[Lina nods quietly and reaches out for Vera's shoulder with her free hand.]
I won't judge you. You aren't the first person I know who has to keep that secret. [and it's miserable, really, or at least she assumes it is. she won't out her roommate explicitly, but if Vera and Jen know each other then they probably already know, right?]
If you ever wanted to talk about it with anyone, we can do it today. And I'll give you my number when we're done relaxing, too. Okay?
[Lina's voice is oddly reassuring. The heiress has always had difficulty trusting people but for some reason she feels like she can let her guard down right now. Her smile returns, albeit more reserved, and she finds herself leaning into the other girl's touch.]
[that's what she wanted to see. her touch lingers for a moment longer before her hand returns to her side.]
I know we're not very close yet, but you can share as much or as little as you want. I'm pretty good at listening. But maybe we should get in the water first?
[and both her hands move to her waist. she's nearly ready to disrobe, but it's Vera's prerogative. she'll only follow her in.]
[Oh. Right. The water. That was a thing they were doing, weren't they?
Well, lets not delay this any longer. Vera reaches down to undo her belt and shrugging her shoulders to let the robe fall free, exposing her pale frame to the warm air.]
[Lina doffs her robe in a smooth motion, not practiced but at least careful, and folds it neatly before carefully climbing into the water. she's going to do Vera the courtesy of not staring, though what she does see is of course beautiful. it shouldn't be a surprise; she doesn't know a girl who isn't beautiful.]
[it takes her a moment to get used to the temperature, but once she does her whole body settles in comfortably. and there's just... immediate relief on her face as her head tilts back and her eyes close.]
[Seriously, it's like there's something in the water in this city. So many beautiful women.
Well, she was just going to leave the robe on the floor and let the employees take care of it. But if Lina is going to clean up she guesses she'll do it too. Lina will have a moment to get used to the water before the heiress settles down beside her with a long sigh.]
[yeah, it's the beautiful women. they're what's in the water. Lina feels her entire body relax as a sigh escapes her lips, and she wants to get closer than five feet apart, 'cause she is gay, but this isn't the right time and she'll just. be content actually letting this stuff take away some of her tension.]
Jen and I try to do these at the apartment, but the tub isn't anything like this. [she stretches her arms above her head, lets her bones crack a little, and sinks into the water up to her neck.]
So what do girls like you normally talk about? [she tries to give Vera a sly look, but mostly she's too relaxed.] Do you want to know more about the woman who's catering Thanksgiving?
[Any time there's two beautiful women naked in a tub together there's going to be some tension. But right now, the hot water just feels too good to care about much of anything else.]
Not sure, I've never met another girl like me. [Which sounds kind of sly, but also... kind of true? Part of that whole living atop the pedestal thing, you don't really meet many people.]
But I'd love to hear more about you. Anything you want to start with, or should we play questions?
Oh, I'm terrible at talking about myself. Maybe we should do questions.
[and she holds a finger out as though she's asking Vera to hold off, then puts it to her chin.]
Okay. [she knows a little about what Vera does and what she's expected to do, but that's not what Lina's interested in right now.] Let's start easy. If you could do anything at all for a living, what would it be?
[oh no. ohhh no. Lina almost misses the answer to the question entirely as she watches Vera literally let her hair down. she's so beautiful. Jen has the best friends.]
[once she's actually processed that Vera answered, though, she shakes her head as if snapping out of a reverie and tries not to blush. good thing her answer will take care of that for her.]
Oh, like Yin did? [should she... not know about Yin? she has to assume Vera knows.] You would look good with tattoos.
[Ookay? Lina's acting a little strange, and the heiress would have commented on it had the question not caught her off guard. It's kind of strange talking about her former friend who is... effectively dead? To the point where a lot of people don't even remember her?]
Yin... never had the attitude to make it out of a garage band. I'd want to be the real thing.
[The second comment is almost as shocking as the first, as the heiress lifts her arms out of the water. Her eyes trail down them, her skin flawless and smooth, like fine porcelain.]
Do you think so? God, my father would have a heart attack if he saw me with ink on my body.
[she reaches out for Vera but doesn't touch her, just as a way to emphasize what she says next.]
I do! I don't know a lot about tattoos myself, but I think skin like yours is probably easy to work with, and anything you get would look so striking. Oh my gosh. [she pulls her hand back, lowering it under the water again.] And someone with your dedication making music? You would be one of the most successful performers ever to come out of this city.
