Chapter Text
“Woah!!” Damn Ralsei! I keep forgetting how fast you can set shit up. You really did this all in like one day??”
“Of course Susie! Why would I lie? Just ask Jackenstein! This one was a group effort though. Couldn’t get it done without him.” Ralsei beams up at the excited Darkner. His body is practically vibrating with excitement at the thought of giving the freshly arrived Lightners a tour.
The once, almost barren, cliff is no longer filled with towering rock and pools of ichor. Instead, parts of it are now filled with rising bookshelves that ascend so high it's hard to tell where exactly they stop. Though obviously they do stop at some point as there are draping fabrics, similar to that of a circus tent spilling over parts of the shelves in a messy, yet somewhat regal way. She can even see some sort of plush interior through the fabric.
"Well what are we waiting for?? Jack give us the tour!" Susie encourages, already racing towards the entrance of the fort. Peering inside ever so slightly, though she finds her vision quickly blocked by a rather large and familiar hand over her eyes.
"WAEIT! MUST WAEIT FOR OTHER BLUE FRAINDS TO JOIN US! :)"
Susie groans, but relinquishes her eyes from their viewing and plops herself onto the dirt next to the glorified pillow fort. Ralsei joins her with an elegant puff to his dress
"Ugh fine. Alright everyone get comfortable we're gonna be here a while. Dipshit number one doesn't know the difference between a destination and a detour. We're gonna have to learn how to live up here like Mr. Society over there."
"H-hey! D-don't go thinking you can just live up here all willy nilly like that! I came here to get away from society, not continue pursuing alternate versions of it. Your friend here is lucky to be here. I only agreed because he promised to live far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far, far away from I! And to limit interactions to between four and five thirty on mondays only."
With a hmph the Darkner carries on with his business, searching through rubble for.... something?
Susie twirls a finger up to her head anf Ralsei has to stifle a giggle at the action. Jackenstein doesn't seem to understand and he simply tilts his head in confusion.
"I heard that Susie." A voice suddenly interrupts.
Turning their heads the three watch as a struggling Kris finally manages to climb themself to the top of the cliff. Though very quickly they find it wasn't just Kris climbing themself up as when they collapse to the rocky floor in exhaustion a new body is revealed.
Lancer. Who upon Kris collapsing, lets go of their shoulders he had been holding onto and landing on the surface with no jelly in his limbs.
"Ho ho ho! Greetings clowns! The True Blues have arrived! The climb here wasn't too bad, no siree!"
Kris grumbles something illegible into the rocky floor before shakily lifting themself up into a standing position. They knock against lancer slightly in shaky defiance as they drag themself towards Susie, ignoring Lancer’s indignant squeak.
“Carry me.”
“Huh what-?” Susie lets out an oomph when the human throws themself at her and reflexively she catches them from her spot on the floor. “The hell are you-?!”
“Ooh ooh carry me too Susie! I’m actually triple tuckered tired out from that climb!”
“Don’t fall for it Susie, he’s a traitor to us all. Just carry me for a second my ass.” Kris retaliates with a mumble.
“I ain’t carrying anyone we’re right outside of the-!”
“Can I be carried as well Suwusie?” Ralsei bleats out as he too sits himself shoulder to shoulder with the purple girl.
“Do I look like a taxi to you all??!” Susie yells out in confusion. Only growing more confused and agitated as they all nod their heads.
The chaos is interrupted with Jackenstein claps his hands happily, using them to scoop the four smaller beings together.
“DON’T WOARRY FRAINDS…. I CAN CARRY ALL OF YOU INTO MY LAIRE!”
Nobody objects with the notion that they didn’t actually need to be carried in. The four deciding to appreciate the short ride through the fabrics and into Jackentstein’s new home. Shelves on every side containing more books than one could possibly read in a lifetime stock them. More soft quilts and pillows make up parts of the floor and wall. The ceiling is so tall and with nothing hanging from it, the large Darkner shouldn’t be bashing his head on anything anytime soon.
They’re carried into the center of the room where tonight’s main entertainment will happen.
“NOW FRAINDS CAN TEACH JACK… HOW TO TEA PARTY… PROPERLY NOW!”
The Fun Gang is gently placed back onto the floor and disperse to claim their seats with little pushback from each other on who gets to sit where. Everybody knows that Ralsei and Susie are going to sit closest to him.
