[ manuela is used to being underestimated. such is the nature of the world (her world, at least), when one is both a woman and possessing of a personality as big and as bold as hers. and, the older she's gotten, the more she suffers such disregard. so it's always refreshing when someone — particularly of chobe's caliber — gives her her dues.
though she certainly has to laugh at his words. whether or not he means to imply what she infers, it's still amusing given the context of this place. ]
Perhaps it would surprise you how many men I've known who delighted in being able to call me "nurse" during our more intimate moments. I'm sure there are enough of those proclivities here.
[That goes, whoosh, right over his head. He's lived for decades, and is no stranger kinks, but specific roleplay is not one of them. Sure, at brothels some girls may giggle and pretend to indulge clients on taboo matters such as mother or daughter play, but that's about where his grasp of it ends.
So instead, he just looks confused, writing that off as a degradation thing.]
Haah? Most of you medical folks get yer coats twisted in a knot if you ain't addressed as "doctor" proper, right? You gotta have more pride than that.
[ it takes manuela no more than a handful of seconds to realize the man had no idea what she was talking about, but even that was far too long considering the utterly blank look he was giving her. she purses her lips, feeling mildly embarrassed for all of four seconds before she realizes she's a goddamned adult — and so is he, even. where else can one speak frankly about these things, if not in hotel depravity? ]
No, not — [ imagine. manuela casagranda, being told to have more pride! why, she has pride for days! ... except for all the times she's had to lower herself in a vain attempt to get what she wanted. let's not speak of it. ]
I mean sexually, of course.
[ she paused, waiting to see if any light sparks behind those judging eyes. ]
[He picks up on it fast enough when she's that direct, at least! Now he's the one feeling a slight tinge of embarrassment, and he wishes he still had that damn drink about now. The only thing that saves him is the fact that he has barely any shame to begin with, so he simply just rolls with it.]
So some men are into that? Hell--does that mean you're into it. . .?
[Many a woman will play whatever role asked to please their client after all--or possibly just to survive. He's no stranger to how rough the life can be for actual prostitutes. He would think she'd have other options.]
But I meant more so I don't need any actual doctors. It takes a fuck ton to actually hurt me.
[ certainly, manuela is far too grown and experienced to let such a little thing get her flustered. but somehow the innocence of the misunderstanding has her cheeks coloring more than if he were to suddenly stand and flash her on the spot. it's truly hilarious, how the human mind works sometimes. ]
What I am and am not into is a conversation that requires more than just that martini.
[ let us not get into the many ways she has degraded herself for the mere hint of genuine affection...................... anyway. ]
Is that right? Are you durable, blessed, or aided by something else?
We'll need to have that discussion at a proper bar then.
[Haha, nailed it, surely that was a smooth of enough transition to distract that he doesn't understand the appeal of career roleplay!! Her other question blessedly allows an out, though he decides to be a bit cryptic. He hmms and hawws a moment as he lays his head against the warm stone behind him.]
Haah, when you ask it like that? I'd say I'm cursed instead.
[ listen, nobody needs to discuss any kinks that may not be of any interest to the parties involved. and so manuela will simply wrap that particular topic of conversation up with a succinct, ]
Perhaps.
[ and leave it at that! there are far more interesting — and less humiliating — things to discuss now, after all. if it's intrigue he's trying to tease out of her, he gets it in full. sitting up a little, she turns to him a little more along the bench. ]
[He's being coy and it's something that never gets old for him--mostly due to reveling in the terrified expressions most display when realizing he's a monster of some sort in their eyes. But this doc comes off a little more even headed than that, at least.]
See for yerself.
[He holds out his arm to her, relaxing his muscles.]
Gimme a pinch. Try to draw blood--or use one of those hot stones to bash it, whatever you can manage.
[ there is a mild touch of wariness as manuela regards his extended arm — not because of what he means to show her, but simply due to the request itself. even if manuela weren't a physician, she doesn't exactly enjoy harming anyone even if it's to prove a point. ]
If a pinch is enough, I think I'll settle for that.
