Spooktober 2020: How is babby feared

[Rebonack]

Dandelion doesn't weigh in on the question of horse things.

Really...

After everything that has happened?

The more she thinks about it the more she really doesn't want to see people getting turned into other things ever again. Not after what happened to her. Not after what happened to her friends. Not after what happened to... lots of people.

"Yeah, funny," she says, the humor having drained out of her voice.

Hector then calls a bakery.

"Brownies with Brownies! Would you like to hear our specials today?" comes a voice over the phone. The cheer, the sparkles, the up-beat attitude. This isn't the voice of some over-worked, under-paid employee.

This is the voice of a kobold. The voice of a common elf. The voice of someone who loves their job to a degree that would make the eyes of most employers spring out of their head as giant dollar signs. Only problem is no one has ever figured out how to get kobolds to work for soulless corporations. Unless a business or a ship or a mill or a home is well loved, unless it has soul, kobolds want nothing to do with it.

Unsurprisingly, Hector wants to hear the specials. Who doesn't like special brownies?

No, not THOSE kind of brownies this is a party with children at it.

"All Spooktober we're making our SUPER SPECIAL pumpkin pie brownies! They can be ordered with or without spooky Spooktober frosting! We also have spooky ghost white chocolate brownies and wicked witch mint brownies!"

Oh wow those all sound pretty good.

MEANWHILE!

"Oh... umm..." Aries mutters as he collects some veggies and a bottle of water. "I was... kind of watching my sister at the snacks. Eating candy made her sick."

Well that sucks, doesn't it?

Candy is one of the best parts about Spooktober.

Apparently Aries has been listening to this whole goofy adventure that Hector and Dandelion have been up to. That probably isn't terribly surprising. Aries seems uncannily aware of what's going on around him.

"I think she's trying to order some treats that me and my sisters can enjoy, though. So... I guess I'll just have veggies for now?"

Those are probably better for his teeth anyway.

[Deathkeeper]

"Hey, are you- oh. I guess it would be close to home, huh? Ma means well. She just...hasn't seen what we have." And it would be to make them laugh. Hector laughed. Would Heather? He can't be sure that they'd respond the same anymore. He stands in silence as it rings.

"Hiya! Uh, that all sounds great. If I might ask just to be sure, are your special brownies sprite-safe? My friend and sister are nymphs and they can't have mortal sugars 'n stuff."
Normally this would be a weird thing to ask, if this wasn't an elf he's talking to (maybe, is the name literal?) and this being a Post-Buttercup world.

[bc56]

Jade looks sorry. Sorry for bringing up what must be an unfortunate situation, even by accident. "Oh, that's too bad." She doesn't eat right away. It seems rude. Her hands are too full to attempt any comforting gestures. "I'm sure you can get it figured out. And if not, I maybe can help?" Apply SCIENCE to magical dietary problems. What could go wrong?

[Rebonack]

It was easier when Dandelion was Buttercup.

She could just laugh at everything and be happy.

But sometimes you shouldn't be laughing.

Sometimes you shouldn't be happy.

There's more nuance to the world than Buttercup understands.

Nuances like WHICH BROWNIES TO ORDER!

"Oh yeah, we've been getting lots of calls like this, sorry about your sister, buddy! Biting into something you loved as a mortal only for it to taste like dog-slobber must be terrible! But yeah! These treats are all kobold made! Not a human hand has touched them from harvest to oven! All of our treats come in both all-natural and all-supernatural varieties! All-natural is fun for everyone and all-supernatural is for discerning fae or mortals who want a little extra ZIP to their magic! Our all-supernatural treats have all their ingredients sourced from the finest of wealds and the Enchanted Forest itself!"

That sounds pretty nice.

Apparently 'not made by humans' is a loophole. Huh... does that apply to iron, too? Maybe if Hector meets a kobold in person he can ask.

MEANWHILE!

Apply SCIENCE directly to the problem until it goes away.

Aries offers a small smile and takes a bite out of a carrot stick.

It tastes... A little bland.

But not bad.

Sort of like how carrots often do.

"It's okay. My sister Dandelion really likes food. She'll keep hitting her head against the problem until she solves it."

