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At first, he hadn't heard Gabe begin to speak but something made him shift his attentions over to him and he returned the smile with a nod. "Thanks, my friend. I'm sorry I made anyone worry about me... This whole thing has been nothing but insane. Why can't the school ever come up with sane field trips??" A faint sigh left him, as he really just wished he could have said no to it all. Just stayed home, worked on what he needed to and prepare for that... that.. woman's visit. Ugh... even home was a bad idea. Grand. "But I'm terribly relieved that you're all right as well. I was concerned, especially when I saw how many ships did not make it to shore..."

A look of complete understanding showed on his face as he looked at the hurt Ren and then he waved a hand gently. No words were really needed to be said because it was impossible to not understand. In times like this, especially since everything was so.. insane, they had to look out for each other or else they'd be lost. And that was just the last thing needed. But before he could say anything about checking on Alessa, everything seemed to... well, for lack of a better phrase, go quite insane. Ren somewhat woke up, screaming about not having anyone touch him, Alessa went missing and... it was just hard to make sense of it all. "What in Jack's name..."

And then Gabe and Alessa were gone; racing through the cornfields like the snowmen of christmas town were at their heels. Though he had no idea what was going on, he went over to see if there was some way to help out Ren and Tset who seemed nervous about it all, all the while keeping a firm grip on Carry's hand, as he wasn't about to lose her for even a second (if he could help it anyway). "Ren?" What in Jack's name was he talking about? "It's all right, Ren. You're safe!" As safe as it probably was going to get, anyway. Hecate below this fog was getting worse and he seriously didn't like it. "Please calm down... you're hurting yourself more..." Slow, smooth talking was needed when people were freaking that badly.

You're just pathetic. Pathetic, weak, useless. You'll never be one of us.

Ren's mother's voice, taunting, laughing, mocking, resounded in his ears. Where was she? He couldn't see her, but she was near. Yes, she was definitely near; he could sense it, sense her. Vivid images of her twisted face flashed in front of his face, distorted and bloody.

Then there was his father, his mouth set in a horrible smirk.

...and those eyes. Those red eyes, so deadened inside, showing through to a hollow soul. They burned into him, as tangible as brands.

We're here. You're not. You're pathetic, Renaissance. PATHETIC.

"No," he whispered.

Something flitted in front of him. Was that...white..?

White. Yellow. A smear of pale green. And a familiar voice, a very familiar voice -

"S-stop.. p-p-please......przykro mi......"

"..............Tset..?"

It was breathed out with a hoarse voice, Ren blinking bleary eyes. He could see the ghoul a few feet away, caught sight of her horrible, tear-stained face before his mind was dragged off again, Medieval's face swimming in his vision.

Useless useless USELESS!!

"ARRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The desperate scream ripped from Ren's throat, painfully loud, scorching his throat as he hunched down, his hands pressed against his ears, knees against his chest. He could see them all now: Mother, Father, Medieval, Gabrian, LW, Alessa, Jove, Natalia, Vaith, Tset, Bella, each and every one one of his friends - they were all spitting at him, laughing at him, mocking him -

"STOP IIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" Ren shrieked, his voice breaking.

And then -

Silence.

It was silent - except for that insipid sobbing. And the sound of him breathing heavily, his lungs dragging in ragged breaths of air. Ren forced his eyes open slowly, carefully. There were several people standing around him - several people he knew.

He glanced down; the cut to his hand had reopened significantly, and blood was soaked through the cloth wrapped around it, staining his arm red.

"......ow..." Ren said weakly, just before his eyes fluttered shut and he toppled forward, fading into blackness.

Tsetsiliya had looked away for but a moment, unable to look at her mother's cold shoulders any longer, but the cry of anguish from the gryphon pulled her eyes back. However Ren was nowhere to be seen - just her own mother in her stoic disappointment. Someone had called, from far away, called out to Ren.. but she could not see him. Not much could be seen in the fog that clouded her eyes, her senses.

Her mother's head cocked at an angle and glanced back over her shoulder at the ghoul, and in her gaze Tsetsiliya saw the disappointment at many things.. a life cut short by obligation, and a disappointment for a daughter.

You cannot even speak the common tongue. You have never had much aptitude for anything though, I suppose, other than plants.

"M-M-Matka.." Shame rose like bile in her throat as she remembered the countless hours she had spent among plants, avoiding piano lessons or dance recitals. Her shaking hands pawed for her mother's skirt, barely reaching but not quite. She crawled forward on hands and knees, likely realizing how pathetic she must look, but she was not in much of a state to really care. She reached again and grasped at her skirts, her shaking arms winding around her mother's waist. For the first time, the figure resisted, twisting this way and that in her arms, but she held fast. She had to make her mother see her, to know she was there.

