( karteria ) work chat.

[takasugi]

3KON!!! 🦊

RINNE_A

would u guys still love me if i were a worm??? lol

MOSTHANDSOMEPREZ

We can put you in a bottle

And keep you forever

RINNE_A

ok but like

would u love me

NOISYBEE

But why are you a worm???

code

Comments

[takasugi]

Hold it
You can't just leave it at that
First of all, who's "he"?
And why're you doing something so intimate as to watch a movie together?

( this is all he's learned about cinema so far: netflix and chill. )

[ignoreher]

It's not intimate, Takasugi. Unless you make it by getting handsy, and I'm definitely not planning on that happening.

[ again. anyway,]

And it's just Rafayel. Our mutual friend who complains but goes along with whatever so it probably doesn't matter what movie actually thanks for talking it out with me my mind is clear.

[takasugi]

You're not planning on it
But which of you had this idea in mind?

( either way, if he were the invitee... well, it's not his business if that happens. unless? it literally is his business? )

[ignoreher]

[ it's literally not? leave her alone? she came to them but leave her alone? besides, the thought that he'd have the idea to is...

...

uuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh she can't suffocate herself she has responsibilitiiiiiiiiiies. ]

Me. And he's not... going to plan on it either, since he's
probably
maybe
not

[ ... it was probably just... all that, like how she was struggling, it's probably just... ]

Logically speaking, there's just no way.

[hanikamu]

don't you get it prez?
our lil bambi's courting raffy!

[takasugi]

Courting him, while making him sound impotent?

[ignoreher]

[ sssssssssshe is going to throw herself out the windo ]

I just want to make up for something that happened last month, okay? As friends! I've
I've kind of been avoiding him and I feel awful about everything, so I just thought that maybe we could catch a movie and be normal again!

[hanikamu]

oh?
what happened last month?
did shit get freaky?

[nosy]

-> video call

[ignoreher]

[ nosy.

... ugh. it's too hard to type it, because then it's-- there, like, permanently, and staring at the words only worsens her embarrassment. so. yes, pick up, we're facetiming this conference call. malkuth's hugging her legs to her chest, cheeks flushed and eyes turned a bit away...

a beat. a sigh, burying her face into her knees as she muffles loud enough to hear: ]

I kissed him.

[ just get that out of the way right now like pulling a bandaid off. ]

[takasugi]

( oh. they're on video now.

which only reveals takasugi's been tinkering on mini arahabaki on his bed like usual through this whole conversation, feet kicking out behind him. )

You kissed him.

( he repeats it calmly. maybe even accusingly. accusing oF WHAT?? though is a mystery. )

[hanikamu]

[Rinne is at a mahjong parlor, taking a break at a seat against a mint green wall. The smoke and chatter make the atmosphere almost tangible.]

You kissed him.

[said flatly as he down a bottle of beer.]

[hanabee]

[Niki, meanwhile, is sort of out of view. He's at home, preparing dinner.]

Wait, are we supposed to be surprised? You guys made it sound like he did that to everyone.

[Isn't this terrible in a different way?!]

[ignoreher]

[ niki you are NOT an ally ]

I kissed him! [ she's ignoring them as her arms go up like she can't believe it either ] And it-- the circumstances were kind of bad, my other soul was acting up so I just wanted some company and he ended up in my room and--

[ deft fingers tracing lines from her neck to her shoulder, nearly a ghost of a brush down to her hand, the goosebumps nearly rise again at the thought. her temperature sure does though, and malkuth flops backwards on her bed, bringing the syntrofos with her as she curls up. ]

We didn't do anything beyond that and it won't affect us professionally. [ just so they know. she's still glum regardless. ] But I... I miss talking to him, and every time I think to try I chicken out. So I thought a movie would be fine. Since we don't need to look at each other or even talk really.

[ she's only a girl your honor ]

[takasugi]

Good. There should be boundaries in the work place, right? Or something like that.

( says takasugi. )

Anyway, uhm... kissing him is pretty serious. So is missing his voice. Are you sure he's interested? He once mentioned how easy it would be to take advantage of me. I get the feeling he says things like this a lot.

( SAYS TAKASUGI. )

[hanikamu]

So long as work gets done, I don't really care about whether you got relationships in the workplace or not, [says Rinne.] but Raffy does say shit like that.

You sure he's not playin' ya?

[He's gonna hold off on revealing other things he knows until later. Or maybe never.]

He's pretty popular, that guy. I proposed to him twice—

[Niki, please take the floor]

1/2

[hanabee]

[There is a lot of irony here and Niki knows it, but he's been pretending he doesn't know what Takasugi's been up to, so... He's just going to ignore all of the really suspicious things he's saying right now!]

It does sound like he's tried to seduce half the people here.

2/3, actually

[hanabee]

[The next comment is very definitely directed at Rinne.]

Isn't that a you problem?

[hanabee]

Anyway, I don't think Raffy is a bad guy, though. Probably.

[hanikamu]

I don't wanna hear that from the guy who got seduced by his cooking.

[hanabee]

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

You mean he seduced me, too?!

[HE HAD NO IDEA...?]

[ignoreher]

... He's never tried to seduce me, though.

[ so that's a them problem??? niki included?????? bro ]

Anyway, I don't... know if he's interested. Probably not. I mean, it's just me, and-- and Rafayel's just-- a nice guy when he isn't being a stupid, whiny, annoying brat of a grown man that can't wait ten minutes for someone he invited to show up to a party! [ that's her friend. ] I'm sure anything he's done with or for me he's done with and for anyone else in some way, so I'm trying not to take it too seriously.

[ any of it. her own cocktail of emotions included. ]

It was probably just. You know, soul stuff and imprinting and whatever.

[takasugi]

( thank you, niki, for never mentioning the many violations of code in a public forum...

anyway, )

It's not really common for a woman to make the first move in the time I'm from. I thought he would be the one putting in the effort is all. That's on me. But also, why're you giving in so easily to the implication that it might just be the imprint? I didn't hire a manager this weak-willed.

[hanikamu]

Imprinting is consensual too, though? That shit doesn't happen unless both of ya are cool with it.

[... Well. Don't ask how he knows.]

[ignoreher]

Then I guess we're both cool with it, Rinne.

[ just a bit exasperated. fine. she's pleased to have another, even if she's suffering right now too. ]

And it was... sort of a time of weakness anyway, so whatever. I didn't call any of you over for a reason.

[hanabee]

[Niki's still trying to cope with the fact that he might have been seduced. (Rafayel literally just gave him ice cream.)

But...]

This is starting to feel like way too much information. Please apologize to my dinner right now.

[It's whatever is sizzling on the stove. Don't taint it...!!]

Anyway, I don't really care about gender roles or whatever, but I agree. Shouldn't he be trying harder here?

[Now he's judging Rafayel, too?!]