01.003c - "Leofinas' new tattoo"

Able walked with great concentration towards Leofinas’s room, drunkenly bumper-car’ing his way there despite the concentration. When he got to the door, Able burst in as Leofinas was pulling up his britches. He pulled them up quickly, but when Able threw the door open, he was greeted with the sight of a full moon "Hey Sparkles, we're drinking and Blak is singing and I think Biz is about to blow a priest so you need to..." Able stopped as he noticed an odd marking on his right butt cheek

"Hey! What the hell!” Leofinas yelled. "haven't you heard of knocking?"

"Didn't I knock? I thought I knocked"

"I certainly didn't hear one. What do you need?"

Able stared. "I..uh… I've already forgotten. What is wrong with your bottom?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Leofinas asked in confusion

"You have a thing on your ass", Able replied, trying to draw a star in the air but failing as it made him dizzy. "C'mere."

"A thing? On my butt? Huh?" Leofinas asked as Able noisily dragged the mirror stand over to him, making a loud, irritating, screeching sound

"There. Turn 'round and drop trou" he told Leofinas.

“Uhh...” Leofinas hesitantly dropped his pants looking back into the mirror.

"That", Able said, pointing "What the fuck?!" Leofinas exclaimed

"Don't worry, we all catch things from time to time" Able said with a smirk.

Leofinas reached back and tried to rub it off, but to no avail. He started trying to scratch it off, with the same results. "What the hell is that? What do you mean?”

"You know, from the..." Able said, making a lewd fist pumping gesture.

"Huh? No! I haven't been with anyone since my wi... wife. What is this? It's like the skin changed color.”

Able splashed it with some liquor and rubbed at it with Leofinas’s shirt tail. “Did that do anything? Nope. Good news, though, is that I think Biz just accepted Helm as his Lord and Savior?"

"Maybe we should get Biz in here,” Leofinas said. Abe staggered over to a window, hanging his head too far out the window to possibly be safe, as Leofinas pulled his pants back up. Seeing his drunken friend, Leofinas ran over and grabbed him by the belt to make sure he didn’t fall. Leofinas called out the window to Bismark from behind Able. “Biz, come up here and check this out. I have a weird... stain on my skin that may be from that dragon fellow."

"Stop blowing the gentleman and get up heeeeeere" Able added, drawing a glare from both Bismark and the priest.

Blak perked up his ears and furrowed his brow. "Did Leonifas just say he has some sort of target or mark on him from that Dragonborn that trounced him?" He looked over at A'postrofae and saw that she had passed out from the potent punch of the ditch-liquor "My sentiments exactly.  But I guess they'll have to wait a few longer. Good thing I only need a few winks and not a full 8 hours." Able leaned out the window again to see if anyone was on their way.

Blak got up and walked over to Bismark and the two headed over to where Leofinas’s room was. As they approached, they could hear muffled comments, which clear up as they got closer. "And this ASS. My god." They heard Able say as open the door and entered the room.

Able turned to see them come in, and handed the bottle to Blak, who takes it and asks Leofinas "Did I hear right - you were further wounded by that Dragonborn?"

“Brace yourself", Able joked

Nodding in thanks, Blak feigned taking a drink and used his tongue to block up the foul liquor so as not to actually drink any. "Good stuff. Thanks, Able."

"You're gonna need it when you see this. Go on, Leo. Show him the goods", Able told him

"I don't know, I have this weird mark that wasn't there before” Leo said, dropping his pants and showing his ass while cupping his hands around his junk. "Does this look like something I got from the fight?" Blak watched on, admiringly. "I don't remember getting hit in the ass."

"That..." Blak said, slightly confused, “Is no wound I am familiar with. It looks more like a tattoo. Bismark, what do you think?" An idea occurred to him, and Blak said "Ah, wait here. We know someone who knows tattoos." He left the room, briskly walking back downstairs.

"A tattoo?! I've never had anything like that! How would it have gotten there?" Leo said as Able gestured towards his bottle. "Nope. I've only had a little, I didn't even get a buzz." Leo said, beginning to freak out a little.

Blak snuck back down to the overturned table in the keep where a steady stream of snoring had been coming from. Leaning in close he whispered into Brynne's ear, "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming.  Time to get up, love. Something for you to see; need your expertise here."

