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[ Much like everyone else post-mission, Della looks exhausted as hell. But! She is trying to smile. ]

Hey guys. So, uh... not... the best ending to a mission, but we still succeeded! Kinda, sorta. And we're all alive! Kinda, sorta. ... Right, should probably get to the point before you all get mad at me.

Before the mission started, I got a hole in my prosthetic leg. And while it wasn't a huge deal during the mission, it got pointed out to me I should probably get it looked at anyway... At least, I promised I would after the mission. So, here I am.

[ She leans down, and, pop! Holds up her leg - it looks like an odd one, with some metal parts held together by gauze. There is a pretty noticeable hole in the lower half. ]

I made this out of rocket-ship parts. Kind of a long story. So, with all that out of the way, anyone know how to fix this?

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Well, you reminded me of something else I forgot. You mind if I come over while you're asking for a repair job?

Hm? Sure, head on over anytime. What's up?

I wanna talk about space. Heard you had a few adventures out there! [ Or one. But regardless- ] I'll be over!

[ Unless she has reason to stop him right there, he'll disconnect from the call to make his way to where Della is. Maybe not as bright in his cheer as usual, but he's still got a smile bright and a wave to welcome her with. ]

'Sup! Getting any bites for your leg?

Huh?

[ Well, true she's had adventures in space, but... both times being in space were not Good Times!!! But he's already gone. Hoo boy.

She's taken a seat by the time he comes over, popping her leg back on. ]

Yeah, we're just setting up a time and place for it all, I'm good. What's up with you?

I'm fine. All patched up, healed. Now's just feeling sluggish and too out if it to really do anything productive.

[ You do a lot of everything for a week, you just went to be braindead and do nothing for a while. ]

But I heard you went to the moon! [ He slips into a seat as he says it. ] You never told me.

Well... it's not exactly a fun story, Tidus.

[ She sighs, running a hand through her hair. ]

... Do you remember before the Halloween party, when all those people we missed were haunting the train?

[ She doubts he'd forget such an awful thing, but he's going to get context for her freak out. ]

...Yeah, [ he says slowly. ] You saw your family, right? Your kids?

[ Whoo boy. He's getting a feeling he's been missing a detail here, about Della's life... ]

... I've told you how my family is full of adventurers and explorers. Me, my twin brother Donald, and our Uncle Scrooge... the three of us would travel the world to find treasure and discover new places. Eventually, it started to feel like we were running out them. This was around the time I laid my eggs... er, had my kids.

[ She assumes you guys don't lay eggs. Anyway. ]

So I thought the next place to start our adventures would be in space. Scrooge was all for it... Donald, not so much. He argued that since I was a mom now, I needed to start taking responsibility and stop being so reckless. So... Scrooge wound up building a rocket-ship in secret. He planned to surprise the both of us, but I found out first.

... I really... I thought I knew better. One little fun ride. I knew everything about airplanes, so I figured flying a rocket-ship wouldn't be any different. I took off, not caring about anyone but myself. It was the most selfish thing I'd ever done... and I really paid the price for it.

I got caught in an asteroid field... I couldn't dodge any of it. I got hit, hard, and landed on the moon.

... It cost me my leg... and ten years away from my family.

[ ...it's a story heavier than Tidus expects to hear. He thought he remembered something about when Madoka spoke about it, but there's been time since, the whole 'was on the moon' section of that tale remembered. And now...

He's not sure where it's going until Della finishes, and his face is sympathetic, brow lowered, mouth an uncomfortable line. ]

Della... [ He pauses, needing to find words even to say. ] I'm sorry... for your family too. It...

[ 'Must have been terrible'. No- ]

...I know what it's like. Losing family suddenly. [ A small lift at the edges of his mouth. ]

My dad got too close to a fiend, out at sea. We thought he died. Turned out, [ said on a mirthless huff, ] he got disappeared to the real world.

[ A way he doesn't mean to describe it, but he says it without thinking. ]

[ Della glances at him, appreciating the sympathy... but, boy, those last two worlds really throw everything off. She blinks, squinting a bit in confusion. ]

Real World? What do you mean?

[ What do you mean what do you mean- ]

Oh.

