Exorcism of The Darkness
From Final Kingdom MUSH
| Exorcism of The Darkness | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 19 December 2012 |
| Location: | Cornelia |
| Synopsis: | Reize attempted to journey towards the Temple of Fiends to find answers about the fallen prince. However, in his trip in the forest, he encounters the weeping girl with her inner demons. Unknowingst to him, he had a couple of friends following as well as a random passerbyer. |
| Thanks to: | Leida |
| Cast of Characters: | Reize Seatlan, Lily, Shiki Misaki, Leida, Luso Clemens |
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
The Temple of Fiends is a place of darkness that has its reach expanded through many parts of the land. Every ground, every soil, every air it touches is left in its corruption. One of those places that the accursed temple had touch is the forest around it. It's blight spreads through the soil of the earth, corrupting it to the core. That soil is part of the forest. What may had been a forest of lush green is now a pitch black night.
The terror have corrupted the wild animals, many of them ranging from venomous massive spiders to hungry, oversized wolves.
Yet, truth be told, it is not often that Reize is in the forest. Having entered the Petrified Forest was like home to him, even it felt unfamiliar. In a way, entering the forest was the same way for here. Except, it feels like his home had been corrupted and defiled.
Using a single torch to the woods, the boy guides himself around. As he passes by a tree, his hand rests on the bark of a tree. His thoughts contemplate, "...I miss the others." His head lowers solemnly, thinking back to that small village with the population of less than fourty people.
He once played in the woods with his younger friends, leading them on grand adventures through the woods.
However, he came here for a reason. He wanted to learn more of the Temple of Fiends. It is a bit of historic value in seeing the temple and it is part of his interests as an explorer. At the same time, perhaps some information can be found about the prince.
Sucking in a breath, the boy unhooks a boomerang from his side, journeying deeper into the dark woods.
- Leida has posed:
The rustle of dead leaves and the crack of fallen branches is a constant backdrop to this eerie twisted land. Occasionally the distant howl of some feral predator breaks the unnerving silence but it is always alone and never seems to venture near the main thoroughfaire. Infact, nothing seems willing to venture out onto the foot-worn path. There are no birds, no small scavengers flitting through the branches or darting across the ground in search of tiny morsels to hide away from others.
Only the wind is a companion here, a chill and dreary thing that seems to cut through any protection afforded by heavy clothing or natural resistances and clutch directly at the soul. Its howl is steady but wavering, rising and falling in pitch as the tree density shifts, playing upon their withered and mangled branches like some horrible mockery of music.
Eventually, another sound begins to mingle with the faint haunting melody, carried by it to the ears of the lone young wanderer. It is different but also subtle, breaking the natural rhythm of the gale with short staccato notes. As he draws closer the sound resolves into something more familiar.
Someone is crying nearby. Not the soulful wailing of recent loss or shrieks of pain but the soft sobbing of haunted dreams and deep regret.
A little further in, a girl sits along the path, her knees wrapped tightly against her chest by her slender arms. Her face is buried in her legs and by the shaking of her shoulders and shimmer of wetness visible on her cheeks, she must be the one responsible for the sound. She seems oblivious to her surroundings, either too traumatized by the horrible landscape to continue or unaware that they even exist.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
Reize Seatlan should not be allowed on television. I mean, to travel alone.
Shiki Misaki saw him leaving, and she's been alone far too often in these last two weeks. She is not, she clarified with herself, travelling because her heart aches for him from seperation or anything stupid like that; no, it's for a lot more practical reasons.
It's because Reize is heading right back to the place something terrible happened and something terrible will probably happen to him again if nobody goes to watch his back.
It's just facts.
So she's trailing Reize, accompanied as usual by the cat, and without need for fire because her mobile phone has a torch option! Yes, it's just a blank white screen. Don't question the app store.
- Lily has posed:
Sneak, sneakity sneak.
Lily's not far behind Shiki, relying on the older (????) girl's EXPERIENCE (????) at this to lead (?????) them on without alerting the prey (????).
... yeah, it's the blind leading the deaf here, all things considered. So many oddball things going on.
But Lily's lighting her own way with a hand extended and a magicked up wisp light. A little bauble of light hovers about her, moving where she wills it and casting a gentle glow on her surroundings...
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
A traveler from afar... That was his dream. Through the darkness, his mind wanders over the time of his presence in the forest back in his home world. Who knows what that world was called or what became of it. It is rather difficult to say. Nevertheles, his mind lingers towards the pleasant times. Each movement he makes through the forest, Reize places a hand towards each tree. Each touch, he feels that part of him, but that part also shudders in realization of what the darkness has done to the place.
That chilly wind has the boy shiver, shuddering while holdingh is arms against his shoulders. He grimaces, reaching for his scarf to have it over his face. Just to bite off the wind. He hen hears that steady, wavering howl. He winces, then he continues to move.
...But then, a sound is produced with that haunting melody. That soft sobbing causes his eyebrows to quirk, "...Huh...?" He holds the torch out in front of him, then he continues further along the forest.
He eventually comes to a stop when he sees the girl in the path. As she buries herself, crying, the boy looks over towards the girl in question.
...
Guh.
A sweatdrop is produced, already knowing the threat that the girl presents. However, armed with his boomerang and torch, Reize sucks in a breath and he makes a step forward towads the girl.
"...Leida, it's you, isn't it?" He sucks in a breath, mentally trying to prepare himself.
"...What's wrong?" Knowing that the darkness the advantage here, he is keeping a very close eye out to the darkness.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
MEANWHILE
"....Was I reading this map wrong? Well crud..."
Luso Clemens currently is wandering the forest, examining a map as he strolling through the trees. He had come here in search of a Mark; The Black Chocobo. But alas, he mistakenly had read the map completely wrong in his haste, leading to this gloriously wonderful outcome.
"Guh...I'd better head back to the entrance and retrace my steps then..." Turning away at that, the boy rolled up the map and stuffed it away into his magical bag of stuff before beginning to walk off again.
But then, he could hear the faint sound of someone...crying?
No way.
"...Am I hearing things now?" Well, other than the ravenous wolves and spiders and bears out to have him for lunch of course. This bore investigation!
And so Luso was off!
...To investigate!
- Leida has posed:
At the sound of her name, Leida's head jerks up out of her lap and she looks around in skiddish fright. It takes her a moment to zero in on the source of the voice, despite the glowing torch in the middle of a dark forest, as she moves to wipe the blurry tears from her reddened eyes. She stares at the young man before her, her gaze unusually clear and focused.
After a few tense moments, the girl sniffles and looks away, confusion apparent in her face and wispy voice. "H-how do you know my name...?"
Her head shakes almost immediately and she hunches up again, holding herself tightly against as if to ward off the cold though that is only partially the truth. There are things far more sinister than wind in this unholy place. "You shouldn't be here. This place... it's dangerous... twitsted... /evil/..." Her eyes squeeze shut tightly, forcing another pair of tears out to stain her cheeks.
"Just like me..."
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
What thoughts does the Misaki mind have in this dismal place? Mostly 'sheesh, this place is awful'. We think alike, apparently, Leida. When you are a city slicker, natural, beautiful vistas hold your attention, but forsaken places like this hold no interest for you. There's no reflection on what the place could have been, because she doesn't have a frame of reference- and perhaps this means no illusions of danger. There is, however, reflection on how she should have dressed better for this! Don't shiver too hard, it'll give your position away!
And hey, Shiki totally has experience! Cross-country wandering, remember! Walking for miles in fashionable shoes not designed for hiking! I've had it rou- there's a girl there.
Shiki slowly looks out of the corner of her eyes at Lily. Furiously writes a text message: 'who she?'
Shiki never really got over the phase where you made your text messages as short as possible to save money. We don't need no 'is!'
- Lily has posed:
Lily's phone goes off, and she pulls it out and peers at the weird phrasing. Then glances over from the brush and trees they're all hiding behind at the distant Leida.
She texts back: 'no but she feels awful'
No proper grammar or anything. At least she took to language easily.
Lily dims her light as she sneaks up next to Shiki to peer through the bushes at the distant meeting, trembling quietly in disgust... and terror. Her eyes can really only say one thing here!
Reize, you dumbass.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
"... I am Reize Seatlan."
He manages a friendly smile, brnging his hands together. It is a sadden on, knowing the girl's fate. The story that she told him of an event so long ago. ...But then there was something that she did not tell him, but she gave away something tragic.
The event that drove her to accept the darkness.
Considering her words, Reize offers her a faint smile.
"...Leida." He glances around, just to make sure that no one else is within the forest. Reize cannot take the chances that he is going to take if there are casualties involved. He can take care of himself.
As the tears streak along her cheeks, Reize takes a cautious step forward.
"...You have darkness in your heart, just like a friend of mine. ...You told me a story weeks back of an event that you wish to forget."
"...I'm here to be a friend." His eyes shut, "...Many of us have things that we want to forget."
Slowly, his hand reaches to his pouch, the boomerang is placed back, but the fingers run along the deck of cards that lowly produced.
His hand tightens the grip around those cards.
Mother...
His expression turns sadden, "...However, sometimes, having a friend to help you get past the painful times." He brightens, "I know there are some friends that would not mind being your friend."
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
There are absolutely no other people beyond Reize and Leida here! You are obviously completely, totally safe and nobody with a giant pizza cutter will leap out of the bushes any second now.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"........"
Coming upon that little scene between Reize and...that girl; apparently her name was Leida? He wasn't sure. Either way, not even he had the capacity to walk in and break that up with a giant pizza cutter!
