"That's the last of them." Setting down a few boxes of the last things he had moved from his house in the Highlands, he was back in Feeorin. Weeks ahead, he had told Talise the good news of his successful sale of the property. Admittedly he enjoyed bragging how well the deal went, but didn't let himself get too carried away. She had been helping him move his things to the forest, and without her this would have never been possible. After everything was settled in, he wanted to properly thank her. Behind him was the sound of hooves, walking at a light trot. "Kelpie, over here!" He called, and a hippocamp in aqua and turquoise came through the purple-tinted grass. "Don't eat that, it's poisonous. Here, water hyacinth–just as you like them." Holding out the aquatic plants it came and chewed on them while the nokken patted its mane.

They walked for a while, until they arrived where the burrberry tree stood–but something was wrong. Staring blankly, there was a great open space where the tree-house should be. Did he lose his way? No, that couldn't be. It had to be the right place. But why was Talise's house missing? He didn't remember her saying anything about moving her house. Confused, he searched the area trying to find the abode. "Where is it? It's supposed to be here! Talise? Talise! Where are you?" Gerard's mind started to worry. Fairy hunters were common as of late, with the seasons changing. What if…

He didn't want to finish that thought, but he was already tensing up with anxiety. Was she alright? What had happened here? Someone here had to know, but he couldn't find any other fairies nearby. Kelpie snorted, and brushed its muzzle against his hand. It could tell he was stressed, and he gave a wry smile at the hippocamp. "There's no one around, I suppose we'll have to wait and see if anyone comes by." The smile left his face just as soon as it came, as his mind was running the worst case scenario in his head. He just hoped that wherever Talise was, she was alright.

Talise had decided that she would start a project without Gerard’s consent. While she loved her house there was no way that someone so tall could be comfortable in her home. He was always hunched over and her bed was too small. Things were just too cramped. There wasn’t room for all the things they wanted in life. So she put her hair up, sleeves rolled up, and the magic in the area hummed. “Listen up you sacks of shit! I need enchantments.” She began to rough up the local fey and mermaids of Feeorin.

With a little rough persuasion, she was able to get the best of the best material wise. It was a magic spacial fairy ring. Capable of hiding things in the forest. Just perfect for what she wanted. Within this space was an entire farmstead. There was a pond for Kelpie which she had heard all about. Endless farm area for their projects… and in the center of it all was a giant human size house.

It was built into a tree and designed with elvish style woods. The first floor was huge but up the tree was a spiraling staircase out front where it went up to a second-floor balcony. There were many pillows, pots for plants, and general relaxation.

The house had three floors and the smallest was the third. It was a single large bedroom with the ceiling as a glass dome. Everything was set not. She could hear Gerard as she finished up the enchantments.

She had the dust of many colors all over and paint from finishing up the inside of the house. She walked through the fairy ring and just the short trip over to where Gerard was. She had her hands behind her back. She was in a loose dress, paint splatters everywhere, and her dark skin was colored in enchantment dust. “I’m right here… I’ve been making something for you… well us…”

She came over to Kelpie and smiled. “You must be Kelpie I’ve heard so much about you.” She reached up and pet the hippocamp with much love. “I want to show you it… Come with me.”

She grabbed his hands and pulled him opened the space for all of them to get through. She stopped and let Gerard take it all in. “This is all ours… I roughed up the locals for special fairy enchantments. There’s even a pond for Kelpie.”

He stood there pacing, waiting. The tension around him was thick enough to cut through with a knife. "I'm right here… I've been making something for you.. well us…" Turning around with eyes wide with relief, he saw Talise–perfectly fine. A sigh escaped his lips as he could breathe again. She beckoned to him, continuing. "I want to show you it… Come with me." He followed after her, with a handful of hyacinth to lead Kelpie along. "You have no idea how glad I was to hear your voice again." He whispered. 

