#desk-work-expert

@desk-work-expert

“According to these files, that district of the Rukon has been abandoned for about six centuries.”

Akon scanned a few more sentences on his screen, frowning. Finally he turned back to Nanao.

“And you are absolutely positive that this was the area indicated when locating the cult? Not that I doubt you, of course.”

unprompted || always accepting || @royaldreamweaver

"I don't know what you mean"

She's never been a good liar. She can do the beats of it, and maybe even fool someone less observant, but for someone like Shutara, she's practically transparent. A hand on lands on her back and she tries to remain still, acting natural, although the proximity of the other woman makes that hard. It's a very calculated invasion of her space.

There's no use in trying to play innocent.

She takes a deep breath, focussing on the words and her own presentation when she really should have been focussing on actions. The arm around her waist genuinely makes her jump, and then there's a head on her shoulder and deep red eyes boring into hers, seeking out some answer or another.

Nanao's mouth opens and closes, halfway there to confessing before her own thoughts get the better of her and she's silent again, caught firmly in between rage and acceptance. Shutara know's she's no good at this, why would she be so cruel? but at the same time, all it would take is for her to spit the words out ans this could all be over.

There's a softness to her when she looks up, the dints of a scowl present in her forehead but no more than that. It's a very pregnant silence. Nanao still wrestles with the words, the demon of her own self doubt winning out eventually, holding everything in.

"I..."

Shutara knows.  She knows this well.  She’s always been able to read between the lines, after all, when you work in the shadows, you either learn quickly or die.  Assassins are cunning, though it’s self selecting.  You can’t be cunning if you’re dead.  

It’s certainly careful, certainly calculated. It’s nowhere truly intimate, but Shutara *knows*.  She feels the jump and she merely embraces her just a bit more.  She holds her close, the warmth of her skin amplified by the heat of connection, the notes of pomegranate and incense and amber in her scent ever-present.  She’s a sensual delight and she knows it, and she knows that when she allows herself, Nanao can be, too.   Shutara is loving and deeply so.  But she knows that Nanao needs a combination of her softness, support, and tough love sometimes before she can even attempt to put words to what she desires most.  

“What’s the worst that could happen?  That you’d express yourself and you’d be ridiculed?  Used? Turned down?”

She shakes her head.  “I would never.  Not with you.”

Painted eyes close and she just merely holds her, grateful, even if that’s all she’ll ever get.  

She’s giving her own vulnerability now.  

The first day of the next month came and went. The first day of the month after that came and went, too. And when the first day of the third month after so many from their ranks disappeared came, Jūshirō decided that he didn’t have the heart to simply let it pass again - not without attending to the young girl he’d heard so much about, and who he’d met several times, and who, by all reports, had so enjoyed being read to by Lieutenant Yadomaru. 

Jūshirō didn’t know what kinds of books Lieutenant Yadomaru had read to the girl, and so it was with an armful of options that he approached the Eighth Division. When Jūshirō was young, he’d preferred folk tales and fairy tales, but the girl seemed to be the studious type - and so, Jūshirō had also brought a work of historical fiction, and a book about astronomy, and a book about plants. Just to ensure that he’d covered all of his bases, he’d rounded out the set with an exciting adventure story, a realistic, slice-of-life-style story about a boy and a girl who grew up together and remained friends their entire lives, and a book of traditional poetry. 

In his other hand, he carried sturdy, little box tied with a lilac ribbon. He didn’t know what kind of sweets the girl liked - or, indeed, if she liked sweets at all - and so Jūshirō had carefully chosen a reasonable variety from his favorite bakery. 

The way to the courtyard was more than familiar to Jūshirō, but Jūshirō still found his steps slowing as he grew closer. He wasn’t trying to fill the vacancy left by Lieutenant Yadomaru - no one, Jūshirō knew, could do that, and besides, that simply wasn’t how it worked when one lost a friend or a mentor - but he wondered how the girl would see it. 

He glanced about - and sure enough, there she was. It was, Jūshirō supposed, too late to reconsider or turn back now. 

@desk-work-expert

The smell of rain hit Akon first.

He’d always been able to smell it, sometimes an hour ahead of the storms. It was one of his favorite scents, and he paused to breathe deeply and appreciate it. Dark clouds were moving towards the large manor on the hill, indicating the storm he’d seen predicted.

“Looks like we got here just in time,” he said absently, giving a crooked smile as he looked back at Nanao. “Driving slick, muddy roads in a downpour would have been a nightmare.”

They’d been hired as caretakers of this particular mansion, although seeing the size of it Akon began to wonder if they shouldn’t have brought a few more hands. The manor was massive, with a huge garden on both sides and ornamental hedge behind to complete the look. 

On the other hand, stuck in a mansion with only Nanao wasn’t exactly an unpleasant thought either.

@desk-work-expert taken from here: xxxx

Shutara watches her grow more and more pink, the longer she looks.  She finds it endearing, really.  She offers apology after apology, but it only makes Shutara smile. She’s fully unembarrassed to be seen like this.  Not only is she is a designer; she is used to being model to her own work as well. After all, nobody can pull of what she makes quite like her.

