ysabetwordsmith | Cuddle Party

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ysabetwordsmith

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. It has a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

Current Mood: busy
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/4586613.html

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

technoshaman

*ahem*

Brings a huge tin of caramelcorn (Dairy!) and bowls for sharing, and a couple of sixes of assorted Dr. Brown's (kosher!) sodas, sets them on the table, grabs a small bowl of corn and a ginger ale for himself, along with a SNUGGLE ME sticker for his shirt, then flumps down semi-gracefully on the CuddleCouch. Shoots an inviting look at Ysabet. :)

From:

alatefeline

*a winged feline headbonks your leg and trills invitingly*

*clearly they are saying PET ME? in cat-to-human large-font body language*

From:

technoshaman

Oh, goody! *petpetpetskritchcuddle*

From:

alatefeline

*rubs ears and chin and neck on fingertips*

*hops onto couch and settles in next to you; kneads your leg gently with paddypaws*

*PURR PURR PURR*

From:

Aww. A kitty. With wings! My favorite! :D :D :D :D

*Pets between

alatefeline 's ears gently with a fingertip and flumps down on the other side of the winged kitteh from

technoshaman so he can pet and scritch too. *Makes a soft, contented sound of his own as his good ear and the half of the other droop down contentedly.*
-Spring

From:

alatefeline

*hrrrrrRRRRRRRRR*

*purring getting LOUD*

*nudge nudge chinrub cuddle*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*pet pet pet*

From:

alatefeline

*PURR PURR PURR*

*chirp wingbrush*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*flop* Caramel corn nom nom nom!

From:

technoshaman

Mmmmmmsnuggle. Oh, goody, I picked right! Happybear between a wingycat and a woofle... :D

From: (Anonymous)

Crawls in and flops down in front of the couch on the floor dragging a fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy blanket, wraps self in it like a burrito until head and hair sticks out in a wild, staticky poof.....*holds up soft bristle brush*

From:

Ooh, celery soda must be part of Dr. Brown's stash - love that stuff! :)

From:

alatefeline

Oh, heck yes.

*strolling calmly around a corner: a purple-furred feline, of approximately housecat size and shape but with a longer tail, tuftier ears, and with feathered wings on their back*

*manifesting with a soft 'pop' on a handy table in the kitchen: oranges, homemade shortbread cookies, quinoa pilaf, and fresh veggies cut in crunchy little shapes, with recipe cards*

*appearing mysteriously in crafting space: lots of soft, chunky, easy-to-use yarn in balls or skeins, and lots of large beads made from natural materials, all organized by material, texture-type, and color*

*the alate feline knocks a soccer-ball-sized ball of purple T-shirt yarn out of the box, and chases it into the main cuddlespace room*

Edited (tyops!!!) Date: 2018-01-17 06:54 am (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

<3 shortbread!

*adds some Buddha's hand shortbread*

From:

technoshaman

Mmmm, seconded on the shortbread! *takes one of each*

From:

technoshaman

t-shirt yarn? Very fine?

From:

alatefeline

nah, it's literally cut strips of stretchy cotton-blend cloth like would be in a t-shirt, but verrrrrry long so it can be rolled into a yarn ball;

can be homemade by cutting old clothes, T-shirts can even be cut into one continuous long piece, or purchased as a convenient Thing;

used for projects where gaps and stretches and general largeness & looseness of the pattern are okay, rag rugs and chunky crocheting and so on

http://www.instructables.com/id/t-shirt-yarn/

you could ask an actual fiber artist for more detail, this is just what I have picked up being around them, and could be incorrect in some details

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

The same idea as the loops you could buy by the bag for the potholder looms. By the time I came in someone had forgotten that you have to use 100% natural fiber on anything like that (at least NOT polyester/nylon. Those MELT.)

Things that I could see varying grades of t-shirt yarn being good for are woobies, beach/pool cover ups, out of the shower bath mats, dishrags, insulating mats, lap-rugs.

*Offers skritches to those seeking them.* Pass a Cel-ray?

Edited Date: 2018-01-17 03:20 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

That's when I dropped out, the first baggie of synthetics. No point buying the stuff if I couldn't make what it was supposed to be, and I was actually weaving potholders.

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

I've noticed a trend that is all too suggestive of a plan to make people believe that they cannot make things. The tools are more expensive and hardly well-enough made for the moniker let alone the money. It's a bit too spot on to fulfill "never blame on malfeasance what stupid is sufficient for"

I've got rag rug 'tube-ers', who wants to braid?

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Oh, it goes beyond that. In some cases it's stupidity. But in others, it's active malice for purpose of power or money. Rules and even laws are being passed which ban people from doing things for themselves or others.

Farmers are banned from repairing their own equipment because of proprietary parts and software; they're fighting back because the lock on proprietary repairmen makes it impossible to farm. It's too expensive and the time lag is too long. I don't know why nobody's pounced on the opportunity; if I were making farm equipment, I put out a line like "Fix-it Felix Tractors: designed for the handy farmer, you can fix it!"

Locally, the frankly psychotic health board banned potlucks. If you want to have an event that's open to the public, with food, you have to pay someone to cater it. So now someone else controls what people are permitted to eat at those events, and I ran into a problem with servers not letting me have what I needed. Not to mention my inner Indian running in circles going "AAAAA they're banning potlatch again AAAAAAAAAA!" >_< That really undermines the human bonding potential.

People have been arrested in other places for feeding the homeless. The state won't do it, and now wants to make sure nobody else does it either.

For most products, if you try to repair them, it voids the warranty. Often they're designed so they can't be repaired.

It's infantilization. It's appalling. It's causing problems. And it's getting rapidly worse.

From:

alexseanchai

You seen the ifixit manifesto?

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

I was specifically concerned with crafting supplies that seem to teach "you can't be good at this, the results are ugly"

But yes, there are people torenting from the Ukraine patch codes.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I have not seen that trend in craft supplies.

*horrified shudder*

No, no, listen to Master Van Gogh! "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

Besides, some crafts are supposed to be ugly. One summer in ceramics, I made a whole bunch of pig heads and tiki faces, because that's what the clay was good for. It was a red clay that year, and if you pressed it, would fray awesomely. As opposed to gray clay, which won't fray very well but blends much better. Everyone thought those things were "so ugly they're cute." :D

From:

peoriapeoriawhereart

It's especially true in crafting kits meant for kids to fleece their parents. At least, I can't see any good of the 'bottle sand art' that couldn't be achieved while putting the dried bean away, and for the number of resulting objects I see at the thrift remaindering, neither can the parents.

But it's also just availability. Like if you want crochet thread smaller than 30 it's white or ivory and Michael's I don't think even carries 80. In a store that's nothing but crafting supplies. Joanne's isn't better in this regard. Neither carry even things that were standard in a five and dime. Admittedly, a ball of thread is not the 'change' of an order anymore, and most people are not going to steel hook themselves something nice in stolen moments.

They now make those 'pot-holder' looms in plastic. It's not a strong plastic (nothing like a flower loom).

From:

*Has picked up a ball of yarn in one wing, and knitting needles, and is knitting a plush of a cupcake. *Tosses to whomever looks like they might need a plush cupcake when she's finished*

From:

dialecticdreamer

First, cutting the yarn into loops takes time if you want to be accurate (or are borderline OCD about such things, as per moi). The sleeves can be used, but it puts seam bumps in the yarn, and you can also just cut a long spiral instead of loops. For another scrubber, I'd spiral cut and use all but the neckband ribbing.

Then, one tee shirt made a ball roughly the size of an orange, so the options were either to make something very loose or something very small.

I used needles the diameter of a pencil, or a little smaller, and it naturally knit TIGHTLY. I mean, it pulled together like a rubber band, and made a pot scrubber. It was small, about the same area as a three by five card, but when I say dense, I mean DENSE. I had to pull at it with both hands, as hard as I could, to see the center of any loops in the knitting.

Plain poly-cotton tee shirt fabric, smooth to the touch, ended up able to SCOUR burned crap stuck on my cast irons, and lasted months. A tip, plan to pour boiling water over the scrubber at least once a week to cut down on the buildup of bacteria (just like with any other cloth, sponge, or scrubber). For those who have dishwashers, the top rack is a safe spot for them.

It was a good experiment, and upcycled a tee shirt with a couple of wear holes on it.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing.

From:

Oh, oranges and shortbread! *acquires snacks*

Wingkitty, would you like to play chase with some of that yarn? If you would, I'll drag it and flick it for you.

From:

alatefeline

*is a presently a puddle of purr being petted*

*mrrrrrprrrrrs lazily at your and yawns delicately at the yarnball as if to say 'maybe later, too comfy to move menow'*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I have seen cats do that. :D

From:

*grins at the melted cat*

Sounds good. Enjoy!

From:

alexseanchai

*nabs a lil plateful of shortbread*

*snags some blue T-shirt yarn, biiiig wooden beads, and a bigass crochet hook*

*balances all that with left hand/arm; reaches out hesitantly with right as if to scritch kitty head*

Edited Date: 2018-01-17 05:08 pm (UTC)

From:

alatefeline

*rearranges from couchspot to shove head under hand for pettins*

From:

alexseanchai

*scritchscritch*

From:

mashfanficchick

*A large, flat, open box of myriad different sensory and fidget toys, all of them safe for all types of animals and humans, appears next to a selection of blankets, comforters, and beanbag-type chairs. A small, short-haired humanoid appears from underneath one of the blankets. She waves expansively and invitingly*

"Hi! I brought things! There are multiple kinds of curry in the kitchen--each labeled with ingredients and spiciness level--and name/pronoun/touch-level tags up front. Anyone wanna cuddle!nap?"

From:

"Yes, please." A brown-haired human of indeterminate gender, wearing 'they/them' stickers and a nametag that says "Six," waves back. "Would you prefer your own blanket, or sharing?"

From:

*Quietly creeps over to short-haired humanoid person and crouches to offer a cuddle as he's very very tall, but figured a fluffy giant teddy bear would be nice to cuddle-nap on. <3

Oooh fidgets and curry. <3333

From:

mashfanficchick

*hands redsixwing a blanket and flops on manglefox*

From:

alexseanchai

oooo. nametag required.

Alex
they
ask before touching

From: (Anonymous)

Blanket burritoed human flops over a bit to be sort of sprawled near you without moving too far

From:

talewisefellowship

YO I'm here for cuddles wassup

From:

*Pounce* Hello there! :D :D :D

From:

talewisefellowship

*glomp* Im bringing glomping back

From:

ysabetwordsmith

We have cuddles and snacks. Pull up some couch!

From:

talewisefellowship

Whee! *flops on couch*

What kinda snacks u got

From:

ysabetwordsmith

So far people have mentioned popcorn, curry, casserole, chocolate-chip cookies, and bowls that magically produce whatever you want.

We cook good here.

From:

alatefeline

and more cookies! shortbread especially but always more cookies!

From:

talewisefellowship

*hoards an absurd amount of cookies on a tissue paper*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Do you want to stick with tissue for that, or just use a carton? We have cartons.

From:

talewisefellowship

*immediately upgrades to carton, gets even more cookies*

Edited Date: 2018-01-23 07:51 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

This might be a good time to point out that Buddha's hand tends to be uplifting. If you're eating shortbread made with that, keep an eye on your mood.

I don't know if it's possible to overdo it. I get a much stronger effect from sniffing the whole fruit, and a milder effect from eating chunks of it in shortbread. But it's worth mentioning.

From:

talewisefellowship

hmmm... are there any with matcha? ^^

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I don't think there were previously, but someone else brought bowls that produce anything you want. Just pick up one of those and wish for matcha cookies!

From:

talewisefellowship

How interesting. It is like magic!! ^^

From:

A small winged dragon, about a foot long, flies into the cuddle room and around the kitchen. As he goes along the wall, empty bowls appear on the floor beneath him. Everyone hears his voice in their minds: "Hey, anybody, just tell a bowl what you want in it!"

He alights near the small humanoid and rubs up. "Cuddle?"

Edited Date: 2018-01-17 03:47 pm (UTC)

From:

OMG those bowls are awesome! I'd love popcorn with M&Ms please. <3

*Is a little robotic squirrel, but that doesn't necessarily stop her from nomming cuddlespace popcorn.

-Sara

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> As he goes along the wall, empty bowls appear on the floor beneath him. Everyone hears his voice in their minds: "Hey, anybody, just tell a bowl what you want in it!" <<

Iarann coire, in miniature! :D

From:

?
...
Heh. In your post The Ursulan Cycle:
«the iarann coire or Cauldron of the Dagda. It provides an infinite supply of food.»
:-D

From:

mashfanficchick

*wiggles blanketed body sideways* "Cuddle!"

From:

A tall woman with pale skin, a long auburn braid down her back, and pointy ears wanders in. She is wearing green and pink floral print PJ pants, a baggy t-shirt that says "I like hugs and cuddles, please ask first" in English and elvish, and a long burgundy devoré velvet robe whose floral motif echoes the print of her pants. Her body language is cautious and after looking around she heads for the table with the cookies.

Edited Date: 2018-01-17 03:58 pm (UTC)

From:

A small humanoid animatronic pads over, being careful to not spook you, and says, quietly, "I think your robe is beautiful."

She gives a friendly smile, and offers you a balloon or a hug, whichever you'd prefer.

From:

*smiles subtly* thank you.

*accepts the hug*

From:

*Hugs you, and smiles* *Disappears for a minute, but comes back with a plate of chocolate chip cookies for the table, but offers you one first.*

From:

Oooh. Yes, thank you.

