April 2024 Test Drive Meme

[singmod]

APRIL 2024 TDM

PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: Yet another new group of arrivals find themselves lost in the frozen wilds and vulnerable to the dangers of nature. With luck, they make it to the town of Milton, and to a friendly face offering food, warmth and shelter — not to mention the fact they are not the first to come here.

PROMPT TWO — FROM FROTH-CORRUPTED LUNGS: The heavy fog plaguing the Northern Territories takes a far more deadly and sinister turn.

PROMPT THREE — SHARP CLAWS, YAWNING MAWS: Interlopers come face to face with another native animal to the Northern Territories stalking the rockier areas — and unfortunately, these feline beasts have also been warped by the Aurora.

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential animal attacks, potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.

'You are the Interloper. You are not part of nature’s design.'

It’s the last thing you hear. A dark, deep voice. Impossibly ancient. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re dreaming, maybe you’re wide awake. You saw the lights, and then your world went dark. But you hear it in the blackness, you won’t forget those words.

You awaken. You are not where you were before. It’s different for everyone, there doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern in where you find yourself. You may open your eyes to find yourself in a cold, dim and dank cabin. The air is stale, dust hangs in the rays of weak sunlight that shine through the tiny windows. Someone lived here once, but they aren’t to be found. You look around, it seems like no one has been here in several weeks, maybe longer. The fire is stone cold, the dishes in the sink are mouldy — it's possible the place has been ransacked, as if they've gone through the drawers and cupboards looking for something. It is quiet. The wood creaks around you. Or perhaps you may awaken to find yourself shivering in the yawning maw of a cave, the freezing stone below you. Or maybe you’re unfortunate enough to sit up to find yourself lying in the snow, in the middle of the wilderness. Snow lies thick around you. It’s freezing out. You haven’t felt a cold like this before in your entire life. Cruel and biting. You have no idea where you are, and what’s worse — you are completely alone.

You may feel different, too. Any powers or magics you may have feel... absent. Disconnected. Things that may not have affected you previously now do. Something in you has changed.

You know you can’t stay where you are. You’ll need to move, try to work out where you are and how you came to be here. So you walk, head out into the unknown, in hope of finding a trail or a road. Interlopers who arrive during the month of April will find themselves waking up in a world filled with freezing cold fog, cold enough that it will feel as if your skin is burning. A kind of cold that will not shake easily. It will be easy to get lost in the fog. Best hope there's someone out here that might come across you to help you find your way.

Soon enough, you'll be able to find a path to town. A little more worse for wear, but alive. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused — battered from the journey. You’ll both need to keep going. It won’t be easy. You hear howls of wolves around you, and the terrain is difficult: slips and falls are likely. You’re completely vulnerable out here in the open.

Or it’s possible you may come across someone else here. Someone who looks far better prepared to deal with the freezing cold and frozen landscape, out hunting or gathering. They’ll likely offer help and get you into town. However, for the unlucky ones who don’t come across anyone, you’ll carry on until you smell it through the fog: the scent of smoke that seems to cling in the still air. Fire. Not just one, but several perhaps. Civilization...?

Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the foggy mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights, even if it may appear a little eerie in the half-light gloom: a small mining town tucked up in the valley. Battered, rusted road signs will direct to “MILTON, POP. 947”. You’re almost there, you keep going, and it looks like other people have had the same idea as you. In fact, you’ll hear the muffled sounds of life. People! In the town!

As you head into the outskirts and then further into town, you’ll find it’s a little easier to walk but the cold has gripped you hard. You’ll find the buildings, both shops and homes, some are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up, some of them are occupied. People are going about their business, or stood watching from their tiny porches of their small, timber homes. For a town this big, there doesn’t seem to be many people. Several dozen at most, but no more. Some of them will direct you to the Community Hall, tell you to head there — you've been expected.

Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building where many people seem to gather: a community hall, by the looks of it. You’ll find more and more people all drawn to this place, each and every one of them in the same position as yourself (and your companion, if you’ve found one). Some are in worse states than others: some are bloodied, nursing bite wounds or cuts; others might have some other kind of injury sustained in the journey here from falls. Everyone looks as though they could faint from the cold at any second, damp and shivering.

