03 ⊘

[traitortwin]

[South's recent purchase at the store has a secret she doesn't know about. But since she's still in the dark, that's neither here nor there, is it?

Still, she's pretty pleased with it: a notebook bound in black leather with a green ribbon along the spine. And at the moment, she's sitting on the beach with it, staring out over where the water should be (but isn't) and tapping a pen against the pages.

She looks pensive. Clearly, she needs bothering.]

Comments

hi hi hi DID YOU MISS ME

[decrypts]

[long time no get knocked the fuck out by see.

he happens upon her sitting on the beach, just like any other time he's found someone sitting around doing absolutely nothing, and he can't help but to say something to her.

because of everyone that he interacts with around here that is from the mother of invention, she's still the one he talks to the least.

and it's mostly because he's still terrified she's going to rip his balls off if he so much as looks at her weird.

but of course she needs to be bothered. especially by this guy.] Hey - what're you doin' out here all by your lonesome?

like the deserts miss the rain~~ /shot

[traitortwin]

[Yeah, long time no punch~ I mean see. Right.

She doesn't even glance up at him, she keeps staring forward and tapping that pen. She does shrug both shoulders though, and takes a deep breath.]

I'm just... here. Why? What do you want?

woman i swear.

[decrypts]

[god he could really go without the whole you punching him in the face right now.

come on, he's still half-blind. it'd be like hitting an invalid. a kid in a wheelchair.

you don't want that on your conscience, do you?

he ends up sitting down next to her, because why not add insult to injury and go the whole nine yards?] Didn't say I wanted anything .. we just don't get to talk like we used to. [bullshit-o-meter is at full throttle already.]

i could totally keep going with other songs but i'm being nice

[traitortwin]

[What conscience?]

Yeah. Right. We really used to talk a lot. [She smirks, though, faintly. Amused. Then she's quiet for a bit, not really sure what to say. Because they don't talk a lot. Oh well...]

Dunno how long I've been coming here, but... it's still weird. The whole Plane, I mean.

i know you could. and that's what scares me the most. XD

[decrypts]

[right. you totally don't have one. it's your brother that does ..

but he's grinning at her smirk, still, fully intending to take full advantage of the fact that she hasn't tried to knock him on his ass yet.

who knows how long that will last, but .. he's not putting all of his eggs in one basket, counting his blessings, that sort of thing. you know.

he hums thoughtfully and stares out at where the water should be.] S'been a while .. for both of us. Even if you've been coming here longer. [he pauses, contemplating.] Think you'll ever get used to it? The weird shit that comes from it?

[traitortwin]

[Snort!]

No. I think when we get used to it, it's just gonna pull some new weird, stupid shit to keep us guessing. [She closes the notebook, idly drums her fingers along the spine for a second.] I'm still trying to figure out if any of the weird shit has been good. Or worth it, or something.

[decrypts]

[he hums thoughtfully, glancing down at the notebook in her hands and thinking idly that it doesn't look anything like the one he'd found in the mansion a while back - but he doesn't say anything about it just yet. he has a feeling it might just get him punched.

and he's really liking the whole not getting punched thing. trust him. it's nice not being in pain.] I'm not really sure how I feel about the weird shit that's happened to me since I first got here. I mean .. I guess you can't really say anything positive about dying, can you?

[he pauses for a beat.] Everything okay with North? I .. don't really see you two together much. At least, not here .. which I gotta say is kind of confusing.

[traitortwin]

Yeah, no. Not really. [And that's still pretty disturbing to her, on some level. ... Though to be honest, she also finds it convenient that they don't stay dead, but she doesn't know about the other stuff associated with death on the Plane.]

Right. Him. [There's a rather long pause, and her gaze drops from the horizon and down to her hands.] ... You know he's not the North from our reality. Don't you?

[She hasn't mentioned it, but maybe he learned it from North. Or figured it out on his own.]

i just made myself tear up asdlkhg

[decrypts]

[he's quiet for a second. really, it's surprising to find that she's talking to him about this at all - and he'll take it for everything it's worth, because it means she's opening up about something.

he nods, though. thoughtful. and when he hears her say that about north, it only cements the things that he'd been thinking for himself. he knows things work differently here - doesn't understand it, but knows it - and though he hadn't heard as much from north himself, here, he'd gotten the sneaking suspicion that there was something different.

york sighs, ducks his head low for a moment.] How hard is it to come here, see him, and know he isn't yours?

[vengefulagent]

[For once, Wash isn't looking for South. He just...happens to stumble upon her on the beach. No, seriously. And he actually considers giving her space, but his legs are bringing him over to her anyway.]

You know, um... [He trails off, glancing at her face to make sure her expression hasn't switched to one she's normally given him, and he sits down next to her.] I sometimes wonder what this place was like when it had water. How far out did it go, why did it go away--was it ever there in the first place? That kind of thing.

[traitortwin]

[His presence doesn't change her expression much, but she does quirk an eyebrow when he starts talking, stops talking for all of a split second, starts talking again... and it stays quirked as he takes that seat next to her. Welp, if Wash is gonna ramble...

She shrugs, head tilted just to the side as she keeps looking straight ahead.]

I've been wondering, too. Like... what kind of ocean has no water? Think maybe it went away when it got here? Maybe space drained it.

[vengefulagent]

Well, it probably can't be called an ocean if there wasn't any water in the first place. [He quickly realizes that it may not be such a good thing to correct her, so he adds:] B-but you've a good point about the water! Maybe gravity wasn't working so well here before when it came.

[He shrugs. Nobody's said anything about the lack of water before, so it really could be anything.]

So what brings you out here, anyway?

[traitortwin]

[She doesn't show it outwardly, but she recognizes the backpedaling for what it is, and it amuses her.] Who knows? Everything else about this fucking place breaks.

