acertifieduser | ○ 04: Maybe they once locked eyes.

What colour you can see, and how much. For example, I'm quite, uh, a wanted commodity, because I can see a lot of Red.

Does it make sense, though? Really?

She smiled back a little shyly, and accepted the greeting a little stiffly--as if willing but unused to being touched. "Good, because I go a little nuts before meeting anybody new, let alone on a date." Practice date.

"Thanks. I um...I only have a few dresses but I try to go big, you know, for stuff that's important." Three shades of purple eyeshadow, check.

She went over and settled on the blanket a little artlessly, relieved to finally be here instead of preparing for "here". "So how're you doing?"

Would it be a real story? Because I'm going to have to regard the vampire thing with skepticism if you're one of those sorts.

I'll trade you a real story--an interesting one, even--if you tell me all about that ability of yours. If it makes you feel better, I'm not a vampire and my story has nothing to do with the supernatural.

What if you can see all the colors in equal measure, which is standard for my time?

Well sure. If you're a society based on class, then you have to maintain that structure and the only way to do that is to find objective values that can't be controlled by force of will as a measure of worth in the society. Beyond that, marriage means joining those objective values and it will be continually used as a point of comparison. Everyone--okay, well, not everyone, but the vast majority of people--will want a higher status because it means greater access to resources and less pressure to strictly follow the social norms of that particular culture. If you have nothing to offer, there's no reason for a higher society girl to accept you.

Unless you're trying to get into a philosophical debate of whether the class system actually works, but I think people are inherently drawn to levels of status in order to gain a sense of confidence and productivity which is necessary to survival. If everyone was equal, people wouldn't have that evolutionary imperative kicking in and, if people were judged on something subjective or that could be achieved just by trying, then no one would be able to agree on it or the ratio of elite to common would fall and the entire system would crumble.

"That humility is charming. Don't lose that." He grinned at her.

Eddie moved around the blanket in a comfortable parallel to her own actions, taking a seat shortly after she had in a more casual and practiced way. "It's good. You shouldn't let people in on the secret that you're not always like this.. not at first. You look amazing and when you tell people it's you going above and beyond, you're just letting them know how anxious you can be. Pretty much everyone's anxious in an intimate setting, especially on a first date, but that's no reason to give it away. Keep them wanting more."

The man was trying to guide her without criticizing her. It was difficult in this mood, on this drug, when it all came so easily to him. They were things that his normal self couldn't have understood, though. Ideas and confidence that would blur and become lost when his mind clouded from slowed neurons again.

"I'm doing good, Wanda. George is a great warden and I feel like I'm already finding a comfortable place here. I know that I lucked out in that, to some extent. Alright.. I don't really believe in luck so much as I think people make their own fortunes, but every once in awhile, luck comes into play and I think it might have taken me under its wing for this one."

Nobody can at home. That's... what makes you Previous.

Oh, no, I agree, it makes pragmatic sense. But it doesn't make sense when you love someone, but you can't marry them, because you've already been given to some [very bad word does not go here] tauping Purple, who only wants you for your Red anyway.

I think that was more my point. It's very... practical. But you're still buying and selling people, and completely ignoring their feelings about who they might actually want to marry. Irregardless of status.

That does make it better, believe it or not. But you're going to have to take my story without me being able to back it up. I can't use my power right now.

"Yeah. There's a time and a place for the queen-of-the-world attitude. Like in ritual, or when you're dealing with a real ass. Not here. Besides, you don't deserve a taste of the Scarlet Bitch."

She lowered her head a fraction and blushed when he mentioned how she'd shown a bit too much of her hand. "You're right. I guess it's just one of those nerves-make-me-talk-too-much things. But also...I know it's supposed to be part of women's mystique to hide the work we put into looking good, but sometimes it seems a little manipulative."

Eddie's quick wit and confidence reminded her of Pietro, but in a much more pleasant way. She appreciated the tip, although her first inclination was, of course, to smack her own forehead for not thinking of it herself.

"George is a sweetheart. He's also really hard to stay mad at. I think we're both lucky--I learned fast that Tony's heart is in the right place too. I'm gonna try not to make too much trouble for the guy."

That's fine. You won't really be able to back up mine either. It's part of the fun of being on the Barge.

What happened? Why did such an uncommon gene take over? Or did they start genetically tampering with the cones and receptors in the eyes to manipulate the different fields of color perception?

