voice

[ascendit]

[Both the timing and the sound of people's voices and footsteps in the background indicate that this was recorded just after the meeting, as people start to leave. A thud, and from farther away:] Oh, crap -

[The sounds of rummaging. Guess what idiot dropped his TAB basically as soon as he hit record and is now picking it up?]

So, uh, great meeting and all, can't wait to go, but has anyone else ever come back from medical - not dying, just a really long checkup - but something's gone weird and the Ingress Complex doctors aren't seeing it? [Mumbled quickly:] Or weird nightmares over there. [And back to a regular volume:] Nothing like this happened on the Moira.

And hey, I know some of you are doctors - could someone check out my dumb hand? Even if it's just a quick look before we leave. [Annoyed:] I might be kinda useless on Sawarga.

[All Nate's replies will also be in voice unless otherwise specified.]

Comments

voice

[tearsinajar]

What's wrong with your hand?

[ Smol Nate, did you rub yourself - nope, not going there. Nope nope nope. Absolutely the worst. ]

voice

[ascendit]

It's like it, or I, forgot how to do things. I picked up a pencil and I suddenly didn't know how to hold it, and when I tried to draw, everything was a mess. Hell, trying to hold my gunblade felt all wrong.

[Elena can probably guess which of those is more important to him.]

[tearsinajar]

[ Oh, she knows. ]

Did you try switching hands?

[ascendit]

[Slowly, as this should be obvious:] But I'm right handed.

[tearsinajar]

I know you are. But brains are weird; they have switches we don't realize exist until something happens to trigger them.

Also, I'm honestly a little surprised that you aren't ambidextrous.

[ascendit]

I can punch with both hands.

[The sounds of rifling, and a small clatter and a "sorry" as Nate bumps into someone.]

... Huh.

[tearsinajar]

When you're desperate enough, you could probably kick and punch and bite with everything you got.

[ She's only able to hear what's going on. ]

Huh what? What happened?

[ascendit]

No, I meant I was taught for both hands - but I just tried holding a pencil with my left hand and it was way easier.

[He really didn't think that would work!]

[tearsinajar]

That's great! But can you write while holding it with the left hand?

[ascendit]

Hang on a sec.

[The whisper of fabric as Nate sticks his TAB to his shirt, and then the sound of page turning and, even fainter, pencil scritching.]

... I can't believe that worked. [Genuinely stunned here.]

[tearsinajar]

I know I know. I'm a genius. You're welcome.

[ascendit]

But I wonder how it happened in the first place? And if it can go back - I'm smudging my page here!

[tearsinajar]

I don't have a clue as to how it could've happened. What was the last thing you were doing when your good hand became your bad one?

[ascendit]

Uh, eating.

[teenagers, man]

Then I woke up in medical a month later.

[tearsinajar]

[ She'll just believe it was eating. ]

So you were out for a month and when you woke up, your good hand was basically useless. Do you think it had anything to do with that?

[ascendit]

[Genuinely confused:] I've eaten those wings before and I was fine.

[tearsinajar]

What...wings?

[ascendit]

I can't pronounce it, but it kinda tastes like beef.

[betcha thought he was going to say chicken]

Voice

[seekingmyfortune]

Hey, you all right? You weren't going around punching people in another bar fight were you?

[You may have gone to magic mercenary school but bar fights are not good for you!]

[ascendit]

[Nate laughs.] Nah. My magic thing - I let the techs play around with it to try and fix the Ingress.

I thought I'd disconnected it before handing it over, but I guess I was still attached when they started working.

[seekingmyfortune]

Wait wait wait, you just gave your magic thing to some techs who have never used or probably seen anything like it before?

And what do you mean you were still attached? What happened?

[ascendit]

Look, I saw how much the Ingress being down was messing with everything, and... I had something that might help. [He had to do something.]

Still attached mentally. All I remember is passing out, and then some weird nightmares - medical said I've been out for a month.

[seekingmyfortune]

Jesus Christ, Nathan!

[There is so much wrong with these sentences]

Look, I realize you wanted to help and all but next time maybe don't give the guys who kidnapped everyone into space your magical device if it's connected to you. I mean, Jesus, what if something worse happened to you?

[ascendit]

I didn't think it was still connected! I turned off the connection before handing it over. And if something had happened - seems like the planets are doing a lot better now with the Ingress working, so it would have been worth it.