NETWORK | VIDEO

[mrsklover]

[The message starts off with nothing but darkness for a few long seconds. It's quiet and still until, finally, a groan comes through. Another one follows behind it and the video shifts to show it apparently just pressed into the dirt.]

Fuck...

[The video turns again, whipping around as the person holding the comm seems to drop it a few times before finally righting it, camera facing the wrong way.]

How does...fucking... Shit...

[It falls again but then is lifted back up, turned around, and at long last the owner is shown: Richie Tozier squints at the device almost like he's in pain. Which...yeah. Sort of.]

Uh... Hey everyone... [He scratches his head.] You ever get the feeling like you missed something? Or a few somethings?

Comments

[mrsklover]

[ Richie shows up just a little later and he looks alright. Tired, maybe, but alright. He grins at Cayde and waves happily. ]

Ready for my 'Welcome Back Pina Colada'!

[deal_me_in]

[Cayde will take all right. And at least Richie can still grin. The Exo waves back.

And sure enough, there is a chicken sitting on the other end of the bar with reddish brown feathers. Her head cocks in Richie's direction.]

Dang, fresh out of pineapples. And about everything else you probably need for something that fancy.

How about I just whip up the usual?

[mrsklover]

The usual is fantastic. I'll take a raincheck on the other one.

[ He looks at the chicken and cocks his head right back at it. ]

Hey, Colonel Sanders. What's shake-n-bakin? [ He walks toward it, interested. ] Where did this cute thing coming from, anyways? I don't remember a lot of chickens around.

[deal_me_in]

You got it.

[Cayde pulls out the glasses and bottles to start pouring.

Colonel meanwhile tilts her head this way and that in that typical chicken-y way, giving a quiet cluck.]

She's from home. Just walked into the bar one day.

[mrsklover]

There's a joke in that, somewhere. 'A chicken walks into a bar...'

[ Richie goes back to sit. ]

So if this is a chicken friend from your home, are you some sort of farmer? Farmer Cayde? I think there's a joke in there somewhere too. I need to write up a new routine.

[deal_me_in]

I knew you'd say something like that.

[The Exo smirks as he slides over Richie's drink.]

Nah. Though I did kind of liberate her from a farm. She decided to tag along with us when we infiltrated our city to take it back from space rhinos.

[mrsklover]

[ Richie grabs the drink and takes a long drink out of it almost immediately. Even though it feels like he was only gone a few hours, it hits the spot like an arrow. ]

Space rhinos? [ He's still too happy from that first sip of drink to really be as baffled by that idea as he should be. ] That chicken fought off space rhinos?

[deal_me_in]

Cabal. Big hulking guys in armor. They thought it was a great idea to invade home, so we had to show them how bad an idea that was for them.

[Not as simple as it sounded. The Red Legion did do a number on them and had effectively chased humanity out of the lone bastion they'd held for centuries.]

Colonel set 'em up and I laid 'em out.

[mrsklover]

[ Richie looks at the chicken and then at Cayde like he's waiting for this to all be a joke. Which is exactly what he is waiting for. When it doesn't come, he just chokes out a laugh. ]

That...is pretty fucking cool. I'm not gonna lie, it's also fucking insane and I am gonna use it in my new set for sure, but it's cool.

[deal_me_in]

[Cayde grins as he pours himself a drink. He may be leaving out details but the gist of it is true enough. Chicken distraction + Confused Cabal = Unsuspecting target for a Hunter to come in and knife 'em.

That it worked multiple times without Colonel getting startled in the least had to count for something in the chicken's favor.]

I'm telling you, she was destined to be a battle chicken. Not a feather ruffled.

[mrsklover]

Battle chicken. Did you tell Eddie that? Awesome name for a band.

[ He laughs to himself and takes another few sips of his drink.] Alright. Keep going. Tell me what's been going on with you. Besides the kick ass chicken.

[deal_me_in]

Heh! Maybe I should.

[Cayde shrugs, tipping his glass back.]

Eh, you know. Weathered a storm or two. Had another trip off-world - were you there for that one? Weird place but I kinda wish I got to ride one of the giant bird mounts they had. The weapons there are more flash than bang though.

Anyway... -oh!! You just missed the giant monster attacks.

[mrsklover]

[ Richie shook his head about the off-world trip. Nothing like that had happened when he was here last. But that seems like a good thing, sort of, if there were giant bird mounts.

At the last bit, he goes pale, eyes huge. ]

I'm sorry. The what now?

[deal_me_in]

Giant monster attacks! There were like...four of them? Stomping and flying around different parts of the city. I didn't have time to deal with all of them but me and that Link kid took care of one of 'em.

[He fishes out his tablet and pulls up the selfie he took with Link, standing on something massive and feathery, with a pair of moose-like antlers.]

[mrsklover]

Holy shit. Okay, love that elf kid. Looks like he's having fun. But more importantly, what the fuck is that thing with the antlers?! And is it ever coming back?

[deal_me_in]

I think we had more fun than everyone else did, anyway. Took this thing for a little ride.

[Or rather, it took them for a ride as they hung on for their lack of planning.

Cayde grins, standing up to grab a giant feather that he's set on top of the liquor shelf. He holds it out to Richie.]

It was real stupid looking was what it was. Had a goose body and a moose head- kinda weird even on an alien planet. Don't worry, you won't be hearing from this thing again.

[mrsklover]

[ Richie takes the feather and spins it around in his hand. It really is huge. Imagining the animal it was attached to is a stretch too far. Like trying to imagine the enormity of a dinosaur from a leg bone. He hands it back with a short laugh. ]

Yeah. I think I am glad I skipped that. Part of me thinks I would have ended up Goose-moose food if I'd stayed around. Unless they were vegetarians, I guess. God, imagine all the trees they'd have to eat....

[deal_me_in]

[The Exo chuckles, running a finger along the edge of the feather before he sets the thing back on the shelf.]

Probably kiss the woods goodbye if they were. Interesting as it made things, I'm pretty sure no one needs anything that size running around on a regular basis.

[mrsklover]

Don't say that too loud. Someone will hear it and think that's just what we need to celebrate... I don't know. Hippy Hoppy day. Giant fucking bunnies all over.

[ If he couldn't actually see that happening, he might find it a little funnier. As it is Richie just snorts. ]

Alright. But what about with you. Besides badass feather butt, what's been going on with you?

[deal_me_in]

[That does make Cayde grimace. He points at Richie as he concedes that possibility.]

Maybe with regular-sized bunnies at least?

Hey, I'll have you know, I wasn't the one clinging to the feather butt-end.

Really though, not a whole lot. Kept the bar in one piece mostly- Did Reeve fix the wall outside? -if he did then never mind, there wasn't any to begin with.

Anyway... you know me. Just trying to remind people we can still keep things light because it's way too easy to let it get heavy around here. Been trying to work out how to lure out the real troublemakers out there so I can settle things the usual way. [Blowing up buildings and stuff, as you do.]

[mrsklover]

[ Richie smirks at Cayde and his mission, here. ]

You know the Group Therapy Sessions usually bring a certain kind of people around these parts. I'll start one up soon. Make sure to play up the rebellious aspects so maybe those troublemakers have incentive to come around and cause some trouble.

[ His smirk turns into a genuine smile and Richie raises his glass to Cayde. ]

I have no fucking idea where I was, but it's kind of good to be back. Especially with you still around, dude.

[deal_me_in]

Sounds fun!

[Cayde grins crookedly at that, sweeping up his glass to raise it in turn.]

There's good things to it when you know where to look. Welcome back, Richie.