[lime birch]

Yollo: "Did you jus call me "Yollo"?"
Cobalt: "Yeah. That's what you said."
Yollo: "M'name's Rollo."
Cobalt: "Okay. I'm still Cobalt😃."

Rollo: "I ain't really hungry..."
Cobalt: "That's okay. I'll eat them later."
Rollo: "I think I threw up on yer roommates bed."
Cobat: "Guess I'm doing laundry today😩. Do you want to take a shower? Alone, I mean. You have some chunks in your hair from last night. Tried to get them with some paper towel but, like, it's not very effective."

Rollo: "Yes..."
Cobalt: "Okay. I'll leave some clothes on my roommate's bed. You can get them back to me whenever."
Rollo: "I ain't sure if you's bein nice or if you's jus a doormat."

Cobalt: "Wow😜! Blunt. You must be a Grove Elf."
Rollo: "I am, actually."
Cobalt: "Thought so. Your accent is super thick."
Rollo: "It gets that way when I'm tired, yeah."
Cobalt: "Why don't you take that shower and we can hang out for a bit? I'll make coffee."
Rollo: "Alright... Thanks."

[merry drift]

Yolo Rates!

[lime birch]

Yolo Rates indeed. Thanks Anica.

[sharp plaza]

YOLO Rates is morbidly funny and kind of ironic

[lime birch]

When Anica painted the Rollo mini on stream, she kept calling him Yollo Rates by mistake. Figured I'd make a reference to that in this story.

[merry drift]

I need to submit a mini for Anica to paint

but I can't think of a good one and some of mine have....less than nice backstories

anyways back to Yolo Rates and his Multicolored Bestie to be!

[scenic sage]

I really miss those streams. 😦

[sharp plaza]

We can actually submit stuff for Anica to paint now? I thought thay was a one/two time thing

[lime birch]

I'd put it in the painting channel, cause it's not very busy, and tag her. So he knows.
Dunno if she's still taking submissions or not thought.

[sharp plaza]

Hm...

I'll wait for her to say something, I think. I don't wanna straight up ask if she could paint something of mine 😅

[rain trellis]

Damn discord crash some many times as I read this

[lime birch]

Discord crashes on me a lot when I'm making them, so that tracks. lol

[rain trellis]

XD lol, discord can't handle it

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Feel better?"
Rollo: "Uh, yeah. Thanks."
Cobalt: "No problem, it's what I do."

Rollo: "You mind if I smoke?"
Cobalt: "Not inside. But I have a balcony if you really need to."
Rollo: "Alright."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "So. How long have you been in the city?"

Rollo: "Hmm, bout two years now."
Cobalt: "Oh. So still new."
Rollo: "Kinda. I been on my {Journey to Truth} closer to five years now."
Cobalt: "And how's that going?"

Rollo: "Hmm... I miss my family and, to be honest, the prestige of my caste... but... I like the, I dunno, freedom of bein away...? I'm not sure I want to go back... I been told all my life how th'world beyond th'Grove is messed up... But... Kinda seems like it's better here? Folks can live how they like, love who they want... It's just better."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "What caste are you?"
Rollo: "{Yriyn}."
Cobalt: "Oh. Wow. I don't think I've ever met a {Yriyn} here in the city. I think they mostly go back before they can really integrate."

Rollo: "You meet a lot of Grove Elfs here?"
Cobalt: "I know a few, yeah. Mostly, they live on the street though..."
Rollo: "Yeah. I seen that."
Cobalt: "But not all of them. Like, you're doing alright."
Rollo: "Had a lot o'help before comin here. I'm guessin others ain't so lucky."
Cobalt: "No..."

Rollo: "How bout you?"
Cobalt: "Hmm?"
Rollo: "You ain't got much of an accent, but your Elfish is flawless. What's your deal?"
Cobalt: "Oh. It doesn't matter."

[ornate oasis]

Hmmmm

Theory: Cobalt got kicked out of his grove

[lime birch]

Cobalt ran away at very young. Threw some clothes and his cat into a bag and hiked out to the highway through the backwoods.
Cobalt cooks Blinkers tuna and salmon all the time because Blinkers saved his life.
Hrmmm. A lot of Cobalt's story can't really be told on the server. 😩 ☹️

[ornate oasis]

Ah that makes sense

Also unfortunate but understandable

[lime birch]

Also: oops. I feel asleep.

[ornate oasis]

All good

[heady creek]

Good night!

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Yer {Saihal}, ain't you?"
Cobalt: "Is that a problem for you?"

Rollo: "Well. Never really met any o'your kind. But, you seem arlight."
Cobalt: "Thanks?"

Rollo: "Ain't any reason why we can't be friends, I guess. That's the way o'things here, right? All kinds o'people mixing with each other. Even if they-"
Cobalt: "Ew! Please. Please, don't finish that sentence."

[sharp plaza]

I'm assuming, cause I don't remember if it was mentioend or not, that Saihal is a lower on the status pole?

[lime birch]

It's not detailed, but it's implied that it's pretty low.
Cobalt get's pretty irate at just the mention of it.
#1086340549965009028 message

[sharp plaza]

Yeah, I could definitely tell 💀

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Uh. There's a group I meet with sometimes. Grove Elfs that need... No. Grove Elfs that have decided not to go back. Or who might be on the fence."
Rollo: "A support group?"
Cobalt: "Sort of."

Rollo: "Are there other {Saihal} there?"
Cobalt: "N o o o . . . ?"
Rollo: "I'll check it out."

Cobalt: "Hmm." [clears throat] "I'd love to keep hanging out, but I gotta go to the office and. You know. Clients."
Rollo: "Oh. Yeah. Sorry, I should get goin anyway. Got work t'morrow."
Cobalt: "Let me give you my number. Call me.😃"
Rollo: "Thanks for gettin me home safe last night, Cobalt."
Cobalt: "Anytime."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Gross... I need a shower... And that guy? He needs help. Ugh, what have I just gotten myself into?"

[lime birch]

Deprogramming is hard.

[pallid hull]

Agreed. It takes a bit of time, especially if you were in deep with that ideology...

[ornate oasis]

Seconded

[proven burrow]

Thirded

[coarse gyro]

You can submit stuff! Sorry, I didn't see this until now

[sharp plaza]

Oh awesome!
And where could I do that? In the painting channel like Meldrich said, or elsewhere?

[lime birch]

[Back in the present...]

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Welcome home."
Brekk: "Mmm. I missed you."

Rollo: "..."
Brekk: "It's... It's not that bad..."
Rollo: "Cobalt told me-"
Brekk: "I don't want to talk about it right now."
Rollo: "Alright."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I'm gonna run you a hot bath. You steep in that while I change and make some dinner. How's that sound?"
Brekk: "You can cook?"
Rollo: "You don't think I can?"
Brekk: "You haven't before."

Rollo: [sigh] "Fine. I'm gonna order in."
Brekk: [gasp] "I knew it!"
Rollo: "But I'm gonna say I made it."
Brekk: "I'll act very impressed."
Rollo: "You're too kind."

Brekk: "Are you going to shave too?"
Rollo: "Still?"
Brekk: [giggles]
Rollo: "I think I'll grow a full beard."
Brekk: "What? No!"
Rollo: "A really bushy one."
Brekk: "Noooo!"
Rollo: "The bushiest you ever seen!"
Brekk: "Noooo, stoooop!"

[wind tapir]

oh no you did the hand thing

[lime birch]

Hand thing?

[wind tapir]

https://tenor.com/view/critical-role-crit-role-cr-arsequeef-reaction-gif-14455810

[lime birch]

Ah. I was like "did I mess something up in one of those images??"

[wind tapir]

I am now obligated to find Rollo attractive 😭

[lime birch]

Also, where did you get that image of me just sitting at my desk?? lol

[lime birch]

You poor thing. There there. Everything will be alright.

[wind tapir]

If we're being honest the 'stache did it originally, the hand thing just cemented it 😝

[lime birch]

That Tom Selleck stache
https://tenor.com/view/pacha-emperors-new-groove-just-right-a-little-bit-gif-5389356

[lime birch]

I know they're stupid and unethical... But, ngl, I'd love to run some of Cobalt's dumber dialogue through one of those AI voice generators and have it come out sounding like Worf from Star Trek. teehee

[sharp plaza]

I mean, I'd say it's for personal use

You aren't using it to sell stuff or post it in any really big way, it's probably fine

[lime birch]

🤔 bit of a grey area. It's why I stopped doing backgrounds for my stuff (that and trying to get an AI to understand something as simple as composition is too tiring for me. I might as well just MS paint backgrounds)

[lime birch]

[After a tea infused bath, dinner from that little Orc place up the road a fine home-cooked meal, and a movie...]

Rollo: "You sleepin?"
Brekk: "Hmph, no... A little..."
Rollo: [smooch] "Wanna go to bed?"
Brekk: "No..." [mumble] "'nother movie?"
Rollo: [chuckle] "Alright."

Brekk: "Hmmm..."
Rollo: "Yes?"

Brekk: "I'm... I'm not taking sides..."
Rollo: "I was wrong."
Brekk: "Oh no, that's not what I was going to say."
Rollo: "It's fine. You got a right to be curious. Can we go out for a smoke though?"
Brekk: "Okay..."

[sharp plaza]

Fair enough!

If I may, some Heroforgers have used dnd map making programs to create settings and stuff. The sims, dungeon alchemist, uh... I don't remember the other one, I think it was... ugh I don't remember

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Like I said, I am wrong."
Brekk: "I already told Cobalt, I'm not taking sides. But I do want to hear about what happened from your perspective."
Rollo: "I ppreciate that."

Rollo: "I was riled up from seein that thing come through the portal. And the debriefing was awful: not what I signed up for, that's for sure. And then the thought of an invasion, or losing the two of you in one... Lost my head and said somethin I shouldn't've. Stuff I thought I was done with years ago. I guess it's always still there though... Don't make it right, of course."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Are you and him... Are things between you... Are you breaking up?"
Rollo: "Hmm, I don't think so. He's angry, but he ain't told me to get out or thrown my stuff off the balcony yet."
Brekk: "Would he do that?"
Rollo: "That's how I became his roommate in th'first place."

Rollo: "Right now, though, he can barely get a word out without it bein an attack. And, course, he's right to be angry. I can't really pologize to him till he calms down though. Probably gonna be a few more days. He don't handle anger very well."

Rollo: "I'm sorry for getting you caught up in this, Brekk."
Brekk: "I'm not. I already said I'm not taking a side. And, hmmm, kind of seems like we all agree: you were wrong."
Rollo: "Yeah..."
Brekk: "But I'm not mad at you or anything. Just, you know, worried."

[merry drift]

At least Rollo is being somewhat mature about it

[lime birch]

He's smart enough to know he messed up.

And he's seen this kind of thing with Cobalt before. This ain't his first rodeo.

[scenic sage]

Sorta want to see Rollo in rodeo clown garb now. 😆

[halcyon jungle]

he

[granite goblet]

i love the lamp

[merry drift]

Smollo Yates

[lime birch]

Thanks. I got it when I worked at Target.
(yes. I bought that, as an adult. for myself.)

[pallid hull]

Uh, it's a kick arse lamp, and age means nothin'. You get that lamp, and you LOVE that lamp. It's a lamp for all ages--don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

[lime birch]

Also have a matching bedding set 🤣

[pallid hull]

?!! AWESOME!

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Don't worry bout Cobalt and me. We'll be alright."
Brekk: "Are you sure?"
Rollo: "I got faith in him. And it won't change anythin between you and me, or you an him. Promise."

Rollo: "Now, Brew Witches is still open, right?"
Brekk: "Technically, they never close."
Rollo: "You wanna go get some fritters?"
Brekk: [gasp] "You don't like Critter Fritters."
Rollo: "No, but I like you, and you like'm."

Brekk: "You wanna try plakkik?"
Rollo: "Ain't that that Goblin drink?"
Brekk: "I like it."
Rollo: "Hmmm. On one hand, you do got excellent taste in men. On th'other, though, you eat those awful fritters and want me to shave my mustache."
Brekk: [giggle]

[lime birch]

[6 years ago...]

Cobalt: [in an Elfish accent so thick even Rollo's sounds mild] "-BEFORE I THROW YOU OFF THE BALCONY TOO!"
Rollo: "What's-"
"Good luck, pal."

Cobalt: [ranting]

Rollo: "Cobalt?"
Cobalt: "[Expletive expletive]! I can't even! That [expletive expletive]!"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You alri-?"
Cobalt: "D O N ' T T O U C H M E !"

[lime birch]

[CRACK]

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Oh! Rollo! Ohmygods. I'm so sorry. Oh my gods. I'll get a towel."
Rollo: "whuh?"

[sharp plaza]

Oh no 😭

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Again, I am so sorry." [sniff]
Rollo: "Wha habbened?"
Cobalt: "Do you still have all your teeth??"
Rollo: "I think so? But, wha did I walk in to?"

Cobalt: "Evicting my [expletive] roommate."
Rollo: "I can see that. Saw all the stuff out front. Why so... adamant?"

Cobalt: "HOW HARD IS TO STAY OUT-?! IT'S THE ONLY [EXPLETIVE] RULE!! DON'T [EXPLETIVE]- IF MY DOOR'S CLOSED-!!" [Lots of expletives and unfinished sentences.]

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Cobalt. What. Happened?"
Cobalt: "||I came home late. I TOLD her I wasn't okay! She came in anyway! And [redacted]!||"

Rollo: "Did you call The-?"
Cobalt: "Pft. 🗡️The City Watch🗡️. They won't do anything. They'll just look at my record and tell me it's my problem and to be more careful about who I let live in my apartment next time."

Cobalt: "How hard is it to just respect a closed door?! It's the only thing! If my door's closed, don't just let yourself in! Just because I used to-! It doesn't mean-! [Expletive]! I'm still a person! You can't just-! How hard is that?! DO I NEED TO KEEP A SWORD NEARBY?!"

Rollo: "That ain't right! You should be able to seek justice."
Cobalt: "Yeah. Well. I broke her windshield with her laptop. Set off the airbag too. Probably the best I'll get."
Rollo: "From the balcony? That's quite a throw."
Cobalt: "You should see me with a javelin."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I can go with you to-"
Cobalt: "I'm not going to The Watch! They're useless to me!" [sniff] "I'm" [huff huff] "So angry! I can't even right now! Why are you here?!"

Rollo: "Gods, Cobalt! Don't hit me!"

[granite goblet]

are you posting uncensored versions on deviantart? it’s a bit harder to follow than usual with all the redacteds and expletives

[lime birch]

I haven't decided if I'm gonna deviantart this one or not.

🤔 I'll review my dialogue a bit and see if I can tidy it up.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You didn't come to the meetin today. And you weren't answerin your phone. I was worried bout you."
Cobalt: "You called me?"
Rollo: "A few times, yeah."

Cobalt: "Oh. That is a lot of missed calls."
Rollo: "I see I was right to worry though."
Cobalt: "Looks like the whole group called me."
Rollo: "Yeah, they was worried too."

Rollo: [horking sounds]
Cobalt: [sigh]
Rollo: "You okay if I put my hands on you?"
Cobalt: "Yes."

Rollo: "I want to help you right now, but I ain't honestly sure what you need... I never seen you so worked up."
Cobalt: "Hrrmmmm..." [sniff]
Rollo: "Do you know what you need?"

[dry yoke]

flawless expressions as ever mel

like, damn, the sheer violent smugness

that is a Cobalt right there

[lime birch]

Not often that his warrior side gets to express itself. But he can hurl a javelin nearly 100m.

Him and Rollo would actually be a pretty devastating team on the battlefield. Even missing an eye, Rollo was a crack shot.

Cobalt would be some sort of Dex based dancing barbarian though. Just a whirl of blades and red mist.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "What I need is a roommate that will pay their rent on time and respect my gods[darned] [expletive] boundaries!"

Rollo: "Well... Why don't we start with some ice for your hand?"
Cobalt: "What?"
Rollo: "It's turnin purple."
Cobalt: "Oh. Oh!"
Rollo: "I'll get the ice."

[sharp plaza]

Just to make sure, someone entered his room and that's what has him flipping out? Or did someone try to force themselves on him?

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You should probably go for an x-ray."
Cobalt: "Listen to you, recommending modern medicine."
Rollo: "I been in the world for nearly 8 years now. I know what an x-ray is. Don't be sarcastic."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "This happen to you before?"
Cobalt: "What?"
Rollo: "You seems convinced you know what will happen if you go to City Watch about it."
Cobalt: "Oh."

Cobalt: "||Yeah... I used to work in the, you know, red light industry for a while. I've spent a couple nights in their holding cells.||"
Rollo: "Oh."
Cobalt: "||They don't help people "like me" with this kind of thing.||"
Rollo: "That ain't right. Justice should be available to everyone."

Cobalt: "Even a {Saihal}?"
Rollo: "Especially a {Saihal}. That whole system needs gettin rid of."
Cobalt: "That's quite a statement."
Rollo: "Well. My best friend's {Saihal} and he deserves better."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I'm willin to advocate for you at-"
Cobalt: "Just drop it, Rollo."
Rollo: "Sorry."
Cobalt: "Maybe one day The Watch will be worth my time, but|| 🗡️Watch Commander Thukolk's🗡️ made it pretty clear what the law is and who it's there to protect.||"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I pay my rent on time and respect your boundaries."
Cobalt: "What?"
Rollo: "You said that's what you need in a roommate. My lease is jus month-to-month right now, I could give my notice right away."

Cobalt: "Oh... How do you feel about partying all night and a lot of random houseguests?"
Rollo: "Well, I s'pose as long as they respect my space and yours I'm fine with it. I can sleep through jus bout anythin."
Cobalt: "Well, that's convenient."
Rollo: "And if anyone gives you trouble, I ain't shy about drawin a sword."
Cobalt: "Do you have a sword?"
Rollo: "Oh yes. Many."

[heady creek]

How many?

[lime birch]

Not as many as Mauser has guns. But still enough to beg the question "why do you need so many swords?"
And the answer is that he just likes the feel of different styles.

But aside from the one he gets issued as an officer of The Watch, most of them are tastefully mounted on his bedroom walls or in proper racks.
Part of his upbringing was a lot of training with a sword, practical and flashy.

[scenic sage]

He's an aficionado.

