TDM #4 - Aurora Borealis Bust? [REPRINT]

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette February Issue

[Find our plain text version here!]

Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

2/8/24 | TDM #4 - AURORA BOREALIS BLITZ BUST? Content Warnings: "Further Details" section has independent CW labels.
Forecast: SEVERE BLIZZARD WARNING

REBUILDING HELP REQUESTED

By Cecil Gershwin Palmer

A photo taken of the damage.

ACROSS PUMPKIN HOLLOW - City government is requesting aid with repairs to public buildings and local fixtures after the recent earthquakes on Tuesday, January 8th. While there was minimal damage to Town Hall itself, several important buildings sustained damage, including the Magpie National Bank, the South Train Station and the Clock Tower, which is now stuck with hands at 8pm.

Regarding the cause of the earthquake, local biologist Dr. Elias Coldwood was heard to say “There's never been seismic activity here.” And he’s a scientist, so he would know! But clearly this is no longer the case. Perhaps Pumpkin Hollow has a mysterious tiny civilization underground worshiping a destroyer god, planning to attack through the bowling alley, the moment we create a bowling alley. Perhaps not. More on this story as it unfolds, faithful readers.

In the meantime, volunteers to help with the damage to city buildings are invited to meet with Mayor Hellen Poe for assignments.

AURORA TURNS VIOLENT - MYSTERIOUS BLIZZARD INTERRUPTS CHAOS

By Yorick Aberdeen

An artist's rendition of last year's view.

ABOVE MARROW ISLE - Despite our earlier report, it turns out that this year's annual aurora borealis season did not turn out to be a pleasant or romantic viewing experience. Instead, starry monsters based off of classic constellations have been attacking the town each time the aurora is in the sky! However, due to some extreme blizzards that have been occurring most nights each month since late January, the aurora has been interrupted more nights than not and the monsters intercepted. Still, the Pumpkin Hollow Safety Board would like to remind everyone to take appropriate precautions during inclement weather, and to tread carefully on clear nights as monsters may still be attacking until late February!

HOROSCOPES

By Cecil Gershwin Palmer

What do the stars say about you today?

Capricorn: Do you feel as if you’ve lost something? If not, it’s wise to double-check. Perhaps it’s not something like a button or a key, but your sense of wonder or your self-confidence. Remember, things tend to be in the last place you look.

Aquarius: Something about the year ending made you feel lighter, like taking off a heavy wool coat. Ride this burst of energy as far as it will take you, because the shiny of a fresh beginning tends to wear off quickly.

Pisces: Don’t worry, I don’t believe what everyone says behind your back. You’re not too sensitive or too naive. They’re just jealous. Really, most of the time when they’re whispering, it’s not even about you.

Aries: You’re the sort of warm individual that babies and animals are drawn to. Unfortunately, this may include hungry wolves and swarms of insects. But don’t let that bring you down! We need that sort of personality around here.

Taurus: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best, until you work to stop others from also being the best. That’s called cheating and may lead to you being disqualified from competitions. If you get caught, that is.

Gemini: You know those riddles about the two guards, one who always tells the truth and one who always lies? Well, everyone hates those riddles with a passion. You’ll see for yourself, soon.

Cancer: Wouldn’t you like to know?

Leo: Your incandescent personality often makes you the center of attention. However, that’s not the only thing about you that glows. Moths may flock to you in the dark this week, and so might children afraid to sleep with the lights out.

Virgo: Be careful with your words–they aren’t just the precursors to your deeds, but the manifestation of your will. This is not a week for idioms and metaphors, not for you. Even something like bemoaning a lack of spoons may make eating cereal harder.

Libra: You are, inevitably, the first one heard to say a situation isn’t fair. And it’s not, nor will it ever be. Instead of getting upset, have you ever considered getting revenge? That’s usually more satisfying in the long run.

Scorpio: Ugh, Scorpios. The position of Venus means your usually volatile emotions will be in the doldrums instead. Enjoy this while it lasts I guess. Who knows if you’ll ever experience such peace again, given, well. You’re kind of an emotional mess and no one likes you.

Sagittarius: There will never be another day like today. You must strive to make the day everything you want it to be. No mistakes, now! Consider your choices very carefully. Consider your choice to consider, very carefully.

SUNFIRE'S HEARTH

By Yorick Aberdeen

A photo of Mayor Poe's cats, Toffee and Butter, enjoying the view.

