Hello, Everyone!
What you’re about to read is another of those special chapters which didn’t happen at our D&D table but, instead, got out and into my real life.
Sometimes, when something big happens to Mary, I find myself feeling kinda the same way IRL. I don’t know if it comes from Mary and bleeds into me, or the other way around, but it’s a fact that it happens.
The week after ‘Home Is Whete Your Friends Are – Part 4’, where Mary feels left out and abandoned by her friends and family, I, too, felt really lonely. The person who plays Bruno (❤️) noticed it and tried to console me. But, since we both know that I don’t like talking about myself, we spontaneously did some roleplay instead.
It warmed my heart and made me feel so much better! ❤️❤️❤️
And now you get to enjoy it, too!
It was just another day in Frinkeltong. Another uneventful, boring, lonely day. Mary’d spent it all trying to master her potion of water breathing but she wasn’t advancing at all.
So, when Bruno came home early, it was like a small celebration.
After the usual ‘how was your day?’ and ‘how many new toys did you make?’, they found themselves in the dwarf’s room, sitting on some cushions on the floor and chatting casually.
“Have you sent a message to Aurum today?” Mary asked.
“Yes, first thing in the morning,” Bruno said. “No reply, as usual.”
Mary sighed. “What if something bad happened to him?”
“Yeah, right.” Bruno rolled his eyes. “Like being run over by a truck while crossing the street.”
“A truck?”
“Master Ford’s newest invention. It’s like the tram but it’s as fast as a horse and much more durable. The Master said that it could soon replace carriages entirely.”
“Why is it called like that? Couldn’t they name it something a bit more interesting?”
“Well, it’s a truck, 'because it even travels in muck'!” Bruno recited.
Mary nodded as if that made complete sense. They stood like that for half a minute, each in their own thoughts.
“I’m thinking of making a new toy,” Bruno said. “A dragon. It’ll be able to fly and breathe out smoke. Or fire, if I could figure out how to make it safe for children.”
Mary’s face darkened. “Is it going to be black? The dragon, I mean.”
“I don’t know, might be,” Bruno said.
“If it’s black,” Mary said, trying to sound casual, “can you make it do something ridiculous? Not grand and scary, but comical? Like, I don’t know, fart or something…”
“Hahahah, why?”
“I…” Mary stared at the ground where a little ant was crossing the room. “I don’t want Nurvureem to, um… win.”
Bruno turned and looked at her quizzically.
“Well, you know that Nurvureem wants everyone to be scared of her, right?” Mary said. “We should make her look ridiculous instead. That’s how we beat her.”
“You’re really traumatized by her, eh?” Bruno said.
Mary frowned. “‘Traumatized’ is a strong word,” she said. “I was scared, that’s all.”
“I think it’s better that people don’t know about Nurvureem at all,” Bruno said. “Let her be forgotten by history and the world.”
“You’ve… got a point,” Mary said.
The mechanical clock in the room was ticking, breaking the silence with its rhythm.
“Why a dragon?” Mary asked. “Can’t you make a pegasus instead?
“Yeah, of course,” Bruno said with a shrug. “If I can make a dragon, I for sure can make a pegasus, too. But what's with you and pegasi?”
Mary gave out a long dreamy sigh. “I’ve always wanted to have a pegasus. They can fly, you know? And they’re so beautiful!”
“I’ve heard that there are gryphons in Zerakas tol," Bruno said. "They can fly, too.”
“Yes, the gryphons aren’t bad, but they’re not pegasi. Did you know they’re a symbol of the goddess Ioun? The very first Bearers who were under her protection used pegasi to deliver their messages all around the world!”
”Ioun is the goddess you worship?”
Mary nodded.
“Hm…” Bruno absentmindedly stroked his amulet. “I haven’t seen you pray to her.”
“Because I honor her in other ways,” Mary said. “For example, by reading a lot and learning new things. Ioun is the goddess of knowledge.”
“I see.” Bruno paused, as if thinking about what Mary’d just said. “Do you know why there are no more pegasi?”
Mary shook her head.
“Well, maybe you should look into it. Try to find out what happened to them and get yourself a real one to ride.”
