[Things have been pretty quiet ever since the labyrinth, huh? No new horrors to contend with, no new violent developments in general. A collective air of exhaustion seems to hang over the ship in entirety for most of the month...and so a night like this one's really not going to be much different from all the other ones recently, surely. Nice and quiet, as the hour ticks past midnight. A few insomniacs wandering around here and there. Clear skies, like always...and the moon shining down on the deck, like always...and--
Oh, wait a minute. Over there, off to one side. Is that...somebody familiar, by the rail? Seems he's carrying something rather person-sized and sack-shaped.
Seems he's hefting it over a shoulder, and getting ready to drop it into the ocean????]
[ her steps falter at the odd scene, a figure in the distance leaned against the railing. normally she would assume it was someone simply staring at the moon, someone gathering their thoughts ...
if it weren't for the body they held over their shoulder.
in the pale light of the moon, tear can still recognize the colonel: the cut of his uniform, the lines of his tall frame. it was a figure she feels she'd recognize everywhere, after travelling together so long -- fighting, carrying out operations, even in the dead of night. ]
Colonel! Are you ... throwing someone overboard?
[ there's an unmistakable note of surprise to her voice ... along with intrigue. while she doesn't condone needless violence, she trusts jade. perhaps something happened? maybe he needed to defend himself...? but why bother to hide the body when they'd just regenerate anyway?
she makes her way over to investigate, wondering just what could have happened. ]
[Honestly, he should have noticed someone coming over sooner. It's quiet enough that the approaching clack of Tear's heels on the deck could have been plenty audible, even over the waves below. But, it would seem, there's quite a lot on Jade's mind at this particular moment. Enough so--
--That when Tear speaks up he actually starts in place, nearly dropping the thing over his shoulder anyhow. Automatic reflex has him grabbing at it as he turns around; some kind of brown and fuzzy texture is visible in the gloom. ...Spots? Something almost like rabbit ears, flopping back??
Jade, realizing who it is approaching, promptly steps away from the rail...and also, promptly, tries to fold the bulky object under one of his arms instead. Which would look a lot as if he were trying to hide something, if he were ever the sort of person to do such a thing. But he's not! Totally!! As they both know...!!!
(Holding it under his arm like that does lend it physics that don't actually seem to be a human body's, at least. More like some kind of large article of clothing, maybe....)]
Oh--Tear. It's rather late. I thought I'd take a walk to-- [Hold on. The automatic excuse grinds to an abrupt halt, as her question's actually sinking in now, and he blinks.] --hmm? Throwing someone overboard?
[JADE HOW ELSE DID YOU THINK THIS WOULD LOOK.............]
[ something of an awkward feeling overcomes her to see the colonel slip up like this, and she almost feels a little bad for startling him if it wasn't for the way he shifts to conceal the 'body'. she was definitely wrong about all of this.
her eyes grow wide at the decidedly fuzzy texture of it, at the way it has ears which flop from being moved around. If she didn't know any better ... it almost looked like -- ]
Y-yes ... I thought you were about to dispose of someone.
[ to anyone else, the calmness with which she says that may be disturbing. but tear wasn't exactly bothered by murder: not for as long as the colonel had known her, anyway. ]
What is that? It looks like some kind of clothing? Why would you be throwing it overboard?
[ was it a blanket? a giant plush toy?? she comes forwards, trying to get a better look at it, gloved fingertips hesitantly extending. ]
[The nonchalant way in which Tear floats the prospect of a body disposal sure probably would be discomfiting to anyone else...but as far as Jade's concerned it's actually a bit of a relief? You know, in the sense that apparently this monstrosity under his arm looks enough like a corpse from a distance that anybody else spotting him would probably be a lot more aghast about the idea...
It's quite a sensible reaction from Tear, though. As expected, from one soldier friend to another. They both know they wouldn't be murdering anyone particularly frivolously, and sometimes in life dead bodies Happen and they need putting Somewhere--
Okay, but anyway, setting aside these very normal corpse-disposal sensibilities. Jade stares a bit at Tear for a moment just long enough to be a bit awkward...before his posture sags very slightly, accompanied by a very put-upon sigh.]
