OPEN RP POST

[readytosee]

ＯＰＥＮ ＲＰ ＰＯＳＴ

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[readytosee]

[If it comes up, he'll give more details. That he's never had much of a relationship with any woman. He tried, once, but it never felt right. That he dated casually in school, and more seriously at his last job, before he came here. But that was... complicated.

This doesn't feel complicated, which is a nice change.] I'll be honest with you, of course I will be. As long as you promise to do the same.

[He turns his hand over, so their hands are palm to palm, his expression softening further at the new contact.] You mentioned, last night -- you were worried about being overzealous. I'll admit I'm nervous about the same thing. That I might be too much, at some point. Will you tell me, if I am? If any of this is.

[allbedestroyed]

Sure. [Being honest won't be the problem. Understanding his own feelings is usually the trick. Thankfully so far there's no confusion, no worry. Casper is being far too kind and understanding for that.

Muldoon almost corrects Casper. Nearly explains that his 'overzealousness' is more a bedroom concern than an outside one. Then he realises it doesn't really matter. Casper has already addressed that. This is about Casper's worry.]

I'll tell you. Just try not to take it personally if I do. [There's a small fond smile as he tilts his head at Casper.] You're a much more open person than me. Than anyone. I've got some adapting to do. [His brow lifts and he squeezes Casper's hand in his demonstratively.] I don't remember the last time anyone wanted to hold my hand, for example.

[readytosee]

[Oh, that little smile makes him feel so warm and contented. Like the world is going soft focus around the edges.] I do like that sort of thing. Holding hands, or kissing cheeks. Casual affection. But I know it can be a lot, if you're not used to it.

But I do think, truly, if anyone is capable of adapting, of evolving? It's absolutely you.

[allbedestroyed]

[Casual affection. Right. He's going to have to try his hand at some of that. For the moment he'll just have to smother his smile at Casper making little jokes.]

I've already started 'evolving'. I've had to go with one button open instead of two. [Flicking the extra shirt button open and tugging the fabric back, he tilts his head at Casper in playful accusation. The bruise on his collarbone is one of the few injuries he can't blame on one of the animals.] You don't happen to know anything about this, would you?

[readytosee]

[Casper lets out a surprised oh! and laughs, clearly flustered if the red tinge to his cheeks says anything. Both at Muldoon unbuttoning his shirt, and the reminder of the very nice night they had.

He fusses a little with his bowtie, clearing his throat.] Honestly, I'm lucky that I stayed so buttoned up all the time. You made something of a mess of my neck. Not that I'm complaining, mind. [Though there is a bit of a mark that peeks up from under his collar, not quite as hidden away as he thought.]

[allbedestroyed]

[Alright it's impossible not to look a little smug with all that cute fluttering and the attention drawn to his own handiwork. Tucking his badge of honour away, he can't wipe the grin off his face.]

It was impossible to resist with all those noises you were making.

[readytosee]

[Casper makes a motion to hush him, but he's laughing still, and he presses a kiss to the back of Muldoon's hand, shaking his head a little.] Terrible. Terrible.

I'm supposed to be eating this really nice lunch you brought me, and you're talking about the noises I make! Truly unfair.

[allbedestroyed]

[He squeezes Casper's hand a little before letting it go and leaning back into his seat.]

Alright, I'll behave. I'll even talk about something boring if you like. If asking you more about yourself is going to distract you from eating.

[readytosee]

You can absolutely ask me anything you'd like about myself! I will answer openly and honestly.

[He finally does take up the sandwich to take a bite, humming his approval and giving Muldoon a thumbs up.] You should threaten me with food more often, gracious.

[allbedestroyed]

Anything is better than nothing. [But he's still smiling at the compliment. He hasn't smiled this much in years. It's truly ridiculous how easy it is for Casper to get one out of him.]

Alright, then. If you weren't stuck on this island, what would you do for fun?

[readytosee]

[It's a very nice smile, and Casper is exceedingly pleased that he's able to see more of it, recently.

He eats while he talks, though he does cover his mouth and finish chewing before doing so.] Outside of work, I'm honestly a little boring. Even when I wasn't stuck on an island, I didn't do much that wasn't work. I read a lot, though. Work here and there on a book I'll probably never publish, but it's fun to play with. More of a thought experiment than anything.

[allbedestroyed]

You're writing a book? [Hopefully the question, along with the raised eyebrow and tone of his voice will convey that the way Casper mentions it so casually is not proportional to the attention it deserves.] What is it about?

