<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><em>~Marisol at the Lounge with the group~</em><br/><br/>When the pieces of paper were placed on the coffee table, she knew who would go next. She was ready -- or at least, she hoped she was. As she had sat sipping her coffee and listening to the answers, a barrage of emotions had accosted her. She was excited -- incredibly  so! -- because they were finally opening up about one another and they were offering glimpses of their lives that the dinner had not given them. But the more answers she heard, the more Mari realized that...she didn't think she was ready to answer some of these questions. It wasn't that she was ashamed or shy, Marisol just had never really given them much thought and now, the pieces of paper were making their way closer and closer to her and she knew that she had to take the plunge and answer with the first response she thought of.<br/><br/>Getting a chance to witness Marcus, Bo and Nicci go before her had helped tremendously. Marcus: she adored him already. Quiet and thoughtful, he had a spark of humor that could make anyone chuckle. But there was honesty and sincerity in his voice and in his eyes. The first response she had gotten from Marcus still held true; he would be a fine male to get to know and become intimate with. She chuckled at some of his responses and it was good; because Mari felt the group start loosening up, becoming more comfortable with one another. It helped that he had gone first.<br/><br/>Bo...surprised her. Not much his answers but his actions. Since he had walked into the room with Nicci, it was as if the both of them had become a pair during their walk to get the liquor. Mari was pleased, especially because it showed that they were starting to open up and get used to their feelings. But a part of her; the woman inside that ached for the attention of a man who not only accepted her polyamorous desires within her but participated in them as well...felt a bit hurt. So quickly the two of them had formed a bond and Mari had only hoped that the same could be with the entire group; but such was not the way of life. Regardless, it warmed her heart to see his gentle and constant touches...even though she had missed some of his answers!<br/><br/>A soft grin flashed over Mari's face when Nicci began by stating her Hero had been Robin Hood; who wouldn't find a man who stole from the rich and gave to the poor a Hero? Marisol took another sip of her coffee as she continued to listen to Nicci and she found that...she adored the girl. Completely. The one thing that Marisol admired about Nicci was the fact that she laid it out there; bared her heart and left it up to the person to see how the person would response. It was both daring and respectable. And her eye contact, Nicci looked into a person's eyes not the corner of them or a little bit over their head. When she commented on purchasing her Mother a washing machine and she looked into Mari's eyes, Marisol couldn't help but give her a slight nod and a widening smile. She could relate quite well.<br/><br/>"If Mila and Vince don't mind," Marisol said as she set her cup of coffee down and reached for the pieces of papers. "I'd like to go next." Her heart was thundering in her chest, making her run her tongue along her lower lip and brush her hair behind her shoulder. Scooting to the edge of the couch, she switched the way her legs were crossed and opened the first page, her heart slamming into her chest when she saw...it was hers.<br/><br/>Pausing for a moment, Marisol felt a smile flirt across her lips, "My childhood Hero was -- and is -- my Father; a big Hispanic man who worked in the family restaurant during the day and at the shipping company at night. There was no rest for him; except for Sunday mornings. Sunday was time to go to Church and time to spend with the children before he had to go in to the shipping company. He worked all day and all night and yet, I can remember him being there for the important times. Being in a houseful of kids, one was never bored...but my Dad used to make time for all of us." Realizing that she was getting lost in the memories of her past, Marisol blinked and looked away from the fire, looking back down at the next question. "Three words to describe myself: Stubborn..." Her tongue peeked out over the corner of her lip as she cringed, laughing softly as she said the next word, "Vivacious." She chuckled and finished, "And...Compassionate."<br/><br/>"Like Nicci said; sometimes a white lie is so much easier to deal with. So what if you do not like the food? If the person slaved over it and they tried their best to please you...shouldn't they be told the food was fantastic? But...white lies have their place and time. In the long run, Honesty is the best way to go. And even if the person's feelings do get hurt...sometimes being honest is so much better than a little white lie." Marisol wrinkled her nose slightly when she came to the sinking ship question, she truly didn't know how to respond to that one. "I think...the decision on who stays and who goes <em>isn't</em> mine to make. My best friend and my soul mate would have as much input in this life-altering moment. I can truly say that is the decision <em>WAS</em> up to me, then I would send my best friend and my soul mate on their way in the raft, knowing they would at least stand a better chance than me. But...I do not think my best friend would allow me to send her off and not give her a choice. The same as my soul mate. So...in the end, the decision isn't mine at all."