JULY PLANET MINGLE

[save_the_souls]

Who: YOU. ME. EVERYONE.
Broadcast: IF YOU WANT
Action: YEAH!!!!!
When: July!

[Congratulations to the crews that did not get themselves blown up! Welcome to the Blue Planet, a planet full of charming islands and even less charming weather patterns! Are you going to take the time to enjoy the beach? Help out with the local Nunnilis population? Get caught in a storm with another person and have a rating boosting sexual tension moment? The world's your oyster!]

[Yeah in other words: ITS A MINGLE GET IN HERE]

[July Planet Info!]

Comments

[child_of_bhaal]

[Another nod. If he says he's fine, she believes him. She'll just keep an eye on his attention. If it wanders to the water too much, she'll make something up to get him away from it, if she has to.

But she can't pretend he didn't reveal something new to get about himself. Something delicate, that she must appreciate. Carefully she signs:

T-A-L-K 'Yes no?'

Does he want to talk about it?]

[theboogieman]

[he watches her hands moving instead of trying to watch the water. unfortunately, even after a pause, his answer is to shrug at her again. he doesn't know what to say about it. he barely knows how to describe it.

...but a second later, he lifts one of his hands like he's got something to say, maybe, at the tips of his fingers. it makes more sense to him just to spell it, here: F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-E-D.

he clears his throat, quietly, as if he's got to remember how to talk again after being quiet all this time. his voice is as gritty and toneless as always.]

Makes me think about home.

[child_of_bhaal]

[She reaches out and taps him again lightly, this time on the back of the hand.]

Show me 'home'.

[Teaching distracts him. She wants him to keep doing something, keep him from falling into his own head too deeply. Yes, he's sharing, and she's curious, but she's not blind. Whatever he's thinking of has potential of going very badly.

She thinks maybe, she should give him something in return. An even exchange.

'I dream D-E-A-T-H.'

Now she's given a truth too.]

[theboogieman]

[that's an important distinction. he can easily become his own worst enemy, if he's left with those kinds of thoughts for too long.

he's halfway through deciding whether or not he wants to show her that one. it's become kind of a loaded word, lately. but she had more words for him--and he watches, and thinks about it, because he understands the value in sharing things like this.

that's what wakes her up almost every night, huh? ...he can believe it, with the other things she's told him. he nods, just once, and signs for her.

H-O-M-E. he bunches up his fingers, gestures near the edge of his mouth, then his cheek. D-E-A-T-H. a gentle slashing motion with a finger across his throat--exactly what you'd expect.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She repeats the gesture for home back to him, and then signs 'thank you'. She doesn't do the motion for death. She'll remember that, no practice needed. And signing it so close to the other seems like borrowing trouble.

They might easily fall into silence, so to speak, at this point, but she doesn't let that happen. They've shared something, weighty things, but she doesn't want that to hang over him. She asks for another word: "friend".]

[theboogieman]

[that seems to break the spell of the somber moment, at least for Zhas--he shoves at her shoulder rather than sign anything for her, expression going flat.

don't push it, lady. (ignoring the subtle implication that shoving is basically how he says 'friend' anyway).]

[child_of_bhaal]

[The shove makes her smile, wide enough that she's probably suppressing laughter. She returns the gesture, shoving his shoulder exactly the same way.

S-E-R-I-O-U-S S-H-O-W F-R-I-E-N-D

She's not easily put off. He should know this by now.]

[theboogieman]

[oh great, he's taught her yet another way to be obnoxious. he reads just enough of that to know where it's going, and shoves her harder, maybe trying to just get her to stay down in the sand where she belongs.

he's not smirking. definitely not smirking.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She lets the shove put her back on the sand, but she exaggerates it a little, arms flopping out dramatically beside her.

She raises just a hand then, signs R-E-J-E-C-T-E-D. And she's shaking with how hard she's trying not to laugh.]

[theboogieman]

[he'd probably laugh, if he ever laughed at anything. this is much better. brainless and easy. he signs B-O-O-H-O-O, which might be the single sassiest thing he's ever said.

but a moment later he climbs to his feet, and holds his hand out towards her to help her up.]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She can't help it, the laugh comes out in a short snort. Ungraceful and silly. She drags a finger down her cheek. Tears. Then she takes his hand and let's him haul her up to her feet.

She's got sand all over her but it's worth it. Zhas is having fun.]

[theboogieman]

[Zhas is having fun. he brushes some sand off of his hands before nodding in a direction--further inland. want to go do something? he doesn't know what there is, but while he's outside... might as well...]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She nods and signs 'yes!' with great enthusiasm. They should something! She has no idea what but yes!]