[ it took a while, but they managed to suppress the yamadenki through sheer effort. it's like fighting off the shock centipede in the mirror dungeons at the back of the bus, bringing back memories of getting zapped and coiled around in its metallic hold...
but of course, their fight's not yet done. it's never going to be that easy, as far as ishmael is concerned. the rift manifesting underneath the haunted mansion and summoning forth more electrical hybrids felt like the second phase of a fight, and with the flurry of chaos going on around them with this new phenomenon, it can be hard to keep track of every little thing now.
except for one. in her peripheral vision, she sees wriothesley doing his thing, and further behind him is a stray hybrid aiming to jump him. if it gets too close-- ]
Wriothesley!!
[ she sprints towards him, even though it might be too late. still, she wields snagharpoon with a blink of an eye and throws it at the monster, hoping that she can still make it in time before it zaps him. ]
[ Here they are, back at it again at Krispy Kreme.....
Turns out that a) going through the whole song and dance once and b) making a few preparations in the name of sucking it up and getting a few nanobot injections really make fighting giant monsters a lot easier. Not a walk in the park easy but at least he isn't being batted around left and right each time one of the giant lizard things makes a dive at him.
He holds his own well-enough, focus extra sharp after it turns out the kaiju are particularly susceptible to cold. Time for him to pull his weight. But he's only one man, with only one set of eyes and ears, and the gradual wear of time and effort on his concentration means that eventually he's caught unawares.
Ishmael's shout comes a little too late, and he pivots on one foot just in time for a particularly large shock of electricity to beam him in the chest. Fucking ow. Don't mind him as he drops to the ground, convulsions momentarily rippling through his body.
It's fine though! It's fine. Just give him a minute or two to recover. Hopefully there are no other monsters in the immediate vicinity ready to take a bite out of him (there are probably more monsters in the immediate vicinity ready to take a bite out of him. ]
[ is it truly fine? he'd probably insist that he is, but ishmael is not going to take any chances -- especially not after the injuries he'd gotten from the previous attack. her harpoon may not have reached him in time, but it still manages to pierce through the monsters' heads with scarily accurate precision, and ishmael pulls it back with the rope bound to the end of it before rushing to wriothesley's aid. ]
Wriothesley?! [ she kneels beside him, checking his vitals by pressing her ear onto his chest, frantically touching his face and making sure he's still breathing. okay, good. ] Hang on, I need to get you out of here...
[ her mind races. they could be safer if she uses ardor blossom star to fly him out of here, but she'd be risking corrosion much faster since it's a higher-level E.G.O. calling for help might be too late in the midst of all this mayhem. so the only solution left is to--
hm. she should be able to handle it with her own augmentations. and sorry if she's going to be a little rough here, but she will lift wrio up and hoist him onto her shoulders like a bag of potatoes, hightailing it out of here. it won't be easy dodging lizard corpses and other things that are incoming, but the medbay shouldn't be too far from here if she keeps going this way. ]
[ It's fine? He's fine. Nothing a few minutes rest won't fix...which is the crux of the problem here when there are a handful of scattered enemies left that need to be taken care of.
But Ishmael clearly has everything under control as she races towards him and proceeds to....casually toss him over her shoulder? That's new. The whole experience is actually so jarring that he doesn't even have the wherewithal to protest, his eyes widening as his mind races to catch up to what's just happened...by which point they're already halfway to medbay.
He can't really protest her course of action when the alternative would have been to let him lounge around being a liability, but something about bandied about like a sack of potatoes doesn't sit well with him and he's frowning deeply by the time they reach medbay and Ishmael deposits him back down. ]
Was it really necessary to carry me like that?
[ Sometimes a normally reasonable man gets hecked up from hanging out near a rift for too long... ]
[ huh, so he can still talk after taking a hit like that. ishmael would've been impressed if it weren't for her survival instincts kicking in, as she'd requested some of the medical staff to get some medication anyway -- mostly for her growing migraine. she'd placed him on the cot and was ready to leave wriothesley when his question stopped her in her tracks. ]
Can you really afford to be picky in a life-or-death situation? I thought you'd be more sensible than that.
[ her frown mirrors his as she rubs at her temples. she doesn't mean to be snippy, but the headaches and the ensuing chaos outside the medical area are not helping her mood at all. ]
Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm going back out there again as soon as they get back here with meds. Just stay put, okay?
[ When the only part of him he can reliably move is his mouth, what else can he do but talk? Though the tingling all thruoghout his body is starting to subside little by little, and he slowly works on flexing his hands and toes whlie he stares at Ishmael. ]
Shouldn't you also be taking a break?
