video;

[sketchycharacter]

[The face that appears on the network is a familiar one—Nate's a chatty guy, and he made a grumpy address not long ago. But something's different this time—he looks a little disoriented, a little older. A little beefier.]

Hey. [He raises a hand in a casual greeting.] Sorry if I freaked anyone out. Complete accident, I swear. By the way, that cryo slime is incredibly gross. Don't get it in your mouth if you can help it.

[Ha, ha. This is no big deal, right?]

It's been a while. Three days for you guys, I guess? More like...three years for me.

[He smiles weakly. He's not freaked out! He's not freaked out!!]

Nice to see everyone again.

[It's been three years since Nathan Drake set foot on Avagi, but he still remembers his way around. ...mostly. Once he's got some of his bearings back, he makes a circuit of the accessible areas of the facility, re-familiarizing himself with his way around.

And eventually, he makes his way back to their quarters, plopping down in the common area and trying to digest.]

Back in space. How about that.

Comments

action; for Elena

[sketchycharacter]

[He's naked, apparently asleep and covered and goop.

And then suddenly the cryo pod is opening and he's hacking up goop, rising up out of his cold, gooey resting place.

His chest hair is damp and beautiful.]

#wettiddy #chesthair

[tearsinajar]

[ Look. Just because her second home is the medical area of the ship doesn't mean she won't be there. Her husband is in that pod, the very same one she's been in twice herself. It hasn't been just him in there, friends have been subjected to it.

No one should be.

Goop is everywhere. Too much goop. What is the point of it?

The faint beeping alarm going off signals her immediately to the pod chambers. Good thing the wing is absolutely dead, no one injuring themselves and needing her to do up some stitches.

Elena's entering just as the top hisses open, just in time to catch sight of the damp and oh-so beautiful chest hair of an upgraded Uncharted 4 Nathan Drake. Hallelujah. There is a God listening on this damn forsaken ship. ]

Careful— last thing I want to do is have to put you back in there because you cracked that thick head of yours open trying to get out. And look out for the wires. Your IV is still in your arm.

[ She's thoughtful, obviously the only reason they married. She's brought in a few towels so they can wipe him down. ]

hashtag heaven

[sketchycharacter]

What the—

[Nate dimly registers that it's Elena, which is right, and that he's all wet, which is also right—just a few seconds ago he'd pulled himself ashore ahead of Sam. They'd made it, they didn't get crushed by falling rocks or drown in the water next to Avery's ship.

Except there's no African sunshine like he remembers. He's cold, actually. And...naked.]

Elena? [He swipes at the goop in his eyes—with the arm that's got a needle in it, of course.] Ow, what the hell.

living the dream we are

[tearsinajar]

Nate.

[ Ignoring the slimy texture she moves in and reaches to take him by the forearm and push the limb back down. It'll slip her notice that he definitely feels more sturdier. Elena would rather focus on getting him grounded again, and out of the pod. Not because of a naked husband. Or maybe it is.

A heavy sigh. ]

I guess you missed the part about the IV. Here— [ A towel is passed to him. ] For your face. Wipe.

audio;

[gerechtigkeit]

[This has to be either the longest pause or someone doesn't realize they have the ACE on.]

.............................cryo slime?

[Ah. Guess it's the former.]

audio;

[sketchycharacter]

Yep. Stop by medical if you want to check it out. But you probably don't.

audio;

[gerechtigkeit]

Considering it doesn't sound favorable, I don't think I will.

[That and also medical... side-eyes...]

So you returned home?

audio;

[sketchycharacter]

Felt like it, yeah. Not sure how that works if I was plugged in here the whole time.

voice;

[brokeassgoing]

That's what she said-- So didja have a robot stand in back home, all this time, or what?

voice;

[sketchycharacter]

What? No. Why would I?

voice;

[brokeassgoing]

I've always wondered whether we were missing persons or time stood still or what.

voice;

[sketchycharacter]

The second one, I guess. I blinked and I was on the plane I got pulled from to start with. Didn't remember being here at all.

video;

[notmarieanymore]

Good to see you again, [Rogue smiles.]

So you were gone for three whole years? That's... I didn't know that happened around here.

video;

[sketchycharacter]

[He smiles back. The greeting was automatic, but it is nice to see these people again. Makes him feel steadier, like this wasn't just some weird dream.]

I've heard about it. Happened to a friend of mine. Guess I never thought it would happen to me.

Re: video;

[notmarieanymore]

Huh. So while you were back home what happened? Did you remember any of this, were you gone at all?

[She hasn't spoken to anyone who's left and come back yet]

video;

[sketchycharacter]

[He shakes his head.]

Not that I can recall. Maybe I dreamed about it, or something, but that might just be wishful thinking.

[It probably is.]

I just went on with my life. Bought a house. Found a famous pirate's lost treasure.

video;

[redshitlord]

Whoa, dude.

You look gross.

video;

[sketchycharacter]

Thanks, Sideswipe. I missed you too. Or, you know, I would have if I remembered you existed. Probably.

video;

[redshitlord]

Whoa! Whoaaa!

Rude!

Now I'm not even sorry I said you looked bad.

[nishizono]

aren't you a sight for sore eyes.

[sketchycharacter]

that or i made your eyes sore

[nishizono]

either works. you got fat.

[vata]

[She's staring back at the screen, blinking, her brow tightly creased. Part of this seems like some kind of elaborate joke. Maybe his way of getting back at her for all the trouble she's caused him.

But something nagging in the back of her mind? It's starting to insist that this might be for real.]

...what...the hell.

[sketchycharacter]

[Oh, hey, crime friend. By now he's feeling a little more in the moment, memories of Avagi feeling like they're coming from closer than three years ago. Kinda.]

Hey. What, do I have something on my face?

[vata]

Yeah, actually, you do.

[A beat:]

Someone else's face.

The hell happened to you, hermano?