prismatica | text; un: adversary

Oh. Hey there.

[ the voice that drifts through the communicators defies description. it is venus's voice, and it is not; like a young tenor, barrel-aged since the beginning of time and only just coming into its own. it sounds like fresh hookah and tastes like music. it's like static and honey, gently sifting out of electronic speakers. ]

This place... [ a sigh. ] It's beautiful, isn't it? A thousand thousands, living their own truths. It's flawed, and uncut, and cracked down the edges. It's the most beautiful, wonderful gem I've seen.

[ for a few seconds, the recording stays silent. all that remains is the background noise of lunatia: voices trickling up from the streets. the whirr of machinery and the hum of crystals. ]

There are hundreds of you, and I know so few. [ there's something ancient in her words. deep, old, sad. ] So while there's still time... Tell me. Remind me of your name. Let me see your face so I never forget it again.

[ an exhale, long and smooth. ]

And if you're hurting, or lonely, or you've forgotten too... Find me. I'm waiting. I'll always wait for you.

[ there's a soft laugh, barely audible - a fond exhalation more than anything voiced. ]

Until then, my darling.

[ the recording clicks off. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Akira nods, if only because giving her something to do might help.]

Please.

[He moves to take a seat while he pours them both a glass.] So you're a devil? Not an angel?

[He'd already figured as much, but even so, that other version of her he'd seen was so... beautiful. Definitely not something he'd associate with being a devil at all.]

Mm. Got it.

[ she's in the process of pouring the glasses - the devil uses a filtering pitcher, evidently - when akira's second question clicks. she makes a noise halfway between a laugh and a snort, shaking her head as she finishes up. ]

Yeah. I mean, hope that's not an issue? [ she sounds more confident now, at least. this is something she has practice with. ] But yeah. I'm the devil. Like, "hail Satan" devil.

[ she sets his glass down with an audible clink before taking the seat next to him. she pauses, taking a good long sip before continuing. ]

I get that a lot, though. I always figured it'd... you know, be obvious? With the eyes and all. [ a beat. ] Also the part where I thought we'd... I mean, you get it. That's not very angelic.

Nah, it's not an issue. We're not so different, I think.

[...Well, maybe not the 'hail Satan' part. He's from a good Christian family, even if he's not a believer himself. He picks up the glass, taking a drink of his own.]

Does this mean I'm your type? [He grins.]

[ she was from a good christian family, once. or at least what passes for good where she's from. you'd be surprised how quickly things can change! or maybe he wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

and speaking of change... it's been nearly two years since venus became the devil. two years in strange new worlds, with moonlacing and quotas and utterly alien concepts of decency and personal boundaries. so she doesn't even think before answering: ]

I mean, yeah? You remind me of some of the guys I hooked up with back in Duplicity. [ the eyes spotted across her wings make no effort to hide their curious gaze; they look him up and down, craning to try and see as much as they can. but the eyes on her face shift away, staring out the apartment window for a moment before darting back to his face. ] Sorry. Is that weird to say? You definitely seem nicer than most of them so far, so...

[Akira is a mixture of offput and fascinated by so many eyes staring at him at once. He leans this way and that to see if the eyes follow him, although he blinks and snaps back to her face when he realises she's asking him a question.]

Oh-- uh, I don't think it's weird. [He rubs the back of his neck. If she's a devil, it only makes sense she'd be casual about this sort of thing.] If you're ever short on chroma and need someone, I don't mind helping out.

Ha. That's sweet? You're sweet.

[ the eyes follow, sure enough. and after a moment, she covers her mouth and giggles. slowly, carefully, she extends one wing out - unfolding to its impressive span, reaching towards akira. ]

You can take a closer look if you want. I don't mind. [ she sounds like she's preening under the attention, actually. ] Hey, actually, check this out- [ she turns her head, facing directly away from akira. ] I can still see you just fine? Hold up some fingers or something.

[He reaches as if to touch her wing, wanting to see if the feather's are like a bird's, but then pauses at the suggestion.]

Oh, sure-- [He holds up three fingers.] How many?

[ she holds three fingers over her shoulder, giggling a bit and bringing the wing even closer. ]

Cool, right? [ slowly, one by one, the eyes closest to akira close in preparation. ] Go on, you can touch it. Just. You know. Try not to poke anything?

Yeah, it is cool.

[Very carefully, with the same gentleness that he'd handle a baby bird with, he handles the feathers at the tips of her wings, careful to avoid the eyes.]

So you can see everything around you at once? It doesn't ever get confusing?

[ a part of her wants to make some comment, that he can be a little rougher if he wants, that she won't break under his fingertips. but half-joking flirtations aside, there's something intimate about letting people feel her wings. not sexy intimate, just... there's a lot of trust involved. it'd be so easy for people to just reach a little too far, or prod too much, or any number of things.

so instead, she quietly - and contentedly - answers. ]

It's only confusing when I can't see it. It's like... [ she trails off, trying to put together human language to describe something entirely inhuman. ] ...have you ever worn an eyepatch for too long? Or tried to look through someone else's glasses, and you keep focusing, and finally you can sort of see? And then you go back, and it's like- suddenly everything's right again, even if you'd almost forgotten?

[ she's not sure she can do any better than that, honestly. ]

Yeah... I used to do that with my mom's glasses when I was little.

[It's a bittersweet memory, but a fond one, so he knows exactly what she's talking about.]

I bet it's useful. No one could sneak up on you, right?

[Unless she was sleeping, maybe. He lets go of the wing once more, sitting back in his chair.]

Yeah. You get it.

[ slowly, any tension in her body unwinds. the eyes closest to akira's hand gently peek through half-opened lids, staring up at him and his hand with a clear curiosity. when he finally does let go, her wing twitches - shakes a tiny bit, airs out her feathers - and folds back in to its resting position. ]

Oh, yeah. Mostly? I mean, sometimes I'm just... not paying attention, and then it's anyone's guess. But usually I can see anything that's happening in a room. [ a beat. ] It makes life a lot easier. Like, if I don't remember where I put my keys? I can look everywhere at once.

[ she giggles and sits back down herself, scooting herself in and taking another drink. it's... a lot easier, interacting like this. a lot less panicky. like they're finally past the first, basic introduction, and now she doesn't have to worry about coming across like an idiot. ]

...how long have you been here?

[Akira frowns and has to do some quick counting on his fingers -- it looks like he hasn't been paying too close attention to the time passed here, or he's simply lost track.]

About six months. You?

text; un: adversary

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