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Faustus blinked, coming awake on Amarus's shoulder. He was still cuddled around her, and a bit drowsily he sat up, shifting a bit away from her to stare around the room.

So, this was a ... gym?? ... The Amityville gym. Around him other students were stirring, slowly coming awake. He was still a bit dusty and battered, but he felt a good bit refreshed after the ordeal at the portals. Glancing back around, he noticed Olivia was already coming awake, and smiling kindly to him with her soft blue eyes. He smiled back, nodding in turn to both her and Mea, who seemed a bit preoccupied by her thoughts, as she took a moment to respond.

It wasn't long before they were all awake, and Medea was informing the students they wer invited to attend a ceremony for the remaining Clans members. Grabbing Amarus's and Olivia's hands he stepped with them, through the Amityville doors and out as the procession made it's way to the edge of the Weeping forest. He listened intently as Death gave his speech, one thought ringing through the boil's mind:

Forget?? ... How could he?? ...

It was in the Four Clans that he had first met his dear friends Amarus and Olivia. He gave their hands a firm squeeze beside him, if nothing more than to assure himself this was real, and he hadn't been dreaming in his sleep. He had learned so many things on the Clan Isles. The importance of charms and incense from Conquest, not to mention having met and been tutored by Invictus in a more calm time. The paper-thin walls of the rooms, the tea rooms with their strange and tasty cakes, all the beautiful jade and gold inlay of the wall, roof, and floor tiles, as well as the carved statues. The games of Kumiko. His time on Death Isle, spent near forges that crafted beautiful gems and weapons, learning the values of trance. Of being able to forsee the possible future from the mistakes of the past, and thereby make a wise decision. How could he forget these things?? ... Even his battles on War and Famine had taught him something important: the value of friends, of how precious they are and how he must protect them. He could never forget these things.

Sadly though, Death's speech came to an end, and reluctantly, the students glanced to one another. Neither wanted to admit it was over, that they would be leaving now. Faussi had never once let go of his friend's hands, but now he released them quickly as they embraced silently in a tight hug, wrapping his arms around them, Mea included. It was a long, heart-wrenching moment before they let go, and with a soft smile, Faussi pulled out a piece of paper and pencil before turning to Amarus.

"Here," he spoke, scribbling down something before placing it gently in her palm, and closing it around her fingers, just as she had done his when she had handed him her badge. In fact, he could feel it's smooth round center burning a hole into his chest from his inner jacket pocket now. "This is my number, for when you get that skellyphone." His smile warmed gently.

Turning, Faussi made sure to pass along his number to the other of this two friends, pausing at last with his arms around them, to stare up to Amityville in the distance. He really hoped that transfer came through soon ... He didn't want to have to leave behind such amazing friends forever ...

Face your demons

;A; Faussi will miss you all too <333

chirigami

So will I ... sort of *sobsob*

Kuumeii

and I don't want the meta to end either ;A; Future RPs must happen <333 *huggles you all*

Mitzi nodded. "Yeah, I do. I'll text you in a few days, once things have settled down?" It was more a request for permission than anything, as much as the onryo seemed like she wanted to stay in touch, the voices seemed to think she was just being polite, it was a trick, don't believe it. The Reaper ghoul just did her best to ignore them, the past week had not been a trick, or a dream, and she would not let the gnawing unease convince her otherwise.

The awakening came slowly, his head feeling groggy, almost dizzy. Alexander was not accustomed to 'sleeping,' though he assumed this had been something different. There had been nothing but darkness, no dreams, no nightmares. Everything had just been black, empty, as empty as how he felt when he 'awoke'.

His eyes blinked open slowly, and he could feel a hard, cool floor beneath him, though there was something warm resting beneath the fingertips of one hand. Perhaps it had just been coincidence that the zomboils hand had rested their, so near his bonded's but not quite close enough, barely even touching at all. He felt an instant pang of guilt as his gaze took in the other boil, and memories of what had happened came rushing back. But he hadn't hurt him, hadn't attacked him, that's what was important, right? But the intent had been there, even if he could not explain why. He had wanted to hurt the other boil, was completely and utterly prepared to do so, but he had somehow managed to hold himself back.

