Heatwaves (11) : An unfortunate dry spell has come over Destiny City, and a heat wave has made it all but unbearable. The heatwave is only projected to last for a week but it’s been rough. Plants are wilting, people are wilting. The city is experiencing blackouts, which isn’t helping. Thankfully, the reservoir is always open. Just, crowded. It might just be the worst part of the summer. People are passing out regularly, and the hospitals are getting too many admissions to keep up with. It’s probably just the heat and not anyone up to anything nefarious, right? Better stay hydrated and try to keep cool, and maybe avoid everyone in weird costumes, just in case.
The third flicker and sound of power cells fizzling out into the loudest sort of quiet he knew - the kind without that tinny thrum refrigerators had, or the constant buzz of a unit pushing air, or the light breeze that lingered through vents even on the lowest energy saving setting.
In fact? Waru swore, that if he listened hard enough while keeping his mouth shut — that he could’ve heard the very atoms around them *dying*, how quiet it was outside of taking a breath, and with the temperature climbing.
“Show me your wardrobe for real Em’s, n maybe we can make things interesting?” cause he wasn’t about to swelter and die quietly, hell nawh, if fun could be found? Then he’d find it. Even if it meant coughing up the money it’d take to get some ice bags n a frozen treat from the nearest shop - there had been dinner plans - but now it felt like those plans needed to dress down a tad - or maybe dress up?
“Bet you’re the kinda girl who burns bangles n invests in pinky rings,” all tease and a breathy sigh that spoke of the climbing digits kept barely outside the walls; but he wasn’t about to crack under a bit of warmth.
He was a gentleman after all —-
And maybe…
Just maybe?
He wanted Ems to work for all the ‘handsome’ she’d hinted at seeing in him. Lands knew he thought she was leagues above him. League’s and layers — pleated skirts, shammies, well put together outfits that had him feeling downright bohemian when standing next to her.
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:42 pm
Emmy hissed when the lights died, less because the air conditioning was going out and more because there was no longer enough light to see the pages of the book she'd been flipping through. She peered sideways at Waru in between squinting at the pages, pretending it was still worth it to try to make out the words.
"I would never be caught dead wearing a pinky ring."
She let loose around Waru to some extent, it was true. He was good time, a fun time, a time when she didn't have to worry so much about decorum. Her blouse was already half-unbuttoned against the head. Her shoes were off. This was a state that most people wouldn't see her in, but even now, she had her standards.
Still, he had her attention, and she slid in a bookmark and set her book over on a side table so she could give Waru her full attention.
"You've already seen the earrings, I don't know what's more interesting than that," and while the innuendo was there, she was serious, too. The rest of her wardrobe was chic, professional, clean lines, little black cocktail dresses.
"But, I'm listening."
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2022 11:01 am
Ooh, those sounded like feelings!
Waru was a bit surprised for it, wanted to prod his image of Emilia into a firmer shape. Fun earrings, no pinky rings, maybe a long jackets short skirts kinda girl?
"Everything about you is interesting Emmy," and he gently wrangled his steadily growing locks up into a messy knot, felt the heat as the lights flickered for the umpteenth time - no way to know if they'd stay down or roil back up - no way to know how long it'd take with how frequent the blackouts seemed to be during the hottest parts of the season, "cause you see, I'm batting out of my league? Yeh? Swinging for the fences at ******** air -- cause you've already won the game. Ages ago probably. Calculated how to hit every base n do circles round my slow to process a**...maybe caught a nice view along the way, liked it n said as much."
He could see her closet being full of cute!
Except 'cute' wasn't quite right. Nah, was probably more like well put together ensembles that screamed professional 'secretary not to be ******** with'. The clothes would've looked near drab on the hangers alone, but on Emmy? N he was sure there were heels that went to stockings that went to glasses, that -- Did she have prescription glasses that lent towards her various style of fashion? The idea of Emmy trying on various different frames that accentuated her tight knowing gaze. Now he absolutely needed to know.
"You wanna get to know me, yeh, n I don't feel any less the same about you. Which means -- I want a *fashion show* - Em's best styles for beating the summer heat! We c'n even make it fun."
stari_maga
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 5:05 pm
Batting out of his league? That brought a tight-lipped smile to Emmy's coral painted mouth.
