starlogs | only hold on to let go

[ this is the sort of thing she had to commit to as soon as the impulse struck. it's been so many years since she last spent real time in a city, or at least one she wasn't wearing armour in, and carolina didn't realize how much she'd missed the sort of life that places like this could contain.

and speaking of life, she's heard great things about the nightlife in gula and fuck it, she indulging. so when she rounds a corner on her way there and comes face to face with wash, she looks distinctly ready to spend the night out, having bought a dress for the occasion and everything, even if it's paired with the cyan jacket she's already taken to wearing around the ship during her downtime.

she presses her lips together, acutely aware of the lipstick on them before she pushes past the deer in headlights stage and finally remembers to greet him. ]

Wash. Good to see you.

[ maybe if she just doesn't bring it up, he won't either. ]

[ In a city this full of.... alien people, Wash isn't expecting to run into too many people he knows. Not at random, anyway. Those he knows are vastly outnumbered by those he doesn't. But while he isn't exactly comfortable down here on this planet, with its strange mood altering air, he isn't too paranoid or uneasy to explore a bit.

Of course, it's only a matter of time before he ends up in Gula, it's siren song of food and drink too enticing to resist. But the last thing he's expecting when he turns a corner is to find himself face to face with Carolina.

At least, he thinks it's Carolina. She looks unlike he's ever seen her. She's wearing lipstick, for fuck's sake. ]

Yeah? [ He stares at her openly, not terribly disturbed by the fact that she'll see him doing it. There's a quirk to his mouth and a note of amusement in his voice. ] Looking for me, huh?

No, definitely not. [ that comes out a little too rushed, too honest, so carolina follows it up with what she hopes is a smile. she's never been known for warm expressions and she's definitely been running low on them since freelancer ran itself into the ground, but if she can smile for anyone, she can probably smile for wash.

usually.

right now there's too much tension in her jaw (jesus christ, why is he staring at her?) so it looks more like an uncomfortable grimace. ]

But it's been a few days. [ since she last saw him at the gym. ] So... hey.

[ No, of course she isn't looking for him. No one has ever gotten fixed up to spend time with him and he can't imagine that changing. Which means what? Experience with his sisters suggests two possible answers: she's going out on the town with female friends or she's going on a date.

Imagining Carolina with actual friends is as bizarre as seeing her in makeup. Maybe it wouldn't be if Freelancer hadn't happened, but it had and none of them—except maybe North and York and he doesn't think about them because they're dead and he has enough problems without picking at the wounds—are good at being civilians. Then again, dating seems a little beyond the pale too, even after nagging her over it. ]

You in a hurry? [ His eyebrows rise. ] We can catch up later.

[ carolina shakes her head at that, honest about not having any time obligations. nothing she plans to do tonight is going to involve someone she already knows. ]

No, I'm not in a hurry. [ she raises a hand, gestures his way. ] But what about you? Got any... big plans?

[ That makes him snort in sarcastic amusement. He's been slumming around the planet in the most unimpressive civvies he has. Plans are definitely not on the docket. Besides which, friends implies that he has some. ]

Hardly. Where are you headed? [ Then, realizing that that might sound like he's trying to invite himself along, he pats at his chest, indicating his lack of formal attire. ] Don't worry about tag alongs. I'm not dressed for it.

I was just going to get a couple of drinks. [ and spend the night out trying to forget the last decade or so of her life, but wash doesn't need to know that. let him fill in his own blanks. there isn't a way carolina can fully save this now that he's seen her, anyway. ]

But we could always do food and beer first, if you're hungry.

