(no subject)

[quisling]

Date & Time: Today, pretty much throughout the entire day
Location: All around the city
Characters: Suzaku and anyone he runs across!
Summary: His princess is in another castle :(
Warnings: Nope

[ There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he stopped by Princess Euphemia's apartment this morning only to find that she wasn't there. There was no reason for Euphemia to spend every waking second with Suzaku, however, especially when he had a bad tendency to run off on every available mission that the Initiative cooked up. At the same time while there were no missions going on Suzaku preferred to spend his time beside the princess and making sure she was safe.

It hasn't taken him long before he started searching the city for her. The longer the day drags on, the worse the gnawing worrying feeling in the pit of his stomach become and the more desperate he starts to feel.

He's soaking wet as he darts around the streets looking for any flash of pink he can get, and every now and then stopping to talk to people-- ]

Excuse me, have you seen a girl about my age with long pink hair pass through here?

Comments

[ardor]

[Kallen's walking along one of those streets, umbrella overhead in one hand, and a bag of groceries in the other. The running figure amongst the lull and lethargy of the others surrounding her catches her eye, and when she hears the question-- or at least what she thinks she hears-- her grip on the umbrella's handle tightens as she grits her teeth.

She's well aware there are numerous ways to handle this, a good number of which include her not dealing with it at all. Unfortunately, she's been in this position a number of times before, and she's been thankful for those who have been there for her, whether they would have been her first choice of comfort or not. Turning her back on another in that situation doesn't sit well with her at all.

Before she can stop herself, the pilot is crossing the road, footsteps splashing in the shallow puddles that litter the street. Kallen calls out to the frantic looking young man, hoping to get his attention before he runs up to another unsuspecting civilian.]

Suzaku!

[quisling]

[ He's about to when she calls out to him, but stops himself and turns to face Kallen. The person that he was about to accost with questions looks pretty relieved and ready to hightail it out of there, and considering the expression on his face right now it's sort of hard to blame them.

While he knows that Kallen's probably the last person to be hanging out with Euphie, it doesn't mean there's not a chance he still came across the princess while traveling around town. He's holding out hope she has and that she'll also be willing to cooperate with him on this one. ]

Kallen. Have you seen Princess Euphemia anywhere in the city today?

[ardor]

[She can't help but feel bad for him at this point, especially knowing what happens to him back home after-- well, everything. Kallen doesn't answer his question directly, and she tries to keep her expression even, though her eyes do betray a certain amount of sadness. For him? Her? All of them? She's not certain. They all deserve some sympathy on some level, that much is for damned sure.

With a shake of her head, she moves the umbrella to cover them both, a gesture she hopes he won't miss the meaning of-- she's extending the proverbial olive branch. Angling herself so they're standing side by side, Kallen tilts her head in the direction of a small eatery. Some shelter and something warm to drink should help before things get messy.]

Come on.

[quisling]

[ It really does feel like his chest is tightening at the response he's getting from her. While the two of them have managed to keep on relatively peaceful terms here at Exsilium, she's still given him the clear impression she has little to no interest in spending time with him. The fact that she's acting this gentle with him now can't mean anything good.

He stays rooted in spot, his arms limp at his side, his gaze moving back and forth across her face as he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together and understand what is going on here. He doesn't seem ready to move along and get comfortable right now. He just wants answers. ]

Kallen... did something happen to Euphemia?

[ardor]

She's probably been sent back home.

[That's all he's getting from her until he's ready to move. She's not about to spill the news to him on a crowded, rainy street if she decides to do so at all. Either way, a dry seat and warm drink always seem to work wonders during times like this.],

I'm going to stand here with you until you're willing to step inside and sit down. I doubt either of us want to be out here longer than necessary.

[quisling]

[ His shoulders slump, but there's a certain amount of relief on his face. Foolish boy doesn't even realize... As far as he's aware, for all the wars and acts of terrorism going on back in their world it's still safer for Euphie there than it is here. At least in their world there are people capable of protecting her with technology the Initiative doesn't have at their disposal.

Still, even if she says that... ]

Is there any way to be sure of that?

