Intro | Resort Pool | BYOA

[deadmanwash]

He's been an assumed permanent resident in what the hotel has given him as an afterlife for nearly three months, and when Wash got the notice that an island paradise vacation awaited all who wished to come he'd figured it was as good a time as any to try that whole being social thing again. Which is how he ended up sitting at the tiki bar beside

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[righthandgirl]

Zoe can't say it ain't nice, a little R & R after that hwoon dahn bounty hunter had come sneakin' through their boat and lives like whatever was theirs was his too. Not that she liked being stuck in this hotel-- but the alternative was seein' River sitting up in the cockpit with Mal and knowing that it was always gonna be too gorram soon.

So maybe she needs to see this as a little bit of a much needed vacation instead of a stint in lockup. The sun certainly helps, the drinks. Been a long time since she'd been in anything but full kit but today her long legs are bare under a sheer wrap and she's in a one-piece bathing suit that's black, simple, ain't nothing meant to draw attention-- though still it doesn't do much to hide her curves. Zoe just wants to tilt her fact up into the sun and the breeze and if maybe she pretends Wash is here to enjoy it with her, well.

Ain't no sense in healing too soon. One thing she seems to have in spades at the Hotel is time.

She blames her thoughts on the familiar lilt to the voice behind her. "Ain't got nobody's name on it," she says without turning, without even opening her eyes.

[[ooc: So, haven't played Zoe in nearly forever, but I couldn't pass it up. I considered pre-Serenity canon for a dialing down on the angst but... obviously decided against it. :)]]

[deadmanwash]

She's a vision, perfect in every sense - everything he ever dreamed... And then he hears her voice and it's like he's been harpooned all over again - like he never left. For a second he stands, stunned, the thought that she might be a dream from the hotel immediately unlikely or he'd have seen her months ago. No, this is real.

On no. He's not sure if he spoke or not, but before he can react his pineapple hits the patio stones with a wet crack. "No." He whispers, "You can't be..."

His voice catches in his throat and he swears loudly, muttering in Chinese as he stumbles toward her and collapses to his knees at her feet, silently sobbing.

"Not you... No.. No..." He looks up at her, confirming it's not some cruel twist of fate that someone her spittin' image is there - but there's no mistaking the love of his life. "Zoe, please tell me this isn't real."

[righthandgirl]

It's the sound of the impact and the spray of cold drink wet against her bare feet that opens Zoe's eyes more than the whispered words-- and she's sitting up just in time for the man to fall to his knees before her. "Now look here..."

The would-be threat dies on her lips. That familiar hair, and breath stops in her throat; it's the only reason she doesn't cry out when Wash lifts his head. His eyes, his eyes, his wonderful face. Zoe's laugh is choked as she cups his wonderful face. She's gone and cried out all her tears so long ago there's nothin' left but that's fine, because she's happy. Happy. Forgotten what that feels like, to be honest.

"I don't know," she smiles through her whisper, "and I don't care." A thumb brushes up his cheekbone. "Wash? What's wrong?" The words sound absurd because he's dead but right now Zoe couldn't give one good gorram. If she's crazy then bring on the bughouse.

[deadmanwash]

His voice catches again and he can't stop shaking his head against her gentle touch. "Just... no." He sighs, managing to look up at her again. It can't be, there's not a think in the 'verse or the darkest pit of the black that could take down his Zoe. Aint no Reavers, no Alliance, no backwoods snake that can do her in.

He swallows hard and grasps her hand with both of his, kissing her palm. "You can't be dead. I won't let you."

[righthandgirl]

She laughs.

Zoe laughs because she doesn't know what else to do and she might be crackin.' "I'm not dead, Wash. You're dead. Honey, I saw you die and I..." She had been more than ready to die too, there with those Reavers. Ain't never had expected to live without Wash. "I saw you die."

Now her eyes fill up and Zoe bends over, leans so that their foreheads are touching and her hair makes a curtain around them. "If this is death, then it ain't so bad." Her next laugh is near-on a sob. "Ridiculous drinks, my man in a bad shirt. A girl could get used to it."

[deadmanwash]

It was real. She was real, no woman could make him laugh when all he wants to do is die all over again except his warrior. He tries to laugh, a nervous squirrely sound choked with another linger sob as he tries to make sense of it. "I know... I know..." He leans away and claws open the front of his shirt, his hand brushing over the huge, ugly purple scar as though proving it to himself as much as her. "That's... why... no, please... nothing can kill my woman. You could take on an army of Reavers and come back standing tall."

He pushes up on his feet, taking her by the hands and pulling her up with him. "I must be dreaming... can dead men dream?"

It doesn't matter. He doesn't care. She's there and real and he can feel her weight in his arms as he clings to her like he'll never let go.

[righthandgirl]

"Lao tyen yeh," she breathes out. Her fingers only have a chance to brush that raised skin though before Wash is standing and pulling her up too. He's dead. He's still dead, or...

Zoe grabs him hard, pushing her nose into his neck to smell the smell of him. She thought she'd forgotten it but how? This is it, exactly, the metal tang of controls and something more, something green where nothing green ever was. "Last thing I remember," she murmurs against his neck, "was heading back into the black. We did it, we sent the message out on the cortex. Man left River alone. We won and I wanted to die but... I couldn't. I tried."

[deadmanwash]

His body shudders under the weight of relief, he'd hoped that they did it - they got the word out... but had no way of knowing for sure. She's alive. She's real and there, and alive and he knows it.

"You're alive." He breathes, stroking her hair - letting himself get lost in the crush of her arms around him. "It took you. The hotel must have... known... that we need each other." He's well aware of how he sounds, but all that matters is that everything is as fine as it's gonna be.