[lime birch]

He's a heckin worthless rich kid whose family benefits off the labor and probably suffering of others. sword guy for sure.

(And rich isn't the right word because he left home with nothing and his culture has a different way of dealing with wealth. But the concept is correct.)

[lime birch]

[Not the next weekend, or even the weekend after that... It's been an uncomfortable couple of weeks in Cobalt and Rollo's apartment...]

Cobalt: "Are you awake?"
Rollo: "I am now."
Cobalt: "You-"
Rollo: "No, hang on. Let's step outside."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I really don't like that you're smoking again."
Rollo: "I know."
Cobalt: "You said you'd never mention my caste again. You promised."
Rollo: "Yeah."
Cobalt: "Why would you bring it up?"

Rollo: [sigh]

Rollo: "I know you're combat trained. But what good is battle-dancin against guns?"

Rollo: "I watched something that was, to my eyes, rightly dead walk outta a portal that just opened outta nowhere. Then I got grilled by my superiors and some ununiformed creep. Like I was lyin bout what I seen."

[lime birch]

I just want to point out that I went through the effort of using the projected decals to give Brekk a little bit of "I'm way too tired" drool. And Rollo is just letting him drool on himself.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "And then."

Rollo: "I come home and watch my Commander - who swore they'd clean up The Watch! - tell a bold faced lie right there on national television."

Rollo: "Absolute horse💩!!"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You was askin if I thought there'd be an invasion. I didn't have an answer. And I got thinkin. All them thoughts of spending our lives together and gettin a house, raisin a family... Instead all I could think bout was you an Brekk, wearin that tattered armor, walkin outta a portal with your faces half-fallin off yer skulls..."

Rollo: "The two of you, yer everythin to me. I jus... I jus lost my head. I didn't even think. I just said it."

Rollo: "I am sorry Cobalt. I wasn't tryin to control you. An I certainly wasn't tryin to throw that in yer face."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I was wrong. I know that. I didn't apologize sooner cause I knew you'd been too wound up t'listen. I jus been waitin for you to come round."

Rollo: "Anyway. You don't gotta forgive me. But I am deeply sorry."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You ain't gonna say anythin?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You want to raise a family with us?"
Rollo: "Is that all you heard?"
Cobalt: "Both of us?"

[merry drift]

Cobalt, you sweet sweet Doofus

[lime birch]

Rollo: "That mean I'm forgiven?"
Cobalt: "I'm still a little angry."
Rollo: "I understand."
Cobalt: "But I've cooled off; I'll get over it."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "But I never want to hear another word about Grove life again unless you're explaining how awful it is."
Rollo: "I'll do my best"

Cobalt: "Now. Let's go throw your smokes in the garbage. Again."
Rollo: "Can't I finish this pack?"
Cobalt: "Call it restitution for being a 💩y partner."
Rollo: "Shoulda seen that comin."

[lime birch]

jhkjsdhf I need more dynamic sitting poses. 😛

[lime birch]

Incoming Content Warning: beard stroking 😉

[lime birch]

Cobalt: [humming] "🎵Money🎵" [humming] "🎵Money🎵" [mumble singing]

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You're up early."
Cobalt: "Oh, I haven't been to bed yet."

Rollo: "You alright?"
Cobalt: "Just going over my finances."
Rollo: "It's six in th'mornin, babe."

[halcyon jungle]

Oh he has grown the entire thing out

RIP cop mustache

[lime birch]

lol

[sharp plaza]

Time skip-?

[lime birch]

A little bit of one.

Enough to grow a beard.

[sharp plaza]

I see, I guess I just assume those take a whole to grow fully like that 💀

Also I find it funny that Rollo's facial and regular hair style changes often, but Cobalt's has only changed once

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I think if I move some money around and I skip all the festivals this year... I think I have enough for a decent down payment."
Rollo: "For what?"
Cobalt: "A house."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Come again? Did you say a house?"
Cobalt: "I mean, probably not in town. But there's some decent listings between here and Lower Mool. I think the biggest challenge will be finding a place suitable for Brekk's grandma."

Rollo: "Hang on."
Cobalt: "Hmm?"
Rollo: "You're talking about the three of us-"
Cobalt: "Well, four."
Rollo: "The three of us all jus movin into a house? And bringin an elder that needs fulltime care with us?"
Cobalt: "Yeah."

Rollo: "Why?"
Cobalt: "Oh. Got a rent increase notice yesterday and, yikes, I could be making mortgage payments for less."
Rollo: "Rent? Increase? We been payin the same rate as long as I've been here."
Cobalt: "Yeah, I met the new building manager yesterday too."

Rollo: "What happened to Muriel?"
Cobalt: "They sent her to a different building, I guess. But the new guy is not on board with continuing the arrangement I had with her. So, like, ten years of backlogged rate increases are on the way."
Rollo: "What arrangem- Nevermind."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "We can talk about this when you get home. I still gotta talk to the mortgage guys at the office anway."
Rollo: "Yeah, I think we should."

Cobalt: "Hang on. Come back."
Rollo: "Hmm?"

Me: That pose of Rollo putting on the gloves is great. I should APR that. Did I remember to save my mini before moving on?

Also Me: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Of course you didn't.

[merry drift]

Classic Mel

[lime birch]

I didn't even save these minis at all.

[dry yoke]

poor heat of the moment mel :c

have to say though, rollo with a full beard kinda looks like a norse god...

then again, beards do that very naturally

[lime birch]

Yeah. We need a beard that is a little fuller than Cobalt's, but a little less full than the next beard up.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Cobalt, I gotta go."
Cobalt: "I know ❤️."
Rollo: "Can't go if you don't let go o'me."
Cobalt: "I know 😏 ."

Cobalt: "Be safe out there."
Rollo: "I will be."
Cobalt: "Love you."
Rollo: "Love you too. Get some sleep."

Cobalt: "Don't forget to pick up Brekk!"
Rollo: "Alright!"
Cobalt: "Oh! And pizza!"
Rollo: "Go to bed!"

[lime birch]

Careless Whisper incoming.
#1100528769527185459

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You look awful."
Brekk: "Thanks, your beard is too scratchy."
Rollo: "Still on my beard, eh?"
Brekk: "It's still on your face."

Rollo: "Does it really bother you that much? Or you jus bein surly?"
Brekk: [sigh] "No. Sorry. I'm just tired. Still working doubles."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Think I can persuade you to shave it?"
Rollo: "Well, you ain't been able to so far."
Brekk: "I think I have a better argument than last time."
Rollo: "Alright. Let's hear it."

[rain trellis]

Oh boyyyy

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I see. Well, I'm willin to consider your proposal."
Brekk: [giggle]
Rollo: "But I still need convincin."
Brekk: "Oh!"

Rollo: "Why don't we go back to my place and discuss terms."
Brekk: "I'm gonna win this!"
Rollo: "Don't be so sure. I really like this beard."

Brekk: ["sinister" giggle]
Rollo: "Well, now I might be havin second thoughts."

[sharp plaza]

Did I just hallucinate or were scenes deleted

[lime birch]

I deleted some scenes. Just want to check/fix the dialogue. It's a little too flirtatious.

[sharp plaza]

Ah, it didn't strike that way to me but maybe it's just morning brain

[lime birch]

That is the face of a man that was an angry little gnoll in another life.

[merry drift]

It was just the right amount of flirty to me

Now i want to see a Kaith in this world

[lime birch]

[Later...]

Cobalt: "Are you winning?"
Brekk: "No? Maybe? I think I'm wearing him down!"
Cobalt: "❤️ You two. Are *So. Much. Fun.*😃 ❤️"

Brekk: "Do you think we're more than fun?"
Cobalt: "Hmm?"
Brekk: "Rollo and me. Do you think we're more than that?"
Cobalt: "Having a hard time asking him about that?"
Brekk: "Kinda. He's really good at changing the subject."

Cobalt: "Well. I won't speak for him. But will say that he definitely thinks about it being more. A lot. He's just waiting."
Brekk: "For what?"

Cobalt: "To feel safe, I think."
Brekk: "From me?"
Cobalt: "Just safe. His last 🗡️relationship🗡️ was a nightmare. He worries a lot about moving too fast with you."
Brekk: "Oh... I guess that makes sense..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I'll tell you about it another time. Right now, aren't you supposed to be negotiating the existence of Rollo's beard?"
Brekk: "Come with me."
Cobalt: "Sure. But I'm on Team Beard."
Brekk: "What? No!"

Cobalt: "Oh yeah! It's your turn to grow a beard!"
Brekk: [squeal] "Noooo!!"

Brekk: [shrieks and giggles]
Cobalt: "Rollo! Guess what! Brekk's gonna grow a beard too!"
Brekk: "Nooooo! Traitor!"
Cobalt: "Team Beard for the win!"
Rollo: "Are you two gonna be out there shoutin all night?"

The over the shoulder carry worked out way better than I thought it would!

[lime birch]

C a r e f u l l w h a t y o u w i s h f o r

[wind tapir]

I might steal this idea (whenever we're done unpacking and I can chill at my pc) 👀

[lime birch]

You want me to make an APR for you?

[merry drift]

TBH that would be a good APR for a Parent and child as well as tall/smol couples

[wind tapir]

Ohh yes please. I imagine a ton of fidgeting because it'll be Zof carrying Aldea, but having a base should help.

[lime birch]

Standby

The Main mini is the one being carried.
https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D510245842/

The arms probably need a little extra adjusting cause the bathrobe is a bit bulky.

[wind tapir]

You the best

[lime birch]

Please ping if you use 🙂

[wind tapir]

Absolutely, might just see if I can do it on my phone or ipad...

[lime birch]

Oh. Derp. You're still waiting for all your stuff. I can read.
Mad respect for mobile users.

[wind tapir]

We just got it! Its just slow unpacking 😅

[lime birch]

Yay!

When we moved, our computers were basically all we brought with us. And some blankets. For a while, we were just set up in the living room with our monitors leaning against our towers.

(cause the mounts/stands were being shipped)

[lime birch]

I have 211 minis for this story so far. That include minis that are just there to hold outifts and total one offs that we'll never see again.

[rain trellis]

And in the future I can see more minis for the future/lh/j

[lime birch]

Maybe I'll even remember to APR some of my good poses before moving on this time. Hahaha.

[merry drift]

Do we need tohave someone pin a reminder for you to APR your poses?

[lime birch]

lol

I just to remember that when I go "heck, I am proud of this pose" to quickly save and save as an apr reminder, lol

[lime birch]

making pages and revisiting all my [redacted] dialogue, trying to remember what I meant to go there.

[lime birch]

Hmmm.... The text message images make this more difficult than the last story, lol

[lime birch]

1️⃣ Fluff
2️⃣ Sad
3️⃣ Super Sad
4️⃣ What going on with this portal nonsense?
5️⃣ Show the cat-dragon again!

[lime birch]

Blinkers: "Rrrrrrpt! Mew! Mew!"
Brekk: "No. No. Sit. No Blinkers. No. Sit. Ugh, Blinkers."
Blinkers: "Rrrrrr. Mrew!"

Cobalt: "Blinky!! {Sit sit} beebee!"

[lime birch]

Blinkers: "Mrp"

[lime birch]

Brekk: [sigh] "How?"
Cobalt: "Well, he only really understands commands in Elfish. Also, I have fish."

[merry drift]

Feesh

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Was that a good fish? I bet. Who's my good beebee? Is it you? Is it? It is you!"
Blinkers: "bbbbbrrrrrrraaaaarrrrpt!"

[merry drift]

I want to hug Blinkers

[lime birch]

Blinkers is very bristly. Except on his tummy and his foots, which are sooooooo soft. Good luck touching them though.
Even in his old age, Cobalt has to wrestle his face into a blacksmith's glove and practically sit on his tail to get nail trims done.

That tail slaps hard.

[lime birch]

Blinkers: [smoke puff burp sound]
Brekk: [giggles]

[lime birch]

I'm up to 97 pages and only as far as just before New Years, lol

[lime birch]

Blinkers: "mrp mrp mrp"
Cobalt: "Okay bye good boy!"

[lime birch]

(Did I use things my hubs and I say to our cats all day for these lines? Yes. Yes I did.)

[merry drift]

That is a good kitty

[lime birch]

He sit for fish.
But he also steals critter fritters right out of people's hands.
But he also protec. So no punishments. Ever.

[rain trellis]

He protec so he deserves those critter fritters and fish

[lime birch]

And no punishments.

[rain trellis]

And all the petting

[lime birch]

Hims a good boi.

[rain trellis]

He is the bestest boi

[merry drift]

give scritches

[lime birch]

This scene is page 168, which is half as many pages of Oxchapel.
So much less seems to have happened in this story. lol.

[merry drift]

It's more of a character piece than plot driven tbh

And you make us want to hug them very much

[lime birch]

271 pages later...
at page 271 in #1083553222624542781 message Orx was irresponsibly using his mother's powers that he's not supposed to have.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Good mornin."
Cobalt: "Oh. Welcome home.😃"

Rollo: "Where's Brekk?"
Cobalt: "Took him home a couple hours ago."
Rollo: "Dang. I hate night shift. Seems like I'm always jus missin him."
Cobalt: "He got called home."
Rollo: "Oh."

Rollo: "You talk to him bout buyin a house?"
Cobalt: "Hmm, no. He's seemed a little, I dunno, extra fragile.. I don't think his grandma's doing great. Plus, he's still working double shifts."
Rollo: "He say anythin bout it?"
Cobalt: "Just that he doesn't want to talk about it."
Rollo: "Shoot." [sigh] "I wish I knew what t'say to convince him that he don't have to keep things from us."

Cobalt: "Well... are you in the mood for an uncomfortable conversation?"
Rollo: "Well, no. But I'll have one anyway."
Cobalt: "Let's go out on the balcony, I got some smokes for you."
Rollo: "Oh. I ain't gonna like this... Lemme change real quick."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Gods. I been dyin for a smoke for months." [sigh] "What's up?"
Cobalt: "Well. First of all. Brekk's going to be upset when you talk to him. I don't have his permission to tell you this."
Rollo: "Well, then-"
Cobalt: "He won't tell you on his own."

Cobalt: "Brekk's a goblin."
Rollo: "What?"
Cobalt: "I mean, he's not a full goblin. But his grandma is."

Cobalt: "I've told him it won't change-"
Rollo: "Godsdammit."
Cobalt: "Oh my."

[merry drift]

uh oh

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Really wish he'd said somethin sooner."
Cobalt: "It doesn't change anything."
Rollo: "It changes a lot o'things"

Cobalt: "What? How can you say that?"
Rollo: "Because it does."
Cobalt: "No it doesn't! Rollo!"
Rollo: "Yes, it does."
Cobalt: "How? How does it change anything?"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Well, for one, coulda been brushin up on my Goblin this whole time."
Cobalt: "You speak Goblin?"
Rollo: "A little."
Cobalt: "Since when?"
Rollo: "Since before I met you."

Rollo: "What? I worked at a truck stop for nearly 4 years before comin here. I met all kinda folks. I can give the price o'diesel and say "don't make me get the manager" in bout 10 languages."
Cobalt: "What?"
Rollo: "It was more of a warnin, mother Anita weren't shy about brandishin a hot skillet at folks causin problems in her diner. Anyway, I picked up some Goblin from a couple o'truckers what used to come through the pass pretty frequently."

[wind tapir]

https://tenor.com/view/bluey-phew-bingo-what-a-relief-thank-goodness-gif-26226990

[sharp plaza]

https://tenor.com/view/they-had-us-in-the-first-half-not-gonna-lie-gif-13620240

[lime birch]

Rollo: "And, for another, we should probably go through our movie collection and throw a bunch out."
Cobalt: "Oh. I did that months ago. I'm surprised at how few problematic westerns you have."
Rollo: "Well, the ones I like mostly feature a handsome sherrif gettin into a shootout with handsome criminals at high noon. Or train heists n bank robberies. Don't much care for those "pioneers vs savages" films."

Cobalt: "I'm glad you didn't just make a liar out of me. Had me going for a sec."
Rollo: "I ain't bothered by his species. But it does introduce some complications. I'll call my folks to find out more bout that."

Rollo: "Meanwhile, I think I'll jus sit on this information. Maybe he'll tell me on his own."
Cobalt: "I hope he won't be too mad that I told you. I know it's not my place to say anything."
Rollo: "Well, you had good intentions. I won't tell him if I don't have to."

[scenic sage]

I’m fearing the guard may have restrictions about relationships and cohabitation with gobbles.

[lime birch]

Nah. It's more that speciesism against goblins is so common people don't even think about it most of the time. Most people of goblin descent don't even know they're goblins. And those that do are either quietly uncomfortable (to say the least), or "unreasonably" angry.

Goblins were the definitive losers of the portal wars. And it's hard to speak up about your species when people don't even realize your species is still around.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I guess while we're talking about stuff, I talked to the mortage guys at work."
Rollo: "And?"
Cobalt: "Well, I can get a decent mortgage and interest rate. But if you and I combine our finances and apply together, we could get better terms."
Rollo: "That sounds reasonable."

Cobalt: "Okay. The thing is, it would look a lot better on paper if we were married."

Rollo: [whatever 😑 sounds like]

[scenic sage]

Ouch. From anecdotal experience, getting married for financial reasons is a super bad way to go.

[lime birch]

Unfun fact: ||getting divorced for financial reasons is also a thing, I have learned. Valid and actually not a bad idea. But also unfun. And awful that it's even a thing.||

[wind tapir]

Eh its why my spouse and I got married, we didn't care about it as a construct, but financially it made sense especially with them being in the military (it comes with a lot of your married benefits). Annnnd we've been married for 8 years this year annnd together for 12

[merry drift]

I'm reminded of a song from Phineas and Ferb

[lime birch]

There's actually a ton of legal and financial benefits to getting married rather than remaining common law.
People always say "I don't need a piece of paper that says I love my partner," but that "piece of paper" (literally a legal contract) sure comes in handy when, say, your partner is dying in the hospital and their family doesn't like you.

[wind tapir]

Or when the military decides they want them to move to another country, not married you don't get to go. But being married you get a free visa and everything

[pallid hull]

I'm not married simply because it makes better financial sense

But yeah, fun stuff.

[wind tapir]

Its such a weird bag.

