Dance the Night away...

[Johan]

Beachstock, at the end of session 6:

After having a fairly long conversation regarding logisitcs of the following day, Mel jumps up and accosts the attractive young human who's been flirting with Elberron.

"Hey..." His eyes wide with wonder. "I just realized that you said that your name was Trinity. Are you the Trinity? The one who everybody is talking about?

[Johan]

Mel was relieved to be heading back towards the crowd at the fires; images of militant humanoids from the deep surfacing from beneath the murky surface of the bay waters plagued his imagination; he felt decidedly as though he was being watched. He scanned the beach and the surrounding berms for anything that might be out of the ordinary, but found nothing there. But it's often the fox that you don't see that you need be careful of. He reminded himself of the old farmer's addage, oft repeated by that lovely brunette with the coconut cream pies.

This night had been full of odd happenings, Amallia's friend Trinity was among the first - he had rather thought that there would be a reason for the two to meet, but apparently not. Then there was Elberrin's behavior - Mel would have to talk to Elb in private to understand that and how it pertained to this Gage fellow. This nobody appeared from nowhere, having left his sense of humor at home (another human who doesn't want to have fun - Mel noted sardonically to himself that a lack of sense of humor must have been one of the requirements for humans to take this trip), what was it he said to Trinity? The ranger isn't going to like this? What ranger?

Oddness is certainly afoot, he thought suspiciously. He wished silently that he had some of his co-workers on-hand to help him figure out exactly what was going on. He could use someone to anchor him as he tended to get easily distracted, and there were certainly things going on here that begged his curiosity.

He plodded back towards the festivities. Hopefully, there would be distractions there for his over-active imagination.

[Dray]

"Sure," she lowered her head to capture Mel's gaze. Smiling at him she asked, "You think you can stop talking long enough to dance?"

She giggled, kicked water at him and ran up ahead.

[Johan]

"Hard work? Nahh...you creep around in the dark and get a bead on what's ahead. Sharp eyes, alert ears, and light feet; that's all." Mel looked around and noted that they had wandered a bit beyond his comfort zone. "So what say we wander back to the loud fire and enjoy the festivities?"

[Dray]

"Isn't being a scout hard work?" she asked as she reached down and grabbed a hand full of water, and patted her face with it.

[Johan]

"Elberrin said?" Mel echoed Trinity. He looked to the ground with a grin creeping across his face. "*Oh!*" He feigned a body-wracking sob, and wiped an imaginary tear from his right eye. "My boy told a joke! I'm so proud." He looked up and laughed. "Seriously, Elberrin must have been pulling someone's leg. Probably mine - long term. I'll have to remember to volunteer him for something." His eyes shifted shrewdly. "But no, I spent my life avoiding the trouble of labor - and cooking ranks right up there with the most onerous of toils, to me, at least. I'd rather live my life than let my life live me."

[Dray]

"Oh my, hadn't heard of that one," she said while trying not to make a face of disgust. "Now my friend Penny, she's a halfling in Dullstrand, she makes a fantastic squirrel stew you got to try. But surly you jest, Elberrin says, and I quote, you are a culinary genius, why are you so humble about it?" she asked.

[Johan]

"I hear your an excellent cook! What's your favorite dish to prepare?"

Mel's head snapped around and his eyes bugged out a little under furrowed brows. "Ha! You've been lied to I'm afraid." He said. "I don't have the attention span to be a decent cook. I've been known to burn air! But, my favorite dish to eat would be canary and earthworm casserole." He eyes darted from side to side furtively; he took the opportunity to scan the area to see if there were any shadows lurking nearby.

[Dray]

OOC: Oh yeah, you did didn't ya.

"Oh, well yes, I had been in Dullstrand all my life until now. My mother left town right after I was born. My father is one of Outpost cooks, he and my aunt raised me. Hey!" Trinity suddenly said with such a surprise that Mel looked about to see if he was getting jumped from behind.

"I hear your an excellent cook! What's your favorite dish to prepare?"

[Johan]

"Well, *that* time I only asked one!"

[Dray]

Trinity spent a good time laughing with Mel.

"Which question you want me to answer?" she asked.

[Griznuq]

Elberrin stands as Gage does. (see a few posts ago) While looking away he snidely says, "Gee, I guess we were inturrupting huh?" He then looked at him, and shifted his tone back to his usual friendly one,  "I suppose I will head back to the festivities. Will you be joining us again, or have you another engagement?"

Gage seemed taken aback, he made another quick look to where Trinity and Mel were walking away and then returned Elberrin's gaze.

"Actually Elberrin, let's go get a drink, I would like to talk to you a moment if I could?" he asked in a casual tone.

OOC: The Elberrin/Gage aspect of this story now goes to the "Elberrin and Gage, Drinking Buddies" thread, as once again Elberrin and Gage have broken away from Mel & Trinity.

[Johan]

"Well, I would think that given all the people here it would be an expansive social, but beyond beachstock, not only am I unable to find someone who's having fun, I can't even find someone who wants to have fun!"

He shook his head in a melencholy sort of way. "It's like Elberron is so sad, that he came here to die. T'Riad can be happy if you make him be, this new fellow Garbvan is so stead-fast in not being happy, you'd think that happiness was a disease. Then there's this chick Erin. You say "boo" to her and it's like she's ready to keel over and die of embarrasment! And don't get me started on the NPC's; other than Ivan, they're all "well, I don't know, what do *you* think I should have for breakfast?"

"This is the sorriest lot of merphilukes I've ever lived with, and I've lived with some real pips. That's why I like Grush; he just is what he is. Did you grow up in Dullstrand?"

[Dray]

"Um, I have no idea what either of those are. Which one are you?" She clasped her hands behind her back. She stopped walking again and was moving her feet around in the ankle-deep surf.

[Johan]

"All right, all right." Mel protested. "If it means that much, then I'll condense it: Do you find yourself more in an isolated exile, or an expansive social?"