Eighth Blight - voice and action

[bryces_pup]

Who: Riona fresh off her canon update, and you
Broadcast: Yes
Action: On the Blue Fish, if desired
When: Forward dated to the morning of 3/13


[She had just closed her eyes for a moment, weary from her journey and bracing herself for whatever lied ahead. Sand coats the lines of her eyes and nose, and the taste won’t seem to leave her mouth. Her breath catches in her throat, ready to verbalize her decision as to where they should go next-

When she opens her eyes, she finds herself not in the west, surrounded by desert and harsh sun, but in a little metal room, laying on a bed. The sudden shift startles her. She springs into a crouching position, kicking the sheets off of her as her hand instinctively goes for her sword or dagger or something.

Her mind reels. The sight of the room, the little trinkets and things that adorn the space feel familiar. Bits of memory jab at her: the odd mask stashed in a corner brings forth a memory of a drunken young man with curls, and Leliana’s knowing smile. Next to the bed she sees a shield propped up against the bedpost, and she recalls a grin and kind words. Slowly but surely, the memories begin to trickle back in.

The fleet. I’m back.

Or, well, awake, by all appearances. Shit, how long have I been out? She sits on the edge of her bed, rubbing her hands over her face-

-and frowning at the smudges of ink that rub off on her fingertips. Lovely. Just what I wanted to wake up to.

Her burst of annoyance is tempered by the sight of a plate with food next to her bed. She’s famished, and wastes no time in gulping it down. The fork clatters loudly onto the plate when she’s done. Pushing it aside, she gets to her feet, her balance a little unsteady as she takes a lurching step towards the door. But she pauses when she reaches for the handle.

It’s been, what, ten years? Yes, she was barely in her twenties when she last set foot amongst the fleet. How is she to face her crew, her friends, the people who’ve come to know her? The Riona they remember will not exactly be the one they see when she steps out. Their memory of her is fresh, while her memories of them are mixed in with the passage of a decade, muddied by time and the perspective of a young woman who didn’t know a damned thing. How is she to reconcile that?

Get on with it. You can’t hide in here forever. Clenching her jaw, she opens the door.

The ship is silent. She suspects most of her crew may be on the planet, or elsewhere. Wherever they are, she’s glad for it. She’s not ready to face them. Quickly she makes a beeline for the bathroom, and locks the door behind her.

Her destination is the sink. It takes quite a bit of water and scrubbing, but eventually she washes off Leliana’s little drawings. After she dries her face off, she looks up and catches her reflection in the mirror. It’s a startling comparison. Because of her time in the fleet, she can more clearly remember her younger self, and the differences between then and now are starker.

Her lips press into a tight line as she takes stock: the bags under her eyes, her more thinned out face, the hardness around her eyes. Standing there in that bathroom, faced with nearer memories of past days, she really fully realizes just how much the years have taken a toll on her.

She sighs; she knows there’s no hiding from this. They need to know she’s awake. And whatever comes, whatever they’ll think of her now, she’ll manage. She always has. It’s all she has.

--

After she showers and gets herself dressed into fresh clothes, Riona grabs her communicator and heads for the bridge. The thought of doing this in the galley leaves her feeling too exposed, and she’s too unfamiliar with the planet to go that far out of her way. The Iskaulit is a shuttle flight away, and Riona doesn’t want to look like she’s hiding. Merely, she wants to just… position herself as best as possible.

So she settles for her pilot’s seat on the bridge. It affords a nice view, and some quiet while she mulls over what she’s going to say. It’s been so long…]



[Once she settles on her choice of words, she flicks on her device. She sticks with voice for now, not wanting to startle anyone unnecessarily.]

It seems that I’m awake.

[To those very familiar with her, they may notice a certain rougher quality to her voice, a sort of coarseness that wasn’t there before.]

