Dori gurgled at the reflection in the water, laughing at what the still surface showed. Missing the others while they went to fancy up, not understanding this hiding in rooms to exchange old seaweed accessories for new. Does the equivalent of a transphibian shrug and goes to look for the other team members. Outfit Not Found

Outfit Not FoundFrenzy looked again into the mirror and sighed, muttering to herself, "What a waste of time and effort it was getting ready for court. And this stupid dress, I nearly trip over it every time I take a step in these ridiculous shoes. I would much rather be out fighting foes and getting covered with blood." Taking another glance, she gave a stray hair a pat back into place and thought, "I scrub up OK with a bit of effort".

Elne had always worn only the most practical clothing. Pockets were a necessity for various items that might be of use in her travels. She admired the beautiful dress she wore for the Seelie court and though it was the finest garment she had ever seen, she could not help but examine the hem to see if it might be possible to create a pocket or two. Elne appreciated the beauty of the fabric but longed to be in her comfortable clothing. She gave Millie an affectionate pat on the head, unsure if she was comforting her companion or herself then left to meet with her friends. Outfit Not Found

Outfit Not Found Chandie was missing her grandmother's bracelet and her companion Ginger until tomorrow but at least got the dress promising the owner she would return it with a gift after the visit to the Seelie court. She just hoped the owner would give her bracelet back at the time..and hoped she could find a good gift to trade for it! Ginger was helping guard the shop just for the night.. another trade for this shiny wig she added to her own hair. Sighing Chandie began to grab all the scrolls she could find... "I must find the best music I have!" The time spent until leaving was involved in studying one scroll after another making sure she was familiar with all the music they could possibly need.

Dressing up actually turned out to be fun. The group scattered to rummage through the closets in the Squirrel's and Goose's back rooms. Celeste, impeccably dressed as always, knew a lot about cuts and fabrics, had found a stunning dress in a matter of minutes and decided to help the others out. Gavin and Aodh were first. "Gavin, Aodh, I need you two to look especially good - we're going to the Seelie court, remember? I don't know what their stance on Unseelie heritage is... better be cautious." Aodh seemed to have more of an eye for elegant clothing than Gavin, but Celeste was sure he'd help his friend out. Probably no worries here, she'd check up on them later. Dana was the next one to approach her - she didn't know jack about dressing up, but it seemed she had to, and she'd need advice. "Sweet Shinwa, Celeste, I've tried five or six dresses, and they are all stiff and weird and too fancy, and I look like a snob, and most of them require more than an AA cup which is, frankly, utopic. I don't know what to do anymore." The mage couldn't help but smile - dresses had never presented themselves to her as problems. "What about this skirt? It's got a good color, it's soft and flowing - Faeries should like a more ethereal look, don't you think? And it won't be difficult to find you some simple top going with that." It fit Dana's figure well, and it was a shame that the mechanic refused more accessories than a few rings and a belt. That necklace would have gone so well with that outfit... Oh well. She should look after the others. "Scream if you need more help, okay? I'm gonna check in on Reyna and Amalia for once.", the mage said, already on her way.

Meanwhile, Amalia and Reyna were discussing in front of a mirror, holding dresses at each other. Reyna had had one picked out already, but Amalia had a point when she said "This one would fit your eyes so well, seriously." Reyna decided that the bronze adorned dress was indeed something to consider. Amalia was still trying to make her pick - she shared Dana's opinion about an outfit having to be comfortable and knew about the necessity to be able to move well, but most of these dresses were... impractical. She decided to start some girl talk. "Say, ever got a boyfriend?" "Nope", Reyna grinned, "and not out of misfortune. I never met a guy I liked. Girls, on the other hand..." The warrior scowled. Shit. Well, not that shit - nothing against loving the ladies here, but that meant Celeste winning that bet got a bit more possible. That damn mage had to have a gay radar. "And you?", came the question back. "Oh, one here and there, but noone yet that I'd keep for life, I guess", Amalia answered, and then her face lit up. "Hah! I got a fun story there though. Once a guy tried to get me by impressing me with his sword, can you imagine? And then I--" "With his sword", the ranger snorted. "Pfff... I can't even scold you! My jokes aren't better... but no, seriously, with his real sword! Anyway, I challenged him to a fight and obviously..." She continued her story.

