[Area] Region of Parties and Boardgames, LoDLCaC

The sun was setting on the boardgame realm, though the duo had seemingly finished the main event. Even now Dana was having trouble remembering quite what happened. Perhaps like jet lag for otherworldly travel, perhaps she might be able to recall what happened in due time. But for now the memories were hazy, as if suppressed. The last thing she recalled clearly was the fight against the imps, and learning that the serpentine entity of the Region was likely toying with the two outsiders.

Even with the earthy beauty of the glowing fungus buildings, earthy in spite of clearly not being on Earth, Dana felt an unease. The dimension itself seemed oppressive to impair her short-term memory. Even if she could fight and kill living beings, the environment was a being of its own and would mock any attempts to fight it. Just as the apocalypse around her back home, there was nothing to be done about the state of affairs in the ROPAB. It was better not to try even if it sucked not to. Dana didn't try to opposed the paramilitary faction Northern Lights back home for instance, despite their protection racket over Lock City; what could just one person do?

At least the carapacians made it out alright. Even if the Boardmaster had no intentions of having a workplace accident, they were holding all the cards. A literal master of the board. But despite the attempts against Rise and herself, Dana was most angry at having her empathy hijacked. While she's certainly brawled and threatened her foes for her own sake, people have died because they threatened her loved ones. Threatened any semblance of peace she had at Pine Vale, and especially those innocents who stood in the line of fire. Why did Dana kill? It became easier in part thanks to her ASPD; lying when needed like the tricksy fox she was, acting on impulse, lacking most desires of self-preservation. Maybe most of it came from another personality disorder, one borne of her safe life in the woods being taken from her.

PTSD. When it flared up, she had nightmares from which she awoke screaming and crying. Plenty of time between apocalyptic adventures had been lost to excessive sleep, and her animal instincts and reaction time seemed more alert when under duress. Her heightened reactions were no superpower; those were her healing factor and amazing reflexes, if not those times when good luck had game-changing results. The thrill of the fight was her most prominent vice, but the toll it took on her spirit hardly seemed worth it. After all, the ends don't always justify the means.

Even with the party resolved, Dana was still on-edge at the table with Rise. She wanted to go home after the fulfilled mission. Thoren got their body upgrade finished, and Rise got to have fun in the meantime. Idly checking social media across time and space (an oxymoron Dana never thought she'd experience), it'd been two months in her universe's time. Even Raziya had passed off the smartphone to an adventuring cohort of hers by now. Maybe the gnoll should give the vixen's gift to the lioness; Nazreen was clearly distracted and seemed loathe to use the device. Something about the hyena-woman witnessing other versions of herself across the Multiverse was intriguing, at the least.

Rise was deep in thought. Considering how much they seemed cut from the same cloth, Dana had suspicions about what they were pondering. She dared not address it for now, but she also hesitated on telling her host that she was ready to part ways. They sat in silence, but the silence was killing the plasma-pistol-packing mama. At least for the time, she could lay that pistol down. She hoped she wasn't presumed dead by her contacts and fellow settlers. After a journey like this, she wanted to cuddle up with her kitty plushie and crash for the night. Her first friend's gift helped her sleep soundly, just as good old Prowler wanted it to. Usually.

There was a great and terrible forest to return to. Thus Dana broke the uneasy silence. "Rise". Looking to them, nocturnal eyes glinting yellow-green in the fading daylight she continued, "Can totally say I've dimension-hopped now. Notches under belt on and my blaster aside? It's been a kickass ride". She hesitated, not wanting to act aloof to her thoughts and worries. "That said, uh. Not sure if I should stay right now. Part of me wonders if I should call a pal from a different world, if you want the company. But I've gotta tap out. It's been like two months since I left in Earth time".

She sighs. "Sappy or not, I'm fuckin' saying it: you're a kindred spirit to me. I really think you are. Even if I can't keep up as well, I held my own and I'd gladly do it again if you need the help. I've got coordinates to my Earth in my universe; don't hesitant to contact me".

Hearing Rise respond and seeing the stellar stone they offered, Dana gave a soft, grateful gasp. Gifts weren't something she got often; the red sandstone looked arcane and technological with its clockwork bits, but still steeped in nature itself. Something that fit the gift's recipient like a glove. Her eyes were wide, heart in a flutter.

"Woah. Rise... it's amazing. You're really letting me keep this?" Dana preferred to travel light, so ideas on what to give in return were scarce. She had to give something back, even if not asking for an exchange in return. "...I'm touched. I really am. Hate to say, I didn't know what to expect coming here. Wish I had something to give in return! But..."

Her paws lingered over the stone, taking it up gingerly. "...I'll think of something, for the next time we meet. Hoping it won't be on urgent terms". The momento only left her grip for a short while, set gently upon the ground to fiddle with her datapad. Pulling up an app and plugging an improvised gizmo to it through the USB port, Dana sighed as she looked to Rise. It'd be a few seconds before the warp peripheral was warmed up. Picking the stone back up, letting the gadget hang from its cord, she gave a firm nod of the head. "Do yer best Rise, and stay strong. Wherever you may roam". A pause, the added device humming louder and louder. "Okay that was cheesy, but--"

Unable to finish her sentence in time, Dana abruptly blinked out with a *BAMF*. Motes of shifted time-space flickered in the air like cinders billowing from a campfire. Even if her journey back to her universe would be a few nauseating seconds long, she'd truly arrive in a split-second. Likely getting sick seconds after. The mission proved a success to her tech cult, though not all details were ones Dana wished to convey. Nevertheless, the time spent with that world-hopping adventurer, one she both battled with and alongside, was more than worth the price of admission.