2024-08-21: The Illusion of Free Will
- Log: The Illusion of Free Will
- Cast: Elan Ceres, Suletta Mercury
- Where: Frontier, Island-3
- Date: 2024-08-21
- Summary: Elan and Suletta take a trip to the beach together. It might have made the Ice Prince melt, if it hadn't been a job. (Spoilers for Elan's secret deal.)
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Elan Ceres--or rather, Enhanced Human No. 4--has not done particularly much for summer vacation. There was that one time at the end of July where he watched anime with Suletta Mercury, but after that, he hasn't been seen around campus. That's because "Elan Ceres" went home to Neo-America for summer vacation starting the beginning of August. It wouldn't do to have "Elan Ceres" exist in two places at once, so he has been confined to a dark room, lit only by a computer monitor, ever since.
He's at least been allowed his student handbook for the purpose of managing the true Elan's school social life. That's almost a joke. There are few people in Asticassia who both can and would message him, after all. However... one of them is Suletta Mercury. They've had a few text conversations--even voice calls. It's been... nice. Comforting. Even if they don't go as far as face-timing. The backgrounds, it was decided for him, weren't worth fabricating to avoid inconvenient questions.
She hasn't returned to Mercury for the summer. It's just too far away, and anyway, her mother is nearby. They could see each other anytime if he weren't confined. But he is--so they don't.
"Ahhhh, I really wish I could go on a trip! Summer vacation is all about going to the mountains or the beach and having fun with your friends!" Suletta laments to him one day. Having seen anime with her at last, No. 4 now understands what she's talking about. "But Miss Miorine doesn't want to and the rest of Earth House doesn't have the money to go anywhere special... Please don't tell them, but I'm actually a little... j-just a little bit d-disappointed. One of the things on my list is #44: Go to the beach during Summer Vacation! But it isn't the same if I have to go all on my own... Do you think I should just go on my own anyway, Mr. Elan? I hear that Frontier has some really nice beaches... Oh! I could go with Aerial! I bet Aerial would really love to see the ocean too! Even if it's not a real ocean..."
"I've never been to the beach," No. 4 replies once she trails off, because it's a true statement.
"O-oh! R-really? I-I-I'm sorry!!"
"Why are you sorry?"
"I w-was going on and on about it b-but I didn't even... I-I mean... I-I kind of assumed y-you'd b-been b-before!"
"I haven't."
"Then... th-th-then... d-d-d-do you wanttogotothebeachwithmesometime?!"
No. 4 blinks once. He looks up from his student handbook across the room at the woman seated at the computer. Dr. Winston had been watching him; when their eyes meet, she quickly looks away.
"I..." he starts to say. He hesitates. "...I'd have to ask permission."
"O-oh, right... You said you went home to Neo-America for the summer before. I-it wouldn't have to be long! W-we could m-m-m-meet up somewhere for a day trip! I-if you want!! Y-you don't have to if you don't want!!!"
Something moves in his chest. It's a strange sort of pressure--almost painful, but not quite. "I... do want to," he says quietly, eyes still on Dr. Winston. "I'll... ask. And I'll let you know."
Suletta's voice is flush with relief--and excitement. "R-really? I can't wait! I hope it's okay! I-I'll start looking at brochures and stuff! I-it's okay if you can't, I'll just go with Aerial, so d-don't worry if you can't!!"
Considering she already admitted to being disappointed that Miorine and her Earth House friends couldn't go with her, No. 4 doesn't believe that. But he lets it go. He knows this is important to her. He confirms that he'll ask permission and let her know the results. With that, they end the call. No doubt Suletta Mercury is already waiting eagerly for his response, praying fervently that it's a yes.
He stares at her name on his call record for a moment. Then he looks back at Dr. Winston with hooded eyes.
"Do you think they would allow it?" he wonders.
"I'm not sure," Dr. Winston hedges, still not returning his gaze. "I can put in a request for you, but it really depends on Master Elan."
