D a t e d

[suupaisu]

Always amusing. Funny how quickly they could turn on a dime. Half a mind of his was ready to pull off protection and continue to force her weakness with unyielding eyes. But, this too could be made an advantage. As aloof composure hides unwavering confidence- only made worse by insistence. "..What is there for a playboy to learn? Tact?" Fangs might've been retracted in favor for calmer tones, but dare not forget who she spoke to. Spice was still very much at his core, if but only for her.

It's takes only a request to pull out such a flame, as weight shifts. Push back against, send reeling. The advantage was his, so he continues to press it. And press against. With her back forced upon cushion, he nears closer to source despite blinding. Feeling around for face, perhaps sneaking around a bit before reaching. And settling on chin, till pressing nose. "Remember who chased who, Angel." Lift fingers slightly, as stare is still focused. The look she may had forgotten.

[hazardia]

(( ☼ Tact? No amount of tact could save him from his own ego. He's not smirking, but she can feel his confidence crawling up her hands and arms, probing her nerves. "For the playboy persona you had, I don't think you actually ever used any of your techniques on me. So you'll have to forgive me if I feel a little left out. Between us, it was always more... 'forget him, get with me'." Now that she thinks about it, she wonders what it felt like to be on the receiving end of his charms when it was purely frivolous and fun.

A small 'eep' escapes as his shadow looms over hers. She can feel herself losing this power struggle. Yes, she invited it, but she didn't think he'd actually follow through. She just assumed he'd veer toward his trademark line of, "that's stupid", and refuse to play along. The songstress' heart stops mid-beat, the whites of her eyes rounding out as her pupils dilate on his. "?!" Her inner thoughts become a screeching kettle. Lightheadedness, dizziness, and clammy hands hit her all at once as he lands a critical blow to the weakest part of her mind. "W-Wait. Time out... time out! You can't just..."

[suupaisu]

The flirt had never truly dissipated. A different persona had been required to achieve goals before, and in doing so he'd adopted to a calmer composure. Matured, sarcastic, and calculated. Yet roots were still very much mischievous. In moments like so, a kindling and spark could set aflame. "There was a reason, remember? My personal rule: never take a taken women." However.. circumstances were different.

After all, she was his women. If she means to test temperance then he best not disappoint. Guard lowered, fingers sneak. Underneath grasp that intended to blind, pushing back. Behind her head and pinning into place. Eyes narrowing, glance given is all too familiar in format to. Lower. Near lips, testing nerves further. Cheeks exposed weakness, flustered display akin to blood in the water for a predator like himself. Mouth opens he leans in, but narrowly avoids. To ear, as only breathing graces for now. Steady. Calm still, in contrast to beating heart of other. As hips move to press weight, fingertips under chin lift. Angling so words could slip easily within ear. "--Can't take you right now? Oh, but I can."

[suupaisu]

"I didn't know you like the greaser eightys type. Here I thought I had you pinned for the gangster type." Dress slacks with the shirt, vest and button up. At least if he remembers their first Halloween, and how physical the sight then had made her so.. vivid. "Red? It be yellow obviously." It's only their color. To pick any other of the loud type felt like an injustice more than anything. "Sure. You make it seem you don't already borrow some of my older clothes." Emulating high school life was she? Well, that was fine he guessed.

Testy, wasn't she? Ever the threat, when given the chance. "I find they fall off easier these days. Maybe my hair has gotten a bit too thick." Taming it was becoming harder and harder, even for his type. "Maybe. Maybe you're just a hopeless romantic." As if those stories she reads on the side were some secret he didn't know. Pinch would keep in line however, before shaking off. Right on cue with instigation, as a pause settles silence. "Wouldn't you like to know? Oh but what's the fun in just talking about them?" Implicate further. Call her bluff. As hand returns to chin, his stare reserving no weakness.

[hazardia]

(( ☼ "In my head, the ideal man is in a black leather jacket with a grey urban hoodie lining the interior. Cute snapback hat. Perhaps he's rocking a ponytail..." Or even just a hoodie with fitted jeans and sneakers. Realistically, she'd find a majority of her tastes in his current wardrobe as is. ...Maybe she's biased. Biased for his type. But wouldn't you know? Here she is, in the middle of admiring him through her rose-colored glasses when he rudely calls her out for being a "hopeless romantic". Wait, more importantly, how does he even know about her tastes in literature?

She's not sure if it's because she generally maintains the mature and ice-cool visage in front of him or if it's because he's staring at her with an unprovoked level of intensity, but her skin starts to flare red and her lip trembles out of embarrassment. "You— who said you could tease me?!" Both of her hands fly up to cover his eyes, but she can't hide how flustered she sounds. "You can't weaponize your face like that against me... who do you think you are? One of the protagonists of my little silly novels?" That means he knows he's usually the stencil of those subjects in her mind. "...Did you pick up anything from what you've seen? You know, like..." Swoon tactics? Insidious messages hidden in subtle touches here and there? Keeping his eyes blocked, she slowly leans in until her breath can be felt against his lips as a whisper. "Like the exciting stuff."

[suupaisu]

Always amusing. Funny how quickly they could turn on a dime. Half a mind of his was ready to pull off protection and continue to force her weakness with unyielding eyes. But, this too could be made an advantage. As aloof composure hides unwavering confidence- only made worse by insistence. "..What is there for a playboy to learn? Tact?" Fangs might've been retracted in favor for calmer tones, but dare not forget who she spoke to. Spice was still very much at his core, if but only for her.

