text; un: shades

[laserguy]

[Scott's been feeling all kinds of ways since returning to Aldrip. A little off his feet? Not upset exactly, not when he remembers everyone important to him, but it's still a lot. Kind of weird that he's actually older here than back home, and that's not mentioning suddenly getting almost two years of memories shoved inside his head that he completely forgot about until now. But he's trying. A part of him wants to just lie on the bed with Kotone and just take more time to himself, but he figures that he should say something to his friends.

Maybe focusing on them will help. Better than thinking about Alex or how Apocalypse sort of ruined everything back home.

He breathes in, fiddling with his tablet. Something in him wants to change his username from 'shades' to 'cyclops,' but maybe not right now.]

hey, i'm back now. sorry if i worried anyone. a lot happened, like, back home. yeah i went home and came back. i'm okay though.

[None of that sounded super awkward, right.]

if you wanna meet up, i'll be at the diner. you're paying though.

[ooc: Scott's back from his canon update and just Dealing with Stuff. Totally open to threading Scott meeting others in person! Also, he'll be back in regular clothes for the time being, but he will be wearing his visor for now.]

Comments

closed to Kotone;

[laserguy]

[It's a sudden thing.

One moment, Phoenix is sitting on her usual perch atop Kotone's shoulder (and judging the farm animals from that spot), then the next, the fiery bird starts squawking, feathers lighting up as she flaps her wings and jumps off. Luckily, she doesn't seem distressed or angry, more restless than anything else, but her reaction may still be alarming, especially as she starts flying away after making another noise at Kotone. Come on!! Let's go!! She better keep up, because she's not going to wait too long.

She can sense him. Her stupid host is back. She doesn't know how long it's been, but long enough. He's lucky that she's stuck around this long!! And took care of the girl like he'd want. Phoenix also believes that the boy is stupid enough to disappear again, so hence the urgency to find him now!

So, yes, come on!! She'll start leading Kotone away from the barn at a somewhat steady speed, but she is taking some time not to go too fast. Phoenix is aware how humans can't fly-- at least this one can't. She better get many treats after this.]

[orphne]

[Routines have always been what keeps her going after tragedy strikes. When Shinji had died, when Ryoji had left, when her friends here have disappeared, never to return -- keeping to a routine helped her keep smiling, keep existing. That's why she's at the farm this morning like always, feeding the chickens and cows and doing her best to keep Phoenix from shooting fireballs at the poor things.

Kotone's just finishing up with the chickens when Phoenix suddenly squawks and starts flying away.] Wha-- birdie!! Wait, where are you going?!

[There's audible panic in her voice as she drops everything and runs after her, fear choking at her heart. With Scott gone, what if Phoenix leaves, too? Maybe this is Phoenix's way of saying goodbye?]

uh: tsuna27

[theskyaccepts]

Why do I have to pay?

[He'll do it, and he's glad Scott's okay, but also]

[laserguy]

So, you're saying that you don't want to pay for my 'welcome back Scott' meal?

Text; un: icemaiden

[thenicerone]

Then I hope you won't choose anything expensive! I'm not sure if I can afford it.

text; un: shades

[laserguy]

[Oh no... can he actually bully Yukina??]

I'll go easy on you.

[He'll actually pay... honestly, he planned on paying for most meals he's going to have with his friends, unless they insisted on it otherwise.] Have you had a milkshake before?

text; un: omega

[querulus]

why would i pay for your food when i'm the one who had to deal with all your little friends being a bunch of sad sacks while you were gone. you owe me for my troubles.

[No comment on whether or not he was sad. Spoilers: he was.]

text; un: shades

[laserguy]

[Ah, Quentin.]

because you missed me that much, quire.

[...Also, Quentin actually hung out with his friends for a bit? Kurt, obviously. And Ange. But Kotone and the others? Heh. He's kind of thankful, but also, that would give him more ammo.]

and now they'll be less sad around you. you're welcome.

audio; un: Sugarlips.

[southernchere]

Well, I'll be dogged! We've done thought we've lost ya for good, Honeydrop. ... Are ya sure you're all right, or are ya sayin' so, so we won't show out?

[ she's not sure who might flip their lid over anything that might have happened to him, besides...well... possibly her. maybe her. definitely her.]

audio; un: shades

[laserguy]

....

[It was a lot easier to hide how he felt through text, but he's going to face everyone at some point, right? He was the idiot that invited everyone to eat with him later.]

Y-Yeah, I mean. I'm a X-Man now. Finally. [......] I can better lead you and the others.

[He's still got a lot to learn about leadership, but at least he has his visor now? An official uniform? Faced a world ending threat. All that means something.]

action

[chimericalclaw]

[Altius waits a while, until after most of those interested in meeting with Scott have likely come by to chat and spoil the young man and reassure themselves that their connections still mean something.

Fashionably late, he might call it. But he's a busy man; surely he can be forgiven.

He approaches Scott's table with a hand in his pocket, taking in the minute changes he can see: tired; tense, perhaps; and more obviously, as he gestures towards the visor:]

That's quite the accessory, Mr. Summers.

[laserguy]

[Scott is exhausted, there's no way around that. Sure, his visor covers a good portion of his face, but the teen still exudes that tiredness through his slumped form and the fact that his easygoing smile is gone from his person. He probably should just head home soon; he's met with a lot of his friends and he already misses Kotone. It's honestly hard to be separated from her for too long right now. Yeah, that sounds nice.

