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WHO: maine, wash, carolina
WHERE: atrium
WHEN: last night
WHAT: three pals paling around
WARNINGS: nah

[ It's not the first time a mission has gone sideways for any of them. If things are heading in this direction, it won't be the last, either. Not that he enjoys the feeling of a mission going sour, but, for the first mission they've been on together since... before, it didn't go as badly as it could have. Aside from some close calls, they're alive. Which, at this point, is more than Maine expected.

Seeking out familiarity afterwards is easy. Rote. It might never be immediate, but it happens eventually; drifting toward one another like they share the same orbit. Because even soldiers need relaxation sometimes.

He borrows a portable vid player from a weird guy he works with. It's different from what he knows, but picks it up quick enough with a bit of instruction. Movies on disks. Strange, but whatever. He swears to bring it back in one piece and scoffs at the threat that will befall him if he doesn't. ( Admittedly, Maine finds it seven shades of amusing when anyone threatens him. ) Somehow he winds up getting snacks, his arms laden with bags of... what he mostly assumes passes for junk food here. And there's the blanket big enough for the three of them to share. How he wound up being team pack mule for this get together he didn't even organize he doesn't know, but also can't say he's surprised.

He's also not really bothered. But, he can pretend. Which is why he's the last one there and when he arrives to the patch of land they've claimed for themselves in the waning fake sunlight, he unceremoniously drops everything to the ground. Except the vid player. That he carefully pulls out of a bag as he sits on the grass. His end of these tasks complete, Maine looks from Wash to Carolina with just a simple expression of well, now your turn you lazy fucks. ]

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[ once maine picks his place, carolina makes herself comfortable beside him, knee bumping against his thigh as she settles, peering around him to watch wash and make sure he's not favouring his leg too much. so long as it's a little better every time she sees him, she'll take it for now. she's not going to harp unless she actually needs him healed up for action. they're not in a war now, she has to keep reminding herself. even with the aliens from oros, the battles themselves there didn't follow them back to the ship. ]

Make sure it's not shit, Wash. [ a challenge instead of an offer to help, which leaves the decision on wash's shoulders while carolina hands maine a beer and grabs her own again. ]

[ Like he knows anything about good movies. He's been stuck in Blood Gulch and Chorus with the Reds and Blues. Not really conducive to keeping up with pop culture.

Snorting, he takes the discs and looks through them. Discs. His lip curls slightly, partly in amusement and partly in bewilderment that people still use this antiquated. The collection's eclectic; whoever Maine got this shit from either hoards movies without care for genre or quality or just doesn't care. He finds something that looks like it'll be action and that has a name that his sense of humor appreciates: The Expendables. ]

Here. [ Dropping the pile of discs out of the way, he passes the one he's chosen over to Maine. ] Don't like it, pick one yourselves.

[ It's all good. Even if Carolina doesn't harp on Wash's injury, Maine is. And he doesn't give a shit about being annoying about it, either. Things are different now because he has the perspective of being dead. Not to mention a huge pile of baggage from all the shit that happened. So, he doesn't really care about being a nagging shit. He'll nag all of them like some nanny hulk.

For all that they know, none of them are probably hip to any sort of cool movie. When you're fighting for your life constantly, recreational shit just doesn't cut it. So, Maine doesn't really care. As long as it's not some slow-moving soppy pile of flowery garbage, he'll be mildly entertained.

When Wash hands the disc over, he just sort of looks at it wondering why he has to be the one to start this up. But, he's the one who brought this stupid thing and got the weirdly detailed lesson on how to use it. So. He puts it in and adjusts it so they can all see before sitting back and reaching around to grab a beer and pop open a bag of... he's still not really sure what these things are, but they're crunchy and sweet and he likes them.

The noise he makes is a minor threat, for them both to stop being idiots and quit picking and just watch the damn movie!!! Shit this old is bound to be crap anyway! ]

[ maine's noise gets a look, an eyebrow raise from carolina. they're behaving, as far as she's concerned. lay off, buddy.

but she doesn't say anything, just shifts a little to be comfortable and settles in to watch the movie. action is never her preference (because it's never right and she's always had enough gunfights and explosions in her life that more in movies seems like overkill) but she's not going to complain. not this time, at least, because the company is too good.

so carolina relaxes, puts up with whatever the movie turns out to be, and deliberately helps herself to whatever snacks the guys seem to be enjoying most. even when it means leaning across maine's lap to steal whatever wash has. ]

[ Mindless violence is the best thing Wash can think of at the moment. He isn't for sentimental bullshit and he isn't in the mood for comedy. And as morbid and dark as his sense of humor's gotten over the years, there's probably not much he'd find funny about old comedies.

Hoarder though he is when it comes to food, he doesn't put up too much of a fuss whenever Carolina steals some of his snacks. It's nice to be able to hang out like this, like old times, and that outweighs any possessiveness he might feel about his... whatever these things are.

He offers idle commentary occasionally, whenever the action is a little too over the top or something is just monumentally wrong. But for a lot of it Wash is quiet, simply enjoying the moment and the camaraderie that comes with being with his old friends again. ]

[ At least he doesn't have to break up any snack fights. He was fully prepared to do it, but things are peaceful as they ever are during their down time and Maine settles comfortably there between them. Being with people he trusts—even if they don't fully trust him yet, and that's fine, he knows why they wouldn't and doesn't blame them for it either—is an easy position for him to be in to let his guard down just a little bit. Not much, but just enough for it to count.

