come on, let's see what you've got

[nostalgiabomb]

Who: Peter Quill (nostalgiabomb) and maybe you?!
What: memshares and quests!
When: April??
Where: mostly Wyver and the Edrathe Ruins
Warning(s): possible violence; mentions of child murder


i. private: oh telephone line, give me some time; backdated to April 9th-ish

[ Do the Guardians have a group chat? They probably do. That sounds like it should be a thing, right? If not, apparently Peter is creating it by sending the following message: ]

Does anyone want to explain to me why I keep getting stuffed in a freezer up in space?

I'm starting to feel like last night's leftovers.

[ He's probably not expecting a real answer. Or any answer at all, honestly. Mostly he just wants to give a heads-up that he's back. Somehow. For better or worse. ]

ii. wyver: of red and black;

[ Peter's still reasonably sure that both Olympia and Wyver are batshit insane, so he feels no obligation to exhibit any sort of loyalty to either side. Especially not after those crazy cultists dropped him off in a maze with little more than a quick pat on the back and a, "Good luck not dying."

Assholes.

Apparently the craziness is more or less over, but Peter is still wary about stepping back into Wyver, even with the so-called "tour group." He knows his way around the city, but there's something to be said about playing dumb. He keeps his wits about him, keeps one hand hovering close to the grip of his blaster, and keeps an eye out for suspicious activity with all the attention he usually reserves for when he thinks someone with sticky fingers is about to pick his pocket.

When they reach the Forge, he pauses at the displays. The items aren't for sale, but a smith humors him and pulls out a sword to let Peter examine it.

He doesn't know what the fuck he's looking for – swords aren't really his thing – but, listen, Peter's a simple guy, and swords are really cool. ]

iii. forgetting is so long, vol. 1;

[ Wherever you were, whatever you were doing, it doesn't matter.

Welcome to the jungle.

—No, just kidding. But you are standing in the clearing of some sort of dense forest, with bright sunlight filtering down through the thick canopy. All things considered, it's not too different from some of the wooded areas on El Nysa.

What might come as a surprise is the boy clad in maroon standing with a blaster raised. The uniform he wears looks brand new and pristine, as does the gun he's weilding. Beside him, a blue-skinned man, his own uniform clearly older and well-used, leans over his shoulder.

"Get the target in your sights, Quill," the blue-skinned man says. "Line it up. Take your time."

The boy, Quill, apparently, tries to smother his smile and fails at it entirely. He aims at a target carved into the bark of a wide, petrified tree. He breathes, and on his third exhale, he squeezes the trigger. The blast of plasma surges from the gun, slamming into the tree a foot below the target. His smile fades a little, but the blue-skinned man beside him barks out a proud laugh, tousling the boy's hair.

"Now, that ain't bad, boy. That ain't bad at all. Try it again." ]

iv. forgetting is so long, vol. 2;

[ In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree:

Welcome to a giant, ornately decorated palace, with what looks like floating pearlescent eggs lining a single pathway. In it, a grey-haired man stands with Peter Quill. And the bastard is monologuing while Peter stands literally hypnotized, his eyes glazed over with thousands of stars. Explaining his evil plan to dominate the cosmos. Complaining about the failures after he banged his way through the galaxy to make a magic kid.

Charming. ]

v. edrathe ruins: actual pillars;

[ Peter has a bad habit of throwing himself into work when he wants to avoid thinking about certain things. Easier to keep himself occupied than to dwell, right? Plus, the siren call of a pocketful of silver definitely helps.

A couple of jobs take him to the same place, so why not kill two birds with one stone?

The Edrathe Ruins are every bit as creepy as Peter imagined. Dead and deserted. The sort of place that would definitely spew out animated skeletons or zombies or a million different shambling monsters, if given half a chance. ]

You don't think these pillars are cursed, do you? Or, like, secretly guarding some all-powerful weapon? I have a bad track record with ancient relics.

vi. edrathe ruins: secret cache and/or crystal drops;

[ Archaeology and recovering history lost to time is all good and well, and maybe searching out the pillars scratched an old itch in Peter to live out a life Indiana Jones might be proud of, but better still is the promise of profit.

