I cannot see, what you can see so easily

[lovernotafighter]

Who: Blue Haus (Tucker, Alpha, Epsilon, Carolina, Tex, Wash, and whoever else might have heard)
What: So, you would think watching a bad remake of a movie would be uneventful, but...
Where: Blue Haus
When: Now
Warnings: Drama as everyone figures out that Tucker's been accidentally keeping a secret? Probably some Freelancer drama. And AI drama. Just...drama. Lots of swearing.




[Time ticked down to what the fliers that coated the inside of the house promised: "Movie Night! Promised Thrills and Chills At 8:00PM Sharp! Clothing Optional".

Tucker didn't know why he hadn't really watched this beautiful, homemade version of Reservoir Dogs yet; the last time he had, it had been back when Alpha and the guys gifted it to him, expecting him to hate the bad acting, bad script writing, the even worse action scenes (saying "pew pew" did not make a thrilling shoot out, regardless of popular belief). Back then, he had loved it. Mostly because it was fucking awesome, but also...because they put their shit aside and made it for him.

Here? Here, Tucker loved it even more.

He hadn't thought about the fact that he hadn't told anyone Alpha was here; he simply assumed everyone knew. Was it a secret? Fuck, he didn't think so. He just asked Church to come over to Blue Haus, sprawl out, and watch his horrible, horrible acting with him and everyone else here. NBfuckingD.

Besides, can't have a movie night without all of the team. It would just help if all the them - coughcoughAlphacough - would actually be here already.]

You're not going to believe what I have!

[He popped it in, then rushed back to the couch, flopping down on it. Feet kicked at whoever was on the couch with him, grabbing one of the beers he had snuck off Epsilon because -- well, because.

On the screen were multiple misspellings of "Reservoir". He looked around for Church, then shook his head.]

Um, is everyone ready for movie night? Because boy, do I have a big huge treat for you, and I'm totally not talking about what it sounds like for once.

Comments

[hardwearing]

[ Wash happens to be on the couch Tucker claims to flop on. He was texting while he waited for the others to come downstairs and Tucker nearly kicks his phone right out of his hands, which prompts an annoyed huff. He swats at his friend's feet halfheartedly -- they've got seating for six and even if Tex shows up there are only five of them (as far as he's aware) so it's not the end of the world if Tucker takes up two couch spots, but it's the best positioned piece of furniture. Don't be rude, Tucker. ]

What is it anywa-- oh.

[ Glancing up at the screen makes it obvious enough. It's that home video version of Reservoir Dogs Alpha made him, Tucker did mention it to him once. Wash hasn't actually seen it before, but finds himself tensing slightly at the prospect. Seeing everybody from home, and Alpha... he wonders what Epsilon's going to think of watching this, too, but they'll find out soon enough.

He tucks his phone away and leans back, telling himself not to bail. It's important to Tucker even if it's awkward for him. He can sit through this, but some wariness does sneak into his voice when he speaks again. ]

So how long is this movie..?

[uptightness]

[Movie night. One could say that of all the things that they could do, movie night isn't really one that would cross her mind. Then again, Carolina also wouldn't have believed anyone who said that they would have a water park. And, in the end, she had had fun with that... Not that she's run around proclaiming that fact to everyone. She had more sense than that.

She's down a little before eight, clothes, because really, clothing is not optional in her opinion but it's really only one person that they need to worry about with that. Thankfully said person had stopped pawning their shit off on her. On others? Not her problem.

Taking a seat, Carolina arches one of her eyebrows as she glances at the screen. Knowing them, this could be... interesting, to say the least. Of course, it could also be a good opportunity to mess around with them. What can she say? She really had enjoyed watching them squirm.]

Seriously? No one could spell reservoir?

[She's... actually not really that surprised.]

[originalcopy]

[He can't believe that he agreed to this. The last thing he wants is to hang out awkwardly around Wah and the rest... but Tucker was so excited about getting to watch that horrible mess of a movie. If it can even be called a movie, and insistent that Washington was somehow better than he was. And the rest... well, Tucker obviously saw them as much as teammates as he was. Not that he's jealous or anything.

Alpha knocks and after a moment let's himself inside.]

"Hey asshole, if you invite someone over, the least you can do is meet them at the..."

[Actually seeing Wash and Carolina, relaxed and out of armor...not expecting him...makes him pause for just a second.]

...door."

[epsilol]

[ In a move that was at its heart incredibly calculated, Epsilon waited till the others were downstairs before coming downstairs and claiming one of the arm chairs for himself. That was the game now, to keep enough space between him and Tucker that they could pretend that nothing ever happened. Not the most mature response but in his opinion it was working flawlessly. Except for the excruciating awkwardness anyways.

It was fine.

So when the movie title comes up he snorts at the butchered spelling. Typical for those idiots. But... this was an Alpha thing. Watching it is going to most awkward fucking thing and if it wasn't a team bonding thing he'd be finding an excuse to bail as a soon as fucking possible.

He doesn't really pay attention to the door until whoever-the-fuck Tucker invited speaks up and then Epsilon goes very still because that's his voice. No. No fucking way. He turns in his chair to look at Alpha and then speaks, his voice tight. ]

Hey, Tucker? What the fuck is this?

[lovernotafighter]

[Come on, Wash; it was his idea, so Tucker was allowed to have the best seat in the house. That’s just how it worked. His toes curled when they were swatted at, but he didn’t move, only looking away from the screen when Carolina popped in.]

I think Caboose made the title cards? [As if that explained everything. In a way, it did.] Look, it’s great! You don’t have to spell right to have a good movie!

[Except you kinda do.

He glanced at Epsilon from across the room, his eyes on him for a second as he tried not to focus on what happened between them, whatever heat of the moment bullshit that was. God, that was a mess and a half, but Alpha was there, fucking Alpha who Tucker was fairly certain everyone knew was here, and he sat up to offer him space on the couch.

Epsilon sounded pissed, but Tucker didn’t know why.]

Hey, Church [As if that’s not going to get confusing.], do you really need me to get the door for you? Come on, you know how to use a doorknob.

[He looked around the room, slowly taking in the mood shift. It was like an icy wind had blown in.]

Um, is everything okay?

[hardwearing]

[ Wash doesn't actually mind Tucker's feet in his lap, and so just drapes his arm over the back of the couch and settles to watch as Epsilon comes down. That was deliberate, he knows... he's still pretty conflicted about the why, but he's working up to that conversation with Epsilon. He doesn't expect it to be well received. He doesn't say anything now, until...

The door opens and Church's voice reaches them, except Epsilon is right in front of him? He goes very tense, slowly turning his head to see who's walked in.

Alpha looks far more like the Director than Epsilon. Who says exactly what Wash himself is thinking -- for once they're on the exact same page, and that's practically unheard of but he doesn't have the mental energy to divert into processing it. He speaks next, carefully. ]

Tucker... did you not think you should have mentioned that Church showed up in Hadriel? Or was coming over for movie night?

[ He's not yelling, he's just... a little emphatic on both these points but especially the last, because how was this a good idea to surprise them with? Especially him, who the Alpha AI probably never wants to see again. Or worse, does, if he blames Wash, which. He's a Church, of course he blames Wash. Wash sort of blames himself, honestly. He doesn't know what it means that Alpha actually showed up, either -- did Tucker even tell him Wash and Epsilon lived here too? How deep does the omission rabbit hole go? ]

[uptightness]

[Caboose does get more of a pass than the others, although why no one else had... But no, that does make sense. She doubts that anyone else would have spell checked his work. As for the greatness of the movie, well, if nothing else, it likely will be typical Red and Blue antics. Once she might have found them annoying, but yes, now they can amuse her, so long as it's not hindering her.

The knock is registered beneath the small talk they're having, which does make Carolina turn her head towards it. Who...? Yet the answer to that comes a few seconds later. To say she tenses would be an understatement, her mind turning to make sense of the sight before her. There is a moment where she thinks of a younger Director, her father, but when he speaks, that thought goes out the window.

Alpha.

Just as quickly her gaze is drawn back to Tucker, a frown marking her features as her pointed gaze pins him down. Seriously?? Then again, they're all probably looking at Tucker like he's an idiot.]

I'm with Epsilon and Wash on this one.

[What the hell, and did he not think to possibly mention any of this?]

[a_shadow]

[ Tex and Church hadn't arranged to come here together, but it turns out that he hadn't been far in front of her. So when she makes her way to the door he's still hovering in the entrance. Not hearing the consternation coming from the occupants of the house, she comes up behind Church and prods him in the ribs. ]

Move it, jackass.

[originalcopy]

You didn't... Ow!

[Tex's jab interrupts his train of thought and turns the small frown tugging at the corner of his mouth into a full blown scowl.]

Damnnit Tex, can't you ever just ask?

[He steps aside with a grumble. She didn't really hurt him... but it's easier to deal with the uncomfortable situation by deflecting it on something else.]

[lovernotafighter]

[Okay, so yeah, seems everyone was thoroughly pissed off, which meant his work here was done he had fucked up some how? He wasn't exactly sure exactly in what manner still, and he tried not to wither under the glares from Epsilon, Carolina and Wash.

Well, fuck. He might have to find somewhere else to stay tonight so he didn't get murdered in his sleep.]

You guys didn't know he was here?

[Judging by the glares, the answer was a resounding no. Shit. These guys, they were going to overreact, too, weren't they?]

Well, fuck, how was I supposed to know you were all clueless?! It wasn't like some big secret or something. [He shook his head. What was that about being "clueless"?]

What's the big deal, anyway? He's part of Blue Team. He's fucking Church.

[epsilol]

[ Hearing a voice identical to his own coming out of someone else is never going to stop being weird as hell. Who cares if it was Alpha's originally? Hearing the same reactions from Carolina and Wash eases the paranoia that had been looming, the little awful fear that he'd been the only one out of the loop.

Oh great, and Tex is here, too. An extra cherry on the awkward cake.

]

Tucker, if only one person in the fucking room knew he was here then it counts as a secret!

[hardwearing]

[ For fuck's sake. That's at least an adjacent definition of secret, even if he wasn't keeping it intentionally -- knowing something that other people don't. Wash struggles hot to pinch the bridge of his nose, because he doesn't want to look at all distressed in front of Alpha. Bad enough the guy is seeing him without his helmet, honestly. He looks dead into the not-currently-an-AI's eyes, and they're that eerie familiar green. ]

How long have you been here?

[ Because he's 9001% sure Church was actively avoiding them all. ]

[uptightness]

[Well, this is certainly awkward. Not get up and go on a rampage awkward, as Carolina is past that, but there's no denying the tension in the air that surrounds them. Tex she knows is here, has talked to her a little in the beginning, although not too much beyond. That has it's own awkwardness surrounding it. Church... Alpha... She's not even certain how to go about this, because there is getting to be a lot of Churchs in this place.

News like that is something that Carolina would have passed on, even if the others might have already heard it. Clearly almost all of them are in the dark like she is. Not Texas, which arguably isn't surprising, and not Tucker. It's still just... awkward. She hadn't been around when Alpha had been around the Sim troopers. Her dealings had been with Epsilon, and it was he that she had the connection with.

It would have been nice to know, but it's not like he's really a threat to her. It's just a little uncomfortable to be confronted with someone who does bear a more striking resemblance to the Director. Her gaze does shift back to Alpha, wondering what the answer to Wash's question is.]