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♛ IC CONTACT
Hello. You've reached the mobile of Irene Adler.
I'm not here right now, or I'm with a client; please leave a message
and I'll try and get back to you as quickly as possible.
Hello. You've reached the mobile of Irene Adler.
I'm not here right now, or I'm with a client; please leave a message
and I'll try and get back to you as quickly as possible.
I expected that it would be rather obvious to you by now that there is a certain amount of examination at play. [He reached down, taking hold of the opposite knight from his queen's side and moving it forward and inward. Horse-based and centric plots were among his first studies.]
And do you think I would go to this much trouble if no interest were present? If only a touch of curiosity...
And do you think I would go to this much trouble if no interest were present? If only a touch of curiosity...
( she doesn't seem concerned. instead she moves her pieces lazily, giving no indication that her playing style was rehearsed. if she'd had lessons or prior study, she didn't betray that fact to him. )
This is a lot of effort regardless, especially for only a 'touch' of curiosity.
( she tips her head to one side, offering him a smirk. )
This is a lot of effort regardless, especially for only a 'touch' of curiosity.
( she tips her head to one side, offering him a smirk. )
[He laughed at that. It was a rare thing for him, and rather awkward in its sounding. Equius didn't laugh often or well, but he did on occasion.]
The sort of interest of which we've expressed and discussed in the past is the sort where elaborate methodologies are to be expected to a certain amount. You would not wish someone who did not have the willingness to go to no length to show interest, would you?
The sort of interest of which we've expressed and discussed in the past is the sort where elaborate methodologies are to be expected to a certain amount. You would not wish someone who did not have the willingness to go to no length to show interest, would you?
A bit simplistic, though. I very much doubt you were trying to avoid hurting everyone.
[That.
Is a very good question.
One that is probably not best answered through text while he has a throbbing headache. But here they are.]
Not necessarily.
[Hedging, though, because now they're both in vulnerable positions. He's seen into her mind, but he's also being put in a position to admit it had an effect on him.]
Are the headaches a natural side-effect of telepathy?
Is a very good question.
One that is probably not best answered through text while he has a throbbing headache. But here they are.]
Not necessarily.
[Hedging, though, because now they're both in vulnerable positions. He's seen into her mind, but he's also being put in a position to admit it had an effect on him.]
Are the headaches a natural side-effect of telepathy?
( if his headache is anything like hers, she sympathizes. still, he probably doesn't have the bump on his head to match. )
Changing the subject? How very unlike you.
( she can only tease him for so long, however. after a moment, more text appears. )
I wouldn't know. However, I may have gotten a concussion when I first fell asleep. I'm not sure that is a side effect, or an unfortunate consequence of an unrelated event.
Changing the subject? How very unlike you.
( she can only tease him for so long, however. after a moment, more text appears. )
I wouldn't know. However, I may have gotten a concussion when I first fell asleep. I'm not sure that is a side effect, or an unfortunate consequence of an unrelated event.
[He scratched at his chin, feeling a few beads of sweat on his forehead. A mopping was followed by an uncomfotable shrug. His emotions were hard to mistake, though his motives could be very difficult to decipher.]
The first move. I am not exactly certain that I would say that. My ... tastes in the past have complicated that maneuver due to societal expectations.
The first move. I am not exactly certain that I would say that. My ... tastes in the past have complicated that maneuver due to societal expectations.
[There's a longer-than-usual pause between that message and his next one.
She's already admitted that she meant the part about not letting people hurt. She didn't dispute 'telepathy.'
It's a problem he keeps running into here. He keeps trying to treat her the same as he would anyone else, when she's already proven she can see past all that. Not only see past it, she has the ability to side-step all of it onto the other side.
He's let her, once before. Been trying to protect himself here because this isn't Pakistan -- someplace isolated, apart from everything and everyone else they know.
Perhaps there's a compromise to be made.]
How much truth was there to the rest of it?
[Lobbing the ball back to her. Leaving the door open to step through or not, as she chooses.]
She's already admitted that she meant the part about not letting people hurt. She didn't dispute 'telepathy.'
It's a problem he keeps running into here. He keeps trying to treat her the same as he would anyone else, when she's already proven she can see past all that. Not only see past it, she has the ability to side-step all of it onto the other side.
He's let her, once before. Been trying to protect himself here because this isn't Pakistan -- someplace isolated, apart from everything and everyone else they know.
Perhaps there's a compromise to be made.]
How much truth was there to the rest of it?
[Lobbing the ball back to her. Leaving the door open to step through or not, as she chooses.]
( ah. now they're at the crux of the matter, and as usual, she'd prefer to dissemble rather than answer truthfully. hadn't she been honest enough? was it not enough that he'd seen something deeply personal? dreams were just that - dreams. she'd never intended that to actually take place, any more than she intended to ever tell him.
it felt as though it was a crossroads of their relationship, however. to keep moving forward, someone had to give. it was so often not her.. )
I don't know about you, but I don't lie to my subconscious.
