007 - video

[sociallychallenged]

May 8th - Video

[Hank's near the Olivine Pokecenter when the vid comes on. He had to stop in and get a new Pokegear and check the date and generally make sure that he's not lost his mind. He's back in clothes similar to the ones he was wearing when he first showed up, his warm winter coat hanging over his arm because that is a doozy of a goddamn weather change.]

Hey uh... [He says awkwardly, squinting at the Pokegear.] So I think I missed a couple of weeks or a month or something? But uh... it's just been a few days for me. Fuckin'... [he makes a motion around his head] ...brain is pretty bleary right now. But my room is gone and I gotta go get my pokemon and it's a hell of a walk back to Goldenrod without a backpack.

[He doesn't know if Connor is even still around or not. Does he even still have a home? Who'd think just a few weeks would throw someone for a loop.]

Is my partner here? Is anyone I know even still here? Some of you have to be. You've been here long enough to get your Pokemon premed and residency requirements, so someone's gotta be.

[He's a little mentally thrown. And he rubs his temple.] Right, yeah, just gotta look at my contacts. [He rubs his head like he has a headache, settling in. God, if only this were a hangover he could deal with it. Right now Hank's just really confused about where he's at, why's it suddenly so warm, where's his stuff, where are his pokemon, and he knows all the answers but that doesn't mean he's not stumbling around the thought process.]

Comments

video to action

[plasticasshole]

Hank?

[Connor just looks at him for a moment, almost afraid he’s dreaming. He’s had similar dreams since Hank left, after all. Only to wake up and realise he’s still gone. He notes the Pokecenter behind him though, and starts to get up from the chair he was sitting in.]

Stay there.

[Pretty soon afterwards he appears by the Center, and slams into him full force for a hug. Hank may notice the Magnezone also speeding towards him. He might want to brace himself for that.]

[sociallychallenged]

[He doesn't really have the time to say 'Connor' back And it throws him, really, that displaced feeling hitting him hard as he considers that the last time he saw the Connor at home, he was just experimenting with new clothes. And the Connor here? Looks situated and fine with himself.]

[There's only that one moment to take it in, though, before he's just fumbling for his pokegear and waiting for his partner.]

[And there comes said partner followed by an excitable metal flying saucer out to happily maul him. He'll consider himself lucky if all he gets from this love-attack is a bruise. But Connor is so eager to run up to him, excited to see him, that he easily grabs him into a hug.]

[It hurts his chest a little. Just a few days ago in order to get this contact? He had to pull Connor into him. Now he has him fully in his arms without hesitation, Connor's arms around him, and Hank just rests his hand at the back of his head and resting against his abysmally perfect hair.]

[The moment is, as expected, a little broken when the Magnezone causes Hank to lose balance and end up sitting on the sidewalk in front of the Pokecenter. But he doesn't let go of Connor.]

Are you okay?

[plasticasshole]

I-

[He’s cut off as the Magnezone bumps him, landing on the floor with Hank. He doesn’t let go, though. He looks up at him, eyes sad and almost disbelieving.]

Am I dreaming again?

[It feels real, he can feel the warmth of Hank’s body and smell him as he buries his face in his clothes again. But he doesn’t want to let himself fully believe this is real. He doesn’t want to wake up alone again and go through that disappointment.]

[sociallychallenged]

[He's never seen Connor look at him like that. There are colliding memories. The moment after they left Kamski's and he was distressed over being a failure. The memory of Connor discovering that Hank wanted them to return home. Well, wanted himself to return home, wanted Connor to have this beautiful new life he earned for himself.]

[But right now he looks crushed.]

I think I'm here. Pretty sure that I am. I just realized I used to weigh less.

[He rubs his hand along the back of his neck, hugging him to that ten to fifteen pounds of additional squishiness and staring up at Crockett.] Hey there, big guy. You take care of him while I was away?

[plasticasshole]

You did.

[And that was something that never really came up in dreams, so maybe this is real after all. He hugs tighter, while Crockett beeps in response. Of course it looked after him!]

I’ve missed you.

[His voice breaks a little, and he clears his throat, annoyed with himself for losing his composure like this- but he’s so glad that Hank is back, how could he not be overwhelmed?]

Video

[sleepallthewayhome]

You're back!

[Newt is a bit surprised as it doesn't really happen much. And the last person she knew who came back just vanished again.]

[sociallychallenged]

[It actually feels pretty bad that he forgot about Newt. He'd really liked the kid while he was here. She was brave and smart. He'd always been a little disappointed this Ripley hasn't been able to see her.]

I guess I am. Pretty sure I'm not dreaming, anyway. I just left winter. It's [hot as balls in comparison to Detroit winter] a lot warmer here.

I miss anything good?

[sleepallthewayhome]

Um. There was a prom but it wasn't as terrible as the last one.

We were on a really fancy boat.

Oh! And I got another badge! I have five now!

[sociallychallenged]

Good job. Which one was it?

[Yeah, he was supposed to go to prom, wasn't he? Way too damn old for it, but he wanted to be there for Connor. He missed everything.]

[sleepallthewayhome]

I got the Mineral badge! That one was easy because they were all weak to fire pokemon and I have a lot of really strong fire pokemon.

