OMG VD!

[cavedwellers]

[Gosh you guys, there must be a holiday on! One of the bigger, more well-lit caves has been decked out for a PARTY, with heart-shaped BALLOONS and also red and white STREAMERS decking the stalactites and shit. There are BUCKETS filled with LITTLE CANDY HEARTS, and there is a FOUNTAIN featuring a rosy-cheeked CUPID who is PEEING PINK LEMONADE into a basin. Also ther are CUPS in case you couldn't tell the LEMONADE was for DRINKING.

Also, everything is HEAVILY SPIKED WITH APHRODISIACS. Eating or drinking the party favors will make you want to MAKE OUT with anyone who gets IN STRIKING DISTANCE. Have fun with that!]

Comments

[ice_and_steel]

It's a festival for those in a romantic relationship, I think.

[attempts to tastefully place herself between Tavros and a bucket, but lacking any kind of social graces whatsoever, it ends up being pretty awkward]

Hi, Tavros.

[bythehorns]

That is, a very nice thing, to celebrate, I think.

[we can have an awkward-off, if you want. the competition is pretty fierce around here!]

Hello, um, Celes.

[ice_and_steel]

[the problem is that, being of a rather slight build, she cannot act as shield for both the buckets and the fountain. But she will try. Awkwardly.]

It can be very nice, yes. There was a lot of emphasis on flowers and chocolate, as I recall. Not so much with the pink lemonade.

I can maybe try to scare up some candy that hasn't been in a bucket for you, if you'd like.

[bythehorns]

That sounds, um, like it would be, nice of you, since, earth candy is, a thing I might like, to try.

...Um, are you, okay? Only, you seem to be, sort of fidgeting.

[ice_and_steel]

[flustered] Oh. Well. The buckets seemed to make you uncomfortable, so I was standing in the way, only then I can't also stand in the way of the statue.

[jeez. doing nice things is surprisingly hard.]

[looking around surreptitiously for non-bucketed candy, except that subtlety is not so much a thing]

[bythehorns]

So, uh, the statue is, rude for humans? I thought, it might be, since, the dwarves gave me, that rude design, for my recuperacoon....

[ice_and_steel]

It's--sort of rude? Generally displaying one's genitalia is considered rude, except when it's art. For some reason, this qualifies as art. But if you were to just walk around with no clothes on, most people would react poorly.

[bythehorns]

[nods seriously]

Trolls would not, want to display themselves, like that, either, which is, partly, because it is rude, but also, I think, partly, because it means that, your soft parts, are exposed, and a lot of things, on Alternia, are pretty dangerous....

[ice_and_steel]

Even where things aren't dangerous, you usually don't want that exposed. I heard some stories in the army of mishaps when soldiers forgot to, uh, tuck in appropriately. The results were not kind.

[spies a bag of candy tucked away on a table, probably intended to refill the buckets] Hey, there's some non-bucket candy. [points]

[bythehorns]

Oh, that's exciting, um, do you think anyone would mind, if we took some?

You are, so very nice, to help me, like this.

[ice_and_steel]

Well, it's out here, and it doesn't look any different than what's in the buckets. We can see if anybody put a "do not touch" sign on it, I guess.

[Troll culture probably considers it inappropriate to ruffle his hair. And also it would probably be undignified, at least to him. So she pats him awkwardly on the shoulder unstead.]

[bythehorns]

[oh touching and it's friendly touching that's nice maybe we should lean into it a little--

balance, balance is important, especially when your horns are sort of too big, and you flail a little bit trying to get yours back]

Um, that is, probably, a good idea.

[ice_and_steel]

Whoops! You okay? [catches] Careful, there. I don't know if my healing magic works on you.

[bythehorns]

[leans onnnn]

That is, a wonderful thing, to use magic for, and I think, everyone, with magic, should try that, and also, you're just, really nice.

[ice_and_steel]

[gives in and ruffles his hair, will deal with fallout later but it looks all soft.]

I'm...glad you think I'm nice. I don't think many people would agree with you.

I've never thought of it being a nice thing to use magic for. Healing, I mean. It's just practical.

[bythehorns]

[you lean into the nice human's hand, because that feels nice and sort of makes you want to make little snorty-wuffles]

Maybe, those people, just didn't get to know you, I mean, the nice things, about you.

[ice_and_steel]

[oh. Maybe not fallout? Maybe I will try an awkward little sideways hug. People do that, right? It shows affection? fffffff why is interaction difficult?]

I suppose the army does not really encourage kindness. It seems to be a habit I'm falling into, here.

[cautiously touches his horns, to see what texture they have]

[bythehorns]

[wow oh gosh suddenly we are moving really fast and oh. oh wow. nobody ever actually explained that would feel like this and you are tingly all over and it's hard to sit still and you are making a very embarrassing noise in your throat.]

[the yellow parts are mostly smooth and unyielding to the touch, but the reddish-orange near the bases turn velvety.]

[ice_and_steel]

[quickly lifts hand away from horns, looks concerned] ummm. Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry if I hurt you.

[maybe I should cast Cure anyway?]

[damn it, this is why you *should* train all your generals in diplomacy]

[bythehorns]

No, um, not wrong, at all, it just, um, wow, if you wanted, to do that, again, it would still be, not wrong, and also, I would be, okay with that.

[squeaks] A-a lot okay with that.

[ice_and_steel]

Oh. okay.

[it is nice to do nice things for people. and mmmm, nice soft velvety texture. pettins, pettins]

[bythehorns]

[this is so, so amazingly undignified, but wow, it feels way too good for you to complain. you are just going to press yourself up against this amazing wonderful human and whimper and push into her hand because touching them yourself never felt like this]

[ice_and_steel]

[oh. oh, well, that seems to be effective. and. this is lovely. if slightly awkward. but that's okay because the awkward can be ignored.]

these...feel very nice. um. if that's not rude.

[bythehorns]

Very nice, um, extra nice, possibly, the nicest.

[you are just going to cling to her a little bit and be delighted to discover that your robo-legs don't seem to go weak in the knees when you get head-spinny and start to feel funny in...places.]

[ice_and_steel]

[slowly sinks down until she is sitting comfortably on the floor, and holds her arms up for Tavros to join her in case he needs extra support for arranging the robo-legs]