[ She definitely looks worse for the wear - though who among them doesn't right now - and all that massaging at her temples can't be a good sign. ]
I'm fine. [ she insists through clenched teeth. ] This is... the least of my worries. I've had way worse, and at the very least we actually have medical help this time.
[ there's a version of herself in another world who had to suffer constant headaches just to be able to work the mind-controlled weapons they'd been given her, who had no choice but to endure all that with minimal pain relief. this little migraine? it's nothing compared to that.
unfortunately, it does make her more irate than usual. maybe a little nitpicky. and wrio just so happens to be right here for her to vent her frustrations at, however misaimed they may be. ]
Besides, this pain is nothing compared to the hit you just took. What were you thinking? If I wasn't there to cover your blind spots, you could've...
[ she can't say it. she can only clench her fists at the thought. ]
[ If she won't say it then he will. Not like the topic hasn't occupied a small corner of his brain every since the revelation that people in other worlds can simply die and come back to life again with varying results. It's not as though he has any desire to give up his life in some reckless noble sacrifice, but he's also a realist. Things happen even with the best-laid of plans. ]
I'm well aware of the risks, Ishmael. I think we all are, after last time.
[ So stop harping on him??
He can't remember the last time he's felt this annoyed over such a minor grievance. Maybe it's the adrenaline still running through his veins from the battle beforehand, or maybe it's the nagging fear that if she turns around now and goes out there and something happens, he wouldn't be able to cover her the same way she had for him.
The tingling in his arms worsens briefly as the stiffness and numbness slowly works itself out, though sadly the annoyance in his voice remains lodged right where it is. ]
Whatever pain you're experiencing doesn't have to be serious for it to cause problems later on. Who's going to cover your blind spots if you go back out there now? At least have a plan in mind before you go running back out there.
I do have a plan! You think I'm that stupid to go out there without one?!
[ just... the nerve of it all. normally these things don't rile her up as much anymore, but with various emotions running high couple with the splitting headache she's sporting at the moment, she can't help but snap back before managing to reel herself back in with an intake of breath. ]
Other people can cover for me. I won't corrode out there, if that's what you're thinking.
[ that's not what he's thinking at all, but her harried mind is going to fill out the blanks for them. thanks! ]
I'm already experienced in things like this, Wriothesley. I've been doing this for half my life! Why won't you believe in me now?! If one of us is going to get hurt, it may as well be me.
[ she just panicked, okay. seeing him collapse back there reminded her of less than pleasant things that happened back on the Lake, and now that they're friends, she can't risk it. not anymore. ]
[ He wasn't thinking that but now he definitely is thinking that and the cloud across his face only darkens at the reminder, reminiscent of the murky depths that surround the Fortress of Meropide. ]
I don't—
[ Well, it doesn't really matter what he thinks when he can barely fit a word in edgewise, and then it really doesn't matter what he thinks as soon as she drops that particular bomb. She should be the one to get hurt just because she has more experience? Absolutely not.
His whole body tenses, as though he'd just been slapped, and then he's lurching clumsily to his feet, one hand reaching out to grab her upper arm both for support and to try to squeeze some sense into her.
And maybe also to stop her from pivoting on her heel and leaving when all he can do is stumble behind. ]
Do you really think our lives and well-being can be weighed like that, with one worth more than the other based on some arbitrary measure? Do you think I'd be happy to see you get hurt in my place just because you're used to it, or that any of your other friends here would? [ The edge to his voice, so noticeable now after being sheathed for so long, should probably be enough of an answer. ] I don't want you to go back out there right away because I'm worried about you, not because I think you can't handle yourself.
[ Not that he really made that clear the first time around, RIP. ]
[ she was going to take a step forward to stop him from getting up to his feet, only to be grabbed by the arm and be scolded by him in a tone of voice that she never thought she'd hear from him. every word from him cuts like a cold knife, and all she could do is stand there, shaking slightly as her migraines grow worse. she has her head ducked low, not wanting to meet his icy gaze for once.
he really could've made himself clearer about that from the start, tbh. for a while she's silent, taking a deep breath so that she won't explode of him like she used to do back on the Lake, when everything was spiraling out of her control. ]
...I was worried about you, too. [ she tries to make herself sound steady. ] But I am not planning to sacrifice myself. Nothing good ever comes out of killing yourself for any goal, noble or otherwise. I have to do it because I know I can, and most of the time, I don't have a choice but to do what needs to be done.
