No, [ Loki replies, shaking his head a little as he passes her. ] Alexandrie had a friend living here, who returned to the frontlines before I arrived. I haven't touched the stylings, really; I spend most of my coin on clothes, books, and various foodstuffs.
[ He likes Alexandrie's taste in decor, for one thing, and doesn't see why he should spend his money to fix things that aren't exactly broken. But he notes the way that Sylvie looks at it all and sighs, a little. She'd probably be more comfortable in Lowtown, which leads him to wonder if that's where she'll go, once she leaves the Gallows.
(The idea that she'd stay there, surrounded by all those people, doesn't take root. They are too similar for all of that.)
They climb the stairs where there's another series of rooms: a bedroom with an attached bathroom is where they're headed, and so Loki makes a beeline for it. There are some things set out already, bottles of various kinds with labels and written instructions on how to use them (most of which say, simply, add to hot water), heavy towels, a bathrobe, all off to the side atop of a nearby dresser. In the middle of the bathroom is the tub; large and clawfooted.
There's also a privacy screen blocking half of it from view of the door. ]
[ There's a little hmmm in response to that, noting exactly what that proved. She had a feeling this place was one of his benefits of being involved with his variant's wife, and he just confirmed it. There's not much else to say about it though, they were different people. He could live his life however he wanted, even if she disagreed.
Besides, she's not about to complain when she's looking forward to this bath more than anything in a while.
They walk through a room (his?) into a lovely bathroom and she sighs audibly at the sight of it, already shrugging out of her cloak and letting it pile near the door. ]
Actually...I might have to take that back if this comes with it.
[ It's a joke, she grins over her shoulder at him as she starts to undo the buttons on her high waisted pants, pulling her shirt out and working it open as she walks behind the screen. ]
[ It was his room! Neat, with several outfits on the bench at the foot of the bed, next to a stack of books. Forgotten cup of tea at the bedside table. Large windowed doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the street. ]
As long as I'm here, you're welcome whenever. For the bathtub, or the books, or the tea.
[ Or the chance to escape from everyone else for a while, he won't care.
She might not approve of it all but the boy has standards, and they're high. Too high for what Riftwatch pays them all, without a doubt. Besides, he only feels slightly miffed about being judged; he knows how he is, and he's not even a little bit sorry.
Habit and curiosity have him picking up the cloak, looking it over with a few glances as he (mostly) watches her undress from behind. If the cloak needs mending or cleaning, he'll probably have it sent off for that.
She can always borrow something of his in the meantime.
In response to her grin, he offers Sylvie a small smile. Genuine, and also just a touch unsure, though he does try to keep that off of his face. He stays where he is by the door, for now. ]
[ She grins to herself, knowing he canโt see it but certain he can hear it in her voice. The tap is turned on and the tub starts filling with hot water, steam rolling over the edge and across the floor. Sylvie takes that time to remove her boots, and look at all the different options for bubbles and soaks, finally choosing one and adding it to the bath as it filled. ]
There is alsoโ [ he raises his hand, tucking the cloak under his arm in order to tick items off of his fingersโ ] my winning personality, kissing ability, and general hedonism, but you were already aware of most of those things.
[ He grins at her, moving closer so that they don't have the entire room between the two of them. ] Plus the latest gossip involving the Gallows; or at least what passes for it, here.
[ There's a light laugh from behind the screen, her tone more than a little amused. ]
Your kissing ability and general hedonism benefits me issit? That's a bit presumptuous.
[ The bath isn't taking long to fill, and she can hear him moving closer but doesn't mention it, though she does lt her eyes linger on the screen a moment as she finishes undressing, and then gathers up the fabric and places it on a nearby chair, the cool air and tiles sending goosebumps all over her now totally bare skin. ]
I will enjoy that gossip though, it's been a while since I've had anything new to hear about.
Is it? I would like to think having a good time should be somewhere on the list of things for you to do, all things considered. [ Namely, that they're both here for the long haul. Presumably.
