[closed] the sky looks promising tonight

[coverme]

Who: Agent Carolina & Epsilon
Where: Room 024, fourth floor
When: 5/25
Rating: PG13 for Church's mouth
Summary: They've been in Wonderland for over a week now but it's going to require some more adjusting still. Basically they're just chilling in Carolina's room, maybe giving the closet a proper try, etc.
The Story:

[ When Carolina wakes up in the morning after her usual fitful sleep, the first thing she does is check for Epsilon. It's not hard since he's usually in her head, but ever since he'd told her about what's going to happen back home, she's been paranoid. She doesn't know when their real last moment together will be, since Wonderland could send him home at any time, and she knows she won't see him whenever she ends up home again. So yeah, she's been checking for him every morning.

He's there, of course, and it's a relief. Eyes fluttering open, she pushes herself up into a sitting position and glances around the room. There's not a lot in it; it's empty, but practical. A bed in the corner opposite the closet, a desk across the room from that, and a dresser against the wall nearby. Her armour is in a neat pile on the floor by the end of her bed, and there aren't any decorations. She's not really a decoration person. ]

Church?

[ Stifling a yawn, Carolina stretches out her back and then looks to the side, waiting for the appearance of Epsilon's hologram. Her hair is out of its usual ponytail and she's wearing some simple clothes that she pulled out of the closet on her first night--just a comfortable tank-top and shorts. ]

You didn't figure out how to sleep, did you?

Comments

[memory_unlocked]

I don't need to sleep, remember? [ But he'd spent the night trying to make sense of the closet and how it worked so there might be some new additions to her room, including a stuffed dog (Theta had been the one to actually get that one.)]

...You need to do something about your nightmares though.

[coverme]

I know you don't.

[ That was the joke. She lets it go, however. It's not important and there are more, actually important things to focus on. She definitely catches sight of the plush dog that hadn't been there when she'd gone to sleep and wonders where that came from and why, though she ends up distracted when the AI speaks up again. ]

They're fine, Church. I'm fine.

[ One downside of having your sort-of-little brother in your head: he knows pretty much everything that goes on up there. Carolina has been a lot more open with him than she is with most people, but she still doesn't like discussing her nightmares with him. ]

I've managed with them for this long, haven't I?

[memory_unlocked]

Because you haven't had any other options but to suffer through them before we got here. Here you have options. [Nosy brother is nosy, okay.]

Something to consider, maybe, is all. I don't like seeing you having so much trouble sleeping.

[coverme]

We have options?

[ She raises an eyebrow. That's not something she's heard about around here. Sure, this place might have...inexplicable things happening that may or may not be magic, but Carolina's doubtful there's anything that can be done about nightmares. ]

Everyone has trouble sleeping, it comes with being a soldier. I appreciate the concern, but really, I'm fine.

[ Also stubborn. ]

[memory_unlocked]

....People you can talk to. [Yeah he's a nosy lil fucker and poking around the network has produced results. Not that he'd ever suggest this to Carolina if he actually you know...

had a body she could break into oieces.]

...Not that you don't cope pretty well, but you've been through a hell of a lot, Carolina...

[coverme]

[ His answer earns him a long stare. A very long stare. People she can talk to? Epsilon of all people should know that's not going to happen. Not ever. She can handle her own damn problems and the last thing she wants to do is unload them on some therapist. ]

I'm not the only person who's ever been through a lot.

[ Sliding to sit on the edge of the bed, Carolina reaches over to the nightstand where she'd left her hair elastic and starts pulling her hair back. ]

What makes you think I'm actually going to talk to someone about it? Therapy's not my thing.

[ Hair tied back now, she stands from the bed and promptly begins her morning stretches. She's doing just fine, anyway. There's no need to talk to someone about her issues, she doesn't think--she's come to terms with most of them and has let a lot of it go. ]

[memory_unlocked]

Wasn't trying to say you were, Carolina, I know the whole story, remember? All I'm saying is it might be something to think about. [You know, for the stuff she hasn't really let go of.]

Just an idea, though. [Topic change time.]

Picked up any interesting information?

[coverme]

Something to think about, maybe.

[ Most likely she'll stop thinking about it the moment the topic changes and not come back to it at all. Much as the concern is...sort of appreciated, she can't see herself sitting down and talking to someone about anything. Opening up is not her thing, and opening up to a stranger? Even less so.

Epsilon's question has her pausing mid-stretch and glancing over with an eyebrow raised. ]

While I was sleeping? No Church, I haven't. I think that's the question I should be asking you. [ A gesture to the plush dog before she resumes stretching. ] Were you messing with the closet?

[memory_unlocked]

...That's Theta's fault, okay. Seriously, he's been bugging me about a dog ever since that fight in the control room before we joined back up with the guys. [And okay, it was stuffed but it made the kid happy so whatever.]

Trying to figure out how it worked. I was bored and you were sleeping. What else was I supposed to do?

[coverme]

Right. [ The fact that he interacts with the memories of the fragments is...still strange to her. It isn't something she really presses for more information about because, while it doesn't necessarily seem all that healthy to her, Carolina trusts that Epsilon knows what he's doing. ]

I'm not giving you trouble for it, just commenting on it. You figure out anything useful about it?

[memory_unlocked]

Well it seems like it works off requests, but...I haven't found a cause for it or anything.

...You think Wash might like a stufffed cat? Maybe as a peace gesture?

[coverme]

Yeah, that's what everyone I spoke with said.

[ So, no new information. Not that she's surprised, if this place really does involve magic. As hard as that still is to believe.

At Epsilon's question, Carolina hesitates. Slowly, she straightens back up from her stretch and looks over at his hologram, her expression...uncertain. ]

I don't think that's a great idea. He still doesn't know that you're here, and...it might be best to keep it that way for the time being. He keeps insisting that he's fine, but I can tell that he's not, and we really have no idea of how he's going to react to you being here. Even if you're not the same as you were back then.