hoenn is unfamiliar terrain to him, so he is glad for the company.

[break][break] even if it was more like a security detail than it was a meeting between old friends, though ophelia coin was not the type that ordinarily needed protecting. though, he was sure he did not need to tell her that.

[break][break] "it's alluring," he says. a pause before he adds. "not the only one, of course." the man plucks the item from his fingertips and situates it just beneath the ceo's ear.

[break][break] "it's been awhile, madam coin."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]she flashes a smile at the sentiment, at the way his fingers graze her skin along the path to her ear. the flower settles, cool and smooth against the back of her ear.

"please, there's no need for such formalities." and she'll never quite get used to the term madam coin. somehow, it holds a great responsibility she's not sure her shoulders could bear.

without hesitation, she's reaching for his hand with both of hers. her touch is gentle, fond. "it has," she murmurs. fingers rub small circles into the warmth of his skin. "have you been well?"

her oldest friend, her dearest friend... in hoenn, of all places. it fills her with a happiness she couldn't even hope to express.

luciano fisk
mission

he laughs, an airy breath. "you are always so gracious." of a course a woman of her standing did not need a mere name to command respect — even in her youth, her grace was renown.

[break][break] he smiles, expression soft. "ophelia."

[break][break] however, when she reaches for him, her hands in his, he cannot help the rapid blush that runs through his skin like fire-ants. heat makes his cheeks a rosy-red. he looks away.

[break][break] "i have been fine," he murmurs. "no different than usual. how about you?"

[break][break] but he doesn't pull away.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]fondness seeps in. it spreads, festers, grows like ivy against brick. and despite herself, she feels a swell of heat at the cheeks. it's been a long time since she's flushed. there's no need for such a thing in business. it's kept hidden away, tucked into a tower and guarded by a money hungry dragon.

and this isn't business. this is freedom. this is warmth. this is affection.

"unfortunately, it's a habit i cannot quite shake." and if she could, what habit would she replace it with?

she smiles anyway, thumbs tracing lazy patterns into his skin.

"better with you here," she muses. it's soft, tender, delicate. her touch mirrors a gentleness even as she beckons him closer with a small tug. "i'm glad you've been well, dear one. i worry, as i'm sure you're aware."

he's the cherished one; the man placed on a pedestal and left to look every inch a god. and with a pat of her hands on his skin, her smile begins to loosen into the inklings of a grin.

"now, give me all the details. what brings you here from sinnoh's shores?"

luciano fisk
mission

luciano is a fisk. more than that, he is older than many of his siblings. as a result, he has a reputation to uphold. he cannot fall claim to the lofty emotions that fill those of the younger generation.

[break][break] he thinks of michaelis, the way tears would fall so easily, the way he would let his emotions break him.

[break][break] "you're too kind," he says, though there is something in his voice that isn't quite genuine, his thoughts faraway. he brushes a hand over his face, hiding the heat that grows on his face.

[break][break] he's glad for the topic change, an excuse to avoid his heart. once again.

[break][break] "and you know me as well, ophelia. art has always been my love, and wherever it takes me, i go." he sighs though, as if revealing something secret. "unfortunately, she seems to be playing aloof these days."

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]despite herself, her smile grows. her grip, too, tightens against his hand.

"your love is playing aloof?"

somehow, the thought amuses her immensely. she's never known luciano fisk to allow anything to elude him for long.

he is, at his core, charming and persistent.

"inspiration strikes when you least expect, doesn't it?"

the expression she gives him is as understanding as it is prying.

"are you in need of a new muse?"

perhaps she'd volunteer...

luciano fisk
mission

the laugh that is drawn out of him is a burst of air - sudden and brief. "i suppose she is," he says after a moment, mouth twisted into a bemused smile as he turned to look at her.

[break][break] ophelia coin had a way about her, as she always did.

[break][break] his brow arches delicately.

[break][break] "color me surprised," he says. "are you offering?"

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]"perhaps i am."

her smile slips into coyness.

