York's Interdimension Basket of Washes

[notyourrookie]

York is done with this. Every Wash needs a comfy, happy and most of all, not horrifying and trauma-inducing space where they can feel safe. A place where the horrors that inevitably await them in their own universes cannot intrude.

And York will provide. Even if he has to drag them across universes to do so.

Comments

[depthlesslock]

That is a question he would love to answer, but he has no clue who Nic is. Or Miles, for that matter. Is he Miles? Wash certainly seemed to think so, but it seems strange that his counterpart wouldn't share his real name. Unless Wash was mistaking him for someone else? But he wouldn't have reacted like that if he didn't recognize him, right? So that means that not only does his counterpart have a different real name, but he's told Wash what it is.

'I don't know, sorry,' he admits as they get out of the room. 'But I'm sure he's safe. Are you gonna be alright?'

[churbooseanon]

"No," David whispers. "No I'm not. Just... take me home. Please, love, I just want to go back to sleep and..."

Well, when he says 'never wake up' his boyfriends get very concerned. "Can I borrow Delta tonight? Just to make the dreams go away? He's good at interrupting him. Though I guess Theta is better at making them happy."

[depthlesslock]

"Love"? Okay, this is... complicated. And that talk about Delta and Theta. That's got to be them as AIs, right? Humans wouldn't be able to make dreams happy. God, that's weird that they can do that. He keeps forgetting the AIs were integrated the agents' brains.

So this Wash is from a world a bit more similar to Other Wash's than this one. And has really bad nightmares? Definitely poor guy.

'I... Okay, please don't freak out. I'm not Miles. Or I am, I think, maybe. I'm York, but my real name isn't Miles. You fell through a portal, that's what the glowy thing was, and this is like an alternate reality-slash-universe thing. I promise I'm not going to hurt you.' He loosens his grip so Wash can get out more easily if he wants.

[churbooseanon]

It sounds like miles and looks like Miles and yet there is total bullshit coming out of his mouth.

"It's not April, and it's not funny," David warns him, his voice low and not quite a growl. Not too much of angry Maine or Omega in it. They aren't even all that prominent in his memories, so they aren't easy to tap. "Don't lie to me, Miles. Tell him it isn't funny, D."

[depthlesslock]

York sighs, running his fingers through his hair with his free hand. 'Yeah, Delta's not... in my head. He's an AI in your world, right? He's human here, they all are. Look, you can t-sheck the back of my neck if you want, I don't have the - what are they called again? - neural implants.'

Please don't let this go too badly.

[churbooseanon]

It's official. He has finally lost it. This is true insanity.

David shakes his head and pushes York away from him.

"Stay away from me. You're not York. You're a liar!"

[depthlesslock]

He lets him go without any resistance and sighs. This is what he'd been worried about, now it's a matter of trying to convince him of the truth.

'I am York. Just not your York. This is another world, I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it's true. And I'm a terrible liar, you should know that.'

[churbooseanon]

This is beyond crazy

"Stop," he pleads. Why do people keep hurting him? "I want Nic. Where is Nic?"

[depthlesslock]

He keeps his distance, though he's aching to comfort this version of his friend.

'I don't know who Nic is, I'm sorry,' he says. 'Is he one of the... Freelancers? We haven't got onto first name basis here.'

[churbooseanon]

David can't help but feel exasperated to hear that voice ask that question.

"He's our boyfriend," he reminds York, voice sharp. Because already it's Miles again at his side, being stupid. When was Delta going to step in?

[depthlesslock]

'"Our"?' he repeats, unable to help himself. There's a universe where he's got two boyfriends. Nice. But who would the third... oh. 'Holy shit, it's North, isn't it? You, me, well Miles-York, and North.' Oh wow.

[churbooseanon]

David nods slightly. "We don't use those anymore, remember? Because we're hiding. PFL wants what's in my head. Florida wants to kill us. See? Just use my name. We use names, Miles. Even Delta uses our names."

Their fourth, in a lot of ways.

"This... isn't home?"

[depthlesslock]

So Project Fucked Up is a thing in that world. And what's in his head... Epsilon. Or his memories at least. Has to be. ...Maybe this is a world a lot like Other Wash's, only that York and North went back for Wash, they escaped together and formed a threeway relationship. Plausible.

Florida after them though. That's fucking terrifying.

