Cherubplay

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"Yes!" She replied, looking at him with a huff. Frankly, she couldn't remember the last time Eridan had done anything nice for her. In fact, she didn't know if he had /ever/ done anything nice for her! Vriska pocketed the pearl and placed the oyster with the remainder of her trash, her arms crossing underneath her chest, "You're my kismesis, not my moirail or my matesprit. Can you really blame me for being suspicious when it comes to this nicer behavior?"

He giggled, "Me? Full? Never!" Tavros grinned at him, listening to his cooking experiences as he fiddled with locks of his own hair, "Of course I will try what you, uh, bake. Even the rejects." Tavros figured that the other male was a perfectionist when it came to his cooking, and that even what he deemed as a mistake was probably delicious in its own right.

2014-07-03 17:01:26
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"Just because I'm your kismesis doesn't mean I can't be nice rarely," he huffed. "I'll plan on using it for bribery or something later if that makes you feel better." He turned his back to her, trying to maintain that distance. Why couldn't she just accept it? Now he was doubting himself a little. He put the doubts from his mind, solid in his black feelings even if she didn't think he was.

"Aww, Tavbro! If you eat all those what'll be left for me?" he grinned, chuckling a little. They'd finally finished off their own crab, and Gamzee stacked one plate high with the cracked shell pieces. "No crabby looking things anymore, just shell bits," he told Tavros, scooting away reluctantly so he could clean up. He picked up their plates and then stuck a hand out for Vriska's. "Shell pieces, Hatter?"

2014-07-03 17:23:14
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Vriska looked at him for a while, wondering what his deal was. He couldn't be mad at her for being a little skeptical, it was only natural. Their relationship was built on rivalry and rudeness, not anything like this. "Well," She began, trying to maintain her constant air of snootiness, "Thanks, Marchie. I like it." And with that, she handed over her plate and disappeared into her tent.

Tavros looked over the shell pieces, figuring that the crab didn't really look threatening or scary when it wasn't really much of a crab anymore. "Yeah," He agreed, nodding as he stood up to inspect the trees again, "Just shell bits."

2014-07-03 17:55:46
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Eridan smiled. He hadn't expected thanks, but what really made him happy was that she liked it. Maybe his definition of kismesitude was a little more liberal than hers. What kind of relationship could survive without showing some appreciation once in a while? he thought. It wasn't any fun to go through the motions without knowing the effort was worth it. He didn't inwardly expect anything back; that she liked it was enough for him.

"I'll be right back. We can have dessert!" Gamzee said, remembering something he'd brought. He took the shells and pot of boiled water away, disposing of the detritus and cleaning the dishes quickly. Additionally removing his face paint, he returned a short while later to the side of the fire, setting things up to dry.

2014-07-03 18:23:47
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The way Vriska saw it, their relationship was not supposed to get kinder in any manner. If they started being nice to each other, who knew what would arise? Perhaps she would start to lean towards pale or red rather than the black that she was so accustomed to. It was a danger she wanted to have nothing to do with.

"Dessert?" Excited, he turned from the trees and looked to Gamzee expectantly. Tavros had quite the sweet tooth and preferred candy and cakes and the like rather than actual food. "What is it?" He clapped his hands in excitement, gleeful for something sugary and delicious.

2014-07-03 21:39:29
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Gamzee smiled and headed over to their tent, bending to get in his bag. "You should know that, Tavbro, you got them after all." He took out the already open container of the cake balls, enough left to share evenly amongst all of them. "You don't mind if I share, do you?" he asked, looking up at Tavros ...sweetly? It wasn't a look that would be expected on his face, it was almost like a child asking if they could keep some stray animal they'd found, full of hopeful fondness.

He also had a second reason for wanting to share. After the container was empty, the ribbons keeping it shut could be freed up for other uses that Gamzee had thought about while they were in the library. Tavros's playing with his hair earlier had reminded him of the idea, so he decided to try and enact it.

2014-07-03 22:00:39
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"Ah, I forgot about those!" He hadn't even thought Gamzee had given the cake balls a second thought. Tavros, himself, didn't think twice about the sweets after he had handed them over as a gift. "I don't mind sharing," He affirmed, and he beamed a sugary smile in response to the sweet look directed up at him. He headed over to Vriska in her tent, peeking in, "Do you want dessert?"

