retrospec | forward-dated to 2/5

Oh no, my girlfriend and cousin's fiance might see me walking in on another woman. scandal!

[A few minutes later, there's a knock on Anna's door.]

You decent?

Yeah.

[she should probably know that about Pen, that she's related to Elliot. everyone who's still around seems like they're tied to each other. she's got her computer in her lap and she's stretched out in her bed, and she has to turn her head a lot more than she's used to so she can watch Pen enter the room from the doorway to the left of her bed.]

[Anna's got the braless tank top look going for her right now only because she hasn't felt like moving since she got back from Zee's office. her robot legs are stretched out under her blanket on top of the unfolded futon, and once Pen actually gets closer she'll put her laptop down on the floor next to her. there's a bad bandage job covering the socket where her left eye used to be, not because it's grisly or anything (no blood, after all) but just so she doesn't freak anyone out.]

Sorry, I guess?

[After a brief moment of hesitation, Pen pushes further into the room, not wanting to intrude too much. But she can't really help it, so she just moves right on in and smiles. Behind her hops White Hare, the little creature sizing up the situation and jumping up onto the edge of Anna's bedding.]

Don't apologize.

[She grins, twirling out the eyepatch with a flourish. A broad white band with pale gold threading at the edges, it's clearly padded quite well. A rush job, but hey, it still looks good.]

Tada?

[a rush job. sure. the idea that Pen cares about her enough to make her an eyepatch on demand is wild enough as is. any kind of job would feel like too much, but right now she doesn't even have the presence of mind to pretend to be grateful. walls are for people with shit to protect.]

Thanks. I didn't think anyone would actually do this.

[sigh. she reaches for the eyepatch and her arm doesn't go far enough to take it. she'll have to rely on Pen to make up the distance, but she'll hold onto it while she talks, at least.] So while you're here. There's some stuff you need to be caught up on, I guess. We can start with what you want to know that you don't already know.

[Pen meanders over and studiously takes a seat beside Anna on a chair beside the bed, after handing over the patch, of course.]

Why? You're a good, Anna.

[She leans forward a little bit.]

Tell me what you think is important, that's what I want to know. Whatever you feel comfortable telling me.

[might as well try it on so she doesn't have to pretend. so Pen doesn't have to accidentally see anything she doesn't want to see. she turns her head away from her friend while she's putting the eyepatch on, and she's seen enough of these in movies and stuff to know how it should look and feel when it's on her, probably. it's. it feels awkward. but she'll get used to it. she's gonna have to.]

[once it's on her face, she turns back (nope, further than that) and gives Pen a look that's at once exhausted and grateful, leaning towards exhausted. who can blame her?]

I don't have a heart anymore. I don't know what's in there instead, except more robot shit.

[Pen watches intently and listens just as intently, and...hell, when it's done she clicks her tongue and reaches out to adjust the strip of cloth a bit better.]

Sorry. You were a little lopsided.

[Leaning back in her seat, she offers what she hopes is a sympathetic smile.]

I don't know much about how super-advanced android hearts work either, but I hope you aren't expecting that to bother me because I'll disappoint you. I can't really say you feel any different from the last time we talked, but you don't have to be nervous around me. You're still a hot, tall girl. Now you're a hot tall robot girl. It's just an extra adjective.

[it's the kind of thing that would get a dry laugh out of Anna under normal circumstances, but right now Pen should count herself lucky for the grin she gets, especially after Anna let her get close enough to basically touch her face.]

What, you into girls with missing body parts, too? [a puff of air comes out through her nose and yeah, it also would've been a laugh.] I don't even know how I'm alive right now, Pen. I don't have blood anymore. I think it's all wires? [she's not sure. doesn't want to know.] I can't get drunk or high, I know that much.

[She does. But she couldn't very well leave it lopsided.]

I'm just into girls that are tall and tough. You are both of those things.

[Then, everyone is taller than Pen.]

As for that, you're alive, and that's what matters most. I don't think you need to hear me quoting Star Trek at you or anything, Anna, but you're still you. And from reading your post, you were a badass that did a lot of good for us.

Were?

[see, this is the kind of thing that, if Anna were more lucid, would probably cement her as being a badass to a lot of people. but right now, it's simpler than that.]

I'm not calling it quits after one mission. We still don't have the answers we need yet. I just need to recover.

Well, past tense for this particular mission. I didn't think you were done. Though next time, consider asking for help.

