nicawlette

[nicawlette]

NICOLETTE'S LOVE PAWSONA .ᐟ

[nicawlette]

On Valentine's Day, Nicolette wakes to a fresh bouquet of roses (pink, red, and purple) along with a matching card next to a box of chocolates (homemade, what else?). There's no sign of Wang Yi in the room, but the sounds and scents of breakfast cooking comes from somewhere downstairs. Opening the card reveals a simple message:

Nini, Happy Valentine's Day. I thought you'd like the candy theme since it looks like half the city's buried in sweets by now. That aside, if you want to go somewhere less sugary for the holidays, I think we can barricade ourselves in one of the extra rooms upstairs and have a movie marathon to start. I already baked the snacks. :) And if that sounds too ordinary, I'm ready to be your Candy Warrior or whatever's in now, anytime. I've already cleared out my day, so let's do anything we want, all right? Yiyi

The first thing she notices upon surfacing from the depths of peaceful rest is the cool, empty space beside her. It's something she's still getting used to experiencing, after many fitful nights— a slow, content rise rather than an anxious one. She finds herself feeling rather lazy most mornings as of late; today is no exception, eyes refusing to open while a hand pats blindly around the mattress in futile search for the body that should be there.

Nicolette gives up quickly, growing more alert when her nose catches the faint floral scent in the air that wasn't there the night before, when she'd successfully bullied Wang Yi into sleeping beside her. The realization of what he's done is enough to wake her completely, and she turns over onto her stomach, eager to admire the lovely bouquet and snatch the card from the bedside table.

It takes all of her self control not to jump out of bed and head straight for the vibrant sounds of life coming from elsewhere in the mansion. Instead, she takes her time reading over the carefully handwritten note, grinning wider and wider at her lover's blunt sincerity and clumsy romance. Nicolette can't help but be won over by it, kicking her feet and giggling like a lovesick fool at the cheesy one-liner. Bringing the card towards her flushed face, she breathes in the faint scent of him left clinging to the paper and ink.

Embarrassing! Oh, she wants to kiss him right now!

Nicolette rolls onto her back with a soft sigh, head resting against his pillow where the smell lingers strongest and presses the note against her rapidly beating heart. It's all rather pathetic, this reaction— this elation— to such simple acts, but she does not fight it. It feels too good.

Five more minutes, Nicolette decides. To bask in this pleasure of being considered ( cherished ), in the privacy of her bedroom. Then she will get out of bed, grab both flowers and homemade chocolate, and head downstairs to the kitchen, where someone rather lovely was waiting for her arrival.

They had all day, after all.

[nicawlette]

Nicolette has always thrived off the feeling of being wanted by others; however, whether or not she finds them deserving of her time is another matter entirely. It's exhilarating, being the center of someone's attention, even more so when she finds someone who knows how to play.

If her companion were less charming and not so easy on the eyes, she might've gotten her amusement in watching them squirm, but Nicolette can't help pushing her luck with such a fine specimen finding their way into her sights. It's minute, the movement she makes to lean just a breath closer into the hold on her chin.

The eyes staring back are a bright, endless void, so easy to get lost in if one wasn't careful ( not that she wants to be ). As that sharp talon falls away from her mouth, a pink tongue peeks out, mirroring Fiyero's provocations by swiping along her bottom lip as if to chase the lingering taste of his touch. Eyes narrowing and smile curling sharper, a soft hum is the only answer to his copious praise, akin to the purring of feline satisfaction.

❝ A trade, hm? ❞ The hand on her thigh stirs a simmering heat in her gut, legs uncrossing with effortless grace and parting slightly wider on their shared seat. A harmless tease. ❝ What do you suggest? ❞ It's an innocent inquiry, if not for the way Nicolette seems to melt against the sofa, head tilting to rest along the back cushions and present the alluring stretch of her pale neck.

All the while, her eyes never leave him, half-lidded and beguiling. ❝ Would you show me? I'm more of a hands-on learner. ❞ She smiles wider as if laughing at her own joke— the meaning of which could hardly be misunderstood by the foot raising slightly from the floor and dragging up his calf with the toe of her heel.

