bakerstreet | time travel meme

[ooc: SO some kind of 9? I was wondering if you'd like Irene in the Victorian era or if you want to throw Holmes into the modern world. 8) ]

( OOC: As is your preference! I'm good either way. o/ )

[ooc: Let's go with Holmes in modern day, then!]

Oh, good. You're awake.

[Hotel rooms and Irene Adler never seem to work out for him, do they? Not that the woman standing over him and looking at her phone rather than his face is the Irene Adler he's used to.

She turns on her heel, slipping her phone down the front of her deeply un-Victorian dress and depositing herself on the sofa, taking off her heels.]

Don't make a fuss, will you? I've got friends outside who care about me deeply, though I suspect it's mainly because I pay them to. Speaking of which, how did you get in? Window?

[ There's the horrible feeling of having been put through a hell of a wringer of a boxing match when he finally opens his eyes, squinting against the sight of a frame looming above. Female, slender; a voice of remarkable self-assurance, considering he can't for the life of him place it and doesn't know to whom it belongs, same as her face. ]

Begging your pardon, madam. [ Staring at the device (remote control, perhaps?) that she tucks away, he takes stock of her appearance with a few casual flickers of attentive glancing.

Garish make-up, nails. Outfit scandalous. Shoes foolishly tall (scuffed near the base, an intrepid walker). Despite all this, control considered an absolute when handled with the capacity of an impressive ego over hired muscle - without? Safe to assume. Business-woman of some esteem or high-born decadent.

He clears his throat and tests the restraints holding him to the bed, thankfully garbed this time around. ] I seem to have lost my senses.

Last I recall, I was in my home at Baker Street performing an experiment of great import. If you would but only release me, I shall make my way hence. [ Eventually. After probing. ] I do believe you are the one who has kidnapped me, I'm afraid, so you have me at something of a loss.

[She watches him from the sofa, tapping her fingers on the back of it slowly.]

You are a rare bird, aren't you?

[She's speaking for the sake of having something to say while she sorts this out in her head; perhaps he can tell. Her voice is posh, but she lacks a certain Victorian formality—and it slides, sometimes, her vowels getting over-exaggerated or her consonants not quite clicking. It's not fake, exactly, in that she doesn't have to think about it anymore, but it's not organic.]

Alright, I'll bite. [And she changes her posture as if to emphasise what she's saying—actress?—putting her feet on the floor and leaning forward, hands clasped.] What year is it?

[She doesn't believe in time travel, thank you very much, but she does believe in gameplayers, and she knows quite a few. It's best to play along until one learns the parameters, she finds.]

[ For all that she appears refined, the cusp of scandal lingers on her like fog clinging to cobbles after the rain. It's a shifting notion, amorphous but subtle in the way she presents herself (schooling those gestures, clever enough to realise it might influence him if she behaves a certain way or if Holmes weren't prone to Omne ignotum pro magnifico).

It is, annoyingly, vaguely reminiscent of The Woman's backward charms, such as they were.

The room looks foreign in a way he can't immediately place. No real cultural affects, everything clean — surprisingly so with hardly any sentimentality in such bare furnishings, for a woman — and minimalistic. Curious how she looks entirely at home, then. Could be her ego shining through. He blinks, startled and momentarily beyond veiling it, when she brings the year into question because only Watson did that as a joke, last he remembers — had reason to. That isn't a coincidence.

'Holmes, when may we permit the actual scientists their due appointment? It was half an hour ago.'
'My studies shall prove far more conclusive. Observe! The engineering is the thing, the key, and now as I initiate this lever -'
'You're being farcical about the whole thing.'
'No! You have to stay.'
'Why? In case you shimmy off into the future? Perhaps Jonathan Strange would like some tea, I warrant you would get along famously. Look here, the man who built this nonsense was a madman, Holmes. Nothing is going to come from your tinkering, save one very annoyed Inspector.'
'Precisely. We must deduce what did and, linearly, exactly how he murdered his assistant. Isn't it refreshing?'
'I'm going home to Mary. If anything, it's late.'

His last memory is of Watson laughing as he turned his back on the ridiculous mess within Sherlock's home. And then — lights? He remembers a flash, but his memory is so muddy. It isn't usually this uncooperative. ]

The year is eighteen-ninety-one. [ More than anticipating a denial, the pause before his answer cannot be retracted and so every effort goes into remaining studiously calm. It's difficult to pull off, but far from impossible. All because she asked the year, not the day. ]

Unless, of course, I am mistaken.

[ A normal person would not tack that query on the end. A normal, dreary, idiotic person would still be flailing to release themselves their bonds at waking up with a stranger staring them down. They would not rehash their immediate past, anything salient to collect data on their current circumstances. They would not challenge their own grated view of how things ought to be and find so much (thrillingly) wanting. Ostensibly, they would not draw any cold comfort from the knowledge of why they might need to pose the question solely for the relief of their state of mind.

Above all, they would not allow facetiousness to be picked up on by their captor, for all the politeness in a token tight smile, but then Sherlock hazards a weighty bet that she is more intrigued than prone to murder. That would be so very dull an anti-climax to serve as today's fare. ]

( OOC: Difficult, I'm afraid — he wouldn't let himself get so romantically attached as all that, it's vaguely abhorrent to him and he'd be beyond insufferable to anyone who genuinely felt that way for him. Anything barring it would likely be easy to roll with, though! Especially with his dear Boswell (hah, I see what you did there). ♥ )

[Very very open to not just time travel but world/dimension hopping because.... yeah bullshit fantasy calendar.]

The Doctor was wandering the streets, which seemed quite busy today as he weaved through people to try and find the deli. Crossing the street and nearly getting cut off by a taxi, he spins and bumps into a ginger-haired woman.

"Sorry! You alright?" He catches her arm before she loses her balance and potentially falls back.

Stumbling backwards, Amy nearly falls on her arse when the bloke who had bumped into her caught her by the arm. "I'm fine." She said, forcing a smile on her face. "You alright?"

"Yup!" He brushes off his jacket then looks thoughtful for a moment, "Well, actually, I'm looking for the deli, heard they have brilliant sandwiches! Or perhaps you have any recommendations...? Wait, your accent. Scottish?"

It surprised him somehow, and he couldn't resist smiling a bit. She must be an immigrant, and the ginger hair made him think of Donna.

"Oh, well em..." Amy looked around. She had come to know this particular area pretty well over the few years she's been here, since it was close to where she and Rory now lived. She pointed in a specific direction, "If you go down two blocks straight ahead there's one called Terry's. They have a lot of different sandwiches there."

It hadn't been the first time someone had pointed out her accent, though in all honesty she had thought it had lessened quite a bit, as had Rory's since coming here. "Yes." She said simply, smiling. "London?" She guessed, that's what his accent sounded like.

"London? No, no, erm, quite further away, actually. 'm bit of a traveler, although I do like England. My actual home's gone, so I travel around a bit on my own... sometimes with friends." He shrugs and realize he was somewhat dumping on this stranger.

"Annnyway...!" He absentmindedly scratched the back of his head as he walked with her to the other side of the street.

"Oh." Amy frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that."

She didn't have anything planned for this early afternoon, and she was a bit hungry. "I might just join you, actually."

Edited 2012-11-11 04:50 (UTC)

"Yeah?" He glances over to her and his smile widens. "Brilliant! Let's go!"

And without thinking about it, it takes a hold of her free hand, tugs forward, and quickly weaves in and out of the crowd. "Down around this corner, yeah?"

Eyes wide, Amy tenses as he starts tugging along the somewhat crowded streets. There was an odd sense of familiarity that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Em-" Amy pulls her hand out of his. "No, straight on."

"Right!" He's too caught up in his excitement that he doesn't even realize her pulling away from him, and once there, he throws the door open for her.

"After you..." And the he realizes he's going to eat lunch with a girl who's name he had yet to ask. "Sorry, what's your name?" It wasn't an uncommon occurance, as he was quite familiar with mingling with strangers.

Smiling tightly at the strange man, Amy walked through the doors. Already having a look around for something to eat. She missed the food from home quite a bit, a lot of things were different here but she had grown sued to the differences for the most part. Though she missed her shows and the internet, a lot.

She looked up from the selection of crisps at his question. "Amy. Amy Williams."

"Hello, Amy! I'm the Doctor." He smiles before taking a step inside, mouth slightly hung open in wonderment of the people around them.

"What do you recommend?" He finally glances back over to her.

At the mention of his name, Amy immediately stiffens. Did he just say...? "What?" She managed to choke out, tears welling up in her eyes.

He looks back, "Erm, 'what do you recommend'?" He sees her looking a little emotional, and his brows furrow slightly. "You alright?" Glancing around them, he tugs her off to the side to a table where no one was sitting. "Amy? You alright?"

She doesn't answer him because she couldn't. She had come to terms with the fact that she would never see him again and here he was. Though clearly he had no idea who she was, and he looked completely different so she could only assume this was a past version of him. That left her with mixed emotions to be quite honest.

"...It's really you?" She asked after a minute, not fully aware of the people staring at the pair or the fact that tears are falling down her face.

The realization struck. She knows him, and he either had met her briefly or she's from his future. Blimey, how often is that going to keep happening? It wasn't long ago that he was in the library with Professor Song and that ripped open a bag of mixed emotions for him.

"So you know me? I... don't think you're from my current timeline." Although he did happen to meet other people out of order, such as Sally Sparrow on the street outside that shop.

And without thinking, he leans forward and wipes away a stray tear. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

He looked older than what she was used to, which threw her off a bit. It wasn't until he was reaching forward to wipe away the tears on her face that she realised she was crying and became aware of everyone staring at them. But especially her. "How old are you?"

Now that was a question he wasn't expecting, and a hint of confusion was displayed on his face. "...903? Or is it 904 now?" So he must've talked about his age with her in the future?

"I'm not who you're familiar with..." And he finally pulls away looking a bit conflicted himself. The prophecy was out there, and he was trying to avoid it and not think about it, but little things such as this were making it all too real.

No, this wasn't exactly going as planned. And the snow was just one indication for Germany to make this conclusion. Sometimes he truly wondered why he kept listening to the ideas his boss came up with. After all, the words 'Hey. Why don't you use this time machine we just developed to go back in time and take out this list of peopl before they can get a nuisance by declaring war on us!' should have given him more than one reason to question this idea.

And yet? Here he was. At the entirely wrong place and in the entirely wrong time! Of course he had to land right in a Russian camp so right about now? Germany was running. Running away from a hail of gunfire. Through what he considered to be definitely too much snow! If he found out where and when they had send him instead of the originally planned location and time, the nation would make sure to hunt down those responsible and give them a stern lecture on how to do their damned job right!

Finland watches the other Nation through the sight of his gun. It took him a moment to recognise him - it has been an isolated life at times in the north, and Germany isn't half as recognisable as his brother (or been around for nearly as long). There's other reasons to hesitate though. What is he doing on his land? And by himself? How did he get here without Finland noticing? Should he help him?