And even better is the promise of "riches beyond your wildest dreams" – and Peter's dreams can get pretty buckwild, honestly.

It's why he finds himself here, in the ice cave of doom. He's had some shitty experiences with chilly caves in the recent past, but apparently that hasn't deterred him. He holds aloft a burning torch – how sadly low-tech is that? – with gloved hands. ]

Okay. No sudden movements, keep your eyes peeled, keep moving, and we should probably get through this without losing any fingers or toes.

vii. wildcard;

want to throw him into your memory? go for it! want a different memory? pm this journal or pp me at lampshading!

Comments

[godslay]

Because you're the one who was back in that pod.

[ Again, apparently – though Gamora hadn't been awake for the first time he was out.

But neither she nor any of the other Guardians returned to a pod, so clearly, Peter is the only link here. ]

So what did you do?

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah, fine, you caught me. I totally thought it'd be a fun idea to just check myself into Hotel Freezer Aisle for a little while. Take a load off. Catch up on some Z's. Figured I deserved the break, you know?

[ But the act only lasts so long before he circles right back around to exasperation. ]

I didn't do anything.

[godslay]

[ She's completely unimpressed and unenthused by the sarcasm, but she only maintains that thunderous look for a few more seconds—

And then lets her hands drop from her hips.

It's not resignation, and she's still tense all over, but she at least lowers herself down into the seat opposite him at the table. ]

Then what happened?

[nostalgiabomb]

How the hell should I know?

[ There's still a bit of a bite to his words – mostly because he doesn't like getting put on the back foot from the word go. And Peter ends up on the defensive a lot, especially with Gamora, which he doesn't entirely appreciate. ]

One second, I'm in one place, and the next, I'm waking up in a bunk up here like I just finished off one hell of a bender.

[godslay]

You just disappeared, Peter.

[ She figures that warrants at least some of her upset. She was left panicked, looking for him all over, trying to find him, only to return to the pods to see his face waiting for her behind glass. She didn't know what had happened or what changed or when he'd wake again, and—

She'd been worried.

She doesn't like to be worried. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He opens his mouth to respond, except—

He doesn't really know what to say, really. He shuts his mouth again, ducking his head to give his half-eaten sandwich far more attention than it deserves, then, ]

I don't know what happened.

[ This comes out far less defensively, at least. More conversational than get off my back, jeez. ]

I don't know if anything did happen, honestly. For all I know maybe those Natha guys just like chucking me back into stasis.

[godslay]

[ She's quiet as she processes that, her lips pressed into a thin line as she looks away from his face to spend a little time examining his sandwich instead. ]

I don't like that this has happened more than once.

[ Once is more easily dismissed as a fluke or an emergency or... at least less concerning than a second time. ]

But you still remember everything since we woke together?

[nostalgiabomb]

Makes two of us, at least.

[ He glares at the sandwich for a beat longer before huffing out an exasperated breath.

If Gamora didn't already seem so pissed at him, he might use this moment to make a joke.

Like, maybe he'd look at her blankly and ask, "Remember what, exactly?" Or he'd shrug and say, "I dunno, it's all kind of a blur."

Or maybe he'd waggle his eyebrows at her, playing up the double-meaning of "waking up together."

But considering she already seems, like, one wrong word away from literally punching out his teeth— ]

Yeah. I do. So I've got that goin' for me, at least.

[godslay]

[ A hint of that tension finally eases from her shoulders. That's more promising than a blank slate, and for now, that's good enough.

(Looks like he can keep his teeth.) ]

And nothing feels different?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ A pensive sort of pause, then, ]

Not... really?

[ He frowns, tapping the tip of his nail against the table. ]

I mean, other than feeling half-starved and a little groggy and like I need a really hot drink, nothing really out of the ordinary.

[ He huffs out a sigh, scrubbing at his face. ]

How long have I been gone?

[godslay]

Almost a month.

[ Too long. ]

You were in the house, and then you weren't.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... okay. That's—

—No. Hang on. Recalibrating.

Wait. No, that's—

Okay, clarification is clearly needed, here: ]

Hang on. Back up.

