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rainbowfic2026-03-14 04:52 pm
paradoxcase) wrote in rainbowfic2026-03-14 04:52 pm
Realgar #19 [The Fulcrum]
Name: Advice
Story: The Fulcrum
Colors: Realgar #19: Incite
Styles and Supplies: Life Drawing, Calendar Page (International Ask a Question Day), Oils ("That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?")
Word Count: 1003
Rating: T
Warnings: Discussion of sexuality
Characters: Setsiana, Liselye
In-Universe Date: 1912.5.3.2
Summary: Setsiana has a talk with Liselye.
As Setsiana waited for the right dream to occur, her mind kept drifting back to the conversation she’d had with Qhoroali the previous month. Even though Sapfita had confirmed it, Setsiana still wasn’t sure she believed that people really felt that way about each other, or that Qhoroali was right about how most people felt about sex. Sapfita had often told her that She couldn’t actually see into people’s heads; perhaps this was just another case where she didn’t quite understand humans. And Qhoroali hadn’t even been speaking about her own feelings, had she?
Qhoroali had gotten her information from somewhere, right? Setsiana remembered now that she said she’d gotten it from Liselye. She’d even recommended that Setsiana talk to her about it. Well, maybe she would.
She knew where Liselye and Cyaru lived by now, and came around to their apartment the day before Nyoacelya Lyuya. She’d gotten used to their schedule enough by now to know that they often planned things for the holiday, when there were fewer people in the streets to notice them, and accordingly usually took the day before off.
Sure enough, Liselye opened the door following her knock. Her face was a picture of guarded surprise. Not too unexpected; Setsiana didn’t think she’d had much to do with Liselye on a personal level since that night on the train, so long ago.
“What’s this about?” Liselye asked.
“Nothing much,” said Setsiana. “I just wanted to talk to you. Do you have a moment?”
Liselye waved her into the apartment.
They sat in Liselye’s kitchen, drinking tea and nibbling noncommittally on some rice cakes, while Setsiana thought about how to begin. Before she could say anything, though, Liselye spoke first.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry about the way I behaved before,” she said, seeming a bit more solemn than usual. “I mean when we were taking the train to see Cusäfä last year. I was under orders from Rou to keep you from escaping, and that was just my best idea about how to do that. I promise that was all it was, I didn’t set out specifically to toy with you. I’ve had it out from Cyaru since then that that was a nasty thing to do, and I saw what he meant when he explained it — if some guy had done that to me, I’d be angry, too. So I hope you can forgive me. That’s what you came here to talk about, right?”
“Oh,” said Setsiana, “I’m glad to hear that. Although, to be honest, it doesn’t really make it that much better that you were ‘only’ trying to keep me prisoner. But I suppose that wasn’t really your choice.”
“No,” said Liselye. “I meant it when I said that I never approved of Rou keeping you captive here. And— it’s fun to be liked. It’s gratifying. And a lot of what I do for Rou here is to show a likable face for her operation, since she’s so bad at that, and sometimes that involves a little bit of casual flirting, so that’s just where my mind went at the time. But I suppose it went a bit too far, that time.”
“Yes, I would say so,” said Setsiana. “But I do understand where you were coming from, and I think I can mostly forgive you now.” She sipped at her tea a bit, thinking about how to continue. “That wasn’t exactly what I came here to talk about, though.”
“Oh?” Liselye asked. “What is this actually about, then?”
“Qhoroali says she gets information from you,” Setsiana began, slowly, “about how most people are about things, I guess. And she told me about something you said that didn’t sound quite right to me.” She played with a piece of rice cake. “That when most people talk about being, I guess, sexually interested in just other people’s appearances, or about having a strong desire for sex, that’s a thing they really mean, and not just… casual flirting, I guess.”
“Well, it’s both, really,” said Liselye. “The flirting isn’t always fake, you know.” Her mouth twisted into a glum expression. “Sorry, I know I gave you the wrong idea about myself right at the outset. I do have genuine relationships with people sometimes, I promise.”
“And if someone did flirt with you, but then didn’t seem to be that interested, sexually, or didn’t seem that excited about the sex, even if they were excited about the romance, that would seem… to not be genuine, to you?”
“A little, yeah,” said Liselye. “I mean, I know Rou doesn’t like sex, and I’ve gathered you talked to her about that at some point, but she’s a bit different and doesn’t actually flirt with anyone anyway, so much. But generally, people do mean they’re interested when they do it.”
“Is there no way to just communicate that you like someone, without implying anything sexual?” Setsiana wondered aloud, mostly to herself.
“Seems tricky,” said Liselye. “And I’d imagine that most people wouldn’t want, or see the point in that kind relationship without the sex.” She focused her eyes on Setsiana, curiously. “Unless you are thinking of romancing Rou, I guess.”
Setsiana tried to judge if it was a serious question, or just a joke, but both possibilities seemed equally likely. “Maybe,” she said, noncommittally.
Liselye leaned back in her chair, a kind of impish smile playing across her features. “Well, just hypothetically, if you were… she’s not much for picking up on subtleties. You’d have to be a bit more plain with her. And hypothetically… theoretically… completely off the record, I didn’t tell you any of this, you understand… it’s a good idea and you should do it.” The expression resolved into a grin. “But like I said, I definitely didn’t say anything to you about it.”
