[network] @LELRIC; audio; night 330 [open to those left behind]

[armoured]

[The first sound to come through is wind in the background, and then Al's voice sounding guilty.]

I, uh-- I may have made a mistake.

[A big one.]

I was looking for the people that went missing, and I kind of lost track of time. It's so stupid, I've never done that before, I guess I've just been here so long that I thought I would never get locked out now. Shows how much I know, huh?

[He tries for a little laugh there, but it sounds a bit choked.]

I'm-- I'm really sorry. I know I promised to be there for some people, but I guess that's another broken promise. It doesn't mean that I don't think you can be strong, or make it, you really can. Whatever happens, I'll be proud of you all, even if I don't see you again.

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private;

[termineur]

[ He lets that sit for a moment, because- well, he feels the same way. ]

Yeah. That's why I'm really hoping that 'following the spiral' or whatever is going to get us answers. Something we can use. But we don't know much right now. So we have to go with what our culture and personal experience dictates, I guess.

[ He's quiet for a long moment, and he can feel the melancholy seeping in. ]

We should talk about something else.

We can continue our lessons? I can tell you more about biology, or you can go into more about alchemy?

private;

[armoured]

Actually... actually I'm kind of tired right now.

[He's already had to stop walking.

It's not fair, he can remember being able to walk through an entire mountain range in a blizzard because his body didn't feel the cold. But now he's faltering so soon after lockdown, just like everyone else.]

I think I'm just going to go to sleep for a while, okay?

private;

[termineur]

[ Oh- oh, no. Gabriel's face crumples at the admission, and his carefully cultivated 'I'm fine' voice slides back into being a choked-up mess. He wipes at his face uselessly. ]

Already? Al-

It's- it's not enough time. It's-

[ It's not fair for him to tell Al to hang on, as much as he wants to. ]

Yeah. Okay.

[ Nothing is okay right now. ]

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[armoured]

[He hates seeing that expression, and knowing that he's the one causing it is the worst, especially since it's half a lie.

He doesn't think it'll be too much longer, but he's making out it's right now because he wants to spare Gabriel from watching, even if he said that's what he wants. It's not a sight anyone should see.]

I-- Take care, okay?

[It's such an underwhelming thing to say, but what else can he say?]

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[termineur]

[ This isn't how it's supposed to go. Gabriel was going to stay on the line until Al stopped responding. But the kid's stubborn, even when he's going to die.

And Gabriel doesn't have it in him to keep arguing. He sniffles loudly, like a toddler, and he makes a sad little 'mmhmm' noise. ]

I'll miss you, Al. I'll miss you so much.

[ He's not going to turn off the feed. Al's going to have to hang up on him, if he really wants to do that. ]

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[armoured]

[He almost can't do it, not when Gabriel is sniffing so pitifully like that. Unless it's Major Armstrong who cries all the time, he's not seen or heard a lot of grown men crying and it gets to him.

But in the end, his desire to protect Gabriel from what's coming is greater, and after a moment of hesitation the line goes dead.]