Questions

[fredless]

What happened to them?

[She's seen enough to know who they lost, but not how. This also seems to mean she's awake]

Comments

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[wolfuncaged]

They died. [Nice and to the point]

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[save_the_souls]

Ah-! You're awake!

Are you feeling all right?

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[fredless]

I know that.

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[fredless]

Sore, but better than some of the others.

[Two that she could think of]

What about you?

[sixguns]

Good to see ye among th' livin'. I was a bit worried.

[fredless]

I didn't mean to. Cause worry, I mean.

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[save_the_souls]

Ah, I'm very glad to hear that!

And um...I'm all right! I got off pretty lucky.

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[wolfuncaged]

Then why did you ask?

[persequor]

[ They died, stupid. That's what everyone does.

She tears the page with the question out of her journal and crumples it into a ball. There won't be an answer from her. ]

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[gevurah]

Fred. How are you feeling?

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[fredless]

[A brief sigh]

I asked how, not what.

[It feels important]

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[fredless]

That's....I'm glad. [It feels strange, using that word. But she can't find a better one right off] Getting back, I really don't remember any of it. That's good, that you're ok.

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[fredless]

A bit stiff, but nothing I can't manage. [If she's glossing a bit, well. There's other people on her mind] What about you? Are you ok?

[sixguns]

Tch, it happens in those sorts o' situations. I'm just happy people are in better shape than I thought.

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[wolfuncaged]

They were killed by the ink monster, defending others.

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[gevurah]

You took a pretty hard hit. [ There's relief in her voice, though. ] Few bruises. Nothing too bad.

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[fredless]

[It's an appropriate name, as they go. For a long time, there's silence]

Thank you for telling me.

[fredless]

Was it just...is everybody else alright?

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[fredless]

Just what everybody needed, I'm sure.

[She's still irritated at herself]

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[gevurah]

Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault.

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[fredless]

Have you heard from many more of the others? Are they doing alright?

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[gevurah]

Everyone's fine. [ A pause. ] Yuan and Tim's friends were hit the hardest.

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[wolfuncaged]

...You are welcome.

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[save_the_souls]

Ah, yes- it was...quite a chase, really. But eventually we reached a safe point and managed to get a door back here!

[sixguns]

[He pauses. This is so very difficult. The memories are still clear, as if he could touch them.]

Two died. We had a few injuries. 'twas a mess at the end.

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[fredless]

It sounds like I was out for a long time. How'd I even get back?

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[save_the_souls]

We carried you back! We weren't going to leave you behind!

[fredless]

[There's a long silence]

That thing. It didn't stop, then. Or was there more?

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[fredless]

...of course. [How could they not be] Are we doing anything for them?

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[fredless]

You could've...[And then a thought] nobody died because ya'll were trying to carry me back did they?

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[save_the_souls]

What?

No! That...that wasn't the reason they died.

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[gevurah]

Besides offering our condolences, I don't think so. It's difficult to arrange any sort of service when they'll be back in two weeks.

We've been warned not to cremate, though.

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[fredless]

...oh. [She normally has so many more words than this] Do you know who helped me back, then? I'd like to thank them somehow...

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[fredless]

No....no. We wouldn't want to do that.

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[gevurah]

All we can do now is wait.

[sixguns]

No, it didnae stop. We escaped before it got us, though. Just in time.

Only th' one, but it was massive. It was everywhere.