That isn't even delving into people on disability literally not being able to get married if they want to keep their benefits. Its just a weird capitalistic system at the moment where weighing the financial pros and cons seems to be a big thing many couples have to do

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Why you gotta make things complicated?"
Cobalt: "It just makes us look more stable. Roommates can fall apart, but there's a bunch of legal framework for married couples."
Rollo: "What about Brekk?"
Cobalt: "Probably best to keep his finances out of this. He doesn't-"

Rollo: "No. I mean." [sigh] "We ain't able to get a three-way marriage here. What if one of us wanted to be married to him?"
Cobalt: "Oh. Ohhhh... Did? Was that something? You? Wanted?"
Rollo: "Hang on."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Oh! Wow!"

Rollo: "I was gonna talk to you bout it first. I wasn't sure how we should handle this sort of thing."
Cobalt: "I mean, I never even thought about getting married until it came to buying a house. I guess that is something you would want though. Duh. Of course it is!"
Rollo: "Nice."

[merry drift]

These two are in a pretty good relationship ngl

I'm kinda jealous

[lime birch]

It's easy when someone's pulling all the strings behind the scenes 😩

[merry drift]

true

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Okay. Hang on. I got it."
Rollo: "Wait. I ain't even asked you if this is okay."
Cobalt: "I mean, you kind of just did."

Rollo: "But is it?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "What if we go to Husland?"
Rollo: "Husland?"
Cobalt: "They do three-way marriages and our government honors them! We could bang it out on a weekend."
Rollo: "How romantic."

Cobalt: "Hmm... Maybe I'll just worry about buying a house with just my assets. You work up the courage to give Brekk whatever's in that box."
Rollo: "You're dodgin the question, Cobalt."

Cobalt: "Hmmm. Well, I guess if I'm honest, I did kind of expect this. But I didn't think you'd ask me for permission - for lack of a better word."
Rollo: "Why not? You're an equal partner in this relationship."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You shouldn't be surprised by that, we been together nearly a year now."

Rollo: "Do? Is getting married in Husland something you actually want?"
Cobalt: "I'm not sure. I need to think about it now. I didn't think I'd ever be in this position."
Rollo: "Cause, I can wait till you know what you want. Give me more time to work up the courage to ask Brekk anyway."

Rollo: "This don't count as a proposal, by the way."
Cobalt: "It totally does."
Rollo: "No. This is a discovery of interest. We're jus havin a discussion about life goals."
Cobalt: "Pretty sure this is a proposal."
Rollo: "It ain't."
Cobalt: "You're holding a ring box and asking me about getting married. It counts."

Rollo: "Bull[💩]."
Cobalt: "Grump."

1️⃣ Cobalt is right, this is a proposal.
2️⃣ Rollo is right, this is NOT a proposal.

[sharp plaza]

The answer is

Yes

[lime birch]

||I definitely didn't lift this straight from my real life and am not using it to try to settle the debate between my hubs and me that we're still having 8 years later 😉||

||I can't believe you would take my hubs's side in this||

[halcyon jungle]

My parent’s proposal was my father handing my mother the bag with her ring in it after she helped pick it out (his exact words were “So I guess this is yours?”) so i am biased

[lime birch]

lol. I was just trying to figure out if marriage was even a thing my hubs wanted in his life.

[wind tapir]

My spouse and I got engaged similarly, we were on a skype call talking about my schooling and they were like "We could get married since you're going to school online starting next year, I miss you" and I was like "Aww I miss you too! But yeh, that fixes a lot of things, sooo when do you wanna do it?" Annnd the rest is history 😝

[lime birch]

Mausehirim: "RollO!"
Rollo: "Is Ma round? She got time t'talk?"
Mausehirim: "Wullnuh, hang on nI'll check feryuh. ANNEE TUH!?"

Mausehirim: "ANNEE TUH [my darling!] Rollo's [calling for you!]
Anita: "Give me that. Don't you have trucks to refuel?"
Mausehirim: "[You're a glittering vein of gold, my love.]"

Anita: "Well, well, well. Rollo. My long, long lost son. Can't even remember the last time you called. Too busy living it up in the big city?"
Rollo: [chuckle] "It has been a while. Sorry."
Anita: "Well, what do you want?"

Rollo: "Ma, I got some question bout goblins."

[lime birch]

Anita: "Why?"
Rollo: "I met someone. Well, a couple of someones really. But one of them's a goblin and I'd like us to get married."

Rollo: "I know you's part goblin-"
Anita: "Man or woman?"
Rollo: "What?"
Anita: "Is your intended a man or a woman?"

Rollo: "Er, he's a man. But he's also a kas-"
Anita: "||Don't bother disclosing his goblinness to doctors, they'll blame all sorts of things on it. And if want kids, save yourself the trouble: adopt.||"

[click]
Rollo: "What?"

Mausehirim: "Oh, Annee [you can't just hang up on a dwarf like that.]"
Anita: "I'm a dwarf, Mause. I don't know a damn thing about being a goblin other than all the problems it's caused me. If he wants advice, he can call a support group."
Mausehirim: "Oh, [I could melt tungsten on you today. I hope we're invited to the wedding.]"
Anita: "Better not be some stuffy Elf thing."

[ornate oasis]

Personally, this seems like a conversation about it being an option rather than an official proposal

[lime birch]

Yes!

[heady creek]

Proposals aren't really an official thing, though.

[ornate oasis]

Sure not for the paper but I would say they kinda are in the US, at least culturally over all. It's more of a societal expectation. Either way it read to me like Rollo wants to do this the right way, if they're gonna do it. He had thought of proposing but wanted to make sure it was an option before he did so to both Cobalt and Brekk

[lime birch]

Exactly.
Cobalt just spoiled all the romance.

My hubs went to bed taunting me that my friends are all on his side.

[lime birch]

Jonki: "Oh, dunchyuh look fine! Yuh gotta big date do yuh?"
Brekk: "Thanks, Jonki. Rollo just got promoted to Corporal, he's taking me to dinner to celebrate."
Jonki: "Oh, romantic. How's Suf bin this week?"

Brekk: "Well, she was really rough the other day. M-my boyfriend came over and tried to help me, she seemed to calm down a bit while he was here."
Jonki: "Thu one that stayed the night? Hey's got pinkhair and bunsa titanium?"
Brekk: "Yeah. Wait-"

Jonki: "Ahyuh. Suf lakesum! Keeps askin when hey's comin back."
Brekk: "Oh, great. That's what she remembers about me."

[dry yoke]

wait... Guulka likes someone? that's new /j

(especially Cobalt of all people, i thought she'd have a fit tbh)

[lime birch]

Suf has an eye for elf-kind.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Yesterday, though, it was like nothing was wrong. If she hadn't been in her chair all day, I wouldn't have thought anything was wrong with her. She even made cookies, and no mistakes."
Jonki: "Well, she'sun 800 year old goblin. She's gonna have gooddaysun bad. It's the goblin magic castinoffer, it ain't a predictable process."

Jonki: "Now, kinI give yuh some ad vice?"
Brekk: "Sure."

[lime birch]

Jonki: "Wull. I bin cominneer bout six yaresnow. Yuhalways been a bit onthu somber side. But sense you met them elfs, yuhbin like a whole new goblin."
Brekk: "Uh, thanks?"
Jonki: "Lettem helpyuh more. If thu one withthu tight buns puts Suf atease, bringum over more. Yuh cain't keep doin this alone. Yuh-"

Jonki: "Oh. Dun't cry. Yuhr not thufirst family member I seen tryintuh handle things all alone. But yuhkin only do so much. Yuh need to accept help when it's offered. Okay?"

Brekk: [sniff] "I'm trying."
Jonki: "Anyuh're doin better'n whenI first came here."

Jonki: "Now. Turn yuhr phone offan go have a good time. I can handle Suf till yuh get back."
Brekk: "Thanks Jonki."
Jonki: "It's whut yuh payme fur, dwarf."

[lime birch]

[Meanwhile...]

Cobalt: "Look at you. So handsome. Gods, I've got great taste in men."

Cobalt: "Know what you're going to say?"
Rollo: "Nope. Been tryin t'think of the right words an I just keep drawin a blank."
Cobalt: "Just ask him the same way you asked me."
Rollo: "I didn't-!"
Cobalt: "No talking!😃"

[sharp plaza]

👀 🥺

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "It counts, you can't take it back."
Rollo: [frustrated sigh] "That don't make you right."
Cobalt: "Hehe. It sure does."

Cobalt: "I'm sure you'll be very romantic tonight."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "And what are you up to tonight?"
Cobalt: "I dunno. I think I'll stay in."
Rollo: "On a Saturday night?"
Cobalt: "Yeah. I dunno. I just feel like hanging out here till my boys come home."

Rollo: "You ain't dyin are you?"

Cobalt: "I only get a couple days a week with both of you, why waste them on strangers?"
Rollo: "Is this what havin a stroke feels like?"

[scenic sage]

Cobalt picking part of an evening with them over an ENTIRE NIGHT of debauchery? Oh, he’s got it bad. 😍🥰

[lime birch]

It's a lot of energy to get dressed up, get in contact with the right people, head to the club (or clubs depending on the selection), signal intention, meet up, move on, repeat process. Could just cut through that mess, stay home, and wait for people to come right to him. No guesswork or negotiating involved.

[lime birch]

It's not that he's got it particularly bad or doesn't want to go out debauching, it's more that he's settled into a comfort zone without realizing it.
Comfort zones have, like, +20 to sneak, can hide in bushes and ambush folks when they least suspect it.

[merry drift]

Comfort Zones have advantage on sneak checks too

[lime birch]

And folks also have disadvantage to spot them.

They're the most dangerous zone.

[merry drift]

Second Most dangerous after the Friend Zone

[scenic sage]

https://tenor.com/view/dangerzone-archer-lana-gif-5145266

[lime birch]

Okay.
Danger zone
Friend zone
Comfort zone

The three most dangerous zones

[lime birch]

[After dinner...]

Brekk: "I haven't had hulgulki like that in ages!"
Rollo: "You know, I weren't too sure when Captain Bu'ulak recommended it, but Huslandi food ain't bad."
Brekk: "It's just like my mom used to make. Mmm. That tail was perfect. I didn't even know you can get the right ingredients here!"

Rollo: "Brekk?"
Brekk: "Hmm?"
Rollo: "We been seein each other for while now. Bit more 'n' a year, I guess."
Brekk: "Yeah...?"

Rollo: "Well. I know I ain't... I know it seems like I been avoidin certain conversations. But. But it ain't cause of you."
Brekk: "Oh?"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Truth is, I'm a bit cowardly. I had a bad experience in the past and I been afraid o'makin the same mistake."

Rollo: "But, well, I think. I think havin you in my life." [clears throat] "It's been. Well. It's been like havin, I dunno, having all the pieces of a puzzle fall into place."

Rollo: "I hope this don't seem to sudden... I know I ain't even actually told you jus how much I love you-"
Brekk: "You love me?"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Brekk, I love you more than jus bout anyone in the whole world. Like I said, I jus been too cowardly t'tell you."

((using a modified TinyTieflingThings pose, I think it was Oh How I Love You))

[heady creek]

Husland is where they allow three-way marriage, right? Did Rollo go to a Huslandi restaurant on purpose because of the possibility of moving there?

[lime birch]

And because Brekk is originally from Husland.

[heady creek]

How far away is Husland?

[lime birch]

Shares a boarder, kind of, with [insert country name here].

[heady creek]

So Rollo probably wouldn't be able to keep the same job.

[lime birch]

Probably not.
But the option on the table is to go there and get married and then come back and their government will honor the marriage.
It's like going to an "exotic" location to get married and then coming home after the honeymoon. Marriage still counts.

Some countries will honor your gay marriage if it's done in a country where it's legal. Even if it isn't technically legal in your home country.
Same thing.

[heady creek]

I wasn't aware that was a thing. I thought Cobalt (I think it was Cobalt) was suggesting they move there.

[lime birch]

Same thing with Husland and this country. Cause people from Husland immigate all the time, can't invalidate their marriage when the arrive.

Cobalt: "What if we go to Husland?"
Rollo: "Husland?"
Cobalt: "They do three-way marriages and our government honors them! We could bang it out on a weekend."

[lime birch]

Husland is technically a smaller nation and more of a city state. But the whole thing is walled and also surrounded by a massive trench (which is where material for the wall came/comes from. Building and maintaining the wall is a fulltime industry.

[lime birch]

And the import feature is broken while I'm stuck on a pose. lol

[scenic sage]

It works to import single minis but nothing with doubles or base familiars.

[lime birch]

😩

[heady creek]

Oh, I thought it was just me having a problem. Idk why

[lime birch]

#general-chat message

[lime birch]

I'm at 238 minis for this story.
And 271 pages.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I said before: I'm gonna live at least another hundred years. I don't know how much time we'll have but I want to spend it with you."

Rollo: "You don't need to answer right away. I hope this ain't too cliche."
Brekk: "Rollo..."
Rollo: "Brekk, I think I'd feel my life'd be nearly complete if you'd agree to marry me."

[sharp plaza]

🥺

Side note: The lighting and their outfits in these scenes are perfect

[wind tapir]

if I had more super reacts you'd get 'em

[lime birch]

😊

No. There are others more deserving of those.

[wind tapir]

Not today you beautiful beautiful bean

[lime birch]

🫘

[heady creek]

How do super reacts even work?

[lime birch]

I think they're a Nirto feature. The are like regular reactions, but animated.

[wind tapir]

I just see them as fancy emotes, I get two a week because I'm cheap and won't pay 9.99 for nitro

[heady creek]

I'm about half way through a month of free Nitro, so it's time to see what these are all about.

[lime birch]

Well. Was gonna post more. But it's bedtime. Spent too much time hoping the import bugs would be fixed

[heady creek]

Good night

[scenic sage]

I got two a while ago but never any more of them. If I click the super emote button I get a "Want to Join Nitro?" pop-up.

[lime birch]

Same

[lime birch]

Brekk: [is definitely crying]
Rollo: "I know you sometimes don't feel worthy o'bein loved. But I can't imagine going back to a life without you in it."
Brekk: [sniff] "myeyelinersrunning"
Rollo: "I won't tell no one."

Brekk: [sniff] "Wh-wh-why?"
Rollo: "You're independent to a fault. You're stronger and braver than you give yourself credit for. And you're kind and carin. It ain't any one thing. It's jus. When we're together, I feel like I wanna spend the rest of one of our lives with you. And that's all that matters to me."
Brekk: "But... I'm... I'm just. I'm-"
Rollo: "There ain't nothin you could be or do that would make me feel any different bout you, Brekk."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Wh-what about Cobalt?"
Rollo: "Well, sure. I'd like it to be the three of us. But tonight's jus bout you. That's all I care bout right now."

Brekk: "Would you shave your beard?"
Rollo: "Heh. Sure, but I'd grow it back after the honeymoon."
Brekk: "Noooo..."

He'll never give up on that.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "You... You'd need to ask."
Rollo: "You want me to ask again kneeling?"
Brekk: "N-no... You'd need to ask my grandma... If you can catch her on a good day."
Rollo: "Like, for permission?"
Brekk: "It's a culture thing."

Rollo: "Alright. I can do that."
Brekk: "Really?"
Rollo: "Sure. Don't put much stock in my own cultural upbringin, but I'll respect yours."

Brekk: "hmmm..."
Rollo: "You ain't gotta answer right away. It's okay to say 'no.'"
Brekk: "I need to think about it."
Rollo: "I know."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Shall we call it a night? Cobalt's waitin for us."
Brekk: "On a Saturday night? Is he sick?"
Rollo: [laughs] "Let's go home."

[lime birch]

[The next morning...]

Brekk: "Are you trying to distract me so you can take my coffee?"
Cobalt: "Mmmhmmm."

Cobalt: "Didn't get a chance to ask last night. Did he ask you? Did you say yes?!"

Brekk: "I said I need to think about it..."
Cobalt: "You haven't told him yet, have you?"
Brekk: "I'm not sure how... And I told him he would need to ask Guulka for permission."
Cobalt: "Ew. Why?"
Brekk: "It's a cultural thing... I should probably ask his parents too."

Cobalt: "EW! No! No! No, no, no, no, no."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Uh. But I-"
Cobalt: "Rollo's parents are {Yriyn}. They're, like, the ruling class in our stupid cult. Even if you had a way to contact them, they'd never approve of that: you're not a Grove Elf. Gross. Ew. No. Ew. Eugh!"

Brekk: "Hmm... I guess it doesn't matter that much..."

Cobalt: "The [expletive]?! 🤮Do you put SALT in your coffee?!🤮"
Brekk: "Mmmhmm."
Cobalt: "Why?"
Brekk: "I like the taste."
Cobalt: "This is like drinking sea water!"
Brekk: "Well, next time you'll get your own coffee."

[lime birch]

Brekk, just here to insult the coffee drinkers with his gobliny ways.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Bleh bleh bleh. Do you always drink it that strong?"
Brekk: "When I'm here, yeah. I make plakikk when I'm at my place."
Cobalt: "I think I prefer plakikk. Pfht pfth pfth.."
Brekk: [giggle]

[scenic sage]

I'm on team Brekk. I understand chemistry and salt the coffee. 😛

[lime birch]

Cobalt is not exaggerating.
No cream. No sugar. Just, like 3 heaping tablespoons of salt.
Plakikk is like coffee, but if you made it with bog water and dirt and not coffee beans.
(because that's pretty much how it's made. Sterilized salt bog water, specific dirt, and some form of mushroom.)

[scenic sage]

Okay, that's too much salt. You need a sprinkle and if you can taste it you went too far.

[lime birch]

You are clearly not a goblin.

[scenic sage]

It's true 🥹

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Do you want to get married?"
Brekk: "Maybe?"
Cobalt: "You want to talk about it?"
Brekk: "You've gotta be sick of hearing about my pity party of a life by now."

Cobalt: "We want to spend our lives with you. That means taking the good and bad. It can't all be clubbing and romance. Rollo and I were literally raised in a cult and will probably never go home again."

[scenic sage]

I think Brekk is shortly going to discover what it's like to have actual help with the biggest burden you've been carrying and I'm sorta pre-teary eyed already because I know what that feels like.

[lime birch]

Hard to accept that someone might actually actually care about you like that.

[proven burrow]

mood

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You don't have to tell me if-"
Brekk: "I was almost married... Before Guulka needed so much taking care of. I was really young and... I didn't think I deserved any better. Nobody was going to love a gross little kasesi goblin."
Cobalt: "Oh, Brekk."

