maskormenacelogs | poetry with amber imagery or something [OPEN]

Entry tags:

poetry with amber imagery or something [OPEN]

WHO: Lucina, various
WHERE: Maurtia Falls, De Chima, misc
WHEN: Early/mid-October
WHAT: assorted happenings
WARNINGS: labeled in subject headers

Maurtia Falls
Lucina's main haunts are still in this city of conflict -- same as it has been, those two and a half years ago. Gods, has it been so long already? So much else has changed...her, too.

She resides on a residential block in a rental house, and might be encountered in the wee hours of the morning on her way out to work, or perhaps on the rare day off, tearing up the sad excuse for a garden she'd tried (sort of) to maintain (and failed to) in preparation for winter.

Downtown, she frequents a cafe and pastry shop where she's made many a friend and good memory. Catching her before she hustles off on patrol or another duty is a great chance for a free treat and a chat...or perhaps a means of teaming up for a bit of crime busting?

At Helix, the base of operations for Aegis Force, practically her second home, she is constantly either at work or training for work. It's not as frantic and despairing as the month before, so she can be a cheerful spotter or sparring partner, or she can help with some kitchen chores or monitor duty! She also likes to take her breaks on the rooftop helipad, enjoying the cooler air as the weather starts to behave more like autumn.

De Chima
It's not a place she visits too often, but at least once a week, Lucina tries to make time to volunteer at the O'Malley Clinic. She's not much of a nurse, but if you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be bandaged up nearly immobile as a mummy for a simple scrape? She's your girl. Also don't you dare try to escape until treatment is over! She can double as a bouncer.

There's always a chance to catch her in the skies, as flying is her favorite pastime -- and it beats traffic. Hopefully she's not spying any trouble from on high, but if you're in a pinch, she can swoop down and lend a hand (or sword)!

Misc
You're welcome to put in a starter or come bug me @

whyellewhy to brainstorm

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[she's not people, she wants to point out. but...maybe he still thinks of her that way, even if he's said he's seen who she is. it's hard to say, especially in the midst of the moment, where it isn't so easy for her to quickly sleuth out hidden meaning or put together other clues that are still new to her.

she is who she is: earnest, honest, and trusting in the things that are face-value, even if there's more to it than that.]

...Hence not being Small Bad Guzma. [there's a bit of a flatness in her tone, but not out of ill will. she's just...blunt and lacks a real knack for sarcasm.] Right.

Well, I can only believe what I can see and believe in. [tilting her head.] ...Don't use that as an excuse to go bullying elementary schoolchildren.

[Even if she lacks the knack for sarcasm, he still finds what she says amusing, at least at first. That bluntness doesn't bother him, after all, he's blunt himself!]

Like I said, it ain't that simple.

[He's not denying the bullying of elementary schoolchildren...]

...There's a lot to explain for you to even start to understand. [His expression falls to something a little more solemn.] And even then, I dunno if you would.

Edited 2019-10-13 01:24 (UTC)

I'm going to try, at the very least, but I'm determined to understand. [she looks as certain as she speaks, perhaps maybe a bit too determined? but she does take her word seriously.] It wouldn't make sense to not even try, right? If I didn't come here to learn more about you, it'd make no sense...

[...yeah, she believes what she says, but...hearing her say things like that aloud makes her face start to go red again. she realizes belatedly she's probably embarrassing herself.]

[Studying her for a long few moments, he looks between her and Masquerain, before settling his gaze elsewhere. Didn't she just open up to him about her situation? Is it fair for him to keep this shit from her? It's not, and he knows it, yet it's like a vice has tightened around his chest as thinks over what she said.

The red to her cheeks is a weird comfort, making him feel less vulnerable in this situation when she's looking embarrassed herself. Maybe that's what eases him a bit, allowing him to puff out a sigh.]

My situation ain't as grim as yours, that's for sure. But that don't make it less shitty.

[How to explain this without giving too many details, hmm...]

Where I come from, we got these traditions...

[His eyes wander from her and Masquerain to Golisopod and Pinsir. The former has since made himself comfortable on the floor and has dozed off. Pinsir is resting his back against the larger bug's side, arms crossed over his front as he stares at Lucina and Guzma still. Utterly unblinking.

Guzma doesn't seem bothered by his staring, clearly used to it. His face scrunches and he shrugs.]

