Chapter Text
For someone so seasick, Merilwen spent an awful lot of time on a boat.
Or, well, a ship.
A pirate ship. Specifically, the Joyful Damnation, the barely-afloat-after-a-whale-attack, ship owned by the one and only Corazon de Ballena
However, no matter what state she ship was in, Merilwen was far, far, worse.
No matter what she did or how she sat, the world’s swishing and sploshing in time with the waves put her in a state of utter misery.
And right now, she was experiencing this utter misery by laying face down, on the floor. It didn’t help, but at least she wasn’t liable to fall over if she was already on the ground.
She heard a soft yet familiar knock on the door to the dark storage room where she was laying.
Merilwen didn’t bother to raise her head, only sparing a groan.
Dob poked his head into the storage room, “Hey Mer, how’re you doing?”
Merilwen groaned again.
“Okay, not well, not well.” Dob sat down next to her. “You know closing your eyes and lying on the floor isn’t going to help at all.”
“I know,” Merilwen grumbled.
“I brought you some more of my home remedy.”
Merilwen put her chin against the ground and looked at Dob as best as she could with minimal moving. His dubious home remedy for seasickness hadn’t really helped, in fact, if anything, it had only served to make Merilwen more nauseous. But Dob brought it to her, and she couldn’t deny him. It wasn’t too bad.
She took another whiff of the air, the potent scent of his potion wafting over her.
Okay, it was too bad.
“Alright, let’s have it,” she groaned, stretching out her hand.
“You’re going to have to sit up to drink it. You know the drill.”
Merilwen grumbled as she rolled over and sat up. “Happy?”
Dob smiled, “Here you go, drink it slowly, little sips.”
Merilwen took a long drag of the foul-smelling drink, if one could call it a drink. Despite the stench, and even worse taste, she was very thirsty, and the potion was at least a liquid.
“Little sips, Merilwen! Little sips!”
She lowered the bottle from her lips and rested her head on her knees.
“What are you doing in this storage room anyway? Why aren’t you in your cabin?”
Merilwen shuddered as she looked into the remaining potion. “Pru was doing spooky stuff again.”
“Mmmhmm”
“It’s kind of hard to hold your stomach when she and Cthulu are discussing the intricacies of a proper sacrificial disemboweling.”
“I would imagine.”
Above them they heard Corazon yelling, “Land ho!!”
Dob looked up, “I guess land is ho. Whatever that actually means.”
Merilwen sighed and slammed the rest of the drink.
“LiTtLe SiPs, MeRiLwEn,” Dob said with increasing distress.
Merilwen gagged, “Too late.”
Dob sighed, “Well at least you drank it.” He stood, “C’mon, up you go,” he extended his hand, “you’ll feel better when you get some fresh air.”
Merilwen stood up with his help. Dizziness washed over her like the waves on the distant shore. “Whoah, nope, nooo,” she teetered back and forth before steadying herself on Dob’s arm.
He rested his hand on her shoulder, “Hey hey I gotcha.”
After steadying herself, she brushed his hand away, “It’s fine, I’m fine.”
“Mer… You sure?” Dob willingly pulled away, while eyeing her skeptically.
“Yeah, I’m good, I just stood up too fast.” She put her hand against the wall. “Let’s go on upstairs, yeah?”
Dob sighed. “Okay.”
Merilwen braced herself against the walls, the world spinning. Dob followed closely behind, prepared to catch her if she fell. She managed to stay on her feet up to the top deck. When the scent of the sea air hit her, she nearly fell over, again. Dob put a steadying hand on her shoulder. She looked up and smiled, and he smiled back.
“Kind of you to join us! We’re close to Miraton Island!” Corazon yelled from the crow’s nest.
Egbert passed by, carrying an armful of junk that was no doubt going to be part of a bomb,
“Woah, Merilwen, you don’t look so good, are you seasick?”
Merilwen nodded, then immediately regretted it. She leaned into Dob a bit more.
“I heard that if you look at a distant spot on the horizon you’ll feel better,” Egbert said, then resumed walking away, presumably to make bombs.
