My Self-SummarySince the Interastral Peace Corporation wouldn’t mean much to most people here, let’s just say I help people all over the universe. I love what I do, but I’m usually a lot busier than this.
I’m not sure what to do with all this free time on my hands. Let’s be friends.
My Future Plans
Having fun, I guess? I feel like anything bigger than that might end up ruined.
My Talents
Business Operations, Investing, Animal Care and Video Games.
Favorite Books, Movies, Music, and Food
Math and Science textbooks, Business reports, stock market analyses. No opinions on the other stuff.
My Ideal Partner
Someone who values trust, honesty and clear communication. This is at the foundation of any good business partnership.
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softstoneheart) wrote2024-03-02 04:15 pm
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Avoiding sex for a couple of days to a week triggers psychological effects that won't stop until guests comply.
A person marked with a spade cited a compulsion to do things he didn't want to do.
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Well, that explains how they keep their guests obedient. Have you gotten a mark on your body as well?
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Yes. The location varies, apparently.
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Should I be a good boss and reward you to keep morale up? ( not that he has much to offer in their current condition but hmmm... )
Why don't you come share a room with me? The softer bed will help your 4.5 hours of sleep, and the private bathroom must be tempting to you.
Haha, if you can stand to spend so much time with me, that is.
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Well. It couldn't hurt to at least look at what he has. ]
It would make it easier to provide research updates.
If you're fine with giving up your space.
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... While that is certainly true, are you sure about that? You do realize it's me we're talking about, yes? ( the guy half of pier point complained about, has been death threatened countless times, etc )
You put so much faith in me. I'm touched. You truly don't think I would do anything to you when we would share a bed?
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Point 2: Going insane due to avoiding sex will severely impact my productivity. If having sex with me actually *was* your intent— which I honestly doubt— then I would consider that psychological maintenance necessary for doing my job at a level that meets your expectations and more importantly, mine.
On a related note, if the rumors in the office about me being one of the more desirable single ladies in the office are true, then congratulations and you're welcome. Feel free to brag about it at work if you want to, but I can't guarantee people won't be super weird about it. I'm saying that for your comfort, not theirs.
Point 3: In my opinion, this is what makes you impossible to deal with: There are perfectly understandable reasons for me to not be there. You could just say, "I'd prefer to live alone," or "I need a place to take partners to," or "I just don't want to be around you," and I would get that. We have the same goals and you're the point person on this mission. I'm not out to sabotage you or cramp your style.
So don't flip it like you're doing me some kind of big favor and you're concerned about my well-being under your influence or whatever. I'm not going to thank you for acting magnanimous all because you won't say something directly.
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Your points all have substance and can easily be backed up. That being said, point 3 severely lacks in both. What supports your statement is only how you, and our coworkers, perceive me. Would I truly prefer to live alone? With the sort of place this is and game that we are playing, I'm sure there are more than enough rooms to be used for our entertainment. As for the last statement...
I hold no ill feelings towards you, nor do I reject partnership and cooperation when it's beneficial to both parties. We are both well aware that there is no one else we can trust in this place more than each other, and therefore there is little to no reason not to work together. What guarantee do we have that each one of our conversations isn't being recorded and sent to the House through these watches? The walls in our rooms may be thin, but communication might prove to be easier personally than otherwise.
But I can admit defeat when I find fault in my reasoning as well. Perhaps I thought you disliked me more than you actually do. My offer was neither posed as a joke nor as a magnanimous act towards someone in less favorable conditions. It was a simple bet to gauge your thoughts of me. Well, I'll say I lost this one.
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[ Because she always tries to identify potential problems on the horizon. The more risks she can nip in the bud, the more confident she is moving forward.
Except sometimes she sees problems where there aren't any, and sometimes it's better to listen. Jarilo-VI taught her that. ]
But I also shouldn't be assuming that I know what you want.
So.
I'm sorry.
