twelve. [video]

[experiencedlove]

[ Caprica is in her kitchen, having just finished doing a round of dishes — her attempts at cooking have been more successful lately, with some of the cookbooks she's found in the library. The sleeves of her dress are rolled up, and she dries her hands on the towel nearby before smoothing them down over her arms. It takes a moment for her to notice the Vine, but she's so accustomed to its presence by now that she barely reacts save for a brief, acknowledging glance. At least, not at first.

Presently, she speaks — addressing the mirror idly, unrelated to anything she'd just been doing. But it's something she's been thinking about, of late. ]

There was a place where I used to live—

[ She steps around the counter island that separates the kitchen from the dining area, passing by the dining table, fingertips grazing its cool glass surface. ]

A city that bordered on the sea. Even over the traffic and the pollution and the bustle of so many millions of people, you could still smell the sea salt, sometimes. Hear the calling of the gulls. See the sunlight on the water, if you had a tall enough building with enough of a view.

[ She's smiling faintly, only a small amount of barely perceptible tension about it. The memories are pleasant, if a little bittersweet. Her forward movement stops near the windows that face out onto the rear balcony, hands resting on the glass, only touching lightly. ]

There are lakes here, rivers, streams, but no oceans. I wonder why.

Comments

[imperial_ray]

No oceans... That is a good question.

[experiencedlove]

You can hear the sound of waves if you go into the wild places, out past the dunes. But there's no water.

[ A pause, recalling. ]

Someone tried to make an ocean there, once. It vanished within a few days.

[imperial_ray]

Make an ocean? That's possible?

[experiencedlove]

The Queen seems to want us to add to the Gardens. People have created stranger things from the soil in the wild places.

[ A slight movement of her shoulders, something like a shrug. It seems impossible, but so do many things that happen here. She's begun to be able to take it in stride. ]

[imperial_ray]

But not an ocean...

[mnementomori]

I made...Mahalia and I, we made an ocean once. But it didn't stay.

I miss it.

[experiencedlove]

I remember that.

[ Her smile goes a little sad. ]

I visited it, a couple of days before it disappeared. The beach was beautiful.

[mnementomori]

Thank you...it's just what I remembered. I've only been to the beach...once. And I didn't get to stay long.

[her voice is soft and says she's young, but it's hard to tell exactly how young with that hood up.]

[experiencedlove]

I'm sorry.

[ It's the only sentiment that seems appropriate, and her tone when she says it is gentle. ]

Maybe someday you'll be able to see it again.

Video;

[namedforthesky]

...I miss the ocean. I lived on an island, so... The ocean was part of my life. A lake's just not the same.

[experiencedlove]

You lived on an island?

[ Sora's piqued Caprica's curiosity now. She's never been anywhere where there were islands. Picon and Canceron had archipelagos, but she'd never seen them. ]

What was it like?

[namedforthesky]

It was great, even if we had to watch out for hurricanes. Made school a real bummer, because most days were nice and warm and clear. So weekends and summer were always spent outside.

[Sora will pause, giving a sad smile.]

...Funnily enough, I couldn't wait to get out of there and see the rest of the worlds. Now, I just want to get back home.

[experiencedlove]

[ She can almost imagine it — the breeze, the sunlight, the azure sky and the crash of waves on shore. But her attention is distracted from that by the hint of sadness in Sora's smile. ]

You must miss your family. Your friends.

[made_of_science]

You know, that does seem a surprise... I'd heard the sound of the shore in one area, but I could find no trace of it at all.

[experiencedlove]

[ She nods. ]

You can hear the crash of the waves, smell the salt air — but there's no water. It's strange.

[made_of_science]

I must admit, it is more than a bit unnerving, and disappointing as well: I rather miss bathing in the waters of the ocean. It seemed so much more invigorating.

[experiencedlove]

It's something I miss, too.

[ Her smile goes a little more nostalgic, more bittersweet. ]

I haven't seen the sea in over five years — except once, when someone tried to make an ocean here.

[manymasked]

Mm, I used to live on an island, myself... I never thought that much about the sea when I was there, but it is strange to be without it.

[experiencedlove]

I imagine it would be easy to take something like that for granted, if it were always there. If you never thought one day you'd leave it behind.

[manymasked]

That and it's always a little hard to predict what you'll end up missing when you leave a place.

[experiencedlove]

That's true. Sometimes the most mundane things—

[ She smiles, more to herself than anything. ]

They have more meaning than you'd expect.

[Video]

[pinokosthewife]

Pinoko and her darling lived on a cape over the shea!

Pinoko loved feeding the gulls. There were shoooo many of them and they were sho cute! [Someone else misses being near the sea, it seems!]

[Video]

[experiencedlove]

[ Caprica might be a little startled because — well. Pinoko is very small, and seems very young. ]

Your darling?

[Video]

[pinokosthewife]

Yesh! Dr. Black Jack!

Pinoko's the Doctor's wife! [She smiles sweetly; she doesn't mind surprised looks as much as disbelieving and condescending ones.] Doc's not here, though...

There's another Doctor named Black Jack here, but she's a lady! Pinoko calls her Lady Doc.

[Video]

[experiencedlove]

[ And Caprica is a little taken aback by that. Not exactly disbelieving, but startled. ]

You seem very young to be someone's wife.

[ She says it cautiously, as if unsure if she's making a misstep. ]