Intro post!
āāā āā āā ā āā
name: Z????????
Pronouns: she?/her?
āāā āā āā ā āā
Made this a few years ago, never did anything with it. Might reblog photography and art
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@rosethornzampano
Intro post!
āāā āā āā ā āā
name: Z????????
Pronouns: she?/her?
āāā āā āā ā āā
Made this a few years ago, never did anything with it. Might reblog photography and art
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
He blinks. Once. Twice.
" 'Dear'? "
āHm?ā *rosie tilts her head, then it clicks. She is quiet for a while.*
Elias jolts with the realization that she might've taken that as a sign to stop calling him 'dear'.
"I was just- curious? To why you were calling me that? I don't want you to stop, just-- curious."
*she clears her throat, suddenly very interested in everything that isnāt where Elias is.*
āI. it. Slipped? I wasnāt really⦠thinkingā¦.. I guess I just. Think very dearly of you, ha.ā
Elias blinks again. He hums in thought.
"I...like it? Can I call you nicknames, too?"
*this time, Rosie blinks in surprise.*
āAh- yes. Yeah. Iād like thatā¦ā
Elias smiles.
"Okay, mon cher."
*rosie tries, and partially fails, not to short circuit.* āokay⦠ah- querido.ā
His smile grows wider, almost bashful. He nods.
"That's-- good."
Elias takes a deep breath. He hates to sour the mood, but--
"We should...go look for Sasha, I think."
*reality sets back in, she takes another breath.*
āRight, yeah. Sasha. Any ideas where she might be?ā
Elias hums thoughtfully.
"Not...sure? Again, I don't-- my memories of before you came here are really foggy. Or, well-- hazy's a better word. Aren't they pretty much synonymous-- whatever."
He sighs, tapping his foot on the floor.
"Like I said before, maybe they're in the Web Table? Maybe she's somewhere else? Maybe she's in the same place I was in -- I don't know. We'll just have to look, I guess."
āItās alright, take as much time as you need toāā *she reached out a hand to try and calm, but it phases through the faint image.* āā¦.to rememberā¦ā
āWellā we can try the table. But⦠maybe after checking the rest of the institute? I donāt⦠know what itāll try to do.ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
He blinks. Once. Twice.
" 'Dear'? "
āHm?ā *rosie tilts her head, then it clicks. She is quiet for a while.*
Elias jolts with the realization that she might've taken that as a sign to stop calling him 'dear'.
"I was just- curious? To why you were calling me that? I don't want you to stop, just-- curious."
*she clears her throat, suddenly very interested in everything that isnāt where Elias is.*
āI. it. Slipped? I wasnāt really⦠thinkingā¦.. I guess I just. Think very dearly of you, ha.ā
Elias blinks again. He hums in thought.
"I...like it? Can I call you nicknames, too?"
*this time, Rosie blinks in surprise.*
āAh- yes. Yeah. Iād like thatā¦ā
Elias smiles.
"Okay, mon cher."
*rosie tries, and partially fails, not to short circuit.* āokay⦠ah- querido.ā
His smile grows wider, almost bashful. He nods.
"That's-- good."
Elias takes a deep breath. He hates to sour the mood, but--
"We should...go look for Sasha, I think."
*reality sets back in, she takes another breath.*
āRight, yeah. Sasha. Any ideas where she might be?ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
He blinks. Once. Twice.
" 'Dear'? "
āHm?ā *rosie tilts her head, then it clicks. She is quiet for a while.*
Elias jolts with the realization that she might've taken that as a sign to stop calling him 'dear'.
"I was just- curious? To why you were calling me that? I don't want you to stop, just-- curious."
*she clears her throat, suddenly very interested in everything that isnāt where Elias is.*
āI. it. Slipped? I wasnāt really⦠thinkingā¦.. I guess I just. Think very dearly of you, ha.ā
Elias blinks again. He hums in thought.
"I...like it? Can I call you nicknames, too?"
*this time, Rosie blinks in surprise.*
āAh- yes. Yeah. Iād like thatā¦ā
Elias smiles.
"Okay, mon cher."
*rosie tries, and partially fails, not to short circuit.* āokay⦠ah- querido.ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
He blinks. Once. Twice.
" 'Dear'? "
āHm?ā *rosie tilts her head, then it clicks. She is quiet for a while.*
Elias jolts with the realization that she might've taken that as a sign to stop calling him 'dear'.
