Forum Thread

Sometimes, Knight blacked out for a minute.

Sometimes, Knight felt like he was drownign in a pool of his own blood, choking on it, clawing at his throat until his fingernails found his vocal cords and he tore them out-

And sometimes the ringing in his ears, the constant tinnitus that had never quite left since that day when he- he- he-

What did he do?

"What did I do?"

He asked, almost to himself.

He paused, glancing to the side of him, where stood a rather angry looking woman. What was her name? What was-

"Vivi?"

There was a flash of color, of a scowl aimed at him, but a playfu glint in a child's eye, and laughter, and a stolen kiss, nd the feeling of a blade sliding into-

No, no, that was silly. he ws hyperventilating. not good. Pause. Why was there rubble and debris and- who was this other woman? Wait. What was- God, his head hurt. His-

"Hey, ruffian! How about we tell these good people what's happening, hm? How wronged we've been?"

He stared at ehr, and stared at her, and stared at her, then at his hands, which were covered in blood, and blinked.

"Sorry, what am I- Who are you? What happened here?"

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

Vivi? Persephone's brow furrowed. This man needed serious help. Something was wrong in his brain. He couldn't remember the past few minutes... But he could remember a name like that? The nickname given to her by one person.

"You," she said. "Are not allowed to call me that."

How disturbing. A stalker? A fan? An enemy? Nobody in the world should be calling Persephone O'Couna by the intonations of a dead girl. How on earth did you come across such information, sweet little Ames?

"I'm afraid my Ames is sick. This man-" She swept her arm out, droplets of blood hitting the cracked concrete by her feet- "Chose to stop us. To bring us into interrogation, to seize a noble lady. A Vie." Cocking her head to the side, she smiled. "It's rather heartbreaking. Out on a stroll, enjoying our city's last days, and these men choose to exercise violence on a mentally ill Ames."

---

"...Not allowed to call you what?"

He asked, quite earnestly, staring at her.

"I'm sorry, we haven't met, miss. I am the Knight, not too dissimilar to those of the round table, except I m not of british descent, nor am I... an actual knight."

A pause.

"Wait. I'm not mentally ill. What makes you think I'm mentally ill, Percy?"

A pause.

Percy? Percy? Vivi? Why did those.... why did those names sound so familiar?

You're crazy, JA-

"Sorry. That's not your name. What's your name? I didn't catch it. What are everyone's names? Who re you people? How did I even end up here?"

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

Again. Again.

Persephone's grip tightened on the blade. How the hell did he know that name? No one should know it. That was the point of erasing yourself. Was she not owed at least that, once she chose to fade into the filthy recesses of society?

Was she not owed a life without that name, when she chose to live in slumhouses and grimy hostels? When rats scuttled by her ear as she slept, dreaming about jewels and wine redder than all the blood she'd spilt in pursuit of it? Had she not earned the right to kill Percy?

"We have to go," she said suddenly. "Now. I sincerely apologise, but this is an emergency."

She leapt for the man who knew too much, seizing him by the arm, and took off running into the alleyway.

---

Terrian Abel
---

It was a nice day out. Perfect to drink some bubble tea on the patio. Giving the ice a final stir, he sipped from the straw and nearly groaned at the refreshing coolness of it all.

It could get really stifly in the office where he sorted out everyone's property damage bills. It was times like this that he came to have hope for a future without all this paperwork. One day, he could hire somebody to do all of this for him. Or hire all the people of the Lightchasers to stop burning down private property.

But staring out into the sunset like this... A boba in hand, a soup boiling on stove, Terrian couldn't help but wonder if his comrades might take a break from the destruction for a day. Perhaps they would feel inclined to spare him some paperwork, on such a marvelous display such as this. The vivid oranges, the violets and deep blues creeping into the edges... He had hope.

Then the knock came.

"...Mister Abel? The Lightchasers levelled a city square."

He went back to his desk. Time for his fifth all nighter this week. :,)

---

"Oh- I think you should get me dinner first, at least, miss! I still don't- gosh, your grip is tight."

To be completely honest, Knight made no real move to release himself from this odd woman's Percy grip. Why should he? He didn't really want to.

