02 - Public / Video

[domesheriff]

[Linda comes onto the network today actually dressed casually rather than in her patrol uniform; she's wearing a red T-shirt under a gray sweater jacket over jeans and boots. her hair is pulled back in a braid, and the ever-present engagement ring is on her hand. today of all days, she wants to be wearing it. because despite the dome and her relocation, she's still counted the days, and she knows that if none of that had happened, this would be it--this would be her wedding day. and having realized that, it's a thought she can't get out of her head]

Hey, is anybody free today? [her tone is casual, but there's something a little anxious in the way she's standing. she has her hands in front of her and is unthinkingly playing with the ring as well] I'm off, and I don't want to spend the day sitting around alone. I'll take you to lunch--my treat. Or...I don't know, a walk in the gardens, or even some games in the arcade? Maybe a drink at Pugsy's tonight. Sound good to anybody?

[she smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. still, despite the feelings she's fighting, she's determined not to spend today moping. she's going to distract herself with new friends and fun instead]

Comments

[ratkicker]

[She doesn't notice Linda's reaction to the non-human children. In a planet of a variety of sentient alien species, she assumed the policewoman would understand.]

Yup. The kids aren't allowed on the top deck alone, since me and my uncle work the lights. But the lower levels have all the room they need.

[She lets go of the photos and leaves them on the table for Linda to take.]

There's a lot of space outside for them to run around, and they really love going on the deck on good days. Then they're always up to something in the kitchen. But everyone's got hobbies. Actually, Pablo's growing his own strawberry bushes out back. Last year he got a good batch for us!

[una_persson]

[Una catches the conversational ball neatly and runs with it.]

Most recently, London. Twentieth century. I travel quite a lot, however; though London is what I generally call home.

[domesheriff]

[Linda is still working on that, really. it's taking a lot of getting used to]

[she picks up the photos, getting a better look while Jade continues] Hah! What kind of food do they make--or should I say "try to make"? [then again, if one of them can cultivate strawberries, she wouldn't be surprised if there's some culinary talent in there, too]

[domesheriff]

Oh, so not that far off. I mean...relatively speaking.

[a couple of months ago, London wouldn't have sounded "close" to her at all, but now she's both surprised and glad to hear that Una is, as far as she can tell so far, from her world. she's still struggling to get her head around some of the very different places people at Blackway are from, so she's glad to have a little familiarity in this case. and thankfully Bertie's situation at least started to get her used to the idea that people might be from her past]

I'm from Earth, too. Chester's Mill--in the U.S. But from the twenty-first century, and...I've never actually been overseas.

[ratkicker]

Anything they can make with what we can afford. My uncle is usually in the workshop and I'm sometimes out working, so a lot of the kids can cook. But they have fun, which is what's more important. [She gives the photos a gentle smile as she reminisces about home.]

Oumi once tried to make strawberry cake, but we didn't have enough flour. Still was pretty good.

[una_persson]

[Una is holding off on diving into the fact that the twentieth century London she last inhabited is probably not the one that exists in Linda's world. A little at a time.]

I've been to America several times—I've a dear friend who lives in central Texas. I don't suppose Chester's Mill is anywhere near there?

[domesheriff]

[Linda offers the photos back to her] They look like they must have a lot of it.

[but the waiter comes up then, and she hurriedly opens her menu back up] You go first. [since she's just guessing anyway, she figures she'd rather quickly pick something than send the waiter away]

[domesheriff]

[this is probably wise as Linda is still very overwhelmed by the shattering of her worldview. but at Una's question, she gives a short laugh]

Not exactly. Chester's Mill is in Maine--in the northeast. But we're just a small town out in the country, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it.

[not since she assumes Una is from the past. she wonders if, because of the dome, the whole world might know the name of Chester's Mill now--now from her point of view, at any rate]

[una_persson]

Ah, New England. No, I'm not familiar with that area at all—closest I've been is Canada. I was in Toronto some time back—politics, essentially.

[To wit: trying to negotiate with her old friend Nestor Makhno after the Ukrainian invasion of Canada.]

[ratkicker]

[Jade sends the photos back into her digital compartment and picks up the menu. She scans the soup menu, since those tend to be the least expensive meals.]

I'll take the spicy ramen bowl, please. [With such decent meals nearby, she's taking advantage and treating herself.]

[domesheriff]

Ohh. Well, if you ever get the chance, it's a nice place! There are beautiful woods and lakes nearby. I'm not really sure what you'd think of it if you're used to cities, though. We're one of those small places where everybody knows everybody else. I think some of the residents would be surprised just to meet somebody from England!