❝ are you staring at my lips? ❞ >:3c

what if we kissed?

fiyero is staring at her lips. nicolette knows that fiyero is staring at her lips. it's a game, then, one that he's very eager to participate in. uncrossing his legs and crossing them again the opposite direction, he makes more space for himself to lean in on the couch they're sharing, towards her.

   his gaze only briefly flicks up to her eyes, seen by the small lift of his lashes. then they're back on her lips. a clawed hand reaches out, thumb and index finger framing her chin. he gently nudges her closer, as though he wanted to examine her more closely.

   intentionally casual, perhaps meaning to tease where she's being rather forward. really, she could just ask for a kiss and he'd give it to her, but this back and forth is nice, too. working for it can be exciting sometimes, even if fiyero has a reputation for being easy.

   ' i was admiring your handiwork. you simply must be aware of how well it accentuates your beautiful features. ' a thumb flicks up to trace at her bottom lip, the very tip of his talon, careful not to pierce. ' such a bright red ... it makes your eyes stand out. as it should, really. it's an alluring colour. '

   retreating his hand with a flutter underneath her chin, fiyero brings his thumb to his own lips and tongues at it cheekily, frames it in the split of his tongue. ' i'm always more cautious with the brightest reds ... i'm already bright enough as it is, don't you think? ' looking at her intently, lowering both of his hands to place one on her thigh, fiyero gives her a meaningful grin. ' i prefer darker violets. '

   and then, added lightheartedly: ' do you wanna trade? '

[nicawlette]

At this point in their relationship, it's not as though she expects him to simply brush her off, but he's always been a little clumsy with things like this; sometimes frustrating, other times hurtful, but usually endearing, Wang Yi's slow, yet steady, progress towards discovering his own ability to feel and recognize emotion is one she prides herself on helping encourage.

Still, to be pulled into his arms so quickly is a surprise. The warmth of his cheek, heat trapped between their bodies and voice murmuring soft words directly to her ear saps all the tension from her rigid shoulders. Nicolette seems to melt into him without a fight, eyes falling closed as she tucks her face into the curve of his neck. As he speaks, the vibrations lull her into a comforting sense of safety.

It feels so nice to be held like this, as if something cherished and beloved.

He squeezes her tighter, and she raises her arms to hold him back. Fingers press into his clothed back before clutching into the fabric like they're afraid he'll slip away. Wang Yi manages to say all the right things. Surely he can feel the smile forming as she breathes out a long, relieved sigh. ❝ You really mean it? ❞

The smile grows, brushing the question against his skin. ❝ The sounds perfect, ❞ she whispers, rewarding him with a single press of her lips to his throat. ❝ It doesn't matter if he doesn't want you there— I do, and I always get what I want. You could never get between anything, when I want you by my side. ❞ If anything, she trusted that Break would prioritize her happiness over his grudges.

❝ And Sao Ling is always welcome— I'll bribe him with treats to keep his claws in check. I'll spoil him. I'll spoil you both rotten, but especially you. ❞ Nicolette expresses her satisfaction by pressing herself against him completely, peppering the expanse of his neck and jaw with audible, quick fluttering kisses.

His guilt is misplaced, for he only missed the signs she intentionally kept hidden, but it warms her heart all the same. It had been her own foolish cowardice and pride that kept her silent, but she sees now how unnecessary it had been to fear the fragility of her place in his heart. ❝ Thank you, Wang Yi, for hearing me. I like you so much. ❞ I might even love you.

Growing up, Wang Yi had studied his share of psychology books and classmates just to learn how to fit in. Imitating them had been a part of life until he could echo their expressions and tone perfectly. Sometimes he fancied he actually felt what they were feeling. After all, his body was human. It breathed like them, spoke like them, and he had eyes that were capable of tears.

He calls upon all of his experiences now to decipher what he's feeling at this moment: cold one second, hot the next. Nicolette is standing in front of him and baring her heart out, and Wang Yi recognizes that she's telling him that she's lonely.

What was loneliness?

Solitude without peace, a beginning without an end. A hole in your heart, he thinks, so that even when it's beating, a piece of its warmth is still missing. Of course he knew that Break and Zhilan were gone too, but his sensations were duller, more muffled. He and Nicolette were still living well, he assumed, so the best thing was to continue like they always had.

