01 | [Video]

[seekingmyfortune]

[The video opens with a myriad of dizzying images: a few quick, blurry shakes that indicate the owner of the TAB has no idea how to turn it on, a couple of glimpses at the ground as they spin the device to try and find a button, a palm as it strikes down on the screen.

Clearly someone isn't used to such technology. They even mutter a:]

Jesus, how does this thing--?

[Sam jumps a little as he turns the TAB to face him, only to see that it's already recording. And what a sight he is to behold, with dirt on his clothes and blood on his nose and down his left arm. He looks like he could go for a nice hot bath, or like he's just come out of a jungle.]

Holy shit, okay. Okay, uh--hey.

[That's what you're supposed to say, right? Sam gives a small little uncommitted half wave with his free hand, like he's not exactly sure if that's what he should do.]

I'm not sure if anyone is actually on the other end of this, but if there are others out there, I could use a little help. I mean I realize I'm not exactly in Kansas anymore, but space? A whole other planet? Come on, somebody's gotta be busting my balls here, right? At least buy a guy a drink and let him have a cigarette first before you throw that at him.

[He pauses as if expecting some kind of laugh track or other response, but then continues shortly after.]

Also, I--[He shifts uncomfortably, considering what he should say.  It takes him a little longer than before to speak again, but once he does, he looks directly at the camera.] I'm looking for my brother.  He's about this tall, he's got bro--oh, shit!

[Which is the last curse everyone hears as he accidentally loses his grip on his TAB and it tumbles to the floor and turns off. He'll get the hang of this eventually.]

Comments

Video

[tearsinajar]

Kansas is a long ways behind us. So are Dorothy and Toto.

[ She offers the stranger a smile, warm, welcoming. Slowly, it slips— just when he's losing his grip and the feed cuts.

Doesn't take much to pull the connection back up. ]

Oops. Hi.

Video

[seekingmyfortune]

[It's a good thing she knows how to pull the connection back up because the last thing he would want to happen after the last (and first) time he met Elena Fisher is to have her think that he hung up on her now.]

Hey.

[Give him a moment. He's staring at the video of her like he's just seen a ghost, and perhaps a little too cautiously.

Right. Words. Break the tension.]

You so sure about Dorothy and Toto? I'm half expecting some flying monkeys to come swooping down here.

Video

[tearsinajar]

[ Tension, what tension? ]

Last I heard, swooping is bad. Luckily, I haven't seen any swooping monkies, and I've been here for a while now.

[ Elena motions to her cheek, ignores how he's looking at her. ]

You all right? Looks like it might hurt.

video;

[flynnitomite]

[If Sam wants a laugh track, he's got one. A bit of schadenfreude is just what Flynn needs at the moment. He chuckles at Sam's fumbled attempts at communication.]

A little advice, mate—it helps if you hold on to the thing.

video;

[seekingmyfortune]

[This is not the kind of laugh track he wanted.]

Oh, really? That's your big advice? Yeah, thank you very much I'll try to keep that in mind.

[flynnitomite]

[He winks.]

I'll be here all week. ...And the week after and then however long we're all lost in space or what have you.

But anyway, I wouldn't hold your breath if you're looking for someone in particular. The way people get kidnapped 'round here seems to be random.

voice;

[brokeassgoing]

Wait till you try to order a pizza around here-- you'll pray for none pizza left beef.

....What's his name?

voice;

[seekingmyfortune]

Well, good to know they still got some real food out here. But none pizza left beef? What is that? Just a plate with beef on the left side?

My brother's? His name's Nathan.

voice;

[brokeassgoing]

[a snort] Guess they don't got that joke where you're from-- but nah, they just have some weird ass stuff on pizzas here. If you don't ask for more normal stuff, anyway.

You close with him?

video

[ascendit]

[Watching the video, Nate's ready to admit that this is basically why he doesn't really bother with video, but the guy's face looks somewhat familiar, so he checks the poster name -

[And has to go for video too.]

Sam?!

video

[seekingmyfortune]

[Sam's in the process of picking up his TAB again when the video comes up, but when he sees the very young face of his younger brother yelling back at him, he nearly drops it again.]

Jesus Christ, Nathan?? What the hell happened to you?

[ascendit]

What happened to me? What the hell happened to you?!

