{003} dictated;

[ol_northy]

Has... whatever this is happened before? It's like rust. Has anyone else had any luck getting rid of it? I don't think it's anything serious, but maybe we should just take it easy for the day.

[Because now he's walking around with bloodstains on his hands and wrists and the symbol for "theta" bleeding through his clothing over his heart. He's tried to cover it with his armor, and now the strain is rust-colored on his chestplate. If you catch him walking around, he'll have his little purple and pink AI companion hovering nearby. A security blanket.

If you do go wandering later in the day, you'll catch him sitting in the kitchen, having a nice little conversation with his AI, Theta.]

Comments

[lonenoble]

Hasn't hit me. I must have gotten lucky...

Probably just the castle having fun. It won't last.

Is there anything I can do to help? [The Freelancers are the only team she has here now...]

[ol_northy]

It's a little disconcerting. Theta's not taking it very well.

[He considers things and sends a second message.]

I could use a distraction.

[lonenoble]

I think I could handle distracting you, North. [Amused] What kind of distraction are you thinking?

[ol_northy]

Honestly? Right now I don't care.

[lonenoble]

Where are you currently? If nothing else, we can do some form of training.

[ol_northy]

I'm in the library. I found a quiet corner to hide in.

[He admits it. He's hiding.]

It's... not pretty.

[lonenoble]

I'm on my way.

North? I'm a Spartan. I've see plenty of ugly things in my life. I won't be scared off of helping a friend.

[encryptedlock]

Hasn't happened before as long as I've been here. So far it seems cosmetic, but--

[Well, judging from York's tone, he's being affected too. Only for him it's not rust.]

[ol_northy]

Theta's not okay, York.

[encryptedlock]

I'm not okay with it, but it could be worse, is what I'm saying. This--at least this we can deal with.

[ol_northy]

I know, I know. And it's not too bad, but Theta's getting upset. I'm not worried about me, you know that.

[encryptedlock]

[That's...actually a bird of a different color. York's quiet for a moment.]

Hey, Theta? Try not to worry about it, okay? You know this place does shitty things once in a while. And if you want, you can connect to the CastleNet and Delta can--[he pauses]

You're not serious.

Uh, D says he can recite pi to you until you calm down.

[ol_northy]

[There's a delay, then:]

Alright, something's really wrong when Theta says okay to that.

[i_got_this]

[She's just trying to get to her room in the castle. She'd thought the armor would have covered it up easily, but by the time she'd made it in the ten minutes from town, her gloves were already seeping with the blood from her hands.]

[Almost there, almost there, almost--]

[And that's when she turned a corner to see North, and Theta. She freezes stock still. Of all the things she couldn't deal with today, North and his little nightlight were at the tippy-top of her list.]

[ol_northy]

[North is caught up in conversation with Theta for several more seconds, but then he sees movement.

And then he looks, and his face falls, his head droops only a little. Removing his helmet, he murmurs for Theta to go back into the suit for a bit.]

Hey, South...

[And that's when he notices her hands, too, and he wonders...

Well. None of this is good. At all.]

[i_got_this]

[She stands in stunned silence, growing progressively angry and jealous when North doesn't notice her in deference to his AI. By the time he actually addresses her, she's tense, bloodied hands in fists, wondering if she should just turn and leave without a word.]

[But then there's the whole reason her hands are red in the first place, the knowledge Carolina gave her, and for a long moment she doesn't know what to do with herself.]

[When she finally finds her words to speak, they're blurted and angry and hurt.] Was that it? Was that your A. I.?

[ol_northy]

[He knew she'd take it badly here, too. The eye rolls, the scoffing, the disgusted sighs. He was used to them, but it doesn't make it any less irritating. He can blow them off--he always had, probably always will--but her tone right now isn't what he needs.

Stay cool, North.

He holds his hands up at the height of his shoulders, palms toward her, a placating gesture.

They're red, too.]

That was Theta, but hold on a second, before you go off on me.

[i_got_this]

[She straightens, squaring her shoulders, hand still curled into tight fists. She's keeping resolutely - defiantly - quiet, though she has noticed the blood on his hands, and that, to her, is surprising.]

[ol_northy]

[A deep breath, and he lowers his hands back to his sides.]

Are you mad because I didn't tell you he was here, or are you mad because I have an AI?

[dictated]

[wantsiceland]

[mildly curious...]

How bad is yours?

[dictated]

[ol_northy]

It could be worse.

[dictated]

[wantsiceland]

You know I've seen people wandering around completely covered in the stuff?

[dictated]

[ol_northy]

Which is exactly why it could be worse. It's really just my hands.

[dictated]

[wantsiceland]

You think it's something symbolic?

[dictated]

[ol_northy]

It could be. I'm a soldier.