counting bodies like sheep to the rhythms of the war drums

[ashehole]

↪ Pick one of my characters (make sure to specific which version) or pick from the handy-dandy links below.
↪ Use RNG and enter 1-11 for a scene; roll again for specifics.
↪ Or cheat and just pick something.
↪ You can also just throw a picture, quote, or whatever kind of prompt you want.
↪ OPTIONAL: combine a bunch of memes and scenarios and go nuts.
↪ FUCK YEAH WE'RE TOTALLY ROLEPLAYING RIGHT NOW!!!

Shamelessly stolen from Jen who got it from a million other people. Ooops.

I. BED INVADERS

A. Decide you know this person! (Castmate, previous CR, etc.)

1. WAKE THEM UP. You don't care how friendly you are to the person in your bed; they need to get up.
2. PRANK! Oh, this has just got to stop. They need to be punished. But how?
3. CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM. Push 'em over & snuggle up. You're too tired to deal with this craziness right now. Or sleep on your couch.
4. LET THEM SLEEP. Whatever. It's noon. They're asleep and you've got things to do. Regard them or disregard them.

B. Decide you have NO CLUE who is person is! (No CR, castmates who have never met, crosscanon, etc.)

5. SCREAM 'OMGWTFBBQ GET UP!' Really. Default action going on here.
6. PRANK! What a better way for you to remember this moment of meeting than by painting a mustachio on your new 'friend's' face? (Remember, it's your bed. Be wise what you do.)
7. GENTLY AWAKEN THEM. Oh, the poor dears! They must be exhausted, but they can't stay here. Be nice, even if it isn't IC for your character. This is what you get for rolling. Shake them up quietly. Or reroll.
8. GET TO KNOW THEM NON-BIBLICALLY. Well, they're asleep. But they left their wallet, important work, or identification out (no matter how OOC it may be)! Let's see who's REALLY sleeping in your bed. (Use your own judgment on what you find. AS a suggestion, have the most they find is the sleeper's name and maybe place of work.)
9. TIE 'EM UP. FUNCTIONAL typing up. Not kinky, no matter what the other party might think. Let them continue their blissful moment of rest. They'll answer questions later and you'll be safe and sound.

C. Decide - fuck the police. You heard. Fuck 'em.

10. YOU MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE YOUR OWN FATE.

II. ROAD TRIP

1. BREAK DOWN. Oh snap. Your car decided to break down out in the middle of nowhere. WHAT DO? Is that Leatherface? Will this be "Children of the Corn"?
2. HITCHHIKERS? Is this even a good idea? Threads may also have a third participant. Go wild.
3. WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST HIT? Dude, I hear deer mess up cars... Or I think that was a deer...
4. DON'T MAKE ME TURN THIS CAR AROUND. Alas. You're the parent or disgruntled friend who has had it up to here with all the fighting in the bakc. This thread may also have a third or even fourth participant, if you can wing it.
5. OMG, I WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS LANDMARK! No, no, and no. You tell that person that they're going to be driven around and they're going to like it.
6. THE GREAT ESCAPE. Either dinosaurs or the mothman is chasing you. Don't stop now.
7. MAKE OUT. For whatever reason, the person you're traveling ith in the car. You would love to make out with them and then some.

III. CUDDLES

1. SWEET DREAMS. It's been a long day and all you want to do is sleep or just rest your eyes for a bit. Hopefully whoever is close by doesn't mind if you use them as a blanket.
2. STORMY WEATHER. The heavy rain, thunder, and lightning won't be letting up anytime soon. Luckily, it's the perfect weather to stay indoors and snuggle up close and keep warm.
3. SLOW DANCE. It's the end of a party, or maybe it's only the two of you, but the tempo is slow and the lights are low. Let your dance partner take the weight and just sway.
4. SURPRISE ATTACK. Time to invade someone's personal sapce. Are they working too much and need a distraction? Maybe you just wanted to brighten their day. Either way, they won't see it coming.
5. MOVIE NIGHT. It can be on the sofa or in a darkened theater, but you've got your popcorn and someone to settle against during your favorite movie.
6. I LOVE YOU, MAN. It's totally platonic, really. You're just very good friends, no matter what people like to think. But you just love your friend so much you want to hug them, whether they like it or not.
7. JEEPERS CREEPERS. Welp. You were just frightened. Was it a spider in the washroom, a ghost in the attic, a bad dream? Either way, you're looking for someone to cling to right now, and who better than that person right there?
8. HURT AND COMFORT. Whether you're sick in bed, just been dumped, or suffered a traumatic event, you need someone to wrap their arms around you and make everything go away.
9. SUNDAY MORNING. Maybe you just had a wild night. Maybe there's just not enough space at your place and you need to share your bed. Or maybe you just got really tired and someone else happened to be there. Doesn't matter because now the person with you looks way more comfortable than any blanket or pillow. Drape to your heart's content.
10. MOMENT AFTER. You just had incredible, vigorous sex and if you weren't a cuddler before, you are now. You're probably too exhausted to do anything else anyway. Just enjoy the moment.
11. MENAGE A TROIS. Or four, or five. Get a group and cuddle away.
12. PLAYER'S CHOICE. Pick one or make up your own!

