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Ah -- yeah. Sure.
[ he's not going to. memories of their fake-lives are still there, and he's still having trouble pulling them apart from reality. being familiar enough with anja -- with south -- to have used their first names was part of that. more importantly, though, north's here for a reason, and. he might have a slight inkling of why. thanks anja. south. ]
What's going on?
[ he's not going to. memories of their fake-lives are still there, and he's still having trouble pulling them apart from reality. being familiar enough with anja -- with south -- to have used their first names was part of that. more importantly, though, north's here for a reason, and. he might have a slight inkling of why. thanks anja. south. ]
What's going on?
You really barely know me. But I take that that doesn't matter that much for you -- or for Sylvester.
[ the cat doesn't seem to care either as long as there's nice pets involves. he continues gently scritching sylvester behind one ear, gentle and fond. ]
I would rather avoid the face punching, though.
[ the cat doesn't seem to care either as long as there's nice pets involves. he continues gently scritching sylvester behind one ear, gentle and fond. ]
I would rather avoid the face punching, though.
[ wash won't throw her under the bus to get out of a conversation with north that he doesn't want, but he miiight call on her if he really needs it. but he'll handle it. he likes north, of course he does, he just really doesn't want to talk about that with anyone if he can help it.
he does raise an eyebrow when she describes the shared dreams -- he won't ask about it, because it seems like a shitty thing to ask, but he's going to assume that if they did have a shared dream about north's death that she wouldn't be able to talk about it quite so calmly. ]
I guess I'm glad my fucked up dreamscape was just my fucked up dreamscape.
he does raise an eyebrow when she describes the shared dreams -- he won't ask about it, because it seems like a shitty thing to ask, but he's going to assume that if they did have a shared dream about north's death that she wouldn't be able to talk about it quite so calmly. ]
I guess I'm glad my fucked up dreamscape was just my fucked up dreamscape.
[ She honestly wonders if the only thing that saved her from reliving it with him is that York apparently didn’t interact with the dream he saw at all, just watched. Too stunned to even say anything. It was Carolina and Temple commenting on what they were watching that drew her and North back into reality. ]
Yeah, you should be. I mean, coulda been worse, but— super fucking weird, do not recommend.
I just wanted to check on you. I know a lot has happened to you, and the city decided to show me some of that. I wondered if you maybe would want to talk about it.
[ He adds, almost as an afterthought: ]
And if not, that's okay, too.
[ He adds, almost as an afterthought: ]
And if not, that's okay, too.
[ its years and years of practice that keeps his immediate response from being too obvious, too sudden. it's there, though -- his arms folding loosely across his chest save for the noticeable tension in his shoulders, a certain sharpening to his expression. with anyone else, he'd simply turn them away, and harshly. with north, with the freelancers, it's. different.
he sighs after a moment, turning away, but it's just to break eye contact instead of actually ending the conversation. ]
You know this isn't something I'm given to talk about much, right.
he sighs after a moment, turning away, but it's just to break eye contact instead of actually ending the conversation. ]
You know this isn't something I'm given to talk about much, right.
I do. That's why I gave you the out.
[ He tilts his head with concern. ]
Wash, we can just sit and talk for a while. Doesn't have to be about that.
[ He tilts his head with concern. ]
Wash, we can just sit and talk for a while. Doesn't have to be about that.
I don't like that you saw it. I don't like that anyone did. Talking about that isn't really going to help that.
[ it comes out a little sharper than he means it to be. that he's even willing to answer that much at all other than a flat "no" is a sign of his own progress, and of his genuine trust in north, but. still a sore topic. he sighs again, rubbing a hand over his face. ]
What d'you want to talk about, then?
[ it comes out a little sharper than he means it to be. that he's even willing to answer that much at all other than a flat "no" is a sign of his own progress, and of his genuine trust in north, but. still a sore topic. he sighs again, rubbing a hand over his face. ]
What d'you want to talk about, then?
Why don't we sit down?
[ He goes over to the couch to lead the way. ]
I thought we might talk about what happened when we were all out of our minds and thought we belonged here, too.
[ He goes over to the couch to lead the way. ]
I thought we might talk about what happened when we were all out of our minds and thought we belonged here, too.
Do most people need to know someone well to like them?
[ Maybe they do. What the frell does he know. Humans continually confuse him. Liking people is a novelty for him though, and he's been wallowing in it for a year with no intention of stopping. ]
So would I. You could take me out without breaking a sweat.
[ Maybe they do. What the frell does he know. Humans continually confuse him. Liking people is a novelty for him though, and he's been wallowing in it for a year with no intention of stopping. ]
So would I. You could take me out without breaking a sweat.
Yes.
[ which is not entirely accurate, but look, wash is an incredibly paranoid man. more cautious than most around anyone he doesn't know, and still careful around those he does. he makes a low sound, slightly amused. ]
Not much of a fighter?
[ people who don't look like fighters could still totally kick his ass, okay. ]
[ which is not entirely accurate, but look, wash is an incredibly paranoid man. more cautious than most around anyone he doesn't know, and still careful around those he does. he makes a low sound, slightly amused. ]
Not much of a fighter?
[ people who don't look like fighters could still totally kick his ass, okay. ]
[ What does liking someone have to do with paranoia? ...Crais is both not particularly paranoid and doesn't actually trust anyone.
...Look, it's complicated.
Meanwhile the relative simplicity of that answer and concept behind it confuses him enough for it to reflect clearly on his face.
That face sticks through the rest because: ]
I am a perfectly competent fighter, even by military standards. You have six inches, deep paranoia and presumably armor on me. I'm not stupid.
...Look, it's complicated.
