video; un: blade

[unreachableside]

WHO: Blade and you
WHERE: The network
WHEN: A day or two before the Zodiac mid-month post
WHAT: *INCOHERENT POMSKY YELLING*
WARNINGS: Talk of blood, death, and violence. Teresa is a content warning on her own should her crimes be brought up (incest, slavery).

[video;]

[This is the second time Blade has appeared on the network looking unhinged, but this time he's covered in blood, which is definitely not an improvement. He wears mostly black but the blood stains are still dark and damp, all over his torso, though there's no wounds (?). Blood has also smeared against one cheek as if he were hugging a corpse, because for a few minutes that's exactly what he was doing.

His candle-flame eyes glow with unbridled fury. He's all fangs and fire. The background looks... wooden? Maybe the inside of a boat cabin but who cares honestly.]

She killed him. She killed him!

Do you understand?

Teresa killed Dan Heng. He couldn't even fight back. She stabbed him again and again until he died, and then she kept stabbing.

[He snarls.]

Do you understand?

He came back, but he isn't fine. You're never the same after dying. [Blade knows that better than anyone.]

She has to die. I don't care if she's Black Order. She'll pay. I'll end her. I'll end her worthless life!

Do you hear me, witch? I'll strip your flesh piece by piece, and then—

I'll burn your bones until not even ashes remain!

[He shuts the feed off violently.]

Comments

text | UN: Arachne

[adtendo]

[Kafka is doing this over text, because she might risk having an emotion otherwise. It's fine. She's fine. Don't worry about it.]

Where are you? I'm coming to you.

text;

[unreachableside]

ship

[Believe it or not this is better texting than usual when he's like this.]

Voice: un: MrColdFeet

[anyprice]

...He died?

[ there's an... odd tone to Sampo's voice. Sure, he and Dan Heng had their differences (those differences being that sampo screwed around on Dan Heng and Co. in a past life) but hearing that he'd died is... not what he wants to hear.

'He came back' also makes The Laughter echo in the back of his head like a headache. ]

I knew the Black Order were a bunch of insane cultists, but I didn't. Think they'd outright--

...

Hey, buddy. Blade. Calm down. This--this sort of message is gonna' get their attention in a bad way. You're gonna' put yourself in danger too, you know?? Once they get their sights on someone they don't stooooop, you know?

...

Buddy? Are you even here anymore?

...

Oh, no.

voice; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[The response comes like half an hour later. He's quiet, but no less furious.]

I don't care if she's Black Order.

What is another sin to my litany?

voice, un: jingnyan

[pranas]

[ jing yuan, doing his best to do damage control, responds pretty much immediately: ]

Sam.

He'll be fine, I'm with him. He will have to get through me if he wishes to run off and do something stupid.

Not Here

[whiteshroud]

[ That... wasn't part of the plan.

Fuck.]

un: kesitakame

[hoshikiri]

[She killed Dan Heng.

She killed Dan Heng.

She killed one of Takame's students. Even if he fucking came back... even if he did...

Takame's response is eerily quiet. He swore he would stay out of this, he needed to keep Ei and Yusuke safe... but this. No, hells with quiet. He still was but the growl in his words was frightening to anyone with sense.]

... If you do not reach her first I will strike her down myself.

voice; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[His response comes a few minutes later, and it sounds strained:]

I can't leave. Can't fight. Forbidden.

What a joke.

He couldn't even fight back.

voice | un: chaosraccoon

[actnormal]

What?! Who--what--what happened?!

text; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[He doesn't respond for a long time. When he does, it's just text.]

teresa

[Thanks Blade, that explains so much.]

un: fortuneclovers

[medicgunner]

[There's the sound of a phone falling to the ground, some kind of choked shouting only the latter of which can be made out:]

What the fuck... What the fuck... What the FUCK?! HOW COULD SHE?! HOW??

voice; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[He doesn't respond for like twenty minutes. He sounds angry, but a little more subdued than before.]