The door opens, and you’re greeted by the gnarled, wizened face of an elderly man, dressed in thick furs. He has a kind face, but looks sad. He smiles warmly despite the sadness in him, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.

“Another batch of poor souls from the wilds, this fog has made it so difficult.” he nods gravely. No, this is not the first time that this has happened. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. The lights are changing things, bringing more of you here. Come, we must get you warm and fed. Mother Nature has not been kind.”

The room is dim, lit only by natural daylight through the windows. A roaring fire sits at one end of the huge hall. It crackles, bright and cheerful... and warm. Even as big as this place is, the room is pleasantly warm. You’ll also find basic cots set up down one side of the hall, and while it seems there's a few people already living here, there's enough space for those in need of them. There's places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold. Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long tables laden with food, drinks and bottled water similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers.

There are canisters with hot herbal teas and perhaps a rare canister of coffee, along with soup and stew and trays of charred deer and rabbit meats, plus some grilled fish, instant mashed potatoes, and tinned vegetables. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast. The old man has been busy. And Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks. He does not have much time to talk. More and more people seem to be coming in from the cold. He will not stop to sit and rest until everyone is seen to, taking up a place by the fire to gaze silently into its flames. He is very troubled, thoughtful. Much has been happening. The others from town will eventually trail in too, to eat and warm themselves, and search among the new faces.

He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the town and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much, his mood is... low, mournful. But perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.

FROM FROTH-CORRUPTED LUNGS

WHEN: The month of April.
WHERE: Everywhere.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural/extreme weather; poisonous fog; potential respiratory/lung-related illness/injury; potential burn injuries; themes of peril

A thick fog has descended onto the Northern Territories as April comes, often difficult to navigate in and a kind of cloying damp that often brings a certain kind of wicked chill to Interlopers out travelling in it. The kind that sinks in one’s bones and takes too long to be chased away with heat and dry clothes. Sometimes, it feels almost suffocating, like it’s exhausting to be out in it — as if one might feel more like they’re underwater than on dry land, struggling to breathe if they’re out in it for too long.

It’s certainly a miserable affair for those in this world, the cold was bad enough without this.

And certainly, it can get even worse.

Maybe it’s a trick of the light, the strange thickness of the fog in the pale Spring light, but you notice in certain patches there’s… an almost green tint to the fog. You don’t have time to look at it for long. It descends upon you with a fluid steadiness, silent in its approach.

To touch the fog with bare skin, a hand, even the exposed face — you will be met with a sudden burning pain, far different to the biting cold pain of the rest of the fog. As soon as the green fog comes into contact with you, it slowly begins to burn at you — searing away at any flesh, a slow and terrible experience.

To breathe it in will be an even worse experience: it will feel as if one is slowly inhaling tiny fragments of glass, and each breath will be painful and suffocating. Coughing up blood is likely, and being out in it for too long will bring a slow, agonising death of suffocation.

Heading indoors is the best bet to ensure survival, with plugging up any doors and windows or drafty spaces to ensure the fog doesn’t seep inside. After that, it seems like the only thing you can do is wait it out. Hopefully you're stuck inside with a friendly face, and somewhere with a fire. Otherwise, it's going to be a bad time trapped inside waiting it out. The fog will eventually dissipate, and all that Interlopers will be able to see is the usual cold fog — but that could take hours of waiting.

Burns to the skin can be treated with typical medical care, and bathing the wounds will cleanse them of any lingering poison, but Interlopers should take care of signs of infection in the days afterwards. For those who suffer from inhalation of this green fog, Methuselah will direct them to Reishi mushrooms — known for their antibiotic healing properties and can be found in abundance in the world. Interlopers will find that breathing in the steam from boiling and steeping these mushrooms in water will soothe their lungs and help in the healing process.

SHARP CLAWS, YAWNING MAWS

WHEN: April, onwards.
WHERE: Milton wilds; Milton Mines (Lakeside Entrance) area; The Ravine area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: animal attacks, altered wildlife, gore, possible character injury/death, possible animal injury/death.

