Hey, I'm the one who asked first! Kinda. [ he asked and didn't ask. ]
Buuut. That depends on what a date means to you. I go on all kinds of dates! [ he's a ho because a guy has to survive in a society where men are literal property of women. ]
Some people just want company, others just want someone to hold 'em as they talk 'bout all the crappy things that happened durin' their work week, and other people want somethin extra special~.
So right back at cha! [ he does however, lean back in. not a fraction of an inch, an entire inch. because this is who he is, he doesn't do things in halves. ]
[He closes the distance by a breath, not touching, merely near enough that to show Ramuda he isn't afraid of meeting him in the middle.]
But since you insist that you asked first, it's only fair I tell you what a date means to me. I prefer simplicity: to enjoy the person in front of meā no mask, no pretense beyond the playful ones we choose. To see their colors when they stop hiding. To savor a little honesty... and a little mischief.
[His smile curls wider, just so.]
So then, which version of yourself are you offering me tonight?
I was more honest with you already! [ no one else has seen him be much else other than a cheerful pink who flits around like a hummingbird. there are a few who probably have an inkling that he's more perceptive than he lets on, but that flash of ruthlessness has been for current company only.
all this talk of masks though...man this is giving him dejavu and that makes him feel all ughhhhh. (absolutely none of this shows on his face or in his heartbeat, he's had more than a few years and more than a few bodies to perfect how to control himself--to pick up what should be second nature to him, but isn't.) not that it changes reality though either, that he's at a disadvantage and therefore needs to reach for anything and everything he can grab onto.
in the end, it's not all that complicated. he knows what he's willing to offer and he knows what he isn't, and as long as that line isn't crossed, he'll continue to play. maybe he'll even have some fun. ]
So let's go with mischief ā«. [ it should be no surprise that ramuda isn't shy, so forgive him (or don't) for him closing the remaining distance, mwah. it's a cute kiss, both hands framing lobelia's cheeks with just a bit more force than is required. ]
For now ā. [ out there like a tease, because it is. there are other reflections to him, but if ramuda has his way, he'll always keep the deepest one hidden. ]
But if I warned you, what would be the fun in that? [ he says it with the lilt of a giggle but he doesn't laugh (a near thing, because he is ticklish), the weight of it more solid than any of his airy giggles. he's aware of what position he's in, he's aware of the hands on his own, he's trapped!
but he doesn't make a move to escape, nor does he look uncomfortable. his smile is if anything, amused. this is a familiar place in many ways, and ramuda amemura is equal parts stubborn as he is daring.
[Make no mistake: Lobelia is very fond of secrets. He guards his own like precious jewels, but other people's? Their secrets are poetry, irresistible and intoxicating. Keeping them from him while holding him close will only draw out the very worst in him. But Ramuda knows that, doesn't he? Ramuda courts danger on purpose, and that fascinates Lobelia endlessly.
So he'll indulge him. He lets his hands fall away from Ramuda's only to slip to the nape of his neck, guiding him forward into another kissā longer, deeper, but only just. Call him a tease if you wish. Lobelia savors slow pleasures, patient as a man who knows dessert tastes sweetest when it's threatened by the possibility of being the last.]
If you wanted to trap me, you should have been prepared for what happens when I stop holding back.
[ today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow, what's dangerous is often fun and what's fun is interesting. it's a tenet he lives by, because there's something he's searching for too, something that's shaped him more than years of conditioning and biology were capable of, despite their best efforts. he's always thinking about it even when he shouldn't be, even when it runs counter to his other biggest motivation: survive.
but ramuda's not really thinking too hard on it right now. he lives easily in moments (a reflection of his true nature in ways big and small), so it's easy to let himself fall into the kiss. slow but sweet, a drizzle of honey rather than a bright punch of sugar; his lips part for it just as readily. ]
Should I? All that makes me wonder is why you'd hold back in the first place.
[ he'll remove one hand, but keep the other where it is, smile all mischief (as promised). ]
[Lobelia's laugh is soft, almost self-amused. Ramuda is all impulse and sweetness, isn't he? A rare treat for someone like Lobelia. After all, few people keep his company on purpose, and for good reason.]
Hold back? If this is what you think restraint looks like, you should pray you never see the alternative.
[His fingers trail from the nape of Ramuda's neck down to his shoulder, a featherlight touch that leaves warmth in its wake. It's not possessive, not yet, but the promise of it glints sharp beneath the gentleness.]
You kiss like a man who's never feared being bitten. Dangerous, non? It makes me wonder what you'd do if I stopped tasting and started devouring.
[He leans in, lips brushing Ramuda's cheek, not a kissā just a ghost of one, cruelly withheld.]
[ heh, it's kind of ticklish; the way ramuda doesn't quite left himself giggle is perhaps his own version of a tease. though he likes it, of course. ]
Well, yeah. But maybe I like it dangerous? ā [ a rhetorical question considering, but he says it anyway as he tends to do. he cocks his head so they're closer, but holds right there. ]
Do you really need me to tell you my answer? Or do you just want to hear me say it? Hehe, not that I blame you.
