TO HAVE AND TO HOLD [modplot]

[letsgolegion]

Who| Anyone who wants in
What| "To Have and to Hold" plot
Where| The planet Olum, Matihara Temple
When| Set vaguely the same time as "Gods Among Us" and "Other Mother"
Warnings/Notes| N/A

The planet Olum is a genuinely welcoming place. While the clothes they have to wear for the rituals are a bit...odd (provided they don't opt for coverups), they are comfortable, especially with such a balmy climate. Despite the Olumites allowing outsiders into their ceremonies, there's a distinct lack of tourist-ey elements; no gift shops, no merchants selling anything, just a spirit of genuine unity and celebration. The Olumite marriage guides seem to genuinely care about helping people with their relationships, and seem happy to share their cultural traditions with other species.

As far as missions go, it's definitely a nice vacation from the usual life or death struggles.

It means the Legionnaires have no distractions. They have to settle in and try to navigate this while faking sincerity as best as they can.

[ooc: All information about the setting can be found on the infopost.]

Comments

AMERICA

[thedreamisdead]

America's gone for a somewhat less human look, abusing the cosmetic capabilities of the Legion. Blue skin, white hair, pointed ears, and tribal tattoos give her an exotic look that work to disguise her without needing a hologram or extreme facial reconstruction. And, she has to admit, it does look good.

The hologram would have been a less extreme option, true, but she's bringing some of her prejudices about the technology and its reliability here from home. Honestly, face-change machines are just more familiar to her.

Open

America wanders the normal side of the beach pretty freely. Growing up in a co-ed environment, down to the showers, sort of inured her to finding naked bodies on their own attractive. But even so, most of her time spent out and active, that which isn't spent with either of her two fiancees, is spent active. Swimming, running, windsurfing, even just pushups, something. She's obviously not used to downtime, and burning off excess energy isn't really something you want to do with your chest out.

If she's not exercising, then whoever's found her can probably spot her out of breath or eating. Real fruit is still a luxury to her, and while there's a bit of guilt in having it when few from home can, it's also about the only option here. Only problem is that she has to keep wiping her chin every few minutes, the juiciness keeps surprising her.

She's doing her best to hide how uncomfortable all this waiting around is making her, but given how she flinches towards every unexpected noise, it's probably clear that all this 'peace and quiet' is the exact opposite of what she needs.

[nofortunateson]

North had known, in a visceral sense, that America didn't come with an 'off' switch. You don't watch a person stoically put themselves in front of a mountain, ready to move it stone by stone, and come away thinking they're going to take to a long weekend's spa retreat well. But seeing her as close to training as she can get, every second they're not faking being a happy trio, itches a familiar scratch in the back of his own head, the cagey restlessness he's started to feel recently every time York tells him some variation on the theme relax.

He feels a shift behind his back before the sun's quite up, and once he's sure it's America rolling out of bed he shifts enough to sit on the edge, looking up at her.

"Couples' run?" he offers, smile quirked enough to show that he doesn't mean the 'couples' part at all earnestly. "Or would you rather go solo."

[thedreamisdead]

Sharing a bed with North and Cortana was... a necessity. America wasn't sure how much privacy they really had here, so it was best to play along. At least the man knew his boundaries and respected them.

It's been suggested, from time to time, that she quit. Throw her millions of credits at society's problem and live a life of luxury. If this was any indication, she wouldn't survive a week without going up the walls.

She stands, stretching. There's a lot more snaps and pops than there should be for someone her age. "If you want to run with me, I won't argue. Company's not bad." America glances down at him and her lips tugged into a smirk. "Just don't expect a wrestling match right after."

[nofortunateson]

"Oof, no." He crackles out a laugh, unfolding and rolling his joints out of little-spoon form in a similar - if less dramatic - series of pops. "Maybe a swim."

The minimalist clothing is a different from his usual runs, where 'lightly clothed' still involved a shirt, shorts, and trainers. But the entire area might as well be coated in safety foam, and he's not exactly going to injure himself with a few days of barefoot running.

[thedreamisdead]

"No pain, no gain, 'darling'." She holds out a hand to help him stand. Cortana's nowhere to be seen, of course. Probably got tired of listening to them snore. "I haven't really gone swimming in years. Not a lot of call for it in the city, though it's supposed to be a good workout. That might be a good idea."

The more she thinks on it, the better it seems. She even manages a smile at the thought.

[nofortunateson]

"I haven't exactly been putting in laps myself, spending most of my time on a spaceship." North takes the hand up, lifting himself out of the unfamiliar plushness of the bed and, with an exaggerated courtliness, bowing to kiss her knuckles before he releases them. "After you, dearest."

It's risking being slapped, but he's not a man to back down from a challenge.

[thedreamisdead]

"I spend as much time as possible on Earth. Never been a fan of going out into space." Too many horror stories. Too many colony wars.

She doesn't slap him, though the urge to swat is there. Her nostrils flare slightly and she tilts her chin, narrowing her eyes. Oh. So it's gonna be like that, disregarding the fact that she probably started this. She turns and saunters out the room, trying to remember the layout of the area from yesterday. "So, running or swimming? Or both?"

[nofortunateson]

"A run down the beach and a swim back up?" He follows, smiling too sweetly to not betray some sense of victory, however temporary. If they have to fake being in a relationship that is clearly not in the cards, the least they can do is have some fun with it. For a very specific definition of fun.

[thedreamisdead]

"Sure." She flashes a wicked smile over her shoulder. "Which beach?" Ha. Two can play at that game, though it probably doesn't count as 'playing' when you pull out the nuclear option four turns in.

The important thing is winning.

