Video - End of Lasohm/start of Malom, about a day after the breach is resealed

[twistedempathy]

[The city is still in a state of disarray, though the fighting is over. Everyone will surely need to pitch in for some extensive repair work to make Havenwell what it once was. Will is sitting on a somewhat mangled chair on a cafe's patio, disheveled and powdered with stone dust, looking more exhausted and discouraged than most people here have ever seen him--unless, of course, they happened to help him endure the agony of the battle's psychic backlash.

He's doing his best to smile regardless, and holds up a slightly rumpled piece of paper to show the camera; on it are some surprisingly good line art head shots of Akira, Akechi, and Kei done in pen. They may not be exactly artistic, but they're at least faithful to their subject matter; he's even helpfully tagged each with hair and eye colors, since he could only work in monochrome.]

Has anyone seen these three recently? My roommates all vanished during the fighting. I figured they must have had their hands full, and maybe they got hurt and needed to stay with someone, but.....

They aren't answering their tablets, and they're not at any of the temples. I've been searching around town, but I haven't found them yet, and Arche can't pick up any scent trails, either. I'm starting to think maybe they got sick, and..... got worse.

[Anyone who's seen or experienced the strange illness that can grip the newcomers may understand what he's talking about, and why he's so worried--people fading out of existence entirely is a frightening prospect. His voice is quieter now, as he reaches out to end the recording and submit it to the network.]

.....I'm not sure I want to stay in my house anymore.

Comments

[Audio]

[original_is_best]

Perhaps the jail?

It may be prudent to check with what authority figures are available here.

Audio

[twistedempathy]

[He'll click over to audio too, to keep things nice and tidy; Verstael already knows what all three of them look like, after all.]

Oh--you're right, I haven't checked there yet. I don't know what kind of trouble they could have gotten into during the fighting, but it can't hurt to ask.

[wannabethehero]

[Oh...oh Kiwi definitely knows what Will means by 'got worse." They wanted so badly to convince themself that it was just a nightmare, but that delusion was broken pretty fast by talking to others who'd gotten sick.]

I haven't seen Link for a while, either. Or Ib...

You know, you can stay at my place for a while, if you want.

[twistedempathy]

I haven't seen Tailgate in a long time, either. I figured maybe his friends came in their spaceship to pick him up, but..... none of the others have something like that.

[Tailgate had a simple explanation, but..... well, who knows? Maybe robots can get sick, too. The thought is unnerving, either way; he hopes those friends showed up, and Tailgate just..... forgot to say goodbye..... It's the by far preferable option.]

.....Maybe I will. Thanks, Kiki.

Voice

[prince_yu]

[It's only by chance that Jinghuan happens to see this. He's getting more used to his tablet, but it still confuses him a bit, and there are only so many times he feels like even trying to use it for anything. Which is why he's currently being careful to make sure his screen is lined up for a video while failing to realise that he's only sending audio at the moment.

Those drawings are surprisingly detailed... and he thinks he may have seen the people on them in passing, but he can't say he knows any of them, nor has he seen them very recently.]

I haven't seen them.

[He answers that question, and his voice is matter-of-fact but not lacking sympathy. There's a very slight pause and then he adds] You are welcome to come here if you like.

Voice

[twistedempathy]

[He's switching to audio too, assuming that's just what Jinghuan prefers right now. Sorry, buddy, maybe he can show you how to use the tablet a little better?]

I guess you're a little new to have met them, huh? Thanks anyway.

I should really shower before I drop by, though. I'm not exactly presentable at the moment.

[whenyouneedme]

[Normally, this was just the kind of message that Kai would keep in the back of his head while he was out and about and not actually reply to. However, he needed to make a request this time to.]

Haven't seen 'em, but I'll keep an eye out if you keep an eye out for me too.

Do you know Ib? Little girl, long brown hair. She usually takes off and sneaks around on her own, so I usually don't see her for a few days but... kinda worried anyway.

