[He honestly finds that more interesting than 'yes' or 'no'. But he figures the details are not his business.]
No. I had some unfinished business back home, but it isn't worth living the rest of my life in that shithole of a world.
[A pause.]
Doesn't matter anyway. I'm destined to die and my clock's pretty much run out.
[He's kept fidgeting with that spoon-turned-molten-mess this whole time, and ended up actually molding something out of it. He sets it down on the table, now a slowly cooling metal cat figurine.]
Have you ever seen anyone here with a suit that acts different from everyone else's? I mean, past the first month or so?
No. I think I've seen people who sometimes have a minor secondary suit, or The House is playing a game that has you suffer the effects of suits not your own. Otherwise I think suits tend to be pretty consistent when simplified to a core aspect, and the people who fall within a certain suit's category all seem to share certain traits.
[Tohsaka shrugs with that. Despite the way the alcohol has warmed her to flush, she still seems pretty lucid and confident about the game. Perhaps it's because she has convinced herself that there's little he could ask about that she'd be determined to hide?]
[Interesting. He'd gotten the same answer from a few other people - no one has heard of suits deviating, not unless there's an arrival prank or a game going on. Which just adds to the idle wonder of why his own suit acts so goddamn weird.]
Not sure. Someone who's boring, I guess. No interests, no hobbies, no kinks. Most people are worth giving a shot, but I can't imagine wanting to make time for a complacent pencil-pusher.
[It's probably telling, just how boring someone has to actually be before Dodger stops digging for possible reasons to care.]
What's something that would turn you on, even if you were pissed off at the person doing it?
[This time she doesn't wait for him to pour. Rin takes the bottle herself, fills the shot, and knocks it back.]
Are there certain kinks you find too "weird" or funny to indulge in? For example, ones that require roles like ponyplay, mommy-daddy kink, and the like.
[Interesting. She's not even fully tipsy, so his response gets dissected immediately. How he seems to favor and respect men more. How he claims he could go for a daddy, but no mention of wanting to play one. His refusal to touch on any other role-playing types of scenarios outside of "anything goes". It's all catalogued and tucked away in her mind.]
I don't mind any of it at all. In fact I enjoy acting. I suppose the leather pony and puppy masks might not be my thing, so I might have a difficult time enjoying that, but I could stomach my way through it for someone else. What kind of job did you have before you got here?
[He thinks he saw some in the room, the one and only time he and Esikko did actual puppy play... but it was brief, not something he focused on, because he knew what to do with collars and leashes already.
The question about his job, though, distracts him immediately. He briefly considers passing, just because he'd have to drink a few more bottles before it started really hitting him, so he pretty much has infinite passes at this rate. But no, the answer is simple enough. And he's sure she's guessed the general shape of it.]
Information broker, mostly. But 'Victor Augustine's dog' is probably a more accurate answer in practice. I did whatever he asked me to do, no questions asked, and that usually meant keeping tabs on other people.
[He's still learning what sort of information is useful here, and he feels like he's hamstrung by the fact that so many other people already know each other and know more about the resort than he does. But at least the few times he's given advice about putting together card hands, that's been appreciated.]
Was 'mage' your whole job back home, or did you do something else?
That's right. Technically I was still pursuing my education. I had intended to study abroad in London for furthering my studies while making money off patents like my father had.
[No need for him to hear about Clock Tower's institution, the Mages Association, or anything else.]
[All interesting information, that he files away for later. Even if he has no idea how it could possibly be useful to him - he just likes to know things.
And that question makes his face turn pink. For all of his 'dog' talk, he almost never actually gets called either, and he has to put some active effort into suppressing his excitement.]
Whichever you want. But I like talking back, and I like to get forced into behaving, so I guess 'bad boy' is better.
[Oh how he craves to be petted and called a good boy, though.]
How are you feeling about bringing me back to your place after this?
Much better than before, but not particularly ecstatic, I suppose?