I am curious. [ confidently, brightly, but notably without an overabundance of dazzle like some of his words tend to carry. it makes the words more solid, weightier, something more than a flutter in the wind. ]
[There's no shame in Ramuda's game, is there? Not that Lobelia minds. No, he rather likes people who chase what they want without letting shame hold them back.
There's nothing wrong with craving. With seeking out pleasures in life. Lobelia has lived his entire life pursuing happiness at any cost, so he certainly won't fault Ramuda for doing similarly. Still...
His words are a whisper against the shell of Ramuda's ear. Will he so much as shiver, or react at all?]
You ought to have a little more prudence, mon cher. A little more care for your own safety... your own life. To willingly walk into the maws of a beast is dangerous, concerning behavior, Tu ne crois pas?
[ shiver he does; he's not inhuman and despite the various reasons he acts like he does, one of them is undoubtedly the pursuit of pleasure. even still there's a sigh in it, not disappointed, but amused.
what should he be doing? well—he's here now and that's what matters in this moment. ]
The maws of a beast huh? But you haven't even bitten me! [ pure ramuda, as he leans forward barely, so their lips do brush, but that's all. ]
This is just how I live my life. So what if it means getting cozy with a beast if I like his company? That's not gonna scare me off, no way.
[He does wonder what Ramuda's breaking point is. In his travels, Lobelia has met all sortsā those who tangle with beasts, those who yearn for their bite but quail when fangs find their neck. Where does Ramuda fall on that sliding scale? What would push him over that edge?
Well, they've got some time to find out. Breaking skin and bone is hardly romantic, though, so Lobelia refrains for the evening. Tonight, his kisses are soft and sweet in all the ways Lobelia decidedly isn't. He presses another to Ramuda's lips before settling back in his seat.]
It ought to, mon cher. You're asking for trouble, vous savez? I can't in good conscience encourage you... nor can I really stop you. If nothing else, spare some mind for your own safety, oui?
[ what a sweet kiss! ramuda is all smiles when lobelia pulls back, seemingly happy and content. he'll take another sip of his drink, finishing it off this time. ]
I know how I act and I know how I look [ he knows more than anybody else how tiny and pink and adorable he is, how people just wanna eat him up- ] but don't underestimate me ā.
[ brightly as always, but there's a hint of sharpness to it. ]
Besides, I already agreed to play. I don't do take-backs, so stop trying to change my mind~.
Mon dieu... You do intend to keep me on my toes, don't you? I have no right to complain.
[And he wouldn't if he could. Lobelia may be accustomed to solitude, may never quite grasp what Ramuda sees in him that makes him worth lingering near, but some questions simply resist answers. Why anyone would take a shining to him is one of them.
He chuckles, finishes his drink, and sets the glass aside with a soft clink.]
Fair enough, mon cher. We'll play. Just remember... should you stumble and break a bone chasing me, I am no doctor. I excel at breaking things, not putting them back together.
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Buuut. That depends on what a date means to you. I go on all kinds of dates! [ he's a ho because a guy has to survive in a society where men are literal property of women. ]
Some people just want company, others just want someone to hold 'em as they talk 'bout all the crappy things that happened durin' their work week, and other people want somethin extra special~.
So right back at cha! [ he does however, lean back in. not a fraction of an inch, an entire inch. because this is who he is, he doesn't do things in halves. ]
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Oh my... So many dates, so many roles. You make it sound as though you've charmed half the world and survived the other half. Company, comfort, confession... quel Ć©ventail! A lesser man might be intimidated.
[He closes the distance by a breath, not touching, merely near enough that to show Ramuda he isn't afraid of meeting him in the middle.]
But since you insist that you asked first, it's only fair I tell you what a date means to me. I prefer simplicity: to enjoy the person in front of meā no mask, no pretense beyond the playful ones we choose. To see their colors when they stop hiding. To savor a little honesty... and a little mischief.
[His smile curls wider, just so.]
So then, which version of yourself are you offering me tonight?
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all this talk of masks though...man this is giving him dejavu and that makes him feel all ughhhhh. (absolutely none of this shows on his face or in his heartbeat, he's had more than a few years and more than a few bodies to perfect how to control himself--to pick up what should be second nature to him, but isn't.) not that it changes reality though either, that he's at a disadvantage and therefore needs to reach for anything and everything he can grab onto.
in the end, it's not all that complicated. he knows what he's willing to offer and he knows what he isn't, and as long as that line isn't crossed, he'll continue to play. maybe he'll even have some fun. ]
So let's go with mischief ā«. [ it should be no surprise that ramuda isn't shy, so forgive him (or don't) for him closing the remaining distance, mwah. it's a cute kiss, both hands framing lobelia's cheeks with just a bit more force than is required. ]
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Then he laughs, a low sound that curls between them like smoke.]
