03✽ video

[blossomgale]

[ First the Captain, Hubert, and now Cheria... ]

Has... anyone seen Cheria?

[ The reluctance can be heard in her voice. Sophie might be already accepting that one of her dearest friends left. If she were still her, she would know. Even if she were blind, she could easily take notice a person's presence by the sound of their footsteps, scent... and while wandering around the moon base, she couldn't pick up Cheria's presence anywhere.

But just in case, she wants to double check. ]

She ran a relief organization here and was a part of one back home too. She has very pretty pink hair and I usually see her put ribbons in them. She's always so friendly and caring. And she would always look out for me. She's like a mother to me.

[ More like she is your mother now, Sophie! There's a faint smile while she fondly talks about her. She has to keep herself from going on and on about her. ]

I think... she might have left... but can everyone keep an eye out for her, just in case? Thank you.

[ It goes by quickly, but her smile falters just seconds before she ends the video feed. ]

Comments

Not here...yet. The artist formerly known as "Placeholder".

[pactfulfilled]

[First the Captain, then Hubert, and now...]

[Asbel's the type of person to futiley go looking for Cheria. To check the clinic, to ask some of her friends, to attempt prying a response out of the person in charge of the Transporter about anyone fitting her description who might've left on a last-minute supply run. It takes a little longer, but by-and-by Asbel begins to reach the same conclusion Sophie has. He misses Captain Malik's guidance, he cried when Hubert disappeared, and with Cheria--]

[--he doesn't know what to call it, but it hurts. He wishes he could have had just a minute - just sixty seconds - to tell her to take care of herself, to thank her for just being there...]

This is gonna turn into one of those embarrassing combos...

[pactfulfilled]

[Dammit...this is no time to get all emotional. Besides, Sophie's got to be feeling pretty awful right now. It's some time in the midst of his wandering the base that he manages to pull himself together and reply.]

[Video]

[pactfulfilled]

[He's still having trouble looking at his tablet, but at least his voice sounds calm enough.]

Hey, Sophie... Mind if I come visit for a bit?

[Video]

[blossomgale]

...I don't mind. [ There's a small crack in her voice. If she were capable of crying, she would. ] You're always allowed to visit.

[Video > Action]

[pactfulfilled]

[Oh, Sophie...]

[Asbel would give her all the tears he's got if he could. Falling silent for a moment, when he speaks again, the words are kind of clipped and breathy.]

--Right, I knew that. Be there in a sec.

[Oh boy. Gloandi forbid anyone should be occupying the hallways he has to navigate to reach Sophie, because he just might barrel full-speed right through them in the process. WATCH OUT, DAD COMING THROUGH.]

--He has the courtesy to knock, though. Doors.]

Voice

[wilder]

[There's a long pause]

I...haven't seen her anywhere. Sorry, Sophie.

Voice

[blossomgale]

Oh... okay. I guess she really did leave.

Voice

[wilder]

Yeah...guess so.

You alright?

Voice

[blossomgale]

[ A pause. She feels like she can't really lie about this... ]

...not really...

[video]

[galactically]

[Sheryl doesn't know Sophie, but her expression perks up at the mention of Cheria, then falters, causing her to frown despondently.]

I'm sorry, but I haven't heard from Cheria in a while.

[But the last thing she wants is to bring this girl's mood down any further than it already has, so she gives her an encouraging smile, muted but otherwise genuine.]

Perhaps she'll be safer back home.

[video]

[blossomgale]

...oh. [ A beat. Just letting everything sink in. She knew it. ] Are you a friend of hers?

[ She knows what the United Earth is capable of. Like what happened to one of the Transport's worlds... what if they could destroy Ephinea and Fodra too? ] As long as we help Initiative, we can keep our worlds safe.

[video]

[galactically]

I would've liked to get to know her a lot better, but yes I am.

[There's a brief pause with a curious glimpse before she nods, expression just calm enough without a hint of worry shown through. Deep down, she's still concerned about Frontier and the Vajra planet, and what can truly happen to them if she doesn't help the Initiative.]

We don't have much of a choice, but if it's for our homes, I'll do anything to help.

[video]

[blossomgale]

I wish you could have too. She's amazing.

[ Sophie, on the other hand, is showing some hints of worry. It might also be due to the fact that Cheria's departure has hit her hard. ]

...I know. I'll fight no matter how long it takes. [ But she can't help but miss Cheria and the others from home, a lot. She wishes the war would end soon, somehow. ]

[Video]

[showmeyourwreath]

[Sophie. :'c

She's so sorry she doesn't have better news.]

I'm sorry, Sophie, I haven't seen her at the clinic for her usual shifts.

[Video]

[blossomgale]

...She really did go back then. [ Every answer she's receiving sounds the same. ] I see. Thank you for letting me know.

[Video]

[showmeyourwreath]

Of course. I'll keep an eye out for her, just in case. [But it really is looking that way.]

Are you alright, sweetheart?

video;

[eyecaptivating]

Sophie...

[Oh no. That sounds really bad.]

I don't really know Cheria, but, um, I promise I'll keep an eye out for her, all right? I'm sure she can't have gone too far.

video;

[blossomgale]

[ ...Everything she could sense about a person, she can't pick up anything familiar about Cheria being present. She's far away physically by now. Cheria's memory is in her heart, she's not alone. But it's still sad.

But she'll thank Momo regardless. ]

...All right. Thank you, Momo.

video;

[eyecaptivating]

[There's a pause, then she flashes Sophie a small smile. She's not really sure whether it'll help, but... She can still try, right?]

Hey, you don't have to worry! Even if... Um, even if she's not very close right now, she's probably still looking for you!

video

[selfless]

[ah... She doesn't know this girl, but she knows what saddness sounds like]

Um, I'll be sure to look for her.

video

[blossomgale]

If it's not too much trouble for you. I'm... beginning to think she really isn't here anymore. [ It's hard for her to say. Everyone's responses confirms it. It'd be a waste of time for a stranger. ]

video

[selfless]

It's no trouble at all. [mm... but if she says that... that's sad]

And if she really is gone... I'm sorry. It sounds like you're really close?

[Video] and this is gonna get a little handwavey in here...

[therealrisette]

Sophie-chan...

[Rise seems really concerned. She hasn't known Cheria quite as long, but she was kind of like a mother to her, too. And she hasn't spent as much time with Sophie as she'd like to, just a few times they were together with Cheria, but she was kind of starting to think of them all as family.

So this really hurts to hear. Both because she cares about Sophie, and because of Cheria...]

I haven't seen her in a while, either. I was hoping...

[She was going to ask Asbel or Sophie about her at some point, but she was afraid of what the answer might be.]

Could she have gone on a mission or something...?

[She's kind of in a strange place - between wanting to tell Sophie it'll all be okay, and... wanting Sophie to tell her it'll be okay. She doesn't know how she'll make it in this place without Cheria...]

[Video]

[blossomgale]

[ A head shake. She knows Cheria heading off on a mission wasn't the case. It's not like her to leave without word about one. ]

If she went on a mission, she would have told us.

[Video]

[therealrisette]

... I guess she would have...

[It's not what she wanted to hear. Not remotely. But Sophie's right... it's not like Cheria to leave without at least telling them.]

... Are you okay?

[Because Rise's not okay at all. She's barely holding back from crying.]