inkshadow

[inkshadow]

"you really just have no shame, do you?" good for him, she supposes, if he's that secure with himself. not to say that cecilia doesn't have some measure of pride in her abilities as well but she figured that should be kept between her and her partner and not her, her partner, and her roommate right next door. "i suppose if i'm to have an audience, i might as well have someone who is cheering me on," she lets out with a nonchalant shrug. no use in keeping restrained in her moaning if she doesn't have to be; she was just wanting to be considerate. "yeah, yeah, whatever you say lux. what are you up to for the day?"

huh. he'd started off this conversation under the assumption that cecilia was simply playing hard to get, but now, he wasn't quite so sure anymore. was there a chance she actually, somehow, miraculously... just wasn't into him? no. no way. it couldn't be. "i don't think that'd have the result you're hoping for. i'd just think it's hot- i'd cheer you on through the wall." hypothetically, speaking, of course. in reality... he's not so sure. but it's not like she actually means it. ...hopefully. "you'll come around. they all do, eventually."

[inkshadow]

the only thing lily gives him at the mention of grandma is a scowl, not that it's menacing in any way with how the corners of her lips are turned upwards ever so slightly. she's going to have tea because that's how she unwinds and he's just going to have to deal with it. "i'll change in a bit, i'll wait for the kettle to boil and then my tea can steep while i put something more comfortable on. besides, you're not getting rid of me that easily." not that she thinks chip would even try and even then, she's going to make sure that he cleans up this mess he's made in her kitchen; doesn't seem to matter how many warnings she gives him... "yeah? i think so," she muses back in whimsy, eyes flickering up to the ceiling a bit while her teeth nip and chew at her lower lip in blissful thought. "of course i do! like, i don't know, if he's interested and has already asked and i had a good time then... why not, right? besides, i haven't dated anyone in so long so i was really worried and thought maybe i would immediately blow it." but then she pushes herself off of the counter and walks over to where his back is turned towards her, reaching up brush fingers through the tops of his hair. "i have you to thank for that. you really helped earlier. thank you, chip."

“yeah, well,” he mutters, nudging a wrapper with his foot like it’s the thing responsible for ruining his day. “i am good with you unwinding. in fact,”he shoots her a lopsided grin. “i’ve decided i’m joining you. for emotional support. totally selfless.” he ambles toward the counter, leans in to peek over her shoulder, and immediately makes a face. “wait ... tea? ew. really? you’re going full grandma on me?” he dramatically clutches his chest. “we’ve got beer, you know. i could grab us two right now, start this unwinding thing properly.” he just watches her prep the kettle, nose scrunched in quiet betrayal. he groans as he turns back toward the living room. “fine, i’ll finish cleaning up. you ...” he waves a vague hand over her outfit without really looking, “ ... go change into whatever you usually wear when you’re not coming home from a date that went … great.” he doesn’t say too much about it, just tosses the words out like it’s no big deal. like her lipstick or her heels or that lingering perfume smell don’t bug the hell out of him. like it doesn’t remind him of what he doesn’t get to have. he’s crouched halfway down picking up an empty can when she says it: we had a good time. his fingers pause around the aluminum. he clears his throat, tosses it into the bin a little harder than necessary. “good! that’s … good,” he says, voice too light. he keeps his back to her, pretending to rearrange things on the counter just so he doesn’t have to look at her, doesn’t have to see her smiling about someone else. “do you want to see him again?” his tone tries for casual, but fails.

[inkshadow]

if cardio does happen to make it worse, she has every right to say that she told him so (as much as he hates it). it's best to just graciously accept defeat in that case but she knows better than anyone that he won't go down without a fight. "you've been telling me to be careful this whole time; i don't really think it's anything you can do to help at this point. but thank you and i promise that even with all of the falling i've done, i am being careful. would've been way more reckless if you weren't here." not to say that he doesn't because this is meant to be a fun shared activity but jesper isn't really keen on showcasing how terrible he is at something either. a kiss on her forehead and he pulls back to give one more good stretch once he's good and visually prepped thanks to her demonstration. "alright, we're gonna go fast, okay?" and with a wink and no disregard to her response, jesper starts moving his feet again and picks up speed to haphazardly skate down the longer length of the rink. "gonna catch me, slowpoke?"

