riverviewlogs | introductory mingle: CARNIVALE

And there’s Illya’s blush up to his ears, right on cue. Yes he should have seen it coming, no that doesn’t make the situation any less embarrassing for him. The saleswoman seems to find his reaction amusing, and she giggles at him- at least until Illya gives her a good old glare™ and she decides to go check what some other client wants. Smart woman.

His glare is all gone when he looks back at Natalia, instead just raising an eyebrow at her as he considers how to tease her back. But the answer seems pretty easy.

“Give me your arm, then. Only fair.”

Yeah, he’s smart enough to see his own hypocrisy. He still thinks it’s different, in a way- Russia is deeply ingrained in his own personality, it’s his identity, it’s who he is. But he also knows if he tells her that she would be free to say Romdeau is the same for her. There’s no one that comes from his same point in time and his same world anyway, this…

This feels a little bit like the rebellion he was trying to tell her she needed. Like getting a part of himself back. He figures... there’s no harm in looking.

“I don’t know much either, so maybe we should get someone to advise us.” He glances at her, then at the woman getting her back laced over so it looks like a corset. “But as pretty as that may look, that’s probably too much.”

"Only fair," she agrees, holding up her rm without the slightest sign of hesitation. If he's hoping for her to blush, he'll be disappointed. The reason she's so taken with his reaction is that it's not one she has. Natasha can't remember the last time she blushed, not like that. "So, go on. Lick and swipe me." They're just talking about paint, and sure, it's body paint at a kink festival, but the shopping for it is still perfectly innocent. It's not the words she says, but the way she says them. She wants to see if she can keep his ears red all afternoon.

[ The answer is surprisingly sweet for being so suggestive. The way Loki says it makes the suggestion more about Steve than about trying out sex toys, and he can't help but smile at the god when he says he isn't playing games. From Loki, that sincere gesture is affectionate rather than teasing. It gives him a warm feeling beneath the thrill. ]

What if I want you to?

[ Loki merely smiles, trailing a finger down Steve's cheek in appreciation. ]

Then I'm sure it can be arranged.

"Provided they don't try to talk me in to something on my face I don't see how it could hurt." For all intents and purposes she'd like to keep anything she did able to be hidden if the need was there. The idea of decorum and what was acceptable to show and what wasn't hadn't quite had time to dissolve in her, just yet. Maybe it was that she wanted her own rebellions to be hers, even if it was only for a little while in a place that seemed to like bathing suits and parties so much. She's not too keen on exploring the mentality of why right now, and more keen on just acting on her own whims for once.

Well.. sort of Illya's whims, but if she'd truly been set against a piercing in the first place this wouldn't be happening anyways.

It would seem their prolonged standing and chatting has drawn someone's eye, though, and soon their approached by a relatively heavily pierced Quarantine Resident who's all too happy to chirp out a friendly :

"Can I help you two with anything?"

"Mainly I'm wondering what their is to be pierced that isn't on my head but is also not quite so... involved as that."

[ Steve looks over at Loki through half-lidded eyes, taking in the way Loki smiles and touches him with one teasing motion, innocent compared to what lies unspoken between them. He reaches across him, picking up one of the gags lying out on the table for examination. A half smile makes its way onto his lips. ]

Mm. I dunno. You might have to find something tougher than this. It looks like it might come loose.

He wasn’t expecting her to blush already, she seems pretty unashamed about the entire thing. And while he didn’t get specific details about her missions back in Russia, he had put two and two together. By the way she acted and the way she had talked about her training he could guess this kind of situation were commonplace for her, while Illya always takes a long while to find his footing.

But he had been expecting at least a small reaction. Oh, well. At least he gets to lick the stripe.

“...You’re right.” He says, with actual surprise in his tone. She’d assumed she was just teasing him- as she does, he can already tell that’s going to be how they interact. “It does taste sweeter on you.”

And then he’s reaching for the strawberry one.

“Here, try this one."

[ Loki shrugs as he watches Steve hold up the gags with undisguised amusement. ]

It depends on how hard you fight. I can fashion something stronger. With gold thread against your skin.

[ It's not absolutely necessary to find a connection like that, Jim feels. Some people need or want that kind of relationship more than others, while some are fine being on their own. Jim himself was always the kind of person to enjoy being unattached himself, and in all honesty he never saw himself as the kind to settle down. Life just takes unexpected turns sometimes, is all. ]

Do you think that's part of the... appeal of this place? Like it just makes people feel welcome and settled? It's definitely strange, I'll give you that, but I honestly can't bring himself to mind much.

[ Maybe he's just enjoying his happiness here a little too much, and he wants to keep hold of it for as long as he possibly can. He might have some breakdown at one point or another, but he has a hard time imagining that happening while Bones is here with him. Bryn's always welcome to crash their place if and when she breaks down herself, though. Bones is excellent at curing hangovers, which is always a plus. ]

A chicken? [ He raises an eyebrow, then laughs. ] Why? Planning on getting us one as a housewarming gift?

