[.002 → video (action possible for Lust's cottage)]

[alltoblame]

[The location that the feed broadcasts from might be recognizable to anyone familiar with Lust's cottage. Ed has the gear set down so that he's visible stretched out with the head of an Arcanine on his chest, neither one of them look very happy but he seems to be trying to keep his expression - and tone, when he speaks - neutral. For a moment the broadcast doesn't seem intentional, but then the hand stroking the large dog Pokemon pauses before he finally addresses the 'Gear with a scowl, seemingly caught between anger and grief.]

When your friend's Pokemon show up in your PC it's because they left, right? That means Cissnei's gone.

[Just in case anyone else needed to know.]

I've been here a year now, no one I really knew left before.

[That last part is muttered more to himself as he leans over to shut off the feed.]

I knew it happened, but-

[He doesn't add that it had never happened to him, all his time being here he's never lost anyone he was actually close to and now that he has he's dealing with it - poorly.]

If she found a way out of this place she should have told me. Now what am I supposed to do?

Comments

[video]

[exeggutorhead]

[Ah look, it's just who Ed wanted to see at a time like this.]

[Envy, maybe surprisingly, doesn't start the call off with a snide comment. Instead, he just...looks into the camera for a good half minute too long before actually saying anything. His eyes are drooping as though he's half asleep. But when he does talk, it's very insistently.]

She didn't.

They don't. On purpose, I mean. [There's another overly-lengthy pause while Envy seems to suddenly focus on the middle distance.] Nobody leaves on purpose, they don't abandon anyone.

They don't. Henry wouldn't.

[alltoblame]

[Ah yes, this is the first face Ed wants to appear on the other end of the 'Gear. Especially when he's hiding out from even Alphonse to get a breather, the first person he wants to talk to of anyone in this world is going to be Envy.

Of course, even in his suffering Ed is very perceptive, which means that Envy's behavior doesn't go entirely unnoticed. In fact, it gives him something new to focus on, something besides his own misery. Even though Envy is not a welcome distraction, the puzzle is.]

You lost someone, too.

[It's not a question, this seems to be a theme right now. He doesn't really know how to handle Envy like this, it wasn't their usual banter, it was entirely off script and he wasn't prepared to deal with that, not in this mood.]

it's just how this place works, right? People come and go, we don't have a reason and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy always does seem to show up exactly where it's the least convenient for him to be. Call it a talent.]

Yeah. Henry. He was here almost as long as me.

Now he's got to go fight a...killer ghost. Man. Who trapped him in his apartment. There were...magic holes? And killer wheelchairs? Something happened with chocolate milk.

[Envy trails off, squinting into the middle distance again, brow furrowed as he tries to remember all that Henry had actually told him about what was going on back in that apartment. Easier said than done, considering how little sense most of it had made. After a minute, he seems to remember there was a conversation happening.]

The ghost man went back too. But Henry'll win.

[Another lengthy pause.]

He was my best friend.

[And if Envy had not spent the past week finishing off the remainder of said best friend's homemade Persim zest stash "in his honor"...or at least as a good way not to have to think too much, it's not likely he'd have said that to most anyone, much less Ed. But right now, all bets are off.]

[He narrows his eyes and jabs a finger at the screen, tone swiftly getting very emphatic.]

But I remember him. So it's not pointless. That's what...what you do here.

You break some shit and kick trees and you don't forget anyone.

[SOMEONE'S PROJECTING.]

[alltoblame]

[Almost as long? That thought almost distracts him from whatever the hell Envy's going on about, apartments and killer wheelchairs - but in typical Ed fashion one word grabs his attention.]

wait- what? Chocolate milk...?

[Envy, what the shit are you talking about. Whatever, that's not important. Ed's not high like Envy, but he's just sulky enough to be considerably mellowed himself, so there is a sincerity to his tone in all his grief.]

I'm sorry.

[Later, he might think about the implications of Envy having had a best friend that was around that long, and now said best friend is gone. He might consider what that will do for Envy's mood and potentially how he treats Ed going forward, for now, there was too much else to think about.]

I take it kicking trees and breaking shit is in your immediate future then.

[It's a fairly innocent quip, but a tease nonetheless, because this was too freakishly straightforward for him. He's just so ... not sure .... what to make of this. Softer, as if in afterthought:]

I'm not planning to forget any time soon.

