(no subject)

[wavesinherheart]

[Since her encounter with Discord, Aqua has been keeping largely to herself. It's not for love of solitude, however, like one might easily expect. No, it's simply that she doesn't much care to speak to any else (she has no responsibility for their antics and no real interest to involve herself, either) and has been lucky enough to avoid the roving Cambots.

By the time one catches up with her again, she's leaving the media deck, with a pair of books balanced on her back. It's not the easiest thing to manage, and she knows the books aren't the best. But she expects nothing less than utter perfection from herself and if she can't pull some small fragment of useful information out of even these books then something is dreadfully wrong.

Still, for all she notes the Cambot's presence as it follows her along she makes no indication of it, nor does she shoo it away. She sees no reason to bother, after all.]

Comments

[salvagedlight]

Aqua! [Ven hasn't seen her in over a day, and on a place the size of this that's a bad sign. And unless that Cambot's on the fritz, then there's something wrong with her colors... and that's a really bad sign.] Where are you?

[wavesinherheart]

[There's a moment of silence before Aqua deigns to answer, although the Cambot is most certainly not on the fritz - save for Aqua, the colors look just fine.]

Don't bother.

[salvagedlight]

[...That's not Aqua. That's not Aqua at all.]

Of course I'm gonna bother! Where are you?

[And he's off and moving even before she gives her answer - start at her room and trace back to the library. Easiest way to find her.]

[wavesinherheart]

You'll only slow me down.

[She's not going to offer any mention of where she is, either. She'd much rather not be accosted by anyone on her way.]

[salvagedlight]

[And that pulls him to a flat stop on all four hooves, because that is not Aqua. Ven just stares at the cambot... Then grits his teeth, a familiar look on his face if Aqua would turn and look at him. That is his determined face. He ain't leavin' until something's fixed.]

Cam, I'm going on my own now, stay here.

[The cambot hangs back while Ven gallops off. He will find you, Aqua.]

[wavesinherheart]

[Aqua eyes briefly flick over to the Cambot following her at Ven's words, but it's a brief thing and then she continues right on the way she's going. She's not going to hide, although should she run into Ven she intends to make it perfectly clear she wants neither help nor inconveniences.]

[salvagedlight]

[It takes him a few minutes, but he does find Aqua. He's still wingless, so he can't fly, but he's got walking down pretty well by now. He gallops up next to her, slowing his pace to hers and walking beside her.]

Aqua?

[wavesinherheart]

[Aqua's eyes flick over to him briefly as he pulls up beside her, but she makes no real move to slow to match his pace. If he wants to talk to her, he'll have to keep up.]

Yes, Ventus?

[eroded_earth]

Aqua? Are you...feeling okay?

[It's pretty obvious, but he feels he should ask anyway]

[wavesinherheart]

I'm feeling fine.

[She doesn't stop moving as she answers, moving with a slow grace that's only partially due to carrying a pair of books on her back.]

[eroded_earth]

Do you need help with carrying that?

/threadjack

[salvagedlight]

[Ven's voice comes from somewhere off-screen, but he's definitely with Aqua.]

Terra! Grab our Wayfinders and get up here! Mine's on the bedside table!

[Because ponies don't really use pockets.]

[eroded_earth]

[Blink]

Ven? [He realizes then that it IS serious. He nods]

I'll be right there.

[He rushes off, away from cambot. A few moments later he's coming down the hall towards Ven and Aqua, Wayfinders jangling together as they hang from his mouth.]

[wavesinherheart]

[The sound of the jangling Wayfinders catches Aqua's attention, and she can't help but look in Terra's direction as he arrives. And yet, for all that she still doesn't stop long, before she's off and heading once again in the direction of her room.]

[salvagedlight]

[And Ven is keeping pace with her - but he's not going to let her go in her room, because he has the gut feeling that if she does, they're going to have to break the damn thing down to get at her.]

Terra! Over here!

[halfdarkened]

[Riku (or his voice rather) doesn't address Aqua, but someone else.]

Cambot, what are the books?

[wavesinherheart]

[There's a pause, and then Cambot obediently zooms in on the books. They're old books, so old that there's nothing of real value still visible on the spines. However, the title on the cover of the top book suggests it's some treatise on magic - or rather, the closest thing to a treatise on magic that the Satellite has, which most likely means it's going to be about half nonsense, if not more.]

[halfdarkened]

...Magic tricks. That's useful. [He just continues to watch, but says nothing more. She's not hurting anyone at least.]

[wavesinherheart]

[Aqua snorts as if to say 'of course you wouldn't understand,' but if he doesn't want to talk anymore that's fine by him.]

[sailorgenerous]

[That's not Aqua's normal color palette, is it...?]

Aqua? Are you alright?

[wavesinherheart]

[No, no it is not.]

I'm getting rather tired of that question.

[sailorgenerous]

[Discord's been busy, it seems. Rarity's a bit too worried about her friends right now to think about how best to stop him...]

Well, if ponies are asking, it just means they care about you, doesn't it? And you are looking a bit...pale. Maybe you should lie down.

[wavesinherheart]

[The mention of care gets a snort from Aqua. Why in all the worlds would she have time for things like other people caring.]

I don't have time for that sort of thing.

[sailorgenerous]

[Oh boy. This is going to be every bit as difficult as Rarity feared. Still, she puts on a brave face and goes for it.]

But if you don't make time to rest when you're tired, you'll simply run yourself down! Believe me, I know - I've pulled more all-nighters than I'd like to admit in pursuit of high fashion. [Yes, she did just strike a pose there. This is still Rarity, after all.] The books will still be there in a few hours, you know.

[wavesinherheart]

[There's a moment of silence, and then a snort as Aqua turns away from Cambot and keeps right on going. The only thing a lecture is to her right now is a waste of not only her time but also Rarity's, and neither is something she can stand.]