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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 6:20 pm
There were no situations at all where the only solution was to kill someone. There were a few situations where you could kill someone or die for choosing not to, maybe, but there was always that choice.Sadie did not voice that thought, though. She knew that it tended to start heated conversations, and although Michelangelo seemed to agree with her on most things, she didn't feel like pushing it. Luckily, there were choices that you could make in the meantime that kept it from getting to that point. Bribery was one of those choices, apparently. Her host leaving to change gave Sadie a little longer of a moment to roll the thoughts around in her head, the things that she'd researched that night after handing over her cash, weighed against the fact that she, too, wanted to do whatever she could to save someone's life. When he slipped into the water across from her, the look in her eyes was serious, almost cool. Her voice was soft as ever, though. "Um, say you pay someone a hundred dollars to give back a starseed. Next time, they ask for a hundred more. It might not be so big of a deal if you're the one they run into again," she said, because judging by the hot tub and the drink fridge and the house, he could manage it, "But if it's someone else they go demanding payment from? If they run into a senshi who's a college student, or a struggling parent, or just someone new who doesn't understand much about what's going on? That soul's going to be lost." She glanced down at the water and sighed softly. "I hope I do see him again, to see if there's still time to correct my mistake."
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 11:58 pm
Michelangelo would have been surprised by her look, surprised if he couldn't already tell that there was a serious person underneath the soft way she interacted with people and with him-- Two hundred dollars, three hundred dollars, even a thousand was worth a life, but she had a point. He took a sip from his drink, relaxing into the jets at his back, pondering on who else he had run into who would actually be able to handle it. Sadie seemed like she was alright off, alright enough to not react with shock at seeing what he lived in, but she could have also just been good at accepting most things she was presented with. The college student, or the struggling parent, though? "I guess I was just going off the assumption they'd keep coming to me," he noted, shifting where he sat. If they started asking people who couldn't afford it -- "Didn't really consider the circumstance that they would start asking any member of our side for that bribe." Of course, there was also the question of if he was alright with funding the bad guys? Yeah, sure, he was willing to give any amount of money to save a life, a life was far more valuable than money was, but-- What would they do with soul money? "Well, hope you do run into him again, then." Michelangelo ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe you can stop him from asking people who aren't as able, at least." He took another sip of his drink, leaning back where he sat. "You were doing what you could to save a life -- and you did. That's the important part, right?" Probably wasn't going to stop her from worrying, but-- "None of us are experts in stopping an evil force. We just got recruited by artifacts," he snorted at that title, "to protect some place out in space."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2022 6:29 pm
Sadie nodded to confirm that agents would likely go looking for bribes from people other than him, although there was nothing judgemental in her eyes. He was new enough that she could hardly blame him for the train of thought. It took time to see just how far the shadowy fingers of the war reached, just how many people they affected. "I will try to talk to him," she said, but she seemed distracted. Her gaze was somewhere off in the distance as she shifted so that a jet could hit the stiff spot between her shoulder blades. A long moment passed, a moment of rolling thoughts around inside her head, before she added, "There might be ways to use money to help with things," she said. "Ways that aren't bribes, but that might help the people that the Negaverse offers financial stability to. It's something I've been thinking about, since that night." She hadn't quite been trying to bribe, after all. She'd been trying to show a man who seemed to be using the Negaverse's resources that Order could help, too. It had just come out all wrong. "The Negaverse offers healthcare to anyone who fights for them," she said. She did not sip anymore of her cocktail, not jet, but she tapped at the glass with her fingernails. "Housing, too. It's enough to keep some people committed to them. I don't know what we'd have to do to offer the same, but-" She wanted to. It might make all the difference to people who were feeling trapped.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:59 am
She was thinking of something, and he could tell by the way her gaze shifted, by the way she no longer touched her drink. He was curious--sometimes, he wished he could truly read into people's minds and not just rely on his own aptitude with people--but he would be patient. As she thought, he sipped. It was a lot to think about. He wanted to make them stop killing, he wanted to save lives, and bribes didn't seem like an unreasonable way to do that if he could provide but not everyone could and the members of the Negaverse were still serving a vile purpose-- His brows lifted when she did speak, and he leaned in with interest. Seriously? They trapped people with healthcare and housing? What kind of ******** up indentured servitude was this? ... Capitalism, he supposed, considering unions had initially formed to free themselves of similar situations... "That's a good idea. You're on to something." Michelangelo leaned back and hummed quietly under his breath. Better than bribery. Proving they could provide those things without the spectre of needing to steal lives for it. "I have the money to help with that. Could probably make a charity fund of some sort to help with the health insurance. Donate to a few normal civilians who are having trouble affording basic services to throw them off..." He tapped his chin. "Might give Luke a headache, but he can handle it."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:32 pm
"That might be a good start," said Sadie, sipping at her own drink. Just based on what she had seen of Michelangelo's house, with its giant foyer and its hot tub and its exotic drink flavors, it certainly seemed like the man had the resources to get a few people away from the risk of poverty. "But, I don't think this is the kind of thing that can rely on just one person. We need to set up a system that's sustainable, something with income. If we set it up as a charity, we might be able to find sponsors outside of the magical community, that's one option, but," she sighed lightly and slipped down the side of the hot tub, until the water came all the way up to her chin and only her face and the hand holding her drink were out in the air. "I know it's going to be a lot. I'm not sure how the Negaverse does it. I wonder if someone purified could tell us about it." She wondered, if the Negaverse's secret to providing for people involved things like money laundering, or even plain burglary, how knowing that would be of any help. She shook her head, sending out slight ripples across the surface of the water. "I'm sorry, though. I came here to have a nice time and I'm just talking about the social influence of the Negaverse."