I thought you were doing fine, he thinks guiltily, brows furrowing. She had smiled and teased as always—but of course. Asking him to sleep over, inviting him to stay.

He's stupid for not getting the memo until she tells him outright.

"You know..." Wang Yi leans in. Nicolette is staring at her shoes, so he just rests his cheek against the side of her face while pulling her closer to him. "Anywhere I go, Sao Ling's coming along too. If he scratches up the furniture and Break comes back, I'm counting on you to defend me, yeah?"

He tosses that out to lighten the mood, but his next words are quieter, murmured right by her ears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

"All this time you were in the mansion I was thinking, 'Nicolette's living like a queen by now, she can sleep in a different room every night.' The fact that the house is still there after Break left—I figured it was his gift to you and Zhilan. You guys are close in your own way, so I didn't want to get between that."

He's used to being the odd one out, an extra that doesn't quite fit in. Even if he tries, something inevitably sours—so it'd been him in the condo and them in the mansion, and everything had been fine.

"I'm pretty sure the guy doesn't want me there, but," his hold on her tightens, and a low laugh interrupts his next time. "if you invite me as a permanent houseguest, then I'll stick around until he kicks me out himself. I'll pester you everyday and pay my rent with the cooking and cleaning...sounds good?"

[nicawlette]

i’ve been diagnosed with needy and annoying disease. i will be put down now.

[nicawlette]

❝ You know things have been really quiet, with the others... gone. ❞ It's hard, to say that word, and it never gets any easier. ❝ The mansion feels so much bigger, which— well, I didn't think it was possible because it's already so big! I mean, talk about excessive, right? ❞ Nicolette laughs softly, but the act is hard it maintain. Now that she's started, the bleeding wound aches, and without the safety of the metaphor, her tender flesh is painfully exposed.

Other than Break, Wang Yi is one of the few people that— past carefully curated masks and lies— is able to understand her, regardless of how hard she tries to hide. He still manages to miss the mark sometimes, but they've done well so far, for a pair that both feels too much and is learning how to feel at all.

She trusts him. Despite all the missteps, all the hurt, Wang Yi makes her feel seen. It's terrifying, and suffocating, but also beautiful and addicting.

❝ Actually, I feel... really alone. ❞ The confession is a whisper, and Nicolette breaks his gaze to stare at their feet, blinking away the threat of hot tears. ❝ I had no attachment to the Rainsworth Mansion— not the way Break does, with all the fond memories of his family, before here. But... it became that for me, too, the place with... the people I love. It's— it feels like my home. I've never had anything like that, before. ❞

❝ Now... it's so empty. I hate being there, in the silence. Sometimes I wake up and feel like I've lost everyone, and I just wish I could turn over and see you there or— or walk down the hall and selfishly wake you up. I want to eat breakfast with you, and walk through Zhilan's garden and stay up late before saying goodnight. ❞

Nicolette feels out of breath by the end, having grown desperate the more she flayed her heart open before him. At some point, two-tone eyes lifted to franticly search his, and while she feels the blush on her face, her expression is pained. ❝ I always wanted you there, to ask you this, but it never felt like the right time. I was scared, of how you'd react. But... I miss them, so much, and I don't— I don't want to miss you too, when you're right here. ❞

The metaphor might have taken on a life of its own, but Wang Yi catches the glimpses of meaning between each line. A place to be together, to return to. More than a library, it sounds like Nicolette is looking for a shelter for them both...or maybe a home?

"Mm-hmm?" His gaze on her is patient and sincere; he's not sure where she's leading him exactly, but he can follow the cues step-by-step.

"I like the idea of that."

"I'm guessing whatever you say next is gonna be even better?"

[nicawlette]

Her cheeks are flushed still as his fingers tuck a wayward strand behind her ear, now with obvious pleasure at his mindless preening, rather than embarrassment.

The hand not held securely by his own wanders to the locks of pink hair hanging over his shoulder, curling it around her fingers. Oh, she wants to kiss him, but now that she's started this conversation, it'd be best to finish it without getting distracted.

Perhaps after, if the request doesn't blow up in her face.

