voice

[deem]

Hey guys, can you hear me?

[YoRHa unit 9S, forever uncertain as to whether he's thinking at people properly]

I just wanted to let you know that 2B and I are doing renovations on that old house on the western side of the island. At the moment there's no water or electricity so it's probably not the most hospitable for humans...

But once it's in working order, this'll give us an outpost in this area.

Also we were discussing some hands-free lights for working in the dark. Devices like that would come in handy, right? Are there any other types of equipment you could use? Seems like during our downtime, that's something to work on. Maybe we can also establish what resources we've got at our disposal, too. We're a team and all, right?

[Now that they're not dealing with invading hostiles, it seems to him it's time to put his technical skills to work]

[ooc: Feel free to thread-hop/jack, let's get geared up]

Comments

[deem]

It'd be a bit tough to wear over her uniform, I think.

[So 9S has told himself. But wow Jude, bridal style is pretty much an android standard.

But for this, 9S glances over his shoulder, not that it does him much good]

My back...?

[Pardon a fellow for never having heard of piggyback before]

[talim]

Like this. I'll show you. Just stand still and I'll hop on.

[ jude forces down his nerves— he's given milla a piggyback before, it's no big deal— and steps behind 9s to slowly drape his arms over his shoulders before jumping up and wrapping his legs around his waist. he wouldn't dare if he wasn't confident that 9s could handle his weight without an issue. ]

See? Not so bad.

[ not so bad... jude isn't too sure about that, but at least 9s can't see his expression like this. ]

[deem]

[The weight's no issue for 9S of course. He'd be hard-pressed to lift 2B, much less get very far, but Jude weighs less than half of what he does. So he'd have to agree it's not bad, though it's a little weird...]

Won't you get tired holding on like that?

[With a most pointed glance toward those legs around his middle. He's seen Jude fight, so he knows he's strong, but he imagines it wouldn't be comfortable holding onto him this way]

[talim]

I'll be fine. I've carried Milla like this before. I doubt being on the opposite end is much more difficult.

Besides, you can still race there, can't you? Ten minutes is nothing.

[ as soon as the words are out of his mouth, jude realizes that 9s can run so fast jude very well might end up all but soaring in the wind.

oh well. he can handle it. he just tightens his arms around 9s' shoulders, hanging on tight. ]

Trust me. I'm stronger than I look.

[ and even if it is uncomfortable, he'd rather endure it than suffer the embarrassment of being carried like a princess. again. 9s probably wouldn't understand just why he's so flustered by it, and he'd prefer to keep it that way. ]

[deem]

I know you're strong.

[He's seen Jude fight, though as he had said once before, he thinks that it's a personal quality as well. But it seems to him repeating that wouldn't be relevant to this conversation. Instead he just hooks his hands under Jude's legs to try and help support him]

But yeah, this won't slow me down.

[Actually, it will probably be easier to run this way. He has no doubt 2B could handle carrying somebody any which way without breaking stride, but he doesn't have the same kind of raw power that she does.

Since it seems that Jude's settled, he shifts his weight before he starts dashing away from the beach and veers toward the west. Enjoy the breeze]

[talim]

[ jude yelps with surprise as his hair sways back and forth in the stinging breeze, tousling it even more than it already is. he's grateful he isn't wearing his lab coat— it's too light— and 9s' jacket keeps him warm as they all but fly through the forest.

it's more thrilling than he could have imagined, and jude can't help but laugh, muffling it in 9s' shoulder. at the same time, he's very much aware of 9s' hands underneath his legs, and he holds on even tighter, pressed right up against his back. the trip is so short he doesn't have much time to think about it.

it flies by in... you could say... a breeze.

jude is panting by the time they reach the house. his hair looks absolutely ridiculous, sticking up at about a dozen different odd angles, but he's smiling. ]

Whew...

[deem]

[9S has always preferred traveling with company, but this is pretty different for him. By the time he slows to a stop, he's aware of Jude's breathing, unsure whether it's because of his laughter or because of how quickly they had covered that distance, but he lets go so the other boy can hop down if he's inclined]

You didn't flutter away on the breeze after all.