Ambushed him.

voice | UN: Thorn

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose's response comes after the fact, via voice. There's a part of her that wants to offer to go there now, to help, but she promised Veldora she'd be careful.]

[At the very least, she knows she was right to worry.]

Please let me know if you need anything. She's a vile woman, and you're right.

[Rose doesn't often encourage murder, but.]

Keep yourself safe, too. But if you do get hurt in the process, call me.

voice; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[He responds a little later, voice quiet and dark.]

... Okay.

[That's the most he can offer right now.]

Voice | UN: jalbarea PRIVATE

[noblerise]

[For fuck's sake—]

Stand down, Blade.

[His tone is as firm and calm as cold steel, but there's a shared anger underneath it as well. He's angry at Teresa. Most of all, he's absolutely goddamn furious at the higher ups for sending her in the first place.]

I understand being vengeful and furious right now, but you cannot leave Dan Heng alone. You will stay there in that cabin as his guard until further notice. Am I understood?

private;

[unreachableside]

[He snarls and growls so much that Jusis would be forgiven if he's expecting Blade to bark at him. Thankfully, he does not.]

He was innocent! He... I...

[...

Jusis is right, though. He needs to stand by. He can't let Teresa come back to finish the job.

After a few seconds, he responds with:]

... Acknowledged.

video: UN: trienemybest

[droptheious]

She did what?

[What the absolute hell? Varian's done as asked (for once in his goddamn life) and stayed the absolute hell out of this mess. But this is absolutely not something that anyone can ignore. He sure as hell can't. Blade might look unhinged, but that's his friend and Varian's not gonna be perturbed by it. ]

Damnit.

[He wants to voice caution against revenge. He knows how that only leads to bad places- he knows that EXTREMELY well. But that isn't what Blade needs right now, and frankly? She sounds like she deserves whatever is coming to her. Varian might have made some real strides in getting better but this hits... different. ]

What do you need?

[To make this easier. For Dan Heng. To wipe Teresa off the face of the planet. All of the above.]

voice;

[unreachableside]

[Blade doesn't get back to this for a hot minute.]

... I don't know.

[a pause]

You're in POKEGO. Stay safe. Hide until she's dead.

Do that for me. For him.

un: goldenrose

[twofoldfury]

[... This has gone on long enough. Edward... Diarmuid knew to leave it to him. This could not stand. Dan Heng, even if returned, should never have been a victim of her vile wish.

There's a voice, only slightly familiar to Blade from the Cabin. The veil of fury in his tone was barely contained, but contained nonetheless.]

Are you with Dan Heng now?

un: jingnyan

[pranas]

[ don't mind him cutting in as the voice of calm and reason. ]

We are, yes. Introductions will have to come later, but know I am a friend of both Dan Heng and Blade and am looking after them both.

un: ragna

[centralfiction]

That fucking bitch... That piece of shit...!

[He sounded as horrified as he did livid. If he came back... that didn't mean what he think it did, did it? Fuck, he hoped not but all he could do right now was lash out as Blade was.]

If that Black Order BITCH thinks she's gonna get out of this fucking town with her life...! [Ragna has killed before. And he damn sure will again. He knows damn well how much Blade loves Dan Heng. He'll rip Teresa apart for both of them.]

> private voice, un: jingnyan.

[pranas]

[ inhale, exhale. gods, he is already exhausted by all of this. ]

Settle down. You are only drawing attention to yourself should she turn up dead in the morning, I understand you're angry but now is not the time to allow emotions to overcome your judgement.

not here

[jackdawvision]

[Edward pulls his hood up after watching the video, and flicks out his hidden blade to test it. Slides it back into place.

Time to move.]

text: un: TheDuke > Private

[loupmorque]

If you need backup, you know my number.

private; text;

[unreachableside]

[A response doesn't come for a good long while.]

thanks

Voice | UN: makeitaventi PRIVATE

[venti_late]

[Oh, Barbatos, this is looking so fucking bad. Venti has to immediately make this private and do what he can to help calm Blade down before he got himself killed. While the man is his follower and West Wind, he's also Venti's friend. His mind flashes back to Dvalin, driven made by poison and loneliness and the false words of an Abyss Mage.

