Murder Game 0: Genesis

Gummi Bunnies said:

"?"

Blake noticed that another person had directed their attention towards him. Senna. She was here and expressing her worry for him. He heard this comment before, this talk that he shouldn't be putting himself out there so recklessly. But... what can he do? This world was cruel. He had no choice on this matter. It pained him to see people die, but it also pained him to see people in such a terrible mood. Especially her.

"... together. That's right... we'll get through... together. Yet, I don't know what I'll do if... anyone gets hurt from this point onwards. If it comes to that, I'll make the pain go away, I'll take care of... the bad things."

He sounded like he had calmed down once he was settling his thoughts in response to both Senna and Schala, but even these words were skewed from how he saw things from the beginning. Before the deaths happened. Before the betrayals happened. That optimism was only a facade to hide that pain early on, but even that wasn't going to smooth it over. Not for him, but probably for Senna. She missed something. She missed a smile of his, he could see that. But that was a fake smile. He knew it well. There was no true meaning to it, not now.

But she felt terrible without it, and he didn't want her to feel so terrible. Blake could see that.

Senna needed him to smile. Blake could see that.

She needed it to feel secure. Blake could see that.

"... say, Senna..."

"... I'll still look out for people. There's no need to do anything. I'll take care of it. I'll make it end. So how about you smile for me? I'm smiling for you, you missed that, right?"

That smile of his looked alike to the earlier times he's smiled, but with his words, it felt a bit twisted. Blake was smiling, but not for the same reasons. There was a smile, but it wasn't the same.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @york @ppl​

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Frowning, the girl's body would tense slightly as Blake would utter his next few words. Senna wasn't sure what to make of them, but something was off. What he was saying didn't feel right. He would make the pain go away? How? Senna almost wasn't sure she wanted that question answered. She felt like the situation they were in was beyond their control. What exactly could Blake do to fix everything? She worried that any such act would turn out suicidal. The very thought made the muscles in her stomach tighten painfully.

"But at what cost?" Senna mumbled, "What would it cost to make the pain go away for everyone? Your life? Your--" Senna furrowed her eyebrows. "...your sanity?"

The loss of his sanity was something Blake already seemed to be tainted with. At least he had a grip on himself when this situation first started. Whether or not he was putting on an act even then Senna didn't really know, but at least at the start he hadn't been losing his mind.

"You don't have to pay a price like that. Even if more people die, not everyone is going to die. I can feel it. So, whoever makes it through this, you have to rely on them to help you get through this. Don't try to push through it yourself. Please. For me..."

Senna removed her hand from his face for a moment, flinching slightly when he would smile. How in the world would he know that's what she had been thinking about? Regardless, the sight of the male's smile brought her less comfort than she had hoped for. It didn't feel right, not one bit.

"I didn't say that. How did you--?" Senna sighed before reaching out to pinch his cheek. "I take it back, okay? If you can smile that easily on command, it makes me wonder whether or not your smile all along has been... fake. Don't smile anymore unless it's your real one, got it? I don't care how long it takes for you to feel like smiling for real. Whenever it happens, it'll be worth the wait. What I really want now is--"

Senna paused to think it over. "I just want you to be okay. Don't lose yourself. As long as I know you're okay, I won't have a problem smiling for you. You can't fool me right now, because I know you're not okay. I don't want to see this horrible place change anyone. Don't let this place win, Blake."

@Gummi Bunnies @york @errbody​

Sen said:

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"You can certainly try a bottle," Alucard offered, withdrawing one for Hakuei. "It may not help with the infection, but it certainly will rejuvenate you. Being here for so long, you must be tired." As expected of mortals, or something like that. Alucard was used to travelling long distances, he could go for miles without tiring, and moving so fast that no man would ever see him or know he was there. The glass bottle of red liquid - not blood - was common in the halls of Castlevania, sold by the strange one that sat in the library, or hidden in the crevices of the building itself. It tasted like nothing, but it was like liquid strength. It didn't seem to have any side effects.
​

​

A long time ago, when Alucard still had human emotions ruling him, he would have felt jealous if he was standing here. Now he did not feel much, emotions suppressed for the goal of peace for the world and the fall of Dracula every time he rises. He never had a childhood friend, he cared mostly of his mother and at the time, his father. He didn't really understand what it meant to have one, or to have someone to care for like that. He stared at the man and the woman he loved with a passive face, unable to comprehend the feelings behind such a thing. He could respect it, yes, but the dhampir's mind couldn't completely wrap around this 'human' thing. He could only watch on from afar.

Having something to protect could make you stronger, he had read that before. But not having anything to protect meant there was nothing to lose. If Alucard died, nothing would be lost. The world would simply continue moving on, and nobody would mourn for him. Sometimes, he didn't mind that was the truth. The demons that worshiped him sided with his father, after all. Perhaps he could have a spot of lunch with the Grim Reaper, who never seemed to mind his presence, despite him having opposed the great vampire king.
​

"Pardon? ... None that I am aware of, no."

Allergies? Him? He almost laughed.

"I sincerely hope you are not drawing my blood, Cagliostro. Vampire blood can be contagious..."

@Hana @Crow @Josh M @Azuremoon @Verite​

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Hana said:

"Thank you."

She simply took the vial of potion from the dhampir, gingerly withdrawing it from his hand and staring down at the shiny red liquid swishing inside. For once, Hakuei didn't know what to say with Alucard. Both of them were among the unfortunate audience of this tragic play, where Clark and Lana were the perfect players of the roles Lex Luthor had set up out of malice. They had just witnessed a tragedy with their own eyes and seen a strong man shatter like glass, their friend was possibly also crumbling at the edges with him, and what were they to do? They were possibly monsters now, they had been tainted by whatever treachery lay in that mist.

Hakuei sighed and uncorked the bottle, taking a small sip. She did not drain all of it, the strange taste only a distant thought in her mind. The rush of stored energy within the potion came as expected, yet she still felt weary from seeing what she had.

"... I think Lady Riesbyfe should also try this."

The silver-haired knight needed it more than the princess did at the moment. She could still feel Riesbyfe leaning heavily against her now that all was said and done and Lana was dead. With a nod towards the knight, Hakuei offered the rest of the health potion to her. She had only taken a couple of gulps.

Listening to Clark's words about his youth with Lana, the princess could only bow her head out of acknowledgement to his grief, somber and solemn-eyed. She couldn't understand the feeling of losing a lover, but losing a loved one had been an experience she already passed through.

Noticing the dhampir looking silently towards them, she could only wonder at what he was thinking about. His face was passive as ever, but one could only take a look at his eyes to know he was in deep thought. The emotions weren't clear to her, but she still spoke to him anyway.

"Have you ever loved anyone, Alucard?"

They weren't able to continue their discussion when the alchemist came. Hakuei glanced at him before letting the subject drop.

Cagliostro's intervention was an almost welcome distraction no matter how terrible the thought was, and Hakuei nodded tentatively towards the alchemist.

"If it's anything that can help us solve this, I would gladly help. But Lady Riesbyfe could stand to be watched by someone else."

@Sen @Azuremoon @Verite @Crow @Josh M @EastHall

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"Highly infective...Vampire blood... hmm..." Cagliostro ponders at Alucard's words. "If that's the case, we won't use your blood. Alucard is partially human but his... the virus is primarily human-based, adapted and evolved to latch onto humans as a host. This inference is made rather clear, seeing how Lex Luthor used the viral mist on us, under the assumption that we're all at least partially human, which isn'r completely false. This is the safest assumption to make, seeing how this world works. As such, I will need full human blood for this."

