15 ❄ ( AUDIO )

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack's voice is one of the biggest changes that he'd been affected with: higher and lighter, even without the soft tone that he's speaking with right now. If you haven't spoken to him since the misspell took hold, it might even be hard to identify the audio only feed as his, unless the console ID is checked. ]

Traci didn't show up for work today so I went to check on her. Her suite is empty... it looks like she's gone home too.

[ A pause, almost like he intended that to be the end of the feed and then he speaks again, this time with resolve and a lilt much more like Jack Frost. ]

I know this has been mentioned offhandedly a few times in the past but I hadn't heard of anyone taking it on, so I'll be doing it from now on: keeping track of everyone whose come and gone from Tu Vishan. And I don't just mean their names and dates... but what made them important while they were here.

[ another pause, and the faint chirp of Baby Tooth in the background ]

That's all, I guess.

Comments

[parallels]

[She's quiet for a few moments before she speaks again. Like she needs the time to steel herself. Which she does. She wants to keep it all inside and never speak of it again. But Jack's right, ultimately that's a disservice to the one's they've lost.]

I've got a contribution if you're ready to start taking them.

[wintershepherd]

[ There's a moment of quiet on the line, then he replies calmly. ]

Yes... I'm ready.

[parallels]

Her name was Rose.

She just left... today. Not sure. Came by. We were going to go shopping. She was gone.

[Clara coughs and clears her throat. She wants to stop, but she'll push through. For Rose's sake.]

She was amazing. I didn't know her before coming here. Just had a mutual friend, so to speak. But she... looked after me. Even if I probably tried to treat her like a kid at first. She took me in. Introduced me to her friends. My friends now. My good friends.

It's because of her... If not for her, I'd be alone here.

[wintershepherd]

[ There's a slight indrawn breath at Clara's words and Jack is glad this is not a video feed. ]

... Rose definitely is special. She'll be missed here too.

[ They hadn't spoken in a while, only because of the busyness of the turtle but Jack remembered how happy she'd been to learn who he was and take a little float on the Wind. Those were the kinds of things he wanted to make account of, for remembrance. ]

Thank you for telling me.

[parallels]

[Clara notices the breath but doesn't comment on it. Instead she takes the moment to softly blow her nose and give Jack his moment. She wants to ask how he knew Rose and what they did together. It's that strength desire to both get closer to and to hide from loss.]

Definitely special. Just hope she's... home. And happy.

[A sniff. Clara is also glad this isn't a video feed.]

Thanks, Jack.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack knows something that fixes such cases of the sads. ]

Hey... how about a rooftop redux? I can come up with more cocoa.

[parallels]

[A soft laugh.]

How can I say no to cocoa?

[wintershepherd]

[ good; it's better that she laughs ]

Okay. See you soon, Clara.