[73][voice]

[silversnowfall]

[This is a hard thing to start. "I regret to inform you" sounds too stiff and formal; "Sorry to say" too informal and flippant. Just jumping in feels cold. But what, then?]

Susanne fon Fabre has gone home. [This one hits her particularly hard, and she has to stop a moment and resettle her voice.] I'm sorry.

[Asch and Luke]

You are welcome to come and see if she has left anything for you. I felt it would be remiss of me to go through her things, if any remain.

Comments

voice.

[contaeoro]

You won't remember it?

voice.

[silversnowfall]

They say we don't remember Luceti once we've left it.

[voice]

[emp3thy]

All right. I should be free, too.

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

All right then. We haven't had the chance to really speak for a while.

[silversnowfall]

Is there anything you particularly liked to do together?

[childofthefullmoon]

We would often just talk, and have tea together. In fact, we were planning to have a tea party.

voice.

[contaeoro]

[How strange.]

Could it be because the Malnosso's doing that on purpose?

[silversnowfall]

Really? Here at the house?

[It's huge. Certainly large enough for a party.]

voice.

[silversnowfall]

Hmm. I'm not the best person to ask, but...most things that happen here don't actually seem to have roots in the Malnosso themselves.

[voice]

[emp3thy]

Noon tomorrow, then?

[Action]

[distressedude]

[Opening the door, then! He's most certainly heard the news already, given she was their housemate after all, but he's got a smile on his face for Nephry's sake.]

I thought you might like some hot chocolate. I tried to make it the way you showed me, though I don't think it came out as sweet as when you make it.

[childofthefullmoon]

Well, I was thinking at the tea shop, actually. I've already gotten Sheena's permission.

[voice]

[silversnowfall]

I think there is space in my busy schedule at noon.

[Ha ha ha.]

[Action]

[silversnowfall]

[What a pleasant surprise. Nephry closes the journal for now and smiles.]

Thank you very much. I'm sure it's perfect.

[silversnowfall]

Well, if it was just going to be the two of you, then I'm sorry your plans were cut short so suddenly.

voice.

[contaeoro]

They aren't? What do you mean?

voice.

[silversnowfall]

Well, for example, they aren't the ones who brought us here, though for a long time most people thought they did.

voice.

[contaeoro]

[Hm.]

Honestly, from what I've been told since arriving here, I assumed they were behind that as well.

voice.

[silversnowfall]

Really? Will you share what you've heard?

voice.

[contaeoro]

A friend of mine told me about being experimented on, when I first got here. I didn't get many details about it, though.

voice.

[silversnowfall]

The Malnosso do handle the...experiments and shifts. They are not the source of your arrival in this world, though. I believe they are the reason you are in this enclosure and not another.

[action]

[fabrecation]

[It does take longer than usual for Luke to get there, if only because of the fact that he had to pull himself together. But soon enough, he knocks on the door before sticking his hands in his jacket pockets and looking away.

He wonders if Asch would see this... and what he'd do. Nngh...]

[voice]

[emp3thy]

I'll see you then.

[action]

[silversnowfall]

[The door opens, Nephry standing there with what she hopes is a consoling smile.]

Please come in.

[action]

[fabrecation]

[There's some misery on Luke's face, though he tries to force it away by giving a smile of his own. It's... pretty forced as a result, but it's something.]

Hey. [And he steps inside, already looking around and noticing a particular absence.] Uh... do you know if Asch heard?