--| Glitch 1 [REBOOT: come hell or high water]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

So I'm actually back at Garden. I can barely believe it.

What have I missed? How long have I been gone?

Comments

[fierybluebird]

Toby?

A couple of days. Where are you?

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[fierybluebird]

What do you mean "That's it"? How long did you expect it to be?

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[fierybluebird]

Ace -- the Ace that was a marine rather, said the same thing happened when he went back. Only in reverse. He was gone for a couple of months, but only there for for a day.

Time Compression I suppose.

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[Now why does that name ring a bell to him? ....Tobias can't place it. Come to think of it, he can't place this man either, despite the almost painful familiarity.

There's another pause.]

[fierybluebird]

Kid, where are you now?

Wait, two years older, does that make you 17 now?

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[fierybluebird]

Huh. Go figure.

Are you all right? How was the last two years?

[BBS-->Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[There's a long pause which stretches into silence. Tobias doesn't want to answer that, and instead goes to settle in the Quad.

Marco may, at first, have trouble finding him, if just because of how much the boy's physically changed. Not simply filling out and being more physically healthy, but his clothing is a simple black turtleneck and jeans, with a kind of white medical patch over one eye. At the moment, he's flipping idly through an old drawing pad he found in his dorm, amazed at how much he's seemed to forget.]

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

[Slightly breathless and for a phoenix, looking remarkably worn down.]

Toby?

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[He looks up at that -- the book is unmistakable, at least.]

Yeah, that's me.

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

Are you okay? Your eye... do you need the nurses? [Fusses like a mother hen.]

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[He shakes his head, then pushes the gauze off. It's clear the newly-revealed scarring is already old, far from needing to be tended.]

I'm fine.

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

Ah. Good. [Hangs his head and sighs softly.]

Damn kid. I'm sorry I wasn't there.

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[He puts the book down, goes over, and hugs Marco tightly.]

It's not your fault, Dad.

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

[Hugs like fuck and trying not to cry.]

Oh kid, I'm so sorry. [Never letting go.] What happened? Are you okay? Will you be okay now? Anything I can fight for you?

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

I'm fine. Everything's healed by now, and I'm remembering everything about this place.

[He pauses at that.]

Do you really want to know? There's nothing you can do about it now. Everyone who had a hand in it is either dead or back in my own world.

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

Good. Yeah, I do want to know. For better or worse, eh. [Gives him a one-winged hug for extra warmth.]

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[He actually missed this warmth, and is unconsciously snuggling more into Marco.]

Silver and I were directly attacked by Archie. His Mightyena is the one that clawed up my eye.

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

Silver?

Ironic. I have a friend called Silvers with a scar rather like yours.

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

He's a good friend of mine. He's been traveling with me the past year or so to try and help out.

[Marco might notice one more little detail -- the fact that Tobias is no longer wearing the bracelet.]

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

And your hand?

[Action]

[heartcorrupt.livejournal.com]

[Now that's a smile.]

The virus is sort of... merged with me now. It won't corrupt my body anymore, and it won't happen accidentally either.

[Action]

[fierybluebird]

Glad to hear it, eh! [Grins and hugs more!]