[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

First Location - Twlight Town

[bastionpc]

[Information regarding Twilight Town]

Second Location - Death City

[bastionpc]

[Information regarding Death City]

Third Location - Starpucks

[bastionpc]

[Information regarding Starpucks]

[blackblooded]

[The Ura had drawn out the skulls on a piece of paper. The skulls that decorated Death City. The Reaper's skulls.

Home.

Crona's heading out onto the Skyway at a dead run. If you want to come along, you need to be quick.]

[aprettyred]

Ah... That is...

[ Anna has the paper and is sitting off to the side with it. ]

.. Starpucks.

[hellpyre]

[It's a good thing Rin is fast then. It's also a good thing she really, really wanted to avoid Yukio now that he was in the Bastion and the idea of heading back out (for the second time today) was not a terrible one.

So she'll be following behind Crona, bandages still on her legs from the Bootlicker that got her in the True Cross section. That doesn't seem to be slowing her at all, though, and she's keeping pace with the meister pretty well.]

Crona! Keep your guard up, we don't know what's out here!

[unwrittenformula]

Starpucks?

[Hello, Anna. You have a chia pet and a fox looking over your shoulder.]

[aprettyred]

[ Which one is which- ]

They sell coffee. And some food.

[ Does she need to say "its from home"? ]

[unwrittenformula]

[That's for you to decide :3]

I see. Would you like to go?

[No, she doesn't need to. He gets that.]

[blackblooded]

[Crona lands on the Skyway, lands hard, trying to land well but trying to keep moving forward at the same time. It just results in a tumbling, painful roll. But Crona gets up again, doesn't even dust the dirt off of the bright striped skirt, and moves forward. Not a run right now, but not planning on stopping.]

It's Death City. That's what's out there.

[hellpyre]

[Rin lands a little more gracefully, a little less frantic than Crona was. She knew the feeling, though - she had nearly done the same when she found out True Cross was out there.]

Even so, there might be dangerous things out there. ... n-not that you can't handle yourself! But still.

[Rin, trying to tell people not to charge head long in to situations doesn't work when you yourself charge head long in to situations.]

[attheclocktower]

[The clock tower, even half-destroyed as it was by the Calamity, was a pretty recognizable landmark. It also had allowed a small bubble of hope to burgeon somewhere in her chest. She'd come back from her earlier exploration to find that Axel was missing. If he'd found out about Twilight Town, maybe he was there.

She'd told Roxas as soon as she found out. She'd gotten a few people together who were interested in looking too. Including, much to her surprise and unease, Saïx, especially when the possibility of Axel being there had come up. But there'd been no reason to really refuse him.

It took a while to get out there, given the distance. But as soon as they got there, Xion knew that she'd been right. That this was Twilight Town.

The look on her face is sad as she walks through the ruined streets. This world had been her home, more than the Castle that Never Was ever really had been.]

It looks so different now.

[notduchess]

... It's still rather impressive.

[ The knight is studying the clock tower. ]

... Or more impressive - how is that staying up?

[ Duke don't question it, it might come down. ]

[croceamors]

Sometimes things like that just happen.

[Well, look who's finally spoken up after being quiet the entire journey. Enjoy that- or not- while you can, because Saix immediately breaks off from the main group with his Berserker Nobody trailing slowly behind him. There's a slight pause after a moment and he looks over his shoulder.]

I'll look this way. If you want to join, then I won't care either way.

[Someone's colder than usual. But yep, he's sure walking away. At least Xion can be relieved?]

[coolerthansora]

[It's been long enough for Roxas that this doesn't feel like home anymore, but there is a strong feeling of nostalgia. This is where he was born, and where he started to become a person. And all the people who lived here, the ones he used to watch from a distance and wonder about, they're all gone now, aren't they?

He looks to Saix as he starts to walk off. He's not exactly opposed to splitting up, but...]

He'll probably be- at the clocktower, if he's here. [Roxas knows Axel's been missing it, too. How many times has he complained about not having a high place with a view for eating ice cream?

He's really hoping that that's exactly what they'll find-- Axel sitting up there waiting for them like he used to back home, ready with some casual remark that makes him feel dumb for worrying.]

[orzelbialy]

[Frederic wasn't expecting any place from his home world to show up out there, nor did he want any part of Paris or Poland to show up. That was a reality he wasn't prepared to face.

and the rest? That might happen. But he didn't want to think about that either.

But going with others was a good distraction from those thoughts (as well as thoughts about Night and her passing), and he quietly offered to join Saix and his friends.

They seemed to be looking for something more than just the location on the Skyway. Or rather some one.

All the more reason to keep his thoughts to himself for once.

Noticing that Saix was already splitting off, he adjusted his hat and nodded to the others.]

I'll go with him.

[blackblooded]

[Crona has to explain. This is important.]

It's...

Death City is home.

[hellpyre]

... I know. I-- I saw how you reacted...

It was the same for me yesterday. True Cross was out there.

[She was sympathetic towards Crona's feelings, even if she was worried.]

But it's still a part of the Skyway now. So be careful. Please?

[blackblooded]

[That pulls Crona up short. Yes, yes Crona knew that, but... Hearing it hurts somehow.]

I... maybe someone will be there. Maybe Miss Marie will be there. Or the Professor. Or the little Reaper.

[Or Maka.

Maybe Maka will be there. Please. Please, whatever gods still exist, whatever gods will listen to someone like this child, please let Maka be there.]

[hellpyre]

... maybe.

[But don't get your hopes up she wants to say, knowing what she found at True Cross yesterday.]

[blackblooded]

Maybe. [Crona repeats the word, shifting weight from one foot to the other, trying for something other than the sudden sure feeling that "maybe" means "never again". It's Death City. It's the closest to "home" that Crona has ever had, "home" in the way that the word means "a place to belong". Crona needs to go there. Crona suddenly doesn't want to go there.

If Crona doesn't go there, then it is a place that always might have. If Crona does go there, it will be a place that didn't.

There's hesitance now. Crona doesn't know what to do. A step forward, just one.]

[superdrowningskills]

[Almost as if summoned by the mention of food, the resident European nobleman wanders over to see what's going on.]

[hellpyre]

... even if they're not, Crona, going there... it helps. Seeing it again.

[She doesn't want Crona to start doubting now. Now when they're this close already.]

[blackblooded]

[Another step forward, cautious and unsure, hesitant steps on the broken stones of the Skyway. There are buildings only a few more steps ahead, tall, slanted apartments painted in bright colors, worn cobblestone streets. It looks like Death City.

It looks like home.

A few steps more, and they're there, and Crona reaches out a hand to brush against a streetlamp. Around a corner, and there's a marketplace spread out in front of them.

It looks almost busy at first, ash statues behind the booths, ash statues crowding the streets. A busy, normal weekend day. Most of them are children, all of them are gone.]

[hellpyre]

[This is so different from True Cross. It's a city in the same way her home was, but the style is something she's never seen before.

The ash statues, though... that's painfully familiar.

She sticks close to Crona, not just out of a desire to protect, but out of knowing just how difficult this has to be for them.

She stays quiet, though. What can she say? Sympathy can only go so much when you're seeing your home at the end of the world...]