driftfleet | Naviadna Mingle

Mm.

[Lup glances sidelong at her, brows furrowing.]

Question being... where do we go from here.

[She might not like it - hates it, as a matter of fact, with every fiber of her being, with the sort of panic in her soul that she'd not felt in years - but she knows where she's going. There's no question. She goes where Taako goes, where her heart goes. Where her family is. That choice might not be so easy for other people.]

We...

[She exhales softly, looking down into the water, still lightly trailing her fingers across the surface, swirling them to keep her reflection from manifesting.]

I cannot deny that it has weighed heavily on me for some time. Whatever the reason, whatever the... forces, that brought us out of our universes... how do we continue to hold on to this time?

Dunno. Might be tricky, especially with how memories work when people are sent back the way things are now. It hasn't been a walk in the park or anything, but... in retrospect, I don't feel like losing what happened here.

[Her family has lost enough already- memories are precious, regardless of the what or the how or the why. But there's no voidfish to conveniently broadcast it here.

She splashes one foot listlessly against an edge of the bath.]

I don't have a choice in going back, though. One way or another, that's how it'll end for me.

You go where he goes, of course. And he... wants to return.

[That much was clear, for all Taako had tried to get himself home and had all but exploded himself in the process.]

It's not just that. I mean, it is, at the core of it, but...

[She huffs a frustrated breath, hugging her knees to her chest beneath the water.]

The thing we need to get his memories back... it's there. I won't get him back for real until we've settled everything, and that's not going to happen anywhere else. Hell, even if that wasn't an issue, I've got some unfinished business to resolve. [And a Hunger's ass to kick.] I won't be satisfied otherwise.

No matter what you face, your resolve is strong. I admire that in you...

[For all Lup had gone through, even at her own hands. That sense of what would be waiting for her, should she return right back to where she was. Forgotten in that umbrella. The recoil from the elf's soul still lingered with her; it wasn't often that she was so affected by another's pain. Those powers of... evocation.

And she thought of her own resolve, how it had cracked under Loki's scrutiny. Even if her own memories were intact, her own universe was still a mess of her own making, to some degree. There was no place for her there.]

... however, I would have you know this. I... I do not want to lose you, Lup.

...I mean, duh. I'd miss me too.

[A soft snipe with no venom attached; there's a smile on her face, small and struggling.]

Not to be that asshole, but you're gonna lose something, no matter what happens. So I guess the question is... what do you want more? What path do you think will lead you to some kind of happy ending?

[Will she go home and try to mend things with her kid, or find somewhere else that she might belong?]

A path toward happiness...

[She's quiet for a moment, reflecting on the first time Lup had mentioned that she could even be capable of finding some happiness. When she had wondered if it was possible for her to feel it at all.

Much had changed since then. She had her faint, memories of when she was last happy, much more locked away still. There was so much to lose, one way or the other.]

Even if I were able to keep my memories, and this... understanding, my son made it very clear when we last spoke that... he did not want me present in our universe. The mother that he envisioned... was a far greater ideal than... what I am now.

[Her hand stills, reflection appearing over the water as she looks down at herself, before she stirs it away again, sending gentle ripples across the surface.]

... Meanwhile, our war is still there. The Emperor... is not as he was. I would not even have Kova... only, my darkness. In my time here I have come to realize that it would not be... a happy path.

[Ah... Lotor said that, huh? She hadn't been aware. Things had been delicate after they'd returned from the Marsiva and he vanished, and Lup had been in no state to try and maintain her own mental health, nevermind anyone else's. She felt like shit for not trying harder at the time, but... she's only one person, and she'd already been hanging by a thread. It's likely that her "help" wouldn't have been all that useful.

That feels doubly true, hearing that. If he'd rejected her utterly, if she'd already lost her husband, if the galaxy's a huge mess, if there's nothing there for her...]

...Fuck it, then. Come back with us.

