( 14 ) video ✶ into the water let it pull him under don’t you lift him let him drown alive

[unparental]

[ the feed opens on two pairs of feet; one large, one smaller. then jenna's voice comes through. ]

Tell you what. I'm going to leave you here, with this broadcasting-- [ the shot jerks a little, exposing an empty and spotless kitchen. ] and that way you can have something to talk to while I try and figure out where we are right now. I'll be back in a flash, you've seen how fast I can move now, and you know I'll hear you. Okay?

[ not waiting for an answer, jenna presses her comm into desmond’s hand and brings it up a little, so his chest is in frame, squeezing his shoulder with her other hand. ] I'll be right back, I promise.

Right. [Desmond sounds... Well shellshocked and crazy pretty much covers it. You can hear him swallow in that sort of pained, half-panting way, like he's out of breath and can't quite manage to calm himself down.] Assuming anyone's still out there, yeah? [He might be talking to Jenna, but she’s already gone. The comm shifts violently, flashing to Desmond’s face for only a half second (long enough to see he has both eyes and doesn't seem to be missing anything vital) and then to the ceiling and then back to the floor.] I don't understand what more it wants from me. Three bloody years of my life, pushing a damned button wasn't enough. I've been to the heart. I saw the light again. It was supposed to put me back. It was supposed to- [The camera swings by so fast you can easily tell that Desmond was gearing up to smash it against the nearest wall before-]

--whoa whoa, hey. Hey, it's okay. It's okay, I'm right here. Des? Desmond? [ she crouches down, taking the comm back into her own hands and setting it on the counter, where it films the tops of their heads for the moment. ] We're fine, look. We're even back in the main part of the ship, so that trek back is cancelled. I'm--

[ she pauses, hand reaching up into the picture again as she reaches for the comm, setting in on her upraised knees so it's more or less centered on the two of them, looking a whole lot worse for the wear. ]

If someone could prove big brother is always watching and figure out what floor we're on for me, that would be great. Who needs civil liberties, anyway? --don't get any extra ideas, Nathan. [ there's a tinge of forced, unnatural cheer to her tone, and her gaze darts over to desmond every few moments as if she needs to make sure he's there and fine. ] And maybe whoever pulls rescue duty, bring him something with a lot of sugar in it? That would be great.

[Desmond rubs his face, weary.] Someone tell Tyke I found what I was lookin' for, yeah? It's all true.

[ she inhales, about to add something else; then she shakes her head, lips pressed together in a tired line and jabs the off button. ]



( ooc | they're on floor thirty eight, where they were dumped after being rescued by ward from some Seriously Bad Metaplot Shit. colors for ease: jenna and desmond. )

Comments

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

[Desmond has at least stopped NEEDING A PAPER BAG to breathe. If only so he can laugh.] You'd think that. You'd think I'd ran as far as I can run from it, but I haven't. Not really. Not like you can run from destiny.

[He swallows, managing to find some weird calm, not completely batfuck center.] Everything all right here, sistah?

video;

[tumbleweeds]

I hear oxygen is good for you, you know.

[ Destiny. Right then. She may work for a god, but this still sounds pretty crazy, so moving right along... ]

A bunch of people got lost in the hallways while the elevators were fucking up and found the genetics department. That's where the rats and the creepy science experiments live. Fun times -- but other than that, yeah. I think a bunch of people are still down in medical though, so it'll probably be busier than usual when you show up.

[ Because if anyone needs to go to medical right now, it's probably Desmond. ]

Also we had two potentially dead people show up and talk crazy at us, but you might've seen that before you left. I don't know. And someone killed one of my chickens and some other people want to kill my dog. You guys picked a hell of a month to wander away.

[ Clearly if she just keeps talking like Desmond doesn't look like he's going to start rocking back and forth while chanting things everything will be okay. Normalcy!!! ... or as normal as the ship gets, anyway. ]

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

How many have gotten sick?