*snags a cookie off the plate and takes a bite. If you watch closely, you will notice a number of crumbs fall and turn into little sparks of light, disappearing before they hit the floor.*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Pretty pretty robe. :D

From:

Thanks! It's hard to find things proper robes and things in meatspace (especially since my body is very much on the larger end of the ready-to-wear spectrum) but I figure here I can wear whatever the neck I want.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

My sympathies.

One of my fonder memories is going to a Renaissance faire with a party-size friend, who stopped at a booth to look at bodices, and out of habit went to the farthest end of the rack.

Shopkeeper: "Oh no, you need to be over here!" *points to middle of rack* "The ones on the end will be much too big."

Faires have people with many Xs on the tags. :D

From:

That is true! Some of my better clothes have come from Faire- I have this gorgeous sky blue skirt shot with gold from a place that does faire and steampunk stuff. I was a little disappointed at first when I saw all their skirts only came in one size but the sales lady convinced me to give one a try and I was pleasantly surprised so I ended up buying two. It's also gotten /much/ better in recent years- when I was in high school if I wanted anything vaguely professional I was stuck impersonating a librarian....

From:

ysabetwordsmith

If you like skirts, it's very simple to make panel skirts with a drawstring waist. I have bunches of them for Faires, although I'm not a fan of skirts in everyday wear. My large friend favors them because they're easy to fit, though. Me, I have a small waist and wide hips, which is a nuisance to fit off the rack. Drawstring solves the problem.

Generally I'll make 2-panel skirts for myself (using the width of the fabric bolt, typically 45" or 60") hemmed to ankle length. For a fuller skirt, 1-and-2 or 2-and-3 panels may be used. You can even put fancy curtain cord for the drawstring, with tassels. I usually just put bells or beads on string for mine.

From:

I have made a variety of skirts over the years although I don't currently own a sewing machine. I have one I made that's still in heavy rotation - I didn't want to have to hem the thing so I used a queen size sheet doubled over and the finished edges used as the hem. I trimmed it down in the middle and put in a drawstring made from the extra fabric. It's cute - I'll have to take a picture

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> I have made a variety of skirts over the years although I don't currently own a sewing machine. <<

I just hand-sew things. I have a sewing machine, I know how to run it, but machines are so unreliable around me that I get things done faster by hand. Plus I'm most prone to sew while talking with people, and I can't put a sewing machine in my lap while I'm sitting on the couch. People are often impressed by my hand-sewing, but it's not patience, it's laziness.

>> I have one I made that's still in heavy rotation - I didn't want to have to hem the thing so I used a queen size sheet doubled over and the finished edges used as the hem. I trimmed it down in the middle and put in a drawstring made from the extra fabric. It's cute - I'll have to take a picture<<

I have totally used selvege edges as hems.

From:

A brown-haired human of indeterminate gender arrives, selecting a name label and writing "Six," and affixing "they/them" pronoun stickers. They're wearing a heavy, comfortable sweatshirt over loose trousers and thick socks, and carrying a dish of hot, steaming casserole.

On their shoulder is a large, red-and-gold bird of roughly pheasant conformation, whose long tail feathers and bold colors advertise him to be male.

Six sets the casserole down (being a virtual treat, it is nonallergenic and contains savory, creamy favorites) and gathers a bowl of popcorn to share with the bird, then heads for the main cuddle room.

From:

ng_moonmoth

*picks up a green "hug me" sticker and a lavender marker*

*writes "ng_moonmoth" on it, and underneath that, "xe/xyr/xyrs/xyrself"*

*sets bowl of fresh kumquats from our tree on kitchen counter*

*fills a plate with jicama, casserole and tiramisu*

*finds Six, says hi*

*samples casserole, finds it delicious*

I'm wearing a soft 3/4-sleeve pullover top and a floaty knee-length skirt. I'm open to touch anywhere except places that might be wrongly assumed to be associated with my gender.

Can I skritch the pheasant? What sort of touch would you like?

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*huggles*

From:

ng_moonmoth

*huggles back*

Please excuse me for a moment... *snags Buddha's Hand shortbread, nom nom nom*

Yummy! *more huggles*

Spouse says I give good backrubs.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

<3 backrubs.

From:

ng_moonmoth

*explicitly confirms whether this was intended as implied consent before proceeding*

*if consent was obtained, begins rubbing back with gentle horizontal back-and-forth strokes, all the way down to the waist, and then up-and-down, outside to inside, and finally up the spine. Repeats pattern a couple more times.*

*switches to circular strokes, moving around the back in no predictable pattern*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> *explicitly confirms whether this was intended as implied consent before proceeding* <<

Yes please!

>> *if consent was obtained, begins rubbing back with gentle horizontal back-and-forth strokes, all the way down to the waist, and then up-and-down, outside to inside, and finally up the spine. Repeats pattern a couple more times.* <<

*purr purr purr*

From:

NG!

*huggles* Good to see you! *happyFallon*

You gunna be at Conflikt?

-Fallon~

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> *huggles* Good to see you! *happyFallon* <<

*huggles back* Good to see you, too!

>> You gunna be at Conflikt? <<

Yup. And may be a bit less reticent to associate my online and corporeal identities. I'll be sure to let you know where things stand with that. It's an ongoing process.

From:

Yaaay. :d :d

Momma T wants to appologize for being an idiot at that. She was out=-Oh wait, she's here too, xd-while our body was tired as shit, and...well yeah.

Oh-we're gunna be there, too. So we'll probably pop around to see you. We're staying with the same one who brought us out to OVFF, so. :d

-fallon~

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> Momma T wants to appologize for being an idiot at that. She was out=-Oh wait, she's here too, xd-while our body was tired as shit, and...well yeah. <<

Nothing to apologize for. She had no real way of knowing how out I might have been, and I appreciate her having relayed the information. If she winds up out at Conflikt while I'm not undercover, I'd love to say hello.

>> We're staying with the same one who brought us out to OVFF <<

Who is good people, and better now than a while back. See you there.

From:

Nothing to apologize for. She had no real way of knowing how out I might have been, and I appreciate her having relayed the information. If she winds up
out at Conflikt while I'm not undercover, I'd love to say hello.

*Trausio Waves from where she lounges with Kae and Craimar* Depends who's going-people who haven't experienced get dibs. If they don't, then the others come around again. :)

I bet you recognize Craimar, though-he was the Irish singer. :d

*Cramar gos pink*

From:

Hi, ng_moonmoth! Ooh, thank you for the treats. *selects a few kumquats, then offers a hug*

The bird is friendly and likes skritches. (He can speak, when he wants, but he's apparently being shy about it.)

*he bats his eyes, bends his head, and ruffles his neck feathers*

I'd like to lean on a friendly shoulder. What sort of touch are you interested in today?

From:

ng_moonmoth

*returns hug, wrapping you gently in my arms and then giving a quick firmer squeeze before separating*

*Opens project bag, pulls out a straight knitting needle, starts skritching bird gently with flat end*

I'll be happy to switch to the pointy end if the bird would like -- perhaps if there's an itchy spot they can't reach. Sounds like the bird is somewhat like, but a bit less extreme than, one of our cats, who will run and hide under the bed if she sees you as a stranger, but will cuddle up beside you for belly rubs once she sees you as a friend.

The project bag has a bit more than two rows of blocks of this in it right now

for a niece who will give birth in April. I'm tweaking the construction a bit so I can do it as a single piece, after which I'm going to knit a narrow frame around it to make the edge smoother for grandnibling.

*offers that friendly shoulder* After you're done with the lean, I would enjoy some work on the neck and shoulders so I can keep going on the bird, and on the project after they're done. I'll be happy to take a short break if there's something more active you'd like.

Edited (elaborated on hello hug and bird personality) Date: 2018-01-18 05:45 pm (UTC)

From:

*squeezes gently, resting chin on your shoulder*

*the bird likes this, and ruffles himself further, letting his eyelids droop and wings relax a bit* You can scratch him with fingers if you like; he's very warm and his feathers are soft and dense.

Heh, yes. He's a cuddlebug once he feels comfortable with someone. I've had cats like that, too.

*admires the knitting* The color is beautiful on that. It's fun to see the progress since last time.

*leans forehead on shoulder, hands resting gently just above, for several breaths* /Thank you./

If you'll sit comfortably, I'll get on a cushion for height and work on your neck and shoulders. Do you like a little pressure, a lot, shallow, deep? Any sore spots I should watch out for?

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> You can scratch him with fingers if you like; he's very warm and his feathers are soft and dense. <<

Thanks for the info. I think I'll take you up on that.

*puts needle away, starts skritching with fingers, being careful to respect the feathers' alignment*

My bird-fondling experience has primarily been with seed-eaters, who will often inadvertently take a chomp on whatever's skritching them. Best if it's not a finger when that happens. Plus, my experience is that keeping my distance makes whatever I'm doing feel less likely to be interpreted as an attack.

>> The color is beautiful on that. <<

Yes, it is. So are the colors I'm actually using: orange, cream, and a variegated brown.

I've got another nibling's family expecting a child in May. I'll be seeing them next month, and helping them select their project and colors.

>> /Thank you./ <<

You're welcome.

*heads over to pillow supply, taking a moment to squish a late arrival on the way*

*returns with a large handful of pillows, creates a comfortable spot on the floor, and pushes the rest your way*

I'd say, start slowly and softly, and find the knots of tension. I typically respond better to work that draws out and dissipates the tension, rather than breaks it up -- my body tends to fight back against intense treatment.

Thanks for asking!

From:

*the bird turns and inclines his head to present the itchy spots; when finished, he chirrs softly in thanks and flaps down to the floor to rest*

Yeah, they're like that. I have scars from parrots.
I had a pet dove once, who was the most harmless creature. He was my bestest buddy for many years, and he liked being scratched very much like you're doing here.

This fellow is a... I suppose you could call him an aspect. He's unlikely to cause harm by mistake, and he's here for contact comfort too.

>>So are the colors I'm actually using: orange, cream, and a variegated brown.<<

Ooh. I have a family member who decorates almost exclusively in that range. It's very home-like.

>>Thanks for asking!<<

Certainly! And thanks for the extra pillows.

*finds a large, firm cushion and kneels on it*
*strokes hands gently down your neck and shoulders, establishing gentle touch first*
*begins to rub soft circles, looking for trouble spots and warming the skin*

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> I had a pet dove once, who [...] liked being scratched very much like you're doing here. <<

Yeah, this approach seems to be something all birds like. I'd guess because it's something that's tough for them to do for themselves, but it's being done in a way that acknowledges and affirms their bird-nature and respects what is important to them. Good rules for alien beings of any sort.

>> Certainly! And thanks for the extra pillows. <<

You're welcome. And thanks for coming over with me so I can help the late-arriving anon who needs squishing better.

>> *finds a large, firm cushion and kneels on it*
*strokes hands gently down your neck and shoulders, establishing gentle touch first*
*begins to rub soft circles, looking for trouble spots and warming the skin* <<

Mmmmmmmm - yes! *feels some tension draining off*

From:

It's good to cooperate on something like this. I.. hadn't honestly thought of that. Good idea.

*seeks a tight spot and soothes it with circling strokes of the thumbs, then applies broad strokes over the entire area*

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> It's good to cooperate on something like this. <<

Glad it worked out well for you. Your assistance let me help someone in a way I would have had difficulty doing by myself. Thanks again for helping.

I'll keep you in mind should you show up at another cuddle party.

>> *seeks a tight spot and soothes it with circling strokes of the thumbs, then applies broad strokes over the entire area* <<

Mmmmmmmm. *continues to soften around the edges -- moving closer to my actual form?*

From:

>>I'll keep you in mind should you show up at another cuddle party.<<

I'll keep a feeler out for you, too. /s It's been a pleasure, the couple of interactions we've had.

>>*continues to soften around the edges -- moving closer to my actual form?*<<

*repeats the circling motions over the sore spot, until the tension is entirely released*
*moves to gently squeezing the soft part of the shoulders*

You're getting kind of blurry there. Anything I should be aware of as you shift?

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> You're getting kind of blurry there. Anything I should be aware of as you shift? <<

I'm shifting into a manifestation with a more overtly fractal dimension. There is a boundary between me and not-me, but it gets more and more folded on smaller and smaller scales. The blurriness you see is the consequence of the space around the boundary being neither entirely me nor entirely not-me. The smaller the scale you can work on, the deeper into the blurriness you can work.

If you look at the more solid areas, you might be able to see a form that looks male, another one that looks female, and three or four that look human but aren't readily categorizable in any way. If you can work small enough to get to any of those forms, I would enjoy interacting at that level. Those manifestations aren't visible often enough to get good touch.

From:

>>I'm shifting into a manifestation with a more overtly fractal dimension.<<

Ahh, fascinating! I like reading about fractals. The math is beyond me, but the artistic and personal implications are really cool. Thanks for showing me this.

>>If you can work small enough to get to any of those forms, I would enjoy interacting at that level.<<

*looks over at the bird, who is roosting happily on a round cushion with his legs folded beneath* K, can I borrow your vision?

*as the bird looks up and rouses feathers, his eyes shimmer gold and the human's do likewise*

*smooths gently at the fractal edge, approaching one of the uncategorizable figures* Let's start here, shall we? Are neck and shoulders still the places you'd like to be touched?