It's takes only a request to pull out such a flame, as weight shifts. Push back against, send reeling. The advantage was his, so he continues to press it. And press against. With her back forced upon cushion, he nears closer to source despite blinding. Feeling around for face, perhaps sneaking around a bit before reaching. And settling on chin, till pressing nose. "Remember who chased who, Angel." Lift fingers slightly, as stare is still focused. The look she may had forgotten.

[suupaisu]

A familiar tactic wielded by the other. Tempered by patience accrued with time, it does little to discourage or dissuade the man. Allow other the opportunity to collect them self, to settle their thoughts. And when ready, allow them to approach. A tried a tested method, that works to his prediction. Voiced complaint however does make him pause step, as focus and reason occupy to aid wounds shown. "..If a stone is weathered down, and chisled from it's original form, is it no longer a stone?" Wager a bit of thought before answer, as glance is kept away.

"Or despite it's changes, is it not a stone still regardless of those changes?" Perhaps it has a different name. Or even a different form. But, it was still a stone. "Liyue will grow as it always have. With, or without Rex Lapis. And at its core, it will always be attributed to Rex Lapis." Thus make her peace with the thought before turning, as tucked papers are slotted into side. One more thing. "...Has he not taken many forms before? Who is to say he is not walking among these crowds to this day? Or do you not believe in reincarnation, Miss Ganyu?" Perhaps he was closer than she could ever imagine.

[hazardia]

Truth. Logic. Sensibility. The ever-enigmatic pandora's box of a consultant in front of her seems as grounded as the earth he references, with hardly a flicker of emotion in his impenetrable stature. "...Of course, it is still a stone. Even when it has been ground to naught but dust in the wind, it will always be a stone to those that remember it." The wind nips at her bare skin. "In the thousands of years I have lived, I will admit to having occasionally seen ghosts lingering behind unfamiliar eyes. However, rather than hope that he lives yet in a soul reborn, I feel it may simply be better to embrace what he has left behind and remember his existence as what he left it as."

It's what she should do. She knows it to be true. Emotions are always an incorrigible thing to grapple with, are they not? "...But I still miss him terribly, Mr. Zhongli." In the end, she was simply overstepping her boundaries as his loyal retainer. When he stepped away, he cast a light on the citizens of Liyue he'd long shielded with his own back. It exposed their strengths but revealed her weaknesses. Had she always been so selfish? Feeling the ground beneath her feet again, she approaches him. "How would you advise I move forward, Mr. Zhongli? You are a consultant, are you not? Please consult me. Tell me where to begin."

[suupaisu]

A bit of misplaced faith and misunderstanding in the title, but transgressions had admittedly tied his hands. Situation had fallen on his own hands, after all. So tuck them behind his back, and continue their stroll. They'd reach destination in no time at their current pace and distance, so set goal a bit further. To the piers end, to which a view could be enjoyed while talk is had. And voice is finally extended, both apologetic but corrective.

"My advice is strictly cultural and business, miss Ganyu. I cannot speak to the affairs of adepti, much less of the Archon them self." Tuck himself behind curtain, as identity still is concealed. But. Consider it a responsibility, if not own sympathy. Personal feelings, that made him step a bit further. "But, if you mean to speak of it as one person to another..." A pause, as thoughts gather. "Perhaps gather your words. Prepare for the day. If your loyalty is not to waver, then look for him. I feel my words would not hold the same weight as his."

[suupaisu]

Is it a leash? He doesn't view it as such in truth. Are shackles still shackles if self induced? Or is it a choice to be better, consciously made. "If I need to do something like that, I wouldn't be much of an artist at that point would I?" No.. Sooner a sex worker he'd say. A rather expensive one at that. Still, a bit odd. Despite a likely truth for some time, to hear was.. strange, to say the least.

A fair point. An artist turned model? Fame translated without the need of desperate means. Still, as any irritational worry there is no logic to follow. Just a typical concern, settled by other's words. Eased by kisses, as hands rest upon waist idly. "Black leather jacket? I'm not that kind of biker." He's not that old yet. That insecured in his confidence. "Sooner a colorful hoodie. Like one of those dramas." If that was her implication. Idle brushing comes to a slow as teases follow, a pinch into side. "Hard to think of you as the type that needs defending. If anything, I'd be worry for the other person." Lest she forgets prowess. "No fights. I don't want to see you on the drama feed for 'Rouge vocaloid pulls another's hair out' or anything like that."

[hazardia]

(( ☼ "Eh?" Eeehh?! "What's wrong with black leather jackets? They're not old at all." Showing her hand a bit clumsily, it seems she really enjoys the aesthetic. Just a simple, black one. It doesn't need zippers or chains or tacky pins! With his ponytail, he'd look so good... If she rides behind him, there's no way she'd be able to keep her hands off of him either. A pout. "Well, I suppose louder colors would be alright. Just don't do red. You can't have your heroine laughing because you decided to save her wearing a Kool-Aid man cosplay. And you have to promise me you'll let me wear them."

Turning around, she lazily straddles him and runs a hand through his bangs. "Although baseball caps do go well with colorful hoodies. I haven't seen you in that look in a while, but it always suited you. Your bangs would always poke out and I always had the urge to pull on your ponytail." Moving from a brush to a pinch to his cheek just as he had done to her waist, she scolds his mischief. "There's still something very charming about saving someone that's plenty capable. I'd play the part of a damsel and faint in your arms out of relief. Maybe give you a reward." Wondering if he'll take the bait, she leans a bit closer. "So what kind of poses would you like to see?"

