mnt_raph | [OOM: Olau]

It wasn't long after Raph ran into ~~Alanna~~Alan that he made his excuses and made a bee-line for Tortall.
Timelines were in danger.
People he loved were in danger.
Abigail was in danger.

His heart felt as though it was going to burst through his chest as he headed for the front door, his Security badge firmly in hand.

What if...
What if Alan was proof that the door had reset?
What if time had gone backwards?
What if it was like everything he'd lived there just ceased to exist?
All of it, rewritten in some great cosmic do-over?

He opens the door to a familiar scene, and for a split second Raph allows himself to hope.
The Tortoise. The same as always, as it's been for at least three generations now.
Raph walks around the tavern, rather than go straight through the front door, to the place where Abigail'd be hanging up the day's washing to dry in the noon sun.

There, holding a basket of clothes pins is a little girl no older than six, with her blonde hair in one long braid down her back.

"...oh no."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

becareful_boyo

"Uh huh."

Abigail is absolutely not considering what it might take to actually surprise Mike nowadays. Not at all.

"You told Lady Stomps-around-a-lot herself yet?" she asks, a wheedling tone creeping into her voice.

It says: Please let me be there when you do, Raph!

From:

mnt_raph

"Do you mean my very good friend, and cousin, Alanna?"
He knows that tone, Abigail.

"No, I haven't. I came here first thing."
Because if this had changed, if Abigail had changed, there'd be no reason to see Alanna at all.

From:

becareful_boyo

Her hands knit together and she rocks back on her heels, glee barely contained.

"Well, here is here. Right as rain. I'm full-sized and much the same as I ever was."

Just look at that pleasant smile.

"We should be gettin' on to the keep, then?"

Her arm sweeps wide. After you, Raph.

From:

mnt_raph

Raph's brain begins to slowly grind in an effort to remember what it was that he heard on that nature show that one time. About how in nature beautiful things are usually the most dangerous.

A very real shiver runs down his spine.

"....a'right."

Raph keeps his eyes trained on her for as long as she's in his field of vision as he makes heads for the keep.

From:

becareful_boyo

Sometimes she's in his field of vision. Sometimes she gets sidetracked by something on the side of the road, or by Raph himself. Once she pulls him off to the side of the road, but such distractions are kept to a minimum.

They have someplace to be, after all.

Trudging up the last stretch of road before Olau's gates, Abigail turns and walks backwards.

"What d'you think it means?"

From:

mnt_raph

He knows this path well. He used to walk it at all hours of the day, in all manner of weather. It...comforts him to see that it's all exactly as he left it, so much so that every now and again he finds himself humming one of his traveling songs.

He's just about to the guitar solo in Rearview Mirror when Abigail's question quiets him.

"Don't know, really. It's like a crossroads, Milliways. An' not too long ago there was a great bit...something. Think maybe it knocked the nexus off its kilter or somethin'."

From:

becareful_boyo

Abigail picks up humming where he left off. She might not fully appreciate the intricacies of Pearl Jam or understand how Rearview Mirror could possibly be the perfect travel song because horses just can't keep up with the beat, but being involved with Raph means familiarizing oneself with his... eclectic musical taste.

She considers his words for a moment.

"Like a giant?"

From:

mnt_raph

"Have to be a pretty freakin' giant giant, but maybe."
When it comes to Milliways, all things are possible.

"Sure as fuck a better reason than I can come up with. fuckin' milliways."

From:

becareful_boyo

"It could've been worse, boy-o," she reminds him. "I'm just picturin' in my mind a world in which Her Lioness comes face to face with herself."

On the one hand, hilarious. On the other...

"All the things she couldn't say."

From:

mnt_raph

"A yup. And then people wonder why I hate time-travel as much as I do. Because o' crap like that. That's why."

He runs a hand over his head, and sighs.

"My brothers and I did that once. Went back in time and saw ourselves. Good thing Donnie got that freakin' cube workin' and got us outta there real damn quick."

From:

becareful_boyo

Abigail blinks at him.

"Why? Were you about to get into a fist fight with your own self?"

Because that's all too easy to believe.

From:

mnt_raph

"All four of us were. Egghead did the math wrong and we showed up in our own living room before we'd ever left. We don't take too kindly on bein' snuck up on."

Heh, Abigail's seen him in the morning. She probably knows this more than anyone.

From:

becareful_boyo

Indeed.

This is the part of their journey where Abigail has to pause to bend over and fight the great big whoops of laughter escaping out her throat.

At his expense, of course.

From:

mnt_raph

Raph stops, turns, and just watches her.

"Just lemme know when you're done, okay?"

From:

becareful_boyo

Abigail snorts out another laugh, eyes streaming, face red from excessive mirth.

She starts walking again at last, patting his arm with a fond, amused sigh that gives way to another snicker.

"Come along, then."

From:

mnt_raph

There's much grumbling under his breath as he allows himself to be coaxed into continuing their journey.

"it's all fun an' games until you walk headfirst into a paradox..."

From:

becareful_boyo

"Shhhh."

Abigail puts out a hand to stop him, wrapping it around his forearm once he's close enough.

"Do you hear hoof beats?"

From the forest, on their left.

From:

mnt_raph

Raph stops and listens, his head cocking to one side to better hear what she's talking about.

"I do now. Good catch."

They're not coming fast, but there is someone approaching. Raph's first instinct is to move Abigail behind him, just to be safe.

From:

becareful_boyo

"Comes of years spent eavesdroppin' in a crowded room," she crows.

Steady, quick, growing less muffled, the regular beats of a large horse come closer. She squints, hand shading her eyes, and almost grins when she recognizes the Lioness.

"Our quarry comes to us, then!"

From:

the_lioness

Alanna draws back on Darkmoon's reins, trotting around Abigail and Raph to slow him down. She's grimy from her detour off the road but not harried, not out of breath from hurry or scowling particularly hard.

Not an emergency, then.

"You've been hunting me?" she asks them, eyebrow raised.

From:

mnt_raph

Raph visibly relaxes when Alanna comes into view, and it's clear there's no grand emergency.

"A bit. Your timin's impeccable, as always."
He casts his glance back towards the forest.

"You alone? We gotta talk."
Because those words are NEVER synonymous with impending doom.

From:

the_lioness

"The children forgot a few of their things," she says, matter-of-fact, and pats the saddle bag behind her as Darkmoon stomps and finally settles down with a snort. "They needed them, and I needed a last ride."

They didn't need them that badly.

Hardly at all, in fact.

Alanna scowls at Raph.

"What's wrong?"