❝ If I can be whatever I want... then I want to be yours. I want you to open a library card with me. ❞ Her brows knit in thought, eyes seemingly searching his for some kind of answer. Or the existence of something that might give her the answer she wants.

❝ And I want the place we meet... to be a place we stay, together. When I open and close the library, I want you to be the first and last thing I see. ❞

❝ Is that— does that make sense? You might be losing me with the library metaphor, ❞ the sheepish confession is followed by a gentle tug at his ponytail and quiet laughter, ❝ but I guess that's my fault for encouraging it. I think it's better if I be more literal. Promise you won't freak out? ❞

He's kinda following along, he thinks. The more important thing is that there's light back in Nicolette's eyes again, instead of whatever look she'd been carrying in them before.

That's good, he thinks, and brushes hair back from her face absently as he grins at her answers.

"Staying at the library huh...that'll depend on the books."

"Besides, so much stuff's digitalized nowadays that we can make our own library wherever we want."

They were making their own already, weren't they? By staying here, and filling it up with their memories.

"I wanna change a few things about your offer," he adds. "If I like the librarian so much, I'd just open my own library card with her. And if she thinks being a librarian's miserable..."

"Then duh, she can be whatever she wants. People move. but books don't. The place where we meet doesn't have to be the place we're stuck at forever, right?"

[nicawlette]

With one tug, Wang Yi pulls them to a stop, removing her ability to hide by walking ahead. She knows she must seem ridiculous and out-of-character, behaving so evasive and insecure. It doesn't make sense to her either, but matters of the heart rarely do ( even less so, when it comes to the two of them ).

Regardless, she wants him to take this seriously. She won't have to courage to ask him what she wants to, otherwise.

His attempt at seeming lighthearted elicits a petulant huff as her response. Her face grows hot with shame, but Nicolette can tell he's trying to answer sincerely, even if he doesn't understand. She can't help but smile, clearly charmed.

Her hand grips his own tighter, a sign that he's getting it right, in his own unique way.

❝ Being a librarian sounds miserable, ❞ she replies, trying to follow his lead, ❝ but you'd be my favorite patron, even if you were using another man's library card. ❞ Her worries seem so silly, when he puts it that way. Wang Yi would never lie to her, but she knows it's unlikely to be that simple. Their relationship must be too complicated to truly put into words

The same could be said for them, couldn't it?

Still, that doesn't seem so terrible, when he speaks of it so mildly. It rather sounds like she has no competition at all, actually. ❝ Do you... like being at the library? What if you could stay all the time, with the librarian? Would you? ❞ God, now he's got her brain all messed up with stupid metaphors!

Wang Yi falls into step behind Nicolette, content to follow her where she takes him. The sights and sounds of the festival fade behind them as the maze closes around them. His eyes are distracted, glancing between the turns and twists of the labyrinth as they walk, but stay mainly on Nicolette. The occasional glimpses he catches of her irises tell him nothing.

When she finally speaks, he perks up to pay attention, but blinks at her question.

"Who—you mean Qin Xian?"

"...you just made me imagine some really weird scenarios, Nini."

His hand squeezes hers before he pulls her up short. Standing before her, green eyes gaze earnestly into purple ones as Wang Yi organizes his thoughts.

"It's true that he's helped me a lot, and there's stuff about him I still can't figure out because he gets so damned vague...but just because a guy's mysterious doesn't mean I'll fall head over heels for him. That stuff just passes by me all the time."

He crinkles his brows, trying to parse his thoughts.

"It's like...I checked out library books on his card but didn't return them by the due date, so I gotta help him pay back the fines, sorta? Maybe he likes me, but he's never told me, and as for me—"

Wang Yi blinks, then laughs.

"Well, I ran into the librarian first. Don't you think I should pay my dues to her before anyone else?"

[nicawlette]

The sidelong smile she offered her companion was hard to miss, eyes narrowing like a cat playing with a mouse as she asked, ❝ do I ever make you blush, Fernie? ❞ The very idea seemed flattering more than anything. Nicolette found her friend rather pretty despite the mage's apparent lack of interest in her own appearance.

