IT'S A BABY-BONANZA!

[paradisamods]

Good morning, residents! Did you sleep well? You're going to need all the energy you can muster because congratulations: You're parents! Again! The Paradisa Stork has paid some very lucky residents a visit last night, and even moved them to a more kid-friendly environment.

Some of you may already recognize your little bundle of joy and--my, how they've grown! Others will have to get acquainted with their little rugrats. You may not know them, but they certainly know you. By they way? They're bored. And hungry! And they want all the attention you could possibly give them.

It's going to be a long week.

(ooc: Use this as a catch-all post! This will be the only mass post for the Sunny Skies Retreat, so you may use it for any day that you'd like. Feel free to make your own posts and/or sections whenever you'd like!

SECTIONS: BEDROOMS | PLAY ROOM | PETTING ZOO | POOL | GARDENS | THE CASTLE)

Comments

[youfallback]

[It's later in the day when Carolina heads down to get a couple minutes of quiet to gather her thoughts after talking to Church and his daughter. The playroom isn't exactly quiet by definition, but it's a place where she can sit back and blend in unless there's someone who knows her immediately around.

Just her luck, there is someone who knows her in the immediate vicinity of the playroom.

What she's supposed to say, though, she isn't entirely sure. Last time they talked, microwaves got thrown around. So she'll just grab a seat near the perimeter of the room, making sure her hands are subtly visible at every step and not directly approaching the other Freelancer. It's more not wanting to appear as a threat to South rather than any real fear of the woman.]

[i_got_this]

[South notices, and immediately pales slightly, instinctively reaching out to set a protective hand on Piper. She's staying near the twins, her own need to be close to them more than being worried about their welbeing - although she has been doing that much more this year as well.]

[She tries to shift her focus back to the twins, but she's intently aware of Carolina's presence - watching her with her periphery vision, glancing over at any sign of movement.]

[She's tense, unsure of what to do, hoping she won't have to talk to her because what would she say? What could she say?]

[youfallback]

[Carolina does what she can to not outright watch South and her children, instead watching a spot on the wall. Still, she can feel someone's gaze and it's not difficult to figure out who. Both luckily and unluckily, there's not really anyone else in the room for now, so Carolina can at least speak freely.]

I'm not here to hurt them or you.

[i_got_this]

[South watches her, stiffening slightly, but gives a tight nod and helps Payton set a block topper on his tower.]

Good. They're all I have. [It's sharp and spikey, and defensive. She's not sure what to expect, hoping to push Carolina away before the other woman can get too deeply into the issues that trouble her.]

[youfallback]

[All in all, Carolina can identify with that statement, especially after talking to Church. Her only family had never looked for her after she fell off that cliff. Neither, she remembered, had the bit of "family" she had had with her team because York is clearly lying. But her children seem to love her and that'll have to be enough to get her through the next year.

So, she nods, not confirming or denying the statement, and attempts to ask,] How old are they now?

[i_got_this]

[With North in stasis and the lingering abandonment issues from her trip home, she's been clinging to her twins as much as they have been to her. She sets a hand on Payton's head, and he turned to smile at her, and then offer her a block. Despite the anxiety Carolina is causing her, she smiles at her son.]

Two years.

[She pauses, then glances over.] You, uh, you still have -- what was his name?

[youfallback]

Laura and Jack. [Carolina speaks calmly with a slight nod of her head.] She's seven, he's three.

[And they were the only real potential proof of life after the Project that isn't miserable.]

[i_got_this]

You, uh. [She didn't see them here,] They with York?

[She can't help the slight tone of accusation slip in. Once again, South was alone. Even when North was here he wasn't here. The castle once again left her without a partner. She envied Carolina and York, not knowing things were as bad as they were.]

[youfallback]

[Carolina's gaze sharpens at the mention of York, unable to hold in the heat.]

They're with York. [Because of course the Castle had shoved them together once again when things had gone to hell in a handbasket.] I'm not.

[Both in the physical and metaphorical sense.]

[i_got_this]

[South's eyebrows raise at that. Uh oh, trouble in paradise?]

[It almost makes her smile, but she's too bitter to seem at all happy, even about that.]

So ... does that mean he's available?

[Not that she would go after him, but there's a part of her that just wants to hurt the people she perceived hurt her, and while she hadn't had the biggest beef with Carolina when she went home, she still felt betrayed to believe she could actually change anything.]

[youfallback]

[It does hurt to hear. It hurts more to imagine, though; York sharing intimate mornings in bed with South. Telling her how much he loved her. Date nights in nice dresses.

