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[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

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.]

[tearsinajar]

Well. It might not be important to you but it means something to me...

[ Maybe that's why she hesitates, because he won't believe her— or care.

Elena shakes her head, tucks her hands away tighter under her arms. ]

It's nothing. It doesn't matter.

[ A forced smile. ]

So...space. Pretty crazy, right?

[sketchycharacter]

It is, yeah.

[His expression shifts from skeptical to suspicious. He may not know this woman well—yet?—but he feels like he can read her, and there's definitely more to whatever she wanted to say.]

I think it does matter, to you. Come on, tell me. It can't be that bad.

[tearsinajar]

You're young, Nate.

[ She waves it off— waves him off— tries to make it so it's not a big deal. It kind of is, and it does matter to her, he's right. ]

You have a while to go yet before anything serious happens.

[sketchycharacter]

Plenty of serious things have happened to me.

[Since he was a kid, even. He's a little annoyed now—what's her deal?]

Come on. Stop jerking me around. You wanted to say something, so say it.

[tearsinajar]

You think it's bad now...

[ She trails off on a snort.

Well then, now she can sense the frustration in his tone. Usually she won't dance anything things, but when it comes to something as sensitive as this...

Elena pushes out a soft breath and scratches at her jaw, left hand up and out in the open. It drops to her side. ]

I'm just trying to figure out how to say it. I mean— look at you—

[ How does she say it? ]

I haven't seen you looking so baby-faced in years. Fine. You want me to say it?

We get hitched. We're married, or your future self is. Far future.

[sketchycharacter]

[Well that's unnecessary. Nate is twenty-two, not a child, and he bristles, a little offended. What, what he need to grow a beard to look older? Because that seems like a pain in the ass.

He's about to open his mouth and object when she drops the proverbial bomb and that shuts him right up. For a few seconds. What?]

Bullshit.

[But he sounds uncertain, doubtful.]

You're saying you're my wife?

[tearsinajar]

Future wife— or now, here. I don't know. How do you explain something like this?

[ Elena holds up her left hand for him to see, as clear as day. ]

I know it's hard to believe. But just...bear with me here.

[sketchycharacter]

[He sees the ring, but that doesn't convince him. Anyone can have a ring. It's not like it's engraved with his name on it—well, it might be. He can't tell.]

Prove it, then. I mean, if you married me, you must know me pretty well. Unless it was a shotgun thing.

[It's an off-the-cuff joke but geez, he hopes it wasn't.]

[tearsinajar]

[ She's learned a lot, lately especially. Whatever she knows now could work, what with how personal it had been.

There's a small pause as she watches him. When she speaks up, her voice is quiet. ]

Your last name really isn't Drake, for starters. And your mother—

[sketchycharacter]

[He startles at the (true) assessment of his name, and his face goes pale as she continues.]

What about my mother?

[His lips feel numb even as he speaks.]

[tearsinajar]

Your mother's name was Cassandra Morgan...

[ Her voice is softer now; she knows how delicate of a subject this is for him, doesn't matter how old or young he is. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[He sucks in a sharp breath.]

I never told anyone about her.