IC Solitarus

[Orchamut]

"I got no answer about if your group were surface folk, but I'm assuming that's a no, not natives, at least! It seems you aren't augmented, but I'd have to warrant a guess that you're guess you're still.. Subjects, or at least, were Subjects. Would that be correct?"

"I don't know. We just showed up here against our will and got asked to do this."

 

[Fluxxation]

Pixie just..looks confused.


Aurora clears her throat in an attempt to take charge of the question answering.
"Yes. Yes we were subjects, formerly."

The huge (mechanical?) knight puts a hand to his metal visor, pacing a bit as he drums his fingers against it.

"As I thought, so that must mean-"

"I don't know. We just showed up here against our will and got asked to do this."

He stops his pacing, lens sharply flitting over.

"Well that's a deal! I personally would never have agreed to such a thing.."

He then goes back to pacing.

"... As I was saying, that must mean you were not.. willingly.. released from being subjects?"

Still moving towards Ulyssia, something dawns on Raylen.

"... Guys? Does anyone see Quinn?"

 

[Vella]

John Sharpfields

As long as he'd love to contribute, the silence probably means that he didn't see Quinn nearby.
At least Akyrassha is merely unconscious despite the beating happening to them (by extension Ulyssia being also merely unconscious).

 

[Fluxxation]

Raylen abandons his aid to Ulyssia, looking around with a heavy limp for Quinn.

“Quinn?? H-Hey, the fighting is over, we-“

He pauses, face growing pale as his foot bumps into something lying, somewhat charred on the ground.

The lower half of an arm, the hand charred, scarred over with burn marks, still bearing a bit of a singed hoodie sleeve, steaming a bit as it lies there, rest of the body entirely obliterated.

“…. Quinn?”

Gepard looks over.

“Is something the matter, boy?”

He’s just standing over the arm, metal hands curling and uncurling.

“…. Oh my god…”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the white plated knight dips his head a bit, voice growing low and husky.

“… We shouldn’t linger here.”

 

[Vella]

John Sharpfields

The Snivy is concerned, and looks at the... whatever remains of Quinn.
Eugh, I just had to miss that moment... nevermind... that's real bad if it catches me. If that turned them into ashes, I can't... I'll have to leave posthaste.
Despite the mean attitude Quinn had, John still sheds a tear for them.
"(I better call someone over to the vulpix if that's the case. I can't carry them out of there as it stands right now.)"

 

[Banana_=P]

The huge (mechanical?) knight puts a hand to his metal visor, pacing a bit as he drums his fingers against it.

"As I thought, so that must mean-"


He stops his pacing, lens sharply flitting over.

"Well that's a deal! I personally would never have agreed to such a thing.."

He then goes back to pacing.

"... As I was saying, that must mean you were not.. willingly.. released from being subjects?"

"...There were a lot of explosions, let's just say."

Still moving towards Ulyssia, something dawns on Raylen.

"... Guys? Does anyone see Quinn?"

Pixie starts looking around...

Raylen abandons his aid to Ulyssia, looking around with a heavy limp for Quinn.

“Quinn?? H-Hey, the fighting is over, we-“

He pauses, face growing pale as his foot bumps into something lying, somewhat charred on the ground.

The lower half of an arm, the hand charred, scarred over with burn marks, still bearing a bit of a singed hoodie sleeve, steaming a bit as it lies there, rest of the body entirely obliterated.

“…. Quinn?”

Gepard looks over.

“Is something the matter, boy?”

He’s just standing over the arm, metal hands curling and uncurling.

“…. Oh my god…”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the white plated knight dips his head a bit, voice growing low and husky.

“… We shouldn’t linger here.”

Aurora stares at Quinn's remains. She just stares.
Pixie, eyes widening on seeing what's left of Quinn, listens rather quickly to Gepard's advice, deciding to turn away...currently unsure what to do.

Aurora can't take her eyes off Quinn.

 

[Fluxxation]

"...There were a lot of explosions, let's just say."

His yellowed lens snaps over.

"We.. can talk about that later.."

Pixie starts looking around...


Aurora stares at Quinn's remains. She just stares.
Pixie, eyes widening on seeing what's left of Quinn, listens rather quickly to Gepard's advice, deciding to turn away...currently unsure what to do.

Aurora can't take her eyes off Quinn.

"If you're down here, still alive, and wanted by THE PROTOCOL, I take it you all are sheltering in the allied Shrine?"

"With... ah, what was his name..."

"We are not on good terms! Haha!.. but, I can at least help you get back there!"

