[Open Log] You're no wiser now. Returning with your head bowed low

[rustyhonesty]

WHO: Jean Kirstein & Anyone
WHAT: Jean returns from his canon update and related things.
WHEN: February 29th onwards
WHERE: Research Center, possibly other places
WARNINGS: impalement injury, blood, talks: of fighting, killing, death, titans eating people, general gore and child soldier warning of basic AoT things

---

Jean appears back into Ellipsa as suddenly as he disappeared from it. This time, however, he wasn't home like he was when he blinked out of existence. Instead, he sees the familiar sights of the Research Center. He looks like he's been through a lot; he has a bandage wrapped around him, keeping the wound on his shoulder from bleeding, but also so that his arm won't move necessarily. His clothes are either dirty or slightly burned from something. They're even too small for him, considering he's back to his normal height and these are clothes from when he was 15.

It takes him a moment to understand what was going on. He didn't get a lot of memories, but it was a very intense time. Once he has his bearings, he sighs. That was something he's heard of happening before but had never experienced. Going back home and seeing memories he's missed.

"What the fuck was the point of that?" He complains. And wasn't this place's magic supposed to heal any injuries 'on arrival'? Great. Just amazing. He really needed more scars. Fucking Armored Titan (no offense, Reiner).

After finding a place to sit down, he finds his phone in his pocket. Somehow it had come back to him on arrival. Creepy, but convenient. He sends a text first to Mikasa and Marco, apologizing and telling them where he is (both of them, since they were both there when he disappeared). Then he sends texts to some of his other friends explaining he's back while he waits.

---

OOC: Any of his CR is welcome to assume Jean sent them a message and wildcard a meeting somewhere else or text back in the comments! Otherwise this is a very open to all post for anyone visiting the Center.

Comments

Research Centre

[onesurvived]

The Research Centre? Hold tight, and I’ll come by, okay?

[Presumably Jean had some people he was a little closer to who would be able to come take him home, but… he said he’d gone home. Eva couldn’t help a cold sense of dread run through her at the thought.

If he’d been through anything like she had, she couldn’t leave that message alone. Besides, she was the older of the two of them now, right?

And so, she gathered some things together and made her way over. A thermos of soup, another of a calming tea, an extensive first aid kit and a blanket under her arm. She even tossed the soothing lavender she had for good measure.

Once she arrived, she had a look around, grimacing at the sight of that bandage…]

…You look like shit.

[Despite the harshness in her words, there was clearly an empathetic undertone there as she sat beside him to offer the blanket.]

[rustyhonesty]

[Jean just replies with a quick "Okay", since she's probably already on her way there.

At least it looks like Jean hasn't suddenly skipped over 30 years! That's something, right? Though he definitely feels as if he's ages quite a bit with how tired he feels.

He huffs a laugh as he accepts the blanket. It felt nice to have something warm around himself.]

Thanks, I feel like that, too.

[onesurvived]

[There is that! Although with his clothes looking a little small on him now, it's not that easy to tell how much time had passed for him... it made the illusion that it was longer than in reality.]

Seriously, what's with this place sending you home, chewing you up and spitting you back out again, right?

...I brought soup and tea, in case you need to warm up. Not sure the bandages'll do any better a job of you than the one you've already got, though.

[rustyhonesty]

Especially since everything I experienced was something I was already told about. I didn't exactly learn anything new.

[Well that wasn't exactly true. He did learn for himself how it felt to fight his former friends... and how it felt seeing Bertholdt's final moments. His screams would definitely haunt him for a good while.]

Thanks, Eva. Don't worry about my wound too much, my wife's a spring, so she knows how to heal.

Text; un: fenrirfang

[corpsewarblade]

Jean. Status?

Can provide supply drop off/escort home immediately as required.

[Mukuro replies immediately to her brother’s message, with all of her usual military efficiency.

She was worried, but didn’t want to just rush out without any information. If he already had someone collecting him, she would focus on prepping something for him to eat when he got home.]

[rustyhonesty]

Injured, but I should be fine after some healing.

Mikasa's already on her way, so you don't need to worry.

[corpsewarblade]

Understood. I'll keep watch at base, then.

...And I'll start on dinner, any requests?

un: abnormalitylover, text

[abnormalizes]

Are you okay? Physically and/or mentally.

[rustyhonesty]

I'm mostly exhausted. Everything I saw was something I already knew about. Though it's different to actually experience everything.

I am injured though, but Mikasa's a spring so she'll help me out.

[abnormalizes]

Got it. If you want to vent about it later, I've got wine at my place.

Text; un: shoto

[itsmypower]

[Jean!]

You're not hurt this time, are you?

[rustyhonesty]

[Err, about that-]

I am, actually - I got injured back home. For some reason, returning here didn't heal me.

[itsmypower]

[It's too bad he's lost the magic Avalon granted. Lucky (?) for Jean, he's trained enough to offer the startings of wound-care. This makes him a still-sort-of medic.]

