2019-08-16 - Walking on the Beach

Isolde managed to get one more drink in before it was time to leave. The knotted cherry stem was left on the bar counter to be tossed away with everything else. She had suggested a walk on the beach before they headed back! The night was pretty, clear, not too cold. She was tipsy, most definitely, humming softly and holding Itzhak's hand as they walked. "I'm glad we came here. This was fun." She murmured. "Too bad Alexander couldn't come with us."

Itzhak's more than a little drunk, too, walking along singing 'Luck Be A Lady' to Isolde and hamming it the hell up, half acting out the good bits. He's in a good mood, for once, his hand in Isolde's.

After he's wound up his one-man show, he says, "Yeah," smiling a little, crookedly. "It was fun. Wish he coulda come too. He needs fun."

Isolde is enjoying the little serenade. Eyes bright, grinning up at him. "You're a good singer ya know." She chuckled, nodding. "Mmhm! Though...I think he's getting some. Fun. Maybe. Soon." She started giggling again. Like it was some kind of inside joke with herself. Then, she turned to him, seemingly suddenly. Like there was something she was going to say. Or do even, but then chickened out at the last second. This time at least, and turns back to facing forward again. Giving his hand a squeeze. "We can go fast again right? In Heartbreaker."

"Eh, I ain't the worst singer," Itzhak confesses modestly. He watches Isolde turn to him, eyebrows going up in inebriated curiosity--but she turns forward again. "'Course we can go fast again." He glances at her with a puzzled little frown, then, but...oh. Right, Alexander is actually seeing someone. "Hey, you know who he's seeing?" He tries to ask super casually, like this in no way matters to him.

"Isabella!" Isolde answers easily enough. "She's nice. She brought me chocolate." Looking up towards the stars a moment. Then to him. A fleeting touch of sympathy maybe? Very fleeting. She knows that Itzhak liked Alexander too. After all, he did ask them both out at the same time. "She wants to meet you some time. I think you'd like her. She's an archaeologist. "

Itzhak tips his head back when Isolde does, to look up at the stars as well. "Dunno her. Archeologist, huh?" An equally fleeting unhappiness flickers across his face. He takes in a deep breath, holds it, breathes out. Not now. "I'll hafta meet her. Hey, I'm glad you're doing better, you know that?"

"She's nice." Isolde repeats with a little shrug. Then offered him up a smile. "Me too. Being stuck in the house wasn't fun." She bites her lip a moment. "Can I, uhm. Show you. Something? " Tapping her head lightly. Looking a little nervous, despite the liquid courage running through her veins!

"Sure." Itzhak slows to a stop, studying Izzy. "You wanna? Go ahead. Be gentle with me," he adds, only mostly joking.

Isolde looks into his eyes for a moment , and she's blushing. Really, really hard. But she draws in a breath and tries to focus, taking his other hand and closing her eyes. Focusing on him and reaching out to him. It takes some effort, because she's still learning.

But he'd feel it soon enough. That gentle, curious caressing against his mind. Maybe get the sensation of her wanting to see more of it, but that's not the primary thing in this venture. She shows him, and he can take a stab at why she was blushing. Because it's a picture of them. Locked in a rather heated looking kiss.

The picture lingers for a few seconds longer before it fades and he can feel her withdrawing from his mind. Her eyes opening, but a little downward - and still blushing like a damn school girl.

Itzhak's mind doesn't slow down when it's soaked in booze. Instead it throws out arcs like solar flares. Thoughts and ideas burst out, hang in graceful parabolas until he gets around to dismissing or processing them. Things get more interesting in there instead of less. He breathes in again, sharp this time, surprised, and yes, heated, when Isolde shows him what she's got to show him.

He opens his eyes, swallowing silently. "You telling me you want that?" he asks, tone gentle, restraining the heck out of himself.

And it's those thoughts and ideas arcing out that make Isolde so curious. Make her want to see more. Share more in general. His mind was so...complex and intriguing. Maybe when they were both sobered up again she would ask about that.

Now though, there are other things rolling around her alcohol addled mind. Though bright blue eyes focusing up on him, intent. "I want that." She murmurs. In truth she wants more than that. However, Isabella wasn't entirely wrong in her words about taking things slow.

She takes a step closer to him, slowly letting go of his hands. "Kiss me, Itzhak."

A tiny shiver works its way up Itzhak's spine, hearing that. He bends his head to Isolde's, sliding a rough, calloused hand up her neck to cup her face. Still it seems like he might hesitate--two dozen concerns have thrown out their own flares in his mind--but then, he doesn't. He sets his mouth against Izzy's and kisses her slow. Not deep, though, just...slow and warm. He tastes like the whiskey sours he's been drinking, sour and sweet.