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's brow furrows again, because...yeah, even high, god this is weird. This is a weird interaction.]

[But he can't really seem to make himself care enough not to be straightforward.]

Yes.

I'm going to the junkyard to smash old TVs. Trees aren't as good when you can't kick them in half.

Later. When I'm out of this...berry zest. That was Henry's too.

[So there's...some kind of explanation for you Ed. He huffs in a way that's almost more normal.]

Better not...if she shows up later she'll be pissed if you forgot.

Probably. I don't know who she was.

audio

[a_sin_for_him]

I am sorry for your loss, Edward.

They seem to be growing exponentially across the regions.

[Lust can't bring herself to use the video function, and her voice sounds tired and empty.]

[alltoblame]

[There's a pause before Edward speaks, as if he's not entirely sure how to respond, or use the audio function, or ... something.]

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind it, does there?

[Normally a question like that comes with the angle of wanting to explore it further, but not today. Today Edward is very much curled up on the couch acting as defeatest as humanly possible, just because he can. There's no answer to his questions and he's sick of chasing after them in circles.]

Looks like it's hitting everybody.

[a_sin_for_him]

No, there doesn't. We come and we go, and it's not for us to understand. But that's always been life, hasn't it?

[Coincidentally enough, Lust is currently on her way to precisely where Edward has been staying lately. For much the same reasons - or so she assumes.]

Some of us harder than others.

I hope the hard liquor stashed in the back of the freezer is still there. I plan to be imbibing it this evening.

[A subtle warning that she'll be dropping by, so as not to catch Edward out by surprise.]

You're welcome to join me.

[alltoblame]

[Of course that mentality was far more specific to Lust's situation, but presented with it Ed can't deny the reality.]

I haven't touched anything so if it was there before, it should be there now.

[He hadn't thought to look for food or anything there, and even if he had he wouldn't be touching Lust's alcohol. Not without permission, especially with how generous she seemed to be with it. Ed doesn't realize the intent is to warn him that she's coming, but if he had he'd appreciate - and be surprised by - the effort.

There's a brief pause with the offer, but then he just smiles.]

Thanks, Lust.

[For .... more than the alcohol, but he's not going to say that much out loud.]

[video]

[captainash]

You take good care of her Pokémon, remember her fondly, and keep on going.

[That might have sounded harsher than he meant it. His voice softens.]

Don't blame her, though. Whether we remain or disappear has nothing to do with our own choices and desires.

[alltoblame]

[Realistically, that's exactly what Ed needed to hear. Harsh or not, the reminder to Keep Moving Forward obviously strikes a chord as his expression changes, regarding the 'gear quietly for a moment.]

You're right.

[After a pause he adds, sounding almost amused.]

I don't really have a choice there, do I?

[captainash]

Well, there's always the option of locking yourself in room and lying in bed for a few days, but it's not very productive and you'll just feel worse in the end, when your team decides to forcibly drag you out of there. Does that sound particularly pleasant to you?

[He wouldn't judge someone who does it, but he doesn't make it sound like a nice option either.]

[alltoblame]

I think my brother might try it, first.

[Forcibly dragging him, that is. Al has been relatively supportive of his moping so far, but there's a limit on just how long an Elric can watch somebody sulk.]

I'd be a hypocrite if I couldn't listen to my own advice.

[Video]

[foolishwren]

... I'm sorry, Ed.

If it helps at all... she almost certainly didn't 'find' a way back.

This just... happens.

_{[A pause, as she sucks her lips inwards. She's never had a hard time talking to Ed, but the nature of the circumstances surrounding them have always made it a little awkward. But if there's ever a time to reach out, it's when something like this happens.]}

I... we've all lost someone important lately, it seems like.

If you wanna talk...

[alltoblame]

I know.

[By now he's heard it enough times, and he never really thought she had, but it was easier in that moment. He lets out a short laugh, self-deprecating, bitter.]

I know, I just- wish she had.

[He doesn't specify what he wishes she had done, but it certainly didn't make it easier knowing that she left without having a choice in the matter. When Heather says they've all lost someone - after Envy's message, especially - he drags both hands down his face before shaking his head.]

