"Boooooooooorrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngggggggggg," Imoen wailed as she lay prone on the couch, on her tummy while supporting her chin on the cushions, staring outside... at the rain, the thick unrelenting grey blanket of rain outside. Even though it was the middle of the day, it seemed like night. Through the thick rain, it was even impossible to see ahead.

"Thou art having trouble staying inside?" Dynaheir asked as she looked up from her book.

"Duh!" Imoen sighed. "I've just spent three months inside... I wanted to go see the city, but now it's raining... stupid rain... I'm gonna find the god of rain and kick him or her in the butt!"

"I do not mind much," Dynaheir said. "I can catch up with my reading. Being part of this group, I cannot often afford this luxury."

"Well, at least SOMEONE is having fun," Imoen sighed and rolled onto her back to stare up to the ceiling. "What about you, Minsc?" she asked. "I bet you're hating this."

"Oh, no!" Minsc said as he sat at the dinner-table and was watching Boo under a magnifying glass. "Boo and I are having much fun, aren't we, Boo?" Minsc said after hearing a squeak of approval. That said, Minsc took a quill and wrote something in a booklet. "I am keeping track of Boo's hairgrowth! Oh, look Boo! Number 20345 has grown a quarter of a millimeter!"

"Well, it's a hobby," Dynaheir smirked.

"Big-ears and I hated rain," Imoen sighed. "We were streetkids... and our room just got too small for two girls whenever it rained. We usually ended up getting into pillow-fights, running around and wrestling."

"Thou art sounding like thou needst something to do," Dynaheir said. "Perhaps thou shouldst chat with Rose?"

"Rose?" Imoen sighed. "Nah, she's too busy painting. She says the rain is inspiring."

"Are you talking about me?" Rose smiled as the half-elf stepped out of her studio, wearing her usual paint-covered white overall.

"You've got some paint on the tip of your nose," Imoen chuckled.

"Oh, well," Rose giggled, "somehow, there's always some paint that finds its way to there."

"Heh," Imoen giggled, "I half expected Laska to rush in right now and lick the paint of your nose."

"Yeah, well," Rose sighed. "Laska and I have had a bit of a row last morning."

"Trouble in paradise?" Imoen asked.

"So, she just dumps that bit of information in my lap," Laska said while taking another sip from her bottle of wine. She and Korgan were sitting in the cool wine cellar, simply to chat and drink.

"Och," Korgan rumbled.

"I mean, she just says out of the blue that I need to cut down drinking! Just out of nowhere!" Laska sighed. "And while I was in the middle of doing foreplay with her, mind you!"

"Foure---play?" Korgan mouthed quizically.

"If you have to ask you'll never know, Korg," Laska muttered and took another sip. "Point is, she said I should cut down a little... for my own health."

"Ach, that be a bloody outrage, that is!" Korgan roared.

"Yeah," Laska sighed. "And guess what she suggested to replace my booze?"

"Eh?"

"Mineral water..."

"Argh, nay!" Korgan said. "Say it be nay so!"

"I'm afraid so," Laska said. "She expects me to drink the cowardly sweat of stalactites."

"So what did ye be sayin'?"

"I said," the tattooed elf replied, "'Listen to me, sweetheart, don't try to change me! I'm in control of my own life and I do what I want, forever and ever! And now, we're gonna have some sex!"

"She said," Rose smiled, "I love you, Rose, and for you I will try, but don't expect to much of me. I won't make any promises I won't be able to keep. And then we made love."

"Sure," Imoen whispered bitterly and rolled back on her tummy. "Laska tries and says a lot of things, but actually doing stuff is what she has problems with."

"Sorry?" Rose asked.

"Nothing," Imoen sighed, turned to her back and put on a smile again. "But you do know that Laska's in the wine cellar drinking right now, right?"

"I know," Rose nodded. "But it will take time. You know, Laska's got a tough exterior, but there's all kind of deeply-rooted insecurities below the surface."

"Are we talking about the same elf here?" Imoen asked. "Laska's a simple person. Don't understand it, then SMASH!"

"If you say that," Rose raised an eyebrow. "Then you don't know your sister very well."

"Oh, I know Laska has problems," Imoen said. "But I don't think they're as deep as you say they are. Just give her a drink or an orc to fight and she's happy again."

Rose smiled, "Its not that simple. It never is."

"Well, she did always feel bitter about not being to cast any spells," Imoen said.

