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Roux had been wandering... he'd woken with the sunrise as always to find Rivener asleep. The Ice Frei had watched him sleep for a while, with an impassive and blank expression, his thoughts locked deep within as always. When some time had passed he'd silently left the room to wander the large house. He had contented himself within a small room where there was a window over looking the scenery. He stood in quiet contemplation, watching his reflextion as the gray dawn gave way to warmer hues.

Sound had pulled him from whatever thoughts he visited. Roux turned quietly, looking impassivly in the direction that they were coming from. He floated towards them, the kitchen, smelling food cooking.

Roux floated in the doorway between rooms, watching Aphismet silently with a blank expression as he cooked. This... this was Aphismet. He knew this name, it had been on Chloe's lips often enough when they had been together. She would often talk to Roux even if he only ever gave one worded replies or said nothing at all.

If Roux was taken aback by Aphismet's sudden yelling he did not show it. The Raeven floated impassivly, expression as bland as the day he first was 'born', watching the other as he shook and screamed.

When he was finished Roux floated forward, taller than the human, and looked down at him. He watched a few moments, watched the variety of emotions that roiled within the man and was jealous. He kept this jealousy private for once, letting it sink to the back of his mind like he had let the goings on of that night...

He did not answer Aphismet.

This time Roux did show a measure of surprise, eyes widening slightly. A soft, strangled sound escaped his lips as Aphismet grabbed him physically and pulled him down. The Frei reached up and grabbed the other's wrist with icy hardness, eyes half lidding.

A slow smile spread across Roux's lips, giving his expression something of a darkly sinister look - like the beast that is just about to turn the tables on the pray that had once thought itself to be predator.

And then he spoke... words soft, sad.

"Miss her too."

Of all the emotions that the violent Frei could have acted upon, understanding was the least likely.. and yet.... it was still there. Was this not the way he acted when he felt something was unfair? He'd done the very same thing to someone once for less of a reason...

His grip on Aphismet's wrist loosened, eyes sliding shut painfully as Aphismet's fingers still clutched his neck. He'd give the man a moment to let go - if he held on then Roux would not restrain himself.

It was then that soft plodding noises and shuffling noises came from the hallway. They sounded like dull pleading knocks of a child against a parent's doorway when in fact they were the sound of a young teen's crutches against the hardwood floor. Slowly appearing in the doorway, his stormy grey eyes sunken into darkened eyes of restless nights, Isikoro blinked in befuddlement at the pair in the kitchen. The boy hadn't been doing well health-wise since this entire thing had started. Isi had been trying to hold too much and now it was beginning to show. He had a flimsy felt brace around his neck that kept his bruised neck from being too exposed and it supported his neck while his crushed windpipe healed. His grey streaked hair was sticking up in all directions instead of having the cocky casual flip to it. It was apparent that he had just gotten up from bed and it didn't look like he was too awake either.

"Brother...?" Isi managed to squeeze out of this throat. Instead of the word coming out demanding and irritated like Isi intended it to, the word kind of dribbled and floated pathetically to the ground like a soot ball. Isi glanced at Roux. Wait...Roux? What was Roux doing here?! Isi's face must've been fun to watch as his mask slipped right off and shattered into a million shards of shock. Well, if Roux was here, then where was Chloe...? Isi glanced about with the quick twists and snaps of his head, but the motion made him groan in pain and reached up with a hand to rub at his bruised throat. His heart had leapt and tripped with hope, but when the familiar pink haired girl wasn't to be seen, Isi's heart sank like a stone.

"Brother...what's going on?" Isi asked carefully as he hobbled slowly closer into the room. His voice sounded like crackling paper and whispering leaves. Aphi could tell, since Isi was half-asleep and unable to control his emotions either, that the boy was nervous. He had tried to piece back his mask but the job was sloppy and half done. It almost looked as if he were always expecting the worst or expecting Edgar to come back and reclaim Aphi's body. He must've realized how he appeared because Isi immediately tried to straighten himself up, blink the sleepiness from his eyes, and strengthen his voice, "Roux...?"

At least Roux was safe, Isi thought inside his head as he hobbled forward and closer to the two. With Roux safe and sound, Isi felt part of his burden slip off his shoulders and he gave a look to Roux that expressed relief and welcome, but confusion and question.

Aphismet blinked, eyes growing wide at seeing Isi. Only now did it occur to the man what he'd almost done. He'd been ready to kill Roux! Roux, who Chloe loved! Right here, in the kitchen, where Isi and Riv and Eiry could have seen all the blood and...

Aph blanched. Was he... was he really capable of being so coldhearted? The questions he thought he had set aside for good were all threatening to come back. No, not now! He had to be strong! For his family, for Chloe.

"Roux," he said, leaning forward and placing a hand on the Frei's shoulder, hoping he wouldn't mind, "we're all hurting. Please, if you know what happened, TELL us. Tell us however you can! Draw it if you have to, write it if you can, just... let us know. God, we can't find her without your help." Aph's eyes had hardened again now that he had something else to concentrate on.

"I don't know how Roux got here, Isi, but I have a sneaking suspicion Rivener had something to do with it. I'm sorry we woke you. Are you okay?" Aphi spared his brother a glance.

Roux looked down at the pen and paper blankly. Writing was far easier than speaking, yes, he could put the words that he wanted together in a fashion that made much more sense. He simply gazed down at the two items now, however, feeling distant as he remembered what had happened.

He calmly placed the paper on the table, leaning forward and painstakingly wrote out what words he could.



He left the piece of paper on the table, floating back away from it as though it were something horrible. He had articulated all that he could... he suspected, with a twinge of frustraition and annoyance, that it wouldn't be enough for Aphismet and waited, expression dark as he readied to retaliate if the other attempted to touch him again.

Isikoro didn't know what to make of the words scrawled upon the frosted paper. He honestly didn't know of anyone who fit the description. A person, perhaps a human, with yellow hair? Two faces...Isi knew of that, he was one with two faces too.

"Sharp thing..." he echoed worriedly, continuing his thought process aloud in a strained voice, "That could be anything...Like knives...Scared...Roux was scared because the man was threatening to hurt Chloe? You were angry because you couldn't do anything or because he said something? You were going to hurt him to save Chloe but he did something to you...What do you mean ow in shoulder...? The only thing I can think of that can make you fuzzy and sleepy and sick would be like a poison or an injection..." Isi shook his head blearily and gaped like a fish. He was at a loss for hypotheses.

When Riv's voice called desperately for Roux, Isi was going to raise his voice but Aphi beat him to it. Good thing too, Isi's voice was in no condition to be yelling. He watched as Rivener raced in and magnetized himself to Roux.

In response, the boy nodded his head. As he readied his answer, he felt some frustration seep out in his attitude. He didn't mean to narrow his eyes and huff, or even let his shoulders tense. But he did. He replied testily, "It's fine with me, but Rivener, I'd really appreciate it if you woke us up and told us. We could've helped or done something. Really, we're family now, it's okay to come to us with things like this-" But then Isi caught himself. He realized how he was sounding. They didn't need that. He sat himself down in a chair at the table, his hand resting upon Roux's note. Just...Calm down...Isi thought to himself. He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead, "But it's alright...It's just the thing I would've done...I'm just glad we're safe."