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+---- Thread: just us girls (/showthread.php?tid=9778)
just us girls - Dahlia - 07-11-2024
[say]"I'd like to speak to Lady Midnight, if you please."[/say]
Times have changed since Dahlia last visited this place. Where once her feet were bare and her clothes ill-fitting, now she arrives dressed in all the finery Stormbreak has to offer, her dark blouse sprayed with silvery constellations, her skirt tight-fitting and accentuating every available curve. Sapphire and silver drips from her ears, neck, hands and wrists, and though the receptionist before her seems as though he might melt in her presence, she's nothing if not gently insistent.
[say]"Now,"[/say] she prompts, raising her dark brows and nodding for them to scurry off and find Hotaru before the Reaper gets bored and decides to make her own entertainment. Which, let's be honest, might be genuinely thrilling for those in attendance at the House of Midnight. Then again, it might be a living nightmare. Who can say?
RE: just us girls - Hotaru - 07-11-2024
The employee that Dahlia sends scurrying is thick-tongued and wide-eyed when he finds her; Hotaru touches his shoulder with a warm smile and no shame as she compels her way toward deescalation. [say]"Calm down. I will go meet her - just keep my friend here company, okay?"[/say] Winking at the patron she'd been entertaining, Hotaru excuses herself calmly and winds her way back to reception to finally meet Dahlia for herself.
In contrast to Dahlia's dark palette, Hotaru is all golden hues. Her skin is warmed by the gossamer ivory of her dress, gold dangling daintily from her ears. At their tails, diamonds cast lovely refracted rainbows by the light of her own hair. Dahlia is gorgeous and compelling in person - Remi's portrait had not done enough - but her gravitas is what has the curious cat in Ru sitting up and taking notice. The Valkyrie has managed to avoid the lesson at the end of that old adage for so many years. Why quail now?
[say]"I'm flattered you wanted to see me instead of Sunjata,"[/say] she titters with genuine - if misplaced - satisfaction in her smile, extending a hand for Dahlia to do with as she wishes. [say]"I assume you'll want a room regardless of whether you're seeking business or pleasure?"[/say] Call it blind faith or true love, but Frey and Sunjata insist Dahlia is only as malevolent as any other invasive species, so Hotaru is more inclined to be curious than petrified over a moment alone with the Reaper.
RE: just us girls - Dahlia - 07-12-2024
Letting cerulean eyes rove greedily over the lady of the house as she approaches, Dahlia accepts Hotaru's offered hand with an open smile and a ready clasp of her fingers. [say]"I can see why Sunjata is so enamoured with you,"[/say] she trills in response, nodding and gesturing out into the Hosue of Midnight. [say]"If you'd be so kind. With any luck, perhaps business might be followed by pleasure here tonight."[/say]
Dahlia will follow after the Valkyrie wherever she decides to take them; her gaze this time is more focused on the woman than the environment - this is not her first time in the House, after all, and though the meat of their conversation will have to wait until they are properly alone, she can at least offer something for Hotaru to sample. [say]"I can hardly speak to you about the man himself with him present, can I?"[/say] A soft laugh that turns a few heads, likely for a myriad of reasons.
RE: just us girls - Hotaru - 07-14-2024
Hotaru’s satisfaction is a soft coo in her throat as she tilts her head in feigned bashfulness. [say]“I must say the same - so I hope our business goes well.”[/say] She winks over her shoulder as she leads Dahlia down the hallway. On looks alone Ru would be more inclined to find a compromise to ensure that sort of cherry on top.
It’s a tease of a hint, but it gives her time to consider potential context while finding a vacant room. Crossing the threshold first, Hotaru swiftly shapes it into her preferred meeting arrangement. As the door closes behind the two women and shuts away all prying eyes and ears, the walls fall away into a thick, vibrant forest similar to the Oerwoud. In the center of the ferns and greenery stands a circular table befitting afternoon tea in a lavish garden. There are only two chairs, each adorned with luxuriously plush pillows and tall backs formed by elegant metal latticework.
Sitting gracefully and crossing her legs, Ru motions to the seat across from her. [say]“Well he certainly can’t hear us here.”[/say] Ru folds her hands in her lap, reclining backward into her chair with a curious tilt to her head. [say]“I must say, I’m not sure what I can do for you regarding Sunjata that you couldn’t achieve through talking to him directly.”[/say] Hotaru is a fledgling demigod with no title or (direct) political power. Sunjata has no hurdles to impede his continued alignment with Dahlia. What more can Ru do for the Reaper?
