video;

[dreamkid]

[ The teen who appears has his face a little too close to the screen. He's youthful, wide-eyed with excitement, with a head of downright cherubic curls and a huge smile that shows off the dimples in his cheeks. ]

Hey! Guys! The Porter, it brought me back! I'm--

[ There's a voice from offscreen, difficult to pick out the words but from the sound of things he's being chastised, and when he looks up and lowers the camera it reveals that he's still inside Cape Canaveral, in one of the rooms every imPort should be able to recognize as a briefing area. His eyes grow somehow even rounder, his mouth forming an 'o' for "oops". ]

Ohhhh, not here? Sorry--

[ A shadow covers the feed and then it cuts out entirely. For the next fifteen minutes, Matthew and his temporarily confiscated communicator are unreachable.

The next time he pops up on the screen, he's in the front passenger seat of a government car in motion, squinting against the sunlight coming through the windshield and beaming as though he never left. ]

I guess we're not s'posed to film in there, [ he explains, with a less-than-concerned laugh. ] But I'm back! [ He tugs his seatbelt looser so he can lean in towards the screen with proper earnestness. ] That was wild, like, going back and forth, remembering all this stuff again. I mean, I know it's happened to lots of people, but I didn't realize it'd be so weird.

[ If at this point you're wondering, "who the hell is this kid, and why does he keep saying I'm back," it might be because Matthew (who is a bit dim, to be charitable) has failed to take into account that he's been gone for a full year and a half. ]

Comments

video

[fehus]

[have a Soft Grunge Possibly Homeless Teen (TM), somewhere outdoors, looking amused and not very well-dressed for the weather. he doesn't recognise this guy, but it's nice to see someone looking so happy on the network]

Things have probably only gotten weirder, if the baseline weird is "alternate coldwar-era superhero obsessed dimension where 90's reality shows are making an unexpected comeback."

[dreamkid]

[ haha what

Matthew doesn't get all that but he laughs anyway, warm and bright. ]

I guess so!

[ TOTALLY UNCONCERNED, also have a friendly wave, potentially homeless stranger. ]

I'm Matthew. I don't think we met before.

[fehus]

Magnus. I've only been here for a little over half a year.

[dreamkid]

Magnus. Cool! [ He makes a mental note of the name. And then-- haha what, yet again. ]

Really? It's weird I never saw you around.

[ no it's not ]

Like, on here.

[ He gestures to the screen, meaning "the network". ]

[fehus]

[he cocks his head]

...Isn't it, like a Narnia thing, coming back or going home? You know -- you go into the wardrobe, and it's years, and you push the historical petticoats aside and come back out, and it's only been five minutes?

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew wrinkles his nose in thought. He didn't go into a wardrobe, did he? Oh wait that's not what Magnus actually means. ]

Well, yeah, time moves different here and there. I don't really understand it. But it's always more time at home than here.

[ He says this with some confidence, because that's been his only experience. That and people coming from completely random times and forgetting everything from before. ]

Hey, are you from Narnia?

[ video ]

[nightmarist]

[Well, that moment of casual network browsing just turned into high-key panic. Especially when the feed cuts out for fifteen minutes. As soon as Matthew's back, Ronan leaps.]

Jesus Mary - Matthew. Where the fuck are you? Are they bringing you home?

[dreamkid]

[ Ronan is still here. Of course, Matthew knew that very well when he woke up, and he's relieved, he is, but he hesitates and then--there's something a little off about his hasty, reassuring answer. ]

Yeah, yeah, they are. I told them to take me back to the Meadows.

[ He doesn't know Ronan lives there again.

... Also he should definitely stay on topic and not get distracted but um ]

Ronan... You've got hair again.

[nightmarist]

[It takes Ronan a moment to remember why Matthew's got that tone with him, but the mention of his hair brings him back to the discussion he'd had with Noah when he first arrived. That's right. There's a whole mess to clean up. Self-consciously, he softens his own tone:]

Yeah, I've been growing it out.

