Terre Haute

[paradisamods]

[Today, our intrepid explorers have finally made it to Terre Haute. It’s mostly grassland, and on the outskirts small spotted lions, about the size of leopards prowl around. They seem to be more interested in the strange antelope running around than in any people, however. Towards the edge, lies a cliff face, looking out to sea, on occasion giant whales can be seen breaching the water.

Of the weird thing they came to look for, in the distance is a cylindrical shape, lying on its side. But between them and it is a strange village. One made up of excessively tall wooden huts, all of which have electric lights, turned on, though how they’re creating such power is a mystery, they are still very much inside the dead zone.

The residents of this off little village are wandering around, going about their buisess. The residents being a group of bemused looking giraffes. Perhaps you will even see some familiar non-giraffe faces milling about.

Welcome to Terre Haute]

[[GRASSLANDS AND CLIFFS | TOWN SQUARE | JUICE BAR | DANCE HALL | THE ESCALATOR | MIRROR CONTROL ROOM ]]

Comments

[encryptedlock]

[And with that he rolls away and quickly gets to his feet.]

Why? You're just going to leave me again, aren't you? What does it matter to you if I want to remember the person you used to be?

[youfallback]

[Carolina falters for a moment as she stands back up straight again, tempted to both dart back away and fight him square on at the same time. His mention of 'the person' she used to be pushes enough anger through her mind to go for the second option. She doesn't respond, instead launching into a series of kicks, a familiar move for someone who's spent hours and hours watching her train.]

[encryptedlock]

Calm down! [Luckily, he does know this routine well enough to block her kicks. Even so, it's a bit painful - both physically and emotionally.]

Would it really hurt you that much to let me keep them? Christ.

[youfallback]

Yes. [The longer she goes, the more frustrated she is with not being stronger. She's not working at 100%, even after a couple days of "rest." She's flagging quickly, even as she slides into the next step of the familiar dance. Her kicks slow and, as a last resort, she simply tries to reach in and snatch the dogtags again.

She can't let him have them. She can't let him see the name on those tags. Sure, when she'd believed she'd once been part of a happy family, that she had earned her position on the Project---

No, she had still earned it. She had fought tooth and nail for #1, she had thrown her life nearly away more than once to bring the Director's wishes about. If York saw her name, she's not sure what kind of destruction will be undoubtedly dealt to any respect or love he'd ever had for her.]

[encryptedlock]

[That admission almost makes him falter enough to miss the last block--but not enough to let him lose track of the necklace he's trying to protect. He's not fast enough to stop her grab, but he does think fast enough to jab out his own hand and twist it quickly around the chain so that when it snaps, he has enough of a grip on it not to let her have it.]

Why won't you listen to me? [Why doesn't she ever listen to him?]

[youfallback]

[Carolina barely holds in a breath of relief as she feels the chain snap and the tags move slightly toward her... only to be stopped by his fast instincts. She's so surprised, she can't hide the way it washes across her face. How did--- he's faster. He's had time to train and better himself in the Castle and she'd nearly forgotten. Still, she does have that grip and she fervently yanks on her end.]

I don't need to. [That and she won't believe a single word out of his mouth anyway.]

[encryptedlock]

[Of course she won't. If she had any common sense she'd have listened to him a long time ago.]

Funny how that's what got you hurt in the first place.

[He's not letting go, even though the chain is beginning to dig into his hands.]

[youfallback]

[Carolina would argue that trusting him at all is what caused her to fall behind, but she's too focused on the dogtags to voice anything like that. Instead, she goes for the easiest blow she can find.]

You hurt me in the first place.

[And yanks again, her grip loosening despite her best efforts. Her fingers are still tingling from only a minute or so before.]

[encryptedlock]

No. No, Jillian, I'm not the one who hurt you. [That much he's sure on, and as much as he knows the blood on his hands over the past week was from her, York was sure of one thing. Maybe there was more he could have done to halt her downward spiral, but the only ones who had hurt her were herself--and the Director.

He yanks the dogtags forcefully back.]

Come on, you practically threw the lighter at me. How is this any different than that?

[youfallback]

You chose her. You turned on the Project. You deserted. [Which she remembers happening in the Castle too. More than once. But she doesn't have time to dwell on it right now. Instead, she gives the dogtags another yank.] Give them back.

[encryptedlock]

[He yanks them one more time and if neither of them give ground, the chain's going to snap from the pressure soon.]

I chose myself. it was a toxic environment in there, Carolina, and if I'd stayed Maine only would have found me that much quicker. You should have trusted us, your team, but you never listed to a goddamn word we said. not when it clashed with whatever your precious Director had to say.

