video;

[sketchycharacter]

[The face that appears on the MID is familiar, despite the age loss. Nathan Drake is recognizably himself. But there are fewer lines on his face, no touch of gray in his hair, and he's skinnier, without twelve years of built-up muscle.

He's also got an obvious black eye and a set of plain prisonclothes that are pretty threadbare. Those are new.]

Okay, so, space. That's a thing. Which you've all probably figured out by now, since you're here and all.

[He lifts a hand in greeting.]

I'm Nate. And I don't want to complain, because I got lifted out of a shitty place and I'm sure someone thought they were doing me a favor, but I'm going to complain anyway, because I didn't actually need it. I wanted to be there. And if someone had to spacenap me, the least they could've done is take my brother too. Sam's gonna be pissed he missed this.

[On the plus side, his prison garb at least smells better now. Thanks, Moira laundering facilities.]

So is there a complaints department? Or some way I can get a ride back to Panama? Probably not that lucky, huh.

Comments

Video;

[sketchycharacter]

Probably, but I didn't ask for it.

[He's cocking his head now, looking at her curiously.]

We cross paths in a bar or something?

[That seems the most likely reason he wouldn't remember her.]

Video;

[tearsinajar]

That's a good one but no, no it wasn't a bar.

[ This may be really unsettling but it's also fascinating; Nathan Drake, he's so baby faced. ]

Try again.

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[sketchycharacter]

[He's lost and it's obvious on his face.]

Okay, I know it can't be that I picked your pocket, you wouldn't be so pleasant right now. Uh, one-night stand?

[He's also forgotten a couple of those.]

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[tearsinajar]

Well... There was a Panamanian motel. But it wasn't a one-night thing.

[ A brief pause. ]

How old are you? Late teens? Early twenties?

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[sketchycharacter]

[Looking skeptical now. He would definitely remember multiple nights with someone as cute as her.]

Uh, I'm twenty-two. Why does that matter?

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[tearsinajar]

[ It's all adding up now for sure. Elena doesn't say anything at first, she just keeps staring at her MID and then her gaze shifts over to her wedding band, out of sight. ]

It matters because... Look, we probably shouldn't talk about this on an open line.

All I can say is that the ride you're looking for back to Panama, it isn't coming.

Video;

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah, I'm not that surprised. But I needed to make sure.

[That's the most pressing issue here, he thinks, but also the one he can do the least about. If he's stuck here, well, Sam will have to sit tight.]

Do...you want to talk about, uh, this?

[Whatever 'this' is?]

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[tearsinajar]

I would like to, yes...

[ He's probably not familiar yet with the Moira. Uhm. ]

Do you have any idea where you're at right now in the ship? I can come meet you.

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[sketchycharacter]

There's a giant tree. [So, the gardens.] I hope you know your way around better than me, because the map on this thing is all wrong.

[Actually it's just part of the Ingress messing up and sending people off-course, but he doesn't know that.]

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[tearsinajar]

I'd like to think being here for two months, I'd know my way around the ship.

Just don't move. I'll be by soon.

[ And she's off, heading for the gardens. ]

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[sketchycharacter]

Sure. Okay.

[This is weird and getting weirder. It's not like he had anywhere else to be, though, so Nate takes a walk around the giant tree as he waits. Be nice if he had a sketchbook right now.]

Action;

[tearsinajar]

[ A couple of minutes, it doesn't take her long to get to the gardens. Her husband is twenty-two, he's no longer in his early thirties. This is just a bit weird.

When she arrives he's nowhere to be found. So she decides to take a walk around the large base of the tree deciding that if he's gone off then she'll shoot him a message. ]

...Nate?

Action;

[sketchycharacter]

[He hears his name being called and strolls around the tree until he spots the woman he'd been talking to. There she is—and wow, she's even prettier in real life.]

That's me. I never got your name, though.

Action;

[tearsinajar]

[ He comes around and she stops dead in her tracks, staring. Holy shit. The sight of him in person leaves her reeling a tiny bit. ]

My god...

[ And then Elena realises he's basically asking her name, just kinda stammering it. ]

Elena— not 'my god'. Sorry. It's Elena. Elena...Fisher.

[ Not that it matters. She could tie in his last name but even married, Elena kept her own. ]

Action;

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate blinks in surprise, then shifts into a grin.]

Some people [ladies] think I'm pretty great, but 'god' might be a little too arrogant. Nate's fine.

[Ha, ha, isn't he clever.]

Nice to meet you.

permaactions this shit;

[tearsinajar]

It's ah, nice to meet you too.

[ Though it doesn't really count since she's known him for quite some time now over the years. ]

And 'god' is pushing it.

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah, it wasn't that funny. I can do better, promise.

[He's allowed to be off his game after being space kidnapped. Nate steps closer and looks at her a little expectantly.]

So. You wanted to talk to me.

[He's still trying to figure out where he might know her from. It's all a blank.]

[tearsinajar]

[ She nods slowly, hands in front of her, together, unconsciously twisting the band over her ring finger. It's a little hidden with the motion but it helps her in her pause to try and figure out how best to approach this.

Or she could just not tell him since he isn't at that point in his life. A long way from it. ]

Yeah. But now that you're right in front of me, I'm not sure what to say. Or how

[ Elena tucks her hands under her arms as they come up to fold over her chest. If she said anything, what would change? Would he remember later on? ]

We didn't meet in the bar. And you didn't try to pick my pockets.

You...tried to con me.

That's how we met.

[sketchycharacter]

[For a long moment Nate stares, eyes going slightly wider. That...does sound like something he might do. He and Sully and Sam might be treasure hunters and thieves first and foremost, but sometimes a little con is what it takes to get a job done.

He looks Elena up and down, taking in what he can. She looks pretty put together, not part of the world of scoundrel he tends to run in. There's not a lot he can glean just from the way she looks now but sure, he can see targeting her as a mark.]

That...seems like something I'd remember, though. I mean, you're kind of [beautiful] memorable.

[tearsinajar]

[ Her smile would stick longer if this scenario wasn't so messed up. ]

That...might have something to do with the fact that it hasn't happened yet. Does that make sense?

I mean this is weird as all hell, I get that. I wouldn't be surprised if you refused to believe it, I'm having a hard time myself.

[sketchycharacter]

Uh, no. It really doesn't.

[It's like she's some kind of fortuneteller, except she'd not trying to get money from him or say it will happen. She's saying it did.]

The entire space thing is weird as hell, yeah, but you're going a little past that.

[tearsinajar]

If you're twenty-two then...

[ She pauses to count it out, lips pursed. And then frowns. ]

That's...eight years or so from now. When you try to con me.

[sketchycharacter]

You're saying that this space thing comes with a side order of time travel.

[He still sounds skeptical. Like time travel is so much more unbelievable.]

[tearsinajar]

A big ol' side of it. KFC coeslaw has nothing on this side order.

[sketchycharacter]

[He laughs. She's funny. That doesn't mean he believes her, though.]

I never like coleslaw. But I'm sorry, that still sounds ridiculous.

Okay, say I believe you—what's so important about this eight-years-in-the-future con that you couldn't mention it over this thing? [He wiggles his wrist with the MID in the air.]