Would you be willing to visit this cafe with me? I've heard their drinks are quite cute... and they've got a wide variety of games that we could try playing while we're there.
[ Included is a link to a board game cafe! yippee!!!! ]
[ ... though, of course, she doesn't get a response. She doesn't think anything of it at first - for all she knows, he could just be preoccupied with other things - but when an entire day goes by... ]
Aventurine? Forgive me if I'm bothering you, but... is everything alright?
[ ... and another day goes by without any response. By this point, she's noticed that Sunday, Stelle, and Firefly are all not responding to messages.
She doesn't want to think the worst. But what are the alternatives? That all four of them are ignoring her? That they all lost their phones at the same time? that they're all eloping??? Sure, Stelle's vanished for a few days before, only to come back a few days later... but not the other three. Not all at the same time.
Castorice doesn't know what Sunday's flower looks like, but she knows Aventurine's. So on the day he returns, she'll make the trip out to the winter flower yard by herself and wait by its side, for as long as it takes. ]
{ thankfully, and perhaps unfortunately, castorice has no luck at the flower yard. her worry of him having died isn't the case this time, and instead when he gets back it's via the research centre.
it's a bit disorientating, he has no idea how stelle has done this countless times already. slotting memories into place takes a bit of time, something he does on one of the chairs at the welcome centre next door. the others are probably back around the same time so whatever awkward reunion already happened.
it means it's a bit later on that he really reads the messages left from castorice... and he doesn't know how well he can act at first. but a text is easy. a text he doesn't need to hide with a smile at least. }
Sorry, Castorice, looks like I got to experience one of those trips home Stelle mentioned before. I hope I didn't worry you too much, we really don't get a chance to warn anyone before it happens.
Of course I'd be more than willing to try the cafe with you. I may need a day or two to get back into the swing of things, but I'll make the time.
And for the record, you would never be bothering me.
[ It's almost embarrassing, how much the ping of her phone startles her from her silent watch. Doubly so when she only manages to get through the first sentence of his message before she has to clutch her phone to her chest out of sheer relief.
It takes a few more pings - messages trinkling in from the others - for her to gather herself. To wipe her eyes with the back of her hand and begin the walk back. ]
There is no need to apologize, Aventurine. I'm just happy to hear from you.
We can plan a trip to the cafe whenever you feel up for it.
[ ... then, after reading Firefly's initial reply, she returns to add: ] How was your trip home?
{ if he knew where she was, he'd be apologising again. for making her worry this much. for giving the impression he would be dumb enough to try and kill himself in such a short amount of time.
that she thinks that he could isn't really a surprise, given how boothill had to shake him before. but still. still. }
It'd be nice if they at least let people know that's where we are. I know my messages sometimes bounced and sometimes went through with Stelle as well. Hard to say what is going on.
Maybe tomorrow or the day after. I'll keep you posted. I got back to a weird surprise in my apartment, so I need to figure out what to do with it first.
{ attached is... a picture of an egg. a pokemon egg, but still an egg.
it's a way of holding off that last question. the messages go silent, at least for a good minute or two. he doesn't know how to answer. }
It was fairly uneventful for me.
{ to be fair, in comparison to other people his job had been fairly tame. }
[ To be fair, it's more a concern with how dangerous this world can be than anything. She would like to think she and Boothill were able to reach him in some small way, that he wouldn't chase after death again so soon. ]
Is that a Pokemon egg? I heard about them, but I had not seen one for myself... [ How curious! ] It's smaller than I expected.
[ But besides that- ] Would you like for me to bring something by for you or the egg?
{ normally it wouldn't matter. thankfully she doesn't know about things that have happened to him before in detail that would put monsters and the like here to shame. at least most of those they're just territorial or destructive, not necessarily cruel.
still, it doesn't matter now. }
So it would seem. I have a friend who has a few of them already, so I'll ask them for tips on what to do.
And I'll be fine. If it works for you, I'll come by when I'm ready?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text | un: Castorice (while he's gone on The Big Penacony Canon Update(tm)) (1/3?)
Date: 2025-12-27 06:24 pm (UTC)[ Included is a link to a board game cafe! yippee!!!! ]
2/3??
Date: 2025-12-27 06:31 pm (UTC)Aventurine? Forgive me if I'm bothering you, but... is everything alright?
3/3!
Date: 2025-12-27 06:43 pm (UTC)She doesn't want to think the worst. But what are the alternatives? That all four of them are ignoring her? That they all lost their phones at the same time?
that they're all eloping???Sure, Stelle's vanished for a few days before, only to come back a few days later... but not the other three. Not all at the same time.Castorice doesn't know what Sunday's flower looks like, but she knows Aventurine's. So on the day he returns, she'll make the trip out to the winter flower yard by herself and wait by its side, for as long as it takes. ]
forward dated to the 30th 😔
Date: 2025-12-28 07:03 pm (UTC)it's a bit disorientating, he has no idea how stelle has done this countless times already. slotting memories into place takes a bit of time, something he does on one of the chairs at the welcome centre next door. the others are probably back around the same time so whatever awkward reunion already happened.
it means it's a bit later on that he really reads the messages left from castorice... and he doesn't know how well he can act at first. but a text is easy. a text he doesn't need to hide with a smile at least. }
Sorry, Castorice, looks like I got to experience one of those trips home Stelle mentioned before. I hope I didn't worry you too much, we really don't get a chance to warn anyone before it happens.
Of course I'd be more than willing to try the cafe with you. I may need a day or two to get back into the swing of things, but I'll make the time.
And for the record, you would never be bothering me.
no subject
Date: 2026-01-07 04:35 am (UTC)It takes a few more pings - messages trinkling in from the others - for her to gather herself. To wipe her eyes with the back of her hand and begin the walk back. ]
There is no need to apologize, Aventurine. I'm just happy to hear from you.
We can plan a trip to the cafe whenever you feel up for it.
[ ... then, after reading Firefly's initial reply, she returns to add: ] How was your trip home?
no subject
Date: 2026-01-09 12:43 am (UTC)that she thinks that he could isn't really a surprise, given how boothill had to shake him before. but still. still. }
It'd be nice if they at least let people know that's where we are. I know my messages sometimes bounced and sometimes went through with Stelle as well. Hard to say what is going on.
Maybe tomorrow or the day after. I'll keep you posted. I got back to a weird surprise in my apartment, so I need to figure out what to do with it first.
{ attached is... a picture of an egg. a pokemon egg, but still an egg.
it's a way of holding off that last question. the messages go silent, at least for a good minute or two. he doesn't know how to answer. }
It was fairly uneventful for me.
{ to be fair, in comparison to other people his job had been fairly tame. }
no subject
Date: 2026-01-28 04:03 am (UTC)Is that a Pokemon egg? I heard about them, but I had not seen one for myself... [ How curious! ] It's smaller than I expected.
[ But besides that- ] Would you like for me to bring something by for you or the egg?
no subject
Date: 2026-02-02 12:17 am (UTC)still, it doesn't matter now. }
So it would seem. I have a friend who has a few of them already, so I'll ask them for tips on what to do.
And I'll be fine. If it works for you, I'll come by when I'm ready?
{ will he ever be ready? (no) }