Tch! Whatever, it don't matter. [HUFF] I don't do nothin' for no reason. Even if it makes me bad, even if it's seen as cruel by ignorant punks, it ain't for nothing.

[her eyes wince as he huffs. did she push too far? honestly, sometimes she doesn't realize when she's pushing at all...

so maybe what he's said already is pretty far? he's clearly bothered in even trying, yet...he tried all the same, didn't he.

her expression softens.]

No one does anything for no reason. That much I know.

[and most don't do things thinking they're in the wrong, and those that do? may think it's for a better cause. the longer she's lived in this world, the more she's come to realize that. things aren't always black and white, life and death...]

...Tell me about it later, then? I think I already took up all the time for...grim things. [she smiles sheepishly.]

[The fact she doesn't push him more gives pause, his eyes lingering on Pinsir, yet he's more looking past Pinsir. Part of him feels guilty for backing out so quickly, for essentially running away from this before he's barely began. Yet a bigger part of his grasps onto that out she's given him, and even if it makes him feel a little disgusted with his own cowardice, it doesn't stop him from embracing it.]

...Yeah.

[He says a little thoughtlessly, before catching himself.]

Uh—what I mean is...y'didn't do nothin' like that. I wanna know this sorta shit, y'know? [Like how she wants to know about him... ugh.] But...later. Yeah. I'll tell ya later.

Now just ain't a good time.

[Not that he'll ever think any time is a good time, but that's not important.]

[this Guzma... he's definitely a different sight than what she'd known at first, isn't he? what does seem the same, though, is that he's not the sort to faff around in conversation, whether it's because of discomfort or just a dislike of it. she can relate, in a way, and maybe that's why she can convince herself what he's saying is true. that he wants to know -- gods, that makes her feel a little strange -- and that he'll explain himself better later.

it's weird how quickly she can believe in things like that in the moment, and yet, somehow, she'll be second- and third-guessing it on her own...

after a moment of quiet, Lucina's eyes settle back down to Masquerain and, with a soft sound, she carefully lifts the bug and sets him on the cushion beside her and, after a beat of negotiating with impulse, she sits up a bit straighter, looking back over at Guzma, eyes big and face still red.]

That being said. I...I suppose you'll want me to go, yes? I understand. Only, ah...then, in that case... [her fingers fiddle and fold together then unfold on her lap.] Well...

[It's hard getting close to someone you previous tried to convince that you're nothing but a terrible monster of a man. Painting this picture of yourself, and then slowly tearing it down...it's almost shameful in a way, like humiliating to show his true self after all his boasting and what not.

Wanting to be understood, yet too afraid to open up so anyone can.

As Lucina moves Masquerain, shifts, and stares at him wide-eyed, he can't help but look to her himself. His own eyebrows raising a bit, expectantly as she continues and then...doesn't finish her sentence. Maybe if his mind hadn't been wandering elsewhere, he'd have picked up on what she's trying to imply. Instead, he just stares at her a little dumbly.]

...Well?

[He doesn't necessarily want her to go, but he does want her to get to her point already!]

We-well...uh...

[she bristles, mouth twitching.]

Well, that is...before I were to go, then. Would you mind, um--

[gods, this is embarrassing! yet she, a fool, points at her mouth, as if that explains everything. maybe the real stupid thing is she thinks it does.]

[It's not that stupid, because Guzma gets it. Well, if the way his dumbly expectant expression morphs into smug understanding means anything. If she's expecting him to make the move, she's in for a surprise.]

Oh a kiss?

[He says with a tone that fits his expression.]

I don't mind at all.

[And there he sits. Watching her, one eyebrow quirking upward as he waits.]

[wow. wow, he's just...going to sit there making that face, isn't he? Lucina looks taken aback in one beat, then a bit annoyed in the next. if he thinks she's just going to sit there floundering, though, well...! well he's wrong! why not make a kiss a point of pride? she's dumb enough to do that, obviously.

so, to hell with her stupid, flustered butterflies and what-not, she scoots over, looking like a blue-haired tomato on a mission. with a huff and a bit too much gusto, she tugs at the collar of his shirt and sits up in the same motion, and all this means is instead of being able to get away with a quick kiss, she--]

A--ow!

[just bonks his face.

too much gusto.]

Gah--gods--!

