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[ When he says it like that, Lapis really can't argue. Nor does she want to, honestly. ]

Then of course I'll go with you. Though you'll need to help me with translating some things.

[ Even if she's the one not-so-subtlety encouraging things in a certain direction, Lapis can still feel her own cheeks burn up as his arm slides around her middle. And that blush starts to burn to the tips of her ears as he presses that kiss to her neck and drags the zipper down, breath hitching as she flusters for a brief moment.

Only a brief moment, and once the zipper is all the way down, she shifts in his hold so that she's able to more easily curl her fingers into the collar of his shirt; motioning him back up so she can press her lips to his. Even though she lets the kiss linger only for a moment, there's a gentle graze of teeth against his bottom lip as she pulls away - that faux innocent smile back in place. ]

Ah, thank you. [ Though she doesn't shrug off her dress just yet, even as the fabric falls over her shoulders. Mostly because there's something else she wants first, and she punctuates this with another light tug on his shirt. ]

Now lets take this off next. [ She is but a simple women who very much likes seeing her boyfriend shirtless, and she has zero shame about this. ]

Edited (leaves this notif here for u) 2024-05-05 18:38 (UTC)

Maybe we can treat it like an educational trip. I'll be quizzing you on things like signs and menus.

...

Ah, do you know what I miss the most? Night markets.

Mm, I'll do my best to get everything right.

[ Time to ramp up her reading lessons then - ]

Night markets? What are those like?

Night markets are the best. They're like long streets taken over by pop-up stalls, and people cook insanely delicious, and heinously cheap food. Like corn dogs with french fries attached to the dough, or pizza toast--which is like an omelette sandwich but with pepperoni and cheese...

[ ...his stomach growls. ]

Oh, that does sound good... We'll absolutely have to go when we -

[ Lapis cuts herself off when she hears his stomach growl, brows raising before chuckling under her breath. ]

I might not be able to make the same, but I think I could make some pizza toast.

[ The sight of another one of those posts on the network fills Lapis with dread, her heart dropping to see another of app users has been kidnapped; eyes glued to her phone as they sit on the couch. All to find who killed Teresa, all this for that horrible woman.

But... Something seems to click into place, as she recalls the two new Guardians. Especially Douman. Suddenly the fear and panic and distrust makes sense, a fog suddenly lifting, and anger is quick to rear up. ]

... I remember. Douman, I remember him. That... vile bastard, of course he would do something like this!

[ Her phone is certainly creaking under her grip now. ]

--Hey, hey. Let's let go of that. [ quick damage control, she doesn't want to break her phone, he's gonna ease it from her hands. ]

What do you mean you remember him?
Did it suddenly come back to you, or... [ ...was it like. Magic? Involved? ]

Breathe. You're not breathing.

[ She let's him take the phone from her, her hands shaking as she finally starts to remember. And that man had the fucking gall to act like they were friends... ]

It just... came back. I don't know why but I remember. I remember everything he did to me. [ Tears burn at her eyes as she remembers that one night in the labyrinth. The first time she spilled blood and she furiously scrubs at her eyes. ]

He... He trained me, wants me to take over his role. To be some kind of... god to bring power to the Order.

[ Right, she needs to breathe. There's shaky breaths as she tries to stay calm, she needs to calm down. ]

[ he's going to put the phone to the side, and move to take her hands in his own. give her something to squeeze that won't shatter and end up hurting her in case she needed somewhere to vent the pressure she's feeling.

He might be weak but his demonic half gave him a pretty hardy constitution these days. ]

That's why you kept having nightmares.
I'm not sure how much you remember, but you kept waking up a lot this week, saying you had nightmares about shadows and the sound of bells.

But that you could never remember the details.

[ he's gonna slide a thumb over Lapis' knuckles. His expression goes ugly. ]

...he's one of the ones who expects you to be some beast for the order.

And that's not going to happen. You know that's not going to happen.
He, and the other monsters like him, don't own you.

[ Her hands cling to his, desperate for something to just help... ground her. Of all people the Order had to send, why did it have to be him.

And she's quiet for a moment, her hands squeezing around his as she tries to take those deep breaths. Remember what dad told you, remember what he said - ]

No, it's... All a blur, when I woke up from those nightmares. But it would've... Been from when I first - [ She pauses, trembling, her hands clinging tight around his. ]

He was behind me, holding onto the scythe. He wouldn't let go unless I finished it...

[ Always behind her, that looming shadow and those jingle of those bells. The man that forced her to take all her feelings and lock them away, lest her soul tore under the pressure of it all. Who sees her as this beast, a God to bring the Order to greater heights.

Her skin crawls thinking about it, and she bites hard on her lip to try to keep some calm. She's furious, she's distressed, she wants to scream and cry and - ]

They don't. They don't own me. [ She repeats, taking another deep breath as she spits out the following words; ]

He calls me a "Goddess" and it makes my skin crawl. I don't... want to be that.

