[That smile is absolutely not convincing and he's starting to get the sense that he just walked into a trap? Great. It's fine, he's not nervous or anything as he settles on an awkward grin.]
Good to know, and I completely believe that. [Ahah...] Sooo...he told you what the demon said?
Yes, about what I expected. There was only a slight chance that Monika was unaware of everything happening. I suppose that poor girl felt concerned for my sake.
[A slight huff]
She needn't have bothered. The demon didn't come, and I didn't get any substantial information. It was a tie.
Yeah, perhaps so. I didn't know her that well, but Dick seemed to understand the situation better. It's probably better the demon didn't come after you. You know that.
[A vague snort at the first part. He is correct, of course, but it's becoming increasingly clear just how moody the woman is, as the smile dies on her features and she leans into his personal space.
Not touching -- no touching allowed this week for obvious reasons, but--]
According to a certain someone, apparently you were aware of the effects that sleeping with the possessed would cause. Long before I did, in fact.
[Her tails aren't just swaying anymore; they twitch in agitation]
My my, it's like everyone else sees fit to tell me these things before you.
[...ah. His face flickers through a few expressions before it settles on resigned, maybe tired and unsure. She isn't touching him and he stays where he's at, locking his eyes with hers while he thinks of what to say.]
Tamamo...[...there's really no excuse, but.] ...you know I don't have a reason to lie to you. I already told you that, and I'm sticking with it. I was going to tell you once I learned a little more about it, but then Prompto died and everything was a mess, and then everyone found out Saturday anyway.
[He chews on his straw for a moment.] But yeah. I knew. [Before he continues though, he pauses.] Who told you that I knew?
[It is, perhaps, the best answer he could have given her. Tamamo never lied; she is a very jealous woman and will carve out his eyes should he dare betray her, and that she does not sense any deep well of guilt works in Junpei's favor.
Her expression is still hard, but she pulls back an inch, allowing him his space again.]
I have no particular interest in shielding him, which is why I'm telling you. Besides, he only spoke out of an assumption that I knew already.
[And maybe it hurt to know her Master wasn't sharing secrets, but no matter. Her mood is poor, and she steps away entirely, glancing away]
[There's absolutely no question how Kagachi knew. He keeps his expression just as hard, refusing to back down even when she does pull away. The words sit uneasily with him, and somehow Tamamo suspecting doesn't really feel great.
Still, even as she pulls away he finds himself speaking up again.]
...look. I wasn't going to let someone die just because he was too proud to ask for help, alright? [He doesn't break her gaze.] When I came back to my room after the party on Wednesday, Escha and I found Dick on the floor trying to convince himself that he was fine enough to hold onto this demon that hit him twice. You heard what happens when the demon transfers. You get visions of your own death, and you can't shake the paranoia that you'll die if you don't transfer it on. You really believe you will die if you don't transfer it.
I couldn't...I wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Kagachi told me that Dick was beating himself up over something he thought he could handle, but I had no idea what it was until I saw him that night. He asked Escha and I to tie him up or make sure he never left so he didn't sleep with someone else and pass this thing on. We didn't know what else to do, so...I took it from him. We were working on borrowed time and I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, but I had to find someone else to pass it to to save him and to save myself. I picked someone I could easily convince, bribed her with money and passed it on. Prompto turned up dead the next morning.
It wasn't about keeping it a secret. It was about trying to understand everything before telling you myself. I don't like presenting half-ass theories with missing information. [As she may have noticed in trial on Saturday. He had suspicions about Monika early on, but only brought them to light when the time was right.] I get it if you're upset but I'm not apologizing for what I did. It worked out in the end.
Tamamo would have let Dick die, or at the very least had hung the failure over his head to use against him at a later date. She doesn't trust humans. She barely likes them. Never has it been more clear than in this moment, her gaze faraway but allowing every word to seep into her head.
For the first time, she wonders if she has made a mistake, and coerced an innocent man to play the part of her Master.]
I'm not upset.
[Yes she is; if there's a difference in her demeanor, it's that she's hiding like a fox in a burrow now. Her expression is soft and blank]
What you did was admirable -- or at the very least, clever. Dick-san seems useful. It wouldn't do to have him die so early.
[There's no point in acting like anything but what she is, she convinces herself: vicious, and unfeeling. If Junpei is disgusted, well. It would not be the first time someone was.]