[It's said airily enough that there's no doubt he's joking. He certainly wouldn't let that sort of thing happen if he had anything he could do about it, and as he'd said, he does know that Jude is strong. There are a lot of indicators of that fact, not just the time they'd fought together.

Still, he did worry a little. It's the first time he's carried anybody at his top speed]

[talim]

[ he's panting from both, but he manages to catch his breath, jumping down and resting both his hands on his knees. that sure was something else. ]

Told you so.

[ another laugh, lighter this time. maybe next time they can go roof to roof, although that might be a little too thrilling... and by thrilling he means terrifying. he remembers flying a wyvern with milla steering and gripping onto her for dear life. jude isn't the biggest fan of heights.

he runs a hand through his hair, oblivious to just how ridiculous he looks. there's his sexy side, and then there's... this. ]

[deem]

You did.

[He agrees with an easy smile, watching the rise of Jude's hand...and then that expression grows with a burgeoning amusement. This is the first time he's seen Jude's hair sticking up at such odd angles, though it always sticks out a bit, he assumes by design.

Or maybe he just wakes up like that, it's hard to say]

Looking a little wind-tossed though.

[Don't mind him just reaching over to smooth Jude's hair back into place. Or rather, an attempt is made]

[talim]

[ jude's lips part in surprise when soft hands are running through his hair, confused at first before he realizes that he must be a mess. he shifts on the balls of his heals, reveling in how nice such a simple little gesture feels. ]

Th... Thanks.

[ there's a hitch in his breath, thoroughly flustered yet another time, but he's presentable again, at least. jude just sort of blanks for a few seconds before he remembers what they're here for in the first place. ]

Right! The house.

[deem]

[And there it is again, the way Jude's behavior seems to change for just a few moments. It's taken 9S a while to debate what sort of pattern he can find, but in the end, the only commonality he finds in these moments is that there's just the two of them.

Is it something he does, then? He's never really tried to help Jude with his hair before though...]

Just a second, okay?

[He's got an eye for details, so he leans just a bit closer with a thoughtful hum, frowning in concentration. All this concerted effort solely to ensure that he brushes Jude's bangs back into their usual place.

Look it would've distracted him otherwise]

[talim]

[ oh.

okay. this is fine. this is...

there's a sudden lump in his throat, and swallowing thickly does nothing to alleviate it. his heart is beating obscenely fast, and he's practically holding his breath. 9s is so close. brushing his bangs aside with so much care. he knows he's looking straight at him, even with the goggles on.

jude turns so red it would be impossible not to notice it, blush spreading all the way down his neck. his cheeks are so warm. ]

9S... ?

[ he practically croaks. ]

[deem]

[Inclined as he is to become very focused on what he's doing, 9S doesn't notice Jude's reaction at first. It's the strained sound of his voice that catches his attention, drags him back from his meticulous activity, and then the differences swim into his awareness.

Once again, he seems to have made Jude nervous. And it's not that he's afraid, he's sure of that. Actually, the color he's adopted brings to mind so many coven members during that strange speed dating thing they were cajoled into, but the circumstances here are surely different.

His silence likely doesn't help matters for Jude as he tries to decide the source of what he surmises must be embarrassment, letting his hands drop]

Jude, are you...?

[He starts, and hesitates, because maybe it's something he shouldn't need to ask]

[talim]

[ he knows.

he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows. ]

Am I... ?

[ deep breath, jude mathis. inhale. exhale. good. he's squeezing his wrist so hard he might very well leave an imprint. ]

[deem]

[9S straightens then, pondering how to phrase this question. Once again, his silence is probably doing nothing to help Jude. He notices, as he does with so many small things, the way he's holding his wrist.

It looks like it hurts]

Uncomfortable? [It's the only word he can come up with] Does it bother you, me doing things like that?

[All this while, he's just assumed Jude liked people being close, and didn't mind things like this. But maybe in thinking so, he's crossed some line? Something like that might explain this reaction in moments like this, he thinks]

[talim]

[ he doesn't know.

he doesn't know.

jude's secret is safe. he breathes out a shaky sigh and forces a smile. ]

No, I'm not, and no. It doesn't.

[ and despite his current emotional state, there's nothing but honesty in his eyes. ]

It... I...

[ jude can't bring himself to elaborate, so he just shakes his head, releasing the grip on his wrist. all he can do is repeat himself. ]

It doesn't. I promise. I wouldn't lie to you.