"Could I get your name, at least?"

---

Third Person POV (Persephone)
---

She didn't reply at first. Her face twitched, nose scrunched up... she pulled him into the alleyway, shoved him into a wall, and stared him down.

It felt like an eternity was spent there. Those piercing blue eyes looking him up and down. Settling on his face, then his ear, then a scar on his neck. Her expression scrunched up, and for a second her hand raised- to cup his cheek, perhaps? then fell.

"...O'Couna." She let go of him and stepped back. "Look, they're chasing us. They're going to kill us. And I need answers from you. We're going to have to find a way out of this together, okay?"

---

"Okay."

He said, after a long few moments. Then he tilted his head.

"...why do they want to kill us? Did I black out again? Last thing I remember is the tea house- I. What kind of answers do you need from me?"

Another brief pause, as he seemed to calibrate his brain. He smiled a smile not befitting of a man who just murdered about six government officials.

"O'Couna is a pretty name."

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

This man... He was so infuriating. His every word made her want to stick the sword she was carrying right through him. Unfortunately, she needed him. Currently, at least. There were some answers she wanted, and he was necessary for her story.

"To them, we're a bonded Vie and Ames. I'm your master. You listen to me, and I get you out of this alive. Then we can see about tea houses." She smiled at him. She'd show him just how pretty she could be, draped in red. One day she'd content herself with royal robes and wines, but for now, she'd plot to dress herself in his lifelessness. One could take pleasure in that, if it was all they were currently allowed. "Capiche?"

Her hand found her knife in her robe. It'd been there the whole time. Huh. How about that.

---

"Okay. I can listen. How did they even end up with that notion? I've never met you in my life, miss."

Yes, you have.

"I haven't! Shut up, Durden."

Durden? You have all sorts of interesting names for me, Nick.

To the untrained eye, it looked like he was arguing with himself. to the trained eye, it looked like he was arguing with himself.

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

Persephone sighed. Just her luck to get stuck with a nutcase. Whatever, she could work with that.

"Alright, here's what we're gonna do. We'll walk out there, cry a few crocodile tears... and then we slap a few of them around. Leave the place more wrecked than we came to it." She grimaced. "If... that's possible. By then, our escape will be secured."

Her hand brushed along the filthy brick wall. How disturbing.

"You get me?"

---

LeQi stared at the crumpled heap of self-flagellating mess on the floor of the carriage, letting the rumbling tremors shake the wood without much of a change in expression. The tip of the staff twitched slightly, as if she was going to attempt to poke the sobbing bleeding mess with the butt of it before thinking otherwise at the last second. She had seen such things before, reflected in the eyes of new Ames who had arrived at her manor broken and betrayed by the very people who should have treasured them above anything else. She would sweep those jagged shattered glass into her arms and lovingly solder them back into a cohesive whole, setting them under her wing to warm under. These were the creatures who needed affection the most and were deprived of them in their moment of need.

But LeQi had no intention of taking in such an unruly temperamental thing as her own. Even if she did, LeQi doubted that any good would even come out of it, seeing how stuck onto his Vie He Lei was. She had no desire to separate a pair that had found a strong bond with each other.

The resounding thunk of a heavy staff hitting the floor of the carriage was drown out by the choral harmonies of an alter bell, six distinct tones reverberating silently to shake the wood in devout tranquility. "Pathetic dog. It's time to wake, Xi'er. Once we return a mutt to its owner, I shall soothe your pains and grant you an endless rest." She instructed, gliding soft fingerpads up the staff as if coaxing it to act. And move it did, the unspooled ribbon snaking up and around HeLei. The fabric was soft, gentle, and the edges brushed against the Ames' cheek to dab away falling tears. It cradled HeLei in its embrace, comfort entangled within. What an odd sight they made, a man wrapped in red while a woman held the other end of it, a weapon that had to be tilted to properly fit into the interior of the carriage connecting them.

In a single tug, the fabric tightened, ensnaring the limpet of an Ames in its grasp as LeQi happily kicked open the door of the carriage. "Come along now then, much to do, much to do. I do so hate seeing tragedies, my magnanimous heart simply can't take it you see." She cheerily declared, setting forth off the blasted little thing that kept them all encased in regrets. Honestly, did Lumiere think that his little threat would do anything? She wasn't even a lightchaser, he had no power over her.