RE: just us girls - Dahlia - 07-14-2024
[say]"What a clever little setup you have. I always forget the House of Midnight is capable of such things,"[/say] Dahlia trills as she enters the room-turned-forest, crossing the ground in a few quick steps to take a seat opposite Hotaru as if they had always planned to carry out their meeting here. Crossing her legs and settling back into the chair, she leaves it up to the Valkyrie as to whether they pour refreshments or if she'd just like to get into the thick of it.
[say]"Oh, come now. I wouldn't say that is true,"[/say] she continues with a cupid's bow smile. [say]"It has merely come to my attention that, through Frey, and by Sunjata's own admission to you, you're now aware of his situation."[/say] She raises her brows, feeling it needn't be said in more detail than that. [say]"I merely came to assuage any worries you might have, and to ask for a small favour."[/say]
RE: just us girls - Hotaru - 07-15-2024
[say]"It's always good to keep a few tricks up our sleeve so our patrons don't grow bored,"[/say] she points out, though she's had far more time to experiment with the rooms than even their most loyal customers. Tea materializes swiftly; Hotaru pours a cup for them both, raising a brow at Dahlia silently while reaching for the sugar cubes for guidance on the Reaper's preferences.
The familiar rhythm of tea-making allows her to move her hands while developing a genuine response. [say]"I am, and although I can't say the idea has fully settled given how recently he told me, I don't mind."[/say] Though Ru's understanding of the effects is limited, her fealty to Frey is absolute; all lingering concerns had been laid to rest by their lack of intervention. [say]"His safety is all that matters to me."[/say] Ru's voice is calm, but her mind's eye swims with visions of cosmos, forcing her to set her cup down lest she shatter it.
[say]"My concern is that a Friend is still not family - and the most powerful here have proven even that label is meaningless, which is despicable."[/say] Being a friend (soldier, lover) of a herald had not spared Sunjata. Hotaru's idea of family is far stronger than what the star-bitch totes around; where does Dahlia sit on that spectrum? [say]"Thank you for putting Safrin in her place, by the way,"[/say] she murmurs with a glint of cruelty in her eye as she reaches with steadier hands to fetch her cup and take a sip. Requested favors can come after they untangle this portion.
RE: just us girls - Dahlia - 07-24-2024
Inclining her head very much yes to the offer of sugar, Hotaru will find that the Reaper's tastes are as sweet as can be, and that goes for pretty much everything life has to offer. Excess and indulgence are her natural state, and she accepts her cup with a smile of thanks when it arrives, blowing on the hot liquid to cool it down.
The porcelain pauses on the way to her lips, however, to hear I don't mind spill from the Valkyrie's own, and cerulean eyes pin her with a mix of curiosity and dark delight. [say]"His safety would never be in question with me or mine own, though I cannot say the same when it comes to anyone who finds out about him,"[/say] she remarks, because Caido does love its goodie two shoes.
Setting her own cup down in echo of the other woman, Dahlia hears her out with a coy tilt of her head. [say]"Alas, Family is Family,"[/say] she agrees with an apologetic shrug of her shoulders. [say]"Sunjata is as close to it as it gets, though, of that I can assure you."[/say] As for Safrin, her laughter is low and amused, as if they have just shared a private joke between them.
[say]"It was a group effort,"[/say] she purrs, [say]"but I will certainly pass along your comments. Although now I find myself in quite the curious position, Hotaru. I came here to ask a favour, but now I wonder if I might do anything for you instead?"[/say]
RE: just us girls - Hotaru - 08-05-2024
Hotaru prefers her tea utterly unaltered to examine the quality of each addition, particular and opinionated in every facet of life. Which is precisely why she rolls her eyes at Dahlia’s addendum, just swift enough for propriety’s sake but communicating her exasperation. [say]“We are unfortunately accustomed to that at least.”[/say] Caido’s staunch black-and-white mentality has vexed Hotaru plentifully in the past, but Sunjata’s nature had led to direct targeting of the Flood for years. The timing of their separation had kept Hotaru under the radar, but she has no illusions of a perfect escape this time around.
[say]“That I can understand,”[/say] she concedes of family superiority, appreciative of the boon Sunjata’s been given while ever yearning for the impossible more. A type of more that may yet be unexpectedly on offer. [say]“I’m sure there’s plenty you could do for me.”[/say] Her crossed leg extends to run the inside of her arch up Dahlia’s calf cheekily despite the unblinking focus of her gaze. [say]“But I’d quite like to be your friend as well. If you find me suitable, that is.”[/say] Vox isn’t entirely clear on the recruitment guidelines, but Hotaru is not in the habit of falling short of expectations.