He smiles over at Dandelion. The other gaiad looks pretty much exactly like Aries did before Jade DUDE!'d him. Except for how she holds herself. Where Aries seems almost to make himself small Dandelion's presence fills the room and attracts the eye. The sort of person that commands attention while looking effortlessly cool.

"I really admire her. Once she's put her mind to something there's no stopping her."

[Deathkeeper]

Hector tries not to look at Dandelion's expression.
"Okay, give me a few orders of your fae-safe formula for the brownies. We're at [directions to Frescot house party]. You're a great help." Hector does not thank faeries, not even super helpful ones. He knows better.
Once that's settled, he can smile up at Dandelion.
"Alright. Snacks for you, your sisters, and mine. I can settle with the hosts' fare. My treat. I can at least do this for all of you." Maybe he shouldn't be acting like nothing's happened to him. But he was a fae longer than they've been them. He wants to do something. Especially since they have responsibilities. They might be in this for the long haul.

[bc56]

"You get along with them well?" Jade asks, regarding the two plum mountain sisters that are still sisters. "I'm an only child, I don't quite get sibling things." She then asks Aries another question, one that's been on her mind a lot. He's sometimes a gal, it's safe to ask him. "I was a man before for the vast majority of my life. Is it weird that I... Consider myself a woman now?"

[Recaiden]

Weird Kids

"No, reading is fun!" Eao protests. "I need to know a lot and have a lot of power so I can kill things and get stronger! I have a reliquary that fills up when I kill things."

"What? That's totally unfair! I gotta get people to care about stuff, or some other thing I'm 'not old enough for', and the power doesn't even stay around." Angels are imbalanced, please fix.
"Oh, also killing might be bad." Shan admits, after a moment of consideration. "What do you fight?"

Jack & Omiko

"Have you tried healing something bitten off by a faerie before? Because that might explain it." Different magic works in different ways. And this is probably quite an unusual mix of magics, Omiko's healing and the fae's bite. "Oh, definitely better than before." Jack grins, rubbing her hands together to try and get used to the idea of having a finger again. It's been a few years since she lost it, so she's gotten used to the lack.

I also forgot she's missing her shadow. So that's potentially noticeable to Omiko.

"Nah. Works on bits eaten by demons, but I guess that doesn't mean as much to a faerie."
I bet Jack is going to hit her half-restored finger on things a lot before she acclimates.
"I dunno if I can do any more for your finger, but was losing it at least a good story?" The missing shadow is noted.

Jack's empyrean eyes can probably notice some weird things about Omiko too. Like, she's actually four people, an AI, and an animal, all rolled into one body.
And her right eye (the silver-iris, non-mechanical one) is full of rather powerful magic. And her skin and nails are full of a different (demonic) kind of magic. And for each one second that passes, she gets zero seconds older, instead of one.

[Felandria]

[Doctors and Wrestlers]

Felandria will pass by someone... much smaller than she is. A portly goblin woman with dark grey skin dressed up as a villainous scientist. The mechanical arms seem to be giving her some trouble and she's very careful not to catch anyone in them.

"Excuse me, coming throu- oof." She looks up, and up and up at Felandria after navigating around her.

Felandria does her best to not get the poor dear tangled up.

I absolutely love your costume, Doctor.

[bc56]

"I kill whatever I can! Especially if it's strong! The stronger it is, the stronger I get!" Eao really likes being strong, apparently. She gets all excited about it. She grabs some snacks off the nearby table and eats them all. Including the plate. Her plastic fork, which she didn't bother to use, goes down next. She does know she's not supposed to eat those, right?

[Rebonack]

"Yeah. Before we came to the Nexus we were kind of, um, mixed together? I guess?" Aries replies. "Then we got turned into the chimera and we each had our own head. And after a few years we got cured with the help of MAA. Then we were all back together in the same head, but we all had our own voice."

He gives a small laugh.

"I love my sisters and I love being with them. And... hehe... this is the farthest apart we've ever been."

Aries glances back over at Snapdragon now, who's carrying on an animated conversation with Adir.

"When I was growing up I had two imaginary friends. I always called them my sisters. I guess maybe they weren't so imaginary after all."

And then Jade expresses a concern!

Aries doesn't respond right away. He has to think about this one first. It's an important question. "People can change," he concludes. "Sometimes people change a whole lot. Did... umm..."

