[ He switches to video now, hoping she doesn't mind, he kind of just wants to see that she really is okay. If she's willing to be on video, too, that is. ]
Yours were good enough that I can let it slide without the chocolate chips. [ He smirks a little. ] Was it weird going back into stasis and waking up again? Did anything change?
[ The switch surprises her; her hair is down, curly, there are dark circles under red-rimmed eyes, and she looks to be sure with the voice in the room her parents stay asleep. When she speaks, her voice is low and she turns the volume down a little on her device.
If she switches back abruptly he'll know something is wrong, more than he might already. ]
[ He can just barely make out a few figures in the background, and it looks like they're sleeping. With her voice so low as well, he realizes he's intruding, and he's quick to apologize. ]
Sorry, Brianna, I didn't realize - are you with your parents? We can talk later, or...I can meet you somewhere?
[ Hearing that it's "complicated" has him even more worried. ]
It's okay. I'm...staying with my parents right now.
[ Both of which would panic at her being gone while they slept. Maybe if she leaves a note. She thinks about it for a few seconds. She isn't going to sleep again, though the only clothing she has is her clothing from the 18th century.
They'll start with a visual shock, then. ]
I can meet you. Do you know where the cave gardens are?
[ She looks terrible, she was in stasis, and she's staying with her parents. Like, in the same room. Something bad happened, and it makes his stomach knot up a little. He almost feels bad asking if she wants to meet up, because he'd hate to be the reason her parents wake up in a panic from their daughter missing, but on a selfish level, he just...needs to see her. ]
Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I'll meet you there.
[ He gets there fast, wanting to beat her there so she's not waiting alone. He doesn't want her to be alone at all right now. ]
[ It takes her some time, getting dressed in the highland wool clothes, putting her stay into place. She doesn't bother putting her hair up, and she writes her parents a note, tells them specifically where she is and puts it on the pillow beside her mother's head.
She's glad they're sleeping because they need it. She knows they've been staying awake to watch over her.
Making her way to the gardens, she gets there about fifteen minutes after him, but she does get there and she can't deny that seeing a familiar face outside of her mother and father is nice. Getting out of that small room is, too. ]
[ The first thing he can't help noticing is how differently she's dressed. It's almost like she's from another time. But the exhaustion is even more obvious now, seeing her in person, and he steps closer, so much concern in his eyes. ]
Hey. Brianna, what - what happened? Can you talk about it?
[ Does she even want to, is probably the better question. ]
[ She doesn't know if she can talk about it or not. She isn't ready to say it out loud to someone other than her parents. Bree knows she wants to, eventually. Right now, she can't. ]
I um...I don't think I'm ready to.
[ Not specifically, anyway. She'll tell him lesser things. ]
When you go back into stasis, it's like you were never here. You forget about all of this, being in space, Nadril. It's like stepping back into your life and you have no idea the world ended.
[ That's all a little confusing, like how one can go back to their old life and memories if the world doesn't exist anymore, but really, that's not what he cares about right now.
Something happened to her, something really bad, and he won't pry about what it was, he'll let her talk on her own terms when she's ready, but he wants to try and help if he can. ]
So when you went back to your life, something bad happened. [ Again, he doesn't ask, he just reaches out slowly, to rest a hand on her wrist, hoping that's okay. ] I'm sorry you had to go through that. You haven't been sleeping well, have you?
[ She tenses, but the touch is slow enough that at least she knows it's coming and she doesn't pull away. Looking down, she shakes her head. She knows she's sleeping because she wakes up from the nightmares. ]
No. It's um...it's bad dreams.
[ She stays away from 'nightmares' to downplay it, at least a little. ]
[ There are only a few possible things that could have happened to her that she wouldn't want to talk about, and that would make her tense a little from someone touching her. He hopes he's wrong, but if it's what he thinks it is, he's horrified on her behalf, and feels even more protective of her. He also pulls his hand back quickly, now that he knows touch isn't a comfort right now at all. He won't do that to her. ]
I'm no stranger to bad dreams, so I know the look.
I don't have them as much anymore, but I had a trick for how to get through them. I can show you?
Okay. One sec. [ He gets up from the bench, collecting a handful of small stones, holding them in his palm. ] So think about the people you're really, really close to. Like, when you're most afraid, the people you'd think about first. For me, when I was young, it was just my family: my brother, my three sisters, my mom and dad, and me. Seven altogether. So then I'd have a circle of objects, stones or buttons, whatever I had, and I'd point to each one and count out loud real slow. When I was older, I'd just count in my head a lot, but having something to point to kind of helps just...ground you.
