002. ☾ First contact { Action }

[proteusmoon]

Who: Cecil and you!
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Planet, around!
When: October 24th, night

[ After sifting through the changes made to the ship with the disappearance of some of the crew, as well as making sure their newest addition settled in all right, Cecil is a little late making it out to explore the planet they've landed on. That said, she's not sure how it is that she managed to attract such a crowd of natives, much less how they managed to keep her busy with being led around their quaint, dusty home all day. One thing just led to another and she's been sight-seeing and answering an awful lot of questions about herself.

It's now nighttime, she's unwittingly tried enough lighter fluid-flavored liquor to render her a little drunk, and it seems her small following is leading her inside the brothel next. It's unclear whether or not she realizes where they're going, but she's also got a handful of those red stones and she's in a pretty good mood, so she's content to be led along.

Honestly, it's been a trying past couple weeks and she needed this chance to unwind, really. Maybe not quite this much, but beggars can't be choosers. ]

Comments

[catamite]

[it's funny how he changes when he's full of intoxicants and surrounded by physical contact. addicted to it in every way.

he's been trained and conditioned to make sure people are having a good time--in any way he can--and he's good at it. it's the only thing in the world he has any confidence in.

in a place like Court, where he's starved of it, he's got nothing.

so, as soon as he finds the friends he'd made earlier, he abruptly detaches from Cecil so he can flounce on over to them. but he returns quickly. he's back with a half-full jar of the stuff in a matter of minutes]

[proteusmoon]

[ The jar is a lot bigger than anything else she's had so far, so her eyes go a little wide at first, but she doesn't actually seem intimidated. She starts laughing instead. ]

[catamite]

Here you go! This'll fix it.

[he doesn't remember what he's fixing. but this is still the cure for whatever it is]

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil doesn't remember even mentioning anything that needs fixing, so she doesn't really pay much attention to that note either. She takes the jar and takes a good long swig of it.

Then blanches violently and begins coughing.

And then takes another drink anyway once the coughing subsides. ]

[catamite]

[whoa! he is officially impressed. he gives a little cheer and some applause when she manages her second drink]

You're a champion!

[he pats her on the back a little, and then his arm kind of slinks around and stays there]

Feelin' good?

[proteusmoon]

[ She grimaces again. ]

...I don't feel a lot of anything.

[catamite]

[he gives a heavy, hearty nod at that, as he borrows the jar to take a drink himself. and then sways a little backward but catches himself quickly. the fact that he's kind of hanging onto her shoulders helps]

I wish we could do this all the time. ...Feels like we have to have fun, like... now-now-now before it's over.

[proteusmoon]

[ Thankfully, she just manages to keep her own balance by propping herself up against the nearest wall. ]

'Might be the death theme of this... festival.

[catamite]

[and since she feels more solid because she's braced against a wall, Nel automatically leans more companionably close without thinking about it. a little heavier.]

Oh... yeah.

[he nods slowly, as a more somber look gradually dawns over his face while he thinks about it.]

Yeah. That makes sense...

[...his mind is a little bit blown.]

[proteusmoon]

None of them really talk about what it means though.

[ She shrugs, using the wall again to support herself when Nel just leans against her more comfortably. It's a little tiring, but she's not bothered by it-- yet. Maybe she will say something once they fall over. ]

I guess we wouldn't understand... or... something...

[catamite]

[and he is absolutely not going to notice. especially now that he's thinking, the last thing going on in his head is noticing how heavily he's leaning on somebody.]

It's probably, like... [and he takes quite a long moment to come up with the concept] ...religion.

[proteusmoon]

[ She actually takes a rather long moment herself to process that concept herself. On her world, religion doesn't really exist the way she's heard it does in other places. People have faith and responsibilities to the planet, but... rituals and commandments, taboos and stigmas? No. They don't have those. Prayer is a means for meditation, a way to channel one's own inner energy to communicate and function with the world around them. It's not wish-making. ]

Oh. I suppose so.

[catamite]

[whoa. things got deep.

and Nel can't exist that way for very long. he looks like he's thinking long and hard about this, but... his mind is really wandering elsewhere. leaning there, he's taking a very long mental trip around, spacing out in the vague direction of Cecil's face.

and when he comes back, he somehow sounds even tipsier.]

Hey... Cecil...

[proteusmoon]

[ This is why Cecil should never drink. ]

Hm?

[catamite]

...Do you ever wonder if you're pretty?

[this is absolutely related to things.

it makes total sense to him.]

[proteusmoon]

[ ...This is also why Nel shouldn't drink. ]

I... Yes. I do. I used to a lot when I was younger.

[catamite]

[this among many other reasons is why Nel shouldn't drink.]

Really? ...Do you still?

[proteusmoon]

Sometimes, yes. Doesn't everyone?

[catamite]

I dunno.

[his whole body lolls in her direction a little, while he takes a minute to feel sorry for himself]

Why would you ever wonder that, though? You're so pretty...

[proteusmoon]

[ Instinctively, she moves her body to accommodate his weight against her and she rubs his cheek a little harder than necessary in a comforting gesture. ]

Nobody else looked like me, growing up. I was... different. Strange.

[catamite]

[he squints one eye closed but is too numbed to notice much beyond that]

...Wasn't that a good thing? It's good to stand out sometimes...

[proteusmoon]

I didn't see it that way. I just wanted to be the same as everyone else.

[catamite]

Didn't people always tell you that you're pretty though?

I bet they said it all the time...

[proteusmoon]

I trained to be a knight from a young age, so most of me was covered in armor-- just as I preferred it.

[ Where is this conversation going... ]

Do you think I'm that pretty, Nel?

[catamite]

[right... he'd had a point originally. and while he tries to remember what that was, he plunks his head back so he can peek over at her face.

and he just nods. in that genuine, earnest way that means he's somewhere between admiring and jealous of her for it.]