hello hello.

[shitglasses]

the FIRST LINE OF DIALOGUE meme

• generate some dialogue.
• stick it in your top level.
• respond to others.
• have fun! or don't. i'm not the boss.

Comments

[acaseofyou]

That's fine.

[ Her shift from nearly sullen to smiling is quick, and a little put-on, but once it's there she doesn't let it slip. And, as if she already knows he's got reporters on the brain -- ] Maybe I can distract the lookie-loos for you, be a team player.

A lot better than sitting around waiting.

[violentia]

[ He's seen that shift in the face of many siblings, and he knew then that they were fake. The initial rejection subsides, though. Birdie has shown him nothing but a genuine show of emotion, and that is — surprisingly disarming. ]

You're sure?

[ His colleagues won't be thrilled about it. Or they might be too stunned that Norman is showing up with a friend to question it. Fifty-fifty. ]

[acaseofyou]

[ Disingenuousness isn't something he's seen much from her at all, beyond the pretending to be a living person that eats and drinks. Besides, it's strangely much easier to lie around real feelings than faked ones, so he's seen those stay consistent. ]

Very sure.

[ She punctuates that by getting up and pecking him on the cheek. In the eternal game of Truth or Lie, the affection is true, even if there's something persistent at the edges. Could, at least, be easily read as concern. ]

Do you want me to drive? I can be like your chauffeur.

[violentia]

[ The peck is welcome, taken as if it's natural, even, to the casual relationship between him and the musician who visits the city every now and then. There's no one else like her in his life; he'd dare to say that there's never been. ]

No, no — I'm not making you do that.

[ The soft wave of a hand, then he walks to the chair to pick up his jacket.

Then he remembers: the Order is watching him. They know about his past, they know about his acquaintances, the strange things his body is capable of when no one is around. He doesn't want to think about them using her as leverage, even if they claim to be observers. ]

It's better if you stay out of sight, Birdie.

[ That sounds important. ]

[acaseofyou]

What? I like driving.

[ Another truth, light and casual as the affection before it. His own change in tone is something Birdie very nearly misses. Her mind is always at least a little strained with music, but the added worries about a crime scene don't help.

There are a lot of Orders at night, some she knows and some she doesn't. Some are definitely much worse than other, especially to her continued existence. Even the idea of being used as leverage would be... Complicated. It's the stay out of sight that breaks through the rest and grabs her attention. Being hidden isn't as foreign a sentiment as one might think, considering how much time she spends on stage. ]

Okay. [ Downshifted, but smiling and keeping it light, a fun balancing act. ] But I'm not getting in your trunk.

[violentia]

You'll owe me a ride some other time, then.

[ It's a balancing act for him, too, trying not to emphasize the serious parts and not letting go of the lighter mood they had moments before he got the phone call from work. Impromptu calls are just part of the job, and one of the many reasons why having a consistent, committed relationship with Norman hasn't ever worked out. What he and Birdie have is a perfect balance, as far as he's concerned. ]

Oh, [ He arches his brows, ] Got it. Glad you let me know beforehand.

[ Ha, ha. ]

Shall we?

[acaseofyou]

I can owe you more than that, as long as it isn't in a trunk.

[ Said with a laugh. Balancing like this is, at least for her, very old hat after all these years. With kine, the living and breathing and oblivious, the balance is about the nuance of her fundamentals. Then even with kindred there's another set of politics and interests to navigate like a singing tightrope walker. With Norman it is, thankfully, very easy, even though it's very tempting to let it slip from time to time. ]

We shall. [ And then, starts in singing under her breath. ] To go where you wanna go, do what you wanna do, with whoever you wanna do it with...

[violentia]

[ The singing easily earns a smile, watching her walk past him before fondly shaking his head. With keys in hand, he digs through Birdie's carefully curated music catalog in his head, until he produces a tentative answer— ]

The Mamas and the Papas?

[acaseofyou]

[ Seeing the smile is good, but hearing him give the right answer is something else. Even with the cloud of a crime scene looming ahead of them, even with the balancing act, her expression is genuine delight. ]

You've been studying!