In a blink of an eye, he was standing in front of something beyond what he could ever imagine. A great tree–even larger and grander then the burrberry stood towering like a giant in the woods. The other surrounding trees were dwarfed in comparison, and there was a beautiful mansion built into the trunk and boughs of a tree which looked older than a century. His eyes continued to travel upward, taking it all in. Spiraling up there was a balcony resting below the dense branches, and a glass dome of the top floor was nestled in the upper canopy. So this was where the things he had moved from his former estate had arrived. He had worried that her home wouldn't have enough space for his furniture, but this wasn't the case. All this had been hidden right under his nose.

"You've really outdone yourself this time. I never expected you would be doing some renovations of your own while I was away. And now I can see where that colored powder and splotches of paint came from." He grinned as he wiped a streak of enchantment dust from her face. Kelpie was delighted, and immediately smelled the pond the half-fairy mentioned. Immediately he made beeline for it. "Hey, where do you think you're going scamp?" Gerard was hot on the heels of his pet as it bounded towards a beautiful and spacious lily pond with aquatic plants of all kinds. With a kick of its hooves, it dove into it, sending sprays of water up into the air making a drizzling shower. Whinnying contentedly, the hippocamp ducked its head beneath the surface as it swam about exploring its new habitat.

"Talise, this is amazing!" Seeing the farmland he remembered the handful of fresh seeds he had collected and kept to replant his orchard and vineyard. He was so happy that he was about ready to roll up his sleeves and take off his coat to begin breaking ground for planting. But first, they had to celebrate. A new house deserved a ceremony for its completion. "We've been working hard, both of us. I happen to have a bottle of champagne reserved for this sort of occasion. I can't wait for you to give me the house tour." There was a special bottle sealed with wax and a gold-colored ribbon he had kept in his cellar for years. A sparkling floral wine with notes of cherry, he finally found a reason to open it. It was a special edition bottle from his first time at the Ignius Food and Wine Festival. 

Her ears gently twitched at his words as she came up to him and kissed his cheek. “I’m alright I promise. You would be the first person to know if something was wrong.” She rubbed his cheek with her thumb before taking him into the private yard of their new home.

“You can enter this place by saying the magic phrase at the white toadstools you passed.” Talise stopped and held up her hand. “Say this, "I found you mermaid tears, their sorrow may bring us joy." and the gate will close and open.” As she gave instruction it did as she said.

She giggled a bit as he complimented her and wiped some of the enchantment glitter off of her face. “Well… I wanted to make sure that our home was big enough for the both of us… and whatever we run into for the future.” She didn’t want to allude to anything huge but it was a possibility.

Talise started to push herself up to kiss him when Kelpie decided to make them part. Talise had a stubborn look on her face as she ran after the hippocamp with Gerard. Though it disappeared as she seen how happy the animal was in its new pond. His excitement spread happily as she grinned at him. “I tried to think of everything and anything we would need. I also got the local fey and stuff to help but beat them up if they told anyone about this. That’s what took the most time.” She chuckled.

She took his hand and pulled on him. “Come on, he’ll be fine out here.” She took him up onto the front porch and opened the door. The inner room had a spiraling staircase of wood with rooms on either side and behind. “There’s a stairway down into the basement for wines and such in our kitchen.” She showed him the lower levels including several guest rooms. “Second floor is mostly a library, study, alchemy room, and more guest rooms… The third floor is our room and washroom…”

She paused for a moment and chuckled. “I can show us our room…” She took him up the stairs by his hair all the way up into the top loft. It had tall ceilings… a large colorful four poster bed with the canopy cut out in the middle so they could see the sky above. There was a pile of pillows for obvious cuddle time. The washroom was in an off room with a huge tub for bathing.

He smirked at the mention of the pass phrase allowing one entry to the estate. She really knew him inside-out, like a book. Leaving his mischievous pet to its new pond, he went in after Talise as she showed him her work. "Ah good, wouldn't want any trespassers walking in uninvited. Private property is called 'private' for a reason." Looking up, he straightened as he admired the house's design and furnishings. Spacious, functional, but neither stodgy nor plain. He ran his hand along the spiral staircase, the polished wood stained a warm and comfortable color. The basement already had the things which were moved across earlier with Talise's help, and it could store more than the run-of-the-mill crop. "The placement is well-thought out.' He said, addressing the basement's stairway connecting it to the kitchen. 