He hesitates, tapping his index fingers together anxiously. There's a very personal question he wants to ask and he's working up the nerve to do it.

"Did... did you ever feel uncomfortable in your old body before?"

It's a feeling Aries is well acquainted with.

MEANWHILE!

"Cool," Dandelion replies with her typical air of causal awesomeness. "You know, you're a pretty good friend, little dude."

Oh wow.

They have been officially assigned friend status.

"Okay, so, we're gunna be waiting a bit. So let's get down to brass tacks."

She points at Hector.

"Do you game?" she asks, her tone absolutely dead serious.

[bc56]

"No? I don't think so?" Jade had to think about that a little, but she seems mostly sure of the answer. "I liked being a dude. I hated being turned into a woman at first. For months. Everything felt wrong. Still feels wrong sometimes." She's sure Aries knows how that feels. "But I guess I warmed up to it?" She blushes, somewhat embarrassed at the next statement. "I... like feeling attractive. As a guy, I was pretty unimpressive. But now, well, you can see." She knows he's seen pretty well, but she still takes a step back so he can have a good look at her.

[Recaiden]

Well, this just got strange. But it's a strange that, like the pilfered drink, feels kinda familiar to Shan?
"I bet I could take you in a fight."
"Look at you, eating a fork like a baby."
That's a terrible idea, Shan. You're just drunk and jealous.

[Deathkeeper]

”Is- never mind. Well, what do you want to do now that you’re here? I can assure you that the food is excellent.” G’nichi might have sampled...just a little.
—-
”Okay, mister nosy. Who do you wanna go look at and probably not talk to?” Kai asks of his “talented warlock.” Does he even know anyone at this party?
—-
Hector flushes. Which is weird because his face isn’t real.
”Well, thanks. I don’t have a lot of...firsthand experience on that front.”
It’s weird when you’re someone’s shadow.
”Game? Well. Hector did when we were one. Heather still does, but she’s got stuff to work out recently. And me um. Well, tiny paws. And my illusion pops if things get too heated. I haven’t really found much I can do except slow stuff.” Ironically, pokemon is still a game he can play easily.

[Murkus]

Snap and Adir

Adir laughs too. This is an interesting lady. She seems like she'd get along with Sakura pretty well. "Yeah, that's our kids, you've got them just right." His eyebrows rise when she makes the little glamour, but he doesn't quite comment. It seems like an impressive bit of magic though. Wonder how she does it?

"Hermit crabs. Uh-huh." He angles his head down and one of his eyebrows up, smirking. "Never heard a woman compare themselves to a hermit crab before, but hey. It sounds like you gals would be pretty nice to have around. I think I'll have to say 'maybe later' to the wine, though." He rolls hand, and his eyes drift down.

He bends to pick up one of the lingering children, Laurana. Laurana's got her dad's ears, eyes and hair (though of a different color). Her little legs are those of a doe, hooves and all. She happens to be dressed up like fluffy puppy, with a hole cut for her face and a silly suit of white curly hair just above her 'knees'. "Yeah, the one with flowers and hair is still just a little baby. Kissa. And right here, one of my very favorite little girls in the whole wide world, is Laurana. Say hi to the lady, Laurie."

"Hi lady," she stares with those big eyes. "Are you a Frescot too?"

[Morty]

[Cowboys, Knights, and Magical Girls]

Wenomir keeps his expression under careful control, but the corners of his eyes twitch just so. He can tell when he's being made a fool of and he doesn't like it.

"I apologize, I must have confused you for someone else. She poisoned one of my people and tried to use her life as a bargaining chip. You can understand why it has me on edge," he says in a deceptively casual tone. "Congratulations on your child. She looks beautiful." He's being honest here, at least. It's not the child's fault that her mother is a poisoner. "I do have many students. At some point, people started coming to me to learn martial arts and it developed from there. I took to teaching better than I had expected."

[Doctors and Wrestlers]

The goblin grins toothily.

"Thank you! Those mechanical arms took some effort and I need to be really careful not to get them caught on something. Makes me question getting real ones one day. I like your costume too, but I don't recognize it."

[bc56]

"No you couldn't!" Eao grows just a few inches taller and four wings begin to emerge from her back. "I'll show you!" She's not drunk, just aggressive. She's always like this, really.

