Survival Of The Fittest

They allowed themself to laugh, not too hard but enough that it was real. He'd put them in a good spirit, and if he was willing to be transparent about that they had no reason to play coy. "Oh? I can't disagree. Such a shame."

A new cigarette found their lips. Cliche, perhaps, but it was satisfying despite the delay. They didn't close their eyes as they puffed this time. Their eyes met and they couldn't help but let their smirk turn to a smile. Every once in awhile they fell into something uncomplicated, and while there were many opportunities for that to go wrong this seemed like one of those moments. No strings or expectations, no regrets, no looming threats from bitter partners, only an appreciable afterglow. "I'm not against making up for lost time, should the mood find you." They tilted their head thoughtfully while tapping out their ashes. "Perhaps with less family obligation over our heads."

Wherever Tilda was, they were certain she was having less fun.

"Well, the only thing in the way of that would be finding a good time and place," Julien said, deciding to take the barrette out of his hair and run a hand through to loosen it out some, "and even if it weren't, that sounds much too tempting to refuse."

It'd be somewhere with a bed if he could help it, though. As fun as this encounter of theirs had been, he found them to be underrated and besides, Julien had no reserves about waiting Blaise in his. Ideally without that body stocking anywhere in sight; good as it looked on them, the wait required to keep the thing intact had made him want to feel it coming apart in his hands.

Of course, patience had been retained. First impressions were important. The experience and the afterglow had made it worth the wait too. And the chances of it happening again on this trip were fairly low, by his reckoning. Of course, the taste he'd gotten was enough that he could put up with that was just fine.

"A smile suits you, you know that?" He would be sure to see them wear one more, if he had his way.

There was a moment, however brief, where they could imagine themself blushing as they took his hand and walked into the park. Give him a real tour, no? The game would continue no matter what, it was their nature, but with a different tone. They could measure each other with a more playful eye, give up a little more a little easier. It might be fun, letting their guard down a little bit to someone who could exploit it without exploiting them. Neither had reason to hurt the other, but the suggestion that they could was almost as tantalizing as the comfort that he wouldn't.

That's why they needed to walk away. Temptation of that nature never ended well for them, and Julien had far too many other uses to risk it. He would understand, he knew what sort of thing they were. It would be best to keep things light and distant. "I can think of many times and many places, and so many more interesting obstacles." Smoke trailed over their shoulder between sentences. "The first time, it is free. The next? Who is to say, it may need higher stakes." They looked back at him just once. "If nothing else, a hand or two for position?" A cocky swing in their hips and the return of their smirk punctuated their escape.

It would not melt back into a smile until they were certain he was nowhere to be seen. Their phone found their hand soon after.

Zen wrote:You will never believe the story I have to tell you.

((Blaise d'Aramitz Remembered Elsewhere))

"If nothing else? Oh no, that'd simply be a start."

Seeing Blaise go like that was hardly something Julien was happy with. But the sway as he watched them leave did soften that, if only a little. Ever the tease, doing their level best to dance just out of reach lest someone draw too close and they fall out of rhythm in a panic.

But he was patient.

And he was close too, close enough to see through the mask that had bonded to Blaise's face a little too tight for his liking. Julien knew of what had been done to Myles, and even if they were to try the same trick twice, no such barbs could hook under his skin; even if they did find something, he knew of the desperation that called for such measures, and he wouldn't hold it against them. So they would likely try to take flight away from him instead.

That would be to no avail either. His persistence was as iron, and Blaise would need to contend against someone every bit their match. Success was assured, and even if it wasn't Julien would simply make it so.

Of course, that was something for his future self to be concerned with. Many a good thing came to those who waited, and there were other matters to attend to. Like the fact that he wasn't on any of the rides here yet, for one.

[ Julien Leblanc's memories continued elsewhere. ]