He wasn't wrong.
Even if Emmy had been the type who was looking for a partner to build a life with, white picket fence and children and all, she would never have chosen Waru for it. As it was, she was hardly going to bring him on her arm to some kind of business dinner, or Negaverse event.
He was pretty, though, and fun, and he bought her dinners and smothered her with compliments, so she had no issues with sharing some of her afternoons and evenings with him.
"I liked it," she said with that same small smile, because of course she knew better than to tell him he was right. "I like you."
With that, she fought against the heat exhaustion to slide off of her seat on the couch. "An interesting fashion show? Fine," she said, and her smile widened.
Her apartment was nice, but that didn't mean it was huge. The bedroom door was only a few feet away, and she slipped behind it, closing it to just a crack, then giving a teasing eyebrow raise before she closed it all the way.
She decided when he was allowed to see her change.
A minute or so passed before the door opened again, and Emmy leaned on the door frame, one foot crossed in front of the other. She was wearing a high waisted bikini, dark red on the bottom and striped on the top. Prescription cat-eyed sunglasses were perched on her head, completing the look even if it meant she couldn't see much.
"This counts as summer attire, doesn't it?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2022 12:44 am
Such a tease!!
Waru was all wide eyed scramble tripping into stalled out stillness while the door clicked shut, the nerve! *The control*. He ******** loved it. Leaning back and waiting, while letting his own acrid impatience turn over on its head into thrill for the denial; he wanted to see, but Em’s ran the show. Called the shots. Kept him on his toes and eager for each and every bit of *next* that she threw like a smooth curve ball — he almost never saw it coming.
Then that door opened, and he felt it, heart, jaw, the way he bit his lip and whistled slowly on the end of genuine applause. She looked stunning in stripes that drew the eye, like she was plotting plots neath the brim of cutely perched glasses.
*He so needed to take her out —*<******** this heat, let’s hit the beach?” Waru wondered if she’d get more looks than him, more numbers, more unwarranted catcalls - if he’d have to beat them off her with a stick. It was a possibility, he was sure, except he was also sure that Emmy carried knives.
Just not the heavy, visible kind.
Daggers that existed dead center of her stunning irises, that lined her tongue like some serrated thing. Oh yeah, Em’s had knives. The hidden sort. The kind you didn’t see coming - stiletto sharp and aimed for delicate places. Kidneys, ego, esophagus, pride. Sharp enough that he doubted people felt the cut, where it slid between a rib and found soft hearts with pointiest turndowns; poor souls wouldn’t notice s**t till they were bleeding out. Dismissed offhand as noise or nuisance. <******** him, but he kind of wanted to see that. Live, in person, sans whatever heat-death of the universe was going on just beyond Ems immaculate apartment walls.
“Cause you look, I mean, Ems? *You Look*, mmph,” he was sure he had things in his inventory, things stashed at home, things stashed in the underground. He couldn’t think much beyond all the ways that deep shade of red accentuated her assets, and the picture he’d make kneeling at her well pedicured, pointed toes, amidst some beach blankets and warm sand. “There’s words for how you look, but, yanno — hell, I didn’t know you were the cat-eyes type?! You’ve always got the best accessories.”
Could he have gotten away with begging for a matching bag? A teasing sheer overdress? One of those lacy beach coverlet’s? He felt ridiculous, felt the heat that sat across his cheeks sting for the thought of - what - raising his girls mystery closets? Whatever, it was totally worth it!
stari_maga
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2022 5:49 pm
It was worth it, holding him back, when she saw the way that Waru blushed five shades the moment the door swung open, even under his dusky skintone. He was fun to be around in a lot of ways. Running these games was part of that fun.
Although, it was too hot right now to take the games farther than a bit of a tease. Even just standing in the doorway in the equivalent of underwear, Emmy thought that she was going to start melting any second. The sweat that was starting to bead on her forehead and arms made it look like that melting was already happening.
Any activities that were more physical were out, no matter how tempting.
He was right about the swimming. With the power out, that was probably their best shot at making it through the heat of the day.
"We've been talking about the beach, yes. I think now's the time," she said, only to hesitate. "Do you have something to wear?"
A few implications hit her quickly, and she stepped forwards, eyes narrowing preemptively, and she spoke before anyone ended up powering up in the middle of her living room. "If you're going to teleport home for it, make sure you go outside first."