Certain kinds of wildcats are native to Canada and thus the Northern Territories. They are elusive animals, often keeping to themselves and have largely gone unseen by the Interlopers during their time here in this world. But the world is changing, and it has long been understood that wildlife has been altered due to the Aurora’s influence — particularly with wolves. Unfortunately, these solitary and evasive felines will not remain this way for long.

The wildcats tend to stick to the more mountainous areas of the Northern Territories: Milton’s outskirts being a primary example of this, but also the sheltered and rocky passage Interlopers must take if they are to travel through the mines and down the train tracks that lead into Lakeside. It is here in particular that they make their appearance with the recent footfall between the areas.

For newer Interlopers, it is a frightening sight. For some Interlopers who have been in this world for some time, it is an all too familiar sight to behold but no less terrifying. These beasts are warped by the Aurora and are far bigger and faster than any usual wildcat, with huge, hulking bodies, elongated fangs and unlike wolves: they can climb. Green, glowing smoke curls from their bodies and eyes, a kind of electrical current rippling over their coats with a strange shimmer. They lurk from above and wait for the opportune moment to strike — a far more silent and deadly attack than the wolf packs of last year. But if you’re paying attention, you might be able to spot them before they make their move.

These altered beasts will come no more than three at a time, but will usually attack alone. They will work with a frenzied determination to bring you down and make you their next meal. Cats, after all, are obligate carnivores. They will enjoy giving chase, and running will be the worst thing to do in dealing with them. It is best to stand your ground and try to fight back this way.

They are frightened of flames, and loud noises from gunfire or flares will keep them at a distance — but it’ll take a decent amount of ammunition to take them down, much like their canine counterparts Interlopers already encountered. Taking one down will be no small feat, but there will likely be the reward of a thick, warm pelt for those interested.

FAQs

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

1. Arrival threads can be treated as game canon.

2. Items characters have brought from home can be found either strewn around them when they awaken, or in the community hall — as if someone left them out for them to collect. Methuselah will not know how they got there, and will be quite bemused by the happenings.

3. Reminder that all characters are now depowered upon arrival. They can choose not to notice it at first, or can immediately sense something is different about them.

4. If asked any personal questions, Methuselah will smile and say "Oh, you don't want to know about an old man like me. But I have lived all over in these parts for all my life." He will be more concerned with trying to help Newcomers, and is genuinely concerned for them and their well-being. Other Interlopers will say much of the same — there's little to know about him.

5. More information about Milton can be found here.

FROM FROTH-CORRUPTED LUNGS

1. Skin open to the elements is at the most risk of being burned, so it's best to wrap up/cover any bare skin. Covered skin would eventually burn if Interlopers spent enough time in the fog to have their clothes saturated by the damp.

2. Breathing in the fog is the most pressing issue for everyone as a whole. The green fog can affect Interlopers who don't breathe.

SHARP CLAWS, YAWNING MAWS

1. Bobcat, Canada Lynx, and Cougar are the three kinds of wildcat native to Canada. Due to the Aurora's influence, these wildcats are bigger, faster and stronger than typical wildcats — with Cougars being the largest of the three.

2. Killing them is difficult, but not impossible. Scaring them will be far easier to accomplish than killing them.

3. Wildcat activity will continue onwards from April, but will reduce with the Interlopers' efforts to fight them back.

4. Wildcat is technically edible. But not advised due to parasites. Characters are still welcome to harvest the wildcats they kill, however.

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Comments

[itio]

[ She would figure it out. He should have known, should have expected it, and still, it makes his heart twist in his chest, paintfully and yet excitedly, when her expression shifts to match the realization that dawns on her.

In a way, this is good. Kind of. Mostly because Jim really had no idea how he was going to bring that up.

Letting out a breath, he lets go of one of her hands, just so he can tug the sleeve of his coat enough that she can see the diver's watch on his wrist. No way he'd risk getting lost anywhere without it. ]

Told you it was a man's watch.

