Participants:
| Scene Title | Last Supper |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | On the eve of their departure, the Away Team gathers for a feast. |
| Date | June 10, 2021 |
Elliot sighs as Wright stretches her shoulders and cracks her neck. They spent a fair number of hours in the oil rig’s kitchen today, trying to prepare a large meal in a way that didn’t inconvenience the kitchen staff. Barring any unforeseen systems failures, this will be the last dinner the away team eats in this timeline for a long while. Potentially their last dinner in this timeline period.
Janus Offshore Drilling Platform
Off the Coast of Virginia Beach
June 10th, 2021
5:28 PM
With the permission and resources of the Department of the Exterior, Elliot was able to plan and prepare a true banquet. He was also able to obtain exotic ingredients that he hadn’t been able to find in the NYC Safe Zone.
Wright kept him focused on edibility, nothing so bizarre that he’d end up eating alone. He also avoided overt formality, opting for a self-serve banquet table in the cafeteria. The scents don’t compete for attention in the room. Everything has the bright, crisp aromas of spring vegetables and fruits and the peppery notes of spices.
The main course is a behemoth of a stuffed pork loin, curved like a cornucopia to spill roasted fiddleheads, apricots, and the odd root vegetable onto its serving platter. Side dishes range from the familiar to the adventurous, labelled and chosen to suit the dietary needs and tastes of the other catoptrinauts.
With the work done, Elliot and Wright can take a moment to enjoy a fancy, alcohol-free drink. There are of course alcoholic options for the people who feel like plummeting through a hole in reality with a killer hangover, though the pair stays well away from those. It also seems a bit early in the evening to try the buckwheat champagne, so they settle on pouring glasses of vibrant blue butterfly pea flower lemonade.
“More of a tea, really,” Wright says as the cobalt liquid ripples over the ice in her collins glass. Elliot responds with a longsuffering quirk of the eyebrow before adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to their tall glasses. Together they watch the odd magic of the blue tea as it suddenly turns purple at the top, the chemical reaction cascading slowly down the glass. They enjoy a shared moment of perfect attention to the experience of the drink as the guests begin to arrive.
Another magic trick of sorts is the fact that Chess walks in dressed not in her usual jeans and leather jacket nor her workwear trousers and blazer, but a genuine slip dress in soft material somewhere between rose gold and bronze. It’s hardly formal, and flat bronze sandals keep it casual, like something someone might wear at a beach resort restaurant.
She carries with her a few things to bring to the feast — in one arm, she’s tucked a vase full of plum blossoms along with a bottle of sake, one pink tinged in an opaque bottle, to add to the table of beverages. The other hand carries a bowl full of dragon fruit, or pitayas, of all things.
“Oh, we almost match,” she says, nodding to the vibrant fuchsia of the dragon fruit. “That looks magical.”
Looking a little uncertain about, well, everything now, Chess finds a spot for each of her offerings. “Some symbolism. If it clashes with your food, I can take it away,” she adds, glancing up at the two chefs. “I’m not as half-Chinese as I thought I was, but I still like the traditions.”
“How you were raised means more than your origins,” comes a soft lilt behind Chess, as Agent Castle follows behind. Or Basil, as at least some of those present on the rig occasionally call him. Green eyes and Irish accent are an indication that, at least for the moment, that is who was speaking, even if the Agent can be rather eclectic at times. Even their dress, normally. Today as well, a little splash of color here, a splash of color there, but at least they aren’t wearing a dress as well.
They left that to Chess today, for which they can’t help but still admire. “Not as magical as you,” he adds before giving her a wink, then looking back at the chef. “But it looks great, Officer Hitchens. Looks like it will be a good send off for us by the foods of this world.”
Basil himself did not bring anything. Perhaps because they were not from this world and knew what they would be getting into when they got there— food wise. “Hope you were light on the fish, though.” It’s said as a joke.
Or was it.
"And how were you raised my child, hm?" That voice in unmistakable and Eve's form turns the corner and leans against the door frame. Crimson eyes surveying the room, the people and the bounty.
Pork.