[ today, as part of her job, carolina's dealt with: a small, acid spitting dog; teenagers making out in the shopping area's primary food court; someone playing a yoga instruction audiobook way too loud in the atrium; and one of her coworkers spilling coffee over one of the office's tablets. usually she doesn't mind her job (fun police suits her well, who would have guessed?) but by the time she's finished with it today, she is so incredibly ready to forget it exists until her next shift. the best way to do this seems to drink as far away from people she's going to recognize as possible and, ideally, look good doing it.

which is exactly the reason fate has her running into someone she knows on her way off the bunking deck. the soft clink of her high heels on the floor has already announced her presence behind yuuri, waiting for the elevator at the end of the hall, so turning around at this point would require some excuse and- fuck it, she'll just wait for the elevator with him. she's in makeup and a nice, low cut shirt and has visibly put effort into her hair, but her expression is trying hard to be the same serious but not unfriendly one she usually greets him with when she stops beside him and gives a nod. ]

[The click of her heels already had Yuuri half-turning to see who's approaching from the back. Under the tutelage of Carolina and a few other people on board, Yuuri's slowly starting to develop habits that might work to keep him safe in danger--something Carolina herself might appreciate when she's standing there beside him. He relaxes when he identifies her.]

Oh, Carolina. Hey. [Yuuri blinks, immediately noticing the change in her appearance. Then, the startled look melts into a slight smile.] You look nice. Are you heading down to Bajikan for something?

[ the immediate alert from him is something carolina catches and you bet she appreciates it. she hasn't been the most patient teacher with him, doing her best but perhaps pushing him too far a few times, snapping at him over something too small- but when she sees improvements from all the effort yuuri's been putting into his training with her and others?

well, she'll take a moment to be proud later. for now, she's... uh, trying to smile? that's the friendly thing to do when someone says you look nice, right? ]

Just out for a few drinks, yeah. It's been a long day.

[ and she could just drink here, but the larger variety of people to interact with will be nice. ]

[Yuuri just nods sympathetically, though he's a little surprised at the way she's acting. Is she...smiling? Huh. He's gotten so used to her being gruff around him that he hasn't even realized this is the first time he's seen her smile before.]

If you're looking for drinks, the Gula District is a good place to go. They've got a whole bunch of bars and clubs. [The laugh that he lets out now is a little sheepish.] Um, just be careful of how much you drink. There's something in the air that encourages you to eat and drink a lot in that district.

[ they've been visiting this planet for a week now and carolina almost feels guilty about how much she's enjoying it. clearly, the best way to deflect the guilt is to rope someone else into her adventures planetside but there are so few people she'd want to spend an evening out with and... well, sombra doesn't need to know that she was carolina's first choice. ]

What are you up to tonight?

(stares at the text message.

stares down at the weapons she collected earlier.)

Wouldn't you like to know? Hint: I spent more than a little time in Ira today ... The haul was good Are you asking me something specific, Carolina, or are you just wondering how my night is going?

Far be it from me to keep a lady from her guns but if you decide you want to do something else, I think I still owe you a dance.

Not many people can manage to surprise me in my old age, but consider yourself one of the select few What's with the suspicious change of heart? Lolol

(she's just teasin' ya)

I found a place in Gula with your colour scheme.

[ which is either uncomfortably honest - that carolina saw some purple and thought of sombra - or an awkward joke. ]

(oh, it's more fun to think it's both, smirking down at her phone with a little shake to her shoulders.

alright.)

You've got good taste, Team Leader, and I can't say I disapprove I'll meet you at the gate ... Please tell me you're not gonna wear the armour

I'm not going to wear the armour. Make it 1700h.

(this is a very small victory, considering she likes the thought of carolina in and out of the suit.

but sure enough, there she is at 1650h. right at the gate, looking no less flashy than in her typical attire — just this time it's in a strappy black dress and a cropped soft-leather jacket that looks far too retro to be a loaner from someone else. if you're going to spend time in the future, you're going to have to rock eighties chic.

sombra is looking forward to spying carolina, so she pretends to be distracted with a holo-screen while really scanning through it. who's excited? not her!!)

