Crystal

[youwonscience]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Cosima
RECIPIENT: Riftwatch generally
NOTES: Nothing specific, but the vibes are bad

Hi, everyone. I'm sorry to have to do this again so soon, but I've been pretty thorough about checking and it seems like Provost Stark has vanished. [Clearly in the way Rifters do; if he'd just gone into Kirkwall and never come back, her tone would certainly be different.]

As his assistant, I'll be filling in as best I can until the organization has picked a new head of Research. I was still kind of getting a handle on his system, but, you know. We'll work it out.

I know we don't have a like ... formal process for this, as we just discussed. [Too recently.] But if anyone wants to have a drink and talk about it. Or not talk about it. I'm around for that too. Standing offer, even if you and I don't know each other as well as we knew him.

You can find me in the Research office for now. If I'm not there, I'll have my crystal on me.

Comments

crystal;

[axetrovert]

Oh.

Shit.

[youwonscience]

I mean, never good news, but yeah.

[Logistically as well as emotionally, not great, bob]

[axetrovert]

[It takes her a few moments to fight past her own panic, but she does it. Her own problems need to take a backseat.

Karlach can't say she fully understands the vanishing bit- but the way Cosima says it makes it very clear that he can't actually be found. Her voice lowers to something far gentler.]

Sounds like he'll be missed, and badly. I'm sorry.

[bouchonne]

Ah.

[ A little quietly: ]

Well, that's quite rude.

[youwonscience]

Not my favorite thing he's ever done, if I'm being honest.

[bouchonne]

Mm. Do you need any support? I'm no longer head of my division, of course, but - I'm still available, if need be.

action, research division office, later;

[heirring]

[Wysteria strictly does not have anything to say over the magic rock for this news. She does, however, materialize without forewarning at the research division office perhaps a half hour after Cosima has made her announcement.

She doesn't knock. She instead waltzes directly into the office, wearing a satchel bag at her hip and a fierce look of determination.]

Hello, Miss Niehaus. Don't mind me. I have only come to see to the Provost's things. I have brought a key for his apartments.

[She brandishes this with much the same authority as an outspoken rabble rouser on a bustling Kirkwall street corner might loudly declare they had been issued a permit by the Viscount's office when questioned by the guard.]

action ∞

[youwonscience]

[She looks up at the notes she's been sifting through in an attempt at triage. Involuntarily, she's been thinking about who did this when she vanished. ("Big fan," Tony had said when they met.) It gives the task a surreal cast, and it takes her a moment to register what Wysteria said.]

...ok. I mean, he didn't keep that much personal stuff in the office, a lot of it is Division materials. Are you looking for anything particular?

[heirring]

Here? No. I mean in there.

[She makes a broad gesture to the door off the office leading to the living quarters. It is strange, really, being in these rooms, this office, at all. She has not been in them often, all things considered.]

He will have left some manner of letter for Miss Smythe somewhere, and I must find it so I may forward it to her along with the news.

[She is not standing still while she says any of this, obviously. She has nearly reached the door to the living quarters now.]

[elegiaque]

You're—

( the question dies, unasked. of course she's sure. she wouldn't be saying, if she weren't sure. )

Oh.

[youwonscience]

Believe me, it's a case where I'd love to be wrong. [Quiet.] I'm sorry it's such shit news.

[elegiaque]

Ouais. Well.

( not much was likely to make it better news, )

His fault, really.

private;

[grindset]

[This isn't the first he's hearing of the Provost's irregular absence—but this makes it official. Now it's real.

What is there to say, except,]

How can I help?

[youwonscience]

Whenever you have some time, I could use some help with the more engineer-y stuff. I've got a pretty good handle on the notes, and the biology-adjacent stuff is a lot of what I was working on, but I don't really know enough about the inventions and the tinkering to know what's useful without him.

[grindset]

Knowing him, it's all useful—or will be, at some point in the future. And could probably stand to be categorized.

not here.

[heorte]

[sprent]

Are you alright, Cosima?

[youwonscience]

...not really, no, but like. Who is, these days?

[sprent]

No. I know. I'm sorry this is happening. You just found out?

[notathreat]

... fuck.

[youwonscience]

Yeah. Seconded.

[notathreat]

Fuck.

Right before Satinalia, too.

[portalling]

( Not particularly new or different or unique or clever as a response, but he can’t help it, the reaction just slips out: )

— Ah. Goddammit.

[youwonscience]

[There's the smallest watery edge to her quiet laugh.]

Yeah, that one.

On that note, I may have to rearrange some of my shifts at the infirmary while I sort some of this, I'll keep you posted.

[portalling]

No, that makes sense, Research needs you more for this right now.

If there’s anything I can do to help. Or if it’s just splitting a bottle of wine later and kvetching about the paperwork headache he’s left you. I’m available for whichever.

( It might sound light on the surface, but she’ll notice that stiff brittleness to his humour; Strange doesn’t crack jokes out of disrespect for Stark’s memory. More the opposite. )