GRAVEYARD

[umbralant]

Graveyard

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GY: FAQ

Gatchapon

Reflexively, you curl tighter. Just another minute. Just another minute of sleep is all you need, but the sun waits for no one. Wait. The sun? After many days and nights with only moonlight to guide you, your eyes snap open and your pupils contract at the light.

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Bask in this euphoria for however long it lasts, until your memory snaps back against your mind like a rubber band. Weren't you dead? No matter how you met your end, you certainly remember dying in vivid detail. The pain that corresponds to the last moment's of your life chooses then to make itself known, trying to wriggle free from your skin almost literally. That mark on your skin wasn't there before either.

Take a moment to breathe and get your bearings, and really take everything into focus. The warm rays of sun that dance upon your skin are colorful and fragmented like a kaleidoscope, the effect of being filtered through stained glass. Of all the places to wake up, it seems you're inside a church that's no stranger to you, St. Mary's Basilica. While the odds are good you've woken up with company somewhere near by, the glint of gold from the altar will likely catch your attention regardless—embedded deep in the altar stands a golden staff, two sculpted wings draped down its sides.

While some things are the same, and some things are different, there are still more questions than answers. But the inscription engraved into the roof of the ceiling of the Church, now visible in proper lighting seems rather apt: Welcome to Krakow (again).

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2/2

[umbralant]

[ Elliot had stepped between them, which had stopped her advance if only momentarily. It's another second of time that wouldn't have mattered in most situations, except this one. She can sense what's happening first, she can feel the vacuum of energy funneling towards Noel. Her focus shifts immediately, and like Elliot just moments ago she yells over the torrent that's physical now. ]

STOP! [ There's been a lot of that word lately. But it's late, much too late, and her next utterance is a curse in German as she dashes forward shield out in front. Her blade tracing an arcing motion, the blade bright red, as she channels the fire in her veins and her soul. ]

Wackenroder! [ Swords aren't meant to defend, but she doesn't have a choice. For all her brattiness and obstinate demeanor, she was a sworn protector of the land. Fire sprouts forward from her command encircling Noelle, building a cage, a literal fire wall just before the reaction completes. Containing a bomb is no easy task, and she gets flung violently backward despite her makeshift attempt at containment. Everyone else in the Church will also get pushed back in this literal explosion of light and energy, but her plan worked well enough at least in that she took the full force of it.

There's nothing left of the girl called Noelle when everyone's vision clears, not even a speck of dust or spot on the ground. A blessing given the circumstances, that this church is not covered in blood or anything worse. But regardless it's clear, Noelle is... well she no longer exists. Shin feels like a secondary concern now, all thing's considered. ]

[tokihanate]

Wh-what...!! [ Probably knocked into the wall hitting some pews along the way, isn't that pleasant? He looks around to see if Elliot is okay who he probably got in between the blast as soon as he could. ] Ojou, what the hell just happened?!

[umbralant]

[ Give her a moment she is staggering off a wall. ]

...I told you, didn't I? [ She takes a breath then tries to straighten up, wincing. ]

It's a miracle you even exist at all. To gain your powers you had to lose a piece of your soul, and in dying what was left is fractured, unstable. Using the powers you originally had caused your already weakened vessel to overload and —

[ Just waves her arm. ]

[twoasone]

[ . . . He wants to scream. ]

[tokihanate]

I see. That was definitely more... explosive than what was implied. [ But he'll go over and inspect that you're okay too!! Children need not be doing these things!! He trusts your strength but this is another level little child that's only 3 inches shorter than him. ]

[umbralant]

[ She is fine? Or fine enough really, because she's out of breath but still standing. ]

I've never seen it happened before, only heard of it mentioned among other Executors.

[tokihanate]

How about your head? Take off your helmet before your head burns from overheating or something. [ He's gonna fuss over you and Elliot!! ]

You're not even experienced enough. You're on probation. [ Mutter mutter, fuss fuss. ]

[twoasone]

[ Shin is knocked into a wall by the blast before he could even begin to react...

Noelle just. Imploded. Ceased to exist. Shin has seen a lot of messed up things but this is a lot for even him to comprehend. ]

. . . What. On earth. Was THAT? [ He says to his so-called executioner. ]

[umbralant]

[ This happened. ]

This wasn't supposed to... [ She trails off disgusted, but hey at least she's not making any moves to attack Shin anymore. ]

[twoasone]

[ Now he's incredibly disturbed... ]

. . . It wasn't? Well. Maybe you should start explaining what you're so worried about before anyone else gets destroyed.