Cagliostro looks at an empty vial.

"This is where I'll place my blood sample. I can't use my own, my body is too altered to act as a default... I will need the blood sample of two to four human beings, as unmodified as possible, it does not matter if the subject is infected or uninfected, but the latter is much preferred."

Cagliostro then looks at Hakuei as she agrees to help. "Hakuei, do you have enough medical knowledge to know where the veins of a human lie~?"

Taking out a few syringes, she continues, "if not, I can teach you the ropes. Now, let's make a breakthrough in alchemy that hasn't been made before~."

Cagliostro then looks at Riesbyfe.

"First thing's first - find Riesbyfe a safe spot and another individual to rest by... I can't really think of anyone else in this area... maybe Shirou?"

@Josh M @Verite @Kaykay @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Crow

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @thatguyinthestore

@EASTHALL​

Hana said:

"Thank you."

She simply took the vial of potion from the dhampir, gingerly withdrawing it from his hand and staring down at the shiny red liquid swishing inside. For once, Hakuei didn't know what to say with Alucard. Both of them were among the unfortunate audience of this tragic play, where Clark and Lana were the perfect players of the roles Lex Luthor had set up out of malice. They had just witnessed a tragedy with their own eyes and seen a strong man shatter like glass, their friend was possibly also crumbling at the edges with him, and what were they to do? They were possibly monsters now, they had been tainted by whatever treachery lay in that mist.

Hakuei sighed and uncorked the bottle, taking a small sip. She did not drain all of it, the strange taste only a distant thought in her mind. The rush of stored energy within the potion came as expected, yet she still felt weary from seeing what she had.

"... I think Lady Riesbyfe should also try this."

The silver-haired knight needed it more than the princess did at the moment. She could still feel Riesbyfe leaning heavily against her now that all was said and done and Lana was dead. With a nod towards the knight, Hakuei offered the rest of the health potion to her. She had only taken a couple of gulps.

Listening to Clark's words about his youth with Lana, the princess could only bow her head out of acknowledgement to his grief, somber and solemn-eyed. She couldn't understand the feeling of losing a lover, but losing a loved one had been an experience she already passed through.

Noticing the dhampir looking silently towards them, she could only wonder at what he was thinking about. His face was passive as ever, but one could only take a look at his eyes to know he was in deep thought. The emotions weren't clear to her, but she still spoke to him anyway.

"Have you ever loved anyone, Alucard?"

They weren't able to continue their discussion when the alchemist came. Hakuei glanced at him before letting the subject drop.

Cagliostro's intervention was an almost welcome distraction no matter how terrible the thought was, and Hakuei nodded tentatively towards the alchemist.

"If it's anything that can help us solve this, I would gladly help. But Lady Riesbyfe could stand to be watched by someone else."

@Sen @Azuremoon @Verite @Crow @Josh M @EastHall

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LuckycoolHawk9 said:

Linda was about to protest. She was not goddamn damsel in distress in need of constant saving. She could hold her if she had too- except she hadn't. She led and quickly realized that she still had Ada's gun and held close to her. It was the only thing left of the woman. Someone had blown the poor woman up and it had shaken Linda to her core.

Linda looked over at the stairwell and wondered what was upstairs. " Well, hopefully whatever it is, it is friendly..somehow I doubt it though," she said aloud.

@penguin055 @Jeremi

Lucifer paused and noticed that they were in a kitchen. Maybe he could find some more alcohol, he was running low again.

Lucifer ignored the humming of the fridge and looked over at the meat and then back at James. " Do you think you could whip up some food again? I'm kind of hungry," he said, looking over at him. He also went looking for alcohol in the fridge.

@Gands @Darkseide @Jeremi

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"Yeah not like everything in this place hasn't tried to kill us already." 18 deadpanned making her way up the flight of stairs.

Upstairs they found another corridor that had multiple mirrors on each side of it as well as four doors total scattered along the corridor. Two at the end of the hall and the other two on each side of the corridor.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @penguin055 @MirrorCorridor

As Lucifer opened the refrigerator door a corpse fell down to the floor in front of him. The heavy humming had no doubt been due to the fridge working over capacity.

@Darkseide @Gands @Kitchen​

Josh M said:

Cagaliostro would look but find nothing.


Clark seemed to be his world. Everything was going on, and he didn't seem to care. Holding Lana, Clark shouted and shook his lost love.

"Noooo no! Lana! Oh god.... no. Please..."

It had been a few minutes, but everything seem to hit him at once. Lana's blood soaked Clark's close and hands as some of the closer people could even smell the iron in the air. Clark gently put her down, Standing and staring , her blood dripping off him. His eyes met with Shirou

"Damn you, Shirou. Just damn you."

"Damn". That would time Clark cursed since they all came together. It wasn't yelled, but softly and noticeably. Clark didn't move at first. Clark's eyes were red, and he seemed destroyed. Looking at Lana, his eye went to Shirou.

"Get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret.."

Surprisingly, Clark didn't attack, however his fist was balled up, just glaring at Shirou. Turning away, he'd go back and kneel next to Lana.


@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon

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The Unknown said:

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Zerberus stops when he saw the moment with Clark. Did this mean someone..died? He could feel one less heart in the building..... It was true....someone died... He balled his hand into a fist. Why must his friends this pain? He felt like he could have done something if his training didn't take him so long to join the group. The thought of it made him feel more hatred. The creature was staring at him as if it scared.

"Clark......Who did this? Was it one of our own friends? Or was it someone you knew? If its not a friend.....and if they ever try to hurt anyone else here...."

His eye flared a yellow fiery glow. His Key-blade flared a white aura. He pulls it off his back and it was an interesting display...... He holds it with his two hands.

"They better realize that I'll be coming for them and there will be hell to PAY!"

Zerberus then looks at Clark.

"I will give my life for my friends....I would rather them to continue living their lives by sacrificing mine than feel the pain of seeing them gone. I promise you all that....so where is the one who caused you pain?"

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Josh M


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Klutzy Ninja Kitty said:

Frowning, the girl's body would tense slightly as Blake would utter his next few words. Senna wasn't sure what to make of them, but something was off. What he was saying didn't feel right. He would make the pain go away? How? Senna almost wasn't sure she wanted that question answered. She felt like the situation they were in was beyond their control. What exactly could Blake do to fix everything? She worried that any such act would turn out suicidal. The very thought made the muscles in her stomach tighten painfully.

"But at what cost?" Senna mumbled, "What would it cost to make the pain go away for everyone? Your life? Your--" Senna furrowed her eyebrows. "...your sanity?"

The loss of his sanity was something Blake already seemed to be tainted with. At least he had a grip on himself when this situation first started. Whether or not he was putting on an act even then Senna didn't really know, but at least at the start he hadn't been losing his mind.

"You don't have to pay a price like that. Even if more people die, not everyone is going to die. I can feel it. So, whoever makes it through this, you have to rely on them to help you get through this. Don't try to push through it yourself. Please. For me..."

Senna removed her hand from his face for a moment, flinching slightly when he would smile. How in the world would he know that's what she had been thinking about? Regardless, the sight of the male's smile brought her less comfort than she had hoped for. It didn't feel right, not one bit.

