(2024-05-23) Everybody Likes Pie

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Author:	Jessa
Summary:	Ozzy, Zeke, Merelda, and Kenelly meet up in the tree. Hunger rears its pie-shaped head.
Rating:	T for Teen

[Oslynn]: A large feline sneeeeeaks into Tal'doren, slipping past Crowley and beelining for Zeke. When she spots him she crouches, her rear end wiggling back and forth.

Zeke stands in the tree, practicing with his mace. His fingernails keep getting in the way.

Merelda wanders out from wherever it was she was resting. Oddly enough, she appears to be human. She nods at Zeke, and wanders over in that general direction.

Ozzy POUNCES and tries to knock Zeke flat!!

Merelda flinches at the attack, and then groans as she transforms back into worgen form. "Zeke, are you alright? Ozzy… you shouldn't startle people so."

Zeke gets knocked flat! He turns with claws ready, still on the ground. "Dammit, Ozzy!" He scrambles to his feet, shaking off leaves and dirt and embarrassment.

"Did you see?" Ozzy looks proud. "See wot Vassandra taught me to do??"

Merelda closes her eyes, breathing deeply, and her form melts back into human. "Yes, very impressive Ozzy. A different animal."

"Ain't see nufffin," Zeke grumbles.
[Oslynn]: "Look!" She does it again, turning into a large wolfish feline.

[Ezekeal]: "Oi!" he says, surprised. He looks at Merelda in case she can do it, too. " 'ow'd you do that?"

[Oslynn]: "Vaffandra fayv i'm a natural!" she says, awkwardly and perhaps startlingly with her feline mouth.

Merelda seems to have her composure back, no risk of turning into an unusual beast. "Is it a night elf thing?"

[Oslynn]: "Ftiww gettin the hang of talkin wif veev fangv, vo." She shakes her head, then shifts back to worgen.

"I wanna learn!" Zeke says, envious.

[Oslynn]: "Yes! So they've got these witches called druids, see. An' they can turn into all manner of beasts. Vassandra says I go' a gift fer it. Well you're no' a witch, are ya, Zeke." Ozzy says a little smugly.

[Merelda]: "Perhaps I should speak with her myself. I would like to master this shapechanging business."

Kenelly awakens from a short nap, nestled in the roots of Tal'doren (being a new worgen is exhausting). Spotting a familiar face, she hurries over excitedly. "Lady Veyne!"

[Oslynn]: "I mean you could bof' try I suppose— Oh hey Kennelly???"

Merelda smiles. "Lady Ashewood. I'm glad to see you made it here."

Zeke eyes Kenelly with suspicion.

[Merelda]: "This is the woman I was proposing we accept into our pack."

"It's okay Zeke," says Ozzy. "She's one of me friends from the coven."
[Oslynn]: "Well maybe not 'friends', loike, but I know 'er."

Kenelly lifts her brow curiously at Ozzy, who clearly recognizes her. "Hello! Um…so sorry, are you…?"
[Kenelly]: Wait…OZZY?!

Zeke sniffs in Kenelly's direction. "Can she turn into a cat, too?"

[Oslynn]: "Oh gosh, one second…"
Ozzy focuses. "hhnngggghhhhhhh"
Ozzy turns back into her human form. "Ta da!" she says… then instantly turns back.

"It IS you!" Kenelly laughs in delight and opens her arms to Oslynn.

Ozzy hugs her in worgen form. Lorge furry hug.
[Oslynn]: "So this is Zeke, he's good fun. Guess you know fancypants here." She jerks her head toward Merelda.

[Kenelly]: Kenelly giggles and snuggles the fuzzy Ozzy.

"It's really odd, but I find I'm getting to recognize people by smell," Merelda says, sniffing the air with her inferior human nose. "And yes, we were acquaintances before, and we're both still alive," Merelda nods. "I think that makes us friends."

[Oslynn]: "Roight? Even when I turn back 'uman I can still smell better. It's weird."