...

[ there's ... a quietly pained look on Jinwoo's face. He's not... completely hands-clean. He's had to kill for the Order before, too, but. The difference was, he wasn't ever cornered and told it was going to be his future, that he was going to be a tool.
It was more about proving he wasn't a total coward, along with being weak. Like everything else in his life, he ran on pure spite to keep moving; and that included the awful missions he's had to do in florida for ten years.

He can't imagine what it's like to be someone who was under actual grooming to be a pet monster for the order, and it makes his hackles raise at the very idea. ]

Remember.
We're going to get through this. Make a change with the Order, with Jusis.
And then Zhongli is going to help us get our freedom.

That's what you're going to be.

Free.

So don't let those nightmares catch up to you. Because they won't. They never will.
And at this point...

If Mr. Dickson and this Mr. Douman aren't new allies, then they're just another pair of Teresas.

...And they need to die, too.

[ Lapis would never fault him for the path he took, and now killing has become a far... easier task than she expected. But she couldn't even get a choice, there was never a choice for her in any of this. Her only path was to be moulded and shaped into what Douman, into what the Order, wants her to be - her life was never her own from the start.

There's still part of her that believes that; that this is the only life for something like her. But Jinwoo keeps talking of freedom, not just for him but for her as well, and it makes her hope that little bit more. ]

I... I still find it hard to think about, sometimes. Being free. But I want to be.

[ That she can just be herself, and not a beast of the Order. But before then - ]

And Douman needs to die for that. I want to be free of this nightmare, and I don't want him hurting anyone else. Him, and Dickson.

[ There's anxiety, at the thought of facing Douman again now that she remembers. But the anger is greater; she'll make him pay for every little thing he put her thought. ]

We'll kill them ourselves, this time. I don't care what the Order does, they deserve to die for what they've done to the people here.

[ It's a relatively normal morning in their household - quiet and lazy, with the only movement being Lapis grumbling quietly when there's a knock on their door. While she had tried to ignore it, and was doing a pretty good job of it, it's insistent enough that she eventually untangles herself from the sheets and Jinwoo as she goes to answer it.

Some moments pass once she shuffles away with a yawn, and when Jinwoo eventually opens his eyes?

A little face is staring back at him, who beams in delight when they see their other new parent has awoken. Say hello to the new baby!! ]

[ lazy mornings are good
he's getting used to them; not waking up with messages from the Order and having to think about their "missions" and how he can best approach them.

it's a warm, dreamless snooze that has him drifting, and...

... at the end of the day, he's still habitually a light sleeper.
When Lapis gets up, he finds himself stirring...

And opening his eyes to come face-to-face with a tiny creature with one of the cutest faces he's ever seen.

....He blinks, dumbly. Rubbing a hand over his face to make sure he's not hallucinating.

And then he's sitting bolt upright. ]

--you.
...

I taste bad, so don't even think about it.

[ The visitor tilts their head... body at that, because why would they want to eat him!! There's only a cheerful chirp from the space blob, before deciding to make their peaceful intentions clear by

hugging Jinwoo's face. Considering they're only a bunch of gas, it's the most gentle of hugs - and this is when Lapis walks into the room, holding two steaming mugs in her hand. Watching the two for a moment before letting out a quiet snort. ]

I see they've already introduced themselves. [ Once the blob dislodges themselves from Jinwoo's face, one of the mugs is pressed into his hands - she figured he would wake up soon, light sleeper that he is, so coffee has already been prepared. ]

I think this is one of those pokemon, like Stone.

[ as the creature up and grabs his face, there's a moment where Jinwoo wants to yell because STRANGE CREATURE, but...

....the little thing is so gentle, it's little arm. gas. limb things are a little tingly on his cheeks....

there's no way it can be dangerous, right? his hands come up to gently touch it, trying to get a feel for exactly what it *was* as Lapis comes in.

Jinwoo looks up from where the baby is covering part of his face, as best he can. ]

This is definitely one heck of an introduction.
It's... definitely a friendly little thing isn't it.

...Like Stone? But this one is tiny...

Where did it come from?

[ Lapis lets herself giggle at the scene in front of her, planting herself on the bed now as the baby frees Jinwoo from the hug. Now freed, a cup of coffee is pressed into his hands as she takes a sip from her own. ]

Some are really small, I've seen a lot of like... little ghosts, like gas balls, in that Kanto gate. They're pretty cute.

[ Of course Lapis attracts Ghost pokemon.

And now with both parents in the same room, the little gas ball chirps happily, settling on the sheets between them. They might still be making sparkly eyes at Jinwoo - just a little. ]

There was a box, left at our door. And when I opened it, there was this little... ball thing and this guy was inside that.

