B 2 C 8: PARTY CRASHERS
I apologize profusely with hugs and kisses to everyone I just alarmed, even Mata. Lao, Ag, Sugar, and even Spice accept my apology and affection graciously. Mataalii of course shoves me away, fairly viscerally. I try not to laugh about it so as not to upset him, but I do feel better about our relationship, even if only slightly. Taking my leave, I snag the charcoal Lil has created for me, then I dart away behind a tree opposite the one I saw Teuila head behind.
I try to fashion the charcoal sticks into something that Spice will find easy enough to hold by covering them in thin leaf-wraps, choosing the ones that have the best angles, or the best straightness to them. Once I’ve got them created, I bundle the whole stack in a giant leaf, then fold the leaf up over the gifts. I pin the edges of the leaf together by jabbing a hole into the edges so I can tie a short vine in them in an easily undoable slip knot.
Each further gift pretty much follows the same procedure as I wrap it up, though Lil’s is rather massive. Instead I’ll have to just wait to reveal Lil’s until later. Let’s see, I’ve wrapped the geodes, pencils, drums, spoons, the floating gemstone, ah, I can’t wrap the glider frames for the twins, I’ll have to install them as part of the gift. They basically just have to be carried back up to the roof, and the hook set upon the zip lines again. Oh Mata’s gift, please work.
Unwrapping only my right danger wrap, I feel my senses dull and shorten slightly, but the magic remains. Whew, okay, at least Mata should appreciate this, it has actual magic that can help him protect himself, and the twins. If that doesn’t make him cool in his own eyes, I don’t know what will. I don’t want him to actually want to be like me. I think it’s probably just because I saved him while on autopilot when I was checked out for so long.
I wrap up several silk, or well, perhaps satin objects that I didn’t know I had, and the one from Octorochi for Lao, along with the one communicator stone. I don’t know the difference between silk or satin, all I know is these fabrics are ridiculously, luxuriously smooth. I hope Lao likes them. Plus, at least the communicator stone is practical, we need never truly be too far out of reach. Though each of us can only initiate a few seconds of multi-way conversation per day, once apiece.
Oh, I know where I got the other silk or satin objects. I immediately crumple to the ground, sobbing, as I remember The Event. Teuila suddenly appears beside me, and I can’t tell if I’m hallucinating during a panic episode. So it takes all my willpower to stay frozen in place, to not scrabble away. My pulse pounds faster and faster in sheer terror as she reaches for my neck. I think my heart is about to explode from fear until she wraps her arms around my shoulders, leans in close and coos comforts into my ears. My muscles seize up, and my jaw locks painfully, but eventually, through tearing strain, I’m able to wrap my arms around Teuila in response. It feels like I rip apart the inner bicep near my elbows whenever I move during an episode like this.
As I calm down, Teuila mutters something, trying to ask me a question, when she’s finally sure she has my attention, she mumbles, “So, y’know, how do I look, punkbutt?” I can feel her heart flutter with trepidation, as she’s nervous about my response. She’s wearing the old vampguppy wing cloak I made for her so long ago. She has adorned it with flowers. So that’s where it was!
Oh right, she’s awaiting a response. “You’re so beautiful, to me.” I ponder the facial expression I make after stating this, because my brain and face both screw up for a second. Teuila jabs me several times playfully in the stomach as she hides her face in my neck. Her face is red hot with embarrassment. I can tell because heat escapes and feels like it sets my neck aflame. Though it’s not painful, or uncomfortable, it’s just such an intense emotion. Or rather, it’s an intense physical indication of her emotion. I love her so much, I wish I could figure out how to indicate to her that she need never be embarrassed about her emotions to me. Oh, oops.
Te lets out her single elongated gleeful sound, “Heeeee.” She then socks me once more playfully in the shoulder, baps my left cheek, and cradles my neck to where she can give me an extended noogie. Yep, I’ll never remember to keep my brain shut from those who share a wavelength with me.
“You darn well better not.” Te noogies my skull slightly harder to emphasize her point.
Despite my trembling, I’m able to hold Teuila tightly, and fight my emotions for allowance to smile. “Of course not, my Teuila.” I still don’t know what to call her. I don’t know what we are, in a lot of ways. Age is weird, evolutions are weird, clans are weird, twitterpation is weird. I just have no idea.
“Just yours. And you’re just mine, mostly. All of ours really, I could never truly ask you, y’know, to stop giving of yourself to the whole fam. You just couldn’t do it. I know that. I, y’know, that word, you for the way you are.” Teuila rambles slightly, intimating that she loves me despite, or because of, my desire to always give up anything and everything necessary for the safety, happiness, and love of our family.
