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Penance Mods ([personal profile] penancemods) wrote in [community profile] penancememes2021-08-25 12:50 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME #27

Arrival
"Judgement has come upon you. God has deemed you worthy of Hell. But don't worry, it can still be undone," comes a soothing voice that echoes all around you. The voice promises comfort, hope even.

It may seem like a nightmare at first, despite all of that. Full of hellfire nipping at your skin and a sensation of being pulled down no matter how much you struggle or cry for help. Wretched, unseen hands pull at you, grip tight at your body, tighten on your throat, skeletal fingers grab at your face, slide in your mouth and jab at your eyes as they struggle for purchase. It feels like for a moment, they may snap your neck as they tug and pull. The more you resist, the more phantom hands are added to your struggling body.

It feels like they could tear you apart if you let them. The only thing to do is to let go and stop fighting.

And so you do.

Darkness and nothingness consumes you for a second, but only a second.

Initially, everyone opens their eyes to a long, dark corridor made of stone. They find themselves in what appears to be a long queue with other sinners, palm bloody.

Characters find their bodies feel heavy and stiff, bruised with odd hand prints here and there that they received during their journey down below. A massive headache throbs behind their temples. They are urged forward to take a numbered ticket and wait their turn in the long line. As they're ushered forward through the corridor, their first stop will be to see Lilith, standing outside her office.

The woman in a smart suit and a friendly smile steps forward to greet sinners one by one. "I'm sorry for your rough landing. We've never gotten it quite as smooth as it was in the past. Please, let me see your hand--"

Once she has the sinner's hand, there's the warm, almost electric touch of magic that soothes away the aches and pains, heals the wound left behind on each sinner's palm. Lilith looks satisfied with her work and gives a nod. "There, all better. Please continue on until you reach Death's office. He'll have your contracts ready for you."

There's a slightly wicked twist to her lips. "Please do feel free to ask him about any of those sins listed..."

And so on, sinners travel until they finally arrived at another office where Death sits waiting. Here is where you'll receive a contract detailing all sins committed. If they look at the list closely enough they'll notice it's written on with their blood. That explains the wound then. It's an old piece of parchment despite the freshly written letters upon it. Death will also provide slightly more modern smart phone. Think early generation Android.

Seems as though Hell has moved on up from the very old Blackberry type phone.

Once characters have their device and their contracts, they're ushered further down the hall. It seems to go on and wind forever, but eventually, they come upon the lobby of Penance hotel. Once there, they will notice several shops and other areas around the front desk.

The demon at the front desk looks rather bored, but when sinners approach? He seems to snap to attention to offer whatever help they might need of him. He will at least direct to food or rooms to rest their wary bodies, or recommend sights to see around the hotel.


Stand Your Ground
While the Mares have gone, as per Death's bargain with God, and reconstructing Penance is coming along fairly well, the air is carrying with it a cold crispness that sends a chill down one's spine. Lucifer is still nowhere to be found, and if pressured, staff will say he's having talks with the other Lords of Hell, as well as God himself. Things need to be worked out, no matter how difficult it is for Lucifer to accept and swallow his pride. He won't be around to offer warmth to the Penance community and it may, in fact, be mirroring his current mood.

Or it may be the creeping sense of doom that's following so many around now that The Veiled Order has been able to nearly complete their next spell. Local demons will plainly say that God won't help them against this threat, that he doesn't care if Hell is destroyed, and others will be very hush about the situation entirely. No need to scare the local sinners, new or old!

Instead just enjoy the reopening businesses around the local area! Nothing is off-limits. Hellburbia seems to have suffered some extensive damage recently, but not to worry! There's talk of building back better than ever.

Other than that, Helluva Cup has a new spiced drink... and spiced everything. That's right! Pumpkin spice has apparently come early this year... and it may be a bit overpowering and in everything in the coffee shop, regardless of what you order. Even Bean, the 'friendly' hell rat the owner keeps in the shop seems to be feasting on pumpkin flavored meat. That's probably okay. Right?

