[Adrijana Evgeniya]

The wallpaper was a light red and the floor was covered in clothes, candy wrappers, and unwashed dishes. The blinds were closed but evening sun was peeking through them, drawing yellow lines across the floor. In one corner was a desk with a massive gaming computer. In the other, a queen-sized bed seemed mostly covered with a pile of stuffed animals. 

The pile of stuffed animals groaned and shifted. A monkey beanie baby slid off it and fell to the floor with a splat. Adri groaned again, and sat up. She shook her head, blinked, and focused on the beanie baby that had fallen to the floor.

"Why, Mr. Gargles!" she exclaimed in mock horror. "I can't believe you! Lying around on the floor like that!"

She stood and plucked the offending toy off the ground, shaking her finger at it. "You just watch yourself, or you'll come to a bad end, you hear me?"

She dropped the monkey onto the pile and walked into the hall. A stack of pizza boxes had fallen over during the night and she kicked one of them down the length of the hall. It bounced off the right wall and vanished into the living room. "She shoots, she scores! Touchdown, Evgeniya!" Jump. A smack as she struck the ceiling panel above her head. A thud as it fell back into place. Then through the living room and into the kitchen, where she opened the freezer and stared blankly inside for a long moment. "Oh dearest... where are you..." A smile.  "There you are! Come to mommy." She pulled out a bag of coffee. "Gotcha! Trying to hide from mommy behind the skinned cat, were you? Well, it's curtains for you this time! Teeehehehahahaha."

She made herself a cup of cream and sugar to which she added a little coffee. There was a microwaveable pizza in the freezer, too, and she popped that in and sang snatches of "Let it go" along with the microwave. When it finished she got out a knife and fork and cut the entire thing into dainty bite-sized slices. When she was done she left the package on the table and pulled open a drawer under the sink. It was a pill bottle, the label torn off. Empty. She squinted at it, tossed it into the trash, and pulled out another. Also empty.

Her face became more serious. "No, no, no!" She dug through the drawer, shaking each bottle and tossing them out. "Oh come on! Already?" She sighed as she took out the last bottle, as Empty as the others, and hurled it to the floor with a pop. "F***!"

She spun towards one of the cabinets. A box with a single cigarette was stuffed into a back corner. The cigarette was broken in two. She huffed and let it fall to the floor.

"If I didn't remember popping that stuff like candy all last week, I'd almost say that Sis has been here to impart a lesson about healthy living." She cackled, her laugh hyena-like. Yen had always been the stick-up-the-@ss for both of them and ew, ew, she wasn't going to dwell on that mental image for even one second longer. If Yen would just try it once- but she didn't, and her disapproval was palpable any time Adri was more than the tiniest bit high. It was out of concern for her safety, granted. But it still felt a bit smothering especially given, as Adri pointed out, that she'd just been without the stuff for five years. Well, almost without.

Yen had said something last time she'd found Adri high. Something disapproving, but what had it been? Oh yeah. "Speak to the Duchess, I'm sure her recipes are both safer and equally if not more potent." Adri knew vaguely about this "Dutchess" person but had never been introduced.

She hunted for her phone and found it between the couch cushions and under a pile of stale Cheetos. Wiping orange dust pff the screen, she scrolled through the list of contacts Yennefer had given her. Oh, here. Persephone Dean, "Dutchess". Number and address and everything.

She started to push the call button but hesitated. She looked at the address again. You know, Dutchess didn't live far away at all. And she'd been by herself all week as she worked through The Witcher. God, that was a great game.

What the h*ll. She needed some time with others.

And so it was that not too long after, Adri was pounding on a door and yelling.

"Hey Dutchess! It's your princess. Come on and yet me in so we can have a good time!"

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

TO HAVE A GOOD TIME

sola dosis facit venenum

Normally, Persephone was a very productive and focused worker whose day revolved around producing result after result. Her life was pretty much contained within the walls of the Queen of Spade’s horticulture labs these days, except for when she escaped to the solitude of her apartment for rest and recuperation. This evening was one of those moments; a moment in which Persephone was indulging in some quality alone time with her ice bong and a solo game of chess.

