[ Carver sits up slowly, gaze drifting between the two of them as Root retreats. The endorphins are treating him real good right now, every nerve soothed and settled. He doesn't know why he shied away from letting people touch him fr all these years; sex is still great, turns out.
He bumps Shaw's shoulder in turn, companionable. ]
That was fun, [ he adds, a little wistfully. He doesn't do fun much. ]
[Shaw stretches out her free arm languidly, rolling her shoulders, making sure her limbs stay loose and limber. No sense in risking ruining post-sex relaxation time with a cramp.]
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
[She says, her fingers still playing along Carver's bare skin.]
You think you'd do it again sometime?
[There's no expectation to the question: if this was a one-and-done experiment for him, she can respect that. She's had a fair few of those herself, after all. But all the same, she knows what she hopes the answer will be.]
[ And it was a ride, wasn’t it? Something fun. Not without stakes because nothing is ever without stakes or consequence, but he has a stronger since of how Shaw and Root fit together now; it won’t complicate things much unless he absolutely loses his marbles and all sense of professionalism.
It was nice, Carver thinks, a little wistfully. He hadn’t been sure he could still touch people like that. ]
Maybe, [ he says after a moment, watching for her reaction. For Root’s, who’s surely listening in. ] If I’m invited. I had fun.
[There's definitely a little internal swagger going on here, because hell yeah he had fun; she's so good at sex. She sees herself as far too cool to brag out loud, of course, but he might still catch the smugly pleased look on her face.]
[ Sure, he's invited. Shaw can speak for her about most things.
Root just needs a moment. It's been so long since she's done this, played the casual fun girlfriend who's good at intimacy, it hit something in her that just keeps ringing, an off-tone bell reverberating in echoes. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead. This is her only chance. Maybe this is a simulation like Shaw is always half-believing it is -- but it's still her only chance.
And if it is... what does she want to do?
Not a question she asks herself much. Turning the tap on, she leans in and splashes cold water over her face, trying to shake herself out of that mental state. ]
Shaw scoots up on her elbows, peering after Root. Hearing the water in the sink run and run and run, without having heard the toilet flush beforehand.]
Stay here?
[She says to Carver, as she swings her legs off the bed and makes a grab for her underpants and sports bra. She's not overly modest, but even so, she's always felt a little silly walking around stark naked. After pulling them on, she follows Root to the bathroom - not crowding inside with her, but leaning against the doorframe and watching her in the mirror.
Root is near-impossible to predict, which is one of the things that Shaw likes best about her. She's also generally honest with people who bother to ask her things directly, which is one of the other things that Shaw likes best about her. So she waits for a second, and then asks simply:]
[ Shaw's like that, perceptive without being presumptive. One of the things she likes best about her.
Root slurps some water from her hands, an intentionally silly noise, then splashes some cold over her face to reorient herself before straightening up. She smiles lopsidedly at Shaw. ]
Doing great, for a dead person.
[ She's not trying to hide her thoughts, her neuroses; she just doesn't think they need to be given that much screen time. Much like Shaw and her persistent fears that this is all a simulation, there's nothing to be gained from catering to it too much. There's no reason to talk about it, nothing that can be solved; she knows she'd just be bringing the mood down when neither of them need help with that.
She sways toward her, shameless in her panties and lack of top, puts a hand on Sameen's shoulder and pushes her back out the door toward the bed. She seems suddenly tall beside her. ]
I didn't do my job well enough if you're here asking me that. Can I call you Brandon now? [ she calls out over Shaw's shoulder. ] Or do I need to earn that? Because I can work for it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He bumps Shaw's shoulder in turn, companionable. ]
That was fun, [ he adds, a little wistfully. He doesn't do fun much. ]
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Thanks for coming along for the ride.
[She says, her fingers still playing along Carver's bare skin.]
You think you'd do it again sometime?
[There's no expectation to the question: if this was a one-and-done experiment for him, she can respect that. She's had a fair few of those herself, after all. But all the same, she knows what she hopes the answer will be.]
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It was nice, Carver thinks, a little wistfully. He hadn’t been sure he could still touch people like that. ]
Maybe, [ he says after a moment, watching for her reaction. For Root’s, who’s surely listening in. ] If I’m invited. I had fun.
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I'm gonna speak for both of us - you're invited.
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Root just needs a moment. It's been so long since she's done this, played the casual fun girlfriend who's good at intimacy, it hit something in her that just keeps ringing, an off-tone bell reverberating in echoes. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead. This is her only chance. Maybe this is a simulation like Shaw is always half-believing it is -- but it's still her only chance.
And if it is... what does she want to do?
Not a question she asks herself much. Turning the tap on, she leans in and splashes cold water over her face, trying to shake herself out of that mental state. ]
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[ Carver sits up slowly, watching Shaw curiously. He's calmer now than he has been in a long time. Content in his own skin. ]
You want me to fuck off now?
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Shaw scoots up on her elbows, peering after Root. Hearing the water in the sink run and run and run, without having heard the toilet flush beforehand.]
Stay here?
[She says to Carver, as she swings her legs off the bed and makes a grab for her underpants and sports bra. She's not overly modest, but even so, she's always felt a little silly walking around stark naked. After pulling them on, she follows Root to the bathroom - not crowding inside with her, but leaning against the doorframe and watching her in the mirror.
Root is near-impossible to predict, which is one of the things that Shaw likes best about her. She's also generally honest with people who bother to ask her things directly, which is one of the other things that Shaw likes best about her. So she waits for a second, and then asks simply:]
You good?
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Root slurps some water from her hands, an intentionally silly noise, then splashes some cold over her face to reorient herself before straightening up. She smiles lopsidedly at Shaw. ]
Doing great, for a dead person.
[ She's not trying to hide her thoughts, her neuroses; she just doesn't think they need to be given that much screen time. Much like Shaw and her persistent fears that this is all a simulation, there's nothing to be gained from catering to it too much. There's no reason to talk about it, nothing that can be solved; she knows she'd just be bringing the mood down when neither of them need help with that.
She sways toward her, shameless in her panties and lack of top, puts a hand on Sameen's shoulder and pushes her back out the door toward the bed. She seems suddenly tall beside her. ]
I didn't do my job well enough if you're here asking me that. Can I call you Brandon now? [ she calls out over Shaw's shoulder. ] Or do I need to earn that? Because I can work for it.
[ Root means the implicit offer completely. ]