“Well, that, and, you, y’know. You’ve had your bond with them longer. I was jealous. I still am. I know they look at you sometimes, sometimes kinda like I do. But only sometimes. We just, ugh, jealousy isn’t important. They, y’know, you, and so do I.” Teuila continues to pour her feelings out to me as best she can after literally hearing my thoughts. Wait, what? Who looks at me sometimes? No, no, I’m pretty sure I know who. Our inner circle are all heavily enamored with one another. Teuila even bonded with Lil through adventure, training, and, well, an actual bond.
“Yeah, alright, yeah, I can admit the dorky little dragbutt is a cutie patootie too. Ugh, never tell them I admitted that, or I’m going to fly you into the air and drop you til you wet yourself.” I snerk, barely keeping my laughter quiet as Teuila threatens me. Even if she did just that, she’d only do it if she was sure she wouldn’t let me get hurt.
Te responds to my thoughts, hearing them through our bond, “Why ya gotta go and spoil a perfectly good threat? Lesigh, are you ready for this party yet?” Chuckling, at her jovial choice of inflection, I bite my lips. I’m still trying to hold in laughter. I manage the slightest of nods even though my neck aches as my body trembles.
In the last few minutes, Sugar and Spice managed to put an awning over the stage. They also carved chairs for Ag and Lao, our guests of honor as it were. Since they carve the wood by eating it, they accomplish tasks almost instantly. Their speed seems to be because consumption appears to teleport matter to some endless black hole. Rather than the eating process I’m familiar with. I guess at this point I am familiar with matter disappearing when I eat it. Something just sends a signal to my brain to shut up about being hungry for a bit.
Te takes me by the hand, and though I amble shakily, she still drags me to the rest of the party. As my family slowly stops milling about, I clear my throat, for their attention. Their tasks are finished, and I want to thank them. I start off a bit nervously, “H, hey everyone. I’m so proud of what you’ve all accomplished. You’ve made us all a beautiful home, for this beautiful family. You’ve also put together an amazing party location. I hope my asking for your help wasn’t too inconvenient, since I wanted to throw this party in thanks for all you’ve done for me. As we feast, I’ll hand out gifts I’ve gotten for each of you. After that, I figure we can dance until our legs go numb, then sleep it off, together.”
My family responds with a mix of laughter, cheers, and silent admiration. Mataalii, Luni, Agwai, and Laomati head off to the side to bring our brand new feasting table to the fore. Teuila squeezes my hand reassuringly, and the two of us bring seats to the table. I add a finishing touch by placing thick leaves as cushioning for the seats, gluing the cushions in place. We leave the larger pair of chairs in the pavilion, for Lao and Agwai to enjoy later.
Even though eating seems to barely mean anything when we attempt to do it instantly, we work to savor a meal together. While I’m honestly quite sick of fish, I can’t help but smile as my family is gathered around a table, for the first time, sharing a meal together. The two pairs of twins are goofing off, smacking one another with food, then wolfing it down. Mata is rolling his eyes at their antics. Lao is barely stifling chuckles as she slowly partakes of our food. Agwai is laughing uproariously at their own jokes. My inner circle are all feeling my overwhelming affection for everyone gathered here at this moment.
As the evening approaches, the last of us finally finishes savoring our meal. Figuring the time is ripe, I clear my throat for attention once again. “Ah, hrm, ahem. So, I got gifts for all of you. I’ll pass them out, but please don’t open them yet. I need to take the Mana twins and Lil to the side to be able to give them their gifts. Te, littlest one is yours, small one for Spice, next one up for Lao, the really heavy one for Sugar. The two identical really big ones for Ag and Lu, could you hand them out please? Mata, this one’s yours, I’ll explain what to do with it when we all open them together. Manas? Lil? Please follow me for a second.”
The family mills about in response, getting situated so that their gifts can be opened when I return. The twins and Lil follow me to our one building. I leap to its roof in a single bound, which surprises me, I thought I would have to scrabble up by barely catching its edge. Some of Teuila’s leaping prowess must be rubbing off on me. Once atop the roof, I construct a polished wooden slide ramp, and set it down off the edge, so the others can climb up. While they’re busy ascending, I set the gliders atop the roof, affix the ropes to the two anchors, and leap off the roof towards the pond. Once at the far side of the pond, I tie off the ropes to complete the ziplines and hurry back before the twins can get any ideas.
