We'll sight the shores of islands

[abyssalarcana]

Who: Crewmembers of the Law-Curufin-Floki sailing fleet + OTA
What: The three ships and their crews finally make landfall after many weeks at sea! Come greet your friends (?) on their return as they disembark and bring the fragments to the lab - or meet them for the first time if you've just arrived!
Where: Island shoreline, or anywhere
When: September 19th
Warnings: Will update as needed but nothing terrible expected here unless someone hugs a Door fragment too close.

Just over four weeks ago, the three boats set off in search of some of the more distant Door fragments. Under the experienced eyes and hands of a few seasoned ocean voyagers, the crew has suffered boredom, kraken attacks, stormy weather, a captain gone mad with the chaos of the fragments themselves - and perhaps most notably, a trio of Null that were waiting at one of the locations.

But as the sight of islands loomed ahead once again, they finally were sure of one thing - they had all made it back alive.">

Comments

Rey. (OTA)

[circumitus]

When land is within sight, Rey takes her phone out for the first time in several days to send out a simple message to those who are concerned:

almost home. be there within the hour.

She can gauge the distance between the land and sea enough to guesstimate the time it's going to take.

After so many weeks being away, it's almost strange to think that she would miss this city. It's only home to her in the sense that the people she cares about are here, but if it were possible to make home anywhere else...

Well, she isn't holding her breath.

First thing's first -- she has a few stops to make as soon as her feet are back on solid ground. Earth that isn't among the myriad small stranded islands that populate this world, that is. She leaves the delivery of the fragments to the others, wanting nothing more to do with them given what she's had to deal with. Rey has already had enough madness on her life to want to spend another second in the presence of something that slowly wants to drive her own of her damned mind.

If she's greeted by anyone as soon as the ships dock, she'll appear to them to be in one piece. Albeit a little haggard and weary, she's better now than she could be. Her somewhat manic demeanor might speak otherwise, given the fragments' influence, but she won't speak of that right away. With good reason...

[ooc: Feel free to assume Rey is visiting your character if we have established CR. Otherwise, anyone who might be interested in talking about the crew's endeavors with her would also be a good starting point for new CR!]

[outofthefire]

[she gets the text from Rey and is really pleased to see it. she's missed Rey. even knowing the conversation that's likely coming about her past, she's missed her. she's done her best to keep the Speakeasy running smoothly in Rey's absence, but she can't deny that there's been something missing with Rey being gone.

she's waiting at the dock and yeah, she does notice that Rey looks a little worn down. today's probably not the right day for The Talk. today's a chill day, a day for talking about the trip and the Speakeasy and whatever else pops into her head. maybe talking will get serious, maybe it won't. she's cool either way. she just missed her friend and is glad to see her back]

Hey, sailor. Come here often?

[circumitus]

[Of all the people Rey expects to greet her, she didn't anticipate Laura right at the docks. Sure she was planning on making her rounds to visit people, but...

[Well, it's not an unpleasant surprise. She's grateful that there are people she can rely on to hold the fort whole she's gone, and Laura has always been one of the more dependable ones.

[She manages a tired smirk at Laura's comment.]

Shit, hope not. Seen enough sailing and water that if we have to board another ship, it'll be too soon.

[Not that Rey is entirely complaining, and that much is evident in her tone. While she appreciates the change of scenery after being in a cave for actual years, the sea life holds some pretty unpleasant memories that Rey is unfortunately saddled with.]

[outofthefire]

[she'd be flattered and a little surprised to be described as dependable. Daytime Laura always was back in Twin Peaks, but maybe she's finally growing up. and goodness knows that Nighttime Laura hasn't gone over well around here.

she smiles back at Rey's smirk]

Yeah, that's a long time to be cooped up with the same people. Hope they didn't all drive you nuts.

[yeah, that's apparent. Laura wouldn't mind getting away from these four little islands for a little while, but an entire month? no, thank you]

[puzzlingly]

Atem had been keeping his phone close, almost obsessively checking it every now and then — probably less now than a few days ago — when he gets the message. He opts to wait for her at the Speakeasy anyway, it being far less complicated than him asking in which island they would even disembark.

