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"Did Alfira say why we should dress up tonight?" Nebulae asked while examining herself in the mirror.
"I think we're going to play puttputt," Karlach said with her easy-going, contagious smile.
"Are you sure?" Nebulae asked, smiling back at Karlach's reflection. "Cuz that shit-eating grin on your face says otherwise."
Karlach laughed. "Trust me, you'll love it."
Nebulae looked back to her reflection in the mirror, adjusting the straps of the flowy green gown she was wearing.
"I'm just not used to wearing dresses," she said, feeling slightly out of place.
"Trust me, you're a Knock Out, Soldier. That green really compliments your skin tone."
Nebulae relaxed a little, fingering the material of the dress before doing a small twirl in front of the mirror.
As she came to a stop Minthara entered, followed by Alfira and Lakrissa.
"Any luck yet?" Lakrissa asked, a couple dresses over her arm.
"What do you think?" Karlach asked, standing to show off her black and gold dress. The gold accents seemed to bring out the flames in her eyes. The front showed off her cleavage and it hugged her waist, complimenting her form and showing off her muscles.
"Mother may I," Lakrissa drawled, looking her up and down.
"Lakrissa!" Alfira scolded, smacking her arm.
"What? She's hot! You're not jealous, are you, babe?"
"No!" Lakrissa immediately denied, but she wouldn't meet her eyes and her cheeks took on a darker tint.
Karlach laughed, flexing her muscles. "Still got it."
"Don't worry, babes." Lakrissa wrapped an arm around Alfira's shoulders.
"I've only got eyes for you," she said, kissing her temple.
Nebulae smiled at the couple as Minthara crossed the room to her, two gowns over her arm.
"And how are you faring?" She asked, gently pushing a lock of Nebulae's platinum blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Um, I was thinking about this one," Nebulae responded, gesturing to the dress she was currently wearing.
"Hmm..." was all Minthara said as she looked her up and down.
"Karlach said it suited me," Nebulae said, feeling suddenly unsure and flustered.
"And she is correct. You managed to look presentable," she said, offering one of her classic not-quite-a-compliment compliments.
"But in this," she lifted one of the gowns, deep red and elegant, "you will look exquisite."
Nebulae took it, holding it against her body.
"Are you sure? I've never really been a fan of red."
"So I've noticed, but," she stroked her face, tucking the lock of hair that always slightly covered her face behind her ear, "it brings out your eyes."
Now it was Nebulae's turn to blush, a bashful smile gracing her features.
"You know, she's right," Karlach said, coming up on her other side. "Green does look great on you, but in red you're hot."
Minthara shot Karlach a warning glare and Karlach laughed.
"I'm just calling it like I see it. That dress was made for you, Soldier."
Nebulae sighed, feeling outnumbered but more confident.
"Alright, I guess this is it then."
Minthara smiled, pleased with herself and already undressing Nebulae with her eyes.
"You will be turning many heads tonight," she suddenly felt a wave of possessiveness wash over her. "But remember who you belong to," she added quietly. Nebulae nodded.
"Of course," she pulled Minthara in for a soft kiss. "Now get dressed! We don't want to be late."
~
An hour later the group was appropriately dolled up and heading to their destination.
"I still would appreciate an idea of where we're going," Nebulae commented.
"Calm down, we're almost there," Lakrissa said, walking a bit ahead of the group.
Karlach came up beside Nebulae.
"A while ago you told me you didn't really know much about tielfing culture, having been raised by goblins and all that-"
She was cut off my Alfira. "You didn't tell us that part!"
Karlach continued with her story.
"Anyway, I was telling these two about it and we started thinking: how could we best show you the ropes?"
By then the group came to a stop at the bottom of a small flight of stairs. Lakrissa opened a small door in the side of the stairs, gesturing for them to follow her inside. They followed her down another flight of stairs to another door, where she knocked. A small gap appeared in the door and a pair of luminescent gold and blue eyes looked out at them. Nebulae recognized them instantly.