So think of your people, take all the stones you need, and count. Sometimes you have to do it a lot, but it can calm you down.
[ Brianna listens to him and looks at the stones, then does a quick mental count before taking one and placing it in her own palm. ]
Mama.
[ She takes another. ]
Daddy.
[ Then another. ]
Da.
[ Another. ]
Fergus.
[ They're close here, even though she hadn't met him yet, in the past. After a moment of contemplation, Bree takes one more stone and places it in her palm. ]
[ Gently: ] You got it. It's perfect. So just hold onto those stones, and keep counting. [ He drops the rest of the stones back to the ground, leaning over a little and resting his arms on his knees. ]
Think you might be able to sleep? I'll walk you back to your room.
[ He's being so nice to her that she might cry. She's been so taken care of by her parents; to know someone else would without even knowing what's wrong is making her chest tight, and she blurts out a truth. ]
I traveled back in time, Luke.
[ He deserves to know that part at least. An answer to a question unasked. ]
I don't know how to explain the way it's done. But I did. My mother has too, and I was trying to find her. I went from the 20th century to the 18th while I was in stasis.
[ She has no idea what it all means, how it's possible, if it was all in her head, if it really even happened. It feels real. God, all of it felt real. But how could it be if the world ended? ]
[ He'd been wondering (based on how she's dressed), but it felt like totally the wrong time to ask. At least she's explained, though the answer sort of spawns more questions in his mind. ]
So you...you went back in time to find your mom because she traveled back in time, too, and you were there - [ and something terrible happened ] - but then you woke up here again.
That's...wow. [ He takes a breath, just processing it. ] How does it work? How did you know it would work, when you went to find her?
[ This is easier to talk about. Something different that has nothing to do with being attacked. ]
I knew because my mother did it on purpose. The third time. It's...I don't know if it's magic or science, Luke. But she fell through time from the 1940s to the 1740s. She came back three years later and then went back twenty years later. To find the love of her life.
[ It doesn't sting so bad to say that now, not now that she's met Jamie and seen them together. It hurt fresh off of Frank's death. Now Brianna can see it's true. ]
I followed her because I read something from a newspaper. That there was going to be an accident. I knew it would work, and that I had to find her, to warn her.
[ This sounds complex and confusing, but he believes her; of course he does. ]
So she went through time, fell in love with someone, went back to the 1940s, and then went back to him twenty years later. Got it. [ He just had to say it out loud to make sure he was following. ] You followed her to keep her and that guy she went back for safe. [ And that's incredible of Brianna. Not knowing how any of that even worked, she took a huge risk, doing something she knew little about just to try and keep her family safe. That tells him everything he needs to know about her. ]
You're a pretty incredible person. [ He smiles just a little. ] So when you said "daddy" and "da" before - that's because of all this timeline stuff?
The man who raised me knew I wasn't his. Because my biological father was in the past. My da is a Scotsman. There was a war and he was afraid for my mother's safety. She was pregnant with me and married to my daddy in the 20th century. So my da sent her back. He thought he would die and they were both giving me my best chance.
[ She's never really talked it out like this before and it's odd to say out loud. ]
It sounds like...a lot. I mean, it must have been a lot to take in when you found out about all this? But not crazy. [ Shit. Who's he to talk about crazy, considering his past? ]
Just so I've got it right in my head: your mom's here. Your...da - the Scottish guy - he's here. Your dad who raised you, he's - is he in stasis?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text;
No, it's okay.
Were you hurt or sick, is that why you went back into stasis?
[ He worries, he can't help it. ]
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I don't think so. But everything was broken, too many people waking up that shouldn't have. Something about the storm, but I don't know for sure.
[ This might be a good distraction. ]
How are you adjusting? Miss my pancakes?
text;
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Maybe soon. I'll work on finding chocolate chips so they can be up to your high standards.
video;
Yours were good enough that I can let it slide without the chocolate chips. [ He smirks a little. ] Was it weird going back into stasis and waking up again? Did anything change?
video;
If she switches back abruptly he'll know something is wrong, more than he might already. ]
It's complicated, Luke.
video;
Sorry, Brianna, I didn't realize - are you with your parents? We can talk later, or...I can meet you somewhere?
