[ wash really mostly needs to get out of his own head. going after felix was probably a bad idea, but he needed to, and now the result is a blow to his shoulder that's going to take a while to heal up and -- other, more long-lasting consequences. as always when wash needs to distract himself and pour himself into something, he tends to focus on other people, and so his thoughts had eventually turned to south.
it's been a few days since his little trip to the down, and wash shows up at south's door with a knock. and also whiskey. he's just always going to bring some over now, it's not like he'll get through any of it on his own. ]
-- Hey. [ friendly, warm, as much of a smile as he'll ever have, lifting the bottle a bit. ] Not interrupting anything, am I?
[ he's just here to chill out. and maybe ask you some things. ]
[ She answers the door looking either completely set for a lazy ass day around the house, or like she's about to go workout—it's legitimately hard to tell with her, her choice of casualwear is mostly sportswear. But no, it's the former, she's just been chilling out watching some truly, truly trashy Duplicity TV because she almost no social life to speak of, so. It's still running inside. ]
Nah, not really. Just kinda having a day in. [ she glances at the bottle and snorts a laugh, she hasn't even finished the bottles in her place yet despite some of her worse nights with bad choices made ] You coming in or just making a booze delivery?
[ Yes, she's being a shit. The implication in the question is obvious enough, she's just like this. ]
[ he's used to it. he gives her a bit of a look, more amused than offended but with a bit of both, shrugging slightly as he steps inside. there's some wrapping around his right shoulder, but it probably doesn't register at all as anything too different. ]
Booze delivery and coming in. Kind of a slow day.
[ something familiar catches his ear, and he hands over the bottle as he gestures with his head towards the TV. ]
[ She takes the bottle with a roll of her eyes that has no actual frustration behind it and shuts the door as he comes in. No, right now the wrapping doesn’t come across as too out of the ordinary, sometimes you jar yourself working out and her mind goes in that vague direction before any other. ]
Some trashy show. It’s— real Duplicity, but it at least attempts some kinda fucking narrative [ a beat, she snorts at the word choice, it’s apt ] rather than the like… weird sexy gameshows and stuff.
[ This is her bar, now, for entertainment. It is in the literal ground. ]
[ an amused sound in turn. yeah. he's tried just surfing to see what's on sometimes too, and it's all been -- well, about what they should expect from the city. weird sex gameshows, weird sex not-game shows, weird sex informercials, weird sex everything. ]
I know this one.
[ did he recognize fragments of the theme tune coming in from an ad break even while they were talking. yes. ]
Mind if I join you?
[ a grin, and a half-shrug. good old days, right? he remembers those crowded rooms watching whatever garbage holovids they could get their hands on inbetween missions and training. room's not nearly as crowded now, but. ]
Nah, I'm just gonna shove you back out the door. [ dry as a bone, then she snort laughs and shakes her head ] Yeah, c'mon. I've probably only caught about half of what's going on but—
[ She matches the half-shrug, and there is a crooked smile on her face as she steps back. God, yeah, old memories. No, it's not nearly as crowded, but two is better than one; chilling totally on her own means she never actually gets quite all the way to chill, if she's honest.
She's gonna stow the whiskey bottle before joining him at the couch and she will just jump over the back to get back into her seat, instead of being a normal person and walking around. There is a half-drunk beer out on the coffee table, and snacks. ]
[ even when south's halfway through joking about shoving him back outside he's already stepping past her and winding towards the living room, noting the half-drunk beer, the snacks. familiar decor around south's place now that he's made a somewhat regular habit of dropping by. he does move around to sit down like a normal person, but isn't surprised when she leaps over the back, just giving her a look. a little irritated, but not seriously, just in an of course you fucking would way.
it's still kind of strange. familiar and not, all at once. a mix between reaching back to an old, old normal and ignoring the stretches of awful mess inbetween and finding a new kind of normal. it's nice, though, and wash has found himself settling into it more and more -- it's good having someone around who he knows has his back, who he likes enough to actually just. spend time with. even if he never thought it would be south. ]
Yeah? [ he picks idly through the snacks, glancing up to look at her, gesturing with a half-shouldered shrug towards the screen. ] This one's on the third season or so. I can give you a run down.
