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❝

DUPLICITY CITATION No. 18420
Violation: Assaulting SIN Guards
Fine: $1000 + 1 week Realignment
Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.

❞

[ Everyone gets the same text, stuttered out on a run through the storm in the Up. ]

Dick's lost his humanity
loose in the Up

Hi.

I require:
More jumper wires
A cheap tablet
A Nerf gun (or equivalent, do they even have those here?)
Some of those 24 hour energy shots
Today's newspaper
A tuna melt on rye, no onions, extra pickles

i'm not getting your lunch

You can get yourself something too.

i think i'll get myself one tuna melt on rye

You're a terrible assistant.

that'll be because i'm not your assistant

i can probably find a nerf gun

That's not what the business cards say. You can pick those up any time, by the way.

Try to find one with an air tank. Actually, if you find them, get two.

if i take them they'll go straight in the bin

what do you need air powered nerf guns for anyway

I'll pretend I didn't see that.

The air compression/firing systems. It's a pain in the ass to miniaturise a pneumatic actuator without the right parts. I'm not above scavenging.

I also want it to incentivise the drones when they don't come back with my sandwich.

:)

i'm just going to say now for the record if you ever shoot me with a nerf gun i will destroy

can you build a surveillance drone that's tolerant to damp/humid conditions

I'll keep that in mind.

[ .. Probably. ]

Sure, no problem. Might lose some manoeuvrability with the waterproofing but it wouldn't be difficult.

Why?

personal use. the air isn't great down here. you can take the costs out of my wages

do you actually want to read the paper or is there some mad reasoning behind that too?

So you are my assistant now? How about I give you a discount for additional lunch fetching duties?

I read it. I like the crossword. Information is always useful, no matter where it comes from.

i'm an unspecified employee. subcontractor.

you can have mine after i'm done with it. the articles are usually lacking but it's an easy read.

Did you do the crossword?

no. i prefer sudoku

Out of interest, there are questions you don't just reply "no" to, right?

no

[ she is a comedian ]

sometimes i'll feel inspired to elaborate, for the right question

I guess I should have expected that.

Well, maybe one day I'll find the right question.

[ he attaches a link to tony’s network post, just for good measure. ]

I see I’ve been traded in for a younger model.

and there was me thinking you were as old as each other

Not that much younger, it’s true.

friend of yours?

Not really. From my universe, though, or close enough.

i did wonder. he's certainly not from mine.

i'm not his assistant

[ for the record!!!! ]

I figured.
Just wanted to be appropriately forlorn in your DMs.

don't worry, his dry cleaning services can't hold a candle to yours

hey come keep me company in the club this week if you're not busy. dad's in caveman mode now that dick's back, so it'll need looking after anyway.

[ their father is not in caveman mode, but if akihiro doesn't make fun of him, he'll feel An Emotion about logan getting another chance with dick. ]

i'm a terrible bartender. no coordination.

that's ok, you can come glower at people instead if you want.

for the record i actually don't overly like going to the club

but yes i will come hang out with you

[ At some point, Laura will come home to find a basket of muffins waiting for her outside her door, with a card on top. Inside, it reads: ]

I'm bad at apologies, but willing to learn how to do better. Let me try?
- TS

[ laura eats a whole muffin before she pulls out her device, well into her second before she decides on a way to start the conversation. ]

feeling more yourself?

More or less. I'm not trying to shoot anyone right now, anyway.

i haven't been shot in a while, it was kind of fun.

did you pick the muffins yourself?

Oh yeah, absolutely.

[ He did not. ]

Do you like them? You don't have a nut allergy or anything right?

i don't have an anything allergy

i'm curious if the trying begins or ends at the muffin basket?

I can do other things. You want other things? I can do them. Or get them.

What would help you feel less like stabbing me right now?

coffee. my place, if you can handle slumming it.

Is that the place that's 16 floors down with your very mysterious yet dark and sexy Dominant?

16 floors lower is hardly a slum. i don't live with her, i stay in the place in the down

On purpose?

by choice, if you can believe it

I definitely can't, but sure. Send me the coordinates. I'll make sure I've had my shots.

02-D, let me know if you get lost. or caught by gangs

[ and there's a helpful pin drop to the public housing dropped too, since she's willing to assume that tony isn't all too familiar with the subterranean half of the city. ]

I appreciate the thought. Give me half an hour.

[ the down housing is a unique sort of challenge that laura puts herself through--because it's her choice entirely to be here, yennefer made it very clear that the spare room in the apartment was hers, if she would have it. laura stays in the down though, and there's a small blessing in that she doesn't have to share the room with anyone else, but even so.

if anyone asks she says it's good practice, like how she's focused enough that she can hear tony making an off hand comment to someone at the main entrance, making his way through the housing block. she still waits for the knock before she gets up off the bed and opens the door though, a characteristically unreadable expression on her face as she waves him inside.

laura doesn't say anything until she's had a good mouthful of her coffee--nice stuff, he definitely didn't just pick up the crap from down the road. there wasn't really any need to drag him down here, except for maybe home ground advantage that laura doesn't really need, or want. something about not being in the scene of the crime, maybe. lowering her coffee, she looks at tony for a beat, and then she just shrugs. ]

You know you don't have to apologise.

