[With his back still turned, Barret comes to a stop. His shoulders hunch briefly at the apology. It's a long time before he speaks, mulling over the words. His journey had showed him much of Shinra's endless grind of cruelty for the sake of profit. The banality of it. But he too, had once fallen prey to their promises of a better future — it's this memory that tempers his hatred, inevitably half-directing the feeling back to himself. When he speaks again, his voice is level, the anger pushed down again to impart something meaningful.]
You can apologize to the ends of the Planet. It won't make a difference 'til you make a decision for yourself. That blood's always gonna be on your hands. You have to ask yourself one day if your loyalty's worth that blood you've spilled. I can't give you that absolution you're looking for, and I won't. That's up to you.
[... Finally, his shoulders slump. He sighs, sounding tired when he speaks again.] Keep your fish, man. I'll find my own way around here.
[Rude is quiet when Barret speaks. He braces himself for something loud and angry to make him feel more guilt than he already carries with him, but instead what he gets are words that will stick with him forever. Or for as long as he has to live with the consequences of his actions, whichever comes first.
It's only then does Rude realize he's looking for exactly that. Absolution. Forgiveness. A clean slate. He can't undo the things he did and he can't pretend they didn't happen either. But he can use the rest of whatever life he has to be loyal to himself and his own personal moral code. Maybe that's not what Barret meant with his words, but it's a start. And somehow he's left feeling worse than if Barret had just told him to go fuck himself.]
Mn. [Rude doesn't follow him for the first few steps, but then finds himself trailing the man. He'll blame muscle memory, and the fact that he's the only other human he's come across out here.] The old man cosigned on some deeply disturbing stuff, but Rufus isn't his father. I think he might be able to fix things...set us back on the right track.
[Barret trudges through the sand, reaching the start of a dense spread of tropical trees. He hears the Turk behind him still, and feels his annoyance like a sudden gravity spell: pressing down into his shoulders, furrowing his brow.
He says nothing. But then, without warning: he drives his shoulder into the trunk of a swaying tree.
A coconut drops into his open palm.]
Man, who you tryna convince? Me, or you? I know the blood I've spilled. I own up to it. His old man crushed a whole sector of people! You've seen Junon. You think the fish those people gather is any good for them? But it's all they've got to eat! And all that is just the tip of the melting iceberg.
[He sighs. Then, turning, he gently tosses the coconut to Rude.] You keep making excuses for them, and you'll never get up from the shadow of the plate you dropped.
oh yeah! a big screen, wall to wall if you're lucky! there's surround sound too - makes it feel like you're really there. i didn't get to see one 'til i got to midgar myself.
i take this to mean you're not from a place with movie theaters. you from a small town?
I was once part of another being. When I was severed from him, I ended up in somewhere called the Dark World. Some time ago, I was able to get out of there with the help of my partner. He lives on Earth. That's where I truly started to find my own identity.
whoa... that's deep. if i was gonna wager a guess, i'd say your home's the place where you started finding your identity. maybe...
[Philosophy's an interest of his, but this metaphysical stuff's more Aerith's purview. Still, he can philosophize with the best of 'em! He thinks so, anyway.]
what's exploding is what's on the screen in the movies i like! HAHA! that's action movies! my baby girl though, she loves cartoons and fairy tales. we go to see movies like that when I've got the time.
harper's hill, massachusetts! now that's an interesting name! i wonder who harper is to get a place named after them. that must mean you're one of the folks that's not from the planet. uh, my planet. gaia.
and i do. a little girl named marlene. she's four years old. she likes flowers a lot. cartoons are shoot you got paintings where you're from, right? well, imagine that, cept they move around on a screen and tell a story. most of them are made for children, but there's all sorts nowadays.
But I do hope you get to see Marlene sometime soon. Someone else told me that people don't notice while you're gone, that it's like you were just missing for a blink. I hope you knew that, but in case you didn't.
un: MC | text (during the june truth or dare event)
Have you been up to the rooftop yet? I believe they call it the Cloud Dwelling Garden. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love your help with something. I'm in a bit of a predicament.
[He thinks to ask what sort of predicament they were talking, but he figured that was politer to ask in person. The resort encouraged letting it all hang out, but he's not gonna lose his head. He had some manners.
