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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Senku sighed a little heavily. "You heard about the villagers and how they thought everything was fine? The demons were gone and all of that?"

He frowned. "Same illusion. I believed the mission was done, the demons were gone and we'd decided to move here. I didn't remember much besides the train and the fact we'd all settled on this world."

It was horrible, honestly, well and truly horrible. "And it took days to break out of it, once my SCA was back on. I was also convinced since we were no longer traveling, I didn't need it."

Well, that sure is.. something. Inigo isn't too surprised that the illusion would work harder without a SCA - when they're usually protecting them from stuff, it's not too much of a stretch that it may protect them at least slightly from some illusion stuff too.

But Senku straight up thinking he moved into the city? That's.. even weirder. That's some real powerful mind deception right there.

"Did Gen put it back on you?" That's why they had the system they did, right? Always have a buddy present to witness you taking it off so they can put it back on if something goes badly? "Although it must've been a pain to have to deal with the aftereffects for so long, no matter how quickly you got the SCA back on.."

"We...didn't do that. We took it off together." Senku admitted with a sigh, which was very stupid of them, they knew it. They were gonna cop to that.

"Masumi got my SCA back on. I don't...I don't know who took care of Gen's. Maybe her too since I told her Gen was supposed to be with me, somehow." He grimaced. It had been powerful and unexpected, Inigo should be glad nothing happened.

"Together..?"

Honestly, the rest of what Senku is saying? He's glad for it. Inigo really is glad that there were people on the orange team ready to help, since judging by everything else Senku has told him so far, they would have had to literally drag him and Gen back to the train otherwise, since they may just have decided to stay behind.. And that sure isn't an idea Inigo likes.

But that other part, the part he addresses out loud - that part does feel worrisome to him, and he frowns a little. Inigo doesn't look angry though, maybe more just confused.

"Why did you do it at the same time? Weren't we supposed to have someone else there with us to make sure they could help us if something bad would happen..?" Inigo still feels guilty about having pulled Tidus into it that other time, after all, but he was trying to be good and do it by the rules they set up for the experiment.

"Wasn't our brightest moment. I guess we've gotten comfortable with such minimal effects, and we still figure that I could handle just about anything." He crossed his arms. "I didn't factor in the possibility of a magical effect." Senku said with a frown.

"We trust each other implicitly and we bickered a bit, but decided to go together and it was a huge mistake." Senku admitted openly.

"That's why we had set it up that way, and why, apparently, we should follow the rules."

Inigo definitely would've scolded Senku, were he the scolding type. But Inigo is well aware that he isn't, and besides - it seems that the other has already thoroughly understood why it's such a bad idea in the first place. And hopefully that'll keep him from repeating the same mistake in the future.

So he shakes his head, dropping the issue. Instead he knows there's something much more important here to ask.

"Did you learn anything from it?" That's why they were doing the experiment, right? To learn from the experience?

"Of course I did." Senku said, picking idly at his ear with his pinkie finger.

"The SCA offers protection against magical conditions such as mind control, or psychic manipulation maybe. It's an important data point, regardless of the annoying circumstances surrounding it."

Those feel like a little more than annoying circumstances to Inigo, Senku! After all, if no one had noticed what was up with him, he could've been left behind forever - and that feeling sits kind of uneasy in Inigo's stomach, though he doesn't speak up about it.

"Well, I guess that's something.." But it's better than nothing at all coming out of those awful circumstances, huh. "Although it's not too surprising, since it was already physically protecting us too. I suppose that means it's just some sort of all-around protection.."

That was true, but he could only hope that someone noticed and didn't leave them there to perish.

"That's true. It's just another facet of what it can do. A data point." He explained. "It's unremarkable on its own, it gets all added together, that's how the science works." He sighed. "But we will prioritize safety, more than we were."

".. As long as you're sure we'll be able to do it as safely as possible in the future."

Granted, Inigo didn't feel like dragging Tidus into it again, but if Senku's example pointed out anything, it's that doing it without a partner is the worst idea possible. Clearly Inigo will have to figure out some other way to do it..

At least there's still some time before the next mission rolls around, considering they only just finished up this one.

"The last thing I want is for Roland and Tidus to yell at me for being an idiot."