Stepping out, LeQi strode towards RuoDie, ignoring those who obstructed the carriage's path. As she stopped before the fellow Vie, LeQi took the time to survey their surroundings. Destruction. Where the level ground once was, they stood elevated from the rest of the world. "How pathetic..." She murmured, her grip on the GuanDao as loose as ever. "How different are you from the mindless wrecking of a wandering Ames? Your own tool weeps for you." With a tap on the staff, the ribbon quickly retracted, yanking He Lei out into the open. It didn't seem particularly violent, instead, the ribbon cushioned his fall, providing a gentle confessional on which to kneel on before his Vie.

---

"Crocodilian tears? This seems rather dishonest... is there any other way, madame O'Couna?"

He shifted slightly where he stood, gaze intently on Persephone, almost too intently, like she were th emost fascinating thing in the world.

---

Terrian Abel
---

Terrian was halfway through the latest stack of paperwork when he realised he was crying. For a second, he just sat there. Listening to the screaming in the distance, the bustling sounds of nightlife... and his own hands, uselessly twitching on the table.

He wasn't sure why he was crying. This wasn't anything new. This wasn't traumatising. He was working towards his future. Towards his happy life where everyone was saved, and not a soul was left behind.

Haven't I renounced tears? He thought, staring at the paper in front of him. Horribly streaked with ink and water. Useless. All that, and he would need a new one. Just so he could have a little crying session. Haven't I chosen something more?

Then reality swept in like a gust of air... quite the literal one, actually. When had it gotten so cold in here? The wind was making his ears numb. He blinked, glancing back at his window. He'd left it open... no.

His eyes narrowed.

Someone was inside.

---

Miyako Hiroto
---

Miyako was no stranger to breaking the law. It was what came the job; you couldn't be a ghosthunter without making some adjustments to what the average person might consider... legal. Of course, there were still ethical boundaries she wouldn't dare cross. One found those lines, or one drew them; it was how you survived in a business like hers. You had to find some way to justify your livelihood to yourself, else you fail to justify it to the next person.

She had quite a few of those little morals. She figured she was pretty good at it. Ethics came easy to her; she'd spent her whole life cultivating it, after all. Becoming the person she wanted to be.

But breaking and entering was not on her list of no-nos. Too bad for whatever ghost haunted this little building.

Hey, at least it was ugly and run-down and probably on somebody else's list as a tear-down. She wasn't intruding on private property. Probably. Who would really want this place?

Hooray! Successfully justified! See? Miyako knew she was good at this.

Hoisting herself through the window that had totally been opened and not picked at all, Miyako froze, half-way onto the ledge. She cocked her head, listening.

There. The mumbling, the rhythmic tapping against wood that the neighbours had mentioned. Her ghost was here. She'd not messed up the address for once~

It sent a thrill up her spine. She'd landed right in the room. Talk about luck!

Carefully, she slipped into the room. She nearly fell on her face, but shhh. She caught herself, it was fine. Tip-toeing, she went into the next room.

Time to make camp!

Exorcisms weren't easy, after all. Take it from someone with experience. You needed to light like fifty candles or whatever and draw a bunch of spirals and crap. Miyako had unfortunately failed fifth grade art and was a proud 50s student throughout junior high, but that wasn't all there was to being a ghosthunter! There was courage. And a coolness factor no stupid artist could ever match.

Probably. Meh. Maybe she just had a vendetta against anyone who could draw a circle and not have it come out as a demented hourglass.

Finally done, Miyako put the last candle into position, clasped her hands together and made a prayer for her own safety. She told herself she wouldn't every time, but she always closed the prayer the same way.

So that I might fly on till even the north star lives behind me. And one day, come back to you.

The last thing little Miko had asked her, in her shoulder and muffled. She hadn't wanted to let him go. Wanted to hug him forever.

But all good things came to an end. That chapter in her life too.

Not forever, some traitorous voice whispered in the back of her mind. One day, you'll make your fortune and fly home to him. He'll be waiting for you.

