( 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

voice »

[unparental]

Shampoo.

[ she has the urge to herbal okay ]

voice »

[suit]

Relaxing warm water.

[ he won't even judge. it's funny. ]

voice »

[unparental]

It's going to take hours to get back, I really don't like you much right now.

[ awful peter. AWFUL ]

voice »

[suit]

[ worst beginning cr start or best. ]

You'll savor it more once you've been thinking about it the entire way. Trust me. [ a beat. ] Even so, sorry about reminding you of what's just out of your reach.

voice »

[unparental]

[ best obvi. ]

It's okay, after everything that's the least of my annoyances.

...I'm Jenna, by the way.

voice »

[suit]

[ sounds legit. also right. name. gotta. do that. don't judge him jenna it's been a long month. ]

Peter. And normally I don't comment on showers like this. Just interested in two people who were lost coming back seeming resonably normal. After most come back different.

voice »

[unparental]

My manners lost themselves like three weeks ago, don't worry-- I didn't even notice.

voice »

[suit]

When it's you and one other person who doesn't mind, manners just fly out the window. It'd be weirder if you kept them all one hundred percent in tact.

You're sure you're fine.

[ peter, you're about as subtle as a brick, jesus. ]

voice »

[unparental]

...cop or teacher?

voice »

[suit]

Cop who has an investment in knowing— [ how the fuck to put this. ] People who return.

voice »

[unparental]

You have that vibe. Not the jerks who almost arrested me for flashing and protesting vibe-- [ welcome to el v ginger grad vampire student peter ] but the doing the right thing vibe.

...the flashing and protesting were separate incidents, by the way.

voice »

[suit]

[ internally, he's crying just a tad about this. somehow. he misses el a lot okay and this is not helping!!! ]

...I figured. And thank you, I try. Gets a little hard, but all the best things in life are hard, aren't they? [ a beat. ] What were you protesting anyway?

[ because flashing is...whatever. ]

voice »

[unparental]

[ I LIVE TO TORMENT YOU!!!!!!!!!! ]

As the guardian of two teens-- amen. [ she laughs. ] Oh, god. Long story short, but somehow I got roped into a demonstration about child slavery being ignored in Washington that got messy.

voice »

[suit]

[ GO LOOK AT MY CR CHART AND SEE WHO'S TORMENTING WHO NOW!!! ]

Two teens, and I thought I had my hands full dealing with the overgrown manchild. [ somewhere neal is crying. ] Those never end well. Never been a part of one but I've seen the end results. Never pretty.

voice »

[unparental]

And one left early to "build a birdhouse in shop". [ the airquotes are audible. ] And can I ask about the overgrown manchild? Because my fiance has one of those, but since he won't leave I should probably get helpful tips on, I don't know. How not to whack him with magazines whenever he opens his mouth?

It was supposed to be strictly non-violent, but you know how it goes. One group who isn't quite as dedicated to just standing around until they cops either go away or arrest us, somebody throws something, next thing you know everybody's hostile, even if some of us are just trying to get out of there.

[ still a little miffed about that, sorry overworked beatcop. ]

voice »

[suit]

I'd say did you punish him but the protesting makes me think you went for a less hands on sort of punishment.

[ no offense jenna. ]

I whack mine with folders. [ peter no. ] You have to be willing to lay down the law and show him who's boss. But since he's your fiance's he might not even believe that.

voice »

[unparental]

I threw an apple at his head, does that count?

[ oh, jenna. you tried. ]

I think I'm doomed, really, it's just a matter of principle. ...so who's yours? If you don't mind me asking.

voice » i was going to change the icon, but no.

[suit]

As long as you didn't have to take him to the hospital after.

[ gold star for real maybe. ]

You get used to them after a while. Might even find yourself liking them. [ ha ha oh that hurts. ] You familiar with Caffrey? A bit of an art snob, the one who likes poetry too much for hi own good.

[ the crazy guy. ]

Yours?

voice » soooooooooooob

[unparental]

--oh, so you're hat guy's wrangler. Okay. I see it, now.

...Damon. And then the reason I have to deal with Damon, occasionally.

voice » NO REGRETS

[suit]

Hat guy, that's a new nickname in the scheme of things.

The one who wanted to join security. Salvatore, right? I'm not confusing some other Damon who avoids the network and who I've never met. [ and there's that twinge of longing for el when she mentions her fiance again. because yeah, he knows even he can act like an overgrown man child sometimes. ]

At least it's only sometimes. Only when he gets excited about things, that sort of thing.

voice »

[unparental]

That'd be him. Don't let him bug you, and if he gets weird tell him Jenna said she'll pour a bottle of liquid you know what down his throat if he doesn't knock it off.

[ and now her face and voice both go misty. ]

Yeah, but even then it's kind of adorable.

voice »

[suit]

He's harmless in comparison. I've got a tolerance, don't worry about me being bothered by him. Push comes to shove, I can dish it right back.

[ this is sad the end. ]

You take care of each other since you're both here, okay? I know you don't need to hear it but— [ he gets it. ]

voice »

[unparental]

Oh, he's really not. But he'll behave or else.

[ ow my heart ]

...you have somebody who you miss taking care of, huh? [ she gets it, too. ]

voice »

[suit]

You'd be surprised. [ jenna pls he deals with keller, who is, okay not a vampire, but still.

and ha ha no this hurts. ]

Wife of over ten years. So you could say that. Longest I've been away from her and all.

voice »

[unparental]

In that case I hope this isn't an awful thing to say, but I hope I get to meet her soon.

...no one should have to be alone out here, especially not someone who already figured out how to make everything work. Ten years-- Ric and I can't even start talking about the actuality of a wedding.