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Part One: Leona Pike
“You have broken curfew.”
“Ah, I was hoping you’d find me.”
Leona spun, keeping her courage high and her face measured. The Curfew Creature wasn’t all that different from a bear-sized neon rabbit, right? Granted, she was said to be ruthlessly perceptive and intelligent, and the bears Leona tended to hang around were family, but…
Close up, the curfew creature was actually quite pretty. “What’s your name, Countess of the Curfew?”
“Ooooh, a title. I like you.” The monster grinned, and her teeth were pure white, practically sparkling. If she had to guess, Leona would say they could cut through dragon hide. “But you’re still out past curfew. That means you GeT PuNIshEd.”
Leona could practically feel her Elvish ancestry kicking in to protect her. Thanks, Mom, she thought idly. “Well, yes, I know that. I wanted to speak with you. I heard you like shiny things.”
She spread her hands—in one was a small collection of hair pins, in the other a handful of plain silver rings. “I’m the only girl here from a wealthy family, you see. And I’m quite good at braiding hair. I have practice on humans, tieflings, and even bears. Someone mentioned you have a platinum hairbrush, so I assume you care for such things.”
Mishi’s huge eyes narrowed, spiraling in on themselves. “If you’re wanting permission to be out past curfew, I can’t give you that. I am the curfew creature.”
“No. I was rather hoping for a different kind of favor. May I?”
Mishi stepped forward, and Leona slipped the pins back into her pocket as she began combing through the ridiculously soft, long hair on her giant floppy ear. “My younger brother is a big fan of creatures, and I can tell he’s overwhelmed by the amount of new people he doesn’t know how to make sense of. Consider this a down payment to consider a friendship. He speaks Sylvan, if that’s a draw.”
Mishi purred, clearly enjoying the weight as Leona started weaving rings into her fur. “And he can braid?”
Leona laughed. “He has three sisters.”
“Mmmrmph.” Mishi put her head down on her paw. “I’ll consider it.”
Part Two: Vax’ildan Frederick
It was taking a good deal of self-restraint not to turn into a wolf and snap at the halfling man in front of him, but Vaxi knew that wouldn’t help his case. To be honest, he didn’t see why climbing trees or swimming or foraging or any of the other things he’d done in Wildshape that were encouraged from the humanoid campers should get him in trouble, but biting the co-owner sure would.
“We all know why we’re really here,” Leona said, in an attempt to reassure the frazzled camp employee across from her.
“Because our parents want Gwen to be jealous so she stops almost murdering kids at wizard school and earns back her travel privileges?” her twin asked mockingly.
“Because statistically one or both of our parents are going to be murdered soon and they want us to be independent via adventure training and sleep away camp?” Vaxi put in.
“No.” Leona grinned. “Because our parents were assured this place could deal with the children of adventurers and that’s no easy feat.”
Yeza seemed to take no comfort from that whatsoever, as his expression crumbled and melted into his hand. “Please don’t tell my son that. Let’s just…consider it a warning and forget this conversation ever happened.”
“Of course,” Leona agreed smoothly.
“Fantastic,” her twin echoed.
“But,” Yeza attempted to finish, “Vax’ildan—”
“Vaxi,” he corrected in a mumble.
“Vaxi, you cannot continue to avoid camp activities by turning into woodland creatures we can’t tell apart from the wildlife. You need to socialize, and the curfew creature doesn’t count. You’re all dismissed.”
The youngest half-elf frowned as he followed his siblings out. “Mishi’s not just a creature. She’s amazing.”
Part Three: Wolfe Kristoff
It wasn’t like recounting his badges was going to change the number. One, two, three, four five. Only a slightly below average number for his age group, and average for the camp, and it really wouldn’t bother him if Leona didn’t have thirteen.
“Ugh!” Wolfe threw his sash against the wall.
“Do you need a cheer-up bear? I know it’s not a merit badge, but—”
“What?” Wolfe tensed, his head spinning immediately to place where in the dark cabin his brother could possibly have appeared from. The gap between the twins and Vaxi wasn’t huge, but it was enough to put them in seperate age groups and cabins. Vaxi, who hadn’t wanted to be separated, had been silently protesting all summer by turning into chipmunks or bobcats to escape his counselor and tailing his siblings anyways.
Leona almost always spotted him first, though, yet another thing she was better at.
Vaxi crawled out from under the bed, his dark curls spotted with dust bunnies. “I could pop-out Charlie for you. I’m not supposed to, but do you really think Luc would tell? I’ve made it all the way to Syndenstar without showing off my pet.”
Wolfe paused to consider it. “…nah. He wouldn’t. Specially not if I gave him more of Keyleth’s stuff.”
“Wolfe!” Vaxi rolled his eyes.“Please tell me you’re not bribing your counselor with drugs.”
“Why? It’s just the stuff she gives Mom to relax.” Wolfe treasured the impressed look on Vaxi’s face before relenting. “No, I’m not bribing him. His mother confiscated like half my stashes when she did cabin checks, anyways. If I was, maybe I’d have more than five merit badges.”
“I mean….” Vaxi cocked his head. “I kind of think that’s more impressive.”
“…Huh?”
“Well, like, you stole from our Mom. Lip-reading, lie-sniffing, perceptive as hell Mom. And Veth is a professional rogue! And she only managed to find half your stash?” Vaxi sat beside Wolfe, poking him several times on the arm. “I mean, all Leona has done is follow the rules and be a suck-up. You broke the rules. Like a real adventurer.”
Wolfe cocked his head, but a smile was beginning to poke through his frustration. “I guess so.”