ic contact;

[psycholawgy]

You've reached Athena Cykes. I'm currently unavailable, but leave a message and I'll get back to you pronto. Danke! (voice/call → text → video → action)

Comments

[emotive]

[Ai isn't saying anything. She just goes to Athena and gives her a silent, but BIG HUG.

NEVER LETTING GO, except she'll need to, because dinner]

[psycholawgy]

[ oh '^'!! she tries very hard to shift the bags on her arms so she doesn't drop them, returning the hug with a half hug on her own. she rests her chin on ai's head, too. ]

You were safe, weren't you?

[emotive]

[She lets go and nods seriously.]

Mm! I made sure the apartment was clean and that your things in your room were safe too. Everything's in order as you left it!

[psycholawgy]

[ ah... ]

Thanks, Ai. [ she gives her best friend a soft smile before she nods towards the kitchen. ] So, we can either have really spicy chicken wings tonight, or some pasta. Which do you want?

[emotive]

[Athena has been acting slightly strange, something that Ai takes into account. But they can talk over dinner.]

Both sound good! But we should eat the chicken first. Pasta can be our lunch during work.

[sunnymerc]

( Soleil frowns for a moment. She looks from the necklace back to Athena. )

Smiling even when it hurts is great...but like my father says, it's okay to drop it if it's forced.

( If Athena thinks grinning and bearing it is for the best, then Soleil will understand. But she is worried Athena may be only hurting herself more. )

[psycholawgy]

Got it! Just hang tight there, okay? You have to get some relaxation after what happened.

[ nothing happened to her, though, athena... ]

[emotive]

[Yeah, all the ??? on Ai's end here, but she moves to set up the table and the tea for them both.]

I'm more worried for you. I never seem to have the right timing to help you out when you're in trouble.

[psycholawgy]

[ athena looks back at ai from the counters, concerned for her friend now. ]

Don't be silly. You have nothing to worry about.

[emotive]

[Ai sighs, and sits down, gesturing for Athena to do the same.]

Can you tell me what happened while you were away?

[psycholawgy]

The robot appeared, [ there's some chopping noises coming from the kitchen now as she chops the chicken up. ] you know, the one from the network.

It led us to the edges of the colony and pushed us somewhere. It was a pretty nasty fall, too.

[emotive]

Oh my goodness!! Wasn't anyone injured from that?!

[psycholawgy]

I think all of us survived with just some scratches all over!

[emotive]

What next then? Did you find what the robot wanted to show you or...?

[psycholawgy]

We found a library... there were so many books there about the Flamines!

[faithfulflame]

What did you find in the library?

[majinken]

Cosplay cafe? Oh... I don't think I've ever been there!

[it sounds cool though.]

[prosecutory]

...What happened to her?

[He manages to keep his voice steady, but he's expecting the worst.]

[psycholawgy]

She die-- [ a long breath. ] disappeared.

I don't know where she went.

[cryptologic]

I don't think there will be anything that extreme.

[psycholawgy]

Books about the Flamines. There was a ledger, too. Touching it -- it made people disappear, though.

action; 07/18

[sortileges]

[ It's dizzying, even if it shouldn't be. Given everything he's just been through, he hadn't wanted to move once they'd woken up in a pile on a bed, half aware yet not. It isn't easy to forget what happened even if he wants to, because coming so close to death before, it hasn't ever actually happened.

Yet, they'd kind of prepared for it after Mars' and Yuri's bodies hit the floor.

He doesn't really have nightmares all that often, even despite what he's done, or what's been done to him, but it feels like he just woke up from a nightmare. His CereVice is still in his pocket, Excalibur still there when they wake up. Belongings in tact. Yu still has the key they found. They still have the knowledge about another corporation: Rsxxl.

But when he's out the door it isn't that what he thinks about. The first door he heads to is Athena's.

In the end, he broke his promise to her, and he has no idea how she'll be or how death even signals here. Did she even know? How much time even passed? His fingers shake as he presses the buzzer, probably still a mess after falling unconscious under a falling ceiling, the room on fire with the storm and electric raging. Fire. Fire. Fire.

His eyes snap open from where he found his forehead against the door when it does open, but it looks like he isn't focusing for a moment. ]

[psycholawgy]

[ it's been days since she heard from merlin, and she knows. or at least, she's concluded what might have happened to him. he was taken away, too, and died. people usually come back hours after dying, but after seeing rei, she figured that people who died come back after a few days.

merlin should be back soon...

she hasn't been sleeping all that well lately. she also broke her promise to him to never take the bracelet off. she did, because she doesn't want to feel good about anything when the most important person in her life isn't even here. it just isn't fair. so he might just notice that when she answers the door.

she can't speak. she's frozen for a few good seconds before she takes a step forward and pulls him in for an embrace. it doesn't seem like she needs to say anything to convey what she's feeling. she's an absolute mess, and he definitely doesn't look all that well, either. the silence speaks for itself. ]

[sortileges]

[ If he could have brought himself to wake up sooner he would have been here an hour or so ago, but... it's hard to believe in a sense. His head is still swimming, and all he can feel is guilt at how much of a mess she looks when she opens the door. His arms feel limp when she finally steps forward and pulls him into a hug, and at first he just lets his head drop to her shoulder, even if it aches because she's too short for this but whatever. It's fine.

It helps.

His hands finally move to hold her around her shoulders, holding on firmly to ensure she doesn't disappear.

There's only a second or two before his shoulders shake slightly, his teeth biting into his lip.

He only manages to choke out one word, muffled into her shirt: ] Sorry.

[psycholawgy]

[ she doesn't cry. not yet, anyway. she swallows really hard to hold the tears back. if she can't be strong at a time like this, what will he think? she knows she has to be there for him. she doesn't need to be comforted. she's the one who should be doing the comforting.

her hold on him grows tighter as she gives him a squeeze. she missed him a lot. it hasn't been the same without him these past few days, and it only sinks in how terrible she'd be like if he does wind up in the nexus. ]

I'm sorry. [ that you died. she should have been there. they're supposed to be a team. they're supposed to protect each other, but so far, it's only been merlin who's been doing his job. she hasn't done anything for him.

she lets him go after a while, though, and looks up to get a better look at his face. her hand makes its way up to his cheek before she speaks again. ]

Come inside. I'll-- I'll take care of you.