Welcome to Gaia! ::

The reaper looked saddened when Mitsu gestured to her what was wrong with Shun. Sweet Sally…The ghoul removed her hand, since the grim reaper seemed tense underneath it, and even sought out Mitsu once more. She then turned to regard Mot and Mitsu, since they could see and hear her. “…Ah…friends…” She pointed at the door that was next to the one she had come out of. “…I have a good feeling…that that will take us home.” She then turned towards the Lycan, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder, and even offered the ghoul a small, tentative smile.

“…Mitsu, I need you to do something for me, friend. It’s something that only you can do.” She gestured at the two grim reapers. “…Get them home and get them help, alright? It’s best to be done right now…so…look after Mot for me? He can always use the look out.” She squeezed Mitsu’s shoulder before releasing it, and placed her hands on her hips. “I will stay and wait for Riyo…once I found her, I will follow.”

... And it seemed he had a friend with him, too.

Toby could only say she recognized this female in passing, but all the same, managed a small bow of her great equine head in greeting. It was a basic respect she could still scrape together, even in her guarded misery, and Iris was kind enough to do the same afterward.

"And I'm glad to see you alright, as well, Miss," she added, courteously and softly.

Stepping out onto the scene was a bit surreal. Front the room with the screens everything had looked so compact and almost tidy, but being there in the flesh was incredibly different. He had to pause to stare at the scenery that encircled them, and then the carnage that lay ahead. The images they'd been watching, that hadn't done the great beast justice. Even in death Red was mammoth and intimidating. How terrifying must it have been to be at her mercy? He couldn't even fathom.

Baring collected, the ghost boil's first priority was locating his ghoul among the mass of gathered students. It had been easy enough picking her out from the crowd on the monitors, but here it was pure chaos. He didn't see her right away through the tangle of bodies, and for a brief moment the panic threatened to raise back up within him.

Then, through a part in the crowd, he found her. She was standing yards away from him, facing away, and she didn't seem to have moved from when he'd last seen her in the other room. Relief flooded the ghost boil as he drank in the sight of her, knees going momentarily weak before he gathered back his strength to rush forward. "Junko!"

It didn't matter that he was basically nude, nor did he care nor notice that many of the other students were as well. He knew what the majority of them had gone through, and he'd seen the fire. Compared to everything that happened, who the ******** really cared? He ran forward, and when he reached the ghoul he grabbed her around the middle and swung her up into his arms, nearly crushing her against his chest as he claimed her lips for a long over due and lingering kiss. Gray fingers sliding along her cheek to hold her head still so she wouldn't pull away from surprise.

Reluctantly he broke the kiss, pressing his forehead against her's and just stood there while lengths of her hair curled gently around him, then he glanced up, attention snagged by Bul and his worried questions. "Mei's fine, she was with us." He offered a smile, hugging Junko all the tighter to him. "She'll be along any minute, I promise." And then, because he'd seen the hug. "Thanks by the way, for you know.." He gave the ghoul in his arms a little bump, shoulders rolling. Surely the monster boil would know what he was talking about.

((I gots permission to godmod the haaair. 8D))

Always feeling boobs never not feeling boobs. While not capable of moving his arms when detatched, Mortimer could still feel the ghoul's skin against them, the breasts as they swayed, the sensation of being squeezed between her arms.

Apparently the smogasboob this trip had granted him might be the closest to a consolation prize the zombie would get.

Mortimer was quite happy to see that Toby was joining as opposed to leaving, much as he knew he too wanted to get out of here. "Hi hi hi. Toby, Natalia. Nata, Toby," he introduced, using his feet where a hand would have been gestured with. "Wanted say Mort is sorry he got burndead n' that is glad you guys stayed alive. Please to not be sad 'bout that."

How did he sound so cheery? Not even Mort knew.

Some mysterious boil, Roch stepped in front of him. Vaith stared at him with a blank look .. and a questioning smile, equal to the other boils.

Thanking him? Since he was looking at Xiu, Vaith could only assume he meant the whole saving-Xiu thing. "No problem, dude." He replied, in a similarly quiet manner. He reflected that sleep sounded really good right now.

Out of the corner of his eye, a lone ghoul crouched by Red's remains. Bending low, he sort of made a little hop, step and skip over to Vieve.

He sat next to her in silence. He didn't ask if she was ok. That was a rather unintellectual question. But in companionable silence, he glanced over .. and back at the remains of Red that he could never seem to not break.