"I didn't say that. How did you--?" Senna sighed before reaching out to pinch his cheek. "I take it back, okay? If you can smile that easily on command, it makes me wonder whether or not your smile all along has been... fake. Don't smile anymore unless it's your real one, got it? I don't care how long it takes for you to feel like smiling for real. Whenever it happens, it'll be worth the wait. What I really want now is--"

Senna paused to think it over. "I just want you to be okay. Don't lose yourself. As long as I know you're okay, I won't have a problem smiling for you. You can't fool me right now, because I know you're not okay. I don't want to see this horrible place change anyone. Don't let this place win, Blake."

@Gummi Bunnies @york @errbody​

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For most of the time that Senna had something to say to him, Blake didn't seem to be fazed by it, his smile never leaving his face. He didn't want to stop smiling. She wanted to see his smile, so he couldn't deny her that wish. However, he stopped once she pinched him by the cheek. What was wrong with his smile? He felt confused as to why she felt uncomfortable by it. She missed it, he knew, but she also didn't want his smiles at the moment.

It was confusing. He felt the mess of static in his head as he tried to organize these thoughts. He was trying to keep everything safe and sound, and something about that didn't settle right with Senna. Why was that? He was trying. There wasn't anything wrong with that. If he couldn't at least achieve that back before this all started, why not now?

"... why are you alike to my sister, Senna? You both said the same thing to me at one point. It hurts, you know?"

Possibly recovered from the surge of pain, Blake steadied himself onto his feet, his facial expression gone blank. Digging through his mind for an answer, he ended up delving into memories that mirrored this very situation... or so he thought. He remembered the conversation that led him down the path as a self-proclaimed vigilante. He went and did those things when others told him not to, but he rather do those things because nothing else was going to change.

"It's always the same thing I hear... 'don't do this on your own, Blake,' ... 'just stick by everyone and it'll be alright' ... 'you're making everything worse' ... but when I do that, I got the shitty end of it. I couldn't stand watching all of the bad things in life happen, seeing others ruining lives of other people, seeing my own two sisters terribly treated by my parents... I began all that I can to undo that pain. Back then, I would've avoided taking up the gun and do those bad things to ensure a happier life, I would've stayed in line."

The more he spoke, the more Blake was practically searching for his purpose again. Why was he even around anyways? What was his primary purpose? To protect everyone? To eliminate the bad things? To obtain that happier future that was always been an empty lie? Just as he would think more on it, he stopped to let it all sink in, or to remind himself of something as static echoed in his head.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"But... you should know... that I was never okay to begin with. I was never okay with thinking about how many times I let people be harmed, be hurt, be killed. Letting others smile, laugh, or even blush with what I've said or done so far here, it fulfills my purpose on making people happy... and by that, it makes me feel happy and forget all about that terrible stuff..."

Almost like a dog that only knew how to respond to loving and caring actions, Blake didn't seem to react well with what Senna was telling him. Any normal person would realize that they were losing it, and admit it so. Blake wasn't seeing anything wrong or that his sanity was slipping. He needed to be reassured that things would be under his care. It was his obsession after all. An obsession that he was resorting to use so many times to cope... but it soon became a crutch by how he relied on this. It was like Senna's way of saying that he should cling onto hope and work alongside the others, braving through these tragedies... it was more of the likes on shooting Blake's whole world apart that he would be preventing these tragedies that they would otherwise live through... He didn't want that.

"Senna... everyone's safety... it's what makes me go on. I can't stand it, and soon enough, it could happen again. I could prevent it, and even then... I-I... are you denying me that chance? Are you not okay with what I want to do? I... I can't do this... I can't... I can't..."

Images flashed in his head. He remembered all of the murders of innocent folk back home, but he was ushered away by his parents because he was too young. He remembered the death of his first love before he could even talk to her, but her friends and family refused for him to see her one last time after the fact. He remembered seeing his parents abusing his two younger sisters, but he was shut out and treated as not part of the family before he could drag them out. He remembered all of the murders thus far since he got here, but all he could do now was use up their chances of finding the traitor each time someone was killed.

He couldn't stop thinking about it, because even when he tried to think about something else, it came up anyways. Like someone was forcing him to remember all of this now.

"... I can't stand it anymore. Don't you understand?! Why can't I try? I'll try and try and try, and I want to see something good come out of it! Even if it's meaningless to try, I'll continue... a-and... I won't be fine until this is all over!"

Letting the trauma get to him, Blake only realized now that he practically snapped in front of Senna. Wait, he wasn't supposed to do that. Not in front of someone that he wanted to protect so preciously. He couldn't believe partially that he was starting to give into the guilt that he put onto himself all of those times, but he couldn't help it. It was his true nature after all.

"... sorry."

Shaking his head at himself for snapping like that, Blake inhaled a deep breath to calm himself.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Josh M said:

"Ask Shiruo."

Not turning his head, Clark gave a quick, to the point answer. However, Someone else

"These people are your friends? Do you even know anything about these people? Do you know who that Dead Woman is? Did anyone tell you anything about themselves? Can you name where everyone is from? Heck, Do even know Clark's last name. These people are acquaints at best. Hell, it's only been like a day and a half, and you're also gone training. An animal can only be trained so much. "


Lex Luthor couldn't help but scoff. It would be clear to everyone now Lex had been spying on them from the start.


"Let me introduce myself. I am Lex Luthor, and I don't patients for men children. I was never a fan of "Of mice and men".

@Josh M @Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @thatguyinthestore @Crow

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Josh M said:

Well, this was something. Clark couldn't help but be caught off guard. Letting the woman hold him, Clark seemed to ignore her words at first, before a chuckle. He couldn't help it. He was in so much pain, but he couldn't help but smile slightly.

"You're not good at this whole consoling business, are you?"

As all these people stared and talked about Clark, it was unnerving. Taking a deep breath, Clark spoke. Mostly tspeaking to himself, other clearly could hear him and respond., Clark's spoke clearly, and so was the pain.

"I've known Lana since I was five. She lived across the street from us. Most our childhood, she wore a neckless kryptonite neckless. I never knew what I was when I was a kid, so every time, I felt sick for no reason. . So everytime I got near her, I was literally weak in the knees."

Laughing again, Clark looked down.

"I had a telescope in the barn. I loved looking at the stars, studding the constellations. I always had a feeling I wasn't like anyone else. Anyway, Lana was on her porch, so sometimes I would just look at her. I know that's weird in retrospect, but It was the closest I could get for a long time. I thought she and I would end up together in the end. I was sure of it.. So sure of it..."

Clark just stood still after that. Nothing he wanted to add.

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Hana said:

Hakuei sighed and uncorked the bottle, taking a small sip. She did not drain all of it, the strange taste only a distant thought in her mind. The rush of stored energy within the potion came as expected, yet she still felt weary from seeing what she had.

"... I think Lady Riesbyfe should also try this."

The silver-haired knight needed it more than the princess did at the moment. She could still feel Riesbyfe leaning heavily against her now that all was said and done and Lana was dead. With a nod towards the knight, Hakuei offered the rest of the health potion to her. She had only taken a couple of gulps.

Listening to Clark's words about his youth with Lana, the princess could only bow her head out of acknowledgement to his grief, somber and solemn-eyed. She couldn't understand the feeling of losing a lover, but losing a loved one had been an experience she already passed through.

Noticing the dhampir looking silently towards them, she could only wonder at what he was thinking about. His face was passive as ever, but one could only take a look at his eyes to know he was in deep thought. The emotions weren't clear to her, but she still spoke to him anyway.

"Have you ever loved anyone, Alucard?"

They weren't able to continue their discussion when the alchemist came. Hakuei glanced at him before letting the subject drop.

Cagliostro's intervention was an almost welcome distraction no matter how terrible the thought was, and Hakuei nodded tentatively towards the alchemist.

