stylistic_disloyalty | [MASK OR MENACE] IC Contact

[ It's a relief, to hear about Persephone doing something he would have done. A verification and a justification for his initial read on her. Good.

It was hard to completely make sense of the story, but he didn't really need to. He got the jist. He wouldn't have stayed in prison either, if he was innocent, and had in fact broken out of unjustified incarceration on multiple occassions, so he was already a little biased. That, and it was Luci. If he hadn't heard her song, maybe he would doubt her more. But he had. So he didn't. She had no reason to lie to him

He was going to say something about being proud of Persephone, but then Luci continued and all thoughts on that subject went out the window.]

Seriously? Hey, Poe, I'm going to go crazy and they're going to kill me to stop it, but you're not allowed to do shit about it? Fuck that. [Turns out when you cultivate rebellious individuals, they don't tend to take orders they don't like very well.]

That's a pile of bantha shit. If it's just - Look, you said that they came back, right? So does that mean they sort of - reset when they died? [His face was grim.] I've died ten times in this fucking place. I'm never going to say it doesn't suck, but if you-- Look, there's gotta be a way to keep them from getting to you, right? From forcing that on you.

[He didn't blink, but his eyes searched her face.]

... There has to be a path where it's... self-determination.

[Yes, this seems to be a pattern. Luci isn't even surprised, she just heaves a very heavy, very tired sigh in the middle of Poe's monologue and scrapes at her nails. On the one hand, she should probably be glad that these people are lining up to deal with her at her very worst and denying that they could ever lose her, but the idea of taking Yusuke or Yuri or Poe's arm off because she can't control herself is a chilling image.]

[Luci waits until Poe is done and then slowly blows out a mouthful of smoke.]

Being the Devil means knowing you've already lost. There is no self-determination in my end, only in what I do in between. [She stubs out the cigarette and stands up. In the same movement she grabs the shoulder of Poe's jacket and tries to pin him to the wall, looming over him close enough that he could smell the smoke on her breath as she whispers to him.]

We're in a confessional, hollowed out as it is, so here's a confession Poe Dameron: I don't have enough people I give a shit about to be letting them face down a hurricane armed with an open umbrella. You want to try for Number Eleven with me? I can't stop you. I can't stop any of you, and that should make me damned proud.

...But it doesn't. It's driving me crazy.

[He wanted to argue - no one's end was set in stone. But the way she was talking about it sounded more like a disease than a destiny. So he ground his teeth and crossed his arms.]

What's number eleven between friends. [It's pretty flat.]

Look, I'm not - trying to piss you off. I'm just saying. And if I don't get it, then help me get it. You said that you're going to go crazy. From the divinity. Right?

So how do you know when it's happening?

[...alright, she'll give him that. Luci snorts a quiet laugh and lets go of his jacket. Then she helps herself to Poe's lap.]

That's how the Recurrence works-- twelve gods, thirteen this time apparently, we're loved, we're hated, and in two years we're dead. Apparently because we go 'Imperial'. Fucknut Bonkers had my vote for terminology, but it wasn't scary enough I guess.

I ascended in September of 2013, and I found myself here after January 11th 2014. That's five months. I've been here for nine. That's one year and two months, that's ten short of twenty-four. And who knows if it starts even earlier, it could work like dementia for all I know.

[She sighs heavily again and leans back on Poe's knees.] Ananke lied to us all about a lot of things, but we've seen this in action. This is one thing I can't lie my way out of, and the math has been sound so far.

[He relaxes a little when she let him go, shrugging his shoulders to get his jacket sitting right - and then she sat in his lap.

Well.

Yeah he's just going to let that happen, to be honest. He's too worried at this point, so at least he won't embarrass himself immediately.]

Right. Ten months. [It was very weird, to be talking about a literal deadline, here on Earth. Poe had a very twisted idea of his own mortality, at this point - what's number eleven between friends - but this sounded different. Ten months, and even those weren't guaranteed. She could port out at any point.

