Meanwhile, earlier that day in Nosgoth..
Claire had not been back in Rhy'Din long, her trip to Pulse having brought her back a few weeks after Adelaide's birth. In that time, she had seen just enough of Zack to let him know that all was well on the Farron front and to tell him she was there if he needed anything. Chalking his extended absence up to the pitfalls of new parenthood, she gave him the space he surely needed. But when he stopped returning her calls and texts, that's when she got worried. Finally making the trip out to Nosgoth, she touched at the pendant worn that morning, feeling it thrum with a hint of tension. She frowned and continued on her way to the Alcar-Ekia residence, weaving down paths damn with melted snow-pack. Her boots left thorough footprints in her wake and as she stepped up to the front door, she wiped the mud off so it wouldn't be tracked in. One hand lifted to knock hard at the door. Not that a door would keep her out, but courtesy was necessary.
Zack had continued his new routine of searching for Raven, as well as taking care of Addie with little to no sleep. Very seldom did he head out towards anywhere, other then searching. During the times that Addie was sleeping and he wasn't looking. He was drinking more than he had before, as his mind just couldn't wrap around the fact that Raven had just disappeared it seemed off the face of not only Nosgoth, but Rhy'Din as well. When Claire finally came to visit when she hadn't heard from him. It wasn't Zack whom answered the door, but his brother Gabriel whom eyed her a moment. "Yes?"
Claire hadn't expected someone else to answer the door. She narrowed her eyes and slowly looked up to Gabriel with a scrunch of her nose. Having never met either of Zack's brothers, she had no idea who it was and set a hand on her hip. Head tilted, she cocked a brow. "Uhh... do I have the wrong house? I'm looking for Zack." She leaned to try and peer around the man, huffing softly. She was definitely at the right place.
Gabe just stared at Claire for a long moment, before he chuckled faintly as he recalled his brother mentioning a few of his friends in Rhy'Din. "You must be Claire." Stepping to the side to let her inside. "He's probably passed out in bed. He rarely sleeps anymore." Said to her when she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. "Only thing that keeps him going is his daughter."
"Ah. Um. Yeah, that's me. You must be... one of the older brothers? Gabriel probably?" An educated guess considering in some other world Zack had named a son after the man. She rubbed at the back of her neck and gave him a faint nod as she stepped inside. Looking around, with the man's words her gaze ticked toward the stairs to the second level. "What? What do you mean? What happened?" She wasn't even really waiting for an answer since she was already heading for the stairs.
"I am Gabriel." Bowing lightly to her before moving up to her side once she stepped in, then quirked a brow to her heading right for the stairs. "It appears that Raven has disappeared and no one has been able to find her." Moving to follow her now as he would pause to check in on Addie. There Claire if she paused to look, would see Raziel. "This is my twin, Raziel." Might as well be nice and introduce her. "Raz. This is Claire." Raz looked up from rocking and feeding Addie to nod.
She faltered in her steps and paused to look back at Gabriel and then Raziel. "Nice to meet you." She said quickly, bouncing her gaze toward the stairs and then back to the men, including the one who held her goddaughter. Rubbing her hand over her mouth, she shook her head. "Seriously? Like, gone gone? Did she leave a note or anything or what's up?" Slowly she inched back towards the stairs again.
Raz continued to focus on Addie who seemed content to be held and rocked, but one could just tell that there was tension in the house. Even Addie felt it. Gabe nodded for Raz to take Addie up to her room, before stepping up beside Claire. "Gone gone. Not even our father could sense her anywhere. There was no note, nor a word from her about leaving."
Claire chewed at her lip, watching Zack's brother take the ill at ease tot up to her room. She wanted to follow, to go up after and make sure that Addie was alright and that Zack was too. "That's..." She wanted to say that wasn't like Raven, but truth be told it wasn't a stretch. A deep frown settled on her lips. "That's not good. What can I do to help?"
Gabe actually patted Claire's shoulder as he caught the look from her as she watched Raz taking care of Addie. "Perhaps you can get through to him." Now motioning towards the master bedroom. "Do what you must." Trying to hide the worry as he had never seen his youngest brother like this. "This hit him hard." Murmured to the woman.
