Poppin' Arms ~ Dorm Lounge

[Namohysip]

A wry smile was S'more's initial reply. "Well, I suppose if there was another way to spy on me, it would be by acting as my assistant." He nodded. "Very well. Come with me."

 

[Fusion]

"Sir, yes sir!" Vix said eagerly, giving a salute and following behind S'more. "I actually get to work at a guild! Ace is gonna be so jealous!"

'What a drag...' her Shadow groaned.

'Whine all you want, this is something I've wanted for years. So suck it up and shut it up, I got work to do!'

<><><><><>

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Now, I want you to hold still for just a bit." Cynthian stretched the measuring tape across the length of Icetales' forelimb. Afterwards, she opened her badge and put down some numbers, then wrapped the tape around his neck to measure its width.

"I've probably said this so many times before already, but you're just so fluffy..." Cynthian giggled as his mane tickled her vines. After taking the measurement, Cynthian lingered in front of Icetales in a pause, as if wanting the moment to never end. Moments later, she unwrapped the tape and went about jotting the measurements down.

All the while, Cynthian's flowers were ggiving off a trickle of lemon and lavender that Icetales would surely have noticed. It had been very faint when she approached him earlier, but the intensity of the fragrance grew the more time passed.

Cynthian turned around and asked, "What's your favorite color? I'd recommend blues or blacks. Those colors will look great on you, love."

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales smiled, somewhat amused by Cynthian’s glee as she brushed against his fur. “Well, fluff is part of an ice Ninetales, I reckon. After all, we need the thickness to handle frigid temperatures.”

The Ninetales observed Cynthian fiddling with her badge, his head tilted and his tails flicking. The Shadow was nowhere to be seen, hidden in the depth of his darkness and heart — probably out of boredom, or just to give some personal space to his host.

Well, the real fox appreciated that courtesy, and he definitely looked forward to know what Cynthian was planning to do with those measurements. A surprise of some kind, but what?

However, despite the excitement of the moment, he couldn’t help but notice some tension in the movements of the dear Roserade, but he couldn’t figure out what was the cause of such a mood. And that intense lemon scent…

He snapped back to reality when Cynthian turned around again and addressed him once more.

“Oh! Um… I know it might sound clichéd, but I enjoy royal blue.” He wagged his tails, while his eyes seemed to gleam like sapphires. “That is such a lovely shade.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Royal blue... Yes, that's a fine choic. It's a very beautiful hue," Cynthian said. She approached him again with the tape and stretched it across the length of his side. Her movements continued to carry a sluggish pace, with small pauses in between.

"I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable. This won't take long," Cynthian said with a huff.

It won't last for long... Just like our time with each other.

Cynthian fidgeted and shook her head a few times. Her bouquets' lemon fragrance spiked briefly, but Cynthian still brought no attention to it... Though Icetales would be able to guess that fear and stress kept a tight lid on her lips.

"Say, I'm curious. What do you have in the way of fashion back in your world?" Cynthian asked, both to keep her mind from dwelling on her thoughts, and to hope Icetales doesn't catch on to her unease...

 

[Cresselia92]

"Royal blue... Yes, that's a fine choic. It's a very beautiful hue," Cynthian said. She approached him again with the tape and stretched it across the length of his side. Her movements continued to carry a sluggish pace, with small pauses in between.

"I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable. This won't take long," Cynthian said with a huff.

Icetales shook his head. “Oh, dost not fret. Back in my homeworld, I used to pose for portraits painted by the royal Smeargle. We had to stand still for hours. This wait is nothing in comparison, truly.”

He narrowed his eyes in puzzlement when Cynthian fidgeted once more. Was it something he said?

Also, that lemon scent made his sensitive nostrils tingle and twitch. He couldn’t handle it for much longer, and turned his muzzle away when Cynthian was distracted, exhaling a dense misty cloud.

That worried him, but not for himself. For Cynthian.

"Say, I'm curious. What do you have in the way of fashion back in your world?"