He can see the chair and the clothes draped on it from where he stands (Had he told her he thought they looked nice on her? He does think so, but no, because she stole them off a dead person and he was still pondering if that was an appropriate complement for that situation) and one of her arms as she sets items aside; he stops his advancement at that point, cloak still under his arm.
Privacy is still important. ]
Somewhere, [ he starts, tapping his chin with a finger, ] there is a portrait of Riftwatch's own Gwenaรซlle Baudin completely in the nude, holding a snake. The portrait is not in a lover's home. I could make quite a few presumptions about what all of that means, but I'll leave that up to your imagination.
The good Captain James Holden, a Rifter like us, drinks more coffee than water, takes the former with lemon apparently, and is not known to sleep. Hm, what else? Oh. The Seneschal spends most of the hours in his days peeling grapes as opposed to anything even vaguely useful.
Should I continue? [ It's all very droll, in his opinion, but that's gossip for you. Also he's not sure how many of these people she even knows. ]
Having a good time with you being mutually beneficial of course.
[ She stole them from some broken in shoppes thank you very much Loki. Still probably questionable. The tub is mostly filled, steam filling the room more and more as she turns off the tap, and with a little sound at the heat on her toes, slips inside. There's the sound of sloshing water as she settles down into it, a soft sigh escaping her at how nice it feels, bubbles coming up to her chin. ]
Really, I had thought when you said gossip it'd be something a little more...sordid. But grapes and lemon. Though the painting thing is a little weird.
Seeing as how I refuse to have a bad time with you, if it can at all be avoided...
[ Well. That's a little different. Still questionable, yes, but involving fewer corpses, which is a bonus in Loki's mind.
He listens to her settling in the hot water and comes around towards the corner of the privacy screen. He picks up her clothes from the chair, sets them in a different chair nearby, and settles in, half-turned away from her. ]
It's definitely weird. [ He hasn't asked Alexandrie about it. Gwen still terrifies him more than a little bit and he's not sure what he'd say if she demanded to know why he was asking about it. ] Sordid, however, well. [ He leans forward (away from her) and puts his elbows on his knees. ] There's someone in the Scouting division whose name is Fitcher; apparently, she owes money to roughly five different gambling establishments here in town.
The head of the Forces Division supposedly has a mistress here in Hightown. [ He wishes he had more intel on that one, actually. ] There's a recently married woman in the Research division who has completely filled an absent Warden's inbox with correspondence in the last month. The Warden is not her husband, by the by; apparently, they don't get along.
And a Rifter by the name of Richard Dickerson, which is a pseudonym if I've ever heard one, has a snake that lives in his clothes. [ Loki would very much like to meet the snake. ]
[ She hums at that, draping her arms over the edge of the bathtub as she watches him sit in that chair, politely turned away, and yet the fact that he's in the room with her still is telling. She watches him curiously as he speaks, resting her chin on the back of her folded hands.
That IS good gossip though, and while she doesn't know any of these people it's information that she tucks away for later, the drama and intricacies of the community here. She's never had to rely on second hand knowledge like this before, but if she's anything it's adaptable.
That last one though has her snorting in laughter, her tone absolutely incredulous. ]
Richard Dickerson, now that can't be real. you must be pulling my leg. And that poor snake. I feel bad for it more than him.
[ there's a moment pause, and then she speaks again, a little more lightly, as watching him closely for his reaction. ]
You know I'm not some blushing virgin debutant, you don't have to turn you back to spare my honor. [ A beat, and then more curiously. ] Actually I dunno, new body. Does that reset things or?
It cannot be, truly, and yet. [ Loki shakes his head a little bit. ] That is the name on all of his paperwork. But who knows, perhaps he's kind to the snake. It must be rather small to live in his clothes.
[ Unless the man is like, Qunari or Avvar, which Loki doesn't think he is.
The reaction Sylvie gets is this: Loki's spine straightens a bit as he sits upright before he turns to look over his shoulder, considering her for a moment. He tilts his chin upward before he pivots the rest of his body towards her, sitting backward in the chair and draping his arms over the back of it. There's a twinkle in his eye and an air of serious regard to her question about resetting things. ]
Well, I don't know. No one's mentioned it, at least not where I've heard about it, and it's harder to tell withโ [ he gestures towards himselfโ ] a cock. However. I'm sure we could find out.