[readytosee]

Oh! [He looks a little surprised at further questions, honestly. It feels like half the department has written a book. Wu has probably written five, at this point.]

Well I just had this idea -- what if there hadn't been a major cataclysmic event that wiped out the majority of the dinosaurs? How would that evolutionary chain have progressed, how might it have looked alongside animals that we know to have carried over from that period. Sharks! For instance. Largely unchanged from the start of their evolutionary progress. But other things have crawled onto land, developed lungs and legs -- so it's a look at the different possibilities that might have occurred. What would a modern dinosaur look like? That sort of idea.

[allbedestroyed]

[Yeah, but Casper's more handsome. Plus, this way he gets to sit back and watch Casper get all excited over something. It's ridiculously cute.]

Are you writing it as a scientific theoretical exploration or a science-fiction book?

[readytosee]

A scientific theoretical exploration, definitely. Taking what we know of evolutionary theory and pushing at it. It's a bit of a mess right now, I'm not sure how I want to organize it. Mostly I'm just playing around.

[allbedestroyed]

[Alright, now he has to smother a smile at Casper's hobby being a more relaxed form of what he does for work.]

Glad to hear it. You're far too playful a person to not have some kind of outlet.

[readytosee]

Yeah, I know. [He looks sheepish in response to that expression. But he's smiling, too, because it is funny.] I need better hobbies that aren't work related.

But what about you, what would you be doing, in your free time? You seem fairly dedicated to the job, as well.

[allbedestroyed]

[It's alright, Muldoon fully intends to encourage him into some new pastimes.]

I like to read, or go to the bar, or go shooting. But when I get the time I like to travel. Camping, usually. The more remote, the better. I enjoy planning out my route, meeting new people, exploring new places. Even if it's just a day trip.

But yes, sometimes I get pulled back into work. I've had some holidays which turned into me helping out old colleagues with something or other.

[readytosee]

I'd invite myself to go camping with you, but I'm not sure I'd make it out in the wild. I would try to make friends with dangerous animals, pet something that shouldn't be pet.

[The sandwich is finished, and Casper manages to pitch the crumpled paper bag into his trashcan with surprising accuracy.] Books, however, I'm very good at. What do you like to read? I'll admit to indulging in some silly mysteries, on occasion. Agatha Christie, that sort of thing.

[allbedestroyed]

That's why I have a job.

[Muldoon eyes that shot with suspicion. He's going to keep that accuracy in mind. Casper is full of surprises. All thoughtfulness is banished when he meets Casper's gaze again.]

Natural history books sometimes. To keep up. But I like biographies of explorers the most. Sometimes I'll even read an adventure novel.

[readytosee]

Ah, see? I'm not the only one whose hobbies are work related. [He nudges his foot against Muldoon's leg with an amused look. Teasing, since that seems to be the foundation of their relationship, which is delightful.]

You do strike me as a non-fiction reader. Which isn't a bad thing! I think it's fantastic, to want to learn more about the world around you. Having that spark of curiosity -- it's a good thing, in fact.

[allbedestroyed]

Only sometimes. [Not that he's really protesting. It's a rare privilege to get paid for what he'd do for free.]

I do read some fiction. I read Robinson Crusoe a lot when I was younger. But as I got older it didn't have the draw it used to. I didn't feel the need for a story to be fiction to make it interesting.

[readytosee]

Well now that we live on a secluded island ourselves, I can imagine there's significantly less allure to the idea.

[Now that his food is done, he takes Muldoon's hand again. Idly toying with his fingers, the way he so often does with his pens. Or whatever is closest near him to fidget with.] I do like science fiction and speculative fiction quite a lot, actually. Exploring what might be, what could be. Our world, but slightly to the left.

[allbedestroyed]

He didn't have paperwork to do while he was on his island.

[Muldoon is happy to let Casper play with his fingers. It's pleasantly odd to be touched so much, even if it is just hand holding.]

Is it because you like imagining what could be done if there weren't any limits? Or because you like trying to figure out how it could be made possible?

[readytosee]

[He's always been very tactile. Even before last night's dinner, Casper had a tendency to touch Muldoon's arm or perhaps his knee while talking, to underline a point. This just feels like a natural progression of things.]

More of the second, really. Both would it be possible, and would it be practical. What purpose would it serve, other than proving that we could?

Which -- I'm sure sounds odd coming from someone who works with dinosaurs. But it does feel needed, in its own way, I think. Filling in all these missing evolutionary pieces. It solves a puzzle, but also helps us plan for the future, looking at the way these animals have evolved.