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Who: Jane Jones (Alice Ayres) and Carolina
What: Having a drink together.
Where: The Speakeasy
When: Backdated to early June
Warnings: Possible discussion of sex work?

[if you asked Jane, she couldn't (or wouldn't) tell you why she was so excited to meet Carolina for drinks. She'd been out for drinks plenty of times in her life, usually with her ex-boyfriend, Dan.

she bit her lip and looked down for a moment. best not to think about Dan or how she would have loved him forever if only he'd known to leave well enough alone. but no, he'd insisted on total honesty and in doing so, killed the love Jane had carried with her for four years. and now she was here and Dan was in London, anyway.

but four years were a long time to love someone, especially for someone as young as Jane.

she sighed and tried to banish all melancholy thoughts from her mind. she was here to have drinks with a friend. potential friend. who was a woman.

Jane didn't have female friends. not back on Earth, anyway. other girls had always been jealous of how the boys flocked to her, paying attention to her, trying to get her to date them. she hadn't even had to try, she just smiled at a boy and that was it.

she wondered if the same would prove true here. she didn't know if she hoped it would or it wouldn't.

she fussed with the straw in her drink and waited for her potential friend to arrive]

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[Aside from her retirement and the time spent on the moon with the Reds and Blues, Carolina hasn't exactly been one to go out. The Club scene had been something that she had visited before, but it's been ages since then. Before the whole Texas thing, she might have been dragged out to a bar now and then by York, and she could admit that she had had a good time, but her own faults had turned her in to a hermit, to put it politely.

She'd slipped out, not exactly explaining where she was going, but not through shame. Rather, she would prefer to avoid the twenty questions that likely would have come with it, and possibly some punches to the boys as well. She has gotten more comfortable out of armour at least, although she's still casual with her red hair tied back, jeans and a v-neck t-shirt.

It's taken a little bit of a trek to finally get over, but she does arrive on time. A customary glance, that soldier in her assessing the location, although a smile shifts over her mouth as she spots Alice.]

Hey.

[back in London when she was with Dan, Jane avoided the nightclub scene, too. Dan had to get up early to go to work and Jane's worked an early shift at the strip club. it put a dent in her tips, but she wanted to be around when Dan was.

maybe that was her mistake. basing so much of her life around Dan. but it's not like that was a possibility anymore. besides, she'd fallen out of love with him, so why should she even care if it was a possibility?

Jane's a little more dressed up, wearing a little black dress and matching pumps with her make-up done. she'd heard that others had trouble finding what they wanted in the shops, but not her. she was lucky. always had been.

she looks up and smiles when she sees Carolina enter and waves her over, patting the seat next to her with her other hand]

Hey, yourself. Glad you could make it. Have a seat?

[With one more look around the speak easy to verify that nothing was going on, Carolina slips in to the spot next to her.]

You found the place okay?

[She was here, so obviously she had found it. Things had been easier before the split, that much was certain. Carolina had gotten the lay of the land, or at least the places that were close by. Now, it's another story. Thankfully their residence had stayed in one piece, and most places were still more or less where they were supposed to be.]

Not exactly many choices around, unless you want to go drinking under the stars.

[Jane grins when Carolina sits down]

Yeah. Took a little work and I'm pretty sure I owe an elf a favor, but I got here just fine.

[Jane may be lucky in a way, coming in when she did right before the split. she never had a chance to get used to Hadriel as it was and instead is adapting to Hadriel as it is. which involves boats. and weather that's too close to London's weather for comfort]

Mmm, that would be nice. But first, we'd need the bottle of. . . what's your favorite alcohol?

Dare I ask which elf?

[Because she may or may not know a few elves... Not that she has anything against any of them. Just the opposite. She might not know them all that well, but they aren't the bad sort. Prone to tossing in a lot of words, like babe, or words that she has no idea what they even are...

She does manage a rough laugh though, smiling at her. In that way, Carolina is easy. You're trained as a soldier to push through, adapt, make the best out of the worst. She still lives like that most of the time, not going out of her way to make things luxurious and over the top.]

You learn not to be too picky, because your choices are limited in most places... Whatever's good with you, I'll be fine with.

He said his name's Curufin.

[this elf seems nice enough. a little wordy and formal and he tried to convince her that her new friend, Caedra, is a demon, but nice. actually, everyone here seems nice. it's kind of weird.

Jane smiles back. while the apartment she shared with Dan was small, it was good enough for her. as long as she had Dan, everything was all right. but now she no longer loves Dan (really) and she's in this strange new place on her own. but she was going to be on her own in NYC, too, with no friends.

she thinks a bit] I used to like vodka, but a witch ruined it for me. I'll have to go with tequila.

Hm. Haven't run across him.

[Related to either of the ones that she knows? It is a possibility, but he could also just be another elf from where ever he was from. Heavens knew there are enough humans here that come from all over.

Even if elves don't exist where she's from.

That she knows of...]

An actual witch?