RE: just us girls - Dahlia - 08-10-2024
Cerulean eyes flash at the bold caress of Hotaru's foot beneath the table, Dahlia's smile curling, catlike and satisfied with the meeting thus far, and they've barely had to do more than chat. [say]"I can't think of anyone more suitable right now to be our friend,"[/say] she purrs. It's true that from a raw power perspective there are the Remi's and Deimos's of the world to consider, but Hotaru is subtle and charming and beautiful in a way that will allow her, Dahlia feels, to go perfectly unnoticed in her walks of life.
What's not to love about that?
Releasing her cup and reaching out to brush her pale fingers against the inside of the Valkyrie's wrist, the Reaper rises to her feet with the intention of drawing the other woman up alongside her. [say]"You may consider yourself under the same protection as Sunjata, when it comes to our Family,"[/say] she says with a smile, her hand sweeping up to Hotaru's shoulder and then the soft curve of her jaw, drawing her into a gentle kiss.
Dahlia has used:
Magic: Sinner's Kiss | Any recipient of a kiss on the mouth from Dahlia is rendered Infected. Infected characters/creatures are very receptive to suggestions and directions from The Family, and are eager to please them. This effect grows stronger with proximity to members of The Family.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
Hotaru receives:
Magic: Infected | Character has been Infected by a member of The Family. Character is very receptive to suggestions and directions from The Family, and are eager to please them. This effect grows stronger with proximity to members of The Family.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered
RE: just us girls - Hotaru - 08-20-2024
Flattery of any kind would have had Hotaru amenable to being drawn to her feet, but curiosity is the final lock that chains her to Dahlia. What lies behind those dark lips and impenetrable eyes? What supposed dangers and devilish intent are to be proven or dismissed once the curtain is drawn back?
Hotaru's chin tilts into the sweep of Dahlia's hand, and though her eyes are open as their mouths gently connect and meld they don't remain that way. Her own hand slides up Dahlia's inner arm to her elbow where she steadies herself. It's a kiss meant for leisure and languishing, and Hotaru does nothing to rush it along.
When her eyes open, any perceived shadows or edges - no matter how small - have washed away from Dahlia like watercolor in the rain, and the Valkyrie smiles, tranquil and certain. [say]"All that fuss over resisting this? I'm sorry we've been such ungracious hosts,"[/say] she tuts, all the more amused by Caido's defensiveness now that the Family's protections have settled around her shoulders. What is there to possibly fear? A favor seems laughable compared to this sort of protection. [say]"Now, would you prefer tea, or a change of scenery?"[/say] Heterochromatic eyes glint in the dappled sunlight through the boughs overhead, unrepentant and definitive - and therefore ready for the far more interesting pathways that lie ahead.
RE: just us girls - Dahlia - 08-31-2024
[say]"Do not put yourself down, Lady Midnight,"[/say] Dahlia purrs, gesturing to the room around them and all that Hotaru has arranged, though she knows well that the other woman likely speaks of Caido in general, rather than this particular household. [say]"Your hosting skills are impeccable, if I do say so myself."[/say] The words are half whispered against the Valkyrie's lips, her nose brushing against the soft silk of her cheek, before she steps back - a tease, a tantalising promise of next time.
[say]"I am a woman who can appreciate any and all pleasures this world has to offer. Why not both?"[/say] Tea and a change of scenery? So saying, the Reaper drops comfortably back into her chair and lifts her cup from the saucer, finally able to bring the sweet liquid to her lips as she glances about, keen to see what Hotaru can do with her mastery over this place.
RE: just us girls - Hotaru - 09-24-2024
The previous thrill of cat-and-mouse now feels like languishing in the tenuous balance of peace between predators with new purple hues to her eyes. It’s delightful. There is so little poise and wit in the people of Caido (or perhaps Hotaru just has high standards and an upturned nose), and the compliments are all the sweeter from someone sincerely impressive.
Of course Hotaru never said anything about etiquette, so as Dahlia sinks gracefully back into her chair the Valkyrie perches on the edge of the table next to her. Just close enough for her bare ankle to continue some form of contact with the Reaper’s neatly folded legs. [say]“A woman after my own heart,”[/say] she purrs, golden hair a cheeky curtain from prying eyes that don’t exist as she leans forward, the forestry around them melting away to form a landscape that only exists in her memories - all the better to woo a galaxy-traveler with.
- Fin