"I was just- curious? To why you were calling me that? I don't want you to stop, just-- curious."
*she clears her throat, suddenly very interested in everything that isnāt where Elias is.*
āI. it. Slipped? I wasnāt really⦠thinkingā¦.. I guess I just. Think very dearly of you, ha.ā
Elias blinks again. He hums in thought.
"I...like it? Can I call you nicknames, too?"
*this time, Rosie blinks in surprise.*
āAh- yes. Yeah. Iād like thatā¦ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
He blinks. Once. Twice.
" 'Dear'? "
āHm?ā *rosie tilts her head, then it clicks. She is quiet for a while.*
Elias jolts with the realization that she might've taken that as a sign to stop calling him 'dear'.
"I was just- curious? To why you were calling me that? I don't want you to stop, just-- curious."
*she clears her throat, suddenly very interested in everything that isnāt where Elias is.*
āI. it. Slipped? I wasnāt really⦠thinkingā¦.. I guess I just. Think very dearly of you, ha.ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
He blinks. Once. Twice.
" 'Dear'? "
āHm?ā *rosie tilts her head, then it clicks. She is quiet for a while.*
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
Elias shakes his head to get himself to focus.
"Uh-- I think...we were looking for Martin, yeah, then he was found, and then...I...can't remember? I know we did something after that but I just-- can't...remember."
āItās alright dear, dont push yourself. Weāll⦠weāll find her.ā *she takes a deep breath, trying to think of one problem to focus on at a time.ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
"I...think so? You might have to go and search for her. We- we can look for them together. Maybe they were taken by the table again, somehow..."
He trails off, a guilty expression on his face. How could he not remember one of the two people he'd been such good friends with? It's almost like Shel aga-
āI⦠donāt know how much help Iāll be. Whatever⦠connection with whatever Entity I had isā¦. I canāt feel itā¦ā *she hasnāt felt much of⦠anything, really, recently. Not in the way the Lonely felt. Just. A numbness. If she did, maybe sheād have had an easier time finding Eliasā¦*
āDo you remember where you two were? Or what you were doing?ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
Elias groans in embarrassment. He stiffens when Rosie asks her question.
"Uh..."
He blinks at the space he can vaguely see her in. He's not sure what expression he's wearing, but he could feel how his face scrunched up.
"I was with Sasha, I think..."
āHmā¦. Has she⦠been aroundā¦?ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
"You did, yeah."
He tries leaning against the desk. He phases through it and falls.
"...I hope I'm still invisible."
*she snorts.* āwere you leaning on the desk again?ā *she can almost picture it, in her head, a faint memory of the first time he tried. That was⦠so long agoā¦.*
"What... do you last remember...?"
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
"Oh."
Elias taps his feet against the floor. It doesn't make a sound.
"To be fair, I came to you."
āOh- w-well, yes, but-⦠I did also. Offer to come down here. To talk.ā
*his hazy form seems a bit more present. Not too much, but enough for Rosie to feel more at peace.*
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
He- ...Elias hums.
"Maybe. I still don't blame you, though. So don't...blame yourself, yeah?"
āā¦. Okayā¦ā
*she wipes at the corners of her eyes, putting on a(n admittedly fake) smile.* āsorry I- I forgot what I was. Going to talk to you aboutā¦ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
A small laugh escapes him.
"We're both wrecks...aren't we? It's not your fault, either."
He sounds a lot more present, now.
āwe are, arenāt weā¦ā
*a small, sad smile fights its way to Rosieās lips. It looses the battle quickly after.*
āIt. Mightā¦. Not exactl be my fault, but I still couldāve. Tried more. To keep in touch. Then we wouldnāt have had this scareā¦ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
"It's okay. I missed you."
He places his hand on where he thinks Rosie's is.
"I'm...sorry."
āI- I missed you too. So muchā *she leans into the ātouchā* ādonāt- donāt be sorry itās- itās not your f- youāre okay. I. Its not your fault.ā
āIām sorry for- coming such a- a wreck.ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*
"It's...it's me."
He hesitates again. He mimics taking a deep breath.
"I feel...hazy. But I'm here. I...I promise."
āpromiseā¦ā
*she reaches blindly behind her, pulling her chair closer. She slumps into the seat, like a puppet with its strings cut.*
āIām- Iām sorry I- I shouldāve- you donāt need to see- Iām sorry, de- Elias.ā
How. long has it been?