Instead, he leaned back against a tree, listening and waiting for when this little touching moment...and potentially dangerous one, calmed down.
Reize's words DID get the boy thinking about other things however. His own friends...Cid, Hurdy, ...Adelle. And then Montblanc and Frimelda. Oh man, he missed them all now.
"So it's like that, huh...?" He mumbled to himself, closing his eyes in thought.
- Leida has posed:
The girl listens quietly, wondering just how this person knew so much about her when she couldn't even recall his face much less his name. She had awoken here in this horrible corrupted forest some hours ago, alone and in pain. A million blurry thoughts and fragmented memories tumbled through her head in a kaleidoscope of colors that had sent her reality spinning ever since that day on the beach. Even now she could only pick out bits and pieces of the truth, seperating them from the shimmering vortex of demented dreams and jagged nightmares.
Things like her name, her identity, her family, her world... tiny bits of the past slowly worked their way through the morass each time she found consciousness again. It was like drowning in a sea of tar, everything was black and a cloying sense of dread overwhelmed everything until she was insensate to anything else.
Even as she thought this the boy steps closer and pain lances through her chest. Leida clutches at her breastplate, the smooth artfully crafted metal carapace ripped and shattered up the middle as if some unimaginable force had punched its way mercilessly through and out the back where another serrated gash revealed the soft paleness of her back.
The overwhelming pressure of darkness magnifies suddenly and purple fire lights up her eyes, her head snapping back as power forces its way through her body. A wave of tenebreous pitch rises up from the ground, slashing menacingly at the air before Reize before burbling just as quickly back into the black soil.
Breathing heavily, Leida leans back and shakes her head vehemently at him in warning. "NO...! D-don't... come any closer...! I can't control it..."
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
I was right, thinks Shiki. I'm always so freakin' right.
I hate it when I'm right!
There's no time to text, so she hopes Lily will just follow her lead. She quickly looks behind her, then back around, and makes sure there's a relatively clear path that goes from Reize, to them, and back in the direction of Corneria. If there is, then she will get ready to place herself in a position where she can quickly move to it, as can Lily. If necessary, she palms her Sexy D pin so that she can shove obstacles out of the way.
If Reize is smart, and he isn't, then he will move backwards as quickly as possible, both of them can cover him, and they can hightail it out of there. If he stays, then they'll be in a position to move to his side with minimal effort at a moment's notice.
Ball's in your court, Reize.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
It is only a faint smile that the boy can give to the girl. He is here to offer her a hand in friendship. Something that is warm and welcoming. Hopefully, she will take upon that offer. However, the cause for alarm comes in the form of the girl's sudden movements. As she lutches onto her breastplate, Reize calls out to the girl, "Ooii! Lei--"
That is when the overwheming darkness magnifies and the the darkness starts to take over. "No!" He grits his teeth, already letting his tarot drop into his pouch and he takes out the other boomerang, freeing it from the holster. And as she tries to warn him, Reize is taking a step back.
That is when the pendant starts to glow. ...The very thing that attracts the darkness, the light. That brilliant light shines through.
Guh, not now, not now! "Fight it, Leida! You have to control it! There are people out here that are willing to be your friend! You just have to control that darkness!" Reize now shifts his stance, as if preparing for the worst now.
He sucks in a breath.
But what can he do...? What can he do to help someone in such a case? ...If he cannot help her, how would he be able to help Riku?
- Luso Clemens has posed:
It sounded much like the same thing back in Junon. You almost get close to her, but then the darkness surges forth. Something was definitely up. If there was ever any doubt in his mind before, it was gone now.
Gripping the handle of his favored Kwigon Blade, Luso glanced outwards toward the trouble brewing. "...Man, any more and I just might have to consider her a Mark too." He mumbled to himself in jest, smiling wryly at the thought. Of course though, he wouldn't classify her as such.
If anything, it certainly seemed like she needed help. But Luso could not be sure just what sort of help would actually benefit the seemingly possessed girl.
For now though, he would stay on the side, but be prepared to launch into action at a moment's notice.
Reize, it was your move. How can you help someone so deeply ingrained in the darkness?
- Lily has posed:
"I told you!" Lily squeaks out to Shiki the moment the waves of darkness start blasting around. Bfore then, she'd started to seem a little bit curious, her expression softening a tad when Reize began speaking, but...
Now she's looking pretty nauseated.
"What... what should we do..." She siddles up next to SHiki, not sure whether to hug her frightfully or dash out to protect Reize!
- Leida has posed:
The pendant flares. More unfamiliar faces rush out of the shadows to stand by the foolish boy who had named himself Reize. The pain does not fade at his words but rather intensifies, turning her chest into a churning cauldron of fire. She cries out, leaning forward to prop herself up on one hand as the strength is sapped from her body.
Control? Ha.. ha... ha... ha...}
Suddenly everything turned cold, her body going numb as if submerged in ice water. The shock knocked the breath from her lungs and it spilled out in a ragged cough of white mist in the air.
You cannot control me, little girl. You cannot even control yourself. Why do you think you are even here in this strange land? No family, no friends, no home. Who do you think is responsible for all of that?
"No, no, no, no, no...." Leida clutches at the ground, her nails digging rivets into the soft dirt as she tries to deny the voice that only she can hear. It probably doesn't make her look all that stable to the others. "I cannot recall having lost anything... I cannot recall doing such a thing... And everyone wants to be... to be..."
Your friend? Just look at them, girl. They fear you. They have seen what you really are. Your ugly truth. Do friends brandish weapons at each other like feral beasts? Your foolish denial will change nothing. We are the same, you and I.
SUBMIT.
The simple command shatters her remaining strength and Leida grabs her head even as dark fire erupts all around her. "NOOOOOOOOO!"
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Lily," Shiki says, holding onto her, voice... very stern.
"If somewhere in that bag of tricks you've got something that can banish the power of darkness, now's the time."
By this point disguising her presence isn't even relevant. "And I don't mean with collateral damage."
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
How can you defeat someone so ingrained with darkness? How do you expect to fight someone who is suffering so much?
The boy looks over towards the boomerangs in his hands. Weapons? Can drawing weapons against someone so frighten help them? Preparing to fight? The boy's eyes start to close, his hand shaking a bit.
A deep breath is taken.
"Knight's Vow #19: Not all right choices are the smart ones."
As he takes a step forward, the boy's hands release a hold of his weapon. Both boomerang and torch make their descent towards the ground. The flames are quickly snuffed as they descend.
Now, the boy is unarmed.
He is swallowing his courage and stepping into the unknown.
However, Reize can also hear the voices of other from afar.
"Do not attack her." The boy warns the other voices with a halt in his movement. "...However, keep the darkness from striking me." He has seen what those things have done.
And so, Reize is starting to walk towards the frighten girl. All sake of intelligence and common sense are abandoned. All what he has to do is trust his gut feeling. ...His heart.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
Bam.
That was it. It was time to make himself known. Luso stepped out from behind the tree and into sight, deciding not to draw the sword whose handle he was grasping just yet, perhaps as a show of good faith, foolish as it was. "...You've got it, Reize! Leave the darkness to me!" He spoke confidently, his hand instead going for the handle of Excalibur.
"Just make sure you get it done right! It'd suck if we lost you too!" And with that, the purest holy sword was drawn, immediately radiating light.
If you want to purge the darkness, then you needed to use the light. And that's what Luso planned to do. "Bring it on! We'll save her and destroy the darkness!" ...Well, it looked like Reize had +1 idiot to his cause.
This is going to end well. ...Not.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Wasn't planning to."
Here at the Shard Seekers, we pride ourselves on our track record of doing stupid things which somehow end up working out for the best, and when it doesn't look like they're going to work out, pulling something awesome out of our noses using the power of friendship. But mostly, the important thing is doing something stupid.
It's time to let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
Shiki, noteably, has no idea who this person is. She has almost no idea who Luso is, and Lily... ok, yeah, she knows who Lily is. But can anyone /really/ know who Lily is, without walking a mile in her shoes? Or walking a mile to buy her new shoes?
The answer to all these questions and more will not be found today, because Shiki has to power walk into the danger zone, also completely unarmed.
"Hey there! You're looking a little down. It's nice to meet you. My name's Shiki Misaki... I see you've already been introduced to Reize. Why don't we peel outta this grody place and go grab something to drink in someplace where it's warm and cozier?"
Cha!
- Lily has posed:
"Reize!" Lily bursts out of the cover, looking back only once at Shiki with a pretty sad look in her eyes, shaking her head. She doesn't have any tricks like that.
"Reize... you're really a dummy sometimes. I'll try!"
She doesn't really know what to make of poor Leida over there, but she's frowning unhappily at the source of the darkness. A few slow inhales... and she does attempt to focus however.
A shimmering field of faint blue spreads across Lily's body, coming from the jewel on her forehead - which is pulsing at the same rate as the field.
Power gathers at her fingertips, forming into parks and arcs of cerulean light without form or focus to speak of... yet.
Only then does she take real note of Luso over yonder and blink at him pretty dumbly. Who's he again? She hasn't met him really!
- Leida has posed:
No? Ha... ha... ha... ha... Girl, what makes you think that you have any choice? You gave up your soul to me willingly. It is mine to do with as I please. What-
"No!" Leida cries out again, her voice muffled through teeth clenched against the twisting pain in her mind and soul. "You don't own me! I could never do...!" The billowing column of purple flame surrounding her slowly gutters out and dies, turning instead into a thick black vapor that clings to her like ashen sulfurous smoke.
"But... why...? Why does it hurt so much? What is this emptiness inside my heart...?