Celeste, having overheard the first part of conversation, giggled to herself. Ah, Amalia's face when Reyna answered... She continued walking over to Lizzy, who had arrived by now and gotten right to work. The polymath looked pretty cute in the outfit she had chosen - it was a charming, flowing orange dress with a matching birdcage veil - and Celeste decided to leave it at that. "Hey, you look lovely!" Lizzy smiled, and then winked. "Thanks! You know, I have someone here who helps me choosing." She petted Ratte who sat on her shoulder. Celeste chuckled. "Think he could help Gavin, too? Maybe you should go over - he still looks a bit clueless, and Aodh seems to have gone." Lizzy nodded, gathered her skirts and went off.

But Aodh hadn't just disappeared. Dana was still suspiciously examining the choice of shoes Celeste had given her when he came around the corner. "Think you can help me? Tell me if this looks good enough to meet a Seelie king." Dana turned around. He looked pretty good. "Well, it's... okay I guess", she murmured. Aodh's eyebrows went up. "So bad?" She made a vague gesture in return. The bard sighed. "I'm not blind, you know. You're doing very low-key, but you do seem to avoid me sometimes, and you're more uneasy around me and Gavin than around the others. Gavin is way too much in his thoughts to notice, but I do. Is it our Unseelie blood?" He was spot on. Dana made a step back. "I'm not-- no, it's not - okay, it is. I thought I felt it. So you are Unseelie, huh?" Damn. She hadn't expected him to be so direct. Avoiding Aodh had not really been intentional, more... instinctive. It had just been so easy to always work with someone else, even with Gavin on the ship - they had been the best two for the job, and if she had to think this out loud, he did seem more harmless that Aodh did. Aodh shook his head. "So you noticed. But you noticed wrong. You say "you are Unseelie", but I'm also human. I'm half human, and Gavin is way more human than I am. Have you thought about that?" Dana had not. Aodh sighed at the silence. "To be honest, this teaming up thing is something I usually just don't do, but it feels surprisingly good.", he continued. "Gavin is a good friend, and you all are nice people, and, surprisingly for myself, I'd like to work with you. But I'd prefer it if you would also like to work with me. I harbor no hostility towards anyone here, or I wouldn't be here. Just think about it. You know I'm the last one wanting to go to that court." Dana looked down. Her thoughts spun through her head. Hell, she wasn't exactly keen on visiting the Seelie court herself. And here she was, judging faefolk who made a first step towards her. Ugh. She felt like a coward. "But for now, back to the issue at hand.", Aodh continued further." You know, I've come to you with this question because you probably have a similarly critical gaze on me as the Seelie king will have. If you think I look good to go, I probably do. Come on, help me out." She looked back up. He did have a point, and he was being calm and reasonable about it, and she should, too. She needed time to think about this, but she could at least tell him that he did indeed look good. The mechanic threw the bard an apologizing look, unable to vocalize any of it. "Okay. Your outfit looks great." Aodh smiled a knowing smile, and she insisted. "No really. That top is a killer."

When Lizzy arrived, Gavin had already found a pretty presentable outfit. "Ooh, not bad!", she said, and he turned around and spread his arms. "Harder work than building a spaceship, in my humble opinion. But I will still need a pair of shoes. May I show you the choice of four pairs I have already made? We just need to determine which one is the best. I thought about doing it by comparing color data, what do you think?" Lizzy chuckled. "I think you won't even need that - how about you put them on one after another and I and Ratte have a look on it?" "That does seem like a more effective method. Looking at you, I do think your judgement might be trustworthy." "Ah, I feel so honored!", Lizzy exclaimed, and both laughed. After a while, they decided on a pair of matching grey boots and even found a jabot to top the whole thing off. Lizzy stood back and had a final look. "Alright, that looks very good! Think I'm gonna see how far the others got, what do you think?" In that moment, Celeste came back. "That looks pretty much perfect, Gavin! You know, I could get used to having wardrobes this big. We will all look amazing." "If I may ask", said Lizzy, "what will you wear?" This time it was Celeste's turn to wink. "It's gonna be a surprise!"

In the end, the group met up to look at each other. Aodh admired his friend's chic ensemble, Celeste made the ever-so-grumpy Amalia wear another bracelet, and when Dana refused the mage's attempts to accessorize everyone else, even Larianne peeked in and suggested flowers. Reyna obliged happily and fastened a few roses from the Squirrel's garden in the mechanic's short brown hair. Amalia's expression turned a tiny bit more grumpy, but it couldn't really dampen her excitement to go where few mortals ever go. Lizzy, silently watching her team, smiled to herself. She knew they would all look amazing, and she could just imagine them in the faerie realm...