[Earl of Purple]

Jack & Omiko

Doesn't really matter- if she thwacks the finger hard enough, it dissipates and reforms. It doesn't exist enough to have proper nerves, so she doesn't feel pain in it.

"It was a faerie party. I was sat next to someone, I didn't have these wings yet. He was a faerie, and I didn't know all the rules yet. I took a glass of champagne from him. It was nice stuff, too. Maybe not worth a finger, though." He took a load of blood as well, but Jack was able to heal that up and it didn't stick in her mind as much as having her finger bitten off by a snappily dressed man in red.

Jack does see all that, but she doesn't understand it. She sees the flow of energy through Omiko, and how it coalesces and dissipates, so the storage of magic in her eye and skin is obvious. The nature of that power, however, is less clear. It's defined by the colour, which is not one Jack's normal eyes can even see and so has no name. And Jack sees the time effect, but can't interpret it as such.

[Rebonack]

"Buncha little tornadoes. Especially Lucy here," Snap says, pointing back at Lucy with her thumb.

Apparently Schrodinger's Bab has been revealed and it was Lucy sitting on Snap's cervine back the whole time.

There has no doubt been way too much talking with daddy in the past few minutes and a stunning lack of magical faerie rides prancing around the yard.

"Hermit crabs!" Snap laughs, throwing her arms up in the air for emphasis. Then she gives Adir a sly look. "You only say that because this is your first time meeting a nymph with a marine biology degree. Hermit crabs are adorable and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now that I've got an in with all this faerie business I'm going to find out if hermit crab pixies are a thing which exits. Fingers crossed for yes."

She crosses her fingers! Here's to hoping!

"They're also the perfect analogy for gaiad growth and proooooobably competition over viable rooting sites. I'm going to have to keep an eye on that since the Nexus is seriously over-populated with 'em now thanks to the Buttercupocolypse."

She could probably publish a paper on the subject if she finds a good angle.

"I sure hope we're nice to have around! We're working pretty hard on making Plum Mountain Park family and hiker safe. You know, keeping out the creepy fae and monsters. You guys should swing by some time! I would love to see the whole tornado again," Snapdragon laughs, watching as the little deer-eared girl is picked up with interest.

Snapdragon manages to mostly avoid making cutesie noises when Laurana starts being adorable.

"Hi Laurana! Nah, I'm not a Frescot. But if your daddy's got a sibling as cute as he is then maaaaaaaybe I could become one," she says, offering Adir a playful wink. "Hey, you like flowers?"

Then?

She'll pluck one of the bright candy-red snapdragon blossoms out of her hair and holds it out for Laurana to take.

"They're magic, see?" she giggles, squeezing the flower and making its little 'mouth' open up. "Rawr!"

MEANWHILE!

"I can see," Aries replies, doing his best to keep the blush down.

Oh wow!

He almost succeeded.

"I guess... maybe people just change? You liked being a guy, but... um... you decided you liked being a woman more?" Aries ventures. "You're really pretty. M-maybe the prettiest woman I've ever seen. And, hehe, I've seen a LOT since there are so many nymphs in the park."

Well.

How about that, Jade? Aries thinks you're more beautiful than supernaturally attractive fae. That's the sort of statement that usually causes spiteful, petty gods to show up and turn people into lizards.

MEANWHILE!

"Yeah, not buying that," Dandelion retorts. "You knew about your mom's steak and Heather never told you about it? You've got all the same memories. Or have me and Snap not got much friend experience? Pretty sure Aries was the dominant one before we split. But I remember all the stuff we did as a kid. I'm just as real as Aries. And you-"

She'll reach straight through the illusion and poke actual-Hector in the forehead, glowering at him

"-are just as real as Heather. And you better not let me catch you saying otherwise."

That was a very friendly, encouraging threat.

Dandelion straightens herself and crosses her arm, the air of menace giving way to her typical aloof coolness.

"Sounds like you just need to practice more to me," Dandelion says. "That, or you gotta beat up enough small animals to evolve. Zoroark's got hands."


[Weird Kids]

A hand will plop down on Eao's head.

"No fighting at holiday parties, Eao. It's a rule."

Oh hey!

It's Zee!

In a bright green mad-hatter outfit. Her hat is absolutely absurdly large. Has she been lurking around the whole time?

