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[groundzeroes]

🗲 ❝Yo. It's me.❞

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[morns]

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?

[groundzeroes]

[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.

hey nic can you stop writing novels of introspection? nope

[morns]

( 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. )

prints it out and eats it 🥺🥺🥺

[groundzeroes]

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.

[morns]

( 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. )

[groundzeroes]

[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?

[morns]

( 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. )

[groundzeroes]

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]

[morns]

( 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"? )

[groundzeroes]

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.

irreconcilably curses this thread ☠

[morns]

( 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. )

👀💦

[groundzeroes]

[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?]

🍆🍆🍆

[morns]

( 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. )

[groundzeroes]

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.]

throws this tag into the ether and goes to confession

[morns]

( 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?

(proZD voice) oh they fuckin

[groundzeroes]

[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.

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

[morns]

( 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. )

in the nick of time!!! dklksdsdlfsdf

[groundzeroes]

[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.]

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

[morns]

( 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. )

Would you expect anything less 🤪

[groundzeroes]

Ahh, of course. [Rei chases Kate's breath, taking advantage of her open mouth, his sentence left half finished.

The hand Rei's not balanced on follows the curve of Kate's back, tracing out her spine. She's so much smaller than him... his hand, splayed wide, covers so much of her skin, cool from lying on the hard surface of the roof.

When they part Rei's grin returns, sly as always.]

Kate-chan doesn't like being told what to do.

I mean no but good lorde

[morns]

( she's fine with that. fine with silence (but for the distant noises of things and people who are not them, a low din melted into the background, irrelevant but ever present) in exchange for kisses and the subtle flush of warmth provided by the existence of another body within her space.

people need people, she'd said earlier, and that is universally true. even she feels that keening ache of isolation when there's nothing but herself and the wilderness. or when there's nothing but herself and her apartment, chores or weather confining her to a small box for unforeseen hours.

here and now, the world is just them, just two people in need of... orgasms. distractions.

connections, tethering them back to earth for whatever purposes they need to be. his hand is an anchor when it presses against her spine, slips past the scant fabric there and brushes over old scars until his fingertips catch - whether incidentally or not - the deepest part of the curve and get rewarded with a particular little gasp against his lips that breaks the kiss.

if he's looking hard enough, he may just notice a tinge of pink dusting the high points of her cheeks. )

Usually... ( ah, god it's effort to keep her voice from going too breathy when his hand is splayed right there, dancing along a sensitive expanse of skin and throwing another dimension of clarity on the topic of just how small she is in comparison. ) ... I'm the one giving them out.

( it's much more fun that way. )

[groundzeroes]

That so? [It's so cute to see Kate unravel, even if it's just a little. Her voice is always so curt, so irritated... hearing it take on another timbre at his hands is addicting. He wants more— wants to relish every sound, every expression, every crack that forms in her facade.

Rei pulls her close, body to body, fingers pressing into the pliant muscle at the small of her back. His voice is low, smooth.]

Then tell me what you want.

[morns]

( she'd be irritated right now if it didn't feel so damn good. he's too pleased with himself, but the way his fingers dig into her skin has heat pooling low in her belly and it earns a soft hiss of air and her hand reaching up to tangle in his hair with a single firm tug. )

You need to get off me first.

( there's a few things she has in mind, ideas which have lingered on nights alone and distracted her from time to time when they run into each other, but given their current location... well. certain things are tried and true. they work for a reason, especially when certain people are too large for their own good.

not that she's naming names here. )

[groundzeroes]

["Pleased with himself" is perhaps the perfect description of Rei. He feels pleasantly warm, partly from the alcohol and partly from the arousal; Kate's body against him is solid and grounding, a physical comfort in the here-and-now. It's a nice change from... whatever he was mulling over, before. All other circumstances have fallen away.

He chuckles lowly at the surly delivery of her request, though. Ah, there she is.]

Yeah, all right.

[Rei steals one more kiss before finally rising from his position. The motion is languid, slow, like a big cat at rest.

He glances up at the large tree that makes up the corner of Phoenix Roost's infrastructure. Its canopy stretches overhead, branches arching down to filter the view of the roof; sighing, he scoots a little further under its cover, then turns his piercing gaze back to Kate.

That lazy grin of his is firmly affixed as always. Well?]

[morns]

( well, he's more obedient than she expected. or perhaps just more curious. that's not a bad thing, just something she's going to file away in the back of her mind. she props herself back up on her elbows and shifts onto her feet in one smooth movement, watching him rather than the architecture of the Roost like he's something to sink her claws into.

(perhaps he is.)

she doesn't make her way over immediately, thumbs hooking under the waistband of her leggings, quickly doing away with both them and her shoes, leaving them behind with the empty bottles and the half-eaten pizza. her steps, for once, are slow and deliberate things, a simple but effective show, hips swaying as the low moonlight illuminates things just enough to show off the lines of ink which curve over her thigh and up to her hip, where an oddly drawn little cat has decided to slumber for the night.

it's only as she (finally) settles into Rei's lap that Kate reaches up and tugs her hair out of the bun it had been thrown up into on the way here, damp curls falling over her shoulders as she grabs him by the collar and pulls him into one more kiss. )

That's better.