When Rey gets there, it's not Atem who greets her first, no. It's Tripod. Meowing at the top of his little lungs when he sees her come down the street and Atem, who stands at porch of the bar with the cat in his arms, holding him tight so he doesn't run and climbs all over her.

"Hey." It's so good to see her. It's been a days already since people were back, but somehow, it didn't feel the same. Just seeing her, someone so familiar by now, makes everything a little better.

"Welcome back." If he looks like he could give a more excited greeting is only because he's a little tired, but the smile is honest. She's back.

[circumitus]

Even if the mutant cyclopean cat were to rush and clamber over her, Rey wouldn't mind. It's better company than she's had in weeks. But she appreciates the restraint from Atem so the cat doesn't have to risk himself on her part.

She's hauling a backpack of some little essentials she'd packed before the trip over her shoulder when she approaches the Speakeasy, grateful that someone is at least there. Laura has held the fort well enough but it's better knowing that she wasn't the only one to depend on in her absence.

Her pace slows down at the foot of the steps as Rey lifts her gaze to Atem and the cat in his arms, greeting her.

"Hey," she responds. Then, noting his fatigue, adds, "You look like shit."

[puzzlingly]

Atem's reaction doesn't wait as he chuckles at what she says.

"I know." But in retribution he approaches and puts Tripod on her arms.

"Mission complete... Now, I can die in peace." He might not even be kidding, feeling like death warmed over.

[synthedick]

Despite how much he wanted to meet Rey the moment she got back, Nick has been up at the headquarters getting patrols settled, working as fast as he can to finish up his business for the day and head home. He's sure he's not the only one she contacted, so that probably gives her some time to get to the Speakeasy, he figures. Hit up a few of her friends, settle back into being on dry land. She doesn't need to see him right away, anyway.

There it is again, that part of him that tries to convince himself that she didn't miss him as much as he missed her. She's been busy, had a lot to deal with on the open ocean. Meanwhile, he's just been grappling with his own problems one by one as they pile up. Henry disappearing, DiMA, the Null, the fact he needs to figure out what he's going to do with the Guard -- it all adds up, weighs on his mind as heavily as it would any real person. He can usually clear his head at night when he gets home -- which the back room on the 2nd floor of the Speakeasy is these days -- but the darn place is so quiet at night without her, a little lonelier when she's not around to talk to. Atem has been a big help, and Tripod clearly has his eye set only on one person, but for Nick... she gets it. She gets him and what's on his mind better than anyone. Hell, if his mind falls apart or goes haywire, she's about the only one who can fix it -- literally.

There are times he wonders when he got so soft. Family will do that to a fella -- hell, love will in all its forms.

It's late by the time he gets to the Speakeasy, but earlier than he normally would be. His cane clacks loudly on the floor as he lets himself in, not bothering for subtlety. "Rey? You here?"

[circumitus]

By now Rey knows all too well how Nick thinks. Hell, she's known for a long time, but the longer they spend together, live under the same roof, she forgets just how easy he is to read.

When she doesn't find Nick on the shore after the ship docks, disappointment and worry creep up in the back of her mind. But then she reminds herself -- he's got a lot on his plate, and it's not an easy trip for him to get between islands. She'd hate to trouble him on her behalf when she had sent the message about their return at the last minute...

Of course, it's not like no one greeted her right off the ship, anyway. But no one can be Nick, who has become such an irreplaceable figure in her life and in her heart.

After everything is said and done, she hopes to meet Nick at the Speakeasy, only to find him not there yet. She instead spends time with Atem and a very eager Tripod, desperate for her attention, but as time passes she can't help but wonder where Nick could be. Again, he's got a lot to worry about. Henry, the Guard... his 'brother'... Rey can't say she blames Nick for his disquiet, and she has a pretty good idea of what's going on in his head this very moment.

So when she heard the telltale click of the cane on the hardwood floor, echoing across the Game Room, Rey is immediately alert. She's on her feet before she can answer.

"Nick!"