Though that could come later, a mother had to be a mother first of course: "No pulling the chair for your utterly dashing beauty?" The older woman tskstsks at her son, "If I were Boomer there'd be no hanky panky for you sonny boy." Now that the scolding is done and embarrassing, Eve poofs into that red cloud and hangs over the table, eyeing the banquet of sorts through her distorted vision.
"What an inspiring spread! You two… hm Grandma Amelia would be so impressed." As Eve materializes against a wall, leaning her head against the wall with a wide grin at Elliot and Wright. "Do you happen to have herbal tea?" There's an exaggerated wink with a toss of dark hair over her shoulder.
It's interesting to note that the further away from the Anomaly Eve seems to be, the less fucked up she is. Whatever that means for Eve's scale of "normal" to "completely and utterly fucked."
“You’ve got a closer tie to those traditions than most people in China from certain points of view,” Richard quips as he walks into the room, flashing a roguish grin over towards Chess, “I’d say you’re more than justified in following them.”
Since it’s a formal occasion, he’s dressed in his business best; black suit, black shirt, red tie.
“Eve, don’t get your vampire mist in the food,” he adds deadpan as he approaches the table. He didn’t bring any food himself, which is probably for the best because despite all that money his cooking aptitude is still that of a New Yorker living in a cheap apartment.
“Your additions are greatly appreciated,” Wright assures Chess. “And we’d be the last two to judge you for observing traditions. We made up all of our own, origins be damned.” She smiles and nods a greeting at Agent Castle, not adding And how we were raised can also go to hell.
Elliot smiles and keeps an eye on Eve, though he’s far less wary than he would have been even a week ago. “I figured I’d not stray into nautical themed foods,” Elliot assures Castle. “And tried to be less adventurous than I would have been throwing this party at my place. Even the kare-kare is traditional, though I’m guessing only the adventurous would try it. I finally found a good recipe to fill in the blanks of my memory of how to make it.” He gestures to a pot of something in the neighborhood of a golden curry of which he expects to be the only one to partake.
He’s glad to see Richard serve himself without fanfare, saving him the need to have to invite people to do so. Wright takes their drinks to a nearby table as he prepares plates for the two of them. “No herbal tea, just the butterfly pea flower lemonade,” Elliot is sad to spoil Eve’s night.
“Which is definitely a tea and not really a lemonade,” Wright adds, taking her plate from Elliot to continue loading it herself.
Chess turns at Basil’s voice, smiling and blushing when he compliments her, then laughing at Eve’s reprimand. “I’m not even trying to sit yet, Eve. And what hanky panky we get up to is up to us,” she says warmly.
She touches the flowers she’s set down as a centerpiece, turning to smile at Wright. “These represent hope, perseverance,” she says. “The fruit, luck and health. The sake is just because I really like sake,” she adds with a small laugh, as she picks up a plate. “ I’m not really into superstitions, but I figured it can’t hurt to stack the odds as much in our favor as we can.”
A skeptical glance is given the kare-kare. She’s not a picky eater, but Elliot’s claim of being adventurous gives her pause. Still, she puts a little of everything on her plate.
Richard’s words draw her eyes that way, and Chess lifts a bare shoulder. “I’m not sure why, but I was born there and grew up thinking that’s what I was, before I knew about Adam and Joy,” she says wryly. “I should really do one of those 23-and-me things, find out what else is lurking in there.” She’s probably kidding. “I’m afraid it’ll break the system though,” she adds with a smirk.
With the interruption of his mother, Basil has the childish response of sticking his tongue out. If Elliot and Richard and the rest hadn’t suspected something odd about their relationship by this point, perhaps now… “I was just getting to that mother,” he huffs, moving ahead and pulling a chair out for Chess pointedly, even if he knew before well that he did not have to at all. She could seat herself just fine. “Did you ever think maybe she wanted to pull out the chair for me. Stop being so old-fashioned.”
It’s said in one of those falsely insulted voices, overdramatically, a hand pressed against his chest in feinted insult. But then green eyes shift to blueish and there’s an added lighter tone, less accented, to Chess specifically, “If you wanted, you could check with the lab on the base before we go. They may have ran your DNA at some point to confirm your claims.”
But a blink later, that green eyed Irish man is back, though he does not start filling up his plate, glancing around at those present, “Do you know if Roux is planning to come? I had an idea, but I don’t want to start til we’re all here and ready to eat.”