Laurie was so engrossed in the search for mondegreens and recording their answers in her notebook the rest of the groups fashion chatter went right over her head.  After kicking around a handful of songs on the list they had found different answers for and deciding which one to submit she handed their answers back to Ertrude, smiling confidently. "We'll win those tickets to the BorderBy concert, I'm sure of it." she said quietly, excusing herself with a nod.  Returning to the table where the rest of the Fallen Angels were sitting she could hardly contain her excitement, "I'm so excited, aren't you excited!?  If we get this right, I'll be able to record all kinds of information about a place I've never read anything about, groups I've never heard perform, music I'm pretty sure I've never heard, this is great!  I hope I've got enough pencils, do you.."

Interrupting before she got too far off track Atrueheart said "You're getting ahead of yourself, Laurie", smiling and shaking her head as she spoke.  "We need to get ready to visit the Seelie Court first, remember?"  The reluctant warrior sat down with a defeated sigh, "To be one of the first researchers to record first hand some of the details of their magical realm and perhaps even interact with the inhabitants is also a dream come true, but.. well.. I don't know a thing about fashion other than what I've read in books or heard about from your adventures last year.  The last thing I want to do is embarrass you guys or myself, maybe I should stay here and keep an eye on our companions."   "Nonsense!" Atrueheart declared as the others nodded in agreement.  "Fallen Angels are a team and there is no way we're leaving you behind!  Why don't we start with having a look at your best outfit, everyone's best outfits.  Once you've decided on what to wear, everyone meet me in my quarters."  Laurie frowned a bit then shrugged and smiled shyly.  She knew the girls would put hours into getting ready for covert missions but hey, how bad could it be?  

As the Fallen Angels returned to their rooms, True and Jeice were chatting back and forth with Calie and Talli about some potions and spells while Webby seemed to almost bounce with excitement as she joined their conversation now and again.  Laurie followed behind, nodding at what she felt were appropriate times, lost in thought.  This was the opportunity of a lifetime for a research buff but the thought of making a fool of herself weighed so heavily on her mind not wandering down the wrong wing was a miracle in itself.  "Isn't that your room?" Webby asked, nudging her before she went too terribly far past it and with a quick smile she nodded, "It sure is," she murmured, "Thanks Webby" and went inside.

Best bib and tucker, what an interesting way to put things.. there should be some kind of dress in here somewhere, shouldn't there? she mumbled to herself, digging deep into the back of her closet.  Hope toddled over to see what all the fuss was about just about the same time Laurie found what she was looking for.  "Found it!"  Hope toppled over the mound of clothes left in the searches wake and Laurie giggled, leaving the cub to play in them while she rummaged about in her bag for a necklace and slipped on her most comfortable pair of hiking boots.  Pulling her hair back into it's usual ponytail she called to Hope, "C'mon you, lets get you to Moriel, I don't think you'll be coming with me this time and that way I'll know you're not getting into trouble."

Once inside Talli's quarters she reminded Hope to be on her best behavior - making sure Jinx also heard what she was saying before leaving her in Moriels capable paws along with the rest of the team's companions.  Chattering non-stop (as is her custom when she's nervous) she about talked Talli's ear off as the two of them then headed to True's quarters where they found their leader standing in front of a lavishly embroidered wall hanging of the softest shades of blues ever seen.  "Oh WOW, True, where did you get that?" Laurie gasped, knowing full well she would not get an answer, a bard/companion never reveals her resources.  "You look amazing," Talli called out, making her way to True's dressing room, "I'm next!"  

As the girls modeled their outfits one by one Laurie felt more than a little out of place.  To hide her discomfort, she quipped "What have you got back there True, a magic mirror or something?" she teased, "You guys go in looking like scruff-muffins and come out looking like royalty!"  Jeice elbowed her in the ribs and laughed.  "You're about to find out for yourself smarty pants, you're up."

Changing into her dress she nervously thought Maybe I shouldn't have waited to go last, too late now..   As she took her turn in front of the stunning piece she tripped over nothing, her face turning crimson.  True smiled reassuringly as she eyed Laurie up and down.  "Oh wow.  Are those boots on your feet?  That's not going to work hon, does anyone have something her size that might?"  "I do!" Webby said, "I'll be right back!"  "But no one's going to see my feet under my dress and they're my favorite boots."  Laurie replied, "I wear them everywhere."  Jeice laughed out loud and True just shook her head, "Lose the boots" she said while handing Laurie one of the thinnest shawls she had ever seen.  

"Let's start with this" True said taking Laurie's arm and leading her back to the dressing area.  "Start with?" Laurie shuddered a bit, she knew True spared no expense, time or pain when it came to looking her best which was not something Laurie was interested in in the least.  In other words, she had no idea what to expect and was NOT looking forward to it.  That evil little giggle from Jeice didn't help either.

