mayfield_logs | The Day of Judgement

[--stay back?

she's pushing away and the sound of Dizzy's outcries among the howls of innumerable voices is... terrible; to say he's concerned is a supreme understatement... but he finds himself releasing the Sister as she nudges herself free to begin a freefall. he doesn't know what she aims to do -- whether or not her success would hinge on being on her lonesome without his contact. he has no choice but to oblige, watching-- avidly, eyes seeped red observing everything with utter clarity.

but what he sees... is truly beyond him; he's a stranger to magic, and this -- it goes right over his head. it's beautiful, powerful -- that much he can tell, even with his divine lack of affinity for this. but...

...he's waiting. hovering, eyes fixed intently. if it looks like anything is going badly at all... he'll be disregarding that warning and moving in for what little it seems he can do to help, this time.]

-As the spell locks in place, Dizzy finally manages to fire off the Giga Ray... but it amounts to nothing. The tremendous power blinks away into nothing less than a few feet from Dizzy. It was over... she could no longer maintain the Install, and the darkness faded away, allowing that sealing magic to pierce through her, locking away the generators in her body, and shutting the whole thing down.

For a brief moment, barely a blink before her mind left her, she became fully and completely aware of what she had done. And the last thing Ciel and Abel would see in her eyes before they shut was that guilt, so massive it consumed everything. And then, silence... and sleep.-

[Ciel was still at a very close distance, but she could more than well afford having her robes charred if it meant Dizzy was going back to normal. Her habits are enchanted with some magical defense, but having spared none extra for herself just now, the dissipating rays will nevertheless burn away the fabric covering her left shoulder. ...Frankly, it's a tiny price to pay.

She had to squint through the fading light to keep the girl locked in her sight. Unfaltering through it all, she... well catches and recognizes the expression. ...Mm, she's definitely going to try her best staying with Dizzy until she wakes up again. Until then however, the blue eyes that meet Dizzy's before she shuts them is clear, firm, and completely blameless. She won't hold it against her, that was already decided before this all even began.

...

Gravity calls. Within reaching distance, Ciel easily takes careful hold of Dizzy in her arms as both drop from the sky. Using what little she has of her magical reserves left, she strengthens her legs and attempts to reduce their falling speed through a spell. So for the rest...]

[...that look in her eyes... was the sort that haunts someone. it was something that Dizzy never deserved to wear -- and the fact that she could, was capable at all, said more than enough to that effect, as far as he was concerned. the remorse for what was beyond her control...

she was a good person. a good person who never would have wanted this. and for that, his disgust and revulsion toward this town -- this sin and transgression against a pure-hearted person -- only fuels further.

--there is, again, more immediate matters to deal with than his ire toward the town, and his long laundry list of reasons to hold grudges against those responsible for their circumstances. he sees the threat has gone, that Ciel has Dizzy in her arms -- and sees that she has no means by which to stop their plummet, free-fall toward the ground. and so, he needs no invitation--

there is something about this situation that might seem ironic to him in the back of his mind. he's teasingly likened them both to angels while being so very far from the definition himself -- but how lucky a man he must be to catch two angels falling right out of the sky? Abel tucks the both of them carefully to his chest and ensures their fall is safe, feet touching the ground, but...

he's reluctant to let them go. after all this...

...

his eyes are surprisingly soft and concerned for a monster's.

both of them deserved better than this.]

[They both recognize it, but Ciel for one grew tired of holding grudges years ago. There's no satisfaction to be gained at the end of this road - at most, only the quiet reassurance that if the responsible are stopped, then such tragedies will cease to repeat here once more.

...Either way.

The rest may not even need to be mentioned, since the landing would happen as anyone may imagine.

Gingerly cradling Dizzy in her arms, Ciel herself is rather calm and composed while she tucks away any guesstimate of how difficult it may be to help the girl pick up the pieces later on. ...Hm, they'll likely have a lot of work ahead of them, but for now, they can afford to take a moment and simply be grateful, that Dizzy is safe, physically okay, and back to herself.

If Abel was too distraught before, he may now notice that there are strange markings glowing a soft white on Ciel's shoulder. ...Edges of... wings? They're fading though, now that everything is calming down. Still...