Brekk: "I never actually told him I was a goblin. Guulka didn't need me around all the time and he was... not the kind of person that would notice that we never went to my place. He was nothing like you and Rollo."

Brekk: "Things were "fine" when he thought I was just a little dwarfy orc. But. S-s-something happened. I. I can't. I still can't talk about it. But. Someone told him I was a goblin. Someone that had no business telling him. They just blurted it out in front of him."
Cobalt: "Oh. Um. Hmmm."

[lime birch]

Brekk: [sniff. sigh.]

((Content warning: implied violence))
Brekk: "||Thank [expletive] his neighbour was home. She bashed down his door with an axe. Nearly took his head off with it too.||"
Cobalt: "Gods, Brekk..."
Brekk: "After that I stopped leaving the apartment if I didn't have to... It was years before I even hired Jonki...

Cobalt: "Brekk, I..."
Brekk: "What if I tell Rollo and he turns out to be not as nice of a person as we think the is?"
Cobalt: "Oh... No... Brekk..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "He... He already knows. I told him."

Brekk: "Wha-? You told-? Why?!"
Cobalt: "We were talking-"
Brekk: "It wasn't your place!"

Cobalt: "Wait. No, I know that. But-"
Brekk: "I trusted you!"
Cobalt: "I know. I'm sorry. But-"
Brekk: "I need to go."

[sharp plaza]

Noooo Cobolt why you should've let things be... 😭

[lime birch]

Cobalt works on hell's road crew. Good intentions and all that.

[sharp plaza]

Yeah...

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Wait."
Brekk: "l e t g o o f m e"

((it was at that moment he knew he'd [messed] up. And then Mel went to work.))

[sharp plaza]

Nooooooo not the cliffhanger 😭

[scenic sage]

https://tenor.com/view/schitts-creek-david-uhm-yikes-nod-gif-16536135

[heady creek]

You must be new here. Welcome to the Cobalt/Brekk/Rollo fan club.

[sharp plaza]

Lol, I'm not new but fair point

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "hrk!?"

[lime birch]

CLYDE! I'LL SHOW YOU EXPLICIT!

[lime birch]

[DOOR SLAM]

[modest sentinel]

Ahh there's a taste of the old Brekk we all know and love 🥰

[lime birch]

Literally a pose I remembered to APR when doing the original Oxchapel thread

[merry drift]

Yes from when Brekk hit Rollo in the Blupples

[lime birch]

Heheh. Blupples.

[merry drift]

It sticks to your brain

Blupples

[lime birch]

#1083553222624542781 message

[merry drift]

hehe

it's agood APR

[lime birch]

There will be a slight pause while I work on something only tangentially related

[lime birch]

[a few minutes later...]

Rollo: [so sleepy] "Wha's goin on out here? Who's slammin doors?"

Cobalt: "Brekk's gone."
Rollo: "Gone? Whaddya mean gone?"
Cobalt: "I told him that I told you that he's a goblin. And ge got mad and left.

Rollo: "Godsdammit. I'll go after him."
Cobalt: "I'll come with you."
Rollo: "Nah, you stay here. I ain't sayin he's right, but he is mad. I'll take'm out to Lower Mool when I find him. He's probably at Brew Witches anyway."
Cobalt: "Okay..."

[lime birch]

(Clyde did NOT like any of those panels)

[lime birch]

Brew Witch: "And what will you have today, officer?"
Rollo: "I'll get a dozen o'yer oldest critter fritters. And can you brew me one of them office size cartons of plakkik?"
Brew Witch: "That plakkik will take twenty minutes to brew."
Rollo: "That's fine. Also, if Brekk's here, can you tell'm I brought his clothes and wallet?"
Brew Witch: "I'll check out back."
Rollo: "Thanks for that."

[A few minutes later]

Brew Witch: "You're order will be ready shortly, officer. You can pick it up at the door in the alley."
Rollo: "Much obliged. You have a nice day."

[granite goblet]

are the brew witches goblinoid?

[lime birch]

y e s

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Brekk?"
Brekk: [sniff]
Rollo: "I brought your clothes and wallet. And shoes."
Brekk: "kay."

Rollo: "Can I give you a ride home?"
Brekk: [sniff] "I don't wanna go back to your place."
Rollo: "That's fine. I can take you to your place. You know how I feel bout you takin that bus though."

Rollo: "I know you's mad at Cobalt-"
Brekk: "It wasn't his place to say anything."
Rollo: "I know. And you got every right to be angry. Jus like when he was mad at me for bringin up his caste in an argument. Trust's been broken."

Brekk: "Why didn't you tell me that you knew?"
Rollo: "Well, I was waitin for you to tell me on your own. Maybe I should have said somethin. Would have have been better?"
Brekk: "I dunno..."
Rollo: "Neither did I."

[merry drift]

I want to give Brekk hugs

[lime birch]

Rollo: "It's really on me, though. I worry bout you a lot and Cobalt knows that. He was jus tryin to help me look out for you."
Brekk: "Not everyone's as good as you and Cobalt... He could have got me seriously hurt."
Rollo: "If he thought that, he wouldn't have said anythin."

Rollo: "I know you wanna go back to your place. But why don't you come back to mine and clean your make-up off. I'd hate for your old guulka to think we're mistreatin you."
Brekk: "I don't want to see Cobalt."
Rollo: "You won't. I'll message him on the way to the car. He'll respect your anger. Okay?"
Brekk: "Okay..."

Rollo: "You want me to bring the car round so you don't have to walk out in your robe?"
Brekk: "Yeah... I maybe should have gotten dressed before leaving."
Rollo: "You grab my fritters and plakkik while I grab the car."
Brekk: "Okay."

Brekk: "Rollo?"
Rollo: "Brekk?"
Brekk: "Um... You know that I make my own plakkik and it's better than the stuff they serve here, right?"
Rollo: "Yeah, I figured. But me 'n' Cobalt will drink it. Maybe we'll develop a taste for it."
Brekk: "Just put it in the freezer, I'll drink it next weekend."
Rollo: "Oh, thank gods."
Brekk: "Coward."

[balmy vector]

Man...I really need to catch up on this. I'm SO far behind 😅

[lime birch]

That's a good reminder for me to compile come pages before I get weeks behind again.

[lime birch]

Woo. All caught up. Now I can have a nap.

[lime birch]

Which one is it?

[lime birch]

[A few weekends later...]

Cobalt: "I found a house I think I'm gonna put an offer on."
Brekk: "Really?"
Cobalt: "It's a bit old, but I think it has everything we need. Including an in-law suite contained in the all stone basement. It can handle a lot of humidity."

Brekk: "Do... Do you mean to have Guulka come live at your house?"
Cobalt: "Well, I'd like it if you and your goo-"
Brekk: "Just say grandma."
Cobalt: "- grandma came to live at the house, yeah. It's part of why I want to buy."

Brekk: "Rollo says it's cause you can't bargain for lower rent anymore."
Cobalt: "Well, that too. But I'm trying to think of our future. A house would be so much more convenient. And if you and your grandma lived there too, we could help take care of her."

Cobalt: "Is that alright?"

(Gods, Clyde.)

(Also: aw yeah, talk responsible financial decisions and planning for the future to me. So spicy)

[lime birch]

Brekk: "You know what? It is alright."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I'm so proud of you."
Brekk: "I... I'm trying... It's scary."
Cobalt: "You're doing great."

Geez Clyde.

[scenic sage]

Cobalt's chesticles are in play. Clyde cannot be held responsible for the resulting chaos.

[lime birch]

I used 7 images. But I made 14 trying to get an angle that wouldn't offend Clyde's delicate Victorian sensibilities.

[scenic sage]

They need one of those old timey "L-shaped" top sheets.

[lime birch]

This story has 258 saved minis. It's nearly 3 times as many as any of my other stories. Because I learned to save more often.

[lime birch]

[A few days later...]

Rollo: "You sure this will be alright?"
Brekk: "Yeah. Today's a really good day for it."

Rollo: "What if she says no?"
Brekk: "Hmmm... It... We might have to wait a while..."
Rollo: "Is this really what you want?"
Brekk: "I... I owe it to her to follow some of her traditions. Is that a problem for you?"
Rollo: "It ain't. I'll wait as long as it takes. A hundred years if I have to."

Brekk: "Okay... Just keep in mind... She's nearly a thousand years old. Okay? It's not even an exaggeration."
Rollo: "I'll mind my manners."
Brekk: "Hmmm... It's more that she doesn't mind hers."
Rollo: "Heh. I won't take offense."

[scenic sage]

Is Brekk still furious at Cobalt?

[lime birch]

They made up off screen.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Guulka? [Can you come meet someone please?]"
Guulka: "[Is it that elf with the tight shorts? What's his name?] Cody? Colby?"
Brekk: "[Do you mean] Cobalt?"
Guulka: "[That's it. When's he coming next? Is he replacing the dwarf?]"

Brekk: "Uh... [He'll be by another time.]"
Guulka: "[Tell him to show a little more skin-]"
Brekk: "[No, no, no.] Guulka. [That's not appropriate.] Cobalt [is my lover.]"
Guulka: "Ohhh! [Good for you dear.]"
Brekk: "Hrrrrrmmm..."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Guulka, [this is] Rollo."
Guulka: "Hrmm. [An other elf?]"
Brekk: "[Yes.] Rollo [is also my lover.]"
Guulka: "[Have a type, do you?]"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "[It's a,] uh hang on. [It's alright? to hang? No. It's alright to sort you?]"
Guulka: "Ah, [you speak my language, do you?]"
Rollo: "[Yes. But,] uh, [like 💩,] ma'am"
Guulka: "{||You speak the tongue of your ancestors?||}"
Rollo: "Oh! {||Yes. It's an honor to be able to meet you, ma'am.||}"
Brekk: "Huh?"

(I long for the return of 3 humanoids to a base)

[sharp plaza]

Ngl, you did it so well with compositing I completely forgot we didn't have 3 minis and just assumed it was base heroforge 😆

[lime birch]

If you look real close you can see that Brekk is looking off into a weird direction.

I have to work in 3 separate minis for this and the pose importing gets a bit goofy.

[sharp plaza]

Oh yeahhhh
Huh

My tip is to use portrait and not regular booth

(lmao I say tip like I do compositing)

They have all these presets tho

You can then automatically frame them too

As long as you keep in mind the four presets, compositing might be somewhat easier?

Idk, I don't composite like I said, take this with a grain of salt

[lime birch]

Oh. It's not the camera angles, it's that sometimes the eye positions or facial expressions don't import from one mini to the other properly and I have to manually check them.

[sharp plaza]

ohhhhhh

Mb, I misunderstood

[lime birch]

No worries 🙂

[lime birch]

Guulka: "[You can go ahead and speak common. I understand it just fine. Won't speak it myself though.]"
Rollo: "Much obliged. I understand goblin more than I can speak."
Guulka: "[So, what do you want?]"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Well, I've come to ask permission to marry Brekk."
Guulka: "[Have you now?]"
Rollo: "Yes ma'am. I understand he's your last livin kin, it's only right that I come to you."
Guulka: "[You know he's a goblin.]"
Rollo: "That don't change nothin."
Guulka: "Brekk, uulbuka. [Go brew up some plakkik while I talk to your handsome elf.]"
Brekk: "Oh. [Alright...]"

[scenic sage]

I mean, she’s a millennial the hard way. She probably speaks most languages. 🤣

[lime birch]

Goblins had a natural affinity for learning and crafting languages. The Common Language spoken around the world was crafted by Goblins as a gift to the peoples the invited to come through the portals and live in their world.
Suf, being a full goblin, can learn languages just by listening to people speaking around her.
But, yeah, she legit knows a lot of languages. Refuses to speak Common though.

[lime birch]

Guulka: "{Help me to my chair over there.}"
Rollo: "Yes ma'am."
Guulka: "{Smoke?}"
Rollo: "Oh. I quit and promised my partners I weren't gonna smoke anymore."

Guulka: "{You ||bedding|| that Titanium Giant too?}"
Rollo: "Uh..." [clears throat] "Yes ma'am, the three of us are partners to each other."
Guulka: "{Interesting. You can call me} Suf."

Guulka: "{What do you know about Goblins,} Rollo?"
Rollo: "Well, I've known some in my time but they's quite removed from their heritage. I learned the language from some truckers."
Guulka: {Yes, I can hear that in your accent.}
Rollo: "Other'n that, I can't say I know much. Brekk's rather tight lipped bout it."
Guulka: "{He's had a hard life. Most of our kind do.}"
Rollo: "Yeah... I'm becomin more aware of that..."

[lime birch]

Guulka: "{Now. Back in my day, before the war, you'd have to ask the whole clan. Or at least the progenitors. But I'm all Brekk has left. Good luck tracking down his useless progenitors; a deadbeat orc and who knows what the other one was. Dal was determined to have that baby: probably slept with half the city to get him.}"

Guulka: "{It's just me now. Mind's not what it used to be. So, guess we can cut the 💩.}"
Rollo: "Suf?"
Guulka: "{Don't need to stand on formality. Can barely stand on my legs.}"
Rollo: [politely tries not to laugh]

Guulka: "{I don't have enough time to get to know you properly. But I've met that other elf a few times. I think. The one with the short shorts? Coby? Colton? Corbyn?}"
Rollo: "Cobalt. Yeah, he's my best friend."
Guulka: "{If I was still a girl...}" [trails off into mumbling]

[heady creek]

Is she implying what I think she's implying? I don't think that counts as getting to know either of them properly.

[lime birch]

No. Kinda seems that way. But no, she just means getting to know him and assess whether he's good enough for her Brekk.

[heady creek]

You missed an s on assess

[lime birch]

I've been up since 2am.

[heady creek]

I'm surprised Clyde was okay with it

[lime birch]

Yeah. Weird how Innkeeper missed that one.

[lime birch]

Guulka: [too mumbly to decipher]
Rollo: "Suf? Guulka Suff?"

Guulka: [startled] "Huh? Brekk."
Rollo: "Ma'am? You alright? Should I get Brekk?"

Guulka: "{I'm too old... You can marry Brekk. You and hot-pants-}"
Rollo: "Cobalt."
Guulka: "Uulbuka, {I probably won't remember more than that bushy beard of yours by tomorrow. You and that sail boat refueling station*-}"
Rollo: "Pffft."
Guulka: "{You take care of my grandson.}"
Rollo: "I promise we will. He means the world to us."
Guulka: "{You'll never have a day of peace again if you're lying to me.}"
Rollo: "I believe you."
*airhead

[scenic sage]

Hah! Now Rollo has to keep the beard so Suf will remember him. Sorry, Brekk.

[lime birch]

Brekk will never be free of that beard.

[lime birch]

[non-default notification sound]
Rollo: "Excuse me, Suf. It's work..."
Guulka: "{Always liked elfs. A little stuck up sometimes, but they understood our ways. I remember before the war...}" [trails off back into mumbles]

Brekk: "Guulka?"
Guulka: "Oh. [I was just telling this elf about Cory-]"
Brekk: "Erm, Cobalt?"
Guulka: "Oh, [yes...]"
Guulka: "[You remind me of that handsome elf my grandson's marrying.]"
Rollo: "Uh..? Thank you, ma'am."
Guulka: "[What's his name?] Rolland, [I think?]"

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Guulka, [why don't you go to the kitchen? Lunch is on the table for you.]"
Guulka: "Oh, [yes. I think I'll have some lunch now. What a good boy you are.]"
Brekk: "[I'll be there in a minute.]"
Rollo: "It was nice meetin you, Suf."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Well. I'm glad I got to meet her. Seems she'll remember at least a bit of it."
Brekk: "Yeah... I'm sorry, it's hard to tell when she'll turn like that."
Rollo: "Ain't nothin to be sorry over."
Brekk: "Hmm."
Rollo: "And, we got her permission to marry. So, there's that."
Brekk: "Yeah..."

Rollo: "So, will that be a "yes" from you as well then?"

[heady creek]

The lighting in Guulka's house always makes pictures look so foreboding and suspenseful.

[lime birch]

A little bit. Yep.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Yes."

[normal totem]

https://tenor.com/view/wooo-yeah-baby-gif-18955985

[scenic sage]

https://tenor.com/view/yes-sweet-hell-yes-pump-it-gif-22136641

[proven burrow]

https://tenor.com/view/yes-yas-excited-baby-cheering-gif-12101861

[sharp plaza]

YAYYYY

[dry yoke]

VICTORY

[lime birch]

[Non-defualt notification sound]
Rollo: "Shoot. I gotta go to Watch HQ. I'll see you this weekend?"
Brekk: "Yeah."
Rollo: "Alright."

---

Rollo: "Don't tell Cobalt. It'll drive him crazy."
Brekk: [giggle] "He's going to be so annoying."
Rollo: "Yeah, I know."
Brekk: "You're bad!"

((the last pose is a modified Soft Hugs by tinytieflingthings))

[heady creek]

I get that this is a happy time for Rollo, but I feel like he should be much more worried that he got called into work while he was off-duty.

Perhaps even more worried because it's a happy time. He was there when that first zombie showed up.

[lime birch]

[Not later the same day but the day after the next...]

Cobalt: "🎶 [something something] but mammals so - 🎶 [something something something] 🎶- Discovery Channel 🎶"
[sound of a standard issue sallet helmet being thrown against a wall]
Cobalt: "Rollo?"

Cobalt: "Where have you been?"
Rollo: "Work."
Cobalt: "For two-?"
[balcony door slams opens and closed]

Cobalt: "- days?"

[lime birch]

Outfit just straight up stolen from @spark patrol's Lorluk.

Ooops. Gotta go in to work for a bit.

[sharp plaza]

zombie portal arc happening? 👀

[merry drift]

Ok I know what song Cobalt's singing there

[lime birch]

A song from my youth.

But in this lore it's done by orcs, so crank the bass WAAAAAAAY up

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You're smoking again?"
Rollo: "Yeah."
Cobalt: "-"
Rollo: "Don't."

Rollo: "Where are you off to?"
Cobalt: "Oh. It's Sha'dak Ko'kra. Going to The Black Pit."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Them boots don't go with the rest of the get up."
Cobalt: Hmm. No. But I borrowed it from a friend. The matching boots were just a little too small. Besides, I think they still send the right message. 😉"
Rollo: "Nice."

