RP - w/ the group - Night Before the Trial, Actually

Spending the evening with the people of the Menagerie feels almost discordantly normal after the day's unusual events. Ample Harvest and her loyal team prepare an excellent meal, as they always do, and Amity tells the story of the party's adventure to anyone who asks, albeit with less enthusiasm or embellishment then usual. Afterwards, perhaps seeking solace in routine, she pulls out her spellbook, intending to flip through it aimlessly, as is her wont. Instead, once retrieved, she looks at it with an expression of perplexion and curiousity, tugging something free from between it's pages. There is a moment's pause and then, with a squeak of pure terror and a traitorous spasm of her fingers, she Misty Steps about 20 feet away from the table.

Swindle, who hasn't been eating, really--but has been sitting back appreciating the company--casts an incredulous glance over to Amity. He proceeds to rubberneck a little bit, half expecting to see one of those gross worms on her dinner plate or something because what kind of a squeaky screech was that??? lmfao

Variel has continued drinking since sharing Lyndon's hooch, and in an attempt to lift everyone's mood has tried to recreate some kind of traditional fey pastry using her newfound cooking ability with ample harvest. Kinda like a cross between a rum ball and a chocolate profiterole. Idk what to roll for how good they are.
 
But she's being social butterfly and trying to get music going and people dancing, refusing to let the dour town or the morbid recent happenings infect the caravan. Upon hearing Amity's wild peeping, she is probably tipsy enough to not be that sneaky anymore, so will straight up come over and enquire as to what's going on now?

Suddenly mirroring Amity's previously perplexed expression, Swindle pulls himself to his feet, shuffles over with 0 sense of urgency about him, and with his long, spindly fingers and overgrown nails, daintily picks up an envelope that is resting upon her book, turning it over curiously. "Ho, ho, oh no. Is it your rejection letter from wizard school, Amity?"

Rhogkun is tired. Very tired. The cloud of physical exhaustion and emotional drain has worn him out, not to mention spells he cast. The entire way back to town Rhogkun has seemed almost in shock, reacting to very little and staring off. After seeing his companions hurt so easily - after seeing those things - in total fear he stepped up. It likely looked like courage, but it wasn't. It was fear. And in fear he watched the mangler tear through image after image, alien menace in its movements, passionate hate and apathy all at once. It shook him then, and it shakes him now.
 
Sitting quietly off to a table to the side, Rhogkun has barely touched his food, falling into a light exhausted revirie, his chin resting on his chest, rising up and down with heavy breaths. At Amity's start, his eyes dart open, not even raising his head from his chest. Narrowing his lids he quickly scans the area, seeing no immediate threat, and then slowly drifts back to sleep.
 
Amity looks around at everyone awkwardly, then looks at Swindle in a complete panic. She says: "That's - no it's nothing!" and runs towards him, reaching out for it.

Variel is instantly 8 years old again, and from across the table and trying to mask her actual interest with mock enthusiasm jeers "ooooOOOOOOOoooh! Amity's got a loooove letterrrr! Who's the suitor, dear? Do tell >:3"

With half lidded disinterest, Swindle hands the letter back to Amity. "That's a rather rude way to respond to a letter from you mother."

Amity skids to a stop in front of Swindle, glancing over at Variel and then back to him.

"Seems she has heard about your run-in with Piony, never mind her tone. She is just concerned for you. My, word travels fast..."

She reaches a hand out for the letter, plucking it carefully from his hand. "It's... I told you I write her all the time."

"Ho, ho, ho! If I were a mistrusting type, I might wonder if she has a way of scrying on you!"

Amity looks carefully at the letter instead of up at Swindle, folding it back up and stuffing it inside her cloak. "Hah.. yeah. Could you imagine?"

Variel is leaning so far across the table her fresh new white shirt is once again stained red. This time it is jam, not blood. An improvement.
"I thought you rarely, if ever, received replies since you travelled so often? Aren't you excited to read it? Why such shock? Is she proud of all your adventures?"
With every question she presses, her shirt trails further into the tart infront of her. Noteably: not hers.

"Seems that this may be the first time our dear Amity has had a true brush up with death. Here on the mortal plane, that is enough to send any good mother into shock." Swindle sits back down into his chair. "Variel, you're wearing dessert."

"I'm...?" she looks down at herself and tuts loudly "ugh, I should've brought more of my wardrobe... I'll be forced to wear human clothes with how slow laundry is here..." she shakes her head and wipes as much of the treat off as she can, resisting the urge to eat it all up. Even served across a shirt, Ms harvest's food was impeccable, and should not be wasted. She had lost enough face already, though, and must wait for Swindle to do something embarrassing before she'd let herself be seen doing such a thing...
 
"Seriously though, Amity, why such shock? Is everything alright?"

Amity sighs, leans a bit closer to Variel, and Prestidigitates the rest of the pie-stain away. She flops down into her chair with more of her usual slouchiness, and rubs a hand through her hair -increasing it's messiness to no noticable degree.
"I'm just... everything today was so terrible."

Casting a slightly sympathetic glance to where Rhogkun is napping, Swindle agrees, "it was rather exceptionally bad, wasn't it. I have never seen anything quite like the horrors in that damned crypt...and something tells me that those won't be the worst things I lay eyes on if Maxwell and I are to continue travelling with you lot."

Amity says, mostly to herself, "Geez, I really hope not..."
She looks up at Swindle, "That thing... that thing took down Max. We were just lucky !"

"Almost, but Maxie got right back up again, didn't he?" Swindle puts on a pleased grin. "There is a certain...mmm...strength in us being all together."

Variel looks quite pleased with the state of her shirt. "thank you, dear, I must learn that one..."
 
She frowns a fair amount during the down talk. She's trying to make a GOOD vibe, not a downer one. >:c why can't they celebrate the win... Honestly... Though looking at the wrecked Rhogkun she herself does momentarily succom to the reality of the situation momentarily.
 
She breathes out, calming herself, letting the moment happen, and end. "listen. As something of an expert on falling in battle," she makes a jokingly wearied, pained expression, highlighting her repeated 0hp moments, "... it's always about the getting back up after. Swindle's right. The most important part of dealing with these situations is getting back up, and a lot of that is trusting the people you're with." she eyes swindle and grins snarkily "well trusting them in that context at least... The point is, it wasn't luck, it was teamwork. When one of us fell, the others defended them and helped prop them back up. We defeated the beast, and - I believe - saved this dinky little town from further tragedy. We did good, today. Take pride in it." she realises she's bordering on the drunken ilugaise ramble and stops herself rambling." that's my take, anyhow. And that's why I would definitely call us heroes. Despite reservations and occasional cowardice, we did good for others. Amity? You are a hero. Swindle? You less so, but still. Hero adjacent." she winks at Amity, her jab clearly more lighthearted than usual, in an attempt to make her laugh Abd shake off her cloud
 
"I can settle with hero adjacent." He carefully selects a mushroom off of his staff before plucking two more and tossing them to Amity and Variel respectively. Variel's mushroom is identical to the one Swindle had pulled for himself, while Amity's is slightly more subdued and earthy in appearance. "Hopefully our dreams will provide some comforting affirmation tonight, mmm?"

Amity squints at the mushroom thoughtfully, but eats it. “Well if we’re real heroes they should.”

Variel smiles widely and raises an eyebrow at Swindle, nodding her thanks. "I might save this for the uh... afterparty. Hmm?" before putting the shroom in her breast pocket and tapping it safely. Confident that she's done all she can about the mood, she grabs the nearest wine pitcher, takes a hearty swig, and leaves the table to find her lute, to play the night out.