[ wash sure has watched plenty of trash on his own! ]
[ She snorts and lowers the bottle she picked back up as soon as she was settled. ]
Please tell me you’re saying you’ve watched all three full seasons, because that’s fucking hilarious. [ she slumps back, and she is the kind of person who can’t sit normally either, her legs have to be pulled up or propped up or something ] Go for it. Regale me with whatever the fuck nonsense they’re attempt at a plot is.
[ It really is weird, even for her with the extra chunk of time leading up ‘til now. It’s not like the rig had the kind of downtime you get here, you were always expected to be doing something and if she wasn’t she was usually just bored out of her mind. Sex hell is actually an upgrade on the rig in a lot of ways, because even if she’s being fucked with at least she gets to have something resembling a free life outside of it.
But the point is there wasn’t really such thing as casual hanging out, even as she got closer to the others again. Even her time with Brand was mostly sparring, since training counted as ‘doing something’ to the corp. This is— different, and weird, but she’s getting used to it, and it’s nice to have company. It’s nice to not be so fucking alone all the time. ]
[ so very wryly, but it's clear from his expression he does find amusement in this too. he has to occupy his mind one way or another. he takes a moment to stretch out his arms behind him ( an extra moment to check on that bandages shoulder ), cracking his knuckles, mostly for effect. ]
If you think you're ready for it.
[ and then he does, in fact, immediately launch into a summary of all sixty-two episodes of this particularly trashy daytime duplicity soap opera. he has them all memorized but knowing all of that off by heart isn't the same as being able to summarize effectively, he does have to pause occasionally to make sure he's surmising his thoughts, but he manages it with -- surprising efficiency. an overview of characters and their complicated web of relationships as they start out, and then following their colorful exploits. it's duplicity, so even if it's not a sex game show it's still a lot about sex and contracts and what have you. dramatic betrayals, long-lost cousins and secret siblings, even some dramatic portrayals of some LIER characters.
it's maybe especially impressive when he gets to the end of his recap, because he's just been talking through the last fifteen minutes (at least) of an episode, and he's still managed to absorb the information from it. so he gives a brief rundown of that, too, and then he just kind of grabs some snacks. ]
…wow. [ she enunciates that very exaggeratedly ] ’I guess’? Dude I don’t know if I’m impressed or terrified right now. Both? Let’s go with both.
[ She constantly forgets that whole— freaky memory thing he’s got going on and what a fucking reminder that was. To her credit she doesn’t look totally lost by the end, if she couldn’t absorb enough information to get by from a dump of info like that then she wouldn’t have survived some military briefings, but that is still far more comprehensive than she was expecting until about two minutes in when it clicked why it was so detailed.
She shakes her head and takes another swig from her bottle that absolutely didn’t get touched that whole time because she was too busy listening with lowkey terrified awe. ]
Of all the uses for that— whole thing, of yours, answering questions about a shitty, horny soap opera is clearly the most important.
[ he shrugs, but isn't quite successful at playing it off nonchalantly, a bit of a half-grin tugging at his mouth. he realizes he didn't actually need to give that thorough of a rundown, but he absolutely could, and he was getting a kick out of the slack-jawed way south was looking at him the entire time, like she wanted to interrupt to ask what the fuck but also was genuinely trying to digest information. ]
It's kind of why shitty shows like that are fun for me these days, you know? It's not really something I can turn on and off, so I might as well put something kind of fun in there. [ he reaches for some snack, popping it in his mouth. ] Half of the time the shows lose track of their own damn plots.