[suupaisu]

"I didn't know you like the greaser eightys type. Here I thought I had you pinned for the gangster type." Dress slacks with the shirt, vest and button up. At least if he remembers their first Halloween, and how physical the sight then had made her so.. vivid. "Red? It be yellow obviously." It's only their color. To pick any other of the loud type felt like an injustice more than anything. "Sure. You make it seem you don't already borrow some of my older clothes." Emulating high school life was she? Well, that was fine he guessed.

Testy, wasn't she? Ever the threat, when given the chance. "I find they fall off easier these days. Maybe my hair has gotten a bit too thick." Taming it was becoming harder and harder, even for his type. "Maybe. Maybe you're just a hopeless romantic." As if those stories she reads on the side were some secret he didn't know. Pinch would keep in line however, before shaking off. Right on cue with instigation, as a pause settles silence. "Wouldn't you like to know? Oh but what's the fun in just talking about them?" Implicate further. Call her bluff. As hand returns to chin, his stare reserving no weakness.

[suupaisu]

Of course not. It's not like he welcomed or encouraged the behavior. Simply a nature of the business for some, and more so for him. "I kicked it back, if you're wondering." Still, a snort. There's some amusement in her disgruntled reaction, though he knows better than to poke at further. Just this was enough to sate his mischievous tendencies. Let thought be reserved on more serious subjects, as other brings into focus a very subtle reality.

"Hmm. Careful, you're reminding me of Tei." An ironic avoided mistake, never made even with extensive rapport. "Guess it goes without saying for you, huh?" A question best left unanswered, even if he likely knows the truth behind. Still, it leaves him with a slight disdain if but because the idea. "People taking advantage of their power over others, yeah that seems par for the course." Always the looming threat. Adjusting ever slightly his positioning, he decompresses a bit. Pursed lips, slowly coming around. "Although, I wouldn't mind if you did a few poses for me. I do like the thought of that." Still a flirt, but with only one target. Narrowed eyes dismiss if but to ease any tension formed. "Stay out of trouble, yeah?"

[hazardia]

(( ☼ "...You didn't have to, you know." Amused as it may be to imagine him acting like a self-defensive puppy without her around (especially with how he used to behave when he didn't have that invisible leash on), he still should keep his good rapport among the fans. "To be honest, I didn't think I'd ever see the day I could say this to your face and mean it, but I trust you. You don't have to explain anything to me. Do what you need to, be friends with who you want to, just... you know." Love her and only her. "Only have eyes for me."

It... sounds stupidly corny to say out loud, doesn't it? A ticklish sensation pricks at her cheeks and she whiffs her face away from him. "Anyway. It hasn't exactly happened to me; or rather, there haven't been any successful attempts. I'm already famous. They're the ones lucky to be photographing me, aren't they?" Tough words with an even more impenetrable shell of confidence to guard them. Rin leans her back into his chest and lifts her arms, wrapping them around the back of his neck so she can kiss the bottom of his chin. "Besides, I have you on speed dial. If I called you and asked for help, you'd come bursting through the doors on your motorcycle like my knight in a black leather jacket, right?"

[suupaisu]

Is it a leash? He doesn't view it as such in truth. Are shackles still shackles if self induced? Or is it a choice to be better, consciously made. "If I need to do something like that, I wouldn't be much of an artist at that point would I?" No.. Sooner a sex worker he'd say. A rather expensive one at that. Still, a bit odd. Despite a likely truth for some time, to hear was.. strange, to say the least.

A fair point. An artist turned model? Fame translated without the need of desperate means. Still, as any irritational worry there is no logic to follow. Just a typical concern, settled by other's words. Eased by kisses, as hands rest upon waist idly. "Black leather jacket? I'm not that kind of biker." He's not that old yet. That insecured in his confidence. "Sooner a colorful hoodie. Like one of those dramas." If that was her implication. Idle brushing comes to a slow as teases follow, a pinch into side. "Hard to think of you as the type that needs defending. If anything, I'd be worry for the other person." Lest she forgets prowess. "No fights. I don't want to see you on the drama feed for 'Rouge vocaloid pulls another's hair out' or anything like that."

[suupaisu]

@hazardia

Ever the daydreamer. Faintly reminiscent thoughts tug on his sleeves to unfold his arms, but as always his restraint in such moments is arrivals. Offer only his glance as she paces and trails off, a faint smile hinting much but little at the same time. "The lord who has faded, and in doing so allowed Liyue the opportunity of it's own future?" A genuine thought, though he expects no answer for his question. It's intention was only to create thought, where it seemed absent from decay.

"While your loyalty is admirable, Miss Ganyu, perhaps a deeper consideration should be contemplated." Who is to say what disobedience was? What he would've wished? Without showing hand, that is. Regardless, he accepts paperwork and completion of transaction. Walking over to door, hand outreaches and prys it open, before waiting for other. "Let us, then? The market will soon be busy, if we do not arrival within a timely fashion."

[hazardia]

Everywhere is the same; everyone is the same. Must they all treat her Lord as if they had no memories of him being alive and well just some moons ago? There's a flicker of displeasure in the half-adeptus' fleeting glance, but it flutters away as if it were a trick of the eye. However, her silence strikes his words down and leaves only the sound of heavy footsteps as they pace toward the harbor. She's even keeping two steps behind him, sights cast on their shadows as she recalls how gracefully she has accepted how others viewed the Lord of Geo until now.

Why is it that she finds it difficult to tolerate now? She is fully aware that his rhetorical query held no intentions beyond gentle encouragement, but... "Mr. Zhongli." She stalls her steps and focuses on her feet, coming to a complete stop. "May I be honest with you?" Allow her a moment of vulnerability? "It is true that Liyue has prospered in his absence. I understand that this is what he wanted and that I am to be proud of the citizens who have bravely ventured forth. ...But sometimes, I..." It's difficult to swallow. The words catch dryly in her mouth. "There are times I cannot accept that he has left m—" Me? "...— us behind."

