4: {in which Hanna is forced to recognize a loss}

[gneeisnotanoise]

Hey, wait, hold on, okay. UM. Question!

[Hanna's gotten worried. He's tried calling Conrad a dozen times. Gone to his room. Done a bunch of stuff. Done anything he could think of, really.

He'd been browsing through ShipNET archives for things about thunderstorms and storms in general on board when Musashi had posted-- and he made the mistake of

Comments

[notwhatiwas]

The userID belonging to Conrad Achenleck is off the network.

[Pause.]

I'm...sorry.

1/3

[gneeisnotanoise]

Wait, so does that mean--

2/3

[gneeisnotanoise]

[There's a pause as he tries to deny it to himself, silently, for a moment longer.]

3/3

[gneeisnotanoise]

You're--

You're sure that's what it means? I mean, maybe they're just-- maybe it's like a server crash, and it wiped numbers or something? It works like that, right?

[His tone of voice betrays the fact that he doesn't.... entirely believe his own theory.]

[ntjstapwn]

He's gone, Hanna.

...I'm sorry.

[gneeisnotanoise]

[Hearing it from Marco makes it... somewhat concrete, considering how Entirely Factual the man is.]

You're kidding.

I mean, I mean, y-you're not, obviously. That's... that's why it's not... funny.

[ntjstapwn]

No...people disappear all the time. There doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it but try to cope.

Let me know if you need anything?

1/2

[gneeisnotanoise]

[He offers a queasy sort of chuckle, forcing the grin to bleed into his voice.]

I will! Thanks for the offer.

[Audio + translated text]

[skinbrand]

[Normally? Nel would be content to keep to herself, dwell and if she's honest grieve in her own way. But these losses have hit hard, in what looks to her like a ripple effect.]

You've already been told, but I am sorry.

[Audio]

[gneeisnotanoise]

[That's a hell of a language you've got there. It gives Hanna pause for a second.]

Um. Thank you. Really, uh, thank you.

[It means something when someone you've never met tries to console you.

He totally doesn't need consoling, though, nope.

Maybe a dictionary to give him a definition of "denial", though.]

[Audio + translated text]

[skinbrand]

[Nel is military to the core and not so proficient in the consoling, but there are things she feels she should do, so she does them. One of her closest friends is gone too, someone she's bled for.]

Forgive me if saying so is overstepping, but everything we speculate about their fates is only that, speculation. Nobody can yet disprove what you choose to believe.

[Audio]

[gneeisnotanoise]

Yeah, that's-- that's what Marco was saying, and it's good to know that... we DON'T really, really know, you know? It's like in those really popular books before the last one comes out, everyone guesses if the guy dies or not, or whatever.

[His voice is gaining some levity as he babbles.]

[gneeisnotanoise]

I don't.... I really want to agree with you, but I don't think so, Coraline.

[This might be the first time he's ever sounded particularly sad talking to her.]

[gneeisnotanoise]

People disappear sometimes, here... [He forces a bit of a laugh.] We don't know what really happens to them, though, apparently.

[Commentlog] can we assume his bro is in his room with him

[bossfedora]

[{...} isn't giving any input on the situation, but he's watching Hanna carefully out of the corner of his eye as he talks to people, book in hand.]

[Commentlog] ALWAYS 8D

[gneeisnotanoise]

[And it's obvious from the way Hanna's demeanor flips as he talks to various people that it really does bother him, more than he's letting on to anyone over the communicators. He's smiling, and laughing and talking as fast as he can, as if that will distract him. He's optimistic, but there's a sort of... realistic fatalism that goes with it. He can hope, and make more cranes, but it's more of the fact that he doesn't KNOW where Conrad is, that he misses the angry guy-- well, not that angry. It didn't matter.

He paces around the room as he talks to people, walking across the couch, perching on the desk, unable to sit entirely still for a very long time.]

[Commentlog] COOL

[bossfedora]

[Hanna is filling the room with way too much nervous energy for {...} to even pretend to concentrate on his book, so he brings up a knee to rest his elbow on and watches him walk around and ascend furniture like some sort of deranged house cat. The book hangs loosely in his grasp, and after some time the zombie finally speaks up.]

Hanna.

[Commentlog]

[gneeisnotanoise]

[Hanna is sprawled out across the dresser when he blinks and looks up.]

Oh! Sorry, man, yeah? What's up?