[ninth bullet] action (for everyone in Camp Otacon)

[boldandresolute]

[When Liquid was sane again, he found himself in the middle of a forest without the slightest indication of how he'd gotten there.  The walls of the prison came had simply burned off like fog, leaving him confused and disoriented and exhausted beyond belief.]

...?

[Had he never left at all?  Was that why he was covered in mud when he'd been in the

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[philanthrotaku]

[And the source of that light would be a small campfire, a dejected Otacon sitting beside it with Kotai curled around him. Every so often she'd give him an encouraging nudge with her nose, but that didn't change anything. He just stared at the campfire, raising a bandaged arm to pet her absentmindedly.]

...

[How long had Liquid been gone? Had he killed anyone--no, surely he would have heard something. Was he alright? And...would he ever come back?]

[boldandresolute]

[Liquid could make out three forms by the fire; one sitting, two lying down. Beyond that, they were silhouettes and he couldn't make out much by way of identifying features.]

...hn.

[He started to creep a little closer; there was a soft rustle of underbrush when he moved.]

[philanthrotaku]

[Kotai's head snapped up and she hissed softly, baring disturbingly long fangs.]

...hm? What is it?

[Otacon glanced up as we;l, looking around.]

Kotai? What's wrong?

[boldandresolute]

[It sounded like Hal, but Liquid remembered the blood on his knife and his stomach twisted. It couldn't be Hal.]

[Maybe he was hallucinating again.]

[Maybe, if it really was Hal standing there, he didn't care.]

...

[He watched and waited.]

[foolishwren]

[It had been a long day

[boldandresolute]

[Sup thar, Heather. Don't mind Liquid, he'll just be over here looking like a British, shirtless hobo Jesus who forgot that he really needed to touch-up his roots.]

[He has not yet noticed the moveable bundle of blankets that is Heather.]

[foolishwren]

[Heather stared for a second.]

[Then had a delayed reaction in which her unbandaged eye widened and she jerked back a little-- a stranger in the camp!?]

[... Waaaaait.]

... Liquid?

[It was uttered in a hoarse croak that hardly sounded a thing like the voice Liquid probably remembered and associated with Heather.]

[boldandresolute]

[Liquid turned sharply at the sound of an unfamiliar voice; perhaps a little too sharply considering his sleep deprivation and the fact that he was half-starved. He thankfully kept his balance.]

...

[He peered at her.]

...Heather? [His voice didn't sound much better than hers.]