User: #dc143c

[lonered]

[USER: #DC143C]

Hey. Uh. It's Keith.

Something just happened to me, and I don't know if it's happened to anyone else.

I went home. I went home for months. But I'm also not sure I even really left? I've been gone... quiznak, a few days here? Maybe? It's confusing but I swear it's real. I remember all of it.

And more than that, I've got the injuries to back it up. You can't fake a fighter crash injuries under battle wounds just like that. And older scars I didn't have before I...

[He's fine. But the impressively colorful display of bruises and minor cuts that cover most of his body is pretty distinct at the moment, and not something he thinks could come from much besides exactly what he remembers happening. It all matches up perfectly.]

Anyway. I woke up in the woods. I don't remember going out there, but I must have. And someone or something stole my shoes, so that's... also awesome.

Has this happened to anyone else? What the hell is going on?

Oh.

Turns out I'm alive after all, by the way, if anyone was wondering. Back home, I mean.

And I have a mother.

[It has been... a really really weird day. He needs a hug. And to beat the crap out of something, but there's no training deck here so that's unfortunate.]

Comments

#E00707

[parodeity]

what injuries
where are you ill come patch you up

[ IGNORING...MOST OF THAT...since he can't see the injuries... ]

[lonered]

I'm fine. Just a rough landing and a little battle that didn't go according to plan. The worst of it is my feet. Assholes taking my shoes.

I'm at my house. Really, I'm all right. Other than... really, really mixed up.

#CC0000

[murdery]

[color]

congrats!!

[lonered]

Thanks? I think. Which part is that a congrats to?

#FFDF00

[inheritance]

Are you at your house now?

[He'd noticed Keith's absence in the last couple of days, and it would feel wrong not to go see him in person.]

[lonered]

Yeah. Back... back here. Like I never left.

It's so surreal.

[crowsigliere]

[ Color ]

You didn't remember anything about this place while you were gone...?

I suppose that rules out the malevolent intent behind our arrival here. It would be far crueler to leave those memories intact.

[lonered]

I don't think it rules out anything. Just creates more questions.

Maybe they didn't want to chance me trying to find and come back for you guys. Maybe they knew they were dragging me right back. I'm so sick of maybes.

#FF471A

[brightlyshines]

KEITH!!!

[Seems like someone discovered capslock. But Estelle is overjoyed to see this message after days of not finding Keith anywhere in town. ]

I'm so glad you're alright....! You really went home?!?! No wonder I couldn't find you.

Re: #FF471A

[lonered]

Estelle. Hi.

Yeah, I mean. I think so. It seems like it should be impossible. It's only been a few days, and I was home for such a long time.

But I know it was real. Somehow I was there.

#ECC151

[salutations]

[color]

So you learned that you were alive and that you weren't a test tube baby all in one fell swoop! The only way it would be more impressive is if you found some evidence of how we got here.

Did you run into your mentor as well?

Re: #ECC151

[lonered]

Uh. I knew I wasn't a test tube baby.

I knew I had a mother at one point. Hell I even knew she wasn't human. But I'd never... I didn't... expect to ever meet her.

[Okay. The evidence part.]

Yeah, kind of. Just... we've both had our own missions.

#3630FF

[messianic]

( Color )

That's...a lot to process. I know a lot of people are checking up on you, but do you mind if I come by a bit later when you're less swamped? It's Minato.

Re: #3630FF

[lonered]

Yeah. I'm not sure I'm doing so great at that part right now.

[His thoughts are frantic and flying too fast for him to keep up with.]

Sure. You can even come through the front door this time. Instead of the upstairs window.

[Just. Saying.]

#ffff99

[troubadamsel]

[Hmmm. As far as Maribelle's concerned, there's still an argument for hallucination or dreaming, but... at the mention of his mother, she'll hold her tongue for now. She has no idea what that situation is like, but she's not going to make things painful when they don't have to be.]

Are you in ant pain? Do you need my magic?

[lonered]

It's nothing that won't heal. Back home they wouldn't even have bothered with a healing pod.

Thank you, though.

#0715CD

[windeity]

man.
glad to see you're back and mostly in one piece in that case.
and congrats on being alive, since that was definitely questionable...
...do you have new shoes now or are you still barefoot?

[Maybe not an important question and yet here we are.]

[lonered]

Glad to be mostly in one piece.

And yeah, thanks. Pretty pumped about the whole still living thing. Like, definitely the better option.

Uh. Still barefoot. I have my Blade suit if I need it.

[Which is legit space onesie so it has feet but he's actually found himself clothes that are not a skin tight body suit while he's been here. Because he can't wear the same thing every day. What is he a cartoon character.]

#EA0000

[theshowsover]

(color)

[That's... a lot, wow.]

Congrats on not being dead, and having a mom.
Do you need help finding shoes?

This is Akira, in case you don't remember.

[lonered]

Hey, Akira.

Thanks, I think. I mean, not being dead is pretty great. I'd forgotten I ever worried about it though. Until I got back here.

Shoes would be pretty helpful actually. My feet are pretty pissed off that I hiked out of the woods barefoot. But not like I had a choice.

#4FB6C3

[totheno1]

(color)

[That is certainly an interesting turn of events.]

So it was like being sent back into a pocket of time and then returning...

[Then he quickly adds;]

If you need healing, let me know.

[lonered]

Something like that, yeah. I won't pretend I understand how things like time and alternate dimensions work, not the real mechanics behind it. But it had to be something like that.

Thanks, but I'll survive. Just roughed up a bit, nothing I'm not used to.

#A5211F

[swordfucker]

(color)

It's Guren.

Always with the woods. It's good if you're okay, but keep monitoring yourself and tell someone if anything feels strange. While you were home, did you remember this place at all?

[lonered]

Yeah, everything leads back to the forest. It's no coincidence. It can't be.

Yeah, I will.

As for remembering, no. Not at all. It was like I never left in the first place. Like I went back to the exact moment they grabbed me from the first time and kept going like nothing had happened.

#030066

[passio]

[ color! ]

For months... I wonder why you were called back here after such a long amount of time.

How is your mother?

Re: #030066

[lonered]

I don't know. But time here didn't move the same. It's only been a few days here.

Uh. She's... alive? Tall. Very purple.

[That is not what he was asking and Keith knows it but he has no idea how to answer the actual question.]

#A2F9FF

[satanslash]

you... went home

[That's possible? To leave and come back?

Does he even want to go home? Facing Yukio, and whatever was going to come after that moment...]

did you get to meet her?
your mom i mean

[lonered]

Yeah! Somehow... it doesn't make any sense. But it happened.

I did. Kind of. I mean, I got sent to extract an operative and it turned out to be her. But I didn't find out it was her until the mission was over. And then suddenly I'm back here.

#1A2367

[nascere]

dude are you ok
what do you mean 'turns out you're alive after all'
were you dead??

[lonered]

Yeah, I'm fine.

And no, but I thought I was. Before the last thing I remembered before winding up here was being seconds away from collision with a huge spaceship. Turns out someone else intervened last minute.