[ her grip is tight as she takes his hand from her arm and placing it down, holding him by the wrist. ]
Just seeing you collapse back there... It reminded me of the friends I had lost. And the last thing I want is to sit here and be useless while I'm still capable of moving while they no longer could. [ now she cants her head up to look at him, her eyes pleading. ] You get that, don't you?
[ You get that, don't you she asks, and he falls silent as he stares down at her.
His own experiences are, of course, different from hers. He didn't spend half his life out among the vast horrors of the ocean but rather trapped in a bubble deep within—not that life in the Fortress had really been that much safer. The same risk of hunger and dehydration if he didn't work hard enough, the same risk of losing his life due to a single misstep or just sheer bad luck. The same desire to claw his way towards survival and the assurance of continued breath in his lungs, both for himself and others.
It doesn't make any of this any easier, the concern that gnaws at his heart or the volatility of his emotions that he's not sure how to control or the lingering numbness still present in all his limbs. Reflexively he grabs her other hand, fingers twining through hers. (For support obviously, nothing more.) ]
I know. [ He gets it. ] It's just been a long time since I've felt like this. Unable to do anything.
[ Turns out it still sucks as much as it had the first time! He takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out, and then drops his forehead down until it's resting on hers. Still for support.....obviously................(?) ]
Be careful. Please. If anything happens you can't handle, get out of there.
[ his circumstances and hers may be different, but they both involved the cruel ocean in some way and how inescapable it can be. not only was ishmael was fighting to stay alive as her mates die by one natural disaster after another, she was also struggling to keep her head afloat with what little air their obsessive captain had given them as everything was dedicated to hunt down the bane of all evils no matter what.
but now, she's able to breathe easy again. well, for the most part. ishmael was expecting him to have the final word before she storms off, not having her hand held like he's desperate not to let go of her. his voice does something rattly and vulnerable and she's immediately enraptured by yet another side of him, as if the impenetrable walls he's worked so hard to put up and enforce has crumbled a fair bit.
and at the end of the day, he just can't resist touching her face again, huh. one day she'd point it out and tease him about it, but right now she's completely speechless as murky green eyes meet piercing blue. she has to say something - anything - to reassure him that she'll come back right as rain, like she somehow does. ]
[ It's time for their beach (not) date!!! Which is to say that a day after their Fontaine tour discussion, sometime in the afternoon, Wriothesley is sending Ishmael an invitation to join his Dataverse.
Does she: > accept > reject > leave him on read and go to stress puke again ]
[ SHE'S FINE!!!!! SHE'S TALKED IT OUT WITH PEOPLE!!!!!! but now she's blinking at this request like oh, he wants to take her out already. not gonna lie she's already pretty excited at the thought of seeing his hometown, but at the same time she can't help but have an underlying feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. if she turns out she likes fontaine compared to the City, then she'll --
no, stop. stop overthinking. don't wanna risk stress puking again.
she's going to press accept without any preamble, and waits patiently for the app to load. ]
stop that'll just make it easier for people to stalk us
[ There's no time like the present, after all!! To take people out on (not) dates. It's fine, he already gave Malkuth a tour (to shut her up), what's one more? There's nothing weird about this.
Upon acceptance, Ishmael will find herself....at the beach! You know what it looks like. I'm not gonna describe Fontaine to you when you probably know what it looks like better than I do.
Nearby stands Wriothesley, dressed in not his usual civvie outfit but a strangely complex outfit featuring thigh high boots, a vest and collared shirt, and a fur-lined coat that drapes off his back. Guess being back in Fontaine (even digitally) has triggered the unconscious decision to revert back to his usual home outfit of choice. He gives her a little wave when he sees her. ]
Hey.
not if this catchall gets buried with all the newer posts
[ cannot believe you're making me describe things... but i'll do it for you, for us, and for the girls reading this. ishmael finds herself at a beach outside the walls of a walled city nearby, the sun already setting in the horizon as wriothesley makes his way over to her. she blinks at his fontainian drip and... realizes that she may be a little underdress for this occasion. um. ]
Hold on, let me just--
[ it doesn't take her long to figure out what to wear. it's the beach, and she could see a ship just drifting by in the horizon, manned by faceless sailors that are only there to fill out the backdrop. her ratty loungewear then transforms into a simple dress, and she gives him a casual wave back - as casual as she can be, anyway. ]
[ Wait, why is she—oh. A quick look down reveals the root of her (easily-solved) worry, and something between a grimace and a pained smile flashes across his face. ]
Sorry. I didn't mean to dress like this. Force of habit.
