03 ❀

[princessia]

Who: Elize Lutus and... YOU, maybe?!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: SS Huntress
When: 7/19

[ When Elize awakens from cryosleep is when the network decides to record her panic as she sits up with a jolt, like she'd just woke up from a nightmare. It felt like a dream, but she's certain it wasn't. Before she even acknowledges the fact that she's back on the fleet, away from Rieze Maxia, she's searching around her bed frantically, patting at the sheets for something that should be there. ]

Teepo... Teepo?

[ She clasps her hands near her chest where she would normally hold her doll. It's the almost exact behavior during her first days on the fleet. Although she knows the full truth about the toy now, old habits die hard.

As she sits in her bed, she looks around at the metal walls of her room on the Huntress, taking deep breaths to calm down. She reaches up, gently running her finger around the augment behind her ear and confirming where she is. The memories are beginning to sink back in. ]

It's this place again.

[ A pause. ]

...Cullen?

Comments

action

[serves]

[He'd dozed off, just for a second, sitting upright in the chair next to Elize's bed. It was only at the insistence of others that he even left the spot on occasion, and only shortly then, to pretend to go get some proper rest or stretch his legs.

It was beginning to catch up to him.

It's the sound of his name that has him all but jumping out of the chair, heart pounding. Elize. Awake, still there, not gone and suddenly everything is better.]

I'm here. I'm right here, Elize. [Maker, he wants to hug her, but he doesn't want to overwhelm her with his relief. So he settles for touching her cheek, tentative with his movement towards her.]

Are you all right?

[princessia]

...Cullen.

[ Elize wants to reach out to him, but she can't seem to budge her hands that remain clasped in front of her where Teepo would be. A lot had happened and some of those events had revealed the truth of her past. About her family and where she was raised.

The touch on her cheek brings her thoughts back to her parents, Jiao... and now, how much she saw Cullen like a father. She should feel relieved to see him again.

Yet, she stares back at him with a hurt expression as she tries to bite back tears. ]

I don't know.

[serves]

[That's certainly more than enough to get him moving from the chair to the edge of her bed so that he can pull her into a sure, protective hug. Maker, he's missed her.]

That's all right. I've got you. [There's no rush to be okay.]

[princessia]

I...

[ She's having a difficult time putting together a string of words. Maybe she just needs a moment to cry. Once she's brought into the hug, she can hardly hold back her tears and bursts into quiet sobbing. It's almost a lot like the first time she met Cullen in person. She cried back then too. ]

My parents... I know what happened. [ Before she continues, she leans further into the hug. ]

They're gone. Murdered a long time ago.

[killedwithlove]

[Normally Cole doesn't notice broadcasts, but he notices Elize's voice and he promptly jams the Pathstone up to the Huntress so he can get over there.

He gives Cullen time, though. He waits outside, sitting on the floor, hugging his knees and in a small ball, letting other people miss that he's there until either Cullen comes out on his own or he sees Elize.]

[princessia]

[ It might take awhile until Cole actually sees Elize leave her room. Crying can be tiring and she'll take a moment to try napping in her room, a normal rest that won't leave her sleeping for weeks. When she does finally appear from her room, she's still in the same long, plain nightgown that she had her long slumber in.

She immediately spots Cole, looking down at his place on the floor with eyes reddened from crying. Her greeting is tired and weak. ]

Hi, Cole...

[killedwithlove]

[Cole waits.

He's good at waiting. Even with linear time being a thing, he doesn't mind waiting when it's important.

When she comes out, he gives her a pained look, nodding slightly and taking off his hat, reaching to put it on her instead.]

I'm so sorry. People dying is always awful.

Video

[wolfuncaged]

[Ah, good. He lets out a sigh ot relief, even offering her something of a smile.]

Elize. It is good to see you're awake again.

[That sure was a lot of panic though.]

...Are you alright?

[princessia]

Fenris... hello again.

[ Her reddish eyelids are evidence she cried earlier, but she's calm now. Somewhat. She just looks tired and sullen. Despite being so far from Rieze Maxia now, she can't stop thinking about recent events.

A small shrug in response. ]

I don't know. I keep thinking about my world.

