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+---- Thread: offer me that deathless death (/showthread.php?tid=10278)
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-23-2024
[say]"Do us a favour then, love, and don't put your mind to it?"[/say] Jack drawls, reaching out to muss her hair now that she doesn't have the protection of her hat. Once even this would have been enough to have his hackles up, these hypothetical mutinies and the way Flora subconsciously tests and stretches the spheres of her influence, as if they might manifest at any moment into something real and problematic. Now, though, he can shrug them off breezily enough - when it comes from Flora, at least.
[say]"Bold of you to assume I want to have more than one snowball fight,"[/say] he says, raising an eyebrow and shoving his hands into his pockets as they head deeper into the Fangs. [say]"One was enough for me."[/say] Casualties or no casualties, Jack following dutifully in the direction of the hotsprings since that seems to be where the Doubletake is headed.
Wrinkling his nose, very quickly the mageglass is seeming like more trouble than it's worth, especially given that there's already a ring of the stuff twinkling on one of his fingers. [say]"At least we know where to go if we ever do want to upset ourselves figurin' out riddles all day."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-23-2024
[say]"Well, only because you asked so nicely."[/say] Shooting Jack a look, the sort that very clearly said I know what you're doing—and he did, every time he called her love the word had molten gold spilling through the ravines and valleys of her thoughts and coating her mind in a layer of glitter that refused to be moved—Flora groans as her curls are mussed. Immediately swatting at Jack's hands, the queen huffs theatrically before combing her fingers through her hair.
[say]"Naive of you to think you'll have a choice."[/say] Flora fires back, nudging the captain as they head down a tunnel whose well-worn path seems to suggest that they were indeed going the right way.
[say]"Can't be that hard."[/say] Thinking of Sah, her dislike of the Wild Thunder was almost purely out of spite, not that he'd ever done anything to redeem himself in her eyes, Flora wrinkles her nose. [say]"He has some, so..."[/say] Looking at Jack over her shoulder, the queen shrugs, entirely game for it if he ever wanted to add another ring to his finger. [say]"Besides, I'm pretty sure I could just channel Safrin and ask for the answers."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-23-2024
Raising his eyebrows right back at Flora as if to ask what the problem was - he's only doing something he knows she enjoys, after all, and if that happens to coincide with him getting something he wants... well, everyone wins, right? Scoffing a laugh that echoes off the craggy walls and stepping back to avoid her swatting hands, the world seems to grow a touch warmer as they continue down the well-travelled trail towards the hotsprings, and the captain unbuttons his coat to let it fall open around him.
[say]"I s'pose that's true If someone opened fire on me with snowballs, I'd have no choice but to fight back."[/say] If that's the case, though, Jack can always make his own snowballs - as he demonstrates through a pulse of magic that has one forming in his hand, which he promptly tosses at Flora.
Raising his eyebrows as she thinks of Sah (and dropping back in case of sudden retaliation), he nods his agreement - it's where he'd gotten the idea for it, after all. [say]"Ah, I didn't think of Safrin. Remember you could only do it for one riddle, though."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-24-2024
[say]"mmhmm, wh—"[/say] Sarcasm gives way to surprise in Flora's mind as she watches a perfectly made snowball appear in Jack's hand. Standing at his side there was little room or time to dodge out of the way, but it also meant that the snowball wouldn't have gained much speed before striking her; meaning it wouldn't hurt and would remain mostly intact. [say]"You!"[/say] Flora trills, the word ricocheting off of the cavern walls as she stops when Jack does, lobbing a slightly smaller snowball back at him. [say]"I'm going to get you for that."[/say] She vows with a laugh.
As for puzzles and such? [say]"What makes you say that?"[/say] Brow furrowed, Flora waits for Jack
Continuing down the path the reason for the lack of sound would eventually become clear: the hot springs were technically outside. Spying the literal light at the end of the tunnel as the cavern ceiling was torn away leaving the hot springs open to the chill of Halo, Flora blinks in surprise. [say]"That...was not what I was expecting."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-24-2024
Stifling his laughter and raising an arm to block the his snowball she lobs back at him, Jack brushes off his coat and eventually picks his pace back up to walk alongside Flora. [say]"I'd expect nothin' less,"[/say] he says amicably enough. [say]"And I assumed you'd only get one freebie by channellin'. More than happy to be wrong on that front though, if it gets you some mageglass."[/say] Mageglass, presumably, that would find its way into a gift of some kind. A gift for him.