Sighing, he rests his head against his gun. This hasn't been a long war, not by anyone's reckoning, but it's been hard going, and he's tired, getting to the end of his strength. He's still hoping for Sweden's aid, official aid, not just the help that he has been giving him.

Looking up again, Finland stands this time, giving away his position. Any enemy of his enemy is his friend.

Hopefully.

"This way!" It might be a little hard to spot the figure in his white cloak against the snow, but Finland waves to Germany, but then ducks down again before he can be shot. A few moments after that a couple of shots will whistle past Germany in the other direction, towards the Russians. This isn't going to do much for Finland's mission, but at least he'll get a few shots in before dragging Germany back to the main camp.

It wasn't easy to notice the person in the snow right away, but once Finland waved, the German spotted the other nation and, thanks to recognizing him as Finland, almost lost his footing in the snow. Finland? How on Earth could they send him to Finland?! That's pretty much an entirely different direction and-- Oh. He really had to scold someone for this!

Still. In a way Germany could consider himself lucky that he was in Finland after all and not that deeply in Russia as he had begun to fear. So he hurried over, painfully obvious in is dark, grayish-green coat and uniform contrasting so well against the snow where Finland was pretty much invisible.

"Finland!" Germany pressed forth sharply while diving into cover behind some snow nearby, hoping it was enough to shield him from view well enough "Is this your place?" Okay. That question may sound weird to the other nation, but Germany just had to make sure.

Finland eyed the other Nation with cold eyes as he dove behind the little snow shelf that he'd been using as shelter. Really, he wasn't dressed for the snow at all. He let out a little sigh as he reached up with one hand and released the cloak that he was wearing, pushing it in Germany's direction. At least his blue uniform would stand out less than Germany's dark one.

But he'll take a moment to fire off another round before replying. "Yes. What are you doing here? Are you alone?"

Germany accepted the cloak, if not a little begrudgingly, quickly tossed it over and pulled forth his own rifle to assist Finland in fending the attackers off "Yes. I'm alone." he lifted his gun and attempted to aim. Which proved difficult if he didn't see any of their enemies. So he settled with aiming vaguely in the direction where the shots at them came from.

"Apparently I'm in the wrong place." he answered at last, but hesitated for a moment before adding "Ah... What year is it?"

Finland looks at Germany, oddly. "That's a strange question to ask someone." He fires again, and then shoulders his riffle. "We're going to have to make a break for it." After a quick glance down at Germany's shoes he lets out a little sigh. "There's a wood about half a mile back, if we can make it there, the snow'll be less thick." He looks back over at the Russians, and then back at Germany. "It's 1940. Ready?"

At that response, Germany casts Finland a critical glance. Wrong time just as well. Just how much more could go wrong?!

He huffs to subdue his own anger but takes his rifle down as well before nodding "Ready. I'll explain once we're out of gunfire." More running. He could do that. At least his heavy boots kept the snow out and provided secure footing.

"Let's move!"

Narrowing his eyes, Finland nods. He needs a good reason for this. Normally he's a lot more trusting, but it's hard to be trusting during a war.

Finland's snow shoes are better designed to deal with the snow and he's lighter on his feet, but at least Germany is better concealed now. He won't run too far ahead anyway, because he doesn't want to lose sight of the other Nation, glancing over his shoulder to keep an eye out for the Russians.

Once they reach the wood he slows to a walk, but doesn't stop. Outside their footsteps will soon be covered, but in here they could last for days. It's better to get out of here and to Finland's camp as soon as possible. "How did you get here? Were you dropped in?" There's still a hint of suspicion there. Well, it is a war after all.

Unlike Finland, Germany wasn't that much accustomed to snow even if his own winters could be harsh as well. Still, he managed to keep up with the other nation, if only by willing himself to not fall behind too much. But once they reached the forest, walking became easier. Luckily.

Germany let out a faint growl and looked up into the sky "You could say something like that, yes. Just that we weren't aiming for here. And now." He brought a gloved hand up to massage his temple a little. The machine was still back with the Russians. Just... Wonderful! How was he supposed to get that back now?! He cast a quick look over to Finland "Just how are things looking for you here right now? Any chance to clear out the Russians from where we have come from?"

"And now?" Finland repeated. There was that uncertainty again, Germany acting like the date was just a location on a map. One that he'd misaimed for. Not what he expected, unless the other a ) really was as crazy as the rumours said or b ) had taken those science fiction movies that had become so popular a little too seriously...

He didn't stop, though, carrying on leading the way. "They've been pushing us back." There's a little bit of tiredness to his voice, weariness that isn't going to fade for a while. "How far back are you talking? What do you need?" And yes, he'll need information before he commits his men to that.

As they walekd and Finland spoke, Germany cast a look back over his shoulder and into the direction they were coming from. No, that wasn't good.

"This... This may sound surrealistic now, Finland, but we were aiming for 1938. And the UK, not you.Or at least that was the plan, when-" Germany cut himself off to roll his eyes at his own words. Well. It hadn't been planned for him having to explain this to anyone, so it was to be expected that he was a little stuck now.

"It's already 1942 where I come from." he tried again "And that machine they used to send me back with... It's with the Russians now!" Hopefully it was broken and they wouldn't figure out how to use it.

Well, that's going to end well. Finland kept the comment to himself for now, though. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that you built some kind of... time machine?" A pause, and then. "And it's with the Russians right now?" Because if Germany's serious, that's a big problem. A very big problem. It means that Germany will get his wish at least - there's no way he can leave such a potential weapon in Russia's hands.

"It's with the Russians now, yes." Germany groaned in approval "And, yes. It's a time machine. Just don't ask me how it works or if it even still works, but I don't want to even imagine what Russia might be doing with it!" They should have hooked it up to a tank, then he wouldn't have had any problems taking out that camp he had found himself in.

"I need to retrieve it!"

"I can't allow even the possibility of it to be used!" Finland snapped, before rubbing his forehead tiredly. Maybe Germany knew that and was using it as a way to force Finland's hand. Why a time machine, though, and not something more believable? He was practically taking the piss!

He marched on a little way in silence. It was too much to think about, too much of a risk to take. "You can talk to the captain when we get back. We might be able to spare a few men. But I'm not willing to risk breaking the line for it." They were stretched so thin as it was.

Germany was relieved that Finland apparently believed him instead of asking if he's had lost it entirely now. He was well aware how his story sounded and that the other nation had quite a bit to deal with himself at this point.

"I aprpeciate the help, Finland." the German said as he followed, every now and then glancing around and bshind himself still, even if the gunshots had long since died down "I may mostly need to borrow some equipment. Had I anticipated to land directly in enemy territory I would have been better prepared." By bringin a rocket launcher or flamethrower or something like that maybe.

Fortunately they weren't quite as short equipment as they were men, and Finland gave a short nod. "We have some. It might not be up to the standards you're used to, though." A fair amount of it was left over from previous wars, or leant by Sweden, but that was unofficial, so he wouldn't be saying that. "We won't be able to do anything today anyway." They're already losing the light, what few hours of it there are at this time of the year. Luckily, they'll reach the other side of the woods then and out of the shadow of the trees there should be just enough light left to make it to camp.

"It will have to do." Germany said. He wasn't even sure if contacting his boss to request assistance may do anything or if that wouldn't take too long as well. Also: They needed their forces back home as well.

Looking up at the sky, Germany could only nod. He didn't entirely like the idea of having to wait, but he would have to trust Finland on this "How much further is it?"

Germany didn't have much of an option. They weren't allies, Finland didn't have any reason to help him, save for that they shared a common enemy. "A mile once we reach the end of the trees. We've not come a direct route, but this way's safer." He said, and sure enough as he spoke, the end of the small wood became visible.

"Do you need to contact your boss when we get back?" After all, if Germany was on a mission that went awry... At least Finland has a couple of secure lines up, back to his capital where they can be relayed.

[It was cold and she had no idea where she was. She looked down at the rather small item in her hand. She had been told that it would help her travel, but that it had to rest between the uses. She didn't even know for how long she had to wait for it. And even if that was important, it was even more important that she found some shelter soon. She would not last long in her thin clothing in this cold.]

[Finland's on the way home from a mission, a riffle slung over his shoulder and his uniform blood splattered. He's camouflaged well in the snow, walking through it quietly with his snow shoes.

He spots the flash of green against the white, and that's what makes him pause and redirect his footsteps.]

Hey, what are you doing out here? Did you get lost in the snow?

[She looked up at him and was on the verge to throw herself at him like any scared child would do. It was someone out here. What made her resist was the blood. It made her unsure if she could trust him.]

Yes.

[It was at least not a lie. She was gravely lost.]

[Finland's face softens into a smile, though, and he undoes his cloak, leaning over to wrap it around her. It'll keep some of the chill out as well.] You must be freezing. Come on, you can warm up at camp, and then we'll see if we can find a way to get you home.

[He seemed nice at least and the cloak helped a great bit. She gave a small smile and griped for his hand. She was only a kid in the end and he promised to take her someplace warm.]

What's your name? I'm... [There's a moment of hesitation. Normally he'd use Timo around his people, because it just cut down on explanations, but he's never seen a human with green hair before. Finland. Are you going to be all right walking in the snow, or do you want me to carry you?

I'm Rydia.

[She was only waring a pair of sandals on her feet so getting them out of the snow would be nice. They kind of hurt from the cold, but she didn't want to be too clingy.]

Um... if it isn't to much to ask for I would like that.

That's a pretty name! [Leaning down, he picks her up with ease, surprisingly strong.] There we go. [He frowns when he sees her sandals, though, wrapping her up more in his cloak.] You would have frozen out here, dressed like that. How did you get all the way out here anyway?

[How was she supposed to answer that in a believable way? It might just be best to tell the truth. She opened her hand and showed him the item she had been given.]

This brought me here. I didn't plan on ending up here though.

[It's an odd thing, but he can't examine it properly while he's got his hands full of her.] Show me again when we get to the camp. [There is a moment of hesitation, then, of whether he can trust her, if he should be bringing her back to the camp. But he couldn't leave her out in the cold, not dressed like that.] Were you out for long?

Not too long I think.

[She could still feel all of herself and that was good. She might get some minor freeze burns on her feet, but it should not be worse than that. If she only could understand why she ended up here instead of Mysidia that she was aiming for.]

You can still feel your toes and your fingers? [He'll help her warm up when he can, but he needs to know how bad it is first.]

Yes. They hurt.

[Not strange at with her being dressed like it was a warm summer day.]

Is that good or bad?

If you can still feel them, that's good. Tuck your hands under your armpits to warm them up.

[She nodded and did as told. She was not used to this kind of climate. She used to live close to a desert.]

Is it long to the camp? If I get to heavy I can walk.

It's not too far. And you're not that heavy. I wouldn't want you to walk in the snow with shoes like that.

[It was true that her shoes wasn't good for walking in snow. None of her clothes was.]

I don't want to be too much of a burden.

Don't worry about that for now. Sometimes you just have to let yourself be looked after! And you're not much of a bother, so don't worry about it.

Tell me more about how you got here while we walk.

