Home 23

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

"I suppose I am," Iknika admits. "Although I'm not sure if that particular deed is something we want her to sing about."

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac laughs.
"No, probably not. You'll have to go out, raid a dungeon or something. And have it go better than all of my little sessions, for sure. Go through and not get cursed." he says with a nod.

[Murkus]

Cloudy Palace

Artie gives him a peck on the cheek.
"Let me try something." she whispers into his ear, before wandering over to the brothers, using her powers to turn into the greatest desire of the one who dropped the bottle. She puts on her cutest, poutiest face.
"Please be respectful of my house. You wouldn't want me to slave all night cleaning up after you, would you?" she asks them. Or she should; if she finds herself something quite strange she might have trouble acting.

[Cloudy Palace]

Azren rubs his cheek, watching. Before his eyes, Artie transforms into... oh. A beautiful green woman with dandelion gold puffball hair.

"Oh, n-no!" Stammers the dropper, as he retrieves the item from the floor.

"Hey! He turned into Gambil's wife!"

"Oooh!" A chorus of excited sounds rises up from the group.

"Can you do my girl?"

"What else can you change into?"

Azren tries not to be too amused or concerned.

[Deathkeeper]

[Cloudy Palace]

Willa giggles, drinking in their desire. "I can do what each of you wants, but I'm spoken for, no touching!" she insists. "And you don't get a show until you've gotten all your things tidied up.
It's rude to leave a lady's things all over the floor, you know." she tells them. But if they clean up and come back she will transform to their subconscious desires, as promised...

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

"I'm working on it. I've been assembling an adenturing team of my own. There's a minotaur who is also a knight in training, and a human girl who can change shape and summon things," Iknika says. "I already live in a dungeon, so I guess I have a head start on exploring those."

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Home

"Sounds like you just need a lockpicker and a healer." Isaac says with a laugh. "Really though, you've got a good thing going. And uh, do you er, want to catch a movie next week? I don't know if Underside has theaters..." he says, stammering out his request.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika opens her mouth, and closes it. That sounded like a... date.

"Well, of course we do. We can totally go. But, uh... what was that you were working on before I entered?"

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac certainly seems nervous when asked that question.
"Oh uh, just some homework. Nothing too special." he insists, not making eye contact.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika tilts her head. Now she's curious.

"It's fine if you don't want me to see it. But all your other artwork is really cool, and I bet this is too."

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac appears to be blushing. Now what could that mean?
"It's...uh...just not...fin...ished?" he says slowly, clearly reaching for an excuse.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika has to struggle not to giggle. Why is he so nervous about it? It just makes her even more curious.

"Do you have something embarrassing in there?"

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac looks away. Clearly continuing to deny things while blushing is the right thing to do in times like this."No, it's just unfinished stuff I'm not done with!"

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika laughs.

"Okay, you can keep your secret. But, you know, I could use something to drink. Could you get me some water, maybe?"

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac smiles, holding back a sigh of relief, and nods. "Of course. I offered before, didn't I? Wait right here." he says, and excuses himself from the room for a moment.

[Gullara]

[Underside]

"I'm glad. It's kind of what it was like for me when I went to the surface properly, for the first time," Iknika says. "The open sky, the sun, the trees everywhere... I had to wear a robe for a while. But those robes are really ugly, so I started carrying an umbrella. Now I'm used to the sun. Mostly. As much as a goblin can be."

[Underside]

"Do I get to know what these robes looks like?" Claire laughs. Obviously the answer was no! "An umbrella sounds way cuter. But cuteness aside, that's not what we're here for. So you wanna pose? Like... maybe if you sat on something like you'd sit on the beetle."

[Morty]

[Underside]

Iknika looks around, then sits down on a bench, straddling it.

"That should be close enough, shouldn't it?" she asks, tossing her hair and posing dramatically.

[Isaac's Room]

While Isaac is gone, Iknika sneaks up and tries to take a quick, careful peek at what he was working on.

[Gullara]

[Underside]

"Great! Now I need to hold perfectly still until I'm done drawing." Claire says, with a totally straight face. Clearly Iknika could ruin the whole picture if she moves.

[Deathkeeper]

[Isaac's Room]

On Isaac's desk, under the book he put over it, is a mostly-finished comic seemingly entitled IKNIKA IN: I'M SORRY I GAVE YOU A TAIL with a little logo in the corner of a cartoon elephant holding a familiar little mallet.
The cover proudly depicts Iknika cutting off a dragon's tail. The black-and-white, 20-page comic is very detailed and depicts Iknika raiding a tunnel complex to defeat a tunneling wyrm (and cut off its tail of course). Despite being a bit cartoony and anime-inspired the drawing is very clearly Iknika, though the weapons are not entirely realistic as he's never seen her actual gear, just her training stuff.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Awwww. Iknika is wide-eyed and surprised at first, but then her heart melts. She didn't think the tail incident required that, but she won't complain. She quickly covers up the drawing and scurries off.

[Underside]

Iknika seems to take it as a challenge, and sits unmoving. She's pretty good at it, even. Her knight training seems to have paid off.

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac returns presently with a tall glass of water and a cup of grapes.
"Sorry about the wait. Mom insisted I get snacks. You ok?" he asks.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika smiles innocently.

"Moms are like that, aren't they? What are those?" she points to the grapes. She really hasn't seen any before.

[Deathkeeper]

[Isaac's Room]

Isaac looks down at the cup. Really? This seemed like something she would have seen while up here.
"They're grapes. You eat them or make wine out of them. The green ones are sweet and the purple ones are a little older so they're tart." he explains.

[Gullara]

[Underside]

Claire starts to laugh. "Okay, I was just messing with you. I don't haveta sit that still. Good work, though."

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika plucks a grape from the cup and eats it.

"Mmm. It's good. I can't believe I've never run into them before. My parents keep warning me about surface food. And surface everything else."

[Underside]

Iknika relaxes visibly.

"Oh. Well, a knight never backs down from a challenge, you know," she declares, but bursts into giggles halfway through.

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

"Did your parents warn you about surface sorcerers?" Isaac asks, putting the tray down with his best eyebrow-wiggle.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika rolls her eyes.

"Oh, yes. Evil magicians apparently abound on the surface. Always waiting to put charms and glamours on poor little goblins."

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac wiggles his fingers, creating a shower of tiny iridescent sparks over Iknika's head. Cantrips are the best he can do easily outside his fields.
"Alas, you are under my power forever. You should have heeded your brave progenitors." he says, wringing his hands beside his head piteously.

[Morty]

[Isaac's Room]

Iknika gasps theatrically, and covers her mouth with her hands.

"Oh my. I've fallen under the thrall of a surface sorcerer, just like they said I would. What evil plans do you have for me?"

[Gullara]

[Underside]

Iknika relaxes visibly.

"Oh. Well, a knight never backs down from a challenge, you know," she declares, but bursts into giggles halfway through.

[Underside]

"So I see. Based on past experience, sitting still for a drawing is one of the greatest challenges there is. You're very brave." Claire winks playfully.

[Deathkeeper]

Isaac's Room

Isaac smiles, giving her another hug. Only this one is nefarious! Or something.
"Well, movies, maybe. Maybe even the really nerdy ones! Then I'll send you home with one of my Digger comics and you'll slowly corrupt your entire people to the ways of surface art." he declares, ruffling her shoulders.