[Day 196 and 197] Seconds march into the past [OPEN

[bastionpc]

Who: Everyone!
Open: Open
When: Days 196 and 197
Where: Skyway
What: The last locations have arrived
Format: Any
Warnings: N/A

[Call it a strange sort of intuition, but when more locations were found out on the Skyway, Zayna couldn't help but feel like that was the end of it. Maybe not for good, but it just seemed sort of... final, the way things were arriving.

She didn't really speak this thought aloud to anyone but Zulf and her father, showing the new sketches to the residents of the Bastion once more without too much insight in to what was on her mind.]

Comments

[kyotoprincess]

I figured they would be.

[Even though the Hojo family was prickly at times, they were still family. Just like the Shimas, and the Miwas, and every other family that lived at the temple. The thought of them just being gone, with no room for doubt, is a heavy one.

Bon had been avoiding thinking about this for a long time now. It's coming back to haunt him now.]

We should try to bring 'em to the Bastion. They'll just die out here too.

[He's hoping they'll recognize him (and possibly Rin) and realize that they're not enemies.]

[hellpyre]

... think they'll listen to me?

[She shifts her hand down, taking his gently. He had been there for her when she had found the same in her home, but this wasn't just five priests. This was a lot more people. Entire families, gone.

This won't be easy on him at all...]

[kyotoprincess]

We have to try.

[Bon doesn't want to even consider it, but if they won't listen, and if they attack, Rin and Bon can protect themselves. This is the type of enemy they are best suited for, after all.

He squeezes Rin's hand before continuing.]

Come on, the Hojos lived over this way.

[He'll lead her over to a building near the back, with one side open to the forest. Over there is where all the snakes are lurking, and they have picked up the scent of the two young exorcists.]

[hellpyre]

[That's true. But she'd rather it not come to that.]

Alright...

[She follows quietly, still holding on to his hand. She won't go for her weapons unless she absolutely needs to.]

... they know we're here.

[kyotoprincess]

[They know they're there, and they can instantly tell just who it is too. They're using the names "the head priest's son" and "Satan's child", though, instead of their real names.

As they reach the house, two snakes uncurl themselves, watching Rin and Bon closely. One of them will pose the question to Rin, and Bon just hears a low hiss.]

Why are you here?

[hellpyre]

[It makes Rin tense. She remembered them, from that trip to Kyoto, and she recalls they weren't exactly the most friendly towards her. It was that reluctant sort of "getting along with" that showed they merely gave her respect due to who her father was, and that if she had been anyone else they probably would have tried to tear her face off...

Terrific.

She swallows hard, speaking aloud with as much of a firm voice as she can muster.]

We're here to help you.

[kyotoprincess]

[A couple of the younger ones, who are lucking back in the building, have less-than-kind words to say to Rin. Mostly things like "we don't need to be helped" and "Just who do you think you are, coming in like this?"

But the older ones, the ones in front of Rin and Bon right now, hush the young ones with a quick hiss, before speaking again.]

What 'help' is it you wish to offer?

[hellpyre]

[Rin pulls in a sharp breath at their words, but she tries not to let it show just how nervous this was making her.]

This place won't be safe soon. We already lost one of our own to the creatures in this place. We can take you somewhere else.

[kyotoprincess]

[If anything, that agitates the snakes even more, and Bon steps closer to Rin. He's been letting her talk the whole time, but he still wants to make it clear that he's here too, and they should be listening.]

She's right. I know how much you loved the Hojos, but if you stay here, you'll die.

[one of the two snakes in front hisses a warning to Bon and Rin.]

Don't think you can speak in such a way just because you are from strong bloodlines! Our place is here. Even if our humans are no more than ash, we shall remain by their side.

[hellpyre]

[Okay, that irks her. She's trying to be reasonable but of course they're demons and demons are fucking stubborn.

She knows. She's just as bad.]

Then you'll die! You'll die and there's no Gehenna to go back to! Our worlds are gone! Your masters wouldn't want you to throw your lives away!

[kyotoprincess]

[Some of the snake demons are a bit bothered by that. Being exorcized never really bothered them, they would just go back to Gehenna until they were summoned again. But with everything torn up, and the possibility of even Gehenna being gone...well, death is suddenly a lot more permanent.

The two older snakes look to each other, seemingly discussing something without saying anything. During this time, Bon starts to worry a bit, since he can't tell they're not actually saying anything.]

That might have been a bit much, Rin.

[But then the snakes look back at the pair again, and one of them speaks.]

Take the young ones with you. We older ones have lived many centuries, and are content to stay here to the end of our days.

[The younger snakes start to protest, but the other old snake quickly silences them.]

[hellpyre]

It's true.

[But her voice comes out in a frightened hiss, and the way she's holding herself, the way her tail is twitching shows just how worried she is about this going sideways.

But then they spoke.]

... I--... are you sure... ?