( it was all true. damnably so. she's caught on tenterhooks, split between hanging up on him and ignoring him (childish and immature but also necessary) and admitting everything. )
I never thought I would see you again.
it felt as though it was a crossroads of their relationship, however. to keep moving forward, someone had to give. it was so often not her.. )
I don't know about you, but I don't lie to my subconscious.
( it was all true. damnably so. she's caught on tenterhooks, split between hanging up on him and ignoring him (childish and immature but also necessary) and admitting everything. )
I never thought I would see you again.
Likewise.
[Yet here they are. What, he can't help wondering, is the use in picking things up again? Their last encounter on Earth had such a sense of closure on it, as it was meant to.
On the other hand, ignoring their current situation seems to be creating more of a distraction than the alternative.]
[Yet here they are. What, he can't help wondering, is the use in picking things up again? Their last encounter on Earth had such a sense of closure on it, as it was meant to.
On the other hand, ignoring their current situation seems to be creating more of a distraction than the alternative.]
( if he's not certain where to go from here, it is perhaps more surprising that she's also at a loss. he certainly seemed more open to the idea of seeing her than his earlier counterpart, but was it truly good for him? he had john for his good intentioned friend; he didn't need her anymore than she needed him. )
You won't tell John what you saw?
You won't tell John what you saw?
Not his business.
[Which he would have thought went without saying. He never used to share anything with John when it came to The Woman.
"Take care of him." She cares. It must have come about during their time here.
He sends out an amendment.]
He doesn't need to know.
[Which he would have thought went without saying. He never used to share anything with John when it came to The Woman.
"Take care of him." She cares. It must have come about during their time here.
He sends out an amendment.]
He doesn't need to know.
( he's right about that. she hadn't cared about john, really, when they'd been home. she cared enough to move him and sherlock out of harm's way once it became apparent that the information she knew would put them in danger -- but that was mostly for sherlock's sake than john's.
perhaps she'd grown during her time here. at least their relationship had grown, she and john. )
Thank you.
( it's uncomfortable, this. )
It wasn't meant for you to see. ( she feels as though she ought to clarify. ) Don't overthink it.
perhaps she'd grown during her time here. at least their relationship had grown, she and john. )
Thank you.
( it's uncomfortable, this. )
It wasn't meant for you to see. ( she feels as though she ought to clarify. ) Don't overthink it.
[And that seems like as good a place as any to let it rest, for the time being. If she doesn't press the matter beyond this, he won't reply.]
( she's studying him; interested, for the moment, in how he seems so nervous despite his bold move (so to speak). was he regretting it? no, that didn't seem quite it. but he didn't seem completely comfortable either. )
You ought to elaborate, you know. Mystery can only keep one interested for so long.
You ought to elaborate, you know. Mystery can only keep one interested for so long.
Ah, apologies. [He coughed, again very uncomfortably.] There is a complication in our culture in romantic liaisons. While some shifting of the hemospectrum is expected, drastic ones come with explicitly negative connotations it behooves trolls to remember.
I have a somewhat shameful taste for the rust-blooded and red-blooded varieties of our species. It at times makes potential liaisons with humans both appealing and a little... problematic. The color of your blood is that of our lowest castes, though I accept that your species is not as we are in this.
I have a somewhat shameful taste for the rust-blooded and red-blooded varieties of our species. It at times makes potential liaisons with humans both appealing and a little... problematic. The color of your blood is that of our lowest castes, though I accept that your species is not as we are in this.
( perhaps he was just uncomfortable, then. the blood politics (literally) of his species were too fascinating, however, for her to allow him any measure of comfort. )
What comes after red? ( curiousity killed the cat. ) No, humans are not the same way; but we discriminate using other values that may be similar; the colour of one's skin, where they are from, their gender.
What comes after red? ( curiousity killed the cat. ) No, humans are not the same way; but we discriminate using other values that may be similar; the colour of one's skin, where they are from, their gender.
I have read something to that effect, though from what I have encountered, your feudal structures and strata are closer than this matter of sub-cultural divides. Our species lacks that sort of sub-cultural division. [He seemed to be more confident when explaining this than romance at the very least. scratching over his chin, he considered.]
There is a symbol your culture uses, a ... rainbow. Strata in the hemospectrum begin at the farthest red, moving towards indigo and purple with fuscia blooded, or Tyrian as we refer to it, at the crest. So an orange or yellow would be the next low-blooded variations.
There is a symbol your culture uses, a ... rainbow. Strata in the hemospectrum begin at the farthest red, moving towards indigo and purple with fuscia blooded, or Tyrian as we refer to it, at the crest. So an orange or yellow would be the next low-blooded variations.
( she considers this, also considering her next move. the argument that feudal structures were gone was far too naive; no, they simply took a different form in modern society. wasn't she indicative of this? if not her, then surely the holmes boys. they had every advantage, equivalent of lordship. )
Is there a way of telling someone's blood status without actually drawing blood? ( for instance: can it be seen on their face? she's peering at him thoughtfully, now. )
Is there a way of telling someone's blood status without actually drawing blood? ( for instance: can it be seen on their face? she's peering at him thoughtfully, now. )
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