Magdalene Grace Garcia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
talesuntold) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
triangularity2016-03-08 04:58 pm
talesuntold) wrote in triangularity2016-03-08 04:58 pm
for Jairo
Maggie heard the station for the first time the day after Buffy died. A sudden friendly voice in the middle of all her supposedly talk-free satellite radio. Maggie could have been annoyed, but that day, it was just what she needed.
She didn't have the luxury of indulging her grief for long, however broken up she was over it. The news doesn't wait. Maggie might run the fiction and poetry division of After the End Times rather than factual reporting, but she's still a journalist. Buffy left big shoes to fill, when Maggie took over her department.
Since that day she's been a regular listener, and she's even gotten to know the DJ a bit.
Tonight is one of her storytelling nights. Maggie settles into the comfy chair in her office with a cup of tea and a laptop. Softly, she orders, "House, turn on the radio."
She doesn't specify a station, just waits. And sure enough, there's no need to scan through looking for something in particular. Jairo's voice is loud and clear, warming her up just as much as the tea she's drinking. An excellent way to spend the evening. After one more sip, Maggie sets down her mug and begins to type.
Hello, my dears!
You're in for a treat tonight. I'll be opening the floor to requests. Is there a story you've been itching to hear? A scene you wish I'd included in one of my ongoing serials? A feeling you need echoed in poetry or prose? I'm here to oblige. I'll fill in any gaps in the stream of inspiration with whatever comes to mind.
I have music playing, tea steeping, and all the time in the world. Or at least, as much time as any of us are guaranteed in these crazy times. Stick around. Let's create something together.
After all, where would all these stories be without someone to read them?
She didn't have the luxury of indulging her grief for long, however broken up she was over it. The news doesn't wait. Maggie might run the fiction and poetry division of After the End Times rather than factual reporting, but she's still a journalist. Buffy left big shoes to fill, when Maggie took over her department.
Since that day she's been a regular listener, and she's even gotten to know the DJ a bit.
Tonight is one of her storytelling nights. Maggie settles into the comfy chair in her office with a cup of tea and a laptop. Softly, she orders, "House, turn on the radio."
She doesn't specify a station, just waits. And sure enough, there's no need to scan through looking for something in particular. Jairo's voice is loud and clear, warming her up just as much as the tea she's drinking. An excellent way to spend the evening. After one more sip, Maggie sets down her mug and begins to type.
Hello, my dears!
You're in for a treat tonight. I'll be opening the floor to requests. Is there a story you've been itching to hear? A scene you wish I'd included in one of my ongoing serials? A feeling you need echoed in poetry or prose? I'm here to oblige. I'll fill in any gaps in the stream of inspiration with whatever comes to mind.
I have music playing, tea steeping, and all the time in the world. Or at least, as much time as any of us are guaranteed in these crazy times. Stick around. Let's create something together.
After all, where would all these stories be without someone to read them?
no subject
It's an anonymous comment, sure, but it's with Jai's usual quick spelling and everything that comes with it. Probably because he's back trying to figure out a medley. The perfect one--one for true love and all of that sappy stuff.
He resists the urge to play the Monster Mash just because of Frankenstein.
miss moon
i think your still holding out
can i ask another question for a story of yours???
--u kno who
no subject
She flirts with almost everyone, a little, when she's on live chats for movie critiques or story nights, but she'll have to find something special to do for Jai later.
I did say the floor was open for requests. You might need to let someone else slide one in edgewise eventually, but for now, darling, I'm all yours. Are you sticking with your original question, or did you have another in mind?
no subject
[ Jai has never, ever stopped flirting with her. He's positive. He flirts with everyone, sure, but he gets tired of it once and a while. With Maggie, it's the opposite. He could do it all day--and has, on more than one occasion.
Flirting like this is easier than meeting in person, after all. ]
another
i liked the whole book thing it was ace ese
classy classy mcclassy
y dont u tell ur audience about whats most important to you? Trait wise
i'm curioussssss
-u no who
no subject
Maggie wouldn't object to meeting Jai in person. He would fall under the standing-invitation umbrella that covers most of the people she likes. Her doors are always open to friends, and to... well, maybe a bit more than that, however hesitant she's been to let anybody else in since Buffy's death. Flirting this way has been only a little easier than in person. Words have always been one of Maggie's priorities, at least as important as any other interaction.
She only considers for a moment before answering.
