[ network ]

[beholding_archivist]

[ Static is what begins this broadcast. A little crackle at first, but quickly increasing and peaking for a moment before receding again. Once it has mostly died down a deep, labored intake of breath can be heard before the image taken of the camera flickers to life.

Jon looks into said camera with a mix of dread and fatigue, fresh blood smeared through a face that hasn't been a shower in a while, yet has been to plenty of unpleasant places very recently. His hair is messy. Cut short and out of his face for practicality, but nowhere as neatly trimmed as it has been after their visit to Coruscant. Much more notable are his eyes, however. Where before their dull, muddy green hasn't been drawing much attention, they are now a brighter, much more piercing and maybe a little unnatural greyish green.

After a moment of quietly contemplating his screen, Jon's face settles into a frown. His voice carries a slight tremor when he starts speaking, causing the static to return for half a moment before it levels back down along with the tremor in Jon's voice. ]

H̶ow.̧.̡. ̀

... how long was I gone? And--

What happened to the network?

[ He tried scrolling back, but all he can see is the same message, over and over and over again. ]

Comments

[Video]

[heeeyadora]

WHERE WERE YOU???

[Catra's far too close to the camera, looking ready to bite Jon's head off.]

[Video]

[beholding_archivist]

[ Jon holds his phone further away in response. ]

Jesus Christ, Catra!

B-back on Earth, I suppose. What used to be Earth, at least.

[Video]

[heeeyadora]

You left! And Tony nearly died! And-!

[Damn it, she missed you.]

Why do you look like that?

[Video]

[beholding_archivist]

Wait! Tony nearly- Where is he?!

[ And he's clearly struggling to his feet, grimacing at his own movement and trying to focus, which only causes another bout of static to crackle over the screen. ]

[Video]

[wearingthestars]

Is that blood? Are you okay???

[Video]

[beholding_archivist]

I'm afraid it is. And I will be.

In a moment. It's healing. Can breathe normally again already.

[Video]

[wearingthestars]

...Could you always do that?
I- do you need help?

[Video]

[ezra_of_lothal]

It's only been a couple of weeks since I called that town meeting. So you can't have been gone long.

Um. What can we do to help? [That green glow is not reassuring. It screams 'power' to Ezra, and Jon himself had been fairly clear on the fact any power like that from, from Jon's world, must be...handled carefully, at best.]

[Video]

[beholding_archivist]

Weeks...

[ It's a little odd to be thinking with actual time again. But it's... Nice? To have it back? ]

It looks broken. All the messages are the same!

[Video]

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Quietly-] Longer for you, huh? [Just a guess.]

Yeah, that happened a few days ago. You're the only name that went missing from the directory around then, so...maybe someone was really unhappy you were gone.

[Audio]

[doubled_speed]

Ah. So THAT is what that was about.

Clearly that was Tony then. Hey look, they gave you back.

[He sighs, fingers curling through his hair. He chose audio to hide the fact that the way Jon looks bothers him.]

Home?

Jon will stick to video simply because he doesn't think about pushing any further buttons

[beholding_archivist]

Tommy...

[ Right. Catra already mentioned something of that sort. ]

...Tony, he... Took it badly. I'll find him.

[ Then there is a pause. A small nod and a sigh. ]

If you could call it that. It... was bad.
And it was my fault.

Oh Jon, he's worried

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, he sorta loves you, I think. I mean, that sorta break seems to imply it.

[He wants to help, badly. He wants them both feelign better.]

You look like shit. How about we lay off of explanations until I've gotten you to a medic?

[out_of_order]

Jon!

[The man's appearance is definitely concerning, more so his words, stirring a swirl of emotions.]

You... You went back?

[The questions- well, some at least- follow a familiar trend.]

[beholding_archivist]

Ah-- U-unfortunately, yes. Would have been better if I hadn't.

[ He certainly didn't enjoy the apocalypse. ]

...are you okay, Cal?

[out_of_order]

I'm fine.

[Although he looks confused to be the one asked such. Should he be concerned for some reason? That strange interference when Jon first spoke, what was that?]

You going to be all right? I can come to you right now-

Video;

[kyley_b]

DUDE! Are you okay?! What the hell happened?!

Video;

[beholding_archivist]

Kyle...

[ There's a very little wince from Jon. ]

I... ah....

I ended my world. It was... Bad.

[kyley_b]

Dude.

Why?

later after some conversation with Catra apparently idk just go with it

[in_extremis]

While Tony wouldn't have a strong argument for reaching Acceptance in this process, he would say there was plenty of resignation in his formula after his disastrous attempts at correcting the Agrii's course, leaving him stiff and largely immobile in the heap of his bedding as the fire of the forge slowly dwindled into smouldering embers. What little control they had over their lives here was probably an illusion, it was all designed to torture them, and it was part of the design that they could be discarded the moment whoever was writing the script was bored.

It wasn't so bad. He wasn't alone, yet. And he had been granted the time to carefully distance himself from Catra, for example, if he could convince her to stop letting herself into the building, so when she left, too, it wouldn't be so...disruptive.

What he didn't expect was to be holding himself up in the doorway and watching Jon's slow approach, very aware that this had to be real because every swollen, aching bruise throbbed with the merciless battering of his heart, but his eyes narrowed in disbelief and shoulders rounded defensively, waiting for Jon to take a strange turn or disappear entirely, or just collapse and go very pale and still instead. There were a few clouds scudding along above them. This could have been storm activity. He didn't look right.

[beholding_archivist]

No, Jon rather looks like a mess. A slowly, yet steadily approaching mess. And when he spots Tony, he stops for a moment, then manages to increase his speed while gesturing with one hand towards the other man and calling out in his direction.

"Tony! What are you doing! Catra said you fell out of the sky and HURT yourself! You should be resting!" At least shouting distracts him somewhat from the noise his own heartbeat makes in his ears. A little, at least. Tony is still here. He hasn't left him...

[in_extremis]

Not that the gesture, or tone, were in any way unclear, but Tony still responded to it as though Jon was waving him closer, shuffling out of the doorway at first then closing his eyes with a fond smile at Jon's miserable concern, lighter on his feet then and meeting Jon in the dusty street in a rush. The lightness faded on the approach and as Tony could properly process the grime of him, most of it ambiguous smudges but the dark, curdling patch on his shirt and across his face had to be blood. He was surprisingly mobile for bleeding out of the chest, though, so Tony held him at a distance with one hand tentatively out as he asked, "Is that yours?"

The eyes, too. Those were hard to ignore. Not exactly the ominous glow that would send static through Tony's brain, but nearer to it than Jon's eyes should have been and making Tony impulsively offer, "I'm sorry," before it got any worse, not sure which of the myriad of problems he had or was currently causing had earned that reaction but willing to humiliate himself for any of them.

[hadthehighground]

Welcome back, Jon.

I... hope you are well?

[The blood is concerning but he already knows he can’t do anything for the man if he is injured.]

[beholding_archivist]

I... I will be. It hurts, but-

[ It's healing. And Billy's magic may be more effective on Jon given it's nature is much more similar to Jon's now. ]

You... You could tell if... If anything dreadful was brought here, right...? With the Force...?

[hadthehighground]

Possibly. I can’t say for certain of course, but I haven’t felt anything particularly unusual.

Are you going to be all right? I can offer you some tea.