Post-Event Blues

[lucetimods]

Who: Everybody, everybody!
What: The battle is won. Now what?
When: The eleventh, twelfth, and onward
Where: Luceti
Summary: With Zompano dead and the cultists routed, Luceti is restored. Kind of.
Rating: F for Feels

On the eleventh, things were slowly breaking down. Memories of their true lives were breaking through. The village, scarred by the battle with the cultists, began to rebuild itself. Community buildings that had vanished were returned to their rightful places. The battle dome was uncovered from the earth that had covered it. Hundreds and hundreds of fake homes slowly faded away. Paved roads gave way to trees and grass. It was an incredible sight for anyone who was willing to sit aroun and watch it happen.

Things wouldn't be easy for the villagers, though. The memories perpetuated by the last ten days would not be easily removed. The feelings and hatreds it had created would take time to conquer and remove. Perhaps, in a way, that was Zompano's nastiest trick of all. The village itself may heal from his invasion, but it would take far more than a few Shifts to fix the people left behind.

Towards the end of the day, their wings returned. Much like some of the buildings, they seemed to just reappear, as if they had never been gone. Their barcodes became visible again as a singular reminder that they were, ultimately, just the property of another entity who as a whole were not much better than Count Zompano.

By the twelfth, the village looked as though nothing had ever happened. Sure, the contents of buildings might have been messed up or destroyed during the battles, but things were otherwise as they were supposed to be. The night before, people would have had to find their old beds to go sleep in, as they no longer possessed the old ones granted to them in another life.

The village was peaceful.

Modly Note: That wraps up the event. As noted in the prose above, you have the option to play up the after effects of the event more than in other ones. While it won't have the same impact universally, the Shift was constructed in such a way that people may have difficulty shaking off the emotions they developed during the event. In effect, it was a cruel send off to Luceti so they would have to deal with the loathing and hatred that came with the less desirable parts of it. Of course, that means the feelings of familial bonds will also persist for awhile as well. It's up to you, as players, to decide how much or little to play with it!

Comments

[windandrain]

[She loosened a bit as well and gestured to a nearby chair, inviting him to sit where she could reach.]

It's...alright. I fought Zompano. [She nods towards her legs, expression unreadable, calm and accepting. She's had worse, really.]

I'll live. He's dead. Repaid for his crimes.

[Squeezing his hand gently, she almost smiled, wiping away tears with her free hand. A life for the lives he'd harmed hardly seemed fair, but at least he'd remember her face. That meant something.]

[tsunderebunny]

...I see.

[Hundred Power or not, a similar injury would have laid him up for months. He primarily fought by leaping and kicking, relying on agility and speed where his partner preferred to use his strength and power. Such an experience would have made him consider retirement far sooner.

He numbly took a seat, glancing away from both the woman and the reminder of his failure.]

I'm sorry. I figured out what was going on, but it was too late to do anything by the time I realized my mistake...and there were other problems.

[Like the fury of the most intelligent and coldly efficient man that he had met in Luceti thus far, a man who was both a danger and a potential ally.]

[windandrain]

I'll heal. I'm not invincible, but...[A faint snort] This body is just a shell.

[Her hand slides up to his wrist, tugging him in an effort to call him back.]

What happened, Barnaby?

[tsunderebunny]

[The assertion brought him a degree of comfort. At least it meant that she wouldn't be held up for too long...he just hated seeing anyone like this.

He glanced back at her, as if embarrassed by everything.]

I just got held up. I sincerely hope you never have to meet a man with glasses and poor manners. He is truly hard to handle.

[Hard to handle, but far enough beyond everything that Barnaby didn't mind holding him at a distance. It kept him sharp.]

Besides that it isn't much. I was just blind is all.

[Blind enough that it was a slap in the face, like it literally was in the world he left behind.]

[windandrain]

[She quirks her head to one side curiously.]

Did this man...hurt you? [She's all to familiar with having enemies in the village. Even now, she's glad to be away from the clinic, and gladder still that she'd had people watching over her in her sleep. House 44 was safe, at least.

Leaning forward intently, the goddess peers up at Barnaby]

You don't have to worry about him. Or me. I can take care of myself. My legs will be fine in a few weeks and there are few mortals, if any, who can match me in battle.