[He watches her quietly, looking at her tells and also her tails and maybe that's the reason he frowns ever-so-slightly.]
...you don't have to lie to me about it, but I get if you don't want to say it either. [About being upset. He just doesn't know why.] He's...a good person. But also useful. [Likewise, he tries to convince himself that it was a pragmatic choice and kind of fails miserably. Sometimes his heart is too soft for its own good. And maybe that's why he stays where he is, trying to read her expression and only showing something calm rather than disgust.]
Hmph. I said what I said; I won't be repeating myself, either.
[Voice turning flippant suddenly, and her head tossed back. It's more of her usual fanfare, though she still doesn't bother looking Junpei in the eyes. Her gaze remains elsewhere -- far away]
And as I've told you before -- I have no reason to nitpick your judgments so long as they also benefit me. If that continues to remain true, then I will leave you to your own devices.
[It will, in theory, be the last time she comes after him for not telling her shit first. Junpei is a big boy. They're just using each other. A deal is a deal.]
Just don't get yourself killed, Master, for your kindhearted gestures.
[He doesn't like it. Whatever just happened, whatever Tamamo's thinking, he doesn't like that she's more or less shutting herself down to him. She's disappearing to a place he's not sure how to break into and it's more pragmatic than they've been lately.
He understands that they have a deal to use each other, but...he doesn't have to like this outcome. He hears the words she says, feels them kind of punch him in the gut in an uncomfortable way--
--and he does what a stupid, desperate man would do and reaches out to poke her square in the forehead.
Of course he knows what that'll do. But he keeps his face emotionless. ]
I don't die that easily. You of all people should know that. [But if she looks closely...there's a ghost of a smile. It's the sign of someone who thinks he's clever.]
Eeeeeeeeeiii!! Just for that, I'm ripping off your pants and chaining you to the bed!! You don't get to leave until you're a mountain of putty in my hands!
[OH GOD NO BAD. There are teeth and he knows exactly how sharp those are, eyes widening as he rears back away from her. That smirk is still there which doesn't help, and when she starts hitting him he just starts laughing? He starts laughing a lot except those words are affecting him more than usual, hands reaching out to try and bat her away even as he shifts a little. His breathing picks up a little, eyes a little wider and he just kind of. Turns. And rolls over to try and pin her to the bed.]
You wouldn't like me if I wasn't this smart, Tamamo! Just remember that. [The last part is practically growled though and he's moving in to try and kiss her? Maybe he wasn't that smart because he sure did forget that it would affect him, too.]
[She wants so badly to stay mad and distant, perhaps shove him off for the hell of it, but it's already too late, he broke her down through shear idiocy.
When she laughs again, it's a gleeful sound against his mouth as she kisses him back, relinquishing her hold on the pillow to throw her arms around his neck and pull him closer. Asshole. She is not accustomed to having Masters almost as clever as she.]
[It's a talent. He's very good at idiocy, at thinking on his feet and bailing himself out. He proved it on Saturday and he's proven it now, but in this moment when he feels her kissing back he wraps an arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. He's aware she's doing the same and he allows himself to lean into her hold, grinning into that kiss and letting it linger for a little longer than usual. He pulls back just enough to work his mouth over her chin and down to whatever part of her skin he can reach around her neck and shoulders. The message here is pretty clear. Less talking, more doing.]
[She lets him have the reins this time without her usual games -- and, y'know, a welcome lack of ice cream. Her hands are busy enough tugging at the hem of his shirt like she'd rip it to shreds if she still had the claws, but she doesn't try to buck him away. A sigh escapes her instead, a feather-like note of relief; the lust itself it so overwhelming she almost detests it, but she can't complain with Junpei lining kisses down her throat, either.
-- But really, that shirt needs to go. The moment he leans back enough to allow it, Tamamo twists and tugs until it's over his head and thrown off the side of the bed completely, and then her mouth is on his neck, biting down in an almost possessive gesture]
[Lust is a powerful motivator and at the same time, it's not like he's not attracted to Tamamo on a normal basis anyway. There are things about her that get to him and even if this makes him a furry he's not putting too much thought into it. It's her personality that feels comfortable and familiar, a kind of ruthlessness he's become familiar with teamed with a sort of happiness that comes with surprising her and knowing different parts of her.
