[sweetest damn parrot you ever did see. slightly rough around the edges.]

[brotimaeus]

damn, this place really hasnt changed.
i remember the whores bein much friendlier though, what happened there.
maybe the getup aint doing it for them.
guess i could use a bath or somethin.
lieutenant-commander strider here, reportin in if they didnt already strip my rank and brand me a deserter.
who am i kiddin they probably had that done within a week lets be honest here.
cant get hauled out by filthy fuckin pirates for a decade and come back expecting to be in anyones good graces anymore am i right.
and shit, i almost forgot what land feels like.

Comments

you dont even get your parrot back but at least this parrot looks cool like it has sunglasses

[callbacks]

lieutenant commander striders been dead a long time sir
if youre really him
how do you intend to prove it

wow rude give me back my parrot

[brotimaeus]

i can prove it by not bein dead how about that.
what the fuck kind of question is that anyway
and what did you do with my bird i put a lot of effort into acquiring that mangy thing.

no

[callbacks]

if you want it back im going to need some hard evidence that youre the lieutenant commander
if the navy took in every blond asshole claiming to be a strider how ridiculous would that be

>8|

[brotimaeus]

if some assholes been pretending to be me you better point me in his direction so i can kick his lyin ass.
who the hell are you to question me.

: |

[callbacks]

im a midshipman who knew the guy
if youre really him i bet you could answer questions
like stuff no one but him would know

[brotimaeus]

is that right.
yeah i could answer questions
but how do i know you aint just trying to get those answers so you can use em.

[callbacks]

use them for what
im way too young and fly to pass for a dude who had kids like fifteen years ago

[brotimaeus]

...
ok buddy you better start talking fast.
who the fucking hell are you and what do you know about my kids.

[callbacks]

i know you had them
dude they basically grew up swaddled in the rigging they were kind of hard to miss all these years
stop trying to turn this around i was asking you questions first
if youre really lieutenant commander strider whats your first name

[brotimaeus]

we aint nearly well enough acquainted for me to be telling you that.

[callbacks]

fine
then tell me
is it the same as your oldest kids

[brotimaeus]

thats a shot in the dark dont you think.
how about you tell me your name then maybe ill think about giving you mine.

[callbacks]

classified
do you maybe
have anything on you thatd prove your identity
like
a prized possession or something

[brotimaeus]

yeah.
aint got it on me though, sorry to disappoint.
i came back to get it and the person i left it with.

[callbacks]

whod you leave it with

[brotimaeus]

if you knew about my kids youd know that.

[callbacks]

are you on the waterfront

[brotimaeus]

shit, you tracked me down.
make it quick i aint got all day to sit here waiting for a bullet to hit me.

[callbacks]

turn around

[brotimaeus]

what, and make it easy for you?
why would i do somethin like that.

[callbacks]

please
sir

[brotimaeus]

...
fine.
since youre so polite.
i was gettin bored of today anyway.

[So he turns around, lifting one hand to shade bright orange eyes against the sun. It makes spotting the person he's talking to almost impossible, but that doesn't mean he's not going to try regardless.]

[callbacks]

[Bro's parrot flies back to him first, looking like it's had its first good meal in ages.

Following the parrot's flight path back, not nearly far enough away to be safe himself, a young man, not quite sixteen, lowers a strange spyglass and stands there awkwardly for a moment, not saying anything. Finally, he salutes respectfully, even as his gaze drops as low as it can.]

Lieutenant-Commander.

[brotimaeus]

Hey, buddy, you--

[The greeting given to the parrot, his next words falter as he sees the boy following behind it. It's been ten years, but there's no way in hell he'd fail to recognise him.

He swallows, getting to his feet, and returns the salute.]

Front and centre, boy. Don't make me wait.

[callbacks]

[He comes up, but stops just short of arm's reach, eyes still glued to his feet. He's pretty sure this isn't real, despite all evidence to the contrary. It can't be real. Maybe he has Lunar Fever again. Karkat would know. But Karkat isn't here.

So he stands there, practically humming with nervous, confused energy, and twists the spyglass in his hands behind his back while he waits for something to startle him awake.]