𝚵 seventeen

[wearethemeta]

[He's been listless lately, but slowly getting stronger. He's taken to short paces in between flipping disinterestedly through the journal]

[It's been a long time without the AIs, and with the pain of his injuries receding, he's got less to distract himself from the silence.]

Filtered to Washington

Where are you?

[These other filters he starts

Comments

[encryptedlock]

[what the hell, man]

[wearethemeta]

[He is lonely. His little head buddies have been gone over a month, dude D: ]

[encryptedlock]

[gosh if only you weren't an asshole]

[wearethemeta]

[Sadly he never got the chance to acquire the 'tact' AI ...

... not that that would have helped any.]

[merriment]

Are you all right?

[ if only she knew you were the bully >( ]

[wearethemeta]

It's too quiet. [There's a sort of hollow, numb quality to his voice.]

[And he's still not sorry about that, either]

[merriment]

[ scratch that, she knows that voice. ]

.. Oh! You are that bully.

[wearethemeta]

[A 'hmph', but at least someone's talking to him.]

Maybe.

[milanobutterfly]

Sir?

[wearethemeta]

[There's a pause. It's been a LONG time since someone's called him that.]

[A REALLY REALLY LONG TIME]

Yes? [A little bit of hesitance, was she really referring to him?]

[milanobutterfly]

Is everything alright? It's never a good sign when one just leaves the journal open and says nothing.

[wearethemeta]

[Another long pause. Dammit people being nice and confusing the hell out of him.]

[A little hesitant, a little hollow,] No. It's too quiet.

[handsthathelp]

[hears him and, after a bit of a pause, decides to state the obvious]

You're breathing into the journal.

[wearethemeta]

You worried about germs?

[handsthathelp]

[quiet laughter]

Maybe.

Watching for anything in particular?

[wearethemeta]

Maybe. Someone. Company.

Maine

[dontpatr0nizeme]

[It's a while until Maine gets a response. A tired one.] Why? What do you want?

Washington

[wearethemeta]

[A pause, then, sort of hesitant, like it's taken him a while to get the courage up to ask,]

We want a visit.

Maine

[dontpatr0nizeme]

It's not possible for the moment, Maine. I'm not at the castle, thanks to one of its tricks.

Washtington -- barely filtered

[wearethemeta]

[A moment of mental keymashing. The one time he admits to need actual human interaction, and you're indisposed. Thanks, castle, thanks so goddamned much]

But -- we need you.