[IC] Code Vein (Closed)

[Exit]

A K A I A

A K A I A

_{The Crow's Nest · Early Morning
___________________________________________________________________________________________}

She'd heard everything Erik had said. Understood the mission as well as she possibly could and had even taken a moment or two to study the... drawing. But it wasn't until the alarm went off that her mind became truly anchored in the present. Everything before then had been a haze. What replaced that haze now was an unknown that was all too quickly turning into a hope. Light suddenly returned to her eyes and as she straightened out and turned toward the front door, her lungs pulled in its first full breath of air for that day, eliciting a gasp from the Sidhe.

She was out the door of the strategy room and sprinting after Vincent in the blink of an eye, following him down the hall and stopping only when the man had jumped through the window after having already tried the door.

Oh...

She refused to follow, not willing to risk her life at the hands of what was soon to be a very angry Poppy. Instead, she tried the latch on the door herself and after only a moment of fiddling with the mechanism, and with one hand still cradling the pot, she undid the latch and bolt and pulled the front door open. The disheveled and unfamiliar sight of Indigo immediately killed whatever burning hope had blossomed within her and already, a well was opening up in her gut. Her tired eyes regarded the stranger coldly, as if to blame her for the absence.

"No Share, Win-sent." She said, shutting the door.

[DELETED08740]

JUICE

A helmeted figure patted the tee down amongst the ruined concrete, topping it off with a small white sphere with the delicate deliberation of a practised hand. He stepped back, and lifted a dented but lovingly polished baseball bat off the side of a crumbling concrete wall. He did not seem to be burdened neither by the motorcycle visor nor the countless tinkling cylinders within his leather jacket as he stepped gingerly around, scanning his environs. He was atop an apartment building, lying broken on its side and setting the stage for the champion's greatest shot yet. A heavily synthesized voice started to narrate his movements, heavy with anticipation.

"Here he is, the mysterious champion himself, the great Juice on the newly acquired field..."

His mark - a tired gray pillar that held what remained of a parking lot in precarious balance. He raised a hand to the clouded sky, setting a gloved finger to the wind.

"Wind 5 knots downwind. Quite the weather we have, but we'll have to see if he can hit it, Bob."

"Yes, Brent, but he's made harder shots before, he won't fail us now,"

Underneath the visor held an artisan in focus. In flow. The distant howl of some unknown horror, the clanging of broken sewer pipes and the rustling of stalwart trees, all faded away. It was just the ball, the bat, and the great champion. Muscles tensed, fingers twitching, eyes fixed on the target in the distance. Like a spring, his arm muscles coiled backwards, ready to strike.

With one fluid motion he brought his power down and through the metal, hitting the ball so hard the tee tore itself from the ground and for a moment, rocketed through the air along with the ball. Not as fast, not as graceful as the ball itself, whistling into the sky. The man steadied himself from his own mighty blow, tracking the white streak in the sky.

"Three!

Two!

One!"

Just as the 'ball' was about to barrel into the side of the concrete pillar, it ceased to be a ball but a wild light, a brilliant burst of orange and red painting itself across the drab grey landscape. The crack of the explosion rocked through the otherwise still air, shivering remaining windows and echoing all across the building, before being overtaken by the roar of the rest of the building crumbling upon itself. In a few seconds, the parking lot was replaced with a giant dust cloud and a few startled Lost buried under the rubble.

"By Jove, he's done it! He's done it again! The grenade golf champion strikes again!"

"Juice! Juice! Juice! Juice!" The champion threw away the bat and ran around the rooftop in triumph, arms in the air and pumping his fists at the cheers of the 'crowd'. And then, as if a divine hand had enough of such madness and finally found the plug, the helmeted figure abruptly collapsed mid-elation and landed on the floor with a thwack.

Juice murmured something incoherently.

Between rusting cars, an equally incoherent grumble answered, shifting between inhuman and barely human.

He rolled over, staring blankly at the sky. "I'm bored..."

The grumbling became more louder, more insistent.

Juice let out a sigh as he pulled himself up from the ground. "Yeah yeah, I'll get off your lawn." In a series of red flashes, he snatched up the bat, marvelled at his handiwork of a dust cloud, and gave the closest shambling Lost a small wave before disappearing between the ruins.

[FunnyGuy]

---

Location: The Strategy Room!
Interactions: Lys @Force and Fury, Akaia @Exit, Ajax ,
Mentions: Vincent @Daxam, Dallas @pantothenic, Poppy @dreamingflowers, Indigo @khosmik

---

Erik’s smile faded from his expression as he watched both Vincent and Akaia bolt out of the room, and just when he was going to explain why he drew the former the way he did. He couldn’t judge either of them as that’s precisely how he’d want people to react to something like that, even if he didn’t. Instead, he remained in the strategy room, contemplating whether he’d just let those who sprung into action handle it or discover what was really going on.

“I guess that’s that for the briefing.” Erik's eyes peered up curiously toward the source of the blaring alarm. Why did an intruder choose to arrive before the briefing was really finished. I was only taking questions, but still… With his grin returning to grace his face, he shrugged and started out the door of the strategy room.

He calmly strolled down the corridor while rolling a gold construct resembling a flaming marble between his thumb and index finger. The loud bang he heard followed by Vincent’s complaint tickled him enough to get a chuckle out of him. The same could not be said for the sound of shattering glass. The construct dispelled in Erik's hand as he broke into a sprint down the hall.

