[Nexus] Mithar Keep II: Electric Boobaloo

[Halae]

[Greenhouse]

"Initially, we got them from a young dryad named Terrie, who came from an apple tree. When we planted the seeds of the apples we got from her, they developed into these," Harnel opens the greenhouse, showing the woman-shaped apple trees residing within, with their arms sticking upwards and changing into the branches as they go. They're rather shapely, as far as women go, and certainly as far as apple trees go, "Go ahead and take a few. And try not to stare," He's obviously joking about that.

[Morty]

[Greenhouse]

Woman-shaped trees. That's something new. Dorota is far too absorbed by the apples' potential for alchemy to care about the trees' shape, though. She takes a few apples from the tree.
"A dryad, you say? I don't think it's the kind of dryad I'm familiar with. How quickly did the trees grow?"

[The Bushranger]

[Greenhouse]

By this point, Crissy has resumed her normal fixation on Dorota, and doesn't notice the shape of the trees at all. "So, they're, like, fey-tainted then?"

[Gullara]

[Greenhouse]

Syela does stare, because these trees are so weird. They're pretty cool at the same time, though. "I've heard stories about dryads. They're tree spirits, right?" The Nexus continues to surprise her. Sure, Syela's own lineage was proof such beings existed in her world, but you never really saw them. The Nexus, on the other hand, seems to have them everywhere.

[Halae]

[Greenhouse]

"I'm not sure how quickly they grew, but Terrie isn't a typical dryad. She's got some sort of magic thing going on that's further than the normal magic dryads have." Harnel says

[Morty]

[Greenhouse]

"Mhmmmm. That would also explain their shape. We don't really have anywhere to plant them in the store, so we'll have to make do with the apples we take from here," Dorota says. "What, exactly, have you tried doing with them so far?" Details. She needs details.

[The Bushranger]

[Greenhouse]

...and it's now that Crissy notes the shape of the trees.
Blushes.
Starts wondering if everything around here is about the buxom...

"So, um, yeah. Do the only have, um, like, physical effects, or are there mental ones too?"

[Gullara]

[Greenhouse]

Syela peers up at the trees. She plucks one of the apples off and looks at it curiously to see if there's anything odd looking about them.

[Halae]

[Greenhouse]

Syela will note that the apple looks relatively normal, though beyond that it's a delicious looking specimen. If she can feel fey magic, she'll be able to tell there's some inside the apple, though not actually enough to do the full range of changes these Harnel and Cessie were describing.

"Well, I haven't run any tests, myself. You'd have to ask Cesie. What I can tell you is that they make you effectively drunk; lack of inhibitions and the like. The difference is that you remember everything, and while it might have been a bad idea in hindsight, all of it was fun."

[Morty]

[Greenhouse]

"Yes, I can't say I'm surprised," Dorota says. "Does it come with the usual after-effects of abusing alcohol?"
I don't think she's ever drunk alcohol, really.

[The Bushranger]

[Greenhouse]

"I've heard it's, like, totally unpleasant," agrees Crissy - who has likely never partook of the product of hops either.

[Gullara]

[Greenhouse]

Syela has no such silly ability as being able to sense magic, so it just looks like a normal apple to her. She glances at the others before quickly slipping the fruit in her bag while no one is paying her any mind. Then she moves back over to them to listen in on the conversation.

[Halae]

[Greenhouse]

"It does. Lasts about a third of the time that the apple affected you for, too." Harnel says. He, on the other hand lived with soldiers for a long time. That doesn't happen for a long time without you getting a few vulgarities into your head and some rotgut into your stomach.

[Morty]

[Greenhouse]

"I see. We'll do our best to find out any other properties of those apples and to analyze those we know of. We're going to have to be really careful, though. I'd rather not end up inebriated," Dorota says.

[The Bushranger]

[Greenhouse]

"Me too," Crissy agrees with an intense nod. "But we need to totally find out everything they can do!"

[Gullara]

[Greenhouse]

Phew, never got caught. Syela contents herself with just continuing to listen in for now.

[Halae]

[Greenhouse]

Harnel makes an obvious cough, "You know, being drunk isn't so bad if you know what you're doing and don't let yourself do something stupid."

[Morty]

[Greenhouse]

"Thank you, but I'm not inclined to try all the same,"
Dorota says. "Alchemy requires one's thoughts to be clear, or else the results can be catastrophic."

[Path to the Keep]

Preferably after Dorota and her motley crew are gone, Wenomir is walking up the path to the keep. He has something to talk about with Harnel. Besides, he sort of wants to meet the twins.

[The Bushranger]

[Greenhouse]

"It's just never interested me, at all, like, totally not," Crissy opines with a shrug. Although she does look slightly thoughtful.

[Gullara]

[Greenhouse]

Oh drinking. Syela's opinion on it is entirely neutral. She hasn't really drank before, though. Her mother was always so against it, nd besides, they didn't give kids alcohol anyway.

[Halae]

[Greenhouse]

Harnel just shrugs, "In any case, take a few, they're constantly growing."

[Path to The Keep]

On approach, Wenomir will be able to hear the sound of metal against metal as Harnel works in his forge. He always did enjoy the feeling of making metal equipment.

[Morty]

[Greenhouse]

"Oh yes, thank you. I'll remember to tell you about the results of our experiments." Dorota packs the apples into her bag. "I suppose we'll be going now," she says. "Thank you so much for your hospitality and it was great to meet you."

[Path to the Keep]

Hm. It's a bit rude to just walk in, even if it's his friends' house. Wenomir decides to announce his presence first, so he knocks.

[Shadowcaller]

[Path to the Keep]

Cessie opens the door eventually dressed in a light green dress. She gives the demon hunter a concerned look once she see him however. "Wenomir, have something happened?"

[Morty]

[Path to the Keep]

Wenomir shakes his head.
"Hello Cessie and no, everything's fine. I just have something I need to talk to Harnel about."

[Shadowcaller]

[Path to the Keep]

"Oh, he's out at the forge right now." The sorceress replies while pointing in it's direction. "Is there anything particular you like to discuss with him?"

[Morty]

[Path to the Keep]

"He's at the forge? That's great. What I want to discuss with him is actually metallurgy and weapon making," Wenomir explains.

[The Bushranger]

[Greenhouse]

And Crissy curtseys properly.
"Um, what she said," she says, referring to Dorota's thanks.

[Gullara]

[Greenhouse]

"Yeah, and thanks for the food too. It was delicious." Syela says with a broad smile.

[Shadowcaller]

[Path to the Keep]

"Really? Sounds interesting." The mage lies. "You have to see the twins later while you're here. I just remembered we never really showed them to Watchtower." She couldn't imagine KR being all that interested in seeing her children though, she knew she wouldn't.

[Morty]

[Path to the Keep]

"I'd love to. Bringing them to Watchtower for everyone to see would be nice too, if you want," Wenomir says.