[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]it's absolutely good food and he can kiss her ass if he thinks otherwise.

an eyebrow rises when he goes for the first one. and when it rises to her lips instead of his, she's letting out an amused laugh.

"so it can kill me instead?"

she doesn't turn down the offer, though. fried oreos are her favorite and she's happily leaning in to bite the carnival food without bothering to wait.

cue the moan about good food before she's reaching into the bag he holds for another.

"i love these things."

CIAN MAHER
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]she laughs. "i pregame everything, bestie. c'mon, you know this."

and really, has anyone seen her show up to an event without a drink or two already simmering nicely in her system? no, they haven't.

gia's kitty squad will never let this man leave now, that much she knows. he has two hands to pet them and they're fully aware of that fact. it'll be a miracle if he sleeps at all tonight, really. she can picture it now: paxton buried beneath a mountain of cats.

one of her cats in particular, her darling shiny skitty, scurries back over to find her legs and climb her way up to giada's shoulder. there, peach settles with a happy purr.

"you thought right, handsome!" man, she's so excited. popcorn, the good alcohol, and movies is the best combo.

poor paxton, though... the cats are barely letting him move away from the door, let alone watch a movie.

"do you have a preference for a movie? you kinda seem like a rom-com guy."

paxton concordas
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]rain comes as a blessing. it drenches everything and her body sings mild praise from relief of the cold water. it turns muddy as it runs off her body in little rivets, mingling with the dirt and blood clinging to her skin.

"cian?" she calls. it's meek, scared. "where are you? i -- are you okay?"

and what would she do if he wasn't? that... isn't given life in her mind. she can't.

the figure stills at the rain, at their voices. and faintly, the smile is vicious against the remains of pyres. it begins to move again. steps are soft, practiced, precise, and getting closer.

she tries to sit up with a groan. her head screams with pain, as if her skull is about to split open from the impact. god, this fucking sucks. vertigo comes with blackening vision, a rush between head and ears, and the rising sensation of nausea.

and yet, she can't think of anything else but his safety. fuck.

CIAN MAHER
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]she rolls her eyes.

"of course!" a laugh follows. "you think i'd lie about good food?"

and without a second thought, she's tugging him along toward the stalls to hunt down fried oreos. the skitty ears wobble with her movement.

"c'mon, it'll blow your mind."

CIAN MAHER
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]there's two things giada is certain of. one: this fucking sucks. two: there goes another one of her lives.

debris scatters with their bodies and god, the heat is blistering. her body hits pavement with a sickening crack. and based on the way her vision goes blank, it's her head. fuck.

coming to takes a few moments of stillness. and when she does, it's nothing but searing pain and the stench of charred flesh.

faintly, she hears him coughing, hears him calling. it's off, as if in a different dimension than her. she blames it on the explosion, on the way it ripped into her ears.

"ci?" comes in a soft, strangled gasp. smoke billows from the raging fire before them. and she tries to hoist herself up... really, she does, but glass bites at probable burns and her vision is being stained red. she blinks and it's worse.

in the distance, a figure emerges from the pyres.

CIAN MAHER
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]she tries to hide the wicked turn of her lips. really, she does...

it's just that he makes it easy.

"that's why you're here, sir," she retorts, tone kept more hushed than her usual octaves. unfortunate, really... she's best when she can be loud. "although have you ever been used solely as a decoy before?"

better yet, has he been used at all? probably, given his status. men of his worth are best drained and abandoned like carcasses on the side of the road.

the first item comes, shines, and goes in an easy pace. the next item up is a strange looking flute. she's only half paying attention by now but perks up at the mention of its history. said to call to the creator... huh, eerie.

Remiel Calcifet

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]scenery shifts, morphs, and changes into something that almost bothers her.

it's familiar but not, as if existing in a realm of its own. and as @elliott moves to touch a figure, she slides right up beside him to do the same. where he passes a hand through, she pokes with a finger, giggling slightly as the holographic body's projection shudders slightly.

"wow," she whistles softly. "that's some fuckin' shit!" it's, apparently, very easy to impress her...

the question makes her pause, makes her consider. and for once, she tries to use the brain juice she has.

"see how it changes," gia offers with a grin. "if we're back in time, there had to be something during this timeframe that was rough as fuck... better to see what it is first before jumping the gun."

does that sound smart? is she impressive yet? no, but she'll act like she is.

