The Dewdrop Inn occupied a corner of one of Rhy'Din's many busy market squares. With summer in full swing, all the doors and windows were open, a few tables and chairs set outside on the cobbles as the weekly produce market bustled with life in all its myriad shapes. Halfings, humans, orcs, minotaurs, elves, dwarves, even a few of the infernal races were noticeable among the crowd, and among the customers of the Dewdrop itself. The inn was built to a standard size, accommodating all but the most gigantic of races, though it appeared that a small annex at the back of the building had been built to size for the owners in part. It was toward this that Nali drew Rick, all but buzzing with excitement over seeing her family, and introducing them to him.
Rick was stunned to find himself surrounded by beings both familiar and alien, some the stuff of fairy tales and some of nightmares. Thankfully, he was possessed of enough self control not to openly gape or stare, understanding now what Nali had meant when she'd said that in Rhy'Din, anything was possible.
Leading the way down an alleyway, Nali paused at a secure wooden gate that had been painted in bright greens and yellows and white, unlocking it carefully to usher Rick into a sunlit garden that was clearly tended with love. It also contained two girls, one halfling and one tiefling, who charged at Nali the moment they saw her. She laughed as she suddenly found herself with her arms full of her little sisters.
"Nali! Look what I can do!"
"No, she's going to hug me first!"
He hadn't bombarded her with questions just yet, holding off on those until they were alone. The last few days spent at the Cove were equally comforting and confusing, as he and his long-lost brother struggled to get acquainted, but he was hopeful, not only about Jack and his family, but about Nali. Rick couldn't deny that he and the diminutive blonde were getting closer, and he was almost dreading the day when he'd have to make the return trip to Dallas. But he didn't want to think about that now. Today he was meeting her family, and he wanted to make the best impression he could.
So far, he liked what he saw where her family's home was concerned, except for the fact that he was a little too tall to comfortably navigate the low ceilings without having to stoop. But he liked the bright, sunny look of the garden, and he laughed when Nali's sisters practically tackled her in a warm welcome.
Merilee, the happy little tiefling, was still in the late stages of childhood before the tweens arrived, all rounded face and huge smiles, blue hair up in pigtails that gently emphasised the horns rising from her head. Bethan, the halfling teenager, was around the same height as her little sister, but definitely older in mannerisms and speech. It didn't stop either of them from wrapping themselves around Nali and squeezing happily to see her, only to notice Rick. Both little faces went wide-eyed, first at his height and then at his looks, glancing between him and Nali with cheeky smiles.
Merilee was the one who broke the moment, skipping over to Rick and raising her hands. "You have to kiss me to say hello, because you're my new brother."
Rick was dressed inconspicuously enough in a nondescript navy blue t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, his dark-blond hair flopping forward onto his forehead, despite his best efforts to push it away from his face.
"Ah, you must be Merilee," he said, as Nali's youngest sibling approached. "Nali's told me all about you. I have to say your name fits your demeanor," he said, ignoring her request for a kiss and her assumption that he and Nali were married.
Giggling, Merilee instead threw her arms around his waist and hugged him, whether he wanted her to or not.
"Yes, that is Merilee," Nali supplied, half-turned back toward them with one arm still wrapped around Bethan's shoulders. "And this is Bethan. Babes, this is Rick; he's a friend." More than a friend, but she wasn't going into that with her little sisters.
Bethan let her head tilt back a long way to look into Rick's eyes. "Are you a giant?" she asked, almost sounding worried.
Rick chuckled, both at the impromptu hug and her sister's question. "No, just an ordinary human," he replied. Tall, but not overly tall. He was maybe a little taller than average, but at about six feet in height, not overly tall for a human. "It's nice to meet you both," he told the girls, one of whom was still clinging to his waist. He awkwardly returned the hug, patting the girl's back, unsure how familiar he should get with a child he'd just met.
"Merilee, I know he's a handsome goliath of a man, but you don't just embrace everyone you meet," a cheerful voice rang out from the open back door of the halfling-sized house. "At the very least, you warn them first."
As Merilee giggled, releasing Rick, the owner of that voice made her way toward them - a robust blonde hobbit woman, bare feet twinkling over the grass, wiping her hands dry on her apron. She stood in front of Rick, hands on her hips. "Now just you come down here so I can get a good look at you."
Rick didn't need to be told that this little woman was Nali's mother. Despite her size, she commanded the scene with a kindly twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, letting go of Merilee and obediently bowing toward Nali's mother and offering a hand in greeting. There was the slightest hint of a drawl in the way he said 'ma'am' that hinted at his home, but it wasn't too distinct or obvious.
"You're twice my size, young man, on your knees," Rosie Dewsun told him, with a wide grin and a twinkle in her eyes that suggested she was fully aware of the innuendo implicit in what she had just told him to do.
"Mom," Nali began, but broke into a low laugh at the utterly unabashed wink her mother sent her way.
Rick's blue eyes sparkled in amusement at Nali's mother's insistence that he come down even lower to meet her gaze and submit himself to her inspection. "Is this better?" he asked, as he knelt down on one knee, like one might to a queen - this little woman being the queen of her own domain. "Do I meet your approval?" he asked, unable to hide the amusement from his face.