“Making an old man run.” He muttered as he passed Dallas and the mess made by Poppy. “Keep up the good work Dallas!”. He shouted as he raced on but also grimaced as he imagined how pissed off Poppy might be. Reaching the door, Erik arrived just in time to watch Akaia shut it. He could have sworn he caught a glimpse of a tall figure of a stranger outside, but Akaia shut the door too soon. Judging by her reaction, Erik concluded two things; there wasn’t an emergency, and Akaia was disappointed the intruder wasn’t a certain someone. Switching priorities, he stopped in front of the disappointed sidhe. He figured he was too late to save Vincent from the wrathful one anyway.

“Who’s out there. Kaia?” Erik asked, but he was more so curious than concerned. Even if the person out there was a danger, he was sure the wild Vincent and the pissed-off Poppy were enough to handle it. “And what are you growing in the pot? A brand new staff?” Erik leaned toward the pot to take a closer look. “Hm, or something else?”

[Exit]

A K A I A

A K A I A

_{The Crow's Nest · Early Morning
@FunnyGuy & @khosmik
___________________________________________________________________________________________}

Akaia had been ready to return to her room to make preparations to leave when Erik stopped her. She'd already dismissed whoever it was outside and with Vincent having jumped through the window to greet the strange individual, she felt the issue handled. Besides, there was little she could offer if there was a fight, especially now.

"And what are you growing in the pot? A brand new staff?"

She shook her head. "Share tree." She said, finally looking up at him. Whatever excitement had found her only moments before was already drained from her face, replaced by the same distant look in her eyes she was carrying around before. She sniffled. "I grow with no magic. Like Share." Her eyes then snapped to the door and she nodded toward it. "Stranger outside is tall and smelly. Not Share." The information was relayed flatly with the tiniest hint of disappointment.

She remained there as her eyes returned to look up at him, as if she were waiting for instructions.

[Force and Fury]

---

---

_{Location: The Crows' Nest // Date: February 25, 2057 // Time: 8:55 // Interactions: Vincent, Akaia, Poppy, Indigo}

---

---

Lysandra had been surprised to be among those chosen to leave the Crows' Nest. Strictly speaking, it made little sense given that she could be of far more use at her work table than out in the field. She'd be out there again, though, doing something new, seeing a new place and people she hadn't met before.

By the time that the alarm went off, Lys was already heading out the door. She had assumed and made an ass of 'u' and 'me'. She had equipment to prep, things to pack, the mistle to check, and projects to tuck safely away. The sound only made her hurry even more. Scrubbing speed with her gloved palms, she pulled up to her door, opened it, and raced inside. In seconds, her headset was on and Guardian's controller was in her lap. The drone burst out of its cubby on the rooftop and then its cameras were her eyes.

Below, Vincent had burst through a window for reasons unknown. Idiot, Lys thought. Akaia popped her head out and... then right back in. Poppy appeared.

Standing in front of the Crows' Nest was a tall, shaggy vagrant who... was not a Lost, at least. They had people like this come by from time to time, either begging for blood beads or trying to steal them. If this one was a thief then he - or she? Lys wondered - was not a very good one. She kept her fingers light on the controller and kept Guardian moving, well away from any structures, the drone's weapons systems aimed and ready. You never knew what kind of abilities Revenants might have and this one had somehow made it past the outer layer of sensors undetected. Vincent was already asking questions, so she decided not to. "What he said: your name and your business here," she demanded into her headset's mic. Guardian's speakers repeated it. "I'm glad this thing can't smell."

---

---

[Theyra]

Desmond Mores

Interactions:N/A

---

"What the frick is happening"? Desmond ask asked loud as the alarm rang out. Just as they were done with the briefing and surprised to hear that the mission is dealing with a missing revenant group that trades with the Commune. Makes you think what could have happened to a group of revenants out here. Things seemed to be safe around here.

But, that thought has to wait because of the alarm and saw as some of the others like Vincent rush out of the room. Desmond rushed after them without a second thought. Alarm to him only meant one thing, they have company and not the good kind.

Still, it was an odd sight when he saw Vincent bust through a window to greet whoever was at the door. Okay, maybe should have grabbed a weapon first or something but, okay. Desmond thought while scratching the back of his head. They do not know how many people are out there, and it could be lost. Either way, to see how Vincent was doing with the stranger, Desmond walked over to the broken window and carefully to not cut himself. Peeped out to see who was at the front door.

Well, the first thing he saw or smelled actually was a bad stench. "Someone needs a bath," he said to himself softly as he swatted the air in front of his nose as a futile way to make the smell go away. Then getting a look at the stranger along with Lys's drone. Okay, so solo and not a lost, but oddly enough it was hard to Desmond to determine if the stranger was a guy or girl. Though that does not matter right now, right now that a stranger was at the door and both Vincent and Lys's drone questioned the stranger on who they were. Not seeing the need to add his voice to the questioning, Desmond instead looked around the area from his spot. Just in case there was more strangers out there.

[Khryptid]

---

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I N D I G O

---

---

Location: Outside The Crow's Nest

beating hearts

---

A few things had happened in quick succession. The last step that Indigo made was right on beat with the siren beginning to sound. It caused them to nearly jump out of their skin, lurching back and grabbing for the hilt of a throwing blade that was hidden in their waistband. Well, if they didn't know I was here before....

There was a muffled K A N G against the door, followed by dampened cursing and a loud

KSSSHHHHH

that accompanied the image of a stranger bursting through a stained glass window and hitting the ground.

