09 [Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

[Asbel woke up that morning to a shocking sight. Richard's things were all gone from his room, save for one thing, and one thing only; a ring Richard had received from another dear friend of his months back.

This didn't bode well... Lambda was already gone, and now Richard followed? To be sure, Asbel went to check on Richard's old house, #43, but he found much the same: an empty house, with only a few stray things that were left behind to begin with.

Maybe one of the others heard from him. With a sigh, he opened the journal and set up a filter.]

[Filtered to Sophie, Hubert, Pascal, and Isamu | 40% unhackable]

Have you seen or heard from Richard today?

[/Filtered]

[Several hours later, after the soul-crushing realization that Richard is gone has set in and he's managed to cope with it a little, he opens the journal again.]

[Filtered away from Sophie | 40% unhackable]

...To those of you who may have known him, Richard has... been sent home, back to Efinea.

[...What a terrible day.]

Comments

[filtered]

[ingrate.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't...

Why?

Is he missing too?

[filtered]

[drawnbythesword]

[There's silence for a moment.]

...His room's empty.

[filtered]

[ingrate.livejournal.com]

...Empty?

How empty?

[Isamu's blood is running cold.]

[filtered]

[drawnbythesword]

...Everything except his ring was taken.

[filtered]

[ingrate.livejournal.com]

But...

That's... that's something, right? That means he's not gone completely right?

[filtered]

[drawnbythesword]

I know... That's why I'm hoping, maybe... Someone's seen him...!

[filtered]

[ingrate.livejournal.com]

Someone better have!

...I...

I can't take this anymore, man.

I'm just gonna... be in my room.

[filtered]

[drawnbythesword]

[He's trying so hard to remain calm, Isamu, you have no idea.]

...Alright. Let me know if you happen to hear anything. I'll keep looking...

[filtered]

[ingrate.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I will.

[filtered]

[drawnbythesword]

...Thanks, Isamu.

[seleniahymn]

[Tear isn't sure of how she should feel about this news, or if she even had enough right to. Regardless of whether she did or not, Asbel and his friends were people she cared for now, experiment or not.]

... You're absolutely certain?

[drawnbythesword]

...Yeah, I am. [Unfortunately.]

[seleniahymn]

I see... [No words would be able to console him, she knows that much.]

Are the others aware of this yet?

[drawnbythesword]

...Yeah, they are.

[seleniahymn]

Will he be all right, back in your world? [She hadn't a chance to speak with him after the experiment, unfortunately.]

[drawnbythesword]

...I'd like to think so, but...

[...Asbel wishes he knew. He really does.]

[dreamfandom.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm... last time I saw him, he was in bed with that hat guy.

Didja check under the covers?

[drawnbythesword]

Yeah... I did.

[dreamfandom.livejournal.com]

Maybe he went out for breakfast then!

[drawnbythesword]

But he should have returned by now.

[dreamfandom.livejournal.com]

He could have gone for breakfast so late that he slipped into a brunchtime scenario!

[drawnbythesword]

That doesn't really sound like him... [Lateness is more Asbel's forte.]

[voice] i'm not late i swear.

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

[ She answers simply, not really picking up on any concern yet. ]

No.

[voice] of course not

[drawnbythesword]

...I see...

[voice] B)

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

... Why? [ Because she's curious. ]

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

Ah, well... I haven't seen him at all today.

[voice]

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

Where did he go?

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I'm not sure.

[voice]

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

... So Richard is missing? [ Oh, look, she gets it now! ]

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

...He might be... [Dammit Sophie, he's trying to hide that from you.]

[voice]

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

... Was he taken for an experiment ... ? [ Please don't tell her he was because that is bad they are bad. Sophie is the only one who should be taken for that because she has to talk to the Malnosso!

And it is impossible to hide things from this adorable girl, you know it. ]

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

...I don't think so, Sophie...

[voice]

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

[ A pause, as she stops worrying. ] ... That's good.

Where else could he be, Asbel?

[voice]

[drawnbythesword]

I'm not sure. That's why I'm checking all of his usual haunts.

[voice]

[cluelessflower.livejournal.com]

If you don't find him, what will you do?

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

Not as of late. Has he been absent?

[ filtered ]

[drawnbythesword]

...Yes.

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

. . . Could it be -- ?

[ filtered ]

[drawnbythesword]

[He falls silent. He really doesn't want to admit that might be it.]

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

[ . . . ]

Are you going to be in denial?

[ filtered ]

[drawnbythesword]

...I want to be absolutely sure, Hubert.

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

. . . Of course. Have you checked his haunts?

[ filtered ]

[drawnbythesword]

Yeah... I have.

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

Is there anything else left to do, besides consulting us?

[ filtered ]

[drawnbythesword]

...I'll have to break the news to his other friends if it does prove to be true...

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

His other friends . . .

[Richard really has been social while he was here.]

[ filtered ]

[drawnbythesword]

Yeah... Richard had to make other friends without any of us around. I'm sure they'd be just as saddened by his departure.

[ filtered ]

[mistyarc.livejournal.com]

. . . As friends should be.

[Would you be a friend, otherwise? No.]