The second floor opened a new set of surprises. The library had shelving from the top to the bottom, with reading nooks built into the tree's natural shape. Glass domes letting natural light in and the perfect spot to curl up by the fireplace in the colder months made it functional year-round. The alchemy room had storage to keep things tidy when not in use. Each guest room was designed with a theme in mind, but was suitable for any guest who came invited. 

When it came to the third floor, Talise offered to show him their room. She then led him to the very top of the grand house, revealing a vibrantly-decorated master bedroom with furniture and accessories that made it feel like home. His attention was then drawn up to the skylight. "…What a view. We can have a glimpse of the outdoors from the comfort of the indoors, no matter the weather." The master bathroom was just a stunning. It was clear that there was material from Vila, his fingers brushing against the smooth mother-of-pearl. "That tub must have come from a rather legendary-sized oyster." He laughed, joking about the beautiful nacre it was made of. "A pearl of a clam that size would be the size of a fortune-teller's orb. Perfect for launching off a spring-loaded catapult should anyone try to break in." 

Returning to the master bedroom, he took her hands. With a smile he leaned over to kiss her on the top of her head–when there was a rather irritating tapping sound not unlike signal code. "…What is that noise?" He narrowed his eyes, glaring as he searched for the source. In one of the side windows, there was a large black crow sitting on the sill pecking. The nokken let go of Talise's hands and began striding towards the window. "I'd recognize that bird out of an entire flock from miles away." As he spoke the bird managed to open the latch on a window and flapped in–making a beeline for Gerard's head. Ducking, the bard shouted in a tone just as angry and irritated as the crow was.

"BERTRAAAAND!!! You bloody wastrel! Get back here you–" While Gerard and the crow were at each other's throats, Talise offered the bard a broom which he took gladly. The crow cawed at them, which Gerard reciprocated with a well-aimed swing. The bird dodged, and they would have nearly started breaking the new house when Bertrand retreated out the window. Blinded by his temper, Gerard chased after him and leaped out the third floor–broom swinging. There was lots of squawking, crashing, twigs snapping, cursing, and eventually something landing below. Once the noise died down, there was the sound of a door opening and footsteps going upstairs. Gerard returned in one piece, thankfully due to the lucky placement of his fall. There were leaves of the tree and twigs all over, and a few black feathers. Bertrand seemed to have stopped his assault, and Gerard quickly closed and locked the window so the bird wouldn't try coming in again.

"Gods, I knew I was forgetting something as I was moving boxes. How in the blazes did he manage to get here?" Blowing his tousled hair from his face, he sat down fuming.   

Talise chuckled a bit and nodded. “I took some of the pearls you got me and made a wind chime from them. They are hanging out on our second-floor balcony with some abalone shells I found. It’s like two pieces of us joining as one.” It was supposed to be romantic as he closed in to give her the much-desired kiss to the head. However, fate was cruel as they were once AGAIN interrupted.

“YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH BIRD,” Talise yelled in anger. “GET HIM.” She swung open a little closet where many brooms were and handed him one. “GET HIM GERARD!” Now both cynics were going after the bird. Running to the window after Gerard a gasp left her lips. “GERARD!” She was so worried and for a moment she waited for things to go silent.

Once he was back up into the room she ran over to him once he sat down. She started to pull the leaves and feathers out of his hair and kissed his skin as she looked for how hurt he was. “Are you alright?” She tugged off his shirt so she could see if he got hurt. “That was so reckless… it made me worried.” She chuckled a little. “Can we please now go uninterrupted for once today when we try to kiss.”

Almost on instinct she got up and closed the door and locked it. “Can never be too damn careful.” She flung herself on him once she knew he was healthy and snuggled closer to him. The bed was so soft and the blankets were of silk as they got lost in them. “I’ve missed you so much… Though I think I am getting our new blankets dirty…” She chuckled as she wiped some dirt off of Gerard as well. “Maybe we should take a bath… relax?”