[deem]

[So it's not that. On the one hand, 9S finds himself relieved he's not causing that with Jude. On the other, that means he still hasn't figured out what it is that's prompting that change around him. Is it just around him? Come to think of it, he hasn't been around Jude and other people that much at the same time.

Maybe that's something he'll have to watch for, in the future. As it stands, he can't say for sure whether it's one way or the other.

But if it is just him, then...

Something to address later]

...Okay. [He finds himself unsure, still, but he puts that aside. He'll take Jude at his word] Should we head inside then?

[talim]

Y-Yeah. That's a good idea.

[ jude is all too quick to swing the door open and step inside, and what he sees is—

the place is practically sparkling clean compared to the last time he saw it. sure, they tidied up a bit together, but it was nothing like this. jude looks completely stunned, standing by the door and gaping. it looks like a different place altogether. ]

You cleaned all this up by yourself?

[deem]

I've had 2B around too, so I can't say it was all me...

[Although he did try to handle as much of it on his own as possible. It was a project he'd decided to take on, after all.

And he'd gotten a solid start to it all with Jude, so that helped]

Couldn't get started on repairs if the place was a mess.

[talim]

You're really dedicated, you know that?

[ jude strays into the kitchen and lets his eyes roam over the shining clean counters and the table large enough for more than two. the next room over, what he presumes to be the sitting room, looks just as cozy. ]

Wow. I don't know what to say. What did you need my input for? The place looks near perfect. More than comfortable.

How many bedrooms are there? Can I see? Don't worry— I'll stay out of 2B's.

[ the mental image of the dusty bed they had rested on while jude healed his ankle is still all too clear. ]

[deem]

[9S trails after him, quiet for a short time. Dedicated... It's nice to hear something like that]

Well, that's the thing... I'm not sure if one of them is a bedroom. We didn't exactly furnish things this way in the Bunker.

[And so, he finds himself unsure of what the actual bedroom count even is. He doesn't know the functional purpose of certain rooms, and although he can theorize on most, there's one that just eludes him entirely]

Not sure how to make the most effective use of the space, either.

[talim]

[ the room they had stayed in looks just fine. neat and tidy with fresh sheets. but the room 9s leads him to afterward...

it's clearly a bedroom, but it's different from the others. the bed is much bigger; big enough to have room for two, and it looks even more comfortable, although the others looked almost just as good compared to the cot jude's been sleeping on.

there are unlit candles on the nightstand and a bathroom attached, the door creaked open enough to reveal a clean bathtub and some cabinets. ]

Huh. You're right. This one is much fancier... but it's definitely a bedroom. I can tell you that much.

[ that bed really does look awfully soft. ]

Well, you should certainly make the most of it. There's still no electricity, right? The candles are sure to come in handy.

[deem]

I'm working on some portable lights, actually...

[It seems a waste to use something as finite as candles, or at least he thinks so. The dark was limiting in terms of work, so he's already devised a prototype of the lights he and 2B had discussed, although it needs testing as all new little gadgets do]

But at least now I know what this room is.

[Well, room and adjoining bathroom. The water doesn't yet work but at some point it will. For his part, 9S had chosen the smallest bedroom for himself, because it was far more like what he was accustomed to in terms of living space]

[talim]

Right, right, I forgot you mentioned it earlier. My bad.

[ to be fair, jude has been through a lot in the span of almost an hour or so. cut him some slack.

jude glances over to the large window in the room, adorned with red curtains that are pulled aside. immediately jude notices dark grey clouds are rolling in, a sign of even more rain to come. it's been raining a lot, and the weather here can go from sparkling sunshine to a downpour in a matter of minutes. ]

Ah... Looks like more rain again. It's always so sudden.

[ and this poses the problem of getting jude home. ]

[deem]

I don't mind reminding you.

[About anything, really. 9S doubts he could ever find it in him to mind.

The comment on weather prompts him to follow Jude's line of sight, watching the window, or rather what lies beyond it. Earlier the skies had seemed clear enough, but that seems to be how it is around here.

He's so accustomed to a world that often felt static, trapped in eternal, dusky day]

Makes me wonder what we should expect around here, at different points in time.