thisavrou | video;

[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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Maybe it seemed shorter than it was because every day was the same.

[And not in a good way.]

A bit too dull for your tastes, eh?

I can handle boring. [No he can't.] But a marathon group walk combined with the worst camping trip ever was pretty monotonous.

Really? I thought the walk was bracing! And the camping was not so bad!

At least it did not snow.

Well, there's something for everyone.

[Grandpa here can have that kind of great outdoors.]

Oh, yeah, no snow is a good thing. We didn't want to have to re-enact the Donner party in space.

Like nature watching! There were plenty of deer to see there, eh?

[A burst of laughter, probably too loud.]

Don't worry, my friend. If it snows, I will blaze a trail for you.

[He grins.]

Oh good, I'm glad to hear that. I've already done one trek through a snowpack without a coat, and it sucked.

If we do another hike, I will be sure to carry you through any snowdrifts!

I'll hold you to that, buddy.

[Because it really did suck.]

I would certainly hope so!

Forging a trail once again... beating back the hordes of frozen water crystals...! Just like old times!

You're going to have to tell me about those old times, too. There's a story there.

But of course! Maybe we should meet for talks of old times.

Sure thing. First beer's on me.

Hah! Are you sure of that, my friend?

You may be going broke.

That's why it's just the first one.

[To which, Reinhardt responds with a laugh -- the kind that sounds like it should be accompanied by a slap on the shoulder.]

A fair point! A fair point.

[Nate grins, suddenly looking forward to whenever this happens.]

Just let me know when you're ready for a night at the bar.

So I will, my friend.

So I will.

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