JANE: -Guess who's in the kitchen again? It's this gal. She's been occupying much of her time this way; it's largely to burn off anxious energy in waiting for the fated crew to arrive, but also because she just can't stand boring meals day after day.-
JANE: -She isn't baking right now, surprisingly. She's slowly cooking a nice pot roast for dinner, ingredients fresh from one of her many pieces of portable Crocker tech. Her apron reads "Hot Daddy"; an artifact salvaged from somewhere in the pantry.-
JOEY: =She'd been lying upstairs, staring at the ceiling for hours. It was hard being able to sleep soundly without the threat of being discovered for her human qualities, and at times it was hard to believe she had a family again. Mostly everyone all together and all in one place, too. She'd heard some quiet rummaging in the kitchen below until the vapors rose and holy shit, whatever it was smelled delicious. She's sneaking down the stairs like a kid on Christmas Eve, carefully poking her head around the corner.=
JANE: -She doesn't notice Joey immediately; while the food cooks, she's leafing through a business book she found on a shelf and laid out on the counter before closing it back with a sigh. There's not much point in studying business when the business in question is currently being run by an evil alien sea queen, is there?-
JANE: -She scans the room, and then double takes at a pair of eyes around the doorway.- Oh!
JANE: Good... morning? Not really, but I haven't made any breakfast yet. Sorry. I wasn't sure if anyone was up yet.
JOEY: =She finally came out of hiding and stepped the rest of the way down the stairs, smiling in greeting.=
JOEY: nah its fine im not usually up around this time anyway
JOEY: the jet lags been awful =joke=
JANE: The mysterious interdimensional portal-lag, you mean. Hoo. -It's not that funny, but she's trying to make the most of it.- I understand completely.
JANE: Do you like eggs and bacon?
JOEY: =She perked at this=
JOEY: you mean to say
JOEY: you guys actually have that here?
JOEY: =eyes the refrigerator= 8o
JANE: Well... Sort of.
JANE: I conveniently happen to have a very good storage unit on my person.
JANE: -She's already pulling out pans- How do you like your eggs?
JOEY: =when was the last time she had anything that wasn't grubloaf lathered in grubsauce?= JOEY: oh jane you dont have to go through all that trouble—
JOEY: =fusses.=
JOEY: ....
JOEY: sunny side up
JOEY: =she's WEAK=
JANE: -snrrrk- Me, too.
JANE: Don't worry. This is better than sitting around, stewing in potential doom scenarios. -she produces a package of bacon and cuts it open while the pan heats up on the stove-
JANE: And I could use some breakfast, too...
JANE: Shucks. All I've eaten this morning is a bite of leftover cheesecake.
JOEY: that wont do at all! heres to proper sustenance hahaha
JOEY: =she approacheth= it is only right of me to ask if you need help with any of this
JANE: Hmm...
JANE: Actually, I do need help with something. -glances over at her- I've been pretty curious about all this... estranged family business.
JANE: I just never felt like there was a good time to corral you all and ask about it. Actually, the image itself seems pretty rude.
JOEY: oh
JOEY: well... =she leaned back against one of the counters and sighed, laughing a little helplessly as she dragged a hand down one cheek=
JOEY: where to even start?
JANE: Perhaps the beginning?
JANE: As a genuine suggestion, not a sassy remark.
JOEY: =she glanced up at her and soft laughter replaced her expectant expression.=
JOEY: yeah thats always a good place
JOEY: we were little then
JOEY: dad was an explorer so he was gone often
JOEY: our aunt came to stay with us - mom jude tess and me - she had a baby with her
JOEY: bout a year later some people at her work did something that scared her off =she shrugged= and so she left
JOEY: i guess she didnt want us getting caught up in it but it happened anyway =Joey smiled, shaking her head= from that point on we got really good at camping
TESSERACT: =Soft boof as he comes wagging his entire body down the stairs. He smells FOOD.=
JANE: ... -She can sort of guess what that means, but...- Oh hi, doggy. -casually braces herself against a counter-
JANE: No bacon for you yet!
JANE: Um-- So you-- lost your home? Because of... a bad business venture?
JOEY: yeah—
TESSERACT: boof! =Whines up at jane=
JOEY: :O down tess
JOEY: you know better that that
TESSERACT: =WHINES again but lays his head down right on Jane's foot. licks her leg and looks up with those big puppy eyes=
JOEY: we couldnt really go back to it for a while but soon enough they left us alone and we got to go back
JOEY: guess they figured what could a woman her kids and their dog do? not much of a threat, you know
JANE: A... threat?
JANE: This sounds a little more dastardly than I was imagining.
JANE: Was it... you know... them?
JOEY: =she nods=
JOEY: the same people that have taken over skaianet
JOEY: it was our dad and aunts lifes work
JOEY: and they took it out from under them so easily
JOEY: =she ran her hand on the edge of the counter, just feeling the texture there=
JOEY: one day dad never came home
JOEY: i thought for sure because of his connections theyd gotten to him somehow
JOEY: not very long after that mom never came home either(edited)
JUDE: -at some point during the conversation, jude had come up from the basement, but when he heard the topic of discussion, he wound up lingering in the hall just outside the kitchen. hearing their skeletons get dragged out made him anxious, but it was important that jane knew exactly what they were dealing with -- what his whole family had always been dealing with. he runs his hand along the wall, awkwardly stuck in place.-
JOEY: but we claire-leys don't know when to keep our heads down and mouths shut(edited)
JOEY: jude tess and i went off for some daring do and picked up where dad and aunt jo left off
JOEY: it was better for me to think they were dead cause nothing can hurt you when you expect the worst, right? but jude flat out refused to believe that =She shook her head= he was so much stronger than me - bouncy little optimist
JANE: -Jane can't help laughing a little at that description, despite the story itself.- Well... you can sure tell you're related.
