exsilium | video ♚ oo1.

[ it had been a just one night since oz's departure and alice had more or less kept quiet. after spending a night searching fruitlessly, she spent the rest of the dark hours sulking with (1) gilbert nightray until they eventually fall asleep, buried in the sheets like sad children who have lost the dearest thing they held at night.

in the morning alice wakes up and her first instinct is to cry, but the second is something more violent... and of course she goes with that instead.

THERE'S A LOUD BANG. something appears to have fallen and shattered, although it's hard to say when things are happening off-screen. and before anyone can attempt to understand what just happened, they get an earful from one angry looking young girl shouting into the tablet. she never did care for this thing, but at least she knows now that someone will be able to hear her. ]

THEY TOOK OZ AWAY! I WON'T FORGIVE THEM. [ her head's clear but it's hard to stop yelling when you're so upset. if someone could hear her, feel threatened by her,

help her

then she might actually have time to think and calm down. ] How dare they take him away without my permission? Don't they know its the master's job to take care of their servant? How am I suppose to do that when he's not here? Huh? SOMEONE GIVE HIM BACK! NOW! I'm waiting!

[ don't be fooled by her tough exterior, she's gonna burst into tears any minute now.

oh. there you go. the tears roll down. ]

This is all your fault, idiot! [ blames the ne..twork... ] Bring him back... useless! Useless....

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[ O h . . . ]

Alice, where are you right now?

[ it takes her a bit longer to see the text but she's never been good at texting in the first place. the last time oz sent her a text, she yelled at him after making a sad attempt to answer back. she almost wanted to throw the tablet then so she never did learn.

this time she doesn't even try and instead, with some frustration, switches the function to video. ]

I DON'T KNOW! [ no, she's sorry. she'll just keep crying now. ] I'm in the castle... there were these dumb round things and some pictures.

Edited (its 4 am) 2014-01-07 12:38 (UTC)

Just stay there, okay?

[ Ignores the twinge of guilt at using text at all, particularly when faced with her tears, but he's not particularly fond of voice or video so soon after receiving unpleasant news from the network. The rest, he concedes, should happen face-to-face.

And so it is that he joins Rosette in trudging their way through the castle, up the darkened, creaking staircases and into the room in question. While Rosette takes care of blankets and hugs, Chrono deposits himself beside her, leans shoulder-to-shoulder; positions himself as much like a sturdy rock as he possibly can, because he remembers what it's like to feel perpetually in freefall.

The thermos tucked away in his cloak can wait for a bit. ]

[ such warmth that radiated from both of them on this cold day could only make alice feel more secured. a sad feeling of loneliness had coincided with the feeling of oz's departure, even if she still has people from her world here. she lost something the moment he disappeared.

gilbert spent most of his night sulking in the snow, and break (along with kevin) had to retrieve him before he caught a cold. alone in the castle, she put on a brave face when they finally came back. she wasn't sure if she wanted anyone else then, but it was still such a terrible feeling.

the castle was big and eerie... she didn't like being alone. ]

Oz...

[ by the time she speaks to chrono, it feels like they've sat there for hours. ]

He'll come back, right?

[ Who's to say, really? It's happened before in at least a few cases he's aware of. Probably more. But the workings of this place are so arbitrary, and ... well, no amount of hoping or wishing or cursing has brought Mary back.

He leans a little heavier, adding Oz to a small but growing tally. It's almost odd to realize that he- actually feels the absence. For so long Rosette had been the only fixture in his life, but it seems like Oz wormed his way in, regardless. 'Friend,' Alice had said.

Yeah, that's probably true.

Was true. ]

Yeah. [ confidently, heart clenching in his chest ] He wouldn't dare keep you waiting, right?

Yeah...

[ her tears well up again. ]

So I'll just wait here.

[ He's acutely aware of how very little he can say, how very little he can do.

But...

There's a hesitating pause before a hand plops its way onto her head — small, but warm and firm. ]

You won't be alone, though. We'll be waiting with you.

[ head pats gave such a warm, strange feeling and alice had fallen in love with the feeling of receiving them since the first time gilbert patted her head. for this gesture to come from chrono was surprising, but... even though his hand was much smaller than gilbert's

it was just as warm. ]

Okay... We'll all wait for him to come together.

[ a beat. ]

And when he comes back we'll celebrate by stuffing ourselves.

[ Entirely unable to resist the impulse, headpat becomes hairrufle. ]

As much as you can eat. With leftovers, even.

[ He drops his hand, finally, and reaches into his cloak to pull out the thermos, holding it out to her. ]

Soup will have to do in the meantime.

[ ...... longest pause on the universe before her tsun heart will allow her to say ] Thank you....

[ she takes it, unsealing the cap and allowing the warmth of the soup to sooth her. ]

Did you make it yourself... ?

[ Oh no, it's even more tsun than Rosette.

.... cute... ]

I did. I mean- It's probably not all that great, since we don't have a lot of ingredients... [ And, he reasons, she's probably used to Mr. Gilbert's purportedly legendary cooking ] But it has meat and potatoes in it, so it'll fill you up at least.

Okay...

[ you had her at meat.

she drinks up. it might not be as amazing as gilbert's cooking, but it's full of warm feelings. it's really warm. ]

[ Good. He nods approvingly and sits back, considering his words carefully. ]

You know... Oz told me a little about you, and a little about himself. [ More like Chrono accidentally interrogated him but ] And what you are to each other.

[ she slurps her soup before turning to him, giving him her full attention. what could he have talked about? ]

Really?

... What did he say?

That you're under a contract. That you saved his life.

[ He can't help quirking a smile, just a bit. ]

And that you're very important to him, even if he was too dumb to say it with words.

[ eyes widened and cheeks flushed, alice quickly looks away, embarrassed. ]

W-Well, of course! If it weren't for me who knows how he would end up by now! [ there's truth in those words, but at the same time alice knows that she had only been able to move forward after meeting oz. staying herself and not allowing anything get in her way... oz taught her that. ]

[ Flirting with one hundred million shopgirls PROBABLY ]

In over his head and in all kinds of trouble, I'm sure.

[ Not that he's convinced Alice's presence makes that less true, but it's probably nice to at least be in trouble with someone else. ]

Hmph!

[ seemingly satisfied with that answer, she turns back to chrono with a serious look on her face. ]

So? Is that all he said about us?

video ♚ oo1.

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