11-29-2016, 06:37 PM
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Suke stares at herself in the mirror. She takes a deep breath, exhaling loudly. She straightens the black, sleeveless dress that Taichu had bought her for her birthday for the twentieth time. She half-turns, observing the sides and back of the dress. She straightens those parts, too. Again. She fusses with her hair, tying it into ponytails, then letting it down again, only to tie it back into a single ponytail, and finally let it back down again. She shakes her head in frustration and looks back at her reflection, exasperated.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Why am I so nervous?
"Suke," Cota says, peeking her head into the doorway. "I thought I heard you making noise in here. What's wrong?"
Suke spins to face her friend, holding her hands up together in front of her chest in surprise. She blushes a bit, looking away from Cota.
Cota cocks her head quizzically. "Trying on your dress? What for, Suke? Are you going somewhere?"
Suke blushes a little bit more. She nods.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful! Where are you headed? Should I get my things?"
Suke smiles and shakes her head. *I'm heading out with... Sugar,* she signs.
Cota smiles back. "Oh, that sounds fun! What are you guys up to?"
*We're going to her favorite cave again,* Suke responds, her signs come slow, almost hesitantly. Her face turns a dark blue-gray
Thump thump. Thump thump.
*Together.*
Cota laughs. "Well, of course you're going together. Why would you go separately?" she asks, completely missing Suke's point.
Suke smiles and chuckles silently. For as kind and smart as Cota is, she sure is bad at picking up on things like this. She shakes her head. *No, Cota. I mean together. Like, as in a...*
Suke swallows hard.
*...date.*
"Oh." Cota says, staring at her blankly. A few moments later, her hands shoot up to her mouth and her eyes widen. "Oh! Oh my gods! Oh my gods, Suke, I had no idea! So then, at the party? The girl that you had a crush on? It was...!?"
Suke scratches the back of her head with one arm and shrugs with the other.
Cota smiles a big, bright, excited smile. "Suke, that's absolutely precious! I am so happy for you guys. Do you need help getting ready? Where's Taichu? She should be here to help you, too!"
Suke looks around and shrugs. *I couldn't find her.*
Cota ponders for a second. "Well, that's okay. I'm not as good as Taichu at any of this, but she has been showing me how to apply makeup. I can get you looking almost as good as she could."
Taichu cocks her head. *...Makeup...?*
"Of course," Cota says. "Tai would never forgive me if I let you go on a date without proper makeup. Don't worry, I won't use that much. I don't think our complexions necessarily need it."
---
About an hour later, Suke was ready. Cota had decided that Suke should wear her hair down. She teased her hair a little bit, adding a bit more volume. To accessorize, they had collected a white flower that they found growing around Amdapor and pinned it into her hair.
She had opted for a very light white dusting on Suke's cheeks, to bring out her natural complexion and her eyes. A small amount of gloss was all that she needed for her lips - full-blown lipstick wouldn't do for someone like Suke.
Her eyes, on the other hand were the perfect place to experiment with Cota's burgeoning makeup skills. She tried to make Suke's eyes the focal point of the entire job.
The experiment was a success.
Cota was able to darken the area around her eyes with a light shadow; just enough to stand as a perfect backdrop to the bright white limbal rings around her eyes. Her lashes flared up and out, thick and rich, drawing one into her own eyes, which were finally outlined with a thin line of dark eyeliner. All together, it brought what Taichu had always called Suke's "Killer Features," - her eyes and her freckled complection - into a work of art.
"Whew," Cota says in relief after finishing. "I think that's all done. Well, go on, Suke," she says, gesturing towards the mirror again.
Suke walks towards it, meticulously. She closes her eyes as she steps towards it, and then opens them after a moment of internal preparation.
Her mouth drops open. Wow. That's... me?
Cota moves over to interrupt Suke's soundless gaping. "You look adorable, Suke! I think Sugar's going to agree, too."
