solo_sword | Jaina's room at the Arms- Saturday early evening

Between the messages she'd gotten and what she'd seen on the board, Jaina would call herself anything but happy, but she didn't feel as if her brain was just stopped today. With yesterday's Portalocity email, she had to refocus, and there were some things she needed to do.

The first thing she did was call her Luke, to make sure he knew exactly what was going on. She didn't tell him about any of the disappeared that he might know. That wasn't going to do anyone any good. The second thing she did was record a message for Jacen.

"I've already told Luke everything worth telling," she began, "but there's one favor I need from you. Portalocity's going down. Even if I could get out today, there's no way I could get home before things shut down further. Which means I'm not sure when I'm getting back, except that I have every intention to get back. Whatever's going on hasn't affected our galaxy, and I'm hoping it stays that way. I don't know that I can say the same for Fandom. We've never been safe from anything here, so I'm operating under the assumption this isn't going to be the one time we are. Which means, dear brother, I need you to stop kriffing blocking me all the time. If something happens to me, I don't know that I'll be able to get a call out in time, and at this distance, you're probably the only person who'll be able to tell I'm not there.

"Which, I know this is the worst favor to ask possibly ever, but I have to ask it. Besides, if Mom and Dad worry, you can check up on me most easily," she went on. "That's all I need. I'll still be in touch as much as I can, and I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you, and may the Force be with you."

She ended the transmission and sent it, telling herself that as soon as this was over and everything was fixed she'd be able to threaten someone but good in order to get back home. It made her feel mildly better.

[Mostly establishy, as I'm leaving in like half an hour. But if you're up for SP, go ahead and knock.]

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Eric had gotten his very first rotten phone call and it was hitting him harder than he was expecting.

He'd given up emotional attachments like love long ago, or so he'd told himself, and yet there he was, knocking on Jaina's door and hoping for...something.

He'd call it distraction. Other people might use "comfort."

Jaina didn't exactly get a lot of visitors here, so she was a little surprised. Right until she opened the door. "Hi," she said carefully, immediately opening the door to let him in.

"Hi," Eric said, stepping inside. "Was today any better?"

Perhaps the whole issue had been solved while he'd been sleeping!

"I've gone over twenty-four hours without any phone calls. I haven't looked at the board, so... if I repress hard enough, sure," she said, closing the door behind him. She'd be a little surprised if he was coming just to check on her, so she asked, "You?"

"I woke up to a message from Sookie," he said softly. "She's gone."

And he wasn't nearly as okay with that as he was pretending.

She didn't say anything, but wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"She was a very useful telepath," Eric said, resting his chin on the top of Jaina's head.

Yeah, that wasn't why he missed her.

If it was anyone but Eric, she might have questioned that that was what he'd gone with. "And a friend," she supplied.

"And a friend," Eric admitted very reluctantly.

"It's Fandom," she told him quietly. "There's nothing saying we won't get them back."

She was realistic about the situation. But part of the realism was that if there was ever something that could get people back from not existing, it was this freaky little town.

"There's nothing saying we will, either," Eric replied. "I'm used to being the last one standing. This will just take me a moment to...digest."

"What do you need?" she asked him.

"A distraction," he said. "I don't like being in my own head right now."

"I know what that's like," Jaina admitted. No, really? You don't say. "Lucky for you I'm good at distractions."

"I didn't remember an ice pack," Eric replied.

"Were you not planning on me needing one?" she asked with a little smile.

"I was a little...distracted," Eric admitted.

"And to be honest, if you'd shown up with an ice pack, it might have been a little weird," she said, trying for light.

"Most people bring flowers," Eric replied, nodding. "What were you doing before I got here and made your life better?"

The banter was weak tonight.

"I just sent a message to Jacen. Since with Portalocity down, I have no idea when I'll be back there." Which was the safe version of things.

"Makes sense," Eric said. "I should do the same for Pam."

He'd been avoiding calling in case she didn't pick up.

"Probably not a bad idea," she agreed. "Even if she tells you to relax again."

"As long as she answers," Eric murmured.

Jaina paused, briefly. "Do you want to call now?"

And in case Pam didn't answer, he was already here.

If Eric still breathed, he'd be inhaling now as he nodded. "Yeah," he said shortly, reaching for his phone and pressing one on speed dial.

Pam answered with an immediate "What now?" and Eric filled her in about Sookie before hanging up.

"Pam says 'well, fuck,'" he concluded.

Jaina actually smiled a little at that, partly out of relief. "I think she just summed this whole thing up nicely," she said.

"She does have a way with words," Eric agreed with a slightly relieved smile.

"I like seeing the smile better," she decided. Smiling Eric was definitely preferable to sad Eric.

Jaina's room at the Arms- Saturday early evening

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