“i’m just saying, extra cardio might not help your aches and pains…” he doesn’t want to hear it, so it comes out as a grumble underneath este’s breath as she accepts her defeat. maybe he’ll feel differently later, but she already knows the chances of that are slim. he’s more stubborn than she is most days. “yeah, that’s probably a good idea… please be careful though. i would love to avoid taking you to a hospital if i can help it.” come to think of it, she really should have started with teaching him how to slow himself down, but hey, better late than never. “there’s a few different techniques, but the easiest to learn is a snowplow. you just have to bend your knees a little, move your feet so that your toes are pointed inward and heels outward until it makes a sort of upside-down ‘v’ shape.” she does it herself to give him a visual. “it should give you enough resistance against the ice to stop yourself when you need to. does that make sense?”

[inkshadow]

it's not every day that sutton gets to see this side of astrid either; this bashful, soft sort of sheepishness like she's got no idea where to put any of it. so when another kiss is offered - likely as a means to do the aforementioned - sutton graciously accepts it and allows for lips to linger for just a bit longer. "okay, well. to be fair, you're never actually off the hook for me to bitch to but it helps to know that you love it versus just accepting the way i yap. some find it too... aggressive." some being old exes or flings of hers. hell, friends aren't exempt from thinking that either. the vulnerability continues to itch just beneath the surface of her skin but the way adoration pumps through her veins seems to take the edge off of it a little. "yeah? thinking this might be for real huh? we're already halfway there so i think a year is definitely doable..." but she's dying to know - "if you don't mind me asking... why do you see yourself ending things with people so often?" it's not like sutton's any different but it'd be interesting to hear someone else's perspective.

amidst her teasing, astrid hadn't expected such genuinity from the other, completely taken off guard as sutton began to actually tell her how important she was to the girl. an unfamiliar warmth rushed to her cheeks as she tried not to shy away from her girlfriend, suddenly the one nervous about the affection she was receiving instead of the other way around. "for the record, i love all of your bitching. you get all ranty and into it and the way you wave your hands around crazily is so cute," she kissed her again to hide her growing smile, hands linking around the back of sutton's neck. "i really like you, sutton. i don't think, this is kind of so real to me, what we have. i'm not looking into the future and seeing it end anytime soon, or wanting it to. i've always felt like everything i've ever had with anyone was easy to envision an ending, but not with you." sighing, she wondered what taking that risk would do to them. "it's definitely enough for a whole year, and i hope i get to have you for at least that long."

[inkshadow]

“oh! all the more reason to,” is all that ari can really offer with a genuinely soft smile, understanding well enough the context that had been provided over time. never has she overstepped in asking too many questions about anna’s upbringing but has put a few together together throughout the years to know what’s missing. “really? how did you manage to get the dress? i’m so jealous!” it’s not hard to picture anna as such though, with such an effortless beauty and the personality of a queen in the making. with intelligence on top of that, is it really so surprising that ari has been pining for so long? “i’ll take some juice, thanks. just in time for everything to finish cooking,” which doesn’t take long at all with ramen and a few eggs, all of which are separated into two bowls for them to indulge in whilst the movie kicks off. “okay, be honest — have you ever done the bend and snap for anyone?”

"isn't that what inspired everyone to get into law? at least partially?" anna jests, unable to stifle a chuckle. "it's partly that... my dad worked as a lawyer too, so i thought i might try it out as well." with her parents passing away when she's still so young, there's not much that she can hold onto, and she does what she can to feel close to them. "that's right," she nods in agreement, before replying with a grateful smile. "thanks." after searching for the movie and hitting play, she heads to the kitchenette and takes out some side dishes and eggs from the refrigerator to add to the ramen being prepared. "i love the princess diaries. i loved it so much i even begged my aunt to let me dress up in the same princess dress for a halloween." she gives a nod of approval, smiling at her friend before moving back to the refrigerator. "do you want anything to drink? i have... tea, sparkling water and juice."

