Beach Therapy (for CyanDimitrik)

[Dubski]

Lilly could tell that her words had really hurt Blaise after the fact, and she found her smile fading as a result. When he went to leave, she started to feel guilty. The blond woman sat up in her chair and reached out to grab Blaise's arm. "Hey, wait... Listen, I'm sorry." She said the words with the utmost sincerity.

"I'm a psychiatrist. When I'm not working, it's hard to turn off the work for me. I just like the study human behavior and reasoning, even... if it frankly sucks." She offered a hopeful smile to him. "You didn't disturb me. This is just... me. I said I don't judge and I mean it. There's nothing wrong with having faults and being human--goodness knows I have mine. I just got into an observation rant to some poor guy who stumbled over me. I usually save that for my friends about other people and they usually have the politeness to tell me to just shut up already. I have four beach towels here with me. Four! Why would I ever need four beach towels?"

She laughed awkwardly to herself and then cleared her throat. "So what I'm trying to say is... you're not a bad person. In fact, I think you're a good person with rather pure intentions. I'll spare you the ninety second speech on that, although maybe you would prefer it after I just... barraged you." The Not-So-Fabulous-Right-Now Doctor gave his arm a light squeeze and shrugged her shoulders, offering the most frank smile she could muster in response for her ill attitude. She never wanted anyone to let anyone leave unhappy, and being outside of her office where she was always much more gentle with people she was in care for. So at the very least, she wanted Blaise to go away not feeling bad.

[CyanDimitrik]

Blaise's arm is taken, and his heart sinks. It has to continue, doesn't it? Crap. Blaise takes a breath and exhales it in a brief sigh, but he turns to face her again, giving her a chance to explain away what she'd said. To her credit, her tone seems to've shifted completely. That's a foot in the door that was just shut.

No matter how many times she repeats 'no judgment', the assessment she seems to be standing by continues to reek of it and sting. And her conclusion that he's a good guy with pure intentions, weighed against that tirade, doesn't ring so sincere. It's frustrating, but he'll make an effort to communicate. He doesn't bear her ill will, but this just feels like twisting the knife.

"Does it matter that you're, like, wrong about every one of those things you said? Or that ya basically jumped to every conclusion?," he asks, tone a bit flatter than it was before. "According to you, I'm a shallow pervert. So how do you figure my intentions are pure?" His head cants to her, small frown on his face as he studies her. "I'm not a shallow perv', for the record. I mean, yeah, I thought you were hot, and I'm not one of those pick-up artist types, but come on. Are you that hard on every guy who talks to ya?"

"I don't care if you speak your mind, that doesn't bug me. But saying I'm that kind'a guy after talking to me for less than five minutes, just because I'm into ya, ain't cool. At the same time, I'm not into making you feel objectified or whatever. So.. chalk it up to a misfire. Clean break." Blaise makes a little chop-motion with his hand. "No hard feelings."

[Dubski]

Lilly listened thoughtfully, nodding as Blaise spoke. She understood where he was coming from, certainly, and she wasn't the best at explaining things in a way that made sense to everyone's mind but her own. It was one of her major faults when it came to this sort of thing. "I understand, Blaise. But having a degree of shallowness is perfectly acceptable and doesn't make you a bad person. We are all shallow in our own ways. I don't even think you're a pervert either. Just because I could tell you were looking at my body doesn't make you bad. We're wired to be drawn towards attractiveness, if you can excuse me for sounding vain for a second. I'm not even excluded in this. And I'm sorry again for being... thoughtless. But you apologized first and foremost after you tripped over me. And then you were very polite as well, and even ignored when that man called you a dork rather than retaliate. You have a lot of good qualities... and that's just only two that I've mentioned."

An idea then struck Doctor Fabulous and she grabbed his hand and sat down. "Okay, okay. Now humor me for a second." She crossed her legs off the edge of the chair and smiled at Blaise, hoping maybe getting him involved in a more positive conversation would cheer his spirits a bit. "You thought I was hot, right? And then I spoke. But what if you liked outspoken women? Would you still think I were hot in that case? And then what if I was a perfect lady to you, and had everything you wanted in a personality, but I were two hundred pounds heavier. Would I still be hot to you?" She continued to smile, looking absolutely delighted to be throwing out this scenario. "There's nothing wrong with admitting any of these things, or being attracted to any of them and looking at them in different ways. But I'm sure you would treat any and all ladies with the same kind of respect, because that's the sort of person you are, Blaise."