I was given that item and was told that it would help me travel far distances. I'm not sure how I ended up right here though.

How far? Where did you come from?

I was not told how far I could go with it, just far.

[She was not sure if it was safe to tell were she came from. People had tried to kill her knowing that.]

I can't get you home if you don't tell me where you came from.

[She looked at him sadness in her eyes.]

You can't get me home anyway. The whole village burned to the ground.]

Oh... [Sadly, over the last few years he's seen too much of that kind of thing. He squeezes her in a little.] I'll find you somewhere safe to go then.

[The squeezes was comforting and even if she felt sad thinking about what had happen she at least felt a bit better.]

You are kind to me even though you don't have to.

I couldn't leave you out in the snow. [The camp's just about visible out of the snow now, and Finland smiles, nodding towards it.] We're almost back now. We'll get you warmed up soon.

[The though of getting warm and to even be offered a safe place warmed her heart.]

Thank you.

That's okay! I'll have to report when we get in, but I'll find you somewhere warm first.

[He's recognised before they actually arrive, so he's not questioned on arrival, though a few questions are raised about the girl in his arms. He keeps her close for now, not setting her down even though the snow's mostly been cleared. He makes his way to the central fire and then sets her down by it. They don't have any clothes small enough for her, but a large coat, a couple more cloaks and some thick socks are quickly donated.]

Here, let's get you wrapped up in these. Would you rather stay by the fire or rest in my tent?

[She is grateful for the clothes she did get. She could only imagine how silly she looked in them, but rather silly than freezing.]

I would like to stay in the tent please.

<small<[Call her paranoid, but she knew that it was hard to separate friends from foes and if she was in the tent then it was only one way she had to keep an eyes on. Out here people could attack from any angel.]

All right! Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat as well. [Since they didn't have much in the way of shoes that'll fit her, he picks her up to take her to his tent. It's small, but at least he gets one to himself.]

You don't have to bother with that.

[Her stomach chose that time to grumble loudly. She hadn't eaten for over a day. A small blush tinted her cheeks.]

Maybe something little.

[Finland beams. Ah, she's so cute. He's too easily swayed.] I'll be back in a moment. Make yourself at home, all right?

[He sets her on the bed then heads off, returning after a moment with a bowl of stew and some water. It's not the highest of cuisine, but it's warm and filling.] Is there anything else you need?

[She nods and waits. It was not much else she could do anyway. He had been so kind to her this far. She truly had been lucky.

She gave a smile when he came back into the tent and grattfully took the food and water. Smelling the stew made her stomach growl again.]

I'm fine like this, thank you.

"You've brought us to some ridiculous places, Doctor. But this?" While he may not be able to get sick from human illnesses, she sure as hell was susceptible to them.

"Oh, chillax Pond", he breathes through his nose, hard, taking in the rotten stench of garbage and decay wafting through the air. "As long as you're up-to-date on your jabs against Yersinia pestis, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium lepromatosis, and the common garden variety Middle Ages diseases, you'll be absolutely a-okay, positively fine."

"Why would I have protection against those? I'm not from the Middle Ages!" Amy all about throttled him for this, but she was too busy covering her nose and mouth with her hands. "Why would you even bring us here in the first place?"

"To be fair, Pond", he paused, turning from a peasant gathering manure in his wheelbarrow to Amy, with his index finger held out. "The folks of the Middle Ages didn't have 'em either. Pay attention, will you?"

Walking a few steps forward, he suddenly stops, then turns back to her once more. "Now are you absolutely clear on why we're here?"

Amy just stands in the same spot, staring at him as if he had two heads. "So I will die from a horrible disease?"

"Of course not! While you slept, I injected you with some 'bots that'll take care of any icky, horrible disease you catch", the Doctor gently pinches her cheeks; his voice is still light and cheerful enough that it's hard to discern whether or not he was serious about, well, any of that.

"Ow." Frowning, Amy hesitated to take her hands away from her face, not quite sure if he was joking or not. "If not we're here for that, then why are we here Doctor?"

[But who is in the war - it could be either, Sherlock winds up in Afghanistan, John winds up in one of Sherlock's "battles" during the hiatus, or there could be a futuristic war going on, I'm game. Or we can say screw the RNG too.]

[Was actually thinking an Afghanistan one for this meme would be cool! Do you want to start or do you want me to? :D]

[Go right ahead if you like :)]

[How did Sherlock end up in Afghanistan? Probably made friends with a 'doctor' or something. Anyway, the reason for it isn't important. Sherlock is there, and the first thing he hears is someone shouting:]

GET DOWN!

[An explosion is heard and a smattering of gunfire.]

[He was quite sure he added the sulfur and the hydrogen correctly, backing up in due course, and there was a bright flash - and, quite obviously he was in new surroundings.

Gunfire, lots of it, including a shout of GET DOWN which he really didn't need to be told, but he did - simply out of the fact that he was not wearing his coat or his bulletproof vest and it simply made sense.]

[[ooc: now does John know it's Sherlock?]]

[Another series of explosions is heard. There's several men in brown fatigues crouched down behind a barrier they've set up. It looks like the troops are holding their position at the side of a hill. Below, the hostiles are exchanging machine gun fire.]

You there!

[That was a familiar voice. A very surprised and angry looking Captain Watson heads in Sherlock's direction.]

What the hell are you doing here! Are you with the press?

[As Sherlock becomes less disoriented by the gunfire, he notes John - younger, no limp, no tremble in his fingers. Captain.

Fuck. What had that experiment done? He has to swallow - dry. Desert, then. Lovely.]

I was attempting an experiment at a-ah - teleport. So, no. I am not with the press.

[Because that most certainly was the result. It won't matter anyway. He wouldn't touch the press with a long-pole after getting mauled by them in such a manner. Not that he cared that much about editorials. He offers an awkward salute.]

Sir.

[Unlike the Sherlock that John will meet, Sherlock is dressed in a ragged t-shirt, and torn jeans. Normally when he's "on the street" he wears all-black, or is disguised as a homeless person. His hair is ginger at present, though the dark roots are beginning to show.]

[John looks at Sherlock as though he might be insane. An experiment?]

What?

[He shakes his head.]

Nevermind. Come with me.

[He gestures for Sherlock to follow. John leads him into a bunker in the hillside. It looks like it belonged to the enemy, but now John's unit is pinned down there.]

You're to stay in here, understand?

[Sherlock, stay in one place? John, you are very funny - probably evidence of the amusement is on his face, which he tries to keep innocent and calm, sitting on the dirt floor.]

I won't get myself into trouble.

[Sherlock really has no idea how time-travel works - other than the fact that he does need to return. Somehow. Same chemical compound. And no he didn't promise that he would stay there - he's already seen the spare fatigues and probably the spare weapons.]

[John doesn't look like he really believes the man, but he nods.]

"Captain!" A soldier shouts as he comes running in holding a radio.

John turns to him, "Did you manage to get through?"

"Yes, an airstrike is on the way. We just have to--."

[There's a shout from outside and another explosion. Both John and the soldier rush to the exit. Just as they do, a grenade is tossed into the entrance of the bunker.]

Edited 2012-11-11 04:14 (UTC)

[There's no time to grab the fatigues. Within the bunker the explosion would be contained, and therefore safest outdoors.

Sherlock just grabs the nearest thing - gun probably isn't even loaded and scrambles out of the door.

That definitely didn't sound good.

There's firing going on, chaos again - sensory overload, and the sand gritted between his teeth doesn't help. The explosion behind him causes him to be thrown forward.]

Edited 2012-11-11 04:21 (UTC)

Grenade!

[The soldier manages to shout right before the explosion goes off. All men do what they can to avoid it but everyone goes flying.

John hits the ground next to Sherlock. Though disoriented, he manages to see as a hostile comes over the hill with a rifle in hand. John draws his pistol and fires two shots that sends the enemy to the ground.

John groans weakly and turns over.]

Are you alright?

[Sherlock spits the sand out of his mouth rubbing his ringing ears. He frowns a little at the garbled question, not completely understanding the meaning then looks at John with a bit of concern, checking him over. It does take a bit for the ringing from the explosion to leave.]

Are you alright?

[He's been in fights before - hand-fighting - dependent on speed and skill, not necessarily accuracy. This - there is too many variables, too much sand...he supposes the stimulation of the fight itself is good, but - he can't completely understand why John would miss it. John isn't hurt is he?]

[He nods a bit and tries to get to his feet. Once up, he reaches to help Sherlock up as well.]

Just hang in there a bit longer. The strike is on the way.

[Getting up isn't that difficult, it's navigating in the sand that is. Since he can hear a bit better now, he can understand a bit more.]

The bunker's probably caved in - and some of your spares were in there.

[Sherlock can't say he likes what's going on. But it's better than it was, sitting in the hotel flat, doing an experiment, and surveillance. Mostly he doesn't like the fact that John just thinks he can sit back and watch which he is not going to do.]

I can shoot, you know.

[John gives him an uncertain look. He shouldn't just pass a civilian stranger a gun. But this man is out of his element and he is British. It's not likely he's one of the enemy.

John nods and offers his handgun.]

Do try and keep your head down?

[He goes to the fortified wall and picks up the rifle that was dropped by one of the soldiers. That soldier is dead, but the gun is still of use.]

[John is just going to give Sherlock the Browning? Sherlock just gives a tight smile.]

I've become a bit of an expert the past year, one might say.

[He'd not had much interest in time travel literature. Paying attention might have assisted him now.]

You're not the only one.

[John fires a few shots from the rifle to keep the enemies at bay. He can hear the aircraft heading in at least. It won't be long now.]

[Sherlock weighs the Browning in his hand, sliding the last two bullets into the firing chamber. Out of the corner of his left eye - likely John's blind spot, he spots the enemy - or most likely the enemy. Considering he's aiming his gun at John, it's not a difficult deduction.
Sherlock fires, coldly. As though he's not just a civilian. Which - he isn't. Exactly. Considering he's been outsmarting a criminal network for eighteen months, he's almost desensitized to it.]

Clearly.

Edited 2012-11-11 15:57 (UTC)

[John turns to look, stunned for a moment and then looks to Sherlock.]

Thanks.

[He's definitely surprised a civilian can shoot like that. Finally the aircraft goes overhead. A series of explosions hit the enemy. A chopper then comes in and the doors open, waving everyone inside. John gets up and turns to Sherlock.]

Come on!

[Sherlock sighs, then turns to follow, trudging through the soft sand, trying to ignore it as it grits in his eyes. He finds that he's watching John's face closely - and yes - John seems very alive - it is strange to see the Army Doctor in action. He made judgement, deductions, but it's a bit strange to see them taking place.

He needs to get back, to reproduce his experiment.]

[Everyone piles into the chopper and is seated. The door is shut and the chopper takes off to return to base. Everyone is calming down slowly, though they're obviously still on edge. A few are giving Sherlock wary stares.

John reaches out a hand for the gun.]

Thanks. I'll take that. What's your name?

[Sherlock almost says it without thinking.]

