Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » Trick or Treat: Rina'n'Ria's Host Club

Outside of a wide road, there's a leaf-strewn yard with a path going up to a house. The house is sort of large, sort of round, sort of square. It has plenty of corners, long walls, and wide, uniform windows with wooden edges and curtains on the inside. The walls are made of stone, and the large, cute, chimneyed roof is wooden and shingled. The chimney puffs out a faint bit of smoke, but other than that, the house remains still. Some leaves ruffle on the lawn, and some bushes rustle. The Jack-o'-lanterns next to the path twinkle, and the pinkish hue of light from within the whimsical house looks inviting. There's a blue robin's-egg patterned plant pot on the small porch area. Steps lead down from it. The air smells like marshmallows, suddenly.
A dark-haired girl emerges from behind the house, brushing twigs from a long, puffy skirt. She wears practical boots and has her hair neatly pushed back, with only a few curls falling to the front. You get the feeling that she doesn't dress like this often.
She smiles when she sees you, looking slightly surprised, and speaks.
"Hello, lovely traveler! Care to come in for a short while? Rest your weary self! Uh... You can have a cup of tea? Do you like tea?" The dark-haired girl raises her eyebrows, and then holds up both her hands. An illusion, like a hazy mirage, pops up there- a cup of tea, steaming hot and the color perfectly balanced with milk. "Ah... I'm Rina, and welcome to our Host Club!" the cup of tea disappears, and the girl- Rina -bows.
From the door of the house behind her, a creaking sound emerges, followed by a head. There's a puff of bright golden brown hair, hanging down next to the face, and a pair of unimpressed-looking eyes. Then the girl grins. "Hello there. My name is Ria. Weary traveler- oh, you already heard that bit, right? Ha ha ha. Well, would you like to come in? It's a little chilly out, isn't it? It's a little gloomy, huh? Not that there is anything wrong with that. I like all kinds of weather. But still, it's a holiday, so would you care for some punch? Some confections? We'll totally pamper you. You know? Please do, come in if you like." Ria smiles, her eyes twinkling, and opens the door of the house.
Would you like to walk up the Jack-o'-lantern lined walkway, into places unknown?

Clip clop clip clop - The stocky young centaur adventurer trots down the cobble path, her hooves clattering on the stones. Her pony body is wrapped in pink tulle, and her legs criss-crossed in shiny satin ribbon. A crown of ribbons and fabric flowers sit - a bit too jauntily - atop her head.

She can't help it - she is high-stepping and side-stepping in this getup, feeling even more "dancey" than usual.

The invitation from the two girls brings a huge grin to her face. "Absolutely I'd like to be pampered -- but will I fit?"

Rina smiled a small, embarrassed smile at the joke- or perhaps a serious question-and nodded.
Ria smiled a little bit of a wider, toothier grin and answered, "Indeed you will! The doorway's enhanced. Plenty of room for all! So please do, dear traveller, come in!" Holding her arm out as a guide, if her guest wanted one, she began to lead her carefully up to the house. "I love your flowers. Did you pick them yourself? Oh, I'm so sorry if I'm asking too many questions, I tend to do that to people, but how would you prefer to be referred to? Please wipe your hooves on the mat, it's a little muddy out."

Within the house there was a dressed table, a stove, a fire behind a grate, and a great deal of cute plush pillows. There were also chairs and a chaise longue.

The tablecloth was a sturdy lacey white one, with a very faint flower pattern on the edges. There were several teacups on a tray... Silver, white, and pink-purple-flower-patterned, with a shine to them. The stove had a merrily-whistling teakettle on it, and there was a flowered china teapot nearby. The cups matched it, and they were obviously from the same set.
There was a plate of cookies next to a jug of coffee upon the counter.
In the corner, a sink dripped a little bit at the faucet... The faint tinny thud of it was a surprisingly soothing noise against the crackle of the fire and the shrill of the kettle.

Cavalia jovially threaded her arm through the other girls', her grin getting even more wide when she is asked if she picked her own flowers. "Sure, you could say that! They're actually made of cloth, but I did fashion them myself... Real flowers bruise and wilt too easily when you're galloping around, you know?"

She paused to wipe her front hooves on the mat, and then clopped forward a few steps to wipe her back hooves. Trotting inside, she selects the flower pattern tea cup for herself; it matches her costume, after all, and wastes no time in cramming one of the cookies into her mouth. "Thanks!"

Ria smiled at the equestrian woman, and asked "Would you prefer tea or coffee? We have both. They're both fresh-made, although I have to say the tea will be slightly fresher. Haha. Uh, we also have cream and honey to put in them... And we have tarts as well, if you want something a little more solid to put in your belly." She smiled.

"Now, dear guest of ours, you may be seated- ah..." Ria looked around, biting her lip. Rina had dashed over to the other side of the kitchen to remove the kettle from the burner, and was turning off the tap.

"Well, let me see. We have a lovely chaise longue here, if you'd like, or there are some soft rugs in the next room if you'd prefer... Or would you rather stand...?" Ria was a little perturbed, but went on blithely past the befuddlement.

"Oh, of course, we have cushions as well. Do you like cushions? I love them, personally... Even Rina likes them. Her favorite is the one with the-"

"Demon-face," Rina supplied.

"-cute little sheep on it. See, with the horns. Ha ha!"

Rina rolled her eyes in a well-practiced move, and went to the other room.
Ria arranged the table, and poured a drink for their guest.
"By the way, we have some, well I guess you could call them spa supplies? It's sort of like a manicure, I suppose, but we also have lotions and things, and a hair mist. Do those are definitely an option to refresh yourself with, if you feel tired after your tea*."