Another second passed, and Emmy drooped slightly. "Although I might be willing to bend my rules about mixing work and pleasure, if you want to teleport us to the beach?"
Trying to cram into an overheated car in the middle of this mess would just be awful.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2022 11:18 pm
"Awwh, c'mon, do I need to be wearing anything at all?" And ********, but he'd let her dress him any goddamn day of the week: up, down, sideways. In next to nothing at all, in a full-blown ensemble three pieces deep, mid-winter freeze. "Cause it's so damn hot out Em's --- n'wait, does being powered up count as 'work' or 'pleasure'?!" the heat of playful tease melted into a petulant note of whine, bordered like a holiday card with doglike confusion, because he'd never once been capable of differentiating between those two completely different circumstances.
Work v.s pleasure, home v.s guesthouse. All things public n private that he mixxed readily and oft without consideration for...what...danger? Professional boundaries? The high n likely chance that someday, eventually, he'd find himself jumped in his own damn home by whichever enemy him n his wolf-pack of a team hacked off enough to dare n try it.....
But then he'd get to try out being a Senshi with a Shotgun, and that was kinda exciting to imagine!!
But no, that wasn't what she was asking, was it? It took a second step, the act of dragging his eyes up to hers, by sheer force of will. How she was close enough that he could count the beads of sweat that threatened to steal his attention if they trailed --- anywhere other than her brow.
"Howsaboutthis --" rapidly thrown together before she changed her mind, cause if he stood staring any longer? His jaw'd be left on the floor, and there'd be no picking it up again. There'd only be hours spent fanning her with her least favorite books while wondering helplessly about new tan line's he'd like to see emblazoned, oh, places, "--we bend the rules a smidgeon, for convenience sake," he could make sure it was just the once, was already reaching for her stylish wrist, full on grinning, ready to pull her -- ******** -- closer to the door? Outside into what had to be the sweltering heat of mid-day. "My subspace is packed full of -- well -- things you could pick from that are close enough to beach attire to get a stamp of approval. Sarongs, scarves...m'sure there's shorts in there, somewhere..."
There! Words, sentences, ideas; slow firing synapses spitting phrases that ended in something other than innuendo and praise for the fact she was able to think in measures beyond how to dodge the rising summer swelter in the most fun way possible.
stari_maga
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 6:47 am
"Look, I don't care if you wear nothing at all," said Emmy, her gaze, unfocused as it was without her glasses, flicking teasingly low on his frame. "But the others will. Sensibilities, or whatever they're calling it these days. I doubt we'll get to have the beach to ourselves in this weather, so if we want to stay there?"
She shrugged and let Waru tug her across the threshold to her own apartment, flip flops slapping on the floor, trying to ignore the fact that the heat and the sun was even stronger out here. She'd go with him, in search of whatever sarongs or Speedos he might be packing. Everything about Waru was full of surprises. Whatever he was holding in his subspace pocket would surely be the same.
"And the Negaverse is work. The Negaverse is my career." She was sure she'd mentioned it before, but then, with Waru being Waru it wasn't a huge surprise that he hadn't put together the pieces that being Infiltration meant that nearly everything she did was tied up with the organization in some way, that they'd gotten her where she was and that her responsibilities went much deeper than sparkles and teleportation.
Not that they couldn't take advantage of the resources.
Which meant that once they were out the door, she took the lead, tugging him down stairs and into an alleyway, making the conscious choice to lead him to the place that had the maintenance supplies and not the one that had the dumpsters.
"Your turn for the fashion show," she said, leaning against the wall. "What have you got?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:40 pm
Waru's mouth popped open, clicked shut -- like a fat briefcase filled with files labeled 'beach'. He could've ******** expounded on 'em. His excess of ideas about what others might or might not have cared for on a day as hot as this one -- though, realistically? Even he had to cede that Emmy might've been right about his 'nudity' eing one of those things that could've caused a stir n impeded their stayability.
It was a shame, just, such a shame.
