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duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2019-09-12 04:47 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #8
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It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. Yet, solace is found in the lies we tell each other, comforted by the peace of knowing that we're not alone in our depravity, and once on this path, sin itself becomes the lesser of two evils masked in a cloud of normalcy. This is how Duplicity has functioned since the beginning. The divide of power and social standing is overt in that Dominants influence the decisions made both publicly and privately while Submissives cater to the rules presented to them. It is the way of Duplicity to assign random designations at birth with no leeway in altering what has been given. Climate in the Up is far stricter than that of the Down; violating outlined personas for a Dominant or Submissive while in full view of others is punished by degree of infraction. In the Down, many tend to turn a blind eye to these sorts of offenses. To counteract the discovery of the Deceit Gene – a natural "negative" response to all stimuli – the L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues. ... and you’re here! Finally! Welcome to Duplicity. After choosing a door and stepping through to the other side, the first thing that greets you are the enthusiastic faces of people in medical scrubs and pristine lab coats. Their enthusiasm translates to eagerness as they strip you of your clothes to perform a thorough examination—you will be healed, bathed, and given a paper gown to wear until your items can be processed and delivered to your residence later in the evening. You are also given a device that accesses the network as well as the time and location of orientation. If you enter Duplicity into the Up, congratulations! You’re a Dominant, which means you are immediately picked up by a limo after processing and taken to your highrise. Here, it is two Dominants per floor with separate apartments. If you enter Duplicity into the Down, congratulations! You’re a Submissive, which means you are directed towards public transportation with the address of the motel you’ll be living in. Here, it is two Submissives per room with a shared common space for all rooms. Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new and old arrivals. The hellish summer heat is finally starting to subside, and the cool breeze suggests autumn is approaching. |
 After stepping through the door and participating in orientation, LIERS are assembled together in the Up for a tour of Duplicity in its entirety. Seats are in pairs and randomly assigned to Dominants and Submissives alike. Traveling from Fiddler's Square, the train journeys through various parts of the Up, showcasing society and examples of lifestyle. Along the way, frequent stops are made; a variety of passengers can be seen exiting and entering the doors. A Dominant with a kneeling Submissive takes a seat near the front of the train at one stop. A small group of Submissives board and sit closer to the LIERS at another, all seemingly content in their roles. As the tour continues through the Up, the train passes close to the Market and White Wall Bridge and zips by North Park before heading into the Down and bypassing Red Wall Bridge and South Park. The train makes a "final" stop at Riddler's Square, where inhabitants of the Down are instructed to return to their temporary housing. Those who live in the Up are permitted to stay on the train and revisit the same locations while returning. |
 The weather’s getting cooler, and people have begun transitioning from summer clothing to the sweaters and jackets of early fall. With jackets come pockets, and with pockets come a bizarre uptick in robberies. Then again, perhaps the correlation is flawed. In the Down, getting robbed is a constant threat. Gangs of street toughs look for lone or inattentive people who look like they’ve got valuables on hand. Uncontracted Submissives are particularly easy to rob, since authorities have little time to bother with a lowly Submissive without a Dominant to advocate for them. One particularly nasty gang of young adult men, the Bulldogs, hangs out near the train, looking to ambush unwary Submissives fresh out of Orientation. They are prone to violent muggings and will simply beat up their target and leave them in a gutter when they’re finished robbing them. In the Up, the streets are nominally safer, but there have been reports of a group of college-aged Submissive women taking advantage of their designation to attack travelers. They, too, stand near the train and the orientation center, looking to seduce passersby into an alley where a group of them can beat and mug their victims, usually Dominants looking to capitalize on their pretty appearances. But you’re truthfully at risk anywhere in the city. The new arrivals are easy targets, and any brazen thief might get the idea to make some quick cash. The authorities are spread too thin to help, but perhaps LIErs can look out for one another? Or they might just get in on the thievery. Everyone’s out for themselves, after all. |
( CW: potential dubcon, drugs, BDSM/sexual torture, prostitution, public use ) Surrounding a large building near the orientation center in the Up, banners and fliers announcing the beginning of the inaugural Duplicity High Tech Sexpo, a trade show for businesses and manufacturers of adult novelties. Since this is the expo’s first year, admission is free and many excited volunteers are handing out vouchers all over the city. These vouchers can be exchanged for goods and services within the expo, but have no monetary value outside of it. Even if you refuse them, you’ll likely find two or three of them tucked into your bag or pocket. Inside the expo hall, there are dozens of booths pitching a variety of entertainments. Many offer interactive demonstrations, showing off their tech for the crowds of interested onlookers. Competition is fierce, and booths try to attract attention and customers through any means necessary. There are private rooms all around the expo for potential customers to try out the products. Booths will also happily accept volunteers for demos, or try to recruit them by bribing them with cash or free samples. There’s a nasty rumor going around that some are recruiting volunteers