explosivecombat | 02?. [Action/Text

02?. [Action/Text - Fourth Wall]

[Kimblee has just kind of accepted this sort of thing, regarding those odd weekends where, for some completely arbitrary reason, everything is beautiful and nothing hurts (assuming that no one happens to get in the way of the explosions he's usually laying down); however, this time around he hasn't seen Archer all weekend, he's been unbelievably agitated for some reason he can't work out, and about the only saving grace is that he seems to have awakened in the Lake of Rage area today.

He can't say he minds.

He's got his gloves off today, if anyone is in the immediate area through either intent or chance; surprisingly, he isn't transmuting...obviously, though what he's doing makes it rather clear that something's going on before too long - he's never been any sort of particular genius when it comes to chemistry, but he knows certain things when he sees them, and he's currently picking up rocks along the shore, appearing to assess them as he holds them before a flash of blue fires off and he throws the result into the water.

It's surprisingly easy to get a good transference going, to get sodium out of the rocks by the waterfront; of course, sodium in water is known to make one hell of a bang. Admittedly, it's not a very aesthetically pleasing bang, but he's working on it, okay.

Of course, there are some other signs in the area that his activities haven't been quite so docile (if blowing up the surface of a lake filled with terrifying sea serpents can be considered docile); there are some rather impressive swaths cut into the ground by what look like something ripping it all up from within. However, for the time being he seems pretty content to be bored, seeming to have calmed down from the earlier...fit that caused all that; he'll be having at the whole sodium thing for a while tonight.

Granted, for those not in the area, he'll be showing up over the device later - not via video, but via text, as per usual.]

I trust you've all been enjoying playing with your toys. Some of my most prized ones weren't returned to me this time around; I'm assuming this means they're still in the region somewhere.

I imagine I'll find them eventually.

However, for the time being I find that I really can't complain; the most relevant part of what I can do is functional again, and if I had to select between having my abilities with no enhancements and no abilities at all, choosing the latter to spite the former would be tantamount to solving the problem of a low doorway by cutting off my head.

Indulge me in my curiosity, however: were things like this weekend to be something controllable, something you could do at will, what would you bring here and what sort of abilities would you retain from you world - given power like this on a regular basis, what would you do with it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Neither of us would have; I was gone for a while as well.

[Kimblee's expression is quick to slip back into the usual placidity; he isn't sure how he should be presenting, and so he quite simply doesn't, sliding easily back into the usual default.

He's aware of the limitations of this weekend; if Isaac is here now, it's extremely unlikely that he'll stay. He isn't sure what to think of that; for now, he's keeping his distance, both physically and mentally - he would like to indulge this, to just shut his brain off and not overthink it, but rationally he knows that's an extremely bad idea, spurred on by overemotional contaminants of thought. This isn't real, is it? Not really, anyway.]

You don't have to apologize to me, at any rate - it's good to see you again.

Yeah, I'd say the same, but I wasn't really... aware of anything. I guess you know how that goes, huh?

[He laughs, though the sound is awkward. Something is striking him as wrong about all this, and for a moment Isaac wonders if Kimblee has quite simply moved on. He knows he should be happy, that Kimblee isn't dwelling over something he can't have and that he can move on, but... all the idea does is terrify him on some deeper level. What happens if he comes back for good? What if this weekend is just spent being awkward with one another?]

How are you doing?

[He tries to ignore that for the time being though. There are other things to focus on.]

[He looks amused at that, though he doesn't laugh; he buries his hands in his pockets again, though he doesn't pull out the gloves he's stored there - he's been enjoying not having them on for once.]

I know how it goes, yes; just the same, since I've returned here, I find that I can't complain. Archer's been here with me, at the very least; it hasn't been quite the same, of course, but I'm doing well enough.

[The amount of things he's not mentioning is, as usual, ridiculously large. The utter bureaucratic nightmare at work, the reprimands that have come down from high up the chain of command, the sense of distance he's been experiencing with just about everyone else (except, perhaps, for Locke, whom he doesn't even know, not really), the fact that he really hasn't felt anything in almost a month; it's unpleasant, but there's no need to mention any of that, and no words for half of it besides.]

Miss Altava is no longer here, however, which is unfortunate.

She's gone too? Sorry to hear that.

[He really is, she was a good friend. At least she's returned to London though and not somewhere like Amestris.

Isaac shifts a bit, reaching up to tuck that one stray strand of hair behind his ear, before deciding that he doesn't like that and pausing just to play with it. Why is this so awkward? Have things really changed that much?]

I'm glad to hear you're doing well, at least!

[It's been a while, but not so long that Kimblee can't recognize signs of distress from Isaac when he sees them; he steps forward then, closing some of the distance between them, and he reaches out to lay a hand lightly on Isaac's arm to discourage the hair-playing, to try to calm him down.]

