[network] @ADMIN; Arrival

[snowblindmods]

Welcome to Norfinbury. The time is E̛̬̞͖͖̫R҉͖̯̬R̼̻͉̰͎̳̙O̩͓͔̫͇͈̯R and the date is E̛̬̞͖͖̫R҉͖̯̬R̼̻͉̰͎̳̙O̩͓͔̫͇͈̯R. This network has been provided for your use. Please interact politely with everyone else on this network.

Comments

[spoileralert]

Yeah, I think we ended up with the rest of your stuff. Sorry about that. It'd take me a day or two to get over there... is there anyone else you'd like to have around? Anyone who isn't already coming?

[heavensreader]

Zach. [It's a tiny whisper. Zach is perhaps the one person she thinks she could still trust as she had before. But Zach would have trusted Steph, she tells herself...]

I can wait a day or two, I know the landmarks around here, if they haven't changed... Samantha's house is a day or two away, maybe I ought to go there...

[spoileralert]

[ Steph kind of folds in on herself for a moment, giving herself this time to feel that grief that threatened to overwhelm her for so long. Has she let him down, letting herself lose hope for such a long time?

She rallies. ]

Actually, if you don't mind, there's a favor you might be able to do for me. There's a little girl in that part of town, and she doesn't understand what's happening.

[heavensreader]

[The brief silence feels to Kesara like a hand reaching out. Steph's grief and her own are different, but one. It's a tremendous feeling. She's almost afraid of the comfort it offers.

She rallies, too. She can't do any less.]

Oah... how little? Is she much younger than me? She must be very scared.

[spoileralert]

Maybe... five or six? I don't think she can read, and she doesn't pronounce all her words right. Actually, she doesn't seem to like talking much at all.

She likes Vanitas' weird dog monster, though. I'm sending him that way, but I don't trust him to actually look after her.

[heavensreader]

Him? [Kesara is appalled.] He'll feed her to his dog monster. She doesn't need him, not if she's so young and wouldn't know any better! I'll get her.

[spoileralert]

Not if I promise him something in return. But go ahead-- if she freaks out and refuses to follow you, I think she'll follow the dog-thing.

And if she doesn't, you can ditch him. He'd probably prefer it anyway.

[heavensreader]

That festering saddle-sore... [She growls under her breath, having clearly learned some interesting new language while gone.] Be careful what you promise him, Steph, be careful of exactly what you say!

[spoileralert]

[ That makes her smile. ]

I always am.



Plus I've got Al on my side, and it's hard to argue with a guy in a 7 foot suit of armor.

[heavensreader]

Is he? That is good. I'm very glad. [For all she's seen and learned, she hasn't completely lost the part of her that's glad to know Steph has a strong man with her.]

I know Mr. Alphonse is a gentle soul, but even he must make exceptions for Vanitas.

[spoileralert]

He makes exceptions when he has to.

[ He kicked her ass when she was being mind controlled. ]

[heavensreader]

Everyone should. [This with great resolve.] Where is the little girl? Where shall we bring her?

[spoileralert]

She's in building 39 on House's map, near the funeral home. That first one, on the west side of town. You don't have to bring her anywhere in particular, just make sure she stays alive.

[heavensreader]

[Alive and safe from Vanitas, Kesara thinks, though she decides to be diplomatic and not say it.] I can do that. I promise. And this way I can help, too, while I catch up on everything that happened.

[spoileralert]

[ We're all thinking it. ]

Yeah. And if you want to meet up, you know you're always welcome to hang with me.

[heavensreader]

I want to. [She needs to see Steph face to face.] After I find this girl, but I do want to.

[spoileralert]

[ That makes her smile. ]

I'll see when I can get away. It's a lot faster to get around with the maintenance tunnels, but it's probably best you check them out with someone else along.