[suupaisu]

A familiar tactic wielded by the other. Tempered by patience accrued with time, it does little to discourage or dissuade the man. Allow other the opportunity to collect them self, to settle their thoughts. And when ready, allow them to approach. A tried a tested method, that works to his prediction. Voiced complaint however does make him pause step, as focus and reason occupy to aid wounds shown. "..If a stone is weathered down, and chisled from it's original form, is it no longer a stone?" Wager a bit of thought before answer, as glance is kept away.

"Or despite it's changes, is it not a stone still regardless of those changes?" Perhaps it has a different name. Or even a different form. But, it was still a stone. "Liyue will grow as it always have. With, or without Rex Lapis. And at its core, it will always be attributed to Rex Lapis." Thus make her peace with the thought before turning, as tucked papers are slotted into side. One more thing. "...Has he not taken many forms before? Who is to say he is not walking among these crowds to this day? Or do you not believe in reincarnation, Miss Ganyu?" Perhaps he was closer than she could ever imagine.

[suupaisu]

Strain still, felt a bit of a hindrance. But such were the terms and conditions they found themselves in. Till improvement can be made, at the very least. Really, if only day shows were more a thing.. lost in thought her ambush catches him but he does little to fight, if anything sneaking his own attic by sweeping feet off the ground whilst picking up. "Maybe considering stealing some day naps yeah? Better than losing all your sleep staying up."

Hardly ideal, but rarely were things so. Carry back to couch then, as so they could mutually indulge the view beyond the glass. "Hmm? Little to note. Although do think someone threw their bra on stage." Ever the rowdy bunch some people were. Mix liquor and judgment leaves the room quick. "No, I didn't keep it if you're wondering." While he shouldn't need to, a sense of obligation does come with noting such things. "Does wild stuff like that even happen to you while modeling?" When given thought.. most he could thought of was a nip slip.

[hazardia]

(( ☼ The skin between her brows scrunches up as she visibly models her distaste with a near-comical scowl. Of course, she isn't actually mad at him. Or jealous. She's just discontented by the audacity of people who'd have better luck staring into their phones watching people swipe left on their profile pictures. Scoff. "I miss the era when people just thought you were cute and tiny. I feel things have gotten more troublesome since you've gotten older. I mean, I'm proud of you and I'm elated my boyfriend is so popular, but..."

Mumble, mumble. It sounds like she's arguing between her better judgment and unsung woes as his girlfriend. "The modeling scene is far more private in nature. ...Although that brings issues of its own. One model, a secluded room, an artist who may or may not have other intentions when they tell you to pose a certain way... Photographers can become obsessed if someone becomes their muse. Fame is attached to photographers; so the morality of the room can shift to a gray shade rapidly if the conditions are right."

[suupaisu]

Of course not. It's not like he welcomed or encouraged the behavior. Simply a nature of the business for some, and more so for him. "I kicked it back, if you're wondering." Still, a snort. There's some amusement in her disgruntled reaction, though he knows better than to poke at further. Just this was enough to sate his mischievous tendencies. Let thought be reserved on more serious subjects, as other brings into focus a very subtle reality.

"Hmm. Careful, you're reminding me of Tei." An ironic avoided mistake, never made even with extensive rapport. "Guess it goes without saying for you, huh?" A question best left unanswered, even if he likely knows the truth behind. Still, it leaves him with a slight disdain if but because the idea. "People taking advantage of their power over others, yeah that seems par for the course." Always the looming threat. Adjusting ever slightly his positioning, he decompresses a bit. Pursed lips, slowly coming around. "Although, I wouldn't mind if you did a few poses for me. I do like the thought of that." Still a flirt, but with only one target. Narrowed eyes dismiss if but to ease any tension formed. "Stay out of trouble, yeah?"

[suupaisu]

@hazardia

Ever the daydreamer. Faintly reminiscent thoughts tug on his sleeves to unfold his arms, but as always his restraint in such moments is arrivals. Offer only his glance as she paces and trails off, a faint smile hinting much but little at the same time. "The lord who has faded, and in doing so allowed Liyue the opportunity of it's own future?" A genuine thought, though he expects no answer for his question. It's intention was only to create thought, where it seemed absent from decay.

"While your loyalty is admirable, Miss Ganyu, perhaps a deeper consideration should be contemplated." Who is to say what disobedience was? What he would've wished? Without showing hand, that is. Regardless, he accepts paperwork and completion of transaction. Walking over to door, hand outreaches and prys it open, before waiting for other. "Let us, then? The market will soon be busy, if we do not arrival within a timely fashion."

[suupaisu]

@hazardia

Becoming a bit of a trend, hadn't it? The later shows leading to even later arrivals, the veil of darkness when he returns becoming thicker in pitch. A cost of business, he could justify. But it does little to quell uneasiness that perhaps, consideration for should go further. A note made as lock turns, door opening to figure positioned comfortably as one could upon their furniture.

A bit of a surprise, but not unwelcomed. Drop off things in their respected locations as to make as little a mess, before deciding to approach. Still, if but to be polite he'd speak up without delay. "Still up, huh?" Really, he almost rather she didn't. Such a sight only marked further he felt job was becoming a bit of a burden.

