deus brânquia

If there is some other way to prove that I love you

I swear, I don’t know how

Perhaps ‘ good ’ is an exaggeration, but their situation is BETTER than ‘ bad ’, that’s for sure — He’s long since learned about the importance of friendship, strength in numbers, and so many other nauseating, yet good on the heart lessons. To be an ALLY with a somewhat aquatic being is more or less the tip of the iceberg as far as he’s concerned. Vigilance is kept nonetheless despite his assurances, eyes moving from Gills and the corpse to keep an eye out for more of the EVIL little fuckers.

Loghain is by no means a stupid man and he pieces together things bit by bit – this BEING – Gills is wary; understandable, Loghain tends to be wary around weapons himself. It is subtle that he adjusts his sword, and though he winces at having to lose some of his HYPERVIGILANCE, his hands move to cross in front of his chest.

The language barrier another thing —- speak softly, less loaded with words. That he can manage better, often joked as a TACITURN man in his youth. He’s admittedly eager to practice signing with another, all too aware of the empty void Meulin created by her absence in what feel likes YEARS AGO.

Alas, plans CHANGE the moment he is given the opportunity to talk about his beloved Gaster:

      the fact that loghain and strickland had both worn such a thing was even more perplexing if it was meant to be a symbol of love and devotion to another person. he'd known that there was no kindness or capacity for mercy in that creature's heart, and he concluded that if such a monster had worn it, then it was out of a mockery of what it stood for. ( the way he would stand over him and mock him before beating him, taunting him with words he didn't understand except for the tone they were spoken in; hatred. )

        'married'. he didn't know that word. 'what is that?' he repeated, unable to replicate a sign for 'married' or anything similar without knowing the meaning of it other than a vague sense that it meant being together with the one you loved. he and elisa had not spoken of it, and yet they were undeniably together in every sense of the word. she was water - an ever-flowing constant in his life now, regardless of whether or not she was there at his side. he recognized the peculiar expression that fell on loghain's face as he spoke of 'love' - elisa had worn one similar the first time they stated they were together, before expressing as much in a manner far more physical. that this human had someone in his life in the same manner was encouraging, and any tension left in his frame lessened considerably as he contemplated as much.

–「 It was him. Even from such a distance, there was no way Dimitri could be mistaken. He’d studied the creature too closely, too precisely. Since his arrival there wasn’t much time for the scientist to find things to hope for, and so this was the first thing. The Asset made it out of this alive. But had she? Had they all?」

「 Even with the lungs of a man who smokes, the scientist sprinted the distance, chest still lighter than it had been since he’d spoken to Elisa last. Pessimism was easy. But if Dimitri wanted easy, he would have obeyed his comrades. He would have kept his head down, and maybe have even went home.」

“Wait! Wait-!!” –「 Of course, he chided himself almost immediately. The creature didn’t understand his language, did he? But how to communicate? He had tried before. In the small pockets of time he had with him. It should have dawned on him to pick up a book on sign language in the days he was here. It should have dawned on him even before he met Elisa.」

–「 Clever, he’d remembered snippets of what he’d seen from the shadows. But it was limited. Catching his breath, he recalled a bucket hitting the chamber glass, then made the small motions to ask.」

‘ Are you okay? ’  

–「 But how to say her name? He raised his hands, as if to press them to glass and look in. He hope it translated well.」

        but this one he recognized far too well. when the foul ‘strickland’ had beat him repeatedly in an effort to break him, this man had knelt down at his side - though at the time, the thought of anyone other than elisa laying a hand on him had been abhorrent, no matter if it was done with kind intention. though he did not understand the majority of what had been exchanged between the humans in that moment, it had resulted in him being allowed to breathe once again. it was the first act of mercy this human had shown; the last had been allowing elisa to free him. he had already earned his trust - no matter how late his seeming change of heart had occurred. 