[kyotoprincess]

Yes, we are.

[The younger snakes are not, and they are clearly upset at the thought of leaving their home, but they don't dare speak out against their elders.]

They have not been in Assiah for long. They are not as connected to this family as we are. They can move on, find a new life.

As for the rest of us, our lives and our deaths are here.

[Bon looks at the snakes, then back to Rin.]

What are they saying?

[hellpyre]

[She doesn't like this. She doesn't want to leave anyone here. Just because she didn't always get along with other demons didn't mean she wanted to leave her own kind to die there.

Grimacing, she looked up at Bon with a saddened expression.]

They want us to take the young ones.

[kyotoprincess]

But what about the others?

[Some part of him does worry about bringing so many demons back. They could cause serious trouble if they decided to turn on everyone. But at the same time, they're all Bon has left of his childhood, and he's reluctant to let go of that.]

[hellpyre]

[Rin is hoping that between her abilities and the way the Bastion prevents aggression they'll be able to make it work.

But Bon's question has her averting her gaze, head shaking slowly.]

[kyotoprincess]

[When Rin does that, Bon turns instead to the snakes. He knows he can't understand them, but maybe they can understand him. He doesn't even try to hide the desperation in his voice.]

Please, don't do this. Come with us!

[Instead of responding, the snakes look back into the house. three smaller snakes, each about four feet long, reluctantly come slithering out. Once they are by Rin and Bon, the older snakes will say one last word.]

Go.

[And with that, they turn their backs on the two exorcists.]

[hellpyre]

Ryuuji...

[It hurt to see him like that, and it hurt just as much to know nothing they said was going to change their minds. They were leaving them to the mercy of the Gasfellas and the Scumbags and whatever else that would take up residence here once they left.

And did nothing to push away those memories of what had happened to Night...

Once the older ones were gone, she pulled her hand away from his just to give him a hug from the side, pressing her face in to his arm.]

I'm sorry...

[kyotoprincess]

[He's trying not to cry, he really is. Bon hates showing his emotions like this. He doesn't want anyone to see him in a moment of weakness like this, where he's so close to breaking down.

But not here, he decides. Keep it in until he's home and alone, that's what he's got to do.

So he takes a few shaky breaths, and then he nods, to show that he's okay. Well, okay enough to pretend that he's okay.]

Right. Let's...let's go back.

[He feels like he's leaving a piece of his soul here, but he also knows that the hurt (not just from the snakes, but from everything. The ash, the memories of what used to be, everything.) will swallow him alive if he gives it a chance. He has to leave this in his past now, without looking back.]

[hellpyre]

[She'll leave him to that, if that's what he wants. She wants to be there for him but she also knows better than to force her presence on him when he's not in a space to have others around.

She's the same way, really. Maybe that's why they work so well.

But she has to ask, before they leave. Because she also knew taking things back from the church and from True Cross still gave her something physical to cling to in the wake of so much heart ache.]

... d'ya wanna get... anythin' from here? I can help carry things back.

[kyotoprincess]

[He really wants to go back to his room, to gather up as much as he can and take it back with him and have a piece of his home there so that he doesn't feel quite so lonely anymore.

But he also knows that he won't move forward, if those memories of the past remain.]

...No. Unless it's alive, I don't want to take it.

[People, he will gladly bring. Demons too. But nothing material.]

[hellpyre]

[She almost argues.

Almost.

But she won't. He has to deal with this in his own way.

She steps back, taking his hand again and giving it a squeeze.

I'll be here for you whenever you need me again.]

Okay.

[kyotoprincess]

[Bon makes it all the way back to the Bastion without any trouble. He keeps it together long enough to walk the demon-snakes through the dos and do-nots of living in the Bastion. Once he's sure they won't eat anything they're not supposed to (especially not Tobias), he'll head home to 'drop off his Skyway stuff.'

If Rin comes looking for him later, he'll he in the corner of their room, legs drawn up against his chest and his forehead resting on his knees as he quietly breaks down in private.]

[hellpyre]

[Rin had left to attempt to make dinner for them during that time (after getting the snakes settled in that is, sorry Yukio you're going to come home to something... interesting) but her focus was all over. She'd even managed to nick her thumb with the knife while cutting things, but given her advanced healing it hadn't done much damage.

But it was easy to say that this meal certainly wasn't going to be her best ever given that. Still good, plenty edible, but anyone trying it might notice something off.

There were bigger things to be concerned about, though, like Bon...

She'll eventually make her way back there given that, knocking on the door gently and poking her head in.]

Ryuuji... ?

[kyotoprincess]

[As soon as he hears the door open, he lifts up his head and moves to stand up. He doesn't want Rin to know how much he's hurting right now. But that doesn't work, he's way too tired to stand up suddenly, so he manages to get halfway up before thumping back down on the ground.

Welp. This will have to do.]

What?

[Don't mind him his face totally isn't red and puffy.]