Which probably means no. He went home to see his mother; he's unlikely to want to go into hiding for a day so No. 4 can go to the beach. But it's only 'probably,' because it's also an invitation from the Holder, Suletta Mercury. Ms. Nugen and the others might consider that more important; they've been very interested in his reports on her, especially since they're technically inconclusive on the matter of whether Aerial uses the GUND Format or not. They might pressure "Master Elan" into allowing it.
...No. 4 wants to see if Suletta Mercury is right about the Frontier beaches.
"Please," he murmurs.
Dr. Winston finally looks at him, eyes wide. It doesn't last. She turns back to the computer. "I'll do that now. There's no telling how soon they'll be able to respond, so it's best to get it in immediately," she replies.
No. 4 says nothing. He knows it's because a request from him isn't worth anything.
~ * ~
"It's an interesting opportunity," CEO Nugen says, the lines of her face as sharp and cunning as ever, as she smiles from her panel of the group call.
"Yes, the Aerial's pilot hasn't let anything slip yet," CEO Kal, short and stout, agrees. "This could be a fine chance to get her to lower her guard."
CEO Nevola, eyes shaded behind her goggles, scoffs. "She hasn't let anything slip because she doesn't know anything! She's too well-managed. This would be a waste of time."
CEO Golneri, tall and broad-shouldered, nods. "We can't make young Elan sacrifice his vacation time for something that might not pay any dividends. He'll only get to be a carefree student for so long, and No. 4 is already taking up so much of that time from him."
"Because that's part of his duties," Dr. Winston argues, her doughy face taut with nerves, voice a touch breathless. "This was an invitation from the Holder herself, and it would be just the two of them. They may even travel inside the Aerial, allowing No. 4 a chance to see the operating system at work. It would be a waste to pass it up."
"True. It could give No. 4 the chance to learn their secrets. Of course, it might also go nowhere at all," Nugen replies. "What do you think, Elan? As Golneri says, it's your vacation you'd be giving up."
Master Elan, arms folded behind his head, the wall at his back decorated in various awards and trophies, has been frowning thoughtfully. "Just the two of them, huh."
"No. 4 has been cultivating a familiar relationship with the Holder," Dr. Winston presses. "If he's allowed to continue in this way, it could provide a crucial advantage if the two of them ever duel for the Bride. Surely that's worth one day of vacation, Master Elan?"
Master Elan's gaze slides past Dr. Winston to his body double, seated a short distance behind her. No. 4 stares back at him from where he's seated, expression impassive, hands folded tight in his lap. "A trip for two to the beach? That sure sounds like a date."
"N-not at all," Dr. Winston stammers as the CEOs titter amongst themselves. "Th-this is purely professional for No. 4. And even if the Holder happens to believe otherwise, that would surely be to our advantage, wouldn't it?"
"Hmmm..." At length, Master Elan unfolds his arms to shrug. "Fine, why not? It's just one day."
No. 4 silently lets out the breath he'd been holding.
"My, how magnanimous of you!" CEO Kal declares, smiling indulgently at him.
CEO Nevola also smiles, though it's a touch resigned. "I admit I'm not convinced, but if young Elan doesn't mind, what's the harm?"
"Agreed," CEO Golneri chimes in.
"I'll send you a list of the days I don't have anything planned," Master Elan tells Dr. Winston. "Pick one; I'll tell Mom I'm meeting a friend that day and hide out until it's over."
"We'll be sure to arrange a comfortable room for you," CEO Nugen reassures him. "Now that that's settled--" Her eyes lock onto No. 4 for the first time. "No. 4, you're to accompany the Holder on a beach trip and use the opportunity to investigate her and the Aerial further. Understood?"
Acid rises in his chest and threatens to invade his throat. "Understood," No. 4 murmurs, swallowing it down.
