numberedays | IC Inbox;

Maybe. It's not always easy to know what's truly helping and what's self-indulgent posturing.

Can't give much advice, myself. I've never been very successful at it either.

You're helping me, if that makes any small difference. [ She'd be hard pressed to explain the whole of it, but it's true enough. ]

...?

In what way?

Well for starters, talking to you is making me feel a lot less terrible about that whole "scariest" thing.

Is that so? I'm glad to have helped, then.

It is. I like talking to you, even if it's a bit surprising that you haven't asked me to your room yet.

...

You really are serious, aren't you...

[He's still having trouble accepting as much, apparently.]

You thought I wasn't? It'd be a pretty cruel joke.

You can say no and it won't bother me. [ Emotional hangups absolutely, but she has none about sex. It's a form of bonding that's easier for her than words, her biology being what it is. ]

If that's what you'd like, I have no complaints.

This way.

[Turning in the direction of the individual rooms.]

'No complaints.' Your enthusiasm is overwhelming. [ Her tone is fond, she expected something like that. ] I'll see what I can do about that, hm?

[ Glancing at the tea, then shrugging and following him. It'll keep. ]

This much is already more than I could have expected.

[He can clean up the tea later, there's only like four members including himself. Attending to Alizarin comes first.

His room is still the basic default version, though there's a laptop set atop a desk if... not much else. He doesn't have much in the way of personal belongings yet, it seems.]

I'm not entirely sure if that's a compliment, but I'll take it. [ It might be the closest he gets to those sort of specifics? ]

You're not about to be a cold fish, I hope. I won't be thrilled if I'm doing all the work. [ Lack of confidence, or whatever the situation, shouldn't mean lack of participation. She could probably just issue direct instructions but too much of that isn't fun either, if there's no interest on his side then it's just boring. ]

There's no worry of that. My eyesight is quite good, you'll find.

[ Chuckling, how succinct. ] Glad to hear it.

[ She approaches him but stops one step shy and considers. ] Lose the shirt now, if you don't mind. I don't want to be responsible for blood stains. [ Her corset is already ruined from training, but it's black and red anyway. ]

Fair.

[Especially since he has layers today even if he opted out of wearing the coat and tie.

Vest, then shirt are removed without much fanfare. He's clearly not the active sort - he's thin, for one, but rather pale and unblemished other than those scars along his neck.]

[ It's not so much his physique she cares about as her eyes lock on his neck and start softly glowing. She takes the last step toward him, resting her hands on his shoulders and then sliding them down his arms to tug his arms around her, placing his hands where her corset laces are tied as a clear message: get to work. ]

[ With his hands where she wants them, one of her arms drapes over his shoulder. With her other, she fingertip-traces the scars on his neck again. Before, the feeling this act evoked was care and concern; this time it's admiring and possessive. ]

Anywhere you don't want me biting, [ her smile quirks up ] other than the obvious?

[He moves as directed easily enough, fingers deftly beginning to undo the lacing. Though he still doesn't react too much outwardly, he's definitely taking the opportunity to appreciate her looks up close and personal.]

Not particularly. I'm all yours.

[A quick movement, untying the knot, and then easing the corset loose.]

[ Goodness, of all things never to say to a Chiropteran Queen. She makes a sound in her throat that's what a growl would be if it could express contentment -- too gruff to be called purring. ]

You do have a way with words around me.

[ She noses his jaw so he'll incline his head and then bites down at the edge of the scars. Usually when she bites she's quick, steady, gentle, trying to cause as little pain as possible; this time she does none of that. She doesn't settle in to siphon his blood out either (though she does lick up whatever trickles from the punctures, why waste it?) but instead moves barely an inch and bites again. This isn't about a meal, it's because he likes it. Because they both do. ]

[His breath hitches in his throat as she bites into his flesh, narrowing his eyes slightly, pleased and yet still trying to focus enough to get her clothes off of her.

Despite his best efforts, his hands are fumbling. But bit by bit, he's able to begin removing it.]

[ Her fangs score along his collarbone as she contemplates biting again, then smiles against him instead. ]

Now that's definitely a compliment. [ She'll take clumsy hands over a few pretty words any day. ]

You need me to lay off while you handle that? [ Her tone is impish, as is the way her tongue laves over the two bite marks she made already. Did she say 'lay off'? Because she clearly meant 'tease relentlessly'. ]

Mm... I'm not sure it will be much easier.

[That tongue is very distracting, the sting of saliva in that open wound.

Still, he works at it, fingers catching in those loops to loosen the strings.]

If you insist...

[ She bears her fangs against the crook of his neck and leaves him wondering for a long moment before biting down again. How nice to be having more of an effect than she thought. ]

Not too much, I hope. [ She doesn't think it is, she just wants to hear his answer. ]

[He can't help the way his hands falter as she bites down once more, taking a second to recover.]

Actually, I think that... should do it for the back.

[Unless he's supposed to unlace the whole thing...? The man's from 2222 and doesn't really know people, this is about the extent of his corset knowledge, particularly when there's an attractive vampire lady nibbling on his neck.]

[ She takes one last lick at his wounds before taking a half step back, shooting him a smile as she pops open the front busk and the corset falls away. (Definitely she didn't want him unlacing the whole thing, it's a huge pain to redo, as much fun as it possibly would have been to distract him while he attempted.) ]

Definitely don't be shy about touching this time. [ She reaches up to thumb over the fresh bite marks in case he needs any coaxing, but other than that and a very playful smile, she doesn't move. ]

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