Audio | @silent, @parker, @riku | open

[callada]

[ It has been hours since the lighthouse crew returned to Beacon. You may have seen them around already - checking up on friends and strangers alike, making sure people are safe from the forest spirits and their violence. So it’s some time after that the audio file is posted to the network. ]

Riku: It’s done. The lighthouse is connected.

Peter: That’s the good news. [ a beat; frankly, peter’s tired and it’s reflected in the audible exhale of breath that follows the brief statement. ] Which means we can now communicate with the Lighthouse Keeper and she can communicate with us. I know— things didn’t exactly go as planned, at the lighthouse or — here, but Winters said there’d be a risk. [ the word’s enunciated carefully, with weight; it’s accompanied by the brief sound of movement. that they all knew there'd be the risk of death going into this doesn't change the gravity of what had happened, and though there's more to it than this, peter continues with: ]

—The spirits attacked once they figured out what we were trying to do. [ breath of a pause; amendment. ] Once they thought they figured out what we were trying to do—.

[ in person, peter's attention flickers between rosinante and riku. ]

Rosinante: They came for us immediately when they found us. We ran, but Winters was at the rear and they got him first. Five was first to try and help him, and they killed him too.

[ Said bluntly, matter-of-factly. There’s no desire to beat around the bush, though he does sound solemn as he continues. ]

I can’t speak for the others, but I’ll be here at the Invincible for now if anyone has questions, or needs somewhere to hide.

[ For now, all three are there around the tables by the bar, looking tired and covered in blood and dirt. Worse for wear, but alive. ]

((Feel free to either reply via network or come find them in person!))

Comments

[webshoots]

[ fair, riku says, and peter's hopeful for just a second that that's the end of it, but it's followed almost immediately by a but. (god, does peter hate that word. but. nothing good is ever preceded by a but.)

he wraps a hand around his cup of — well, officially, it's a cup of coffee, but peter's dubious on actually calling it a cup of coffee, because it tastes pretty terrible and the only descriptor peter's actually happy to give it is that it's hot. it's also black, which is fine, because that's how he prefers his coffee, but he's not really sure it's black coffee. ]

I'm not. [ a pause, and peter starts to run his free hand through his hair, before stopping halfway and waving it dismissively. ] I don't mean for this to sound dismissive, but: I get it, I do, probably more than— [ pause; a pointed exhale of breath. goooood, this conversation sucks, riku. ] —More than you'll realise. Sometimes your best is just — [ hnnngh ] days like today, when all you can say is at least it wasn't everyone.

Would I prefer it if Five and the Captain were here as well? Sure, but it's not realistic. I know that. Does that mean it's not going to bother me? No. Does it mean I don't want to deck Vanilla Ice for his lack of compassion? Also no. I do, but he also might have a point. [ about more caution, if not anything else. ] I can acknowledge it, and—

—Look, thanks, I appreciate the sentiment. But I'm just going to throw it out there as well that I wasn't joking about the wheatcakes.

[equinoctials]

[ There's a lot of body language that Riku takes for many of the same unconscious, self-soothing gestures that Riku uses when he's uncomfortable, so he backs off. He understands the need for space, and they just went through one heck of an ordeal.

That resonates, though. That sometimes your best results in days when all you can say is at least you didn't lose everything important.

Except Riku can't really say he hasn't, today. He still hasn't been able to find Sora. Half the reason his attempt to be a diversion failed - necessitating his own rescue - because he could feel the moment his replica was killed, a piece of him ripped from his own heart.

And Kairi, who is already gone. And Peter says that he appreciates the sentiment, brings it back home to whatever wheatcakes are, and Riku puffs out a humorless laugh. ]

Got it. If I ever figure out what those are, guess I'll owe you some.

Later.