Mischiefā
[He echoes, tasting the word on his tongue as though it were a drink they shared.]
So this is the version of you I get. The daring one. The one who acts before he thinks.
[His hands lift, slow and deliberate, to cover Ramuda's on his cheeksā not removing them, only holding them in place.]
You know... I think I rather like him.
[He leans in just enough, noses nearly brushing, his smile softening into something almost intimate.]
Though next time, mon cher artiste, you should warn a man before you steal his breath.
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But if I warned you, what would be the fun in that? [ he says it with the lilt of a giggle but he doesn't laugh (a near thing, because he is ticklish), the weight of it more solid than any of his airy giggles. he's aware of what position he's in, he's aware of the hands on his own, he's trapped!
but he doesn't make a move to escape, nor does he look uncomfortable. his smile is if anything, amused. this is a familiar place in many ways, and ramuda amemura is equal parts stubborn as he is daring.
so, what next? ]
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So he'll indulge him. He lets his hands fall away from Ramuda's only to slip to the nape of his neck, guiding him forward into another kissā longer, deeper, but only just. Call him a tease if you wish. Lobelia savors slow pleasures, patient as a man who knows dessert tastes sweetest when it's threatened by the possibility of being the last.]
If you wanted to trap me, you should have been prepared for what happens when I stop holding back.
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but ramuda's not really thinking too hard on it right now. he lives easily in moments (a reflection of his true nature in ways big and small), so it's easy to let himself fall into the kiss. slow but sweet, a drizzle of honey rather than a bright punch of sugar; his lips part for it just as readily. ]
Should I? All that makes me wonder is why you'd hold back in the first place.
[ he'll remove one hand, but keep the other where it is, smile all mischief (as promised). ]
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Hold back? If this is what you think restraint looks like, you should pray you never see the alternative.
[His fingers trail from the nape of Ramuda's neck down to his shoulder, a featherlight touch that leaves warmth in its wake. It's not possessive, not yet, but the promise of it glints sharp beneath the gentleness.]
You kiss like a man who's never feared being bitten. Dangerous, non? It makes me wonder what you'd do if I stopped tasting and started devouring.
[He leans in, lips brushing Ramuda's cheek, not a kissā just a ghost of one, cruelly withheld.]
Tell me... are you curious enough to find out?
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Well, yeah. But maybe I like it dangerous? ā [ a rhetorical question considering, but he says it anyway as he tends to do. he cocks his head so they're closer, but holds right there. ]
Do you really need me to tell you my answer? Or do you just want to hear me say it? Hehe, not that I blame you.
I am curious. [ confidently, brightly, but notably without an overabundance of dazzle like some of his words tend to carry. it makes the words more solid, weightier, something more than a flutter in the wind. ]
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There's nothing wrong with craving. With seeking out pleasures in life. Lobelia has lived his entire life pursuing happiness at any cost, so he certainly won't fault Ramuda for doing similarly. Still...
His words are a whisper against the shell of Ramuda's ear. Will he so much as shiver, or react at all?]
You ought to have a little more prudence, mon cher. A little more care for your own safety... your own life. To willingly walk into the maws of a beast is dangerous, concerning behavior, Tu ne crois pas?
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what should he be doing? well—he's here now and that's what matters in this moment. ]
The maws of a beast huh? But you haven't even bitten me! [ pure ramuda, as he leans forward barely, so their lips do brush, but that's all. ]
This is just how I live my life. So what if it means getting cozy with a beast if I like his company? That's not gonna scare me off, no way.
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Well, they've got some time to find out. Breaking skin and bone is hardly romantic, though, so Lobelia refrains for the evening. Tonight, his kisses are soft and sweet in all the ways Lobelia decidedly isn't. He presses another to Ramuda's lips before settling back in his seat.]
It ought to, mon cher. You're asking for trouble, vous savez? I can't in good conscience encourage you... nor can I really stop you. If nothing else, spare some mind for your own safety, oui?
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I know how I act and I know how I look [ he knows more than anybody else how tiny and pink and adorable he is, how people just wanna eat him up- ] but don't underestimate me ā.
[ brightly as always, but there's a hint of sharpness to it. ]
Besides, I already agreed to play. I don't do take-backs, so stop trying to change my mind~.
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[And he wouldn't if he could. Lobelia may be accustomed to solitude, may never quite grasp what Ramuda sees in him that makes him worth lingering near, but some questions simply resist answers. Why anyone would take a shining to him is one of them.
He chuckles, finishes his drink, and sets the glass aside with a soft clink.]
Fair enough, mon cher. We'll play. Just remember... should you stumble and break a bone chasing me, I am no doctor. I excel at breaking things, not putting them back together.
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I have a specialty too, you know. You'll just have to wait and see what it is ā.