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[tearsinajar]

[ It doesn't take her long to get re-acquainted with the wristband they call a MID, or so that's the lingo she's been hearing it being called around the ship since she left medbay and was free to explore. Elena's reminded of a fancy wristwatch that only Apple can come up with where the text messages that get sent to your phone get routed to the wristband, it's handy. Really neat. And because she's familiar with such technology back home, it's easy to get the options set up and a message sent out, not that she's expecting anyone to respond.

The people in the medbay had been friendly and helpful enough but who was to say the same could've been said about the others on board.

Mid-40s and not much has changed in the blonde haired woman who appears, aviator shades atop her head. More freckles cover her brow and cheeks from her time spent out in the sun, lines sitting comfortably at the edges of her eyes, laugh lines near her mouth from happy, good times. Even now, Elena looks beach ready. ]

I find that there's gotta be just a tiny bit of irony in the fact that when I expected to spend my afternoon on a ship, I didn't expect it to be a spaceship.

So, uh— hey! How's everyone doing? I feel like I should insert some kind of terrible joke or pun about gravity and hanging around here but instead I'll just see if there's anyone out there willing to help me lo—

[ And unfortunately that's when the feed drops out to a black screen, her connection cut dead. What...?

Elena sits there staring down at her wristband and after a moment, she gives her wrist a shake. That always works in getting things back on... Usually. Does that mean she'll miss out on any incoming messages? Who the hell designed this?

Bleep!

OH HAY— ]

Oh! That worked? Hah. And all I had to do was shake the damn thing. Note to self, when in doubt, shake it.

Anyway, as I was trying to say a few moments ago, I'm looking for someone and I'm wondering if maybe anyone's seen her. I don't have a picture of her on hand but she's blonde and wears black-framed glasses. Pretty average height for a teenager.

It's kind of important that I find her. If you've seen her, please let me know? I'd really appreciate it.

Comments

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[sketchycharacter]

Nah. I'll just be really appalled and a little impressed that you actually managed to do that.

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[tearsinajar]

If you're going to remember my memory, at least doing it being impressed.

[ She's beginning to get impatient, moving forward. Hopefully he'll catch her at the end of the hall or something. ]

You almost here? What's the hold up?

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[sketchycharacter]

I just said it's a big ship, pushy. Hold on, I'll be there in a couple minutes.

[He knows the shortcuts and the ship doesn't seem to feel like screwing with directions today, so it's a fairly short time later that he catches up to her relatively near Medbay.]

Hey, you.

action;

[tearsinajar]

[ Thank goodness. She'd hurried toward him as she spotted him and began to slow until he was crossing the rest of the distance to get to her. He's...alone? ]

Hi...

[ A slow, hesitant response. Elena eyes him, brows drawing in. ]

It's just you?

action;

[sketchycharacter]

[Wow, the difference is even more striking in person. Elena doesn't look old, but she's older, experienced more of what looks like a life well-lived.]

'Just me', thanks. [He makes a face.] You were expecting a welcoming committee? I mean, I could probably round one up, but it'd take a while.

[tearsinajar]

No, I just...

[ She'll work out the lack of grays and muscle mass in a moment, and the fact that he's younger looking. Half expecting a head of shoulder-length blonde hair to pop out around him with a wide grin and mischievous hazel eyes, Elena steps to the side to peer past him. ]

She's not with you?

[ Okay, now this is getting to be a little alarming. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[Elena's taking the "suddenly in space" thing pretty well, not that he's surprise, but she's sure doing a good job of baffling him.]

She who?

[The blank stare he gives her isn't part of a joke.]

[tearsinajar]

[ Her look is first taken aback, disbelieving, and then shifts into one of sudden concern. She gives him a quick sweeping glance. ]

What do you mean 'she who'? I really don't think now is the time to play around, Nate.

Cassie— where is Cassie?

[sketchycharacter]

I'm not, I swear.

[Hooboy, they need to get on the same page. He steps closer, wanting to guide her away from where they are, but then again it's not like the corridor is particularly crowded by now.]

We should probably sit down to straighten things out, because I don't know anyone named Cassie and I'm not sure why she'd be with me.

[tearsinajar]

[ Okay— this is him, she knows it's him, and yet it's not. Elena sees him step forward. She doesn't mean to take a step back, but it's when he says he doesn't know anyone by that name, it sends her momentarily reeling.

Hoooooolllllyyyyy shit.

A hand sweeps up between them, halting him. ]

Yes, you do. Cassie— Cassandra.

[sketchycharacter]

[Well that's—not good. Nate can see that he's upset her, shocked her somehow, but he really doesn't know why. And when she says that name, he's the one taken aback.]

Elena, the only Cassandra I've known died a long time ago.

[If she doesn't remember the Moira, she may or may not know about his mother. But he hopes that in the extra years she's clearly lived, he was finally able to talk about his family.]

[tearsinajar]

I'm not talking about your mother, Nate. I'm talking about your daughter— our daughter—

[ He's not given a chance to reply, Elena's waving her hands before he can. ]

If she's not with you then where is she? What is going on, and where the hell are we right now?

