three ☀ video / optional action

[deshabille]

Who: Mal
Broadcast: Fleetwide!
Action: On the Caprine if anyone desires it! I'm flexible.
When: 6/20.

[As in her first broadcast, Mal can be found tinkering around in the engine room, elbows-deep in something interesting and greasy. This time, though, she seems pensive, deep in thought, perhaps about Deep Subjects and Philosophies.]

[She is, in fact, thinking about something entirely different.]

[When she speaks, it's in tones of airy contemplation, meant to disguise the fact that part of her thinks this is a terrible idea.]

Here is an interesting thing: vampires, for all their reputation for seduction, really aren't that good at it, at least where I come from. When you're always hungry, you mostly rely on people leaving windows open at the right time and then being a bit woozy from blood loss. For the really old ones, the ones who can barely stand without crumbling to dust and really hate sunshine, that's the only way they can eat, and if they tried to seduce anyone their arm would probably fall off.

[She twists at a mysterious innard of the ship with a wrench, tongue in her cheek.]

We've had enough excitement for a while, I think, so why not something boring instead: tell me about romance in your world. Describe the sorts of flowers you like to kill for love. Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten, complete dunce to Casanunda, if you like.

Actually, everyone should have to do that. That's compulsory. I will genteelly admit that I am a nine. [Liar.]

Comments

[deshabille]

I thought that was against the rules.

[She didn't, actually. It just seemed way too easy and too good to be true, so she didn't bother.]

[openhands]

[She's about to say there aren't really any rules, but that doesn't seem accurate. There are certainly rules to these things, one way or another. Just no particular rules against that.]

It would perhaps be considered more romantic if you didn't ask and simply knew that I like sunflowers and lilies from conversation, but not everything you do has to be made difficult.

[She's letting you keep your clearly humble self-rating of 9.99 out of 10 on romance, Mal, because now you don't have to ask.]

[deshabille]

Not everything. Just most things.

[She gives the barest hint of a grateful smile, though. This is something she can do, she thinks. Even if it still seems silly to her. Flowers are just plants.]

[But a smile on Cassandra's face, no matter how small, is worth any amount of silliness.]

[openhands]

[Well, she's smiling now. There was a time where Mal was purely aggravating, but things are quite simply not quite the way they were at first. Cassandra still gets irritated, she still finds Mal baffling, but she's not quite so averse to it anymore.]

[To put it simply, she's grown fond of Mal. She still has her reservations and lingering doubts, but her defenses have certainly lowered. She stays.]

Enough things that it's safe to round up to everything.

[deshabille]

Oh, really?

[She widens her eyes, mock-surprised.]

You think I'm a ten, then, do you?

[openhands]

[She furrows her brow.]

I didn't say that.

[deshabille]

Didn't you?

I must be hearing things.

[openhands]

You know that your ego isn't your most endearing trait, yes?

[deshabille]

Someone told me that once.

[It might have been Cassandra.]

[openhands]

[She rolls her eyes with a small disgusted noise.]

And you've clearly taken it to heart.

[deshabille]

I take everything that everyone tells me to heart. I'm an incredibly sensitive person.

[lol]

[openhands]

[Cassandra laughs and there might be a bullshit hidden in there.]

And what is that relative to?

[deshabille]

A rock, possibly?

[Look, sometimes she really does know that she's full of shit.]

[openhands]

I don't think you're giving the rock enough credit.

[And that's actually not really an insult coming from Cassandra. She's not...gentle or delicate enough to deal with someone who is sensitive.]

[deshabille]

I will issue it a formal apology as soon as I can find a pen and some stationery.

[openhands]

And yet, somehow, you would remain facetious even in writing.

[deshabille]

Would you expect anything less, Seeker?

[openhands]

I might be a little disappointed in that circumstance.

[deshabille]

Disappointed? In me?

[She lays a hand to her chest.]

I could never let that happen.

[openhands]

I pray that you never will.

[Remember that thing about being serious a lot?]

[deshabille]

[Yes, yes, she is dutifully intimidated.]

I will never let you down, Cassandra Pentaghast.

[openhands]

[Cassandra would like to say that she believes Mal, but she's not able to completely. It's not a matter of questioning Mal's sincerity or even her conviction to such a thing, but it's a matter of belief in Mal. She's close, perhaps even on the precipice of falling into faith. Cassandra has seen where Mal's values lie and she believes that Mal is not purely all pomp and vanity. There is more to her than her parts and perhaps even to what Mal believes is the whole of herself from what Cassandra knows. And, more than that, she still trusts Mal a great deal. She's still not yet able to place that much in Mal.]

[But, Maker, she wants to.]

I will hold you to that.

[It's close to soft the way she says it. Certainly more than she meant to or possibly realizes.]

[deshabille]

[Cassandra's tone is exquisite. Honest, clear, believable. Mal has never wanted anyone to have faith in her the way she wants faith from Cassandra. Her smile is bright, sharp, and something else - there is a hint of love there, deep fondness, in her eyes, in the curve of her lips. Something utterly uncontrived.]

I know you will.

[And with that smile still lingering, Mal cuts the feed.]