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[encryptedlock]

[York is out in the graveyard today, somewhat predictably given recent circumstances. Three graves have fresh flowers on them today: his own, with a single yellow rose, Sister's, with a yellow-and-blue chrysanthemum arrangement, and Kat's, with pale blue winter roses. He speaks aloud to the grave, though the journal also picks it up.Shitty that

Comments

[loisfuckinglane]

[Oh... crap. Lois was hoping no one was out here. Maybe they didn't see her. She tries to wheel around on her heel and head back out of the graveyard--]

[encryptedlock]

[He looks up, but it's not with any real enthusiasm. While he'd heard that "Lois" was the one who'd been possessed, he hadn't actually been in control of himself during the episode except for a brief moment that had mostly consisted of observing dead bodies and blanking out until he was out and Washington was out and he was more concerned with getting his alive friend to safety.]

Room for everyone. Don't let me crowd you out.

[loisfuckinglane]

If you're sure. [But she does sound... grateful, and takes a step closer to look over the graves.]

It's her birthday today?

[encryptedlock]

[He nods and tries not to sound too bitter when he talks.]

Would be 23, if birthdays here actually counted. Still not sure they do. Never thought of Spartans as younger than me.

[loisfuckinglane]

I think they count so long as someone's counting.

[encryptedlock]

Fair enough. Kids don't seem to age, but early twenties who's to say?

[She wouldn't have made it to 23 back home, he knows that much. Details of Spartan missions were classified, but he knew by now that MIA meant for Noble Team.]

Wonder what I ought to get her.

[loisfuckinglane]

I'm thinking you might want to go a step up from 'fruitcake'.

[encryptedlock]

Still better than MREs. You have no idea.

[Military people can always joke about food. It's the one constant, no matter where you are.]

[loisfuckinglane]

Actually? Army brat. I've gotten the chance to sample them before, so I know you're not kidding.

[encryptedlock]

[That gets a smile, though it has to come through in his voice and posture more than expression.]

Right? I mean, if there's one thing to appreciate about this place, it's that there's always real food around.

--If there's two things, it that at least some people get to go back to timelines that don't have aliens trying to wipe out the human race.

[loisfuckinglane]

Aliens? [That'll earn you a ... weird uncomfortable look, if only because Lois' personal experience with aliens is ummmmm on a very different level.] Do you know where they're from?

[encryptedlock]

[Don't get him started on how lucky you all are that the aliens aren't uniformly against your timeline.]

High Charity's the capital. Sangheilios was the Elites' planet. But all we ever really knew was how good they were at taking a human colony planet, giving them no warning, and killing everyone, finishing it off by burning away the oceans and plasma-glassing the surface.

[loisfuckinglane]

... They really don't pull any punches, do they?

[encryptedlock]

[He shrugs.]

They tell me the war eventually ends, but--well, Kat here doesn't live to see it, for one.

[loisfuckinglane]

Does she know that?

[encryptedlock]

That it ends? First thing I told her.

That she doesn't make it? [pause] Never telling her that.