15 ⚓ Video/Spam ⚓ Gather yourselves, with all your heart and strength

[hearrrtofgold]

[Video]
Duke Crocker of the Cape Rouge calling Haven P.D. Anyone out there? [He’s got only small hope that anyone will answer, almost certain that Audrey and Nathan won’t. But still, he’d come through the last time the network glitched (before he showed up on the Barge), as had she. Maybe it could happen again with them, or anyone he was familiar with from back home.

He pauses for a long time, mulling over what he’s about to share, and suddenly blurts it out.] Oprah Winfrey.

[Gym Spam, evening]
[After the last of the messages had trickled in, Duke had shaken himself off and tried to calm himself walking Brownie, fixing himself a very heavy chicken salad for supper, and tried to do some yoga poses. None of the activities had provided him any peace, and he eventually decided to just embrace the discomfort and beat the crap out of something.

So here he is, standing in the gym with knuckles bound in tape and taking out his frustrations on a punching bag. He’s more than competent in street-fighting, not exceptional but still practiced and forceful. He doesn’t even remember his first fistfight, although he’s sure he lost it, and that drives him on.]

Comments

[hearrrtofgold]

[Oprah, Nathan. Oprah.] You know it is.

Where the hell are you?

[neuropathy]

Nice to see you, too. [ It is, though. ] C'mon, where else would I be?

[hearrrtofgold]

Yeah, right, all that stuff. [Isn't it?]

I should know that, but I don't. Where are you?

[neuropathy]

In Haven, Duke.

[ Uhhh remember the reason he needed to go back there yeah. >_> ]

[hearrrtofgold]

Where are you now? What's happening? Is Audrey with you?

[neuropathy]

[ --oh. Oh. Right. ]

'm okay, Duke. [ He dares the tiniest of smiles. ] Didn't know you cared.

An' you know better'n me how to answer that first one. I didn't know how any of this worked then, and I don't get it now. Where were you when y'talked to me?

[ Which he's ...belatedly realizing was a year ago, at least with Bizarro Barge Time accounted for. ]

Audrey's here. I mean she's not--here, here, but she's in Haven.

[ His voice goes tight for a second, because no one holds a grudge like Nathan, so he's still a little hurt Duke knew about [that spoiler thing] before him. ]

[hearrrtofgold]

In the Barn! [Duke's back to being irritated rather than worried. Nathan brings that out in him.] The one place more dangerous than Haven.

And she's okay? [Okay Nathan, normally when you hold a grudge against Duke he has some idea why.]

[neuropathy]

[ Nathan makes a gesture like he's going to attempt to explain ...something, and then just gives up. 'In the Barn,' Duke says, like that's actually a sensible answer and not just akin to going 'UHHH SOMEWHERE IN TIME AND SPACE I GUESS'. ]

She's okay. Town's fallin' apart, but she's okay. I just--look, I can't tell you much've anything. You remember the rules, right?

[ The Time Travel Rules! You know, the ones you definitely are both familiar with, because what is the fourth wall, in Haven? ]

[hearrrtofgold]

[It's not a sensible answer but it's a true answer. Nathan should know that. But he's still relieved.]

Worse than during the meteor storm? [Time Travel Rules, right. He won't ask for details, but he needs to know. Nathan's okay, Audrey's okay...] Am I there? Am I okay?

[neuropathy]

You're a pain in the ass, is what.

[ ...best friends. BEST. And really, the grin is audible in Nathan's voice as well as reluctantly on his face. ]

Yeah. You're okay. Sellin' pot to old ladies, but okay.

[ He lets out a breath, then goes - still possible, with Nathan - a little more quiet and serious. ] It's--yeah. It's never been worse'n this. My dad might know different, but it's not like he's here t'ask.

Y'know you need to stay there, right? We need a backup plan.

[ If they can't save Haven from here ...Duke still might be able to, if he gets his Deal. ]

[hearrrtofgold]

Oh good. So some things never change.

[Nathan and Duke getting on each other's nerves is a comforting constant in Haven's strange turmoil. They can always trust each other to be asses. You need that in a best friend.]

And Vince and Dave aren't telling you anything.

Yeah. I'm riding this out here, with no clue how long it'll take. [After a pause:] River's gone.