tenth. text. (and if you leave me, rest assured it would kill me.)

[torrefied]

[He's put off doing this notification as long as he can, hoping against hope that she'll turn up again, that her physical absence and alias's disappearance from the directory are mistakes, that there is another explanation waiting to be found. But it's been three long days, and no sign of her. She has friends, and they probably deserve to know, too.]

Sharon's gone.

[Yes, he's upset. No, he doesn't want to talk about it.]

I'm taking over maintenance of her emergency supply cache network, but I could use some help.

[Grieving? What grieving, there's work to be done.]

Comments

action;

[torrefied]

I ...

[He starts to say I hope she doesn't, but that's only about half true. He feels like some of his insides have been ripped out, and the only way he'll ever be whole again is if Sharon's here. Hand pressed to his mouth, gaze downcast, hair falling into his face, he inhales a long, slow breath, gathers his strength to continue.]

I hope she's free of this place forever. I just - I don't know what to do with myself, now that she's gone.

[Mello doesn't cope well with loss, despite how much of it he's experienced in his relatively short life.]

action;

[closerift]

I know what you mean. [ After Cullen had left-... Well, he doesn't need to hear about that. ] Nearly all of my friends - my family - have gone. I... worry that I'll wake up one day and there won't be anyone left.

[ It's always in the back of her mind. You're going to be all alone. Back into obscurity, into a world where no one gives a damn about her.

Cecily nearly shivers. ]

Now that she's gone... [ The Inquisitor sighs. ] ... You have to find something to occupy yourself with. A project. You could pick up the things that she took care of.

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[torrefied]

[He nods and looks up, arms folded tightly over his chest. He can't fall apart. He won't fall apart. As much as this hurts, he will endure it. He will survive, like he always has.]

That's what I'm doing - the emergency supply network. It's important work, and I always do better when I'm busy anyway.

action;

[closerift]

Right. [ He had said that, hadn't he? ] I know the feeling. So... I'm glad that you're able to be productive.

[ To take his mind off of things.

There's another pause. ]

If you ever need help... with anything, then just contact me.

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[torrefied]

I will. Thank you.

[He nods again, chews lightly on his bottom lip for a moment while he thinks. He isn't good at this sort of thing, genuine emotion; he can connect with people, knows how to apply his social skills in the correct way toward a goal, but until fairly recently, it's always been superficial, a play at being human, leverage to use in getting what he wants.]

You were close with her too. [He's guessing, based on her reaction here and what he's gleaned of her previous interactions with Sharon on the network.] If you need ... someone to talk to. Someone who understands ...

[Well. He understands losing Sharon, at least.]

You know how to reach me.

action;

[closerift]

I do know.

[ She was close with Sharon, would consider the other woman her closest friend in Hadriel... before. Now, she and Mello are strangers, but two people who shared a painful loss. ]

... And I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.