...Honestly. It'd really be rather less embarrassing if I actually were disposing of someone... [He's only like, 60% exaggerating here, too....but Jade also already knows that answer alone's not going to be enough. Even if it's another beat of hesitation, before he finally relents enough to very gingerly unfold the object from under his arm and offer it to her like a radioactive thing.
It's...yeah, it's a onesie. An adult-sized rappig-themed onesie, complete with a hood with the ears. (Oh, seems there's a bit of heft inside of it too, like there's other objects in there??)]
I was informed of a package in the sundries shop, so I'd stopped in to pick it up earlier. ...And that was inside it. [And surely this already sufficiently explains why Jade's now on the verge of chucking it overboard here, right???]
[ she lets out a gasp when he reveals to her what he's carrying. ]
... A rappig!?
[ the shape of it is unmistakable: the beady eyes on the hood, the long, slender ears... the adorable spots... and sized for an adult to wear!! amazing!! she reaches out and immediately begins to feel the ears, pinching them between her thumb and index finger. definitely not playing with them, no, just testing out their floppability... for strategical combat reasons, clearly! ]
It's adorable -- I mean, it's ... so useful! Imagine the kind of espionage missions you could perform with something like this!
[ or, um... ]
It would certainly distract an enemy in the field.
[ that sounds better right??? well okay, no, it doesn't, but wait a second -- ]
Don't tell me you were trying to get rid of this??
[.........Okay, so. About that whole thought tangent of Tear being sensible. --It still holds true! But it's also true...that every coin has its other side when flipped, and this particular coin has. Flipped for sure, just now--
So swiftly, in fact, that it's imparting quite the whiplash! Jade remains where he stands, stunned enough for the surprise to actually reach his features too, as Tear grabs the onesie and almost immediately launches into a truly impassioned analysis. ...Really, this shouldn't be such a shock, should it? She was like this about all the plushies at the carnival too, and her soft spot for 'cute' things has never been much of a secret. Everyone in the party back home has witnessed how she acts around Mieu...
But still though. Really. For some reason, Jade still hadn't expected her obsession to actually extend to this kind of item too??
--Hold on, what's with that accusatory sort of disbelief in her tone now???]
That's--I was-- [A bit defensive, despite himself, and the the objective third-person point of view in the back of his head that knows this is an absolutely ridiculous thing to be getting defensive about. He kind of thought Tear would be on his side about this, though!!] Surely you know as well--this is exactly the sort of thing His Majesty would prank me with on a whim. Along with all the other ridiculous stationary in there. He knows perfectly well how I react to these things.
[By throwing them out, generally!! ...But also yes, 'stationery' is the source of the slight heft and muffled plastic rattling inside the onesie, as Tear might be noticing as she examines it. As it turns out, there's rappig-themed mugs and notebooks and things crammed in there too.....]
The uses for something like this are...sparse to my mind's eye. [A bit of a flummoxed sort of beat. Then, extremely reluctantly--] I--suppose "distracted" would be one term, for an enemy spotting someone in something like this...but surely other kinds of clothing could accomplish something like that just as well--
[ her eyes light up at the mention of stationary, and she shifts the hood around to get a better look inside: the mugs and notebooks are so, so cute...! her breath catches at the sight, gaze lingering fondly on the plump rappigs adorning them. if the colonel weren't here, tear's sure she could just stare at them all for hours.
although these were the kind of journals which made her nervous. whenever the covers were cute like these, tear finds herself hesitating to write in them. would she ruin the pages if her writing wasn't neat enough? would she be desecrating their cuteness if her doodles inside weren't nearly as nice as the cover images...? it was a waste of time to carefully plan everything that she'd put in them, and they never felt quite right.
for that reason alone she'd always tend to get the plain-cover sort of journal, despite her tastes.
she almost doesn't hear what jade goes on to say, so busy thinking about this treasure trove of rappig themed goods -- ]
That's exactly why you should be keeping these! They're mementos from Auldrant, of His Majesty, right? And don't you miss being at the Imperial Palace?