[twistedempathy]

With a rose in her hair, right? I met her while the mice were everywhere, but I haven't seen her since then. How long has she been gone?

video;

[turnaboutson]

[Edgeworth recognizes one of the missing, at least.] I'll do some searching of my own. Mr. Kurusu and I have met, so he would readily catch my eye. [Aside from being a world-class prosecutor, he's a world-class investigator. Comes with the job. It's like being a detective with better pay and extra steps.

That last little thing that Will says is so quiet, but it hits him like a pallet of bricks. Feeling utterly alone in a world you don't quite understand is a situation with which he's been intimately familiar. Especially when people are just...gone.

Nonsense. Those three aren't dead, surely. They must be around.]

Would you like some company? I believe I've managed to trick the replicator into making a passable cup of Irish Breakfast.

[twistedempathy]

That sounds nice..... Thanks, Miles.

[What is "Irish"? Probably the brand name of some kind of coffee or tea, from the sound of it. Either way, he's glad to have the help; Edgeworth is a sharp guy. He'll surely be able to find some leads, right?]

[pinkmin]

If I see Akira at the temple, I will let you know.

[He had been nice enough to her, and she hoped he was okay. It wasn't a nice thought, that something could have happened during the whole Incident, but... there was another option, too.]

I'm not sure how it works with the gods here, but it may be possible that they somehow wandered home... People would vanish overnight back to their homeworlds at school too.

[twistedempathy]

Thanks, Vianca.

[That alternate explanation, though--that makes him sit up and take notice. It's a welcome bit of hope, at least--even if it would mean they're still gone, they at least wouldn't have been suffering. They'd just..... be home, taking care of their own lives in their own worlds again.]

W-wait, really? Permanently, not the way Erika made trips home?

video

[the_tailor]

I...haven't been able to get in touch with them, either.

[And yeah. It's bothering Lance, most definitely--he'd been pretty close to Akira, after all. And for a sudden disappearance like this?]

If you need a place to stay, this house is still pretty big for two paladins and a space wolf. We'd be happy to have you.

Re: video

[twistedempathy]

You too? Even if they're trapped somewhere, unless they're really pinned down, shouldn't they have access to their tablets?

[Or if they're sick or unconscious, shouldn't someone be able to answer the calls in their stead? He doesn't like this at all. Even so, the offer is enough to make him smile; it's nice to know there's no need to be alone, even if they seem to have vanished into thin air.]

I might. Thanks, Lance.

video;

[necromanswers]

Any chance you've got fur from a hunting dog to spare? I can try a location spell.

[Going by previous experience, when people vanish from places like this they're just gone, but this is a new world so it can't hurt to try.]

[twistedempathy]

A hunting dog? I don't really--well, I've got plenty of fur from my Flareon. Is that close enough? She's been trying to scent track them, but we haven't been having much luck.

[Will turns his camera to point at said Flareon instead, who's laying at his feet taking a rest. She perks her ears up as she hears she's being spoken of though, lifting her head to peer at Lup. Do spell components care whether it's a Pokémon and not an animal?]

[Video]

[kingkingcxiii]

All three are missing?

[Regis knows all three of them, Akira better than the other two, but that doesn't mean his worry for them is any less. Which might be why he is already pulling himself out of bed when he should be resting, obviously looking for any clothes that might be in arm's reach.

Leave it to Cor to make sure there are none. It would serve him right if Regis dashed across town to check on Will in just his silk pajamas.]

Let me come meet you. You can pack a few things and stay with us until you decide where you want to go. You know we have an extra bed and I know it will put Cor's mind at ease.

[Yes, he's playing the 'Cor' card because he knows full well as soon as his overly-paranoid friend finds out about this he is going to flip. That is too many disappearances out of one house to be a coincidence and for once, Regis will be hard pressed to argue with him. Especially after what they found out in the archives.

Was the attack a distraction meant to hide something else?]