Raising his eyebrows as they head closer to the hotsprings, while Jack can't hear any thoughts in the immediate vicinity either, the springs are large enough to eclipse the range of his telepathy, and he's left gaping up at the (cold) open air overhead. [say]"I think I hate it,"[/say] he drawls. And for once it's not even a knee-jerk reaction; having been to Frey's Breath, Jack has a very comfortable basis for comparison, and this does not meet his expectations.
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-24-2024
[say]"That's twice now you've made some rather bold assumptions."[/say] Flora hums wickedly, her blue-green eyes flashing with laughter as she shakes her head. [say]"I wonder if I got lucky and someone like Mort showed up, if he could just open all of the doors."[/say] If she was ever going to attempt such a thing, it was probably worth looking into beforehand. Then again, the only reason she'd consider such a thing would be purely for Jack's benefit, and given that he'd just thrown a snowball at her, did he even deserve such a thing?
Not jumping to such an immediate judgement, Flora's nose does wrinkle quite dramatically as she steps into a shaft of clear daylight. Peering up into the winter-y sky, she exhales a long stream, her breath leaving her lips in a frosty arc. [say]"I bet it's nice at night, though."[/say] Surrounded by the warm waters with a blanket of stars overhead? Glancing at Jack over her shoulder and lifting her brows, the queen shrugs. [say]"I mean, we are here."[/say] She murmurs as if expecting him to ask if it was even worth going for a swim.
Setting down her bag on a nearby stone bench, the queen was suddenly doubting her previous choice of having worn a bikini instead of a one-piece. Alas, the clothing options she had on the Ark were fairly restricted. Speaking of things on and off the Ark...[say]"I have someone staying at my house right now. A friend."[/say] Shedding her coat and then moving to strip down as quickly as she could, Flora continues. [say]"So when we get back to Torchline I'll probably spend the rest of the week at home, with her."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-24-2024
[say]"Not that I think it will do me any favours by sayin' it, but you've done a lot more for me an' I've done a lot worse than throw a snowball at you,"[/say] Jack points out, adjusting the collar of his coat and falling to a halt as they reach the edges of the hotsprings and are able to air their first impressions of them.
[say]"At night? When it's even colder? Yeah, I can see that bein' a great experience,"[/say] he continues, wrinkling his nose and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He fully expects Flora to have agreed enough, at least, to decide against taking a dip in said hotsprings, but as she starts to shed layers it's with a grumble that he starts to do the same. (Better he get in of his own free will than have her splash him or drag him later).
[say]"Oh?"[/say] he says, of the friend staying at Flora's place, Jack shrugging out of his coat and pulling his sweater over his head, loosely folding both and placing them on a dry rock nearby. [say]"Sounds like a long-winded way of tellin' me you'd like me to stay the fuck away from your place while this friend visits."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-24-2024
[say]"And yet here you are, saying it."[/say] Flora agrees with a roll of her eyes. [say]"You'd think someone with your abilities would know when to keep his mouth shut, but.."[/say] Widening her eyes, the Doubletake gives her head a wry shake before slipping out of her pants and sweater to reveal a boldly red bikini over her tanned skin. Immediately shivering, Flora all but dashes to the side of the water, sinking down onto the ledge and sliding her feet in first to see how hot it was.
[say]"Mmm?"[/say] Frowning as she ties her curls into a messy bun on the very top of her head so that her hair wouldn't freeze when they went back out, she glances at Jack with a slight furrow on her brow. [say]"Why would I want you to stay away?"[/say] Genuinely confused—Flora had told Sohalia about Jack almost right away—she shakes her head. [say]"I just meant that you'll have your cabin and your bed back"[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-24-2024
[say]"If I can't get loose lips around the one person I don't have to be careful with, when will I ever get the chance?"[/say] Jack says with a shrug of his shoulders and a catlike smile, as if Flora knowing about his telepathy gives him carte blanche to be a messy and opinionated asshole (opposed to just an opinionated asshole, you understand). Doing nothing to hide the way he watches the Doubletake in her red bikini, Jack soon follows suit, his own swimming shorts predictably muted in colour.
But they are covered in little duckies.
[say]"I just assumed you'd not bother tellin' me unless you wanted the place to yourself. And your friend,"[/say] he says, scowling and using a combination of his air and water magic to keep a swathe of warm steam around him as he approaches the side of the hotsprings. [say]"Bold of you to assume I'll want it all to myself after you've been hijackin' it fo so long."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-24-2024
[say]"Poor hard done by Jack."[/say] Flora trills in a playfully consoling voice, and if the angles of her body which are on display just happen to be emphasized in Jack's direction as she strips, what of it? Even the meagre efforts the pair have made to train have added a bit of muscle to Flora's body, and she rather liked the sculpted lines that emphasized her curves.