[dry yoke]

ohh lordy, what was rollo subjected to... (rhetorical, ik we'll find out)

[lime birch]

Gotta open up my timeline spreadsheet

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "But. Um. What happened at work?"
Rollo: "..."
Cobalt: "Can you talk about it?"
Rollo: "Hrmmm..."

Rollo: "Remember last fall when that portal opened up downtown?"
Cobalt: "Yes..."
Rollo: "Remember the sixty-five others that opened up after?"
Cobalt: "What? No. What others?"
Rollo: "Yeah. That's what I said."

[sharp plaza]

https://tenor.com/view/omg-really-what-is-happening-gif-13769649

[heady creek]

Well, 💩

[lime birch]

😭 embed fail

[sharp plaza]

nooooooo 😭

https://tenor.com/view/omg-really-what-is-happening-gif-13769649

waaaa

https://tenor.com/view/dog-doggo-black-dog-shocked-big-eyes-gif-17791618

There we go

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Turns out the military's been cleanin up all the evidence and hushin up witnesses and media. They even got Commander Mes under their thumb now."

Rollo: "Mes was s'posed to clean up The Watch! End all the corruption! That's why I joined!"
Cobalt: "Ro-"
Rollo: "Now we're bein dragged into a [expletive] conspiracy!"

[lime birch]

[furious smoking sounds]

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You still puttin an offer on that house?"
Cobalt: "I... Yeah, it's still on the market so I put an offer on it this morning... Should I not have?"
Rollo: "Remember how you asked if I thought an invasion was comin?"
Cobalt: "Yes..."
Rollo: "Still ain't able to say for sure... But you an' Brekk are gettin firearms trainin ASAP. If somethin big is comin, you need to be able to defend yourselves properly. I don't think battle-dancin will cut it."

Cobalt: "But..."
Rollo: "It's that or we leave the country... I ain't an expert in this kinda thing, but I don't think we're all that ready for another Portal War."
Cobalt: "Oh boy..."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Sorry... I didn't mean to ruin your night out, darlin."
Cobalt: "No... It's fine... Sha'dak Ko'kra's basically just a celebration of ancient war gods, right? Orcs definitely know how to feel at ease with war."
Rollo: "It could be nothin."
Cobalt: "Sixty-five portals and a government cover up doesn't sound like nothing."

Rollo: "Well, maybe it ain't nothin. But until it becomes somethin, ain't nothin we can do bout it."
Cobalt: "Yeah..."

[ornate oasis]

Wellllllll 👕

[scenic sage]

[furious smoking sounds]

🤣

[lime birch]

You know, taking a really aggressive drag, the sound of the paper crackling, and an equally aggressive exhale.

[lime birch]

Gods, I can't wait to turn 60.

[ornate oasis]

Why is that?

[lime birch]

I get to take up smoking again when I turn 60.

[ornate oasis]

Fair enough

[scenic sage]

What a coincidence. When I turn 60 I’m quitting.

[lime birch]

Nice. My hubs agreed that I can start again when I turn 60.
Getting a face tattoo too. Because I'll be hecking 60.

[scenic sage]

https://tenor.com/view/miranda-hart-downside-plan-gif-9403166

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Come on now. You's already dressed up."
Cobalt: "Yeah."
Rollo: "Bet that outfit'll attract just the right attention."

Rollo: "Atta boy. Be safe tonight."
Cobalt: "I will be."
Rollo: "You call me if you need me."

[lime birch]

Come on. I'll be 60. I'll have earned it by then.

[lime birch]

[The following Thursday...]
Guulka: "Brekk?"

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Oh, Guulka. [You should be in bed. Do you need the humidifier adjusted?]"
Guulka: "[I have something for you. For your marriage.]"

Brekk: "[We haven't even set a date yet. Come on, back to bed.]"
Guulka: "[Won't have time to give it to you later.]"
Brekk: "[What?]"

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Guulka?!"

[lime birch]

[Brekk's shrieking can be heard over the sound of the air igniting]

[lime birch]

[Brekk falls eerily silent]

[ornate oasis]

[lime birch]

Guulka: "Uulbuka..."
Brekk: [death rattle]

[lime birch]

b e d t i m e

[ornate oasis]

NO!

MEL!

(all /jk)

[halcyon jungle]

WHAT

[lime birch]

b e d t i m e

[dry yoke]

h...huh...?

[scenic sage]

https://tenor.com/view/what-david-david-rose-dan-levy-schitts-creek-gif-20774999

[wind tapir]

https://tenor.com/view/please-liz-lemon-tina-fey-30rock-i-beg-you-gif-21977561

[sharp plaza]

DID BREKK JUST 🦆 ing DIE

WHAT

https://tenor.com/view/skeletor-wat-what-gif-18497036

[heady creek]

https://tenor.com/view/robotnik-expect-eggman-doesnt-count-i-was-not-expecting-that-gif-18717548

Considering the multiversal nature of this series, it's surprising that this is Brekk's first on-screen death.

Sort of

[lime birch]

Would I kill a character so unceremoniously?

[rain trellis]

Got a few coins saying they ain't dead

[lime birch]

[Later...]

[merry drift]

uhhhhhhhh?

[lime birch]

[Later...?]
?: [bwawawawawawa]
?: [bwawawawawawa]

Cobalt: "-like this?"
Jonki: "I dunno."

[lime birch]

Jonki: "Tried callin Rollo, but-"
Brekk: "Wha-? Wha...?
Cobalt: "Brekk? Babe, are you okay?"
Brekk: "[unintelligable]"
Cobalt: "I'll take him to the hospital."

Jonki: "I-"
Brekk: "NO! NO HOSPITALS!"
Cobalt: "Whoa! Brekk! Calm-"
Brekk: "NO HOSPITALS!"
Cobalt: "Ow!"

Cobalt: "Okay. Okay. No hospitals."
Brekk: [crying]
Jonki: "Wusgunnuh say. Dwarf won't go. Too many bad experiences."
Cobalt: "What should I do?"
Jonki: "Wellnuh. Yuhtake dwarf home n I'll take care o'Suf."
Cobalt: "Are you sure?"
Jonki: "Ahyuh. Yuh take Brekk n I'll callyuh whenI got Suf right. Ikin take a lookit Brekk after."
Cobalt: "Okay..."
Jonki: "Thursa good dwarf."

[heady creek]

Possibly

[scenic sage]

I love how Jonki uses “dwarf” as a generic like we’d use “dude/man/lady/etc”. Such a cool little idiosyncrasy but makes total sense.

[heady creek]

I think Mauser's done it too.

[lime birch]

Dwarf/dwarfs and they/them are the dwarfs gendered pronouns.

[heady creek]

I forget how to spell Maushirim. I'm sure that's wrong

[dry yoke]

Mausehirrim, i believe

[lime birch]

Mausehirim

[heady creek]

Forg was very close

[lime birch]

And Mausehirim has a much thicker accent than Jonki. So good luck reading anything he says.

[dry yoke]

can confirm, usually takes me a moment to fully comprehend and even then i might get some words wrong or unintelligible 💀

[lime birch]

Ah, it is having the intended effect.

[dry yoke]

it's like, a southern and scottish accent combined and bumped up to 11

[lime birch]

Linguistically, Rollo is the most skilled with the most languages. Because he worked at the truck stop, he learned to say a few things in just about every language that came through.
Cobalt's 2nd. Most of the phrases he knows in other languages can't be repeated here though.
Mausehirim mostly speaks Dwarf and enough Elf and Common to get by.
Brekk speaks Common and Goblin.
Anita speaks Common and enough Dwarf to tell Mausehirim off when she needs to. And she can say some pretty unpolite things in Elf as well.

[heady creek]

You did write "[death rattles]"

[lime birch]

Heh. Yeah. I did.

[scenic sage]

And Sif knows all the things, but won’t speak common.

[lime birch]

Suf will adamantly not speak Common. She'll have Brekk translate for her instead. She understands it, but she won't speak it.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Come on, Brekk. Let's go to my place for a bit."
Brekk: [unintelligible mumbling and crying]
Cobalt: "Are you sure he's okay?"
Jonki: "Ahyuh. Dwarf'll be alright fura bit."
Cobalt: "Okay..."

[lime birch]

||Jonki: [in Dwarfish] "Alright Suf. You're looking decent. You got your smoke. Brekk's away with dwarf's lovers now. Dwarf's in good hands."

Jonki: "You can let go now, dear."||

[granite goblet]

:(

[scenic sage]

She gave him her essence? Like a generational torch?

Hopefully Jonki can explain what happened. He seems to know a lot more about goblin stuff than Brekk does.

[lime birch]

They've read a lot of medical journals about caring for aging goblins. Had to when they took the job. Most of them are written by other dwarfs.

[lime birch]

Decompression time.

[lime birch]

ChatGPT can translate it pretty good.

[lime birch]

[A few hours later...]

Cobalt: "Rollo."
Rollo: "Got home as soon as I could. Where's Brekk? Is he alright?"

Cobalt: "I put him in your bed. He's fell asleep on the ride home."
Rollo: "What happened?"
Cobalt: "I don't know. Jonki just said to bring him here."
Rollo: "Is Guulka alright?"
Cobalt: "Well, Jonki's with her? How come Brekk let's you call her Gooel-"
Rollo: "Just say grandma. And it's because I can speak goblin."

Rollo: "I'm-"
[knock on door]
Rollo: "I'll get it."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Jonki?"
Jonki: "Ahyuh. You both homethen?"
Rollo: "Yeah... Come in."

Cobalt: "Jonki?"
Jonki: "Yuh. GladI caught yuhboth together."
Rollo: "Shouldn't you be with Suf?"
Jonki: "Suf's fine. Dwarf dun't needme ratenuh."

Rollo: "What happened? Is Suf alright? What's wrong with Brekk?"
Jonki: "Brekk'llbe fine ina few days. Gonna take uhbit forthe magic tusettle."

[lime birch]

Ugh. Slow today. Think I'm getting sick.

Keep needing naps.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "What magic?"
Jonki: "The goblin magic Suf cast off to'em."
Rollo: "Goblin magic?"
Jonki: "Yuh. Theydun't have much left... But theykin castit off on their kin when the time comes. Never seen it m'self, but I read a alotta journals before takin th'job."
Cobalt: "He... Can do magic now? Goblins still have magic?"
Jonki: "Doubt it. Most o'them goblins wanderinround ain't get 800 year old guulkas holdin on outta spite. From whatI know, Suf was just holdin on to protect dwarf's line. Brekk's th'very last of Suf's kin, yuknow. You two comin into the pictures, wullnuh, dwarf knew Brekk would be okay."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You talkin like Suf's..."
Jonki: "Youkin give this t'Brekk, dwarf'll know what it is."

Rollo: "Is... Is this Suf?"
Cobalt: [gasp]

Jonki: "You two take care of Brekknuh."
Rollo: "Is there anything we need to do for him?"
Jonki: "Nuh. Just needs alotta rest. Yuhboth got mu'number if y'need it. I'll be seeinyuh."

[normal totem]

This is a very good story, I love it.

[lime birch]

Thank you very much. 😊

[lime birch]

Oops. Got distracted with reading everyone's AMAs and swapping clothes in #challenges

[pallid hull]

As I said in one thread, I'm glad the "AMA" sorta style focus is caught on. It's a fun interactive thing between other folks. :D

[heady creek]

Don't worry if you don't post a lot for a while. It gives people more time to catch up.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Poor Brekk... Is... Do you think that's really his grandma?"
Rollo: "Maybe? I reckon Jonki wouldn't jus leave her there..."
Cobalt: "Yeah... I guess I'll go get some clothes and stuff from his place.
Rollo: "I'll call Brew Witches, let'm know he won't be in for a bit. See if I can trade some shifts around too."

Rollo: "Could pick would a few triples and trade for the extra days off..."
Cobalt: "Oh. No, Ro. You're working nights, that's bad enough. I can stay with Brekk while you're at work. And I can work from home. Besides... He's not that bad, right? Jonki said he just needs rest?"
Rollo: "Well, I dunno. Never dealt with kinda thing before."

Rollo: "B'sides, don't you got people you wanna see in the evenins?"
Cobalt: "Sure. But none of them are more important than you or Brekk."

Rollo: "Would you mind if I sleep in your bed till Brekk's up and about?"
Cobalt: [gasp]
Rollo: "What's with you? We are gettin married, you know."
Cobalt: "I just love that you always ask permission!"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Whoa. Hang. Hang on."

Rollo: "Just gonna check on Brekk real quick."
Cobalt: "Oh, duh. This is such bad timing in my part. What am I thinking?"

---

Rollo: "You're incorrigible."
Cobalt: "And you're marrying me."
Rollo: "Oh boy. And here I told Brekk I'd live at least another hundred years."
Cobalt: "Haha. You just can't keep up that grumpy facade anymore, can you?"

[lime birch]

[Sunday... Monday... Tuesday... Wednesday... Thursday... Friday... Saturday...]

[lime birch]

[Sunday]
Rollo: "Jus got off the phone with Jonki. Dwarf said if he ain't up by tomorrow, dwarf'll come-"

Rollo: "Hang on, I'll call you back."

Rollo: "You feelin better, darlin?"
Brekk: "i threw up... how did i get here?"
Rollo: "You don't remember?"
Brekk: "no?"
Rollo: "Hmm... You know what day it is?"
Brekk: "th... thursday?"

Rollo: "Brekk, you better sit down."

[merry drift]

uh oh

[lime birch]

Yeah. "You should sit" or something similar is almost always never good.

[scenic sage]

It ranks right up there with "We need to talk"

[merry drift]

never good

[lime birch]

Rollo: "What's the last thing you rememeber?"
Brekk: "hmmm. guulka was up... her humidifier? jonki?"
Rollo: "You don't remember anything?"
Brekk: "i think... i had a migraine...?"

Rollo: "Well. I ain't sure what exactly happened. But Jonki found you an Suf layin on the livin room floor. That... That was last Sunday. You been in an outta consciousness all week. You don't remember any of it?"
Brekk: "no...?"
Rollo: "You nearly gave Cobalt a black eye."
Brekk: "hrrrm..."
Rollo: "There's somethin else..."

Rollo: "I ain't sure how to say... Jonki left this for you, said you'd know what it is."

[lime birch]

(sorry, trying to figure out what's upsetting Clyde)

[lime birch]

Brekk:[sniffling]
Rollo: "I'm sorry, Brekk. I know your guulka's all the fam-"
Brekk: "i'm free..." [sniffles]

Rollo: "Oh, Brek..."

[proven burrow]

oh

👀

[granite goblet]

are brekk’s eyes a brighter orange than they used to be or am i imagining that

[proven burrow]

... i see it too

[sharp plaza]

• scrolls up *

Maybe? Probably?

Unless Mel started using the glowing eye trick

[lime birch]

I think it's a trick of the lighting and that I made his eyeballs a little more red than usual.

[heady creek]

I'm not sure pictures in Guulka's house are the best reference for it.

[lime birch]

His eye colour is actually saved in my library, so if I make any changes, I revert it back for new scenes

Sorry for slow reply. I am sick today.
Want to sleep, but can't breathe.
Want to forge, but can't brain.

[dry yoke]

it's oke mel, take your time as you need to - being sick is never fun

[pseudo wing]

I'm just recovering myself, so I hundred percent understand.

[lime birch]

My hubs was sick last week and I thought I was in the clear since it's been a few days.

[pseudo wing]

You never in clear when comes to sick relatives, I got mine from my dad who was already a week in his flu.

[lime birch]

My hubs managed to avoid getting Covid when I had it. I guess our luck just ran out this time. lol
He tested negative 3 times last week, so hopefully it's just a stupid cold.

[lime birch]

My brain is de-mushing from being sick. Finally.

[lime birch]

Gonna compile my backlog of pages and unredact all my dialogue while I wait for new plot to generate.

[lime birch]

Well, I was doubting myself on the eye colour thing so I loaded up my oldest, unmodified model of Brekk for this story and my latest modified one. Looks like there was no change. Just a trick of the lighting.

[sharp plaza]

Brekk^2

[lime birch]

too many Brekks

[modest sentinel]

Brekk has unlocked Mitosis

[lime birch]

[Later...]
Cobalt: "Sorry I'm late. My meetings took longer than I thought they would. We finally reached an agreement with the seller. We can start moving in next week."
Rollo: "We coulda been moved in by now if you jus chose another house."
Cobalt: "Yeah, but this one's perfect for us. I can use the basement suite to generate income. Or bringing people home."

Rollo: "Yeah, we both know what it's gonna be."

[pseudo wing]

Watch it become rented out… that would be a twist.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Brekk's curled up in your bed. Threw up in mine."
Cobalt: "Is he okay?"
Rollo: "Well... he ain't been up too much. But, uh, I think you might have your hands full tonight."
Cobalt: "Oh?"

Rollo: "He's been asleep for a week and now he's got a bit of an appetite on him..."
Cobalt: "No problem! I'll order a few pizzas."
Rollo: "Not that kind."
Cobalt: "Oh? What-?"

Cobalt: "Oh! That's awkward."
Rollo: "You're tellin me."
Cobalt: "Grief is so weird."

Rollo: "Good luck."
Cobalt: "I'm sure I can handle it."
Rollo: "I'll be home in th'mornin."
Cobalt: "Be safe."
Rollo: "I will be."

[lime birch]

Plot twist: they rent it out to a nice, quiet, older couple who always has something nice to say about the revolving door of people Cobalt brings home.

[lime birch]

When you get a bunch of poses done and realize you've been in the background color menu the whole time and now they're smol and blury quality

Did I save between each pose? Do I have a copy copy copy copy for this scene?

Of course I don't.

That would imply learning my lessons.

[lime birch]

Reviewing the dialogue... Nothing was lost.
It would be a great "very special episode" or some 90's family sitcom/drama.
But I don't think I can make it work for the server.
Boo. I have done 0 forging today, lol.

[lime birch]

I have the writers block.

[scenic sage]

Be careful. Writers blocks can be very dangerous. https://tenor.com/view/jenga-fail-disaster-gif-9774326

[lime birch]

I have decided to try learning a lesson. While I'm having the writers block, I'm gonna organize the minis for this story.

Since I'm all caught up on making pages.

