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Odette melted with Eostre's kiss, tense muscles relaxing. It happened so quickly, and she felt upset that there wasn't more. She desperately wanted to give her another kiss, but held back, feeling like such a move would be out of turn. Instead, she pulled away, giggling through closed lips. She smiled radiantly, pulling back the hair that had fallen onto her face during the kiss.

Eostre's request made her bloodpusher jump. "Yes, yes of course!" Odette said, jumping at the chance, "That'd be wonder—" Odette stopped short as another voice entered the conversation, one that she was very familiar with. She flinched, looking up at the source of the voice, disappointed to find that her assumption was correct.

Tamiya looked incredibly strange, dressed in Sinter's clothes. She wouldn't go so far to say she looked bad in them. Sinter was a very well-dressed troll, after all, and Odette did have an appreciation for fashion. But the move was so unlike her, as plain as the red on her vest. Why would she don a redblood's clothes during the middle of bloodiest? Was she trying to get her to let her guard down? Was she trying impress her? Just what was her motive? Odette stared her down as she talked, trying to piece the puzzle together.

Odette's eyes snapped back to Tamiya's when the word "flushed" hit her auricular sponge clots. She looked over at the wheel, which redeemed her words as true. The other girls were preoccupied with new guests, it seemed certain that Tamiya wasn't up to any tricks. Still, Odette couldn't help but feel like someone had rigged the wheel against her. She looked back to Tamiya, who looked increasingly nervous. Odette's eyes only widened as she kept talking, requesting her presence for comestibles. A date? A bit of bile built up in Odette's neck as she struggled to keep herself composed.

Tamiya pitied her. Everything made sense, and the truth came crashing down on Odette like a heavy weight. She was so desperate, how could she have never seen it before? In Chittentown, when they reunited... And later, when she had rescued her from the caves... Odette had pinned the strange behavior as indigoblood irregularities, but in actuality it was a desperate flushcrush. She felt disgusted, furious, and sick to her bile sack, desperately wishing she could string together the words to tell Tamiya how she felt about her.

She held her breath, trying to think of a way out that wouldn't garner negative attention to her booth. Then she remembered, she didn't need to invent anything to get out of this. She exhaled and composed herself, blush draining from her face.

"What a shame," Odette said, looking up at Tamiya with a fake pout. "You're a moment too late. I was in the middle of making plans with Miss Diazzi," She gestured toward the blueblood. Odette thanked her stars that Eostre had shown up when she did, otherwise she would have been in a very dangerous situation. She turned back to Tamiya, a little smirk peeking out from the corners of her lips. "Sincerest apologies," Odette offered, wishing they could end their interaction at that.

But she was obligated to continue by the rules of the booth. Tamiya was requesting a kiss, and she had rightfully won it. Even if someone had rigged the wheel, fair was fair— and she wasn't going to misbehave in front of Eostre. "And as for your prize..." She said, gripping the edge of the booth. She leaned closer, tilting her head to Tamiya. "Well?" She asked impatiently, eyelashes fluttering contemptuously. She wanted this to be over with already.

Eostre was about to react to the joy of her redblooded companion when a new troll entered the scene. At first glance she appeared to be a redblood, but her face was painted with the religious markings of a much higher-blooded troll. She sorta looked like the juggalo from the mirthful messiahs booth she'd tried to dunk earlier. But if she was an indigoblood, why was she wearing lowblood clothing...? Eostre narrowed her eyes for a moment, and crossed her arms, quietly observing.

Odette seemingly knew the troll, but... it didn't look like she wanted to be anywhere near her. Eostre smiled pleasantly when Odette spoke again, giving a tiny shrug as if in apology for stealing the lithe redblood's attention from the newcomer beforehand. She had no idea who she was, but if she was a highblood it would at least do well for Eostre to offer some pleasantries. Like a farewell wave when the mystery troll left after quickly kissing Odette's cheek as well.

Eostre waited a moment until the other troll was nearly out of sight, before stepping closer to Odette and dropping her vapid smile. "Who was that?" she said, a bit sharper than she intended. She didn't mean to sound like an interrogator, but she was a bit annoyed with the interruption. She lowered her voice and tried again.

"I mean, she seemed a bit... strange." That's a nice vague word. Eostre glanced in the direction the troll had left in, before looking back at Odette. "And you know her. She wasn't bothering you, was she?"

Kimbley Kitty

Odette watched Tamiya leave, careful not to touch her cheek, which felt like it was burning intensely after Tamiya had left her kiss. She wanted to feel tough for driving Tamiya away, maybe even proud. But instead she felt gross and weak. She had emotionally brought Tamiya to her knees, and Odette still couldn't feel like she had won. When would she ever feel free from this torment?

Odette flinched at Eostre's question, thrown out of her thoughts. "Oh, that's... That's Tamiya," Odette replied, rubbing the back of her neck. She looked at her bare feet, digging them into the ground. "We have a bad history. Or, at least I have a bad history with her." Odette paused, trying to keep herself composed. It was hard to believe that she was in the same city that she lost her lusus. The same city where Tamiya killed her. And she was here, kissing strangers and trying to have a good time. Odette rubbed her arm nervously, looking to the side.

"She brought me a lot of pain, a long time ago," She vaguely tried to explain the situation to Eostre. "She doesn't really understand what she did. So I just... Try to stay away." Odette's eyes darted up to Eostre's and she blushed, looking away again. "I'm sorry, I trailed off, didn't I?" She said, playing with her hair. "I'd rather talk about you, how have you been?" Odette moved her hand to reach out and touch Eostre's hand, but quickly retracted it in embarrassment.

Eostre listened quietly, her arms crossed. Tamiya, huh? She'd have to remember in case she met her again. Odette was purposely vague, but it was probably for the best. She pursed her lips still, curious as to what it was that occurred between the two. Bloodfest wasn't really the place to get an emotional conversation in, however. It was for fun and games, and flirting. Which was what she was trying to do.

She dropped her arms and smiled. "If you insist," she said, folding her fingers together. "I've been well. I can't say I've done anything particularly interesting lately. Just the normal stuff the Queen makes everyone do, you know? But I'm enjoying Bloodfest..." She had been in all the government-mandated events, usually tied down babysitting her tiny moirail. Or the greenblood kid who wasn't a kid anymore. But those weren't very fun or lighthearted to talk about, what with being wars and full of gross dead things. She leaned towards Odette again, thinking about how much fun she's had at her booth. With her. She blushed at her own thoughts, and looked back at Odette. "Especially now."

She cleared her throat, ready to get the conversation back to where she was headed before Tamiya came. "Bloodfest will be over soon, so perhaps I could interest you in coming with me to Four Fronds for a bit. I've been thinking, you know, with all the crazy stuff going on lately that it would be fun," she started, trailing her hand up Odette's arm lazily. "Like we could go to a spa or go shopping. Something relaxing! A day out, just the two of us."

Kimbley Kitty