As soon as he's up the stairs and on even ground, he's going on find his daughter (come on, it's basically canon at this point) throwing her arms over his shoulders. It's a better hello than the word itself. She remembers again just how long she has been gone, and how she missed her family. With the scent of saltwater clinging to her hair and skin, what matters is that she's home.

[synthedick]

The way Rey greets Nick catches him off-guard; she's usually pretty low-key in her affection, even for him and after all they've been through. There have been times she fell asleep leaning against him on the couch as he worked on patrol routes, moments where she put her hand on his to show her support. They've been in each other's heads, dealt with one another's demons, and even then, Rey has just always been Rey.

But when she wraps her arms around him, he can't help but drop the cane and do the same, his limbs encircling her as he pulls her close. His sensors pick up the smell of the saltwater, pressure points in his synthetic skin able to tell him the exact pressure she's putting against it; however, what strikes him the most is that ache in his heart, the way her mere presence brings a smile to his face -- the first in what feels like ages. It's that human emotion that strikes him to his very core, however mechanical it may be.

"You miss me much?"

Because boy, did he miss her.

[onlyanautomaton]

Oscar is there to welcome the fleet as it comes in to harbor. A preliminary inspection of their exteriors informs him that they fared much better than he expected. Though the repairs that were carried out were evidently successful, he thinks further work will have to be done before it can be said they are fully prepared to raise anchor again.

The ships dock without incident. The waters are mercifully calm in the wake of the storms that finally passed them a few days ago. Landing the fleet in that horrible weather would have proven quite dangerous.

Oscar is standing close to the pier when he notices Miss Rey disembarking from her ship. It was her message that alerted him to the incoming arrivals. It is a relief to know that she has safely returned to dry land. He will no longer dwell on her whereabouts at sea, wonder whether her boat will be sighted on the horizon today or tomorrow... or fear the undeniable possibility that she might never return.

He performs a cursory examination of her appearance before walking up the length of the dock to meet her.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Rey. I must confess I feared for your ship after the weather turned."

[circumitus]

Fortunately, Rey has no such plans of going out to sea again anytime soon. After their encounter with the Null, she doesn't doubt that those sentries had the ability to communicate with the rest of their hivemind. It might take time for any message or coordinates to send, the last thing she wants to do is risk being AWOL during another attack -- or, worse yet, to be left behind on this damned planet. It's an improvement from the shitty lifeless desert they abandoned and the restrictive cave walls, but the vast ocean waters and the scarce lands leave hope for life and sustainability to be desired.

Much like Laura, Oscar isn't someone Rey expected to find waiting for her at the docks. She'll have to find Nick again, or rendezvous back at the Speakeasy where he had been staying. While she doesn't want to spend too much time tracking everyone down before she can even get her land legs back, there are several set goals Rey has her mind on.

Face flushed, she scratches the back of her neck as Oscar expresses his concern.

"Well, they were lucky to have some extra muscle on board to make sure those sails don't just fly off."

[onlyanautomaton]

"How fortunate for them that you were there to offer it," he returns with unabashed sincerity.

Her voyage did not go as smoothly as he had hoped it would. But he feels an enormous sense of relief that his gravest fears concerning it did not come to eventuate. (Even she is not capable of swimming a marathon of untold size across a storm-tossed ocean!)

"It may take some time for you to regain your balance on land. Would you like help with your luggage?"

Caedra Nisariel | OTA

[abyssalarcana]

The time at sea may have presented multiple challenges, some of which Caedra could never have prepared for even if she acts like she can do anything, but the sight of the islands leaves her with a sinking feeling in her ichorous gut, as if she'd finally encountered ice cold enough to freeze her completely through. These fucking islands, how she hates them and the people on them so. And particularly, how she hates the false gods that now fill her once again with a deep, unmistakable anger.

Her first priority is the fragments. Having been convinced that collecting all of them in the lab does make some amount of sense, Caedra helps to make sure they're delivered there as soon as possible. She'll hang around, too, to make sure everyone there knows what happens if they're touched - or even hovered around for too long. Speaking of hovering, she'll probably be guilty of a fair amount of that herself. She's reluctant to trust anyone with them, in case they try to steal some away.

