three . video

[misconceived]

WHO Chris Halliwell
BROADCAST Accidental Fleet-wide video (thanks Atroma!!)
ACTION SS Huntress.
WHEN May 10th. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.
WARNINGS don't play fetch with the soulball

[ The video is abrupt, the angle awkward. It cuts on to a comm laying on what appears to be a dining table in a fully upgraded kitchen. Chris is standing off-center, facing someone who is holding what appears to be a lightly-glowing orb in his hands.

This appears to be a very controversial thing, holding a glowy ball. ]

They gave you grandad?! It's a casino! Where the hell did they even get that?

Actually, where the hell do you even keep that now? Or... then. Back then? Whatever. How do you play slots to win your father's soul?

Comments

[normallycharmed]

[ See, there's a lot that could be said about this broadcast. Souls are, really, not that weird. In their own way. She crazed over getting memory items back the last few days, so it's not like she can judge. But then those memories. Sort of clash awkwardly with the word granddad and she. Kind of knows a bit more now and can figure out who he's talking to.

But, well. ]

Um. What?

video forever;

[misconceived]

[ SHIT. Chris turns to the camera and motions for Cole to step out of whatever bit of frame he's in because oh shit. Time to... play innocent? Yes? Maybe? Please?? ]

What?

video forever;

[normallycharmed]

[ Except it doesn't take a rocket scientist given how many people she knows is from their world, so any hiding doesn't do much. Her eyes squint up familiarly as she tries to piece something together but plunges on anyway. ]

Christopher Perry Halliwell.

[ ...That's definitely the sound of a start of a scolding. But she definitely did not know his full name a few days ago, well then. ]

[misconceived]

[ That legitimately stops him up short and he stares for what feels like forever, mouth open and incredulous, and— ]

You know I'm a Halliwell?

[normallycharmed]

Yeah, the funny thing about regaining memories the way we did is we get them in all types of order. I knew I had kids before I was married, for example. And I remember you too. Same here, it seems.

[ There's a beat while she lets that sink in, but she's still trying to puzzle that granddad thing together. How does this work she doesn't know. Ignore, ignore, ignore. She was very good about that in regards with Prue.
]
When were ya gonna explain that, exactly?

[misconceived]

Um...

[ Well. See, about that... ]

I didn't want to overload you or anything. You definitely didn't know before. They're coming back?

[normallycharmed]

No. What I knew is you were a big part of the reason they took Leo away.

[ Sure, he helped. A lot. But, well, he also didn't help in some ways. That was always a struggle for Piper. But now she's scrutinizing him carefully, because she's remembered more-- Enough, to piece things together. It's still not as much as she'd like. ]

Funny thing, you can win back memories as well as souls apparently.

[ Souls is, of course, said with emphasis. ]

[misconceived]

Took Leo away? What are you talking about?

[ Funny thing, that: Leo was never made an elder because it wasn't like Chris could become the Charmed Ones' new whitelighter anyway. So he's just... rather confused. What's going on here? ]

Oh. That's, uh, not surprising considering... [ He tilts his head toward the soul. If Piper remembers he's a Halliwell, then obviously she can imagine whose side of the family this grandfather is from. Clearly. ]

[normallycharmed]

Like you don't know. It was some crap about raising him high enough there was no higher he could go, right?

[ Things Piper will always be angry about: Leo being an Elder. And she doesn't think Chris wouldn't know, or maybe, they're from different times. That happens sometimes. Still, she raises a brow in confusion. ]

Considering?

[ Clearly. She knows. ]

[misconceived]

I really have no idea what you're talking about, Aunt Piper. What happened to Leo?

[ This is more than mildly concerning. Could it be those memories she won are fakes? Does that happen? Are all of the prizes fakes? He's pursing his lips, shaking his head. ]

Considering souls are part of their prize wheel. Memories aren't that far off, either.

[normallycharmed]

[ The issue with only having parts of your memories is that you cling very desperately to what you do have. It's the whole reason she decided to spend so much time at the casinos. Piper had never been good with change or a lack of control. Even with amnesia the one thing she had very, very little control of was regaining memories. Because Amethyst could win if they tried their best-- it was the same here.

But because of this a woman who was so keen for order and normalcy took to heart every memory she received even more than she did before-- which is kind of difficult, in its own way. She'd had ideas before. Paige replaced Prue, she could guess there-- a guess she was too afraid to confirm and was consistently afraid would be confirmed in the worst way possible. Just like she knew, eventually, she'd marry Leo. And they'd have Wyatt-- and another one who her memories felt familiar about. At least, there were vague nods to someone she could only guess.

And then it was pretty confirmed just a short while ago.

And then something about a granddad came up.

But she knew better, in her world, at least-- she was pretty sure there was no glowing ball of light granddads there. She thinks... probably? Not to who she can only guess was there-- Which didn't make sense. It was the whole reason she responded-- in part of a fear that maybe everything she remembered was a lie. And she tries to ignore it as they speak, as she does a lot of things, because she can do casual talk. Or more casual than the talk that's swimming in her mind.

