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[evocation]

@kyna.medina | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[evocation]

Yeah, I bet.

[This is nice, actually, just talking like normal after that last conversation they had.]

Do you know how to sail?

[withmeinparadise]

If it's a speedboat, sure.

[ Admire his restraint: he managed to answer without a single reference to motorboating. ]

Tall ships like they were using back then, nah.

[evocation]

Do you sail a speedboat? Or do you... drive it?

[Don't make fun of her, Sam.]

[withmeinparadise]

Drive. [ Look at him, he's being relatively earnest about it. ] S'got a key and everything.

[evocation]

[She bursts out laughing. The earnestness is cute, honestly.]

Then that doesn't count.

[withmeinparadise]

[ About some things, he'll be earnest. Pirates, ships, adventure as a general concept--these things, he believes in, for the most part. ]

Since when? S'a boat, ain't it?

[evocation]

But there's no sail.

[withmeinparadise]

Then I guess I never sailed anything.

[ If we're going to be all high-falutin' about it. ]

Have you?

[evocation]

Uh... I rode on a jetski once? Does that count?

[withmeinparadise]

Since when do jetskis have sails?

[evocation]

Shut up.

[She reaches across the bar to swat at his arm.]

I'm the one in charge of free drinks, remember?

[withmeinparadise]

[ You're only encouraging him, Kyna. ]

That mean I'm getting another?

[evocation]

[Her lips quirk up.]

Maybe. Depends on what you want.

[withmeinparadise]

Gimme whatever you want.

[evocation]

Sure.

[She hesitates for a moment, drumming her fingers on the bar before taking away his empty glass.]

I'm glad you came to visit, you know.

[withmeinparadise]

Thought I wasn't gonna?

[ Neutrally, the kind of neutral he says easily but means carefully. ]

[evocation]

Yeah. I mean, not because of you, just because...

[She bites her lip, shrugs a little awkwardly.]

I didn't handle everything... You know. Great.

[withmeinparadise]

[ Sam waves a hand dismissively. ]

S'water under the bridge.

[ He went past their usual flirting into making her tell him again that she's not interested, and it's not exactly something he's jonesing to hear a third time. So if they just ignore that it happened, it'll be fine. Completely fine. ]

[evocation]

[She shoots him a warm, grateful smile.]

Thanks.

[And then she turns away to make him that second drink. This one's a little more involved, but after a moment or so, she plunks an old fashioned down in front of him.]

It's okay that you don't want to help. I think I get it.

[withmeinparadise]

[ Aaaaaand here's why he's being cautious, right here. He still is. ]

Huh. [ Extremely eloquent. He's already attempting to escape the conversation by picking up the lowball and taking a sip. ] This, uh, this is good, y'know.

[evocation]

[She senses that discomfort, so she just tilts her head and lets him change the subject.]

Thanks. Do you feel fancy?

[withmeinparadise]

Sure.

[ Are old fashioneds fancy? Who knows. All that matters is that they're not talking about him anymore. ]

Too bad you're working, I'd tell you to join me.

[evocation]

I can join you later. My shift is pretty short.

[But, that brings up an important question:]

What kind of fancy drink do you think I'd like? I'm gonna judge your answer.

[withmeinparadise]

Daiquiri.

[ Without so much as a moment of hesitation. ]

[evocation]

[She bursts out laughing, as much at the certainty as at the answer.]

Why a daiquiri?