It didn’t take long for the moves she was making to get a little ridiculous. The more she smoked, the less interested she was in winning quickly. She entertained herself by relentlessly thwarting her own elaborate attacks – the chessboard becoming a mess of failed plays. A messboard. Hahahaha. Persephone took another hit from her bong – a firm favourite of hers – and took a moment to laugh aloud to herself. Then, as if somebody flicked a switch, she stopped and returned to her game.

Or, she would have, until there was a sudden, extremely subtle barrage of fists against Persephone’s front door.

She stood up quickly, making a useless attempt to sober herself up by taking a couple of deep breaths and moving the bong to a place out of sight from the door. It wasn’t like she was banned from smoking – that wasn’t her concern. She just knew that, from the word “Princess”, the company she was expecting was one she wanted to impress. Or, at the very least, keep on her good side. Persephone had heard a little of Yennefer’s younger sister and she was sure that somebody of Yennefer’s own flesh-and-blood was somebody you definitely didn’t want to make a bad first impression with.

Unfortunately, Persephone was really quite high, so she was just going to have to hope that Adrijana would be entertained by her at least. She wanted a good time; Persephone could probably deliver on that.

She opened the door slowly, not wanting Adrijana to tumble through with her fists wailing on thin air, and gazed at the blonde with wide eyes.

“Woah, come in, make yourself at home!” Persephone stepped back and gestured to the apartment. It was simple, minimalistic and clean – peppered with a variety of unusual plants. Unlike her old flat, this one actually even had viable options for seating. Quite the upgrade.

“You here for a party or something?”

Persephone giggled, despite herself.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 401

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

A dark haired woman with frizzy hair opened the door, dressed in a hoodie and blue skinny jeans, and very clearly high already. Adri grinned. "Heeeeeyyyy," she said in a teasing voice. "You got started already!" She stepped forward into the apartment, noting the cleanliness and the plants. "This place is neat! It's clean! It's like the opposite of my place!"

She walked in with confident strides like she owned the place and plopped down on a couch. She was still grinning like a Cheshire cat. The air smelled of something good and she spun towards Prosephone with an eager expression on her face. "Yes! A party, you and me together! What are you smoking? Can I have some?" Jumping up from the couch she strode over to the nearest plant and sniffed deeply one of its leaves before spinning back towards Prosephone.

"I was home alone. Home alone is boring! Wanna get high and order pizza and watch something with lesbians?"

@prosephone

[Persephone Dean]

To have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

“Oh, uh, thanks, I like to keep it clean… ”

Excuse the messboard, her internal dialogue supplied. Persephone cracked a smile at herself, moving over to the chessboard and beginning to slowly move the pieces back into their starting places while Adrijana took ownership of the room with each, slightly bouncy step. She watched as the blonde made herself at home on Persephone’s sofa. There was a huge grin on her face that had an ever-so-slightly terrifying tinge to it. If Persephone had been more sober, she might have picked up on it.

“You really thought of me when you wanted to party?” she laughed. “Who gave you that idea?”

Adrijana had already taken note of the unmistakeable scent in the air. Fortunately, she certainly seemed to approve. Persephone retrieved the bong from its ‘hiding’ place while Adrijana made her acquaintance with one of Persephone’s plants. It wasn’t a dangerous specimen, but Adrijana should probably learn to exercise more caution when it came to the Duchess’s garden.

“Sure you can have some,” she said, a little shyly, as she placed the bong on the coffee table before Adrijana, fresh smoking material in the bowl. She pulled her lighter from her pocket and held it out in offering.

“I could go for some pizza right now. And did you say-?” Persephone laughed and shook her head. Honestly, she wasn’t too concerned either way when it came to sexuality. Sexual attraction wasn’t exactly something she herself had experienced. “Hey, you brought the party – you lead it how you wanna, I’ll just follow.”

Persephone followed this with an overly firm nod, caught halfway between wanting to be incredibly respectful to her boss’s sister and wanting to entertain her guest. Adrijana hardly seemed uptight, but it was a tricky situation to navigate when you’d just minutes previously been giggling to yourself over a one-man game of chess.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 313

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

“Oh, uh, thanks, I like to keep it clean… ”



Adri almost rolled her eyes. The woman was clearly high enough that she was having some trouble keeping up. That was all right, though. It wasn't as though Adri cared to be sober at that moment. Adri kept smiling. It only faltered slightly when the other woman asked where she'd gotten the idea of coming to her for a party.



