"Hell . . . o." The strategist turns a lovely shade of red; a very nice compliment to that green hair. He reflexively looks away when he registers exactly what he's looking at. What a warm welcome to Castle Salazar, right?
Hips makes a sound similar to a startled chicken; it's very high pitched and guttural at least. The pants are pulled up to her hips by what appears to be teleportation, and she's the same color red as their guest.
Fortunately, she'd had them half-way there when the knock came, so at most Gale just got a glimpse of tushie before she covered up and he turned away. STILL.
"...Well, then, I'd hoped we'd skip the casual nudity until you'd been here at least a week, Gale."
"Dios, I, uh. Sorry, I thought you'd be dressed by now!"
Wow, awkward welcome indeed.
"Uh. So. Si. Gale's here now. I was wondering if you have any input as to which bedroom we should put him in for the time being. What was the one we've most recently had made up? The one in the lion statue hall?"
He's blushing too now, since Gale just got a wonderful eyeful of his wife's bum. Blushing all around!
"Giant eldritch fish thing with three eyes in a straight, vertical line. Eats cows. He's...interesting."
She's not spilling Ramon's secret as to HOW he found Ostha-Huth, which would involve him tripping balls on opium, simply because she can SEE Gale's frown at the drug use. Or maybe she's projecting a bit.
"Tell you what, guys. I'm gonna do a quick dash down to the docks and back, so I can actually get my running in. Chat amongst yourselves, I'll be just a minute."
With a dazzling grin, she takes off at a relatively quick jog, bouncing happily the whole way. Say this for the woman; even when she's expecting a baby, she's not gonna let herself get back up to her pre-Space Corps weight ever again. Ever. Again. No.
"Er, yes. Exactly that. Large, psychic fish, more or less. He's probably busy being Ostha-Huth right now. You can tell when the water goes flat like that. Otherwise, I'd introduce you." Ostha conversation marvelously simulates the sense of being nonsensically high, so that may or may not explain how Ramon first found him, and why maybe passing on meeting him is in Gale's best interest right now.
Ramon watches his wife go bounding off, sighing softly to himself before turning to Gale.
"Still not sure how I feel about this whole being-a-father thing, to be honest."
"Sounds . . . interesting," he says as he continues looking out over the lake. The noncommittal phrase has effectively replaced 'I do not comprehend' in Gale's vocabulary.
The tuner turns his head to look at Ramon, kind of glad for the excuse, as it gets his face further out of the sunlight. He's reminded of his and Hips' brief discussion of Ramon's uncertainty, and he's very curious to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.
"Well, look at me, Gale. I'm not exactly fatherly material. I can barely take care of myself, let alone an infant. I don't even know how to deal with babies at all, now that I think about it. And for so long, I had to come to grips either way with the idea that I'll never have offspring, something that wasn't so much a personal ambition as it was an ancestral duty." He waves a hand flippantly; that whole '9th castellan' thing. You know.
"And suddenly, I hear that, yes, somehow, Hippolyta and I have managed to get pregnant. And...I don't know, to have something that you had to accept as a core part of your life, of who and what you are, just shattered like that...I'm still reeling from that part alone, not to even mention the fact that my life is going to transform completely now that there'll be a child in it."
A stiff breeze whistles past briefly, a short chill to offset the warmth of the sun. "I-I don't know, Gale. I'm honestly kind of scared."
"S-...Si, I knew about the Atma." He looks away briefly, wiping a hand over his mouth. And he found out during that painfully awkward incident that still sits on his thoughts whenever he's speaking to or around Gale, or whenever Hippolyta's upset with him, worried that she still holds it against him. He remembers seeing that black tornado symbol on the woman's calf, and then confirming with her later that it was, in fact, what he thought it was.
"I doubt she'd ever blame you for it, though. Or hold it against you in any other way. I-...I don't know, of course, what all could have been happening between up until then, but I just can't see how her absence could in any way be your fault, Gale. She loved you. She loves you." He adds that quickly, his hands waving as though to erase that lapse into past tense regarding The Question.
"No, she always insisted that it was far from my fault. But some guilt is so irrationally difficult to shake, especially when it comes to something so dire as the Atma. No one should have to live with this curse." And for a split second, he wonders if Ramon still has that same sympathy for the Atma that he used to. Gale really wouldn't have much patience for it these days.
"Sorry, Ramon, to dump all of this on you. I know there is little to be done or said about this whole matter."
It's there still, that admiration of the Atma, though is a more quiet, subdued way. Perhaps just because he's remembering that the people who house them are, at the end of the day, more important than the demons themselves. Not to mention he's gained a bit of perspective on having powerful viruses you can't stand, ever since he found out he's a mutation of Wesker's own Tyrant strain.
"No, don't be sorry." And he reaches out and gently touches the Tuner's arm as they continuing walking slowly. "At the very least, I'd like to know what's been going on with you for the past few months. Contact's been scarce, and that's my own fault as well. I'd gotten a bit more reclusive again as of late.
