Who: Shades Darker staff and adjacent! What: Staff mingle! When: ALL MONTH WHY NOT Where: Shades Darker probably Warning(s): Probably some chatting about sex & sex work
(GENERAL OPEN POST! Party style, do what you like, tag around, have a good time.)
[ not when you've been placed in a royal harem at a young age to restore your family's name by securing an advantageous marriage. then you don't need to know the person you're marrying.
she mourns the death of her husband less than the death of her means of escaping khlyen peacefully, of the belief that he'd ever let her go. he hadn't, even when she'd run. ]
I guess you could call it that. [ dutch smiles. the expression is even largely amused. ] I grew up in a royal harem.
[ This is clearly not the response Rhys expected?? Like can you say fish out of water here or what. ]
I...did not know they still had those. Or. I know it's a different universe and all, it's just the first time I've ever met someone who came from one...?
--Right. Yeah, sorry. [ Rhys will just quickly take a sip then, and now that he's had his brief moment of worry he's maybe unintentionally had an affair with Dutch Rhys can't exactly avoid remembering their little...foray in the hot springs. ]
[ dutch's tone is teasing even as she rolls her eyes— and then she reaches across the bar, glancing at the bartender for approval before she simply takes a bottle of whatever is closest. it happens to be a red wine. ] Guess I have to take care of it, then.
Hey. You would not believe the number of people I buy drinks for nowadays. It's like interning for Hyperion all over again.
[ As if Dutch knows exactly what Hyperion was and what it was like working there for Rhys. Because if she did she'd know Rhys basically sucked up to a bunch of different people trying to land an actual job which included a healthy amount of gophering. ]
[ There she goes, doing the whole...”boy” thing again. Rhys would like to think that he’s more composed 5an to let something like that ruffle him, but the reminder of their time in the hot springs is so distinct that he can’t help but clear his throat a little and sink into his stool. ]
[ being observant is part of dutch's job — here and back home alike. she notices the reaction, the way he shifts and swallows, clearing his throat.
she could stop the smirk spreading across her features, but why would she? a moment later, she reaches out, settling a hand on rhys' neck, heavily. testing something, if you will. ]
[ He stiffens immediately, and that's not a euphemism. Rhys goes still and stops mid-motion, not poised so much as he is tense, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He glances over at Dutch from the corner of his eye, uncertain, and slowly swallows. ]
....
[ It's really, really hard to suppress a shiver. ]
[ his reaction is immediate. dutch's own is more subtle, a tightening deep in her guts, her throat dryer than a moment before at the pull of it, the rush of power.
slowly, she shifts her thumb until it rests over the pulse point in his throat, exerting slight pressure. ]
Yeah?
[ she's not sure what she's asking, exactly, but she's sure that the answer is important. ]
[ It's one word. One simple word, and yet it causes something to wriggle and wind tight in his stomach as it fills his ears, sinks in. Her thumb presses and all of a sudden it's like his pulse beats harder, a dull throb against the warm but firm pad of her finger.
Rhys has never been big on contact with his neck. He'd put his tattoo there to catch attention yes, but necks had never been a...a thing for him until Jack had tried to strange him.
This isn't like that. This is something else--something that crawls under his skin and makes him forget he's supposed to breathe.
Rhys watches her like he's waiting for something, some sort of...cue or instruction. The pause he has is just a little too long for it to be normal. Dutch will notice, she has to notice--and then Rhys realizes what she wants. He exhales. ]
[ yeah he says, and the tightness in dutch's stomach doesn't unfurl or go away; it spreads instead, anticipation and something small and pleased and strong mingling.
she takes her hand away, though not after squeezing his neck once, warmly. ]
Get up.
[ her voice is low. she doesn't think she needs to raise it. ]
Rhys stands up without a word and only a split-second pause, his movements not exactly slow per say, but just enough that if she really wanted to she could stop him. The implication there is...yeah. Rhys doesn't think about the implication and concerns himself only with watching her steadily. There's uncertainty written in his face, yes. But there's also a certain level of anticipation too.
he's waiting for what comes next after he's gotten to his feet. ]
[ dutch smiles, and there's no uncertainty there. something warm, something a little dangerous, but nothing uncertain. she touches his shoulder, a fleeting touch. ]
C'mon.
[ with that, she starts moving, leaving the wine where it is because she has something other than alcohol in mind now, something else making her feel a little drunk. shades darker is a brothel; there are always empty rooms available. dutch leads they way to one of them.
once the door is closed behind them, she turns to rhys. ] No touching. [ with that, she leans in and kisses him, something slow but no less hard for it. ]
[ Rhys follows Dutch like a horse on a lead. He barely even spares a glance to the drink he hasn't touched or the bartender who eyes them as they leave. His eyes remain fixed on the centre of Dutch's back as she goes on ahead, watching her shoulders move with each step.
It shouldn't be anything special, but it winds that coil in the pit of his stomach up tighter and tighter. He can practically hear his heartbeat in his ears when he steps into the room.
When the order comes Rhys is already halfway through lifting his hands as though he means to settle them on her waist and he has to stop. It's automatic and he sends her a confused look, but then her mouth is on his and he leans into is immediately, pressing back just a little too eager for someone trying to play it cool, as it were. ]
[ it isn't anything special, not really: it's just walking, and then it's just kissing. nothing either of them hasn't done before, nothing they haven't done together before. and still, the air is charged and dutch feels it go to her head. it's different now.
he keeps his hands to himself and presses back, eager for more and eager to please, and dutch licks into his mouth and curls a hand over the back of his neck again and holds him in place.
good boy, she thinks, but doesn't say. not yet. instead, when she pulls back, she studies him for a moment and then orders: ] Take your clothes off.
