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"No, I'll do it."

She doesn't want him running off to someone else who might not be as careful with him. There are a lot of messed up people in Hell, and he trusts her. She doesn't want to abuse that trust.

She's just not as gung-ho as she was before. Probably because she used to be one of those people who took advantage of him.

"Do you want to do it here?" She glances over at the minions. Maybe not the best idea.

He has no idea, not having seen the event as being taken advantage of. Setsuna would insist he went in willingly, and he doesn't regret it.

"Well," his eyes follow hers to the minions, "not in front of those guys. And the suite I share with my husband isn't much better."

He swallows. "I mean, there's always getting a room at the club."

"I've never actually done that."

Gotten a room at the club. When her mom was around, it probably wasn't a good idea for her to get caught at a sex club, though she did wander in on occasion.

"Some friends of mine did, though. After they got married when everyone was high on euphoria."

He looks down, smile wide with nerves.

"I've done it a couple of times. So I can set it up." Setsuna eyes flicker back up.

"Married. Must've been pretty happy. I mean, that was kinda the idea of euphoria, I guess."

"Oh, yeah. But they're grossly happy, even outside of euphoria induced hazes." Landon and Hope are complicated and messy, but they love each other and they make each other happy. Josie is grateful for it, hoping that maybe it's possible for her one day.

To find the partner who would love her enough to fight for her. Who would love her enough to stay, no matter how bad it got.

"They're kind of meant to be."

Setsuna smiles a little to that. No matter how he acts, he's a bit of a romantic, and it warms him to think there were other people that managed to make something good out of Hell. To love each other to that extent, it was extraordinary.

"Then I'm happy for them." A pause.

"What about you? I'm guessing you're at least not in any serious relationship since we do this." Wait. What if she was? Yeah, he should have asked that question sooner, but like usual, Setsuna just didn't consider it.

"Oh, no."

She shakes her head as she goes to move to the door so they can head down to the club. It's not that Josie doesn't like relationships, necessarily, they just don't seem to like her.

"Not right now, anyway."

"Just not into anyone right now? You're so cute, I can't imagine no one's into you," he muses out loud, forever inconsiderate.

"I guess there's not a lot of people our age in Hell, though, huh? They're mostly adults." That might also be part of the problem. "But age is kinda a stupid reason not to be with someone if you know what you really want."

"Oh, my mom married someone one hundred and forty five years older than her. I'm not worried about the age thing so much." It's more that she's not met anyone she had a real spark with. Not since Landon, and well. Landon didn't end that well.

"But I'm not worried about my love life so much. I think I just needed some time to work on me."

"What? How was he that much older?" Setsuna asks, eyes wide. "But yeah, after that, I guess a few years older is no big deal."

He worries his bottom lip for a little bit.

"Sometimes we all gotta do that, I guess. As long as you're happy, that's the more important thing."

"It's ... a really long story. Maybe I'll tell you on the way down."

She takes a breath as she considers. She wouldn't say she's happy necessarily. But she is getting there. She's finding her way, and that's the important thing.

"I think I'm getting there."

"Tell me," Setsuna prods, but he smiles after. He isn't going to push her if Josie doesn't want to delve into it.

"Getting there is good enough. Means you gotta be doing something right, right?"

"I hope so."

She would like to do better. She would like to feel better. And hopefully one day she'll get there.

"But anyway. My mom and Stefan ..."

And as they venture down to the club, she'll spin the short lived love story of Caroline Forbes and Stefan Salvatore, and take a little more time to bond before Josie disappears from Hell.

penance } { ic inbox

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we can probably handwave the scene itself since we already know how that goes?

yes, that works! if you want to cap on your tag, we can wrap this up.

It's okay if it goes a little longer, but figure we're about done, yeah

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