lucetilogs | New Feather Party, Summer Edition!

[Gai looks her up and down for a moment before smiling. It's an honestly assessing look rather than an "I want to take that bathing suit off" look, though it's clear that he does in fact like what he sees.]

I think it suits you. It's far more interesting than mine, that's for sure.

[As Gai surveys her, Elizabeth rolls onto her hip a little, tries to look like a pinup or something that might be comparable to a bikini. She smiles, happy when he seems to approve even though she isn't nearly naked.]

Maybe some stripes. Stripes are interesting!

You think I'd look good in stripes?

[He sounds amused. That's a suggestion that no one has ever made to him before. But if she really wants it, he'll consider it for her sake.

Then, since he's been staring at her, he figures it's only fair to return the favor and give her something to look at if she wants. Time for the t-shirt to come off, leaving him in just his swim trunks. And he's not nearly as self-conscious as she is-- if she wants to stare, she can go right ahead.]

...

[Elizabeth had an answer.]

[Not... anymore.]

[It was something intelligent.]

[She's absolutely sure it was intelligent.]

[But this is the first male chest she's seen that wasn't Robert or Booker or a drawing in a book.]

[So now she's stupid.]

...what?

[It's okay, Elizabeth, Gai can understand how taking his shirt off might have that kind of effect on someone. He's very diligent about his training, meaning that he's in excellent physical shape even despite his illness.

... that wide-eyed look on her face is sort of adorable, though. (And may be feeding his ego more than a bit.)]

We were talking about stripes. What do you think?

...stripes! Yes! [Recover, recover, she's fallen through the air more than once, it's just like that right now. Sort of. She looks back out at the ocean--as ~~cut~~ attractive as Gai is in just swim trunks, they just had a conversation about bikinis leaving nearly nothing to the imagination.]

I like stripes. Pinstripes or thicker ones, they all add some, ah, visual interest....

[... okay, that's it, Gai can't resist the urge to tease just a little. Really, he just finds her fascination and her sudden inability to articulate to be CUTE, and since she's usually the one bringing him up short, he can't help but want to capitalize on the moment while it lasts.]

Judging from the way you just looked at me, I don't think there's a need to add any more visual interest.

[And that gets a positively scandalized and embarrassed look out of Elizabeth. Caught. And caught doing something indecent no less.]

That--

[Yep, still can't talk. Elizabeth hurriedly stands up, leaving her hat and parasol on the sand.]

I'm going to wade a little... in the ocean. If you want to come too. [So the abs will follow her, obviously. Not the most well-formed plan.]

[That, in Gai's opinion, was positively adorable. Okay, so he feels a little bad for teasing, but it's only fair given how much she teases him. He'll stop if he feels that she's genuinely upset; right now she just seems more flustered than anything else.

She's inviting him to come with her, so she can't be too upset about it. When she stands, so too does he, brushing the sand off his trunks before offering her his hand.]

I didn't come all the way out here just to sit around on the beach.

Why did you come? [Elizabeth takes it and does a very good job of not getting sucked into looking at Gai again--it's just so curious really...]

I mean, you aren't new. Did you have a friend arrive recently?

[It's just as well that she isn't looking at him, since he glances over at her, a bit surprised by the question given the fact that they'd met at the rave here.

But he recovers quickly, and smiles.]

The last time I came to a beach just to go swimming was when I was seven years old. I thought it might be fun to give it another try.

[Because it's something normal people do. Now, for once in his life, he has a reason to want to be normal.]

Oh. [Elizabeth realizes now that maybe that question was a little insensitive. Perhaps she was just too stuck in the 'New Feather' aspect given she had dragged Robert there.]

[She smiles up at Gai, convincing herself that the moment is probably more important than avoiding more teasing about the staring.] I'm glad you came. I've been so busy with Robert and Booker, I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time.

You know, you're welcome to drop by whenever you'd like if you want to get away from them for a little while. I doubt they'd blame you for wanting some space every now and then.

[And hey, it would mean they could have more time together, which is always a plus. But if there's one thing he understands, it's a need for space away from other people, and he suspects Elizabeth is much like he is in that respect.

He gives her hand a squeeze when she smiles at him, encouraging.]

I would love to... [She gives him a pained smile.] But I'm afraid I'll come home and someone will be dead on the floor.

I don't know why, but they just... don't like one another. [And clearly it's wearing on her a little, given her heavy sigh.] But I feel responsible for them both.

[Ah. That Gai also understands, having had to play referee between assorted Funeral Parlor members more often than he'd like to count. He's not pleased that it seems to be upsetting her, though.]