IV. HURT/COMFORT

1. INJURY. You've been injured. Broken bones or bleeding out or maybe just a tiny little papercut. The choice is yours.
2. SICKNESS. You're sick and laid up in bed, at home or in a hospital. The severity is up to you.
3. FEAR/ANXIETY. Something is happening and you're scared beyond belief.
4. LOSS OF SENSES. Sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell, etc. You've lost some important sense or ability and now you're left to deal with it.
5. DESPAIR. Nothing is good or right anymore and you can't shake the depression. Maybe that friend of yours can help though.
6. MAKE UP. Fight or break up, it's time to make up.
7. RESCUED. You've just been held captive and/or tortured for however long and finally, someone has come to the rescue.
8. BAD ROMANCE. Fight, cheat on, abuse, whatever the case is, someone else can clearly see you need comfort from someone who isn't your terrible lover tonight.
9. LOSS. You've experienced a loss of some kind and need help getting through it.

V. FIGHT

1. FISTFIGHT. Straight-up, unfussy, no-holds-barred facepunching. Clearly you're emotionally invested in this argument. Or maybe you want some stress relief.
2. BAR FIGHT. Someone's had one too many drinks. Curses are being slurred, bottles are being smashed. Just don't be surprised if you get thrown out.
3. VERBAL. A caustic, intellectual battle of wits? Or just immature playground insults? Either way, the fighthing here isn't physical; sticks and stones can break your bones, but we'll see if words can hurt you...
4. WEAPONRY. Fencing practice or a real swordfight? Paintball or battlefield gunfight? The only limits are your imagination (and the extents of human military engineering, of course)!
5. SPARRING. Maybe you're a streetwise punk teaching the new kid on the block the ropes of self-defense. Or perhaps you just want to get some practice in before your karate exam.
6. SEXY. That collar-grabbing led to a kiss, that knee stayed in a place a little too long, those gazes got a little intense... There's heavy breathing here, but it might not be because you've been exerting yourself.
7. DUEL. You insulted the wrong person. Or got caught cheating at cards. A duel, sir, a duel! The glvoes are off (and slapping you) and it's pistols at dawn.
8. COMPETITIVE. Boxing, wrestling, martial arts, the possibilities are endless. Just remember: the first rule of Fight Club...
9. OTHER. Combine any of the above, or make up your own!

VI. HIGH SCHOOL AU

1. CLASS TIME. Pick your class, pick your seat. Whether you're paying attention or goofing off, you're interacting constantly with someone else.
2. BREAK TIME. Those precious minutes that aren't lunch, usually half an hour if you're lucky. Are you hanging out on the grass, rushing to get homework finished, or bunking off school early?
3. LUNCH TIME. Food, glorious food! ... As long as you're not eating the school lunches. What sort of chaos will you get up to in the endless queue that is the lunch line?
4. FOOD FIGHT. The natural reaction to being served school lunches: throwing them as far away from you as possible. You're caught in the middle, or maybe you're instigating it. Who knows? No one can tell.
5. STUDY PERIOD. Yeah. "Studying." They mean catching up on gossip, right? Or watching that crappy TV in the common room? Or maybe you really want to study. I'm not judging.
6. SKIPPING SCHOOL. Did you even get to school before you bunked off somewhere? Or did you just take the bus five stops further and in to town? Hope you don't get caught, either way.
7. EXAM WEEK. You're going into an exam, or just cramming every last bit of knowledge into your head. Either way, good luck! You're going to need it.
8. DETENTION. What did you do? Or were you innocent and wrapped up in your friend's scheme, and now you both have detention? I do not envy you at any rate.
9. SUMMER HOLIDAY. SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! Burn your books, burn your uniforms. Everything is over for another 6 weeks (or however long you get off).
10. FACULTY. Oh, hello miss/sir. No, we weren't talking about bunking. Yep, you're the teacher. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you get this option, you or your partner can do a second roll for the scenario.
11. TAKE YOUR PICK. Free for you. Whether you want to pick something from the list, or make up your own scenario, this option allows that. (Of course, you could just bypass the rolling entirely.)