An idea that he’s already prepared the room for, and even informed the chef about. Because, well, the chef and his bond were likely to be affected. If the others consented to this fun little experiment.
Mother? That simple word brings Richard’s gaze over to Castle, a single eyebrow lifting high upon his face - but the query remains wordless, as he dismisses it with a shake of his head.
“The lab’s probably the best bet, you might be accused of treason if you sent it off to a civilian lab,” he quips as he sits, gaze sweeping over the dishes on display before adding wryly, “I figured I’d do you all the favor of not bringing something I tried to cook myself. Gardening, I can do, but that’s about the limit of my approved interaction with vegetables and such.”
He looks over at the pot curiously, asking Elliot, “Should I ask what kare-kare is, or just try it and be surprised?”
"Kids these days! So mouthy. Be happy yours aren't as grown yet Cardinal honestly!" Eve grins widely at the group but more intensely at Castle before finding herself unfolding and folding her napkin, humming softly and swaying in her seat. She had been anxious earlier but that was almost Eve's default so nothing really of note but inside she was itching to get back to that room.
Before she could think too much more on it and possibly do something more weird than her default weird Eve asks the table or more pointedly Chess, Wright and Elliot. "Anyone nervous to travel on down the ol River of Time? Questions?"
—
“Agent Roux was invited,” Wright informs Agent Castle, “Though was vague on whether or not she felt like attending.” She looks between them and Eve, but doesn’t seem shocked by anachronistic parentage. Chess said Agent Castle was originally from the Root timeline, which makes it easy to extrapolate the rest.
Elliot helps himself to a scoop of steaming white rice before ladling the kare-kare over it. “This,” he informs Richard, “Is a curry from the Philippines made of vegetables and oxtail in a peanut sauce. I admit I could have gone weirder with the meat component, usually there’s tripe, organ meat, that sort of thing. And I appreciate your green thumb. Reliable access to vegetables has greatly improved quality of life.”
Wright takes a seat at the table, setting her food down and admiring her drink again, now mostly purple with a dark blue holdout at the bottom of the glass. She looks to Eve, displaying only some of her own anxiety. “I’m nervous about it and I’m not even going,” she says. “Hard to shake the uncertainty that the link will be stomped shut after the portal closes. Sudden loss of links can cause a really not fun burst of anxiety.”
“Not nearly as bad for the normal, non-permanent links,” Elliot says as he takes a seat beside Wright.
“I was mostly kidding about 23 and Me,” Chess says lightly. “But let’s take a moment to acknowledge how fucked up it is that me choosing to send my own DNA for analysis might get me arrested, even in speculation.” She grins at Richard, not actually offended by his point. “I’m about three percent not Joy or Adam, and a little curious but also terrified to know what’s in that three percent. For now I’m going to err on the side of ignorance is bliss.”
She smiles at the chair pulling, leaning to give Castle a kiss on the cheek, even if he was bullied into it, then adds, “Not a bad idea, though, Saf.”
Taking a seat, the explanation of what is — and isn’t — in the kare-kare reduces any anxiety Chess has about the dish, and she piles a bit on her fork to begin with. She pauses when Castle mentions waiting, and pouts a little at not getting to eat yet.
She lets herself get distracted by Elliot and Wright’s explanation and then smiles over at Eve. “Nervous is an understatement. Basil can attest. I accidentally punched him during a nightmare the other night.” Chess turns to look at him, reaching up to lightly touch his cheek where the faintest discoloration of a healing bruise can be seen on his cheekbone. “Sorry,” she says, for probably the hundredth time.
The kiss and apology is met with a sheepish grin from Basil, one that lightly touches the hand upon his cheek, “A bruise or two builds character, my da used to say.” Whoever that is? Speaking of not-yet-grown children, he pointedly looks over at Richard and adds, “I know lots of people tend to fudge their NDAs, but definitely don’t tell your kids that the world is ending. Trust me on that one. It’s way better for them if they grow up not knowing about that kind of thing for a while.”
Adults, sure. They can know about the end of the world. As long as they don’t announce it to the masses and cause mass hysteria. But spare the children. He would know. It had nearly broken him.