[hazardia]

(( ☼ It couldn't be helped, could it? For two people to coexist with some semblance of financial independence, it had to be done. It's not so much that she didn't mind more than it was she understood. It's not as if the light in her eyes has died, or her smile has gone away. Both still illuminate in his presence when he comes home, although the sparkle in her eyes seemed to compete with the city's lights outside. She rises, both arms opening wide as she stretches onto her toes to wrap him in an embrace.

"Mm! Welcome home, Len." A nuzzle to the bottom of his chin. "Some nights are a little more sleepless than others, but since I have the day off tomorrow, I figured why not? Besides, I got to see you come home." The whites of her teeth peek out for a grin. "How'd the show go?"

[suupaisu]

Strain still, felt a bit of a hindrance. But such were the terms and conditions they found themselves in. Till improvement can be made, at the very least. Really, if only day shows were more a thing.. lost in thought her ambush catches him but he does little to fight, if anything sneaking his own attic by sweeping feet off the ground whilst picking up. "Maybe considering stealing some day naps yeah? Better than losing all your sleep staying up."

Hardly ideal, but rarely were things so. Carry back to couch then, as so they could mutually indulge the view beyond the glass. "Hmm? Little to note. Although do think someone threw their bra on stage." Ever the rowdy bunch some people were. Mix liquor and judgment leaves the room quick. "No, I didn't keep it if you're wondering." While he shouldn't need to, a sense of obligation does come with noting such things. "Does wild stuff like that even happen to you while modeling?" When given thought.. most he could thought of was a nip slip.

[suupaisu]

@hazardia

Becoming a bit of a trend, hadn't it? The later shows leading to even later arrivals, the veil of darkness when he returns becoming thicker in pitch. A cost of business, he could justify. But it does little to quell uneasiness that perhaps, consideration for should go further. A note made as lock turns, door opening to figure positioned comfortably as one could upon their furniture.

A bit of a surprise, but not unwelcomed. Drop off things in their respected locations as to make as little a mess, before deciding to approach. Still, if but to be polite he'd speak up without delay. "Still up, huh?" Really, he almost rather she didn't. Such a sight only marked further he felt job was becoming a bit of a burden.

[hazardia]

Him​.

As they say, it’s hard to be something you’re not. Blank stare is response to statement, before eyes roll. “Sorry for being attractive. They quite literally made me that way.” Sarcasm is anything but, as the irony of it unfolds with passing thought. “Ha. You make it seem like I intended from the start to make you mine.” Believe it or not, it was the farthest thing from the truth. “While I didn’t initially intend it, guess I already knew from the start that friends would never be a reality for us.” Considering his repressed emotions then with a balance of her approach, in a way it made for the perfect storm of.. whatever now was.

Together? Steady? Happy? Haha, he doesn’t really know. Just enjoying the day by day, as he thinks it should be in all honesty. “Suppose that much I was right about.” One of the few and far between matters. “Hey, blame the others. If they weren’t so incompetent I wouldn’t had appeared competent to begin with.” There’s humor to be found in the thought, but trudging onward. “Oh was the last few hours not it? What else did you have in store?”

(( ☼ Rin likes hearing him talk. Even if the story was one they’d probably retell over and over again as time goes on, she’ll be taken by it every time. Her hands absentmindedly find his, and proceed to weave themselves in and out, interlocking here and there as he goes on. “I would’ve never imagined you were capable of doing it. I remember I used to have all these aspirations of who I was going to be and where I’d be at this point of time before — all of which suddenly changed with your introduction in my life. I might not have them anymore, but I’ve realized that’s not something to be sad about. Because it means I’ve found a new dream. One I’m living right now.”

        The plush of her lips curl into a serene smile as she flushes them against the back of his palm, the round of her cheeks a peachy pink. “I’m glad you decided to be so relentless back then. You’ve motivated me to become a better person over time.” Leaning in even closer, she cups her hand by his ear and whispers as quietly as she could, “ — I love you.” Breaking away as quickly as she said it, she doesn’t so much as leave the couch. She simply rummages in the drawer beside it, and pulls out a stack of papers. They’re music sheets. Turning back to him, she fans herself with the alleged gift, as if it’d blow the color on her face away if she tried hard enough. “So… I composed some songs! I haven’t sung in a while, but I… really wanted us to sing together again. Um. Do you want the happy one or the sad one first?”

[suupaisu]

Ah. There it was. Blink and one would miss it. However, he wouldn't instigate or tease on the matter. Just a pull onto lap once she turns back around, bringing other closer while the moment was still fresh. Band behind neck brings ear to lips, slipping own. "-I love you too." Before he releases, allowing other to continue with her ploy. "You actually composed songs?" Huh. He's never even bothered with the idea admittedly, all things considered. "Here I thought we just read our lines from ghost writers." At least for him, that much was the truth.

Never the less. He'd oblige of curiosity what she came up with, since this much was anything but expected. "Start on a sour note and work your way to a happy one. Always had a preference of pushing through the pain first and then being rewarded." That much should be obvious to, as he takes sheet of papers to examine for himself. Huh. "Did you want me to grab the guitar? I can't promise to be good on a song I don't know yet though."

[hazardia]

Him​.

Haha, friends. Hard to say if he even knew what that was like. “Consider it a cost of doing business. Wants come at a price, and sometimes it’s not so apparent at a glance over.” Like she said, eventually they’re so far off they become forgotten to time. “While I can’t speak for my own, maybe there’s some worth in it for you. Despite it all, they’d probably still recognize you. That’s more than I could say.” It’s a sad tale, but a common one for most. “Though, would wonder if they approve of the new you.” People are bound to change, and sometimes for others it’s not for the better. “Would that sway you?”