“My oh so long and large new friend, I bear a gift of warming your house!” Lancer blurts out, reaching into his…pockets? And pulling out a lovingly prepared basket full of worms. He slides it onto the table and towards the pumpkin headed Darkner. Who shrieks upon noticing the creatures wriggling.
"Oh shoot! Er hey sorry Jack! Forgot to mention your fobia thing to him!" Susie laughs nervously, grabbing the basket off the table and preparing to toss it before realizing that will most likely hurt Lancer's feelings, so she slides it back to him carefully instead. "Uh just put them back in your pocket or eat them real quickly or something. Hey actually why don't we-?"
Seemingly on the same wave length the two gobble down the gift basket and set it back onto the table when it's empty. Offering it back.
"The shredded paper inside is a fine gift in it of itself! Use it for a future gift basket or pasta topper in the future!" Lancer declares.
"THANK YOU NEW FRAIND... SORRY FOR CATCHING THE FREAK OUTS.....WORKING ON IT AND MASELF :)" He gently brings the basket closer to him, setting it right next to his much larger teacup. "SO HOW DO FRAINDS START... TEA PARTIES?"
"Well with us, usually whoever set up the tea party like pours our tea n shit and then asks about sugar, but like, I guess you can kinda of switch it up however you like?? Dunno there aren't like a bunch of rules for it, 'cept have tea and be a party." Susie guffaws.
"I volunteer, I volunteer!" Lancer interrupts with a jump. He lands on top of the table and waddles over to the teapot. "It will only be tried and true of the other fair Prince of this land too can host a tea party for his subjects! I offer you once again Jack of... Well not all spades that's me of course! The delicacies of your handsomely truly, Lancer cookies!"
The blue sets down a plate of the treats before beginning to sloppily pour tea into his friends cups. Ralsei lets out an erp when the hot liquid accidentally splashes his paw, Susie just licks the spilled liquid off of the table and Kris simply narrows their eyes at the Darkner. Clearly still sore about being used as a climbing horse. Lancer blows his tongue out at them before getting to Jackenstein's cup, taking thirty whole seconds to fill it in its' entirety.
Once he's done he leaps to his own seat, stretching and warming up his pinky for the evening.
"Usually... Tea is poured a bit more carefully though." Ralsei sheepishly admits to Jackenstein. "H-how about I volunteer for the sugar part?"
With no objections from the table, he gets up and asks how many cubes for each guest. Lancer's tea quickly turns into a sludgy mound of tea flavored sugar, Susie actually keeps her tea pretty balanced on the sweetness, Kris' is made very sweet, but not quite sludge sweet. And when it comes down to Jackenstein he is very indecisive.
"I JUST.... DON'T KNOW...WHAT IF I MAKE THE WRONG CHOICE AND IT BECOAMES HOARRIBLE... TERRABLE... NO GOOD!!?"
"Heh, me and you were on the same page Jack." Ralsei laughs softly. "But that's the exciting part of figuring out what it is you do like! You can try again. Start over. We can start off slow. How about I mix one in at a time and you tell me if you want more?"
Jackenstein nods his head in agreement. Watching in awe as the cube dissolves into sparkling nothing in his tea. He hesitantly bows he head and give the liquid a quick lap with his tongue. This causes Susie and Ralsei to giggle softly.
"WHA- WHAT IS IT?? IS THERE SOMETHING.... ON MA FACE?! :O"
"Hee hee, no sorry Jack, it's just that tea tends to be drank by holding up the cup like- oh like how Lancer is doing it! Very excellently I must add. The pinky up really adds elegance too!"
"What don't you know how to do?" Susie bemoans towards her friend sarcastically.
"Taxes!" Lancer enthuses as he swallows down his sweet sludge.
"Keeping it real man."
Jackenstein watches their movements closely before attempting to do the same. His teacup rattles as his arms shake from the nerves, but eventually he manges to bring it up to his mouth to sip from it.
"GAH... IT IS HOT!! BUT NOT TERRABLE...CAN YOU ADD MORE OF THOSE CUTE.. CUBES?"
Ralsei beams with pride and fulfills his request. Slowly, together, Jackenstein finds the perfect medium of sweetness for his tea. But he baffles when Ralsei tells him there's one more aspect to add to the tea.
"Kris, do you want to pour the creamer?" Ralsei asks. The human shrugs, and slowly gets up out of their seat to do so.
"See Toothpaste Boy, milk can be your dinner!" Lancer points out, his sweet sludge now becoming basically becoming the texture of melted ice cream at this point.