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> Ahh, fascinating! I like reading about fractals. The math is beyond me, but the artistic and personal implications are really cool. Thanks for showing me this. <<

You're welcome. I suspect they manifested due to your attention, for which I thank you in return.

I can see the "default" forms when I look at myself the right way; the one that doesn't resemble the shape I was born with occasionally is visible to others. But the uncategorizable forms haven't even manifested to me. I believed they were there, because neither of the morphological defaults looked enough like me to be right. It seems I wasn't finding them because I wasn't looking in the "empty" spaces the right way.

>> Let's start here, shall we? Are neck and shoulders still the places you'd like to be touched? <<

Thanks, what you're doing feels good. The body you're working on is becoming more tangible and appreciates being touched as an affirmation of its existence. Can you stay with it as it does, wherever it might lead you? It will probably let you know if you go someplace it's not ready for yet.

I'll reach out tonight and see if I can interact with it. It's in virtual space, so I'll need to get my head in the right space to get there, and I won't be able to figure out any more any time soon. But I'd appreciate any information you get from the body through your working on it.

From:

>>It seems I wasn't finding them because I wasn't looking in the "empty" spaces the right way.<<

*nodnods* Well then, I'm happy they're appearing now.

>>Can you stay with it as it does, wherever it might lead you? <<

I believe so. A form change isn't going to frighten me away, and neither will conformation not matching local norm. My boundaries include touch in areas one might ordinarily expect to be off limits, and nonconsensual anything on a nonphysical level; you're nowhere near those borders.

>>It will probably let you know if you go someplace it's not ready for yet.<<

That's good. I will go slow and careful, and keep my senses open.

A thing I noticed: I'm working to keep my own form stable. please pardon if I should happen to sprout gryphon's ears or a tail, but I'm confident I can keep my hands steady and solid.

*works thumbs in little circles from the base of the skull to the tops of the collarbones*
*smooths out along the shoulders, paying attention to their shape and texture - fuzzy?*
*rubs the shoulder crest with folded hands, warm and soothing*

I'll try and return with greater focus in a little bit.

From:

ng_moonmoth

There's someone else I've been engaging with downthread who wants some squishing. If you're interested in coming over there with me, I can envision a way we can both help. Are you up for that?

From:

alexseanchai

Redheaded pale freckled human wanders in, wearing a black Oregon State T-shirt and blue yoga pants and muttering something about the "mysterious and indeterminate gender" Fallen London shirt being in the wash. They have a bunch of pages taken from old calendars, and a bunch of thumbtacks, and they would like to start sticking the yoga cats and the butterflies and the owls and the Caribbean beaches to the walls.

Edited Date: 2018-01-17 05:13 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

<3 calendar art.

From:

<3 Fallen London. I don't suppose you are a fellow scholar of the correspondence?

From:

alexseanchai

Ah. I haven't played in ages. And they add enough new content frequently enough I'm kinda afraid to go back!

From:

dialecticdreamer

A middle-aged, gray-haired woman with a tentative smile and a recalcitrant rollator eases into the cuddle room. The seat of the rollator is overflowing with bowls of crudites, cucumber spears and slices of jicama to go with the enormous bowl of hummus and a smaller bowl of olive tapenade. Draped over her shoulders like a cape is a fuzzy lap blanket. She sets the food in a safe place, out of foot traffic, and makes her way to an overstuffed chair. "This way, I can brush hair if someone wants," she offers shyly.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*flop* Brush me?

From:

dialecticdreamer

The brush is wide and flat, with widely spaced nylon teeth. It huffs and sighs as the gray-haired woman checks that each tooth is firmly in place. Instead of simply putting the brush to work, she sets it on her lap to run her hands over the other person's long hair. "Your hair is gorgeous and thick," she mused, rolling her eyes at the mop of inch-long strands on her own head.

She parts the other woman's long hair in thirds, setting aside the parts covering her ears. Lifting the back section, she brushes only the tips of the hair.

The next stroke is longer by the width of the brush.

It's quiet work, the grumble-shush of the bristles working their way bit by bit up toward the base of the other woman's neck. The sound is soothing, and when the bristles first touch scalp it is almost as soft as the earlier sweep of fingertips.

Once the section falls in ripples from crown to tips without any tangles, the older woman nudges her companion's shoulder. She turns slightly, and the process begins again at the ends of the waiting section.

The process repeats for the last section, predictable and careful. By then, the younger woman's head wobbles languidly with each stroke of the brush.

Then, it begins again, the brush kissing the scalp as it moves downward in long strokes, distributing oil through the strands of hair with every motion.

When the younger woman's hair is gleaming, and the woman is nearly purring, the short-haired woman lays the brush aside. warm hands smooth over the glorious crown.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*purr purr purr* :D

From: (Anonymous)

*sticks arm with brush out of blanket-rito* yes please

From:

dialecticdreamer

The middle-aged woman gathers a soft, dense boar-bristle brush and a fine-toothed comb, studying the texture and length of the wildly disarrayed coiffure. "Right after a shower, my hair looks like a cotton ball," she confides. "If that's your favorite brush, let's save it for the end, okay?"

At the other person's nod, she selects the comb, working from the brow toward the back, methodically combing the flyaway strands toward the nape of the other person's neck. The light, fine strands had no tangles, but every stroke seemed to make them stand just that much farther apart, like tiny magnets with like poles.

She dropped the comb into her lap in favor of the boar bristle brush. This time, the slow strokes begin with the faintest scrape over the recipient's scalp. When they leaned into the touch of the bristles, she made the next stroke firmer. Gloss crept over the strands, and they settled closer together.

For the shortest areas, she tipped the brush to offer only an edge, then brushed upward, from the nape of the neck to the crown. The brush moved in response to the cant of the younger person's shoulders and their chin, working the same short strokes around the ears and finally, sweeping back from the forehead again in long strokes.

Finally, the quiet is broken by a noisome sigh of pleasure, and the brush is set aside in favor of the other's. Soft as a baby's brush, it drifts from the crown downward, polishing the effect of the boar-bristled brush rather than erasing it. As the body beneath relaxed, the strokes grew lighter, only faltering when the woman changed hands.

When the younger person's eyes are at half-mast, she tucks the fine brush back into their hand. "Thank you."

From: (Anonymous)

*melty-wiggle* *purrhuff* thank you

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> a noisome sigh of pleasure <<

"I do not think it means what you think it means."

Obviously, no insult intended, and apparently none taken by the recipient. But it did take me aback when I saw it.

From:

dialecticdreamer

Actually, I did.

It was supposed to be a bit funny, and neither 'noisy,' nor 'gusty,' fit at all. (Think of the kind of noise that would make someone want to disappear in a public setting.)

Since the joke landed in the basement, I'll change it.

From:

*after talking with Ysabet and Jay (and a nap) Fallon, first making sure Jay is OK with her leaving, wanders over*

My braids...they've come all out. Would you mind brushing me? If you're still inclined?

-F~

From:

dreamwriteremmy

Neil (he/him, gentle touch is ok) enters the cuddle room first, cane supporting him in one hand and a cake dish held aloft in the other. He shouts, "I made a killer tiramisu!" And then proceeds to hum the Portal theme song as he delivers it to the kitchen.

Behind him are Eva (she/her, ask me for hugs) and their daughter Anya (she/her; I <3 cuddles).

Eva gathers fort cushions and blankets and builds a family-sized fort in a corner visible from the kitchen, waving Neil over when he returns with a tray of samples from the kitchen.

Edited Date: 2018-01-17 10:48 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

<3 forts.

From:

dreamwriteremmy

Neil grins, "Forts are the best. Forts with friends are even better." He pauses. "Still needs something."

He grins and goes to grab a marker, a big sheet of paper and piece of tape then writes "Speak friend and enter" in both English and Elvish and shows it to Eva, who starts laughing, "You're a dork. But go ahead. More company is always welcome."

He affixes his sign to their fort.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Mellon.

From:

dreamwriteremmy

"Come in!" Eva calls, hearing the Elvish word for friend, along with a silent look and a quick gesture at Neil to quickly move his cane and the tray of food out of the entranceway.

As he does so, she hears Neil remind Anya, "Remember to ask people first."

"Cuddle please?" She hears her daughter ask as she shifts over to make room.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

:D *cuddles*

From:

Eee, the lawn tent! ❤

From:

ysabetwordsmith

That was a request from a previous occasion. I save references to infrastructure that we may want later.

From:

ng_moonmoth

Given the temperatures you're running right now, I hope there's a firepit with a fire in it around somewhere. If there is, I will astrally summon a wrap after we're done and see whether there's anyone outside looking for cuddle.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Some of us were discussing virtual touch and whether it meets some of the need for contact comfort. What's it like for you? Do you derive enjoyment or comfort when someone types *hugs*? What about if someone describes brushing, petting, or rubbing you in more detail?

I see a lot of that going on in these cuddle parties, which are consistently very popular. People get quite physical in here and it's delightful. I surmise that it meets a need for contact, because a lot of my readers don't have friends they can pile up with locally, and that's very much what happens in here. Thoughts?

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> What's it like for you? <<

The physical intensity is missing (unfortunate), but so is the morphogendering and its consequential poisoning of meatspace tactile interaction with cultural dynamics and sexualization (big win for virtual cuddling). Getting to the point where we are this very moment, both of us actively and intensely pairbonded, and having a nonsexual (virtual) tactile interaction with someone who is not our pairbond with only favorable comments from other people here, would be a real challenge in meatspace.

So it's different, but valuable in its own way.

>> Do you derive enjoyment or comfort when someone types *hugs*? What about if someone describes brushing, petting, or rubbing you in more detail? <<

Yes. I get the same sort of feelgood when I approach someone in meatspace with open arms, and a hug follows. As for more detail, I'm still trying to figure that out. I guess I ought to look around for someone offering something I'd like to try, and see how it goes when I ask.

>> a lot of my readers don't have friends they can pile up with locally, and that's very much what happens in here. <<

My take, coming from a culture that heavily contextualizes tactile interactions (US), and a subculture that discourages it further (Midwestern), is that it's as much about the environment being friendly -- no stares or disapproving comments, or people trying to guilt-trip you into stopping. The Rule Six (No PDA's!) police have been banished to Singapore before they can misinterpret what's going on here. Despite which, we still manage to avoid PDA's because that's not what we came for.

So thanks for hosting the World's Oldest(?) Established Permanent Floating Rule Six Party in Cyberspace!

Edited (aligned literary reference more closely with original) Date: 2018-01-18 06:13 am (UTC)

From:

I derive enjoyment and comfort from just reading *hugs* or the like. If I stop and focus on it, try to imagine what it'd actually feel like, I can ramp it up. (But then I'm good at swapping sensory modes in imagination.) The same applies to some writing not directed at me - some of your comfort scenes work the same way. Turq's thread is particularly good for that, because I can identify strongly with some of his feelings. Some fanfic is good for this too, but when people accidentally (or not) write in things that sound uncomfortable or painful, but are intended to feel good, it can snap me right out of the scene, so I have to be picky. That hasn't happened here, at all.

The more detail the better, as far as I'm concerned. *hugs* is good! But tell me where the hands are, where the weight is, what the breath is doing, and you're substantially more likely to end up with a melted Six.

I definitely use these threads to seek comfort and to give it, in ways I can't locally. I have a committed relationship. I also have a /ridiculous/ touch drive, and there's some quirks - like the rotating cast I write in here - that are difficult to manage in face-space. So, I look forward to these quite a bit.

From:

dreamwriteremmy

Yup. It satisfies some of our companionship/safetouch needs. We also like the fact that nonmeatspace means (a) the cuddle party lasts until people stop tagging and (b) we can choose our presentation (sometimes we come as body-persona with headmates sharing the space like we do in some meatspace groups and other times as separate entities.) That freedom of expressions makes me feel like we're collectively bringing a little bit of the worlds you're creating to realspace even though its virtual (it's still real).

Edited Date: 2018-01-18 11:15 pm (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Yup. It satisfies some of our companionship/safetouch needs. We also like the fact that nonmeatspace means (a) the cuddle party lasts until people stop tagging <<

Yay! These are good things.

>> (b) we can choose our presentation (sometimes we come as body-persona with headmates sharing the space like we do in some meatspace groups and other times as separate entities.) <<

I find that this feature enables people to snuggle souls in cyberspace, in ways that are difficult to achieve in meatspace, because for some people they meat they are stuck inside really gets in the way of self-expression. So cyberspace has some really valuable advantages.

>> That freedom of expressions makes me feel like we're collectively bringing a little bit of the worlds you're creating to realspace even though its virtual (it's still real). <<

I find that cyberspace is as real as people make it. I can meet people here, create things, buy and sell stuff -- and it all works better for me than meatspace. Anything that makes a difference is real, just not all the same dimension. The top of a cube is no less real than the side, even though they're not in the same place.

From:

dialecticdreamer

Personally, I associate the written variations of *hugs* as slightly different things, with {{{hugs}}} implying a stronger or longer embrace, but it happens automatically, just the way I process written English.

Everyone's feedback here is telling me that

- This meets a need in people's lives, not merely fills a few minutes of relaxation time.

- People are, as usual, more comfortable in different sensory modes, so adding more detail does more than prolong reading time; it makes it easier for a reader to visualize easily.

- When I made offers in the cuddle party, it was delightfully satisfying to have someone take me up on the offer. I lack outgoing touch more than incoming, and that affected everything in the cuddle room.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Everyone's feedback here is telling me that

- This meets a need in people's lives, not merely fills a few minutes of relaxation time. <<

I'm getting the same impression. It's why I have bumped up the schedule from fifth-week Wednesdays to every third Wednesday.

