[Day174] Second Verse, Same as the First [OPEN]

[bastionpc]

Who: EVERYONE
Open: Open
When: Day 174
Where: The Skyway, various locations
What: More out of place locations have been found, and our two Ura have helpfully mapped them out for others to explore
Format: Any
Warnings:

[Just like before, Zayna and Zulf had taken to the Skyway after the first explorations of the new locations were over. And just like before, more locations were spotted in the distance.

They returned with more maps, calling out once again for anyone to take on the endeavor of searching these new places and bringing back anything at all that could be helpful.]

Comments

[blackblooded]

[Crona says nothing for a long few moments. The meister just walks around, looks at faces, hopes not to see anyone familiar.

A pair of figures, the boy walking on his hands with a grin on his face, the girl caught mid-exasperated-sigh by the end of the world.

Crona starts shaking, shoulders twitching like a sob, but the meister's eyes are dry, and teeth sink into Crona's lower lip hard enough to draw black blood.]

[hellpyre]

[Damn it...

Rin's reaction hadn't been much better, seeing the priests in the church as statues, but she also had Bon with her to keep her calm in spite of her grief.

Crona only had Rin here right now... and she might not have been the best person for that sort of comfort, she had to try.

She moved closer, reaching a hand out to the meister's shoulder.]

I-if you don't wanna stay, we can go back...

[blackblooded]

Th-

[That's Black*Star. That's Tsubaki. That's important people in Crona's world and they're just statues.

Ragnarok comes out, tugging at Crona's bangs as he leans over his meister's head. Here's the commentary Rin needs.]

Shit, I liked her. She was a really good cook.

[hellpyre]

[Rin doesn't fully acknowledge Ragnarok, far more focused on Crona. She swallows hard, trying to offer something that Bon had offered to her a couple of months ago.]

... if you touch them, they'll fall apart. It's not... easy to watch, but if you want you could take the ashes back. That's.. that's what I did with my sister...

[blackblooded]

They.... [They shouldn't look like this. They should have died in battle, their bodies disintegrating and leaving just the souls behind. They should never have died, should be laughing and standing here, Black*Star draping himself too-loudly over Crona's shoulders, Tsubaki standing and laughing quietly.

Crona reaches out, shoves the back of Black*Star's leg, taps Tsubaki's shoulder. The statues crumble.]

You shouldn't put people in jars.

[hellpyre]

I... it's not...

[How can she explain this? Does she even have the words to try?]

You keep them with you. That's how we honor the dead where I come from.

[blackblooded]

[Rangarok somehow manages to look quiet, even slightly thoughtful as he just watches everything, resting his head on Crona's.

Crona crouches down next to the little piles, softly presses a hand to what used to be Tsubaki.]

They wouldn't like that. Black*Star, he'd want to be out here, probably. Tsubaki would want to be with him.

They'd like it out here. There's lots of things to see, if they were here.

[Crona's world does not have a concept of an afterlife.]

[hellpyre]

[Rin kind of figured that, from the things that male Maka told her about their world. She fidgets again.

This is really not a situation she knows how to help with.]

Th-there's other things you can do... if you don't want to leave them here... ?

[aprettyred]

Yes.

[ Oh, hello, one summoned easily by food. ]

They found part of my world, a drink store. [ It wasn't the bar, it wasn't quite home. ]

Do you want to come?

[croceamors]

[It's not particularly surprising that, for once, the two of them are on the same wavelength instead of opposite trains of thought.]

...I'll keep that in mind.

[There's a nod to Roxas, which is as friendly as their interactions get still, and then he continues on his way.]

If you see moving black shadows, don't engage them.

[Enjoy that bit of small advice, Frederic. Saix isn't actually sure if any Heartless are here, but he doesn't want to deal with the after effects of anyone getting attacked by them.]

[blackblooded]

It's not really them, you know. [Crona stands, looking down at the piles of ash. A gentle breeze starts to scatter them, and Crona takes a deep breath, then moves on.

There are lots of things to see here. Lots of other statues to break.]

[hellpyre]

It's... not... ?

[But her sister--...]

H-hey wait up!

[blackblooded]

[Liz. Patti. The little Reaper. Gone with a push of Crona's hand.

Maka's weapon. Gone.

Crona doesn't want to see anyone else. Eventually, the meister starts punching the statues, slamming fists through ashy grey features and trying not to scream.]

[hellpyre]

[It takes a lot to outright frighten Rin, but concern is something that happens often, and Crona's reactions to the statues starts to startle her a bit.

Enough that she clams up entirely, just watching, hands working in to the hem of her dress so hard her hands turn white. She wants to stop Crona but... something in her can't seem to grasp on to her normal courage to do so.]

[blackblooded]

[There are enough statues around that even with Crona's apparent "destroy all of them" approach it's going to take the meister a while.

Eventually, Crona loses steam. The meister just stops, shaking, and finally starts to cry.]

Ugh I'm so sorry for the holdup guys.

[attheclocktower]

Alright.

[That is aimed at Frederic. Xion still isn't sure how to react to Saïx, and consequently glances at him hurriedly before ignoring how he's walking off.

Instead, she turns her gaze back to the Clock Tower. Roxas is right. If Axel were anywhere here... he'd probably be there. Xion walks up to the door to the train station, slowly. The inside of the building is in as much shambles as the outside. There's even some rubble blocking the door.

She pushes at it, and it budges a few inches before the debris gets in the way. She leans on the door more heavily, and it moves more, though it's still slow going.]

Roxas, er someone, could someone help me get the door open?

[coolerthansora]

[Roxas nods at Frederic. He guesses it's good that someone is going with Saix, at least, though he hopes the guy knows how to deal with him.

He turns and follows Xion, and moves to help with the door almost before she asks.]

If we can just get it open a little more...

[Xion is pretty tiny, she'll probably be the first one to fit through. Maybe she could help clear it from the other side.]

[hellpyre]

[And Rin is left to just... follow. And stay quiet. When Crona finally stops, though, the half demon approaches carefully, starting to reach a hand out.]

Crona... ?

[blackblooded]

I.... [Crona is sobbing, gasping around desperate breaths and a throat gone tight with pained desperation.]

They're gone. Everyone's gone.

[hellpyre]

[Rin knew how that felt. That was the same pain she had been carrying inside for months, afraid to let it out, afraid to give in to it lest she start crying and never stop.

But this isn't about her, or her world. This is about Crona and theirs. She moves closer, hand coming to rest on the meister's shoulder before pulling them in to a hug silently.]

[blackblooded]

[Crona clings to Rin, finally, finally breaking down under the sudden awareness of the reality of how much was lost forever.]

They're gone.

[hellpyre]

I know... I know, I'm sorry...

[There's nothing else she can say to that. Her voice is quiet, as comforting as she can make it, a hand on Crona's back. She'll stay with Crona like this as long as Crona needs it.]

[blackblooded]

[Eventually, Crona stops sobbing. The meister's run out of tears.]

I don't know what to do.

[hellpyre]

Well... taking some things back from True Cross made me feel a little better. Is there somethin' here you'd wanna have back at the Bastion?

[blackblooded]

Um... Maka's apartment isn't near here. That's the only place I would want to go. But this isn't her neighborhood.

[But there's so much here. So many supplies.

Now, Crona's thinking about what to bring back, what kind of supplies they need.]