Video | BACKDATED to early the 11th

[soul_sister]

[It's early Wednesday morning when a new video message turns up on the network. The nun seems to have none of her usual energy and the bags under her eyes are fairly pronounced. Flynn and Fluffy have likely put up with her pacing almost incessantly since dinner time last night, and even now she fidgets in her seat, fingers playing with an ornamental looking watch hanging at her neck.]

Has anyone seen Chrono? Short, grumpy, purple hair. He's usually with me.

... He might have been in some kind of fight, so I'll take anything. Or anyone to help me look.

Comments

Audio

[maddeninghatter]

Oh dear. Another one.

[ This is becoming increasingly alarming. ]

Video

[soul_sister]

[The view of her increases as she picked up the tablet and peers into it intently. Though she recognized the voice, that tone...]

What do you mean? Who...? How many?

audio forever

[maddeninghatter]

[ He does actually sound less like himself, or rather less like the self he presents most of the time. ]

It's possible this person might simply have been sent home. It happens all the time. Have you considered that?

[soul_sister]

[Her expression is fairly still for a long moment, considering. He could be stupid sometimes, painfully so... but...]

Do they ever take people back home against their will?

[maddeninghatter]

This is...

[ ...an awful place, he was going to say. And it's selfish to want someone to be here or stay here.

... ]

Had he been happier in this city, than he was in his home?

[soul_sister]

It...

[That wasn't what she meant, but the question makes her pause. There were times she'd say no, and then times she'd say definitely yes. But there were also things here that she couldn't for the life of her make heads or tails of, Chrono just seemed to shut down so thoroughly over, like Mary.

That whole line of thought wrenches in her gut and blossoms in consternation on her face.]

Look. I'm sure it's nothing like that. He doesn't do things for his own good... even when he should.

[maddeninghatter]

When people disappear in the usual way, it's usually without warning or fanfare. There's no will involved, generally.

[ A little pause. ]

His behavior - was it at all peculiar, the last time you saw him?

[soul_sister]

[She thinks hard, running a hard comb over the events of the morning. There wasn't much to it... braiding his hair, talking about training and the hospital work. Telling him he needed to get more meat for Fluffy... a quick argument about finances...]

No.. No it was really normal.



Hey. If you know something, tell me, please. Even if it's not right or it doesn't match... I need to know if something's going on.

[maddeninghatter]

[ He hesitates, as if considering.

But the truth is that he has met Rosette on exactly one previous occasion. It's not enough to trust someone. (Ten years isn't enough to trust someone.... ) ]

No, I'm terribly sorry. I don't know anything specific about your friend.

[soul_sister]

Got it. I'll keep looking.

[There were times she'd push harder, more forcefully, maybe even hunt him down. But if he knew.. maybe... She reaches to close the connection.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ He's about to sign off, too, but there's something else niggling at his mind. ]

This friend of yours - was there anything special about him?

[soul_sister]

[Her fingers twitch, stopping short of dropping the connection. There's something obvious in her posture change and moreso in her expression.]

He's just my assistant. He travels with me and carries things I don't see what's so amazing about anything like that.

[She may, in fact, be the worst liar.]

[maddeninghatter]

My goodness.

[ He can hear it in her voice. If she's lying about this person being ordinary, then obviously... ]

Hm, so what is it? Extraordinary strength? Superlative fighting skills? This is the fellow you said was an expert in hand-to-hand combat, right?

[soul_sister]

GEH!

[maddeninghatter]

[ HE'LL TAKE THAT AS A YES ]

...how many people here know about his abilities?

[soul_sister]

[As much as this was REALLY IRRITATING (and kind of alarming), this IS an answer in it's own way.]

... We've been doing training lessons in the mornings. He holds back a lot, but... [Anyone with half a sword arm could probably tell.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Honestly.

...this is why you pretend to be a frail old eccentric clown all the time. ]

Hm, well. If he's really that good at fighting, then he must have met a formidable foe - or went willingly.

[soul_sister]

[The line is quiet as she mulls that over. Neither one of those sit well at all.]

So, the others have been special too?

[maddeninghatter]

Or - haha! - he just disappeared. Who can say, right?

[ Right now something else is starting to make him suspicious. ]

Ah. When you said you were seeking out people to help you look for him... where were you thinking of going?

[soul_sister]

You can stop saying that! I know he didn't! [Know and refuse to believe are kind of the same thing.]


... The outlands. [She's suddenly acutely aware that this is a country sized island, and she really HAS no direction. But it's better than not doing anything at all. A little lamely, she adds.] All I know for sure is that he's not in the city.

[maddeninghatter]

That is...

[ People leaving - suspiciously - for the Outlands, encouraging people to come with them. And now someone going to look for a missing person, in the Outlands, and encouraging people to come with her... ]

I say, if you find any feral goats, be sure and bring them back~!

[ She is either part of what's going on, or being drawn in by it. Either way, he's reluctant to let on too much more of what he knows. ]

[soul_sister]

No.

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

Boo, you're no fun at all.

[ With that, he signs off. ]

[maddeninghatter]

[ ...and proceeds to get a major case of the guilts. If she's being duped, then she's in danger. But the truth is, he doesn't know her well enough. Is this the way she usually behaves? Is there something off about her?

Er, well. There's definitely something off about her, but whether that's normal for her or not...?

...

You know, he's just going to do some eavesdropping and try to sort out whether any of her friends seem to be noticing anything... ]