[ There's some consideration to this, but all she can go back to is sweaty smelly bodies and a poor animal forced to bathe in it.
All that though falls to the wayside as Loki spins in his chair, his eyes sparkling as if he was just waiting for some permission to do so. It makes her grin back, eyebrows arching. He probably can't see through the bubbles, despite being in a higher vantage point, but there was something about the way he looks at her as he gestures towards himself that makes her stomach flip. It really has been...some time.
Sylvie touches the tip of her tongue to her teeth , pretending to really think about that. ]
Mmm could we? Purely for the science of it I reckon. A mystery to be solved. Be a bit difficult though from all the way over there.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ He likes Alexandrie's taste in decor, for one thing, and doesn't see why he should spend his money to fix things that aren't exactly broken. But he notes the way that Sylvie looks at it all and sighs, a little. She'd probably be more comfortable in Lowtown, which leads him to wonder if that's where she'll go, once she leaves the Gallows.
(The idea that she'd stay there, surrounded by all those people, doesn't take root. They are too similar for all of that.)
They climb the stairs where there's another series of rooms: a bedroom with an attached bathroom is where they're headed, and so Loki makes a beeline for it. There are some things set out already, bottles of various kinds with labels and written instructions on how to use them (most of which say, simply, add to hot water), heavy towels, a bathrobe, all off to the side atop of a nearby dresser. In the middle of the bathroom is the tub; large and clawfooted.
There's also a privacy screen blocking half of it from view of the door. ]
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Besides, she's not about to complain when she's looking forward to this bath more than anything in a while.
They walk through a room (his?) into a lovely bathroom and she sighs audibly at the sight of it, already shrugging out of her cloak and letting it pile near the door. ]
Actually...I might have to take that back if this comes with it.
[ It's a joke, she grins over her shoulder at him as she starts to undo the buttons on her high waisted pants, pulling her shirt out and working it open as she walks behind the screen. ]
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As long as I'm here, you're welcome whenever. For the bathtub, or the books, or the tea.
[ Or the chance to escape from everyone else for a while, he won't care.
She might not approve of it all but the boy has standards, and they're high. Too high for what Riftwatch pays them all, without a doubt. Besides, he only feels slightly miffed about being judged; he knows how he is, and he's not even a little bit sorry.
Habit and curiosity have him picking up the cloak, looking it over with a few glances as he (mostly) watches her undress from behind. If the cloak needs mending or cleaning, he'll probably have it sent off for that.
She can always borrow something of his in the meantime.
In response to her grin, he offers Sylvie a small smile. Genuine, and also just a touch unsure, though he does try to keep that off of his face. He stays where he is by the door, for now. ]
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[ She grins to herself, knowing he canโt see it but certain he can hear it in her voice. The tap is turned on and the tub starts filling with hot water, steam rolling over the edge and across the floor. Sylvie takes that time to remove her boots, and look at all the different options for bubbles and soaks, finally choosing one and adding it to the bath as it filled. ]
Are there no other benefits to visiting you?
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[ He grins at her, moving closer so that they don't have the entire room between the two of them. ] Plus the latest gossip involving the Gallows; or at least what passes for it, here.
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Your kissing ability and general hedonism benefits me issit? That's a bit presumptuous.
[ The bath isn't taking long to fill, and she can hear him moving closer but doesn't mention it, though she does lt her eyes linger on the screen a moment as she finishes undressing, and then gathers up the fabric and places it on a nearby chair, the cool air and tiles sending goosebumps all over her now totally bare skin. ]
I will enjoy that gossip though, it's been a while since I've had anything new to hear about.
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He can see the chair and the clothes draped on it from where he stands (Had he told her he thought they looked nice on her? He does think so, but no, because she stole them off a dead person and he was still pondering if that was an appropriate complement for that situation) and one of her arms as she sets items aside; he stops his advancement at that point, cloak still under his arm.
