Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

103. We're going on a Picnic!

Seamus blinked. "Do you require something?" he asked as he roused from his meditation.

"You... just left us... you looked so sad. Then when I called to you, you wouldn't respond. Are you okay?" Vera had crouched to meet his gaze. She hugged her knees while sitting on her heels and looked at him. "We can train later if it will make you feel better?"

Seamus blinked a few times. "I'm not ill... I don't understand what you are asking?"

"Aren't you sad that you can't train with us..." she blushed. "... I just thought..."

"I don't understand. I'm used to being idle." He tilted his head.

"Alley Cat is just worried about you, because you always look so sad, big brother." Ophelia hopped over with her hands behind her back. She smiled brightly in her white sundress and hat as she stopped in front of Vera and Seamus.

"I still don't understand... why would I be sad? Achilles is a capable warrior, but I am master's personal disciple. His training is more than adequate." Seamus looked blankly at her.

"I guess it is worse than I thought." Cal had his thumbs in his sash as he approached. "Don't be troubled by his reaction, Alley Cat. Seamus came from less forgiving circumstances than either of you, I'm sure that you came sympathize with that much."

"G-g-guildmaster!" Vera's face flushed wildly and stood straight up stiff as a board. She flexibly saluted awkwardly.

Seamus climbed the wall more casually than Vera and raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "Master do you require something?"

"Oh, calm down Alley Cat. As much as I toss my weight around I hold no authority worth saluting over. But thanks for looking after my blight-brained newly minted son." Cal waved at her to put her salute away.

"Big brother never had any friends or family before. He doesn't know how, so we have to show him!" Ophelia hopped next to him and grabbed his hand.

"Well kid, are you ready?" Cal smiled at Seamus.

"I'm always ready for orders, master." Seamus said as Yamamoto yawned and then crawled up and perched on his shoulder and then nipped at his ear. Seamus grit his teeth, "no matter how ludicrous."

"Good, then today you're not my disciple." Cal pat Seamus's shoulder.

Seamus's eyes grew wide and frightful. "You're dismissing me!"

Cal let out a laugh. "No, you twit. Just because we are family doesn't mean that you can't also be my disciple. But today I've been put on a compulsory vacation and I'm taking my kids with me."

"But... you're... who could compel you to do anything?" Seamus stammered.

"One thing that you should know about being a man, no matter who powerful you are, or you think you are, certain varieties of women just should not be argued with." Cal said as Selene and Wendy came from the hallway that connected to the Cal's home.

"I don't understand." Seamus looked at the woman and then back to Cal.

"You will someday." Cal patted him again. "Either way, it's going to be a family day, Wendy and the lightning clan are going to be holding down the fort."

"Are the kids ready to go?" Selene asked while wearing a bright blue flowery sundress to match Ophelia. Her long legs stretched from beneath her light blue dress revealing her slightly darker tattoo curling gracefully down one of shapely legs ending at modestly heeled slippers. The dress pinched just below her generous breasts. Although she made a habit of swinging around a sword as big as her and almost twice as heavy, her arms weren't bulky. Elven bodies were just like that, it compacted the bulkiness of muscles and fat magically so that elves retained their lithe shape. And her dainty arms ended in delicate fingers that clutched a picnic basket. Most elves were naturally beautiful without any need for makeup of any kind, but Selene had a gentle brushing of makeup with a lipstick that made her lips so kissable a human might mistake her for a goddess of beauty.

"Wow, mom you look so pretty!" Ophelia's eyes sparkled.

"Isn't it lovely? Wendy made it. Did you know that Wendy is an exceptional seamstress?" Selene spun on her heels and made the dress flutter. "Well... Cal, what do you think?"

"..." Cal just stood there and stared. As she spun on her heels he didn't miss the way her silky blue hair danced in the light. He was also able to catch hints of her of shapely thighs when her dress fluttered up inches. Beautiful legs, shapely figure, and a lady-like grace made Cal's blood stir.

"... Cal, you're staring..." Selene flushed and hid her eyes behind her large matching wide rimmed hat.

Three swords that appeared out of thin air stabbed the ground in front of Cal waking him from his stupor.

Wendy tapped her foot. "Master, you have to say something, you're making the poor girl nervous."

"Yes! Of course! Selene you look..." Cal sighed as if frustrated by his own incompetence and then smiled easily. "You look amazing, I hardly recognized you."

"Good." Wendy said as Selene was too busy glowing red under her hat. "I have an outfit for both you and Seamus in your office. It's the only time you'll be allowed in there today, make it quick."

"Me too? What is wrong with my student uniform?" Seamus asked while looking at his clothes.

"That's no fun, Cabin Boy!" Cal hooked his arm around Seamus's neck. Yamamoto hopped onto the table near them with Hifumi. "You know as well as I do that one of Wendy's few pleasures in life is playing dress up with other people." He dragged Seamus with him to his office he stopped before he passed Wendy. "Do I get a silly hat?"

"Nope, but I wonder if you can use this?" Wendy handed him a small container with a wide lid.

Cal lifted an eyebrow as he analyzed it. "For our hair?"

"So you don't know how to use it?" Wendy sighed disappointed.

"On the contrary this may be one of the few cosmetics I do know how to use." He pushed Seamus into his office. "Come on Cabin Boy, I'm going to make you purdy!" He slammed the door behind him.

Everyone on the other side of the door could hear as Seamus began shouting.

"Wait! I can undress myself!"

"Oh, don't be like that, you don't have anything I haven't seen before!" Cal laughed. "We did almost share a bath last night."

Wendy groaned and several of the girls hanging over the banister squealed. "At least it's good for business. The damn fool."