wotanon | dreampost: even more after dark edition

There's a green one, too, that probably would've been fine, but...

[She chatters as she works, gently tugging the rounded neckline over his already messy hair--though not hard enough, as it gets caught at the crown--not enough clearance for his head. Perhaps she should have opened the single loop button ahead of time, but the more one knows.

Of course she leaves him stuck for now, instead pulling his arms through the capped sleeves and getting distracted at how the muscles of his chest and his shoulders while in this awkward position--

--Clears her throat, and reaches for the button to free him from his cloth prison]

[He stays still for her while she's fussing with his arms and the sleeves - waits for her to undo the button and free him. From inside, his voice is a little muffled by the fabric:]

No, uh. Purple's good, I - it's nice, you picked a good one.

[When she finally gets to the button and the dress comes down the rest of the way, he glances down at it, biting at his lip.]

[In the end, it looks not unlike this--a simple silhouette, gathered at the waist, the fabric a gradient from fuchsia to indigo, speckled with gauze stars. With his silver slip showing through from underneath, the gauze stars seem to shimmer, while thee night sky takes on some of the sheen of the fabric below, eye-catching but not gaudily so.

Nemesis steps back a little to see her handiwork--tugs it here and there on the sides, remembers to redo the button at his collarbone, fingers a little shaky (at least on one hand), and her knuckles slip to brush against him, light]

I thought, 'cause that white outfit we got, with the star field? And then, that time on Rainbow Bridge...it just reminded me of that, kinda...

[He shivers again, just a little, at the brush of her knuckles against his collar bone - stares down at the dress, and the way the stars catch the silver, and the place where the colors fade from one into the other, passing through her shade somewhere in the middle.]

[His expression gets softer, at the explanation; he ducks his head, almost shy.]

It's good. For real, it's - you picked good.

Oh yeah?

[This comes out more hopeful than she'd hoped for, but she's obviously pleased nevertheless...a little self-conscious, maybe]

Looks nice against your skin tone, I think. It's a good color.

Yeah, I noticed. I mean - how good it is. The color.

Kinda - yours in the middle there, y'know?

That's why it's so good. Glad to see you're finally appreciating my good taste.

Hey, you got great taste. Who better to trust for something like this, yeah?

[He hesitates - reaches, absently, to toy with the hem of his shirt, like he sometimes does, but there is no shirt; he toys with a fold of the dress, instead, rubbing the fabric between thumb and forefinger.]

And, like - with the other stuff, too. Not just picking it, but - y'know.

That... woulda been pretty rough, with anyone else.

Eh, I bet you could've done fine. I bet plenty of people'd be happy to take care of you.

[Her expression sours the slightest bit, though she isn't sure why herself]

Think you're overestimating the draw of sticking me in a dress, dude.

And anyway - anyway, I didn't want no one else.

The dress don't got anything to do with it.

And what, you saved that one just for me?

[He's going red again - won't meet her eyes.]

I mean. I kinda figured, some of the harder ones would be okay to do, if it was with you?

But you didn't have to. And I didn't know for sure - I mean, if you hadn't wanted to, you coulda taken a pass. You coulda taken a pass on all of em, if none of em were - like. Okay to do?

I - you know that, right? You didn't, like - you didn't have to?

[He glances up at her, uncertain in a different way.]

Yeah, ‘course. Like, I wouldn’t’ve, if you weren’t into it, but... I figured I could help. And, uh, I don’t mind. Especially if you were saving it, special.

[She looks away, a little, which doesn’t hide the heat over her ears]

[He ducks his head, blushing furiously - but he doesn't actually deny that he'd been saving it. All he says is:]

Okay. Okay... cool.

Long's you didn't, like - mind.

[He hesitates - fidgets with the fabric of the dress a bit more.]

Did you, uh. Did you have any squares you wanted help with? Or...?

They’re...

[She falters, shifts in a way that is largely unlike her]

...I mean, I can just skip those ones, you don’t gotta do that kinda stuff with me... You don’t gotta worry about it...

Dude, c'mon. You helped me out, right? Least I can do's return the favor.

[He shifts a little, himself.]

'Sides. I ain't seen nothing on any of these cards I'd mind doing, if it was with you.

[Falters to a stop, perhaps as he realizes how those words can be taken - a touch more eager than he intended to let on - or perhaps as he remembers what else was on his card, and goes a deeper red.]

