CECILIA

[fallenapple]

Characters: Cecilia the witch and her opponents
When: The entirety of Walpurgisnacht
Where: The entire Southeastern Quarter
Rating: R, for violence, character death, mentions of suicide, starvation, abuse, etc.
Summary: Adstring fights the unicorn witch

Comments

THE EMPTY ORCHARDS

[fallenapple]

THE FAITHLESS CITY

[fallenapple]

Pica/Gon/Kil - arrival-ish thread

[checkmychainyo]

[The empty orchards flow swiftly into the suffocating, almost skeletal landscape of the city. Kurapica's feeling of being watched, of a kind of imminent danger lurking within every shadow, heightens here. He could stay composed at a crucial moment as this; he would make himself stay composed. Despite his efforts, he feels increasingly on-edge the more the trio advances into this bizarre...world. Kurapica doesn't know what else to call it: he hadn't been around the majority of Adstringendum yet,--at least, not that he could remember,--but this place defied anything he had ever seen. It was almost...illusory.

Something tugs on the bottom end of his tabard. Kurapica whirls behind him, Nen surging to his now raised chain glove, but he finds only Killua and Gon close behind him. Off in the distance, he thinks he hears footsteps, but...that can't be right...]

Did either of you feel that? [His tone is severe as he asks the question to his partners.]

[ooc: Just. Figured this might be useful in terms of setting the stage and starting the

[freecssofnature]

[The atmosphere is affecting Gon, too; he's barely a step behind Kurapica, his own aura already flaring out into the dull air. The sounds of movement are all around them, shifting footsteps, the rustle of cloth.

But he can't hear breathing.

His head snaps toward Kurapica as his friend moves.]

Feel what?

[There's nothing alive approaching them inside his own aura--

Something tugs at the hem of his shorts, and his eyes go wide as he spins in turn.

There's nothing there to see, any more than there was to feel.]

-- Let's hurry.

[kill_joo_ded]

I don't think... there's anything there.

[But he says so cautiously as he eyes the landscape surrounding them. Right now it's really bugging him that his en is so lacking, but none of his other well-honed senses are picking up on anything beyond the initial alert. It's not a good sign, to say the least.

His hands gravitate toward his pockets, where two yoyos (nowhere near the strength of the ones he'd lost) and a taser reside, courtesy of Urahara Kisuke. He does his best to appear nonchalant about the change in posture though. It shouldn't alert anyone... or anything.

A nod in Gon's direction denotes his agreement. The faster they get to the bottom of this, the faster they get out.]

THE CROSS VALLEY

[fallenapple]

Sometime early on the 9th

[wingsandwill]

[Castiel knows better than to venture too far alone--it's foolish and he's been told not to--but that isn't going to stop him from scouting. He simply does so on foot instead of flying, drifting silently through the desaturated city until he happens upon the crosses.

They're beautiful and unsettling all at once, and he stops a moment to consider them.]

[[ooc: Feel free to team up with him, especially those that are plotted to fight together with him in the final battle.]

[snarkypotions]

[The smell is unpleasant, to say the least, but Snape has smelled worse, and the feelings of despair that's pervaded most of the city is not unfamiliar to a Death Eater such as him. He stays on course, tracking Killua from the sky as he flies through the air, eyes sharp and darting around to make sure that there are not any unexpected dangers approaching the group below him, so it doesn't take him long to spot Castiel.

The angel would be a more than valuable ally, and it would also serve as a chance for Snape to strengthen whatever... well, whatever it is that is between him and the angels, so the wizard lands besides him, easily dodging the few, weak balls of fire that are still falling from the sky within the witch's barrier.]

Mr. Castiel.

[wingsandwill]

[Castiel's senses alert him to Snape's presence as he begins to land; his attention snaps toward him and Castiel draws his sword on reflex, the weapon dropping out of his sleeve and into his hand in an instant. But then he recognizes the wizard and relaxes just slightly.]

Snape.

[Of all people to see here, Snape's not a bad one. He's certainly capable and with Catiel running so low on strength, an ally is welcomed.]

What are you doing here?

THE CHURCH

[fallenapple]

[hisbutlerbound]

[He's suppose to be scouting as close to the witches as he can being as he's one of the few that might actually survive such a close encounter. He's made it this far, past all the orchirds and crosses. It's tight and it's suffocating. He almost has to pull at his own collar and tie to loose it, but a butler has to remain as perfect as he can, so he haults such an action.

It's the smell that lingers, the way his nose crinkles and twitches at the rotting food. Sometimes it's a bother to have such a sensitive nose. But it's those feelings of despair that linger the most. Such a blissful feeling. He thrives in this type of condition and mood.]

Oh my.

[fallenapple]

[The church itself creaks with each step he takes, the vague figure of the witch herself in the far off distance, to the point where she's fuzzy with how far away she is.]

[The singing continues, quiet as Sebastian first enters the church, reduced to a soft hum. The small creatures do nothing but turn and stare- even as they remain still, their individual body parts shake and spasm.]

[hisbutlerbound]

[He knows better than to rush as the demon is always calculative in his own nature. He's patient when he needs to me and continues to take those careful steps through the rot, tilting his head down at the creatures]

I'm afraid I don't understand. [But he'll lift his head towards the witch in the distance. He can't help but mildly lick his lips]

THE FINAL BATTLE WITH CECILIA

[fallenapple]

[snarkypotions]

Under the cover of the group's various defenses, Snape impatiently shakes a few strands of hair that had escaped from his ponytail out of his eyes, various cuts on his face and body still bleeding, though none are too serious.

"I trust that everyone knows what--" A blast of fire ensues from his wand and flies over Sebastian's shoulder to turn the familiars behind the demon into ash. "To do?"

At the nods from the perhaps not-so-ragtag group around him, Snape raises his wand high up into the air and swings it around, a large circle of flames engulfing them before pushing outwards, pushing their assailants back some so that they can all break into different directions.

[wingsandwill]

Castiel turns as Snape pushes back the familiars, back to the horrifying creature Kyoko has become, attention focused on keeping the familiars back as the others go forward. He's exhausted but no where near quitting, sword drawn in one hand and Dean's pistol in the other. Bullets are precious, but longer range than his sword, and he needs to conserve energy rather than using his grace when not otherwise necessary.

A sweep of his sword catches a few familiars that evaded Snape's fire, and a shot picks off one moving toward the others. He'll hold the creatures off for now, to see if the rest of the team can find an opening on Cecelia. Castiel could get close but isn't about to, unwilling to risk losing his sword until he's sure it's worth it.

[hisbutlerbound]

He gives an indignant little look over his shoulder at fresh ash now slightly covering his back, one hand moving up to collect the last bit of strands of fire. Much like he had before, his hand moved outwards to enwrap it, manipulate it and force it back near Snape, turning a few familiars to ash around the others, "Why thank you."

It was curt, slightly snide and to the point. "But yes, I am aware," and once again found that starvation, despair and need for revenge rather mouthwatering. He turned back towards the witch in the distance and remembered what had occured before, "Watch everything. Listen to everything. Even the ground will swallow you up if you let it."