via more illicit means, like drugging and dressing them up, but surely that’s an exaggeration… Some of the smaller booths sell more traditional toys and accessories: leashes and collars, specialty lubes and massage oils, fetish gear, strap-ons, dildos and vibrators in myriad shapes and sizes, and other basic items. Others advertise apps for the devices, the most notable of which is HUGGR (which LIErs may recognize as a poorly rebuilt sex-themed version of a certain other app.) The closer you get to the big-ticket sponsor booths, the more elaborate and fantastic the products become. One of the most eye-catching demos is for the Climax VR Headset. You and a partner both wear a VR headset, which displays a collaborative virtual scenario. Both partners can alter the setting and surroundings however they like, and any sexual activity conducted in VR transmits real sensations to their bodies. You can come together without ever physically touching. Symphony Hydraulics have a large, loud booth where crowds gather to watch perhaps the most outrageous demo: a variety of fucking machines. Volunteers get stripped, strapped in, and turned on, brought to screaming orgasms in front of the whole crowd. There is a fifteen minute break between demos on each machine, as some poor intern hurriedly washes and sanitizes them between uses. In the interim, they offer smaller, portable versions for sale or rent at the expo. (Some may note that a few of the Symphony Hydraulics staff members look a bit familiar.) Does all this high-tech equipment have you overwhelmed? Wish you could go back to a simpler time? Sir Robert’f Bedroome Provifionf (sic) is helmed by historical reenactor Robert Plum, who has also created his own line of medieval torture device-themed sex toys. Need a chastity belt to keep your Submissive all to yourself? A rack with an attached spreader-bar? An iron maiden with soft vibrating silicone ticklers inside? All the stocks and whips and chains you could ever need? Sir Robert has you covered. Of course, everything on display is harmlessly altered for sexual novelty purposes, but one might also ask to see Sir Robert’s “special” merchandise in the back. Perhaps the most unassuming booth at the expo belongs to Grandma Hattie’s Snacks and Sweets. Grandma Hattie, a kindly old Submissive, has partnered with a tech company to produce what appear to be completely normal vending machines, stocked full of her tasty homemade bread, snack cakes, and other baked goods. Vouchers are good for a free sample of any treat from a vending machine. They taste amazing and have no apparent odd effects-- until 10 minutes after consumption, when you suddenly gain an insatiable craving for a random kink. Your craving will dominate your thoughts for three hours, or until it is appeased. |
 (CW: potential dubcon, objectification) By far the largest and shiniest booth comes from expo sponsors Sexy Metal Incorporated, who have set up a display of their incredible high-tech sexbots. These life-sized dolls are made of extremely realistic material that feels like warm human skin, and come with state-of-the-art mechanics that give them lifelike movement. Engineers show off how the bots can be plugged into a computer and programmed to act any way the buyer likes. They come in a wide variety of customizable appearances and eerily, some of the bots on display look exactly like people you may know. Booth staff encourage customers to buy these dolls, or to rent them and give them a try onstage in front of the fascinated crowds. If that’s not kinky enough, one of the engineers has purchased a VR headset from another booth, and programmed it to interface with the bot’s controls. Care to slip inside the silicone skin of another person? |
Please read carefully. On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, characters will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chooses "left" or "right". When participating on the TDM, there will be a third option. Players may link either a top level or a thread (five or more comments from their character) from the TDM and title the link as "Door Pass". This means that the player is choosing to take the designation that they were randomly assigned on the TDM, rather than taking the designation of a door. If the player decides to select a door rather than use the pass, then they are trying their luck; they may get the same designation they had on the TDM or the opposite. Once the application is submitted, players can't change their choice. To assign roles to characters for this TDM, use the following guide: In celebration of our one year, pick whichever role you want for your character! » A Pocket Full of Pennies: Feel free to come up with any free-roving gangs or petty criminals you like for your characters to tangle with. » New Flesh Like A Glove: Characters can spend money on items at the expo, or may exchange vouchers for what they want. Each voucher has a value of about $5 within the expo and they may be acquired by finding them, having them handed to characters/stuffed in their pockets or bags by expo volunteers, or paid them in exchange for “volunteering” at booths. Characters may indeed try before they buy, either out in the open or using one of the provided private rooms with a partner. The expo has a staff of unpaid student interns tasked with cleaning and sanitizing products if they are used but not purchased. Grandma Hattie’s snacks can inspire characters to have any kink you may desire. » Perfection of the Digital: Sexbots can resemble any player characters, including brand new arrivals/test drive characters. They can also resemble characters that yours knows from home. The engineers have no explanation for this, and the one who identifies himself as the designer will shrug and say he gets inspiration from many places. The sexbots are hot-ticket expensive merchandise, so security is tight around the booth. Characters who attempt to steal or destroy a sexbot (for instance, one who looks like themselves) will be quickly set upon by guards, who are meant to eject them from the expo. However, many of the guards will take bribes from other booths to provide them model “volunteers,” drugged into complacency. If characters want to acquire a sexbot permanently, they will have to buy it or exchange a hefty 50 vouchers for it. Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!! |
no subject
I feel like the lucky one.