And if it looks like she's checking out the lab interior for any signs of alarm glyphs or other magical security, don't mind her. She would never consider doing what she's so ready to expect someone else will try. Having realized the power of these things in driving people mad, Caedra, good, wholesome, helpful Caedra, would not once consider that giving them to people would potentially weaponize some of their existing instability.

Afterward, though? She heads back to the ship to gather her few things, and perhaps drags her feet just a bit when it comes to having to go anywhere else. The Corazón was tight quarters, but it was few people, and she doesn't mind those few too much. And sailing, it turns out, is awfully fun. She wants to make sure the ship is taken care of - especially if it's needed gain.

Finally, she'll head back to her house, check up on any storm damage, and then can be found pretty much anywhere so feel free to pick a location if you've been looking for her - or if you were really glad to be free of her for the last month!

the Speakeasy

[myrealname]

[now that the storm is over, Jane's a lot more mobile. she's been scoping out locations for the play, trying to actually write the damned thing, and getting out of her apartment as much as she can. she's felt itchy and restless and the thing where everybody disappeared did a real number on her, especially with Caedra gone for so long.

it's ridiculous because she knows that they're just FWB, but she's still a friend. which is something she has in short supply around here. she's getting better at reaching out to people and trying to make friends, but it's hard. she loved NYC and London for their anonymity, but she knows that's not an option here.

so she finds herself sitting in a corner booth at the Speakeasy, drinking something close to a Tequila Sunrise and people-watching]

[abyssalarcana]

[Naturally, the Speakeasy is one of Caedra's first destinations after accepting the fact that, for the time being, she's still stuck in this shithole of a city. Hopefully Rey's long absence from the place doesn't mean they've run out of alcohol - or possibly worse, resorted to rationing small amounts of it, just enough to entice and never enough to satisfy.

Well, and the lack of fruit might put a dent in things too. Caedra is served something that only smells mildly alcoholic, but she accepts it as probably good enough and gestures over the glass, reflavoring it and heating it to approximate boozy coffee. It'll do. She spots Alice quickly as she does a scan of the room, and with a relieved smile, she goes to join her at the booth.]

Oh good, I thought this place might be full of miserable idiots tonight. You're a far more welcome sight.

[myrealname]

[well, her drink tastes a lot more Sunrise than Tequila, but with the lack of Rey and the decimation of the orchard, she guesses that's to be expected. whatever, it's good enough for now. but what she wouldn't give for a real nightclub.

boozy coffee, that sounds good. and she grins as Caedra comes over to join her at the booth. it's been a while, she's missed Caedra a lot since she's been gone]

And you are a sight for sore eyes. So, how'd it go?

lab!

[sciencelizard]

Alphys had known Law's crew was coming back with some fragments- after speaking to him on the network, she was anticipating about the day they would arrive. She's spent some time with the one that Barry and his family brought back, but-- there's a lot of possibilities going forward. There's the chance that these things give off different signatures, or have different powers, or... well, maybe they have been duped. Who knows.

Still, after she's gotten these, this other woman in the group still seems to be lingering. Alphys isn't really certain if she's met her before- or if she has the right to say anything, since the Lab is a public space- but there's no use in trying to be friendly, so she waits until she's looking her way to give her a little wave.

"Hey, uh-- h-hey! Do you need anything, or, uhm... help, or something?"

[abyssalarcana]

Just because Caedra has been talked into letting the people at the lab collect the Door fragments doesn't mean she likes it. Letting go of something so powerful, letting other people keep an eye on them, trusting them to keep them away from the false gods - none of it sits well with her.

The others leave. Caedra remains, arms folded over her chest as she meets the gaze of what she's always taken to be just a particularly small dragonborn. One from an interesting world, too - for as she's come to find, anything that isn't 'Earth' is fairly unique here. And didn't this one say she had built an intelligent golem of some sort?

Those questions can come later. For now, Caedra's black eyes fix on the little creature. "You're Alphys, right? What's your plan for those?" she asks, tipping her head slightly in the direction of the boxes. "Everyone seems content to let you study them. What does that involve?"

[allthecards]

Kaiba was thrilled to finally be off that ship. He didn't regret his decision to go. This was an important to leaving, and he wasn't going to trust that to anyone else. The months worth of data he was able to collect was better than waiting and getting it after the fact; assuming it would have been collected correctly at all.