Rina returned from the other room with a small square basket filled with lotions, mist bottles, and a round box of some sort. Also, strangely, a wad of knitting.

"Oh, there are the things now!" Ria smiled like a beam of sunshine as her friend crossed the room, to another counter that was pretty much empty until Rina set the basket on top of it.
"But of course, you don't have to use them if you don't want to." Ria added.
"Of course not," interjected Rina, solemnly. "If you prefer a different experience, there's always sitting in front of the fire while I knit, and Ria can play her harpsichord. Or my ocarina. Or her -"

"Okay, that's enough," Ria said hastily. "The point is there are plenty of things to do. Whatever you're game for!" She patted the centaur's hand.

(She means the whole meal as tea, not just whatever beverage you happened to pick. Don't worry, you're not being forced into any drinks here.)

Cavalia shifted a little, glancing around at the offered seats and soft things. The "demon" sheep drew a soft laugh from her.

"This is sort of what I meant about 'Will I fit,'" she mused, gesturing around herself. "If it won't make you feel like a bad host, I'd prefer to stand. To stand with a coffee in my hand! But... what is a 'hair mist'? That sounds... it sounds awful."

"Aw, it's not that there's not enough room," Ria said, "I just wasn't thinking about furniture. Sorry! But please do make yourself comfortable." Ria coughed a little, and then gestured to the basket. "Ermm... Hair mist... It's like. Let's see."
Rina spoke up, "It's a rejuvenating blend of oils and mineral water, designed to give freshness and bounce to hair. Your locks can shine, and you can feel divine. MistingSpray Hairmist."
....
"Did you just... Read the package? Well! Anyway! If that sounds gross, you can just sit and paint your fingernails with us if you like. I mean, we can paint them. Mine are already polished."

She waved a glossy-nailed hand.

"Or, we can paint! I love paint! Oh, or there are these great candies we have over here, we can... Eat them... Oh, that sounds boring. I'm so sorry, lovely! Actually, there is something nice that you might like. Rina! The ribbons, can you get them?"

Rina nodded professionally, and bounced away, returning with what appeared to be a hatbox. "Your ribbons, milady," she said, mysteriously, while taking the lid off of the box in a way that almost completely destroyed the mystery.

"It's got ribbons and bangles," said Ria, finishing it. "I thought we could show you the different ones and you could pick one out."

Cavalia blinks. "OH! A mist FOR hair, not a mist made OF hair. That sounds much, much better. Yes, I'll try some of that!" She gestures back at her horse body. "I've got quite a lot of hair, as you can see..."

As the ribbons are presented, she grins, stomping a hoof. "Yes! Can you braid a pink ribbon into my tail? It'd go wonderfully with my costume, but it's a little hard for me to reach."

Ria smiled with great delight, and Rina smiled a bigger smile.

Rina retrieved the mist and a small, soft brush, and carefully approached. "I'll do my best not to get it in your eyes, if you want it in your, ah, lovely mane here," she smiled, "but shall we begin with your tail?"

She tossed Ria a comb, and the girl sat down quite comfortably on the ground, and with both hands gently held the centaur's tail. "So, I'm going to begin from the top," she said at a volume just high enough to hear. "I'll make a loop, here, with the ribbon, and then when I braid this section of hair here, I can route the ribbon under it..." she did so, the bright pink swirling dramatically between the dark hairs. "Do you want just one braid? I think it would be more comfortable to have just one, but it's not my tail. Rina, can I have that spray?"

She gently misted the tail, the soft sound diffusing in the room, and she combed top to bottom from where she'd already braided.
She smiled at the first few strands of thick braid. It looked good so far!

Cavalia munched on a tart as her tail was worked on, craning her neck to try and see more of what was being done back there. "Oh yes, just one braid. Is this your business? I mean, do you do this spa thing year round? Or did I just get incredibly lucky?"

She did her best to hold very still, not swishing her tail or dancing on her hooves as the grooming was underway.

"Okay!" Ria chirped. "No, not really- I cook, mostly, and do some design, and yes I manage this sort of thing sometimes, but mostly just the cooking and a bit of sewing...."
"And I do other work." Rina said with a devilish grin. "I'm in training to be a hero."
Ria hummed a little as she braided the hair and ribbon, and Rina misted gently.

Finishing the braid rapidly, Ria smiled, gave a pat, and stood. She brushed herself off a little, and shook Cavalia's hand. "Thank you ever so much for spending a day with us, my lovely dear. Would you like a pastry for the way home? It's going to be dark out soon."
"And it may be good for you to bring an umbrella, unless you like the rain," said Rina. "I'm not sure if it's going to shower."
"Whatever the case, it's been lovely, and I wish you a happy Halloween."
"So do I," said Rina, nudging Ria and smiling at Cavalia. "We hope you've had a good time."

Training to be a hero? Now THAT tidbit got Cavalia's attention. "What?" she said, her eyes going a little wider with surprise. But just like that, she was being bade goodbye to.

"Oh, uh... That's very kind of you, but..." she gestured back at her horsey hind quarters, "There aren't a lot of umbrellas that I fit under. I'll be fine, I promise. I generate a fair amount of body heat, and if I need to run somewhere dry, I can get there as fast as a horse." She winks, and trots gently toward the door. "Thank you for this! It's been a very unique experience."

"UA, baby!" Rina cheered.
"Goodnight, goodbye! Sorry, we just like to close our doors so no one gets stick here... We don't really have a lot of room, talking about beds."

"We enjoyed your company," Ria added. "Safe travels."