Icetales didn’t respond for a few seconds, both to gather his thoughts and to piece things together. To not draw much attention to his thoughts, he placed a forepaw on his chin and showed a pensive stare.

“Well… Among nobility, there is the tradition of wearing garments during celebrations and important events. For example, it is fairly common to wear semi-transparent cotton scarves with white sparkles, to celebrate the day in which the Witch of Hope vanquished the darkness and saved the world alongside the other Lights.” He puffed his chest with pride. “She was a powerful sorceress from Borealis, and is considered a protector and ethereal guardian. Every cub of my country knows about that legend. Perhaps I could tell thee about it someday?”

Hm… Why were they talking about fashion and his homeworld all of a sudden? Was that some attempt to divert the attention from something? Icetales deemed better to press about that.

“…Is it something in thy mind, Miss Cynthian?” he asked, his eyes inquisitive. “Thou art not behaving like thy usual self. Thou know thou can tell anything that is troubling thy mind, yes?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"What? No, I'm fine."

We're not.

"It's nothing really... I'm just..." Cynthian went quiet with lowered eyes. Even if she tried, she couldn't bring herself to lie to him. Her heart ached even at the thought of doing so. Cynthian sighed, and came clean.

"A lot has been on my mind lately, about everything that's going on... and about us," Cynthian began as she held her bouquet over her chest. Almost without thinking, she asked, "It's been bothering me a lot lately... Icetales, what do we even call us right now? Just close friends? A couple?"

 

[Cresselia92]

In a second, Icetales felt like his heart had stopped. His ears flicked and his tails quivered, while his mind raced for an answer he didn’t have.

“About us…” he parroted, to give himself some extra seconds to ponder about that question. Didn’t Celeste ask that same thing, too?

‘Well, would thee look at that? Now thy woman-woman wants an answer, too. It is such a comfort that thou art a heartless monster, otherwise what would have happened to us? Would we have the entire cortège courting us?’

‘Darkness mine, this is not helping…’

‘I am not aiming to help. I am aiming to make thee focus.’

Right. Focus. Well, those couple of seconds sufficed, even though he wondered how she would have taken the answer.

“Hm, I would not say we are an ‘official’ couple. While yes, we have spent many lovely moments together, but…” He scratched his head with a tail. “Err… How to explain? Where I come from, there is… something else that must be done before a couple is declared a couple, and we have yet to do such thing. And while there are probably other protocols in thy world, and I understand that, huh…”

The Ninetales sighed. “Thou… caught me off-guard. I cannot deny what my heart is nurturing nor that thou art one of the most important people in my entire life. Howbeit, saying that we are a couple without some previous accordance between us and preparation is a tad… shall we say, premature?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I see..." was all Cynthian said before going for the next few moments that followed. A bittersweet smile formed on her face, and tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. Cynthian took a deep breath and kept the tears in.

"Sorry for asking such a strange question. I don't even know... I don't know what I would have done no matter what you said." Cynthian bit her lip and avoided his gaze.

We've only known him for months. There's just not enough time for us to grow... Not enough...

"Icetales, I keep thinking about the time it would come for us to return to our worlds. I won't ever get to see you again for the rest of my life. It'll be as if none of this ever happened." Cynthian turned away from him and leaned against the counter. Her chest grew heavy and constricted.

"I love you, Icetales, so much that it hurts. I don't think I'll ever be able to bear the thought of forgetting that love." Cynthian sighed and grimaced. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Sure, Diyem said some of us might recall some or all of this once the hero's aura fades with time, but I don't think I'd ever want anyone else to take the place you held in my heart, as long as I still remember you."

Cynthian turned around to face him with teary eyes as she leaned against the counter. "Will we ever get to be an actual couple? Should we even try to go any further, when we have so little time to before we're split away forever?"

She slumped down and sat. "Sometimes when I think about all of these things, I can't help but feel like my feelings now don't even matter at all."

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales sighed inwardly, feeling his heart sinking at seeing Cynthian so dispirited. Of course, it had to be expected that the topic would have emerged soon, and it was a cruel irony that he had discussed the matter very recently with Brisa.