Norman. Norman Sigerson, I'm an explorer - a scientist, one might say. Although I'm trained in the martial arts and other skills.

[He's adjusted to the cover story, almost so much that he believes it. He sees the others watching him warily. Sherlock isn't one for politics or sentiment, choosing to leave that to his brother, but he does know it may be best if he indicates something of his loyalty.]

God save the Queen.

[John holsters his weapon. The others repeat the phrase automatically, including John.]

God save the Queen.

[It's a pretty quiet flight back to the base camp. It's a small outpost, so there's not much to see. Once off the chopper, John motions for Sherlock to follow him to one of the tents.]

We're only here temporarily to get some men into the region. You're a long way from home, Norman. Not exactly the safest place to go exploring.

[Good. He's not the enemy now. That's important in his business to have allies - or at least, people who won't kill you within a minute's notice.]

I haven't been in London for a long while. I'll need to reconstruct my experiment to return home, anyway.

I'll need a series of beakers and a sulfur-hydrogen combination.

[No, Sherlock. You know you can't stay with him. He doesn't even know you, and you don't know how any of this works.]

Your experiment? Don't you think you should focus on getting back to London first?

[John knew this guy was nuts. Of all the places to run experiments, a war zone isn't one of them.]

This is the endpoint. It's only logical that the experiment be reconstructed in the fact that it should take one from point B and return them to point A - the point of origin.

Tricky business, time travel.
[Never done it before.]

Returning to London would be pointless. Quite literally - I was in the Swiss Alps at the time of the experiment.
[Least of which Mycroft would never let him hear the end of it and of his contributions to the field of science.]

Time travel?

[Now John was giving him funny looks.]

Are you mad? I guess you'd have to be to wander around out here with no provisions. Not to mention the time travel talk.

I am not mad - well, not any more than the average genius.
[He smirks and begins to try and search for suitable things for his experiment, opening an additional pack and looking for some thing that might serve as a beaker.]

I didn't mean to travel in time, John. I was just trying to keep myself occupied.

[He's falling right into the same old life. Strange how John can do that.]

Oh sure, so you accidentally traveled through time. Brilliant.

[This felt a little too comfortable for some reason.]

Look, I don't want you to cause any trouble. We really can't spend the manpower to have someone watch you.

Yes. Accidentally. Obvious.

[John hadn't noticed that he used his name, well. That was good, he supposed.]

Captain, my brother already has taken it upon himself to use manpower for my personal babysitting. I'm well-capable of taking care of myself.

If you'd rather put my skills to use in the mess, then - well -[He shrugs and spreads his hands a little.] At Her Majesty's service.

[The use of his name wasn't noticed, perhaps since he's so wrapped up in the situation.]

Make use of the facilities. Just try to keep out of the way.

I have some reports to handle. You can make yourself comfortable here. You'll share my tent in the meantime.

[It'll be easier for John to keep an eye on him that way.]

[A nod.] Yes, sir.

[People don't just offer to let him stay in their residence. He has to have money for a hostel or sleep in the street on occasion. They aren't by default generous.]

Thank you.
[It's sincere, anyway.]

[John smiles a little.]

There's an attached water pump for a shower. Clean up and get some rest.

[No rest for the Captain, though. Always more to do.]

I'll bring you something to eat soon as this business is taken care of.

[John will leave Sherlock to his own devices for a time. Sherlock could always behave himself or go poking around the camp. Either way, the sun has gone down when John makes his return.]

[Sherlock is curled up, in a clean pair of someone donated civilian clothes, a bit too large, but - they'll do.

His curls tangle in a mess, and he's scribbling in a notebook, trying to remember the exact schematics of his experiment. He tears off the page and hands it to John.]

I'll need these.

[John is carrying two trays of covered food. Hardly gourmet, but it's a hot meal and that's what counts. He sets the trays down on the small table and takes the list to look it over.

At first, he gives Sherlock an uncertain look but then nods.]

I won't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do. I think we have most of this in the medical tent. Not sure what good this'll do you.

[It's just a bunch of odds and ends. If John thought they'd actually combine to something dangerous, he wouldn't allow it.]

[Sherlock hardly glances at the food, simply taking the tea off the tray, and taking a sip. It tastes nothing like John's tea - well, there's hardly any sweetener or milk in it. That must be it. Steeped fine, though. He won't complain. Can't keep milk in the desert and goat's milk tastes horrid in tea.]

I told you. I'm reconstructing my experiment. I've mulled over it half the afternoon and I think I have it, and then I'll be gone and out of your life for sometime, at least.

[Again]

You're a strange one.

[John takes a sip of his tea and walks over to where his things are. He starts to remove his jacket and sets it down, then gets to work on his boots.]

But if it'll convince you to leave this damn country, I'll let you do your experiment.

[Sherlock shrugs.]

You like it here, though. The adrenaline. You miss London, a little - but you do like...not the deaths. The battle itself.

[Shut up, Sherlock. He's already said too much.]

[That gets his attention.]

What makes you say that?

[Not that he denies it outright.]

[Another shrug. He scribbles more in his notebook, smirking a little.]

Lucky guess. The way you don't flinch at enemy fire - well I suppose you could chalk it up to the fact all commanders should - but. You're calmest under fire.

It's what I'm trained for.

[But John knows he keeps a cool head when others can't.]

Eat your meal. We don't waste food around here.

[John picks up a few things to change in to and disappears behind the flap where the shower would be.]

[Sherlock just shakes his head and takes a bite, rolling his eyes a little.]

Eating is distracting.

[John leaves the man to his own devices for a short time as he showers and gets dressed. When he's done he steps out with a towel and rubs at his hair.]

I've got an extra cot you can use.

[Still looking at his notes.]

Still going to insist I sleep, then? John, I've told you - I don't sleep. Sleep is -

[He waves his hand, realizing what he's said. He shuts the notebook.]

Nevermind. Thank you.

[He pauses then.]

I'm sorry, but.. have we met? You're very familiar with me.

I mean, first my name and then there's little things like that just now.

I'm not sure how to explain it.

[He sighs. Sherlock has never really had regard for laws of the stars or gravity.]

Isn't it obvious?

No, it isn't.

[John takes a seat at the table and uncovers his meal.]

Well, you haven't met me yet. Obviously.

[And I suppose I break your heart. Or maybe you break mine. Sherlock takes another small bite.]

Right. The.. time travel thing.

[Nope, John doesn't sound like he believes it at all. He takes a bite of his meal and chews.]

How exactly do we meet?

At St. Barts.

[Sherlock isn't sure how much to tell John. We're best friends.]

I don't suppose that it's right I tell you.

I studied at Bart's. Are you sure you aren't mixing up the past with the future?

[Though John doesn't remember Sherlock from his medical internship, either.]

[Sherlock stares at him for a moment. ]

You may not care if you survive this.
[There's a pause.]

But I do.

[That surprised him.]

And why do you care so much?

[Because you taught me how.]

I suppose one of your unit would care if you died. Something of the same thing, one might say.

You're not a soldier.

You can shoot, though.

[Which is just puzzling.]

Well of course I can, obviously.
In my line of work, one must learn to use a weapon, illegal or not.

[He's still gauging what is right and what isn't.]

Is that common for scientists running experiments?

[Sherlock shrugs.]

Not for the ordinary boring ones.

[Of which he does not belong.]

[That makes John laugh a little. He smiles at Sherlock.]

You're definitely not ordinary, are you.

[Less of a question and more of a statement.]

[Sherlock smiles a little.]

And you're not either.

[There's a brief "something" shared between them. Before it's gone and Sherlock's making more notes.]

I need to get home, finish what - the experiment. It wasn't my intent to create a self-sealing portal, and -

[The lie is becoming a dangerous web.]

[John sighs.]

I guess you won't rest until it's done. Alright, let's go to the medical tent and get what you need. You can run your experiment there.

[He takes a last drink of his water and gets up to put his boots back on and pull on a coat.]

[Sherlock leaves his experiment, and follows. Good. John - Future John - will be safe.]

I'm not one to say this often, but - again. Thank you.

[John leads Sherlock to the medical tent. It's late and no one is on duty, which will make things easier. At least John won't have to explain what they're doing in here.]

Is there anything I can do to help?

[Sherlock sets his jaw.]

No. Only. You can watch, I suppose, just - stand back, there was a bright flash and then I was here.

[John doesn't need to know that his method isn't foolproof, and that he could end up in a different time. Reproduction of the experiment could result in reproduction of events. Though it may not be the same events. But there is no reason to tell John this.]

I should end up back in my flat in front of the table.

[He begins to mix the solution.]

You must promise John. Whatever happens. You don't follow me.

[John stood back and leaned against a table.]

Alright.

[He still looked very skeptical about all this, but it'd be over soon one way or another.]

[The final piece of the solution just needs to be added. Sherlock looks up at John.]

Sentiment. S'not always found on the losing side.

[He adds the last bit of sulfur and there is a blinding flash]

[The words are a bit of a mystery to John. He's not quite sure what the man means, and before he can ask, the man is gone.]

Norman?

[John is a bit alarmed. He checks all areas of the tent and even outside, but the man has vanished.]

[Sherlock lands in the opposing flat - the opponent he was watching. Of course they don't expect a man to suddenly appear in a t-shirt and camouflage pants, but - Sherlock works with what he has. Mycroft almost has his head for killing the man without getting the necessary information.]

See you soon, John.

[IN MIDGAR TODAY

some guy has just fallen through the church roof.]

[ oh my god why

. . . I guess investigate asshole who has broken my roof ]

[the real root of the hole in the church's roof - time machine landing nearby, clearly

there might be a bit of a stunned groan coming from down here. then he sits up. Dizzily.]

And then the ground fell in. Typical. That's just typical. Are these flowers?

. . . yes they're flowers. Flowers that you just crushed.

. . .

[he just looks at her for a minute.]

The old girl never could leave well enough alone.

. . . I'm sorry?

[ wait wait more important things ]

But can you please move your . . . [ uh ] . . . box?

. . . box? Since when would you call it a —

[actually looks at her then, and ... sighs. he just looks so disappointed.]

Oh. Oh, I see. I'm early.

[gets up, then, and dusts himself off, working out the crick in his neck before nodding at her ... awkwardly]

Of course. Sorry about the flowers. They really were -- just lovely.

[ ??? ]

You know . . . [ a little unsure . . . ] You aren't making a lot of sense. And these are the only flowers in the slums.

Well, I'm not from around here. I'll move my ... box, then I'll get them replanted, how about that. I'm sure I have some seeds somewhere in my box. It's really just a big gardening kit, I swear.

What are you early for? The train only runs at certain times, so. . .

That's really just me. Plus I'm sort of here by mistake. I'm fairly sure nobody would mean to fall through your roof and crush your hard work. For one thing, it actually hurt quite a bit.

[ . . . a little laugh ]

You're just the second.

[smiles fondly at her.]

Maybe you're just unlucky, eh?

The first one asked me out on a date, you know.

Did you say yes?

[ a small smile ]

We're dating now.

[fonnnndddd]

Well. It's more interesting than "we met at a bar".

