W e l p

[passedover]

Video
[For a very brief moment there was what looked like a severe scowl there, none too happy about... anything going on. No words, eyes not focusing on the camera, before within seconds it simply goes dead.

Not doing this today, thanks.]

Action
[The phone had been pocketed after Gabriel had given it a once over, familiarizing himself with what was very much a low-tech sort of phone to him. Wasn't even about to willingly mess with it until he had to, because at the moment there was something more important in mind. Gathering as much information about this predicament as he could.

The hologram had been helpful enough, but he wasn't just going to stop there, oh no.

The Black Ops commander was going to do one of the things he did best; observe and listen to those who were already here. Tuning out most every day conversation that didn't seem important, hood pulled up over his head and walking. Never staying in one area for too long, since he was also familiarizing himself with layouts. Mental mapping. Remaining on his guard all the while.]

As if I didn't have enough weirdness to deal with, had to throw in the strangest abduction I've ever heard of.

[Talking gorilla from the moon was one thing, so was the girl that had to wear a device strapped to her chest to keep firmly planted in their time and reality. Magic dragons.

Now this.]

Comments

(Action)

[hardlightitect]

Good to know I'm not the only one.

[The voice coming from a woman sitting nearby, looking at a very similar phone in front of her. While she's reading, she's playing with some structures on her prosthetic hand.]

Then again, it seems this might happen a lot.

[passedover]

There's probably a club, already passed the membership test.

[A little dryly spoken, but that could have be from the eavesdropping and commenting- or that was simply the nature of the man's humor. Or both, both was probably a safe bet

but at least he had stopped for a moment.]

Going by the hologram and the brochures there? Kinda gives the idea that it does.

[hardlightitect]

Along with a decent amount of the city.

[Turning off the phone, she stands up and dismisses the structures.]

It's better than no welcoming committee... of sorts.

[passedover]

Never said it was an exclusive club.

[Huh. Hard light? Interesting.]

Someone got tired of having to answer questions over an over, I'm sure. At least it gets the job done with those who would stand around and listen.

Action;

[watchesoveryou]

[You know... Mercy has made it a habit to check the Bay and since she goes by it for work, why not. With how many friends or new comers that were arriving recently, she paid close attention to it. She expected to find maybe a stranger, but who she saw was... no stranger. She stopped abruptly upon seeing the familiar figure, trying to take in what was going on.

He was back. But not like.... as the "Reaper", but actual Gabriel Reyes. She had a lot of mixed feelings upon seeing him. Fear being the one the stuck out the most. Fear that she'd lose him like how she was unable to save him. Survivor's guilt to some extent; she was only human and even someone who was on top of her field could make mistakes in times of crisis. He was dressed like his Blackwatch days though. There was no black jacket and hood, and either he had that ridiculous skull mask on with his beanie, or it was like he was wiped clean.

He likely had no memories of being here, so she's not going to even bother bringing that up and it was probably better that way. Once she finally took a deep breath and exhaled, she finally forced her legs to move slowly over to him, lightly tapping his shoulder.]

Gabriel...?

[passedover]

[Figuring out what the Hell is going on was just a natural sort of instinct for him, to get better grounding under his feet and go from there. This was something entirely different from any sort of abduction scenarios he's ever run through because... there's no account for apparently being taken to an entirely different reality.

If that was to be fully believed. Collecting enough information would make that one a clear view, and... already wasn't thought to be impossible with what he'd already dealt with.

The approach wasn't missed, but the touch and being addressed not, head tilting enough to glance back—]

Dr. Ziegler?

[Last he saw of Angela was in the med bay. Then again when wasn't she in whichever med bay depending on which base she was in at the time.]

[watchesoveryou]

[He seemed.... normal enough despite being grumpy and confused; That was a pretty normal reaction upon first coming here.]

So... you just arrived, huh? Did you.. already see what Weiss said about this place? I can help you out with any other questions you'll probably have.

[passedover]

I listened. Anything said that doesn't sit well can be confirmed by just looking around the place.

[This was an abduction and... a very weird one at that. Spirits, necklaces as keys, so on and so forth. Could pick up a newspaper and some of it would probably be confirmed.

Cities full of people taken from other worlds, realities.]

Take it you've been here a while.

action

[hammernhasslehoff]

[It was a pretty usual trip in.

This morning had been a little more... somber, than usual. He spent a little time out in Fayren, a little longer than he'd intended, but then, the privacy was necessary.

If only for a little bit.

At the very least, he knew from personal experience, that she'd be alright. Nothing will have changed, he had nothing to worry about. But it hadn't stopped the pang of loneliness, nor the need to keep to himself for a time.