"'Ello, Zeke!" Just being in Ozzy's presence for a minute and Kenelly is already slipping into more common speech. "Nice to meet you."

Ozzy randomly slams her shoulder into Zeke's, sort of an aggressive armless hug.

Zeke grumbles out a reluctant, "'Lo." He looks at Ozzy. "Rhenardt met 'er yet?"

Ozzy looks to Merelda, uncertain. "I been gone a bit."

"I've noticed the same," Kenelly agrees. "About smelling people. Also, it's so strange, but…I couldn't wait to be human-shaped again. But now…it feels not quite right. Like I'm wearing a costume. Um…Rhenardt?"

Zeke's ears flatten.

"Lord Graves. 'E's our pack leader," Ozzy explains.

"No, not yet. I'm hoping to introduce them," Merelda smiles reassuringly at Oslynn.

[Ezekeal]: "So she ain't pack."

"Well, no, but the pack is not the only thing in the world," Merelda's smile falters.

"An' she might be, if Lord Graves says," Ozzy adds stubbornly.

Zeke stares at Merelda in confusion. It's not?

"I'll go see if I can find Lord Graves," Merelda says with a nod. "Then you won't need to be confused anymore."

Kenelly smiles softly at Zeke. "But I'd like to think I'm a friend of your pack, for now."

Merelda wanders off in human form, looking for Rhenardt.

Zeke grumbles a little. "Well, I s'pose you can be a friend of the pack. Since Ozzy and Merelda knows you an' all."

Kenelly gives him a grin. "Fanks. Thanks!" She giggles. "Wha'ever."

"Yeah, she's awright." Ozzy pats Zeke. Or thumps him, really.

"Does she know 'bout yer other body?" Zeke asks, up-nodding to Kenelly while looking at Ozzy.

"Ohhhhh." Ozzy grins. "Wanna see? I can be FREE fings."

Kenelly gawks. "Wot? Really?"

[Oslynn]: "Yeah, it's an old noightelf DRUID trick. I'm a DRUID now I guess." Look. She concentrates, and suddenly turns into a large cat.
[Oslynn]: "Ftiww learnin ow to tawk im viff fawm vo." She's even more unintelligible than usual.

"I can't do it," Zeke complains. There's a strained look on his face like he's trying to shift. Or something that sorta rhymes with it.

Kenelly gasps and laughs in delight! "That's BRILLIANT!"

Ozzy turns back into her worgen form so she can mock Zeke sufficiently. "You gotta have one of the elfs teach you, silly."

"She sneaks up on yer like that, though, an' jumps ya," Zeke warns Kenelly.

"Oh I'd never do that to Kenelly." Ozzy asserts. And does not explain.

Kenelly laughs.

Rude. Zeke snaps in the air near Oslynn's ear, not at all trying to actually bite her.

Ozzy snaps back, similarly.

Zeke's jaw hangs open, a worgenish smile.
[Ezekeal]: A thought occurs to him, "'ere, don't go teaching Malcolm that. 'e's bad nuff as 'e is."

Kenelly stretches a shoulder uncomfortably. "'Scuse me a moment." She grits her teeth, bracing for the change, and lets her body find its way back to what has become more natural.
Kenelly sighs in relief.

"Aww, you're so pretty loike that," Ozzy says approvingly of Kenelly's worgen form.
Ozzy steps closer to peer at her eyes, then sniff her.

Zeke nods his agreement and seems to relax a bit. "'s more normal."

"Aww…fanks, luv." Kenelly beams at Ozzy, sniffing back in response.
Kenelly nods to Zeke. "Just feels roight, don't it?"

[Oslynn]: "So I 'eard some gossip a bit ago, wanna 'ear it?" Ozzy bounces on the balls of her wolfy feet.

"What gossip?" Zeke asks, trying not to look too curious.

"Gossip?" Kenelly's small ears perk. "Oh, I really shouldn't. It ain't polite. Tell me, tell me."