❝ Speaking of things to blush about— I think you really underestimate what a good pair of panties can do. Comfort is a must, but more importantly... don't you think there's something fun about wearing a sexy secret that only you know about? ❞ The differences between her and the mage were obvious, but it still managed to fascinate her when their contrasting ways of thought collided.

What a strange picture they must make, walking beside one another.

Nicolette gravitated further into the store without prompting, lingering near a dressed mannequin with a rather flattering green cloak. ❝ I'll show you mine, if you want an example— here, try this, ❞ casual invitation to view her undergarments offered, Nicolette pulled the article from the display and held it up in front of Fern's body with a discerning eye.

ʚїɞ - "...Please don't dress me in a trash bag." Fern almost instantly pleaded under her breath, not understanding that the statement was indicative of what Nicolette would ultimately dress her up in. Her mind wandered to wondering just what modern accessories could be paired with a trash bag to look good anyways. But the mage didn't really accessorize; she hardly even styled her hair beyond what she was used to.

Her eyes did widen a moment when it was mentioned how she made things sound. "Mm... I don't think its immoral. We should all be allowed to dress the way we're most comfortable, right? I admire women that are comfortable showing their skin... even if it makes me blush sometimes." She was dodging the reason it made her blush though. That pansexuality that she didn't publicize. She didn't express it in the way most people did, but she could be attracted to most genders.

"Where to start...? I suppose underwear is important, but I don't think it matters that much compared to what I wear over it." Spoken like a woman who has never been in a proper romantic relationship, really. Either way, she led Nicolette inside as they discussed it.

[nicawlette]

✍ I'd say make sure to get my good side, but they're all perfect

Send me a ✍ and I'll draw our muses together!

this one was fun lol they’re like a manhwa couple

pose ref via mung_koo

[nicawlette]

His fingers are cool to the touch, fitting seamlessly in the spaces between her own, the heat of her palm trapped against his cold skin. Her grip tightens in response to his unspoken comfort, and Nicolette allows it to act as a soothing balm to her petty jealousy. Regardless of where he was before, she shouldn't forget that it's her he is with, now.

It gets harder to remember, the more people she loses.

❝ This way, ❞ she murmurs, pulling him towards the left, away from the sounds of other festival-goers. Suddenly, she wants to be alone with him, as much as possible, without any other eyes looking upon him but her own.

Their interlocked hands swing slightly as they walk, and Nicolette hardly pays attention to where they're going, peeking at Wang Yi from her peripherals. ❝ Are— were you two very... close? ❞ She cringes slightly at how obvious and insecure that sounds. It doesn't help how unbefitting their surroundings are for such a topic, but it's not like they've talked about it much before. ❝ Do you ever feel with him... what you feel with me? ❞

She's never wanted to really know the answer before, and hardly felt the need to. But there's something she's wanted to ask him, now even moreso when she recalls how quiet the manor's empty halls have become. It feels important to hear from him where she stands, first.

Do I what?

Do I like getting eaten?

"Yeah—? Huh, okay?"

An oblivious Wang Yi follows Nicolette into the maze, clueless as to what she wanted to ask. After all, he didn't put her and Qin Xian on the same level. That guy was part of his plot progression, an important key to unlocking his past but also someone he owed a debt to.

Nicolette was—obviously, first. In this world, she was priority.

...he wondered whether his ability to jump flawlessly from one setting to another might've been one of the reasons Break got annoyed with him in the past.

They entered the corn maze side-by-side and are soon surrounded by walls of green. Faint conversation and laughter from children—other participants of the maze—sound in the distance around them. Wang Yi squeezes Nicolette's hand and puts on a smile, deciding to let the matter drop for now. She'd share when she was ready, anyways.

"So, left or right?" he asks.

[nicawlette]

The gruesome sight unfolding before her eyes, while enough to send another running for their life, merely encourages a moment of hesitation; the atmosphere grows tense with calculated observation, but her posture remains at ease.

When dealing with wild animals, overreaction is akin to blood in the water, and running an invitation to be hunted. She knows, having been both the predator and the prey, but Nicolette promised herself many years ago to never be a victim again.

Least of all to someone so lacking in finesse.

