video / action

[priceofmagic]

 [And just like that... Ada is gone. Satou worried at first. She knew her roomie frequented Everglade, so was scared something had happened to her... but also, kind of knew what had really happened. Her first instinct had been to call Ada, after all, and see that her name was removed from the directory.

After her fruitless search, Satou returns home. It's early in the morning and she is exhausted from roaming the streets. Trying not to sulk, she opens the video function.]

[video]

I'm sorry... Ms Ada is gone. I don't know what I did wrong, but she's g-gone. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have asked her to stay with me. I shouldn't have leaned on her so much for advice about the occult. I-I shouldn't have been so complacent. I should have learned my lesson already, and just lived alone.

[She whimpers, swallowing her tears, then lowers the video. She doesn't want to be seen crying, so have a nice view of her pendent.] I think I'm going to go training for a bit. But I thought her friends should know... I'm really sorry.

[action - all cities + holodeck]

[You've got some options! One being finding Satou wandering around late at night to early in the morning, on her pointless search for Ada. She approaches everyone she sees during this time and asks if they've seen her roomie. The next day-- or well, after the morning video call,-- Satou still hasn't slept. She can be found hanging around the holodeck between practice simulations. It's abundantly clear that Satou is exhausted, too. She comes out every hour to get water and pay for another time slot, but someone really needs to stop this cycle of stupid grief avoidance.]

Comments

[Video]

[micancion]

[Ay...he rubs his hair a bit.]

It's dumb when people say 'I'm sorry for your loss' so...how about, is there anything you might need, chamaca? Food, drink, a shoulder or two?

[Video]

[priceofmagic]

[That throws Satou for a loop. It's something she never expected. 'Sorry for your loss' was as far as Satou thought anyone would go... But what she needs?

A mental list of needs temporarily stuns her. Then she blinks it away, and shakes her head.]

I... I don't know. I don't know if anything can fill the hole Ms Ada left. I'm sorry.

Re: [Video]

[micancion]

Hey, that's an okay answer too. And I don't think anyone is going to expect you to replace your friend.

[He looks a bit sheepish before smiles.]

But you want to remember her, right? She sounds muy importante, very important to you.

video;

[ivegotadream]

If there is one thing I've learned here is that we never know when people are going to leave.

[She has had this happen to her too, but she still finds living alone is lonely. Sure she had her Pokemon friends, but that was different.]

But it doesn't mean that people shouldn't live with someone. We just have to keep going forward, find someone else and just keep trying.

video;

[priceofmagic]

I know what you mean. I-I really do, but...

[Satou bites her lip. It's only now, when faced with that phrasing, that she realizes she's being terrible to Ada... Because her grief for Ada is crossing with the grief from home, which she's never dealt with.]

If a pattern forms, wouldn't I be a fool not to learn from it?

video;

[ivegotadream]

In this worlds case, not really. Because people just vanish for no reason. So we'd have no actual way to know if it would be a pattern or just really bad luck.

Video

[hot_handed]

[...]

Satou. Stop what you're doing and come to my place. Now.

[priceofmagic]

[OOPS, it's Katsuki! She needs to be tough for him..!]

... I'm training, Katsuki-san. I really shouldn't interrupt my schedule. [Actually, she really should.]

[hot_handed]

You can train when I'm done. Do I need to drag your ass over myself?

[Video]

[liorafae]

...You didn't do anything wrong. This world...it seems to bring people here and send them back home whenever it wants. None of us have any control over it. It's not your fault...

[Although Liora is all too familiar with the self-blaming game. It's no fun at all.]

[Video]

[priceofmagic]

M, Ms Liora...

Even then. That's so scary. I want there to be a way to protect my friends from leaving.

Action

[bigbadrose]

[It is a good thing Satou works in Everglade, because that it makes it easy for Rose to recognize the streets and hunt her down and tug her into a one-armed hug-glomp.]

[And her a lollipop. It's not blood flavored, at least.]

All right you, you are getting tea with me, you can tell me everything weighing you down, but it's not your fault she left. And it is never a bad thing to lean on friends. If friends are gettin' overwhelmed, it's their job to tell ya so, but 99 percent o' the time, it's a great thing. They want to be trusted and to know that they can help and that you feel okay leanin' on 'em. If anything... me and the Doctor, and hell, even Jack... we should probably all lean on each other more, but we don't, because we're a mess. But don'tcha ever feel bad for leanin' on friends all right? Because it's a really REALLY good thing. And it makes your friends feel invincible. I only met Mirajane because she was so stubborn about gettin' me to talk, yeah?

