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

[bythehorns]

Me too, it's, much nicer, than back home.

I, um, hope you're also, having a good time, being here....

[onlyhonournow]

It's certainly interesting, if nothing else.

But the company for sure is unrivalled. [can we pretend that's the spiked punch talking and not Drift naturally being super special awkward about affection? No? Damn.]

[bythehorns]

[leaning on. petting? yes. you appear to be petting your robot friend. that is probably very rude. and he feels very hard.]

It is, what you said, the company, I mean.

[onlyhonournow]

[oh. that is nice. who knew pettings would be nice? He tucks a hand gently under Tavros, and lifts him up a little ways]

I'm honoured to be here.

[bythehorns]

Haha, you make it sound, like it's something fancy, to get to come here.

[dangling feet off the edge of Drift's hand, and grinning a little, because this is neat]

[onlyhonournow]

For someone like me, it is.

[setting the glass he was drinking from down and lightly tapping Tavros under the chin with his now free hand]

[bythehorns]

Haha, this is like, now I sort of know, what it feels like, for the thiefbeasts, when I hold them.

[onlyhonournow]

[holding Tavros up close to his face]

... No. You should feel like you. That's the only person you need to feel like.

[would he say this without the punch? Yes.]

[bythehorns]

[your robot friend is so nice! everyone here is so nice. especially right now. you think you are going to pet him some more. yes. you are petting his face. possibly you are papping his face, which is considerably more serious. but he makes you feel happy. you should say so.]

I feel like, a version of me, who is, really happy to be here, with you, right now.

[onlyhonournow]

[he has never been papped so nicely before. or... papped ever, but details. leaning into them and exhaling with satisfaction]

... Thank you.

[bythehorns]

I hope, that is, I think, but sometimes I am not sure, if I am reading you right, but I think, it seems like, you are happy here also. With me.

[onlyhonournow]

[keeping a hand cupped over Tavros, with his pinky lightly resting on the top of his head]

... No. You'd be wrong.

I'm more than happy--I'm very happy.

[bythehorns]

It's like, I don't, even know what to do, with feeling like this, all warm, and sort of fluttery, in my vascular pump, and I just, want to stay here, like this.

[and...keep petting him, yes.]

[onlyhonournow]

[removing the hand that was hovering over him so he can instead gently apply his lips to the top of Tavros's head.]

[bythehorns]

[you smile, and sigh a little bit in contentment, and lean in to do your best approximation of hugging your palefriend. ...which is actually more like just flopping against him with your arms spread, but you hope he'll get the idea.]

[onlyhonournow]

[making a happy sort of "hmm" sound in his voicebox, so I think he does get the idea.]

[bythehorns]

I, um, I know this is, pretty sudden, when we have been here for, only a little bit of a sweep, but, I think, I'm sort of pale for you.

[onlyhonournow]

[smiles gently, and poses his inquiry as mildly in tone as possible]

I'm not familiar with that terminology.

[bythehorns]

Um. I said, before, how trolls have, four kinds of romance? Being pale is, one of the kinds.

[onlyhonournow]

What's it like?

[bythehorns]

It is, um, one of the conciliatory kinds, where, you don't do, um, sex things with each other, but you pity each other, and you make sure, the other one is, feeling okay, and stable.

[onlyhonournow]

[tapping the underside of his chin again]

It's not pity.

[bythehorns]

O-oh.

Um.

S-sorry, I guess, I misunderstood.

[onlyhonournow]

[damnit don't look sad CHIN TAP CHIN TAP!!]

No, I think... that I did. I... respect you, Tavros. That's why I'd like for you to be happy.

[bythehorns]

Okay, um, well, I will do my best, then, because, that is, a thing I would like also, actually.