balance_rpg | video; un: akapassionata

[When this message gets sent out, it's around one in the morning. Kaede has clearly been exerting herself, her breath coming hard through her nose, her normally-cheerful expression pale with a sick worry. It took her several minutes to calm down enough to even begin to figure out what she wants to say, and it doesn't feel like enough.]

A-Arisato-kun is missing. He was right here with me like always, but-!

[No, wait, back up. That doesn't make sense. She's standing in what looks like an ordinary employee breakroom, empty save for a soullessly cheerful "ACHIEVE! aim higher!" poster meant for decoration.]

We... we were trying to figure out where the employees all go, because this breakroom is always empty, even when we follow someone in. He tried running his gem into the red, 'cause that's how a lot of the people working here end up working here, but now he's gone!

[Her bracer-less hand goes to her heart, clutching tightly at her armor as her other hand gestures frantically around to pan over the completely empty breakroom. Her voice pitches higher.]

I can feel him with my Paladin's Oath, but he's not here! Please, we have to find him before something terrible happens!

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[Shuichi had been sleeping peacefully enough, only to awaken in a jolt of inexplicable panic and distress. He's disoriented and confused for only a moment before recognizing what's happening. It's Kaede's Oath again, it has to be. Something happened. Something bad.]

[He doesn't think to check the network, instead he jumps out of bed and pulls on his shoes, dashing out the door and across the park. He can feel her presence, of course (noting with relief that there's no pain to accompany it this time), but that can only get him so far. He's not an employee, after all. So it's only once he's inside the casino that he finally uses his bracer to send Kaede a message:]

Akamatsu-san? What's wrong? What happened?
I'm in the casino...

[She's talking to several people at once, toggling between video feeds, but the text from Shuichi buzzing at her bracer catches her attention. Oh no. He had to have felt her through Oath, huh...? Her heart is still pounding in a panicked rush of adrenaline, there's no way he wouldn't have felt it.

But she doesn't want to risk him trying to get into the breakroom. She puts the other feeds on hold and leaves, heading into the casino and weaving her way around the tables to make a beeline for him.]

Saihara-kun, Arisato-kun... Arisato-kun disappeared!

[Well, luckily, Shuichi is rule-abiding enough not to try and break into an employee-only area if he doesn't have to. Worried as he is about Kaede, it would take something more extreme than her panic to push him to that. Worst she would have had to endure would be more texts.]

[But, luckily, she doesn't even have to deal with that. He's easy enough to find, just idly kind of hanging out by the wall outside the employees only door like the wallflower that he is.]

Wh-what?! He...what do you mean he d-disappeared?

[Do they just need to like...find the help desk and have them do a missing child announcement or is this something more extreme, come on, he needs specifics here.]

W-We were investigating where the employees go!

[She grabs his arm, not to get his attention or anything, not to drag him anywhere, but because she needs something solid to hang onto. She's keeping her voice low, because she doesn't want to get scolded by Maria for disturbing the casino's patrons, but it's clear she's only barely managing to keep herself from complete hysterics.]

E-Every time we went into the breakroom, all the other employees weren't anywhere to be found. S-So Arisato-kun, he... he made sure his gem was really, really dark red, and then when we both went in the breakroom, he's just gone!

[So really, everything went just as planned.]

I can't feel anything from him e-except where he is, and it feels like he's still in the breakroom, but... he hasn't moved. He hasn't moved at all if it's right! I don't know what to do!

[Oh boy. Okay...first things first, Kaede needs to calm down. He gently pries her hand away from his arm so that he can place both of his on her shoulders. If she'll let him, he's going to try and steer her over to an out of the way table and sit her down. Somewhere where they can't be overheard or potentially bother the casino patrons, since she's clearly bothered by the idea of one (or both) of those things.]

Akamatsu-san...before we do anything else, you need to calm down, okay? Just...t-take a deep breath. [He inhales deeply through his nose himself, keeping her hands on her shoulders. Breathe with him! no more hysterics! You can't find Minato if you're in hysterics, he's pretty sure.]

O-Okay. Okay.

[Her shoulders are tense beneath his hands, but she tries breathing with him. Her own breaths are far shallower, but she's trying her best. Every song she tries to mentally reach for to try to calm herself down just skitters away, like trying to grab something just out of reach. Surely one of Chopin's Nocturnes would help, if she could just think of one.]

I-I just... I promised to protect him, Saihara-kun, a-and...

[She takes another deep breath, fists clenching at her sides. She can't leave him. She has to do something.]

[That's it...breathe. Shuichi keeps his hands on her shoulders, his touch gentle but firm. He's trying his best to act as a sot of emotional anchor but he's not sure how well he's accomplishing that. This is the first time he's been on this side of this sort of situation, after all. Usually, he's the one who needs reassuring...]

It's not your fault.

[The response is immediate. He's not sure if she's actually blaming herself but it sure sounds like she's only a few steps away from doing so if she isn't already.]

You said you can still sense him though, right? Is he hurt?

[She shakes her head mutely. It is her fault. She knew what he was planning to do, but she didn't stop him. She should have been the one to do it instead. Then Minato at least would be out here. He's way calmer than she is, he'd be much better at knowing what to do.]

I-I... I can still sense him, but... j-just that he's here. I can't feel him.

[Her hand goes to her heart again as she looks up at Shuichi. She can't feel him like she can feel Shuichi right now, like how Shuichi can probably feel her fear, her guilt, and a deep, dangerously simmering possessive anger. This place took one of her best friends, and she'll stop at nothing to get him back safely.]

Oh...um...

[Yikes. Possessive anger. It's such a surprise to feel that that his hands slide away from her shoulders. But at least it helps him understand the distinction she's making. What it means to sense someone versus feel them. He inhales through his nose, chewing on his lower lip as he stares down at the floor in thought.]

We'll...find him. I-I'm not sure how but...Arisato-kun is smart and strong, right? So he'll be okay until we can figure out how to reach him...

[God where is Kaito when you need him, Shuichi has no fucking clue what to do here.]

Y-Yeah. Yeah, he is.

[She says it more like she's trying to convince herself than Shuichi, but yes. In every situation, she has the utmost faith in Minato. It's just that here, when everyone has been telling her to be careful at the Night Show, when she could have stopped him from putting himself in danger, she didn't.

Kaede closes her eyes, tries to compose herself for Shuichi's sake if nothing else. He's right. She has to calm down. How can she calm down when her heart is beating as if racing toward a crescendo, though?]

M-Midoriya-kun is on his way. A-and Honoka-san. I posted to ask everyone for help...

A-Ah, did you? [Good idea!] Did...anyone have any ideas?

M-mm. Mmhm.

[She nods, bites her lower lip, tries to focus.]

Michael-san thinks... thinks he could be on another plane. A totally different plane of existence. I-if that's true... we're gonna have to figure out how to rip it open to get him back.

[She's thinking about their weird dimension-hopping with the demon train. Surely there has to be a way to get in there, without turning their gems red? They don't have time for that!]

video; un: akapassionata

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