( 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]

( dutch isn't going to pretend their— thing isn't what it is. sexual, to a great degree. does she want to call it a friendship? she thinks she might, but she's not quite ready to say that out loud yet. not in a way that is meaningful, at least. )

Fair point.

( she's clearly amazing. still, she rolls her eyes and nudges his side a little with one hand, not quite a punch. it'd probably be a lot more effective in communicating annoyance if her hand didn't linger, soft. )

Or some cute guys. ( but also: nah. )

[willrevile]

[ Jim leans back enough to look at her, holding himself at a slightly stupid angle for purposes of trying to tease her - ]

I don't mind cute guys either. But I'm all yours today.

[ He doesn't even wobble. Showoff. ] Want to switch?

[motivation]

( good thing she likes showoffs. sometimes. usually. )

You just want the bears to chase me instead.

( but if she's already sitting next to him smelling like the stuff, she might as well smell like it, too. ) Gonna give me a message while you're at it? ( so demanding. )

[willrevile]

Maybe I want some bear solidarity.

[ Is there even a single "bear" in El Nysa. Maybe their good friend Alan Foster, he's got the grief beard going on lately. ]

If you want one, [ he says. ] Since it's a vacation.

[ What, like he's gonna say no. ]

[motivation]

( alan foster is one of the few men dutch would hesitate to have sex with or hit on because their relationship is — it's different, is all. used to be, she'd try not to sleep with people she cares about, but that's gone out of the window long ago. )

I want one.

( how unexpected. )

[willrevile]

[ Jim would definitely sleep with Alan, because Jim has no problem sleeping with people who don't actually care about him personally. Makes it easier. (Like this. He cares about Dutch, but there's something in her refusal to engage with emotions that makes her -- safe. Jim's not the kind of the man anyone keeps around for very long.) ]

Alright, [ he laughs. ] C'mere.

[ Jim's gonna steal his hat back, also. It'll be like she has an umbrella!! It's fine. ]

[motivation]

( dutch has no problem sleeping with people that don't care about her and that she doesn't care about, either. she has a problem sleeping with people she cares about — or she did, but between alvis and d'avin and admittedly also some people here (or not admittedly, because she's not admitting to anything), that's not where she draws the line anymore. )

You better be good at this.

[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]

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. )

[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!!) ]

[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. )

[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]

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. )

[willrevile]

Oh, I am way too dumb to be scared of anybody punching me.

[ He just kinda likes you, Dutch. What a weird pickle they're both in.

Jim carries on even when this layer of suncreen is well rubbed in beyond needing any more, because he likes sitting here, touching her skin, just enjoying the weather. Warm without Wyver's oppressive humidity; makes it comfortable despite the risk of turning into a crispy lobster. ]

[motivation]

That's dangerous.

( she could make some threatening move to disabuse him of the notion that he's too dumb, but — it's warm and she's comfortable, salt and sun and sunscreen on her skin, his hands pleasant. why move? )

[willrevile]

MMhm.

[ What, does she suddenly have a problem with dangerous things? Gurl pls no one believes that.

After a while, Jim's done about all the work he can do, and slips his fingers up to the base of her neck, giving her one last caress, before flopping down beside her on his back. Hat still over his head, haphazard. ]