[Honerva couldn't blame Lup for focusing more on her own mental health after, when she had been the one to encourage Lup to do what she needed to do to hold herself together, with what they had shared. Being trapped on the Marvisa had done a number on both of them.

And yet she been carrying that painful burden of Lotor's words for a while, dreading... everything that might come.

Importantly, Lup had kept her company, and that had helped. It was more than she would have gotten anywhere else. And there's something... lifting about those words, as much as she feels the little seize and tremble of her heart, at being asked. Wanted. She's quiet for those few moments, though she had so much time to weigh it all before. Different now, to finally have the conversation. She lifts her gaze back toward Lup, trying to give her own small smile, gratitude juxtaposed with the gravity of it all. ]

... May I? That... would make me happier.

[Not without it being bittersweet, but if this was a choice she could still make now it had to count. There was really no doubt, though.]

We could... call it a beginning, instead of an... end.

Sure, why not? You'll be free, and that means freedom to choose for yourself. What's the point in going home if you know it'll make you miserable?

[Lup whistles loudly, and a moment later one of the spectral servants floats in with a tray of sweets from the kitchen and some piping tea. She wastes no time snagging a chocolate, popping it into her mouth.]

The world, and I guess the universe I was born in doesn't exist anymore- it was swallowed up by some giant Eldritch space monster with existential hangups. I probably can't ever go back there, even if we kill that thing. And you know what? I don't care. I wouldn't go even if I could- not to live there, definitely. There's no family waiting for me, no cozy fireplace, no house or husband. If we manage to save the world that Taako and me are going back to? That's where my family is, where all my friends are. That's home.

[She sinks further into the water, lips curving into a relaxed smile. Now that it's out there, and Honerva's reacted positively to it, she can be more at ease.]

And you'd be welcome there, if it's what you want.

[She listens to Lup's words, feeling the aching familiarity in most of them. The worlds she had once called home were long gone, and Central Command was only ever a base. And family... that stung most of all, but that was her reality. She had come back to herself too late. Centuries too late. Millennia too late. Clinging to the hopes of the past that could not be.

But the freedom to make such a choice... to know she would be welcome.

She exhales softly, and at last she eases herself fully into the pool, to join Lup. It was more comfortable than she had expected, once she was able to put off the discomfort of such immersion. It was only water, a substance so mundane and yet... so refreshing.]

... it is.

[Even the words are easier to say now that they're out there. And... she remembers, something very important. About not having to be alone, and that went for Lup as well -- and it would be difficult to hold to that, across a spread of universes, drowned in misery. Time to defeat those expectations. She holds out a hand toward her.]

We are friends, after all.

[Lup accepts the hand, shaking it at first, as if making a deal- and the touch lingers after, something more quietly accepting and intimate. This is no formal business transaction. As Honerva said-]

Damn right we're friends.

[There's no hesitation as she responds, although there is a pause afterwards, as it clicks: just what she's offering, here.]

Oh, shit- right. Uhhh, fair warning, though? We're kinda facing the apocalypse, so your stay might not be as long as you'd like. Iiiiif we lose. I mean, I think we'll make it? I have it on good authority that we do? But I haven't lived it yet, so... it's gonna be a shitshow for a while. So try not to let first impressions spoil it for you? If impending doom doesn't make you think twice, that is.

[She doesn't falter; it wasn't as if she had made the choice on a whim.]

Trading one war for another, is it...

[An understandable thing, for all Lup had already said they had gone through. A darkness that sought to consume... but even she had been brought back.

If nothing else, she takes protecting what's important to her very seriously.]

You will see it through. We will. That will not deter me. It is the adjustment that I would have to prepare for... depending on how this goes, and your separate timelines, there is... no telling where I may turn up there.

Yeah, if you get to pick a timeline to roll with, I suggest Taako's. At least that way you'd get longer than five minutes to acclimate, and he can help you out. I'm not gonna be much use for a while no matter what route you go with.

