tlv inbox

[superniceone]

Hey, uh. It's Gustave. I'll get back to you when I can.

[ic inbox for thelastvoyages - happy for comm threads or action spam if you're catching him around the barge.]

Comments

[escapeartiste]

[COMPLETELY ignoring the conundrum that is the barge.]

Yeah, sorry. I'll try not to.

[She offers the device and nudges him right back.]

[superniceone]

[gustave chuckles at that, sipping again at his coffee, before he hums.]

I've been getting back into fighting shape recently, you know. Figured out how to call up the Academy in the Enclosure.

[escapeartiste]

[She smiles a little, breathing a raspy laugh.]

Are you expecting a Nevron to show up or something? We don't really have to fight here.

Most of the time.

[Says the child who regularly finds people to fight for funsies.]

[superniceone]

I'm not not expecting a Nevron to show up, and I feel like that's a perfectly reasonable expectation, considering everything else. [he gives her a pointed look, come on.] I was trying to invite you along.

[escapeartiste]

I know.

And I was trying to be a bratty teenager.

[Which CLEARLY worked.]

[superniceone]

[he's cracking up slightly and doing his best to hide it behind his coffee.]

Good point. Probably best not to let you around me and a sword.

[escapeartiste]

[HOW DARE YOU.]

Too bad you already invited me.

Unless you're afraid to lose to a teenager again.

[superniceone]

I'm not worried about that. [he pauses for dramatic effect.] I'll just make the enclosure give you a really, really bad sword.

[escapeartiste]

[She rolls her eye, maybe at the dramatic pause or maybe at his threat. It's a mystery.]

That's fine. I have my own.

[At least she's nerfed into the ground. She can't embarrass you that hard, Gustave.]

[superniceone]

You want me to let you bring a real weapon in there? [he's getting up, but only to refill his cup.] Sounds a bit boring for you, honestly.

[escapeartiste]

If you want to duel with sticks we could just go to the gym for that.

[She's already grumbled at Vaggie several times about the gym not having any real weapons. Why it has to get limited to the Enclosure seems silly to her.]

[superniceone]

[he slides in across from her this time when he returns with a refreshed cup, shaking his head.]

Not a chance. Far too public. You realize the optics are terrible wherever I fare extremely well or extremely poorly against you.

[escapeartiste]

[Shrug.]

That's not really my problem.

Besides, what's wrong with fighting with actual weapons? You never had a problem with it before.

[She's not going to beat you up that bad!]

[superniceone]

What— No— [he reaches over, tapping the display of the word actual.] I meant in the Enclosure, specifically. If I have to rely on a simulated weapon, it's only fair if you do the same.

[escapeartiste]

Don't you have your own?

[superniceone]

I do not. Didn't have one on me when I arrived. [and he hadn't sought one out at first, because this place was ostensibly peaceful. he's low-key changed his mind about that one, at least.]

[escapeartiste]

[Oh. OH. Oh.... no. She frowns as she connects the dots.]

You could ask the Admiral.

You probably should have something here anyway.

[superniceone]

I have come to realise that, yes. I— haven't actually thought about whether or not Pictos work outside of the painting.

[would he just have to carry it around out in the open all the time??? it sounds like such a hassle.]

[escapeartiste]

I'm pretty sure they work here. I haven't had any problems summoning my rapier and I

have tried painting.

Just a little.

I don't see why anything wouldn't work.

[superniceone]

[there's no judgment. if gustave has an issue with her painting, it's only if it threatens her like staying in the canvas might. he's curious.]

You've tried painting? And how did that go?

[escapeartiste]

[Yeeeeeaaaaaaaah... About that...

She shrugs. Clearly regretting bringing it up at all.]

Not great.

[She's pretty certain she's not going to be allowed to do that again.]

We were trying to fix my face but

I messed it up. And

it didn't work.

Obviously.

[She's still frowning a little even as she turns the device so he can read it from across the table.]

[superniceone]

Maelle—

[every bit of him wants to tell her she's not an item that needs to be fixed, but he knows it's idealistic at best and tone deaf at worst — as much as he'd grieved the loss of his arm, he'd eventually gained use of one nearly as good as the real thing. better, even, if you included its overcharge capability.

so he doesn't say it.]

Were you hurt?

[escapeartiste]

[She shakes her head.]

Dr. Sheehan was with me. I was safe.

[Well, he was there most of the time. It only failed because he left sooner than she did. Oops. She does not mention this.]

[superniceone]

I didn't ask if you were unsafe, Maelle. [there's a slightly stricter tone here, the only that usually only arises with her when it's a matter of her well-being.]

Come on. I want to know these things.

[escapeartiste]

[She looks up at him rather than immediately looking down at her device again. Her jaw sets as she thinks.]

Sorry.

[She eventually types out to offer him before taking it back a moment later to add more.]

It's just

nothing really happened. So it

didn't seem worth mentioning.