But staying at the beach, and not in the back of a cop car for public indecency? That was important -- like work important -- like -- "N'yeah, I mean, no? I mean...I know! I just..yanno? Work can be a pleasure too, sometimes?" hedged his bets on hopeful, and not at all sounding like a man who'd missed a step between 'not axinites daughter', 'kickass with a handaxe', and <********> He totally hadn't missed any important details at all! He could focus -- for five whole seconds -- and then watch that focus leave out the rooftop fire escape, b*****d didn't even use the ladders, simply jumped the guard rails of his mind; cause now he was standing in a relatively clean alley and being asked to walk what he'd been talking -- while she watched.
"What I've got, huh..." spoken as he fished his henshin pen free from one near bottomless, baggy cargo pocket. The poor thing tucked amidst a mess of bits, bobs, and the oddest of ends; it was a wonder he was ever able to kept track of the damn thing, "like a secret?"
Stepping back enough to power up in silent swathed blacks that shed like velvet. All that power -- it came to him easy as breathing now. How long had it been since he'd had to beg his powers on, and even back then? He was sure he'd been doing it wrong. No one else seemed to 'henshin the ******** up' - there were powder-compacts, heavenly-brushes, makeup-kits. Pretty, yeah, but irrelevant to him who didn't know cat from catastrophe. He remembered listening to Syrus chat on about Dione', overhearing the way some Senshi whispered phrases, and how cat's offered call signs to the newbies; like they were pinch-hit players coming late into the game.
How rarely he needed that, when the magic was right there for the taking.
"Like, how you get this look on your face, sometimes, n it's like I'm already naked. Dissected down to my atoms, simple as they are, n by ******** all that is -- it's butterflies, Em's. I get butterflies." because Faustite was right, she was soo ******** cool. It wasn't even fair. "D'ya know how rare that is?"
Special, just for her. It wasn't the burn the world fires he held for his Fiancé; that would've had him walking the rift, barefoot n blind, even without his asking. Nor the soft freshman blush-heart-neon-flare of a spark he'd kept for Alexa. ********, it wasn't even the possessive way he wanted to kill Cybele all on his own-some. Emmy was just -- "Rare as me offering to change in the city's sixth cleanest alley. You've always got a plan though, dont'cha?" ten steps ahead to his two behind, and if anyone street-side oopsidentaly tripped into their view and caught them? Then ********, he was a corrupt, she was a civilian, and he could be the 'bad guy' kidnapping her in an instant - as a villain was wont to do.
"Now -- we've got several options --" black and white palm frond sarong that hid just 'enough', ending above the knee. Tan and creme' boardshorts, a thong that belonged in a nightclub, cowry sash, fireproof collar, earrings -- most items got tossed back into the 'void'. The rest? Held up for view, every manner of colorful print, low-slung, hipsom; like Waru abhorred clothing unless it was strictly necessary. All the ways that made him miss being a basic, if only for the fact that he hadn't needed a shirt back then. "Cause sometimes swimming is better as a 'Senshi', and leme tell you? Once you get the batwings n butt-bows off....S'not like 'the powers that be' require the clothing to stay on in order to work, yeah? Magics, magics, magic, n all that jazz."
stari_maga
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 4:16 pm
"Work can be a pleasure," Emmy agreed, although she knew there was no way that Waru would be interested in the subtleties of success that she enjoyed. He wanted to teleport. He wanted to play with magic, to play with axes, to play with fire.
Emmy didn't want to play. Emmy wanted to win. There was nothing that compared with the rush of seeing viewership numbers go up, or to see speedrun times of down after hours and hours of practice. The best thrill of all came on seeing the look on a superior's face when you slid the sparkling starseed of an enemy across the desk of a superior and they responded by promoting you.
Now she would just have to find what it would take to get her that promotion again, which meant not flaunting powers if she could help it.
"It's more of a pleasure when you can take it seriously and have time to focus on it," was all she said, with a small shrug.
She could tell by the amount of clothes that Waru was pulling out of his subspace pocket that he didn't really understand. He seemed to be enjoying himself, though, so she could work with it.
"The sarong," she suggested. Since he really didn't want to wear clothes, who was she to make him wear anything with more coverage than that?
"I wouldn't stay powered up once we get there, though," she said with another shrug. "You might think it's fun if we get interrupted by some White Mooner, but I want to be able to focus on you."
