( open ) out of isolation

[motivation]

Who: dutch (motivation) & YOU, thomas nightingale (ettersberg) & YOU
What: a month in the life of a former assassin, a month in the life of the former last sanctioned wizard of the uk
When: may
Where: flona cove and khalo
Warning(s): alcohol and fyrra use, nudity, sex and probably swearing

Comments

[motivation]

( she follows — not all the way, but close enough. she can still stand, but she still lifts her arms and settles them on his shoulders, easily and without commentary. to keep herself afloat, ostentatiously. to keep him calm, too. )

Yeah?

[toten_sie]

[ He doesn't mind that at all, and one arm will carefully gather her against him. ]

Thank you. For this order.

[willrevile]

Since when am I not good at things?

[ What, do you want to file a complaint, or something. Jim lets her stretch out, and settles next to her, skimming a palm over her back first before getting some of the sunblock. His touch is soft at first, running over exposed skin up to the back of her next, nudging her hair out of the way and arm bands to one side. Pressure increases as he decides what feels the most knotted up, because why not be productive at the same time. ]

[motivation]

My pleasure.

( she quirks her lips. )

Here's another. Kiss me.

[motivation]

You're terrible at not giving a shit.

( so clearly, there are things he's not good at. has always been not good at, probably.

she settles her head on her arms, stretched out in front of him. there are scars on her back and on her legs, some from bullets and others from knives, some burns. the story of her past, written in her skin. she doesn't try to hide the scars, though she has stories to tell people when undercover. )

[motivation]

Yeah. Politics are bullshit, anyway. ( she believes that, but for once, there's no bite behind the words and none of the memories associated with the nine come floating up at the thought of politics. none of the memories of her childhood training to be a good wife to a monarch some day, either.

instead, she pulls off her top and throws it at jim's face, playful. )

[motivation]

You've seen right through me.

( he's circling, figuratively more than literally, while dutch stays still, both figuratively and literally, not moving from her spot in the pool but watching john's every move, lips curving upward. )

My evil plan, exposed.

[ettersberg]

You're right. It's been a while.

( that's easier to say than to answer the question how he's been. how has he been? fine, of course, because that's the only thing he'll allow, but with some of his composure stripped away, the deflection doesn't come so easily. )

Well enough. ( he finally settles on, and continues: ) And you?

[ettersberg]

( nightingale spent several weeks in wyver, but he'd returned to olympia at the earliest opportunity. )

It's quite all right. Talk of the weather has a long-standing tradition, where I'm from.

[toten_sie]

[ He won't question that order. Instead, he leans down and pulls her up just a little to make it easier for them to kiss, and he kisses her as best he knows how. He can't help that there's affection in it, that he genuinely cares for her in his heart. He tries not to make her deal with that.]

[motivation]

( ordinarily, dutch doesn't enjoy being manhandled even just this much — but with randel, she doesn't mind it. he's never going to do anything without her express command and he's someone she's oddly protective of, for all that he's so much taller and larger than she is.

probably it's everything she knows about him. all his fears.

so she doesn't mind the way he pulls her up, kissing him back easily, without much intent behind it. this doesn't have to go anywhere, though she never minds when it does. the opposite, really.

the kiss breaks, and she grins at him. ) Enjoying yourself yet?

[toten_sie]

[ If she ever made the smallest indication of being unhappy with what he was doing, he would stop. He was just trying to fulfill his order.

For the moment, though, he nods mutely.

Yes, he likes this. She feels nice, the water and the sun feel nice, and he likes being with her.]

[poolhall_killer]

That's good to hear.

[Venom might be wrong, but Nightingale always came off as sort of a workaholic. He's glad to see the older man loosening up a little.]

I've been doing all right. I made a move to the Sanctuary and learned my first healing spell.

[He'll even demonstrate with a light glow of his hand.]