“Lil, do you see how this one differs from your glider? There’s a hook constructed at the top, all anyone has to do is set it on the ropes, and it’ll go sliding down, like this.” I demonstrate how the glider can slowly slide down the rope without any passengers. “It’ll be faster with someone in it.”
Manaia excitedly squeals and asks, “Really, this is for us!?” Manameia answers for me, “Duh, Reggie said it is! Come on let’s try it!”
I chuckle at the twins as they busy themselves setting up the glider and zipping down into the pond for the first and second time. By the third go I have to let them know the others are waiting. “So, you can keep riding it if you want, or you can come watch the others open their gifts, I’ll leave it up to you. I’m happy you both like it.”
The twins give that gleeful elongated single-laugh sound that seems to run in the family. “Heeeee.” Their closed-eyed smiles warm my heart.
“Lil buddy, don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, and don’t be alarmed.” I explain as I leap from the roof once more towards the back of our home. I angle to the side of the tree that our home is built against as I fall. While falling, I call the solid slab of stone that Lil was first resting on from my inventory, shunting it into the ground. My fall causes a minor tremor, which causes me to blush at the unplanned earthquake. “Err, whoops. Do you know what this is buddy?”
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Lil hems and haws, “Hmmmmmm, it’s definitely from Fire Biome, and there’s the faintest traces of, wait. Wait. Wait wait wait wait. Whaaaaaaaaaat? I could swear it looks like I’ve been on that rock before, maybe, your aura is all over it freshly though.” I smile, waiting for Lil to puzzle it out. “Don’t tell me, did you go dig up that spot where you first saw me? Whaaaaat? That’s so sweet! It can be like, my dragon bed if I get too big for our home!” Lil leaps into my arms, headbutting my chest repeatedly. They smooch at my collarbone and then spin to whap my face playfully with their tail. I end up with a faceful of dragon heiny, as one frequently does. Well, at least as I frequently have during the course of my friendship with Lil.
Chuckling, I hug Lil, expressing my feelings, “I hope you like it pal, you’re pretty much everything in the world to me. I wanted to find some way to express that. Some way to show you that every moment we’ve ever had together is important and precious to me. I uh, I hope that point came across, and isn’t too sappy.”
Lil growls at me, which is a bit concerning, until I realize they’re being playful. “Grrrrr, are you kidding Reggie!? You could never be too sappy pal! I love it, I mega mega mega love it, I love you, you’re great!” I chuckle and hug Lil tightly.
“We should get back so the others can open their gifts, I want to see the looks on their faces.” I’m most curious to see how Mata will react when I ask him to open his first. We arrive back to the table in short order, and the Mana twins have beaten us there. Everyone’s waiting, some, patiently, others such as both pairs of twins, quite impatiently.
I announce, “So, there’s a certain order I’d like to do this in. Mataalii, I’d like you to open yours first.” Mata eyes me suspiciously, but he complies, unveiling the singular arm wrap. I explain, “That contains a portion of the magic that the pair imparted onto me since before the swamp. They sense danger, and guide reflexes. I hope that they always keep you safe, and help you to keep your loved ones safe. Especially in our absence.” I indicate my inner circle.
Mata just gazes down at the arm wrap, saying nothing for an inordinate amount of time. Finally Mata begins applying the bandage-like material to his arm, and as with mine, it finishes wrapping the rest of the way on its own. Mat’s eyes spark with new awareness, the ability to sense his surroundings. He only says, “So, uh, cool, yeah, thanks.” I close my eyes so no one can see me rolling them as I stifle a chuckle.
Next I announce the next two, “So, Manaia and Manameia got their gifts, ziplines from the roof to the pond.” My family oohs and ahs at the announcement, but I continue, “So I’d like Sugar and Spice to open theirs next.” Spice opens his, and gets a whiff of the charcoal, causing him to sneeze. “Uh, yours aren’t food friendo. They’re to write, or draw with, so that you can do your designing more easily. Maybe someday we’ll find a source of paper, and you’ll be able to keep your designs somewhere more permanent.” Spice’s eyes well up with happy tears as they sparkle. His smile is so wide, I almost can’t believe it. Spice bounds across the table and leaps into my face, smooching me all over.
That’s probably the best reaction I could have possibly hoped for. I whisper to him, “I’m sorry that I was gone so long, when I should have been around to meet you, to start getting to know you with the rest of our family. I love you too, even if we hardly know one another Spice.” I let a few tears fall from my eyes before realizing I’m crying. I quickly wipe the tears away before anyone other than Spice notices.
