072 x 270 // video/action // mistletoe

[dignity_misery]

POLY-VERSARY -- Video
[ She hasn't lived in one of the tall city apartment complexes in quite some time now. It had gotten to be too bloody and too haunted at some point, and she had moved down by the water. It was more peaceful there for her. Today, however, she's gone back to where she started, cold wind pulling fingers through her hair. ]

Two years now. [ There's a rustling noise, camera tumbled around in her hands as she pulls open an aluminum wrapping. A piece of candy gets popped in her mouth, chewing for a moment before she continues, ] All I wanted was to go home. I didn't want mon amour to think he could get away from me that easily.

[ She sits down on the ledge of the building, her body facing inwards and her eyes facing out over the city. ]

And I spent the rest of the time wanting to die.

[ The camera is set down, leaving her free to unwrap another piece of candy, throwing the little gold wrapper out into the open where the wind takes it away. ]

That's still all that's waiting back there. I'm in no hurry.

MISTLETOE -- Action Open to All

CAFE

[ There is a cafe that Carla frequents, regularly. She likes their pastries, but she has also taken it up as an unofficial place to work. Sometimes she sketches, sometimes she brings along a small project to paint. It's the latter today, and she has taken over a window-side booth. Feel free to lean in and take a look, there's certainly no mistletoe lurking overhead. ]

GROCERY

[ Surprisingly enough, Carla's cart at the grocery store has things in it other than chocolate. There is not only dog food, but also things like fruit and vegetables. And steak, quite a lot of steak. Also all the bleach and sponges you could ask for.

Should you watch her closely enough, you will see her very purposefully knock over a large pyramid display of packaged candies, smiling to herself, before flitting off to check out. ]

LIBRARY

[ She hasn't worked here in quite a while, the obtuse nature of the library had aggravated something already off kilter inside of her, and she had abandoned the pursuit in favor of beating people up for money. Still, now better situated, she sometimes drops in to see what she can find. In the back of her mind, she had been looking for some soviet novelists, so of course...

What she found was Dirty Little Christmas. She's not complaining, she's just found a place to sit and snicker over it. ]

HOME / HOME AWAY FROM HOME

[ She will make stops at both her beachfront flat, as well as her family estate in the forest.

She's been having a small snowball war with some teenagers, however, so watch out, she may nail you by mistake. (She started it, you know she did.) ]

OTHER

[ Feel free to craft your very own scenario, wherever you think it would be convenient to run in to her. I want all the kisses. ]

Comments

LIBRARY, BIEN SUR;

[brobeforehos]

[The things Mae doesn't know: Carla having worked there. Who knows whether or not she'd find that interesting a detail to have, really. Most of the days, she is careful to stay away from the woman, simply because she can spot a trainwreck a mile away. And Carla is right, she can't fix everyone she knows. She's pretty certain trying to fix Carla would have only disastrous results.

So does she try? Yes and no, no and yes. She keeps her distance, mostly, except for the days when staying away is just nigh impossible. And today seems to be one of those days, ironically.

What a twist of fate that she'd find the woman in the library while making the rounds to return a few books to their rightful shelves. One book brings her just on the aisle where Carla's found a place to sit, and that spells...something.

She manages a peak at the book.]

Did you find porn, or is it just my imagination?

[dignity_misery]

It's erotica when it's written.

[ So, you know. Yes :) ]

[brobeforehos]

That's still porn.

[Erotica sounds so fancy a word for 'the written word women everywhere fap to'.]

[dignity_misery]

As far as I can tell, this pregnant woman's sister was kidnapped by cholos.

[ Carla is gleefully judgmental about the quality of this entire story. ]

[brobeforehos]

That sounds...[She frowns a little.] And there's supposed to be porn in there at some point?

[dignity_misery]

The main character's name is Marisela. Don't you think that's asking for it?

[brobeforehos]

I try not to expect too much when it comes to City Library books. [She is somehwat amused by the whole concept, and it's nothing she'd read. Unless very drunk. And that hasn't happened in a while, look she's trying and all. Being a better person.

Which involved somehow taking one more step closer, bending over the armrest of the chair Carla's sitting in, and fitting her lips over hers.]

[dignity_misery]

[ No complaints for Carla, although it does require a small amount of repositioning, book set aside and a hand lifted to thread into pretty pink hair.

No escape. Carla will let her go when she's through. ]

[brobeforehos]

[You take the small things in life into account, like the fact that she finished putting all the books in their place and her hands are now free. One to settle on the opposite arm rest and the other on the curve of Carla's shoulder.