[ Sometimes you need to project an air of confidence and also a little bit of ruthlessness so all the prison inmates under your watch don't think you're a pushover. But she hasn't commented on the look too much, so maybe he can loiter around in it a little longer. ]
You look nice though.
[ In her sailor dress, hair billowing out behind her. The words leave his mouth and instantly he wonders if he should have remarked on her appearance. This really is beginning to feel too much like an (actual) date. Maybe he won't do the gentlemanly thing and hold out his arm for her to take. ]
Is there anything in particular you wanted to see? Besides the ocean.
[ he does look pretty intimidating in that get-up, huh. but it's fine, she supposes. this is yet again another side of him that anyone else has yet to see, and she finds herself taking delight in it -- like indulging a secret between the two of them. ]
Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself.
[ she'll take that compliment, at least. if he said anything more specific she would've folded. but she is wondering why he's not holding out his arm like he usually would... oh well, she's probably overthinking it again. ]
I'm already satisfied just gazing out into the ocean alone. Has it always been this clear?
[ she could see long strands of seaweed swaying from the ocean floor, the schools of unidentifiable fish swimming past. it's a beautiful sight, but she'll behave and join wriothesley at his side for now. ]
Let's just take a walk along the shore, if you don't mind. If there's anything you want to say about your hometown, I'm all ears.
You think so? [ He glances down again, this time without the html fuckup. ] It seems to work well enough on the inmates, so I've never bothered to change it.
[ There, her crumbs of prison lore. Nothing will ever top his traumadumping session of before, but that's probably for the best. They both need some recovery time.
If she wants to walk around though, they can certainly do that, and he waves one hand for her to go ahead before falling into step beside her. Still no offered arm to hold onto though, damn. :/ ]
As far as I've lived here, it has. [ Which has been his whole life, and will continue to be his whole life. ] Probably has something to do with Fontaine being the source of all waters in Teyvat.
[ Is that actually true? Is it something someone made up once? He's no biologist to care enough, and though he's done some reading on the nation's history, even history books tend to exaggerate actual truth. Anyway. ]
There's not really much to say though. I wouldn't say Fontaine's all that different from any other nation out there. People still do what they can to make a living for themselves, visit friends and raise families the best they can.
[ and so they walk. the water may be artificial, fueled by wriothesley's memories of his world, but it's realistic enough to the point of uncanniness. ishmael quickly adapts, though; it's no different from peering into a sinner's psyche every time they get too close to a golden bough. only this time it's-- ]
It's different enough for me. Everything here so far is... peaceful. [ her smile is wan as they leave footprints in the sand. ] I know this is all virtual reality, but this means the grass and the flowers in Fontaine are all-natural. I don't remember the last time I've been to a beach this pretty.
[ even the prettier beaches of U Corp's Nests are mere tourist traps, stripped of all its natural beauty. here, it's all untouched. taking a deep breath of the artificial-yet-seemingly-real ocean breeze, she peers into the distance and spots-- ]
Hm? What are those?
[ just a few feet away are seal-like creatures on their backs, just loafing away as they soak in the setting sun on the coastline. ishmael doesn't know that though, and she runs forth to get a closer look. ]
[ How cryptic. Not that he means to be pessimistic or ruin this perfectly pleasant outing - inning? technically they haven't left their rooms - but it's hard to go back to viewing Fontaine as some sort of ideal and just nation when he's experienced firsthand too many of its societal and economic flaws.
But no one cares about his personal problems, why talk about those when cute Blubberbeasts are right out there in the open for everyone to see? He looks a little startled when Ishmael suddenly runs off, eyes following the path set by her feet before they land on the round marine animals just soaking up the sun.
He takes his time following behind her. ]
They're Blubberbeasts. [ me pulling up the genshin wiki at lightspeed. ] They're pretty peaceful creatures. They won't hurt you if you don't hurt them.
[ and ig they won't hurt you even if you hurt them............ ]
[ oh, she's not about to deny that fontaine's a perfect place to live in - no nation is, in her opinion - but right now, this little spot manifested from wriothesley's mind is all that matters.
true to his word, the blubberbeasts are just chillin' on their backs, not even looking up to watch ishmael carefully approaching them. sorry, it's just instinct for her to be cautious after years of fending off monsters. though, they don't look monstrous at all, do they? ]
They're so...
