[SANDBOX] The united states of Fray (for cantjossme primarily)

[slayer_fray]

She's gotten so used to coming and going through her window/the front door, that Mel pretty much takes it for granted now that she can come and go between Milliways and Haddyn as she pleases. So when she climbs through the window this time round, it takes her a few seconds to realise she's not in Kansas any more

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[cantjossme]

A few moments later and something does happen.

There's a flash of light and a poof of smoke and suddenly there's another Fray in the room. She immediately wobbles and crouches over for about a second too as she tries to keep her stomach from escaping through her mouth.

"Jesu! Geez Will you weren't kidding about that re-entry part," Mel groaned as she tried to get her bearings.

[cantjossme]

"Yeah. That's one thing about Fandom. Clear skies everywhere," Mel agreed. "Actual daylight on a regular basis is something I'll miss if I ever get back home. Though according to the creeps that sent me back, it won't happen unless I get that whole psychic slayer mojo back."

[slayer_fray]

OK,
that takes Mel back, blinking hard at her. "You're kidding?"

[cantjossme]

"About what? The slayer connection thing?" Mel asked. "Um. Why? Did you get it?"

[slayer_fray]

"The sky, no..." Mel says, but shrugs and smiles sheepishly. "Got the dreams and toy when Harth was dusted, though."

[cantjossme]

"Oh."

Mel dug her toe into the ground a bit at that. Is that what it's going to take?

"Was it hard? Dusting him, I mean."

[slayer_fray]

Mel swallows, hard.

Sure, she can play tough all she likes, but who really know how much it hurts inside better than
herself.

(Well, Rachel too, but she's special)

And as much as she wants to bravado it all, this one... well, she's
younger. And it sets off her protective instincts hard.

So instead of saying 'yeah, just dusting a lurk,' she steps forward, looking down at the scuffing toe.

"'Bout as hard as burying Loo."

[cantjossme]

Another person Mel hadn't thought of... or rather tried not to think of since she went back in time.

"Yeah," she said with catch in her voice. "I bet."

She looked around the "room" trying to get a better idea of where they were and to desperately change the subject. "So you think we're it? Just two Mel's from different timelines?"

[grabber_fray]

Funny you should say that....

Mel - this Mel - had braced herself for a day with the twins, doing nothing more put of the ordinary than sitting in the hotel lobby and playing baby games.

So she'd set them up on that sling that lets Loo ride happy on her back and Hana sit comfortably in front, and headed down from the roof. And when she steps through the door to find herself shifted out of yet
another world, she stops sharp, drawing them to herself before she bothers to look at the two in front of her.

"What the
rut?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel was just about to say 'why the hell should we be?' when she was interrupted.

By herself. Again.

Only this time with...

"
Babies?"

Instantly she feels guilty at that note of longing in her voice.

[cantjossme]

Now the appearance of the third Mel shouldn't surprise her.

After all she did utter the words out loud so...

But the kids hanging off of her third self is, well, boggling.

Hence the expression on her face.

[grabber_fray]

They're her, but they're not her, but they're...

Mel pulls herself up, stroking the hair of the baby in front of her, in a soothing way, looking from Melaka to Melaka.

"Who the hell are you?"

[slayer_fray]

"We're..."

Mel hesitates, and glances towards the version she's Christened 'young Mel'.

"...you. Kinda sorta. Alternate timelines is my guess. Are those yours?"

Are they mine?

[cantjossme]

Maybe it's the fact she's seventeen.

Maybe it's the fact she's still scared to death of kids.

Either way "Young Mel" freaked out a bit.

"Holy CRAP! I have kids?!" Mel shouted.

[grabber_fray]

OK, shouting around the kids isn't exactly good. Hana stirs fretfully in the sling in front of her mother, and mutters for a second, whine beginning to creep in. Her sister, behind Mel's back, starts to imitate her.

Mel herself keeps one hand on Hana's head, looking at the other two.

"They're mine," she says, and it's almost a threat, the way she says it. Her spare hand isnt' far from the bandolier of stakes across her chest slung under the baby.

"You wanna start explaining what the rut's going on?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel stops herself in the act of steeping towards the babies, and forces herself back into a slouch.

"We're supposed to know? Clueless as you, really. Like I said, alternate timelines, skitzed-ass reality hub thing. It's OK."