Indigo's breath caught. They stared at Vincent with a mixture of realization and bewilderment. As the stranger stood up, glass shards embedded in his arms, the other revenant's eyes widened, purple electricity crackling in their pale irises. Maybe it's just...adrenaline... Their expression quickly turned guarded. They had to be careful, they weren't sure who these people were, let alone if they welcomed people like Indigo around them. Their nose scrunched in response to the bath statement, and their mouth opened to speak when the door swung open, exposing a small, strange looking girl to Indigo's view. She looked disappointed, like she was expecting someone else to be at the entrance. A taller man accompanied her before the door was shut quickly, practically in Indigo's face. They frowned, counting the number of individuals that had exposed their appearances. The glass man. An odd girl. A dark haired and light haired man. Another....Indigo's brain stopped in its tracks when their eyes spotted Poppy. The wings that buzzed behind her confirmed what Indigo had been wondering before. They weren't the only one that was strange. It brought them some form of relief, but also more anxiety and confusion. She's different, though, not like what I've become... And then a drone. Indigo took a few feverish steps back, bringing up their hands as a sign that they meant to harm. Something in their head told them that technology like this could be extremely dangerous, and at this point, they hadn't penciled 'Get blown to smithereens by a drone' into their agenda, so they were careful to do as it asked.

"U-um..." their voice was low, sounding somewhat masculine with a slight rasp to its timber. "Indigo. Call me Indigo." They shifted uncomfortably from side to side, slowly lowering their hands to clasp together in front of them "I...I don't have an answer for that second question. The only reason I'm here is because I've been following that--" they gestured behind them, "river for a while, and it led me here. I saw the lights coming from the windows and...I haven't seen electricity since...." Indigo hesitated, then finished, "since I woke up. Listen, I don't mean any harm, I don't want any trouble, I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on here, and you lot are the first upright and alive bodies I've seen that aren't those monsters." Continuing to wring their hands together, Indigo avoided each set of eyes, deliberately looking down at the ground. They weren't sure if they were making the right decision.

Maybe they know what's going on...maybe they can help me. Slouching slightly, Indigo let the thoughts race through their head, catching them every so often and then releasing them like thrashing fish back into the raging rapids of his mind.

But what other choice did they have? They wanted desperately to find sanctuary from the hell they had woken up into, and this was the first time they'd seen anything close to it. A reinforced building with alive people inside. "I'm just trying to find answers, and then I can get out of your hair, and you can forget this ever happened. I...I just want to try and make sense of all of this." Indigo grimaced, still staring down at the ground and fidgeting with their fingers. Either they made the right move, or they'd have to take off running shortly. Only time would tell at this point.

[DClassified]

_{Location | The Crow’s Nest
Time | February 25^th - Early Morning
Collaboration | Erik @FunnyGuy}

---

The morning air was cold; the coldest he’d felt since his awakening long ago. His coat, and even his mask for once in ages, had not covered his skin while outside. However, the Sword cared little about those things in this moment, planted out in front of the entrance with his eyes on the distant horizon. He had watched until the figure of what he had been watching had vanished from sight and for even longer.

The weight of worry tugged on him and had pulled him out here. The weight of a guilty heart bore down on him though, and was what stuck him in place. He was sure that she left early, before the sun would rise, in an attempt to reduce the heartache of a more formal goodbye. Though, as the shimmer of the sun began to peek through the darkness, Ajax’s head bowed and his fists clenched.

“It’s different this time, huh?” Though Ajax recognised this to be Erik’s voice, it lacked its chipper tone. The quiet footsteps stopped beside, with their owner taking in the breaking dawn. Erik need not look to Ajax to empathize. Instead all he needed was to see what he saw. And to recall the feeling that had struck him years ago. A feeling that was a concoction of guilt, regret, and loathing all swirled in a deep pit. A pit in one’s gut that felt empty, yet full of the worst things simultaneously. The two had seen a few members come and go. A few from far worse circumstances than this, but Cerise’s departure was different. It wasn’t the length of time, but the quality of it. “Because you’re blaming yourself.” Erik’s eyes finally searched for his. He never knew Ajax to lie to him but Erik wondered if his closest and most honest friend would lie to himself.

”…It…feels like I’ve lost her twice.” Aj commented, frankly not feeling the need to answer the question. Being a revenant, the expression ‘deja vu’ was the story of their lives until they’ve gotten their vestiges. Being ‘alive’ as long as he’d been, with all the memories he’d ‘found’, it had never quite felt this bad. The fact that it felt like the second time made him wonder about the little girl in his memory. Despite knowing that Erik would understand, Aj couldn’t quite lift his head to look him square in the eye.

”…It is my fault, and I am not saying this in a downward spiral of emotion…I finally pushed her too hard.” His shoulders slowly rose and fell in the brief seconds he took to push the next words out to explain further. ”I let my mission, my need to find the past, cloud my judgement. I knew her fears and concerns…yet, the one time that she probably needed my support the most, I was the one that pushed her into it. I became the very thing I was trying to protect her from.”

“Aj!” Erik had begun to shake his head. “You can’t put so much blame on yourself.” His volume leveled out to prevent possibly disturbing the others inside. The Crow's Nest was huge but revenants had the keenest of senses. “You can’t… Because you don’t control things like some god or something. You were part of getting the vestige to her, but who says she wouldn’t have eventually wanted to know the truth behind her past.” Erik held his right hand out, forming the shape of a dormant vestige in his palm.

“And don’t say you lost her… She’s alive…” Erik found himself thinking of Sasha. A revenant that had founded the Observatory… technically even before he had. A revenant that died so he could live. “And this was something Cerise decided… Using hindsight is only going to make you feel worse. No one, not even she knew what memories would be uncovered in that vestige. We never know…”

Ajax’s gaze was trained on the ground ahead. His mind still looped around the possibilities. It was true that he was no god that could make her every decision, but it didn’t take a god to push someone in the wrong direction…Though the notion of it being ultimately Red’s own decision and that there was no way of knowing the effects, lessened some of the weight on his shoulders. For that, his crimson eyes clicked upward from his head’s bowed position to look at Erik at his side.