Nugen's attention turns to the good doctor. "I'll leave the scheduling to you, Dr. Winston. Be sure to keep everything airtight."
"Yes, ma'am."
"That's all. Do enjoy the rest of your vacation, Elan. We'll see you again in September."
"Naturally," Master Elan replies as the four CEOs of Peil Technologies disconnect from the group call. He doesn't follow suit. Instead, he peers at Dr. Winston and her subject.
"Is there something else, Master Elan?" Dr. Winston asks. Most of the tension has left her by now.
"Just one thing." He meet his double's stare, eyebrows arched. "Hey, No. 4. Do you like that Mercury girl?"
No. 4 pauses a split-second. "I don't understand the question," he lies.
Master Elan heaves a melodramatic sigh. "Of course you don't. You know, you could at least try to imitate some of my charm and sparkle! Oh well; that's not what you're here for." He smirks. "Why don't you go ahead and call it a date? Consider it a reward for all your hard work." He leans forward to reach for the screen. "Have fun, me~!"
The call disconnects.
For several heartbeats, there is silence.
Then, a half-baked smile on her anxious lips, Dr. Winston rolls her chair towards him. "Isn't this good? You get to go."
"You mean I've been ordered to go."
Dr. Winston hesitates. She looks away again. "It's... it's better than not going. ...Isn't it?"
No. 4 says nothing. She wouldn't understand, and it doesn't matter anyway.
~ * ~
There is a late-night-to-early-morning connecting shuttle flight from Neo-America (Asticassia) to Frontier to Frontier's Island-3, where the beaches are the brightest and most plentiful. Elan Ceres has enough time in between his connections to get something to eat and use a public bathroom, where nothing in particular happens. When Elan arrives at Island-3's shuttleport, he has a travel bag slung over his shoulder, and for once he isn't in his school uniform.
Rather, he's wearing a cream-colored linen button-up shirt, dark blue jean shorts, designer sandals, stylish shades perched atop his head just behind his bangs--and, of course, his tassel earrings. His fair skin has been pre-emptively slathered with sunscreen, all the better to protect his pretty face, with extra in his bag; his bag also carries a couple of beach towels, dark green jungle-patterned swim shorts, several bottled waters, his wallet and student handbookphone, and a few other beach necessities.
He's as deadpan as ever. Apparently going to the beach for the first time in his life is not enough to make the Ice Prince crack a smile.
Even so, as he approaches the shuttleport's exit, he looks around for Suletta. The two of them had agreed to meet here, owing to the fact that they were surely coming from different places. Elan already knows she won't be late. It's just a matter of finding her.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Mom!" Suletta bursts into the phone call -- with face time, of course she calls her mother with video -- all bright and bubbly. "Mom, Mom, guess what?!"
"Hahaha... whatever could this be?" Prospera smiles, her helm resting just off-screen as her bare cheek rests on her knuckles. She doesn't need to veil herself from her daughters. "You're so excited... did you make a friend over vacation?"
"Not a new friend," Suletta shakes her head, as she gets ready in the background. "Mr. Elan! Remember him, mom?"
"Mm," Prospera nods, nodding her onwards in the process.
"I asked him if he wanted to go to the beach with me! Everyone else was busy, or, didn't want to, but he wanted to! And he had to see if it was okay but it was okay! I guess he had kind of a big schedule in Neo-America, because he said today, but -- but he still wanted to go with me!"
"Ahh?" Prospera asks, her head canting, where it's tilted. "Just the two of you...? My, my. My little girl's already found herself a date..."
"M--MOM!" Suletta turns red as a tomato, jumping up to wave her hands at the camera. "I-i-it's not a -- is it really a date?!"
"Hahahaha..." Her mother laughs, all good nature and warmth. "He sounds like a nice boy, so you two have fun, sweetie. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"Aerial will be there," Suletta assures her, "so don't worry, mom!"
"You've never caused me worry," Prospera smiles.