Who knows!

[bc56]

Genderbent Couple

To be fair, Jade is also supernaturally attractive, just in a different way. But the compliment makes her blush a little back. "Thanks. I guess this is just who I am now." She's glad she got that particular worry out in the open. Now she feels a bit relieved. She shifts her weight in her high heels and brushes her hair back into place behind her. She's been growing it out, not that Aries would know. Her other hand taps absently with red-painted nails on her hip.

Weird Kids

"Aww, mom! Just five minutes!?" Eao doesn't turn around. She has eyes on her back after all. Perhaps the best bottles in Eao and Shan's hands give Zee other things to chide her errant daughter about?

[Deathkeeper]

For once, Hector pushes back.
”That’s not what I mean! You’re not Aries. You’re not even the exact same person you were before Buttercup when you got your own body. These things change you. Maybe it’s taken a while to accept, but I’m not who Hector was even the day I was born. Not exactly. So yes, all my friends up ‘till now are ones from before Me. They are my friends. But I’ve let my Other do the talking for us. And now I’m doing it on my own. Post-faerie. Post-Pokémon. Post-Buttercup. Without my Other to help me. It isn't much to talk about for someone born social and confident and great like you. But we're not all that lucky. I know you mean well, but you aren’t taking this away from me.” He's going to be proud of himself for socializing and there's nothing she can do to stop him!

He shakes his head, exhaling with an annoyed expression.
"I don't want to commit animal cruelty just to get my hands back. I hope that topknot's optional 'cause that sure as heck ain't my look. Besides, if Heather decides she wants to help the Watchers look for things to re-human people there's gonna be plenty of training there."
Hector has no idea how that works or if the Watchers even can do that. Beatrice just mentioned that it's infamously difficult to restore a soul's mortality. But if it's that difficult, there's probably gonna be plenty of things to claw up.

[Reinholdt]

Spoiler

Show

[COLOR="#B22222"]Koshal gives a tiny wave to the baby.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Reinholdt. I've never been to HALO. Master Wenomir has a bunch of students." A ton really, assorted throughout Vigil and Cessie's daughter and himself.

[Cowboys, Knights, and Magical Girls]

The baby switches target from Koshal's face to Koshal's hand. It was just moving, after all.


Harley is pretty glad Rein caught on so quickly. That's one of the things she likes most about him.

"Huh?" Harley turns to Reinholdt. "Oh. I see. Cessie. Yeah, that sounds right," she says. She laughs, and turns back to Wenomir. "Sorry, I've never been good at keeping names and faces straight."

Picking up on his comment about swords and axes, she adds, "I do like swords, though. Normally able to remember those, especially when they're particularly notable. Guess there's a first for everything!"
"Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

[Cowboys, Knights, and Magical Girls]

Wenomir keeps his expression under careful control, but the corners of his eyes twitch just so. He can tell when he's being made a fool of and he doesn't like it.

"I apologize, I must have confused you for someone else. She poisoned one of my people and tried to use her life as a bargaining chip. You can understand why it has me on edge," he says in a deceptively casual tone. "Congratulations on your child. She looks beautiful." He's being honest here, at least. It's not the child's fault that her mother is a poisoner. "I do have many students. At some point, people started coming to me to learn martial arts and it developed from there. I took to teaching better than I had expected."

[Cowboys, Knights, and Magical Girls]

"You should come by some time. I'd be happy to show you around," Reinholdt offers Koshal. "I doubt our martial training facilities are as extensive as Vigil's, but we still have some unique features."

Rein looks surprised for a moment. "Poisoned?" He glances at Harley very briefly. "Hadn't heard about that. Though I suppose I don't really keep up with VIGIL's internal affairs. Are they alright?" For some reason, poisoning didn't come up.

He rubs his chin. "Perhaps I should be jealous that no one's come to study under me, but I can't imagine enjoying it to begin with. Glad to hear it suits you." Sniping is just less interesting to study in this role play setting to begin with. Also dealing with Reinholdt sounds like a nightmare. Wenomir at least has been reasonable his whole life.

[Rebonack]

This is nice.

But... Something occurs to Aries.

"I need to check something. I'll be, um, right back," he says as he moves off toward the woods at the edge of the yard.

Off into the trees he goes.