"Dammon?"
"Nebulae! Lakrissa said she was bringing guests. Come in, come in." He opened the door and ushered them in.
Inside was what looked like a small pub that was full of almost entirely of tieflings.
Nebulae looked around in wonder. There was a small band in the corner playing an intricate folk tune and all around people were dancing and drinking.
"What is this?" She asked, her eyes roaming the room.
"This is how we're going to show you the ropes! Welcome to Devils Last Dance, the only tiefling pub in Baldur's Gate. Well, speakeasy is probably a more accurate term. What do you think?"
She didn't know what to say. It reminded her of Last Light Inn except the atmosphere was noticeably...lighter. More lively. At Last Light people were there because they had to be. Here the people could come and go as they pleased. They didn't have to keep their guard up. They were happy. And they were free.
"This is...wonderful."
Karlach draped an arm over Nebulae's shoulders. "Take it all in, baby. We've got all night."
She guided her over to the bar, Alfira and Lakrissa in tow. Nebulae looked behind her for Minthara, who gave Nebulae a soft, encouraging smile and a wave before she sat at the bar a few seats down. Karlach gave Nebulae's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"She'll be alright on her own for a little while. Relax," she took a seat and Nebulae sat beside her.
"First things first: social lubricant." She gestured behind the bar, to the variety of drinks along the wall. The bottles varied in shapes and colors, some even glowed.
"You've got your traditional drinks, brandy and such. And I'm sure you've heard of Wyvern Whiskey. That's a favorite here." She went on describing the drink options and eventually segued into what foods would go best with them. Nebulae
decided to start with a shot of Wyvern Whiskey. It went down much smoother than she expected and Karlach laughed at her surprise.
"You'll find your tolerance for that burn is a lot different than others. I'm surprised you've never noticed before."
Nebulae shrugged. "I was just used to drinking whatever the goblins were able to find. Most of it was just wine and bad ale. I didn't really think about it."
She ordered another shot and the bartender also gave them a small snack bowl. Nebulae looked at what was inside the bowl with wide eyes.
"Rocks??"
All three of her friends laughed.
"You don't have to have any if you don't want to. It's an aquired taste, more of an inside joke than anything."
Nebulae picked up a small shiny pebble, examining it closely before popping it in her mouth like it was a blueberry.
That made the group laugh harder.
"What?" She laughed. "I used to do this all the time as a kid. The family got a real kick out of it. Especially my siblings; they called it my little party trick."
"Hey, I'm not going to yuck your yums. You'd be surprised how much I relied on lava rocks as a meal in the hells."
"Whatever, you weirdos," Lakrissa teased.
Alfira leaned against the bar giggling, that second shot of whiskey already doing her in.
"Come on, you," Lakrissa said while gently wrapping an arm around her waist.
"We're getting you a glass of water then we're going dancing."
"Time for the next lesson then, Soldier!" Karlach slid off the stool she was perched on, each of them downing another shot.
She held out her hand. "Can I have this dance?"
Nebulae took it, feeling the liquid courage flowing through her veins.
Nebulae looked around for Minthara. She saw the drow still sitting at the bar as she watched them. She leaned back against the bar, propped up on her elbows, once again having no trouble making the space her own. She nodded to Nebulae as she lifted a drink to her lips. Whether she was encouraging her or just acknowledging her, Nebulae wasn't sure.
"Okay," Karlach said, bringing Nebulae's attention back to her. "So this isn't a very fast song so you shouldn't have trouble keeping up with me, just do what I do."
Nebulae let out a grounding breath as Karlach began to dance. She copied her movements, hesitantly at first but as she saw others around her that were also new to this particular dance she began to relax.
Several songs later Nebulae and her friends were involved in an intricate group dance where they were constantly switching partners. The song continued to pick up speed until it crescendoed and then came to an abrupt stop with a collective clap at the end.
