[ When this message comes through, Claude is certain he's hallucinating until he stares at it long enough. He's figured out by now that some of what he's seeing isn't real thanks to all the illusions around them, but Hilda's handwriting? It is. She must be alright, then, and that's a relief. It's enough for him to swallow a lump in his throat, but at least it helps him focus.
A response comes, but it takes a while. ]
A̴̰͎͕̯̭̝̓̾̇͘̚n̴̛̤̈́̏̓͊d̴̤̣͈̱̮̱͙͋͗̄̈́ ̶̧̦̋̃͗͜͠ͅh̷̨̒́̂́̉̕ere̸͌ͅ ̴͖͆I̵̺͂ thought ý̴͎ō̸̬̃̏u̸̯͔̩͆́ ̴̰̰̖̹͑̈́͑̔ẁ̶̳ė̴̲̲͙̙̚r̴͖̗̐e̵͉̟̲̦͂ ̶͇̹̰̉̏̄͠j̴̙̜̑ust ignorin̴g̴ ̷m̵e̴ ̴a̴l̵l̵ this tì̶̯̲m̷̳͌̈e̵̯̔͌̒.̷̘̰̠̇̄
[ It is lost on him that Hilda likely thinks the same about him even if he's figured out the messages he's tried to send before haven't gone through. ]
I d̴̨̨͚̉̇̈ö̶̗̬̹̎n̵͒͐ͅ'̶̭̬̋͝t̵̟̊͜ ̵̡͇̋ͅh̷̢̺̜̀̅á̵͇̜̂v̷̙̱̣̔è̷͎͚͚ ̶̛͈́t̷̜̜̣̿̆͝h̶̨̫͗e̶͎͙̟̽͊ ̴͉͕͚̀slightest idea ó̸̹̞̤̱̭f̸̡̳̟̗̯͋̈́̐ ̷͓̆̓͝where we are. But ̷̮̈͛̈́͌̑́̆Ş̸͈̻̒̈̾̔y̵̝̹̣̟̏͗͋̂͝l̴̳̣̯̩̓͂̿̚͠ͅṿ̴͇̟̰̘̗͎̽̇͑́ȧ̷͓͓ͅį̷͉̲̹͚̲̎̅n̵̛̥͈͙̄͋̄̚'̶̡͈̠̥̻̝̤̑̓ş̶̢̧̧͎̹̌̉̀̉̍ here with me, and we're g̷̨̽ó̵̢ȋ̷̫ṋ̵͝g̷͖̿ ̸̼̓t̴̯́ỏ̵̥ ̴̝͌b̷͙̚e okay, alŗ̷̩͒͠ḯ̸̧͎̫̳̈͜g̸̉͜h̴̜̫̞̑̈́t̴̹͂?̶̘̮̯̏͐́͛͜
hover text included!
A response comes, but it takes a while. ]
A̴̰͎͕̯̭̝̓̾̇͘̚n̴̛̤̈́̏̓͊d̴̤̣͈̱̮̱͙͋͗̄̈́ ̶̧̦̋̃͗͜͠ͅh̷̨̒́̂́̉̕ere̸͌ͅ ̴͖͆I̵̺͂ thought ý̴͎ō̸̬̃̏u̸̯͔̩͆́ ̴̰̰̖̹͑̈́͑̔ẁ̶̳ė̴̲̲͙̙̚r̴͖̗̐e̵͉̟̲̦͂ ̶͇̹̰̉̏̄͠j̴̙̜̑ust ignorin̴g̴ ̷m̵e̴ ̴a̴l̵l̵ this tì̶̯̲m̷̳͌̈e̵̯̔͌̒.̷̘̰̠̇̄
[ It is lost on him that Hilda likely thinks the same about him even if he's figured out the messages he's tried to send before haven't gone through. ]
I d̴̨̨͚̉̇̈ö̶̗̬̹̎n̵͒͐ͅ'̶̭̬̋͝t̵̟̊͜ ̵̡͇̋ͅh̷̢̺̜̀̅á̵͇̜̂v̷̙̱̣̔è̷͎͚͚ ̶̛͈́t̷̜̜̣̿̆͝h̶̨̫͗e̶͎͙̟̽͊ ̴͉͕͚̀slightest idea ó̸̹̞̤̱̭f̸̡̳̟̗̯͋̈́̐ ̷͓̆̓͝where we are. But ̷̮̈͛̈́͌̑́̆Ş̸͈̻̒̈̾̔y̵̝̹̣̟̏͗͋̂͝l̴̳̣̯̩̓͂̿̚͠ͅṿ̴͇̟̰̘̗͎̽̇͑́ȧ̷͓͓ͅį̷͉̲̹͚̲̎̅n̵̛̥͈͙̄͋̄̚'̶̡͈̠̥̻̝̤̑̓ş̶̢̧̧͎̹̌̉̀̉̍ here with me, and we're g̷̨̽ó̵̢ȋ̷̫ṋ̵͝g̷͖̿ ̸̼̓t̴̯́ỏ̵̥ ̴̝͌b̷͙̚e okay, alŗ̷̩͒͠ḯ̸̧͎̫̳̈͜g̸̉͜h̴̜̫̞̑̈́t̴̹͂?̶̘̮̯̏͐́͛͜