Wait Up, Will You? [Caroline]

In an incredibly fast motion Caroline had freed herself from Lelianna's grasp. The hermit had to blink for a second. Wow she was quick! Rather than be hurt by the reflex, she was more amazed. "Wow, ah...Wow you react fast." Seriously that was impressive. But also warranted since Lelianna had grabbed her out of no where. Yet Caroline was still apologizing. "O-Oh! W-Well I was the one who grabbed you so, ah, sorry."

But then she'd dissolved into a red mess of burning cheeks and scarlet flowers. Though she could still hear, and what she did brought her some relief. So it hadn't been what anyone said. She'd just been shy. Which honestly the redhead could understand. Especially seeing as she was the most awkward little thing in social situations ever. "Oh w-well I'm glad you're-"

Before she could really say anything else her voice halted as Caroline came closer. There really wasn't much other color to the flowers in her hair other than the different shades of red and occasional orange. Yes, she was exceptionally red. And while Caroline pointed this out, the druid felt herself turning even redder as the voice of her bird magi friend once again echoed in her head. Dangit Cadence! However she felt pretty frozen at that moment to even move. The best she could manage was averting her eyes from the cyborg. And when she talked about something else, the hermit latched onto it.

"O-Oh! We're a-at the meadow. They've got music." As though that weren't obvious enough. Still, it was far easier to point out their surroundings than focus on why she was blushing. Plus, hearing the upbeat music was actually helping her. "You can go out to the floor and dance! I was actually here earlier when you went to the temple." And met a Loooooooot of others surprisingly. Finally a smile started to grow on her face. Though there was still a bit of red in her cheeks (and her flowers), it was hard for her not to smile a tad from the music. She was still energetic after all, and it was starting to come back. "It's really nice. Oh! Would you want to dance?" She even pointed out to the dance floor, where a few other magi were dancing. Plus some kids who were just doing whatever they wanted basically.

No no no, let's not focus on Lelianna's so called 'beautiful" hair that seemed to be getting redder and redder the longer Caroline spent observing it. Heavens at this rate she really might end up fainting.

But yes the dancing was a good thing to focus on. The little jigs the children were doing managed to pull amusement out of Lelianna despite her embarrassment. They really didn't care what they looked like, did they? it was adorable really, and the magi found herself smiling warmly in no time at all. Which meant she turned that expression towards Caroline when the cyborg spoke up.

"Hey I don't think I would be either." The hermit confessed with a little shrug of her shoulders. the red in her cheeks was dwindling away gradually. Green eyes turned back towards the dancing kids and she didn't hold back a laugh this time. "Besides, from the looks of it I don't think anyone would care how good we are. Look at those guys! They're enjoying themselves and I've seen better from Skjorn!" Which was saying something since she was the one who often danced with him!

Unconsciously some other colors began to seep into the petals of the flora in Lelianna's hair. Her excitement was building once again, and the words of her feathered friend were fading in the presence of the music nearby. With an elbow she playfully nudged Caroline. "C'mon, let's do it! I mean, I dance with a bear so I really doubt you'd be worse than me." The druid pointed out with a wide smile. "Pleeeeeeease?"

Hey! In response to Caroline's smug look, Lelianna puffed up. "Hey!" She protested, poking the cyborg in the side. She was not delusional! The very fact she'd just admitted that, yes, she did dance with her bear friend was a pretty big thing. Was Lelianna particularly good? Oh heavens no. Did that really matter to her? Especially at this moment?

Nnnnnnnope!

So when Caroline agreed to it, the hermit lit up once more. The flora in her hair once again shifted with her feelings, responding to her excitement by adding a few more colors to it. If only Caroline had been her earlier when the druid had stumbled upon the meadow. Her hair had practically been a kaleidoscope of ever changing patterns when she'd been talking to a certain store owner.

As the music changed to another rather upbeat song, Lelianna laughed and shook her head. Taking Caroline's hand (and fortunately being so re-swept up in her excitement that Caroline had said yes to ignore the question a tiny bird had asked early), the druid led her out to the dancefloor. "Nope! You just...dance!" She explained with a glance back to Caroline before halting somewhere within the mass of dancing people. "Just follow along with the beat! Like those guys!" With her head she indicated the playing/dancing kids of to the side.

"Come on! You'll do fine!" With that Lelianna indeed started to dance. And just to make sure she wasn't alone she even danced with Caroline, taking both of her hands in her own and having the other woman move too. hey she wanted the purplette to be included in this! Because the druid was definitely true to her word. She was not the best dancer out there on the floor, but by gods was she going to enjoy dancing anyways. There was actual music here! Back in the woods she could only imagine it, but here she could actually hear it! So her main focus was just on having fun. And if Caroline actually started to join in she'd let the woman go (unless Caroline held on) and- to quote a certain song- shake her groove thing.

Yep: with Lelianna's renewed energy and her already surprisingly strong (don't judge a book by its cover) physique it wasn't that hard at all to take Caroline's hands in her own and actually move the other girl. And move they did! Though it was kind of adorable to see the constantly questioning look on Caroline's face. In response to a, a near constant grin of happiness was on the druid's face. Even though the other woman was basically limp, the hermit was perfectly happy to keep dancing basically on her own. At least until she could get Caroline into it and teach her some of the steps.