Time ticks on. Concern at this point is still fully warranted, but they have to keep moving. Put Dizzy to bed, change out of tattered clothing, and as much as that took out of her, Ciel is not letting it show and fully still plans on doing another patrol of the town -- just in case there's something else like this going on, or... there might be bodies littering in town, that deserve a proper 'sending-off'.

(She'll need to spent the night at the Church today though. This is the closest to complete exhaustion her magical reserves have ever come close to.)

So tilting her head aside, she directly looks up to those soft and concerned crimson red eyes with a quiet smile of her own. Nothing unusual coming from her, though... She really is acting as she's always had, isn't she?]

...It's okay, Father. She just... needs rest now.

[half a truth and half a lie. Dizzy will also need support, for starters, but...

Yes. For the time being, this is certainly over. So...

He doesn't need to worry any more than he already has.

He can let go now.]

['angels,' isn't that it...

...

like a coward, he can't meet her in the eye out of fear of what he'd see there. even if she had made certain promises he holds close and clutches to in times like these, and even if he trusts her far more than anyone else he's met in this town--

in the end, a zebra can't change its stripes.

but now is not the time for dwelling on foolish personal fears; he wants nothing more than to ensure the safety of his friends and for whatever madness has overcome Mayfield this time to be peacefully resolved. 'she just needs rest, now...'

mm. he's still reluctant, all the same. as if he was sure something bad would happen if he were to let them go. he was sure they were alright, here, but... he wouldn't if he let them go -- is that it? it's silly and foolish, but it really is true. he's really worried for Dizzy after being forced to endure something like this...]

...I'll take you to the church. Both of you.

[if nothing else, he can give them quick and safe passage where that 'rest' may be granted them. without waiting for response, his grip around precious cargo is secured a little tighter before he's pushing upward and away from the highway-- into the sky above the town where others might still be subjected to the same disjointed influence as Dizzy. he'll be careful and fast.]

[She gives a faint chuckle. What a worrywart. Really, after all that heavy stuff, who'd still voluntarily keep their nerves high-strung? That sort of thing isn't healthy. Does she need to sit him down for tea just to make sure that he's quietened down sufficiently, before he's allowed to leave her sight and go back out?

(As if she could stop him, she really needs to hang onto what remains of her strength...)]

It's fine, really. I can walk-

[And there they go before she can finish her sentence. The muted surprised doesn't last though, the soft freeze of her expression doesn't stay for more than an instant before it melts back to a subdued sigh.

She won't fight against it, no. This isn't the time to be stubborn about trifles. But...]

We're done pushing ourselves. ...You should stop after this too, alright?

[yes... he's definitely a worrywart, isn't he? but she knew that much about him already with assurance... h-haha.

it's true that even if he'd heard her out, he wouldn't have listened to her suggest she was fine to walk. she's done enough... enough; it's enough, now. for her and Dizzy both. now is the time to rest. though he might not grasp just how much it had taken out of her to manage the 'seal,' nor what exactly that seal entailed -- he can understand it was taxing on her. if not physically... then emotionally in some way, right? to see a girl like that... that look that had been in her eyes...

...

her soft words are... a little surprising; though he'd been making a valiant effort to keep eyes ahead -- as if focused on his task, on getting her and Dizzy to the Church safely and not allowing himself any distractions... he can't help but glance downward a bit at that to let it show in his face. (is she worrying about him?)]

...R-- right...

[She's more emotionally jaded and tempered than he is, this may have already been proven to him in person. Yes, she knew that look - a bit too well, even, but there's no use letting it drag her down. Understanding it also doesn't make it any easier to deal with - one of those things that really don't get simpler with the passing of time. Again, this may not be now, but the focus will be to rebuild - and for that to happen, one can't afford to stay drained. The march of time waits for no one.

Picking out when someone is overworking themselves took all but no effort (it's also something one can get very good at ignoring when then they do it themselves). As brief as it was, she still remembers his look when she first stepped in, back on the streets of Mayfield. And as she's promised and has been doing, she meets his eyes evenly without batting an eyelash.

...He looked a bit startled, but he seems acquiescent. Ah, that'll do for now.]

Mm, please do.

[With that, she closes her eyes and waits for landing, while making sure for the umpteenth time that her hold on Dizzy is careful and secure.]