Penance Library is offering a special reading of Leviathan-specific reads. The local goblins will be doing readings every afternoon for all who care to listen or to stick around and discuss it. These will all be fictional in nature, not historic texts.

Strangely enough, there seems to be a sort of curfew happening. While everyone will not be expected to be in the hotel necessarily, they must take shelter in the newly opened Club Penance, Casino Styx, Hella Shorty's, or other establishments. They must either stay the night in these establishments or be escorted to the hotel by demonic guards. These guards will be doing rounds around the Penance community to ensure no one is out alone. Do not fight them or they may surprise you with how strong they can be.

Additionally, anyone caught defying curfew knowingly or fighting back will be locked in their rooms for up to three days as a potential danger to the community as a whole. There are all sorts of dangers lurking out there and the demons are absolutely trying to keep everyone as safe as they can!

Otherwise, it's business as usual around Penance, so go on an exploration! Bundle up against the cold! Have fun!


Reach Up High
WARNINGS: cutting, blood, torture

Whether you've been here for months or you're freshly arrived, your demonic overlord unfortunately expects some participation despite the current state of things. You can try and shirk the responsibility, of course. You can bargain your way out of it for a while. But eventually, you may find yourself trapped in a room just off the gym that's been fondly dubbed The Torture Room. It has all manner of equipment in there, along with an iron maiden even.

But don't worry about any of that right now. It probably won't be used.

You can try the door, but even with super human strength or every lock picking skill in the book, you won't be able to open it.

It soon becomes apparent what you're supposed to do when someone else is eventually shoved in with you. Both of your lists of sins will appear on a table that's been placed in the center of the room with two handy knives. You can choose to guard these or not care at all that they're on display.

"Unfortunately, due to Father coming back into the picture, I know that He will demand punishment be delivered despite our circumstances. I have chosen a rather easy one, focused on honesty and acceptance of your sins. Please pick up a knife and choose a sin from each of your lists to carve upon your skin. Aid each other in your journey, carve the words to help your fellow penitent be candid with everyone around them!"

The voice rings out within the sinners' heads as it always does, although Lucifer seems agitated at the moment, hesitant in some way that he usually isn't.

"I do apologize for this. If it was up to me, you would have been free of additional torment this month. However, there will be additional incentive for anyone who should try to resist the task I've appointed them."

It isn't a lie nor an idle threat either. The longer you wait to do what's been requested of you, the more shallow cuts that will appear on both of your bodies. Are you really prepared to endure this pain when giving in would be so much easier?

And more than that, are you willing to let another suffer along with you?

Eventually, the cuts will stop if you suffer them long enough, but you'll have failed this challenge and sustained more damage than if you'd just gone along with it. Satan will also be very disappointed in you.


Follow Me Down

Prompt I: Reopening
WARNINGS: sex, drugs, alcohol, aphrodisiacs, body changes, potential kinks, violence, potential non-con or dub-con.

Club Penance is finally back! And with themed nights to start off all the fun. This night's theme is: Anything But Clothes. Guests who enter the adult oriented side of the club will notice the incubi and succubi who serve in it are entirely without clothes (and any ounce of shame!). They're eager to get right back to business. They're very encouraging of others to do the same whether it be immediately or in sexy strip shows.

On their trays, they offer drinks and drugs of all sorts. Shows are being put on on the stage as usual, the offer of sex demos with guest participation are still on the table.

As usual, these demons play under respectable rules in the club, safe words and all. They will also gladly exit the stage and let guests entirely run the show. They're on their best behavior tonight, even if the natural aphrodisiacs they give off seem to be amped up

Guests who refused to undress may also find their clothes randomly disappearing, or being torn off by some eager patron or demon who is a bit too into the theme! Ah, well, no need to worry too much. There will be costumes and lingerie to slip on to go home in. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a walk of shame back to the hotel in nothing but a thong, they'll assure. It's just another night in Hell.

For those who are really adventurous, there are also special concoctions that the club offers. These include:

  • Frenzy ○ The drug will be given to anyone anyone who asks for it. It can be snorted, injected, taken in pill form, or smoked given user preference.

