restinglichface | Open rp post!

[Lup's already coming up with her next comeback before Barry even has a chance to properly respond, when suddenly the man is kissing her. Really kissing her. He's tender and sweet, the soft press of his body against hers the most comforting feeling in the whole planar-system. Even now, years and years into a relationship, she's not one for waxing poetic on the way that Barry makes her feel, preferring action over word like she did in most aspects of her life.

But for all her teasing, when Barry pulls away from that tender kiss, Lup looks delightfully dazed, just the softest touch of pink to her cheeks. She knows she loves him, has known for literal decades, but sometimes the full weight of her love for Barry will smack straight into the woman and remind her, never once letting her forget for too long how big this thing is. Not that she ever could.

Lup plays off her reaction with a second huff and an exaggerated roll of her eyes, planting a hand to Barry's chest and making a show of pushing away from him. The secret is that she puts exactly zero strength into the move, it's purely for show.] Alright, that was ultra gay, but I'm impressed with your concise reply. Still not taking back what I said. I'm going to crush you into pieces.

[The shortest of beats pass before her voice drops slightly, as much of a whisper as Lup is capable of.] Love you too, Bar.

[Barry laughs, impossibly fond, letting Lup goof around and push at his chest all she wants. It'd taken several years for him to realize that Lup's teasing nature isn't a sign that she doesn't like him, that all her snark isn't some convoluted, back-handed way to let him know she's not interested. That's just the way the twins operate, he's come to realize. Barry's the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Lup's the kind of woman who, while outwardly boisterous and teeming with huge emotions, is very private about her more tender feelings.

He's so lucky she lets him past her guard. He's never taken it for granted.]

Impressed, huh. High praise. [With one last gentle stroke of his thumb over a high, sharp cheekbone, Barry lets his hands drop and releases Lup. This is nice. This is so nice. Lup's pink cheeks and gentle, quiet affirmation makes his heart swell in his chest. But they really, truly, honestly do have a lot of work to do if they want to justify a date-night. So Barry pulls away to gather the notebooks he's got stashed on his nightstand - of course he doesn't take his work into bed, Lup, it's just for safe-keeping - before gesturing to the door.] All right, then. Let's take that big talk to the lab, see who crushes who.

[Lup's already at the doorway by the time that Barry's collected his journals, the woman still dressed in his oversized shirt, but with her dark jeans and her hair messily braided to the side, it's a casual work look only one of the twins could pull off this well. Her coloring is almost back to normal, but the sparkle in Lup's eyes remain while she waits for Barry to join her. They have a long day ahead of them, sure, but there's no one else she'd rather be trapped in the lab with more.

Despite how much effort she may put into getting out of work, Lup was endlessly proud of the numerous achievements they'd made so far together over the course of their journey. It was always a delight to see firsthand how their knowledge on the light continued to grow and grow each time they were lucky enough to nab it early enough into a cycle. Barry had theories about it, at least a million and a half, and Lup was dead set on taking the time to test each one. Not just to please his own natural curiosity towards this unknown, but ever-present force in their life, but to satiate the elf's as well.

How could they use the light to their advantage? How could they use it to defeat the Hunger? Lup would keep working cycle by cycle till she found out.

When Barry reached her, she immediately took his free hand in hers, intertwining their fingers, before pulling him down the hall, on the familiar path to the lab.] Sooo, what did you get done with while I was getting those good z's on?

[Barry easily links his fingers with Lup's as she pulls him out the door and through the hall. Thankfully, Davenport's strict All Uniforms On Always-rule doesn't apply in the lab, the gnome having relaxed his policy after years of campaigning (read: complaining) from a very sweaty and encumbered and unhappy Barry. So he's free to admire Lup's form in those fantastic jeans all day, given that they're working. Which they usually are.]

Oh, y'know. Kept tryin' to crack that nut we worked on before bed. [This particular nut has been driving him crazy since Taako managed to make a fake Light all the way back in Fungston. For some reason, there's some intangible property to the Light that makes the Hunger and every other intelligent creature they encounter crave it, like some sort of homing or guidance system. If they could isolate it, harness it, block it somehow without destroying the Light, the Hunger wouldn't keep finding it - or at least, that's how far his hypothesis goes right now. It's impossible to test in its current state.

