CliveRosfield | Text

[herofhopeless]

I haven’t been able to find my brother, Joshua, since the fog came. Has anyone seen a man, a little over 6 feet tall, light brown hair that’s a big longer, blue-green eyes, wears a lot of black and red, has a very formal and convoluted way of speaking? He’s kind, curious, intelligent. He would have done his best to help anyone who may have needed it during the mission.

Please, if anyone has seen him, call me, text me, yell my name from the top of a building, I don’t care. I just need to know that he’s okay.

Comments

Voice

[herofhopeless]

[Clive stares at the messages in the link Sleipnir sent him for probably too long. He nearly misses the call, catching it on the last ring. He sounds tired. So, so tired.]

Sleipnir.

[quibblingfunctionary]

[Sleipnir, for his part, sounds lightly apprehensive.]

Did you tap on the link I sent you?

[herofhopeless]

[He hears a shaky breath.]

I did.

[A pause, and in a voice so small that it could barely even be considered a whisper.]

I've been too afraid to try.

[quibblingfunctionary]

[Sleipnir's chest aches.]

...And which would be worse...? Joshua lost here, potentially dead or in pain... or returned home?

[He doesn't know which Clive will say is worse, he has a hope of which it will be, but he doesn't know for certain.]

[herofhopeless]

[No. Please no. Don’t take him away again. He just got him back. Please.]

He’s gone, isn’t he? Sent home.

[Sleipnir would recognize the strain in Clive’s voice as the sound of him trying not to cry.]

[public -> private]

[quibblingfunctionary]

[Sleipnir taps the toggle for private. His voice is wasn’t harsh before, but it’s a lot softer now.]

Where are you right now, lovely?

[Private]

[herofhopeless]

[Later, when he is no longer swirling in the vortex of complicated thoughts surrounding Joshua and Etraya, he might play back this moment and catch that pet name, but for now, he is just too damn tired.]

Walking to the library. I need to get Clea home.

[Private]

[quibblingfunctionary]

[Briefly Sleipnir considers asking if Clive wants to be alone with Clea, but then he realizes his own worry outweighs society’s conception of propriety.]

I will be with you shortly.

Re: [Private]

[herofhopeless]

Let me get her home and settled before you make yourself known. She doesn’t handle being seen as weak or vulnerable in front of people. After, come with me to a church that Cloud says he goes to that helps calm him. I probably shouldn’t be alone right now.

[quibblingfunctionary]

Very well. Tell me where to meet you and I will be there.

[herofhopeless]

You can meet me outside the apartments in Etraya proper. We'll go to the church together.

[quibblingfunctionary]

I will be waiting.

Do not rush, but dally not either.

[herofhopeless]

I'll keep you posted.