[Nexus] The Nest/Karyana's Forest (And Additional Locales) V:

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
"Pretty well, actually."
She grins.
---
[Garden]
I will. She nods.
---
[City]
I'm good, how are you?

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira grins back, going to slip an arm around the Oracle.

"Good. Any interesting dreams?"

[Garden]

Talnissa nods as well, holding her friend close, and smiling softly.

[City]

"We've been pretty good too. Met some new people, that sort of thing. Who are your friends?"

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
The young Gaunt nestles close.
"Nothing really."
---
[Garden]
Pass rests her head on her friend's shoulder, finding this close contact quite relaxing.
---
[City]
Paisley introduces all her friends, smiling.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

The Griever smiles, gently holding her young charge.

"Good... That may mean that you're not having particularly great dreams, but I'm glad you're not having nightmares, either."

[Garden]

Talnissa seems to enjoy it as well, also resting her head on her friend's shoulder, and snuggling into the hug.

[City]

The pair seem quite excited about meeting them, and are rather curious about the ones they haven't met before.

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
She nods, smiling.
---
[Garden]
Pass eventually sits up a little.
Is this closeness the furthest stage of physical intimacy allowed by a platonic friendship?
She sounds curious.
---
[City]
Carrie says hi, smiling.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira smiles as well, apparently perfectly fine with simply sitting there with the Oracle for the moment.

[Garden]

Talnissa shrugs.

"That depends on the people involved. Why?"

[City]

They happily return the greeting, and settle in to ask her questions.

"So you're a goddess?"

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
Theia and Mela sit with her as well! Group sit!
---
[Garden]
The dynamics of relationships interest me.
Tell me more, please. She snuggles closer.
---
[City]
A minor one, but yes.
She smiles.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Kilari does too. Which makes one wonder what the proper term for a group of Gaunts is...


[Garden]

"It can get kind of complicated," Talnissa replies, snuggling closer as well. "It depends a lot on how they see things like that... If the people in question view being physically intimate, in itself, as just being something fun, and decide that since they like each other and think they're attractive, there's no reason not to do so, then things can go a lot farther than this. If they attach emotional meaning to it, it's highly dependent on how much, and if they attach it to physical intimacy in general or just specific things. It also ties into nudity taboos, in some ways. Some people might see what we're doing now as being more than friendly contact, and more would have yesterday when I was hugging you while you were topless, after we'd started testing that weapon you made."

[City]

Karyana smiles as well.

"You're not that minor, Carrie..."

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
Probably something awesome, like how a group of ferrets is a business.
---
[Garden]
Ah... and would Kara find such contact, so to speak, "over the line"?
She has a notable concern for not wanting to interfere in Talnissa's relationship with Kara, it seems.
---
[City]
I'm pretty minor, I think.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

I would have expected that a group of ferrets would be a disturbance.

But yes, probably.

[Garden]

Which is something Talnissa rather appreciates, considering she doesn't want it messed up either.

"This, or what we did yesterday? Probably not. Anything further than that and it would probably be a good idea for me to talk to her about it, though."

[City]

The vampire goes to hug her.

"And I disagree. Not that that matters too much, I suppose, but you certainly seem to fill an important role from my perspective."

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
The Oracle stretches across their laps, smiling spacily.
---
[Garden]
I see.
I will not attempt or pursue any action you and Kara do not both deem acceptable...
I think I would like to briefly enter sleep mode here if that's alright.
---
[City]
Carrie hugs back.
Aw, thanks...
Paisley giggles.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira smiles, absently, and gently, picking tangles out of the Oracle's hair.

[Garden]

Talnissa smiles, and nods.

"Thank you. And it's fine if you want to take a nap."

[City]

Karyana smiles, nestling into Carrie's arms.

"You're welcome, Carrie."

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
The young Gaunt smiles; Theia and Mela scratch her back and tend to her nails respectively.
---
[Garden]
Pass settles her head in the other woman's lap and takes a short sleep cycle.
---
[City]
Carrie giggles.
What do you want to do now?

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Kilari will assist all of them, whenever it seems like they could use the help.

[Garden]

Talnissa, unsurprisingly, since she can't sleep, will still be awake, and allowing her lap to be used as a pillow, when Pass wakes up.

[City]

"Well, we could go see the dragon for a bit. Or I could bring back the Grove, I guess... There was a cave under it you'd like, I think. Or we could go back out, if you prefer."