>> - People are, as usual, more comfortable in different sensory modes, so adding more detail does more than prolong reading time; it makes it easier for a reader to visualize easily. <<

That's true too.

>> - When I made offers in the cuddle party, it was delightfully satisfying to have someone take me up on the offer. I lack outgoing touch more than incoming, and that affected everything in the cuddle room.<<

Yay! It's fixable, especially if you let people know about your particular needs. I'm usually up for being touched.

From:

Yeah, it done helped a lot. Jus knowin' someone care enough to do did shit mean loads, ya'know?
I mean It really the only way I git did shit right now. Even doe we got a physical body don't mean we can physically feel each other sometime an' it sucks. There been times where I wish I could be holdin' Fallon-heah-an' I can't. Bein' able to type it an' be feelin' at least a bit of it jus be makin' mah day an' shit.

Weren't thinkin' I'd be one for cuddles. Ain't till I was heah that I realized healthy touch were a thing I been missin. No I heah, ... dunno what I'd do without bein' here at least once ever so often like.

(Utg, been hanging 'round with Craimah to much. o.o :p)

-Jay~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Yeah, it done helped a lot. Jus knowin' someone care enough to do did shit mean loads, ya'know? <<

Yay!

>> I mean It really the only way I git did shit right now. Even doe we got a physical body don't mean we can physically feel each other sometime an' it sucks. <<

That is hard.

>>There been times where I wish I could be holdin' Fallon-heah-an' I can't. Bein' able to type it an' be feelin' at least a bit of it jus be makin' mah day an' shit.<<

Have you ever tried hug-passing? Usually it's done where Person A is talking to Person B on the phone, and Person B says "Give my love to C," and then A goes to hug C for B. In your case, Fallon could front and hug me for Jay, then switch, and I'd hug Jay for Fallon -- trying to mimic the personal style as much as possible. That bit takes some practice, but is a skill people can learn. You can try it with any of your support crew who are willing.

>>Weren't thinkin' I'd be one for cuddles. Ain't till I was heah that I realized healthy touch were a thing I been missin. No I heah, ... dunno what I'd do without bein' here at least once ever so often like.<<

Healthy touch is good, but if you've seen mostly the unhealthy kind, this is a difficult discovery to make. Well, you saw how Shiv flipped out with Pain's Gray. Recreational pain, no problem; aftercare, *panic*.

From:

Have you ever tried hug-passing? Usually it's done where Person A is talking to Person B on the phone, and Person B says "Give my love to C," and then
A goes to hug C for B. In your case, Fallon could front and hug me for Jay, then switch, and I'd hug Jay for Fallon -- trying to mimic the personal style
as much as possible. That bit takes some practice, but is a skill people can learn. You can try it with any of your support crew who are willing.

huh, uh. I mean we done it one way, but not the other way 'roun'. "Hug A for me, would ya?" been about as far as we got.

Healthy touch is good, but if you've seen mostly the unhealthy kind, this is a difficult discovery to make. Well, you saw how Shiv flipped out with Pain's
Gray. Recreational pain, no problem; aftercare, *panic*.

Yeah...an' this empendin' mopve got mah brain all fucked. I mean, it been moved out some, but last time I moved...bad. :(

Jus now figuring I can get touch without beoin' ridiculed for it. Lotta the family befoe I met Fallons felt boys don't need much touch as girls, so they didn't give it-'long with thinkin' boys ain't one for cryin'.

Mah crew done broke some of dat, but I still have a hard time wid...a lot of it. *nervous about dat*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Yeah...an' this empendin' mopve got mah brain all fucked. I mean, it been moved out some, but last time I moved...bad. :( <<

Moving is hard on anyone, even if they want it. When you have negative past experiences, it's a lot worse. :( However, there are things you can do to buffer it a bit.

One is throw out some stuff you don't need, and as you do that, imagine throwing out past emotional baggage or other virtual shit.

Another is that when you move into your new place, take some time to really make it yours. If you have a household token, place that first. (If not, now's a perfect time to get one -- any object that symbolizes your household will work.) Think about the new place and what traditions you can set there. Understand that it'll take you a while to anchor yourself in it, but you can do it.

>> Jus now figuring I can get touch without beoin' ridiculed for it. Lotta the family befoe I met Fallons felt boys don't need much touch as girls, so they didn't give it-'long with thinkin' boys ain't one for cryin'.<<

What a mess. Boys and men need as much touch as girls and women. Everyone cries. All that macho shit does it make it hard to identify and handle emotions like a grownup. >_< Come here, cuddle if you want, cry if you need to. People who say boys don't need cuddles or tears are dumbasses. So speaks the gender scholar.

>> Mah crew done broke some of dat, but I still have a hard time wid...a lot of it. *nervous about dat* <<

Well yeah. Any topic people mess you up is going to be nerve-wracking later. It's fixable, though, if you get with better people.

From:

One is throw out some stuff you don't need, and as you do that, imagine throwing out past emotional baggage or other virtual shit.

...Gunna do that. Like hardcoh do dat shit.

Another is that when you move into your new place, take some time to really make it yours. If you have a household token, place that first. (If not,
now's a perfect time to get one -- any object that symbolizes your household will work.) Think about the new place and what traditions you can set there.
Understand that it'll take you a while to anchor yourself in it, but you can do it.

Thankfually the peeps we movin' in wid git mah triggers. Been good about makin' me not feel stupid for'em. I hate when triggers fuck me up. :/

What a mess. Boys and men need as much touch as girls and women. Everyone cries. All that macho shit does it make it hard to identify and handle emotions
like a grownup. >_< Come here, cuddle if you want, cry if you need to. People who say boys don't need cuddles or tears are dumbasses. So speaks the
gender scholar.

Y-Ya sho? Gunna git bad if I let go really. *he looks up at her*...ya serious, ain't ya.

Well yeah. Any topic people mess you up is going to be nerve-wracking later. It's fixable, though, if you get with better people.

Mah Fallon's family's...dey bettah people. I love mah Cassie. She my OSO an'...we had some serious shit for a while, but we done got past it an' we really damn close now. Cool an' shit. Dat mah girl :)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>...Gunna do that. Like hardcoh do dat shit.<<

Yay!

>> Thankfually the peeps we movin' in wid git mah triggers. Been good about makin' me not feel stupid for'em.<<

That's good.

>> I hate when triggers fuck me up. :/ <<

Everyone who has triggers hates them. When you get into a safer environment, you can work on smoothing them down some, and over time they'll bother you less.

>> Y-Ya sho? <<

Quite sure. Everyone gets hurt sometimes, which means everyone needs to cry. It can be messy and unpleasant, but it's like throwing up -- that's what happens when you swallow something that isn't good for you, and it's less awful than leaving it in there.

Telling boys not to cry is harmful. Men need to cry too. (Everyone does.) Lack of touch is destructive to men's mental and physical health. (This is true for mammals in general.) It's caused by everything from homophobia to fear of sexual complaints. Men need more touch than they usually get. This is a problem, because touch starvation correlates with more violence. Basically, if you don't express your emotions and connect with other people, that makes it harder to understand and control your urges.

>> Gunna git bad if I let go really.
*he looks up at her*...ya serious, ain't ya. <<

I am serious, and yes, people who haven't had a good cry in a long time tend to release a flood. That's okay. I've been cried on before. The cuddle room has been cried in before. If you fall apart in here, most that'll happen is folks asking how you are and if you want a fresh shoulder or hankie.

>>Mah Fallon's family's...dey bettah people. I love mah Cassie. She my OSO an'...we had some serious shit for a while, but we done got past it an' we really damn close now. Cool an' shit. Dat mah girl :) <<

That's good. Support helps.

From:

I am serious, and yes, people who haven't had a good cry in a long time tend to release a flood. That's okay. I've been cried on before. The cuddle
room has been cried in before. If you fall apart in here, most that'll happen is folks asking how you are and if you want a fresh shoulder or hankie.
...OK...

He tenses at first, trying to still hold it in, but then, finally starts to relax.

It starts slow at first, a few trickles, and he experimentally moves closer to snug against Ysabit, barely noticing Fallon coming to lay, gently, a hand on his back, as he finally breaks apart, the sobs shaking his frame.

Despite his best efforts, those around him can hear them as hiccupping, or even a bit of a tiger rumble sound-even in human form-and the sniffles make his cheeks go red with sudden embarrassment.

After some time, they finally tapper off, and he feels slightly better, if quite a bit drained from that.

He almost buries his face in his hands befoe remembering he don't have to do that heah.

...

He still has tears coming off and on as he accepts the calming presence of the PurrBeast, and tries to breath whatever's left out as shit he doen't want nomore.

He feel like he could do this again, though,if he ain't careful-just break into those sobs again, an' it still make him nervous as hell that he gunna get namecalled for it. Even if he ain't been...for a while now, it still theah. He don't like that. :(

From:

As Jay cries, Fallon scoots forward to gently lay a hand on his back.

My poor bonded. She doesn't say it out loud, but she gently rubs his back from waist to shoulder and down again once before just leaving her hand at the small ina light, static touch.

She smiles to K'in, sending a silent 'hello' his way before she asks to lean against him for a little while Jay collects himself: This is going to tak a long while now.

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

He can take as long as he needs. This isn't a race.

From:

He can indeed. I'ma be nearby so long as is needed. :)

-Fallon~

From:

<3 Fallon. s'much <3

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>It starts slow at first, a few trickles, and he experimentally moves closer to snug against Ysabit, barely noticing Fallon coming to lay, gently, a hand on his back, as he finally breaks apart, the sobs shaking his frame.<<

*gentle cuddles*

>> After some time, they finally tapper off, and he feels slightly better, if quite a bit drained from that. <<

Yeah, it's a storm, but crying helps some.

>> He almost buries his face in his hands befoe remembering he don't have to do that heah.<<

Quite right.

>> He feel like he could do this again, though,if he ain't careful-just break into those sobs again, an' it still make him nervous as hell that he gunna get namecalled for it. <<

Anybody who makes fun of someone for crying in here will get a boot to the rear, and I mightn't bother to open the door first.

>>Even if he ain't been...for a while now, it still theah. He don't like that. :( <<

It comes out the way it goes in: one line at a time. Eventually, it'll wear down. In the meantime, it's just an aggravation, like wearing wet clothes. Everyone cries. It's natural and necessary. Cuddling is good for people. You are wanted here. And the people who roughed you up are a sorry waste of carbon that could be put to better use elsewhere.

From:

Yeah, it's a storm, but crying helps some.

...Findin' that out...need did so much. th..thank ya...

Anybody who makes fun of someone for crying in here will get a boot to the rear, and I mightn't bother to open the door first.

That gits a watery chuckle out of him before he went cat. ~Like ya...so much...~

It comes out the way it goes in: one line at a time. Eventually, it'll wear down. In the meantime, it's just an aggravation, like wearing wet clothes.
Everyone cries. It's natural and necessary. Cuddling is good for people. You are wanted here. And the people who roughed you up are a sorry waste
of carbon that could be put to better use elsewhere.

Like not heah. Somethin' tells me if anyone in family do this ya gunna be on they ass. I'ma not wanna piss you off...

*purr-sort-of-laugh*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>...Findin' that out...need did so much. th..thank ya...<<

Welcome anytime.

>> Like not heah. Somethin' tells me if anyone in family do this ya gunna be on they ass.<<

Like ugly on an ape.

>> I'ma not wanna piss you off... <<

It takes some doing. You seem not like the kind of person who does the sort of things that really rile me up. Everyone rubs each other the wrong way occasionally, but it's no big deal; friends can talk it out.

From:

Welcome anytime.
:)

Like ugly on an ape.
Mental smuhk at that an' shit.:d *Fallon gigglesnort*

It takes some doing. You seem not like the kind of person who does the sort of things that really rile me up. Everyone rubs each other the wrong way
occasionally, but it's no big deal; friends can talk it out.

Yeah. Seem like ain't puhson who piss a lot of people heah off. 'snice dat.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Nice to talk homelike too.

From:

Glad she don't mind dialect bein' everywhere but right. Been hangin' 'round peeps got different ways of speakin' dat he pick up sometimes an' drop. Weihd to be able to do did without bein' thought weihd fo it. Pro'ly bodyfears, but dey stil theah.

Sometimes wanna correct hisself 'cause he don't think he be understood an' shit.

Gets wohse when he stressed like dis. Then go back to sorta right, but not really.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Glad she don't mind dialect bein' everywhere but right. Been hangin' 'round peeps got different ways of speakin' dat he pick up sometimes an' drop. Weihd to be able to do did without bein' thought weihd fo it. Pro'ly bodyfears, but dey stil theah. <<

It's just codeswitching between different registers of language. Lots of folks do it. Me, I tend to drop into dialect if someone else is, I'm linguistic SillyPutty. But Southern's strongest, because my mama's people come from Tennessee. So if I'm around it, then it comes back, and thick as molasses in winter. People think I'm teasing them, sometimes, but I'm not. Talk about fishin' and it comes up too, cause we did that together.

>> Sometimes wanna correct hisself 'cause he don't think he be understood an' shit. <<

Well, folks might miss a few words, but it's close enough for grabs. Cajun now, that's harder, cause it crosses with French.

>> Gets wohse when he stressed like dis. Then go back to sorta right, but not really.<<

*pet pet pet* You'll be okay eventually.

