lucetilogs | New Feather Party, Summer Edition!

Entry tags:

New Feather Party, Summer Edition!

Who: Everyone!
What: New Feather Beach Party!
When: June 18th, 1:00 until...whenever!
Where: The Beach
Summary: Funtime Ocean/Beach Shenannigans!
Rating: G-PG

It's been a lot of hard work, but the New Feather Party is set up and ready to go! A make-shift canopy has been set up, underneath which are a few small tables covered with various foods, some made by Welcome Center staff(though people are encouraged to bring dishes of their own to share!) along with some small ice-filled coolers full of various drinks. There are also a few beach balls, some buckets full of water balloons and some small water pistols (All Pilouette could find were the basic kind; no pumps here!) scattered about for for a bit of fun in the hot weather.

((OOC: There are subthreads, but feel free to post your own top level comments as well!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That's the last thing she'll need to worry about-- once they're both safely above the surface of the water and out of that wave, Gai shifts that arm to wrap around her waist and secure her against him as he sets off for shore again.

At least the trip back in is much easier than the trip out thanks to the waves pushing him from behind. His limbs feel heavy, leaden, something he realizes as a sign that the virus' symptoms are acting up, and a sign that he needs to rest.

Their return to shore is far from graceful; he makes it as far as ankle-deep before his legs give out beneath him, dropping him to his knees. Not unlike a beached fish, ironically, though at least he isn't flopping about quite that badly.]

[Elizabeth helps as much as she can, but she's exhausted from fighting the water for so long. Once they get back to the beach and Gai collapses, Elizabeth goes down with him, panting and sitting on her hip in the water. That was close, even she can't say that wasn't close.]

[She pushes her wet hair off of her face, and looks at Gai. He's tired, she can tell that much, so maybe she has a chance to talk before he can stand up again.]

Are you angry?

[The way she asks it, it sounds as though she's expecting to hear him say that he is. There isn't a single thread of hesitation or concern in her tone, she might as well be asking him to pass the salt.]

[It takes him a moment to get enough of his breath back to even think about responding. It was close, far closer than he would've liked. He suspects that brief moment of panic when she went under didn't do anything to help with the virus flare-up, either.]

Not at you.

[His response is equally matter-of-fact; there's no hesitation in his voice, nor any anger there. It's just calm, resigned, and most importantly, tired.

He drags himself a little farther away from the water, then rolls onto his back, just staring up at the sky while he tries to gather himself. Well. There's no lack of adventure when he spends time with her, that much is for certain.]

Why not? [Elizabeth follows him, crawling most of the way before resuming her position on her hip.] I nearly got myself killed out there because you wouldn't look at me. I think in most circles, that would make me insane.

Because you aren't the one who thought it was a good idea to make you think that I was drowning. I think that would make me stupid and thoughtless.

[He tries to lever himself up a bit on one arm, only to wince and sink back down.]

[Oh no you don't, Gai. Elizabeth shuffles over some more and puts her left hand on the other side of Gai's torso. Now he'll have to push her off to get up.]

You aren't the one who thought it was a good idea to make an attempt at drowning. [Not exactly, of course, but she'd known the possibility was always there.]

Were you scared, then? When I went under?

Of course I was.

[She can do what she likes, because he's too tired to even make an attempt at pushing her off right now.

Instead, he just closes his eyes. It doesn't work, though-- the images from over a decade ago are even more vivid behind his eyelids, and he soon opens them again.]

I thought I might lose you. That I'd failed again.

[Elizabeth nods, apparently keenly understanding what Gai was saying. She doesn't know what his previous failure is, but Gai has probably lost a lot of friends to his revolution. Seen too many empty chairs.]

Then you know how I felt. [She tilts her head, eyes pleading with him.] I think that makes us even.

[Rather than answer that with words, he reaches up to slip a hand around the back of her head and tug it down so that he can meet her lips with his own.

They've both been idiots today, there's no denying that. Gai for starting this whole mess, and Elizabeth for tempting fate and risking her own safety. The culpability is mutual. But so too, hopefully, is the relief that things ended well and that no one actually got hurt.]

[Mostly, Elizabeth is relieved Gai doesn't seem resigned to walking off without her in a ball of self-loathing. She kisses him back, apparently forgetting that Robert could be on the beach watching them. After two deep, very emotional kisses, Elizabeth breaks away feeling everything start to bubble to the surface.]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was afraid I had lost you, I didn't know what else to do.

[The last thing Gai is thinking about right now is whether anyone is going to see this little display of... affection? Relief? Even he isn't sure where the lines are anymore.

To say he has no idea what he's feeling right now would be a lie, though. He's got an inkling as to what it is, has heard and read enough about it to be able to hazard a guess, and somehow that knowledge (scant thought it is) terrifies him more than he would be had he no clue what it was.]

I was afraid of the same thing. That's why I walked away like that...

No... [She gives a short, slightly delirious laugh and shakes her head.] No, that would never make me not want to see you again.

[Elizabeth, rests her forehead on Gai's.] I lied, I'll never be able to control it. It's impossible. Tears will show up around me, I'll surprise you when you're sleeping someday. It's just how we are, isn't it? [She cups Gai's cheek.]

I'd rather have all of you, every beautiful, odd, and flawed thing, than be without you.

[Gai Tsutsugami has been through many things. He's survived the apocalypse, spent years on battlefields in Africa as a child soldier, faced down countless threats directed at him, and even died. He didn't think there was a thing left in this world or any other for him to be afraid of.

