Taggie arrives to find Delphi´s "gift"

The crowd grew bigger, and Viela’s blush grew hotter. Finally, Delphi had managed to humiliate Viela. Now all she had to do was find Taggie and-

“Hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha!” That voice... it was Taggie! Sure enough, her friend was there, grinning from ear to ear. “Serves you right, you damned eggplant! If only I could meet the beautiful elf who did this. I could kiss him or her!”

“I did it Taggie!” Delphi grabbed her friend’s hand, beaming a smile. “I pranked Viela!”

“What? How?”

“Oh, it was a lot of work. I’ll tell you all the details from the beginning! First, I had to find the perfect spot to trap Viela, so I’ve looked all around the dorms for a tree infested with a Whipping Widow, and I found one! Next, I had to earn the trust of-“

Taggie placed her hands on Delphi’s shoulders, stopping her midsentence. “Ok, ok, slow down. It was a lot of work, I understand. But why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped!”

“Because I wanted this to be a gift. From me to you.” Delphi moved closer, wrapping her arms around Taggie’s… but she barely paid her attention. Taggie was too busy savoring the image of her hated rival brought so low. She was not going to let Viela live this down ever.

“This is the best gift ever! Thank you! But why? My birthday is still weeks away.”

“I didn’t do it for your birthday. I did it because I love you!”

“Aww,” replied Taggie. “I love you too. You are my best friend in the whole world.” Like a shattering mirror, Delphi’s smile broke. She recoiled, unwrapping her hands from Taggie’s arms.

“Ouch, I bet that stung worse than this! Ow! Ok, maybe not,” Viela commented from above, watching the soap opera.

“No,” Delphi shook her head. “I mean, I love you more than a friend.”

“What? Like a sister? Because I don’t get along with my sisters.”

“No, I mean that I want to be your girlfriend.”

“But you are my friend! And I have on good authority that you are a girl too!” Taggie looked at Delphi’s crotch, as if to double-check.

“She means like a lover numbnuts!” Orchid yelled from behind. “As in, a romantic relationship.”

“She really is the Idiot,” commented one of the other elves, pointing at their shirts. The soap opera was gaining a few more followers from the crowd.

“Aaaahhh, that makes more sense…” Taggie said, the surprise on her face palpable. “Wait, a lot of things are starting to make sense now...” Taggie frowned.

Delphi fidgeted with her fingers. “Err, yes. I’ve had a crush on you for a while now…”

“Like, when you told me that I had something in my teeth, and you took it out with your tongue because it was the "most hygienic" way to do it… you just wanted an excuse to kiss me, right?”

“Errr, m-maybe?” Delphi weakly replied, squeezing her fingers. “I-I was kind of hoping that you would have noticed it then... My crush I mean, not the piece of carrot between your teeth.”

“And when you said you had a nightmare and wanted to come to my bed… you never had any nightmares! You just wanted to cuddle.”

People from the crowd were giving Delphi some judgamental side-eyes. “I… I mean, I wouldn’t say I NEVER had any nightmares… this is one of them, actually.”

“And when you said that a dangerous Bog Snake had bitten your neck and I had to suck out the poison… You made that up too!”

Delphi looked down, shuffling her blue feet. “I-it was just a mosquito bite.”

“By the goddess. Delphi, I thought you were going to die!” Taggie replied, angry.

“Y-yes, and you were so sweet about the whole thing, so… thank you?”

“Damn, Delphi’s horny.”

“And Taggie is dense like a brick...”

“Well, yeah. Didn’t you read the shirts?”

“Hey Orchid, you have something in your teeth.”

“Nice try.”

“L-look at Viela, everyone! She’s naked and getting whipped by a spider!” Delphi tried to divert some of the heat away from her.

“Right… Viela. You were in cahoots with her, weren’t you? That time with the mimic! It was all a ploy, another of your perverted games! Ugh, I can’t believe you!” Taggie stormed out, stomping on the grass on her way.

“W-wait Taggie, I wasn’t, I swear! C-come back!”

“Ouch! Now that did sting worse than the spider.” Viela mused from her vantage point.

“Told you it was going to be a disaster,” Violet said, as she walked next to her dejected blue friend.

“Not the time, Orchid.”