[ so she reaches out, tweaking the skin along his inner forearm. ]
A doc should have a stronger stomach for something like this, eh? But suit yourself. [So many small fry relish getting a free hit on him, but he supposes this situation is a bit different.
In any case, she pinches, the skin red with just a pinprick of blood. . .then suddenly a thin vine sprouts from the sight, wriggling around for a barely a moment before retracting. The skin is as pristine as ever, aside from any older scars.]
Ta da~ It's a more impressive trick when I'm getting my limbs chopped off.
[ manuela has seen plenty of magical healing in her particular line of work, but this is certainly the first time she's ever seen any sort of... foliage... involved. ]
I see.
[ she sees, but does she understand? not at all. ]
You said it was a curse. But it looks rather handy, in this case.
[ she makes a low, humming sound. not quite understanding but certainly sympathetic. ]
Do you... [ she lapses into an awkward silence, hands hanging in the air as she attempts and then aborts some kind of wiggling gesture with her fingers. ] Well, do you feel them? Inside?
Oh yeah, all the time. They're like, twistin' and turnin' all through my blood and muscles 24/7. Used to it, but gotta keep it in the back of my head, or I turn into a tree monster. Hah!
[He wriggles his fingers in playful emphasis, numb to the fact that maybe that's a bit fucked up.]
As for how--no idea! Got the shit beat out of me, was thrown in a pit, thought I died, but nope! Woke up, and then I could do all sorts of weird shit. But what's that thing folks say? "If it ain't broke don't fix it?"
So yeah it's a curse, but it's a useful curse, so no sense sweatin' the details.
Are you saying you have to constantly suppress it so it doesn't overtake you?
[ don't fix it if it ain't broke, he says, but it doesn't sound like it's working particularly well either. ]
Is healing and regeneration all it can do for you?
[ she's being nosy now, but he doesn't seem to mind the questions... a part of manuela can't help but be fascinated over another avenue of healing. she is only ever familiar with two types of it, after all; though she doubts it can ever be replicated, it's still an interesting thing to learn about... both as a healer, and as someone who may one day have to learn how to work against it. ]
Saying it like that sounds so dire. It's second nature for me now--kinda like, riding a bike. Kinda awkward to balance at first, but soon enough you ain't thinkin' about it too hard while yer at it, yeah?
[Only the bike turns into a monster and tries to kill everything! It helps that Chobe isn't all that opposed to destroying shit, so his mind kinda works in sync with it. That and in more modern times? There's less shit to fight, and thus fewer opportunities for the flower to overwhelm him.
He considers her for a moment, frowning to himself. While he's zero percent shy about this shit, he is more cautious around scientist types that want to study him and such. Never a good time. A doctor is a different flavor of scientist, but so far, she's made a good impression on him.
So with a shrug, he holds out his arm again. This time, several thick, woody vines erupt from his skin, wrapping around his forearm til he forms something of a wooden blade.]
[ manuela flinches back out of reflex — for a second it had seemed as if those vines might sprout out and reach for her — but upon seeing them settle along his arm like some organic type of armor, she relaxes visibly. ]
I'd say it does, [ comes her wry remark. boldly (or perhaps foolishly) she reaches out, dragging a nail along the grain. ]
Can it be hurt, too? And would you feel it as if it were your own flesh?
Easy now, if I was gonna kill ya, I wouldn't be yappin' this much.
[Just a bit of a snicker. The texture of it feels akin to bark or the roots of a big, healthy tree. He can make smaller, normal vines if he wanted too but, he figure she gets the gist of it.]
