secondplacing | Voice; action available for New Bark Town

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Voice; action available for New Bark Town

This is Agent Carolina, reporting in from New Bark Town.

[Carolina’s tone is just as militaristic as ever, as though she’s making a call straight from Chorus. She holds the pokégear steady despite the squirming, wiggling growlithe in her other arm. Of course, the growlithe can't be seen, but his little wiggly yips can certainly be heard.]

I understand that I— hey, calm down—

[Yeah, hold that thought. Carolina has to put the growlithe down before she’s going to be able to say anything else.

There's a sigh before she starts to talk again.]

...Sorry about that.

I understand this line is a public channel, so if any of my men are hearing this, please send me your coordinates. Or.

[Right. They can't do that.]

...Just let me know if you're here.

Assuming they aren't here, I’d like to put out a request. I’m in charge of a crew of soldiers who refer to themselves as the reds and blues [(though, the way she says that, it sounds more like she’s their babysitter)] and if I’ve turned up here, it’s just as likely they will, too.

If you hear from anyone going by the names Washington, Church, Tucker, Simmons, Grif, Sarge, or Caboose, please send word to me. They can be a bit of a handful, but I’d really appreciate it.

[That last bit is said with a hint of an affectionate smile in her voice.]

In any case, thank you in advance, and it’s… nice to meet you all. I’m sure we’re not all here under the best of circumstances… but…

[She sounds lost for a moment, as if searching for the next thing to say.]

Anyway. Thank you for your time, and if… anyone is experienced with the pokémon ‘growlithe’, I’d appreciate any pointers.

Agent Carolina, signing out.

[but before she can disconnect..]

Hey, what are you-- No, don't bite that! What are you doi--

[As for action, Carolina can be found just outside New Bark, glaring at the ledges.]

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[Interruptions wouldn't be nice, no, so Carolina is on her guard as well, with Stripes snuffling at the ground around her feet. She looks back to York, beckoning with just a little head movement, same as always.

Amongst the trees she feels a little better, despite the fact no one is watching. No one is there to spy on them.]

You missed a lot, York. Are you sure you're ready to hear?

[He makes to put D-2 down once more, but she clings to his jacket with her nubby LED fingers, so he just sighs and resigns himself to holding her. Robbed of the ability to cross his arms, York still finds a good, sturdy tree to lean back against and props his foot up on a protruding root.]

I'm as ready as I can probably get. Go ahead, Carolina. You know I hate feeling left out.

[They all had their fill of lies and secrets aboard the MoI.]

[She hates that he sounds so normal. She hates that he sounds like a Galactic Radio announcer, like the morning show from her childhood.

She hates that he sounds like home.]

You didn't make it past your run-in with Tex. Delta did.

[She sighs a little, crossing her arms and starting to pace a little as she tells the story. She walks almost as though remembering the gait of her armor, like she feels lighter than she thinks she should and takes up less space.]

But what happened after that... I'm not sure I what I should tell you first.

What do you know about what happened to Agent Maine?

[Whoa, she wasn't kidding when she said he'd missed a lot. York's eyebrows rise when she says Delta somehow survived him--did Tex take him?--but while he opens his mouth, he doesn't end up asking.

Instead, he glances away for a moment, thinking, then shakes his head.]

Dude fell off my radar ages ago. Don't think I've heard from or of him since the crash.

[Carolina elects to leave a part of this story out. Not because she doesn't trust York, but because she'd like to pretend it was irrelevant. Because she doesn't want to think about it.

It wasn't Maine.]

Sigma ended up with more power than he Maine could handle... and drove him to wanting even more. After he took Eta and Iota from me, Maine became less himself... and more the combined AIs. He was referred to as 'The Meta', and continued to collect as many AIs as he could.

[She looks down at the ground, a bit somber.]

Theta, Delta... Almost all of the AIs, except for Epsilon and the Alpha, were absorbed by the Meta-- even Omega. North and South... were both killed somewhere in the line, presumably by the Meta.

Edited 2015-09-22 03:44 (UTC)

...Son of a bitch.

[North...York spares a moment of sympathy for Theta--poor kid--but North had been his buddy. His best friend in the snakepit. Not that York hadn't been one of them; not that North hadn't, either. But it still drags at his heart to know North had been killed by a teammate, someone York had once trusted.]

South never even got an AI, why would he--no, they would've been together. Damn it.

[He rubs Delta Two's shoulder absently, like she's the one who needs comforting. He adjusts her weight in his arms.]

But I don't get it. How did he end up with Delta? Wyoming shot me, not Maine, and I know Alli--Agent Texas wouldn't have given him up to anybody.