Suke reaches up and touches the side of her face, and smiles. She whirls around and throws her arms around her friend. *Thank you so much, Cota!* she signs after leaving the hug.
"Have fun, and be safe, okay Suke?" Suke nods, spins around, and zips out the door. Cota waves and laughs as she goes. "I hope I did alright," she asks no one in particular.
---
Suke speeds out the door, heading to the Aetherite. She didn't know exactly how long that had taken, but she certainly didn't want to be late for Sugar.
"Suke!" She hears a voice call out from the house. It's Sokhatai. Suke screeches to a halt and turns around. Sokhatai waves her new sun hat in the air - the one Tai had gotten for her to go with the dress. Suke puts a hand up to her mouth and jogs back to Sokhatai.
"No need to rush, Suke. You'll ruin your makeup way too early." Sokhatai smiles and plops the sun hat on her young companion. She smiles, the hint of a dark blush sneaking its way through the makeup on her cheek. "Have fun, okay?"
*Thanks, Sokhatai!*
"Don't mention it, Suke. Be safe!" Suke backpedals, waving at her friend as she goes, before spinning back around. She swiftly makes her way through the swamps of the Rootslake and makes her way to Camp Tranquil, without getting a spot on her dress.
No way I'm going to let a little swamp ruin my date, or all the hard work Cota put into this makeup!
She looks up at the glowing blue crystal.
Thump thump thump thump. Thump thump thump thump.
She reaches her hand out and touches the crystal, picturing the small plaza outside of the Mist; where Sugar had said to meet her. Moments later, she is swept away on the aetherial sea, only to be deposited on to the plaza in the Mist.
She looks around. Sugar is nowhere to be found.
Thank the Dusk Father I'm not late!
She walks over to a small bench and sits down. She looks around, waiting for Sugar, periodically adjusting her dress and hat.
Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump.
She kicks her feet slightly, trying to distract herself from the butterflies frantically trying to escape her stomach, or the brick that seemed to be caught in her silent throat.
Suke stares at herself in the mirror. She takes a deep breath, exhaling loudly. She straightens the black, sleeveless dress that Taichu had bought her for her birthday for the twentieth time. She half-turns, observing the sides and back of the dress. She straightens those parts, too. Again. She fusses with her hair, tying it into ponytails, then letting it down again, only to tie it back into a single ponytail, and finally let it back down again. She shakes her head in frustration and looks back at her reflection, exasperated.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Why am I so nervous?
"Suke," Cota says, peeking her head into the doorway. "I thought I heard you making noise in here. What's wrong?"
Suke spins to face her friend, holding her hands up together in front of her chest in surprise. She blushes a bit, looking away from Cota.
Cota cocks her head quizzically. "Trying on your dress? What for, Suke? Are you going somewhere?"
Suke blushes a little bit more. She nods.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful! Where are you headed? Should I get my things?"
Suke smiles and shakes her head. *I'm heading out with... Sugar,* she signs.
Cota smiles back. "Oh, that sounds fun! What are you guys up to?"
*We're going to her favorite cave again,* Suke responds, her signs come slow, almost hesitantly. Her face turns a dark blue-gray
Thump thump. Thump thump.
*Together.*
Cota laughs. "Well, of course you're going together. Why would you go separately?" she asks, completely missing Suke's point.
Suke smiles and chuckles silently. For as kind and smart as Cota is, she sure is bad at picking up on things like this. She shakes her head. *No, Cota. I mean together. Like, as in a...*
Suke swallows hard.
*...date.*
"Oh." Cota says, staring at her blankly. A few moments later, her hands shoot up to her mouth and her eyes widen. "Oh! Oh my gods! Oh my gods, Suke, I had no idea! So then, at the party? The girl that you had a crush on? It was...!?"
Suke scratches the back of her head with one arm and shrugs with the other.
