( 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

DUTCH @ FLONA COVE'S BEACH

[motivation]

( dutch hasn't been to olympia since the entire evacuation to wyver happened in the first place. wyver suits her better on the whole; she likes the emphasis on strength, she likes the respect her fighting prowess earn her, she likes the warmth and the sense of freedom and wildness. olympia has more rules, olympia reminds her of the nine and their lives — but olympia also has some people she knows and likes, whether she'll admit it or not.

flona cove is a happy middle ground in some ways. it feels like a holiday, and dutch doesn't remember the last time she ever had one of those. going undercover doesn't really count, but that trip to leith had been the closest thing to a vacation and that was ages ago. (she's not thinking about how johnny almost died there, about how johnny's in stasis here. it's fine.)

it's like a holiday and dutch is making the most of it: at times, she can be found lazing by the beach in a low-cut emerald swim-suit with a cocktail next to her, scrolling through the network or watching those walking by to see if she spots someone she knows. she also wanders along the shoreline at some point, bare feet on wet sand, finds the nearest bar to get another drink, and goes for a swim. )

[willrevile]

[ This atmosphere is one that, in theory, Jim likes just fine, but becomes a bit of a mess in practice. The last time he was on a beach, the water was violet and the 'sand' was soft, powdery pink, he was working through learning a native language with Uhura, and the planet's radiation was pleasantly soft enough to pose no threat to human skin.

Alas. Well, he'll work with it. ]

Feel like a refill? [ asks the behatted figure approaching Dutch. Hi, it's Jim, who has come in peace with cocktails, wearing a gauzy black robe over the appropriate swimwear shorts and a giant wide-brimmed hat. ]

[motivation]

( he's wearing a hat and a gauzy black robe and for a moment, dutch only stares over the rim of her sunglasses at him. then she starts laughing. sorry, jim, but you look ridiculous. )

I'd say yes, but that would mean you have to take all of that off.

( the robe at least. look, they can find him an umbrella or something to sit under, but that robe is just not on. )

Where did you even find that?

[willrevile]

I didn't have anything appropriate to wear and this is what the ladies at the shop stuck me in.

[ He somehow retains his dignity. Look, it's comfortable, and he's at least somewhat less likely to immediately light on fire. Do you want your cocktail or not, Dutch?? ]

I think I look very fashion-forward and secure in my masculinity, actually.

[ HE KNOWS, ALRIGHT. ]

[motivation]

( is she secure enough in his masculinity to let him stay, though? wait for the answer... )

Fine. You can stay.

( yes. or maybe she just really wants another cocktail. )

[willrevile]

Thank you kindly. [ A little bit teasing, having entirely the wrong American accent for that. Jim sits next to her, careful with the drinks, and -- yeah he does look a little squinty already, and is that a gun in his pocket or is he just -- ok no it's a sunscreen bottle, which he produces with a flourish. ] I should put more of this on, probably, before my skin actually starts boiling. Sunglasses seem wiser, in hindsight.

[ It's been a while since he's been to the beach, okay. ]

The academy was on the coast, but the weather was usually really foggy. I have no idea what I'm doing. [ Yeah Jim she noticed. ]

[motivation]

( dutch doesn't know anything about america or american accents, so the fact that he has the wrong one for the words goes entirely over her head. the sunscreen bottle doesn't, though. nor has the fact that he's really bad at this. )

If you take off that monstrosity, I'll do your back.

[willrevile]

You are so mean, [ Jim laughs, without any heat. He pulls the hat off and sets it on her head before pulling the robe off over his own, like it's a t-shirt. He shakes dark blonde hair out, pushes his fingers through it; he could probably do with getting it cut, soon. ]

You also look like you were born to be out here. [ FYI, pretty lady. ]

[motivation]

Yeah. So?

( she's not just mean, she's unrepentantly mean. but she's also grinning, reaching over to muss up his hair a little more. it's bigger and fluffier than it was when she'd first met him.

and then she takes one of the cocktails and treats herself to a long sip. shrugs. ) It's a nice place and I haven't had a holiday in forever.

[willrevile]

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. ]

[motivation]

( 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. )

[willrevile]

[ 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. ]

[motivation]

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. )

[toten_sie]

[ It's rare you'll see someone as covered up as he is on the beach; he's got his coat in his bag, but he's still got on his undershirt and his slacks as he makes his way out into the cove. He wants to see the water, wants to enjoy the water, but 'enjoying' it largely involves watching it from a distance and letting the peace of the location filter into him.

He can't really swim, after all; he knows not to drown, mostly because if you didn't you would have in District Zero with all the canals and waterways, but that's about all he can do. And he doesn't want to subject anyone to looking at him. But the beach is nice.

And he throws up a gloved wave to Dutch in her nice outfit. She looks nice and she looks like she's having a good time. ]

[motivation]

( with anyone else, dutch would poke fun at them for being so completely and utterly overdressed — but randel isn't anyone else. randel is someone who reminds her of herself and of johnny, someone who struggles with the things he's done more than dutch ever lets herself struggle with what she's done. he's still fighting.

so she doesn't mock him for how covered he is, but she does stretch in front of him, her entire body and all her scars on display, and then she moves to sit next to him. )

Hey.

[toten_sie]

[ He nods to her, smiling a little as she settles beside him. He glances at her drink curiously, since he likes the colors. He wonders if they'd do something that's just fruit juices for him. That would probably taste delicious. ]

Hello.

[motivation]

( they probably do have fruit juices, but dutch's drink of course features a variety of different alcohols.)

Enjoying the sun?

( even if he wears far too much to tan. )

[toten_sie]

It's warm. And there's a breeze here.

[ So yes. It's not too hot, but nice and warm. He might sweat, but there's something to the heat itself that soaks into him and takes away some of his aches. ]

You?

[motivation]

The water's amazing, too.

( but she glances at his outfit and shrugs. ) Guessing you're not interested in that.

[toten_sie]

I don't really know how to swim.

[ There's a few people he would feel shamefaced about admitting that too, but Dutch isn't one of them. ]

It wasn't safe in the canals in District Zero.

[ Since there was any amount of garbage and sewage and whatever the main city tossed in. ]

And my country is landlocked. Was.

[motivation]

You could always go in to where you can still stand.

( she considers him for a moment. ) I think you should.

[toten_sie]

[ He looks out at the water, at the sand and then over at Dutch. There's a moment where he looks at his boots, but- ]

Is that an order?

[ He doesn't look like he's upset at the idea. In a way, it looks like he'd very much enjoy if it was. ]

[motivation]

( dutch considers that for a moment. considers him. then she nods. )

Yeah.

[toten_sie]

[ Randel gives her a quick, firm nod before starting to pull off his shirt, his boots, his slacks, his gloves. They're all neatly folded to sit atop his bag, hopefully to keep some of the sand out of them, and it just leaves him in his underclothes as he looks back at her.

Steeling himself, he refuses to look around, see if people are disgusted, and heads towards the water. He'll go about waist deep before stopping. ]

[motivation]

( she watches him get undressed, then she sets her drink aside and gets up as well, following him into the water. whereas he seems a little worried and a little defiant, looking for people's reactions, dutch invites stares with the sway of her hips and the curl of her lips.

let them look.

he goes about waist deep, which is almost chest-deep for her. )

You can go a little deeper.