046 [Action (For Draftees)/Voice (Later)]

[vulcanblazer]

[Action]

[The date is the first of March.  Adell is out in the field fighting as usual.  But there's something very different about how he's acting.  Normally, Adell's attacks are big on flair, and he moves through the battlefield with an odd sort of grace.  Not today.  Today his movements are highly deliberate.  His attacks are calculated and

Comments

It should go without saying that BRACE FOR IMPACT

[littlestdevil]

Adell? What is it?

[vulcanblazer]

[A dark, heavy knot ties itself in his stomach. ...This moment, along with the moment he has to tell Remilia, are harder than any moment he's had in combat in the draft so far. He doesn't want to say it. But he has to.]

...Koa. You might want to sit down for this.

[littlestdevil]

[Not getting a good feeling about this...]

Um...o-okay, sitting down.

[vulcanblazer]

Koa... I got a message from Caesar Silverberg earlier today.

[A deep breath, as he tries to prevent his voice from cracking here. He can feel that lump in the back of his throat throbbing. Holding this back has been brutal, and he's so damn tired, but his job isn't done.]

...Patchouli was badly wounded in the line of battle today, Koa. ...One of the shields she had created to protect our forces was destroyed by an Elite and she was nearby. ...The shrapnel from the shield is what did it.

[His voice gets quieter, but... deeper here. Like he wants to refuse to believe what he's saying, but knows he can't.]

She didn't make it, Koa. [And then his voice sinks to a whisper.] ...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[redsynonymhere]

...yes?

[vulcanblazer]

[Such a simple response. ...Doesn't make this any easier.]

Remilia. I... [Dammit. Just... be honest.] Flandre's safe and well and I'm going to see her now. But... that's not what this is about.

Caesar Silverberg delivered some bad news to me today, Remilia.

[redsynonymhere]

Then what is this about?

[vulcanblazer]

It's about Patchouli.

...Caesar sent me the message earlier. The Clearing squad was attacked by a group of Third Party members and one of Patchouli's shields she had created to protect our forces was destroyed.

But she was standing near it when an Elite destroyed it, and the shrapnel from the device hit her, badly injuring her.

[...And his voice cracks here. He'd been trying very hard to hide that. He just can't keep it up anymore.]

She... she didn't make it, Remilia. They couldn't heal her in time. I'm... I'm sorry, Remilia.

[floweringknives]

...what?

[vulcanblazer]

Her squad was attacked. One of the Third Party shattered one of her shielding devices and she was hit by the shrapnel. ...They didn't get a healer to her in time.

...Caesar delivered the news to me awhile ago. ...I was on the other side of the battlefield at the time. I'm really sorry, Sakuya.

[floweringknives]

Then, Miss Patchouli is...

...excuse me. I must see to milady.

[vulcanblazer]

I understand. ...Good luck.

[Action]

[there_were_none]

[It was dark; time for Flandre to go out again to play watchman. These draft things weren't so bad, she supposed; the vampire is humming--and waving cheerfully at Adell again once she sees him.]

Adell!

[She has no idea the news he's bearing; only that he looks tired and very, very bloody.]

[Action]

[vulcanblazer]

[...That happy, cheerful voice, and that wave. After answering all the questions from everyone in the house, after dealing with all of that. If Remilia's comment about it being a joke was a spear, this moment was like being run over by a truck.

How was he gonna tell her? ...How?

He gives a weak wave in return, though.]

Hey Flandre.

[Action]

[there_were_none]

[She stops waving--but practically skips over there instead.]

Adell is all messy. Is Adell tired?

[Action]

[vulcanblazer]

...Like you wouldn't believe.

[...He blurted that out without even thinking.]

[Action]

[sanzu_watashi]

[You know, Baiken has been hunting down the Elites herself, if only for a challenge. Plus, she figures the assholes deserve it. And so, when she sees Adell unleashing unholy hell on them, she can't help but bark out a rough laugh at first.

But she can sense those power levels are insane. He's... definitely not quite right. Her eye flicks over to him uncertainly, not sure if she should bother even saying anything. She can damn well sense now is not a time to bother him. That Back Off aura is one she's perfected herself.

And so, she'll just stay a little ways away, messing up her own little batch of Elites and watching Adell's back from a distance.]

[Action]

[vulcanblazer]

[And Baiken will get to see a very rare sight. A trio of Elites begin to charge toward Adell in formation, weapons raised to bring down on him all at once

[Action]

[sanzu_watashi]

[Well, holy hell. Baiken stops, stunned, for just a shade of a second before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the matter at hand. Doesn't matter. Just take out any of the fuckers approaching from the kid's blind spot.

Although that kind of power? She knows he doesn't really need anyone watching his blind spot. But hey, it's nice to have someone subconsciously covering hers. Being surrounded by enemies isn't anything she's not used to, but not having to spin around so much is a welcome change.

And as she's quite literally blasting several TP enemies away with a cannon shot from her right sleeve, she'll just provide a little more backup:]

Oi, kid! On your left!

[Action]

[vulcanblazer]

[Baiken's voice registers in his head and he instinctively reacts. There's an incoming foe lunging in to attack, armed with two swords. When he attempts to bring his weapon down on Adell, he shifts forward and catches his foe by the wrist.

...And in one swift motion snaps it back, breaking it with a sickening crunch. And then with his other free hand, he strikes forward and grabs the Third Party soldier by the neck. A surge of Mana power runs through his hand and a powerful explosion erupts into the soldier. There's not much left of his foe but ash at this point.

And for a brief moment he'll answer back.]

Thanks.