Embark

Your train will leave soon.
Did you remember your toothbrush?
Or that plushie Gramps made you,
Years ago, now.
You must be so excited
But remember
You can always come home.

Callie squids through the plane's exit, her carry-on dragging behind her. She's never been to Inktopia before, and it... an airport isn't the best place to judge, she knows, but none of the fashions are the same.

When she catches sight of Harbor holding a large sign for AORI, she's so relieved for a familiar face she grabs him in a hug. He makes a choking noise, and she releases him. "You act like you've never been hugged before," she accuses.

"Not for a long time," he says, his skin even darker than normal. "Not since my sister..." he looks away and clears his throat. "In any case, lemme take your bag," he says, heading for the luggage returns. "We'll need to get you all set up!"

Birds struggle in Callie's stomach. She swallows hard and trails after Harbor, already dragging her suitcase, out the door.

The car ride's over in a blink. Callie steps out in front of a large building, with an equally large sign: Betrayal Fortunes. Where Fortunate Betrayal has done most of their work for the past five years. As the big bad for next year, and Mr. Fish's ultimate second-in-command, she'll need to start shooting scenes now. She'll get to meet the actual Mr. Fish and learn how the story ends.

She needs to live here, where they can reach her, until shooting's done. She'll move once she's done with Legally Squid.

Harbor isn't waiting around, and Callie hurries to catch up. He leads her into the building, then down one, two, three flights of stairs. "Now, we try to encourage mingling, so the set-up's a little... different," he says, stopping in front of a door. A plain whiteboard with CALLIE written on it marks it as hers. "Darkness will hold you safe in here. You get your own bathroom and shower, but meals are in the cafeteria unless you're sick. We already started putting the personal belongings you gave us around the place."

Callie doesn't remember giving them anything, but as she opens the door she finds herself in a room with a bed and a couch and a number of her pink cushions. An umbrella. A few sweatshirts. All things she put in storage, after the news job. She must've given them the key and forgotten. There's also the purse she forgot at work a few weeks back, and three water bottles, all things they said they'd return to her. It's not what she was expecting. Still, it does make her feel more at home. She just has to add some stuffed animals to the bed. Though Jolty won't move until she does; she's slept with him as long as she can remember.

She goes to the closet, but it's already full of clothes in her size she's never seen before. Four more copies of her costume, but also official Fortunate Betrayal outfits, and... Callie can just wear those. She fills the dresser with socks and underthings and only puts away two pairs of pajama's and three other outfits, some slippers and six pairs of shades. When they said she wouldn't want for anything, boy, they weren't kidding. She'll bring most of her stuff back home again.

Mary will watch it until she's finished filming.

The thought almost chokes her. Her hands tremble. Once this starts, she probably won't see Mary for months. They're already only catching each other once every week or two, and realistically, even if she has a weekend off it won't match with hers. This is the big one.

She can do it. Right?

Harbor knocks on the doorframe. "If you're ready, I can give you the tour," he says.

Callie pastes a smile on her face and follows. There's so much to do, and to see, before she flies back tomorrow; she'd better get busy. And it's not the first night she's spent away from home.

But this feels more final, somehow.