Still, he had things to do. Food to get, clothes to wash, odd jobs to attend to. Genessia City was a good place to find some temporary work, so there was multiple reasons why the old Crusader was out and about today, armor left behind in the van for now. After all, it was a bit unnecessary to wear it all the time.

He'd paused on the sidewalk at some point, squinting at his phone to check a few lists he'd jotted down, with the very last bits of a sentence, spoken with a very, very familiar voice, prompted him to quickly jerk his head back up, staring down that sidewalk.

Hood or no hood, there was no mistaking that voice, that walk, the way the other man held himself-]

...Herr Reyes...?

[Spoken in such a way that he was sure this... ghost would vanish into thin air the second he made a sound]

[passedover]

Wilhelm.

[It was hard to miss the mountain of a man, more so when he spoke up if attention had been elsewhere; such as looking through the front window of some shop being passed by. Been quite the reflection.

That tone was attention catching as well—]

Looks like you've seen a ghost.

[hammernhasslehoff]

[Seen a ghost. He almost laughed, the sound was... uncharacteristically weak. A huff, the idea of a laugh really, unable to actually look away from him]

... I-

[His emotions were catching up with the sight, threatening to choke off words before he could speak. For just a second, it was as if everything was... as it once was. For the briefest moment, it was just another day, a quick meeting in the hall, just an idle, comfortable, friendly conversation with Gabriel Reyes-

His eyes stung.]

Am I not?

[passedover]

[Just trade the hall for some strange place so many people had been abducted to, wrapping his head around seeing familiar faces at all and.. people carrying on as if everything was some form of normal. Making some life here since they were stuck.

It was easier to try and keep calm rather that act on panic, had to keep his cool under much more dangerous conditions but this?

The fact that Reinhardt Wilhelm was standing there before him and... tearing up like h was about to cry was not what he'd expected at all. He'd heard from the man maybe a few days ago. What the hell happened?

So hands had slipped from pockets and were held up in half a sort of placating way just near his chest.]

No, you're not. Far as I know I'm completely one of the living, big guy.

action

[whiskeydad]

[Sometimes later, after they had ran into each other at the pods. after Robert wandered around enough to hate the place more, he comes almost face to face with the man again.]

[Pausing, his head tilted, then he snorted.] Hey. It's you again. Guess this is a small enough city, huh?

[passedover]

This part of it, at least. There's apparently a few more connected. [This guy again.

One way to meet people, wake up in some pod at the same time. Still, there was an eyeroll when it was said and just, a bit of irritation. This place was already throwing shit at him.]

I take it looking around didn't do much for you.

[whiskeydad]

Nova and Everglade, I hear, are shit. A trip to B movie hell, or somethin'. [He shrugged. So far this city was.... dumb but not terrible. It's not Maple Bay though, and he doesn't want to be here.]

Found a few bars. got a few free drinks for being "New". [Yes, he did jsut air quote that.] Otherwise, still stuck here.

[passedover]

Didn't hear anything about Fayren? [However that one was pronounced again. Take a little while to get used to those names as much as he would rather not.

An eyebrow arched slightly. Well, everyone had their own priorities.]

Probably going to be stuck here for a while, considering everything I've gathered.

text;

[stillplayingsoldier]

[ Gabriel Reyes. Not the Reaper.

Funny how the man looks exactly how Jack remembers Gabriel being. Back when the man was still his best friend. Before Oslo was blown sky high. Before the world knew about Blackwatch and threw all of them under the microscope and started questioning if Overwatch truly was meant to be for the best of mankind.

...Thing is about memory and looks. It can be faulty.

He really shouldn't comment. He shouldn't. But, he has to know. ]

Not even going to bother asking any questions about anything. Real impressionable guy you must be.

[passedover]

[Well.

The damn thing acted like a phone at least, would have to figure out how to get such an old school piece of technology on silence- or that was just his irritation over the situation talking.

Still, this was suspicious. Either he'd accidentally dialed someone while looking it over or... well.]

You the type of guy that trusts a public at large that can say just about whatever they liked? I'd rather confirm the available information myself before tossing it up for the peanut gallery.

[... He did squint a bit after sending that seeing what information was there of the 'calling' party.]

[stillplayingsoldier]

[ Message boards suck, don't they? ]

Public opinion changes on a whim. There's not much point in trusting it.

Most of them will tell you that damn hologram explains everything. It doesn't.

[ It sounds like Gabriel. Cautious, methodical. Apparently not entirely dismissive if he bothered letting the damn video play. Then again, Jack had pressed the wrong button to start his own video feed. ]

action;

[mcscuseme]

[ McCree has been here long enough to know how things work. How fucked up shit is. People come from random points in time with no rhyme or reason — ghosts from the past he'd like to avoid show their faces and taunt him. He's been doing his best to avoid most of them.

