Quinn closed her eye as Roaki spoke. When she responded, it stayed shut, and it took on that same melancholy that it'd carried earlier, something that was becoming more common to hear from Quinn. But it was a bit different this time; it was underscored with a taut, bone-deep [i]tension.[/i]

"[color=ffe63d]The problem is...[/color]" She didn't want to admit how she'd felt before, that awful feeling of [i]hoping they were alive[/i]. Hopefully she'd just forget it with enough time. "[color=ffe63d]...They weren't in Hovvi that morning, the only reason I could leave cause they left my door open by mistake. They'd gone to do some...science thing in Queenshand.[/color]" 

She sighed heavily, then leaned forward and opened her eye. "[color=ffe63d]Until today, I was sure they were alive. But the stuff I read said they were going [i]back[/i] when they learned the singularity would hit. So I don't actually know if they were there or not.[/color]" 

She smiled lamely. "[color=ffe63d]And not knowing is so much worse. Dumb, right? But,[/color]" she went on after a beat of silence, "[color=ffe63d]what do I [i]do[/i] about it? Now that I know, I wish I didn't.[/color]"

Her voice dropped to a whisper then, and she pulled her legs up, resting her feet on the edge of the chair as she curled her arms around her knees. "[color=ffe63d]And...I don't think I can forget them. Could ever forget them. They'll always be...[i]there.[/i] They're, like, burned into my head.[/color]" She made a muffled sound of distress, but didn't start crying again. She'd [i]promised[/i] herself that. No more crying today. "[color=ffe63d]See?[/color]" She motioned towards the door, held slightly ajar, forgetting Roaki wouldn't look at her. "[color=ffe63d]I still can't do doors.[/color]"