"Okay so you remember Belysra?" Ozzy says. "The priest who— well Kenelly won't remember, but she was loike, lurkin' in an old abandoned mill. First noight elf we ever seen."

"Smelled weird," Zeke remembers. "An' she was a funny color."

"I've 'eard that name mentioned by some of the elves, yeah." Kenelly nods, leaning in to hear the gossip.

"Real purple," Ozzy agrees with Zeke. "She's the one wot directed our pack how to come 'ere to Tall Doren. SO. She's runofft now back to the City."

"Lady's Light…why would she do a fing loik that?" Kenelly frowns in concern. "I heard the city was overrun."

Zeke looks surprised. "Wot? Why?" He nods at Kenelly.

"I got no idea wot's goin' on there. But some friend of 'ers — Emmalaine or somefin? — she's gone missin'. An' I guess she thought she'd be there for some reason? My guess is we'll never see 'er again. Fings can't be good in the City now, roight?" Ozzy sighs. "Shame, she was noice."

Zeke snorts. "Stupid," is his stated opinion. "She gotta get et for sure."

Ozzy nods emphatically, eyes wide.

"Ahh. Suppose I must admire the loyalty to a friend. I'll pray for her safety." Kenelly sighs solemnly.

"Oh, I guess I could do that too. I'm not sure wot to pray to anymore though…" Ozzy considers.

Zeke's brow furrows as he thinks it over, too.

[Kenelly]: "You must do what you feel's roight, Ozzy. But the Light and the land will always be wif us."

[Ezekeal]: "Sailors swear by the sea an' the moon all the time," he says.

"The elfs have a moon goddess Elune, an' also the druids have this god Cenarius, she said. But 'e died? But some of 'em still pray to 'im?" Ozzy shrugs.

"Gods can die?" Zeke looks even more puzzled and scratches behind one ear.

"Nuffing ever truly dies." Kenelly smiles. "We all return to the earf and become part of the circle again. Seems like maybe that's true for gods, too, yeah?"

"Yeah, orcs killed 'im, she said. Demon orcs." Ozzy's eyes are a bit too avid as she relates this tragedy. She may think it's kind of cool.

Zeke snickers. "When we was young, we'd pray to fings like no one lookin' after pies in windows."

Kenelly grimaces. "Sounds awful. Demon orcs." She shivers, her fur standing up on end.

Ozzy giggles. "Hey remember that time you stood on the trash bin to get that pie and then you fell in? Or was that Geoffy?"

"Oooh…I could devour a mincemeat pie about now." Kenelly licks her chops.

Zeke grumbles. "Was me. I dumped the can on Geoffy tryin' ter get out."

Ozzy laughs, then sighs. "Noice as this tree is, one thing it definitely lacks is pies."

Kenelly giggles, paw covering her muzzle.

Zeke's stomach growls at the mention of mincemeat pie.

[Oslynn]: "Maybe the pack'll get to go back to Stormglen soon? Bet someone there can make a pie."

[Kenelly]: "Just you wait. When we come out the ovver side of all this, I'll bake us a lovely pie."

[Oslynn]: "Oh, you know 'ow to make pies? We're definitely friends then."

Zeke looks hopeful. "Maybe yer can tell Lord Graves an' that'll make 'im make you pack."

"I've never baked for you? Aw, now I must remedy that." Kenelly sighs wistfully. "I miss baking."
[Kenelly]: "Ooh, does Lord Graves like pie?"

"Zeke, that's a bloody great idea. I bet Lord Graves likes pie." Ozzy nods. Of course he must.

"Everybody likes pie." Zeke nods too.

"So wot kinda pies do you like ta make?" she asks Kenelly. She is now visibly drooling a little.

Kenelly nods sagely. "That's true. I don't fink I've ever met someone who don't loik pie." Kenelly considers Ozzy's question. "Well…I can do mincemeat, apple, rhubarb, cherry…"

Ozzy whines softly.

Zeke licks his chops. "Cherry pie's the best. An' blueberry."

"Why did I ask? Now all I can fink about is pie." Ozzy whines again.

