Voicemail

[goddamngrenades]

You have reached the voice mail system of FOXTROT 12.

When you are finished recording, just hang up or press pound for more options.

To request a locksmith, press one.

To hear these options in Spanish, press dos.

To send a verbal confirmation of a written command, press three.

To send a written confirmation of a verbal command, press four.

For delivery options, press five.

To page this person, press six.

To locate your nearest operator, press seven.

To leave a call back number, press eight.

To repeat this message, press nine.

Press zero for other options.

To mark this message as urgent, press eleven.

Thank you for calling, have a nice day.

BEEP


Comments

Day 166; Mid-Morning - Text;

[pastdoesntdefine]

Hey.

[..well, it's a start.

She hasn't spoken to him since the two days of dreaming. Hasn't known what to say about it. Doesn't know that there is anything to be said. But this...this is important.]

There's a second you here.

Re: Day 166; Mid-Morning - Text;

[goddamngrenades]

Don't get attached. I told you what happened to the last set.

166, afternoon text

[pain_train]

No one bothered to tell me that North's sister is a raging asshole.

Re: 166, afternoon text

[goddamngrenades]

Yeah well...don't speak ill of the dead and all that. I guess you met her and she was...her.

Day 166 | Afternoon | Text

[bothbarrels]

I know you told South that when things get worse you'd put her out of her misery, so I just want to ask you, when that time comes, I don't want to know about it. Or be told anything about it. I trust you understand what I mean.

Day 166 | Afternoon | Text

[goddamngrenades]

I wasn't planning on it. There are some things you just don't share.

168, text

[pain_train]

Hey York do that encryption thing I don't know how to do I need to ask a favor.

Re: 168, text - 100% encrypted

[goddamngrenades]

aaand done. What's up Buttercup?

Day 167 | Late evening | Text

[logicunlocked]

[ The message comes in from Carolina's network ID, but it's clear from the content that it's not from her. ]

Hey. I know you weren't keen to hear from me at all. And I don't blame you, I really don't. But it's not like they took a rubber stamp and made a copy of you, okay, I'm someone else completely and I just have something I want to say so my memory here isn't a complete waste.

I don't know what your history with your timeline's version of Carolina is like. I didn't ask, 'cause I know it's not really my business and I don't like to pry. But back in mine we were kind of on the edge of being romantically involved. Most of it was her sense of duty, you know. I don't think it really would have happened unless the war ended. And she was the same Carolina you know, strong and smart and...good leader, good everything. I won't say she was perfect because god knows there's no such thing but it was close enough for me.

I'm not going to ramble on. I started to, typed a bunch of stuff about it but what it all boils down to is be grateful, man. She's here, she's alive, and she's still herself. I had to watch Kappa and Digamma turn her into something I didn't even recognize by the end because their apathy and their hopelessness broke her down so completely.

- Sorry but fuck the Director and everything he ever built. To keep going until that's all the technology they had left and then give it to the top agent? What a waste.

Anyway, point is. Your Carolina never had to go through that. She still understands that life is precious and that it's something she shouldn't throw away. The fact that she's still around and still strong - it's something to be really, really grateful for and not take for granted. If I knew I was going to be sticking around...

Well, like I said. I don't know what your relationship has been like. I just want to say that if things during the Project were similar to what they were for us- You have a chance now. I know, it's probably more complicated than that, but just keep it in mind.

That's all.

Day 167 | Late evening | Text

[goddamngrenades]

1 - you have shit timing and I kind of hate you for this.

2 - how did you get these glasses what did I say about staying away from them and what's going to happen to you, do you really want to put them in that position again

3 - no seriously I hate you there is no way in hell that's happening because my love life, such as it is, is such a clusterfuck it isn't even funny. I'd be laughing at the timing of this message if it weren't so fucking sad, see point 1.

4 - Do not nudge her in the same way it is so fucking unfair. She lives, dude.

We don't.

We never do.

Text - Encrypted, Day 167

[petitions]

[She's had some time for things to really sink in, and they've left her numb and unfeeling. Knowing what's coming has taken the fight from her. Normally, in a situation like this, she'd go to North for comfort, here? He was anything but. Then there were the cryptic things he and his girlfriend had told her.]

[Her vices didn't bring her any comfort, either. As she's sitting in the dark in some hotel room, a stranger asleep next to her. she pulls over his data pad and fires up a text message. Waiting like this was wearing her down, and she's starting to think it'd just be better to cut to the chase.]

