Mithil, Fluteria, & The Orc Next Door

“They are insane.”  Mithil said this flatly to her friend.

Fluteria expanded and lumbered about and gave Mithil a quizzical look.

“Yes, the orc!  Blue too!  Without a thought they invite him to fight with us.  Is he going to stand guard when we sleep?”

Fluteria whizzed about, as if attacking something with great force.

“I’m sure he’s a fine fighter and I do not have anything against orcs, not all orcs….. except their smell and, oh good Gods did this one smell?”

Fluteria hovered in front of Mithil’s eyes, crinkling her eyes to express confusion.

“I’m not getting close enough to actually smell the thing but you saw it.  It’s blue!   And so, fat!”

Fluteria settled down into Mithil’s palm, radiating disappointment.

“I do not understand Flute, what’s wrong?”

Flute turned up both wings to show many colors, one of which was blue.

“No, no, I’m not judging him because he is blue.  Your wings are gorgeous.  Your colors are vibrant.”

Fluteria rolled her eyes, chittering, “yes, I’m beautiful but Mithil…….”  She looked so sad.

“What?! This is a stinking orc and they let him join us, sleep near us, when he could do who knows what, without asking a question!  I’ll say it again:  They.  Are.  Freaking.  Insane!!!”

Fluteria looked at her blankly, chittering with disappointment, “you are..”

“Don’t say it, Flute!”

Fluteria shrugged, to say, “but it’s true.”

“I am not a speciest!  I find beauty in all living things.”  Mithil looked doubtfully at the thin wall of the room through which the rumble of the orc’s snoring could be heard, “Really I do, even that lumbering, stupid, meat sack.  It is keeping us awake again!”

Fluteria moved closer, “He is keeping us awake…. He is a person, like me, even if not your species.”

“Oh for Pelor’s sake, Flute!  I love butterflies.  I’ve always found them beautiful and we were drawn to each other! This is different.”

Fluteria fluttered off, her dance intricate and Mithil struggled to keep up.

“Yes, I see, relationships are what give value to all things, of course, that is basic, but some species in this world are naturally evil, Flute!  And some, like those dragons will kill you!”

Fluteria zoomed close, zigging to say, “oh no, you don’t!  You are ignoring the point of my dance when you know better.”  The butterfly gave Mithil's nose a feathery bop on the nose in admonishment and Mithil actually blushed.

“Okay.  Okay.  If I can hate an orc for being an orc, then, some other person, a truly insane person who does not see your beauty, could hate you for being a butterfly.   But….”

The creature fluttered against Mithil’s lips, shushing her.  She looked so sad as she chittered and said without dance, “no buts, defend yourself and us from violence but you cannot hate and keep me.  You have only seen the barest hint of its soul.  What is it like with its family?  Has it loved?  Does it value loyalty?”

Mithil bit her lip to keep from correcting the butterfly’s indefinite use of pronouns. 

The butterfly began slapping Mithil’s face with her wings, “You do not know any of these things!”

Mithil tried again, “but..”

“No buts Mithil….,” and the creature resumed its flight, dancing something which was so tightly drawn to show the connection between Wizard and familiar.  The dance shifted and Mithil saw the connection which was broader, more meaningful than that, the love they had for each other.  The dance ended with Fluteria hovering before Mithil’s eyes with a question.

A tear leaked down Mithil's cheek, “is this natural?  I do not know Fluteria and…” her agile mind anticipated the next question, “I know many would say it is not and that maybe the orc too is capable of more than is natural between his kind and ours.”

Mithil looked over at the thin wall which was now literally vibrating from the explosions of snoring and concussive digestive events, “but, Flute, you stay away.  That thing… that, okay, that, person… who happens to be blue and incredibly fat…. will eat anything.  He would snack on you for a hor d’oeuvre.”

Fluteria actually laughed and strafed Mithil’s face with little wing kisses, the last brushing Mithil’s long eye lashes.  She chittered, “I’ll keep my distance.  No fool came out my cocoon!”

“Alright then, silly insect activist, let’s try to sleep.”  The orc had apparently awakened and was lumbering towards the privy to relieve himself.

Mithil muttered, “oh lovely,” and shifted down into her bed, inviting Fluteria to come into the sleeping pouch.  Five minutes later the two of them shook with laughter as the orc made its way back to its own orc-sized bed.  

Mithil set off a cantrip and the subtle smell of pine filled their room.