    Despite the questionable name, guests who partake really will feel the best they've possibly ever felt. They won't need sleep or to rest, but they won't necessarily feel the strain on their bodies either. They'll be full of energy and their mood will be amazing with no hint of nightmares or dreams anywhere.

    The demons won't let anyone come down either, not once they've started and not until they're told a guest doesn't want any more.

    Even then, they may still try to convince them otherwise. It's a party for as long as you can go, or until you completely burn out, it seems.

    But with all good things come bad. It seems a side-effect of the drug is an actual frenzy as well. A frenzy for sex or violence or anything a character might want that they deny themselves on the regular. They'll feel this growing hunger, this ravenous need to have and to claim everything they think is theirs.

    Some may even fade away into an almost animalistic sort of state.

    The more the guest takes, the more they'll experience this sensation. Fighting it won't help either. Though they did sort of bring that one on themselves, didn't they?

    Other symptoms of coming down won't be too different to those of other drugs. Fatigue, depression. Guests will begin to feel the effects of staying up for so long without rest or stopping to take care of themselves. They may also feel a certain longing for more, but it can be fought off with enough strength of will.

    The drug isn't free either. The succubi expect to be paid in energy or through actual work in the club.

    Bond ○ A potion that will bond guests together the minute one speaks to the other. The encouragement is that this should be done consensually, but the demons won't necessarily be checking. Once bonded, guests will feel what the one who took the potion feels. This includes pain and pleasure both with effects lasting a full night. Give someone the most intense pleasure of their lives or torture them until they beg for mercy!

    For a really intense experience, both participants can consume the potion with mutual effects.


  • For the dance oriented portion of the club, the theme is a little more lax. Instead of outright nakedness, patrons may be offered revealing clubwear instead. Things that will look mesmerizing in the lights of the club ranging from neon colors to clothes that seem to flash on the dance floor. The music will be thrumming in the air, pumping down to your very bones as you dance the night away, and all patrons will feel good. It will feel as if they could actually dance all night if they so wanted, even without the aid of any drugs.

    It will be an all night rave with all the party drugs and drinks one could want! Live music plays all night. The band also loves to receive requests, so knock yourself out! They seem to strangely know any song they're asked to play.

    Knock yourself out, give up any care in the world and have fun. You're already in Hell, so don't you deserve to feel good for a while?


    Prompt II: Your Average Hotel Night
    WARNINGS: Alcohol and drug abuse, potential non-con/dub-con

    With all the sinners, new and old, the hotel bar will be lit up with activity. Drinks will be readily available, there's food in the kitchens if anyone wants to bother serving it, music will be blaring whenever there's electricity, and overall, there will be an energy to the atmosphere that's absolutely contagious. Even if you aren't typically inclined to linger at these sorts of events there may be be a certain pull to stay and have a bit of fun.

    You might not get much of a chance to have that in Hell, after all. One drink won't hurt, right? Nor will one more after that, and after that. Ah, sweet gluttony. Why not have a pastry next? There's some delectable sweets available just a few steps away. More of a meat person? Like things salty? Fear not, it looks like someone graciously brought all sorts of snacks and foodstuffs from the kitchens to the bar as the night progresses. Indulge! You deserve it.

    Similar to Club Penance, the bar also has every sort of drug available that might tickle your fancy and some you've never heard of. There's no harm in experimenting, is there? You're already in Hell. The staff will offer to show anyone how to use the drugs or give advice for what to try if you tell them what you want to experience. Shockingly, they won't lie! Their advice is good word its just you might not have been exactly prepared for it.

    There's a stage and a karaoke machine for those feeling brave or just wanting to torture people with some sweet, sweet renditions of The Devil Went Down to Georgia.

    There are tables set up for all sorts of gambling and various bar games to entertain yourself with. Since currency as most are familiar with it doesn't quite exist down here, most of the demons seem to be accepting bits of your soul or offers to do chores around the hotel. You may also get pulled into a fun game of strip poker against one of your fellow guests for a few succubi that are having a night out.

