The Unsettling City (under new management)

[Hat-tori]

Esther54

Hat-tori

"She is running off often, yes?" he asked with a chuckle. "Curious. As it should be." he smiled. "My name is Rostislav. Who are you?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh! And she never calls or says anything or anything!" She gave her kitten an accusing look, then looked back to Rostislav. "I'm Avila. This is Cinnamon," she said, holding up the kit, "And we like flowers."

"A friend of mine... ah." he pointed to a name. "Friedright. He liked the flowers. He came from race, not long-lived. Twenty years, I think." he sighed. "Said flower was pretty because not lasting long."

[Kuro Ryuu Hime]

Spam heard...something. A cacophony of sound. It was so hard to make out, aside from the occasional snippet. Her brow furrowed at the mental noise, though it was less because of the sound itself and more because of its location; she could sense where Artemis's response was coming from and she was surprised that it wasn't coming from his body. Eyes still closed to keep a better lock on him, she turned her head toward where his soul was as if doing so would let her hear more clearly. Artemis...is that you...? she asked mentally, directing the question toward the mental noises. She tried her best to focus on what she was 'hearing', trying to decipher whatever she could.

[Hat-tori]

He sighed. This was an exercise in frustration...

"Yes." he said, along with every other sort of positive reply he'd given in his life. "Not easy to talk. Soul." he tried, and another bombardment of data would likely sweep over her.

[Volk0v]

Hat-tori

"A friend of mine... ah." he pointed to a name. "Friedright. He liked the flowers. He came from race, not long-lived. Twenty years, I think." he sighed. "Said flower was pretty because not lasting long."

"... Fried... Right? Hm. I think they're nice because of that, but I think they're nice too because they're beautiful and delicate." Avila stepped over to the wall, looking through the names. "Are these in any particular order?" She asked, letting Cinnamon climb onto her shoulder, then jump into Rostilslav again.

[Hat-tori]

Esther54

Hat-tori

"A friend of mine... ah." he pointed to a name. "Friedright. He liked the flowers. He came from race, not long-lived. Twenty years, I think." he sighed. "Said flower was pretty because not lasting long."

"... Fried... Right? Hm. I think they're nice because of that, but I think they're nice too because they're beautiful and delicate." Avila stepped over to the wall, looking through the names. "Are these in any particular order?" She asked, letting Cinnamon climb onto her shoulder, then jump into Rostilslav again.

"Half of the room..." he gestured to the black marble with red inlaid lettering, "Is for Blackguard soldiers. Alphabetical, from middle, to door." he swept his hand around that half. "Other half is haven." he said, pointing to the other half, white marble with golden lettering. "All the casualties. And... we made some investigation..." he pointed up, at the domed ceiling. "All the people killed by the Blackguard." he said, names etched into the material the ceiling was made of.

The lettering on the ceiling was half the size of that on the walls to fit all the names.

[Kuro Ryuu Hime]

Spam blinked a few times as the waves of information filled her mind; now with her eyes open she confirmed that Artemis was 'speaking' from outside his body. She was able to pick out the stronger, more important parts of what she heard; what he was trying to convey, plus one or two other random things. The word 'soul' seemed to spark something in her memory. As connected as her mind was to him at the moment, he'd be able to hear her thoughts as she worked things out. That mark...soul separate from body...'Truth'... Everything he had told her about the forbidden Rune came back to her.

She sighed, though the noise turned to a chuckle at the end as she brought her palm up to her face. "Artemis, you are the most suicidal, heroics-obsessed person I've ever met," she stated, nearly laughing, her tone fairly light-hearted yet with faint undertones of sadness and, also, a bit of pride -- she couldn't deny that he had to have been much braver than herself to have done what he had while knowing the potential consequences. "So, know any way to fix this?" she asked, finding it easier to talk aloud and listen mentally than to have the whole conversation in her mind.

[Volk0v]

Hat-tori

"Half of the room..." he gestured to the black marble with red inlaid lettering, "Is for Blackguard soldiers. Alphabetical, from middle, to door." he swept his hand around that half. "Other half is haven." he said, pointing to the other half, white marble with golden lettering. "All the casualties. And... we made some investigation..." he pointed up, at the domed ceiling. "All the people killed by the Blackguard." he said, names etched into the material the ceiling was made of.

The lettering on the ceiling was half the size of that on the walls to fit all the names.

Avila looked up."...Whoa..." She was quiet for a moment, thinking. "How... How far does this go back?" she asked. The girl was surprised by the amount of names, though she knew she shouldn't have been.

[Hat-tori]

He smiled, and laughed with her. Decades and years of mirth, happiness, washed over her. It'd been so long since that battle... He was worried.
"I... I cannot be certain." he said, trying his best to reduce the omissions. "I'm stuck until my body stops working. Then, gone."

----

"Blackguard very ancient. Very powerful." he said. "Started, decent people. Time passed, so did morals." he explained.

[Volk0v]

"Yeah... My dad told me a little." Avila let out a sigh. "You know how many are up there?" she asked, as Cinnamon climbed onto Rosti's shoulder and proceeded to make herself comfortable there.

[Hat-tori]

Esther54

"Yeah... My dad told me a little." Avila let out a sigh. "You know how many are up there?" she asked, as Cinnamon climbed onto Rosti's shoulder and proceeded to make herself comfortable there.

He sighed. "That is not all - many records were lost, or destroyed." he said. "Many areas did not even keep them. We know of a least several hundred thousand."

[Kuro Ryuu Hime]

All the happiness she felt from him made her smile and become happy as well; it was hard to resist something so infectious as an emotion actively put into one's mind. His words, however, quickly dampened her gaiety. "There has to be some way to put your soul back in your body...or at the very least, if such a way can't be found, perhaps putting your soul in an artificial body so you won't be stuck like this..." she said, already trying to think of what could possibly work. Of course, she'd likely need a better mage, such as Isaac, and/or Artemis's notes and research on Runes and their effects and repercussions...all of which Artemis would at least be able to hear whispers of over her mental link with him.

(( be back in a bit; shower time ))

[Volk0v]

Hat-tori

He sighed. "That is not all - many records were lost, or destroyed." he said. "Many areas did not even keep them. We know of a least several hundred thousand."

Avila looked at him, surprised. "They kept records?! Records of all the people who they killed or died in certain areas?" Shocker. Of course, it probably was a good idea to keep track of that kind of thing...

[Hat-tori]

"Worth looking into." came the eventual reply. "I'm not going to leave. I don't break promises." he said with finality. It was getting hard to talk. "And... I still... I still love you." he added, awkwardly.

[Hat-tori]

Esther54

Hat-tori

He sighed. "That is not all - many records were lost, or destroyed." he said. "Many areas did not even keep them. We know of a least several hundred thousand."

Avila looked at him, surprised. "They kept records?! Records of all the people who they killed or died in certain areas?" Shocker. Of course, it probably was a good idea to keep track of that kind of thing...

"Sometimes. For... performance review, maybe." he huffed. "At least..." he pointed up. "My family and village are there."

[Volk0v]

Hat-tori

"Sometimes. For... performance review, maybe." he huffed. "At least..." he pointed up. "My family and village are there."

"I... I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly. Avila looked to the wall again, finally placing her finger on one name in particular. "This was my best friend," she said quietly. "The one thing I just don't get is... How can a girl with armor and a giant robot die, while I... A girl with little, can get away unscathed aside from scrapes and bruises...? It's... It's not right," she murmured, tracing the letters.