She looked up from her writing, an eyebrow raised as she mulled it over before finally declining, "No, I'd much rather steer clear of cavities."

Tavros rolled his eyes at her, figuring that she just always had to be sassy to some degree, then stood straight and directed his gaze to Eridan, "Do you want any?"

2014-07-03 22:18:30
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Eridan raised an eyebrow, rolling onto his back again, "I might try one...what is it?" Gamzee headed back over to the fire, giving the Hare one of them.

"It's cake, with some bitchtits random frosting in the middle. There's like, three different kinds, I think," the other purple said, sitting next to the fire again. He threw a couple logs on the fire to keep it going and keep them all warm, then settled back and looked up at Tavros with a smile, gesturing the container in his direction. He'd wait for Tavros to have one before taking one himself. He felt like he was luring the copperblood over with bait, practically, and felt a bit guilty about taking his attention away from the trees that were captivating his attention. The trees might have been important, and he was just taking away Tavros's concentration as Alice to have him close.

The Hare nibbled on the sweet and decided he quite liked it. He proceeded to take small bites and enjoy it, a nice change from constant coconut. "Thanks, they're good," he said, remembering his manners as he continued nibbling.

2014-07-03 22:35:12
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He peered inside the container, plucking one at random and taking a bite of it. Tavros purred in satisfaction, the chocolate frosting inside making him grin in happiness. He would have loved it if they had more sweets with them; cakes and ice creams and candies were always so yummy, and while it probably wasn't good for his health, he couldn't stop munching on sweet treats if they were around.

Thanking Gamzee, he took another one and made his way to the trees again, inspecting them as he trailed his fingers over the trunk. The first tree he had touched was the one he spent the most time with, and, after a minute or two of just his palm against the trunk, the entire tree was the colors it was supposed to be. The trunk, a deep brown with ridges all about, looked healthy and rigid, while the leaves were all manner of smooth emerald and jade. Proud of his work, he ate the second cake ball and looked at the rest of the trees situated around him. He began coloring all the trees, which hardly took long at all, and once he was finished, Tavros stepped back to admire the vibrant shades of the trees.

2014-07-03 22:58:49
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Gamzee watched as the trees turned regular colors, sharing the sweets with Eridan who was also still lounging by the fire. They were spectacularly beautiful in the contrasting landscape under the moonlight, and Gamzee found himself excited to see what they looked like in the sun. He was glad Tavros had found the little spot. To him trees were comforting, as one of the only places he felt relaxed was in his forest home. Certainly he was also relaxed and surrounded by trees in the library, but the living organisms were more beautiful. These particular trees were also curious because they weren't like the ones in Tulgey that he was used to, so there was the additional excitement of something new.

Eridan was interested, but not as interested, in this display. He did wonder how and why, but Alice seemed as clueless as the rest of them about the feat of magic. After a while he called out to his kismesis. "Hey Hattie can I share your tent or do I have to dive in the ocean?"

2014-07-03 23:13:00
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In Alternia, magic wasn't just something that popped up and was used. Everything had an explanation behind it, everything made sense, more or less. But here, in Wonderland, nearly everything was strange and unique, most with no clear explanation behind it, which was intriguing in itself.

"Do what you want," The Hatter replied, cranky in her fatigue, "I don't care in the slightest."

Now that he was done with the trees, Tavros sat by the fire again and sighed softly as he looked into the flames. Travelling all day had made him tired, and, coupled with the good food he had eaten, he was about ready to sleep. Looking to Gamzee, he questioned, "Ready to sleep?"

2014-07-03 23:36:24
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"Good." Eridan got up and went into her tent, flopping down out of the way and closing his eyes, ready for sleep.

"I suppose so. Better get some fuckin shut eye with more travelin tomorrow, eh?" Gamzee didn't really want to move, but knew he'd better lest he fell asleep outside and got cold. So, picking up the now empty container and ribbons, he got up, offering a hand to help Tavros up before heading over to the tent. Getting there, he put the container back, maybe he could use it for something on the journey, and wound the ribbons together placing them safely in an inner pocket for an appropriate time.

2014-07-03 23:45:16
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With a thankful word, Tavros took his hand and rose, brushing off excess sand as he headed into the tent. He kept his stockings and Mary Janes off, stretching his bare legs in front of him as he got himself situated with blankets and pillows.