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2022 1:25 am
"Easy," Michelangelo didn't even hesitate, "probably full of capitalists, government, people with money and influence." It might have seemed like a funny thing for someone with a giant foyer, and a hot tub, and exotic drinks to say so freely. And yet, his family had enough money where it functionally produced itself. And he saw what that did. In a lot of ways, he couldn't stand it. Might-as-well share what he could. "No, you're fine! I'm glad you're feeling comfortable enough here and with me that you want to talk this over with me." He shot her a charming grin. "It is gonna be a lot, but these convos are how we get these kinda things going, right? I'll see how I can ask my accountant without hinting as to why..." Michelangelo could think of a few ways to keep Luke distracted at least. Maybe stop him from thinking about why he was even asking about getting sponsors for a new 501(c) he wanted to start... "Anyway!" He pulled himself back to the present. "Is that a hint you'd like to talk about something else? Or we can just chill in here. Or keep talking. I'm good with any of that, so long as you're enjoying yourself."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:56 pm
"Talking to your accountant is probably the best start to all of this, anyway," said Sadie. "We probably shouldn't go too overboard on the buying things, or the wanting to buy things, until you've checked in." She could feel anticipation buzzing under her skin, sparkling in her head, like fireflies, now that she had a sponsor, now that she had the enthusiasm of someone else who believed in her idea, someone who had the resources to actually maybe make some of it happen. That said, she didn't want to go too far before they could make sure everybody was on board. Well, until they could make sure accountants named Luke were on board. Sadie had an idea of who that might be, and Michelangelo might not care if Luke panicked, but she did. "For now, we can just enjoy the water," she said, and took another sip of her drink. She was getting close to the bottom of the glass, and maybe that was why she asked, before she could stop herself, "Can I play with your hair?" He didn't seem like he'd mind, and it just looked so soft.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 2:40 am
"Fair enough. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." Alright, so his next mission was to check in with Luke. Easy. It came with some complication in that Michelangelo couldn't be as frank with him as he usually was. There had been no real part of their conversations that had been particularly cagey, and now Michelangelo would have to figure out some way to be cagey. How was he going to ask for help with any of this without making it obvious what he was talking about? Of course, if Luke had no idea magic was even a thing, and there was no war going on in Destiny City, did it really matter? Would he even notice? No, he would, Luke was smart and that was why Michelangelo contracted his services-- He'd deal with that later. The question took him by surprise as he sipped just a bit more at his wine, but not in any bad way. He shot her a grin, pulling his glass away from his lips. "Oh, absolutely. Go for it. I take great pride in my hair." She was right in detecting that he didn't mind, even if her mind was a bit hazier. Having his hair played with was something he generally enjoyed, no matter what the context. And in this context? It was a friend wanting to play with it, and that both played into his love of physical affection and also his ego. If she thought his hair looked nice enough to play with... "You'll have to let me know if it feels as soft as it looks. I try to keep on top of that."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 6:07 pm
Oh, he'd said yes! That was perfect. For a few seconds, Sadie didn't have to worry about the Negaverse, even in the context of starting community projects that might disrupt their more predatory goals. She just had to worry about Michelangelo's hair, and figuring out how soft it was. Scooting a little closer along the side of the hot tub, she reached out to run her fingers through his hair, starting at the scalp and working her way down. "Oh," she whispered, a hint of awe in her voice even for such a little thing. "It is soft. So soft." Sadie loved playing with hair. Her fingers were always wrapped up in her own curls when the anxiety hit, or if she needed to focus, of if there was nothing else to do with her hands. It was nice getting to touch someone else's. Sadie was the kind of person who needed physical contact to be okay, and it wasn't something she'd gotten in a while, so this was just lovely. There was a soft, hazy smile on her face as she started to do some braids. "Thank you," she said, although she didn't stop. "Also, um, whatever you do, it's working." It wasn't just the alcohol talking as she continued, "Not just with your hair, I mean. With everything. With being kind."
