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Who: riza hawkeye (

strictdiscipline) & open!
What: a catchall, basically
When: all month
Where: oot 'n aboot
Warning(s): none yet, will update if necessary

I - SHADES DARKER

[ Work at Shades Darker, despite the customer base, is far more tame than she imagines. For the most part, she completes and files paperwork in the back, tidying up schedules and correcting small mistakes in wages for employees whose names she's slowly beginning to commit to memory.

But sometimes she's expected to put on a good face for the public, especially when information's needed, and so she treks outside to the streets, false modesty and cheer on her face as she flags down passersby. ]

Excuse me, we're looking to gather opinions for our next [ entirely made up, please don't kill me mods ] promotion. If you could take a look at these two photos—

[ At which point she hands over said photos. Both are very revealing, though of entirely different things. ]

Which do you prefer?

[ THE QUESTION: Are you a tits or an ass person, please respond truthfully. ]

[ ooc: feel free to assume some basic handwaved cr if your character also works there. ]

II - SHOOTING RANGE

[ Somewhere between Shades Darker and the gun range, her persona shifts. The polite smile drops from her face, her shoulders straighten, and her stride takes on an almost dangerous efficiency as she collects her equipment and heads out to the back. There's been little use for a firearm of any sort so far, her job now dealing with wealthy clientele rather than criminals, but she's hardly about to sit around and wait for the next emergency to occur.

She's a regular at the range, and if there's anything particularly notable about her, it's the way she never smiles after making a perfect shot (often) and makes less noise than the gun in her hands. It's obvious she means business, though less obvious just what exactly she's training for.

But if you're struggling, or you ask nicely, she'll offer a few tips here and there. ]

III - OUT AND ABOUT (FEAT. DOG)

A - [ Riza's not the only one that needs exercise. Twice a day she grabs the leash hanging by the door and takes Hayate out for a walk around the city blocks. For the most part, the walk's uneventful, halted by a cursory sniff here and an obligatory bark there.

But as it turns out, lengthy periods of stasis and an entirely new environment does no favors for anyone, least of all a dog still partly in the throes of puppyhood. Something - a squirrel, another animal, that tasty sandwich in your hand - catches Hayate's attention, and he bolts, pulling the leash out of Riza's hands as he darts towards the newest thing to catch his eye. ]

Hayate!

[ Better move quick, else there'll be a small dog getting all up in your business. ]

B - [ On her days off, and when he behaves, she takes Hayate out for a bonus walk, but not through the main city area. Instead, they turn off towards the nearest park, meandering until they find an unobtrusive spot by a tree. There, she runs him through drills - sit, lie down, stay, and come to name a few - careful to reward him after each trick accomplished. It's a surprisingly successful session up until the last trick: she lifts her hand and mock fires a gun, but instead of collapsing and rolling over, he merely wags his tail, tongue lolling out one side of his mouth.

Well, she tried. ]

IV - WILDCARD

[ ooc: you know the deal. write a prompt, or leave me a blank comment/comment with any prefs and i'll write you a custom starter! feel free to hit me up via PM or private plurk at speedforce to discuss anything. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The only reason Merlin ever approaches the red light district is to make deliveries, which is the only sort-of-job he's picked up in all this time. Mostly he delivers messages, some of them on gaudy perfumed parchment from the brothels going who knows where, but whatever - he doesn't have to read them. The parcels are more mysterious and so much worse, but he tries to get in and out and not make any more eye contact than necessary while he's there.

But not the way that sounds.

It's the fact that he's talked to Riza before that makes him stop when she starts in with her... survey, which is obviously his first mistake of many. He genuinely doesn't seem to see where this is going until she holds up the pictures, at which point his eyes go wide and he looks quite abruptly at the sky before he looks back down, speaking to a space over her shoulder. Eye contact: dead.]

I, hmm, you know, that's a fascinating question and I'm sure someone out there is more qualified to answer it than me, being as I am myself, you know, and I'm— I have so many places to be I think I might come apart at the seams if I'm- here. Or rather, not there. Late.

[So.]

[ You know, for a young man of some twenty or so years of age, that is an awfully evasive response to a perfectly simple question. Surely his eyes have wandered a little before to one region or the other, even with his apparently immense amounts of shame.

She ought to be nice, let him go to whatever imaginary appointment he's supposedly late for. But his fluster is, quite frankly, the most hilarious thing she's seen all day, and it seems a waste to let that slip out of her fingers so quickly. Besides, if he's going to be out and about in the entertainment district more than once, he might as well get used to everything it has to offer.

So the pictures stay right where they are, held firmly in front of his face. ]

Actually, I think you're fully qualified to answer. [ Being possessed of a set of eyes and all that, you know. ] I don't need a complicated reason for it, a gut feeling will do.

[ So long as that gut feeling isn't to get the hell outta dodge. ]

[He's a perfect gentleman who would never scope out anyone's bits, thanks. He has a skin allergy and it's very severe? He's never seen more than 5% of a lady's bare skin?? There are so many reasons why Merlin is not mentally equipped to look those pictures in the eye.

Not the eye, but, well.

Since the pictures aren't leaving his immediate field of view he tries to sort of- duck around and sidestep them, although he isn't cutting and running away from Riza quite yet. He has manners, unlike apparently whoever took those pictures.]

