Chosen || Sailor Moon and VanillaCola ||

[VanillaCola]

Casey Ryan-Jones

Father Black listened to Chime, easily able to notice the panicked tone of her voice. Her explanation of what Casey had done was enough to make him worry even more, though he had to stay calm. If he panicked, then this situation would become even worse. Skinwalkers were always difficult to deal with, and he couldn't believe that Casey had thought she could fight a group of them on her own. Or maybe she hadn't gone in to fight them. Looking at the two girls, one of them being in pretty bad shape, Father Black realised that Casey may have locked herself in for another reason. She was sacrificing herself.

"Casey..." Father Black mumbled under his breath as he went up to the front door of the farmhouse. He turned to look at Chime and her friend. "Stay right here, protect your friend. I'll bring Casey back." With that, Father Black grabbed the door handle and exerted an inhuman amount of force on the lock, forcing the door open. As soon as he entered, he saw the two skinwalkers dragging an unconscious Casey up the stairs, with who he assumed was the leader standing by and watching. Dante turned when he heard the door opening, his eyes narrowing as his gaze fell upon Father Black.

"Well, what do we have here?" Dante asked, snarling. "More hunters? You look a little old, don't you?"

Father Black ignored Dante's insult, instead remaining focussed on the mission at hand. The two skinwalkers had stopped dragging Casey along, now also watching Father Black from the stairs. "You skinwalkers are too greedy for your own good," Father Black told them. "Always taking too many people at once. You should really develop better self-control."

The skinwalkers laughed. Dante moved a little closer to Father Black, though the priest didn't even flinch. "What, are you going to teach us self-control, old man?" Dante questioned.

"No," Father Black replied. "But I'll teach you something." Reaching into his inside coat pocket, Father Black pulled out three throwing knives and threw them at the skinwalkers in rapid succession. The trio barely even had time to think before a knife hit them. Dante went down with a knife to the throat, whilst the other two took lethal blows to the face and fell to the floor. With the three skinwalkers down, Father Black rushed over to Casey, giving the young woman a quick look-over. She was still unconscious and barely breathing, something that did not give Father Black hope. God, why did she have to do this? Sacrificing herself to a group of skinwalkers was not what Father Black expected of her, despite the fact that she always ensured him she would do what was necessary. Lifting her up, he carried her out of the farmhouse and to his car, being extra careful to make sure he didn't cause her any pain.

"Chime, could you open the back door?" He asked, nodding toward his car. Once the door was open, he placed Casey in the back, carefully propping her up. If Father Black had any healing mix, he would have given it to her immediately, but unfortunately he had none on his person. "Chime, you and your friend can come with me. I can heal the both of you up back at the church." With that said, Father Black got into the driver's seat and waited for Chime and Brael to get into his car, before he left the farmhouse. He couldn't get away from that dreaded place sooner. The church was his next destination, his driving still rather fast and somewhat illegal as he raced to get back to safety, wanting to help Casey as soon as he could. "Are you and your friend okay?" He asked as he drove, realising that he hadn't really checked on the two of them. "We'll be at the church soon, then I can take all three of you to the infirmary." As he drove and neared the church, Father Black prayed to all of the gods he knew, hoping that Casey would survive.
​

 

[envogue]

Chime Sparks

Chime nodded in understanding to Father Black and turned to Brael, who was still disoriented and shocked by everything that had gone on. She knelt down beside her friend, looping an arm around her shoulder and helping Brael to her feet. Brael was still weak, but some of her strength had returned to her, which helped Chime out a lot in supporting Brael's weight.

"Who was that man?" Brael asked, her voice weak."And that girl? She saved me... Is she going to be alright?"

Chime had not been expecting Brael to answer any questions, not so soon after being rescued. She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to think of something that would somehow make everything seem less scary, and more believable. Nothing came to mind, though. There was nothing that Chime could say to explain everything away. "Here, let's go wait by Father Black's car. We'll discuss everything later, okay?" Chime said, before beginning to lead Brael towards the black sedan.

About halfway to the car, Chime heard movement from behind her and turned to see Father Black coming with Casey in his arms. She hurried up and opened the back door, and helped Father Black get both Brael and Casey situated in the backseat, before getting in herself. As Father Black began to drove off, Chime looked over at the unconscious Casey. Brael looked at her as well, a sadness coming over her.

"I'll be fine, Father Black. Let's just...focus on Casey. She's getting weaker," Chime replied, worried. Casey's aura was flickering and shrinking right before Chime's eyes, but she didn't want to say anything and cause anyone to be even more worried. They couldn't see what she did, and for that Chime was grateful.

The church came into sight and Chime felt a weight lifting off of her chest. Casey's aura was still present, giving the teal haired girl some hope that Casey would survive. She got out of the car, helping Brael out while Father Black got Casey. Chime followed Father Black to the infirmary, where a woman with a glowing white aura awaited them. Well, she wasn't sure if the woman had actually been waiting, but she was already prepared for their arrival.

