Garren was normally the first one to wake up between him and his Slammer. Tachibana's habit of burying himself in a project until he passed out did help his insomnia a little bit, but did make for difficult mornings.

This morning, however, would be difficult for a different reason.

The small pog had woken up in his usual way, snuggled up in the makeshift bed that would have been where Sayoko slept, if she were still around. He could still feel his bond with his Slammer, but it was a bit faded, as if Tachibana were halfway across the islands. This wasn't unusual in and of itself, as midnight walks sometimes lasted well past dawn when Tachibana was especially under heavy worries.

The trouble was... he could see Tachibana. Asleep. On the bed next to him.

Garren shot up to his feet, hands going to his mask in alarm as he stared at the sleeping figure. How...?!