Conversation Space II.

[powersthatbe]

As Thorne shared with the network, Travelers who vanish find themselves alone in a small room. But it doesn’t look quite as described last time. Paper lanterns hang in the corners, and a lemniscate of live, spicily scented blue roses traces a figure eight on the floor. A little marble plinth sits beside the looping roses, with a champagne flute balanced on it, pink, fizzy liquid quietly effervescing within. In place of the throne that was there before, each half of the loop holds a brown leather sphere - a yoga meditation-ball chair. They’re a little tricky to balance on.


The walls, floors, and ceiling are tiled, a prismatic fade from one color to another, each tile unique, just slightly different in hue than those around it, each colored line giving a sense that it belongs to a bigger pattern, but never revealing enough to allow anyone certainty about what that pattern might be. It is only a glimpse of a larger world… in this small, quiet space.

Comments

[cupidand]

She gives him an oddly sincere smile. "You know, I don't think a lot of people would be willing to consider Malbolge's good points, much less you Travelers."

[fridgeninja]

"Most people don't have voices in their head hinting about how they can get closer to the devilish people in their life," he explains, holding out his hands in a 'what can you do?' gesture. "There are people I won't try to reason with - but only when it's urgent, or after I've gotten to know them."

[cupidand]

Psyche smirks. "Is that what you call it?" she asks, low and teasing.

But then she shakes her head. "Zey're only acting according to zeir nature. Just as I am. Just as any of us are. And just between you and me... zeir nature can be pretty fun sometimes."

[fridgeninja]

Despite himself, a faint smile threads across Souji's lips. "I'd like to think that's true of everyone," he says, glancing up as he thinks to watch her reactions more closely.

[cupidand]

"You're a good kid," Psyche says, looking fondly back at him. "I think maybe you're my favorite Traveler. Don't tell the others."

[fridgeninja]

"I'm pretty bad at keeping secrets," he says, truthfully but also impulsively. "Do I get something, for keeping this one?" There's a hint of teasing in his tone, if she can pick up on it.

[cupidand]

She laughs. "Do you want a kiss? I'd offer more, but I think your girls wouldn't like to share you with anyone but each other."

[fridgeninja]

Souji freezes, surprised, then his expression eases and he ponders a moment, body language slowly uncurling.

"... That sounds interesting," he concedes, after a moment. "If you'd like to kiss me, then yes, I'd like that too."

[cupidand]

She sets her flute of champagne down and saunters over to Souji's own loop of roses. She stoops down, tipping his face up with her fingers, and brings her face down, pausing a few scant inches from his mouth.

"Last chance to back out, kouhai."

[fridgeninja]

"Backing out isn't really something I do," he breathes, meeting her eyes evenly, otherwise waiting in stillness.

[cupidand]

She kisses him, then, sliding her fingers into his hair, probing delicately at his mouth in hopes of opening it.

[fridgeninja]

He makes a surprised, interested noise against her lips, opening his mouth against hers obediently, pliant and exploratory, moving slowly as he kisses back. You can learn a lot about someone by following their lead in a kiss, and he wants to do exactly that.

[cupidand]

She's bold, certainly. There's a deep wellspring of passion to her, as she mold her body to him. Not surprising. Love and passion are part of her idiom, so to say.

She may be backing him toward a wall.

[fridgeninja]

That's... interesting. He'll permit himself to be maneuvered, for her body to push up against his - academically, it's a good way of figuring out how human her body is, when some of the others weren't, quite. And he'll kiss back still, generous, submissive without being passive.

[cupidand]

She seems closer to human than some--but there is that near invisible seam running down her body to contend with, and the fact that her skin is just a little too smooth. On the other hand, she certainly has a certain human body part, if the way she's grinding against him is any indication.

She pulls back a moment to give him space to breathe, and then--

"We're not done with you yet," she--they--say as they pull apart into twins: each taking one side of him, returning to kissing his face, taking turns with his mouth. Now the pressure against his thigh is only on the right side.

[fridgeninja]

That is surprising, and very interesting, and he's tempted to investigate - also a trifle flattered and overwhelmed - but at the back of his mind, he's conscious that there are boundaries, and he's already very much in the fuzzy undefined area between acceptable and problematic.

He kisses them each more actively now, hands moving up to cup one cheek, then the other, and after one long kiss with each, slides a finger up in front of his lips as a silent interjection

[cupidand]

They step back.

[fridgeninja]

"Much more and I'll have a hard time explaining this to my girlfriends," he manages as he revovers his breath and straightens his glasses. "Maybe... some other time?"

[cupidand]

They condense back to one woman. She slides her hand down his cheek. "All right," she says. "I'll see you after my first match," she promises, with a disarming smile. "Either for celebration--or consolation."

[fridgeninja]

"I'll be looking forward to our next meeting," he says, with perfect honesty. "Give my regards to MALBOLGE, and SOL and LUNE as well, if you speak to them."

I FIGURED THIS WAS A GOOD TIME TO WRAP UP THE THREAD

[cupidand]

"I shall," she promises. Then she darts forward to give him one last light kiss upon the cheek. "I'll be waiting."

And then, without further ado, he's back in liminal space.