VII. APOCALYPSE HOW

1. LAST ACTION HERO. You tried your best to save the world, but despite the superpowers, the teamwork, and the sacrifice of many good friends, you couldn't quite pull it off. Now you're left with your guilt and a universe where half the people left are depending on you to help them, while the rest are trying to hunt you down for your failures. Good luck with that, hero.
2. SCIENCE SAVIOR. They said it was impossible, they said it was futile, but you know that if you just got a little bit of support you could fix all of the world's troubles. Maybe your experiments are a bit on the unethical side, but the survival of humanity is depending on you! You can't let the world down. Time to grab those test-tubes and get yourself a lab assistant that doesn't mind getting their hands dirty.
3. THE LAST PERSON ON EARTH. Well, it's finally happened. A virus or disease or genetic mutation has all but wiped out members of the opposite sex and humanity is doomed. But what's this? A lone survivor? As the saviour of the species, they'll be glad to lend a hand (or reproductive organ) to help restore the population, right? Maybe a little bit of persuasion is in order.
4. SO LONELY. You haven't talked to another person in days and you're starved for conversation. So when you finally meet another lone traveler it makes total sense to stick together, right? Maybe share some food, some companionship, some ammo. . . . Better hope you both get along.
5. MUTATION STATION. The bomb dropped and some people weren't fortunate enough to go in the blast. Now those left behind have to deal with nuclear winter, a dwindling food supply, and some strange additions to the human gene code. Maybe these superhumans are friendly and misunderstood. Then again, maybe they just want to eat your brains.
6. LAST DANCE. The world is ending. You know it, everyone knows it, so the only thing left to do is party like it's 1999. Complete your bucket list, do the things you never got the chance to do before, and maybe screw up the courage to do the things you were too scared to even think about doing. Oh, and watch out for looters.
7. FREEBIE SCENARIO. Anything you can think of that isn't already mentioned can go here.

VIII. PARANOIA

1. EROTOMANIA. That person loves you. They belong to you. They might deny it and be with someone else but they're ridiculous. You know better here.
2. DISTRUST. Simple as it sounds, you're being lied to. You can't prove it but you're not falling for their tricks anymore.
3. HALLUCINATIONS. A vague classic. Those sounds, those sights, your senses are screwed up and the world is upside down. There's plenty of senses to screw.
4. TAINTED. You're completely wrong. Is it in your family's blood? Is it parasites? A disease? Aliens? A sin? But it's consuming you, whatever it is.
5. CONSPIRACY. Why are they after you? Who knows. Maybe you know. But everyone is in on it and you're the only one left fighting against it.
6. CONTROL. Your actions aren't your own, even if others insist they are. Somehow, either drugs or magic or something, someone is making you their puppet.
7. FIXATION. Either it's in you or someone else or a thing but this imperfection is clawing at your mind. Just fix it. Fix it and you can rest.
8. FOLIE A DEUX. The more either you or the other person talks, the more you feed into this unease and the more real it sounds. What can you two alone do?
9. REPLACEMENTS. Is it just this person or is everyone being replaced with a fake? You're not a fake, though. You won't let them replace you.
10. REAL. Is any of this real? Maybe you're dreaming or drugged. Maybe you're dead. But you need to prove that this is really happening, whatever it takes.

IX. RANDOM LOCATION

1. LOST. Oh shit, how did you even get here.
2. ON THE RUN. Getting away from someone or something that's after you.
3. TREASURE HUNTING. Something you desire is here. Maybe it's being guarded or you're competing for it.
4. TRAVELLING. You turned up here on purpose. Why is up to you.
5. ESCAPE. Things have gone wrong and you need to get out of this place.
6. DISASTER. Something awful has happened whether you're the cause, a witness or there to help.
7. INVASION. It's a siege! Are you defending or attacking?
8. HOME. It's actually where you live.
9. DUEL. The predetermined location to end a feud.
10. WHATEVER. Just make something up, whatever.