Fucking--

Damn it.]

Look, if it's something that messes with your head - people will be able to tell, right? Keep an eye out for it. We can help you. But you don't have to -- There's got to be some other way around it. Some way to nullify it or - block it, or --

When you saw it in action. Was it here, or back home?

I didn't say anything about seeing it. I just know it happened. And I don't feel like dragging out their dirty laundry for us to sort through.

You know how you can help me? [She frames Poe's face with her hands and looks very deeply into his eyes.] Don't let me wake up with memories of murdering you. That would be really top notch.

[If she wasn't literally holding his face in place, he would have turned his head and slid his eyes away. Instead, he keeps them on hers. He is not very happy and not doing very well at hiding it, but he's more worried than anything else. He still wanted to argue, but he could tell that dragging this out wasn't going to help.

If he was going to save her, he'd have to do it without her knowing about it.

He's lost enough, lately.]

... I won't.

[There was a pause, his lips firming.]

You tell me to, and I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone you don't want to.

[Luci takes a minute, deciding if she's reading his offer right or not. It would be the ridiculous, heroic thing to do, though she's not inclined to immediately say no. Laura isn't going to do it, and Luci's having serious doubts about Cassandra following through now that they're getting on of all things, so that would leave Baal. Dio was a definite no, Baphomet she has a feeling wouldn't involve himself in his own laundry regimen if he could help it, and Woden--]

[Ugh. Woden would probably let it happen and find it hilarious.]

[She closes her eyes, takes a patient breath and lets it out.]

You think you can do that? Man versus God? Alright flyboy-- [She rises up on her knees and scoots until she's pressed her body to Poe's and driven him back into the confessional wall.]

Pin me, and you've got the job.

[He can feel his heart rate spike, his head pressed hard against the wall and he's very aware, suddenly, of her proximity. But his lips are still in a thin line.

He doesn't doubt for a second that she's stronger than him. After all, he's no god, he's not even really a soldier. He's a pilot. Even if she weren't a god, there's a good chance she could take him.

But he has a gun. And he's a good shot.

And he knows he could do it, whatever the hell that says about him.

But pinning her? Okay, might be a little more difficult in the moment.

He draws in a breath, the plan formulating in the same second that he enacts it - hands gripping the bench he's on as he kicks in his flying powers. The entire confessional rises sharply several feet into the air and then drops - jolting both of them inside, and at the same moment he throws all his weight forward into her to try to pin her to the floor of the booth.]

[Luci, of course, has no flying powers. She's also never really paid much attention to anybody else's, so it's quite shocking when suddenly they-- hell the whole structure-- is suddenly airborne. Luci stares at Poe as they rise up, eyes wide in total shock, and before she realizes it they're falling and Poe is on top of her as the dust clears. She coughs, completely unhurt, and presses against Poe's hands in a soft effort to sit up.]

FUCK! Ow, get off!

[His expression isn't amused, and he's got both hands on her shoulders, frowning down at her.]

I'm serious, Luci. [And he'll stay where he is for just long enough to make it clear that when he pulls back, it's not because she told him to. He's pretty sure it's a test, and he wants to pass. It's important. So when he sits up, it's to basically sit back on her thighs.]

No games, no jokes. I'm giving you a path of self determination, if you want one.

You tell me to, and I'll do it.

No questions asked.

[Well shit, he is serious. Luci expected him to apologize and get off of her with all due haste if she threw one easy lie at him. That's the trouble with being worshiped-- none of these people want to hurt her. She has no idea how Inanna's brain worked when they went Imperial, she doesn't even want to know, but she knows that if she has the chance to lie, she will. They have to be ready for that.]

[She looks up at him, surprised again, and is still until he pulls back. Luci sits up slowly and props herself up with her hands behind her.] Yeah, I want it.

[After a moment she smirks a little and fixes Poe's ruffled hair.] You have more surprises up your sleeve than I gave you credit for.

