thenearshore | Sleepover!

Entry tags:

Sleepover!

Who: Forrest, all of his teenage CR, and CR of that CR
What: Giant sleepover log
When: The night of June 21
Where: Lakshmi's temple
Warnings: Cuteness overload

[Forrest has never had a sleepover before, so he's pretty excited to host one at his temple. He sends out invitations ahead of time to everyone he can think of, letting them know to bring pajamas, snacks, and even a friend or two if they want. He's clad in a frilly pink nightgown with ribbons and bows for the occasion, and he's temporarily converted Lakshmi's audience chamber into a space where the guests can all party and sleep. It was already mostly full of pillows to begin with, so all he had to do was move some more in and set up some tables for snacks and things. One of the tables conspicuously contains all of his beauty supplies, because like hell is Forrest hosting a slumber party without makeovers. Anyone who shows even the slightest bit of interest will get their makeup, hair, or nails done. Soft music and the scent of lotus blossoms drift through the air, creating the perfect atmosphere for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.]

((OOC: If you've got a teenager that Forrest has talked to more than once, assume he invited them. Friends of friends are totally welcome as well. Everyone can feel free to put up their own toplevels, and everybody tag everybody and mingle to your heart's content!))

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[Kairi certainly notices Forrest's reaction, but she saw similar smiles before - she thinks - at letting literally anyone else touch his hair. That's the reason she's trying to be tender with it in the first place. He has so many pins in there, she'd hate to get one of them pressing against his skin and hurt him. That and she knows he's trying to keep it all in place in front of guests.]

Really?

[She can believe that he doesn't know everything about aesthetics, just a lot more than her, but that he's enjoying 'something new' with her stands out to her as the kinds of things that friends bond over. Most people don't like looking foolish in front of someone else. ... She already did, trying to do Forrest's hair, so maybe that opened up an opportunity for him to feel comfortable around her too. The thought made her happy, and she wasn't going to really giggle aloud about it, but then his hair touched her toes and it happened anyway.]

So I see.

[She manages to gather what she has into just one hand, then uses her free one to pull on the flyaway. She does have to lean over then, though, to draw the shorter hair around the back of his neck and tuck it into the bunch on the other side. She tries to do it quickly, but justifies it to herself that he's looking down at her toes so... it should be fine, right?]

I hope to see that happen more often.

[Having someone's fingers in your hair is nice, but there's something extra special about having that someone be Kairi. He's always thought of her as cute since they met, but something about the closeness of the experience they're having now is making his heart skip a beat.]

Really. Trying new things is how we improve, after all. But you've been a wonderful canvas so far. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather experiment like this with.

[It looks like they're back on the compliment train. He just can't help it at this point, between the newfound attraction he feels for her and how willing she is to share his hobbies with him. His giggle echoes her own as he spies the loose hair tickling at her toes.]

Oh! It looks like I broke my 'no more tickling' promise, didn't I?

[When he feels her reaching out to move his hair out of his view, he reflexively glances up with his eyes to see what she's doing. He hadn't thought at all that this would cause him to get a close up look down the front of her shirt, though, and quickly rivets his gaze squarely on her toes again. The heat rising to his cheeks is a dead giveaway, though.]

It's, ah... something I wouldn't mind doing with you.

[She couldn't help it, though. He'd asked her to keep his hair out of his face while he was working, and so it turned out that way. This time she knows why he's blushing though, and somehow not guessing makes it less awkward on her end. The compliment games with him just make her enjoy tonight more, when she recalls that the reason he put the Sleepover together in the first place was because she suggested it.

It's something she's allowed to smile about, right? Him doing something for her and her trying to cling to the notion that as soon as he's done painting her toes, she's going to do the same thing to him, so it's fine. Him smiling about enjoying himself is fine - she'd wanted him and everyone else to have a good time tonight, that's why she'd invited everyone... To his temple.]

I don't think that counts - you didn't do it on purpose, after all.

[Nor could he help that she had to lean over. At least her shirt wasn't that loose to begin with. She smiles fondly down at what she can see of his focused expression while he works.]

You know... I'll need to come up with a phrase of my own to respond to something like that, if we're going to keep hanging out. I can't exactly let my hair down.

[Her hair's grown out a little, down to her shoulders, but not long enough to even get a tiny ponytail together unless she did it in a half-tail.]

No... not this time. That's for later, after they're dry.