Kaiba had planned his steps after getting back almost as soon as they'd left. First, he had to return to the apartment he shared with his brother. He knew that Atem had been right deep down, but he had to confirm it for himself. He wouldn't truly believe his brother was gone until he saw it with his own eyes.

After that's done, it'll be time to get to work with the data and null parts he gathered in the lab. He has plans for the lasers he took off the defeated null. With no one waiting at home, he'll have all the time in the world to stay at the lab, with a short break here and there to make sure that his high scores are still there at the arcade.

[puzzlingly]

Having made sure that Tripod was safe and happy with his beloved owner at last (because that was the important part, not catching up with Rey, no) Atem ached to go back to his bed (and his deck), or a bed at all, truth to be told; during the days he spent back at the Speakeasy, he mostly slept at the booths or at the little sofa in Rey's very small apartment at the bar, he wasn't about to use her bed after all. At the very least he no longer felt as sick as he had been the prior days so the trip back to the West Island wasn't as terrible as he had expected. Granted that after nearly drowning, having to get into one of those little and mostly questionable boats wasn't something he enjoyed in the slightest.

Even if exhausted from the events that had been piling on him over the past weeks, instead of going home directly, he took a little detour, see if he could find Kaiba along the way and see how he was doing instead, he had been waiting for him after all, and that's how he found himself at the apartment that the CEO had been sharing with his brother.

"Kaiba?" He calls out sticking his head though the door, if he's not there he will have to try the lab.

[allthecards]

Kaiba is standing in the middle of the living room when Atem arrives. He'd had several weeks with the knowledge that his brother was gone. Even though logically he knew that Atem wouldn't lie to him about something like that and that it was backed up by Caedra's mirror, not seeing it for himself kept him from fully believing it. Now with the evidence clearly in front of him, it was like the initial blow all over again.

He'd been at the apartment for a little over an hour. It was obvious that no one had been there for weeks. Dust everywhere, nothing to suggest anything had moved in almost the month he'd been gone. He'd exploded in anger already on the boat, now he's just tired.

He turns his head to the side to look at Atem in the doorway. He's not ready to either invite him in or turn him away. A slight narrowing of his eyes is the only greeting, as if daring Atem to say anything like 'I told you'.

Curufin | OTA

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin's crew pull their craft into the channel between West Island and South Island. This permits easy access to two places that need to be visited first off. The Door fragment needs to be delivered to Alphys at the Lab on West Island, and the crew is set to hit South Island's Speakeasy after that -- to celebrate their safe return.

Upon anchoring first off the shore of West Island, Curufin hefts the box that contains the Door fragment up on his shoulder and heads for the Lab. He's hoping to meet Kate on the shore, since he believes that she might want to take a look at this strange artifact before handing it over to the Lab people, and he has messaged her to let her know where he will be. Since the Clinic is on that same island, it shouldn't be too much of a walk to the shore to meet the Elvish boat.

After that, he'll invite Kate aboard and cross the channel to South Island to visit the Speakeasy. Besides sitting down for a drink with Kate, he also can meet anybody there who wants to see him before he gets involved in any of his other projects or takes up his regular responsibilities.

After that, he'll head home to Delight's Housing and finally to the Orchard to take stock of the situation and start planting.

speakeasy!

[dedikated]

Shards deposited, Kate quickly takes the opportunity to remind Curufin of what he owes her, and — one more boat journey later — they find seats without much trouble, sliding into a corner booth with a bottle of tequila and a couple of glasses.

"Welcome back." She pours them both a shot as she speaks, pushing one towards him and knocking her own back. The one fucking bright spot of this month is the safe return of the boats that have been sent out, and the shards they bring with them.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin has been looking forward to this and smiles at the reminder. Once they've docked at South Island and hurried off to the Speakeasy, he sits down with her happily and picks up his glass.

"Thanks, and I'm glad to be back!" He grins again, drinks, and quotes, "Home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter home from the hill." (Some mortal poet, no doubt.)

"And how are you, Kate?"