[His voice fades as he retreats, searching one of the rooms before finding his clothes in the even bigger one. It's insanity. He closes the door most of the way, leaving a crack so they can still talk without having to shout.]
Your dog is here, too? Do you think they'd like to meet?
[He is well aware that there can be problems introducing adult Mabari of different packs. Blade is still young enough that he expects he might not trigger the worst aggression, and if an older dog could help teach him some manners, it would be of benefit.]
When I was young, I used to fantasize about being chosen by one. All the adventures we'd have across Ferelden righting wrongs, fighting bandits, rescuing villagers.
[His voice fades in and out as he moves about dressing, sometimes facing the door, sometimes facing away from it. He's swift enough when all he needs are his smalls, leathers, socks and boots, and his linen undershirt. He tosses his rust vest over it, despite the fact it's cut more to fit over his breastplate. It leaves him feeling less indecent and is at least a splash of color.
In the mean time, Blade dances around her, very interested in all the new smells and the prospect of water. His excited barking seems to say, "Yes!" without words.
Cullen returns to the front with a smile, folding his arms and leaning one shoulder against the wall as he watches them.]
You're good with him. Thank you.
no subject
[ She's already had Wuffles and Valen meet and they've gotten along well enough, but both of them are mature hounds, and Wuffles is older and sweeter by far. He hasn't been trained for war and fighting Darkspawn in the same way her own hound has.
Neria's looking through cabinets for a suitable bowl that's deep enough for a mabari to use for a dish, and she finds one in the back, one that looks better for serving. She fills it with water from the refrigerator rather than the tap, cool enough for him to enjoy, and she leaves it on the kitchen tile for him to drink. ]
I think that'd be nice. There are a few parks here, you know, where they can run around and do as they like. There are some obnoxious little dogs there, though, I'll warn you now. I thought Valen was going to eat one of them.
[ While she speaks, she goes wandering to see what else has been left for Cullen, looking for tell tale signs of Duplicity deciding to be uncouth. There aren't any odd toys from what she can find, thankfully, and she goes to sit on one end of the couch when Blade comes back. ]
Ser Cullen and his trusty hound at his side, saving Ferelden from the horrors of evildoers.
[ It's said wistfully, thinking about her own childhood, about her own travels. Her fingers are buried in Blade's fur, rubbing along his neck and upper back when Cullen returns. ]
I think it'd suit you. Adventuring and traveling, I mean. There's so much to see that I think you'd enjoy it, even with the danger. You wouldn't need to stay in one place all the time. And he's a very good dog. He'll serve well as your companion.
[ Even if it's not likely he'll be rescuing villagers or smiting bandits. ...For the most part. She smiles at him. ]
He's no trouble. Young, yes, but you can tell he's listening. Just a little excitable.
no subject
[He likes the sound of taking them to a park. He'd have to watch him and be sure he didn't get too aggressive or overwhelming with smaller dogs. He hasn't yet seen him around any.
He chuckles at the picture she paints, thinking it's not far off from what he sees for himself soon, if he can free himself from Inquisition entanglements responsibly.
He pushes away from the wall to come join her in the seating area, taking a chair cattycorner so they're not directly facing off but also not having to crane their necks side by side.]
I've done...quite a bit of traveling over the past few years. It will be nice to have him with me. [Assuming he ever goes home.] I feel like he's young enough that he'll recover from his mistreatment.