    Relax and enjoy your night. Coming here and facing your sins is the hard part, so surely you deserve to have a little fun.


    Wildcard/Misc.
    Don't see something you love but still want to get a feel for the game? Check out our extensive list of LOCATIONS and write up your very own prompt however you'd like to! You can also add a "NETWORK" post option to your TL for quick, easy, and fun interactions.



    And without further ado: Welcome to our new TDM for the September 1st app round! As always, potential appers and characters already in game are welcomed to jump right in! This TDM counts as an additional game event as well as game canon for those coming into the game. If you app and are accepted, TDM tags become game canon and can be used for AC! Please have fun and don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have down below.

    If you have questions, comments, suggestions, etc., go here.


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    neutronblast: (♚ sassy)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-08-29 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    [monika being temperamental as hell. so just another tuesday. well, whatever.]

    Whatever you say, lady.

    [scanning the rest of the page, and...]

    It's just dicks. And dicking. And dicks in holes. And dick on dick, sprouting even more dicks. Dicks ahoy.

    [he glances up with an I told you so sort of smile.]

    Want me to skip ahead? To less dicks, more dialogue, maybe?
    holeinwall: (Myself down deeper)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-08-29 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Her eyes go a bit wide. What the hell, book? How many dicks and holes can there be in one story? ]

    No way. You're totally exaggerating!

    [ At that, she snatches the book out of his hands so she can see for herself. Her annoyed look gradually fades into the type of expression one would get while watching a train wreck. There was no exaggeration.

    It probably says a lot when she very quietly returns the book to him. ]


    Y-Yeah, find some dialogue.

    [ Apparently she hasn't graduated to that level of kink yet. ]
    neutronblast: (♚ relaxed)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-08-29 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
    Agreed. Hopefully they finished fucking within the last few pages.

    [so he'll just skip to the end here. over about twenty or so sex scenes, god damn, these demons love their dicks. he clears his throat to start again.]

    "The world is such a cold place when you're all alone," noted the incubus, cradling the dying body of the demon, his demon, in his arms. He stood upon what remained of their planet and shed a single tear. Then another, then another. Because who said incubi couldn't cry?

    The demon's chest heaved in agony. Then he asked, "Are being alone and being lonely the same thing?"

    Confused by the question, the incubus replied, "Aren't they, though?"

    "Not at all," said the demon, reaching up to wipe those tears away. "You can be alone without being lonely. So too can you."

    "But I don't want to be either one!" cried the incubus, holding his lover tight. "I want to be with you!"

    "Sometimes we don't get to choose," said the demon. "Sometimes we get what we are given. And we must learn to cherish the difference."
    holeinwall: (Is I need you close)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-08-29 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Making love." [ She corrects, briefly looking annoyed again. ] It's "making love" in a book like this.

    [ Makes total sense, right?

    As he makes his way towards greener, less sexy pastures, Monika unconsciously perks up in anticipation. Despite all the dicking, it was clear this book was dealing with themes that spoke to her a lot, just from that first excerpt. It could only get better!

    And when Kaiba starts reading again, she's right. One hand comes up to a rest over her heart, fingers idly brushing over the scar there. I don't want to be either one, she mouths to herself, and--is her lower lip quivering? Is she possibly going to cry?

    Yep, there it goes. There's a soft sniffle. ]


    What next? Tell me the death is a fake out!
    neutronblast: (♚ arrogant)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-08-29 11:50 pm (UTC)(link)
    Sorry. Definitely dead.

    [and. uh. should he even read the last part? time to end on a high note. or something.]

    And so he buried him along with his favorite dildo, shaped just like his favorite dick, which belonged to his favorite demon, and roamed the wastes forevermore. And though his holes were forever bereft, he would never forget his forever lover, his forever phallus. The end.

    [shit son. that hits home hard. or something. he's trying not to snicker his way through it, give him a second.]
    holeinwall: (Therefore you can't call her crazy)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-08-30 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
    Oh no...

