legionmissions | TO HAVE AND TO HOLD [modplot]

Entry tags:

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD [modplot]

Who| Anyone who wants in
What| "To Have and to Hold" plot
Where| The planet Olum, Matihara Temple
When| Set vaguely the same time as "Gods Among Us" and "Other Mother"
Warnings/Notes| N/A

The planet Olum is a genuinely welcoming place. While the clothes they have to wear for the rituals are a bit...odd (provided they don't opt for coverups), they are comfortable, especially with such a balmy climate. Despite the Olumites allowing outsiders into their ceremonies, there's a distinct lack of tourist-ey elements; no gift shops, no merchants selling anything, just a spirit of genuine unity and celebration. The Olumite marriage guides seem to genuinely care about helping people with their relationships, and seem happy to share their cultural traditions with other species.

As far as missions go, it's definitely a nice vacation from the usual life or death struggles.

It means the Legionnaires have no distractions. They have to settle in and try to navigate this while faking sincerity as best as they can.

[ooc: All information about the setting can be found on the infopost.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Junkrat is carefully studying her body language and expression. He's never been that great at reading people, but that doesn't mean he can't try to figure out just how badly he'd fucked up.

He's still not sure by the time she gets out of the water, still watching her carefully, and through all of his intensity he doesn't realize that he's ended up staring at her ass at some point. Huh. That regular exercise of hers really does make a differ--

Shit.

Suddenly the side of the room becomes the new most fascinating thing in line of sight. Yeah, hurt her feelings and then stare at her rear. He's on a roll so far and he doesn't want to be on it at all.

Fortunately for him, she doesn't notice this latest transgression as she's facing forward and focusing on pouring herself another rum and coke. Part of her wonders if she really should be having another one, but a greater part of her doesn't care and just wants to chase the hurt away.

Maybe it was too soon to talk about, not for him - but for her. She spends longer pouring her drink than what it should logically take; pouring the rum, taking a moment, pouring the coke, taking a moment, adding one, no, three ice cubes, standing and staring down at it while she thinks about those she lost. It's opened a new fissure of grief, and that's about the last thing she wants to deal with right now.

Not that she's ever really been good at dealing with grief.

She takes as long as she needs to bottle it back down, then picks up her drink and returns - a little more sober but still willing to stick it out with him.

Edited 2017-05-13 06:29 (UTC)

She's deliberately slow, and he can see the pain in her movements. He might be people-stupid, but he's not blind, even through his peripheral vision. His eyes fall as he lets out a soft, disappointed breath. His attention gets caught at the empty bowl that his pseudo-popcorn came in, and a half-baked idea hatches in his head.

He picks up the bowl and looks at it. It's glass, or something a lot like glass, carved with sharp edges into fine-detailed facets that catch light in interesting ways. After studying it for a few minutes, he turns it upside-down, and puts it on his head. Junkrat sinks into the water until the edge of the bowl is flush with it, making it look like the bowl was just floating on the surface.

In the dim light of the bathroom, the crystal facets of the bowl catch the bright firelight coming from the ends of his hair, scattering dancing warm lights against the water, the edge of the tub, and the rocks surrounding its perimeter.

Fareeha is learning one very important thing about Junkrat; he is the absolute embodiment of unknown. Just when she thinks she's got him figured out, he will say or do something to throw her for a loop.

This is probably the biggest loop she's gotten yet. She stops at the edge of the pool, and it takes her a moment to register just what's going on. It's really quite beautiful, the way the light from his hair is thrown about by the bowl, sparking and dancing against the surface of the pool and the surrounding tile, along the walls and against the gauzy curtain over the windows.

It's enough of an unexpected sight to completely interrupt her earlier thoughts, and there's the slightest relaxation in her face and shoulders. She steps carefully back into the pool, watching him with a quizzical expression as she resumes her seat. Is this an apology, or an attempt to cheer her up?

Either way, she decides it doesn't matter; it's enough to get her to smile again - tired, and it's slow to reach her eyes - but it's something.

Edited 2017-05-13 11:32 (UTC)

It's kinda both, even though he doesn't realize it. He just wants to see her smile again, and be a little silly to boot.

He can't see it like this, though. Her appearance is fragmented from his perspective, broken up by the facets of the glass, but he dares not peek out from under it until she's back in the water, waiting patiently--and holding his breath the entire time.

When she's back to her shoulders in the water, his hand comes up and tilts the edge of the bowl upward like a hat, and seeing her own smile brings one out in him too. Even though his mouth is under the water, it shines plenty through his eyes.

There's more to life than suffering.

Seeing him peek out at her while remaining partially submerged, and seeing the expression on his face (or at least what she can see of his face), helps to further pull her from her own head. Her smile grows, and she finally chuckles. It ends with a heavy sigh - something cathartic, like she's shedding something off instead of letting out a noise of exasperation.

"Alright, you win." Not that there's really any contest going on, but he did make her smile and right now, that counts for a lot. "Let's ... talk about something else."

Junkrat immediately stands upright, sending the calm water into a chaotic slosh that ripples and tosses water over the sides of the pool. He's a bit taller than what the water level can manage to keep decent on its own.