She looked him over with a teasingly stern look in her eyes, and nodded decidedly. "First boy Nali's ever brought home" You'll do." She grinned then, and gave him a warm hug, one small hand stroking his hair briefly before she stepped back. "Now then, I assume you have a name? Bethan, Merilee, go and winkle your father and brothers out of whatever they're doing."
Rick was stunned to find himself surrounded by beings both familiar and alien, some the stuff of fairy tales and some of nightmares. Thankfully, he was possessed of enough self control not to openly gape or stare, understanding now what Nali had meant when she'd said that in Rhy'Din, anything was possible.
Leading the way down an alleyway, Nali paused at a secure wooden gate that had been painted in bright greens and yellows and white, unlocking it carefully to usher Rick into a sunlit garden that was clearly tended with love. It also contained two girls, one halfling and one tiefling, who charged at Nali the moment they saw her. She laughed as she suddenly found herself with her arms full of her little sisters.
"Nali! Look what I can do!"
"No, she's going to hug me first!"
He hadn't bombarded her with questions just yet, holding off on those until they were alone. The last few days spent at the Cove were equally comforting and confusing, as he and his long-lost brother struggled to get acquainted, but he was hopeful, not only about Jack and his family, but about Nali. Rick couldn't deny that he and the diminutive blonde were getting closer, and he was almost dreading the day when he'd have to make the return trip to Dallas. But he didn't want to think about that now. Today he was meeting her family, and he wanted to make the best impression he could.
So far, he liked what he saw where her family's home was concerned, except for the fact that he was a little too tall to comfortably navigate the low ceilings without having to stoop. But he liked the bright, sunny look of the garden, and he laughed when Nali's sisters practically tackled her in a warm welcome.
Merilee, the happy little tiefling, was still in the late stages of childhood before the tweens arrived, all rounded face and huge smiles, blue hair up in pigtails that gently emphasised the horns rising from her head. Bethan, the halfling teenager, was around the same height as her little sister, but definitely older in mannerisms and speech. It didn't stop either of them from wrapping themselves around Nali and squeezing happily to see her, only to notice Rick. Both little faces went wide-eyed, first at his height and then at his looks, glancing between him and Nali with cheeky smiles.
Merilee was the one who broke the moment, skipping over to Rick and raising her hands. "You have to kiss me to say hello, because you're my new brother."
Rick was dressed inconspicuously enough in a nondescript navy blue t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, his dark-blond hair flopping forward onto his forehead, despite his best efforts to push it away from his face.
"Ah, you must be Merilee," he said, as Nali's youngest sibling approached. "Nali's told me all about you. I have to say your name fits your demeanor," he said, ignoring her request for a kiss and her assumption that he and Nali were married.
Giggling, Merilee instead threw her arms around his waist and hugged him, whether he wanted her to or not.
"Yes, that is Merilee," Nali supplied, half-turned back toward them with one arm still wrapped around Bethan's shoulders. "And this is Bethan. Babes, this is Rick; he's a friend." More than a friend, but she wasn't going into that with her little sisters.
Bethan let her head tilt back a long way to look into Rick's eyes. "Are you a giant?" she asked, almost sounding worried.
Rick chuckled, both at the impromptu hug and her sister's question. "No, just an ordinary human," he replied. Tall, but not overly tall. He was maybe a little taller than average, but at about six feet in height, not overly tall for a human. "It's nice to meet you both," he told the girls, one of whom was still clinging to his waist. He awkwardly returned the hug, patting the girl's back, unsure how familiar he should get with a child he'd just met.
"Merilee, I know he's a handsome goliath of a man, but you don't just embrace everyone you meet," a cheerful voice rang out from the open back door of the halfling-sized house. "At the very least, you warn them first."
As Merilee giggled, releasing Rick, the owner of that voice made her way toward them - a robust blonde hobbit woman, bare feet twinkling over the grass, wiping her hands dry on her apron. She stood in front of Rick, hands on her hips. "Now just you come down here so I can get a good look at you."
Rick didn't need to be told that this little woman was Nali's mother. Despite her size, she commanded the scene with a kindly twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, letting go of Merilee and obediently bowing toward Nali's mother and offering a hand in greeting. There was the slightest hint of a drawl in the way he said 'ma'am' that hinted at his home, but it wasn't too distinct or obvious.
"You're twice my size, young man, on your knees," Rosie Dewsun told him, with a wide grin and a twinkle in her eyes that suggested she was fully aware of the innuendo implicit in what she had just told him to do.
"Mom," Nali began, but broke into a low laugh at the utterly unabashed wink her mother sent her way.
Rick's blue eyes sparkled in amusement at Nali's mother's insistence that he come down even lower to meet her gaze and submit himself to her inspection. "Is this better?" he asked, as he knelt down on one knee, like one might to a queen - this little woman being the queen of her own domain. "Do I meet your approval?" he asked, unable to hide the amusement from his face.
She looked him over with a teasingly stern look in her eyes, and nodded decidedly. "First boy Nali's ever brought home" You'll do." She grinned then, and gave him a warm hug, one small hand stroking his hair briefly before she stepped back. "Now then, I assume you have a name? Bethan, Merilee, go and winkle your father and brothers out of whatever they're doing."