And why do you look like you're in your thirties?

[ Likely she's getting ahead of herself right now with firing off one question after the other. It can't be helped. Cassie might have been taught by the both of them (two of the best in the business) how to survive in most situations, how to do first aid and CPR, and Elena shouldn't worry that much but last she checked... neither of them hadn't been able to find her.

Elena's beginning to worry. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate barely hears anything beyond "daughter." Cassie—Cassandra. Named after his mother, of course. It all makes sense now.

His expression starts out stunned, but his face lights up as it sinks in what Elena is saying.]

We have a daughter? When?

[It might confuse her more, but the sudden burst of joy Nate feels in his chest compels him to take a step forward, wrap her in his arms and lift her right off her feet briefly.]

Sorry, I just—wow. [He's laughing a little now, delighted.] I look younger because I am younger. From my end, we definitely haven't had a daughter yet.

[tearsinajar]

[ Because this whole thing is messed up and she doesn't know what to think, Elena tenses the second he moves at her. Her hands grip at his upper arms, feet leaving the ground, the air leaving her with the squeezing arms around her. ]

O-okay, careful. I'm older than you, my bones are brittle these days...

[ She pats his arms (lean arms, what), awkward that he's much younger than her, and yet it's still him. ]

She was born fourteen years ago.

[ Being this close, it's odd. Elena spots the scar on the edge of his jaw and can't resist brushing her thumb against it when an idea comes to her. Her phone, her actual phone, in the back pocket of her jean shorts.

Would it work here?

One way to find out. ]

Hang on...

[sketchycharacter]

[That answers part of the question of how much older she is
Fourteen years plus however many it is before they decide to have her. And he knows they planned her. His child will be very much wanted.

He leans into her touch, grin going even wider when he realizes what she's going for. His face hurts.]

I'm hanging, I'm hanging.

[Barely. He can't wait to see.]

[tearsinajar]

[ Her head ducks, phone coming out. She swipes through the list of apps, gets to the photos, and the first one she gets to is one of them. And boy does he look old, definitely more gray.

A pause to show him, just in case he wants to squint and examine the image. ]

I don't think I need to tell you who this is...

You turned out all right. I guess.

[sketchycharacter]

Ruggedly handsome. I'm very distinguished in my old age.

[He pokes her in the shoulder. It's done with love.]

But you know who I wanna see. Come on, come on.

[Admittedly, it is weird to look at himself with at least a decade and a half more years on him. And maybe it's cheating. But he's ready and willing to cheat hard.]

[tearsinajar]

It's all the grays. Seriously.

[ And she knows. That's why she swipes through a few more of them when she comes across one of her favorite pictures of him and Cassie ever— when she's just a baby, so tiny in the crook of his arm, the two of them looking at each other.

Elena hands him her phone, says nothing. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate goes quiet.

In the photo, he doesn't look that different than he does now. A little older, a lot broader. He must start working out more than usual.

And Cassie...she's a little thing, tiny in his arms. A newborn, maybe, or just still small. Elena's there too but he can barely spare her a glance.

The baby in his arms is his baby, his and hers, part of a family they created together. She's looking up at him in infant wonder, held in arms that will always keep her safe. Looking at her daddy.

He doesn't even realize that he's crying.]

She's beautiful.

[tearsinajar]

[ Maybe he'll realize it when her hand comes up to cup his jaw and her thumb brushes through the tears on his left cheek. Elena's only ever seen him cry a handful of times throughout their journey in life.

He'd done the same thing when Cassandra was born; they both had, though for different reasons. ]

She's a lot bigger now...

[ With her free hand she swipes to the next one for him; more baby pictures, and although these are tucked away in physical albums, Elena's wanted them on her phone to look back on. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[He does realized, and he's a little surprised at himself, blinking through the wetness. But he smiles and puts his arm around her before looking at the next photos.

It's like he can see her growing just through the pictures, little still images of a life that he's sure is always in motion.]

God, look at her. She's amazing. You have anything recent on here?

[tearsinajar]

I do. Keep going. There's a lot, some even include Sully.

[ There's so much more. She swipes for him, moving the pictures along to shots of the last year. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[He wants to linger on each one and see more at the same time, two contradictory urges, mostly giving in to the latter. Eventually he stops at one picture of the girl—his girl—grinning into the camera. It's familiar, for all that he hasn't met her yet.]

I can see both of us in her face.

[tearsinajar]

She's definitely got your smile. My eyes.

[ Her hand brushes his waist while he's busy staring down at the phone. ]

We did good. It's just too bad you can't meet her right now. I can't find her anywhere.

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah.

[Very, very good. He drapes his arm around her shoulders before finally dragging his gaze away from the photo and giving her a reluctant look.]

I really wish this weren't true, but I don't think she's here, honey. The thing on this ship, the Ingress—it brings people in from all sorts of times and places, and lately it's been making them different ages, too. Younger, older...you and I have been living here for months now. Just you and me.