[twistedempathy]

All three. I was hoping they might just be recovering from injuries at someone else's house, but..... even if they're asleep most of the time, a tablet call should wake them up, or at least someone else should be able to answer for them. And if they got sick--the locals weren't sure if it was contagious or not, but if they didn't make it to one of the temples.....

[Kiwi had been practically delirious with fever. He'd been so scared for them, struggling to stay attuned to this world's reality, body shimmering and translucent at the edges as they wavered in and out of sync..... If the boys had collapsed before they made it to a temple, who knows if there's anything left by now? Could they have managed without being taken care of? For how long?

It's part of why there's a little spike of alarm as Will sees Regis getting up. He knows they do have an extra bed, and he knows Cor will be worried, but--dammit, it's hard to argue against a sneaky play like that. But if nothing else, he doesn't want Regis getting worse from this, either. Will hastily waves a hand.]

N-no, no, that's okay! You need to stay in bed and get some rest. I'll--I can just come over there.

text; tfw you never hit send like an hour ago

[scourgingstars]

Sick? I'm afraid that I do not quite follow.

Text/Audio; the worst feel tbh

[twistedempathy]

[He's a little too shaken up for text right now, but Will can at least shift to audio for Ardyn's sake.]

There's a kind of illness newcomers like us can contract--the priests explained it to me as something like not being properly attuned to this world. And if you're out of sync with reality like that, you start..... fading away. Like a ghost.

I've seen a few people look at least partly translucent while they were sick; it was pretty bad. They had to go to the temples so the priests could take care of them until they recovered.

Text

[this_loser]

Were their things left behind?

Text/Audio

[twistedempathy]

I don't know where their tablets are, if they're not still with them. But their bedrooms are the same as ever, so I guess so? Why?

video

[rewritten_history]

[As much of a mess as the city had become during the attack, it pains him to see it now, as beautiful as it had been, now broken in some places. He is far from a stranger to loss, having survived the destruction of one world and the near destruction of a second as its people struggled to count their losses and make what living they could.]

[The look on the man's face isn't far from a specter painted over nearly every face he had ever seen in one shade or another. He can't help but reach out, as he always has, and offer what he can. If he can.]

I fear I have not seen them, but I will do all I can to keep looking during my efforts to help the city recover.

[Mention of them having gotten sick, well... That's certainly concerning. He doesn't want to upset the man further, but if there is an illness going around, he will need to know what to look for.]

If they are not well and I should find them, I should like to be prepared to care for them, if urgently necessary, but my magic may not be enough. What symptoms should I be aware of, and is there any suggested treatment?

Re: video

[twistedempathy]

Thank you, Exarch.

[His smile turns a touch more genuine at that. When isn't the man helpful and kind?]

It's..... The way you'd instantly know if it's that illness is if they look ghostly--you may be able to see through parts of them. Other than that..... High fever, dizziness, weakness, exhaustion, being confused and disoriented? It's a lot like other serious illnesses, aside from that kind of fading.

If you find anyone like that, get them to the temple they belong to. The priests will know what to do.

video

[begguiling]

Sick . . . ?

[This is a lot to take in. Magolor doesn't recognize any of the people in the picture, and so he can't really care too deeply about their whereabouts. But that doesn't mean it's not disturbing on the more practical level: can three people just get sick and disappear entirely from this planet? Die? Without a trace of them left or any contact from the natives about what happened? That doesn't bode well.

Ugh. Will looks terrible. Magolor doesn't blame him, but neither does he know what to say about it; finally he just mumbles into the camera, rubbing his head.]

Er . . . sorry to hear it and stuff. You must've found someplace to take you in by now, right?

Re: video

[twistedempathy]

I've got somewhere to go. Thanks, Magolor.

[Will sighs a little, scrubbing at his own forehead. The illness is..... Disconcerting, to say the least.]

There's an illness newcomers like us can contract, because we don't really belong here. It makes people start..... fading away.

I've never seen it get bad enough to risk someone fading away entirely, but--there's nothing saying it couldn't happen, either.