[umbralant]

[ Given his reaction, her voice has more bite to it than it did previously. ]

I should burn you where you stand, you vermin. But perhaps I should let you suffer, if you were really that naive to offer something you didn't understand in the first place. The signs you wear on your arm mean you are one step closer to becoming a full manifestation yourself, all because you gave up even more of your soul for spite and to please that woman.

[twoasone]

. . . Is that what this is about?

[ He's not too happy himself, but there's still a bit of spite in his trembling reply. ]

Then what about the man with green hair and spikes on his back? Or the white ghoul who kept volunteering to take the blow? I may not be a good example, but those two were unwittingly giving their souls to help weed out the killers.

I doubt they knew what they were getting into either.

[youspinmeknightround]

[How did Noelle get in the way? If an errant flame can do this much, he's definitely changed his mind on ever letting her try this on someone again. Suzaku is furious now, and not entirely at Shin and Ojou either - Elliot was right, he should have talked her out of it. He just yells in exasperation.]

I ASKED YOU TO BE CAUTIOUS!

[umbralant]

I was! [ Shouting helps nothing and is actually painful right now but this is all she has. ]

[youspinmeknightround]

Oh, you were.

[Suzaku wants to shout more, but he winces before he can - looks like he got grazed by some heat too for a minor burn. He hadn't realized he was affected too. Well, he's not exploding yet, and with the explanation... Noelle's powers? Some kind of healing that made her explode? That doesn't matter to him anymore.]

Then I hope you understand why I ask you never to try this again. There must be another way to deal with a greater manifestation!

[umbralant]

Next time I'll do it alone. And normally they don't react like that! That girl wasn't as far gone as that one, Pin or whatever he is called.

[ Bad idea but she is stubborn. ]

[tokihanate]

You're definitely not doing this alone, young lady.

[youspinmeknightround]

Call him a pinhead if you like, he deserves it. But there's another issue with just executing anyone you see with ... lizard bits, or whatever. The Lady potentially holds innocent lives hostage by withholding clues to the murders... some of the people who accept them are our friends, making a sacrifice for the rest of the group. Mr. Seteth did that because of me. If he were to die, I would have no choice but to stand between you two.

[contrabandit]

[ THIS IS WHY HE SAID STOP... ]

Ow, wow, ow. [ a deep shaky breath as he flops down on his butt. his hair and face feel a little crispy, a touch well done, but not really any worse for wear because he had at least two people shielding him. which is a surprisingly familiar situation...

though this lump in his throat feels bitterly familiar, too. he hates violence so much. nothing good ever comes of it. ]

... Amazing results, am I right? Good thing we love violence and murder! [ he breaks off with a frustrated sound. takes another deep breath, focusing on finding some sort of calm. ] Are we all okay? Aside from...

[umbralant]

[ She looks over to him then turns away. ]

I don't like either of those things, but sometimes they are necessary. [ But it's said pretty quietly, and not only because she isn't looking at him. ]

[contrabandit]

Necessary. No, breathing is necessary, a necessity. Violence is always, always a choice. Can’t we find another way to do things? [ his mouth twists, unhappy and unapologetic about his next words: ] Thank you for saving me, but I wish you hadn’t needed to.

How hurt are you?

[umbralant]

[ After several seconds of silence, she turns to face him with a huff. ]

I've had much worse. And you?

[tokihanate]

[ Well, you generally bounce back from violence as an esper but he won't mention his very differing views to Elliot, but he'll look over you to see if he's hurt. ]

[contrabandit]

[ he’s fine. his hair is safe. ]

Thanks. I really wouldn’t look good bald, so I’m glad you were there to save us all from that. [ he gives hyoubu a once over as well, checking for injuries. ]

[tokihanate]

[ He laughs and ruffles at that hair again. ]

Wouldn't want your future suitors to turned off, right? [ He's... fine. Sailing across the room probably earned light burns, some banged up limbs, some scratches but he was once soldier so he knows how to hold himself in emergency situations, so it's nothing irrecoverable. Of course if he had his psychometry, he could just heal everyone's injuries. And of even bigger of course, he'd have gotten everyone out faster with teleportation, but. You know. He can't rely on what he doesn't have.. or the choice is apparently to explode. ]