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( if that wasn't entirely true, she'd be offended. the philosophy of "the cheapest drink with the highest percentage" is a good one when you're just looking to get drunk and burn off the energy remaining from your trip back.

(and a shower. she does have enough manners to not turn up without at least washing the grime off.) )

Took a month to figure it out. ( a lot of bruises and even more time on her ass, and she's still nowhere near where she wants to be with this skill. the trip up to the roof took enough energy as it was.

(the parkour is easier right now. just maybe not with wine and pizza.)

she takes another bite of pizza, chewing slowly, thoughtfully. treading water, huh? that's very much her lifestyle, if she thinks about it too much. drinking just enough to keep from dreaming, keeping her head above water by grasping for ways to keep busy. but Rei... )

Always thought you'd be sunbathing poolside.

( he hasn't really shown many cracks before this — even back in the cave, mutually agreed silence notwithstanding in her own mind — so, in the words of her mother: what's up, buttercup? )

Edited (can't do it i can't have her say what's up buttercup no matter how funny it is to me) 2021-05-30 11:29 (UTC)

[Rei laughs dryly at Kate's impression of him. That's certainly the persona he's crafted for himself-- she has that much nailed.]

Maybe so. [Still....

he takes another drink.]

...Kate. You've made hard choices before, right?

Yeah.

( are there people who haven't? they must truly be living blessed lives. or sheltered ones. )

Scale of one to ten. How hard?

( she's going to take a wild guess that it's on the higher end of the scale if he's taking so much time to talk about it.

but at least that time gives her a second to take a swig of white wine. ugh. tastes like vinegar (all wine does on some level, fight her), but that familiar burn of alcohol is a promise of a blissfully quiet night asleep. )

Oh, ten. [He stares out at the horizon, thinking back to the realization that he could no longer be a father to his sons.] But that part's long past, mostly.

[Rei can't help but laugh to himself again, the noise just a halfhearted breath of air. This is real cringey shit. He wouldn't dare breathe a word, even in this vague bare-bones fashion, in front of anyone from back home. There's some comfort in speaking to someone who could never influence things. How embarrassing.]

The real bitch is when other people get their own ideas about it. You know.

( ten, huh? when was the last time she made a choice that felt so hard?

hm. doesn't matter. that's not a path her brain needs to go down. better to concentrate on what Rei's saying, on taking another bite of pizza. )

Thinking they would have a better solution? ( would have made different choices? easy to point out all the alternatives when you're treating it like a thought experiment. )

Something like that, yeah. [The look Sasara gave him when the truth fell from his lips will stick with Rei for a long time. And now, of course, the damn kid knows more than he should, which is a liability, and Rei's plans are getting messy, and he's stuck here in Avalon unable to do shit about it... eugh.

But the worst part is frankly Rei discovering he actually cares, even a little bit, about what Sasara thinks of him.

Rei sighs, sounding amused.]

It's just a pain in the ass. [Another long pause-- this pizza is good.] Seriously... The hell is that.

That's pizza.

( she isn't one to grin, but there's an amused twinkle in her eye as she says that. she's not sorry, it was right there.

but first, before she says something honest — god forbid, and fuck you very much Rei, why and how do you manage that, even when all she was planning on was a chill evening talking about nothing important and getting drunk? — she's going to take a drink of wine.

a very long drink of wine. )

The box is open now. Can't take back the fact you both said, did — whatever — some shit. ... 'Cept with magic, probably. Wouldn't recommend it. ( what would Jay say in this situation? c'mon, Galloway. channel your inner shirtless hunk of muscle. ) Guess what really matters is figurin' out why their judgement bothers you so much.

( like, some random on the street saying they could do it better might be annoying, but it ultimately doesn't matter. it's not worth getting yourself bogged down about. but a friend, a family member? that might be different. she knows she'd shrug off the opinions of everyone back home if they weren't named Jay or Marc. and even with those two, there are things they'll never have the framework to understand, places where their judgement is, ultimately, irrelevant.

it still bothers her to know Marc would have a conniption if he knew she assassinated people earlier this month, or that she set fire to a building, but the only reason he's bothered is because she's done her damnedest to make sure he doesn't have to make those decisions for himself. )

Would it bother you if it were anyone else in this place sayin' the same thing?

[Kate may not be the type to smile or laugh, but Rei certainly is. He takes her quip with the humor it deserves, then listens to the rest of her probing in silence.]

