THE FIFTH INVESTIGATION

[airlockedmods]

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

Good morning, Champions.]

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[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.