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]

[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.]

[encryptedlock]

It does to me.

[Frustrated with her? Yes. Angry, even? Probably.

Hate? Never.]

I really don't get why you're being so damn stubborn about this.

[youfallback]

You don't need to. [She finally tugs her fist free with the dogtags inside of it. With that tiny victory, she's pretty ready for this conversation to be over. Time to find a place to pitch these so he can't ever find them.]

[encryptedlock]

You're wrong.

[Funny how she thinks he's just going to let her throw them away although there's a perfectly serviceable ocean nearby.]

[youfallback]

[With her prize in hand she just shakes her head at him, still scowling, before she turns and begins to stride purposefully away and possibly in the direction of that ocean, but she's still so turned around from everything that she's not likely heading in the right direction.]

[encryptedlock]

[Doop doop following. Nope, he wasn't kidding about not giving up on her.]

[youfallback]

Stop following me. [She notices him following her and her anger somehow continues to build as she walks, eyes searching for a good place to ditch the dog tags. After a couple yards, she spots the ocean and hurries her pace. So close.]

[encryptedlock]

[Not saying anything, because he'll follow if he wants to. But why is she heading for the ocean? She better not be thinking about jumping off another cliff.]

[youfallback]

[The cliff is the most intimidating part of this whole business and as she draws closer, her mind fills with the all-too-fresh memories of a grip around her throat, her AIs being ripped from her head. And it only gets worse as she comes in throwing range. She stops and cocks her arm back, preparing to throw.]

[encryptedlock]

No!

[What the hell is she thinking? York rushes up so he can try to get in front of her to block the throw. Although, he thinks bitterly, she'd probably only consider it fair if he jumped off a cliff, too.]