[and Lina just giggles, putting both hands to her mouth, closing her eyes, and trying not to make a splash.]
I just like having faith in the people I know! I know everybody's trying their best no matter what they're doing, and as long as you're trying, you're doing something that's worth support.
[there's a pause, and she knows she looks embarrassed, but it's better than looking outright dejected.]
A lot of people tell me that's naïve, but. Despite everything going on lately, I still think that's true.
I'm glad someone else thinks so. [and she lets her body relax, pushes up in the water just a little, and tilts her head back so she'd be looking up at the ceiling if she let her eyes stay open for more than a couple seconds.]
The world is a nicer place when you believe in people. You make friends easier. You go on spa trips and cook Thanksgiving dinner for them. [she inhales so that the top of her chest crests above the water.] Don't we have enough problems to deal with?
And we're not even getting one lifetime's worth of problems to handle.
[a small sigh. she's going to slip a little closer to Vera and not exactly try to be subtle about what she's doing, but when has she ever been subtle about anything ever?]
All we can do is find other people to reach out to and help each other out whenever we can. Wherever we find them, you know?
Mm... I wish I could have been more social. I haven't done much more than lock myself in my apartment and wait for everything to blow over.
[And she would normally have paid no mind to her getting closer, but, well, it's a little hard not to. Instead, she'll just close her eyes and lean back, pretending not to notice for at least the time being.]
[it's very gracious that she's pretending. don't worry, Lina's going to keep this chaste. she just... they're talking about being close to people, right? they're talking about knowing each other. maybe it would help Vera? she doesn't know.]
That's what the other me did. The one who originally roomed with Jen, when I first got to know her. And I was just lucky enough to live with someone, you know? Once she and I started being friends, it made all the... weirdness a lot easier to deal with. It made it easy to know that there would be someone else there, who was also on the app, whenever I woke up.
[she keeps up her kind, sweet smile even though Vera's eyes are closed.]
[That's a really sweet concept, having someone nearby that can always share in your experiences. You're never really alone that way.
Sadly, this was an idea Vera once had as well, and her smile waves in remembrance.]
Yeah, I... thought the same thing when I asked my girlfriend to move in with me. It was great knowing I always had her beside me... until I woke up one morning to her having completely forgotten me.
[Vera just barely gets through the end of the sentence before Lina moves closer, abandoning all pretense, and gently wraps her arms around her new friend. her, um, boss? sort of. her new naked boss friend. this could be awkward.]
[Vera tenses up immediately when she feels the arms come around her, taking half a moment for her to calm down. Lina didn't mean any harm, even if she jumped on her out of nowhere. It's because she cares.
She takes a breath as her body slowly starts to relax.]
It was... something. She was the person who helped me realize I was gay, so for me to go through that life-changing realization only for her to forget about all of it? It fucked me up.
Honestly, it's been a year and I'm still not sure I'm over it.
[don't worry, Lina can read some situations better than others and backs off the hug pretty quick, settling down into the water right next to Vera (but not touching her) to listen. but the urge to give some kind of physical comfort is hard to resist when she hears that whole story.]
I lost track of the girl who helped me realize I was gay after I got adopted. It's not... the same, but it still hurts. I'm sorry, Vera.
[she's quiet, looking down at her hands that she now has folded in her lap.]
You know it's okay to not be okay, right? Even if it's been a year.
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I won't judge you. You aren't the first person I know who has to keep that secret. [and it's miserable, really, or at least she assumes it is. she won't out her roommate explicitly, but if Vera and Jen know each other then they probably already know, right?]
If you ever wanted to talk about it with anyone, we can do it today. And I'll give you my number when we're done relaxing, too. Okay?
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That would be nice.
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I know we're not very close yet, but you can share as much or as little as you want. I'm pretty good at listening. But maybe we should get in the water first?
[and both her hands move to her waist. she's nearly ready to disrobe, but it's Vera's prerogative. she'll only follow her in.]
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Well, lets not delay this any longer. Vera reaches down to undo her belt and shrugging her shoulders to let the robe fall free, exposing her pale frame to the warm air.]
Ready when you are.
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[it takes her a moment to get used to the temperature, but once she does her whole body settles in comfortably. and there's just... immediate relief on her face as her head tilts back and her eyes close.]
Ohhh my gosh.
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Well, she was just going to leave the robe on the floor and let the employees take care of it. But if Lina is going to clean up she guesses she'll do it too. Lina will have a moment to get used to the water before the heiress settles down beside her with a long sigh.]