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
The Oracle appreciates their pampering, giggling a little.
---
[Garden]
Pass wakes, sitting up and smiling.
---
[City]
The dragon sounds good!

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira, after a while, reluctantly pauses.

"We should probably get back on watch, shouldn't we?"

[Garden]

Talnissa smiles back at her.

"Out of curiosity, do you dream when you sleep?"

[City]

And, unless something prevents it, they'll be warped to the courtyard containing it!

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
The Oracle nods.
"Yes, but not for all that much longer. It's Kilari and Theia's turn soonish."
---
[Garden]
I suppose you could call it that; my mind sifts through information while I sleep.
---
[City]
Carrie stares up at it, impressed.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira smiles, and nods, before going to take Mela's hand and head back out to the firepit.

[Garden]

Talnisa nods thoughtfully.

"So that was why you wanted to take a nap after our discussion?"

[City]

Karyana grins, and conjures a bedish thing so they can be comfortable as they watch it.

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
Out they go!

Theia watches them.
They sure hit it off fast...
---
[Garden]
I sometimes have to take small sleep cycles like that. It's part of my processes.
---
[City]
They relax on the mattress, admiring the dragon statue thing.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Kilari nods.

"Yep. Especially since Aira's a Griever and Mela's a Flyer... Though now seems an odd time to bring it up, since you didn't say anything when we went to get them for the watch. What brought that to mind?"

[Garden]

"Will I have to too, if we do grow me a body like yours?"

[City]

Karyana smiles, going to nestle into the space between Paisley and Sioda.

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
She shrugs.
I don't know...
---
[Garden]
Possibly, but we may be able to build you better than me.
---
[City]
Both gals smile at her.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Kilari shrugs, taking over tending Oracle's nails and hair for the two that left

"Fair enough..."

Meanwhile, Aira is probably in Mela's lap, snuggling her girlfriend.

[Garden]

"If we do, then I should be rather impressive... You're already quite well designed."

[City]

Karyana smiles back, snuggling close to them both.

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
Mela smiles.
Well, this is nice.
---
[Garden]
Pass smiles.
Thank you.
---
[City]
Sioda eventually dozes off; Carrie smiles, stroking her Aspect's hair.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira nods, smiling back at her.

"Very."

[Garden]

Talnissa smiles back, going to rub Pass's back.

"You're welcome."

[City]

Karyana smiles as well, and, after a bit, goes to kiss Paisley, glancing over to see if Zwei seems to mind as she does.

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
She sighs happily.
Before long, it's time for Theia and Kilari to take their places!
---
[Garden]
Pass enjoys the backrub for a while.
What should we do now?
---
[City]
Paisley giggles; Zwei, her head snuggled against Paisley's collarbone on the other side from Karyana, probably won't mind.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

At which point, Kilari, at least, comes out to inform them of this!

[Garden]

"Go see a movie, maybe?"

Though for some reason there's a surprising deficit of movie theaters that aren't plot-related.

[City]

That does seem a fair assumption.

Which means that Paisley, presumably, gets kissed by the blood mage, who apparently has no intention of breaking off before she does.

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
Mela grins and gets up to go back inside!
---
[Garden]
Pass nods.
Okay.
---
[City]
Paisley kisses back, breaking off to giggle a bit.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira grins as well, rather looking forward to everything they've been saving for after watch, and follows her in!

[Garden]

Talnissa offers her a hand up, and, presumably, they then set off to see a movie of some sort.

[City]

Karyana grins, nuzzling her neck.

"What's funny?"

[Beans]

[Gaunts]
She undresses and slips into bed, grinning invitingly.
---
Theia comes out, bringing some stuff to make some new varieties of deer jerky she's wanted to try out.
---
[Garden]
Off they go!
---
[City]
You and your wife can't keep yourselves off me.
She giggles.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Gaunts]

Aira grins back at her, also undressing, and making sure to give Mela a good show as she does, before slipping into bed with and reaching for the curtain.

----------

Kilari smiles, going to help her with making the new food.

----------

[Movies]

Talnissa, naturally enough, since she has no idea of what Pass's taste in moves is, lets the synth pick what they see.

----------

[City]

Karyana nods, and giggles a bit as well.

"You're rather pretty, quite nice, and we know you reasonably well. Did you really expect that we'd try to?"