healedbythelight | Eighth Page - [Voice / Action for house #28]

[For the longest time, Cheria didn't want to believe that it was true. That Asbel's disappearance from the house was just a temporary thing. His belongings were gone, but that didn't mean anything. He could've just been sent home for a brief while and would return soon enough. If it could happen to both herself and Richard, then why not Asbel? Though, now that four days have passed, she has to face the possibility that Asbel has followed the same route as Sophie, Hubert, Pascal and the Captain. That he may not return any time soon, and if he does, he may not remember what had transpired on Luceti.

People will have to know. Asbel had made so many friends here who would miss him... She can't leave this responsibility to King Richard- he's already been through so much. As much as he tries to hide it, Cheria can tell that Asbel's absence is hurting him as much as it's hurting her. No, possibly even more.

With a heavy feeling in her chest, she picks up her journal from the nightstand. She'd been hiding in her room for quite a few hours now, but she's getting restless. As she flips the book open, she starts to pace through the house.]

Ah... I'm sorry, everyone. This announcement will only take a moment. That is... To everyone who's met Asbel Lhant... [She chokes back a sob as she enters the living room. Having to announce it to the world only makes it that much more real.]

T-To everyone who may miss him... I'm afraid he's been s-sent home. I'm... I'm sure it's for the best, so please don't-

[Her voice cuts off abruptly as she takes a seat on the couch, only to realize she sat down on something. Or... someone. She tilts her head to the left curiously and breathes a sharp gasp when she realizes she's sitting in the lap of a boy who's lying sprawled out across the couch. Not just any boy, either.]

A-ASBEL!

[The journal slips from her hands in shock, though not before recording a bit of Asbel's response:] ... Huh? Cheria, what are- [There's a loud thud and the recording cuts off completely.]

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It's... a bit hard to tell. [Cheria's always had trouble reading Richard's behavior and what he might really be feeling. She suspects he's had it worse than he let on, but...]

[Richard leads the way to the kitchen, where he'll put the water on to boil and start rummaging through the cupboards for some sort of cookies while he tries to figure out what to say. Maybe this was a bad idea after all...]

Have you seen him? Where is he?

[Cheria's silent for quite a long moment as well, before finally speaking up.]

Have you seen Tiger around the house?

He should be in the house... [She had tea with him a bit earlier today, so he can't have gotten far.]

Tiger...?

[It takes him a moment to realize she means the cat, since he usually refers to her as Tiger Festival.]

Oh, yes. I'm sorry; I should have mentioned that she was sleeping in my room. She started that habit while you were gone and... well, I haven't had the heart to kick her out.

[She can't bring herself to call the cat by her full name, okay. But it's all right; she listens just as well to the first half.]

Oh, that's fine. I was just curious where she'd gone. [And how much hair she might end up having to wipe off clean clothes if Tiger Festival had crawled into a wardrobe.]

If I didn't know better, I would say she was lonely while you were at home.

She was? [T-Tiger Festival! You really do care!]

Yes, the first night you were gone, she wandered around the house meowing for hours. I'm sure she was looking for you.

That's... [So touching, but at the same time so sad.]

I'll be sure to give her some extra attention, then.

I knew I could count on you, Cheria.

[And then the teakettle goes off, and Richard turns his attention to making their tea for a moment.

Cheria seems in somewhat better spirits already, at least, so he must be doing something right.]

[In the meantime, Cheria will focus on finding some snacks to go with the tea. Perhaps some biscuits... They have chocolate-glazed ones around here somewhere.]

...I'll have to check on him, then.

Yes... [Her gaze moves from the ground to the door, then back to the ground again.]

I can go find your belongings, if you want.

No, it's fine. I can get them later. [He doesn't want to burden you with it, Cheria.

...But mostly he just wants to spend some time with you.]

[That intention is flying way over Cheria's head right now.] Are you sure? You must be cold...

Edited 2012-06-06 22:07 (UTC)

Would you care for any cream or sugar in your tea?

[As he realizes that he... doesn't actually know how she prefers it. Whoops.]

Sugar... will be fine, thank you.

[She'll just put some of the biscuits on a plate and set it on the table. That should be fine.]

No, really, I'm fine. It's pretty warm in here, don't you think? [And yet you say he's oblivious.]

Ah... If you say so. Then, do you need anything else? Something to eat, perhaps? [She just wants to be of use to Asbel, okay.]

Of course.

[He finishes preparing the tea for both of them and then sets the cups down, taking a seat across from Cheria and waiting to make sure that she's satisfied with the tea.]

... you know, I still haven't asked you about what happened while you were back in our world.

Well-- [Asbel's stomach seems to chime in to answer her instead with a growl.]

...Ahahah... hahah.

[... Well.]

Would you like a sandwich? I think we still have some sliced chicken in the refridgerator.

[Oh, she's satisfied. After taking a seat herself and carefully sipping from the cup, she smiles faintly. She was thirstier than she thought.

Richard's following remark catches her a bit off-guard, though.]

That's... It was the same thing thing that happened to you, I assume. We dealt with the monsters that were still roaming freely and evolving. [She doesn't want to say too much, though, in the offchance that Richard didn't see the end of that second journey.]

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Eighth Page - [Voice / Action for house #28]

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