The sound of movement snaps her out of the internal battle and the dark voice rumbles with hollow laughter as she lifts her head to stare at the approaching adventurer. Shining purple irises glare at him from a field of solid black, her eyes stained with some vile corruption as if in metaphor to the madness that grips her. Her breathing slows to a whisper marked only by the tiny puffs of frigid mist that waft from her nose.
See now how they attempt to take you in your moment of weakness. See how the others gather and prepare to strike. It is a ruse. A LIE. They wish you only to lower your guard so that they may strike you down.
Fight. Fight! Tear them apart! Rend their souls! Inflict upon them the horrors they wish to do unto you!
RELEASE ME!
Slowly, a look of cold apphrension overtakes the girl as she watches Reize and Shiki approach, each uncertain footfall bringing them closer to what might be their own demise. Her gaze drifted to the others as they stood sentinel over their friends. She could end them. It would be so easy. And then they could never hurt her, never make her sad or frightened. Never let her down or leave her behind.
Never make her smile or laugh. Never cheer her up when she was down. Never make her happy. Happy? Had she ever been happy before? What was it that would make her happy? She couldn't recall.
"Pain... it will always be in my heart..." She shakes her head at the voice and at herself. "I cannot hide from it forever..."
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
One step is taken.
There is so much that Reize doesn't know. What is going through her mind? What is her struggles? Reize has a bit of an idea, but that boy is trying to discover that. Once the purple flames surround her andies out, thick vapor earns a frown.
But then, he can see that glare from her purple irises. Reize stops and he tenses. However, the boy is shaking his head before he continues. A glance is given towards Shiki, offering her a nod.
Afterwards, he turns back to face Leida before continuing his approach.
With each step taken, the boy adds, "...That is why you will have friends to help you fight through it."
With the possibility of death ever growing near, the boy makes his way towards Leida. He has to trust his pendant. He has to trust himself.
... He won't let someone suffer anymore. Not her. Not Riku.
A friend is needed.
It is then that Reize is approaching the point of no return, the closest range. He is barely two arm's length away from her now.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
I think I must warn you, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.
Shiki could, at this point in time, be thinking 'well I wasn't around to help before so I might as well do something now', but she isn't. In fact, she isn't thinking anything at all.
Instead of moving any further, she pays attention to Reize. He wants to take the lead: she's going to let him. After all, if something goes wrong, she's going to have to pull him back.
She just gives Leida 'what're you gonna do, eh?' type grin.
- Lily has posed:
Well this is awkward. Lily was sort of expecting an explosion of Heartless or something, but when that doesn't immediately happen...
The girl lowers her arms, some of that energy dying down, though the protective field remains. "... I don't know what's going on... but pain... I know how that feels, to be all alone and hurting, and hurting, and hurting, without end... but the answer to it was really simple."
She takes a slow, calming breath, and offers tentatively, "Not being alone anymore."
- Leida has posed:
NO.
The voice booms in her head like an explosion, staggering Leida as she stands to face the two would-be heroes. Her eyes goes wide, streaks of black pouring down her face from the corners to stain her skin. Images assault her now, hundreds of sights and smells and emotions from bygone memories rushing to fill the empty void.
The deluge is so violent and hectic that it literally stuns her into silence. Every horrible experience is picked from the book of her life, each page that is shown to her stained with blood and tears. Much of the suffering is the result of pointless cruelty inflicted upon her by others, petty hates and dark hearts heaped upon her in a neverending cycle. Every attempt at getting closer to others is met with pain.
This skewed lens of reality blinds her, covering everything with its madness and suddenly everything is so clear.
Leida's eyes narrow as she looks from one person to the next. The offers of friendship. The chance for hope. Lies, all of it. So to Shiki's questioning grin she gives one simple answer.
"LIAR!"
The hazy black smoke condenses in a single swift motion, swirling up to engulf the girl's arm as she takes the final step between herself and Reize. The darkness erupts from the smoke like an explosion of sticky tar and Leida thrusts her hand, fingers extended into boy's gut with the force of a piledriver. Blades of shadow lance outwards with the motion, spears to pierce his flesh and soul and make him suffer for his deception.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
While this all went on, Luso sidled up beside Lily while this was all going on, Excalibur held in one hand while the other remained free. Forming the rear guard. "Hey! My name's Luso. We haven't really met, but let's work together to make sure this all ends well!" He then gave the girl a thumbs up before turning his attention back to the situation at hand.
"Come on Leida! He's not lying! None of us are! If you need help, then we'll help you! I already said so back in Junon! You've got to believe us!"
And even still, he kept his blade still, not moving to strike even as the darkness possessed girl had lashed out at Reize. It wasn't time. Violence from them wasn't going to solve this.
That's what he believed anyway.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
It looks like that the boy gets close.
As the boy closes the distance between himself. Here, Reize comes face to face with the one girl who has been suffering. The one who has suffered agony and a past that the boy himself does not know, all what he can do is extend a hand to hear her out.
And when he boy moves closer...
That is when everything turns for the worst.
The girl experinces a horrible deluge of darkness taking over her that it visibly shows. Those streaks of blackness pour along her face as the total darkness takes over her in a final roar of defiance towards his offer.
Liar.
Reize expected that.
What he expected was the incoming retaliation. What he did not expect was HOW the retaliation was to be formd. He expected the darkness to rise up along from the sky and he would have to evade from it.
No, Reize does not get that.
Instead, she directly assaults him. That darkness that erupts, the darkness lances straight through him.
That lance of darkness tears through him. The shadowed lance pierces against the flesh and deep into his soul.
Reize's eyes widen and his body limps.
...At least, until the pendant starts to glow.
Once more, the boy is driving very ounce of his will to get him back to reality. As his mind wanders, racing as he tries to stagger himself forward. He grits his teeth.
His arms seek out to embrace her. This would unfortuntely pull him deeper into that soul-wrenching impale. Yet, he fights back against the pain and instead shouts.
"Can you feel this?! This is a hug from a friend! A friend who is trying to get close! A friend is someone wh---.ngg---who does not help you hide your suffering, but helps you overcome it!" Ngghgh, he gasps. "A friend is someone to help you make you a better person! Not make you feel worse! That demon is not your friend! A friend does not blame you for the things you've done, but help you get through it!"
However, why does everything seem to be dimming..?
Despite that, Reize is tightening that hug.
"...Friends are here to help you..."
And his body is slowly becoming limp despite of the struggle.
- Lily has posed:
"NO!"
Seeing the darkness lash out at reize, Lily almost panics. Power flashes and roils in her hands, forming into what looks like a shimmering bomb-like ball.
But before she launches it, Reize's words echo in her ears. Don't attack her, just shield him from the darkness.
This she can do. Lily launches a spell. Of a different kind.
Healing power lashes out like rays of light from the aura around her for Reize!
The girl in white's teeth are clenched, and she's barely holding back tears. WHY is Reize putting her through this?! Seeing him suffer over someone who'd HURT them?!
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
"I have my limits." Shiki says, jaw set and expression unreadable.
"And I'm not going to lose you."
It was a nice thing to do, but unfortunately, there is a line between being an idiot hero and being suicidal, and Reize has not learned when he has crossed it. Shiki certainly knows.
She gives Leida a look that is... not caustic, but not forgiving, either.
I will tolerate throwing kindness back in our face, she thinks. I've had enough of it from the dragon. I will not tolerate violence. You could have just pushed him away. You didn't.
She tries to make a move towards him, but the pressure and the storm of dark spines make approach less than favourable. Fortunately, Lily has the injury handled, but--
"Reize!" she shouts.
"Remember what happened after Halloween Town!"
- Leida has posed:
Outrage fills the small girl as she strikes, twisting her face into a mask of anger and hate fueled by the darkness-born madness. Her hand punches cleanly through Reize's undefended body, feeling the wet sticky touch of flesh and blood encompass her skin and the satisfying crack of bones in her ears.
Her gaze turns momentarily to the others as the boy goes limp in her grip, meeting their mixed looks of anger, suprise, and fear with a seething glare full of insidious rage. They wanted to hurt her, oh yes, she could see it in them now. How foolish she had been to trust their lies even for a minute. No one cared for her. She was a threat, a danger, and by the spirits she was going to make every one of them pay.
A soft shimmering glow interupts her thoughts, drawing her attention to the dead corpse on her arm. Only Reize isn't dead. Somehow, he struggles back to consciousness.
This was a trap! He wanted her to strike him so he could get close enough to end her life! Foolish, how could she not have seen this coming. No sane person would attack without weapons, leave theirselves completely exposed. But it's too late now.
Even as the arms reach out for her, she glares her defiance at him, the shadows hissing their fear as the pressure increases upon his body from within. But the killing strike never comes. As Reize hugs her tightly, Leida's eyes slowly go wide, her body siezed up in confusion as he shouts his declaration of friendship at her despite the horrible injuries. But... this didn't make any sense. Where was the reasoning behind it? He had clearly wanted to kill her, she had felt the certainty of it, knew it to be true beyond all doubt.
Or had she? Leida suddenly realised she couldn't think clearly. A voice scrapes at her mind from within, a voice that is not her own. It rails at her with terrifying fury, demanding that she end his life, that she save herself from these lies.
'Save myself? Where have I heard that before?'
Suddenly another wave of memories and emotions exploded into her mind, the horrible creature within no longer able to maintain its dark web of confusion. The events of the past few weeks, a time that felt like an entire age to her suddenly, comes pouring back at once. Tears stream down her face, real tears free of taint and madness, in the face of the terrifying truth.
