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"I would rather buy her a DS myself," She held Tess close as she raised an eye brow at Mac at his 'offer', although he had promptly walked away to look for Charlie after. She should probably do the same-

"SEPHERAN!" She was still clinging onto Tess (or the other way round, it was hard to tell, really) so when Arachne hugged the basilisk, she only giggled, moving Tess over for a quick group hug... Take 3! She then stayed close, listening to the... Well, best conversation she had ever heard between two friends. Indeed, a while into the conversation, Lizzy had decided to excuse herself after promising the two that she'll find time to catch up with them later.

Yup, they needed some alone time.

She found herself dragging Tess towards where Amrita and Tahki were, mainly because she was worried. As luck would have it, Charlie found them - or rather, he found Tahhki.

"CHARLIE. CHARLIEEE." She squeaked happily; she wrapped her arms around Amrita (who got to him first) and the boil for a group hug (take 4) before peeling herself off. She beamed, patting his head, "You're fine! You're fine! That's awesome..."

Now where is that Mac?

The hunchback was still wobbling, the look of anxiety remaining as the furry-eared ghoul tried to explain things clearer to him, his hands twisting so anxiously his torn arm popped from his shoulder again, sagging miserably. Even his Mistress had succumbed to the lies of the Fog? She had... tried to... his brows knit as the mental image flashed through his mind, and for a moment his eyes sparkled in amazement... it must have been magnificent to see. But... but not if she had killed Master Malodore, that would have been terrible really, and suddenly he felt awful for that instinctual thought. He should have stayed with her. By the real her. She would have kept him in control, and Barth could have taken care of himself, and he hadn't done Calder any favors and...

But... he slumped, wishing he had his shirt and especially the tourniquet usually wrapped around that arm- it would have been a good easy fix besides relying on Fear to keep it magnetically held in place.

He couldn't look at Barth, eyes locked on the arm or his sandy boots.

At the edges of his thoughts, a familiar feeling crept over the back of his mind... His Mistress... his stomach clenched, expression immediately falling, the tremble returning to his hands.

I.... I'm here, Mistress... the thought was barely a whisper, edged in terror.

His eyes moved back to Master Barth and his friend- no... no he shouldn't think of him as Master anymore. The mark was gone. Barth was done with him.

With a careful bow, making sure his head stayed in place, he stiffly turned to lurch through the crowd, eyes scouring for purple.

"Yeah, the reapers where definatly real. And enemies. Well. Except Famine and Conquest but I think they kinda deserved it for running round in those cloaks and being all jerky."

Her reply was slightly distracted as she kept an eye on Christof, her words didn't seem to actually do any good... In fact he seemed kinda worse. And there he went.

"Oh. Er. Shouldn't you go after him? He doesn't. Ah. Look good."

Getting between others troubles was awkward. Especially when it ment she might have to stop clinging to Barth.

Riley swiveled sharply in place when she heard Christof's mind reach out to her, and her eyes zoned in on the movement that placed him. A few laughing students were in the way, but now she understood why she couldn't locate them herself before. Her movements were much swifter, and purposeful, than those Christof managed - and within moments, she was in front of him, when he had taken no more than a handful of steps himself.

There you are. Riley purred, wrapping her arms around the larger form with an ease that wasn't quite her style. Then again, she'd just spent the last hour or so hugging, and being hugged by, half of the student population. It was a day for exceptions. Her hand rested on the back of his head, brushing the hair back behind it. Are you all right? You don't look all right.

She sighed, trying to capture his eyes in her own, and give some strength to that cower. Well, you're all right now. We all are.

I am dreaming again the fog never lifted I am dreaming again how do I know itsrealitfeltreadbeforesheshuggingmewhatdoIdoIdidntmeanitIdontwanttodoitagainnotagainpleaseplease.... His mind couldn't seem to pull itself together, mirroring the frantic look on his face as he stiffened in her grip. Idontwanttoburnplease- Finally, he seemed to regain some sort of control, although his breathing had quickened into hyperventilating through flaring nostrils. I... I am sorry, Mistress, be practically blurted out if only to try to cover his previous panic.

Christof's jumbled and frantic thoughts came as no surprise to Riley right now. It was exactly as she'd expected - the fog had taken it's toll on the already teetering psyche of the patchwork. She leaned in slightly, pouring a wave of comfort into his mind meant to cover his worries like a blanket and stifle them away.

Hush now, Christof. Whatever happened back there, I'm sure it was awful. But what matters is that it wasn't real. I don't think any of us are ever going to truly forget it, but.. we're here now. We have to keep going, because we've been given this chance to live.

And life, for once, meant something to her. Death had a way of putting things like that into perspective.

Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, digesting the snippets she received that told her vaguely what Christof had hallucinated. Burning? He was an undead, after all - it did make sense. Prodding further would only disturb him, so she let it pass and tried to comfort him instead.

You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. I take it you kept Barth safe, did you not? She looked over her shoulder and there indeed was Barth, looking no worth for wear - physically, at least.

Yes, Mistress. The thought was barely tangible, like a small bubble rising to the surface of a glass of water. No, Mistress... I... He was shaking all over, now, his legs threatening to give out and he slumped as though about to faint. I would ahve done it. I did not think twice about it. You had commanded and I would have seen it through I would have seen it through and then alone and alone and alone forever and there was no one to serve and I couldn't do anything and Calder was Dead too and after we got so far and I carried him, I practically carried him the whole way and kept guard and then the fire and the fire and I didn't want I don't like your dragon he is not good he is not good at all and I couldn't do anything I had to I had to I had no choice, My Mistress had told me and I had no choice and I tried, I almost... I almost... I... I'm sorry, Mistress... the sobs had begun about halfway through the frantic thought and by the end it was a high pitched wail, muffled by his stitched lips, his eyes screwed shut as his hands clamped on her wrists for support to stay upright.

Tomoko hugged the ball to her chest, wrapping both of her arms around it. Which kept her hands free of Mac's. Or Mac's hands free of hers. Whichever it was he would have liked having. Tomoko was completely oblivious to everything in question, however, following along at the Reaper's side obediently, tails perking up to keep out from under the kitsune's feet.

Romp romp!

She looked up at Mac when he spoke again, her brows furrowing together. Ouuu, friends;

"Well..there's a ghost named Seiji..and a futakuchi-onna named Junko...and Barth...and West...and Jove..." as she listed names (rather than descriptions), her ears drooped more and more, obviously concerned to see if everybody was okay. "And a little boy named Elaphe. He has a hand attached to his hair." She paused to put her own hand on the back of her head for example.