How long?

[godslay]

Three and a half weeks, Peter.

[ A long. Damn. Time. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... Yeah. That's.

Really long. ]

Well... shit.

[ Almost dully.

But— there's not much he can do about the lost time now, and he grimaces to himself, scrubbing his eyes. ]

Have you guys been okay?

[godslay]

[ She nods once. ]

Mantis is a hero of Wyver now.

[ So at least there's that? It's garnered a great deal of attention for her, which has been a bit... overwhelming. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His mouth parts.

Then closes.

Then, ]

Wait, what?

[godslay]

[ u heard her right

There isn't so much as a twitch at Gamora's lips to make anyone believe she might be trying to play a joke on Peter.

That's not her style, and right now, she's dead serious. ]

There was another series of kidnapping by the same radicals responsible for the chimera we killed – the ones who took you from the city.

[ remember that???? getting kidnapped????? ]

Mantis helped save some of the victims, and the people of Wyver gave her recognition for her efforts.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter winces at the reminder, picking at the edge of a paper napkin almost nervously.

That had been a pretty bad night, all things considered. Sure, he survived it, but jeez. ]

That's... good.

[ A pause, as he amends, ]

I mean, not the kidnapping. Obviously not the kidnapping. But— it's good, I mean. That she could help.

[godslay]

It was.

[ For the people Mantis helped, but also for Mantis, she thinks. ]

It seems like things are starting to settle again.

[ Though for how long that will last, there's no real telling.

Watching Peter fidget with his napkin, she quietly reaches out, setting her fingers over his in an effort to calm the anxiety that the action radiates. ]

Everyone is all right, Peter.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He stills at the contact, more startled than reassured, and he looks up at her. ]

I hear you, but—

[ His expression twists for a second as he grapples with putting the thoughts into words. Eventually he settles on, ]

—but this is, like, the second big thing I've apparently not been around for.

[godslay]

I know.

[ And that bothers her, too. ]

I don't know if there's anything in common with the timing, but it's worth considering. Maybe there are others who have experienced the same pattern.

[ Going in and out of the pods – either remembering their previous time or not – during greater upheavals. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah. Maybe.

[ And the two words come out on a sigh as he leans back in his chair. One last scrub at his face, one last, giant exhale, before he forces himself upright again. ]

I really didn't do anything.

[ Because she had been so insistent earlier, and apparently it's still on his mind. ]

I mean, before I ended up here again. I don't remember doing anything, anyway.

[godslay]

[ She gives a small nod. She does believe him, which is far more unsettling than the idea that Peter might have touched something he shouldn't have or gone poking around where he wasn't welcome.

It's more worrying and insidious to think that it might just happen for no reason – or one beyond their control. ]

Then the most we can do is look for answers.

[ She wants to tell him that she's glad he's back. She wants him to know that she's relieved, that she's not angry (well, she is, but for perhaps different reasons than it might seem). ]

... If you disappear again, I'm going to start removing your fingers.

[ yes, that properly conveys her relief. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ ... look, Peter is accustomed to threats of bodily harm, especially from Gamora, but that one catches him entirely off-guard.

And it shows, in the way his mouth falls open, in the way he stares at her in utter disbelief.

This? This is an expression that asks, Are you kidding me? ]

That's your way of saying "welcome back"? We just established I had nothing to do with this, and now you're threatening to take off fingers?

[godslay]

Yes.

[ Yes, because Gamora can't just say, "You scared me."

She can't say, "I was terrified that you wouldn't wake up."

And she definitely can't say, "I started thinking it would be permanent."

This is Gamora's "welcome back," and her own acknowledgment of her concern. The reality of the threat is as minor as all others Peter earned recently – if only because she's reached the point that she doesn't believe she'll ever carry through with them.

Not with Peter.

Not unless she has to.

The look she gives Peter isn't cold, either, or remotely menacing; she reaches for the reassurance of her usual unreadable expressions, but it's harder to look unaffected when she's still simultaneously anxious about the cause of Peter's stint in the pod and desperately relieved to see him sitting at this table. ]