But you know. [ a broad gesture at the screen, where some characters are in the middle of a dramatic declaration. one that is likely to immediately lead into sex, given the pattern of things so far. ] That's gonna go badly eventually, once she realizes that they were previously contracted with Francesca.
[ She cannot argue with that, if you're gonna be stuck with a brain that keeps everything why not find weird ways to make it fun, but it is absolutely fucking hilarious that this kind of shit is that thing. Fucking amazing. ]
I expect every inconsistency and bit of important shit that they last referenced like, twenty episodes ago, explained as we go now. [ she points vaguely at him with the neck of the bottle ] You've set yourself up for this.
[ She's half-joking but also. Again. It's hilarious. And fun. ]
Fuck, with contracts they've somehow added a whole other fucking layer of bullshit to the usual overdramatic formula of these things. Gotta be about the only thing the system's good for.
[ They're inside the apartment she can talk a little shit about the city's bullshit. As a treat. ]
[ wash shrugs, still half-grinning. yes, he's realized he set himself up for it. yes, to an extent, he did kind of always set himself up to be the butt of jokes with the freelancers. but also, yeah. it is pretty funny. he has to find some things to do with all this readily filled head space. wash can have fun sometimes, okay. just in his own way. ]
Contracts and LIERs mean they can justify all sorts of weird plot stuff. Doesn't mean they'll ever be consistent with any of it though.
[ agent washington, master of identifying retcons. ]
They're gonna do their thing -- [ just a vague wave of his hand, and by do their thing, especially by the state of what's happening on the screen, wash absolutely means they're going to fuck ] -- but then problems will come up, and it'll be dramatic because they still need a contract.
[ speaking of. he did come here for an actual reason -- to hang out, but also kind of to ask about something. he's gonna be quiet about it for now, though. might as well enjoy the trash. ]
[ The duality of South: has absolutely no qualms about being that plain, but is also internally kinda cringing at the idea of basically watching softcore porn with Wash there. She’s pointedly choosing to not actually watch the screen head-on right now, don’t mind her. ]
So you’ve got— [ she starts counting off on her fingers ] all sorts of ‘need a contract’ drama, drama about who you used to be or are contracted to, drama about— ‘illegal relations’, I’m guessing, all the weird shit they can do with LIERs , plain ol’ who’s fucking who drama… maybe the whole city’s just a scheme to make the best setting for a soap opera ever.
[ It is truly a glorious level of trash fodder. It practically writes itself.
Lot less fun when you’re living the trash fodder because my god, between that recent wave of Dom-Dom citations, Ducky reminding her about the contract bullshit she’s been avoiding, and just— day-to-day life, it’s sure a reminder what a messy fucking place to live this is. And she sure is stuck here. It’s fine, she’s fine. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action, sometime early march
it's been a few days since his little trip to the down, and wash shows up at south's door with a knock. and also whiskey. he's just always going to bring some over now, it's not like he'll get through any of it on his own. ]
-- Hey. [ friendly, warm, as much of a smile as he'll ever have, lifting the bottle a bit. ] Not interrupting anything, am I?
[ he's just here to chill out. and maybe ask you some things. ]
no subject
[ She answers the door looking either completely set for a lazy ass day around the house, or like she's about to go workout—it's legitimately hard to tell with her, her choice of casualwear is mostly sportswear. But no, it's the former, she's just been chilling out watching some truly, truly trashy Duplicity TV because she almost no social life to speak of, so. It's still running inside. ]
Nah, not really. Just kinda having a day in. [ she glances at the bottle and snorts a laugh, she hasn't even finished the bottles in her place yet despite some of her worse nights with bad choices made ] You coming in or just making a booze delivery?
[ Yes, she's being a shit. The implication in the question is obvious enough, she's just like this. ]
no subject
Booze delivery and coming in. Kind of a slow day.
