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

[notyourrookie]

"What I remember, is a stupid kid who was too blinded to see when things went bad, and who thought he mattered to people a hell of a lot more than he did. If I'd been better... if I'd been more useful..."

He shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. He died with Epsilon."

[churbooseanon]

"He didn't," David counters. "Because you know what? The Wash you think you are wouldn't have time or compassion for me. Wouldn't have cared to discuss what we'd been through. But David..."

No, maybe he's not named David. "But that 'kid' you were, you still are. I know it."

[notyourrookie]

"I'm not David. Not anymore. Not for a long time." He hates being called that these days. It feels too personal. Even in the Project, no-one had known that. "You're different. You understand. Sort of."

[churbooseanon]

"You're still David. Because if you aren't... well, I guess that means he won," David assures him. "But you're more removed from everything. I'm not. I saw David in the mirror months ago. For you it was, what, years? I'm close to him. I can see him better in you."

[notyourrookie]

"Yeah, years," Wash agrees tiredly. "Years of being stabbed in the back, lied to and manipulated. I'm tired. Caring is exhausting and eventually you just stop being able to do it. Like after the fifth or sixth time of hallucinating being rescued only to wake up and find that none of it was real."

[churbooseanon]

Well... He reaches out and pulls Wash over into his space, to hug him. Hell, how many times had he wished he could have a hug? This guy needs it.

"I know. It's... I didn't think they were real when they came. But it's different now, things are going to change. That's just how it is."

[notyourrookie]

He flinches at the touch, everything in his body tense when his double pulls him into a hug. He lets out a shuddering breath and relaxes a little. Just a bit.

"I'm glad they were real for someone." That at least one of them had escaped.

[churbooseanon]

"And I'm scared I'm going to lose them," David admits. "I'm... trying to embrace what they feel for me while they can handle me around. We shouldn't forget that things change.

[notyourrookie]

"If they leave you then they're assholes," Wash says. "You don't deserve that." Easier to say it and believe it when it's not him he's talking to.

[churbooseanon]

"Neither do you," David counters, before glancing over to the sleeping him that looks... peaceful. "Or him. Any of us."

[notyourrookie]

He follows his double's gaze towards the native. "You'll like him. He's... better than me. He's gonna get hurt eventually but for now... hell, he's better than me when I was in the Project."

[churbooseanon]

"That makes him better than both of us," David informs him simply. "But that isn't true. You're good. I can tell that. So stupid being stubborn. It bores me."

[notyourrookie]

"I'm a stubborn asshole," Wash agrees lightly. "So are you. So's he. We are all stubborn. It's part of our charm."

[churbooseanon]

"See, that's more honest," David laughs. "Now... If you'll excuse me, I need fruit. York bribed me here with fruit and a promise that I won't have to see a lot of sights I can never forget."

[notyourrookie]

"He didn't lie about that. There's fruit. Plenty of it. Oranges and bananas and berries."

[churbooseanon]

"I'd be so happy to have that," David admits. "It's hard to get fruit as much as I'd like where we're hiding now, some barely there colony planet. Hard to get away from the war, you know?"

[notyourrookie]

"Yeah, I know," Wash says, and he gives a small smile. At least with this he can bring good news. "It ends you know? The war."

[churbooseanon]

"In your dimension," David counters. "I think we've already established there are differences. I can't believe they only exist within my own life."

[notyourrookie]

"It'll end," Wash says firmly. "I mean, one way or another it has to. But you'll get to see the end of it. I'm sure about that."

[churbooseanon]

"Just means PFL can hunt us all the more," David points out.

[notyourrookie]

"Not if they're under investigation by the oversight subcommittee," Wash replies. "What the Director did broke all kinds of laws. And being under investigation means they have less funding, less leeway to run things however they want."

[churbooseanon]

"And just who is going to prompt that investigation?" David asks blandly. "Who destroys it when I'm not the one seeking to do so?"

[notyourrookie]

"I had nothing to do with starting the investigation," Wash replies. "They noticed it. Reports of more than one of us having an AI when the project was only ever given one. Omega and the Meta causing problems at the sim soldier bases also helped."

[churbooseanon]

"What!?" David asks, leaning forward. This is unacceptable. "Maine... I... They won't tell me much of what happened. The AIs have figured out how to block me from it when they're in my head."

[notyourrookie]

Maybe he shouldn't have said that. He hadn't thought- "Maine is dead," he says. "Trust me, that creature out there, it isn't him. I've seen the Meta, fought it. Even worked with it. All it cares about is taking the rest of the AIs and power."