[motivation]

( if she was unhappy, she'd give more than a small indication of it. she's not willing to take things she doesn't like. not for him, not for anyone.

maybe for johnny.

but she's not unhappy now. she's still grinning, giving him a nod in return. ) Good.

[toten_sie]

Do you come out here often?

[ He hasn't come out to the water since he had that terrible day with the pirates, to be honest.]

[willrevile]

You are the only person who thinks that's a problem, [ he complains, though he keeps at the massage. Jim's no professional, but he knows what he thinks feels good, and he's definitely done this for a partner or two, in the past.

(But really, Dutch has no idea to what extent Jim is the worst at not giving a shit. MAYBE SHE WILL.. IN THAT OTHER THREAD who knows it is a mystery!!) ]

[willrevile]

[ Oof. Jim catches the shirt with his face (it's a skill), and then pulls it over his head and back up, like a hair cap. What now, lady.

Laughing, he leaves it on (dodges at least the first attempt to remove it, if there is one) while he undoes his belt and pulls it off, though it's dislodged anyway when he has to remove his own shirt. ]

Wyver's definitely missing more swimming pools, [ he observes. This is high quality, in the region's oppressive heat. ]

[impavid]

It's a nice shirt.

[ It's a pretty boring shirt. ]

You can come and get it, if you want it so badly.

[ You can come and get him, too, if you actually want him. ]

[motivation]

( what a fantastic skill to have. what a good look on him as well.

she rolls her eyes, first and foremost, and waits with her attempt to remove the shirt from his head until she has her pants off, thinking maybe the distraction will help — but then he's already dislodged it by removing his own shirt. )

Yeah, I wouldn't say no to some.

( she's grinning. it's warm, but for once there's no sexual edge to it. )

[motivation]

Doesn't mean I'm wrong, though.

( but he's not wrong, either: he's good at this. she shifts a little under his hands, but mostly she lets him do his thing, sighing a little when he hits a spot that's particularly tense. )

[motivation]

It's my first time.

( in flona cove. going swimming out here, too. )

[willrevile]

[ Good thing they're here, then. Jim gets the rest of his clothes off - no sexual edge to this, either; they've seen each other plenty, and whatever default machismo 'don't look at me it's cold out and I'm not hard' paranoia he might have (all men do that, even the secure ones) is curiously absent. (Also it's not cold out.)

He steps into the crystal water, unbothered by the few Khali who look over, though they're just watching the newcomers with approval, anyway. Most don't care, and he enjoys the open, normal feeling of everything. ]

Hopefully this place'll stay open. [ .. also he flicks some water at her. Just a little. ]

[willrevile]

I think you like it, [ Jim says, and it sounds more laid-back than banter. Since this is supposed to be relaxing. ] Because it means you know I'll inherently give a shit about trying to make you feel good.

[ The cut of her bathing suit presumably doesn't leave her entire behind hanging out, but Jim slips his hands down far enough to the small of her back and tailbone, where everyone ends up carrying tension. Darn you, humanoid bipedal existence. ]

[motivation]

( it's not cold out and she's looking, but it still isn't sexual. she's seen him plenty, but she's never just looked at him without that component of want, of the heat of the moment. she finds, now, that she likes his eyes and she likes his shoulders and his hair being floppy.

it all feels warm and casual and easy. nothing's ever felt so easy, really, as wading into the water once she's divested herself of shoes and underwear as well, reaching up to pull her hair into a knot on the top of her head. )

Enjoy skinny-dipping?

( he flicks a little water at her; dutch shoves a lot of water back. like the measured and restrained lady she is. )

[motivation]

And here I thought that was just you being scared I'd punch you if you didn't.

( there's some merit to his argument, but the truth goes much further. dutch likes that he cares because she doesn't know how to. because khlyen did his utmost best to strip the capacity for care from her systematically. he didn't manage entirely, but he managed a lot. someone who cares as deeply as jim, as deeply as johnny — it scares her, but it's also intoxicating and beautiful.

she won't admit that, but it's true. )