ASSORTED LOCATIONS - As the coldest part of the year settles over our fair isle, it is time for Sunfire’s Hearth--- an informal celebration of bonfires and hearth flames, for those unfamiliar! For the months of January and February, a raised platform for bonfires will be lit on weekends, and restaurants and taverns across town will keep their fireplaces lit. Unlike many of our other festivities, there is no structured celebration--- simply make some time during this time to bask in the warmth of a fire! You can even celebrate at home.

An additional benefit of this time of year is that Merrymeet is well on its way. So take this time and get snuggly in front of a fire with your special person to get in the mood for romance! (Or they could be platonic snuggles. Whatever suits you best.)

LOCAL ALCHEMIST REPORTS MISSING POTION

By Yorick Aberdeen

Some of Mx. Sallek's usual stock. Could stand to have better labels./p>

LOCATION UNCERTAIN - Early Monday morning, local alchemist Aeryn Sallek reported that a large container of magical potion has been swapped with another, and it would seem that the mistaken jug has been sent out for delivery. According to Mx. Sallek, they sent a number of jugs out for delivery in a case with our local delivery extraordinaire, Sam Porter Bridges. The jugs were meant to contain a harmless, potable freeze-resistance potion for our town’s various water sources, in the interest of keeping water reserves drinkable in sub-freezing winter weather. However, when they returned to the shop, one of these potions remained on their counter while a love potion they’d been working on went missing.

“‘Love potion’ is kind of a misnomer, honestly,” Mx. Sallek is quoted to have said on the matter. “But ‘emotional acuity’ potion doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Basically what it actually does is enhance existing romantic desire and embolden the user to be emotionally open. But Yorick should already know all this, since he’s the one who ordered it.” [Editing note: don’t forget to cut the last part of that comment before publishing. Cecil, you don’t need to include personal statements directed at reporters from these interviews!]

It’s unclear which area of town this particular potion ended up being injected into the water source, but according to Mx. Sallek, the potion was not particularly intense to begin with. It should be significantly diluted as to be harmless. Still, if you notice any strange symptoms such as butterflies in your stomach, a desire to burst into song, or inexplicable yearning, please file a report with the Safety Board at your earliest convenience.

FOOD SHORTAGES PUT STRAIN ON ISLAND ECONOMY

By Yorick Aberdeen

MARKET DISTRICT - While there are many things to celebrate this time of year, Marrow Isle is not without its adversity. Over these past months, many new members of our community have arrived by ferry after our numbers remained small and stagnant for many years. And the presence of our newfound neighbors has been a boon to all of us. Many artisans have opened useful businesses, medical professionals have expanded our access to healthcare, and a new fishing vessel has taken to the seas. However, despite a few additions, our farming community remains quite modest and planting was not planned with such incredible new growth in mind.

The unfortunate result of this is that food reserves on the island this year are uncharacteristically low. As such, Town Council has made the difficult decision to allow for the temporary inflation of food prices and the rationing of food staples.

“We understand the hardship this will place on the residents of Pumpkin Hollow,” said Mayor Poe in a statement after this decision was made. “But please know that we are all in this together. We hope to be able to offer a better incentive package for those interested in farming in the coming springtime.”

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Further Details...

Aurora

The dead of winter sheds all colors of the trees and flowers across Marrow Isle, but tonight, there are no stark whites and grays and browns.

Tonight, in the sky sprawling with stars above the dreary town, there are lights.

Sprawling trails of violet and green twist and wave through the sky, brightening the earth below and the sea beyond Jack's Marina in magical colors. The return of the borealis is something many Pumpkin Hollowites look forward to, and their reactions are very clear: people scurry down to the shores to watch with wide eyes, many retrieve telescopes, and some even borrow the decks of ships, abandoned for the night at the docks, to watch the sights.

It doesn't take long for this to change, however; the sea nor land are safe from the curse, and it's made quickly apparent that the sky is no exception.

At first, the sight seems like none more than an illusion, perhaps someone blinking and missing a strange shift of the lights. A glimmering outline forms around a cluster of stars, only slightly harder than any of the lines that define the aurora's rays. Several of these shapes form, each array of stars different from the last, some larger, some smaller.

And then, the stars begin to fall.

Seeming to peel off the painted sky, the ebbing colors surrounding the starlight drop, crashing to the world below. Some fall to the streets and beaches, while others fall into the forest, leaving view, or drop into the sea, leaving splashes and waves in their wake that ensure any watching knows full and well that this is not a trick of the light. At first, these shapes are unmoving, glowing masses of aurora-light with stars shining brightly within them. Most townsfolk are uneasy, but this seems to pale in severity to the other disasters, even if they lack any idea of what it could mean for them.