The shadow underneath his body quivered, and tendrils seemed to crawl on his forepaws. Though, they were not from Keo’Keo — they came straight from his heart.

But before the Shadow tried to absorb the negativity, Icetales shook his limbs to ward his own doubts. If Keo’Keo had visible eyes, he would have quirked an eyebrow.

‘Please, darkness mine. Let me handle this. I am swell…’

At this, the Shadow didn’t answer, aside from a quick nod.

Though, what could Icetales say? ‘Oh, it is alright if thou forget thy love! At least thou would not know thou have fallen in love to begin with. Is that not positive?’

Ah. No. Definitely no. That is something he wouldn’t bear to hear, either, even if that was true.

But perhaps, words weren’t needed?

Slowly, he stood up and walked toward Cynthian, shaking off the freezing energy in his body. When he was in front of her, he wrapped his tails behind her back and pulled her in a tight embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder, letting his own heartbeat speak for him — it was fast, but it halted at times, and shivers ran on his body as well.

There was some fear for sure, but with that small gesture, he wanted to let her feel the storm inside his heart and spirit.

The wounds they would receive… once everything would be over. He didn’t look forward to that, but… he knew that was inevitable.

“…Thy feelings matter,” he whispered at last, fighting hard to not let his voice crack. “And thou must not let the future scare thee. I-I know that time is limited, but… this is all the more reason to treasure it, no?” He looked into Cynthian’s eyes, a watery gleam starting to shine on them. “We must not squander it by feeling sorry about what shall happen. Let us… make the most out of this ride, yes? Please?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian had her face in her flowers and didn't notice Icetales approach until he'd pulled her into an embrace. While wrapped in the warm softness of his tails, Cynthian could alsl feel Icetale' own heart beating against her chest. The storm in Icetales' spirit and heart conveyed to her fully, and she accepted it in full. Cynthian sat still, accepting the comfort he shared to her that ebbed away at the thorned vines constricting her heart.

Cynthian slowly raised her arms around him hugged him back tightly while tears flowed freely from her eyes.

"I'm sorry again for dropping this all on you like that. You just mean so much to me now..." Cynthian hugged him tighter. "I've treasured every moment I've spent with you. You've always made my heart feel so warm and at ease whenever we're together. I feel safe when your light shines on me." Cynthian closed her eyes, and her roses released a sweet strawberry fragrance. "No one's ever made me feel strongly like this before. This is all a first for me..."

 

[Cresselia92]

“…It is all right. I understand.”

Icetales didn’t say anything else nor react as he felt the tears streaming down his fur, all too familiar with those pain-releasing moments by the .

Heavens, Cynthian still had a lot she hadn’t let go, hm? Not that he could blame her or anything, as he had still his own demons hiding inside of him.

Waiting…

But that wasn’t relevant, was it?

“If it is of any reassurance, I do not have experience with these feelings, either,” admitted Icetales, his tails quivering slightly. “Romances, plays, poems… All theory that feeds merely the mind. But when it comes to the practice of the nurturing of noble feelings… then I am as green as thee. And… yes, thou mean plenty to me, too. Thou hast no idea… how much thou mean.”

He took a deep breath. “I dost not want thee to suffer like this. Thou dost not deserve it. This is also,” he closed his eyes, “what motivated me… to surrender my soul to reach thee, when thou were gone…”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Even now, words cannot express how grateful I am to you," Cynthian said, burying her face deeper into his fur. "Thinking about you and keeping close to heart the courage you gave me... that's what saved my soul in the void lands."

Cynthian drew back to meet his gaze with flushed cheeks and a tender smile.

"Also, It's a bit strange. Even if I can keep my mask on around others, that part of me seems to dissolve when I'm with you."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Even now, words cannot express how grateful I am to you," Cynthian said, burying her face deeper into his fur. "Thinking about you and keeping close to heart the courage you gave me... that's what saved my soul in the void lands."

Icetales smiled and rubbed his cheek on Cynthian’s cheek. Hearing those words made him feel a sheer warmth that made his heart flutter.