...I've missed you, you know.

[The words are strange. Confusing. Lies of omission have always been more comfortable to him than expressing himself fully; manipulation is more familiar than honesty. What he offers Isaac now is almost uncomfortably straightforward; he tries to shake it off, to push past it, and he manages to not allow his expression to falter any.]

[Kimblee usually isn't quite this blunt about what he's feeling - if anything, Isaac usually has to guess and he's usually wrong. He's not sure what to do with it at first. It takes him a moment, but he finally gets his expression under control and he offers Kimblee a half-smile.]

I'd say the same thing, but it feels like I just saw you yesterday, so...

[He trails off there and for a moment it seems like he's not going to say or do anything else. He finally moves forward to wrap his arms around Kimblee, finally relaxing for the first time since he got here.

Everything will be okay. Even if it's just for the weekend, it'll be okay.]

...I know.

[He doesn't really expect anything else from Isaac, not right now, and he's in the process of withdrawing his hand when Isaac is suddenly hugging him.

Kimblee flinches at the increased contact, but that's really not anything new; it's something he's always done, and most likely something he always will do, but even though it takes him a moment to snap out of it he does relax eventually, returning that embrace a bit rather than the usual routine of just allowing it.]

This place has horrible timing, by the way - apparently it couldn't stand to hold off until April.

[Isaac hugs Kimblee tighter at that last comment; he was just thinking the same thing.]

Oh of course. Clearly it doesn't want us to be together for that long.

[The sarcasm is thick though; he's frustrated by it, but at least he gets to see Kimblee again, even if it is only for a few days.]

How long have you been back?

Since May - fairly early on in May, actually. So I wasn't gone for too long, all things considered.

[He shifts his hands, toying with Isaac's ponytail a bit.]

Hopefully this place will decide to favor you again sometime soon; it's been a bit boring, really.

Yeah, I hope so!

[It's much better than being dead not that he's still hung up over that or anything.]

But I'm back for a little while at least, so hopefully I can make things interesting enough to last you for a little while.

[He grins, immediately falling back into the routine of feigning confidence that Kimblee seems to like so much. Things will be okay. He'll stop existing once this weekend is over, but for the time being he has Kimblee and everything will be just fine.

He can't admit how relieved he feels.]

Is that so.

[Oh, that seems to have amused him - well done. He tugs on Isaac's ponytail as he continues; it's not enough to really hurt, but it's definitely enough to sting a bit.]

I'd like that, actually; I know you won't disappoint me, after all.

[Isaac makes a soft, pleased noise at the tugging. Kimblee certainly hasn't forgotten just how much he enjoys that.]

Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it.

[...He should probably hold off on doing anything too forward, especially because it has been so long for Kimblee...

Eh, fuck it. He's leaning forward and kissing Kimblee anyway.]

[Kimblee doesn't try to stop Isaac, nor does he try to pull away, but it's obvious that he's startled by the way he's suddenly freezing up again; he knows he should be keeping his distance from this entire experience, that there's nothing about this that can end well, but right now all he can focus on is the way his eyes are sliding closed and he's relaxing enough to return that kiss and he's doing so eagerly, and he can feel his body shaking a bit and the pressure of Isaac's hands against his back, and he's struck again by exactly how much he's missed this.

He's been asked before, whether or not he loves Isaac; the truth remains that he doesn't, not really. He understands love perfectly well in theory - it's just another thing that humans do, something for him to take apart and analyze and see how it works, and he recognizes the behaviors that imply it just as well as anyone else -

(you let me have something even though I can tell you still want it. you spend long hours talking to me without seeming bored. you touch me often; you allow me to return the favor. you give me things that I never asked you for, not because you thought you had to but because you thought I would like it. you do these things either because you love me or because you're trying to manipulate me, and you're too genuine to manipulate anyone, much less me)

...but even if he can recognize and copy those actions well enough to pass for a little while, love has always been one of those things that he can't fake convincingly. There was always something about it, something that led to arguments and hideous breakups eventually, something that he'd never known how to fix; it had annoyed him more than it had upset him, because if there was really something that wrong, then he should have been told as soon as it became noticeable - he could have at least fixed the behavior if he'd known.

He'd made the mistake of saying that once, when he'd been young and stupid and hadn't enlisted in the military yet, and he'd been slapped for his effort; he's matured since then, certainly, he's no longer quite as spoiled and he isn't buying his relationships with his parents' money anymore, but he still remembers that incident rather well. It still annoys him more than it upsets him.