Suletta had to get her own permissions to fly to Frontier Island-3, of course; luckily, the school is more considerate about this kind of thing. Aerial has long since been peace-bonded, so there aren't any issues with getting her clearance to visit a peaceful colony. Even if she isn't GUND-ARM (and Suletta insists she isn't), she's still a weapon of war, in the eyes of the public.
But the students of Asticassia are in good standing -- and not known for wielding deadly weapons.
Of course, she got here early, because she was worried she was going to be late, and, and -- "Mr. Elan!" Suletta calls out, waving over her head as she heads towards him. "T-thank goodness, I thought I was REALLY l-l-lost!"
She finishes hurrying towards him -- with her beach shoes on the ground, now, because gravity has asserted itself in this area -- and her hands clutch together, as she dips her head. "I-- I'm really happy you could come here today! A-and that you'd come with m-m-m-me! Really, I'm really happy!!" Someone else might have looked at her repeated insistence as a clue that she really isn't that happy; but Suletta, who has always said just what she means, isn't that subtle about her feelings. She repeats it twice because of just how happy she is about it all.
"I-I think I did get kind of lost..." She laughs, rubbing a hand into the back of her scraggly hair, self-effacing. "But I found the s-shuttle service that goes down to the beach! They -- they have these big tubes and trains and -- i-it's so cool!!" She's so excited about Frontier's public transport, it would be downright awkward to ask if Aerial could bring them to the beach.
But it would make Suletta happy to check the shuttle out, surely.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
The sound of Suletta's voice turns Elan's head. He looks at her without smiling as she approaches; one familiar with him and his expressions, both in general and in context, would notice the liveliness pick up in his eyes, see his attention sharpen. The context is important, though, because he was already paying attention as he looked around for her.
"I just arrived," he says softly. And, because it was stated often in The Animes: "I'm sorry. Did I make you wait?"
...Saying it ought to make her happy too. It helps put Elan at ease that she's this happy, too. But not completely at ease, for reasons.
He's never been to Frontier in addition to the beach, so when Suletta mentions how cool the shuttle service is, he tilts his head slightly. He should probably confirm if she came in Aerial or not; she said she would, but something could have always changed at the last minute. But there's room to assume that her talking about the public transmit means she didn't take Aerial, and if Aerial isn't here, then he can take his time.
"Let's go, then," he says. He'll follow Suletta to the shuttle service accordingly, and pay for his fare for the ride.
It won't be a long one. It's not quite the same as the San Francisco-style trolleys that the main ship has, but it has plenty of charm and a lovely view of the artificial sea all the same. That's mostly for Suletta's benefit, since Elan will seat himself across from her and mostly watch just her.
Once they get off at the station, though, and the sands are right across the beach... once they cross a dune and are greeted by crystal-clear artificial blue seas...
She was right, No. 4 reflects as a breeze tousles his bangs and earrings, watching the mild waves roll in. This is nice.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
Suletta's smile brightens, as she replies: "Not at all!"
JUST LIKE IN HER ANIMES.
"Woooow..." Suletta says, as she looks up and around. She flashes her card into the fare machine, too, and retrieves -- "A real ticket!" Has she... never gotten one before?
... there probably weren't many shuttles in Mercury.
Suletta, of course, twists around to gauk out the windows, eyes wide as saucers. "It's so BIG!" She exclaims, having never seen the real ocean to compare it to. "Oh wow, oh wow... the Zentradi are big, too! So many of them are big...!!" Mercury probably didn't have that many opportunities for Zentradi to macronise, either, huh?
"The water... goes on forever..."
Once they're at their stop, Suletta jogs forward, across the dunes. She's brought a swim suit, of course, though her sarong and the t-shirt she has on top make it all much more modest; her bag bounces against her hip, as she hurries forward to look to the beach, before turning back to Elan. "Mr. Elan!" She exclaims, spreading her arms. "L-look at all this! Look, look," she crouches down, and scoops up a handful of sand, holding it in her palms as the little pinpricks slowly bleed back down to the earth through her fingertips. "This is sand! Real beach sand! I-I bet it's gonna get in our shoes and we won't be able to get it out for a week!" Why does she sound so excited about that???
