~ [closed post]

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Now that the Mansion is producing goods again, it's very easy for Susan to compile a picnic basket full of, essentially, the makings of a rather international charcuterie board. Four cheeses (a good British cheddar, a French camembert, an Italian sheeps-milk ricotta, and a wedge of Dutch Leyden), three meats (jamon Iberico from Spain, mortadella with pistachios, and something labeled as an American bison-blueberry salami), along with some honey, fruits and fruit preserves, a baguette, olives, nuts, and crackers. She tops this off with nice linens and silverware and all the necessary ingredients for French 75s. It's definitely more than enough for two people.

Something about the end of that dreadful month has her considering wearing color again. As a first step toward moving past mourning clothes, she experiments with a very flattering deep navy dress that's definitely not black, though it looks it in most lights. She adds a coat of lipstick, and then takes herself and her basket to Janet's room, where she raps lightly on the door.

NSFW!

Comments

[sorrowandsorrow]

After a split second, Janet takes the grape. She rolls it between two fingers as she says, "Too bad. He and I usually had a pretty good time in the sack, actually."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"He wasn't the only one that week, and—" since Janet has said she enjoyed Sagramore, Susan shan't say 'nothing to write home about,' actually. "—I've got stronger memories which far overshadow any sex I was having then. Playing darts with a gorgeous woman, for example." Susan lets her hand drop to Janet's knee for a squeeze, and then she leans forward to start mixing them each a second drink. "But your time in the closet. You're alright?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

Just like it was probably meant to, Susan's flattery pulls a little flash of a grin out of Janet. She eats the grape. "I'm all right. It just took the wind out of my sails. It's not that fun to be pissed off at a man who's already doing all the work of hating himself for you."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"The audacity."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"It's fucking rude," Janet agrees. "Like, you start whaling on a punching bag and it collapses immediately? No fun."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"That sounds horrifically unsatisfying," says Susan. "It's rather edging catharsis, isn't it?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

Surprised, but a little thrilled, Janet laughs. "Pretty much. I could use some more zombies every now and then. Give Sorrow and Sorrow and me something to do."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Not for the first time, Susan thinks that Janet really ought to have something she can sink her teeth into. (Something besides sex.) "If only."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Go ahead and add some zombies to The Wizard of Oz," Janet suggests, only half-joking. "You know, for the swordspeople to stab. And decapitate."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Alas, I haven't the faintest notion of how to raise them."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"We've gotta have someone around here who can raise the dead." Janet eats another grape. "Gideon knows about necromancy, but she's not a necromancer."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"We shall include that as one of the questions prior to the magical demonstrations I'm trying to sort out," Susan says, snagging a piece of cheese and some of the salami. "I believe Nina can do things with bone, at least."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Oh, she can," Janet says with another quick grin. "It's badass. Can I be on the panel of judges for the magical demonstrations? I'll be the Simon Cowell."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I don't know who that is," Susan says, "but I was rather hoping you or Thomas might take charge, given that you know best what magic entails."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"I love magic and I love judging people." Janet's quite cheerful about this. "I'll write you a cover letter to that effect if you want."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You can if you'd like," says Susan, brightly. "I trust your credentials, but if it brings you joy..."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Don't tell me you wouldn't get a little turned on by a good To whom it may concern."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I take it back," says Susan immediately. "Please prepare several such letters at once."

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet smirks. There's not really another verb for it. "I never did the corporate rat race thing," she admits, "but my parents were lawyers. I picked up some things."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Then I look particularly forward to what you produce."

[sorrowandsorrow]

"As many perfectly-formatted resumes as you can handle, babe," Janet drawls. She grabs her freshly-made French 75 to emphasize that with a delicate sip.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"You do know the way to a woman's heart," says Susan, pleased, drizzling some honey over the ricotta and then scooping it up with a cracker.

[sorrowandsorrow]

"And they say women are complicated." Janet watches Susan with the charcuterie, pleasantly tipsy enough that she can be frank about looking at her.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Ah yes, the catchprase of the laziest of men," says Susan, primly. "I imagine Enjolras finds women mystifyingly complex."

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet laughs. "There's no way Enjolras could find the clit. Not even if it walked up and tapped him on the shoulder."