The psychiatrist then had a more playful look in her eyes as she looked up at him and leaned in a bit closer. "Would you like to learn something about my tastes?" She was hoping he would bite. If not to continue easing the awkwardness, but to provide a more interesting and light-hearted take on her psychological theories.

[CyanDimitrik]

She's persistent!

Blaise's frown starts to ease, and he finally relents. Maybe she just didn't know how it came across? Or-.. he realizes it doesn't matter. She's making an effort to correct things, and that speaks to her character. And she's going well out of her way to be complimentary. Who's he kidding? He can't be salty at anyone for long under normal circumstances, much less when they're making an effort.

A small, tentative smile peeks out.

She mentioned her body again, and his bright blues dip yet again in knee-jerk evaluation. She does have a really good body. But his focus is pulled when she takes his hand and sits. He breezily follows suit, sitting beside the bikini'd girl. Without much room to speak of on the lawn chair, they rest shoulder to shoulder, his hand still her captive.

"Hot's more a physical thing," Blaise submits. And then the spigot is off. "Outspoken, quiet, modest, extravagant - doesn't matter. I mean, attitude does matter when it comes to being more attracted to someone, right? And the world's way too populated to get hung up on one single type. I could like a quiet, reserved girl. I could like an awkward, babbly chick. Intelligent, snarky, warm, caring.. it just depends on how things stack up!" There's a reflective beat. How things 'stack up'. Oi. "Okay, I could'a worded that better, but you get what I'm saying, right? I mean, I do have a physical type. Athletic, slim, heck, even skinny. Heavier chicks... I don't think they could really keep up with me. I'm too active. I like running, dancing, wrestling, working out-" He pauses. "I'm not a jock, though. I don't think I am, anyway. But you'd kind'a be my type. Hot body, beautiful eyes, startin' to win me back over with the kindness." He leans into her to nudge his shoulder more into hers playfully.

At last, Blaise realizes he's been rambling. He nips onto his bottom lip and ducks his head slightly. "Way more than you asked. Sorry." At the invitation, his head tilts in an effort to better even his eyes on hers. "Definitely." Bite taken.

[Dubski]

Lilly looks genuinely impressed, nodding in understanding with Blaise. He knew a thing or two, and he could have a far more engaging conversation if pushed in that direction. In fact, he had quite a heart on him and knew himself rather well. She offered a glimpse of skepticism when the young man was talking about how she could be his type, but nonetheless smiles when he nudges her. "You understand. And you have quite a good understanding of what I'm talking about. And don't apologize for too much--too much is far better than too little!"

Doc Fab grins now, wiggling in her seat a bit to debate whether or not to actually say it, but ultimately does. "I don't find any attraction in redheads. Any redhead I have attempted to date or everyone says is cute... I just can't see it. I can understand why people would find it attractive, but my mind just can't convince myself to find them just as attractive. I have friends who are redheads too, which is the worst part! I would never tell them that though, so it would have to be our secret." With her free hand, the blond woman picked up her margarita again and sipped it, wiggling her eyebrows in a playful manner before smiling again. "Do you have preferences like that?"

[CyanDimitrik]

That skeptic look was noted! It earned an additional little nudge of his shoulder to hers.

"Well, gingers are soulless," quips Blaise. Even though one of his best frienemies is a redhead; frigging Erin. She's fair game for teasing, though. He, however, gives Lilly a coy smile. "Our secret. But what do you think about guys with brown hair, kind'a bordering on blond?" There's another little nudge of his shoulder against hers.

The eyes break from hers to drift sidelong, lips moue'd in thought. "Mmnh.. honestly? It's so cliche, but blonde hair'n blue eyes are like a weakness. Or a girl who wrestles. Wrestling with a girlfriend would be pretty hot, and I'd be in her corner any time she's in the ring. Unless it was, like, against me. I mean, until afterwards." He clears his throat softly. "If we're talking about absolute turn-offs, though?" He looks aside to her again with a perked eyebrow. "...Bald. No bald chicks."