“Well, you know,” said Adri airily. “I was kind of out of circulation for the last five years. Kind of lost track of most of my friends. Or they're still in prison.”



She didn't like to talk about it, but she had formed some semblance of relationships in prison, even stunted and unhealthy ones. It wasn't the sort of place where you found your best friend, but it was impossible for human beings to live together in close proximity without developing some kind of kinship. Her relationships outside had been broken. She had made new ones inside, and now those were broken too. She was alone, in a way she had rarely been before, and though she couldn't express it some part of her felt it. She laughed, a cruel sound, as always, as she took the bong Persephone offered her. “Hey, if you've got one of these and know how to use it you're already halfway to being a party yourself. Don't worry, we can get you trained in the rest.”



Taking the lighter she lit up and sucked in a long draft. Her eyes popped in surprise. “Holy crap, this is great!” she took another draft. “Real smooth, deep flavor... wow.” She closed her eyes and inhaled again. She could already feel it beginning to dig its hooks into her mind. She opened her eyes again and gave Persephone an admiring look. “This is your strain? You bred this?”



“Right,” she said, handing the bong back to Persephone. “You got another piece like this? Set me up while I order the pizza. Where's your remote-” She grabbed one off a side table and turned on the TV. “You got netflix? I'll find us something.” She paused, giving the other woman a appraising stare and looking her up and down again. She saw the conflict between wanting to be polite and wanting to entertain a guest writ in Persephone's features, even if she didn't understand what she was seeing.



“You look tense. You should try to relax and take your clothes off or something.”


Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

to have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone nodded in sudden realisation, the vague details she had heard about Yennefer’s younger sister coming back to her now. Ah yes – of course she’d been in prison. That was bound to be a bit of a bummer when it came to one’s social life. The smile on Adrijana’s face had shifted a little and Persephone felt bad for unwittingly bringing the conversation around to such a topic. Still, it seemed that Adrijana’s spirits weren’t so easily brought down by simple thoughts of prison sentences.

“Right, for sure. At least you have an excuse to throw more parties for each of your friends who make it out?”

She laughed, glad that neither of them seemed keen to dwell on he subject. Persephone gazed proudly at her bong – she had a few, but this one was her favourite. It was simple, but pretty, and it did a damn good job of smoothing every hit.

“Oh, you’re gonna train me?” She looked genuinely interested, sitting up a little straighter. Persephone always responded well to attention from her superiors – no matter how stoned she was. “Sign me up.”

The proud look on Persephone’s face intensified to a broad beam that was on the borderline of smug – just toeing the line but not quite making it over the boundary – as Adrijana complimented her weed.

“Yeah, yeah! Everything I smoke is my own. Growing plants is sorta what I do, and marijuana is definitely a specialty of mine on top of that. Watch yourself on this one though, it’s pretty strong.”

The warning was sure to fall on deaf ears – and Persephone wasn’t sure she wanted Adrijana to heed it anyway. Much more fun for the two of them to get on the same level.

She obeyed Adrijana’s instructions, setting up once more while Adrijana made herself even more at home in Persephone’s flat. It was like an art, Persephone had never seen someone care so little about invading people’s personal space. And Persephone knew Cory – someone so relaxed that she’d seen fit to climb onto the balcony of Persephone’s old flat unannounced.

“Oh, I’m-” Persephone cut her apology short, not wanting to be a buzzkill. She grinned instead, settling herself onto the sofa into one of her favourite relaxing positions. It was genuinely very comfortable for Persephone, but it was also definitely a bit of a show-off move. Not many humans bent that way unless they had particularly sadistic yoga instructors.

“You got a point, I’ll chill.”

She pulled her baggy hoodie off, a dark vest top underneath. It was slightly cropped and something she only really wore as an undershirt, but it was flattering enough. It exposed the bare skin of her arms and torso – a sharp contrast to Adrijana’s bodily décor. She dumped the hoodie on the arm of the sofa and turned her eyes to whatever choice Adrijana was making on the TV. It wasn’t really something she indulged in too much, so she was interested to see what Adrijana wanted to put on.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 503

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Prison wasn't a topic that Adri enjoyed dwelling on. She thought of herself as a free spirit, someone who did what she wanted, and thinking about her time spent locked up really put a damper on that whole self-image. She grinned at Persephone's comment about parties for friends who got out, showing her white teeth. It was a cruel smile. “Yeah,” she said. “Party all the time.”