[ It's a shithole. There's nothing else to say about it, really. Damp and falling apart like almost everything in the Down besides the bits that people are trying to scrape a living out of, which is probably the point, since it's an easier way to keep them all struggling and not doing stupid things like trying to overthrow the government. Tony's just glad he didn't wear his good shoes.

Laura's room feels like being back in the dorms at MIT, except even MIT's worst student digs didn't have damp spots the size of dinner plates and cracks in the ceiling. Tony can hear the pipes rattling as someone down the hall takes a shower. The whole place is begging to be renovated, or maybe just demolished.

He pulls his gaze down off the walls to look over at Laura, his own coffee cup still warm in his hand. He's sitting on the other end of the bed, which makes the whole thing feel even more like he's visiting someone's kid sister, or maybe his college intern. Not exactly bad, as far as vibes go, but he's not going to mention it to Laura. ]

I do, actually. [ He sips his soy caramel latte (he hasn't been doing so well with dairy lately). ] I'm trying a new thing, it's called being responsible. And.. [ His expression falters a bit, becoming more serious. ] I hurt you, and that sucks. So I'm sorry. Genuinely.

If we're being technical, it was actually one of the Beatles.

[ she's being deliberately glib, but it's only partly to minimise his responsibility for the whole situation. laura does believe — quite firmly in fact — that tony doesn't owe her an apology, but more importantly she's trying to decide if she wants to share.

it's an ordeal of a task at the best of times. for all she's improved on her youth, laura is still prone to caginess at best, stoic refusal at worst. words catch in her throat like they're barbed, and she's never much liked opening up even with the people that she adores. so it's not easy, and her eyes slide towards the ceiling as she leans back on one of her hands, contemplating a shadow as she clears her throat. ]

I have...experience, with outside influences taking over like that. [ a sip of her coffee, though the pause doesn't make her speech any smoother. she's careful, bordering on stilted. out of practice. ] So I mean it when I say you don't have to apologise.

[ When she glances away, Tony takes advantage of the opportunity to study her without getting one of those all-too-direct looks back. Something about the way Laura's capable of looking at him makes him feel like she's able to see the thoughts painted across the insides of his skull. Not that he minds, really, but it's a little intense.

It's the first time he's heard her express herself like this, which is also remarkable, even if she's barely said anything. He keeps his gaze narrowed at her for a few more beats, frowning faintly. ]

Experience. Is that what turned you into.. [ He lifts a hand at her, vaguely indicating her whole deal. He's seen for himself how quickly she can heal, her strength and speed. He'd been waiting for the chance to ask, honestly. ]

You could say that.

[ she expects questions. even if it weren't a very human reaction, it is tony stark she's dealing with here, and she's pretty sure that every tony across the entire multiverse has a nosy streak. she expects a follow up, and tony doesn't disappoint.

laura gives something that might be a faint smile. when laura first arrived in the city she'd been incredibly protective of her powers, careful to hide it from the world, but these days she's far less secretive about it. the secret identity thing never did much for her, frankly.

still. being open about her regenerative powers is one thing, talking about how she got that way is another. ]

I was...designed to be like this. [ she gives a quick, small shrug, tipping her head to the side to glance back at tony. ] You don't have mutants in your world, do you.

Not ones like you. Or the.. blue guy with the tail.

[ Tony reaches up to touch his jaw, the memory of Kurt's uppercut still very much in the forefront of his mind. He drops his hand and studies Laura thoughtfully. ]

Got some experience of being around people on the wrong side of science experiments, though. [ He frowns, remembering Killian. And Maya. He's pretty sure Maya would have liked to meet Laura, though he thinks maybe it's better for everyone that it's unlikely to happen. ]

Can't be fun. I'm sorry if being here makes that all.. difficult. If I made it difficult. Truly, I am.

I was. Not all of us are experiments.

[ she remembers the conversation with another tony stark very clearly even now, the revelation that she wasn't a clone, whatever that's supposed to mean, but she was still engineered in a lab, designed to be a weapon.

laura has done a lot of work to think of herself as something more than what she was created for, but it's a fact that's never far from her mind. ]

I understand the...guilt. If it helps, I'll accept your apology.

[ she shifts a little, drawing a leg up and twisting towards him. laura isn't one to be particularly verbose at the best of times, let alone running up against some particularly prickly topics for her, but it feels like--a moment, to make an effort. she's serious, earnest, when she meets his gaze. ]

But you don't owe me anything, Tony.

Yeah, see, I wish I could believe that.

[ He reaches out to absently set a hand on Laura's knee, for once a gesture of comfort instead of a come-on. While he hasn't known her long enough to understand the rare gift he's being offered, he's able to pick up on the fact that she's trying, and he appreciates it. ]

I've got a lot to make up for, karmically. Not just here. So it's not you, it's me. [ He screws his face up a bit. ] I'm not used to doing the whole apology thing, I might be overcompensating? I don't know.

[ With a sigh, he pats her leg, gently. ] But, all right, if we're cool, then we're cool.

There you go. Save your apologies for the actions you were in control of.