He yawned, tiny tears rising to his eyes as he laid on his back and stared up at the top of the tent. Now he had time to really contemplate his newfound power. From what he had noticed, only things that had color taken away from them originally could get their colors and textures back. The sand hadn't changed, but the trees did, and Tavros wondered just what else he could change with just his touch and influence.

2014-07-03 23:57:49
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Gamzee crawled into the tent a moment later, fixing a space for himself before languidly lying down in a sort of half on his side, half on his stomach sort of position next to Tavros. He curled up a little, legs only slightly bent to give Tavros room. He was pretty much on auto pilot now as he settled into the covers and pillows.

It was probably because of his partial conciousness that he reached up to brush the closest of the yawned tears from Tavros's eye, then continued up to brush some stray hair back, caressing Tavros's cheek lightly with the backs of his fingers. Gaze slightly hazey, he sighed contentedly and curled his arm to settle it next to Tavros's, letting them touch gently. He nuzzling into his pillow and let his eyes drift mostly closed, not really thinking about the actions.

2014-07-04 00:13:27
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His brown eyes followed as Gamzee wiped away one of his tears, then pushed his hair back. The actions were sweet, and he smiled some, trying to ignore the blush that forced itself to the surface. Even sleeping suddenly became complicated now; this wouldn't be the first time he and Gamzee shared a sleeping space, but because of this contact and their constant flirting back and forth, Tavros was unsure if he could make it the whole night through.

Rather than dwelling on it, -or the fingers that touched his skin gently- he shut his eyes and murmured a 'good night, Gamzee.' Surely the next day would be easier to handle.

He woke to the sound of rustling beside his tent, which he gauged to be Vriska or Eridan. The Mad Hatter was keen on swimming today, as the sun was out and shining on their monochrome, desolate land. It was normally so dark and dreary, with clouds hanging about in the sky that only seemed to dissipate when the sun was setting. It was rare to have that bright, warming star seen during daylight hours, and she was going to take advantage of it. She shed her coat and switched into a skirt for the time being, glad to have the warmth of the sun spreading onto her exposed skin, even though it was early morning and it would only get warmer.

Tavros, on the other hand, did not feel like getting up in the slightest, but he figured he ought to at least put his socks and shoes on, then do something with his hair. It was a bit of a mess from sleeping the night before, and, as he pulled on his stockings, he pushed his bangs from his face. While his hair did frame his round face rather nicely, Tavros preferred to have the front pinned back so it wasn't in his face constantly.

2014-07-04 00:22:59
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The March Hare had tuckered himself out some with all the swimming and so slept in, not bothered by any movements his kismesis made while she got up. The tent was warm and comfortable, and the black fabric blocked out the light enough so he could sleep late.

Gamzee was equally comfortable, but the movement next to him woke him slightly. He was still groggy, and quite content to stay where he was. However, he looked at Tavros and, discovering his hair a, rather attractive, mess, he thought it was a good of a time as any to bring up his thought from before.

"Mornin', Tavbro," he yawned, turning onto his back and arching off the ground in a morning stretch. "Hair's pretty wild this morning, eh?" he said, meaning Tavros's own hair as he sat up. His own hair, not to be out done, curled and stuck out in all manner of strange impossible angles. Now that he was tackling his idea, he got a little awkward, "um, speakin' of, do you like the headband thing? Cause I was thinking, maybe those sweet bronzy ribbons might look nice somehow. I dunno," he trailed off, smiling awkwardly at his knees.

2014-07-04 00:40:41
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"Ribbons...? Oh!" Recognition flickered across his face, and he nodded in understanding, "Ah, yes, those. They would probably work better than the headband - it kind of hurts my ears." They were rather long from what he had seen on the container, as they were wrapped around several times, and he could probably use one of them as a makeshift headband, complete with a cute bow. "Where are they?" Tavros questioned, head inclined as he began to try to fix his hair with his fingers. Gamzee's hair was always messy and curly and disheveled, but, in Tavros's opinion, it looked rather nice that way. Sitting on his knees, he leaned forward and ruffled Gamzee's hair playfully, "If anyone needs the ribbons, it is you, heheh."