[Halfway, at least. The sides are still buzzed.]

Are you okay?

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew's only been back for a short while, and his memories are full of both of the Ronans he knows: the Ronan here, angry and alone; and the Ronan at home, who was having a birthday party only a few hours ago, joking and smiling and pushing Matthew around.

It's the memory of birthday Ronan that draws a half-grin to Matthew's face, and it's the memory of the other Ronan that keeps him from laughing out loud. ]

It looks weird.

[ He likes it though.

His smile fades again, into something more serious and earnest. ]

I'm okay. We have to go to Heropa first, then De Chima. [ Carefully, carefully-- ] Should I stop by your place?

[nightmarist]

[God, there is so much he's going to have to explain. Ronan wishes he could smile, too, but the anxiety keeps him looking stern and probably a little scary - as it usually does.]

I'm at the Meadows. Just try and get here as fast as you can. Don't let the feds jerk you around all day.

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew throws a guilty glance left at his driver, a fed, who has ears and can hear this whole conversation. ]

Um, right, sure, definitely. We're on our way.

[ He brings the communicator closer, holding it in both hands. ]

You're at the Meadows? Are you--

[ Staying? He hopes so, he hopes so much. But he also doesn't want to hear Ronan say no. ]

video;

[gazeboeffect]

Oh Jesus. Wait, are you telling me you left and went home and then came back?

[ This tiny human espresso bean isn't happy. ]

[dreamkid]

[ Someone else he doesn't know? HI, NEW PERSON. Matthew does somewhat remember what it's like to be new here, so he tries to give as helpful an explanation as possible. He tries. ]

Right! It happens sometimes. It's not bad, just a little-- [ he 'hmm's thoughtfully. ] I guess confusing? Like, yesterday I didn't know anything about this place, because I was home. Now I'm back so I remember everything again.

[ He definitely doesn't look or sound troubled by the situation. ]

[gazeboeffect]

[ Eddie heaves the deepest, most aggravated sigh. ]

Great! That's the last thing I need. Go home, start eighth grade, get sucked back into this universe for more weird bullshit!

[dreamkid]

[ Ohhh dear, sorry. ]

It's not so bad.

[ ROSE COLORED GLASSES, he's currently got them glued to his face. In truth, he almost died his last time around here... more than once. ]

It's like, like you get to have two lives instead of one.

[ Is that. Is that even good, Matthew. ]

[gazeboeffect]

I'm having enough trouble with one life.

[dreamkid]

[ That doesn't sound good. ]

What kind of trouble? Here, or...?

video;

[tenofswords]

Hello, Matthew.

[They didn't meet before Mr. Gray was imported in, but he knows about you, Matthew. He spied on your family.]

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew, sweet and stupid, blinks once and then smiles. ]

Hi!

[ And then sort of... ? looks like he's trying to place you, sir. ]

[tenofswords]

You don't know me, but I know your brother, Ronan.

[dreamkid]

Oh!

[ Instant relaxed realization, and more smiling. ]

Great! I was worried I forgot you. How do you know Ronan?

[ PLEASE LIE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ]

[tenofswords]

[Thankfully he knows when it's time for him to actually lie. Or at least dodge the truth.]

I give him street fighting lessons.

Video!!!

[disentombs]

[As different as it is here, and as much as he can miss home, he's positively delighted by the face that pops up on the network. He has a wide grin when his face pops up on screen.]

Matthew! [It looks like some time has passed since the video was made.]

Are you still in Heropa?

[dreamkid]

[ Matthew is in the middle of texting Ronan about traffic in De Chima when Gansey's grin appears on his phone. The youngest Lynch smiles back just as brightly, and then laughs with joy. ]

Gansey!

[ Man, he is glad to see you. ]

No, I'm in De Chima! I'm on my way home. Ronan told me you were back!