V. IC CONTACT (RETIRED)

[firstroar]

• Text [ENABLED]
• Voice [ENABLED; automated voice message]
• Video [DISABLED]
• Telepathy [TWO-MILE RANGE REQUIRED]

Comments

[firstroar]

[straight to a few minutes of delay. a call from this girl was far from his mind.]

Hello, Haruka.

[heartsink]

I'll take that as a "not quite," then.

[ there's a softness to her voice, more self-effacing than anything else in tone, but it only becomes gentler when she continues speaking.

there's no effort given to the charade, now. ]

... I saw your message. About Physis. Has she... has she returned, yet?

[firstroar]

[a decent pause and the faintest sound of his exhale.]

No. Nothing.

[heartsink]

I'm sorry. I know how precious she is to you.

... And I'm sorry I didn't mention I was going, before I went.

[firstroar]

[he wants to say you never had to; you don't need my permission. but.]

You're safe, now. Back here. [isn't that right? as far as 'safe' can fly in this place.]

[heartsink]

[ but it's not about permission... ]

Yeah. That's... to tell the truth, that's why I left to begin with.

[firstroar]

What do you mean? [it's not accusatory; it's to fill the space an inquiring silence would. they're not face to face, after all.]

[heartsink]

You know some of the similarities, between this world, and... what came before. Patterns, echos. Many things are not the same, but small pieces are.

This time of year was one of the most dangerous, there. If the same would be true here, it wasn't something I wanted to suffer.

[firstroar]

[he's quiet, absorbing this.]

...That world is still reflected through broken glass in my mind. That there's danger more at one time of year than another...I wouldn't know. I only know it was there. [and that there's at least one rude awful bird out for albino eyes.]

[heartsink]

It's... danger could come at any time, of course, but I can't recall a holiday that went by without it. Every year.

Even I can't tell you which one was the worst of all.

[firstroar]

[silence. every year? how many years? was it truly awful? he has memories of the pain, but...there's more than that, isn't there?

there has to be. he's draining out of the will to stand up to more pain. his anchor's left him adrift.]

[heartsink]

[ sometimes parents have a dumb argument and get everyone snowed into a hotel for a few days until the roof collapses
sometimes the spirit of human evil holds a battle royal
sometimes there are zombies
it's hard to weight
the silence stretches a little. ]

... Blue?

[firstroar]

I'm here. [softer.] I'm sorry, Haruka. I wish I remembered it all. I want to. And more...I want this place to be safer for you. [but it's gotten worse.]

[heartsink]

... Do you?

[firstroar]

It may be what I'm here to do. If there's reason for me to be here at all.

[heartsink]

No, not that.

[firstroar]

What, then?

[heartsink]

You said you wish you remembered it all.

Do you?

[firstroar]

[


oh.

WITH CARE:] Yes.

[heartsink]

[ in a way, even though there could be no other answer, she was afraid of that. ]

When you know yourself ready, then.

[firstroar]

[more silence.]

Why are you offering this to me now?

[heartsink]

...

[ there's a silence, there, stretching long seconds. she doesn't have an easy answer to give, and words don't present themselves to her. ]

After all this time... it is a little sudden, isn't it?

[firstroar]

Losing one thing...offered another. It's not strange.

[heartsink]

I suppose not... Though, that's not why, either. At least, I don't think it is.

It's hard to put into words.

[firstroar]

[a smaller pause.]

It's alright.