MASKTOURN

4:06 PM

Gale sat up and watched their happy reunion, a fond smile on her face. After a moment, they got up and walked over. With a bit of hesitation, they spoke. “H-hey Ace, glad to see ya. Ah, how’re you doing?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace and Ellie were sitting on the ground now, Ellie's head laid in their lap. It...looked like they less 'sat' and more 'fell over on the ground and stayed there'. Ace peered up at the newcomer, a hand lifted to shield his eyes from the light. After a moment, they seemed to realize who they were. Ohh. "Ah- it's good t'see you too, Gale," they greeted, smiling warmly. "I'm doing...well. Ah, but I'm alive now, so I can't find much to complain about." Ellie waved at Gale from where she laid, but let them have their moment. She seemed rather happy with, well. Everythin'. "How- how have you been?" They seemed very hesitant to broach this subject. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Kyrie followed Gale over to Ace and Ellie, mostly to provide emotional support. She didn't say anything, but smiled weakly. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

They bite their lip nervously, though they seem to relax at Ace’s warm smile. “Ha, yeah, well as you can after all of.. that. I’m glad you’re back. Alive.” Gale waves back to Ellie before continuing. “I..I’ve been better, for sure, ha.. but, yknow, it’s been a lot easier to handle with Ellie and Kyrie here. I- I’m doin’ alright. Ah, how was.. how’re you?” ’god this is so awkward what the hell do you say to the guy who’s death you were partially responsible for???’ @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I'm glad I'm back, too," he laughs, scratching a little behind his ear. They're rather relaxed as well; it just appears that talking about this isn't their strong suit. "Ah, and I'm glad you've been...you've been doin' alright." "Er. Erm, ah- I've been. Good, really, all things considered. Death- death wasn't all too bad. I...err. Didn't do much, but it wasn't too awful." Hells alive. This was awful. Poor kid, she had to feel guilty about all of this- what the hell do you say to the kid you almost certainly traumatized with your death??? "S- so. So," he says after a moment, gaze shifting to Kyrie as she approaches. Ellie waves to her as well, and Ace gestures strangely with his hand. "So I've heard. So I hear that you three, are?" Fuck. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie shifted awkwardly. "Uhm. Uh. Yeah, we're... yeah." She looks to Gale for help. "Yeah." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Talking about this sure as hell ain’t Gale’s strong suit either. Though her posture is relaxed, there’s still that unsure sense of ‘am I saying the right thing?’ in their voice. “That’s. Good, I’m glad it wasn’t awful, ha. Um..” ’You three, are?’ oh thank god a change in topic- “We’re- yeah, we’re. Dating. The three of us.” She shot the other two a ‘right???’ sort of look. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"M. Mhm. I'm also glad it wasn't- ah, it wasn't awful or anything, or- or bad. Poor choice of words," he winces. "Ah..." There's a lingering apology behind his words, present but unable to be formed just yet. He's a little relieved that the conversation has shifted, though. "Oh? I- I was only guessing off what Ellie had said about you two-" He seems a bit surprised at his random guess coming true. Ellie sits up rather abruptly, nearly catching Ace right in the chin. "Y- yeah! We're dating! The three of us are dating now. What- what did I say? About?" "In- in any case, you don't need to. Worry about me, I suppose," Ace says, extending his hand to the two. "It's...it's like I've said. As long as you two make Ellie happy, I have no issue with it." "Ew, gross," she snickers, punching him in the arm. He winces a bit harsher than before. "Ignore them. They're a cornball." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie smiled brightly, "Ah- yeah, we're dating." She glanced affectionately towards Ellie and Gale, and laughed at Ace's corny speech. "Thanks, Ace. I- I really hope we make Ellie happy. She definitely makes me happy." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They tilt their head, picking up the sense of apology but not entirely understanding its presence- though as the conversation shifts she puts it out of mind. Gale smiles at her partners, her cheeks rosy. “Heh, I think we’re doin’ a pretty good job.” It made her wonder, though- the way Ace looked after Ellie, were they family? The thought struck her like a bolt, and their smile fell. “Ah- hey, um. Ace, did you- have you seen Roy at all? He- if he’s really..” If the dead were here then he could be- he has to be. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Oh," Ellie softly murmurs, cheeks tinged pink with warmth. "You guys...you guys are so sweet. You guys make me really happy too, y'know? We- we've been through hell and back together. The three of us." The mood shifts rather abruptly, and their own smiles drop from their faces. Ellie, concerned and worried all at once, seems to rival Ace, who's stopped looking at everyone entirely. "Ah...well." "...I didn't do...much while I was...in the Fold," he winces. "It was just...a lot of wandering about aimlessly. I don't even remember waking up here. Just that I suddenly was. It's just felt. Hazy." "But if I'm here now- and the rest of the deceased are, too, then I think Roy must be here somewhere," they say with finality, their voice trickling off. And. "And Nathan must be here, too." "Nathan?" Well. She had some semblance of what happened, but- "Wait, Nat? Natto? Roy and Nat are here?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie looked away, and scanned the horizon. "Do you really think they're somewhere here?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Gale nods, her eyes already scanning the horizon. “Right, they have to be here, they have to.” Everyone seemed to have clustered up here, so.. “They have to be close by, right?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