[Bryn gives him a little shrug with a mischievous look in her eyes. She's not planning anything specific but she does have Petunia which, while entertaining as an unexpected pet isn't quite rewarding or feasible in the long-term with her apartment.]

Well, it seems to me that if you're dabbling in one aspect of farming you might find other parts as well. You could have fresh eggs for breakfast.

[Just saying.]

And it just so happens that I have a chicken you could take off my hands if you were interested.

[Taako drunkenly left it in her apartment one night when he was drunk. He won't be upset if she gives it away to someone who might end up with a better space for it.]

Edited (icon) 2017-09-02 20:50 (UTC)

It just so happens, huh? What a genuine coincidence.

[ Not like she brought it up because she has that chicken or anything. The thought amuses Jim, really, but he has no idea how to tend to animals, especially a chicken. A dog would be easier, he thinks. Still, it's a nice offer, and it might be a nice addition, if a curious and strange one. ]

I'll ask Bones how he feels about it. I guess it also depends on what place we manage to find, but I'll let you know what we decide. Just... don't cook the chicken until then. [ Poor thing. ]

He's surprised. Which means he wasn't expecting the difference, but ran his tongue along the inside of her wrist all the same. That makes her want to laugh, but she doesn't. She doesn't want him to think she's laughing at him. Teasing is one thing, and mocking another. Whatever this careful balancing act they have comes to, she doesn't want it to fall apart just yet.

"By all means." She leaves her arm hovering in the air in front of him, waiting for him to apply the paint so that she can taste it. On the both of them. She can already see that the colour is rich and intense. It's far more intense than an actual strawberry, deep red and highly glossed. Someone who did not know might compare it to blood. Natasha, however, knows better. It's the shade a strawberry wishes it could attain.

Illya stays by her side, but he keeps on looking around. They have some pics hang up on the stand, showing former clients and the work they had done. Some of them are a little to out there- Re-L is right, there’s some of them who had piercing on their faces. Nose piercings and ear piercings mostly, and that’s… definitely not what Illya is looking for.

The resident shows them a couple full body outline where they point out all the different places a body can be pierced. Which is, incidentally nearly the entire body and while Illya apparently knew more about this than Re-L, he’s still kind of surprised at some of the things his hearing.

“I would not pierce my genitals.” He’s quick to say with a tone that invites to absolutely no question and the resident seems to get that.

“Maybe…” He draws an imaginary circle on the chest with his finger. “In this area?”

Really, there's no way in hell Re-L is getting anything visible with her normal clothing on. While she's crossing a line here that she wouldn't normally cross, there's still that line, clearly drawn in her mind in that proverbial sand. Of course it would mean nothing to the people here to have her ears pierced, her nose - she's seen many people with those kinds of body modifications in her time in the Quarantine, but... It just isn't her style, really. And a piercing somewhere that could be covered...

It left a little element of surprise, didn't it? Not that many people would ever even get to see it, but.. the idea of it wasn't too bad, even in her mind for the moment.

For some reason Illya's firm assertion is amusing in the moment, Re-L's thumb pressing beneath her chin while her fingers curve over her lips, feigning thought as she tries to hide her amusement. At least until she can't hold her tongue anymore, and -

"How are nipples any better?" It's an honest question, right? She seems to have her mind made up, at least, pointing toward one point in particular, the bellybutton.

"I think this, for me. It's covert enough."

Honestly, trying to justify not wanting to do it would have only given her more ammunition against him and he’s aware of that. {lus it’s not like the thought of licking her wrist was unpleasant to him, but it’s not like he’s made his attraction to her a secret.

He applies the strawberry one in his own wrist after he’s done with hers, and then reaches to lick it on his own skin. His tongue only peeks out, being careful with how he licks this edible paint like he is with everything else. Bright red, a color that he can appreciate even if the idea that it looks like blood doesn’t even cross his mind.

The fact that the taste is definitely pleasant also helps. He glances at her with a questioning look when he’s done.

“So?”

[Bryn laughs, shakes her head.]

Oh, it was saved from the oven the day Taako drunkenly left it in my bathtub one night while I was sleep. I've been taking care of it for a few months now but you've seen my place. A dog is easy to manage but chickens aren't really great for apartments and having it in a separate place is a little troublesome.

[Plus, Qiri she can take with her out into the wild at some point once he's trained. The chicken? The chicken is an appetizer to the monsters out there.]

If he doesn't want it, don't worry about it. Just figured you might want some eggs to go with all the veggies.

I'm with you there. Sounds like that chicken's lucky she was left at your place, though.

[ Any other and that poor chicken would likely be long gone. Jim wouldn't have seen himself as the kind of guy who'd own a chicken, admittedly, but he's actually considering it now. ]

Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine with it. If not I can just bat my eyelashes and pout a little. Trust me, he can't say no to me.