Shaking and snorting, Brynne choked on her own spit, then scrambling to her feet wild-eyed yelled, "Shite, me bread!  Is't burnin?!!" Blak sat down next to where she was, motionlessly watching her and listening with a smirk on his face. After a few seconds, she seemed to fully wake and see Blak there, smirking. "Well.  Son---now I mean no disrespect here, but you mightn't be the best person fer a dwarf ter wake up to." Hitching up her britches, she asked "What're you doin in here?"

"I need you, Brynne", Blak said grinning.

"Errrrm..."

"I have something to show you" he continued as Brynne looked on nonplussed.

Blak slow-rolled over, then sprung up. "Come - This way, love"

"Nope," she replied. “No - sorry there kiddo. Not this dwarf."

Blak pleaded, "But I figure you'd be the expert in this"

She nervously laughed and started to back away. "I dunno what yer game is, but I'm awake now.  Gonna see what th'other boys is up to."

"Perfect," Blak said, his grin widening.

Brynne furrowed her brow and muttered something under her breath in dwarvish, “Freakshow.”

From down the hall came Able’s shout. “Look at that ASS!”

Following Brynne, Blak added, "I figured one who has such intricate tattoos and brands would know more about what's going on with Leonifas' ass", the comment, along with the smell of strong alcohol present on him made her stop and throw a look over her shoulder at Blak.

"What in the nine hells have you all bin doin since me nap?" Before he could answer, a shout came from down the hall. “Its so symmetrical!”

Blak explained, "Well, discussing our pasts a bit I suppose in one semblence or another...and studying Leonifas' new tattoo. That's why I figured I'd get you, since you are marked as well.  Perhaps you know its meaning"

Rubbing an exasperated hand over her face Brynne sighed. "Right.  Okay. Let's get this out 'o yer systems and over wit. Whadda you know about me mark?" she asked as she walked through the door.

"Uh... hey Brynne" Leofinas said, seeing her enter the room with Blak. Walking over to her, Able handed the bottle to Brynne, who stood there looking sleepy and unimpressed with the goings on.

"You're gonna need this", Able said.

"Check this out, what is it?", Leofinas asked, turning his butt towards them.

She closed her eyes, grabbed the bottle, and giving it a whiff, knocked it back. She swished it around her mouth for a bit, swallowed, and said to Able, "Not bad - bit weak fer me tastes but I ain't tasted any fer a long time." As she was drinking, Leo pointed his butt at Brynne, who finally noticed Leofinas’s state of undress. "Damn boy.  What're you doin?" Blak helpfully pats the spot where he wants her to focus.

"Blak says this is a tattoo? Is it?!" Leofinas asked.

Brynne squinted at Leofinas. "Wha?  You're kiddin' me. This is some kind 'o elf joke, innit"

"no, I was changing when Able barged in - he saw this. I've never had a tattoo or birthmark, there was nothing, just my pale skin," he said as Blak ran his thumb over his fingers, lost in thought. "But now... what in the hells is this?"

Brynne glared all around, then took another swig of Ditch Liqueur. "Alright. I dunno what you 'spect me to see, but I swear to you now on Moradin's nut hairs---if you so much as fart in me face, I'll bite." she barked at Leofinas, who looked confused.

"Oh he doesn't intend to engage in Dwarf flirtation, I assure you", Blak joked.

Leofinas assured her, "this is not a prank."

Brynne stumped over to Leofinas and warily looked at his hiney. "Too old fer this," she grumbled. She frowned, checking again to see if anyone was laughing at her, then licked her thumb and tried to rub off the star shaped mark. Blak's eyes widened at seeing Brynne lick her thumb...then return to normal once she began rubbing the mark.

"See? It's stuck on there. 2 weeks ago, I had nothing like this." Leofinas yelped in frustration.

Brynne quickly straightened up and walked back, "Yep.  Looks permanent. Dunno how you'd ferget gettin' a tattoo, but there 'tis."

"I swear I didn't get a tattoo! You sure this isn't something cause by that dragon things breath?"