[youfallback]

You weren't my team anymore. [She snaps back at the moment that the chain does give. However, just as it does, her fingers can't hold on any longer and both tags and the ring fall down onto the ground between them.]

[encryptedlock]

[York drops to the ground to try to catch them with a surprising alacrity, though if she's just as fast she'll probably reach them first as she's slightly closer.]

[youfallback]

[Carolina's just a blink of an eye slower, but she still tries. Her hand snaps out for the tags, just to close around empty air.

And the moment her fingers close around nothing, her heart drops out of her chest, clawing through her intestines as it goes.]

[encryptedlock]

[York keeps a deathgrip on those dog tags now and looks up at her, hurt still in his eyes.]

We wanted to be. But you weren't willing to compromise for us when we needed you. And then--then we couldn't be there for you when you needed us.

[youfallback]

I never needed you. [Carolina goes still, absolutely rigid as she clenches her jaw and glares down at him. Hate pours off every sharp angle of her posture. In her mind, he had turned his back first. She had done everything, given everything, and they had deserted and lied and stole, York included. Her memories of the Castle only augment the sense of betrayal at the moment.

He had told her time and time again that he wouldn't give up, that he wouldn't leave, that she was important to him. Turns out he had lied and Texas had taken someone else from her.]

[encryptedlock]

[Now that hurts. But as much as York is tempted to just walk away from what's clearly an unproductive conversation, he knows that's exactly what she'll expect. So instead he'll straighten up and glare right back.]

Bullshit. Bullshit. Being able to work with a team was something you had a real talent for--one Tex never did, no matter what her combat scores looked like. but that was never a number. It couldn't be quantified, so the Director never made it one of his little ranking games. So you thought it was worthless, and instead you tried to beat someone who was programmed to excel.

You could have beat her on every level if you'd only let us help you. But no, you have to try and be Superwoman and leave us with no other choice.

[youfallback]

[Programmed? Her reply momentarily dead in her mouth, her eyebrows furrowing but the fury so readily apparent in her expression clouds and obfuscates any confusion that might have danced across it. She knew Texas had Omega, the strongest of the AI fragments, whatever they were, and that's why she had been stronger, why Carolina had needed two to be better.

If Texas was programmed, that meant-- no. No. Shoving anything like that down. Not now. Instead, she snarls out,] I don't need anyone's help. I'm better than her.

[Not a we, not even close to a we. But her reply rings too much like a lie to be anything but a reassurance to herself. Because if she isn't better, if she isn't the best, then she's a failure.]

[encryptedlock]

[y e p just looking at her for that comment. Wow, she really hadn't been listening to him at all, had she?

When he does talk, it's quietly, all the yelling from before seeming to have left him tired more than anything else.]

You were, once.

[But his implication that she's not anymore is clear, snd that's not going to change until she can take those blinders off.]

[youfallback]

[And those quiet words punch all of the air out of her chest faster than a gunshot. Her mouth shuts and her lips narrow into a thin line. Her anger seethes and builds inside of her and despite feeling like she's about to burst with it all, her own reply is level, formal, but not without sharp pinpricks of heat.] I don't associate with deserters.

[In her mind, he's already chosen Texas. Chosen her a thousand times over and despite any desire she might have to change that, it won't. Her loyalty will remain with her father until she dies.]

Never speak to me again.

[encryptedlock]

I'll talk to you whether you listen or not, Carolina. I always have. It was never you I was leaving.

Maybe you'll realize that some day.

[But clearly, that day is not today. And fuck him if he'll be the one that walks away from this - just to prove he can be as stubborn as her.]

[youfallback]

[And fuck her if she'll be the one to turn tail either, but she really doesn't want to be around him right now. The last time they'd spoken, she'd knocked him out and left him to die in the underbelly of the Mother of Invention. That hadn't gotten her very far at all, considering he's right back her talking to her. She's stood toe-to-toe with the Director and she's not going to back down to York.]

Shut up and walk away. Right now.

[encryptedlock]

What, so you can just gloat about how everyone leaves you? No. I'm standing here as long as you are.

[And he crosses his arms just to prove his point. Why not? They have all day.]

[youfallback]

That's rich coming from you. [Carolina snorts derisively at him, crossing her arms in clear mockery of his own stance.] Mister Everyone-Always-Leaves-Me. You never believed me anymore than I believe a single word out of your mouth.

[encryptedlock]

Yeah, because we all know how great of a liar I am. [York rolls his eyes.]

Well, I said I'd never give up on you, and I never did. And I'm not going to now, so I'm not moving. As long as you stand here, you're going to have to listen to me talk.