nysalogs | ( open/closed | i'm the king jj!! )

[ Given just how much attention Olympia had demanded from him lately—with finding a new house, his work, and the kidnappings—sometimes JJ would forget that Thesa Station even exists. It's been a while since he'd beamed up, and that's probably a good thing since it means he's not moping around the Stasis Unit anymore, so he's forgetting just how much the station has to offer. The scenery and architecture is a welcome change from the clutter of Olympia, and JJ finds that he's missed the sleek, modern look of it when he finally gets back there.

But he's not here to appreciate the station.

He's already in the teleportation room when Dutch arrives, and he shot a couple of messages back and forth with her to let her know his progress so she shouldn't be too surprised to see him there. (Messages such as picking out something nice 😉 and ready to drink!! 🍻🎉🥂) He's a gentleman after all, and a gentleman never leaves a lady waiting. ]

Hey, you look lovely.

[ It feels oddly ordinary to meet someone after only chatting with them over text. Almost like something that would happen back on Earth. Maybe it's a little out of place, but JJ's happy to embrace the normalcy as he walks over to her and holds out his hand. ]

[ he's sent her a couple messages since her text gone awry had led to agreeing to what dutch refuses to call a date. she's in it for the free drink and because it'll be a distraction, nothing else. he's sent a couple messages, most of them containing little pictures dutch has investigated. emojis. weird as hells, really.

but while she responds not even to half of those messages, she does teleport to the station, wearing tight black trousers and a deep green top that leaves her sides exposed. dutch knows what she looks like and she's never dressed down to hide it unless required for a mission.

this isn't a mission at all. (she's not a killjoy anymore.) ]

Hey.

[ he looks even younger in person than he did in his pictures. he looks more alive, too, bright and warm. he reminds her of johnny the night she'd met him. someone who hasn't been touched by as much of life's cruelty yet, someone who hasn't let it turn them hard and heartless. ]

[ While JJ can be clueless and bullheaded, the type of person that only sees what they want to see on the best of days, he had picked up on the fact that maybe Dutch isn't as excited about this evening as he is. It's not enough to dissuade him however, because she could've done a number of cruel things: laughed at the offer, rejected him with some particularly harsh words, or simply not shown up. But she's here, and that's enough for him to want to make the best of the night. ]

Wow, did you get this dressed up for little old me?

[ The picture hadn't done Dutch much justice, and it had been a good picture. In person, she has the type of confidence and ease that lets JJ relax in turn, easing away an concerns he might've had regarding awkwardness and leaving him genuinely looking forward to a good night. If nothing else, he knows that Dutch is fun to chat with, witty and engaging, captivating with her words alone.

He's quick to step in line next to her, settling an arm around her waist as he leads the way out of the teleporting station and toward the dining area. It might be a little bold, but fortune favours, etc. ]

[ she's not nearly as excited as he is because she doesn't do dates and she definitely doesn't do excited about dates. by definition, she's less excited. but she's here, and she's wearing a top she knows shows off her figure (without showing off any of her scars). ]

Maybe I did.

[ flirtation comes easily to dutch, but when he slides an arm around her waist, she still raises her eyebrows. ] Did I say you could do that? [ bossy? yes.

but a moment later, she winks at him. it's fine, jj. ]

[ His expression is bright when she winks at him, and he gets in closer to her side once he gets the sense that she won't mind. He'd always been faithful to Isabella on Earth, but even then he was no stranger to attending parties, flirting and careful with where he put his hands but no shying away from intimacy either. ]

Sorry, I get too excited. [ The words come out lightly, but his words are sincere thought he's quick to give Dutch a wink of his own. ] You can reprimand me if I do something bad.

[ That makes him sound like a dog that needs to be training, but he doesn't bother taking his words back once they're out there. It doesn't matter to him anyway, too content with the warmth of her hip under his hand and the way she walks with confidence beside him. ]

Since we're going to be getting drinks, why don't you tell me what your favourites are?

[ dutch hardly ever minds the physical. she's far less comfortable with emotion, but this isn't the sort of thing that requires emotions, is it? or that he'll get emotional about. (if he does, she'll just leave and never look back. that's a good coping strategy, isn't it?) ]

Is that what you're into?

[ she isn't reminded of a dog, precisely — but for a moment, she thinks of rhys and the kind of thing she had going with him. there hadn't been terribly many reprimands, but there had been orders. ]

Back home? Hokk. Here, it's wine and whiskey. Depending on what I'm in the mood for.

[ It's not hard to imagine Dutch enjoying whiskey and wine. She seems like a whiskey drinker, rugged and steady, and but classy still with a palate for wine. (Hokk sounds like an alien creature more than a drink though, and it hadn't even occurred to him that she might not be from Earth.) ]

Me? No, I'm mostly a good boy. [ He smirks a little as he says that, obviously joking. ] But variety is the spice of life, eh? We can try some wine and whiskey, but maybe you'll find there's some other drinks you like too.

