It was morning.
The grey light of the December morning filtering into the apartment via the door leading to the balcony.
Green-flecked grey eyes blinked owlishly for a moment, as their owner stared blearily at his surroundings.
Oh right the apartment.
It had taken a good few moments to take his surroundings, despite the fact that they should have been familiar.
Arian sat up slowly, carefully, his body protesting from the fact that he had once again fallen asleep on the living room couch. He reached out for the nearby table, tiredly fumbling for his glasses, the action one that was becoming something of a routine.
Glancing across and down to the end of the sofa, he spotted two bundles of fur - one calico and one tabby - both curled together by the end near the armrest.
He shifted as slowly as he could,= doing his best not to disturb them, knowing that the tabby - Liryn - had like him been up for most of the night and shuffled-walked into the kitchen to make coffee.
It was perhaps a sign of Liryn's exhaustion that the tabby bobtail didn't even make a sleepy peep, making Arian wonder for a moment if the small mauvian had been slipping out on his own.
Not that either of them had managed to uncover anything.
Green-flecked grey eyes peered at the map that they'd been crossing off, and for a moment hands clenched into fists of helpless frustration at how few places were left unmarked.
Orah... Ida... Where are you?
Forcing himself to unclench his fists, Arian dumped half a ton of sugar into the cup with the coffee and downed the sweetened bittersweet contents without even bothering to stir and then poured a second cup after he finished the contents of the first.
It was like his friend, his team mate had disappeared into thin air. He'd even in desperation tried ringing her family just in case they knew something he hadn't. Doing his best to be cagey - or as cagey as he ever got.
He wasn't sure how well that had gone, although he had at least managed to find out that they hadn't seen her either.
Memories of New Year's - of the Fun House slipped into his mind. Thoughts of the kidnapping to the alien planet haunted his thoughts. Was Orah - Ida - alone somewhere being tortured. Was it the Negaverse as it had been at the start of the year? Or was she once again on some alien planet, being forced to fight for some mad thing's entertainment.
At some point his hands had tightened on the mug again and Arian once again forced himself to unclench his hands finger by reluctant finger, his thoughts a haphazard mishmash of worry, hopelessness and fear.
And then he set down the coffee that he was no longer really drinking, before picking up the map and heading towards the door.
He stopped midway, having just enough present of mind to set out some kibble and water for Lola.
Then he turned, his green-flecked grey eyes glancing back to where the two felines still lay and hesitated for one long moment as he stared in particular at the tabby bobtail mauvian, as a part of him wondered whether he should wake Liryn up...
No, he decided at last. Let him sleep.
Arian let the apartment door slip shut with a quiet snick.
-- 564 words --
Whimsical Blue
Have another belated reaction solo <3
