IC contact for lastvoyages

[cactusy]

[If I don't have an active post up, feel free to use this post to have your character call, videochat, text, or knock on Shaw's door.]

Comments

[cactusy]

You can say that as much as you want.

[Shaw mumbles the words against Root's lips, her eyes shut tight.]

But if it ever gets too hard or two weird because I can't say it back--

[themostfun]

It won't. [ Root grazes Shaw's lips with her teeth. ] I. love. you.

[ She has so much time to make up for, almost a year she could've spent telling Shaw she's the light of Root's life. ]

[cactusy]

[Slooooowly, her fingers trailing against Root's skin, Shaw pulls her hand out of Root's underwear, wipes it off with one of the antiseptic wipes Root had brought over (hygiene is important!), and holds onto the tattoo gun with both hands. Before doing anything with it, though, she angles her wrist towards Root: twisting it to make first the underside and then the top visible, giving her a full view of those root directory slash mark tattoos. A reminder.]

[themostfun]

[ (Hygiene is sexy!!! Evenas she pouts a little ad Shaw withdraws. They can get touchy that way again later.)

See, this is why it doesn't bother Root one iota that Shaw doesn't say the words to her: because Shaw shows her how she feels.

Root bites her bottom lip as she locks gazes with Shaw, and then relaxes so Shaw has all the room she needs to do her thing. ]

[cactusy]

You're beautiful.

[Those words are easy to say. They don't necessitate getting into the weeds about how much she feels and in what way, and whether her internal responses are sufficient enough for things like I love you. Root's beauty is a statement of objective fact.]

I love looking at you.

[And so is that. Both hands still on the gun, Shaw digs her pelvis down lightly against Root's, grinding into her.]

[themostfun]

[ Shaw is very good at showing it, holy heck, so Root gives her something to look at. She arches up underneath Shaw, tipping back her head to bare more of her neck. ]

I'm all yours, you know.

[cactusy]

[Shaw stills for a moment, her attention leaving the gun and going back to Root's face as she murmurs:]

Yeah. I know. Me, too. How the hell did that happen?

[themostfun]

We took chances.

[ Root doesn't believe in fate. She believes in the Machine, and she knows that She worked as hard as any of them, maybe even harder, to save Shaw. Root thanked Her over and over after She helped get a message out to Shaw, and so she thinks that this one god does look after Her people. None of that is destiny. It's the consequences of actions and decisions. It's the way the wave form collapsed to become observable reality. ]

And they brought us here. [ She reaches up to brush her fingers down Shaw's cheek. ] So mark me up, baby. I'm all yours.

[cactusy]

[Shaw slots a knee in between Root's legs, giving her just the slightest bit of steady pressure as she finally activates the gun in earnest. She'd been planning to do پایه‌ام (my foundation, my support, my root), the way they'd talked about soon after Root's arrival - but at the last minute, she starts inking out something else instead. It's still a Farsi word, but a shorter one, with fewer strokes: زنده .]

[themostfun]

[ It does feel really nice. Sharp, scratchy, and mild. More importantly, it's Shaw doing this. ]

That was fast. What did you go with?

[cactusy]

[She doesn't answer; she's not done. Giving Root another slow, rolling grind, she inks down a second word, also short: ایدر .

There. Now she's done.]

[themostfun]

[ Best little slap on the wrist ever. Root bites her lip until Shaw's done, and then waits a few extra seconds in case she's not actually done. ]

What'd you give me?

[ She can't see it on her neck without a mirror, and with a mirror, she can't read Farsi. ]

[cactusy]

[Shaw still doesn't answer - not until she's cleaned off the tattoo site and affixed a bandage to it. Only then does she settle back against Root, resting her ear right over her heartbeat.]

Two words.

[She says, listening to the th-thump.]

Zende means "alive". And idar--

[She pauses, briefly.]

It's an archaic word. Something I'd hear in the classical poetry my mom read to me when I was a kid, not a word anybody would actually use these days. But it means both "here", and "now". Present in place and in time.

[themostfun]

[ This is cruel and unusual, Shaw. :( Yet as Shaw lies on her, Root puts her arms around Shaw; and as Shaw translates, Root holds her tighter, her heart beating a little faster. ]

Alive, here and now, with you. Us, together. [ She strokes Shaw's arm, savoring the warm, bare skin, the immediate confirmation that they're both here-and-now. ] I love it. Thank you.

[cactusy]

I still wanna do the other one.

[You're going to have Farsi all over you, Root.]

[themostfun]

I still want you to do it.

[ Root lays a hand on Shaw's head and gently runs her fingers through Shaw's hair. ]

And I still want to mess you up and take care of you after.

[cactusy]

Me, too.

[But.]

You can take your time getting there, though. It's okay. I don't want you to, uh... I see a therapist here, you know.

[It's not as much of a subject change as it might seem at first glance.]

[themostfun]

[ It's not, no, though Root is fairly sure she's not responding the way Shaw is hoping she will. ]

Are you finding it helpful to be in therapy?

[cactusy]

Kind of. More than I thought I would; I only started because I wanted a few different people watching me for, uh. Unpredictable behaviors.

[Simulation trauma. Root knows the drill.]

There's this guy, Kiryu, who I think would be pretty good for you.

[themostfun]

[ Ah. Yup. There it is. Root keeps stroking Shaw's scalp. ]

We already know that doesn't work for me.

[ Both heterosexuality and therapy, in fact. ]

[cactusy]

Well, he's not useless or a shithead.

[Shaw leans her head up, pressing a kiss to the hollow of Root's throat.]

You don't... have to. I just think it might help.

[themostfun]

[ It's hard to be firm when Shaw is being so affectionate.

Root sighs. ]

Not right now, [ she concedes. She doesn't like this topic. There are better ones. ] I'm glad it's been good for you. Really. I'm glad this place exists. That we get to make things right back where we're from.

[cactusy]

It's not that great. It's small and cramped, you're gonna see the same people over and over again, day after day... you're not gonna see the sun again for a long time.

[themostfun]

I get to see you every day. I get to sleep in the same bed as you. I know if we die here, we'll come back.

Seems pretty great to me.

[cactusy]

[Idly, she runs a foot up and down Root's leg, looking up at the loft area.]

You know, this is the first time I've really lived with somebody? A partner, I mean.