[OPEN]

[dontpatr0nizeme]

Who: The Freelancers and anyone else
What: Nightmares
When: Through the Nightmare plot
Where: The Mother of Invention
Rating: TBD, potential warning for torture or other really bad things, as RvB Freelancer era isn't very nice

This is the Frigate Mother of Invention. The home base of the UNSC's top secret Project Freelancer. As much as the frigate might have been lively before, now it's full of eerily empty echoing halls, windows into the empty blackness of space, and alarms that seem to be going off all too frequent. The training areas have grown a darker, more sinister air. As for the medical areas and the research labs? You really don't want to go there.

[OOC: Okay, there will be specific nightmare threads within this that I'll be linking on the main post and I will put warnings if any of those might be too bad. If you'd like to join in from outside cast, either hit one of those or start a new thread. We'll be tagging around, and I'll link any new threads you might set up.]

Locker Room (York)  |  Ranking Board (South)  |  Implantation Room (Washington) (Warning, not sure how bad this might be)  |  The Director (Carolina)

Comments

Locker Room

[encryptedlock]

[York's in the locker room, sitting on a bench with his helmet off and his head down with elbows on his knees. It would seem strange to anyone looking that the only names on the lockers are of Freelancers that have since died at least that he believes, but in reality all it means is that Wash's is missing. Two pistols are sitting on the bench next to him. One is loaded with the paralyzing paint used in exercises, and the other with live ammunition. Which is which?]

[i_got_this]

[South stalks in and kicks a locker, then swears because yeah, that hurts without armor. She's not quite aware of the one missing locker, but she's at least noticed that York's there.]

What's your problem?

[encryptedlock]

[York looks up at her and frowns. His unconscious mind hasn't quite caught up with this dream yet, so it still seems very strange to him that he's here in the locker room at all.]

Hey, leave the poor locker alone. It never hurt anyone.

[As for her question, he shrugs and gestures to the pair of pistols, not touching either yet.]

Just wondering how deliberate it is to sneak live ammo onto the practice floor.

[i_got_this]

It certainly hasn't helped, either. [she plops herself down and crosses her arms, looking at the pistols as well.]

What? You thinking of getting a little revenge?

[encryptedlock]

Touchy, touchy.

[He frowns as he regards them.]

It was an accident, South. Accidents happen. But revenge against whoever put the live ammo in there in the first place?

[He doesn't say it, because it's as likely to have been the Director as anyone else, and you can't say things against the Director. But he wouldn't mind a little payback.]

[i_got_this]

[South picks one up and passes it back and forth between her hands.]

Still revenge.

So do you think we'd still be calling it an accident if Maine'd hit Texas, like he tried?

[encryptedlock]

[He won't argue that.]

No, see, he was aiming for her. That part wouldn't be an accident. I'd call it stupid though.

[i_got_this]

Director seemed like he'd be okay with it.

[She pops out the magazine clip to see if it's the paint or the bullets, then slides it home and sets it back.] It got him up the board, though.

[She looks over to his locker, then frowns and glances at the rest of the nameplates.] What happened to Wash's locker?

[encryptedlock]

Are you kidding? He'd freak out the minute she was in any kind of real danger.

[York frowns and grabs his temple at that, looking down at the ground again for a few painful seconds. He would--but how does York know that?]

I don't--it should be here. He's still all right, isn't he?

[i_got_this]

Yeah well Maine still got on the board with that stunt. -- and why would he freak out over that? No offense, but he didn't seem at all put out when you got hit.

[She shrugs and leans her back against hte lockers, propping a feet up on the opposite bench.] Far as I know. Not like anyone tells me anything here anyway.

[encryptedlock]

Yes, South. We're all aware that you're bitter about that. Just do well on another mission and you'll be right back up.

Why would he? [He lets go of his head and looks up again, frowning.] I can't really say I know for sure. Just a feeling that I have.

[i_got_this]

[She glares at him with that comment, and pulls further in on herself. She was really hating the fact that she wasn't able to get her armor on; she felt exposed and vulnerable, and that made her tongue sharper than usual.] Not like anyone'd notice.

How'd she get to be so good, anyway? She really a recruit or is she some like, freaking ... Spartan thing?

[encryptedlock]

Whoa, whoa, calm down. Plenty of people would notice, or else why would you care at all? [Really, he didn't see what the big fuss was - but then, York had never had a problem getting his rank back up whenever it had failed. All he had to do was be his usual self.]

Beats me. You know I never saw her before.

[youfallback]

[Carolina at first pauses at the door to the locker room, eyes finding the scoreboard before she enters, reminding herself of that strict space she kept between them at all times. There's no touching, no fraternizing, it's against protocol and with the Director riding her hard-- no, with her failing the Director, she can't take any chances.

Still, she moves to stand next to the closest locker, arms crossed, unknowingly leaning against the locker with her name on it.]

York.

[encryptedlock]

Hey, Boss. [He wants to ask if everything's all right with her, but he knows that's about as likely as the sun rising up to greet them while they're still on the ship.]

You going in for another session already?

[youfallback]

[Nothing's alright, really, that much she can see and feel for herself. She can't quiet the urge to just go and move and do something other than stand around and chat.]

Yeah. I need to. [But she's somehow still standing here, watching him.] York, what're you doing with those?

[She gestures with her head to those pistols sitting next to him.]

[encryptedlock]

[He hesitates for a long moment, unsure of how much to share with her. But she's Carolina; she deserves to know it all. Doesn't she?]

Wondering how we can keep the live ammo out on the field where it belongs. The rebels already want to kill us - why should we have to worry about our own people, too?

[youfallback]

We can't. [Carolina answers, pessimism eating into her. Not if the Di--- No, the Director wouldn't do that to them, no matter what CT said. He wouldn't give them live ammunition to use on the training floor.] It'd mean keeping us unarmed 24/7.

[Which is something she's definitely not comfortable with.]

[encryptedlock]

And that's not acceptable. I know.

[He sighs, setting the pistol down again.]

But I'd settle for keeping it out of exercises they tell us aren't with live ammo.

[youfallback]

Guess we just have to be prepared for the possibility at any point. [She continues to watch him from her place near the door. Honestly, she wants to go sit next to him and reassure him, but that would be fraternizing and strictly against the rules.]

How're you feeling? Eye any better?

[encryptedlock]

Color me excited. [He looks up at her and gives her a brief, humorless grin. He wants her comfort and presence too, but--he'll settle for a conversation.]

It doesn't hurt so much. Still can't see any better out of it, though. I'm going to have to rely a lot more on my equipment on my left side from now on. [Well, and on his teammates.] And on you.

[youfallback]

[Carolina flicks her gaze back toward the window in the locker room and the scoreboard glaring them both down. York dropped down since the exercise but funny how she doesn't think any less of him.]

Just means I've got your six and nine. You get the rest. [Her tone is surprisingly bright, though, despite the slightly macabre nature of her words.]

[encryptedlock]

You do know what six and nine make, right?

[York wiggles his eyebrows, despite the scar. No, he's not talking about fifteen. Pickup lines are important.

Besides, he has full confidence that he'll get back any lost rank during the next mission.]

[youfallback]

[Yeah she's just going to not give him any slack to pull on here.] Fifteen.

[Because she definitely knows what he's implying. She keeps her arms firmly crossed where she's leaning against her locker.]

Think you're up for a training session?

[encryptedlock]

I really got to teach you some alternative math.

[But he'll grin and reach for his helmet anyway.]

I could do that. What have you got in mind? Hand to hand?