010; accidental video/action; early hours of day 75

[afallenstar]

[ Of course she's been trying to leave since the moment she had been taken, but it hasn't worked. Each and every attempt had been completely unsuccessful, with literally no effect whatsoever.

Until, that is, when one attempt finally does work.

The feed kicks in with enough time to show little more than white light, almost like there's a problem with the video, and there's the faint sound of wings. It fades fast though, along with the light, and it's replaced with the slightly dishevelled looking face of one missing angel. She's out of breath, a little dizzy and definitely disoriented, but the one thing she does before anything else is drop a hand over the communicator. It's black for a few seconds while she fumbles with the buttons, and then the feed cuts out.

Welcome back to Kore, Anna. ]

Comments

[servingmichael]

Anna.

[ It's almost, but not quite, a call. ]

Are you well?

[afallenstar]

That depends on your definition of well.

[ Slightly tense, but look big brother you still kind of scare her in a big way. Family is great and everything, but just like she can't ever quite let Castiel's betrayal slip her mind, she can't forget that he had her hunted for daring to leave. ]

The others said it's been a few days. It seems...our captors were responsible for this, since I didn't go home.

[servingmichael]

Do you need assistance?

[ He understands - most than she knows - that's she's wary. He's trying to not loom, even if that's what he wants to do. ]

Yes it has.

[ That she didn't go home was a good thing. ]

Which is why I am concerned.

[afallenstar]

Only if you know how to fix whatever memory wipe they've done on me.

[ She smiles, weak but still there. She's really trying not to be so nervous around him, it's just a work in progress. ]

Concerned? You and me both. No one likes finding out their brains have been a play thing.

[servingmichael]

I'm sorry to say I can't tell you without a closer look.

[ He probably could but not here - and he's not explaining that either. ]

No, I'd imagine not.

[afallenstar]

[ There's a very notable hesitation before she responds to that, but she does respond, and it's hardly perfect but it's still a hell of an improvement on where they'd been at home. ]

If you...could look closer, would you?

[servingmichael]

I can't be sure without looking.

[ It's why he's giving her space - and time - to figure it out. ]

[afallenstar]

[ It's...not easy. Balthazar told her that Raphael had been looking out for them all, Samadriel told her the same. She appreciates it, she really does, and it does a lot in her mind, but it's still a big decision. She's still got to take a moment.

It's not exactly like she wants to just leave it though. They messed with her memories, and if she can get even some of that back, of course she's going to take it. ]

Okay. ...Okay, look. Whenever you've...got time, or want to, that's fine. I'll be at the house.

[servingmichael]

Do you want time to get settled? I'm very rarely busy here.

[ He's even trying to be courteous. ]

[afallenstar]

It's not like there's a lot to take up our time here, really.

[ It's supposed to be a joke, except she's really not laughing, and after a moment of it falling flat she just lets it die. She never was all that funny anyway.

And she can see that effort, really she can. It's appreciated. ]

Give me...a couple of hours. I'll call for you?

[ And if all goes to plan, that's exactly what she'll do. Try to calm down a little, pace the house a lot, and eventually, as promised, make the only slightly hesitant reach out with her Grace once she's settled in the garden a few hours later. ]

[servingmichael]

Oh course. Take you time.

[ He'll wait - he's not too pressed for time at the moment. The slight tough of Grace is met with a gentle but stronger one, calm at least on the surface. A moment later, and he's there, quietly. ]

[afallenstar]

[ His arrival is met with silence on her part, but then again that's not a dramatic surprise. She's trying remarkably hard to act calm in the face of something that still presents her with such confusion, and so she waits a beat or two before turning to look at him with something akin to a smile. Tense, sure, and a little sad, but still a smile. ]

Raphael. [ She nods her head lightly, then folds her arm as she takes a few steps in approach. ] I hear you're rounding the family up and calling here base camp.

[ Not that she disapproves, honestly. Trying times upon them, these. ]

[servingmichael]

[ Raphael's shoulders are drawn, tensed across the line the draw under his jacket, his jaw working as he forced the tension out of it, only have it to set in again.

It's not friendly, but what it is is probably more telling: Unguarded.

He does though, make an attempt to smile back - but it's weak and never reaches his eyes. ]

Anna. Those that I could corral, yes. Seemed safer.

[afallenstar]

It's a good idea. Someone should be looking out for them all.

[ She'd tried to hard to make that her while she'd been here. It's good to hear that someone else had picked up the mantle while she'd been gone, even if this is a little more extreme than anything she'd done. Two of them had been taken though, it's hardly all that outlandish to assume the rest would be next. ]

So, do you think this will work? [ She folds her arms tight over her chest, only a little hunched as she takes a few steps closer. ] Do you think you'll find these missing memories?

[servingmichael]

Yes, someone should.

[ Someone not him, for all it was his job. He just knew he wasn't cut out for it, not alone. He'd proven that to himself. ]

I'm not sure. We are limited here, in ways we aren't at home.

[afallenstar]

I'll help, you know. Whatever I can. I don't want to see them hurt any more than you do. Samandriel...

[ That had been a shock for her, but certainly not an unwelcome one. It's been so long since she's seen him, she can't help but let the small, selfish part of her feel just a little happy that he's shown up here. ]

Oh, trust me. I know. [ She laughs lightly, entirely unamused as she shoves her hands into her pockets before giving a small shrug. ] ...Thank you. For trying, at least.

[servingmichael]

I'm glad you will, or how much I delight in hearing you say that.

[ It's sincere, if ghosted with guilt. It had been all he had wanted from her, when they had drug her back. ]

You're welcome. I suggest you have a seat.