Disappearance

**Decipherer:**  Elias
had been gone for *eleven days* now, with no end in sight to his
absence. It was more than concerning; it was terrifying in its implications.
Artemis couldn't stop his mind from entertaining itself by wandering into every
possible direction, through every conceivable scenario. The imagery that ensued
twisted his stomach.

*Distraction,* he thought.*It'd do me well*
to stretch my legs.

With no pause to allow his thoughts to emerge with worse ideas, he
headed down for the kitchen. No sooner had he returned to his room, where the
door was --

... He'd closed the door, hadn't he? Or was he just noticing
things on account of his missing brother?

With a huff, Artemis slid it closed behind him and tossed himself
onto his bed, to which it let out a groan. His gaze fixed onto the ceiling as
he fought the hollow feeling in his stomach, and his eyes flitted across the
room. It'd been mainly untouched; especially Elias' area, as he awaited his
return with a strict order to let his things be.

He sat upright, shoulders drawing into themselves tightly. He
rushed to Elias' bed, and he felt his heartbeat rise into his throat. There,
rested albeit hastily on a pillow, was a parchment. Elias' normally eloquent
script had been rushed, loops and sweeps abandoned in favor of scrawling
letters.

**I'll be around eventually. - Eli**

His breath hitched. It was supposed to be reassuring, right? That *was* how
he was supposed to interpret this.

But it... wasn't. *It seemed so out of place. Why expend*
the effort to get it here and not face me?*He took it in his hands*
with a strange gentleness, loathe to hurt it somehow.

Artemis decided that perhaps poking about would be the wisest
move, given the situation. He started at the first name that surfaced in his
mind, and who was also, thankfully, watchful of Elias already (though perhaps
not for a good reason).

He knocked on Alice's door, and it was all he could do to halt his
fidgeting. Even then, he only half-succeeded.

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*The
door creaked open to reveal a small disheveled girl. Alice, to put it politely,
looked like a mess. Her eyes were red and held dark rings beneath them and her
features exuded exhaustion. If Arty had thought her informal appearance, that
she normal held, couldn't get worse then he was wrong. Alice's feet were bare
,her pants legs pooled around her ankles, shirt was un-tucked and wrinkled
appearing to be more a dress than a dress shirt, and all other accessories (the
gloves, hat, scarf, goggles) had been thrown into a large pile next to her
satchel on the desk. But what was the oddest of all was her hair, as it was not
put up in it's iconic pony tail but instead hung loosely around her like a
shawl. It spilled over her shoulders and down to her ribs, and the shorter,
wild strands that normally framed her face seem to intertwined themselves into
the longer locks forcing them to double in volume and chaos.\*

Artemis? \*She seemed to ask, unsure of what was dream and what was
reality.\*

**Decipherer:** Artemis
is, almost comfortingly, an equal mess. Sharing in the down hair and sleepless
appearance, he lets out a small, hollow chuckle. "Would you like it if I
came back later?" His fist tightens around the paper in hand. *I've*
no time for this.

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*Alice
takes a moment to understand his words before muttering something under her
breath (...there might not be a later.) and then opening the door to let Arty
inside.\* No. Please come in.

**Decipherer:**  "N-
nono, I was just going to ask if you've, uh, seen Elias around?" His eyes
shift around and past the doorway.

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*Her
rooms a mess with bits of papers, blankets, and books all piled onto one
another.\* I haven't. Have you tried the bars? ...I found him coming back one
night completely drunk....

**Decipherer:**  "A
few nights ago, yeah..." His voice lingers on the words, dropping into
silence before he adds in a strained voice, "It's been eleven days."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  Eleven
days...\*Alice repeated, rubbing her forehead with her palm.\* The aquarium, the
stabbing, the writing, and now *this*?!

**Decipherer:**  His
words seem choked. "It's not that he just popped off, he just -- our mom
just..."

His
speech abandons him again, and he adds quietly while extending the paper,
"And then this, I'm just-.."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*Alice
reads the note, twice, before handing it back to Artemis.\* ...So he's not *in* the
Society?

**Decipherer:** "No,
he isn't," he huffs. "I'm just.. poking around. Seeing if anyone's
seen him."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*She
looks up into his eyes with a mournful sadness about them.\* Why?

**Decipherer:**  He
tilts his head, face contorting with confusion. "What?"

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  Why
do you care about him? Why do you try to save him from himself? Why do you make
his problems, your problems too?

**Decipherer:** "He's
my brother, we-- we're family.."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  But
he doesn't seem to do the same for you. He never told you about the writing,
those "Scientists", and he never even talked of you until you arrived
on our door step.

**Decipherer:**  "...
He didn't?"

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*Alice
shook her head.\* Not that I ever heard.

**Decipherer:**  He
gulps down the lump in his throat, shaking his head and smoothing out his curls
with a hand. "I firmly believe that he would do the very same for
me."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  Has
he?

**Decipherer:**  "He--"
He stops, the strangled tone creeping back into his voice, "He hasn't had
a reason to, but.."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  But
nothing. \*She thinks for a minute before continuing.\* Maybe he's trying to tell
you something. \*She gestures towards the note in his hand.\* Maybe he doesn't
want you do care about him, worry about him, look for him.

**Decipherer:**  His
grasp on the paper tightens, abandoning his previous gentleness. "Why
wouldn't he want me to care about him?"

**Hyde without a Jekyll:** \*She
looked at him, pity in her blue eye.\* ...Just look at what it's doing to you.

**Decipherer:**  "Wh--
huh?"

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*She
gestures towards Artemis's disheveled and panicked state.\* If Elias does care
about you as much as you say he does...then he wouldn't want to see you
like *this*.

**Decipherer:**  "I--
he just needed time!"

**Hyde without a Jekyll:** ...Then
why aren't you giving it to him?

**Decipherer:**  Artemis
pales. "Beca-..."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:** He'll
come back...*eventually*. \*She once again gestures to the note.\* He just
needs *time and space* to think about... whatever he's thinking
about. He doesn't want you worried about him. If he does love you, then he
would never want to see you hurting like this. I think that's what the note is
for, to calm your fears... \*Her voice trails off into a slight, halfhearted
chuckle.\*

**Decipherer:**  He
stiffens at the small, sudden laugh. *"What?"*

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*A
melancholy smile plays across her lips.\* If I'm right... \*She pauses as a small
laugh bounces from her mouth.\* ...then Elias and I aren't that different, after
all.

**Decipherer:**  "...
How do you mean?"

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*She
looks at the ground, resigned.\* Let's just say I am trying to make a similar
decision...

**Decipherer:**  "..
Er- right." He draws in a small breath. "I should, uh, go ask the
others..."

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  \*She
smiles at him. It was sad.\* If it will quench your fears then do so but just
remember to respect his wishes as well.

**Decipherer:**  "Y-
yes, of course," he mutters.

**Hyde without a Jekyll:**  I
wish you luck, then. \*With that Alice retreated back into her room and closed
the door, having one step closer to making her decision.\*