Hi, Angel. I hope you and Rhys are doing okay. Cloud and I found some things we thought you might like. Maybe they can help take your minds off of... everything?
[Tifa pans the tablet down to show off a whole shoebox full of googly eyes, all different sizes, and a half sheet of colorful, glittery star stickers.]
Yo, Angel! Beckett says you have enough on your plate, but pretty sure that includes him. He's being down and it's weird. Oh! But he likes the blankets you guys put on him.
Oh my god did he actually say that about the blankets. He's such a nerd. Meaning don't worry too much. We're looking after him. Keeping him topped up with hugs and fusses!
The weather's finally cleared up downtown, so I should be heading to the residential area in the morning. I know Rhys is still recovering, but I'd like to see if I can meet up with you and get Dumpy back where he belongs.
We're in the western residential area! The house that gets marked on the maps as having hot water? It's a ways north of the tunnel exit. Oh geez, it's going to be amazing to see Dumpy again!! ♥ (Especially for Rhys. I think he's moved on from missing him to outright pining for the little guy.) And it will be wonderful to meet you in person too, of course! Odd question, but what's your favorite color??
[ GOTTA PICK OUT THE RIGHT COLOUR OF FRIENDSHIP BRACELET
[After almost no sleep and what she can only attribute to a harsh error in memory recollection (because dreams can't happen, dreams are for the complicated nuances of a human subconscious, not for her), she has some checking up to do.
Uh, sure. The AI has stolen Rhys' body, I've effectively been abducted, he's currently tripping ba-- tripping hardcore on a supply of Dr. House's meds that I didn't know Rhys still had, and I tried to kill him this morning.
[He knows this is the woman he spoke to in her dream, the one with the wings. She had been generally kind to him, not that this means she is at all trustworthy.
But he needs help, and she's one of the people who consistently comes up as good with technology. Specifically this technology.]
[ Things Angel could do without seeing immediately upon revival: this. T H I S.
She ignores the message until she's done fussing at Rhys, by which time her eyes have adjusted to the darkness. Which means no FEWER TYPOS! ]
Eff you and your terrible apology, you son of a witch. You know he dreamed about what you did? And I saw it? Amd if itwas even a tenth as bad as the recollections in his dreams then you're not just an *sshole. You're an irredeemably EVIL *sshole!! Stay away from him. Ima ynot be able to hurt you but if he so much as reports you LOOKING at him too long I will ruin your freaking life even if it takes me the rest of mine.
That depends! Are you trying to message Winter? Because her username returns that response. Because the account doesn't technically exist on our network! >w>
[ He's been sitting on this for a couple days now and still can't really wrap his head around it. ]
Hey Angel. How are things with you and Rhys? Are you still with Brian and them? That's not why I'm messaging you. Well, I do want to make sure you're all okay.
[ That's super important, too! Sending a second message after that. ]
[He really isn't sure how this is going to work out but he needs to reach out to everyone and get back to Alfie as soon as possible.
So, might as well start at the top of the list that Zell gave him right?]
Um--Hi! I don't think we've met before but I'm Sora! Mr. Solomons asked me to get in touch with everyone exploring the entrance area and then Zell gave me the names of everyone he knew was here--
Basically I'm going to be doing supply runs with Mr. Solomons! Well, for Mr. Solomons. And the entrance area is my area to cover so if you or anyone you're with need anything, let me know okay?
Naturally. Or - I think he's speaking with Jack right now, but I'm in the vicinity.
[ Meaning that she can recognise an AI-induced headache with no problems and is keeping an eye on proceedings. Subtly. Not easy when you're sick and exhausted, but whatevs. ]
[ It's been pretty quiet, which is giving him time to think. Time to think means he's remembering the exchange with House. So, here he is, sending Angel a message. ]
[ It's a cautious response more than anything else. It's hard to feel truly relieved about things that may not even be real, and let's face it - if everything Angel has experienced in Norfinbury has been the delusions of a lonely dying girl, then of course her mind would summon up Beckett as everything begins falling apart.
(It's all been too perfect, she sees that now. Her brain created Rhys to be the sibling she'd always wanted - a barrier against further solitude, a way to look at her own issues with Jack from an outside perspective. She'd had to kill him to free him from Jack's control, for frick's sake. The parallels haven't been subtle. And then there's Beckett. Someone older, wiser, respectful of her right to make her own choices. Someone who thinks she's special for who she is, not what. Someone who only drains the life from her with permission, and never more than she can handle.
Geez. They might as well be wearing T-shirts labelled "Angel's Idealised Fantasy Family Unit." It's embarrassing.) ]
I'm gla[static] you again. Even lik[static]. Stay calm. It's alright.
hey angel i got my words back but thats not what im messaging about you said you can make apps right can you make one that shits up art with jpeg artifacts it doesnt have to be a drawing program since the notepads got that covered but maybe like if you give it an image youve saved then it spits out a cruddy mess for you
Congrats on the words!! But unfortunately I think your request is a little beyond my capabilities Jpeg artifacts are actually really difficult to replicate. At least, they are with the level of tech here. It's too advanced! To the point where I can't force any of the image processing stuff to compress anything badly enough. Sorry. OnO
We're okay. Or we all survived the unpleasantness relatively unscathed, at least, so I'd say we're doing better than most. What about you and the others?
Angel. My apologies for contacting you so late at night, but... The truth is I have few others to speak to so candidly. I was hoping that you might lend your ear to me for tonight.
Hello, Angel. Please don't panic; yes, I've gone, no, I'm not looking to do anything dangerous. Or anything special, really. I plan to continue on east, but on another path for a few days. I'm sorry, but I need... time.
It goes without saying that I don't hold you or Rhys responsible for what happened. I am not afraid of you. I do not resent you. But, to run the risk of sounding embarrassingly manly and tormented, some demons one must face alone. It's unfortunate that this is such a one, but there it is.
If the weather remains as it is, I shall be at the entrance to the eastern tunnels in three days. To the extent that anything can be promised here, I promise to meet you two there.
Oh my god Beckett if you get yourself eaten by an anomaly or something while you're gone I'm going to freaking
I don't even know!! Be really sad and nothing else, probably, but I still feel like I should put that out there!! What I'm saying is that you'd better take *supremely* good care of yourself until then.
(Yes, that's fussing, and I'm sorry. Not as sorry as I am about the book, though.)
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