[Network]

[soldiers_heart]

Action
[She...remembers this place. That's the fountain, and across the way should be the diner, and there's the library and hotel.

Turning a slow circle, she takes in her surroundings as memories start resurfacing in her mind, her initial shock dissipating with the growing familiarity.]

Temba...

[She's back. And if this is Temba, then maybe...!

Omega takes off running in spite of the heat, only slowing once she starts to near the flood plains, and more importantly the outpost overlooking it. Just seeing the latter is enough to spur her to run again, all the way up and through the doorway.]

Echo! Echo, I'm back-!


Network
[The young clone looks slightly different. Maybe a little older, or maybe it's just her hair. She'd accidentally activated the camera in her desperate tapping through things, and now the communicator bounces as she drops it on the bed, the video angle askew but just enough to catch her in the corner of the screen.

An extra poofy (and one might say plump) mothcat mrows curiously before fluttering up just enough to plop itself onto her lap, and Omega smiles weakly before wrapping her arms around him in a hug.]

Oh Tumble, you're here. But...he's gone, isn't he?

Comments

[soldiers_heart]

Sorry Tumble.

[She murmurs into the mothcat's furry little head. He doesn't seem to mind too much. In fact he looks to be asleep. Tumble's always been the laziest of her little patrol squad.

It's fine if Tony's not keeping the camera directed correctly. At least Omega's not staring at him. She wipes at her eyes again as she listens.

Tony's words sound almost harsh but she knows it's just the way he talks, how he always phrases things, and well, he isn't wrong. The things he says he's gone through aren't dissimilar at all to what she's been experiencing, and there's some strange, small comfort in knowing that someone's tread this path before.

Acceptance, courage and wisdom. She can't say that it isn't bad advice. It's difficult, but it makes sense. There's only so much within her control, maybe even less now that she's here again and not back with her brothers. At least she knows she won't be missing anything happening, but it won't stop her from missing them.]

Well...I guess I can't do much for them right now.

[in_extremis]

[That was evidently not the answer she was looking for. Maybe Tony should have saved that advice for an actual addict, not a lonely kid.]

I built a tower.

[That was what she had actually asked, after all. Sounded very stupid out loud, though, so now Tony's mostly talking into his hand.]

Massive one. Whole city block. Filled it with people. Are you alone right now? You shouldn't be. I can call Cayde, he probably isn't far. I'll call someone.

[soldiers_heart]

[Was that how Tony coped with people leaving? A tower seems... Well, it's not what she'd have thought of but she's not the one with expendable funds. Having people around, she can understand that sentiment though.]

Tumble's with me.

[She indicates the mothcat by giving him another hug, the light green fuzzball turning his face up to yawn before burrowing his head against her.]

[in_extremis]

That's great, you know, no one else was here to take care of him while you were out, Stardust, he's got a backlog of complaints to catch up on, you've got you work cut out for you. Who's taking care of you?

[soldiers_heart]

I hope the others are okay. It's gotten warmer, I'm sure.

[She blinks, glancing off-screen at the very empty hammock.]

...it's okay. I can take care of myself.

[in_extremis]

Uh-huh. I can eat a whole large pepperoni, extra cheese by myself. I wouldn't be your ideal man then, would I?

[soldiers_heart]

[Omega tilts her head at that, a little confused there, but she at least doesn't have to work out the food details to figure out what he's getting at.]

...where are you right now?

[Truthfully she doesn't want to be by herself, even with a mothcat.]

[in_extremis]

I'm--...I can be there. I'll be a little while. I've been busy.

[It might be obvious where he is as he angles the camera down finally, scanning over scattering of mechanical parts to focus on a robot sitting on the floor next to him. It didn't used to be that big, and definitely used to only carry a few seeds to care for a lawn, but it looks like it might be able to lift a boulder now.]

I know, I'm much more handsome in person, I won't apologize for the reminder.

[soldiers_heart]

[She finally smiles a little then.]

It's okay. I'll be here.