But she hadn't gone North. She'd gone South, and too far for him to ever find her.

Blinking back to reality, Miyako realised that the loud mumbling in the other room had stopped. It was dead silent. Oh, crap-

"Who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?"

Miyako shrieked, whipping around to face the ghost. "No! Don't kill me baby ghost! I'm sending you to a happy afterlife, I swear!" She quickly tucked away her book, the top of the page titled Underworld Exorcisms! Send your unfriendly ghoulish neighbours to the worst of hells!

It was a real live ghost! A terrifiying Victorian child with shadows under his eyes that only the dead could possess. Not floating... but perhaps he didn't know he was dead? Was still playing at whatever life he'd lived probably a million years ago?

The ghost looked very confused. His hand rose to his spirit glasses, rubbed them, and then squinted at her.

"I'm... sorry? I think you have the wrong address."

Okay. Yes, he didn't know he was dead. Miyako smiled. She could do this. Help this child come face to face with the truth. "I'm here to talk to you about god's good news! See, the thing is, there's an afterlife after this! Several! And you, my lucky friend, have me here to help you reach one."

"Uh..." He frowned. "I'm not dead."

"Oh no, it's okay. We can be honest here. I'm a friend to all spirits, friendly and otherwise." She reached out and patted him on the hand. "Ah! You've managed a corporal form. Well done, you must've been someone great in life."

"My name's Terrian Abel. I work here. This is my office."

"Child labour?" she tsked, shaking her head. "How unfortunate. I imagine it was even more predominant in your time. Well, not to worry! Wherever you go, you'll get all the chance to lounge about. Fire doesn't hurt too badly after a while. Think of it as a tropical vacation!"

He sighed, moved to a painting on the wall. Was he about to go inside it? Possess the painting? That'd be seriously sick! Nope. Instead, he just moved it, pulled something about behind it and then passed it to her. Papers!

She squinted at them. It was... some sort of land deed?

"Naw, I'm not reading that whole essay."

"Check the date. And the name at the bottom."

Rolling her eyes, Miyako said, "Yeah naw. Not a fan of the whole paperwork business, mister ghost."

"I'm not a fan of breaking and entering." He sighed. "Look, even if I was a ghost, I'm not going to miraculously enter the afterlife, even with... whatever you've done to my kitchen." He gestured at the massive pile of runes on the floor. "If you wanted to draw, there's paper in the cabinet."

"Meh. I hate paper." She shrugged.

"Yeah, I kinda got that." Sighing, he held out his hand. "Paperwork confirming I can lease here? Please? I kinda need that."

Miyako considered him for a second, then set it on fire with her lighter. They both watched it shrivel into ash.

"...Why?"

"I was hoping it was what was tying you to this astral plane," she admitted. "Dang. I guess I'll have to find something else."

"Please don't burn any more of my things." Terrian the Ghost rubbed the spot between his eyes. "My landline's down so I can't call the city guards. And they'd probably have me taken into custody for what my associates do anyway."

"Associates?" Now Miyako was intrigued.

He sighed. "If I introduce you to some of them would you believe I'm not a spirit?"

"Naw! I've never been to a ghost party but it sounds sick."

"Figures..."

And thus began an acquaintanceship of sorts. Someday soon, a friendship, an alliance, and something close to what could be called family. Two people against the world, forged by blood and the knowledge that there was no other way out than through one another.

A relationship that would someday leave one dead. And the other to mourn for the rest of their life.

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

Madame O'Couna. He was so polite, it almost made her throw up.

"I don't like lying any more than the next person-" Ha, the world was full of liars. Persephone was probably one of the worst. "-but this is the only way out. We have to escape, someway somehow."

She inhaled sharply through her nose. She didn't want to do this, but... Oh who was she kidding, she loved this.

"I care about you. I can't help it. Once we get out of here, you can hide with me." Once they got out of here, she was going to make him spill all his secrets at knifepoint. "Please. Be a friend for me and lie just once."

---

hi folks this is just insulting LeQi read at own risk


RuoDie’s lip curled as she closed the distance between them, her voice a venomous whisper.