Cota smiles a big, bright, excited smile. "Suke, that's absolutely precious! I am so happy for you guys. Do you need help getting ready? Where's Taichu? She should be here to help you, too!"
Suke looks around and shrugs. *I couldn't find her.*
Cota ponders for a second. "Well, that's okay. I'm not as good as Taichu at any of this, but she has been showing me how to apply makeup. I can get you looking almost as good as she could."
Taichu cocks her head. *...Makeup...?*
"Of course," Cota says. "Tai would never forgive me if I let you go on a date without proper makeup. Don't worry, I won't use that much. I don't think our complexions necessarily need it."
---
About an hour later, Suke was ready. Cota had decided that Suke should wear her hair down. She teased her hair a little bit, adding a bit more volume. To accessorize, they had collected a white flower that they found growing around Amdapor and pinned it into her hair.
She had opted for a very light white dusting on Suke's cheeks, to bring out her natural complexion and her eyes. A small amount of gloss was all that she needed for her lips - full-blown lipstick wouldn't do for someone like Suke.
Her eyes, on the other hand were the perfect place to experiment with Cota's burgeoning makeup skills. She tried to make Suke's eyes the focal point of the entire job.
The experiment was a success.
Cota was able to darken the area around her eyes with a light shadow; just enough to stand as a perfect backdrop to the bright white limbal rings around her eyes. Her lashes flared up and out, thick and rich, drawing one into her own eyes, which were finally outlined with a thin line of dark eyeliner. All together, it brought what Taichu had always called Suke's "Killer Features," - her eyes and her freckled complection - into a work of art.
"Whew," Cota says in relief after finishing. "I think that's all done. Well, go on, Suke," she says, gesturing towards the mirror again.
Suke walks towards it, meticulously. She closes her eyes as she steps towards it, and then opens them after a moment of internal preparation.
Her mouth drops open. Wow. That's... me?
Cota moves over to interrupt Suke's soundless gaping. "You look adorable, Suke! I think Sugar's going to agree, too."
Suke reaches up and touches the side of her face, and smiles. She whirls around and throws her arms around her friend. *Thank you so much, Cota!* she signs after leaving the hug.
"Have fun, and be safe, okay Suke?" Suke nods, spins around, and zips out the door. Cota waves and laughs as she goes. "I hope I did alright," she asks no one in particular.
---
Suke speeds out the door, heading to the Aetherite. She didn't know exactly how long that had taken, but she certainly didn't want to be late for Sugar.
"Suke!" She hears a voice call out from the house. It's Sokhatai. Suke screeches to a halt and turns around. Sokhatai waves her new sun hat in the air - the one Tai had gotten for her to go with the dress. Suke puts a hand up to her mouth and jogs back to Sokhatai.
"No need to rush, Suke. You'll ruin your makeup way too early." Sokhatai smiles and plops the sun hat on her young companion. She smiles, the hint of a dark blush sneaking its way through the makeup on her cheek. "Have fun, okay?"
*Thanks, Sokhatai!*
"Don't mention it, Suke. Be safe!" Suke backpedals, waving at her friend as she goes, before spinning back around. She swiftly makes her way through the swamps of the Rootslake and makes her way to Camp Tranquil, without getting a spot on her dress.
No way I'm going to let a little swamp ruin my date, or all the hard work Cota put into this makeup!
She looks up at the glowing blue crystal.
Thump thump thump thump. Thump thump thump thump.
She reaches her hand out and touches the crystal, picturing the small plaza outside of the Mist; where Sugar had said to meet her. Moments later, she is swept away on the aetherial sea, only to be deposited on to the plaza in the Mist.
She looks around. Sugar is nowhere to be found.
Thank the Dusk Father I'm not late!
She walks over to a small bench and sits down. She looks around, waiting for Sugar, periodically adjusting her dress and hat.
Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump.
She kicks her feet slightly, trying to distract herself from the butterflies frantically trying to escape her stomach, or the brick that seemed to be caught in her silent throat.