[ He takes a step in the direction she'd indicated earlier, hoping that if he works with her here and does what she wants that she'll be more willing to answer his questions. ]

[ardor]

[He receives a nod as they make their way to the door of the building. Kallen turns and shakes off the umbrella before closing it and stepping inside. She leads them to a booth near the front window, taking a seat. Her eyes meet his, and she offers a half smile.]

If you can't find her name on the network, she's not here anymore. I've learned that the hard way a couple times.

[The bag of groceries is placed on the bench beside her, and she leans back into the cushioned seat.]

It's always possible she can come back, too.

[moralitypet]

Suzaku?

[ At first she believes herself to be seeing things. It wasn't like him to run around in the rain in that kind of manner, was it? No, maybe it was. After all they've been through, Suzaku in the rain looking for someone isn't all that unfamiliar of a scene.

She's definitely a bit of pink in the gloom, but nothing compared to Euphemia. Only clothing less regal than the outfit she showed up in to fit in with the crowd a little easier. Having gone out only to greet newcomers, she tucks away the idea of visiting with them in favor of a friend who is in need. ]

What's the matter?

[quisling]

[ It's just enough pink to catch his attention and cause him to head towards her when he hears someone calling out his name. Nunnally and Euphemia sound different, but he still manages to keep his hopes up for that split second where he's turning around before he comes face to face with Nunnally.

There's a sense of guilt that immediately follows the disappointment he feels in seeing her. He's still glad to see Nunnally is safe here, there's no question of that, but at the moment there's only one person he really wants to see.

That face doesn't stop him from quickly walking up to Nunnally. ]

It's...

[ Shaking his head. ]

It's probably nothing at all, but I can't find Princess Euphemia.

[moralitypet]

[ It takes her a moment to adjust to hearing the name again. Aware that she was here in Exsilium, Nunnally had done her best to avoid the topic only because it was enough to threaten tears. Mentally steeling herself for Suzaku's sake, she shakes her head. ]

No, that's not nothing. We need to find her. [ Reaffirming that he wasn't behaving oddly was the first step. ] Is there any place she frequently visits? I could wait there for her while you continue to look around the streets.

[quisling]

[ As ridiculous as it might sound, having someone reinforce his concerns is in it's own way comforting. Not as comforting as being able to find her would be, but at least Nunnally's reaction confirms that he's not overreacting with his worrying. ]

Yeah, there are a couple places. I'm not entirely sure which one was the more frequent, but I'll take you to the one that's closest to here.

[moralitypet]

All right, lead the way if you don't mind.

[ Having not been present for the departure of anyone she's known, Nunnally is unaware of just how common this sort of thing is. Even if she did know, the thought of Euphemia returning home was a grim one she couldn't quite mentally accept just yet.

She was still struggling with the concept that Euphemia is alive along with her brother. It'll take her a while to mentally be let down from those facts. ]

We'll find her. I could call for my kn--[ Deep breath. ]--new friend, Nemo. She's been quite helpful when it comes to matters like this.

[quisling]

[ Suzaku's been there long enough to know people that have disappeared from this world, but he hadn't been close to any of them. They weren't people he kept in contact with daily so their disappearance hadn't really affected him before. He was still aware of the fact that it could happen though. The worst of it had been hearing Kaede talk about how the Initiative had sent her dad back without letting her leave too.

It's just he wasn't ready to leap to that conclusion yet. Unlike Nunnally he'd like to think Euphie really had gone back home, though if he knew the truth of the matter that tune would probably change.

He takes a step forward in the direction they need to go before immediately freezing and turning to stare at Nunnally. ]

Nemo?

[ So she found Nunnally after all. That shouldn't be surprising, the city was only so big and the girl was determined. ]

[copia]

[ Kaede notices Suzaku up ahead as she walks down the street, her earphones filling her head with music. She debates saying hi to him, but his panicked look has her turning her smile into a frown.

She slips her earphones out of her ears and into the pocket of her hoodie as the distance closes between them, angling her umbrella so it doesn't hit him in the head. ]

Suzaku? Is everything okay?

[quisling]

[ He stops when Kaede speaks to him, but even when he's talking to her he seems distracted. He's still looking through the crowd like he's searching for someone. ... Mostly because he is. ]

I'm sure it is, I'm just looking for--

[ Hesitating. He's not sure how to word this now that he thinks about it... ]

A friend of mine.