From:

It's just codeswitching between different registers of language. Lots of folks do it. Me, I tend to drop into dialect if someone else is, I'm linguistic
SillyPutty. But Southern's strongest, because my mama's people come from Tennessee. So if I'm around it, then it comes back, and thick as molasses in
winter. People think I'm teasing them, sometimes, but I'm not. Talk about fishin' and it comes up too, cause we did that together.

Yeah body like dat. Pick up Spanish, Irish and Southahn like it were born to it. Cajun sort of, buit not like da oder three. Easier to writ Black-whtevah dialect is 'cause ain't so afraid of bein' caught that way. 'cause writin' was sanity for most of life. Talkin' different doe.

Well, folks might miss a few words, but it's close enough for grabs. Cajun now, that's harder, cause it crosses with French.

Yeah. Got somewhat Cajun kid named Evan. He go mor southahn when he heah 'cause body do it better. Mississippe born No'ohlans raised by grandma. 'nuff to be considered half-Cajun by fam. Good guy. Like him a li'l too when I sees him.

*pet pet pet* You'll be okay eventually.

Ya sho I still OK. Dis...feels weihd bein this...like dis. Vulnerable usually ain't me. *nervous*

Brush? ... Brush plz? Won't fix dreds, but make me feel les...scattahed. les...everwhere.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Yeah body like dat. Pick up Spanish, Irish and Southahn like it were born to it. Cajun sort of, buit not like da oder three. <<

For me, Spanish is a field of marigolds in my head. Took one year, and it just kept growing. Now I can understand some stuff I know we never covered in class.

>>Easier to writ Black-whtevah dialect is 'cause ain't so afraid of bein' caught that way. 'cause writin' was sanity for most of life. Talkin' different doe.<<

Sure, because talking puts you face to face and writing doesn't have to.

>> Ya sho I still OK. Dis...feels weihd bein this...like dis. Vulnerable usually ain't me. *nervous* <<

Takes a lot of practice to feel comfortable with vulnerability. Ever see a crawdad shed its skin? All soft and white underneath for a while, so they tend to hide. But that's the only way they can grow.

>> Brush? ... Brush plz? Won't fix dreds, but make me feel les...scattahed. les...everwhere <<

Might could be this is where I say that I'm a strong enough shapeshifter it can affect other people. Energy worker, too. So if I'm brushing and wishing you more together, might happen. You still want brushed?

From:

For me, Spanish is a field of marigolds in my head. Took one year, and it just kept growing. Now I can understand some stuff I know we never covered
in class.

Wish languages work like dat for us. Gaelic be a grown field by now 'smuch as we listen to it heah. Such pretty music. Like it. Wish Fallon could sing it moe heah. Good...nice and wahm feelin'. Like blanket fo me. Like mah own language be an' shit. Guss 'cause it rolls kinda...dunno...jus enjoy da soundof it an' other pretty languages. Elvish dat way too. 'cause I kin sorta learn it in sleepins. don't have to worry about bein' called out for mistakes 'cause it flows like watah do...bablin' now. heh. Pro'ly gunna bed soon if I can. Sleep not good when I be like dis. Bad nuight. May stay an' clean shit. Dunno...

Sure, because talking puts you face to face and writing doesn't have to.

Don' feel like writtin' git ya hurt so much neithah.

Takes a lot of practice to feel comfortable with vulnerability. Ever see a crawdad shed its skin? All soft and white underneath for a while, so they
tend to hide. But that's the only way they can grow.

Nah, ain't seen it. Heahd of it doe. People say dey good eatin' too. Like bein' able to be like dis an' not git...no one heah ain't yet. 'snice.

Might could be this is where I say that I'm a strong enough shapeshifter it can affect other people. Energy worker, too. So if I'm brushing and wishing
you more together, might happen. You still want brushed?
...not ready dat yet. Pets den? Want hot cocoa an' cookies fuhst. AIn't ready all togethah yet. Feel like could be rupt-break bad if we do it jus nah.

Ya good peeps. really do like ya...lots. <3 Ysabet.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Gaelic be a grown field by now 'smuch as we listen to it heah. Such pretty music. Like it. Wish Fallon could sing it moe heah. Good...nice and wahm feelin'. Like blanket fo me. <<

Well, one of the Three Strains is suantraí, for sleep.

>>Like mah own language be an' shit. Guss 'cause it rolls kinda...dunno...jus enjoy da soundof it an' other pretty languages. Elvish dat way too. 'cause I kin sorta learn it in sleepins. don't have to worry about bein' called out for mistakes 'cause it flows like watah do...bablin' now. heh.<<

I like pretty languages too.

>> Pro'ly gunna bed soon if I can. Sleep not good when I be like dis. Bad nuight. May stay an' clean shit. Dunno... <<

Sleep if you can. Most people find it easier after a good cry. You might need to pull yourself back together a little first, so take your time.

>>...not ready dat yet. Pets den? Want hot cocoa an' cookies fuhst. AIn't ready all togethah yet. Feel like could be rupt-break bad if we do it jus nah.<<

That's okay. I can brush or pet without changing anything, just need to tamp it down a bit.

>> Ya good peeps. really do like ya...lots. <3 Ysabet. <<

I like you too.

Let's see, here's a nice boar-bristle brush that ought to get through tiger fur.

From:

Well, one of the Three Strains is suantraí, for sleep.

Din't know dat. Good to know. Maybe find some latah. Gunna have to find somethin' to sleep wid today. Ya done helped a lot. Th...thank ya muches...

I like pretty languages too.

Pretty languages toys. Wohdplay's good when I not did stressed out. Snarky sarcasm...been gittin' moe good atdat bein' in family of writers an' language nirds. Kaelaren ovah theh...he wohdmage. Pens can do shit if he let'em. Good at dat too. One of the reasons we want Kaligs in body. So he an' Craimah cn do stuff...an' not feel trapped wi'out they skils. Like watchin'em, too. Fun.

Sleep if you can. Most people find it easier after a good cry. You might need to pull yourself back together a little first, so take your time.

Slowly doin' dat. Find if it go to quick I worse off dan I was 'fore cryin's. Why say careful wi'brushin's. :)

That's okay. I can brush or pet without changing anything, just need to tamp it down a bit.

I like you too.

Let's see, here's a nice boar-bristle brush that ought to get through tiger fur.
*rumble purr* Ya...gunna...brush me all sleeps. 'sOkay. Need dat now. Done wid cookies anyway. Cocoa get wahm again.

Tell Fallon she can get brushin's too. Feel huh wantin' dat now. Love huh....so...*yawn*...much...

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Din't know dat. Good to know. Maybe find some latah. Gunna have to find somethin' to sleep wid today. <<

Just paste in the word and you'll find lullabye albums mostly with Gaelic lyrics.

>>Ya done helped a lot. Th...thank ya muches...<<

I'm glad.

>> Slowly doin' dat. Find if it go to quick I worse off dan I was 'fore cryin's. Why say careful wi'brushin's. :) <<

*careful brushing* I'll just set up a nice pattern then, and you can follow along with breathing or whatever you need.

>>Tell Fallon she can get brushin's too. Feel huh wantin' dat now. Love huh....so...*yawn*...much...<<

*chuckle* I done made tiger butter.

Here Fallon, have another brush. Might as well finish the batch. ;)

From:

*careful brushing* I'll just set up a nice pattern then, and you can follow along with breathing or whatever you need.

*slowly breathin' in an' out, purrin' almos come natural nah, *drowsin' tigah Jay-purrin'tiuhd Jay...*

*eyes half-closed-sleepy-purr...* :) <3...

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Yeah, I'm falling asleep too. Sleep tight, you. Time for me to go to bed.

From:

*yawn, stretch*...fuh...fell asleep heah. xd Ya sleep goodt?

*gently noses empty bowl* Huh...

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> *yawn, stretch*...fuh...fell asleep heah. xd Ya sleep goodt? <<

I did sleep well! I'm actually not tired today, and I was exhausted yesterday after all the running around town we did, so this is a very good thing. :D

>> *gently noses empty bowl* Huh... <<

Gah, don't lick that, it has chocolate scum from last night's cocoa. :P Let me get you a clean one. I'm sure the kitchen will have daytime tea or more cocoa or whatever.

From:

Glad ya ain't tired, an' sleep were good. :d

...any kinda mellow tea work right now. Still feel weihd about last night-still feel like dat ain' me. *sighs*

...Sho that were OK?

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> ...any kinda mellow tea work right now.<<

Mellow, hmm, there's peppermint, or green tea with ginseng, or raspberry leaf if you like the flavor of green without caffeine.

>> Still feel weihd about last night-still feel like dat ain' me. *sighs* <<

Maybe a side of you that you don't see often, but still you. It's okay to feel weird about it though.

>> ...Sho that were OK? <<

I'm sure. Anytime you need it.

From:

Da green tea...wit a li'l pepperment. Gunna be up late tonight 'specially sincde we doin' roleplay wid people In WA state, and it atartin' soon.

Yeah...ain't used ta dis side of me bein' seen like dis, an' it's still takin' me time to realiz it really be Okay...lik really.

:) <3

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Da green tea...wit a li'l pepperment. <<

Coming right up.

>> Gunna be up late tonight 'specially sincde we doin' roleplay wid people In WA state, and it atartin' soon. <<

Have fun!

>> Yeah...ain't used ta dis side of me bein' seen like dis, an' it's still takin' me time to realiz it really be Okay...lik really. <<

It takes as long as it takes. You will get used to it eventually, if you spend time around more accepting people. It may feel weird for a while, but it should ease up the pressure inside, and that'll help you feel better in general.

From:

Coming right up.

Oh yeah *shifts human and leans on body pillow, moe in the mood to be snuggled against if she wants. :) I'ma need a cup dis time. :)

Have fun!

Mrr, pro'ly gunna let Fallon do dat. Gunna be de one writin' hheah fo da most part, but D&D's more huh, ain't really me yet. Like watchin' people go fo the dice, but the thang get too slow sometimes. Think I'd like it bettah in puhson, not over text an' shit...who know doe. Ain't got a gamin' group we know of close to be findin' dat outan' shit.

It takes as long as it takes. You will get used to it eventually, if you spend time around more accepting people. It may feel weird for a while, but it
should ease up the pressure inside, and that'll help you feel better in general.

It already do. Thank ya-fo dis. Befoe I came here, couldn't sleep, was at a family party. Had to go when all this be comin' on, but theah was music an' shit an' all of us were talkin' an' jus hangin'. Were fun. :)

-Jay~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Oh yeah *shifts human and leans on body pillow, moe in the mood to be snuggled against if she wants. :) I'ma need a cup dis time. :) <<

*snuggles* *offers teacup*

>>Mrr, pro'ly gunna let Fallon do dat. Gunna be de one writin' hheah fo da most part, but D&D's more huh, ain't really me yet. Like watchin' people go fo the dice, but the thang get too slow sometimes. Think I'd like it bettah in puhson, not over text an' shit...who know doe. Ain't got a gamin' group we know of close to be findin' dat outan' shit.<<

I enjoy roleplaying in person, but I'm really into computer-assisted gaming.

>>It already do. Thank ya-fo dis. <<

Welcome. I'm glad it helped.

>>Befoe I came here, couldn't sleep, was at a family party. Had to go when all this be comin' on, but theah was music an' shit an' all of us were talkin' an' jus hangin'. Were fun. :) <<

That sounds good too.

From:

*snuggles* *offers teacup*

*leans head on shoulder drinkin' tea* :)

I enjoy roleplaying in person, but I'm really into computer-assisted gaming.

Ya'd like dis then I bet. We do it on Skype 'cause AIM went away. ::action marks is eithathis:: o *some use dis*... an {{OOC is dis{{ an' we jus role dice for da shit we want wi'da modifiers. Ai't thinkin' I need do moe than dat since ya kinda know what the rest of it is.

We playin half-winged elf Druid dis time 'round instead o'usual bard. It kinda fun to switch us up puhspectives an' figur Fallon's brain on dat. :d

That sounds good too.

Was. Wid da big family we got theah's usually one on a night so all of us can jus kinda hang aroun' and chill wid people we ain't seen yet. Good way keep connected too.

There lotta good food, too. Family can freakin' cook they butts off. :d

Edited (edited to make kid friendly ;p) Date: 2018-01-20 03:41 am (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Bah, DW ate part of my replay. I meant that I prefer face-to-face roleplaying.

From:

Ha, had that happen to us, too. Ain't fun when it do that.

-Jay~

From:

*chuckle* I done made tiger butter.

Here Fallon, have another brush. Might as well finish the batch. ;)

:)

*brushes in time with Ysabet's pattern, sometimes going in opposits to make point an counterpoint.

He's gunna be out like a light in less than five. Del and I do this all the time. :) It's either me or Jasmine on the other side of del, and this'll usually put him out in fifteen minutes tops. ... migt be longer today, but. *said quietly so as not to wake half-asleep tiger*

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Well, I stayed awake long enough for that, at least. *yawn* Time for me to head to bed. Night all.

From:

Like ugly on an ape.
*gigglesnort*...yeah, I figured. It's a good thing I'ma be right behind you. None in the family's gunna stand for that shit. If they do, Rose'll be all on their ass, too.

We're a very heart-on-sleeve family-and he's stil getting used to that.

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Well, that kind of openness is daunting when you're not used to it. Most folks get used to it. He just needs the option of backing off a bit sometimes when he gets overloaded.

From:

Which he gets...most days.

