Video, August 1

[littlemhigan]

What's the date?

[You might be somewhat startled by the suddenness of Castor's message, or even by the urgency in her voice. Maybe you're surprised because this is the first hide or hair you've seen of her in seven full days.

Also, she looks like hell; Sallow and wan and with eyes that look just a little bit red. There's also the faint sliver of something dull and metal along the bottom of the camera - an object in her lap that can't quite be discerned. ]

Please I...I went lookin' fer somethin've mine that ended up in the Width an' I...Althyk keep me, this date ain't right, is it?


((oops someone got canonbump'd!))

Comments

Video

[chefbayardee]

[ That's sure unusual. Castor looks... rough. ]

August 1st. Why? [ He's taking in the redness of her eyes, the fact that she looks so rough but she hasn't been around, even though she's been on the net, but he just assumed she was busy and- ]

Are you okay? [ There's a panic in his voice. ] D-did you go in alone?!

[littlemhigan]

The f...irst?

I'm damn well not, I wen in on the twenty-fifth.

Video > Private Video

[chefbayardee]

...oh. [ He blinks for a few seconds, not sure how to respond. Then the feed cuts out before coming back as a private video. ]

What do you need? A drink? Food? Punching bag? [ A pause. ] Should I head out there? Call someone? [ He sighs, staring at the red in her eyes. ] You don't need to tell me what happened, just... Can I help at all?

[littlemhigan]

[In the time it's taken the video to come back, Castor seems to have curled up a little bit around whatever she's holding.]

I jes...I don't know what I need. Besides te stop gettin' people killed.

[chefbayardee]

I... [ He wishes he knew what to say to that. Is someone hurt? Killed?! Did she get attacked in the Dream Width? He notices she's moved, curled up, and...

Hunk exhales, and as he does so, he looks more... confident. Composed. ] Where are you? I'll work a different flight and find you. I'm pretty sure I can say "extradimensional Dream Width stuff happened to my friend" and they'll understand.

[ The way he's saying it, she doesn't have too much of a choice in the matter. And as far as he's concerned, with as much as she's helped him and Shiro, she's earned more than a little Yellow Paladin-ing. ]

[littlemhigan]

'M at the airship docks at the Curti Centre. Don't... go out've yer way fer me. I think Noctis is comin' anyways.

[It's clear she's trying to pull herself back to some semblance of 'together', but her eyes are casting about and not meeting the camera.]

I was in there seven days. I - I don't know if I was dreamin' the whole time but...

[chefbayardee]

[ Okay, fine, if Noct is coming then he doesn't need to head out there, she'll be in good hands. She'll be fine. ]

Seven days is... [ A long time. If she doesn't know she was dreaming, then what was she doing? ] Was everything in your home universe, or was there... other stuff? [ He saw a memory that made zero sense and they couldn't tell whose it was. Hunk wouldn't wish that on anyone, least of all one of his friends. ]

[littlemhigan]

Whatever I saw, it wasn't a memory like last time, which is why I don't know if I was dreamin' or not! It was...like I'd never left at all. Just picked up where I'd left from, with not a soul the wiser for it.

Didn't seem so long, but what does?

[chefbayardee]

If it was like you went back home, then... maybe there's something we can use to figure out the Dream Width. It doesn't sound like this has happened before...

[ Any chance he had of not making his way out to visit Castor went out the window with that. ] I'm on my way. If anyone else is on the way, have them wait up for me.

H- [ Hunk starts to speak, but thinks better of it, until... well, he'd want to ask one day. ] How long did it feel like you were dreaming for? If it was a dream, I mean. Was it longer than a week?

haha judging time in ff14. funny joke.

[littlemhigan]

If it has, this'd be the first I've heard've it.

How...few days, maybe? I didn't see my bed for a strech, but that ain't unusual. However long I was there, it was less'n a week.

yeah OOPS

[chefbayardee]

Well... [ He closes his eyes for a bit, trying to make sense of it all. ] Maybe time went slower in the dream than it did for us? Normal dreams do that, right?

[ And then he grows solemn again. He's a scientist and an engineer and he led people on a trip to get info from the PuPus and he doesn't have any information to offer his friend. Just vague guesses. ] But you're back now, even if it took a little longer than it should've. That's... [ He sighs. ]

That's what's important. You're still here. [ His voice cracks a bit at the end there. ]

[littlemhigan]

Aye they do. An...I s'ppose I'm the only one who's had this happen to 'em, so who's te say.

[ She looks like she's about to comment on his change of tone, but whatever's in her lap steals her words before she can utter them.

There's a solid few seconds of silence before she can reply. ]

A-aye. I am.

[chefbayardee]

I'll be there soon. Just... [ He tries to smile, to laugh. ] Just don't go anywhere, okay?

[ He wants to pick her brain about everything, but... he knows better. That'd be horrible. She'll talk when she's ready. ] Let me know if you need anything before I get there, okay?

(( seems like a good spot to end it, if you're cool? ))

[littlemhigan]

Promise I won't wander.

((aye!))