-@original-elias-bouchard
Elias?
Oh- I-
oh dear, how long has it been?
ā¦
I.
months.
Iām sorry, I hadnāt.
I donāt-
Iām sorry.
no no it's fine
i just. didn't.
hm. nevermind.
how've you been? the um.
the kids. are they. okay?
The kids-
ive.
itās been. A lot. Iām not sure where to start, really, haha.
ā¦maybe it would be easier in person-?
if youāre up for it, if you arenāt thatās fine by me.
just. Been too long since Iāve heard y
But, you? How have you been? And. Sasha, is she okay?
in person. ?
i.
i think i could
try
maybe.
this place. feels weird.
maybe the End's finally claimed us.
maybe it hasn't.
i can't
tell.
oh f-
Iām.
Iām at my apartment, living room. Might have to clean up a bitā¦
If that isnāt too far. I can head back down to the institute if you think thatāll be easier, though? No one else should be there around this time.
hm
maybe
i don't know.
where
is everyone?
this isn't the lonely.
Iāll head down.
I. Donāt know.
honestly I. I havenāt been keeping tabs on everything⦠Iāve been⦠busy with other things.
Tim isā¦. I donāt know. I had thought you and Sasha were looking for Martin, Jon has been in and out, acting. Stranger, than normal.
I donāt know what happened. For once, I donāt even have a point of reference.
tim, martin, jon.
i
remember those names
we were
yes
Sasha and i
were looking for martin
he was
found
not by us
Iām around 30 minutes away.
what. Do you mean? Who found him?
thirty minutes...
ae was
found
by
.
.
.
by...
aer
sister?
pandora
i think
it's hard
to think
Martin has a sister? Suddenly everyone has a sibling an-
Itās alright. You. Donāt have to?
Or if it helps you stay present thenā¦
ahā¦
20 minutes now. New car. Technically. Itās.
complicated.
adopted
i'm pretty sure
shared the same
patron
the
the Web.
they're
siblings
in that aspect
oh- right, yeah. I- kinda. Thought? But. I donāt know, itās.
web, mother⦠I guess that makes senseā¦.
donāt know what Iām saying.
yes
the
the Web
Mother of Puppets
they
had a heartfelt
reunion
i
think
i wasn't
there for it
i don't know what happened
something about
an "angelboy"
Angelboy? Is that a nickname?
Iām just around the corner now, hold on. Iāll meet you at the front desk? Like. Old timesā¦?
yes
i don't know
who gave him
that nickname
but he
hated it
.
.
.
like old times
i'm
looking forward
to it
ā¦
yeah.
yeah I am too.
ā
*A few minutes later, Rosie unlocks the back door of the institute. Call her paranoid, but it. Felt too weird to go through the front door this time.*
*she makes a quick beeline for the front desk, scanning the dark with her phoneās flashlight to see if she can spot Elias.*
i'm
at reception
this is
where you work
right
is it
called
reception?
i can't
really
remember
you are? I canāt see youā¦
-
*she walks behind the desk, reaches a hand out to try and feel any colder than normal air, still looking with her flashlight.*
āElias?ā
"Rosie,"
Rosie can hear the smile in her old friend's voice. The air is cold and still. No fog, though.
*Relief floods through her, though the tension in her shoulders doesnāt loosen. She whips her head around, trying to find him.*
āElias-! Where are you, I- dear, I- I canāt see youā¦ā *a sort of fear - not That kind - starts to claw at her throat.*
"I'm..."
He looks around. He's at reception, yes, but he's...not at reception.
Hm.
"I'm here. But not here. Are...are you..."
He hesitates.
"Are you...alright?"
āI- I donāt- I canāt- Elias I- no. Nononono please not you not this time please not you too-ā *her gaze is far, full of confusion and regret and tears.*
āCan you seeā? Are you- fuck i- canā hear, feel the-the cold but-ā *no please not again please not him pleaseā*
"Rosie, please-"
He tries to reach out, to see if he can somehow feel where his friend is.
"It's-- it's okay. I'm...here."
*She flinches, seems to snap out of her spiraling, shuddering at the cold feeling of some phantom hand*
āElias? You- I think-ā *she isnāt sure what she thinks, and can only see a hazy outline of her friend, an outline that blurs even further in the light.*
āItās- is it you? Really, this time? Or is it- am I-ā *she forced herself to take a deep breath.*