I'm fine. She wanted to find a way out of here, even if she didn't intentionally... She's better off, right? That's what matters?

[He didn't know her situation back home, for Ed research was compulsory. He certainly wasn't in any rush to leave this glorified vacation spot in favor of returning to the hell awaiting him. For all he knew, it was the same for Cissnei, and she wasn't actively trying to get home either. He definitely sounds like he's trying to convince himself, here.]

Is it normal? For people to leave in batches..?

[foolishwren]

I...

... I don't know if it... means anything.

But sometimes they just line up like that, yeah.

<sub>[It's not the first time, in any case... that Heather's lost a bunch of people at once.]

[She can still remember that cold February when it seemed like half of her friends had vanished in one fell swoop. It had felt very on-purpose, then. It had felt, honestly, like whatever god ruled this world had just decided to mess with her specifically.]

[She doesn't think that anymore.]

[She doesn't really know what she thinks.]</sub>

Whether it's normal or not, it... doesn't mean that you won't ever see her again.

[alltoblame]

I don't know if that's a relief or worse...

[His tone is light like it's meant to be a joke but it doesn't really do more than fall flat.]

There's someone here who disappeared a while back. I knew her before she left but we weren't close or anything. She came back so... I guess I knew it was possible-

[He might have already been making plans for Cissnei's eventual return, he didn't want to keep her Pokemon if she showed up here again sometime.]

Better not to get your hopes up though, right?

action;

[armoredsoul]

Al knew when Edward disappeared from their hotel room that morning that something had happened, and he was already on his way to the cabin when the post hit the network. Alfons disappearing so quickly had been enough of a blow, but Cissnei was one of the few close friends Ed had made here on his own.

He can understand running off to have a sulk in the wake of that.

Stepping through the front door, Al looks aroud the house before spotting Ed and frowning in sympathy, heading over to sit next to him.

"You doing okay?"

[alltoblame]

When Al moves to join him, Ed straightens up to give him some space. Loss wasn't so much of an alien concept to him, but here it was pretty new. Generally though, he'd kept it to himself, dealt with it on his own. Cissnei was different somehow, because of the way she pushed him.

At the question Ed only smiles, Soldier turns his attention to the younger Elric curiously. "Yeah... Sorry I vanished like that." He knew Alphonse knew where to find him, but that didn't make running away any more fair.

[armoredsoul]

Al reaches to let Soldier sniff his hand before settling down next to Edward, shaking his head with an understanding smile.

"It's fine, I knew where you'd be. Besides, this is better than running off into Ilex Forest without a single word to anyone for a week."

[alltoblame]

Okay, just going to ignore everything else, because...

"Who would do something like that?"

[video]

[faintwaves]

The jerk from my world is gone, too. And he wouldn't have chosen to go back considering...

[Well. Ed can probably guess what she means by "the jerk."]

Anyway. There's no sense in repeating what you've probably already been told. I guess all you can do is take care of those Pokemon, maybe take them on a new adventure.

[alltoblame]

Yeah, a new adventure. I'm sure they'd like that.

[Cissnei had already gotten a lot of badges, so Ed knew that wasn't going to be very exciting for them. Still- that "considering" doesn't sound all that great.]

Did you get any of his..?

[faintwaves]

[Considering nothing is left for either Vanitas or Xion, it's terrible. Burdening someone with that is awkward and selfish, though, what does anyone even say to that sort of thing? "I'm dead actually" "oh, erm, sorry for your loss?"]

The ones that he got from me when I left the first time. He threatened to keep Pluto, but I think overall wanted them back with me anyway. It's weird, he was always so prickly to me, but he tried really hard in the end to let me know that I was missed. Maybe not by him, but by someone.

[By him, yes. And she misses him, too. It's that nebulous connection that they have as things that bonded them, even if they were mostly antagonistic to one another.]

[alltoblame]

[Yeah, he's not going to ask. He's just going to assume it's bad bad, and if she wanted to talk about it, she would!]

Did he say who that someone was, or was he just vague about it?

[Because if not, Ed's going to guess it was him.]

That is one way to get your Pokemon back, though. If he had your's... you knew him before you left, the first time, right?

[Ed has no idea this is the same person they talked about before. Go figure.]