The healer calmly made her way over to the group, assisting Father Black and leading him towards a bed for Casey to lie down on. "Her aura is fading. Lie her down quick," she instructed. Once Casey was settled down, the healer extended both hands over the unconscious woman, a white light emanating from them and slowly enveloping Casey's body. Chime watched in amazement as the woman worked her magic. She had never seen anything like it, or seen such a beautiful white glow in her life. Suddenly, she felt like everything would be alright.

Brael, on the other hand, was not handling any of this so well. She stumbled her way over to another bed in the infirmary, collapsing before she could reach it. Her hand swiped at the decorations on a small nightstand near the bed as she tried to catch herself, spilling everything onto the ground. Chime started to rush to her friend's aid, but the healer asked her not to, in some sort of telepathic way.

Your friend has only fainted. Stay by Casey's side, she needs you right now. Chime was startled by the sudden invasion, but she recognized the healer's voice easily, and decided to listen. Brael would be okay, and right now, Chime was only concerned with repaying her debt to Casey.
​

 

[VanillaCola]

Casey Ryan-Jones

Relief washed over Father Black when he arrived at the church, though that wasn't the end of this rush. He parked up and grabbed Casey, noting how limp she was. She was fading fast, and they needed to get to the infirmary. Thankfully, it wasn't far, and Father Black led the way. As soon as he saw the healer stood there, he knew that Casey and Brael would be fine. The healers of the church were skilled at what they did, and once the two girls were in the woman's care, they would both live to see another day. Following the healer's instructions, Father Black laid Casey down on a nearby bed and stood back, letting the healer do what she did best.

Leaving Casey to the healer, Father Black turned his attention to Brael as the girl stumbled over to a bed. Once she was in the bed, having finally collapsed, Father Black went to pick up the items she had spilled onto the floor, placing them back on the bedside table. His gaze returned to Casey, Chime, and the healer, hoping that he young woman would recover. But hovering around them wouldn't help anything. "I'll go find another healer for your friend," he said before leaving the main infirmary area.

The healer's magic was working. Casey was coming back, her aura growing stronger. She began to move her fingers, her eyes still clamped shut. Though at least she had some control of her body. Her breathing became steadier, and her jaw was healing. It took a moment or two, but Casey finally opened her eyes, her vision blurry. She moved her hands, not stopping until they hit the edges of the bed. And then, when her vision became more focussed, she slowly sat up. But that was a mistake. Her head ached as soon as she moved, and Casey closed her eyes in pain and fell back onto the bed, feeling dizzy. "Where..." she managed to rasp, her jaw still a bit damaged. "Where am I?" Opening her eyes again, she saw the healer, and then Chime. Was she safe, or was this some kind of dream?

"Chime," Casey said, gaze focussed on the girl. "What happened? Where's your friend?" She tried to sit up once more, taking it much slower this time around. With a lot of effort and some pain, Casey got seated in the bed, feeling less groggy now. Though she was still confused, and needed to know what had happened. "Am I all good now? No more injuries?" She looked to the healer as well, then back to Chime. "Are you okay?"

Father Black had returned with another healer in tow. His gaze fell upon Casey, and a wide smile grew across his lips. After directing the healer over to Brael, Father Black made his way over to Casey, who only just noticed him. She mirrored his smile, assuming that the reason he was so happy was because she was still alive. Those skinwalkers had done a number of Casey, but with the help of Father Black, Chime, and the healer, she'd do fine. "Casey," Father Black muttered. "I knew you'd pull through." Turning to Chime, Father Black gestured to Brael and the healer. "Your friend will be tended to, but hopefully she will also be fine. How about you? I know I asked before, but we can always have a healer check you over for any injuries."

"You should be checked over," Casey added. "The healing mix isn't always permanent, and considering how badly the skinwalkers had hurt you, it's best if you get checked over."​

 

[envogue]

Chime Sparks

Relief washed over Chime when she saw that Casey began to stir and her aura was growing stronger. The healer didn't seem surprised at all, and tried to usher Casey back to lying down before the girl managed to sit up comfortably. "You're in the infirmary. Try not to move around too much, okay? You should recover just fine," The healer replied with a smile, before taking a step back to allow Casey and Chime some space.

Chime took a seat on the edge of the bed, feeling a little weak all of a sudden. She had taken a beating, and it was finally starting to catch up with her. Still, with Brael having passed out and Casey recovering, the teal haired girl didn't want to bring any more attention to herself. She felt as if it was her duty to remain strong when everyone else was weak. "No thanks. I'm fine, Father Black," Chime responded, with a dismissive wave of her hand. Then, when Casey mentioned that the healing elixir was only temporary, the sudden pain in her gut and head began to make more sense. She really didn't want to go back on her word, but what if the injuries were life threatening? Chime was too stubborn for her own good, and the fact that Casey was trying to convince her to do something she was unsure about made Chime want to disagree just for the sake of it. "Eh. I'm sure I'll survive. I think you and Brael need more healing than I do. Besides, I'm tougher than I even knew. A kick to the stomach won't take me out," she said, smirking.​

 

[VanillaCola]

Casey Ryan-Jones

The fact that Chime was refusing to be checked over worried Casey more than she let on. The skinwalkers had been formidable, and whilst Chime may have had similar abilities to Casey, they must have surely left a mark on her. She could sense that Chime was still in some pain, which was to be expected, but it still concerned the young woman. Even Father Black was a little worried, though he trusted that the healers would have said something if it was truly serious. If it was only a kick to the stomach, and Chime was still able to talk and function – much better than Casey was at that moment – then maybe there really was nothing to worry about. "I'm sure if you do need help, the healers will be ready to assist you," Father Black told Chime, smiling at her.