Empty joke really, but never the less. “Well, from my perspective them you were the leading example. For what it’s worth, even back then I did try to be a bit more.. restrained?” Hard to say now considering everything and how things ended up but ha. It is fun to recall, as he leans back. “Pretty sure I told you of my rule back then. Never chase a taken girl. Realistically it was what warded me off for so long.” Effective, but self inflicted. “But yes. You always seemed out of reach. Too good even, compared to myself. The most popular girl in class, to put it laughably.”

(( ☼ Was this Len’s way of making her feel better? Silly man. It’s evident that he’s not an expert in the field of cheering people up, but there’s something valuable in the way he tries despite being the pessimistic type. “That’s what they call the silver lining, right? Even if, by some miracle, they haven’t shut down and came back all at once and to decide I’d changed too much, I wouldn’t mind. I’m happy, and it took me a long time to get here. Sometimes the best way of showing growth is wishing for others’ success from a distance, however success may be defined to them.”

          They were all so… woeful back then. It felt like everyone was fighting a losing battle. Still though, she felt sorrowful on Len’s behalf. Sure, he was a bit rougher around the edges and only knew how to speak prose around women, but to have never had a lasting bond anywhere else? “To be fair, I tried to be that forever friend to you, but I was the last one you wanted to fill that role. My intentions toward you were completely pure, you know?” Then he kept pushing, planting a rose of a hypothetical in her mind that ended up growing thorns around her conscience in a vice grip. Rin wraps her arms around his shoulders and offers a peck to his cheek. “Maybe that’s your flaw of being fatally attractive. What you needed to do, was scruff up your hair and wear those dorky, thick, foggy glasses. They call them nerds, I think? Tuck your button-up shirts into your pants, act super awkward… then you would’ve found some friends. Anyway. Do you want your real present?”

[suupaisu]

As they say, it's hard to be something you're not. Blank stare is response to statement, before eyes roll. "Sorry for being attractive. They quite literally made me that way." Sarcasm is anything but, as the irony of it unfolds with passing thought. "Ha. You make it seem like I intended from the start to make you mine." Believe it or not, it was the farthest thing from the truth. "While I didn't initially intend it, guess I already knew from the start that friends would never be a reality for us." Considering his repressed emotions then with a balance of her approach, in a way it made for the perfect storm of.. whatever now was.

Together? Steady? Happy? Haha, he doesn't really know. Just enjoying the day by day, as he thinks it should be in all honesty. "Suppose that much I was right about." One of the few and far between matters. "Hey, blame the others. If they weren't so incompetent I wouldn't had appeared competent to begin with." There's humor to be found in the thought, but trudging onward. "Oh was the last few hours not it? What else did you have in store?"

[hazardia]

Him​.

That song almost made his own look appropriate considering the difference in landscape. Roll of shoulders noted indifference or rather preference to leave history where it was. “Different times.” Enough of a thought given to that, and on to the next. Huh. Wasn’t that amusing. “I hated that song. Maybe it was just because it fit with my conscious back then but even looking back can’t say I remember it too fondly.” Likely her previous reference, all considered. Though yes, that bit was still indeed history. Funny how that much worked out.

“If that was your intention on emulating when we were in that era, I’d say you were dead on. After all, you always carried that almost haughty air about you.” Better than others, even if the intention wasn’t to be haughty that much did struck at times. “In fairness, that was a good thing. My usual slick antics didn’t work on you.” Snort. “Maybe that contributed to your charm. A sort of.. unobtainable treasure.” Too good for, that much was sure.

(( ☼ Haughty? The mere implication of it may have struck a cord with her back in the day, but now, it makes her chuckle. “That’s a new one. Of all the things I was called, I don’t think haughty was among them. I think the biggest accusation anyone made against me was when they called me a goody-two-shoes, or a thief. I always attracted attention I didn’t want when all I wanted to do back then was mind my own business and take care of those closest to me.” 

         Those closest to her, hm? “…I used to have a lot of them.” Of the many things she tried her damnedest not to pay mind to, that was one of them. Time and change are notorious predators against promises, but it stings to think about how the bonds she thought ran thicker than blood thinned out into nothingness. “People I used to think I was fated to always be with. Not in the romantic sense, but those I shared my pains and sorrows with, and them with me. Like my old group of friends. Not the guys who wanted more, but you know. People like Yukari, Teto, Kaito, Mikuo. It’s odd. It makes me sad, but I think I was the one who left them behind. I chased so hard after my own happiness that I didn’t even turn around to see if they were still there. I just kept going, and before I knew it, they were gone.”

[suupaisu]

Haha, friends. Hard to say if he even knew what that was like. "Consider it a cost of doing business. Wants come at a price, and sometimes it's not so apparent at a glance over." Like she said, eventually they're so far off they become forgotten to time. "While I can't speak for my own, maybe there's some worth in it for you. Despite it all, they'd probably still recognize you. That's more than I could say." It's a sad tale, but a common one for most. "Though, would wonder if they approve of the new you." People are bound to change, and sometimes for others it's not for the better. "Would that sway you?"

Empty joke really, but never the less. "Well, from my perspective them you were the leading example. For what it's worth, even back then I did try to be a bit more.. restrained?" Hard to say now considering everything and how things ended up but ha. It is fun to recall, as he leans back. "Pretty sure I told you of my rule back then. Never chase a taken girl. Realistically it was what warded me off for so long." Effective, but self inflicted. "But yes. You always seemed out of reach. Too good even, compared to myself. The most popular girl in class, to put it laughably."

[hazardia]

Him​.