“I’m more nervous about what would happen if we don’t, so,” Basil adds, as he presses a kiss on Chess’ hair and goes to get a small plate of food. Like Chess, he gets a little bit of everything. Small portions. Enough to enjoy the flavors of everything that the chef made, while still enjoying everything that had been given to them.
When he joins the seat next to Chess, he settles down and adds to Wright and Elliot, “There was a lot of research put into it, and we have some pretty good sources that say you should work across timelines— they guess the reason the Castle cut you off is because the Castle exists outside of both space and time, while the timelines should be running concurrently. But since you weren’t cut off fully that was another clue that you should be able to work. Your link reconnected as soon as the Castle dropped. In past tests of my ability, psychic links broken by the Castle needed to be reconnected afterward, but even your temporary connections came back just fine.”
“I’m not a monster, Castle,” Richard’s nose wrinkles at the very idea, “All my kids know is I’m… going on a business trip, and that I’ve been spending more time with them. Christ, if Aurora knew I was making a Looking Glass jump she’d probably have a panic attack, I’m not going to do that to them…”
He trails off from that, the cheery facade slipping briefly as he looks blankly at the food for a moment before leaning over to try some of that kare-kare ladled over rice.
“And the only question I have, I doubt you have any idea, Eve. I need to know where Volken is on that side of the mirror, so I can make sure we don’t come in contact,” he says quietly, not looking up from filling his plate.
“Oh, that we might actually have an answer for now,” Agent Castle responds instead of his mother, raising a hand in the air as if a student asking a teacher for permission to speak. “At least back in 2018— we just recently learned that Volken was in the Pelago, in the body of Peter Petrelli, helping the survivors of the Pelago in their fight against Sentinel— which is what Vanguard became after they succeeded in flooding the world. As for what happened afterward, our source in the Root Timeline doesn’t know. He hasn’t been seen since.”
"Oh, that won't be awkward at all when we inevitably run into him." The door is propped half open as a new, but familiar voice rings out. Speak of the devil and she will appear, and appear Robyn Roux has, and in outlandish fashion as well. As she pushes the door open, her full attire for the evening is revealed - a black shirt, a long blue coat, her claw-like adornments on her fingers, and strangest of all to those who don't know her terribly well, a sword hangs at her side. "Remind me who your source is again?" As if she doubts the veracity of the claim.
An impish smile sits on her lips as she holds up another thing she's brought with her to dinner tonight - a bottle of irish whiskey. "Apologies for running late," is offered in a dismissive way that makes it clear it's a hollow apology. She stops a few steps short of everyone else, metallic rings clinking against the glass bottle of alcohol.
"Sorry I don't have any food," at least sounds more earnest. "But I did bring tea." Holding up her other hand reveals a box. "Green tea, japanese style. If we have a way to heat up a kettle, at least."
"See? Knowing things runs in the family." Eve grins and shrugs and would pinch Castle's cheek but instead she just beams at them instead. The wild woman bellows a wolfish laugh at Richard's words and covers her mouth slightly, "You'd be surprised." Eyebrows raise and she wiggles her fingers, "All Conduits will meet, all Conduits will sing." She seems to have remembered something because the next thing she does is turn her head towards Castle and then Chess, "Actually your data might be slightly off darling, have to see the lay of the sea though, can't be sure until then." Nodding more to herself than the others before she sighs and shrugs.
"You know there is a way we could try and figure some more things out." She hasn't said how much dying she's done the last weeks to obtain "vital intel" as she calls it. Eve's eyes are on a nearby knife and she might have inched towards it before Robyn makes an entrance.
"Now you don't have to call Richard Uncle Dick, or anything though he is a longtime family friend but that one right there?" Eve leans over towards the couple and grins at Robyn, "That's your Aunt Robyn, just as surly as your grandmother but not nearly as cranky as your Great Grandma Amelia on your Grandpa's side." Delivering a mini family history to the young adult who definitely probably knows all of this and more with the way Mad Eve was sure to talk.
"Red! Yes stop being weird and come say hi to your nephewniece, niecenephew. The young one."
"The fuck I am," is another dismissive remark as she sets the box down and opens it, not even looking up at Eve. At least, not until she's told to stop being weird. "C’est quoi ce bordel?1 Is this a chicken situation?" she inquires with a finger motioning between Eve and Castle as she pulls the kettle out with her other hand. Even through her distaste for Eve, there's still a language only they can really speak.