This... is exactly what I needed.
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Jen and I try to do these at the apartment, but the tub isn't anything like this. [she stretches her arms above her head, lets her bones crack a little, and sinks into the water up to her neck.]
So what do girls like you normally talk about? [she tries to give Vera a sly look, but mostly she's too relaxed.] Do you want to know more about the woman who's catering Thanksgiving?
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Not sure, I've never met another girl like me. [Which sounds kind of sly, but also... kind of true? Part of that whole living atop the pedestal thing, you don't really meet many people.]
But I'd love to hear more about you. Anything you want to start with, or should we play questions?
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[and she holds a finger out as though she's asking Vera to hold off, then puts it to her chin.]
Okay. [she knows a little about what Vera does and what she's expected to do, but that's not what Lina's interested in right now.] Let's start easy. If you could do anything at all for a living, what would it be?
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I can't really complain about what I'm already doing. Being the lady-in-waiting for a multinational company has its perks.
[Reaching up, she undoes her ponytail, carefully setting her tiara on the side of the tub as she shakes out her hair.]
But I suppose it would be fun to go on the road as a musician.
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[once she's actually processed that Vera answered, though, she shakes her head as if snapping out of a reverie and tries not to blush. good thing her answer will take care of that for her.]
Oh, like Yin did? [should she... not know about Yin? she has to assume Vera knows.] You would look good with tattoos.
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Yin... never had the attitude to make it out of a garage band. I'd want to be the real thing.
[The second comment is almost as shocking as the first, as the heiress lifts her arms out of the water. Her eyes trail down them, her skin flawless and smooth, like fine porcelain.]
Do you think so? God, my father would have a heart attack if he saw me with ink on my body.
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I do! I don't know a lot about tattoos myself, but I think skin like yours is probably easy to work with, and anything you get would look so striking. Oh my gosh. [she pulls her hand back, lowering it under the water again.] And someone with your dedication making music? You would be one of the most successful performers ever to come out of this city.
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[Not to mention it would have to be something she could cover up very easily.]
But, wow. I think I'd do pretty well, but the most successful? Remind me to call you the next time I need a confidence boost.
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I just like having faith in the people I know! I know everybody's trying their best no matter what they're doing, and as long as you're trying, you're doing something that's worth support.
[there's a pause, and she knows she looks embarrassed, but it's better than looking outright dejected.]
A lot of people tell me that's naïve, but. Despite everything going on lately, I still think that's true.
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I don't think being able to see the good in things is naive. It's an admirable trait, especially these days.
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The world is a nicer place when you believe in people. You make friends easier. You go on spa trips and cook Thanksgiving dinner for them. [she inhales so that the top of her chest crests above the water.] Don't we have enough problems to deal with?
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[She sinks down until her shoulders dip beneath the surface, leaving just her head and neck exposed.]
More than I've wanted to deal with in a lifetime.
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[a small sigh. she's going to slip a little closer to Vera and not exactly try to be subtle about what she's doing, but when has she ever been subtle about anything ever?]
All we can do is find other people to reach out to and help each other out whenever we can. Wherever we find them, you know?
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[And she would normally have paid no mind to her getting closer, but, well, it's a little hard not to. Instead, she'll just close her eyes and lean back, pretending not to notice for at least the time being.]
I just... don't want to lose anyone else.
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That's what the other me did. The one who originally roomed with Jen, when I first got to know her. And I was just lucky enough to live with someone, you know? Once she and I started being friends, it made all the... weirdness a lot easier to deal with. It made it easy to know that there would be someone else there, who was also on the app, whenever I woke up.
[she keeps up her kind, sweet smile even though Vera's eyes are closed.]
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Sadly, this was an idea Vera once had as well, and her smile waves in remembrance.]
Yeah, I... thought the same thing when I asked my girlfriend to move in with me. It was great knowing I always had her beside me... until I woke up one morning to her having completely forgotten me.
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I'm sorry. Nobody deserves that.
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She takes a breath as her body slowly starts to relax.]
It was... something. She was the person who helped me realize I was gay, so for me to go through that life-changing realization only for her to forget about all of it? It fucked me up.
Honestly, it's been a year and I'm still not sure I'm over it.
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I lost track of the girl who helped me realize I was gay after I got adopted. It's not... the same, but it still hurts. I'm sorry, Vera.
[she's quiet, looking down at her hands that she now has folded in her lap.]
You know it's okay to not be okay, right? Even if it's been a year.
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