"But, either way, say what you will about anything, really. I'm here to listen and to offer whatever I can, be it words or actions. And that includes whatever is happening with you now that you require our watching over you."
"Yes, well, Victoria's disappearance is one part of it. The change in the Atma is the other. I do not recall how far you have been updated, so forgive me if I repeat myself."
He adopts his best matter-of-fact strategist voice as he launches into the lowdown: "To summarize: the Vorapate is of little or no use, keeping Vayu satisfied is nearly a full-time job in and of itself, with multiple hunting trips over the course of a day. Sleep and unconscious states are highly dangerous. Occasionally, remnants of my Atma will not revert back to a human state at all; my arms, for instance, on your wedding day . . .
"Perhaps most importantly, I have little . . . no, I will not lie. I have no control over Vayu while transformed. Argilla and I recently discovered our Atma cannot even be trusted to recognize any loyalty to each other."
He shrugs, "There you have it. The concise version, at least."
Hips, already just showered herself, feels no regrets in hiking up her robe to the knee level and wading in after Gale. She had reservations about putting him in the whole way. What if it only made it worse? What if he went into shock? What if...
But when it works, she sighs. Hey, I actually got something important right for once, she thinks to herself. Maybe this bodes well for my impending motherhood.
"Okay. Standing orders, to be obeyed immediately on pain of nagging," she says, hovering over Gale, addressing both men. "Ramon, put on your monkey suit and go get me a big pitcher of cold water and some Gatorade. There's both in the fridge. Oh, and a cup of chicken broth, lukewarm. Gale, you're indoors for the foreseeable future, away from direct sunlight. I'm going to put you in bed, no arguments, and you will not be going to sleep in your street clothes."
Ah, officer mode.
"And after all that's done, I'm going to go talk to Barong."
Barong! Maybe HE can help, instead of this strange Angel character?
Ramon, having been churring softly over Gale, and even gingerly petting his hair out of his face for him, looks up when Hips is on the scene and shortly giving out orders. And after making sure that Hips has ahold of the Tuner to ensure he doesn't drown himself in his exhaustion, the monstrous castellan strides out of the water and is quickly off to get what was requested of him.
When he returns, he's indeed back in his normal 'human' form and has hastily pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. (He's not going to waste precious seconds in seeing to Gale to get fully dressed.) And with him is the floating, ribbon-like and ghostly Inugami. Ramon has the pitcher of water and Gatorade in either hand, and the Inugami appears to have offered a helping paw with carrying a tray that has upon it the requested chicken broth. He has it balanced expertly on his head.
It doesn't occur to Ramon that having demons around may or may not agitate Gale. Hopefully it won't?
He rights himself to kneel in the water, bring his hands up to cup his face for a moment before combing his dripping hair back. He spies his wriggling reflection in the water and can't help but stare. Of all the states he's seen himself in, this is definitely a new one.
"Having any second thoughts yet?" His teeth flash the sliver of white that might be a grim smile against that fading black. "I have not even been here a full day . . ."
Fortunately, the Inugami isn't an Atma-class demon, or there probably would be trouble. As it is, Gale just gives the demon a curious look; he'll never quite overcome the novelty of a demons performing such mundane tasks as bearing soup or assisting at weddings.
She gets down right in his face, frowning slightly, her nose almost touching his.
"No." That's a firm, flat denial of what he's just said, asking if they have second thoughts. "You. Are. Family. Get it through that thick skull of yours, Gale of the Embryon. File it away under tactics of the heart or something. If you had the friggin' Ebola virus, we'd take care of you with full biohazard suits on. So you just shut up with that, or I'll thump you. Ask Ramon, I thump hard."
Speak of the devil, he's returned with water, Gatorade, a demon and the soup. Well, like in all shopping lists, you always end up coming back with something extra.
"Get to your room, and get comfortable. We'll get this solved, somehow. You'll see. And drink this on your way."
She hands Gale the bottle of Gatorade, and turns to Ramon. Again, there's that heavy feel to the air, and a sensation of tinnitus.
{Mi amor, do you think Barong can help? Or am I just whistling in the dark, here?}
Comments 82
"Hippolyta, our guest has finally arrived! Are you-...Oop!"
Yes, hello, seems we've just ushered Gale in while Hips is sans pants. Or much else on the lower region of the body, it would seem.
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Fortunately, she'd had them half-way there when the knock came, so at most Gale just got a glimpse of tushie before she covered up and he turned away. STILL.
"...Well, then, I'd hoped we'd skip the casual nudity until you'd been here at least a week, Gale."
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Wow, awkward welcome indeed.
"Uh. So. Si. Gale's here now. I was wondering if you have any input as to which bedroom we should put him in for the time being. What was the one we've most recently had made up? The one in the lion statue hall?"
He's blushing too now, since Gale just got a wonderful eyeful of his wife's bum. Blushing all around!
Reply
She's not spilling Ramon's secret as to HOW he found Ostha-Huth, which would involve him tripping balls on opium, simply because she can SEE Gale's frown at the drug use. Or maybe she's projecting a bit.