Casey's mind was still focussing on Chime's well-being, but another topic had come up as well. Looking around the infirmary, she caught sight of Brael being attended to by another healer, and panic began to seep in. "Is she doing okay?" Casey asked, glancing around at the others. "When I grabbed her, she was unconscious, so I don't know what they did to her—" Before Casey could continue, Father Black held up a hand to stop her from speaking, and he shook his head.

"Casey, Brael is fine. She was talking to us in the car on the way here and only passed out after reaching the infirmary. You need to stop worrying too much." Whilst it was good to show care toward others, Father Black knew that Casey was going beyond that. She was moving into 'deeply concerned' territory, and that would only cause her to feel worse in the end. Right then, she needed to calm down and get some rest after dealing with the events of the night.

"Sorry, Father," Casey replied, shifting slightly in the bed as she glanced down at her lap.

"Don't apologise. I know you're just worried, but right now, you must rest. There is nothing to fear now that we're at the church." Father Black's gaze moved over to Chime, and he began to wonder what her thoughts about the church were now. Before, when they had first met, she had been rather dismissive. But after seeing what the church stood for, what it taught it's followers and hunters, maybe her attitude was a little different. "Chime, why don't we leave Casey and Brael to rest? They could do with some time alone, and I would also like to discuss the night's events with you in private, if that is okay with you." He waited for her response, making his way over to the infirmary door. Even if she didn't want to talk now, leaving Casey and Brael alone to rest seemed like a good idea anyway.​

 

[envogue]

Chime Sparks

Chime was able to relax better after the attention that was on her had shifted to Brael. She had no problem discussing Brael's well being with Casey until the both of them were blue in the face. Of course, if the healers were able to bring Casey back from the brink of death then they had nothing to worry about with Brael. Her aura is still strong. Chime looked over her shoulder at where Brael was being monitored, the light surrounding her friend's body burning bright. Her eyes returned to meet Casey's after hearing Father Black's gentle reassurance. "He's right, Casey. You should try not to worry too much," she added in.

Father Black seemed to have more in mind than just Casey's well being, and Chime could pick up on what it was before the preacher even said anything. She was actually looking forward to the coming conversation since she had changed her mind about joining the church, and nodded obligingly as she stood from the chair. Chime gave a final look over Casey and Brael, before quietly shutting the door to the infirmary behind her.

Chime allowed Father Black to lead the way away from the infirmary, and then looked up at Father Black curiously. "You want to know if I've changed my mind about joining your organization," she said flatly, arms crossed behind her back.​

 

[VanillaCola]

Casey Ryan-Jones

Father Black was glad that Chime had agreed to follow him out of the infirmary, and he led her a bit away from it and into the hallway, where it was empty and silent. Before he could even say anything, Chime was speaking, easily predicting what was on his mind. With a nod, Father Black smiled. "Yes," he replied. "It seems my intentions are clear to you. I know you said before that you didn't want to get involved, but after tonight, I was wondering if you had changed your mind. First hand experiences can often alter a person's perspective – I was hoping that that could be applied to your thoughts on the church as well."

He paused for a moment to carefully consider his words, and then continued. "It's harsh, but I hope you've now seen what these supernatural beings can do. Just joining the church isn't enough, but we will train you and help you to hone your abilities if you agreed to join. And if you do join, I want you to know that it's not just yourself that you'll be protecting – it's those around you as well, like Brael and even Casey." Father Black let out a short and quiet laugh before returning to his speech. "Casey especially needs some help. She's dying to go out there and fight whatever it is she can find lurking in the shadows, but she needs a partner. I can't go with her, but after seeing how much you helped and calmed her, I can't help but think that you would be the perfect partner for her."

Father Black glanced around as if checking for any potential listeners, and then re-focussed on Chime. He knew that he couldn't demand her to join. He could only hope. "I won't force you to join the church, but I must ask you again to see if you've changed your standing on all of this. And it is my duty to highlight the problems you may face if you do or don't join. The church is no easy commitment, but nothing easy is worth working towards. It may be challenging to adapt and learn, but I promise it will be far more worth it and much more useful if you do join. Only then can we guarantee some measure of security." Father Black waited for Chime's response, not quite sure on what she would say. Any other person was bound to agree to join the church, but Chime had proven to be a little unpredictable, and those were the kinds of people that Father Black always waited on with bated breath.​