[Her hands shake as she types out the message. This feels wrong, but nothing feels right anymore. Waiting just gave her the chance to dwell on all of it.]

NY

sick of waiting. just get it over with.

SD

[She includes directions to a nearby alley and a timestamp, then tosses the datapad back on the table and starts getting dressed.]

Text - Encrypted, Day 167

[goddamngrenades]

It's been one day. One. What the hell?

Day 170 | Morning | Text

[logicunlocked]

[ Once again this text comes in from a registered address—York found a public access cafe and bought a cup of coffee in order to be able to dash off his message. ]

Hey. It's York. Pretty sure it's started. Unless they put something in the food here that makes you urp up soap.

Day 170 | Morning | Text

[goddamngrenades]

...okay that's new. Got a preference for where or dealer's choice?

day 170 | late in the night | text

[ghostthatlingers]

safe house. do you have one you don't mind me staying in for a few days?

Re: day 170 | late in the night | text

[goddamngrenades]

How comfy you wanna be?

Day 171 | Evening | Text

[bothbarrels]

Have you seen or heard from Wash lately?

Re: Day 171 | Evening | Text

[goddamngrenades]

...shit. I thought he needed space but- no. No I haven't.

Day 169, Action

[250mhzwabl]

In the end, coming to see him in-person had really been the only option.

Much as he loves the network, Foxtrot knows its failings as much as anyone. No one has to respond who doesn't want to. No one has to video back, or even speak back, if they don't want to. And even if he's lucky, and York will respond to him in realtime, there's still that endless, airless gulf between them that he doesn't want in the way. Distance means things left to chance, and knowing what he's sure he knows now, he doesn't want to take any more risk than he already has.

More than a week of silence since they woke up. More than a week of distance already, and the more he thinks of that, the more Foxtrot knows that he's doing the right thing, standing in front of York's door.

Even if his stomach is so knotted-up that he wonders if he'll be sick before someone opens it.

Re: Day 169, Action

[goddamngrenades]

A week full of trying to put out fires he'd started, rebuild bridges he'd cut ropes to, and he hadn't really been able to keep track of everything. Looking back on it he's ashamed that he hasn't said- well anything at all to Foxtrot after they'd woken up.

Then the clones.

Then what the clones BROUGHT.

He'd rather hide. Wait till it was over. Deal with everything then. And he's braced for someone else from back home when he opens the door- but it's just Jack. His shoulders slump, his smile goes wide and he offers him a hand. "Jack! Hey, jesus man I meant to call you. Things got kinda...hectic. Sorry."

Day 171 | Evening | Text

[alaspooryork]

[It's been bothering him ever since yesterday, but this was the absolute earliest he could arrange to be away from Loki for a little bit. And he's planning to go back immediately after, because he can't leave Loki alone after losing Juti like that, and yet--knowing the same thing had happened to the other York is making Delta feel sick. And he can't see himself being very good at offering comfort when he's feeling terrible himself, so.]

Are you busy?

Re: Day 171 | Evening | Text

[goddamngrenades]

No, what's up?

day 173 | late night | text

[ghostthatlingers]

Still alive and home. Thought I'd give you an update.

Re: day 173 | late night | text

[goddamngrenades]

I appreciate it. Any news or just same old same old?

Day 179, Night - Text

[250mhzwabl]

Hey handsome.

How do you feel about getting an early start on paying off that data debt?

Day 179, Night - Text

[goddamngrenades]

Depends, what you need Foxy boy?

Text - Day 184 - light encryption

[post_proelia_praemia]

we still need that drink. compare notes, find out who had the worse enemy.

Text - Day 184 - light encryption

[goddamngrenades]

Gimme a time and a place, man, I am down. I'll aslo bring pudding.

Day 188 | Very late | Action

[bothbarrels]

He comes in late. Very late. He comes in after searching even though he knows searching is a waste of time. Not with Theta's glasses pinging a dead signal. Not with their connection over the communication chips completely closed.

He drives Theta to work with him. Every day. And brings him home again. Every. Day. And today Theta disappeared in the middle of the work day and North didn't notice until his shift was over. Made the mistake of thinking Theta would be safe on base while he went out on patrol.