Placing Laurie in a chair beside an overflowing vanity True called out "Talli, Calie, were y'all able to find something to help with the finishing touches?" "Sure did" Talli replied, "I used a spell to renew some of Calie's dried flowers which will give us enough to go 'round for everyone."  "And I had some oils that will work wonders on that wild head of hair she's got," Calie chimed in.  "And slippers, I found a pair that will be perfect!" Webby announced as she re-entered the room.  "Flowers?  Oils?  Wait just a minute!  What's my hair got to do with anything!?" Laurie exclaimed in protest.  "Flowers and oils, perfectly harmless and there's nothing wrong with your hair that a little Angel magic wont fix." True responded, turning her away from the mirror, "now close your eyes and relax."  

Much to Jeice's amusement and Laurie's on-going protests True removed the scrunchies that held her thick head of hair in place and got to work, joined by the others as her protests got louder.  "OUCH!" "STOP PULLING MY HAIR!" "THATS NO BRUSH, IT'S A TORTURE DEVICE!" "OH NO YOU DON'T! JEICE GIVE ME BACK MY PENCIL!" "WHAT ARE YOUR SPRAYING?" "THAT BETTER WASH OUT!" "THAT HURT!" "GET THAT COMB AWAY FROM ME!" "CALIE THAT SMELLS!" "CUT THAT OUT!" "WEBBY WHAT IS THAT?" "I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE!"

"Ok you big baby, we're done!" True declared and turned the reluctant warrior around so she could look at the end result in her mirror.  Unsure if she really wanted to open her eyes, Laurie hesitated and Jeice whispered "You clean up nice, for a bookworm."  Laurie had to open her eyes to glare at her friend but instead gasped in surprise at her reflection.  "Oh my goodness, who is that and where are my glasses?" she stammered.

"You're not going to be taking notes this time so you don't need them.  Now, lets go see how you look in front of the tapestry and for Squirrely's sake, remember to smile." True replied.  "No problem there, my face is stuck like this!" Laurie laughed, then asked the rest of the "So.. how do I look?"

"You worry too much luv." Ravensong told Armina as she dug through her bags to find what was needed to help transform the warrior into the woman she knew was hiding beneath the surface.

Setting aside clothing for herself, Ravensong glanced over at Fern, "Do you have something to wear doll? Help yourself to whatever you need from my bag." she murmured, humming a happy little tune as she began holding various fabrics up against Armina to decide what would work best with her complexion.

Fern spent some time looking through her sister's things, deciding against using cosmetics and instead she fashioned herself some jewelry and a large ribbon to help accentuate the gown she'd chosen.

As Armina stood before a full length mirror with a prominent look of disgust upon her face, she noticed that Turf was watching her, “What are you looking at,” she growled without turning to face him. The warrior was evidently very uncomfortable in her current attire even though she had to admit she looked fabulous. However she really could do without the bright red lip color that Ravensong thought would brighten her smile.

“Armina, you look so elegant,” said Turf, smiling an innocent smile, “What about me, will this do?” As he said this, he chanted some ancient words and a cloud of glamour magic burst around him and his companion Frink. When the cloud dissipated he was wearing something a bit more formal and Frink, being able to take on the aspects of Turf’s spells, had changed into a more delightful and friendly looking fairy. Frink joined Armina at the mirror and when seeing how he looked, made a disgusted face.

The warrior blushed, not used to compliments; she tried unsuccessfully to hide her embarrassment by blaming it on the makeup. Turf looked fantastic but Armina was afraid to say so for fear the others would notice her infatuation with him. The satyr wasn't really familiar with her mannerisms but the others would surely notice right away. She remained silent, winking at Frink as he joined her in the mirror.

Fern, still not accustomed to dressing up was quite nervous when joining her companions in the mirror. In many ways, Fern was still very much a child in mind and as she studied her reflection she couldn't help but twirl, a smile brightening her face at the way the ruffles on her dress flowed around her, "Everyone looks so nice..." Fern said softly, casting a meaningful glance at Turf's reflection before shyly lowering her eyes.

Suddenly Turf realized that Max was nowhere to be seen, “Anyone seen Max,” he asked his friends. They all looked puzzled and then Turf added, “Well he did seem a little reluctant about the Enchanted Coach. He’ll turn up, I’m sure. I'm guessing he went to find an outfit.”

She pondered over all that had happened in the past couple of days, absentmindedly stroking Albert’s soft ears whilst wondering if Kelian would scrub up well. What a whirlwind it had been! She was glad of these few hours of calm, not being used to the company of others it took some adjusting to, they were all likeable enough, even Nightshade (who insisted upon wearing his sword at all times) was at least polite if in a rather offhand way.