Merilwen unsteadily walked away to go stare at what Corazon swore was Miraton island. Dob followed behind her, and stood nearby nervously as Merliwen leaned against the railing of the ship. “You good?”
“I’m fine, Dob. Thanks for helping me out.”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s what friends do.” Dob smiled at her and leaned up against the railing next to her.
Corazon swung down from the crow’s nest in a move that was both very cool and extremely impressive. “We shouldn’t need armor, the people of Miraton are very kind, and we should be arriving during the festival of love, so it would be rude to wear armor or bring weapons anyway.”
“No weapons? So we should just leave Prudence here then,” Dob joked.
“Well if we were going by that logic, I wouldn’t be able to go on the island either!” laughed Corazon, “But, we need supplies, and it looks like Merilwen could use a break from seafaring.”
Merilwen grumbled in acknowledgement.
“Well speaking of Prudence, where is she?” Dob asked.
As if on cue, Prudence emerged from below deck. “You called?”
Corazon smiled, “Excellent timing, Pru! We’re just about to land!”
“Ugh, finally. I was getting sick of this boat.”
“Ship,” Dob and Corazon chimed.
“Ship,” grumbled Prudence, “Why’re you so chipper, Corazon? It’s just another island.”
Corazon gasped, “Just another island! Just! Another! Island! Dob! Did you hear her?! Just another island!?”
“Corazon, no one knows what you’re talking about,” Dob said.
Corazon sighed, “Miraton island isn’t just any island. I vacationed there as a child. It’s a lovely
place. I’m really looking forward to going back. I had a lot of happy memories there.”
“Oh! In that case I’m very excited to see it,” Dob said with a genuine smile.
“Thank you, Dob.”
Prudence flicked her tail around. “Okay, okay, fine. It’ll be nice to have a vacation.”
Egbert emerged from where he had been building bombs, face smeared with something that was surely highly explosive.
“Okay! So we’re all here, and while we have time, I’ll try to fill you all in on the Festival of Love,” Corazon had, plunking down on the deck.
“So, the island of Miraton is famous for one thing, and one thing only. The Festival of Love.” Corazon threw in some jazz hands, “It’s really neat. We can abstain from the festivities, but that’s no fun. I think the beach house that we used to use when I was a kid is still standing. We can party. The whole festival is about three days long, and the third day is the best, no doubt.”
Prudence looked dubious, “I’m not really sure about a ‘festival of love’.”
“It’s not ‘a’ it’s THE Festival of Love,” Corazon said, “and it’s great, trust me. There’s snacks and fireworks, and most hotel rooms and rental houses are severely discounted. Which seems like a bad business plan, but I don’t know, they’re choice. Bonus, everyone is so drunk the whole time, we could make bank. Maybe make up for the lost lake funds, Dob. ”
Dob shrank slightly, “Sorry,”
Corazon continued on, “We’re just about to the island, and I think that’s pretty much everything. Any questions? No? Great!” Corazon hopped up and scampered over to bring his ship into port. “Oh! And if you guys have anything less… ‘wandering adventurer’ I’d recommend wearing that! Preferably if it’s pink, red, or white!”
Everyone looked around at each other, wondering what to do.
“Well!? Move!” Corazon yelled.
Egbert and Prudence reluctantly went below deck.
“Do you want me to ask Prudence to grab you anything from your room while I’m down there?” Dob asked Merilwen.
“I don’t think I have anything that would suit this kind of occasion. I’m more of a ‘greens and browns’ type of gal.” She replied, whether it was the staring intently at the fast-approaching island, or Dob’s weird elixir, she had started to feel better.
“Maybe Pru can lend something for you.”
“Yeah, there’s no harm in asking, I suppose.”
“That’s the spirit!” Dob said encouragingly, then trotted off downstairs to find something for the both of them.
The girls’ room was closer, so he knocked on her door first. “Pru? Can I come in?”
“Just a mo’.” There was the sound of shuffling, then Prudence opened the door and poked her head out. “What’s up?”
“Merilwen was wondering if she could borrow something from you, if you have anything.”
“I’m not sure if anything I have would fit her, but we can try. C’mon in.” She opened the door and stepped back into the room.
