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[ He and Delta have been on the run for a few years now- long enough for him to get used to it, long enough for him to grow resigned that maybe it's just them, maybe things didn't turn out exactly like he'd wanted. They're still alive, though, and he tells himself that's something. That's something to look forward to. For the longest time, it is. It's just the two of them, just he and Delta and every so often they stop on a planet for a longer period of time, just to get around, meet some people.

Delta insists on it, anymore, after watching York fall into a depressive slump, and he insists on them stopping every so often, on York getting real, human contact, going out to dinner, doing something to take care of himself.

It's how they hear rumors of people passing through the outskirts of town-- purple armor. York takes note of it, has Delta check the radios and the comms once they're holed up in a hotel for the week, and after getting an idea of where they might be, he goes looking, hopeful. ]

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How long does it take them to deliver?

[ She moves to some empty corner of the room where she can stack up her equipment as she removes the armor plating. ]

[ He has stacked his armor plates next to the couch, and after stretching, takes his seat again on it. They don't get to take that armor off like this very often. It's kind of weird, how wearing it feels normal, and having it off feels too exposed. It's sad, really. A symptom of the kind of lifestyle they're being forced to live.

He plans to pick up the conversation he and York had been having earlier once they have their dinner in front of them. For now it's enough to have a place to sit comfortably and not worry about being watched. He lets himself slouch down, resting his head on the couch back.]

Dinner oughta be here in fifteen, I'd guess. Far as breakfast goes, I set it to nine. That okay?

[ It gives them time before check-out to eat and then get away just in case. It's a good enough window, he thinks, and shucks the rest of his armor with some fiddling, and finds his way back to the other side of the couch, letting South have the bed for the time being. ]

Yeah, that's fine. [ That gave her more time to sleep than they usually got and she'd have a bed this time around. When her armor was completely removed, she eyed her guns momentarily as if to decide whether she should take her pistol with her to the couch before leaving it with the rest of her things. Since York had chosen to sit next to her brother, she went to sit on the edge of the bed. ]

[ He noticed that she was contemplating that and was relieved when she left her weapons with her armor. Right now it was best for all of them to show good faith. They were all in the same boat here, after all, even if his sister didn't believe that. Speaking of which, he hadn't gotten a chance to get York's side of the story. He was going to have to ease into that topic, considering how South had shut it down earlier, but he did want to know. ]

So what about you, man? Any close calls since you've been out on your own?

[ Delta's a faint, amused hum in the back of York's mind at the question. Any close calls? Oh, yeah. Half the time their time on the run is made of close calls, and York knows he owes Delta every last save, for the most part. ]

Here and there. We do okay, but sometimes it ain't easy when you've got all've the UNSC breathin' down the back of your neck, y'know?

'We?' Are you still working with her? [ She didn't need to say a name, her tone made it obvious who she was talking about. ]

South... [ He doesn't say anything beyond that, just giving an ever-so-slight shake of his head. It's not like they haven't argued about this, time after time, in the past. Maybe York will be able to settle this argument between them, once and for all, but as stubborn as his sister can be, he's not really sure York's word on it will be enough. Even if he knows more details than North himself does. All North has to go on is that he knows Tex's character well enough to know what her motivations must have been. ]

[ He bristles, just a little bit, his shoulders drawing a little more tense, lips twisted in an unhappy scowl at that. He knows that South and Tex weren't fast friends of any kind, but for Chrissake. ]

Not right now, but yeah, intermittently. I meant with D.

[ She had to make sure that the bitch wasn't going to be involved with this. She couldn't trust her and that made York even less trustworthy to deal with in her eyes. ] Good.

[ Well, that was enlightening. He clears his throat. Despite the fact that his sister is shutting down the conversation every time there's the slightest hint they may be talking about Tex, he really does want to know what went on. ]

I'm actually interested in knowing how the whole thing got started.

[ That's something he hasn't talked about in ages. York hesitates a moment, relaxing further back into the couch, and wishes idly that he'd ordered something a little stronger, honestly. ]

That's a-- long story. How much do you guys know about what the Director was doing?

Does it matter anymore? [ She didn't see the point in this line of conversation. ]

[ Obviously he thinks it does, or he wouldn't have asked. Clearly he knew which side to choose when it came down to it, but he knew there was information he was missing. And he's never quite felt he'd convinced his sister that they're doing the right thing. Maybe it's a waste of time to try to prove it to her, because she's strong-willed, and stubborn. But, well, if nothing else, knowing the details will help Theta feel better. He'd been worrying about his brothers ever since they'd been forced to take off suddenly they way they had. ]

Only, you know, what we saw going on. I still think about that conversation we had, you know, about whether we were the good guys? I never felt quite sure after that.

Edited 2012-11-04 06:13 (UTC)

[ South was always stubborn to a fault- York didn't think that convincing her was really going to happen, but letting her know the details of it-- why he did what he did, that wouldn't hurt. ]

That's 'cause we weren't the good guys, North. We-- I mean, we thought we were, but the Director was just breaking law after law.

[ She wanted to have one night, just one night where she could relax and talking about this was not her idea of relaxing. She rolled her eyes and flopped back onto the bed. If they wanted to talk about it, then whatever. It didn't change what York and Tex did to them. ]

[ She could check out if she wanted. It'd make it easier to concentrate on the conversation. He kept an eye on the door, though, since dinner was going to be here any time. Though, really, it was more like keep an ear out for anyone hovering near the door. There was no way of knowing what being overheard discussing this might cause. ]

Somehow...somehow, hearing that doesn't surprise me. But how did you know about it? Or how did Tex know?

CT. Connie went digging, found a bunch of information and passed it off to the only person she thought she could trust- Tex, weirdly enough.

He was breaking the Alpha. Remember that whole bit about the creator? That's who the AI meant. What they were thinking about when they mentioned all of this-- it's him. So the Director was breaking it- didn't get the how, don't really want it, but CT found out. Passed the info-

[ York blinks at the sound of the door knock, rolling to his feet in an easy motion, hands shoved into his pockets as he greets the waiter, and keeps the door closed nearly all the way. A few moments later, he's rolling in a cart of delicious smelling food, his stomach growling. ]

[ The food was something she was far more interested in and she sat up to see if she could get at the plate with hers. ]

[ He waits until the door is fully closed again before replying, more concerned at the moment with what he's just heard. ]

So...she knew. That's why she left.

[ York passes her her plate, and turns to North since he is the only one who seems to give a shit, and sighs. ]

Yeah. That's why. Tex showed me- dunno why, outta everyone, but she showed me and we didn't have time to get with anyone else.

And that's supposed to make the rest of us care and automatically forgive you? [ She didn't even see what the big deal was. They needed AI to win the war and how else were they supposed to get them? ]

[ He gave her a pointed look. ] If it was supposed to be automatic, I wouldn't be asking him about it, would I? [ Yes, even he had been wary at first when running into York. Maybe it was habit that let him turn that to trust so quickly, but he had never intended to remain ignorant of what had gone on. He'd been willing to hear something that made him realize he'd made the wrong decision, as unlikely as that seemed.

He leaned forward and reached to gather his plate and drink off of the cart before sitting back. ]

I'm not asking you to forgive me.

[ York cuts her a look, not quite scowling, but he's not exactly thrilled about that either. ]

We did what we had to do with what little we had to do it with. It wasn't like we had a lotta options.

[ She knew she had made the right decision and wasn't interested in whatever excuse York had for what he did. She rolled her eyes at the two of them and started in on her meal. ]

You didn't have to come back to the project and you know it. You could have stayed away.