[And it goes without saying that when Tex doesn't give something up, it stays ungiven.]

[And then Carolina told York about homestuck.

Luc, however, is not going to tell Asher about homestuck. Because Asher knows about homestuck.]

[And York was told about Homestuck. So now he knows about Homestuck, too. Everybody knows about Homestuck.]

...

Holy shit.

You fought how many Texes?

[So many Texes, York.]

I didn't count, York. But it had to be over a hundred.

A whole army.

And you won with a squad of sim troopers?

[There are other things he could press, here--like the part where the Freelancers were done, the Project finally exposed, the Director and his lies done for good. How Carolina must have felt then. His own fight put to rest.

But a ragtag bunch of idiots taking down a Tex army? Come on.]

That's right. A squad of sim troopers.

[is that a glint of affection in her face?]

You'd be surprised the things they can do. I know I was.

[All of a sudden, York feels complicated, and he always tries to present himself as a simple guy. Carolina's grown so much. She's gotten past Project Freelancer, past the Director--and past York, too. And he's happy for her, because it's so good to catch those hidden softnesses again, to understand that she found something else to give her survival--her life, the endless battle given every soldier after war--meaning.

It's just a bittersweet to know that that gentleness isn't for him and his. That he and the other Freelancers are her past, now, and her future's going to--got to--be a stranger to him.]

They sound like a fun bunch.

[His smile's genuine, though, and his voice light as ever. Warm.]

If they do show up, you've gotta introduce me. Especially to the Red leader guy, he sounds like a real party.

Oh, he's a party alright.

[She rolls her eyes good-naturedly, shifts from one foot to the other.]

Those guys sure are something, but easy to work with isn't it. And... I have a good feeling you'll know them if you see them.

[A short pause.]

Wash even considers himself a part of Blue team now.

[The image of Wash awash in a sea of regulation blue makes York laugh, and he lifts a hand to idly rub the sides of his face as if the motion of the smile surprised him.

(He's not that bad, of course. He and Delta had a one-and-a-fraction-man comedy duo all ready to hit the circuit, so it's not like he forgot how to talk or laugh or be with people. But it's different now, for some reason.

For a few reasons.)]

Of course he does. You know, good for him. The dude always did deserve better than what we gave him.

[Says schoolyard bully numero uno. But he's proud. Or, no. Maybe just glad.]

What about you? Red or Blue?

Me?

[There's a little bit of a laughter to it, the way her voice always does-- tinted with laughter like ink in water.]

I'm not siding with sim teams. They've all been working together lately, anyway.

[He laughs again, just because he can. Because it's so good to hear that playfulness in her voice again.]

Okay. But if they do show up, I guess I better call dibs on helping Red Team, or else it just wouldn't be fair.

Oh, don't worry. You'd fit right in.

[She looks down to where Stripes is sitting beside them, patiently wagging his tail.

Whatever this weird reality is, time keeps moving. There's no stopping it. So there's no use resisting, is there? If there are answers to be found, she'll have to play by the rules for a little bit.

So it's time, she supposes, to go on a journey with pokémon.]

...York. What were your plans?

Here?

[He follows her gaze to Stripes, then looks down at D-2, who returns his regard with wide, encouraging eyes.]

I haven't given it a lot of thought. Talked to another newcomer about meeting up in the next town over, but beyond that...well, I'm open to suggestions.

[She nods in response to the first bit, putting her hands on her hips.]

Alright then, you're coming with me.

Make sure you read through your manual-- we'll need it on the way up.

[Is Carolina just so used to commanding the reds and blues by now that she's just acting on reflex, or is she being demanding because it's easier than asking? The world may never know.]

[Ah, that's his Carolina.

Is it really such a simple thing to fall back into this? To let Carolina blaze the path forward while he steps in behind, there for support and the second watch, as always?

...Yeah. It is.]

Yeah, about that. You couuuulllld read it to me. On the way and all.

[Since his eye is FUCKING BROKEN, CAROLINA.]

[The smile on Carolina's face grows and her eyes soften, and she claps York on the shoulder like old times. She heads a few steps away and looks back, beckoning him when Stripes catches up to her.]

No pain, no gain, York! You'll manage. Let's get going.

[He snorts and boosts Delta Two up to his shoulders.]

It doesn't work that way for eyes, Carolina! Why, thank you, D-2.

[He puts on the cap his Pokémon retrieves for him from his backpack and sets out after his fearless, peerless leader, content.]

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Voice; action available for New Bark Town

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