Now I just have three left and then I'll have all of the Johto badges!

[video]

[outofhershadow]

Wow, someone partied too hard, huh?

[Ah yes, snark is always the best way to introduce yourself to new people. Good job, Lena.]

Not that I've ever had anything like that, but does this place even have booze that can knock you out for that long?

[video]

[sociallychallenged]

Kiddo, believe me, if this was a hangover I'd be feeling it harder than this. I can bring the house down with my pity parties.

[He rubs the back of his neck.]

No, I was just... I went home, I guess. People told me it could happen. I just never ran into it before.

[Besides, he tried to drink that hard in this place. Even though booze exists? It couldn't put him under the table.]

[video]

[outofhershadow]

[... Oh. Well then. That kind of takes a lot of the grin off her face; not entirely, but her face does go pretty pale at Hank's words.]

You can be sent back? [No no no no no she doesn't wanna go back she doesn't wanna be a shadow again and trapped in the dark--] That uh... that kind of seems like all of this stuff kind of has no point, huh?

[YEAH JUST BRUSH IT OFF, NBD. SHE'S COOL SHE'S FINE.]

[video]

[sociallychallenged]

Some people have been here a full decade and show no signs of leaving. Some people don't last more than a few months.

[Which isn't the most helpful information, no, but he doesn't know the amount of distress she has at returning.]

Are you from a pretty shit place? Pardon the language.

[Not that he'll stop using it, but he usually tries to at least restrain himself around younger people.]

[video]

[outofhershadow]

[She just kind of shrugs at the apology. Being the wordly ex-duck she is, Lena's come across some pretty colorful people, so she's not really fazed by some old dude cursing. At least it's better than Scrooge's weird old-timey bless me bagpipes! Scottish-type cursing.]

Most places are pretty cruddy in some way or another, right? Mine's not so bad, I guess.

[And it's true. Duckburg is probably the nicest place she's been to - even when she was in Italy, she spent all her time rooting around through Magica's old haunts, far away from prying eyes, so she never really got to enjoy the beauty that people always gushed about.

It's just... the shadows that are the problem. The dark, shadowy parallel to their world where she existed, able to see her new friends but unable to talk to them or touch them or show them that she was alive. That's what scared her.]

Geez... and there's no way to tell at all when it'll happen? So you can... I dunno. [There's that uneasy sort of pause again.] Say goodbye or whatever?

[Yeah she's not really trying to hide some of the warning flags that a detective like Hank might pick up on.]

video;

[fuelthefire]

[Guess who's slamming in here like the fist of an angry excited Psycho?]

Gramps!! You're back!!!

[Finally, some good news.]

[sociallychallenged]

Not been arrested again, I hope. [He smears his hand down his face, trying to get a handle on himself.]

[But once it's over, he turns in place and looks at the Pokecenter.]

You doing okay?

[Krieg hadn't been in the best place when he left. He thought he could check in on him.]

[fuelthefire]

Mnahahahahahah! Not ye~et!

[He sing-songs the last syllable, stretching it gleefully. Never mind that it was one time and also the first time. Will it happen again? Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows!]

I'm great! Winter's over and we're going to fight the gyms and you're back!

[sociallychallenged]

You're going to end up on "Johto's Most Notorious" at this rate. I'll be able to say I know someone famous.

[Though honestly he's been in such a mindset that no one would ever miss him that it surprises him some that Krieg would. Even with a lot of emotional improvements over time, it's a lot to take in.]

'Tis the season, I guess. It was winter where I just was, so my body doesn't have a fucking clue what's going on.

You ever find any of those lost pokemon? [He really should have specified his entire caseload go to Krieg. He would have thrown his back into it.]

[fuelthefire]

Hah! If I ever get another Wanted poster I'll sign one for you!

[...Man, it would be so great if one of his old "Property of Hyperion" posters showed up here somehow. The magic santa Pokemon gave him a photo of Maya once. Maybe a copy of his poster could show up, too!

They don't really go in for "wanted" posters in this place, though, he's noticed. Mostly it's just "missing" posters.]

Yeah! I found the Flower Frog. It made friends with a baby Fire Weasel and when the Frog went home, the Weasel went, too!

Video

[starry_forehead]

Oh, hey. You came back.

[Hey remember that kid who was almost always really excited when he talked to you? Yeah, he's just trying not to sound sad at the moment. Because it's good you're back. He liked you.]

Re: Video

[sociallychallenged]

[He's got that 'a lot on his mind' type of voice. He can recognize that anywhere.]

Did things not go so well for you while I was gone?

[starry_forehead]

This place sent my twin sister back again yesterday.

So....no. Not really.

[sociallychallenged]

Ah, Jesus.

This place can be a bag of crap on your doorstep on a good day sometimes. I'm sorry to hear it.

She okay back home?

[He was lucky. He was just fine there.]

[starry_forehead]

Yeah....kind of ...it's going to be really, really bad for a while?

[He rubs his forehead slightly.]

She's...from before me in the timeline and I know everything ends up okay and that technically I'm going to be there too but....

Well the world almost ends and we go through a lot and....now she's back for that because she technically hasn't gone through it yet like I have.