[ she's not touchy, really. laura doesn't tend towards a gentle squeeze of a shoulder, greeting hugs, or comforting rubs. it's not really her thing, so she doesn't do anything right away.

she doesn't shy away from the touch, though, laura just doesn't react. not immediately, but after a moment slides away she places her hand on top of his. half a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth, as she squeezes lightly. ]

Sorry I broke your drone. Is it salvageable?

[ Her hand is warm and strong, surprisingly soft for someone he's now pretty sure is capable of pulling an engine apart. Tony holds her gaze and smiles softly, rubbing her knee with his thumb. ]

Believe me when I say there's literally nothing I can't fix. Don't worry about it. He'll be back in time to record Abbey Road.

[ His fingers spread out a little bit underneath her touch, his gaze still lingering on hers. Exploratory, suggestive. ]

Is there anything else I can do to make it up to you? Really, anything at all.

[ laura feels it as the moment shifts — the spread of his fingers, but more than that too. it hangs subtle in the air, but it's enough for her to catch the scent, and she debates with herself for all of half a second. he doesn't have to apologise, she's made that clear, she doesn't want apologies.

but. but, his hand is on her knee and they're already on her bed, and she doesn't much feel like finishing the coffee now anyway. it's easy enough to set it aside, other hand still lingering over tony's. ]

You mean there's more on offer than muffins?

[ it's easier still to slide his hand further up her leg, to guide it up to the hem of her shorts at her inner thigh. she doesn't do much here at all, it isn't a home, barely even a room that she occupies, but there's a strange appeal to fucking around with tony in this shitty little dorm apartment. some added layer of thrill on top of the interest already simmering away. ]

How many orgasms would you say makes it up? Purely...out of curiosity.

[ His grin widens when her hand starts to tug him further up her leg. He doesn't need much more encouragement than that to work his fingertips into her shorts a little way, enjoying the soft warmth of her skin and the easy tension in her gaze. This is familiar territory, even if their surroundings aren't his usual style.

He reaches over to set his coffee down on the floor and scoots up a bit on the bed. ]

Oh, at least two -- three? Four. [ Still holding her gaze, he lifts his free hand to brush a stray lock of hair back from her face. ] Maybe I should just.. start, and you can tell me when you want me to stop.

[He's literally in the other room where he's setting up for a sword lesson with someone, but he has time and he's not going to corner her when they've maybe exchanged two words.]

so are we playing the silent game here too?
doesn't bother me too much, it's nice when you just stand there and don't say anything

but just in case this place is different for some reason

i don't play a silent game

[ she is clearly just a serious security person who takes her job seriously, gosh!! ]

hello, chris. what are you teaching here?

[Doubts...]

no? too bad you'd probably win. hello, laura

sword forms and how not to cut yourself with the sharp part. at least for today
do you do security here too?

you're right i would.

weight lifting, i had some free time. do you think you're going to end up with blood on the gym mats?

i'm terrified to know how much you can lift. it might be more than i weigh.

depends on if the person i'm teaching's an idiot. but it's possible

more than two of you, probably. if you're wondering.

here's hoping to no idiots then. i'll keep an ear out for screams, just in case

scary but conceptually attractive

i can heal them
and clean it
that’s what magic is for

I haven't spoken to you in a while. I apologize if this is neglect on my part! Usually, I'm far more consistently nosy, no?

How's things?

i've been told i'm difficult to track down, i don't think it's you.

things are things. still here. you know. existing. how are you doing?

I am well. I feel I am much the same at the moment. Existing.
For the moment, crisis is averted and things may proceed. It is practically the mutant way, ja?

it does seem like things are starting to settle down. i'm sure someone will drop dead next week before anyone feels too calm, or something like that.

Don't say it! That is next to inviting it in.

i knocked on wood first, don't you worry

Ah, good. Superstition dies hard, I'm afraid! Bless you for minding it.

( because he's not entirely used to laura, pinpointing her takes him a little longer than it would to pick out logan or akihiro among the population here, but when he finds her, he comes in as a warm presence; nate's forever bright but does his best to soften it so as not to come off too strong. )

Hanging in there?

[ there's a time when laura would have swung a clawed fist just for the act of someone being in her mind alone, but time on a team with jean has done a lot to soften that response. she still focuses on locking down what she can — there's a lot in laura's head that no one needs to see — but she's not aggressive, or rejecting. mostly, laura's just tired. ]

Nothing a few large combo meals from the burger place down the road can't fix. You hold down the fort alright?

( sorry, laura. telepaths are gonna telepath. )

Don't know if that's what I would have called it, but. ( there's a gentle pause. ) I'm sorry we couldn't find you sooner.

Thanks for finding us at all.

[ laura doesn't bother trying to mask from him that she hadn't expected rescue at all — or at least not one that was going to come in time for her. not very optimistic x-team of her, but it's the truth. she'd expected to die, and then she didn't. ]

How's everyone else? Scott, Jean?

( he's not really sure what to think of that — of what she feels and how she felt when trapped there for as long as she had been. he tries not to feel guilty... it's not his fault. it's no one's fault. this stuff just... happens here. apparently. still, he can't help but feel bad. )

You know them better than me. But I figure they're probably being as they always are when something like this happens.

