[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

[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.]

[brotimaeus]

Dave.

[It's him, he knows it's him.]

You got nothin' to say to your old man?

[callbacks]

[He nods, then shakes his head. His eyes flick up, then drop again like they're tied to heavy stones.]

Welcome back, sir.

[He fidgets for another moment, then stills suddenly. When he holds the spyglass out it's with a jerky movement, like his feelings are yanking him around like a puppet.]

You said you wanted this back.

[brotimaeus]

Yeah.

[He takes it, and it's heavier than he remembers. He weighs it in his hand, turns it over and examines it for any wear.]

You took good care of it.

[A pause, then he speaks again, with some difficulty.]

How's your mother.

[callbacks]

[If possible, he lowers his gaze even more, shakes his head, and shrugs minutely. With nothing to hold onto, he links his hands together behind his back.]

It's just been me, Dirk, and Rose for a while now.

[He manages to lift his head a fraction, enough to try to look Bro up and down.]

You okay? Ten years, that's. It's a long time.

[brotimaeus]

Ah.

[Well, that's a kick in the gut as much as he should have expected it. He steps forwards, the spyglass in one hand as he brings the other up to Dave's shoulder.]

Yeah, I'm okay. Done some things I ain't too proud of to finally get here, so you can imagine... [Bad Things, Dave. You don't want to know.] I meant to come back. You gotta know that.

[callbacks]

[He finally looks up for real, prompted by the weight of the hand on his shoulder. Instead of his disbelief in the reality of this moment, what shines through that flash of his eyes is his longing for it to be real. Then he nods, tries to clear his throat.]

I looked for you.