Gerard calmed down after Talise gave him a kiss and checked to see if he was alright. "That bird always knew how to get a rise out of me. I swear that's no ordinary crow. He's too smart for his own good." He grumbled as Talise picked the twigs he had gotten stuck into his clothes and hair. With the windows and door locked, they should be in the clear. "Yes, of course." He smiled, finally putting a rather frustrating start to the day behind him. They laid back on the comforters and sheets of the bed, away from any pesky distractions. "Well now you won't have to miss me anymore. I'll be right here."

When she mentioned they were probably getting the nice sheets dirty, he nodded. "We've both been hard at work–you especially. It's about time we set time aside to unwind. A bath sounds good. Though give me a moment. I have a little something in the boxes I carried over today." Cautiously unlocking the door, when there was no sign of the bird he went out. "I'll be back in a minute." He said, giving her a wink. He went and found what he was looking for, a small bottle of colored crystals with a cork stopper. They were scented bath salts, something he rarely used. The only time he used them was when he had a particularly long day, or for an occasion like now. Returning, he showed Talise the surprise he had brought. "A little something to add to the mood."

When the bath was prepared and heated, he poured out a few and dropped them into the water. They dissolved immediately and the heat released the fragrant aroma of flowers. Lilacs, hibiscus, and a hint of perfume roses filled the air like a warm summer night. The coloring from the salts tinted the water shades of pink and light purple. Breathing it in, Gerard felt his stress fading away. The sky was starting to dim too, as dusk made its arrival.

After calming him down Talise chuckled a bit after she knew he was safe. “I’m just glad you are alright… aside from the twigs in your hair and clothes.” The tree had its first accident already even if it was more of an assault on its branches… At least it survived. The bed was as soft as she had imagined it as she laid with him. It was very much a dream come true to have someone to share this with. “Good, because I actually find it lonely without you and it’s not the refreshing kind.” There was a smile on her lips as she chuckled at the thought.

She tilted her head as he slipped out of bed. She moved to the edge of the large bed and waited for him to come back. He was as cautious as ever looking for the dumb crow. “Alright, I’ll be here.” She smiled and thought about the types of things he could have brought with him. They were still new to each other so it was very much an adventure whenever they spoke, even if it was things they knew about each other.

“Oh, I’ve seen these in the bathhouses of Abed and Sularia,” there was a pleasant sound in her voice as she looked over the bath salts. They smelled all so good as she smelled each of them. She hopped up and went into their new washroom to prep the bath. She waved her arm in the almost too hot water as she looked back at Gerard. “Alright, it’s ready.” She smiled up and chuckled more. They had never been nude around each other but they would have to cross that bridge eventually why not now.

He finished prepping the bath and she waited for him to slip in. Once he was in the tub she slid in onto his lap and made sure her hair was pulled up into a bun atop her head. She sighed in relief as she slid down and wrapped her arms around his neck. “This feels great…” She saw the colored powder from the enchantments leave her skin and dazzle in the water now. She pulled her wings off to the side where she could and washed them softly. “I have to be careful with them even if they are quite sturdy,” She chuckled more and put her back against his chest.

Looking up she could see the sky changing to dusk and she thought about it all. “We can start on the fields tomorrow… Put in the grapes… Put in whatever we like.”

The warm bath was perfect. After that whirlwind of stressful emotions, it was so good to finally settle down. For him baths were especially therapeutic as a nokken. There was something about it that made him feel as if everything was right with the world again. It was a first for him to fully strip down, but they were both old enough to be adults about it. As they both sat soaking in the floral scented water, he found his gaze drawn to Talise's wings. Perhaps it was the same as humans watching birds in flight, or a child watching a butterfly flit by on the winds. The closest thing that gave him the same sense of awe and reverent wonder were the flying fish that leaped through the air back into the waters on a strong, sunny afternoon. They were at home in the open waters, away from the shorelines and islands. Gerard remembered watching their wing-like fins shimmer like mother-of-pearl in the sunlight.