Well, she's never done it before.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Probably not. There probably weren't many shuttles in wherever Elan was before he was altered into an enhanced human, too.
Probably. He doesn't know for sure. So Suletta being excited about a ticket doesn't bother him. On the contrary, he watches her enthusiasm about these small, meaningless things with a lingering gaze. (And also her enthusiasm about big, BIG things too.)
"I wonder how it compares to Earth's oceans," Elan muses. He doesn't think he'll ever see Earth's beaches--even just Frontier's beaches are more than he'd ever expected--but it's also nice to be curious about things.
As he stares out at the shimmering waters, Suletta bids him look, and he looks to see her scooping up sand and sifting it between her dark fingers. He crouches down next to her to watch; then he reaches down and scoops up a handful of his own.
"Oh," he utters, feeling the smooth, fine grain caress his palms and slip out between his fingers. He looks over at Suletta; then back at the sand. Soon there's barely anything at all. He tilts his hands, but still there are grains that cling to his skin.
"That's what sandals are for," he says, and does not include, or so I'm told. "It's easier to get the sand out from those."
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Earth must be so pretty," Suletta sighs, because she's never seen it.
(The shows all make it look so nice.)
She watches, with equal fascination, as the sands fall through Elan's fingertips like some strange, pale hourglass. "Aerial showed me how the sand is made of teeny-tiny bits of shell, all broken up over years and years," Suletta says, quite proud of knowing. "It was someone's home, once... isn't that weird?"
And then -- sandals! "Oh! Yeah!" Suletta straightens and lifts a heel, to show off her beach shoes, which are, indeed... sandals! She is not wearing socks alongside them, because she isn't a monster or a tenured professor. "I came prepared!"
She adds, still quite proud of herself: "They're waterproof, too! D-do you want to go in the water, Mr. Elan? I can't really swim, s-so I shouldn't go far, but..." Amongst all the things which don't exist on Mercury, large bodies of water are surely also among them.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
The shows do make it look pretty. But because Elan is familiar with appearances not reflecting reality, he doesn't remark.
Instead, he looks over at her as she gives him a tiny geology lesson. "Really? It is strange to think about," he says. He looks down at Suletta's own beach shoes, then nods. Both of them are prepared. They will surely not get sand that can't be fully removed for a week in their shoes.
"Yes," he replies, of going into the water. "I don't know how to swim either. We can stay in the shallow parts together." He looks around at the beach; there are others there, beach chairs, umbrellas, towels and more laid out as a 'home base' before heading out to swim. There's also beach restaurants further in on the sand, for if they get hungry later--but those are further down. "Shall we walk in the water while we find somewhere to put our things?"
It might take them some time to walk before they find a good spot... but at least they don't have to wait to go into the water until after. Not fully, at least. There's a certain salty smell to the air that's not unpleasant. The air in general is quite clear and refreshing... He breathes it in deep before looking back at Suletta. Then he heads for those waves, stopping a few feet in where they wet the sand. A wave rushes in, sweeping over his skin--
"Oh, it's cold," he utters, surprised despite himself. He looks back at his companion. "Are you all right, Suletta Mercury? It isn't too brisk for you?"
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"I guess... there's not much reason to swim up in space," Suletta says, as she looks to the water. But Elan has a suggestion, and she brightens, at once: "Yeah!!"
Splash, splash, she enjoys walking through the shallows as the faux-waves lap at her feet. Luckily, a controlled ocean like this doesn't have riptides.
"Oh, w-w-what about there?" She points to an empty patch of sand, a little way's up from the water. She doesn't quite know about tides -- if there even are tides in this kind of ocean -- but it ought to be safe, anyway. "Here, I got a beach towel...!"
