text; @onni (backdated to early november)

[scowlish]

I'm looking for my cousin, he disappeared from our apartment yesterday.

He's very sick and needs looking after.

[He types and erases 'I'm worried' several times before settling on what to say.]

I'm very concerned about his well-being, please let me know if you've seen him.

His name is Lalli. He's got pale eyes and ash blond hair to about his jaw. Very skinny and kind of short. He'll probably fight you if you try to touch him.

Comments

[hersay]

[ ??? what kind of sicko would do something like that? ]

That's rude. Why would that person refuse if you're Lalli's parent?

[ allison, at this point, is pretty confident in her assumption that this is a very ordinary parental relationship she is dealing with!! ]

[scowlish]

His cousin, but I've been his guardian since he was eight.

She says he doesn't want to see me.

[There is no way to convey over text how terrifying and infuriating this situation is, and he thinks maybe that's for the best.]

private;

[hersay]

[ allison feels a little bad that her assumption was off, but also, given the way onni responds, it's not that far off.

it's probably impossible to put the horror of being separated from someone you love, someone you've cared for, a person who is essentially your child, into words. allison doesn't need words, though. when she sees onni's last message, she thinks about that horrible, devastating verdict. how she can't see claire, and if patrick wanted to, her could easily make claire not want to see allison, too.

it's a few minutes before she responds, trying to parse out what she, at the very least, would want in this situation. ]

Do you want to talk about it?

[ because what she'd want, if she were onni, is not to be alone. ]

private;

[scowlish]

[It honestly isn't. Onni has been his guardian and parental figure for more than half his life at this point, he's learned how to handle all of Lalli's different needs as well as he can, all the ways he needs to be handled so he doesn't shut down, and this is completely mystifying. They've had worse fights than the little spat they'd had before Lalli ran away, they've had worse fights in the last month, but Lalli has never done this before.]

I don't know. I can hardly think right now.

I just want to know he's safe, she won't even let me speak to him.

[hersay]

I understand.

He's alive. Once we find him, he will definitely be safe.

[ allison will do what she can. and that includes: ]

My offer still stands, even if you can't talk right now. Text me when you want. I don't think any of us are going anywhere anytime soon.

[scowlish]

I need to do something.

I lost my sister recently, and before she passed someone told me she was perfectly fine when she wasn't. I can't take her word for it, I can't.

How can I know for sure he's alive?