Meanwhile the relative simplicity of that answer and concept behind it confuses him enough for it to reflect clearly on his face.
That face sticks through the rest because: ]
I am a perfectly competent fighter, even by military standards. You have six inches, deep paranoia and presumably armor on me. I'm not stupid.
Nothing that some resourcefulness couldn't overcome.
[ yes he's basically a space marine supersoldier but he was the buttmonkey of the space marine supersoldiers. not as strong, not as fast. he kept up through other means, adaptability, resourcefulness, wits, sheer force of will, but importantly learned to make good use of being underestimated. and in that same vein, is careful about underestimating anyone. ]
[ yes he's basically a space marine supersoldier but he was the buttmonkey of the space marine supersoldiers. not as strong, not as fast. he kept up through other means, adaptability, resourcefulness, wits, sheer force of will, but importantly learned to make good use of being underestimated. and in that same vein, is careful about underestimating anyone. ]
Not if we start this with me punching you in the face.
[ He can plot and plan. He can punch someone in the face. they don't actually go together with him. ]
[ He can plot and plan. He can punch someone in the face. they don't actually go together with him. ]
A scenario wherein my response is to punch you, is inherently separate from a scenario where I need to do 'something'.
[ Look. He. He is aware it doesn't superficially make much sense but that's neither here nor there, just at this moment. Because he's an asshole -- sort of. ]
I know my way around the armor. I also have more resources for equipment than most of the submissives here. If I needed to do 'something' both of those would be useful.
[ Look. He. He is aware it doesn't superficially make much sense but that's neither here nor there, just at this moment. Because he's an asshole -- sort of. ]
I know my way around the armor. I also have more resources for equipment than most of the submissives here. If I needed to do 'something' both of those would be useful.
north knows you killed me now
sorry. i let it slip i died and he wouldn't let it go until i told him
not sure what he's gonna do now
[ The message might read a little stilted and that's because it is, she hasn't got enough energy left after where that conversation went to put any of her usual personality into it. But Wash needs the warning, so she's sending it now as she makes her way back to the building even though she's drained as fuck and kind of wishes she could sleep for the next, oh, decade or so. ]
[ well. that sure wasn't what he was expecting to read.
north realizing the truth of it had been a quiet, creeping fear at the back of his mind. someone would tell him eventually or somehow it'd slip. he'd hoped naively to maybe be the one to break the news, manage to do it in some way that might -- control it better, but since arriving here a thousand things have happened that have caught his attention. reaching this kind of more-awkward-than-uneasy stalemate with south had made it a bit easier to think that it wouldn't be a problem for a while, too. and yet. ]
Ah.
That's not good.
[ welp. ]
north realizing the truth of it had been a quiet, creeping fear at the back of his mind. someone would tell him eventually or somehow it'd slip. he'd hoped naively to maybe be the one to break the news, manage to do it in some way that might -- control it better, but since arriving here a thousand things have happened that have caught his attention. reaching this kind of more-awkward-than-uneasy stalemate with south had made it a bit easier to think that it wouldn't be a problem for a while, too. and yet. ]
Ah.
That's not good.
[ welp. ]
[ wash trails after him a little awkwardly, hanging back just to close the door. it's a little strange interacting with any of them that aren't carolina -- north, york. people he knew so well and yet so much has happened. and then the mess of the dreams, that one week . . . talking it out is probably the right thing to do. doesn't really change that he doesn't entirely want to.
he sighs, kneading a hand over his temples for a moment before he moves to sit down next to him on the couch. ]
It was a pretty shitty week.
-- You got out of it okay?
he sighs, kneading a hand over his temples for a moment before he moves to sit down next to him on the couch. ]
It was a pretty shitty week.
-- You got out of it okay?
nope
"good" news is i distracted him by scaring him half to death so i don't think he's coming to your door right now but
sorry. i planned on coming up with some cover for when i had to tell him i died too but speaking without thinking is kind of my specialty i guess
heading back from there now
[ She really is sorry. She'd been planning on keeping this tightly to her chest for as long as possible, hopefully forever, but unfortunately North can be as stubborn as she is when the mood strikes. ]
Don't apologize. He'd have found out one way or another.
[ he'd dreamt about it sometimes. not killing south -- he dreamed about that plenty, another guilt-driven memory he can never quite rid himself of. but especially back then he'd he'd have the occasional nightmare, north alive somehow, a threatening voice in his ear, i know what you did -- ]
I'll handle it.
What about you?
[ he's asking partially just to distract himself -- there's not that much he can do about what north has just found out, nothing he can do to change it -- but also because south doesn't exactly sound great, and talking to her brother about her own death he imagines would've gone poorly in more ways than just this. ]
[ he'd dreamt about it sometimes. not killing south -- he dreamed about that plenty, another guilt-driven memory he can never quite rid himself of. but especially back then he'd he'd have the occasional nightmare, north alive somehow, a threatening voice in his ear, i know what you did -- ]
I'll handle it.
What about you?
[ he's asking partially just to distract himself -- there's not that much he can do about what north has just found out, nothing he can do to change it -- but also because south doesn't exactly sound great, and talking to her brother about her own death he imagines would've gone poorly in more ways than just this. ]
i guess. still, though. there's better ways.
i'm fine. i can handle my side
[ She is not fine. ]
i knew he'd freak whenever i told him. he's protective
[ Tell the man something he doesn't know. It's not like North's 'take bullets for her' levels of protectiveness in the Project were subtle. ]
i just also made the mistake of telling him i can't exactly blame you for taking the shot by that point. he overreacted
Edited (wording) 2021-11-13 19:12 (UTC)
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