She'd taught a bear after all. Nothing was going to be quite as hard as that.

As the music went on and Lelianna just kept on moving and grooving to the beat, eventually her cyborg friend seemed to be getting it. Immediate the face framed by red locks brightened immensely. If that was honestly even possible. Apparently so, or at least her flowers agreed with it. In a spectacular display even the earth magi didn't know was possible, her hair flora had once again turned into a wild kaleidoscope of ever changing color. Only this time it was actually responding to the beat of the music much like the hermit herself was. Pulses of color thrummed through the petals in perfect time to create something that very well could seem hypnotic- or at least solely out of its peculiarity. It definitely got a few awe-filled gasps and smiles from the children while the druid basically led Caroline in a dance to yet another song.

When Caroline finally started adding feet and hips, her dance partner laughed joyfully. "That's it!" She cheered, her lips curled up into a wide and warm smile of approval. Since it seemed her neighbor wasn't ready to let go just yet, the hermit didn't pull away. However she did start throwing a few move twists and turns; teaching as well as entirely enjoying herself on the dance floor. She'd essentially forgotten all about the other people around them in that moment. All that matter was the sound playing through the air and the woman she just so happened to be dancing with. Heaven knows Lelianna was into it; swaying and moving with a fluidity that only appeared in situations like this.

Because the hermit was definitely not smooth in any other case. An unseen force almost seemed to make sure of that.

This was fun. This was really fun. And it was all because of Caroline. If the cyborg hadn't come with Lelianna to the festival, much of this wouldn't have happened. The maze, the prizes, this dance; none of it would have happened. The magi couldn't even imagine how the night might have been now without the other woman along. It definitely was a special festival this year; even more special than the other ones.

As the songs bled into each other and Lelianna kept on dancing time really didn't seem to matter. Not with the hermit feeling the way she did dancing with her friend. But a break in the tune was what finally brought her back down to earth (ha). This was another new song. A different song. A far, far slower song that did manage to halt her flow a little.

"Oh this is a slow song. You don't bounce as much, you kinda just..." The hermit had to think for a moment. Slow songs were definitely not her forte. Even fast ones weren't exactly her forte. No music was her forte unless you counted the sounds of nature as music. "Flow?" She offered. It sounded correct. Ish. "Slow songs need people to have partners and you've got to really move together. Otherwise you could end up stepping on each other's toes." The hermit explained. Thinking for a moment, the hermit adjusted her stance and how she was holding Caroline's hands. She kind of had to look at some other people dancing from time to time, but eventually she did maneuver Caroline into the "correct" position. Or at least close enough, holding one of Caroline's hands while she put the other on her waist. They were a lot closer now.

"Okay so for these sort of dances you-" Suddenly though the druid broke off. Up until that point she'd been swept along by the beat. Music had given her confidence, and her dancing made her mind continuously move on. But now that she was standing there having to guide and instruct Caroline on slow-dancing (to the best of her abilities at least), her brain was starting to catch up. or at least she was starting to register things. Like oh I don't know...maybe the fact she was pressed up against the other woman as per usual for these sort of dances.



The words of the bird echoed once more. Immediately a flush came to Lelianna's face, infusing it with crimson as she looked at Caroline. "-Uhhhh..." She trailed off instead, abruptly left speechless for a moment.

Close. Really really really close. Holy smokes this was way closer than the hermit had realized!!!

Lelianna's brain had basically short-circuited in that moment. All gears had ground to a halt and her body had frozen on her. Think Lelianna! But alas, she couldn't. Though her mind could help but filter in details even while the hermit had locked up at this proximity. Much like Caroline she too was starting to notice details. And to quote an age old saying she'd somehow heard when she was young: it was almost like there was something there that wasn't there before. She noticed how Caroline's face was pretty much flawless in contrast to her own. The way the corner of her eye crinkled up when she was really smiling. Wow and her eye color was just so...

Wait what?

As if the revelation that she'd basically been staring dumbstruck at her friend wasn't enough, then Caroline had to just look at her with kindhearted concern. Gosh darn it Cadence! In a surge the red spread out from Lelianna's cheeks to overtake her whole complexion and reach the tips of her ears. Her flowers followed suit; the wildly changing colors suddenly got consumed by the color crimson.

Close. Waaaaaaaaay way way too close.

"I-I-I uh, ah, y-you s-see I-" All the words came out in a stammer. Honestly it was a miracle any sounds other than high pitched squeaks were leaving the redhead currently. In that instant more than anything she wished she could run like Caroline had. But it was kind of hard to do that when she was still basically in the other woman's embr- Oh god they were so close why did this happen.

"I-I'm fine!" It sounded more like a yelp than anything. Look away! Look away you dolt! Green eyes slid away from the sole purple one's gaze. "I just- I, um, I... not so... dancing... slow? Uhhhhh..." Was that even a coherent string of...whatever came out of her mouth?