[inkshadow]

KATIE DOUGLAS PHOTOSHOOT

[inkshadow]

there are several ways to approach this, the most natural of which involve sutton joking around a little bit more in the hopes of shielding her vulnerabilities. but something tugs at the threads that wrap around her heart, her lungs. the very same threads that also seem to connect her to astrid to keep them together nice and close, likely red in color though sutton's never really been one to believe in such things. "it's not cute, it's true," she murmurs against the brunette's lips with a soft little eye roll, one that hardly has the same amount of oomph that it usually does. "you keep me honest, challenge me to speak up even more on the things that i'm already loud about and somehow you're still okay with me and all of the bitching that i do? amazing." her hands slide back down and perch at astrid's hips. "a good lover, a good kisser, you care or whatever... that should be enough for the whole year, right?"

even though they were speaking in hypotheticals, both not wanting to jinx the potential future they clearly saw with each other, it was a relief to hear that sutton would want to revisit this. if something special enough to her sticks, of course. and, for once, astrid was hoping that what they had was that something special. "i know," she whispered against the blonde's lips, hazy eyes as she kissed her more and more. she wanted to shake off the silly joke, replace it with more affection and a stronger embrace, relishing in her floaty bliss right now. astrid was never hopeful, and she didn't have parents in her life to have these talks with, but it was nice to live in this space right now. "i was just teasing, baby, but it's really cute that you're trying to tell me how great i am for you. keep it up, i'd love to hear more."

[inkshadow]

ah, right. he knew he was missing something she'd already said. why the instructions don't stick as well as it should is something he'll have to unpack later so for now, he nods diligently and deeply as he rights himself again, the only thing that he's managed to pick up on quickly. "i... yeah, i'm fine. i've had worse falls and for worse reasons and i know if i don't just keep going, the pain will creep up sooner than later. we can just keep going, no? uh uh uh -" as best as he can, jesper swings his body around and nearly biffs it again just to properly face her and look directly into her eyes as he says this. "you will not take the incentives away from me because at this point, they might be the only thing that can take away the pain." he even waits a beat to get a proper agreement from her and when he notices that it comes a bit later than he prefers, he wags his finger as a means to warn her. "how about you teach me how to stop? that way i can just run into the barrier or something. safely."

turns out este might need to work on her reflexes if she wants them both to make it through this. his next fall looks a lot worse than the first did, the impact making her wince far more than the previous trip onto his arm. christ, she might actually break him today. “you gotta keep your eyes straight ahead, babe…” she’s there in a second, ignoring the reassurances he spouts off in favour of checking him over herself. “you sure you’re good? landing like that is no joke. you can take a second to let the pain settle before getting up.” it’s also entirely possible that he won’t feel the worst of it until later and he’ll have no choice but to do the rather undignified act of icing his ass for the next few days. with that in mind, she has her hands ready for him to grab again if he needs assistance. showing him how to come to a stop is next on the list. “at this point, i’m more concerned you won’t be in the right state for any incentives… you might be better off crawling into bed to recover for a while instead.”

[inkshadow]

her nose scrunches a bit, never quite enjoying the 'not knowing' portion of things that she's strangely a predecessor for but she's got no choice and heaves a sigh alongside her nod. "fine, i'll owe you one. you can ask for whatever you want." and ariel generally can without doing yumi a favor in exchange but since yumi's taking her entire night away from her, there's no doubt that the repayment will be much larger than usual. "can you... help me practice?" it sounds so silly coming from her mouth, especially since she's been on so many dates that one could call her an expert but when it feels there's something larger on the line and yumi's apparent crush on someone who holds no feelings back, she still wants to make a good impression. maybe even change her date's mind by the end of it and want to date her instead of getting her ex back. "usually, the bar is a lot lower but this time... i guess i want to come off as someone who knows what she's doing. i also have to play the convincing role as her girlfriend so..."

"no takebacks." ariel reminds her, though she knows that it'll only take a few more cute whining from her best friend for her to cave in and return said gold smoothie card. ariel chuckles, before shaking her head, knowing that she is more than able to take care of her math assignments herself. "no, it's fine…" eyes narrow as she ponders over the question, before shrugging. "you'll just owe me one." she nods when yumi tells her about the details of the arranged dinner, hiring someone to piss off an ex seems overboard but she doesn't doubt that many have hired someone for similar services. "i see…" finger finds the straw before she takes another sip of her iced coffee. "is my presence as your personal guardian from a metre away all you need for that night or do you need anything else?"