Spice replies, “We’re good Reggie, we’re so good. Thank you, thank you, thank you thank you thank you! You really are as sweet as they say. I hope we find paper soon, and I hope I evolve, so I can hold them more easily.” As Spice and I hug each other, both of us shedding a few secret tears, Sugar is about to open her present when suddenly Spice begins to glow. All of a sudden, instead of an incredibly light beaver-tailed sphere in my face, I now have a fairly heavy beaver bowling me over. Spice whoops with delight, and runs in circles as he tries to gaze at all of his own new form. There appears to be a t-square tucked behind his ear, alongside his glasses. He also has a little vest, with many pockets.
Most of the family bursts into laughter, especially Sugar. I wonder if Spice will have gained any magic powers, just by evolving in my proximity. Sugar gazes at me extremely impatiently though, and I nod to her. Sugar unwraps her gift with excitement, then her face droops, sullen. Her response to the stones is to be expected, “Uh, rocks? Thanks, I guess, Reggie. Sorry, don’t mean to sound ungrateful.” I really hope they’re geodes, so that this disappointment doesn’t last long.
I cough before explaining, “So, I heard, well, I know, you like breaking things, it was one of the first things you said to me when we met. Try breaking a couple, they might surprise you.” At that, Sugar lights up. She rolls the rocks to the ground, and sets them in locations where they won’t roll. One after the other Sugar smacks each stone with a loud thwap of her beaver tail. Her tail is so strong that each stone splits with a cracking sound. I’m fairly impressed. Thankfully, each geode seems to hold an interior crystal structure more dazzling than the last.
The entire family pauses as Sugar passes around the geodes, staring at them with wonder. We all get to partake of her fascination with their internal display. After they’ve all been passed around at least once, Sugar begins collecting them, and hugs them close to her, covetously. I chuckle, and as I’m about to move on to the next announcement, Sugar too, glows. Sugar evolves similarly to Spice, though her adornment ends up being a toolbelt, replete with tools. I’m a bit in awe, since we don’t even have screws to use a screwdriver on yet, nor nuts and bolts to use wrenches on. Yet here we are, a fully equipped toolmaster in our midst.
I pause to wonder if any of the equipment that Sugar or Spice spawned with is magical, but I let them enjoy exploring their new forms, similarly to how Luni did, so long ago now. Come to think of it, she was so excited for her new dress, and the pockets in her dress and accessories. Luni also secretly had magic, or maybe she learned about it after the fact, as she didn’t share for quite some time. Luni is still keeping some secrets about her powers, but I won’t begrudge her that. For all I know, her powers require secrecy to even work. I’m letting myself get distracted again. We’ve now gifted both sets of twins, Lil, and Mataalii, that leaves Lao, Teuila, then Agwai and Luni together.
While I wait for everyone to settle down from the excitement over Sugar and Spice’s new forms, I retake my seat, then close my eyes and lean against Teuila. There’s a painful grip of fear in my chest, squeezing my heart, just being near her. I only hope that it lessens with time. Once everyone seems to be more or less ready to continue, I call out to Laomati, one of our two leaders, essentially mother to us all. “Lao, I’d be honored if you would open yours next.”
Lao looks to be a picture of perfect poise, and grace, but loses all restraint and tears into the gifts, surprising everyone at the table, earning a round of laughs. She holds up the silk robe that she’d seen us win from Octorochi, and she rubs it against her cheek, smiling approvingly. Similarly Lao feels the other objects all over, reveling in their texture. She does gaze ponderously at the stone though, the one shaped slightly like a flip phone from my memories. “And, this, my child? Does it hold some power?” Lao pokes the stone.
I pull the other one out of my inventory, and motion for Lao to put hers to her face, as I do with mine. Speaking into the stone, I whisper, connecting with hers, “This only works a short time each day, but with it, you will always be able to reach us, and we you.” Lao gasps, her gaze leaps back and forth between the stone and myself. I nod to her, mouthing to speak quickly.
Lao rambles, appreciatively, lovingly, “How, how long do these precious stones work? Dear child, this is immeasurably thoughtful, I can barely begin to express. I couldn’t have hoped for anything nearly this wonderful in my wildest dreams. Are you certain, what if you all must split during one of your adventures? It nearly destroyed you once before, I can’t bear the thought.”
I chuckle, whispering back, “Lao, Laomati, it’s okay. I know, I thought of that too, but I need it to be with you. I need to be able to hear your voice, to know the family is okay. I need for you to be able to reach us, so that you may call us back at a moment’s need. I’ll sleep sounder with it in your hands. Our whole family is precious to me, not just my beloved inner circle.” Lao wrings her hands, then motions for me to approach quickly. Lao’s arms are outstretched and she’s waving her hands towards herself swiftly, repeatedly, begging me to rush to them for a hug.