”Hindsight is what we need, Erik. Hindsight is what separates us from animals. We learn from our failures, to do better in the future. For us, revenants, it gets us closer to knowing who we were…” His fists unballed as the realization came to his mind. Sometimes to…become better in the future… There was a moment of silence, but Ajax sighed in frustration.

”I won’t accept an escape route for my culpability in driving her out…but, I understand what you’re saying. I am in pain…but I will heal. I will learn from this…”

“We all will.” Erik placed a hand on Ajax’s shoulder. Despite Erik's leveled tone, the pain of loss was heavily present in his heart. His sights returned to the landscape ahead. So many years behind us and it still feel like we have so many more ahead.

Ajax slowly nodded, some of the tension in his shoulders easing under Erik’s hand. “I’m going to get an early start on my conditioning…You coming?”

“Heh. As if I'd ever decline”

[dreamingflowers]

_{C H A P T E R T W O : MISTLE MISTERY}

ON THE ROAD

ON ROUTE TO THE WAYFARERS

---

^{February 25rd, 2057 | 09:05am}

For the past several minutes the only sounds inside the van were coming from the van itself. Engines buzzed, the occasional road bump jostled the people inside. It didn’t seem to stir up any conversation. Renee had hitched a ride with the bunch, wanting to discover what happened to They were passing by some unassuming ruins. Suddenly the sound of multiple successive explosions burst through the silence.

Erik hit the brakes hard, rewarding him with a string of curses from his passengers.
“Don’t tell me I’m the only one who heard that?”

---

Location: Medical area
Interactions: Vincent, Indigo

Clink…..clink….clink….

Multi-colored shards of glass were discarded into a copper bowl filled with a shallow layer of now crimson water. The sterile medical environment along with Poppy’s stern expression wasn’t exactly encouraging of conversation. Vincent who was told to sit and be still and the new arrival Indigo were seated at one of the beds. Poppy carefully removed the smaller shards with a tweezer. As much as she was tempted to just leave them in, it would eventually get infected and Vincent wouldn’t be able to heal himself. Maybe that would finally teach him not to be as reckless.

A few minutes went by. She did not hear the splashing of water coming from behind the curtains of Indigo's bed like she expected. The red haired Sidhe put down the tweezers and looked Vincent in the eye.
"Stay here and don't touch anything."

Poppy went over to Indigo's bed. She could vaguely see their shadow. It wasn't moving.
"Do you need help?" She tried to keep the impatience out of her voice. While she was used to caring for multiple patients, both Vincent and Indigo did not take priority. If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't trust Vincent to be able to get out the glass himself, she would have one less thing to worry about. Indigo however. If the memory loss was so bad they didn't remember how to wash themselves she had to adjust her care. Poppy needed to determine exactly who she was dealing with.

For the ones remaining at the Crow's nest there were plenty of chores left to do. It would be wise to pick something to do, unless you wanted to get caught idling by Poppy. The job she'd ask you to do was usually ten times worse.

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: @dreamingflowers, everyone in the van}

---

Vincent watched Poppy turn away to check on their new arrival and felt himself relax a little. After he crashed through the window, he had felt a chill run down his spine before he realized Poppy had arrived to see what had happened. He wasn't afraid of much, but in that instance, he had been incredibly reluctant to follow the medic into the infirmary for worry of what she may do to him. While she was busy with Indigo, Vincent, displaying a level of stealth even he hadn't known himself to be capable of, slipped off of the bed and peeked past the garden to find the van had disappeared. They left without me! he thought.

He glanced back over to Poppy, who was still preoccupied with Indigo, then looked at his arm as his leg started to bounce restlessly. The wounds had stopped bleeding and were already on their way to closing, now that the last of the shards had been removed, so he decided to follow the "professional" medical advice of a third party (himself) and discharge himself from the infirmary.

Moving as quickly and quietly as he could, Vincent hurried toward the vehicle bay. He briefly thought about stopping by his room to grab his coat and gloves, but figured it wasn't worth risking getting caught by an angry medic. Besides, he needed to see about getting the sleeve of his coat repaired after it had been shredded during his last outing into the city. He did, however, swing by the armory to grab a spare mask. Afterwards, he made his way to the shutter door and took hold of the handle near the bottom. He slowly pulled up on it, his gaze fixed over his shoulder as he watched out for Poppy or anyone that might report him to her. When the door had been lifted a couple of feet off of the ground, he dropped to his stomach and rolled underneath. The moment he was clear of the door, which nearly came down on him as it shut, he jumped to his feet and broke out in a dead sprint.

Sorry, Poppy, he thought as he followed the freshest tracks in the road. I'll make it up to you later!

---

A few miles of non-stop sprinting later, Vincent noticed the shape of the van in the distance and urged himself faster. When he was close enough, he leapt toward the van, barely registering the sounds of explosions in the middle distance, and landed face down on the roof. He held onto the sides of the van as he caught his breath, then lowered his head in front of the windshield. "Stop the van! Let me in!" he yelled.