“Yeah, I might try that.” Mary smiled pensively.
The clock was still ticking. Mary felt so much at ease talking to Bruno like that. She remembered them being on edge back in the tunnels but this was different. Bruno could be a very nice company when they weren’t in mortal danger.
“I can make the pegasus toy fart,” he said with a devilish smile.
“The pegasi don’t do that!” Mary exclaimed, indignantly.
“Oh, they sure do!” Bruno said. “It’s just that nobody has seen them.”
“They must fart rainbows,” Mary said with a giggle.
“Yeah, and smell of perfume while doing it!”
They spent the next few minutes thinking up other funny things pegasi did and laughed a lot.
“Thank you, by the way,” Mary said when the quiet had moved into the room again. “For giving that tram to Leefie. Did you see how the other kids flocked around him?”
“Yeah!” Bruno rubbed his hands together. “After this success I'm going to get so many orders!”
“Oh!” Mary looked at him pleadingly. “Please don’t make any toys that are better than Leefie’s!”
“I can’t guarantee that. After all, it was my first attempt, I’m bound to get better the more I practice.”
Mary sighed. “You know, it was nice seeing him be treated so well for once. The other kids always make fun of him because of me." She felt anger rise in her chest. "It’s not fair, you know? It was enough when they called me a ‘giant’ and whatnot, why do they have to bully Leefie as well?”
“It's just kids being kids,” Bruno shrugged. “Do you think I wasn't made fun of when I was little?”
Mary frowned, not knowing what Bruno was talking about. By now she was so used to him being what he is, that she couldn't imagine anyone treating him badly. But then it dawned on her – he had been the only albino dwarf she’d seen in Belfast. It must have been hard to grow up as ‘the odd one’. She knew the feeling.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Bruno shrugged. “It’s not a big deal,” he said. “I didn’t just stand there and take it, I gave back as much as I got.”
Mary stared at the window, remembering her childhood days.
“I usually ran away,” she mumbled. “Or locked myself in the library and spent my time among the books.”
“Oh, you can’t do that in Belfast,” Bruno said. “There, you have to be strong and firm to be accepted.”
Mary tried to make a joke. “Is that why there are so many dwarves with beer bellies?”
“Where did you see a dwarf like that?” Bruno scoffed. “Do I have a beer belly?!”
“No, Bruno,” Mary sighed. “You’re strong and firm.”
“Damn right I am! In Belfast, we all have to be in great shape – working in the mine is no joke. The only dwarves having beer bellies are the ones that lie about all day. They are a minority. Drinking and lazing about is not accepted there.”
“Yeah, is that why I see you having an ale with the Glitterspring brothers every evening?” Mary said.
“After working hard all day? Of course!” Bruno patted his belly. “You should try it, too.”
“What, the ale?”
“Yeah, but also the 'talking with people' part. It might be nice to find new friends, you know?”
“I already have friends,” Mary murmured.
They stayed like this for a long time before Mary spoke.
“Can you send another message to Aurum?”
Bruno did. There was no answer, still.
“What if he’s dead?”
Bruno scoffed. “More like on drugs. Or sleeping after a long night of love-making!”
The clock ticked. They could hear Frinkeltong awaken on the street outside of their house.
“You know what?” Bruno said. “Us dwarves, we are so much like you gnomes, in the way we treat our work. You are just as hard-working as we are. But you also know how to have fun, and that’s something we don’t have in Belfast.”
“Bruno, I’m not…” Mary began.
“Yeah, I know. You’ll say you’re not a gnome. But if you’re raised by gnomes, you’re technically one yourself.”
Mary smiled. That was the first time something like that had ever occurred to her.
“You’re not that different from the other gnomes,” Bruno said and patted her hand. “And know, every time you feel lonely or need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Mary gave out a long and happy sigh and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat like this, listening to the clock, while outside, the sounds of Frinkeltong’s evening fiesta were starting to pick up speed.
So? Did you like Mary and Bruno’s interaction? And do you think Pegasi can fart?
Hope to see you next time when I think something big is about to happen!
Until then,
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide and the Glossary for the series. You're welcome!)