material girl

[jin-leizu]

( gong li, 56, cis woman, she/her ) — Look who it is! If you take a look at our database, you’ll find that JIN LEIZU is a DESIGNER / PURVEYOR OF FURS that works in SECTOR 10. That must be why they’re CALM and CYNICAL. If you ask me, they remind me of ragged mutant fur shaped into something decadent, diamond bright condensation dripping down an ice cold glass of vodka, and the iridescent carapace of a beetle pinned to a board. They are affiliated with THE DEMOCRATIC COUNCIL.

basic information:

character name: Jin Leizu

nickname (s): Don't.

face claim: Gong Li

mutation status: Human

birthday: jan 2nd

sexuality: undecided

moral alignment: Lawful evil

occupation: Councillor / designer / purveyor of furs

work sector: 10

affiliation: Democratic Council

3 positive traits: Calm, sophisticated, discreet

3 negative traits: Cynical, haughty, vindictive

biography (optional):

tw: insects, animal cruelty

Leizu was born into a family of silk manufacturers, in a settlement quite far from Sol City. She learned to walk among the quiet pupating silk worms, doomed to die before they could ever take wing. A little thing like armageddon wasn't going to stop the Jins, either. Some of their silk worms survived, with fascinating and terrifying mutations. Silk manufacture stopped for nobody.

Her first hobby was lepidoptery, and it is something she does to this day. Her rooms are full of insects pinned to boards, and she has a particular love of mutated insects. Viewing these little life forms through such an analytical lens turned her into a callous little girl, and a callous young woman. Leizu didn't want to inherit an empire, she wanted to build her own.

So she set out, with a gun and a dream! Roamed the wastes shooting and skinning mutated beasts, turning their hides into garments of beauty. What's this, I hear you say? It's too hot in Australia for fur garments? Leizu doesn't care! She'll look fabulous at any cost and thinks you should too. Her cold heart stops her from overheating anyway <3 haha.

When she first came to Sol City with a bundle of furs, she was assigned to work in a textile manufacture factory (insulting). As soon as she could, she made the move to sector 10 where she could pursue her passion for fashion. Fur is her favourite, but she uses other fabrics too because sometimes you have to think a bit practically in order to turn a profit.

One problem was that within the walls of Sol City, it was harder to come by things to shoot. Leizu needed more power to truly build her fur empire, so she set her sights on the council. By that I mean, the previous councillor for sector ten went to a dinner party at hers. Shortly after, he fell mysteriously ill and passed away. Definitely no connection between those two events. With a spot available, Leizu campaigned hard and got voted in. She's continued to get voted in for several decades now : ) if she worries she's not going to get the votes, then the nice thing about being in the luxury business is having enough cash to buy your way.

With her power, she passionately fights for import/export policies. She's not seen her family in decades but she still really wants to crush their textile empire beneath hers. She also tends to convince mutants to go out into the wastes and hunt cool furry beasts for her. She'll do the skinning and stuff! She just needs lackeys to bring back the goods. She's also very bribeable. She's simply a material girl in a (non)material world!

questionnaire:

how do they feel about living in sol city? have they always lived there or did they travel from another settlement?

Loves it! Sol City is her playground, she takes everything she wants from it. It also gives her distance from her parents, and they're so old they probably won't be alive much longer anyway. Why does Leizu have such beef with them, despite them spoiling her rotten? She's just like that. They taught her to crush the competition, and she views everyone as competition.

do they trust the council’s leadership? why or why not?

No. She's on the council, but they don't always agree with her and she is in fact often outvoted on vital matters like upping the export of luxury goods, which is terrible.

if they chose their sector and profession, why did they make that choice? if they didn’t, why not? were they happy with their assignment or not?

She did, and she chose it because all she ever wanted was to tear beasts apart and make beautiful clothes. If you crack a Cruella joke, you won't be the first.

what’s one object that they always keep on their person?

The fang of the first beast she killed out on her own. It is larger than her thumb, yellowed and vicious looking. She drilled a hole through it so that she could thread a chain through it, but she doesn't actually wear it because that would be gaudy. But she likes the idea of it, anyway. There is a groove rubbed into its side from years upon years of Leizu running her thumb across its surface in a repetitive motion that she finds grounding.

