( 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]

So that it doesn't get scared and accidentally tramples us to death. ( but dutch doesn't sound all that worried. the creature seems pretty docile and not too easily scared. dutch figures if she was that size, she wouldn't be, either. not that she is now, considerably smaller in size than the animal but pretty damn sure of her own abilities regardless. )

Whose idea was this, anyway.

( yours, dutch. it was yours.

slowly, she reaches out to touch the creature's big head, shifting her leg a little away from it. not petting the thing. not poking it, either. just. touching. whatever. )

[willrevile]

If I take the fall for this, does it earn me any bonus points? [ Since yes, it was Dutch's idea. Not that Jim's strictly opposed to semi-public sex even when he's not stoned, but. Fair is fair. (Negotiating is also fair.)

The animal makes a rumbling noise and tilts its head, but doesn't brush her hand off. The mannerism is almost like a dog trying to encourage pets.

Lightly, ]

Hopefully we're not in a zoo.

[motivation]

[ dutch gives it a moment's thought. glances sideways at jim and flashes a grin. ]

No.

[ dutch never had a dog. she's never had a pet at all, except for that brief period of time when khlyen had made her raise a rabbit only to demand that she kill it. it had been a step before demanding she kill people.

the creature is docile for now, at least, and so dutch pats it a little. there, there. ]

What, you don't think we'd be the main attraction?

[willrevile]

Then I regret to inform you that it was your idea, [ he drawls, and shifts around a bit so this giant thing doesn't make his foot fall asleep. On his side, he reaches out and gives it a gentle pat. He's not a pet person, either. ]

Mm, not that kind of zoo.

[ That sounds more like a flesh market or red light district. ]

[motivation]

You don't regret shit.

[ he sounds zero percent regretful and dutch is not above calling him out on it because he's calling her out on it having been her idea. gotta keep things even. ]

[willrevile]

Why would I regret anything? [ Yawn. They fucked and it was good, like it always seems to be between them.

(Different. But still good.)

The animal snuffles, shifts around to get more comfortable, half-rolls and wiggles its ears. ]

[motivation]

You just said you did. [ a figure of speech dutch took too literally deliberately.

but he makes a fair point: she doesn't regret it, either. she doesn't regret any of it, even if she doesn't let herself linger on how light she'd felt, how happy. how she doesn't usually feel that way. ]

This thing's really just a big puppy, isn't it? [ a puppy with flowers growing on it. what the hells. ]

[willrevile]

[ She doesn't have to linger on it - neither of them do. It's just something that they can have and remember, when it suits them. No reason to make it weird or spoil it by delving into conversation neither of them will like. ]

Guess so, [ he says. ] Looks like a rhinoceros-shaped garden. Kinda cool.

[ Jim scratches a little in its soil-like skin, which the animal seems to enjoy. Pink and purple flowers almost seem to come to life as it sits with them. ]

[motivation]

[ she's good with not talking about it. she's maybe less good at not lingering on it. but for now, the rhino-garden serves as a neat distraction. ]

What's with the flowers? [ is she asking jim? is she asking the rhino? who knows. ]

[willrevile]

I hear bees like 'em.

[ Shut up, Jim. The puppyrhino whuffs, encourage more scritches, until Jim dares to just pluck one of the blossoms off; moss and grass fall from it here and there, anyway. There's no negative reaction, so he just reaches over and sticks it in Dutch's hair. ]

[motivation]

Yeah. So?

[ why are they growing on a rhino-esque thing. creature. animal.

he plucks one of the blossoms off and the rhino-thing doesn't twitch or protest, just shifts a little. and then there's a flower in dutch's hair and she slants jim a glance. ]

Do I look pretty now?

[willrevile]

You look like you have a flower in your hair, [ says Jim, who was not born yesterday. ] You're always pretty.

[ :)

Anyway, Jim suddenly squirms and grumbles about something biting his ass before he fishes for discarded underwear. Their friend snuffles at his knee, as if in mild protest of his attempt to escape. ]

[motivation]

[ smart boy. smart boy who is good with his tongue in more ways than one. ]

Don't ask me to kiss it better. [ dutch remarks when he grumbles about something biting his ass, and then watches him fish for and put on his underwear, patting the flower-rhino absent-mindedly. ]

I think he likes you.

[willrevile]

Please. This is a work of art. You don't want it marred with weird rashes any more than I do.

[ His butt is pretty cute, alright, and it's miraculously less often bruised than the rest of him. Probably because he's always running to fights instead of away from them. Anyway, underwear on, he searches for his pants, but doesn't bother pulling them on yet.

Breezily, ] Most things do. [ Jim pats the animal's nose. ]

[motivation]

Someone's cocky.

[ but he's right; she doesn't want rashes on his arse. ]

For the record, I wouldn't touch you if you had weird rashes. I know better than that. [ does she though? does she really? ]

[willrevile]

Hey, it's mutual, I'm not touching anybody with a rash, and I mean that in both senses. Like, no matter who's the berashed party.

[ Jim's boned enough freaky aliens and idiot humans to Really Know Better, especially with his weird allergies to binders found in some medications. ]

One time I ended up covered in slime from a delegate from Tyxian IV who 'honorably' sneezed on me, and it was corrosive, but just really slow? So I didn't even notice the burning until I got back on the ship after having stood there covered in nose goop for nearly an hour for a diplomatic ceremony.

[ Shudder. ]

[motivation]

How honorable was the sneeze really?

[ that does not sound very honorable to dutch, jim. more gross. ]

[1701]

Extremely. I got a commendation on my record for it. [ He sounds series. It is. ] Their planet became a member of the Federation and has been an outstanding example. And since, they've stopped the sneeze thing with other cultures, though they still like very mucus-y handshakes as a cheery compromise.

[ This job. ]

[motivation]

Sounds special.

[ the hells, jim. ]

[1701]

It is. [ He nudges her. ] Like every planet. Including this one, despite how fucked we all are.

[ Jim still sounds light and lazy, despite the wording. ]

Where else are we getting this kind of company? [ Patpat. The creature snuffles, content. ]

[motivation]

[ dutch would pass on the company if it meant getting her people out of stasis, but she swallows that remark down, unwilling - for once, for now - to break what's left of the good mood. ]

You're not gonna name him, are you?

[ who says it's even a him, dutch? ]

[1701]

It's probably already got a name in its own language. Whatever it might be. [ Even gophers have languages, surely this thing does.

Jim gives up on dressing and flops back into the grass, looking up at the sky. It's nice out still, and he still feels weirdly comfortable, even if the sensation has dimmed. ]

What a place.