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'trying to be considerate of your feelings' and 'i'm sorry' are words that should never be directed to him... is what most people would say, and yet. always leave it to topaz, heart of gold and too nice for her own good. anyone back in sigonia would have exploited that weakness with too much ease.
good thing this is texting. congratulations on leaving him speechless, topaz. )
You're only going to be owing me one if you apologize to me, and we both know you're too smart to put yourself in that situation. ( it's less advice, and almost like a request. he doesn't want those genuine feelings. )
I wasn't hurt by your assumptions, so don't worry about my feelings. If you want my thoughts instead, I'm glad you agreed with my proposal. Easier to share information between us if we room together, and easier to help each other out if anything happens, don't you think?
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Exactly. And I already agreed, so are you coming or not?
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Meet me by the elevator in ten. And don't keep me waiting.
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[ She'll be there in five. It's not like she has anything to pack. ]
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down the elevator he goes, at least, and aventurine doesn't arrive a minute later nor a minute sooner. despite both of them being low rank cards, the difference between six and four is still surprising. he can only imagine how much worse it is at two. things to keep shelved in his mind for later.
cue the ingenuine expression of surprise on his face once his eyes land on topaz. ) Hmmm? Not wearing your wedding dress again? That's a shame.
( not like he's wearing the nice suit they had given him either. he holds his hand out, noticing her lack of baggage. it does not, of course, come as a surprise. what do they really have in here, really. )
Want me to carry your things?
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[ It looked very pretty. She felt pretty in it too, like a princess. But she could hardly breathe in it and the weight of the train threatened to drag her off the bed as soon as she sat down. How do fancy girls live like that?
No one will go there. Even housekeeping, from what she's heard. A break-in is unlikely. Thanks to the generosity of the resort, she can wear athleisure fashion that's like a dressed down version of what she's used to: tight with cut outs in all the fun places. Due to some skilled packing, she manages to get whatever spare clothes, underwear and even the fancy robes tucked into a bundle she can easily carry under one arm. ]
No need. There obviously isn't much.
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he lowers his hand back into his pocket, and walks back into the elevator. for all that they're the only physical people in there, aventurine knows well enough the paintings on the walls have eyes and ears aplenty. )
Have you made any friends yet?
( casual talk, if only on the surface. though the weight of the word friends is genuine in this case, the question itself is posed to know whether topaz has spoken to anyone with valuable information to provide, that is. )
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He's more aware of the paintings than she is, as long as they stay static. Surely they're just nice decorations, she isn't paying them any mind. ]
Oh, I don't have friends.
[ Taking the question at face value, that's her honest answer. Even back in their world, she doesn't have time for the closest thing she has to friends. ]
People have been super friendly, and easy to talk to.
[ Friendly, but not useful. Not yet, anyway. ]
But I've memorized the dating profiles, and found some guests who look interesting. Sometimes it's better to say hi in person.
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the follow-up answer, at the very least, is useful in its own way. super friendly means there's an increased chance of easy connections, a lack of suspicion, and a possible beneficial relationship for all parties involved. friendly means this will be far easier than what penacony could be.
the elevator lands not long after - the gap between their ranks is hardly the largest, after all -, and he holds the door open for her. ladies first, and away from snooping paintings. )
Compile me a list when you can. I'll approach the ones you haven't. ( because two ipc workers who know each other trying to befriend the same person could rise suspicion. ) What are your thoughts about the situation?
( as in... the need for sex to win the game, that is. allegedly. )
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She'd been mulling over the answer to his question before he'd even asked, but even she's not fully confident in her answer. She's inexperienced to say the least, which isn't a problem in her opinion, even if diving right in under these circumstances isn't what she envisioned. The loss of control, her freedom, her ability to dictate her own pace is more troubling than something as silly as virginity. The mask of dispassion doesn't fit her, but she tries to cover up her frustration with it. Any other answer would just cause Aventurine trouble. ]
Until an alternative is found, there's no other way, right? Sex has to happen. It is what it is.
[ At the very least, she's more confident and honest in her reminder: ]
Regaining what we lost is our priority. Just because I said you're the point person doesn't mean I expect you to do all the work. And even though I entrusted that to you, it's still my responsibility.
[ it would be unfair to make him get both their cornerstones back. ]
It's inevitable and necessary on multiple fronts, so I may as well play and have fun with it.