A minute passes.

Two.

Three.

Five.

Ten.

And then Lambslaural, still in the Cerberus costume, comes trotting back out of the woods with a sheepish smile on her face, her arms hugged across her chest and her posture stooped forward a bit. The stance of someone trying to look small. She raises one hand in an awkward wave to Jade.

"Umm... I wanted to know if trying to tree-walk would change me back. S-so I tested it out with a wild plum tree in the woods here," she explains, reaching up with her free hand to push a stray lock of white hair out of her face. "It, um, it does but you knew that already and it took longer than I thought it would to get my costume back on. S-sorry I didn't mean to make you wait so long."

Her gaze flicks between Jade and Snapdragon, who's still in lively conversation with Adir.

"I think... maybe I should stay how I'm supposed to be for the rest of the party? Our costumes are supposed to match, my sisters and me. We're this person with three bodies from a video game Snapdragon likes. I don't want to ruin the costume," she explains, tapping her pointer fingers together anxiously. Then she offers her best smile to Jade. "B-but I had a really fun time dancing with you! A-and I would really like it if you made me a guy again for our date. I would like that very, very much. Would it... um... would it still be okay if I hang out with you tonight?"

God.

Why does she have to be so weird and inept? Why can't she just be a normal person? Why can't she just have a body that she's comfortable in? Something that feels right? Lambslaural braces for the inevitability of Jade not wanting to be around her for the rest of the night. Why would she want to be? Jade clearly likes handsome men. Not weird deer with girls for a head.

MEANWHILE!

Dandelion listens.

Watches the ferocity in Hector's eyes, the fire in his words.

That little ghost of a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.

"Heh. Good. Sounds like you're figuring things out, little dude. Don't take any crap from me," she replies.

She isn't mad. Or even irritated.

It's pretty obvious that shes...

Proud of him for standing up to her and expressing himself?

Geeze.

What sort of friend did Hector bag for himself here?

"I guess with us? We were all Tristan, but I'm the only Dandelion. But yeah, you're the only you you've got. So be the BEST one, you get me?"

Then she ponders that last comment.

"You could try sparring we me if you want," Dandelion suggests casually. "We had to delve some pretty wicked-sick places to get cured. I did most of the heavy lifting when it came to monsters. This body isn't much like the chimera one but I've been putting it through the paces."

Dandelion flexes one arm, the crimson sleeves of her dress-shirt bulging a bit. Oh geeze. Apparently Dandelion is kind of ripped?

"Might look like some prissy deer princess but it ain't friggin' weak that's for damn sure."

[bc56]

Jade waves farewell to Aries, and then hello again to Lambslaural. It's obvious that she doesn't like Lambslaural in the same way as Aries. That attraction isn't there; she isn't into deer. But she doesn't look unhappy to see Lambslaural, rather she seems genuinely friendly. "Of course you can hang out with me!" That was a silly question. But Jade makes a serious face. "Don't talk about what you're
'supposed to be.' I'm 'supposed to be' a man, but my boobs say that's not who I am right now. Be who you want to be. Don't let someone else define who you are. That's what Buttercup does to people. You need to decide who you are for yourself." Jade may not have been involved in the Buttercup disaster, but she watches the news, and she figures the analogy will hit home to Lambslaural.

[Deathkeeper]

Fox ‘n Lion

”Well from what I understand you are sort of a deer princess. At least you’re making it work. It’s weird because you all kind of look like my sister but I never get the idea that you look the same.” They all just sort of give off different looks, even though they’re similar. Or maybe being a tiny furry quadruped Hector is better at picking out details of both their halves. And scents. He knows it sounds really creepy but when you’re not human that sense becomes just as strong as sight.
”I guess I could probably take a punch from you. That guardian’s water blast should have cut me in half like a hydraulic cutter but it just kind of hurt bad. I’m no skarmory but I keep forgetting how tough I am.”

Knight, Cowboy, and Magical Girls

Koshal scowls. Are they really doing this at a spooktober party? They sound like kids. Or nobles. Ick. That’s the kind of people that make it necessary for him to learn all these rules on just how to talk to people.
”Is there any way you adults could do the ‘veiled insults while being friendly’ routine some other time? ‘Cause if not I’m just gonna go get some candy.” he says bluntly. He probably should be following said rules about talking to people. But he just doesn’t have patience for it. Not from folks like this he should be looking up to.