[ A hand reaches over to gently rub a finger against the baby's cheek, her lips quirking up into a smile as they lean into it with more happy chirps. ]

They seem pretty harmless. And it looks like they've already taken a liking to you.

[ he will groggily take the cup of coffee, the calming scent of fresh ground beans making him wake up just a little more as he takes a first long sip--letting it warm him a little as he tilts his head down to look at the little creature again.

...It reminds him a little like a ... nebula, like those arms themselves are little clusters of stars... ]

A present left behind for you. I wonder if it was that weird store...
They left a knife in my door once.
I can't say I've visited Kanto much, I've made a bigger habit to go to Hyrule...

[ he blinks a little as the creature gives him the sparkliest of eyes...

....

hes gonna lower his coffee cup and offer the creature a sip... ]

It kind of reminds me of you.

[ Lapis takes a few more sips of her own coffee, muffing a yawn behind a sleeved hand as she watches them both. ]

A... knife in your door. [ That sure is a way to make a delivery. ]

And at least you haven't fallen down the Hole again. [ At least she hopes he hasn't; she imagined that's something he might bring up when they're talking about their days.

And she muffles a giggle into her cup as the pokemon practically lights up when they're offered the cup, happily taking a sip from it. Before scrunching up their little face at the bitterness - they tried!! ]

It does? [ Lapis blinks, before glancing down at the little nebula. She shifts a little, letting one of her starry covered arms press against the baby - her lips quirking up in another smile as the baby happily presses one of their star cluster arms against her, watching as the stars move across her skin. ]

I guess there are similarities. Maybe that's why they got attached so quick.

I'd take a baby cloud of stars over a knife, truth be told.

[ especially Given that it wasn't even him who found the knife in his door. Poor Zhongli... ]

I remember where the hole is and I've been giving it a wide, comfortable berth. You wouldn't believe the number of monsters down there. If Eizen hadn't been there...

[ ...he can't help but to grin at the memory, as well as the face the little baby cloud makes when it decides it sure does not like coffee.

He chuckles. ]

She makes faces just like you do too, look.

[ he's gonna reach down to pet the little thing's head...
there there little one
not everyone likes coffee... ]

So, does she have a name yet?

You would? Knife fiend that you are?

[ She teases, but yeah the baby cloud of stars does sound more appealing. Poor Zhongli though... Though honestly he's probably seen worse in doors in his many, many years.

And she smiles faintly as well, as she recalls that little incident. Only to then blink at Jinwoo, brows raising. ]

I don't make faces like that.

[ She says, wrinkling her nose a little.

...

Okay he has a point. It's almost funny to think about; before she wasn't expressive but since coming here and meeting him and everyone else, that's changed. ]

I'm not sure... [ Lapis watches as the blob of stars trills happily at the pet, letting themselves lean into it. A name, a name... ]

Maybe Azzurra.

--I'm not that much of a knife fiend. [ that's a lie. he's totally a knife fiend. ]

You definitely make faces like that. Especially when you catch me attempting to cook, or using the microwave to heat up water for my tea.

[ he waits for her to make a face--and then he points at her with a grin. See, see?! there you go, making faces just like cosmog did. heheheheh... ]

...Azzurra...

Now that's pretty. [ and way more complicated than what he would have come up with. He probably just would have named her something like blob... or star... ]

What do you think?
Azzurra a pretty name for you? [ ask the cosmog directly ofc ]

Oh, so you won't be interested in what I've been learning to make at the forge.

[ More knives for the knife boyfriend. She's come a long way now though, from making smaller trinkets - now she can make half-decent weapons.

And in reponse to his words, she very very stubbornly tries to keep her expression even. ]

We have a kettle for that.

[ ... Okay she is absolutely making a face.

And then leaning over to bite the finger pointing at her.

Only for a second, and she leans back with a huff - her eyes then flicking over the the space baby, Azzurra, to see what they think of the name. She is absolutely not letting Jinwoo call them Blob- ]

I can think of something else if you - [ There's a series of happy chirps in response, the little blob beaming brightly at them both at the name. Okay, they're officially now Azzurra. ]

Azzurra it is. [ She falls silent, as she considers. ] I don't want to put them back in that ball thing, so we'll need to make a place for them to sleep.

[ look how fast his head comes up from where he's half hunched over the baby who is ABSOLUTELY not being named Blob. The thin pupils of those lightly glowing purple eyes narrowing with worry. ]

--No, wait, I want to see what you're working on, that's not what I meant at all. [ loot goblin activated. please show him your knives. ]

And I know we have a kettle, just some mornings I'm in a rush and the kettle takes too long...

[ huff, huff.

hes gonna a pick up the little baby in his hands, and give her a wobble.... ]

Well, I'm no handyman. So building a bed isn't exactly feasible...

...
Maybe we can go to a pet store and pick out a fancy pet bed...?

...I once saw one that looked like a fruit tart cup....

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