[she looks amused at the thought, resolutely forcing herself not to think about her present, when the residents of Chester's Mill are about to cease to exist]

[domesheriff]

[she raises an eyebrow at that choice] You know, that sounds good. I'll have one, too. Thanks. [being new, Linda also has to watch her spending--not to mention she plans to make good on her offer to pay for Jade's meal as well as her own]

[she offers her menu to the waiter, thinking that she's lucky that, after sharing so much about her own home, Jade hasn't yet asked her about hers. really, she's not sure whether it would be helpful or painful to think about some of her happy memories from there]

[una_persson]

Oh, I like the countryside. [Mostly. The people in it can be a problem, in some parts.] It sounds lovely. If you're ever in England, you should visit Yorkshire. Dales and vales and the most wonderfully dramatic scenery. Especially if you're keen on hiking.

[ratkicker]

[The ramen bowl isn't that expensive compared to a lot of the restaurant entrees, but it sure is delicious.]

[Jade hands back her menu and rests on the table. A minute of awkward silence passes before she comes up with something to ask and continue the conversation.]

Do you go out to eat a lot back where you're from?

[domesheriff]

[the people are certainly a problem sometimes--a fact Linda herself would know well if she weren't so intent on seeing the best in people even when proved otherwise]

I like hiking, yeah. That sounds like it would be beautiful. [she pauses to take a drink, smiling at the thought] Gotta admit, I don't have a lot of travel experience. The closest I've come to leaving the country is visiting family in Puerto Rico, and even that's still part of the U.S.

[una_persson]

Now I've never been there, myself. [A pause; something just occurred to her.] You know, I never did ask you what it is you do here. Or did back home.

[domesheriff]

[she nods] I used to with my co-workers, yeah. And when Rusty and I had shifts that ran close-- [abruptly, she cuts herself off, surprised by how easily the words came out. it's the first time here that she's even said his name. without thinking about it, she's started rubbing the ring on her left hand between her fingers. there's an awkward pause before she manages to finish, a note of melancholy in her tone now:] We--sometimes we'd just go out to eat if we didn't have time for anything else.

[ratkicker]

[That gestures does not go unnoticed, and it's the first time Jade even noticed the ring on Linda's finger. Her expression grows serious, with a hint of sympathy.]

So you and Rusty were...really close? [Just to be sure she wasn't assuming things.]

[most_feared]

There's a better chance of it than you think. To a lot of alien technology a missile's pretty drop in the hat when it comes to shields. But we'll see what we got here, let you make some grounds for comparison, read up a little, and work from there.

Really it's good pie. You should try it. [He pointed at it again.] It'll help you take your mind off things, too. Sometimes you gotta get out of your head to handle a problem. You keep looking at yourself stuck in it, and you start feelin' hopeless.

[domesheriff]

It's gorgeous there! Even more than Chester's Mill, especially when you consider the weather. My parents moved back there about four years ago.

Oh, I'm on the security patrol. [she's surprised to realize she didn't already mention that] Back home, I was a sheriff's deputy, so it made the most sense. And I like the job. I get to work with good people here.

[domesheriff]

[she nods again, not meeting Jade's eyes] He's my fiancé.

[is, not was, because she knows that Rusty is still out there somewhere even if she has no way to get to him. but the whole reason she's here is to avoid going down that path today, so she shakes her head, looking back up at Jade] Sorry. He's...on my mind today. [she tries for a smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes] But that's why I wanted to do things like this. I know there are a lot of people here who will be great to spend time with! I just have to get to know them.

[ratkicker]

It's alright. [Her voice is gentle, trying to be supportive.] I miss my family and friends, but I'll see them again. And look, you invited me out for lunch! [She smiles.]

[domesheriff]

[disbelief and hope mingle in her tone now] So Chester's Mill might be all right. Everyone I left back there...! [her eyes are wide as she lets that thought trail off, the conclusion obvious but hard for her to comprehend after so long of believing the opposite] Yes, let's do that! [for a second, she looks like she might stand to go back to the station now. but she catches herself and hastily adds:] Um, please. Sir.

[and at his second attempt at prompting, she looks down at the pie as though she forgot it was there--which is, in fact, the truth. still numb with surprise, she hesitantly nods at his words] It...yeah. It's why I'm here. I didn't think...there was any hope. [but she doesn't want to follow that train of thought, and so she follows his instructions instead, picking up her fork and taking a bite of pie, chewing automatically as her mind races with a million thoughts]

[una_persson]

Agent Kay's a solid fellow. Not that we're close, but the times I've talked to him, I've quite liked him. I'm glad to hear you like it, anyway. I hope it just doesn't get too terribly exciting, for your sake.

[It's a bit of a joke, except for the part where she does actually mean it. There's interesting, and then there's far too interesting, and while Una generally thrives on the latter, she knows not everyone does.]

[most_feared]

It sounds like a lot of people could be helped by this.

But this is the one place you can afford to be patient, come up with back-up plans. [He folds his arms in front of him.] You got time. You can't rush back just yet. You got some time to work out a lot of options.