[She shrugs. The downside of being a magical household object: not much good for providing world tours.

...well, among others, too.]

I appreciate the vote of confidence, though. I kinda like the thought of quasi-surviving the end of the world.

... either way, I will bring you back all the sooner.

[Strange new world facing costly consequences or not, Honerva always feels better when she has a purpose in mind. It's what makes adapting to the time in between harder--she'd always moved from one purpose to another, and any time she hadn't was gone from her memories. Aside from the time on the Fleet.]

It is time that we both stopped losing, after all.

[Provided nothing messed with their memories, but that would be one more bridge to cross. Taako's situation might be more complicated, but... they would have to deal with that.]

....Oh. Oh, shit, I didn't even consider that one.

[If Honerva manages to get there- if she holds on to her memories- she'd remember Lup, remember where she is. And even if the voidfish somehow interferes, surely she'd be able to retain some memory of a person being trapped in the Umbra Staff, right? That info hadn't been fed to Fisher, so it couldn't be blocked by the static. It isn't guaranteed that she would know who until she was inoculated, but... it could work. It could totally work.]

It might be tricky, but... holy shit would I ever owe you one.

Tricky... that is one way to put it.

[She pauses suddenly, as she gives a soft, quick laugh.]

For that matter, I realize I have never once asked the name of your world... and we would have to find a way to explain our connections. Following the thought that some part of my arrival would manage to work in our favor... [Like her managing to get there at all. If she could hold fast to the knowledge about the Umbra Staff and the importance of who was trapped within it, those were other factors they would have to prepare for.] At least I should be asking you the right questions.

Oh shit, I haven't, have I? Actually, you probably know fuck all, huh. I guess I should, like, tell you about the world I'm dragging you to.

[Lup shares the laugh, rolling over to cross her arms on the edge of the pool so she can more easily reach the sweets waiting just behind them, gesturing for Honerva to help herself if she feels so inclined- at the very least, the tea is nice.]

The world's called Abeir-Toril, and it's pretty big, but I haven't really spent any time outside of the continent of Faerun. Actually... if you wanna nitpick, I haven't spent much time outside of anywhere- I got stuck before I could do that much wandering about. I did see a lot while Taako was lugging me around, though, so if you have any questions I can try to answer 'em.

[Honerva turns herself around to follow Lup's lead, still adjusting to being in the water, but she acquieses to taking a cup of the offered tea.]

To be fair, there have always been... other things to discuss.

[Mostly dealing with the now of their current circumstances, and the people, not the places. But if Loki was right, now was really all the time they had to talk about such things. Best to use it while they could. While thinking was still clear.

She nods as Lup speaks, considering her words. It had been a long time since she had thought of the merits of truly... knowing another world beyond it's uses.]

Perhaps the best place to begin would be... the likely points of arrival. And any other points of ... importance.

Hoo boy, that's a nugget. Enjoy that tea, because this'll be a wordy one.

[Lup snags a mug for herself and takes a sip, idly tapping her fingers against the glass.]

Taako's from the earliest point in our time. Mags is the latest, and probably the safest, but I dunno if you'd be able to go with him. [Maybe if bonds don't matter, but... she has a feeling they will.] Taako's time is safe-ish, but he's also living on a secret base on the moon at the time, so explaining how you got there and why would be tricky. Maybe if he remembered you, it'd be okay. But then, I might not remember you before my time.

[Gods this is stupid. Time travel is stupid. She hates that she doesn't know the rules.]

My time's like, half a year later? I think? Concept of time in the umbrella's kinda fucked, but that sounds right. We're in the woods at the time, so the location's... better. Downside being it's basically the morning of the apocalypse, so... that's not great.

[She sips the tea, eyes looking into the cup in thought as Lup speaks.]

So many variables...

[None of them great, and mostly beyond their control at that, at least until they had some idea of the rules they were dealing with, or whether they'd have any say at all. As she considers how to probe further along the lines of what Lup has offered, another thought strikes.]