       ( the memories of being stared at and scrutinized under the eye of the humans who had torn him from his home and placed a chain around his throat were burned into him just as sharply as the odd spear that strickland had used to torture him. however, every act of kindness did as well. )

        his eyes widened as he recalled the gestures the human clumsily repeated - ones that elisa had spoken out of concern when she ‘danced’. ( how peculiar to have a word for how she moved so gracefully on her feet the way that he had in the water.. it was a word that had brought him joy to sign to her - but now recalling it made him painfully aware of her absence. ) slowly, he lifted a hand to press to his chest with a slow nod; ‘ yes. okay. ’ but that didn’t mean he was content. without elisa here he was far from it - and he had yet to find her, despite briefly tasting freedom once again. the fact that she was the subject of the human’s next question only made that void in the shape of her grow even more.

       ‘ yes. ’ his nod this time was slower, more hesitant and distracted. she was alive, but not here. ‘ find, ’ he did not know if he knew the sign for that word, and mimicked the human’s previous makeshift sign for ‘ elisa ’ with a quicker urgency. ‘find elisa.’ he repeated the gestures again; it was not a desire or a statement of want - it was a necessity that he be with her, like the way she had ( once ) solely required air to breathe, and he the water. 

         hesitating for a moment, he decided to move closer; the irony in the fact that he was now the one studying him was not lost on him. standing up to his full height, he did not tower over him, but the difference between their heights - now that he was not bound by a chain or hiding in the murky, stagnant water - was noticeable. without warning, he took a firm hold of the human’s hand ( not enough to cause harm or pain, but a definitive, confident action ) and placed it against his head; a gesture he had given giles in apology as well as a show of respect and friendship while attempting to heal the older human. he did not have the same power here, but this man also did not seem to be injured - it was a sign of forgiveness, and a display of camaraderie that he bowed his head here.

Welcome, Asset! You’ll be housed in A-3!

You will retain everything you were given in your previous stay.

Enjoy your stay!

All was fine for the Decadent Dandy so far. The monsters rarely troubled him… He’d gotten reasonably better about throwing arrows like javelins… And people were just about as miserable as he was! Not that using his arrows for evil intents was making him feel any better–but hey, why should he care either way?

Of course, launching arrows around and causing trouble was fun and all, it does get boring after a while. Doing the same repetitive task over and over and ov–HEY NOW. HOLD ON.

“ GOODNESS ME!!! WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES, DARLING-!! ”

Dangerous crying babies or not, a King can’t simply leave his people wandering about in the nude. He would have used his cape–but who knows if this fishy-civilian is slimy or not. So a napkin yanked out of his pocket will have to do with covering 1/90th of the poor dear. Tap it right on their chest. 

A sigh of RELIEF as the being can offer a steadier means of communication, of which causes a fraction of Loghain’s muscles to slump. ❝Yes, I SUPPOSE even a glance can be considered ‘ speaking ’. Hard to learn your name from a roar, however,❞ he remarks in return. If Loghain is surprised to discover a shared language between them, he doesn’t express it.

❝Friend? Ah —- ❞ Loghain scratches the back of his skull; this being doesn’t APPEAR friendly, yet he thinks he understands. ❝I’m NOT AFFECTED by the darkness … by lovelessness.❞ The heaviness of his gaze lowers to the creature’s fallen opponent. ❝And you aren’t EITHER —- so, hm —-❞

       he lifted his hands, about to sign that he had no name, but he recalled the peculiar little ‘cartoon’ named ‘bill’ - and the name he’d given him. ‘ g-i-l-l-s’. he followed by motioning to himself, and then towards his gills along his neck. he’d had no need of a name and still did not see the use of one, but humans ( and whatever bill happened to be ) apparently found names to be a necessity, much like the coverings they wore. speaking of which, he had inexplicably been given a peculiar one 

       ‘ good. ’  it still wasn’t the word he was searching to use ( not good, but certainly not bad ), but he knew of no other - elisa had taught him well enough to communicate the bare minimum with certain humans, but there was still quite a bit that escaped him ( and he didn’t often care to learn it from anyone besides her ). but it seemed that cooperation was a necessity here in this wrong land, and he would have to learn it sooner or later. he gave a quiet huff, gills rattling slightly as he attempted to translate what was being spoken to him, the newer words in particular were difficult. ‘ no. not like it. ‘ he gave a glance back to the defeated creature, but was quick to refocus his attention on the man as he stepped closer.