( coping in their own ways. not so-called "burdening him" with it. )

Are you in any pain?

I'm always in pain.

[ #justwolverinethings ]

I'm not dying anymore. I'm somewhere safe. Is there anyone you haven't been able to contact?

Your brother. But I think he's still asleep.

( like he'd been not that long ago. )

Is there anything I can do?

Trust him to sleep through one of the biggest things to happen here in months.

There is one thing. There's a lot of us here, keeping track feels impossible sometimes. If you get wind of anything major happening to anyone, can you let me know?

Is there someone in specific you have in mind?

Edited (when u notice autocorrect got u hours ago) 2022-10-10 21:39 (UTC)

A delicate pink box is left for Laura, her name written neatly on the tag in script. Once opened, the inside contains a deck of cards and four chocolate chip cookies. There is a card inside that when opened, will sprinkle the reader with pink confetti and, in the same handwriting as the tag reads:

Laura,
I hope you're well! Please enjoy the cookies and cards. Cookies make any day a little sweeter and everyone can find something fun to do with cards!
Take Care,
Elle Woods

You look really pretty, by the way!

[ Floating on the screen that doubles as a full length mirror above the vanity counter in her bathroom, just above a flat black box about the size and shape of a pizza box, tied up with a black ribbon: ]

OPEN ME

[ it's probably a demonstration of the weird direction that her life has taken lately that this whole set-up actually doesn't seem that unusual, but that's neither here nor there. in the moment between spotting it and opening up the mystery box, she does take a moment to relay a quick message: ]

Hey, JOCASTA, can you please tell Tony that my birthday isn't until April?

[ not that that's going to stop her from opening this box right now, of course. ]

[ JOCASTA's voice is smooth and cool, older, slightly knowing; more pro Domme than polite butler: ]

Of course, Ms. Kinney.

[ After a moment or two, the message on the mirror is replaced by: ]

Remind me of the date and I'll jump out of a cake. Hurry up and open it.

[ Inside the box is an arrangement of leather straps and chains in layers of black tissue paper. There's also a matching leash, thin and coiled, designed to clip onto the upper O-ring. ]

[ laura's expecting to see some kind of lingerie when she opens the box. vaguely recalling one of tony's distracted rambles about how red really could be her colour if she just gave it a shot, she's anticipating some kind of lacy number to peek out from under the tissue paper, but instead is met with chain and leather.

well that's. interesting.

there's a stretch with no contact that's mostly laura inspecting the harness, figuring out the chains and straps and how it all might sit on her. there's a longer moment that's just spent looking at the leash, though that part stays in the box. she makes him sweat it out for a good few minutes, before typing out a reply of her own. ]

do you want to see it on? might be a little underdressed for dinner.

[ The message sits there for a beat before it's pushed up by Tony's response appearing underneath it: ]

Can you put it on alone? Model it for me.

[ A little red light blinks on in the corner of the mirror; a signal that Tony's watching from his workspace down in the basement. ]

[ she raises an eyebrow at herself in the mirror, a gesture clearly for tony, before she steps back a little from the vanity to give a better view. the harness could very easily go over the shirt that laura is wearing but she peels it off anyway, leaving on just her bra and abandoning the shirt on the floor.

settling the straps and chains around her waist is easy enough, though she drags out smoothing them out to sit nicely over her hips. she pauses after she closes the leather around her neck though, looking at her reflection as her fingers settle on the o-ring at her throat. that's not part of the show, she's just--curious, maybe, about where this leads, about the thin leash still coiled in the box. her hand sits on the metal at the hollow of her throat for a moment before she blinks, then smirks just a little as she holds her arms out either side, speaking nice and clear for the camera. ]

Well?

Beautiful.

[ A beat, then a follow up: ]

Bet it looks great with nothing on underneath. You need help with the rest of it?

[ need is probably a bit of a stretch, laura is very well capable of sorting out her own harnesses, but want is a different matter entirely. there's no point in denying that she likes the kind of attention that tony gives her. she wants to rest her hands on the edge of the vanity, lean her weight forward a little, tilt a little closer to the mirror--and the camera that tony's watching from. ]

Yeah, I think I need help.

[ There's no response initially. Then there's some noise from the ground floor, doors opening and closing, followed by the tread of Tony's footsteps on the two flights of stairs up to Laura's bedroom. He takes the last half a flight at a trot and comes through the bedroom to arrive in the doorway of the ensuite. He's been finishing off the suit, so he's in work clothes, comfortable pants and a dark grey t-shirt. ]

Hey, look at that. [ His smile is deeply self-satisfied as he leans against the side of the door. He smells like metal, burnt solder and the lightly scented soap he used to wash the traces of his work off his hands. These days he's trying to be more considerate.

He spins a finger in the air. ]

Gimme the full view again.

[ laura listens to tony make his journey from the workshop and feels a little like she's holding her breath the entire time. it's not a long trip, he doesn't drag it out at all, but it's still more than enough time for some anticipation to build.

a smile crosses her face when she sees him, small but distinctly there, and she steps back from the counter, does another slow spin for him. it's much more satisfying when laura can watch the way his eyes move over her. ]

So you like it, then?