There is a chance for all of our memories to be compromised at once.

[For one thing, it was very possible they might not remember for certain how their futures were meant to turn out once they got there, with a third timeline in the mix, and Honerva and Taako didn't exactly have the best track records when it came to memory already. Coupled with the possibility of Lup not remembering immediately either if she did arrive at the earliest point instead of the latest... ]

In which case, we should come up with some preventative measure... where if we are in a situation where recollection is not immediately possible, we have a symbol or signal in place that represents... our trust, as much as it might seem inexplicable. What would you recognize?

[Lup pauses for a long moment of thought, staring into her tea as she ponders their options. There's only one factor that remains true in all timelines, that would be the most likely path towards success in all of this. The most reliable person in the whole universe, and the one who remembers it all, to boot.]

...If... if you show up in my time, the guys'll be with a spooky-looking fella in a red robe. Sort of like how I looked, over on the Marsiva? Bit more skeletal, he was balls deep in the necromancy, more than me. And if you show up at any other time, you follow Taako at a distance until you see that red robe. You find him, you look him right in the eye, and you tell him...

[Her shoulders tense, and she exhales deeply. She doesn't know what he'll do, but... he has to at least hear her out. And maybe it'll change things, for better or worse, maybe it'll complicate matters more than any of them know how to manage. But at that point, he'll be the only one who can help- especially if Honerva is affected by the voidfish once she's reached their plane of existence. It has to be something that hasn't been erased, something she can say and something he'd understand.]

...Tell him, "I know where she is." Tell him, you're the new Marleana. Marleana 2.0. I need you to make that name stick in your head, okay? He'll know he can trust you if you say that. He'll know what to do.

[Narrowing down a common thread that consistently existed beyond themselves along the fractured timelines seemed the most important factor to isolate, and Honerva is pleased when Lup is able to do so, giving her a small, encouraging smile at the thought of it. This was direct and tangible, to identify a potential source of... help. She can see the shift in Lup's body language, and can tell that there is a deeper significance in all of this. A person following after them, looking after them, and perhaps the only person to know of Lup's current state, by her words... more promising than if she were to have to act entirely on her own.

Presuming it went well and that she could remember that name... and that staff, though she was sure, having felt Lup's soul and enduring that experience it had to be part of her now, even if all else were blocked. The name, and the description of a specter in those red robes, knowing to search for him, that would be the key.]

Marleana 2.0...

[She was not aware of why that name should be so significant, but it sounded promising. It was a chance. A chance for all of them. If she could remember nothing else let it at least be that.

Quieter, though, after another moment of thought:]

This person I am meant to find... he is the other half of your heart, is he not.

[Lup had never said so directly, but there were too many pieces that seemed wanting. Even if this knowledge might be part of what got taken away later, it only seemed right to affirm it in some manner now.]

[Fifty years ago she might have been embarrassed, but... it's been so long since they finally sorted out their feelings and bit the bullet, since they stopped dancing around the truth and accepted it. Even the idea of trying to conceal it feels absurd. It would be far too obvious a lie, no one would be fooled. Least of all her.

And really... how she feels is important, here. To understand her passion, her desire for a reunion with this man whose only goal for a decade now has been to find her, and to make things right for all of them. She wants to see him again, wants him to see her. She wants to hold him, even if they're nothing but undead spectres, and to ease some of the weight he's been carrying alone for so long. She wants him to know that all his hard work has paid off and that they're close, so close, to that happy ending they all deserve.

Just a name and a broken staff, with Honerva's help. That's all she needs.

So she smiles, cheeks pink (from the heat of the water, surely), and runs a finger along the ring of the mug.]

Technically, that's Taako. [Her heart, her other half, her twin. No lover, no matter how treasured or beloved or significant, could take his place.] But he's... he's the journey, I guess you could say. My life's partner. "The One", if you wanna be dramatic.

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