"Oh... gods... What have I done...?" The shadows retreat, dark blades vanishing into her body as she withdraws her arm from the wound, wrapping them both under Reize's shoulders to hold him up as he starts to fall.
"No! Reize! Please don't die! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
- Luso Clemens has posed:
Luso was of course worried, seeing that rather grievous wound that Reize had been inflicted with. "Whoa! Reize!" He stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly, but not actually moving to attack. Don't attack her, don't attack her, don't attack her. That wasn't the answer. Not this time.
Thankfully, Lily's healing, and Reize's strange pendant seemed to save the boy from certain death. It was crazy for sure, but...honestly, he couldn't say that he wouldn't have done the same, were he in the position.
Great idiots think alike, it seems.
"...I guess there's no need for this then." Luso mumbled, sheathing Excalibur. There wasn't going to be any fighting here...at least he thought so. In the meantime, he watched Leida as she had come to the realization of what she had done. ...The sight caused him to grimace, but now wasn't the time for that! "Hold on, I've got just the thing here!" The boy spoke quickly, stepping forward and producing a couple potions from his bag. "Here, give him these!"
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
So, this is what death feels like?
This is, oddly enough, a very familiar feeling. Where did he feel this before? It felt like a place that was essentially a dream. He thought he was fighting Riku that day... and boy, did he look different. That darkness had gripped him, tearing him apart. Shiki's call about him and Halloween Town falls on deaf ears. Even as Lily uses her magic to try to heal the wounds, Reize can feel the twisting darkness tearing through him.
The eyes widen, the teeth grits as he continues to fall limp.
It feels so close that he is with death. It is perhaps a very painful feeling that it tears through the soul. And when that dark blade slowly vanishes, the boy's eyes fall shut and he becomes limp under the girl's arms in the midst of his fall.
A cheerful smile grows towards Leida. He gives her a reassuring smile, "...I knew you could do it." The boy's eyes slowly start to shut his eyes, sucking in a breath and offering her a smile. His gaze looks over to her, "...We're going to be here for you. ... You're amongst friends."
- Leida has posed:
Unable to stop apologizing through her tears, Leida simply buries her head in his chest and holds on as tightly as she can to keep the two of them from crashing into the ground painfully. Without the supportive strength of the demonic power running through her frail body, Reize's weight combined with that of her piecemeal armor is such that it is only by sheer adrenaline she manages to slowly lower them both down to their knees.
Luso's voice manages to cut through to her and the girl looks up to see him offer the potions. Gently laying the injured boy out on the carpet of dead leaves, she takes them with shaking hands, almost dropping the bottles in her rush to get one open, which only makes her more frantic.
Potions were amazing things in her world, the stuff of legend and poetry. This was her first time seeing a healing draught in person and she prayed to every spirit that she could think of in rapid succession that they would actually be enough to save Reize. She didn't question how Luso had such things, there wasn't any time for idle curiosity.
"H-here! Drink this, quickly!" She held the open neck of the first bottle to his lips, wrapping her other hand behind his neck to tilt him upwards.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
Having handed off the potions, Luso knelt down on Reize's other side, not able to do much more since he had already made his contribution to the issue. "Hey! Reize, don't go closing your eyes! You're not allowed to just up and go to sleep now!" He brought an around to his back, helping Leida keep the boy upright.
"You've got too much other stuff to do to go clocking out now! And hey!" Grinning despite the situation, he decided to crack a joke. "I still haven't gotten one of those cool chain thingies! You've gotta help me out there!"
Well, it was all he could do for now. Keeping talking nonsense to keep Reize awake. He hoped it would work.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
It is thanks to the efforts of Lily that he was able to have his life prolonged. With the hand drawn out of him, Reize did not have to worry about the piercing darkness erupting through his soul. Instead, he can just collapse as a useless heap.
As the body lies against the carpet of dead lives, Reize looks around the surrounding nature.
The eyes fall shut.
... How fitting, if he was to die in a wilted forest. For the boy that has managed to live in the forest for so long, a dying forest is poetic.
And then they snap open.
...But Reize has no intentions of letting that happen. Too many people that need help. He had promises to make. Through Leida's support, the bottle touches his lips and he drinks the contents of the potion. He chokes at first, but he manages to get it down his system.
Slowly, the wounds are beginning to mend. "Ngghh..." He starts to laugh towards Luso's joke despite of the pain. "Nggyeahh... I still owe you that... I will definitely see Skoll soon." He sucks in a breath, turning his head to see Leida.
A smile grows her way, then he extends a hand her way. "...We'll be able to help you start anew.
- Leida has posed:
Leida ties to recoil from his touch, turning her face away as another wave of guilt sweeps through her. She didn't deserve to be saved like this. Not after everything she had done, all of the pain and death she had caused. How many people's souls were rotting in the festering monstrosity within? The answer made her nausated.
Fresh tears come forth as if to make up for the years and years of pain she had suffered in silence. "I... I'm so sorry... It's all my fault..."
Her reddened eyes drifted to his wounds and the sight of the magical healing combined with the mystical liquid at work gave her a brief hint of relief. She sniffled after a moment, remembering the other potion and unstoppered that one as well, holding it out for him in silence.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Heh, welcome back to the land of the living." Luso said, smiling wide as he gave Reize a thumbs up. "Friendly word of advice though; don't do something that stupid again!"
Pause.
"...Actually, I probably would have done the same thing, if I were in your situation. Nevermind! Ahahaha!" Chuckling sheepishly, Luso then glanced at Leida, plopping down onto the grass to relax. "So, Leida's your name, right? I told you, I'd get your name the next time I saw you!" He grinned rather cheekily at that, folding his arms behind his head and swaying slightly from side to side. "Anyway, this place isn't exactly the best place to be fooling around in for too long..." The boy looked off into the depths of the forest then, frowning just slightly. "Maybe we should get out of here. Once Reize feels up to it, huh?"
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
Serious efforts from Lily's healings and the potions have a tremendious effect on the boy. That potentially fatal moment that was experienced was slowly mending away. The head faces Leida as he reaches a hand her way.
...And then she recoils from the touch.
A frown grows, his eyes fall shut as he allows the silence to pass. She is suffering a lot. With the other potion handed over to him, Reize manages the strength to reach for the potion. This time, he uncorks the cap and he takes a swig.
He tries not to laugh at Luso's advice. Argh! He's drinking it! The boy looks over towards the other teenager, a smile growing when he starts to make the offer the choice of them getting out of the forest.
...
Reize slowly turns over, moving to push himself back onto his feet. There is sluggish movement as the boy rises to his feet, but he manages to peel himself up. After standing up, the boy extends his hand towards Leida.
"...There's no other direction to go but forward. Come on, let's do this together, Leida."
- Leida has posed:
The girl stares intently at the ground infront of her for several long moments, unmoving except for the touch of the chill wind in her hair and cloak. Certainly she didn't deserve to be treated so politely at this point but after everything they had gone through, it would probably make her even more evil to refuse their aid out of fear.
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Leida slowly turned to reach out and take the offered hand, her slender fingers clasping lightly about Reize's wrist. She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes, gathering her courage to with the aid of his and Luso's kind words.
BAHBUMP
Suddenly, an incredible pain shot through her body, the sort of unimaginable agony that humans can only dream about in their most viscious of nightmares. The sound of her heart siezing up thudding in Leida's ears like an explosion. Her eyes went wide as they locked with the Reize's, the pupils dialating completely shut until only solid fields of dark amber remained.
Her mouth fell open slightly, trying to cry out and warn him, but only a wet burble escaped. It started out soft and distant but quickly built to a roaring gurgle as spasms overwhelmed the girl's body. Thick viscous ichor erupted from her throat like a geyser, spraying up into the air to fountain down about her face and body, quickly coating her in the foul substance. The air grew cold and still, all noise drowned out in the sudden surge of hideous laughter that spilled from everywhere at once.
YOU THINK IT WILL BE THAT EASY, BOY?!
The voice bellowed at Reize, pure demonic hatred shredding at his sanity with magics fouler and older than anything most people would ever know even existed. Its very presence was pain and suffering, clouding the air and making it difficult to breathe.
The shadows engulfed Leida, drawing her up to her feet in jerky unstable motions like a marionette being manipulated by the hands of an amateur puppeteer. She last of the vile fluid was expelled with a harsh cough and she cast a weak helpless look at the two boys.
"...run..."
- Luso Clemens has posed:
Luso smiled as he stood up, brushng himself off. Had they finally managed do it? Was she finally free? Did they finally help her? Stepping back, the boy crossed his arms, nodding in approval.
But then something happened. He could see it in Leida's eyes. Wait, what the heck was happened to her eyes!? "Whoa, Leida, what's--" And then came that voice. It was a dreadful voice, booming with pure anger and malice.
Luso was not incredibly magic oriented, but even he could feel the pull that otherworldly voice was having on himself and the area around them. Narrowing his eyes, he reached back, grasping the handle of Excalibur again.
Looks like he wasn't quite right about there being no fighting. But yet, he did not draw the blade. "We're not going anywhere. Not without you, Leida!" He yelled, keeping his ground despite the threat of the darkness.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
That hand is reached out. For just a single moment, her slender fingers clasp lightly towards his wrist. The boy had that offer, still willing to help her. It's finally ov---
...Or not.
As the girl convulses, Reize's eyes widen, "Leida!" As they locked onto his, the boy can see the dialation and the dark ambers remaining. The darkness that consumes her and erupt along her form, the boy's eyes gaze in horror at the girl's fate. The fright ran course along the boy's form as he could see the darkness take over her...
And that hideous laughter is heard.