Yes, yes, we all know the questions that come next: what did I miss? Has anything changed? And of course, how long have I been out? [A pause. Her tone deadpans.] I remember this place. The natives thought sudden introduction to their water to be the best way of acclimating us to their home. [Assholes.] So, it couldn’t have been for too long.

[There’s a sound, almost like a laugh.] How this place makes a mockery of time…

[Time. It’s not a luxury she has back home. Here, though, she has it in spades. It almost disconcerts her. It feels sort of wrong, that’s how unused to it she is now.]

If you so wish to see me in person, I’m on the bridge on the Blue Fish. Be mindful if you do, though. [A wry, humorless smile stretches across her face, and it’s evident in her tone.] It’s been awhile.

[And with that warning, she shuts the feed off there.]

Comments

Action

[alwayscomeback]

[Sokka saw the broadcast, but of course he's going to seek her out instead. He's been worried. He smiles as he sees her, though it's a sad one. She's older, and she looks so tired. It breaks his heart a little. ]

There are little puzzle rooms that give you something nice if you beat them.

[He wants to hug her, but he's resisting the urge for now.]

Welcome back.

[bryces_pup]

[It takes a moment to place his name. The memories are still coming in. She immediately recognizes his face, knows what he is, but the name eludes her for a few seconds until it clicks.

Sokka.

She cranes her head up to look at him. She reads the concern in his eyes, in the way his smile seems sadder than happy. It's not something she wants to tackle at the moment.]

Oh my, they're making us earn our little rewards now aren't they? No more handy tree to just give them away.

[Figures.]

I hope all's been well and my not-exactly-superior piloting skills haven't been needed.

[alwayscomeback]

Nope. No tree for us.

[The tree was kind of weird in Sokka's opinion anyway.]

Hey, they're not all that bad, but nope, still underwater and not flying anywhere.

[And he can't keep small talking around it, he casts her a concerned look. ]

...You doing okay? I know going home can be pretty tough. Looks like it was a long ride.

[bryces_pup]

[A part of her wants to press on with the small talk, pass over his concern with a wave of her hand and a small "I'm fine". It'd be easiest, certainly. She even starts moving her hand, wanting to wave it off-

But her newly formed habits now are faced with the bonds she formed over the year she'd been in the fleet. Sokka's done too much for her, and he doesn't deserve that kind of flippant disrespect.]

It's... a lot. A decade passed for me back home.

Voice

[wolfuncaged]

[He makes a note of that voice. That sounds...concerning. ]

You have the right of it. It is good to hear your voice again, Riona.

...I take it you have been back to Thedas?

Voice

[bryces_pup]

[It's a little harder to place him, considering he's on voice and no face to go with it. As she struggles for his name, she talks back.]

I have, yes. A bit of a longer stay than last time.

[Much, much longer-

Ah! Now she's got it.]

Thank you. It's been a little while, Fenris. You've been well?

Voice

[wolfuncaged]

[It's ok, he wouldn't judge her for it. ]

...How long has it been?

[He wants to ask if it's when the hole is in the sky, but he won't press just yet.]

I have been well, thank you.

Voice -> video

[bryces_pup]

[It's a question she knows is coming. And she knows there's no avoiding it, especially from a fellow Thedosian. So she switches to video, letting him see for himself.]

Ten years.

action;

[nugqueen]

[Leliana will come to find her eventually. First she stops by Riona's room with Kiter, as she has over and over in the hope that she'd wake up. Part of her didn't want to remember everything that happened. Part of her would be glad that she did. At least then there would be knowledge that the future was more real than just the words spoken to her second hand.

Leliana passes the washrooms next, not finding her there either. When she makes her way to the bridge, Kiter is already bounding forward, eager to see his master.]

There you are. Feeling alright?

action;

[bryces_pup]

[Riona has her back to the entrance, taking in the view and shielding those entering the bridge from seeing her right away. She hears them first, Kiter's bounding leaps. As he barks and sprints towards her, her heart squeezes painfully. When she last saw him, he was old and greying, whimpering quietly as she bid him goodbye for possibly the last time.