[ It comes out breathier than he means for it to, distracted and just a little uneven. If he'd said it any louder his voice probably would have cracked.
She hasn't lifted her hand from his neck yet though and the weight of that hold keeps him right where he is even as he moves to bring his hands up slowly, fingers working on the buttons to his shirt. The movements aren't certain, but they aren't clumsy or fumbled either. He just can't really believe they're doing...this. Whatever this is.
Or how into it he is.
Rhys's jacket hist the floor first and he slowly peels out of his shirt a moment after, the sharp lines of his tattoo once more on display for her viewing pleasure. And this time there's the added bonus of being able to see how his cybernetic limb attaches to his body. ]
[ it feels like more. it feels heavier than it should, like they've gone further already than they have. dutch's stomach is tight with want, but her breath comes deep and even. with every breath, with every moment rhys agrees and does what she tells him to, with every item of clothing he drops, dutch feels a little stronger, a little more powerful — and more settled inside herself for it. ]
Good. [ she tells him, and ] Keep going.
[ with the hand not on his neck, she traces the lines of his tattoo, the touch barely-there. ]
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she mourns the death of her husband less than the death of her means of escaping khlyen peacefully, of the belief that he'd ever let her go. he hadn't, even when she'd run. ]
I guess you could call it that. [ dutch smiles. the expression is even largely amused. ] I grew up in a royal harem.
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[ This is clearly not the response Rhys expected?? Like can you say fish out of water here or what. ]
I...did not know they still had those. Or. I know it's a different universe and all, it's just the first time I've ever met someone who came from one...?
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[ dutch pats his back again and then downs her drink. ] Drink up. Or at least close your mouth, you're gaping.
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Soooo you look like you've been...well.
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[ not a question that requires answering, just amusement. ] That's smooth.
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[ dutch's tone is teasing even as she rolls her eyes— and then she reaches across the bar, glancing at the bartender for approval before she simply takes a bottle of whatever is closest. it happens to be a red wine. ] Guess I have to take care of it, then.
[ free drinks are a definite perk of the job. ]
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[ As if Dutch knows exactly what Hyperion was and what it was like working there for Rhys. Because if she did she'd know Rhys basically sucked up to a bunch of different people trying to land an actual job which included a healthy amount of gophering. ]
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[ because she has no idea what hyperion was. ]
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[ Think of his poor wallet, Dutch. His wallet. ]
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[ good thing, then, that she's grabbed them this bottle of red wine, isn't it? ]
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I....am, yes. Thank-you.
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she could stop the smirk spreading across her features, but why would she? a moment later, she reaches out, settling a hand on rhys' neck, heavily. testing something, if you will. ]
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....
[ It's really, really hard to suppress a shiver. ]
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slowly, she shifts her thumb until it rests over the pulse point in his throat, exerting slight pressure. ]
Yeah?
[ she's not sure what she's asking, exactly, but she's sure that the answer is important. ]
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Rhys has never been big on contact with his neck. He'd put his tattoo there to catch attention yes, but necks had never been a...a thing for him until Jack had tried to strange him.
This isn't like that. This is something else--something that crawls under his skin and makes him forget he's supposed to breathe.
Rhys watches her like he's waiting for something, some sort of...cue or instruction. The pause he has is just a little too long for it to be normal. Dutch will notice, she has to notice--and then Rhys realizes what she wants. He exhales. ]
...Yeah.
[ Yeah. ]
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she takes her hand away, though not after squeezing his neck once, warmly. ]
Get up.
[ her voice is low. she doesn't think she needs to raise it. ]
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Rhys stands up without a word and only a split-second pause, his movements not exactly slow per say, but just enough that if she really wanted to she could stop him. The implication there is...yeah. Rhys doesn't think about the implication and concerns himself only with watching her steadily. There's uncertainty written in his face, yes. But there's also a certain level of anticipation too.
he's waiting for what comes next after he's gotten to his feet. ]
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C'mon.
[ with that, she starts moving, leaving the wine where it is because she has something other than alcohol in mind now, something else making her feel a little drunk. shades darker is a brothel; there are always empty rooms available. dutch leads they way to one of them.
once the door is closed behind them, she turns to rhys. ] No touching. [ with that, she leans in and kisses him, something slow but no less hard for it. ]
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It shouldn't be anything special, but it winds that coil in the pit of his stomach up tighter and tighter. He can practically hear his heartbeat in his ears when he steps into the room.
When the order comes Rhys is already halfway through lifting his hands as though he means to settle them on her waist and he has to stop. It's automatic and he sends her a confused look, but then her mouth is on his and he leans into is immediately, pressing back just a little too eager for someone trying to play it cool, as it were. ]
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he keeps his hands to himself and presses back, eager for more and eager to please, and dutch licks into his mouth and curls a hand over the back of his neck again and holds him in place.
good boy, she thinks, but doesn't say. not yet. instead, when she pulls back, she studies him for a moment and then orders: ] Take your clothes off.
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[ It comes out breathier than he means for it to, distracted and just a little uneven. If he'd said it any louder his voice probably would have cracked.
She hasn't lifted her hand from his neck yet though and the weight of that hold keeps him right where he is even as he moves to bring his hands up slowly, fingers working on the buttons to his shirt. The movements aren't certain, but they aren't clumsy or fumbled either. He just can't really believe they're doing...this. Whatever this is.
Or how into it he is.
Rhys's jacket hist the floor first and he slowly peels out of his shirt a moment after, the sharp lines of his tattoo once more on display for her viewing pleasure. And this time there's the added bonus of being able to see how his cybernetic limb attaches to his body. ]
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Good. [ she tells him, and ] Keep going.
[ with the hand not on his neck, she traces the lines of his tattoo, the touch barely-there. ]
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i uploaded half of these porn icons just bc of you i hope you know
i'm honoured!!
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