"If it's anything that can help us solve this, I would gladly help. But Lady Riesbyfe could stand to be watched by someone else."​

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Crow said:

"Highly infective...Vampire blood... hmm..." Cagliostro ponders at Alucard's words. "If that's the case, we won't use your blood. Alucard is partially human but his... the virus is primarily human-based, adapted and evolved to latch onto humans as a host. This inference is made rather clear, seeing how Lex Luthor used the viral mist on us, under the assumption that we're all at least partially human, which isn'r completely false. This is the safest assumption to make, seeing how this world works. As such, I will need full human blood for this."

Cagliostro looks at an empty vial.

"This is where I'll place my blood sample. I can't use my own, my body is too altered to act as a default... I will need the blood sample of two to four human beings, as unmodified as possible, it does not matter if the subject is infected or uninfected, but the latter is much preferred."

Cagliostro then looks at Hakuei as she agrees to help. "Hakuei, do you have enough medical knowledge to know where the veins of a human lie~?"

Taking out a few syringes, she continues, "if not, I can teach you the ropes. Now, let's make a breakthrough in alchemy that hasn't been made before~."

Cagliostro then looks at Riesbyfe.

"First thing's first - find Riesbyfe a safe spot and another individual to rest by... I can't really think of anyone else in this area... maybe Shirou?"
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"..."

Just as everyone else, Riesbyfe was shocked at the display that had occurred in such a short amount of time, from the abrupt decision to take the life of Clark's first love, Lana, the resulting fallout, the beatdown of the Arkham Knight, and the release of the T-Virus that had infected everyone present. In the aftermath of these happenings however, Riesbyfe, after calming down, eventually let out a defeated sigh, as though resigned to her fate. Of course, she couldn't afford to actually surrender. She had things to live for, a cause to continue fighting for until her last breath. It would be a poor reflection of her character if she were to give in so easily, especially in the face of an evil that still needed to be stopped. After all, as she enjoyed reminding herself, she was a knight, and to be a knight meant everlasting courage and willpower.

So she had to persevere. No matter the cost of moving forward. She would hold everything lost along the way in her heart, if nowhere else.

Riesbyfe frowned as Clark recalled his childhood with Lana, a twinge of pain growing in her chest. The Holy Knight had never loved someone in a romantic sense before in her life, or at least, as far as she had known, so she could not fathom the pain that Clark was enduring now. But perhaps it could be comparable to a deep, stabbing pain in the chest like what she was feeling now... though she continued to wonder why she felt this. Unable to even feel better at the thought of Lana's death being a sort of sacrifice for the "greater good," the silver-haired maiden, despite not knowing the girl well, grieved over the death silently. It was always a crying shame when someone innocent had to die, even in the name of some "greater good" or so. She had never lost anyone that close to her before, so she could only watch silently, wondering how Clark would be able to go on now. Would he give in to his despair, or would his resolve keep him going? After all, that was one thing that had always been constant about the farmboy before, at least in the knight's eyes.

He was like a god among men, if not just in power, then in temperance.

"Clark, I... I don't know how to put these feelings into words, but... But I--"

Just as she began to speak, her mind forming words, it was only shortly after that she was interrupted by Hakuei, whom she had almost practically forgotten she was still leaning on, the woman offering her a potion that presumably was intended to boost vitality, which the knight was in dire need of.

With a nod, she graciously took the potion in her hand. "I thank you, Miss Ren," she said, before having a sip of the potion herself. Like the woman herself, the strange taste of the potion didn't seem to bother her all that much; the atmosphere was far too heavy and serious right now to worry about how something tasted. With that, she handed it back to Hakuei, slowly but surely attempting to stand up on her own again. "I... I think I can feel my strength returning now. Nor you or Cagliostro need concern yourself with helping me stay standing," she said softly, gently pulling away from Hakuei now, before the aforementioned alchemist would begin speaking next, seeming to speak of creating an antidote for the rather problematic T-Virus that had afflicted everyone nearby, courtesy of Luthor, as though to rub salt in a wound. A bloody, gaping wound.

"I am fine now, Miss Cagliostro. As for you, if you intend to synthesize some sort of cure for the virus, I would at the very least not count on finding someone uninfected. No doubt that the others who went in the other direction as us are probably wandering into a trap that will afflict them with the same fate as us, but all we can do is meet them on the other side hopefully, and then see if we cannot find a cure, perhaps manufactured beforehand by Umbrella themselves."

@Josh M @Crow @Kaykay @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @thatguyinthestore @EastHall​

Josh M said:

Well, this was something. Clark couldn't help but be caught off guard. Letting the woman hold him, Clark seemed to ignore her words at first, before a chuckle. He couldn't help it. He was in so much pain, but he couldn't help but smile slightly.

"You're not good at this whole consoling business, are you?"




As all these people stared and talked about Clark, it was unnerving. Taking a deep breath, Clark spoke. Mostly tspeaking to himself, other clearly could hear him and respond., Clark's spoke clearly, and so was the pain.


"I've known Lana since I was five. She lived across the street from us. Most our childhood, she wore a neckless kryptonite neckless. I never knew what I was when I was a kid, so every time, I felt sick for no reason. . So everytime I got near her, I was literally weak in the knees."


Laughing again, Clark looked down.

"I had a telescope in the barn. I loved looking at the stars, studding the constellations. I always had a feeling I wasn't like anyone else. Anyway, Lana was on her porch, so sometimes I would just look at her. I know that's weird in retrospect, but It was the closest I could get for a long time. I thought she and I would end up together in the end. I was sure of it.. So sure of it..."

Clark just stood still after that. Nothing he wanted to add.


@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon

Click to expand...

Gummi Bunnies said:

For most of the time that Senna had something to say to him, Blake didn't seem to be fazed by it, his smile never leaving his face. He didn't want to stop smiling. She wanted to see his smile, so he couldn't deny her that wish. However, he stopped once she pinched him by the cheek. What was wrong with his smile? He felt confused as to why she felt uncomfortable by it. She missed it, he knew, but she also didn't want his smiles at the moment.

It was confusing. He felt the mess of static in his head as he tried to organize these thoughts. He was trying to keep everything safe and sound, and something about that didn't settle right with Senna. Why was that? He was trying. There wasn't anything wrong with that. If he couldn't at least achieve that back before this all started, why not now?

"... why are you alike to my sister, Senna? You both said the same thing to me at one point. It hurts, you know?"

Possibly recovered from the surge of pain, Blake steadied himself onto his feet, his facial expression gone blank. Digging through his mind for an answer, he ended up delving into memories that mirrored this very situation... or so he thought. He remembered the conversation that led him down the path as a self-proclaimed vigilante. He went and did those things when others told him not to, but he rather do those things because nothing else was going to change.

"It's always the same thing I hear... 'don't do this on your own, Blake,' ... 'just stick by everyone and it'll be alright' ... 'you're making everything worse' ... but when I do that, I got the shitty end of it. I couldn't stand watching all of the bad things in life happen, seeing others ruining lives of other people, seeing my own two sisters terribly treated by my parents... I began all that I can to undo that pain. Back then, I would've avoided taking up the gun and do those bad things to ensure a happier life, I would've stayed in line."

The more he spoke, the more Blake was practically searching for his purpose again. Why was he even around anyways? What was his primary purpose? To protect everyone? To eliminate the bad things? To obtain that happier future that was always been an empty lie? Just as he would think more on it, he stopped to let it all sink in, or to remind himself of something as static echoed in his head.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"But... you should know... that I was never okay to begin with. I was never okay with thinking about how many times I let people be harmed, be hurt, be killed. Letting others smile, laugh, or even blush with what I've said or done so far here, it fulfills my purpose on making people happy... and by that, it makes me feel happy and forget all about that terrible stuff..."