In any case, he finds his way to the roof and the Cloud Dwelling Garden in short order, on the lookout for Manuela. He wagers he won't have to look for long — she stands out! In a good way!]
[G'raha's hand on his arm is comforting, makes him feel a little more relaxed. The alcohol does too, if he's honest. And as they meander toward the private rooms (Barret had found that everywhere here had some private alcove or other), any unease or discomfort he'd felt at the onset of this bingo... thing, it starts to fade a little. It wasn't like he was lowering his guard or anything! Just... the girls had both said this was like a vacation for them, so maybe he should try to lighten up. A bit. For their sakes.
The room they enter is as undersea themed as everything else. The whole place cast is in low and intimate cerulean light, with virtual displays of the ocean and coral inspired architecture. The accoutrements are... about what he has come to expect here. He spies a neatly organized shelf near the opulent bed has various sex toys on display. A cheery little booklet on a pearlescent side drawer highlights the collection, with a reminder of the complimentary lube and condoms. Barret skims over the guide and rubs self-consciously at his neck before setting it down. No wonder Shinra and his guard dogs seemed to enjoy it here, he thought to himself. It was just the sort of excessive luxury they'd like.
... But he does appreciate the primer. Half of this shit, he had no idea what it did, and moreover he doesn't want to screw up this for G'raha, either. And speaking of, he looks over to him and puts on a brave face.] You ever seen anything like this? I feel like I'm in a fish tank.
[ The walk toward a private room is done in comfortable silence, as far as G'raha is concerned. His cheeks may well still be a touch flushed at what he's admitted to wanting to do, considering just how little experience he has with taking the lead in matters of intimacy, but... Barret also deserves to know just how desirable he is. He nods to himself while his companion is reading something near a shelf of toys. The cooler toned lighting does lend itself to something like innate comfort, given his long years spent inside a towering facade of blue crystal...
He startles when Barret speaks again, only to chuckle at himself. ]
I apologize, I was somewhat lost in thought... but no, I have not. This is far more grandiose than my norm. But, ah... was anything you read of interest?
Four? What a precious age for a girl child. I am destined to have a boy, and I think he shall be quite the terror, unfortunately~
If you asked me for my current guess... I would call it more a "pocket dimension". Something removed from space and time, preserved in its own little barrier.
oh - does that mean you're expecting? congratulations! a terror, huh? i hear that boys are usually harder to manage. but believe me! you'll love him all the same. my marlene's always been a good girl, but she's stubborn like me. so we get to butting heads already. it's good though. real good to have a kid willing to stand up for something. even if it's staying up past her bedtime, HAHA!
[It cheers him up to find that there are other parents or parents-to-be here, even if he had not even... thought about the mechanics of pregnancy here and will have to definitely look into that. This place had enough going on without worrying about giving Marlene surprise interdimensional siblings.
Speaking of this place —]
"pocket dimension." well that just makes me wonder who made it.
I do not know how I should say it, now that we are in this place... "Expecting"... "Expecting to be expecting upon my return home"... ? I have been here for a year, and there has been no change in my belly, but I sense that future son of mine is just fine as he was, so for now I shall not give it much concern.
Marlene is a cute name, too~ You must miss her. I am terribly sorry you must be temporarily parted. Hopefully the theory about time not moving further without us holds true, and she will not learn arithmetic in your absence.
Some people say that the casino is alive. So perhaps the casino did?
[So she's saying that it's on hold... sort of. Barret feels a knot in his chest unwind. The terrifying existential crisis of being outside of a space in time is something he can worry about later. For now, all that mattered was that when he returned — and he would — that it wouldn't be to a dead Planet. Or worse... Sephiroth was still around.
He doesn't say it, but her explanation and the calm way in which she delivers the information makes him feel relieved. Maybe he'd get some good shut-eye later, for once...]
yeah... yeah! i should take a page from your book. time waiting for you instead of the other way around, HAHA!
my baby girl's with an acquaintance of mine — the mother of my friend. she's been looking out for her. that woman's a saint, i'll tell you that. it makes me feel even worse being here. but knowing marlene's safe while I am here... that makes a world of difference.
marlene's sharp with her numbers already! her favorite thing is reading. she loves books! i do miss her a lot, but i'm glad she's safe, and she seemed happy when i saw her last. it might be better for her to somewhere like that for a while. there's a big garden all around the house. it's a beautiful place, even down in the slums. that's like a fairy tale compared to where we've lived before.
can a place be alive? i was thinking it was some kind of machine.