[Rebonack]

Lambslaural smiles when Jade assents to hanging out with her.

And then her ears droop a little at Jade's advice. Brow creased, her eyes flick to the side. Thinking. Is this how she's 'supposed to be'? Can she just... be someone else if she wants to? Something about that statement feels deeply and fundamentally wrong to her but she's not completely sure where it's coming from. She can grow as a character, but she can't just stop being Lambslaural. That's her part to play, isn't it?

Does she WANT to be Lambslaural, though?

She likes the peace of the weald.

Being the park is... nice. And to do that she needs to be a gaiad. And gaiads are all women. Jade might be able to magically alter her body for a bit, but as soon as she returns to the land that body comes unwound. Jade came to a state of peace with her female body. Maybe Lambslaural can, too?

"I think... maybe I'm where you were when you got cursed, Jade," Lambslaural says slowly. "Where I'm feeling uncomfortable with these changes. But there are parts I really like. You like being beautiful. And I like being Plum Mountain Park. I like the wind in my branches and the breeze in my grass. I like singing with the voice of a thousand birds and feeling of the warm sun on my stones. It's a beautiful experience. Being like this-"

She gestures at herself.

"-when I make a body for myself is just part of being a gaiad. Being a gaiad is wonderful. I just need to get use to the feminine land-spirit part. Though..." Lambslaural stands up a little straighter. "Maybe you could give me pointers on how to feel pretty, too? That helped you come to terms with being a woman. Maybe that'll help me, too."

Lambslaural knows she's a nymph. Just... intuitively she understands that puts her on the 'radiant' end of the attractiveness spectrum. But why doesn't she feel that way? This is probably just all in her head. A self-confidence thing.

MEANWHILE!

Well, for what it's worth, once they're no longer Buttercup the gaiads all have their own faces. Still a nymph for sure, but an appearance more akin to who they were to begin with. The Plum Sisters, though, are absolutely identical save for how they carry themselves and the blossoms in their hair. Even if they were all wearing hats, however, it would be almost immediately obvious whether you're looking at Dandelion, Snapdragon, or Lambslaural.

"I make ANY look work, dude," Dandelion replies with that little half-smile of hers. "Being cool is one hundred percent attitude."

Then she glances off toward the forest. "Yeah all the dudes like us are pretty different if you know flowers."

Dandelion doesn't know flowers. But she's still able to tell her sisters apart from other gaiads pretty easily. That's probably normal. Zebras can tell each other apart, right? Maybe it's just a smell thing. Snap probably knows she should bug her about striped horses later.

"Pokemon are stupid tough," Dandelion agrees. "Like the stuff they live through in the games is wild. But then coming here to the Nexus and seeing real ones? Hella tight. Man, I wonder what type my moves count as? I came up with some cool ones. Prolly all grass and ground and rock."

It's pretty clear here that Dandelion is hoping that Hector will ask about the cool moves in question.

[Deathkeeper]

Fox 'n Lion

Gaiads have their own faces, but they do tend to have the same body type of "stereotypical pretty nature lady." Lambslaurel is likely not the only one grappling with self-image issues. Officer Copper-Mallow is still trying to come to terms with the fact that the word "slender" could describe anything about her.

"What, like Grass Knot?" Suddenly a bunch of grass springs up to pull on Dandelion's legs!
Not very hard though, and they fade back to normal just as quickly as they rose up.
"I'm pretty sure I only know that one 'cause I used to be a barghest. Barghests love thorns." It's easy to catch prey that gets stuck on them in the Enchanted Forest or the Hedge.

[bc56]

"You've already got a great body," Jade begins. It's not what she's into, but Lambslaural is undeniably attractive. She just doesn't carry herself well. "Being pretty is about feeling good. So the first step is to get comfortable. And the first step in that is to get a good bra, one that fits well. Speaking as a fellow guy turned curvy gal, having my chest bounce around everywhere and the matching back pains were the most uncomfortable sensations." She cups her breasts gently, remembering. "Then it's mostly about how you present yourself. Start with clothes you're comfortable in, and then try new things when you feel ready. For me, that was mostly t-shirts and jeans for a while, the same stuff I wore as a guy."