He hoped that was worth something, though a sense of overwhelming doubt and insecurity was telling him it was not, was telling him that he had screwed up one too many times now, and it was a ridiculous notion to believe otherwise.

No, it's my choice. He told me...and I told him...and he said he wouldn't leave. He's not allowed to leave.

Those were the thoughts that were running through his head, even as he pushed himself to a sitting position, even as nausea washed over him and made him close his eyes and rest his head in his hands. So why was he having so much trouble believing it? What had changed?

He pulled his knees up, hugging them to his chest. When Yin was looking at him, if Yin ever looked at him, he would give the boil a tentative smile, possibly to reassure himself that things could still be okay. They had survived, though for a while there things had gotten pretty sketchy. There were voices now, and not just the whispers, so quiet he almost couldn't hear them at all. These were real voices, from the boogeymen, and from Medea. She was beckoning that the students should join her, and the clansmen, as they made their way outside.

Alexander didn't want to go. Paranoia, not unlike what he had experienced after the death trials, was starting to set in. It wasn't safe, and something bad might happen out there. He just wanted this to be over, to be able to go back to his room, or better yet, Yin's room if the weremantis would allow him, and rest. He still felt exhausted, and on top of that, extremely unwell. Rest was definitely still needed.

But for now it seemed they were going to have to get up and file out, and Alexander pushed himself unsteadily too his feet. He was still shirtless, streaked with dark blood that was flaking off of his rotting skin in patches, which meant he needed to shower on top of everything else, joy of joys. He closed the distance between himself and Yin, walking along side the boil, but this time shoving his hands into his pockets, afraid to reach out, afraid that Yin would refuse the touch of his hand.

Outside things looked normal, though things still seemed slightly off to the zomboil. He listened to the words, the exchange between the three figures, and then to the small speech give by the last surviving ruler of the four clans. No, the lost clans now. It was sad, and that feeling of sadness only amplified the empty and aching loneliness in Alex's chest. When it was all finished, it was like time was standing still. What should he do now? Go back to his own room and suffer in silence from whatever strange thing was inflicting him? No, that was cowardly. That was running away from his problems instead of facing them. If he concentrated hard enough, he found he could think relatively clearly, though repressing the little insecurities was almost impossible.

"Yin?" He said softly, though his voice was low and slightly hoarse, as he turned towards the other boil and looked down at him. It was the first word he had spoken since awakening, and he was struggling not to have a total breakdown right there, in the middle of the forest. Yin had to still want him, because Alex could not have it any other way.

"Can..can I stay with you? Please?" He meant, basically, that he wanted to be able to be with the other boil wherever he was going, though hopefully that meant back to the weremantis's bedroom. He wanted to be with the other boil, away from everyone else. Wanted to be able to hold him, and be comforted by the fact that he could, if such comfort could still be gotten. Something kept telling him that no, of course he couldn't stay with Yin, that the mantodae would say no, and his shoulders hunched forward slowly, almost as if something were beating him down. He looked defeated, haunted, and nearly broken.

He waited for Yin's answer before leaving.

Sepheran just couldn't seem to focus on the announcements during the ceremony. He was exhausted tired, and still hoping that this was all just some sort of bad dream. But it wasn't and he knew it. The clans he had visited was no more, destroyed. The beautiful lands gone, everything he touches just seems to vanish, is destroyed.

How long will he have to wait, will he have to train before he could become strong enough to make a difference? Why couldn't the human leave them alone, it wasn't like they were doing anything wrong.

It was over...no, it was far from over. This was only a single battle, the war was not over, not until the hunters were all dead. Only then would Halloween be safe...