Kenelly nods excitedly. "Probably my favorite, though, is pumpkin pie. I make 'em every year around Hallow's End and Pilgrim's Feast."

"I fink I saw some pumpkins on the way 'ere…" Just a hint.

Ozzy bounces a little, whining some more. "Yes, yesssss… punkiin pie!"

Zeke considers it. "You'll prolly wanna be human-shaped. Don't get fur in it."

"Ohhhh…" Ozzy stops, considering this. "I suppose there are SOME fings 'uman form's better for," she concedes almost sulkily. Then she brightens. "Luckily I'm pants at all those fings anyway."

"Hmm…I s'pose you're roight." Kenelly sighs a little. "Plus, kitchens ain't made for us at this size."

Ozzy giggles a little, perhaps trying to picture a worgen rampaging through a human kitchen.

[Kenelly]: "At least I'd never need a stepladder to reach the high shelves again!"

"An' you'll get flour all over yer fur," Zeke notes.

Kenelly giggles. "Gettin' covered in flour is half the fun of bakin'!"

Zeke snickers. "Eatin's the other 'alf."

Ozzy, her train of thought perhaps going from flour to flower, randomly picks one of the wild red roses growing in the grass, and goes to stick it in Kennelly's mane behind her ear.

Kenelly giggles, nodding in agreement with Zeke, but then holding very still for Oslynn.

Zeke stares at Ozzy, uncertain and kinda weirded out, tbh.
[Kenelly]: She lifts her hand to lightly touch the rose, then turns to embrace Ozzy in thanks.

"There! Pretty!" Ozzy beams, satisfied and hugging her back. Maybe a little harder than necessary. Cronch.

[Ezekeal]: He shakes his head a little. Girls, man.

"Zeke an' I ain't really the flowers type, but it seemed ta suit you." Ozzy smiles.

"I love it. Fanks." Kenelly beams. "Bless, you've gotten so strong, Ozzy."

[Ezekeal]: "Nah. Flowers ain't good for nuffin." He thinks about it. "Does look pretty on ya," he allows, grudging.

Kenelly shrugs her shoulders is a blushy sort of way.

[Oslynn]: "Roight? I could probably lift Zeke." She eyes him up and down, obviously considering trying.

Zeke's ears flatten and he growls a warning. Do not do the thing.

Kenelly steps back a little in case she tries.

Ozzy grrrrrins and reeeeaches out threateningly.

Zeke tries to cuff her upside her head. "Not on yer best day!"

Ozzy is cuffed, and lets out a little yelp, but then grins and attempts to bonk him on the snout.

Zeke is bonked and rubs his nose, sneezing.

Ozzy cackles, satisfied. Then she turns into a cat and runs around doing zoomies for a few.

Zeke watches, envious. "C'n you do that?" he asks Kenelly.

Kenelly giggles! "I can't," Kenelly shakes her head. "I'd love to learn how, though."

Ozzy heads back over to them and rams her feline head into Zeke's hip, purring.

Automatically, he reaches down to scratch her head.

[Oslynn]: Purrrr.

"I'm starvin'" Zeke complains. "We shouldn'ta talked 'bout pies so much."

Ozzy shifts back to worgen form, Zeke's hand still on her head. "Hunt??" she suggests.

[Kenelly]: "Hmm. I don't have the stuff for pies, but if we scrounge up some eggs or meat, I could cook us up somefing."

Hurriedly, Zeke snatches his hand back. "Sure!" He looks at Kenelly. "Wanna come hunt? You don't need to cook meat if'n yer in this form."

"Meat we can get easy," says Ozzy. "There's deer not far. We could cook it or not."

Kenelly winces. "Ah…eatin' raw meat is one part of the last seven years I fink I'm gonna leave behind. But…I confess, the hunt is thrilling."

"Let's hunt then - an' you can cook after," Ozzy suggests.

Zeke sighs. "Fine, you can cook it."

Kenelly beams. "You won't regret it!"