ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Tayasaurus]

"I have never in my life seen anything like this," Jaakko says.

He looks curiously at the dozen or more ingredient choices, many unfamiliar, with curiousity.

"What kind of place is this?" he asks Tippy with curiousity in his tone.

"Hot pot joint. Really cool stuff actually. Good pick. Basically, we'll have this hot boiling pot near us at all times and we're given the ingredients we want to cook."

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[Qwepir]

"Me? No. Just spent the night worrying over you," she says, taking a seat beside his bed. Cualli reaches over and takes his hand without the IV in it, squeezing gently. "Gods, I was terrified. I thought I was going to lose you."

"One of the guys got arrested. Elu went and broke his ribs, I think. And knocked his teeth out. I think I dislocated the arm of the first guy, but he got away. I was more focused on--" The mental image of Arkhip bleeding out in the parking lot flashes into her mind and she trials off briefly. "...more focused on you."

His eyes widen when you get to the part about Elu punching the attacker, but lets you finish before commenting.
: Elu did that?

He shakes his head a bit to snap out of it.
: I mean- I'm really glad you weren't hurt. I didn't know that other guy had a knife...

[carolcat]

"Yeah, I was surprised, too. But I talked with him about it after," she says, glancing back at Elu.

"You couldn't have known. I'm just... glad you're alive." Cualli squeezes his hand again. "Once you're recovered from this, I say we go and take a nice, proper vacation. Let's find a beach somewhere or something and just... relax." A smile spreads across her face and, winking, she adds, "I might even let you see me in a bikini."

[Qwepir]

"Yeah, I was surprised, too. But I talked with him about it after," she says, glancing back at Elu.

"You couldn't have known. I'm just... glad you're alive." Cualli squeezes his hand again. "Once you're recovered from this, I say we go and take a nice, proper vacation. Let's find a beach somewhere or something and just... relax." A smile spreads across her face and, winking, she adds, "I might even let you see me in a bikini."

: At this point, I'll take anywhere that isn't Moratov.

He rests his head on his pillow and stares up at the top of the wall.
: Mercana's got nice beaches, we could go there.

[carolcat]

"Wherever you want to go. Bet you'll have some real nice scars to show off on the beach once you're out of here."

She stares absently at the IV and wires coming off of Arkhip and is silent for a few moments, thinking, remembering. "Gods, I don't know what I would've done if you died out there. Probably... blamed myself for not doing more. Honestly, I'd probably be in here with you if Elu hadn't done something. Well... not with you, because you probably would have..." Her throat tightens and she breaks off. She pulls her hand away from Arkhip's and rubs her watering eyes. "...sorry, just tired," she explains. A half-lie.

Cualli considers telling him how she feels about him. His-- their-- recent brush with death urges her to say something before it's too late. I shouldn't rush things. He's probably under enough stress as it is. But the idea still tempts her.

She looks at the pilot's face. "Things back on the carrier... fewer and fewer pilots are coming back. Every time, I'm afraid that... maybe one of these days, I won't see your plane come back onto the carrier. Or I'll see your name on the list of missing or casualties." Cualli pauses to keep her composure. "It's... not a pleasant thought. At all. And I worry about it a lot. About you."

Her hands drop from her face to the edge of his bed and she stares at them. "Last night I guess it really hit me how quickly we can lose what we have. You almost-- Gods, I almost lost you, Arkhip. And..." Her voice wavers slightly and she swallows before continuing. "I... don't know if I'd be able to bear that."

Cualli takes Arkhip's hands suddenly and looks intently at his face. "Promise me you'll come back to me, Arkhip. Every mission. Promise me I won't lose you. Please." Her voice sounds almost desperate.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Hot pot joint. Really cool stuff actually. Good pick. Basically, we'll have this hot boiling pot near us at all times and we're given the ingredients we want to cook."

Jaakko stares at the propane heating element before glancing at the simmering pot at the busy table. He then looks back to Tippy.