[It amuses him watching Blade trying to position himself so that he's in reach of both of them, swinging his broad backside around toward him and wiggling a little. He reaches forward to scratch him, short, coarse black hairs drifting down to the floor.
His smile fades, and as he leans forward, it's clear he's working toward what he'd said he wanted to talk about. He lets out a slow, soft breath and rubs at his nose.]
First, I want you to know that I'm not going to ask you for anything beyond just hearing me out. What you do with what I say... It's entirely yours. All right?
no subject
I wasn't aware you'd been traveling so much. I heard you were reassigned elsewhere.
[ He hadn't been there when she'd gone back and met Finn, though she's also heard through the grapevine (read: Hawke) where some notable names have ended up. Cullen and Isabela had been among those they'd discussed some time ago. ]
But I'm certain he'll have time to recover. You seem conscientious of him and he adores you. Has practically imprinted on you, I imagine, but I'm no Mabari expert.
[ The hound is so insistent on wanting to be between them so he's within reach that Neria can't help but smile, though the expression is short-lived in the face of Cullen's own, grave. She lapses into silence and, at his question, simply gives him a nod. ]
I'm listening, Cullen.
no subject
He smiles warmly at the observation that Blade has imprinted on him. If not fully already, he believes that he will. They've been inseparable since he found him.
All right, then. Nothing to do but forge ahead. As much as he wants to avoid her eye contact, he doesn't. She deserves this straight, or not at all.]
First... [He inhales silently.] I owe you an apology for what I said to you when you came back to the Tower. It was hateful and twisted, and I'm deeply ashamed that it took me far too long to come around to that awareness after the fact.
I allowed my experiences to make me someone I wasn't proud of. We were...friends...of sorts at least. [As much as the power imbalance between them allowed and above and beyond any boyish crush he'd had at the time. She was kind to him, always.]
And what I said to you was unconscionable. I've wanted to tell you this for years but couldn't find you. I'm sorry.
The other thing...thank you. I know it's uncomfortable to hear things like this. I don't like it, either. It makes me squirm. [His quiet chuff of laughter sounds like consternation.]
But I need to say it. You saved me from something unspeakable, and I didn't even thank you. You saved...all of us.
[From his conversations with Leliana and seeing the woman she is now, the darkness, the bitterness, he knows he will never understand the cost or the toll it took on all of them.
Abruptly, he takes to his feet and bows, one arm crossed across his chest, fist against the hollow of his left shoulder. He holds it for a moment. It's as close as he can come to expressing how he feels about that.
When he straightens, he's flushed. He's not habitually effusive.]
That's it. I'm done with the frightfully forward parts. I swear.
[Blade has twisted around so that his back is to Neria, having done it the moment Cullen rose from his seat. His head is cocked quizzically.]
woo this got away from me
At first, she says nothing. Does nothing, simply sits there attentively, listening. Her expression falls somewhat into something resembling sadness, the stirring of old thoughts about the span of hours and days surrounding the Tower's condition, the fight through the Fade, finding so many bodies and piles of flesh. Seeing Cullen, hearing the anger in his words-- It's not as if she didn't understand, even if it took her so much later to process that the anger was not born from malice but from the same fear that had gripped her at the time, just fed into a different goal. Save the First Enchanter, save the Circle, stop the Blight. Save her home. But it hadn't been her home any longer, not at that point.
To the rest? Well...
Neria is quiet and terribly still, though her shoulders go up initially with some kind of tension that almost gives the impression that she's...trying to make herself smaller where she sits. Somehow, she's managed to keep his gaze this entire time, though she looks just as apt to want to look elsewhere, especially when he stands and bows like she's done something so terribly good.
And that's not the case at all.
Quietly, she looses the breath she'd been holding, fingers absently twisting something on her finger. At last, she gently says: ]
You...held all of that in for years? [ She can't imagine it. ] Please, I-- Please, sit. Don't do that. I haven't done anything that's... [ Heroic. Good. Worthy. ] It's all right.
[ If it's all right, then why is her throat so tight? She breathes, lets out a sigh. ]
That time was dark for all of us. I can't... I can't even imagine what you've gone through. What it was like to be there. I don't know what I would have done or said if I'd been in your position. You don't need to apologize. I only... I hope that it - all of it, even this, even wanting to tell me - hasn't haunted you so terribly.
What happened was horrible. I'm only glad we were able to save who we could. I'm glad we still could save you.