A gut feeling? [Don't call it that? Why does that seem so wrong. Please.] I haven't got any! Feelings about that, that is.

[or guts tbh]

[ How dare, those models were well compensated for their time and (lack of) attire, there was nothing shady about anything of this!!

But fine, some mercy will be shown this day as she finally removes the photos from his field of vision and tucks them back into her bag. They're gone, for now, though there's no telling when she'll whip out another set of photos for some other promotion or bs survey. Lord knows she certainly didn't come up with these questions. ]

You can't possibly have no feelings. [ Though only giving two choices may have been a limiting factor, maybe she should broaden the options a bit. ] What about other features then? Eyes? A nice smile?

[ Not quite the realm of T&A but she's only got so much to work with here. ]

[Oh thank god, the pictures are gone. Merlin visibly relaxes the metric ton of tension those pictures had him under and he doesn't even try to hide it, actually smiling a little now that they're not in his face. Look - he can make eye contact again!

You're proud of him, right Riza? Right.]

Oh- well... there's always something to be said for a beautiful face. As a whole. Eyes are quite nice.

[He's a sucker for big sad eyes, but that's something he... won't share.]

[ She would have been prouder if he could've answered the question. But sure, one whole gold star for his feeble baby step forward.

Anyway. Now that he's let loose again, it's time for round two. (Surely he doesn't think he's escaped so soon?) She's careful to start slow this time, nodding agreement to his sentiment first and letting the tamer conversation topic linger. ]

Eyes are quite nice. [ Not her preferred make-it-or-break-it characteristic, but a nice bonus all the same. ] Though personally I prefer a confident smile.

What about eye makeup? Do you think it takes away the natural beauty of a person's eyes?

[ Slowly...prods for answers... ]

[Thanks... he really tried hard. No, he didn't, he tried only the minimum amount.]

Well—it's not any of my business who wants to paint their face, but it's a little distracting.

[Mostly here - Camelot and makeup are not an intimately close relationship. Eyeshadow confuses Merlin.]

It's... different?

[ Perhaps he would like to take a spin around one of the dressing rooms in Shades Darker then, make-up as far as the eye can see. And some other things too, but safer not to speak of those. ]

Is it not common practice where you come from?

[ There've been so many cultures introduced to her in the past few weeks, it's hard to keep track of who does what where. ]

Not as much as it is here. Women from the wealthiest families might have painted their lips now and then, but there's quite a lot more here.

[He shrugs; it's a lot, and yet he's getting used to it? He hardly notices casual makeup, but the more theatrical style choices always make him wonder if someone's about to start juggling.

So he doesn't ask anyone about their cosmetics.]

I think I delivered a crate here the other day. Powders and glosses and... glitter? Crept out of the box and stuck to me for hours.

[ The women here are far more powdered than she's used to, it's true, though still beautiful in their own right. She's picked up a few tips and tricks here and there, and also a couple of other things, such as: ]

Oh, the glitter. [ There's recognition in her eyes at the mention. ] It's very popular with some of our models since it's edible. Apparently you can put it all over, if you'd like.

[ Said like it's NBD, which it really isn't for her. She's heard far worse, even if she hasn't exactly seen it yet. ]

[Don't worry, he totally doesn't get the implication at all. He's stuck on the edible part, picturing it as - like, a garnish? What the hell?]

Edible? I wouldn't spread that on my toast if you paid me to do it. You'd be picking shiny bits out of your teeth for weeks.

I believe it gets spread elsewhere.

[ Like on human bodies, for example. Though she's in full agreement, picking shiny bits out of her mouth does not sound like a pleasant way to spend her mornings and evenings for three weeks straight. ]

You should let the manufacturers know though. I'm not sure they thought that one through.

[Thinking about it... mmm, no. His gaze might dart suspiciously to one of the buildings just nearby, like he can sense all of the sinning within just by looking at the walls. Hmm.]

Don't tell me anything else. Maybe I'll write a strongly-worded letter.

[ Look, maybe it's an add-on to his magic-sensing skills. Now he can sense sin too! Helps him avoid all those sketchos on the way home at night. ]

Strongly-worded letters are only useful if the words used are particularly strong.

[ Somehow she doesn't think 'turnip' and 'clod' are going to cut it. ]

[He probably can sense sin because he's allergic to it, considering he is 12. Anyway, look, no, he's totally got this one. That is to say he makes a face, first a little bothered that she apparently thinks his vocabulary is not stern enough, but then remembering he actually learned a Nasty Word... mostly by accident.

Ahem. Get ready for this one.]

Shall I write a speech with liberal use of the phrase "douche bag"?

[let merlin say fuck 2k17]

[ Who's been teaching Merlin this foul language, she needs to wash out their mouths with soap. But he's correct, she's very impressed, though perhaps alarmed is more the right word. Maybe encouraging him in this direction was not the right way to go. ]>

I'm sure that'll get their attention. [ ANYWAY let's move on. ] Were you just passing through?

[But mom........ let him say mean words too.]

That's what I thought. It doesn't have much ring to it, though. [what a garbage swear]

I'm doing deliveries, like I said. Why...? [Is there going to be a sinful sales pitch: take 2??]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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