"< P-please.. >" Her face buried into the fabric, which soon became stained with the tears that would not stop. "Przepraszam.. < B-believe me! I am here! I am s-s-sorry.. I a-am not better.. I w-will be n-next time.. >"

Next time? There will never be a next time.

Tsetsiliya's eyes, bloodshot from tears, looked up towards her mother's face in confusion.

You are never coming back. You will become dust, just as your ancestors have.. and suiting for such a failure.

Her mother's figure crumpled like a sack of wheat in her arms, collapsing inwardly as though one had punctured a hole in the bottom. She felt bones and the moisture of blood, and Tsetsiliya shrieked as it came crashing against her. The cracking of bones ground in her ears and she dug her nails into her ears to stop the noise, allowing the sack of bones and blood to fall to the ground. When she at last cracked her eyes open, there was no sign of the bones, but sprays of dust alit the air and she scratched her face to rid herself of the bone dust. Some of the nails dug a little too hard into her cheeks as she did so, and thin firey welts stretched across her temples. There was also something noticably different about the absence of her mother's robes.

Ren now lay before her on the ground, his hand bleeding profusely again, but that was not the chief matter. He was not moving. There was numbness in her hands as she shook him gently, her panicked mind still unable to process the common tongue yet.

"No.. no, no, no, no.. Ren.. uwiesić.. ! Ren!" Panic coursed through her veins as she tore her eyes from the gryphon on the ground before her and scanned the fog. Her mother had disappeared, and the others.. where were the others? Squinting into the fog, she found a familiar form.. LW stood just a few feet from them, but her eyes were so distant, and she looked petrified, absolutely petrified.

"Wyręka!" Tsetsiliya called into the fog, towards LW. Her grip tightened on Ren's shirt as the cacophony of jeers and crying answered her back. The tears were still pouring down her dirtied face, but she was unable to stop them. The fog once again enveloped any traces of the she-wolf's figure, and instead other figures grew in the mists, leering just out of sight. "H-help.."

Wolfling don't be foolish. Foolishness is what makes you a bad werewolf.

LW didn't see anyone. Didn't hear anything but those voices. And the whispers of her Gran. Gran who would never lie. Who was telling her that she didn't...couldn't have friends. But the she-wolf wouldn't believe this. She had friends! Right? Yes. She did. She KNEW she did.

A fool. Wolfling.

The voice seemed to hardened, become colder. And that shimmer that bothered her. It came closer and the she-wolf kept backing up. Until something began to take shape in the fog. It...what was it? Frozen, LW watched as a large creature with dark gleaming red fur materialized. Her grandfather. The one who had tried to have her parents rid themselves of the two youngest pups. Because they were weak links. Runts.

Jaws dripping with saliva and blood snapped at her. She saw those muscles bunch up. Saw it in the dead eyes. The wolf came at her and LW reacted instinctively. She ran. Deeper into the corn stalks.

((OTL, LW's exit post for a few; she is jumping into the ORP for a brief moment! will be back here soon <33 ))

((Entry post - since I believe we can be in two rps at the same time. This takes place after this PRP))

Gabrian hated this island. He'd technically been unable to tell poor Alessa what was wrong with the place, only that something was wrong. However, pinpointing the source of this so called 'wrongness' was entirely impossible; at least while the demon was doing his best to combat the many voices he could hear, still whispering in his ear. He was trying to tone them out, to focus on the ghoul whom leaned against him as they walked through the cornfield, his arm around her shoulder in an attempt to stabilize her, "I think we're near," this was murmured softly as he directed his gaze down to her, his eyes hooding, "How are you holding up?" it was clear he was concerned, though if it was due to the fact he was well aware the ghoul had not yet eaten or because he was worried she could hear the same whispers he could... was a mystery.

Thankfully though, his words rung true (which was a good thing seeing as how that had been the fourth time he'd uttered them). However... the view that received both nagual and nix as they padded back on the main road was devastating at best. There was no trace of Carry or LW and Tset was kneeling to the side, her hand clutching Ren's clothes. The gryphon in question... seemed to have fainted on the ground. His gaze shifted over to Alessa, his arm removing from around her shoulders, "Think you'll be okay, love?" he waited only a moment for her confirmation before letting go of her, his feet carrying him over to where the other boil lay on the ground.