"Tell you what, guys. I'm gonna do a quick dash down to the docks and back, so I can actually get my running in. Chat amongst yourselves, I'll be just a minute."
With a dazzling grin, she takes off at a relatively quick jog, bouncing happily the whole way. Say this for the woman; even when she's expecting a baby, she's not gonna let herself get back up to her pre-Space Corps weight ever again. Ever. Again. No.
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Ramon watches his wife go bounding off, sighing softly to himself before turning to Gale.
"Still not sure how I feel about this whole being-a-father thing, to be honest."
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The tuner turns his head to look at Ramon, kind of glad for the excuse, as it gets his face further out of the sunlight. He's reminded of his and Hips' brief discussion of Ramon's uncertainty, and he's very curious to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.
"Oh? What aspect troubles you?"
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"And suddenly, I hear that, yes, somehow, Hippolyta and I have managed to get pregnant. And...I don't know, to have something that you had to accept as a core part of your life, of who and what you are, just shattered like that...I'm still reeling from that part alone, not to even mention the fact that my life is going to transform completely now that there'll be a child in it."
A stiff breeze whistles past briefly, a short chill to offset the warmth of the sun. "I-I don't know, Gale. I'm honestly kind of scared."
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"I doubt she'd ever blame you for it, though. Or hold it against you in any other way. I-...I don't know, of course, what all could have been happening between up until then, but I just can't see how her absence could in any way be your fault, Gale. She loved you. She loves you." He adds that quickly, his hands waving as though to erase that lapse into past tense regarding The Question.
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"Sorry, Ramon, to dump all of this on you. I know there is little to be done or said about this whole matter."
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"No, don't be sorry." And he reaches out and gently touches the Tuner's arm as they continuing walking slowly. "At the very least, I'd like to know what's been going on with you for the past few months. Contact's been scarce, and that's my own fault as well. I'd gotten a bit more reclusive again as of late.
"But, either way, say what you will about anything, really. I'm here to listen and to offer whatever I can, be it words or actions. And that includes whatever is happening with you now that you require our watching over you."
Reply
He adopts his best matter-of-fact strategist voice as he launches into the lowdown: "To summarize: the Vorapate is of little or no use, keeping Vayu satisfied is nearly a full-time job in and of itself, with multiple hunting trips over the course of a day. Sleep and unconscious states are highly dangerous. Occasionally, remnants of my Atma will not revert back to a human state at all; my arms, for instance, on your wedding day . . .
"Perhaps most importantly, I have little . . . no, I will not lie. I have no control over Vayu while transformed. Argilla and I recently discovered our Atma cannot even be trusted to recognize any loyalty to each other."
He shrugs, "There you have it. The concise version, at least."
Reply
But when it works, she sighs. Hey, I actually got something important right for once, she thinks to herself. Maybe this bodes well for my impending motherhood.
"Okay. Standing orders, to be obeyed immediately on pain of nagging," she says, hovering over Gale, addressing both men. "Ramon, put on your monkey suit and go get me a big pitcher of cold water and some Gatorade. There's both in the fridge. Oh, and a cup of chicken broth, lukewarm. Gale, you're indoors for the foreseeable future, away from direct sunlight. I'm going to put you in bed, no arguments, and you will not be going to sleep in your street clothes."
Ah, officer mode.
"And after all that's done, I'm going to go talk to Barong."
Barong! Maybe HE can help, instead of this strange Angel character?
Reply
When he returns, he's indeed back in his normal 'human' form and has hastily pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. (He's not going to waste precious seconds in seeing to Gale to get fully dressed.) And with him is the floating, ribbon-like and ghostly Inugami. Ramon has the pitcher of water and Gatorade in either hand, and the Inugami appears to have offered a helping paw with carrying a tray that has upon it the requested chicken broth. He has it balanced expertly on his head.
It doesn't occur to Ramon that having demons around may or may not agitate Gale. Hopefully it won't?
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"Having any second thoughts yet?" His teeth flash the sliver of white that might be a grim smile against that fading black. "I have not even been here a full day . . ."
Fortunately, the Inugami isn't an Atma-class demon, or there probably would be trouble. As it is, Gale just gives the demon a curious look; he'll never quite overcome the novelty of a demons performing such mundane tasks as bearing soup or assisting at weddings.
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"No." That's a firm, flat denial of what he's just said, asking if they have second thoughts. "You. Are. Family. Get it through that thick skull of yours, Gale of the Embryon. File it away under tactics of the heart or something. If you had the friggin' Ebola virus, we'd take care of you with full biohazard suits on. So you just shut up with that, or I'll thump you. Ask Ramon, I thump hard."
Speak of the devil, he's returned with water, Gatorade, a demon and the soup. Well, like in all shopping lists, you always end up coming back with something extra.
"Get to your room, and get comfortable. We'll get this solved, somehow. You'll see. And drink this on your way."
She hands Gale the bottle of Gatorade, and turns to Ramon. Again, there's that heavy feel to the air, and a sensation of tinnitus.
{Mi amor, do you think Barong can help? Or am I just whistling in the dark, here?}
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