I get what you're saying. [The mortifying ordeal of being known by people you care about, and all. Rei is no stranger to the idea of emotional liability—social engineering is a key part of scams, after all— but damn it, it's annoying to find himself more prey to it than he thought.]

Ah... the human condition. [Rei looks her in the eyes finally, tapping his fingers bemusedly on the wine bottle.] Can't live with it, can't live without it, huh.

( the tables have to turn sometime, Rei. sorry. gonna have to figure out how to handle that side of the relationship. at least it means she doesn't have to feel under scrutiny this time.

(that happens all too much when she's around him, but for once there's no magic making things needlessly complicated.)

his eyes catch hers and she quickly turns her head. this is awkward and real in a way so many things here aren't. she's done well to keep herself wrapped up enough that there are few people here she'd truly miss if they disappeared, and those that make that list are there by and large because they're comfortable enough to pass the time with. like losing a favourite television programme or when a nice pair of jeans gets irreparably ruined.

it sucks, but you know you'll find something to replace it soon enough.

but... ugh. she thinks she might have to call Rei an actual friend. this is the worst. )

We're social animals. ( she tips the base of her bottle of wine towards him, in something of a toast. trust her, she's spent a majority of her life trying to pretend she isn't, and days of solo exploration outside the city only helped her remember how shit spending time with nothing but her own head for company is. ) Y'know long-distance trade were happening 130,000 years ago?

( podcasts. you learn some wild shit. )

Oh yeah? Fancy that.

[Rei watches her avoid eye contact with his usual half-smirk. They're on the same level about these kinds of things—arm's length is close enough— and it makes Kate easy to talk to... but she's certainly more bitter about it than he. (Rei is more resigned to it. No sense in wasting time worked up about his own choices.)

He looks away again.]

That'd be a big undertaking back then, right? [Finished with the pizza, Rei reaches into his pocket for a smoke.] Makes you appreciate humanity's progress.

( if she has to spend 20 years in Avalon, maybe she'll get there. but that isn't the case yet, and the bitterness largely comes from being locked away from the two people who she did allow closer than arm's length.

... never mind. if she keeps letting her thoughts drift to Marc and Jay, she'll never get to sleep. )

Assume so. ( did they even have the wheel back then? the podcast didn't go over that. ) Point is... people need people. ( yes, she's aware of the irony of this statement coming from her, but she's particularly aware of how comforting the company of another is after her time away. ) Might say it's for resources or whatever but...

( oof, hold up. she's gonna need more wine if she goes down this alley. she is not talking this deep on a third of a bottle. that's more an empty bottle conversation. )

Ugh. Y'get what I'm saying.

( which is, how would these ancient people from times before TVs, phones, or even a bike (probably) know they needed these resources from places nearly 200 miles away.

they can't have wanted that when they went out that far.

they wanted... something else. to know what and who else is out there. )

[Rei laughs then, surprising himself enough to blow out the lighter he was trying to light his cigarette with.]

Can't believe I'm hearing that from you of all people. [Again-- it's a dig in syntax, but his voice is too fond for it to have any bite to it.]

Guess there's still some idealism in you yet, huh, Kate-chan?

( she could argue the point more than simply flipping him off, but it isn't that important. what she said was true and applies even to her, despite her best attempts to seem otherwise.

besides, she's drank just enough to admit ignorance on one ever present, niggling little detail. )

The hell does "Kate-chan" even mean?

( because the only time she's ever heard the word "Chan" is in regards to surnames, and even she knows that can't be it. )

Ah? [That's right... that part doesn't quite translate, does it! It's been a while since someone asked; he'd nearly forgotten.]

It's your name, of course. [Snort.] With an honorific attached.

[HES NOT EXACTLY BEING HONORABLE THOUGH]

( no shit and here she thought her name was Bob. )

What, you're calling me "Miss Kate"? ( she glances at him out of the corner of her eye and takes another drink. ) ... Weirdo.

( does this mean she should be calling him "Mr. Rei"? or worse, "Sir Rei"? )

You're not wrong... [On either count, lmao.]

But it's more like... [He swirls what's left in the wine bottle and tilts his head to look at her, expression coy.] 'Cause you're a pretty little thing.