Wait, a voice..?! That demonic presence emitted a dark magic. This time, the boy's vision allowed him to see the traces of darkness all around. Every bit of the darkness remains prominent. His head lifts up to see the ever presence of that dark atmosphere.
Reize slowly reaches over towards his boomerangs. The shadows that engulf her, Reize narrows his eyes.
"...Not without you, Leida."
The light of the pendant radiates with a brilliant glow.
"We'll free you, Leida! Team, let's do this!"
- Lily has posed:
Disgust. Horror. Nausea. Lily wobbles, legs barely able to keep her up... no, they fail. She topples onto her hands and knees, wretching- or making a motion very similar to it, anyways. Nothing comes up but she's coughing and spluttering and whimpering all at once.
"Awful... get back... get back from her! Something's... something's VERY WRONG..."
Her head tilts up, showing glints of TERROR in her eyes while she balls both hands into fists, her spell temporarily faltering...
- Leida has posed:
Ha ha ha ha ha ha... Your confidence is admirable but misplaced, fools. This one is MINE!
The voice washes over their minds anew, invisible blades of ice digging into their skulls as inexplicable understanding of each ancient unholy word forces its way in. The shadows surrounding Leida begin to take on a more solid shape, a silhouette of black flame that tapers into the air over her head. Twin slits of sick yellow light slide open and twist as perceptions unused for ages focus upon the gathered heroes, the demon taking them in with its own eyes.
A sense of disgust comes with that look, as if its gaze were a tangible thing that left them feeling defiled and wrong. Leida's empty eyes stare back at them in horror, her fear for their safety and the desire to be rescued from this abomination mixing together into one singular pained expression.
I shall enjoy tormenting your souls for all eternity!
The girl's body exploded into motion suddenly, hurdling through the air as if thrown. Her legs don't even bother the touch the ground, the ancient monster no longer holding anything back. It lashes her arms at them and deadly claws of black fire shoot from her fingertips, leaving trails of burning pain through the air.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"I don't think so!" Luso shot back, glaring up at the dark presence that had clearly made itself known now. "We'll defeat you and save Leida from your dark clutches! Just watch us!"
And with that, he pulled Excalibur from it's sheath, the ancient sword radiating pure light. Following that, he drew Flametongue as well. The blade immediately burst into flame upon being drawn.
"We're stronger than you! Leida's stronger than you! And we'll all prove right here! For the sake of everyone's bonds!" Saying that, Luso immediately leapt to the side, avoiding the corrupting flames, lest they imprint their mark upon his soul.
"Now release Leida!" He yelled, breaking out into a run before leaping upwards and swinging Excalibur not at Leida's body, but at the dark presence above her. Even then, Luso did not want to harm the girl.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
It finally starts to manifest. Reize's head lifts up to see the air become thicker. In that thickness, the shadows are forming into something that is an ebon wisp. The silhouette of black flames erupt over her head and the yellow light slide open and twist into a pair of eyes.
Reize grits his teeth, sliding his foot forward.
He immediately springs back to distance himself against the beast when it manipulates her arms to release the black flames his way. Rolling backwards, the boy pushes his hands to the ground and he pushes himself off.
Skidding across the ground, he clutches onto his chest. He already feel the lingering effects from the impalement earlier.
"...You're no longer welcomed. She does not need you anymore, monster." The boy sucks his breath, then he rushes forward. He moves up towards the air alongside of Luso. The young man spins around, twisting his foot out to release a few kicks the creature's way. "Haa--yaaaa--yaaaah!"
- Lily has posed:
Though shakey, LIly pushes to her feet.. just in time to put up a defense against the assault. Her barrier of blue light sizzles and sparks, concentrating in one area by pulling power from others to form a pinpoint barrier--
... that just isn't really suited for a physical assault. It's torn through like paper, leaving her arms and sides vulnerable to the clawssault.
"Aaaaaah!"
A sharp cry of pain from her, and she goes sprawling down again, blood dripping thinly from the wounds...
She groans and whimpers while pushing up to her feet.
"I don't know what you are but OUT. Away! You don't belong here! Go away!"
Energy gathers in her outstretched hands, forming into a simple sphere of blue light. It LAUNCHES forwards after charging up to half Lily's size... and carries with it tremendous kinetic force. If it impacts, it will explode, but it's more like getting hit with a hammer than burnt.
- Leida has posed:
Mocking laughter greets them as they strike out in retaliation. Leida's body jerks straight up into the air, putting her directly into the path of Luso's sword slash. The holy blade impacts with her mangled breastplate, eliciting a shriek from the girl as her flesh is sliced where the armoring is no longer sound enough to deflect the blow.
Reize and Lily fair little better, the kicks slamming into her midsection as the demon dances her towards their punishment with cruel glee. The magical orb gives it pause but there isn't time to be picky here. A powerful shockwave washes over Leida, billowing her hair out violently behind her, an invisible force pinning her in place against the force of the blast.
Come now, surely you can do better than that? There won't be much left to save if you keep this up!
Leida coughs, blood running from the corner of her lips as she tries to speak but the words fail to manifest into a coherant form. Instead, the demon launches her into another erratic attack. Her hands lift up towards the sky, fingers curved into rigid claws, and moments later shadowy mimicries of her arms explode from the ground, clutching at each of them with poisonous talons.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Crap! Leida!" Luso called out, descending back to the ground as he landed. "You rotten, cheating, little--!" But then came the arms, bursting upwards from the ground. There was no time to recover enough to dodge before several of them grasped at his legs, threatening to dig into the flesh with their poisonous edges.
"Not good! Get off!" He shouted, swinging Flametongue downwards to try and disperse the shadowy limbs. "A frontal assault isn't gonna work, guys! We've gotta come up with a plan!" Saying that, the boy looked off at Lily and then to Reize, his expression grim but determined.
"And we've got to do it without hurting Leida! There's got to be a way!"
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
The young fighter closed the distance to strike out against the demon, but instead was met with the body of the girl facing the impact. His eyes widen in shock upon realization. It is when he lands on the ground that he looks up, "No!"
Gritting his teeth, he slams his fist towards the ground. The boy narrows his eyes at the monster. "Ngggghhhh!" He slams his fist to the ground, the frustration showing as Leida's condition is proving to be worse.
That demon launches her into the offensive. Her fingers, in the form of the shadowy claws, the boy yells in pain as the arms explode to get a good grip on them. "Gaaahhh!" He looks up towards Lily and Luso, "No frontal assault! Lily! Avoid using destructive magic!"
He wiggles around, trying to free himself from the grip. However, it's a lot tougher. "D--agrh..." His body feels like it's weakening, but he does reach low to dig into that bag of tricks.
He procures the Hookshot.
"We'll take her back!"
Reize pulls his arm free and he swings his arm around, launching the hook out. He twists the arm about, shifting the direction of the chained-hook as it attempts to wrap around Leida so that he can tug against her.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
Boy, things sure got crazy in a hurry!
Shiki's not the kind of girl to carry cure pins around, but, y'know, that's why we have Lily. One person can't cover all the bases! She wasn't worried for a minute... Reize was gonna be just fine...
Actually that's a fib, there was about five seconds where she was horribly afraid and felt pretty much helpless but we've overcome that hurdle and now we have other issues to concentrate on. Like shadow demons.
Shiki isn't quite sure how good she is at shadow boxing, but she can't /not/ help. She holds up her player pin, as you do. "I'm gonna need a pact!"
- Lily has posed:
"I don't know what we're doooooing!" Lily complains loudly - PANICKING all the while with arms flailing about angrily. All until the counterattack anyways. She puffed her cheeks out in absolute frustration at the shield absorbing her blast.
But then hands reach up from the ground and sickly claws pierce her skin, locking her in place and squeezing a pained yell from her. she's not even trying to break out though. With teeth grit she brings her hands together again...
This time the WINDS respond, swirling inwards and congealing into a tight, whirlwind mass no bigger than a basketball, tons of currents and countercurrents and compressed gales.
Nothing that could cut, but it's LAUNCHED for Leida.
Not unlike the last attempt, this is not a blow designed to do anything but knock her for a loop - and really hard.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
"Neither do I, Lily! Neeiiiither do IIIIIIII!", explains Reize.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Just go with the flooooooow! No time to think! .....Wait! That just contradicts what I said earlier! Crud!" Luso adds in his own two cents.
- Leida has posed:
Leida doesn't have time to respond as the hookshot lances out at her, the demon unacquainted with this particular piece of technology and unable to guess at the boy's intentions. When it twirls about her slender waist, however, the metal chain going taut, it becomes rather clear.
Ha ha ha ha... What is this? You wish to challenge me, boy? Let's find out just wh--graah?!
Lily's windball explodes in the girl's chest, her eyes shooting wide as the wind is knocked from her body. The demon growls and is forced to counter the impact by pushing Leida forward, which allows Reize to pull the girl towards himself - for whatever new hairbrained scheme has been cooked up inside his head.
As Leida is yanked forward, the chain catches on the hilt of the elaborate sword affixed to her waist, sending the scabbard spiralling into the air. It pinwheels several feet and plants itself tip down in the soft dirt near Luso.
Almost immediately, the demon roars in anger, a wave of cacophonous sound slamming into them. It reaches for the weapon with shadowy tendrils but with its host currently bound, it lies firmly out of her grasp.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
Letting Reize and Lily get their moves in first, Luso watched was the wind blast impacted with Leida, and then Reize use the hookshot to pull the girl towards him. "....Huh..."
And with a whirring sound, a peculiar looking sword embeds itself into the dirt nearby, snapping the boy's attention away as he was about to respond to Shiki's request regarding a pact. Whoops, that was going to have to wait!