[ In any other situation, had she done that, he would have been far too pleased. Would have given a cocky grin and wet his lips and been far too charming for his own good. But he couldn't. The problem was he didn't want to hurt her. And he certainly didn't want to kill her.

But he could. And if it saved her from herself - from everyone else - he would. Even if he never forgave himself for it. ]

What, you didn't think a flyboy could fly? [ He tries, at least, to make it sound like a joke. It comes out a little too dry. He's still sitting back on her thighs - he hasn't gone to move himself from her lap.]

I've got a few, but I'm not gonna play all my cards.

Smart choice. You never know who's going to decide to stab you in the back one morning.

[Luci's usual grin fades in the face of his half-formed joke. She hates doing this, she really does-- she'd much rather see her people happy and fierce in the middle of their fight, not disheartened by something that Luci has unwillingly embraced, but embraced nonetheless.]

[She runs her hand down from his hair to cup his cheek, stroking her thumb over his quite sharp cheekbone and trying to get him to look at her.] Don't look so defeated, darling. If this happens, we'll laugh about it over drinks after the fact. I promise. This is nothing more than me asking you to fetch my smokes from the corner store. An errand.

[It's not hard to get him to train his eyes on her, though he let's out a breath.]

Yeah. I know. We're all fucking immortal fireflies. [It's not sarcastic. He believes it, here. Number eleven will mean just as little as the last ten, probably.]

Just wish the bullshit would fall on the people who actually deserve it, sometime.

Mm. [She moves her hand to the back of his neck, and takes a moment to make sure he isn't about to pull away or express an objection. It feels like the second they laid eyes on each other, they had some tension that Luci has wanted to relieve, but it's been a while. Things happen, people-- unlike her-- keep it to one partner sometimes.]

You don't deserve this, Poe. I tried to keep this from everyone, I much prefer seeing you all high as fuck. ...but even I can't convince myself that no one here would give a shit if I died, and not saying anything could put you all in a deadly position.

[She pulls him and leans forward until their foreheads are touching and she's breathing his air.] Do you want me to sing for you? Would that help?

[ The deal is sealed, and he has a plan of action. No matter how much he might hate it, he has one. At least as back up, if he can't figure out anything better. So he's relaxing, by degrees.

At least until she pulls up close to him and he's aware again, that almost nervous energy slipping back into his bones as he could feel her breath on his lips. He did not protest. It took effort, not to close the gap on instinct. ]

You don't deserve it either. [ His voice had dropped a few decibels, deepening even as the volume diminished. Other than pinning her, he still hadn't deliberately laid a hand on her, despite her manhandling him.

Probably because a part of him knew all too well how much he wanted to.

A month ago? He would have a hell of a lot more resistance to put up. But he's got nothing left, that way, and they're both going to die probably sooner rather than later, both here and in their own worlds.

And she's always been electricity, to him - jumping under his skin. So he lets out a long breath, lips parting ever so slightly as he tried to ignore the pulse in his throat. ]

That would get me pretty damn high, [ He admits. ]

But so does just being around you, period.

You have no idea how much I didn't deserve any of this.

[The words are out of her mouth automatically and before she can think about them. But her mind had gone back to Eleanor Rigby, smoking out an open window and playing video games with Hazel. All of that was gone in a few seconds, and her life was cut impossibly short. In its place, she had this burning need to just be seen and heard as long as she possibly could. She'd started playing her part, convincing herself that she did deserve this shitty deal because she was a shitty god.]

[But the longer she spends living here, the harder it is to believe.]

[She grins-- there's a hot rebel on top of her, she can unpack all of this later.] I knew you were mine.

[Luci closes the distance this time, having had enough of the teasing, and kisses Poe sweet and deep.]

[He didn't, really. He thought he knew, and he knew enough - but if he fully understood the rage would be almost blinding. As it is, he's sees it at injustice. If he knew everything, he'd want to kill Ananke the second he saw her.

