nysalogs | ( open ) out of isolation

That's great. Me too. [ All his boots are walking boots. What's the point of boots you can't walk in?

So: walking, and it feels nice to just be with her. Maybe it would feel nice to be with anyone, right now, but Dutch is one of the people he's closest to, here--

Technically. Jim knows, even now, that he's not close to anyone. There were memories scattered around weeks ago and he managed those with an iron grip that left him sick after, trying to utilize the Ambassador's memories to guide him in psychic endeavors to .. really shitty results. But he maintained his privacy and that's fine. That's the result he wanted. ]

Woah.

[ The village is beautiful. ]

Mmm. [ Jim smiles at her from under the fringe of his hair, barely-there slivers of blue observing, before he shakes it out of his eyes. Maybe he'll leave it for a bit, if she likes it. He takes a drink of his own cocktail and then opens the sunblock. ]

You and me both. [ Bottlesqueeze. ] Jeez, I could attract bears with this.

[ It is Extremely Coconut. Whatever, on it goes. ]

( dutch has no iron grip on her memories. had none. hers were out there: the night of her wedding, running from her husband's corpse, running from khlyen, meeting johnny, the best and worst night of her life all in one. her childhood, too, khlyen telling her to kill or be killed.

she wishes none of that had happened. right now, it all feels far away. far enough that it might as well not have happened at all. )

It's beautiful. ( she says, stopping to take it in. there's a wonder in her eyes that she doesn't usually feel or let herself feel. )

I may have needed the break, he says. [Dorian shakes his head with a laugh.] That may be the understatement of the century.

[Still — it's nice to see him smile so easily. Dorian tucks the book he brought with him under his arm, making his way over to sit back alongside Nightingale. He tuts, tugging on the lapel of his suit jacket with disappointment.] I almost hoped you'd keep your beach attire. The world would be a much better place if you gave it a better view.

[ Huh.

He hadn't really pegged Dutch this way during their first encounter, but to be fair it was just one encounter. One... mostly full of discussion over Olympia vs Wyver. He takes a slow step closer to the water's edge, resting one foot on a rock and leaning in as he looks down at lagoon more carefully. He's checking for... fish, tentacles, anything that might make this feel like a bad idea. You know. Usually hot women who seem into him turn out to be a trap. Once bitten. ]

Anyone who told you they didn't is either lying or blind.

[ He's just saying. ]

Yeah. [ What excellent PR, he thinks distantly. Get your visitors nice and blazed for a walk through surreal terrain so when they show up on your doorstep, they're amazed. It's not a sarcastic thought. It really is captivating.

And so is Dutch. She looks -- maybe not younger, but lighter. Like she's not struggling under something trying to pin her down. Jim squeezes her hand. ]

[Now there's a sight Venom never thought he'd see. He'd been poking around the offered accommodations, noting how cozy and warm they were. The smoke that's wafting through the area initially gave him a headache that dissipated into a light, gentle sleepiness. As for the sight, well...

He passes the room just as a small puff catches his eye, and the one partaking in the smoking ritual.]

Mr. Nightingale, I don't believe I've ever seen you smile.

[Coming from a man whose first smile came less than a year ago.]

May I join you?

( she feels lighter. it's part of why she squeezes his hand back and smiles again, eyes crinkling a little at the corners, all warmth and no pretence, no appreciation for the cruelty of life and no ironic or sardonic reference to that. it's just — it's a beautiful afternoon, the sun is warm but not too hot and she's walking hand in hand with a guy she likes.

it's good. )

Hey. ( she says, soft and slow, coming to a stop just long enough to lean in to kiss his cheek. )

( dorian moves to sit next to him and tugs at the lapel of his suit and nightingale remembers, with a flash of heat that translates into something molten in his gaze and warmth in his cheeks, dorian's fingers unbuttoning his shirt. just the one button, true, but still —

he licks his lips, glancing away for a moment. )

Before or after you fixed it up?

( she doesn't not like it, that's all she'll say on the matter. it seems good for sinking her fingers into it. a weapon in a fight, something else entirely in a different context. )

Some bears might think you're extra-delicious.

( ignore her, dutch is not an expert on wildlife except for when she is. her knowledge of poisonous plants and animals is vast, for example. thanks, khlyen. )

[ Hey yourself he's stalled from saying, distracted by that kiss.

It's sweet. Did he know Dutch could be sweet? What a day.

Jim adjusts his hand so he can wrap his am around her waist instead, tucking them against each other as they walk. ]

C'mon, let's explore.