In reality, she didn't really feel like getting bruised up, but she thought he'd be more likely to listen to what she wanted if it made him sound important.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:11 am
He would never say he understood where she was coming from, taking actual pleasure in real work was such a foreign concept, maybe because he’d always approached his jobs like flights of fancy? Like games with inevitable ends. He certainly didn’t ever expect to climb as high as her, Hell, he was shocked every day he’d managed to obtain what he had right then; a rank, a team, a home.
He’d viewed none of that through the glass pane of work insomuch as he’s had absolute necessity. None of it was for him. It was for them. For her. For every lover, every boy n girl n friend he needed a little more oomph in his step in order to protect.
But knowing that it made her happy to do things that way? Who was he to protest. Jada a brilliant mind and obvious skill, the way she could control a room with the flick of an iris behind gold rimmed glasses.
She’d never not be stunning holding power in her hands. Though? She could’ve still been a Lieutenant and he would’ve thought her anything but powerless.
“Sarong it is. N I can think of quite a few things that would please me to focus on,” he flushed for her comment, unconsciously preened, while tucking everything else away save that sarong, “okay — that’s a lie. It’s really only one at a time.” and right then all of his time was for her, and so all his thoughts were for her — specifically how her thoughts were for him, and….
“No interruptions. I swear. We’ll bend the rules this one time — n the rest? Well, it’s honestly kinda badass how you can compartmentalize everything so well.” soft smile and reaching hand as he gently tugged her through subspace — and popped out in the shade of trees lining a rocky outcrop of a cove, the waves crashing up and over into a crystalline tide pool at the edge of the grotto. Behind the vast greenery were cliffs, vicious looking things. The place as a whole seemed one that could’ve been gotten to in only a few ways; climbing gear, swimming at low tide, maybe even on a jet ski?
It seemed even that during bad weather, or higher tides — the splay of sand was likely to disappear entirely beneath the waves. Leaving only shale walls and submerged plant life behind.
“Yanno, realize I didn’t specify which beach, did I?” and along with a first aid came vibrant rolled towels. Came — “I sparred an alien here, fished for muscles. When the tides high enough? You can chance a dive from just above and to the farthest right…” light little bits of info dropped aside like treasures, he ran his mouth till he powered down — till his shirt joined his sandals joined his —-
“Now— no peeking, right?“ tease tossed over his shoulder as he waded into waist high fronds that hardly hid anything at all. Not that it mattered to him what she saw— so long as she was having fun.
stari_maga
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:18 pm
She was expecting cool water, but crowded shores at the edge of the reservoir. The sand would squeak until it felt like her ears were going to fall off, and if she waded too deep, she might feel a slithery tentacle slip past her ankles.
She'd been sent out a few years ago to investigate, and she'd found it harmless, but it was still a lot to deal with when you just wanted to swim and to soak up some sunshine.
There were no tentacles when the scenery stopped shifting. There was no squeaky sand, no crowds. They were alone by sea cliffs and the ocean, and Emmy's jaw dropped.
She didn't even try to peek when Waru went off to change. Yes, it was mostly because she didn't want to mess around with consent, but also, the view here was just as mesmerizing as he was. She was silent for nearly half a minute, just watching the sunlight shimmering off the waves, before she said, "You know, this is why I keep you around. You've always got the best surprises."
Which, maybe she would have to change in the future. She couldn't have him being better at fun than she was. She'd have to find her own perfect spot, do something nice for him.
She could win at this, too.
For now, though, she'd enjoy.
"You ready to get in?" she asked. "It's still scorching."
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2022 6:11 pm
"You kinda always deserve the best Em's, gotta start ponying up on my end or I'll look like I'm slacking. Can't put the whole burden of fun on you!" because he'd never be a rich man, had deficiencies in his own makeup that ran so deeply through, there was no overcoming them by conventional means.
Unconventional means though? He could get creative with where he took her, could show her sights better n woods n the midnight mud. Little grottos away from his tentacly friends -- freaking youma had a taste for him and seemed to be all up on his starseed when it wasn't whining left n right about getting dusted down every other day.
And Waru took a moment, just to glance over his shoulder, catching her admiring the view before slipping over underbrush like a sigh. Emmy made a perfect sight posted against the backdrop of a quiet sea. The eye-drawing reds n stripes doing a whole number when cast out before expansive blues in a breeze. He couldn't help but think - For you Em's, I'll always be --
