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[staysail]

Comments

[hassaran]

I said work.

[ jokes ]

[staysail]

[That also gets a laugh.]

Told that carriage to go any faster yet?

[hassaran]

If you're really this keen on the idea you know you could have mentioned it before. [ (?) ]

[staysail]

Maybe I hadn't thought of it until now.

[hassaran]

And now are you thinking about me wearing them or you?

[staysail]

[A slight pause.]

I was thinking of you.

[hassaran]

So was I. But then I thought, [ a little pause of her own ] maybe both?

[staysail]

Both is good. [Or, well, more conservatively and less for the joke] I'd try both.

[hassaran]

It's fine with me if you don't want to. [ but that's not going to stop her from gently goading: ] You've never been much for patience.

[staysail]

[Wow. She's not wrong, but that doesn't mean he has to just take it. Darras huffs a short laugh.]

I can be patient. Given the right circumstances and incentives.

[hassaran]

[ She might've been about to clarify to make that sound less unflattering but now it's her turn to make a similar sound. ]

Are you suggesting I don't usually provide enough incentive?

[staysail]

Well. If you're the incentive, you can't expect me to be very patient.

[hassaran]

I manage it, despite you as the incentive.

[staysail]

Is that a compliment to me, or to you? It feels like to you.

[hassaran]

[ She laughs and when she says ] Darras. [ it sounds like both Darling. and Please. ]

It's both. You know I'm just as mad for you.

[staysail]

[Well.]

Oh, aye? And where's that carriage of yours now? You've got to be close.

[hassaran]

The carriage is getting there. I may need a bit more encouragement.

[staysail]

[Well.]

If I tell you I've started undoing my shirt--slowly, of course--and I'll move on to my trousers next. Is that helpful?

[hassaran]

[ Well is right. This is a new concept. ]

It certainly isn't hurting. [ New and awkward, but not bad. ] A rifter told me their world had devices like crystals, but you could actually watch the person you're speaking with.

[staysail]

[--Wait, that's a little distracting in its own way.]

Like a portrait?

[hassaran]

It sounded more like looking through a window? You can just see each other as you are, not painted.

[staysail]

Huh.

[A brief pause as he considers this, before--]

So if you could see me as I am, now--well, I'd not need to describe it to you.

[hassaran]

No. I could just see.

[ That hangs for a moment before she goes on. ]

This would have been useful when we were apart so often.

[staysail]

It might still be useful. If we were creative about it. You in some meeting, let's say, and me with nothing better to do...

[hassaran]

[ Her laugh is sudden and surprised, like he's actually succeeded in flustering her, as difficult as it is. ]

If only I could hear it. [ A problem that's common and important enough in the mission context that she's asked for possible solutions to be explored, but that's a very different conversation not worth bringing up just here. ] Let's say. Go on.