I didn't realize you were talking about love, Eddie. You're right. That kind of system doesn't make any sense for trying to love someone.

Who was she? The one you loved?

I... don't know. [damn, does he sound so frustrated.]

That's... I'd rather not go into that.

But let's say someone of the lowest social category.

"'The Scarlet Bitch?'" He just smiled at that. While she was speaking and Eddie was listening, he reached out to take hold of the bottle of wine and pull it back to him. Eddie removed the foil and then grabbed the wine opener he'd brought, beginning to screw into the cork with an ease and secondhand nature that made it easy for him to listen to her at the same time, and then to speak.

"There's nothing wrong with talking about the work you put into looking good if you do it in the right way. It's the reveal of the anxiety you want to avoid. Telling a man you spent an hour or two looking good for him shows interest and it will excite him. Telling him you were so nervous it took you an hour to decide what to wear? I guess it could depend on how you play it. A lot of guys find clumsiness and that kind of passivity attractive, but I get the impression that's not really the kind of guy you want. If you really want someone to see you on equal footing, you just need to hide that a little bit."

There was a loud 'pop' and Eddie set the corkscrew, with cork attached, down onto the blanket. Then he lifted the two glasses with his other hand, stems between his fingers, and poured them each a half a glass.

"That's really good that you got a warden you like and can trust. I think that's important. Has he been treating you well?"

"My code name back home is The Scarlet Witch. But of course the boys replace the W with a B when I get moody." She glanced at the wine bottle, a little jealous of his panache. But then again she'd only opened two bottles in her life.

"He seems to want to do the older brother thing, which is cool with me, because he's better at it than my actual brother. He was protective on me in Port and was, you know, really reliable."

She looked up into the wheeling sky. "You ever think about what you're gonna do once you get through this weird little program of theirs?"

There's nothing wrong with loving someone below you socially, Eddie. I married a woman like that and it was some of the best years of my life. She left me and I still think about her. I'm not saying your girl will leave you-- maybe that was a bad example. I'm saying it's alright to be interested and to go after her. Consequences be damned.

So what was the deal with her? Why couldn't you work up the courage?

...I did go after her. I did throw away the woman I was supposed to marry, that my dad had pretty much sold me to, for her.

Then it turned out that she was someone I was completely barred from talking to socially, let alone marrying.

Alright, alright. You know about magic powers, right? I don't have to run through that?

"Code name?" Eddie couldn't help but laugh at that. It was the kind of laugh where he was enjoying the company, not mocking. She was interesting and he actually was enjoying spending time with her more than he would have guessed.

Once both glasses were poured, he set the bottle aside and paused just long enough to ensure it was stable. Then he slid one glass to his opposite hand in order to offer her one while holding his own simultaneously. He nodded about her brother and offered a piece of information he was intrigued to follow. "George said you're a nice young woman. Have you ever thought about trying to pursue something different with him?"

The man took a sip of his wine as he watched her and his lips settled from the wide smile he had worn into something more thoughtful. "Hopefully go back and get a second chance to be smarter about things. If I could predict what was going to happen and got another opportunity to think better about those things, I could have gotten a lot more without being the asshole it took to get me here."

Is it your deal to change things for the two of you, can I ask? There has to be a way for you to work around the system. A different country, maybe?

I know about the idea of magic in general, but you'll have to specify your own power a little bit.

No, it isn't. There's... more important things I've got to ask for. For the good of everyone.

A different country? I don't know of any different country. We have to get permission from the council to go beyond the town boundaries.

"Yyyyeah. I um...come from one of those worlds where a lot of crazy people run around in costumes fighting each other. If I was about three times the bitch I'd actually be a second generation supervillain. Kind of weird to think about.

She took the glass and propped it between her narrow hands. "George...I like him. I'm not sure if I wouldn't seriously weird him out long term. He's very openminded for a cop though.

"I don't know. I'm not rushing into anything whatever I do. I don't want to mess anything up, or get so caught up I forget why I'm here."

She thought about graduation, about going back, still cradling her glass. "You know what the problem with becoming a superhero is? No goddamn paycheck."

I'm a luck worker. That means I can change your luck, for better or worse. If I had my powers in tact, I could make you lucky enough to get out of this place. [So many lies. :c]

That must be why you're a warden. That level of selflessness is something I honestly never really understood.

Jesus. They've got you guys whipped. So what are you going to do about her?

○ 04: Maybe they once locked eyes.

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