Sincerity and a willingness to judge people on their own merits. It's no secret who my parents are. I could have grown up spoiled. I could have gone without working a day in my life, or into the family business where my place would be bought by my last name rather than my work. It's important to me that everyone in my life cares about me, rather than my parents' name or the number of digits in their bank accounts. I've been fortunate in my work and my relationships, and I know from experience just how much that's worth.
There are some things money can never buy.
no subject
when u talk like that it makes me fall in love wit u even more
Maybe it's too much. It's probably too much, but Jai likes taking that leap. He's always been full of big sweeping gestures and can never quite shut up. Why would this be different?
It's time.
not in like
a creepy way
like im not gonna breath on ur bathroom mirror
fog it up
thats weird
Nope, it isn't time. Guess who's getting cold feet?
no subject
Of course, that reaction gives way to rueful laughter as Jairo awkwardly gives both of them an out.
If you were a stranger, sure. You have an open invitation here, J. Do try to resist the urge to breathe on my mirror though. I hate when it gets streaky.
no subject
hella ugly
i could have like polyps
polyps is that the weird thing on ur face
fuckin
cysts
elephant man shit
fuck i fucked this up im supposed to b swarthy im just listin gross stuff
no subject
Maggie suspects from the lack of interruption that her usual readers are enjoying this exchange as much as they would any stories they would have requested. Movie night may see slightly higher attendance than usual this month, too, if he agrees to come. Typically she only broadcasts the parts of her personal life that don't affect other people, scrupulously careful about only thrusting people into the public eye if they're willing. Jairo started this, though.
She listens for his next song choice on the radio as much as waits for his next typed response on her screen.
no subject
He has an awful lot of confidence on air, and maybe even more of that typing as quickly as his slender fingers can let him, but in person? Not so much. It kind of just withers away like leaves in the fall.
im not scaring u off
im preparing u for sheer disappointment
that way when i walk in ur gonna be like
amazed
'wow whos that guy hes like ripped look at those muscles'
full disclosure i have exactly 0 percent muscle
no subject
Let's get back to the purpose of the evening, shall we? Though I'm sure you're all enjoying yourselves. Anyone is welcome to request a story, either here or by emailing me. My address is listed at the bottom of the page, and I'd love to hear from everyone. After all, the stories you want to hear are the ones I want to tell.
It's a good thing Maggie never gets overwhelmed even when she has to skim hundreds of emails. Her work email is publicly listed. Since Buffy's death, she's been running a third of a major news site. She hopes for an email from Jairo, but she'll be happy even if she gets twenty other emails to sort through.
lmk if thats ok
Probably because he is. A lot.
"I'm gonna run the next block by my bro Shug, he's gonna do me a solid 'cause, my dear lovely listeners, your main man Jai is gonna do the unthinkable. Straight. Up. Unthinkable. So I want y'all to settle in and send a little love my way while Shug keeps the list of songs I've got. Y'all know what I'm gonna do? I'm going to go say hi to the girl I've been crushing on for the better part of the year. Lay some love on me, I'm gonna dedicate this song to her before I lose my nerve."
It's not a movie night. It's probably a little creepy, but he's normally too socially inept as he locks himself in his recording studio. There's a brief pause.
"Hey, yo, honestly, just don't answer the door when I knock, save us both the trouble of havin' to reject me."
And, after that, his song of choice begins to play.
This idea is very, very, very fucking stupid. Good thing that's never stopped Jai.
no subject
For once she doesn't have houseguests, which is a very good thing if Jairo is planning a big romantic gesture.
"House, call Officer Weinstein. ...Alex, I have a houseguest on his way later tonight. His name is Jairo. Not on the returning guests list, but minimal security, please?" She can hear in his answer that Alex noticed the nervous excitement in her voice and is deliberately refraining from teasing her about it. He doesn't bother to hide his amusement when he promises to let Jairo through the gates without stopping him for anything more than the automated security measures any building has these days. ...She always did like Alex. "Thank you."
That leaves work. A message to one of her writers in case the forum goes crazy while it's her turn to watch it, and a message to the audience she promised to spend the night with.
Alright, my darlings, I know I promised you my whole night, but something exciting and unforeseeable has come up. I promise to come out of the evening with a fresh dose of inspiration, and the first ten prompts in my inbox will receive published responses on my blog. Sweet dreams, and I'll write you a love story tomorrow.
