anatural: Korra looks cheerful (Default)
Korra ([personal profile] anatural) wrote2018-07-20 07:32 am
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mortemscintilla: ∅♥ Standing on your own (Hei/Li - Gazing Off)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-18 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Fruitsicle. [ There's no reason to say Help yourself, since she already is. ] Watermelon, mangoes, kiwis and cherries. [ He slips onto the stool opposite to the counter, apparently ready to watch her eat everything. The scrutiny in his gaze is obvious, but there's a warmth in it too. He doesn't mind her being here, honestly, stirring up the stagnant air with her presence. She brings with her a fresh buzz of normalcy that fades as soon as she's gone, leaving everything once more stifling yet volatile. ]

[ Like this isn't volatile? He brushes it off. ]
mortemscintilla: ∅  You're a headache (Hei - Profile - Watchful)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-18 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I just ate one. [ Not that that's ever stopped him before, but brain-freeze isn't a pleasant sensation. Still, she seems jittery under his gaze. In an effort to be companionable, he reaches for one from the tray. Bites into it, the icy sweetness exploding on his tongue. He chews slowly, keeping his gaze averted, fixing it instead on the deepening blue sky visible from the window. ]

[ Finally, without looking over, ]


...Are you afraid of me? [ Not as non-sequitur as it seems, given the circumstances. ]
mortemscintilla: ∅ (Hei - WorldWeary)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-18 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He could tell her -- I've been trained to turn every weakness, every form of intimacy, into a weapon. He could confess -- I've been playing games with prizes of life or death, and I don't know how to stop. He could lean in, press his lips to hers in a sweet restorative kiss that would explain everything without anything having to be said. A couple of breaths pass before he recognizes that he's never going to do any of these things. Instead he remains at a distance, eyes focused on the window. ]

[ Finally, setting the drippy fruitsicle back in its tray, he turns to face her. Not a direct glance; his gaze is dipped, mouth downturned. It's not shame, because that's not how Hei functions -- what's past is the past, and he doesn't see the point in dredging it up, but sometimes these discussions are necessary. She tries to keep it fun and simple, but I can't let her. Because I'm incapable of it -- or because I think I am. ]

[ But I can't keep treating her the way I do. She deserves better than that much at least. ]

[ A long moment of silence stretches out before he speaks, quiet and steady, ]
I know I haven't been fair to you. And I'd like to say that I could do better. Or at least differently. But -- [ An exhale. ] Sometimes I'm not sure. All the things I do, the ways I behave -- none of it makes sense to you, I know. But they made sense in the environment I lived in. They were justified by that environment. It's like... knowing you can't live with certain things outside of a war. So you choose to stay at war. Does that make any sense?
mortemscintilla: ∅ The day was winding down and coming to an end (Hei - Grim Stare/Is that a zit?)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 12:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hei can feel her eyes on him -- bright with curiosity. There's no artifice in them, he knows that. On anyone else it might be a ploy to chisel away his barriers, to see the tick-tock of his mind up close. But Korra isn't like that. She's always been the embodiment of What You See Is What You Get ... With A Little Something Extra. ]

[ Not that it matters. These are questions he's asked himself often. Not just in the City, but back home. Repetition has stripped them of meaning, so they're just empty sounds now. His voice remains measured, his eyes locked straight ahead, remembering, ]


It's not so simple. [ A shark has to keep swimming or it dies. Reynard Maxley used to say that. As the years passed, Hei realized the comparison was strangely apt. ] It's more like I can't stop. I try, but the most I can do is take breaks from it. Like -- an addict falling on and off the wagon. But it always finds me again. Like it's trying to tell me that's all I am. [ Not a human. Not a Contractor. More like some grotesque third entity with the vices and virtues of both. ]
mortemscintilla: ∅ You're a star (Hei - Profile/Underlit)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hei is more confused than astonished by the directness of her question. Not because he's unsure of the answer. But because, after the Syndicate, his own wants are secondary. There are things he's schooled himself not to want, because they present no practical function in his life. And there are things he's tricked himself to always want, because they are imperative for his survival. It's not often that he's allowed himself the chance to self-reflect, to think about the structure of his life and the people embroiled in it -- the indulgences vs. the necessities. ]

