[ and there it is. normally any other girl would be elated to hear that, and maybe ishmael would feel a lot better about it once she's reached stage 5: acceptance. but right now, with his quiet answer and his back turned on her as he finishes cleaning up, ishmael thinks that he's also mulling deeply about this. he's just a lot more normal about it about it compared to her ensuing emotional breakdown the next morning.
she brings up her knees up to her chest, resting her head there as the warmth on her cheeks continues to settle there. really, he could've just lied to her about it and she'll never know. but he's not the type to do that either, so... all she can do is heave out a long sigh. ]
...I see.
[ she'll prod about the popularity thing tomorrow, because she too can be nosy. but this is... a lot of information, and maybe she shouldn't have asked if he's going to answer honestly. but he trusts her now, so...?! ]
Well. Don't let me keep you too long. [ she tries to sound casual about it, albeit in a weak voice, even though internally she's like 🥺🥺🥺 don't go ] Maybe we should just have tea next time.
[ SHE JUST SAID SHE HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK he isn't just gonna abandon her in her room?? Though he supposes he doesn't have to be the one to keep her company while she sobers up more. The atmosphere feels...off. Heavier than before, even when he'd been slowly dredging up his past.
He finishes his clean-up and finally turns around. ]
I didn't have any other plans.
[ But now his plans are to sit in his room and think about his life choices. Delightful. ]
But you should rest. I won't keep you. [ Still... ] Should I call Rodya over?
[ NOOOOOO KEEP HER COMPANY but also no... don't keep her company. she doesn't know. she hates it when she doesn't know things. this is completely uncharted territory for her, and for once she wishes that heathcliff is here to needle out advice from the guy. surely the man from wuthering heights himself would have some completely fine advice??????
at the mention of rodya, she immediately shakes her head. ]
It's fine. You don't have to. I-- [ she lets out another long sigh. ] I'm sorry. For ruining the fun. I'll make it up to you very soon.
[ she has to. because she feels completely bad after all that, though to be absolutely fair he did actually come here to traumadump first thing. idk what he expected. ]
[ She's really out here apologizing when he was the one to traumadump on her in the first place.
And boy does that not sit right with him. There are a lot of things he could potentially accept an apology for but this ain't it, chief. Instead of leaving, he crouches down in front of her, crinkling plastic and clinking bottle noises filling the air. ]
There's nothing to make up for or apologize for, Ishmael. I should have learned my lesson from last time, if anything. [ To pace her better. They really are going to be forced into drinking only tea after this. ] Just focus on feeling better.
[ And then they can figure out everything afterwards. ]
[ he's so sweet. why does he have to be so nice. if he had even one mean bone in his body, she could've probably dealt with this a lot better. but it's because of his niceness that she's reduced to a complete mess - something that she'd never anticipated since coming to this place. especially now that he chooses to be friendly and amicable after everything he'd been through?
he's so strong for that. she wishes she could do that, too.
she locks her tired eyes with his, before giving him a slow, wordless nod. she'll think rationally about this tomorrow morning, totally. she'll do her best to be normal about it from now on, yes.
[ Because the alternative is being a thoughtless, selfish bastard and he would really prefer not to have a single similarity with the miserable people that raised him.
Anyway he is not convinced that she is going to be okay but he is going to (again) trust that she will be an adult and call someone for help if she starts feeling worse. There's a strange urge to....he doesn't fucking know, hold her hand for a brief moment or touch her face but he pushes those intrusive thoughts aside and gets up to leave instead.
At least they will both be normal later in the week for their underwater Fontaine date. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
she brings up her knees up to her chest, resting her head there as the warmth on her cheeks continues to settle there. really, he could've just lied to her about it and she'll never know. but he's not the type to do that either, so... all she can do is heave out a long sigh. ]
...I see.
[ she'll prod about the popularity thing tomorrow, because she too can be nosy. but this is... a lot of information, and maybe she shouldn't have asked if he's going to answer honestly. but he trusts her now, so...?! ]
Well. Don't let me keep you too long. [ she tries to sound casual about it, albeit in a weak voice, even though internally she's like 🥺🥺🥺 don't go ] Maybe we should just have tea next time.
no subject
He finishes his clean-up and finally turns around. ]
I didn't have any other plans.
[ But now his plans are to sit in his room and think about his life choices. Delightful. ]
But you should rest. I won't keep you. [ Still... ] Should I call Rodya over?
no subject
at the mention of rodya, she immediately shakes her head. ]
It's fine. You don't have to. I-- [ she lets out another long sigh. ] I'm sorry. For ruining the fun. I'll make it up to you very soon.
[ she has to. because she feels completely bad after all that, though to be absolutely fair he did actually come here to traumadump first thing. idk what he expected. ]
no subject
And boy does that not sit right with him. There are a lot of things he could potentially accept an apology for but this ain't it, chief. Instead of leaving, he crouches down in front of her, crinkling plastic and clinking bottle noises filling the air. ]
There's nothing to make up for or apologize for, Ishmael. I should have learned my lesson from last time, if anything. [ To pace her better. They really are going to be forced into drinking only tea after this. ] Just focus on feeling better.
[ And then they can figure out everything afterwards. ]
no subject
he's so strong for that. she wishes she could do that, too.
she locks her tired eyes with his, before giving him a slow, wordless nod. she'll think rationally about this tomorrow morning, totally. she'll do her best to be normal about it from now on, yes.
(narrator: she failed step one.) ]
no subject
Anyway he is not convinced that she is going to be okay but he is going to (again) trust that she will be an adult and call someone for help if she starts feeling worse. There's a strange urge to....he doesn't fucking know, hold her hand for a brief moment or touch her face but he pushes those intrusive thoughts aside and gets up to leave instead.
At least they will both be normal later in the week for their underwater Fontaine date. ]