<br/><br/>Mari found her eyes straying to the fire once again, it was just so much easier than looking at everyone...especially because she was trying to be as open with them as they were being with her. If she saw any hint of emotion that she felt was directed at her, she would want to inquire as to the emotion the other person felt...and she would never finish the rest of her answers. "What makes me angry? Ignorance. Especially when it comes to my choice of...relationships." She thought of her Mother and her two sisters and felt her heart ache. "Polygamy is not shameful, nor is it an abomination. It's people coming together and finding a common...love for one another. And so many people find that to be wrong. Why? What makes society right and us wrong?" She opened her mouth before she snapped it shut, her eyes flashing to the people in the room and she licked her lips nervously. "Sorry. As you can tell...it makes me angry. But...how do I overcome it? By simply sharing with them the truth and explaining just how beautiful polygamy truly is. You can't change everyones thought process...but you can give them the information to properly educate them on the topic."<br/><br/>"What are you afraid of?" Marisol laughed softly as she thought about the question, not really liking the answer. "Rejection." She opened her mouth to expand more on it but found that...she couldn't. So with a forced smile, she added, "And snakes. I hope this castle does NOT have snakes." She glanced down at the next question and couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped. "I think like Nicci...I would talk to myself. Perhaps face the corner of the elevator and everytime the elevator stopped, complain about how the doors aren't opening and how there's no way out."<br/><br/>"A tongue exploring another body?" Her eyes darkened just a tiny fraction, imagining what she would come across. "I would describe it as a firm but smooth surface, exploring its curve and twirling around the end where I would suck and nibble gently." She paused for a moment, wondering if they could picture the object she was describing before she finished lightly, an impish smile on her face. "An earlobe, of course."<br/><br/>Turning to her right, she gave Mila a wide smile and on impulse, she reached out and laced her fingers through the other woman's squeezing gently. "I would tell Mila that she is a beautiful and shy woman with a zest for life that just seemes eager to burst out. I would tell her that she needs to trust her heart and her instincts and know that...I am very glad to have gotten to know her. And I consider her an essential and much important part of our group." Mari looked at Mila, her eyes sincere, her smile gentle. She knew she was putting the spotlight on the young woman but...Mila needed to know she was important. And that whatever made her hesitate, to ignore it and go forth.<br/><br/>Looking back down at the papers, Mari kept a light hold on Mila's hand, so if she wanted to remove her hand she could. "The color of a smile? It's Rainbow color; changing colors to match the situation." Closing her eyes for a moment, as if she were picturing the smile, she murmured, "A smile can light up a room, can soothe an aching heart...can send a simple thought or a lustful meaning from across the room. Like a rainbow." She opened her eyes once more and let out a soft sigh before continuing. "I...am going to answer my favorite childhood memory first. And that was the time my Mother took me to see a dancing competition. I was...12...and we went to this large ballroom and...the dancers were amazing. So many bright dresses; sparkling and long and flowing. I watched all of them dance...salsa, rumba, tango, waltz. My love of dancing had always been there but I never truly fell <em>in love</em> with it....until that day."<br/><br/>The last question...Marisol nibbled on her lower lip before she answered truthfully, "My sexual nature? I'm a...oh." She shook her head with a soft laugh, "This one is the hardest." She glanced around the room before she responded, "I am a...submissive with tendencies to push boundaries. I like having a man who knows what he wants from me but where I can push them towards new experiences. There is nothing more...beautiful, more freeing than being open with your lovers and exploring every aspect of lust and sex. And love. I...also have a high sex drive...and I love foreplay. I enjoy the teasing and seductive dance of desire until the feelings become too...explosive and instincts overtake rational thought. I have always enjoyed dominant men, men who know what they want of me...even if I do not know it. But just as I enjoy dominance, I love...tenderness." She ran her fingers through her hair, her laugh short, "I don't even know if I answered that right."<br/><br/>Finally finished, she set the pieces of paper back on the coffee table and sat back, her heart beating in her chest wildly. She was done...and she had answered truthfully. And she felt...better. Little by little, her heart was trusting and letting itself open up to the possibility of this working out.</span>