[rescapee]

[ She feels like she's looking through a tunnel, her vision focused to a pinpoint as she follows the motion of his hands. He pulls up his sleeve and something in her breaks at the sight of the watch. The sound that sputters out at his little joke is somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and in the next moment, she's tugging her hand free and leaning in to wrap her arms around him. ]

I don't understand.

[ The words are quiet as if speaking too loudly will wake her up from this strange and beautiful dream. She's not even entirely sure what she's saying, the words slipping past her lips of their own accord as soon as they enter her mind. ]

How are you alive? I felt you— [ She can't say it. ] That was months ago.

[itio]

[ It's selfish and maybe a little cruel that her reaction is what he was hoping for. Just knowing that meeting him even meant as much to her as it did him. It's a silly thing to think about, when they're currently in a precarious situation, but when things are bad, a little good can make a world of difference.

Seeing her alive and well after he was told of her death absolutely counts as that. Having her hold onto him like this makes it even better still. ]

I woke up here only a couple of seconds before then.

[ Before he actually died, not before he was shot. He definitely remembers being shot.

His arms wind around her, holding her close for however long she needs it. God knows he needs it. He's unlikely to be the first to pull away from it. ] Probably some other— weird time travel alternate reality thing we can't explain.

[rescapee]

[ James is alive. The thought echoes in her mind, settling in with the same level of surreal reality as the rest of this frozen town. None of this makes any sense, but she can't even begin to be angry about it when she has him with her again. And she doesn't care if others in the hall stare at their display. Let them. She's holding on to this man for as long as they both can stand it and nothing is going to stop her.

One of her hands goes to the back of his head, her fingers combing through the short hair there while the other grips a handful of his coat like he'll disappear if she lets go. ]

This is crazy. I was back in my time. I keep the watch locked in the safe in my quarters. I haven't been able to tell anyone... [ Well, that's not entirely true. She'd told him, her timeline's Jim Kirk, but only the briefest details to keep from baring her soul through song. Her hold on him tightens ever so slightly. ] They told me not to talk about you.

[itio]

[ Jim doesn't care any more than she does whether or not others are watching them. A few people already knew that he knew her anyway, since one of the first things he did after his arrival was ask around about her, so them clinging to each other like this can't be that much of a surprise. Not that he'd care even if it was.

His heart sinks a little when she utters the last words. It's a good thing that his face is hidden from her, so he can work through the sting that flickers through his expression, jaw tightening and lips pressed thinly. ]

That makes sense. [ Not that thinking rationally helps, right now. He's gone. His world's gone. He doesn't exist anywhere, and she can't even talk about it. He's literally nothing but a memory in her mind. ] I'm sorry.

[ He doesn't even know what he's sorry for, but he doesn't like to see her suffer. ]

[rescapee]

[ La'an Noonien-Singh has always worked hard to keep her emotions secret. Don't let them see when it hurts. Use the anger to get the job done. Be the steady presence those under her command expect even when she feels like crumbling. It's never been easy, but it's gotten easier over the years.

Losing him and being unable to talk about it has been one of the hardest things she's ever experienced. There hasn't been a moment when she hasn't wanted to shout about it in the hallways, to grab someone on the bridge and tell them just how much it hurt that he's gone. No one else knew him or ever would and it's so unfair. He's a good man, he deserves to be known for it.

She loosens her grip on him just enough to lean back and press her forehead to his, needing the world to disappear in his closeness. ]

I didn't forget. [ The whisper feels like confession and prayer, and a plea to be forgiven for something she can't begin to name. ] Not for one second. I've never forgotten you.

[itio]

[ Jim knows a thing or two about keeping a stiff upper lip, something all the more necessary as a Captain. The crew would crumble otherwise. The same can be said for a chief of security, though he thinks he knows her well enough to say that it's also just who she is. Reserved, practical. Not actually unemotional, but knowing not to let that get in her way.

It's hard to see how much she's hurting right now, but it's also— nice, in a way. Jim tends to make an impression on everyone he meets, he's aware of this. He just cares a little more to know that he has, in this particular case. ]

Well, you certainly know how to flatter a guy. [ It's in part genuine, in part teasing, eyes meeting hers while they're close like this. He doubts what they went through would be something anyone would forget, really. But he also knows that's not what she means. ] I thought you might... move on. I wanted you to.