[say]"That makes three."[/say] The Doubletake observes of yet another wrong assumption, and though she's sure it'll have Jack rolling his eyes, Flora lets the memory of her meeting with Sohalia trickle through her thoughts. Speeding through the parts where they talk about Soh having been kidnapped, she focuses on the bits where she'd spoken about having started dating the captain, about how happy she was, that she loved him. [say]"I'm sure she'd be happy to meet you."[/say] Whether or not Sohalia's sky-blue eyes had made an impression in Jack's mind, the Luminary hadn't mentioned having met the captain before.
[say]"Gee that almost sounds like you like having me around."[/say] Flora snarks, glancing up at Jack as warm mist glides around them. Noticing then the small duckies stitched into his shorts, the Doubletake bites down on her lower lip to try and hide her growing smirk as her gaze rises. [say]"Looks like someone went shopping without me."[/say] She titters, utterly delighted, before sliding fully into the water with a gasp of surprise and relief.
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-24-2024
[say]"Thank you - it's about time someone recognised that,"[/say] Jack says with a huff, stepping down and into the hotsprings and relaxing instantly at the heat, keeping the warmer air cloying around them with his magic. Giving Flora the finger for her keeping score on his assumptions and settling back against the side of the springs, Jack closes his eyes to let the Doubletake's thoughts do the work for him; her position relative to his own, Sohalia and their conversation, the Luminary's appearance.
Of course it's Flora's feelings that shine through the most, though, golden and warm and bursting into colour just as she notices the additions to his current pair of swimming shorts. [say]"Congratulations. You've earned ducks,"[/say] he drawls, opening one eye and smirking back at her. [say]"And for the record, I do like havin' you around. I thought that would've been obvious at this point."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-24-2024
[say]"Three I said."[/say] Flora grins in response as Jack holds up one finger, pretending not to notice which one it is and ignoring its meaning.
Swimming a few feet away from the ledge if only to see how deep the hot spring would go—here at least, she could still touch—Flora turned back to face the captain, letting her head loll a touch demandingly to the side in a not so subtle indication that he should get in.
[say]"It's always hard to tell with you."[/say] Flora replies earnestly, her shoulders just barely breaking the surface of the water as she shrugs. It was true, too. For how well she knew Jack, what he thought about her and their
[say]"I thought you'd be happy about a few days on your own, actually."[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Jack - 10-24-2024
Tilting his head obnoxiously back at Flora - he is in, thank you - and settling more comfortably in the water at the side of the springs, he's just gotten properly relaxed when her thoughts turn tangled and threaten to grow thorns. [say]"Yeah?"[/say] He raises his eyebrows, passing a hand back through his hair (he can always draw the ice away later if it gets wet) and shifting away from the side of the hotsprings at last to swim out deeper with her.
[say]"I s'pose it'd be nice to have a few days to get things done, 'specially after bein' away from Torchline for so long. But you can't warm a man's bed for this long without him missin' it when you take it away. Even if the man is me,"[/say] he points out, reaching for her to draw her back through the warm water and against him. [say]"Would words really make that much of a difference to you?"[/say]
RE: offer me that deathless death - Flora - 10-24-2024
[say]"Oh yeah? It's a warm bed in Longheat that you'll miss?"[/say] Flora teases, though they both know that she wants him to say that fine, it's just her.
Letting him draw her through the water, his question has her mind flinching uncomfortably the way you might when someone tests your reflexes; not necessarily out of pain, but simply because it was the sort of thing you expected to have hurt. [say]"I mean..."[/say] Wrapping her arms around Jack's neck and letting her feet hover above the rocky bottom, she glances at the swirls of black ink on the captain's right arm. No, words shouldn't make a difference she tries to reason with herself, not when he'd inked flowers on his arm, not when he was content to have her in his bed rather than just tolerant of it. Not when he wore absurd things like chunky-knit sweaters and ducky shorts, and ferried her all around the continent simply because she wanted to see more of the world. All of those things she knew were Jack's way of showing that he cared.
[say]"I guess not."[/say] She lied; or, half-lied. Flora wanted it to be the truth, but at the end of the day, she was still a 21-year-old girl with daddy issues. [say]"Though much as I love your sarcasm, it would be nice to hear you say that you'd miss me."[/say]