14 [Voice]

[drawnbythesword]

[The journal clicks on, to show one depressed-looking Asbel.]

...To anyone who knew Malik Caesars or Pascal here... I'm sorry to say they've been sent home. [The less time he dwells on it, the better, right? Right, of course.]

First Sophie, and now those two...

Comments

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

[Asbel, too, doesn't really look up once Cheria speaks.]

...Yeah. Really quiet.

[Action]

[healedbythelight]

... Pascal was supposed to take down the Christmas decorations.

[There are still fairy lights all over the house, inside and outside. Chances are Cheria will still find some hidden behind a wardrobe several months from now.]

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

I guess it'll be up to us to do, then. [No Malik to reach the stuff on the ceiling, no Pascal to point out all the hidden stuff, no Sophie to help...]

[Action]

[healedbythelight]

Yes... [She sighs, wringing her hands together in her lap.]

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

...We won't need as many bananas now, I guess.

[Action]

[healedbythelight]

No... And the Instructor won't be spreading any more wild stories here...

[But Cheria actually liked preparing dishes with banana in them for Pascal. And Malik's stories would make her laugh sometimes, as long as they weren't too ridiculous.]

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

Yeah...

...Cheria?

[Action]

[healedbythelight]

[She finally manages to tear her gaze away from the ground and look up at Asbel. Her expression is pretty solemn, but at least she's not crying.] Yes?

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

[He's likewise now looking straight at her.]

...Let's have crab omelettes tonight. For them. They got to go back to Efinea, so... we should be happy for them, not upset.

[Action]

[healedbythelight]

[Asbel, that is a surprisingly thoughtful idea, coming from you.]

Yes, that sounds good. And I'll make banana parfaits for dessert.

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

[He can be thoughtful sometimes, okay.]

That sounds really good. [But what could they have in honor of Malik?]

[Action]

[healedbythelight]

[Malik's favorite food is some ridiculous fish dish that doesn't go with crab omelettes too well, so... Beer? ... Well, they can honor Malik just by thinking about him, surely.]

Let's make it an evening to remember.

[Action]

[drawnbythesword]

[They can honor him by telling tall tales, obviously.]

Yes, let's!