"And I still disagree." Ralsei sighs adding one cube to his tea. "Not too sweet for me!" Ralsei sings happily. "And just a dash of cream no more or less please!"
Ralsei blushes when he notices Susie staring.
"Hey don't feel embarrassed dude. I'm just.. glad you're figuring your stuff out. Like what you like and don't. Even if it's just stupid tea. Nice to see you happy " Now it's her turn to flush at the cheesiness in her sentence, which she ignores by gulping down her tea as a distraction.
"JACK AGREES!!! FRAINDS BEING HAPPY.... MAKES ME HAPPY TOO!"
That only causes the two to grow redder.
When it's finally his turn for the cream he shrinks away slightly. Kris raises an eyebrow at this.
"THAT LIQUID LOOKS.... INTIMIDATING!! CAN I... NOT TRY IT... TODAY?"
Kris nods. Guess the taboo of being a milk drinker carries on in the Dark Worlds too. They however, pour themself a generous amount.
With everyone now settled the group falls into a pleasant chatter. Munching on cookies a tiny sandwiches, of which Jackenstein finds the cucumber ones of exceptional deliciousness.
Though the bubble of calm suddenly bursts when the giant teacup in Jackenstein's hand slips and spills all over the table. Drenching the remaining food.
"OH!!! OH NOES!! I WAS SO CLUMSY.. THIS FINGERS ARE TOO LONG!!"
He begins mopping at the spill with the other end of the table cloth, which inadvertently causes a bunch of dishware and other items to fall off the table entirely.
This seems to be some sort of breaking point for the poor Darkner as he bursts into tears at the scene, clutching his pumpkin head. Babbling about ruining the whole evening for everyone.
"I AM STILL TOO.... MUCH FRAINDS!!! YOU MAKE ME A NEW HOME... AND ALREADY I DESTROY IT!!"
"Hey come on man, this ain't a big deal! See!" Susie begins picking up spilled items from off the floor. "I can pick them up all easy peasy! And Ralsei can wash that tablecloth in like five minutes! And the tea... We'll be can just brew some more!"
When he doesn't stop crying, Ralsei hugs the side of his enourmouws pumpkin head sympathetically.
"There, there. It is going to be okay. You're still getting used to this new envieronmetn after all. I was the same way too. Trying my best but ultimately thinking that I was might actually begoing about it all wrong. But with time I finally learned that sometimes you aren't doing things wrong. You're just making mistakes. And that's all a part of learning. Plus it doesn't hurt to have friends by your side who know your feelings a little better than you do yourself." Ralsei leaughs, breaking away from his face.
Jackenstein lifts his head up a bit more to wipe his eyes.
"YOU'RE NOT ANGRY... I RUINED OUR... TEA PAORTY? DESTROYED YAOUR... HARD WORK?""
"Of course not." Kris pitches in as they soak up a puddle with their cloak.
"Yeah what they said!" Susie agrees. " Tea parties aren't serious man. And this junk can be replaced. All we really want to do is make you feel comfortable here dude. Cause you're our friend. That's what friends do right?"
In his relief, Jackenstein gathers them up into an impropmtu hug once again.
"OH THANK YOU!! AGAIN!!! I WILL PRACTICE MORE!!! SO WE CAN BECOME..." The light in his eyes sparkle strong. "BEST FRAINDS!"
"This volupscious pumpkinous has got a hug of steel! I triple like him now!" Lancer bellows.
"Oof, 'kay, glad you're feeling better there buddy, but uh... could you put us down before the tea soaks into your pilllows."
"OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!! MY BED!!!"
And so they resume their cleaning. With five people in total it doesn't take very long to get everything into some semblance of order. When Ralsei is about to volunteer to get some more water boiling, a figure appears at the cloth entrance.
"Pardon my intrusion, but if I may... would I be allowed to join your little... tea party?"
A bashful looking Mr. Society holds up a rock in the shape of a tea cup. Most likely what he was looking for outside not long ago.
"What happened to no interactions on all but Monday?"
"And only between four and five-thirty?"
"W-well um, I-!"
"YOU REALLY.. WANNA BE MY FRAIND TOO!!?"
Jackentstein squeals excitedly. Going in to hug the Darkner at the door. Who shouts out something about it being too soon for physical contact in the relationship.
"THIS IS... SECOND GRATEST DAY.. EVER!!!"
The Fun Gang laugh aloud, all through prepping the table once again.