[ That's her pet theory, anyway. Don't hold her accountable if that's not how space and time work in the Golden Peacock! ;) ]
It is comforting indeed to know you left her with someone you can trust before arriving here. I have a few I am somewhat concerned about... Who knows what they would get up to in my absence. And they're grown!
Reading opens the mind to all sorts of wonders in the world. As do gardens.
In my experience, places can be imbued with a certain... spirit, let us say. I would wager a good deal of coin on it being that over mechanics.
haha! there's more than a few grown folks i'm worried about myself, i'll tell you that.
a spirit, huh? hm. that kinda reminds me of the planet. planetology and all. there's theories the planet - er, my planet - it's got a soul. something like this being the same... i don't how i feel about that.
[Good question. Barret hasn't given it much thought: most of his encounters have been impromptu here, nothing resembling the normalcy of, what? Dinner and a movie? He can't remember the last time he'd even done something like that. There had been more important things to be worried about.
Still, he ponders over it now, frowning to himself.]
don't know. i just know i don't like it the way it is here. the class system, all this porno shit everywhere. i guess if i had the time for this, which i DON'T, and if it wasn't all to play someone's messed-up "game..."
shit! i don't know. i just want to get back home! this is so stupid. what kind of freak makes a sex prison, anyway?
I much prefer how this place is to other places I've been trapped before. For all the trouble I have back at home, I'd rather be there. I'd rather be with my partner.
But at least here, there's nothing I'll do that I'd be ashamed to tell him about. And what they ask of me doesn't involve harming anyone.
shit... no wonder they're your partner. must be rough being here without them. it's a shame you went from one prison to another one.
[He wonders why he was sealed, but so far, the guy seems... harmless? A little strange, yeah, but that was par the course as far as Barret was concerned.]
When I was brought here, he was recovering from a plague brought on him by a being that meddled with his mind and forced him to either submit to such a malady or die.
He was nearly killed multiple times that night. before he was offered healing.
Less than a week before that, he *did* die. And I had to watch that. And get him back.
Most of our time is pain and fear. We spend most of it trying not to die. Here, there's food and water aplenty. There's beds, even if they're small. Actual danger is rare. And I have a body of my own, so I can help him if something happens.
[ There's other parts to it, but those are the big and easy to explain ones. ]
[It certainly is — and not only that. Even now he feels the twinge of shame as he remembers his last visit to Corel. But Barret had agreed to a truce, and so a truce they would have. For now.]
Ha. Suppose it's a good of a first start as we're going to get here. Well... it's now or never.
[When Ishmael chuckles, Barret can't help but crack a smile. His own reservations aside, sharing a kiss with an attractive woman is not something that he'd consider a terrible fate. And so he leans forward as she approaches, mindful of keeping the sheet laid across his lower half from dipping too far down.
He cups her chin with his non-cybernetic hand and dips his head down to kiss her. Despite the whole necessity aspect of things here, he doesn't rush it - instead choosing to be tender, letting the kiss linger.]
[ likewise, kissing an attractive and gentlemanly man like barret wouldn't be so bad. especially when barret is actually being genuine about it. wings know how many times ishmael has found herself entertaining fake ones who only want to get into her pants, but then again, that's the entire purpose of the game they're forced to play in this resort.
nonetheless, she hums into the kiss, reveling on the tenderness of it all. normally she'd match her other partner's vivacy and start deepening the kiss, but she likes how they're actually taking this slow like she said. wow.
she leans further into barret, placing both her hands on his shoulders now, letting her blanket pool around her waist and exposing her breasts. she then pulls away for a bit, leans against his forehead with a small smile before stealing yet another kiss once more. ]
[ Do you know how ridiculous these watches are? For someone from a world with little in the ways of technology (that she's aware of...), the devices have been a learning curve, so much of what she does is just voice-to-text if necessary, but she's also been trying to look through the directory to find familiar names.
