130.0

[encryptedlock]

[Backdated to yesterday. York dictates, and though he's waited a few minutes to try and get his emotions under control, his voice has an unusual undertone of fury in it.]

We found a couple former castle residents wandering out here in Terre Haute. No idea how they got there, and they haven't been there more than a couple days. They remember their time here. Might have showed up after the meteor thing hit, but we're not sure. Also still haven't really investigated it, for those of you watching from home.

[Filtered to anyone Carolina knew, but away from anyone who would hurt her as well as away from her]

Carolina's back. Only she's back from significantly later in the timeline, and she hates me.

[...Nope, not getting any more than that out. Not now.]

Comments

York

[lonenoble]

I see.

Are you handling it? And is she likely to be coming back to the castle?

Six

[encryptedlock]

I haven't jumped off the fucking cliff yet, so--

[That's a no. No, he's not handling this well.]

Hell if I know. She wants to be as far away from me as possible.

York

[lonenoble]

Don't even think about it, Freelancer. Your life is worth more than throwing it away like that. As for her? If she doesn't appreciate you, she doesn't deserve you.

Just see what happens, York. And while I'm not a Freelancer, you guys are the closest thing I've had to team most of my time here.

Six

[encryptedlock]

I wouldn't do that to Delta. [But he's not even touching the rest of that. Too mad right now.]

Yeah, see, she's from the time when she thinks the rest of her team ran off and betrayed her and left her to die. Which isn't fucking true, but it's not like she's listening. So I wouldn't count on any team spirit from her.

york

[i_got_this]

Did she change it? Did she change the timeline?

[No small amount of desperation in her voice. Sorry, York, she doesn't really care about your romance woes right now; she just wants to know how likely the chance is for her to NOT be responsible for North's death later on.]

South

[encryptedlock]

Well, either she died in my timeline, in which case she didn't change anything and I'm fucked, or she survived last time and still didn't fucking let anyone know she did, and she hates me anyway. So hell if I know.

[...Sorry, South. He'd hoped otherwise, too.]

York

[i_got_this]

Son of a BITCH!

[Sounds of breaking wood? Yeah, a nightstand has officially been murdered.] Goddamn it, this is all fucking BULLSHIT!

South

[encryptedlock]

[Yeah. And of course, she'd never mentioned the chip they'd specifically made to try and give her some recollection of what had happened - some physical proof she could use in case her memories were all gone.]

Yeah. You're fucking telling me.

York

[kungfuwitch]

[Oh. Oh man that's not good. Well the fact that she's THERE is good but the fact that she hates York... that's just cruel]

York... I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you okay?

Phoebe

[encryptedlock]

No.

[Sorry, Phoebe, he's about the opposite of okay right now.]

I'll--I'll deal with it. Don't worry. But thanks.

Just try to help her calm down if you get a chance, would you?

York

[kungfuwitch]

[Oh she understands all too well. She's had her ex husband in the castle twice and both times she had been from further in the timeline and felt much differently about him than he remembered. Of course both times he'd had a loss that kept him from remembering which both helped and made things that much harder.

She lets out a slow breath.]

I will. I'll talk to her. [she pauses] And York... if you ever need someone to talk to... [She lets the offer hang between them. They may not be as close as she is with others in the castle but she still considers him a friend. He's a good man and doesn't deserve something like this. Besides - helping people is kind of her thing, yo.]

Phoebe

[encryptedlock]

Appreciate the offer.

[But in all honesty, he probably won't talk to anyone except maybe Delta. In some ways it is his own fault, after all. The blood on his hands last week was proof of that.]

York

[ol_northy]

[He can only guess at things.]

I'm... really sorry. What can I do?

North

[encryptedlock]

[There was plenty he had never told anybody but Delta about what exactly had happened on the ship, and even more he hadn't told North in particular about the last time Carolina was here. But even so.]

Just take it easy with her if you get a chance. She probably hates you too.

York

[ol_northy]

I don't really think I'll worry about myself, one way or the other. It's more a matter of keeping the peace, right?

York

[hard_talker]

[words he hadn't dared hope to hear.... and yet the second half of the announcement almost negates the adrenaline rush he'd started to feel at the good news. it was a sobering reminder that she wouldn't remember him, and he knew how close she and York had been. if she'd changed that much... would she still want to help? .... better focus on what he knew was still the same: York]

Fuck. Are you okay?

Mark

[encryptedlock]

No.

[Not even going to try to lie his way through that one. York sighs.]

She got hurt really badly back home. I tried to get her out of a toxic situation, but she interpreted it as me betraying her. She's probably not going to be able to trust anyone for a long time.

York, to end

[hard_talker]

Fuck, fuck, fuck. [this is bad, this is really bad. he sighs]. What can I do, anything?

York

[originalcopy]

[No...Of all the rotten bullshit the castle could pull, not that.]

I... Jesus man, I'm sorry.

[He can't get out there to help. He can only imagine how bad it must be. Even though Tex left him time and again, she never hated him. The idea that she could come back and hate him was, well it was the worst thing he could imagine. And it was happening to York.]

Church

[encryptedlock]

[Now here's an interesting twist of the wrench. York's silent for a while before responding. Church is in a particularly awkward situation because of the whole AI thing.]

This--look, I know this is going to sound weird, but could you do me a favor and try to avoid her if she does come back? She might--

[Ugh, how to explain that she'd do anything to be able to beat Tex, regardless of whether or not Tex is actually here? Up to and including implanting an unwilling AI?]

She's not herself and she's not going to hold back on my friends. Especially if she knows they're my friends.

York

[originalcopy]

I... yeah, I think I can work something out.

[This is such fucking bullshit. Stupid fucking Dead Zone, he should be out there instead of here where he's useless.]

I'll keep out of armor. She won't recognize me that way.

How bad are we talking here?

Should I stash my old body and gear somewhere else bad?

[His room isn't exactly heavy on security.]

this filter

[youfallback]

[She's really not sure of why he's filtering this part of his conversation to her, but as soon as she sees the filter name, her blood runs cold. Maybe he already saw the dogtags and figured out what was going on.

Don't mind Carolina barging right the hell in and not thinking about how doing so might throw more suspicion her way.]

I might what.

York (Hope you don't mind a second thread)

[dontpatr0nizeme]

...

I ran into her. I wasn't sure it was her at first... So I was watching her a while.

She caught me at it.

[Worriedd] Did she hurt you, York?

Wash and of course not

[encryptedlock]

Yeah? She shouldn't hate you. [Not bitter, not bitter....cold turkish coffee on a friggin hot plate bitter.]

I can still walk, if that's what you mean.

York

[dontpatr0nizeme]

York, You're talking to the guy that told her that the Director tortured and broke the Alpha. I'm lucky she didn't do more than call me a liar.

And I think she may be a real threat to Church... Make sure he knows. She knows what he is, even if he won't admit it. She did say she's coming to the castle long enough to fix her equipment if nothing else.