"I won!" he declares, holding his arms up in victory, bowl canted to the side still on his head. It slips off and falls into the water with a kar-PLUNK but he's too busy holding up his arms in victory to bother saving it from its watery fate.

"Wait."

He brings his arms down so he can scratch at his temple curiously.

"...What did I win?"

Edited 2017-05-14 06:37 (UTC)

There's the barest flick of her eyes downward and when she realizes the water doesn't quite cover the essentials she darts them back upward for a hard focus on his face, her own cheeks flushing warmly. She's a soldier, and she's a professional, but it's been easy when they're standing on equal ground not to be distracted by other things.

Having it just about at eye level is something else entirely.

But, through it all, she's smiling easier and there's actual mirth in her voice.

"Bragging rights? Not everyone can turn an Amari around as quick."

Edited 2017-05-14 08:08 (UTC)

He catches the flicker of movement of her eyes. Oh...right. The whole naked thing.

Junkrat immediately drops himself back into the water, sending a second wave through the still-upset water, slightly flushed as well but looking no less dampened because of it.

"Didn't know there was a runnin' fer that, but I'll take it."

He runs his (full) foot against the floor of the pool and manages to get a grip on it with his toes on the rim and bring it back to the surface. Apparently his dexterity doesn't all lie in his fingers and hands, but they do reach out to take the bowl from himself, invert it to dump out the water that remains in it, then places it back on the rim of the pool.

"Said ya wanted ta talk about somethin' else - had somethin' in mind?"

A little chuckle at his antics, a little shift and hands up to keep the wave from splashing her in the face, but it's more for show than function.

"No, I hadn't really planned that far ahead." She shrugs, it was more an attempt to get away from the previous subject matter than a desire to chew over a specific topic. She thinks for a moment about the mission, the resort, what they'd seen already that didn't extend to the memory-sharing event.

"What do you think the testing grounds will be like?"

Ooh. Heist planning! His specialty.

"Well!"

With a gusto he settles back into the bench-like carving under the water, animating his explanation with wild, passionate gesticulation.

"They ain't real keen on providin' any kinda sneak-peeks or tours of the place, so I don't know what the layout of the place is specifically speakin'. So, I've been evesdroppin' on the locals and the other guests ta try ta get an idea of what we'd be up against in there, and it sounds like it's gonna be a pretty basic survival test. Between the two of us, we got this in the bag, so I'm actually not that worried, especially considerin' that I've been hearin' that it rarely takes more than three days, if ever. So more of a hike than a survival test, ta be honest.

"So the idea is that once we get through the entrance, we're on our own ta get the mountain in the distance. I'm sure y've noticed it in passin'? The artefacts we're supposed to find are somewhere between the entrance and the mountain, but I ain't heard anyone describe what they look like. Our phones're supposed'ta be able ta detect them, though, so we'll be all set fer that. All we're really here for is the artefacts, but if we choose to scale the mountain, there's apparently some unique plants up there that we gotta cover our bodies in ta complete the ritual, then head back to the entrance and that's it!"

After the nonstop verbal batter, his hands finally come to a stop and rest under the water. There's a deafening few seconds of silence as he stares at Fareeha with an intense, expectant look on his face, until...

"Ya need me ta repeat any of that?"

Fareeha isn't sure what kind of answer she was expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. Maybe something a little less fervent, or not quite so involved. It's another ~~not so subtle~~ reminder about who is is and what he's done, but once she gets over the initial shock at the barrage of information, she listens to his briefing just like she would a Helix operation.

Which means that, no, he doesn't need to repeat a thing.

"I think I've got it. Rehashing my survival training days in basic, easy. Scan for artifacts, quick jaunt up the mountain," Because if they're doing this they're certainly not half-assing it, "leisurely stroll back to the entrance. It'll be nice to get out into the wilds and rough it for a few days."

Now that's her idea of a vacation.

"That's what I'm sayin!" he exclaims, lighting up even more than he already was. "First big mission and we get ta show off our survivalist skills! It's absolutely rippah!"

A pause, and he deflates a little.

"Well, it's my first, anyway. I dunno what ya been up to."

...Weren't the just in each other's memories? DId he not remember or did it just not cover that? He hasn't the slightest idea, but they both seem equally likely.

"It'll be my second. I had to fight a dragon and an evil sorceress straight out of a fairy tale last time. I haven't gotten a chance to use my powers yet, though ... admittedly, sometimes I forget I have them."

She's at least practiced in the training room so she knows how they're triggered, but when she gets in the heat of the moment she reverted back to military training and tactics. "But I think you're right; between the two of us, we're heading into the easiest part of the mission."

She gives him a smug smile as she leans back against the edge and takes up her drink again. ~~Famous last words~~.

Nope. He definitely would have remembered dragons and sorceresses.

"Huh! How about that. Sounds like it was fun. Too bad I've been spendin' most of me time buried up ta me eyeballs in gunpowder and gelignite."

Probably literally, too, knowing him. He shrugs, knowing full well the implications that he only feels only slightly disappointed that he missed out on dragons in lieu of making explosives. It's not something she's going to be unfamiliar already.

