saveourearth | Picnics and some "First" Encounters [Closed Log]

As usual, she's right.

With love reciprocated and punctuated by the sweet kiss at his fingers, Benjiro feels his cheeks warming against the chill of the rain. He takes the sunglasses she passes to him, and carefully tucks them to hang off the collar of his shirt until he can put them someplace safer. Right now - it's time to meet the entirely human version of her face to face.

The quick smile in the last second reminds him to take a breath, and he exhales as she steps through the barrier. Her feline ears vanish as he watches, and then she comes to a stop as her intention fades to the amnesia. Benjiro straightens to attention as she turns, and he looks back from his 186.7 cm height. Under his snug raincoat, he wore a t-shirt that fits well in length but pulls across his chest and shoulders in such a way as to leave little speculation to the shape. The way she startles had been expected, and as her wide eyes scan over his figure, he glances aside shyly as he reaches a hand up to rub at the back of his neck with a flush of color at his cheeks and a closed smile.

His dark eyes turn back to her as she speaks, and he replies to the compliment as his own blush becomes more vivid, "Hello, Sadie." The sharp teeth in his mouth flash as his smile splits wider while talking with a small shrug, "I can't take credit exactly, but I'm adjusting as it goes." Benjiro slides his hand from his neck as he takes a couple steps closer to stand within reach in front of her now that the initial shock has passed. He looks at her returned blue eyes as he explains, "Right here, between us is the barrier. The thin veil that holds the Numbers in Mossgate. We thought it might be nice to have a chance to see one another across it and talk in more than videos."

A simple look and nod of his head are given to draw her attention to the setup beside them with the covered picnic. Everything is ready with plenty of space for each of them to enter without crossing the boundary of the barrier.

'He still looks so fetching when he blushes.' Is the thought that goes through Sadie's mind as she continues to stare at Ben, there was so many small, new things overlaying the older, more familiar aspects of her boyfriend that just couldn't be seen in the videos they recorded. She wanted to know it all.

"It still seems weird that such a small gap changes so much," Sadie comments, glancing down at the space between them, "I'm glad it's small enough to do this though." She glances back up and pauses. Right, Ben's taller like this, she needs to look further up to meet his eyes. Her cheeks darken and she chuckles, clearly embarrassed, "That'll take a bit of getting used to. It's different, but I don't think that it's bad different."

Fully taking in the set up that Ben made, and she's going to assume she helped a bit, she heads over to sit in her half, happy to be out of the drizzle and angles herself to face Ben as he sits down, mindful of the invisible line between them. Sitting down Ben's change in bult becomes a bit more evident and something to ponder in more detail in a moment because she has just noticed how wet his hair is. Frowning, Sadie pulls her rucksack towards her and starts rifling through until she pulls out a microfiber towel.

"You're all wet, let me dry your hair for you. We don't want you catching a cold." Sadie offers, really any excuse to touch Ben's hair, although she had claws over there now didn't she? She wasn't sure if they were retractable or not. Was there stuff that she didn't do because of them?

Edited 2019-06-23 08:40 (UTC)

A soft chuckle follows her comment about the gap, “It didn’t feel that way driving out here, but it does now thankfully.” When the whole span of your local life is contained neatly in a dome, it seems so much bigger than its relative size on a map - and the walls feel so much broader as they lie beyond where he can see day to day. Benjiro thinks nothing more of it as Sadie is reminded of the change in perspective, and he smiles warmly, “It will, and that’s okay. It’s rather sudden for you, whereas it has been mostly gradual for me.”

Benjiro follows a step behind Sadie, letting her enter the cover and sit before he slips out of his damp shoes at the edge of the blanket to duck under the flap of the tarp. His habit would be to kneel normally, but he pauses midway down to cross at his ankles, and lowers to sit with knees out instead. Not paying mind to the flat feeling of his hair, he plucks her sunglasses from his collar to set beside the cooler where they would be safe for later.

Looking back to see Sadie getting the towel from her bag, Benjiro catches himself before he tries to tell her it isn’t necessary out of polite habit as he realizes there is an ulterior purpose. Whatever it may be, he intends to indulge her, so he agrees, “I definitely don’t want a cold. Thank you, Sadie.” Then he simply bows forward to lean on his elbows against his legs to make it easy for her to reach his hair with his head over that invisible boundary.

