thisavrou | 1 [audio/video]

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[There is a really, really unpleasant banging noise, like someone's thwacking their tab against a rock because (surprise) that's exactly what this particular someone is doing. A feminine, Australian accented voice cuts in after a while.]

-would have been nice if they’d given us a bloody crash course in how to use these things. How do you even-

[There is jarring sound of static and then a burst of distortion as a finger jabs at the TAB]

-tell-

[Another jab and more distortion.]

-if it’s-

[One more jab and for some strange reason, the image feed is flipped upside down and everything is strangely… purple.]

-working?

[There’s a sigh, and then coming through the upside down, purple video feed there’s a woman with dark hair looking quizzically at the TAB with a furrowed brow until she sighs.]

Some week this is shaping out to be.

[She jabs at the tab again, and while the feed returns to right side up, it’s still conspicuously purple.]

Okay. I don’t get it. Never did go in much for the whole sci-fi thing. First person to tell me where I can get a beer and a back rub in that order is my new space best friend. Name’s Chloe by the way. Chloe Frazer.

[She squints at the tab and then rolls her eyes.]

Shit, did I break it? Fantastic...

[ooc: backdated to during week two!]

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[He nods—of course he will—and his expression shifts into real worry.]

And someone just gave you the lowdown, handed you a TAB and left you here?

[What a dick. Of course, Chloe's not one to show weakness around someone she doesn't know or trust....but still, a dick.]

Okay, new plan. [He turns and crouches, looking over his shoulder to nod at her.] Climb on. I'll give you a ride.

I know right? Shitty hospitality in space.

[Of course she hadn't let on about it; her leg had felt totally numb, like a bad case of pins and needles. Walking had been slow and steady progress, but more than once her other leg had just fallen out from under her for no good reason and it was enough to make her feel nervous enough about her own self preservation to want to play it carefully.

When Nate hunkers down and offers her his back, she can't help but smile playfully. There are small mercies to be thankful for, close friends are certainly amongst them.]

Well there's an offer I didn't expect to hear from you again. You're a married man, people might talk.

[He is, but they won't, since this is clearly a platonic ride even though sure, years ago and far away Chloe had ridden him in other ways—but before he can make a dumb joke back at her, the implication of her words hits him. Considering what she remembers, she shouldn't be mentioning that, unless...]

You've been talking to Elena.

[It is perhaps at this time that Chloe might notice a wedding ring firmly ensconced on his finger. A new one, sure, but the meaning is the same.]

I have been talking to Elena, and so, it appears, have you.

[He gets a friendly punch on the arm before she slides her arms around his neck and straddles his back.]

You know I'm not one to say 'I told you so' but...

[Yeah Nate, she totally told you so.]

Good for you. I knew you'd figure it out.

[All right, she gets one free punch because he deserves it. Nate dutifully scoops her up and stands.]

Yeah, eventually. It only took getting drugged, getting kidnapped, surviving a sinking ship, crashing a plane, walking the desert for three days and getting drugged again for me to figure it out.

[He adjusts his hold on her legs, keeping them firm over his hips, before heading back in the direction of central camp.]

It was a busy week in Yemen.

Bullshit, you only left Syria two days ago. I know there's some time difference but come on.

[She tightens her grip on him, feeling nowhere near as secure as she ought to. Having no feeling in her leg feels bizarre, and the other one is already tingling like it's about to fall asleep.]

Now what the hell did you mean by 'welcome back to space?'

[He's gonna take these out of order so as not to blow her mind. Further.]

So, you know how the Ingress just yanked us out of our lives into a different dimension or whatever? Sometimes it randomly drops us back, apparently. At least I hope that's what happens when people vanish. And sometimes it grabs us again but it's a complete reset and we don't remember the first go-round.

[He takes a few steps before continuing.]

That last one hasn't happened to me, but I know it does happen, because you were here before. And then you weren't. And now you are again.

[She's scowling at the back of his head as she listens and it... well it all sounds completely farfetched to her and hard to swallow, but it's coming from Nate. If there's one person she can trust to get the whole picture from, it's him.]

Right. So... I've been abducted twice and had my memory wiped to go with it?

[What do you even say to something like that?]

Well. Someone must really like me on the abductions committee. Maybe they've got a thing for good arses.

[He can't see her expression with her on his back, but Nate can imagine what it looks like. And he doesn't blame her. It sounds like crazy bullshit; it just happens to be true.]

That's clearly why they brought you back, yeah. Anyway...Ingresses can also pluck people from just whenever in time, and not all at the same time. Elena's from a week in the past compared to me, and Sully's from three years ahead. Makes it a little awkward sometimes.

Okay, so that puts me the furthest behind you guys I guess.