Besides, his understanding of quantum mechanics and theoretical physics is nowhere near adequate enough to get them any answers in a timely fashion. That's assuming they're even talking about quantum mechanics to begin with. Could just be a bunch of one-dimensional strings for all he fucking knows.] Meaning I got a whole bunch-a nothin' done. Unless y'count putting away all the coffee mugs. And makin' tall paper stacks. Then I made great progress.

[It's a thankless job, admiring Lup in her fantastic jeans, but somebody has to do it.

The elf tips her head to the side to regard her beau as they move through the Starblaster, down the tight hallway and past the rest of the bedrooms into the main living area. It's blissfully empty, besides Merle's familiar form snoozing in the middle of floor, but Lup's already stepping over the dwarf and tugging Barry along with her. (Merle just plain never sleeps in his own room. Lup's thinking about taking it over as a giant closet for the twins to share.)

Now that they've come this far, Lup takes a quick detour to the kitchen. Coffee first, then to the lab.]

No luck? [It's a little disappointing, sure, but the elf shrugs her thin shoulders, like they have all the time in the world.] Well, you'll get there, babe. If anyone's good at nut busting, it's my guy. [Bad choice of words, but that was probably intentional. Sometimes it's hard to tell, when Lup feels like being particularly enigmatic.]

Besides, progress is progress, even if it's just tidying up our work space. We'll kick ass at our reports, have a fun night out, and be all refreshed for another go around the light tomorrow. It can't keep hiding all of it's secrets from us forever. Once we have a handle on that whole craveability thing it's got going on, we'll be able to come up with a more solid plan on how to shut it down.

I really wish you'd stop callin' it craveability. [It's grumbled softly, fondly exasperated. Magnus' dumb nickname for the Light's magnetism has unfortunately stuck, everyone but Lucretia having taken to calling it that now. Not that it matters, but it gets a little hard to take his research seriously when his notes have the infuriating but admittedly apt word craveability sprinkled through them. Thank every God on every plane they've ever shot past that crave-wave didn't fare as well. Barry would have mutinied.]

Yeah, you're right, of course. We'll figure it out someday. Focus on the reports today, take the rest from there. It'll be good to have a night out with you, that's for damn sure. [He too helps himself to some coffee, grabbing a banana-like fruit they'd found growing in huge bunches in the trees outside for a work snack. Just as he's about to head back out of the kitchen and sneak around Merle snoring on the floor, he pauses by the counter, frowns, then turns to Lup with a bewildered grin.] ... Did you just say I'm good at nut busting?

And that, dear Barold, is why you're stuck behind the scenes in the lab and not kicking it with the big boys in PR. Craveability is like a public relations person's wet dream. It's fucking gold! I'd like to see fantasy Pepsi come up with something better.

[And let's be honest. Crave-wave isn't completely gone, nor will it ever be. Whenever she's feeling particularly feisty (and when it's been long enough for Barry to momentarily think he's safe), she'll magic his reports to change all mentions of craveability into crave-wave. Just to see if Barry catches it in time before turning things over for Davenport to review. It's one of those games of hers that he's probably not nearly as fond of, but it's just too damn funny to keep her from stopping.

Lup turns back to Barry sporting her favorite mug from last Candlenights, and as much as she tries to keep her expression neutral, there's a definite twitch at the corners of her mouth, a ghost of a wild grin begging to be let free.]

Did I? Oops, must have meant cracking. Cracking all those nuts. Totally.

Psch, big boys in PR. You're all nightmare people over there. Impossible t'work with. I feel bad for your copywriter.

[It's a good thing Barry is completely head over heels about this woman, because honestly, her tricks and goofs sometimes border right on the edge of cruel. He'll never ever forget the humiliation of Davenport going from a tiny snicker to full-on weepy cackling over that first fateful crave-wave-ified report, Lup and Taako not far behind. She'd graciously let Barry sulk it out until he'd been ready to laugh about it too.

It's still not very funny, though... Okay, maybe a little...]