And now there he stands in front of her, his little stump of a tail wagging hard and so pleased to see her. He's young and vibrant, and tears prick at her eyes. She scoops him up and holds him close for a moment. He softly licks her face, though he senses something is very amiss here. Kiter knows Riona, and something feels off.

Part of what he senses is her hesitation. He is a far easier memory to handle than the woman standing in the bridge, waiting on her answer. Her best friend whom she hasn't seen in years. What is she to say, after all this time?

Silently drawing in a bracing breath, Riona lifts her head and finally lays eyes on Leliana. It brings a swell of joy and dread, seeing her there. ]

Leli. [ A part of her wants to draw her into her arms. Another part wants to shrink away. For now, she simply remains where she is. ] I am a little stiff, admittedly. Was that you who left the food out?

action;

[nugqueen]

I tried to keep it warm for you, but when you weren't waking up, I did change the plates out. Kiter stayed with you at night and would accompany me on my patrol shifts during the day.

action;

[bryces_pup]

[Picking Kiter up, Riona gets to her feet. Seeing Leliana like this, after so long... she suddenly feels the brunt of the decade that's passed.]

Thank you. For the food and for looking out for him.

[She sighs.]

Now I know how you felt, when you first came here.

[dancingmd]

[It will take longer probably than expected for Beverly to show up - as much as she wants to see Riona, she's got patients to tend to on the planet. She'll send a quick - though still warm, as always - welcome back during a quiet moment, but it won't be until evening that she returns to the ship. While she could sleep in one of the underwater hotels, it's a relief to come home at night, strip off the constraining wetsuit, and breathe some real air.

She changes back into her jumpsuit as quickly as she can before hurrying to find Riona.]

I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, but... it's good to see you again.

[Remembering well enough what her own return after three years was like, she is careful, letting Riona take the lead.]

[bryces_pup]

[ Dr. Beverly Crusher. Funnily enough, her name comes to her much more easily than some of the others. Maybe it's the title, maybe it's the surname. Or just luck.

For the time being, Riona keeps her back to her. Her hands fold in her lap. Nervously perhaps, not that she would admit it. ]

You hardly need to apologize. The planet seems diverting enough.

[ It's easier, focusing on the small talk than stepping into the more looming issue. But if she remembers Beverly correctly, it won't take too long. ]

[dancingmd]

[Beverly frowns, both at the comment and at Riona's odd refusal to look at her.]

That's not the exactly word I would choose. They're facing an epidemic down there.

[bryces_pup]

[ An epidemic? She struggles to remember. Were there sick people? But she'd only been on the planet for a day or so before she fell asleep. And she had still been warming up to on exploring it, a bit freaked out still about it being under the bloody ocean. ]

All the more reason that you wouldn't have seen my post right away.

[ With a sigh, she finally turns and faces Beverly. She's not the young twenty-two year old Beverly last saw. And she feels even older than she actually is. ]

Good to see you again, Beverly.

[action]

[kingofbadlifechoices]

[Robb stops in his tracks when he sees her on the bridge. They brought her back! Of course, the question remains against what price, but he smiles nonetheless.

When he calls her his voice sounds happy and upbeat.]

Riona! You have woken up!

[bryces_pup]

[Riona almost cringes at how upbeat he sounds. It seems such a stark contrast to everything she felt right now. How disappointed would he be, to see how she is now?

She turns in her chair, turning so she's facing him. Let him see her as she is now, a decade older.]

I have. Hello, Robb.

[kingofbadlifechoices]

[Leliana hadn't been wrong. The lady Riona had turned older by a lot.

He gazes at her for a moment before he speaks again.]

Hello. I see many years have passed while you were away.

[Would it have changed her? Probably yes.]