    [ And just as she's about to let more tears flow, her next sniffle is cut off by a strange noise, caught somewhere between a honk and a confused squeak. WHAT THE HELL.

    Again, she's yanking the book over, staring hard at it and scanning the lines furiously. Sure enough, the words are there in all their phallic glory. Well, then.

    After staring at the cover of the book for a while, just to see if there was a hint at what lay inside that she missed, she takes a breath and gingerly places the book on the table. Far away. Very far away. She will not be checking that out. Probably. Maybe. ]


    It's not fun when one of them dies.

    [ Yeah, because that's the issue the book has. ]

    And stop laughing. It's not funny!
    neutronblast: (♚ you're not worthy)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-08-30 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
    You're right! It's hilarious! Ahahaha...

    [AHAHAHAHA...]

    AHAHAHAHAHA...

    [...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...]

    AHAHAHAHAHA—

    [...he'll stop in a minute. honest.]
    holeinwall: (Who'll say)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-08-30 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Monika lets out a long-suffering sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose as he has the time of his life. As is to be expected, he reels her in with something sweet and sexy, then just as he removes the hook she always dumbly bites down on, he smacks her in the face with mockery. How's that saying about insanity go again?

    Her chin thumps onto her hand so she can give him a properly unhappy, unimpressed stare. ]


    Done yet?
    neutronblast: (♚ sassy)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-08-30 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
    [wait, hold on, one more wahaha... okay, he's good now. totally out of his system. honest. he'll just kick back in his seat and put on his best aren't I a handsome little shit face. which he's pretty damn good at, he's been practicing it half his life. it's also arguably his default expression whenever he's not staring something to death.]

    See? You are cute when you're mad.

    [check and mate. you dirty, dirty AI.]
    holeinwall: (So left but she's right though)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-08-30 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Her eyes narrow. Always with the "cute when she's mad" thing! ]

    You know I can be cute without being mad, right? It's way easier!

    [ Now her eyes roll. ] Is that your real fetish? Girls getting mad at you?

    [ It made sense. He sure had seemed to enjoy her being rough in the bedroom... ]
    neutronblast: (♚ don't say no)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-08-30 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
    Maybe. But it's not you.

    [it's not the real monika. the real monika had shown her face back at therapy, huffing and puffing as she was broken down to her spare parts in front of everyone. throwing coffee in his face, storming off. even so, it wasn't intended to embarrass her, not really. and that's also the case now, as his tone returns to its usual sternness.]

    I prefer the real you. Like I keep saying, you should stop pretending.

    [and to quote that humdinger of a novel, he simply says:]

    "Being alone doesn't mean being lonely." So you really don't need love at all.
    holeinwall: (When the hand you wanna hold)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-03 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
    Sounds like you just want me to be like you.

    [ Huffing, her arms cross again as she leans back in her chair. "Stop pretending," he says. Like it's so easy! Pretending is all she's used to. And as she'd let slip during therapy, showing her real self never seemed to go well. It was all more incentive to keep letting people only see her carefully curated self.

    A look of consternation comes across her face as she unwittingly thinks about what he says even more. Being alone was the ultimate fear. Everything she'd done so far in her short, poor excuse of a life was meant to escape it. Yet look where she'd ended up...

    Monika glances over at Kaiba, and after a moment, some of the obvious tension she'd built up in her shoulders seems to fade. ]


    Maybe I don't need love. But...I still want it. It's all I've ever known. At least if I have someone, all the bad stuff isn't so bad. [ Her lips pucker as she attempts to fight a frown. She doesn't really succeed, because she knows that's not entirely true. ] I don't know how to be alone and okay at the same time. Not when my first introduction to living was the realization that I was never meant to have a normal life.
    neutronblast: (♚ judging you)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-03 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
    [gravely:]

    I don't want anyone to be like me.

    [and he might have tipped his hand a little with that one, because it sounded a lot more I don't want anyone to suffer like I did.

    monika might be getting huffy all over again but it doesn't seem to faze kaiba, who continues to regard her seriously. he wanted the real monika so this was what he got, all nastiness and loneliness and thinly veiled malice. it's like the coffee shop all over again. he even half expects a hot latte in the face, ridiculously as that may have been.

    but this was the real monika. this was the truth. so it's preferable to anything else.]