It's enough to make her see only red for a blinding second.]

Is riding coat-tails all you know how to do. [She sends a blazing glare South's direction.] North, me to get my AI and York, Wash to get Delta.

[Carolina snorts with a firm hate.] No wonder you only have the twins.

[i_got_this]

[Oh, right, because South is totally the type to stick around the morning after. Except not. The effect is desired, but the backlash unexpected, and she frowns. She struggles for a moment with her emotions, because she doesn't want to lash out in front of her twins, doesn't want them to feed off of her anger, but Carolina's words sting her like hot pokers.]

I'll take them over every other agent in the project. They won't abandon or ignore me.

--and what the hell do you mean, get your AI?

[She was farther along, but not by that much.]

Hope htis is alright! Please let me know if otherwise and I'll edit! c:

[youfallback]

[Carolina mentally slaps herself for saying that, but she doesn't regret getting angry. It was deserved, right? Her expression goes rigid and cold as she recalls finding the petition for her AI.]

You're a vulture. You pick any scraps you can from anyone who goes down. I was out for less than 24 hours and you were going for my AI.

Looks fine to me!

[i_got_this]

[South pulls one of her twins into her lap, getting cold instead of getting angry. Everyone had made her out to be the bad guy, but she'd seen now how they'd helped tip her on that path. She focuses on the tower and mutters to herself.]

Yeah, well. Maybe that was the only way.

[youfallback]

[Carolina just stares at her, unable to comprehend what just came out of her mouth. It takes less than a moment, though, to permanently cross South of the list of potential allies.]

You did change South, but not for the better.

[i_got_this]

I did what I had to.

[She didn't owe Carolina any explanations, and was now too numb for anger. She just held Piper closer, who squirmed around to hug her back before slipping out and going back to the tower. After a moment, South turned her gaze to Carolina.] Besides, you yourself just confirmed it doesn't matter what we do here, it all goes to shit anyway.

[youfallback]

[South's words are the exact ones Carolina had been thinking when she had taken South's possibility at an AI and it sparks some new guilt on her shoulders. But no, she can't have been responsible, right? ]

I never confirmed it. You're just telling yourself that to let yourself off easy.

[i_got_this]

You can't guilt-trip me, Carolina. I went back too. You didn't change either - you got worse.

[Payton takes a block and toddles over to offer it to Carolina. South stiffens, but she doesn't otherwise react. She glances up at the other woman.] Besides, why would I want Sigma anyway? He was creepy as fu--as all get out.

[youfallback]

[Carolina will never harm a child and she accepts the block with a small nod and half a smile.]

I'm not guilt-tripping you, you're the one letting yourself off the hook of any responsibility.

[As for Eta and Iota, she just. Won't talk about them. Ever.]

[i_got_this]

Don't think you know me at all.

[Her tone is soft, and she turns slightly, closing off from Carolina. Once the AIs started coming out and getting assigned, once CT defected, South felt herself pushed away and falling from the rest of them. They didn't know anything - none of them had even attempted. North was too busy with Theta, Carolina had her whole beef with Texas. She'd felt very much alone, back home, and it's made her doubt the others' motivations, here.]

[youfallback]

I tried and you gave up.

[Carolina can see, though, that she's not likely going to get anything productive out of this conversation, not that she had come looking for this conversation in the first place. Still, she came here to get some quiet, not to get attacked, so she'll go back to being quiet, turning her gaze away from South.]

[i_got_this]

[South tried to ignore her, but her Carolina's last words stuck in her and detonated like a grenade. Tried? When had she ever tried? They may have come to a civil understanding at one point but she never got the impression Carolina had tried. Certainly not for her sake.]

Just keep telling yourself lies, Carolina, I'm sure you'll start believing them soon enough.

[Piper's about given up on the tower, and crawls into South's lap. Payton's intent on building the next great skyscraper. South situates Piper, and encourage Payton.]

[youfallback]

I could say the same to you. [And is sort of saying it anyway in a roundabout way. She keeps her gaze settled on the wall, just as still as ever.]

[i_got_this]

I've stopped caring about your opinion.

[She'd put so much stock into it earlier, it was hard when Carolina had some back, and the trip home had further devastated her. Add to that her death and she's finding very little reason to trust anyone.]

[youfallback]

You've stopped caring about anyone but yourself. [Carolina snorts back with a roll of her eyes. That much had been clear since their first conversation after her own return.]