X. INTIMACY

1. PHYSICAL INTIMACY. It might just be innocent touches or it might be during sex.
2. LONG CONVERSATIONS. Honest words can be more intimate than touch.
3. DRUNK. You're oversharing or simply maudlin.
4. FORCED INTIMACY. Magic. A truth serum, whatever - you didn't mean to bare your soul, but that is precisely what you're doing right now.
5. SLOW-DANCING. There is something inherently intimate about trusting someone else to lead you, and someone trust you to lead them.
6. OTHER. Intimacy can come in many forms. Pick your poison.

XI. OTHER

1. BOUNTY HUNTERS. You're wanted. And someone is chasing you. Maybe it isn't your fault? But maybe you did rob that bank. Either way, there's someone after that price on your head. Confront them, or run? Specify hunter or hunted.
2. TRUTH. You can't tell a lie. Maybe both of you can't, or only one of you, but now is the time to ask those embarrassing questions.
3. OBEDIENCE. The person posting is compelled to obey, no matter what. (Un)Fortunately the person commenting is compelled to give orders. All orders given must be obeyed.
4. LOTUS EATERS. The person posting is trapped in their own dream of personal paradise. The person commenting is trapped with them. Help free them, or fall into paradise?
5. PLANTS OF DEATH. Plants are trying to kill you. (Something's . . . happening.)
6. INSOMNIA. One or both of you can't sleep, and that sucks. Be awake together.
7. DREAMWALKING. One of you is trapped in the other's dream - or nightmare.
8. SOULMATES. You are meant to be, whether the relationship is functional or . . . less so.
9. PICTURE/QUOTE PROMPT. Throw a bunch of pictures and/or quotes around and see what happens, freeform style! Try RP Visualocities or A Sea Of Quotes.
10. OTHER-WORLDLY. Go to the Other-Wordly blog and hit 'Random' until you get a word. Use the word as a prompt to write up an RP scenario. Do this several times if you like. Mix & match.

Handy-Dandy Quick Links:
Jordan Langley ↪ Galen Marek ↪ Galen Marek (63) ↪ Belle Beaumont

Seph McCauley ↪ Vanessa Cleveland ↪ Jaime Lannister ↪ Zekk

Tahiri Veila ↪ Sally Malik ↪ Carswell Thorne ↪ Edward Kenway ↪ Finnick Odair

Finley Odair (63) ↪ Alyss Heart ↪ Seth Gecko ↪ Chloe Saunders ↪ Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Steve Rogers ↪ Cullen ↪ Aveline de Grandpré ↪ Helen

Aveline Vallen ↪ Elissa Cousland ↪ Fenris ↪ Gretel ↪ Jack Swift

Jonah Kinlock ↪ Piper McLean ↪ Commander Shepard

Urdnot Wrex ↪ Jacob Taylor ↪ Will Scarlet

The Exile ↪ Meetra Surik (Mando Era) ↪ Revan ↪ Revan (Mando Era)

Hatake Kakashi ↪ Uzumaki Naruto ↪ Kusanagi Yui ↪ Balder Hringhorni

Comments

slowdancing. just roll with this dumb set up ok

[pathtoatonement]

He's supposed to be leaving her alone. At least, he's sure that's what he friends want from him. Vanessa herself says it's what she wants, but Stanton knows that's a lie. He doesn't have to be the Prince of Darkness to ferret that on out. All he has to do is catch her glance for half a second.

Vanessa wants him. Has wanted him for some time, and will continue wanting him forever, if Stanton has his way. He's not about to let a little thing like representing literal good and evil get in the way of that.

Which is how he ends up at the throwback night at Planet Bang. Fifties is the theme, and he fits right in - he lived through the decade, after all. For once the place is brightly lit, but Stanton still manages to find a shadow or two to skulk in as he waits for her to arrive.

yes ma'am

[fatedchaos]

Vanessa does want him to leave her alone. To stop being a constant in her thoughts, for her body to forget the way he felt brushed up against her, her mouth to forget the taste of his. It's all too much to deal with, and she can't keep herself grounded - can't be good - if what she wants is the one guy who is the absolute worse for her.