[Because it is as likely to be one as it is to be a figurative one. The worlds that people come from are drastically different, so she wouldn't put it past her that it is a real magical being that ruined it.]

Been a while since I have either.

[But she makes a motion with her hand until someone comes over, and gives the order for a bottle of tequila.]

Really? He talked like he knew everyone.

[Jane has the sinking feeling that living here is going to be like living in your average small town where everyone knows everyone else's business. she's not used to that, she prefers the anonymity that large cities like London and NYC offer. easier to slip between the cracks that way. easier to maintain lies and half-truths that way, too.

Jane's world is terribly mundane. it has no magic, no elves, no space marines, no nothing. just people, bouncing off of each other and inflicting pain on one another.

but she's not there now, is she?]

...no. She might as well have been, though.

[she sure managed to bewitch Jane's Dan]

Then you'll have to take it slow. Sipping, no shots! [she winks]

Some people just talk a big game.

[Heck, Carolina can't even say that in the grand scheme of things she has met that many people. Some she knows has left, like Sharkface, while others she might have a passing relationship with, or know through a third party. Wash had been here for some time and knew quite a few people, although how many he trusted with his life she couldn't say. Kyna, but others? It's not easy for them to trust after all that's happened.]

Ah. So perhaps a little less w and a little more b.

[Bitch. Carolina's familiar with that, having been called one herself. And, it was deserved.

She does snort though, a smile curling at her lips.]

I can promise you won't be peeling me off of the floor.

I've known a few like that before.

[Jane doesn't know many yet, either. granted, she just arrived here. but she's used to keeping to herself. it's going to be hard, reaching out. most of the time, when she's reached out, she's had her hand slapped back. but so far, people here have been. . . welcoming?]

Absolutely more b. The biggest one I've ever met.

[she's been called that a time or two herself. also deserved.

she smiles back]

Good to know. I of course can hold my liquor.

[She's know a few herself. Some have been able to back their game up, while others have been lacking. It's the lacking ones that tended to have their asses kicked by her.

Of course some of those big talkers have also grown on her.

It's clear that this other person had done something, enough to leave an impression on her, although Carolina doesn't press. She doesn't expect people to spill their secrets or skeletons, just as she doesn't do it herself.

Her smile does widen though, head cocking to the side.]

This is where I'd usually talk about handicaps, but usually it's me giving it to others.

[And she's too stubborn to ever accept one herself.]

[in Jane's world, the ones who can't back their shit up tended to be eaten alive by those who could.

Dan wasn't a big talker. he was witty, but unassuming. theirs had been a relationship where Jane led him on adventures, but he rarely took the initiative himself.

she's glad she doesn't have to talk about the trainwreck that had been her relationship with Dan and Dan's relationship with the bitch. add in the time when the bitch's husband wandered into Jane's strip club looking for solace and you've got a disaster.

she gives her best innocent grin]

Okay. Then, how much d'you think I can handle?

[despite her small, slim stature, she can put away a lot of alcohol]

[That certainly would be a mess of epic proportions, although not exactly a situation that Carolina would have ever found herself in. Confusing messes? Yes, those she knows a lot about.

Hell, a lot of her life has been a disaster, but when it came to more intimate matters, well, there might still be the whole hang-up on York and what she did to him. That, and it's not like she has been actively looking for a relationship anyway. The antics of the Reds and Blues, and cleaning up Freelancer messes is a full-time matter.

It doesn't mean Carolina is blind, as her look, while playful in turn, clearly states that she's not buying the whole innocent expression. She might be able to out drink her, but she might not be able to.]

What? You expect me to tip my own cards?

[That slow grin over her own face. And look, said bottle is being returned with two cups.]

[all of Jane's troubles tended to revolve around relationships. she had problems with her boyfriend, so she blew all of her money and moved to London where she almost immediately met Dan. Dan left her to be with the bitch and Jane spiraled, ending up stripping again and then came the bitch's husband who bought her for a private show, knowing full well that she had been with Dan.

she's better off not looking for a relationship. they're nothing but trouble.

what? she is totally innocent. butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. really]

Mmm, maybe a little. I'm the new kid, remember?

[she grins back. and yay, tequila! she takes and opens the bottle, pouring two fingers' worth into the glasses, then passes one to Carolina]

Bottoms up.

[That pointed look sharpens even further before Carolina gives a snort, although the mirth has remained the whole time. New kid indeed. She seems to settle in well enough. In one piece anyway, and no obvious broken bones or sprains.]

And, that certainly doesn't mean I'll go easy on you.

[That teasing tone to her voice. It is true that Carolina is a bit like a bull dog. She plows ahead, but, she has learned to slow a little, to match her pace with others and not leave them in the dust.

Taking the glass, Carolina gives a nod of her head.]

Cheers.

[Before giving it a bottoms up go, downing the shot, although yes, she is giving a cough after as the shot glass is set back on the table.]

Shit. I almost forgot that burn.