He picks his way around the snacks, keeping an idle eye on the movie. It's not terrible as far as old Earth movies go and it's just mindless enough that he doesn't have to concentrate hard to follow along with the plot. It's nice.

Because he's relaxed, because he's two beers in, because he's full of nothing but carbs and sugar, because he's simply zoned out while watching the movie, he feels his eyelids start to droop. It's not that he's bored, it's just between not sleeping regularly, being full of all kinds of bad things and being in the presence of people he'd trust his life to, well. Suffice to say it's just an easy thing to doze off. Once or twice he wakes himself up because subconsciously he hears something that makes him become more alert, but eventually he just gives in to this particular ghost. Eventually, he tips a little to the side, knocking a little against Wash's arm.

It's cool, just nudge him away. He'll sway awake probably. ]

[ after a while, the movie holds enough of her interest that carolina's given up on wash's snacks, leaning back to rest her weight on her hands, one knee still resting comfortably against maine's because she can. just because she hasn't said that some part of her missed him after everything they'd been through doesn't mean it's not true. they'd been such a good team, before and they were getting there now.

but she does catch him leaning, which turns into shifting forward to look at his face, curious. then smothering a smile as she looks at wash until she catches his gaze and tip her head at maine. do you see this, she's asking, not wanting to disturb him. ]

[ Wash is rarely unaware of his surroundings, whatever it might look like to observers. Even watching a movie, he's aware of what's going on around him. He sees it when Maine starts to nod off, recognizing the change in the tension of his body as he drifts and then catches himself. It's only a matter of time, he knows, before he gives up.

And he does. Wash feels the weight of him against his arm and smirks a little to himself. No doubt the guy needs the rest.

He's careful to keep himself still so as not to jar Maine awake. But he does look beyond him to Carolina and arches an eyebrow, the tiny smirk still visible on his face. He sees it. He might not be actively trying to disturb it, but he's also likely going to needle Maine about it later. And that intention is probably clear on his face to Carolina. ]

[ oh yeah, carolina sees that look and fully supports it, losing some of her battle with her grin as she gives wash a nod and then settles back to enjoy the rest of the movie. well, as much as she can. it's not great by any stretch of the imagination, but the beer is and the company is and she has absolutely nothing to complain about.

the movie ends and she keeps her silence up until the credits get boring (not that any of them know one actor from another at this point) and she bumps her knee gently against maine. not enough to be a threat, just enough to get his attention. ]

Hey Maine, what'd you think of that ending?

[ now is a good point in that later to start affectionately giving maine shit for his nap, right? ]

[ Intermittently he wakes up during the movie. Not enough to want to shake himself awake or anything. Maybe he should but it feels like he's barely slept in months. Only since arriving here has he gotten any measure of rest. And doesn't that just say something?

So, he's in the middle of one of those fluttering wake ups at the nudge to his leg. There is a thread of something there, pinching tight in his gut that maybe it is a threat. Maybe. But, rational thought kicks in that it's not so he doesn't give much of a reaction. His eyes barely open, his lids blinking small and slow. He slants a glance at Wash first then Carolina, though he doesn't move from his spot leaning against Wash.

The sound that rumbles in his chest can be roughly translated to: Predictable. Because, really. ]

[ Wash's amusement manifests as a subtle shake of his shoulders. It isn't enough to dislodge Maine or to communicate that he wants him to move. But it can probably be felt just a little.

Predictable, he says. Like he's watched the thing.

It wouldn't be right to let an opportunity like this one pass him by. Leaning into Maine a tiny bit, Wash nudges him with his shoulder. ]

Oh yeah? [ The grin isn't evident on his face, but it's there in his tone, sly and amused. ] What was your favorite part?

[ Does he need to watch it to know it is a typical action movie? No, he doesn't think so. They all have the same criteria, so he doesn't feel like he's really missed out on anything important. He knows he'll probably get grilled about it when he returns all this stuff to his coworker, but.

Whatever, he'll have Wash tell him his favorite part later and parrot it back.

Maine sits up fully now, slowly stretching his back and neck from having been hunched over for so long. His bones pop a little and it feels good. Idly, his hand lifts to rub at one of his eyes. Then, he turns a look on Wash that is so utterly bland and dry that it might catch fire. An almost laugh is huffed out of his nose and the sound he makes then is easily: The end. ]

[ to the side, carolina's still pretending she's not smiling half as much as she is. but it's hard not to appreciate this, would be impossible to ignore how normal it feels to have an evening like this with the two of them.

she's probably never going to get over having missed things like this. it's not going to lose its novelty.

but for now she's just shaking her head and starting to pile up snacks and drinks, sorting wrappers from things one of them has to take back with them. reaching across maine for one of wash's bags again, too, as she settles on something affectionate to say. ]

That wasn't a terrible movie. [ even if she's forgotten most of the plot already. ] Thank you both for it.

[ The end. Of course he says the end. Wash rolls his eyes, but there's no real irritation or disgust in the gesture. It's good-natured, his mood relatively light and upbeat for once. Or as light and upbeat as Wash can get anymore.

Straightening up and working out the stiffness of the arm Maine had been leaning against, he notices Carolina pilfering one of the bags. About to reach out and stop her, he reminds himself that there is plenty of food on the ship and he doesn't need to worry about it. Besides, he can just pick up some more stuff to stash in his room on the way back to it. ]

Yeah, no problem. It's been a long time since I watched something like that. [ Instead of live through it. He nudges Maine's arm with his elbow. ] Tell that guy you work with thanks for letting us borrow his stuff.

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