Come to think of it.. Venevo's been silent for a little while now... it's odd.

All that's left is to go back now, it seems?

Raylen.. delicately scoops up the arm, shuddering as he clasps it in a single metal hand.

He limps back over to the Chillet, preparing to sling her over his shoulders.

"Boy, you're far too hurt to carry both the wounded and the dead... I'll take the hurt.. creatures, you just keep that arm safe."

In a few seconds of loud, metallic strides, the huge knight looms over the wounded Ulyssia, picking her up in one gentle hand and laying her out across his broad forearm, tucking her close to his chest. He opens his palm, nearing Akyrassha to do to the same along the length of his hand, so long as he isn't inhibited from doing so.

Raylen watches blankly. There's no telling how many he's seen go out like this.

The severed forearm wobbles in his shaky hands, with Raylen refusing to look at it again.

 

[Orchamut]

Despite being blind, having enough experience with this sort of thing gives the broken Ghurux a good idea of what happened.
He gives a low mechanical grumble, not really able to contribute much more and mainly just wanting to be out of there ASAP.

 

[Banana_=P]

His yellowed lens snaps over.

"We.. can talk about that later.."


"If you're down here, still alive, and wanted by THE PROTOCOL, I take it you all are sheltering in the allied Shrine?"

"With... ah, what was his name..."

"We are not on good terms! Haha!.. but, I can at least help you get back there!"

Come to think of it.. Venevo's been silent for a little while now... it's odd.

All that's left is to go back now, it seems?

Raylen.. delicately scoops up the arm, shuddering as he clasps it in a single metal hand.

He limps back over to the Chillet, preparing to sling her over his shoulders.

Aurora doesn’t move or register this.

Pixie walks up to Aurora, concerned. Before he can say anything though, Aurora turns away and disappears into her necklace, for Pixie to catch.

Looking around at everyone else, Pixie looks at Aurora’s necklace again, hanging it around his neck. He takes the earring Aurora was carrying around too.

"Boy, you're far too hurt to carry both the wounded and the dead... I'll take the hurt.. creatures, you just keep that arm safe."

In a few seconds of loud, metallic strides, the huge knight looms over the wounded Ulyssia, picking her up in one gentle hand and laying her out across his broad forearm, tucking her close to his chest. He opens his palm, nearing Akyrassha to do to the same along the length of his hand, so long as he isn't inhibited from doing so.

Raylen watches blankly. There's no telling how many he's seen go out like this.

The severed forearm wobbles in his shaky hands, with Raylen refusing to look at it again.

Pixie looks up at Gepard, listening along.

He then eyes Raylen, and decides to trot up to him, swallowing his throat. He eyes the group again, seeing Ghurux.
<…Seems everyone’s broken here. In…more ways than one.>

Pixie looks between the arm and Raylen, seeming like he’s forcing himself to. He then looks at the ground, as if debating internally whether he should say something…

 

[Fluxxation]

If the huge machine could break into an awkward sweat..

"... So... Do we just not talk much here, or?"

The continued pestering to get going finally snaps through to Raylen, and he turns to start heading off in the direction which the group came, grip tightening gently about the ruined bit of the arm.

 

[Creeper326]

Raylen abandons his aid to Ulyssia, looking around with a heavy limp for Quinn.

“Quinn?? H-Hey, the fighting is over, we-“

He pauses, face growing pale as his foot bumps into something lying, somewhat charred on the ground.

The lower half of an arm, the hand charred, scarred over with burn marks, still bearing a bit of a singed hoodie sleeve, steaming a bit as it lies there, rest of the body entirely obliterated.

“…. Quinn?”

Gepard looks over.

“Is something the matter, boy?”

He’s just standing over the arm, metal hands curling and uncurling.

“…. Oh my god…”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the white plated knight dips his head a bit, voice growing low and husky.

“… We shouldn’t linger here.”

*Navy finally puts Sphiryss down, breathing heavily. He helps carry most of Sphiryss' weight as he walks over to Quinn's remains.*
"Oh... May you find peace in the afterlife that you could never achieve in this one, my friend."

 

[Banana_=P]

If the huge machine could break into an awkward sweat..

"... So... Do we just not talk much here, or?"

The continued pestering to get going finally snaps through to Raylen, and he turns to start heading off in the direction which the group came, grip tightening gently about the ruined bit of the arm.

Pixie snaps out of his internal debate, glancing to Gepard.
"..I mean...nobody seemed keen to talk here."
"Not everyone takes death too well."
"Raylen just...needs time to take it in."
Pixie starts following Raylen.

