vibrafinal | 15th moon [voice]

[Grune doesn't hesitate, but runs straight upstairs. She pushes the door open, already preparing to cast, and--

There's no one but Cecil in the room. He isn't being attacked.

She doesn't take any time to readjust her understanding of the situation--she simply continues forward to enfold him in her arms.]

[He's not being attacked, but he is bleeding. His lower lip is split, and there are some rather deep crescent marks on his palms. Ceodore's sudden disappearance was a shock in more ways than one.

So is her hug, really. He freezes for a few seconds, before leaning into her embrace.]

[She holds him so tight, her arms stronger than might be expected. It'll take her a little while before she notices the blood.]

It's all right, Cecil. Everything is going to be all right.

...Back home, perhaps. But not here.

[Not when his head and heart feel as though a part of them has been violently ripped out. How could anyone thrive with such feelings?]

What happened?

[She's not going to be letting go for quite some time.]

Everything was normal, everything was fine, and then suddenly I could not feel Ceodore anymore.

[That's a bit of an understatement. It felt more as if the connection between them had been ripped away in a single strike.]

Do you think he went on a little trip?

[She pulls back slightly to look at him, and--] Oh, you're hurt!

He's not in Luceti anymore. He's gone.

[He manages to say it in a completely flat voice, somehow. He doesn't even acknowledge his cuts.]

[She was about to let go completely, to go get something to stop the bleeding. But now, she pauses.]

...Are you sure?

[He brings his hand to his heart. He wants to say no, I'm only being silly, but he cannot lie now.]

It's not muted as it is during kidnappings. Neither did it fade away. He's truly gone.

[She looks at him for a long moment.

And then she hugs him again, even tighter than before.]

[He just leans into it. He doesn't have the energy to do much more at the moment.]

[After a while, she lets go and takes his hand, entirely ignoring the blood against her palm.]

We should look after where you're hurt.

...It's nothing. Only scratches. The feeling was so sudden...

[Yet even biting his lip had not been enough to hold back his scream.]

[She shakes her head.]

It isn't good if you don't look after yourself. Come on.

[She tugs his hand a little, but gently, to avoid hurting him.]

It's fine. I know how to heal myself.

[However, he gives her his hand willingly.]

You should do that now.

[She doesn't know how. She wishes she did.

...Once she looks after Cecil, she's going to go try to find those spirits everyone has been telling her about. She needs to learn.]

[He starts casting a Cure, but his heart is obviously not in it. The wound looks no different when he's done.]

[She watches. She'd let go of his hand while he cast, but now she takes it again.]

Maybe you should heal yourself later. Let's go find something to clean up with.

...Very well.

[He leads the way towards the bathroom, but he does so rather lifelessly. He mostly reaches the room by instinct, really.]

[It's a good thing Cecil took the lead, because, as much as she wants to help him, Grune wouldn't have been able to find the right place. Not with her memory.

Once she's there, however, she spends a long moment looking about. After a moment, picks up a facecloth and wets it under the tap.

Then, with the gentlest of touches, she starts dabbing at the cut in his lip.]

[He allows her to work silently for a few minutes, until-]

It felt as though a part of my mind was being ripped apart, somehow.

[It comes out a little muffled, with the facecloth and all.]

[When he starts to speak, she pulls the facecloth away. She goes back to carefully cleaning away the last of the blood as she replies.]

...That must have been very painful.

I thought my whole body would be torn apart. I thought the pain of it would drown me.

[It had felt like he had before he returned to the light. He hates that feeling.]

[Finished with his lip for now, she rests her hand on his shoulder.]

Are you all right now?

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]