[ This mess with Korra is an interlude. A matter of convenience. He won't pretend he's not human, or that 18 year old ass is going to throw itself at him with such gusto. Yet that's beastializing it unnecessarily. After all, she has a space in his inventory. She has consequence. ]

[ Finally, quietly, ]


You're ... a deviation from the women I sleep with. [ There are paragraphs of subtext there. ] That's the reason you have these ... expectations I'm not used to dealing with. They're not wrong, or out-of-line. They're what any decent person would have. [ Except I'm not a decent person. ] It's flattering -- but a little disturbing -- to be wanted by someone like you. You're ... sweet... but you're also very young. The differences between us aren't trivial. Still -- [ A pause, as he tries to pick his way across the rocky surface toward honesty. ] I can stand it if you can.
Edited 2013-05-19 01:57 (UTC)
mortemscintilla: ∅ But if you make a move I won't think twice. (Hei - Emo)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Her truculence gives him such a headache sometimes. Hei resists an overwhelming urge to rub his temples. At the same time, part of him knows this was coming. He expected it, the way a cripple marooned on an island expects the high tide. No matter how you duck and dodge, every human interaction gets to a point where A Talk is needed. Where shit gets muggy, the blur cannot be ignored, and has to be clarified. Boundaries need to be redefined, or just defined. When it's time to be upgraded from coach to first class or get the fuck off the plane and find another airline. ]

[ His hands clench on the table, then relax. He spreads them out in a gesture of almost-appeasement. His gaze dips to examine them, before he lifts it to meet Korra's, straight-on. His expression is flat, but somehow honest too, like it comes from deep down. ]


I want this. You should know that by now.

[ With the words come dual sensations. On the one hand, a sharp satisfaction like when a parachute blooms open. On the other hand, a sinking disquiet, like he's just signed his own death warrant. ]
mortemscintilla: ∅  A sweet switchblade knife (Hei - Watchful/Srs 2)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's all it's about for you, isn't it? Knowing there's a way out. Knowing you can take it any time without losing face. ]

[ Hei doesn't say that. He's too far beyond being allowed to pass judgements on her. An exit strategy is something he understands perfectly. He won't begrudge her for laying out hers. Battered, bruised, swung from pillar to post -- he appreciates the risk she's taking, getting into something she has no frame of reference for. No past experiences to guide her with. At the same time, an inner-voice prompts, Like you're any better off? It makes him feel stupid, getting into this mess, like he's knocking his head against a wall. His palms tingle; he flexes his hands. Korra feel like a blurry bright-and-dark mass in front of him. ]

[ Why am I setting myself up for more bullshit? ]

[ He's a walking disaster of human relationships. Anyone close to him knows that. Except he can't drag himself away now. It'd be like going out an airlock. Instead he lets her state her terms. Lets her snatch at some shred of control. Privately he wonders how much any of it is worth. Promises and yes' and no's; he's never been good at that concreteness. Never been good at permanence. Everything is transitory -- here, or back home. Everything will fade, vanish in airplane windows and rearview mirrors because that's the existence he's trained for. ]

[ But once he's laid out a path, Hei's never been one to deviate. Never been one to give up. Fear is no reason to turn tail and run. ]


I understand. [ A steady gaze and a quiet tone, but there's nothing evasive about it. ] Anything else? [ Monogamy? Check-ins? The usual 20 questions? ] Since it's balls on the table anyway. And since I won't expect anything other than you. I'm sure you expect the same.
mortemscintilla: ∅  I can't hold back (Hei - Count On Me)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's it? Hei chalks it up to what it is -- a lack of awareness that there are other items on the list. Items most people are quick to call attention to. Little commitments. Big promises. Personally he considers it absolute bullshit. Human beings aren't meant to be monogamous any more than they're meant to be celibate. But he's sure Korra would disagree. Which is ironic, because he's certain she wouldn't mind seeing other people. It's not that he thinks she has a nature designed for treachery. It's simply that she's such an innocent, sheltered for so long she hasn't had a chance to spread her sexual wings. She's only 18, too young to be immune to intermittent crushes. ]