Video

[apurrstate]

[Anders is late to respond, he'd seen her post when it had gone up, but he'd been elbow-deep in the ill and making notes on his communicator to take back to the Twin Roses later. He heard the change, not just in her voice, but in her tone, in her words. Riona was Different and he couldn't help the concern that reared up. He supposed it could be something life-changing or it could simply be time. Hadn't he gone to sleep one way and woken up entirely different?

Riona had gone to sleep and woken fine before, but it seemed Atroma may not have been so kind now.

He responds later than decorum perhaps said he should, but something told him she'd be awake anyway. He hoped so, at least. He wanted to try and talk to her on his own, while the lab was quiet and empty.]

I'm glad you're back with us, I've missed your presence.

[A pause and his tone goes softer.]

Are you all right?

Voice

[bryces_pup]

[No, Atroma was not kind. Many things had not been kind. They were just another in a long list.

Facing Anders might not exactly be a kindness, either.

Her face tightens as she hears his voice over the communicator, one she has not heard in many years. One that's come to haunt her, particularly the past few years. The one she failed, the one that went to such desperate measures, and has now carved his name in infamy.

Her friend.

She inhales deeply. Of all the people she worried about facing here, he was one of the ones that gave her the most dread. Yes, she had known about what he had done before, but that was back then. Before she'd seen the fallout of his actions with her own eyes. Before the questions and accusatory glances were aimed her way. ("Wasn't he one of yours? One of those Wardens? My, whatever happened?") Before she had ten years to doubt and wonder about what she could have done, should have done.

But like everyone else, there is no avoiding him forever.]

Anders.

[Despite everything, there's a bit of a smile. She really did miss him. She's almost sorry Allen exorcised Justice before now. A part of her would have liked to talk to him, too.]

Old friend. It's been awhile.

[apurrstate]

[There's such obvious pain in her, but even more than that, exhaustion and he wishes with everything he has he could sweep it from her shoulders. But it's not that easy. He recognizes in her what was in him when he first woke with a whole decade shoved into his head.

She wore the years well, she was still just as lovely, but that sweetness and light to her were dimmed and it saddened him.]

It's only been a few weeks for me, my dear commander, so it must have been a while if you feel it. Have you caught up to us then? Did you...did you hear Corypheus' Calling?

[She was, perhaps, the only person who would be able to understand the terror and soul-crushing dread that had overwhelmed him as headaches and the ringing of that horribly beautiful song plagued him. Hawke had tried to help, he'd done so much to try and make things easier for Anders, especially when Anders knew fear had been in him too. They hadn't known the calling was fake until Hawke had spoken with Stroud.

Was it the same for her? She'd 'vanished' by all accounts, was she alone on her journey when the Calling had struck every Warden in Thedas? When he thought back to Thedas, he thought to that and how it had only just started to fade from his mind when he'd set on his journey to meet Hawke at Weisshaupt. It hadn't occurred to him yet what else she might have finally learned about first hand.

Video

[wolfehawke]

Well this won't do. So serious.

[He smiles gently, knowing there's likely every reason to be serious after having gone home for that long, however long that is. Thedas as an all too serious place most of the time.]

How long was it this time?

Voice

[bryces_pup]

[ Oh she remembers that bass-y voice. Once, she might have laughed and agreed with his assertion. Now? She just shakes her head. And not in a very amused way, either. ]

Ah, I wasn't aware a witty joke was required upon waking from one of these comas. My apologies.

[ Her tone veers between being almost harshly sarcastic and just teasing. Maybe she doesn't want him to know which. Maybe she's not even sure which. ]

Ten years have gone by.

Video

[wolfehawke]

That's not what I meant, Your Highness.

[He's a little put out that she won't turn on her end of the video, hence the sarcastic use of title. Not because he particularly wants to see her bedhead, but more because he just finds it much easier to talk to a person face to face than as a disembodied voice. Still, he doesn't say anything about it. Instead, he does the math on when abouts in Thedas' general timeline she would be from now.]

Ten years... so after Kirkwall, then.

[Welp.]