That is, of course, until the masses begin to move.

Each one is as varied as the constellation it stole from the sky: stars form suggestions of skeletal structures, and their "flesh", only consisting of swimming lights and liquid sky that steals any lights around them. Two identical glowing shapes rise to a face finally taking form, and slowly, moving more like gel than animal as it rises to freshly-formed legs, it settles on the closest living thing it can find.

There is no calculation in it, nor what seems to be a glimmer of thought.

It simply lunges with intent to kill.

Horoscopes
[CW: Altered emotional states ]

Cecil’s disconcerting horoscopes have the following effects for the next few days:

• Capricorn: misplaced things, particularly small objects



• Aquarius: zoomies!



• Pisces: intense paranoia



• Aries: Disney princess-like magnetism to local fauna



• Taurus: insatiable perfectionism



• Gemini: reversed truth values; lies come out honest, being honest sounds like a lie.



• Cancer: Pandora-esque curiosity, to the point of personal detriment



• Leo: radiant glow emanating from your person



• Virgo: figurative speech is manifested into the world with its literal meaning



• Libra: a particularly potent desire for revenge



• Scorpio: numbing of emotions (can be counteracted by love potion, partially)



• Sagittarius: incapacitating indecision

(Don’t know your character’s sign? Feel free to just decide on one!)

Love Potion
[CW: Altered Emotional States ]

Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, the “love” potion ended up in the water supply of the Oak & Iron. As promised by Aeryn, it is thoroughly diluted, as its recipients believed it to be a normal freeze-resistance potion to be mixed with their water.

The effects are not particularly intense. However, anyone who drinks any of the tavern’s housemade ale or cider, drinks the coffee, or eats any food that might require water to cook will experience symptoms of “emotional acuity”. This involves feeling more emotionally open, more receptive to positive feelings about others, a strong desire for physical or verbal affection, and the intensification of romantic or sexual attraction that you might already be experiencing. It will last about half a day. Just in time to help potentially land you a date for Merrymeet, a flower and fertility festival in early spring!

Famine
[CW: Starvation and food scarcity ]

Food rationing and inflation will have the following impact:

Grocery budgets for apped-in characters will be reduced in their efficacy.
Basic groceries will be only the most minimal of staples. You will likely go hungry if you do not find a way to supplement this.
Bountiful groceries will be reduced to the amount of food normally contained in basic.
Lavish groceries will not be available at all.
Your grocery choices from Activity Check are not able to be modified for this month unless otherwise stated.

Bonuses and Discounts associated with the Farmer and Fisherman jobs are also reduced.
Level 1 bonuses will be reduced to standard, which is to say how they would function for a non-Farmer/Fisherman character during a normal, pre-famine month. (ex. Whereas normally a Level 1 Farmer would get free Basic groceries, they will now have to pay the 50 Brass, but do not have the efficacy of Basic groceries reduced as described above.)
Level 2 bonuses will be reduced to that of a Level 1 Farmer/Fisherman. (ex. Whereas a Level 2 Fisherman would normally be able to have Bountiful groceries discounted to 50 Brass, they now must pay full price for Bountiful groceries. However, they can still get Basic groceries for free and don’t suffer from the famine induced efficacy reduction for either budget.)

Oak & Iron Residents will only be able to receive bland, repetitive meals with their food vouchers consisting of simple broth, plain bread, bland potato dishes, and the like. It is enough to be fed and comfortable but it is incredibly unsatisfying. (This includes all new characters that are not apped-in.) Drinks, however, are still plentiful.

Characters who do not eat will find that their respective sources of fuel will be reduced to just barely enough to keep them functional, provided that they ration carefully. (Ex. Transformers may want to be less active. Vampires will find that victims cannot handle excessive blood loss without fainting and generally prefer to stay home.)

Characters who were present to fight the Mother Crab back in late summer and chose to can some of their crab can use it now!

Hunting, foraging, and fishing can help reduce the impact of these reductions, and people can share their food. You can absolutely die of starvation. After Merrymeet in February, food will return to normal.

Comments

César Salazar | Generator Rex | Current Character | OTA prompts

[pineapplesalmon]

Aurora [Location: Library]
César had forgotten time. This is a common occurrence. Even his new pocket watch with its hourly reminders didn't save him.

