healium | {text}

Mr. Strider, I have a request for your attention? Lil Sebastian has ... well, I can't really say he's gone missing, but I'm a bit confused. You said he had a stuffed rabbit beneath his exoskeleton, and now he seems to be wearing it on the outside. Was that some sort of "blending in to get the tactical advantage" setting I don't know about? It's bad enough that I still have to repair Poppop when I "return home", but I don't think Dad will take to a sunglasses wearing critter running about; at least with his more robot-looking appearance, I could have him hold still and pretend to just be a toy you sent.

Honestly, this entire little charade going on around me is nothing short of eyebrow-raising. I can't really have been transported somewhere when all that's happened is Lil Seb looking ready to drop the fridge; I haven't even had the opportunity to get my game yet!

[There's at least a good four minutes before the next text shows up.]

This isn't some ironic test to make me less skeptical about what I'm hearing and seeing, is it? Or is this suddenly one of the occasions where I'm being caught by a giant, squishy, foam butt and have yet to wake up from the weird dreams?

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[That just prompts such a worried expression, but she stays quiet, thinking.]

Oh but...you are both here now! So, no worries. Everybody is fine!

Yes, that's true. Everyone is fine here. [She doesn't look any more relieved, but Jane manages a small smile.] I feel a little behind.

Why's that?

Something Jake said worries me a bit. Apparently, I was killed by some red... things. Then you saying Roxy was talking about being attacked by drones?

Drones and red somethings, yeah. She didn't really go into a lot of detail.

[CAN'T HELP THE WORRIES.]

[HERE COMFORTING SMILE IS GO THEN. TRUST YOUR POPPOP, JANE.]

Jane, really, everything is fine. No matter what happens back home, both of you are here now. You have managed to escape both the drones and the red thingies. And you have the chance to actually be together in person! Which, if you four are anything like us, is a big deal. And if you spend all your time worrying, you won't really be able to enjoy that fact!

[Nodding, she soon enough smiles again and it's more relaxed this time.] You're quite right. We just need Dirk here and it will be all of us, together. Not scattered across the world.

Eeexactly! And I am willing to be that Dirk won't be far behind. This place seems fond of Striders.

[It's also fond of letting them go but hey, let's not talk about that.]

Hoo hoo, I'm not too surprised by that! Striders seem to have this thing about them where just about everything, good or bad, is attracted.

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