[ carolina's gotten used to dressing herself up for the planet now, so she finally feels comfortable instead of out of place in the makeup and curled hair. as for the clothing... well, anything that isn't her armour is as good as naked, so she might as well be in a dancing-friendly skirt and top combo, covered up by her cyan jacket with all the handy pockets.

a girl has to stick to her colour schemes.

she's a few minutes early herself, eyeing the area around the gate and figuring she'll either find sombra or sombra will pop out of nowhere and carolina won't be to blame for not being able to pick up on her once-teammate's location. ]

(when she finally spots her, sombra takes in the new look with a tap of a finger to a cheek, humming. nice, the cyan really does make her pop out of a crowd and compliments the hair. an undemonstrative beauty to her that is very obvious when you couple it with the military training. all in all, full marks.

a lean away from the wall, flicking the holovid away with a particularly cheery disposition, approaching in a beeline.)

There you are, I even came a few minutes early to beat you here. (arm out, hooking beneath carolina's in a mockery of their first meeting, like her teammate's her usher in,) Ready to have some fun? Blow off some steam that isn't from the barrel of a plasma rifle?

[ sombra gives her just enough time for a nod of greeting before their arms are hooked together again and unlike the first time, carolina can't find it in her to be annoyed about it. she knew full well what she was getting into tonight. ]

I wouldn't have invited you out with me if that wasn't the intention. [ not that she's particularly good at having fun, but good company to blow off steam is... well, it might turn out helpful.

for now, she gives sombra's arm a pat and then a little tug to get her going. carolina's even letting sombra keep her arm, for the moment. ] Come on, this place is a little bit of a walk.

[ After a day spent mostly in Superbia and a few hours in Avaritia, Felix is feeling good and looks even better. Pampering himself in Superbia has gotten his mind far enough off of the whole debacle in Chorus that's he's able to avoid thinking about what happened and physically, it's gotten the grime and wear of the planet off of his skin. A haircut has gotten his hair back into the style he prefers, a trip to a skin specialist has offered just enough tanning to turn his armor-pale skin into something resembling a person who has gone outside in the sun recently, a manicurist has fixed his broken nails, a deep tissue massage and an hour in a sauna has loosened too tense muscles, and a lengthy shopping excursion in Avaritia has outfitted him in a disgustingly expensive, finely tailored suit, a cleverly concealed set of knives, and a badass handgun of some alien variety that he hasn't played around with yet.

Law-abiding decent people are better off not knowing where he acquired the money for all of this.

So it's in high spirits—or as high of spirits as a man can be after dying and being stuck in some bizarre galaxy with his backstabbing bastard of a former partner—that he breezes into the club and fetches up at the bar. Flagging down the bartender, he asks for a glass of the house's best liquor. It's as he's glancing idly around that he notices the redhead sitting nearby. She's human, thank fuck for that, or looks close enough to human that it doesn't negatively impact his initial opinion of her and pretty hot. And because he's determined to ignore the past as much as possible, he shifts closer to her and offers her a friendly half-smile. ]

Mind if I buy you a drink?

[ carolina's still bound and determined to enjoy as much of this planet as she can, making up for years of not enjoying anything and how much potential for things to go sideways that the eluvio is likely to keep having. she's mostly alone, too, because she's never needed to know who she's dancing with to have a good time. in fact, sometimes that's better.

she's on a break, nearly finished the whiskey in her glass, when someone's talking to her and something about the voice immediately puts her on edge, her eyes flicking over to take him in, as if she can find some proof that he's no good. but this is just her being paranoid as all hell, carolina convinces herself another moment later. voices sound different when they're not being fed through a helmet and the chances of felix finding her in a crowded bar in a different galaxy are so slim she can't even begin to imagine the math. so she forces the frown to dissipate, offers a smile tainted by awkward apology at her initial reaction. ]

I won't say no.

[ she has no reason to, right? ]

Edited 2017-03-14 19:21 (UTC)

[ Felix hasn't gotten to be a manipulative asshole without learning how to read people. He catches that awkward expression, notices the way it shifts into a forced smile, and comes to the reasonable conclusion: not interested, but not averse to getting a free drink for the interruption. Accepting that with equanimity, he gestures to the bartender to refill her glass.

He has money. He isn't hesitant to spend it.

