Week 25: Return from Japan.

The doors of Seoul Waste Away opened as Darya, wearing a suit with a massive plasma burn in it and carrying a wide array of equipment strode in happily, whistling as she did so. "We're back everybody!" she said in a happy, singsong voice to the world at large. She dumped the disgused EMP rifle in the training room and headed upstairs, pausing outside the kid's bedrooms. "Hey Dusty, hey Bell. You kids okay?"

Bell was not in her bedroom, and Dusty not in his... But after a moment's pause, Bell's head appeared from the floor above, peeking over the railing. "Everything has been without problems here. I've let Dusty know you're home." There was a strange look on the replicant's face, as if she was.. figuring something out.

Sosie came in a minute after Darya, 'long' hair mostly brushed clean of blood and ETE paint. She gave her daughter a brilliant smile as she entered, waving with her free hand. She tossed her bag onto the downstairs table, grinning like an alligator. She stripped off the jacket and shirt Ida had provided her with, and threw them on her bag, leaving her in a tank top, arms bare. "It's good to be home." Sosie seemed, obviously, in very high spirits, and abandoning her bag, she began to walk upstairs.

It was at this point Dusty, laser pistol in hand, appeared from the downstairs steps, and running, barrelled first into his aunt and then his mother, intent on swooping them both in a hug. His mother had no choice but to be grabbed, lifted, and tenderly slammed into Darya. "You're BACK!!"

Darya made a small squeaking noise as her friend was slammed into her by her nephew. "We are Dusty, we are." she said, gently raising her one free arm and gently stroking Dusty's head. "Sorry if we made you worry." she said, smiling. She remained in that position for a bit, before looking around. "Sorry, Dusty, could you put my feet back on the floor?"

*Pinkie stepped over the threshold into Sosie's domain with.... a smile in her eyes if not on her face. Though the Ida picked suit she wore was once again peppered with small bullet holes it was only under the large plasma score across her midriff that her skin showed any sign of disarray. And that was all but fully healed now, aided both by the might of medical technology and that of her mind. A little more of the credit to Sosie than Parvati there, though. The smile twisted on the edges of Pinkie's lips, not entirely suppressed, nor entirely wanting to be. The smile widened as Pinkie saw Sosie and Darya held together in Dusty's huge arms. Pinkie did not feel like an outsider and.... she did not notice. Pinkie walked, without taking care with her steps to be silent and almost being quieter for it, up to the....spectacle. Reaching out with her arms Pinkie spoke.*

I will have Sosie, if that is all right?

*Pinkie was careful for her words to sound like a question, but acted without waiting for a response, scooping Sosie from Dusty and placing her gently on the floor, feet first. Pinkie's smile faded ever so slightly as she shared it with each person present and then faded to her usual expression and a nod as she said.*

I am going to get changed and get some food, if anyone would like to join me?
…..For food, only. Is what I meant.

*Pinkie's face had gone completely blank as she realised what could have been implied in her speech. She paused for a moment, her mouth open. Then closed it again.... and turned to walk towards the stairs.*

Sosie merely laughed at being tossed around like a toy, putting her own arm around her son to prevent her from falling as he released his aunt. She reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek before she was wordlessly handed to Pinkie.

Her expression was bemused as she was passed over to Pinkie like a doll, and looked up and gave her carrier a warm smile before finally being put on the ground. She turned to watch Pinkie as she spoke, eyebrows raising and grinning a little at her hesitant need to remove anything suggestive. "I don't know, I kind of like these suits... Food doesn't sound like a bad idea, though. Hey, is Ace home?"

Without waiting for Bell to answer, Sosie smeakered, Ace, Parvati, are you home? We're back!

Dusty merely beamed at his mother and aunt, hugging the latter close while still allowing her feet to touch the ground.

Ace was indeed at home as the group returned triumphant to SWA. He was in his room, packing things into a large mule-tech, though he could be seen through the open door. He spend a brief moment with his head hung, unmoving and silant, before closing the bag and putting it on the bed. He then descended the stairs slowly and gave a little wave as the others came into sight.

"Welcome back everyone."

Parvati didn't respond but was visible through the door to her room which had been left open she sat cross legged chanting her way through one of the mantras from the rig veda which would mean almost nothing to any of those present even if they could understand the words.

A new statue of an elephant faced man sits before her and incense fills the air. Arranged around the statues feet are what look to be little sweets.

Parvati does not seem to be aware of the others as they get closer.

As Ace came down the stairs, Darya raised her free arm and waved him over. She was still grinning widely as Dusty cuddled her, and her arm position obviously indicated she wanted Ace to join in the hug.

"Hey Ace!" she said happily, grinning at him. "How's it going? We did it! We got in and out and saved a load of people, we did it!"

Ace hesitated for a moment at the gesture. Standing on the stairs he drank in the scene below him, looking at everyone gathered. No-one appeared to have any significant injuries and everyone still had a head. He moved towards the group hug and paused for a moment before exhaling hard, smiling and joining in.

“Good, good. I’m glad to see that everyone is ok. I don’t know what I’d have done if y’all didn’t come back in one piece. I’m glad you didn’t need me to pick you up; I take it everything went according to plan?”

"The bits that we had a plan for did!" Said Darya, still grinning widely. "The defense system let us through, Sosie did brain surgery...and that was most of our plan! But we helped a load of people escape and Pinkie fended off a hovership and EI were the good guys...." She squeezed Dusty and Ace again, letting out a soft, contented sigh.