[ SOMETHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED.........YOU NEVER KNOW........... But they did and now Kia has to app Gebura. Which has nothing to do with this tag but I needed to put it in writing anyway in case she reads this thread too.
But off they go then, the two of them keeping pace with each other. He's not usually one for gossip, but he can make an exception when it comes to Han Sooyoung. ]
Oh I don't know, it's always nice to find someone who shares your common interests.
[ In this case, it's bitching about Han Sooyoung. ]
[ kia if you're out there, we're doing this for you.............. and for us too lbr ]
Hopefully she's not the only one we have in common. That'd be the worst.
[ imagine hsy bringing people together. yuck. ]
I was just thinking of how she promised me to a date at the amusement park last month thanks to that app. An abandoned amusement park, mind you. Which is fine, but then she struck a chord in me on the way there. So I said that I don't want to go anymore, so she dropped at the side of the road! I was so exhausted by the time I got back to the base...
[ it was simply awful, and she clearly needed to let that out of her system before she explodes. ]
You're her teammate in Revelation, right? Surely you can tell her to piss off.
[ the way i forgot hsy was in revelation until i read your tag
There's a lot to unpack here, most of which is really just typical Sooyoung behavior, but Ishmael will have to forgive him for taking a brief detour to nitpick at one small fact. ]
A date, huh? I didn't know the two of you were like that.
[ He's kidding, a fact made very clear by his tone of voice, but also should he be cheering on the toxic yuri??? ]
That does sound like quite the hassle though. I'm surprised you agreed to go along with her to begin with.
[ Then again he probably would have too, so it's not like he has any room to talk. ]
And if you think my being her teammate gives me any sort of leverage against her, you're sorely mistaken. At least you can avoid being paired up with her when it comes to team-specific activities. [ He just has to suck it. ]
Good point. That does suck on your part. [ lmao ] I could always stop going along with her every whim, but even if she doesn't get all up in your face about it... I can tell she's lonely too.
[ it's probably one of the few things they have in common. she hates that fact, btw. when will she get her wholesome yuri in this game, huh, ]
But that's a topic for another day. [ she stretches her arms up with a yawn. ] I wanted to apologize to you for that night anyway, before I forget.
Edited (im so sorry this is the final edit i prommy im just an esl idiot 😭) 2024-03-16 13:18 (UTC)
[ looks at the women in this game....good luck with that one
What a short-lived gossip session though. But that's fine, he doesn't hold enough actual ire towards Sooyoung to put her on blast for more than a couple of minutes. They've all got problems here, both on a persona level and on a broader level, and pointless bitching usually doesn't solve any of those.
Even if he's not inclined to show Sooyoung as much sympathy as Ishmael does.
Not that there's time to ponder that either when she's already steamrolling ahead with an apology he doesn't expect. ]
Did you already forget? We failed the infiltration mission. Hell, we didn't even step a single foot in the auction. I got a little carried away, and... I might have said something weird and off-putting while drunk...
[ she's usually not that cringe, okay. on one hand, at least she wasn't black-out drunk. on the other... well. she may or may not be aware of what she said and heard that fateful night. ]
I don't know. I'm not that good at keeping up pretenses, as you can probably tell by now.
[ More like he wasn't actually that bothered by their mission failure. Sure, he takes his work seriously, but it's not like they were the only two sent on this mission and it's also not as though she threw a big enough fit to get them turned away at the door.
But he will accept her apology nonetheless, because not doing so would be discourteous to the effort she's putting in now. ]
So what I'm hearing is that I should pick a different partner the next time anything undercover rolls around. [ He sounds more amused than offended. ] It's fine, though I appreciate the apology. From the sounds of things, the mission was an overall success by the end even without us.
[ And no one got (severely) injured so really, it all turned out okay. ]
Buuuuut if you really want to make it up to me, we can go drinking again off company time and you can show me what you're like when you really get carried away.
[ show him what you're like when you're white girl wasted 👁️👁️ ]
You just wanted to see me in a whole different light, huh. Don't think I forgot that you know about my poledancing hobby now too.
[ she's still so mad!! about that!!!!! she'd strangle malkuth if she could. ]
But no, it's not just being undercover. It's about playing those stupid roles where we have to pretend that we're in love when we're not.
[ if she hears from other people one more time that they want to take her to bed that night she's going to scream. are they all that repressed in LILITH?
(yes. yes they are.) ]
I just-- want us to be us, you know? As... friends. [ there, she said it. ] There's nothing wrong with that, right?
[ looks at toji and ishmael banging it out. at least some people are getting it. ]
There isn't.