Amarus felt incredibly nauseous. That was her initial thought, and as she allowed the nausea to pass, she took inventory of herself: Jack damnit, her arms hurt. However, she was still nestled against Faustus, which for some reason produced a similar effect to having her heart quicken, if ghosts had such a thing. She had clearly woken last, but still held onto Faustus until she absolutely had to move. Her leg also felt rather strange, now that she was waking up more. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be that Olivia had fallen asleep on her leg. Amarus smiled at the ghoul. She was glad they hadn't gotten split up. She helped the ghoul sit up once she realized Olivia was ready to rise. Amarus took for granted how comfortable she was with Faustus, for the moment.

The speech left Amarus wordlessly slipping closer to her friends. To Death's words, she had nothing she could possibly say which expressed whatever it was she was feeling now. They had all escaped with their lives, but how would it feel to never see the Conquest lotuses again? Amarus would never meet Faussi on the bridge again, or talk to the Adaras-- and, her eyes wide, she remembered she had tamed and befriended a large wolf on War. Amarus sucked in a breath, trying not to feel so sick and trying to quell the wave of sadness that swept over her. He was dead too, now, wasn't he? Amarus could not fully understand death, being a ghost, but she understood the end of things: the possible end of herself, and everyone she cared for.

When pulled into the group hug, Amarus held on a little tighter, and mourned silently for what had come to pass. In the end, it wasn't the speech that got to her. She didn't know those Clansmen, she didn't know the representatives except for Invictus-- she knew the women who'd trained her on War, she knew her mount, she knew her friends, and so the only way she could understand what had happened was through their suffering.

"Maybe I could smuggle all three of you in," Amarus suggested, in the midst of the group hug. Afterwards, when Olivia lurched forward and grabbed them all in a group hug, a little laughter escaped Amarus; it seemed like an impossibly awful situation, and here Oli was, sniffling and cute in a dress that was more burnt and ripped than dress.

Distracted, she was surprised when Faussi closed something into her palm just the same way she'd handed him her pin. She smiled at him, about to open her hand to see what it was, when he explained. Instead of opening it, then, she gripped it tighter and tucked it into her sash. "I will have to ... do that, then. Perhaps I will borrow someone's skellyphone to see if you even get texts from me while we are apart--" Amarus had been smiling, but she couldn't keep it together as she realized the gravity of that statement. While we are apart. She was barely alert as he handed his number to their friends.

Mea even made Amarus smile, with her kiss and the wink. When she left suddenly, Amarus was sad to see her go, though they had just met. "See you in the future, Mea," she called after the ghoul, waving once. The buoyancy that she'd felt just moments ago fled rapidly. Were all emotions this temporary? Would the misery and nausea leave just as the happiness seemed to, out with the tide?

Shyly, Amarus grabbed hold of Olivia and Faustus one more time, just the two of them. "One day, we'll find each other again, right?" Amarus asked, trying not to give in to whatever sadness was overwhelming her. Naturally, she had never cried. Now that they were home, she suddenly realized that her essence should be helping them, but it didn't seem to be working as well as she had hoped. A thought rose unbidden into her mind, paranoia, the remnants of insanity inflicted upon them on their last battleground: What if I never see them again?

Her level-headed side, the part of her which typically prevailed and kept her calm, took the reins from her. She let go of her friends, but as she was doing so, she whispered into Faustus' ear: "Before you go... let me talk with you one last time?" She couldn't look at him, at first, to know whether or not he would agree to that.

Faussi smiled and chuckled softly when Amarus suggested smuggling them in. "I'd like that ... we could get into all kinds of trouble." His eyes sparkled mischievously. But as Amarus continued, and suddenly broke off mid-sentence, he realized putting on a calm act wasn't going to cut it. The truth was, the Clan's lands were no more, and this exchange program was over. ... He would be leaving, and he may even, never see her-

No, he couldn't allow himself to think that way. The demon's hand curved around Amarus's free hand, squeezing it softly, wanting to memorize the feel of it, and the feeling of being together like this.

The boil was a little surprised when Amarus suddenly seized both him and Olivia in a tight hug, but he accepted it readily, wrapping his arms around the two ghouls so dear to him. He wasn't sure how to answer her question, as he didn't know himself. ... "We will." He answered quietly, not quite able to meet her eyes. "Somehow ... I'll find a way."