[the rest of the journey to the church passes by in silence. there are no words he could say -- and none he wishes to, in all honesty. all he wants is to get them where they belong, safe and sound.

when feet touch solid ground again, he's carefully setting Ciel down as well -- hands lingering at her shoulders to ensure she's steady before he thinks of letting go. he would offer to take the sleeping girl, but... he already knows he'd likely be shoo'd off, so...

...

it only takes another moment of carefully sending too-observant eyes over their surroundings to ensure there were no threats to their persons... before he's allowing the thrall of the nanomachines to cease. the red bleeds out of his eyes; fangs recede... wings dissolve not unlike that scythe had -- something akin to ash in the air, away and gone as if they had never been there at all. he's simply 'a man,' again... a man left studying some point at Dizzy's midsection in aversion of eye contact. the only truth that any of this had happened at all was the damage wrought to the town, and some tattered, burnt clothing...

...should he stay? he wants to, to hover and make sure they were alright and safe here. she seems a little drained, and Dizzy is decidedly vulnerable...

but...]

[It does take her more time than usual to find balance once her feet touched the ground, but no more than a second after she's let go. She doesn't attempt to watch, her back facing him as he dispels 02. There's really no need to bear witness, and besides, she herself was the one who told him to take it easy, now.

Taking two steps away and towards the entrance, she then turns around to quietly survey his form.]

Have you checked up on Cain and the others, Father?

[She's not asking him to leave, but... With this sort of thing potentially happening around town, he does have his own list of priorities to keep watch over and consider. The is the end of one storm, but still far too early to relax facing the rest of what may come.]

[even a subtle sign of 'weakness' is glaring; she never falters, never missteps. it's a tell, and he believes his worry is well-founded, the furrow at his brow furthering slightly...]

...It's alright.

[his family is safe. he made sure of that before he left, even if there hadn't been much time -- but he cares for them, and at a time like this, when chaos was spreading like wildfire... he wasn't so oblivious to the danger as to leave them unprotected.]

I'll help you take her inside. [but then it's true he'd likely have to go. in all honesty, the less time they spend together in this quiet right now, the better it'll be.... and he has people to look after. that hasn't changed.]

[...Mm, small blessings. She gives a nod at that.]

...I'll just be tucking her in to rest in one of the bedrooms in the back. It'll be okay.

[She explains herself, but makes no attempt to stop him from following as she turns her heel once more and starts heading in. The rooms are down left from the main hall; it won't take more than a minute to reach the first room. And it's the same for her, really. She knows full well she can't risk mistakes today, so while she will stay here to recover the minimum, she certainly won't remain for the rest of the day. There's still so much to be done...]

[he trails behind her -- a few steps behind, watching her as she carries Dizzy into the Church and toward the back rooms. (the same ones Dizzy herself had tried to usher him into to nap when she caught him dozing like a loser on the pews.)]

...Do you understand what happened to her?

[he isn't certain he grasps it himself. had she always had this power--? was it granted to her by the town in its sick manner of twisted humor...? Dizzy... ;(]

[Does she?

...Ah, she does. Dizzy and her had this talk before, hadn't they?]

She consolidated the entirety of her power. ...You tried talking to her first. Her memories of events from home must've been altered by the town, forcing her in taking resort.

[In short: yes she has, and it's now made her do the very thing she always feared. So the aftermath, now...]

[he bites his lip a bit. this is...]

...I had no idea...

[no idea that she had been suffocating something of this magnitude...]

Do you... think she'll be alright, Ciel? [and they're both aware exactly what he means, sincere concern in his eyes as he asks.]

[Dizzy talked to her about it, at least. In all retrospect, Ciel had SOME idea so she didn't completely walk into this blind - mm, she's thankful for that.]

She'll be fine physically, but there's no way what happened could be hidden from her. She's going to blame herself once she wakes up, and it's likely going to take a long time until she can come to terms with herself. [...if ever. Her tone is plain and to the point. She knows he'll worry too, but for Dizzy's sake, Ciel's not going to withhold the whole truth to her likely accurate predictions (which may sound familiar to him too, either way).]

[...mm. familiar is definitely the case.

it's no surprise his expression falls. she would take it to heart, wouldn't she...? then, if that's how the situation has to be...