Uh-huh. Sure y'did. [He sees you, Lup, he sees you grinnin' on the inside. Barry will just have to swoop in and smooch that grin right off your face before it gets the chance to escape. So he does. All he wants to do all day is smooch her anyway, let's jump at every opportunity as it comes.] Remember, date night's after work.

Nightmare people who get the work done! You'll be thanking me once we've extrapolated what makes the light tick and shoved it in a bottle for the masses. Then we'll start making those big bucks.

[To be fair, that first magic'd report had come long before this thing between them had first gotten it's legs. Back when picking on Barry was still prime mischief making time for the twins. Now, if it wasn't so wonderfully routine, she may hesitate a little out of love for the guy, but since he's already been through the ringer with it, it's a good goof to keep bringing up every seven years or so. Lup absolutely keep track of dates in the back of one of her research notebooks, just to keep incidents perfectly spaced apart. Sometimes you gotta put in the work for a prime goof.

His knowing look shot her way is enough to draw laughter from the taller woman, her neutral expression dropping the moment he's slipped in to steal a kiss. It's ridiculous, how happy he makes her, how light she feels around him. She returns the kiss but then playfully shoves him away.] I'll break you free from your science mistress one day, Bluejeans. Just you wait. But until then... Race you to the lab!

[And because she's a full grown adult elf edging on two hundred years old, Lup turns and full on sprints away, sloshing coffee out of her mug the whole way.]

[He's about to go into a whole spiel about how Lup's imaginary PR people would have to pry the Light's enticing properties out of his cold dead hands to sell it, how it should be in the public domain for the good of the people, something about the evils of marketing, et cetera. But Lup cuts him off with a classic Kiss and Ditch.]

Lup! Coffee spills! [But it's too late, she's already gone, leaving a trail of little coffee puddles in her wake as she races through the common room and out of sight. Barry watches her race away with an exasperated smile and, because he's a fully grown adult human male of fourty-eight goddamn years with a couple decades in change, he calmly picks up the coffee pot, turns off the heat, and carries his things with him to the lab at a reasonable adult walking pace. He takes care to avoid the coffee spills (thankfully none of it landed on Merle, he's still sound asleep), not wanting to slip or get any on his shoes.

When the trail comes to an end and he finds Lup, having reached the lab first and effortlessly won the race against no one, Barry offers her a grin and the remains of the coffee in the pot. Not that he wouldn't have raced her, honestly, even if he'd obviously lose he would have raced her just for the fun of it. But. Coffee is important. And these jeans are too nice for spills.]

Need a victory refill?

[Naturally, when Barry enters the lab behind her, Lup is there perched on the edge of a table, posing effortlessly with her toes pointed and her head thrown back just to show off how long she'd been sitting there. But the elf breaks into a grin at his arrival, breaking character almost immediately, her gaze shifting down from her only half-full coffee mug to the still steaming pot that he's brought along with him.

Really, could this man be any more perfect?

Lup holds out her mug, letting him tip off her coffee before she's sliding off the table with ease, lifting her free hand to wag a finger at the man.]

Alright, but then seriously, Bar, no more distractions. Can't believe I have to keep reminding you. We're on the clock! Chop chop! [And with a wink and one last quick kiss pressed to his cheek, Lup takes her mug over to their work station, to begin sorting through the numerous notes she'd left scattered around the day before. Lup's been telling herself for decades now to just sort everything out before she clocks off every night, but she still continues to make excuses for putting it off till morning anyway.

Lup's morning self sure despises her evening self.]

Augh, y'never let me have fun anymore! What happened to you? You're all work work work these days, gah, unbelievable.

[Through his whole little affected tirade, Barry is rolling his eyes, grinning despite himself, completely unable to keep character much like his girlfriend. Coffee cups topped off, kisses and goofs out of the way, Barry lets Lup saunter off to her messy desk before he settles at his equally messy desk, adjusting his glasses and rolling up his sleeves. Time to get to work.

His mother used to say that time flies when you're having fun. Marlena's voice would be brilliant and her aging eyes would crinkle at the corners, and it would make her look so young and energetic, whether they'd spent hours together at the piano in the study or just reading in the garden as the suns set behind the mountains, painting the sky a wild mulberry fuchsia.