[With a shrug Tohsaka reaches to finish off her shochu. A sigh escapes her lips as she begins circling the cup's rim with her index finger again. Rin's restraint is loosening. Her perfect posture becoming softer, and her gaze not as sharp.]
I like this better. It's like a dance. Kind of how I like arguments... it lets my brain work on something. I want to win, but you haven't even challenged me. C'mon, be a better opponent.
[Her finger lifts from the glass so that she may instead tap it on table twice. A demand. Urging him to continue. Though the way she gives that information a little more freely may mean he's already on his way to winning.]
[It's an improvement over before. And she hasn't stormed off, and she's starting to get drunk long before he feels anything at all. So everything is going in his favor, even if it isn't quite where he wants it yet.]
If I got you drunk immediately, I wouldn't get to learn about you. But if you want a challenge, sure.
[He does have to think for a bit, because he hasn't actually been playing with any sort of strategy. Just asking whatever's on his mind, knowing full well he can drink her under the table several times over.]
Have you ever killed someone? Do you have any kinks other people here would call 'unethical' or 'amoral'? How hard are you willing to push someone to do something only you're interested in, sexual or not?
Yes, I have killed someone. Yes, in fact one of those idol boys tried implying sleeping with non-human shaped people was immoral. How hard I push depends on my reaction. Is the person reluctant, or actually refusing? I can tease and push and cajole, but doing something someone absolutely hates? Mm, sounds too much like that shitty priest to me.
[With a smile on her face she nods while folding her arms across her chest. Self congratulatory for not passing on any of them.]
[All noted down - he's actually a little surprised at the idea of non-human-shaped people being a red line for someone. In Dodger's mind, they're exactly the same as himself. He even knows a mutant who pretty much looks like Aak.
There's a telling pause after her question, and Dodger picks up his little metal cat to start turning it idly in his fingers. He could pass, that would likely be even more telling. But either lying or being too honest feel like mistakes. Finally, he settles on:]
No. I talk a big game, but... I come from a world where it's more normal to take what you want. And that isn't what it's like here. I'd rather stick around people that want me near them, and that means playing fair.
[He hesitates.]
Tell me more about that kill. How long ago was it, who did you kill and why?
[Interesting answer after the threat to Dabi's friend, and what Toma told her about burning him and sticking fingers in his mouth. Is he saying that to placate her? Or because she's got an in with Henry now, and might tattle? Though it wouldn't be beneficial for Rin to do that, she thinks. Better for a soft man like Henry to learn the horrors on his own...]
Mm... last year. Fighting in a no-magic allowed tournament. Caved in a guy's rib and punctured some vital organs. He cheated, though. I guess inherent regeneration wasn't off the table, because he quickly came back and snapped my neck. I lost all my savings to pay for the "treatment" and when I woke up the doctor at the Broken Wing told me they "accidentally" used tools meant to "fix a filthy liar". I hate that place.
[Last year, and yet she's so cavalier about it. That's... interesting. No wonder she can hang around Toma without any issues. Dodger makes a mental note of that, and reminds himself to actually look through Toma's notes on her when he gets a chance. He also makes a note of the fact that she, too, got weird side effects from dying.
The question forces him to think for a little longer. There are a few good answers - ones he knows she'll be interested in, ones he knows will make her stand up and leave, and a few in the middle that he isn't a sure about.]
You strike me more as the type I want to do things to me. But I'll answer, it depends on how graphic you want me to get.
[Another weird spot where his double-standard shows up. He'd know how to talk to men about his fantasies, blunt and hungry. But he's making an exception for Rin because she's a proper woman.]
[Dodger startles slightly, even if he tries immediately afterward to brush past it. Still, he stalls a little longer, finishing up his latest glass of whiskey.]
I want to pin you down to your bed and fuck you as hard as I can. I want to bite down on your neck and leave marks for other people to see. I want to keep going until you're a dizzy, moaning mess. And I want you to try and push me off, so I can feel you struggling against me. We can save anything past that for a second date, but I probably can't get as rough with Henry in the room, so I want to take the opportunity.