[ He reaches out, just a light touch of his fingertips on her wrist before he withdraws. His smile is faint but indulgent. ]


Is this the part where I tell you to call it off with your other boyfriends? [ Granted, she doesn't have any. But he's not going to do something that stupid. ]
mortemscintilla: ∅ Just like I've turned on you (Hei - Under My Umbrella~ Ella~)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hei's own fruitsicle is almost melted. He plucks a bit of kiwi floating in the tray and pops it into his mouth. The smile is gone, although there's still a hint of humor in his gaze. But his voice is serious, ]

Do you want to keep any on a string? Because I have no intention of putting a stranglehold on you. New friends. New lovers. That's the theme at your age. [ Gentler, ] Unless you'd prefer something more old-fashioned.
mortemscintilla: ∅ Babe it must be art (Hei - Playing Sudoku)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 10:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ He isn't sure Romantic Geometry is the word he'd use for his own life. Sex and emotions rarely go hand-in-hand for him. It's more a matter of keeping his options open. Having one outlet to haul his ashes, when the other is out of order. While it's true that he has a phobia for commitments -- with his profession, that has more to do with pragmatic self-defense than a presumptive inevitability of suffering betrayal. ]

[ None of these are issues Korra is jaded enough to grasp. ]


Exclusivity creates frustrations. [ Straightforward, but not cruel. His gaze stays steady on hers. ] I don't know if this will last one month, let alone if I'll be in the City tomorrow. Or if you will. But there's no reason for suspicion and secrets to build between us in meantime, because you couldn't keep a promise I never asked you to make. We're at each others' throats often. That's not going to change overnight. There might be an evening when you find you want to be on your own. Or with someone else. The same goes for me. You don't have to be an immoral monster to want to be with other people. You just have to be human.

[ A few moments of silence tick over. Reaching out, he picks up her hand. Hesitates, then presses the palm against his mouth. His lips are cool, but warm gradually in contact with her skin. ] If you don't like this idea, I can behave myself. [ As much as he's capable of, anyway. ] But it's better right now if you don't mix yourself up about what I think.
mortemscintilla: ∅ Oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked (Hei - Bluest Of Blues)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Hei already knows it's a compromise that spells future disaster. Like the arrangement itself. Nothing about this is normal. But normal's not something he subscribes to anyway, and it's enough that he grasps the value of her choice. Awkward, painful, surreal -- the conversation is all those things. But it's also the closest he can approach to being honest. He knows himself -- his limits and depths (on a good day). And he knows that he'll do his best not to hurt her. (Hurt her more? Hurt her again?). Fidelity isn't something he's trained for. But that's not the same as loyalty. Not the same as protection and comfort. And he can offer all three. ]

[ This feels like a workable, if not joyous, scheme. ]

[ From the window, the sunlight burns a darker orange. Equidistant between two shafts of light, Hei's face and hands are a pale gold. He kisses her fingers -- almost chaste -- and murmurs, ]
I'm glad you came here. [ Another kiss to her palm. Less chaste, but with no pressure to go further. ] I'll try to make you glad too.
mortemscintilla: ∅  Honey you'd be surprised (Hei - Yin/Closer)

Sunday! \^^/

[personal profile] mortemscintilla 2013-05-19 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Hei is smiling now too, faint but genuine. In the end, both he and Korra are tactile people. While it's as routine to fake physicality as it is to fake words in Hei's experience, he doesn't have to do that here. That's what makes it easier to just slip off the stool and make his way toward her, to gather her into a tight hug, then to pick his every last feeling apart. A dizzying sense of relief gusts through him, blowing everything loose. He presses his face into her hair. Not holding her like she's fragile -- none of those cliches of china and glass and spun sugar. She's the complete opposite of those things. Resilient. Spirited. A fighter. ]

[ But he does hold her like she's something precious. Because... ]

[ Hell. For better or worse, she is. ]

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