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@tseng

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4/22 text; un: rogers

[uniform]

Hello, my name is Steve Rogers. You don't know me, but I'm a recent friend of Aerith's, and she mentioned you.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I thought you should know, it looks like she's not in the hotel anymore.

[nonvoting]

[ it takes him a few hours to respond. tseng knew, of course, he knew immediately, but somehow it's this text that makes it feel real. ]

I know. I checked on her this morning and she was gone.

[ what do people do in this scenario? ]







Are you all right?

[uniform]

I'll be alright. This isn't the first time something like this has happened to me.

[ granted, last time it was steve pulling the sudden disappearing act on everyone he'd ever known and loved, but the effect was the same. one day he'd had friends, a home, a whole life, and then the next, poof. gone. ]

I don't want to butt in where I'm not welcome, I understand we don't know each other at all. I just wanted to make sure you knew, and offer a sympathetic ear if you need one.

[nonvoting]

Thank you. I appreciate your consideration.

[ in point of fact, one of the last things tseng wants is to allow a near stranger to see him express any kind of emotion about this. he shouldn't be feeling any kind of emotion about this.

so it's with a complicated, concrete-heaviness in his chest that he types, ]

I'll buy you a drink, if you want.

[uniform]

[ it's on the tips of steve's fingers to tell tseng that he can't get drunk, so a drink would be pointless, but... it wouldn't be pointless, would it? connecting with another person isn't pointless, especially if they both could use someone around who knows what they're going through. ]

I'd appreciate that. I can meet you at one of the bars this evening, if you're free?

[nonvoting]

[ it's not really about the drink for tseng, either, as unwilling as he is to admit it; it's more about the experience of sitting with another person. commiseration, which has never exactly been tseng's strong suit. ]

I'm free. 2100 at the Red Cardinal?