[wolfuncaged]

Ah. I see.

[Clearly not happy thoughts, there.]

Is that what happened? Did you return home for a short while?

video;

[arcanepower]

Elize! You're awake.

[He closes the book he's been reading so he can pay complete attention to the monitor.]

Are you-- are you all right? Do you feel sick or-- should I talk to a healer?

video;

[princessia]

Belthazar...

[ It's good to see him again, though she isn't really smiling. She's sitting up on her cot, hands propped on her lap. There's some faint redness on her eyelids, a clear sign that she was crying moments ago. ]

I'm not sick or hurt.

video;

[arcanepower]

[He doesn't lack empathy, exactly. He can tell she was crying-- that's how he looks after crying, anyway.]

But you look hurt. Did someone say something terrible to you?

[HE WILL SET THEM ON FIRE.]

[dawnwillcome]

[When Cole brings the Pathstone to the Huntress, he isn't the only one that disembarks with the intention of seeing Elize, just like he isn't the only one to give Cullen quite a lot of time with the girl before she goes to find her for herself. She'll wait until everyone has gone before poking her head in, a small flowering plant in a pot in one hand.]

I hope you don't mind another visitor.

[princessia]

Jove. I don't mind at all.

[ Like a lot of people visiting her today, Jove will be able to see the faint redness on Elize's eyelids. At least she isn't all out crying anymore. ]

More flowers for me?

[ Not that she's opposed to it. There's even a brief flicker of a tired smile. ]

[dawnwillcome]

[She'll just come in and take a delicate seat on the edge of Elize's bed, then. The red eyes are troubling, but she can't imagine Elize would want anyone drawing attention to it when she's clearly trying to focus on other things.

If she does want to talk, of course, Jove is one of many in the fleet who would be more than happy to listen.]

More flowers. This is a special one, though. See the blossoms?

[They're pretty pink hearts. She hearts you, Elize.]

video;

[survives]

Elize! [Oh man, oh man, it's been a while since Leanne saw her. Is she okay??]

Are you okay? Is... [A pause. Teepo?] Is Teepo supposed to be here?

video;

[princessia]

Hi, Leanne.

[ She greets her tiredly. "Okay"? Several deaths are fresh in her memory, especially her caretaker's. ]

I don't know. [ A shrug. ] Teepo's usually with me, but he wasn't here the first time Atroma brought me in either.

video;

[survives]

Oh... [Well, that's no good. Either answer, really.]

So he's your friend? [Is he the best friend she talked about before? Someone else?] I'm... sorry he's not here, Elize. But, um, he'd probably wanna make sure you're okay here, huh?

Action

[hearsthesea]

[Shirley waits a little while to talk to Elize - she and Cullen will probably want some time together once she wakes up, no reason to interrupt them. Once a little time has passed, though, she approaches the hatch leading to Elize's room and calls down to her.]

Elize? Would you like some tea?

[princessia]

[ After spending some time with Cullen, Elize mostly remains resting in her room. She's not much in the mood to do much today. Though when she hears Shirley's voice, she slips out from her cot to head over to the open hatch. Good to hear familiar faces are still around. ]

Shirley... I would like that. Thank you.

[hearsthesea]

All right. I'll be back in a moment.

[Shirley heads out quickly to fetch the tea and is back within a minute or two - thank goodness the dispensers have ready-made tea. Once she comes back, though, she has to halt by the hatch.]

It's going to be difficult to bring these cups down...

action

[ofbelief]

[ She may have barely gotten to meet the other girl before she went to sleep, but Riley can also be found sitting outside of Elize's hatch while everyone else goes down to visit. She'll just wait a while like the awkward child she is. ]

[princessia]

[ Elize spends most of her day resting in her room, but she does feel the need to stretch her legs sometimes, especially with how small the bunk area can be. When she finally leaves her room, she spots Riley waiting nearby, looking at her with faint redness still on her eyelids. ]

Hello Riley...

[ofbelief]

[ She's probably pulled out something to write in by the time Elize comes out so looks up with barely a slightly wave. Then slightly apprehensively: ]

Hi. Welcome back.