...]

I see...

[Her tone doesn't change. Her pace is brisk as she takes the turn into the left hallway and keeps going. ...It's not a lack of empathy. Just... Now's not the time to crack and falter, is all.]

She'll need support once she wakes up.

[With that, she arrives in front of the bedroom in questions, briefly stops, and opens the door. Stepping in after the smallest of beats, she then carefully lays Dizzy down onto the bed, eyes never leaving the girl's unconscious face.]

[his response is silence, but... she hardly has to ask to know that he had every intention of being there for her if he could. it goes without saying that he would do whatever was in his power to try and lessen the burden this girl would bear with her for what had been beyond her control.

...and Dizzy already knows, doesn't she?

he had told her. she's forgiven. is that familiar, too...

he remains in the doorway, allowing Ciel space to lay the girl out gently and with care. he was positive that the Sister would remain to take excellent care of and protect her. it was entirely possible that someone might attempt to seek retribution or 'justice' for damage done before this little... incident... the town had brought forth managed to conclude, too. the immediate threat had been dealt with, but others would crop up in its place. at least she could rest, now... even if it seemed there was never time to 'rest' as there should be.

...it isn't until several long beats of silence have passed, and he's certain that Dizzy isn't rousing at all that Abel begins to shift, away from the door. his voice is dropped as not to disturb her; he's sure that Ciel will hear regardless.]

I'll watch over the Church. Please get some rest while you can.

[he might not be a visible presence here, but perhaps that was for the best; he could watch from afar with Ciel here as capable watchdog from within.

but there's no doubt if necessary, he would guard it (and them) with his life. they'll be safe, for now.]

[He's fairly predictable in some matters, and she's certainly gotten to know him well enough to be able to tell his intent without even needing to glance back. ...Mm, they will be here, and in all likelihood, they won't be the only ones. ...Ah, people seeking retribution is a possibility, but Ciel herself'd consider more about how many friends of Dizzy's shall be willing to sit by her side and talk to her after everyone's recovered. This is Mayfield. Having your friends turned against you is a sick joke that only repeats itself too often. Anyone hung up against someone's actions committed against their will--

--Mm. True, the damage is irreversible even if the dead comes back. People still have been killed and that fact won't change, but...

Is it a sign of softness too, that she's willing to bet everything on others being understanding, rather than staying bitter and seeking revenge?

Either way, she'll have her back to him as he stands watch, busy gingerly tucking the sleeping girl in while taking care to be watchful of her wings and tail. And as for the rest...]

We'll be alright here. You don't have to stay, there might be more going on inside the town.

[It'd be a waste of manpower when he could be of bigger help elsewhere, in other words. She herself would go back on patrol soon, if only she had enough strength in reserve. Still, she's not trying to pass of empty reassurances. She's taken care to magically fortify and wire up the Church more than over a year ago: it wouldn't be farfetched to compare leading an offense onto the church to assaulting a well-garrisoned castle. Even if she's weakened now, there's still plenty she can do to repel anyone shallow and bored enough to attack. So...

They'll be okay. Really.]

[it's his faith in her ability to do just that which has him able to convince himself to leave the grounds as he'd intended at all. under normal circumstances, he would have taken a more direct approach and simply gathered all the 'lambs' he was both obligated and desired to look after here, and held down the fort until the chaos had subsided...

but he knows Ciel is capable; he trusts she will be able to hold her own should the worst happen.

that isn't to say he intends to allow it to get that far, should someone attempt to tread where they don't belong. it's why he stops, no more than a few paces from the door. he's quiet a moment, before he settles for departure with a soft but resolved return that brokers no argument over his shoulder.]

I'll be watching.

[her life is precious. and maybe... he is biased to keep tabs on this place more than most in this town for more reasons than one.

but he's gone with that, shifted into acceleration in the next step he took with no time to waste -- as she said... there is work to do.]

[...Good enough.

It occurs to her then, and she spins around.]

Father--...

[...

Ah, he's already gone.

...

She was going to ask him to leave his cassock behind. It needed fixing...

...

Mmm. It can't be helped. She'll just need to remember bringing it up to him next time, then. They'll have other chances.]

The Day of Judgement

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