But she had to admit to a flutter of excitement at the thought of visiting the Seelie Court, it was even worth the bother of dressing for the occasion, feeling glad to have shoved one of her more formal outfits at the bottom of her rucksack, she wondered if Ms Miranda had an iron and would lend her a hairdryer, since she had sacrificed hers, otherwise her mop of long black hair would take a day to dry let alone get into some sort of ‘style’. Talking of style, she found Alberts bag of stuff and proceeded to give him a fettle with his washcloth, much to his disgust.

Nightshade sat on the balcony rails, unlike the others this wasn't the first time he'd visited a royal court. It was however the first time he'd be entering it through the front door!

He smiled at the memory of Lara fussing around trying to look her best for the event, how she managed to keep that mane of hers in order was beyond him. A gentle breeze blew by, almost like a stolen kiss and he breathed out a sigh, why can't he relax like the others? Each was fussing around trying different outfits, some even made new ones out of scratch! But the only thing on his mind was the missing Seelie prince. Perhaps there was a reward being offered for his return? Thankfully he's managed to get them the free tickets by solving the lyric puzzle (4 out of 10 heard them wrong? So 4 out of 10 are either deaf or morons, you'd think the number would be higher) so he was going to focus on getting intel on the kid first when they get to the court then go from there. This mission should prove very profitable if royalty was involved. News had come a few days prior, informing Amaryllis and her new friends that they had been summoned to Seelie Court. It was the first time she would be entering such a formal place, and upon hearing the news, a mix of excitement and anxiousness manifested in her emotions. A dozen more ideas popped up thereafter, and she resolved to look her finest, at least, given her circumstances.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Amaryllis quietly went through her to-do list and recounted the previous day's events.

Amaryllis went off to the market yesterday morning to buy some silk and pigments to make a skirt, and by evening, managed to dye it a nice shade of yellow. In the process, she scoured through the shops for accessories. With the help of Burnsley's keen eye, she bought two that looked authentic enough to pass off as gold: a necklace and earcuff made out of pyrite. The only thing on her list now was the eyeshadow - and she knew just the person to ask for help in making it. She left her room and made her way toward Ayla's.

Ayla glanced up at the knock on her door. She set aside her brush to answer it, hastily tucking a curl behind her ear. "Hi, Amaryllis, what can I do for you?" "I was hoping", the mage answered, "you might be able to mix me up a powder for eyeshadow- nothing too flashy, perhaps a bit smokey, with a bit of a glitter to it? If you have the time."

"Of course! I think I have just the thing, come in."

Ayla busied herself with mixing a bit of an Extraordinary Mineral Sample in her mortar with Mineral Blue Traditional Watercolor Chips and just a drop from her Bottle of Body Oil. Using her pestle, she crushed and blended the mix into a silky textured powder that should adhere to the skin perfectly. Amaryllis happily thanked her for her help and left the alchemist to her own preparations.

Ayla returned to the vanity and finished coiffing her luxuriant hair, finishing her outfit with just a touch of pink flower in the hair to offset the deeper burgandy of her gown. She glanced a moment at her mortar and pestle, a smile spreading on her lips. "Actually," she mused to herself, "a touch of eye shadow might be just the thing."

It wasn't a particularly posh room, but it was comfortable and it had the necessary equipment. Phineas stood before the small mirror, glancing over his reflection, and leaned in to pluck one more stray eye brow hair. "There," he mused, studying his face for a moment. "Now, for the nose."

Once his personal grooming was completed, he turned to the bed where upon lay his finery. It was his finest finery, the same outfit he donned when last he was in Centropolis and that leggy blond…but I digress. A smile on his lips, he dressed and turned to the mirror once more. Katja glanced up from her bath long enough to give him a cat-like stare and then flat out ignore him.

"You look Mah-vel-ous," Phineas told his reflection. He turned to the side and struck a pose. "Today," He murmured in his very best rich guy voice, "Phineas is modeling a gorgeous Kalvid Khind silk and lace suit. The pants, lovingly woven and embroidered by monks after hours of backbreaking labor," He made another quarter turn, "The cuffs and neck lace sublimely tatted, the jacket exquisitely cut to show off his rather buff and manly type form and what, a touch of red at waist and neck? How Daring!" The bard smiled to himself, frowned, picked out a bit of something from between his teeth, and then smiled again. He snagged his lyre, snapped his father's watch to its fob, and whistled as he bounded down the stairs, Katja following behind. The tune he whistled was probably the same tune Lara had stuck in her head, and if it were, so much the better; Phineas was not opposed to making sure it got stuck in everyone's head.

