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[bakegarasu]

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[heavensnight]

[Maria is a little lost in the fact that in many ways yes, she's not close to James in that way. only made for him but hey, what does that matter?

and then Otoha is saying all that and she smirks, rubbing her foot up against his leg.]

Well if you're not jumping to that step then what step we getting to?

[flirting was so easy for her. something she could default to.]

[bakegarasu]

[Oh that feels... weird but nice? He's not sure.]

To be honest, I don't really know what the steps are. ... Most of the women my brother had around weren't... serious relationships. He just thought of them as... accessories. I'm... you're way more than that.

[He swallows hard. How to even explain this?]

I want to know more about you. What you like, what you don't... what sort of things make you smile. I want... to make you smile, any way that I can.

[heavensnight]

[then does this mean he's looking for something serious with her? it gives her a pause because Maria never expected this for herself. that someone might want that and she doesn't know for certain if that is what Otoha is implying...

but what he says about her, it seems like he does truly like her and his words make her smile.]

You're sweet, you know that? Well, I've never been taken too seriously so a first for everything.

[bakegarasu]

You deserve to be taken seriously.

[He pauses as their drinks are ordered - just hard liquor for him.]

But I'm just trying to listen to my feelings. I'm trying... to be more of a person. You're... a good person. Despite what you might think.

... You're different than those people. You're more real than them.

[heavensnight]

[Maria orders a whiskey for herself and tries to appear calmer than she actually is feeling. nobody has ever talked to her like this and she's struggling to think of the right things to say. most times she has a script or she can come up with one. this? this is new.]

You think so, huh?

[she sounds less teasing, a little more thoughtful now.]

[bakegarasu]

I do.

[He smiles slightly, tilting his head towards her.]

They always felt like... like caring at all was just them putting on an act. And I think he knew it and didn't care that they didn't care. But... you care. And I care that you care.

[heavensnight]

[Maria laughs. not at him but just happily. she didn't think James would agree with that. but it was just her own assumption. neither wrong or right.

but she did care. adid want to help others. she always had. it was good to see Otoha noticed that. ]

You know how to make a girl feel special. I think it's obvious you care too.

[bakegarasu]

... Well, yeah. I try, at least. It's... I'm free here. Not someone's weapon or... or a puppet on a string. I don't... have to be cold and ruthless like I'd been taught to be.

I'm just able to be me. ... To be someone who can care.

[heavensnight]

[by the look on Maria's face, it is obvious she understands. she understands better than many can. there is no role for her to play here and it's very freeing but also confusing. she doesn't know what to do if she doesn't have a script to go off of.

her hand pats Otoha's and she nods.] I get that. I'm glad you get a chance to be yourself. Everybody deserves that and I think you do.

[their drinks come and Maria rises hers in a toast.] Cheers to being ourselves?

[bakegarasu]

[He chuckles and knocks his glass into hers gently before taking a sip.]

Tell me something you like about yourself.

[He's already trying to think of something for himself, but her first.]

[heavensnight]

[that's a good question. Maria doesn't think she would be able to tell someone even one trait about herself.

she is silent for probably too long before she decides on:] I think that I like to try to help. I do what I can?

[it was better than doing morning.]

What about you?

[bakegarasu]

[He was thinking of something similar, but -]

... I like that I'm persistent. If I set a goal I finish it.

[Unless circumstances prevent him from doing so, but he does his best at least.]

Were you a shy kid growing up or no?

[heavensnight]

[part of Maria knows she could come up with a story but something about lying to Otoha doesn't feel right.]

I can't say I ever think much about my childhood. [she didn't have one.] You think I seem like someone that was a shy kid?

[bakegarasu]

I dunno. I was pretty shy until I hit my growth spurt. Then I started to hang around with the older kids in my group and got cocky. Started acting out... I grew out of being such a little jackass after I left school.

Kids change. They're a lot different than who we are as adults.

[heavensnight]

[Maria raises an eyebrow.]

You cocky?

[bakegarasu]

What, you've never run into a smarmy-ass teenager? I thought that I could take on the world, as long as my brother wasn't around. If he was it was 'yes sir, no sir'. If I was too much of a little shit he would send me to train with the guys who were bigger than me and they'd knock the sass out of me for a bit.

[heavensnight]

Oh, I know teenagers can be little assholes. But I never saw you as the type to be cocky. I would have loved to see it.

[bakegarasu]

Nah, you wouldn't. I would've called you shit that you didn't deserve to be called because I thought that's how you treated women.

[Like even if someone's promiscuous and sleeps around it's still rude to call attention to it.]

[heavensnight]

I'm a stripper, Otoha. Like men haven't called me worse.

[or that she hadn't been treated worse.]

A little punk is just a little punk.

[bakegarasu]

Just because you have doesn't mean you deserve it. You think I deserved what everyone called me?

[Not that he cared. ... He did, a little bit. But not enough to show it.]

[heavensnight]

Of course I don't.

But some behaviors and stuff like that come with the job. [she shrugs and takes a sip.]

Being called shit is part of mine. That's all.

[bakegarasu]

[He frowns, trying to think of a comeback - she's right, but he doesn't like it.]

Well, if anyone calls you that stuff here I'm beating their ass. Just so you know.

[heavensnight]

[she smirks at him and nudges him with her elbow.]

Protecting my honor?

[bakegarasu]

If you're not gonna, I will.

[He sips at his drink again. He's not going to let her put herself down.]

... I just want you to be happy. You're... a great person, even if it's hard for you to believe. At least here, in this place... we can have some peace.

[heavensnight]

[she laughs and then shakes her head.]

I'm not laughing at you. But you're saying how I've felt. I know bad things happen here but this place feels like a chance to me. I don't think anybody else feels the same way.

But I'm going to do the same thing for you. I think you deserve good things.