[ He steps away once they find the bar, sliding up to it with familiarity though he's never frequented it for the purposes of getting drunk. It's different from the bars on El Nysa, futuristic and sleek, fluorescent lighting a contrast against the otherwise dark interior.

To start, JJ orders them two flutes. ]

But first, we need to start with champagne.

A good boy? [ another grin, sharp. ] Should I ask you to prove it?

[ she’s been trained for life at a royal court, her palate refined and her taste excellent — but that hasn’t been her path for years now, for all that she’s technically royalty by virtue of her marriage. she doesn’t think her dead husband’s people would welcome her back.

nowadays, she drinks almost anything and perhaps (probably) in too large quantities. ]

Why champagne?

Because I want to celebrate meeting you.

[ The answer comes with a sweet, teasing smile. JJ takes compliments as easily as breathing, and he can dish them out without a moment's hesitation. And he'd been faithful to Isabella back on Earth, but he's no stranger to socializing and letting a pretty girl capture his attention at a party. It's not that different from those extravagant events.

Except that he has nothing to be faithful to anymore.

He takes both of the flutes once they arrive, handing one to Dutch before clinking them together. ]

But, what kind of proof would you need? Do I have to do tricks?

I hope the champagne is less cheesy than that line.

( dutch... please... champagne doesn't ever taste cheesy... but jj is lucky that he's cute and dutch's standards are low because otherwise, she might have turned around and left at that. it's just — either he doesn't mean it, in which case it's just bullshit, or he does, in which case it's too much emotion far too soon.

she's pretty sure it's the former rather than the latter, given his teasing smile. dutch can deal with bullshit, especially when it's delivered flirtatiously. so she stays. )

How are you at obeying orders? ( her grin is still as sharp as before, but her tone a little more teasing now, too. )

[ That's a bold question right off the bat, but considering JJ's introduction to Dutch, he's not that surprised. ]

I don't really like being told what to do. [ His answer comes honestly, though still measured as he holds her gaze. ] But I can obey if there's enough incentive.

[ Dutch is pretty, and out of his league, but JJ has too much arrogance to tease her back. It's more fun that way, and he's always preferred a rival to a master. He's sure that she has enough experience to outmanoeuvre him, but that doesn't mean he won't enjoy trying.

He downs his champagne before he continues, ] How are you at giving orders?

( it's a bold question. it helps that she's not seriously invested in the answer. even if he's great at following orders and she's great at giving them, that doesn't mean she wants to take this in that direction — whatever this will turn out to be, anyway. she had that sort of relationship with someone here; she's not looking to replace him. )

Oh, I'm great at it.

( she enjoys the sparring, too. there's something to be said for knowing she calls the shots, but there's plenty to be said for this as well. for the back and forth of it. even if it's only verbal for now.

she takes a long swallow of her own champagne. ) Stick around and you might find out. ( is that an invitation? yes, but maybe not in the way he might think. )

[ Her answer just gets him to laugh, he doesn't seem particularly intimidated though everything about Dutch is intimidating: her beauty and attitude; the nonchalance with which she answers JJ's questions. But JJ's still a youth, and his own arrogance makes it difficult for him to be starstruck. ]

I "might"? [ He narrows his eyes at her playfully. ] It's uncertain now? Even though you were blowing up my phone with your booty call the other day?

[ Not exactly an accurate representation of what happened, but that's fine. ]

( if he were intimidated, this would be over a lot sooner. dutch isn't interested in hanging out with anyone who's scared of her. she hates it, though fear and intimidating are useful weapons that she knows how to wield. still, that's not something for a date, is it? so she's glad he's not intimidated, though she wouldn't ever tone down any part of her that might seem intimidating. )

Who says that was meant for you, sweet cheeks?

( it hadn't been. they both know that. )

[ They do, but that doesn't put a damper on JJ's mood any. The optimism of youth, so to speak. ]

Even if it wasn't your intention, maybe it was fate?

[ JJ gets the sense that Dutch doesn't like cheesy, but there's no getting a tiger to change its stripes. Moreover, he's not in the habit of changing himself to impress anyone, and wouldn't know how to even if he tried. Even if he is curious about Dutch, fascinated by her confidence and the fact that she seems totally unfazed by the fact that she'd admitted to a stranger that she was on the hunt for sex. ]

No such thing.

( she doesn't believe in fate. she believes in choices and she believes in shit happening, in dumb luck and in competence and strength and the horribleness of human nature. still: she says it with a grin that might soften the way she shoots down his optimistic comment.

sex is just sex, why would she be fazed by it or by wanting it? )

You just got lucky the network did its thing that day. ( cocky? yeah. )

( open/closed | i'm the king jj!! )

dutch, a series of secondhand embarrassments

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sorry this is so late!!

shrug emoji i'm a turtle anyway so

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