[network] [video] [open] [after Babadon't]

[wheyoftheadept]

[Saturday looks like hell.  She's showered, at least - her hair is wet and there's a towel around her neck, but her visible skin is covered in scrapes and bandages, and there are bags under her eyes.]

Hi, guys.  Just got back from - well, I'm gonna be real honest here and tell you my own memories are a little fucked. Jorg pulled me right outta medical to run escort on some civvie caravan.  We ran into a Stuff storm.  They tell me it's been like two months?

 [She runs a hand through her hair, wearily.] 

What have I missed?

Comments

[credit_not_blame]

Rose Tattoo is dead, Setsuna and Tenten are up and about again, we got some new people, we celebrated Christmas and the New Year, and a shapeshifting goo monster tried to eat a bunch of people.

[Stacia squints into middle distance.]

...Yeah, I think that's it for major events.

[wheyoftheadept]

Aww, man. I missed presents.

[A grin slices across her face]

How'd the goo monster go?

[credit_not_blame]

It went gross. It was greasy and bitey and I think some of it is still under my nails.

[Stacia's life is suffering.]

It's good to see you again, even if I was kinda hoping you'd ended up back with your friends from home.

[wheyoftheadept]

Yeah, that woulda been nice, huh? Better'n trolls any day. One of the little fucks got me right in back of my kidney, you wanna see the bruise?

[greyerrant]

Stacia covered it. Guts and I missed you.

[wheyoftheadept]

I woulda' missed you too, if I'd had a free moment. How is the big lug?

[greyerrant]

He is all right! I think he is making friends with some of the new hires.

[wheyoftheadept]

Good. And you? I heard there was some action.

[kingofneworleans]

[Remy looks freshly showered. Again. But there's no mistaking the grin on his face, nor the relief.]

Long time no see, petite. Wasn' real sure where you got off too, but considerin' everythin'? Figured it had to be safer dan here.

[wheyoftheadept]

I mean, that depends, don't it? They pulled me straight outta my release exam, told me to run escort on this caravan full of civilians, didn't get to know why. Near as I could figure they'd found some big rift opened up and wanted to send a science team in? At least they had the sense to stay in the damn truck.

Anyway, rift was full of monsters and sandstorms. Don't think I got more'n an hour's sleep the whole time - if it wasn't ambushes it was some nerdbrained fuck wandering off t'piss an' forgetting his tracker.

[she scowls, a natural sheepdog stressed by very stupid sheep]

They got whatever they came for, I guess, 'cause it was all smiles coming in. Not that I was in on any of that. Too much perimeter, not enough guard.

[kingofneworleans]

[That sobers him up straight away. The grin becomes a press of lips in a line as Remy listens, then shakes his head.]

Dey really shouldn't've sent you out on your own like dat. Definitely a multiple person job. Did dey wanna lose de science team?

[wheyoftheadept]

Or lose me. Or they thought it wasn't that bad. Or someone put the wrong numbers in the number machine an' no one thought to check. A joint this out of joint, there's no way to know.

[She shakes her head, reminded of her disgust for this place.]

Anyway, near as I can figure there was some kind of time effect. I thought I'd only been out there about a week.

video;

[heterochrocatic]

Hey! You're back!

[ Catra smiles. It is a happier, more well-adjusted smile than Saturday is probably used to from her. ]

I'm, uh, glad you're okay.

[ A pause. ]

Pretty sure you missed my birthday, too.

Re: video;

[wheyoftheadept]

Oh, hey, how old are you now, then?

[Saturday shifts, a bit of strain crossing her face] I got bruises for days, but nothing broken. Medical does good work, I will give them that.

Re: video;

[heterochrocatic]

It's complicated?

[ Ugh. Catra grimaces. ]

Like, I also have memories from like, a whole chunk of time at home that I didn't have when I got here? They just hit me and I thought I'd gone home, but then someone said I hadn't been gone at all. So... Hit twenty back in October, but I think I'm more like twenty-one? If my memories are anything to go by. My personal timeline feels all messed up. So let's go with twenty.

[ A weak grin as she tries to joke. ]

But hey now you can't call me 'kid' anymore.

Re: video;

[wheyoftheadept]

[Saturday blows a raspberry at her]

Well, if we're counting subjective time, I think I actually have thirty years on you. Or do pocket dimensions only count if the aging sticks?

Memories from home, huh? Good ones? Something you'd lost, or...?

[text]

[takenalive]

Humans have a terrible sense for architecture. It's not possible to fight with grace in your wretched square tunnels.

Re: [text]

[wheyoftheadept]

Yeah, close interiors are tricky. I usually look for a door and make a chokepoint, but your natural form's a bit bigger'n mine.

[takenalive]

I'm actually on the small end of average sizes, as men go. I've known some who couldn't maneuver in these spaces at all. What a terrible thought.

[stepping into frame on the comm]

[garmr]

[When Guts enters their quarters, he stares at Saturday in slight disbelief, if only because he tended to have poor luck when his friends disappeared for too long.]

You're back..

[He appears pensive, uncertain, like she's a mirage that'll disappear like so many others. Feeling incredibly awkward, he breaks eye contact and looks to the side.]

I.. kept all your things where they were.

Re: [stepping into frame on the comm]

[wheyoftheadept]

[Saturday looks up, turns over the comm, and switches formats]

"Hey. Yeah - I saw." He hadn't even made the bed, which she suspected was some sort of message about her housekeeping. As she tilts her head up, he can see a truly magnificent black eye among the other signs of a recent hard time.

"Sorry. They pulled me right outta my final physical, as soon as the doctor signed me out. I asked 'em to tell someone, but - " an eloquent shrug. Why would Jorgmund give a shit about that, either?

[garmr]

He smiles, one of those rare little moments of genuine relief. Bruises and cuts could always heal. The important thing is that she could move, and she could speak. She had her wits about her. That was enough.

"I'm glad you're back," he says. What he doesn't say is that he missed her, and that all the past weeks felt rather long, but perhaps seeing how happy he was, that may be enough.

[hallelujahjunction]

Folks kissed each other under mistletoe, some people got real drunk for New Year's, and Santa tried to eat a kid.

[Saturday may look rough now, but the last time Dan saw her she was impaled to a wall, barely alive.]

It's good to have you back.

[wheyoftheadept]

[It takes more then massive organ damage to keep her down]

Hey, glad to be back, an' I hate that that's true. Like a lot. Wanted to thank you, by the way, for helpin' out. You did, you know, the talking thing. Stopped me drifting off.

[She suspects, in hindsight, that if he hadn't kept her awake, things could have gone very badly.]

[hallelujahjunction]

I couldn't just leave you hanging. [That's a morbid joke, but, well. He suspects Saturday might find it funny.] It was a team effort.