Report 6 [Video] (backdated to January 2nd)

[holdnovirtue]

[Yes, there was a reason he was posting at 4:45 in the morning. Partially because he couldn't sleep, and partially because he didn't want to field the questions that might get asked. At least, not right away.]

Apologies for leaving without announcing before...

There wasn't much down there.

[It looks like there is more he wants to say, but he just

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[You don't just post such things at ridiculous hours and want people to believe in what you're saying, Tieria. Because they - some of them, at least - definitely won't.]

So this is why...--

[A soft sigh, and... yeah, that's all for now. I guess this is the time for you to explain yourself, if you'd be so kind.]

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[holdnovirtue]

[Yes Hope, you were the main person he was apologizing to.]

Do you think... Would it be alright if I came over?

[Because he would rather have this conversation in person. And he wants to see you.]

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[ As if he was gonna say no. Though it's intriguing how you want to come all the way here just to discuss this nothing you saw. ]

Sure.

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[holdnovirtue]

[Hey. You might be mad at him for not mentioning his leaving. Or maybe you were busy... you never know.]

...Thanks.

[And it'll take him a while to get there, because thoughts. And he didn't exactly sleep much...]

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[ If he is mad, there are other ways to show it than refuse to let you in, Tieria. And these ways require talking face to face, too, for most part.

You should know the way really well by now, so he'll just wait inside, trying to wrap his mind around what you said. And the face he makes when he opens the door? Unusually blank. ]

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[holdnovirtue]

[Oooh no. Not the blank face. He remembers not liking that one, it leaves him feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He'll just stand there a little awkwardly, apparently the walk over did nothing to calm his nerves.]

Hello Hope. [He'll bite his lip. Thinking it'd probably be better to fill the silence before it becomes unbearable.] Look, I... I'm sorry for not telling you I was going. I just thought you might get concerned, or want to come with- Not that I would have minded you coming along! Just the people I was with are rather secretive and close-lipped about it and... uhm... [Okay. He'll stop now.]

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[ Having listened to Tieria's explanation, Hope lets out a weak, bitter smile, though before you assume he's satisfied with just that, let me tell you he's simply relieved to see you, idiot. After he's tried to contact you so many times without getting any response... of course this lifts some weight off his chest.

Shortly, however, the smile gives way to the unreadable expression you seem to hate so much, and you might also notice he motions you in a different direction than usual. His room, that is, which thankfully - though it's not like he does mind Vanille's presence - happens to be empty at the moment. If it's as serious as it sounds like, it'd be better not to hold this conversation in the open, he figures.

And once they're inside, he finally speaks. ]

Tieria, I... I thought you disappeared.

[offline] 1/2 That moment when LJ deletes everything you wrote...

[holdnovirtue]

[Red flags were going up everywhere. Something wasn't right. Tieria had been expecting a lecture, or some chiding but not... this. Not nothing. Hope didn't even say anything. This felt... off. Very off.

The air felt something akin to a funeral. Delicate. Cold. Uneasily Tieria followed Hope through the house, casting a glance towards the living room. Not there, then... His room. Tieria's breath caught when Hope spoke.]

You- You thought that I... [Tieria hadn't lost anyone here... at least not yet, anyway. But... just imagining Hope vanishing, without a trace... He felt cold. Like his blood suddenly ran cold. It was... terrifying.]

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[holdnovirtue]

[He reached out and grabbed your shoulder.]

Hope. I am so sorry... I wasn't thinking...

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[ At your response, he lifts his gaze upwards, only to focus it on the ground once again a second later. And then close his eyes, breathing slowly. ]

You had things to do, I... I know. Now I know. But when I couldn't contact you-- [ Eyes open. ]-- I figured... I figured something bad happened. Then it turned into d-days, and couldn't stop thinking that the Animus... [ He ends the sentence with a pained groan, his shoulders shaking slightly by now. ]

You're my friend. It's selfish, but I -- I don't want to lose you, too.

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[holdnovirtue]

[It hurt, watching Hope speak. Each pause, every hitched breath, every tremble. Tieria didn't take his hand of his shoulder, and in fact he brought his other hand up to do the same. All of this, because of one careless choice on his part. How was Hope feeling when Tieria didn't answer? How had it felt to go on day after day with no word?

Of course there's only one logical conclusion to be drawn. How could Tieria have been that stupid? Then Hope let out a pained noise, and he couldn't take his eyes off him. Couldn't blink. He wasn't sure if he was shaking because Hope was, or if it was of his own accord.

'I don't want to lose you' Tieria let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His grip tightened for a second, and in the next moment Tieria had cleared the small distance in between them, holding Hope tight.]

I'm here. I'm still here, Hope. I'm not going anywhere.

[Obviously enough, everything he learnt in the caverns were far from his mind now.]

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[ He might have allowed his emotions to take over again, but it's true that he feared the thought. Ironically, it all seemed so much easier at the beginning, when his only worry was to figure out a way to get home. He hadn't expected to get this... attached to people, and when it finally happened, knowing that any day could be the last day he would see them -- it filled him with dread. Hope remembered how Tieria always avoided physical contact - and being a person who preferred to keep a certain distance from others, he never really minded it. It was the way they both were. That's why he lets out a soft, surprised sigh at the gesture, his arms falling loosely to his sides as he finally relaxes. ]

Y-yeah.

[ Elaborate, wasn't it? Slowly, he lifts his arms to return the embrace and his lips curl in a smile, though there's no way for Tieria to see it. ]

And sorry.

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[holdnovirtue]

[His grip didn't relax as Tieria held Hope. He just... didn't want to let him go. It felt like if he did, the Animus might send him back. And that thought had suddenly filled him with dread.

Dread? Hadn't he been searching for a way out of here? Tieria used to dedicate every thought into figuring out how to get back, or how to go about getting such information... When had that changed? When did he start growing accustomed to this place?

Because suddenly... he didn't want to leave. It wasn't right to think that way... There were people back in his world depending on him. His friends. There was a mission that needed to be completed. Why did that seem to pale in comparison to this moment? He didn't want to leave... he didn't.

When Hope's arms circled him, Tieria's own grip started to relax, a small smile was working it's way slowly onto Tieria's face. Having Hope there, feeling his warmth, made him feel at ease, despite the sudden fear. He was still here, and so was Hope. That was the important thing. Come now. What are you

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[ The question remains unanswered for a couple of seconds or more, as Hope chuckles under his breath, and while not pulling away entirely, he leans back a bit, as if... preparing for something. ]

I don't know. For this?

[ And with this said, his fingers suddenly dig into Tieria's sides in a manner which turns out to be a bit too violent to be considered just tickling. This is more of a... warning. Or a reminder to think before carrying out similar escapades next time. Idiot. ]

... Yeah, maybe for that.

[ And you don't want him to continue. ]

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[holdnovirtue]

[Tieria waited for what he thought was Hope finding his words, and when he leaned back Tieria kept his eyes on him. That... wasn't the facial expression he was expecting to see. Tieria's melts into one of confusion, followed by shock and alarm.

His spine and posture shoot straight up, as he was unaccustomed to any sort of touch, much less that of tickling. Tieria wasn't sure what kind of surprised noise he made, and he probably could never intentionally recreate it.

Actually he probably couldn't recreate any of the little noises he made when Hope violently tickled him. He certainly didn't see this coming and he had no idea how to react, or how to get Hope to stop. Lucky for him it didn't last terribly long...]

S-so you were... apologizing... in advance then... I see...

Care to tell me why I deserved such treatment? [He asks with a sort of guilty look. Tieria might have an idea...]