“Of course I'm gonna train you,” said Adri, reaching out and stroking Persephone's cheek affectionately. “It's a majorly important skill! There's cultivating the right ambiance, the right snacks, the right entertainment... don't worry, we'll cover it all.”

She waved a hand in dismissal at Persephone's warning about the strength of her plant. “Pffft, the day I can't handle this stuff is the day I go crying in shame.” She took another draw, a deep one. Wow, Persephone really wasn't lying. This stuff was strong. Better order the pizza soon, while she still could.

“Hey, I want two large pizzas, one all meat with pineapple, one cheese... yes, of course that includes anchovies! Yeah, have a good night, sweetheart!” Adri made a kissing sound and hung up, giggling. She glanced over at Persephone, raising an eyebrow as the other girl settled into a yoga position. “D@mn, girl!” Adri tried to imitate the position and found that she couldn't, flopping onto the couch in a heap with a giggle. “You gotta teach me how to do that!”

Grabbing the remote, she began flipping through the viewing options, grinning again when Persephone pulled her shirt off. “Now we're talking! Maaaannnn, you'd be fine if you had some ink on you,” she said offhandedly, jerking the edge of her shirt up to show off some of her own when one of the shows on the screen caught her eye.

“SAILOR MOON!” she almost screamed. “YES YES YES YES YES! SAILOR MOON SAILOR MOON!”

She clicked play, her eyes dreamy and enraptured, and began singing along with the opening theme.

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Even beneath the gentle soothing haze that had settled over her, Persephone still felt a twinge of unease at Adrijana’s smile. Something that might have been fear if she’d been capable of such self-reflection at that moment – and even then it may have been buried by Persephone’s ardent desire to impress the Heiress of Spades. As it was, Persephone simply returned the smile, albeit with far less cruelty laced in her features.

The sudden brush of Adrijana’s hand against Persephone’s skin was definitely unexpected. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but Persephone appreciated it nonetheless and managed not to flinch or lose the smile from her face. Surely it was a sign of approval.

“I seem to be in capable hands,” she observed, smile twisting into a smirk. “Is there gonna be a test? Oh, also.” Persephone waved a hand at the freshly packed bong. “Does this count for extra credit?”

She was continuing to find herself really amusing, though she had enough control not to collapse into self-indulgent giggles. The last thing she wanted to do was spoil the “party”.

Adrijana seemed to still be enjoying Persephone’s marijuana. Maybe a little more than she herself had been expecting. From the sounds of it, Adrijana had had her fair share of experiences with a variety of substances – but she’d never had anything from the Duchess’ garden. That wasn’t to say that Adrijana was about to be knocked out by some super strain, but the effects could certainly creep up on her if she wasn’t careful.

The two of them giggled as Adrijana tried and failed to mimic Persephone’s position. Her eyes brightened immediately, and she slipped into a position that was far less comfortable but even more impressive. “I did a bunch of acrobatics when I was younger. Even joined the circus one summer – not my thing,” she added, letting out a gentle sigh of relief as she eased herself out of the pose.

Persephone looked down at her bare skin, a little flattered. “I think I’d like some ink, but I could never settle on what I wanted…” Her eyes searched the tattoos on Adrijana’s body, seeking inspiration. “Are yours, like… meaningful?”

Not pretending to have ever watched Sailor Moon, Persephone nonetheless stared excitedly at the screen as the opening theme blared across the room. The brightness of the show was appealing to her in her current state and it seemed the perfect companion for pizza. Maybe this was one of Adrijana’s lessons in partying. Persephone had the brief irrational compulsion to start taking notes.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 424

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Though she couldn't have put it into words, Adri had already found a mental classification she could keep Persephone on. In prison, she had by necessity become hyperaware of the social relations between women, and trained herself to take her rightful place in whatever hierarchy resulted. Adri would have put it sexual terms: some women were dominant, others submissive, and Adri had already classed Persephone ad a submissive. That was fine with Adri. She would take her place as the animating figure in this situation, working, as due always did, until Persephone had entirely buckled under her will. It wasn't a conscious process; it was simply Adri's nature to try and rule others. In Persephone she seemed to have found a willing victim.