[lime birch]

It should come as no surprise that Cobalt has the most outfits.

[scenic sage]

I am shocked!!

[lime birch]

[After moving into the new house...]

Cobalt: "Hey, babe. You liking the new room?"
Brekk: "it's fine."
Cobalt: "You've been in bed since we moved in..."
Brekk: "yeah."

Cobalt: "Is there anything you need?"
Brekk: "no."
Cobalt: "We're worried about you."
Brekk: "sorry."

Cobalt: "Hmm... I could-"
Brekk: "no."
Cobalt: "Okay... Do you want dinner?"
Brekk: "no."
Cobalt: "Hmmm... Well. There's pizza in the fridge if you get hungry.☹️"
Brekk: "okay."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "He still in bed?"
Cobalt: "Yeah. Is there something we should be doing? Someone we should call?"

Rollo: "I think we jus gotta give him time. Suf was all the kin he had, an he's been taking care o'her more'n half his life now. You can't just [redacted] and make it better."
Cobalt: "That's not my answer to everything."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "It's not."
Rollo: "But you suggested it, didn't you?"
Cobalt: "Pft. No."

Cobalt: "Yes."
Rollo: "So predictable."
Cobalt: [sigh]

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You're cute when you're flustered."
Cobalt: "I'm. Not. Flustered."
Rollo: "Mmhmm."

Rollo: "I gotta get ready for work. You goin out tonight?"
Cobalt: "What about Brekk?"
Rollo: "He don't need us hoverin over him."
Cobalt: "But he's-"
Rollo: "He don't want us to neither. He's been creepin outta his room when he thinks we're asleep."

Cobalt: "How do you know?"
Rollo: "It's my job to be alert like that."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I'll see you in the mornin. Jus tell Brekk before you go to bed. Or out if you do."
Cobalt: "Okay. Be safe out there."
Rollo: "I will be."

[lime birch]

[At City Watch HQ...]

Rollo: "Wonder if we got any salt..."

"Corporal Yates, my office!"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Commander?"

Cmmdr Mes: "Ah. Yates. Have a seat."

[lime birch]

Cmdr Mes: "How long have you been with the Watch, Corporal?"
Rollo: "Eh, just a little more'n a year now, Sir."
Cmdr Mes: "And you've made it to corporal already? Impressive."
Rollo: "Thank you, sir. I do my best."
Cmdr Mes: "Yes..."

Cmdr Mes: "And I understand you're a Grove Elf"
Rollo: "That's right... Been away from my community for fifteen years. Don't plan on setting foot there ever again."
Cmdr Mes: "I assume, then, that you have quite a bit of combat training; Groves adhere to the old ways."
Rollo: "Yes sir. Practically started crossin irons soon as I took my first step."

Cmdr Mes: "Hmm."
Rollo: "Somethin on your mind Commander?"

[merry drift]

uh oh

[scenic sage]

💩 about to get real. 👀

[lime birch]

Cmdr Mes: "Unfortunately, you're being reassigned."
Rollo: "Reassigned? To what department?"

Cmdr Mes: "Trans-planar Immigration and Portal Control."

Rollo: "That's military. That ain't why I joined the Watch, Commander. No thank you."

Cmdr Mes: "It's out of my hands, Yates."
Rollo: "Then consider this my resignation from the Watch."
Cmdr Mes: "In that case, I'm under orders to place you under arrest. And you'll be delivered to TIPC anyway. Don't make me do that; don't make me waste a perfectly good Captain of the Watch like that."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "They can't do that, it ain't legal!"
Cmdr Mes: "They can, and it is, if they suspect an impeding Portal Invasion."

Rollo: "I don't wanna be part of some conspiracy, Sir."
Cmdr: "Yes. Something you have been very vocal about since the briefing. Maybe be more careful about expressing yourself in the future. I'm sorry, Yates, there's nothing I can do. You're on paid leave for the rest of the week. On Monday, you'll report to Major Flagg at TIPC."

Cmdr Mes: "Leave your gear in your locker. You can leave your badge at the assignment desk on your way out."
Rollo: "Yes, Sir."
Cmdr Mes: "Good luck, Yates. Dismissed."

(and, yes, TIPC is pronounced "tipsy")

[granite goblet]

isnt she the receptionist at the body shapers?

oh deleted message

[lime birch]

Ooops. Sorry. I wanted to try to fix something in the pose.

Yeah, she totes is though.

[lime birch]

[A few hours later... Actually, very, very early/late in the morning depending on who you are... Definitely after closing time.]
((approriate mood music: Careless Whisper, but it's war drums?))

[Sounds of what might be a house hippo in the hall]
Cobalt: "Brekk? Babe?"
"I'm Beth."
Cobalt: "I'm Cobalt.😃"

[What sounds like a chair being tipped over]
Cobalt: "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. 😉"

(And spoilered for spice)

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Oh 💩. Shhh."
Cobalt: "Rollo?"

Rollo: "Oh, hey! Yer still here! Shhh, don't wake up Brekk."

Cobalt: "Wow. You're? Really drunk."
Rollo: "Pft. Nah."

Rollo: "Yeah, a little. But I haven't had a smoke yet!"
Cobalt: "What? Why? Wait, hang on a sec."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Hey, something's come up. I might be a while..."

---

Cobalt: "Mmmm. But seriously, something's going on with my fiance. I might be a while. Raincheck?"
Beth: "I'll wait. I'm not good to drive yet."
Cobalt: "Neat.😃"

[lime birch]

((from here to the end of the scene, Rollo's speech is peppered with Elfish words))

Cobalt: "Oh, you're still drinking?"

Rollo: "Yeah, ain't got anythin else goin on tonight."
Cobalt: "Why aren't you at work?"
Rollo: "Don't need t'be. Come on, let's go to bed."

Cobalt: "Whoa. Nooooo. No, no, no no."

Rollo: "I'm fine. I ain't that dr-"
Cobalt: "The f-? Sit. Down. Now."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Rollo. You know better than that. I'm trying not to be [super angry] right now. But you're not making it easy. What the hell is wrong with you?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You are wasted. Why aren't you at work?"
Rollo: "I'm on "administrative leave" now!"
Cobalt: "Since when?"

Rollo: "Since? Hang on. When did m'shift start? Since whenever that was. Jus got to HQ, made my coffee... Didn't even get to drink it. On leave. And now I'm tispy. Tipsy. I'm tipsy now."
Cobalt: "Nooo. No, you are very drunk. Did you get put on leave for drinking on the job?!"

Rollo: "No. Tispy. Tisppee. T-I-P-C."
Cobalt: "TIPC? Since when?"
Rollo: "Since next Monday! An I can't say "no," or they'll arrest me! And then I'll have to work for tipy anyway."
Cobalt: "Why?"
Rollo: "Hell if I know."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "So, you just hit the bar instead of coming home?"
Rollo: "Yeah, pretty much."
Cobalt: "Shame, becauase I stayed home tonight."

Rollo: "Well, we-"
Cobalt: "No. You're way too drunk, I'm too sober, and I have company over."
Rollo: "Oh."

Cobalt: "Go to bed: your bed, alone. And next time, just buy a couple packs of smokes."
Rollo: "Can I still have hangover pancakes in the mornin?"
Cobalt: [sigh] "Yes. But you [interupted my activities], so they'll be plain."
Rollo: "Shoot. That's fair, I guess."
Cobalt: "I love you, but I don't like you very much right now."
Rollo: "I love you too."

[merry drift]

Cobalt is such a wonderful person

[lime birch]

They all are in they're own way.
(he was gonna make pancakes for his "date" anyway, so it's not like it's extra work for him)

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "🎵Makin' bacon pancakes. Makin' bacon pancakes.🎵Maybe add more bacon to these bacon pancakes.🎵" [humming] "🎵Pancakes for Rollo, pancakes for my hook-up.🎵Hope Brekk gets outta bed today.🎵That would be fantastic!🎵"

Cobalt: "Oh, oops. I put bacon in Rollo's pancakes."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "🎵That's not a problem. Gonna trade the bacon!🎵" [humming]

[lime birch]

[A few days later...]

[hook-up app notifications. a lot of them.]
Cobalt: "Sure. Sure. Hmm... Hmm... Ew... Why would you say that kind of thing in your profile? Hmmm... Sure. Sure. Sure. Sure. Oh my, yes! 🎵Gonna have a busy evening!🎵"

Cobalt: "Hmm?"

Cobalt: "Hey, you."

Cobalt: "Nice hair."
Brekk: [sniff]
Cobalt: "You want some pancakes?"
Brekk: "mhm."
Cobalt: "Okay. Let's go to the kitchen and I'll clear my schedule.😃"

[normal totem]

Bacon pancakes a reference to Adventure Time?

[lime birch]

It is.

[normal totem]

AT is such a good show

very nice

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I love the feel of a freshly shaved head. Can I tidy up around your ears after breakfast? If you want."
Brekk: "Mmhmm."

Cobalt: "How're you feeling?"
Brekk: "Lost... I miss Guulka..."
Cobalt: "I'm so sorry, Brekk."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Do you want to talk about it?"
Brekk: "No... I dunno..."
Cobalt: "Well, we're here when you're ready."
Brekk: "Hmmm..."

Cobalt: "I know you worry about it, but I promise it's okay; you're not going to drive us away. You can keep hiding if you want. That's okay too. But you don't have to."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "I just feel lost? Or maybe empty?"

Brekk: "I don't really know what to do with my life now... When my aunt died, I dropped out of school to get a job and take care of Guulka... I didn't really make any plans for what would happen when... when I didn't need to take care of her anymore... And then I met you and Rollo."

Cobalt: "Are you having second thoughts about our relationship?"
Brekk: "What? No."
Cobalt: "Because that would be okay."
Brekk: "No. No. It's not that."

Brekk: "It's just... What do I bring to it?"
Cobalt: "What do you mean?"

[lime birch]

Brekk: "My job doesn't actually pay very much... And I only have it because the Brew Witches, um, revered Guulka because she is - hrm, was - a full blooded goblin... I'm a high school drop-out so, like, can I even get a better job? And, um, I feel like I'm always just saying sad, depressing stuff. Or that you and Rollo are always taking care of me... And. You're both, just, so attractive. Wh-what do I bring to the relationship? Wh-why should you stay with me?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You know, I haven't been in a lot of relationships."
Brekk: "No way."
Cobalt: "I know, shocking. But I don't think you need to bring anything more than just yourself. You are very interesting and very attractive."

Cobalt: "And, I think taking care of each other... Isn't that what relationship are? People who care about each other, taking care of each other?"
Brekk: "Not in my experience..."
Cobalt: "Yeah... Not really in mine either."

Cobalt: "But then I met Rollo. And he's taken care of me more times than I can count. Like back when we first met you. And... he's spent more than one night just sitting in the car in an empty parking lot with a sword across his lap, in case I needed rescuing from one of my, uh, "dates." He never complained, because me being safe was more important than him being uncomfortable. If I'm honest, I think I fell in love with him long before he fell in love with me."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You're not a burden to us. I promise. I'll tell you as often as you need to hear it. The only thing that bothers us, really, is how you talk about yourself. You spend a lot of time disparaging our favourite person."
Brekk: [sniff]

Cobalt: "I know your life's been, well, [crappy]. And it's hard to feel like your deserve better. I've been there. I still feel that way sometimes."
Brekk: "Really?"
Cobalt: "Sure. I sometimes worry that you and Rollo will decide you want something from me that I might not be able to give you. What if you have kids? What if there's no place in a happy little family for an airhead [redacted] like me?"

Brekk: "You're not-"
Cobalt: "Yes I am."
Brekk: "I... I don't like that you think that."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Really? You don't?"

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Oh."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You really are doing great. Don't feel bad about feeling bad. Okay?"
Brekk: "I'll try."
Cobalt: "That's good enough."

[lime birch]

[Monday morning...]

Rollo: "I'm here to report to Major Flagg."
Flagg: "I'm Major Flagg."

---

Flagg: "Is there a problem, Officer Yates?"
Rollo: "You're human."
Flagg: "As far as you know. Is that a problem?"

Rollo: "To be frank, Sir, I don't much care for your kind. Call me a speciest, but I never met one that wasn't a problem. Ain't thrilled bout workin for TIPC neither."
Flagg: "Noted. Come with me."

[merry drift]

well this is gonna be interesting

[lime birch]

Flagg: "Rollo Yates, age: fifty-nine. Born in the Grafted Grove community of Mylithyr, into the Noble House of Peith. Your "true name" is Ilori - "Hand of Justice". Your eye was destroyed in a magical accident when you were twenty. You're trained in several martial disciplines: an expert swordsman and marksman, despite your missing eye. Fourteen years ago, you left Mylithyr. You lived in Smallshade for three and a half years before coming to Lirset. During that time you worked at the Last Lantern truck stop for Anita and Mausehirim Ryde-Khannonhart. You've worked several jobs in Lirset before you got your eye replaced and joined the City Watch.

Your roommate, Cobalt (age: fifty-three), is a wealth management advisor and male escort: more the latter than anything. You've lived together for nine years. You both recently moved into a house with a Huslandi dwork named Brekk.

You've quit smoking a number of times; your favourite cigarettes are Echallan Gold. Am I missing anything?"

Rollo: "I'm actually a master swordsman. And you call my friend a "dwork" again, I'll show just how skilled I am."

[lime birch]

Flagg: "I'll have that corrected. I'll add that you're speciest and hypocrit as well. An accurate dossier's important in our line of work."

Rollo: "You tryin to unnerve me, 🗡️Major Flagg🗡️?"

Flagg: "My name's not Flagg and I don't work for TIPC. And neither do you."
Rollo: "Is that so? Then why am I here?"

[lime birch]

??: "How much do you know about portal magic, Yates?"
Rollo: "Enough to know that the goblins should have kept it to themselves."
??: "I'll add bleeding heart to your file as well. Are you always this antagonistic?"
Rollo: "You ain't got a note in your file bout that already?"

Rollo: "I joined the City Watch to protect the city and make sure folks get access to proper justic. I don't appreciate being pulled away from that and into some kina conspiracy. Specially not by some {redacted, but in Elfish} what don't even know his own name."

[dry yoke]

oh boy, return of Angy Rollo

[lime birch]

||He is unnerved.||

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I ain't intimidated by you and I ain't buyin into your mystery-man horse💩. So if you don't mind, Major Whatever, get to your point, or send me back to The Watch where I belong."

??: "You seem angry. Smoke?"
Rollo: "I q u i t."

??: "My name's Payne-"
Rollo: "yeah, i bet that's accurate."
Payne: "Colonel Payne. I'm with Unified Intelligence."
Rollo: "Never heard of it."
Payne: "That's because it doesn't exist. Not officially."
Rollo: "Good grief."

[sharp plaza]

https://tenor.com/view/jojo-jojos-bizarre-adventure-good-grief-anime-gif-16726675

[ornate oasis]

Oh, oh no, I don't like where this is going

[lime birch]

Payne: "Unified Intelligence exists to watch for signs of portal activity that could lead to another invasion."
Rollo: "Oh yeah, from what side? As if we don't know."

Payne: "You're a real firebrand, aren't you, Yates? Got a real hate on for humans."
Rollo: "Call it confirmation bias, I don't really care. What's this got to do with me?"
Payne: "You want to protect people and make sure justice is served."
Rollo: "And?"

Payne: "Does that justice extend to goblin-kind?"

[lime birch]

Payne: "It may suprise you learn, but I agree with you. My people had no business coming here. We should have kept to our own plane and our own species."

Rollo: "I'm listening."

[lime birch]

Payne: "It's been eight hundred years since the end of the Portal War. Here anyway. It's been less than half as long where I'm from; the flow of time between our planes is unpredictable."
Rollo: "Yeah? And?"
Payne: "As far as anyone can tell, from across the known planes, goblins are the only ones that can open portals."

Rollo: "But... How're these new portals bein opened?"
Payne: "That's what UI's trying to find out. We suspect that there are goblins on the other side of those portals."
Rollo: "I... don't see... I ain't a soldier or a spy or nothin. I'm just a cop. What's this got to do with me?"

Payne: "You get results, Yates. You took the Watch entrance exam twice and achieved top scores both times; you even beat your own score the second time. You left the academy at the top of your class. You reached promotions quicker than your peers. Your record is already impressive. You're being wasted in The Watch."
Rollo: "That's where I want to be. And I still don't see what this has to do with me."

[lime birch]

Payne: "There's no records of goblins ever leaving this plane. If there are goblins opening portals, you can be certain they didn't leave willingly. The Trans-Planar Peace Treaty's likely been violated. There's your avenue for justice."
Rollo: "I... I already said, I ain't a soldier. Ain't a Trans-Planar Lawyer either."
Payne: "Exactly."

Payne: "UI needs a man with your, let's say, principles. Soldiers follow orders, lawyers follow rules, spies follow intrigue. But a principled man? A principled man just acts and gets results."

Payne: "We haven't had any success finding the source of the portals. By the time communication passes between the planes, too much time has passed on one side or the other."
Rollo: "Oh... I don't like where this is headin..."

[lime birch]

Payne: "UI needs a man wiling to act without hesitation."
Rollo: "You want someone willing to sacrifice themselves. For what? Maybe findin goblins? Maybe bein stranded in another plane? Maybe comin back t'find the world they knew is gone?"
Payne: "A man of principles."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I ain't that man."
Payne: "So justice for some, but not others? Is that how it is?"
Rollo: "Yeah. Yeah, that's how it is."

[lime birch]

Payne: "Maybe I was wrong about you, Yates. Maybe you're not that man we're looking for."
Rollo: "I ain't."
Payne: "Pity."

[lime birch]

Payne: "I'm sure your [redacted] and m o n g r e l i n boyf-"

[halcyon jungle]

GET HIM

[heady creek]

I think he's already started

[lime birch]

((First pose is Punch Out Base by @modest sentinel))

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Next time those words come outta your mouth, ||I'll cut your tongue out through your throat||; it'll happen so fast you won't even see me draw the blade."

[lime birch]

Payne: [spits out a big gob of blood] "Heh. Like I said. A principled man just acts and gets results. You didn't even stop to consider the consequences of striking a superior."
Rollo: "I already said: I ain't your man."
Payne: "We'll see about that."

Payne: "Welcome to Unified Intelligence."
Rollo: "I already have a job in City Watch."
Payne: "Yes. They'll be calling your back at the end of next week."