[Forrest laughs a little, smiling back at her. He could have pinned the hair back himself, but it was another small indulgence on his part to ask Kairi to help him with it. Letting someone else touch his carefully coiffed hair this much should be a dead giveaway as to how much he really admires and trusts her.

Their eyes meet for just a split second as he gets a look down her shirt, his breath hitching in the back of his throat for a moment before he gets back to work. It's hard for him to hide his own smile, though, even at being caught like that. At the very least, she doesn't seem to mind.]

Hmm... what about getting your feet wet?

[It's not exactly the same thing, but it's a charming little reference to the time they spent together at the beach that day. And appropriate for what they're getting into tonight, with the toenail painting. He's just finishing up the last swirl of color on her big toe.]

It's turning out very well! Take a look.

Not then either!

[She's gently wags some of his hair in the direction of his own face - just not hard enough to tug on it - but just enough to give it the appearance of a wagging finger.]

It's my turn to do your feet now. It works out that you didn't ask to do my fingernails too.

[Kairi pushes his hair back over his shoulders and then stands up, careful not to unroll her pajama pants so that her toenails can still dry. She's expecting Forrest to trade places with her, but while he's getting up she appears thoughtful again.]

And I do like getting my feet wet, as you know... but I'd do that with just about anyone. I like swimming too much now. No, something else...

[She takes just two slow steps to the side so that she's not sitting in the chair anymore.]

Sometimes it's fun to... [Tap, tap, tap on her chin.] Get dolled up? Clean up nice? Put on my best clothes? Or- [She laughs a bit.] Or put my best foot forward! [Now it's become another game.]

[Forrest simply laughs at the rebuke. He is making no promises that her feet won't be the target of a surprise tickle attack later.]

All right. Pick whatever colors and designs you like. I leave them in your hands.

[Smiling, he stands up to take his place sitting where she'd just been, rolling down his ankle length socks and sliding them off his feet. Unsurprisingly, his nails are just as carefully groomed as... well, everything else.]

Put your best foot forward! I like that one. It seems appropriate, don't you think?

[She nods, pleased with the combination of fashion and feet that was a bit more on the nose than 'getting your feet wet'.]

I'll go with that one then. Design, I'm thinking a star on top, but as for a color...

[Then she stands to the side of the chair, and without even asking this time, brushes aside some of those unruly bangs that came out while he'd been painting her toenails.

She's looking into his eyes, trying to determine what color they are.]

Oh, that sounds cute! It's all yours, then.

[Forrest beams back at her, playfully wiggling his toes. Once she looks into his eyes, though, he immediately quiets down. Steadying his breath, he stares back into hers, momentarily getting lost in those beautiful eyes.

All of a sudden, and more than ever, he wants to move forward to close the gap between their lips. He doesn't, but his head does tilt forward just slightly in reaction to the thought.

...His eyes are light blue, by the way.]

[Kairi can't read minds, but she does linger looking into Forrest's eyes and trying to decide whether they're a true blue or a sky blue or pastel blue... and ends up catching his slight head motion, but doesn't know what to make of it either. She's never been kissed, and only vaguely recalls how it might feel to be kissed on the cheek or forehead by a doting relative, so it doesn't enter into her mind. Instead she mistakes it for him wanting to say something and thinking better of it. For the moment, she considers all of this simply a reflection of his embarrassment at her turning the tables on him again, but nothing more. Hence her smile leaning more towards appreciation and respect for a now-dear friend. Surely this is something that he's not experienced - coming to terms with his own preference for aesthetics being one thing, but someone else doing the same for him in return... or perhaps doing it but absolutely no judgements... she can imagine all kinds of things, but focuses on those things and assigns those emotions to the rising warmth in her heart.

As she'd said before, very different from anyone else she knew, and - she's convinced - anyone she'd ever known in life either.]

Hmm... I wanted to use the color of your eyes, but if I'm also going to use a gold like your hair then I don't think they'll look quite right.

[She moves to sit with her toes facing the ceiling - so they'll dry properly - and look at the colors he'd gathered, then plucks out a tiffany box blue.]

This should do the trick. Before that...

[Kairi shifts sideways - so that she can put her legs out straight, but twist to face Forrest himself. She gently touches his feet first, just a light hold without any water.] Are you ticklish too? [She asks while brushing her thumbs over both of his ankles.]

Oh, so that's what you were planning.

[Forrest's smile turns to one of relief. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, and he'd almost lost his composure and gone for a kiss. He's left with a vague sense of longing, but he knows that probably wouldn't have gone well after her reaction to his little tease earlier. But while he's distracted thinking about all of that, her fingers are on his feet, causing him to twitch suddenly.]

