CORRUPTION LIVE (?)

[constellationprize]

Who: You!
Where: Lobby!
When: Day 425 afternoon!

[ Today, yet another corner of the lobby has been commandeered - this time by a couple of ☆ZRAELs? When the Live starts Aradia comes into view, her hair pinned neatly up and away, clad in a BARiTONES suit, a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She sits cross-legged at one of the sofas, a selection of drinks and snacks at a table off to her side.

Adjusting the glasses and taking a sip from a teacup nearby, she opens her mouth to speak - tone soft. Gently, but with a different quality than usual, voice low, ]

Everyone, good afternoon. To my peers and my beloved familiars as well, and to those of you who have prior only observed - the festivities so far have certainly been wonderful, haven’t they? Well -

Certainly that must be the case, but for each of you - yes. Certainly, you must be very tired … and so I would, you see, like to extend a certain invitation.

As a reward for your efforts, why don’t you come here? To rest as you’d like, peacefully - as you’ve each been so well-behaved, you’ve certainly earned that right, haven’t you? Whether you’re busy, or feeling poorly, or even if we’ve yet to be acquainted - I’ll spoil you as much as you like. So -

[ In the background Doodleman can be seen too, wearing a maid uniform, and near him a - tent or booth of some kind? You can barely make out the label at the very top -

**** ****ing…?

It’s just asterisks?

Well. ]

With only us here, why don’t we indulge ourselves?

Comments

[constellationprize]

[ once alizarin is settled, next she

!!pats her lap!! ]

You can put your head here too, can't you?

[sangreine]

[ Even if Aradia hadn't mentioned her history, Alizarin would consider her effortless ability to obtain her total compliance nothing short of witchcraft. This should be infuriating -- it's nothing of the sort. ]

[ Resting an arm on Aradia's lap and then nestling her head down, quite comfortable. ]

[constellationprize]

[ once she's settled in, dia reaches with a hand and, gently, careful as ever -

just starts to pat her head and stroke at her hair. ]

There ...

[sangreine]

[ Beyond surprise by now, Alizarin shuts her eyes and relaxes, with alarming ease. ]

You always take care of everyone, don't you?

[constellationprize]

I don't really know if that's true, but - I want to keep doing my best, you know?

[ pat pat. ]

[sangreine]

[ Laughing softly, practically a purr because she's so very comfortable. ] It's definitely true.

If there's anything you want for yourself, you know you just have to ask, right?

[constellationprize]

Oh -

[ her fingers stiffen up a bit, ]

... No - well, of course I'm really grateful, but there isn't really anything like that ...

[sangreine]

[ Catching that, and glancing up ] You don't have to, if there's nothing you want. It's just an offer.

[constellationprize]

Mm, thank you - of course, I'm really happy that you would think of me in that way, but there isn't - ... well, I don't really think that there's anything like that . . .

[ there is a pause, though - ]

Um ... but if something does happen, I'll do my best to let you know, okay?

[sangreine]

[ ...blink? ]

Did I say something wrong?

[ Wait a second -- ] Do... you think I'm hitting on you?

[ Because she can understand why someone would think that, she's free with touch and flirting and trysts and all that, but within the unit it's different. That's why she was so uncharacteristically hesitant with Doodle. ]

If you do, I didn't mean it that way. Really.

[ And if she's this uncomfortable with someone asking to support her then that's... worrying. ]

[constellationprize]

- Oh, um - ...

[ shakes her head! ]

Mn, it isn't anything like that...! Well - um, it's true that that sort of thing is... I'm not very smart, so it's true that I might not end up noticing something like that, if it ended up happening, but it's okay! You didn't do anything to make me feel uncomfortable or unhappy, so you don't need to worry - okay...?

[sangreine]

So -- is it that anyone asking to support you makes you that way?

[ She was kind of hoping it was a misunderstanding, rather than that. ]

[constellationprize]

. . . Ahaha.

[ alizarin may get the distinct impression that rather than a laugh it is just sort of like. the sound of her physically pronouncing the syllables associated with the noise. for whatever reason? ]

Well - it isn't something that I'm very good at, so I'm really grateful ...

[sangreine]

[ Mmmr. ]

All right. [ She doesn't want to make Aradia any more uncomfortable, so... ] Just let me know if I do anything wrong, okay? You've made me feel very welcome, I don't want to make you feel -- bad. [ In whatever way. If personal questions are off limits, she can accept that. ]

[constellationprize]

Mm, it's okay!

[ being alive at all makes her feel bad. ]

If something like that does end up happening, then I'll make sure that I let you know, but it's okay ... you're doing a really good job, alright - Aliza?

[sangreine]

[ They would have so much to talk about tomorrow if that thought were spoken aloud! Despite the strangeness of this conversation, Alizarin's smile returns, mollified for the moment. ]

Thanks. I know I was a mess when I arrived, so I want to do what I can for the rest of the unit. [ Specifically not saying 'the rest of you', here. ]

[constellationprize]

Oh, it wasn't anything like that at all! Weren't you really nice then, too?

[sangreine]

Nice? [ She was a feral creature who could barely speak and destroyed a significant part of their dorm with a full on tantrum, not her definition of nice. ]

You liked me that way? [ She didn't. At all. It was awful. ]

[constellationprize]

Of course I did... well, it's also true that you're wonderful the way that you are now, but there wasn't anything wrong with the way that you were at that time either, was there?

[sangreine]

[ She is silent for long enough that it seems like she might not answer, but eventually she manages to say, quietly, ]

I guess not.

[ It's not that she agrees, it's that she can't think of an articulate or polite way to disagree. ]

[constellationprize]

. . . Are you okay?

[sangreine]

Mm, sure. [ What do you say when someone liked you just as well without a personality? It wasn't meant to be hurtful, she's very certain of that, and yet. ]

Just surprised.

[constellationprize]

Um -

I'm sorry...

[sangreine]

Don't be sorry. [ Laying her head back down again, hopefully taken as the sign of trust it's meant to be. ]

I didn't like myself like that, but if you did it's -- okay.