I happily oblige, sprinting around the table and into Lao’s arms. I appreciate her tender, motherly embrace, as I hug her tightly in return. Laomati strokes my hair as she finally stops fretting over whether or not she can accept the gift. Without being in sight of Teuila, nor feeling her presence with any of my senses, terror’s grip on my heart loosens enough for me to relax into Lao’s hug. When our embrace finally finishes, after an inordinate amount of time, and then some, I meander back to my seat. I smile into Teuila’s eyes, even though the panic returns, and it causes my jaw to lock.
Teuila takes my hands, and our gazes stay as locked as my muscles for the longest time. I manage to speak through a nearly locked jaw, barely freeing my muscles from their painful stasis. “Teuila, would you mind opening yours?” Teuila giddily bounces up and down before turning away to open her gift. She reaches to inspect the tiny gemstone, and as it did with me, it begins speedily orbiting above her head. I can actually visibly see the faintest hint of extra muscle definition on Teuila.
Teuila either senses my observation, or feels her muscles expand. This sensation causes her to stand up, and similarly to Sugar and Spice, she does her best to inspect every inch of herself. I raise an eyebrow as if to ask what she thinks of the gift. Teuila grins, then she hauls off and smacks me in the shoulder, bowling me out of my seat. I do a double backwards roll, somewhat playing along as a joke, but also somewhat because her punch packed more, well, punch, than usual. As I dust myself off, and return to my seat, everyone is laughing. Teuila’s laugh expresses her glee with that single elongated sound. “Heeeee.” Her smile is so precious as she sounds her glee.
To wrap up, I wave towards Luni and Agwai, before stating, “Lu, Ag, your gifts probably look similarly shaped. There’s a reason for that, I’m hoping you’d do us the honor of testing them out tonight, as we celebrate our first family party, with what I hope is our first of many family dances.” I can tell Lu has been riding around the waves of my head, as she seems unsurprised, but still happy with her present. Agwai takes a moment to realize what the gifts are. Ag looks childishly ecstatic as they take the spoons, and twigs, to begin tapping them on their thigh, and then on the drums.
Agwai’s jam starts off erratic, but they begin to learn the ins and outs of their new instruments fairly quickly. It’s honestly remarkable. Our world has so little that we can interact with to learn from, it seems like we have to make up for it by adapting quickly, instantly even. Luni calls for our attention. “I want to dance too! Agwai should get a chance too! So, first dance is as they say, on the house!” Lu plucks her harp a bit, and seems to set it up for a lively dance beat. The magic of her harp is fairly astounding, she lets the music loop as we all take to the dance floor.
Absolutely none of us have any sense of rhythm. None of us know how to dance whatsoever, and yet, I find myself having the time of my life. We’re each shaking and grooving. We’re laughing and hugging one another, even spinning and spiraling one another around. It’s pure bliss. Lilagni is in their Lilagnewt form, so that they have feet to slap on the dance floor, pounding steps in place next to Luni. It’s a hilarious sight, seeing a soft, medium, quadrupedal dragon dancing with a curvy otterfolk gal.
Eventually after dancing together for a while, Teuila does me a favor, and evolves into her Valkyrie form. She tosses her equipment off high up in a tree where it’ll be out of the way. My fear dissipates with her in this form, and we hold one another, while acrobatically leaping around the dance floor, we end up on the stage somehow.
Lu seems to take this accidental leap as some sort of cue, so she grabs Agwai, and the two head away from the dance floor to their drums. Luni sets up a slow beat, and Agwai follows suit. My heart races for a reason that, thankfully, isn’t fear, for once. Luni strokes her harp, and a sound that reminds me of searching for crystals, guided by light, begins to play. It seems to be a simple scale down then up and returning, yet it’s enchanting. For some reason, I’m reminded of menus while hearing it. Or perhaps other types of screens, such as title screens.
Teuila lighty bonks my noggin to pull me from my random reverie. I grin at her like a goof. She’s so much taller in her Valkyrie form. I wonder if I should tether myself? Oh, wait, I can’t anymore, I don’t have enough maximum energy. That would take at least eleven hundred. Oh well, this is still nice, just like this.
Lu seems to take a break, leaving Agwai to jam on the drums as she finds a spot to cuddle with Lil. Agwai’s jam goes from jovial, to wickedly cool, and that’s when I spot them, our first party crashers, and their far too many legs.