[Henry's not innocent, exactly, but he does startle easily. And Dodger's been hesitant to let him see how roughly Dodger treats anyone other than him.
He hesitates, though. In light of... everything lately, he wants to clarify:]
I don't mean I want to actually force you. Just... play at it.
[...Unsettling. That's what listening to Dodger speak about this makes her feel. Not because of the fear it sparks in her, but the interest. During her first birthday in the Golden Peacock Rin was trapped in one of the "Get Along Together" spa packages with a man who hated her. Despised her for not only being a mage, but effortlessly good at it. The two of them played dangerous games. Pushing each other's limits and punishing each other with what the other thought would be most humiliating behind closed doors. In truth she doesn't ever feel all that comfortable at the spa anymore because on that birthday she was subject to one of the best fucks she ever had somewhat against her will.
It haunts her. Like a ghost calling her to indulge in a devil's banquet. Rin never considered that night to be something traumatizing, and never held it against that man. She provoked him, just as he did her, and that dance floor was shared. Beyond that she believed she deserved it. At least a part of it. That pain, humiliation, and sweet agony were simply the price to pay for her arrogance.]
If you want that more than me bossing you around I'm willing to let you have it. You have to be patient, though. You'll have to wait until after I host my weekend guest.
[Still not enough to scare her off. That has him relaxing. As much as he can, when he's gone this whole date without smoking. It really is the worst he thinks he would do... he's been getting good results waiting for permission, proving that he can handle boundaries. It takes a lot of anger, and personal hurt, for him to backslide.
He wants to think that, at least. He'd managed to make it a few months without attacking anyone, and he hasn't actually forced himself on anyone... which is a better record than he had in Boston. He'd really like to think his weakest moments don't define him.
There has definitely been pushy behavior. But Dodger doesn't think that's the same thing.]
Sure, I can be patient. Like I said before, I get busy easily. But I want to keep seeing you, threesome or not.
[He pauses to pour himself more whiskey. And the bottle's starting to get empty, so he just knocks back what's left in it before setting it aside.]
My question. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
Of course not. If I'm to be punished for being wicked the world better grow a spine and hurt me itself.
[Tohsaka waves a hand dismissively. As if the thought of inflicting pain on herself was beyond consideration. Though perhaps that's due to a number of factors. Her body is a weapon, and to weaken it through unnecessary harm is unthinkable. To damage it in a way that makes her image less than perfect? Not an option. Pride and duty outrank self loathing.]
[Dodger snorts. Right, of course. It's... aspirational, honestly. In the same way that he wishes he could truly stop caring about anyone's needs other than his own, he would love to stop craving the cut of a razor when his thoughts get too loud.
He doesn't feel the need to comment on it, though. Seems like everyone here can make an educated guess about what's under his wrist wraps, and they never seem to really care.]
Mm, Toma only got to see my suite because I was using it as an olive branch before setting him straight about where we stand. And if you think I'm going to fold while I'm ahead you're deeper in that bottle than I thought.
[A haughty laugh follows. Her sharp composure slipping, but she's still very much herself.]
[Wryly:] You're so right, you're just a few actually tough questions away from getting me drunk.
[He likes that laugh, though. Dodger calls the waiter back, and gets two more bottles of whiskey. It's where most of his money goes anyway, going through several bottles a day to keep himself at a base level.
Once they've arrived, he pours himself another glass while he speaks.]
Where do you stand with Toma? And his brother, for that matter.
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No. I had some unfinished business back home, but it isn't worth living the rest of my life in that shithole of a world.
[A pause.]
Doesn't matter anyway. I'm destined to die and my clock's pretty much run out.
[He's kept fidgeting with that spoon-turned-molten-mess this whole time, and ended up actually molding something out of it. He sets it down on the table, now a slowly cooling metal cat figurine.]
Have you ever seen anyone here with a suit that acts different from everyone else's? I mean, past the first month or so?
no subject
[Tohsaka shrugs with that. Despite the way the alcohol has warmed her to flush, she still seems pretty lucid and confident about the game. Perhaps it's because she has convinced herself that there's little he could ask about that she'd be determined to hide?]
