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[awfulsentimetal]

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[Ring-a-ding if you need something! The Spine is never without his CereVice. If he doesn't pick up on the third or fourth ring, something is definitely wrong....

...or Rabbit has stolen it.]

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[greeterings]

[ INCOMING ROBO-HUGS IT IS, Peter is bringin' it in and hugging Spine around the middle, clunking his mask against his vest. After a couple of seconds he disengages and takes a step back, letting a not-quite-awkward silence descend. What were you supposed to say in situations like this? ]

... So howsabout them swamplands, huh? Pretty gross!

[awfulsentimetal]

[He gives Peter the kind of hug he usually reserves for the most nervous of fans. It's only been a month since he found himself here, rather than on WINK, but that's a month long detour he hadn't planned on taking.

He's missed his nephew/owner/boss, okay?

... he doesn't know what to say either, as it happens, and he lets the silence stand until Peter fills it. He breaks into a relieved smile.]

No kiddin'. [And now there's mud smeared on the front of his vest. He doesn't regret it.] Usually there's no mess. ViViD is supposed to be a virtual reality program. [A quiet chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck.] Guess the swamp didn't get the memo.

[greeterings]

[ For his part, Peter hasn't been separated from the robots long enough to really miss them as much - it's only been a day or so for him, so this is pure 'oh thank god a familiar face that hasn't been blown up by aliens' relief on his end.

... And mud. Lots and lots of mud. ]

Seriously, not much 'virtual' about that mess! How long were you sloggin' around... in...

[ Wait. Robots + mud = bad times. ]

... Oh criminy, how much of that gunk got into your joints, Spine?

[awfulsentimetal]

[So much mud.]

Good question. One moment. Running systems check. [He held up a finger, photo-receptors dimming.

Processing... processing...

He lowers his hand and blinks with an audible click.] My left ankle's a little gummed up from steppin' in a sinkhole. Everything else checks out a-okay.

I should make it home just fine. It's not too far.

[greeterings]

... Wait, home? Like... Walter-Manor-home, or...

[ The penny finally drops, and he squints (... well, probably squints) up at Spine, tapping the chin of his mask with a long finger. ]

Youuuuuuuu've been here for a while, haven't you? Are timey-wimey shenanigans afoot? Has anyone accidentally married their own grandmother?

[awfulsentimetal]

I don't believe so. 'Course, if we had a McFly situation I doubt we'd know the difference. [Okay, so he hadn't actually banged his grandma but Marty came damn close, the reference stands. Kind of.

The Spine's green photo-receptors roll skyward as he considers that question, arms loosely folded across his chest and his hips cocked. The stance was nonchalant in a totally not at all nonchalant and absolutely practiced in a mirror every day for weeks kind of a way.

He tries.] Rabbit and I have been here for about two months, give or take. Might've been longer before CERES brought us online. [Or... out of the Nexus code. Whatever.] Last thing I recall is bein' on the way back from beating the Space Giant in a musical duel. Oh--that reminds me. How was your vacation, Peter?

[greeterings]

... The what in the who now?

[ ... Oh jeez. Was Spine malfunctioning? Because that was some The Jon levels of unhinged loopiness coming out of his mouth. ]

I haven't gone on vacation in years, and I sure as heck don't remember you guys going on any space adventures!

[awfulsentimetal]

Well, that's weird. You're the one that helped us convert WINK into a functionin' spaceship. [Or started to? Why do the songs have to contradict each other.

He gives Peter a concerned look, gears whirring and clicking as he tilts his head quizzically.] You feelin' okay, Peter? Did you spend too much time in the sunshine while you were away? [Because heatstroke totally explains their recollection of events not aligning, right.]

[greeterings]

Okay, okay, okay, hang on. I think we're firmly in temporal anomaly territory, and not just because I spent the last three days in the basement labs pretend I didn't say that last part.

What year is it?

[awfulsentimetal]

[He is not pretending he didn't hear anything. He is, in fact, giving Peter a bit of a stern look, because that is not a healthy life choice Peter]

Uh... it's 2015. You know, the year the 1990s became retro?

[greeterings]

[ What stern look? Peter can't see any stern looks if he glances off to one side, his peripheral vision isn't that great y'know! ]

... Okay, see, earlier today it was 2014. Unless I've been cryogenically frozen for a year - unlikely, though I can't rule it out - something is seriously wonky!