Should I come meet you? I'll do what I can far as wound-care.

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata is out questing in the Segments when he gets Jean's text message. He responds right away to inquire about his wellbeing and, assured that he didn't suffer any devastating physical or psychological damage, promises to visit him as soon as he's back in the city.

A couple of days later, he knocks on Jean's door, and when he opens, he looks him over first of all. Surely, Jean has long changed out of the old clothes, but has he also gotten healing for his injuries? Either way, the relief is written all over Hijikata's face.]

Thank goodness, you really are in one piece. I'm glad I wasn't around for that scare.

[The thought of Jean being permanently called home is one he doesn't even want to entertain. He can only hope that the spell binding him to Mikasa will stay intact, but even so, he doesn't want both of them to disappear together either, be it back to their shitty world or elsewhere in the multiverse!]

[rustyhonesty]

[By now, he's been healed, but he does still look a bit worn over his surprise trip home. Jean makes room so Hijikata can come inside, so they don't have to stand in the doorway.]

You were lucky. I was having a chat with Mikasa and Marco when I suddenly just disappeared.

[It definitely wasn't easy for them... but at least they were both logical people who could figure out he wasn't completely gone.]

And thankfully, healing magic exist. Otherwise, you'd be seeing me with my arm on a sling.

[mayoninofukucho]

[He winces a little at that additional information, not even wanting to imagine having a friend - much less his sworn brother - disappear on him live in real time. Mikasa and Marco must have been especially relieved to get Jean back. Hearing of his injury, he feels compelled to inquire about his experiences, much as asking about the world of titans always brings him misery.]

What happened back home? You probably had to tell a bunch of people already, but I'd like to know too.

[Knowing what he does about the future of Jean's world, he can only hope and pray that he was spared the worst of it.]

[callyourname]

[Mikasa is so relieved to FINALLY hear from him and she almost rushes out there to get him as soon as she reads that, but... She has so many questions but first things first!]

Jean! Are you okay? Do you need anything from home?

[rustyhonesty]

I just need you, please.


And some healing. This place didn't heal the wound I got while fighting the Armored.

[callyourname]

[and she'll leave wherever she is to run there as soon as she sees that.]

you'll get both, soon I'm omw

. . . Did you catch up with my memories?

[ ... or is he suddenly from a few years in her future too??]

[potatogirl]

I don’t really get it but you’re really okay???

[ What a disconcerting thing when she’s only just been getting settled. ]

[rustyhonesty]

Apart from the big hole in my shoulder, I am.

[potatogirl]

I thought this place healed injuries...

Sunwaning-

[wingbound]

When Levi first reads the words -- Jean went home, even if temporarily -- he feels like he's dropping through the floor. All this time, all this effort trying to spare him from the nightmare that the rest of them lived through, all rendered meaningless by the whimsies of this place -- and then he finally registers the rest.

It's fine. They're safe. Jean didn't see the years that follow; he's barely seen anything more than he already did, and Levi can agree with his sentiment: what was the point of that? He had hoped Ellipsa wasn't senselessly cruel like this. Of course, it was still better than their world, but some part of him feels a little betrayed.

He lets Jean's family take care of him, not wanting to intrude on a potentially vulnerable time. He has a wife, he has friends and adopted siblings, all much closer to him than Levi is, even if they've been building something like a mentorship here. Still, he worries, so a day or two later, he makes the trek to Sunwaning, the path familiar to him from back when he needed existence handshakes to keep enjoying Ellipsa in all of its unpetrified glory, and eventually ends up at Jean's door.

He knocks twice, firm but not too loud, and waits.

[rustyhonesty]

The door's opened and Jean appears. His expression changes from mildly surprised to a smile. Like he's glad to see Levi. Because he is. He'd seen plenty of other people, but honestly he had hoped for a chance to talk about his experience with Levi in particular. It was probably related to what he said about them being somewhat similar. He just hadn't wanted to bother Levi with it, since they could talk the next time they trained.

"Hey, it's nice to see you. Come in."

Jean doesn't look different, though he's neglected the state of his beard a little over the past few days, due to processing what happened in his mind. It's not horrible, at least, since it's only been a few days.

[wingbound]

Levi certainly doesn't expect the gladness, but he's relieved to see it. Maybe he's not actually intruding after all. Well, he supposes they're alike in many ways, so maybe it's not so surprising. Levi would never be upset at people important to him showing up unannounced when he's feeling down, either.

"Yeah," he says and awkwardly steps inside, taking in Jean's slight state of disheveledness.

Then he holds out a brown paper bag for him, just like when he'd come to visit previously, except rather than a peach, Jean will find a covered paper cup and a thick straw inside this time. The cup appears to contain a cool, nicely smelling sludge also known as peach smoothie (even though it probably contains bananas and strawberries as well).

"...I wanted to check how you're doing."