[She closes her eyes and huffs a laugh]

Have you seen anyone else from...[She trails off...not wanting to use names.]

[tsunderebunny]

[He was far from worried about Jade. The man wasn't unlike his power, in a way. Interacting with him lightly, like impulsively activating his power, could give him cause to regret later. Treading carefully with the mindset of a strategist was the best option.

Barnaby met her gaze, keeping himself level through his own determination alone. He was still shaken, but...Saori deserved to know. A frown settled on his face at the question.]

...No, I haven't. All three live in the same building as I do, so it's been difficult to avoid them. They're all shinobi too, I believe.

[Most of the people in CH 1 were, to his understanding. Aside from perhaps a few others, he was the only combatant in there that wasn't officially trained by anyone.]

Actually, I wanted to come by and see how things were before...everything. I don't want to see any of them right now.

[He had been afraid to even approach Saori, but he knew that he needed to keep in contact with someone that wasn't a flake or a potential threat. The thought of his situation brough another weary sigh. There was no way to win.]

You don't need to worry about that man either, but thank you for the sentiment. I don't think he's an active danger, just someone to watch. Honestly, he might be helpful in the future.

[windandrain]

[Saori kept her eyes on his, and now that the hard part of the conversation was through, the...seeing where they stood with one another...? This was much more manageable.

And it brought another question to mind.]

You don't have a place to stay then, do you?

[tsunderebunny]

[The mundane details were far easier than the other problems that lingered on Barnaby's mind...but, those would be discussed when the time was right. Dredging up memories of death, violence, and his repeated failures would help with nothing at this point in time.]

I was honestly planning on staying at the springs that I've heard of. They sound...quiet.

[It was the ideal spot for him to sort out his place in the reconstructed world, and plan for the future.]

[windandrain]

[She shakes her head.]

They won't be, not for long. They're popular after these sorts of things.

[And with a serious look, she peers into his face, patting his hand.]

You'll stay here till you feel up to seeing them again.

[It's not really a question.]

There's plenty of rooms in the castle.

[tsunderebunny]

[He looked away, frowning.]

I decline. This was just a visit--I don't need anyone around to interfere with my affairs.

[His tone was brisk, as if he were talking about business and nothing else. Barnaby had his own work to do and his own problems to sort out. They didn't involve Saori in any way, even if the lingering feelings told him otherwise.

Answering to anyone else was an aggravation he didn't need. The questions and the eyes upon him were just more weight added on top of a crime that was unforgivable.]

[windandrain]

[She reaches up and tugs his hand again, more firmly]

Nobody will interfere with your affairs. You'll have a bed, and people around you. People who are in the same position we're all in. That's all.

[Her tone grows somewhat more fragile. She hated showing vulnerability, especially to mortals, but it was more than that.]

And I'd feel more at ease, with you here. Having...people I trust nearby, it helps me recover.

[tsunderebunny]

[He grew quiet when she made her request, and his thoughts crashed to a halt while he tried to make sense of the wavering tone in Saori's voice. She wasn't supposed to be the one who was having problems, not now and not ever, but clearly fate and Lord Zompano had something to say about it.

Barnaby couldn't look at anything but the roof underneath his feet. He didn't want to see the look in her eyes.]

...Honestly, I'm the last person you want help from right now, and I haven't been for months. There's a reason I retired from the business, but now isn't a good time to tell that story.

[It never would be. Not as long as he remembered the deadened, glassy look in the blue eyes of the man who was responsible for everything.]

[windandrain]

[Her voice quavered. She really, really didn't want to deal with this alone. People nearby, offering strength? That was something so very, very integral to her well-being. Looking down at her hands, she bit down on the emotion there, suddenly reminded of a bitter falling out.]

No, I think you're one of the people who's in a better position to help me than anyone else. I don't...need a hero. It's hard to explain, but when mortals are near, mortals that care for my continued existence, I feel stronger. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you care.

[Prayer, after a fashion. And she does know that he'll benefit from it too. And that means more than a slightly faster recovery. Right now, she wants him near for him, and she's more than willing to manipulate him to deflect from her real motivation.]

And I know it will be good for you, too.

[tsunderebunny]

[She was right. He did care, but the very notion of it was something that he couldn't bring himself to face. Not yet. Not while they both were a wreck.

But he didn't pull away.