[ Not cling to the memory of a ghost. ]

[rescapee]

[ That bit of teasing is almost enough to pull a smile out of her. Almost. Instead, there's a flicker of one on her lips for just a moment before it fades again in the shadow of grief and pain. He makes it sound so easy. But how do you move on from an almost when finding that one possibility was so hard to begin with? ]

I couldn't. [ She meets those beautiful eyes and feels like the world is falling apart beneath her while it also stabilizes around her. ] I tried, but I... How could I just move on from someone who looks at me the way you do?

[ It's scary to say those words, especially given what happened with Jim, but they're important. There's so much she and James never had time to discuss... ]

[itio]

[ There is a lot they never got to talk about. There just wasn't time for that, it wasn't the right moment, and the thing is, they shouldn't have ever gotten the moment. This moment right now, it shouldn't have been. It's some wild, weird fluke.

Seems like those are all they're ever going to get.

He cups her jaw in his hand, thumb brushing over her cheek. ]

La'an, you're... extraordinary. Someone else would see another side of you, and they'd look at you the same way.

[ He has no doubt of that. He even thought that could have been the other version of him, the one that actually exists in her world. But the way she's talking, how she initially reacted to him, he's got a feeling that just hasn't happened. At least, not yet. ]

[rescapee]

[ Low self-esteem isn't something La'an has struggled with much over the years. She knows she's attractive by most human standards, and that she's both capable and competent in her work, and she doesn't doubt that she has earned her commendations over the years. No, what she doubts and distrusts is the way others perceive her, years of horrible experiences only just now beginning to slowly be balanced by her time on the Enterprise.

Pressing one hand over his on her cheek, she leans into that touch, savoring those first words and desperately wishing she could believe the last. ]

I think there are few in the Federation who wouldn't look at me and judge me for things beyond my control.

[itio]

[ He can't begin to imagine what she's gone through. Mainly because, for all the things in his reality that are worse than in hers, at least they never had to deal with genetic manipulation gone wrong, were never pushed to a point where fear would lead to such intense intolerance and even discrimination.

Granted, United Earth isn't perfect, far from it. To say that discrimination is gone entirely would be a lie. But he likes to think that a good majority would steer way from that tendency. ]

If they judge you, then they don't deserve you. [ 'Few' is still better than 'none'. Even if it's just friends or colleagues. He just wants to know that she's not completely isolated from everyone else. ] Did I— I mean, the other me, this... Jim. Does he... do that?

[ He doesn't want to believe in any version of him that would be that intolerant, but it could happen. He's almost scared to hear the answer. ]

[rescapee]

[ Her hand slips down to wrap around his wrist, her thumb smoothing over the back of his hand to mimic his on her cheek. It also helps to keep him in place while she just slightly shakes her head with a sad, soft smile on her lips. ]

No, he doesn't. He's a lot like you in that way. And in others.

[ She gives his hand a gentle squeeze, trying to reassure him that her time's version of him is a good man, too. If she were in his shoes, that would matter to her a great deal. There must be some version of her out there capable of cruelty like that, but she would hate for him to ever meet that version. ]

[itio]

[ It does matter to him, and it's a relief to hear. He'd rather not entertain the thought of yet another reality out there where he's so different in what matters. ]

Is that so? Good others, I hope.

[ He's not sure what else to ask, if he even should. He's obviously curious, that seems only natural— not just about this other version of him, but how he and La'an get along. He's guessing they mustn't be that close, if all of her reactions are anything to go by, but it also feels like prying to ask, especially now when she's obviously dealing with very complicated feelings.

Been there. He would know. ]

[rescapee]

[ What he really wants to know is easy enough to guess, but she's not sure this is the time or place for that particular conversation. She'll tell him at some point, there's no reason to hide it from him, but things are already hard enough right now without that added in. ]

He cares about people. He's training to be a captain, and I think he'll be a damn good one. He loves the Enterprise and he's not even part of her crew.

[ Even though she isn't explicitly saying it, her high regard for his other self is clear as day. And there's one very important thing she cannot leave out. ]

And he loves his brother.

