[.oo4] TEXT | ACTION for the Arena Roof

[lethechained]

[The thing about text is that it does not express emotion in quite the same way as a video or voice post would. That is precisely why she's chosen to do this in such a format.]


To those of you who knew Sollux Captor he's no longer in the city.

[It seems like too little, like she should say so much more about his presence than that. There's a lot she COULD say, and yet--]

If you were a friend of his or in any way treated him well I would like to express both my condolences and my gratitude for your kindness.

[Regardless of whether he would do so himself.]


Thank you.


[THOR | ARENA: ROOF | OPEN]


[This is probably a stupid place to mope.]

[She knows it. It's hot, even with the breeze that might be provided. There's a drop a few feet away - not one she's anywhere near nor does she have any intention of being anywhere near - that might hurt if she were to accidentally fall from it. (Fat chance.) She'll probably get a sunburn, even if it is sort of cloudy. It's not as private as it could be; she hadn't want to do this at home (that word still feels strange) out of consideration for her creation.]

[But she can see the city, and that's what matters.]

[When she'd first found out the news, when she'd checked the list early that morning and realized he wasn't on it, she'd shed plenty of tears. (Turned over into her pillow and cried like a baby, and all after her moirail had commented on her apparent lack of tear ducts. The memory had only made her cry harder.) That was done then, and once she'd had a hold of herself, she'd tried to go about what, by necessity, had to be done. But reading his letter, writing the notice for him - she'd thought she had no tears left after that first, involuntary time, but now-- well.]

[She's quiet about it, at least. Her knees are drawn to her chest, her face pressed into them and her arms wrapped around her legs. It's a stark contrast to her usual, unfailing upright posture, but for the time being there's no one around to see it and she's got no particular reason to care when her chest is filled with such an excruciating sensation. She does not sob, at first, but eventually that comes, too, mingling with her tears and the sounds in her throat that she is even now careful to suppress.]

Comments

[Text]

[hadbadays]

Were you a friend of his?

[Text - PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

I was.

[As much as it stings to use past tense. There's a lot more to it than that, really, but she supposes it would be messy trying to explain the situation to someone not already familiar with troll culture and it's not something she's prepared to deal with at the moment.]

He was one of the best friends I've ever had.

[Text - PRIVATE]

[hadbadays]

Ah.

[ Yep, he's had his best friend go home on him, he knows the feeling. At least somewhat. ]

I'm sorry.

[Text - PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

It's alright.

[It's not alright, really, but it will be close enough. She doesn't have much choice but to believe that. (Either way, it's not his fault, which is really what she means by saying that.)]

Thank you John.

[Text - PRIVATE]

[hadbadays]

Try having a cup of tea, if you like tea. It tends to help with most things.

[nukeoleptic]

goddammit

[Text | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[... Well. She would have been surprised if Jade HADN'T had something to say about this. It still makes her heart clench a little more.]

I'm sorry Jade.

[Why does that always seem so-- inadequate?]

I know things were complicated between the two of you.

[Text | PRIVATE]

[nukeoleptic]

i wish i had never met him URGHHHHH

[ She doesn't mean it. Of course she doesn't mean it. ]

[Text | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[--....]



Do you really mean that?

[Because as much as it causes her immediate, reactionary distress - she thinks otherwise.]

[Text | PRIVATE]

[nukeoleptic]

no of course i dont
i just wish i had
i dont know or maybe that i hadnt




i wish i could have punched him one last time before he left FUCK ARHGAKLSJDF

video;

[afrozendance]

I didn't get to speak to him, but still... I'm sorry, Miss Naminé.

[Text - PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[It's probably terribly impolite to respond with text, at this point, and normally she would make an effort to do otherwise, but at this point it does not seem prudent.]

Thank you. I'm sorry you didn't get to meet him.

[Not that he wasn't terribly rude, but the sentiment still applies.]

[Text - PRIVATE]

[afrozendance]

[Ninian would be more worried if Naminé did not reply to her in any way... So it's all right, she shouldn't worry.]

It's always painful when a friend is gone in any way. And... yes, I guess I would have liked to meet him. If he was a friend of yours, he must have been a good person.

[Text - PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[Naminé is not so unkind as to not respond at all, at least.]

