Driftfleet Inbox

[bryces_pup]

VOICE | TEXT | ACTION

IC Catch-all Inbox for Riona at driftfleet. Be sure to mention the method in your subject line. A time frame/reference would be swell, too.

Comments

Text

[alwayscomeback]

[This is your captain checking in. IS A HUG REQUIRED?? ]

Hey, Riona.

Saw you talking to the new guy on the network. You okay?

[YOU DIDN'T LOOK OKAY. ]

Text

[bryces_pup]

[HONESTLY, DUDE? PROBABLY.

She's gone and curled up on her bed being... well, miserable. For a moment she considers lying. Because a conversation about this may lead to her having to talk about things she was trying to avoid. And yet... if he's asking then he probably already suspects that something is wrong. And he is the captain, and he has a right to know what's going on on his ship.

He's been nothing but honest with her. She owes it to him to be the same.]

no not exactly.

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[alwayscomeback]

[At least he doesn't plan to make her say anything she doesn't want to. It's out of pure concern that he's here. ]

Wanna talk about it? I can come find you if you like.

Or if you need anything.

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[bryces_pup]

[She needs a do-over for today, but sadly Sokka isn't quite that talented.]

i am in my room but i can meet youu elsewhere if you want.

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[alwayscomeback]

Nah, it's okay. I can come to you.

[She doesn't seem like going OUTSIDE will do her much good. Shortly: knock knock. ]

action

[bryces_pup]

[Meanwhile, Riona tries to make herself look at least semi-presentable. Fixing her hair, trying to make her eyes seem less red, all that good stuff.

A couple seconds after he knocks she opens the door, peering out with a forced smile.]

Hello.

[alwayscomeback]

[Ah, but Sokka knows all about forced smiles. He offers her a small, genuine one in return. ]

Hey yourself. Crappy day, huh?

[bryces_pup]

You could say that. [She steps aside to let him in and closes the door behind him. This isn't something she wants discussed in open ear shot of others.] So you, ah, saw what happened earlier?

[alwayscomeback]

[Once inside, he leans on the wall, letting out a sigh. ]

Yeah. Figured you might want someone to talk to.

[bryces_pup]

[She blows out a breath before taking a seat on her bed, hands in her lap.]

I suppose it's better than keeping it bottled up. And you have a right to know what's going on with your crew.

[Where does she even start?]

So... I don't know if it's limited to Thedas or if it happens with other worlds as well, but apparently there's this anomaly called "parallel universes". Basically, a world can have several different "versions" of itself where some things transpire differently in each version. "My" Thedas is a little different than the Thedas of the other Thedosians' here in the fleet.

[Hands clenched, she takes a deep, bracing breath.]

The man who I was talking to earlier... in his Thedas, our paths never crossed. I'm a stranger. [Either because she never existed or because she died. She isn't sure which but it doesn't matter right now.] In my Thedas... he's my husband.

[alwayscomeback]

Yeah. We had Hawke on our ship for a while, he was a guy and he dealt with stuff like that. And now there's a new Hawke and she's a girl? It...looks a whole lot of complicated.

[He hasn't come across that from his own world. Sure, people are from various points in the timeline, but everything still lines up as it should. For better or worse.

Still, that's awful, and his brows knit together. He can't imagine how terrible that would be. It would be like having Suki show up, with no idea who he was. It must be agony.]

Geeze. I'm really sorry, Riona. That's gotta be... really hard.

[bryces_pup]

Ah, that's right. Beverly asked me if I knew him when I came here. As if it's not complicated enough having people come from different times, we have different iterations of the same world. It's... sort of mad, really.

[She nods.]

I wish I could shrug it off and say it's all right, but... [It's a flat out lie and they both know it.] It caught me off guard. I knew it could happen, but I didn't really consider that it would actually happen to me, this soon, too. And for all the people for Atroma to bring...

[alwayscomeback]

I don't envy you, I can tell you that much.

Atroma like messing with us. The more emotional turmoil we're in, the better ratings they get. That's what they seem to work by, anyway; if it's the truth or not. It's still really sucky of them to do, though.

[He lets out an exhale. This sucks. This whole month sucks.]

But hey, don't ever feel you have to shrug it off, or just get by or anything like that. You've been hurt, and you've got every right to feel that way. And if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it.

[bryces_pup]

[It really has been an awful month, and Riona feels bad for piling onto the troubles the ship already has.]