[ He sounds mellow, though. No forced energy. ]

( dutch takes up a lot of space, ordinarily, with her swagger and her confidence, but she fits easily against jim's side. )

Are we looking for something or just looking around?

( the truth is that even without the prompting of the pool, dutch might be like this. there's a reason d'avin once accused her of sleeping with all the wrong guys. she doesn't even remember why she slept with some of them. nice eyes? nice hands? what does it matter? )

No one told me that.

( her confidence is as easy as it is purposefully exaggerated at the moment. )

[ He could always just shave his head. Dolphin smooth protection against attacks. ]

Unfortunate for me. [ Coconut goes on anyway. It reminds him of old, crusted-over bottles found in his mother's bathroom cabinet when he was a kid; she never used anything in there, because she was never home. Winona's probably never been on a vacation either. ]

Hopefully something more friendly will think I'm delicious. [ Worst delivery of that line, ever. ]

We'll decide when we see something.

[ Aimless wandering. But it's aesthetically pleasing enough, and such a nice day, it seems a waste not to.

The locals are friendly, and almost gentle compared to Wyver's fire and Olympia's steel. Jim's amenable to whatever suggestions, and so they've got options: go play with the animals or go swimming naked? (Because they'd never offend cultural norms by leaving clothes on.) ]

Well I can see why. Good to know the folk here are all honest.

[ He toes off his shoes, slips to sit on the rock and reaches out to run a hand through the water. It's warmer than he expected, and the ripples on the water are oddly hypnotic. ]

So, what's a nice young lady like you doing all alone out here?

[ It's a jokey sort of lead in, but he's curious too. He knows he was avoiding the crowds, but did she have some other reason? ]

Hm. ( nightingale hums his response. at the mention of it, the smile almost slides off nightingale's features — almost, but not quite. his expression settles into something more neutral, yes, but there's still a slight upward curl to the corners of his mouth, a warmth to his gaze.

he lifts a hand to gesture to the space in the vicinity. )

Of course.

I haven't tried.

( he often has trouble sleeping. back at the folly, back in england, he did most of his paperwork at night because it was a good distraction from the ghosts come to haunt him. here, he doesn't have nearly as much paperwork. )

It is something I didn't enjoy about Wyver while I was there. ( he admits. the heat, that is. )

Maybe you'll only meet friendly bears.

( she moves to sit behind him, reaching for the bottle and pouring some of it on her fingers and making a face at the smell. it really is quite strong.

but she smooths her fingers over his back — the black thing is out of the way, right? right. good. )

( it's aesthetically pleasing for sure, and dutch wouldn't ordinarily be someone to just wander aimlessly, but today, things are different. today, her heart is light and jim's hand is warm against hers and she's glad to enjoy the warmth and beauty around them.

most locals move toward the heart of khalo and after a while, dutch tugs at jim's hand, curiosity leading her down that path as well. swimming naked it is. )

Now you're assuming things.

( about her being nice, mostly, though there's no clear indication that that's what she means, rather than her age. nothing but a hint of danger to her smirk, for a moment. )

I went for a walk, this is where I ended up.

Oh yeah? You looking for a quiet spot to lure people in so you can knock them out and steal their lunch money?

[ Since he's apparently assumed wrong about either nice, young or alone. ... He doesn't think he's wrong about lady, but he supposes he might imminently find out.

He shrugs off his shirt anyway, vaguely folds it on top of his shoes and sets his sunglasses on top. Since he's apparently committing to terrible ideas. ]

( technically, he's wrong about lady, too. technically, she's a queen — or she was, for a while. royalty by marriage, not by blood, though the blood that runs through her veins isn't that of a commoner, either. )

Don't worry, I'm not interested in your lunch money.

( she stops floating to better watch him, her gaze indicating that she might be interested in something else. like his chest. and shoulders. )

[With the invitation, Venom steps into the room and takes a seat next to the older gentleman. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the fyrra-laced air and relaxing a bit further.]

How have you been, sir? I've not seen you since I was working at the brothel.

[It feels like a lifetime ago, even though it's only been a couple of months.]

There's a whole community for that sort of thing that I'm not opposed to out of hand. [ Shut up, Jim. He holds still and only glances over his shoulder at her a little, smiling. Yes he pulled the robe off, though he still thinks it's perfectly fine. (Maybe he's jealous somehow about the green v-neck his counterpart gets!!!!) ]

This whole beach thing may be underrated by leaving moments like these out of the brochures.

( open ) out of isolation

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