Apparently he was wrong, because he's more terrified in this moment than he's ever been before.]

And if you surprise me while I'm asleep, I could end up hurting you, or worse. We could both hurt each other, maybe even kill each other. We can't control or change what we are.

[And he reaches up to return the gesture, cupping her cheek and letting his fingertips trail lightly over the soft skin there.]

But I'm willing to take that risk if you are. You said you'd rather be dead than be a hypocrite... well, I'd rather be dead than be without you either.

[He's sure she must be able to hear his heartbeat, with the way it feels like it's trying to leap out of his chest.]

[She can feel it, even through her damp wool dress she can feel Gai's heart hammering. Elizabeth's starts up too.]

Yes, I'll take the risk. I'll be careful, I promise, but I'll take the risk too. [She holds Gai's hand to her cheek and closes her eyes.] I've never met anyone like me, and no one who makes me smile as much as you do. I can't imagine not knowing you, Gai.

[She opens her eyes again.] Promise not to shut me out like that again, and I'll promise not to do something that dangerous to prove a point again.

[She's asking more of him than anyone has ever asked before, and for a moment, he's afraid he can't do what she wants. Shutting people out isn't even a conscious action on his part anymore. It's just how he copes, how he reacts to things, and he's got enough self-awareness to realize that much.

But now... now he wants to share things with her, because she hasn't judged him for anything, nor has she pitied him. She's just treated him like a person, like anyone else.]

... I promise. You drive a pretty hard bargain, though. Has anyone ever told you that?

[It's teasing, but the tone of his voice makes it clear that it's affectionate teasing.]

Mm... not explicitly, no. [But she imagines she's the sort of person who gives ultimatums when they're necessary. Like now. She can't stand cold shoulders or silence from the people she cares about, not anymore. Not when she could do something to help.]

[Elizabeth leans down again and presses another kiss to Gai's lips.] I'll be very nasty if you break your promise. I'll drag it out for you to remember, and cross my arms and everything. [Another kiss.] Even if you think i won't understand, the least I can do is listen.

[And he laughs, a sort of rumbling murmur in his throat that gets swallowed up by those kisses. Not that he minds at all.]

You know how to make a threat, too. Crossing your arms is just downright cruel.

[Then he sobers up, face and voice taking on a more serious expression.]

There are some things I can't tell you yet-- things I haven't told anyone. It isn't something personal, and I'm not saying I won't tell you because I don't trust you. I'd just prefer for those things to stay buried for now.

[In part because he knows how upset she would be to hear them, and he doesn't want to inflict that on her just yet.]

[Elizabeth's expression takes on a more serious note as well, taking her cue from Gai of course. But even after he explains himself, Elizabeth still manages a small smile and a nod.]

I understand. I have things like that too... Things I don't want to relive while I retell them. [She fixes some of Gai's wet hair, moving a few locks to their proper places.] But whatever it is, I promise I'll always bear the weight of whatever you choose to tell me, right with you.

[Her smile prompts a quiet little one of his own. This time he's the one to take initiative, catching that hand that's fixing his hair so that he can entwine his fingers with hers and shift them to rest on his chest over his heart.]

I won't force you to share anything you don't want to. Only when you're ready, if you're ever ready at all. And it's fine if you never are.

[She considers that for a moment, then nods silently. They had a similar history of experimentation and abuse (to a certain degree). If there wasn't a reason for Elizabeth to reveal the details, she would keep it to herself.]

The same goes for you. [She extends one of her fingers out from Gai's hand and traces it over a small patch of his chest.] I want to live in this moment instead of the past anyway.

[That shared history is exactly why Gai understands that there are some things that each one of them might never feel comfortable talking about. And he's okay with that; some things (in his mind) just don't need to be known. The past is the past, what's happened to both of them can't be changed. All they can do now is move forward.

His breath hitches slightly at her touch-- it's electric, almost, and far more pleasant than it has any right to be.]

This moment, and the future.

[It's a promise of sorts, as much of one as he can make.]

[Elizabeth grins at Gai's reaction, brushing her finger over Gai's chest again.] And the future.

[Her gaze drifts from their hands to the crystals on Gai's body, and her smile goes apologetic. She doesn't know much about what is growing on Gai's neck and shoulder, and so it's the one thing about their future--whatever that is--that worries her.] I wore you out, didn't I?

[Now he gives a soft laugh, trying to hide the shiver that runs up his spine when she touches him again. If this is another side effect of the virus? He's pretty sure he can live with this one.]

It's nothing that a little rest can't fix. You'll have to do a lot more than that if you plan on really wearing me out.

[... and if she ever did manage to thoroughly exhaust him? He'd love every minute of it.]

I won't make you swim much further next time, then. [She chuckles and settles down on the sand, her head on Gai's shoulder. Her finger traces little circles on Gai's chest, and Elizabeth finds herself unabashedly watching it rise and fall with Gai's breathing.]

I'm lucky you're so strong.

[Gai stretches out an arm to slip beneath her and tug her against his side for warmth, since he's got a sneaking suspicion that her bathing suit will end up being somewhat cold and unpleasant now that they're out of the water. But it's so hard to concentrate with her drawing patterns on his skin like that, and he finds himself suddenly glad that she's more clothed than he is lest he be tempted to mimic her actions on her.]

Never let it be said that constant training wasn't good for something.

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