[Honestly, Chloe's impressed at how calmly she's taking this. Perhaps the reality hasn't set in yet, or perhaps it's just really tough to get wound up when you're hanging off a friend's back with no feeling in your right leg.]

And you're sure there's no mythical artefact or secret organisation or anything to do with Francis Drake that's responsible for all this?

I'm pretty sure this is beyond Drake.

[It's beyond anything they've seen before back home. Shambhala had been like another world, but it was still in their world.]

Even if it weren't, I'm done chasing him. I'm sorry, Chloe. You were right about me trying to prove something, but I didn't need to.

[There's a silent wait before Nate gets a gentle pat on his shoulder.]

This is why you should listen to me sometimes you doughnut, occasionally I make sense. Everyone whose opinion should matter thinks the world of you for some reason.

[But on that note...]

Can't speak for Rafe Adler, but then again I didn't know you rubbed shoulders with rich boys like him.

[She's not wrong, and that still mystifies him. Probably he should just accept it, but that's easier said than done. He's distracted by her next words, though.]

I don't. That was just one job. [He's a little tense beneath her then, wary.] You've been talking to Rafe, huh?

Yeah, he got chatty. I didn't tell him I knew you though, I wasn't sure it was you he meant to kick off with.

[She pauses for a moment.]

Because the Nathan Drake he was talking about had a brother, which... god Nate I'm so sorry. I had no idea.

[In the back of his mind, part of him has to know this might be coming. Rafe's got no idea he kept Sam's existence to himself all these years, and there's no reason he wouldn't mention the brothers Drake if the subject came up.

On the other hand, he's just not used to people knowing about Sam. Which is why he drops Chloe out of sheer surprise. She must not be expecting it either, because her rip on his shoulders isn't enough and she drops like a stone.]

Oh, shit! [In a shot, he's by her side.] I didn't mean to—are you okay?

[Well if Nate's not expecting the shock, Chloe's expecting the shock of being dropped unceremoniously on her ass like a sack of flour even less.]

Jesus!

[It freaking hurts too, did she land on a rock?]

Damn it Nate!

[She's rubbing her surely bruised tailbone when he gets to her, and she shoots him a withering look.]

I'm sorry!

[He feels like a huge asshole now, mainly because that was a huge asshole move. Why couldn't they have been walking on a landscape made of pillows? He crouches beside her, offering an arm to either help her up or make a good target for a shove.]

I didn't mean to drop you. You startled me.

Oh well you can consider us even then because that was pretty bloody startling!

[Arm accepted and duly shoved as she tries to get to her feet... and immediately topples back down as her unreliable leg buckles under her.]

Jesus.

[It's muttered in a tone of real concern. He's aware that the Ingresses have screwed with people coming in since they hit the planet, but this could be a serious problem.]

You wanna take a short break? [He moves from a crouch to sitting on his ass. Not super comfortable, but he's rested in worse spots.]

Yeah. Yeah I think I do.

[She sits on the dirt rubbing her butt and scowling before she looks across at him and starts laughing, tucking her hair behind her ear.]

Oh god, this is a really crappy start to interplanetary life isn't it?

People have had better.

[He'll avoid mentioning the vacation planet and unlimited credit card he didn't have to pay that he got on his arrival. That'd just be rubbing it in.

Even knowing what's ahead in his future, he doesn't really want to talk about this, but he figures he has to. Besides, it's Chloe, and he's been trying to do the 'opening up to friends' thing even when he wants to clamp shut.]

So...what all did Rafe tell you?

Edited 2017-01-08 19:32 (UTC)

That he'd been looking for Avery's treasure with the brothers Drake, and that he'd lost the smarter one. Samuel.

[There's so much she wants to ask, like if he'd told anyone else or why he'd never mentioned it to her in all their years of knowing each other.]

You never said anything.

[Oh, thanks. His face twists into a slight scowl for a moment but whatever, he wouldn't have expected much less. He and Rafe had never thought that much of each other even when they'd been on the same team.]

I know. That was on purpose. Elena didn't know either until a couple months ago.

[Here in space, obviously, since a couple months ago in their correct timelines, they were thoroughly estranged.]

You know I don't talk about myself that much.

[About emotions and stuff. His past.]

I know, and I know it's none of my business. I'm just... sorry. I can't imagine what it must have been like.

[She smiles sadly at him and gathers her legs up close to her chest, dropping her chin on her knees at she looks at him.]

What happened?

We faked our way into prison because one of Avery's men had been jailed in the old tower there and we thought it could have a clue to where the treasure went. Things went bad, we had to get out right away. He got shot at edge of the prison.

[Even now, telling the story leaves an unpleasant taste in his mouth. He knows it didn't end there, but it feels like it did.]

I spent the next twelve years thinking he was dead.

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