[video]

[kingtyrantranger]

[Oh, hey, seems like someone's finally figured out how to use the camera function on his omnicomm! He's just. Older. A lot older.]

For the record, I blame Gohan and Videl for this. We were just fine until they started jumping and skipping up and down the timeline.

It's pretty obvious what's going on, so let's not have a bunch of people freak out over someone being younger than they should be. Kids, don't do anything stupid. Adults, keep an eye out for the kids. Business as usual. We've been at this for over half a year now, no reason to fuck it up just because the status quo's been shaken a bit.

Comments

[goddamngrenades]

I'm gonna be a dick for half a second and mention that Spartans were most effective in teams.

And then I'm gonna stop being a dick and drop it. You say you're good-

okay. You're good.

[prettycoolguy]

None of you are Spartans.

[ He's quieter, the edge has backed off a bit. This is not an accusation, but an explanation, perhaps a regret. He may have friends in the Legion, he may be close to Wash in particular, but they're not Spartans and there are some things it's unlikely they're going to be able to understand. So many of them have had horrible things happen to them, but their experiences are still so different from his that their sympathy somehow makes him feel broken.

John has known his team for all of his life that matters, and hasn't seen any of them since the attack on Earth. For a moment, he misses them more bitterly than ever. At least Cortana is here, he can feel the sharp and frosty edge of her anger somewhere in his neural interface. She's not a Spartan either, but they also don't need to speak to be united in frustration here. ]

[goddamngrenades]

And I thank god for that.

[ It would've killed them, all of them.

Even Carolina. ]

Between how y'all were trained and the propaganda- even the name of the project? You're myths. Legends. Thing I wanna know though, is this:

Is that how you wanna be forever? Does it make the rest of us less or make what we say mean less because we aren't? Under everything you're still a person. And yeah, none of us know what it's like. We won't ever. But if that's the final criteria to really get you?

I'm happy on this side of the wall, man.

[steelandtemper]

Enough.

[Cortana's broadcasting over the Chief's omnicomm, in case a reminder was needed about the capabilities of an AI partner. And she is mad, all her protectiveness over John giving her voice an edge like a plasma blade.]

What part of "this is over" is too difficult for you, York? You're horrified the Spartans weren't given a choice, but when one tells you to back the hell off, suddenly what he wants doesn't seem to matter. The only reason this conversation is even happening is because a bunch of hacks with the ethics of a Kig'Yar decided we don't get privacy. I would have expected a little better out of people who claim to be on our side.

[prettycoolguy]

[ 'Cortana'.

It's not broadcast. He just says it into the confines of his helmet, for her. She has always protected him, and here she is doing it again. He doesn't like seeing her upset like this on his account, though.

He means a lot of things, just saying her name. He's okay. It's okay. He's grateful. He's worrying about her, just a little. They can let the freelancer go, he doesn't understand but that's harmless.

Cortana. ]

[goddamngrenades]

There's 'being on a side' and 'being friends'.[ the difference between tactics and interepersonal connections- but when a line's been crossed? It's crossed. Shit. He's back to when he first appeared here, Chief stonewalling him from pushing Wash into a talk he's not ready for. ] Friends call out each other's avoidant bullshit-

or their pushy bullshit. Which is what's going on right now with me, you're right. I'll drop it. Sorry.