“I just did what I had to do,” he said, before taking a deep breath. “I am most relieved I did not lose thee…”

"Also, It's a bit strange. Even if I can keep my mask on around others, that part of me seems to dissolve when I'm with you."

Icetales blinked, mulling over what Cynthian just said, before flashing a confident grin. “Oh, well, I reckon that it is because thou know thou dost not have to hide thy concerns to me, right?” He grinned a bit wider and thumped his tails on the floor, shaking off some snowflakes. “I would not judge thee for feeling uncertain about something, and I want to affirm once more that if thou need a shoulder or some support, well… I am here.”

After saying those words, he laid down on the floor, while keeping his tails in place. His ears swiveled forward, making it clear he was all focused on Cynthian.

“As such, if there is something else troubling thee, dost not hesitate to voice it out. I am here for thee.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Thank you," Cynthian said, smiling in earnest. "My heart will always be open to you, love."

 

[Cresselia92]

“…I know.”

Icetales leaned forward to nuzzle Cynthian quickly, his tails wagging and scattering some pixie dust. He leaned back and tilted his head, while curiosity shone into his eyes.

“Well, then. If thou dost not have anything in thy mind,” he grinned, “then what is that thou hast in thy heart, my dear?” He motioned toward the badge. “I reckon thou did not measure my body for mere fun, hm?”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian's face went redder. She held the sides of his face with her flowers and leaned closer till their faces almost touched. "I want to say it's a secret, but I'll own up to my word. I've been pouring my heart and weaving skills to make something especially for you."

She chuckled. "I hope you look forward to it."

 

[Cresselia92]

“Oh, I am very much looking forward to what thou hast in mind. I am confident that whatever it is, it will be most delightful.”

Icetales gave another nuzzle on Cynthian’s cheek, this time a bit longer. He was glad that whatever thoughts were tormenting the Roserade they had quieted down, at least for the time being.

“I shall be patient and see what thou will craft with thy mastery.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian's heart fluttered when he nuzzled her again. Just like that, all of her worries had been swept away from the forefront of her thoughts and were replaced with the loved one before her.

"Well, there are still some things I need to figure out." Cynthian said as she placed a bouquet over his paw. "What was it you were telling me about your world's fashion earlier? Any insight on the craftsmanship processes involved in making them will be very helpful. I've experimented with things other than doll making lately, but that's a different thing altogether."

She got up to grab a hold of her badge, then turned around with a bright and eager smile. "Teach me more about your world, Icetales. I'd be happy to indulge."

 

[Cresselia92]

“Hmm… Well, it has been quite a few years since I have worn or seen clothing for quadrupeds, but,” Icetales rubbed his chin with a forepaw, “I might recall a few things.”

Without further ado, he produced a notebook and a pencil from his bag and held them both in front of him with a couple of his tails.

“Now, huh… let me preface that I am not an artist, but I shall do my best.”

Then, he began sketching the vague silhouette of a Ninetales, with a few tails looking shorter and others looking longer. He could almost hear his Shadow chuckling, but he ignored that voice.
“So! There is a ceremonial attire that is actually lovely…”

Icetales drew a few lines, totally focused on his task. Despite lacking any artistic skill and even if he knew Cynthian wouldn’t have judged him for that, he wanted to do a reasonable job.

“There is a cloak here…”

Long lines depicting a tailcoat covered the back of the figure, with the cut stopping just where the tails started.

“And then, there is a… waist coat here, usually of a lighter shade or black…”

While saying that, he depicted a sleeveless coat that appeared from underneath the tailcoat. Icetales rubbed his cheek with the pencil, trying to recall other details.

“Huh. What else…?” He blinked and beamed. “Ah, indeed!”

Another series of lines, and a necktie appeared on the neck of the figure, with a gemstone in the middle. Probably a diamond.

“…There. This is it.”

Icetales showed the drawing to Cynthian, before chuckling.

“Not exactly an impressive masterpiece, but this should give an idea. This is what I used to wear during gala evenings at Her Ladyship’s mansion.”