[ something familiar catches his ear, and he hands over the bottle as he gestures with his head towards the TV. ]
Watching something?
no subject
[ She takes the bottle with a roll of her eyes that has no actual frustration behind it and shuts the door as he comes in. No, right now the wrapping doesn’t come across as too out of the ordinary, sometimes you jar yourself working out and her mind goes in that vague direction before any other. ]
Some trashy show. It’s— real Duplicity, but it at least attempts some kinda fucking narrative [ a beat, she snorts at the word choice, it’s apt ] rather than the like… weird sexy gameshows and stuff.
[ This is her bar, now, for entertainment. It is in the literal ground. ]
no subject
I know this one.
[ did he recognize fragments of the theme tune coming in from an ad break even while they were talking. yes. ]
Mind if I join you?
[ a grin, and a half-shrug. good old days, right? he remembers those crowded rooms watching whatever garbage holovids they could get their hands on inbetween missions and training. room's not nearly as crowded now, but. ]
no subject
Nah, I'm just gonna shove you back out the door. [ dry as a bone, then she snort laughs and shakes her head ] Yeah, c'mon. I've probably only caught about half of what's going on but—
[ She matches the half-shrug, and there is a crooked smile on her face as she steps back. God, yeah, old memories. No, it's not nearly as crowded, but two is better than one; chilling totally on her own means she never actually gets quite all the way to chill, if she's honest.
She's gonna stow the whiskey bottle before joining him at the couch and she will just jump over the back to get back into her seat, instead of being a normal person and walking around. There is a half-drunk beer out on the coffee table, and snacks. ]
no subject
it's still kind of strange. familiar and not, all at once. a mix between reaching back to an old, old normal and ignoring the stretches of awful mess inbetween and finding a new kind of normal. it's nice, though, and wash has found himself settling into it more and more -- it's good having someone around who he knows has his back, who he likes enough to actually just. spend time with. even if he never thought it would be south. ]
Yeah? [ he picks idly through the snacks, glancing up to look at her, gesturing with a half-shouldered shrug towards the screen. ] This one's on the third season or so. I can give you a run down.
[ wash sure has watched plenty of trash on his own! ]
no subject
[ She snorts and lowers the bottle she picked back up as soon as she was settled. ]
Please tell me you’re saying you’ve watched all three full seasons, because that’s fucking hilarious. [ she slumps back, and she is the kind of person who can’t sit normally either, her legs have to be pulled up or propped up or something ] Go for it. Regale me with whatever the fuck nonsense they’re attempt at a plot is.
[ It really is weird, even for her with the extra chunk of time leading up ‘til now. It’s not like the rig had the kind of downtime you get here, you were always expected to be doing something and if she wasn’t she was usually just bored out of her mind. Sex hell is actually an upgrade on the rig in a lot of ways, because even if she’s being fucked with at least she gets to have something resembling a free life outside of it.
But the point is there wasn’t really such thing as casual hanging out, even as she got closer to the others again. Even her time with Brand was mostly sparring, since training counted as ‘doing something’ to the corp. This is— different, and weird, but she’s getting used to it, and it’s nice to have company. It’s nice to not be so fucking alone all the time. ]
no subject
[ so very wryly, but it's clear from his expression he does find amusement in this too. he has to occupy his mind one way or another. he takes a moment to stretch out his arms behind him ( an extra moment to check on that bandages shoulder ), cracking his knuckles, mostly for effect. ]
If you think you're ready for it.
[ and then he does, in fact, immediately launch into a summary of all sixty-two episodes of this particularly trashy daytime duplicity soap opera. he has them all memorized but knowing all of that off by heart isn't the same as being able to summarize effectively, he does have to pause occasionally to make sure he's surmising his thoughts, but he manages it with -- surprising efficiency. an overview of characters and their complicated web of relationships as they start out, and then following their colorful exploits. it's duplicity, so even if it's not a sex game show it's still a lot about sex and contracts and what have you. dramatic betrayals, long-lost cousins and secret siblings, even some dramatic portrayals of some LIER characters.
it's maybe especially impressive when he gets to the end of his recap, because he's just been talking through the last fifteen minutes (at least) of an episode, and he's still managed to absorb the information from it. so he gives a brief rundown of that, too, and then he just kind of grabs some snacks. ]
-- That's about it. I guess.