"I'm going to." Senku promised, although he'd given into hubris, he probably wasn't going to make that mistake again. "I've had other people offer to spot me if nothing else." So at the very least they could watch him do dumb things.

"Oh, well you can send them my way. Everyone else has screamed at me for being an idiot, what's two more?"

Inigo raises his eyebrows, almost as if Senku's words catch him by total surprise.

Though it soon starts to fade a little with the realisation that no, right, this is just what Senku is like. Of course that guy would say something like that so easily..

"Come on, Senku. We're friends, I'm not just going to throw you under the cart."

(These expressions are different when you come from a place without buses, okay.)

"Especially not when it's about something this serious. Or at least, I think they'd be pretty worked up if something happened to me, anyway."

"I appreciate that, but it's still an open offer. I'm willing to accept the consequences of my experiment, whether it's getting screamed at or potentially getting hurt." He exhaled. "And I feel inclined to protect you if you're helping me."

Senku wanted to take the burden upon himself, to protect his friends. He was like that. It didn't matter what it was, he wanted to do his best for the people around him.

"You're right, they would, because they care about you."

That really is very much like Senku. Just those few words - that he's inclined to protect the people who help him. No matter how much Senku may struggle with emotions, or stuff like friendship.. or how differently he expresses it than Inigo himself, Inigo still knows this much is true. That Senku isn't uncaring, that would stick his hand in the fire for others if necessary.

".. Thanks."

He smiles as he says it. There's genuine gratitude in his voice, since he just thinks it's sweet on Senku's part. And Inigo can always admire it when people care about each other.

"Still not going to throw you under the cart though." Sorry, Senku!! "But.. take it easy for now, yeah? I can't imagine it was a very pleasant mission with all of that happening."

"That's true enough. I have such a headache." Senku agreed with a nod and he smiled. "Well I appreciate you not throwing me under the cart as you said."

He knew the bus expression, but well, seemed out of date didn't it?

"I definitely need the break before the next mission." He exhaled. "Oh, I'm going to do another test, on board the train later if you're interested. It's significantly safer to do and I want to see if I can do it with a few people just to see how strange a result I get. Tidus suggested it."

Inigo's head dips into a nod.

"Sure. Of course."

After all, they'll be on the train, so there will be much less of a problem if something goes wrong - and it's not like Inigo has to be in the best shape possible anymore, considering there's no more mission nor battles to tackle. So then it doesn't sound terrible even if something would go wrong for a moment.

"Is it also just about taking off the SCA, or is there something different this time?"

"It is, which is pretty safe on the train." Senku gestured between them. "I'm curious about something. I want to trade them." He explained.

"Then I want to get some urushiol which I am very allergic to, and put both of our hands near the open container to see if my SCA on your arm beeps, or if yours adapts temporarily to my allergies."

Senku paused. "It probably wouldn't be more than a few minutes, so I can't think of any long term effects and I promise not to touch it. I don't need to, my SCA usually warns me ahead of time."

That does sound like it's entirely risk-free.

Unless Inigo suddenly turns out to have some super similar allergies, but he doubts it. He's never been allergic to anything before, surely he would've found out earlier than this! Besides, it sounds like he probably won't even have to go as far as actually touch it - though it's an idea in the back of his mind, if Senku's SCA doesn't start beeping right away on his wrist. So he just nods, not seeming worried at all.

"Right, so you're trying to see if the SCAs are individually linked to us or if they adapt to the person wearing them, right?" If he's understanding this right.

"That's exactly what I am trying to do." Senku said. "I know it's attuned to me because of the warnings I get about my allergies, so it has to know that much about me. But how fast does that change if you grab someone else's?" He smiled. "That's more the question I want to know. It's like a test of sentience that way."

He nods.

"Sure. We can try that." He smiles a little. "There's a few people I need to look for right now.."

Or, well, rather.. there's one person Inigo really has to look for right now, especially since no one seems to have seen them.

"But let's meet up when we're back on the train and try it out, alright? I'll see you then."

"Sure." Senku nodded and raised a hand.

"See you later." He wouldn't interfere with Inigo's quest to look in on other people.

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The Will to Fight: Conclusion

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