Just lock them both in separate bedrooms for the evening. Problem solved, unless you taught them how to pick locks too. That ought to at least get the message across.

Given the number of times Booker kept telling me to open doors and safes for him? I doubt he'd know which end of a lockpick to use. He'd just shoot the door off its hinges. [Elizabeth laughed at the image.] And Mr. Lutece would use a nail and a foot of string to escape.

But, if Booker knew I was on a date, he might not take the bait and we'd have a bigger problem.

You don't think I'm the perfect model of a fine, upstanding gentleman?

[He tosses his hair a little to emphasize this, though it's clear he's joking.]

I've been doing my best to keep the corrupting to a minimum so far, trip to the bar aside.

I don't think 'fine upstanding gentlemen' encourage intoxicated girls onto tables. [She grins, clearly she has absolutely no regrets about that night but also has absolutely no qualms over reminding Gai of the gallivanting he engaged in with her.]

Which, I think we should keep to ourselves. Even if it was my idea, I don't think I could convince Booker of that.

Which is why I said the trip to the bar didn't count. I'm not going to pretend I wasn't just as responsible for that.

[Even if it WAS fun as hell. How can you not enjoy dancing on a table?]

But he does seem to be the protective type. I'd be more concerned about keeping what happened after that a secret from him-- at least the dancing on the table had witnesses to confirm that it wasn't too bad.

We did leave together though. [Elizabeth looks back at the beach, wondering where Robert has gotten to. And when she doesn't see him--]

And it sounds as though you're saying what happened after was somehow 'bad'. But it was so good... I can't stop thinking about it. [She blushes, wondering if that was a little too honest to say. But who else could she tell? Absolutely no one.]

In Booker's eyes, it's probably one of the worst things the two of us could've done. Something tells me the fact that we didn't go all the way isn't going to make much of a difference as far as he's concerned.

[But hearing that from Elizabeth... well, he does have an ego, and he may be preening internally right about now. He uses the fact that they're holding hands to tug her a little closer, leaning down close to her ear and lowering his voice into something halfway between a conspiratorial whisper and something a little more seductive.]

But you aren't the only one who can't stop thinking about it.

You do have a point... [She looks utterly depressed by this. Some day she's going to have to tell Booker something and deal with the potential issue. But maybe she's just being too sensitive. After all, she and Booker had a very strong, very personal connection, but would it really hurt him all that much to know Elizabeth was attracted to someone?]

[She's playing the various scenarios in her head when Gai whispers in her ear. And that has her face going red all over again, and remembering how warm she felt with Gai's hand traveling down her back. Another little flutter rises in her chest when she remembers Gai telling her she was doing everything right, and now seems like a good point to find a little out-of-the-way place to go and relive that.]

[But... Robert. Elizabeth lets out a little gasp and pulls away a few inches after being frozen there for a minute.] Did you really come here to swim, sir? [She laughs a little and raises her eyebrow.] Or to help get me into something bad again?

[Now Gai laughs, straightening back up and looking for all the world as if they'd just been having a conversation about something as innocuous as wading in the ocean. Unlike her, it's going to take a lot more than that to get him flustered, especially since he was the one doing the teasing in the first place. But he wouldn't do it if she didn't poke right back at him-- that's what makes it fun. It's an odd way of flirting and he likes it.

Perhaps someday he'll learn how to act like a normal person in a relationship. Today, however, isn't that day.]

Who says we can't manage both? I wasn't planning on leaving for quite a while. But if you're worried about the company...

I am. I convinced Mr. Lutece to make an appearance. If he catches me leaving with you and I don't come back to the apartment until later, something bad will happen. It isn't as though they don't even speak to one another if there's a reason to. [And 'Where's Elizabeth?' seems like a good reason to talk.]

Besides... if we don't do other things, we'll only look forward to being alone together. Right?

[Elizabeth moves a bit more quickly now that they're closer to the ocean, pulling Gai along with her.] Come on! I'll even let you splash me a few times.

[... right. She has a point. Calm yourself, Gai, you're acting like a... he hates to apply the words horny teenager to himself, but even he has to admit that it'd be a fairly accurate assessment right now.

He shakes his head briefly to clear it, wondering just what the heck is wrong with him. Normally he doesn't get this worked up over things like this. Is this normal? Maybe it is normal. But with no frame of reference to compare things to...

... feelings are weird. They're weird, and they freak him out sometimes. Okay, more than sometimes.

He lets her tug him along, just chuckling softly.]

That seems like a small concession to make given how often I'm expecting to get splashed during this.

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