He must feel safe here, like he said. Outside of family, you and DD's places (Which he didn't mention) are litterally the only places he feels like he can actually fall apart in, for the most part except for here inthe house, obvs) and not feel like he'll be judged for it. He'll probably need reassuring later that this was OK once he figures out what the hell he did.

Or maybe he won't, it depends on the day, actually, and the people.

*reaches out to run fingers down Jay's side from sholder down* *gentle hum with smile in it* <3 Jay. Still here, Love.

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Which he gets...most days.<<

Aww.

>> He must feel safe here, like he said.<<

That's good.

>> Outside of family, you and DD's places (Which he didn't mention) are litterally the only places he feels like he can actually fall apart in, for the most part except for here inthe house, obvs) and not feel like he'll be judged for it.<<

Yeah, the wider society is not very welcoming. And then they wonder why so many people are anxious and unhealthy. Well, duh.

>> He'll probably need reassuring later that this was OK once he figures out what the hell he did.<<

Totally okay. People often need confirmation afterwards, if they're not used to having safe emotional space.

From:

Yeah, the wider society is not very welcoming. And then they wonder why so many people are anxious and unhealthy. Well, duh.

Yeah. So much is caught up in money these days it's insane. I didn't realize how much of that was the case until I started trying to be an independent contractor, and the doctor said it was a good thing that they're going toard licensing of massage therapists, not just certification )Whatever the difference was; I never can relly know, to me it's all the same, really). So...yeah there's that.

Totally okay. People often need confirmation afterwards, if they're not used to having safe emotional space.

He's getting there, but he's not quite there yet. Cassie and I give him what he needs ad do most of the rest of the family who know (And those who don't are kicked out so those who do can), but he's still got a long way to go.

I had no idea until recently that moving was this hard on the poor man. :(

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> I didn't realize how much of that was the case until I started trying to be an independent contractor, and the doctor said it was a good thing that they're going toard licensing of massage therapists, not just certification )Whatever the difference was; I never can relly know, to me it's all the same, really). <<

They probably want to ban it altogether for everyone who lacks a license, which will destroy massage the way they largely destroyed midwifery. It keeps the cash cows from escaping the pen.

From:

Yeah...that's what it .looks like. I'd have to look at the IPLA site but that's what's happening with most states I think.

Ug...:/ To me that's another tep in taking out rungs. I mean, like you said somethings need a specialization-medical massage does I would think-but the rest? Come on man.

On a sort of related note-even the term 'sexual harrassment' is new. I was hering stores from a woman in the sixties where they were playing around in the office and...well, they wouldn't be ablt to getaway with half the stuff she talked about today. It's just nuts how much freer society was back then.

-Fallon~

From:

"Yeah it done helped a lot."

What Jay said. Pretty much all of it. With the ex gone, we don't get much cuddle time in meatspace anymore. Hell the last cuddle we had was with the very dear friend who brought us out to OVFF and that was over...shit, that was back in October. Even the clan doesn't cuddle much due to surcumstance-probably because they're still not sure what we're all comfortable with, and it was the first week after a situation, but still.

I'm realizing that hair brushing descriptions and petting help a bit too, especially detailed descriptions. I feel like i'm tehere.

I didn't startfinding this out until I was reading DD's story from the other day and Touching Moments. ...also "A Care-ful Conversation" Even thoug it wasn't 'touch' persay, just the companionship there mad me go all gooey.

-Fallon+~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> With the ex gone, we don't get much cuddle time in meatspace anymore. <<

Losing cuddle time sucks. Getting rid of the ex was necessary though.

>> Hell the last cuddle we had was with the very dear friend who brought us out to OVFF and that was over...shit, that was back in October. <<

Ouch. That is not a good situation. :(

>> Even the clan doesn't cuddle much due to surcumstance-probably because they're still not sure what we're all comfortable with, and it was the first week after a situation, but still.<<

Yeah, it's good to be cautious after an upheaval.

>>I'm realizing that hair brushing descriptions and petting help a bit too, especially detailed descriptions. I feel like i'm tehere.<<

Same here, the detail helps.

>> I didn't startfinding this out until I was reading DD's story from the other day and Touching Moments. ...also "A Care-ful Conversation" Even thoug it wasn't 'touch' persay, just the companionship there mad me go all gooey.<<

Best. Boss. Evar. :D Joshua was touching Pips some, just not as much as massage. *chuckle* Or we really would have had a puddle of Pips. He goes down so easy.

;) We should totally set Heron on Pips. I bet Heron is good enough to work in near-dark, and with dim lighting, Pips can take off his glasses and really relax. And then we'll have another vicarious bodywork scene.

From:

It is. Although I now wish I'd've said something sooner. They did givea hugs or cuddles when I asked though. That helped a lot. As did doing Yule/Solstice stuff with them.

Like I said somewhere else, I seriously think they're the reason I don't have serious issues with PTSD right now.

";) We should totally set Heron on Pips. I bet Heron is good enough to work in near-dark, and with dim lighting, Pips can take off his glasses and really
relax. And then we'll have another vicarious bodywork scene."

Yes! Complete with Pips' favorite scented oils...xd

That would be so much fun to read!

-Fallon~

Edited (additions) Date: 2018-01-19 06:39 am (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Based on previous scenes with Heron, he stocks unscented massage oil and a selection of essential oils, which can be added to the carrier or put on a diffuser or whatever.

From:

I thought that was the case, but I couldn't remember clearly. :) Good to know!

-F~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> It is. Although I now wish I'd've said something sooner. They did givea hugs or cuddles when I asked though. That helped a lot. As did doing Yule/Solstice stuff with them. <<

Sometimes it just takes a little time to be ready for that.

>>Like I said somewhere else, I seriously think they're the reason I don't have serious issues with PTSD right now.<<

Family support for the win!

>> Yes! Complete with Pips' favorite scented oils...xd <<

Hmm ... oakmoss, patchouli, dragon's blood, peppermint, blue chamomile ... that's a fascinating range.

From:

Sometimes it just takes a little time to be ready for that.

It does. I'm glad I have people willing to give it-and then push where it's needed. :)

Family support for the win!

Extreme win. :) Especially since I ended up being pretty much on my own for Christmas day itself.

Hmm ... oakmoss, patchouli, dragon's blood, peppermint, blue chamomile ... that's a fascinating range.

Oooh so many fun combinations! :d :d :d

-Fallon~

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Yeah, thinking about those oils a little further, I bet Pips has a taste for our house blend of lavender and dragon's blood. The aromatherapist thought it was nuts, because those two oils do opposite things. But that turns it into a buffer -- whether you're too high or too low in energy, it shifts you toward moderation. This blend has a small but extremely devoted following. :D

From:

Oh...o.o I'll need to remember that. We sometimes have those days, especially when there at lots of people around the frontspace.

I'll bet he would, too. :)

-Fallon~

From:

alexseanchai

There's also. I want to participate but I am not entirely sure of the social rules—as

ng_moomoth describes, the rules are different here—and the rules I have internalized say red light. (Some of those rules are bullshit. But I don't know which ones.)

That would apply even more strongly with physical contact than with virtual contact. Like I don't know that I'd offer to hug, for instance,

alatefeline in meatspace. I don't know as I could. Red light. But we virtually hug all the time.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Some of those rules are bullshit. But I don't know which ones.<<

At least in here, you can ask. People will talk about what they want or don't want to do. We've also talked about things that people learned growing up, and whether those were reasonable or not.

From:

alexseanchai

Intellectually: knew this.

Emotionally?

(Thanks for explicitly saying)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

You're welcome. I like to encourage communication.

From:

after finishing her cookie, pokes around for a little before deciding to wander outside. The lawn tent looks inviting but it has been cold where she is in meatspace and the idea of a hot tub sounds more enticing.

If you come along the path to the bathing area, you will find a whiteboard that says "nude bathing, company welcome" in graceful handwriting.

Edited (For grammar) Date: 2018-01-18 03:17 pm (UTC)

From: (Anonymous)

Someone squish me I'm a ball of nerveeeeeeeeessssss!!!!!!! *FLAILS FLAILS flaps FLAILS*

From:

ng_moonmoth

*squish*

Would you like something more intense? Like being wrapped up in a blanket, plain or weighted? Plus having someone lying partially or totally on top of you?

Or not.

From: (Anonymous)

Please PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE squish me

From:

ng_moonmoth

Sure! *disappears for a bit, comes back with a body pillow, a largeish stuffie, and a few other odds and ends*

*unzips body pillow cover and pulls the pillow out*

Care to jump in? There ought to be enough room for you in there. The stuffie will join you if you'd like, and I've also brought pillows and blankets for padding. After you're in, I can zip it up to your neck if you'd like. Here's a scarf you can wrap around your neck for protection from the zipper.

Once you're set up, whether face-up or face-down, I'll sprawl out on top for squish and hug you tight. Six, who's been exchanging touch with me upthread, might come over. If they do, they can work on my back at the same time.

How well does this work for you? Anything you'd like different?

From: (Anonymous)

Eeeeehhh.....no, too much like a bad thing, don't zip me in anywhere.I'm already fighting with body AH! *rolls up in big fluffy blanket with the big stuffy until only head is out and body is lying on top of stuffy* there should be enough fluffy blanket to pad you, but you can put the pillow on me if not. ..

If someone wants to put firm finger NO NAILS pressure on my scalp and neck and shoulders while I get squished Reese

(IRL is hard when you have to adult and work while body freaks out and all your nerves go berserk and you can hear and feel and smell and taste all the things and you can't stim hard enough for it to stop.....today man.)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> If someone wants to put firm finger NO NAILS pressure on my scalp and neck and shoulders while I get squished Reese <<

I can rub shoulders.

>> (IRL is hard when you have to adult and work while body freaks out and all your nerves go berserk and you can hear and feel and smell and taste all the things and you can't stim hard enough for it to stop.....today man.) <<

That sucks. :(

From: (Anonymous)

Body IRL still not happy, shower hothothot water and fuzzy blanket and heavy heating pads and reading about dialecticdreamer brushing my hair.....and trying not to panic. Because body WILL calm down. It will.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

It will calm down eventually. Bodies usually do. That still sucks in the meantime, though. :(

Can we do more to help?

From: (Anonymous)

Describe things with pressure and grounding...my body literally feels like it 'is buzzing and fraying apart, everything is light and staticky and separate and jittery and ITCHY FEELS LIKE IT WON'T COME BACK TOGETHER....it will, my skin and muscles are still in one piece, but my nerves haven't caught on that they are part of one being and they don't all have to scream about everything they sense

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I can certainly do grounding. I set up the cuddle room with the same automatic features as my house has. So lying down, put both palms on the floor and think about grounding. The energy will shift to help you ground.

For pressure, how about squeezing parts of your body in order to help them connect? Like skin-brushing, but with deep pressure. This is your right hand. This is your right forearm. And then when we're done with that, do the allover squishing again.

From: (Anonymous)

I wish somone was here IRL to squish for real... this is when I miss old house most, I used to be able to go into the basement and squash myself between the dryer stack and the wall

From:

ng_moonmoth

OK, won't zip OK, won't zip you in then.

*sprawls out on blanket roll and wraps arms around it*

OK, I'm on top of you with my head on one side of yours. *SQUISH* *invites Six to start in on the back*

You can use that squish to squeeze out all the nerves, wherever it wants to go -- the surroundings, the stuffie, me -- just like wringing the dirt out of a sponge you've used.

ysabetwordsmith has indicated the surroundings can take care of themselves, I'm taking care of the stuffie, and Six is taking care of me while they help me build up a big pool of relax over here. I won't push it on you, but it's here for you to tap and replace the gunk that's coming out with something clean and nice and comforting.

OK, let's go now, and see if we can relax the crud out of you!

From:

*wanders over*

Hi, anon! ng_moonmoth here paged me in. I'm happy to work on xyr back while you squish, and if you'd like more pressure, I can sit alongside.

From: (Anonymous)

Yes please today my body is NOT HAVING IT!!! I feel like everything is flying apart and everything is jittery and itchy and floating away and Aaaaaaghhjjhtdgw zhdz

From:

*sits beside, making gentle pressure with the outside of one leg and hip*

That's really rough. Here, stay as long as you like.

From: (Anonymous)

Lean firm, when body gets like this it needs pressure to engage the deep nerves and remind it that it is one being. *sigh*

From:

Apologies for my belated reply. *leans firm as requested, and stays put*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*offers cushion* Lie down and I can squish you under this. We've already thrown cushions and body pillows on the floor. There's a fort up too, if you want someone to hole up after being squished.

From: (Anonymous)

*flops in an uncoordinated pile* *FLAILS* please PLEASE squish

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*squish*

From: (Anonymous)

Thanks. ...body's going NUTSO

From:

A group of people enters:
One is a winged man with pointy ears and red hair. His green eyes spot the grooming basket and he pops in several tools for feathered grooming before making more for himself. He grabs the lavender marker: Craimar, he writes, he/him. He grabs a sticker that says 'ask before touching, please.'
On either sidede of him are two more fliers, one of them looks older than Fallon, and people will be able to tell that she is some relation to her. Her nametag says that she is Trausio, she/her. She is a bit more open to hugs than her husbands, so she grabs a sticker that says hugs are welcome; ask befor cuddling, though.
The last is a flier with chestnut hair and brown-colored wings, He is one of the shiest, not having been to one of these before, Kaelaren, he writes. Grabbing a sticker that says 'ask before touching.
The three of them sit in such a way that they can brushe and groom each others hair and wings. The sighs of pleasure and slight purring as they do so makes a soft counterpoint for the next two who follow:

Fallon, most know. She also has red hair and wings that are a pretty veragated brown and red )A combination of her mom and Dah's patterns) and her hair is done up in brades that hug her head like a tiara. She is lothed to take them down-though she longs to have her hair brushed. She grabs a sticker that says 'cuddles are welcome and appreciated.