Privacy is still important. ]
Somewhere, [ he starts, tapping his chin with a finger, ] there is a portrait of Riftwatch's own Gwenaรซlle Baudin completely in the nude, holding a snake. The portrait is not in a lover's home. I could make quite a few presumptions about what all of that means, but I'll leave that up to your imagination.
The good Captain James Holden, a Rifter like us, drinks more coffee than water, takes the former with lemon apparently, and is not known to sleep. Hm, what else? Oh. The Seneschal spends most of the hours in his days peeling grapes as opposed to anything even vaguely useful.
Should I continue? [ It's all very droll, in his opinion, but that's gossip for you. Also he's not sure how many of these people she even knows. ]
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[ She stole them from some broken in shoppes thank you very much Loki. Still probably questionable. The tub is mostly filled, steam filling the room more and more as she turns off the tap, and with a little sound at the heat on her toes, slips inside. There's the sound of sloshing water as she settles down into it, a soft sigh escaping her at how nice it feels, bubbles coming up to her chin. ]
Really, I had thought when you said gossip it'd be something a little more...sordid. But grapes and lemon. Though the painting thing is a little weird.
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[ Well. That's a little different. Still questionable, yes, but involving fewer corpses, which is a bonus in Loki's mind.
He listens to her settling in the hot water and comes around towards the corner of the privacy screen. He picks up her clothes from the chair, sets them in a different chair nearby, and settles in, half-turned away from her. ]
It's definitely weird. [ He hasn't asked Alexandrie about it. Gwen still terrifies him more than a little bit and he's not sure what he'd say if she demanded to know why he was asking about it. ] Sordid, however, well. [ He leans forward (away from her) and puts his elbows on his knees. ] There's someone in the Scouting division whose name is Fitcher; apparently, she owes money to roughly five different gambling establishments here in town.
The head of the Forces Division supposedly has a mistress here in Hightown. [ He wishes he had more intel on that one, actually. ] There's a recently married woman in the Research division who has completely filled an absent Warden's inbox with correspondence in the last month. The Warden is not her husband, by the by; apparently, they don't get along.
And a Rifter by the name of Richard Dickerson, which is a pseudonym if I've ever heard one, has a snake that lives in his clothes. [ Loki would very much like to meet the snake. ]
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That IS good gossip though, and while she doesn't know any of these people it's information that she tucks away for later, the drama and intricacies of the community here. She's never had to rely on second hand knowledge like this before, but if she's anything it's adaptable.
That last one though has her snorting in laughter, her tone absolutely incredulous. ]
Richard Dickerson, now that can't be real. you must be pulling my leg. And that poor snake. I feel bad for it more than him.
[ there's a moment pause, and then she speaks again, a little more lightly, as watching him closely for his reaction. ]
You know I'm not some blushing virgin debutant, you don't have to turn you back to spare my honor. [ A beat, and then more curiously. ] Actually I dunno, new body. Does that reset things or?
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[ Unless the man is like, Qunari or Avvar, which Loki doesn't think he is.
The reaction Sylvie gets is this: Loki's spine straightens a bit as he sits upright before he turns to look over his shoulder, considering her for a moment. He tilts his chin upward before he pivots the rest of his body towards her, sitting backward in the chair and draping his arms over the back of it. There's a twinkle in his eye and an air of serious regard to her question about resetting things. ]
Well, I don't know. No one's mentioned it, at least not where I've heard about it, and it's harder to tell withโ [ he gestures towards himselfโ ] a cock. However. I'm sure we could find out.
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All that though falls to the wayside as Loki spins in his chair, his eyes sparkling as if he was just waiting for some permission to do so. It makes her grin back, eyebrows arching. He probably can't see through the bubbles, despite being in a higher vantage point, but there was something about the way he looks at her as he gestures towards himself that makes her stomach flip. It really has been...some time.
Sylvie touches the tip of her tongue to her teeth , pretending to really think about that. ]
Mmm could we? Purely for the science of it I reckon. A mystery to be solved. Be a bit difficult though from all the way over there.