[voice]

[atrumcanis]

[He's waited. All day he's waited, and looked all day, looked everywhere, anywhere Jack might be, and now there's nothing else for it.]

Jack Kelly. If you know him-- He's gone. Missing, or dead, it doesn't matter which. [Only it does matter. He swallows. His voice is hard; he forces it to be hard.]I'm not putting in with the police, all right, I'

Comments

voice;

[cruelwonder]

[...Oh god. No. No no no no no no. This can't be happening. He can't be gone.]

He's... He's not with you? Y-You haven't seen him?

voice;

[atrumcanis]

[There's a delay. He almost doesn't respond. But he can't ignore her, he owes her that at least.]

No. He's gone. I've looked.

[A pause.] I'm sorry.

voice;

[cruelwonder]

[There's silence for several moments before she responds.]

Oh.

[It's pathetic. It's quiet and small and weak. But she doesn't know what else to say.]

I'll...look for him. I'm sorry. I... [I hope you'll find him.] I know you'll find him.

voice;

[atrumcanis]

I'll find him.

[It comes out a bit fiercely, more fiercely than he means to sound toward her, and he cuts himself off for a moment.]

Where are you?

voice;

[cruelwonder]

I know.

[If anyone can, it's him. She doesn't take offense. In truth, she barely hears what he's saying over the sound of her heartbeat in her own ears.]

Where? ...I just left work.

voice;

[atrumcanis]

Stay where you are, then.

voice;

[cruelwonder]

[Silence again.]

All right.

action;

[atrumcanis]

[He knows, vaguely, where Alice works, and there are only so many routes that one can take home. But still, it was stupid to go off to find her without asking her where the hell she is.

Though it's not as if he's thinking precisely straight, or as if it matters. Sirius finds her eventually, only then he wishes that he hadn't. Why the hell would he go after her, what the hell is he going to say to her?]

Alice.

action;

[cruelwonder]

[She's in more modern clothes now after a shopping trip with Snow, in thin black pants and a jacket. She's still shaking a little and it's certainly not because of the cold. Her mind's repeating the same thing, over and over again. Jack is gone.

She may have other friends. But she cared for him. He understood. And now he's gone.

She almost doesn't hear Sirius. When she does, she lifts her head and looks over at him.]

Hullo.

action;

[atrumcanis]

[He stops in front of her, his hands shoved in his pockets. Stupid, this is stupid--]

I'm sorry.

action;

[cruelwonder]

[She looks up at him, trying to squash whatever pain she feels.]

You're-- No. No, don't be.

[She doesn't want it.]

action;

[atrumcanis]

[He nods, and stares quickly down at the ground, trying to ignore the hot feeling behind his eyes.]

I'm going to find him. I swear.

action;

[cruelwonder]

[She wants so desperately to believe him.]

Where could he be, though?

action;

[atrumcanis]

[I don't know. But he can't admit that.]

If he's still here, then I'll find him, no matter where the hell he is, no matter who has him. I thought--the corporations-- [Too late, he thinks perhaps he ought not to be telling her all of this, but he's already said it, so he goes on.] It doesn't matter where, I'll look until I find him.

action;

[cruelwonder]

[She nods vehemently. Someone has to have him. He has to be here.]

Do you really think the corporations--

[It's always possible. She frowns and reaches out to touch his hand.]

I'm going to look too.

action;

[atrumcanis]

[He looks down at her hand, her fingertips pressed against his. He should turn his hand and reciprocate this, but he doesn't, not just yet.]

Not the corporations. Stay the hell away from those, he wouldn't-- I'll do those.