004 -- voice/action;

[duplicitas]

[ natasha sounds irritated what else is new. ]

This place gets more ridiculous by the day. Must we play out every cliche Christmas tradition?

[ ooc: feel free to run into nat wherever you please, she's out and about! ]

Comments

[diastereomer]

[ Work on a Sunday seems a little extreme to Yusuf, but history has shown that he's certainly not going to turn down a paycheck with an acceptable number of zeros attached to it. This is probably Stark Solution's way of weeding out those who aren't as dedicated. It might have worked on Yusuf even (lets face it, going in for an interview on a Sunday really doesn't set up a good preview of the days he'll be expected to work in the future) but he can't really stop thinking about the kitchen--

No. No thinking about the kitchen.

Yusuf pulls open the large glass door, determined to make a good impression. ]

[duplicitas]

[ nevermind that technically natasha doesn't work for stark solutions, or that tony would have a heart attack if he found out that she commandeered his board room for the afternoon. natasha had things to do and people to see, and she'd like to know more about this man, this yusuf, who could be useful at some point in the future.

natasha likes useful people, after all.

she meets yusuf half-way, extending a hand for a handshake. which suddenly turns into her grabbing him by his lapel and yanking him into a kiss. damn it. the room had been clear of mistletoe when she'd arrived... ]

[diastereomer]

[ Well- you can't make a better impression than that, and Natasha's beat him to it!

To put it mildly, Yusuf is surprised-- but he's lucky if he's got half the work ethic Arthur has and he's certainly not got anything against kissing a ridiculously attractive redhead, so the only logical response is to roll with it. It couldn't have anything to do with the little green plant clinging to the ceiling, nope.

Calloused, thick fingers touch the highest part of her waist, respectful in their placement as some part of him still retains the knowledge that one conversation (over the device no less) does not grant him permission to touch her at all. Of course, there happens to be several confounding variables immediately present-- her perfume for one and the way her knuckles press into his chest through her grip on his lapels for another. Yusuf's other hand goes to Natasha's elbow, fingers forming to the shape of the joint (medial epicondyle, his mind supplies) not to keep her there but, really, not even remotely an attempt to push her away. ]

[duplicitas]

[ some quiet, analytical part of her is aware that this is no way to conduct an interview. that this is highly unprofessional and there's no real reason for her to be pulling his body flush against hers and kissing him like she's starved for his touch. it's highly inappropriate.

but it's the nature of the curse, so her hand tightens on his lapel and the other creeps up to his neck, steadying herself as she pushes up onto the tips of her toes. his hand on her waist is respectfully positioned--she appreciates that, it registers and she notes it and in a way this is still very much an interview. the kind of man he is, that simple placement of his hand tells her much. ]

[dude_imbatman]

[Dean is out wandering around through some of the alleys overground. He catches sight of a smoking hot redhead. The smoking hot redhead he will now wander over to hit on. No he's not really feeling like flirting but that's why he's going to do it. He gives her a cocky grin and that jerk of his chin.]

Hey, Sweetheart.

[He doesn't know that she's the girl he's been talking to on the network about the police.]

[duplicitas]

Dean Winchester.

[ really, she's never been fond of people calling her pet names. even if he is technically her boss--which she's conveniently ignoring for the moment. she opens her mouth to voice something to that effect, but instead what really happens is natasha grabbing a fistful of his shirt and half-climbing him until she can plant a kiss on his lips.

this is the most inconvenient curse of her entire life. ]

[dude_imbatman]

[If he'd realized he was her boss, he might not have called her Sweetheart, at least until he got to know her well enough to tease her. Also, Dean likes the manhandling and the half climbing a lot. He's going to assist her in that endeavor by putting one hand under her leg and the other at her hip while he's returning the kiss.

Best curse of his entire life.]

[duplicitas]

[ natasha excels at this kissing business. it's a life skill. and when she's good and finished kissing the hell out of dean, she simply wriggles out of his grip and steps back, smoothing down the front of her coat. ]

Don't call me sweetheart.

[ she absolutely is trying to just carry on their conversation as if nothing happened. ]

voice;

[astorminhiswake]

Oh, there's a few we're missin'. Prefer to avoid all the ones that involve human sacrifice, though.

voice;

[duplicitas]

That's probably for the best. Human sacrifices tend to get messy.

[ so deadpan. ]

voice;

[astorminhiswake]

Don't think they liked it very much either. [ The sacrifices. ]

voice;

[duplicitas]

Surely it was for a good cause.

[intheblanks]

[Yes, yes you must.

Speaking of cliche Christmas traditions, Chase is standing quietly at the corner of one of the many offshoots from the City's main square, unobtrusively enough for no one to notice that he's looking for signs of life in the Cathedral. They have a nativity scene, the place can't have been entirely abandoned.]

[duplicitas]

[ ah, natasha remembers him. the man who asked her if she was in the circus. she comes to a stop at his side, movements utterly silent, clearing her throat to make her presence known. ]

What are you looking for?

[intheblanks]

[Christ. The throat-clear makes him start a little. He turns his head to look at her, still facing down this otherwise nondescript side street.]

Just trying to see if I remembered anything.

[In one sense, it's true.]

I used to live in an apartment building somewhere round here, before I went home.

[duplicitas]

It seems I'm in a similiar position.

[ at least he knew. she'd been here before, and knew next to nothing of it. ]

[ironmanic]

Way to be a complete Scrooge, sunshine.

[duplicitas]

Pardon me for not enjoying myself, Anthony.

[ironmanic]

You know what they say- all work and no play-? Heard of it?

[duplicitas]

Yes.

And it's irrelevant in this situation.