Faussi was caught entirely by surprise as Amarus drew back and whispered the question in his ear. He glanced to her for a moment. The flickering look buried in her vacant eyes told him how insecure she must be, and slowly he nodded, stepping to the side with her. He wondered what she had to say, that would be so sudden and important.

Face your demons

;A; I knowww~ I am all for a final conversation <333

chirigami

Olivia's welcome to join too <3 ... or creep watch ;D

It felt so warm. Did she really have to open her eyes? But there was a voice whispering in her ears, urging her to wake up. Dev sighed, her eyes fluttering open as she stretched out her arms. Her hands brushed against something soft. She looked down to find both Fallow and Mea by her side. It took her a moment to fully register the fact, but then her lips curled into a toothy smile. She had found her pack at last and they were finally all together again. “Shhh. It’s okay,” she murmured to Mea, reaching out a hand to scratch the back of one of the rabbit’s ears.

If she strained her ears, Dev could still hear voices uttering unintelligible words, but now it was easier to tune them out until the voices became background noise. She hummed briefly as she hauled herself up and took a moment to stretch her legs. The ghoul followed the priestess out of the gymnasium. Dev turned back toward the building for one second to stare at the building where this entire fiasco had begun, where she had met her new friends before embarking into a new world that had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

There was only a glimmer of anger at the new name. The Lost Clan. While she still did not fully understand them—and it appeared she never would—it was infuriating to know that an ancient legacy had crumbled in the humans’ hands. Her hands curled into fists before she forced them open again. In the past few weeks she had learned and seen things, some she would cherish for as long as she could and some she still could not grasp fully. It was a mystery waiting to be unlocked and solved like a puzzle. Her ears perked up. The trip had certainly changed her and opened her eyes for better or worse, but she intended to see it through. Dev would learn and understand and remember. She closed her eyes, clear images of Conquest’s green hills and clear waters and Death’s mesmerizing forges and lava came to mind. She would never dare to forget.

She stood in comfortable silence with her eyes closed until she felt arms wrap around her. When Dev opened her eyes she found both Fallow and Mea hugging her. She smiled and wrapped an arm around them each to tighten the hug. “Ah hae yer numbers. Ah’ll text ye as much as Ah can,” the cu sith reassured them as she reluctantly released them. She waved them both farewell, watching her horse and rabbit disappear into the crowd before she decided to begin moving herself. Dev smoothed the crinkles her skirt, straightened her back, and headed home.

Tyshina could feel her head spinning as she slowly reached and put her left hand on her head. She could feel it pulsating at just a single touch. Whatever had happened to her sometime earlier, she had no clue. All she knew was all of the strength she thought she had was completely gone and instead it was replaced with shire exhaustion.

As she sat there on the ground she shook her head and turned her focus to those speaking. They mention something about protectors and a new land or rather clan. "What an honor," she mumbled to herself in completely and utter shock. She had learned so much on her trip and she had met so many. It was hard to believe that everything she had seen was gone. She had had many great teachers and they had taught her so much. She had learned things about nature that she would have never even thought to open her eyes too. Ways to survive that could come in handy one day.

The clan was gone though and a new one was going to replace it. She nodded her head and in her mind she knew that whatever it took she would help this new clan as much as she could. Even if all she could do was make them laugh and smile, she was determined to do her best.

A wide smile appeared on her face as she attempted to stand. While her stance was a little wobbly she was able to head towards the edge of the gym. Where she noticed some doors that could lead her back to her dorm. Right now she knew she couldn't do much, and she wouldn't be of much use as she was now. What she really needed was sleep and later she could plan more on how she was going to help. "Goodnight to the old clan and good morning to the new clan," she whispered happily as she exited the door and headed towards her dorm.

This was an adventure she would remember for the rest of her days. The people, the lessons, and the layout of the lands would stick with her for as long she walked this land.