xp_logs | Alani & Darcy

xp_darcy posting in

(Backdated) While helping prep for Holi, Alani and Darcy work on balloon methodology and have a talk about hugging.

"So, it's dust in a balloon, right? That's right?" Alani looked rather quizzically at Darcy as she tried, again, to funnel some of the colorful powder into an uninflated balloon. “I have to be doing this wrong, but my brain, Darcy, you’re my only hope. Unless you have a YouTube tutorial? Or... wait, how are yours going, actually?”

She craned her neck to peek at what Darcy had gotten to while she’d been so busy covering her hands in colors.

"Practice helps," Darcy remarked with a chuckle, neatly setting aside the balloon she'd just filled. "Funnels and a steady hand, too." She rolled a second bottle to Alani with a wink. "It's a little time wasting, funneling sand into that and then back into the balloons, but I can hold it steady and control the flow of the sand easier than I can holding the bags or using something larger. The time it takes to refill and wipe clean between colors is time I'm not spending cleaning up a big mess of wasted sand. Try it out, see if it helps."

She laid out another row of balloons, sliding the small funnel into the first one. "The YouTube tutorials for these are pretty bad. They all assume you're using that magic balloon gadget that fills dozens of balloons with water at once, not doing any sort of pre-prep where the sand and water are added separately."

"Ahhh, I see, and that's where I think I've gotten it into my head that I should have water. But that would be no good and I personally would not feel good getting straight up water dye on people." Alani was watching Darcy's work with interest, before picking up the bottle. She had to admit it made a lot more sense than trying to get sand from the bag into the funnel then into the balloon through said funnel.

Of course it helped, and, yes, maybe she cheered a little, dropping her voice to give a very poor impression of a crowd cheering. "Darcy, you are a genius and I owe you much for this. And other things, but mostly this right now." After a beat, she looked back up and flashed a smile. "Really, though, I think this is the first time we've really hung out and I realized you've actually helped me a fair bit when I needed it or had questions, so thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied with an easy smile. Hold, funnel, pour, set aside, repeat. Her brain recited the steps as she talked, attention split between words and actions. "I enjoy helping out, whether form that takes. Usually answering a question, cooking, providing a little bit of comfort with some hugs or whatever. And you seem pretty easy to get along with, so it's not even a stress to help you out." She winked at Alani, voice dropping to something a bit more conspiratorial. "Some people get very huffy about the idea of needing help, and then I have to get creative to provide it."

"I can see that, with the people here," Alani admitted, grinning again as she looked back down to continue funneling. It was easy to fall into the habit of doing things with her hands while she talked, or thought when the situation called for it, but funneling the sand into a balloon was easier with the added control. "That is... very sweet of you to say, I like to imagine I'm an easy person to get on with. And this place could use a little physical comfort, whether that's good food or some nice hugs. Just some nice things, to go with all the... shit." And sure, not everything was entirely shit, but it was a good generalization. "I am not too proud to admit that I definitely miss touching people. Not the most touch happy crowd here."

"Yeah, it's an adjustment if you come out of a more touch-friendly environment," Darcy agreed. "I'm generally game for hugs and platonic cuddling. Clint, Doug, and Terry are good to ask, and they give great hugs." She paused for a moment, thinking while she switched colors and grabbed another set of balloons. "Matt also gives fantastic hugs, but sometimes he's a little no-touchy with people he's less close with. If he does say no, he won't be a jerk about it. Absolutely worth the ask, any of them. And fair warning, once we finish up here and wash hands I'm going to give you the biggest bear hug possible if you want one."

"Clint's gonna be my kinda boss in Excalibur is my understanding, so I think that makes Matt my secondary boss... if that logic follows, but this is all good to know!" Alani never stopped grinning, though it turned a tad more amused as she weighed then quickly dismissed asking either of her bosses-to-be for a hug or physical touch of any form. Setting aside another filled balloon, she checked the bottle of sand before continuing. "I would never push anyone to be my level of physical affection, but I would gladly accept it without any argument. Meaning, I would very much love a nice bear hug. And I would return it with all my heart."

"Professional norms are a little less rigid on the teams... I mean okay, I can't speak for the X-Men, but Excalibur and X-Force... the professional norms definitely get bent when you're living with people and working or fighting with them, so asking for a hug isn't really that big of a deal. Just, y'know. Ask first and use your brains about the when." Darcy finished the last balloon in her row and sat back, body language relaxed. "Granted, I was friends with Clint before I came here, mostly because of Jane and Thor and ugh SWORD and SHIELD. And I kinda appointed myself lab boss because I needed something to do and at the time Clint and Reed needed people that made them eat and sleep. So I didn't stop demanding hugs just because he became my boss or had a girlfriend, and the same went for Matt once we were friendly enough for him to say yes. But if you need that separation, whether it's just until you get settled into the team or forever, then I'm still available. My partners know I'm a gigantic cuddleslut and don't mind."

She looked over the mostly depleted bottles of sand and the rows of balloons. "I think we've probably got more than enough to make Topaz happy. What's your opinion on cleaning up and getting that bear hug, and then I can find something for us to eat?"

"Alright, I guess that all checks out. I’ll see how it goes and comfort levels, I mean I don’t know how long I’ll even be with Excalibur, but if everything else in my life goes like I’ve planned I’ll be in New York for at least the next seven, maybe eight years,” Alani mused lightly, head cocking to the side as she made a mental note to update her ‘Asgard?’ file to include Darcy and Clint and the government agencies that were acronyms and she should probably know more about. “I’ve forgotten that other people forget to eat because of duties and work living with Sooraya and trying to set a better example for my students, so big ‘good on ya’ for wrangling those scientists. They seem nice enough. I mean, I can’t really judge Clint by his arrival shock of me setting library rules while everything was topsy-turvy last year.” And she refused to, though that seemed a little silly to say.

Brushing her colorful hands against her jeans, her grin was toothier for a moment as she got to her her feet. “I think you and I will be great friends, Darcy, but you best be careful or I’m gonna fall in love with you. Clean, hug, food it is. You feeling anything particularly? I’ll eat about anything.”