Barret's one of them. ]
Barret? It's Dorothea. We spoke at the auction. I was wondering if you were free to meet sometime.
she's an interesting lady! been trying to get more info about this place from her.
but more than that - the food's good! it's cheap too. and none of the "special ingredients" this place likes to throw in either. we should meet up there.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rude, @goons
(TDM - APRIL)
[With his back still turned, Barret comes to a stop. His shoulders hunch briefly at the apology. It's a long time before he speaks, mulling over the words. His journey had showed him much of Shinra's endless grind of cruelty for the sake of profit. The banality of it. But he too, had once fallen prey to their promises of a better future — it's this memory that tempers his hatred, inevitably half-directing the feeling back to himself. When he speaks again, his voice is level, the anger pushed down again to impart something meaningful.]
You can apologize to the ends of the Planet. It won't make a difference 'til you make a decision for yourself. That blood's always gonna be on your hands. You have to ask yourself one day if your loyalty's worth that blood you've spilled. I can't give you that absolution you're looking for, and I won't. That's up to you.
[... Finally, his shoulders slump. He sighs, sounding tired when he speaks again.] Keep your fish, man. I'll find my own way around here.
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It's only then does Rude realize he's looking for exactly that. Absolution. Forgiveness. A clean slate. He can't undo the things he did and he can't pretend they didn't happen either. But he can use the rest of whatever life he has to be loyal to himself and his own personal moral code. Maybe that's not what Barret meant with his words, but it's a start. And somehow he's left feeling worse than if Barret had just told him to go fuck himself.]
Mn. [Rude doesn't follow him for the first few steps, but then finds himself trailing the man. He'll blame muscle memory, and the fact that he's the only other human he's come across out here.] The old man cosigned on some deeply disturbing stuff, but Rufus isn't his father. I think he might be able to fix things...set us back on the right track.
no subject
He says nothing. But then, without warning: he drives his shoulder into the trunk of a swaying tree.
A coconut drops into his open palm.]
Man, who you tryna convince? Me, or you? I know the blood I've spilled. I own up to it. His old man crushed a whole sector of people! You've seen Junon. You think the fish those people gather is any good for them? But it's all they've got to eat! And all that is just the tip of the melting iceberg.
[He sighs. Then, turning, he gently tosses the coconut to Rude.] You keep making excuses for them, and you'll never get up from the shadow of the plate you dropped.
@entirelymyown
(original thread)
oh yeah! a big screen, wall to wall if you're lucky! there's surround sound too - makes it feel like you're really there. i didn't get to see one 'til i got to midgar myself.
i take this to mean you're not from a place with movie theaters. you from a small town?
Re: @entirelymyown
But no, we didn't have movie theatres. There was one where I was traveling a while ago, but we didn't have time to go.
...so the sound surrounds you? Like you're in the middle of an orchestra?
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an orchestra? yeah! kinda like that. cept with movies it's explosions and stuff! or... depends on the movie, anyway.
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So where am 'I' really 'from'?
[ There's a brief pause before- ]
Explosions?! What's exploding?
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[Philosophy's an interest of his, but this metaphysical stuff's more Aerith's purview. Still, he can philosophize with the best of 'em! He thinks so, anyway.]
what's exploding is what's on the screen in the movies i like! HAHA! that's action movies! my baby girl though, she loves cartoons and fairy tales. we go to see movies like that when I've got the time.
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[ And he's very excited about the movies but-
!!! ]
You have a daughter?
[ In his, granted, limited experience? This is in fact the most important thing in this man's life. ]
What are cartoons?
this tag is so old no pressure if you don't tag back omg
and i do. a little girl named marlene. she's four years old. she likes flowers a lot. cartoons are
shoot
you got paintings where you're from, right? well, imagine that, cept they move around on a screen and tell a story. most of them are made for children, but there's all sorts nowadays.
no worries!
But also amazing. I'd love to see it.
But I do hope you get to see Marlene sometime soon. Someone else told me that people don't notice while you're gone, that it's like you were just missing for a blink. I hope you knew that, but in case you didn't.
un: MC | text (during the june truth or dare event)
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[He thinks to ask what sort of predicament they were talking, but he figured that was politer to ask in person. The resort encouraged letting it all hang out, but he's not gonna lose his head. He had some manners.