It's fine for a moment but then that single word freezes her in her tracks. There's no snarky comment and her face turns blank. Like she's not quite registering the words he's saying anymore. And then without another word or even a blink the feed's disconnected the single word ringing through her ears.

Nope, nope, nope. ]

[misconceived]

[ Chris catches the fall in her expression, but it's about all he really notices before Piper just hangs up on him. His concern ramps up to incredible levels at the lack of answer and he's suddenly found a very familiar pit of fear wrapped in grief sitting heavy in his stomach. He turns to Cole, briefly. ]

I have to—check on her. See what's going on.

[ There isn't really much else he can do. Piper clearly isn't okay, and maybe Leo's not okay either, and that isn't okay. He came back to fix things, even if his plan wasn't originally such a wide net. This sounds like something went incomprehensibly worse. Without another word or even another breath, he's shimmered to the Starstruck. ]

[normallycharmed]

[ Luckily for Chris, she actually is on Starstruck to shower and the like today (she's not crazy enough to go for Casino ship prices. But unluckily for him the reason she shut off the connection was because she wanted to be alone. That did not include a sudden shimmering not-son.

But at least she's learned by now and when she turns around her hands are still carefully folded across her chest and she's trying very hard to keep her expression as mute as possible. Her strained voice kind of betrays her, though. ]

You've got five minutes to get off my ship.

[misconceived]

[ To say he's not intimidated isn't quite right, but Chris knows better than to be cowed. Especially when Piper is upset, and Piper doesn't have Leo or Phoebe or Paige or anyone else to lean on. There's a lot of confusion on how she remembers him right now, but she at least knows he's a Halliwell and just as stubborn as any other. He isn't going to leave that easily. ]

Not until you tell me what happened.

[normallycharmed]

[ Her stance is so very naturally Piper defensive and on guard. There's a thousand things she could do or say and some of them are half-tempting. But she knows she's not the same woman from her memories, too-- the build-up is different and maybe, in some ways, she's a little harder. Still, the one thing that didn't change is this and she kind of gives half a tense laugh. ]

So you can tell me I'm crazy? No thanks.

[misconceived]

Look at our lives right now. Look at where we are.

[ In space. They're in space right now and highly magical beings pulled out of the multiverse to show up on a reality TV show with uncertain end goals and mysterious soul-and-memory casinos. ]

Why would I do that?

[normallycharmed]

[ I don't want to say. It's the only thing that's going through her mind as she can't help but look at him again. Looking for differences and then it kind of hurts so she looks away and marches past him and surely Atroma is enjoying this way too much.

But Aather doesn't lie about memories, right? After, maybe. It gave you alternate timelines, but she wasn't that far along...

Still, she doesn't answer that. She has no answer that isn't a terrifying question leading into something she's not sure she wants to know. ]

[misconceived]

[ He doesn't let her get that far. He reaches out to take her arm, strong enough to stop her but not hard enough to hurt, and plans to not let go no matter whatever threat of blowing him up may come. ]

Piper. Talk to me.

[normallycharmed]

[ Blowing him up would be so much easier, to be honest. But she can't do that no matter who or what or how confusing things are. Or how she can't quite look at him as she tries to yank her arm out of his hand. ]

Let go.

[misconceived]

No! What happened?

[ He isn't going to let go. Just no way, not unless she tells him something to make him less worried. His family is on the line here and there is nothing Chris wouldn't do for family. ]

[normallycharmed]

[ She continues to tug, but unfortunately physical fighting was Phoebe's thing. And pushing and pulling is obviously not working here so her last ditch effort is magic and, well, she knows better than to do it intentionally. She hasn't regained that much control over it. So she huffs and glares at him, still trying despite. ]

It has nothing to do with you.

[misconceived]

[ He shifts them, taking Piper's other arm and moving to hold her shoulders. His concern is heavy and obvious, looking at her and trying to search her expression. This... He can't deal with this. The idea of his family being worse off, that it's his fault somehow, because anything making Piper this upset is something big. ]

We're family. It has everything to do with me. Please.

[normallycharmed]

[ She doesn't want to look at him and so she continues to avoid it. She thinks hard. There's no way to avoid things with him right there. And he's close to Cole and these things and it's not right-- She knows that, and can feel it and she let's out a breath.

She's died at least three times. She's lost her husband. Knows evil is trying to kidnap and control one of her sons and... Then then. There's this. Why is this so much harder than dying a thousand times? ]

It doesn't. [ It's a simple, hollow response. ] Because my Chris would never call me Aunt.

[misconceived]

[ There's a lump in his throat and he doesn't know how it got there. He doesn't understand what Piper just said. He doesn't understand what it means, or what he's supposed to do with it. Of course Piper is his aunt. She knows Chris is a Halliwell, so what else did she expect?

His head just won't wrap around it because the facts don't line up. ]

What?

[devilsinthedetails]

[As he is known to do, Cole shimmers in at the worst time, right after this revelation and he can tell that he's shown up in the middle of something, so of course the first thing he's gonna do is move to Chris's side and place a hand on his shoulder.]

Okay, what did I miss? What's going on here?