[ yep. ]
no subject
…wow. [ she enunciates that very exaggeratedly ] ’I guess’? Dude I don’t know if I’m impressed or terrified right now. Both? Let’s go with both.
[ She constantly forgets that whole— freaky memory thing he’s got going on and what a fucking reminder that was. To her credit she doesn’t look totally lost by the end, if she couldn’t absorb enough information to get by from a dump of info like that then she wouldn’t have survived some military briefings, but that is still far more comprehensive than she was expecting until about two minutes in when it clicked why it was so detailed.
She shakes her head and takes another swig from her bottle that absolutely didn’t get touched that whole time because she was too busy listening with lowkey terrified awe. ]
Of all the uses for that— whole thing, of yours, answering questions about a shitty, horny soap opera is clearly the most important.
no subject
It's kind of why shitty shows like that are fun for me these days, you know? It's not really something I can turn on and off, so I might as well put something kind of fun in there. [ he reaches for some snack, popping it in his mouth. ] Half of the time the shows lose track of their own damn plots.
But you know. [ a broad gesture at the screen, where some characters are in the middle of a dramatic declaration. one that is likely to immediately lead into sex, given the pattern of things so far. ] That's gonna go badly eventually, once she realizes that they were previously contracted with Francesca.
no subject
[ She cannot argue with that, if you're gonna be stuck with a brain that keeps everything why not find weird ways to make it fun, but it is absolutely fucking hilarious that this kind of shit is that thing. Fucking amazing. ]
I expect every inconsistency and bit of important shit that they last referenced like, twenty episodes ago, explained as we go now. [ she points vaguely at him with the neck of the bottle ] You've set yourself up for this.
[ She's half-joking but also. Again. It's hilarious. And fun. ]
Fuck, with contracts they've somehow added a whole other fucking layer of bullshit to the usual overdramatic formula of these things. Gotta be about the only thing the system's good for.
[ They're inside the apartment she can talk a little shit about the city's bullshit. As a treat. ]
no subject
Contracts and LIERs mean they can justify all sorts of weird plot stuff. Doesn't mean they'll ever be consistent with any of it though.
[ agent washington, master of identifying retcons. ]
They're gonna do their thing -- [ just a vague wave of his hand, and by do their thing, especially by the state of what's happening on the screen, wash absolutely means they're going to fuck ] -- but then problems will come up, and it'll be dramatic because they still need a contract.
[ speaking of. he did come here for an actual reason -- to hang out, but also kind of to ask about something. he's gonna be quiet about it for now, though. might as well enjoy the trash. ]
no subject
They’re gonna fuck like rabbits, you mean.
[ The duality of South: has absolutely no qualms about being that plain, but is also internally kinda cringing at the idea of basically watching softcore porn with Wash there. She’s pointedly choosing to not actually watch the screen head-on right now, don’t mind her. ]
So you’ve got— [ she starts counting off on her fingers ] all sorts of ‘need a contract’ drama, drama about who you used to be or are contracted to, drama about— ‘illegal relations’, I’m guessing, all the weird shit they can do with LIERs , plain ol’ who’s fucking who drama… maybe the whole city’s just a scheme to make the best setting for a soap opera ever.
[ It is truly a glorious level of trash fodder. It practically writes itself.
Lot less fun when you’re living the trash fodder because my god, between that recent wave of Dom-Dom citations, Ducky reminding her about the contract bullshit she’s been avoiding, and just— day-to-day life, it’s sure a reminder what a messy fucking place to live this is. And she sure is stuck here. It’s fine, she’s fine. ]