re_alignment | [Video | Junk Pile, yet again]

[Lyra had much more important things to do rather than go visit some temple where she was apparently supposed to live now. She had an alethiometer to find and wasn't about to leave the junk pile until she did. The end result was the little girl setting up a junk-made lean to for herself and Pan, camping out at night and searching through the day.

It had to be somewhere.

Settling down with some food she'd managed to get while Pan continued searching, Lyra turned on her comm unit, figurin she might as well see what was going on. And ask if anyone else had found it.]

Got a question for all you. I'm looking for something real important. It kinda looks like a compass but with pictures on it. I know I had it when I jumped trough the window after my father so if one of you has it you best give it back.

[She glares a bit to make her point before glancing off screen to check on Pan.]

Anything?

Nothing yet. At least not what we're lookin for. There's so much weird stuff here, Lyra!

[The little girl grinned, her daemon's excitement and curiosity infectious.]

Oh. Right. So...can anyone tell me what this thing means? Which temple or whotever.

[She pushes the sleeve of her shirt up some to show off Liege's glyph.]

Still not sure where it's supposed to take me.

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..You do?

[Glancing at him, Lyra's got a curious look in her eyes.]

..Wot happened to you?

Primus. Wish I knew.

[He rubs at his face, scowling off into the distance for a minute.]

... Story's about five million years long, though.

[Lyra can't help but just stare a second, trying to figure out just how big that number he just said is.]

Well...can you give a rundown at least? You got me curious and stuff.

Woke up missin' a big chunk of memory... and everyone I knew.

'Cept Sunstreaker. And he ain't how I remember him being. At all. Whole lot of things happened to everyone, and I don't know any of it.

...I'm sorry.

[Because she isn't sure what else to say. She feels bad for him though; she can't imagine what it would be like to wake up one day and not remember anything about her friends and family.

Hesitating a moment, she moves over to where he is, touching his leg some in a means of a comforting gesture.]

Isn't there some way to fix it or something?

Bah. Not your fault.

[He says it gruffly. Waving a hand. That's just how he is -- sympathy, feelings, all that. It's difficult to deal with. He feels frustrated, sure. But feeling bad about it won't change anything.]

If there is, I doubt I'm ever gonna find it.

[Thanks a lot, Alpha Trion.]

[He looks down at her, when she touches him. He has no idea how to deal with organics, really, so he gives her an awkward nod of acknowledgment.]

Don't say that. There's always a way to fix stuff. You just have to find it.

[She half heartedly glares up at him, knocking on his leg slightly.]

None of this giving up stuff though. Wot's wrong with you? That's for losers.

Lyra..

Well it's true!

Then I don't got any idea where to start looking.

That better?

[He nudges her with the tip of his foot.]

[... Hopefully that won't knock her over or break her in half or something.]

[Lyra sways a bit, almost stumbling but grabbing onto a piece of his leg for support, huffing some.]

I guess that's a start. But it just means we gotta figure it out. I'll help. I'm good at puzzles. And I can use the alethiometer too.

[He lets his foot go still, letting her hold onto that.]

Use the what now? The thing you're missing?

Yeah, the thing I'm missing. The really important thing I've been talking about.

[Come on, Ironhide, keep up.]

Right. I remember.

Any luck?

Not yet no...it sucks.

Keep lookin'. It's bound to turn up sooner or later.

I hope so...if I lost it, that'd be a real bad thing.

[Really bad. How would she know how everyone at home was if she didn't have it?]

[He gives her another very slight nudge with his foot.]

Weren't you the one who just said "givin' up is for losers"?

[Lyra huffs a bit, holding on tighter to his leg.]

Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don't like losing stuff.

Yeah, it'd bug me too.

[He waggles his foot slightly. Hopefully not enough to knock her off, but hey. It's probably fun, right?]

[She lets out a surprised sound when he moves again, almost falling this time but her grip with one hand is strong enough to keep her up.]

Maybe..when I find what I'm looking for I can help you find what you need.

Heh.

[He holds his foot steady while she regains her grip.]

Guess we got another reason to keep lookin' for it, then.

Guess so.

[And she'll do her best to make good on that promise, big guy. Don't you worry.]

Get moving then! Come on!

[Yeah she's just going to stand on your foot now Ironhide and hold on. She's quite content with the idea of you moving her around.]

[His face is reminiscent of a raised eyebrow, despite... not having any.]

[He looks at her, then tilts his head at his foot.]

Kid, I'm not gonna run around with you sittin' right there.