Fifth Transmission

[allfunandgamesuntil]

[York's image comes up on the communicator, and even with armor on he looks fairly confused. He's sitting in the hotel, and Sparky's in his usual position on top of York's head.]

Okay, so I know I've been kind of distracted most of this week, but what the heck happened on the Mother of Invention? Is everyone okay?

Comments

[allfunandgamesuntil]

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.

[guerriera]

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

[A small shrug.]

Said I'd pay you back.

[allfunandgamesuntil]

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.

[guerriera]

[ 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'. ]

[allfunandgamesuntil]

[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.]

[guerriera]

[ 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. ]

[allfunandgamesuntil]

So, got plans for today?

[guerriera]

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?

[allfunandgamesuntil]

[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.

[guerriera]

[ 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?

[allfunandgamesuntil]

[York shrugs a bit sheepishly.]

There's not much to do here, Boss.

[guerriera]

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. ]

[allfunandgamesuntil]

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.]

[guerriera]

[Her eyebrow arches, even if he can't see it.] You've struggled with hand-to-hand?

[ She'd never been one much for drinking Back Then, but she could hold her own from time to time.. Arms drop, settling her hands on her hips once more. ]

Trust you to locate the alcohol.

[allfunandgamesuntil]

Nah, the struggle contest. It's hitting people with foam bats for fun.

[He's a man of many talents, what can he say.]

On the upside, that was when Wash and Ziva started dancing around the dating thing, so the booze wasn't all bad.

[guerriera]

So it's like pugil sticks combat?

[not that those sticks had been particularly padded back home, but that's what their armor was for.]

You never did tell me where you'd find the time to restock that stash of yours.

[a blink] Wash is-- [ Wat.

It's probably a good thing that he waited until she'd been here a few days before dropping that tidbit on her lap. As it is, the blank helmet stare is a little incredulous. ]

You didn't decide to start drinking before I got here, did you.

[allfunandgamesuntil]

It's more of a friendly competition, but yeah, a bit like that. Kids - teenagers - play it too.

[Being padded hadn't stopped him from getting launched.]

Wash is dating Ziva. Or was, before she went home; I think they picked up again but he was wrecked when she left so I didn't want to pry too much.

[guerriera]

You'll have to show me later, then.

[There's only one word she heard in the first half of that sentance, and the second two guesses don't exist.

But just wait until someone mentions your match against Xion to her, York. ]

Went home? You mean, like Church--Epsilon did?

[ Washington? Dating? She still can't quite picture it, though recent events haven't done too many favours. Nonetheless, loss is painful for anyone - and someone leaving here. ]

How long was she gone for?

[allfunandgamesuntil]

Yeah. She woke up in her world; disappeared from here. From our perspective? She was gone a few days. From hers? I'm not so sure.

[It worries York, sometimes. He has to meet up with Ziva and see how she's doing. He's really not been a good friend, as wrapped up as he was in Carolina last week.]

[guerriera]

[ Carolina would argue that thought were it raised out loud. If anything, he's been a far better friend that she deserves, when all things were considered.

But neither would likely be the first to start that conversation today. ]

Not really a side effect of being here that occurs to you right away, I suppose. [Softly] It'd be pretty distressing, whether you were dating or otherwise.

[allfunandgamesuntil]

And she probably thought it was just a dream when she woke up. Imagine convincing yourself that it had all been nothing, and then finding yourself back here again.

[guerriera]

[Carolina leans back against the wall, and offers the slightest of shrugs. Those few times she ever managed some sleep were rarely dreamless.

She also doesn't provide an answer to what she's decided to treat like a rhetorical question. It wouldn't likely be one that York would like to hear, anyway.]

At least people she knows are still here.

[allfunandgamesuntil]

Yeah, I'm sure that's a big bonus to her.

[He's just as glad that he's never woken up, for obvious reasons.]

[guerriera]

You'd know better than I would. She's your friend.

[ Obvious, understandable reasons. ]

Has that happened to a lot of people here? Leaving and returning?

[allfunandgamesuntil]

Only Church and Ziva, as far as I know.