middleofsomewhere | The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

By the end of the fight, Vexen is exhausted. A healing spell deals with the injuries inflicted on him, though not the damage to his clothing. In the time before Red team returns from the far gate, he does his best to keep the tears in the front of his shirt and hoodie aligned so that they hide the severe burn scars on his stomach, but the gashes are large enough that some might see them anyway.

After Red team's return, he's back in his signature black coat, but still lingering around camp. He doesn't enter the town at any point, but he does keep an eye on those coming and going, offering healing or medical attention to anyone who looks like they need it. Of course, he looks like the only thing keeping him from collapsing is sheer stubborn and way too much coffee, so...

Ken trudges back to camp, spotting Vexen and pulling off the coat. He hesitates a moment before pulling his hoodie up to hide the ugly blackened patches of skin where the anti-life balls hit him the most. As he approaches he spots the way Vexen is holding his clothing and digs into his bag to pull out a Medicine, folding it into the coat as he continues on.

There's a particularly ugly smell around Ken, something more than the foul stench of the miasma around the demons. As he comes into focus it's clear that there's been at least one step back for Ken - there's more darkness around him than there was before. Frustration. Hopelessness. Pain - a lot of it. Anger, enough to start hollowing him out from the inside, leaving him hurt and blank.

He stumbles slightly as he approaches Vexen, but shoves the coat at him and makes to walk away. He's aware he probably won't get too far, but... well. He has to try.

That stench is indeed worrying. While his nose is nowhere near as sharp as Ienzo's, he's gotten quite familiar with the scent of Ken's darkness...and as he looks at the boy, he confirms his suspicions. It doesn't look the same as when they first met, but the darkness around his heart has deepened since the start of this mission. He takes the coat in one arm, the one where his sleeve is covered in punctures and small tears, and reaches out with the other to grab Ken by the shoulder.

"You don't plan to run off on your own in that state, do you?"

He stiffens at the touch, taking a deep breath so he doesn't snap. He doesn't want to go off on Vexen, of all people.

"It's fine." His voice is hoarse, injured from his yelling. "I'm not hurt." As long as his hood isn't pulled down...

"I can see that any injuries you might have sustained have already been seen to." He's not fool enough to think Ken actually got through that with no injuries at all. He'd be surprised if anyone on the front lines did. "But you look about ready to collapse from exhaustion."

“So is everyone. The fight was bad. But I’m fine.” He struggles to keep his voice even, to not snap. It’s harder than it should be. He’s probably just tired.

“I can rest on the train. We should pack things up here. There’s no reason to stick around.”

Not when he can’t do much to help. He’s useless here, now more than ever.

"I...want to make sure anyone who was injured is seen to."

He glances toward the city and a brief look of irritation crosses his face, gone in an instant. It's not unreasonable for the wards to register him as dangerous. Most people partially possessed by Xehanort would be.

"Well, anyone who isn't staying in the city, anyway."

He turns quickly, looking Vexen in the face, anger suddenly rising in his throat. "It's not like they need me to do anything. Clearly I can't do anything important, just take care of trash on the sidelines."

As he turns the hood flops down, revealing ugly blackened patches on his cheeks and neck.

He starts, then frowns. He's not reading any injuries from Ken, but...he must have gotten hit with something that caused discoloration even after it healed. Hopefully his body just needs time to clean up, like with a nasty bruise, and those marks won't be permanent. But more importantly...

"What are you talking about, boy? Have you already forgotten that when we went into that other realm the first time, you were the one who closed the gate?"

"Yeah, but... but I didn't... do it well. I can't... I can't split rock like that easily like other people can. I can't stab it with a spear. I can't... I just can't."

He's exhausted and upset and those dark patches stink like the anti-life balls the 'magician' demons were casting.

He wobbles slightly and takes a few quick breaths, doing his best to stand upright. "I can't... the rest of them probably think of me as that idiot kid on the sidelines who was losing his fucking mind."

Ah, this attitude seems familiar. He rubs at his face, brushing wet bangs away from his eye as he does so, then gestures toward a tent.

"At least sit down for a moment. You needn't, can't, be the most effective at everything. Perhaps you couldn't effortlessly destroy keystones, but fending off the enemies was important in its own right."

He pauses, seriously considering just walking away. He's in a foul mood, he doesn't want to take it out on Vexen. What he really wants is something to stab, but at the moment that's not happening. He lets out a long, slow breath and heads for the indicated tent.

Ken sits down and immediately feels a wave of exhaustion trying to drag him down again. He wavers and rubs his face,forcing himself to stay awake.

He follows, drifting along to spare his tired muscles, and takes a seat next to Ken. He feels like he's wearing a suit of lead weights, himself, but he's thoroughly determined not to fall asleep just yet.

"You know...if I had arrived here as a human, I doubt I would have been able to damage the keystones at all. Or at least, not nearly effectively enough to matter."

"... But you know all kinds of magic that I don't." He rubs his face harder.

"Light isn't even an element that's helpful a lot. Not in my world, anyway. Light and Dark spells only really work on things weak to them. ... I tried to do it on the big boss guy, but he just shrugged it off..."

"Then you clearly need to learn better light spells." Though, with the condition of his heart...it's a wonder he can use light at all. "Light and darkness are...difficult to master, as elements. They're far more esoteric than the likes of blizzard, for certain. But they also have the widest potential applications...for instance, have you realized that the corridors I travel through are an application of dark magic?"

"... I kind of figured, given how I reacted to it." Ugh. It's... annoying. "I mean I can use lightning too, but that one does more consistent damage. At home Hama would insta-kill Shadows that were weak to it but... not here."

And it's annoying and unfair that the rules have changed. He rubs at one of the blackened patches on his neck. It's weird - it's almost numb, but not quite. He hasn't looked in a mirror so he doesn't know what it looks like, but as his hands poke out of his hoodie sleeves there's some black on them too so he has to assume it looks like that.

"Some creatures are more resistant than others to death magic, independently of the associated element. The more powerful demons weren't slain by my Full-Life spell, either, and it ought to have immediately destroyed anything harmed by restorative magic."

Truthfully, he considered himself fortunate that they hadn't had the fortitude to shake off revival magic outright. That was always a risk with instant death effects.

"It can be...difficult, at times, figuring out the most effective spell to use. Tactical thought is a talent in its own right."

"... Yeah, and it's not like I have a lot of options. Persona don't usually have a big variety of spells. Koromaru and I have two different elements we can use, which is weird. Jin can use a bunch but Moros doesn't seem to have a specialty. And in any case we don't really have much more than 'dump elemental damage onto it', it's not like we can shape it like you can with ice."

His neck twitches and he grunts in pain. "Ugh... stupid thing did something to my neck muscles. I think?"

"They were using death magic, such things can cause tissue to wither even if it's partially resisted. Let me see..."

He reaches out a hand that glows white, channeling a Life spell into, he hopes, repairing some of the necrosis.

"There is nothing special required to learn the sort of magic I use. There are differing levels of aptitude, of course, but I expect you'd be able to manage decently enough."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject