OPEN ● ● ● Every Christmas is Last Christmas

[lateness]

CHARACTERS: the doctor (12), the doctor (11), clara oswald, river song, and all of you
LOCATION: the mess hall, the kitchens, the simulation room
DATE: december 24th, 25th
CONTENT: team tardis throws a big christmas party for the station
WARNINGS: none for now, will warn as needed (no fires!!!)

PART I
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ...

1.0 Inside the kitchen and mess hall, Orbers will find the entire place decked out to the nines (Or elevens! Hohoho). No one knows how this all came together, but you will find almost everything Christmas related decorated along the walls and tables.

Hanging all around the walls are blue Christmas stockings! Each stocking will have the name of Orber etched in gold knitting. Inside each stocking is an array of personalized treats (if your character is a smoker, for example, then they will find a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, etc.)

On the tables at each place setting there are various coloured paper crowns for Orbers to decorate on their head – courtesy of Clara Oswald and her assistant, the Doctor (the chinny one) – and Christmas crackers to share with friends. Go on, then! Pull that cracker, see the assortment of sweets and surprises you’ve received. As far as refreshments go, there is plenty to share amongst everyone! There is eggnog, "naughty" eggnog, cookies, cakes, candy canes and sugar gumdrops. It is a downright delightful spread of treats to indulge and tide you over for before you feast with your teammates.

2.0 Before the main feast is prepared, there are plenty of activities to keep you (or a friend or two) occupied. Do you see those Christmas trees on almost every corner of the station? Yeah, the Doctor(s) got awfully distracted (something about if a hot dog is a sandwich) and these bare trees could use some decorative love. Or perhaps you can express your creative talents in the kitchen, where you may want to test out a new recipe to share with the rest of the class. Whether it be a savoury or a sweet dish, there is sure to be at least one person who might like it.

There is also a magician’s kit lying around if you want to take a crack at learning a few new tricks to show off to others! Or if you wish to partake in any group activity, there is a stack of board games and a deck of cards to play a friendly game of Go Fish! Who knows? The game-world’s your oyster.

3.0 By evening, the mess hall will be set up with napkins and plates and cutlery of varying Christmas-y colours. It isn’t perfect, but nothing ever really is, is it? Especially after the Doctor (the cross Scots one) might have very nearly burned the kitchens down a little earlier – something about improving the heat for the roast. Still, it’s finally time for the Christmas feast! And oh, what a smell there is wafting through the large space. There’s plenty of delicious food to go around – especially using much of the ingredients that had come in through the last supply drop. There are varying plates of savoury and sweet dishes, some recognizable, some a little more ... eclectic (you use what space ingredients you’re given, after all), but all of what the hosts have prepared look ... surprisingly edible, some of it even delicious. Roast veg, gravy, stuffing, biscuits, gingerbread, hot cocoa, marshmallows, something mulled, and sweets!

Of course, the more food, the merrier! If you’ve taken part in the cooking and baking from earlier, arriving with your own special Signature Dish, the Doctors (yes, both of them!) will be so pleased to see it join the rest of the feast.

And for those who might have run across the Doctor’s enthusiastic ramblings on Jammie Dodgers at one point will finally get a chance to try them. They’ll be stacked up to resemble a tree on a plate, sprinkled with (edible) glitter in blue and silver.

PART II
SIMPLY HAVING A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TIME

4.0 Christmas Morning finds everyone with an open invitation to the simulation room to attend a very merry Christmas morning. Step inside and be taken away to a warm and cozy living room that is elaborately decorated for the holiday. You’ve been decorated for the occasion too, decked out in pajamas and a robe. With slippers to match, everyone that’s a part of Christmas morning will look like they’re ready to play their part in the festivities. There’s a fire crackling in the fireplace, the smell of cinnamon and clove in the air, and the distant sound of traditional Christmas songs playing on an antique radio over in the corner of the room. There’s also a tree, of course, one that almost seems too large to be in such a quaint place. It’s fully decorated, absolutely covered with a variety of kitschy ornaments like Santa Claus on a T-Rex or bears in tutus. There also happen to be ornaments of every single orber present on the station, presented in the form of ridiculous looking little elves.

Around the tree and scattered around the floor are opened gift boxes, wrapping paper strewn about. Toys from the boxes are discarded on the floor and around the room, plastic dinosaurs and robots that come to life when you wind them up. There are ridiculous looking squeaky alien toys, marshmallow launchers, and even a giant stuffed giraffe. Who could all of these toys belong to?

There also happen to be gifts beneath the tree for everyone. There aren’t any labels on the gifts so feel free to choose whichever one you like (but only one, there won’t be any greedy Scrooges here on Christmas!). No matter what size package that is chosen, big or small, there’s a sweater inside: an ugly Christmas sweater for everyone. One that can be put on over your pajamas to take part in an ugly sweater contest once everyone has unwrapped their gifts.

And of course no Christmas morning is complete without some sort of breakfast. Set up in the corner of the room is a small table with pastries and cocoa, with a big bowl of mini marshmallows. There’s coffee present too, for those that prefer their breakfast with a little less sugar. There’s plenty of seating around the living room to grab a leather chair or a spot on the fluffy couch. Or maybe sit in one of the red velvet chairs over by the windows to watch the slow and steady snowfall over a picturesque view of the British countryside.

5.0 As the events of the morning slowly come to an end, the simulation shifts to a quiet little town. There’s snow on rooftops and colorful lights lining buildings that manage to glisten and glow even in the daylight. The entire street is completely over the top with decoration; fresh garlands that smell of pleasant pine, miniature christmas trees decorated from top to bottom, and vibrant red bows are just about everywhere. There’s no hustle and bustle here, just a relaxed afternoon in the most Christmasy town ever.

The smell of cider and gingerbread baking are in the air, brought on by a bakery that’s open for a visit. Want to make a gingerbread house? There are materials set out to do that. There are things for gingerbread people too, if that’s more your bag.

There’s a bookstore filled with all kinds of books. If you’re not from Earth and are curious about Christmas, there’s plenty of children’s books on the matter waiting for you to enjoy. They’re set up on an elaborate display up front, though anyone is free to browse around and look through what else they have to offer.

A toy store, magician’s shop, and a boisterous pub round off the shops found on the street. There’s street vendors selling chestnuts that have been roasted over an open fire, wassail, and marshmallows for roasting. There’s also a band playing live music, Christmas carols of course. Join in and sing along or don’t. No one’s going to judge you either way. Take your time to enjoy everything or rush through because it’s too much Christmas, all in your face at once. Either way, the marketplace is present for hours in the afternoon and leading into the evening hours.

6.0 As night falls everyone is guided out of town and down a candle lit path that leads to a frozen over pond. It’s been set up for ice skating, with skates set aside for anyone that wants a pair. There’s baubles of lights set out all around the area, and the moon hangs high overhead. No seriously, the moon looks incredibly huge tonight. It’s blue glow reflects on the ice along with the warm yellow glow of all the lights. It’s a welcoming atmosphere, inviting anyone that’s brave enough to put on skates and take part.

The band from the Christmas market earlier are back to play throughout the night, playing quieter songs mixed in with lively pieces that are meant to get people speed skating around the ice.

Set a short distance away from the ice is a long table, with plenty of mismatched seats. Fairy lights twinkle overhead, and are also glowing from inside glass canisters that make up the centerpieces on the table. There’s dark blue galaxy dinnerware at every place, and a small feast spread out so no matter where someone sits there’s plenty within reach. It always manages to stay warm, and nothing ever seems to run out. It’s a perfect place to take a break and grab a quick meal, or just sit and chat with someone while you both enjoy a drink.

The area around the pond can be explored, so go crazy playing in the snow or whatever it is you want to do there. Just don’t wander too far off from the group. There may or may not be razor-toothed snowmen keeping you from going too far. They may hiss or blow snow in your face, but they probably won’t try to bite anyone.

🎄 After all of that is said and done, Orbers may find themselves drawn towards a small bonfire billowing from the center of this quaint little town. But it isn’t just the scent of warm Maplewood dancing underneath your nose. There sitting on top of a milk-crate is The Doctor (12) playing a jaunty little tune from his electric guitar. Orbers are more than welcome to sit around the bonfire and reflect on these past few months and where they might find themselves in the future.

If you find yourselves by your lonesome fear not! The Doctor (11) will be there offer you a hug (or smooch if you’re feeling saucy).

No matter what strife you have been through this year, just remember ...

Each and every one of your lives is a story. So best make it a good one.

Comments

[bossily]

[Even though she's been busy playing hostess, moving around the room from thing to thing, he's stayed the entire time. Whether it's because she asked him to be here or because he's actually enjoyed himself, she isn't sure. In the end, it doesn't really matter. He's here, and that's what counts.

She's had one too many drinks and is pleasantly tipsy when he comes to find her. It's his hand in hers that she feels before she actually sees him though, and she knows it's him just from touch alone. There's a warm smile on her face as he pulls her along after him, and she readily follows wherever he may go.

And of course it's the mistletoe he leads her to. She's been waiting all night for a chance to sneak away to exactly this spot. The rest of the room and her job as hostess are forgotten as she kisses him in return. Her hands are in his and they're perfectly content to stay there, and she lets the moment draw out. It's absolutely perfect, how the slow and tender press of his lips against hers deepens.

Whenever one of them does break away, there's a pink flush to her cheeks. It likely has more to do with how much egg nog she's drank than anything. If he mentions anything about it, that's the exact excuse she's going to have.]

How're you enjoying your first Christmas?

[kovach]

[ this promise of the mistletoe had been her idea, his own interest in tradition being fairly close to nil on account of the fact that it holds little meaning to him or his interest, since there's never been much reason for him to have any celebration of the holiday. but it'd been something that she was persistent on getting his participation on, and with his mood uplifted through the night, he finds more reason to indulge when he's holding her fingers and finds it too easy to want to seal a kiss on her lips with his own; honestly, the plant has very little to do with it.

it speaks to his tipsiness too, that he's doing this in the public eye; they've never declared this a secret exactly, but they haven't made moves to flaunt it either, and right now, his concern has little to do with whoever else happens to be around.

he can see the flush in her cheeks when they breathe, familiar enough that he knows the source without even needing to draw attention to it. ]

It's ... tolerable. [ better than that, but he has his kovacs vocabulary. his smirk still gives him away. ] I think there's been enough drinks to consider giving it a pass.

[bossily]

[His smirk gives him right away, and she laughs and rolls her eyes in response. Even she's indulged in one too many drinks tonight, and she's giggly and warm and unable to be bothered by his calling her party tolerable out loud. Thankfully, even while intoxicated, she can see past his words to the real meaning behind them.]

Suppose that means I just have to try harder, if it means earning top marks.

[Nothing but him calling her party perfect will do, after all. So her hands slip free from his, so she can rise up on her tiptoes and curl her arms around his neck. She toys with the hair on the back of his head for a moment before leaning in for another languid kiss.]

[kovach]

[ whether or not, he'd be willing to admit it out loud, this probably would stand to be something of the best party he'd gotten to take part of, especially since he's not much more parties in the first place. but right now, his body feels good and loose, and he has a pretty girl in his arms, standing on her arms to kiss him.

this could all be so much worse.

he's still somewhat conscious of where they are, of the public display they make, but it doesn't stop him from lingering that kiss a little longer, sighing against her lips with a sense of satisfaction and relief.

humming between their kiss, he keeps his lips close as he mutters. ] Might have something to boost up the rating a bit, if you want to ditch with me for a little while.

[bossily]

[Her eyebrows arch, but she doesn't pull back so he can see it. She does, however, steal another quick peck.]

For you? [Voice starting out like a tease, she lets the words hang in the air for a moment. Shifting so her mouth is in close to his ear, she whispers something only for him to hear. There's no hurry in her actions, just enjoying their closeness and the fact he's here with her.]

I'll go anywhere.

[Which is an opening for him to lead the way. Clara lowers herself back to being flat footed, sparing a quick glance around. It's getting late, and there's no harm in taking the rest of the night for herself. No one will even notice they're missing.]

[kovach]

[ i'll go anywhere. maybe it's not the intention of her words, but he's reminded of the time they were in the castle on the last mission, making silly promises about going to pocket dimensions together, that he'd take her hand and take her, and they could just escape somewhere away from everything.

that's not what this is, but a heat blossoms in his chest anyway, sighing softly that he lingers for another moment, watching her even as she settles back. once more, he leans down into her, kissing her again, gentle but tender before he finally begins to move his feet.

rather than an immediate exit from the room, he takes her to a corner where his pink bag is currently set upon one of the chairs, swooping it up over his shoulder before finally leading her to the door to leave the mess hall. ] Let's go.

[bossily]

[It's as they're walking that she finally takes notice of that bag of his. She's seen it before in passing, but never has really taken a good look at it. So it's with her hand in his that she slows down a little, just enough to get a good look at his backside. His backside and his backpack.]

How have I never noticed the pink unicorn backpack?

[She's sure there's a story she hasn't gotten to hear yet about it, but she doesn't press the matter now. All that she cares about is the feel of her hand in his, and the fact they're slipping away for some time alone together.]

[kovach]

What?

[ he's so preoccupied with their little escape that he doesn't even register what she's asking at first before he realizes she's addresses his bag, his eyes peering over his shoulder briefly to take a peek at it before looking back at her again. ]

I've had it the whole time. Souvenir from Bay City.

[ more like a bit of storage for the excess of drugs he'd bought from some junkie on the street, but details.

they could likely sneak anywhere right now, but there's no point settling for half measures as he takes her towards the way of the rooms, specifically heading to his own and hoping kirigan hasn't made his return there yet tonight. if he's lucky, daisy's keeping him busy elsewhere. ]

[bossily]

[This is the moment where she typically might feel like an idiot. But she takes what he says in stride, shrugging it off.]

I must have only been seeing you.

[She's seen the bag but never really noticed it, always distracted by him. That same level of distraction is on display right now, as everything else around them falls away. She's smiling contently as they head toward the room, and she realizes quickly that he's taking her to his.

Daisy had better be keeping Kirigan occupied tonight.

As they stop in front of his door, she rises up enough to steal a quick kiss. There's a soft sigh after she does, happy as ever to have him close.]

[kovach]

[ he couldn't really care one way or another whether she's noticed his bag or not in the past, but her comment still has enough power in it to coax out a slight smile from his lips, subtle and almost secretive as he wears it to himself while looking straight ahead as they walk.

he's still not sure why she's given him so much attention all this time, how she's locked her eyes on him in the time they've spent together, but — well, tonight feels too good to question it further, to want to jinx anything about how right this all feels.

at their door, she gives him another kiss, sweet in a way that almost feels natural, like she's given him hundreds of those sweet chaste kisses already, and he wonders when it really was that they suddenly became so comfortable, all fitting together without really noticing the way it has.

opening up the room, he urges her to step inside first with guidance from his hand before going in after her. ] Alright, considering your whole ... teacher-nanny thing, what scale would you say you're good with breaking a few rules?

[bossily]

[She's almost offended that he feels the need to ask. Almost.

One of her eyebrows arches, her mouth twitching as she tries to hide the amused expression that's threatening to take over.]

I'd say...given the sort of trouble I often get into? I'm absolutely fine with breaking a few rules.

[There's a pause, just long enough to let that sink in.]

I robbed a bank once. True story.

[kovach]

[ with all the time they've spent together so far, it's hardly a question about whether she actually is willing to engage in a little trouble, but she does have enough of a fairly bossy nature that he can't help but pose the question anyway, even if he isn't even necessarily being specific in the details of what he has planned anyway.

the additional piece of information she gives with her answer isn't exactly what he expects to actually hear though. ]

You're shitting me.

[ clara oswald, bank robber? ]

[bossily]

I said it was true, didn't I?

[She covers her mouth as she laughs, hands sliding up to cover her face. Clara groans in protest at having to explain herself, but when her hands drop away there's no sign that she's genuinely annoyed.]

It was only the once.

[Her arms wrap around herself and she feels the need to deflect any judgement he might be having right now.]

Don't look at me like I'm a criminal!

[kovach]

[ there's a brief moment of disbelief, just because it almost feels a little too ambitious even for clara's daring nature, but he can see the honest look in her face, how she almost even seems to be pouting — even if he can't tell if it's from caring whether he believes her or not, or whether she's ashamed about the whole thing.

not like he of all people would ever feel the need to judge her considering all the crimes listed under his name, often too many to even count.

sliding his bag off of his shoulder, he gives it a light toss to the bed before he draws his attention instantly back to her, lips fighting off a helpless grin as he steps in close to her, bringing up his hands to cup both of her cheeks. ]

Oh, you are definitely, absolutely, a hundred percent a criminal. [ leaning in, he presses a kiss to her forehead. ] And I think that's adorable.

[bossily]

[Anyone else would get a scowl for that. But he just gets a light hit to his chest as she leans in to the kiss to her forehead. He's lucky she doesn't mind being adorable in his eyes.]

I take it there's something you think I might disapprove of in the bag?

[Her eyes look up to his as she's unable to hide the eager smile on her face. It's hard not to be a little too curious, given his lead in question about breaking rules.

Pulling away from him, she backs her way over to the bed. Her heels are kicked off along the way, leaving her sliding the rest of the distance in her tights. Sitting on the edge of his bed with a hop, she reaches out for him with an outstretched hand. The second he takes it she's pulling him in down and over her, her other hand fisting in his shirt to draw him in close enough for a kiss. ]

Show me.

[The words are murmured against his lips, her breath warm against him.]

[kovach]

[ he doesn't give her an immediate answer, instead just watching her work her way over to the bed, grinning at the way she kicks off her heels and gives a solid hop onto the mattress. with her coaxed invitation, he follows her over, sliding in to stand in front of her, long legs bumping against her knees as he bends down, led by her grasp at his shirt until their lips meet.

even still, he doesn't immediately move, lingering at her mouth for a bit longer, almost selfishly wanted to stay kissing her than to rush moving on to his original plan. but with another press of his lips to her, he hums to signal he'll show her as requested.

straightening himself again, he reaches over to where his bag had been tossed to the bed, snatching it easily before setting it down on her lap.

with a brief look at her, almost in preparation, he finally unzips the backpack, revealing the lined lights that cast a glow on the contents within: a variety of different packets, all with some kind of small bottled liquids or pills, others a little easier to distinguish by the rolled joints. at the bottom of the bag, tucked below the assortment of drugs, seems to be a futuristic kind of gun, along with a sheathed knife. ]

What do you think, Ms. Criminal? Not your kind of toys?

[bossily]

[She really isn't sure what she was expecting. Honestly, she hadn't really put any thought into what he carries around in that bag. But the truth of the situation is a little shocking. Not that things like mass quantities of drugs or weapons bother her at this point in her life.

But she still arches an eyebrow as she glances back over at him. Her hand fishes into the backpack, pulling out one of the bottled liquids.]

They're not the usual sort men toss in my lap for a good time.

[But she doesn't seem to have any problem with them. There's a smirk forming as she examines the little bottle, before tossing it up to him.]

But before I pick something in here at random that we can enjoy, you've got to tell me. Why do you carry this many drugs around with you all the time?

[The gun and knife she can get.]

[kovach]

[ the gun and knife would likely be the least surprising, even to find here on the station, since kovacs has a tendency to make sure he's well prepared in any situation. even if things around here are promoted to be a more calm period between missions, he's never going to trust that nothing will ever go wrong otherwise.

the rest of the stash, though, he can tell might seem a little more curious, catching the bottle she tosses and spinning it in his fingers. ]

I don't actually always keep them in there. Just happened to be the bag I bought them in, and if something's promoting a party — [ he gives a faint shrug. ] Then I like to keep them accessible.

[ despite the excess contents, it isn't as if it's a regular habit that he makes use of regularly, not unless he's in a particular — either a very good one or a very not good one. there's rarely an in-between. ]

So, in case it's a question — no, I'm not actually high all the time or anything. Even if I've heard Ryker's a bit of an addict himself.