[Here Guzma thought he had properly goaded her into taking a little initiative in kissing him! And maybe that is what he did, but it's not what it results in. Nah, all he gets for his troubles is a headbutt to the face.]

Deh!!

[His face scrunches as he pulls back. He stares at her for a moment—and then just cracks up laughing.]

Hahaha! W-what the hell was that, huh? I thought you wanted a kiss, not to take me out, yo!

I wasn't trying to, I-- oooorgh...! [she lets him go, bringing her hands to the sides of her face, mortified.] I overshot, alright?! [she gets up, lightly bonking a shin on the table and freezing up, waiting for something to, perhaps, crash.

no?

okay. good. she can huff safely.] Gods, I'm just going to go before I, I cave in the ceiling or--!

[Guzma watches her as she just...continues to make a fool of herself. Getting more and more flustered by her stumbling and haphazard movements. However, when she goes to pass in front of him, he extends his leg to cut her off. Resting his foot on the table. He's still slumped back on the couch, one arm on the back of the couch, while the other rests on the armrest.

He's peering up at her with a grin.]

You ain't gonna wreck this place no worse than I do already.

[Considering those holes in the wall on the upper level, um...

He beckons her with a nod of his head.]

C'mere.

[she scowls down at his leg, half a mind to just step over, while the other half's...actually glad he's done so in the first place. that's a weird feeling to have, for sure, and honestly? she ought to be exasperated by the lazy look of that man! she even tries to be, her expression more a pout when she does shoot a look his way, but even so, she only hesitates in place for just a moment.

damn him and damn her fool self, really.

she huffs a little, turning and sitting back down beside him in that space conveniently made by the way he sits himself.]

I'm not trying to wreck anything, you know.

[and that's the last of her pouting before she leans in to kiss the corner of his mouth. better safe than sorry, you know.]

[That pout she gives him just earns her a bigger smile, and when she acquiesces, he's all the more smug. No headbutt this time! With her lips against the corner of his mouth, there's a warm flutter that tingles through him...and excites him. It's an urge that overtakes, and he doesn't resist it.

Bringing that arm from the back of the couch down and around her waist as he turns at his own to face her more fully, he kisses her on the lips. A far less chaste one than her own, while his other hand rests on her back. As he deepens the kiss, it seems like he's guiding her as he leans in more, slowly pushing her back as the arm around her waist settles back onto the couch for stability.]

[it's bewildering how very quickly apprehension and resistance dissolves like this...is that one of his dozen-plus, unnamed powers? she wouldn't dare ask, because he'd just find that way too funny. not that she's in a position to ask anything right now, anyway, but...

still. it's nice. kissing, that is. behind held. she might've thought she was going to part ways with a simple peck, but honestly? this is better, and she's glad she bothered to ask instead of just skulking out from embarrassment. there's quite a sensation from how his arm slips away from her waist the way it does -- it tickles up her spine and makes her sit up from the back of the cushion for a beat before sinking back.

without thinking, Lucina's hands have already moved up to his shoulders, fingers gripping a little tighter against any suggestion of him moving too far away, even if it's just him fidgeting to be stable and upright like that.

when there's a break to breathe, her eyes flutter open partway, her face flush. either he's good at this, or she's...just very weak. it's hard to say.

who cares.]

[Who cares indeed, not when they both enjoy it as they do. There's warmth radiating through him, even as the kiss breaks so that they don't suffocate in their passion. He doesn't let contact end entirely, even as he breathes a little heavily he leans in, pressing the bridge of his nose against her neck.

Likewise he's glad he didn't just let her go, that she stayed to kiss him, so that he could kiss her like that and hold her like this. There's just something uniquely comforting in having her in his arms, feeling her warmth against his own as he just relishes in her presence.

Idly he wonders if he should say something, but nothing comes to mind. Rather, he favors the silent intimacy of the moment. But like the one-track mind idiot he is, that hand on her back slides downward till its at the bottom of her shirt, fingers curling under the hem of it.]

[there's something so tender and sweet about the the contact at her neck -- it makes the intention of his straying hand unclear to her. one dreadful pulse stills her when his hand passes over the place along her spine the scarab-scar is, but no hurt comes after it and she can breathe out again.

the message Lucina gets from this is that somehow, all he has to do is touch her and she can feel comfort, a thrill, or just...some kind of way with seemingly no effort at all.

she makes a faint sound, squirming against the tickle that his breath causes, and one of her arms moves so her hand can settle on the back of his neck, just shy of gliding up his hairline. he can do so much with so little effort, but she's still trying to understand what she can do in turn...

well. what doesn't resort to accidental headbutts, anyway.]

