avalononline | voice | un: miraclemoon

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voice | un: miraclemoon

[It's not often that Jade makes use of the network herself, preferring to respond to others, and she's been as preoccupied by the trials as many others have this past week. Even so, something troubling has come to her attention, and she would rather not sit and wonder and worry needlessly, if it indeed ends up being needless.]

I realize there's a great deal going on right now, and so I'll make this brief.

[Her tone is careful and refined, but there's certainly worry beneath all of that, thinly-veiled.]

Has anyone seen or heard from Dimitri recently? Even amidst the trials and current situation with Celliwig, it's unlike him to miss training or go silent.

[At least in her experience. She knows enough about his previous ghosting act to know that this doesn't feel right. If something has gone wrong, he can certainly take care of himself, but that doesn't keep concern from mounting.]

I know he has acquaintances here. If you hear anything, I would greatly appreciate if you would let me know.

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[She lets out a soft 'mhm' as she nods in confirmation, wishing that the circumstances of their meeting had been better than this. She had been looking forward to meeting more of Dimitri's friends and classmates from Fodlan, but not quite this way.]

Thank you for offering to help. I hope we can, as well— if he's gone silent, then I can't help but worry that he's somehow been detained. If he were able to respond to me, he would.

[She doesn't think that's overly presumptuous of her, all things considered.]

Perhaps that's a bit alarmist, but I'm sure as his classmate, you're well aware of what he's capable of.

Is that so?

[Marianne sounds almost surprised by Jade's assertion, her eyes widening slightly. After a pause, she reigns it in and clarifies.]

I'm sorry--it's not that I believe you to be dishonest. If you say he would, then I trust that he would. It's just that the Dimitri I know is... troubled. [That's a much kinder way of putting it than 'mentally unstable and completely feral,' Marianne thinks.] It's hard not to think about that when I think of him. But it sounds like he's recovered some part of himself, as you know him.

Either way, I'm glad he's formed such a close relationship here. He deserves happiness. And peace.

[Marianne had prayed long and hard for his soul to find solace with the Goddess when she learned of how he fell after Gronder. Him having a chance to find it while still living is better.]

[She shakes her head briefly in response to Marianne's apology. There's no need for it, and no offense has been taken.]

No, of course— I understand. I know what... things were like for him, back home.

[To a certain extent. Their experience with the vernal pools had made her privy to all sorts of details she may not have picked up on otherwise, but even afterwards, Dimitri had been willing to talk quite a bit. They had come to trust one another, established a comfortable exchange between them.]

'Troubled' seems a kind way to put it. He's on a different path here— working hard towards healing. I don't know how much I've been able to help, but I hope to have been able to offer something. He's— become quite important to me.

I see.

[Marianne smiles sadly. She knows that there are strange happenings here, and how that forces conversations that open up hearts quickly. It happened between her and Darin, and in a lot of ways Marianne's heart and secrets are just as tightly guarded.]

Then there's no reason to get into those details. We owe it to him to consider the path he's on rather than the road he's already travelled.

I'm sure your friendship has done much for him. And once we find him, we'll hear it from the man himself.

[...hooray for optimism? If only Marianne felt as confident as her words did.]

[Marianne's optimism does help to buoy her spirits, and she offers a reserved smile in response, along with a polite nod of agreement.]

I suppose we shall, once we've tracked him down. I appreciate that you're not only willing to help, but that you've chosen to be so open-minded. I can't speak for any of the others from your world; many I've spoken to seem to like him well enough despite being equally concerned, but I know what he thinks of himself.

[That anyone would forgive him when he cannot forgive himself would astound him no matter how many times he encountered it, she thinks.]

I'm glad to know he wasn't without friends at home, either.

I know, too.

[It's not difficult to think back to when they were students, sitting in the dining hall together and talking around their respective sadness. She can only imagine how he must feel now, with so much more weighing upon him.

Jade's last comment hits Marianne a bit harder than intended. Ultimately, the friendships from the Academy weren't enough to save Dimitri, in her version of events, and it's a regret that still stings.