[ Very cute of her to admit that they're reached the point of friends now instead of just being coworkers. Touching too, in its own way. He doesn't go out of his way to get close to people, other than the requisite friendliness to ensure that everyone gets along - the less workplace drama, the better - but that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate the trust that's offered to him every now and then. ]
If you ask me, that's how things should be. Ideally we all act according to our own desires instead of based on some script given to us by someone else.
[ Alas, things don't always work out that way. He pauses in his walk to face her, expression serious. ]
I don't know what else we'll be expected to do in the future, but please always feel comfortable being yourself when you're with me. In fact, I'd prefer it that way.
[ Not that he didn't have a great time at the club, but his own entertainment is far lower priority than Ishmael's comfort. ]
she stops walking when he does, and - oh. it's kind of surreal, hearing such a simple request from anyone. it's not like she's walking on eggshells around him at all, but knowing that she can her herself - even if she doesn't know who she is or what she wants just yet - around somebody she can trust in this unfamiliar world... it already means a lot to her. it helps that she feels safe and secure around him already that she can readily take him up on this.
it's wild, though. being able to let down her guard around him, even for just a little. but it's not necessarily a bad thing. if anything, it might be too much of a good thing already. ]
Well, lucky for you, I already feel comfortable when you're around.
[ she tries to sound casual, but the smile in her voice is crystal-clear. ]
But I want you to feel the same way around me too. Having even just one person around to understand you can be a saving grace, so... You never know.
[ It would have been enough just to see her relax again, and to see the smile she's started showing him more often than not make a reappearance. Though his life up until now had been defined by trade, an equal exchange of one thing for another, such rules don't apply in the realm of friendship and basic goodwill.
In this regard, he's happy to give with no expectation of receiving anything in return, a silent nod of thanks to the scattered handful of figures (humans and Melusines alike) that had guided his way through his darkest hours.
Somehow though, Ishmael still manages to surprise him, turning right around to redirect that sentiment straight back at him. His eyes widen, surprise momentarily flashing across his face as he stares down at her. How many people have made him that offer in that past, genuinely and with no strings attached? Fewer than he can count.
And then he's ducking his head down, a small huff of laughter escaping him. ]
You really are something else, Ishmael. [ It's a compliment, vague though it sounds. ] I'll try. Fair warning though: it might take some time.
[ Sorry for his issues…..it's not you, it's him. 🥺 ]
[ she smirks, but hey, she managed to take him by surprise for a moment there. it's actually a cute look on him? though it only means that he rarely hears that sentiment from anyone. she really struck gold back on the ship, before--
ahem. ]
And I get it. It was honestly very hard for me to say it. I even thought you'd be against it. [ even though he was the one who reached out to her in the first place. if anything, it's his fault she's even considering this. ] But sure, take your time. It doesn't even have to be me, so long as you aren't truly alone. Because I've been there before.
[ although... just saying that brings about a tiny pang in her chest for some reason, but it's probably nothing. a consequence for opening up, she supposes.
with that said, she starts walking on ahead of him. come on, hurry up. ]
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no subject
But off they go then, the two of them keeping pace with each other. He's not usually one for gossip, but he can make an exception when it comes to Han Sooyoung. ]
Oh I don't know, it's always nice to find someone who shares your common interests.
[ In this case, it's bitching about Han Sooyoung. ]
no subject
Hopefully she's not the only one we have in common. That'd be the worst.
[ imagine hsy bringing people together. yuck. ]
I was just thinking of how she promised me to a date at the amusement park last month thanks to that app. An abandoned amusement park, mind you. Which is fine, but then she struck a chord in me on the way there. So I said that I don't want to go anymore, so she dropped at the side of the road! I was so exhausted by the time I got back to the base...
[ it was simply awful, and she clearly needed to let that out of her system before she explodes. ]
You're her teammate in Revelation, right? Surely you can tell her to piss off.
no subject
There's a lot to unpack here, most of which is really just typical Sooyoung behavior, but Ishmael will have to forgive him for taking a brief detour to nitpick at one small fact. ]
A date, huh? I didn't know the two of you were like that.
[ He's kidding, a fact made very clear by his tone of voice, but also should he be cheering on the toxic yuri??? ]
That does sound like quite the hassle though. I'm surprised you agreed to go along with her to begin with.
[ Then again he probably would have too, so it's not like he has any room to talk. ]
And if you think my being her teammate gives me any sort of leverage against her, you're sorely mistaken. At least you can avoid being paired up with her when it comes to team-specific activities. [ He just has to suck it. ]
no subject
Good point. That does suck on your part. [ lmao ] I could always stop going along with her every whim, but even if she doesn't get all up in your face about it... I can tell she's lonely too.