[She shrugs.] What, do I have to have a reason to be here?

[vengefulagent]

Yeah, I know. [Like his ribs a long while ago. He's still glad that's all done with.]

No. I just mean here on the beach when you could be sitting at a table or something. Plus the sand can't be all that comfortable. [Him sitting in his armor gives him an advantage there--for now. Until he has to clean it.]

But um...I guess I was just wondering how you were doing lately.

[traitortwin]

Shows what you know about sand. [Snort. (She likes the beach, man.) She lets her eyes flick over him before she shakes her head.] That's gonna be hell to get out of the armor, by the way.

And I'm doing just great. Thanks for asking. [Paaaause.] Why? .... How are you doing lately?

[Projecting? Oh hell yes. Aware of it? NOPE.]

[vengefulagent]

[He groans and sighs] Yeah...don't remind me... [So long as he doesn't lie down, he won't have as much to clean.]

Uh, I'm fine. Really. [Though still looking for the guy who murdered York? Oh yeah. Wash knows what he looks like too, having met him when he was changed into that alien.] But I'm just wondering about you, that's all. [He's silent for a moment as his gaze turns to the notebook.] ...Where did you get that?

[traitortwin]

You totally brought it on yourself. [But there's no malice behind that. Just teasing.]

[South wants nothing to do with Christopher anymore. She's decided if she ever sees him, she's going to keep her guard as high up as it'll go. And if he ever tries to talk to her, then sure, she'll go all no-mercy-freelancer on his ass. And God help him if he tries anything like what happened with York again... but otherwise? Nope. Not her battle right now, not until something makes it hers.

Anyway. She stays blatantly quiet when he mentions wondering about her again. She's not answering anything about that unless he asks something more direct. Because she's a brat like that. But when he turns his attention to the notebook instead (thank God) she looks down at it too. Nods once.]

The shop. Pen, too. [She wiggles it in her hand.] The pen was free, the notebook was on sale. Remember that stupid flyer thing?

i feel like i'm throwing him to the wolves.

[swerve]

[he hasn't been to the beach in a while, but it's just as good a place as any to let his thoughts run away from him for the time being. life back home is progressing just like any other day, but he's found that coming to the plane gives him a semblance of peace that he doesn't have otherwise.

having not expected to not be alone, he almost doesn't see south sitting there in the sand, and therefore very nearly trips over her. which means he's going to take a quick, stumbling step back, golden eyes wide and apologetic.] Shit, I'm sorry!

safe analogy man djakfls run, darren!!

[traitortwin]

[She feels him almost bump into her, and she looks up at him sharply, automatically expecting a fight. So when she gets this short kid immediately backpedaling and apologizing, she's a little bit thrown. … But not enough to make her be nice about it.

She shakes her head.] Just watch where you're going.

EITHAN WHERE YOU ARE HALP

[swerve]

[oh he sees that look.

good lord please don't punch him.

he'll shatter into a billion pieces and then what will you do.

other than not care.

.. have a sheepish grin and he reaches for his pack of cigarettes in his hoodie pocket.] Yeah, uh .. sorry again. [he takes a cigarette out, sticks it in the corner of his mouth and offers the pack to her as he searches for his lighter.

.. damn it, where is it?] Smoke?

man. good thing she's too distracted to put energy into being a bitch.

[traitortwin]

Right. [... That's all the response he gets for his apology.

But she does blink at the cigarette offer. She would, even though she's not supposed to - since it's not like she gives a shit about whether or not she's supposed to smoke - but she knows that it'll affect her performance in training, on missions... you know, where it counts.

So with very obvious reluctance, she shakes her head, sighs heavily.] Can't. Or I would.

[She may not smoke, but she's still the type to have a lighter on hand. It's just one of those survival things you pick up along the way. She notices that he's having trouble finding his, so without a word about it, she fishes it out of her pocket and tosses it up to him. ]

that's okay he'll just ask questions

[swerve]

[well geez, aren't you polite.

:|

but he actually is polite so he won't say that to your face. yet.

he can tell she really wants the smoke, but when she says no, he doesn't push it. he continues searching for his lighter, and when he ends up being unable to find it, he's surprised to see that she has one on her. and actually offers it to him.

darren shifts a bit closer, takes it and lights the end. when he hands it back to her, he's already taking a deep drag and then letting the smoke out in a string of lazy smoke rings. it's been a while since he's done it, but it still pleases him immeasurably.

boldly, he sits down in the sand next to her, flicking his ashes off to the side.] So, you don't smoke but you carry a lighter. What's the logic behind that? Is it like a family heirloom or something?

[traitortwin]

[She just barely manages to keep from rolling her eyes when he sits next to her. Where in the hell did he get the impression that she wanted to talk? ... Whatever. She's not going to be held accountable for the consequences, whatever they end up being.

She puts the lighter away again. Family heirloom... Hah. Yeah, no. Sentimental shit like that goes to North, okay? Not her. She shakes her head.]

I'm a soldier. Freelancer. Some shit, you just pick up on.

[swerve]

[he got the impression because you seem like you need a damn therapist and well, why the fuck not? it's a free .. plane .. and he can sit wherever he wants. she doesn't have to talk to him if she doesn't want to.

even if he's being super nice and accommodating to someone that could have very well knocked him right on his ass.

his brows quirk upward when she replies, and he takes another drag from his cigarette.] Didn't know soldiers needed lighters on the field. Never know when your CO's gonna want a smoke, I guess.

[is he being a little shit?

maybe.]

[traitortwin]

[.... squint.]

Or when you're gonna have to light some kid's hair on fire. Yeah, something like that.

[Keep being a little shit. See what happens.]