❝ If you call that embarrassing display a party, then you've got bigger problems to worry about, ❞ her scathing review is made at a distance, lest he delude himself into attempting the same blunder again so soon. It's not fear, but the very idea of him fantasizing about the taste of her flesh between his teeth is enough to make her skin crawl with revulsion. It sends a flash of hot fury through her veins, tempered only by the façade of indifference.

One may assume he's waiting for her guard to lower, to strike when she's distracted, but Nicolette can see him watching her as she watches him— recognizes the creature behind his gaze as one that lacks the concept of repressing his bloodlust.

Perhaps he sees no need to, or has yet to face the consequences of biting indiscriminately and without self-control. Has he ever had blood on his hand he didn't mean to put there? Does he know the crushing weight of regret? Is he more beast than man? Is she?

❝ I hardly think it's fair to pin the blame on me— if he got away that easily, it seems more like a skill issue. ❞

Hunger breeds monsters. An apex predator bites the throat of its prey to fulfill this one need, killing while knowing nothing of guilt or mercy. Survival is a stranger to remorse, which humans consider themselves above as they ravage for frivolous goals like power, wealth, or status. There is irony in this sense of superiority as if people are not animals. Are not monsters at their core, capable of acts far more heinous than tearing into the belly of a deer as it still breathes, only they possess awareness of their sins in ways true animals do not. Vanth knows intimately the animalistic ways of man, for he has suffered by their hand. He also knows what it is like to be the apex predator, hunting helpless prey. It is the role he assumes at this moment, a forearm's bone snapped under his grip, a wooden stake plunged into its owner's side. It kicks and screams beneath, pleading, but regret has no presence within him. They are his means to survive and nothing else, and their death will be swift though not merciful. He merely has no mood for wasting time. The iron grip on their forearm lets go, his knee shifting forward to pin them down, but movement ahead catches his eye. In seconds, Vanth is looking up, and the face that stares back at him gives him pause. Her gaze is familiar somehow. Perhaps, in instinct. His would-be victim slugs him across the jaw and knocks him back. Vanth does not give chase as they shriek and make their escape, instead wiping away the blood smeared on his cheek with an air of disinterest. After a moment, he finally voices his complaint. ❝ Aw mannn… I lost my catch, ❞ he says slowly, watching as his index finger is brought down to roll the smatter of red under his thumb.

❝ You really know how to crash a fucking party, huh. ❞ @nicawlette — your eyes remind me of mine.

[nicawlette]

The kiss pressed to her forehead is barely placating following the rushed explanation, a soft blush dusting at her cheeks as she soaks up the affection and pouts. ❝ Hmph... ❞ In truth, she had been half-joking, at first. But she certainly does not like to hear that name.

Qin Xian— he's mentioned him before, and she's smart enough to come to her own conclusions. There must be a reason he seems to pop up in more than one story, right? She cannot decide whether she wants to know everything, or nothing at all. Which would make her feel better about it?

❝ Do you— ❞ like him more than me? Does he know you better? Her mouth cannot seem to speak the words. They're too humiliating. ❝ Never mind, let's just go in. We're right here. ❞

Nicolette understands that Wang Yi's life outside of the island requires he evict her from sole occupation of his heart when not around. It does make her happy to accept it, possessive as she is, but it remains fact all the same. If she desires to have any of him at all, this is how it must be.

She just prefers not to be reminded of it.

"Huh?"

"I-it's not like that!"

Suddenly flustered, Wang Yi stops to grab Nicolette's shoulders right by the entrance, eyes darting everywhere before stopping on her face.

"He wasn't a person, for one thing—Qin Xian became an alien slime in one world and killed me through osmosis, but he fed me a piece of him beforehand, uhhh..."

Damn, why does that sound kind of kinky...

"Anyways, it was just for the plot! He put me to sleep before digesting me anyways!" He almost pouts at her before pulling her in to kiss her on the forehead.

"...you can eat me up anytime and anywhere you want, so don't get jealous, okay? I'm not supposed to make you mad anymore, Nini."

[nicawlette]

Where she anticipates him to return the suggestive teasing ( despite its morbid topic ), Wang Yi gives a far more literal answer to the rhetorical question; it's so in character, Nicolette wonders how she expected anything different.