Are you kidding, sweetheart? I've had dreams like this. Really, really good dreams. Though again with the.. usually wearing less underneath it.

[ Still angled up against the doorframe, he rubs his chin thoughtfully. ]

Okay. [ He holds a hand out, palm up. A mute gesture to request that she brings the leash over to him, because there's no way he could possibly walk the three steps to the counter to retrieve it. ]

If you can't figure out how to remove more clothes from this equation, you're not the man I thought you were.

[ it's a snide little retort because she's always a little like that, humour drier than the sahara and a poker face to match, but there are tells. some easier to read than others, but the sort of thing that's easier to pick out when she's around someone so much. a little uptick at the corner of her mouth that might be on it's way to a smirk, a quick little raise of her eyebrows before she steps towards the box--and the leash.

there's no glib commentary now. she holds the thin leather in her hand for a moment, weighing it out in the palm of her hand before she crosses those three steps over to tony. she's nice and close when she holds her hand up, offering it out to him, gaze focused entirely on him in anticipation of what comes next. ]

[ She has a point. Tony tilts his head, his own smile more obvious as he concedes to her wisdom, distracted by the chance to watch her walk over to the box to collect the leash.

He waits until she's stopped in front of him, holding the leash out while his own hand remains empty. Gives her a beat like that to consider what she's doing, letting the weight of it all shift from one thing to another. Something more electric in the air, his heartbeat going up a couple of points. Then he reaches to take it from her palm, letting the thin strap of leather slide over her fingers. He measures it between his hands, grasping the metal clip, looking into the deep green of her eyes. ]

Laura. Kneel down for me, please.

[ she can hear the change as much as feel it, the thud of tony's heart in his chest, the little hitch in laura's breathing as he holds the eye contact as intently as she does. it's definitely a moment, where she could roll her eyes and laugh this all off and they'd probably still have a very good time--but this would probably never come up again, either.

there's a choice to be made but laura thinks that she probably already made it, back when she found the leash in the box and still pulled the harness onto her body all the same. ]

Okay.

[ it's as simple as that. laura says okay and sinks smoothly on the spot to her knees in the same moment. she has to lift her chin, tilt her head up to keep her eyes on tony, but that's no great hardship, and once she's down her hands settle loose on her thighs, as if awaiting further instruction. ]

[ It's a shame that Tony doesn't fully understand what it costs Laura to make that choice or the history behind it -- though he understands enough to know that when she agrees to it, he's being given something he should be grateful for, something they're doing together. He'll feel that more later on, when he's got time to reflect on it.

Right now, he's too busy being really into the way she looks as she slides gracefully down onto her knees on the hard floor for him. A primal part of his brain kicks into gear; his gaze lingers on her mouth and the curves of her breasts between the straps of the harness. ]

Good girl. [ His voice is low and careful. He reaches out to brush a lock of hair back away from her face. Then he reaches down a little further and clips the leash through the ring resting at the hollow of her throat.

It's not a true collar, the weight of the small experimental tug he gives her spread through the straps of the harness where they go over her shoulders rather than around her neck. He holds the leash in one hand as he gazes down at her. ]

Now take off your bra for me.

[ there it is again, good girl, and that phrase is really starting to become a problem for laura. the kind of problem that makes her squeeze her thighs together, makes her want to hear it again. and if, by the time he's giving the leash a tug, she's idly wishing that it was more like a collar wrapped around her throat, well that's a thought for later. ]

Yes, Tony.

[ something like sir is probably more fitting for whatever this is shaping up to be, but he hasn't asked laura for a title, and anyway his name rolls off the tongue much easier. reaching behind herself to unclip the clasp at her back is no great challenge, looping the arms out from underneath the straps and chains of the harness is only a little more difficult.

once she's done though, her hands come up to cup her breasts and she squeezes, gaze still levelled up at him the whole time, before she pulls the bra away from her chest and drops it onto the floor beside her. ]

Is that better?

[ She's so good at it, he could almost imagine she's practiced. As he watches her reach for the clasp of her bra, he wonders if this means she's enjoying it as much as he is. She's definitely better at keeping that to herself, though that's because the evidence of how much he likes seeing her like this is more or less at eye level for her right now.

His gaze wanders appreciatively over her bare chest as he slowly winds the leash around his hand, turning his wrist to pull it taut. Not enough to tug at her, but enough that the strap itself is tense. ]

Yeah, that's better.

[ His other hand goes to the waistband of his pants, unbuttoning his fly, pushing the zipper and then his underwear down with a singular lack of shame. He's already half hard when he pulls himself out, though he doesn't do any more than stroke his dick once before letting go again. This time, there's no order, no suggestion except the weight of his gaze on her. ]

[ the thing is, laura knows that she likes this. she likes the feeling of his cock twitching and thickening as she wraps her lips around him, the throb of a pulse against her tongue. she likes the taste of skin and sweat and the barest salty hint that tony is already into this. she likes the smell of him, overpowering as she draws him into her mouth enough that she can press her nose against his crotch.

laura is--complicated about a lot of things to say the least, and sex has always been one of them, but right now it's not complicated at all. maybe it's the whole set-up that gives her permission not to think too hard before she acts — maybe she's just really into it all, but either way, this is working for her.

there's not much space between her knees and his feet but she shifts just a little closer all the same, hands coming up to his waistband to tug the pants and underwear further down and out of the way. ]

Ohh yeah, there you go.

