nine :: I fucking hate cats

[i_got_this]

[The journal's flipped open in a hurry, pages crumpling at the edges as the owner grips it tightly with shaking hands. For a few moment there's just a series of noises, vaguely human groans and grunts.]

[After a moment, there's shuffling, and then large, shaky handwriting;]

Agent South Dakota
Status: red
Location: NW grounds
SEND HELP

Comments

[i_got_this]

[Yeah, maybe she should get a dog.]

[She's somewhat surprised that York and Carolina are being so accommodating, considering how troublesome she's been. Considering ... the future.]

[She looks curiously at Carolina, since no one had really told her what happened to Maine. Her wording catches South a little oddly. Hold Maine? Were they trying to hold her?]

[Which reminds her; now that she's a little calmer there's some information she needs to pass on about the experience, as much as she doesn't want to revisit it.]

oh, by the way. it looks human now. fucked up, but human.

[encryptedlock]

[Hey, he owes her for the birthday party. And besides, this South hasn't shot anyone in the back yet. Maybe if they actually try to support her, she won't end up going down that path anyway.

It's not like there's anyone else here to help her.]

Really? Color me thrilled. Kind of Frankenstein-looking?

[He can only imagine, if it has a bunch of mismatched body parts.]

[dontpatr0nizeme]

[Have a quiet knock at the door. Wash wasn't finding much of anything, and Carolina wanted him to come back for safety.] It's Washington, reporting in.

[youfallback]

[Carolina pulls on her helmet before nodding to York in a silent cover South, just in case the cat's taken Wash's voice. That would be just what they don't need right now.

Regardless, she doesn't take long to answer the door and as she pulls it open, she mentally checks what she knows about him: his body language, posture, height, it all checks out. She steps back and pulls the door the rest of the way open, gesturing with her head toward the inside of her quarters.] Come on in, Wash. What's your status?

[i_got_this]

[South types out a reply to York, inbetween careful drinks of the alcohol. It was doing wonders to settle her nerves, at least, and helped her talk about the experience without freaking out any more than she already had.]

something like that, hard to tell. thought it was just another person until


well

[She glances up sharply at Washington's entrance, tensing slightly in response to Carolina's reaction, but when Washington checks out, she types him out a reply for Delta to translate through her helmet.]

please tell me you shot the bastard

[encryptedlock]

[York will be monitoring the alcohol usage, but it's times like this when booze is far more of a help than a hindrance. South isn't going to be any use to anyone, especially herself, if she's panicking too hard to focus.]

Six said it was quick, bloodless but a complete shock. And that it pretty much vanished afterward.

[He nods at Wash as he comes in, hoping to hear any more detail the other Freelancer might have.]

[dontpatr0nizeme]

I'm green, but it was gone, South. I'm sorry. Would have put a bullet in it if I saw it.

No signs.

[youfallback]

[Carolina secures the door behind Wash and takes a certain level of comfort in having all of them under one roof, not unlike a hen having all her chicks in one place. She listens carefully to all of them, shaking her head.]

So there's no sign of where it vanished to.

[i_got_this]

[South absently taps the side of the keypad as she looks from one Freelancer to another. She wasn't going to be able to relax entirely until that thing was caught, and having them here to watch over her was the only thing keeping her from a full on panic attack.]

[That thought alone was sobering enough, and not one she'd ever admit, but for a moment she holds onto it in her own little way.]

[Finally, she types out a reply to York's comment, her hands shaking slightly as she recalls what happened in more detail, trying to get them to understand.]

dont know what six lost. wasnt 'quick' for me.

[Or, at least, her recollection of it was dragged out in horrifying detail, surprise turning to sheer terror and not being able to do anything about it.]

[encryptedlock]

Appreciate it, Wash. What do you guys say we set up overlapping watch tonight?

[Not that Carolina's room is particularly unsafe, but, well. It got Six in her room. No use taking any chances.

He nods at South's words.]

You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. We just need to know what we're dealing with so we can get it back for what it did.

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Sounds fine with me, York.

The Spartan lost an arm according to the journal, South. That's what it's capable of.

[youfallback]

Overlapping watch works. 4-hour rotations starting at 2000. Everyone should put up their motion trackers too if they haven't already.

[Carolina nods with an efficient bob of her head before glancing back to South.] You don't need to, South. We've got your back on this.

[i_got_this]

[Washington's comment gets what she'll have to pass as a derisive grunt; she already knows what it's capable of.]

[At Carolina's outline of the watches, South tightens her jaw and types out a reply without looking up.]

i want to. can't sleep anyway.

[encryptedlock]

Sure. There'll always be someone overlapping with you so you're not alone.

[He looks at Carolina for confirmation; it isn't actually his call, but he wants to reassure South that they've got her back. But until then....]

Is there anything we need from outside or are we already good for the evening here?

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Understood boss.

I need to go check on the Pokemon in my room, if I've leave. So that it doesn't get into too much trouble.

[youfallback]

[Carolina nods to both York and Wash, albeit when she nods at Wash, she adds,] But I'd like you to come back. We might be able to defend ourselves better in a group.

/not sorry

[i_got_this]

[Wash has a what? She looks at him blankly, before turning her attention to the keypad and just experimenting with some dirty words to distract herself from the weirdness of the whole evening. The attack, the cat, the inability to speak, everyone seemingly actually giving a shit about her for once.]

mother fucker

stupid cunt

shit face

cum guzzling

[encryptedlock]

What--tell me you're just practicing there.

[She doesn't look like she's any more pissed off than she was a minute ago. Maybe she's just being South.]

You want to go now, Wash? Or in a few? And if you need an escort, you know I got your back.

[dontpatr0nizeme]

I'll be fine on my own, York. Really. You two stay with South.

And trust me, I'll be back. [Quieter, to York] I just have to be sure to leave them in my rooms with plenty of food because I don't want to upset South with the pet that isn't a Pokemon.

[youfallback]

[Carolina glances between the two of them and then back at South again before nodding. As long as they're all under one roof sooner rather than later, she'll be fine with Wash leaving.]

I'll get a guest room set up for you, Wash.

[i_got_this]

[The funny thing about losing her tongue meant that Soth found herself with a lack of attention to one entire sense that she could focus into others. She raised her brows at York and Wash, overhearing their exchange and not quite catching the meaning, typing quickly and ignoring mistakes.]

waht other ome?

[encryptedlock]

[Right. He has a cat. Not something York wants to mention to South right now.]

More than one pet. Now me, I didn't get to keep my Pokemon. It was actually a pretty cute puppy thing. Were you around for that?

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Thanks boss, I'll be back.

More than one pet. Nothing you need to worry about, South. I just don't want to clutter up these quarters with extra animals unnecessarily, once they've been fed. My secondary security should be fine to keep things out...

[Turning to the door.]

[youfallback]

[Carolina nods, appreciating the fact that none of them wants to trip over any animals if the cat were to break into her quarters.] Doesn't look like it's going after animals, either. Just people.

[i_got_this]

[Souths calms a little bit. Yes, she'd probably kick anything that got underfoot, and intentionally if it were a cat.]

great. tell fido and fluffy they can rest easy tonight.