Benjiro waits until she has started toweling his black hair to mention what he noticed in her expression, “You’ve got something on your mind already. You don’t have to hold anything back.”

Gently towelling Ben's hair is soothing, the motions repetitive alongside the quiet putter-patter of the rain on the tarp above them.

She pauses, her frown lightening at Ben's reminder, "I was just wondering," She combs Ben's hair back from his face before continuing to towel it, "With how we've both changed, is there stuff that we used to do together that we can't anymore? Are there new things that we do instead maybe?"

It matters that she initiated the contact. The gentle attention draws a slow sigh from him, and he remains still with his neck relaxed enough that she can guide his head to tilt as deemed needed.

When she pauses, he doesn’t move more than to lift his gaze up to look up at her face. Benjiro listens to her questions, looking down only after she starts to towel his hair again. A warmth starts to rise up his neck into his cheeks, and he opens and closes his resting hands once as he starts to answer, “Unfortunately yes, there are things we can’t do together right now.”

Waiting until she has deemed his hair dry enough, he lifts his head fully up and remains leaning on his elbows to explain with hands moving along in emphasis of his words, “For one thing, you occasionally set things on fire when you sneeze, but that’s been easy to accommodate. No perfumes, you have help brushing the cats, and less flowers. Then, you have your claws. You adapted to them quickly actually. You’ve been able to manage them and contacts, which is impressive even if they do retract. The only trick with them is making sure not to startle you, because they do extend reflexively. It’s harder to sneak up on you accidentally now that your hearing has heightened, but it’s best to hand you things rather than toss them to you.”

“As for me…well, there are a couple issues. My teeth grew in sharp before we got together, so we have always had to be mindful when we kiss. As you might expect, they restrict anything more involved,” even gentle nips are out of the question. His gaze drops as he comes to the last change that has affected their physical relationship thus far, “The other problem is my strength. As I get bigger, I’m getting heavier and a lot stronger. Even back when I first got my strength it was…challenging. I accidentally cracked the headboard on my bed.” The admission comes with a vivid blush, but he continues, “I train every day to keep my control, but it’s gotten harder lately. We talked it over, and for now we’re taking a break from being as intimate.”

Guilt thins his lips for a second, but he sits himself up off his elbows as he turns to her second question, “But, we do have one thing we do instead. I just…well, I can show you if you would prefer.” The invitation is there with an uncertain smile. It means a lot to him, but from outside the boundary may seem like a paltry substitute.

Edited 2019-06-24 15:32 (UTC)

It's fascinating, listening to Ben talk about their strange shared circumstances and to feel absolutely no twinge of familiarity but she has to address something because Ben started off with something pretty alarming there.

"Wait, I set things on fire when I sneeze?!" She asks in shock, eyes wide, "How?!"

Coming off his elbows to sit upright, Benjiro looks down as he restrains a laugh to a soft chuckle. His gaze lifts immediately after to her eyes and he explains as well as he can, “Simple answer is magic. You actually create a shower of sparkles when you sneeze, and those transitory sparks can interact with physical objects. As I have touched them without being burned, I expect it has to do more with where they ignite rather than the contact they make following their appearance.”

“And, when you want, you can make a small burst on command.”

Sadie shakes her head, "Honestly, if it wasn't you telling me this I wouldn't believe it. It all seems so fantastical even with us talking face-to-face like this."

She does giggle as the rest of Ben's description comes to mind, "I can't believe you broke the headboard, glad to hear that we can still enjoy ourselves even if we've put some of that on hold I'm sure we're continuing our fun in other ways. I worried that things wouldn't be so good in Mossgate with everything going on... You are happy in Mossgate right?"

“No rational person would. It was hard enough to believe when it first started happening, and it has only become more implausible since,” he offers in reassurance.

Quick to correct her, he interjects as his cheeks flush red, “Cracked.” The loss of control necessary to break the headboard entirely would have dangerous consequences beyond damage to a piece of furniture. He does not interrupt again, and looks genuinely surprised when she asks if he is happy living in Mossgate.

The surprise passes in an exhale, and he reaches out to gingerly take her hand with a warm smile that reaches his eyes, “Yes, I am. It has been...stressful at times, but I chose to stay in Mossgate, and every day I find new support for that decision.”