[ cute...... way too cute. yall just have seals roll up on your beaches like it's nobody's business? wow. ishmael doesn't show outward cuteness aggression, but she walks up to them and starts blinking rapidly while pressing a button behind her ear, indicating that she is taking pictures. a Lot of pictures. sorry wrio you have been forgotten ]
[ She's so valid for that, tbh. Who cares about men when there are round beach ball seals to take pictures of?
While her rapt attention is fixed on the Blubberbeasts, Wriothesley wanders over to a nearby rocky outcropping and takes a seat, resting both elbows on his thighs as he watches her do whatever it is she's doing (take pictures). The Blubberbeasts are cute, sure, but they're old news to him. What's really cute is Ishmael just chilling there, the skirt of her dress rippling in the afternoon breeze, a look of deep concentration on her face.
They're not really back in Fontaine and this definitely isn't a date, but for a handful of seconds he can let himself be deluded into thinking it is. There's nothing wrong with having dreams as long as he wakes himself up at the end of it all. But for now, he will content himself with staring at her like a creep. ]
[ she's very much locked in on these guys, snapping as much photos as she could. what is she, march? though she supposes she understands where march is coming from this one time. she then looks up from her current distraction to catch wriothesley watching her from afar, the artificial ocean breeze combing through his hair as he sits there. this time, she doesn't shy away from her own feelings. she lets herself concede for this singular moment in time that she is happy, that there really is nowhere she's rather be than here with him for company.
her heart lodges itself in her throat. don't worry, she won't throw up.
ever since talking it out with various people on the network, it had been so easy to convince herself that whatever she has for him is just physical -- just meaningless chemistry, something she would've felt for any other guy who'd bother to get to know her on a deeper level. there aren't plenty of people like that at base or at the City, after all. but that's not what this is, isn't it? not anymore, and maybe it never was.
because chemistry and niceties don't explain why she can't breathe right now. why she wants to stay here in this fake version of the only world he's ever known before coming here, why she wants to kiss him again despite everything. but she'll put a cap on it for now as she walks toward him to take a seat right next to him, grateful that he'll even let her in the first place. ]
No wonder you like picnics if you can just watch these guys from afar. [ she beams. ] Thanks for showing them to me.
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🍵 wriothesley
but of course, their fight's not yet done. it's never going to be that easy, as far as ishmael is concerned. the rift manifesting underneath the haunted mansion and summoning forth more electrical hybrids felt like the second phase of a fight, and with the flurry of chaos going on around them with this new phenomenon, it can be hard to keep track of every little thing now.
except for one. in her peripheral vision, she sees wriothesley doing his thing, and further behind him is a stray hybrid aiming to jump him. if it gets too close-- ]
Wriothesley!!
[ she sprints towards him, even though it might be too late. still, she wields snagharpoon with a blink of an eye and throws it at the monster, hoping that she can still make it in time before it zaps him. ]
not the tea emoji.....
Turns out that a) going through the whole song and dance once and b) making a few preparations in the name of sucking it up and getting a few nanobot injections really make fighting giant monsters a lot easier. Not a walk in the park easy but at least he isn't being batted around left and right each time one of the giant lizard things makes a dive at him.
He holds his own well-enough, focus extra sharp after it turns out the kaiju are particularly susceptible to cold. Time for him to pull his weight. But he's only one man, with only one set of eyes and ears, and the gradual wear of time and effort on his concentration means that eventually he's caught unawares.
Ishmael's shout comes a little too late, and he pivots on one foot just in time for a particularly large shock of electricity to beam him in the chest. Fucking ow. Don't mind him as he drops to the ground, convulsions momentarily rippling through his body.
It's fine though! It's fine. Just give him a minute or two to recover. Hopefully there are no other monsters in the immediate vicinity ready to take a bite out of him (there are probably more monsters in the immediate vicinity ready to take a bite out of him. ]
🥺 he's tea-rrific what can i say
Wriothesley?! [ she kneels beside him, checking his vitals by pressing her ear onto his chest, frantically touching his face and making sure he's still breathing. okay, good. ] Hang on, I need to get you out of here...
[ her mind races. they could be safer if she uses ardor blossom star to fly him out of here, but she'd be risking corrosion much faster since it's a higher-level E.G.O. calling for help might be too late in the midst of all this mayhem. so the only solution left is to--
hm. she should be able to handle it with her own augmentations. and sorry if she's going to be a little rough here, but she will lift wrio up and hoist him onto her shoulders like a bag of potatoes, hightailing it out of here. it won't be easy dodging lizard corpses and other things that are incoming, but the medbay shouldn't be too far from here if she keeps going this way. ]
that was not whale done of you
But Ishmael clearly has everything under control as she races towards him and proceeds to....casually toss him over her shoulder? That's new. The whole experience is actually so jarring that he doesn't even have the wherewithal to protest, his eyes widening as his mind races to catch up to what's just happened...by which point they're already halfway to medbay.