The monster smiled warmly, stepping closer to Toby with a bow of her own head. "Yes, please call me Natalia. It is good to see you." Her approach may have been alarmingly forward, but she didn't seem interested in formalities or the underlining rules of society--infringing on personal boundaries as if they did not exist at all. It was good to see the equine-ghoul, despite having never seen her before.

A new, living face was better than a dead one.

The introductions Mort made were acknowledged with a secondary nod of her head, turning to face the zombie. "I will hold on to these until we get home? Or until we find someone who can stitch you back up. Maybe Mei? If she is up for the task."

Which, by the way...where was she again? Why was it taking so long for the others to arrive...not that she was worried they wouldn't...no...never that.

Ol-J-man

Hanyousblood

Shehk had stood for a while, wondering. A silent panic set into her gut as it seemed more and more she wasn't finding who she was looking for. Was he not there? Was he..not anywhere? Had she lost him too? It was getting more and more panicked the more she entertained the thought. She'd begun walking through the groups to try and spot any familiar face, scent..

Anything. She would take any sign of the missing fourth member of their group. For several minutes, she thought she had nothing. It made a weight sink into her stomach. He wouldn't have gone back before them, would he? No, that seemed...that didn't seem like something he'd do for some reason. She wasn't sure what it was, but there was definitely a thought about it.

"NUK?" she yelled out and her voice echoed off of the stone walls. Then came the groan. Someone was out here? She didn't care who it was for a brief moment, then she willed it to be the boil she was looking for, following the source of the noise she was hoping she hadn't created for her to have pretended to hear.

She called out for him again, "NUKPANA? WHERE ARE YOU?" There was a sort of desperation in her tone that lingered in the air, but...she could see movement. She was sure of it. This wasn't a trick of the Matrix, there was someone out there. She ran for it, albeit something gimpy-like, nearly tripping over herself to get a view of who it was.

And it seemed her search, and perhaps even her fear, would be ended by the sight of the Skinwalker sprawled out on the ground. She carefully dropped to her knees, reaching out to touch forehead.

"Nuk...?" she whispered, leaning on her other hand to loom over him as she checked him out over for any injuries. He probably looked the best out of all of them.


=====

It was interesting to see the girls emote. That wasn't to say they were heartless, yet..it wasn't usual for emotions other than rage, vengeance, disinterest, insanity...those were common. This strange somber silence that loomed over all of them..this was unusual. Yet, it seemed to be a sort of ritual that they all took their place in.

In time, even Invictus moved, removing the outer layer of his clothing - the coat with the long sleeves that was so distinct on him, taking it and draping it over the top of the skull as well. "May it bear you protection in death." he said. His expression told as little, perhaps even less, than it ever did. Even for the Horsewomen, the look on his face would be difficult, but as Aisa had, he'd left something that held somewhat more..significant value to him than his emblem did. He forgot he even possessed it on some days.

With that task aside, he moved to Eris's side. His hand brushed against hers, before it moved to rest on her back. It was a small gesture, yet it was possibly the most intimate with anybody he would ever be seen being... sans Prom, yet that hadn't counted. It was interesting, really...

To mourn for one of their own.

How did he sound so cheery? Even Toby herself was wondering about that. Mortimer was the one who'd died horribly, after all, and now he was... what was he doing apologizing about it?! That was one of the most peculiar and logic-defying statements she'd ever heard, and if the falsicorn had been a less courteous (or currently woeful) sort, she might've laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

If anything, she should've been the one apologizing over it. Wasn't she the failed guardian in all this? A steed was supposed to look after its rider, after all.

"... The pleasure is mine, Natalia," she responded to her fellow monster, though it seemed more mechanical and out of habit than it ever had before. She didn't mean it as insincere, but clearly, she was worn to the bone. Even her eye, which usually seemed so vibrant and intimidating in her toothed horn, was starting to haze over and look unfocussed.

"And it's... fine. Please don't apologize for things beyond your control." Yes, Mort, don't say sorry for croaking in a horrible inferno. As for the 'don't be sad' part, Toby couldn't really promise anything-- but she hid it well. "I was just considering retreat, myself," she added, on a different note. "I'm sure there will be care for injured soon. They should be able to help you."

And with every second passing, she wanted to bail for that 'care' more and more.

Could they go?

Please please please?...

(Her inner monologue was that desperate, sadly. That that anyone would ever know it.)