݁ 𖦏 ‍ 𝓶ᵃ̲ⁿ̲𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓⁎̯͡

[ an ear twitches. ] non. i've been busy elsewhere, no time for such unnecessary visits.

[ a siiiilent roll of eyes ]

hmm. yes, best we drop this roundabout argument. it will never go anywhere, so long as you remain within your delusion.

yes. and then you lost it, all over a terrible deal.

yes, yes. so you enjoy claiming, despite the lack of truth behind such sentiments.

[ he takes up so much space. her gaze drags along him, ] that i am, dearest. good boy for remembering.

no. [ finally grabbing her glass, to sip at the whiskey. her voice carries through nearby radio, as mouth is otherwise occupied. ] such elaboration will do us no good, dear.

i let you touch me. that is sweet enough. any more and you begin to fall back into your complexes.

hmmm. one can never say ‘ never ‘ ! hah.

my dear, i’ve no interest in discussing the past ! you should certainly know better.

my dear, you were not in her thoughts when she purchased the books. [ that is to say, alastor had seen them, and snatched one … all of her own volition. ] i simply thought they would make for a decent evening distraction.

no. [ an ear twitches, her smile thinning. ] our dear princess morningstar provided some reading materials for her ‘ group therapy ‘. i took one out of curiosity. it was. enlightening.

mm. yes, as i am learning. [ she had always known vox to have his big ideas. the lows that came along with their failures, however … far more recent territory ! ]

just peachy, dearest. i’ve, unfortunately, had other responsibilities outside of this little hotel. [ humming softly, ] i trust you’ve been working hard in my absence ?

this is adequate. [ she does seem to be growing less tense, now he is here. close. ]

[ overcoat shed, and neatly folded over arm of couch, as alastor settles down. getting comfortable. only because she had already planned to, not because he had asked. ]

hmm. [ … ] well ! i am here now. be a dear and fetch some rye from the bar.

hmm. i suppose. you had the chase to fret over, you hadn’t won my affection. [ head tips to one side, ] have you grown tired of it, now you have gotten what you want ?