Her cheerful words never seemed as apt as now, because this is taking an eternity.

Nothing about this is fun, and every time Barry feels like it's been at least half an hour since last time he's glanced at the timepiece on the wall, it's only been like four minutes. Every single time. He alternates between struggling with equations made obsolete by time and approaching the Light perched in the center of the lab, studying it intently, scribbling something into a notebook or scratching whole sections out with quiet, unintelligible mumblings. By the time he's finished his report, all six pages of tiny, tiny handwriting summarizing their findings and redacting others, Barry feels like he's been working for a week straight.

At least enough time has passed by now for the steady drumming of rain against the hull of the ship to cease, replaced by the distant chirp of cricket-like bugs filling the trees outside. Barry sets down his pen and deflates into his chair, pulling his glasses off to rub at his eyes. How many years has he technically lived now? Over a hundred? He feels like it.] Fuckin' finally...

[Lup startles from under her desk when he speaks, like she may have fallen asleep in the last hour or so...

The day is just as trying for Lup, who loves working in the lab, but hates getting stuck writing long-winded reports, her attention always shifting every handful of sentences or so up, looking for distractions or doodling in the margins of her notes before continuing. When she gets up, it's to take a quick walk around the Starblaster, to stretch her legs and clear her mind before diving right back in. Her notes aren't nearly as nicely scrawled as Barry's, words scratched out here and there and more than a few arrows motioning to move paragraphs up and down in order (not to mention the elaborate doodles that threaten to take over the page by the end of it), but Lup will just drop it off with Lucretia with a wink and the other woman will usually redo it for her in half the time it would take Lup to rewrite.

By the time that Barry finishes, Lup has migrated to the floor under her desk, surrounded completely by her notes and her nearly finished report, which probably would have been completed an hour earlier if she hadn't fallen asleep. The woman startles awake, her attention abruptly shifting to that ending paragraph she'd been working on. Just needs a good outro, something to establish closure, to wrap up all of her findings and put a nice bow on top.

'And they they lived happily ever after'.

Eh, good enough. She can fix it up later.

Lup crawls out from under her desk, scattering her research notes around, and quickly stretches, skinny arms above her head. She fights back a yawn (she loses) before holding up her completed work.] I'd say I finished ten minutes ago but my ink is obvs still drying, so I guess you can claim victory. Just this once.

[If it was anyone else, she'd fight a little more for the title, but Lup doesn't quite mind handing Barry the win. Honestly, it feels more like a triumph for both of them when he does.]

[Barry blinks a couple of times at Lup's blurry form emerging from what he's pretty sure is a table, silent and completely stumped for several long seconds before he remembers. Oh, right. They were racing. He looks down at the papers on his own desk, the text just a black blob without his glasses on. What a victory it is.]

Just this once, right. Appreciate it. [He manages a tired smile, wiping his glasses off on his shirt before slipping them back on, taking in the messy state of things. His hands are black with ink, as are Lup's. The notes will just have to await sorting in the morning before they take them to Davenport and the rest of the crew for the briefing. Right now he's grumpy and sore from sitting and really, really craving a hug. Scientist Mode has to make way for Boyfriend Mode now, or he might just collapse.

Getting up from his desk with an old-man groan, he approaches Lup and wraps his arms around her waist, just quietly holding her for a while. This is the best part of the worst workdays, getting to feel her against him. He's about to suggest getting some food before they head out, but is distracted when he pulls back to notice a spot of ink smeared on her cheek. Probably from when she fell asleep on her notes.]

Y'got a little... a little schmutz, right... [He reaches up and thumbs away some of the ink streaking her skin, hand lingering there, fingers settling against her jaw.] There. [He chuckles.] Guess we need that bath, huh?

Just this once, [Lup repeats with a fond grin as her boyfriend falls against her, one arm wrapping around his middle while her hand slips upwards to comb through his short hair, leaving a little ink behind. Everything about this is familiar and warm, the perfect end to an exhausting day, Lup pressing a quick kiss against Barry's temple while she just lets him hold her. The lab is quiet, blessedly soundproof or they never would get any work done, so there's no rush to leave when it's just the two of them.