But that's all a little too much to be thinking about in the moment, so he doesn't. Instead, he breaks the kiss and holds his arms up to help rid himself of the shirt, flipping them so she's on top and she can bite. A low groan follows and his hands skate across her shoulder and down her back, already pulling her closer and also trying to find a way between her legs. Normally he'd be a little more prone to taking his time, but...nah. Possessive behavior is also something he can get behind, and he tilts his head back to give her further access to his neck.]
[Honestly bless him, Tamamo's preferences for being on top aren't just because she hates being bossed around; ever tried laying on your back with three fluffy tails? It's a tricky business, and at least this way she can maneuver with freedom, a smirk crossing her face as she straddles his lap in repayment.]
Is that better? Goodness, you're impatient today.
[So long as she breathes, she's going to tease somebody -- never mind she's perhaps more out of breath than he for once, and her neediness means her teeth are a little sharper than usual against Junpei's neck. She'll apologize by lapping at the wound with her tongue, and then immediately scooting down to nip at his exposed collar bone. Apparently being her chew toy is his punishment for starting this.]
[He kind of wants to pet the tails but he's a little busy at the moment. She's on his lap and she can probably immediately tell that he's worked up already, a hand running up her spine even when she bites at him. The sharpness of her teeth following by the lap of her tongue is enough to draw a shudder from him beneath her. There's another almost possessive little sound when she nips again, hands strong and steady while holding her hips to bring her down against him as close as possible.]
Like that's my fault? [Except for the part where it is, and he knows it given the grin on his face.] It seems rude to keep someone waiting.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Good to know, and I completely believe that. [Ahah...] Sooo...he told you what the demon said?
[Oh look. A subject change.]
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[A slight huff]
She needn't have bothered. The demon didn't come, and I didn't get any substantial information. It was a tie.
[Eyeing him again, now slurping at her drink]
... Ah yes. There's one other thing, Master~♥
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[But. Hm. Still not off the hook, huh?]
...what's the other thing?
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Not touching -- no touching allowed this week for obvious reasons, but--]
According to a certain someone, apparently you were aware of the effects that sleeping with the possessed would cause. Long before I did, in fact.
[Her tails aren't just swaying anymore; they twitch in agitation]
My my, it's like everyone else sees fit to tell me these things before you.
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Tamamo...[...there's really no excuse, but.] ...you know I don't have a reason to lie to you. I already told you that, and I'm sticking with it. I was going to tell you once I learned a little more about it, but then Prompto died and everything was a mess, and then everyone found out Saturday anyway.
[He chews on his straw for a moment.] But yeah. I knew. [Before he continues though, he pauses.] Who told you that I knew?
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[It is, perhaps, the best answer he could have given her. Tamamo never lied; she is a very jealous woman and will carve out his eyes should he dare betray her, and that she does not sense any deep well of guilt works in Junpei's favor.
Her expression is still hard, but she pulls back an inch, allowing him his space again.]
I have no particular interest in shielding him, which is why I'm telling you. Besides, he only spoke out of an assumption that I knew already.
[And maybe it hurt to know her Master wasn't sharing secrets, but no matter. Her mood is poor, and she steps away entirely, glancing away]
Worry not; I won't be taking your head for it.
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Still, even as she pulls away he finds himself speaking up again.]
...look. I wasn't going to let someone die just because he was too proud to ask for help, alright? [He doesn't break her gaze.] When I came back to my room after the party on Wednesday, Escha and I found Dick on the floor trying to convince himself that he was fine enough to hold onto this demon that hit him twice. You heard what happens when the demon transfers. You get visions of your own death, and you can't shake the paranoia that you'll die if you don't transfer it on. You really believe you will die if you don't transfer it.
I couldn't...I wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Kagachi told me that Dick was beating himself up over something he thought he could handle, but I had no idea what it was until I saw him that night. He asked Escha and I to tie him up or make sure he never left so he didn't sleep with someone else and pass this thing on. We didn't know what else to do, so...I took it from him. We were working on borrowed time and I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, but I had to find someone else to pass it to to save him and to save myself. I picked someone I could easily convince, bribed her with money and passed it on. Prompto turned up dead the next morning.
It wasn't about keeping it a secret. It was about trying to understand everything before telling you myself. I don't like presenting half-ass theories with missing information. [As she may have noticed in trial on Saturday. He had suspicions about Monika early on, but only brought them to light when the time was right.] I get it if you're upset but I'm not apologizing for what I did. It worked out in the end.