In any case, he finds his way to the roof and the Cloud Dwelling Garden in short order, on the lookout for Manuela. He wagers he won't have to look for long — she stands out! In a good way!]
g'raha @towerkeep | blue line bingo 🔞
(cont. from here)
[G'raha's hand on his arm is comforting, makes him feel a little more relaxed. The alcohol does too, if he's honest. And as they meander toward the private rooms (Barret had found that everywhere here had some private alcove or other), any unease or discomfort he'd felt at the onset of this bingo... thing, it starts to fade a little. It wasn't like he was lowering his guard or anything! Just... the girls had both said this was like a vacation for them, so maybe he should try to lighten up. A bit. For their sakes.
The room they enter is as undersea themed as everything else. The whole place cast is in low and intimate cerulean light, with virtual displays of the ocean and coral inspired architecture. The accoutrements are... about what he has come to expect here. He spies a neatly organized shelf near the opulent bed has various sex toys on display. A cheery little booklet on a pearlescent side drawer highlights the collection, with a reminder of the complimentary lube and condoms. Barret skims over the guide and rubs self-consciously at his neck before setting it down. No wonder Shinra and his guard dogs seemed to enjoy it here, he thought to himself. It was just the sort of excessive luxury they'd like.
... But he does appreciate the primer. Half of this shit, he had no idea what it did, and moreover he doesn't want to screw up this for G'raha, either. And speaking of, he looks over to him and puts on a brave face.] You ever seen anything like this? I feel like I'm in a fish tank.
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He startles when Barret speaks again, only to chuckle at himself. ]
I apologize, I was somewhat lost in thought... but no, I have not. This is far more grandiose than my norm. But, ah... was anything you read of interest?
kiritsubo, @tattooism | date auction
(cont. from here)
sure do! she's four years old and as cute as a button. her name is marlene.
is that what you consider this place? another universe. i'm still tryna figure out what the hell's going on half the time.
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If you asked me for my current guess... I would call it more a "pocket dimension". Something removed from space and time, preserved in its own little barrier.
But that's just me.
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[It cheers him up to find that there are other parents or parents-to-be here, even if he had not even... thought about the mechanics of pregnancy here and will have to definitely look into that. This place had enough going on without worrying about giving Marlene surprise interdimensional siblings.
Speaking of this place —]
"pocket dimension." well that just makes me wonder who made it.
no subject
I do not know how I should say it, now that we are in this place... "Expecting"... "Expecting to be expecting upon my return home"... ? I have been here for a year, and there has been no change in my belly, but I sense that future son of mine is just fine as he was, so for now I shall not give it much concern.
Marlene is a cute name, too~ You must miss her. I am terribly sorry you must be temporarily parted. Hopefully the theory about time not moving further without us holds true, and she will not learn arithmetic in your absence.
Some people say that the casino is alive. So perhaps the casino did?
no subject
He doesn't say it, but her explanation and the calm way in which she delivers the information makes him feel relieved. Maybe he'd get some good shut-eye later, for once...]
yeah... yeah! i should take a page from your book. time waiting for you instead of the other way around, HAHA!
my baby girl's with an acquaintance of mine — the mother of my friend. she's been looking out for her. that woman's a saint, i'll tell you that. it makes me feel even worse being here. but knowing marlene's safe while I am here... that makes a world of difference.
marlene's sharp with her numbers already! her favorite thing is reading. she loves books! i do miss her a lot, but i'm glad she's safe, and she seemed happy when i saw her last. it might be better for her to somewhere like that for a while. there's a big garden all around the house. it's a beautiful place, even down in the slums. that's like a fairy tale compared to where we've lived before.
can a place be alive? i was thinking it was some kind of machine.
no subject
[ That's her pet theory, anyway. Don't hold her accountable if that's not how space and time work in the Golden Peacock! ;) ]
It is comforting indeed to know you left her with someone you can trust before arriving here. I have a few I am somewhat concerned about... Who knows what they would get up to in
my absence. And they're grown!
Reading opens the mind to all sorts of wonders in the world. As do gardens.