[ laughs ]

I don't think we would have met there.

Trust me. You really can't rule out meeting anyone anywhere.

Like very strange men crushing your flowers with their box?

Exactly like. Speaking of my box, I should probably get it out of your way.

I'd appreciate that.

[goes to move his box.

Which means it disappears out of existence completely. And there is some time where it appears like he just hasn't come back. But then he reappears through the church doors with GARDENING TOOLS.]

Right then!

[ . . .

waves her hand through where the box was. . . before looking back at him ]

If you could do that why did you come through the roof?

I wasn't expecting the roof.

[PUTS DOWN THE TOOLS. looks at the damage.

pauses.]

I have literally no idea what I'm doing.

. . .

If it was a gardening kit why don't you know anything about gardening?

Got a lot of questions, don't you? Well, I'm sure we can make these work. I am almost completely sure that bag is full of seeds — oh, but if we introduce them to the soil and they grow a giant beanstalk I can only apologise further. But at least the hole in the roof is already there so that'll be fine too!

I only have as many questions as I need.

[ kneels down a bit to see which flowers have been CRUSHED BY YOUR TARDIS and which are still okay. ]

A beanstalk would grow all the way up . . . to the sky . . .

If it's a giant one, of course.

[brandishes the gardening fork] Now, I'm ninety-nine percent sure of the answer to this, but this does go into the ground prong-side down, doesn't it?

[ reaches over and directs it into the soil ]

Mm! Just like that.

Excellent. Thought so. I'll grasp this in no time.

Work hard.

Never let it be said that I don't occasionally clean up my own mess.

[begins to sort out the messed up soil and the obviously ruined flowers ...]

Do you get accused of that a lot?

[ working with the bruised but not hopelessly destroyed flowers :u ]

You should hear it from the Ponds. You've never heard the like. They're always --

[he pauses]

They were always -- ahh. Occasionally. But not this time.

[carries on sorting the flowerbed out, somewhat messily]

. . . I'm sorry.

Oh, don't do that. I don't need that.

[ props up another flower before answering him ]

Hmmmm, I don't know you well enough to say that! But losing people is always hard.

I suppose it is.

I'm usually right about this kind of thing.

Yes, yes you are.

[clears his throat, after that.]

Anyway! Vegetation.

((ooc; with the wibbly-wobbly nature of the marvel universe in general, any time is a-okay.))

Within the year the Nazis will be officially defeated by the Allies. Somewhere off the coast of Scotland, Rasputin is setting up the diabolical machine that will attempt to change the war and instead spit out an adorable red horned baby that will grow up to be Abe's best friend in the world. In two years Johann Krauss will be born, unaware of his psychic potential and his eventually fate as a disembodied spirit residing in a containment suit. The body of a strange fishman floats in a water-filled tube beneath an American hospital, not to be discovered for another thirty years.

Probably best not to interfere with any of those. Abe, dropped off unceremoniously in the middle of occupied Europe, is very carefully making his way west. His tentative plan is to make contact with the BPRD after they've defeated Rasputin and explain his situation--if he cannot be returned to the future, he can at least lend a hand to his allies in the past. What he'll do when his double is awoken, he's not sure. He'll figure it out when they get there.

Abe takes his rest at a small military outpost recently abandoned by the Germans. He bathes in what filthy water is left in the pipes and bundles up again in a heavy coat, choking down potted meat and day-old bread. Not for the first time he wishes he'd taken more of an interest in military history...if this area is about to be bombed, he'd really like to know about it.

Edited 2012-11-10 19:43 (UTC)

[Hi bro guess who just made a time machine in his room ~~let's not even go there he might have disassembled various electronic things from around the house for this but that's okay right it's in the name of science!~~ Let's assume he lands with a loud house shaking bang and a flicker of lights. In fact, he'll probably blow the fuse, because lets face it, it's not meant for this kind of abuse.

Only thing is, he certainly aiming for 1942. More like 1780. Not that he'll realise he's fucked up until he sticks his head round the door and--]

Shit.

Edited 2012-11-10 19:28 (UTC)

[Well, hello, brother. You probably haven't seen this uniform on your little brother in a while. Or this entirely befuddled look he gives you for several reasons. First: The house pretty much seemed to collapse just moments ago. Second: You're dressed strangely. Third: The lights went out. Fourth: WHAT ARE YOU WEARING AND WHERE'S YOUR UNIFORM?!]

...brother?

[Yepp. Germany can put all that confusion in a single word. And in also comes with an unsaid: 'Explanation, please.']

[You might recognise this shit eating grin. It normally means he's broken something he wasn't meant to break and/or done something else that he knows is going to get him in trouble, like let the dogs on the bed or thrown the wiimote at the TV.]

Hi West~. [And then he'll turn tail and run back into his room and slam the door behind him so he can start fiddling with the machine and see if he can get it to go anywhere except here.]

[Of course he recognizes that grin. And that it means he'd better follow you! Which is just what he'll do.]

Brother! What are you doi--

[And he stops short upon seeing this-- THING. Right there. In his house.]

What is this?!

[Oops. Prussia was hoping to be out of here before Germany followed him, but hey ho, time to improvise. At least he won't recognise all the various items that he stole from him to make the contraption.]

Would you believe me if I said a time machine? [A pause as he fiddles around with things, and then presses a button, but... nothing works. So he'll just swear under his breath and then try again, before button mashing, and when that fails, attempting to kick it. And then finally glance up at Germany again.]

Has the fuse blown? [Hint hint go fix it.]

Edited 2012-11-10 20:42 (UTC)

No, I wouldn't!

[Well. Enjoy that harsh look. He's glaring at you in a way that suggests that, yes. He's pissed. And, yes, you've probably gone insane.]

STOP what you're doing there, brother! Right now!

[You're acting weird and that irritates him!]

[Okay, definitely looking guilty now, but he does at least stop, standing and turning to face him.]

Fine. I stopped. Happy now?

Tch.

[Good. He stopped. Germany will frown at his brother for a few moments while collecting himself again after this. He's used to him being difficult, but this is... A bit extreme.]

Explain yourself, brother! What is the meaning of all this?

[He tilts his head a bit in order to get a better look at tha constraption. There better is a good explanation for this...]

I told you already!

[He glances at his brother's uniform again and lets out a little sigh. What shitty luck he had. He'd been aiming for a time when he was awesome and managed to land in a time when they were pretty unawesome, and suspicious to boot.]

Look, it's just a machine. Let me fix it up, and then I'll get it out of here. [And go with it.]

That explains nothing, brother! I told you more than once that I do not agree with you stuffing the house with garbage! And right now we have more important matter to take care of.

[He crosses his arms.]

You will get dressed now and come with me! Hurry!

Oi! It's not rubbish! I spent days working on this. [Probably the longest he's kept to one task for a while.]

...How about I meet you there? [After all, this time period's version of himself is probably lurking around somewhere and bumping into him is just going to cause all kinds of problems. Though to Germany it probably just sounds like another, familiar, excuse. Which it kind of is.]

[Germany pulled up a single brow and then steps right up to his brother and his strange machine... Before wordlessly pulling back his fist and punching a deep, angry dent in the machine, eyes still fixed on Prussia.]

Get. Dressed!

[He pulls his fist back once more, ready to entirely wreck this pile of garbage if necessary.]

Jeez, West, calm down! [Prussia will take a step between his brother and his machine, not willing to let it get damaged any more.

But then he'll eye the wardrobe and the uniform it contains with distaste. It's been a long time since he wore that thing.

Still, at the end of the day it's just a uniform, right? And he's worn plenty of them over the years. He'll just tell himself that until he gets the chance to rip it off and burn it.] I'll get dressed, just don't fuck it up more than it is already, okay?

[More or less satisfied with the reply, Germany takes his fist down from its threatening position in mid-air and simply crossed his arms instead.]

Mind the use of your words, brother! You know how the boss gets when you act this way around him.

[He sighs, then pinches the bridge of his nose.]

It's the last meeting this week, so, please.

[Prussia replies with a wrinkle of his nose in distaste. He doesn't really want to think about that much, thank you.]

He'll live. [Since it doesn't seem like Germany's going to be doing any more damage to his machine right now, he steps away, stripping out of his shirt as he goes. After a moment of fumbling, he clicks back into old habits, remembering where everything is well enough, although that doesn't make it any less unpleasant to have to pull this old uniform on. Everything's a touch too big for him, but he'll just tell himself that he's lost weight rather than muscle tone.]

Happy now? [He mutters as he pulls his jacket on without looking in the mirror, turning away from it to face Germany again.]

[Germany frowns a little, but refrains from mentioning about the somewhat odd fit of his brother's uniform. Or the fact that his entire physical frame looked... Different. Instead, he gives a short nod and finally moves from where he stands. But instead of leaving the room, the younger nation steps up to his brother to quickly adjust his collar and jacket with a mild frown until he was more or less satisfied with the result and turns to leave.]

Come.

[And that's all he's going to say before heading out of the room.]

[Hey, well, at least he's still around? He didn't really know what was going to happen when they broke the wall, but while he's still there he can deal with anything else. As long as he gets to whine about it.

Groaning softly, he watches his brother's retreating back and then glances back at his machine. Better to play along for a couple of hours, and then come back and fix it in his own time, rather than winding Germany up. So he'll trot to catch up, readjusting his collar how he likes it as they go.] So what are we meant to be talking about this time? [Throw him a bone, anything to let him narrow down exactly when this is and let him, well, fit in a little bit better. Because this is not a time period when standing out is fun.]

You forgot already?

[Enjoy more frowning.]

Stalingrad, brother. We will finish the preparations.

Fuck. [That's ties things down pretty neatly then. But it's also one of those things that looking back on it wasn't as much of a victory as it seemed at the time. On the other hand, it stuck in his memory for various obvious reasons.]

Oh, right. I knew that! Just making sure you were on the ball!

It's an important mission. Why would I forget about it?

[He'd like to hear an answer to that question, but doesn't really expect one. So he'll just go on.]

Just... Please refrain from making unfitting comments during the meeting this time.

I dunno. You work too hard, stuff too much stuff up into that head of yours. You've got to forget about something eventually. [And when you do, Prussia will be standing by to mock you.

He's not making any promises, though, instead grinning to himself. It would probably be unwise to draw attention to himself... but when did Prussia ever make a wise decision?]

I'm merely doing my job, brother.

[The possibility for him to forget? Well. You can probably gauge it yourself.]

And just so you don't forget: We will depart tomorrow morning at five. Don't make me wake you up.

Merely taking things too seriously, more like.

[Oh, great, so now there's a deadline for him to get that machine of his fixed and out of here. Because it's not exactly transportable, and he can't see Germany letting him stay behind to deal with it.] Sure, whatever. I'll be all packed and ready and waiting for you by the door. If you ask nice enough maybe I'll make you breakfast to go too~.

[Allen had stepped out of the Ark to find that something was wrong. He wanted to get to Germany and this didn't look like Germany. Also those men pointing their guns at him didn't look that friendly. Not that odd when he had stepped out from a strange portal that had appeared out of nowhere dressed in his black uniform.]