[At least the headbutting was amusing! Just another cute quirk of hers—clumsiness she exudes when she's not on the battlefield.

Feeling her under his hand likewise sends a pleasing sensation through him, but especially as his hand slips under her shirt entirely. Hand pressing firm to her skin as he glides it up her back. Drinking in how she feels, taking note of the grooves and divots, but there's a pause as he feels the scar tissue.

It surprises him, though it shouldn't. The shock only lasting a moment, before his mind settles on the obvious: she's a warrior, of course she has scars. Besides, her hands on the nape of his neck is distracting in its own right. Its contact leaves the contact spot hot and tingly—encouraging him to tilt his head a little more so that he can kiss at her neck, just below her jawline.]

[she would've said something about that roaming hand of his, but before she can, his mouth is against her neck and whatever she meant to say is just a soft, surprised sound in her breath. that-- that actually feels really nice? one wouldn't think it would, right? it must be weird, but...no, that--that, and his palm at her back are fantastic feelings.

what's fascinating, too, is how, once she gets a sense of herself again, she finds she can move him in turn: how moving her hand toward his clavicle makes his breath draw up against it, and how, even just with a little curl and lift of a finger, she can tilt his chin up and see him again and find he's not that all-controlling at smug. they're not on equal footing at all, but...well, he's flush, too.]

...Hi. [lacking in anything eloquent to say, her smile is sheepish and voice quiet.]

You're...pretty good at this. [?? ? ? whatever this is! gods.]

[It's been far too long since he's indulged in this sort of intimacy. In so doing, it warms him, face and body, and while it seems to be quenching a thirst he hadn't fully realized he had, it almost leaves more parched in the wake of it. He wants more, but he also knows better than to push for too much. One of the few areas where he's learned some restraint.

When he feels her finger on his chin, directing and tilting him so that they can look at each other, he draws in a quick breath. His eyes are half-lidded as he gazes at her, that gentle expression only linger for a moment before a smile crosses his features in the next.]

Yo.

[Really, Lu? "Hi"? Ridiculous.]

Damn right I am.

[For as egotistical as that should sound, there's a soft playfulness to it as well.]

You ain't half bad yourself, y'know. Quick learner, huh?

A-am I? [she doesn't sound very sure about that, despite the breathy laugh in her voice. there's that soft look on his face again -- it's what stuck with her the longest before, kiss aside. it makes her chest feel tight and her head a bit lighter.

does he look at anyone else like that? or is it just for her? she can't possibly think to ask, especially in light of that bit of teasing.]

I...don't know about that, but. Is it alright if, if we stayed like this? For a little bit. Before I have to leave, I mean.

You're a little sloppy, but that's 'cos you ain't experienced. You pick up on shit pretty quick.

[Maybe he shouldn't have said sloppy, but that's just how he talks. He doesn't mean anything truly bad about it, after all, this is meant to be a compliment. The fact she's trying at all, and not just laying there doing nothing is a boon in his mind, anyway.

At her question, his eyebrows raise slightly, but then settle again with an upward pull of a smirk at his lips.]

I ain't never said you had to leave in the first place.

[Which is a yes, particularly when he leans in to press his face into a nuzzle against her neck once more, the curve of his nose pressing just below her jaw. His hold on her strong and firm, but not crushing. Possessive, as his other arm descends from the couch's back to likewise hook around her waist.]

Oh...

[sloppy. that's...how does Iris put it? a yikes. her face reddens anew with fresh embarrassment, about to withdraw before Guzma's moved to secure his hold, his breath back against her neck.

he's very warm... and being held so certainly feels really nice. safe, almost, even if it may not be wholly true. she exhales and wraps an arm around his shoulders, daring to draw her fingers up to his hair.

she hates to have to keep fidgeting, but she does try to tuck herself in a way that she can keep close while also letting him settle in a way that suits him, hesitating only a moment in reacknowledging that-- uh. his hand...is up her shirt? gods. that's a little...

well... it's not bad, so...]

A...a little while, then. I don't have to get to work for a bit, so...

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