[And tired of being ignored, White Hare hops closer and wiggles his little staff at Anna. A Renew spell settles over her, a faint pulse of ache-removing healing magic that refreshes itself.]

Rather you came back all in one piece.

[Anna looks down at the hare and tries to smile, but there's not much there. the feeling of a gaping hole in her head lessens somewhat, and thank fucking god because she does not want to keep her mind on that. White Hare's got her attention now, even as she talks.]

I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to put anyone else at risk. [she doesn't expect it to work, even if it's the truth.] If there were more people there, we'd all have lost things.

[The little creature can't speak full sentences, but it murmurs something cheerful and hops up into Anna's lap. It's almost completely weightless, maybe two pounds at most...]

Maybe this time. Maybe not next time. At the very least, let me know so I can get you there and back. What good is a troop transport with no troops, after all.

[oh... it's cute. at least it's helping with that, though she's not about to call it cute with her voice or anything. she's already been through enough pain.]

Don't call me a troop. [the accusation isn't wrong and it doesn't hurt too badly, but it's more than she wants to deal with, to remember right now.] If you can cut down on getting there and back, sure. Would've been a lot less of a pain in the ass if I didn't have to walk back to Zee's from Bosuma.

Yes, I can do that.

[the little thing in her lap chirps and leans down, nuzzling her belly or something. Wherever it can reach, twitching it's little nose.]

Can leave you with a few dozen enchantments to make life easier out there too.

Don't magic and technology not play nice together?

[it's a weak joke, something she's only ever heard from urban fantasy (not that she's ever read any), and she's definitely not going to say no. especially when Anna's attention is split between Pen and her pet, who she... okay, yeah. she starts stroking its fur gently while it rubs up against her. she's weak to animals sometimes.]

What kind of enchantments were you even thinking? I don't know if I like the idea of being loaded up on magic just to get by.

Only in fiction. Magic combined with technology is the foundation of my other self's world. Hello, airship powered by magic.

[White Hare is very soft, and very nice. He even chirps and nuzzles the hand for maximum fuzz to skin contact.]

And I was thinking spells to make you move faster, avoid traps, and give you a bubble that absorbs kintetic energy. A shield.

[Anna's very happy that the warmth in her chest at being around White Hare isn't visible. maybe she should get a pet. they make emotional support animals, right? ha. maybe she qualifies for a service animal now.]

I don't know if those spells would've helped here, but... it's not the worst idea in the world. One way to get buff, I guess. [please let her have that pun while she fixes Pen with a wry look.] You got anything that works against supernatural disfigurement?

I wish I did. [Because that's the one thing she can't really do.]

My other self was more a...boom! zap! [she wiggles her fingers, faint sparks dancing between them.] sort of wizard. I haven't learned any healing magic. Just...what White Hare can do.

You're talking to someone with two swords. A2 was a walking salad shooter. [you know, like those bladed aliens from those books she definitely didn't read as a kid.] I get it. Trust me.

[sigh.] White Hare's good at it. It won't bring my eye back, but... I don't know. Maybe I should get a pet. Can't take one of yours, obviously. [her eye looks over to one side, away from all three of them.] I'm just thinking out loud. Ignore me.

[White Hare trills and nuzzles at her, happy as can be.]

No, you can't. As much as Freya may want you to take away part of the zoo.

[She huffs...]

But a pet would do you good. An affectionate cat. Maybe a dog.

Never thought of myself like much of a pet person, but, I mean.

[she thinks, briefly, about what it would be like for her to be responsible for something else. it's such an obvious answer to keep her own shit together that she's shocked she hadn't thought of it sooner. Nic didn't like pets as far as she knew, but Nic hadn't lived here in a fucking year.]

It's probably not the worst idea in the world, getting a cat. I'd have to talk to the landlord about it, but I think I can play some sympathy cards. [a weak laugh.] Haven't been half-blind for a day yet and I'm already using it like this.

Hey, use all the skills you got to get by.

[And if that includes batting one set of eyelashes, then by all means!]

Anything else I need to know? Or...should I catch you up on my shit?

Oh, shit, right. Sorry, I got caught up in all my own bullshit.

[she extends the hand that's not occupied petting White Hare and offers the floor to Pen.]

By all means. Go for it. Might know some of it already from Frey, but give me as much as you need to.

Alright. Well. Were you...around when a monster from other me's world kinda...started roaming the city and attacking people?

[Mateus, back last January.]

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