I'd feel it for a hot second, yeah, but as soon as it's detached from me it ain't my problem. Guess functionally I'm somethin' like a sentient tree, but that doesn't sound as intimidating.
sorry for the wait! pls feel free to drop if it's been too long
[ his words bring a slight pout to manuela's lips, her finger pausing just along a notch in the bark. eventually she does withdraw that hand, settling it back down over her lap instead. ]
Oh, I don't know. I've seen plants thrive even under the worst conditions. Full blossoms popping up even amidst slabs of concrete. Nature can be plenty terrifying, if you really think about it.
[ she cants her head at him, smiling a little in amusement. ]
Is that how you'd like to be seen as? Intimidating?
You ain't wrong, nature's probably the scariest thing out there. It can give someone a beautiful death, if you ain't careful.
[He's witnessed it first hand; humans blooming vibrant, gorgeous flowers from their eyes and mouth, smaller buds and vines piercing through their skin. All the while the victim is unaware, dying a slow death as the flowers show them blissful visions and sap every bit of life out of them. Beautiful horror in motion.
He gives a slight bark of a laugh, and he cocks his head at her as his arm reshapes, returning to normal.]
If I do, something wrong with it? Perception's one of the few things we can influence, so first impressions are pretty important.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chobe.
[ manuela is used to being underestimated. such is the nature of the world (her world, at least), when one is both a woman and possessing of a personality as big and as bold as hers. and, the older she's gotten, the more she suffers such disregard. so it's always refreshing when someone — particularly of chobe's caliber — gives her her dues.
though she certainly has to laugh at his words. whether or not he means to imply what she infers, it's still amusing given the context of this place. ]
Perhaps it would surprise you how many men I've known who delighted in being able to call me "nurse" during our more intimate moments. I'm sure there are enough of those proclivities here.
Re: chobe.
[That goes, whoosh, right over his head. He's lived for decades, and is no stranger kinks, but specific roleplay is not one of them. Sure, at brothels some girls may giggle and pretend to indulge clients on taboo matters such as mother or daughter play, but that's about where his grasp of it ends.
So instead, he just looks confused, writing that off as a degradation thing.]
Haah? Most of you medical folks get yer coats twisted in a knot if you ain't addressed as "doctor" proper, right? You gotta have more pride than that.
no subject
No, not — [ imagine. manuela casagranda, being told to have more pride! why, she has pride for days! ... except for all the times she's had to lower herself in a vain attempt to get what she wanted. let's not speak of it. ]
I mean sexually, of course.
[ she paused, waiting to see if any light sparks behind those judging eyes. ]
no subject
Oh. Rrrright!
[He picks up on it fast enough when she's that direct, at least! Now he's the one feeling a slight tinge of embarrassment, and he wishes he still had that damn drink about now. The only thing that saves him is the fact that he has barely any shame to begin with, so he simply just rolls with it.]
So some men are into that? Hell--does that mean you're into it. . .?
[Many a woman will play whatever role asked to please their client after all--or possibly just to survive. He's no stranger to how rough the life can be for actual prostitutes. He would think she'd have other options.]
But I meant more so I don't need any actual doctors. It takes a fuck ton to actually hurt me.
no subject
What I am and am not into is a conversation that requires more than just that martini.
[ let us not get into the many ways she has degraded herself for the mere hint of genuine affection...................... anyway. ]
Is that right? Are you durable, blessed, or aided by something else?
no subject
[Haha, nailed it, surely that was a smooth of enough transition to distract that he doesn't understand the appeal of career roleplay!! Her other question blessedly allows an out, though he decides to be a bit cryptic. He hmms and hawws a moment as he lays his head against the warm stone behind him.]
Haah, when you ask it like that? I'd say I'm cursed instead.
no subject
Perhaps.
[ and leave it at that! there are far more interesting — and less humiliating — things to discuss now, after all. if it's intrigue he's trying to tease out of her, he gets it in full. sitting up a little, she turns to him a little more along the bench. ]
Cursed? What do you mean?
no subject
See for yerself.
[He holds out his arm to her, relaxing his muscles.]
Gimme a pinch. Try to draw blood--or use one of those hot stones to bash it, whatever you can manage.
no subject
If a pinch is enough, I think I'll settle for that.