But eventually they have to move or risk wasting their whole night just standing there in a stupor, Barry's hand coming up to wipe the woman's cheek, her own slipping down to press her palm against the back of his hand. Lup leans into the touch, eyes crinkling sweetly at her boyfriend.] Mm, making me wish we were heading for a hot spring instead of a chilly swimming hole.

[Though the idea of them huddled together for warmth while running back to the ship after warmed her heart.]

You sure you wanna go, babe? Looking a little rough around the edges. I could always grab someone else if you wanna get your sleep on. No biggie. We can rain check for tomorrow. [Lup just had a nice ol' nap, so she needs to get some of that endless energy of hers out, but she loves everyone on the Starblaster and can make a good time with any of them.

And because she's not capable of holding back around this man, Lup waggles her eyebrows suggestively.] I could tuck you in before I go.

Aw, c'mon. I've been lookin' forward to going swimmin' with you a-all... [Yeah, there's no stopping that frankly embarrassingly huge yawn.] All day. Dammit.

[He really wants to hit the hay right now. Nothing gets him quite as tuckered out as compiling notes and wringing his brain for a report made as concise as possible. But every moment he'd allowed himself a break today, a respite from thinking and writing and calculating, he'd glanced up at Lup and imagined going out with her when this was all over. He'd pictured it clear as day. Ice cold lake water making her skin prickly with goosebumps, the moonlight catching in her hair, her infectious laughter in the dead silence of night as they played and splashed each other in the water. And his heart had swelled and his stomach had done flips and he'd returned to his work with renewed vigor.

He wants that. He wants it badly. Badly enough that he's willing to forego sleep for a couple more hours.]

I'm sure I wanna go, Lup. Y'can tuck me in after I've given you the date night I promised. [He smiles then, broader, more sincere, leaning in to give his girlfriend a warm, lingering kiss.] Nothin' better to wake a guy up than a chilly swimmin' hole, right?

[Now it's his turn to return the cheesy eyebrow-waggle - which comes nowhere near as naturally to him as it does the Taaco twins, but by now it's a force of habit.] How 'bout we make this a skinny-dippin' affair? Can't grab someone else for that, huh?

Alright, but I'm holding you to it. You're officially locked into this hot date now, handsome. [It's the only out he'll get, especially since Lup really would prefer to drag Barry along over their other friends. He wasn't the only who found the day survivable only by keeping their swim date at the front of their mind. Some special time alone outside of their lab and bedroom was just what the pair deserved after all of their late nights bent over research notes as of late, trying to wisely use up every bit of time they had with the Light while it was in their possession.

They are lucky, incredibly so, to have nabbed the Light as early into this cycle as they had, but Lup selfishly wishes she'd gotten at least a bit more time to actually explore this plane, instead of spending most available time working in the lab. Oh well, there's always next cycle. At the pace their research is going, they have at least another decade of work under their belts until they unlock and understand everything they need. The Light was proving to be just so much more than they'd all previously thought.

Lup let's herself melt at that kiss, humming against Barry's lips as she leans the full weight of her skinny frame against him. His suggestion gets a raised eyebrow from Lup, her grin curling wickedly to the right.] You say that like I haven't seen everyone on this ship naked by now. [Some to more delight than others.] But--[and she punctuates that with a kiss to Barry's nose, the arm snaked around his middle dropping down to squeeze his butt.]

You have my attention. Let's get you out of those jeans and into the water. Pronto.

[He can't fault her there. It's been long enough now for the IPRE crew to have shed any pretense of modesty around each other, so everyone has seen everyone's everything at this point. In his more private moments, Barry too has found delight in the sight of a particular someone other than Lup sans clothes, but it's not something he's comfortable admitting to anyone. Lup knows, and he suspects she feels the same way about this someone - a throw-away comment seven or so cycles back hadn't been met with immediate fury or tears - but Barry is a product of strict physical and emotional monogamy, so he's never brought it up again. It's. It's just complicated, okay?

