MARCH UPDATE

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Jul 25, 2022 5:12:32 GMT

Martín del Mar likes this

"Indeed..." Barnaby stewed on Mars' explanation, chewing the words over in his mind as he did his meal. His expression was thoughtful while he did this, rather than sad.

How could he be sad, after all, over something he'd never experienced?

No, sadness wasn't the right word.

Bitterness, perhaps?

"Unconditional love." The words left his lips like he'd just taken a drag of a cigarette: airy and dry and acrid.

"You're right, I think... it is quite rare." All the 'loved' ones in his life thus far had always posed blatant expectations for their love. They hid that fact by veiling it as family obligation and duty, but Barnaby knew better.

Well, he did eventually.

Mars then asked him for his opinion, which brought a wry smile to Barnaby's lips. "Did I not already answer that question today?"
Martín del Mar
mission: SLEEPLESS IN SLATEPORT
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Jul 25, 2022 12:54:26 GMT

BARNABY FINCH likes this

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Months ago, shortly after they had first met, Barnaby had asked him what the rings he wore around his neck meant. Mars had been honest back then, even if he hadn’t shared every detail, and that moment had marked something that would persist throughout their friendship – even until this day. Barnaby has always known more about him; seen sides of him that Mars wouldn’t show most people.
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It’s not something he minds, not really, but admittedly, there’s a part of him that wishes for them to be equal in this. A part that wishes to learn more personal things about BARNABY FINCH. Personal things like his opinion on love.
[break][break]
Why?
[break][break]
Honestly, that’s a question even Mars himself would rather not answer right now, instead focusing his attention on the man before him as he looks into his cobalt eyes. There’s rebuttal, and when it comes, the banker can’t help but raise a brow – a slight smirk forming at his lips before giving his own reply:
[break][break]
”You did, but you gave the answer you thought the judges and audience would want to hear, now I want you to give me the honest one.”

[attr="class","textwttag"]BARNABY FINCH

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[break]

Mission - Sleepless in Slateport ♡

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Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Jul 27, 2022 6:15:24 GMT

Martín del Mar likes this

It had always been that way, hadn't it?

Martín del Mar's innate ability to perceive him as he was, not as the person he put forward to the world. He could see through Barnaby where others never had before.

It was both unsettling and invigorating.

"Perceptive." He conceded with a light chuckle.

Clasping his champagne flute with a delicate hand, Barnaby took a moment to thoughtfully observe the amber liquid within; he didn't immediately reply to Mars' question, didn't immediately make eye contact. He wanted to gather his thoughts first.

Love. What did he think about it? It wasn't a sentiment that he'd put much value in for a very, very long time.

"Platonic love is something I appreciate. I like having close friendships, people I can rely on and whose company I enjoy."

But friendships were also something you could hold at arms-length, if desired, and regard with rationality.

"... Romantic love, though..." Here Barnaby's gaze diverted from his drink to meet Mars' own. There his host would find a softer expression. Vulnerable, even.

"... I'm not sure I've ever truly felt it before." Not like Martín del Mar had. Not with any strength or intensity. Teenage lust, disguised as love, perhaps. But not the kind of unconditional love that he spoke of.

"...You must think me quite sad, Martín."
Martín del Mar
mission: SLEEPLESS IN SLATEPORT
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Aug 7, 2022 15:05:10 GMT

BARNABY FINCH likes this

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It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
[break][break]
Is that not what they say? There is a part of him that has always thought such proverbs to be laughable, cruel, and foolish, and when BARNABY FINCH asks him if he thinks him to be sad, it’s that very same part of Mars that wants to tell his friend that he actually should be glad. Glad he has never loved someone with all of his heart and then had to spend every day of his life grieving them; missing them, being reminded of them, carrying an endless guilt that will never go away.
[break][break]
Would he rather be like Barnaby, then? Would he rather never have loved at all?
[break][break]
No. When he asks himself those questions, the answer is immediate, because no matter how much pain romantic love has brought him, it was also without a doubt one of the most amazing things he ever experienced. In many ways, it had saved him.
[break][break]
”I don’t think you’re sad.” Mars says finally, after a couple of seconds of silence. He looks at Barnaby in the eyes, and as he does so, there’s a warm yet gentle smile. ”...But I do hope that one day you come to love someone enough to show them every aspect of yourself. You deserve to have someone who you don’t have to hide anything from.”
[break][break]
Secrets. They both have them, after all. No matter how close they are, there’s so much they still haven’t told each other. And yet… What is it about BARNABY FINCH that makes Mars want to tell him more of those things that he would never share with most people? What would Barnaby think? He’d probably hate him.