Not that it was a conscious choice. Like a shark smelling blood, she sensed the prescence of a void where she could assert her own authority over Persephone.

"Don't worry!", Adri laughed at Persephone's question about a test. "You'll know all there is to know before too long." She took another hit from the bong at the question about extra credit. "Oh god, yes."

At the question about tattoos, Adri's eyes lit up with glee. "You should totally get some! Mine the spades, obviously- Yen won't admit it but she totally loves that I got so many- and the thorns," she tapped her neck. "That one's from the Center," (meaning prison). She grined, tongue snaking out of her mouth to lick her lower lip. "I love the message it sends. Here's a girl who's not afraid to be different, someone who's got some sharp points on her. And this!" she turned around and pulled up the back of her shirt to show the medley there to Persephone. "Isn't that awesome? It's all the deep things. Cthuhlu and tentacles! You can't beat that. Come on," she said, sitting up suddenly, the show forgotten. "You've hot a sharpie, right?" In the space of a few steps she was in Persephone's kitchen, opening drawers. "Got it!" She da me back, marker uncapped. "So what you do is you start by drawing it on yourself, see how it looks. Then you get it done. Get it somewhere you can cover it up if you don't want it seen all the time." Adri tapped her hip with two fingers. "I got a few I don't show off too often myself."

She held the marker in an expectant posture. "Well? What have you thought about? Don't worry about it too much, just go wild for now and we'll see what you look like." Her smile turned seductive. "You can't have a good party if you're too wound up, you know."

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To Have A Good Time

sola dosis facit venenum

“If this is studying maybe I should have tried out a college education after all,” Persephone quipped, her eyes bright with amusement. “I could deal my way to a Bachelor’s, no problem.”

Persephone had gone straight into waitressing after she finished school, and all the money she’d saved from that had gone into escaping her parents’ home. Her disposable income was hardly on the level that could have enabled her access to higher education. Financial issues aside, Persephone had never been particularly enamoured with any single subject at school – certainly not the point where she wished to study it further. Her garden had been her equivalent mental exercise. She hadn’t exactly ruled out getting higher qualifications at some point – she was more than able – but so far there hadn’t been any need.

Anyway, her high school diploma was just fine when it came to skyrocketing to the top of large criminal organisations, apparently.

“The spades are a great idea…” Persephone said softly, half to herself. Her gaze was fixed on the spade on Adri’s forearm. She liked the intricacy of the design – less blunt than a simple, black symbol. The fact that Adri had so many spades tattooed on her body was very impressive, and Persephone found herself viewing the Heiress with a whole new level of respect.

As Adri discussed the message of her thorn necklace, Persephone instinctively reached out to stroke a rather thorny plant which nestled on a table just adjacent to her sofa. Another great idea. Not one that she intended to steal, of course, but it was still a drop of inspiration.

“Woah,” was all her stoned mind could provide as she gawked at the horror medley covering Adri’s back. Her eyes were wide – a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and detail of it. She was definitely admiring it, but she also knew that she herself wasn’t ready to commit to such a huge design. She was still staring a little as Adri suddenly jumped up and headed for her kitchen area, beginning to rummage through various drawers.

Sharpie acquired, Persephone looked down at her own body. The pen was poised in Adri’s hand, ready for Persephone to take it and create art on her skin. She liked the idea of having something to cover up.

“Maybe here,” she said, twisting and pressing her palm against the small of her back – off to one side just above her waistband. “Or even lower, so it’s rarely seen,” she added, not quite brave enough to trail her hand down to demonstrate where she meant. “A spade! Made out of like… vines, or branches, or something… You know?”

It was an awkward angle to draw on herself. She waited patiently to see if Adri would offer to do the honours herself.

