gooseberryhigh | [posted near the beginning of the third hour]

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[posted near the beginning of the third hour]

[Warded to Cecil]

Hi. How's it going out there? Managing the chaos alright?

[Warded to Mina]

I'm okay.

How's Essie?

[Warded to Essie]

Estella my star. Hey.

When I get back, there's something I wanted to ask you.

[Warded to Ravi]

I'm okay. I don't know if you'll see this because you're probably out in a search party. [...] Shit. I don't know how to word this in a way that doesn't sound like I'm dying.

I love you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

WHERE ARE YOU???

[...] Somewhere around the Grotto?

Don't come looking. There are lots of people already doing that, they're going to find us any second now. Are you with Mina?

I AM. And the only way I'm NOT coming looking is if you promise the VERY FIRST THING YOU DO when you get back here is come to Mina's cabin.

I promise. First thing.

Don't yell at me... but you know I love you, right?

WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW???

I'm sorry, it's okay! I'm okay! ~~I'm just having a hard time and~~

I'm fine, I promise.

So, about that question I wanted to ask you.

Ok. I love you too.

I thought you weren't asking until you got back.

I'll ask you now, but if you're okay with it we'll do it when we get back.

Uh, so, in Aesthetic Magic we're making sentient portraits, and we're supposed to pick a subject. What do you think? Want to pose for a painting?

[...] You want to paint ME?? Are you SURE??? ~~What about R~~

Yeah I'm sure. Especially with your new look.

It's kind of an OLD look now. I've been thinking about asking Mom to take me to get my hair dyed something else??

But OK, if you come back VERY SOON then you can paint me!!

Hey, even more reason to immortalize it. What color are you dyeing it this time? Are you going to go wild like Riley?

[...] I'll see you soon and you can yell at me for getting lost in person.

MAYBE. Do you think I'd look good with pink hair??

[...] Ok. I'm looking forward to YELLING AT YOU ~~and hugging you~~.

How do you THINK, Diego?

[...] She's with me. I'm trying to keep her calm, but [...]

Diego, WHAT HAPPENED?

I don't know. We just went to the Grotto like usual, and we tried to leave and it's like we can't get away from it. We can't leave. I don't know what to do.

I love you too. ~~Please don't~~

We're going to find you. All of you. I swear on it. Just stay warm, okay?

[...] I know you will. We're waiting patiently for our heroes to come save us. We're okay.

It's getting kind of late, though. Don't stay up all night. Or if you do, you can just stay up and write to me.

~~Promise me~~ So many heroes. You wouldn't believe how many people came out for search parties.

I'll sleep when you're back home. And honestly, you're the one who needs rest, not me. But... alright. So long as you're up, I'll keep talking to you.

And you're the most heroic of them all.

[...]

I'm not going to be sleeping. Honestly I'm pretty messed up about this. It's like... remember when we talked about how we both got lost? How all of the sudden we couldn't recognize where we were? It's like that, but it's not ending. You guys must be close but I can't hear anyone. It's so quiet.

Is it heroism, or is it just the fact that I can't stand the thought of you being ~~in danger~~ out there?

And both times, it stopped. It did stop, whatever it was. And we know you're out there. Maybe we don't know exactly where you are, but there's no way anyone is going to rest until we find all of you. Just hold on, Diego.

Edited 2017-05-17 04:19 (UTC)

What's the difference?

It's been hours, Ravi. I mean, we've got no choice, we're holding on. But something is wrong. What if you can't find us? I guess we'll be in the grotto I can make a fire and we have a little food but what if the grotto's just gone now like it is for the teachers???

I'm imagining that one of them feels like bravery and altruism, and the other one is just desperately wanting you back.

Let us worry about the what ifs. Focus on what you can do now to keep calm and keep warm. We have more resources on the outside to fight whatever this is, and none of us, none of us, are going to stop looking. I won't let them. There's a way to untangling this. There always is.

Edited 2017-05-17 05:12 (UTC)

Diego.

[...]

There's a lot of ground to cover. But we're covering it. I promise we'll find you. Just stay safe until then. Please stay safe.

[...]

You're all still okay? And together?

Edited 2017-05-17 02:27 (UTC)

Yeah. Yeah, sorry for [...] getting everyone all worked up and wandering around in the woods. We're not doing anything dangerous, though. Just walking in circles. Sitting on the ground sometimes. Counting protein bars.

But yeah, we're all here. Levi's right next to me, all in one piece.

There's nothing to be sorry for, Diego. You couldn't have known this would happen. People have gotten turned around in the woods before but [...] it's never been like this.

All right. That's good. Just stay together, then, and we'll find you. Bring you home.

[...]

~~I'm sorry. I should've done my job. I should've stopped everyone from going out there a long time ago. Then you and Levi wouldn't be~~

Soon. Okay?

Yeah. I just know we aren't really supposed to. But usually weird shit only happens when we're alone. I didn't think. I never think.

[...]

Okay. I'll see you soon.

Diego. Don't. Don't blame yourself. That won't help anything and it isn't fair anyway. Nobody knew that anything like this could happen and earlier in the year [...] I'm not sure it could've. We just need to focus on dealing with it now that it has. We'll find you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[posted near the beginning of the third hour]

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Essie

Diego/Mina - after Essie tells her that Diego wrote in his journal

Diego/Mina

Diego/Ravi - after a delay, because Diego's instincts are right, he wasn't looking

Diego/Ravi

Diego/Ravi

Diego/Ravi

Diego/Ravi

Diego/Ravi

Diego/Ravi

Diego - During a break for the search parties

Diego/Cecil

Diego/Cecil

Diego/Cecil

Diego/Cecil