If he was gone, she wouldn't have to deal with her wants and feelings. Wouldn't have to deal with his either. Wouldn't have to deal with his betrayals. Wouldn't have to deal with the fact that she wants to forgive him anyway.

Partying, though, that's a good distraction. And having a usually fashionable fashion designer for a mother helps her and the girls with the picking of the costumes, that helps. Her dress is fifties style meets modern embellishments. This is exactly what she needs. Not Stanton. Not being a goddess. Just her friends and a fun night.

Re: yes ma'am

[pathtoatonement]

She looks stunning, as per usual. He moves silently from shadow to shadow, waiting for her to wander from the herd, so to speak. He resists the urge to let his mind brush up against hers, although he's sure she knows she's being watched.

He still manages to come up behind her. He didn't touch her, although his lips come close to brushing her ear. "A little short for the fifties, don't you think?"

[fatedchaos]

It's because she knows that she's being watched that Vanessa makes a couple of excuses, waits for her friends to busy themselves before she moves away. Closer to a wall, to the shadows that still exist in the club.

He's out in the open, which is stupid. But she knows him well enough to know that he doesn't care or fear anything now.

Her lips purse. "What do you want?"

[pathtoatonement]

His low chuckle is, for once, surprisingly honest. She has to know how he's going to answer it.

"You, as always," he murmurs. "But I'll settle for a dance, for now."

[fatedchaos]

Vanessa knows how he'll answer, but that part of him that isn't convinced of letting him go yet wants to hear him say it. It sets fire to her nerves, her pulse racing, stomach fluttering. He knocks her out with three easy words.

"Jimena's going to kick your ass if you touch me."

[pathtoatonement]

"I don't touch without permission," he says softly. "If she ended up having to try, you'd have to stand there knowing you wanted it, too."

[fatedchaos]

"There's no having to try, and we both know that." She turns on her heel then, so that she's facing him. Resistance has never been her strongest suit anyway. "You say that like I should be feeling guilty about it."

She probably would. She'd probably make sure that Jimena didn't hit him. He might be immortal, but he's not invincible.

"One dance."

[pathtoatonement]

He smiles down at her when she turns, and it's an honest expression. There's nothing sweeter than knowing she comes to him willingly. "You would."

Stanton takes her hand, the other going to her waist. It settles in the exact place it should, no matter how much he wants to slide it lower. "We'll see."

[fatedchaos]

"You don't deserve my guilt," she tells him honestly. For all that Stanton is to her, he messed up. And this isn't some silly thing like forgetting an arbitrary anniversary date or buying the wrong milkshake.

But he'll get her guilt anyway, because she cares. She's always cared, and always will.

Her hand rests lightly on his shoulder, and she tries to not think about the way his hands burn against her. "There is no we'll see. Say it. One dance, or I'll walk away."

[pathtoatonement]

It hurts, and he lets that show. He won't protect her from how much he loves her. "What I've done, I did for you," he reminds her. "And for us. Admit it; your love for me would have faded and turned as weak as I was, if I'd stayed human." He pushes her into the dance as the music changes, the rhythm slow and intimate. He knows the steps, leads her effortlessly. "Part of you craves the danger. The power."

There's a flash of white teeth from him before he flicks his fringe out of his eyes with an easy toss of his head. "One dance," he agrees. "Unless you want more."

[fatedchaos]

There's definitely a feeling of guilt at the look on his face. She doesn't want to hurt him, even if she's hurt. Even if he doesn't seem to get that or care. For a moment, her fingers twitch at his shoulder, wanting to touch them to his face, to really touch him again. "That's not true," Vanessa says softly. She moves into the steps with him just as easily. "I mean, yes, I crave... something. But that's not true about us, Stanton. That's just your excuse."

She'd have loved him, no matter what. Even human, Stanton is still different. Dangerous. He has a power that he doesn't need from the Atrox, but she knows him enough to know that he couldn't stay a human. They're the same, she thinks sadly. Because as much as she wants to be normal sometimes, she knows she could never make it.

"I don't."

[pathtoatonement]

He doesn't believe it, even if she does. He'd been rendered useless to her, and that made him a liability. Excess weight. And even if she had been able to put up with that, he wouldn't have. He couldn't drag her down like that.

