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[badluckhealer]

[Aggie looks - pretty close to upset when she shows up on the feed. There's some hints that she has been crying (puffy and reddened eyelids, etc.) and she's really struggling not to resume crying.

When she speaks, of course, the reason for this becomes painfully clear.]

I...I am aware that my uncle Jack was - b-better at socializing than I am, so...he's probably got more than a few friends who s-should be told this.

[She swallows and tries to continue, but her voice is shaking all over the place.]

... All evidence points to Uncle having been returned home. I am very sorry.

E-excuse me.

[She turns off the feed in order to get the next fit of tears out before anyone replies. Old habits die hard, after all...]

Comments

[badluckhealer]

T-thank you.

[Wehhhh. She's going to - to try, mostly, to stay calm. ... Easier said than done.]

Thank you...

[meaningdies]

[He sighs, and pulls her close to him, stroking her hair.]

It'll be all right.

[badluckhealer]

I a-apologize...it isn't l-like d-death or anything, but, but still...

[Jack was kind of her favorite relative from when she was bitty onward okay.]

[meaningdies]

You don't have to apologize for your emotions, Agatha. It's perfectly normal to feel this way.

[badluckhealer]

Normal...is strange, though.

[Weh.]

Even so it - it's okay? Normal, that is...

[meaningdies]

Yes. It's totally fine. You can cry all you need. Don't worry about anything right now, just... let yourself feel what you feel.

[For all his snark, he's been a parent plenty of times.]

[badluckhealer]

[Memory swap, remember? She knows. And some time ago she would've been reluctant, given that...well..mythic figure and all.

But basically everything's gone to hell, so there's just a weak nod of assent instead of flailing and attempts to keep "dignified" or whatever.]

[meaningdies]

[He just rubs her back, trying to comfort her. It's okay. No judging here.]

[badluckhealer]

[Snuffle. After a moment of quiet sadness, she tries to disengage - gently - and try to be a proper...welcome-y...person. Still embarrassed, still very much a teenager.]

T-thank you, again, for coming over...I did not interrupt anything important, did I?

[meaningdies]

Not really. I've been working on possible ideas for upgrading the security of the Visitor's network. Technically I'm supposed to prioritize the general city network, but the Visitor's network is smaller and so better suited for testing... and to be honest I'd rather have our network secure than theirs. You never know when things are going to go to hell.

[badluckhealer]

[She actually looks thoughtful about this. She was there during Pandemonium as well, after all.]

... People here don't all approve of us visitors, correct? Then...that's probably a good idea. If things go south and the Visitor network is secure, then we will not need to risk using the public network and potentially endangering ourselves.

- um, that's how it seems, anyway. I-is that anywhere near a correct assumption?

[Weeeeh.]

[meaningdies]

That's right. Then again, it's still on government servers... so if those go down, so does our network.

[Not that he doesn't want to fix that...]

[badluckhealer]

There are no backups? That...seems like a bad idea.

[She has read/watched the news and basically osmosed some computer knowledge, okay. It can't not happen.]

[meaningdies]

There are, but... well. Governments make cuts everywhere...

[badluckhealer]

... oh.

[This is the tone of someone who's heard that song and dance before. Mostly on the news and around school. Disgruntled teachers and all that.]

[meaningdies]

We'll figure something out.

[badluckhealer]

I do not doubt that.

[... She almost ended that with 'sir' again, but managed to stop herself at the last minute. Small steps, Aggie!]

[meaningdies]

[He laughs a little and ruffles her hair.]