[copia]

[ She angles the umbrella so it covers the both of them for the moment, if only to give Suzaku's eyelids a break from blinking away the rain. The way he's still looking and seems to be pushing down his urgency makes her wonder... ]

Have you tried contacting them via her inbox?

[quisling]

[ He'll make it easier for her by bending his knees some. He appreciates the attempt to keep the rain out of his face, since at this point there's no point in trying to keep him dry.

His fingers curl up against his palm and he glances to the side and nods. ]

I haven't gotten any sort of response back yet.

oops that "her" should be "their" my bad

[copia]

[ HAHA yeah, the battle to keep him dry has long been lost.

She wrinkles her nose slightly, her other hand grasping her media player inside her hoodie pocket. ]

I've heard before that an error message is given if the person in question is gone. That, or the system just doesn't allow them to be contacted at all. Their name is there, but it can't be selected. So if the error message hasn't come yet, either the system is delayed or the person is still here somewhere...

no worries!

[quisling]

Is that true?

[ Suzaku's almost certain that it had allow him to send the message in the first place. It hadn't told him that it couldn't be sent, but he also hadn't received any messages back. Then again, in his rush he also hasn't been checking his tablet that often. He pulls it out and starts it up, and is quick to try to move to his own inbox as soon as he can. ]

If that's the case then Euphemia has to be somewhere in the--

[ ... cutting himself off mid-sentence as he stares down at the tablet in his hand. ]

[terrot]

No. [ her answer is obvious, really. but given the distress suzaku's broadcasting, this really isn't the time for any dry humor, so she regrets it a little afterward.

she had been out for a walk when he came past, and she feels a certain frantic feeling that he's trying not to give in to. she decides it's for the best if she's a good roommate and tries to help. ]

But I can look in ways you may not be able, if you'd like. Why don't you tell me about her.

[quisling]

[ A dumb question for sure, but he is pretty desperate right now. Desperate enough to ask stupid questions anyway.

He's not entirely sure what she means by that, but there's a lot about Physis that Suzaku feels he probably doesn't fully understand. Instead of questioning what she might mean he decides to take her up on the offer. ]

What sort of things do you need to know about her for this to work?

[terrot]

It is her mind I would need to search for, and so, I would need to understand what exactly that feels like.

[ she holds out a hand to him. ] If you're willing, I could read the impression from you.

[quisling]

[ He hesitates for a minute. He's not entirely sure how this all works, but there's a lot going on with him that he doesn't really want people to pick up on. But right now isn't the time to worry about that.

He closes his eyes for a second trying to focus on Euphemia. Her bubbling personality, her endless compassion not only for her family and friends but strangers she'd never met before, her resistance to the bigotry most of her family held. It's not easy for him to keep out personal biases when it comes to her. ]

As long as it can help you find her. That's all that matters right now.

[ Suzaku slowly reaches out and takes Physis' hand. ]

[terrot]

[ and as the contact is made, physis' mind is filled with suzaku's thoughts. she focuses with an practiced experience on just the young woman, that one he's missing. she sees her idealism, her cheer, and her brashness, and how they took in suzaku, her brave knight.

more than anything, she sees how deeply suzaku feels for her, and in that moment she feels a sort of understanding for the girl and a great sympathy for suzaku. she wants to smile at the feeling, but its current state is nothing to smile about. she'd hate to imagine how her own brave knight would respond if the same happened to her.

placing her other hand on top of his, she casts her face skyward, taking all of this that he's given her and spreading her mind across the city, trying to find its match in his princess. she stays like this for a number of long minutes, saying nothing, but waiting and hoping that something will be found.

it isn't, and the discouragement begins to show on her face. ]

[quisling]

[ Suzaku keeps his attention trained on Physis as she takes her reading of Euphemia and proceeds to scan the city for any sign of her. Each second of silence feels like an hour, and it's only until the expression on Physis' face begins to shift that Suzaku realizes he was holding his breath.

He takes one deep, slow inhale and closes his eyes. He doesn't need her to say anything to understand her search wasn't a success, but it doesn't stop him from asking... ]

Did you find her?