[jin-leizu]

LOOKBOOK: JIN LEIZU

OFFICE WEAR. Has to straddle comfort + professionalism. Neutral colours. Natural fabrics. Sometimes recycled military wear (or items inspired by military wear).

WASTELAND WEAR. Despite her prissy attitude, Leizu isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She has spent time in the sandy wastes, and she knows practicality is a must -- but that doesn't mean she can't look fabulous. Wasteland fashion is all about the layers for comfort and safety, as well as leather to serve as natural armour.

LOUNGE WEAR. Looking gorgeous never stops! Her loungewear tends to be more flowy than clothes she would wear out, though she still likes a defined waist. If anyone should drop by unexpectedly, she has to know she's going to look better than them.

OFF-DUTY WEAR. Out and about, but not for work. Leizu is willing to be a little more provocative, with plunging necklines. Again some military inspiration, but she will always make it a little more feminine with pencil skirts, cinched waists, etc. Some 'bolder' looks ie. wrap top made of different colours: if a fabric is good but she only has a tiny amount of it, Leizu will make it work!

ACCESSORIES. Fur, of course. Since she can't wear fur day to day, Leizu will often have fur accents at least (fur earrings with pearl detail, fur handbag with mutant tooth strap). Due to the frequent necessity of ash masks, which are frankly beastly, Leizu has an extensive selection of hats with attached veils, hoods, and so on, so that she can cover her ash mask in whatever way suits her outfit best.

[buriedwithit]

"oh, yes," she groans, shaking her head. "it can be miserable at times. it's part of the reason i keep trying other things." unfortunately, there are certain advantages she doesn't have... thumbs being among them. she's considered robotic help at times, but that also just takes all the fun out of it. art isn't meant to be a clean, easy process—it's struggle and hardship just as much as it is joyous expression. "one of these days i'll find something as comfortable as painting, i'm sure," she adds, taking another few laps from her drink. kali picks her head up, brows raised. "i would love to see your sketchbooks. i'm sure they're wonderful." she's always very complimentary when she's put a few back. lucid, but certainly not the grouchy old lady most people come across. nodding sagely, she continues, "i've always said that the price of imagination is that it's doomed to surpass reality. that said, i would never turn down an opportunity for artistry. anything i can offer you," she's thinking reasonably, of course; "i'd be happy to do it."

[jin-leizu]

The price of imagination is that it’s doomed to surpass reality. Well said, Leizi thinks, and certainly a sentiment she has encountered many times before. Envy is an ugly trait but it’s one she cannot suppress in herself, when she thinks of the resources available to those who lived before the end.

And she brightens at Kali’s offer that she’d be happy to wear her designs. So many people reject the idea of being designed for and dressed by Leizu, which she’ll never understand. “Oh, marvellous! I’m immediately thinking ear cuffs. May I touch your– paw?” she almost says ‘hand’, before reminding herself this is, after all, still an animal. Just a particularly well spoken one. “If your claws aren’t retractable, I’m almost thinking of some sort of ring…” Goldsmithing is secondary in Leizu’s skillset, but it is still something she enjoys. Textiles are simply her favourite. But Kali has more than enough fur on her back (the lucky beast) – Leizu doesn’t need to add more.

[ofruinations]

At the thought of Ngelah's array of neutral suits, Adonis simply cracks a smile at that, understanding the pain thath Leizu must have had to endure as a maven in the fashion industry. But still, Adonis knows that his own path needs to have some sort of decorum, some level of formality, and a neon green suit isn't exactly the statement that he wants to put out. "I'll let you venture out into other colors. Dark, muted colors, and any accessories you'll have on hand, I'll take." His gloves, made of dark and supple leather making its weight on his hands apparent. His signature. "Perhaps you'll make me some nice gloves. Not that these ones are any worse, but I shudder with the belt you might make for me with irradiated leather."

[jin-leizu]

“Dark, muted colours…” Leizu tuts, shaking her head. With his colouring, he’d look divine in lighter colours. But she’ll take her victories where she can. “One day I’ll get you in pink, and then you’ll see. And you know, I do check my skins for radiation before working with them you know. I wear my own work far too often to take foolish risks.” She eyes his hands and the rich, supple gloves on them, thoughtful. “I do have a small bolt of rather lovely dappled leather that I recently made. Or would dappling be too much fun for you?” She teases him - she knows he has to maintain a certain level of professionalism for his work. And unfortunately, dressing fashionably often makes people think one isn’t serious. Which, if you ask Leizu, is absurd. 