-US~

Edited (changes and stuff) Date: 2018-01-19 04:11 am (UTC)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I done flopped down close to Jay, but it's good to see the rest of you too. :D

From:

THey all give her smiles and Craimar waves at her.

Good to be here. Weren't quite sure what fallon ment by cuddle party, but now Ah be here I be likin' it. 'specially since we can be all open polyamorous an' al lthat shite.

Kae and Trausio smile.

F: Yea Ysabet! I'ma be wandering for cuddles. You sure you got Jay? I can come over if needed. *a bit worried too*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Good to be here. Weren't quite sure what fallon ment by cuddle party, but now Ah be here I be likin' it. 'specially since we can be all open polyamorous an' al lthat shite.<<

Yep, we are poly-friendly in here.

>>F: Yea Ysabet! I'ma be wandering for cuddles. You sure you got Jay? I can come over if needed. *a bit worried too* <<

Well, he hasn't snuggled up to me yet, but I'm in easy reach and don't aim to leave someone who looks that frazzled.

From:

Yep, we are poly-friendly in here.

The three give a smile, Craimar shifting to run a brush through Kaelaren's slightly tangled hair that he's just pulled from a tail down his back.

Well, he hasn't snuggled up to me yet, but I'm in easy reach and don't aim to leave someone who looks that frazzled.

Fallon glances to Jay, then walks a bit closer, nabbing the orange Jay left, and watching the brushing going on around her.

Yeah...even thoug this move (Potentially) is like now end of fall he's still spooked out about it. I feel badly for the guy right now.

From:

ng_moonmoth

Hi Fallon! Welcome, Trausio and Craimar!

*gives a quick hug to Trausio*
*returns to current squish-in-progress (see downthread)*

Craimar, are you going to be out at Conflikt? Any songs you think you might be able to sing there? Please let me know if there's any way I can help you decide about that.

Once I have a bit of time, if you want to tell me what kind of touch you'd like, I'd be glad to share it with you.

Same for you, Trausio; I'm up for another round of cuddle later if you are. I can find you if you'd like.

From:

Craimar: CDunno yet. I'm tryin' to think what songs I might be in the mood for when I get there. Fallon's probably gunna ont those ain't experienced the con to be up front an shite like, but I may poke me head out for ye. :) *hugs NG, complete wi'gentle wingwrap before steppin' back* I'ma be OK wi'just leanin' on somen for a little. Me loves been havin' a bit o'a interestin' time of it, an' I jus' want tea an' a slight cuddle. :)

T: :d :d :d I'll probably poke my head out some-Need to practice Hope Erie. I'm hoping to get to sing it there since we didn't get around to it at OVFF, but we'll se where the music flow takes us. If it's anything like the last one, I'm not going tor reget *not* singing that. Seeing Jay that engaged in music was a real treat.

I'm going to probably be in the mood for cuddle hug soon enough after I get don grooming Kae's wings. He'll probably want to wander off and do Kaligraphy for people-I keep seeing him eye the craft basket. ;p

-Trausio/Craimar*~

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> I'm tryin' to think what songs I might be in the mood for when I get there. <<

Craimar, I know that feeling well. When I feel like taking a turn, or what I feel like singing when I do, is too often something that falls into place just before I get up. So I go with being ready, and listening for the circle to tell me what to do. Your experience may well be the same.

>> I may poke me head out for ye <<

I can hear the Gaelic in your voice, the way you put that. Does it show up in your speaking voice, too?

I hope there's at least a little bit of time for you there. Stifling a bard is problematic at best.

>> *hugs NG, complete wi'gentle wingwrap before steppin' back* <<

*enjoys the hug, and especially the wingwrap* Oooh, that felt *really* good. Do it again?

>> I'm going to probably be in the mood for cuddle hug soon enough after I get don grooming Kae's wings. <<

Trausio, great! I'm still here if we get a chance.

>> He'll probably want to wander off and do Kaligraphy <<

That spelling gets me thinking he'll write out something that will invoke the Hindu goddess and her aid in helping people liberate their spirits from the prisons of their flesh. Wouldn't that be something?

From:

I can hear the Gaelic in your voice, the way you put that. Does it show up in your speaking voice, too?

Oh aye, all the damn time. :) One good thin' about the body is tha' it can do Irish well. Bad thin' is most of us Irish folk sound bloody similar. An' it can't do Scott accent well, they sound irish.

*enjoys the hug, and especially the wingwrap* Oooh, that felt *really* good. Do it again?

Maybe if I be getin' a chance while there. Better in person like. :d

Trausio, great! I'm still here if we get a chance.

:)

That spelling gets me thinking he'll write out something that will invoke the Hindu goddess and her aid in helping people liberate their spirits from the
prisons of their flesh. Wouldn't that be something?

...

Ha, not hardly. Maybe theire creative assets, but the only ones he liberates are those who deserve it, and it's hardly ever pleasant. Definitely not something for little eyes. :d

Most often these days he uses his penmenship for heeling. He'll do other work with it, but most often it's 'hey, this one's fair game, have at him/her/thon/xir." You still don't want to piss him off. There's a reason he's called The Brown, or The Brown Pen. He's...rather quite scary when pissed.

-~*C/T*~

From:

ng_moonmoth

>> Maybe if I be getin' a chance while there. Better in person like. :d <<

Craimar, it's a deal! We'll see if we get a chance.

>> You still don't want to piss him off. There's a reason he's called The Brown, or The Brown Pen. He's...rather quite scary when pissed. <<

Thanks for the info. I'll aim to stay on his good side.

From:

Weellll...

(IsFallon now, kinda sliding in) I doubt you would do anything that would really piss him off-it takes (A) a lot, and/or (B) very specific cercumstances-which if you meet those, you're pretty much done for so far as most everyone else is concerned anyway, so.

In short: YOu have nothing to worry about. Kae's a big boy; he can talk shit through like anyone else if it's something you're pretty much ignorant about, or didn't know would press a button of his. :d

-Fallon~

From:

ng_moonmoth

OK. Thanks for the reassurance. See you real soon now!

From:

Jay follows looking a bit the worse for weah. His usually well-kept dreds look a bit undone at the ends, and he's a bit nervous. He flickers between young teen and adult with the stress of trying to stay calm with everything that's been going on. He flops beside a bodypillow and buries his face. He's affixed a nametag that says "Jay," and has grabbed a sticker that says 'ask befoe touchin' and would rather not have direct contact right away.

He watches Fallon fine NG_moonmoth, and smiles. It's good to see a friendly face here, and it gets him to relax, if only a li'l.

From:

The foot-long winged dragon, still cuddling with the small humanoid, telepathically whispers "Excuse me— I"m lovin' this, but I think I see someone who needs some help and maybe I can give them some." He flies to the kitchen, where he takes a napkin in his claws and wraps some shortbread and an orange in it. Then, carrying the package in his claws, he flies over to Jay and lands next to him. "Want some snacks?" He unwraps the napkin.

From:

*Jay reaches back for the shortbread, but not the orange-yet-and noms.

dis different than what we made. Like it doe. *nibblenibble* :)

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Jay follows <<

Yay! It's so good to see you again.

>> looking a bit the worse for weah. His usually well-kept dreds look a bit undone at the ends, and he's a bit nervous. <<

*worry worry worry*

>> He flickers between young teen and adult with the stress of trying to stay calm with everything that's been going on. He flops beside a bodypillow and buries his face. He's affixed a nametag that says "Jay," and has grabbed a sticker that says 'ask befoe touchin' and would rather not have direct contact right away.<<

Howsabout I lay down hereabouts, and you can snuggle in closer if or when you feel like it.

And there's shea butter or whatnot in the bathroom if you want to touch up the dreds later. Folks been brushing each other's hair a while now.

From:

Jay unburies his face enough to give Ysabet a smile.

Good to see ya too.
"Howsabout I lay down hereabouts, and you can snuggle in closer if or when you feel like it."

He scoots a bit closer with the pillow so Ysabet can snuggle the other side. Ya can touch mah sholder if ya want. *manages to stay adul.tsized a bit longer because there's someone he done seen befoe heah*

And there's shea butter or whatnot in the bathroom if you want to touch up the dreds later. Folks been brushing each other's hair a while now.

That...that be good for latah. Now...this good fo now.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Jay unburies his face enough to give Ysabet a smile.<<

*smiles back*

>>He scoots a bit closer with the pillow so Ysabet can snuggle the other side. Ya can touch mah sholder if ya want.<<

*snuggles pillow* *rests hand on shoulder*

>> *manages to stay adul.tsized a bit longer because there's someone he done seen befoe heah* <<

Just try not to hold onto one form so hard that you get cramps. Because shift-cramps suuuuuuck.

>>That...that be good for latah. Now...this good fo now.<<

Take all the time you need.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

A large, somewhat jaguar-like big cat pads in, and flomps down near enough to Jay to be companionable without crowding. His rosetted fur is earthy-brown in places, and he seems to have some small plants growing from him. His purr is a deep, warm rumble like thunder in the earth. He feels solid and calming, and will smell familiar to anyone who knows the beasts.

The giant cat's ID-sig, which will show itself to anyone who focusses curious attention on him (whether with eyes, ears, or other senses) offers this information in whatever format is most easily understood by the curious one:

"PurrBeast aka K'in, he/him. You welcome to climb on, sleep on, burrow under, snuggle, nuzzle, chew on, stim on, vent physical frustrations on, groom, scritch or pet the Purr Beast. PurrBeast offers nuzzles, hugs, snuggles, grooming, squishes, gentle company or protection if wanted."

The Purr Beast's purr rolls out like a heavy rug, offering comfort while being careful to keep the volume down for smaller company. He emanates a sense of reassurance, patience, and warmth.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*carefully reaches over Jay to skritch PurrBeast*

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

PurrBeast almost-shuts his eyes in a gesture that means both 'hello' and 'thankyou'. He leans minutely into the touch, still purring.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*eye-kisses back*

From:

Jay sends a silent acknowledgement to the PurrBeast remembering his scent from the danceparty they had long time back.

He's too curled up around the body pillow to do much more than that at the moment.

Anyone noticing will hear the steady rise of sobs as he finally lets everything out.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*gently rubs shoulder* *puts kleenex box within reach*

From:

*makes liberal use of Kleenex*

*leans into rubbings* Such a damn cat. *lol*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*pet pet pet* There is nothing wrong with being a cat. Not everyone has to be an ape.

From:

Gimme min. Gunna go all cat.

*tigershift*

In tiger form, the dreds is stripes down mah back. Ends look like little spots when they ain'g done right. If dreds is all spotty ya know it bad.

Only been like that twice. Keep pettin? It nice. Like you. *purr*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Gimme min. Gunna go all cat. <<

Go for it. *lifts hands*

>> In tiger form, the dreds is stripes down mah back. <<

Aww! :D

>> Ends look like little spots when they ain'g done right. If dreds is all spotty ya know it bad. <<

:(

>> Only been like that twice. Keep pettin? It nice. Like you. *purr* <<

*digs fingers into thick tiger fur* *pet pet pet*

Let me know if you want brushed, we got a whole basket of grooming tools. Got my hair done earlier, still up in a crown braid. Oughta get me some of them little silver snowflakes to stick in it.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

The Purr Beast sends back a warm feeling of support and care, and leans over to lay his huge head down nearer to Jay. He purrs long and deep and regular, in and out. Somehow, the purring seems to wrap around the sound of Jay's sobs like an encouragement, an approval and an acknowledgement of everything that's just been too much lately. Purrbeast's rolling rumbly purrs rock Jay as he lets it all out at last, just calmly being here with him.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*enjoys purring*

From:

*styill makin' use of Kleenex, Jay is grateful fur purrs and comfort. Makes things a little less ... has no word now...nervousseeming an' shit I guess*
Stomach hurt from all cryin's. Dunno...how to be feelin jus now*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> *styill makin' use of Kleenex, Jay is grateful fur purrs and comfort. Makes things a little less ... has no word now...nervousseeming an' shit I guess* <<

Purring has a profound soothing effect on mind and body.

>> Stomach hurt from all cryin's.<<

Aww ... there's chamomile for tea in the kitchen. I could bring in some ginger shortbread.

>> Dunno...how to be feelin jus now* <<

Wrung out like a dishrag? Emotionally complex response?

From:

Aww ... there's chamomile for tea in the kitchen. I could bring in some ginger shortbread.

Tea jus? Dunno if I keep solid yet.

Wrung out like a dishrag? Emotionally complex response?

Yeah. Kinda shivery. Why say stomach feel weihd. 'cause jus do.

*cries a little again* d-dammit. can-can't stop. :(

...

Outside o fam, only place...feel wanted...an' fam is big. Feel...good here. Don't...wanna...leave. Glad...*sniff*...dun have to...

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Tea jus? Dunno if I keep solid yet.<<

Here. You want this in a cup or a bowl? It's warm, not hot. Sip it slow.

>> Yeah. Kinda shivery. Why say stomach feel weihd. 'cause jus do. <<

Because stress chemicals build up in your body and mess up your digestion. Not fun.

