one ♓ video;

[cullscuttlefish]

[GUESS WHO'S BACK. BACK AGAIN. And is on the network to say hello. If you guessed a fish troll, you would be correct.]

...huh. Didn't think I'd ever sea this plaice again. It feels like everything and nothing have changed at the same time. New room, new people, same glubbing oatmeal.

[She laughs.]

How long has it been, anemoneway? Last thing I remember was getting a box of tentacles in my mailbox and a bunch of weird shadow kids following people around.

Right, right. I'm Feferi Peixes.

[She waves at the camera.]

I was here for - glubbing shell, I don't remember. You start to get somefin like aquadementia - ocean madness - after spending too much time on a dead world. Things get fuzzy.

I'm guessing, though, based on this timer and what people are saying, that we don't have a whole lot of time left. Figures that I'd be coming back at the end. It seems to be a thing!

[She doesn't look upset; more amused than anything.]

So. What did I miss? I want to hear everyfin.

Comments

[video]

[longwinded]

You too?

[Yeah, okay. At least he didn't turn out to be the only one reappearing in this damn place. Same room, same oatmeal, same everything. It's like having a pleasant dream and reawakening in your worst nightmare.

But John doesn't have anything to offer towards what she missed.]

Maybe there was a reason we were brought back.

[video]

[cullscuttlefish]

...you, too, John?

Glubbing hell. This can't be a coincidence. It's too fishy.

Damned if I know why, though.

[video]

[longwinded]

I can probably say that it isn't just me and you, I could call it a coincidence otherwise.

[This is probably a sign of much bigger things.]

I feel like I'm missing a huge chunk, though. I can remember a lot of stuff going down and then nothing.

permavideo;

[cullscuttlefish]

You, me, Gamzee...I don't know who else. I still haven't figured out exactly how much time I've missed, either.

What's the last thing you remember, just out of curiosity?

[Video.]

[hystericull]

[After having a bit of a rough start this morning, Gamzee has found himself glued to the network terminal - anything to get out of that disaster of a bedroom. Much to his surprise, he's greeted with Feferi's message. If there was one thing his trip to dead-land did for him, it was clear his head. He didn't feel nearly as weighed-down as he did before he left this place, though he was anything but thrilled to be back.]

[For now, he was a shaky sort of functional. It was more than he could say for himself before. He switched on the video, not even knowing what he'd come here looking like. He could have had a caved-in face and not known it. Luckily, according to the small window showing his own feed, he looked relatively normal. The little window also told him that he was apparently baring his crooked teeth in a toothy sort of grin.]

A brother can motherfuckin' all be getting about to telling you on somethin' what you all wasn't fuckin' to be missing at.

[His hair stood up awkwardly from his time spent plastered to his pillow. It was good to see Feferi, at least. He wasn't sure how good it was for her to see this mess.]

permavideo;

[cullscuttlefish]

[Something's different about Gamzee, Feferi can tell that much even over the video. She can't help but grin.]

...you been running after monsters again, Gamzee? Looks like you were on the wrong end of somefin.

[Nag and pick everlasting.]

But yeah, figuring out what the shell I've missed would be good.

[hystericull]

'Fraid a motherfucker can't be being motherfuckin' of any god damned assistance with that one, yo.

[Gamzee shrugged. His tone was as listless as ever, but he was definitely not about to maim something at the drop of a hat. Feferi seemed to be in better spirits than last he remembered, as well.]

Think I got walloped something motherfucking fierce-like, like what's was happened at your fuckin' self, too.

[He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck and back. He felt like he'd been out for sweeps.]

That ain't fuckin' nice, girl. I spent a lot of damn time in front of the gazeglass before comin' my ass up on here to holla at you! Don't gotta get all harsh at a motherfucker all 'cause he ain't can't be helping how his face be carved out.

[He didn't feel like talking about the Tower, but it was probably best they do so. It was such a buzzkill.]

Ain't so much concerned on what all went down rather than what all is up and gonna be happening from here on the motherfuck out. Bitches be sayin' like it ain't all much of the ticktocks we be having left up in here. We gonna be ghosties again like what's we was?

[cullscuttlefish]

[She nods.]