[ She's so good at this, which is something he's grateful for and will not think about too much, given what little he knows about her history. Especially right here and now, where it's just pleasure and the two of them establishing something, another little step further down an inevitable path.

Tony lets her do whatever she wants with his clothes, reaching out with his free hand to set it on top of her head, stroking down over her hair as she takes him into her mouth, then curving down around the back of her skull to put a light amount of pressure there. A suggestion that she should stay where she is, a desire to see how long she can hold it. He's getting harder by the second; he rocks himself forward a tiny bit, testing. ]

Stay there. Ah, fuck. There we go, good girl.

[ she half-wonders if he's aware of what he's doing when he's using the phrase now, of how it makes her want to stick a hand down her pants when she hears him say good girl. laura doesn't, for the moment, she just tugs tony's pants down further and out of the way.

her hands settle back on his hips again, and her gaze flicks upwards at him before she pulls his hips forwards. nothing too hard, not yet at least, just enough that he can slide a little further down her throat. a little encouragement in the direction that he was already flirting with, the hand on the back of her head still so gentle, and laura's eyes flutter shut as she swallows around him. ]

Edited (i dont deserve a paid account) 2022-11-14 20:04 (UTC)

[ The breath he lets out is a long sigh of contentment. He sets his other hand on her head, the leash caught between his palm and the curve of her skull as he holds her there for a moment, feeling the movement and flex of the muscles of her throat as he eases further into her mouth, until he's all the way in and can feel her breath against his lower belly. ]

You're doing so good, baby. So good. Hold it for me.

[ For a beat or two he stays like that, seeing how long he can go before the first panicked ripple of response, then he pulls back -- but not very fa before he rolls his hips forward again, and again, starting to fuck himself into her mouth with low pleased groans. ]

[ even with the leash and both of tony's hands at the back of her head there's nothing really keeping laura in place if she wanted to pull back, but even that holds its own appeal. he holds her head down, cock thrust far enough into her throat that she can't breathe around him, and there's nothing stopping her from pulling away enough to gasp for air except for the fact that she really doesn't want to.

by the time he starts fucking into her mouth, laura drops her hands from his hips. her hands settle on her legs out of the way, and she isn't choking on his thrusts exactly, but when her eyes blink back open again they're certainly watering more than when she closed them. she doesn't care about that now though, if anything it just encourages her to bob her head forward harder, with muffled groans that cut out the more her throat flexes, struggling to catch her breath. ]

[ As she relaxes, he's able to relax a little more too, letting go and leaning into the sheer sensation of her throat taking him. It's not the first time he's fucked someone's mouth like this, but it has been a while, and he has to admit he cares a lot more for this particular mouth than he does the waitresses and air stewards he usually indulges himself with.

He brushes Laura's hair back as he continues, gathering the long dark fall of it up and holding it as he rocks himself into that damp heat and the slide of her tongue along his skin. The feeling of control, of lazily taking her in the way that he wants, the combination of the collar and the leash -- it's all doing it for him pretty effectively, and it's not long before he's starting to edge up to the tightening and heat between his legs and in the pit of his belly. ]

Fuck -- fuck, Laura, that's good. You're really -- you're really good. [ He pants over the words, speeding up a bit, his movements becoming more automatic, more mindless. A flush darkens his cheeks and the skin showing above his shirt collar. ] Fuck, okay, I'm gonna --

[ Abruptly, he pulls back all the way, dropping one hand from her head while the other holds her still and using it instead to start jerking himself off fast and desperate in front of her mouth. ]

Tongue out, baby, wanna see you take it --

[ it's all too easy to sink into the feeling, easy enough that much later down the line she might have to do some hard self-reflecting--but that's later. for now laura just lets tony keep her in place with the hands on her head and in her hair, mouth open wide to take the quick snap of his hips and deep thrusts into her throat.

she's getting messier by the moment, blinking through watering eyes every time her her air is cut off just a little too long, or he fucks into her just a little harder than before, saliva drips out of the corners of her mouth where she can't swallow properly. but the beauty of it is, laura doesn't care. she barely notices, too caught in the feeling, the blur of letting tony take what he wants without question.

by the time he pulls out she's blinking and hazy and breathless, chest rising and falling in rapid fire, and she sounds--hoarse, when she speaks. ]

Come on my face.

[ just that, before she's opening her mouth again and letting her tongue hang out, eyes still up and fixed on tony as she waits for him to tip over the edge. ]

[ That hoarseness to her voice, the impact of his cock in her throat, the husky panting breaths that suggest she's just as into this as he is -- it's enough, more than enough. Tony groans and curses breathlessly as he reaches the point of no return, heat tightening through his core and muscles locking as his orgasm wipes every coherent thought out of his mind.