Rather than address, Marianne decides to side-step it entirely. After all, they have a search to conduct.]

We should get started in our search. Where has he been staying in Camelot?

[Jade doesn't seem to notice the quick redirection— their goal, after all, is the same, and Marianne certainly has the right idea.]

He never moved on from the hotel. I'd been encouraging him to do so, but I don't think he was quite ready for that sense of permanence. It's a good place to start, at least; it won't take long to find out how long it's been since he's been seen coming or going. Someone on the staff should be able to give us at least an estimate, but he would have had to leave his room to eat at some point.

[... well. Maybe.]

If that's the case, I wonder why I haven't seen him. I'm still staying there as well.

[That does not bode well for their cause. Marianne frowns deeply.]

Let's go ask at the front desk. The people who work there are very kind and helpful, so they'll tell us what they know. I've depended on them quite a bit since I arrived here.

[Despite her best efforts not to. The first time she needed help, she spent a good hour in the lobby working up the nerve to ask before one of the staff approached her.]

[She nods; that had been her experience with the hotel staff, as well, though she hadn't stayed there terribly long. However, she shares Marianne's initial thought— that she hasn't seen him doesn't bode well for their cause.]

Let's.

[She wastes little time in setting herself back into motion, though her pace is easy despite purposeful steps, enough for Marianne to be able to keep up effortlessly.]

I remember them being kind and thoughtful during my earliest days here, as well. I suppose— if they haven't seen anything, we could check his room, but I can't decide if that's too extreme.

[But the fact that he's gone silent... maybe extreme is called for, though she can't help but be anxious about what they will or won't find.]

[Even if Jade had gone with a faster, more frantic pace, it's not as though Marianne doesn't have experience keeping up with it. The battlefield waits for no one. Neither does Hilda, plus she has a tendency to grab a wrist and start dragging if Marianne doesn't keep up.

Perhaps it's better that they're going more slowly over that option.]

I don't believe that's too extreme at all. I think it's better to leave no stone left unturned, so that we aren't second-guessing ourselves later.

[Extreme is definitely called for, especially if something has gone wrong.]

Do you think they would let us into his room?

[That's a very good question, and Jade gives pause for just a moment before answering.]

I've been here often enough that if we expressed our concern, they just might. If they haven't seen him in some time, either, it may be considered less a breach of privacy and in the interest of someone's safety, instead.

[But for things to get to this point...

She dreads to think what they'll find— or won't find— when they open that door. She lets out a soft huff of breath, forcing a faint smile to try and put on her best face as they continue on.]

It's worth a try. Thank you— having someone likeminded along is truly a relief.

[Marianne gives Jade a nod, clearly satisfied with that response.]

You have a good point. I hope they see it your way.

[She'll leave the persuading of the front desk staff to Jade, since she's not quite comfortable or adept at that sort of thing ~~yet~~. They're kind and helpful, and Jade isn't wrong in her assessment of the situation, so she's cautiously optimistic that they'll be allowed in.

Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on what they find. At the very least, they should hopefully have answers.]

You have no need to thank me. I'm happy to come along and provide whatever assistance you need.

[They arrive at the hotel, and Marianne opens the door and holds it open for Jade.]

After you.

[Fortunately for them, the plan proceeds as Jade had suspected it might— her conversation with the hotel staff is brief, but they're familiar enough with her to heed her concerns and mention not having received word from the tenant in question for some time. The confirmation isn't the news she wants to hear, but she had become increasingly suspicious that it was exactly what she was going to get.

Once she's given the spare key, she gestures for Marianne to follow her upstairs. The trip is a short one, and they come to stop outside of the door Jade has come to know as Dimitri's. Out of habit and politeness, she knocks, though she doesn't expect an answer. As expected, none comes, and she sighs.]

I had to try, just in case. ... felt right.

[But with no response, the next step is clear. She turns the key in the lock and pushes the door open in front of them, stepping over the threshold and trusting Marianne to follow.]

Hello?

