Video

[neverfeltthatway]

I have the list for Travelers who have gone out of ambit. I haven't given this list for quite some time, given the extended period between the last two jaunts.

[There's no preamble - he doesn't like doing this and hasn't had a good week. He doesn't have anything to say he thinks people would want to hear, not right now.]

Daniel, Psiioniic, Rosalie, Richelle, Akihiko, *Hyun-ae, Hiroshi, both Marias, Liara, Souji, Istas, Altair, and Kohaku.

...I'm sorry.

Comments

1/?

[runs]

[runs]

[DREK.]

cw violent imaginary

[runs]

[Fuck the Arcana with a slightly rusty fork. And she's going to find a way to do it. WATCH HER.

She is going to shove them into a bed of true cold iron and let them bleed to death or whatever the Arcana equivalence of that is.]

Done

[runs]

Are you sure? She had an overlay on Sunday.

[neverfeltthatway]

...Maria?

[runs]

The little Maria.

[awitchdidit]

She's not here now regardless. People tend to leave on transitions, either coming or going from a Jaunt.

...how was she doing in Sunday?

[runs]

She was doing as well as anyone could do there.

Her overlay was supposed to marry someone else, but she wanted to marry Imriel's overlay, so I made sure that they were promised to each other instead. [There should be triumph in her voice; there is none. She's just angry.

And wonders if she can blame Judgement.]

[awitchdidit]

[Okay, Beatrice shouldn't laugh right now and for once tries to suppress it, but it's still going to come out psychically.]

Aha...ahaha! Seriously? That's incredible! The casting here never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for handling the magical matchmaking duties when I couldn't be there, truly.

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm sure that she's not in liminal space, and hasn't been since the end of the jaunt. That's all I can say for sure.

[runs]

And you don't know where she went, either?

[Because if he has any clue, Kitty is going to go there and get her out of there. Or at least plot towards it.]

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm sorry - I don't.

I can sense anyone on this level of liminal space, and I could check for them on another level of liminal space if I knew where to look. But when someone vanishes like this... there's no trace. There's no clue as to where they might be.

[It's news he hates having to deliver, just like the list in the first place, but he doesn't flinch on doing it - not for an instant. She deserves to know, and deserves to be told by someone willing to look her in the eye while they do it - so to speak.]

[runs]

[She hisses, not at Armin but at the situation. At the Arcana.

At having the one person even just vaguely her age who got it having been taken away from her.

At losing people, again and again.]

And you'll know if she ever shows up again on this level?

[runs]

Someone had to do it.

[Maria is her friend and in love with Imriel, and their overlays were interested in one another.

Also coming up with ways to bully their parents into agreeing to the union was FUN.

And she's still furious. But this place isn't the right place to talk about that. So she continues on with the topic at hand instead, trying to tuck the anger away.]

How would you have matchmade? [Is that a word?] Done magical matchmaking? [That at least might be a good story. And tell her some more things about Beatrice.]

[awitchdidit]

Ahaha, well, I already put a fair bit of effort into helping three out of four of Maria's cousins find a match who loved them back home. She comes from an aristocratic family, you see, or the nearest capitalist equivalent, and most of them needed help finding a way to follow their hearts instead of their parents' desire for financial alliances.

[She didn't get the opportunity for Ange, but she's about 90% sure Ange is dating one of her demon sidekick squad anyway.]

I preferred the subtle when it came to George and Jessica, or at least subtle as far as they were concerned. Mostly, their paramours just needed to be convinced that the power of magic was in play - one that she had it on her side, the other that he needed to protect his love from it - and they did what they needed to do from there. It was a neat arrangement, even if it got a tad complicated trying to do that and several other things at the same time...

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin empathizes. He's been here a long time, and he'd been losing people since long before that. But from what he's seen of her, she probably doesn't want his sympathy. Instead, he focuses on the more concrete things he can do, what he can actually promise.]

Yes - if she comes back and I am still around, I will know that she's here. And I can let you know.

[pearlyspirit]

M-Maria's gone? Did she go home...?

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm very sorry, Pearl - I don't know where she's gone.

[pearlyspirit]

...D-do you know if she'll come back?

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm afraid I don't. But I won't give up looking for her, I promise.

[pearlyspirit]

Ok. I-I'll look to! I'm sure... I'm sure we'll find her...

[neverfeltthatway]

[He wants to tell her that he's sure that she's all right - but he's not sure of that, and he's not going to lie to her.]

...Would you like some company, Pearl? Or... or a hug?

[pearlyspirit]

...Yes please.

[She's sure it'll be fine. She's sure of it. But... hugs are nice.]

[Video] -> [Action]

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm on my way.

[And indeed, it takes him less than a minute to make his way to wherever she is. When he reaches her, he goes down on one knee to be on her level, and opens his arms, inviting a hug.]

[action]

[pearlyspirit]

[Pearl easily accepts it, hugging him quite tightly for a girl of her size. She's sure if they try hard enough, then Maria will be ok. But...]