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A week in the desert, away from his troupe and the stresses they created, has done Twilight a world of good. He's returned with a fresh mindset, and hasn't planned the vicious murder of his dancing partners more than once. The week has also given him time to sound out more stories about sand worms, since Walks Without Rhythm had been so oddly fixated on them, and he had invited the fellow to come find him. It was only polite, in Twilight's mind, that he entertain his eventual guest with something he knows the other is interested in.

He's so focused that he's taken by surprise when his dimmer (of mind, not coat) partner approaches him.

Acid Etched is not a dumb buck, despite whatever thoughts the singing Acha might think. He plays the bumbling fool, to be sure, but he's really quite observant, and whatever is on Twilight's mind since that trip he went on has had the smaller male so distracted that even Ice is getting concerned. And for Ice to voice those concerns to Acid means he's pretty much freaked out. But Ice is not one to talk about things other than dancing or telling Twilight how to improve his singing.

So Acid elects himself--not that there's really much choice, it's only the three bucks and Twilight's psychotic little fennec, who can't talk and only tries to bite Acid--to ask the Acha, "What, by the name of the Mother, is wrong with you recently?"

Twilight grimaces a bit, then sighs and tells his partner the gist of his meeting with the sand-colored buck with blazing eyes. "And I invited him to bring his mate and family and see us and stay with us for a bit and I'd just like to have everything ready, thank you! Have you and Ice been practicing the new dances I showed you?"

Twilight whirls when he hears the rough voice calling his name. "Wondrous! You're here. I was just explaining to my partner here that I had invited you and yours to come visit." He bows to the smaller golden female behind Slide, and speaks his welcome. "Good day, miss. My name is A Hidden Twilight, though please feel free to call me Twilight. My bright-coated friend here is Acid Etched, one of a pair of brothers who are the dancers in our little troupe." He kicks a small hoof out into the green buck's leg, silently commanding him to introduce himself.

"'lo, I'm Acid. I dance, like what the short one said. My brother's around here somewhere, probably trying to perfect some bit of the routine again. Nice to meet ya, dudes!" Okay. The buck is kind of intimidating with those eyes. They're, like, hot blue, the burning blue that looks all chill but hurts when you get close. And the doe, well, she's not as scary as her dad, but there's like, this air that says "Don't go there, bro."

Which means Acid promptly goes there. "So, what's your name, pretty lady?"

Acid only grins at the pretty doe, and lifts his hoof in a manner suggesting carelessness, though the beginning of his words are clipped and mocking. "'Practice makes perfect,' s'what my brother always says, and we practice enough that if we aren't perfect, we're like, really close, y'know?" He demonstrates a quick little step, hooves lifting and bouncing from the mud with barely any splashing, and the slop never reaches his ankle, despite the movement. He flourishes again--Acid likes the flourishes, he thinks they give an air of style to the steps, but Ice is so finicky about things that Acid is reduced to flourishing at random times, despite the utter ridiculousness--and winks at the doe. "S' a nice name, Many Voices." His grin takes a more flirtacious edge, despite his quiet wariness of her father.

It's as Acid is finishing his impromptu performance that Ice clears the trees around their clearing, intending to speak with Twilight about the song they're to perform for some mystery visitor. He stops briefly to consider his brother's step and unseeing of their guests, calls out to the brighter buck. "You've finally got that down, then? It's about time, Acid. How are you coming with the rest of the choreography?" His brow is arched, though the pitch black of his coat makes it difficult to tell as he turns to question Twilight, "About that song, the one you brought back from the sands. Are you certain the phrasing is right? It seems rather--" His words are cut off as he notices their guests. "Oh. Hello."

It's rare that Ice is thrown off his groove, but to be confronted with this almost-eagerness to see their troupe perform is not something he's used to. Many of the Swamp's denizens see the little group as a band of nutters, really, rather like whimsical children to be indulged but never taken seriously. "Oh, yes, of course. I'm Impenetrable Ice," he answers both golden Kimeti with blinking eyes. "Please allow us a few moments to set up." He nudges his brother--Acid is still staring rather obviously at the doe, leering, really--and says with fond exasperation, "Let's go set up. Twilight, are you ready to sing?" It's an unnecessary question, as there's never a moment the dainty Acha is not ready to sing at the drop of a leaf or splash of a fish.

The arrival of Ice snaps Twilight from his silence, and he clears his throat, smiling winningly at Slide and Many Voices. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. There are moss patches all over, if you'd like to rest on one. We'll be ready momentarily." Twilight nearly dashes through Ice in his rush to get to the mark he's made where he will begin his song while the brothers dance.

Acid only fidgets a bit under the hot blue gaze he would swear is singeing his coat, his own bright yellow eyes widening as he turns a--hopefully--benign smile on the elder buck and moves back with Ice to prep for their dance.

Ice, having seen the little interaction and knowing his brother, only snorts and whispers, "If you want the doe, don't antagonize her father. And for Swamp's sake, stop leering. Now, mark." Ice taps his hoof, and the duo is off, swaying gently and hooves flashing and throats humming; Twilight raises his lighter voice and starts the song of the sand worms, ravenous beasts grown massive under the desert sands, waiting for an unwary Acha to wander through and be swallowed.

After the first verse, the Kimeti brothers are moving and twisting around each other, sinuous like snakes as their hooves form a heavy, thumping rhythm in the grassy, muddy clearing. Ice lends his deeper tones to Twilight's soaring ones, and Acid raises up, tall and bright to circle carefully on his hind legs, forelegs snapping like those of a doomed Acha under the unforgiving desert dun.

Twilight's voice is bashful as he answers the query. "Well, yes. We don't really have songs about the sandworms, so I took one of the stories and crafted a melody for it, changed some of the phrasing and such." For an Acha of great pride, Twilight is amazing modest when Many Voices praises him, and her father reacts rather more exuberantly.

Ice isn't sure, but he thinks this new friend of their Acha's may have broken him; it's the most humble he's ever seen the buck.

Acid, panting, just grins at everyone. "Good, huh? That's high praise indeed, lovely Many Voices."

"I'd love to hear them," Twilight assured him, tail swiping high over his back in delight. "I'd love to be able to craft more songs to spread around the swamp. Mostly we do Kimeti favorites, with interpretations. I've been meaning to find a Kiokote to ask about their stories, as well."

Acid's eyes dim a bit as the pretty doe hides behind her father, and his shoulders droop. She'd seemed amenable to his flirting, but maybe she isn't interested. He turns to Ice with a plea for help in his face, and Ice sighs. "Stop coming on so heavy. Especially in front of her father," the night-coated brother hisses. "It has been very nice meeting you," Ice calls to their guests, "and I look forward to speaking with you in the future. Please excuse me, though, as I've dances to work on." With a minimal bow to his audience, and a sharp nudge to his brother, Ice departs the clearing. He offers a quick wish to the Swampmother that Acid gets his demented flirting under control and doesn't incite either doe or father into murder, deserved as it may be.