"Who is with us?" The planchette moved to M, then A, after that, R, and finally, Y. MARY.
"Mary? What is your last name, Mary?" B, I, Q, U, A, D. BIQUAD.
"Biquad. Mary Biquad. Why are you here?" L, O, V, E. LOVE.
"Love? Who do you love?" Y, O, U. YOU.
"Me? But… I'm taken." O, H. OH.
"Sorry…" I,T, S, O, K, A, Y. It's okay.
"Okay. Is anyone else there with you?" It moved to YES.
"Who?" S, E, V, E, N. SEVEN.
"Seven? As in seven people or… wait. Nyx, this may be for you. Mary, bring Seven to talk, okay?"
Nyx leaned forwards and planted her elbows on the carpet, hands in her chin, more curious and excited than she cared to admit. "I didn't realise this was a chat with your fan club."
"Hahaha… Ask Seven anything."
She sat back and bit her lip, unsure. "I don't know."
N, Y, X. NYX.
"Seven said your name, Nyx."
She sat up, peering skeptically at the board. She had to ask him something only he would know.
"Seven," she said tentatively, "why did Anne decide we needed to escape?"
F, O, U, R, T, E, E, N, D, I, E, D.
There was suddenly a hitch in her throat.
"What was the last word Anne ever said to us?"
G, O.
Fighting back tears, she conducted the final test. Only her and Phoenix knew this one. It was now or never.
"What were the last words you ever said to us?"
A pause, and then it started moving, slowly.
I, L, O, V, E, Y, O, U.
She stared at the board and promptly burst into tears.
He hugged Nyx.
V, O, Z, R, E, A, L.
"The board said my name. Yes, Seven?"
T, A, K, E, C, A, R, E, O, F, N, Y, X.
I, H, A, V, E, T, O, G, O, N, O, W. N, Y, X, I, L, O, V, E, Y, O, U.
Nyx shut her eyes and sobbed, hard.
"Goodbye." He said, using proper Spirit board manners. He put it up.
Nyx curled up on the floor, tears pouring silently down her face.
He comforted her. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't be sorry." She sniffed and wiped away a tear. "Thank you."
"No problem…" He picked her up and put her on the couch
Nyx was silent, staring into nothing, the dim overhead lights reflecting in her tear-glossy eyes, ragdoll-limp in his arms.
Nyx stayed there, silent and trancelike.
He hugged her, concerned.
She relaxed slightly, but other than that, did nothing.
"Nyx? What's wrong?" He asked, very concerned now
"Nothing," she said softly.
"Sure?" He asked. "I'm just worried about you." He asexually panicked
She closed her eyes. Two tears dripped down her cheeks.
Turning in his arms, she pressed her face into his chest and sobbed, back shaking slightly.
He held her, trying to calm her down
Eventually, she stopped crying and lay there in his arms, hiccuping occasionally, tears streaking her face.
She sighed and buried her face in his shirt, silent.