[ But how many times has she asked herself, what if we'd gotten there sooner? What if they'd managed to get there even a day, a few days, sooner than they had? If she hadn't lost herself to Sloth for that however long they'd been trapped? Could they have saved more?
Her voice is quieter, still, when she speaks again. ]
I'm so sorry we couldn't save more. I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner for all of you.
Haha, I think I started it. Icon keywords say it all.
How can he answer that? No, not really. It took me a long time to want to say it, and by that time you were gone. How can she think that what she did was nothing, that she's not deserving?
He knows the answer to that already. How often has he asked himself that about Kirkwall, about all of the places the Inquisition couldn't go, the things they couldn't do?
He won't lie to her and say he's not haunted. He doesn't know a person in Thedas who isn't to some degree or another. What saddens him is that she seems to be, too, as scarred as Leliana but manifesting it in a different way.
He passes a hand down his mouth, fingers slow to slide off the cusp of his chin.]
You don't owe me an apology. You never did. Neria...you never did. Whatever comes of us being here together, whatever we face going forward, I hope you'll believe me when I say that.
We were...we were little more than children then. Sheltered, cloistered...
[What else can he say? How can he tell her she can't blame herself when he holds so much guilt in turn? He lets out a soft exhale.]
I needed to clear the air. If it was selfish of me, I'm sorry. We...we don't have to talk about any of this anymore if you don't want to, but if you ever do, I'll listen. I...I can truly hear you now, and I will.
no subject
[ How many times has she thought that? That who she was, some newly appointed mage, had been so young at the time, practically oblivious to the world and what it meant to be a soldier. What it meant to make difficult choices, to see the horrors of man as well as monster, and to still try to do good without becoming hardened by it all.
She doesn't know how to say that she isn't certain she even resembles that girl any longer, and it isn't the right time to delve into all of that. Those pieces have long since been packed away and buried deeply in her heart. To stir them up now would be harping on old wounds she isn't keen to share with anyone, much less someone who has also suffered unspeakable things.
Somehow, she manages a smile, but it is greatly strained at the edges. ]
We were children. Our lives were so narrow in scope. If it didn't exist in the Circle, then it never occurred to me... It never mattered. It's hard to imagine those days now.
[ She'd say she was foolish but, really, she can no more blame who she was than she can blame anyone else. In truth, she wishes she could let it go and be kinder to who she used to be, but she can no more do that than she can pluck the stars from the sky. ]
You weren't being selfish at all. I'm...I'm glad you were able to say it. [ Even her own acknowledgement of it has brought some relief. ] You can't help what still feels splintered in here. [ She tapes her chest. ] And, in either case, I do appreciate your gratitude and your kindness.
[ Even if it is uncomfortable to sit through, even if it's difficult to believe she doesn't owe him and so many others apologies for her own failings. If she cannot impart them to the people who have survived, then where does she lay down all that she's holding in?
That's neither here nor there, truthfully. ]
And I do appreciate your offer. Perhaps...another time. We can talk about some of that another time.
[ ...Hadn't he said that before, years ago? A shame things happened as they did. She doesn't know if she'll be able to speak on it, but at the very least, she can try. ]
I'll listen, too, you know. It shouldn't be about you taking on the things I've been carrying. You have enough weight on our shoulders that I don't want to add to it.
no subject
He feels a bit wistful listening to her speak of it, images of them behind glass forever out of reach.
She's glad he shared it. It's a weight off his chest. He hadn't known how his words would be received. If she was angry or believed him a liar now and truthful then, he could hardly blame her. He'd advocated she murder her friends and mentor. He'd fought for it when she made the decision not to. He'd lost that fight, thank the Maker.
He nods. He'll accept another time. He'll also accept if another time never comes. When they met, there was such a gulf between them, where he'd held all the authority and she none. Never will he push her now.
That last bit gets him smiling again, warm, subdued.]
If you choose to share with me, it's not a burden. I never used to see your confidences as such. I have bigger shoulders now. And I'll...I'll also keep your offer in mind.
[He'll try. He's no better at sharing his burdens than she seems to be. However, he can hardly treat it as a one way road, withholding while asking not to be withheld from.]
To be honest, I haven't had time to sit down and think about any of this for a very long time. Everything has been moving so quickly, sweeping all of us along with it. Maybe being stuck here will allow a little more reflection. [Maybe that's not such a good thing, but it doesn't have to be all bad.]
no subject
So you do. And mine are much sturdier, though they don't look like much.