Payne: "Enjoy your leave, Officer Yates. I'll be in touch."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Oh wow. Way to drive your company's value right into the ground. Saw that coming a mile away. Eh... I don't think anyone bought into that... Better check..."

Cobalt: "Ugh! This is so boring!"

Cobalt: "Hmmm... Let's see who's in the area real quick..."

[lime birch]

Should have saved that pose before moving on. I'll never learn.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You're home a lot sooner than I thought you'd be."
Rollo: "Yeah..."

Rollo: "Where's Brekk?"
Cobalt: "Having a nap."
Rollo: "It ain't even noon yet."
Cobalt: "Yeah, we've had a busy morning."

Cobalt: "You're home early, we could have a busy morning too."
Rollo: [sigh]
Cobalt: "Hmm?"
Rollo: "I ain't really in the mood."
Cobalt: "Okay."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "How was TIPC?"
Rollo: "Unnervin. I ain't even workin for TIPC... I ain't really sure who I'm workin for. Told I'd be back in the Watch after next week."
Cobalt: "That's weird."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Rollo? Babe?"

Rollo: "I'm fine."
Cobalt: "Are you sure?"
Rollo: "Yeah."
Cobalt: "You don't seem fine. You seem tense."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I don't want you or Brekk leavin the house unarmed anymore."
Cobalt: "Uh... Well, I guess I am a Grove Elf. I'm legally entitled to carry a weapon if I want."
Rollo: "Good. I want you to have at least a sword on you. A gun would be better though."

Cobalt: "Uh. No? I don't-"
Rollo: "Cobalt, jus listen."
Cobalt: "Rollo, I don't-"

Rollo: "They know stuff. Stuff bout me - bout us - that they could only know if they's watchin us."
Cobalt: "Like what?"

Rollo: "Everythin. They know bout us livin together, bout Brekk bein a goblin, bout your other job. They know my true name°."

°If you know the true name of something, you can have power over it. According to old Elf beliefs.

[merry drift]

Oh damn that's scary

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I don't even know that."
Rollo: "I was gonna give it to you as a weddin gift."
Cobalt: "Awww. I mean. Wait. No. How? How could anyone know that? It's not like it gets put on our birth certificates."
Rollo: "I dunno. I ain't even said it out loud in mor'n thirty years."

Rollo: "I'd feel better knowin' you got a blade on you when you leave the house."
Cobalt: "Ro... I-"

Rollo: "We're bein watched. And I don't know why. Please?
Cobalt: "I don't think..."
Rollo: "Please, Cobalt."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Cobalt."

Rollo: "Please."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I'll carry a dagger. A small dagger."
Rollo: "Well, that's somethin."

Rollo: "We should start training Brekk too."
Cobalt: "Hmm... You're probably a better teacher... But, yeah, I can help with that. Are you sure you're not being paranoid?"

Rollo: "Cobalt, someone is watching us. And they want me to cooperate with them. I can't... What if they try to use the two of you to get to me? I can't be with you all the time..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "What do they want from you?"
Rollo: "A patsy."
Cobalt: "What?"

Rollo: "The man I met with. He said a lot of stuff. All of it felt... crafted. Like he's sayin what he thought would make me cooperate..."

Cobalt: "We... I could sell the house. We could leave the country."

Rollo: "I don't think it'll matter..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "What do we do?"
Rollo: "What we can. We train Brekk how to handle a blade. You an him don't leave the house without one. I'll... I'll worry about gettin him a permit-"
Cobalt: "Rollo."
Rollo: "It'll be fine. I'm owed some favours..."

Rollo: "And we don't tell Brekk more'n he needs to know."
Cobalt: "Oh. No. I'm not going to lie to him."
Rollo: "You think he can handle this right now?"
Cobalt: "That's not for us to decide though..."

...

Cobalt: "Well, [expletive]. I hate this."
Rollo: "Me too. I'll make it up to you."
Cobalt: "Yeah, how?"
Rollo: "Well, I'm off work till the end of next week. I'm sure you'll think of somethin."
Cobalt: "Well, hooray, you can do all my laundry.🙄 😒 "

[lime birch]

It is my intention to keep this story going for as long as I can.

[heady creek]

But is that the characters' intention?

[wind tapir]

I think the character intention is smooches 😌

[heady creek]

Not at the moment

[lime birch]

I mean, they are a crowd of backseat drivers. If plans change, they change. But, currently, I have no character deaths planned.

[lime birch]

cries in procrastinator

Actually, there's not actually that much there to compile.

I am just being a cry baby.

(and also bookmarking my spot)

[lime birch]

Are we doing fluffy composites today? Yes we are.

[lime birch]

my kingdom for camera positioning sliders

[lime birch]

Depending on how difficult these composites are, I might not follow through. Be prepared for deleting and starting over.

[lime birch]

[A few nights later...]

Brekk: "Rollo?"
Rollo: "hmm?"
Brekk: "Are you awake?"
Rollo: "n'really..."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "I can't sleep."

[sharp plaza]

Rollo: 'I can. Good night" /j

[lime birch]

lol.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Rollo?"
Rollo: "hmm?"
Brekk: "I can't sleep."
Rollo: "what's up, darlin?"

[sharp plaza]

I just realized, what're you using for a pillow? Tail?

[lime birch]

Badger familiar.

[sharp plaza]

Rollo, Brekk, and Cobolt sleep with a stuffed animal badger real

Honestly that's really clever, nicely done

[lime birch]

The high/mid/low of the paint are all the same colour and I cranked up the roughness. The low lighting hides the rest.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "I want to have a baby."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Are you awake?"
Rollo: "I am now!"
Cobalt: "babes, i gotta be at the office in the morning. if the house isn't on fire can you go to one of your rooms?"

3 minis on a base when?!

Had to write an autohotkey script just to press the arrow keys for me.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Alright. Well, I guess I'm up."
Brekk: "Sorry. I couldn't sleep."
Rollo: "So you said."

Brekk: "You said before, you want to have a family."
Rollo: "That's right."

Brekk: "Let's start trying for a baby!" :D

Rollo: "I guess we can do that."

((Featuring: APR Pouring Tea Hckin Viv fomr the CL))

[granite goblet]

brekk, sir, it is not a good time to have a baby

mental health is more important

[lime birch]

We all know: Brekk always makes rational decisions.

[halcyon jungle]

Uhoh

[lime birch]

Otherwise he wouldn't be waking his boys up in the middle of the night with this. He'd wait till dinner time like a sane person.

[granite goblet]

i really hope they don’t go for it honestly

brekk needs time to heal

having a baby when your mental health is in the basement and digging into the foundation is a very bad idea

[lime birch]

Brekk: "You don't want a family?"
Rollo: "Yes. I mean, no. I do."
Brekk: "Doesn't seem like it."

Rollo: "Darlin, I ain't fightin bout this. It's five in the mornin. I ain't runnin on all cyliders yet."
Brekk: "I can't sleep, I keep thinking about it."

Rollo: "But, it jus seems kina sudden. I know we ain't really talked bout it much. I kina assumed you'd wanna try adoptin."
Brekk: "Why?"
Rollo: "Well, you waint exactly been shy bout sayin you don't wanna be a goblin. I guess I jus thought you wouldn't want to have kids, you know, the traditional way."

Brekk: "Oh."
Rollo: "That don't mean we can't talk bout it more. We should. A baby is a big decision."
Brekk: "Yeah..."

[lime birch]

Oops. Accidental cliff hanger. Normally I wanna stay up and keep forgin, but I'm having a rough day. I'm drained.

[sharp plaza]

Having a similar day, get some rest, forge'll always be here

Besides, what's writing without a few cliffhangers!

[lime birch]

Something else is taking up all my bandwidth. I might be a few days.

[sharp plaza]

Hope all gets well soon

[heady creek]

Sometimes death of a loved one leaves a hole that people believe can be filled with a new person. He is not the first person to come to this conclusion.

[granite goblet]

that doesn’t make it any better

[merry drift]

Brekk needs hugs and Therapy

Lots of therapy

[ornate oasis]

Don't we all/jk/lh

[lime birch]

Brekk: "You're not wrong. I don't want to be a goblin. But I am. I can't change that."
Rollo: "I wouldn't want you to."
Brekk: "I do want to have a baby though. I've always wanted that."
Rollo: "I apologize for the assumption. Between all that's been happenin, we ain't had much time to talk bout this kina thing."

Rollo: "But, I got some concerns right now."
Brekk: "Cobalt."
Rollo: "No, not at all. He goes well outta his way not to have any, but he loves kids. Gets along great with 'em too."

Rollo: "I'm more worried bout you than anythin else."
Brekk: "Me?"

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I don't want you t'take this the wrong way, but I don't think now's a good time for us to be havin a baby."
Brekk: "oh..."
Rollo: "Wait a sec. Jus listen."

Rollo: "A lot's happened lately. Guulka passed away, you was in that coma for a week. You've been up and about more, but I notice you been spending a lot of time hidin in bed since we moved into the house... I don't want you thinkin I'm trying to control you; I'm not."
Brekk: "Okay..."
Rollo: "I jus really think we should wait a little longer."

Brekk: "Hmm..."
Rollo: "I want kids with you. But I ain't in a hurry to get there. Are you worried you'll run outta time? How long does a goblin like you live?"
Brekk: "It's not that. I'll probably outlive you and Cobalt, honestly."

Rollo: "I know you been feelin an emptiness. But I don't think this isn't the way to fill that hole in your heart."

[merry drift]

Give Brekk all the hugs

and a therapist

He really needs one

[lime birch]

funny you should mention that

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Let's make a deal."
Brekk: "Hmm?"

Rollo: "We ain't set a weddin date yet. So let's do that: you and Cobalt, and I. And let's make travel plans for that too."
Brekk: "Okay."

Rollo: "And, if you can find someone you're comfortable with, I think you should see a grief counselor. Cobalt and I are here for you, we always will be, but sometimes it don't hurt to see a professional. Maybe Jonki can help you connect with someone?"
Brekk: "Yeah..."
Rollo: "Does that seem fair?"
Brekk: [sniff] "yeah."
Rollo: "Oh, darlin, don't cry. I ain't tryin to be cruel."
Brekk: "I know. 'm sorry."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You ain't already pregnant, are you?"
Brekk: "No." [sniff] "No, I'm not. Still on the pill." [sniff, chuckle] "Cobalt won't let me forget about it."
Rollo: "Yeah, he takes that stuff real serious."

Rollo: "I jus wanna make sure we're starting on the right foot. Jus give it a little more time and we can start tryin, okay?"
Brekk: "Okay..."
Rollo: "I promise."

Rollo: "You wanna go back to bed?"
Brekk: [sniff] "Yeah..."
Rollo: "Can I come with you?"
Brekk: "Mmhmm."

[lime birch]

[A few days later...]

Brekk: "Why do I have to do this?"
Cobalt: "Well, you don't have to if you don't want to. But, Rollo... Rollo's worried about... stuff... He wants to know that you can defend yourself if you need to."
Brekk: "What kind of stuff?"
Cobalt: "He-he won't tell me... Just City Watch stuff, I guess?"

Cobalt: "Have you ever handled a sword before?"
Brekk: "No."
Cobalt: "That's okay. We'll take it slow. Rollo's probably a better teacher, but I have more free time."

Brekk: "Hmmm..."
Cobalt: "They're wooden swords, you won't get hurt. You won't hurt me either."

Brekk: "I don't want to do this."
Cobalt: "No?"
Brekk: "Please, no."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Is it the size? We can try a smaller blade. A dagger is easier to carry anyway."
Brekk: "No."
Cobalt: "What's wrong?"

Brekk: "If... If I'm in a situation where I have to defend myself... won't the other guy just use my own weapon against me?"
Cobalt: "That's always a possibility, but with proper training you can mitigate that. But if you're in a situation where you're drawing your sword, you're not going to be fooling around: you're in it to win, so to speak."

---

Cobalt: "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do."
Brekk: "I really don't want to do this."
Cobalt: "Okay. Don't worry about it."
Brekk: "Will Rollo be mad?"
Cobalt: "Oh, pft, who cares."

[heady creek]

Brekk not wanting to use weapons amuses me.

[lime birch]

Brekk ||made you look. I was going to put an actual spoiler here, but I don't want to draw back the curtain too much. At least, not in the main story thread||.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I mean... I don't want to invalidate Rollo's feelings. But... Hmmm... I disagree with how he's handling them. You don't need to know how to wield a sword any more than I need to be carrying one."
Brekk: "Is Rollo alright? What's he worrying about?"
Cobalt: "I dunno, babe... He... He just says it's Watch stuff."

Cobalt: "I think, sometimes, he struggles with life away from where we come from... And when it's too much he either hits the club a little too hard, or he tries to gain whatever control he can. I don't hold it against him... Like, I'll tell him you don't want to learn how to use a weapon and I'm pretty sure he won't press the issue..."

Cobalt: "Don't agree to this because of that. Carrying a weapon is a big deal. Rollo and I grew up with them, but it's not a "privilege" everyone gets these days. I'll take care of Rollo, don't worry."

[lime birch]

Finally got some scripting done.

Now I just need to do some poses.

[proven burrow]

bump

[lime birch]

Updates incoming. But. Very slowly! But today!

[lime birch]

[On a lazy sunday afternoon...]

Rollo: "What about May? Spring's a nice time for weddins."
Cobalt: "I like May."
Brekk: "January to March would be better. The mountains start getting difficult to fly over in April."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Babe, if you don't stop tickling my feet-"
Rollo: "Fly? Can't we just drive?"

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Do you... You know there's no road into Husland, right?"
Cobalt: "What?"
Rollo: "What? No. That... That ain't right."
Brekk: "Yeah... Really? You don't know that?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "No way. There's a highway."
Rollo: "Yeah, it runs cross-country."
Brekk: "And it stops at an airport. That's the border crossing into Husland. How do you guys not know this?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Brekk. Babe. Stop tickling my feet."
Brekk: [sinister giggles]
Cobalt: "Don't start something you can't finish. I'm bigger than you."
Brekk: "I know."

[dry yoke]

||is that Shreth's influence i see 👀||

[lime birch]

If you read back to here #1083553222624542781 message, Rollo expressing a lot of aprehension about going to space.

[lime birch]

Rollo: "How the [expletive] does that make any sense?! How they get goods into the country?"
Brekk: "Well, mostly by ship. But Husland doesn't really import much."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "How long's the flight? Ow, Ro, don't pinch me."
Brekk: "From here? I think it's, like, six hours or something."

Cobalt: "Ow! Rollo! Are you okay?"
Brekk: "Rollo?"

Time to go make dinner

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I'll be right back."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "That's-"
[sound of Rollo throwing up]

Cobalt: "-weird?"

Coablt: "Rollo? Babe? Are you okay?"
Rollo: "just a little hungover. [tooth brushing sounds]

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Are you afraid of flying?"

Cobalt: "Babe? Are you afraid of flying?"
Rollo: "No."
Cobalt: "Cause we were all home all night and nobody was drinking."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "I ain't afraid."
Cobalt: "Are you sure? You bruised my leg. And then threw up."

Cobalt: "See?"

Cobalt: "Oh, Ro. Babe. It's okay."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "How about a cruise? I love sailors 😃. I should message The Captain sometime."

Rollo: "How long you think that would take?"
Cobalt: "Well, he doesn't have connect-"
Rollo: "The cruise, darlin."

Cobalt: "I think they're usually about a week each way."
Rollo: "Wouldn't leave much time for a honeymoon... Two weeks might be more time off than I'd be able to shake."

Cobalt: "Well. You can always talk to a doctor about drugs for the flights. Or, well, I could find-"
Rollo: "I'll talk to a doctor."
Cobalt: "Oh. Yeah. That's probably a better idea."

[lime birch]

A Simmering Life

Now that Brekk lives with the boys, they gets to spend more than just Sunday's together.

But their life is still a little slow and simmering.

[dry yoke]

Simmers, but never boils.

Well.. Occasionally the pot spills.

But still, no boiling. Majorly.

[lime birch]

It is currently late July of the 2nd year since Brekk first approached Cobalt.

They met in October.

[lime birch]

||For now...||

[lime birch]

Rollo: "You mind if I pop out to get a smoke?"
Cobalt: "Yes... But you look like you could use one."
Rollo: "Much obliged."

Rollo: "Why don't you and Brekk start lookin at flights and pick a date. One that's good for flying."
Cobalt: "You don't want to picke a date?"
Rollo: "Probably gonna chain a couple smokes on the way home. And if we gotta talk bout flyin again."
Cobalt: "We'll give you a range to pick from. How's that?"
Rollo: "Yeah. That'll work jus fine."

Ooops.
The last pose is a modified "Tender Hug" by @wind tapir
(the pingening continues)

[lime birch]

Brekk: "How do I look?"
Rollo: "Real smart."

Brekk: "I'm not sure about the blue..."
Rollo: "I like blue. Could get married in blue."

Rollo: "Them boots is a nice choice too."
Brekk: "They're a bit expensive..."
Rollo: "We're gettin married, darlin.
Brekk: "What if I only wear them once?"
Rollo: "Then you only wear'em once. Stop lookin at the price tags."

[dry yoke]

rollo be on that TREAT YOURSELF grindset 💯

[lime birch]

Yeah, when you're spending probably $1000 on a tailored suit, you might as well pay the extra $2-300 for nice boots.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "How about this?!"

Brekk: "Uh..."
Rollo: "No."

Cobalt: "Why?"
Rollo: "Really?"

Cobalt: "Fine."
Rollo: "Try somethin blue."
Cobalt: "They have it in-"
Rollo: "Somethin else."
Cobalt: "Ugh! You guys!"

[lime birch]

Also, a note on how long these have been taking lately.
I've been distracted. By #1091491054433337344 message something.
Talk about trying to keep characters from straring right into the camera.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Are you going to wear heels?"
Rollo: "Likely. I like heels."
Brekk: "Do you think you can convince Cobalt to wear flats?"
Rollo: "Well now, that'll be a challenge."

Brekk: "I don't want to be the shortest in all our photos."
Rollo: "You are the shortest though, darlin."

((Using a modified "Hi Darling" by @wind tapir))

[lime birch]

---

Rollo: "I'll wear flats on the day for you. But I get t'keep my beard."
Brekk: "What? No!"
Rollo: "I might even grow it out a little more."
Brekk: [squeal!] "Noooo!"