    Weren't you alone just now? Reading your dumb books, but still.

    [more delicately, he adds:]

    You looked better than normal, better than okay. You looked happy.
    holeinwall: (So you're a tough guy)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-03 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Her eyebrow goes up at his grave assertion, but she doesn't say anything. Something in his tone keeps her quiet. That, and she'd probably make it into another argument. She hasn't got the brain power to handle two at once right now.

    And while there definitely is some vague temptation to chuck one of her books at him--a pretty thick hardcover one in particular--she doesn't focus on it long. It's generally difficult to focus on anything when he's looking at her like that.

    What he says doesn't help, either. She squirms a little with a frown. Maybe he's got a point. She was pretty happy, wasn't she? ]


    They're not dumb. [ It's her one petulant protest before she gets serious again. ] It's my favorite way to escape. One that was probably programmed into me or whatever...

    [ She trails off. Should she really be picky about the type of happiness she's experiencing? Especially when she needed as much as she could get now?

    That look of consternation returns. ]


    It's still not as good as being with someone, though.

    [ And while that's said with stubborn insistence, there's a hesitance that hasn't been there before. Troubling, but she'll do her best to push it aside. The last thing she wants to do is fully admit he's right. ]
    neutronblast: (♚ alert)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-03 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
    If you want to be with someone, you'll have to stop running away.

    [it's not even pitched as a judgment; just the objective truth. and maybe it was just as true for himself, even if he'd never admit it aloud.]
    holeinwall: (To be part of you)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-03 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Her brow furrows. ] Running away from what?

    [ She has an idea of what he might mean, but she's going to choose to be willfully ignorant. Honestly, she kind of wishes they could go back to reading the book full of dildos instead of talking about uncomfortable problems. And yet... ]

    If anything, people should stop running away from me.
    neutronblast: (♚ in my way)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-03 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
    I'm not running.

    [well, it's true. he saw her in the library. he chose to sit down with her. he chose to read to her, and so...]

    I'm right here, aren't I? Are you saying that doesn't count?
    holeinwall: (When you sleep)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-03 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Her mouth opens like she's going to toss out some snappy retort, but after a moment, it snaps shut. Dammit. ]

    No, I'm not saying that! Just! [ She's clearly getting frustrated again. ] It's not like you're enjoying it.

    [ There's a pause. ]

    ...Right?
    neutronblast: (♚ fondness)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-03 11:53 pm (UTC)(link)
    What, reading incredibly derivative drivel about demon dicks and then launching immediately into discomforting metaphysical discussion?

    [gross, who would ever like that?]

    Sure. It was fun.

    [oh right. he would. because he's gross. sorry not sorry, you silly AI. and you can have an ever so charming smile to go along with it.]
    holeinwall: (Bruises on both my knees for you)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-04 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Monika squints. Well. That's something. She's not sure how to feel. Maybe a little excited, in a weird way? ]

    Maybe we could read some other stuff, then?

    [ Her excitement builds after saying that. She can't help a smile of her own. Even weirder. ]

    Something less raunchy and a little more serious. Like poetry. The uncomfortable discussions could get built right in, even, depending on the writer.
    neutronblast: (♚ you have your bond)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-04 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
    [he had every intention of bailing off after that dickish debacle, but she did look excited. maybe in a weird way, but also in a way where he could tell she wasn't putting on airs for the sake of it. it's not like he had anywhere else to be, and maybe... maybe it really had been fun, sort of, even though they're both trapped in literal hell.]

    Sure, Monika.

    [he'll even scoot his chair a little closer. you know. just so he can read along. obviously the only reason.]

    But I fully reserve the right to laugh at your terrible taste. Just a heads up.
    holeinwall: (Just close your eyes dear)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-04 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
    [ There goes her heart again, fluttering away. Yep, she's definitely excited. ]

    That's just a sign of your short-sighted mind, so it's fine.