Who is there? Identify yourself!

[Germany glared at the stranger, positioned between his men, left hand held high in a silent command for them not to shoot until ordered to do so. The uniform this man wore looked unfamiliar. And whatever technology he had used to just show up right in the new Reich Chancellery was reason enough to worry.]

Who sent you?

[Oh, yes he was in trouble here. At least the accent of the man that was glaring at him sounded German. He might not have trailed to far off then.]

My name is Allen Walker.

[It was best not to upset the man too much so answering his questions was a good idea. He sure hoped that he didn't have any problems with Englishmen.]

I was send by Komui, head of the Black Order, Europe division.

[The nation frowned at that response.]

Your name is English. But for a spy you're too obvious. I doubt even that island would send his men at us this bluntly.

[The frown ceased a little and gained itself a slightly rueful edge while Germany's voice lost a bit of its sharp tone.]

Just tell me he's not sending his magicians at us now.

[Because, really. Black Order? This strange uniform? This mysterious entrance? England, no. Germany wasn't in the mood for your weird games!]

[Allen looked confused. Spy? Magicians? Something was going on that he had no knowledge about.]

I'm not a magician.

[He better shut up about being an exorcist. It would only led to a lot of difficulty explanations.]

You have to excuse me, but I am at a bit of a loss at what is going on.

That's a question I should be asking, Herr Walker. Suddenly showing up in a nation's seat of government with no authorisation to do so and under undoubtedly dubious circumstances tends to raise suspicion and may be considered an attempted attack even. Especially during times of war.

[He took his hand down at last, resulting in half of the men taking down their weapons and two of them stepping up to Allen from behind to seize him.]

For the time being, you will be arrested. It is in your own interest to cooperate and assist us in clearifying this matter.

[It would be unwise to resist, so he calmly let himself be seized. He didn't have any weapons on him that could make things worse. He should be grateful for the small things. Like that it wasn't that many guns pointed at him now. But it was one thing that caught his attention.]

War? Komui didn't say anything about a war going on here.

[He could not be talking about the war between humans and Akuma, right? It might be a civil one.]

Who are you fighting against?

[Germany exchanged a few quick looks with some of the guards, brows raised in faint confusion before wordlessly sending a few of them away and taking a step forward himself, frown returning to his expression as he turned to Allen again.]

The world is at war and you claim to not having noticed? How? You hardly look like a monk from some secluded abbey thst lives separated from the world.

[The world at war? That was something he had a hard time to phantom. He was used to traveling and nothing that could result in a big war had been in his way. What was going on? What if? No that was just to unbelievable, but nothing else came to his mind.]

Exactly what date is it?

March, 23rd.

[And as he answered this question, the frown on Germany's face just deepens.]

Why would you ask?

[Allen could feel how a uneasy feeling was forming inside him. He had not left in March. He had left in October. Had something gone wrong with the Ark? Had it held him in almost half a year?]

Please tell me the year. I fear that something might be wrong.

[Will mostly be surprised that this is only the first time it's happened. Here's hoping he doesn't get mistaken for a demon!]

[He was still working on his red TARDIS! It wasn't his fault if it screwed your stuff up!]

There are few events in Creation more violent and terrifying as an angelic war. In the early days of the earth, they were fought in trueform, with energy and intent crashing together like storms across Heaven. Sam is lucky. She lands at the edge of a more recent fight, one in which the participants were forced to inhabit vessels, in order to carry out their orders without excessive collateral damage to the battleground.

This is not to say it's a tame scene. The actual conflict is a mile or more away, but the ring of blades and the occasional blaze of Graces pierced and shed is unpleasant. She seems to have arrived outside a medical tent of sorts, where Balthazar is crouched over an inert, glowing figure, as if attempting triage.

Sam's got no idea what has happened. Sure, normal by her standards differs wildly from most, and it takes a lot to throw her off, but this...this is something else. She's on the edge of some sort of battle, and she's not sure which side is winning. It's hard not to just stand and stare, but she really has to find out what has happened and so she turns to enter the nearest tent. It's full of wounded people, and she's seconds away from rushing back out again when she sees a familiar face.

"Balthazar." The word isn't as accusatory as one would think, given that she's just appeared at the edge of what seems to be an angelic battle, right next to this particular angel. She's at a loss as to what would motivate him to do it though, so she'd rather not go in all guns blazing just yet. She still needs to get home after all, and for that she's probably going to need some help.

"What's going on here? One minute I was in the Impala, and now I'm...here?"

He looks somewhat odd, the vessel he wears the same as she's ever seen it, but the clothing he's in resembles an old-fashioned military uniform. He looks over his shoulder, hands pressed over a cut that seems to be bleeding light. The person he's healing is unfamiliar, at least.

"That would be me; charmed to meet you, but you shouldn't be here," he frowns. "If the line breaks, you'll get eaten alive. Actually, scratch that; if the line breaks you'll probably just burn to dust. Who are you, by the way?"

"Wait...you were in an antelope? I'm sorry, you've lost m--" The angel he's tending breathes a sudden harsh gasp, like a magnified death-rattle, and he turns back, wings flaring in a swirl of smoke and shadow as if to shield her eyes from the blaze as the Grace discharges and dissipates into nothing.

[ooc: Happy to work with any video game characters or anyone interested!]

Edited 2012-11-11 00:12 (UTC)

[ooc: Would a variation on 8-Lost be okay, where Felix has time-traveled into the future and his absence caused the game to be unplugged and nobody's seen him in years? If it is, I can totally start it, just wanted to run the idea by you first.]

(ooc: Small change to make maybe - maybe he was over at HD when it was pulled, trapping him there? HD is the future to these guys. HD makes it back to the arcade, Felix comes back, been there (at another arcade?).. but then how do they all end up back together somehow? Everyone there inside Game Central?)

[ooc: Oooh, I like that idea, that could be awesome! Hmmm, maybe HD was bought by somebody else and Litwak bought it back years later or something? Only the HD characters and Felix would have been affected by being transferred elsewhere, so everybody else at the arcade would still have the other games and Game Central Station to live at. Felix could go back to the Station once HD is plugged in again, and run into Ralph there, maybe?]

(ooc: Yesyes! Perfect! Shall break poor Felix's heart. Though I do have in mind Felix well, he might look a little different after all that time in HD...)

(ooc: Hooray! Yeah, poor Felix, I'm sure Hero's Duty wasn't kind to him... (Heh, I play a Hero's Duty AU Ralph sometimes!)

Also! I must apologize for the lack in variety in Ralph's icons, I'm waiting until the DVD comes out to make regular Ralph icons.)

[Ralph couldn't remember how long it had been since Fix-It Felix Jr. had been unplugged. Nobody had expected Hero's Duty to be disconnected without warning, and the hero of Ralph's game had gone down with the rest of the Space Marines on one of his many visits.

The loss of Felix had been a devastating shock to Ralph, the Nicelanders, and the homeless game characters they had given new homes too.

The Nicelanders had been easy enough to find new games for, the other characters less so, and placing Ralph elsewhere was near impossible.

Wreck-It Ralph was simply too recognizable and too big to fit in with any of the other games. Most of them didn't cater to his strengths and he had just been out of place at every single one he had tried.

Vanellope had given him a home in her game and that had been nice enough. For a while. However, without a job, Ralph was restless and even easier to anger than usual.

He still went back to Sugar Rush now and then, but he spent most of his time in Game Central Station, hoping for the one day that a game he could put his wrecking skills to good use would be plugged in.

For now, Ralph was sitting with his back to the wall, watching the other characters go by. He hadn't changed much since his game had been unplugged, but he did look scruffier and maybe not as healthy.

Being homeless had taken its toll on the giant Bad Guy.]

[The last person to expect the sudden unplug was Felix. No one had been expecting it, for movers to come in just before the arcade was about to open, when Felix was getting ready to go back home after a night with his best gal, and just unplug Hero's Duty like that.

It had been a terrifying run for the game's exit, Tamora's voice ringing in his ears to 'hop your backside off!', but he hadn't made it. The world had dissolved around him just before he reached the exit, and everything had gone dark.

That... was several years ago. They had been plugged in not at an arcade but at a private collector's home with a very small group of other machines, all hugely modern and nothing like his retro home. It meant he had to change, to learn the games so he could live when he had no where safe to go other than their Game Central.

Game Central started to buzz loudly around Ralph as they realized that another game was being plugged in, and even more loudly when they realized it was Hero's Duty!]

[At first, Ralph hadn't realized what had been going on, at times, the crowds got pretty large in the Station. But once he realized that a new game was being plugged in, he got to his feet and started trudging over to their outlet.

He had lost most of his hope for a game that he could belong in once more, but he couldn't resist giving each and every one of the new games a look.

When Ralph saw that the game was Hero's Duty, his first thought was not to his harrowing time in there when he went to get a medal, instead it was of his friend and co-worker Felix, who had long ago vanished with the original Hero's Duty.

This particular game appearing was a double disappointment, there was no way he could handle fighting Cy-Bugs day in and day out and it was a constant reminder of his lost friend.

With a heavy sigh, Ralph turned around and slowly started making his way back to the corner of the Station he now called home. There was no point in watching the familiar faces of Calhoun and Space Marines arriving, they wouldn't recognize him or anyone else in the arcade, their lack of memories would be too painful for him to deal with right now.]

[What Ralph could never have guessed was this was the very same machine. The collector had gotten bored and decided to switch it out for another, newer game and had offered it back to Litwik's at a discount. So back Hero's Duty came, and back came--

Felix all but stumbled out of the exit portal, but he looked so different people didn't even recognize him as the Marines came out with him, glad to be back. Felix looked around slowly in awe.]

I'm.. I'm home. [No longer was he merely in overalls and his trusty hat, but instead he was in proper clothing to match the game he had been in for so many years - had to or threatened to be called a glitch. All black edged in green, complete with a helmet to protect against Cy-Bugs. Along side of his hammer sat a pistol made for his size.

But when he looked around, scanning each game portal, he saw no familiar name above. Fix-It Felix Jr... was gone.]

[When he heard the Space Marines enter, Ralph turned back around. It was hard not too, they made quite a racket with all that armor they were wearing.

He caught a glimpse of a much smaller Space Marine in the crowd, but lost him as the group dispersed through the Station. Almost all the Space Marines were the same height, was one so much shorter than the others?

Ralph shook his head, it didn't matter and it wasn't any of his business. Something was bothering him, though. Something was familiar about that tiny Space Marine and he couldn't quite place it.

He had nothing better to do, so it didn't matter if he stood there people-watching. But seeing the Space Marines hurt, why couldn't they be the ones he knew? The old Hero's Duty was long gone, there wasn't any hope that it'd be back.]

[They... had been unplugged. Terrible images passed through Felix's mind at seeing the Out of Order on the player's screen again, the moment of unplugging like he could remember as it just happened all over again to him. Yet he was still here, still somehow remaining in Hero's Duty code. His own code had changed over time, but... it was his fault.