Sometimes it helps to take slow, deep breaths or have someone do long body strokes for you. Connects the jumbled pieces.

I just about always get a bellyache if I cry for long, or an argument runs long. Builds up acid, for me, and I need bread or something to sop it up. :/

>> *cries a little again* d-dammit. can-can't stop. :( <<

*pet pet pet* That's okay. You're not going to cork up a flood after just a few minutes. It'll run out when it's done, is all.

>> Outside o fam, only place...feel wanted...an' fam is big. Feel...good here.<<

I'm glad you feel welcome. I wish you had more of a support network though.

>> Don't...wanna...leave. Glad...*sniff*...dun have to... <<

Stay as long as you like, party's going strong tonight. :D

From:

Bowl...fo now. Maybe when I human cup 'gain.
Because stress chemicals build up in your body and mess up your digestion. Not fun.

Sometimes it helps to take slow, deep breaths or have someone do long body strokes for you. Connects the jumbled pieces.

I just about always get a bellyache if I cry for long, or an argument runs long. Builds up acid, for me, and I need bread or something to sop it up.
:/

>> *cries a little again* d-dammit. can-can't stop. :( <<

*pet pet pet* That's okay. You're not going to cork up a flood after just a few minutes. It'll run out when it's done, is all.

Ain't...been like dis since...dunno. Like...since we had to go Brian-out-doh. Dat...part like me dah. Bad...bad. Glad...can jus be...like... *flops wordless*

I'm glad you feel welcome. I wish you had more of a support network though.

Physically, me, too. Out theah...can be theah wi'peeps. Jus...not so much where body feel. Whishin'...same time move make me feel all wrong, but people's right. Wanna-dun wana. all weihd feelin's dat way like.

Stay as long as you like, party's going strong tonight. :D

...*somethin' like half-purr half...rumble-noise of 'relief'...g-good. *sprawl wid tea*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>>Bowl...fo now. Maybe when I human cup 'gain.<<

Bowl it is, then.

>> Ain't...been like dis since...dunno. Like...since we had to go Brian-out-doh. Dat...part like me dah. Bad...bad. <<

*more petting*

>> Glad...can jus be...like... *flops wordless* <<

I'm a poet, bro, I deal in the wordless all the time.

>> Physically, me, too. Out theah...can be theah wi'peeps. Jus...not so much where body feel. <<

Yeah, that's hard.

>> Whishin'...same time move make me feel all wrong, but people's right. Wanna-dun wana. all weihd feelin's dat way like.<<

Moving often comes with mixed feelings. It sucks, but you'll get through it.

From:

Yeah, that's hard.

Want...miss baby. Miss errybody. Wish could help moe.

Moving often comes with mixed feelings. It sucks, but you'll get through it.
Ya...dis...thank ya again...feels weihd to be...all like dis. Still.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Just hold onto the fact you been doing this a while now, and ain't nobody fussed about it.

From:

Nobody fussin's nice. Holdin' on to dat.

Jus be glad I can see peoples I know. Ya, K'in...Fallon...think I kin see Trausio'n'em somewheahs doin' stuffs. Good place...

Goodpeoples... :) <3

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

Purr Beast agrees with Ysabet about crying and things that help. He's very glad Jay's here, and wants to stay keep Jay company long as Jay likes. Thinks prolly Jay got more bits of crying to do, now and then. Thinks that's okay.

PurrBeast just stays purring, a soothing sound and a warm and steady presence, sturdy and comforting.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

You have got me kneading these cushions with my toes.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

PurrBeast's purr rolls over itself briefly, a deep warm bubbling of sound that might be what happens when he chuckles while he's purring. He smiles with his ears and his eyes, and tilts his head in Ysabet's direction in a friendly manner, purring for Ysabet especially now.

Purrbeast recognises you for not-a-mortal, don't feel the need to hold back so much with you. The deep rolling rumble unfurls a little more than previously, it resonates down in the bones of the earth like the motion of magma bubbling up in the deeps. Like ancient tectonic plates forming, unforming, reforming as the world is born. And still the sound is smooth and steady, in and out, in and out, deep and slow.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> He smiles with his ears and his eyes, and tilts his head in Ysabet's direction in a friendly manner, purring for Ysabet especially now.<<

*smiles back* *reaches foot around to pet PurrBeast too*

>> Purrbeast recognises you for not-a-mortal, don't feel the need to hold back so much with you. <<

Ah, you clocked me. :D *flicks a sound baffle over Jay*

>> The deep rolling rumble unfurls a little more than previously, it resonates down in the bones of the earth like the motion of magma bubbling up in the deeps. Like ancient tectonic plates forming, unforming, reforming as the world is born. And still the sound is smooth and steady, in and out, in and out, deep and slow.<<

*bask* *murrrrr*

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

>> *smiles back* *reaches foot around to pet PurrBeast too* <<

Purrbeast rumbles deep and happy, leaning appreciatively towards you.

>> Ah, you clocked me. :D <<

Purrbeast grins with his ears. He sends a thought that seems to be made more of feelings and images than anything. it shows a dancing collage of many different lives in different worlds and times and bodies and shapes, all woven together with glowing strands of knowledge, wisdom, music, storytelling, teaching, guiding. He dips his head in a slow arc, his big-cat-body version of a nod of acknowledgement and respect.

>> *flicks a sound baffle over Jay* <<

Purrbeast thanks you. He struggled how to communicate that through this brain into wordslanguage - the shift and flow of energies as he purrs for different people, and how it makes spaces in between minds where only that person can hear all of it, unless someone else comes seeking, chooses to tune in. Sound baffle, good words. K'in's sound-baffles are automatic, more or less. And... something, he doesn't know how to word that either. Multidirectional? Multiple different purrs, different levels for different people, at the same time. But he hadn't managed to convey that in the comment, and he thanks Ysabet very much for making sure Jay was safe and covered. <3

>> *bask* *murrrrr* <<

PurrBeast near-shuts his eyes happily, and keeps purring his deep, world-sized purr for you. The slow, powerful thunder of the primordial beast-cat flows back and forth like the tides of time, a purr for planets, eons. It's like listening to the world turn.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

:D You-all are gonna put me to sleep.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

K'in grins again, sends a thought that sounds like: "Good. Bards work hard. Need care too." The thought is accompanied by a picture of a cheeky face, then followed by the more serious feeling that he can pause and come back later if you're doing something time-sensitive and essential that can't be delegated.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

:D Just got up, and I had a good night's sleep.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

O u O awesome!

hehe yeah, when you didn't reply K'in figured you'd probably managed to go to sleep and was very happy. so he stuck around here for another eight hours after that just lazing around and purring to see if he could help you sleep well, and to make sure there was someone here if needed. he'd actually only just gone to bed about when you commented that you got up! :D

which suits us just fine because it was actually only a couple hours later than we would've gone to bed anyway, and our sleep schedule is highly mobile because that's what suits our body. ^_^

we're really glad you slept well! ^_^ <3

From:

ysabetwordsmith

I signed off in a couple other comments, didn't make the whole round though. Thanks for the purring. That may very well have helped! :D Usually after a busy day, I'm more tired the next, and I'm fine today. Tomorrow's busy again.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

yeah, there's no need to sign off with us (though you're welcome to). we always just go with the flow and don't worry about whether we hear from people or not. we move in the kinds of circles where people have low energy and low social capacity, with the added complication of body-sharing where someone just might not be able to be around for months or years or whatever. so we're very relaxed about that sort of thing, people come and go and they might or might not say anything, and that's okay. when we hear from someone it's a bonus. ^_^

we're all really happy to hear you're better-rested than usual, especially with another busy day coming up tomorrow. K'in is pleased he was (possibly) able to help, but more than that he's very happy you got the rest you needed and feel fine today! :D he sends purrs and an optional headbomp of affection.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Yay! *pet pet pet*

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

PurrBeast purrs slow and steady, calm and reassuring. He sends the thought that it's okay not to know how to feel. He will be here with Jay in whatever is right now, even if that's an uncertain mish-mash of emotions, or none feelings at all, and Jay can just be Jay.

PurrBeast thinks if Jay can find something warm to put on his stomach, that might help with the hurting. Mostly he just stays close, keeping Jay company, gentle rumbles of care and comfort rolling in and out like the tide.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

We have grain packs and such that can be microwaved. And there's cold ones in the freezer in case anyone needs to cool off a hot face, or soothe muscle aches that way.

From:

Tea helpin. Wahm come latah.

K'in get intermitint purr from Jay 'cause Jay ain't don cryin' yet.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

K'in is happy the tea's helping. He likes Jay's intermittint purrs, and welcomes the crying too. K'in the Purr Beast respects Jay a lot for being hear, and doing what he need to do.

K'ins own slow, deep rumbles mingle with Jay's purrs and cryin's, weaving them together so that both the sounds belong. Slow and steady, purrr-purrr.

From:

Jay asks K'in to quiet purr slightly, bit overwhelmed. Jus...keep goin' jus lower volume...Jay likes K'in for being around, glad for his company still. Jus kinda nervous about doin' too much an' bein'...too much for ones.

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

K'in's purring quiets down to a gentle, soft sound. Just lightly there, in the background. K'in sends a small apology, sometimes it's hard for him to judge how loud he sounds to smaller people. He stays calmly nearby, relaxed and happy, purring quiet ad regular.

From:

Jay relax some. Thank k'in for quiet. Usually loud OK. Not today. Is drinking teabowl wid gentle lickin's. Like tea.

but...

Hot cocoa wid whipped cream and 'shmellows? Likes when stressed like dis. an' maybe now some cookies. Feels stomach's settled 'nuff now. Like's cookies, too.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Hot cocoa wid whipped cream and 'shmellows? Likes when stressed like dis. an' maybe now some cookies. Feels stomach's settled 'nuff now. Like's cookies, too.<<

Coming right up. They're made with real mallow, which is another digestive herb.

From:

Coming right up. They're made with real mallow, which is another digestive herb.

Ain't nevah had mallow. What taste like?

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Sort of creamy and mellow, softer than modern gelatin marshmallows. It melts in your mouth and helps coat a sore throat or upset tummy.

From:

Mmm...*noms mallow cookies* dese is good...

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

K'in is glad Jay said when he needed quiet. And glad Jay has more tasty treats to help now too. He purrs soft and gentle, just quietly near.

From: (Anonymous)

*calms a little* purrs are niiiiiiiicccccceeeee *doesn't move from being squished*

From:

beasts_of_homeworld

The Purr Beast purrs deep and slow and regular, in and out like waves on the shore. He mentally offers to squish you as well if you need someone huge and heavy to put a giant foreleg over you or even lay on you carefully, but otherwise is happy to just remain nearby and purr for you.

From:

ng_moonmoth

*smiles back*

I'm busy over in another corner of the room right now, squishing the excess nerves out of an anon who showed up late, with some help from our host and Six. If you're ready for some touch once I'm done with that, I'd love to come over and share whatever you're up to. I've got my body pillow along, case you feel like ya wanna squeeze that from both sides same time.

From:

Yeah, that actually be OK now. :) Been cuddlin' our host for a bit now after I done let shit jus all go. :) Now I'ma be up for some sort of snuggle-cuddle from both sides even it just be a hug an' shtuff.

Been havin' a bit of tea off an' on, too. 'sbeen nice heah.

Fallon an' Craimah say ya gunna be at Conflikt. it'll be good to see ya again theah. :)

-JJay~

From:

ng_moonmoth

OK, ready to help make a Jay sandwich whenever you'd like.

Hoping I get a chance to say hello at Conflikt.

From:

:) :)

To me? Moe dan likely. 'spite da fact Fallon ont da ones ain't experienced it fuhst I doubt she gunna mind us comin' 'round since ya done said hi before an' one of those acknowlidgin us real good an' shtuff.

I'ma just lean back an' watch reast of dis shtuff play outt. Been a good last couple days, an' I'm glad for that. We needin' it rit the eff now. :d

-Jay~

From:

bunnylane74

Tank top shirts defeated expression and.. trigger warning. Not dealing well with crappy emotions and a crappy day with a side of crap trust issues with the man that may be cheating on me. I think I hate today.

From: (Anonymous)

Pull up some couch or some cushions or some floor, we have snacks! What would you like to do?

From:

bunnylane74

Don't know I've never been to any sort of cuddle party. Plops on a cushion

From: (Anonymous)

*flops near you*

From:

bunnylane74

*shuffles over.. and curls up with.* Is better. *nods*

From: (Anonymous)

*CUDDLE* we can sit here cozy like as long as you need

From: (Anonymous)

Thank you *snuggles up and shares a fuzzy blanket*

From:

ysabetwordsmith

>> Tank top shirts defeated expression and.. trigger warning. Not dealing well with crappy emotions and a crappy day <<

Want hugs? Fuzzy blanket? Chocolate chip cookies? *checks tray* *crumbs* Well, we still have those bowls that make whatever food you want ...

>> with a side of crap trust issues with the man that may be cheating on me. I think I hate today. <<

That sucks. :(

From: (Anonymous)

Settled in with a ?cuddlebuddy??, conisders and nods to fuzzy blanket and cookies. I miss cookies irl. sighs. Cuddle party good.

From:

ysabetwordsmith

*fuzzy blanket* *cookies*

I'm glad I could help a little.

From: (Anonymous)

It's definitely comforting. I think Cuddle parties are awesome. *curls up in fuzzy blanket.. hair fuzzing up from the fuzzy blanket until the bride of Frankenstein do starts to appear.

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