[ normally tear wouldn't be so bold as to outright mention something like that, least of all in such an accusatory tone -- but there's something about the colonel throwing these out that emboldens her... not to mention the memories they'd both shared with one another, somehow bringing a new layer of openness. it was rare for this stubborn nature of hers to peek through with figures of authority, though.
still, she presses on: ]
W-what if the ship has some sort of wildlife excursion and we need to blend in? Or what if Fio would like these kinds of things?
[ this was the, what? third time she's using fio as a scapegoat for cute things? ]
It's such a waste, Colonel.
[ she plants her hands on her hips, frowning up at him. ]
[It really is quite rare for Tear to actively take up this tone with an authority figure--at least quite so promptly and openly as this, anyway, with no pretense whatsoever. Not that Jade has ever expected or demanded that she afford him any more deference than she would anyone else, of course--it's more a standard she clearly actively holds herself to, a consequence of her early upbringing among rank and file. Still, of all the extenuating circumstances she'd be breaking this habit under...he just. Hadn't thought. It'd involve the conservation of a rappig onesie.]
The--the Imperial Palace had other things to be fond of besides rappigs... [A note of exasperation, about here. --Though it's sure a testament to their friendship, especially of late upon this ship, that Jade's only feeling exasperated about having this tidbit of 'mementos from home' thrust upon him quite like this. If that were a line coming from literally anyone else, it'd be warranting quite the acerbic retort. ...But it's Tear, and...
Indeed, ever since the memories they'd both ended up sharing before the Sparkles incident, a slight shift has settled in between them. Just a bit less professional, and a bit more personal. Hardly the sort of thing Jade would ever go out of his way to actively acknowledge, but.
Apparently one of the boons of an increased friendship level is increased tolerance of even the most ludicrous arguments, as it turns out.]
We both know the probability of those other scenarios isn't exactly high...but-- [Here, another sigh. Frowning up at him like that! What's he supposed to do about that?? He could shoot her down bluntly and promptly, yes, and yet what he finds himself reluctantly saying instead is:] --it is not a waste if it's not getting thrown out.
[...]
...So I suppose, that means, that I won't be...
[...Is this what the struggles of friendship feel like sometimes.........]
[ there's a brief moment where the set of her arms falters, softening slightly, the line of her mouth nearly puckering into a pout. for a second there, she'd expected for jade to yell at her or reassert his role as her superior -- although she can't really recall him ever doing so, not even throughout all of the missteps and disrespect anise and luke would show to him. but she was used to it from figures of authority, having to show militant respect at all times: the little slip up, this outburst, felt just as strange to her despite how freeing it was to drop the formalities a little bit.
she's innerly fumbling, scrambling for more arguments about the many uses of rappig merchandise when jade sighs and concedes, a response she hadn't quite been expecting so soon. her expression slips into one of surprise, lips parting around words she can not yet form. ]
You're going to keep it ...?
[ her wide-eyed gaze strays from his face back down to the onesie, blinking almost owlishly. she's surprised it seemed to work, that he didn't just chuck it all overboard the moment she was acting unrulier than usual.
he's such a mean sofie, after all. ]
Yes, well...
[she clears her throat, a blush creeping onto her face as she tries to regain her former stoic countenance. ]
I'm glad that you see the tactical possibilities these items hold! They'll be very useful here for ... all of the excursions.
[ now she feels so awkward ... ! will he think she's childish? ]
[Jade meets Tear's wide-eyed gaze with an expression that could--quite honestly, and frankly, only be described as sheepish. Which doesn't suit the usual expressions on his face at all, probably...but that's fine, because it's only allowed to be fully visible for a half second or so, before Jade's turning away to scan the deck about them instead for a moment.
You know. For any witnesses. To all this, just now. ...Seems they're in the clear, though--]
One never knows when it comes to the excursions in this place, I suppose. [He's trying so hard not to sound too long-suffering here. He really is! ...Though it can't help but seep in a bit anyway, after another beat.] --Really, though, must you look so surprised? You ought to at least be confident in an argument well-won. Come now, Tear, do try to seem at least a bit more victorious about this...
