action/video → open, all things encouraged, come eat

[emends]

[ It’s only a few hours after sunrise when Lucina fetches up her communicator. She’s a seasoned hand at going without long stretches of sleep and has already made herself useful. There’s a steady, crackling fire going on the beach and above it, a fair amount of speared fish roasting calmly. (They’re dead. That’s why they’re calm.) There’s also a small selection of forest fruit – calabaza, naseberries and soursop – resting on her strewn cape, less than a foot away from the fire pit.

She’s noticeably sunburnt. Her boots are off and her trousers are rolled up to her knees, leaving her with bright red patches on her lower legs to match the one on her nose. She also doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the affliction, her tone even and her face halfway to a smile. ]

I have managed to get some food for us. Should anyone wish to break their fast, there is a serviceable selection at the beach. Come quick, for I’m afraid it will be first come, first serve.

[ The communicator feed clicks off, and then clicks back on. ]

And, um – good morning, friends.

[ She smiles! Inigo would be so proud of her. The call closes once again. You can call her back, either to yell at her for waking you up or yell at her for not grabbing the fruit you like, or just come down and eat. Threadjacking and mingling are encouraged. ]

Comments

[cleanedslate]

Your face. [ conversationally ] I mean, obviously smiling is excruciating, but you use a lot of the same muscles when you chew.

[ not a joke! a serious scientific inquiry ]

[emends]

[ Very, very awkwardly: ]

I— I can smile...

[cleanedslate]

Yeah?

Let's see it.

[ he turns his full attention on her, patient ]

1/2

[emends]

[ Her eyes dart left, right and then back to him, as if either direction will magically answer whether or not he's serious.

She's still not smiling. ]

[emends]

[ Then, this happens. ]

[cleanedslate]

[ sflskjd he laughs ]

Not bad.

[emends]

[ The smile winds down a tad, but remains. ]

You are far from the first person to tell me I don't smile enough.

[cleanedslate]

I don't think I actually said that. [ picking out some food from her provisions to put in his mouth, chew chew ]

[emends]

[ The almost peaceable moment thoroughly killed, Lucina is silent once more. He's almost fascinating, but she may be more content to observe from afar than actually interact with him. ]

[cleanedslate]

I mean, I'm not the boss of you. How do I know whether you need to smile more?

[ people would misread you less if you'd finish your sentences, Tony ]

If you feel it, do it. If you don't, nothing wrong with that.

[emends]

You did seem to find the matter to be of some interest.

[ Everyone tells her she needs to smile more. She usually turns around and tells them her parents are dead. Except not really. ]

[cleanedslate]

Yeah. And I'm still interested. Just not actually telling you what to feel. [ lips quirked up ]

If you like that sort of thing, I can try ordering you around. Sounds kinda kinky, though.

[emends]

I, ah, don't know what that word means.

[ Lucina suspects it's not good, though. See the face she's making right now? ]

[cleanedslate]

So, either you'd hate it -- or you'd really, really like it. [ thoughtful. ] Repression. It's not great for the soul.

[ have a smirk ]

[emends]

[ She inches away from him. ]

If you are trying to proposition me, sir, I must decline.

[cleanedslate]

Me? [ his eyebrows go innocently up ] No. Noooo. Definitely not.