"What?  Like a burn?  Nah, woulda hurt when I rubbed it, wouldn' it?" she replied

"Oh right, I guess that's true" Leofinas conceded.

"Trust me, son.  Brands hurt. Yeh'd know. Burns... burns hurt.  Anywho, if that's it, I'll be goin' back ter bed"

"I know I didn't have this 2 weeks ago… wait a sec." Leofinas said, looking thoughtful as he crossed his arms and rubbed his chin.

"Don't tell me there's another", Brynne said rolling her eyes.

"No no, but I also only started to have these weird powers about 2 weeks ago", Leofinas remembered.

"Huh… I dunno, sounds like ya need a priest more'n a woodsman.” Brynne said, raising one eyebrow at the elf. "You bin drinkin?" She chuckled to herself. "That'd do it."

"I know when I woke up that morning, I didn't have it... but then Delsys..." Leo said, trailing off, lost in his own thoughts. Yea, that seems about right. I mean, that’s when I found that statue and heard those noises."

Brynne inclined her head toward Able and continues to drink from the bottle as Blak just stood there taking in the scene. When Leofinas snapped back to reality and realized he was not covered, he Blushed and pulled his pants up. "S-sorry"

"Nothing to be sorry for at all, Leo," Blak assured him.

"But hey! I think I've got it! The timeline makes sense anyway. About 2 weeks ago, I was a simple farmer. I had a wife and my own home. But then some kobold took that from me." Leofinas's attitude suddenly shifted to anger as he finished putting his pants and belt back on. "I am not proud of what I did next, but after that... mess, I found a strange shrine-like statue in the nearby woods. someone must have just been there, because there was a single candle lit at its base"

"A statue?", Blak asked, intrigued.

"Well, sort of. It was a small stone pillar with a unicorn head relief on it out in the middle of the woods. I'd never seen it before that night. I was filled with so much hatred, sorrow, and regret, that I prayed to it, asking forgiveness since it reminded me of Meiliki. Over the next few days, after I left home, I noticed I could start to do things. Like at one point, I took a bad step and twisted my ankle. But when I put my hands on it to inspect, a soft glow came from my fingers and palm, and suddenly my ankle felt better. and at night, I caught a firefly to admire it, but accidentally squished it. In its remains, a bright light started to appear" Able gave Brynne the thumbs up and gives her the rest of the bottle as Leofinas continued his story. “I'll bet all of this is related!" Brynne's forehead wrinkled like a shar pei as her eyebrows shot towards her hairline.  She drank in silence and listened to Leofinas’s tale.

"I'd assumed Meiliki heard my prayers and I was somehow channeling her spirit to do these things", Leofinas continued. "But I didn't know anything about a tattoo. I don't check myself out in the mirror, and I've been traveling alone for the last 2 weeks until I met you all. I suppose I had some weird dreams after that night, but I didn't think anything of it; so much had happened that weird dreams seemed like a normal reaction"

Brynne chimed in then. "Welp.  I wouldn’a worried meself over dreams in tha' case either. I don't know anythin about whatever godly power yer talkin about, but if it don't feel like yer possessed, then maybe..." she shrugged. "I dunno. Still think yer oughta have a talk wit a priest.  That's what I'd do.” She's pauses for a moment. "Sorry ter hear about yer family. That's a hard thing."

"Thanks. And yea, I'll go talk to the priest in the morn'", Leofinas said as Able leaned in to hug him awkwardly, then leaving suddenly. Bismark left with him.

"Well.I guess with that, it's probably good for us to get some rest.  Morning comes sooner than you think.", Blak said to the group, indicating to them that the show was over. "Thanks for humoring us Brynne.  Sorry to have woken you from your beauty rest."

"Yes, thank you everyone", Leofinas said to the party.

Brynne walked to the door, eyeing Leofinas with an expression that might be concern, then turned to Blak. "Nah. S'good." As she passed by him she joked, "Yah tart," and ambled back down the hallway, tipping up the filthy bottle.

Blak genuinely smiled, heading off to find a place to trance for a while, as A’postrofae walked into the room, looking groggy. “What in the sweet name of the green dragon are you fucks up to?”

Leofinas turned to look at her. “We were all going to bed now, I believe. At least, I am.”