[ His voice is warm and fond. The mental nudge gets a quiet mental laugh in return, and a soft brush, like a hand on your arm. Acknowledging but not lingering. He's already picking up on the fact that Chatterclock isn't much for pure sentiment. That's okay.
It's nearly thirty minutes later, when they've made their painstaking way up the stairs to the third floor and are winding their slow way through it, that Yu nearly jumps when a voice bursts into his mind, crackling with static, sharp with worry and strong enough to filter through to his mental connection with Chatterclock. ]
Senpai! Senpai, is that really you?! I can't--
[ The voice cuts out, and Yu whispers without thinking, ]
They're here.
--thing blocking me! Are you okay?! Look, Yosuke is on his way down right now, and the rest of us are backing him up! He just -- going ahead li -- it was so stupid! You going in there on your own is how we -- mess! Can you just stay where you are? You're -- ird floor, aren't you?
[ Yu pauses in his walking. By now he's soaked in sweat from the effort and the pain, tired from their efforts earlier against the Hellbull and the Marlboro, and all he can do is chuckle tiredly. ]
Yeah, I'm here, Rise. I'm sorry I scared all of you.
-- be sorry! Just be safe! ... please?
[ The note of pleading in her voice stabs guilt deep into Yu's gut. Yosuke... he's going to be furious. Contrary to Rise's recommendation, Yu keeps heading for the stairs, which they're nearing. With some mental effort, Yu swaps between his two concurrent mental connections to say privately to Chatterclock: ]
We're not gonna have much choice in how we run into my friends. Are you ready for this? ... actually, could you hear what Rise said?
SALUTES
[ His voice is warm and fond. The mental nudge gets a quiet mental laugh in return, and a soft brush, like a hand on your arm. Acknowledging but not lingering. He's already picking up on the fact that Chatterclock isn't much for pure sentiment. That's okay.
It's nearly thirty minutes later, when they've made their painstaking way up the stairs to the third floor and are winding their slow way through it, that Yu nearly jumps when a voice bursts into his mind, crackling with static, sharp with worry and strong enough to filter through to his mental connection with Chatterclock. ]
Senpai! Senpai, is that really you?! I can't--
[ The voice cuts out, and Yu whispers without thinking, ]
They're here.
--thing blocking me! Are you okay?! Look, Yosuke is on his way down right now, and the rest of us are backing him up! He just -- going ahead li -- it was so stupid! You going in there on your own is how we -- mess! Can you just stay where you are? You're -- ird floor, aren't you?
[ Yu pauses in his walking. By now he's soaked in sweat from the effort and the pain, tired from their efforts earlier against the Hellbull and the Marlboro, and all he can do is chuckle tiredly. ]
Yeah, I'm here, Rise. I'm sorry I scared all of you.
-- be sorry! Just be safe! ... please?
[ The note of pleading in her voice stabs guilt deep into Yu's gut. Yosuke... he's going to be furious. Contrary to Rise's recommendation, Yu keeps heading for the stairs, which they're nearing. With some mental effort, Yu swaps between his two concurrent mental connections to say privately to Chatterclock: ]
We're not gonna have much choice in how we run into my friends. Are you ready for this? ... actually, could you hear what Rise said?