[ so she reaches out, tweaking the skin along his inner forearm. ]
no subject
In any case, she pinches, the skin red with just a pinprick of blood. . .then suddenly a thin vine sprouts from the sight, wriggling around for a barely a moment before retracting. The skin is as pristine as ever, aside from any older scars.]
Ta da~ It's a more impressive trick when I'm getting my limbs chopped off.
no subject
I see.
[ she sees, but does she understand? not at all. ]
You said it was a curse. But it looks rather handy, in this case.
no subject
Well yeah, not being able to die and wounds fixing themselves is all well and good. Ain't complainin' about that bit!
But having plants and vines wriggling all in your insides forever? Even after you get used to it, it's still fucking annoying.
no subject
Do you... [ she lapses into an awkward silence, hands hanging in the air as she attempts and then aborts some kind of wiggling gesture with her fingers. ] Well, do you feel them? Inside?
[ her lips purse. ]
How did this happen to you, anyway?
no subject
[He wriggles his fingers in playful emphasis, numb to the fact that maybe that's a bit fucked up.]
As for how--no idea! Got the shit beat out of me, was thrown in a pit, thought I died, but nope! Woke up, and then I could do all sorts of weird shit. But what's that thing folks say? "If it ain't broke don't fix it?"
So yeah it's a curse, but it's a useful curse, so no sense sweatin' the details.
no subject
[ don't fix it if it ain't broke, he says, but it doesn't sound like it's working particularly well either. ]
Is healing and regeneration all it can do for you?
[ she's being nosy now, but he doesn't seem to mind the questions... a part of manuela can't help but be fascinated over another avenue of healing. she is only ever familiar with two types of it, after all; though she doubts it can ever be replicated, it's still an interesting thing to learn about... both as a healer, and as someone who may one day have to learn how to work against it. ]
no subject
[Only the bike turns into a monster and tries to kill everything! It helps that Chobe isn't all that opposed to destroying shit, so his mind kinda works in sync with it. That and in more modern times? There's less shit to fight, and thus fewer opportunities for the flower to overwhelm him.
He considers her for a moment, frowning to himself. While he's zero percent shy about this shit, he is more cautious around scientist types that want to study him and such. Never a good time. A doctor is a different flavor of scientist, but so far, she's made a good impression on him.
So with a shrug, he holds out his arm again. This time, several thick, woody vines erupt from his skin, wrapping around his forearm til he forms something of a wooden blade.]
I can kill stuff with it. That count?
no subject
I'd say it does, [ comes her wry remark. boldly (or perhaps foolishly) she reaches out, dragging a nail along the grain. ]
Can it be hurt, too? And would you feel it as if it were your own flesh?
no subject
[Just a bit of a snicker. The texture of it feels akin to bark or the roots of a big, healthy tree. He can make smaller, normal vines if he wanted too but, he figure she gets the gist of it.]
I'd feel it for a hot second, yeah, but as soon as it's detached from me it ain't my problem. Guess functionally I'm somethin' like a sentient tree, but that doesn't sound as intimidating.
sorry for the wait! pls feel free to drop if it's been too long
Oh, I don't know. I've seen plants thrive even under the worst conditions. Full blossoms popping up even amidst slabs of concrete. Nature can be plenty terrifying, if you really think about it.
[ she cants her head at him, smiling a little in amusement. ]
Is that how you'd like to be seen as? Intimidating?
all good!
[He's witnessed it first hand; humans blooming vibrant, gorgeous flowers from their eyes and mouth, smaller buds and vines piercing through their skin. All the while the victim is unaware, dying a slow death as the flowers show them blissful visions and sap every bit of life out of them. Beautiful horror in motion.
He gives a slight bark of a laugh, and he cocks his head at her as his arm reshapes, returning to normal.]
If I do, something wrong with it? Perception's one of the few things we can influence, so first impressions are pretty important.