"How drunk is he?" She asked with a crinkle of her nose. Not really waiting for an answer, she gave Gabe a soft nod and started up the stairs two at a time. Silent steps took her down the hallway past Addie's room where she peeked inside to see Raziel laying the wee babe down in her crib. Taking a deep breath, she made it past Adelaide's nursery and to where she knew Zack and Raven's room to be. Knuckles gently rapped on the door before she gripped the handle and turned, carefully opening the door to peek her head into the darkness. "Zack? You here?"
"Very drunk. It seems to be his past time lately." Gabriel said as she moved towards the stairs and eventually towards the master bedroom. "Hope she can get through to that boy. Addie needs him to be strong." Gabe murmured to himself as he waited a moment or two before moving to gather Raz after he put the child to bed. Leaving things in Claire's hands now, as they held no reason not to trust her. When Claire poked her head into the bedroom, there she would find Zack face first in the bed, yet her words got a groan from him. "Let me sleep." Zack muttered as a pillow came flying at the door, as he rolled over.
The pillow hit the door which bounced off of Claire's forehead. A low growl rumbled in her chest and she shoved the door open to step inside fully, snatching up that thrown pillow. Carefully shutting it behind her so as not to wake Addie, she stalked over to the bedside and peered down at him, wielding the pillow in one hand while the other hand gripped her hip. With a back swing, she flung the pillow forward and whacked him with it. "First off, don't throw shit at me." Following her words, she sat at the edge of the bed. "Secondly, why the hell haven't you told me what was going on?"
He tried to use the other pillow to cover his head as it seemed he had really gotten drunk and the slightest sound was enough to annoy him. He had no clue that she had stepped into the room or shut the door, before she started to speak. "Then let me sleep." Grumbling afterwards as she sat on the bed, before finally moving to roll onto his back when she whacked him with the pillow. "Sorry. My mind's just been...gone." Slowly moving to sit up with one hand moving to start massaging his temples.
"No." She said plainly to his request that she let him sleep. Scooting up onto the bed further, she sat with her back against the headboard and her arms folded over her chest. Watching him for a few long moments, she gave him a small nod and reached out to gently rub his back. "I can understand that... Noct was pretty out of sorts until I came home..." She murmured softly, still rubbing. "Want me to get you some water?"
"Fine." Muttered to her refusing to let him sleep, as he slowly shifted to sit up and lean against the headboard as well. Still massaging the bridge of his nose, as he shifted a bit to her rubbing at his back. "She just up and left, Claire. No word. Nothing." Murmured as he shut his eyes and leaned his head back. "Coffee actually." Murmured.
"I just up and left too, Zack." She said gently, patting his arm before sliding off of the bed. "You'll get through this but I need you to sober up. For Addie." Claire spoke sternly, giving him a rather terse look as she headed for the bedroom's door. Glancing back at him once more, she sighed and slipped out to go make him a cup of coffee. Of a mind to bring the whole pot up, she relented on the idea and just brought a mug, stepping back into the room to offer it out to him.
He nodded lightly as he did remember her telling him her story once they became friends. "For Addie." Murmured as he looked to her as she moved to get him the cup of coffee, and once he was alone. His gaze ticked upwards for a moment, only to look back to her when she returned. "Thanks." Whispered as he took the mug and took a long, slow sip of it. He might have looked like he needed a shower, maybe even a shave.
If he thought about it, she had 'up and left' multiple times. Including most recently after their seige on the overlord's isle. Sitting back down on the bed as he took the mug from her, she quietly watched him for a few minutes. "You look like hell." Simply spoken, he knew she would never sugar coat things for him. "So give me the rundown. How can I help?"
There was that as well, as he freaked the hell out himself when she poofed that time. Nearly ripping the place to pieces on his own. "Haven't been sleeping or much of anything since she left. Minus taking care of Addie." Murmured as he followed it with a sip. "I don't know. Raven disappeared one day while I was gone, and I came home to find her gone and Addie crying." Looking to her.
She glanced at him sidelong, head tilting just a bit as she listened to what had occurred. "I can tell. Like I said, you look awful...smell like it too..." Nodding faintly, she reached to set a hand on his shoulder, squeezed gently. "That's...that's weird. Your brothers said she didn't leave a note or anything. I mean, I know she was sorta flighty but I don't see her taking off on her kid like that..."