...Which leaves Maggie with nothing to do with her sudden nervous energy. She didn't think she could focus enough to write anything for immediate publication tonight; anything she writes now will need an edit first. Cooking. Cooking is calming, and comes with the added bonus of being able to feed Jairo later.
By the time he gets there the kitchen smells like chicken pot pie and chocolate. The house alerts Maggie when Jairo passes through the gates, and she's already standing silhouetted in the open doorway with light spilling out behind her as he comes to a stop. Yeah, that part about not answering the door? Clearly not happening.
And hopefully whatever gesture he has planned can survive the onslaught of a small sea of dogs, because Maggie's two dozen rescued miniature bulldogs have just streamed out the door toward the newcomer. Maggie laughs and calls, "Down!" before following them down the front steps. They'll refrain from jumping on Jairo, at least.
no subject
Holy shit, he really is nervous.
He makes his way, looking at the size of the place because damn, this isn't pirate radio, and it shows. Holy shit. This is Maggie's place, these are Maggie's things and he hates that it's been a year, almost, of him endlessly gushing about the pretty girl on the website.
What if he really is unattractive to her? He's never had any problems before but he doesn't exactly get out much in the first place. What if it's just his voice that's better than anything? What if he's too gangly and his hair is too long and his face is too puffy?
He smells chocolate and home cooking and to Jai, who lives on a steady diet of fast food and ramen, it smells pretty amazing. More than amazing--but he's distracted even from that, because Maggie is there, silhouetted like a fucking disney princess, and Jai is weak in the knees. This is it. This is happening. This is--
--this is a sea of dogs. "Holy--" he can't finish it because Maggie is laughing and it sounds like silver bells in the air and Jai is stunned enough to sort of let himself be guided into stooping down to pet one or two or six of the dogs. Holy shit.
"You have so many!" His nervousness is forgotten. He's laughing, smile bright.
no subject
Fortunately the dogs are good at getting out from underfoot, because the sea of them parts around her as she closes the distance between her and Jairo without slowing down at all. His face absolutely lights up when he smiles, she notes with a rush of affection. Lying to herself about how she feels definitely isn't going to be possible.
"It looks like a lot more when I don't just have a few of them on video at a time," she admits, grinning. Maggie always records her first meetings with new additions to her pack of mini bulldogs, and the she's pretty openly vocal about reading breed specifications before buying purebreds. All two dozen dogs are epileptic rescues. Still, two dozen are a lot all at once.
But by this point she's gotten to Jai, and her arms are around him as soon as he's in reach. She's just going to cling for a minute, appreciating how real and solid and here he is. "I'm so glad you came, Jairo," Maggie murmurs against the side of his neck.
Then she pulls back just enough to get another good look at him for a second before crushing her lips to his.
no subject
Oh, wow. Maggie is hugging him, and he feels more than hot--he feels giddy and stupid and in love all at once, because this is the woman on the webcam, the beautiful girl with a mind to match, and Jai finds himself not regretting a goddamn thing. Not about this. especially not about this.
"Oh, me, too," he agrees. "I was going to chicken out, but I--"
He doesn't finish his sentence. HE doesn't because Maggie is kissing him, eager and stunning and she kisses as good as she looks, so much so it knocks the wind out of Jai. He can't believe he's actually here. That this is real.
Maybe he'll wake up tomorrow and it really will be a dream; Maggie and her stories and her army of pugs or bulldogs or shitzus or whatever they are. But for now, it's not, so he brings one hand to the side of her face, cupping it, and his thumb moves along her jawline as he kisses her right back. His other hand moves to the small of her back, gently pressing her closer.
It's one hell of a nice dream if it is one, at least.
no subject
Maggie stopped hesitating the second his announcement tipped her over the edge. Jairo said how he felt, got in his car, and drove. Maggie got over her fears and her waiting. She works in words. Of course she can fall in love from a distance, but oh, is it nice to have a real, solid person here, in her arms, kissing her, pulling her closer. She obliges with another half step forward, her arms tightening around him.
Jai isn't the only person half-wondering if this is real. Calmer, lazier kisses are definitely on her agenda later, but this one has enough urgency in it that it's almost as if she's afraid he'll vanish.
She breaks the kiss just enough to rest her forehead against Jai's, her breath still brushing his lips when she speaks. "Thank you for being braver than I was. I needed that."