The need in her voice was wholly unfamiliar to him. His work with Apollon and HeroTV was always just that-- work. He wasn't like Sky High, who would spend his nights flying between the stages and skyscrapers of Sternbild like a silent guard on a never ending vigil. Nor was he like Kotetsu, who tried to be a hero in his everyday life.

His hand tightened around her's. The thought of anyone relying on him made his heart beat faster and clouded his mind with uncertainty.]

There's nothing out there that will undo my mistakes. [Because that's exactly what they were. His mistakes.] But, if my being here will help with your problems then we can arrange it.

...It's not like I can go anywhere right now.

[windandrain]

[If he didn't care, then he wouldn't have come. That was fairly obvious. And she didn't really need a vigil, no Superman or Batman. Just people around, willing to accept what she could offer and give goodwill in return.

The tightening on her hand draws a nod and a smile.]

Everyone makes mistakes, and they're nothing I'll hold against you. You're a part of my family, now.

[For real, this time.]

[tsunderebunny]

Part of your--

[He didn't know what to say to those words, nor did he know how to accept it. He lifted his gaze from the roof to stare at her, stunned by the assertion. It was a part of his reality now, just like the annoying pink wings and the barcode that no one spoke about. The truth of her words was evident in his heart, but he had his own unspoken wounds that he was afraid to expose.]

One of my mistakes nearly killed my best friend.

[He nearly killed his best friend, because he wasn't able to see through the lie until it was almost too late.]

[windandrain]

[She simply shakes her head and leans back, still holding his hand. That didn't matter to her, not really. She could do nothing about his past, only his future.]

Is it a mistake you'll repeat?

[tsunderebunny]

[His gaze narrowed-- he was frustrated. With himself.]

Will an incident like this repeat?

[windandrain]

Unlikely. They rarely do, and it's never exactly the same.

[tsunderebunny]

...

Good.

[It was a minor relief. He took a deep breath, knowing now that he needed to explain something. The prospect annoyed him...but, it was inevitable.]

This isn't my first time dealing with an incident like this. There were two within the last week...and at least three from before. I made my mistake because I couldn't stop one of those--

[Even though he wouldn't have been able to. He realized the truth too late, after the drugs had taken effect. The memory itself was chilling enough for him to look away. There was no way for him to tell how often it had happened.]

I promised that I would never fall for one again.

[windandrain]

[Silently, she takes that in, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to just take all that in. Barnaby had been taken by the police, in that other life? And she hadn't noticed? And then at home.

She lets her hand slip away from his a fraction, but twines her fingers through his.]

Stars...I never...I'm sorry.

[She can relate, but it was different for her.]

[tsunderebunny]

[He wrapped is fingers around hers and, grateful at least for the understanding.]

...It's done. Don't apologize.

[Time always passed, whether he noticed it or not. It was always hard for him to see beyond the isolated world he had made for himself over the years, but bit by bit pieces were starting to break through. He had never properly learned to see the good in things, but there were moments when he could. The hand in his was quiet reminder that something positive had actually come from this affair. Something that he knew in his heart that he didn't want to lose.]

I should be the one apologizing. You didn't need to know all of that. At least, not right now.

[He shifted a little closer. Another promise he had made for himself was to never be so blind again, and...his sister had problems that needed more attention than his own.]

[windandrain]

[She lets out a quiet little sigh. What he'd shared was worrisome, yes, but at the same time it was part of who he was.]

It's fine. I want to know the real you, Barnaby. Tell me, how was it you found me and hopped up onto my tower?

[tsunderebunny]

[What he'd shared was the core of his wavering trust in the world and himself. It was hard to trust anything if you couldn't trust your senses, but that was going to be a long battle that only he could fight.

He blinked at her question, as if confused.]

I thought we went over this already. I'm a NEXT like Pao-Lin. My power enhances my abilities to be many times stronger than the average person. It took a little focus to actually find you, but it was nothing to actually arrive.

...It only lasts for five minutes, and I can't do it for another hour afterward. [He sighed.] As much as it pains me to say it, we're stuck up here for a while unless you have another way down.

[windandrain]

You never told me what it did.

[She laughs faintly at the comment, glad that he's at least feeling up to that. She's really aiming to distract both of them, focusing on mundane little details.]

There's a door behind us. And stairs. I can float down, or Yuuna can come get me.