THE FIFTH INVESTIGATION

[airlockedmods]

[As usual, the day begins at seven a.m.

Good morning, Champions.]

Comments

[theundertaker]

[Ha hah h a, guess who woke up late and has no idea what's going on other than it's Friday and Choromatsu is missing. She looks like she just rolled out of bed (because she did) and about to have a breakdown.]

What happened?

[misanthropicprinciple]

It's okay--Cee, no one's dead.

[He corrects himself because it's not okay, really.]

Choromatsu's... not in good shape, but we got to him in time to do something.

[theundertaker]

[No one's dead.

She exhales for the first time since getting the news in her room and half collapses against the doorway, tears already streaming down her face wjile she lets out a soft sob. Everything else he says barely registers to her because for the first time in weeks it's Friday and no one is dead.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

Oh. Cece...

[He's caught for a second, because tears are not the reaction he wanted to provoke, but then his hard-edged worried face softens and he goes to offer her a hug.]

It's... you did good, all right? Gathering us all together so we wouldn't... it worked. Okay?

[theundertaker]

[She sniffs, looking up at him through teary eyes, before she throws herself into the hug and buries her face in his chest to sob louder.]

Y-you're okay, every-everyone is okay... [Not okay but alive. They're all alive and she can't stop crying.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

[He rubs her back. No idea if that's comforting to psychic aliens, but it's what he knows.]

We're all accounted for. We're all here. It's okay. We're not losing anyone else today.

[theundertaker]

[It seems to be helping because her sobs quickly quiet to sniffles and hiccups.]

I-I-I'm-I'm so happy he's okay. J-Junpei, you're all alive. Kip-Kip would-would-

[Kip would be so happy.]

[misanthropicprinciple]

...He'd be proud of you. Stepping up like you have.

[everylittlesecret]

[It won't be until her own breakdown is over that Nari finds her girlfriend. There's no hesitation as she takes Cece's hands into her own, not much of an expression on her face save for exhaustion.

Unfortunately her kigurumi is ruined.
She'll complain later.]

It's okay. It's all okay.

[theundertaker]

[She's been crying on Junpei for long enough now that she's mostly just tired and her face tear-stained but that's not going to stop her from gripping Nari's hands as tightly as she can.]

I heard. Junpei said Choromatsu is going to be okay.

[everylittlesecret]

Yes. Yeah. Totally. Just needs a lot of rest. Food. We need iron rich foods.

[Sorry. She's still a little out of it.]

He'll be fine. He'll be fine.

[theundertaker]

Hey, hey. [She untangles her hands from Nari's and reaches out to cup her face instead.] What about you?

Are you okay, Sparrow?

[everylittlesecret]

[She starts a bit at the change of contact. Taking a deep breath, she shakes her head a bit.]

No... When I saw him, all I saw was myself... How I was a few weeks ago... I thought about doing that... Just. Just. I'm glad... I'm glad I helped Queenie save him...