He comes shuddering over her, almost falling over, one hand flailing out for support on the door as the other blurs over his dick as he paints her face like she asked, her mouth and cheek, even into her hair and her shoulder -- messy and inelegant for once. For a long few moments he holds onto it, making choked noises of his own, before he starts to subside, his strokes becoming automatic twitches as he slumps back down onto his heels. ]

Oh shit. Ohh, fuck, I needed that. [ He clears his throat and blinks, looking down at her. A wide smile breaks across his face and he pants out a soft, fond laugh. ] Hey, I gotcha. Look at that. [ He reaches out with his free hand to wipe her eyebrow clean, looking at his thumb for a moment before sticking it in his mouth to taste himself, salty and strong. ]

Good girl. What do you want in return, huh?

Doing a pickup at the Theatre later. You gonna be there?
If you’re closing out I’d be happy to walk you home, maybe get dinner on the way.
No worries if you have plans.

yeah, i'm closing tonight. most nights actually, i swapped to the lates. busy days right now.

no plans though. what kind of food were you thinking?

Street food, but someplace with seats. The izakaya-type places are fun. Usually where I end up after spending late nights in the Down. What do you say?

i say it sounds like a great way to finish the night. going to meet me here?

tell me you're still here

yes.

he's not.

yeah

i'm going to his place.

for what?

it'll get cleared out soon.

Hey, cancel your Thursday plans. If you have any. We have new plans.

oh we do, do we?

Yep. Dinner. Also, I might need to find somewhere that can make and deliver dinner.

are we hosting thanksgiving?

Bingo. Feel like being on my arm? I want to show you off.

i think i can manage that. do you want to go traditional with it? there's got to be somewhere around here that can do a turkey.

[ god knows neither of them should cook ]

I think we gotta, right? Captain America's going to be there.

We can probably skip the hand turkeys though.

i don't know, i wouldn't mind seeing the avengers engaged in arts and crafts

Hey, we can hold our own.

i'll believe it when i see it.

who's on the list?

Still waiting on confirmation from Cap. Nat and Clint. Pete. Maybe the other Hawkeye. Strange and his boyfriend, also maybe.

full house. lucky we're not really the thanksgiving type on my side, we'd end up overrun.

dinner this week?

your place or mine?

the place I'm not so likely to run into that playboy

you know you might actually get along with him if you tried

this one doesn't seem so different from the one we know

i'm not dating the one we know though

you could be dating someone else

plenty of nice enough boys here

or girls

i could be, but i'm not.

anyway, he works late. you can probably come over for dinner without having to make small talk.

can I drink his booze?

if you say something nice about him first

he's got good taste in girlfriends

[ aw ]

good taste in alcohol too.

i'll finish up early one night, get us something decent

all right but you're coming over to the cabin next week, Kurt likes to see you

well i wouldn't want to upset kurt. i'm in, so long as someone cooks.

good

do i get to drink his booze too?

would have assumed that's one of the perks

it's a pretty good perk. kurt has good taste

❝

DUPLICITY CITATION No. 18790
Violation: Noncompliance and Assaulting a SIN Guard
Fine: 1 week Realignment
Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.

❞

( hope you're ready for the sudden voice of nate grey in your head, laura. )

Seriously?

[ yes, she did claim that she was trying to stay out of trouble. yes, she knew that more trouble was coming. she was expecting nate's reaction, more or less, but that doesn't mean that laura's any happier at the prospect of having to explain herself. so: ]

I'm making Christmas plans. We're doing lunch.

Are you trying to break some sort of personal record here?

( with everything that's been happening lately, christmas plans are something he's not in the mood for. )

You can bring Wade.

[ she doesn't want to talk about it at all, actually, but they're both--stubborn enough that this could go for a while, so she cracks, just a little. ]

I struggle with the guards.

( they could definitely keep this up for awhile. )

Did you kill any of them?

Not this time.

Do you need help? I can make it be so you don't feel anything.

I'm okay. This isn't half as bad as the time I had to bow to guards for a week.

If you need anything, I can do what I can. Just think very loudly at me.

I do...appreciate it. For the record, or whatever. Thank you.

Might as well be good at something. ( a beat. ) Who are you inviting to your Christmas thing?

Logan, Kurt. Ororo and Scott, you. Plus ones. Not too big.

( there's a moment of silence, as if he's considering what to say. )

I'll think about it.

Well. Think about it in the way where you come anyway. If you hate it, you don't have to stay long.

Why do you want me there?

Why wouldn't I? You're a part of us.

( it's a nice thought, but. he's not so sure. )

Like I said. I'll think about it.

It's just lunch.

I'm not talking to Scott at the moment.

So talk to Logan. God knows I'll need help keeping him from tossing Tony out of a window.

As if I'd stop him.

You know he's really not that bad.

I imagine Logan took it about as well as Scott did when he found out Steve was my dominant.

Something like that. Mostly he just keeps telling me about all the other 'nice people' I could be with instead.

( there might be just the faintest sound of a chuckle there throughout his telepathic voice. )

I like how neither of them think either of us can handle an Avenger on our own.

Edited 2022-12-12 01:13 (UTC)

if there's anyone that shouldn't have to worry about their kids, it's them.

[ and yet ]

Though I think Logan was less worried about the handling and more that we'd end up together.

And did you?

We...yes. We're dating, I suppose.

I mean, you either are or you aren't.

That's not true, plenty of people have ambiguous situations.

Do you really wanna try lying to a telepath? I'm just curious.