Guilt, unfortunately, was strongly programmed into any Good Guy. Felix's eyes closed as his fingers wrapped around the hammer at his side, turning to go back to Hero's Duty. He couldn't stand to be here. He had been so excited...!] I can't fix this.

[Just as Ralph had been ready to leave, he caught sight of the little Space Marine again, this time appearing to be ready to go back into his game.

They had just arrived here, why was this one going back in so soon?

Something about him was familiar, the way he walked and his stance tugged at the edge of Ralph's memories.

He had to talk to him and satisfy his curiosity for once and for all. Sighing to himself, Ralph started walking towards the entrance of Hero's Duty, hoping to catch the Space Marine before he got back on the train.]

[Ralph was in luck because since the train had just dropped them all off, it had some time before it made a return trip. Felix, the tiniest of the Space Marines, stood there waiting to return back. Tamora had understood his rush to go back once they saw the portal reopen, but she had wanted to do one last perimeter check before she left as well. Always so careful, she was.

One finger tapped slowly on the golden hammer that gave him away, other than his size being so drastically different, as he stood before the platform waiting.]

[Once Ralph got within about ten feet of the small Space Marine, he stopped and scratched the back of his head. How was he going to start this conversation off? To begin with, he didn't want to spook the Space Marine, he knew his size and Bad Guy status often scared the littlest characters, especially the new ones who weren't familiar with him. Secondly, how do you mention to someone who had just arrived that they were somehow reminded you of someone?

Both of his problems were solved when he happened to glance at the piece of equipment the Space Marine was tapping on. That was no gun!

Ralph yelled out in shock and surprise, there was only one person he knew with a hammer like that.]

Felix!?

[After his initial outburst, he rushed over most of the remaining distance to stand close to the Space Marine. He wasn't sure if it really was Felix, or even if it was the Felix that he knew from his original game.

Could Ralph dare to hope that his old friend was back?]

Felix! Is it really you?

[The shout made him jump about a solid ten feet off the ground in surprise, turning to land and look up immediately. There were, however, two very different things even Ralph would notice - one was that the hammer stayed at Felix's side and the second was that Felix pulled a gun on him. It was a pistol, just like the other Space Marines carried, in miniature size.

However behind the orange, Felix's eyes went wide as he saw--]

Ralph!? [The pistol lowered and he stared up at his friend, daring, hoping to believe it was him after all of these years...!]

But... but our game is unplugged... is it really you??

[Ralph froze and put his hands up when Felix pointed a gun at him. He should have been expecting that response, considering how twitchy some of the Space Marines were.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the gun was facing elsewhere. He'd still have to be cautious though, even if it was Felix, obviously he had changed over the long years.

He nods, a small smile forming.]

Yeah! It's me! Wreck-It Ralph!

[He grows a little more somber, but his excitement doesn't completely dim.]

Everybody left before it got unplugged, even Q*bert and the others. We all managed to find new homes, so everyone's safe and sound.

[That was mostly true, on everyone else's part, anyways. Ralph did find a new home, but it wasn't in a game, most of the time. Felix didn't need to know that just yet, he knew that it would bother his old friend.]

[The gun was holstered again before Felix sprung, all but latching onto Ralph's chest in his excited hug.]

I never thought I'd see any of you again! I didn't mean to leave! I was just coming home when suddenly Hero's Duty was unplugged and when we all repixelized we were somewhere completely different! I... I...

[Tears began already. Sad and happy tears.] I missed you all!

[Ralph hugs Felix back gently, taking care to not crush him. He was so thankful that his friend was back and in one piece. He had thought he'd never see the handyman again.]

I know... It was a shock when we found that Hero's Duty had been unplugged, none of the players had said anything about it leaving.

[He smiles slightly.]

I missed you too, Felix. It's been a long time.

[Felix hopped back, looking up, way up, at the guy who had once been just the villain in his game but had become his friend. The best man at his wedding and everything! It had been so long...] [W-Wait. Ralph doesn't look so good. Has he lost weight? Bags under his eyes? Their game had been unplugged...] No one knew it was leaving. We ended up in someone's home, not another arcade! [Felix pulled his helmet off, shaking his head so his hair fell back into perfect pixel alignment, before looking back up.] Is... is Tapper's still here? [A small smile, less of a proper question and more of a 'let's get a drink?']

[They had always been friendly towards each other, for quite a while, Felix was the only Nicelander who had treated Ralph with any kind of decency. After his adventure, Ralph had become closer to all the others in his game, especially Felix. Losing his best friend had been the hardest thing to deal with when Hero's Duty had been unplugged.

Everyone had thought that when your game was unplugged, you died. They had held a memorial for Felix, Calhoun, and all of the Space Marines in the middle of Game Central Station. Ralph had managed to say a few words in honor of his friend, but it had been tough for him to get out everything he had to say. He had wanted to do a good job for Felix, but the loss of his closest friend had hurt so much.

Felix was well loved, even by characters not in his game. He always helped when he could and always had a kind word for everyone, so there had been a large crowd.

Nobody had blamed Felix for vanishing and in the process, taking his game out with him, Hero's Duty had been unplugged without any warning. Felix had done nothing wrong.

Ever since then, everyone had become more cautious when visiting games, if one of the newest and most popular games had been suddenly pulled, it could happen to any game in the arcade. People made well sure they were in their games quite a while before the arcade opened and some characters refused to visit anywhere but Game Central Station. It had been a harsh lesson and the loss of such a Good Guy had made it hit home even harder

Ralph hadn't adjusted well to the loss of his game, living in Game Central Station hadn't been his best idea. Even though the other characters had helped him out when they could, not having his own place to live and no job where he could wreck things had taken its toll on him. He was hoping that Felix wouldn't notice this, at least for a little while.

At the news of where Hero's Duty had been taken, Ralph looked shocked.]

Somebody took it to their home?! Who plays video games in their house?

[Felix hadn't changed much, appearance-wise and now that they had been talking for a bit, he seemed back to his old self. Ralph was glad for that, hopefully being stuck in Hero's Duty hadn't been too horrible for him. It was a good thing that he had at least been with Calhoun all this time, it would have been awful if the the two of them had been separated.

At the mention of Tapper's, Ralph grins.]

Yeah! Come on, let's go!

I know! I didn't know players did that! There was a whole console that wasn't a game by itself, but they have to be plugged and unplugged over and over! [Felix starts explaining as they walk. No, appearance wise he hasn't changed (though some would immediately disagree as he's in a Space Marine's armor on a smaller scale) but little things are evident - like not only being willing to draw a gun but almost like instinct. The changes are smaller, less immediately obvious.]

Only they aren't unplugged like our machines but live on what they call a disc or a cartridge. They're used to it, but it still gives me the hee-bee gee-bees!

[Felix had known what would happen to his game, and it had laid inside of him as a guilt for all those years. Now to know it was definitely true... that hurt deep. But, but...! He couldn't be sad, not when Ralph is smiling!]

[For now, Ralph can pretend that things are back to normal, or at least better than they had been for years.

They had both changed during Felix's absence, but Ralph was feeling more like his old self now that his friend had miraculously returned. He hoped the same was true for Felix, though based on what he had seen of the other Space Marines and Calhoun, not to mention his own harrowing experience in Hero's Duty, he knew that the game couldn't have been easy on his old friend.

Ralph makes a face at Felix's description of the console characters' lives. He had never heard of such a thing, if it wasn't Felix telling him this, he would think it was some kind of joke or prank.]

How can they live like that?! Were there a lot of them? It just doesn't make any sense...

[Ralph hadn't had much occasion to smile during the long years after Felix vanished. He hadn't been this happy in ages, for once, he had regained a shred of hope. If Felix was back, things could only improve from there.

Maybe he could even pick up some sort of non-combat job in Hero's Duty. Though, if Felix could adapt to their way of life, then he could too. And he'd have Calhoun and Felix watching his back the whole time.

Either way, things were finally looking up for Ralph. Felix might not be able to fix their old game, but his appearance had fixed Ralph's mood. Even if he stayed homeless, he now had his best friend to hang out with after hours.

And maybe now that the whole crew was back in the arcade, they'd get lucky and their old game would be plugged back in. It was a long shot, but so had been the return of the original Hero's Duty.]

I honestly have no idea how they live like that. It seems completely normal to them! I lived through unplugging twice with no Game Central to run to.. I'd rather it never happen again.

[There. That normally happy, springy voice changed into something darker, sadder, something very much not the Felix Ralph knew. Then it's gone, just like that.]

There were dozens and dozens of them! They would come out after the Collector was done for the night... day... the player spent a lot of time playing and weird hours of the day and spend time at what was similar to Game Central, just... smaller. A lot smaller. Pardon my language but it was just plain old strange!

[Whoa, Ralph definitely noticed Felix's shift in tone. It went away quickly, though, but it's going to stick in the back of Ralph's mind. As bad as it was for him stuck homeless and jobless, at least he hadn't been trapped in a warzone like Felix had.

He gently put a giant hand on Felix's shoulder.]

Don't worry, you won't have to go through that again. I promise.

[Everyone was more careful now and if he had to, Ralph would attempt to use his massive strength to keep the plug in place just long enough for Felix to escape.

That was enough on that topic, he was curious about the house Felix had been stuck at.]

So the player just played whenever? Could you tell when the off hours were?

I don't know if I could deal with that, I like having a set schedule...

I miss having a schedule! [Felix looked up at Ralph, giving him a smile despite his words.]

You never quite knew when the off hours were. We had scouts posted constantly - the regular machines like ours, that stayed on all the time - so we wouldn't be caught off guard and a whole alert system that was passed through the cable trains. People didn't stay long in Game Central because of it.

[Felix hopped forward and up into the train for Tappers. He was looking forward to a proper rootbeer!]

[Ralph returns his smile.] Starting today, you've got one again.

[He shakes his head.] With hours like that, you'd never get to get out much or talk to any of the others often... I don't know how you were able to stand it, Felix.

[Ralph clambered into the train and sat down next to Felix. It had been so many years since they had traveled together like this.

After Ralph's adventure, they had always rode the train out of Fix-It Felix Jr. to the Station. They rarely went to the same games together, but the ride in and out of their game was much nicer with a friend to chat with to pass the time.]

I try not to think about it. [Felix's tone suggests he tries not to a lot.] You really need to meet the other marines. They're a really good group of people! Gosh, they're the only reason it was okay!

[Felix had almost always gone to see Calhoun first, sometimes spending the night with her in the barracks or they returned home all together to the Niceland Apartments. He could still remember it well, how the Nicelanders had been shocked and curious about Calhoun, then... more shocked by far when she acted very much herself around them.]

I met some pretty incredible sprites while I was out there. You know the blue guy who always toted about game safety on the screens in Game Central? I met him!

[Ralph catches Felix's tone and he's going to try to avoid the subject as much as he can. He nods in response.] I didn't see them in action much, but they seemed like a pretty solid group. Glad you got along with them.

[Calhoun and Ralph got along fair, things had been shaky since it was his fault that a Cy-Bug had gotten loose. But, he had taken care of the problem and after that things were okay between them, especially since him and Felix were close friends.