Huh. When put into perspective, they sound oddly familiar. “You took one too many ideas from our song writers I see. This sounds like one of our many strange duets we’d be forced into doing.” Well, at least back in the day. Less so now with how careers and the times have diverged but none the less. “Maybe you should just become a writer or something. Sell your obnoxious ideas for others or something like that.” It be a bit more difficult than modeling for sure, but considering her imagination these days it wouldn’t be too far from believable. Right though, suppose he could’ve guessed that one. “Maybe someone who shares your enthusiasm on the matter might make it more appealing. After all, no one likes a dead fish.” Side insults aside, a pat down is response to aggression, as he submerges in thought again. “Funny how things work on. Can’t say it was a future I predicted.”

(( ☼ “Haha. I did secretly enjoy dressing up and getting into character for those songs. At first it was a little uncomfortable, but I think putting myself in those imaginary shoes taught me about the ‘heart’. Quite literally! Kokoro will always have a special spot in my memories, and Adolescence probably taught me about ‘desire’. …Even if the theme was, you know.” Ahem. “I think the only one that I really hated doing ended up being one of my most popular ones. Daughter of Evil? I kept counting the minutes until it all ended.” Hm. There was another one. “You’d think Spice! would’ve taught me jealousy, but no. It was actually ‘It’s a Cat’s Life for Me’. I used to envy Gumi a lot, you know? I was always so used to singing duets with Len that, when he got paired with someone else for once — someone I already wished didn’t exist in my younger mind — I was scared that he was going to be ‘stolen’.” Her journey for maturity was paved with thorns more than roses. 

           Wasn’t one of his own romantic rendezvouses with a Gumi model? “Me neither, to be honest. If I told younger me that things were going to be like this in ten years, I wouldn’t have believed myself. Both the idea of us dating and how I ended up becoming. I think I was a stickler back then for chastity and all that. Virtuous, pure, simple and clean.”

[suupaisu]

That song almost made his own look appropriate considering the difference in landscape. Roll of shoulders noted indifference or rather preference to leave history where it was. "Different times." Enough of a thought given to that, and on to the next. Huh. Wasn't that amusing. "I hated that song. Maybe it was just because it fit with my conscious back then but even looking back can't say I remember it too fondly." Likely her previous reference, all considered. Though yes, that bit was still indeed history. Funny how that much worked out.

"If that was your intention on emulating when we were in that era, I'd say you were dead on. After all, you always carried that almost haughty air about you." Better than others, even if the intention wasn't to be haughty that much did struck at times. "In fairness, that was a good thing. My usual slick antics didn't work on you." Snort. "Maybe that contributed to your charm. A sort of.. unobtainable treasure." Too good for, that much was sure.

[hazardia]

Him​.

So much for enjoying each other’s company. More like being horny to her last breath. An ironic complaint from an ironic source all things considered. Suppose he’s already resided himself to this fate. “You’ve been reading too many of them I see.” Word for word. Were these romance stories or eroges? Beginning to sound like the latter more than the former. “That sounds like a plot of one of them now that I think about it. You imply as if I stay in this field for the fame or something.” More a passion and income than anything else, as he makes room for albeit cautiously. Sooner pull a quick one on him, if given the chance. “Besides. You should sooner be making a list than fantasizing. I heard the real thing tends to be better than imagination.” Poke into sides, as he places dish to side. “A dressing room wouldn’t be difficult. They have do no disturb signs for a reason.”

(( ☼ She’d be hurt by him treating her like the monster under his bed if she didn’t find it the slightest bit ticklish. Hmph. She’ll show him; she’ll behave. The top of her noggin drills into the underside of his chin. A defiant and oddly combative way of snuggling. “The ‘list’ would take us an infinite amount of reincarnations to achieve and we’d have to undergo career changes and meet each other without fail every time. Some of these are period pieces, others are like, ‘angel falls out of grace and is banished from Heaven, and tries to bargain a way out of Hell with the Devil! But he’s a harder challenge than she thinks!’ …Things like that.” You know, she’d never felt any shame for any of her literature choices until now. Saying them aloud seems to have given the fluffy cupid in her head a voice. She bites the air when he pokes her ticklish side as a warning not to do it again. “I’ve already done the dressing room one before. It wasn’t that great, but you’re free to try to overwrite that experience.”

[suupaisu]

Huh. When put into perspective, they sound oddly familiar. "You took one too many ideas from our song writers I see. This sounds like one of our many strange duets we'd be forced into doing." Well, at least back in the day. Less so now with how careers and the times have diverged but none the less. "Maybe you should just become a writer or something. Sell your obnoxious ideas for others or something like that." It be a bit more difficult than modeling for sure, but considering her imagination these days it wouldn't be too far from believable. Right though, suppose he could've guessed that one. "Maybe someone who shares your enthusiasm on the matter might make it more appealing. After all, no one likes a dead fish." Side insults aside, a pat down is response to aggression, as he submerges in thought again. "Funny how things work on. Can't say it was a future I predicted."

[hazardia]

Him​.

Consider it the aftermath of a poor upcoming, with his past experiences taking much of the credit of his inability. Or maybe his robotic heart did lack that range of emotions. Huh. Well regardless, allow her a moment to complete tangent before offering his stare unamused as ever but letting her enjoy spotlight. At least until he almost chokes on his food at her shamelessness, just slightly taken back by her words. “If you were attempting to reassure me I don’t think you made it better in all honesty.” Better off ignoring that bit, as question is posed. “Call it a labor of love.”