[awfulsentimetal]

Huh-uh. [The Spine planted a fist on his hip and scratched the air over his fedora contemplatively.] ... well, I think we can rule out you being frozen, since I distinctly recall seein' you at least once this past year.

You sure it was 2014?

[greeterings]

Yes! Just like I'm sure last year was 2013 and I haven't gone on vacation lately.

[awfulsentimetal]

Huh. Weird.

[Bit of an understatement, considering that he knows it was 2k15 back home and the world hadn't been destroyed yet. If it was destroyed at all. He's still making up his mind about that one.

Out in the open with mud drying on their clothing probably isn't the best place to have a long discussion about what Peter's temporal confusion could mean.] Let's put a pin in it for now. I'm sure Rabbit will have somethin' to say about it, too. I'd rather not have the same talk twice, if that's okay with you, Peter.

[greeterings]

No problemo. Less Time Cop and Back to the Future references that way, anyway! You guys can catch me up on the last couple'a years when we're back... wherever you live.

[awfulsentimetal]

Like I said, it's not far. [That's a lopsided smile for Peter as he jerks a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the apartment he and Rabbit share.] If you're ready, Peter, I'll lead the way.

[It really isn't far. Just a block and a half away, The Spine pauses outside the lobby door of a residential building.] Oh, ah... might wanna brace yourself.

[And that's all the warning he gets before The Spine is heading inside.]

[missfunction]

[walking right into the lion's den, kiddo.

Before either robot or human would be able to react, there's a blur of squealing copper barreling straight for Peter, skinny arms slipping around his tiny frame and squeezing him up in to the air.]

HOLY CRAB, IT'S YOU!!! [Cue Rabbit twirling with her much smaller nephew around in sickeningly fast circles.] PETES!!

[greeterings]

[ Peter couldn't have possibly braced himself enough to prepare for the onslaught of Hurricane Rabbit! He managed a brief, strangled noise as he was swept up in the enthusiastic hug, and wheezed out a response somewhere around the tenth twirl. ]

R-Rabbit! Not that I'm not happy to see you, but-- oxygen!

[awfulsentimetal]

[The Spine just let that blur of copper blow by him with his usual stoicism. He warned Peter. It's out of his hands now.

... well, okay, obviously he's going to step in if it starts looking like Peter is going to suffer ill effects from either the squeezing or the centrifugal force of Rabbit's enthusiastic spinning.

But until then...]

He's got a point, Rabbit. Humans need to breathe.

[missfunction]

[Once the man has been properly twirled--about five times--Rabbit finally plops Peter back onto his feet and begins to press embarrassingly long kisses onto each of his 'cheeks', ending each press of her lips with an overly enthusiastic MWAH!

Finally he's released, Rabbit turning her wide grin on her brother briefly.] Breathe, S-S-Schmeathe! He can suffer a b-b-bit of lightheadedness when reuniting with his favorite aunt! I ain't gonna squeeze th' life outta him!

[Despite her happy squeezing, she is very well aware of how delicate to act around humans. If only her CyBuddys were given that same consideration...]

So, ya decided t' join us, Petes? Kind o' late in th' game, huh?

[greeterings]

[Considering that one of them is metal, and the other has a wooden mask for a face, those kisses just kinda make a hollow CLUNK noise whenever Rabbit makes contact!

Peter stumbles back a few steps and dusts himself off (ok, more flaky mud-bits than dust), almost bumping into Mount Spine along the way.]

Hey, not my fault that somebody decided to play hokey-pokey with the space/time continuum, I just saw you two yesterday!

[awfulsentimetal]

[He just cracks a crooked grin at Rabbit's response. It's exactly what he expected to hear.

And that's a steadying hand on Peter's shoulder. Careful, there, bumping into him is a good way to bruise something.]

Ah, yeah. About that... [So much for that smile.] Peter says it's 2014 back home. That sound right to you?

[missfunction]

[She blinks.]

Eeeeeeeeeeeh, [drawing that syllable out, Rabbit's glowing gaze flickers between her brother and her nephew] Is this a riddle? Is there a punch line? Cause I'm pretty s-s-shore it was 2015 last t-t-time I checked.