I mean, I could try.

I feel like you know better, but. Is this just having a good time kinda thing or is it something a little more?

[ she could lie, even though her chances of success are slim, but. it wouldn't kill her to be honest about the situation, once in a while. ]

...It's...more. It's--I really like him.

( hmm. )

And does he really like you?

Yeah, he does. We're actually...good together, I think.

Then why the hesitation?

Traditionally, these things don't end so well for me. I guess, if it's not a thing, then I can't screw it up.

You know, as I recall, you once told me that you didn't do this sort of thing and I'm pretty sure I told you that you never know.

( does he sound a little amused? yeah. )

[ wow don't call her out on her own hypocrisy 😤 ]

Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly planning on a relationship when I started shacking up with Tony Stark.

Things happen. Are you happy?

I don't want to say yes and jinx things.

I think you'll be ok.

I hope so. I... [ he can probably feel her hesitance, more than it translating in the pauses, or the careful way she chooses her thoughts. ] I want it to work.

( he can feel it, but he doesn't choose to comment on it. )

I know. You deserve that happiness.

Oh, I don't know if I'd go that far.

I would. You've dealt with a lot of loss.

I've caused a lot of it too, you know. More than I can probably make up for in my lifetime.

That doesn't make you any less deserving of peace.

sounds like for christmas we're all getting citations

( no, she's not checking on you, that would be absurd )

how bad?

not as bad as yours
or good, depending on how you want to look at it
have to report to the center in a few hours

how much left on yours?

a few days. it's not the worst one i've had.

what do you have to do?

be a good little submissive or some bullshit - with a dominant
they asked me to come to the center for further 'instruction'
something like that

hear you're a frequent flier

it's honestly easier when they drug you sometimes. do with that what you will.

i'd like to say authority problems get easier with time, but

[ well. her citation history speaks for itself. ]

if they try to drug me i'm going to punch them

you don't grow out of authority problems
whoever told you that you might lied

and then they'll do it anyway.

it'd be a hell of a lot easier on my time management if they mellowed a little at least.

didn't want to let me pretend there for a minute?

at least for me
i figured out which battles to fight

( a second later, after realizing how hypocritical that sounds: )

... mostly

you don't strike me as the kind of person that wants to be bullshitted.

i have tried to keep my nose clean. [ she doesn't say for tony, of course, but the timelines add up ] it's harder lately.

they don't make it easy
you can ignore it when they're not shoving it in your face all the time

it's been a rough couple of months

it'll probably be easier to navigate, if you don't get yourself too much on their radar. something worth keeping in mind.

i’ll keep that in mind

you two holding up ok? all things considered

it's not ideal.
but, you know. all things considered. it could have been a lot worse. he's been supportive, considering i basically dragged him into this.

he knew what he was signing up for
or i guess what you were signing on for

tony's like that
all things considered

( at least, he has been. sort of. when they've been talking back home, anyway. #itscomplicated )

A bright red box with a silver ribbon is delivered to Laura. Inside are pink snowflake sugar cookies and a fun selfie. The back of the picture reads:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Thank you for being amazing! 💗 Elle

'any' is a very broad list to be choosing from, you know

are you saying that in a "i need some examples to draw from" way or a "theo i am concerned" way

well i meant the first, the way you say that makes me wonder if there's a reason to be concerned?

ah not really
I mean, I face a thot intervention most likely in the coming year
but until then, I'm happy to remain a whore so we can lean former without despair

[Right before Ororo leaves Christmas lunch, she passes Laura a simply wrapped present for her to open later. Inside is a set of tasteful jewelry she thinks Laura could wear to more formal events, plus some ear cuffs for everyday wear. The cuffs can slip right over her ears and the studs are magnetic, so she can wear them without worrying about her healing factor closing up any complicated piercings. ♥]

Laura's gift is in a plain brown box with a red ribbon. Inside is a set that he made along with a small collection of red cuffs and straps. The card reads: "Happy Christmas, Laura. Until our next meeting. - J"

[Left in a conveniently noticeable place is a small container of Lavender honey cookies. A note sealed with silver wax and the press of a signet ring with two crossed feathers and a cluster of three stars accompanies it.]

In the tradition of my home, the Moonsea, may I share my bounty with you that you have plenty of your own for this new year.

Happy turn of the page and may the words on the next one be happier.
-C.S.

p.s. you eat cookies right?
I'll see you around, Laura

[ The present comes a few days into the New Year. Everything related to gift making stalled for a while, after Nate disappeared.

Several sheets of handwritten guitar music are loosely bound together. At the top, delicately swirling circles translate into her name.

It comes with a simple note. ]

Check your inbox.

- Doctor

[ He doesn't speak; he just starts to play. The melody begins discordant and haunting, with a few outright violent chords; gradually, it swells into something hopeful and then triumphant. Then it slows again, but not into melancholy; for the first time, it sounds peaceful. It dips back into minor key a few times, but the last few notes ring with simple, stubborn joy.

"Laura" wasn't just a label; it was a title. ]

inbox | duplicitynet

ATTN: LAURA KINNEY

text | un: hot fuzz - backdated to 27/7

text | un: stark

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drone delivery

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