[Exit]

A K A I A

A K A I A

_{The Crow's Nest · Early Morning
@FunnyGuy & @Daxam
___________________________________________________________________________________________}

Change was a simple word with often devastating consequences. Five letters to herald a shift in the present and usher in a new future that no one was ready for. It was change that had destroyed the world, and in an odd twist, it was change that was the progenitor of the Sidhe; beings so strange and unknowable and wielders of a coveted power who wanted for a return to the days of old. Yet, despite the gifts they were given, they were unable to escape that which they wanted to prevent. Cursed to follow a law of survival where adaptation was the change that granted life and fighting against it meant that you were left behind. Whatever future you had was then after decided by those who wanted to live. This was only reinforced when Akaia was taught that change usually meant danger and so when faced with it, she reacted in ways unthinkable. It left her empty. Heavy.

The letter she'd found tucked into the diorama was this. Heavy again but impossibly so. Cerise was almost ten years of constant good. The only change she knew that had been for the better. Because of it, Akaia was no longer alone living in a vacuum she'd created. She had a family. Walls. Food. A purpose. She had the Commune and they had her. So when she found the letter and read it and understood the ask not to follow, she decided to ignore it. She did follow. She'd scrambled after the girl in the dark and the dirt and through trees and branches in pursuit of a ghost. Cerise had always been better at their 'game' than she was. It was a fact Akaia had come to accept. Their very first meeting was more or less a measure of their stealth and tracking expertise compared against the other and she'd lost. The only advantage Akaia had over Cerise was her ability to cover herself in pollen, but the amount of skill it took to turn a girl as bright as the sun into shadow and erase all trace was not something she had. There had been a trail, but as if her pursuit was expected, the trail was broken early on in Akaia's search. From the start she knew it was futile too. It was impossible to keep track of an object that could clear distances in an instant without touching the ground. It was a lot of the reason why she lost to her years ago and why she knew she was only going to be met with more of the same.

Now, she was simply trying to cope, and helping someone else find what they had lost was her way of 'adapting'. She set to moving forward almost immediately. The letter was tucked into the box under her capsule next to the vestige. Her clothes were discarded for clean ones: Another pair of black cargo pants that tapered into her boots and a dark brown top with a fleece wrap that sat around her neck and hung over one shoulder. It was her temporary replacement for the cape she'd lost that still needed replacing. What she had on now was not similarly treated to work with her pollen. Her staff was also still missing including the blade that had been hidden inside it. Finding or making a new one would take time, time that she didn't currently have so as yet another temporary solution, Akaia decided to pay the armory a visit. She found for herself a dagger that was placed in a sling under her shoulder and one of the Commune's extra 9mms that was pushed into a holster on her thigh. Last thing she needed was Licorice, who had continued its pursuit of Cerise long after Akaia had decided to return.

He'd found his way home before Akaia had finished preparing and was at his usual perch when she returned to her room to replace her oxygen and pollen tanks. By now, the motions she'd forced herself into had done their job and Cerise's absence was a dull ache in her chest that she could partially ignore. A greeting cluck, however, pulled her out of her thoughts and immediately she was reminded of her last remaining thread of hope. Licorice had been the final attempt. A chance to find that which she didn't want or couldn't lose, and while she'd already been given to the throws of her depression, the full weight of Cerise's departure wasn't acknowledged until she knew for sure. It was why the earlier alarm and arrival disappointed her so much and why now, a light was once again burning in her eyes.

But Licorice's answer removed whatever hope she had left and forced her to face the reality of what she'd lost. Cerise was gone. She'd left, covered her tracks so she couldn't be followed, and was not coming back. And that was that.

A sadness overtook her, shaking her with a violence that she was not prepared for. She tried to steady herself with her arms across her chest and her back against the wall, but as her breathing became less even and slowly turned to gasps, she became dizzy and collapsed to the floor. There, with her knees up to her chest and head buried, she stopped trying to pretend to be okay and let herself feel whatever was she was supposed to. Everything welled up from her gut all at once and poured out of her eyes and stained her cheeks and for a while all she could do was sob. She didn't know why it happened or why it kept happening to her. All she knew was that once again, she'd lost someone she loved and in that moment, in her room, she was very much alone.

Sometime later, before departing for the road, the pot Akaia had been protecting all morning was placed carefully on the piano.

_{___________________________________________________________________________________________}

The car ride over had begun without much fanfare. In fact, what had originally been a group of four ended up being just two and so the drive saw both Erik and Akaia in the front seat and on a trip that involved just the two of them. Although rare, it wasn't something that hadn't happened before and because it was Erik, Akaia was more than comfortable. Having already cried most of her frustration out before her departure, there wasn't much left to be said or done. She understood what had happened and had decided that if she needed it, and she knew she would, she could be in her feelings later when others weren't also in need of her.

Of course, as it usually was when out exploring in the ruins of the world, one wasn't allowed the luxury of time to dwell on thoughts of missing friends. Shortly after heading out, a series of explosions from the nearby city vibrated the air around them both. What caused alarm however, wasn't the explosions. There was a louder thud above them, like something heavy had landed on their van and suddenly, there outside the windshield and upside down was a Vincent. Erik's hard brake brought the vehicle to a violent stop which threw Akaia against the strap of her seatbelt and sent Licorice into the windshield. The bird left a small crack in the glass pane.

When Akaia had finally recovered and found her lungs, she glanced up at the Revenant through the hair that had fallen in front of her face, her pale eyes studying him in utter disbelief. "What...?" She muttered. When he'd failed to turn up at the time of the Van's departure, it was assumed Vincent had been accosted to the medical bay to be chastised by Poppy. If there was one thing Akaia knew about her fellow Sidhe, it was that if you were in need of medical care, you were going to get it... or need more of it. If 'So Hot So Dumb' wasn't already in hot water with Poppy for breaking the window, leaving without her consent ensured that he sure as hell would be when they returned. Suddenly, Lysandra's description of the man was surprisingly apt, especially the second half. "P-pah-pee?!"