Almost like a dog that only knew how to respond to loving and caring actions, Blake didn't seem to react well with what Senna was telling him. Any normal person would realize that they were losing it, and admit it so. Blake wasn't seeing anything wrong or that his sanity was slipping. He needed to be reassured that things would be under his care. It was his obsession after all. An obsession that he was resorting to use so many times to cope... but it soon became a crutch by how he relied on this. It was like Senna's way of saying that he should cling onto hope and work alongside the others, braving through these tragedies... it was more of the likes on shooting Blake's whole world apart that he would be preventing these tragedies that they would otherwise live through... He didn't want that.

"Senna... everyone's safety... it's what makes me go on. I can't stand it, and soon enough, it could happen again. I could prevent it, and even then... I-I... are you denying me that chance? Are you not okay with what I want to do? I... I can't do this... I can't... I can't..."

Images flashed in his head. He remembered all of the murders of innocent folk back home, but he was ushered away by his parents because he was too young. He remembered the death of his first love before he could even talk to her, but her friends and family refused for him to see her one last time after the fact. He remembered seeing his parents abusing his two younger sisters, but he was shut out and treated as not part of the family before he could drag them out. He remembered all of the murders thus far since he got here, but all he could do now was use up their chances of finding the traitor each time someone was killed.

He couldn't stop thinking about it, because even when he tried to think about something else, it came up anyways. Like someone was forcing him to remember all of this now.

"... I can't stand it anymore. Don't you understand?! Why can't I try? I'll try and try and try, and I want to see something good come out of it! Even if it's meaningless to try, I'll continue... a-and... I won't be fine until this is all over!"

Letting the trauma get to him, Blake only realized now that he practically snapped in front of Senna. Wait, he wasn't supposed to do that. Not in front of someone that he wanted to protect so preciously. He couldn't believe partially that he was starting to give into the guilt that he put onto himself all of those times, but he couldn't help it. It was his true nature after all.

"... sorry."

Shaking his head at himself for snapping like that, Blake inhaled a deep breath to calm himself.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Click to expand...

Releasing her hold on Blake's cheek, Senna would fold her her arms against her chest. It would be easy for him to tell that she had purposely pulled away. The soul reaper almost felt bad for touching him now, knowing she had hurt his feelings. He even went so far as to compare him to his sisters, causing Senna to wonder just what kind of relationship he had with his sister. Did his sister often cause him discomfort? If he had impaired Senna to his sister, did that mean she caused him discomfort too? It wasn't as if she meant to do such a thing...

"I'm sorry, Blake, it's not like I'm trying to make this harder on you. I swear."

Senna closed her eyes for a moment, the features on her face contorting painfully for a moment when she would hear the male's words. She took in a deep breath, recalling a few of her own painful memories. It seemed Blake had a poor relationship with his parents, and Senna could relate. She definitely understood what it was like to draw the short stick in life. Unlike Blake, however, she never let the abuse she suffered control her.

And so, Blake continued to talk. With every word that escaped from his lips, Senna only felt as if he were mentally slipping more and more. She tightened her arms even closer to her chest, feeling a bit anxious due to his words. It was hard for her to see anyone like this, especially Blake. He was even... raising his voice at her. But worst of all, he was saying that he couldn't do this. With that kind of attitude, there's no way he would last much longer.

Senna's features turned stern for a moment. "Blake, how could you say such a thing? Why would ask if I'm denying you the chance to protect others? I never said that! You're putting words in my mouth. I only asked if you would try to rely on others too. I know you live for protecting others, but you'll never be able to save everyone on your own. Don't shoulder the burden yourself."

"WAKE UP AND LET US HELP YOU!"

Momentarily snapping for a moment herself, Senna reached out and slapped Blake. She gasped after doing so, retracing her hand and holding onto it with her other hand. The orchid haired girl wore a shocked expression afterwards, showing she was surprised by her own actions.

"Blake I-- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

Senna held her head down, averting her gaze from his. "I know you're in pain, and that the fact you've had such a hard life only makes this harder for you. T-Trust me, I understand what it's like to have parents who hurt you. I understand what it's like to have a bad life. But the fact you've had a bad life... that just gives you more of a reason to stay strong and keep fighting. So that way, when you get out of all this, you can find a new reason to live."

@Gummi Bunnies @york @peeps​

Hana said:

Noticing the dhampir looking silently towards them, she could only wonder at what he was thinking about. His face was passive as ever, but one could only take a look at his eyes to know he was in deep thought. The emotions weren't clear to her, but she still spoke to him anyway.

"Have you ever loved anyone, Alucard?"

Click to expand...

...

For the first time, he felt like he needed to open up. Not need, but want. There was something behind the words she asked.

Something he didn't quite understand, but was tempted to discover its meaning.

"My mother," was his reply.
​

Verite said:

"..."

Just as everyone else, Riesbyfe was shocked at the display that had occurred in such a short amount of time, from the abrupt decision to take the life of Clark's first love, Lana, the resulting fallout, the beatdown of the Arkham Knight, and the release of the T-Virus that had infected everyone present. In the aftermath of these happenings however, Riesbyfe, after calming down, eventually let out a defeated sigh, as though resigned to her fate. Of course, she couldn't afford to actually surrender. She had things to live for, a cause to continue fighting for until her last breath. It would be a poor reflection of her character if she were to give in so easily, especially in the face of an evil that still needed to be stopped. After all, as she enjoyed reminding herself, she was a knight, and to be a knight meant everlasting courage and willpower.

So she had to persevere. No matter the cost of moving forward. She would hold everything lost along the way in her heart, if nowhere else.

Riesbyfe frowned as Clark recalled his childhood with Lana, a twinge of pain growing in her chest. The Holy Knight had never loved someone in a romantic sense before in her life, or at least, as far as she had known, so she could not fathom the pain that Clark was enduring now. But perhaps it could be comparable to a deep, stabbing pain in the chest like what she was feeling now... though she continued to wonder why she felt this. Unable to even feel better at the thought of Lana's death being a sort of sacrifice for the "greater good," the silver-haired maiden, despite not knowing the girl well, grieved over the death silently. It was always a crying shame when someone innocent had to die, even in the name of some "greater good" or so. She had never lost anyone that close to her before, so she could only watch silently, wondering how Clark would be able to go on now. Would he give in to his despair, or would his resolve keep him going? After all, that was one thing that had always been constant about the farmboy before, at least in the knight's eyes.

He was like a god among men, if not just in power, then in temperance.

"Clark, I... I don't know how to put these feelings into words, but... But I--"

Just as she began to speak, her mind forming words, it was only shortly after that she was interrupted by Hakuei, whom she had almost practically forgotten she was still leaning on, the woman offering her a potion that presumably was intended to boost vitality, which the knight was in dire need of.

With a nod, she graciously took the potion in her hand. "I thank you, Miss Ren," she said, before having a sip of the potion herself. Like the woman herself, the strange taste of the potion didn't seem to bother her all that much; the atmosphere was far too heavy and serious right now to worry about how something tasted. With that, she handed it back to Hakuei, slowly but surely attempting to stand up on her own again. "I... I think I can feel my strength returning now. Nor you or Cagliostro need concern yourself with helping me stay standing," she said softly, gently pulling away from Hakuei now, before the aforementioned alchemist would begin speaking next, seeming to speak of creating an antidote for the rather problematic T-Virus that had afflicted everyone nearby, courtesy of Luthor, as though to rub salt in a wound. A bloody, gaping wound.