But when it comes to Isaac, in some ways it matters less if he loves him or not - Isaac's made it very plain that whatever he's offering is unconditional, and Kimblee supposes he can appreciate that much, even if he finds it stupid. And really, if people were to just look at it logically and scientifically, it would probably look like he loves him - the increased heart rate and various chemicals flooding his system, the sudden physical impulsiveness, the sense of desire that came with all of it would likely look like love if such a thing could be measured. But he understands that love should probably feel like something, that it shouldn't be a series of actions that he has to think about to convincingly give the illusion that he cares more than he does, it shouldn't come with the caveat that he'll let this whole thing burn if his commanding officer tells him to.

He's come to understand that whatever it is that his previous partners always eventually felt the absence of, whatever caused the distance and the fights and the hideous breakups, is probably love. He can't know for sure, but it's his best guess.

So he certainly can't truthfully say that he loves him; at the same time, for the time being he's perfectly content to let this be a purely physical reaction, to pull Isaac a bit closer against him and to twist his hand more tightly into his hair and tug back a bit more firmly now (but not enough to break that kiss, which he'll admit feels lovely), and he grinds up against Isaac hard, in a way that's likely going to embarrass him horribly later.

For the time being, however, he can't bring himself to care.]

[Love has always been a bit of a strange thing for Isaac. Of course he understands familial love and the bonds that exist in a family, regardless of whether or not they're related by blood. That makes more sense to him than any other kind of love, actually. When he was younger he was convinced he loved every girl he ever dated - and look how horribly all those relationships had ended. It wasn't because of a lack of love, it was because he always failed to grasp some sort of concept that was put forward or he failed to pick up on some social cue that anyone else would have gotten.

None of that matters with Kimblee. Kimblee knows to be blunt with him, and more than that, he's willing to work with Isaac to make sure he understands. It's something he's never experienced from anyone and it's something that makes him love Kimblee even more.

He told Kimblee that he didn't need anything in return, but he can't deny that the reaction he's getting from his boyfriend is fantastic.

...Kimblee is still his boyfriend, right? Even if it's just for a few more days before... well, he doesn't want to think about that now.

Isaac's grip tightens on Kimblee's waist and he manages to contain the moan that threatens to spill forth at the sudden tug on his hair. He fails to control the second moan at the grinding though, and he's all too eager to return that as well. He's sort of glad Kimblee's still content to kiss him, because he's pretty sure he wouldn't be able to manage any other words than "I love you" and Kimblee already knows that.]

[He definitely knows that. He knows because you've told him approximately a million and a half times since they started dating, and he's only just recently started responding and he's since been told that responding that way is a really bad idea for a reason he still doesn't quite understand. It's not something he can ask about, either; at this point it seems akin to confessing that you've forgotten someone's name while you're standing next to them at the damn altar.

He breaks the kiss off eventually, however, though he does pull back on Isaac's hair again once he's done so; he's going to have to break the embrace off sometime soon - he doesn't mind it too much, for the most part, but Isaac has a way of holding on for too long and making him claustrophobic - but for the time being he's reasonably all right with being held still.]

[Isaac gasps, wincing a bit at the pain, but his expression is still pleased. Kimblee doesn't find this weird and Kimblee doesn't judge him for this and Kimblee even indulges him with this. It means so much to Isaac and he's never sure if he's gotten that across to Kimblee, which is why he needs to tell him so often.

He tips his head back a bit to lean into Kimblee's touch, then after a moment he pulls sharply forward. He's a bit impatient and he enjoys the pain, so why not initiate it himself?]

[...okay, that seems to amuse him, good lord.]

Feeling impatient, are you?

J-just a bit.

[He grins at that though, clearly pleased.]

Mm...I would say something regarding patience as a virtue, but somehow I think I'm the last person to be talking about things like that.

[Have another sharp jerk back, you.]

Yeah, you--

[Well, he's cut off with a very pleased sound there. God that feels good.]

I thought as much.

I imagine you want to make the most of the weekend, then?

Yeah, I'd like that.

[He grins at that, incredibly pleased with what Kimblee's implying.]

Excellent, then.

[Kimblee falls silent for a moment after that, continuing to play with Isaac's hair, though he doesn't jerk back as hard as he has been; for a moment he's debating saying anything further - he's been told that he shouldn't, and somewhere in there he knows that he shouldn't, but just the same, it's only for the weekend...and really, what business is it of Locke's, anyway?]

I love you, you know.

[As usual when he lies, he can't look at Isaac when he says it; his expression is gentle, however, and he keeps his gaze low - hopefully mistaken for being mildly embarrassed at the admission than unable to tell the truth about it.]

[Isaac doesn't rush Kimblee, instead waiting for him to either speak or continue with that hair-tugging, either way he's content to wait. When Kimblee finally does speak, Isaac lights up and grins happily.]

I love you too! You mean so much to me, Kimblee!

[He's always pleased to hear it, no matter how shy Kimblee is about saying it. That just makes it cuter, in his opinion.]

[...oh my god, Isaac...

Well, that went better than he'd thought it might, anyway.]

Yes, well. You're being very endearing about it.

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