neuf + action/audio

[tearmeanewone]

[Action - Backdated to the 18th]

[It had been an emotionally charged week for Elizabeth, but in the end she was grateful for it. She had the opportunity to see old friends, be honest with Booker and Rosalind and Robert, and see Gai one last time. It was strange, she felt almost at peace about returning and continuing on the path she knew she had to walk. When her younger self was returned, she would be happy in Elizabeth's stead, and safe from the unraveling that was about to occur.]

[After writing a few notes, Elizabeth methodically removes her more modern-looking clothes and changes into one of the many outfits hanging in her closet. Heavy winter jacket for the chill, gloves, scarf, boots... And she removes her makeup and brushes the curl out of her hair. For all intents and purposes, aside from a distinctly cold cast to her gaze, she looks like she always did in Luceti.]

[She contemplates saying goodbye in person, but there isn't time. She didn't want a scene, and if the effects of the experiment were reversed when she was in the middle of crying on Booker's shoulder, things would be hard to explain. So she leaves the house quietly and walks into the forest. She walks a good distance in, then sits down to wait. Her eyes drift shut and she appears to fall asleep against a tree trunk...]



[A few hours later, Elizabeth comes stumbling out of the forest, half-frozen and looking confused and scared. The last thing she remembers is being kidnapped by droids, and now she's freezing to death in a forest and she can't remember anything between now and then. She hurries through the village, repeatedly blowing into her hands to try and warm them as she heads home. Everyone must have been worried sick about her.]



[Audio]

I looked back at my journal, and I realized that my fight with the droids was recorded. I'm sorry, that must have been a real shock for some of you.

But I'm back now--I don't remember what happened, but I think I have all of my limbs attached where they're supposed to go and as far as I can tell there's nothing strange about my behavior (though let me know if there is something I'm not seeing, of course...).

I don't know, do people sometimes come back from being kidnapped without anything strange having happened to them?

Comments

action:

[ablankpage]

[Robert is waiting. Both of them are, really. With warm tea and less than certain understanding of what will happen. Will the young Elizabeth remember her older self? Will she know the things that came to pass? It's easy to sit in silence with Rosalind, and he does it.

When Robert hears the front door, though, he pulls himself to his feet, looks out into the hall... and sees her. The young woman, coated in snow and freezing.

It is, perhaps, the most paternal thing he's ever done. He goes down the hall, straight to her, and wraps his arms around her, mindless of the chill or dampness of her clothes. It's a tight hug, and his voice is low as he mutters just one phrase:]

Welcome back.

action:

[tearmeanewone]

[As Elizabeth walks in the door, she shuts it after her and does a full body shudder as she tries to get some warmth back in her skin. She's trying to figure out what to do about her slowly dampening clothes when Robert comes down the hall and engulfs her.]

[It's a little startling, but Elizabeth falls into it easily and wraps her arms around his back too.]

I'm sorry, I tried to fight them off.

action:

[quantumgrammar]

[Rosalind's close behind, a businesslike rapid click-click of shoes against hardwood for a handful of strides, delayed only by the business of taking up one of the roomy, plush towels they'd had waiting in front of the fire. She is curious as well, but there are priorities, and the girl not coming down with pneumonia is certainly one of them.]

Nonsense. [She's behind Elizabeth in a moment, shaking out the warm fabric and tucking it over her head, ruching the water and ice out of her hair.] To say the deck was stacked against you would incorrectly imply you were even dealt a hand.

action:

[ablankpage]

No need to apologize.

[It's still strange to know that another version of this girl becomes the Elizabeth who traveled the Infinite with Rosalind and him, who tried everything she could think of to destroy Comstock before she finally understood what she had to do.

It woudln't be this girl. He'd made that promise.

Instead, he hugs her a bit tighter and kisses the top on her head.]

You probably want to get changed into something dry. [Something warmer.]

action:

[tearmeanewone]

Yeah, I suppose you both would know. [Elizabeth smiles gratefully as Rosalind drops the towel over her head. The gesture keeps Elizabeth from making a pointed comment about how effective the siphon had been and where the Malnosso could have possibly procured that technology, because there was something very soothing about Rosalind taking care of her hair.]

[Robert kissing the top of her head, though, is a little unexpected. Elizabeth has a feeling more happened while she was gone, but for the most part she's putting Robert and Rosalind's reactions down as a result of her being gone for nearly two weeks. She probably should change into something dry, but the edge of wondering what happened to her in the time she was gone is being dulled by Robert holding her and Rosalind preventing her from getting too much of a chill.]

In a minute. [She swallows.] I don't remember what happened to me. Whatever they did. Everything seems normal, but I feel strangely sad. And tired. Maybe you two could make certain I'm alright...? [Even though the two of them were physicists, she still trusted their scientific opinion on whether something strange was happening to her. She didn't trust herself when the Malnosso and their experiments were involved.]