"I am fine now, Miss Cagliostro. As for you, if you intend to synthesize some sort of cure for the virus, I would at the very least not count on finding someone uninfected. No doubt that the others who went in the other direction as us are probably wandering into a trap that will afflict them with the same fate as us, but all we can do is meet them on the other side hopefully, and then see if we cannot find a cure, perhaps manufactured beforehand by Umbrella themselves."

@Josh M @Crow @Kaykay @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @thatguyinthestore @EastHall​

Click to expand...

Risebyfe did have a point.

"We need the cure as soon as possible, though. In general, finding a premade cure should be faster than making a nonexistent one, especially for something as complex as the T-virus. It makes sense that they would've pre-prepared a cure..." Cagliostro ponders, looking at Alucard's... uh... supposedly sickly state. For the first time in her life, Cagliostro felt some extent of worry.

Cagliostro grins.

"To perform a breakthrough before I have the chance to? Umbrella's really asking for it!"

Cagliostro was back in the game.

"The virus is chronic and swift, acting in less than half an hour like that to someone like Alucard," Cagliostro says, "if we want to get the antidote before it gets more serious, we're going to need to input more speed and act as soon as possible. Now the problem is - where to find this cure."

Cagliostro's eyes became more cruel and intimidating as she spoke her next few words.

"Lucio, prepare to perform the speedboosting ability you used when we were fighting the Avengers. We're preparing to head out."

Cagliostro keeps her vials and flasks.

"Hakuei, there's a change of plans. We're not going to make a remedy - we're going to find it."
​

Sen said:

...

For the first time, he felt like he needed to open up. Not need, but want. There was something behind the words she asked.

Something he didn't quite understand, but was tempted to discover its meaning.

"My mother," was his reply.
​

"And a long time ago, my father. But now they are both passed on. Love is just a fleeting human emotion. I do not need any attachments to this life, not when I dedicate my life to fulfilling my destiny - ensuring the man who sired me never rises again."
​

@Hana @Crow @Verite @Azuremoon @Josh M​

Click to expand...

"I too, have no need for them," Cagliostro's grin then turns to a grim frown, "but today is when I have learned that the feeling of attachment to others is something beyond our control, whether one needs it or not. Something tells me that you've learned that many times before."

Cagliostro's back faces Alucard and Hakuei. "Hakuei, Alucard, if you two, Road, or possibly I don't make it, I just want you two and Road to know that... it is a great honour for you lucky three to go through this maze of a building with the cutest, genius, beautiful alchemist, but it is a much greater experience to be on this adventure with you three."

Cagliostro blushes for a bit.

"I- I have no reason to feel grateful or anything! I'm just... I'm just... anyways, we should leave this place soon. The sooner we leave, the sooner we meet the other group and the sooner we get to find this supposed cure."​

Verite said:

"..."

Just as everyone else, Riesbyfe was shocked at the display that had occurred in such a short amount of time, from the abrupt decision to take the life of Clark's first love, Lana, the resulting fallout, the beatdown of the Arkham Knight, and the release of the T-Virus that had infected everyone present. In the aftermath of these happenings however, Riesbyfe, after calming down, eventually let out a defeated sigh, as though resigned to her fate. Of course, she couldn't afford to actually surrender. She had things to live for, a cause to continue fighting for until her last breath. It would be a poor reflection of her character if she were to give in so easily, especially in the face of an evil that still needed to be stopped. After all, as she enjoyed reminding herself, she was a knight, and to be a knight meant everlasting courage and willpower.

So she had to persevere. No matter the cost of moving forward. She would hold everything lost along the way in her heart, if nowhere else.

Riesbyfe frowned as Clark recalled his childhood with Lana, a twinge of pain growing in her chest. The Holy Knight had never loved someone in a romantic sense before in her life, or at least, as far as she had known, so she could not fathom the pain that Clark was enduring now. But perhaps it could be comparable to a deep, stabbing pain in the chest like what she was feeling now... though she continued to wonder why she felt this. Unable to even feel better at the thought of Lana's death being a sort of sacrifice for the "greater good," the silver-haired maiden, despite not knowing the girl well, grieved over the death silently. It was always a crying shame when someone innocent had to die, even in the name of some "greater good" or so. She had never lost anyone that close to her before, so she could only watch silently, wondering how Clark would be able to go on now. Would he give in to his despair, or would his resolve keep him going? After all, that was one thing that had always been constant about the farmboy before, at least in the knight's eyes.

He was like a god among men, if not just in power, then in temperance.

"Clark, I... I don't know how to put these feelings into words, but... But I--"

Just as she began to speak, her mind forming words, it was only shortly after that she was interrupted by Hakuei, whom she had almost practically forgotten she was still leaning on, the woman offering her a potion that presumably was intended to boost vitality, which the knight was in dire need of.

With a nod, she graciously took the potion in her hand. "I thank you, Miss Ren," she said, before having a sip of the potion herself. Like the woman herself, the strange taste of the potion didn't seem to bother her all that much; the atmosphere was far too heavy and serious right now to worry about how something tasted. With that, she handed it back to Hakuei, slowly but surely attempting to stand up on her own again. "I... I think I can feel my strength returning now. Nor you or Cagliostro need concern yourself with helping me stay standing," she said softly, gently pulling away from Hakuei now, before the aforementioned alchemist would begin speaking next, seeming to speak of creating an antidote for the rather problematic T-Virus that had afflicted everyone nearby, courtesy of Luthor, as though to rub salt in a wound. A bloody, gaping wound.

"I am fine now, Miss Cagliostro. As for you, if you intend to synthesize some sort of cure for the virus, I would at the very least not count on finding someone uninfected. No doubt that the others who went in the other direction as us are probably wandering into a trap that will afflict them with the same fate as us, but all we can do is meet them on the other side hopefully, and then see if we cannot find a cure, perhaps manufactured beforehand by Umbrella themselves."

@Josh M @Crow @Kaykay @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @thatguyinthestore @EastHall​

Click to expand...

Sen said:

...

For the first time, he felt like he needed to open up. Not need, but want. There was something behind the words she asked.

Something he didn't quite understand, but was tempted to discover its meaning.

"My mother," was his reply.
​

"And a long time ago, my father. But now they are both passed on. Love is just a fleeting human emotion. I do not need any attachments to this life, not when I dedicate my life to fulfilling my destiny - ensuring the man who sired me never rises again."
​

@Hana @Crow @Verite @Azuremoon @Josh M​

Click to expand...

Crow said:

Risebyfe did have a point.

"We need the cure as soon as possible, though. In general, finding a premade cure should be faster than making a nonexistent one, especially for something as complex as the T-virus. It makes sense that they would've pre-prepared a cure..." Cagliostro ponders, looking at Alucard's... uh... supposedly sickly state. For the first time in her life, Cagliostro felt some extent of worry.

Cagliostro grins.

"To perform a breakthrough before I have the chance to? Umbrella's really asking for it!"

Cagliostro was back in the game.

"The virus is chronic and swift, acting in less than half an hour like that to someone like Alucard," Cagliostro says, "if we want to get the antidote before it gets more serious, we're going to need to input more speed and act as soon as possible. Now the problem is - where to find this cure."

Cagliostro's eyes became more cruel and intimidating as she spoke her next few words.