She unfurls it, and, in fact...
... it has a big print of Makoto and Honda on it, from her favourite anime.
"Do you like it?" Suletta asks, aside. "I, I ordered it in just for t-this!!"
She heads on down to the water, and wades in, and... "Oh!" She exclaims, when it laps over her legs. "Brrrr!!" That explains her feelings on the temperature, as she hops back and forth, on one leg, then the other, to warm up. Then, she puts her hands on her hips, and declares: "I-I'm okay! I'm so tough, I can take it!! I want to know what the ocean's really like...!"
She pauses, and adds: "B-b-but what about you, Mr. Elan? We can get out i-if it's too cold!"
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
What Suletta says about swimming in space is true. That's not the reason, but it's true. Elan thus keeps his peace, content to walk alongside her as they search for a spot. It isn't long before they find a bare patch of sand, large enough for them to unpack comfortably. Suletta drapes out her towel, and... Elan takes in the anime print on it.
"It's fine," he says. He doesn't have strong opinions on it. He's seen My Heart's A Net! and he knows how Suletta feels about it. The towel doesn't tell him anything about her that he doesn't already know. He lays out his own towel. It has a jungle pattern that matches his swim trunks--not that Suletta can see them right now with his jean shorts still on.
Of course, once the towels are laid out and they can set their bags down, he'll take off those jeans and his sunglasses and sandals so that it's just his shirt and the swim trunks left... This is what he understands is "normal" for the beach, based on the brief primer he received in a totally normal public bathroom on the Frontier's main island.
For now, he watches her wade in closer with him. "It's not too cold," he decides, and takes a few steps in further. Very quickly, he's in from his knees, to his waist, to his chest... He stops and turns to look at Suletta. She's tall, but he's still a head or so taller than she is. He reaches out his hand to her.
"So we don't get separated," he explains.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Then let's go!!" Suletta declares, as she bravely wades into the water. The artificial coast of Frontier is much kinder than a real beach would be -- there are no nasties hidden in the sand to sting them, no overwhelming waves to knock them about. (If there's a designated Surfing Area with greater waves, it is surely somewhere other than here.) It's... well-controlled, for the fury of the ocean.
Not that they'd know anything about that.
Suletta, who forgot to take her lovely yellow and orange shirt off before she jumped into the water, now finds the cotton soaked as she wades in. It's not so bad, though -- at least right now, in the water, it's an extra insulating layer on top of what she's always carrying with her. "Whoa!" She yelps, as she gets deeper into the water, and finds it more difficult to coordinate her feet. "It's like being in low gravity, but... the water's all around us!"
The most important thing about being in low grav, of course, is having an anchor point. And so, when Elan reaches his hand out to her, Suletta takes it -- though her cheeks grow rosier, when she does. "W-w-w-w-we'd better not float away!" She agrees, with a stern nod.
(H--holding hands already...?! What would Mom say?!?! ... well, she knows what MIORINE would say...)
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
That's what happens when you civilize things. You tame them--make them palatable for human consumption--make them safe to engage with. Even a force of nature like the ocean is no exception. Whether that's good or bad is up to the individual.
Right here, right now, to Elan, it's not so bad. "It is," he agrees. "The further in I go, the more weightless I feel. But it's not like space. It's... thick. And it pushes against me." This false ocean may or may not have proper tides, but to have waves, it at least has to have an agitator, like a tide pool.
And despite the fact that he knows that neither of them know how to swim, when Suletta takes his hand, Elan keeps stepping further in. It's a fascinating experience. Like and unlike space...
Do they make Gundams to fly through the water? Or is it only space that demands bodies?
(Miorine would be screaming the second she heard of Suletta even suggesting that she and Elan go to the beach together. Since she's going to be upset no matter what, Suletta may as well go all the way. ...or so one train of logic might go.)
