#m.artemis

[containatrocity]

"You know, I thought I hated the 'Artemis that's over sleeping with me' thing that was going on." Mercy's voice rings out as he makes his way to the party- fashionably late, as usual. "But I think, actually, I hate the whole... miserable sadbitch thing you're doing now way more." He declares, pulling his cigarette from his lips as he comes to a stop alongside Artemis, slinging one broad arm around her shoulders. "You know, I don't do that whole... 'feeling and sharing' bullshit thing, but like. You look. Miserable, baby. And typically I don't give a shit, be as...." He motions with a hand- middle finger in a splint and quickly tucked back into his pocket. "This. as you want, but something about your vibe is harshing mine."

He exhales smoke from his nose, head tipped up and away for a moment. "Anything that stuffing a piece of paper in somebody's deadbolt at night or no-strings quickies in the ranger station bathroom can fix, or is this like, a therapy situation, Cherry Bomb?"

@exmcrtis

[containatrocity]

"Oh, you flatter me." He isn't quite sure if the implication is that he's the result of someone not practicing safe sex- or that their activities when simultaneously on the clock would certainly require them- if he wasn't shooting blanks- and then she clarifies, and he barks out a laugh. "Hey now, my mother found me rather tolerable. And my father's last words did include my name." They were cursing it- Mr. Sidon shoved to the slavering horde outside the cage the pair had taken refuge in as the rest of the circus met their brutal, bloody end. Patricide didn't feel like much, if Mercy was honest, between the adrenaline of nearly dying himself- and the knowledge that with his father out of the way, little more stood in the way of him taking the circus. Arkadeon had, of course, complicated that, as well. "And you're damn right I make your life a little brighter." He breaks from the counter for a moment, a smirk cast back over his shoulder. "An absolute blessing upon your workday when I turn up."

When he turns back around it's with an unsorted box of trades, donations, and other tat, it's due to be sorted through, but he's never been the type to choose work over the kind of view he had now. "Oh, don't look at me like that. We're on the clock." His voice is warm, tone playful as he pats her cheek with a many ringed finger. "What would the townspeople say about me, if they knew I was letting you get off easy." He lets the innuendo hang between them. "I've got a few ideas, sure." He offers with a smile. "Of course, it doesn't get these trinkets labeled, or my books run, which was the reason I turned up in the first place..." He sighs, the sound dramatic and over the top. "Buuuuuuut...." He shrugs. "I won't tell if you won't, hm?" He shifts his gaze at the door. "Just the lady and her snotnose, you poor thing. Wasting away here all alone... Surely this town owes better to it's lovely denizens."

cherry bomb. the nickname made her smirk to herself, eyes rolling in mercy's direction as she finished up what she was doing, the items not-so-neatly tucked back onto the display they'd come from. "i'm not an excessive force kinda human, mercy. life would probably be much easier if i were, but alas." the feeling of his fingers on her cheek prompted artemis to look up, gaze fixated on her boss's as her smile turned a little sweeter, her hands falling to rest in her lap. "you, my friend, are the greatest reminder to practice as many contraceptive measures as possible." she said this in jest, her hands used to push herself up from the floor in the process. "though if you didn't exist, my life would be a whole lot duller." now that she was on her feet, artemis railed behind mercy almost lazily, elbows coming to lean against the counter across from him, face just a few inches away from his with a soft blush on full display as she shakes her head. "it hasn't been, no. the one woman with her kid came in, and the only reason any time has passed is because i had to clean that mess up." artemis lifted her gaze to meet mercy's, nose wrinkling at the thought of having to do more work. normally she wouldn't consider herself to be lazy or petulant, but whenever mercy was around, it was hard for her to get anything done. "got any suggestions on how i can pass the time by?"

[containatrocity]

"Well, as you and I both know, I do sign off on the use of force against customers, but as the town doesn't, I think maybe we should reconsider our tantrum for a different, more productive outlet, Cherry Bomb." He barely looks down to where she's busy cleaning as he walks inside, the paper in his hand and a coffee in the other. "If you want to move it, at some point, maybe it's proximity to the toy section is encouraging the little pricks." He comes to a stop not far away from her, one ring clad, well-manicured hand reaching down to pat her cheek fondly, his features splitting into a grin. "Of all people, darling, I am probably the best option to encourage you to avoid a life of being a mother."

He's got the fatherly urges of a large rock with a frown painted on it, after all, and steering others away from it comes as second nature. especially when he's got something to gain out of it. "Besides, if you settle down, I have to give up this view, and that'd break my heart." He pulls a smirk a moment later, hand leaving her jaw as he moves to sit his things down. "If it happens again we'll move the display, it's not like anybody's coming in here desperate for a ceramic butter dish, and it'll free all of us for more productive time spent on our knees, hm?" He downs a portion of his coffee, leaning his elbows on the glass counter in front of him. "We been busy today, dollface?"

closed starter for: @containatrocity (mercy)

"swear to god if someone else comes in here just to bowl over this display, i will be throwing a temper tantrum and making it everyone else's issue." artemis is muttering under her breath as she dips to the floor, hands gathering as many loose pieces as she possibly can before they get too far away. she'd watched an elementary-aged child knock it over, curious little fingers clearly taking over where the impulse control could've stepped in. the redhead figured she couldn't blame the kid too much, but now that she was on the floor and trying to clean up, she couldn't help but grumble. but it stopped once she heard footsteps approaching, scared that it was another customer that may need assistance.

as soon as she lifted her gaze to spot mercy, a smile spreading on her features as if it was something she did on a daily basis. mostly because it was.

"remind me to never have kids, yeah? and if i do, i'm taping oven mitts to their hands so they can't grab onto anything."