He can drag her down like this, though. "We'll have to agree to disagree," he murmurs, leaning in again. He doesn't kiss her, no matter how much he wants to. "And you do. Don't lie to me, Vanessa. You want everything that I can give you."

[fatedchaos]

Not that this way is any better for her, the way he wants to pull her down, undermine everything she stands for and is trying to do.

"No," she says, pulling back sharply. Not enough to leave him, but enough to falter in her steps as she puts distance between them again. Her lips press into a thin line as she tries to figure out what she's doing here. With him. With them. It's like she's been set adrift but the only person offering safety is the one person who isn't safe at all.

"I want everything that you can't give me, too."

[pathtoatonement]

His fingers tighten reflexively when she pulls away like that. Not cruel, not even all that possessive. No, it's desperate. He can't think of a life without Vanessa.

He wants to step in close again, but he doesn't, giving her her space. For now at least. "I love you," he tells her, and there's a rasp to his voice that wasn't there before. "Does what I can't give you really outweigh that?"

[fatedchaos]

She closes her eyes for a second, because for all of her wariness and all of her pulling away, she still trusts him enough to close her eyes around him. The way he says that he loves her leaves her mouth dry, her heart aching.

"No." She isn't strong like she should be. Her fingers squeeze his a little too tightly, and she moves in closer again so that her head can rest on his shoulder. "It doesn't. But what you decided to be does."

Vanessa loves him. Completely, stupidly, dangerously. "I can't go there, Stanton. Not where you are."

[pathtoatonement]

He squeezes her hand back, the other one coming up to cradle her head against him. "I did it to save you." And that's true. There are other reasons, but his love for her would have outlasted those. As gut-wrenchingly awful as the fall out with Vanessa has been, at least she's alive to resist him. At least she's still her.

"I'm not asking you to fall, Vanessa." He can't say whether or not he'd try to stop her if she did, but that's not the point. "I fell in love with a goddess. I want to be with a goddess. I want to be with you."

[fatedchaos]

"I know." That's the worst part of it all. For as many selfish reasons as he probably did it, went back to the Atrox willingly, she knows the biggest reason is because of her. And how can she be angry at that kind of sacrifice? For someone who loves her so much that he'd lose his soul for her?

But she never asked for that, doesn't even know how to feel about it. Which is why they're here, playing this dance all over again.

"I'm not going to be a goddess forever, Stanton." She moves her head until her mouth is at his ear. "We could have been human together."

[pathtoatonement]

A shiver winds its way through him with her mouth at his ear like that, and he can't help the way his hand tenses in her hair. So he shifts it again, back to her waist. It's about as close as Stanton gets to respecting boundaries.

"Not if you were dead," he tells her flatly.

[fatedchaos]

The way he reacts to her almost makes her forget herself, her stance on where they are now. She wants to press closer, pull him into a corner and kiss him until he's breathless too.

Instead, Vanessa pulls back again, a frown tugging at her lips. "You don't know that I'd be dead."

[pathtoatonement]

"I don't know that you wouldn't be," he points out, resisting the urge to pull her back to him even though she can probably feel the tension in his fingers. "I couldn't take that chance. You know that, Vanessa."

[fatedchaos]

"You could have, Stanton. You could have trusted me to not get myself killed. I don't... I don't blame you for it, as much as I want to, but it doesn't make it hurt less," she mutters, moving her hand from his so that she can wrap her arms around his neck, fingers twining in his hair. "I tried to protect you from the Atrox, and you turned around and threw that in my face."

[pathtoatonement]

The thing is, there's a part of him that knows she's right. Even if he couldn't have acted in any other way than how he did.

So he ignores everything she's saying now and focuses on what she's doing instead, the feeling of her hands on him. "You're playing a dangerous game right now, love," he says, settling both of his hands at her waist. "For someone who wants me to stay away from her, this sure feels like encouragement."

[fatedchaos]

Her lips press together again, and she remains silent for a moment or two as they sway to the music. This entire conversation feels like it's been hours, but it couldn't have been that long. Not if the song is still playing, if they're still dancing. But it can't last for much longer. She takes a second to collect herself, to keep her molecules from freaking out when he ignores what she's said.

Of course he does.

"You'd take anything I do as encouragement."

[pathtoatonement]

"Your arms are around me," he points out. "Your hands are in my hair. How am I supposed to take that, exactly?"