[ it's probably one of the few things they have in common. she hates that fact, btw. when will she get her wholesome yuri in this game, huh, ]
But that's a topic for another day. [ she stretches her arms up with a yawn. ] I wanted to apologize to you for that night anyway, before I forget.
no subject
What a short-lived gossip session though. But that's fine, he doesn't hold enough actual ire towards Sooyoung to put her on blast for more than a couple of minutes. They've all got problems here, both on a persona level and on a broader level, and pointless bitching usually doesn't solve any of those.
Even if he's not inclined to show Sooyoung as much sympathy as Ishmael does.
Not that there's time to ponder that either when she's already steamrolling ahead with an apology he doesn't expect. ]
Apologize? For what?
no subject
[ she's usually not that cringe, okay. on one hand, at least she wasn't black-out drunk. on the other... well. she may or may not be aware of what she said and heard that fateful night. ]
I don't know. I'm not that good at keeping up pretenses, as you can probably tell by now.
no subject
But he will accept her apology nonetheless, because not doing so would be discourteous to the effort she's putting in now. ]
So what I'm hearing is that I should pick a different partner the next time anything undercover rolls around. [ He sounds more amused than offended. ] It's fine, though I appreciate the apology. From the sounds of things, the mission was an overall success by the end even without us.
[ And no one got (severely) injured so really, it all turned out okay. ]
Buuuuut if you really want to make it up to me, we can go drinking again off company time and you can show me what you're like when you really get carried away.
[ show him what you're like when you're white girl wasted 👁️👁️ ]
no subject
[ she's still so mad!! about that!!!!! she'd strangle malkuth if she could. ]
But no, it's not just being undercover. It's about playing those stupid roles where we have to pretend that we're in love when we're not.
[ if she hears from other people one more time that they want to take her to bed that night she's going to scream. are they all that repressed in LILITH?
(yes. yes they are.) ]
I just-- want us to be us, you know? As... friends. [ there, she said it. ] There's nothing wrong with that, right?
no subject
There isn't.
[ Very cute of her to admit that they're reached the point of friends now instead of just being coworkers. Touching too, in its own way. He doesn't go out of his way to get close to people, other than the requisite friendliness to ensure that everyone gets along - the less workplace drama, the better - but that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate the trust that's offered to him every now and then. ]
If you ask me, that's how things should be. Ideally we all act according to our own desires instead of based on some script given to us by someone else.
[ Alas, things don't always work out that way. He pauses in his walk to face her, expression serious. ]
I don't know what else we'll be expected to do in the future, but please always feel comfortable being yourself when you're with me. In fact, I'd prefer it that way.
[ Not that he didn't have a great time at the club, but his own entertainment is far lower priority than Ishmael's comfort. ]
no subject
she stops walking when he does, and - oh. it's kind of surreal, hearing such a simple request from anyone. it's not like she's walking on eggshells around him at all, but knowing that she can her herself - even if she doesn't know who she is or what she wants just yet - around somebody she can trust in this unfamiliar world... it already means a lot to her. it helps that she feels safe and secure around him already that she can readily take him up on this.
it's wild, though. being able to let down her guard around him, even for just a little. but it's not necessarily a bad thing. if anything, it might be too much of a good thing already. ]
Well, lucky for you, I already feel comfortable when you're around.
[ she tries to sound casual, but the smile in her voice is crystal-clear. ]
But I want you to feel the same way around me too. Having even just one person around to understand you can be a saving grace, so... You never know.
no subject
In this regard, he's happy to give with no expectation of receiving anything in return, a silent nod of thanks to the scattered handful of figures (humans and Melusines alike) that had guided his way through his darkest hours.
Somehow though, Ishmael still manages to surprise him, turning right around to redirect that sentiment straight back at him. His eyes widen, surprise momentarily flashing across his face as he stares down at her. How many people have made him that offer in that past, genuinely and with no strings attached? Fewer than he can count.
And then he's ducking his head down, a small huff of laughter escaping him. ]
You really are something else, Ishmael. [ It's a compliment, vague though it sounds. ] I'll try. Fair warning though: it might take some time.
[ Sorry for his issues…..it's not you, it's him. 🥺 ]
no subject
[ she smirks, but hey, she managed to take him by surprise for a moment there. it's actually a cute look on him? though it only means that he rarely hears that sentiment from anyone. she really struck gold back on the ship, before--
ahem. ]
And I get it. It was honestly very hard for me to say it. I even thought you'd be against it. [ even though he was the one who reached out to her in the first place. if anything, it's his fault she's even considering this. ] But sure, take your time. It doesn't even have to be me, so long as you aren't truly alone. Because I've been there before.
[ although... just saying that brings about a tiny pang in her chest for some reason, but it's probably nothing. a consequence for opening up, she supposes.
with that said, she starts walking on ahead of him. come on, hurry up. ]