[ --oh.

... ]

... Long story. [ He points at himself, waving the finger a little. ] I'm not - well. You know, what happened to me? I live, uh... somewhere different from the rest of Spira. We can't exactly leave there, usually.

But, my dad did. [ He motions to himself. ] Then I did, ten years later.

[ ... That explained diddly squat, but, sure, okay. ]

... Right. Well. Did your dad leave by choice, or by fiend?

Not by choice. He went out training, liked go out to sea and do it. Then - he just never came back.

[ Just like that. Gone. ]

...Did Scrooge tell the others about the rocket-ship? After you disappeared?

The only other people who found out what happened was Donald, and some of the people working for my Uncle... they had to make him stop searching for me or otherwise the entire company and my Uncle would go broke. He spent so much of his millions re-making the ship, hiring professionals to go out and search the stars for me, over and over.

... Donald took the eggs - kids - and raised them himself. He and Scrooge didn't speak again all those years... because Donald blamed him for what happened to me. But he never told the kids what happened, just that I was "gone". They didn't even know that Scrooge was their uncle.

[ And by the tone of her voice, she blames that on herself as well. She tore her family apart. ]

That's... that really sucks, Della.

[ To understate it. But he means it too, every piece of it. The heartache, the family lost. The time lost.

And now she's here, away from everyone again. His face is grave, sombre. She should be with the family she already missed a decade being with.

He runs a hand through his hair. ]

How long have you been with them? Now? Until- [ He motions a hand out at the train. ]

A couple of months... the time really flew.

[ She smiles wistfully. ]

... It's not all depressing. To make a long story short, Donald and the boys wound up living with Scrooge, even before I came home. And my kids have become so amazing... they're smart, they're funny, they're brave... Donald did a perfect job raising them. And now, we're all together again.

[ ... barring the train, but, still. ]

[ It does get a smile out of Tidus, listening to her. A few months - a lot can happen in a few months, he knows that, so he's glad they got that long... and even more, once she gets to go back home.

She will. She will. ]

Tell me about them. Your kids, [ he clarifies. ] Don't think you ever got into them before. I know about your brother, but what are they like? They as into adventures as you?

[ The right way to go, Tidus - she LOVES talking about her kids, and she brightens up a whole lot. ]

Huey, Dewey, and Louie! They're the best! They love adventures, and are so good at them! Huey's got all these great historical facts memorized, Dewey's braver than anyone I know, and Louie can see every angle before the enemy can!

Whoa whoa, you saying they get into as much trouble as you? [ Which is a surprise given on a delighted note. ] What kinda enemies are we talking about? Other adventurers? People digging around the same ancient temples half in ruins as you?

[ He gives that the spooky flair it deserves. But he definitely remembers hearing about the trouble Della got up with her brother! ]

All that and more! Even before I came home! Louie managed to escape the wrath of a vengeful mummy! Dewey took on singing sky pirates! And Louie discovered a whole new species underground!

[ Whose kids are the best? HERS!!!! ]

Wow, okay, last one? Its own special kind of cool. But does anyone else get into as much trouble as your family? [ Aha- ] You've got something new going on each week!

...

... And what's the deal with singing sky pirates? [ look he's really itching to know about that one! ]

They hijacked my uncle's plane in mid-air, all while singing. It was... really weird, from what I hear, but an amazing distraction while they took away the family's latest treasure. Dewey was feeling kinda unappreciated, so he stowed away with the pirates... and even became their captain!

Like... could there be anyone cooler than my Dewey?!

[ okay how does a kid just become the captain of the sky pirates, did he pull an enna.

but also- ]

Y'know, I'm going to start thinking they might be cooler than their mum at this rate. [ Heheh- ] Have you ever taken over your own stolen ride back from singing pirates?

Nope! Those kids are going to be way more cool than I ever was!

[ When it comes to her babies? Yeah, they're way better than her. She doesn't mind saying it. ]

I'm so proud of them. They already learned some of the most important things it took me years to understand.

Like what?

[ He asks it, eyes raised curiously. Come on...! Tidus wants to hear about important lessons! ]

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sos_pilot - 2020-12-06 14:00 (UTC) - Expand

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