[ Hearing that it's "complicated" has him even more worried. ]
video;
[ Both of which would panic at her being gone while they slept. Maybe if she leaves a note. She thinks about it for a few seconds. She isn't going to sleep again, though the only clothing she has is her clothing from the 18th century.
They'll start with a visual shock, then. ]
I can meet you. Do you know where the cave gardens are?
video;
Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I'll meet you there.
[ He gets there fast, wanting to beat her there so she's not waiting alone. He doesn't want her to be alone at all right now. ]
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She's glad they're sleeping because they need it. She knows they've been staying awake to watch over her.
Making her way to the gardens, she gets there about fifteen minutes after him, but she does get there and she can't deny that seeing a familiar face outside of her mother and father is nice. Getting out of that small room is, too. ]
Hi, Luke.
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Hey. Brianna, what - what happened? Can you talk about it?
[ Does she even want to, is probably the better question. ]
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I um...I don't think I'm ready to.
[ Not specifically, anyway. She'll tell him lesser things. ]
When you go back into stasis, it's like you were never here. You forget about all of this, being in space, Nadril. It's like stepping back into your life and you have no idea the world ended.
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Something happened to her, something really bad, and he won't pry about what it was, he'll let her talk on her own terms when she's ready, but he wants to try and help if he can. ]
So when you went back to your life, something bad happened. [ Again, he doesn't ask, he just reaches out slowly, to rest a hand on her wrist, hoping that's okay. ] I'm sorry you had to go through that. You haven't been sleeping well, have you?
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No. It's um...it's bad dreams.
[ She stays away from 'nightmares' to downplay it, at least a little. ]
Do I look that bad?
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I'm no stranger to bad dreams, so I know the look.
I don't have them as much anymore, but I had a trick for how to get through them. I can show you?
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Show me. I'll take anything that might help me sleep right now.
[ Since her mother conveniently has nothing. ]
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So think of your people, take all the stones you need, and count. Sometimes you have to do it a lot, but it can calm you down.
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Mama.
[ She takes another. ]
Daddy.
[ Then another. ]
Da.
[ Another. ]
Fergus.
[ They're close here, even though she hadn't met him yet, in the past. After a moment of contemplation, Bree takes one more stone and places it in her palm. ]
Me. That's five. Is it enough?
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Think you might be able to sleep? I'll walk you back to your room.
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I traveled back in time, Luke.
[ He deserves to know that part at least. An answer to a question unasked. ]
I don't know how to explain the way it's done. But I did. My mother has too, and I was trying to find her. I went from the 20th century to the 18th while I was in stasis.
[ She has no idea what it all means, how it's possible, if it was all in her head, if it really even happened. It feels real. God, all of it felt real. But how could it be if the world ended? ]
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So you...you went back in time to find your mom because she traveled back in time, too, and you were there - [ and something terrible happened ] - but then you woke up here again.
That's...wow. [ He takes a breath, just processing it. ] How does it work? How did you know it would work, when you went to find her?
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I knew because my mother did it on purpose. The third time. It's...I don't know if it's magic or science, Luke. But she fell through time from the 1940s to the 1740s. She came back three years later and then went back twenty years later. To find the love of her life.
[ It doesn't sting so bad to say that now, not now that she's met Jamie and seen them together. It hurt fresh off of Frank's death. Now Brianna can see it's true. ]
I followed her because I read something from a newspaper. That there was going to be an accident. I knew it would work, and that I had to find her, to warn her.
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So she went through time, fell in love with someone, went back to the 1940s, and then went back to him twenty years later. Got it. [ He just had to say it out loud to make sure he was following. ] You followed her to keep her and that guy she went back for safe. [ And that's incredible of Brianna. Not knowing how any of that even worked, she took a huge risk, doing something she knew little about just to try and keep her family safe. That tells him everything he needs to know about her. ]
You're a pretty incredible person. [ He smiles just a little. ] So when you said "daddy" and "da" before - that's because of all this timeline stuff?
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But she nods, smiling just a little. ]
The man who raised me knew I wasn't his. Because my biological father was in the past. My da is a Scotsman. There was a war and he was afraid for my mother's safety. She was pregnant with me and married to my daddy in the 20th century. So my da sent her back. He thought he would die and they were both giving me my best chance.
[ She's never really talked it out like this before and it's odd to say out loud. ]
I know it all sounds crazy.
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Just so I've got it right in my head: your mom's here. Your...da - the Scottish guy - he's here. Your dad who raised you, he's - is he in stasis?
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