Kaiidth sighed some as she pulled out her fin formal clothes. She'd grown up in the woods and on the streets. The clothes were pretty put such a pain to put on. "Why do they always have so many layers!" She looked around the room some, realizing anyone could have walked in. Seeing no one, Kaiidth undressed and headed for a bath.

Drying off, Kaiidth came back and put on her bustle her over skirt that she'd altered a while ago with slits in the side to make it more comfortable to walk in. She clipped on this weird frilly bit to hold the skirt and bustle together, finishing by putting on her corset. Kaiidth looked to her companion. "Well, how does it look?" She sighed as the wolf howled almost teasingly at her. "Might as well head down then, yeah?" She double checks herself in the mirror, then changes her turquoise collar to a pink cameo before she heads out her door and down the stairs.

A rock star prince? Leaf couldn’t help but grin even as Kelian and Tanaka snorted. He could just picture his older brother on a stage with a band made up of his friends from warrior training. Then again…the young elf looked around at the other Misfits and his grin turned slightly wicked. Perhaps forming a band wasn’t that farfetched. He could be the lead singer and the girls could be his back-up/groupies. Maybe the other elven prince was on to something.

While Leaf was daydreaming, Jilly had been paying attention to Ertrude’s words. “A contest that’s a puzzle?” she said. “And it’s all songs? We can do that!”

“Of course we can,” Juana agreed. “Let’s see the list.” She grabbed for it and Amdir shook her head.

“There you go again,” the vagabond commented. “Let everyone have a look.”

Juana made a face but put the list down on a table so that everyone could see. Almost immediately Jilly found some she was familiar with and set to writing out lines. Juana made suggestions and Anna and Amdir wracked their brains for any they might have heard. Jenna made her way over just as the incident with Tanaka and Larianne took place.

The shrieks brought Leaf out of his musings and he had to laugh. Giving Tanaka a nod of amused congratulations, the elf joined his group. “Now that’s the way to handle feisty females,” he teased, twining a lock of Jenna’s hair around his finger.

“Don’t get any ideas,” the bard said warningly.

Leaf grinned and gave her an innocent look. “Me? Never,” he said laughingly.

Juana rolled her eyes. “Any ideas you get better be about this,” she waved the paper. “You need to help.”

“And you need to hush,” Leaf retorted. “I’ve done plenty already. It’s your turn.”

Before the pair could get into a heated argument about who had done the most for the group, Jenna exclaimed, “Oh look, I know this one!”

“Of course you do,” Leaf smiled. “You’re my…our…talented bard.”

Jenna blushed and returned the smile and Jilly wrote down the latest contribution just as Ertrude made the announcement about dressing up and visiting the Seelie court.

Leaf groaned at the tidings. Why oh why did his sire always have to be right?? His father had insisted that Leaf pack formal clothing as well as his comfortable, well worn ranger garb. Having heard that a prince was involved, Leaf’s father had decreed that HIS young prince would look the part and show this other youngling a thing or two about how to conduct himself properly. Now it appeared that Leaf was indeed in need of formal attire.

“While you ladies finish the puzzle, I will retire and get changed for our appearance at court,” Leaf said.

Juana snorted. “Because it will take you that long to get beautified, pretty boy.”

Leaf sent her a scathing look. “Some of us actually like to be on time,” he said. He wasn’t about to admit that he had never heard the songs and therefore had no clue how to help with the puzzle.

“Go ahead, Leaf,” Jenna smiled. “I’m sure the extra time will be well spent.”

Juana rolled her eyes at the mush and shared a look with Anna.

“I think I’ll go see what I can find too,” Amdir said, seeing that the others were nearly finished with the puzzle.

“Alright,” Jilly agreed. “We can finish here and then we’ll get dressed was well.”

Leaf retired to his room and washed before unpacking his bag. He smiled as he slipped on the drapey dark sweater. At least his undershirt would be soft and comfortable, the ranger thought. It wasn’t his usual ranger leathers, but still less confining and itchy than the stiffer formal clothes. Pants and boots were next and then Leaf adjusted the arrowhead necklace around his neck, giving it a little kiss as no one was around to see. After his hair was brushed to shine like gold, the elf donned his ceremonial armor and flowing forest green cloak. Last and pretty much least in Leaf’s opinion he placed the woven circlet, a symbol of his position, on his head. Glancing in the mirror he was satisfied that even his father would approve and he left the room to join the other Misfits.

