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Who: Adolf ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zitteraal & Oona mermaiding
When: 3/31 IC
Where: At the aquarium.
What: Fish people being fish people! An eel is dragged out to socialize with a mermaid in a place full of other fish, essentially.
Rating/Warning: None atm, will update if necessary!
[ If someone, anyone'd told him a few months ago back on Earth that there would come a day in which his biggest day-to-day concerns would be what to do about going to an aquarium with a mermaid, Adolf would likely have dismissed them quietly and looked into getting said individual a paid vacation for a few days; they must've been tired. Delusional, even. Long hours at work can do that.
The sad thing is that this is actually the current state of his life, and it would probably be a lot sadder if he'd actually harbored negative emotions about it aside from the usual trepidation and uncertainty. He still isn't sure why people keep voluntarily trying to spend time with him— what a novel thought— but he's still thankful for it, despite all the fronts he puts up that suggest otherwise.
So.
Since this is leisure and not business (even he knows the difference), he's waiting for Oona in front of the aquarium in what he attributes as 'casualwear': aka a highneck sweater and a long scarf that covers half of his face (mandatory). His hands are shoved into the pockets of his pants, and for once, he's not glaring into space as if the mere presence of air offends him.
Maybe he's even anticipating seeing the weird alien fish that might be here... maybe. I-it's not like he likes animals or anything, baka...
When he spots Oona, he pulls one hand out of his pants and raises it to indicate that yes, he is here, and yes, he is Adolf Reinhardt (as if he could be mistaken for anyone else). He also incidentally has a pair of tickets already, because he beat Oona to it and he's a gentleman eel, thank you very much. ]
—Oona.
[ Sup girl you ready to go see some FISH ]
zitteraal & Oona mermaidingWhen: 3/31 IC
Where: At the aquarium.
What: Fish people being fish people! An eel is dragged out to socialize with a mermaid in a place full of other fish, essentially.
Rating/Warning: None atm, will update if necessary!
[ If someone, anyone'd told him a few months ago back on Earth that there would come a day in which his biggest day-to-day concerns would be what to do about going to an aquarium with a mermaid, Adolf would likely have dismissed them quietly and looked into getting said individual a paid vacation for a few days; they must've been tired. Delusional, even. Long hours at work can do that.
The sad thing is that this is actually the current state of his life, and it would probably be a lot sadder if he'd actually harbored negative emotions about it aside from the usual trepidation and uncertainty. He still isn't sure why people keep voluntarily trying to spend time with him— what a novel thought— but he's still thankful for it, despite all the fronts he puts up that suggest otherwise.
So.
Since this is leisure and not business (even he knows the difference), he's waiting for Oona in front of the aquarium in what he attributes as 'casualwear': aka a highneck sweater and a long scarf that covers half of his face (mandatory). His hands are shoved into the pockets of his pants, and for once, he's not glaring into space as if the mere presence of air offends him.
Maybe he's even anticipating seeing the weird alien fish that might be here... maybe. I-it's not like he likes animals or anything, baka...
When he spots Oona, he pulls one hand out of his pants and raises it to indicate that yes, he is here, and yes, he is Adolf Reinhardt (as if he could be mistaken for anyone else). He also incidentally has a pair of tickets already, because he beat Oona to it and he's a gentleman eel, thank you very much. ]
—Oona.
[ Sup girl you ready to go see some FISH ]
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If I am the best, than clearly others do not have sense of humor! [But once he's wiped the stray tears away, she turns her attention back to the eel and leans against Adolf's arm in companionable silence. The eel blinks at them lazily[
Ah, I see the dots. [She points to the eel, and then to her own face, below her eyes.] The ones you had then. Can see resemblance now. [She taps her lips with a mocking sort of thoughtfulness] I do not know who looks better with them, though. You, or the eel. You are both cute.
[She sends him a sly smile and a playful nudge again before watching the eel watch them] Could smuggle him out. You could put him in your room. Make a new friend! [Bc that's how you make new friends. Kidnap them and put them in your room.]
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[ Not going to touch the 'cute' denomination, for obvious reasons. Shouldn't 'cute' be used in tandem with things that are actually endearing... he wonders sometimes, about Oona and her preferences.
(Not that he objects to her being around, but. That's something else entirely?!)
His brow raises carefully when Oona suggests another Oona Escape Caper, and the arm still held in Oona's nudges a bit against her side. ]
...Any tank that I put in my room would be smaller than this one. He's better off being here.
[ Practical, pragmatic. What a party pooper. ]
—But I've been thinking about it. Getting a home aquarium.
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The silence is more thoughtful than disapproving, but she mulls it over in her head anyway, giving him a scrutinizing look. No, if there was anyone that would treat and aquarium with the utmost amount of care, it'd be Adolf.
She wants to tease him, too, for getting comfortable, for settling in. But she's a little worried that if she does he might shrink into himself again or realize it too much himself and throw the idea out. (It goes without saying that she might be projecting quite a bit too, because running away is what she certainly would have done).]