"And she's just as zany as your dear old momma," this time she does pinch Castle's arm, "Exactement, un vieux bébé. //MON vieux bébé!" Eve clasps her hands together either ignoring the distaste or unbothered but it, //family is seeing family. VERY exciting.
Wright waves away any worry about Robyn not bringing a contribution to the meal. “This is also technically a tea and not a lemonade,” she says with a gesture to the carafe of the lemonade.
Elliot gets up to retrieve a few mugs for Robyn’s tea to add to the table of dinnerware, oblivious to Wright’s hair splitting. “We prepared far more than enough food for everyone to eat themselves sick and still leave out leftovers for the staff of the rig,” he says. “It would take an inhuman appetite to eat some of everything we already have here.”
Wright turns to Richard with another technically. “Oh! Speaking of Aurora babies,” she says. “Elliot and I are both aurora babies, as it turns out. Though my birthday geomagnetic storm was way cooler than his. People could see the aurora from Cuba! People thought World War Three had started.”
“Hey,” Elliot says with false sincerity as he sets the mugs down. “Mine crashed the Toronto Stock Exchange and that’s fucking awesome.”
“To be perfectly clear, I did not time travel. She did. My mum. Which you will understand better when we inevitably run into her in the Root timeline, since she’s like seventy.” Yeah mum, you old. Castle holds up a fork and points with it, before grinning a bit at Robyn and her introduction. “Well that explains why you punched her a little better now.” The whole punching someone felt more reasonable now that he understands they consider each other family of a sort. Or at least Eve does. “We actually knew Roux pretty well, back in the Ark. She had good taste in music and was more entertaining than some of the people down there.”
But perhaps they no longer finds her punching Eve to have been completely unreasonable. Family, found or otherwise, can spark unreasonable reactions, especially in those kinds of circumstances. ”But now that we are all here! Sit, sit, it’ll be easier on everyone if everyone’s seated.” Even though they say that, they’re standing up. They don’t need to be seated.
“I thought we could enjoy this last supper on earth in a special way using my ability. I can reset the meal and your stomachs and make it like you didn’t eat anything so everyone can eat as much as they want without ever getting full. Kind of like a classic Roman meal— you know, without throwing up. Works on alcohol too. Enjoy as much of that sake as you want without the hangover. What do you all say?”
“That is not a desirable scenario, Eve,” Richard says, just a bit sharply, at her little sing-song poem about the conduits, “You don’t know what this thing even is, trust me, we don’t want that. I need to stay as far away from that sonuvabitch as possible.”
He brings up a hand then to greet Robyn, a smile returning, “Hey, glad you could make it.”
Pivoting attention over to Wright, he chuckles, “My wife has a weird sense of humor sometimes. Timeline breaches cause amazing auroras - something about magnetics - and she was born while Liz was hopping timelines. Almost a pity we won’t be on the surface when we open the Glass, the sky is going to be gorgeous.”
Chess’ brows draw together at the tension between Robyn and Eve, and she doesn’t have much to add to the talk of Auroras and conduits and the like. She pushes some food on her plate with the fork, and smiles up at Castle.
“I’m so nervous I’m not sure I can keep anything down as it is,” she murmurs. “But it all looks delicious, so I’ll do my best.” She reaches for the sake to pour a glass, because that, she knows she can stomach, no matter how anxious she feels.
"Oh, so I get suspended for punching you, and you get rescued by family from prison?" Robyn clicks her tongue, tapping fingers on the table. "Good to know authoritative bias is alive and well in 2021." A sneer punctuates that, Robyn's eyes shifting over to Castle, then to Chess.
"I don't imagine we'll eat this well again for a while, Chess," she continues as she takes her bottle of whiskey into hand and breaks the seal on it's cap. "How's that little trick of yours work for drinks, Castle? …How does it work period?" Despite that lingering tension, it seems to be a genuine enough question. "I've been wondering ever since the festival. Even I have to admit that was pretty genuinely incredible."