He came back to find that Jenna had taken the paper and wrote down what she believed to be the best choices for the answers. After all, she was the bard!

Jenna then handed in the paper and headed off to change into something more presentable for the royal court. She was glad that she had come prepared and she slipped on her favorite dress. She then combed out her brown hair and placed the star pin in it. She was about to leave when she realized she almost forgot her special pendant. Clasping it to her neck once more, she smiled at the familiar weight of it. Now she felt ready and she headed downstairs, blushing as Leaf looked her over and nodded his approval.

Jilly and Anna also made their way to their quarters and quickly changed into their best clothes. Anna grumbled about her shoes. They weren't her favorite ones because they didn't sparkle. You see, mages tend to like sparkly things, that's why they love magic so much. Her sparkly shoes didn't match the dress she brought, so she had to settle on her plain ones. At least the butterfly combs in her hair shimmered. She gave one more twirl in front of the mirror before heading back to the group outside. Jilly couldn't wait to put her new dress on. She had spotted it in a specialty shop and just had to have it. The flowing fabric felt silky smooth on her skin as she slipped it on. She stuck a few flowers in her hair and soon she was back with the rest of the misfits.

"Well, now that that's settled!" sighed Juana, standing up from the table. She patted her belly as she did so, immensely grateful to be back in the hospitality of the folks from the Squirrel. "I think I'll send for some drinks to help me along with this... dress up. Lord knows I'll need it" She nodded at her friends and headed to her room.

Once there, she poured herself a small shot of her favorite artemisia based drink in hopes of some inspiration, and then a tall flue of elderberry wine to sip on. "Oh Flint, should I be this nervous?" She confided to her sprite. It had been a long time since she found herself in the presence of such a high concentration of Seelie folk, and for some reason she still felt the need to impress. Would anyone recognize her? Would they know of her exile, and worse, would word reach back home about her escapades? Flint flew close and landed on her shoulder. He touched her giant cheek and radiated soothing color transitions as he imparted his feelings and thoughts to her mind. "Who cares!" He soothed. "We aren't here for our past, we're here for our future and to aid these people. No one is worried about who you are, just whether or not you are worth your salt! You always make an impression one way or another. Let's use our knowledge of home and focus on impressing for the right reasons."

Juana wished for the millionth time she could properly hug her tiny companion. He was the one part of her past that made her truly appreciate where she came from. Exiled or not she could never regret that place. In fact she missed it most of the time. Which is probably why she was so nervous now. She took a deep breath and dove into the task at hand. She must look ethereal, elegant, bring to mind the shimmer on a smooth, swift river current. And details. There needed to be a few details to show she understood the culture. "MY BELT!" She exclaimed. Juana knew that wearing the award from her tribe for warrior of the season would prove a little something to anyone who knew what it meant. And to anyone who didn't? Well, it was pretty at least. She flung open her luggage, dug through her drawers, and pulled everything that was hung. "WHERE IS IT!" She panicked... Flint flew into, under, and through inspecting any small places he thought she might need help checking. "OH! Found it." Juana held it up. It had been right under the gifts she brought for her comrades.... "I might need to get these out to the guys at some point..." Flint rolled his eyes and almost tumbled to the floor as he snickered. "You will never truly change Juana. Improve? Yes. But change? Never."

Having helped all she could with the lyrics, which admittedly was not much help, Amdir moved off to an adjacent room to find a private place to change. Ever the prepared adventurer, and well used to these impromptu meetings with royalty, the vagabond had selected an easy to change into set of fanciful clothes that she hoped would fit the bill for most events where her leather and suede would not. Brushing out her hair and adding a couple shinies that made her smile as she remembered a little scamp who loved most things shiny, Amdir checked herself in a mirror before moving off to join her friends, not forgetting to grab the black rose. Leaf would be sure to pick it up if something happened and keep it with him until ... well, until she returned.

They all gathered together outside and waited for further instruction before heading off to the Seelie court.

Outfit Not Found Outfit Not Found Outfit Not Found Outfit Not Found Outfit Not Found Outfit Not Found

Oh, an invitation for the Seelie court! I always longed to go there! How exciting! Myra thought, totally comfortable with the idea of visiting elves.She had lived with elves for many years and was already pondering some fitting clothing ideas for a formal levee. Larianne had showed her a chamber earlier which contained several open and some locked chests. Transients are keeping their finer gowns and jewelry for feasts and visits in this storeroom. Perhaps she could lend something there and change it to an outfit of her liking?

Myra hummed a happy song and climbed the stairs to the chest room, simultaneously searching in her dress pockets for her sewing kit. Out of the back of her head, she saw Kir coming into the inn room. "Kir", she whispered with a stifled giggle, "can you pick a lock?"