His hair had gotten a bit damp and returned to their natural matted look reminiscent to tangled fronds of sea grass. He always spent some time in the mornings to make it look how it typically appeared, fussing and fretting over the placement of his bangs and such. Back when there was a time that his hair was long, every time he went underwater he'd reemerge looking like a kelp monster. He resolved to cut it short, for convenience. "It's still amazing to me that your wings aren't made of silk, even though they have the same sheen. I'm not very familiar with other folk that live far from the water." He watched as her wings reflected the waning rays of light into rainbows that danced along the surface. He was quiet during most of the time they were in the bath, enjoying the peace and quiet in Talise's company. 

She then looked up and spoke. "We can start on the fields tomorrow… Put in the grapes… Put in whatever we like." Following her gaze he turned his view upward as dusk ushered out the day to bring in the evening. The light from inside the bathroom made the burrbery tree leaves stand out with their pale, enchanted blue against the darkness of the sky. "Yes… I can hardly wait. It'll be like starting all over again, tending the sprouts into saplings and watching them grow day after day. I've almost forgotten how excited I was when I first put in the vineyard back in my old estate in the Highlands. Back then it was months of trial and error, but this time I'm sure they'll spring up healthy and strong."

His mind was already wandering elsewhere, seeing the grapevines grow to maturity in their orderly rows clothed in wide verdant leaves. Clusters of dark fruit hanging amidst the greenery, the sweetness with a hint of tartness of the fruit, the soft powder of a newly-ripened crop, and the aroma that was as fragrant as perfume. The seeds he had brought over made a sweet and clean-tasting wine from their fruit clusters, and made excellent raisins when the grapes were dried. At the moment he only had dark purple and red grapes. He had seen the green varieties a few times in the Food and Wine Festivals over the years, and was eager to begin making his own batch of golden raisins. Closing his eyes, he was getting lost in his own dreaming.

"…I really have been away from the water for too long. A little longer and I would've drifted off to sleep." His tiredness was nearly gone, but the water was warm and it he was becoming reluctant to step out of it.

Talise chuckled as her violet eyes looked back at him. “You can touch them, Gerard. I know that you won’t hurt them or crave to have them for a private collection. They are delicate but you can feel how sturdy yet soft they are. Even after all these years, I’ve taken good care of them.” She tilted her head and smiled as she looked back at him. “I’m fine with you wanting to explore them… Me.. Whatever.” She had to get used to that idea. She had to trust Gerard. “I’m not very familiar with folk who live in the water… So we can teach each other.”

She heard his excitement as she watched herself with the cake soap she had nearby. “It is exciting… For both of us actually. I’ve not done something so new in… a very long time.” Talise admitted despite being not too happy about it.

She felt him drifting off. It wasn’t that hard to figure out as she shifted around and straddled his lap. Her violet eyes blinked a bit as he admitted to almost falling asleep. “Well, I can’t blame you either. It’s been exciting and traumatizing at the same time. Starting a life with someone isn’t easy and not normally this grand… We’ve been very busy people since we met each other.” She chuckled a bit as she moved his hair softly. It was precise movements as she fixed the strands in a way she knew he would like.

“This place is big enough for whatever we could ever want. We will never have to pick up house and move again… Unless someone were to find us and things went south… but I have faith that, that won’t happen. Not here in Feeorin plus humans tend to be overly stupid about those types of things. Even if they got in we could fend for ourselves.” She smiled as him as she pressed herself against his chest and laid her ear against him so she could hear his heart. Now, this she could very well fall asleep to.

“We’ll need to plot out all the gardens and everything… Make sure all the colors match together.” She nodded gently to herself. “We could plant an orchard even… I bet I could get us apples… pears… lemons even…” A yawn escaped her lips as she turned her face into his chest to stop it. Her lips meeting his skin. "This is a great idea… but sleep-inducing." She chuckled. "I got thinking… We could possibly have an oyster farm… If we could keep Kelpie out of the water should we dig up a place for it." Violet eyes now looked up at him. "We could do so much. I just don't know where to start." She said sheepishly. A blush managed its way to her cheeks though hard to see through her tanned skin.