revenance_comms | Fifth Transmission

[Sparky chows down on his part, letting Max do the talking. Fluffy's with the other strong lady.]

You know, people investigating the MOI. It's not a big deal.

[ He can't see her face fall at that news, even if it's only briefly. Thank goodness for helmets. ]

Given what you've told me, why would anyone want to go. Aside from the guns and ammo, there's nothing there.

Church hasn't gone back, has he. [she's not dragging his robot ass back to Twilight Town a second time.]

Not as far as I know.

[York sighs.]

Apparently at least one person got really badly hurt in the attacks. They're fine now, but we need to figure out what it could be and stop it. It sounds like someone who's stealthed, but people see a shimmer or something anyway, under normal circumstances.

Hopefully he's learned better.

[ She doesn't sound remotely hopefully of that, but there's a faint note of what could be fondness (it's totally not, except it might be) in the undercurrent of her voice.

And then her attention careers to a halt, snagged by York's words.]

Attacks? What-- [She hadn't paid much, if any attention, to the network if it hadn't been people she knew; this was news to her.] -- So there might be something, like that bee monster, on the Mother of Invention?

[ And then he mentions stealth, and her back straightened abruptly, hands clenching into fists. The small bag in her left hand takes the abuse well, all things considered. ]

From what people told me, they hear a growling sound sometimes, and sometimes they get attacked. And sometimes, like with me, nothing happens other than feeling like you're being watched.

[York heaves a sigh. He didn't want to have to think about the past, but the ship seems to want to drag all of that up again.]

No one's ever seen anything during the attacks, not a shimmer, not anything. I haven't talked to North, but I'm sure he'll have set his motion trackers so he can see something coming.

I had that - that sensation, of being observed. When I went to fetch Church. But I didn't hear anything. Dax didn't either. [there's an affirmative whistle from the floor, though Dax is looking a little confused at his Person's reactions.] And I know Church would have said something if he or his dream eater heard a noise.

[ Epsilon hadn't been attacked, though. Some kid had been. Her hands remained clenched, all the better to hide the tremors.]

Then maybe we need to talk to North.

Probably so, but he's bunked down in there, and I'm not sure it's a good time for a return trip, Boss.

[He shrugs. He's glad that Church got out of there okay, but he still wonders if Church could get the ship to respond when no one else could. Maybe they could try on the bridge sometime, if Church was up for it.]

We were given communicators for a reason. If he's still there, and not in his room here, we can reach him that way.

[There's a level look at him; he can't see her jaw muscles flex as she keeps her temper battened down.

...Don't do that, York. You know Carolina better than to say things like that. ]

No one said you had to make any trips.

[ It's certainly possible - FILSS had not acknowledged her commands, but had mistaken Church for the Director. If the AI wasn't actually asleep, or gone completely, perhaps... ]

If you decide to go in again, I'd like to come with you.

[Those leaderboards aren't going to shoot themselves, after all.]

I don't plan to go until I have more intel on the situation. But if you want to, I won't stop you.

[But she couldn't say she wouldn't like it if you did come. Carolina relaxes, slightly; her hands aren't gripped quite so tightly.]

Okay. We'll just have to get North on the line and see what he thinks.

[York still wants to pick her brain about what happened after he died, but there doesn't seem to be any good time to do that. Maybe if he brings up Church, she'll open up about that. Later.]

What's in the bag?

Do you want to handle that, or shall I?

[ She needs to have a word with North anyway.. And York will have his work cut out for him if he wants to get her to open up on those details. He seems up to the challenge, though.

He can't see her blink, but the question does bring her back to why she was originally stopping by in the first place. ]

Oh. Here.

[Said tiny bag is tossed to him; two squares of cloth sewn together as a makeshift purse of sorts.]

What I owed you for the room rental.

You can catch him if you want; the two of you need to catch up with each other, right?

[York catches the bag.]

Oh. Thanks.

All right. I'll do that, and get back to you.

[A small shrug.]

Said I'd pay you back.

Yeah, you did.

[York hesitates. Now isn't the best time, he reminds himself. If he wants to know...he's never pressured her before (except he did, with his presence, and he was never sure whether that was okay or not until she gave him back the lighter and then he decided that it must have been, because she would have told him to go away if she'd really wanted him to. It doesn't make him feel better about haunting her; he doesn't want to do that again.)]

Hey, sometime when you're up for it, I'd love to catch up with...what happened. After.

[ Carolina's a woman of her word, what can she say?

She's never been one for fight or flight reflexes (with only one guess needed as to what has almost always been her past preference), but her stomach flutters and she's not sure why it bothers her that he asks. Yet York's question brings with it a return of frozen figure and a momentary loss of words, and Carolina's silent much too long. So long that Dax looks between both Persons with as close an expression to worry as a lizard with his mouth full of cookies can manage.

Her words surprise at least herself with the edge of sincerity they carry. ]

I'll think about it.

[ Not a no. More of a 'not yet'. ]

[York nods. That's more than he expected, really. Wash won't tell him anything and neither will Epsilon. Maybe Carolina knows why and maybe she doesn't, but he wants to find out what she does know about. It's not like there's anything he can do about it back home.]

[ Telling him won't change the past. But it didn't mean it wouldn't affect what future might be had here - even if it would make no difference back home. His present has been her past, after all.

York doesn't push further, giving Carolina no need to push back, push away. But her gaze did drop to one side. ]

So, got plans for today?

Aside from moogle hunting? [g r u m b l e] Not at present.

Someone-- [her gaze drops to Dax] --was unhappy I offered to help North with his treat problem, though.

[ There follows a thbbbbpt from the hebby repp directed at his Person. ]

You?

[Sparky and Max might be snickering at that]

Just hanging out. We've got to get some entertainment here. I wonder if there's working projectors on the ship; if we can sort out the attacks thing we could set up a theater.

[ Giving away MY treats! Dax objected again. Never mind that his Person hadn't beat up anything to get them yet. It was the principle of the thing.

Arms fold, Carolina withholding a huff of laughter at what she's hearing. ]

You're bored?

[York shrugs a bit sheepishly.]

There's not much to do here, Boss.

We're trapped in a dream dimension, surrounded by friendly and not-so-friendly fuzzy critters, along with people from other worlds, and you can't find anything to do.

So you want to watch TV.

[ Yup. Definitely trying not to laugh here. ]

Hey, I'm gonna start hand to hand again, I've done the struggle thing and trust me you do not want to mess with the booze they have here.

[Actually she'd probably just pass out like the rest of them.]

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