[Because it was totally the Power of her Arguments (about infeasible uses for animal onesies) that won out this particular little clash. Definitely that, and not at all the fact that Tear is a dear friend and maybe also had surprise on her side, and Jade hadn't known what else to do in the face of her very sudden and unexpected passion for rappig memorabilia.....
Jade folds his arms, some last-ditch attempt at retaining an at least somewhat business-like air in all this.]
Besides that. In any case. I'm almost positive that--costume isn't going to fit you, so I'll have to store it in my own closet for the interim. ...If you've any interest in those items inside it, however, you're quite free to take your pick of them. If you'd like. [He's never going to need that many rappig-themed journals in his life, after all!!]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action; waves hands it's like late may ig
Date: 2023-05-21 10:22 pm (UTC)Oh, wait a minute. Over there, off to one side. Is that...somebody familiar, by the rail? Seems he's carrying something rather person-sized and sack-shaped.
Seems he's hefting it over a shoulder, and getting ready to drop it into the ocean????]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-22 01:53 pm (UTC)against the railing. normally she would assume it was someone simply
staring at the moon, someone gathering their thoughts ...
if it weren't for the body they held over their shoulder.
in the pale light of the moon, tear can still recognize the colonel:
the cut of his uniform, the lines of his tall frame. it was a figure she
feels she'd recognize everywhere, after travelling together so long --
fighting, carrying out operations, even in the dead of night. ]
Colonel! Are you ... throwing someone overboard?
[ there's an unmistakable note of surprise to her voice ... along
with intrigue. while she doesn't condone needless violence, she trusts jade.
perhaps something happened? maybe he needed to defend himself...? but why
bother to hide the body when they'd just regenerate anyway?
she makes her way over to investigate, wondering just what could have
happened. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-22 03:04 pm (UTC)--That when Tear speaks up he actually starts in place, nearly dropping the thing over his shoulder anyhow. Automatic reflex has him grabbing at it as he turns around; some kind of brown and fuzzy texture is visible in the gloom. ...Spots? Something almost like rabbit ears, flopping back??
Jade, realizing who it is approaching, promptly steps away from the rail...and also, promptly, tries to fold the bulky object under one of his arms instead. Which would look a lot as if he were trying to hide something, if he were ever the sort of person to do such a thing. But he's not! Totally!! As they both know...!!!
(Holding it under his arm like that does lend it physics that don't actually seem to be a human body's, at least. More like some kind of large article of clothing, maybe....)]
Oh--Tear. It's rather late. I thought I'd take a walk to-- [Hold on. The automatic excuse grinds to an abrupt halt, as her question's actually sinking in now, and he blinks.] --hmm? Throwing someone overboard?
[JADE HOW ELSE DID YOU THINK THIS WOULD LOOK.............]
jade ur so sus!!!
Date: 2023-05-22 11:30 pm (UTC)slip up like this, and she almost feels a little bad for startling him
if it wasn't for the way he shifts to conceal the 'body'. she was definitely
wrong about all of this.
her eyes grow wide at the decidedly fuzzy texture of it, at the way it
has ears which flop from being moved around. If she didn't know
any better ... it almost looked like -- ]
Y-yes ... I thought you were about to dispose of someone.
[ to anyone else, the calmness with which she says that may be
disturbing. but tear wasn't exactly bothered by murder: not for as long
as the colonel had known her, anyway. ]
What is that? It looks like some kind of clothing?
Why would you be throwing it overboard?
[ was it a blanket? a giant plush toy?? she comes forwards, trying to
get a better look at it, gloved fingertips hesitantly extending. ]
DONT LOOK AT HIM LIKE THAT he's trying his best here gdi 💀!!!
Date: 2023-05-23 02:01 am (UTC)It's quite a sensible reaction from Tear, though. As expected, from one soldier friend to another. They both know they wouldn't be murdering anyone particularly frivolously, and sometimes in life dead bodies Happen and they need putting Somewhere--
Okay, but anyway, setting aside these very normal corpse-disposal sensibilities. Jade stares a bit at Tear for a moment just long enough to be a bit awkward...before his posture sags very slightly, accompanied by a very put-upon sigh.]
