[Closed] Live free or die; and all I can ask is why

[bothbarrels]

Characters: North and York

Date: Now

Location: York's residence

Situation: North has just arrived and is feeling lost and lonely since he's arrived without his AI, and doesn't quite remember what happened in his final moments before he was transported to Tu Vishan.

Warnings/Rating: None

[He wasn't familiar with the city, but luckily once he'd found his way out of his sector, he found that York's apartment wasn't far. This was definitely a different sort of area than the area where he'd been placed. He had kept an eye out for shops, since it seemed weird to arrive as a guest empty-handed, but then realized he'd left his juulan at home. He really was still suffering from the effects of waking up in the sea.

He had to content himself, in the end, with the fact that he'd arrived in a fairly timely manner, and he knocked on the door of what he hoped was the correct place.]

Comments

[knowsmadness]

[ It's a quiet evening in cell block 5 the metal sector and she is enjoying the finer points of a life without Cylons by A) drinking all of York's booze and B) smoking one of the pathetic imitations that these citizens tried to call a cigar.

Clad in only briefs and her grey undertank, Kara answers the door, cigar and drink in hand.

She looks the guy up and down, and smirks. ]

Can I help you?

[bothbarrels]

[ Her state of dress doesn't bother him, though he's just a bit nonplussed as he's unsure if he got the right place. He shifts his weight back just slightly to see if this residence lines up with the house number he'd been given. It's not that he would be surprised to find a woman at York's place, not at all, it's just that York didn't mention it. ]

Yeah, I'm looking for a guy called Sean, goes by York sometimes...?

[knowsmadness]

Cam to the right place. [ Huh. Another person on York's radar means another person on Kara's. She glances over her shoulder and shouts-- ]

York! You got a friend here. [ she backs up a few paces, widening the door. ] Come on in. Need a drink?

[ she'll fix him one anyway. if he doesn't drink it, she or York will. ]

[bothbarrels]

[ He smiles, letting himself in and stepping aside in the entryway to start working his armor plates off. He's already been made comfortable by the way she was acting. She was showing herself to be a lot like his friend, already. ] That's what's supposed to be on the agenda, yes.

[agentdork]

Hey, is it--

[ York scoots out past her with a hand at the small of her back, flashing North a wide grin, so endlessly relieved he's real, he's alive, he's okay. ]

Hey, North. Still want that drink?

[ He doesn't even realize that he's echoing her. ]

[knowsmadness]

[ she elbows York good-naturedly when he passes, already moving towards the kitchen. ]

Going to introduce me to your friend here? [ or just be r u d e gosh. ]

[bothbarrels]

[ He was so closed down and subdued after their conversation earlier, that it feels really good to listen to their banter and be able to smile. And that's what he does, working on shucking of those armor plates. A teasing smile, directed at York, when he also mentions the drink he'd been promised. ]

Mhm, and don't think you can get out of it.

[agentdork]

Nope, I was just gonna let you sit around.

[ He bumps shoulders with North with a grin, and trails after her, an affectionate little touch to her side as he passes for a glass of water. ]

North, this is Kara. Kara, this is one of my friends from Freelancer, like Carolina.

[knowsmadness]

Like Carolina, huh? Should I be vacating the premises again?

[ she leans lightly into that touch, pouring a few glasses because dammit York you and your WATER. One is handed to him, the other to his friend. ]

Good to meet you, North. I assume that's a callsign?

[bothbarrels]

[ Soon enough he's down to that black rubber underarmor, and that's why Kara had no reason to feel embarrassed. He approaches the kitchen area, standing on the other side of the counter.

It's not true, not quite, that he's a friend 'like Carolina', and her follow-up question confirms that that has been a concern. He'd like to reassure her, tell her that he and York had always been on the same side of things, but there's more to that story than that and it's not his place to try to smooth that over. So he settles for introductions and leaves it at that, accepting the drank from her hand. ]

Yeah. North or Drew, whichever you prefer.

[agentdork]

Nah, Kara, should be fine. 's your place too, y'know.

[ York ducks into the room he's sharing with Kara after setting the glass she gives him down with a murmur of thanks. He comes out a few moments later with some spare clothes, passing them over to him. ]

Here, Godzilla. No shoes for you, but there are socks.

[knowsmadness]

[ ... it is? huh. the startlement registers on her face before she shrugs, grins, and takes a sip before sauntering back out of the kitchen. ]

Nice to meet you. I promise I still out of your way and only marginally intervene.

[ but if York says she can stay she can stay - she'll be nosy when it suits her. ]

[bothbarrels]

Yeah, it's nice to meet you too.

[ He rolls his eyes at York's comment about his height. ]

You know, one day you're going to get over the fact that I'm taller than you.