He chuckled faintly to that at her comment on how he looked and smelled. "Guess I could use a shower." Murmured as he shifted to set the mug to the side. "We looked everywhere for her, and I looked in Rhy'Din." Slowly shifting to move around her. "Mind keeping an eye on Addie?" Looking towards her as he moved off the bed and started towards the bathroom.
"You definitely could." She gave him a grim smile and slid off the bed after him. Brows knitted and she grunted a little displeased noise. That was never any good. "Yeah, I can do that. Once your done, I'll head out unless you need anything." She gave him a nod and yet again left his bedroom. Tiptoeing down the hallway, she peeked into Addie's room again. The mobile spun and left little imprints of stars lit up on the walls. Addie was wide awake, cooing and babbling to herself, so Claire smiled and stepped inside to keep the tot company while her father cleaned up.
"Hush." Faint smirk at her as he yawned and stretched, as he really wanted to just sleep but that was going to be denied. He missed her look, before looking over his shoulder to her. "Nothing comes to mind." Watching as she slipped out and knew if he tried to get some sleep. She probably drag him out of bed, so off to the shower with him. Taking a much needed long hot shower, and once he was done and cleaned up. He even shaved and just tossed on a pair of pants, before moving out of the bedroom and headed towards Addie's room.
As Zack neared, he caught the very tail end of the tale told to the tot. "...and once the big meanie head God fell down into oblivion, that's how the world began anew. Maybe some day when you're bigger, Auntie Claire can take you to see it. It's pretty just like you." She reached a finger through the slats of the crib to boop the sleepy baby on the nose. Addie gave her god mom a tired giggle in return, having listened to the story the whole time without ever dozing off. Claire's gaze ticked over toward the bedroom door and with a soft farewell to Adelaide, Claire went out to the hallway to meet Zack there. "Feel better?"
Which got him to smile as he paused near the doorway to listen to the end of the tale, as he watched Claire with his daughter. "You are going to make one hell of a mother one of these days." Murmured as he looked in on Addie then back to her. "Would like some sleep, but I'll be alright." A faint smile as he covered his mouth to hide a yawn, as the look in his eyes held that he was tired and perhaps the hidden sorrow to Raven being gone. "You going to look, aren't you?"
She blushed and bit at her lip, shrugging gently and not responding to his comment about her aptitude towards motherhood. Addie was dozing off at last, seeming to be drifting into a comfortable sleep. Claire gave a level look to Zack, one hand crossing the distance between them to grip his upper arm. Gently rubbing much like she had rubbed his back, she nodded back toward his room. "Go sleep. She'll sleep for a bit, you should too. I pre-made a few bottles, you just need to add warm water, the formula's already measured out." Her hand sought to gently steer him back toward his room. "I am, yes. I'll call you if I find anything out."
Which got him to actually smile a bit more, but he chose not to try and convince her otherwise. It was just one of those things that he believed in, before looking to her hand as she gripped his arm and started to rub it. "I'll go to sleep in a bit." Said softly as he slipped free of her trying to steer him back towards the bedroom, as he was being stubborn now. "Alright." To both her mentioning the bottles and that she'd call if she found anything.
As he slipped away, she growled and stepped right up to him. Sliding her arms around his torso, she hugged him tightly for just a moment before letting go and stepping back. "No. Go now. For Addie." She was going to play the Addie card lots and lots and lots, don't worry. Walking backwards toward the stairs, she watched him all the while. "Go sleep. I'll call you."
He blinked as she moved up and hugged him, as he sighed softly and hugged her back. "Fine. For Addie. Damn she knew just how to get through to him, before moving to slip away from her. "Fine fine." Moving to the bedroom again as he knew she'd throw that card in his face, and it would work everytime. "Claire." Looking over his shoulder to her. "If you ever need anything. Anything at all. Just name it."
Satisfied when he finally caved and trudged for the bedroom, she paused at the top of the stairs to watch his path. A small smile graced her lips as he looked over his shoulder at her and she gave him a slight nod in response. "I know. Get some rest, Zack." Softly spoken before she turned to head down the stairs and take her leave.
Muttering at how she managed to get her way this time, and it was only because she had to use Addie against him. Light smile to her as he gave her that temple salute. "Later." Murmured as he finally moved off into the bedroom again to sleep.