I'm in the autumn of my years

[panspermia]

Who: Greg Universe and any Rescuers
What: who's this asshole
When: June 18
Where: The Rescuers' ship
Warnings: trauma and PTSD

If Greg has a reaction to entering a massive alien guitar spaceship, he keeps it to himself. Between the drama of the ritual, the return of his maimed soul, and his haphazard rescue, he simply has too much to process first before he can take in the rest of the rescuer operation. As a result, first thing he does is find a small, empty room--a bathroom--and ask to be left alone for a while.

An hour or so later, a very different man emerges again.

It hadn't been his first intention in locking himself in that room, but the longer he'd been in there, the more necessary it had felt. Greg hasn't felt like himself in a very long time. The worst of it was the result of Blanche's meddling with his soul, yes, but it extended before that point as well. The face of his youth, the one Blanche used and tried to make into a different person altogether... Greg couldn't keep looking at that face anymore. It hurt too much, made him too sick. Adding a few years on to his appearance and a beard isn't going to fix it, either; he's not the same person he used to be, either. (After all, he did keep the hair.) But this is better, closer than before. Whoever he is now, this is about as close as he's willing to get.

Greg Universe emerges into the ship, avoiding eye contact, and finally begins to take things in.

Comments

[panspermia]

Ahh. He should have figured as much. Nothing was as it seemed so long as the labels were around him, after all. "Yeah. You too." Greg forces a wane little smile, before looking out at the stars.

"I'm... here, I guess." That's all he knows, for the moment. "And that's better than before."

[4thdimensional]

Doc could only nod sympathetically. He didn't have much left on offer. "You can say that again. But you're free...and your friends are too. Soon, we'll have everyone."

He tried to keep his tone light, but there was a clear guilt there. There were a few still trapped, and one of those was someone he loved very much.

[panspermia]

Greg's silent for a few moments, chewing it over. Many of his friends are free, it's true. But he won't be able to rest easy until the rest are safe.

He looks over at Doc, studying the man anew. Something about the way he said it... "Are you here for someone?"

[4thdimensional]

"It's that obvious?" he says with a gentle smile. But of course it is. It's been on Doc's mind nearly every minute since he arrived, and after those news reports...

He unconsciously reaches down to tap one of his many watches. "You know him. Marty McFly...he's my partner, my co-conspirator, my best friend. He's just barely remembered who I am, and I promised I'd get him out, but it's looking to be more difficult than ever."

[panspermia]

That would sober Greg further, if he weren't already deathly serious. Marty... the final surviving member of Defying Atmosphere. He'd been so terribly hurt when Lapis attacked, too... he can only imagine how much that would have stressed out a friend who can't yet reach him.

Greg bites his lip, guilt prickling through his insides. "I'm sorry." That feels insufficient for all the pain in this mess. "Marty's a real tough kid. He's kept his chin up through all of this."

[4thdimensional]

Doc shakes his head softly, giving Greg a sad smile. "I know he is. He's the only reason I've made it out of so much alive. But please...don't blame yourself. The forces at work here are powerful and terrible, and I was the one tasked with pulling him out of there." He laughs bitterly, but he'd soon turn that into a somewhat neutral expression. "And I've failed thus far, but you all, the band...you know him and the people he's likely to be surrounded by. Combining our resources is our best shot at getting him out."

[panspermia]

"Hey." For the first time, Greg's fully turned to him, brow creased in a frown. "C'mon man, don't be like that. We haven't failed, we just... haven't succeeded yet."

A moment later, his serious expression falters, and he deflates a tad. Saying that sort of thing while he's down on himself is more than a little hypocritical. Still, hearing Doc talk about himself like that pushed some buttons. "I mean... y'know. It ain't over 'til it's over, right?"

[4thdimensional]

Doc thinks on this, then nods. Those are important words---he mustn't forget his hope, mustn't give up. Marty certainly never had.

"You're right. No matter what, with all our strength and talent...they'll be taken down, even if I have to reinvent reality to do it. Even if we have to..." he corrects.