[ It doesn't take him long to change, though he realizes he really is going to want to wash up. His underarmor is sticking to him because of the way salt water had trickled in the few vulnerable spots. He returns, and retrieves his glass from the counter, starting with a short draft to taste it. ]

[knowsmadness]

Later, after North has gone and she's pretty tipsy and York's socks have probably vanished along with his friend, Kara's bent over the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth and yawning in the middle of it, creating the prettiest picture York's ever seen in his entire life.

"You've got good friends." Said after rinsing her mouth and righting herself, "it's nice they're showing up."

Because hers aren't.

[agentdork]

They both probably drink too much to be healthy, but he doesn't care too much right then, pleasantly warm. He snags his pajamas- just a pair of boxers and a tank top, and takes just a moment to linger in the hallway with a lopsided grin at her bent over the sink, appreciating it.

"...Yeah, it's. It's something." And he understands what she's not saying, which is why he waits til she's done, and moves up behind her, kissing the back of her head affectionately. "Give 'em time, Thrace."

[knowsmadness]

It's Kara's calorie intake, can't take that away from her.

She sways in his arms a little, basking in both the alcohol and the effect of his kiss. Give 'em time, he says - as if it's so simple. She shouldn't even be here, shouldn't be drinking and flirting and being here with him, pretending everything was okay when it wasn't.

Her friends and family were probably out there dying - time standing still or not - while she sat pretty and got plastered or laid nightly, enjoying the luxuries of a Cylon free environment.

"...I should be home," she finally says, voice low, quiet, thoughtful. "Fighting, flying. Not here."

brb too, gonna go back home

[agentdork]

He's not any more thrilled about this than she is. There's an undeniable sense of guilt in all of this. He's here, living the life of luxury, in some aspects. He doesn't have Delta, doesn't have anyone but who's here, and the rest of them are still back there. Still not saved.

"We'll get home eventually. I've seen people just...vanish. Seems likely they might be going back home."

He squeezes her hip and kisses the nape of her neck while he's at it.

"Comin' to bed?"

o7

[knowsmadness]

There are a few more moments of quiet where Kara simply takes a moment to think and consider before she finally nods.

"Yeah. Sure."

This was so domestic - so similar to what she had with Zak and hell, to what she had with Sam too, back on Caprica when she'd thought there was no way off. Sam, who was probably dead and long gone by now.

Sam, that she couldn't forget.

It was domestic and unfamiliar and she's waiting for the moment she fraks everything all up.

"Sorry. Just got...nostalgic or something."

[agentdork]

It's the kind of domestic thing that he's wanted for the longest time, but he hasn't ever had a chance to get, after Freelancer. It's greedy, maybe, but he'll take it and hold onto it as long as he can.

"...What's up, sugar?"

York flops back onto his back with a sigh, scratching at his stomach as he wiggles lazily under the covers and pulls them back for her.

[knowsmadness]

She's clinging to it like a drowning man holds onto a raft in a stormy sea. If she lets go, she'll lose it forever but maybe if she holds onto it long enough, it'll bring her to shore and safety.

"...Nothing. Just one of those nights, I guess."

She slips into the covers next to him, sliding in close and resting her head on the pillow.

"Though I am wondering about something."

[agentdork]

"...One of those nights, huh."

Even he sounds dubious, reaching out and winding his arm around her, letting her settle in and pick how handsy she wants to be.

"What's that?"

[knowsmadness]

"Something like that, yeah."

Handsy, cuddly - he's getting it all tonight. Kara can, on occasion, be incredibly affectionate. This is one of those times, because she's suddenly very uncertain as to the outcome of this conversation.

"My, uh - apartment building is finished. The repairs and stuff."

[agentdork]

He's all for the handsy aspect. He's always been someone who's been tactile, and so her touching him, her being okay with cuddling, all of it is just what he wants, so long as she does. Except, that-

Ah.

Yeah, they've needed to talk about that for a while now. "Yeah? That's-- that's really good." But goddamnit he knows how to talk to women. He knows how to do all of this, and he needs to not be ridiculous over this, because it's Kara. "You remember what I said earlier? 's your place too. If you want."

[knowsmadness]

She's propping herself up on her hand and looking very, very closely at him.

"Is it good?" She's not sure - maybe it is, maybe it isn't. She's steeled herself for the worst possible outcome but it hasn't happened just yet. That doesn't mean it won't, though to be honest at this point she doesn't know what the worst possible outcome even is anymore.

"Yeah, I heard you. I didn't really know what you meant by that. I mean, there was company. Could've been pulling the roommate gig."

[agentdork]

He takes a moment to admire her, running his hand down over her side, totally serious. He means it, damnit, even if she doesn't seem to get it. He'd honestly like if she kept staying around here, kept being his roommate, kept-- doing whatever this was.

"No. I-- I dunno, I mean, I keep meaning to ask what's okay and what's not."

York's hand hesitates and then starts back up again, focusing on her with his good eye.

"If you want to go back, that's fine. But I'd like you to stay. As a girlfriend, if you want. Or you know, you could be the boyfriend. Whatever works."