[video .012]

[arlen_lowell]

[There's a face on the screen, and it might take a moment to be recognizable. It's Arlen, but his expression is much darker than it would normally be. There are deep purple shadows under his eyes and his hair is an unruly mess, his face heavily unshaven. Bloodshot eyes are staring straight at the camera

Comments

[motherofgodbro]

[Video]

[Worry darkens her eyes and she looks like she might not have slept the night before (due to an all-night video game binge with a reluctant father) but the sparkle of an increasingly cheerful life still shines through like fireworks]

Hey, Arlen. What the hell is all this? You don't look... okay. Please tell me what's going on....

[There's an agitated pause, then she calms down a bit when she hears her father clunking around in the kitchen. His presence has always had an almost visible calming effect on her]

I'm fine, by the way.

[arlen_lowell]

[Arlen is obviously relieved to see her, and there might actually be a tiny smile on his face now. It looks out of place with such red-rimmed eyes]

Hey, Heather. I'm glad you're okay. I was worried about you, you know?

[his voice takes on a slightly gentler, more paternal tone when he speaks to her, and the relief in his tone is clear]

I don't know what happened. Shit, I wish someone could tell me. Last thing I remember was painting something for Cloud, and then I woke up in my bed a couple of minutes ago. Painting stuff is everywhere, looks like a fucking crime scene went down here. Like it got thrown everywhere...

[he closes his eyes for a moment, shaking his head]

Whenever I try to remember, it's,like someone shoves a trowel into my eye socket. Christ.

[motherofgodbro]

[Heather looks extremely disturbed by the last comment]

Is it like, every time you try to remember, it hurts?

[She suddenly looks oddly offended]

Hey, why were you worried about me? I'm the one who was worried about you! You disappear for two months and then just, be all "hey, I worried about you." What about you!

[arlen_lowell]

Yeah, pretty much. Feels like there's a tree trying to grow out of my skull or some shit. It's crazy.

[he just stares at her for a moment and then raises an eyebrow at that weird, sudden offended tone she's taken on. He's never going to claim he understands teenage girls, but this is a new level of strange]

Well, yeah I'm worried about you. I was... wherever I was. I know I'm fine, so why shouldn't I be worried about people I don't know about for sure. And what damn reason would I have to worry about myself in the first place. I hate to break it to you, Heather, but I deserve whatever I've got coming. If, say, a giant hand reaches out of the ground and drags me to hell, you'd better believe it's justified.

[he drops his face into one hand, and he just looks tired]

[sunnyworks]

(video)

[Vanille's just about as panicked as he is, but she knows better than to show it. When she speaks, it's as soothingly as possible, trying to get him to calm down.] Those wounds, how old are they? Do you have any fresh ones? I can take a look and patch you up. Everything will be fine.

[arlen_lowell]

[her calm voice has the soothing effect it intended, but he's still agitated, and it's obvious. He does his best to be accommodating, though]

Most of 'em look older, I don't know. A couple needle marks are fresh, but they're just needle marks, no big deal, and my whole damn arms smell like disinfectant.

Do you have any what the hell happened? Did anybody say anything?

[sunnyworks]

[She nods, but her expression is one of reluctance.] All right, but if you need any help, just let me know, okay? A little magic might do the trick, help you feel better.

I'm sorry, I haven't the faintest idea. Nobody's said anything about - well, kidnappings? Are you sure you didn't return home? That happens to some people, they go home and then come back, but... [Van's kind of doubtful that's what happened here.]

[teddyalt_man]

[Video]

[Teddy doesn't know this guy from Adam but, well, he looks like hell and no matter what Teddy says, he can't stop worrying about people. Especially people that seem to have been dragged kicking and screaming through an electric fence]

Are... are you okay?

[arlen_lowell]

[it takes a moment for him to really notice that there's been a response and when he hears the voice, he grabs the device and just stares at the screen for a moment]

I don't know, man? I mean, obviously I'm okay physically but... something is going on here. Something's happening, and I feel like it's going to affect all of us eventually.

[teddyalt_man]

[It doesn't matter that they don't know each other. You make sure everyone is okay, even if you don't know whose side they are on straight away. Innocent till proven guilty, right? Or at least, that's what Teddy believes. He's not going to let that Doctor lady twist him up so much he forgets what and who he is.]

None of that surprises me, I didn't think we'd been brought here to re-populate the planet. [There's a bit of an 'ew' expression on his face at the very idea] You missed the plague of frogs, at least...

[notbuiltforthis]

Video

[Pepper doesn't know the man, but she does know something about someone he's looking for.]

....Loki is gone.

[arlen_lowell]

[it takes him a moment to process that information, and when he can, he still can't really react to it. All he can do is stare blankly at Pepper for a moment]

What?

You're joking, right?

[notbuiltforthis]

I'm not. I lived with him, and the others. He's gone.

[xnotyetaherox]

... Cloud isn't here.