eleventh flame : video { concern for a friend

[keepsthefire]

[It's raining up on the island today.

Some might call this a sign of things to come.

When the video feed comes on, Rin is absolutely soaked. He had a jacket when he and Ratchet first went up to wait for Alister on the island, but he gave it to the Lombax who is just barely out of view next to him, equally soaked.

Ratchet had protested it, of course, but Rin claimed the chances of him getting sick were a lot smaller than they were for his friend.

He looks worried. Really worried. Ratchet does, too, but of course it's not as easy to see his face as it is to see Rin's. They had been waiting for hours. The sun was almost down, even, and the rain just kept coming down on them while Alister was nowhere to be seen.

Considering how happy Rin was after the curse was finally over, this is a pretty drastic change.

He finally starts by clearing his throat, eyes shifting around his surroundings like whoever he's looking for is just going to pop up and surprise him suddenly.

No such luck.]

... has... anyone seen Alister? Er... General Azimuth. Fuzzy guy, missin' an ear...

He was supposed t' meet Ratchet and me up on the island but... he hasn't showed. And... he's not answerin' his voice mail either...

[Ratchet shifts, moving out of view, but his voice can be heard as he walks away, getting Rin's attention]

I'm gonna go look for him.

Wha-- h-hey!

What? You got a better idea, Rin?

[Rin furrows his brows, looking back at the SFC.]

If anyone's seen him, let us know, okay?

[Click]

(ooc: Red orange is Ratchet, borrowed with permission from Tsumi)

Comments

Video

[zelda_hylia]

[No no no Rin, that is not how you do it! Zelda calls back immediately.]

Rin? Are you there? If you two are searching, search together! The murderer on the loose sneaks up on people and knocks them out abruptly, he won't be able to do that if there are two of you.

I'll see if anyone has seen your friend.

[Though she doubts it. Alister didn't seem entirely stable in her opinion. He probably did go out alone and ended up getting targeted by that monster...]

Video

[keepsthefire]

[Rin doesn't reply right away, and there's enough time between Zelda's message and it that it could be worrisome. When he appears again he's still soaked, messy hair hanging in his face and teeshirt clinging to him.]

We already split up. He's headin' for their apartment and I was gonna check the junk yard...

Video

[zelda_hylia]

You can't split up right now. Head to his apartment and meet up with Ratchet, all right? I know it is a little frustrating, but people should not be out alone right now.

[If he won't do it for his own sake, he should at least do it for Ratchet's.]

Video

[keepsthefire]

[Rin knows she's right, he does, but he can't help the rising paranoia and that she's unintentionally feeding by even mentioning the murderer.]

But the more time I spend chasin' after Ratchet, the more time we lose lookin' for him!

Video

[zelda_hylia]

You are not losing time, I promise. I'll contact the Defense Force and we'll look in small groups, but you have to at least be with one other person, all right?

[Video]

[dotthedisconnect]

[It's odd to think of Alister at an outing like this, but what does he know?]

Doesn't look like much of a day for a beach trip, you know. But no, it's been a little while since I last heard from the general.

[Granted with all of the body displacement that had been going on last week, it's a bit difficult to keep track]

[Video]

[keepsthefire]

[Rin scowls a bit, running a hand through his soaked hair.]

I thought the rain was gonna hold out a little longer. Hell, it would've been fine if he'd shown up...

[As angry as Rin wants those words to sound, he just can't muster anything past noticeable upset.]

[Video]

[dotthedisconnect]

Are you concerned?

[Unfortunately Tech has no basis for understanding of how Alister keeps his appointments.]

[Video]

[keepsthefire]

... gettin' there.

[Video]

[dotthedisconnect]

Don't be. The General can take care of himself.

[Video]

[blitz_acing]

That's unusual. Something probably happened.

[Video]

[keepsthefire]

Yeah that's what I'm startin' to worry about... you haven't heard from him at all?

[Video]

[blitz_acing]

No. I thought you guys would have.

[Video]

[keepsthefire]

I couldn't get anythin' cept his voice mail.

[Video]

[blitz_acing]

Then we need to start searching. Hopefully we'll be fast enough.

video

[seablaze]

[The feed was on as he glanced around behind him before stepping outside. It was a little odd to see the weather difference between the "comfortable" warmth and clear "sky" versus all the rain up on the weather.]

Don't get yourselves sick lookin for him. A bit bummed his disappearance is how I see Ratchet in my normal body. He's probably being stubborn someone and sniffing out that culprit running loose.

video

[keepsthefire]

[Rin snorts quietly, but as irritated as he wants to be at that, his expression just turns out worried.]

That's what everyone keeps sayin'...

video

[seablaze]

Well it's him. Or he wound up picking a fight with the wrong person.

[Just going to pause a moment.] Ya might have to wait three to five days to find out for sure, yeah? Don't go worrying yourselves sick over what his stubborn furry butt does. Just work with those investigating and you'll probably run in to him.

[Wow. The pirate was actually advising people to work with the law. That's a new one.]

video

[keepsthefire]

Che. Wouldn't be surprised...

[At the rather... subtle mention of death though, Rin's expression turns hard.]

... I ain't gonna give up like that. Not until I know.

video

[seablaze]

Jus' keep your hopes up then, laddie.

[Thinking for a moment.] If he did get caught, betting he took a big chunk out of them. I'll let my mate know.

video;

[fulmination]

_{[...Huh. It didn't seem like Alister to just up and disappear like that, though Kimblee didn't know the Lombax as well as he would've liked.]}

When did you last speak with him?

_{[And people better not blame him this time, gosh.]}

video;

[keepsthefire]

[Rin certainly gives Kimblee a skeptical look at first, but it fades as he answers.]

We talked on Sunday, 'bout meetin' up. Ratchet said he was at the apartment yesterday, though. Alister said he'd catch up to us on the island and... that's the last either of us have seen or heard from him.

video;

[fulmination]

I can't say I know him that well considering the few conversations we've had spiralled out of control after I returned to the city, but from one soldier to another it's a little odd that he'd skip out on his friend and family like that.

You don't think he was sent back to his world, do you?

video;

[keepsthefire]

That's... what's botherin' me about it. I mean he complained about the outing, sure, but if he really didn't wanna go he woulda said so.

Nah... his voice mail wouldn't be there if he was. It just... disconnects after people go.

[He knows, he's tried a few people after he knew they were gone. It just came back static.]

video;

[fulmination]

I see.

_{[He recalls attempting to contact Mustang sometime after he disappeared, but he didn't think much on it. Here in Vatheon he wasn't his concern, and seeing as how he was blind it's not like the other alchemist could've really gotten in his way.]}

I seem to recall some announcements over the network during the week our bodies were swapped around. I didn't reply to them, but I did skim through and I think Mister Azimuth was upset about one of them. You don't suppose he ran off to find the friend he lost, do you? Perhaps try checking with them.