Welcome to Gaia! ::

As much as Anteros was attempting to hide it, the poor deity was quite upset ... and he too easily gave in to taking Yukiko's hand, squeezing hers in turn.

Why was Venus sending Yukiko letters, then? What was she asking her to do those things for? Did they serve no purpose? Was there no point? Was there no point to any of this? Was all of this hopeless? How could she not know? She was the closest thing he had to a lead, but she hadn't a clue herself, despite being the last to figuratively speak to his mother. Did no one have a clue, then? Was his mother lost forever?

While the panic was setting in, Anteros did his best to mute it. There was one thing he was now certain of: Yukiko was still here. Yukiko still cared about him. She hadn't left him on accident--and she had only not been there at the party because she was on assignment from Venus. That made it ... a lot more of a relief, though he wondered why anyone might want to keep Yukiko away from the party, especially his mother. She had been the one to invite her there, with Anteros.

None of this made sense.

Anteros caught himself leaning into Yukiko, but he didn't attempt to stop it. "Thank you, Yukiko. I appreciate the offer, but," he let out a small sigh, "I don't even know what to do anymore. She's gone. My mother is gone."

He sounded more choked up than his face let on, and he squeezed her hand a bit tighter.

"I'm glad to hear you didn't... forget about us."

Anteros had to try and be positive.

He had one woman he knew loved him--and despite even his fears, he loved her too, which is why he had been so concerned as to where she went, and quite upset as well--but there was still another missing. Anteros' mother was important to him (even if he was not the most important to her) and having her just gone, with no clue as to where she might have went at all...

It was disheartening, to say the least.

But Yukiko helped with the heartening part, and hearing her words made a small smile make its way back to his face. Brief as it was, it was there, and he murmured a, "Thank you," for confidence that he, particular, could her, and that she would always there for him.

Yes. Always. No more being taken away by by anything, even silly assignments.

He had to wonder, though, was there a purpose to them?

"I'm glad to see you here. Alright. I was worried."