Licorice had by now recovered himself and had immediately turned to face Erik. As if the drawing wasn't enough, now it was this.

[Khryptid]

---

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I N D I G O

---

---

Location: Medical Area

for none to see

---

Indigo stared down at the sterile bowl of shifting water with a mixed expression.

Moments ago they were trudging through the wastelands that surrounded them, aimless and empty, simply trying to find reasoning to their existence; and now here they sat with the first instance of a safe moment to wash themselves of their grimey layers. I wonder just how far the layers of grime go. You can only scrub so much.

Frowning, Indigo slowly shifted their flickering eyes around their space, picking up cold greys and off whites that reminded them of...something. Of course they couldn't remember what. Their eyes dropped back down to the water so they could scowl at themselves momentarily before continuing. Though most of the colours surrounding them were dull and plain, there were definitely ones that stuck out.

The first one to catch Indigo's attention had been Poppy's hair. It was a brilliant shade of red, vibrant like the petals of a freshly bloomed rose. They swayed to and fro when she moved, trailing behind her like tendrils of fire, threatening to burn Indigo if they stared for too long. The second was the garden that stood adjacent to the revenant, a lush patch of paradise with a wide assortment of things that Indigo wasn't sure even would see each other in the wild. They could rememmber some of the names of the plants; cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, but there were alot that only rang bells in their mind and lacked any substance of a name. Perhaps if they asked Poppy, she'd be able to help them fill in the gaps.

They looked back down at themselves, glancing momentarily at the neatly folded stack of clothes placed beside them. It had been given to them by the medic, a replacement for the disgusting fabrics that they wore at the time. They'd have to ask for more privacy if they were to change. Would they have to get rid of their old clothes? Something about it made Indigo uncomfortable. Though they were dubious and crusty, they were one of the few constant things that Indigo had in their journeys across this purgatory of a land. Maybe they would be able to wash them, would that be a weird thing to ask?

So many things were changing at once for them, and the worst part was that it was still uncertain if it would be for the better. These people welcomed Indigo in, though reluctant thanks to the stench, but an act of kindness alone could not be the deciding factor of someone's character, especially a whole group. For all they knew, it could be an elaborate trap to get their guard down. Perhaps these people were like Indigo, forced to consume blood to survive, and Indigo would effectively be a lone sheep for this pack of wolves. They hoped to whatever gods were listening that it wasn't the case, trying to ignore the incessant churning in their stomach--

Indigo jumped at Poppy's voice, their body jerking and causing some of the water to slosh out of the bowl and onto the floor. "Shit, sorry, I can clean that up, um--" Poppy's words registered, and a small blush heated up the apples of their cheeks as they stared forward at the silhouette of the medic behind their sheet. "No, but thank you. I just...got stuck for a second, that's all." Indigo glanced back down at the bowl, grabbing for the rag that rested in it and beginning to soak the filth off of their hands and arms. They were embarrassed to have already been caught off guard so easily, shrinking back into their shoulders. "Is there somewhere a little less...open where I could clean up and change? I'm not really vibing with the idea of being nude around a bunch of strangers with a couple of sheets between us." their tone was honest and blunt, but the genuine notes in their voice sweetened their delivery substantially.

It wasn't just the being out in the open that bothered them, but there were so many new things, Indigo felt a sort of sensory overload begin to take a hold of them. It was hard to keep a clear head when anxiety began to freeze the tips of their ribs to stab into their chest. They needed a moment to take everything in, to really be able to process the fact that they, at the moment, were not starving and wandering empty destroyed streets with nothing but their own thoughts to keep them company.

Up until now, that was all Indigo ever knew.

[pantothenic]

---

Medical Area

After Poppy disappeared to investigate whatever commotion was taking place at the front door, Dallas finished up with the gardening and cleaned the mess left by the spilled lemonade. Digging was thirsty work, and he found himself drinking straight out of the pitcher until it was completely empty. You couldn't beat fresh squeezed. He also tasted something odd in there, and it wasn't the blood that had been added. Did she sprinkle powdered vitamins in the drink?

A little while later Dallas witnessed Poppy drag two people into the medical area. One was an individual that he did not recognize, while the other was Vincent, who had glass shards covering a good portion of his body. Without having to ask any questions, Dallas could somehow make a guess as to what had taken place. When Poppy's attention was focused on the newcomer, Vincent apparently managed to sneak off. The big janitor saw this, but didn't say anything right away.

Dallas let Poppy chat with her patient for a few minutes before politely stepping into the conversation. He glanced at the silhouette behind the medical curtain, taking note of the person's size and shape. The smell of a revenant was unmistakable.

"Hey Poppy, looks like your troublemaker just ran away. I'd offer to go get him but he's probably halfway down the hill by now. Anyways, I'm guessing we need a new window now? I think I'll go ahead and look around the city or one of the smaller towns nearby. If you have any idle hands that need a job I'll gladly take the help, but I'm just as comfortable working solo."

[FunnyGuy]

---

Location: On the Road!
Interactions: Akaia @Exit, Vincent @Daxam,
Mentions: Juice @PigeonOfAstora, Poppy @dreamingflowers, and Ajax @DClassified

---

“VINCENT! Ha! I knew you’d make it!” Erik's exclamation boomed through the van as he raised his fists. “Licorice, you’re right! The matter at hand is of the utmost importance.” Erik nodded with a determined look at the corvid that simply stared at him. “And Kaia, as for Pops, don’t worry. If anyone can save someone from Pop’s, it’s me… Well, technically Ajax is the better pick but I’m a great second!” He gave Akaia a thumbs up before sharing the positive gesture with Renee and Licorice.