"Lucio, prepare to perform the speedboosting ability you used when we were fighting the Avengers. We're preparing to head out."

Cagliostro keeps her vials and flasks.

"Hakuei, there's a change of plans. We're not going to make a remedy - we're going to find it."
​

"I too, have no need for them," Cagliostro's grin then turns to a grim frown, "but today is when I have learned that the feeling of attachment to others is something beyond our control, whether one needs it or not. Something tells me that you've learned that many times before."

Cagliostro's back faces Alucard and Hakuei. "Hakuei, Alucard, if you two, Road, or possibly I don't make it, I just want you two and Road to know that... it is a great honour for you lucky three to go through this maze of a building with the cutest, genius, beautiful alchemist, but it is a much greater experience to be on this adventure with you three."

Cagliostro blushes for a bit.

"I- I have no reason to feel grateful or anything! I'm just... I'm just... anyways, we should leave this place soon. The sooner we leave, the sooner we meet the other group and the sooner we get to find this supposed cure."​

@Josh M @Verite @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Crow @Hospes @york @Gummi Bunnies @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @CrunchyCHEEZIT @EASTHALL

Click to expand...

Reluctantly letting go of Riesbyfe, Hakuei turned to walk up to Cagliostro when the dhampir replied. She was not expecting an answer at all coming from him, knowing how personal the question could be. Half-turning on her heel, she glanced back at the expression on his face. The words he replied with were both surprising and saddening. So he did love once in his life, but to let go of it because he thought he could no longer be allowed to form any attachments...

She nodded, meeting his eyes directly before murmuring,

"How lonely."

He was a stronger man than most, but was the lack of attachment really true strength in the end?

"Whether or not we need attachment, it is not in our hands to decide whether we form them or not. What matters is whether you can use it as a strength or a weakness. I've already formed an attachment to you... So would it be alright if I think of you as someone that makes me strong? I won't let go of it, Alucard."

She laughed and added softly,

"You're not a monster incapable of love, that much I can feel. Your actions throughout this whole journey, your care for Road and I. I can even see your determination to protect us through to the end. Are those the actions of one without attachments?

In the end, haven't you gained something here? You're more than just Alucard, the unseen protector. Or even the dhampir. You're now also Alucard, friend of Road, Hakuei and Cagliostro. That puts some things in perspective, doesn't it?"

Leaving him to that, she strode forward to fall in step beside Cagliostro.

"Let us go meet up with the other party."

@Sen @Crow @Azuremoon @Verite @Josh M @Easthall

The Myrmidon said:

"Funny... typically, I don't have the patience for puppet masters. Anyways, Joshua is the name."

Joshua responded with a shrug, hand placed on his sword's grip as he watched the man with a frown.

@Josh M @Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @thatguyinthestore @Crow​

Click to expand...

Verite said:

"..."

Just as everyone else, Riesbyfe was shocked at the display that had occurred in such a short amount of time, from the abrupt decision to take the life of Clark's first love, Lana, the resulting fallout, the beatdown of the Arkham Knight, and the release of the T-Virus that had infected everyone present. In the aftermath of these happenings however, Riesbyfe, after calming down, eventually let out a defeated sigh, as though resigned to her fate. Of course, she couldn't afford to actually surrender. She had things to live for, a cause to continue fighting for until her last breath. It would be a poor reflection of her character if she were to give in so easily, especially in the face of an evil that still needed to be stopped. After all, as she enjoyed reminding herself, she was a knight, and to be a knight meant everlasting courage and willpower.

So she had to persevere. No matter the cost of moving forward. She would hold everything lost along the way in her heart, if nowhere else.

Riesbyfe frowned as Clark recalled his childhood with Lana, a twinge of pain growing in her chest. The Holy Knight had never loved someone in a romantic sense before in her life, or at least, as far as she had known, so she could not fathom the pain that Clark was enduring now. But perhaps it could be comparable to a deep, stabbing pain in the chest like what she was feeling now... though she continued to wonder why she felt this. Unable to even feel better at the thought of Lana's death being a sort of sacrifice for the "greater good," the silver-haired maiden, despite not knowing the girl well, grieved over the death silently. It was always a crying shame when someone innocent had to die, even in the name of some "greater good" or so. She had never lost anyone that close to her before, so she could only watch silently, wondering how Clark would be able to go on now. Would he give in to his despair, or would his resolve keep him going? After all, that was one thing that had always been constant about the farmboy before, at least in the knight's eyes.

He was like a god among men, if not just in power, then in temperance.

"Clark, I... I don't know how to put these feelings into words, but... But I--"

Just as she began to speak, her mind forming words, it was only shortly after that she was interrupted by Hakuei, whom she had almost practically forgotten she was still leaning on, the woman offering her a potion that presumably was intended to boost vitality, which the knight was in dire need of.

With a nod, she graciously took the potion in her hand. "I thank you, Miss Ren," she said, before having a sip of the potion herself. Like the woman herself, the strange taste of the potion didn't seem to bother her all that much; the atmosphere was far too heavy and serious right now to worry about how something tasted. With that, she handed it back to Hakuei, slowly but surely attempting to stand up on her own again. "I... I think I can feel my strength returning now. Nor you or Cagliostro need concern yourself with helping me stay standing," she said softly, gently pulling away from Hakuei now, before the aforementioned alchemist would begin speaking next, seeming to speak of creating an antidote for the rather problematic T-Virus that had afflicted everyone nearby, courtesy of Luthor, as though to rub salt in a wound. A bloody, gaping wound.

"I am fine now, Miss Cagliostro. As for you, if you intend to synthesize some sort of cure for the virus, I would at the very least not count on finding someone uninfected. No doubt that the others who went in the other direction as us are probably wandering into a trap that will afflict them with the same fate as us, but all we can do is meet them on the other side hopefully, and then see if we cannot find a cure, perhaps manufactured beforehand by Umbrella themselves."

@Josh M @Crow @Kaykay @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @thatguyinthestore @EastHall​

Click to expand...

Azuremoon said:

Road listened to the man tell his story. About his childhood, and the girl's necklace, and how it used to make him sick. For a moment she held him a little tighter before slowly releasing her hold on him, but keeping her head against his back. Part of her wanted to tell him about the Fourteenth Noah. The other half of the Millennium Earl, and the one Road had loved for many lifetimes, only to be killed by him before he was once again eaten by the Earl. She wanted to share in his sorrow, but now was not her time to grieve. It was Clarks'. When Lex spoke again, she followed suit, but not responding to him.

"Clark... what is your last name? My full name is Road... Kamelot. I don't remember if I've told anyone, or even if you've told me your's. I don't remember, but... I will now."

If nothing else, she wanted to spite Luthor. If they couldn't beat him physically, they could at leas fuckin' prove him wrong.

@Josh M @Verite @Sen @Hana @Crow @EastHall @ShortandSweet​

Click to expand...

Hospes said:

"..."

Shirou's order had been taken diligently, Setsuna immediately considering her options. How to approach the situation. There were a large variety of options, opportunities, potential ways to go about it... But there was no time for consideration. No time for anything of the sort. Hell, by the time she managed to act, it was too late regardless. Lana was dead. Were it one of her allies, were it Lex that had made the kill, she likely would've reacted poorly. However, it was far from it-- in fact, it had been Shirou, himself, to make the move. And she would never question him or his actions.

Rather, she herself would act as he wished.

"...You will not get away with this."

It was a soft, yet firm statement, spoken in the same monotone as always. Perhaps slightly quieter than usual, but all the same. Without another word, without any restraint or trivial emotion such as fear or discourage, she charged. For if she died living out her purpose, serving another? She would die a good death. But if not, well.... She hoped to grab Lex and force his hands behind his back.