'I'll call you David if you want, but I'm still not Miles. This is... yeah, it's not your home. The planet's called Adaptive. Not sure if you'll know of it or not.' Other Wash had never heard of it before.

[churbooseanon]

Well... that news means one of two things. Either this is a full psychotic snap, which he isn't discounting, or something has actually happened. Either way this isn't a memory. And when it isn't a memory it's... easier.

David stands a little straighter, walks with a little more confidence. "So, if this isn't the middle of an overwhelming war against Covenant forces and you aren't Agent York of Project Freelancer, why do you have a SPARTAN Mark VI helmet?"

[depthlesslock]

At least he's not calling him a liar or on the verge of tears anymore. Looking a bit more confident and a bit more like the other two Washes who could have him pinned to the wall by a knife in his hood if they wanted.

'Because I'm York, also knows as the Thief of the For Hires, a mercenary group based on a planet that has toxic clouds that will kill you in seconds. Everyone here has helmets to filter the air. Mine's a standard Charon Mark VI, and I know the designs overlap a lot. Though I think mine would be a bit small for a Spartan.'

[churbooseanon]

"It's a smaller, female SPARTAN design," Wash notes. "It's based on the same style and... Wait... Is the war here too?"

He's not ready to fight. He doesn't have his armor, and the EMP's been stripped from it, and he doesn't have Epsilon. David knows he can fight, and he's not bad, but he's also not good enough to go without the armor while he's still got Epsilon-splinters in his head. They just won't crystalize into those moments of clarity anymore.

"And... I'm guessing from your shock, you're not involved with another me, or North, or Delta here."

[depthlesslock]

'The war between the Spartans and... Cov-- Covenant? Thankfully, no. But a Spartan fell through the portal you just came through several months ago so she told me about it.'

It sounds like he's finally starting to believe him. Or at least consider the possibility that York isn't lying.

'We're not. I mean, we're friends, good friends. Actually, the you in this world is my best friend. But we're not together together. ...Wait, Delta too? How is that possible?'

[churbooseanon]

"Direct neural stimulation of sensory processing, leading to the artificial creation of sensations ranging from direct release of hormones that register as pleasure, to phantom sensations across your skin. There is also a degree of mental possession, where either Miles melts into Delta a bit, allowing active sharing of physical sensations that Delta processes through Miles's brain, or Miles stepping back mentally and Delta overtaking active control of the body, complete with the sensations it receives," David explains.

Well, really, it's relaying Delta's verbatim 'simplified' explanation to him not too far back. "We're teaching him about human concepts such as love, lust, and pleasure. He's... a very eager student and partner to us all."

[depthlesslock]

Oh.

Holy shit.

'That's uh... Fuck, I don't even know how to respond too that.' Other Wash told him he and Delta shared a mind which took enough getting his head around as it was, and now this Wash is telling him Delta could also manipulate and even control his body. That's a whole other level. Several levels. 'That's some serious sci-fi shit right there.'

And Delta was getting in on the relationship? Damn. Little green fragment making a life for himself apparently.

[churbooseanon]

"Theta doesn't want involved, and Nic glares at us whenever we talk to... adultly for the little guy," David provides.

Not that he operates under the illusion that Theta can't dish it out. He knows Theta well enough to know he picked up quite a bit from South.

[depthlesslock]

God, it's so weird hearing him use real names like that. Though he has to wonder if Nic is North's real name here, since his isn't Miles.

'Yeah, that makes sense. Theta's like twelve here, and I heard he's quite t-shildlike even as an AI.' And North's so protective.

[churbooseanon]

"He's not a child," David says immediately, his voice hard. Theta isn't. He's been through too much, knows too much. Hell, they all have and do.

[depthlesslock]

'I said "t-shildlike",' he defends. 'And I'm going off what someone else told me, I've never met him myself. The AI version of him, that is. They're human here and he's definitely a t-shild.'

[churbooseanon]

David ignores the comment. This isn't his York. York would understand. He would know. The question is how he's supposed to get home. If he isn't there how does he protect his lovers? They'll worry about him too much.

"Where are we going?" he asks abruptly. make a plan.

[depthlesslock]

'We're going to get you a helmet,' he says. 'The clouds are low at the moment, and if you're gonna be here for any time, you're gonna need one.' They'll try and get the portal capable of reversing the teleportation as soon as possible, but for now...