[What they find is... not much, truth be told. Dimitri had kept his room fairly spartan overall, though Jade recognizes a few of the items that have been left sitting around.]

[Marianne, too, had expected all of this--even as she had hoped for otherwise with every step in the process. That perhaps the staff will have seen him, or that Dimitri would answer the knock on the door, or... something, anything.

The room is bare in a way that only Dimitri could live in. While it's something of a relief that there are no signs of a struggle, it also clearly has not been touched in some time. Marianne's stomach sinks a bit, especially as she runs a finger through a bit of dust on the room's dresser.]

I... I don't think he's here.

[It's stating the obvious, in a way, but also speaks to more than just this room. Their suspicions that he's gone are becoming harder to deny.]

No... I don't think he is.

[She knows full well they're both talking about more than just the immediate area. Really, she had known before they had even reached the hotel, but she would never have been able to rest easy if she hadn't made absolutely certain. She's positive he would have done the same, were their positions reversed.

She sighs heavily, then takes in a sharp breath and squares her shoulders.

Right. There's no use shedding tears over it.]

In that case, I'm glad we came here before housekeeping did. I would hate to see his things just... discarded.

[Some of them are hers, even— food containers she had brought over in weeks past, mostly— but that's not where her concern lies. If all of his things just disappeared or were swept away into the trash, it might seem like he'd never been here at all.]

[Marianne sniffles a little from behind Jade, but she manages to blink back the tears that sting the back of her eyes. For her, it's less mourning her friend and more mourning the missed opportunity. She'd never had a chance to even say hello.

Jade, luckily, keeps it together in such a way that it inspires Marianne to do the same. She's right--they're lucky that they made it and can collect what few things Dimitri had here.]

It looks like there's a bag near the bed. We can put everything in there.

[Marianne crosses the room to collect said bag, blue and unornamented. Exactly the sort of bag Dimitri could carry.]

[She gives a tight, reserved nod of agreement, allowing Marianne to grab the aforementioned bag as she herself goes to collect a few items of clothing that have been draped over the back of a chair— most of which, she notes, she had helped him to buy, since he'd been at an utter loss when it came to dressing in anything but his armor.]

If he does manage to find his way back, then these things will be safely waiting for him.

[It's an optimistic thought, she knows, and it's not something she's particularly counting on, but it sounds better than just holding onto his things for the sake of it.

She'll likely never see him again. She doesn't realize that Marianne won't ever have the chance to, either, even if she makes her way home.

She comes across a familiar tee-shirt in the pile and puts a hand over her mouth to stifle a momentary laugh before holding it up.]

I'm sure you won't be entirely surprised to hear he struggled with modern fashion. He insisted on wearing a shirt that was two sizes too small until I told him that wasn't actually the style— though I think someone else took the time to convince him that it was.

[Understandably, given the view, but she doesn't say that part aloud.]

[Marianne looks up at the t-shirt, listening to Jade's recounting and starting to giggle herself.]

That certainly sounds like something Dimitri would do...

[Except that it's not true.

It hasn't been for years. The Dimitri she knows lost his mind and died for it at Gronder. He never had the chance to recover himself, to make new friends, to awkwardly navigate a world he's ill-suited to. Even should a healed Dimitri from another Fódlan return here, it doesn't change a thing about the tragedy of his fate back in her own.

Before she can stop herself, the giggles choke into a soft sob, and she sinks onto the bed and buries her head in her hands.]

I-I'm sorry...

Marianne?

[The shift that comes across her face is so sudden, and before Jade knows it, the other young woman has her face buried in her heads, tears flowing freely. She pauses for a moment, just long enough to swallow hard before she moves to close the distance between them, gently laying a hand against her arm.]

No... don't be sorry.

[Her own voice wavers, just slightly, soft and uncertain.]

That's about how I'm feeling, too.

[She's desperate not to let it show, and while she doesn't know all that Marianne does... she knows enough.]

I may not have known him as long as some, but... I care about him, very much.