What type of person turns you off?
no subject
Not sure. Someone who's boring, I guess. No interests, no hobbies, no kinks. Most people are worth giving a shot, but I can't imagine wanting to make time for a complacent pencil-pusher.
[It's probably telling, just how boring someone has to actually be before Dodger stops digging for possible reasons to care.]
What's something that would turn you on, even if you were pissed off at the person doing it?
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Are there certain kinks you find too "weird" or funny to indulge in? For example, ones that require roles like ponyplay, mommy-daddy kink, and the like.
cw: implied pseudo-incest
Wouldn't want to have a 'mommy'. But a daddy, I could go for.
[He's downplaying it severely, but she doesn't need to listen to him be weird about his actual adoptive father.]
Usually, though, anything goes. What about you?
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I don't mind any of it at all. In fact I enjoy acting. I suppose the leather pony and puppy masks might not be my thing, so I might have a difficult time enjoying that, but I could stomach my way through it for someone else. What kind of job did you have before you got here?
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[He thinks he saw some in the room, the one and only time he and Esikko did actual puppy play... but it was brief, not something he focused on, because he knew what to do with collars and leashes already.
The question about his job, though, distracts him immediately. He briefly considers passing, just because he'd have to drink a few more bottles before it started really hitting him, so he pretty much has infinite passes at this rate. But no, the answer is simple enough. And he's sure she's guessed the general shape of it.]
Information broker, mostly. But 'Victor Augustine's dog' is probably a more accurate answer in practice. I did whatever he asked me to do, no questions asked, and that usually meant keeping tabs on other people.
[He's still learning what sort of information is useful here, and he feels like he's hamstrung by the fact that so many other people already know each other and know more about the resort than he does. But at least the few times he's given advice about putting together card hands, that's been appreciated.]
Was 'mage' your whole job back home, or did you do something else?
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[No need for him to hear about Clock Tower's institution, the Mages Association, or anything else.]
Do you want to be a good boy, or a bad boy?
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And that question makes his face turn pink. For all of his 'dog' talk, he almost never actually gets called either, and he has to put some active effort into suppressing his excitement.]
Whichever you want. But I like talking back, and I like to get forced into behaving, so I guess 'bad boy' is better.
[Oh how he craves to be petted and called a good boy, though.]
How are you feeling about bringing me back to your place after this?
no subject
[With a shrug Tohsaka reaches to finish off her shochu. A sigh escapes her lips as she begins circling the cup's rim with her index finger again. Rin's restraint is loosening. Her perfect posture becoming softer, and her gaze not as sharp.]
I like this better. It's like a dance. Kind of how I like arguments... it lets my brain work on something. I want to win, but you haven't even challenged me. C'mon, be a better opponent.
[Her finger lifts from the glass so that she may instead tap it on table twice. A demand. Urging him to continue. Though the way she gives that information a little more freely may mean he's already on his way to winning.]
I'll let you ask three questions in a row.
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If I got you drunk immediately, I wouldn't get to learn about you. But if you want a challenge, sure.
[He does have to think for a bit, because he hasn't actually been playing with any sort of strategy. Just asking whatever's on his mind, knowing full well he can drink her under the table several times over.]
Have you ever killed someone? Do you have any kinks other people here would call 'unethical' or 'amoral'? How hard are you willing to push someone to do something only you're interested in, sexual or not?
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[With a smile on her face she nods while folding her arms across her chest. Self congratulatory for not passing on any of them.]
Do you think you'd eve push me?
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There's a telling pause after her question, and Dodger picks up his little metal cat to start turning it idly in his fingers. He could pass, that would likely be even more telling. But either lying or being too honest feel like mistakes. Finally, he settles on:]
No. I talk a big game, but... I come from a world where it's more normal to take what you want. And that isn't what it's like here. I'd rather stick around people that want me near them, and that means playing fair.