...Honestly. It'd really be rather less embarrassing if I actually were disposing of someone... [He's only like, 60% exaggerating here, too....but Jade also already knows that answer alone's not going to be enough. Even if it's another beat of hesitation, before he finally relents enough to very gingerly unfold the object from under his arm and offer it to her like a radioactive thing.
It's...yeah, it's a onesie. An adult-sized rappig-themed onesie, complete with a hood with the ears. (Oh, seems there's a bit of heft inside of it too, like there's other objects in there??)]
I was informed of a package in the sundries shop, so I'd stopped in to pick it up earlier. ...And that was inside it. [And surely this already sufficiently explains why Jade's now on the verge of chucking it overboard here, right???]
👀
Date: 2023-05-23 02:19 am (UTC)... A rappig!?
[ the shape of it is unmistakable: the beady eyes on the hood, the long, slender ears...
the adorable spots... and sized for an adult to wear!! amazing!! she reaches out and immediately
begins to feel the ears, pinching them between her thumb and index finger. definitely not
playing with them, no, just testing out their floppability... for strategical combat reasons,
clearly! ]
It's adorable -- I mean, it's ... so useful! Imagine the kind of
espionage missions you could perform with something like this!
[ or, um... ]
It would certainly distract an enemy in the field.
[ that sounds better right???
well okay, no, it doesn't, but wait a second -- ]
Don't tell me you were trying to get rid of this??
[ she peers up at him in disbelief. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-23 02:59 am (UTC)So swiftly, in fact, that it's imparting quite the whiplash! Jade remains where he stands, stunned enough for the surprise to actually reach his features too, as Tear grabs the onesie and almost immediately launches into a truly impassioned analysis. ...Really, this shouldn't be such a shock, should it? She was like this about all the plushies at the carnival too, and her soft spot for 'cute' things has never been much of a secret. Everyone in the party back home has witnessed how she acts around Mieu...
But still though. Really. For some reason, Jade still hadn't expected her obsession to actually extend to this kind of item too??
--Hold on, what's with that accusatory sort of disbelief in her tone now???]
That's--I was-- [A bit defensive, despite himself, and the the objective third-person point of view in the back of his head that knows this is an absolutely ridiculous thing to be getting defensive about. He kind of thought Tear would be on his side about this, though!!] Surely you know as well--this is exactly the sort of thing His Majesty would prank me with on a whim. Along with all the other ridiculous stationary in there. He knows perfectly well how I react to these things.
[By throwing them out, generally!! ...But also yes, 'stationery' is the source of the slight heft and muffled plastic rattling inside the onesie, as Tear might be noticing as she examines it. As it turns out, there's rappig-themed mugs and notebooks and things crammed in there too.....]
The uses for something like this are...sparse to my mind's eye. [A bit of a flummoxed sort of beat. Then, extremely reluctantly--] I--suppose "distracted" would be one term, for an enemy spotting someone in something like this...but surely other kinds of clothing could accomplish something like that just as well--
no subject
Date: 2023-05-23 03:25 am (UTC)get a better look inside: the mugs and notebooks are so, so cute...! her breath
catches at the sight, gaze lingering fondly on the plump rappigs adorning them. if the
colonel weren't here, tear's sure she could just stare at them all for hours.
although these were the kind of journals which made her nervous. whenever the covers were
cute like these, tear finds herself hesitating to write in them. would she ruin the pages
if her writing wasn't neat enough? would she be desecrating their cuteness if her doodles
inside weren't nearly as nice as the cover images...? it was a waste of time to carefully
plan everything that she'd put in them, and they never felt quite right.
for that reason alone she'd always tend to get the plain-cover sort of journal,
despite her tastes.
she almost doesn't hear what jade goes on to say, so busy thinking about this treasure
trove of rappig themed goods -- ]
That's exactly why you should be keeping these! They're mementos from Auldrant,
of His Majesty, right? And don't you miss being at the Imperial Palace?