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 6:59 pm
He was delighted. She wanted to play with his hair, and he liked having his hair played with! This was a win in all scenarios, and it became even more of a win when she started complimenting what he was doing with his hair. Michelangelo beamed. Compliments did tend to boost his ego a bit, but it was also nice to simply have something he cared about complimented. "Glad to hear it! My hair is one of the things I let myself be vain about." He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy it, even as he noticed her fiddling was getting a little tighter. Was she braiding his hair? Michelangelo did like braids-- He was about to brag about his hair care routine when she followed up her words of thanks with a compliment to him in general, not just his hair. He likes that. He liked that she thought he was being nice, and he was doing it well enough that she felt this comfortable. That was his goal with everyone really. He wanted everyone to feel comfortable. "I try," of course, his response was as smooth as butter as much as he was legitimately flattered. "That's the important thing. Making sure everyone's relaxed, chill, good vibes. That's my preference for everyone around me. Read the room and figure out what will work best." He shot a grin over his shoulder. "Glad I'm able to provide that for you."
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:39 pm
"You could maybe be vain about more than just your hair if you wanted," Sadie said with a little shrug. She wasn't exactly sure if vanity was something she was supposed to be encouraging, but confidence certainly was. "One of my friends is a model, and another's an actor, and I think you look just as nice as both of them." Sadie couldn't be vain, not anymore, so she thought it would be nice if at least her friends could feel nice about themselves, sometimes. Anyway, Michelangelo was pretty. The artist in her could see that much. Then he was talking about vibes, and Sadie smiled at that, too. "It works," she said. "The vibes here are, um," she paused, "Immaculate? Is that the word?' It was the word. She was sure, once she'd said it, but she still giggled to hear it come out of her own mouth. And, since he'd seemed like he might be okay with it, once the braid was done, she leaned over so that her shoulder was touching his, and her head was leaned over onto his shoulder. She'd pull away if he wanted, of course, but this was just a nice moment, soft as soft.
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Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2022 8:00 pm
Oh, he certainly liked that! Being compared to actors and models was definitely something he strived to do. It was one of the reasons why he didn't let himself get too lazy about his appearance. The other reason? Making sure women and men found him attractive. To a stylist, he had once joked that it was pretty obvious that he slept with men-- "Why thank you! Think I could pull off the model vibes? Not sure I can do the right distant expressions..." He snickered quietly, his laughter joining her giggles. "Immaculate is what you're looking for yes. I'd like to think I curate immaculate vibes." This was nice. And her leaning on him like this was nice too. He sighed contentedly, closing his eyes. Maybe he would accept the strangeness of being magical now if it came with friends like this.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 4:44 am
He didn't pull away, so Sadie nudged even closer until her whole body was pressed and nuzzled up against his. Since she was still meant to be playing with his hair, technically, she ran one thumb against the a loop of his braid, over and over again. Oh, this was lovely. This was just what she needed. "Well, I don't know if modeling's some instinctual thing," she said, shrugging against him. "Those distant gazes, um, I think they take practice. I can take your picture sometime, if you want to try it." She wasn't a portrait photographer, it wouldn't be anything professional level, but she knew enough of the basics or lighting and all that she could give him an idea. "Not now, though," she said, her own eyes fluttering shut in turn. "Your hot tub and your drinks might, um, be making me sleepy." She was already positioned to use Michelangelo as a pillow, and while she knew you weren't really supposed to stay in a hot tub for more than a few minutes, she didn't want to move for at least an hour.
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 7:02 am
Her scooting closer was met with a momentary hum as he relaxed further into it. This was nice. Physical closeness was something he craved in general and it didn't necessarily matter the source or how he got it. Via a friend, though? Even better. "I mean, I won't complain," he stretched briefly toward a remote sitting on the edge of the tub, grasping it tightly enough to at least drag it back toward him before settling back in. "I'm down for giving it a try. Could be fun." He didn't exactly need more sources of money, but all the same. He carefully turned off the jets in the hot tub, and then the active heating elements. Then he made no moves at all to actually get up. He closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh. "Look, Sadie, you're speaking my language. I'll just stay here and rest all day if you want." And he seemed to be pretty serious about that, considering he had already closed his eyes. He knew he wasn't necessarily supposed to sleep in the hot tub. Had to stopped him in the past? Not really.
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Codebreaking Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 10:01 am
Sadie was already drifting, but hearing the jets shut off didn't click quite right with something in the back of her head, and with a massive effort, she fluttered her eyes open only to see that Michelangelo was laying still, looking like he wasn't going to do anything to stop either of them from falling asleep. As Pendour, she might have been a Neptune knight, but her connection to the sea didn't mean she hadn't had her own close calls with drowning. If anything, she was more aware of the dangers of seemingly harmless water ever since she'd learned about the things her ancestor had done. She was a little freer when she was powered up and had the magic up that let her breathe water, but that wasn't what was happening right now. With even more effort, she dragged herself up over the edge of the hot tub. "Michel," she whispered as she wrung the water out from the ends of her own hair, "Um. Maybe not here?" She reached down to shake his shoulder, gentle, but not with the same passive, butterfly-lightness that she usually used. "It's not safe." Or comfortable in the long term, really. "I'd love to sleep with you-" she said, and then cut herself off because no, no, that was the wrong phrasing. "Um. Nap. Not, not a euphemism." Although correcting herself didn't stop her face from being pink as she added, "There has to be a bed somewhere in a house this big, doesn't there?"
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