This is Halloween!

[we_bring_hell]

The Bar loves her holidays, but she is also capable of respecting religious strictures. That's why she put a lot of thought into finding a Halloween costume for Harrow that works with her face paint and general insistence on the monochromatic.

Harrow, for her part, is baffled by the white-pinstriped black suit and the oversized bow, but the gloves are very cool, and the buckled shoes suit as well. She has no idea what's going on but she can live with this.

The Bar seems even more unusually populated than usual, and there are a lot of gourds around. Hm.

Comments

[we_do_bones]

That's...thoughtful. Is she really so used to Harrow brushing her aside that she wouldn't even think her privacy would matter enough to be a factor?

Apparently. Which is probably not great. "I appreciate it," she says, squeezing Harrow's hand, "but if you want to discuss it – with mutual friends, please, maybe not strangers – go for broke, Harrow."

Her grin now is just as smug as it has ever been. "Especially if you feel the need to tell someone how I blew your mind. I would be okay with that."

[we_bring_hell]

Even through the paint, Harrow blushes badly enough to show; her ears are brick-red.

"Griddle. I do not intend to discuss... technique."





"Besides, Ingress has already promised me a text on the subject."

[we_do_bones]

"If you want to do research, my comics are plenty informative."

Gideon might be sorely disappointed to learn that Our Bodies, Ourselves is not, in fact, a collection of pornography.

[we_bring_hell]

"Your comics defy basic anatomical physics," Harrow says snappishly.

[we_do_bones]

"Maybe, but they're fun to look at."

It's hard to quantify why she enjoys poking at Harrow until she gets a reaction, because she grew up without the concept of pulling someone's pigtails because you like them.

She just knows that when Harrow snaps at her, it sets something alight deep in her stomach, and she wants to coax it even further until their restraint breaks and she can just kiss that annoyance right off Harrow's face. She grins. "But I'm sure your text will be a good time, too."

[we_bring_hell]

"I will explain the long words for you," Harrow says, which is a bad promise to make about a sex manual.

[we_do_bones]

"Oooh," says Gideon, lounging against the Bar and leaning a little closer. "Yeah. Talk dirty to me."

[we_bring_hell]

"Griddle," she says repressively. Then she leans over the bar and whispers something extremely clinical and specific.

[we_do_bones]

Extremely clinical and specific doesn't really do it for her, but you know what does?

Harrow's warm breath and warmer lips close to her ear.

Harrow's quiet, confidential voice whispering something only for her to hear.

Harrow taking up the slack of a joke and hauling on it for all she's worth.

Harrow.

It all but shoves Gideon off the barstool, even as she reaches for Harrow's wrist to pull her up too. "You really know how to rev my engines," she says, and drags Harrow close enough nearly to kiss.

"How about we go upstairs and you put your money where your mouth is?"

[we_bring_hell]

There is an obvious, if filthy, rejoinder to that. Harrow doesn't say it but she thinks it; you can tell because she turns almost the shade of the violet tucked behind her ear.

"As you wish."