( well, he's right, even if she'd argue being called little. ~~she could still snap his neck if she felt like it, tyvm.~~ Kate turns her head in Rei's direction, allowing silence to reign for a moment while her eyes linger, just a bit too obviously, on places that are not his face.

... not that it's the first time she's done that, either. he's hard to miss at the gym. )

Guess everyone's little when you're built like that.

( she allows herself one more glimpse and takes another drink from her bottle. )

[Rei's chuckle is deep in his chest, just a low rumble. He's seen that glance from her before... but honestly, it's probably hard not to get an eyeful when his chest is usually right at eye level for her.] Glad to know you've been looking.

[Tilting himself towards her Rei leans back on one hand, the other holding his cigarette between his fingers.]

You don't have to be sneaky about it, you know.

[what's a little sexual tension between friends?]

( she's doing the city a service. does anyone really need Rei walking around with an even bigger ego because ladies are checking him out even in that outfit? )

You should pay more attention.

( rolling onto her side, Kate props herself up on an elbow as she speaks. true, she has been reasonably covert with her glances, but never let things like the reality of a situation get in the way of a flirty dig. )

Heh, sorry. Maybe I was indulging in a little peeping myself.

[With Kate lying on her side, Rei lets his eyes settle on the curve of Kate's waist and hips before he meets her eyes again. Blatant.]

( admittedly, the leggings and sports bra combination was pulled on with regard for nothing more than what was comfortable and in reach, but the way it clings to her body and frames her abs... well, clearly that's working too.

first things first, though, is doing away with the dregs of this wine, leaning back slightly as she tips her head back and lets the last of it roll down her throat.

enjoy that view, Rei, because it's a particularly good one. )

That all you plan on indulging in?

[That's an invitation if Rei's ever heard one. And seen, honestly; Kate's languid pose is enticing, an easy allure he's not about to deny.

Cigarette abandoned Rei leans over her, framing her body between his arms. One elbow bends, bringing him closer, close enough to feel her breath on his face.]

Come here.

( ah.

well that was more swift than she anticipated. and leaves her in this half trapped position that has a few ways of escaping, none of which would particularly favour the course of events she'd like to happen right now.

(is it a smart decision? probably not. does it even crack her top five of bad decisions? not by a mile.)

there's a moment of nothing, dark eyes flicking from the space between their chests to his face, sharp despite the booze running through her, calculating moves just in case. (always just in case.) the heady scent of cigarettes wrapping around her, and it's suddenly so much warmer with him blocking out most of the night air. )

Am I a dog? ( the affront in her tone is little more than superficial, words perfunctory and easily betrayed by the way her free arm snakes up around his neck and pulls him in for a kiss. )

[Rei does not bother with a comeback; Kate's lips keep him from needing one. Her defensive quips are cute enough, but right now he'd prefer her mouth be occupied with his instead.

Kate's arm presses against his neck with well-defined muscle. Something about it is satisfying, a pleasant weight putting him right where she wants him. This kind of vulnerability is much easier than the kind they'd skated by just before, he thinks; perhaps that's true for the both of them.]

...Well, it did work...

[Okay, so maybe he did have a retort to murmur against her after all.]

( his vulnerability is much more pleasant than the previous edition, that's true. she's still not fully comfortable like this, and there's a small voice in the back of her mind making comments about how drinking on a roof and fucking a friend is the kind of thing that should have been left behind in adolescence, but she's never been one for paying that voice much mind.

too sensible. and she doesn't feel like being sensible tonight. )

Would have happened anyway.

( generally, when you roll on top of a girl, she's either going to kiss you or knee you in the dick, so. kisses are the better option. the softer option. the one which results in her hands finding edges of clothing and curling into them, holding him still as she arches upwards. that particular scent, taste of cigarette smoke mixed with cool night air is offset by the sharp tang of cheap wine and the warmth of his breath, her lips parting as her knuckles brush, quite deliberately, against the bare skin just above where her fingers dig into his collar. )

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LMFAO "(kate voice) buttercup" is killing me

one day. maybe.

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hey nic can you stop writing novels of introspection? nope

prints it out and eats it 🥺🥺🥺

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irreconcilably curses this thread ☠

👀💦

🍆🍆🍆

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throws this tag into the ether and goes to confession

(proZD voice) oh they fuckin

at least i made the good decision of uploading all her ho icons

in the nick of time!!! dklksdsdlfsdf

the thirst always knows. i hate that they're going to snark their way through this.