[itio]

[ So, the good kind of similar. Things he can see himself in, to varying degrees. The last bit about Sam makes his heart ache, but it's bittersweet. Just knowing that Sam's alive out there somewhere is more than worth anything he's been put through. ]

Thank you.

[ It's heartfelt, a warm, grateful smile offered to her. His hand leaves her face, but he turns it around so he can still hold onto hers, keeping the connection. ]

That's all really good to hear, honestly.

[rescapee]

I'm glad. [ She squeezes his hand gently and nods, grateful to have been able to offer him something good in all this madness. Something tells her they haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the situation here, but at least he'll have that little piece to hold onto.

Which brings to mind that she is woefully ill-prepared to face anything about this place. She needs information and supplies, and the lay of the land. Taking a deep breath, her expression turns serious, but she keeps hold of him to prove she isn't shrugging him off with the change in subject. ]

What can you tell me about this place? How do things function here?

[itio]

[ Honestly, Jim was about to ask what she wanted to know about this place. There are priorities, and here it's definitely survival. Anything else can wait. With some luck, they'll have time for that.

Well, more time than before, at the very least. ]

Alright. So, we're supposedly in Milton, Canada, and the year is 2014. We're the Interlopers, and most everyone you'll meet here have come from different realities, different points in time, or both. No one knows how we got here, even the couple of locals we've met so far don't have much to say. If they're even locals, that is. Methuselah answers very little, I don't know if he knows more than he's telling us, but it's a possibility.

There's some technology around but electricity only works during Auroras. We get those a few times during the month, although sometimes they come with their own unpleasant side effects. There is running water at least, but we need to heat it up in order to cook, drink or bathe. Some of the buildings have suffered more structural damage than others, but a number of them are inhabitable, and we've also managed to find some supplies. Recently we've also cleared a path through the mines that leads to Lakeside, which was kind of meant to be a lake resort, I think? Abandoned, too. There's also a dam and a scrapyard.

[ There's a small pause before he brings up the next topic. ]

And then there's the Darkwalker. Some... strange, unexplainable creature that sweeps through Milton on occasion. Twice so far, I think, since this group of Interlopers started showing up. It's immaterial, from what I've been told, or it can phase in and out of this plane of reality anyway. And somehow, it possesses the ability to alter the chemicals in our brains. Whenever it comes, it instills a sense of deep panic and fear into us. My personal experience was just... wanting to find somewhere dark and quiet and hide in there until it was gone again.

[ Which is not a feeling Jim is at all used to, so he knows for sure something external caused it. ]

[rescapee]

[ She takes it all in the way she would any other security briefing, cataloging information and processing the new conditions she'll be working under. The fact that they're trapped here under extremely strange conditions doesn't change the way she needs to deal with the situation: practically, professionally, and without letting her personal feelings get in the way.

That brief pause gives her enough warning to brace herself for what comes next. The Darkwalker. The name brings old folklore to mind, a tale told around fires and passed through generations. But the way he explains it all is very real, and she doesn't need him to state what is obvious now. This is the thing that killed her. The other her. ]

I understand. [ She gives his hand a firm squeeze and leans in close again, her voice quiet and steady. ] We're going to get through this. You and me, just like we did before.

[ And whatever comes after that... They'll deal with it then. ]

[itio]

[ He expects her to be perceptive enough to connect the dots. If she outright asks him, he'll tell her, but he doesn't think he'll need to. It's probably pretty obvious with the way he delivers that last piece of information.

Until now, he felt terrible that he wasn't here when it happened. Guilty, useless, as if him being here when the Darkwalker took her life could have changed anything. As if he could have made any difference. Really, the only difference it would've made is that Jim would have likely died along with her.

But now, she's here. Another version of her, whatever, it doesn't matter. It doesn't completely erase the grief of her death, or the guilt of not being there, but it certainly dampens it considerably.

He smiles a little at her words, even if it is bittersweet. Not sure that they got through it as well as they could have the last time. But he's absolutely not bringing that up. ]

Well, we're stuck here for the time being. Getting through it is the only option I'll take.