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[egyptologist]

absolutely. When

[family_remains]

Now? I've got a bottle of something suspicious and there's no one else I'd rather see

[egyptologist]

brilliant. yours or mine?

[family_remains]

Yours. Unless you like getting interrupted by my nosy brothers. In which case, kinky.

1/2

[egyptologist]

Not particularly. Come on over. I’m in

[egyptologist]

crenshaw. same place as before, can't miss the bloody thing

-> Action

[family_remains]

I'll head towards you now. Stay there on the floor.

[Which, he figures she's on because she's drinking and alone and probably pretty depressed if she's back here. Unlike him, Evelyn had a great life back home and a career to get back to. She's probably pretty upset.

He stops and acquires a bottle of something sketchy like he said he had and then goes back for some roasted potato wedges in a parcel. She was right, he house isn't hard to find and he feels confident enough to let himself in.]

Evelyn?

[egyptologist]

[ A whole ass career as a renowned Egyptologist, being begged to head the British museum...

Bloody fuck.

She hears Sam come in, and calls out from where she's laying on the floor, her glass empty beside her. She's not wasted, but she certainly isn't sober. ]

In the library, darling--

[family_remains]

[Familiar footsteps in a familiar house. He's wearing the same boots he always does. For him the end wasn't that long ago. For her it's been years. He doesn't know that.

To Evelyn's Paleblood Sam will register as an emotional wall of calm. No jumbled mess of thoughts and feelings. No mess of.. anything, actually. Maybe the Nothing should be a problem but it's better than her empathy senses getting bowled over, right?]

Hey, [He comes to a stop a few feet away and stands over her before dropping down to sit on the floor with a soft noise.]

How you doing.

[egyptologist]

[ How interesting. She can feel it, just...a void, almost. Calm, levelness. She feels him come in before she even opens her eyes, heavy footsteps on carpet. ]

Hello, Sam.

[ She cracks an eye, tips her head to look at him, hair fanned out behind her head. ]

Smashing. How are you?

[family_remains]

I've been worse.

[He rests back on one hand, the other sets down the bottle he brought and moves to touch her hair.]

I missed you.

[egyptologist]

[ She's a little older, a wrinkle or two around the eyes that you only get from chasing a toddler. Her hair is still thick as ever, perfume warm and amber, egyptian musk. ]

It's been a while, hasn't it. For me, anyway.

[family_remains]

Oh?

[She did look different. A little more grown up. Still beautiful as ever.]

How long?

[egyptologist]

Mmm..

[ She stretches out, flexing her fingers before pushing herself up to sitting. ]

Eight years.

[family_remains]

Oh.. wow.

You do seem different.

[Sam takes his hand back to keep his fingers from tangling in her hair.]

This must all feel like a dream.

[egyptologist]

Oh, quite.

[ She pulls a leg up, props her chin on it and regards him thoughtfully. ]

It was like...all of the chaos was something I'd dreamed up. Riding huge polar bears, my shop, you.

[family_remains]

Wouldn't be hard to believe it.

What did you do with all that time? Take over the world?

[A little wry smile. He fully believes she could have if she wanted.]

[egyptologist]

[ Oh, easily. She's that kind of lady. ]

No, but my son almost destroyed it again. On accident, of course. He's a good boy, but he's just like me.

[family_remains]

Son-

[Hnghhhhh recover, Sam. Be cool.]

Wow-- um. Wow.

So you got married and everything.

[egyptologist]

Mhm. Married, a son...

[ She squints at him, tips her head and siiighs. ]

They were begging me to run the British museum, I was a scholar, a good career.. [ An arm candy house husband who helped her on digs... ]

[family_remains]

The perfect apple pie ending she deserved. The kind someone like Sam could have never given her.

He clears his throat and tongues the inside of his cheek for a moment.]

I'm sorry to hear that.

I mean, that you had everything and lost it.

..

Who's the lucky guy?

[egyptologist]

[ Something you would have liked though, wouldn't you.

She'd had a whole life...a very good life, full of love and family and adventures.

Chock full of white woman privilege but, still. A good life. ]

Rick O'Connell. I probably told you about him.

[family_remains]

[Sam would have been an excellent archaeologist lbr.

He nods a little. They've talked about Rick and their adventures. He isn't that surprised.]

Right. Yeah. Guess it's Evelyn O'Connell now, huh. Congratulations.

[Is that a flash of anger in him? Maybe. But very surface. Disappointment, maybe, but it's gone again as soon as it came. Swallowed by the void of nothing behind Sam's ribs where his soul should be. He's not happy though, that's for sure.

He opens the bottle, somehow fittingly adorned with a skull and cross bones, and offers to fill her near by glass.]

We should celebrate.

[egyptologist]

[ He would have. And he probably would have loved it. ]

It is. Yes.

[ It's an odd feeling, to pick up on the snippets of those emotions, and she isn't entirely sure what to do with them. This is really the first encounter she's had where she's had the chance to really feel something like that.

How strange. ]

Celebrate my arrival back in this bloody mess?

[family_remains]

[He huffs a laugh and shakes his head.]

Celebrate was the wrong word. Sorry.

To hellholes and new beginnings?