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!)

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“I’m perfectly fine now, my dearest. So I can’t see any reason why I can’t tease you a bit,” Gen told him, fond and warm - feeling a little too tired to pull off playful and cheeky. Sorry, Senku, you get sap instead.

He let himself be pulled to his feet, and would even hold Senku’s hand if he let him. Gen hummed a little. “Is it less healed than it feels, Senku-chan?”

"Yes, I'm sure I can't stop you." It was encouraging that Gen felt up to it at all.

That grip turned into a proper holding of their hands, his fingers lacing with Gen's.

"No, it looks good. It's a bit pink, I don't even think it's going to scar." He huffed. "So you can continue being vain at your discretion." Senku commented, with a little smirk.

Gen gently squeezed Senku’s hand back. “I think you enjoy me teasing you too much - I don’t see you trying.”

“Ah, I was a little worried,” Gen said, “when you took one look at my back and wanted to drag me straight to bed. Normally you’d be encouraging me to get more work done.”

Honestly? It’s proof that Senku was not only very worried - probably as spooked by the whole incident as Gen was, if for different reasons - but also that he loved him, and wanted to fuss over him a little. Gen wisely did not voice his opinion aloud.

Edited 2021-03-28 04:20 (UTC)

Senku could play that game too. Make innocuous comments to tease and flirt with him.

"Oh yes, I can't wait to get you into bed." He offered a smile that was nowhere near innocent as they walked.

"However, half of your blood is now part of this train stop, I think I can let you off work for a couple of days." He was very worried, admittedly, but he'd just squeeze Gen's hand back.

He quieted. "You didn't have to do that."

Teasing a mentalist when he was too tired to really have all his defenses at play seemed like a dirty trick. Gen blushed.

“So long as I’ll have your company, you’ll keep me there,” Gen teased back, but sounded a bit flustered along with his very red cheeks.

Gen laughed breathlessly and quietly. “I don’t think I’ll use this tactic to get out of work often.”

But then he sobered, too. Gen murmured, “Senku-chan ... I couldn’t do anything else to save you. And of course I wanted to save you.”

"See that you don't. I don't-" He exhaled. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Senku gave a little tug to their hands to keep Gen closer to him.

"I...thank you, but you didn't have to. I don't...I didn't ask you to." Senku sucked in a trembling breath. "And I got you screwed up all week and just-"

“I don’t want to see you hurt, either,” Gen said quietly.

He leaned against Senku a little as they walked, wanting to hug him - but guessing stopping the scientist on his mission to fuss over him all wouldn’t be met well.

So, Gen leaned against him, holding onto his hand tightly. It’s a good thing he was so close because his words were very quiet. “My love. You didn’t ask me to. You didn’t make me. Just as I agreed to participate in the very dangerous experiment of removing the SCA of my own free will. I should’ve convinced you to let me go first.”

"I know I didn't." He said softly. "I know I didn't force you, that doesn't make me feel better about this mission. Illusions...mind games weren't something I accounted for in my calculations." He admitted, and his shoulders stiffened. That bothered him.

"We caused trouble for our teammates which wasn't the goal here at all. We learned a lot, but the cost was-" He exhaled. "And I know. We should've done it only one of us like we planned, instead of leaning on past experiences."

"So. I'm sorry." He told Gen, frowning.

Gen shuddered a little. Again, the mentalist was not on the top of his game. He couldn’t hide how disturbing that had been. How he disliked the idea he’d acted and behaved in ways outside of his free will.

It bothered him a lot, so he held onto Senku’s hand tightly.

“You’re forgiven,” Gen told him. He knew. He knew just how useful Senku could’ve been all this time. Gen wasn’t good for more than just, minding him and fetching things, but Senku could’ve done a lot of good. “In the future, it should be me. If anyone gets stuck in an illusion for days - it shouldn’t be the person smart enough to fix it. We forgot how dangerous this could be - but if you’ll forgive me in turn, I promise I won’t forget again.”

It was not just that he could've been useful, although Senku wasn't sure about that, but more that he'd hurt Gen through his actions.

He let go of his hand, stood in front of him and then wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug, one that meant everything he couldn't accurately express with words because he just wasn't a wordsmith.

He needed a moment just to give Gen a meaningful squeeze. "Okay." He whispered. "You first. Okay?"

Gen hugged him back tightly, tighter than he’d usually dare when they weren’t half asleep. It seemed like they both needed it.

“Okay,” Gen said, taking a deep breath in and out. He told him very quietly - “I love you. I know you didn’t mean for anything like this to happen. This will let us keep experimenting, but more carefully.”

"Alright." Senku exhaled, squeezed him and then let go. He stared at Gen a moment, raised his hand and swatted him upside the back of his head. It wasn't very hard of course.

"That's for trying to die on me. First of all, you are not getting out of this wedding, and second of all, we have a date in hell. There is no escape from me, Mentalist, so don't even try."

With that he huffed and took his hand again to storm towards the train. "We need to feed you."

Gen let go when Senku did, very aware that he didn’t like feeling squeezed or trapped in. He wasn’t expecting the light swat to the back of the head, though, and squeaked.

Sure, he barely felt it. That wasn’t the point. “I wasn’t attempting to escape you, dearest - I wouldn’t even try! You’re just as stuck with me too, you know.”

Once the surprise wore off, though, Gen couldn’t help but think that a date in hell sounded terribly romantic.

He squeezed Senku’s hand once it was taken again. “Ice cream?”

Gen thought everything he said seemed romantic. In a way, maybe, in his own way. The sentiment behind his words was there.

"What kind of nutrients do you think you get in ice cream?" Senku balked a little bit.

"You need something a little more nutrient dense. Soup maybe. And rest."

“Well, it has dairy - so there’s calcium, at least!” Gen pointed out.

But really, he wouldn’t argue with the soup, just as he wouldn’t argue with being dragged back to the train. Gen was pretty useless here, anyway. Even if he wasn’t almost falling over.

He hummed as he leaned against Senku. “You’re usually telling me I take too many breaks, darling.”

He sighed as though very put upon as they walked, finally reaching the platform. "You will eat soup, for healing and I'll let you have ice cream after." He was such a pushover. Gen was so spoiled.

"You can have this one, but I'll work you to the bone later."

"You're so good to me, Senku-chan ..." Gen said with a yawn, eyelids drooping a little as he stumbled along with Senku. "Even when you wear me down with work. I wonder, since getting rest is so very boring ..."

"What is it you wonder?" He couldn't help but ask, glancing at Gen.

"If it something that involves you doing more than closing your eyes and lying still, I'll push you out of the bed, until you give in."

"I was only going to suggest you keep me company, my dearest," Gen said in the most innocent tone he could manage when he was about to fall over. "In fact, if you're guarding me to ..."

He made a vague gesture, starting to lose his words. "Keep me from stuff, then staying with me is good, mm?"

"I can probably guard you for awhile." Senku conceded. "Someone has to make sure you stay put, after all."

"Lovely," Gen said, leaning against Senku a bit more, trying not to yawn. "You're the one guard I wouldn't try and escape from."

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The Will to Fight: Conclusion

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