[inkshadow]

"oh. right." duh, it's not like if he turns, his body will continue going straight. for the most part, he can probably let everything above the knees guide him and his feet will - as she mentioned - follow. "oh.... oh oh oh, i think it's working?" sure, his trajectory is a little wobbly but for the most part, he's turning just enough such that he isn't running straight into the wall. even picks up a bit of speed as he does so, though it's primarily out of excitement and adrenaline for arriving at her side without falling. unfortunately, he hasn't learned how to stop so he slides right past este and makes the mistake of turning his head back hoping to lock eyes with her, a mistake that lands him right on his ass this time. fall number two and counting. "ow, what the... ugh, i can see what you mean about not falling on your ass. landed right on my tailbone, shit... it's okay though, i'm good, i'm good. i just gotta keep at it. you know, for the incentives," which has the word 'sex' written all over it. she did say she was feeling generous and far be it for him to pass that up. "push up on a bent knee, right?"

“it means… when you approach the bend, lead with your shoulders? face the direction you want to be in after the turn, before the turn. you’re on ice, babe. if your torso shifts, the rest of you will too.” if their roles were flipped and she was being taught how to play tennis, she can’t imagine she would pick it up very easily either. most of the terminology would go over her head and she’d no doubt be too concerned with seeming competent that each failure is another tragic hit to the ego — and that’s all without worrying about her knees buckling and suddenly hitting the ground. all things considered, jesper is doing well for a novice, but that doesn’t mean she can relax just yet. she remains poised to intervene, watching for any signs of wavering while she continues to chatter. “unfortunately, most of my first thoughts can’t be voiced around children, so i’m still working on that… if there’s anything that immediately comes to mind for you though, i’m all ears and feeling generous.”

[inkshadow]

"at least i'm not shooting death glares at you now... consider that your reward for being extra good?" since haneul wouldn't be able to come up with the list ara so desperately wants on the spot anyhow. words fail her a moment when being asked what is likely just a rhetorical question, yet something tugs at her heartstrings a bit too hard that leaves haneul in an uncomfortable state for a second too long. god forbid she's ever caught feeling obviously vulnerable, even around her girlfriend, so rather than express the truth, she dons a tiny smile instead and shakes her head. "it's better this way. easier. we knew what we were signing up for when things took a better turn for us. i... i don't mind, really." it's why when they kiss others for their role, it's crucial that they hone in and play the part well. no use in leaving room for interpretation for others to fit romantically in the girls' lives when they're so busy with everything else.

"i can be extra good today." ara says, blinking playfully with a grin hanging over her lips before a chuckle escapes her from the accusation. "i wasn't the one shooting death glares all the time." it's a bit of a stretch, but she thinks she got her point across sufficiently enough. "very comfy," she hums, nodding softly before she laughs at the haneul's idea, one that would undoubtedly turn into absolute chaos if carried out. "wouldn't that be something…" fingers trace the side of haneul's face as her thumb gently grazes her girlfriend's cheek. "you want the world to know i'm yours so badly, don't you?" surely, it's something that they have to keep as a secret for a foreseeable future, given that dating scandals aren't quite tolerated in their industry and for them to out themselves as two women in love would be even more detrimental, despite how it shouldn't be.

[inkshadow]

that's the issue: she doesn't know what she wants him to say. part of her wished that he'd said nothing at all though out of selfish intent or some unspoken desire inside of her, she doesn't know. all that she knows is whatever light she's managed to find, whatever comfort, is quickly being ripped away and she has no claim to really reach out and grab it for her own. "you're telling me that we're ending this... because you have feelings for me?" kana approaches the topic was plenty of hesitation, especially now that he's given her reasons that she can't exactly change on the fly. "how did this... there's no way to separate those two things? knowing that the end result is going to be the same anyway?" call her selfish but she doesn't want to let this go yet, though whether it's sex or him, kana is unwilling to address herself.