Ralph remembered those screens pretty well, the video played fairly often and he had seen it more times than he could count.]

Oh, hey, yeah! What's he like?

He's very nice, even if a bit arrogant, if you pardon. And boy howdy can he run fast! He was just a blue blur shooting by when he got to full speed! He had a very nice friend as well, a fox with two tails. [Felix gives a warm smile at that, remembering it well.]

He lives on a disc, but he said he used to live on a cartridge.

[Ralph chuckles lightly.] Sounds like they were an interesting couple of characters!

[He sounds more confused when he tries to puzzle the next part out, counting on his fingers each time he lists a new place the hedgehog worked at.] So, he was on a cartridge, now he's on a disc, and he had something to do with the arcade, since he did those announcements? Seems like he's a pretty busy guy! No wonder he runs fast. He's gotta keep up with all his work!

He's been around a long time, maybe even as long as us! [Not nearly as long, but who's counting?] He was telling me about all the games he's been through - whew! I could barely keep up!

[That definitely sounds more like the Felix Ralph knows!]

[Ralph's surprised by this.] Whoa, really? And he's been in that many games? Man, the players must really love him!

[He's glad that Felix seems to be back to his old self, at least for now. And the root beer would probably help, too.

But, at the end of the night, Felix was probably going to go back into Hero's Duty, that was his home now.

There was always tomorrow night to spend more time catching up.]

I guess so! I haven't met anyone else who's been in so many games before. [Felix looked past Ralph just as they came up to Tappers, smiling at the entrance to the bar.]

Golly, have I been looking forward to this! [He springs out of the train and looks back at Ralph, smiling. Yet.. he can see it again, that Ralph is out of sorts. He doesn't look as healthy as he once had. But.. Ralph said he was in a new game. Where? With who?]

[Felix would find out!]

Me neither! Most everybody here's only been in a game or two! [Including Ralph and Felix. Ralph didn't mind too much, but if there had been a sequel to Fix-It Felix Jr. of sorts, then maybe everyone could have gone there instead. Unless it also needed Felix to work.

Ralph smiles again, he was glad to see his old friend excited about visiting a favorite place to hang out. Had there been anywhere similar back at that player's house? He wasn't going to ask.

He clambers out of the train after Felix and waves a hand towards the entrance.] After you!

[It had been so long since Felix had been there, it was only fair that he walked in first.]

Gosh... [Felix steps inside, his expression almost in awe. All the places he never thought he'd see again...!

People look over as the door opens, and despite his armor, with the helmet off it's very obvious who it is. There immediately starts up a loud whispering before Felix looks to the bartender and smiles bright.]

Drinks all around!

[Ralph follows Felix in. There's more people in here than he thought there'd be, and none of them had been expecting Felix to walk through the door.

If anybody tries to pester Felix too much, Ralph'll shoo them off. His old friend just needs some time to relax right now.

At Felix's proclamation, he grins.] Thanks, buddy!

[There's a cheer and people all say hello bright and warm, but they look with confusion to his armor and the gun. There are whispers to explain, or spread rumors... sprites are notorious gossips.

Felix hops up onto a stool and smiles up to his friend despite his concern.] So tell me everything that's happened since I left!

[If Ralph overhears the rumors, especially outside of Tapper, he'll squash them immediately. Felix doesn't need any trouble.

Uh oh, here it comes. Ralph hasn't really done much in Felix's absence.]

Uh, well, I haven't heard much from the others in their new homes, but I think they're doing well. As for me, it's just the same-old, same-old.

[It was kind of a non-answer, but as truthful as he could get without coming right out and saying that he waited in Game Central Station day-in and day-out for a new game he could work in.

After his game had been unplugged, Ralph's life had been pretty uneventful, so there wasn't really anything to report to Felix.]

[Two mugs are placed in front of them filled with ~~root~~beer. Felix pulls his close and takes a drink of the amber liquid inside like his life depended on it. After so long without the food and drink he's familiar with? It's a little piece of heaven.

He's gone years without a piece of pie here people!]

Oh... Oh~ that is so good! [Felix hiccups, eyes bright.]

Have you been living with Vanellope in Sugar Rush?

[Ralph smiles at Felix's reaction to his first decent drink in years, he's glad that his friend's enjoying himself. Goodness knows he deserved it after being stuck in Hero's Duty all that time.

And here comes the million-coin question. Ralph grows uneasy and answers a little too quickly.]

Yeah, yeah, she's doing fine too.

[That wasn't a complete lie, he had lived there for a while and went back every now and then when the loneliness and misery got unbearable.

He felt a little better when he was in Sugar Rush, he had a real place to live, all the food he could eat, and a friend to spend time with. But it wasn't home and there weren't any jobs there for him, so Ralph couldn't stand to stay for long, usually just a night or two.

Vanellope probably worried about him, she always tried to convince him to stick around longer and would do her best to find ways he could help out. But in the end, a brightly-colored candy kingdom was no place for a giant wrecker.]

[Let's face it - Felix can be a bit thick sometimes. But he can hear the change in Ralph's voice, see his eyes slide away, and it makes him concerned.]

Ralph is.. something wrong? [He gives an encouraging smile through the worry.] You can tell me!

[It's his fault that Ralph, the Nicelanders, and the others were out of a job, after all. He has to find a way to fix this! Starting with Ralph.]

[Ralph gives Felix an insincere smile.]

No, no, everything's fine, really.

[With that, he's going to be suddenly preoccupied with his drink, guzzling it down in one gulp. While he's drinking, he might glance over at Felix, just for a second, to judge his reaction. He wanted to delay telling his friend what was really going on in his life as long as possible.

He knows that Felix is worried, but there's nothing his old friend can do, unless his magic hammer can make a whole new Fix-It Felix Jr. game.

As for the Nicelanders, they're doing fine in their new games. There's plenty of spaces for tiny spectators to watch the various events that took place in the arcade machines. Even the homeless characters they had adopted could watch, hidden among the crowds. The players rarely paid attention to the backgrounds of the games that closely anyway.]

[Felix is looking up at Ralph when the other sprite looks over, concern in his eyes. That was spoken a little too quickly... something isn't right.]

...Ralph... if something's wrong, you'd tell me, right?

[It's about as much as Felix will do to call Ralph out, but he's definitely worried now about his old friend. He learned something those two days when Ralph game-jumped - he's going to make sure his friends are happy!]

[Ralph caught Felix's concern and knows that Felix is going to worry about him. Ralph doesn't want him to fret, especially right now.

Felix needs to concentrate on getting back into the swing of things and a normal life first. Once he's settled in and adjusted, then Ralph'll tell him what's been going on. There's no sense in giving Felix even more to deal with, getting used to being back at the arcade and the fact that his old game is gone will give him far too much on his plate.

The things have been the same for Ralph for years now, a few more days, weeks, months won't hurt. He might even try to stay in Sugar Rush more, to keep up the appearance of everything being fine.

Ralph gives Felix a weak and half-hearted smile and his tone has a small hint of sadness when he speaks. Lying's not exactly his strong suit, he doesn't always think about or know all the information that backs up or debunks what he's saying.]

Of course I would, there's nothing that you need to worry about right now.

[It wasn't quite a lie, but it wasn't the truth, either. Ralph didn't want his friend to be occupied with one of the few things that he couldn't fix.]

Edited 2012-11-15 17:50 (UTC)

[Felix's eyes still hold worry. He's a Good Guy and he worries because he cares so much about his friends. It doesn't matter he's been gone for years, it doesn't matter that they're gameless in a technical sense. It matters that something is up but he just isn't sure what. He'll find out eventually because he wants to make it right. That's what Good Guys do, fix the wrongs in the world, specially this Guy.

He takes another drink and gestures for the bartender to bring Ralph another one.]

How is Vanellope doing as ... what did she deem herself? President, right?

[When the time is right, he'll get Ralph to open up.]

[Ralph knows that Felix will worry about the matter until it's solved, but he thinks that that worry will be less than when Felix finds out what's really going on with Ralph.

But there's a much more pleasant topic and Ralph absolutely beams when he replies. He thinks of Vanellope as a younger sister and he can't hide the pride in his voice.]

That's right, she's a great President! Everybody's been happier than ever and there's not been many problems at all! And if something does go wrong, she finds the best solution for everyone.

Even a couple of the other Nicelanders decided to pick up Sugar Rush as their new game. It's so big and they can watch the races or stay out of the way if they want to. It's pretty great, really.

Good! I know she was doing well when I... [Left isn't the right word, but he can't think of something nicer than that that isn't 'was suddenly forced to disconnect into darkness'] left, but that was a while ago.

I want to see the Nicelanders if... [A little shift, frowning.] Even if they blame me for what happened. I know it's not my fault but because of both of us they almost lost their home one time then... then for good.

[The likelihood of them ever finding their home again is almost non-existent so they have to figure out a future all together or... alone.]

[Ralph nods, still smiling.] Yeah, she's been able to keep everything going smoothly.

[He grows more serious and gently places a giant hand on Felix's shoulder.] Nobody blames you, Felix, I promise.

[Everybody knew that it wasn't Felix's fault that Hero's Duty had suddenly gotten unplugged. The removal of the game had been sudden and traumatic for all the characters in the arcade. Besides, the Nicelanders had liked Felix too much to even think about holding a grudge. They'd probably be more glad than anything to see him back, especially since they thought he had died.

Ralph nods slightly, looking thoughtful.] Let's see, I know there's a couple in Sugar Rush, and I think there's a few in Street Fighter that like watching the fights, but I'm not sure on everyone else...

[He snaps his fingers when a sudden thought comes to him.] Hey! Tapper might know, some of the people from the other games must have seen them.

time travel meme

sherlock holmes | wb movies | 1891

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Good lord, i've been waiting to see someone post movie!holmes. How does long lost lovers sound?

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Poland | Hetalia | 1610 | OTA

Hope Estheim (24!yo) || Final Fantasy XIII-2 || 10 AF

Amy Pond || Doctor Who || OTA

Lost... 1941 NYC?

Sure! Give me all the feels why dontcha?! *Sobs* Also heading out for a bit.

haha, I know! You'll be the first Amy I've tagged. And no worries, I'm at work. Shhh!

O'rly? I'm so sorry. :P Kidding and oooh I'm telling!

Noes! I'm working hard, I swear!

TOO LATE! YOU GONNA GET IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!

*cries in corner*

*Stares at* Meh.

Rude! (and lol, your icon is appropriate for that)

It killed me to write Williams. IT FEELS WRONG.

It does seem weird

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FUCK YOU FOR THESE FEELS. D: also you should go on aim. mmyep

;_; sowwie! And sorry again, I went to bed after that tag.But I'll be around tonight some after work

Finland | Hetalia | 1940 | OTA

How about a little 3?

Sounds appropriate. Germany landing in Fin's?

Sure~

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9

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Sure! Give me all the feels why dontcha?! Sobs Also heading out for a bit.

cries in corner

Stares at Meh.