Looking at the sewing machine they used to create the sails for their ship, the pirate had to find some type of fabric to make this 'garb' idea she had in her head. "Oi! Guys! Any idea on where we can find some fabric?"

Myra and Kir climbed back to the inn room, arms heavily loaded with lots of fabrics, clothes and dangling accessories. Fortunately, only the Chimeriads were in the room, discussing their options. "Hey, you all, look what we found!" Kir announced. "Only lending them......" Myra babbled embarrassed yet even she was already glowing with anticipation. There was this ocean blue flowing fabric which flattered her eyes and the gorgeous lilac silk for Kir which would make her look alluring! Both girls searched the room for Matthew who clearly was in need of help when it comes to clothing decisions. He was definitely prey! Plus, now that Valera had the sewing machine, they would finish all the garments in a blink!

After helping sew the last bit of details in everyone's clothes Valera looked over at Myra, "Don't look so surprised... I had t'patch up things on mah ship. Sword slashes through clothes was the most common, had to fix 'em up. Can't go looking like a bunch of torn up hooligans y'know." Valera just felt the group's eyes were on her just because of all things, the pirate knew had to sew quite efficiently. "Don't go gittin' any ideas! I ain't embroiderin' nuttin!" With a laugh she picked up the robes she just finished sewing for herself and went to get changed.

Myra and Kir snatched their clothes and ran to Kir´s room, trying them on in all their glory, adding golden bangles, rings, headdresses and necklaces, fastening bows and loops mutually. It was like back then in her childhood when she had played dressing up with her mother´s clothes, Myra thought, and had to smile. Then the girls came back to the inn room, looking for their other team members - how would they look?

Feeling a dressed up doll in her mind, Valera stepped out of the change room with a perturbed look on her face. "Hopefully I can change back into mah normal clothes sooner than later..." The pirate sighed as she adjusted the robes she had on.

Myra and Kir looked around and marveled at the outfits their comrades created.

Valera had sewn her robes in no time with deft fingers and even when she mentioned before her distaste for embroidery, there was a very beautiful pattern to be seen on her breast sash. She had washed her whooshing long hair with bat nuts and it shone in the warm candle light. Krios looked a little bit pale like always yet stood there proud in all his regalia, dressed in livery. Lilith wore a gorgeous low-cut black dress, perhaps a bit daring for an elven court. She even had managed to find a matching spiked black and gold rose crown! Aldora was dressed in a beautiful creme silk gown which showed up her short angelic locks nicely. Even Elia had found some nature-colored finery to her liking, decorated with some decent gold accents. Matthew showed up in this easygoing laugh of his, wearing an elegant swishy cloak Kir had helped to pick. Ah, they looked like such an elegant lot!

Elegant, they looked, yet there was also a little bit of concern how they would been received from the elves in the court. Yes, the Seelies are the good ones, yet in the whole, not all was guns and roses. They all had heard one or two stories about elves behaving arrogantly and highhandedly. They also had magic, there was no way denying it, and they would use it when they felt like it. Soon, some worried murmurs could be overheard. Perhaps Myra and Krios would be able to create a protective spell?

Myra was not overly troubled to meet elves yet she was always a little bit apprehensive meeting new people, so she had no objections to this request. When they would be able to create something tiny which could be easily carried around, she might use some alchemistic powders to fill it with the inner light of life and Krios could cast a protective spell over it so the bearer of the item would be guarded.

The group tried to brainstorm simple ideas on what to wear in order to cast this protective spell. This simple decision turned into a heated debate at one point where one might wonder how they all agreed on something. First the group thought about enchanting some capes, then maybe some crowns, gloves, shirts, belts until eventually the flustered pirate put her foot down and came up with the idea of a necklace! The necklace idea spread quickly with the group and so it was then decided. All the members of the group would have with them a necklace, whether or not they chose to wear it was up to the individual.

But where would they find eight pendants one would ask? Matthew stumbled around for a moment and presented the group with a box he had found and kept for the perfect time. Perfect time indeed! Aldora snatched the box hastily from his grasp and revealed it was filled with golden pendants. Valera questioned silently where he would have found such things but now was not the time. Myra and Krios set to work and enchanted the pendants with a simple yet handy protective ward.

Myra handed the pendants out and when a team member held one, a small light rune appeared above their heads. Even the silent Elia liked the notion behind this ward as she put the pendant in her pocket. One can never be too prepared... With that the group was as prepared as they could be to appear in front of the Seelie court.