"So, are you talking about me?" Laska purred as she stepped from the stairs leading to the cellar.

"Hey," Rose smiled while Laska took her lover in a brief embrace.

"Hey is right!" Imoen said as she jumped up from the couch after hearing the lock of the front door being opened. As soon as the front door open, it revealed a shroud of rain. And out of that shroud, stepped a drenched Drow. Viconia's boots sloshed as she stepped inside. Her robe was drenched and heavy with rainwater, while her long white hair was hanging in front of her eyes and clung to her body.

"Vic, you look like a wet cat," Imoen chuckled.

In response, Viconia blew some wet hair from her mouth.

"I know you promised those kids at the orphanage you'd read today, but couldn't it have waited?" Imoen asked.

Viconia said nothing, but shook her head.

"Viconia keeps her promises," Dynaheir said, not looking up from her book.

"Look!" Minsc shouted. "Number 1567 has grown a whole millimeter!"

"So," Imoen smiled, "did you bring the object?"

Viconia nodded, opened her pouch and revealed a (rather wet) wooden toy horse. Of course, it was pink.

"Thanks!" Imoen said, taking a brief moment to kiss Viconia on the cheek. After wiping the water from her face, Imoen continued, "this'll look great in my room. Say, come sleep in my room tonight."

Viconia shook her head 'no'.

"Oh, come on!" Imoen giggled. "I slept in your room last night, now you'll sleep in mine."

Viconia shook her head 'no'.

"Awww, please?!" Imoen pleaded. "You know I don't like to sleep alone. Please?"

Viconia shook her head 'no'.

"So, while you decide, how about some games of cards?"

Viconia shook her head 'no'.

"Hmm," Laska said. "Imoen never asked me if I wanted to play cards with her."

"Oh, I guess you wanna take a bath and change clothes first, huh?" Imoen chuckled.

Viconia nodded 'yes'.

"Well, better get to it then, we'll play cards later."

Viconia stared for a moment, then sighed before sloshing toward the bathchambers.

As Imoen was about a close the door, a voice came through the rain. "Wait, wait, don't close that door!" A few moments later, Jan Jansen ran through the door, holding a rather strange object in his hands.

"Oh, it's a bit wet outside, isn't it?" the gnome said. "At least I have my latest invention handy!" he said as he held out the strange object.

"Jan, that's an umbrella! They've been around for hundreds of years," Imoen chuckled.

"Maybe, but the Jan Jansen Wet-B-Gone Rainprotective Shield Generator can fire missiles too!" Jan grinned.

"Hey, hey!" Laska said. "That's just a bit of sheet-metal on a stick."

"Jan, thou fool!" Dynaheir spoke. "What if lightning breaks out!"

"Oh, then I just clutch my JJWBGRSG tightly and take shelter under the nearest and tallest tree! Always works!" Jan chuckled.

"Jan, what were you doing outside in the first place?" Laska grinned.

"Like you wouldn't run out to a bar on the other side of town if they have a discount on ale, even in the middle of a thunderstorm or volcano eruption," Jan said. "But since you must know, I was visiting my cousin who works as a garden gnome in Lady Jysstev's huge garden. She's a bit of a garden gnome aficionado, you know, and likes to place them everywhere in her yard. Hiring living gnomes to play the parts is a new thing, and bound to sweep the nation soon! Why, Lady Jysstev's known for trying out her garden gnomes in several positions on all sides of the pond. Sadly, she was a little rough on my cousin yesterday and accidentally snapped his magic flute after kicking away his wheelbarrow. And, really, where would a gnome be without his magic flute?"

"Laska?" Imoen asked. "Why are you covering my ears?"

"So you don't have to hear that smut," Laska sighed. "So, what brings you here?"

"This," Jan said. "Since you're all too lazy to be looking for work, I found you some. I took this down from the public-notice board."

Laska took the note. "Hmmm," she said. "Some sort of siege is taking place at a township called Trademeet. Something about lions and tigers and bears?"

"Thou took down a plea for help from a public-notice board?" Dynaheir said. "Isn't that a bit on the wicked side?"

"Nah, everybody does it. First come, first serve. There was this other one about a missing ring, but four halflings took it with them," Jan said.

"Oh, what the hell," Laska said. "Come on guys, let's gather round and discuss our next job."

"So, in the meantime, I'll tell you about my cousin's magic flute... So, after we tried some glue, we decided to try a healing-spell and..."