A-ah...! Kairi!

Of course! I had to get inspiration from somewhere.

[She wasn't even really trying to tickle him, but now that she knows-]

Ah ha! I knew it!

[She shifts her hand to hold both of his feet by the heel, lifting just a little as she attempts to not topple over from the awkward position, but she does drag her hands down under his arch too, until she comes to a rest with her fingers gently pressing between his toes. They can't fully fit of course, but just a gentle wedge. Anyone else she might wonder how sweaty or dirty they are, but not him.]

[Forrest's toes twitch as Kairi runs her fingers up the middle of his arch, and he holds his hands over his mouth trying not to burst out laughing.]

K-Kairi, please...! Ah!

[Once she gets between his toes, though, it's a completely lost cause. The skin there is soft and sensitive, and his feet immediately jerk out of her grip as he loses his composure.]

N-not my toes! Ahaha...!

[Having got her revenge, Kairi pulls her hands away to hold them up - literally showing them so he'll see she's done with that purposeful tickling.]

There, got you back.

[And she takes two of her fingers to her mouth, kisses them, and pretends to draw a borderline from one side of his legs to the other, just above the ankle.]

This area is now under my protection and can't be tickled - just massaged and then toes painted. Alright?

I suppose I deserved that.

[Forrest smiles down at her as he catches his breath. His eyes widen for a moment as she presses her fingers to her mouth, for a moment expecting her to mimic what he did earlier. But when he sees her draw the pretend borderline, he can't help but laugh softly.]

Then I really can sit back and relax. I can't think of any protection I'd trust more.

Only a little bit. [And she gives him a wink too.]

Thanks for trusting me, Forrest.

[She reaches for a towel that was probably intended for some kind of facial mask, since it's sitting in a warm water bath, but she borrows it anyway to wrap it around the first of Forrest's feet.]

Since you're even more ticklish than me... maybe this will work better?

[And she gently starts to push the washcloth against his skin but doesn't rub it back and forth, just small circles, so that maybe it won't tickle so much.]

Mm... it's very warm and soft.

[Forrest hums happily as she gets started, toes uncurling as he enjoys a little pampering of his own. It's already very relaxing for him, even though his feet aren't half as knotted up as Kairi's were.]

I don't mind you using your hands, though... it should be fine if you press hard enough.

[He'd actually prefer it at this point. He can't get the thought of Kairi touching him tenderly like that out of his head. The boy's got a crush, and he's got it bad.]

[He's getting her to enjoy traditionally 'girly' things that a tomboy didn't spend as much time on growing up, so he's doing something right.]

Hmm... a little test first, then.

[She takes his other foot, without the washcloth on it, and tries to knead the top of his foot while her fingers are of course wrapped around the ball of his foot too. She mimics some of the movements Forrest did to her, all the while with her head raised to see how that feels.]

[Just like she got him to enjoy splashing around in the waves. They balance one another nicely.]

...Hee!

[Forrest's toes twitch again as she places her hands on his soles, accompanied by an adorable little squeak. Once she gets going, though, it doesn't take long for him to get used to it and relax.]

Ooh... yes, that feels wonderful.

[A very fond smile just breaks wide across her face when he makes that noise. Oh no, she wants to hear it again already. She keeps her hands shifting slowly, but pressing against the skin as requested, while she watches his expressions.]

I don't think I've ever heard you laugh this much. You're really having fun tonight, aren't you?

[Even at the beach, even doing his hair, she just didn't get the impression it was the same thing. Maybe he'd been enjoying himself, but she can tell something's changed. She just thinks it has to do with feeling comfortable around so many people to indulge this love of aesthetics that he's cultivated, not just her especially.]

That makes me happy too...

[She lowers her head to look at what she's doing again, but the smile is still there. She's moving the warm washcloth to just drape on the foot she's finished massaging while she starts on the other one, this time without the washcloth in the way.]

That maybe you found a friend or two just as excited about this stuff as you are.

I am! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going in, but this party has been absolutely wonderful.

[The aesthetics are a big part of it, but he really is enjoying getting to spend time with her the most.]

I'm happy we're getting to know each other better, too. That part has been the most enjoyable of all.

[He doesn't mind throwing that out there. The sentiment seems harmless enough.]

[Kairi doesn't look up, but her touches do get a little gentler - too gentle for a proper massage - when he mentions her specifically.]