Setsiana allowed herself a small smile. Whatever Liselye knew, she’d have to trust that it was accurate, but Liselye did seem insightful into these things. “Thanks… I’ll keep that in mind.”
Story: The Fulcrum
Colors: Realgar #19: Incite
Styles and Supplies: Life Drawing, Calendar Page (International Ask a Question Day), Oils ("That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?")
Word Count: 1003
Rating: T
Warnings: Discussion of sexuality
Characters: Setsiana, Liselye
In-Universe Date: 1912.5.3.2
Summary: Setsiana has a talk with Liselye.
As Setsiana waited for the right dream to occur, her mind kept drifting back to the conversation she’d had with Qhoroali the previous month. Even though Sapfita had confirmed it, Setsiana still wasn’t sure she believed that people really felt that way about each other, or that Qhoroali was right about how most people felt about sex. Sapfita had often told her that She couldn’t actually see into people’s heads; perhaps this was just another case where she didn’t quite understand humans. And Qhoroali hadn’t even been speaking about her own feelings, had she?
Qhoroali had gotten her information from somewhere, right? Setsiana remembered now that she said she’d gotten it from Liselye. She’d even recommended that Setsiana talk to her about it. Well, maybe she would.
She knew where Liselye and Cyaru lived by now, and came around to their apartment the day before Nyoacelya Lyuya. She’d gotten used to their schedule enough by now to know that they often planned things for the holiday, when there were fewer people in the streets to notice them, and accordingly usually took the day before off.
Sure enough, Liselye opened the door following her knock. Her face was a picture of guarded surprise. Not too unexpected; Setsiana didn’t think she’d had much to do with Liselye on a personal level since that night on the train, so long ago.
“What’s this about?” Liselye asked.
“Nothing much,” said Setsiana. “I just wanted to talk to you. Do you have a moment?”
Liselye waved her into the apartment.
They sat in Liselye’s kitchen, drinking tea and nibbling noncommittally on some rice cakes, while Setsiana thought about how to begin. Before she could say anything, though, Liselye spoke first.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry about the way I behaved before,” she said, seeming a bit more solemn than usual. “I mean when we were taking the train to see Cusäfä last year. I was under orders from Rou to keep you from escaping, and that was just my best idea about how to do that. I promise that was all it was, I didn’t set out specifically to toy with you. I’ve had it out from Cyaru since then that that was a nasty thing to do, and I saw what he meant when he explained it — if some guy had done that to me, I’d be angry, too. So I hope you can forgive me. That’s what you came here to talk about, right?”
“Oh,” said Setsiana, “I’m glad to hear that. Although, to be honest, it doesn’t really make it that much better that you were ‘only’ trying to keep me prisoner. But I suppose that wasn’t really your choice.”
“No,” said Liselye. “I meant it when I said that I never approved of Rou keeping you captive here. And— it’s fun to be liked. It’s gratifying. And a lot of what I do for Rou here is to show a likable face for her operation, since she’s so bad at that, and sometimes that involves a little bit of casual flirting, so that’s just where my mind went at the time. But I suppose it went a bit too far, that time.”
“Yes, I would say so,” said Setsiana. “But I do understand where you were coming from, and I think I can mostly forgive you now.” She sipped at her tea a bit, thinking about how to continue. “That wasn’t exactly what I came here to talk about, though.”
“Oh?” Liselye asked. “What is this actually about, then?”
“Qhoroali says she gets information from you,” Setsiana began, slowly, “about how most people are about things, I guess. And she told me about something you said that didn’t sound quite right to me.” She played with a piece of rice cake. “That when most people talk about being, I guess, sexually interested in just other people’s appearances, or about having a strong desire for sex, that’s a thing they really mean, and not just… casual flirting, I guess.”
“Well, it’s both, really,” said Liselye. “The flirting isn’t always fake, you know.” Her mouth twisted into a glum expression. “Sorry, I know I gave you the wrong idea about myself right at the outset. I do have genuine relationships with people sometimes, I promise.”
“And if someone did flirt with you, but then didn’t seem to be that interested, sexually, or didn’t seem that excited about the sex, even if they were excited about the romance, that would seem… to not be genuine, to you?”
“A little, yeah,” said Liselye. “I mean, I know Rou doesn’t like sex, and I’ve gathered you talked to her about that at some point, but she’s a bit different and doesn’t actually flirt with anyone anyway, so much. But generally, people do mean they’re interested when they do it.”
“Is there no way to just communicate that you like someone, without implying anything sexual?” Setsiana wondered aloud, mostly to herself.
“Seems tricky,” said Liselye. “And I’d imagine that most people wouldn’t want, or see the point in that kind relationship without the sex.” She focused her eyes on Setsiana, curiously. “Unless you are thinking of romancing Rou, I guess.”
Setsiana tried to judge if it was a serious question, or just a joke, but both possibilities seemed equally likely. “Maybe,” she said, noncommittally.
Liselye leaned back in her chair, a kind of impish smile playing across her features. “Well, just hypothetically, if you were… she’s not much for picking up on subtleties. You’d have to be a bit more plain with her. And hypothetically… theoretically… completely off the record, I didn’t tell you any of this, you understand… it’s a good idea and you should do it.” The expression resolved into a grin. “But like I said, I definitely didn’t say anything to you about it.”
Setsiana allowed herself a small smile. Whatever Liselye knew, she’d have to trust that it was accurate, but Liselye did seem insightful into these things. “Thanks… I’ll keep that in mind.”