"Says the one who had to be carried to her Ames’ side—who abandoned her wheelchair like a fool, just to be faster.”

A muscle twitched in RuoDie’s jaw. "Oh yes, the great Madame Liu LeQi. Who let her Ames rot in a glass prison like some caged exhibit. Who let it get broken—battered, bloody, half-dead— boy, I must be mistaken on the definition of care, mustn’t I?“

"Funny, isn’t it? The great Madame Liu LeQi—lecturing me on care? Because I could’ve sworn just minutes ago we were attempting to calm a rampant, destructive Ames. One that would stop at nothing to find its Vie. A Vie who calls other Ames tools"

RuoDie pressed on, her words deliberate, each one a scalpel to the ribs.

"Tell me, was it ignorance… or indifference? Did you even notice when your Ames started snapping? Or were you too busy playing saint to the masses to see the monster you were to the one that mattered?"

A pause. Then, softer, “Or is that why you collect them? So no one looks too close when another ends up cracked beyond repair?"

“Pathetic," she spat. “You parade them around like trophies, but we both know the truth. You don’t save them. You just cage them prettier than the rest."

Her voice dropped to a hiss.

"So don’t you dare judge me. At least when I fail, I don’t lie to myself that it was love."

"Enlighten me," RuoDie hissed. "How does a woman with no heart pretend to care for an Ames—let alone dozens? Or is it just another lie? Another performance for the crowd? For the namesake of the Lius?”

Closer now. Close enough to see the flicker in LeQi’s eyes. RuoDie’s hand twitched upward—

Then stopped.

A pressure built behind her temples, sharp and molten, seeping into both their minds like ink in water.

Until—

A whine. A small, desperate sound.

He Lei scrambled up, tiny fists clenched, and kicked RuoDie square in the shin.

She froze.

Blinked down at him.

For a second—just a second—something flickered in her gaze. Recognition? Guilt?

Then it was gone.

But her hands moved anyway, gentle as they nudged him behind her. As if even now, even like this, some part of her still knew—

Don’t hurt him.

Never him.

"Oh..."

His small noise of acknowledgement as she faked her way through getting him to agree trailed off, as he glanced away a moment.

"Okay. Sure. We can do that. I can do that. I can lie."

He smiled as innocently as one could.

You're an idiot, Nick.

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

She did not trust that expression for a single second. In fact, it rather made her want to stab him. Twice. With the sword and then maybe the knife afterwards. But alas, she was running on a timeline. So, smiling, she gestured him forward, a sweeping motion. "After you, darling. I'll stay close behind."

Perfect position to stab you, should you betray me. Right in the back, just as you will have done me.

---

Terrian Abel
---

The crazy lady bustled around the room, humming and scribbling on his walls. He let her, aware the sheer amount of property damage was already enough to cover his deposit and more.

He did not get paid enough for this. Well, he was a part of a vigilante group so he didn't get paid at all, but even if he was being paid there was no way to pay him enough. What in the world was going on? How had a self-proclaimed "ghosthunter" ended up at his doorstep?

It'd been several hours since she arrived, and still she was calling him "Terrian the baby ghost". Honestly, at this point, it wasn't even the ghost part that bothered him. Just the "baby" and how condescending she was.

"Ghostling!" she called then double checked herself. "No- ghostlet? Ghostpup? I'm not sure on the terminology yet. What do you think?"

"I wouldn't have the slightest idea."

"Right, because you're still 'alive'," she said in finger-quotes.

"Yes."

"Hm, okay, I'll ask your ghost friends when they get here." She shrugged. "Okay, but like... for a ghost your fridge is pretty stacked. Do you mind if I have a sandwich?" She poked the remains of some ham he'd bought last month.

"Uh..." No, that's probably a health hazard. Or does that just go without saying? Does she-

"Great!" The crazy girl helped herself. "Oh, I'm Miyako, by the way! Ghosthunter from far up north. Here to bless the people of this nation with my expertise." She shot him a grin.

Miyako. Okay, so there was a name attached to the crazy. Good to know. "You should really like... not eat that."