“Alright! We have quite the pressing mission but those explosions are just calling out to us, don’t you think?” Erik placed the vehicle in park and made his exit before peeking back in. “Renee, stay here and make sure no one takes the van. And just know that if you take it… Vincent can catch you.” Even with the warning, Erik kept up a warm smile for his guest. While making his full exit of the vehicle he rounded the front of it. “Let’s take a quick detour and find out what’s making all that commotion. It sounds too big to be a Kaboom Box but way smaller than a Tsar Bomba… Hmm….”

Erik walked toward the now smoking ruins and sighed.

“If only I still had my megaphone… Vincent, you’re pretty loud. Can you yell to see if anyone’s out there?”

[Daxam]

Vincent Ryder

_{Interactions: @FunnyGuy @Exit
Mentions: @PigeonOfAstora}

---

When Erik slammed on the brakes, Vincent lost his grip and flew over the front of the van. He landed on the ground and rolled into a sitting position as Erik and Akaia got out, talking about explosions, which he could vaguely remember hearing during his mad dash toward the van. He stood and stretched as Erik gave Renee his warning, then followed the revenant and Sidhe as they made their way to a smoking ruin. As he walked, he found himself thinking back to what Erik had told Akaia, about how he could protect Vincent from Poppy. At first, Vincent thought he was exaggerating, but as he thought about it, he broke out in a cold sweat. Poppy was the medic. Sure, medics healed people, but they also knew how to hurt them. There wasn't much Vincent was afraid of, but he quickly realized that an angry medic should be part of that exclusive club. Well, it's too late to worry about that, he thought. You passed the point of no return when you slipped under the door. Deal with the fallout later.

Vincent took a slow look around. He wasn't much of an expert on anything that didn't involve cooking or punching, but even he could tell the scorch marks were fresh. The smoke that still billowed from the gaps were a decent hint, too. He was wondering whether a Lost or another revenant were responsible when Erik told him to yell. Vincent grinned and said, "Sure thing, boss."

He faced farther into the ruins and drew in a deep breath. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled at the top of his lungs, "WHOEVER'S OUT THERE, COME ON OUT! IF YOU MAKE ME COME AFTER YOU, I PROMISE IT WON'T BE PLEASANT!!"

[DELETED08740]

JUICE

---

Location: Roadside Ruins
Interactions: Akaia @Exit, Vincent @Daxam, Erik @FunnyGuy
Mentions:

---

Juice emerged from beneath a pile of rubble, kicking away a sheared metal pipe as wiped away the dust from the helmet visor. He had been setting up an elaborate string of pyrotechnics for his grand 'performance' of his air guitar, when some stupid Lost wandered by and tripped up some incomplete wiring. He looked down at his array of buttons lining his jacket, haphazardly labelled with black marker on black plastic. Or he might have pressed the wrong detonators. He shook that thought out of his helmet - what was he thinking; definitely some dumb Lost. And this idiotic Lost cost Juice his fiery one-man concert, and instead presented him with a sore ass and a concrete bath.

"WHOEVER'S OUT THERE, COME ON OUT! IF YOU MAKE ME COME AFTER YOU, I PROMISE IT WON'T BE PLEASANT!!"

Juice immediately froze his movements, his senses rifling to pick apart what he had just heard. A voice. Male. Human? Comprehensible, but unfamiliar.
Not him.
In a few short skips he located his baseball bat, shouldering it as he peered around in the direction of the voice. He strained to see across all the smoke and dust that was still clinging unto the air, but there were two, three figures in the direction of the outskirts road. Two taller ones and one shorter one, plus a vaguely bright square object behind them. Not Lost, by the way they stood, and at least one VERY loud person. What were they doing here, anyway? Surveying? Scavenging?

Juice reached underneath his helmet, thumbed a dial to push his voice volume up and shouted back a thundering response, rivalling a megaphone. The voice synthesizer crackled between the words as it struggled to keep up with the volume.

"ARE YOU COPS?! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME IF YOU'RE COPS!"

Juice paused and pondered what he was saying. Hang on, if they were cops...

"ALSO IF ITS A NOISE COMPLAINT I'M NOT LISTENING!"

[Exit]

A K A I A

A K A I A

_{The Crow's Nest · Morning
@FunnyGuy & @Daxam & @PigeonOfAstora
___________________________________________________________________________________________}

As soon as the shouting began, Akaia started expelling pollen and Licorice took off into the sky. She didn't like the idea of making noise. She never did, especially when in the city. And while she knew full well that Erik and Vincent were plenty capable, especially after seeing the latter in action, she could not ignore her want to hide. Who knew what was out here waiting to find them. Who knew what caused the explosion. It could have been lost, even though the destruction didn't necessarily match the damage they typically left behind. It could have been an accident; Some old gas tank crushed in shifting debris, its fumes ignited with a small spark. It could also have been a trap. Lost and the Provisional Government weren't the only people out on the road and while some strangers were kind, there were plenty, human and Revenant, who took to more vile means to survive. Living usually meant always assuming the worst, especially when outside the walls of the Crow's nest, so when a man stepped out of the rubble to address them in strange clothing and with an even stranger, louder voice, that's exactly what she did. Unfortunately for Akaia, the pollen hadn't finished cloaking her. When he was spotted, so too was she.

"Friend?" She asked Erik in a whisper, slowly becoming completely transparent. By now, she was already backing out of the main road in anticipation of all the Lost the noise was bound to attract.