Nebulae laughed breathlessly, her face flushed either from the continuous dancing or too much drink. Minthara couldn't tell from where she sat at her table against the wall. Karlach came up to the table with a drunk Alfira on her shoulder. She sat her down across from Minthara with a quick "can you keep an eye on her?"
Karlach was back two minutes later with two mugs and a cheese platter.
She sat down beside Alfira, placing a mug gently into her hands.
"Drink some water, sweetie," she said gently, with an edge of a laugh in her voice. Alfira gulped it down and then Karlach gave her a piece of bread with some cheese.
"Don't eat too fast or you'll get the hiccups," she warned.
Alfira nibbled on it before putting it back on the board.
"Well you have to have more than that!" Karlach laughed. As she continued to baby her Minthara watched before her eyes wandered back to Nebulae who was currently sitting next to a male tiefling she'd seen earlier. What was his name? Salmon? She couldn't be bothered to remember as Nebulae gave him a quick side hug before Lakrissa dragged her away.
"Jealous?" Karlach's voice drew her back.
"Of course not," she denied.
"Sure," Karlach snorted.
"I will not deny my earlier envy. Seeing her socialize and turning heads without even realizing it. No one knowing she is already in a relationship. But...this is good for her. Seeing her among her own kind, learning more about her heritage, no one should be denied that the way she was. I can see the change in her already."
"Thatissoooosw-weeeet!" Alfira slurred around a mouthful of crumbs. "Shew-wassr-rightaboutyou!"
Karlach gave her a sip of water to wash down the mash of bread and cheese.
"Wanna try that again?" She asked.
Alfira nodded, holding up a finger for a moment as she washed it all down.
"She wasss right ab-about you! You are so understanding! You really were mmmade for each other!"
"She said that?" Minthara asked in surprise.
"That's all she ever says," Karlach responded as if it was obvious. "When she's not talking about her family she's talking about you."
"I want to write a song about it," Alfira cut in. "A ballad about the love of the hero of Baldurs Gate!" She instantly seemed to sober up, already coming up with the lyrics.
Karlach shook her head, laughing softly at the bard.
Lakrissa made her way over to the table, Nebulae behind her with drinks in hand.
"Serenading everyone already?" Lakrissa asked, pulling up a chair beside her drunk lover.
Nebulae sat beside Minthara, sliding a drink over to her and she leaned on her shoulder.
"Having fun?" She asked before taking a sip of her drink.
"I hope that's water," Minthara said, gesturing to Nebulae's mug.
"I've been staying hydrated!" She claimed although the subtle slur to her words made Minthara wonder. "Now drink your wine," Nebulae commanded as she put down her now empty mug.
Minthara raised an amused eyebrow at her lovers audacity but took a sip. How did a place like this have her favorite wine? She savored it as she savored the warmth from her lover.
"How have you been doing, my dear?"
"Soooo good!" Nebulae responded, her slur worsening a bit. "Everyone is so......shiny," she said while gesturing towards the dancers. Minthara interpreted that to mean Nebulae was admiring the jewelery and trinkets everyone seemed to have; delicate chains hanging from their belts, skirts and even their horns.
"They do have a number of accessories," Minthara commented, entertaining the drunk woman on her arm.
"They do!" Nebulae went silent for a long moment and Minthara started to wonder if she'd fallen asleep.
"I never had any accessories," Nebulae eventually said, sounding oddly forlorn. "Except for this."
Minthara looked down to see what Nebulae was talking about.
She held a small round locket in her hand that hung on a silver chain with a silver rose.
"My mother gave this to me before she left me in the woods."
"You never told me that," Minthara said softly.
Nebulae was silent again for a long time after that, thinking of everything that had happened to her. She started asking herself what if her mother hadn't left her behind? What if she had been left with her father? What if...what if...what if...Just as she felt herself starting to spiral she was snapped out of it by Minthara taking her hand.
"You've been quiet for some time. Are you alright?" Minthara softly asked.
Nebulae nodded, wiping away a tear that had come to her eye.