[bossily]

Yeah, but you're not Ryker. You're you. And I'd know if you were high all the time.

[She's quick to point that out, as if it needs to be said. For her, it's something that will always need to be said, if there's ever any lingering doubt in his mind that she can shove away for him.

It does bring an interesting question to the front of her mind though, and she doesn't hesitate to ask. She at least has the decency to wear an embarrassed half-smile as she vocalizes what's on her mind, even as she carefully rummages through his bag to see what else is inside.]

Do things like addictions transfer over into sleeves sometimes? They must, same as injuries or any sort of physical enhancements.

[Like an impressive set of abs or the ability to hold your breath for long periods of time. Both features of his current body that she greatly appreciates.]

[kovach]

[ he wants to point out that if he really were high all the time, then she wouldn't actually know the difference between it and what he's like when he's sober, but her more serious question distracts him enough from sassing out any lasting teases. ]

Well, what if I told you I don't really like cigarettes?

[ he raises a brow at her, knowing that in any other scenario, for anyone who wasn't aware of the way his world works, that the idea would probably be ridiculous. but with the context, it's simply more pieces of a large puzzle sort of coming together. ]

The nicotine addiction's all Ryker's. Pretty much sensed it the moment I woke up in this sleeve — lungs have a different tightness to them and the craving's on the tongue. Taste buds, appetites — all of that changes with whatever sleeve you're wearing. It's why I don't do synth sleeves much. Customizable, sure, but pretty much everything you put in your mouth just tastes like saw dust.

[bossily]

[She pulls one of the joints out of the bag, rolling it between her fingers. It's set aside before her interest shifts over onto the knife at the bottom of the bag. She pulls it out and takes to looking it over, thinking over what he's just told her.]

Then it stands to reason your taste and appetite for certain people could change too.

[Her gaze glances up from the knife and over to him. This feels like the first conversation they've had that hasn't been charged with emotions or over the top flirtation. It just feels like they've reached a place where they can simply be who they are, without any expectation beyond the truth. And the truth that he's told her now makes her far too curious about his world.

And about whether he'd be attracted to her in a different sleeve. Which definitely means it's time to shift their focus onto keeping the mood light and enjoyable. The knife is placed down on the bed, and his backpack set off to the side. Rising up on her feet, she goes over to him, fingers brushing against his as soon as she's in close. ]

After the Doctor regenerated into his older face, he treated me so differently. He was almost callous and cruel. I thought he didn't care for me anymore. That he wanted someone else to travel with him. But it took time to find my new place with him. To understand that just because he was the same man deep down, didn't mean that a new body couldn't produce different responses and reactions.

[Her fingers continually graze against his as she speaks, until they curl around the bottle in his hand. It's taken from him and she holds it up, the look on her face suggesting he explain what it is to her.]

[kovach]

[ the look of her eyes do momentarily look concerned, more so when she rises up to go over to him, the brush of her hand coaxing the curl of his own fingers around hers as he listens to her. it'd taken a moment to get used to the doctors as they are, moving around like two separate beings on the station, but for someone who's probably not as accustomed to the kind of shift that different bodies can result in, he can imagine how unsettling it might have been for clara to witness from the outside. ]

Veuron. [ he utters with a light shrug when she seems to silently question the bottle she takes from him, only giving it a brief look of study before recognizing it from his own experience. ] Very psychedelic hallucinogen.

[ spoken with a tempting smirk, though it's likely to be one of the harder ones that he wouldn't immediately recommend for her use.

his mind, though, drifts back to her talk of the sleeves, of the personality shifts, some that would technically cause an eventual frag, and while there's the hints of concern, he at least could answer the questions he sees in her eyes. ]

When you're first transferred into a new sleeve, they put you in a room with no mirrors to avoid the immediate psychological shock, the feeling of looking at a stranger in a mirror, at watching them shift and move with you. Until you force the cut of the umbilical cord, only instead of separating you and the person in the reflection, you're severing the feeling of otherness, cutting away any feeling that the person in that mirror isn't you. Most people have a harder time with it, but Envoys were trained to fit themselves into a new sleeve much faster.