They're awful. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me riled but... [She hisses out a breath.] They brought one of the few people who could truly get a reaction out of me.

[At his offer, she smiles. A real one, this time.]

Thank you. It's been a tumultuous few weeks and I apologize for adding to it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about Alistair's arrival yet. How do you even handle something like that?

[alwayscomeback]

Yeah, I get it. I mean...they haven't done that exact thing to me but- They took my girlfriend from me while they put me in one of those week-long cryo-sleeps. I just woke up and she was...gone. I ended up going off on one of Diamond's announcements, just giving them the reaction they always want.

[He shrugs.]

It's hard not to, when they know exactly where to hit you.

[He offers a small, sad smile. ]

Don't worry about that. We look out for one another here. As for handling it, man, I have no idea. Take one day at a time, I guess. If you feel it's time to talk to him about it, then do it.

[bryces_pup]

Oh, Sokka. I'm so sorry. [She wouldn't wish her experience or Sokka's on anyone.] They're a vile bunch to do this to us, and anyone who watches us for fun should be ashamed.

[She smiles apologetically. She meant it as a rhetorical question, but she appreciates him making the effort to answer anyway.]

There's no easy answer, I know. [But at his suggestion, she shakes her head.] I can't tell him. Being new here is difficult on anyone, and he's got enough to worry about. My telling him would just make things awkward and add pressure and he doesn't need that. [Even if it means she has to keep up a running lie.]

[alwayscomeback]

I'd feel better about if if I knew where they took her to. The two times they've ever spoken back, all they said was that she was 'safe'.

[Which he doesn't really believe. They've given him no reason TO believe them. ]

Is there anyone else from your version of your world? 'Cause if there is, they might spill the beans and make that decision moot.

[bryces_pup]

Are we not sent home when Atroma takes us from the fleet? [That was what she had been told, and everyone seemed confident enough in it that she hadn't questioned it much.]

I do not think so. No one has recognized me or my name, anyway. Just about everyone seems to have their own version of Thedas they hail from.

[alwayscomeback]

We honestly don't know. Could be we are, I mean, we've had people leave here and come back from home. But that could just as easily be Atroma putting memories into our heads. It's impossible to know for sure.

I guess that's something. Gives you the chance to deal with this as you want to.

[bryces_pup]

[...well, fuck. There goes that reassurance that she had. THANKS, SOKKA.]

No offense, but I hope you're wrong.

[Hopefully, yes. But there might be a hitch to that:]

So long as he isn't put on this ship come the next shuffle. But I fear it'd be my luck, and that would complicate things tenfold. And this ship has enough going on as is. [She runs her hands over her face.] Never had I thought that I would have hoped to not have my own husband on the ship with me. [And does she feel fucking awful for it.]

[alwayscomeback]

[He is the best person to turn to for comfort ever. ]

So do I.

[He wants the people he cares about safe. Home. ]

Hey, don't worry about it. If he is, we'll find a way to deal with it. Everyone's pretty crammed right now, but if anyone has spare space, we can ask for a transfer. Your comfort comes first.

[bryces_pup]

I... appreciate that, really, but I couldn't do that to him. I wouldn't want him to feel unwanted or that he did something wrong. [Enough people have made him feel that way his whole life.] If it should come to be that he's on the ship, I will adjust. We'd be lucky to have him on the ship, anyway.

[Which she sincerely believes. WHILE SOKKA'S AWESOME FOR BEING CONCERNED ABOUT HER COMFORT, she prioritizes Alistair over that.]

[alwayscomeback]

[Sokka smiles, nods. He understands. If it had been him, he wouldn't want Suki thinking she'd wronged him, somehow. That would hurt more than dealing with her here not knowing him. ]

Okay, but you know you always got me if you need help with that if it happens. Or heck, even if it doesn't and you just wanna talk.

[bryces_pup]

[She's so glad he gets it. +15 friendship points.]

Thank you. I'll definitely let you know if I need to.

[She may have to in the coming days. This isn't going to go away overnight.]

And thank you for... checking on me. I was hesitant to tell anyone what happened, but I feel a little better now that I've talked about it.

[alwayscomeback]

[Yay friendship!!!]

Don't mention it. You're part of this crew, and I wanna make sure you're okay. Or even if you're not, let you know you got people looking out for you.