[He hesitates.]
Tell me more about that kill. How long ago was it, who did you kill and why?
no subject
Mm... last year. Fighting in a no-magic allowed tournament. Caved in a guy's rib and punctured some vital organs. He cheated, though. I guess inherent regeneration wasn't off the table, because he quickly came back and snapped my neck. I lost all my savings to pay for the "treatment" and when I woke up the doctor at the Broken Wing told me they "accidentally" used tools meant to "fix a filthy liar". I hate that place.
What do you most want to do to me?
no subject
The question forces him to think for a little longer. There are a few good answers - ones he knows she'll be interested in, ones he knows will make her stand up and leave, and a few in the middle that he isn't a sure about.]
You strike me more as the type I want to do things to me. But I'll answer, it depends on how graphic you want me to get.
[Another weird spot where his double-standard shows up. He'd know how to talk to men about his fantasies, blunt and hungry. But he's making an exception for Rin because she's a proper woman.]
no subject
[She taps the table again. Aggressive; assertive. Insistent on getting what she asked for, or a pass.]
I want to know what I'm dealing with. I have a right to know that, don't I?
no subject
I want to pin you down to your bed and fuck you as hard as I can. I want to bite down on your neck and leave marks for other people to see. I want to keep going until you're a dizzy, moaning mess. And I want you to try and push me off, so I can feel you struggling against me. We can save anything past that for a second date, but I probably can't get as rough with Henry in the room, so I want to take the opportunity.
[Henry's not innocent, exactly, but he does startle easily. And Dodger's been hesitant to let him see how roughly Dodger treats anyone other than him.
He hesitates, though. In light of... everything lately, he wants to clarify:]
I don't mean I want to actually force you. Just... play at it.
cw: mention of previous dub/noncon
It haunts her. Like a ghost calling her to indulge in a devil's banquet. Rin never considered that night to be something traumatizing, and never held it against that man. She provoked him, just as he did her, and that dance floor was shared. Beyond that she believed she deserved it. At least a part of it. That pain, humiliation, and sweet agony were simply the price to pay for her arrogance.]
If you want that more than me bossing you around I'm willing to let you have it. You have to be patient, though. You'll have to wait until after I host my weekend guest.
cw continues
He wants to think that, at least. He'd managed to make it a few months without attacking anyone, and he hasn't actually forced himself on anyone... which is a better record than he had in Boston. He'd really like to think his weakest moments don't define him.
There has definitely been pushy behavior. But Dodger doesn't think that's the same thing.]
Sure, I can be patient. Like I said before, I get busy easily. But I want to keep seeing you, threesome or not.
[He pauses to pour himself more whiskey. And the bottle's starting to get empty, so he just knocks back what's left in it before setting it aside.]
My question. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
cw discussion of self harm
[Tohsaka waves a hand dismissively. As if the thought of inflicting pain on herself was beyond consideration. Though perhaps that's due to a number of factors. Her body is a weapon, and to weaken it through unnecessary harm is unthinkable. To damage it in a way that makes her image less than perfect? Not an option. Pride and duty outrank self loathing.]
cw continues
He doesn't feel the need to comment on it, though. Seems like everyone here can make an educated guess about what's under his wrist wraps, and they never seem to really care.]
Your move, then.
cw ♾️😭
[Well... there goes what she'd drink if she'd need to pass... How can she win now? (as if she had a chance)]
no subject
I'd rather use your bed. But I don't want anyone in my room, either, so I'm not gonna push. Mating Season pods are fine.
[He gestures with his whiskey glass.]
Do you want to tap out, or should I get us another bottle?
no subject
[A haughty laugh follows. Her sharp composure slipping, but she's still very much herself.]
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[He likes that laugh, though. Dodger calls the waiter back, and gets two more bottles of whiskey. It's where most of his money goes anyway, going through several bottles a day to keep himself at a base level.
Once they've arrived, he pours himself another glass while he speaks.]
Where do you stand with Toma? And his brother, for that matter.
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