There's a mistletoe somewhere over their heads, because she doesn't think she'd have done this otherwise. Thought about it, certainly. But not done it.

Doing is better.]

[dignity_misery]

[ They both know it's usually for the best to exhibit restraint. But sometimes the city is smaller than it seems and it certainly enjoys letting its citizens do what they shouldn't.

Carla nibbles lazily on her current preoccupation's lower lip, free hand placed on the curve of a hip. ]

[brobeforehos]

[She knows there's mistletoe around, she's been fending it off and getting rid of it whenever she could, but she also knew that at some point she'd end up under it with someone else. Kissing would happen. It just never occured to her that it would be Carla. It probably should've, the City loves irony like that.

There's a shiver that makes its way up Mae's spine, and her nails dig into the cushioning of the chair before the manages to pull away, undeniably shaken.]

There was...

[dignity_misery]

[ Carla just looks smug, sitting back comfortably in her chair with one arm resting along the back. ]

There was what?

[brobeforehos]

Mistletoe. [She's got it easy, sitting down and all. Meanwhile, Mae has to deal with flushed skin and being dizzy and slightly out of breath, straightening up without swaying on her feet.]

Mistletoe.

[dignity_misery]

I hadn't noticed.

[ And probably didn't care an awful lot. ]

[brobeforehos]

Well, now you know. Now we both know. [Taking a step back.]

I should get back to work.

[dignity_misery]

Alright.

[ Carla stands, picking up her book with her. The smut gets handed to Mae. ]

Have a nice day.

[ : ) Read it. Read it. ]

[brobeforehos]

[UNEASY LAUGHTER. She stares at the book in her hand. Smut, and probably badly written one and if all kisses are going to go like this one for her...]

You know, I'm gonna keep this.

[And maybe even use it.]

[dignity_misery]

Preferably.

[ Hahaha. ]

[brobeforehos]

I'll let you know the worst parts.

LIBRARY AUSSI(e)

[intheblanks]

[Chase has been at the library a while, and in that time he's managed to procure two relatively up-to-date epidemiology journals, along with Goat Wold, Arthritis News, a condom information leaflet and last year's christmas special edition of Diarrhoea Digest.

He's at the automatic returns desk getting rid of the four less helpful options when Carla walks past.

It's some time since he's seen her, a little more since they've spoken for more than a brief minute, but as ever he finds himself turning to watch as she goes. Until the machine he's at gets confused and, in its artifical voice, loudly questions Are you returning Your Penis: Unwrapped?]

[dignity_misery]

[ She glances over her shoulder, eyebrow raised and smirk already in place. It doesn't fade when she sees that it's him, but that does take some of the fun out of it. There's no point trying to bully him. ]

Are you sure you want to give that one back?

[intheblanks]

I've made notes of all the salient points.

[Well she could try to bully him. He's never really minded that. He lets the leaflet drop into the clear plastic returns box and heads over to her.]

Looking for a Christmas position?

[dignity_misery]

No.

[ A simple answer. After two years here and enough friends gone back home, leaving nothing but money and objects behind, she's not particularly hurting for work. She may have even go so far as to sell a painting or two. ]

I wanted something to read.

[intheblanks]

[He ducks enough to look at her book's cover. Looks up at her. Looks back.]

Huh. It's usually easier to guess whether or not someone found what they wanted.

[dignity_misery]

I wanted Tolstoy.

[ But she can't really say she's disappointed either. ]

[intheblanks]

Non-violent resistance, lady under a train, or something more festive?

[he's smiling, though.]

How've you been?

[Last time he saw her he was threatening detentions over namecalling, or something.]

[dignity_misery]

[ Since it doesn't matter what she was looking for, she glosses to her usual response, ]

I've been fine. I assume you have been too.

[ Conversational skills lacking, Carolena. ]

[intheblanks]

I've been good. [And his answer's honest.] Weirdly... settled. [Like he doesn't know quite when that happened, and it's a fragile thing - almost to be apologised for in this city.]

Can I get you a coffee, if you're done?

[dignity_misery]

I don't drink coffee.

[ She never won't answer that way. ]

[intheblanks]

But 'hot beverages and accompanying snacks' sounds so much less like a cutesy American sitcom.

[dignity_misery]

I didn't know you had aspirations to live a sitcom life.

[ But she might be putting her book on any old shelf and turning to stare at him expectantly anyway. ]