He lets that hang in the air for a moment before offering a playful grin. "That totally counts, right?"

[Dubski]

The doctor giggled at the soulless ginger line and rolled her eyes playfully. She continued to listen to him and she started to have a flat expression on her face as he described his tastes. He really does seem to be a bit taken, as if the prior hints weren't enough. But still, his one negative preference he had was enough and she let out a short, surprised chortle, looking quite amused. "Well bald chicks are more of a catch-all. I don't think that makes you unique. I'd think it were more unique if you found them more attractive."

Lilly shook her head and looked upward as she pondered his other question though. "Blondish brown hair...? I can't say it does much for me either way, honestly." She knew exactly what he was getting at, but she figured she would answer honestly. "Now why would a wrestling girlfriend of all things be so attractive to you? I feel like I wouldn't want to share my profession with a significant other. It would get too messy." She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

[CyanDimitrik]

The flattening of her expression and the lukewarm response to his joking question was noted and filed. He wouldn't bring particular attention to it, of course, but he's picking up what she appears to be putting down.

"Didn't know I was shooting for unique. If ya want that, you've gotta get to know me more," Blaise notes, no change in his voice from the tentatively upbeat tone he'd allowed back in. "Wrestling, though.. I mean, come on. For a girl to be a wrestler, she's gotta be a fighter. She should have style. Confidence. That right balance of dominant and submissive. Competitive." His shoulders hunch as his head ducks. "I dunno, I think female wrestlers are just really, really attractive."

Which is perhaps a good and bad thing, given the turn of his career into mixed wrestling. Good, because there's no shortage of them. Bad, because it's an uphill battle training himself to not be completely distracted in the ring.

[Dubski]

The psychiatrist sipped on her margarita again as Blaise spoke, taking it in. "I suppose I understand that to an extent. I imagine that it would be difficult. Because in all actuality, you are still competing, often indirectly, as fellow competitors. I suppose resentment could always sit in, as it does sometimes." Lilly Becker smiled and raised her leg, resting her foot up on the edge of the lawn chair and looked thoughtfully. "I've dealt with situations like that before, with patients and personally, and sometimes it's effective and sometimes it's not. A lot of them cite too much time spent together, but the ins and outs of that are something that I'll save you from hearing. But wrestling seems like it would allow for more autonomy for that profession."

Doctor Fabulous then looked very thoughtful all of a sudden. "Now, why would you want a girl with some sort of balance of dominance and submissiveness, exactly? Maybe it's just a somewhat feminist outlook on my part, but I feel as though submissiveness should be a negative trait in the profession. It's a profession meant to attain victory, not receive losses. Most competitive sports are meant for that, right? Enlighten me." She ended it with a point, wanting to learn more about it. Naturally, she was a professional wrestler as well, brand new to the LAW league in Japan, so maybe there was something she was missing from it all. Blaise, at the very least, seemed as though he knew what he was talking about with the world of wrestling.

[CyanDimitrik]

"When you're just out for yourself, totally," says Blaise. "You'd be a rival with basically everyone. But if we're talking about a girlfriend? Someone I care about and wanna see succeed? The only thing I'd care about is that she did her best. And if she beat me, it'll be because she did better than me. And I'd be proud of'er. She'd be a badass. I don't lose to anything less."

His smile shifts into a more boyish flavor once more. "And if she lost to me... well, that's why she should have that bit of submissiveness. A girl who can take a loss without being all mad at me over it, 'cuz I don't cheat. And instead, she'd take it as, like, inspiration to train. Just like I would if she beat me. And in that way, we'd help each other get better. Complementary."

At that point, an eyebrow perks and his voice takes on a playful tone. "Plus, the idea of tagging with a girl I'm dating is romantic. I make, like, no apologies."

It's just that easy to get Blaise relaxed and happy again. He was ready to walk a moment ago and leave Lilly behind. Now he's all but gushing to her about the potential of romance in the ring. He's a rather pragmatic sort.