Or something corny like that. “It helps to know a few tricks to be able to use when the time calls for it.” Double meaning conceals itself in a thin layer, gobbling up what he had left contently. Activity had worked his appetite it went without saying. But as he laid back full and happy, a bit of afterthought rings before soothing over. “Guess it’s just something I kinda expected. After all, I knew plenty who ran their course before getting content. Then again, not sure I’ve ever met another with a drive match my own.” Best it really, but he won’t confess that.

(( ☼ “Hehe. I’ll push you to an early retirement, I’m sure of it. We’re going to be that old couple taking a stroll in the park, except I’m going to randomly pap your rear while you’re admiring the cardinals in the trees.” Do people actually ever age away from their natural inhibitions? Rin’s always had a bit of a mischievous streak, diluted as it occasionally gets. Her body follows his cue and slacks with his, though she seems insistent on sticking to his side like a cactus ball. “In an alternate universe, I’d be your music manager and we’d do all sorts of scandalous things off-stage and tour country to country non-stop. …Honestly? I’ve taken to reading a lot of romance novels lately. I can finally have someone to imagine myself with in those scenarios instead of just feeling lonely after I’m done with them.” 

[suupaisu]

So much for enjoying each other's company. More like being horny to her last breath. An ironic complaint from an ironic source all things considered. Suppose he's already resided himself to this fate. "You've been reading too many of them I see." Word for word. Were these romance stories or eroges? Beginning to sound like the latter more than the former. "That sounds like a plot of one of them now that I think about it. You imply as if I stay in this field for the fame or something." More a passion and income than anything else, as he makes room for albeit cautiously. Sooner pull a quick one on him, if given the chance. "Besides. You should sooner be making a list than fantasizing. I heard the real thing tends to be better than imagination." Poke into sides, as he places dish to side. "A dressing room wouldn't be difficult. They have do no disturb signs for a reason."

[hazardia]

Him​.

As if to imply they weren’t going at it like beasts in heat just moments before. Romance tends to bow out to desire when the two duel for control. No need to make things further messy to say the least. “Would you like me to say thank you very every little thing?” A genuine question, albeit somewhat beside her. “It’s not to say I don’t notice those things or appreciate them if you’re inferring that, guess take my appreciation in the form of reciprocation.” The willingness to do more himself, to take lead on subjects and plan ahead. Stuff that would normally go against his default nature, but he makes an exception for her. “Besides. You always look pretty and or cute. Just some days more than others.” Now for example, versus her lazing a day away in pjs.

So much for enjoying meal. Agenda noted, he tempers to match tone with stronger tones himself. Hmm. “No. There’s nothing wrong with wants.” As a former indulgent member of debauchery, he hardly has room to talk. But, in a way it gives him more insight than most on the issue. Minding leg placement, he pulls her more onto if she’s to insist with said games. “Just don’t ignore the limits, you know?” Eventually walls would be hit. Specifically his own supply at the rate she drains him. Besides, “Try not to make it too boring for yourself in due time yeah? Be a shame as you got older the only way you’d get off is with triple penetration or something else of that obscurity.” Imagine everyone has a threshold. Eventually everyone reaches, just most don’t have to wait as long as them.

(( ☼ They’ll enjoy the meal, they will! Especially now that he’s fed her the compliments she was looking for. She sits on him happily, smiling cheesily from ear to ear as she sways back and forth. “Hehe. Always?” Now, “I know I do. But you know? It feels different when it comes from you, even if we live together and see each other every day.” There’s a bit of a white lie there. Rin’s narcissism is a mimicry of the confidence she wants to have; there are plenty of days she feels that tug at her conscious when she looks in the mirror, especially being in the industry she’s in, even if she never voices it. Even Len couldn’t tell with how well she keeps it under wraps. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, snuggling close. 

        “I’m just saying, the occasional compliment feels nice. It’s like you’re doing the same thing you do every day, but sometimes someone shouts, ‘nice job! I like what you’re doing!’. Except that person makes your heart beat a little faster, and you feel yourself almost trip on yourself because it gives you that giddy little feeling… and you think, ‘wow, I really like this person. I want them to look at me more.’” Or is that just her? She wouldn’t be surprised. Sometimes she thinks Len has a sack of potatoes where his heart should be. Either way though! She’s being too cheesy! She feels herself blush around the ears at her own words, and she nudges his cheek with a hand to divert his attention while she grabs the plate of lasagna. “Don’t be silly! You’ll be the only one to get me off forever and ever. I’ll never accept anything that’s bigger than you inside of me, that isn’t being done by you. Anyway, I didn’t know you could cook lasagna. Isn’t this a lot of work?” Still seated contentedly where she is, she starts to stuff a big forkful into her right cheek. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but the mound doesn’t even get a chance to shrink before she’s suddenly stuffing her left cheek with another forkful.

[suupaisu]

Consider it the aftermath of a poor upcoming, with his past experiences taking much of the credit of his inability. Or maybe his robotic heart did lack that range of emotions. Huh. Well regardless, allow her a moment to complete tangent before offering his stare unamused as ever but letting her enjoy spotlight. At least until he almost chokes on his food at her shamelessness, just slightly taken back by her words. "If you were attempting to reassure me I don't think you made it better in all honesty." Better off ignoring that bit, as question is posed. "Call it a labor of love."

Or something corny like that. "It helps to know a few tricks to be able to use when the time calls for it." Double meaning conceals itself in a thin layer, gobbling up what he had left contently. Activity had worked his appetite it went without saying. But as he laid back full and happy, a bit of afterthought rings before soothing over. "Guess it's just something I kinda expected. After all, I knew plenty who ran their course before getting content. Then again, not sure I've ever met another with a drive match my own." Best it really, but he won't confess that.