"What happened?" this was directed towards Tsetliya as he crouched on the ground, his hand automatically going up to Ren's head, stroking through his hair, "What happened to him?" his voice sounded tired, almost as if he'd been working nonstop since leaving their side, just few moments ago, "Did you manage to tend... if only minimally to his hand wound?"

"From what little I gathered... he was in a fight before he got here," Gabrian reached a hand up to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Closing his eyes, he reached up to massage them slightly; now that he was back... some parts of the pathway seemed to be fogging over, and the nix wasn't entirely sure if it was the actual fog doing that or if he had just gone too many hours without rest or sleep. Alessa's voice as she drew nearer to them perked him out of whatever lala land he'd sunk into and the nix lifted his gaze up at her as she spoke, "I... I'm afraid I have no clue what to do. You might have to guide me through that," he grabbed his cloak, which was still laying there on the floor. Had LW dropped it? Where was the werewolf anyway?

"I figure we... need something to hold it still though, I guess. Yes?" a pause as he passed the cloth over to the nagual and then stood up, "I'll find some wood. There's bound to be some laying about on the main path here. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then motioned towards the gryphon's fallen body, "I er... I suggest you be careful if he wakes up. He's not himself," he grimaced slightly, the hurt flashing across his features again, "He was scared of me when he woke up earlier. Something similar to what happened to you before you ran might have happened to him, so just... be careful for both your sakes. I would hate for him to hurt himself more than he is, or you in his frenzy," that said, he moved towards the edge of the path and began to look for some wood so he could toss it in Alessa's direction.

What Gabrian did not notice was the fog seemingly creeping around him, curling around his ankles. There was a rustle to his right and he immediately turned his head, feeling horribly on edge and more or less expecting the source of the sound to be an enemy. When he turned though, he found no cloaked figure; in it's place stood a ghoul.

He knew that ghoul.

No words were spoken, but Gabrian straightened up from the crouching position he'd adopted in order to pick up a branch he'd seen. The ghoul smiled where she stood, just a few meters and for a moment the nix found himself unable to look away from her purple gaze. Words simply seemed out of the question and when the ghoul began to pad nearer, he took note of how her bare feet moved with grace over the dirt, the fog now practically drowning them both.

When she finally reached him, her head tilted up, her gaze hooded and his own eyes were inevitably drawn to hers. He never noticed the way her right hand landed on his chest... never saw the way her claws elongated, and never could have predicted that she'd suddenly shove it forcefully against him. Despite the fact it should have been impossible... he heard more than felt the way her hand sunk into his chest and when the ghoul pull it back out, his still beating heart was nestled quite firmly in her palm. Still she said nothing, merely smiled as she stepped back, her hand still clutching the heart.

He blinked and both the fog and ghoul were gone; his breathing however, had become quite harsh, coming in rapid rushes of air, in and out, in and out, making it clear the demon was near hyperventilating. Interestingly enough, there was pain, but when he looked down, his chest was perfectly fine. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to matter, because it till hurt like hell, though possibly for other reasons entirely.

The figures were leering ever closer, and as scared as she was, Tsetsiliya did not let go of Ren's shirt. The rejection she had from both mother and friends was still fresh in her mind, and even though that awful smile the gryphon had flashed her had convinced her that she was anything but his friend, she refused to leave him to the mercy of these shadow creatures. She had promised herself to see this through.

Two of the figures broke from the group, one swooping to her side and the other moving straight for Ren. Tsetsiliya's mind moved at rapid pace: what to do now? What to do?

She would see this through.

"W-wyjść zaraz." Her fingers groped for the forgotten mace at her side. There had never been a time before now that she had been this scared, even when faced with the girls from Madam Morrigan's. She had promised herself, though, and using that stubbornness her eyes alit with an angry fire. "Wyjść zaraz!" Knuckles tightened against the mace's handle and she raised it high as one of the shadows with the dull yellow eyes lunged forward towards the gryphon. Did she have what it takes to make the swing? Even now, her arm shook. "WYJŚĆ ZARAZ!"

The mace fell from her fingers and rolled away when the shapeless figure became Gabrian, who immediately swooped in over Ren. An icy sensation crept over her in that instant as she discerned Alessa as the figure at her side. The suddenness of their appearance jolted her nerves. Did everything happen as it had.. ? Or...

Suddenly she was being asked questions, and she blinked, answering them dazedly. "Y-yes... I a-am tending his hand a little -- " But it was as though she had answered long after the questions had been asked. She closed her tired eyes and massaged her temples with one hand. The wet tracks of her tears still traced their way down her cheeks, but at a slower, labored pace now. Gabrian had now disappeared into the brush to find.. something or other, Tsetsiliya had not been able to make out what that was. Something shifted at her lap, and eyes were drawn downward.