Isolde swore her heart skipped a beat from a mix of anticipation and nerves. It had been a very long time since she'd been kissed by anyone who actually seemed to care about her. Head tilting, leaning into that calloused hand, a contented sigh escaped into the kiss as their lips met. He tastes like whiskey sours and she tastes like peach schnapps and vodka from the Sex on the Beaches. The kiss is returned, sweet and maybe a touch exploratory. Her hand coming up to rest on his chest, fingers curling to grip his shirt gently. She lingers in the kiss for as long as he wants -or until she absolutely needs to breathe. Whichever comes first.

Itzhak's nose makes kissing him a little challenging at first, but he knows how to maneuver around it. His other hand sneaks around Izzy's waist. Breaking off, he leans his forehead against hers a moment, his heartbeat going as fast as Heartbreaker. "That's all I'll do," he murmurs, "while you're drunk."

Isolde's eyes remained closed when their foreheads touched, drawing in a soft breath and letting her hand lay flat over his heart so she could feel it pounding in much the same fashion her own was. Relaxing against him, finally opening her eyes and lifting them to his. "Can I get one more? When we get home?" The question asked softly, with a smile that was almost shy.

Itzhak smiles, nudging Isolde's nose with his prominent schnozz. "Yeah. Yeah you can." He presses her hand to his chest, and his smile fades. "Izeleh, listen, there's a lot we don't know about each other. That...never used to matter to me so much, but it matters now. It matters with you."

There's a soft, brief, chuckle when he nudges her nose with his own. Studying his expression, listening to his words. Izeleh. Filing that nickname away to revisit later. Nodding in agreement. "Can I...?" Tapping her head with her free hand. Asking again. She didn't like random invasions and so, didn't want to be that person. Once he gave the okay. He would hear her. Her mental voice was stronger, more matured and actually fit her appearance. A stark contrast to the childish way she tended to speak.

<<I want to learn about you Itzhak. There's so much about you that I want to know. I want to share things with you too but, you have to understand. There are things I can't share. Because I don't remember them. So many things are hazy, and half the time I don't know which of my memories are real or not. I don't want to rush into things, but I like you. I like you a lot. So I will answer the questions I'm able to.>>

And the line was open - if he wanted to answer her back mentally instead of vocally. Because of this, he'd get a sense of what she spoke about. Her mind was like a web of yarns. Leading to dead ends, abrupt missing links, going in circles. It was a confusing,dizzying sort of thing.

Itzhak grants permission without words, his mind reaching to meet her halfway. He's getting better at this as he spends time around her, and Alexander and Ignacio and August. The touch of his mind is careful, easing into braiding itself with Isolde's.

Oh, and what a mess it is she has in there. Itzhak winces, eyes drifting shut. Within the kythe, he's experimenting with following threads, only to see them loop back upon themselves or vanish into a snarled knot.

<<Who did this to you.>> Anger simmers in the back of his throat.

Isolde's hand comes up to rest on his cheek. Sensing the anger, resting her forehead to his again. Letting him explore a little, the first time anyone's been allowed to.

<<Life did this me. There's no one to blame. It just is. I grew up in a thin place...haunted by everything and no way to fight it back no matter where I ran to. Not until I came here.>> Too bad it took so long for her to make her way here. She slowly starts to withdraw from him again. Not quite ready to let him, or anyone, to potentially stumble upon the threads that lead to things she's still trying to sort out.

"Let's go home." Her thumb running against his cheek gently, gaze steady on him.

Itzhak hates that idea. That just existing-while-glimmering destroyed so much of Izzy's mind--he rebels against it, seething. If only rockets through his mind. If only she'd had someone to teach her. If only the thin place wasn't so thin. If only, if only, if only.

He lets her go when she pulls back, with the same sense of patience he uses with his reptiles. They choose how much time they spend with him, and when they've had enough, they leave. He clears his throat. "Okay," he says, voice rough. "Let's go home. You can still have that kiss, if you want it, when we get there."

Isolde wishes that she could reassure him that she would be okay. Yes it was hell, and she was on a fast downward spiral. Hell, she might be dead already if she hadn't felt the pull to Gray Harbor and linked up again with Alexander. But things were better now. Much better.

She brightens then, so easily flitting between those base emotions. Able to smile still after sharing something so intimate with him. "Of course I still want it." As if it was silly to think she wouldn't. She leans in to brush her lips against his cheek gently. "And I want to go fast. I had fun tonight Itzhak. Lots of fun." Pulling back then, though keeping a hold of one of his hands so they could make their way back to his car.