[ if the resort takes away her full autonomy, she at least has say over whether she enjoys it or not. She refuses to have a miserable time. ]
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good. at the very least, he won't have to worry about her - worry about tainting her, or darkening a heart as pure as hers. maybe the house will do it, in his place. maybe, still, as the 'point person' of this impromptu mission, he would be able to shoulder most of the work.
aventurine checks his watch again, and within it the information about payouts and rewards. their cornerstones would be considered a magical item, though an argument can be made whether the house is aware of it or not. 20 points minimum, 60 points maximum for one of them... ten people, if he's smart about it. it could be worse. )
We are both Hearts, and close in rank as well. If we make the right connections, the easiest hand we can get is a straight flush. Forty points could get us both our Cornerstones back at best. ( if the house is ignorant on their true power, that is. ) I'm not worried about mine, so let's get yours back first. I would rather use my points to move around with our ranks, and we can exploit that. What do you think?
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Forty sounds way too optimistic. There wouldn't be a category for "magical items" if they had no way of knowing if something was magical or not. And we can't be the first batch of guests with those kinds of items or abilities.
Actually, I've been monitoring a network post regarding rumors that our items are being kept in a safe. There's no evidence that it's true, but there's still discussion of a potential heist.
[ Her initial reflex to balk over Aventurine not caring about his cornerstone is tempered by prioritizing hers. She's conflicted: regaining hers would be a relief, but leaving him without his is worrying. She understands the importance of switching ranks, playing the game, continuing their investigation. She knows better than to ask "are you sure?" when he's already laid out the plan. Unease lingers in her expression, but she still nods in acceptance. ]
That's fine.
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( it can't be so easy, is his immediate thought. it can't be a normal safe, or it can't be one unprotected. for what it's worth, even without their cornerstones, at least they still have all their other skills. that possibly implies others do as well, and several people with their powers intact could open a safe with ease. )
Something to keep in mind. I'm not so interested in adding burglary to my repertoire of skills just yet. If you hear anything else about that heist, let me know. ( not that he wants to participate, but while the involved parties are busy with it, there's increased chances of breaching security, of slipping through open cracks.
this would all be such a tiresome job if he were doing all of it by himself, despite his own preferences. for all that this is a resort meant to help people relax and enjoy themselves, perhaps he, too, is about as work-pilled as topaz is. funny how things turned out to be, or perhaps this is just a late realization. )
On a lighter note, ( aventurine comes to a stop, in front of door number six. lucky number, lucky suit. he runs his watch over the lock, and the door is pushed open, ) welcome to your new home. This is your one chance to establish any boundaries and house rules.
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My thoughts exactly. At best, it's a lie and a trap. At worst, it's a system that's more complex than just "a safe." I'll monitor the network and get in touch with anyone interested in carrying out the heist.
[ If they succeed, they'll know the info is true and it's doable. If they fail, she wants to know the consequences.
When he opens the room and she sees the connecting, private bathroom, a sigh of relief rushes out. He's truly a savior, even if she could have forced herself to tough it out two floors below. But what's this about boundaries and house rules? ]
This is your place, why're you asking me?
[ She is genuinely appreciative for the consideration, but it catches her off guard. All these concessions for her are making her feel kinda guilty. ]
Or you can start with one and we'll take turns.
[ This way she can get a feel for what he wants. ]
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but at the very least, for the sake of an amicable and productive partnership, he will come up with a few. ) You manage to sleep even less than I do, so feel free to eat breakfast without me. If you need to come back and I'm not around, send me a message and I'll come. If I'm busy, I'll let you know.
( coming up with these, he finds, is surprisingly hard. not once had aventurine ever thought he would share a room with someone, despite all the times he has laid with other people. by morning he'd already be gone. )
Sleep whenever you want, and don't worry about me. You can pick whichever side of the bed you want as well. We can decide on a set hour to return here at night, if that's easier. No need to wait for me like that.
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Though this it makes it more apparent how little she noticed anything beyond the gambling and glitter. What kinds of concessions should she be making? ]
You're out later than me, so just pick a time to meet up, and you can just let me in.
I'll probably be at the gym in the morning, so just let me know when you're up and I'll come back with breakfast.
If I use the rental kitchens to cook, we can go there for lunch and dinner so it doesn't disrupt what you're doing too much. And if you don't need those, sending a message is fine.
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