[As a blessing, Jade doesn't begrudge Marianne's sudden shift of demeanor. A part of them both knew that this was lurking just below the surface, despite the strong fronts they both tried to keep up, so it really isn't any surprise. Marianne merely broke first.]

I know you did. And I'm so glad for that, even if it's bringing you sorrow now.

[Marianne fishes for a handkerchief and starts wiping at her face, sniffling slightly. After a pause, she pulls out a second and offers it to Jade. Just in case.]

He... he's gone home to a Fódlan that was much kinder to him than mine was. I'll have to take heart in that.

[Jade doesn't have to know all of the details of what sets Marianne's Fódlan apart to guess at what that means. She knew enough about the situation there, the war, and had heard enough about differing perspectives. Dimitri and Claude, she knew, had experienced certain events quite differently, and given that war was never anything short of a nightmare...

It wasn't terribly hard to guess.

She takes the offered handkerchief in one hand, then carefully takes hold of Marianne's other shoulder so that she can steer her towards one of the little dining chairs, some of the only furniture the room had to offer them. Once she's seated, Jade will take a seat beside her, and reach out to take her hand.]

I don't know your story, or what you've seen... but I think I can draw conclusions well enough.

[She won't make Marianne say it, and her own face falls as she looks down at their feet, side-by-side.]

This would have been a chance to say goodbye, in a way, wouldn't it? I don't know what the future holds for him... but I know he wanted to make things right. I have to hope that's enough to change his fate, as well as the fate of others.

[Thank the goddess that Jade is smart and sensitive about this. It's better not to say, especially with the horror of Gronder not all that far behind her. They'd barely had a moon to digest it before Merceus, and that ended up being almost worse.

And then Marianne arrived in Avalon. The other Deer, she realizes, have it a bit easier. For Claude, the war is won and he's preparing for another, greater enemy. For Lorenz and Flayn, it's all over. But Marianne's arrival has placed her in some sort of limbo, and while she's heartened to hear of future events it still doesn't change the fact that for her the war is still very much present tense.

She does her best not to let the war follow her here, but... it's difficult sometimes.]

I... I believe he will. And I'll pray for him, so that he can find strength within himself when he feels like he might falter.

[It's the absolute least she can do. It's the only thing she can do.]

Your faith is important to you.

[It's an observation, rather than a question, and Jade gives a careful nod in response. Though neither of them may be able to do much themselves, it's still something— something that would mean a great deal to many, certainly. Dimitri, she's sure, would appreciate it.]

I'm sure he would be glad to know you were praying for him. I hope that your faith will help you here, as well. Even far away from where the war is, these things stay with us, don't they? The fear and uncertainty.

[She exhales slowly, pressing her lips together. Of those from her own world, she's the furthest ahead, and as far as she knows, nothing gets better. From where she stands, they've only gotten worse.]

Hope is powerful.

It is.

[Despite all that she's learned since arriving here, that remains true.

She listens to Jade's words and allows them to sink in. It seems she understands more deeply than Marianne had first thought, which is both comforting and absolutely heartbreaking. But even as they suffer, there's a reason they each haven't totally given in to despair.]

You're right. It helps us to move forward, even when it's difficult to.

[That's a lesson she's only recently learned, and it's been very freeing.]

Let's finish packing up his things so that we don't linger and wallow.

I think that's an excellent idea.

[She looks up once more and offers a warm smile through the threat of tears, pushing them back before they ever have the chance to fall. She gives Marianne a gentle clout on the shoulder before pulling away to begin gathering the glass containers that have been left on the table, clean and waiting to be returned to their owner.]

We'll make short work of all of this, and maybe when it's safely stashed away, you'll allow me to treat you to tea?

[It's a small thing, but...]

It's the least I could do. I needed a friend today, and you certainly came through.

sounds good to me! ♥

sereneadherent - 2021-08-26 22:57 (UTC) - Expand

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voice | un: miraclemoon

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I know we were gonna end this soon and we still can but here's a little more pain

gotta get all the crying we can in ;_;

we sure do

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setting us up for a wrap!

sounds good to me! ♥