Dob stepped in. The room was quite cramped, especially for a half-orc of his stature. There was a bunk bed shoved into the corner, with clothes strewn about. There were also two large bags, Prudence and Merilwen's. Prudence's was open.
“I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what I should wear myself. We don't have that much by way of clothes. Though I don't see why we couldn't just buy something on the island.”
“Well it's always important to make an entrance,” Dob picked up a piece of fabric from the bed. It was a pretty white dress. “Is this yours?”
She snatched it away, “Yes. And it's none of your business why I have it.”
Dob raised an eyebrow, but was too scared to ask. He continued to look around for any clothes that might fit Merilwen. In personality and in size. Dob and Prudence looked at each garment. Prudence picked up a loose piece of clothing. “This might work?”
Without looking up Dob replied, “For her or for you?”
“For Mer.” She held up the garment for them to look at.
“When was the last time you wore that?”
“Hmmm… never? I’m not a pink person.”
“Well why do you have it then?”
Prudence shrugged. “Plot convenience?”
“Reasonable. I’ll give that to her and get out of your hair. Thanks, Pru.” Dob grabbed the dress and headed to his room to get dressed.
~~~~
Merilwen groaned. Egbert’s trick was helping a little, but she still felt queasy.
“Hey Merilwen! Prudence had something for you to borrow after all!” Dob said excitedly as he jogged over to her.
She looked up to Dob slowly, and took in his eager expression, and the mess of pink fabric in his arms.
“Oh really? Well let me see.”
Dob proudly held up the dress proudly, “It’s quite pretty, right?”
Merilwen looked it up and down, “Yeah, could you just lay it on the deck really quickly? Face down please.”
Dob complied, but not without a questioning look.
Merilwen turned into a cat and slipped out of her robes and into the dress on the floor, then promptly turned back into her elven form. “Ugh. I can’t wait until we land,” she grumbled while straightening out her dress and returning to stare at the island.
“I know, Mer, it’ll be soon. But hey, at least we actually get a vacation from the adventuring.”
Merilwen chuckled, “Everytime you say that we get into some kind of trouble.”
“Well I promise I won’t almost electrocute you this time,” Dob said as he leaned up against the railing next to Merilwen.
Merilwen laughed, “I would hope so.”
They leaned in comfortable silence. The fresh sea air ruffled through their hair. The loose fabric of Merilwen’s dress swept across her shins. She tucked a lock of hair behind her pointy ear. The small movement caught Dob’s eye. He smiled fondly.
Corazon pulled the ship into the port and summoned the rest of the group from below decks. “Line up!” The group lined up as Corazon paced back and forth in front of them.
Dob looked around and recognized that Prudence was wearing the white dress that she'd been so defensive about earlier.
“Okay, team, first off, what are any of you wearing?” He stopped in front of Egbert, “What… what even is this?”
“They’re my old study robes!” Egbert said proudly, fluffing the pure white robes. “Very pious. Also the only thing that I have that isn’t covered in extremely flammable liquid.”
Corazon sighed and moved down the line, “Prudence, you’re fine, but Dob!” Corazon moved down the line, “Dob, Dob, Dobby, Dob Dob. What have you got to say for yourself?”
“You asked for pink and white?” Dob looked down at his loose gray pants, white blouse, and pink vest.
“That’s coral.” Corazon said annoyedly. “For an entertainer you sure are lacking pizzaz.”
“I’m charmingly rustic.”
Corazon rolled his eyes and moved on, “Merilwen, again with the coral! Do you people not know your pinks? What is this, a toga? Where did you get it?”
“Prudence let me borrow it.”
Corazon squinted, “It’s lovely.”
He turned on his heel and flourished his fancy red ensemble. “ So! My father always told me that it was safest to travel in pairs, or as one big group, but couples would probably draw less attention. We can further plan once we get on land and find the schedule! Remember, no weapons, murder, or meat grinders!,” he threw a glance at Merilwen, who was still quite out of it, “So, without further ado,” he turned once again, and with a flourish, threw his rapier aside and looked over his shoulder dashingly, “It’s time for no work, boys.”