[ That's punctuated with a little roll of her own shoulders, clearly just joking, though the sentiment is there. It helps to clear the tension, though her own thoughts linger as they always do between the words.
Still, this has already been...strangely freeing, in its own way, to speak with someone who'd been there, who knows. Hawke understands in his own way, understands Neria deeper in many respects because of the idolatry people have foisted upon him. But Cullen had been witness to the same horrors she has. It isn't comforting to know he's ruminated on it, found difficulty in it, but there is strength to be found in hearing that she doesn't need to struggle on her own.
Acting on that, though, is a different matter. ]
You'll find plenty of time for contemplation, of that I can assure you. Despite the chaos that LIEs often creates for us - and Duplicity, too, in its own way - there are pieces of all of this that become oddly routine. There are no Darkspawn, no Blights as of yet. It's not to say things aren't complicated or dangerous here, but the scale of it is different. In many respects, it's...far more personal here.
But there are slower, quieter moments too. I can't say they'll always be pleasant - [ Who wants to be stuck in their own head, after all? ] - but it's been an adjustment from life back home.
no subject
Some of what she's saying is a relief. No Blights, no ancient evils spawned by the hubris of mad magisters? Yes, please. However, it's the nature of the other dangers that worries him, not that he intends to show it. They've had enough of heavy talk for one day.]
More personal? Can't I just go back to leading the army?
[He's smiling again, back to scritching Blade more actively and looking at him to include him in the conversation.]
We'll have plenty to talk about, won't we? You'll get tired of my voice. Yes, you will. You will.
[His voice rises in pitch, expression exaggerating for emphasis. Blade growl barks, hindquarters wiggling, and then he's off again for another tear around the apartment.]
I used to enjoy quiet. I never had much of it with my siblings. Maybe I can find that again. Thank you. For listening and helping me with all of this. If things get too slow or quiet for you, bring Valen by, and we'll watch them tear up the place together. [Chuckling.]
no subject
I've had similar sentiments. Who knew that herding soldiers and fighting monsters might actually be easier than living in a ridiculous city obsessed with carnal pleasures?
[ Certainly, she'll go without the death and destruction, or the terror of Blights. In that vein, things are somewhat less complicated. Her smile is warmer when she regards the dog, tipping her head slightly. ]
Oh, don't worry, I've learned how to fill my days. I help to run a clinic in the Down that helps the people there, all services free of charge. And I've been juggling more than that besides.
[ Neria truly does hate the quiet. ]
But I'll be more than happy to bring Valen by. He really could use a playmate. Poor thing hasn't had much to do besides be with me.
[ ...And have his own house to run around in, but that's really no fun. ]
no subject
Why am I not surprised you've found a way to help people here?
[A faint smile lingers at the edges of his mouth. It has him thinking about what he might do here.]
I know Blade will love that, and so will I. I need to figure out what I'm going to do to keep him in good food. I can't sit pretty and live on charity. Supposedly I have a little time to think on it.
[Blade finally tires of tearing around and jumps onto the sofa to flop on his side, ribs heaving with great, panting breaths.]
I wish I had something decent to offer you. Next time I'll be more prepared.
no subject
[ It's said with a bit of a laugh, even if she's being perfectly serious about it all. ]
We're always looking for security for the clinic, if you'd like. There's also a guard force here with the police. You don't have a mark so they'd certainly allow you. It'd be fairly dangerous, though. But you won't need to pay rent if you stay in the apartments, so any job will allow you to pay for food for yourself and Blade.
[ Neria watches the dog hoist himself onto the sofa and she laughs a little, reaching over to rub at his side gently. ]
It's all right. Seeing you safe has been enough for me, truly. Besides, you don't know where the good liquor is.
[ She shoots him a wry look. ]
I'll bring some over next time.
no subject
[He thinks on it a moment or two before answering.] Your clinic is free. I can hardly ask payment for an endeavor of that nature. I'd be happy to volunteer when I can. As for working with the guards here...I don't know I find the concept comfortable. I'd be expected to enforce some of the rules that are just...abhorrent to me.
I think I'd be happy with a building job. Then I could get some answers to how they've accomplished all of this from the ground up. Blade could provide security at construction sites, so he could be with me.
[That earns a laugh. It sufficiently covers how touched he is by her unexpected concern.]
You have a deal. For what it's worth, I'm glad to have found you safe here, too. Such as one can be in a place like this.