"...I've got it!" He suddenly exclaimed. Immediately after, he sheathed Flametongue, gripping the radiant sword, Excalibur in his other hand before running off towards the fallen blade. "Hey Shiki! Keep this thing out of it's reach for now!" He called back to the girl, pulling the weapon up by the scabbard before tossing it hastily towards her.
"And now, to follow it up!" Saying that, Luso dashed forward, Excalibur held in both hands now. He then leapt into the air as Leida's body was whizzing by towards Reize, and swung out with the holy sword, attempting to strike at the source once again.
This was all hinging on whether or not it would be unable to manipulate Leida's body in time...
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
Reize's math:
Leida + Demon = Demon Controls Girl
- Girl = Demon Cannot Control Girl
Reize cannot help but wince towards the girl when Lily essentially knocks the wind out of the girl. Unfortunately, Reize cannot say anything, considering the fact that it is difficult to tell Lily what to do or what not to do in this case. He hears Shiki's call for a pact.
Reize was about ready to accept the pact with his Partner.
...Until the sword catches his attention.
"...That's peculiar..." His eyes furrow, "...That sword was with her the entire time..." And that demon is trying to grab it.
Oh, right, girl in front of him.
Reize places his arms around the girl, "Gotcha!" Try to use her as a puppet now! Reize has her! "Don't worry, Leida, we'll get you free, don't worry!" His eyes drift towards the fallen blade and then back to Luso.
And is partner needs a bit of help. "Pact!" He reaches his hand out towards her, "Shiki, keep that sword out of its grasps!"
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Keep it...?" Shiki says, followed by a lightbulb. "Oh, sure!"
She grabs one of her pins: the white one with a stylised eye on it. With her other hand, she slaps five with Reize...
And now, filled with the unified strength that lets her stand against the darkness, she initiates her plan.
Shiki puts the pin in her palm and rapidly begins to tap it with her other finger, concentrating on the sword. Blue energy flows outwards, and ice crystals begin to rapidly form out of the air, clustering around it! Shiki concentrates so she can form a cluster of ice around the sword, making sure to use the coldness of the forest air to embed it in the ground as fast as possible!
- Lily has posed:
"...success!" The apparently possessed(?) girl's been bound up and apparently cannot move. Hopefully. Relief bleeds through the look of startled triumph on Lily's face, abnd she aims that look straight at Shiki of all people. After all, they came in together here.
She's apparently a bit too late to do the partner thing this time but she lets out a cheer for the two regardles!
"Keep her wrapped up. And... and.. ... now what...?"
All that cheer drains away as she puts up her guard and peers perplexedly Leida's way...
- Leida has posed:
As the girl goes flying, the dark mist engulfing her body seperates itself, hovering in the air as a dark rolling cloud of impenatrable fog. Luso's assault is free of obstructions and Exaclibur's shining holy blade streaks through the tenebrous mass, eliciting a dark roar of pain. Despite this the monster shows no signs of being injured and a massive shadowy arm sweeps out to swat at the youth with incredible force.
Leida's lets out a soft squeak as her body impacts with Reize, the bruises from her earlier mistreatment still fresh and tender. But with the demon temporarily foiled she manages to get her breath back. Two forces tug at her, making movement rather awkward but she manages to gasp up at him.
"The... the sword! Give it... to me!"
She grimaces an instant later as her 'strings' are pulled, squeezing her arms tightly against her torso and wringing her like a sponge.
Be silent, you little wretch!
The mass of shadowy mist seems to puff up, a slit opening up below the eyes where a mouth would be appropriate. It exhales a foul mist, cloying the air with a deadly poison aerosol. It is not lethal since Leida is in the way but certainly debiltating.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Alright! It worked-BWA!" There wasn't even a second to exclaim his success before a dark claw swatted the boy away, sending him flying back and then skidding roughly to the ground in front of Lily. "...Ow." He grumbled, laying flat on his back.
Rising up to his feet, he eventually began to cough, bringing a hand to his mouth to try and stem the flow of it entering his system. "Guh! It's trying to poison us now!"
Coughing periodically, Luso went on to note. "But light works about as well as I expected it to! Attack that mist with enough light and we might just be able to purge it!"
Having explained through muffled breaths, the boy glanced off towards the sword currently encased in ice by Shiki.
...Leida said to give it to her, but to what end? He couldn't be sure now...
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
What is it about that sword that makes the demon want it? Come to think of it, why is it that the girl never USED that sword?
It is when that little caterpiller inside of his head is rolling along the wheel. Those gears of thinking run along his head as he cross-examines that sword that is now encased in ice. With that dark-looking sword and the fact that the demon wants it, but it's never used...
!!!
And the words of Leida are spoken. She needs that sword.
"Shiki! Toss the sword to me! We need to use it!" And he sees it's encased in ice. "...And unfreeze it--agrggghghh...!!" He chokes, holding onto his throat as he ends up letting go of Leida. He rolls onto is stomach, placing the scarf over his face and he tries to stagger to safety. He is already feeling a bit sick from the claws that encased itself around him earlier.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki is freezin' that sword! Gonna freeze it up good so nobody can grab it!
Wait.
Pause.
Shiki Misaki is unfreezin' that sword! Gonna unfreeze it up good so Reize can grab it!
Mr. Mew helps with a hammer and chisel, at least until the poison cloud starts rolling in. Subsequently, he helps her out with one of those handy face masks you see people wearing to keep smog out of their lungs in Japan sometimes.
"OH GAW THIS THING IS COLD!" Shiki wails, tossing it back and forth between each hand. "REIZE! THIS THING IS COLD! DON'T DROP IT WHEN YOU GRAB IT!" she advises him, waiting for the right moment--
And she throws it!
- Lily has posed:
Lily doesn't quit erealize what the heck the cloud of gunk IS until it's a bit too late. And technically, she doesn't need to breathe. But she often does anyways. It's beccome a habit, watching others, and it's hard to talk if she doesn't.
She goes down, spluttering and coughing as the gunky cloud rolls past, agonized by the foul stuff.
But she is treated to an insane sight upon looking up again. There, seperated from Leida... the 'demon' as it's been called. Lily clears the area around her with a small gust of wind that sends the poisonous gunk skywards and away.. then smiles.
"That. That! That's where all the awfulk's coming from!" She not only waves her hand at the spirit.. but from those fingers fly dozens of little needles of cerulean light, pure magical energy aimed to simply impale it like machine gun fire.
She can, after all, avoid harming Leida now!
- Leida has posed:
Lily's magical barrage is rewarded with further bellows of outrage from the malignant spirit and it raises its arms to ward off the light arrows, unable to act as the object of its attention is tossed back and forth. This would be comical if it weren't so serious. However, only one person here knows the true power of the weapon and it cannot kill her without dooming itself. The irony is thick.
The choking mists send Leida into a coughing fit and she falls to the ground, unable to keep herself upright with the combination of poison, entangling chain, and demonic presence all working to undermine her strength and mobility.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
And such, Shiki tosses Reize the sword.
.... Need to catch it.
Need to.
The young man keeps his face covered while he awaits the sheathed sword to come his way. And quickly, Reize cathes the weapon an he starts running towards Leida. He calls out to the others, "Keep it suppressed!"
Reize kneels down next to Leida, trying to pull her upright enough while holding the sword out to her. "Leida..." The boy then unwraps his scarf, coughing as he tries to wrap it around her face, "..You can do this. You have to..." He coughs, choking. He places a hand over his face, trying to fight the choking mist.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Got it! Leave it to us!" Luso called out to Reize before turning his attention back to the dark spirit. "Let's go!" And with that, the boy ran back into the fray, and into the mildly poisonous mist with excalibur held high and shining with light anew.
"Try this on for size!" Skidding to a stop by it's side, Luso then leapt straight up into the air, his holy sword held low as he then swung upwards in another attempt to swipe through the mist in an uppercut motion.
"You won't win! You can't win! Because you're missing one big thing! Friends!" Wow, that was corny. Even Luso seemed to realize it, if the grin on his face was any indication.
But it didn't last much longer before he was taken by a fresh coughing fit. "Guh! Gotta hang on a little longer...!" He mumbled to himself.
This was for Leida's sake, he couldn't back down now.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Got it!"
Shiki palms another pin. She swipes her finger across the baby-blue birdcage in chains- Entanglement.
Using her pact with Reize, the effect of her pins against beings made of darkness and negative energy is enhanced. Therefore, although the cords she summons up look just like threads, when they tanglearound Leida's shadow demon, they will hold it as fast as iron.
And Shiki keeps chaining it up, binding it again and again for Luso and Lily, doing her best to pin it down...
- Lily has posed:
Lily's weakend considerably herself, thanks to this demon. She's lost some blood, her arms and sides ache from some freshly rent cuts - they may not be very deep, but they HURT. Her ankles bear deeper wounds from the grasping shadow hands of before, and her veins burn from the strange poisons and toxins. The girl's gritting her teeth. She SHOULD be using her magic to heal herself. That's only sensible.
But Reize seems to have a plan. Even Shiki and Luso are behind it.
even as she drops down to her knees, hacking more from the leftovers of the noxious fumes... she extends a hand. The aura around her shimmers, and a stream of light flows out towards Leida... the same life and warmth that had bathed Reize earlier. It's healing magic!
"... I really... really hope this plan works. Get rid of that thing! Get it. Make it go away!"