In my experience, places can be imbued with a certain... spirit, let us say. I would wager a good deal of coin on it being that over mechanics.
But that's just me.
crawls back in, hat in hand
a spirit, huh? hm. that kinda reminds me of the planet. planetology and all. there's theories the planet - er, my planet - it's got a soul. something like this being the same... i don't how i feel about that.
john, @entirelymyown | date auction
cont. from here
[Good question. Barret hasn't given it much thought: most of his encounters have been impromptu here, nothing resembling the normalcy of, what? Dinner and a movie? He can't remember the last time he'd even done something like that. There had been more important things to be worried about.
Still, he ponders over it now, frowning to himself.]
don't know. i just know i don't like it the way it is here. the class system, all this porno shit everywhere. i guess if i had the time for this, which i DON'T, and if it wasn't all to play someone's messed-up "game..."
shit! i don't know. i just want to get back home! this is so stupid. what kind of freak makes a sex prison, anyway?
Re: john, @entirelymyown | date auction
But at least here, there's nothing I'll do that I'd be ashamed to tell him about. And what they ask of me doesn't involve harming anyone.
At least not in ways they wouldn't enjoy.
no subject
[no visible exits anyway. if there truly weren't any, Barret had resolved to make one.]
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In the Dark World outside of time and space, beyond all realities that is Death and chaos.
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so, how'd you manage to get out?
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[He wonders why he was sealed, but so far, the guy seems... harmless? A little strange, yeah, but that was par the course as far as Barret was concerned.]
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Is this prison terrible to you?
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and yeah, it's terrible! all this ostentatious shit's just one big trap, and i've got places to be! people are counting on me, you know?
no subject
He was nearly killed multiple times that night. before he was offered healing.
Less than a week before that, he *did* die. And I had to watch that. And get him back.
Most of our time is pain and fear. We spend most of it trying not to die. Here, there's food and water aplenty. There's beds, even if they're small. Actual danger is rare. And I have a body of my own, so I can help him if something happens.
[ There's other parts to it, but those are the big and easy to explain ones. ]
Fuck yes, I want him here.
tseng, @nonvoting | date auction
(cont. from here)
[It certainly is — and not only that. Even now he feels the twinge of shame as he remembers his last visit to Corel. But Barret had agreed to a truce, and so a truce they would have. For now.]
good.
yeah. send me the contact info.
no subject
Her name is Topaz. I'm not sure if she plans on organizing another event yet, but I think she'll appreciate having extra hands when she does.
[ sighs. see this is why a turk having friends is a bad idea, because now tseng is compelled to add, ]
She's very kind. Please don't take her association with me as a mark against her character.
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[he thinks of saying something rude and, miracle of miracles. he doesn't.]
won't hold it against her. i figure neither of us is telling people things they don't need to know here.
no subject
ishmael, @wheft | blue line bingo 🔞
[When Ishmael chuckles, Barret can't help but crack a smile. His own reservations aside, sharing a kiss with an attractive woman is not something that he'd consider a terrible fate. And so he leans forward as she approaches, mindful of keeping the sheet laid across his lower half from dipping too far down.
He cups her chin with his non-cybernetic hand and dips his head down to kiss her. Despite the whole necessity aspect of things here, he doesn't rush it - instead choosing to be tender, letting the kiss linger.]
no subject
nonetheless, she hums into the kiss, reveling on the tenderness of it all. normally she'd match her other partner's vivacy and start deepening the kiss, but she likes how they're actually taking this slow like she said. wow.
she leans further into barret, placing both her hands on his shoulders now, letting her blanket pool around her waist and exposing her breasts. she then pulls away for a bit, leans against his forehead with a small smile before stealing yet another kiss once more. ]
text; @reprises
Barret's one of them. ]
Barret? It's Dorothea. We spoke at the auction. I was wondering if you were free to meet sometime.
@AVALANCHE
yeah, i'm free after mornings. have you been to the red cardinal yet?
no subject
And no, I've never been. I've heard of it, though. Or, rather, I've heard of the proprietress.
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but more than that - the food's good! it's cheap too. and none of the "special ingredients" this place likes to throw in either. we should meet up there.
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