He's staring outside a window, talking quietly: "... Oh. Oops. Guess I'm sleeping here tonight...."


Aurora [Location: Oak & Iron]
César's been spending time each night in the common room and still sleeps here despite having a town house and a farm. Safety in numbers. Tonight's more of a snowed in night than a fighting-for-you-life night, but it stands.

He's pouring over a map on squared paper (think: graph paper precursor) he's made of his farm, trying to plot out where he's going to plant things and make room for a future greenhouse attached to the house. Being able to spend some mornings watching the rain during the warmer months sounds rather nice.


Famine [Location: Outside; CW: toxic productivity]
César's found an uncovered bench to sit on and take a quick rest. Even with the reduced rations, and even with him having been a bit underweight to start, he's still be running himself ragged. Anything to be useful and accepted.

He startles awake when his pocket watch makes an alarm for the hour, and he grins. "Ha! Time to get back to work."

... except he doesn't stand immediately and almost looks a little more reluctant. "Time to get back to work."

Nope. Still not standing. Even though he still has so much to do.

Famine

[preacher_in_reticence]

With the world-weary grunt of someone with Old Bones™, a bearded man in a peacoat over a clearly hand-knitted sweater settles on the bench beside César.

"Oy. Time to spend a couple minutes keeping me company. You're another of the newcomers I haven't met yet."

[pineapplesalmon]

... and now César is rooted to the spot by Respecting Your Elders.

"Oh! I'm César Salazar. Good afternoon, sir." César, smiling perfectly pleasantly, is hoping the man just wants to make an acquaintance and didn't just peg him as having overdone it a bit.

[preacher_in_reticence]

"Degas Clayton. Good to meet you, Mr. Salazar." He won't let on which it is, but he's settling on the bench comfortably. "I work over at the Temple."

[pineapplesalmon]

Jerk. Except not really, because César's curious. "You work at the temple? I've... never stepped inside before. It seemed like it would be something awkward for me to do."

[preacher_in_reticence]

"Awkward? Why that? Mortanne's the one who brought you to this world, so you can hardly say the goddesses don't believe in you."

And the idea of Cesar not believing in them is just a silly one.

[pineapplesalmon]

"... point. I guess it isn't awkward, then." César shakes his head with a chuckle. "I've already experienced being revived once here, so maybe I should pay a visit to say thank you."

[preacher_in_reticence]

"Come see her altar and say whatever you'd like to."

Degas gestures for César to follow him into the main sanctuary where the four altars are set up. Mortanne's is covered in black cloth, a silver horse figurine and a scattering of well-cleaned bones on it, along with votive candles in holders.

[pineapplesalmon]

Oh, no, he's definitely being made to rest. He's also going to let it happen because that's the polite thing to do.

César's visited the chapel at Providence a couple of times, but he hasn't been in anything like a proper religious place in years. He still knows how to behave, though, reverently quiet.

"... who are the other altars? I know only a bit about this place. I've been meaning to ask...."

Aurora [Library]

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"There's worse places to be during an attack, I suppose," Mary comments. She looks no more happy about the situation than he sounds, but... "I honestly hate being at the Oak and Iron on clear nights lately."

lemme know if he heard the wrong voice from her

[pineapplesalmon]

"I don't mind it." César shakes his head to clear out stupid, love-struck thoughts. "I'm going to find a phone to call the Oak & Iron to let them know. ... should I pass your name along too?"

He's confused for a moment, but he clearly heard a woman's voice from her, and honestly? César's heard people's voices coming out of way stronger things. So, eh. What the hell. She doesn't look tired like a kid would be a this time, either.

she uses her natural voice unless otherwise stated :)

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"I doubt anyone will be looking for me, but sure. Let them know Mary Dahl is sheltering in the library with you."

She drops from her chair (with a little wince for the way the landing jars her hip) and says, "I'm going to ask the librarian if they managed to stash some pillows and blankets. They didn't last time I got stuck here."

Sweet my 7 minutes of poking around BTAS clips on YouTube paid off

[pineapplesalmon]

"I will. I'm César Salazar. Sorry to meet you under the circumstances, but at least we'll have room to get some privacy while sleeping." He nods to her taking up a task, too. "Let me know if you see anyone else."

And so he'll go hunt down the phone to let the Oak & Iron know they're not coming back tonight. Maybe he'll even have a quick chat with Magne. The last time he didn't come back there, he was dead. It's worth a call.