[The second after he says it, he realizes:] Oh, no no no no no. What year is it for you?

- and how tall? [Look, he wants to grow!]

[nishizono]

I could bust your balls if you're still looking for a reality check. It's been a slow month.

And how fucking many of you guys came here looking for lost family members? The network's like a community wanted page by now. "Have you seen my dogs?"

[seekingmyfortune]

Well, I appreciate the offer but I think I'll stick to pinching for now.

Sounds like somebody had family problems back where they came from.

[nishizono]

Mom's a bitch and Daddy died when I was young, surely I get a pass.

[ All this, said in the tone of someone who knows very well how far he can get and how much he can run with simply because of people pitying an "orphan". ]

You're sure you don't want hands on your balls?

video

[nicearsenal]

You should count yourself lucky that there's actually drink to be had around here, mate. When I got abducted the beers were in short supply and there wasn't so much as a snifter on offer for the newly arrived.

Also: word to the wise. Don't smack the bloody TAB against a rock to get it to work. They don't much like that.

video

[seekingmyfortune]

I don't know, I haven't seen any place to get a beer around here yet. The least they could do is give everyone a six pack as a welcoming gift. That and a pack of cigarettes.

You talking from experience?

video

[nicearsenal]

Maybe. Would I be making a bad first impression if I was?

[Chloe. Communication technology. A combination that does not work too awfully well together.]

Can't help you with the ciggies but I'm never one to turn down a good excuse for a beer. It's not the official welcome wagon but it softens the blow a bit.

action;

[sketchycharacter]

[It's been a long day off-world, working hard for the money and all that, and Nate's not immediately tempted to check the TAB and see what he missed while he was out. As much as he still feels a connection to the former crew of the Moira and thinks they should keep an eye out for each other, he's never been so attached to electronic communication as he has in the time he's been space kidnapped. It's nice to get a break from it once in a while.

So he's not in any particular rush as he makes his way through Region 1, heading vaguely towards home. He's just clearing his head, taking in the atmosphere of the city as he sometimes does in his travels, definitely not expecting to see a familiar face.]

action;

[seekingmyfortune]

[He is lost. He is so lost. It's bad enough that he doesn't know where the hell anything is anyway, but he's taken so many turns, gotten distracted by so many sights, that he's pretty sure he wouldn't be able to find his way back to his assigned room even if he tried. Not that he wants to stay in his room right now. Space abduction aside, if he's going to be stuck here, he might as well get the lay of the land.

Everything catches his eye, and he walks with both awe and concern at the apparent enormity of everything. He's not looking where he's going, and he's bumped into more than a few people (and aliens for lack of a better word). It's when he's apologizing to somebody that he sees a familiar silhouette in the distance. All at once, he feels relief, concern, and fear that the person he's focused on isn't actually his brother. After all, he's already seen the younger version. How could he be older as well?

Still, he has to make sure. Maybe he got older again. Sam utters one last apology to the victim he bumped into before shoving past them and desperately moving through the crowd to reach his brother.]

Nathan? Nathan!

action;

[sketchycharacter]

[He's not completely lost in his own thoughts—that's a good way to get pickpocketed, and he should know—but he isn't expecting anyone to approach him, either. If anyone were looking for him, he'd expect his TAB to start buzzing. So it takes him a second to register that someone's called his name before he turns, eyes casting around to see who it is. During that second, it registers int he back of his mind that the voice is familiar, but there's no time to dwell on it.]

Yeah? What do—

[When he sees who it is, his eyes go wide and his body goes completely still. Sam looks different, older and more weathered than last he saw him, when he was younger than Nate is now. But Nate knows his brother immediately.]

Sam?

[morethan084]

[Daisy catches the latter half of that poor guy rambling on before he shouts and the connection is lost. Thinking something might've happened, Daisy tries to get the video feed back on.]

You okay?

[seekingmyfortune]

[He's hurriedly picking the TAB back up, checking it to make sure it's still okay. At least her video means it's still working.]

Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just--just lost my grip on this thing. Could use a smoke, though.

( voice )

[polyphobic]

It's somehow real. I don't understand how.

( The most helpful, but she's glad that others arrived confused too )

Re: ( voice )

[seekingmyfortune]

Yeah? You and me both sister. You just arrived too?