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[controlledvariable]

[Today, Steph is curled up in her chair in front of her console, dressed in light, silk pajamas, her hair piled up in a loose bun, and her expression a little weary. The observant type might notie she's pale aside from her flushed cheeks, and there's a faint sheen of sweat on her brow; the infection from the llothi claws isn't exactly getting along with her. The most noticable thing on the screen, however, is the giant teddy bear (the one hiding behind the rabbit) in her lap, Steph's arms wrapped loosely around it.]

Hey, everyone, I hope you're all keeping well and enjoying our stop on the mainland. ["enjoying" is probably the wrong word, but she can't think of a better one]

I've made a couple of trips myself, and on one of them I happened to find this. [she looks down at the bear, her smile wry] It didn't really look like it belonged out there, and I'd heard of other people finding things they owned back home, so I thought, well, it might be someone's.

If it's yours, feel free to contact me so you can come get it. I'm trusting you guys not to steal a teddy bear that doesn't belong to you. [which is why she didn't do what Damian did, with asking people to confirm the details of the item. Because she doubts anyone would claim to own a teddy bear that isn't really theirs.]

That's all from me. Have a nice day.

[And then she switches off the feed.

While the primary purpose of the message was to find the bear's owner, she also wanted to make sure her friends know she's okay; she hasn't been very active on the network since returning from her last trip, and she isn't up to contacting people individually when she's spending about 70% of her time asleep. This was easier.]

Comments

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[controlledvariable]

I know, right? [she holds one of the bears paws and makes it wave at Peggy.

Blame the fever]

I was kind of expecting it to be hiding explosives or something, but it seems harmless.

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[shootingshields]

[Her grin is genuinely amused, and she chuckles under her breath.]

It could have been some form of surveillance, as well. If no one claims it, I suppose it's yours to keep.

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[controlledvariable]

[Steph gives Peggy a bit of a look; as if she didn't check for surveillance equipment in the bear.

Though her expressions softens at the thought of being able to keep the bear]

I guess it would be. I could always use some extra company. [when she's not crawling into bed with Brandon or Cass]

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[shootingshields]

[Oh, no Steph, she totally expected you to check. But this is a public feed right now, and it just felt right. So whatever look conveys that is the sort of look Peggy's giving in return.]

[And she catches that softened expression.]

If not, there must be a way to make one here, or perhaps they even sell them somewhere.

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[controlledvariable]

I'm not making myself a teddy bear. [gosh Peggy she's a grown ass adult she doesn't need a teddy.

Even if she kind of wants one now. She still keeps a couple on her bed at home and she sunddely misses them.

Life is hard.]

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[shootingshields]

[Peggy's face turns a little fonder, a tiny smile - not teasing in the slightest. But she can sort of tell Steph's train of thought, at least in the small sense of embarrassment.]

Just a small suggestion. [Even if she's now considering trying to get Steph a new bear should this one turn out to indeed be unkeepable.]

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[controlledvariable]

I'd never hear the end of it. [She's sure at least half of her friends would tease her for it. Good naturedly, but still.]

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[shootingshields]

That's their problem, not yours. Though I do understand. [Friendly or otherwise.]

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[controlledvariable]

There's only so much teasing my delicate sensibilities can take. [Well now she's definitely joking.

Steph has neither delicate sensibilites nor a limit to how much teasing she can take]

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[shootingshields]

[She chuckles again, lightly.] Then be aware of your limits.

[SPEAKING OF...] Are you feeling well?

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[controlledvariable]

I try to be.

[suddenly batcrypted at the question]

I'm okay, just had a bit of a run in with our friends on the mainland. ["our friends" of course being the llothi]

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[shootingshields]

[WELP she knows what that means right away. She fought some of them herself.]

Are you recovering all right? What happened? [Because obviously she's pretty okay or she wouldn't be posting over the console.]

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[controlledvariable]

It's a bit of a slow process, there's something on those claws that regular antibiotics aren't much of a match for.

[but she shrugs a shoulder] But I'm getting better slowly, I just sort of... got myself lured into a trap. [whoops]

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[shootingshields]

If there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate. [Even if she's pretty sure there isn't, she'll offer regardless. Steph's probably got it all under control.]

One of the daemids? I think that's what the locals called them.

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[controlledvariable]

Thanks, but I'm sure I'll be fine, and I've got Brandon to boss around. [Clearly that's what boyfriends are for, right?]

Yeah, it - sounded like a little girl. [Which always hits her a little harder than anything else] I knew it was a trap, I just had to check to be sure and then, well, it didn't go so great. [she waves a hand in the air, nbd]

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[shootingshields]

[That is exactly what they're for.] Good.

[She shakes her head in understanding; she might have done the same.] Better safe than sorry. Were you alone?

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[controlledvariable]

I was, which has everyone making an extra fuss. [everyone in this case being Brandon and Cass] But honestly, it probably wouldn't have gone any different even if I'd had back up.

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[shootingshields]

[She nods.] What's done is done. And we can just be glad it wasn't anything worse.

[And Peggy can probably say she'd make a lot of the same choices she did on the mainland, alone or not. She's not here to lecture Steph about it, because if the situation were reversed she wouldn't want it herself.]

How was your trip - or trips - other than the injury? Did you find anything of interest?

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[controlledvariable]

I wish other people would think like that. [she just wants Brandon to stop blaming himself.]

They were... something, alright. [there's no other word for it, and her expression twists a little] Did you see the masoleum?

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[shootingshields]

They mean well. [But it can get annoying.]

[She frowns at the mention of the mausoleum.] Yes, I did. I assume you mean the interior, but my answer is still yes.

[And honestly, it called back to some of the mass graves she'd seen in Eastern Europe, though perhaps less gruesome. It was more the idea - something to cause mass death and so many bodies in one place.]

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[controlledvariable]

I know, but I'm pretty done with people beating themselves up 'cause of stuff that happened to me. [whoops accidentally bitter; she gives Peggy an apologetic look.

It's been a rough month.]

I've run some forensics on the bodies, but there's... nothing so far. [by "I" she means "Bruce", though she did do some tests of her own, she just doesn't have the same equipment or expertise as he does] I dunno what to make of it.

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[shootingshields]

[She sighs. There was a reason she kicked Steve out of his own suite along those veins.] I don't blame you.

Nor I. It just looks as though they all suffered some sort of enormously intense pain before death. [Though she takes note of the forensics work, unable to do so herself.] But even among the ruins of the cities, there's little to give clues as to what happened.

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[controlledvariable]

Yeah. [she scrubs a hand over her face, then tries to put it out of her mind]

I wonder if it was magic. It wouldn't leave a trace that we could detect and-- it'd explain why there's no cause of death. [She wishes Klarion was here, even though he'd probably be more frustrating than helpful, at least he knows his stuff when it comes to magic.]

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[shootingshields]

If we were anywhere else but a giant turtle apparently full of it, I'd disbelieve magic for a cause, but it is something I considered.

What did you make of the radio towers?

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[controlledvariable]

Magic's pretty standard fare back home, so I don't have much difficulty believing it. The problem is that magic isn't exactly my strong point. [She wishes the older Zatanna were here; while the younger one seems competent enough, she's definitely not the accomplished magician that the Zatanna at home is]

I found one that was still bouncing signals around, but I don't think it was anything important. [she took notes and recordings that she'll go through later, though]