"Yeah, we got this mission in the bag!" he agrees, letting a thumbs up breach the water's surface as he tilts his head to the side and winks.

"Speakin' of bags..." He drops his hand and sits back up again. "What powers did ya end up with, anyway?"

Because that is a completely rational and clear segue.

Edited 2017-05-15 09:11 (UTC)

To be fair the dragon was a manifestation of fire and not exactly a real dragon, and the sorceress was Videl under a spell, and that was just their own little slice of the mission and didn't reflect what others were up against. Still ... yes, it was fun.

Fareeha smiles at the subject change, not sure what bags have to do with powers, but at this point it just feels like a natural train of thought coming from Jamison.

"Increased strength and reflexes, and ability to infer someone's true intentions. They're a little ... dramatic, when I use them, so I'll save you the demonstration." As well, there was a part of her that liked the idea of a dramatic reveal. "What about you?"

He opens his mouth as soon as she explains what her powers are, but immediately closes it when she says I'll save you the demonstration. Well, so much for that idea. He pouts a little, but it's hard to stay upset when someone asks him what his powers are.

"I can make any container a bottomless pit."

It doesn't sound that flashy, he knows. Jamie looks off to the side and grabs the glass his drink came in, and he slurps up the last mouthful in the bottom of it and pulls the straw out and holds it lengthwise in his mouth, then tilts the glass to the side and partially submerges it into the water, allowing the pool water to flow into it freely.

And flow. And flow. And flow.

The glass never fills up, despite being held under for long enough to have filled a glass its size twenty times over. There's nothing about the scene that seems that weird, like observing an optical illusion that makes sense before you start really focusing on the details, so there's no way to see where the water actually goes.

When he feels like he's made his point, he uprights the glass and holds it upward, as if it only weighed as much as it should while holding the 2 inches deep water currently contained within it. He tilts the glass to the side, and all the water from earlier starts pouring out, almost endlessly.

Without comment, he simply looks at Fareeha to study her reaction.

Sorry Jamie, you're just going to have to get her mired in enough trouble to merit using her powers if you want to see them.

In response to his, though, she looks perplexed, and then watches as he fills up the glass -- and fills, and fills, and fills, and then empties the improbably amount of water back into the tub.

"That is extremely useful." She might be a little jealous. "Any container, you say? What about if you make it yourself?"

Good thing his specialty is trouble.

"Any container," he specifies as an answer to her question along with a smirk. "If it can hold something, and I can get it to fit through the opening, anything can hold anything."

Edited 2017-05-16 08:07 (UTC)

"That's pretty impressive." She means it, and it's a good skill to have in the face of their current mission.

What's not impressive, however, is the now residue of daiquiri that's floating in with the bathwater. Besides, she's getting all pruney now. She politely excuses herself and gets out of the tub to towel off and start getting dressed. "I'm going out for a run, I'll be back in a couple hours."

There she goes again, just...doing her thing like that. It's a little easier not to stare when she's at a distance, but is it necessarily any better to have a moment to admire the whole picture instead of leering at the specifics?

"Hours?" he asks. It's not that he doesn't believe that she's the kind to take that long of a run--in fact, he knows now--but they've already had an awfully busy day. Junkrat is generally the embodiment of uncontrollable energy, and even he feels like lounging around lazily for the rest of the day.

Then again, it's not like he has nothing to do.

"Sure, mate. I'm gonna get ready fer 'morrow." It probably won't take too long. "Meetcha back'ere?"

"Meet you back here." she confirms.

And yeah there might not be two hours worth of trails on the beach and within the resort area itself, but running isn't the only thing she's doing. She walks and enjoys the glades in the dwindling light, and sits and thinks on the sand, looking out into the ocean.

She wonders what the others are up to. If anyone is facing a similar moral dilemma. How much do their lives at home rule them here?

Her time management is right on par, though, so she's arriving back at their suite just shy of two hours. She looks around to see what he's up to before heading to the shower because she is sweaty and gross.

Edited 2017-05-16 19:58 (UTC)

When she gets back, he's actually in the plant-like bed, pointedly taking up only the left half of it as he's reclined up a stack of pillows and playing games on his omnicomm. The covers are pulled up to his hips, knees bent over a pillow underneath, so it's hard to determine if he's still completely naked under them. He looks up from it when Fareeha comes back, and he gives her a short wave before she heads to the shower.

"Feelin' better?" he asks when she finishes up and comes back.

Edited 2017-05-16 21:32 (UTC)

She's hoping he's not naked under there; she may be ambivalent about it in some respects but she does have her limits.

"Better. This whole day has been ... something of a wild ride, but overall ... therapeutic." She smiles at him, taking a brush to her hair and tidying up a few things before climbing into the plant-bed thing next to him. She links her fingers together and slips her hands behind her head.

"So, tomorrow's the big day. How are you feeling about it, all things considered?"

Well...

It was either that or his normal clothes. It's not like he's ever owned a pair of pyjamas.

He shrugs. "Feelin' like it's gonna be a walk in the park compared ta today," he says honestly. "I grew up in a desert forgotten by the rest of the country and the government; a two-day hike through a living forest is nothin'. What about you?"

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD [modplot]

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