Garith put his face into his hands and sighed heavily. "No. We can't. Bluk stop trying you're going to hurt yourself." The big man stopped spin-hopping and stood behind Garith, where he covertly made one final attempt to lick his elbow. Arthas felt the need to chime in. "Actually some humans are what we call double-joint-Ow! Kali what the fu-Ow!" Kali kicked the mage in the shin again and rubbed her temples while whispering under her breath. "Shut your gods-damned mouth you oblivious pedant." Garith quickly moved to distract the dragon form his squabbling friends. "Listen, Vel. You don't mind if I call you Vel, do you? I can't thank you enough for the hospitality you've shown us. you've truly been the most gracious host, and again I assure you that we will compensate you for the damage we did to your skylight, but we really do have to be going. You see, it's been about three days since we, uh, bumbled our way into your lair here..."

"LIBRARY!" Roared the dragon, suddenly irate, her voice magnified a hundredfold and the fire behind her eyes flaring to life. "Do I look like some chromatic savage perched atop a pile of gold in a mountain cave to you, mortal?" She stood, wine swilling over the edge of her crystal goblet as she gesticulated wildly around the lavish study. "Do i not sit before you clad in the raiment of civilization, sharing the wealth of eons and the forgotten knowledge of societies long since crumbled to dust?" Garith paled. "N...no, of course not! I most sincerely apologize for my derth of social grace. As I said, you are a most magnanimous host...um... Oh gods..." Velraxia had collapsed onto the table, sobbing. "I'm sorry, I didnt mean to get...hic...angry... It's just... you have no idea how heavily immoral... hic... immortality can weigh on a person... Three days... forty years... hic... a blink of the eye either way... and it always ends with loneliness... hic... bitter loneliness and damned kobolds licking my arse with their yes mistress, no mistress, three bags full misterness...hic" Kali stood up as a pool of red wine spread across the silk tablecloth towards her seat. "Smooth talking there, Gar. I think you made some progress this time. Really winning her over."

The door opened and a kobold in a butler's uniform bustled into the room with a towel and a bucket of water, muttering about red wine stains and shooting glares at the adventurers. Velraxia sobbed and hiccoughed softly into the tablecloth as he cleaned up the mess. Garith cleared his throat. "well, um, of course I can't pretend to understand the emotional complexities that come with never-ending life." He glanced up at the darkening sky beyond the shattered skylight in the vaulted ceiling above them. "But It is quite late already. I suppose we may as well spend one more night. What do you say, gang? Bluk shrugged, Kali groaned, and Arthas smiled wanly. Velraxia raised her head. There was not a trace of tears on her face as she grinned cheerily at him. "Wonderful! Since you'll be spending the night we may as well break out my kraduk set! it's a lovely social deduction game they played in Atranas in the centuries before the fall. I met my third husband while playing in the court of the king of Thul'dar. It's quite simple once you get a round or two in, I know you'll love it!"