( i am at one with a sea of sensations, glitter, silk, skin, eyes, mouths, desire )

[rhinemaid]

Who: Ilde Decima, Jules Grumley, Hasi Ozcelik
What: Girls Night Out
Where: Hasi's apartment, then Gutters.
When: The same evening as this and this.
Notes: part of an episodic story arc! Also, OUTFIT REFERENCE, because you all care as much as we do.
Warnings: Incidental violence, frank discussion of sexual situations. Ding me if I've missed something.

Ilde leaves Ivan's flat shortly after texting Jules, leaving a note behind (out for the evening, call you later) and heading back to the villa to change into something that doesn't say 'I sat around my boyfriend's apartment painting my toenails all evening'. (Is it really necessary to leave her perfume on everything he owns? Likely not.) It's a while before she's expecting Jules, which leaves her time for all the parts of evening preparation that she isn't going to handle with illusion (cuts her make up budget by about two thirds, that); large parts of this involve pushing Orion off the end of her bed before he can sit on the dress she just took off and trying not to speculate about exactly what's going on with Hasi and Mitchell.

She's aware (has long been aware) that she's not exactly ideal to be anyone else's sounding board or anything like emotional support, but at least she can provide alcohol, diversions and in at least the figurative sense a sympathetic ear. Maybe if it's like gifts, the thought that counts, it'll be something just that she tries. The sentiment feels too Disney to solidify and she discards it along with something feather-trimmed and probably too much for clubbing; they'll have a few drinks and do something stupid (there are tunnels deeper into Gutters that she hasn't seen the inside of and would like to) and it'll be fine.

Jules, who she gives a quick opportunity to pick through her shoe collection before they leave for Hasi's, is probably right to be slightly concerned. All things considered.

Comments

[rhinemaid]

"Not all monsters are created equal," Ilde drawls, half-bitter and not bothering to make it especially clear in which of the many possible directions she means that. "And-- Baedal is a closed system, so the usual rules don't work for anyone." Everyone makes compromises; Gutters, in its way, is a compromise. "That's useful if you're trying to create chaos. It makes it easier, and immediately more destructive."

In Baedal, ultimately, there is no where to run. Not really. It's one of her least favourite things about this city, and it must be acknowledged that there are more than a few things she's coming to be attached to. If it weren't for Sonja - if it weren't for the enclave and for commitments she's made elsewhere - then maybe she wouldn't be so committed to finding a way out. After all, she's never going home. That's not what returning is about.

"In the way we don't like," she adds, helpfully, riffing off Hasi's last note.

[neverbreaks.livejournal.com]

"I think that goes a bit part sadistic," Jules replies rather darkly, and that pang of Hunger in her gut is already making this conversation weave a new tapestry, story unfolding into a bloodier scene with each stitch. The Candlelighters might merit some investigation. "I think there's a monster inside everyone. It's just a matter or not of whether they indulge it." She shakes her shoulders a bit, an effort to loosen the muscles and banish the tension that keeps creeping over her. "Being human doesn't necessarily mean you have a monopoly of, or a headstart, in the matter of virtues."

That said, she does chuckle. "When you repeat each other like that, it makes me feel like I'm being inducted to something." Another piece of sushi gone, and she pushed the plate away with the happy sigh. "The sushi was an amazing decision, Hasi. I think it's all I ever want to eat from now on."

[norea]

"We're dragging you into the cult of clubbing, and yes, excellent seafood," Hasi says, rising with her cigarette in hand, "but you're right that humans don't necessarily have an advantage. I'm always telling people I don't even think 'good' exists."

It's all just shades of grey, in her mind. She straightens her robe, which has begun to slip over one shoulder.

"But now, you know, I'm going to go into my closet and get a few options for you. Are you ready?"

[rhinemaid]

"The idea of humanity as aspirational or inherently better is offensive if you've spent much time around humans," Ilde observes critically, quieter, but it's no secret that she has some strong feelings on the subject and she doesn't dwell much more than that. Instead--

"You're completely ready," to Jules. "You loved my shoes."

[neverbreaks.livejournal.com]

She can only bite her tongue in response to Ilde's comment. Going into her feelings and justifications about why humans are better - and she still feels that, despite everything. Even her own earlier comments aren't quite the accurate reflection of how she feels, but going into it and trying to be vague is far too complicated.

As for good not existing, she couldn't say if that was comforting or terrifying, as a concept.

"A group I'm happy to be part of." With an amused look at Ilde, she nods. "I suppose I am. Shoes are a fantastic method of assessment." A long, and slightly dramatic, drag of her cigarette: "lead the way."

[norea]

Hasibe's bedroom is more organized than one might perhaps expect, with a little vanity in one corner, a bookshelf, and a bed with a headboard made out of curving, carved metal. She has a large walk-in closet, although she says, ruefully, over her shoulder: "This is not nearly big enough. It's overflowing."