"I've had worse." She shrugged, setting it on the table. "Anyhow! Tell me about yourself Terrian. Objects that are important to you. People. Afterlifes you're considering." She sat down and clasped her hands together, staring intently at him. "Important wishes that might tie you to this astral plane 'when' you die..."

---

He stepped forward with close to no hesitation, dopey smile rendering him practically unreadable for any emotion other than a genuine sort of idiocy.

He glanced back, to look at the woman he wasn't sure if he'd met before and made a small gesture.

"You coming?"

---

Carnelian is pretty sure the last time he checked the carriage was on the ground. You know...like how carriages should be. Unless of course his quick power nap had lasted through a new technological advancement and carriages now floated. Such a thing was unlikely but so was also the fact that people could turn into inanimate objects so maybe it was more likely than he thought.

Now Carnelian wasn't a man to be proactive in somewhat dangerous situations but the man was starting to think maybe something was possibly wrong. Maybe just a little teeny tiny bit wrong. And as the ever present, most active member of the lightchasers (and one of the older ones thank you. He's experienced no matter what Astra says.), Carnelian decided to open his eyes, yawning a little as he stretched before actually becoming aware of his surroundings.

"Huh...whats going on exactly?"

He was obviously testing the younger members and already knew!

---

Persephone O'Couna
---

Smiling, Persephone nodded, following him. Deep inside, she was reconsidering flat out murdering him. Every little thing he did got under her skin. Even that stupid smile, asking her if she was coming...

It felt condescending somehow.

Wow, she really hated this guy, didn't she? And she didn't even know him.

Just a general feeling of "should've been murdered by now" she supposed.

They exited the alleyway and came face to face with what was now becoming a crowd. When had those people gotten here? And why was a carriage floating? She glanced at it and it briefly became unfloating, through the power of roleplayers ignoring it. Then it was floating again.

What?

What was a roleplayer?

"This whole thing is giving me a headache," she mumbled under her breath.

---

Seraphina jolted out of the carriage, stumbling at the reduced gravity.

"Oh yes, the great Madame Liu LeQi. Who let her Ames rot in a glass prison like some caged exhibit. Who let it get broken—battered, bloody, half-dead— boy, I must be mistaken on the definition of care, mustn’t I?“

"Funny, isn’t it? The great Madame Liu LeQi—lecturing me on care? Because I could’ve sworn just minutes ago we were attempting to calm a rampant, destructive Ames. One that would stop at nothing to find its Vie. A Vie who calls other Ames tools"

A churning feeling settled into her gut.

Tell me, was it ignorance… or indifference? Did you even notice when your Ames started snapping? Or were you too busy playing saint to the masses to see the monster you were to the one that mattered? Or is that why you collect them? So no one looks too close when another ends up cracked beyond repair? Pathetic. You parade them around like trophies, but we both know the truth. You don’t save them. You just cage them prettier than the rest."

RuoDie's voice had taken on an unfamiliar cruelty. But all the commotion seemed far, far away as Sera took in the destruction around.

Her throat was closing up, her pulse racing. This was all a scene too familiar to her, a dance she didn't wish to partake in again.

But her lightchasers were in danger, her vice-captain hurting. Seraphina could swallow her panic for them.

Like she always did.
Always on the brink of falling apart.
Always suffering in silence.
Always shrinking into a smaller box.

And never acknowledged for it, even in this little found family of hers.

-

"RuoDie, please," she called, walking over to her leader. "This isn't you, calm down, I'm begging you."
Tears began to stream down her face as she outstretched a hand to the Lightchaser.

Sera threw a sideways glance at LeQi. How had she managed to set Sera's most caring friend off like this?
A rage began to bubble within her--- this arrogant noblewoman, ruining the city and then ruining the lightchasers.
and before that, ruining Madelyn's family
"What have you done," Seraphina asked with a chilling calmness, "You had to destroy your Ame, destroying the city in the process. You had to destroy---" me, my family, my past "---and endanger us. You can't leave anything alone, can you? All you do is ruin everything you TOUCH,---"
Calm, madelyn. This isn't about you. Not everything's about you. Do not add to the problem. Stop it.

Her voice broke off, years of stifling herself put to use. Sera gritted her teeth, turning back to her friend. "RuoDie, can you hear me?"

---