[ not that it didn't still make it hard for him in those initial moments, shaken when he'd first seen himself in ryker's body, screaming and panicking in that instant of emotionally transfer. ]

But it's ... not always simple. Plenty of side effects for a while — hallucinations, disorientation, some light amnesia. Plus, like I said, all that physical transfers like aches and addictions. And there's ... pheromones and sleeve memory. It happens. [ for the first time in a while, his mind drifts to kristin, to her history with ryker, to whether his own emotions were just a result of the body he'd found himself in. ] Feelings for someone could ... just come with the sleeve.

[bossily]

[Yeah, now that she knows what's in the bottle, she decides to save that for another time. Her hand slips into his pants pocket and she tucks the little bottle inside, so they can put it away properly later.

With it out of sight and out of mind for the time being, she's able to focus on what he's just said. It's a lot to try and process all at once, sorting out how he must have felt when he first woke up in the body he's in now. She can imagine the initial fear and possible panic, and she's left with the urge to just protect him. Of course she can't, not from that. It's already happened, and she knows it'll happen to him again someday. Maybe not soon, but eventually.

She's just grateful she's equipped to handle that with ease.]

Pheromones, huh?

[She chooses to focus on that lighter aspect, as her fingers curl along the top of his pocket, giving him a little tug in closer to her.]

So that explains why I was so interested in getting in bed with you that first night.

[It's all only a tease. And she glosses right over it with a chuckle, not wanting him to think she's being serious.]

Is that why you went out and bought an entire bag of drugs? To help deal with the side effects?

[kovach]

[ predictably, she tucks the bottle away, using his pocket to store it aside for the moment, but all of his attention is on her, lips curving up with a bit of a devilish amusement when she teases him, hands rising to gently cup against either side of her neck, thumbs lazily stroking back and forth along her jaw. ]

Well, when you got a slabbed sleeve put away for too long, bringing it out just starts stirring up making excess hormones. Can't help it.

[ not that he's being too serious, even if that little fact is plenty true. but he'd been in the sleeve long enough by then for it to not actually be a factor, even if he can't say with a guarantee what it is that actually did draw him to clara. sometimes it could just be the sleeve, and sometimes — sometimes it's something deeper that's all his own.

and it's that feeling towards her that he has which has him make the choice in not brushing aside her question. he could just tell her yes, that it was just coping with the physical changes, but it wouldn't be the full truth.

he gives a quiet sigh, face relaxing to indicate his honesty. ]

When ... they woke up me up, I'd been down over two centuries. Woke up on a planet I'd never been on, years ahead from everything I knew. Wasn't my world. [ and it wasn't a world with quell in it. ] They'd offered me a deal in exchange for my freedom, but I'd ... already lost everything I cared about. Didn't seem worth sticking around. So I figured I'd just let myself have a night, let loose, and just ... go back into storage forever. Live in the dark rest of my life.

[bossily]

[All she can do at first is stare up at him with wide eyes, hating the words that have just come out of his mouth. She's glad that he looks relaxed enough to be honest with her like this. But the thought of him being in storage and living in the dark forever is something she absolutely doesn't want to dwell on for long.]

What is it like to be in storage? Is it like sleeping? Or are you aware of each and every second you're left alone and in the dark?

[There's an urge to protect him regardless of what the answer is, to keep him from having to worry about things like his freedom or not having the things he cares about. The fact he was down for that long makes her heart ache. All that time, and what -

Was he aware?

Or was it just a long sleep?

Either way, Takeshi Kovacs is a man who deserves so much better than the hand he's been dealt. She's grateful she can offer him something now to hide away in. Something that makes him feel relaxed, that enables him to let the weight on his shoulders fall away for just a little while.

Her hand slips free from his pocket, slipping up so she can curl her fingers around his wrist. Her head tips a bit, pressing her jaw into his touch. Her eyes close as she waits for his answer, bracing herself for the worst possible answer. ]