[audio] you can't say that all my friends are not dead or in jail

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket came back from his trip back home awhile ago, promptly ignored any messages he may have received, trapped his room, and then just for good measure retreated into an empty room, so he could mull this over and work the problem out. This was worse than Yondu. This was something he under no circumstances wanted to sit down and be sympathized with about.

But he can't hide forever, so when he finally makes an appearance on the network (audio only), it's to pretend he didn't just fall off the grid and make some (seemingly) unrelated observation.]

Has anyone ever, like... Met people here, and then went back home, and met those same people again, only you didn't remember 'em until you got back here, and now you've got two sets of experiences with that person?

And if it sounds crazy and don't make any sense, then try having it happen to you. It's a real headtrip.

Comments

[beatupgrass]

I missed the part where I work for you.

[USE YOUR POLITE WORDS, GEORGIA.]

[choosetruth]

[NEVER.]

My office, now, or I'll have to come find you, and since I'm still recovering from my damn surgery, that might mean reopening a wound, and then Shaun will murder both of us. Your choice.

[beatupgrass]

Y'know, I got upgraded to captain while I was gone, so I definitely outrank you, but because you asked so nicely, I'll be there in five.

[MUTTERGRUMBLE]

[choosetruth]

I'm the press. No one outranks me.

[But you know. He's coming. She shuts her laptop as she waits.]

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket walks in looking more or less the same as he did before he left- maybe a few more gray hairs dotting his fur- it was a four year gap, and that puts him around the ten years old mark now. Still spry as ever, though, so take that, expected lifespan.

He walks up to the desk, climbs up on the chair across from it and rather than sit (which wouldn't work), he just stands on it and leans forward on the desk.]

Here I am. What's up, Georgie?

[choosetruth]

Pretty sure that's my line. [She crosses her hands in her arm and tilts her head.] What happened, Rocket?

[beatupgrass]

I went back home for four years. I have finally been back home for the same amount of time I've been in Wonderland, so at least I'm caught up now.

[He knows better than to be evasive around Georgia, but he can't help it. How can he even begin to explain what happened?]

[choosetruth]

[He can learn. But so can Georgia, and she can tell it's not easy.]

Would a drink help? We've got Coke, coffee, and whatever you want from the closets.

[beatupgrass]

I've been drinking for a week. I'm good. [Drinking and building things. No big deal. He huffs.] Look, I know you want an explanation, but I don't know how to explain what happened.

[choosetruth]

That bad, huh?

[Well, she needs a Coke. She takes one from the minifridge by her feet and pops it open.]

Look, don't worry about me understanding it. I'll ask questions where I need clarification.

[Honestly, she may be curious about what happened, but she's getting him to talk about it more for his sake than hers. She suspects he needs it.]

[beatupgrass]

[Rocket groans in anguish and falls back onto the chair, dragging his hands over his head.] I got involved in a frickin' war on accident and we lost.

[choosetruth]

[Georgia looks at him sympathetically.] Somehow I'm guessing that's the short version.

[beatupgrass]

The longer version is we lost bad. A lot of people are dead and a lot of other people might be, but I got no way of finding out. [The implication that they're his people is there, but understated.]

[choosetruth]

Because you're here?

[She knows that feeling all too acutely. The struggle of not knowing. You can be safe here, but the uncertainty of what will happen when you get home can destroy you inside.]

[beatupgrass]

No, 'cause I'm on Earth and they've got the ship, and I don't even know where they are at this point. [He rubs his face.] I shouldn't have insisted we split up. Why'd I do that? Just had to fucking go see Nidavelir, didn't you, Rocket?

[choosetruth]

Hey, you didn't know.

[She knows how easy it is to blame yourself. But she also knows you can only make a choice once.]

Your friends are... resourceful. I'm sure they'll make it through, if anyone can.

[beatupgrass]

[with a bit more gravitas, because as nice as that sounds... It doesn't change this simple fact:] Groot's gone. He just... He turned to dust right in front of me.

[choosetruth]

[That gets an audible gasp. Georgia knows how much Rocket cares for his best friend-slash-son. And death sucks, but this is something... entirely worse sounding.]

I'm so sorry.

[beatupgrass]

I don't even know what happened. [He can't quite headdesk with his muzzle so he just drops his chin on the desk and huffs.] One minute we're winning and the next it just goes quiet, and people just... They just died.

[choosetruth]

[She knows how it feels, but not as deeply as Shaun does. She's lost friends. More of them than she'd care to think about. But she hasn't lost someone that close to her. Buffy was the closest.

And thinking about Buffy still hurts, even all these years later.]

I'm sorry.

[She's repeating herself, but what else can she say? Nothing will make this better.]

[beatupgrass]

Yeah. [He rubs at his face.] I'll deal with it. Maybe not havin' to go back to it for awhile will help.

[choosetruth]

[George knows from her own experience that that isn't how it works. She gives Rocket a soft look from behind her sunglasses.]

Well, let me know if there's anything I can do. I'm here for you.

[beatupgrass]

Yeah. Thanks. [He slides off the chair.] I'm done hiding, anyway, so there's that. There's bound to be another event soon, so there ain't no point.