[SORRY JAYE. IT'S NOT WORKING. ...Or it is a little, because he visibly shakes his head like a dog as if to clear his thoughts, because no, that's wrong. Isn't it?] I'm fine. I just-

[He can't quite finish that sentence, so he chooses not to.] Did we miss a jump, then?

video;

[tumbleweeds]

Everyone who got bit by a rat? I don't know, I didn't count them. I just had a mutant tooth in my ankle. My roommate's going to make jewelry out of it.

[ IS IT WORKING YET well probably not because that was just a weird thing to tell anyone, let's be honest. ]

Nah, we'e still got a few days before the jump. Would you be sitting there in one piece if you missed the jump?

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

[HE THINKS IT'S FUNNY AT ANY RATE. Have a weak laugh, Jaye.]

You said that two people who were supposed to be dead were up and communicating with the rest of the ship. I don't know that I'd rule out anything.

video;

[tumbleweeds]

[ Aw, yay. That's a start. ]

They were all scarred and blind and blue and shit. You both look normal. ... Maybe in need of a shave and a shower. And like... a hot dog.

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

[Hostiles says his brain. His mouth, thankfully, just says:] I can't remember the last time I ate.

[He is putting a concentrated effort into his lucidity right now. Everyone should be proud.]

video;

[tumbleweeds]

[ Neal hadn't liked them. That had been enough for her to come to the same conclusion, even if Desmond doesn't say his conclusion outloud. ]

Go get checked out by medical and when you're done, I can make you some eggs or something. Sound good?

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

I'm not hurt. [Not physically, anyway, but he doesn't want to sound ungrateful, so he just... presses on.] Thank you, Jaye.

video;

[tumbleweeds]

Well you look like shit. [ And she was doing so... okay-ish. ] Of course, I fucking hate it down there, so I can't blame you.

No problem.

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

Aye. Trust me. I feel worse. But I've also felt worse. [At least he didn't wake up naked somewhere...]

You were right about the smell. [Traveling with vampires is fun...]

video;

[tumbleweeds]

I try that line all the time and nobody ever lets me get away with it. [ Though yes, that's good. ]

I know I was.

video;

[thatsaflaregun]

I can survive electromagnetic radiation. And to be honest, I'd almost prefer it to whatever that was. [Not that he really knows what It was, but It was not Nirvana. He wants his money back.]

video;

[tumbleweeds]

I think most people can survive radiation at first, it just comes back to bite them later.

[ Don't quote her on that, she's not a doctor. ]

video;

[unparental]

I caught maybe half that. It's-- give us a second, okay, we're both a little caught in the undertow.

video;

[tumbleweeds]

Your dazzling vampire senses never stop amazing me.

Basically the ship went stupid again but it's pretty much back to normal now and also people are dicks.

video;

[unparental]

So it-- how long has it been?

video;

[tumbleweeds]

A couple weeks. The jump's in a few days, as far as we can figure.

video;

[unparental]

A couple weeks?

[ that's sincere shock in jenna's voice, and then a quick scramble to hide it. ]

No, that's-- good, then, I don't know where we were before here. Not close enough to be a couple days out, I don't think.

video;

[tumbleweeds]

... How long did you think it was?

video;

[unparental]

I-- [ she shuts her mouth with an audible snap, shrugging weakly. ] don't know?

video;

[tumbleweeds]

Jenna. [ Big Sister Voice, which feels a little ridiculous to use on Jenna and has her crossing her arms. ]

I was stuck as a bug by myself on the ship for a month while everyone was asleep. If anyone knows about weird time shit here, it's me.

video;

[unparental]

No, Jaye, I'm not lying to you. I don't know.

[ her voice breaks a little on the last word, and she instinctively reaches out for desmond, hand resting on his bicep. ]

video;

[tumbleweeds]

[ Oh.

Well then. ]

People who got lost because of the elevators were saying that, too. That they couldn't really tell how time was passing. When I went down to try and find people, it felt that way -- but I wasn't down there for long, and people stayed up here and could say how long it was.

video;

[unparental]

It felt like-- god, this sounds stupid. [ jenna stares down at her hands for a moment. ] It felt like forever.