[buriedwithit]

kali turns to regard leizu with newfound respect, both her suggestion and following statement more than poetic enough to capture her interest. perhaps she's a worthwhile conversation partner after all! she can't always be sure with others—so many are just completely incapable of getting past the fact that she's a bear—but is always pleasantly surprised when it happens. it's not that she blames those who can't, it's only in their nature... but still. given that she's been able to overcome hers, she would expect a little more advancement from earth's so-called most advanced species. "what an intriguing idea. i might just have to experiment with that. i hate to get sand between the claws, but it's much better than clay, believe me." and dust is nothing that can't be washed out. in fact, sometimes it can even be refreshing. "i would love to take a look at some of your designs. i've never been much for accessories, but i've always appreciated the value of it."

[jin-leizu]

A few less-than-kind comments come to mind when Kali mentions not being much for accessories. Mostly to the tune of ‘well, yes, animals tend not to accessorise’. But it would rather spoil what’s looking to be a surprisingly pleasant conversation. “I can only imagine how taxing paw maintenance can be with sculpture and crafts.” Leizu shudders in true sympathy. She doesn’t even like getting fabric fibres under her nails (though it doesn’t happen too often, as she keeps her nails in neat, short almond shapes. She has always thought stiletto nails are tacky, though she knows it’s something people seem to expect from her).

“I’d certainly be happy to show you my sketchbook if you come by my office some day. Some of my more imaginative designs can’t be made into reality, of course.” she sighs – imagine living in a pre-meteorite world where materials were plentiful. “But I like to imagine. And I create what I can. It’s a shame you’re not one for accessories, you know, I bet your unique anatomy could offer quite a compelling palate to work with. You’d be the most unique muse.”

[all-cf-me]

Leizu tugs at his shirt and it's all Seth can do to avoid stumbling forward against her shins with the force of it, the scissors cleaving their way through his shirt like hot knives through butter. Their inside blade whispers past the bit of sparse hair on his chest but finishes the job without making contact with his skin at all, his shirt falling limp on either side like the initial cut of a dissection; easy as anything his chest and stomach are bared to her, a road map of surgical scars and old tattoos all blurred with age.

"That's the last thing I wanna do, ma'am," Seth says with at least an attempt at honesty: though he's itching to see what damage she could do if goaded into a proper rage, the truth of the matter is that Seth's life is significantly simpler when the District 10 councilor is kept at an even-keel. He manages to pull back his expression into a less grinning one but it only betrays his wanting, and he watches her face as he lifts a hand to trace his fingertips feather-light along the back of her knee. "If you give me a chance to make it right, I won't disappoint."

[jin-leizu]

His fingers brush, ever so softly, against the back of Leizu’s knee. She slaps him sharp across the face for that, the sound of it ringing out with a painful crack through the air. “Did I tell you you could touch yet?” she snaps, then grabbing his face violently in one hand, thumb pressed sharp into one cheek and her fingertips into the other, forcing his face up to regard her. “You’ve made a lot of promises like that over the years, and yet you continue to disappoint me.”

With a dispassionate sigh, she flicks her hand from his face, almost as if casting it away. Taking a step back to discard her scissors on the desk, Leizu then bends forward just enough to slip her hands under the hem of her severely tailored pencil skirt. 

“You’re annoying me now.” she says, hips shifting side to side as she slides her underwear down her thighs. Leizu is, naturally, careful to do this in such a manner that Seth can’t see anything intimate. “I can’t trust you to keep your mouth shut. So, I’m going to give you a little help.”

She steps out of the warm, black slip of silk underwear, heels making a knife-sharp click on the floor as she does so. Stooping to pick them up on the end of one finger, she returns to Seth, holding his mouth open with one hand. Carefully – almost lovingly – she feeds her underwear, still warm and fragrant with her body heat, into his mouth, pushing it all in with her fingertips until his mouth is full.

“Aren’t you going to thank me?” she asks, sweetly, an expectant smile on her face.

[surelenore]

"Yes, well, I've also gotten plenty of compliments on my fashion sense." Although a statement of fact because May loves those 'fits so, what a thing to say to a fashion designer! Ah, the confidence. "Darling, ask and you shall receive." Strangely? Also a statement of fact, although certainly presented in a more playful tone than a 'yes, I can give you stripes if you want, I know how to do it, just let me know and I can get my supplies.'