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"Yeah, whatever," Mary says gloomily, "It's not like there's any better circumstances to meet under, César."

She gets like this sometimes.

He'll find two blankets and a pillow stacked on a chair next to him once he's done with the phone call. Mary kept quiet as she delivered them, but if he looks around, he'll see her sitting nearby wrapped in a blanket of her own.

Well, not her own. But rather than take two blankets, she's folded a normal one in half. Her eyes are closed but she's murmuring under her breath and clearly not sleeping.

[pineapplesalmon]

Oh, she's... not going to be wanting to talk much, probably.

During the very beginning of the call, Mary was mentioned as the other person stuck in the library for the night. The lady he's gone sweet on (to say it as gently as possible), Magne, is happy to know he's safe. She doesn't have to worry about him getting holed up someplace randomly and unable to get back tonight. The conversation isn't long, but it's clear they're on quite friendly terms. (César, it's impossible for you to stop being a wife guy, huh?)

César watches her for a moment, unsure. He wants to make sure she's all right before he goes off to the science section.

[i_didnt_mean_to]

"I can feel you staring at me."

[pineapplesalmon]

"Sorry!" César feels a small jolt through him as he hastily apologizes. "I was just making sure you were okay. Goodnight!"

He hurries off to find his own spot and my god he's such an awkward duck why are you making this harder to actually get to know someone I GUESS MORNING IT IS. They gotta shovel themselves out or something. IDK.

Valentine's Day [Closed to Magne]

[pineapplesalmon]

César opens the now unlocked door to his townhouse and gestures Magne inside. "After you."

Immediately at the entrance is a large, rectangular rug with two sets of Japanese slippers at the back edge of it. The hallway beyond is a nice wood and looks pretty clean. A staircase to the second floor is almost immediately there, as well as doors to a sitting room and dining room. Underneath the staircase is a powder room, and beyond that, a door to a galley kitchen.

César's also managed to air out the place enough that it smells like a home again.

[sistermagnetic]

The first time she's ever been in his house, and it looks just a little bit barren. Of course, he's only just moved in, so she can't fault him for that. She pauses in the entrance to remove her shoes and tuck them to one side, and spots those slippers, pausing and straightening up to give him a look. He didn't have to go out of his way to that extent. This nerd...

"So much space," she notes, glancing around the hall and its as of now blank walls. She steps into the slippers and feeling that little thrill of something being done just for her, making her feel a little bit more at home here. She turns in place as she takes a step further in to reach and take his hands to draw him in close and nudge up against his forehead.

"So what did you get for supper? I know you want to do a meal, and I know I would like to help with that."

[pineapplesalmon]

The look gets a slightly embarrassed and incredibly amused smile from César as he's taking off his own boots. He of course closed the door and locked it immediately. No one else is allowed for this date.

He forgets to put on his own slippers for a moment as he watches her put hers on. It's stupidly domestic. César loves it, and it settles some nerves that have been bouncing around. The place is half-barren because he doesn't know how to decorate well and also that costs money he has to save up for the farm.

Oop, he's being pulled in, which interrupts his thoughts; César sighs happily with their foreheads together, then pauses and smiles wider. "... cooking together, huh? That sounds lovely. The kitchen is a little tight, but we can make it work."

It's so domestic. Something he hasn't had in a long time, either.

He takes a moment to readjust his plans before working through the ingredients. "The main ingredients were a group effort. I managed to scrimp enough short-grained rice from my budget for a decent meal. Venison and some other things from Ylva, salmon and seaweed from Jean, well... sweet potato from Cecil. I've got some herbs and spices, but unfortunately not too much there. I was thinking a sort of combined rice dish, but... since we're cooking together, we can switch it up entirely."

Why, yes, he's giving her equal decision-making in what's for dinner since she's not limited to just his skills.

[sistermagnetic]

Dinner isn't the only thing that she's excited for when it comes to the date that she's been invited on. Having César's time and attention isn't the only thing that she's excited for (though she is excited for it, every time it comes). It's the idea of normalcy that she doesn't have to force and fake and pretend at. She can just have this.

She could even be excited for such a simple thing as finally drawing back, shrugging her coat down to hang up near her shoes. "That sounds great as is," she assures him. "I think all I can really contribute there is an extra hand to get it done. I missed making things for myself. I don't even do that here very often, with the limited facilities. Though speaking of facilities, I might take you up on the use of your bathtub after supper."

