video;

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate's face looks unusually serious when it appears via TAB today. Not sad or upset or grim, just like he's feeling unusually contemplative. Shut up, he's allowed to have a moment once in a while.]

You know, when I first came through the Ingress, I actually thought I was dead? I'd been flying in my best friend's plane and suddenly I was in bizarro land, so I figured we went down and I'd just blocked out the fiery death. And then they gave me a job and I knew I was in Hell.

[He's mostly kidding, but only because the teaching gig had turned out to be surprisingly fun.]

Space isn't the worst place I've had a rude awakening in, and I figured okay, we're on a ship, we're going somewhere with a way to get home, it's just a matter of time. And then the ship crashed but we found that place anyway but actually getting home depends on a bunch of science bullshit I don't understand.

And then I took a closer look at the local calendar and, near as I can figure out, it's been almost a year. [He holds up a hand.] Yes, okay, we also spent a year back on party planet, but I try not to think about that so it doesn't count. Makes me wonder how long it'll be—how much time will people spend passing time before deciding to actually live their lives?

Honestly...I'm not sure it makes a big difference with me. There's stuff I want to get back to, sure, but passing the time with some of you guys hasn't been too awful. [He grins.] Hey, to mark the anniversary, I'll do free sketch portraits for anyone who comes by to find me on the front steps of the big museum in Region 1.

[action option: he's a dude sketching in a journal on the front steps of the museum. Whoa, didn't see that coming.]

Comments

[tearsinajar]

Oh, I'm around. De-tec-tive Drake.

[sketchycharacter]

[ROLLING HIS EYES]

Sorry, I'm not a detective anymore. It's too hard when you don't live next door.

audio;

[sketchycharacter]

Way to be an optimist. Or...actually kind of pessimistic, depending how you look at it.

[tearsinajar]

Then let's go back to being next door neighbors.

[sketchycharacter]

Without a doubt. But I still did well for myself.

[sketchycharacter]

Tony might pout if you move in with him and Pepper.

[tearsinajar]

Maybe it'll be a threesome you wouldn't be invited to.

[sketchycharacter]

[He clutches his chest like he's been stabbed.]

Ouch. You wound me.

[tearsinajar]

Okay, maybe I can slip you an invite...

[ Chin propped on her hand ]

What's wounded me is you haven't come to find me yet. You're leaving me hanging here.

Not cool.

[sketchycharacter]

Told you, not a detective. And it's a big planet.

[tearsinajar]

You don't recognize the hustle and bustle?

[ Her TAB pans around to show the stalls, the vendors. ]

[sketchycharacter]

Yeah, because there's one place to go shopping.

[tearsinajar]

If you want food in the cupboards, this is the place to be. And what a lonely place it is— I can't hold and swing hands with the thin air.

[ Her TAB passes over a vendor that should be familiar and contains brightly colored orange-like fruit. ]

[sketchycharacter]

[Ah, the usual place. Good thing he was actually headed in that general direction anyway, despite his words.]

That's more like it. Getting anything good for dinner tonight?

[tearsinajar]

Maybe. Maybe you'll have to wait and see.

audio;

[cockade]

I'd prefer to be optimistic rather than the opposite. There's already plenty of that anywhere you go. [A beat.] I've had my moments, but so does everyone else. And I always have someone to... well, make sure I don't stay pessimistic for long.

[Katsa is a very good remedy for curing his anger or his frustration at being unable to return home.]

audio;

[grandpaladin]

Well, when you hear others speak of this place... your words stand out! They are so much more accepting, hopeful, than the others.

[sketchycharacter]

Ooh, a surprise. I like the sound of that.

[The background shows he's on the move. And probably bumping into a few people, since he's paying more attention to the TAB.]

audio;

[sketchycharacter]

Ooh. Is that a lady someone?

[He knows Arno had someone left behind, but...people change. And they have needs.]

audio;

[sketchycharacter]

Probably because I've been stuck in worse places than this. [Maybe not for so long, but at least he's never had to share a bucket in space.] And I've got people I care about here. Friends, and some family too.

audio;

[grandpaladin]

I agree. It is not every day you find somewhere so welcoming of travelers. Especially those that remain for a long while.

[There's a sort of knowing sound.]

Ahh, family. That makes everything worthwhile, yes?

audio;

[sketchycharacter]

It really, really does.

[Right now he has more of it than he ever has before.]

Not everyone here is so lucky.

[tearsinajar]

Surprises are nice.

[ Don't mind her here, looking amused. ]

You should pay better attention to where you're going

audio;

[grandpaladin]

No, they are not.

But the smart ones will make their own family, if they desire it.

audio;

[cockade]

[People do change, and they do have needs. But Arno is a goober through and through, and far too devoted to Élise.

The face Arno is making at Nate's words, though...]

Yes, she's a friend- but I'm positive if she heard you say it like that she'd punch you. Probably in the face, most likely. Katsa has always been good at that sort of thing.