[Jane has always had a talent for landing on her feet, despite the depression spiral after Dan left her the first time. the second time, Jane's the one who did the leaving]

You'd better not!

[she laughs and for a moment, all seems right with the world. even in this shitty place.

she takes her glass and nods back, tossing hers back in one go as well. she giggles as she sets her glass down]

So did I. Too bad we don't have some salt and limes.

[In some ways, laughter is still something that Carolina's getting used to. The Reds and the Blues have helped her get a long way from that ex-Freelancer that had tracked them down to get their help, willingly or not. It's with Wash and the others that she's started to feel more like the woman she used to be, before Tex came in to the picture. Heck, possibly before the stress of Freelancer pushed her to always be giving 110%.]

Just remember those words later.

[There are many aspects of this place that do drive Carolina crazy. Even back home she could tend to find what she needed. Here...]

Not even certain I've been a lime since arriving here.

[Let alone the last time she actually had one.]

[Jane often doesn't feel like laughing, not here. not where everything is so strange and she feels cut off from everything that she knew. but she is a big fan of the whole "fake it 'til you make it" thing and she's trying to not think of the past today]

Oh, I will.

[and she's used to London and NYC where you can get curry delivered at 3am if you want it]

Me, neither. It's not like they can limes.

[someone's been living on a lot of canned fruit cocktail]

Ya... Don't think that's really something anyone has thought about doing, even in my time.

[No freeze-drying them either. The food can be pretty bland, especially when you're far from base and having to remain on a mission for a time. Even the mess hall wasn't always the best, but Carolina's not too picky. Not like her mom was the stay at home type and make supper. No, she was off soldiering, until she died, and her father...

She shakes that thought off, as her family isn't something she likes to talk about.]

How you finding the place so far?

Seriously? So much for [she makes jazz hands] the future. I guess you guys don't even have flying cars.

[Jane can understand that notion. Her mother was an alcoholic and a mean drunk. She stayed on the sofa all day, watching whatever was on TV at the time, a bottle of vodka and a carton of cigarettes beside her. her father was barely in her life. he went to work, came home, watched TV with her mother, went to bed, and repeated it all the next day. neither one had much time for their daughter and neither one raised a fuss when she quit school and moved out on her eighteenth birthday]

It's kinda weird. And I don't mean just the god stuff. I've never lived in such a small town before and it seems like everyone already knows everyone else.

No. Just ships and armour.

[No actual flying cars, though the various classes of ships could be considered quite impressive, if Carolina were to say so. The huge ones like Mother of Invention or the smaller ones that took them down to planet.

Limes had just never made it on to the list, or had flying cars.

Her gaze flickers across her as she speaks. Carolina can't say that she's already been the best at reading others. She's more mindful now so she doesn't just go plowing ahead without a care, but for her it is still a work in progress.]

Limited space, limited people. Over time you do get to know those. Kinda hard to remain a hermit here, if that's your thing.

[she makes a show of mulling it over and determines] Okay, that's still impressive.

[Jane always assumed that whatever the future would be, it would be bad. she's from 2004 and a native New Yorker, so 9/11 is still fresh in her mind, even though she was living in London at the time.

she assumes there will be more wars, more attacks, more pain. and she assumes that it will never stop. the players will be different, but the game will stay the same.

she feels herself being studied and tries to stay as casual as possible]

I--I've never been a hermit. [a lie] I'm just more used to small circles of friends. In big cities. [the truth]

[The response does earn a shake of her head and a small laugh. Impressive is putting it mildly. At times she does feel stagnant here, wondering if people had ever chomped at the bit dreaming of the things that might one day come. It's a reality for her, and true, the reality of it is that it mainly sucks a lot of the shit she has seen, but she likes her armour, her gun, the technology...]

Hermitting is over-rated.

[She may have allowed others to think that she was dead for a number of years. One of so many things that she regrets now. Never seeing York again, being able to tell him- but those thoughts only take her down a dark path and she tries to focus on Wash's words to her on the island.]

My two credits on the matter, anyway.

[the thing is, Jane tends to take life day by day. she's not a big fan of planning for the future. if you'd asked her three months ago, she would've said that she'd love Dan and stay with him forever. she was wrong about that]

Yeah. Especially when the alternative is staring at the same walls, day in and day out.

[Jane never went so far as to letting her parents think she was dead. she sent them a postcard every other month she was in London with the most generic message she could think of. Dan will probably think she's dead if he tries to find her again and she's okay with that]

Taken and appreciated. [she flashes a smile] And I'm here with you, aren't I?

[Arguably, she had been a moving hermit... At least after a time. She'd been a wreck when it had first happened, and had had no desire to let anyone know that she was alive. Eventually she had went on her revenge kick, tracking down Freelancer clues until she had ended up with Wash and the Reds and Blues. Even then, she hadn't been looking for company, let alone friends or family.

Funny how life happened sometimes.]

Ah, but for the company or the booze.

[That light teasing as she flashed a small smile.]

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(cw: alcoholism)

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