“I’m not wound up!” she protested. Realising the irony, she giggled suddenly at herself. “I’m not,” she affirmed – more relaxed this time.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 482

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Tattoos were something that got Adrijana genuinely excited. She loved body art, loved talking about it, showing hers off, and especially loved helping other people pick out new designs. The fact that it would be Persephone's first only made it more exciting. She was fully vested in tattoo talk now, barely paying attention to what was on the television screen. When Seph pointed out the spot on her back she might want a tattoo, Adri nodded enthusiastically. “That's perfect! A lot of people start with one on the bicep or forearm but I don't think that's you at all. Hmm, vine or branches? So what if we did something like..”

She uncapped the marker and began drawing on Persephone's skin, brow furrowed in concentration. Years of experimenting in tattoos had made Adri a respectable artist. After a few minutes she examined her work with a critical eye. “Not bad, could use a little more flair maybe...” Her eyes lit up. “Wait! I've got it!” and without asking for permission she grabbed at the button on Persephone's jeans. A moment later they were down and Adri was drawing on Persephone's buttock. “Hold still, this is great.” The marker flew furiously over Persephone's skin. “Yessss.” She finished the roots, added the A's and the smaller spade symbols (thinking to herself that A could stand for Adrijana) and drew a rectangle around the whole design, marking it as a card. Done, she sat back and admired her work. “Oh my god, you've got to get that,” she said. “It's perfect.”

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone was positively buoyant at Adrijana’s praise, stretching out her arms and surveying them as if to further affirm the Heiress’ assessment. She was in casual wear right not, but Persephone frequently wore slightly more elegant clothing now as befitting of a Duchess. Even the most beautiful and subtle of designs seemed too permanent an interference with her image. Commitment had never exactly been one of Persephone’s strongest points.

The marker tickled against Persephone’s skin but she did her best to hold still as Adri traced a design on her back. It took a few minutes – but Adri finished sooner than she expected. She commented briefly on her own design and then suddenly her arm wrapped around the front of Persephone’s jeans. Persephone couldn’t hold still this time, jumping in surprise as Adri’s fingers unhooked the button with a rather expert grab and twist.

Before the protest could really formulate in Persephone’s mind, Adri had pulled Persephone’s jeans down and the tip of the sharpie was dancing once more across Persephone’s skin. Dumbstruck, Persephone held still as Adrijana had commanded.

Once Adri had sat back, Persephone twisted and craned her neck in an attempt to join in admiring the artwork that had been rather unexpectedly illustrated upon her backside. She dug into her pocket for her phone – waistband still hovering at her mid-thigh – and quickly pulled up the front-facing camera to take a look.

She saw the initial design first, which was definitely pretty, but she gave a small surprised gasp as the second appeared on her phone screen.

“Woah you are… really good at art,” she commented, snapping a picture that was just close enough to gather the detail without giving any hints as to the tattoo’s location. “You really think I should get it there?” she asked.

She was just bringing her phone back around to inspect the design more closely when there was a knock at the door and a rather jarring yell of “PIZZA!” from the delivery boy on the other side.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 336

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Adri quite liked the way her relationship with Persephone Sas shaping up. It was clear that the other woman was desperate for approval, and willing to do almost anything to secure it. As long as Adri kept praising her, it looked as though the other girl would let her do just about anything she wanted.

Not bad at all.

"I know," said Adri when Persephone complimented Adri's art skills. "I've spent a long time walking around with stuff sharpied on my skin. Give it a little bit, see how you feel."

"Why not?" she said when Persephone asked about the location, giving Persephone's rear an affectionate pat. "@ss tattoos are the best! You've got more room than on your arm and they don't hurt as much as the back 'cuz there's better padding." Her eyes gleam, and her voice lowered a notch. "Plus they drive guys wild in bed."

She'd kept her hand resting on Persephone's bottom, a subtle gesture to prevent Persephone from replacing her pants while Adri was talking. A power play, really. But the knock at the door and the call of "Pizza!" made Adri leap to her feet with a cry of excitement. "Pizza!"

She found Persephone's purse on a side table, opened it and pulled out some bills. Somewhere on her way to the door she realized that Persephone's rear would be visible by whoever was standing at the door. Somewhere further on she decided she didn't care. She threw open the door.

"Hey!"

"Oh, Adrijana," said the pizza guy, a pimpled youth with unruly brown hair. "Didn't expect you here."

"Hey, Chip!" Adri grinned and flicked him the bills. "Just hanging out. How's life?"