- Leida has posed:
Leida's eyes flutter as she teeters on the brink of unconsciousness. The sound of the voice and a gentle touch on her face manages to drag her back from the brink and she stares up at Reize through watery eyes for a long moment, her strength gone.
Lily's healing spell washes through her a moment later, mending light knitting her wounds and giving her the little extra push she needs. Slowly, she reaches up towards him, her eyes fastened on the familiar weapon in his hands. There was only one option here that she knew of. It wasn't going to be pleasant; such things never were. But it had to be done.
No! Stop, girl! Nrrrrraggghh!
The shadow cries out as Shiki's chains bound it down, even as it surged forward to physically intervene. Luso's bladework went unhindered this time, carving a deep gorge through the shoulder of the demon.
You know what will happen if you do this! You know what is required to bind me! These people are not your friends! I am the one who came when you called in your hour of greatest need! I gave you what you wanted! IS THIS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!
The girl hesitates at that but only for a moment. With as much of a firm grip as she can muster, Leida takes the hilt in her hand and tugs. Palpable power surges out of the sheathe as the mystical blade encased within is exposed to open air for the first time in centuries. There is no holy radiant light nor brilliant glow of arcane energies. Simply power.
The sword slides free easily and she forces herself upright, pulling Reize's scarf away from her face so that she can speak clearly. Looking him dead in the eyes, she turns the blade and places it in his hands, wrapping them one at a time around the grip.
With a deep breath, she closes her eyes and scoots back, hands moving down to her side to work the catches on her ruined breastplate. The two pieces of metal clatter to the ground, leaving her upper torso exposed save for a ragged piece of cloth that might have been an undershirt at one point. With this out of the way, she takes up the tip of the sword and places it against her flesh, directly over her heart.
Opening her eyes again, the young princess looks to the boy infront of her and asks of him perhaps the hardest thing he will ever have to do.
"Kill me."
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
There was much to be done. Reize had to see to that it was accomplished. He would not let Leida fall here. She even told him to give her th sword. "You know what to do, more than I." Then, he smiles, dropping to one knee as the toxic gas begins to consume him. He coughs, hacking and gasping for air. Hggk..
Yet, when Lily aids her, Reize turns to face Shiki, Luso, and Lily with a thumbs up. A smile is given their way, appreciative of their help.
But then, the demon tries to coax the girl into keeping it free. The boy narrows his eyes, the pendant glowing once more, "She no longer needs you, you monster!" And it is then that the mystical blade is exposed to the air. That power forces itself forth as the girl is upright. But then, the girl turns to face him.
That hilt is facing his direction, she wraps both hands around the blade. Blink. Blink. "Leida, what are you doing...?"
As she removes the ruined beastplate, the boy stares over towards her. "Leida, what are..." And then, she takes the tip toards her flesh. The blade points towards her heart.
...The eyes widen.
Kill...?!
Everything becomes black for the boy. Shiki, Lily, and even Luso would fall under deaf ears before him. The boy sares at the sword in his grasp, the sweat being produced before he looks at her. The eyes widen.
"I can't!...." I'm afraid. "I can't kill you! There has to be another way!" ...I can't kill. I can't kill a person. There is no way.
The fear of drawing the blade to kill another person, the swell of tears forming in his eyes. His hand is literally shaking.
- Shiki Misaki has posed:
Things suddenly got pretty shocking!
Shiki flinches at Leida's instruction. She has no idea what she's gotten herself into here- she never even knew this person up until now! She doesn't know what's going on or what a serious situation this is. All she can do is stare, and hug Mr. Mew suddenly.
"Reize...!" she says quietly, but urgently.
"...we should thrash that monster with it instead..."
- Luso Clemens has posed:
Luso looks back after some moments of detaining the spirit, watching Leida draw the sword and then...
"Whoa..."
He mumbled in awe. THat was an amazing sword! ...His collector's senses were going off the scale now. Imagine that sword in his stash! It'd be amazing!
But wait a second.
Why the world was she removing her armor? And hey, why was she pointing that sword towards her own heart? This didn't look like a very victorious move!
"...Kill?" Luso frowned profoundly at those words. They immediately did not sit right with him, but...
...But maybe there was something to this? Lowering Excalibur, the boy turned to look at Leida and Reize, feeling for the other boy's struggle. Killing someone? It was madness! Utter madness! But still, there was one big question that needed to be asked... As dumb as it may be.
"Leida...What happens after? Will you come back?" No, Luso you idiot! People die when they are killed!
But he thought it was a valid question anyway!
Hey! You never know? After all, where he came frome, people could be cut down all day, but the Judge Spirit would revive them! Maybe something similar could be case here?
- Lily has posed:
What.
This doesn't make any sense.
Lily's mouth gapes open. These words are horrifying. Absolutely horrifying. "What... but... but... THAT's the bad thing!" She gestures at the demon spirit. Leida's sudden actions have filled the girl with fright... and where there's fright, there is panic.
Now that she sees what's wrong, that answer just will NOT DO. "Ghhhhrrrrr....!"
There. She stares down the demon. It is bound, it is battered. She all but snarls angrily at it and raises her hands.
Blyue-white power crackles and flares, shaping into much BIGGER needles. They're more like the size of a person's arm, and dozens of them fly up into the sky and then arc back DOWN to try and turn the thing into a pincushion.
These needles spark and crackle with raw power... and will explode a bit if they pierce a target, to try and tear it apart.
- Leida has posed:
"This is the only way." Leida shakes her head, looking towards the others with a faint but resigned smile. "It's alright. This was my fate the moment I gave in to the darkness in my heart."
She lowered her head and closed her eyes, silent for a moment. Reize was a good person. Luso and probably Lily too. Shiki seemed kinda shifty. But that was okay too, she probably had other redeeming qualities. None of them would have the heart to follow through.
"It's better this way... Thank you, Reize... for being my friend... I'm sorry for all of the pain I've put you through... all of you..." She took a deep breath. "And for this."
Moving suddenly, the small girl lurched forward with all of her might.
The demon screamed, not out of concern for the girl's life, nor the pain that rippled through its form as dozens of explosions tear at its body - but out of a real fear that it had not felt in a thousand years. The fear of being locked away, deep down in a place that it had no hope of escaping to rage in silence and hate for all eternity. The girl's torment had been a once in a lifetime chance. It sincerely doubted there would be another.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
...
....
Reize can only stare as the blade pierces through Leida. The sword that he held, the girl plunged into it.
Reize's eyes widen and he just...
He just stares as he keeps his stance. However, one thing is forsure, Reize is.. broken.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"...........CRAP! NO!" Luso cried, sheathing Excalibur. "Reize! Don't just stand there! Come on!" Running forward, the boy frantically rifled through his pack for another handful of potions. "Hey! Come on! We've gotta help her, quick"
That was hastily addressed to Lily. He hadn't even spared the time to admire the girl's magical handiwork like he usually would have. This was more important!
Much more important!
- Lily has posed:
All the screaming. The screaming. it is VERY GOOD SCREAMING. The demons' torment is MUSIC to Lily's ears. She pours on the hurt, bombarding it again and again as if racing to kill it before Leida can--
There goes Leida.
"Wha..."
Lily, mid-gesture... about to pulverize the demon more... drops to her knees.
"No... NO... why?! It was right here... y-you... you didn't..." No.. No more words. She can't muster them, and none can possibly capture how terrible this is.
Her face has gone white. Teeth grind together and stammery, hiccup-like noises are the only things she can get out.
Luso's please get a gurgly noise in response, and also lead Lily to shakily raise an arm and diret another flow of healing power towards Leida... but it's clear by the look in her eyes, the girl's horrified.
Not much better than Reize at all.
- Leida has posed:
All of the cries of shock, the swift actions to intervene, the look of dismay on Reize's face as the sword pierces her heart - these things filter into Leida's mind in slow motion. Their voices are faint and muted, distorted as though she were submerged in water.
The touch of the metal is cold, like a wedge of ice being thrust into her flesh. It instantly steals away all sensation, numbing her to what should be blinding pain even as it punctures clear through her chest to protrude from her back.
Where once their blows had drawn forth only black fetid ichor, the magical sword explodes into view dripping with bright crimson. At this sight the demon pushes itself forward, driven by madness and uncaring about any damage or pain inflicted upon it at this point.
The blood! The royal blood! No! Noooooooo!
As if its declaration were the final words to a magical spell, the sword erupts with new energy. A beam of raw power lances out from its wedged tip, streaking through the air like a bolt of lightning. It strikes the shadowy figure and the entire world seems to become a sea of demented screams. The demon is drawn into the beam inch by inch, it's gasous body shifting and tearing at the edges as its loses definition until nothing is left.
A thin stream of pure darkness shoots back into the sword, the screams dying out as swiftly as they arose. The blade soaks up this unholy energy like a sponge, its entire length transforming from a bright silver to obsidian black as the demon's essense is bound up within its frame. The blood begins to disappear as well, the weapon apparently hungry for the taste of mortal life just as much as the supernatural and the two substances begin to co-mingle.
This is the last sight of this ancient magic at work that those present will see for a flash of brilliant magnitude obscures their vision. Time passes. With no sensations to measure it against this moment of white seems to stretch on for eternity but eventually the light fades and the forest returns.
The sword lies in the leaves, once more hidden away from prying eyes within the lacquered elaborate scabbard. A hand rests upon its surface, small and delicate, belonging to a girl who wanted nothing more than a friend and who made the ultimate sacrifice for those who chose to take that chance. She is still now, a look of peace on her face for the first time since any of them had met.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
As the sword explodes into view with the bright crmson glow, Reize looks up towards the demonic force that continue to thrive. Many things run along his mind, but it soons snaps out of it. The eyes give a baleful look at the monster. Gritting his teeth, Reize snaps, "You don't belong here.. begone, monster!"