[jin-leizu]

The woman’s confidence is not misplaced: Leizu does think Lenore dresses well. Based on this outfit, at least. She respects anyone with a strong sense of style, and an understanding of their own lines. Lenore’s clothes drape over her, bringing a romantic sense of drama that fits her willowy limbs perfectly. Curious, Leizu leans in. “Okay. This is me asking.” Her head tilts slowly to one side, penetrating gaze resting without blinking on Lenore’s face. She doesn’t actually know exactly what the woman means, how metaphorical the result will be, how… painful the process might be. She’s intrigued enough to throw caution to the wind. “I want to receive.”

[ofruinations]

"And here I thought that my proportions were perfect as per my last measuring," he teases, rolling his eyes. Leizu and him were two peas in a pod, and Adonis can respect someone who knows what they're doing. "You fuss, but I happen to know that a smaller waist makes me look a little too top-heavy." A smile on his face a she brings his hands up in surrender. "Or did I misremember what you said last time?"

[jin-leizu]

"I said it would exaggerate how top heavy you are. Exaggeration is an art form that you shouldn't be afraid of, so long as you utilise it mindfully." Leizu speaks with all the weight as if this was a conversation about war, not Adonis' taste. "Please, I'm forced to sit across from Ngelah adorned in a veritable rainbow of beiges and assorted neutrals every meeting, I'll go mad if you don't give me something fun to look at. I got some very interesting new skins in recently, you know you would be so welcome to peruse if you'd like me to make you something."

[buriedwithit]

"i'm afraid you're right," she says, a small sigh puffing from her nose. "but that doesn't mean i don't consider it. awful thing, this heat. it's enough to make one lose their head." the last thing she wants to think about is the summer blistering overhead, though. more interesting to focus on a well-dressed stranger—she even wonders where she had gotten such a luxurious coat. it's certainly more striking than any of the beasts she's ever hunted. it must have been unique. another thing they would have in common, but she had all but won the game of life... and clearly, that fur coat had not. just the wearer. such is nature. "the councilor? how exciting." she's met a few, now. decent enough, she supposes. "i think you're right about your work. just because i don't wear them doesn't mean i can't see the artistry in it. you're literally draped in artwork. i myself do a lot of things. painting, sculpting, pottery... i've been working on glass blowing, too. but not in this heat." she shakes her head, snorting. "i'm thinking carving should be my next adventure. i just have to find the right material. very little workable wood out here, these days."

[jin-leizu]

Leizu preens silently to herself: you're literally draped in artwork. That's certainly how she likes to see it. Perhaps this beast does have enough humanity to make them a worthwhile conversational partner.

"Well, why not sand sculpture?" While Leizu naturally has her favourite mediums, she considers herself a connoiseur of art in general, and is open to its many forms. Kali has impressed her enough that she's willing to enter into the conversation properly. "It's not just reserved for children, and we've got no end of sand. It's impermanent by nature but that can often add to the beauty of a piece. A flower is no less beautiful just because it will wither later. It just means you have to appreciate it more while it is in blossom."

[all-cf-me]

Boy. It drips off her tongue as venom and Seth catches it on his, drooling at how it burns. It's like speaking to his father again, the way he used to lay all of Seth's mistakes out like tarot cards and read across them to determine a fitting punishment. His knees are really starting to hurt now, and the sharp pain is beginning to spread up to include a dull ache in the muscles of his back, but he keeps the wince from his expression... He wants to save it, keep pushing it away until it's truly involuntary.

"I'm a lot of things, Miss Leizu, but 'clever' isn't one of them." It's the first time they agree. As Leizu comes around to stand in front of him, tips his head up to demand his attention with a sharp threat otherwise, Seth feels such a raking of pleasurable claws through him that it's all he can do not to shudder and double over at her feet... He manages to breathe through it, swallows hard against the scissors' edge and feels them scratch against his Adam's apple. His grin falters a bit with the strain, but he can't keep it away for long. "There's some way I can make it up to you, eh?"

[jin-leizu]

"It's a little too late for that." Leizu sighs, terribly disappointed. She can see the discomfort in his face, perhaps the beginnings of a flinch where the hard floor presses against Seth's knees. If he can withold the flinch, then he's not in enough pain. "Though you might start by wiping the smirk off your face." She traces the scissors down his throat, the sharp tip scraping precariously at the thin flesh where his pulse shivers.