Ren stirred, and the ghoul's breath caught in her throat. The gryphon's eyes fluttered open, and he immediately rolled over and vomited. She winced at the display and the and he sat up, staring at both her and Alessa, before (much to the poludnica's surprise) Ren slumped against her, pulling his arm tight around her shoulders. Tsetsiliya's eyes widened in shock; this is the same boil who had looked so cruel just a short time ago, and now he was hugging and comforting her? She was so terribly confused.

As soon as he let go and turned to Alessa, she rubbed her eyes fiercely with the heel of her hand, finally stopping the embarrassing tears. But with another glance towards the two, she noticed she was once again invisible for the time being. Why did she feel so relieved that Ren was okay when he did not see her as a friend? With a frown, she turned away; Jack it all, why was the fog so thick?

Her heart gave a bit of a start when she noticed something as she peered around: the figures still leered in the fog, their eyes following her like hungry animals. Daring a little bit of a defiant glare in return, she patted the area behind her in search of her supply knapsack.. and felt her stomach drop clear out of her.

Her bag was gone.

Gabrian's breathing was still coming out in short, rapid gasps of air, his hand having reached up to clutch at the fabric of his vest in an attempt to lull the ache that still spread through him. He wasn't entirely sure what had been worse, the fact it'd all looked real or that despite how exagerated it'd all been there was some baser, fundamental truth to it all. In that moment of self doubt he was again assulted by the notion that perhaps none of this was real. Perhaps, just perhaps he was sleeping back in Lady Red, leaning against Ren as they traveled the sea towards Jack only knew were. Or perhaps, if he was lucky enough, he'd gotten a really bad cold back home and he was having a fever induced dream while being tended by his friends. His real friends. Were these ones figments too?

Was the whole island really there? Did that mean he'd bleed if he were cut? Or that he'd break if he were beaten up by one of those cloaked figures? Maybe, even if he were cut, or otherwise hurt... it'd all turn out to be some sort of a vision, like the one he'd just had moments ago. That hadn't been real, had it?

Was none of this real then? Would he wake up if safe and sound if he died here?

Where was 'here'? Where was he, really?

He closed his eyes firmly, so tight in fact, that he saw stars behind his lips, the small ache warning him of the headche he'd have if he didn't cease soon enough. Ignoring the ache somewhat, the nix lifted a hand up and rubbed his eyes, massaging them while they were closed and when he opened them... the ghoul was back. Except this time, she wasn't alone. He inhaled sharply and stared; her purple eyes were still quite captivating, but they were not the focus of his attention. Thankfully, this time he knew this was not real. He knew it wasn't. He knew, because he knew this ghoul, and he knew his friends. He also knew this wasn't a dream be nothing like this would ever happen; not in reality and not in a dream. Specially not anything he would ever be able to dream up.

None of what he was seeing was real. But he wasn't in a dream. This couldn't be a dream.

A growl rumbled through his throat and he reached back, snatch his back from where he'd been wearing it and hurled it at his vision, "You're not real!" it was growled with such fury one would think he'd have lashed out physically otherwise if he could have; he watched the bag go through the ghoul and she vanished. It tumbled into the corn stalks in front of him with a clattering sounds, and for a moment the demon just stood there, breathing harshly.

A warm, hesitant hand fell upon the Gabrian's shoulder and the demon visibly startled, whirling around with lightning speed thanks to the adrenaline that pumped through his veins. His teeth were bared, his right hand raising up in the air despite the fact it was gloved; he was expecting an attack, or something worse, but instead... all he found was Ren's concerned, dirty face looking at him with intense worry. The growl died and his mouth closed, his hand lowering ever so slowly to his side again and Gabrian stilled; the only tell tale sign that he was awake and mostly lucid was the slight shaking of his shoulders as he bowed his head, obscuring his eyes from sight.

A beat passed, and then Gabrian took the last remaining step towards Ren, closing the distance entirely, embracing him in a tight huge, "I hate this place," it was whispered so only the gryphon could hear, "I hate this place, I hate this place!" despite the increased force of his words, he was still barely just whispering them, apparently afraid of letting the ghouls know how close he'd come to a break down. They didn't need that, "I swear, when we find out whose great idea this was for a field trip, I'm going to punch them in the face!" it didn't really seem like he was going to let go anytime soon, if the way he hid his face against the side of Ren's neck was any indication. In his defense, he didn't want Tset or Alessa to see the tears. Even if they were fury induced ones.