@b.crusher | video

[dancingmd]

[Nine years. Nine years since she stepped back through the portal, nine years since she returned to the Enterprise, nine years that inevitably faded some of the memories of this place - but not everything. The faces she knows. Even if she forgets now where that cute little corner market was or what the hell half these gifs and memes mean anymore (if she ever understood in the first place) Beverly never forgets a coworker, a patient, a friend. And she left them all in such a hurry. The portal's connection to her time and place had been tenuous, she had to go then, or risk losing her chance to go home all together.

And now... now she's back, exhausted by the weight of war and the toll of death, new lines etched into her face. When the portal specialist told her it had only been a week since she'd left, she had to laugh. Of course. It seems this place isn't ready to let go of her.

Though not typically a frequenter of the network, it is the easiest and quickest way for her to contact multiple people at once. She doesn't want anyone (else - apologies to Lucretia) to be caught unawares by her sudden reappearance, so she leaves a quick video message:]

Good Morning. This is Dr. Beverly Crusher [of the USS Enterprise no more] reporting that I have returned to Riverview.

[For god's sake, woman, this isn't a mission log. She offers a smile - it's a little sad, but a smile nonetheless.]

I wanted to apologize to those I left without proper goodbyes. I hope you got my messages, at least. I'll be at my apartment for the rest of the day if anyone wants to stop by. Thank you.

Comments

closed to Lucretia

[dancingmd]

[Throughout the intake process, Beverly had been impatient and curt with the poor specialists. She doesn't need an orientation and doesn't want to give them any damn updates on her portal experiences right now, she just wants one thing: Lucretia. She'd known from the beginning that it was going to be hard to leave her but she had no idea how much Lucretia had already changed her. It's not that she regrets going home - even with all the turmoil, she can't regret that, ever, if for no other reason than the chance to see what Wesley became - but it was a rare day that she didn't find herself thinking about Lucretia, missing her, wondering how she was doing, if she got to go home too. Her love for her remained as integral part of her as her love for Jack.

As soon as she was okayed to leave, Beverly burst out of the orientation center and hurried to her old apartment. As she gets closer, however, doubt trickles in and she slows her pace. What if Lucretia isn't even home? She works at Gramayre but Beverly no longer has her schedule memorized. She should have called or texted. Oh, but she wants to hold her and see her, not just hear her. Even worse, what if Lucretia's angry with her? Or what if... what if Beverly's changed too much? What if she's been holding onto the memory of something that can't ever be entirely reclaimed again?

By the time she gets to the door, she's a bundle of nerves and for a moment, her hand hovers uncertainly over the doorknob. Should she knock first? It is her apartment too, she has the keys but... it doesn't feel right. Before she can decide, the decision is made for her as the knob begins to turn.]

{ action }

[franciscoramon]

[ It had only been a week. Cisco hadn't even come close to accepting the fact that Beverly was gone, and that he wasn't going to get another chance to surprise a laugh out of her, or hear another tale of all her adventures, or tell her about some new silly piece of gossip he had heard. A week was long enough to feel sad about her leaving, but not to truly feel her absence.

And now, out of nowhere, she is back! In Cisco's delight, in his rush to get out the door to go see her, he didn't make much of those small changes that were visible in the video. He didn't notice she seemed older, a little more weary. He just noticed it was Beverly and she was back.

His knock on her door, when he arrives ten minutes later and out of breath (he had actually jogged from the taxi) is loud, and he also calls out: ]

Beverly?

video | un: breq

[breqintopieces]

[Breq hasn't been here as long as some of the other people of the quarantine, hasn't quite formed the bone-deep connections that lead so many to wonder whether they'll go or stay. Despite her own quiet surety that she'll stay here, rather than return, she's still used to the nature of this place as being ultimately transient. It's not meant to be anyone's final resting place.

So she hadn't been surprised by the message from the doctor. Rueful, to lose a contact she'd been enjoying, but not at all surprised. Ready to spare a thought and sympathetic word for Lucretia, more than concerned about her own feelings.

This reappearance, though, is definitely a surprise. She's already making plans to drop by later, but for now, a more immediate response seems most prudent, so she uses her device to start up a response, offering a nod and a smile first thing.]

I did. Welcome back, doctor.

Private-Video

[11calls]

[Alex can't help but notice both the lines on the other woman's face, and the sadness in her smile. It makes Alex frown in response, and she does something that she doesn't normally do: actually turn on the camera for the message reply. Her own look is concerned, and she just leans forward a bit.]

Beverly, are you okay?

[Because that's what's way more important than asking if she remembered or anything else right now. That can always come later.]

action.

[winscenario]

[ After getting that letter, which has admittedly left him feeling more than just a little depressed for the past week, Beverly's face on the network is the last thing he expected to see.

It throws him for a loop. She looks different, sounds different too, but it soon become apparent that she still remembers being here before.

So, he doesn't waste time. He rushes to her flat, hoping she'll be there when he knocks on the door, still panting a little as though he ran all the way here. (He didn't, he came on his bike.) ]

Video | un:unbeatablesg

[partiallysquirrelblood]

Welcome back, I guess. We've never met, but it seems like the thing to say.

[Doreen, and the squirrrl on her shoulder, give Beverly a wave]

I'm Doreen, by the way. And this is Tippy-Toe. It's nice to meet you.