"And for future reference -- though you know this already -- I expect you to put a little effort in when you're summoned." Hooking a finger into the collar of his shirt, Leizu gives it a sharp tug to hold it taut. Her scissors slice easily with a tantalising, sharp sound, down the front. "Sometimes I think you want me to lose my temper with you. But I'm sure even you wouldn't be that pathetic, now would you?" she stares dispassionately down at him, the two halves of his now-bifurcated shirt flapping open to reveal his bare chest. She's not sure how he's going to go back home looking like that, but it's not Leizu's problem.

He looks vulnerable like that, the limp edges of his shirt hanging against his body. Leizu keeps it icy cold in her office, and she hopes she'll see the goosebumps rise on Seth's flesh.

[wcrldend]

Is this what whiplash feels like? "Thank...you?" Somehow the words, which in Odette's book sound like a compliment, don't feel like a compliment usually feels. Instead, Odie is befuddled, expression showing as much. "What would you have me wear instead?"

[jin-leizu]

"Well, gowns, darling! Furs, pearls, silks. Things that drape, things that show off those beautiful proportions. My god, you really have no idea of your potential at all, do you?" Leizu has her priorities right: nothing is more essential in this world than beauty. Odette is, in Leizu's good opinion, doing the world a disservice hiding in such boring garments.

[all-cf-me]

Seth smiles lopsided down at the floor: such a pedestrian question for how odd this situation must appear to a third party. Third party... fuck, did he remember to close the door to her office when he came in? He'd venture a glance, but he's sure that to look over his shoulder would invite some scathing reprimand about concentration or respect, and right now it's all he can do to keep steady. Let the third party watch, then.

"Booming," he answers, and honestly: Seth is sure that Leizu has the information in front of her anyway, so lying is out of the question. "Still playing catch-up from the whole flare fiasco, but nothing we can't handle. Still the pride of Sector 10, huh?" He tips up his chin to fix her with another toothy smile, this one markedly egotistical.

[jin-leizu]

She meets his self-satisfied little grin with a withering expression. "Don't be arrogant, boy. Financial success doesn't equate to quality. Sex sells. Easily. And look at you smirking down there like you've done something clever." Tapping away at her keyboard as she speaks, Leizu then stands again, taking up a glinting object from her desk and returning to Seth.

"If you were man enough to run the pride of Sector 10, you'd not come here looking like... this." That glinting object in her hands - a wickedly sharp pair of fabric scissors - is held beneath Seth's chin, tilting him up to look at her. "You're invited to a meeting and you don't even do yourself the dignity of wearing a shirt with a collar? And god only knows when you last shaved. You should be embarrassed to come here representing your business looking like this. I'm embarrassed for you."

God, this feels good. Leizu doesn't really care what Seth gets out of this, so long as he keeps coming back. He is a true glutton for punishment, and it brings Leizu more pleasure than she'd care to admit indulging him in it. There are very few sights that please her quite like a man on his knees for her, ready to have the smirk wiped off his face.

[buriedwithit]

kali makes a noise in the back of her throat, amused. "i agree with you there, although with these summers, sometimes i consider it..." only in the deepest depths of hell would she follow through, though! she knows better than to think a lack of a coat would make a difference... particularly when it's lighter than her actual skin. no doubt her bare flesh would soak up much, much more heat ( unfortunately, what it's designed for ) than fur alone. insulation goes both ways. "i'm an artist right now. i've always fancied myself the creative sort." post-mutation, anyway. "but i've done all sorts of things. if i'm not mistaken," she squints; "you're in... textiles, aren't you?" close enough.

[jin-leizu]

"Oh now, don't be silly -- sometimes we simply have to suffer to be beautiful." Shaving just because of the summer heat indeed! Leizu has never heard such madness. It feels peculiar to use 'we' to refer to herself and a bear; she's not sure she likes it. It either depreciates herself, or elevates the bear to a position Leizu can't be certain she's yet worthy of. "And yes, in a manner of speaking. I'm the Councillor for sector 10, and a clothing designer. Something I would consider art in its own right, though not everyone agrees. What sort of art do you do?" It's clear she's dubious. Lacking opposable thumbs, how creative can this creature really be? Certainly she couldn't thread a needle.