Minthara squeezed her hand, offering her quiet reassurance. They were abruptly brought out of their private moment by Karlach's boisterous laugh.
"I know you want another drink but listen to Mama K," they heard her saying. They turned and saw Karlach holding a large mug up in the air in one hand and holding Alfira back with the other.
"Your girlfriend wants to dance and she can't do that if you're throwing up everywhere. Understand?"
Nebulae laughed at the spectacle as Alfira finally relented and Lakrissa led her to the dance floor. Karlach turned her attention back to Nebulae and Minthara.
"Hey, what's with the long face?" She asked, noticing Nebulae's blood shot eyes.
Nebulae shook her head.
"Nothing, I'm fine." She cleared her throat, straightening up in her seat. "What's the next lesson?"
"Ah, I'm so glad you asked," Karlach said, dropping into a seat across from the couple. She propped her feet up on another chair, making herself comfortable.
"Next up we have tail language. Something I've noticed with you is that you keep your tail very close to you. You look tense, which isn't surprising seeing as you never really learned how to use it. And I don't mean in a physical sense; I've seen you whip many a thug with that thing. I'm talking in a social sense."
She gestured out to the rest of the floor.
"Our tails can be just as expressive as the rest of us. For example," she pointed to a couple sitting at the bar. "You can see that they're completely smitten because their tails are wound around each other. It's basically like holding hands." She scanned the room for another example, her eyes landing on Alfira and Lakrissa.
"Now this is a good example of social decorum." She pointed to Alfira.
"You see how her tail is curled at the end like half a heart? That's another way of knowing how someone is feeling. That position means you have feelings for someone. You can see plain as day how much she likes her dance partner. Now for her partner," she gestured to Lakrissa.
"You see how her tail is lifted a bit higher up? That's the classic 'rail me' tail."
Nebulae's hand flew to her mouth as she let out a shocked laugh. "Are you serious?"
Karlach nodded. "Yeah, that's something we're typically taught to try and keep underwraps but, well, you know our girl. She has no shame."
Lakrissa looked over at them as Karlach said that, almost like she had heard their conversation and waved at them, a mischievous smile on her face. Karlach shook her head with a laugh. She continued to explain the complexities of tail language and tail etiquette and how it varied from region to region. Nebulae listened with rapt attention, as did Minthara.
"You really do come from a rich background," Minthara commented much later in the night. They had learned a lot in that short amount of time and Karlach had finally declared she was done playing teacher and was going to get drunk and find herself a dance partner.
Nebulae led Minthara to the dance floor, much to the drow's fabricated chagrin.
"Come on! You've been so patient tonight just sitting on the sidelines, let me make it up to you."
"There is nothing to make up for. It has been a pleasure watching you come into your own tonight. Though I must admit, it is nice finally having you to myself for a moment."
Nebulae ducked her head with a small smile, her arms wrapped around Minthara's waist and they softly swayed to the music. Minthara tucked a finger under Nebulae's chin, lifting her face to look into her eyes.
"You really do have beautiful eyes," she said and Nebulae started to duck her face in embarrassment again but Minthara didn't let her.
"Do not hide your face from me. You are a masterpiece," she gently stroked Nebulae's purple cheeckbone.
Nebulae pulled Minthara into a kiss.
"I love you." She said it so quietly no one else in the room would have heard it.
Now it was Minthara's turn to be silent. They were in love. They both knew it but neither of them had ever said it before. Minthara, for fear of being betrayed. She had been hurt before. She had watched her lover die in her arms. Nebulae knew this so Minthara knew that she didn't say this lightly. Nebulae's eyes said it all: she loved her. Wholeheartedly. Passionately.
Minthara cupped her hand behind Nebulae's head and pulled her into a fiery kiss that stole her breath away. They stayed there, surrounded by the glow of lanterns and liquor.
Their lips parted for a moment, just long enough for Minthara to whisper "I love you" before pulling Nebulae into another burning kiss.