It would be good for you, I think, to have something to come home to and have something depending on you. [She tilts her head lightly.] You will take care of them. [It's said matter-of-factly, no questions. There isn't even a real need to put a threat in there (take care of them or else) because she knows Adolf better than that.
Anyone that's been caged up surely knows how to treat things in similar circumstances much better. And she can't say she's against pets because, well, even mermaids had pet fish. Granted they weren't kept in tanks, but...]
You should get colorful ones. Happy ones that brighten the room. You are too serious and gloomy sometimes.
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Like him, he figures that they must be comprised of code and wires; that even if he disappears someday (which he still thinks about, the impermanence of this place), someone will come clean up his space and take those fish with them, deprogram them and clear their memory bank. Good as new.
It's sad, he supposes. But most things are.
Oona's encouragement sits warmly against his ribs, though, and her accusation of him being serious and gloomy aren't wrong at all— case in point. He won't say anything about his prospective aquarium being filled with fake fish, because her consideration is important and she literally just called him out on being A Downer, so.
He lets his expression soften incrementally, dials back his melancholy about 10 points. ]
'Sometimes'. —Give me a break. [ That's a shockingly informal statement from him, but in reality, that's more of the real him showing through... ] I'm always this way.
[ A mild joke, delivered in deadpan. ]
If you have suggestions for which fish to get, I'm open to it.
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[But she's joking, obviously. Because clearly the worst he can do is deny her; how dare he tell her not to steal fish from the aquarium?? Or kidnap a baby??? Sheesh!
But her voice softens, because as much as she teases him for his faults, she also thinks it's important to put some praise in there.] But you are also sweet and kind and caring. You came to the aquarium with me, and you are patient with me even when I know I am annoying, or strange, or do not make sense. I still struggle with speaking and expressing self, but you do not make me feel stupid for it. Thank you.
[Her head leans against him and she presses close in a brief nuzzle of appreciation before she rights herself (she's still clinging to his arm though).]
Bright fish! Damselfish are pretty and so are butterflyfish. Mandarinfish are very colorful, and nice to look at.
Oh! Should get toadfish, or frogfish! They are very cute! [They aren't.]
And pufferfish. They always look like they are smiling, and lionfish are very neat to look at! [She pauses, because really she's just listing pretty coral reef fish she can think of.] ...Dumbo octopus are also very very cute, but I do not know if they would fit in with that setting...
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Somehow, it's easier to deal with her talking about wanting to kidnap fish then it is when she thanks him, and he clears his throat before turning his attention back towards Sparky the eel.
(Sparky reads the mood: it gently wafts across the water and zaps its surroundings once, prompting the words 'BOOM!' to flash across the screen. Thanks, bud.) ]
You overestimate a lot of things. [ His personality, for one. But that's not what he focuses on. ] You're outspoken, but I've never had a hard time understanding you.
[ It's bad, all of this. It's bad for his heart, for example, because it's not a good idea to get attached to circumstances that are uncertain, but it's exhausting to live here while putting himself on permanent exile. He's not sure he understands what he wants at all anymore, if this is a second chance or what— he puts himself on autopilot most of the time, but these outings are pleasant to him regardless.
If anything, he's the one that should be thanking her. ]
I'll keep it in mind. [ Her list of fish, he means. He's already committed most of them to memory. ] —Oona.
[ And he tips his head to the side, looks down at Oona through the slits in his bangs. It's just him saying her name, but there's a question there, a continuation: a silent 'I want to ask you something'. ]
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A+ Sparky. Good going. Oona's momentarily distracted from trying to argue further (she's truthful! She doesn't lie! So if she says he's sweet and all the junk, it must be true!), which, granted, isn't that hard to do in the first place. Still, it's enough to get her to drop the subject for now.
So maybe Sparky did, in fact, read the mood perfectly.
Him saying her name snaps her to attention, however, and she vaguely realizes that he uses it pretty rarely. Her head tilts, curious.]
Yes? [Should she be more cautious about what this question or request could be? Or maybe he just wants to know what the eel might have to say?]
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It's a big step up for Adolf, though, because it's one of those incredibly mundane questions that he rarely asks— or has asked, not in a while.
All of this is just to illustrate the fact that what's coming up is incredibly stupid and awkward, essentially. ]
Are you enjoying yourself.
[ He says, flatly, without even an inflection at the end to suggest that it might be a question. He says it as if he's asking for a status report, as if enjoyment is a statistic that is very vital to knowing how to evaluate his current situation.
Maybe if Adolf were less of a nerd, he would have said something like 'I'm having fun so I hope you're having fun', but. God, look at him. He's so dour. ]
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As such, it actually gives her pause to consider. Perhaps a normal person would have said, 'yes!' outright, because the idea that one had to stop and think about it would imply, in and of itself, that she wasn't.
It's not that she isn't, but it's more complicated than that and she wants to make sure she's giving an honest answer.]
It is... difficult, to see them in tanks. [Not a good start, she supposes, but it's the honest one she's always promised to give. She steps away from Adolf then, moving closer to place her hands flat against the glass surface of Sparky's home. Her face is kept carefully neutral, eyes staring into the water.]