He can't really protest her course of action when the alternative would have been to let him lounge around being a liability, but something about bandied about like a sack of potatoes doesn't sit well with him and he's frowning deeply by the time they reach medbay and Ishmael deposits him back down. ]
Was it really necessary to carry me like that?
[ Sometimes a normally reasonable man gets hecked up from hanging out near a rift for too long... ]
no subject
Can you really afford to be picky in a life-or-death situation? I thought you'd be more sensible than that.
[ her frown mirrors his as she rubs at her temples. she doesn't mean to be snippy, but the headaches and the ensuing chaos outside the medical area are not helping her mood at all. ]
Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm going back out there again as soon as they get back here with meds. Just stay put, okay?
no subject
Shouldn't you also be taking a break?
[ She definitely looks worse for the wear - though who among them doesn't right now - and all that massaging at her temples can't be a good sign. ]
At least get yourself checked out first.
no subject
[ there's a version of herself in another world who had to suffer constant headaches just to be able to work the mind-controlled weapons they'd been given her, who had no choice but to endure all that with minimal pain relief. this little migraine? it's nothing compared to that.
unfortunately, it does make her more irate than usual. maybe a little nitpicky. and wrio just so happens to be right here for her to vent her frustrations at, however misaimed they may be. ]
Besides, this pain is nothing compared to the hit you just took. What were you thinking? If I wasn't there to cover your blind spots, you could've...
[ she can't say it. she can only clench her fists at the thought. ]
no subject
[ If she won't say it then he will. Not like the topic hasn't occupied a small corner of his brain every since the revelation that people in other worlds can simply die and come back to life again with varying results. It's not as though he has any desire to give up his life in some reckless noble sacrifice, but he's also a realist. Things happen even with the best-laid of plans. ]
I'm well aware of the risks, Ishmael. I think we all are, after last time.
[ So stop harping on him??
He can't remember the last time he's felt this annoyed over such a minor grievance. Maybe it's the adrenaline still running through his veins from the battle beforehand, or maybe it's the nagging fear that if she turns around now and goes out there and something happens, he wouldn't be able to cover her the same way she had for him.
The tingling in his arms worsens briefly as the stiffness and numbness slowly works itself out, though sadly the annoyance in his voice remains lodged right where it is. ]
Whatever pain you're experiencing doesn't have to be serious for it to cause problems later on. Who's going to cover your blind spots if you go back out there now? At least have a plan in mind before you go running back out there.
no subject
[ just... the nerve of it all. normally these things don't rile her up as much anymore, but with various emotions running high couple with the splitting headache she's sporting at the moment, she can't help but snap back before managing to reel herself back in with an intake of breath. ]
Other people can cover for me. I won't corrode out there, if that's what you're thinking.
[ that's not what he's thinking at all, but her harried mind is going to fill out the blanks for them. thanks! ]
I'm already experienced in things like this, Wriothesley. I've been doing this for half my life! Why won't you believe in me now?! If one of us is going to get hurt, it may as well be me.
[ she just panicked, okay. seeing him collapse back there reminded her of less than pleasant things that happened back on the Lake, and now that they're friends, she can't risk it. not anymore. ]
no subject
I don't—
[ Well, it doesn't really matter what he thinks when he can barely fit a word in edgewise, and then it really doesn't matter what he thinks as soon as she drops that particular bomb. She should be the one to get hurt just because she has more experience? Absolutely not.
His whole body tenses, as though he'd just been slapped, and then he's lurching clumsily to his feet, one hand reaching out to grab her upper arm both for support and to try to squeeze some sense into her.
And maybe also to stop her from pivoting on her heel and leaving when all he can do is stumble behind. ]
Do you really think our lives and well-being can be weighed like that, with one worth more than the other based on some arbitrary measure? Do you think I'd be happy to see you get hurt in my place just because you're used to it, or that any of your other friends here would? [ The edge to his voice, so noticeable now after being sheathed for so long, should probably be enough of an answer. ] I don't want you to go back out there right away because I'm worried about you, not because I think you can't handle yourself.