And that sword erupts with the raw power, streaking through the air like a bolt of lighting. As the shadowy figure is struck, the boy shudders at the sound of the screams It begins to deflate and tear along the edges...
Nothing is left.
That stream of pre darkness runs along the sword.
And as the balde soaks the unholy energy, the boy looks at the ebon essence light up. Reize can only stare at Leida, the fallen girl.
His head lowers, kneeling over next to her. His hand rests along her forehead. "...You've... finally gotten peace." Reize has to be strong. He has to. He can't cry now. He can't break down. The boy kneels down to pick up the girl as well as the sword.
"...Not leaving her out here... we'll find somewhere to take her."
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"......" Silence was all Luso could offer upon seeing that epic display of power. The demon was finally purged...bit at what cost? Once everything died down to normal, he could see Leida's body laying there, the sword she used to perform the sacrifice strangely sheathed nearby.
"...This...is not how it was supposed to go..." Luso mumbled, the hand he was holding the potions with slackening. It was too late. Or at least it seemed that way. With a heavy sigh, the boy put his potions away as he nodded at Reize.
"Yeah, let's get out of here. We're definitely not going to leave her here." He smiled slightly at his own words, turning to look off into the forest's depths. "She deserves better than that."
And with a heavy heart, but his head held high, Luso began to walk onwards, leading the way to the forest's exit while also keeping his eyes out for monsters. No need for trouble now.
They had already had their fair share after all.
- Leida has posed:
Leida's body is limp as she is lifted from the ground, her limbs dangling freely as they shift with the motion. Almost like ice, her skin is chill and deathly pale, what little color that remaining having been drained away with her blood.
As her hands fall to the side, her chest is laid bare to the young hero providing to him a curious sight. There is no wound. Not even the hint of a scar beneath the ragged tatters of her shirt, though the damage to the garment is clear and the small red smudges of her blood remain.
Even stranger still, the sword feels warm to the touch as he gathers it up. A pulsating sensation runs through his hand, a steady rhythmic thumping that almost feels like...
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
Holding the limp body, Reize lowers his head with somber look. He looks over towards Luso, carrying a faint smile. He is able too hold his head up high. Reize tries to mimic his friend. After all, they did free a suffering person. However, Reize wishes ther was a better way.
As her hands fall to the side, the boy looks over towards the chest. "...Huh?" He furrows his eyebrows, realizing that the blade that plunged through her left no scars. No markings. "...Luso. Err..." He peers towards her chest, looking along the damaged fabric. While the sword feels warm to touch, he can feel the pulsating sensation. "...Something feels alive..."
He looks over to the sword, looking perplexed.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Eh?" Luso slowed down upon hearing his name caled and turned around slightly to look. "Something up?" He asked then, walking over to see what the problem was.
And then he saw. ....She needed a new shirt.
Wait no, that's not it! Though that's true still!
"Huh...Wait a second, was I seeing things when I saw that sword plunge into her?" Luso mumbled, tilting his head slightly in thought as he rubbed his chin sagely. "Something's up here..." He added after, glancing then at the sword. He stared at it for a little while longer before finally getting another stupid idea!
"You said that it feels alive, right Reize?" The boy reached over to test the feel of the sword for himself then, nodding afterwards. Reize was right.
"This might seem like a stupid idea, but...Maybe we should try putting the sword in contact with Leida?"
- Leida has posed:
As if this suggestion somehow managed to reach the sword, it begins to beat wildly in Reize's hand, the thumping clearly audible to them now. A warm breeze stirs up behind them, overwhelming the chill of the corrupted forest's natural habitat. The signs all seem to be pointing towards this one final act. But do they dare to hope again, against all logic?
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
Blink.
The boy takes the sword for just one moment. He looks over Luso when he comes close to test the feel of the dark weapon. "...Yeah." The boy stares towards Leida, then he slowly, but surely, rests the sword against the girl's skin.
!!!
The sword beats wildly against Reize's hand, causing a bit of alarm fromhim. And then te breeze stirs behind him, overwhelming that chill.
No longer can the boy feel the chill of the corrupted forest. It has gotten warmer.
Reize places the sword against the girl to make contact with her skin. And hope for the best.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
"Whoa, you feel that?"
Asking rhetorically, Luso brought a hand up on top of his head to keep his trusty hat steady. Meanwhile, he watched as the sword made contact with Leida's body.
It was a vague hope, a stupid idea, a baseless hunch, but...he hoped that it somehow would work out. That this would be the answer they were seeking all along.
"Come on..." He mumbled after, eyes locked onto the girl in clear anticipation.
What was going to happen now?
Only the gods knew.
- Leida has posed:
As the sword is drawn closer and closer to the girl's body the tempo of its throbbing pulse grows ever more frantic until at last it makes contact with her skin...
And goes still.
There is a pregnant pause as the two boys stare down upon Leida's motionless form, watching for any signs of movement; a twitching finger, a subtle rise of her chest, the flutter of her eyes.
Nothing.
Several seconds pass with no change in her condition, no telltale shifts to indicate any life has returned. The breeze swirls around them again as if in consolation to their pain and in so doing it brushes the long raven locks of her hair away from her shoulder. This brings with it a strange new revelation.
Before their very eyes, snaking tendrils of black pigment swirl under the skin, leaving streaks of stained ink-like flesh in their wake. They twist and turn in an intricate pattern, moving in tandem to mark out a complex weave of angular shapes across the bulge of the joint. In mere moments a masterwork of art stares up at them and a faint haze of purple light dances across its surface for a moment before fading into the skin as well.
The sword begins to shudder again but this time the beating of its pulse is slow and steady, much akin to a human's heart.
Bahbump. Bahbump. BahBUMP.
The final surge of energy is echoed with a sharp intake of breath. In perhaps the most singular important motion of the entire ordeal, Leida's chest expands and she gasps, eyes flying open to stare up at them in shock.
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
At first, nothing happens. Reize lowers his head, shaking his head as the seconds that pass reveal nothing more. No movement, no change in her conditon, or anything. His head lowers as the changes are nonexistent. He sighs, glancing back towards Luso, "I guess it was just our imagination." The boy gives his friend a faint smile.
...Until the snaking tendrils swirl underneath the skin, "...Eh?" As they start twisting about an slowly covering the body, the purple haze danes along the surface before it fades into the skin.
And the sword gives a heartbeat.
That final surge of energy revives the girl.
!!!!
"Leida?!" The boy's eyes widen, gazing her over, "You're alive!" It is a huge weight that is lifted off as she reveals to be alive.
- Luso Clemens has posed:
They watch...
And wait...
And nothing happens.
"...I guess it really was just--huh?" He mumbled then, his eyes catching a glimpse of inky tendrils snaking out and swiling into the girl. "What the-" Luso stares, confounded for several moments longer.
And then comes the final and very obvious surge of energy, jolting Leida back to life. "Holy--!" He cries out in surprise, taking a step back. There were no words initially as the boy simply stared at Leida in a dumfounded stupor for a while.
"...You're alive. YOU'RE ALIVE! Woo hoo!" Luso cheers, throwing a fist to the air and grinning happily. "Alright! We did it! We totally did it! Ahahahaha!" Laughing afterwards for a bit, he eventually sobered up, sighing heavily and wiping his eyes of forming tears that were threatening to fall.
"Welcome back, Leida! You scared the crap out of us, you know?"
- Leida has posed:
Leida silently stares up the two of them with wide-eyed calm for several seconds, waiting until their fanfare dies down. Finally, her hands come up to rub her face gently, as if not quite believing the sight herself. Allowing her fingers to slide down until only her eyes are revealed, the girl peers at them again and gives a meak hidden smile.
"Did I really... come back?"
Some sense of nagging doubt still pulls at the corner of her thoughts, as if she might blink and then they would be gone with only the bleak and lightless expanse of the Underworld to take their place. But everything seemed real. Their bright smiles, their happy voices, the reassuring strength of Reize's arms around her, the gentle touch of the wind on her skin... wait.
Leida glances down, finally taking notice of the state of disrepair her garments are in. A twin stars of red explode in her cheeks as she realises she's half naked in the arms of some boy she barely knows.
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
- Reize Seatlan has posed:
The sight of seeing the person alive. It is alleviating. It was a great weight over his shoulders, now lifted free. The boy's forming tears along his eyes, then he wipes it. Just as the reunion is one of a joyous one, Reize's antenna hair rises and he has a beaming smile.
"You're alive!" In his rush of emotions, Reize embraces the young girl close to him.
Well, at least, until she takes the moment to look down at herself in the state of disrepair.
...And she screams.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
- Luso Clemens has posed:
With the situation finally calming down to an even pace, Luso sighed and breathed deeply in relief. Yeah. They were going to be all right now.
At least until Leida screams. And at that moment, his own mind catches up with the situation.
"mNBDgfbvfhdsfdauds!" He garbles out incohorently, flailing about wildly for a bit before finally gathering himself enough to just turn around, standing at attention as if he were being addressed by a drill sergeant.
"My bad! I didn't see how small you were! Honest!"
...Well that just gave it away. Good job, Luso.
- Leida has posed:
Still clutched tightly in Reize's arms, Leida does her best to cover herself with her slender arms. Fortunately, as Luso so elegantly pointed out, she doesn't have much to worry about and manages to hide anything too embarrasing from sight. This does not really make her feel much better though and the girl's entire body slowly begins to turn a bright red as a blush makes its way down through her.