 

[Vella]

John Sharpfields

The Snivy then follows Pixie, just as silent, though in fear. Mostly instincts getting in their head telling them to get the hell outta here, lest they make for fine ashes. (Which he doesn't want to be.)

 

[Orchamut]

If the huge machine could break into an awkward sweat..

"... So... Do we just not talk much here, or?"

Ghurux gives him a rude gesture in response.

 

[Fluxxation]

*Navy finally puts Sphiryss down, breathing heavily. He helps carry most of Sphiryss' weight as he walks over to Quinn's remains.*
"Oh... May you find peace in the afterlife that you could never achieve in this one, my friend."

The knight glances to Navy now.

"I doubt you're able to lug that one around either. Give him here."

He strides closer, extending his other arm down to grab Ghurux, if offered up, leaving Navy to carry the lost parts / jaw.

Pixie snaps out of his internal debate, glancing to Gepard.
"..I mean...nobody seemed keen to talk here."
"Not everyone takes death too well."
"Raylen just...needs time to take it in."
Pixie starts following Raylen.

John Sharpfields

The Snivy then follows Pixie, just as silent, though in fear. Mostly instincts getting in their head telling them to get the hell outta here, lest they make for fine ashes. (Which he doesn't want to be.)

He can't find the words, it seems.

He gives a quiet, sympathetic grumble.

Ghurux gives him a rude gesture in response.

"Or I could just leave you here to.. y'know.. get dusted."

As the group begins to make their way back over the hill.. they would find the previously statue-laden stony crests.. devoid of their inhabitants.

Not even corpses remain, the current valley as a whole is barren.

Over the next.. is that.. sand? A dull, orange glow seems to creep over the hill, the distant air a bit hazy.

Some sort of crooked banner, wavering in the windless air, adorns the distant slope, something dark and ashen laying beside it, unmoving.

... Well.. It is the way back.. right?

 

[Banana_=P]

The knight glances to Navy now.

"I doubt you're able to lug that one around either. Give him here."

He strides closer, extending his other arm down to grab Ghurux, if offered up, leaving Navy to carry the lost parts / jaw.




He can't find the words, it seems.

He gives a quiet, sympathetic grumble.


"Or I could just leave you here to.. y'know.. get dusted."

As the group begins to make their way back over the hill.. they would find the previously statue-laden stony crests.. devoid of their inhabitants.

Not even corpses remain, the current valley as a while is barren.

Over the next.. is that.. sand? A dull, orange glow seems to creep over the hill, the distant air a bit hazy.

Some sort of crooked banner, wavering in the windless air, adorns the distant slope, something dark and ashen laying beside it, unmoving.

... Well.. It is the way back.. right?

Pixie's eyes narrow, checking with the rest of the group to make sure they haven't suddenly disappeared as he follows with the group...
"...Have any of us touched any statues recently?"

 

[Vella]

John Sharpfields

"(If you mean recently as in before the encounter, I think you, the off-looking Vulpix, probably Raylen and... may his soul rest, Quinn. As in recent recent? No.)"
The Snivy responds to Pixie, their tail still dragging along the sand.

 

[Fluxxation]

Pixie's eyes narrow, checking with the rest of the group to make sure they haven't suddenly disappeared as he follows with the group...
"...Have any of us touched any statues recently?"

"I did when I landed on the big one. What's the big issue with touching them? I don't think consent is a problem when they're trying to flatten you.."

Raylen looks up, though he doesn't even pause. Seems he's quickly becoming desensitized to all of this..

 

[Banana_=P]

"I did when I landed on the big one. What's the big issue with touching them? I don't think consent is a problem when they're trying to flatten you.."

Raylen looks up, though he doesn't even pause. Seems he's quickly becoming desensitized to all of this..

"...I could just be imagining things."
Pixie thinks over how to explain what he's worried about.
"Touching some statues put us under some kind of powerful Psychic...spell. Gave us some kind of...I want to say either vision or illusion?"
"This sand was in my vision..."
Pixie thinks over what he just says, before shrugging with his feelers.
"Eh. What would I know?"

 

[Fluxxation]

"...I could just be imagining things."
Pixie thinks over how to explain what he's worried about.
"Touching some statues put us under some kind of powerful Psychic...spell. Gave us some kind of...I want to say either vision or illusion?"
"This sand was in my vision..."
Pixie thinks over what he just says, before shrugging with his feelers.
"Eh. What would I know?"

His lens expands a bit as his head cocks to the side.

"... Right. We need to make sure all of you get your heads checked when we get you back to that rock church.."