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Tamamo would have let Dick die, or at the very least had hung the failure over his head to use against him at a later date. She doesn't trust humans. She barely likes them. Never has it been more clear than in this moment, her gaze faraway but allowing every word to seep into her head.
For the first time, she wonders if she has made a mistake, and coerced an innocent man to play the part of her Master.]
I'm not upset.
[Yes she is; if there's a difference in her demeanor, it's that she's hiding like a fox in a burrow now. Her expression is soft and blank]
What you did was admirable -- or at the very least, clever. Dick-san seems useful. It wouldn't do to have him die so early.
[There's no point in acting like anything but what she is, she convinces herself: vicious, and unfeeling. If Junpei is disgusted, well. It would not be the first time someone was.]
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...you don't have to lie to me about it, but I get if you don't want to say it either. [About being upset. He just doesn't know why.] He's...a good person. But also useful. [Likewise, he tries to convince himself that it was a pragmatic choice and kind of fails miserably. Sometimes his heart is too soft for its own good. And maybe that's why he stays where he is, trying to read her expression and only showing something calm rather than disgust.]
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[Voice turning flippant suddenly, and her head tossed back. It's more of her usual fanfare, though she still doesn't bother looking Junpei in the eyes. Her gaze remains elsewhere -- far away]
And as I've told you before -- I have no reason to nitpick your judgments so long as they also benefit me. If that continues to remain true, then I will leave you to your own devices.
[It will, in theory, be the last time she comes after him for not telling her shit first. Junpei is a big boy. They're just using each other. A deal is a deal.]
Just don't get yourself killed, Master, for your kindhearted gestures.
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He understands that they have a deal to use each other, but...he doesn't have to like this outcome. He hears the words she says, feels them kind of punch him in the gut in an uncomfortable way--
--and he does what a stupid, desperate man would do and reaches out to poke her square in the forehead.
Of course he knows what that'll do. But he keeps his face emotionless. ]
I don't die that easily. You of all people should know that. [But if she looks closely...there's a ghost of a smile. It's the sign of someone who thinks he's clever.]
1/3
And her entire body seizes automatically, flooded with an urge she knows only too well]
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Ha--- hahahaHAHAHA! The boy thinks he's clever!
[Just uproarious laughter after the shock has settled, Tamamo bearing her teeth as she finally turns back to him.
She looks downright murderous]
Do I look like someone so easily sated? Well, do I?!
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beating the absolutely crap out of him with it]
Eeeeeeeeeiii!! Just for that, I'm ripping off your pants and chaining you to the bed!! You don't get to leave until you're a mountain of putty in my hands!
[Smack smack smack smack--]
Degenerate! Cheater!!
You're lucky I'm too horny to kill you now!
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You wouldn't like me if I wasn't this smart, Tamamo! Just remember that. [The last part is practically growled though and he's moving in to try and kiss her? Maybe he wasn't that smart because he sure did forget that it would affect him, too.]
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When she laughs again, it's a gleeful sound against his mouth as she kisses him back, relinquishing her hold on the pillow to throw her arms around his neck and pull him closer. Asshole. She is not accustomed to having Masters almost as clever as she.]
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-- But really, that shirt needs to go. The moment he leans back enough to allow it, Tamamo twists and tugs until it's over his head and thrown off the side of the bed completely, and then her mouth is on his neck, biting down in an almost possessive gesture]
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But that's all a little too much to be thinking about in the moment, so he doesn't. Instead, he breaks the kiss and holds his arms up to help rid himself of the shirt, flipping them so she's on top and she can bite. A low groan follows and his hands skate across her shoulder and down her back, already pulling her closer and also trying to find a way between her legs. Normally he'd be a little more prone to taking his time, but...nah. Possessive behavior is also something he can get behind, and he tilts his head back to give her further access to his neck.]
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Is that better? Goodness, you're impatient today.
[So long as she breathes, she's going to tease somebody -- never mind she's perhaps more out of breath than he for once, and her neediness means her teeth are a little sharper than usual against Junpei's neck. She'll apologize by lapping at the wound with her tongue, and then immediately scooting down to nip at his exposed collar bone. Apparently being her chew toy is his punishment for starting this.]
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Like that's my fault? [Except for the part where it is, and he knows it given the grin on his face.] It seems rude to keep someone waiting.