There was an awkward second as Chip passed the pizza. "Uh, fine I guess." Chip's eyes drifted over the room, pausing just for a moment on one particular spot. "Uh, new girlfriend?"

"Just having some fun," said Adri sweetly, closing the door a bit and moving her body to cut off his view. "Anything else?"

Hesitation, then a look of resignation. "No. Have a good night."

"See ya, Chip!" said Adri, closing the door. As she came back to Persephone, Adri was laughing. "I flirt with him sometimes," she said as she dropped back on the couch. "He's one of those nerds who can't get a date to save his life, and I'm a crazy tattooed chick who plays video games. I couldn't match his fantasies better if he wished me out of a genie bottle. He's crushing on me so hard. I keep pushing him to see if he'll ever try to ask me out, but so far he's too chicken." Her smile turned taunting. "Bet he thinks of me when he's alone, though."

She tapped the pizza. "Come on, dig in."

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

to have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone nodded at Adri’s advice. “Aren’t you tempted to add any more to your collection?” she asked innocently. Adrijana already had quite the display of tattoos all across her body but after witnessing her enthusiasm Persephone certainly wouldn’t rule out the other woman expressing further interest in body art.

If Persephone had been uncomfortable before when Adri first pulled down her jeans, that was nothing compared to the hand at her backside. It rested there as she spoke. On the one hand, Persephone was definitely feeling convinced about the tattoo’s location. On the other, it was getting quite impossible to hold back the tension in her body. She desperately wanted to impress Yennefer’s sister, after all.

All her effort was going into keeping relaxed – an effort helped significantly by the THC in her system – and as such she failed to suppress an eye roll at the idea of driving a guy wild in bed. “Simple minds, simple tastes?” she suggested with a wry smile.

The sudden yell from the delivery boy startled her and she dropped her phone onto the sofa, watching as it bounced onto the floor. She scrambled to pick it up while Adri bounced her way to the door. Adrijana was quicker than she expected and Persephone was quite literally caught with her trousers down as the door opened.

She froze for a moment before slowly pulling her jeans back up into place while she watched the exchange take place with this ‘Chip’. Adri clearly ordered more than her fair share of pizzas.

“You’re cruel,” Persephone said, her tone full of admiration. “That guy was totally crashing and burning. What’ll you do if he ever works up the courage?”

Adri was evidently a master of controlling others, similarly but oh-so-differently to her older sister. The two must make an odd yet formidable pair.

At Adri’s instruction, Persephone reached for her first slice of pizza and settled back onto the sofa, finally remembering that Sailor Moon was still running in the background. She waved a hand towards it, “What’s going on in this show anyway?”

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 347

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Once the pizza had arrived, Adri chewed on her slice as she considered Persephone's question if Chip ever got up his courage. "I don't know," she said. "He'd probably be crap in bed; his kind usually are. I might give it a go just for the fun of it and dump him after." She laughed. "See, that kind is desperate for any kind of affection, so if you give 'em even the tiniest bit they'll make themselves your slave. And then, if you get tired of them, the expression on their faces when you tell them you're done!" She laughed again. "I think way too many ladies make the mistake of trying to go after the best guys. But those guys, they know they can go somewhere else, so you have to perform to keep them. Take a pathetic guy, though, and he knows you're all he's gonna get, so he'll do anything to keep you. Just gotta make sure he remembers how pathetic he is. Hey, you got any beer?"

Whatever other thoughts Adri had were distracted when Persephone asked about Sailor Moon. A light of excitement came into her eyes right away. "It's about this girl who finds out she's the reincarnation of a moon warrior and has to battle all these enemies to defend Earth and oh my god it's so cute I can't stand it. And it's got lesbians! Neptune and Uranus!" Her eyes were sparkling and she sighed. "I love it so much."

Somewhere in Adri's mind a small warning light had come on. When asserting dominance over a person, it was important to flout your superiority over them, so they knew they were pathetic and needed you, but you also needed to praise them regularly, so they felt affirmed and wanted to be around you. Cycles of deprecation and praise; that was the key. And Adri's senses were telling her it was time for some praising. Glancing at Persephone, she said, "You're pretty cool. No wonder Yennefer likes you."

Persephone Dean