"stuff. I don't even know what to make. I wouldn't know what to make. Got any ideas?"

[Qwepir]

Cualli takes Arkhip's hands suddenly and looks intently at his face. "Promise me you'll come back to me, Arkhip. Every mission. Promise me I won't lose you. Please." Her voice sounds almost desperate.

: Alright. I promise.

Walter stands up after paying for the meal and mentally realizes that he has metal legs again, feeling like his original legs were still there while he was sitting down.

"Alright, lets head out then."

Walter emerges from the temporal fissure with Virvel and Frisk inside the sharpened metal section of a "sporting goods" store.
: So, what exactly are you looking for? A knife knife, or like, a machete or a hatchet?

[Badger]

Walter emerges from the temporal fissure with Virvel and Frisk inside the sharpened metal section of a "sporting goods" store.
: So, what exactly are you looking for? A knife knife, or like, a machete or a hatchet?

"I was thinking about just a regular knife, but now that you mention it a machete might be a good addition."

[carolcat]

Cualli relaxes, seemingly relieved to hear him promise to her. "I just... don't know what I'd do without you," she says. "I--" Her ears redden and she looks away from him. "I... promise you won't laugh or think I'm weird for what I'm going to say?"

[Tayasaurus]

Jaakko stares at the propane heating element before glancing at the simmering pot at the busy table. He then looks back to Tippy.

"stuff. I don't even know what to make. I wouldn't know what to make. Got any ideas?"

Tippy raises an eyebrow.

"This isn't really what I'd call a creative process. This will be easy, even for you. Whatever is put in front of us, you cook up and try. Simple."

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko rolls his eyes and grins at the slight.

"Whelp, this'll be fun," he says.

"Are we going to Yukamo's family's house after this? Or are we going to to hotel?"

He pauses and looks at his watch.

"What time even is it?"

[Qwepir]

Cualli relaxed, seemingly relieved to hear him promise to her. "I just... don't know what I'd do without you," she says. "I-" Her ears redden and she looks away from him. "I... promise you won't laugh or think I'm weird for what I'm going to say?"

Eremit nods.

"I was thinking about just a regular knife, but now that you mention it a machete might be a good addition."

: Well, see any ones you like?

[Badger]

Walter views over the board or kukris and other various knives until his eyes settle on a heavy, black, and squared machete.

"I see a machete I might grab" he points it out and walks closer while looking at the other knives. "I've still to pick out something smaller that I like though."

[carolcat]

Eremit nods.

Cualli hesitates for a long time, feeling her cheeks grow warm. Just say it. She takes a breath and opens her mouth to speak. "I think I'm..."

She hesitates again, deciding against confessing to him. "...I'm....." Her brain scrambles for something else that she can say to him that isn't completely stupid. Liking the idea of... Staying with you? Vacationing in Mercana? Gods, you're a loving mess.

Spaghetti thoroughly spilled, Cualli gives up. "...sorry, uhm, nevermind." she says. "Did they give you your phone or anything?"

[Qwepir]

Cualli hesitates for a long time, feeling her cheeks grow warm. Just say it. She takes a breath and opens her mouth to speak. "I think I'm..."

She hesitates again, deciding against confessing to him. "...I'm....." Her brain scrambles for something else that she can say to him that isn't completely stupid. Staying with you? Vacationing in Mercana? Gods, you're a loving mess.

Spaghetti thoroughly spilled, Cualli gives up. "...sorry, uhm, nevermind." she says. "Did they give you your phone or anything?"

: Yeah, I still have it, why?

He notices her getting flustered.
: ...You feeling alright?

Walter views over the board or kukris and other various knives until his eyes settle on a heavy, black, and squared machete.

"I see a machete I might grab" he points it out and walks closer while looking at the other knives. "I've still to pick out something smaller that I like though."

Virvel follows you with her hands behind her back while Frisk goes off to look at hockey gear.