malewife | dude looks like a lady (yuri lowell)

[ yeah he's an acrobatic little shit. ]

I'm not sure why you thought it would be anything else. [ still, he's squinting out into the fog. ]

You can smell the ocean clearer from up here though. If there was any doubt left about there being a beach nearby.

Depending on the height of a peak, you could possibly see over a storm. It's hard to tell if this is actually an island or if this is some walled port city.

[ But! Not the case here? Joonghyuk looks over to an area when he sees something flash by the corner of his eye.

It is the tower. ]

[ i hope the flash blinded them both, because yuri's certainly squinting. ]

...

Well, if that's a lighthouse I can make out over there, maybe a port city? There's not a lot of need for a lighthouse if no ships are gonna dock here, ever.

[ oh. the tower. what secrets do you hide. ]

A lighthouse must have a purpose, so ships must have come here before.

[ yes... The tower... It is shiny at the top from the lightning, but now it's hard to see.

Lightning strikes further away and they can see that the top of the tower reflects? ]

Once upon a time. Sure doesn’t seem like any ships are coming in now, dense fog aside. I wonder how long it’s been like this — if there were ships and trade there’d be more in the way of people and supplies.

[ hmmmm— oh? ]

… What was that at the top of the Tower? Glass?

Based on the technology here, the lighthouse must be automated... But they can last about two to five years without maintenance.

[ ??? After mansplaining, he squints some more. ]

... Whatever it is, it is reflective.

[ mansplain, manifest, manipulate…. ]

Yeah, I can see that much. If it’s to make it visible in a fog, it’s not doing the best job of it. [ so… is it something else? ]

[ Thank you for not putting manwhore in there. ]

... Is it for sunlight to reach something inside the tower?

[ They can't even properly see what it is. He hates this. ]

[ MANWHOOORRREEEE ]

Like an observatory or something…?

Possibly. [ He grumbles. ] If only we could break in.

[ Joonghyuk is a criminal. ]

Already tried. The door isn’t shifting at all. I don’t think it’s an issue of “pick the lock” either.

[ he’s among company. ]

Rather than picking the lock, we would break it.

[ Who cares about being gentle? This place is mostly abandoned.

He looks to the other rooftops. Just as desolate. ]

We might need to coax more out of those children.

Yeah, most people have tried breaking stuff by this point. If we’re not in by now, maybe we need a different angle.

[ like lock picking instead of breaking it, sir. ]

… … ….

[ he looks like he can’t imagine yjh coaxing anything out of children other than a fight or flight reaction. ]

I can't imagine knocking will be received with someone opening the door.

[ When he looks back, he notices Yuri staring. He doesn't say anything for now, thinking Yuri will look away. ]

What is it?