jaw tightens, dark gaze dropping for a beat. she was right. tihs wasn't supposed to mean anything. no feelings, no mess. just stolen nights and unspoken rules. somewhere along the line, it stopped being that simple. "yeah," murmurs quietly, "that was the deal. no strings, no questions, no expectations," his tongue darts out to wet his lips, long digits dragging through his hair. " — i don't want know what you want me to say ? i was wrong, i thought i wouldn't care, thought this would be easy,but it's not. " gives her a soft shrug. " i care about you, a lot more than i should, and i feel like i should apologize for that, but i'm not — i'm not sorry. "

[inkshadow]

"fairies could be real..." they're not but with the deadpan delivery that she often dons, it's hard to really tell whether she's bought into them or not. "o-oh. yeah?" the offer comes as a surprise and she can't exactly help the nature of her tone because of it, eyes blinking a few times like it would just poof away if she didn't. "i.... hmm. no preference but i might be more comfortable 'letting it out' with just one person around." and that's a shot in the dark because she has no idea what that even looks like on her own.

"oh, come on. they're rage rooms, not fairies." even know he has a few friends that might argue those were real too. "yeah? maybe if you'd want to go . . . we could go together?" he doesn't want to seem too eager but he'd take just about any excuse to hang out with hyejin. "yeah. my friends and i've been a few times. if you'd prefer to go as a group or-" nervousness seeps into him, a hand lifted to rub at the back of his neck, didn't want her to feel pressured.

[inkshadow]

karify0411

[inkshadow]

normally, he would jump at the chance to call it a win but it feels far too early tonight to claim any such victory. if he had the balls to look back over his shoulder, he'd quickly discover that he's only made it a few meters from the entrance so let's not pull the cart before the horse. "upper body... turn... my shoulders. what the hell does let your feet follow mean?" obvious instructions to her go completely over his head and while his murmuring is meant solely for himself, jesper wonders if she's caught wind of it enough to know that she might have to dumb it down a bit more for him. or a lot more. if he'd had some more time to study the warnings ahead of time then he might have a fighting chance, especially if he's able to fit them one-to-one with tennis terms. his body goes rigid a moment, a flash of panic induced by the sight of her a few ways ahead, but he doesn't slow down. tries to implement exactly what she's suggested with arms in a strange, outstretched manner. "oh yeah? and what incentives have you thought up for me?"

“yeah, exactly! you took it like a champ and you mostly remembered what to do when you’re falling. i’d call that a win for both of us overall.” it could’ve gone a lot worse, which is exactly the thought that has este instinctively trying to stick by his side, but if his confidence is to be believed, he doesn’t seem to need it. thankfully, it’s easy enough to catch up once the initial surprise of his exit passes, brows high while she gives him the space to move around freely. very bold. “don’t panic, just use your upper body. turn your shoulders a little in the direction you wanna go and let your feet follow.” hey, if he’s feeling brave enough to handle skating on his own for a while, she won’t object. in fact, she’ll act as a goalpost this time; breezing around the bend and stopping a few feet away where she waits ever so patiently. she'll have to be quicker this time if he starts to slip. “you know, maybe we should consider incentivizing this whole thing. some extra motivation never hurts.”

[inkshadow]

the silence is thick in the space between them, around them, and not even the bareness of her body beneath the covers can trump how exposed her heart feels right now. their agreement also suggests that should this end for whatever reason, they shouldn't pry into it for anything that comes up would be a moot point. there was always an escape hatch; she's just hoped neither would find themselves pulling at it so soon. "are you... seeing someone else? th-that's okay, it's just..." it's the only feasible thing she can really think of if he insists that it's nothing she did. perhaps he'd found someone better, someone who isn't shackled in the way she is. good for him but the subtle despair on her face almost suggests otherwise. "can you look at me?" a hand extends out, only ever so slightly shaky as it rests upon his opposite cheek to try and nudge him towards her. "please?"

minjun knows what she's saying to be the truth, but it doesn't change the fact that he now feels what he does and these feelings are gradually becoming unbearable. he blinks, unsure how to answer in a way that can minimise the hurt that this conversation would cause on both of them. "... i just can't." he admits, his gaze avoiding hers for the fear that she might see right through him. "it's me who broke my end of the deal." he can lie to himself that he's fine with their arrangement, but he isn't, not anymore and he knows that postponing the inevitable will only make everything worse. "i'm sorry."