The sincerity only makes her smile, her shoulder bumping into his playfully. ❝ What me to make you last, then? You'll be my only sustenance until nothing else can whet my appetite. ❞

Is that what you want? To be the only thing to satisfies my hunger? To get me addicted?

❝ Sounds pretty greedy to me, Yiyi— not that I mind. ❞ Her lashes flutter prettily as if endeared by some overly romantic sentiment, and she grips his arm that much tighter to lead them towards the maze. In the midst of their flirting, the line had dwindled to nothing.

Still, there's just one thing... ❝ Hey— you've been going around eating people and letting them eat you in return? I'm a little jealous! ❞

Wang Yi tilts his head to lean in closer, subconsciously welcoming more contact.

"It depends on whether I'm still conscious."

"I've done both—eat someone and be eaten, I mean. I know I didn't feel the first much after I swallowed, but for the second it was a pretty woozy experience until I got digesting. Maybe you'd have to keep my brain intact somehow, or else it'll just be like regular food—"

He breaks off to snort.

"That's why you should only snack on me, not eat me whole. How would we chat otherwise?"

[nicawlette]

Fern's stern presence was just barely enough to contain her excitement, the hands upon her shoulders a momentary shackle to keep her from getting carried away. Nicolette nodded along in understanding, respecting the boundaries given, but no less eager to offer assistance. It was hardly a restriction at all.

Regardless of her own taste in clothes, it'd be foolish to believe the volume of visible skin had any bearing on fashionable worth or appeal. ❝ Like I said, you've asked the right person. You could make a trash bag look good if it was accessorized correctly! ❞

Nicolette found Fern's fears to be unfounded and amusing, but that didn't mean she would reject the permission she was being offered, even with the stipulations. ❝ Oh Fernie... you make it sound so scandalous and immoral. ❞ It only took a few strides to catch up to her fleeing companion, a clear pep in her step. ❝ I'll think it over though, but for now you've given me a mission and I can't afford to be distracted. Where do you want to start? ❞

ʚїɞ - Oh. This had been a bad idea after all. Fern's internal alarms went off the exact moment that Nicolette made the "greater purpose on this Earth" comment. Her gaze narrowed at the older woman. "Winter clothes, Nicolette. I don't think it would do me any good to show more skin in the cold." She didn't want to think about what she'd get dressed up in if she'd asked for help with summer outfits.

Fern closed the gap between them and placed her hands on Nicolette's shoulders, staring her dead in the eyes. "I'm asking you because I trust you won't make me wear anything that would make me uncomfortable." She had her reservations, but she still believed Nicolette respected her enough.

She let go and began to move into the store, but eventually looked over her shoulder at her friend. "One. I'll model one outfit for you that you'd really like to see me in regardless. But we have to be alone."

[nicawlette]

The rim of a glass rests just at the delicate curve of her lips as a voice, rich and smooth to the ear, cuts through the boisterous cacophony of the bar with the ease of a sharpened blade. It's enough to warrant a pause, brows pinching with mild irritation at the unsolicited advice; however, as her gaze slides over to assess the disturbance, Nicolette's features sharpen, instead, to a curious smile.

A slight incline of her head towards the unoccupied stool in unspoken invitation, she hums softly. ❝ Are you worried for me? ❞ It sounds like a question, but the amusement in her tone suggests otherwise.

❝ That's awfully sweet of you, but hardly necessary. I'm a big girl, you know. ❞ The contents of the glass are finished with a quick toss back before scarred fingers motion towards the bartender, signaling for two more. With that, Nicolette offers her companion her undivided attention. ❝ I'm awfully flattered you picked me as your preferred company. I sure hope I don't disappoint. ❞

bars were not her first choice of places to visit, however, they do offer the opportunity to gather intel. this occasion was no different, other than her decision to stay for at least one drink after concluding business. the woman a couple of seats along seemed to be ordering a third already. Arlecchino takes this as a chance to wander over, and if she's lucky, see if any further information is available.

"another round so soon? do take care, it would be a shame to end the evening too early." gesturing toward the empty seat next to the woman, she smiles, although it's the same one to grace her lips whenever she's searching for something. "do you mind if I sit here? I think I've had quite enough of uninteresting conversations for one day."

@nicawlette