"Do you think it's that easy? To just float away?" he wonders. He takes another step forward, and... if he doesn't want to dunk his head under the water, and he doesn't, his feet won't quite reach the bottom. He breathes, and bobs, fingers curled in Suletta's... a little patch of warmth in something so cold and all-encompassing. He looks back towards Suletta. "Is this far fine? Or would you like to go back?"
He doesn't know how to swim, but there's something about all this water... He doesn't want to dunk his head, but there's something about getting swallowed up that makes him want to go even further... It's a strange feeling. Were it not for Suletta's hand, he might let himself give in to it.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
Being safe to engage with isn't so bad. Suletta is a big fan of safety and keeping people safe! "Yeah," Suletta agrees. "But it's not just pushing one way, either. It's so wild!" And it must feel wild, to someone like her.
Even if it's a pantomime.
Gundams who fly through the water... Aerial could probably splash around, like Suletta is now. But water feels so different to space, she can't imagine her having an easy time...
She squeezes Elan's hand, as they go further out. Elan's step forward takes him further than she can go, toes still dug into the sand -- and she holds his hand more tightly. "L--let's not go out too far," she says, tugging him back. "Water can be dangerous... and we don't know how to swim." As a big fan of safety, Suletta is always looking out for the people around her... and she's aware of how the water is lapping at her neck, even where she is.
"If we fell over," she says, glancing down to the water, "we might be in trouble..."
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Wild... That's a good word for it. Even this tamed version of the ocean is full of push and pull, with a solidity to its near-weightlessness. Elan can't imagine what the true ocean must be like, but if this is a taste of it...
But this pantomime is all he'll ever get. (He looks again at Suletta. All either of them will ever get.)
She clasps his hand tighter then and pulls him back from the voracious depths--because again, even a tamed ocean has a wild, hungry streak. He watches her as she tugs him, and with the water around both of them, it's actually quite easy. All he has to do is let her. (He's used to letting others do what they want with him.)
And so, with an, "All right," he does let her--but he engages too. Together, they work their way back in the waves to a safer depth, chest-high rather than neck-high. Elan settles his feet in the sand below and digs his toes into it. It's a curious, almost ticklish feeling.
"Once you get used to the cold, it's not so bad," he muses. Though maybe it's not so bad because he has this anchor point. His fingers curl around Suletta's, and his eyes meet hers. "What do you want to do next?"
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
It's nice that he (that anyone) trusts her to tug him out of danger. And it's helpful, too! His legs are longer than hers; this far out, he's able to get his feet in the sand more than she can.
She wonders, briefly, whether she's supposed to be more worried about the water being this high. But it feels... so much like space does.
Suletta finds herself squeezing Elan's hand, even though she doesn't, strictly speaking, need to, particularly when the water gets more manageable.
"I-- I brought a beach ball," Suletta starts, nervously. "That's what people like to do at the beach, r-right? We can play in the water!"
A light pause,
"J-just so long as we don't go too deep."
Suletta's Safety Goggles will remain firmly on for the duration of this... d-d-d-date?!
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
"Play," Elan repeats, as if it's a foreign word, one missing from his lexicon.
(He knows the definition. It's just not something that applies to him, usually. Technically speaking, it doesn't apply to him even now. This is a mission. He's supposed to be getting closer to Suletta Mercury because he was ordered to. This isn't play. It's work.)
"Play," Elan echoes, as if it's a hollow word, one whose meaning is just out of his reach.
"...All right. If that's what you want to do," he decides. Because he doesn't really have a choice either way--but part of his job, too, is to pretend.
He may as well pretend in a way that benefits him for once. Tossing a beach ball back and forth, floating in the water, drying off in the artificial sun, walking up and down the boardwalk, getting shaved ice and other seasonal foodstuffs at a store... Enough of this in her company, and he might even start to forget.
(He won't. This is the one thing he's not allowed to forget. But this, too, he can pretend on... just for today.)