He was very rude. [But she doesn't mean it as an insult; on some level, she'd always liked that about him. It would almost make her smile if she were not so busy with other feelings.] He wasn't very friendly but he really was a good person. He still is wherever he is. He just had a funny way of showing it.

[Text - PRIVATE]

[afrozendance]

I guess people have different ways to show their feelings. Even if they're rougher than usual, or hard to understand... We all want to be heard and understood, right? Every single person in every world we're from.

Not Here

[samantha_grey]

[She's going to keep quiet, at least until Eridan makes an ass of herself. For now, Samantha really is trying to keep a low profile, but hearing Sollux is gone is more of a blow than she'd admit. They hadn't gotten along, and she actually hadn't liked him that much, especially towards the end, but ... he was important in his own way.]

[tongue3y3s]

[She's glad for her roommates' departure, really, because with them gone she furiously trashes the apartment room they left behind. She closes the door on the mess and climbs into her pile and sits there for a long, long time. She can't bring herself to comment on the post itself, it's too... just.

Shit.

After at least an hour, Terezi drags herself out of her pile and goes to find one of the people she thinks will understand. It takes her a while of searching, a few hours at least (mostly because she refuses to ask; the searching itself is therapeutic) before she finds Naminé seated at the top of the arena.

There are no words. She has no idea what to say.

All she can do is slowly--numbly--walk over and sit down beside her.]

[lethechained]

[By now, her tears are at least temporarily dry. Her cheeks are still salty from them, cheeks flushed from swiping at them and sclera still red. The blue of her eyes is bright from it, from the lingering dampness, but even now her head is bowed again. Her knees have fallen recently to rest them, and now, before she even realizes she has company, they curl inward again, this time for her rest her forehead on them rather than to cry into them.]

[It doesn't last long, because it's about then that she hears the footsteps and raises her head. She doesn't turn, not right away - and soon enough she can see who it is out of the corner of her tired, tired eyes.]

[The silence stretches on, her breath quiet. She'd expected to hear from Terezi at some point, but she can't say that she was truly expecting company, here. All the same... when at last she breaks that silence, it is to say, voice quiet and strained and thick and yet steady with a practice that says more, perhaps, than she would in words,]

I was wondering when I would see you.

[It's not a chastisement; it's a greeting.]

[tongue3y3s]

An astute observation, [Terezi says, crisply.] Sollux is my best friend, and I know now that you are his moirail. It would be callous of me not to find you!

[lethechained]

[Her eyes search the ground as she listens, then turn languidly up.]

[She feels as though she should say, 'was'.]

[She was his moirail.]

Thank you.

[It's tired, almost, as she studies the troll. She'd known they were friends, of course - how close had always been under investigation, a matter of curiosity. It had seemed to be 'close enough'. The title at least offers her proof.]

For your consideration.

[She draws her gaze away, to the city that seems now less bright in her eyes.]

I should have come to you sooner. I'm sorry.

[But she'd needed the time to gather herself.]

[tongue3y3s]

That apology is unnecessary, [she declares, and then her voice sort of... dies in her throat. Terezi doesn't want to talk anymore. She only wants silence.

She doesn't know what to do after this part; how to convey the depth of grief at a lost one.]

video;

[bestestfurrend]

Oh no! [Nepeta looks horribly sad at the news.] Were you a friend of his too?

[TEXT | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[Which conjures Naminé's sympathies, of course, but for the time being she continues to use texts. (Better for both parties that way.)]

Yes. I was.

[And Nepeta is a troll, she would understand - but Naminé hesitates a moment about mentioning the specifics of that particular relationship, if only because they haven't spoken before and she's not quite sure how to bring it up or if she even should.]

I'm sorry for your loss. How long have you known him?

[TEXT | PRIVATE]

[bestestfurrend]

I'm sorry for you too, then. Sollux could be pretty grouchy but I still liked him! I've known him fur ages and ages. When I furst got here he came over and got me juice boxes! It was really nice of him and he didn't have to.

I never got to give him something back...

[TEXT | PRIVATE]

[lethechained]

[... Heh.]

I know what you mean. He always did like to complain. I'm happy that you two were friends.

[-- Oh. She blinks, considers, then--]

Maybe next time. If he ever comes back to the city you'll still be friends won't you? You can return the favor then.