Edited 2019-07-13 13:58 (UTC)

"Cracked then," Sadie concedes even as her grin clearly conveys that she finds the entire idea of it no less hilarious.

Ben taking her hand is once again familiar yet different. It's the same warmth and care as usual but the size difference between their hands has increases and his hands feel more calloused. Sadie can't help but wonder if the other her still registers some of the differences, she has a feeling that Ben might.

"I'm glad that you are happy," She squeezes Ben's hand, "And I know that if you're happy then I am as well. So, what exactly have we been doing for fun then?" She asks with a fond smile as she reminds Ben of his earlier offer.

For the moment, he cannot quite bring himself to share the news regarding the break in his family. There is no need to make her sad right now, not when their time together is meant to bridge more of the distance between living inside and outside of the boundary. He had answered her honestly regarding his happiness, and she should be confident in that truth first.

Her prompt makes his smile widen, showing more of his wicked teeth, and he gives her hand a gentle squeeze in return, “We’ve found some ways to amuse ourselves. What I referred to before was more of a gesture than anything particularly stimulating. That said, we have had some fun experimenting with our changes. Claws in the kitchen, comparing languages, and indulging in finding my limits in strength and agility.”

The teeth are certainly eye-catching and the few vague memories of Ben wearing a face mask out and about make a lot of sense. But that's still his same old slightly crooked and very charming smile and Sadie smiles automatically back at him.

"How strong are you now?" She asks curiously, obviously eyeing up his musculature.

A warm flush colors his cheeks lightly at the way she observes his wider shoulders and thickened muscles, the curves of them all the more accentuated by his snug rain coat and wet shirt. A nervous chuckle precedes his answer with a bashful smile in a brief glance away before looking back at Sadie, “Well... We’ve been tracking how much I can lift overhead from the ground. We last recorded it at around 500 kilograms, and that’s probably increased another 30 kilograms since then.”

Sadie stares at Ben with wide-eyed awe, silently mouthing 'Five hundred kilos' to herself before settling on a simple, "Bloody hell!"

She quickly glances about, "I know you said that you had to be careful at the moment but, would you be able to pick me up?"

The hue on his face inches further as it turns more vivid at her surprised exclamation, and an almost apologetic expression follows... That is until her request. Benjiro had not expected her to ask for a demonstration that involves picking her up, but it is something he has done many times before with ease. He steals a glance up to confirm the space above is sufficient, then he looks back to Sadie with a more confident smile, “...I don’t see why not.”

Shuffling his position, Benjiro moves to turn sideways to kneel along the invisible line between them, and he leans forward and across to plant his elbow against the ground. Forearm laid beside her, he motions with his opposite hand, “If you sit on my arm, I can raise you up that way.”

Once Sadie has shifted over onto his forearm ask requested, he flexes his wrist to wrap his hand around the side of her pelvis to help steady her. From there, he moves slowly to first raise through his trunk and bring her up with his elbow at his side, however, he continues by raising his arm straight out from his side to lift her to the level of his shoulder. Through the transition, Benjiro never leans to counterbalance or shows any sign of difficulty, as if he’s lifting a simple hand weight rather than a whole person.

Sadie follows Ben's line of sight to the ceiling and back again, eyeing her boyfriend hopefully and letting out a cheer when he acquiesces to her request. Sitting down on Ben's arm feels a little precarious and it's an automatic reaction when her claw less fingers cling onto his top by his shoulder with her other hand holding onto Ben's hand.

"Oh my god," Sadie gasps as the effortlessly smooth lift brings her up to the ceiling of the shelter, "Ben, this is amazing! How light do I feel to you?!"

Between the cheer and her reflexive clinging, Benjiro cannot help but chuckle as he keeps her held aloft. She can step down to stand any time, so he has no concern that she is staying put simply on his behalf.

“How light...?” he repeats before his brows furrow with real thought for a few seconds. Reaching back in his memory to prior to Halloween, he tries to find a relatable effort, “I suppose...something like picking up 3 or so liters. Still takes some effort but not enough to unbalance me.” His smile renews after he believes he has given a reasonable comparison.