[Rebonack]

Lambslaural smiles bashfully at being told she's got a great body. Being told you look nice feels nice. And even if Jade isn't into her like this she still feels good knowing that Jade doesn't think she's weird or ugly.

At the mention of bras she nods. "This is the first time I've been in a body since my sisters and I took root. I'm not sure if it's just a nymph thing but tight clothing feels... not great."

She tugs at her vest again.

"But this costume doesn't have any support, either. I would be bouncing around if I tired frolicking right now. I think... maybe I need to get better at resolving between what I like and what nymphs are supposed to like. Maybe I'll feel better once I've developed my own style?"

Lambslaural pulls a sour face. "I think nymph style is just... nothing on. No one was wearing anything at the Seed Dance. It felt wild and free and fun but... also really uncomfortable. I think that was my me-ness clashing with my Buttercupness. As if I was supposed to enjoy it, but deep down I didn't."

Pointing out that posture is important might help, too. Lambsy's default posture is slumped with her arms crossed under her chest. The posture of someone who's cold or dreading that something is going to leap out at them at any moment.

MEANWHILE!

Yeah, that's a downside isn't it? Fae tend to be pretty similar. Not goblins, though! Goblins are fantastically diverse and each is uniquely hideous in their own special way.

Dandelion doesn't jump in surprise when the grass pulls at her.

That wouldn't be very cool.

Instead she just looks down at the grasping blades and gives a firm nod.

"Yeah, sorta," she agrees. "Some of 'em do, definitely. A few have popped up in the weald. There's this one without a head? I think he's just a kid. Dunno what his deal is, but mostly he's just been startling people. Seems pretty harmless."

There's a definitely a continuum of awfulness when it comes to black dogs. On the one end you have the sort that straight up eat people. On the other you have the sort that guard crossroads and cemeteries. Hector had unfortunately found himself in the 'wants to eat people' category. Good reason to get cured.

"Okay, so, like I figured out that if I put a hoof on a rock when I clock someone?" Dandelion explains. "Then I get this whole be the rock vibe when I clobber them. I know it works in the weald but I dunno if it works in other places. Definitely going to have to try that out some time."


[OH NO ANOTHER BAB!]

A new child enters the party!

Though, oddly, he doesn't come down the road. He comes out of the forest.

His costume is pretty silly. He's wearing a plain white bed sheet over his body and a jack-o-lantern over his head, orange light flicking from inside the jagged grin. He briefly glances around, giggles at all the fun sights, and begins looking for some other children about his size! Based on height along he's probably nine or so, but given that his costume completely obscures him from view it's hard to guess.

The spooky pumpkin ghost is looking for a chance to mingle! And possibly partake in some tricks and/or treats.

[bc56]

Jade nods. She gets it. "Once you get comfortable in your style, I'm sure you'll feel better. But there's another thing." Oh no! "Posture. You look like you're afraid I'm going to bite you. Loosen up, get those arms free, sit up straight on your... Deer?" She stands up as straight as she can to demonstrate. "If you think you're pretty, then you're already prettier."

[Deathkeeper]

Fox 'n Lion

Hector nods sagely. "Yes. Startling people is a time-honored barghest tradition. Very important. It's how I kept myself alive when the only things I could eat were fear and raw meat and I lived in a city where it was basically impossible to hunt anything besides squirrels." Hector probably could have been bound to guarding someone's cemetery. It would have been pretty metal at the very least. But Hector didn't like hanging around cemeteries, and how would Hector have read any books without his Other there? Maybe his prospective employers could have gotten him an audiobook player and some headphones.
"Heather was able to talk to trees and make a thing or two grow without ever actually taking root tonight. So you should be able to do a couple'a things. Probably." But they won't ever be able to put a CD on their forehead and learn how to shoot fireballs. Hector has that to look forward to.
"You know, I'm pretty sure that I know more than four moves. And I don't need Heather telling me what to do in fights. I think the whole idea that pokemon have like, super hardcore attention-span issues that they need trainers for might be totally made up."

Meanwhile!

woo! spooky tree! have fun kid! squeak the bats in the dogwood saplings as the kid walks out of the forest towards the party.
You know.
There's something really familiar about that kid, but Heather can't quite put her leaves on it.