[ Not that he really made that clear the first time around, RIP. ]
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he really could've made himself clearer about that from the start, tbh. for a while she's silent, taking a deep breath so that she won't explode of him like she used to do back on the Lake, when everything was spiraling out of her control. ]
...I was worried about you, too. [ she tries to make herself sound steady. ] But I am not planning to sacrifice myself. Nothing good ever comes out of killing yourself for any goal, noble or otherwise. I have to do it because I know I can, and most of the time, I don't have a choice but to do what needs to be done.
[ her grip is tight as she takes his hand from her arm and placing it down, holding him by the wrist. ]
Just seeing you collapse back there... It reminded me of the friends I had lost. And the last thing I want is to sit here and be useless while I'm still capable of moving while they no longer could. [ now she cants her head up to look at him, her eyes pleading. ] You get that, don't you?
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His own experiences are, of course, different from hers. He didn't spend half his life out among the vast horrors of the ocean but rather trapped in a bubble deep within—not that life in the Fortress had really been that much safer. The same risk of hunger and dehydration if he didn't work hard enough, the same risk of losing his life due to a single misstep or just sheer bad luck. The same desire to claw his way towards survival and the assurance of continued breath in his lungs, both for himself and others.
It doesn't make any of this any easier, the concern that gnaws at his heart or the volatility of his emotions that he's not sure how to control or the lingering numbness still present in all his limbs. Reflexively he grabs her other hand, fingers twining through hers. (For support obviously, nothing more.) ]
I know. [ He gets it. ] It's just been a long time since I've felt like this. Unable to do anything.
[ Turns out it still sucks as much as it had the first time! He takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out, and then drops his forehead down until it's resting on hers. Still for support.....obviously................(?) ]
Be careful. Please. If anything happens you can't handle, get out of there.
1/2
but now, she's able to breathe easy again. well, for the most part. ishmael was expecting him to have the final word before she storms off, not having her hand held like he's desperate not to let go of her. his voice does something rattly and vulnerable and she's immediately enraptured by yet another side of him, as if the impenetrable walls he's worked so hard to put up and enforce has crumbled a fair bit.
and at the end of the day, he just can't resist touching her face again, huh. one day she'd point it out and tease him about it, but right now she's completely speechless as murky green eyes meet piercing blue. she has to say something - anything - to reassure him that she'll come back right as rain, like she somehow does. ]
sighs
hehe
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puts this on your log because i'm too lazy to find mine
Does she:
> accept
> reject
> leave him on read and go to stress puke again ]
we may as well put all our threads here help
no, stop. stop overthinking. don't wanna risk stress puking again.
she's going to press accept without any preamble, and waits patiently for the app to load. ]
stop that'll just make it easier for people to stalk us
Upon acceptance, Ishmael will find herself....at the beach! You know what it looks like. I'm not gonna describe Fontaine to you when you probably know what it looks like better than I do.
Nearby stands Wriothesley, dressed in not his usual civvie outfit but a strangely complex outfit featuring thigh high boots, a vest and collared shirt, and a fur-lined coat that drapes off his back. Guess being back in Fontaine (even digitally) has triggered the unconscious decision to revert back to his usual home outfit of choice. He gives her a little wave when he sees her. ]
Hey.
not if this catchall gets buried with all the newer posts
Hold on, let me just--
[ it doesn't take her long to figure out what to wear. it's the beach, and she could see a ship just drifting by in the horizon, manned by faceless sailors that are only there to fill out the backdrop. her ratty loungewear then transforms into a simple dress, and she gives him a casual wave back - as casual as she can be, anyway. ]
...Hey.
wait you're so right
Sorry. I didn't mean to dress like this. Force of habit.
[ Sometimes you need to project an air of confidence and also a little bit of ruthlessness so all the prison inmates under your watch don't think you're a pushover. But she hasn't commented on the look too much, so maybe he can loiter around in it a little longer. ]
You look nice though.
[ In her sailor dress, hair billowing out behind her. The words leave his mouth and instantly he wonders if he should have remarked on her appearance. This really is beginning to feel too much like an (actual) date. Maybe he won't do the gentlemanly thing and hold out his arm for her to take. ]
Is there anything in particular you wanted to see? Besides the ocean.
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Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself.
[ she'll take that compliment, at least. if he said anything more specific she would've folded. but she is wondering why he's not holding out his arm like he usually would... oh well, she's probably overthinking it again. ]
I'm already satisfied just gazing out into the ocean alone. Has it always been this clear?
[ she could see long strands of seaweed swaying from the ocean floor, the schools of unidentifiable fish swimming past. it's a beautiful sight, but she'll behave and join wriothesley at his side for now. ]
Let's just take a walk along the shore, if you don't mind. If there's anything you want to say about your hometown, I'm all ears.