She feels Nanao’s eyes on her, examining her outfit at first, and then looking further.  She knows this, because she does it too, that look all too familiar that passes across her eyes, whether she knows it or not. The gaze that searches the fabric is different from the gaze that searches the flesh.  But Shutara is patient.  She has known women like this for a very, very long time.

Violet eyes decide eventually to stay trained on her face.  Honestly, Shutara finds it endearing.  She’s so young, so very inexperienced.  Even if she has little experience in any matters of lust and love, even more, she’s out of her element in more ways than one.  

“I’m drinking Merlot,” she says.  “The bottles from this vineyard were pegged as the 6th best vintage this year, called ‘Northstar’.  If you’d like to relax, I will pour you a glass,” she says.

“Come, sit down,” she says. “I get the feeling that there’s much we have to talk about,” she says.  “Though the wine will open you up more than you know,” she says.

She lets her body spread across the couch she lays on.  Shutara is done with feeling shame for any way she looks or any way that she feels. Valentines day, ever since she’s been single, has been an exercise in her own sensuality, how far she’s willing to take her own enjoyment of being a woman who enjoys feminine things.  

From here || Still accepting!

@desk-work-expert

👫Do they display affection in public? What about in private?

In private,Jūshirō can hardly stop himself from displaying affection - small touches to the wrist, little cuddles and nuzzles, toes mingling beneath the covers or as they sit side-by-side on a couch, leaning in closely to subtly (he thinks) smell his partner’s hair, etc. WhenJūshirō loves, he loves with his whole self, and it’s a very powerful and very palpable thing.

He may be so affectionate in private because he isn’t excessively affectionate in public. He doesn’t mind hand-holding or quick cheek kisses in parting, but beyond that, he starts to get uncomfortable. He isn’t personally embarrassed in the slightest; rather, he has always adhered strongly to etiquette and propriety, and too much affection displayed in public goes against that, in his mind. When he finally comes home to his comfortable, private space where the rules don’t matter nearly as much, he allows himself to let go - provided that he knows he has his partner’s permission, of course - and engages freely and joyfully in all forms of touch.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Do they want children?

Oh, yes. Desperately. He always has. But because of his sense of duty, Jūshirō accepted long ago that he would never have children of his own. He’s convinced himself (more or less) that he’s happy to play with and babysit his brothers’ and sisters’ children. Sometimes, he manifests Sōgyo no Kotowari when he feels an especially strong paternal urge, or when he feels especially lonely.

😡What are their deal breakers? 

Not many, truth be told. It takes quite a lot for Jūshirō to become romantically interested in a person in the first place, and by the time that happens, he usually knows the person quite well. As such, none of his relationships have ever ended badly, and he has seldom had to deal with misunderstandings. That said, there certainly are people for whomJūshirō could probably never develop romantic feelings - but these people are, by and large, also people with whom he would struggle to be friends. He could never get involved with someone who was mean-spirited, no matter how kind a face they put on. He also wouldn’t do well with someone who was overtly selfish - but this is a bit more complicated. If it were selfishness thatJūshirō could see, it would be a deal breaker. If, however, it were a subtle selfishness - one that deniedJūshirō some of the things he needed as a romantic partner and/or as a person, for example - it could easily go on for a long time because ofJūshirō’s naturally giving personality.

📖What is their favorite outside of the bedroom activity to do with their partner?

Jūshirō likes to take walks in nature, especially at dusk, in the small hours of the morning, and at sunrise. He likes being out and alone with just his partner when the rest of the world is quiet; it feels special to him. 

He also loves going dancing - and he is a wonderful dancer, by the way.

↕️Are they sub, dom or switch? 

Jūshirō, with his quiet confidence and undeniable leadership skills, is a natural, albeit soft, Dom. However, because of his incredible sense of empathy and his strong physical and emotional instincts, he’s played the Dom about half the time and the sub about half the time. He’s very comfortable with himself, and has never needed to play one role or the other in order to feel satisfied. As long as he can adequately give to his partner, he’ll be happy. 

Whether he’s aware of it or not - he probably isn’t, even though it’s happened a number of times - Jūshirō usually finds himself calling the shots and guiding his partners even in very vanilla settings. Partners are often drawn to him because of his quiet confidence, and they often find themselves swept away by his gentleness, his fond words, and the way he treats their bodies and their hearts. Jūshirō is almost always under the impression that he’s the lucky one, that he’s the one transported to another world by his partner’s attentions and affections, but in reality, his partners are often responding to whatJūshirō can’t help but naturally do.

🛏What is their favorite bedroom activity to do with their partner? 

@desk-work-expert

{ Send ✋ to reject a kiss from my character } // Still accepting~

“…what?” Shunsui asks, blinking like a big, dumb idiot at his Nanao-chan. He shakes his head, shocked and awed. “You’re kidding, right?You… you don’t have to humor an old man like that, Nanao-chan. I’m sorry about all the jokes I make. I… I’d never ask that of you if you didn’t wanna.” 

He searches Nanao’s face, and he thinks about what she offered - a kiss, of all things - and despite himself, a tiny flame of hope still flares in his heart.