I just mean, like. Y'know. If you got stuff that's gonna be hard, better to get it done with someone you know. Right? And, like - I'm good for it, is all, so. So if you wanna check something off...

[If she notices anything extra awkward about him she makes no sign...probably because she’s busy being extra awkward herself—fidgeting, hands stuffed into the pockets of her trench. Eventually:]

...”Serve a master.” That’s the big one.

And it’s gotta be, uh, certain kinds of requests. Can’t just cheat with orders like “hop on one foot” or “stand on your head”...actually, that last one would probably work...

[She looks down at her still bare legs, cheeks dark]

A-anyways, like I said, you don’t gotta, I know it’s...

[Trails off with a hopeless shrug]

That's -

[Please hold while his brain processes this - while his gaze follows her eyes to her still-bare legs and helpfully provides a mental picture. When he gets it together again, his voice is more than a little strained.]

Th-that's - uh. Pretty - pretty open-ended, isn't it? I. I mean. How're we supposed to know what counts as, like - certain kinds of requests?

Or - or how many of em before the square's good, even?

Pretty sure it'd depend on you. Small print says fifteen minutes...or 'til the master is satisfied.

[Clears her throat]

...I mean, I don't wanna force you into anything, especially not, uh. Like this? But like you said, better with someone you know, and you like? But--I mean. If it's not your jam, that's fine? Just figured it wouldn't be so bad, if it was you.

[Kind of stumbles to a stop after that, not quite brave enough to look him in the eye]

No, that's, uh - I'm good, this is - good. If you need help anyway, I can - I don't mind.

But, like -

[He hesitates.]

I don't wanna, like. Boss you around into doing something you for real don't wanna do. Okay?

If you don't think you're gonna be into it, like - even a little? Just say "pass," and we'll do something else instead. That's your first order. Okay?

Okay.

[And she looks fairly relieved with that, though no less self-conscious]

That's, uh, one of the reasons I wanted to ask you... I figured you'd be--minimally dickish about it.

I mean... I'm gonna do my best.

[He hesitates - reaches out to take her hand and give it a squeeze.]

I know it's gonna be, like - weird. But I don't want it to be uncomfortable weird. Y'know? So for real, lemme know if it's too much.

[He falls quiet for a couple seconds, thinking it through.]

[Then, haltingly:]

Okay. I figure, there's two ways we can do this. Way one I can just like... come up with the easiest stuff I can think of that falls in that kinda category. I'll try not to be, like - pushy, or go too hard or nothing.

Way two, you can go and grab a blank card from out there, and I can just, like - go down the list. Kinda randomize it, y'know? Leave it up to chance.

What do you think? Second order is, uh - lemme know your opinion.

[Squeezes back, hand a little clammy. However, when she eventually speaks, her voice is strong]

...We done some pretty weird stuff before already, right? So...you can pick what you want. If you wanna go easy, that's fine...or if you wanna go hard, that's also fine.

I trust you to have my back, so I can trust you with the rest, too. ...Master.

[The title is kind of hesitant on her tongue, as if she's uncertain what she thinks of it...as if she's uncertain what he thinks of it.]

[If his expression's any indication, he's not sure what he thinks of it. Some combination of flustered and uncertain and - somewhere in there, though he's doing his best to quash it down - a spark of bright interest.]

[He swallows, hard, and glances away.]

O-okay, uh. I guess. I guess I better start giving orders for real.

Uh.

[It takes him a couple of seconds, to think of something; the line between what he wants and what he feels is actually appropriate to ask of her seems like a wall lined with barbed wire, only he's not quite sure where it is, and he doesn't especially want to end this with either of them bleeding.]

...how bout. How bout you take off your coat...?

...Okay. Uh, sir.

[She looks away, unbuttoning the trenchcoat from the top down. A beat, then she shrugs out of the sleeves.

Beneath she's wearing a girls' school uniform--perhaps she'd swapped with Wednesday or Yugi--or perhaps this particular uniform was never meant for students to wear, given the length or lack thereof. The white and red sailor top ends high on her midriff, while the navy pleated skirt barely covers her rear, much less the faint scarring running down her left hip.

She shifts, hesitating before leaving the coat balled in one hand rather than hiding behind it]

...'Kay, now what?

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