Controvertible adj. capable of being disputed or opposed by reason
Poppy sipped her tea. The tea itself was quite nice, smelling of lemons and lavender and just a bit bitter: just the way she liked it. She inhaled, enjoying the steam flowing along her face.
"More tea, Nom Nom?"
"Augobbleaugle!"
Poppy bit her lip. She sat primly at the table, delicately holding her cup and saucer. The table, far too large for their group, was covered with a pristine white cloth, and set with an eclectic array of utensils and cups. Sunlight filtered through the foliage, speckling the tablecloth. A warm spring breeze tickled her nose.
Across from her sat Lulu and Kog'Maw.
She owed Lulu, which was why she was here. She had not been expecting the Mouth of the Abyss, but then she couldn't imagine who would at being invited to a tea party.
Except Lulu, she supposed.
"The musician is rude; she only invited the big one," Lulu had told her when she'd asked. "Just because the big one had a top hat." She looked Poppy right in the eye, shaking her head slowly.
Poppy just shook her head and rescued her scone from a charging Kog'Maw.
All things considered, its manners weren't bad, Poppy mused. It had only eaten half the table so far, all with a teacup grasped daintily in one of its tiny little arms.
Lulu jumped on the table, rapping it with her staff. The pixie, who Poppy had been watching the entire time out of the corner of her eye, sat perched on the staff's top, glaring back at her.
"Friends and flounders!" Lulu called out, voice carrying throughout the clearing. "We gather here today to fill our new friends with delicious tea! And crumpets!"
Poppy sipped her tea, still not quite sure what she was doing here. Lulu continued on, her usual mixture childish declarations and enthusiastic non sequiturs. She seemed a nice enough girl, Poppy thought, as the Lulu trotted around the table, deftly hopping over a munching Kog'Maw. Flighty, but well intentioned.
And she had been lonely, since her father's death. Even in Bandle City she'd had few friends, focusing instead on her work and her craft.
It had been the same in the League. Her mission had taken all her time. She had made it take all her time.
Poppy blinked. Lulu's eyes stared at her, huge and sparkling.
"The tulips are happier in pairs."
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to try something else for a change.
Poppy cast her eyes down at her tea and took a sip, smiling. "And the Poppy would be happy to spend more time with the tulips."
Kog'Maw chose that moment to burp, spewing toxic juices that began to slowly dissolve the rest of the table. The tea party was over.