Of course, that's when Altius decides to make his appearance. Unexpectedly, he might add.

The mutant nearly jumps in his seat, a flicker of red flashing behind his visor before he looks up at the businessman with hand positioned by a button on said accessory, before he immediately relaxes. Oh, it's just Altius. No one he needs to worry about (and it's probably more than just that).]

Huh? Oh, yeah, it's my visor. [He answers as he straightens up in his seat, before motioning for him to take the seat across from him. He's probably too stuffed for any food, but he's here to chat if Altius wants. Which. Did the CEO really come all this way to see him?]

You um, saw my message?

Action

[digthefuzz]

[The moment Kurt sees the message, he teleports right over to the diner - and immediately teleports into tackle-hugging him.]

Dude!! You're back!

[laserguy]

Kurt!

[The familiar sound of the mutant teleporting near him is his only real warning before he's suddenly enveloped in a tight hug and it nearly knocks him off his feet. What a welcome back hug! One that he wasn't expecting, but it's really nice-- almost like he's meeting a friend he hasn't seen in ages. Scott brightly laughs and it's like he's not holding back at all, before he returns his hug. It's kind of strange, that he's technically been around Kurt this entire time, but not this version.

A Kurt that is very different, but still just as important to him. He's glad that he's here now, with him, just that blending of his worlds being weird but still right at the same time.]

And yeah-- of course. Couldn't leave you guys for too long. [There was no way for him to count on that, but it feels better saying that.]

text; un: goo

[mightymorphin]

hey kiddo, welcome back! sure we were worried, but as long as you're okay that's what matters.

'a lot happened', huh?

text; un: shades

[laserguy]

[There's a whole lot of conflicting feels going on, but he is genuinely glad to hear from Morph again. It's also a lot easier to hide some of the shit he feels when it's through text.]

yeah, uh, basically i can say it was x-men stuff. officially.

it happened in my world.

text: @lorem_ipsum

[memori3s]

[ !! ]

Welcome back.

[ ... ]

Are you at the diner now?

[laserguy]

yeah i'm there. working on my second milkshake.

[He's joking. Maybe. Drown your feelings in shakes.]

wait. is this what i think it is? you're offering to buy, minato?

text; un: purrsona

[izanagis]

[...!

Oh. This...this is a complicated swell of emotions. His response is a little delayed as he tries to work through a tangle of them.]

Scott.

Do you ever eat real food?

text; un: shades

[laserguy]

[Scott can't help but laugh reading Yu's comments. Thanks, he needed that.]

are you saying that hamburgers and milkshakes aren't real food?

way to insult my culture.

action;

[incorrigibles]

[ the very second his tablet pings with the alert of the new post, the second he sees who it is from — charles doesn't stop to even read the post, simply slaps his hand on a mirror until he can locate scott.

then he's stepping into it, and out of the mirror at the back of the diner, its surface rippling like the water at the shore of where they first met; he stumbles out and beelines for scott.

and whether or not he sees charles emerge from the mirror, well, he is getting dragged into a tight hug. ]

Never fucking do that again, [ he mutters into scott's shoulder. and yes, yes he knows aldrip is to blame, in the end, but it's the principle of the thing!! he thought you were gone for good and it was terrible. ]

action;

[laserguy]

[One would think that since Scott lives and trains with a teleporter, he wouldn't be surprised by something like this. He manages to catch his friend stepping out of the mirror and--

A small little noise breaks from Scott's throat when Charles is suddenly right here and pulling him into a hug and it's tight enough that it nearly brings something watery to his eyes. Not because it hurts, but because of the implication behind it and how much Charles had missed him since he was gone. He's another solid, significant reminder of the people he left behind in this world and it hurts to think he ever forgot about them in the first place. They've talked about memories and how even if they forget, they'll still carry a part of that person in them, but it's so hard. He just wants to remember everyone. Remember all the people that helped him when he arrived as an angry mutant almost two years ago.

He's still for a couple of seconds before Scott fully returns his hug, arms wrapping tight around his friend as he sucks in a shaky little breath.]

I'll try not to. [Weak laugh.] I'd kind of prefer that, actually.

text, un: kuwabara

[machizumo]

What're you running scams now?

text; un: shades

[laserguy]

seriously man? that's what you got from this?

and if i was gonna scam you, i'd at least try and be more discreet about it. like. you wouldn't even notice.

text; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

[ .. again, huh?

It feels very similar to what happened with Peter - before he fully disappeared anyway, after pulling that disappearing and reappearing trick off once. Does that mean the same thing is going to happen to Scott now? He'll be back for a bit, but just when she's feeling the relief of that fact, he'll just disappear again? Would she be so stupid to let herself fall for that twice?

Ange chews her lower lip. There's a reason she doesn't go over to the diner right away, nor show her face when she sends a message. ]

Good to hear that you're okay.

[ .. that's all she sent, apparently.. ]

text; un: shades

[laserguy]

[Ange.

He swallows hard seeing her response. It's short and to the point and that's pretty much his friend, but he wonders if she's okay. She's someone familiar with loss, and...]

sorry for disappearing on you like that. i'm glad that you're still here. so i can see you again.