I'll get my fins under me soon enough.

[Fair enough, fair enough.]

Sorry, sorry. Just looks like you had a rough morning, though I probably don't look much betta. It feels like - I don't even glubbing know. Like I've been out entirely too long.

Yeah, I noticed. Can't tell how much time it is in sweeps or anyfin, but it's a shell of a lot less than I remember there being before I got swept out to sea. And nobody's going to be a ghost if I can kelp it.

[Video]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[....Blinkblink.

Wow, you're not someone, or something, she's seen before.]

Uh, hi there. I'm Veronica.

You... you've probably missed a lot.

video;

[cullscuttlefish]

I'm Feferi.

[She raises a hand to touch her horns, with a bit of a smile.]

Don't mind the fins or the horns. I'm a troll, and I live under the sea!

But that's neither here or there. How long ago was the thing with the shadow kids?

video;

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Troll that lives under the sea. [She just nods. There's been stranger things.] Okay, that's cool.

Shadow.... [A frown. She actually has to take time and think.] That was... a really long time ago. I'm not sure.

video;

[cullscuttlefish]

[Feferi just smiles.]

I like it. The sea floors here were always my favorites, when I was here before.

[Her smile fades, then.]

It felt like it had been a whale - while, sorry. I guess a lot really has changed around here, hasn't it?

[warriorscribe]

Feferi...welcome back.

*He tries to ignore the feeling of knowing there will only be pain when all of these people he knows are torn away from him after what little time they have left. Now isn't the time to think about that. They have to focus.*

We've learned a lot, since then. I suspect I'm not the first person to talk to you here, though.

[cullscuttlefish]

Thanks, Enoch.

[Feferi nods.]

Veronica told me about what happened to Jason, and about Zo saying he wasn't pulling anyone else in. I guess it means, for betta or worse, we're here till whatever end comes.

[warriorscribe]

We are...there's so much more. It's a lot to tell, just sitting at a terminal like this. *He tries to give a smile.* Would you like to walk with me instead?

*He doesn't remember having to skirt around mentioning the secret floor so often, but then, he doesn't remember the network having as much use lately either. It should only follow, shouldn't it?*

[cullscuttlefish]

I'd like that. It's a lot less imperchonal than talking over a screen. Which terminal are you using?

[Video]

[no_longer_a_king]

Welcome back, Miss Feferi. I apologize you had to return when time is so short.

permavideo;

[cullscuttlefish]

Thank you. I - I can't say it's exactly good to be back, but it's damn good to be able to talk to people again.

[no_longer_a_king]

I understand. I always found the silence to be the most unsettling part of being on-world.

The best place to go here, if you find you need quiet, but not an unsettling amount, is the library. There's usually enough people there to know something living is still there.

video;

[sageprincess]

Feferi...

[A certain pointy-eared princess stares into the terminal with no small amount of awe, though the corners of her lips do eventually quirk up in something akin to a smile. All these old faces...]

It has been a while.

[She'll explain things shortly, just... give her a moment.]

video;

[cullscuttlefish]

Zelda!

[Feferi's smile is bright and warm.]

I'm glad you're okay - well. As okay as anyone can be. What terminal are you using? I'll run over there right now!

video;

[sageprincess]

[It takes her another moment, still a bit in shock, but her smile grows as she answers:]

The lowest dormitory floor, third terminal from the stairs. I cannot wait to see you in person again.

[keybearer]

Geez, you were gone that long?

[Riku frowns. Sure, he's never been dumped on his dead world, but if it was anything like the world outside the tower, he can't imagine keeping his head on straight. All the carnage-- the corpses, the rot-- would have worn him down in no time flat.]

You're right, though. We're short on time, Jason's dead, and Ruana's even stronger than before. But hey, just another day in the tower, right?

[cullscuttlefish]

It's kind of crazy, but if nothing else, it cleared my head. I needed that.

[Feferi manages a laugh.]

Yep. Ruana's still batshit crazy and we're running low on time, but that's what passes for normal.

[keybearer]

At least you're taking it well. We could use more positivity around here given everything that's happened lately.

[It's pretty telling when even Jason's death met with muted reactions. And to think that back in the day, people joked about punching his face.]