JANE: And... if you don't mind me saying so, I'm sure you gave him plenty of push he might not have had alone. -At least, when she met him, he hadn't really been outside in years.- I think it all works out.
JANE: But how did you end up... Elsewhere?(edited)
JOEY: we both had that effect on each other =she glanced down at the counter again= JOEY: it was a whole stack of things but aunt jos research to put it simply JOEY: its what they were after all those years
JOEY: or one of the things at least
JOEY: that research led us to the portal downstairs which in turn led to skaianet finding out jude and i werent so harmless after all
JOEY: =she shrugged her shoulders, but it was more like brushing off the uncomfortable feeling of that distant memory than to indicate something like indifference=
JOEY: they wanted what we knew and if it hadnt been for jude they would have gotten what they wanted(edited)
JANE: ... I have a feeling this tale is nearing its bitter conclusion. -She watches Joey, brows knitting with some concern at the way she seems more uncomfortable the further this story goes.-
JANE: You don't have to tell me all this if you don't want to. My curiosity isn't worth digging up too many bad feelings.(edited)
JUDE: -with an exhale, he finally moves to join them in the kitchen, eyes down cast but he looks up after he gets his hands on a cookie.- ...
JUDE: hello
JUDE: sorry for interrupting...
JUDE: and also for
JUDE: eavesdropping
JANE: !
JANE: Jude.
JANE: I didn't hear you creeping up.
JANE: ... I didn't mean that the way it sounds.
JOEY: =Her back was to the stairs and she turned, a smile lifting as she saw it was her brother. Wow. She has to get used to them being in the same place again.= hey...
JOEY: =she's relieved he was here. The events leading up to everything were easy to say, and of course on Alternia she changed up a few things to suit her trollsona's history. But she'd never gone so far to explain the separation itself other than that it happened. The fear of never seeing her brother again didn't hang heavy over her head and the past didn't hurt quite so much=
JUDE: -catching a glimpse of her smile, he can't help smiling too.- it's alright
JUDE: creeping is probably technically a good way to describe my... general movement
JANE: Well... as long as we're all agreed. :B
JANE: -drapes a paper towel over a plate and starts piling the cooked bacon on it-
JUDE: heh... -cookies and bacon... part of a balanced breakfast. he didn't think this through.-
JUDE: -also sweats because he disrupted the conversation, which makes it his responsibility to initiate it again.- ...
JUDE: so...
JUDE: bacon
JOEY: =she's staring at Jude, and it's obvious she's staring. Her smile is growing by the moment.=
JOEY: yes! and eggs!
JANE: And cookies, apparently. -gives Jude a GAZE.-
JANE: How do you like your eggs?
JUDE: -HOW YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS... FRIED OR FERTILIZED...-
JUDE: sunny side up
JUDE: to match my sunny outlook on life
JOEY: =she just...smiles at him. How can she not?=
JOEY: good answer.
JANE: -SNORTS-
JANE: I'm glad we are all still in agreement, despite serious flaws in your argument. -cracks another egg in the pan-
JANE: How are things going down there?
JUDE: well... none of my other long lost relatives have jumped out so
JUDE: uneventful, mostly
JUDE: which is fine I guess
JUDE: but I'm still anxious for the UU to get here
JUDE: I feel like they should be here by now
JUDE: what if something happened? maybe alternians attacked their ship and their technicians hacked into all their accounts, pouring over records of everyone's speech patterns to perfectly replicate them when they talk to us
JUDE: or maybe... it was never really them to begin with
JUDE: and they knew we were going to contact them
JUDE: and they've lured us here to back us into a corner and now they're waiting for the perfect moment to extract the portal and do away with us once and for all
JOEY: ...
JOEY: jude
JOEY: you know ive always trusted your gut
JOEY: even though those are a whole lot of maybes, maybe we should take precaution
JOEY: is there an easy way of storing the portal if we have to make a quick getaway?
JOEY: plus, if this place is as heavily fortified as it looks, shouldnt there be another way to exit the building than the front and back doors?
JANE: -She swears she's going to find a camera somewhere to stare in, just watch her.-
JANE: Maybe Jamison would have some ideas? Perhaps a rational suggestion or two.
JUDE: I've been able to store it pretty efficiently but
JUDE: maybe I should dismantle it for now
JUDE: if they do show up we can study it with them
JUDE: ... I've mapped out all the escape routes too
JUDE: I mean I found some of James' blueprints of the house but I
JUDE: also physically went around the house looking for exits...
JUDE: but more eyes help... my dad is really good at finding weaknesses in designs so yeah thanks for the suggestion jane
JOEY: theres no harm in taking precautions
JOEY: should we practice drills?
JANE: -SIGHS-
JANE: -slides eggs onto plate-
JOEY: hehehe you never know, jane!
JANE: Well, let's wait until after breakfast for the main course of hubbub. :B
JOEY: good plan!
JOEY: one should never act on an empty stomach :)