I don't know why me, though - I'm the one who isn't as good at all of this.

[She looks up and over at Ouka, and Aya, and Hajime... even Lance and Sora, then finally Yuto.]

I was telling someone earlier who wasn't really comfortable with the idea of being here... sometimes you don't do things because they're your favorite thing. Sometimes you do them because they're another person's favorite thing.

[She pulls the washcloth away and waits for a bit of air drying to take place, looking up at him again with a quizzical expression.]

I'd never do all of this on my own - but I can tell how much you enjoy it, so... I was hoping someone better than me would show up and you two could bond over that.

[It's the truth, too. Without her memories it's a little difficult to remember any of the times she would have spent with girls or boys her own age - she can only assume that people hang out together while doing their favorite hobbies. She does enjoy this moment, but she can definitely tell it's because it's with him - her friend - and not because of wanting her nails to look nice.]

[Forrest giggles again - both at the light touch and at Kairi's response.]

It doesn't matter to me how good you are at it. It's because I know this isn't something you usually do, but you're sharing it with me anyway. That's what makes it special to me. I let my hair down for you, and you're putting your best foot forward for me.

[His expression is soft and adoring when she looks back up at him. He really wouldn't trade the experience he's had tonight, with her, for anything - or anyone - else.]

I'm sure I'll make new friends tonight too, but I think this is what I'll remember the most when I think back on my first slumber party.

[Without really thinking about it, he briefly and affectionately curls his toes around her fingers before she pulls her hands away.]

[She turns back to face him at those words - using their phrases like that. It's exactly how she'd imagined them being used, just not back to back like that. It's suddenly hard to look him in the eyes. She focuses on his feet, but even that has a similar effect when she remembers their first embarrassed fumble of the evening with their positions reversed. She absently pushes some stray hairs behind her ear, knowing full well that with hair as short as hers, it won't last long.

She's just... really glad he took it the way she meant it. That to her, this was a significant part of friendship, recognizing each of your #1 activities might not be exactly the same... and doing them anyway. Because you care. She's once again left without proper words to respond with and her heart skips a beat at that realization. Speechless twice in one hour. That does make it a pretty memorable situation for her too.]

... I think I feel the same way.

[She smiles as she says it, because it's not a lie, but the words... they have such a truthful superficial meaning, but underneath of that is a happiness that's going to stick with her, she can tell. She tries to just slowly nod as if to reinforce what she just said and then manages to tear her eyes away, back down to the nail paint.

By the time she's got one hand back under one of his feet, he's curling them a little and the blush won't go away. She just tries to work through it, trying to be as careful as she can and yet ending up with messy lines anyway. She's just so... anxious, she thinks that's the feeling. Her one hand is shaking a little.]

Sorry, I'll try to clean... that up...

[And she visually hunts for the plastic or wooden tools that have a wedge shape at the end of a chopstick like shape she saw some of the other girls with.]

[Forrest catches her sudden quiet nervousness, and the parallels to the incident earlier in the evening don't escape him either. At first he thought that he might have managed to offend or frighten her with that little move, but watching her reaction this time with their positions reversed, he allows himself to dare to hope that it might be something more akin to affectionate embarrassment. The very thought makes his own heart skip a beat as he looks down at her, watching her push those lovely locks away from her face.

She's so beautiful, he thinks to himself as he watches her work, unable to look away and certainly unable to hide the broad smile on his face.]

Ah... oh, no, that was my fault.

[He hadn't even noticed that his toes had curled around her fingers like that, and now he's feeling sheepish all over again. But rather than awkward this time, the sensation is one of warmth as he watches her scramble to fix her mistake. Smiling down at her, he hands her the tool she's looking for.]

It's all right. I'm sure I'll love it, however it turns out.

[Because she's the one doing the painting.]

[Kairi's gaze finally sweeps over to where his hand is holding the tool and she manages to raise her head again. No wonder he'd had such trouble with this before, she thinks. The angle of looking up like that can accentuate so many things you don't notice looking at someone straight on. That's what she thinks, anyway. She's still a little pink in the cheeks as she takes in the sight of his hair falling over his shoulders and the way it looks different on him compared to a girl, the contrast with his hat, the way he's smiling...

Finally she smiles back because it's just contagious and takes the tool, careful not to get herself stabbed in the palm by it, even if it's duller than some of the tools on hand today. Because of how much care she's taking though, her fingers do lay over his for several moments as she takes it out of his hand.]

Thanks, Forrest.

[For so many things tonight.]

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