A glance is given over to Elliot and Wright, an eyebrow quirking at the pair. "Got a glass? Figure I should at least show decorum enough to not drink from the bottle." As the cap is laid aside, Robyn turns her attention to the box she's brought with her, pulling out a kettle and several small, round cups, along with a small container of matcha green tea. "Actually, never mind," she remarks as she pulls one of her teacups closer.
"You're obviously held to a higher standard than I Red. I'm on work release," Eve quips and stretches her arms out into the air before eyeing Cardinal, "All of this is of the undesirable nature."
Though she does have a thought, it makes her pause. "Though maybe it's time to address the elephant in the room hm?" Rocking side to side and looking from Richard to Castle. "How do you feel, returning to your home? For you my dear Castle, it was the only world you knew. For Richard, a home he has only dreamed of. There must be emotion for you both. Doesn't matter the circumstances of the visit."
Taking a sip of water, "Mm?"
Elliot nods to Agent Castle when the idea of the temporal binge is raised. Good to go. He’s not worried about the surge of panic that he and Wright experienced at Eve’s festival, as both of them will be inside the bubble this time. Wright, however, is not his only current co-host to the network.
He pings Asi’s attention through the network, simultaneously drawing her attention to his American Sign Language and tagging the Index. Hangup, he signs under the table, out of sight from the curious. “We’re going into the Castle shortly,” Elliot says to himself via the mirror in the master bathroom of his townhouse. “I’m shutting your links, don’t try streaming until I contact you afterward. Your link is old enough we shouldn’t have to worry about it stress-breaking but this is a good test either way.”
Shouldn't have to worry about it and the reality are two different things. Asi pauses, up to her wrists in soapy water with a sponge in one hand. An increase of tension in her hand leads to more suds foaming through the cracks in her fingers. "Don't have too much fun," she lightly advises the plate she washes. Then, for luck, she adds for good measure, "I'll talk to you when the bouncy house comes down."
“Lieutenant Harrison hopped timelines?” Wright blurts out to Richard. “That is fucking awesome. Two questions. Did she have to wear one of those ugly armor suits, and how did she fit her baby belly in it?”
“Damn,” she adds, leaning back in her chair, “I’m torn about going up to watch the aurora versus being Elliot’s proprioception for the blind dive.” She bobbles her hands at Elliot. Cool light show versus not smashing his helmet on the Looking Glass frame and dying. She’s really only there to give him confidence.
With a raise of an eyebrow, Castle looks at Robyn for a moment before nodding to Eve’s statement. “If you consider heavily supervised work-release a rescue— and I wasn’t even allowed to testify on her behalf. I’m just in a position to supervise her after the court made their decision.” Cause Eve was definitely under heavy supervision, And that won’t change when they go to the other world, either.
But then, Castle closes his eyes and a moment later they all feel something almost like a breeze wash over them. Elliot and Wright can feel it more thoroughly because the links to those outside the area go dark, but they remain in contact with each other at least. The lights in the room flicker for a second, as they switch over to backup.
They can’t see the edges of the Castle, and there’s no fog like there had been with the large one in Xpress. Perhaps it had to do with the size or the inability to see the edges, because they were outside of the room itself. “You can think of the Castle as a save file in a video game. I can change things back to how they were when the save is made. There we go. Anything that happens can now be reset to exactly how you were when it went up. So enjoy whatever you want to eat— or drink. Even if you don’t want to eat much,” he offers a smile to Chess, understanding that she’s not a stress eater like some people. A stress starver maybe? Stress drinker? But at least they could get fairly drunk quickly before they get all their sake back in the bottle. “It was more complicated with the Castle at Xpress. I didn’t do a full spatial reset on that one, just a status restore.” But that had saved many lives, including Chess. It just couldn’t save the ones lost before he had gotten the Castle up.
As he sits back down, his brow creases a little from Eve’s question. “Most of the people I was close to for the last decade are either dead or here in this world now. I’m not exactly looking forward to seeing mum again— we didn’t part on the best of terms, and she’s definitely going to do an ‘I told you so’ at me.” This was definitely Basil speaking. But then in a softer tone, with eyes suddenly more blue, they add to Richard specifically. “It’s a shame you won’t get to meet your sister. She would have liked meeting you, I think.”
