[@BrokenPromise] Dina squinted ever so slightly, her ears and tails twitching at the events unfolding before her. In her short time serving the lesser force known as Dan, she had grown wiser to the pseudo dolphin’s words. When he insisted on solving a situation… Well, it was like giving a chainsaw to a kid. It could solve the situation, or make it go horribly. Seeing as the cluster headache receded somewhat, it might have been the first case, but she could not bank entirely on that. She had to promptly cut short a peaceful interaction with one of the most hostile factions towards monster girls for a reason. The ticking timebomb that was Oros and Penny interacting. She didn’t get much of the details… but if she really wanted the Sanctuary be a safe place, she really did need to reduce the number of enemies. Strength was fine, that was the reason why she had recruited that bird-brained valkyrie girl, but a smooth talk could go some ways. Besides, she wanted to ask Oros about why she had chosen to reveal a Dan tool at this moment… while serving under another master. Without much mediation, she thanked the Yeti and dismissed him so he could be with his family, before taking fast but elegant strides on the snow towards Oros. Despite looking like a clown, she was fast. She needed to keep her going all over the place. “Miss Oros.” She greeted. Oros slowed her jog to a walk, and then stood still. [color=tomato]“Am I in another collab?”[/color] she growled. [color=tomato]“Shit! How many of these things are you going to sign me up for? it’s not even an event that can make money!”[/color] After screaming at no one, Oros turned to look at Dina. Despite her outburst 2.34 seconds ago, she seemed fine now. [color=tomato]“Oh hi Dina!”[/color] She gave a little wave. [color=tomato]“I was just about to go ice skating. Why do I get the impression you’re not here to join me?”[/color] Dina offered a somewhat incredulous look at Oros, before picking carefully her next words. “As much as I like skating like any northern lady, you are right.” She added. “I was trying to greet some people and get a good rapport, and the next thing I know is Dan *intervention*” She said. “Now you might think, why should I not greet Penny or the others, but I can only extinguish one flame at a time.” She began to sound very tired. “And I lost the cradle girl around somewhere, she did look in more trouble.” “What did really happen?” She asked. Oros laughed. [color=tomato]“Did you get into the ale, Dina? They didn’t lace the trees with catnip, did they?”[/color] The clown folded her arms. [color=tomato]“Yes, Dan did show up just in time to prevent me from putting Penny in her place. But what does this have to do with you greeting Penny? What’s it got to do with you putting out fires? And what cradle girl are you talking about? There’s Mommy Goth, Christmas Tree El, Silly Silly, Baleful Bitty, and short stack Tit-Rad. You can’t just say ‘cradle girl’ and expect me to know what you’re talking about.”[/color] “That’s… not of your concern.” Dina admitted bitterly that she had indulged a little too much. “I meant Eliza.” The cat girl elaborated further. “Could you just try… and not be the main star of the show for a while? I already got my hands full, and that bird-brained new vassal is not helping either, what with bringing Odin here.” [color=tomato]“I don’t really like long talks, but fine. If you’re going to be all passive aggressive about it, might as well drag this out. ”[/color] Oros bit one of her fingers. [color=tomato]“This might shock you, but I was content to just get hit by snowballs for a while. I did want things between El and I to work out. But this is Penrose, and magical girls can’t go ten seconds without indulging their fetishes. Turns out Baby is into bondage or some shit. So once she tied up El, I pulled out the big guns.”[/color] Oros waved around her remote. [color=tomato]“Now this upset Baby, who demanded that I apologize. I didn’t really care, but at this point El’s mood had been totally soured, and she wasn’t even up for a keijo match with all of us. It was a pretty shitty situation, wasn’t it? My date had been ruined, and the person who did it was demanding that I apologize.”[/color] The clown let out a slow exhale. [color=tomato]“But I kind of connected with Baby, you know? She’s lewd, I’m lewd, so I figured she’d enjoy a kiss of the french variety. But I guess she was Benny’s girl, so her robot girlfriend jolt countered me without jolting or even countering me. Quite impressive. I didn’t even retaliate before Dan showed up. But that was probably because I wasn’t in that collab. I mean I was and I wasn’t. Like the collab happened at me, but-”[/color] Oros sighed. [color=tomato]“Yea, I’m really going to need the grand magistrate to explain that one, because I can’t fuckin’ do it.”[/color] With a huff, she looked back at Dina. [color=tomato]“So yea, Baby and Benny set out to ruin my date, succeeded, and then I was told on two different occasions to apologize for what I had done. So you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t presently have any empathy for the shit you’re going through, because I’m fresh out of fucks to give.”[/color] She narrowed her eyes. [color=tomato]“Metaphorical ones, at least.”[/color] Dina’s gaze kept staring at Oros during the tirade about the whole thing. Yes, it did seem like something that would have made Dan flail around in panic. She exhaled for a second, before eyeing Oros. “I see... I take Eliza was your date, then.” She added, before averting her gaze. She was having second thoughts. Or third thoughts. “Children, all of them. Including that rude manling I ordered to be launched at the ice rink.” She paused. “Well then, I will try to make it up to you. Your date was Eliza, correct? Do you need some assistance to set her up in a quiet place so nobody else can disturb the both of you?” [color=tomato]“El is her own woman. If she had any use for me, she would have stuck around. This isn’t the first time she walked out on me anyway.”[/color] Oros looked at her wrist, then back at Dina. [color=tomato]“You done? You made it sound like you were really busy or some shit just a few minutes ago.”[/color] “I’m just tired.” Dina confessed. “This party has been more of a chore than a party.” She paused. “I was in the middle of trying to not make Beacon even more insane. You showed me how this can end, and it’s not pretty.” Her ears twitched. She couldn’t believe what she was thinking. “An eye for an eye.” She said. “A date for a date. I could escort you for the remainder of the evening, for all the troubles… my colleagues have caused. Even if Penny won’t like it.” [color=tomato]“Well now, Pissing off Penny and walking around with a breadboard does sound like a fantastic evening.”[/color] She rubbed her chin with a devious smile. [color=tomato]“Then again, I kind of like having my bachelor status.”[/color] After staring off in thought for a bit, the corners of Oros’s lips dropped. [color=tomato]“You know Dina, this would be a [i]lot[/i] easier if you just explained why you felt like you personally had to make up for the shiftiness of three other people you’re just vaguely related to.”[/color] “One of them is my Queen, the other of them is my Patron, and clearly my counselling has failed. I’m the Regent of Penrose and one of Dan’s girls. A vassal has to make up for the lord’s shortcomings.” Dina said. “I’m also in my cups, no one has tried to approach me, that idiot Sann is bothering everyone, there’s a norse god and an abomination in the party and Dan is dimmer than a candle made of ink. I need an outlet.” [color=tomato]“Yea, you do sound like you need an out.”[/color] Oros tapped her foot. [color=tomato]“In that case, sure, maybe later.”[/color] Oros continued to walk towards the ice skating destination. [color=tomato]“Once I wrap up the other activities, I’ll swing by the feasting hall and we can play a few rounds of Keijo.”[/color] She waved to Dina before walking away. [color=tomato]“Wear a two-piece, please.”[/color] “I...don’t mesh well with Keijo. I sent your other self into the concrete benches.” Dina admitted. “But I shall comply.” She added. “For the sake … of happiness, I guess.” She said, before taking her own way out of the racing goal. She’d want to avoid the skating rink, and probably keep an eye out on Sann and Beacon.