[ Something Jim takes full advantage of. Whoops. ]

He's got a fair point. If there's a way for her to tease him, she will. It's just too easy, and far too fun. She misses having friends she can give shit to. Which is kind of weird, because she went without that entirely for the longest time. She should be better than this.

She licks her wrist, a far more indulgent lick that Illya's, dragging her bottom lip against the swath of paint. He's right. It's really good. Far better than she'd been expecting. "That's surprisingly good. Fruit flavoured things don't usually taste that great, all artificial." She scans the jars, then quickly grabs a stick, dips it, swipes her wrist, and then his. In both cases, it's right up against the strawberry that's still left on them.

Once she throws the stick away, she reaches out for Illya's arm, and licks him first. It's tentative at first, then she smiles and takes a much more enthusiastic taste. "Chocolate strawberry. That is good. I'd eat this on actual strawberries."

I have a feeling that there aren't a lot of people who can say no to you. Charisma and persuasiveness are a lethal combination sometimes.

[She doesn't have to see him in a captain's chair to know that he's strong-willed also. A man of his own convictions. There hits a point where she's just come to recognize a few of the tell-tale signs in people, even when they're in another setting.]

Looks like there's a show starting at the stage over there soon. Want to check it out?

[The booths they've been passing have been interesting but there's something to be said for a live show. She knows, she's seen it in the face sof the audience as she's been on stage herself.]

Illya blinks, blushes and then grins. In that order, and in a very quick succession. They could be here for hours and he’d still blush every time he licked something off her wrist. Instead of licking the new mix, though… he reaches for his wrist with two fingers and spreads the two colors together. The bright red and brown create a very pretty shade of maroon.

“I could get behind this mix. Very appropriate, yes? Strawberries are supposed to be aphrodisiac.”

It's possibly the most ridiculous tell for a spy to have, and it's not going to stop fascinating her on some level. How has he survived this long being so fucking easy to read? It's not even that racy. She's licking his arm. The slightest hint of physical intimacy and he's lit up like a neon sign. Seriously. Worst tell ever. Of all time.

Still fascinating, though.

She watches him swirl his fingers through the paint on his skin, and she raises an eyebrow. "This is body painting, not finger painting. And for the record, most things that people say are an aphrodisiac don't do anything. They just act as placebos. People need an excuse to behave badly, and they'll blame it on anything that's not themselves." She is an expert here, mostly because some very unscrupulous people spent a long time training her to exploit those dark hedonistic desires that lurk in the hearts of all men.

"It really is good, though." Since Illya is plenty distracted by his own arm, she licks hers. Then she pouts a little. "This one tastes better on you." Like it's some sort of personal insult that the paint doesn't want to taste best on her. This entire afternoon has just become a protracted experiment to see just how much she can make this man squirm. She's decided. He's got some serious issues with his own comfort zone, and she wants to poke at them.

Hey, don't say it like I go around trying to use it to kill people, alright?

[ She's right though, and he knows it. It's also probably a terrible thing that he's so aware of this skill he has, this nearly natural talent to talk people into just about anything he wants to. At least he doesn't use it for such terrible things anymore. Well, save for a few more dangerous and risky adventures every once in a while. ]

Sure, sounds like fun. Lead the way. [ He gestures towards the stage, waiting for her to start walking to keep up with her. ]

And yet he’s one of the best spies the KGB has, tells and all. And one of the most mysterious, as well- Natalia knows about his parents, she’s the one that knows the most about him in this place but he doesn’t even know their names, or where Illya was born. He’s survived this long because he knows people will see his tells and stay on the surface, and so far it’s worked just fine for him.

“It seems to be working just fine as finger paint, for me.” He reaches to poke her nose. Have a magenta spot on the tip, Nat.

He doesn’t comment on the placebo thing, because she’s probably right. Technology and science are pretty advanced in his country as far as he’s concerned, but he knows he’s literally decades behind everybody else’s so instead of arguing that kind of thing, he listens and learns.

He grabs her arm to lick her arm- she didn’t ask for permission, so he doesn’t either. But she doesn’t make a show of it, still just licking with the tip of his tongue. And then, he grins.

“I win this round.”

The Rudolph look is not great on her, but she doesn't move to wipe it off. No. There's a hint of admitted defeat in that. She won't. Instead, she just foregoes the offered wipes and cleans the remaining bits of paint off of her arm with her own tongue. "Which one next? Mint? Orange?" When someone else comes up beside them, she turns to look at him.

He's not bad looking. Shorter and Illya, taller than herself, and darker than th both of them. "Excuse me. Do I have something on my nose?" There's just enough of a hint of the flirtatious in her voice that he immediately realizes she already knows, and so he plays along, telling her he's not sure, reaching up to tip her head into the light.

"Oh, yeah, I see it now."

Natasha grins, glances back at Illya. "Imagine that. Maybe you could help me with it? I can't lick my own face." Implying that she is inviting this random stranger to lick paint off of her face, instead.

introductory mingle: CARNIVALE

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