[attr="class","textwttag"]BARNABY FINCH

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Mission - Sleepless in Slateport ♡

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Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Aug 28, 2022 18:52:45 GMT

Those few seconds of silence felt like an eternity to BARNABY FINCH, who had lowered his walls and shown vulnerability to Mars in a way he hadn't to anyone since adolescence. He felt his heart flutter with anxiety - something that was wholly unexpected.

Why did he care so much about what Martín del Mar thought of him?

Finally, the silence was broken, and with it came a wave of relief. He didn't find him sad... in fact, Mars even wished Barnaby a similar happiness to what he had felt from his romance.

"You deserve to have someone who you don’t have to hide anything from."

Did he, though? Perhaps his skepticism was obvious in the way he took a greedy sip from his champagne flute, emptying the glass.

"... Don't you find it difficult?"

Despite the serious turn in their conversation, Barnaby kept his eyes steady on Martín del Mar.

"To trust someone so completely."

I'm not sure I can.
Martín del Mar
mission: SLEEPLESS IN SLATEPORT
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

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Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Aug 31, 2022 2:20:15 GMT

BARNABY FINCH likes this

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”I do.” The answer is immediate this time, for it was at a young age that Mars learned that most people cannot be trusted. Once, he was an innocent child who was both careless and reckless, and this carelessness of his, this utter trust in that he would always be safe, had resulted in him witnessing his father’s murder. There had been only a handful of people he had truly trusted after that, and that also had resulted in him losing everything. Now, there’s none. Not really.
[break][break]
”There’s people I trust, but no one I trust completely. Not anymore.” He admits it because BARNABY FINCH deserves the truth, even if it's a truth that may make him think he’ll never be able to trust someone either. He had meant what he said before, but he won’t pretend he doesn’t know betrayal’s bitter taste.
[break][break]
Taking his glass of champagne, Mars finishes what little is left within. Despite everything, he’s calm, and that same smile from before remains at his lips.
[break][break]
”Perhaps one day that will change, but you’re right: getting there won’t be easy.”
[break][break]
When people want his trust, they must earn it and deserve it. Especially if they want it completely. Philanthropist as the world may know him to be, this is not something Mars gives freely.

[attr="class","textwttag"]BARNABY FINCH

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Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Sept 1, 2022 1:06:18 GMT

Martín del Mar likes this

Martín del Mar's answer was expected, of course. Seasoned criminals, Barnaby included, never allowed their trust to deepen beyond a certain point - it was bad for business.

But they weren't talking about business, were they? Matters of the heart were inherently different. Personal, in the most intimate way.

"I wasn't just talking out my ass, you know." Barnaby remarked quietly, grasping his newly-filled champagne flute that the waiter had just refreshed. Mars' glass had been conveniently refilled as well.

"Love is the softest kiss on the hardest day... I would like a partner I could have that with, I think."

This was a newer revelation. Not something BARNABY FINCH would have been caught dead saying even just a few months ago. Perhaps his time and experiences in Hoenn had taken their toll. Whether this was good or bad remained to be seen.

He raised his glass.

"To love. May it find us one day."
Martín del Mar
mission: SLEEPLESS IN SLATEPORT
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Sept 8, 2022 12:52:05 GMT

BARNABY FINCH likes this

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”The softest kiss on the hardest day.” Mars echoes quietly, his gold-toned gaze fixed on the equally gold-toned bubbles filling his delicate champagne flute. He had had that once; love like that. It’s perhaps why Barnaby’s words during the contest had made him smile. They had been true, even if most of it had been what the now-contest winner had thought the judges would like to hear.
[break][break]
”To love.”
[break][break]
When glasses clink, he looks at him; looks into those cobalt eyes that bring so many reminders of the sea. Eyes he could drown in. Eyes he sometimes feels as if his reflection belongs in.
[break][break]
Usually, he’d push the thought away. Tonight, he smiles at it.
[break][break]
”But you don’t have to wait for true love to get cherished soft kisses, you know?”
[break][break]
A comment made to lighten the mood.
[break][break]
Barnaby does know. They both do.

