poly_chromatic | 023

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system shock 2 - marie delacroix

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[ Truthfully, waking up unintentionally in a bed with Marie Delacroix is none too scandalous. Most nights she comes home from work and falls asleep in her clothes on the couch, surrounded by coffee cups and wine glasses and ashtrays. Today isn't much different, though she had made it all the way to her bed where she was enjoying her usual gamut of memory-fueled nightmares.

It's with a full-bodied jerk and a gasp that she wakes, already breathing heavily, but the weight on the other end of one arm rockets her panic to higher state before she can pause to think about it. She gives another startled jerk as she clambers to her feet at the side of the bed, staring at the this odd intrusion.]

Qu'est-ce que tu fais bordel...

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DELACROIX to NETWORK + DEITIES: 08-09-???? re: Nuisance

[Good morning, City. This morning Miss Marie Delacroix is looking a bit under dressed and out of sorts. She's staring disdainfully down at her hand, which unfortunately has been connected by chain to Mr. Andrew Ryan, who really doesn't look any more pleased about the inconvenience. Still,]

Clearly, I will not be in to zhe laboratory zhis evening. I would prefer zhat zhe area remained closed in my absence, I do not in fact trust my interns to avoid ruining anything.

[She fidgets, twisting her wrist.]

...I 'ave been stricken with a number of curses since I arrived here in January. I 'ave to say zhat zhis is one of zhe more irritating.

[More irritating than the cat-hugging curse, Marie, really?]

[[ooc; Replies may be delayed to the evening o7]]

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[He's tempted to tug his hand away from hers, but with them connected by chain as they are, that would only serve to yank her arm unpleasantly and possibly injure the both of them. So he simply sits there, hair unpleasantly flat from sleeping on it, looking grumpier than should be humanly possible.]

This is ridiculous.

[She swallows uncomfortably, brows pinched in an expression of unquestionable anger, though not all of it could be fairly said to be directed at him. She's always angry, frustrated. Once upon a time it might have been nothing more than a brusque personality, but these days... it's anger. She's poisoned sick with it.]

A standard qualifier for zhe days in zhis City.

[Her voice is lacking a bit of bite, her arm hanging loosely out in front of her, as if she's being forced to hold something incredibly unpleasant and wants to keep it as far from herself as possible.]

[He sighs, trying to find a way to get his arm comfortable.]

What are we supposed to do like this? Our productivity is completely ruined.

[Another belabored sigh, as though this is the worst thing that's ever happened to him. And at the moment, it may well feel like it.]

I assume it will only last a day.

[Her brows pinch. What is she supposed to do like this. Her eyes trail down her arm to the handcuffs, half-hidden under the sleeve of the open cardigan she'd slept in.]

I need to contact zhe laboratory.

[She stares at her hand irritably for a moment longer before she slowly moves around the end of the bed to get to the other side. A less proud woman would have just asked him to hand the phone to her. As she picks it up and begins to poke at it, she observes absentmindedly,]

Zhere are certain weekends where inconveniences may last 48 hours. Once a month, zhis occurs, and zhe curses are varied among zhe population.

Of course there are. And we were lucky enough to be cursed on one of those weekends, weren't we?

[To his credit, he's trying not to snap at her, though he's incredibly irritated. He realizes that it's not her fault, at least.]

[She doesn't mean to state the obvious, but she's uncomfortable and statement of the situation is a scientist's way. Once the facts are established, the rest can be looked at. She lifts the phone to her ear, and has an exceedingly brief exchange with someone before she hangs up just as abruptly, putting the phone into her pocket.

She's forced to look back at Ryan then. What is she supposed to do with this thing. Her mouth thins.]

Please get up. I need to make coffee.

[Needs it. Right now. And a cigarette.]

[He needs coffee and a cigarette too. Desperately. So he gets up.]

Lead the way.

[His tone is deeply sarcastic. This is not how he likes to wake up in bed with a woman.]

[Her bedroom is the sparsest area of the apartment, nothing on the dresser top, nothing on the walls, floors cleared. It's more cluttered out in the main room, stacks of books and electronic equipment (computers, circuit boards, tool boxes, spools of wire, anything she might need.) There are wine bottles under the couch and ashtrays scattered everywhere, although they are all cleaned out regularly. Cluttered, but not grimy. The home of a woman who does not keep company, and does not desire it.

She flips on the light to the kitchen with her free hand, and begins the motions, rote and many times practiced for the coffee. She pauses when she jerks too hard on her shackled wrist, taking a breath to curb the initial outburst of irritation before carrying on at a more sedate pace.

She reaches up to the cabinets for cups. Two. She has a guest. Unfortunately.]

[He looks around her apartment, taking it in, noting the clutter, noting that she probably doesn't have many people over, feeling vaguely as though he's intruding -- which really, he should feel, given that he's currently shackled to her. The electronic equipment intrigues him, is something he'd like to take a look at, but he's bound to go where she goes, and she's the one who knows the way around the kitchen, so he follows her movements.

It irks him to follow anyone. He sighs, smooths back his hair with his free hand.]

[She stands with her head bowed forward slightly, watching the coffee drip. Everything about this city is so backwards and slow to her. It's moments like these that it strikes her the worst, staring and waiting.]

I'm afraid I don't have anything to eat here.

[There's something clipped and tense in her voice, she's not used to playing hostess nor does she enjoy it.]

I'm not hungry, and you don't need to entertain me. We'll make the best of today, but we don't need to expect it to be at all pleasant.

[Though he could be chained to a far less attractive and intriguing woman, and for that, at least, he can count his lucky stars. At least he can tolerate her.]