"would that be alright?"

he's a man of beauty, of elegance, of perfection. and what is she if not grace?

it'd be an honor, she realizes, to help him with his craft. his pride and joy...

the smile widens further into her cheeks at the thought.

luciano fisk
mission

he laughs, high and lofty.

[break][break] "miss coin," he chides. "you'll get in trouble one day for your banter. dangling something so delectable in front of a man like me." his lips curve upward. "as much as i would like to accept — " he shakes his head. "it does not work that way."

[break][break] he sighs.

[break][break] "i wish it would."

[break][break] "the heart may be fickle — but the brush even more so."

[break][break] blue eyes meet elegant violet.

[break][break] "i would not be able to do your portrait justice."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]she hums in quiet amusement, disguised as deliberation and tied up with an unsuspecting smile.

"and what kind of man is that, hm?"

she doesn't quite understand what he seeks. and maybe it's a lack of awareness or simply nothing more than experience providing barriers she can't overcome but the urge to help never quite dies out.

it simply festers.

"what do you look for in a muse, luce?"

what mold does she need to settle into like resin?

her head tilts with the concept. him... not being able to do her portrait justice? she can't help the small laugh.

"i've never heard you speak lowly of your skills, you know." her smile stretches, glows. "you're the only person i'd trust to do my likeness right."

luciano fisk
mission

his lips upturn.

[break][break] "as inviting as that is, i know you better than to fall for a trap like that." his gaze narrows playfully, chiding her softly with his tone. "you know what kind of man i am, madam."

[break][break] no matter how much she pushes, luciano knows better than to play along. it was fun for a moment, but there is such a thing as stepping too close to the edge. mother taught him better.

[break][break] which is why he allows for the change of topic, turning to his craft.

[break][break] he hums in thought as he leads them through the garden, pulling her hand to his arm so that he can lead her properly through it. "i don't go looking for a muse — often more than not, it finds me. i suppose i've never thought about what i look for."

[break][break] if he'd put pen to paper, what would he have found? he thinks of all the muses in his life, the ones that had known of him and the ones who didn't, and he isn't sure if any of them would have had a single thread in common. what did people like illeana reyes and Laurence Anderson have in common? very little, he would think.

[break][break] "that's a high compliment," he remarks. "with such high praise, i suppose i couldn't deny you."

[break][break] his lips upturn.

[break][break] "assuming, of course, you are willing to meet the fisk price."

[break][break] noemi would be scandalized if he accepted anything less.

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]"and what trap would that be?"

she sees no such terms. and perhaps it's simply because she doesn't see him as what he truly is. she sees the good in him, maybe blinded by something she doesn't understand.

"perhaps the better question is if you'd like to have a muse like me?"

it's odd, truthfully. she knows her way around deals and fancy parties but this? figuring out what he likes? she's blindly searching for the right words, the right expression. it's infuriating in the same way it's kind of thrilling.

her expression brightens in the way sunshine bleeds into windows. subtle at first until it's overtaking the entire room.

"really?"

she reaches for his hand quickly, excitedly.

"any price is yours, fisk or otherwise."

her smile grows.

luciano fisk
mission

she pushes, and he pulls back. such was the nature of their relationship.

[break][break] luciano simply gives an elegant laugh, lips pressed into a smile, but otherwise doesn't answer her jest.

[break][break] he knows better than to fall prey to her antics, as appealing as they may seem in the moment. she may be as beautiful as a serpent, but he is no mouse to be ensnared.

[break][break] "we both know, president, that you are more than a muse."

[break][break] if he chose her as a muse, that would mean she was dispensable. he thinks of the fleeting moments he had with others. with illeana reyes or Laurence Anderson . his relationship with ophelia coin was more than that.

[break][break] whether he meant that she was more than a muse to him, or simply in general, he left open to debate.

[break][break] a flush bleeds into his cheeks as she grabs his hand, but he allows it.

[break][break] "what kind of portrait are you thinking of?"

[attr="class","ooc"] ophelia coin [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dragonair"]