He'd made this mistake every day, and now he's paying for it. And Theta had been taken, just like South had been taken. Every success he achieves under the Dome leads to a very targeted failure and he can't stand it. Feels like he's going to fucking explode. What do they want from him? Why are they trying to crush him?

So maybe things have been weird between him and York lately—they've been shaking hands a hell of a lot more than they've been engaging in any other kind of contact, which is understandable. But York's still his best friend—after Theta, and that thought makes him want to sob—and right now he needs his best friend.

It doesn't matter how late it is. He doesn't even know how late it is. He just knows that if he asks for York's help it'll be given to him.

He's agitated as he knocks on York's bedroom door. A hand grips the door jamb and he works his jaw, locking it and unlocking it. And he waits for a response.

Day 188 | Very late | Action

[goddamngrenades]

He's up as soon as he hears someone outsidethe door, pulling it open on the second knock. It would've been the first if he hadn't gotten tripped up over the blankets- being cold sucked ok? Okay. He blinks, bleary eye'd and tense for a moment- Most people that lived in the house would just let themselves into his room. Someone trying to kill him wouldn't knock.

But it's North. It's north and he looks rough and he doesn't say a damn thing, just reaches up to hook a hand around the back of his neck and haul him into a quick hug. Whatever it is? it's bad.

"S'aright. I'm here. What do you need?"

[action kind of, evening 189]

[complicatedliar]

[After thinking about it, Loki decides to let York have the yarn. It would make Delta feel better if the two of them were on good terms again, at the least.

Loki's already won, in a way. Delta's with him. He needs to be secure in that fact.

And it might do York some good as well, to reconcile likewise with Delta. Though he still doesn't know if he cares at all about that. He still feels so very ambivalent about everything, which he supposes is better than angry and depressed.

He leaves the yarn in a plain box addressed to York, on the doorstep.]

[text, morning 190]

[goddamngrenades]

Thanks.

Day 194

[tactical_alert]

[The past few days, it's been mild. Small actions. The urge to want York happy. Clean a little more than usual, cook a little more. Tidy, clean, everything just so, and perfect for his boyfriend. Maybe tunelessly humming to himself, seeming content. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Right. Exactly. And what's so wrong about cuddling up to his boyfriend and giving him a little peck on the cheek? Absolutely nothing. Malcolm settles in with a sigh and some light reading. What is he reading? Wedding magazines. He'll never tell. There might be all of five minutes of this peace before:]

What do you think of children? Having them of your own, I mean. Having a family to call your own. Ever thought about it?

Day 194

[goddamngrenades]

[ The extra ffection, the extra attentiveness? Has been nice. Not the same sort of affection and shit that the compliance does for mal, nope, just. Him being sweet.

The cooking and cleaning on top of Drew already doing that though? Really fucking weird. He's not sure how to handle that. So he may or may not have taken up knitting a little more often, click click clicking his way through a new skein of yarn every few days, at least till Mal sits and snuggles and it's just- that's fine. it settles him.

Kids, though? Have his needles clicking again. ]

Um- kids? I- well I did a little back home in that 'now is not the time' cuz. Space marines. And having my own family...yeah. I wanted that.

Day 193, morning

[bothbarrels]

He'd come in late the night before, recent events heavy on his mind, and ended up crashing out on the couch. He had no desire to spend the night in the room he had shared with Theta and spent such happy times with Wrath.

He awakens early and turns on his back and just watches the sunlight as it shifts. It's a while later when he hears someone on the stairs. It's not until he's sure that it's York that he speaks.

"We broke up," he says without preamble.

Re: Day 193, morning

[goddamngrenades]

"...like just now? Cuz I thought that sorta happened awhile ago." Not hearing about Wrath for awhile, not noticing North talking about her or him being so caught up in work- he figured she left the hospital and things kinda drifted. Made sense to him.

But, shit, empathy, come on man. He settles on the nearest armchair and reaches out to rub his shoulder. "That's rough. What happened?"

Day 250 | Evening | Text

[bothbarrels]

You probably heard about the bombing. I don't know how late I'm going to be here. Need you to put the dog out tonight.

Day 250 | Evening | Text

[goddamngrenades]

Oh so NOW texts go through, jesus christ. I was on the other side of the dome on beat when that went down, was put on keeping people out of the surrounding sectors so you could get it worked out but I couldn't get a damn thing through and are you okay is anyone dead is maine okay what the fuck happened