but yeah, this definitely works. he's okay with this. it's a little awkward, and he's carefully scooting his coffee cup out of the way, but he's also kissing back immediately and without complaint.]
[does this work for a post-confessing ritual?? . . . does it really count as confessing when they both sort of already knew thanks to the buddy bond? eh. semantics]
[either way, Mars lingers for a little bit, fingertips trailing across Lily's cheeks. . . and then he eventually pulls back and plops back into his chair, head bowed as he reaches for his mug of coffee again]
[he'll probably bring that up sometime that is Not Now tbh because Mars. pls. consider your health...
he tilts his head curiously when Mars first begins to speak, wrapping his fingers around the coffee cup to appreciate the sting of heat as he listens. he takes a moment to consider the question before answering, humming thoughtfully.]
I kissed him in the mistletoe game, and it was fun, so I probably would've. I don't feel as strongly for anyone else as I do for you, but..
[hm. he'll be nice and honest, since he knows Mars likes Joker too anyways.]
I think I'm at least a little interested? Especially after the whole heart experience, but not because of the asking to kiss me thing. I saw a bunch of his memories, felt a lot of his feelings, got to talk to different pieces of him... I like his inner strength and conviction. He's the type of person that, when it comes down to keeping himself safe or helping someone in need, he'd choose the latter. Every time. I admire that quality in him.
You don't have to worry about it, though. I'm pretty sure it was just a situation where he would've hit on anyone, and I'm not going to attempt to pursue anything with anyone if we're together.
[. . . Joker is. . . a pretty good guy, after all. there's a reason Mars also has the dokis]
[and he really doesn't think Lily would pursue anything with anyone else after this conversation, so. . .! maybe in the future, if Mars figures things out, but. . .]
[and he's unsure, even if they're dating now and he trusts Mars not to run around spilling his business to everyone, if he should mention some of the things at all? certain stuff, like what he saw in the Lovers room... he should probably keep to himself.]
I guess, first... I saw a bunch of memories of his past.
[Lily can't be blamed for wanting to keep some details to himself, for the sake of Joker's privacy. Mars kind of assumes he'll be doing that anyway, even as he listens to what Lily has to say with a slow nod]
Like. . . the ones that get broadcast on television?
I felt what he felt when he was beaten up by the police, drugged, and interrogated... that was one of the worst parts.
[pause.]
I also witnessed the event of him summoning the demon -- the deal he made, everything... and encountered the part of him that represented that brainwashed version of himself. I thought I might be able to get through to that part of him, but I failed.
[he actually looks kind of bummed about it??]
I had promised one part of himself, his Persona that was all chained up, that I'd do my best to help him work on overcoming the things that have been weighing on him... but I don't think I managed to accomplish much.
[Mars slumps a little in his seat, fingers dancing across the edges of his mug]
We were supposed to bring Shadows to those guillotines, and fuse them with the chained up Persona-- Arsene.
Joker's a mess because he's torn into pieces, you know? I think. . . if we had managed to bring all of those pieces together, he would've been able to accept himself better.
[a pause]
But helping him in his heart isn't the only way to help him, you know?
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[with a huff, Mars just reaches over the table, grabs Lily by his scarf and/or shirt collar, and drags him forward for a kiss. an over-the-table kiss]
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but yeah, this definitely works. he's okay with this. it's a little awkward, and he's carefully scooting his coffee cup out of the way, but he's also kissing back immediately and without complaint.]
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[either way, Mars lingers for a little bit, fingertips trailing across Lily's cheeks. . . and then he eventually pulls back and plops back into his chair, head bowed as he reaches for his mug of coffee again]
Does that work?
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[you kiss fiend, you...
settles back into his own seat, taking a sip of coffee to clear the nicotine taste that lingered a little more bitterly than usual]
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Before we move on, I did want to ask you something else.
[ah?]
. . . if it hadn't been for me, would you have kissed Joker? His. . . heart construct? I mean--
[GESTURES VAGUELY]
Do you like him, too?
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he tilts his head curiously when Mars first begins to speak, wrapping his fingers around the coffee cup to appreciate the sting of heat as he listens. he takes a moment to consider the question before answering, humming thoughtfully.]
I kissed him in the mistletoe game, and it was fun, so I probably would've. I don't feel as strongly for anyone else as I do for you, but..
[hm. he'll be nice and honest, since he knows Mars likes Joker too anyways.]
I think I'm at least a little interested? Especially after the whole heart experience, but not because of the asking to kiss me thing. I saw a bunch of his memories, felt a lot of his feelings, got to talk to different pieces of him... I like his inner strength and conviction. He's the type of person that, when it comes down to keeping himself safe or helping someone in need, he'd choose the latter. Every time. I admire that quality in him.
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. . . he's--
[a pause]
He's something.
[HE'S SOMETHING]
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I'm perfectly content with how things are.
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[. . . Joker is. . . a pretty good guy, after all. there's a reason Mars also has the dokis]
[and he really doesn't think Lily would pursue anything with anyone else after this conversation, so. . .! maybe in the future, if Mars figures things out, but. . .]
I'm really not.
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Good.
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. . . did you wanna talk more about what happened in Joker's Palace?
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[and he's unsure, even if they're dating now and he trusts Mars not to run around spilling his business to everyone, if he should mention some of the things at all? certain stuff, like what he saw in the Lovers room... he should probably keep to himself.]
I guess, first... I saw a bunch of memories of his past.
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Like. . . the ones that get broadcast on television?
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Though, I had some that were of his time here, too.
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Invasion of privacy. . .
[he mutters to himself]
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[pause.]
I also witnessed the event of him summoning the demon -- the deal he made, everything... and encountered the part of him that represented that brainwashed version of himself. I thought I might be able to get through to that part of him, but I failed.
[he actually looks kind of bummed about it??]
I had promised one part of himself, his Persona that was all chained up, that I'd do my best to help him work on overcoming the things that have been weighing on him... but I don't think I managed to accomplish much.
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[Mars slumps a little in his seat, fingers dancing across the edges of his mug]
We were supposed to bring Shadows to those guillotines, and fuse them with the chained up Persona-- Arsene.
Joker's a mess because he's torn into pieces, you know? I think. . . if we had managed to bring all of those pieces together, he would've been able to accept himself better.
[a pause]
But helping him in his heart isn't the only way to help him, you know?