Deciding that chatting her up isn't likely to work, Felix settles more comfortably into his space. He can be a friendly neighbor at the bar easily enough. ]

Glad to hear it. [ He glances askance at her, tipping his own glass in her direction. ] Figured the best way to celebrate my good luck at the card table was to share it. Enjoy the drink.

[ with her glass refilled, carolina raises it in the stranger's direction, giving a little nod of her head. ]

Cheers. I'm not going to complain about someone having a good day around me. [ that's a little too negative even by her standards, provided it's not someone she has a reason to hate. after a mouthful of her drink, her attention's back on him. he's not exactly ugly, after all. ]

Are you a local?

[ Felix lifts his own in salute and then downs half of it. It's good liquor. Not anything he can place, but at this point in his un-life—Second life? Undeath? What's the proper term for a resurrected person?—he doesn't give a fuck. As long as it tastes good, that's good enough for him. ]

What, to this place? [ His eyebrows rise as he glances around. ] Man, I wish. Can you imagine having everything you want always at your fingertips?

[ Generally speaking. The non-material things he wants, he doesn't even think about. There's nothing good down that path. ]

Nah. Just visiting. How about you?

The same. This place is spoiling me, though. It's been a while since I last got to spend any time in a big city.

[ her smile's relaxed into something a little more genuine, if still a little foreign on her face. he isn't felix, isn't a threat, isn't cause for her to drop everything to warn wash. he's just someone attractive who bought her a drink. ]

[ it's been a good night out so far and the measure of that is that carolina's feet are sore in her shoes from dancing and she has a handsome man escorting her out of a club. sure, she only met solo a drink ago, but she's already sold on his company for the night. it doesn't take much to make up her mind sometimes and a nice smile can make all the difference. she can debate whether or not this is a good decision some other time, for now it's a perfectly fine one.

the air outside the club is significantly cooler than it was inside and carolina takes a deep breath to enjoy that as they wind their way out through the crowd lingering at the exit. there's never much of a chill to be found in this region of bajikan, she figures, but sometimes it does cool down enough to feel it, enough that she's still got her jacket with her, vivid cyan over the more drab grey of her dress, its skirt twirling around her thighs as she walks. and then there's the shoes, of course - the same blue as her jacket and higher than she really needs them to be, but the right shape to show off her legs. new enough to cause a blister or two, too.

away from the crowd, carolina pauses, checking for solo's proximity to give him a flicker of a smile. ]

Hey, wait a second? [ the shoes have to go. her weight shifts one way, then the other, and the redhead loses nearly three inches in height before she bends over to scoop the shoes up, holding them by the heels as she straightens. her smile's a little more real now, a little more up to no good. ] There. Now to figure out which direction we're headed.

[ it has been a good night for solo as well: he's eaten some of the finest food to be found in the district, and there is fine food to be found in it indeed, and he's stumbled, stomach full and mind seeking excitement and a good scotch, onto a club in which he'd met this ravishing redheaded beauty.

he has one arm around her waist as they make their way through the crowd. when she stops to take off her heels, he offers a hand to steady her if she should want it, and once she has the heels in hand, he offers a slow smile instead. ]

I'm not sure whether I should offer only to carry the shoes for you, or if I should offer to carry you.

I can carry myself. [ hell, carolina could carry him if she wanted to, with very little issue. but carrying people is for dangerous situations, in her mind, so putting herself in that vulnerable a position wouldn't be a willing thing, no matter how charming the intention is. she's too stubborn for that sort of romance.

she does give solo a little smirk, though, as she hands over the heels. ]

But I don't mind your help with these.

I'm sure you can.

[ she seems to be a strong and strong-willed individual in equal measure and solo appreciates both.

he takes the heels from her, admiring them for a moment before letting them dangle from one hand, offering his arm to carolina. ] But I do hope there's not too much glass on the ground here. Should we head somewhere kinder on bare feet?

only hold on to let go | closed

for wash | march 12

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for yuuri | march 14-ish

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for sombra | march 17-ish

rolls into this at high speeds

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this shitshow can happen any time!

hooow about toward the end of the month

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for solo | idk late march?

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