Barry scrunches up his nose at the little kiss, matching Lup's grin as her hand reaches down to grope him over his clothes. That feels nice. That's just what he needs after a long day.]

Couldn't agree more. [The teasing, flirty tone is undercut somewhat by another yawn forcing itself out of him. He really needs to get out of this stuffy lab.] C'mon then, let's motor. Before anyone catches us and holds us back. If I gotta wait any longer t'get you outta that shirt I think I'm gonna lose it.

[It's a conversation they're absolutely bound to have, especially the closer Lup gets to this certain someone, but they have all the time in the world for exploring those kinds of options later on. Right now, Lup's all too happy to just keep admiring that someone while the real focus of her attention falls on all on the wonderful man right in front of her.

It's still such an overwhelming feeling to be with Barry, even years and years after they got together. Lup never saw herself as someone who could commit in a serious relationship like this, and yet, here she was. Loving every moment of it.

Lup laughs at his yawn before untangling herself, slipping a hand down to intertwine their fingers so she could begin pulling Barry towards the door. She couldn't agree more, they need out now or half of their little found family is going to try and tag along. And Lup is just not having that tonight.] You don't have to tell me twice.

[It's easily the worst time of day to try and sneak out unnoticed, most of their teammates like to spend their late evenings socializing or playing cards in the main living space before finally hitting their beds hard, but Lup and Barry aren't amateurs at this either. A lot of late nights in the lab meant a lot of late nights holding back giggles on their way back to their room together, slipping in kisses along the way and avoiding the parts of the floor that creaked louder than others. Lup's pretty confident they can make it.]

[Who has excellent timing? THIS GAL.

Lucretia sort of half-knocks before just. Barreling on in, looking down at her notes and chattering a mile a minute about triangulation and environmental factors and increase in local activity and it just goes on and on until she actually glances up and. Stops.]

....am I...interrupting?

[... He hadn't even spoken of the devil that time. Devil had turned up at the mere thought.]

Uhh... [Barry clears his throat, squeezes Lup's hand apologetically as they stand there, caught in the process of stealthily leaving the lab. By the cause of Barry's guilty fascination.]

We, uh... We're just headin' out. Long day.

[Okay. Well. Lup will be the first to admit how very wrong she was in this instance. Here she was thinking they'd get out of the ship without running into anyone, but Lucretia just had to bust down the door and catch them before they even stepped a foot out of the lab. There's some kind of joke to be made here, but Barry squeezes Lup's hand and looks nervous--granted, he usually does. That's part of his charm--and the beginnings of an idea start to take shape in Lup's head.

Sure, she'd been looking forward to date night alone and there was no way she wasn't bullying Barry into rescheduling, but maybe dragging her girl along could end up being just as fun.

Lup shoots Lucretia a grin, curling and teasing, and presses up against Barry's side.]

Oh dag, Luce. Caught us right as we were about to go all stealth to get out of here and go make out at the lake.

[Lucretia is the most oblivious one, because her eyes get a little bit wider and her cheeks turn a little redder and she quickly drops her head and stares intently at her notes. She is not imagining her colleagues and crewmates making out. That would be rude.]

O-Oh! Oh, I'm, um...this can wait, I...didn't mean to intrude I can. Go. I can go.

[She is absolutely imagining them making out shiiiiit.]

Hey, no, c'mon Lucretia. It's okay. [Barry immediately feels bad as the young woman ducks her head and starts stammering, looking like she'd rather be anywhere but here--

-- until he really stops to pay attention to the energy, to Lup's mannerisms, to the color rising on the human girl's cheeks. Lup teasing a member of the crew isn't anything new. She's always teasing, pretty much, always joking and pushing buttons, but. There's something about the tone of her voice now that's different. Something about the way she presses up against him, making sure Lucretia can see. Barry's known Lup long enough now to tell when she's up to something.

He glances at Lup then, an open question in his eyes: Are you doing what I think you're doing? Because what he thinks she's doing is making his stomach do things he's positive stomachs shouldn't be doing.] You don't... You don't have to go, Lucretia, it's okay. Right, Lup?

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