Fuck, fuck, fuck! Three days for completely messing this up. Good job, Nepheri. I'm sure you've made a fantastic impression. What will the next trick be? Make her think that you're going to kill her in her sleep so that she has to run from you? Because right now, I'm sure that's where her feelings are headed anyway...
So, I had messed up a few times underground and spent the rest of the day dealing with racism. Including Ellywick's comment about tieflings. Naturally, I wanted to tell her that she shouldn't expect that from tieflings and even when the stereotype is true, the expectation of it is often a large cause of it. But she had also used me as an example of a tiefling who stands above the rest. And while I'd love to be as much as she expects me to be, I'm not. And I can't lie to her. How could I ever expect her to care for me if she doesn't even know me?
Turns out telling her both of these things during the same conversation was a terrible idea. I don't think I managed to make my point about tieflings at all, and... I'm just happy if she doesn't outright hate me. The look of shock, sadness and, worst of all, disappointment, on her face. I offered to switch rooms for the night and of course, she said yes. I'm not sure I want to sleep anywhere near me.
Awkward night became awkward day. With Ellywick seemingly just ignoring the whole thing. Not sure if that's a good thing and part of her accepting me for who I am, or a bad thing and part of her pushing me away. But she was happy to help me pick out a horse for when we move on, so... She doesn't seem to mind me being around? We even talked a bit about the future and she seems ok with me staying with her on future travels. Maybe see where she's from. She seems a bit on edge about her thesis at the university, but I don't feel this is the time to pry.
Having gained one to the group in the form of our young apprentice wizard, we lost one as Hurgh decided to go his own way and teach the fan of his living in Leilon. No idea where they'll go. I never got close to the half-orc, but I wish him the best of luck.
We also gained a companion as Mika, a dragonborn merchant, teamed up with us as they wanted to track down their former guards and the cargo the guards had stolen. And we set out at first light to head south and hope we could catch up with the thieves. Which we did. They were dead.
The former guards had set up camp just at the edge of the Mere of Dead Men, which strikes me the kind of stupid idea only someone who thinks they should be more scared of the living than of the dead would have. We encountered some large person who had followed some will-o-wisps to the Mere. Not sure what he is - certainly not a race you'd typically see in Neverwinter - but he turned out to be very handy in combat.
Yes, the combat. While investigating the campsite, we were attacked by a group of the glowing lights of undeath, as well as a large living mound of mud, moss and branches. I was barely standing myself afterwards, but Ellywick took the brunt of it. Twice she was pulled into the monstrous pile and crushed between its branches. The second of those times was when I panicked. The sheer force of the thing hitting her knocked her unconscious and I could only see her bloodied body being swallowed whole. Rupert managed to reach for her and pull her out before I had come to my senses enough to react, but I could feel her life fading before my eyes. My Ellywick.
I didn't even realise what I was doing until my arms were around her, my lips on hers and all the healing magic I could muster brought her back. When I realised, it was too late. I could feel myself go a pale grey while somehow still blushing. Trying to focus on the monsters instead, I returned to trying to finish them off.
So. Yeah. Awkward is where we're at. Ellywick is avoiding me because I'm a creep and a manipulative tiefling who hurts people and now has basically assaulted her. I need to tell her how sorry I am, even if she can't forgive me. And somehow I need to know what she's thinking. Even if it hurts.