He's about to say something to that effect, but she grin at him and his train of thought dissolves utterly under its assault.]

Yeah that was never really in ques-- [But he's cut off as she takes the kiss that he half feels like has been owed her since the first time he ever even saw her, and his resolve crumbles. He lets out a low grown at the back of his throat and pressed forward into the kiss, letting her press it deeper.

His hands suddenly seem to remember their purpose, sliding onto her thighs as he gripped them.

Fuck, but he's wanted this for far, far too long.]

[Bless this vocal, eager man. Luci needs a few moments away from all of this bullshit, where all she thinks about is Poe and making him groan like that for her again. Yeah, she probably knew deep down that Baal couldn't take any of her darlings from her, but in that same deep down place the Devil is insecure.]

[She hums at the squeeze on her thighs, her other hand pressing against his abs and dragging up to feel while she takes a quick breath and dives back in to kissing Poe senseless. She's good at it, warm and just the right amount of nibbling to give the impression of wanting to really devour him.]

[Poe was, by nature, a man governed far more by instinct than thought. In the cockpit, he had to be - thought took too long and got you killed. Instinct is what meant you shot the other guy before you even really knew he was there.

So he's not thinking about it, when he reacts to her hunger, he just does it - his own both an echo and an amplification. There no romance in it, really - despite the infatuation he's never quite managed to deny. She was the flame and he couldn't help but fly right into it. Instinct drawing him straight to the light, regardless of consequences.

He really wasn't thinking about consequences.

(Though when did he ever...)

His hands slid to her hips as he pulled himself further into her lap, pressing his body up against hers as he returned every hot kiss with as much - no, more - hunger than it was given.

She could devour him and he'd thank her for it.]

[Luci has never been one to think of consequences either. She lives on impulse, and thinks about the fallout later. But this? This is nothing. This is for both of them, so Poe can feel a flare of life in her after that downer of a conversation. So Luci can feel a little less nervous that deep down, she's just a battery for her closest band of rebels. They care, for some reason they actually care.]

[That deserves her attention and affection.]

Come here, come here... [Luci leans back, her hand still behind Poe's neck, her other wandering one pushing at his jacket in a gentle suggestion that he take it off.]

[ It doesn't take very long for Poe to get the message, rolling a shoulder back to pull his arm free and then the other, shucking the jacket off to the side, the hand-sewn Rebellion insignia still visible on the shoulder where it lay. He wasn't paying it any attention. ]

Right here. [ His voice had dropped deeper, a husk to it that hadn't been there a few minutes ago, as his fingers reached out to tug at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up just a few inches so he could slide warm hands onto her bare sides as he pressed forward to take another kiss.]

[Luci laughs, delighted by how all of this is playing out. She lays all the way back so she can admire Poe as he pulls off his jacket, and she eagerly welcomes him back as his hands go up her sides. She's warm too, of course, but she still shivers from the excitement. Truth be told, she's wanted this for a while too, even through the military-scare he'd put her through. Rebellion radiated off of him like a heavy perfume, and the scent was warm and familiar to her. She'd loved it immediately.]

[She sighs into Poe's mouth, running her fingers through his curls again before pulling her hands away to loosen the knot on her tie. In one motion, perhaps practiced, she lifts it over her head and without breaking their fervid kissing, drops it over his head and onto his neck. Grinning away, she tugs playfully on the tie.]

Too close, now I've got you~

[ An answering grin pulls at his lips, crinkling at the edge of his eyes as he arches an eyebrow. ]

Should probably warn you... [ He murmurs it against her lips as his hands run a little further up her sides, thumbs brushing over her ribs, completely ignoring the buttons as he just hikes the shirt up higher. ]

I really don't take to captivity well. I tend to fight my way out...

(no subject)

stylistic_disloyalty - 2018-05-31 05:53 (UTC) - Expand