I was kept in one for a long, long time. I do not know if it is better or worse to have known freedom for so long beforehand, or to have never known anything but this. You cannot miss what you never had-- I have heard that said before. But I have also heard, 'it is better to have loved and lost, than to never love at all.' When I think of such things, it makes my heart hurt.
The scientists wanted to breed me. [She says it quick, blunt-- she never brought it up before with, well, anyone because how does one come back from that?] I do not know what they would have done when I refused. [because of course she would have] Not that they would have found a merman. They are not so careless and too protected to have gotten caught. I was stupid. [A self-deprecating smile and she shakes her head a little.]
Perhaps they would only catch another mermaid. Perhaps they would have no use for me. Being here makes me think, 'could I have ended up somewhere like this?' Would I be nearly as content as these creatures? Would I settle for 'this is enough'?
[That word again. 'Enough.' It's both a word of comfort and fear; of settling, of growing too content and not bothering to save herself anymore. Her fingers curl lightly against the glass.
Sparky lets out another zap, sending a text up on the screen that just reads 'BAM!' But it catches Oona's attention and she steps back to look at the screen, smiling despite herself.
Gosh, all of that sounds like such a downer, huh?]
I am not as upset as I thought I would be. I thought I would hate this, but... I do not. It brings up bad thoughts at times, and bad memories. I am afraid someone will somehow... notice, that I will be put behind glass again.
[Oona turns to face him then, holding her hands behind her back in a surprisingly confident stance despite her admission of all her insecurities here] But I am not alone. You are here, so I feel safe. If I was alone, I do not think I could do this. But you ask me questions about the fish. You listen. You care, and I know that. [She tilts her head slightly with an expression that seems to say 'don't even try to deny it right now.']
You being here turned an experience that would have been much, much worse to something better.
So yes, I am having fun. I have not laughed so hard I have cried in-- many years. [A pause in her speech, because 'many years' is such an understatement, jesus christ.
Her expression softens as does her tone.] Thank you. [As if, somehow, he's the reason for all of it. Another smile and she repeats herself with more finality:] I am having fun and I am even looking forward to seeing more.
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Comfort seems pointless: he knows what that's like, words that border on pity, words that console but never get at the root of the issue. He doesn't think to correct her or to draw empty observations, the 'it won't-s' and 'you aren't-s'.
She said so herself, all those weeks ago. That she'd never let something like that happen again, and he believes her. ]
—There'll be more things, for you. More opportunities to laugh.
[ 'For you', he says. Optimism isn't a strong suit of his, but he's willing to bend his cardinal rule at the moment.
He reaches out for Oona, puts his hand on her shoulder and applies the faintest pressure— almost a squeeze— before he lets go. ]
...As far as experiences go, it'll only get better from here. I set the bar low.
[ Again, a wry joke: 'don't expect this to be the highlight of the year, you'll probably have a lot more fun than this in the future'. But it's the kind of joke he doesn't make too often, and the quick flick of his gaze to the side should properly convey his mild shyness.
Listen, he just wants Oona to be happy.
(And he thinks vaguely about Rosa, their first 'date', her head pressed against his chest. "Of all the days I've lived, this is the happiest", she'd said.
Don't think about that, he tells himself.) ]
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Still, she reaches out to grab for his hand, her eyes clear and a smile turning up the corners of her mouth a little.] I still have not made you smile. I will do so. [A promise, perhaps a bit arrogant in her confidence] I do not lie, so it must come true. [Okay maybe more than a bit, but there's a playful sparkle in her eyes now.
Her fingers curl over his hand, a light squeeze of her own] I hope you will be by my side for those better experiences.
[So he can have fun too, so maybe he can find some little moments of happiness and peace regardless of how much he might try denying himself.]
I hope you did not think to escape me so easily. [Another light joke. He can't just agree to one or two fun things (swimming at the beach, going to an aquarium) and hope that'd satisfy her for long! He's (unfortunately??) caught Oona's attention too much and there's no way she's letting him slink off into the obscurity again or anything.
Sorry about your life, Adolf.]
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He wasn't expecting the handholding at all, so he stares at the point of contact with a vague expression of incomprehension. That look lingers, before he seems to understand the implication and the sentiment, and he tugs his arm back with a slight undertone of embarrassment— not embarrassed by Oona, but mostly at himself for being so momentarily unguarded. ]
They won't be able to say that I didn't try.
[ Rude Eel... but whatever, he's stuck and he's not going to overcomplicate that notion by being overly dour about it. ]
...Come on. You want to touch the sharks, don't you.
[ He coughs, just to deflect from his own sheepishness. He's so obvious... ]
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But since she doubts it'd be what he actually wanted even if he did say it one day, she doesn't have to worry about it. Doesn't even spare it a thought.
Besides, she's too easily distracted to dwell on things like that for long. Her eyes go huge and her mouth drops] Can pet sharks!? Ah! Why are we standing here? Come, come! We must go, now! [She pulls at his arm with a childish abandon, despite the fact she actually has no idea where to go for these sharks.
DOESN'T MATTER, SHE HAS SHARKS TO PET. WHO NEEDS DIRECTION]