Already.

She starts picking out dresses one and two at a time, dropping them on the bed. "I think black, yes? Black is good. And it has to be a club dress, nothing too Audrey Hepburn."

[rhinemaid]

"That was the best part of moving into the villa," Ilde reflects, sitting on the edge of Hasi's bed and taking care not to ash on anything (of course she brought the tray with her). "Much more space."

[neverbreaks.livejournal.com]

Oh my.

With all those clothes in sight, Jules is considering putting out her cigarette then and there, as a terrifying mental montage storms through her mind with the force of a thousand inspiring eighties hits. She settles for just apologising quietly and resting it in the ashtray Ilde so considerately bought along, and then starts to nose around the clothes.

"Black sounds good, and I don't know what Audrey Hepburn looks like, exactly, so I imagine we're safe on that front." The sad disadvantage of living constantly on the move in a post-apocalyptic world; you learnt about some things, and thoroughly failed to discover others. "What about this one?"

There's so many clothes that it's almost overwhelming, but she fishes it out and holds it up. "Yes, no?"

[norea]

Hasibe keep her cigarette in hand, the other on the corresponding hip, as she considers the dress critically. "Depends. I think you should show more leg, personally, but I almost always err on the side of 'more skin.'"

She has an entire system worked out for how to show skin, in fact--when it's appropriate, when it's not, where to show, how much to show. It's not dissimilar to her overly complicated practice of cheerfully torturing her lovers with her apparel, which involves a heavy reliance on layers of lingerie (slips and more) worn partly for fashion and partly just to be a huge tease.

[rhinemaid]

Ilde critically examines Jules' legs in order to better give an opinion, but ultimately tips her hand-- "No, I think more leg, too." Her own outfit is almost modest given where they're going, but 'almost' is probably the important part of that sentence.

[neverbreaks.livejournal.com]

"More leg it is." Hmm. Hmm. Another quick browse, carefully holding the current dress to others so that she definitely does grab one with more leg potential, humming quietly-- and it gives way to a quiet sound of victory as she grabs another two. "More leg, yes? Do we we want 'more leg'" once again, the dress is held up, "or 'more leg'?"

And you best believe she waggled her eyebrows with the second one. Oh, Julia.

[norea]

That gets a quick grin from Hasibe, clearly approving: "Oh, the second. Always. Gutters isn't quite as over the top as, say, where I work, but it's close."

Because at The Vault, she walks around in glorified lingerie, and at Gutters she actually bothers to put on a damn dress, but the objectives at Gutters are different for most people. (Not really for Hasibe, but you know, other people.)

"I bought new fishnets last week that aren't even out of the box, actually, do you want to wear them? It feels a little less bare, but if you sit the wrong way you'll still flash your underwear, so bear it in mind. You know, if you care about that kind of thing."

[rhinemaid]

"They would be fun with that dress," Ilde says, speculatively, flouncing the velvet skirt of her own with her knee as if to demonstrate what fun might theoretically look like. (Sometimes she just does things.) After a beat, "Gutters is a little more like the name, really."

...much as she loves it, no offense Deacon, it is not the classiest establishment in town.

[neverbreaks.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like just the sort of challenge I like." And Jules, being the (somewhat) shameless sort of person that she is, is going to just pull off her shirt and jeans, and grab that there dress and slip it on. "I liked where you work, though. The people there were really friendly." Or, she supposes they were; she wants to say something nice, when in truth she spent most of the night drinking. In the corner. Alone. Healthily.

Battle with the clothes other, she smoothes the dress. "I don't think fishnets would hurt." That said, she looks to Ilde with a bemused smile. "It has an unfortunate smell, does it?"

[norea]

From Hasi's corner when Jules changes there is only this comment, lacking (unsurprisingly) in scandal: "Oh, you are wearing underwear!"

Look, sometimes this one doesn't; she assumes this also applies to other people. Hasi moves to obtain the fishnets, glancing over her shoulder to study the dress's sit on Jules' frame. Package of dark-purple stockings acquired, she drops them on the bed as an offering. "That looks really good. Something in the way of accessories next, and you should be set."

[rhinemaid]

"A necklace," Ilde opines, opting to let Gutters ultimately speak for itself when they get there; Jules will probably figure out more or less what she meant at that point. "I think something...I don't know, something bright."

[neverbreaks.livejournal.com]

Jules chuckles a bit as she turns, rolling her eyes and grabbing the stocking to prepare herself for battle. "Only for special occasions and changing in public."

Of course, she pauses midway through her heroic struggle with the fishnets to tilt her head at Ilde, eyebrow arched. "That sounds very likely to draw attention to my neck. Do you want me to get bitten?" Playful, of course, although she can't help but wonder what would happen if she got bitten. Not anything good for the vampire in question, she imagines.

"What do you girls need to do before we go?"