[FunnyGuy]

---

Location: On the Road!
Interactions: Akaia @Exit, Vincent @Daxam, and Juice @PigeonOfAstora,
Mentions:

Erik gave a thumbs up to Vincent after completing his given task. As odd of a request it had been, it worked out so far. Oddly, yes, but so far so good.

“Great volume! The message needs work but that’s easier to fix I think.” Erik shot a glance at Akaia as she began using her spores to cloak herself. “Good thinking.” She wasn’t able to fully cloak in time, but Erik thought it best not to draw too much attention to her. As long as she was gone before things got hostile, Akaia still had an edge on her opposition. I’ve done it! The perfect combination of brashness and subtlety! Vincent is my great big wrecking ball! Loud, proud, and destructive! Akaia is my thief in the night! But in the daytime as well! She takes anything that is necessary and more without so much of a whisper. Even lives!

The mental self-imposed motivation excited Erik to the point where he felt the trio could face anything, so when the helmeted stranger peered at them from behind a building them holding a baseball bat, Erik maintained a relaxed posture with his fists at his waist. He was just about ready to start walking over like a friendly new neighbor, but-

"ARE YOU COPS?! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME IF YOU'RE COPS!"

Erik winced as he took a step back. He finally grabbed ahold of his bow. No way… What he thought might be a brief encounter escalated into something much more pressing. There was no just ‘passing by’ or ‘minding their business.’ This person needed to be addressed immediately.

"ALSO IF ITS A NOISE COMPLAINT I'M NOT LISTENING!"

Erik winced but did not recoil as he had before. Now was his moment.

“Hey! That volume is incredible! No complaints here! In fact, I want to know how you made something so loud! It’s exactly the kind of upgrade I need for my next megaphone! Is it really in that helmet?! By the way, name’s Erik!” He held up his hand high and waved keeping up with the friendly new neighbor vibe.

[DELETED08740]

JUICE

---

Location: Roadside Ruins
Interactions: Akaia @Exit, Vincent @Daxam, Erik @FunnyGuy
Mentions:

---

“Hey! That volume is incredible! No complaints here! In fact, I want to know how you made something so loud! It’s exactly the kind of upgrade I need for my next megaphone! Is it really in that helmet?! By the way, name’s Erik!”

Juice disappeared in a crimson-black mist before apparating in closer and closer distances before promptly standing before Erik, arms wide and the scorch-ridden jacket fanned like a proud plume. The voice flipped over from vaguely interrogative to match Erik's friendly cadence and perhaps to the benefit of everyone, turned back down to normal volume. "Erik! You sound like my guy."

Juice paused, now that he could take a better look at his new visitors/friends/maybe-quite-possibly-murderers.
Black hair. Smoking charcoal. Toned. Loud. Bleeding on one arm. A leash-less hound.
Dark complexion. Striking white hair. Ash after wildfire. Armed. Outwardly friendly.
Not him either.
"I'm Juice!" He exclaimed, thumping his helmet and drawing attention to a chicken-scrawl scratched into the metal above the visor. "Short for Juniper short for Cranberry Juice short for Joint Unilateral Interception of Communal Exigents!"

Juice didn't wait for a response as he pranced around the strangers, his gait wavering as if each of his limbs were clambering to get in front of each other. Abruptly, Juice stopped like a rag doll, spun around and tilted his helmet at the duo inquisitively. Duo? Then just as abruptly, he disappeared and reappeared in front of the van, excitedly patting the hood with a thick gloved hand and almost bumping his helmet against the wind visor as he examined the vehicle. "This is a working one? That's amazing!"

[Theyra]

Desmond Mores

Interactions: Dallas, Poppy

---

What to do now? Desmond wondered to himself as he was in his room, sitting down in his bed, watching Amelia with concerned eyes. Turns out the stranger was both alone and not a threat. A good thing and is now in medical being treated by Poppy. Along with Vincent because of some glass that was in him. Why did he fricking jump out the window and just opened the door like a normal person. Desmond sighed at the thought. Just one more thing that needs to be done around this place. A new window, and all the while something is still wrong with Amelia.

Desmond got up from his bed, and slowly walked over to her. Nothing has changed since he last checked on her but at least she has not gotten worse and that is good right? Desmond was not so sure about that, true yeah not getting worse but not getting better either. At least not on her own.

He caress her face and slowly and wore a concerned face. "What is wrong with you big sis?" A question without a answer and something that Poppy will have to figure out hopefully before she gets worse. The last thing he needs is losing Amelia again or having to fight her if she does indeed become a Lost. A thought that he dreads and if push comes to shove, Desmond is not quite sure if he could kill Amelia if that were to happen.

But, now he should not be thinking about that, Amelia is not getting worse and Poppy will find out what is wrong with her. She has to and rather than dwell futher on the subject. Desmond left his room and moved his way down to medical. Poppy is bound to be there checking on Vincent and the newcomer.

By the time he got to medical, he was surprised to find that one Vincent was not there and that Dallas was there. Did Poppy already finish up with Vincent? He thought and came in on the tall end of Dallas talking about heading out to find someone to repair the window and if any idle hands wish to come with. He thought for a bit about going and getting some fresh air might be good or he can just stay behind just in case Poppy needs help with Amelia. Though what would he do in the meantime? Well the storage room could use some organizing.

After thinking about it for a bit, he made his choice and approached the two."Hey you two, over heard that your looking for some hands with fixing the window Dallas. I think I will stay behind and organize the storage room and see if anyone else wants to help with fixing the window."