    [ Grinning at her wit, she tugs over the most beaten up book of the bunch, half of its wear most likely her fault. It's a collection of Emily Dickinson's poems, and she's checked it out a lot, devouring it voraciously each and every time.

    She moves in closer too after flipping to a certain poem, "If I can stop one heart from breaking." As she holds the book up for him to see, one of her thighs presses against his. She doesn't think much of it. It's comfortable. ]


    This one's my favorite. [ Her finger taps the title. ] Go on! Read it!
    neutronblast: (♚ and I have mine)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-04 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
    [he doesn't really have time to read outside of his job and even if he did he certainly wouldn't dabble in the likes of dickinson, but he may as well indulge monika while she's being kinda cute and not nearly as much of a pain. who knows how long that would even last. better make the most of it while she's busy fawning all over mediocre literature.]

    Nah, it's your turn. You read it.

    [dare he even say...]

    Dazzle me.
    holeinwall: (Oh tell me you love me)

    [personal profile] holeinwall 2021-09-04 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Her head snaps in his direction. Twilight immediately runs through her head, because duh! It's thrown her off, however. The pressure's on.

    Swallowing some sudden nervousness, she glances back at the book. It shouldn't be a big deal. Like, it was totally a plot point in her game! And--no need to be humble--she was kind of amazing at this stuff. So why does it feel like she just choked down a frog? ]


    If you don't save any of your dumb laughter until I'm done, I'll hit you with the book.

    [ The deep breath she takes in gets exhaled as a huff. Time to stop being silly and get on with it. ]

    If I can stop one heart--

    [ Her voice cracks. Her eyes flicker in his direction before she tamps down some frustration. Get it together! Believe in the power of love! Be a dazzler! ]

    If I can stop one heart from breaking,
    I shall not live in vain;
    If I can ease one life the aching,
    Or cool one pain...


    [ With every subsequent word, she gains her footing. The literature club president in her peeks out, then fully appears. She's calm, collected, confident. As she continues on, her eyes close, memory taking over as she feels her way through the poem instead of just reading it. ]

    ...Or help one fainting robin
    Unto his nest again,
    I shall not live in vain.


    [ Monika breathes out, much more relaxed, and opens her eyes as she smiles. Seems like she's going to not be a pain for a while yet. ]

    It's short, but it's poignant. It's kept me going ever since I first read it. [ Still enjoying the ride on her fresh wave of confidence, she smirks over at him, since his opinions won't bother her now. ] Well? Gonna laugh?
    neutronblast: (♚ thoughtful)

    [personal profile] neutronblast 2021-09-04 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
    [to his credit, kaiba sits still. he stays silent. no laughter or commentary of any kind, not a single peep. his eyes follow each line and he listens to every word. his features may seem harsh but it might just be they always look that way; it may just be he can't shut it off, any more than monika can squash that all encompassing desire to be loved.

    it was almost sad, listening to monika lose herself in the moment. such a sorry piece of work, a flimsy excuse for a girl. after that hellish nightmare, he should've known to stay away. not because he was afraid of anything he saw, or because he scorned the truth, but because it was simply a waste of time. it was a waste of time to convince someone like that to take a different path. a waste of time to program, or reprogram, something that fundamentally broken. she belonged in the garbage bin. she deserved to be recycled.

    but she sounded so real. realer than most real people he had met. she really and truly believed in what she had read, in the idea of love, even if she could never feel it.

    and he can't help but admire that, the pursuit of the impossible. he couldn't help but admire it because he believed in the same thing -- not in love, but in breaking boundaries.]


    Hm.

    [kaiba props his elbow on the table, leaning his head on his hand. eyes drifting away.]

    I don't really get it. Saving yourself for one person. Seems like you're setting yourself up for disappointment if they don't feel the same way.

    [they flicker back to her, even. neutral. inscrutable. she can read her books, but she won't read him.]

    Is that why you keep trying? You think you're going to find the one, by playing your hand as much as possible?

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