okay so on the one hand zerxus is touch-starved already, on the other hand he does not like to be told what to do

you see his struggle

eventually he'll go along with this because 1. he is a devil and he is cold this is unsettling and distracting 2. everyone else also needs cuddles

madelyne will also be bitchy about this on principle but not as stubborn in practice

thankfully I can offer two ladies for Zerxus to get gently pushed around by

Tendi, with very poor acting: "Oh golly gee I sure am chilly! I desperately need a nice long hug!!!" to get Zerxus to relent to being thawed.

sdjskla

his greatest weaknesses

Takes one to know one, Tendi's also a helper

time to be gremlins to helpers

I don't go here but lord what a perfect set up for z

truly

Forced to cuddle by the cruel and unrelenting hand of fate....!!

zerxus: it's the admiral's hand and he can shove it right -

oh, hey, do you want to handwave that Fives and your 2 actually interacted on the island per where you tagged into his post and talk it through, or just forget about those since they never went anywhere and start fresh? (Just... could affect this flood)

HMM start fresh with Fives and Maddie maybe, and handwave that he and Zerxus just. has a quiet chill time roasting fish?

kk

<3

sliding fives into his Adult column

lol

dfksf zerxus bless

Jedao with all the flirtation AND all the threat in the world: you know I can hold you down and sit on you

MAGGIE CUDDLES HIM ANYWAY

she doesn't need a flood

but also if zerxus is feeling genuinely down for lack of agency Jedao will immediately challenge him to an all out game of tackle tag

he let her become his sister, now he's stuck with her, there's no escape

zerxus can be trying to avoid it but still Fully Body Slammed Plenty as they run around like maniacs

nonsexual cnc tbh

Maggie going, "yes, I want you warm, but this is literally what I'd do any other day I see you."

MADDIE IS GETTING CUDDLES FROM EDWIN

would Maddie like weasel or polar bear cuddles?

Sokie just like hopping onto Zerxus' back piggyback ride

no idea if he'd be comfy with offering to Zerxus at this point :/

shipoftheseus jedao continues to be a genius

tricia868 HE CANNOT ARGUE WITH THIS

researchboner lmao grumpy goblin queen just snuggling with her warden. yeah what about it >:c

also Kahl and Zerxus like. both being idiots

of course

tempus crowding them with his wings like,

(no him literally having a higher WIS stat than zerxus will never stop being funny to me)

my sorcerer's miniature gelatinous cube familiar has a higher INT score than she does

LITERALLY WITHOUT A BRAIN

sdjsakldsa

beautiful

to be fair Cube has 14 Int due to a quirk of stats

Nyssa isn't dumb she's just average!!!

but they have a very cat owner-cat relationship

Nyssa thinks this is her pet with helpful blindsight. Cube thinks this is its pet who helpfully carries it around in a thermos and feeds it treats

Cube helping her on checks like /flails psuedopod in the direction of the Plot Clue

frankly i would ALSO like a gelatinous cube in a thermos who is smarter than me

He will be wolfy to preserve her dignity

Maddie tho. Watch Ilde’s little cheeks blush.