Role Play Pool Party V.2

Xiuhcoatl got up from his seat and extended a hand to Murcs. "I really need to be on my way," he said to him and Koopette. "You two are truly great friends and exceptional hosts and thank you for accepting my company."

Sticking close to Heaven, Orinda found it impossible to control himself as he snuggled close to her. "I've got all day," he said looking up at her. "Don't got no place to go if you want to share it.."

Crystal shivered and grew cold as Envy mentioned the famous koopa castle, or at least she figured that was the one that he was talking about. Recalling the pounding feet that echoed through the castle and the screaming and torment of the koopa captives that bellowed throughout the halls while she lived there as a child, she hoped that Envy could not see those fears that so often ravaged through her very soul.

"I'm just shy," she sputtered out, trying to avoid telling Envy the truth. "Big places full of people like that and lil' ole me.."

Her tears now ceasing, Heaven admired Orinda in awe and realized he was not the immature child that he appeared to be at first glance, but rather a deep and caring individual. She felt her body instantly loosen free from the hurt and stress that had been holding her down and keeping her locked away.

"You really do care," she said, a smile forming on her face through the dried tears and the pain in her eyes. "You really DO want to know.."

"Of course I care," Orinda responded, sounding a bit shocked. "Dragons stick together after all. Not like these walls have ears!"

Or do they, he pondered to himself. Silly thought, walls having ears!

Envy did notice the shiver, but was unable to really guess at its meaning. Stress? Some random cold draft? Curiosity set in further.

"So... you'd rather live all alone with no visitors than there? Why not a village, then? Or something?"

This was new. Someone who chose to live in isolation, rather than someone who had to do so?

Heaven nodded to herself as she closed her eyes and sighed. "I just stopped by to give my wings a rest and the koopas found me," she said. "The rest is as they say is history.."

Bum rushing Xiuhcoatl, Koopette tackle hugged him. "Thanks for visiting!" she exclaimed as she kissed him on the cheek.

Becoming even more nervous, which for Crystal couldn't seem possible in her state, she attempted to scoot further away from Envy but rammed into the arm of the couch instead.

"Yes.." she gasped aloud as she found she had no where to hide her shame and even worse, the tale of her upbringing. "They just scare me."

Well, that was strange. Why did she seem so scared?

"Um. You okay, there?" Envy asked, seeming somewhat worried by now.

Expecting a detailed story of how she came to be, Orinda couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He would of shown it in his face but he didn't want to break her heart anymore than it already seemed to be.

"Regardless of what or who brought us here," he said to Heaven softly, "it's a pleasure to have bumped into and gotten to meet you. Good to not be alone."

Holding up a pale yellow finger and placing it over her own lips, Crystal looked around the room they were in and then set her gaze upon Envy. "Shh!" she whispered over the silence around them. "I'll tell you why but the spirits in this great home are quite the gossiper. Do not tell another living soul what I am about to tell you.."

Heaven smiled through the now drying tears that had formed on her cheeks as she just sat there holding Orinda close. "Thank you," she whispered to him, her voice no longer quivering. "For listening and being there. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Me scared?" Orinda said in a high pitched voice as he tried to sell his braveness. "Never! That's what uh, friends are for."

"You know what else friends are for?" Heaven said with a sly smile as she snuck in a kiss on Orinda's cheek. "Mushroom ales on the house." Leaving the dragon to absorb things, Heaven walked out of the office and back to the bar.

Envy's eyes widened somewhat at Crystal's sudden change in demeanor.

"O...kay. I won't" they answered.

I mean, it's not like I have anyone to tell a secret to. And besides, they were good at keeping secrets. But really... what could be so awful that this nice young Koopa would act... well... like that?

Billowing smoke out of his nose and ears uncontrollably, Orinda struggled to contain himself from the kiss as he about shot fire out of his hiney.. which not only would hurt like a motherload but would burn this room to the ground and take the rest of the tavern with it. Slapping himself in the face a few times to regain his composure, he walked out of the office and after Heaven.

"Be right there my darling!" he said as he slapped himself across the face again. "Ales coming up!"

Approaching the bar and sitting on the stool all pretty, Heaven watched Orinda with amusement as the dragon was still acting like a crazy fool. "Don't keep the patrons waiting," she said to him with a crazy wink, "I don't see you being much for crowd control situations!"

"Well the thing is," Crystal said as she attempted to get over her shyness at the sake of her strange new friend Envy, "is that as a little girl I lived in Koopa Castle with my parents. You would think it would be all high and easy living.."

Snapping a finger, the faded and tattered curtains that covered the windows surrounding the room began to flutter and sway from a wind that was unexplained to the regular eye of a koopa or anything in Dinosaur Land for that matter. Her eyes set deep and burning into the eyes of Envy, tears began to form as she felt the memories flooding back. "But after you hear the screams of the koopa captives coming from the dungeons below you.. the pounding feet as the koopa patrols stormed in and out of the massive fortress, you understand my fear of the crowds and of the busy world that surrounds me.."

"Not just a patron," Orinda oozed, still in a daze from the powerful kiss from Heaven, as he skipped to the bar and got a beer mug. "But someone of royal highness!"

Filling the mug with ice cold mushroom ale, he placed it in front of Heaven and where she was sitting. "That someone of course.. who is leading those whatever they ares!"

Not expecting Koopette's sudden burst of emotion, Xiuhcoatl about took a spill as he blushed a bright red. "Thank you my friend," he sputtered out, trying to get over his emotions. "You never fail to deliver as I said before."

Dusting himself off and trying to pretend nobody saw him blush, Xiuhcoatl exited the house and ventured towards the pipe that led back to the Valley of Bowser and Koopa Castle.

"Koopas." Heaven responded as she pondered if Orinda was being serious or still being silly. "And thank you for being so kind to me. Not a lot of folks would take me in like you have."

"Well you're the queen of course," Orinda said as he tapped his claws along the bar top. "I've seen guys beheaded for not being nice to the top of the crop." Smiling, he served himself an ale and took a long sip. "Not that I'm saying that you or that one guy who works with you would do that, of course."

"Maybe we'd throw you in the dungeons," Heaven teased as she then gave the dragon a quick wink. "But we'd never behead anybody."

Struggling to adjust the ribbon that held her beautiful, flowing hair together, Heaven squirmed and wiggled and about fell off the bar stool. "This darn thing is always coming undone.." she muttered to herself.

Giggling at the rather priceless reaction of the hybrid, Koopette shut the door behind her and went back to sprucing up the house with dust and spider webs. "A musty home is a happy home.." she whispered with a smile, to perhaps the spirits that roamed its great rooms and halls.