[nofortunateson]

"I hear the west beach is pretty. Romantic, even." He also hears that it's long. And, if memory serves, has a steeper drop-off away from shore than the other beaches. The sky's just lightening, and the smile he shoots back is earnest rather than teasing, a mirror-flash back of that challenge and anticipation. Soon enough they'll have to get back to relaxation and pet names, but at least for a little while, he can throw himself into the world he's used to.

[thedreamisdead]

And in the clothed section. Your weakness is her victory, North. Her return smirk has a smug sense of superiority tagged onto it, but it fades pretty quick. After all, too much pride is unbecoming of a Judge.

It isn't far to the beach. America drags her toe across the sand, drawing a line, soon after as they hit it. "What do you think, from here... Down to that pair of trees we saw yesterday? Or do you think you can go further than that?" Even if pride was unbecoming, it didn't stop good-natured ribbing.

[nofortunateson]

"Oh, yeah. I can make it to the outcropping, easy." An easy roll of his shoulders, a glance sidelong and lift of his eyebrows that edges into flirtatious territory. Especially with the way he leans into her personal territory, threatening a kiss to her shoulder if she doesn't move quickly to dodge it. "But I wouldn't want to push you into anything, honey."

[thedreamisdead]

Her hand blurs into motion, but she stops the reflexive interception short and simply taps his lips with a finger. "You'd have to catch me to push me. Daddy."

He won that one, she guesses.

She shifts, stretching out, and eyes the coastline. "About where should we swim to?"

[grumpylady]

2B's changes are much more minimal. Being a new arrival, the only alteration done to her was hair color, going from white to black. It works well enough for purposes of the mission she's on. Similarly, the idea of 'relaxing' has been largely unexplored by her. She never really had the time to, before, nor did she really have any motivation when there was so much at stake. The threat being faced now was no less important but in a moment with little to do, 2B was left to her own devices.

She's walking through the beach at the moment, contemplating some of the food that was handed to her. The gesture was largely unnecessary, but it was too late to return it. And 2B didn't particularly want to be wasteful.

"Do you want this?" 2B said, holding out an apple to her.

[thedreamisdead]

America blinks, and looks down, the words coming out by pure reflex. "This could be seen as a bribe, citi-" She pauses, then coughs. "Sorry. Science Police in my day job."

It covered the lie easily enough. Still, as she narrows her eyes and examines 2B, she frowns. Ah, wait. "...I think we might belong to the same club? You look familiar." It was just a hair color change, but it's not like the two of them have spent much time interacting.

[grumpylady]

2B stared for a moment. "I've only just arrived, shortly before this mission got underway." No reason not to participate in it. The more she could contribute to their cause, the faster she could return back the Commander.

"But it also meant I could just undergo minimal changes." Hence the black hair instead of white.

Again, she keeps holding out the apple. "Did you want it? I don't have a need for such items."

[thedreamisdead]

"That would explain it." She hadn't had time to review this week's duty rosters. Someone brand new could have easily slipped under her radar, especially with how unwieldy the team was getting.

She glances down at the apple, then shakes her head. "Find a garbage disposal to drop it into." Too much training to refuse gifts and free offers, no matter what. It just didn't feel comfortable.

Anyhow, they were just meeting. "And you are? I'm Judge Beeny." Not the name she was using for this trip, but since 2B was a Legionnaire, well...

[grumpylady]

"2B." To anyone unfamiliar with YoRHa, the name would make little sense to them. Yet it was easier to use that instead of her full designation.

[thedreamisdead]

Okay. Wouldn't be the strangest name tossed her way. "America."

She pauses for a moment. Really, the question has to be asked. "How many people have misquoted Shakespeare at you so far?"

[grumpylady]

2B just stands there and looks at her.

"None so far. This is the first time I've heard of that name. Should I be aware of any special meaning to it?"

[thedreamisdead]

"He was a hack writer from... Long before either of our times, I'd say." She shrugs. "Wrote tragedies and comedies. One of the more famous quotes involves a man asking 'To be, or not to be' in an overlong monologue about whether he should suffer through life or kill himself and risk the unknowns that lie beyond death."

America shrugs. Brits. Must have been something in the water.

[justice_from_above]

You gather a bunch of various militia-and-similar minded people up and stick them in a beach side resort, you're going to end up with a lot of confused people. Fareeha is, of course, one of them, and catches America as she's taking a jog down the beach.

Except she doesn't recognize America as she is. Fareeha's own holograph has taken away the eye tattoo and braided beads, and given her a more youthful, chin length bob. As well, she's wearing more fashionable outfits, but she's otherwise unchanged.

She gives the assumed stranger a polite nod as she jogs past.

[thedreamisdead]

America had been getting ready for a bit of a run herself. And Fareeha... Stands out, even in the Legion. Not many people who sport tattoos. Hell, not even that many people who weren't white or Asian, come to think of it. Given the minimal changes, it's easy for America's trained eye to pick out the similarities.

Well. Wasn't that interesting. She hadn't been recognized. Keeping a ghost of a smile off her face, she starts off after Fareeha, catching up with her after a short sprint, then matching her pace. Every so often she glances at the woman's face, frowning thoughtfully, then hums to herself. "Saaay," she drawls, slapping on an accent like a Sov trying to imitate a Texan, "Ain't you someone famous? I could swear I've seen you before. Y'ain't a movie star, are you?"

[justice_from_above]

Fareeha can tell she's being tailed, and keeps her pace steady while remaining alert to see what the other woman was going to do. What is a case of just two joggers going in the same direction, or was there something more to it?

The question, though, makes her a little uneasy, and she chuckles in response while trying to keep on a poker face. They weren't exactly here by request, and that's the whole point of the holo-projectors.

"Hardly. I ... did a couple commercials here and there, but nothing to really write home about." She's hoping it's a good enough cover. The creature's accent, though, catches her as a bit odd, and she can't help but give her a little side-eye as they run along.