video - > text | un: stormflower [Backdate: June 30th]

[sleepinglotus]

[Sounds come first, scraping and rustling with a black screen until the viewfinder is finally shifted enough to catch a glimpse of the outside of the Moon Knight's HQ before turning fully and capturing a very haggard, exhausted, pale looking Lie Ren, one hand picking bits of crystal out of his long unkempt hair and the very red remnants of what killed him on his face and neck. Not scars exactly, and they'll fade with time, but for now it's a painful reminder on his skin of what happened to him.

He blinks in an almost startled manner after a moment, seemingly catching his own face in the video. He quickly tugged a hood over his head then shut the video off, opting instead for text.]

I'm back.

I know people were looking for me.

I'm sorry for being the cause of worry.

I'll be heading back home shortly.

[He doesn't offer an explanation for anyone who missed what happened. If asked he'll say, but he won't name the person responsible if it's not already known.

He could also be run into on his way back to Level 2, if anyone chances upon him that way.]

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text | un: fotia

[burningfree]

Lie?

Are you okay? I wasn't aware something had happened. What are you doing at the Moon Knights headquarters?

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[pyrrhic_paladin]

[Have a very concerned-looking Jaune.]

Ren?! We're here. Are you close to home? Do you want us to come pick you up?

[sleepinglotus]

[Damn it, Jaune... just couldn't let him stick with text, could you?

He keeps the hood up, face relatively shadowed as he starts walking. He feels horrible but there's no reason to linger around where he's at.]

I'm fine, Jaune. I can walk.

[sleepinglotus]

I'm fine.

[He's not.]

I was crystalized.

[He died.]

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[unhappy]

Where'd you go?

[ She didn't really know he was missing since she doesn't talk to him every day, but the worry and "looking for me" and the shortness of the message sound concerning. ]

[pyrrhic_paladin]

Okay... We'll all be here for you. I'm going to let Pyrrha and Rise know if they haven't seen this already.

[As promised Jaune would be waiting for Ren to arrive back home]

[sleepinglotus]

[Just a bit!]

Crystalized.

[sleepinglotus]

... Rise is there?

[Of course she is. She was probably second only to Jaune on freaking out over him.]

[unhappy]

You went home I guess?
No wonder you're being so short.
Remnant sucks.

[sleepinglotus]

No.

I died.

[pyrrhic_paladin]

Yeah I asked her if she wanted to stay with us after... we found out what happened. With how close you two are she might as well be another part of team JNPR.

[He wouldn't leave one of Ren's closest friends alone feeling as awful as the rest of them.]

You're in big trouble though. I think she said something about putting a leash on you.

[He's trying to lighten the mood if only a little so Ren could at least get home with them before he dealt with the high emotions that came from all this.]

[unhappy]

[ ...Welp. Back in Empatheias, crystallized meant went home, not.. that. She hasn't met anyone who actually got crystallized here, so that had been her assumption.

She doesn't really know how to deal with that, so she offers the only thing she knows can help with getting out frustrations. ]

Do you want to go punch something later?

[burningfree]

[Lio knew what "crystallized" meant, so he wasn't buying for a second that Lie was in any way "fine."]

Shit. I'm sorry.

What happened?

Is there anything I can do? Do you need someone to Moonlace with?

[sleepinglotus]

[She gets a lot of points for trying.]

Much later. I am trying to not throw up right now.

[sleepinglotus]

You're not wrong about that.

[My my, Rise. That's kinky.

It's hard to see his expression and he's feeling less humored than usual, but he does sort of raise an eyebrow in a way that could almost be read as interested.

He quickly shakes his head to rid himself of it, though. Now is really not the time, even if a lighter mood was what Jaune was going for ...]

Thank you for looking after her.

[pyrrhic_paladin]

Of course. She's my friend too after all.

[Not that Jaune would leave anyone in the lurch, but he will go the extra mile for his friends.]

It'll be just the three of us for now, but it's good you let everyone else know. I did kind of start a man-hunt for you before I found out what happened from the knights.

[sleepinglotus]

[He really isn't and even if he wasn't a terrible liar on a good day he still would be called out on it because no one is fine after that.]

Wrong place, wrong time. Caught up in a fight and lost. Didn't have my weapons on me.

[Not said was that he absolutely knew his killer and it was less 'caught up in a fight' and more 'decided to fight him despite the obvious danger'.]

Probably? I feel awful right now.

[sleepinglotus]

[He's a good bean.]

I noticed...

[Which is why he said anything at all.]

I can't say I blame you. It's not like going home where it would have been obvious that I left.

[burningfree]

Was it a Prismal, a Moonblessed, or something else?

[Lio didn't want to pry that much but he absolutely wanted to make sure this was just an isolated incident, and not a sign of some greater violent backlash.]

You didn't look well off. If you stay there I can come find you.

[Didn't matter they'd only spoken once. Lio liked Ren, and his instincts to help were overpowering.]

[sleepinglotus]

Moonblessed. Couldn't handle Sanguis. Just also happened to have a lot of power normally even outside of that.

[Lio seemed like a good person from the start so Ren is grateful for the concern, even if he still doesn't want to out Akira.

He needs to get home but even just making it a block away had him stopping to catch his breath.]

Alright. I did start walking but I didn't get far.

[schmisse]

[ Sorry, Ren. While Weiss was worried, she thinks there's not really much she can do about what happened. She doubts Ren would want her to do anything about it either. The least she can do is offer her company.

In the most Weiss of ways, anyway. ]

You owe me a smoothie.

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[hunksmash]

dude what the heck?? are you alright?

...d'you need a meal? i can bring you something?

[sleepinglotus]

I'm fine.

[Just as with Lio, he still isn't 'fine'. Far from it, in fact.]

If you want. I don't want to be a bother...

[sleepinglotus]

[Of course. Also why do you even like them, Weiss.]

Do I?

[schmisse]

[ Because Weiss is a nerd. ]

Don't make me change my mind.