[surelenore]

"I made them myself." Humans taking note of visible mutations and complimenting them was still rather... odd to Lenore. Certainly not because she didn't find them beautiful, certainly not because she didn't find her own beautiful, but because of how... targeted they had once made her and those she associated with. And they still made targets out of people! Fortunately, just... not much in Sol City. "I'd ask if you'd like some of your own, but then what would make me exquisite?" And, to be perfectly frank, could Lenore say that that Councillor didn't already look marvelous? Unfortunately, no.

[jin-leizu]

I made them myself. Leizu actually laughs at that, a rare and silvery sound that comes in soft little bursts like champagne bubbles. "I'm sure there's plenty about you that's exquisite beyond your stripes." She leans a little closer, scrutinising the woman's face. "And if I were to want such markings for myself, do you suppose you'd be the one to give them to me?" Not scathing as Leizu is so prone to being; rather, there's something playful and challenging in her tone.

[freshcir]

"Nope," she drew out as she continued walking, "just trying to make small talk - that's all," she added with a shrug. She didn't like this woman just by the brief interaction they seemed to have - she had a 'holier than thou' personality and it rubbed Mavi the wrong way. "Here you go," she said, finally stopping next to the door to where the woman requested to be sent to. "I'm assuming you don't need anything else from me?"

[jin-leizu]

Not the most riveting small talk Leizu has ever encountered. They don't hire nurses for their sparkling personalities, she supposes, but their medical prowess. Having reached their destination, Leizu waves the young woman off with a dismissive gesture. "I'll let you know if I need anything." Though she's confident she won't. The less that medical personnel know about her pet projects, the better.

[uncny]

“ Even better, ” the phytokinetic professor grinned when the female intruder revealed that she was a fellow scientist. Sebni had always considered those in pest control quite the specialists, mostly because his botany often required their specialized expertise. When he started his greenhouse, he had them on speed dial, so to speak, and always appreciated their ingenuity when it came to their field.

A lepidopterist, however? Now that was an upgrade. Sebni nodded his head as he studied the creature in her grasp, a creature whose species can be quite the pest for him and his garden, but a creature whose species he still respected for their many, many adapted evolution. “ That one is yours. Finders keepers, am I right? Besides, you're doing me a great service. As much as I welcome all that appreciates my greenhouse, I am not that well-versed in insects, and as such, I am horribly underprepared for dealing with those that may appreciate my plants too much. To whom should I give my own appreciation then? ” He held out a hand for her to shake, trying his best at introductions.

[jin-leizu]

"Leizu. Leizu Jin." she offers her name in the Western order for clarity, accepting the man's handshake -- not without a brief glance down to ascertain just how dirty his hand may be. "It seems risky on your part, to be unprepared to deal with pests, Mr...?" she waits for his name. His attitude borders on sycophancy, which is a trait Leizu has mixed feelings on. She likes respect, she likes being in charge; but there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. For now, he is endearing, but she wonders how long it might be until he begins to test her patience.

[all-cf-me]

Her critical appraisal feels like the subtle rake of claws, but the sharpness of her eyes doesn't quite scratch the itch - he needs the real deal. Imagining Leizu's manicured nails testing at his skin has the hair along his arms and neck standing upright.

Seth lets her order rest for a beat before he steps further into the office, sinks down onto one knee and then two exactly where she points. He suppresses a grunt. Balancing his weight between two bony points hurts a lot more than it did when he was young, but it's a pain he bears willingly... Leizu has a frightening beauty that can only truly be appreciated from this angle. He tips his head back to look up at her, subtly wary, and suddenly speaking feels a lot like walking on thin ice. "You're already upset, Ms. Leizu? Record timing, even for me, huh?"

[jin-leizu]

He goes down without a word of complaint. Leizu settles back into her chair with a sigh, ignoring him. She often doesn't dignify Seth with a response, unless she's asked him something directly. Waking up her computer, she types a few short phrases into it, bringing up the document she was looking for. "How has business been, Mr. Van Meter?"

Leizu never had any qualms about mixing business with pleasure. Indeed she finds the two quite a heady combination. The idea of Seth on his knees, trying to focus on something terribly mundane while the ache grips his knees and she doesn't give him even the least little courtesy of looking at him... well, it makes her cross her legs a little tighter.