CIAN MAHER & @elliott & spectra
participating, taking focus band, pray 4 me
pokes a hologram npc

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]hushed whispers fill empty spaces in a grand hall. the rich and vapid gather for one night for the same thing: priceless jewels.

she finds herself in one of the seats, middle row and blended into a mixed crowd. a black dress pools against skin and it's all part a plan set into motion by shared interests and sticky fingers.

"do you usually come to these things?" she murmurs. are they always this... boring? she's stifled enough yawns to last a lifetime in the past hour alone. how do people willingly do this shit?

she has to remind herself to stay focused. eyes on the prize, on the crown jewel of the auction. it's waiting for her...

Remiel Calcifet

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]the question brings back memories, both recent and old. it doesn't feel like quite that long ago when they were running amok in the streets of celadon.

and yet, the distance between them tells of time eroding their bond until it's nothing but ruins. it's a familiar thing for her. broken bonds, people loved and lost. he's an unfortunate reminder of the lesson she's never learned: you gotta leave before you get left.

"i do," she murmurs. "i'd never retire a crowd pleaser." that goes for both the catsuit and herself.

slowly, her smile widens. it's too sugary for the implications she weaves between syllables. "what, are you interested in seeing it again?"

e7Uz9DD|
Sénon Game
heat points | 669/1000

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]the cats are, in simple terms, over the moon. while she's a very attentive trainer to her babies, there's nothing like pets from someone new, someone not familiar with their attention seeking antics. they mewl and meow, alternating between rushing for his hands and his legs. ollie is also welcomed into their midst with excited chirps and brrrps.

"is it?" her smile turns teasing. red wine pours easily into an empty glass. and while you're, you know, not supposed to fill it to the top, she pretends that isn't a thing. it's filled to the point of nearly overflowing before she's bending over to sip excess from the top.

if it spills when she shifts to join him and the cluster of cats, she doesn't notice. no, she's distracted by the mention of snacks and her company.

"ooooh, what kind?" blue eyes light up like a christmas tree. before she gets too invested in snacks, however, she's letting out a knowing laugh as her cats begin to flood him for more attention.

"careful," she warns with a grin. "they'll never let you leave if you spoil them." like trainer, like pokemon.

paxton concordas
mission

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]whatever experience he has under his belt strikes a nerve in a way she doesn't expect. where jealousy should be is, instead, a bitterness seeping into vessels. it makes her snappy, irritated, cold. and god, she hates it.

trauma sits beneath skin, simmering to a slow boil as if fueled by his words. and no amount of alcohol is going to make it disappear, no matter how much she tries. it's not even his fault. not really, not in the way one could think. no, it's all her and her incessant desire to be needed.

in the end, she's nothing more than meat on bones. a means to an end, pleasurable or otherwise.

"i suppose we'll see, won't we?" her tone is kept similar to how it always is: playful, tinged with something more. it masks what she wants, what she needs. while she's not stupid enough to think it'd pass with him, time sweeps by them before he can settle further under her skin.

the timer buzzes and with it, her mood settles into a lull. if there's any scheduled dates left for her, they're stood up and abandoned.

and when he's ready to face her other 8 lives, she knows he'll find her.

Sénon Game

[attr="class","giada"]

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

[attr="class","giada i"]oh oh oh this is gettin' good!

the woman blinks once, twice, thrice before shifting to reconsider her cute cats. are they ready for battle? does she even want them to battle? no, no... definitely not. little babies that they are. without a second thought, she's recalling the affectionate cats and swapping to a different team: one that, in theory, is better suited for battle. two stay within their pokeballs but the one that replaces her cats...?

yeah, he doesn't look too happy.

"been a while," she chirps, winking at @elliott as she steps forward to begin petting her charizard in soothing circles. the dragon snarls low, irritated even beneath her touch. he placates slowly the longer she gives attention.

"teaming up sounds good to me," she offers with a soft roll of her shoulders. strength in numbers or whatever, right? as focus bands are offered, she happily snags one and snaps it onto her wrist. the focus band is pretty enough, sparkling in just the right places. it doesn't accent her outfit but... neither would being maimed so that's a plus.

as her charizard lets out annoyed rumbles, giada's attention shifts around the room. there's a lot of people pairing up into teams much like they are... is there any advantage to play at here? wait, can she even use the whip at her belt? huh... probably should've read the invite.

"you ready for this shitshow, boys?"

CIAN MAHER & @elliott & spectra
participating, taking focus band, pray 4 me