He moves a lot from city to city, does some bounty hunting or odd jobs on the side and then wanders off to the next job. He's passing through just as Reyes comes up the road, catching the other man's eye without a second thought as they walk right by one another. He stops a few feet away, once his brain catches up to what his eyes just saw, and dares to glance back - thinking, perhaps, it was just figment of his imagination. ]

[passedover]

[Reyes wasn't quite searching for faces he knew, that could come after he felt like he had ground to stand on and wouldn't just be grasping blindly for help. No, it'd be better if he could offer anything more than been fresh out of the pod; no denial of help he just..

Gabriel was precautions because of the entire situation, and some would rightfully call it paranoia, but he din't survive as long as he did by blindly accepting things at face value.

Something caught up with him, something he'd seen, that was so vaguely familiar that it had stopped him in his walk as if trying to puzzle it out from everything else he'd seen in passing. Even had him tugging his hood down as his head turned and—

What?]

[mcscuseme]

[ He still has a chance to turn around, walk away, and pretend like nothing happened. Pretend he didn't see anything and just let this ghost be a ghost. But things don't work like that — avoiding him would only put off the inevitable. They would run into each other again, they would see one another on the network or something, someone would slip up.

Time's fucked up in Genessia, he knows, but that doesn't change the future back home, does it? Gabriel Reyes is dead, has been dead for years, and McCree has been gone for just as long hoping to forget and to do things different.

He doesn't take advantage of the moment, and turns instead to face Reyes as he does the same. He's older than the man likely remembers, scruffier and world-weary, but with that same fire in his eyes and a god damn cigar in his mouth. ]

Well, ain't that somethin'. [ he says more to himself than to Gabriel, uncertain how to respond with a knot in his stomach and his teeth grinding together. He has a lot of feelings. ] I'd say long time not see, but I reckon that wouldn't make much sense for ya, would it?

action!

[astralera]

[ Era has taken to spending an hour or two each day in Genessia near the Bay, hoping that someday soon Aymeric will emerge from one of the pods and they might be reunited. With every passing day she finds her hope waning, but Era ignores the festering doubt.

Today she has found a bench to sit on, keeping her tail curled against her side rather than hanging through the slats behind her. It taps a steady, calming rhythm against the wood as she writes out new geometric equations in her grimoire. She keeps her head tilted slightly in a way that leaves one of her horns with more surface area toward the Bay, giving her a better range of in that direction. If her husband arrives she wants to know right away, after all.

Her Emerald Carbuncle ^{(1, 2)} lingers near her, remaining on the ground as opposed to forcing its way onto her lap like a stubborn cat. It's quite clearly keeping guard for its mistress, knowing that when she's focused on arcanima she has a harder time acknowledging her surroundings in a timely manner.

Emmy notices Gabriel first. It lowers itself to the ground, getting into a position that would make it able to jump more quickly if need be while still remaining non-hostile. Emmy hasn't the anatomy to make any sounds but does alert Era of the nearby presence via the link they have as summoner and summon. Era looks up from her grimoire, blinking at the man who is a reasonable distance away.

It's very easy to recognize that he's some manner of warrior, or soldier. It's just as easy to recognize that he's a new arrival. She hesitates to call out a greeting. Normally she wouldn't bother at all, but it's hard for her to ignore someone who may need some assistance. Worrying her bottom lip as she considers what she should do, Era finally decides to offer a greeting when he acknowledges her presence. When and not if, because given the way he holds himself it is an inevitability. ]

[passedover]

[Waking up in a pod with a bunch of things and just—This was maybe up there with some of the worst way Reyes had ever waken up, just under most of the times he'd woken up in some med bay somewhere. Having to walk through water after that just helped the reality sink in.

Of course he had been running over the possibilities of what this was, along with entertaining the thoughts it was what it said at face value with what came with the Red Bills and just.

Today was strange and he expected it to get stranger.

... Like the creature that was staring at him and it's companion who looked as if she wanted to say something once his attention was drawn upwards. A severe scowl turning into a lighter and more curious expression.]

Waiting?

[Not asking if for someone or not, just... Waiting.]

[astralera]

[ Era is somewhat taken aback by the question, her tail falling still at her side. It's not an unreasonable one to ask, though she's surprised to hear it from this stranger in such a manner. It isn't accusatory or pitying, just. A question. ]

For a time, yes.

[ She tucks her quill back into its holder along the spine of her grimoire and then closes the tome, though she keeps it close at hand on her lap. ]

You have just arrived?