“You’ll still remember,” Chess says quietly, for the sake of those who weren’t in the castle at the festival or felt what it was like to remember after — which leaves Richard, really. She reaches for the sake she’s poured for herself and takes a healthy swallow, especially now that there’s no reason to moderate how much she drinks. Remembering dying isn’t pleasant, even if it felt almost like a bad dream.
She’ll need a couple glasses after the castle’s down before they go to bed for the last night in this timeline, just to have any hope of sleep.
Wright’s question of Richard draws a little wince, but she’ll leave him to field it, pushing food around with her fork before finally taking a bite. “It’ll be okay,” she murmurs to both Castle and Eve, about meeting the other Eve. “Definitely not hoping to see any of my relatives there, if any of them are around.” Not even the good ones — which she can count on one hand.
It's a long, silent stare that Robyn gives Castle, finally exhaling a sharp, weary sigh as she pours whiskey into her teacup. "That's fair, yeah." The way she relents is clearly reluctant, but not at all begrudging. Her issues aren't with Castle, and it wouldn't be fair to berate them further.
"But if it's like a save point- wait." The way she sips whiskey from her teacup is much more dainty than the drink demands. "You remember? Well, that runs contrary to everything I've learned from Matthew's games." That smirk creeps back on to her face, turning her attention back to her tea set.
"I'm going to set this kettle on. Whoever wants some is more than welcome to it." A glance is given over to Richard, and then back to Castle and Chess. A bevy of comments at the mention of a sister float up, but the usage of past tense isn't lost on her. Instead, she focuses on something else. "Sounds like I don't have a choice in seeing relatives," she notes with a stiff chuckle. "At least I don't have to worry about meeting myself, I guess. I'd hate to disappoint her."
As she passes behind Wright, she pats her on the shoulder, pausing to lean over next to her. "What, you've never been time travelling? See, this is how we can tell you're new 'round these parts."
"I've never been there," Richard brings one shoulder up in a shrug to Eve's question, "I was literally days old when I was pulled into this timeline— with mom here, and my sister— gone— there's no reason for me to feel particularly emotional about it. All it is to me is a showcase of what would've happened if I'd failed in Antarctica."
As the 'castle' goes up, he tenses up briefly - stilling - and then he exhales a relieved sigh when nothing outwardly happens, murmuring under his breath before taking a sip of the tea-or-lemonade beverage, "…thank God for small favors at least."
Lowering it, he waves his cup a bit towards Wright, "They had a— combination of evolved abilities with them that let them jump. A much safer method. But they couldn't aim which was kind of problematic, basically ended up in a random timeline. We had to emulate their process to create a portal for them— " A slight grimace, "It burned out the evolved in question, though, so we don't have that option anymore."
"Buck up dear I'm sure Grandma Amelia's pasta and meatballs will be waiting along with the scolding. But not to worry. She and I have matters to discuss. A great distraction for that old crone," Eve winks at Castle and Chess before suddenly looking over her shoulder to assure Mad Eve isn't in fact eavesdropping on this sensitive conversation. As Castle utilizes their ability she looks rather proud and nods her head. "Beautiful, transcendence." Her fears assuaged apparently and she swings her head in Card's direction.
"Oh but your heart knows! Don't worry, when you see it. I'll look at your face." Eve slaps the table and grins widely.
“This is what happens when I take a few years off,” Wright laughs in response to Robyn. “Miss all the fun spatio-temporal shit.”
When the castle is formed, Elliot can’t help but cringe against the possibility of discomfort. Then, outside of space and time, nothing happens. He lets go a sigh of relief as he feels for his links to Asi, still there but closed. He tries to open them experimentally only to feel that there’s a fist crushing them shut somewhere between here and there. As much as this place could be said to be anywhere.
When Agent Castle had originally pitched this idea to Elliot he’d been leary it would turn a feast into a monotonous chore. With the countless food options overflowing the banquet table, they really could do this for a while. But it dawns on him now that there’s a chance to accomplish something else in here. Cut off from the rest of the world, there’s less to focus on. No training to be done, no phone calls to miss.
Here they have the chance to laugh or cry, or fight, and get some of it out of their systems. Go into another world tomorrow having already made peace with some of the greater fears, the worst doubts. Not worry-free and peaceful, but maybe at least on the same page. Anything to take some of the edge off of thoughts of the Subtle Knife.