---

(#1086340549965009028 message
He did say he would shave it for the wedding)

[merry drift]

This is so adorable

[wind tapir]

stubble doesn't count as a beard

At least for this arguments sake

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "How about this?"
Brekk: "Hmmm... It... It's a lot of white..."
Cobalt: "Oh! I didn't even think of that. White is not my colour. Not even close."
Rollo: "You really got your heart set on wearin a dress?"

Cobalt: "What else would I wear?"
Rollo: "I dunno. A suit?"

Cobalt: "Oh... Yeah... I guess that would work..?"

Brekk: "Maybe a skirt that matches our suits?"
Cobalt: "Okay. Let's see."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I think I can find something. Grey. Blue. Got it. Be right back."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Is something wrong with hims wearing a dress?"
Rollo: "Hmm? Nah. Jus wanted to send him back to change again."
Brekk: "Why?"

Rollo: "It's fun to watch his little fashion show."
Brekk: [gasp] "You're so bad!"
Rollo: "And it gives us a little more time for this."

((Another modified @wind tapir pose: "Cheek Kiss". Am I doing this just as an excuse to needlessly ping? Or am I doing it because I'm lazy and these poses are bangers? Yes.))

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "*Pump the brakes you two.*😃 *We're in public.*😉"

Cobalt: "How about this?"
Rollo: "See? That's nice."
Brekk: "I like the skirt."

Cobalt: "Blue with grey trim, or grey with blue trim?"
Rollo: "Grey with blue."
Brekk: Yeah."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You two should go get changed. Did you actually get fitted yet?"
Rollo: "Yeah. We jus been admirin your choices."
Cobalt: "Oh good. I still need to see the tailor. These pants are going to need a lot of altering. The skirt hides it, but they're like, 3 size too big in the waist."
Rollo: "You ever consider skippin leg day?"
Brekk: [gasp!]

Cobalt: "Never. Everyday is leg day."

Brekk: "How can you even say that? His buns are amazing."
Rollo: "Yeah, I know. I dunno what I was thinkin."

[lime birch]

"we're in public" says the world's biggest hypocrite.

[wind tapir]

He just felt left out

[normal totem]

HF tip: turn the fuzz all the way down on fabrics

[lime birch]

The colours are fine. They're mostly Windthin silks. And the suits should look like they're wool.

[lime birch]

Anyone within earshot also gasped unthinkingly. And then wondered why they did that.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I'm-"
[hook-up app notification sound]

Cobalt: "I'm probably going to be a while. Why don't you two head home? I can handle the deposits and stuff."
Rollo: "Are you sure?"
[hook-up app notification sound] [hook-up app notification sound]
Cobalt: "Hmmhmm, neat. Yep, I'm sure."
Rollo: "Well, alright. We'll see you at home."
Cobalt: "🎶Have fun!🎶"

Tailor: "Are you ready, sir?"
Cobalt: "No, I'm Cobalt😉."

((himbo-ing intesifies))

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Okay. I booked the flights to Husland."
Brekk: "Have you told Rollo yet?"
Cobalt: "Nooo. He said he doesn't want to know until it's too late to change his mind. But I gave him the dates that we will definitely be in Husland, he's going to book someone to officiate for us. Did you find a hotel you like?"

Brekk: "Hmmm..."
Cobalt: "Are you fussing about the price?"
Brekk: "Nnno..."

Cobalt: "Brekk?"
Brekk: "Well..."
Cobalt: "Come here, babe."

[lime birch]

((pose is a modified "APR Lap Kiss" by - unpinged - malachitedevil))

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Babe. I can't stay in a hotel with any less than four stars and two king-sized beds."
Brekk: "Err..."
Cobalt: "I'll die if we're not in a luxury penthouse."
Brekk: "Hmmm. But..."

Cobalt: "Don't worry about the cost. I've got it covered."

[lime birch]

I hvae almost 300 separate saves for this story. What the heck.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Now. I was thinking."
Brekk: "Hmm?"

Cobalt: "Rollo wasn't able to get as much time off as we would have liked. And you and him are probably going to be busy trying to make a baby when we get back. Why don't just you and I stay for a couple extra days? I have a long list of fun clubs we could hit up."
Brekk: "Ohhh!"

Brekk: "But don't you want extra time with Rollo too?"
Cobalt: "Hmm. Yeah. But I'll make time when we get back. I already asked him if it would be okay."

[merry drift]

Cobalt is just the best

[lime birch]

Or... is he being selfish...?

[merry drift]

why not both?

[lime birch]

It's both.

[heady creek]

https://tenor.com/view/morpheus-believe-neo-beginning-to-believe-gif-5399492

Finally saving things, huh?

[lime birch]

💯

But never the good poses, lol.

[heady creek]

It's still progress

[dry yoke]

the obvious answer: SAVE EV E YR TH IN G G G ! /j

[lime birch]

Nothing APR worthy.

[Saves every change. Generates 1000 new minis in a single day]

[dry yoke]

[5 years later..]
100,000 minis?! Where'd all these come from!?

[lime birch]

Cobalt: [humming a song from the very late 90's]

Brekk: "Cobalt?"
Cobalt: "Brekk?"

Brekk: "Do you want kids?"
Cobalt: "Oh."

[lime birch]

---

Cobalt: "You mean, like, of my own?"
Brekk: "Yeah."

---

[heady creek]

Was Cobalt humming a song from our late 90s, or theirs? What year is it in their world?

[lime birch]

A lot of things in this lore runs parallel to our world: such as music that Mel likes.
The current scene takes place in October 2015.
The story started in October 2013.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I... Hmm. No? Er.... Uh. I. Hmm. I don't... I mean. I spend a lot of energy making sure that I, eugh, don't have any. And it's working. But, with you? I never really thought about it before. Like, obviously, I know you and Rollo have."

Brekk: "Are you okay with that? With him and I having kids, I mean. It doesn't bother you?"
Cobalt: "What? Of course not! I love kids. And the two of you?"

Cobalt: [gasp!]

Cobalt: "Oh my gods, you two'll have the cutest babies!"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "I can be fun Uncle Cobalt. I'm gonna teach your kids so many things!"
Brekk: "Oh gods. Oh no."
Cobalt: "Oh yeah. They're going to be such troublemakers!"
Brekk: "Noooo...."
Cobalt: "Their teachers and all the other parents are going to hate me!"
Brekk: [giggling]

[sharp plaza]

Wouldn't he still be their dad as opposed to Uncle? They're all married, no?

Just a curiosity logistics question it doesn't really matter and I get the idea

[lime birch]

Maybe step-dad would be technically correct? He seems set on being Uncle Cobalt.

[sharp plaza]

Step dad would insinuate he replaces one of them tho

The way I see if if they're all living together and stuff and he's active he's just, another dad.

But I do like him as Uncle Cobalt. Again just curiosity

That makes sense

[merry drift]

That is such a lovely little scene

[lime birch]

[The next morning...]

Cobalt: "Good morning!"
Brekk: "We're almost out of salt."
Cobalt: "I'll put it on the list."

Cobalt: "What are you up to today?"
Brekk: "I quit my job."
Cobalt: "Oh. So, you'll be home all day? Got a lot of free time now? Rollo's already gone to work. We got the house to ourselves."

---

Cobalt: "You want help figuring out how to go back to school?"
Brekk: "Y-yes...? You won't like that, it's plakkik."
Cobalt: "Okay. 😃"

(Cobalt always forgets that Brekk takes his coffee with 3 heaping tablespoons on salt and sometimes actual dirt)

[lime birch]

Brekk: "What were you and Rollo doing last night?"
Cobalt: "Uh. Elf stuff?"

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "Erm. You know how we both grew up in the same weird Elf cult?"
Brekk: "Yeah?"
Cobalt: "Well... Hmmm... Okay. We're not getting back into any of it or anything."
Brekk: "Okay...?"

Cobalt: "But. There's still a few rituals... They can be really pretty. Just... poetic and intimate... Really pretty."

Cobalt: "There's this belief that Elfs have. Or, I guess our ancestors before the Portal Wars had...? Hm. Anyway..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "We're given a name when we're born. It's different from the one we go by. It's supposed be kept secret because I guess when elfs could still do magic they thought knowing the "true" name of something gave you power over it. Not just things, people too."

Cobalt: [sigh] "I... I just never thought anyone would want my name. Or to give me theirs..."
Brekk: "Why?"
Cobalt: "Lots of reasons. My caste for one. Rollo's practically royalty where we're from. And I'm... Eh... What's lower than a cesspit? I'm that."

---

[lime birch]

Brekk: "I hate that."
Cobalt: "It's fine. None of that stuff matters anymore. But... The ritual to give your name to someone, as it's written, is really beautiful."

Cobalt: "I didn't think Rollo would be into it, but he seemed... hmmm... He said something to me a while back that made me wonder..."

Brekk: "Was it as beautiful as you hoped it would be?"
Cobalt: "Oh, Brekk..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "It was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced with Rollo."

[merry drift]

That scene was very cute and honestly would make for a very nice and private marriage ceremony

[lime birch]

For Grove Elfs it kind of is.
A couple usually do the ritual on their wedding night. It's culturally more significant than having adult relations for the first time within the marriage, because it's just assumed that the couple has already been doing that stuff.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Not in your life?"
Cobalt: "Well, in my life with Rollo."
Brekk: "But not-"
Cobalt: "My life is different with different people. I don't compare the moments."

[heady creek]

You have no idea, Cobalt.

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "You know what one of my favourites moment with you is?"
Brekk: "What?"

Cobalt: "The first time I told you I love you. I was on my way to Saint Adaras. How long did you stand in the kitchen blushing?"
Brekk: [giggle, sniff] "So long. I almost went home, but then Rollo got up for coffee."
Cobalt: "I'm glad you didn't."

Cobalt: "Life with you and Rollo is so wonderful. Every moment we spend together is the best."

[lime birch]

Sorry for the slow updates. I think my brain is waiting for FC... I have a ton of script written that I do want to get to.

[dry yoke]

Me, I'm just waiting for Tuesday. New stuff for outfits ALL the time!

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Well, my vacation has officially begun."

---

Cobalt: "How was work?"
Rollo: "Oh, fine. Got sent home with this; told to have a good trip and all that."
Cobalt: [whistles] "Nice. That'll go great in the honeymoon suite."

[lime birch]

Rollo: "Speakin of that. Brekk's frettin bout the cost o'this trip to Husland."
Cobalt: "Oh, pft. We're fine."
Rollo: "I looked at the receipts. That hotel is a bit pricey."
Cobalt: [sigh] "I've got it covered."
Rollo: "How?"

Rollo: "I see."

Cobalt: "It's not a big deal. A few hours of standing around looking dumb and pretty at some fancy party and maybe a buffet breakfast in the morning. Wedding's paid for."
Rollo: "You ain't told Brekk bout your moonlightin have you?"

Cobalt: "No. I mean, he knows what I get up to when I'm not with the two of you."
Rollo: "But not the whole picture."
Cobalt: "No..."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "But so what? It's not any different."

Rollo: "Money's changin hands. It changes things."
Cobalt: "No it doesn't."
Rollo: "Cobalt. I am tellin you. It makes a difference."
Coablt: "How?"

Rollo: "Some folks - like Brekk, your fiancee - might not be comfortable with that. And it ain't your place to decide if they should be. You know better'n that."

Cobalt: "Okay, fine."
Rollo: "Don't get huffy with me. You're in the wrong here."
Cobalt: "I said fine: I'll tell him. But after we get back."

[lime birch]

Cobalt: "It's not going to make a difference either way. The money's already spent."
Rollo: "Fine. Gods, you're always so surly after them sailors visits."

[lime birch]

Brekk: "Are all the bags in the car?"
Cobalt: "Yep. And I got Rollo's travel drugs in my carry-on bag."

Brekk: "Did you tell him we're leaving today?"
Cobalt: "I mean, he's gotta know. Right? He's no dummy. He knows when we're getting married. How could he not know?"

Brekk: "What did you tell him?"
Cobalt: "That I wanted to go to brunch with my two absolute favourite men."

[scenic sage]

I feel like 💊 in 👜 will matter later. 🤔

[lime birch]

They're legitimate drugs. Not the illicit kind.

[scenic sage]

Yah, assumed so if they're Rollo's. 😄

[merry drift]

So prescription meds?

[lime birch]

Yeah. Otherwise they'll never get him on the plane.

[lime birch]

What's this? Some juicy lore?
#1106979661088567326 message

[lime birch]

Work on progression the story today?
Nah.

Spend too much time and effort on cementing/tracking the timeline?
Yeah, okay.

[heady creek]

Is that last one the original portal? My first thought was they got conscripted (which we haven't seen), but does that just mean they're arguing amongst themselves?

[lime birch]

That was the portal that opened and the zombie came out of it. And watching the news triggered the big argument between Cobalt and Rollo

[scenic sage]

Organizing your metadata counts as story work.

[lime birch]

Waaaaaaaaaay back here
#1086340549965009028 message

[lime birch]

Yeah. I'm just looking at my excell sheet, which is a mess, and trying to organize things a bit bitter.
Some events have days attached to them. Some have a a date. Some have just a month. But this story is getting into the 3rd year, so I need a better way.
And I just realized I made a mistake on the year it starts. Oh well. No turning back now.

[heady creek]

What was the year it was originally supposed to start?

[lime birch]

It was supposed to start in 2013. But I was looking at the notes for the current arc and set my starting calendar to that

[lime birch]

Too much effort went into this lol

[heady creek]

Oh, you're just going to go past today? I figured you were using the present day to force yourself to end it by then, or something.

[lime birch]

I have no such ability to plan.
The pace of updating may slow down, but this story will go until it ends.

[lime birch]

Like. As much as I haven't been updating it lately, I have it planned for at least how long that calender shows.
And I feel I would be letting the cast down if she/he/they didn't get any screen time:
#1091166500175487127 message
#1109982959269859390 message

[heady creek]

||Kaith!||

[lime birch]

🤔 😏 maybe

[scenic sage]

https://tenor.com/view/ill-take-that-as-a-yes-quadir-true-to-the-game3-did-you-mean-yes-is-that-a-yes-gif-26196832

[lime birch]

🤷‍♂️ Guess you'll just have to stick around forever and keep reading to find out.

[scenic sage]

Go ahead. Threaten me with a good time. 😉

[lime birch]

Good time?
[looks at notes] Hmm... It's been a while since there was some sadness...

[scenic sage]

Dang. Me and my mouth gon’ git e’rybody troubled.

[lime birch]

---

Brekk: "Did he believe you?"
Cobalt: "Are we in the car yet?"
Brekk: "No."
Cobalt: "I'll go get him."

[lime birch]

[Some begging, bargaining, and a short drive later]
Rollo: "Hang on. We're on the highway."
Cobalt: "Oh, are we?"
Rollo: "Where're we going?"
Cobalt: "Oh. Hmm. The airport, I think?"

---

Rollo: "You used brunch to lure me to the airport?"
Cobalt: "Rollo. Rollo. We have to get on a plane today whether you like it or not."
Rollo: "B-b-but-"
Brekk: "We packed your travel drugs. You can take them once we're through security."
Rollo: "What about gettin on the plane?"
Cobalt: "We'll get you there."

Rollo: "Stop the car."
Cobalt: "Ro, we're on the highway."

[sharp plaza]

The driving wheel looks so good 😭

[scenic sage]

Brekk back there just waiting for the pop.

[lime birch]

Brekk: "It'll be okay, Rollo."
Rollo: "What if we crash?"
Brekk: "We won't."
Rollo: "You don't know that."
Brekk: "We're all together, we'll be okay."

[lime birch]

[A few hours later]
Cobalt: "I didn't think we'd be able to get him on the plane."
Brekk: "Good thing we left a few hours early."
Cobalt: "I don't know why he made such a fuss about just taking the drugs, that's what they're there for."
Brekk: "Pride."
Cobalt: "Silly."

Flight Attendant: "Gentlemen, can I get you something to drink? A little snack?"

Cobalt: "Yeah. I'll have coffee; cream and sugars please."

[scenic sage]

Why is this Rollo so afraid of flying?

[lime birch]

Why wouldn't he be? Up in the air in a giant metal tube. If something goes wrong, it's not like you can just pull over to the side of the road. You just fall. Like a rock. Nothing you can do in that situation.

His fear is totally irrational completely rational

[merry drift]

especially considering iirc that there are fewer Airplane incidents than Car or Boat incidents. (I might be wrong but I remember hearing this somewhere)

[lime birch]

FA: "And for you, sir?"
Brekk: "justwaterplease."
Cobalt: "Don't listen to him. He needs coffee and two packets of cookies."
FA: "Of course he does."

FA: "And what's taking you to Husland today?"
Cobalt: "The three of us are getting ✨married✨."
FA: "Oh, how wonderful! Congratulations!"
Cobalt: "Thank you, erm...?"
FA: "My name's Goz. Enjoy your flight, and let me know if you need anything."
Cobalt: "Thanks, Goz. 😉"

[lime birch]

[a few minutes later...]
Cobalt: "How long did they say the flight would be?"
Brekk: "About 7 hours."
Cobalt: "Nice."

[ding dong, the seatbelt light turns off]
Cobalt: "Mmm. I need to stretch my legs. Be right back."
Brekk: "Oh. Okay."

[scenic sage]

If a certain greaseball's on this plane things gonna get disruptive.

[lime birch]

This is a no drama arc. Getting married.

Don't worry. He'll show up later.

Maybe.

The dialogue I have written needs a LOT of workshopping. Because Grazzt is a problem.

[lime birch]

[Later...]

[lime birch]

Cobalt: [quietly] "Brekk?"

Brekk: "Hmm?"
Cobalt: "Come here."

---

[lime birch]

Cobalt: [quietly] "Rollo?"
Rollo: [mumbles]
Cobalt: "Come here."

Cobalt: "Guess we can drink this when we get to the hotel. What a great trip."

[heady creek]

As someone who went to school with some of the people who will be designing airplanes in the near future...

[lime birch]

[The next day Rollo, Cobalt, and Brekk are married in a simple ceremony on the beach]
Poses mostly by @wind tapir

• Hello Dear
• Flirting with you Partner
• Just Looking
• Cute Laughing