[ normally tear wouldn't be so bold as to outright mention something like that,
least of all in such an accusatory tone -- but there's something about the colonel throwing
these out that emboldens her... not to mention the memories they'd both shared with one
another, somehow bringing a new layer of openness. it was rare for this stubborn
nature of hers to peek through with figures of authority, though.
still, she presses on: ]
W-what if the ship has some sort of wildlife excursion and we need to blend in? Or what if Fio
would like these kinds of things?
[
this was the, what? third time she's using fio as a scapegoat for cute things?]It's such a waste, Colonel.
[ she plants her hands on her hips, frowning up at him. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-23 04:12 am (UTC)The--the Imperial Palace had other things to be fond of besides rappigs... [A note of exasperation, about here. --Though it's sure a testament to their friendship, especially of late upon this ship, that Jade's only feeling exasperated about having this tidbit of 'mementos from home' thrust upon him quite like this. If that were a line coming from literally anyone else, it'd be warranting quite the acerbic retort. ...But it's Tear, and...
Indeed, ever since the memories they'd both ended up sharing before the Sparkles incident, a slight shift has settled in between them. Just a bit less professional, and a bit more personal. Hardly the sort of thing Jade would ever go out of his way to actively acknowledge, but.
Apparently one of the boons of an increased friendship level is increased tolerance of even the most ludicrous arguments, as it turns out.]
We both know the probability of those other scenarios isn't exactly high...but-- [Here, another sigh. Frowning up at him like that! What's he supposed to do about that?? He could shoot her down bluntly and promptly, yes, and yet what he finds himself reluctantly saying instead is:] --it is not a waste if it's not getting thrown out.
[...]
...So I suppose, that means, that I won't be...
[...Is this what the struggles of friendship feel like sometimes.........]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-24 01:07 am (UTC)the line of her mouth nearly puckering into a pout. for a second there, she'd expected
for jade to yell at her or reassert his role as her superior -- although she can't really
recall him ever doing so, not even throughout all of the missteps and disrespect anise
and luke would show to him. but she was used to it from figures of authority, having to
show militant respect at all times: the little slip up, this outburst, felt just as strange
to her despite how freeing it was to drop the formalities a little bit.
she's innerly fumbling, scrambling for more arguments about the many uses of rappig
merchandise when jade sighs and concedes, a response she hadn't quite been expecting so soon.
her expression slips into one of surprise, lips parting around words she can not yet form. ]
You're going to keep it ...?
[ her wide-eyed gaze strays from his face back down to the onesie, blinking almost
owlishly. she's surprised it seemed to work, that he didn't just chuck it all overboard the
moment she was acting unrulier than usual.
he's such a mean sofie, after all. ]
Yes, well...
[she clears her throat, a blush creeping onto her face as she tries to regain her former
stoic countenance. ]
I'm glad that you see the tactical possibilities these items hold!
They'll be very useful here for ... all of the excursions.
[ now she feels so awkward ... ! will he think she's childish? ]
no subject
Date: 2023-05-26 04:08 am (UTC)You know. For any witnesses. To all this, just now. ...Seems they're in the clear, though--]
One never knows when it comes to the excursions in this place, I suppose. [He's trying so hard not to sound too long-suffering here. He really is! ...Though it can't help but seep in a bit anyway, after another beat.] --Really, though, must you look so surprised? You ought to at least be confident in an argument well-won. Come now, Tear, do try to seem at least a bit more victorious about this...
[Because it was totally the Power of her Arguments (about infeasible uses for animal onesies) that won out this particular little clash. Definitely that, and not at all the fact that Tear is a dear friend and maybe also had surprise on her side, and Jade hadn't known what else to do in the face of her very sudden and unexpected passion for rappig memorabilia.....
Jade folds his arms, some last-ditch attempt at retaining an at least somewhat business-like air in all this.]
Besides that. In any case. I'm almost positive that--costume isn't going to fit you, so I'll have to store it in my own closet for the interim. ...If you've any interest in those items inside it, however, you're quite free to take your pick of them. If you'd like. [He's never going to need that many rappig-themed journals in his life, after all!!]