[She inclines her head that she hears him, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still right there. While she's pouring the coffee, a small robot wiggles its way across the floor, sucking up dust and dirt. Delacroix gives it a brief glance before she moves them towards the table. She keeps her arm out and elevated so that they can make it to opposite sides of the table easily. Though that does leave the matter of then situating their hands in a way that isn't with fingers interlocked. Hhh.]

Zhen I will not entertain.

[She'll just sit here and be shackled.]

[He takes a curious look at the robot before following her toward the table, doing his best not to tug on the chain.]

We can, at least, converse.

[If she wants to talk. He doesn't have to talk, but he does want some of that coffee. Sitting on opposite sides of the table proves difficult, as he's unclear on how to arrange his shackled hand in a way that doesn't result in handholding.]

Thank you for the coffee.

It is too early for zhat.

[Marie does have a sense of humor, it just chooses to express itself at odd moments. She lifts the coffee to her lips nonchalantly.]

[He offers a slight smile and takes a sip of his coffee.]

Very well. We can sit in silence, bemoaning our fates, then.

Per'aps I shall.

[She's certainly going to fish a packet of cigarettes out of her pocket. She fiddles out one and leaves it on the table between them. The lighter is laid there as well once she's done with it.]

My interns always make a mess of my laboratories when I am away.

[He'll take that as an invitation to light a cigarette, too.]

Yet I imagine you have no interest in going to your laboratories in our current state.

Not overmuch, no.

Zhey need no more fuel for zheir gossiping.

[They were still giggling about how close she had been with Sephiroth, all these months later.]

You think they'd gossip about us? But surely they'd understand that we were under the influence of a curse, nothing more.

[Not that he'd necessarily mind it being anything more, but preferably without the handcuffed together aspect.]

Zheir immaturity is immeasurable.

[AKA yes, they really would.]

I'm sorry you have to work with such immature individuals. It must be unspeakably taxing on your patience.

I only 'ave zhe City to draw from, and knowledgable workers in zhis field are not quite so plentiful as I require.

[She shrugs, but it's an agreement. It is taxing.]

Are they, at least, amenable to your attempts to train and educate them?

Zhey 'ave zheir moments, although zhey lack some of my convictions.

[The coffee goes to her mouth.]

I would yet still like to open zhis cage.

I'd still like to see your workplace. On a day where we were a bit less... attached.

[He takes a sip of his coffee too, looking a bit ruffled, which is an unusual expression for him, a man who clearly tries to remain as in control as possible at all times.]

[She inclines her head in acknowledgement.]

We 'ave a few pieces zhat may be of interest. My largest project remains in its research stages. Losing Mr. Stark 'as been a blow to zhe company.

I'd like to see your project. To provide potential assistance.

Who could object to zhat.

[She doesn't exactly smile. She is still not entirely at ease here, and when she sets down her coffee cup, she reaches back to run her fingers through her hair, sleep mussed. Her hair isn't overly long, she puts it into a more manageable state, although tying it back would require his cooperation. She thinks not.]

Edited (OH HEY SHE HAS AN ACCENT) 2012-09-14 00:24 (UTC)

[The movement to run her fingers through her hair doesn't escape his notice, and he smirks slightly.]

I'll help you fix your hair if you help me fix mine.

[Cooperating isn't always something he does well, but he sees that he has very little choice here.]

[Blink. Blink. Consensual physical contact with someone...? She feels slightly queasy, frowning to herself as she takes another sip of coffee.]

Very well, a little tidiness might make zhis somewhat more tolerable.

[He lifts the hand that's cuffed to hers, then stands and comes around the side of the table so that she can reach her hair with both hands.]

Go ahead. I'll try to avoid getting in your way.

[She doesn't hesitate any further than that, her hands moving briskly and efficiently. The elastic is still around her wrist from when she had fallen asleep, and she pulls her hair back into slick bun. She uses the opportunity to button up her shirtfront as well.

Then she pushes up to her own feet. Telling him to kneel down seems a bit unnecessary at the moment.]

Does the increase in general tidiness help the situation seem any more tolerable yet? Or is my untidiness hampering the whole thing?

[His tone is somewhat teasing, clearly trying to make the best of an awkward situation.]

[There's a faint amount of exasperation in her expression, but ultimately she is capable of recognizing teasing when it occurs.]

A bit unseemly, yes.

In that case, we should do our best to remedy the problem.

[He pulls his hand back towards his own hair to attempt to smooth it down.]

[While not a nurturer, Marie is helplessly fussy and she has to curb the initial instinct to offer her own hands to the process.]

Thank you for your consideration.

[That part finished with, he studies her thoughtfully.]

And what will we occupy ourselves with the rest of the day?

[A sigh.]

I will, at some point during zhe day, require an amount of sustenance. Beyond zhat.

[She shrugs. They could smoke cigarettes and drink wine all day.]

A few of my projects could use tuning up.

[A vague motion into the living room.]

Small robots.

I'm happy to assist you with any project. I admit, I'm curious about what you've been working on.

[And if he's chained to her all day, working on small robots seems like a reasonable thing to do.]

If, that is, you don't think it would be too complicated, tied together as we are.

[She nods absentmindedly, picking up her coffee cup, and letting him do the same. She has no rules about where food and drink may traffic in her house. She can wait until later in the day to break out the wine.]

I will abstain from any soldering today.

[Otherwise, as long as she can turn a screwdriver, they should be fine.]

I appreciate that. I have no interest in being soldered myself.

[A slight smile, and a sip of coffee.]

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023 :: VIDEO

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Action //I'M SORRY THIS TOOK ME ALL DAY 8'|

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