[attr="class","textwttag"]BARNABY FINCH

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Mission - Sleepless in Slateport ♡

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Dove

Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

2,366 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Sept 9, 2022 1:58:21 GMT

Martín del Mar likes this

With glasses clinked and their toast christened with a drink, the only thing Barnaby could do next was give a wry smile to Mars' follow-up suggestion.

"You're absolutely right." He wholeheartedly agreed, his smile morphing into a devious smirk.

"In fact, I think you're quite overdue for some. Right now, actually."

Barnaby rose from his seat and, in one fluid movement, grasped the arms on either side of Martín del Mar's chair. This left him in rather an intimate position, leaning over his friend with their bodies precariously close together.

He didn't immediately go for a kiss, though. Instead he pressed his lips every-so-softly onto Mars' forehead... then the crest of his right cheekbone, then a brush to his left...

Only after the admin's face was sufficiently cherished in soft kisses did Barnaby finally take an index finger to tilt Martín del Mar's chin upwards.

"Last one." He breathed, leaning in to place one final gentle kiss on Mars' lips.

Was it cheesy? Of course. Something sweet to go with the dessert that was just now being brought out.
Martín del Mar
mission: SLEEPLESS IN SLATEPORT
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars

POSTED ON Sept 9, 2022 23:13:46 GMT

BARNABY FINCH likes this

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It’s sweet. Cheesy, but sweet. Kind of silly, but really fucking sweet. To the point that, inevitably so, Mars finds himself smiling with each kiss, and by the time an index finger lifts up his chin so he can look into cobalt eyes once more, he’s actually grinning.
[break][break]
BARNABY FINCH’s kiss is gentle and soft, Mars’ response is not.
[break][break]
Ever the avaricious man, he pulls him in; seeking more, attempting to taste everything. It’s an impulse. Desire fulfilled. How could he leave it as no more than a sweet kiss?
[break][break]
Passionate, yet short lived.
[break][break]
A kiss that leaves wanting for more, one that ends with Mars wrapping an arm around Barnaby’s waist and pulling him onto his lap – as if this is where he had been meant to sit all along. As if this is where he belongs.
[break][break]
True to Mars’ nature, he smiles, ever so nonchalant.
[break][break]
”Have dessert with me?”
[break][break]
As if food has any place in his mind right now.

[attr="class","textwttag"]BARNABY FINCH

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Mission - Sleepless in Slateport ♡

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Admin Bee

He / Him

April 12

Lumiose City, Kalos

Pansexual

Broadcast Journalist

Admin

6'0" / 183 cm height

i fell for your magic. i tasted your skin. and though this is tragic, at least i found the end.

awards

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TAG WITH @barnaby

POSTED ON Oct 8, 2022 16:59:05 GMT

Martín del Mar likes this

Was this what Barnaby had wanted all along? To elicit this fiery reaction from Martín del Mar?

Absolutely. Although he enjoyed the sweet gestures, passion and forward seduction were always a level above in terms of satisfaction. Such acts ignited a profound yearning inside of Barnaby that only Mars seemed to be able to quench lately.

It was why his body was so easily pulled into the admin's lap. Why he kissed his friend even harder, deeper, asking for more. He melted at Martín del Mar's touch. It was inevitable. Straddling him was like taking his place on a destined throne.

It was where Barnaby belonged.

"Here?"

His hand was already at Mars' belt as his teeth bit at the hollow below the admin's ear, just above the edge of his turtleneck collar.

"I don't want to wait." No consideration was given to the wait staff, who had made themselves strategically scare all of a sudden. Barnaby's need was too urgent.
Martín del Mar
mission: SLEEPLESS IN SLATEPORT
☉

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Azul

Mars | Tuesday

He/Him

August 4th

Canalave City, Sinnoh

Bi / Demiro

POG Bank CEO

Underboss

1008 height

Veni. Videre. Vincam.

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TAG WITH @mars