And mmmn... Three people really important to me went home. And I felt terrible every time. And I still do!! And I really miss them!! And I blamed myself a little too because I was jealous of all o' them, and I was like "Oh no, what if I caused this." But sometimes we just blame ourselves like that, because it's scarier to remember we don't have any control over things like this. We can't just wish them to come back hard enough and that sucks, yeah?

[TIGHT HUGS AND STEERS HER TO THE TEA SHOP, grabbing a small corner booth so Satou is basically cornered and stuck. :V]

[She didn't even ask...]

And you should meet Mirajane, she basically adopted me like a sis. She was gonna teach me some dark magic too! But I said it can't be anything that would hurt anyone else. Not as severe as you, but I just... can't hurt even cockroaches or I feel bad for 'em. And like it's not my best me. But she's a total sweetheart. And you should never alone.

I think most of my fighting with the Doctor at the start was about that. I don't think... anyone should really live alone. It's not good on anyone, yeah?

[priceofmagic]

[Satou is flustered and surprised when Rose finds her. She thought she was going to do her usual routine, which consists of ignoring her problems and putting on a strong front... But nope! Apparently not!

She's suddenly in a tea shop, with all of this being too surreal to protest. When Satou's mind catches up with everything, she realizes that she has tears in her eyes. Oh no. When did she start crying?]

... I messed up real bad, though. I-I got them killed... Shugo... his mothers, too. [Realizing she's said it causes her to falter. Satou goes completely silent

then lets a sob sneak out.]

I'm really dangerous. People keep disappearing because of me.

Action;

[innocent_royal]

[Anastasia spotted Satou early on working on whatever it is she's doing at the Holodeck'd. They were both being busy ladies, so Anastasia opted to leave her be for now.

But when Anastasia came back later after finding Satou's video on the network, she finds her still in the Holodeck.

She waits quietly for Satou to come back out for another break.]

[priceofmagic]

[Satou is gradually becoming more and more exhausted with each trip. On her next break, she exits with a slump and a tired expression. Initially not noticing Ana, she goes to get a drink from a nearby vending machine. Just a bit more practice, she assures herself. Once she's too tired to move, she can go home and sleep without nightmares.]

Video.

[yoyoofdoom]

Oh no, don't cry. If shes gone like the city let her go, then it's not your fault.

[priceofmagic]

B-But..! But, I..!

[Satou can't say it. Not to a kid!

She doesn't want to admit she has a history of making people disappear.]

I don't know who else to blame.

[video]

[terriblemovies]

[ In most cases John avoided video responses like the plague, but in this instance it felt like text would be... wrong? His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked like he wasn't taking the news too well. ] She's really gone? [ He'd seen her not too long ago at prom. He'd just assumed she'd been busy, not that she was gone. How stupid.

He was quiet briefly, not really sure how to deal with what was happening. He knew he had to say something, though, even if he sounded a little more shaky than he wanted to when he did finally speak. ] It's not your fault. I bet that sounds dumb coming from someone that you don't even know, but if Ada was your friend you must be really nice and cool. So since you're those things, it can't be your fault. She'd probably really dislike it if she knew you were blaming yourself.

[priceofmagic]

[This stranger has a valid point. Ada was always so bright and cheerful. She saw the best in everything

even the creep occult everythings that now litter the apartment don'tthinkaboutit.

Satou nods slowly, letting John's words sink in.]

I know... She was so strong and optimistic. Wherever she is now, I'm sure she's okay. I'm sure she... she probably went there on purpose, too. She's tough enough to decide.

[spacepeterpan]

...I'm sorry. Not easy when you lose a friend, like that, but please don't hold it against yourself. Not fair, I know, but it's the way this place works--you might get to see someone you wouldn't have had a chance to again, but they might be taken away just as easily.

[He pauses a moment, smiling bittersweetly--like he's got some experience with both--trying at least to be reassuring.]

Doesn't make it go away, I know, but for whatever it's worth, you're not alone.

[priceofmagic]

[She's trying her best, really! Satou knew this was how Genessia worked. She knew that losing her friends here was an option.]

It's not fair, you're right. The only way to see her again is to wish she comes back here. That's not very friend-y of me.

[Satou gives a loud sigh.] But I'm still wishing it, and can't get myself to stop. I'm so mean.

video

[captain_by_the_book]

I'm sorry, Satou.

[ He... isn't good with that feelings/comfort stuff. But. Damn. Gotta try. ]

It's not your fault.

[priceofmagic]

[That's okay. She's terrible at being on the receiving end of comfort stuff.]

Oh, Mr Cassian! I um. [And she's embarrassed now. Leaning on ashamed.]

Sorry... I'll be okay. It won't get in the way of my work.

Backdated because YOLO [Audio]

[rejected_trash]

Stop being stupid.

[He's great at expressing the in depths of his soul.]

[video cuz YOLO]

[priceofmagic]

You're stupid!