Of course, it was undoubted that she'd fail, but hey.

@Josh M @Gummi Bunnies @Kaykay @Verite @Sen @Hana @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Folks​

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Klutzy Ninja Kitty said:

Releasing her hold on Blake's cheek, Senna would fold her her arms against her chest. It would be easy for him to tell that she had purposely pulled away. The soul reaper almost felt bad for touching him now, knowing she had hurt his feelings. He even went so far as to compare him to his sisters, causing Senna to wonder just what kind of relationship he had with his sister. Did his sister often cause him discomfort? If he had impaired Senna to his sister, did that mean she caused him discomfort too? It wasn't as if she meant to do such a thing...

"I'm sorry, Blake, it's not like I'm trying to make this harder on you. I swear."

Senna closed her eyes for a moment, the features on her face contorting painfully for a moment when she would hear the male's words. She took in a deep breath, recalling a few of her own painful memories. It seemed Blake had a poor relationship with his parents, and Senna could relate. She definitely understood what it was like to draw the short stick in life. Unlike Blake, however, she never let the abuse she suffered control her.

And so, Blake continued to talk. With every word that escaped from his lips, Senna only felt as if he were mentally slipping more and more. She tightened her arms even closer to her chest, feeling a bit anxious due to his words. It was hard for her to see anyone like this, especially Blake. He was even... raising his voice at her. But worst of all, he was saying that he couldn't do this. With that kind of attitude, there's no way he would last much longer.

Senna's features turned stern for a moment. "Blake, how could you say such a thing? Why would ask if I'm denying you the chance to protect others? I never said that! You're putting words in my mouth. I only asked if you would try to rely on others too. I know you live for protecting others, but you'll never be able to save everyone on your own. Don't shoulder the burden yourself."

"WAKE UP AND LET US HELP YOU!"

Momentarily snapping for a moment herself, Senna reached out and slapped Blake. She gasped after doing so, retracing her hand and holding onto it with her other hand. The orchid haired girl wore a shocked expression afterwards, showing she was surprised by her own actions.

"Blake I-- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

Senna held her head down, averting her gaze from his. "I know you're in pain, and that the fact you've had such a hard life only makes this harder for you. T-Trust me, I understand what it's like to have parents who hurt you. I understand what it's like to have a bad life. But the fact you've had a bad life... that just gives you more of a reason to stay strong and keep fighting. So that way, when you get out of all this, you can find a new reason to live."

@Gummi Bunnies @york @peeps​

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"..."

Blake was speechless once he was slapped across the face. He wasn't expecting that kind of response. Not at all... Genuine shock marked all over his face, Blake didn't exactly move once it was done. For once, he wasn't sure on what to do from here. His mind had gone completely blank, leaving him with blank answers on how to respond to this...

Even he knew that continuing this conversation spelled more tension, the thoughts of his delusional vision of saving everyone fading away for a moment. There was no need to continue this... nothing bad has happened yet.

"... I deserved that, didn't I? We need to leave. C'mon."

Silently running his fingers on the slapped cheek, Blake blankly stated to Senna that they needed to leave. There was no other business to attend to here. They could only move on...

Can I really move on like this? I can't let this happen because of them, you know that well.

Even with his blank composure, Blake silently continued to berate himself in his own thoughts.

@Josh M @Kaykay @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @thatguyinthestore @Crow​

Josh M said:

"You've never manage a business, have you? You call me a puppet master, I call it managing my assists."

Turning to the Hold Knight, Clark got up Road, light touching her hand as he stood up. Trying to smile, Clark reinsured the knight.

"Thank you Ries. You don't have to say anything. It's okay I'll be fine. "

Clark wasn't sure if that was the truth. For the first time since his father Jonathan died, Clark felt lost. He wasn't able to be the man he father wanted him to be. Clark, However, he really was.


"Kent. It's Clark Kent."

Clark's voice was soft as he looked at group near him, Lana's blood still soaked all over him. Clark could tell Road was sharing something that wasn't easy. Even though he was in pain, it's only fair to do the same

"To tell the truth. Clark Kent isn't my birth name. I'm adopted, I think told you all that. That's name the gave me when they found me. My real name..."

Clark stopped. He was human, well, in his eyes. As much as he loved his birth parents, Clark always first human, than Kryptonian. However, these people had earned to know the truth.

"It's Kal-El."

The young girl was able to grab Lex's hand, However, he quickly revered her move. Tables were turn, and Setsuna ended up were she want to put Lex.. Looking at Shirou, Lex let the young girl's arm.




"Do me a favor? Call her off. Now. All of you, can go to the West hall.

Clark would speak soon after.

"I'm going to say behind. I can leave Lana like this. I saw a bed room near us. I'm going put her there. I just need to say my goodbye . None you need to join me, but I turn you away."

Lex could help but mocked his former best friend

"If you most. I must admit, i'm sadden that you're not going to carry Lana like your own personal cross on the way to your personal Via Dolorosa."


@Josh M @Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @thatguyinthestore @Crow

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Gummi Bunnies said:

"..."

Blake was speechless once he was slapped across the face. He wasn't expecting that kind of response. Not at all... Genuine shock marked all over his face, Blake didn't exactly move once it was done. For once, he wasn't sure on what to do from here. His mind had gone completely blank, leaving him with blank answers on how to respond to this...

Even he knew that continuing this conversation spelled more tension, the thoughts of his delusional vision of saving everyone fading away for a moment. There was no need to continue this... nothing bad has happened yet.

"... I deserved that, didn't I? We need to leave. C'mon."

Silently running his fingers on the slapped cheek, Blake blankly stated to Senna that they needed to leave. There was no other business to attend to here. They could only move on...

Can I really move on like this? I can't let this happen because of them, you know that well.

Even with his blank composure, Blake silently continued to berate himself in his own thoughts.

@Josh M @Kaykay @Verite @C.T. @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Hospes @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @thatguyinthestore @Crow​

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After Blake would say little in reply to his slap, Senna wasn't sure what to say either, especially when he would question whether or not he deserved the slap. The girl would open her mouth to say something, only to close it again without uttering a sound. If the slap had helped snap him back into reality in some way, Senna was certain it had been a good thing. But if it had only caused him pain, then she was probably in the wrong. Regardless, Senna wouldn't answer his question. She instead folded her arms behind her head and glanced off to the side awkwardly.

"Sure, let's go," Senna replied, turning to leave and head for the West Hall. She would walk without the usual cheerful skip in her step, but kept her back straight as if trying to walk taller.

I wish I were up higher right now. I'd give anything to be on the top of a building or a tall ladder right now. All my problems go away when I'm up high. I really need my problems to go away right now. I... might have messed up big just now. I probably made Blake hate me. I don't want to be hated by one of the only people I have on my side.

Glancing down at her arm, Senna would touch the hair piece bracelet Miku had given her.

I guess I should just... stop bothering Blake with pep talks. But I care about him. I care about Miku. I want to see them be okay, but that isn't something I have any control over. I'll just have to keep being the strong one. If Blake loses his mind, I'll protect him. At the end of all this, I have a feeling I won't find much happiness. I don't have a place where I belong. No friends. No family. I have nothing, but Blake has sisters, a family, and a world where he comes from. He's a good person. He deserves to find happiness. Surely if someone like me, who has nothing, can be happy... someone like him can be happy too. I just know it.

@Gummi Bunnies @york @everybody​