As she talks she's careful to not immediately move too far, just to let him see the rest of what she'd opted to wear for the date: a relatively simple, elegant green fabric and leather corset over the top of the blouse that he'd helped her pick out, and comfortable high-waisted pants that tucked neatly under the lower edge of it. A surprise on her part, after remembering the talk they'd had about vests, corsets, fitted and supportive clothing in general.

Two replies in and she's ALREADY MURDERED HIM

[pineapplesalmon]

Normalcy is one of César's goals for tonight.

And he doesn't have to fake or pretend his absolutely normal reaction to seeing her in that. César barely processes what she said, then forgets it entirely. He's been very polite up until now, never letting his eyes linger too long on places as of yet off limits to him.

That's a skill he currently no longer possesses.

Vaguely, he knows he helped her pick out that blouse. His wide eyes travel down it and over the corset, and down to the pants. César had known the pants were new from under her coat, but oh he didn't know what they looked like. There's a desperate attempt to look back up at her face, but he fails and down his gaze travels again, lingering.

It's an invitation to look, he belatedly realizes, and he looks. César takes in not just her body but her outfit. The choices she made in the colors and design of the corset, the way the pants are tucked so perfectly just under it. The way the blouse spills and billows just right, perfectly adjusted to accentuate her body. His eyes finally dart to her shoes, matching them up with the outfit as a whole.

When his eyes finally meet hers again, there's no mistaking that his pupils have subtly dilated, and he reaches out a slightly shaking hand with a wide smile. "Oh! Oh, let me give you a spin. I need to see all of you."

If she does, he'll indeed gently take her hand in a loose grip and give her a surprisingly skilled little spin.

He's so easy and she loves him for it.

[sistermagnetic]

Magne knew that he would like the way she looked, just from the things that they talked about before. She knew that he liked the way these kinds of clothes looked, especially as practical as they could be, and he'd gone out of his way to make sure that she knew he liked the way she looked all on her own. So, she knew that it would be a hit.

And then he's stymied by all of it out together, and it feels all the more gratifying, if a little bit embarrassed as he looks her over from head to foot.

Taking in the way that he looks at her Intensifies that mild embarrassed, though it also stokes the low heat that she always seems to feel in her gut when she's around him and he's so earnestly interesting in her. It's such a new feeling for her that she honestly feels a little silly for letting it affect her in this way. It dies back down only slightly when he takes her hand, holding on loosely and following the way that he guides her through the spin. Almost instinctively she shifts onto one foot to allow the smooth motion.

"I was thinking I might wear this to work when I get used to it," she muses, laying her free hand against the taut, firm side of the corset that very subtly cinches her waist in such a way that it exaggerates the way her shirt puffs up over the top of it. The thoughtful expression on her face turns mischievous as she adds, "I could find another one later, fit for your eyes only."

Hehehehe, and then she murdered him in her Merrymeet TOPLEVEL

[pineapplesalmon]

César is absolutely enthralled as he watches her spin; he doesn't just like how she looks, he loves it. The ties of the corset, the way her pants fit her so well all around. Her hand in his, instinctively taking his direction because they're in tune.

He's still holds her hand loosely as she talks, nodding along in full agreement her assessment. Magne's hand just brings his eyes back down again. César would talk about the versatility of the layering options for that corset or how he noticed the pants have nice sized pockets or even that he has a present upstairs that would look good with this. César really would, but then she pops him with the little addition about a second corset. Oh. Oh, fuck, yes.

He makes a strangled sound akin to the one where she showed him her muscles, just with less of a wine. Man's utterly forgotten he's in his coat and socks.

César lets go of her hand and uses all of his remaining brain cells to request with a determined and clear voice, lifting both forearms just slightly: "Ma'am, if you would be so kind: pretty please shove me up against the empty wall behind me and place my hands where they can be."

[sistermagnetic]

While she had been reticent when it came to the idea of wearing lingerie in general, teasing a bit about the idea of something that he would get to see later feels natural. A nice leadup. Something to make him all rubbery in the knees with the anticipation.

César has forgotten that he's still wearing his coat apparently, and upon making that request, he'll find himself with her hands sliding under it to push it from his shoulders to fall as he sees fit. At the same time she steps forward, using those hands to ease him up against that bare wall and, rather than simply trapping him there, bends and hooks her hands around the backs of his legs and lifts him with his weight back resting against the wall behind him. And then as soon as she's got him balanced there with her knee under him and his legs around her waist, she arranges his arms over the top of her shoulders.

"How's that?"