he doesn’t crumble like the others. doesn’t fall for the pretty threats, the implications for more — he doesn’t bend to her will when she touches him. where others have fallen to their knees for a taste, he stands somehow indifferent, and it is — well.
infuriating as it is attractive. she itches to get under his skin, wishes there was a button she could press, but there isn’t. or at least it’s not one she can find easily. the woman pauses for a second, considering him, before making her decision.
❛ on second thought, why don’t we do this now. i’m a busy girl, midnight snacks are reserved for really good sex or really good food, there is no in between. ❜
she tugs him back inside her apartment instead of leaving as she’d planned, setting the bag and keys back down on the table. kicking off her shoes she settles down cross legged on the couch, motions for him to do the same if he wishes.
❛ i need your — help. with a chess game i’m playing. ❜
the word help feels funny on her tongue, and her discomfort is clear enough on her face when she says it. doesn’t help that it’s him she’s asking help from, but the discomfort doesn’t stop her from asking.
❛ there’s a party i’ve been invited to, though truthfully it’s more trial than party. i am there to be judged in front of a large number of — uh. let’s just refer to them as my peers for the moment, makes it easier. they’ll be watching every move, every word, everything i do. it’s honestly the last thing i’d want to be doing on a friday night, but i don’t have a choice. ❜
a clawed hand runs through her hair, a familiar gesture tainted by the slight furrow of slim brows and red lips pressed into a thin line.
❛ here’s what i want them to see. i want them to think that i’m frightened of them. i want them to think i brought a ‘date’ in order to cover up the fact that i actually brought someone along to protect me — so that i could hide the fact that i am not strong enough to defend myself. that’s not what they expect to see. ❜
she absentmindedly begins to twirl a curl around her finger, looking up at him to gauge his reactions every so often.
❛ they expect to see me trying to compensate for all the years i thought i was human, they expect me to try to bully them into being afraid of me. they expect me to come through the doors with nothing but my ego, pride, my stubborn determination and nothing else. they expect me to fake it till i make it. ❜
truthfully that’s exactly what she wants to do, but wars are not won with brute force — but are won with the right strategy, as she is beginning to learn.
❛ i don’t want to do that. i want to look weak instead, i want to be underestimated, it’s the best position to be in strategically — and i need you to help me complete that look. you are gonna look like you could kick everyone’s ass and i’m going to look like i might need you to do that because i can’t do it myself. i’m too human still, i’m not enough, i’m easily killed. i want them to think that. ❜
uncrossing her legs (fidgeting, another old habit), she pulls them up to her chest until she can rest her arms and then her chin on her knees while watching him.
❛ as for making it worth your while, i can only say that you’ll have the prettiest girl in the room on your arm, you’ll get a night’s worth of entertainment, and if all goes well — ❜
there’s a pause, a moment of reflection and a weighing of options.
❛ — your compensation can be whatever you want. name your price, and i’ll pay it. tell me what you would consider appropriate compensation for this, and i’ll do my best to meet your demands. ❜
❛ questions? thoughts? suggestions? if one of those suggestions is you telling me to fuck off, i understand and will do as asked and you won’t hear another word about it. ❜
THE ABRUPT CHANGE in destination created a crack in his otherwise cocksure demeanour, bewildered by how quickly the previously outlined plan had been abandoned and how expeditiously their route shifted from the car back into her apartment. a crudely-formed hypothesis considered the possibility that the catalyst had been something he’d said, a social fallacy that had emerged when he’d misread the severity of the situation. flippancy may not have been the most appropriate response but until she offered further elucidation, there wasn’t any real way of knowing better. although she had yet to lean into melodramatics for an appeal for his attention, the effort would have proved to be redundant and needlessly gratuitous; she already had his interest.
regardless of his willingness to entertain her pending proposal, sheer curiosity alone was more than enough reason to warrant his attendance as the invitation to take a seat on the couch was accepted. visibly did he get comfortable in preparation for clarification to come, shamelessly embracing her overt need for his involvement and lending an open ear to the subsequent details of her endeavour. what had started as a frivolous approach quickly became more subdued as it became apparent that the matter carried a great degree of significance. with shrewd commentary stifled for the time being, all she had left was his undivided focus.
periodic nodding testified his attention’s continued investment, a reminder that a conscious effort was being made towards understanding her species’ politics and her current standing within its hierarchy. there were admittedly a number of factors to consider, even though it was clear that she had spared him an unabridged history and opted instead for a truncated narrative -- hardly the standard pitch for a casual night out, but he’d heard worse.
already had he begun to mull over the possible disadvantages and consider the drawbacks of the described event. finite knowledge about her nature posed enough of a hindrance on its own but to be exposed several more of her kind was a little disconcerting, if only for the uncertainty that was tethered to the foreign situation. he preferred to know how to keep his head above water when he was haphazardly thrown into uncharted waters; he preferred to know whom and what he was dealing with beforehand. unversed in the intricacies of her species, he would’ve been more ignorant than most of the attendees at the party and that fact alone elicited a pang of vexation. fortunately for him, the counterpoint that he would have an expert on his arm for the duration of the evening did manage to quell a growing inkling of disquietude. she wouldn’t have brought it up unless she had a great deal of faith in him to make the exact impression she’d described.
❝ ------------- well, I have a lot of thoughts, some questions. still working on the suggestions. ❞ suspended breath left him in extended exhalation, thumbs massaging into the meat of the other hand’s palm before leaning forward and musing aloud, ❝ this must mean a lot to you, though, if you’re willing to give me anything as compensation. you don’t exactly strike me as the kind of girl who makes those offers often. you really need me for this, huh? ❞
an attempt at some levity was made with a halved smile while a moment of rumination came to pass. her success was reliant on his well-being so there wasn’t much logic in withholding information or otherwise throwing him to the proverbial wolves. it was a promising tactical gambit but it would only work with their collaboration. thus far, between the two of them, the playing field seemed fair and the chess pieces were primed for movement. not to mention, if anything were to go wrong, he reserved the right to withdraw his attendance for the sake of self-preservation -------- always the underlying clause.
❝ i can appreciate what you’re trying to do and i gotta admit, it’s a good strategy if you’re looking to get the upper hand. i could play it up, work that angle for you and really sell it. honestly, on paper, it sounds like a good time to me. ❞ the evolution of his smile brought teeth to flash, a brief glimpse of a grin meeting her eye as a pressing follow-up question was voiced, ❝ anything else i should know going in? code of conduct? a dress code, maybe? lay it on me. i want to know exactly what i’m getting into before i set foot in that room. the last thing i want is a last-minute surprise. ❞
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