2014-07-04 00:56:12
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Surprised at the contact, Gamzee sat still a moment before giggling with a slight purr to it, happy for the attention and moving into it subconciously. He blushed rather heavily at Tavros's last comment, thinking of the implications. "Aww, Tavbro, I couldn't possibly. Somebody'd shoot me for puttin on airs," he said, attempting to ignore the more romantic thought.

He reached for his bag and pulled the ribbons out of the pocket he'd put them in, and handed them to Tavros. "Here they are," he smiled.

2014-07-04 01:02:23
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"These are awfully pretty," He hummed, trying not to linger on the fact that Gamzee had purred softly at the ruffling to his hair. It was insane to think that they had gotten so close in such a short amount of time, but he couldn't help it.

He took the ribbons from him, fitting one underneath his hair and tying it in front of his forehead into a delicate bow, then pushed it back to keep his bangs from tickling his face. He raked his fingers through his hair so that the locks were neat and wavy, and he beamed over at Gamzee fondly, "So?" He asked, "How do I look?"

2014-07-04 01:05:33
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"Adorable," Gamzee answered automatically. He was still kinda hazy looking and sounding from sleep and from the pleasant sensation from just moments earlier. He was really quite relaxed, quite a feat from how short they'd known each other and how tense he normally was around people given their typical reactions. But Tavros wasn't typical.

Though he did realize shortly after what he'd said and how, and turned faintly purple in embarrassment. "Um, uh, yea, uh, it's good. Suits you. And all that!" he stuttered out. He tried moving out but had tangled himself in the blankets again and ended up falling backwards suddenly knocking the breath out of himself in surprise, only turning purple even further at this extended embarrassment.

2014-07-04 01:14:20
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His smile only seemed to grow at the compliment, but before he could thank the other male, Gamzee was stammering in embarrassment. Tavros couldn't help but feel like the tables had turned now - usually he was the one that was flustered easily like this. Still, he thought that he may have said or done something weird that warranted such a strange response from the purpleblood.

"Um..." He watched the entire situation unfold with furrowed brows, and he lifted a hand to help out, but wasn't even sure where to begin, "Are you alright? Was it, something I said?"

2014-07-04 01:18:10
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"N-no, it was me," he managed, lying still now, no way to get out of it. "This fucker's all skittish and shit because I all up and was all hazy lovey and shit soundin and I'm sorry and stuff but I can't help it Itrieditdidn'tworki'msorry," Gamzee's words streamed together in apology as he covered his eyes with his hands.

He felt like he was only making it worse, and little insecurities niggled at his thoughts and self deprecating remarks floated across his think pan at his foolishness.

2014-07-04 01:26:58
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"Well..." He trailed off, unsure of what Gamzee had said, but he wasn't about to make him speak again - he looked too flustered as it was. So, instead, Tavros shuffled over and gingerly pulled the blankets and such from around his legs so he wouldn't be tied down, then flashed him a smile, "I am not very worried about that." Whatever it was that Gamzee was embarrassed about, Tavros could not care less about it and, in fact, he would much rather his friend do whatever it was that made him happy instead of worry needlessly about something.

2014-07-04 01:30:21
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The purple blood peaked out from behind his hands at Tavros. The comment didn't make much sense to him from what he'd said. He sat up, now free of the confines he'd constructed in his slumber, and looked seriously at Tavros, trying to figure out what he meant. "Okay...Thanks Tavbro...for untangling me and for that."

He had another inclination and debated it internally for a moment. Eventually figuring he was going to regret if he didn't or if he did, he went for it before he could think any longer and gave Tavros a quick peck on the cheek. He darted out of the tent then, taking his bag and going over to the fire pit with his back to the tents to start on breakfast for everyone.

2014-07-04 01:41:06
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He could tell that they were both on weird levels, and communication was not working entirely well. Tavros wasn't sure what was happening, but, long before he could even ask what Gamzee was doing or asking, the other's lips were on his cheek. He tensed, a tiny squeak of surprise leaving him as he touched his cheek with his fingertips and watched as Gamzee left the tent.

Vriska, seeing a Gamzee without a Tavros, thought it was a little strange, but she didn't comment. But, instead of giving a snarky comment, she stretched her arms over her head and grinned up at the sky, "Where's our chief?" She questioned to Gamzee, "Still slumbering away?"

2014-07-04 01:50:22