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[ There, her crumbs of prison lore. Nothing will ever top his traumadumping session of before, but that's probably for the best. They both need some recovery time.
If she wants to walk around though, they can certainly do that, and he waves one hand for her to go ahead before falling into step beside her. Still no offered arm to hold onto though, damn. :/ ]
As far as I've lived here, it has. [ Which has been his whole life, and will continue to be his whole life. ] Probably has something to do with Fontaine being the source of all waters in Teyvat.
[ Is that actually true? Is it something someone made up once? He's no biologist to care enough, and though he's done some reading on the nation's history, even history books tend to exaggerate actual truth. Anyway. ]
There's not really much to say though. I wouldn't say Fontaine's all that different from any other nation out there. People still do what they can to make a living for themselves, visit friends and raise families the best they can.
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It's different enough for me. Everything here so far is... peaceful. [ her smile is wan as they leave footprints in the sand. ] I know this is all virtual reality, but this means the grass and the flowers in Fontaine are all-natural. I don't remember the last time I've been to a beach this pretty.
[ even the prettier beaches of U Corp's Nests are mere tourist traps, stripped of all its natural beauty. here, it's all untouched. taking a deep breath of the artificial-yet-seemingly-real ocean breeze, she peers into the distance and spots-- ]
Hm? What are those?
[ just a few feet away are seal-like creatures on their backs, just loafing away as they soak in the setting sun on the coastline. ishmael doesn't know that though, and she runs forth to get a closer look. ]
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[ How cryptic. Not that he means to be pessimistic or ruin this perfectly pleasant outing - inning? technically they haven't left their rooms - but it's hard to go back to viewing Fontaine as some sort of ideal and just nation when he's experienced firsthand too many of its societal and economic flaws.
But no one cares about his personal problems, why talk about those when cute Blubberbeasts are right out there in the open for everyone to see? He looks a little startled when Ishmael suddenly runs off, eyes following the path set by her feet before they land on the round marine animals just soaking up the sun.
He takes his time following behind her. ]
They're Blubberbeasts. [ me pulling up the genshin wiki at lightspeed. ] They're pretty peaceful creatures. They won't hurt you if you don't hurt them.
[ and ig they won't hurt you even if you hurt them............ ]
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true to his word, the blubberbeasts are just chillin' on their backs, not even looking up to watch ishmael carefully approaching them. sorry, it's just instinct for her to be cautious after years of fending off monsters. though, they don't look monstrous at all, do they? ]
They're so...
[ cute...... way too cute. yall just have seals roll up on your beaches like it's nobody's business? wow. ishmael doesn't show outward cuteness aggression, but she walks up to them and starts blinking rapidly while pressing a button behind her ear, indicating that she is taking pictures. a Lot of pictures. sorry wrio you have been forgotten ]
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While her rapt attention is fixed on the Blubberbeasts, Wriothesley wanders over to a nearby rocky outcropping and takes a seat, resting both elbows on his thighs as he watches her do whatever it is she's doing (take pictures). The Blubberbeasts are cute, sure, but they're old news to him. What's really cute is Ishmael just chilling there, the skirt of her dress rippling in the afternoon breeze, a look of deep concentration on her face.
They're not really back in Fontaine and this definitely isn't a date, but for a handful of seconds he can let himself be deluded into thinking it is. There's nothing wrong with having dreams as long as he wakes himself up at the end of it all. But for now, he will content himself with staring at her like a creep. ]
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her heart lodges itself in her throat. don't worry, she won't throw up.
ever since talking it out with various people on the network, it had been so easy to convince herself that whatever she has for him is just physical -- just meaningless chemistry, something she would've felt for any other guy who'd bother to get to know her on a deeper level. there aren't plenty of people like that at base or at the City, after all. but that's not what this is, isn't it? not anymore, and maybe it never was.
because chemistry and niceties don't explain why she can't breathe right now. why she wants to stay here in this fake version of the only world he's ever known before coming here, why she wants to kiss him again despite everything. but she'll put a cap on it for now as she walks toward him to take a seat right next to him, grateful that he'll even let her in the first place. ]
No wonder you like picnics if you can just watch these guys from afar. [ she beams. ] Thanks for showing them to me.
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what happened to your tag break
STOP i finished at least one movie ok 🥺
starts up the next one for you
ok you gotta choose between wuthering heights and fallout for me
wuthering heights for your projmoon needs
🥹 okay....
i really wrote so much in this tag and for what
now THIS is heterosexual wagyu