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

[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.

[youfallback]

Except you did give up. You left. That's giving up. [Because hearing his voice is probably worse than being thrown off a cliff right about now.

Well, no she can't even compare, but she's awfully tempted to.]

[encryptedlock]

No, Carolina. I left the Director because he was doing terrible things to all of us. I came back for you and you left me in a crashing ship.

[Remember that? Cause he sure does, and it's been years for him instead of days.]

[youfallback]

You didn't come back for me. [Carolina snorts again, arms still firmly crossed over her chest.] You came because she needed a distraction in the ship that you crashed.

[Because she hasn't forgotten that he crashed the ship in the first place.]

[encryptedlock]

[One of his finer moments, really.]

No, I came back because of you. I helped with what she wanted for two reasons. First of all, because of the Alpha. And second of all? Because of you.

You really think I would have let you know where I was if I didn't want to talk to you?

[youfallback]

You let everyone know where you were the second you failed the first lock. [If she'd really cared and or wanted to know, she could have looked up his location, but she hadn't. He had gotten in her way as she went after Texas.

Right now, though, she's going to use the distraction of the unintended continuation of the conversation to reach for his wrist again, fingers going right for pressure points as she tries to regain control of the remains of the dog tags yet another time.]

[encryptedlock]

Yeah. That's what I said. [How better to get her attention, after all? Even if it wasn't entirely planned, okay.

York swears as she reaches for his hand and he reflexively opens it, though he clamps down with his other hand as soon as he can.] Seriously. You gave these to me. That makes them mine now.

[youfallback]

[Her other hand is already swooping in, prepared to snatch up the dog tags, but she can't tug her fist back before it gets sandwiched between his two hands.]

No, they aren't.

[encryptedlock]

[And that, in turn, just makes him even more frustrated.]

What the hell, Carolina? Just let me keep my damn memories! Don't you have your own set, anyway?

[youfallback]

It doesn't matter if I have my own set. [Right now, she doesn't care if he ends up hating her. It'll make it easier for her to push him completely away and alienate herself from the rest of the team. But she's still carefully avoiding the why of wanting her dog tags back, even as she's trying to pull her fist free of his hands.]