Edited 2019-07-27 00:53 (UTC)

"This really is fantastic," Sadie beams down at him, "And even now a little unbelievable. Thank you for sharing this with me."

Sadie takes in the sensation for a little longer before she taps his hand to signal that she wants to get down. Once back on the ground she takes Ben's hands in her own again, "It must be difficult sometimes but I know you and I think you'll be able to use this strength to do some spectacular things."

“Heh, you should see me jump,” he says with a bashful rub at the back of his neck with his free hand, color at his face revived minutely.

As soon as he feels the tap at his hand, she can feel a small jolt of recognition from within his muscle holding her in a twitch. He slowly lowers her from his shoulder and bows to put his elbow back to the blanket surface to let her scoot off. Rising back up straight, he rolls over to side sit to face her only to have his hands taken before he can find them a place to settle. His fingers curl to wrap around her smaller hands and he smiles as she begins to reassure him. The smile drops into mild surprise at her expectation of him harnessing the strength for something greater, and his cheeks flare as bright as before as he looks downward, “...I can’t imagine what I’d need it for, but I suppose it’s possible.”

Edited 2019-08-04 02:22 (UTC)

"Maybe you'll be able to show me before our date ends?" Sadie asks hopefully then focuses back in on Ben's reaction to talking about his strength. It's sad, to see the surprise on Ben's face at the suggestion that his strength could be used for something good, that just meant it was up to her to remind him.

"There are loads of instances where strength might be helpful. Maybe you could be a part-time firefighter? And that's not even accounting for the amazing thing I know you'll be able to do with your mind."

He gives a nod with a cheerful smile as an agreement to the demonstration. That gnawing worry that he might frighten her when so disconnected from their experiences with the Numbers is beginning to quiet somewhat.

"That's not an option I had considered," he answers, and leaves the doubt such an arrangement could be made aside. Between his continued growth and the chances he would be tempted into revealing his full strength in a crisis make it a risky position to pursue. "For now, I think I'll stick to using my head. Building a motorcycle is just the start."

"But before we delve into anything else, how about we start eating? We brought along some things from our favorite bakery. Should still be at least a little warm in the cooler."

Sadie nods, "I do remember the motorcycle if that's just the start what other inventive plans have you got in the works?" She asks eagerly, Sadie doesn't have Ben's knack for inventing and has always found his process fascinating.

Food certainly gets Sadie's attention and with a nod, she opens the cooler eyes widening at the selection of pastries and snacks. The apricot twist is swiftly located and pulled from the cooler, Sadie humming happily as she takes a massive bite from it, "These are lovely, did we got to that bakery?"

While Benjiro would rather not occupy her limited time with detailed discussions regarding his building work, the eagerness in her question gladdens him to his core. A brief overview is quite reasonable, and his excitement over the work comes through in the tone of his voice, “Lately, I’ve been working to build a stealth boat for use in the bay for exploration, modifying a drone, and designing three long-range encrypted headsets for communications. The boat isn’t anything to get excited over. It’s a small craft, maybe fitting two or three comfortably, with electric systems and a few basic choices to minimize any radar presence. The headsets are much more involved technically speaking. They’ll switch between open radio frequencies at short intervals to minimize the risk of having our conversations overheard and followed.”

Benjiro leaves the cooler to Sadie, and takes a moment to get drinks poured for both of them. From the selection in the cooler, Benjiro claims one of the cinnamon rolls after Sadie has taken an apricot twist. More from habit than anything, he takes small bites in which he can keep his teeth out of sight. He nods his head to confirm before he can answer verbally, “Yeah, we stopped in on our way out here.” Quite hungry these days, he continues to nibble at his cinnamon roll eagerly.

Sadie stops eating, "I'm sorry, did you say a stealth boat?!" She asks incredulously, "What is God's name is the stealth boat for?!"

After a swallow, Benjiro answers her honestly, “I did, and it’s for travel out to the Moss Army Forts. The military and coast guard monitor the bay, and the last thing any of us need is to get attention from the authorities. We need to go check out one of the forts to confirm if someone else involved with the Numbers is hiding out there.”

Then it is back to his cinnamon roll like all of this is very natural.

Edited 2019-08-21 22:42 (UTC)

Picnics and some "First" Encounters [Closed Log]

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*forearm as requested

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Correction

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