He has to believe his words will reach Blade.]

Bladie—Yingxing. Please, I know it's hard and you're upset and angry, and you have every right to be, but you need to take a deep breath. He wouldn't want you to do anything reckless, right?

voice; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[It's a while before he responds, but the pact doesn't indicate he's in trouble. Jing Yuan took his phone away.]

... I'm not doing anything.

Orders.

video; un: theprofessional

[sg09r]

Jesus Christ. Listen, we’ll find her, but you’re already on probation, you have to stand down. There’s law enforcement on this app and you’ll be the first name on their suspect list if anything happens to her.

That goes for all of you, by the way. Stop leaving evidence.

voice;

[unreachableside]

Of course I'd be first on their list. [His tone is biting.] I killed two people already. What's one more.

text; un: ndwolfwood

[asipofbride]

[ well fuck.

keeping your head down, in retrospect, is a stupid idea and this is somehow Vash's fault. time to get the Punisher out of its closet and go back to full carry. ]

it's all lunatic cult bullshit at the end of the day.

so is this a stay scattered situation or a circle the wagons it's getting dealt with situation.

text;

[unreachableside]

ordered to stay

probably the latter

Video: UN: hotgoss

[bebest]

[Well, this is fucking horrific. Zulius should have known this would happen. The pressure was growing and growing and growing- it was inevitable something would boil over eventually. He just didn't expect it to be someone being DEAD. Or if he did, he expected it to be that skank. ]

Oh, I knew that bitch was trouble. Okay, Blade, honey. I need you to take a few solid breaths for me, okay? Nice big deep ones. Where are you both now? Are you safe? Because, girl, you guys have to get somewhere safe if you're not.

voice;

[unreachableside]

[Blade responds like half an hour later. He sounds a little calmer, but still aggrieved.]

Yes, we're safe. We're on the ship.

[Teresa already knew they're here. There's no point hiding.

Let her come and face the ten or so people who've congregated here, if she wants to finish the job. He'll fucking run her through even if he can't run.]

Can't leave. Orders.

text; un: midnightfishing

[illucesco]

if anyone needs an alibi, give me a call.

text; un: blade

[unreachableside]

You're a good man.

Keep Caleb safe.

video; un: luciferskylight

[scourgingstars]

My, my. That was unprofessional of her.

[And even though his tone had the usual light cadence to it, if one listened it almost sounded like there was some kind of distaste to it.]

As one of the Order's...more long-lasting members, do allow me to extend my sincerest apologies to you, him, and the city at large for this little incident. That was, as far as I am aware, an unsanctioned use of unnecessary force. [But, you know, a sanctioned one would have been fine.]

[The terms of his own possession were, as ever, nebulous. But if he twisted it just right, he could consider this a slight against the Order, which meant an inconvenience to Ardyn personally. An annoyance, and annoyance was provocation enough to get the ball rolling.]

[Finally, an excuse.]

Do rest assured that we of the Order have no intention to conceal dear Teresa, neither will we brush such a terrible blemish on the organization aside.

[A pause, and then...]

...Give my regards to your friend. I too understand what it is to be never quite the same.

un: jingnyan.

[pranas]

[ jing yuan has always been good at listening and he hears the distaste in the man's voice, it is as unsettling as it is comforting. ]

Then you ought to know that it wasn't the first attack of the day, she also assaulted two others in broad daylight before being repelled. The attack on Dan Heng was one of convivence as she intended to finish what she started earlier in the day.

[ you want more ammo? have more ammo. ]

I expect to hear of her capture before long. It will not do to allow her actions to go unpunished.

Video; un: Opera_Ghost

[not_a_possum]

Who? What? Why would she do that?

voice; un: blade

[unreachableside]

[He doesn't respond immediately.]

She blames others for something they did not do.

UN: hikari-vi | text

[whiteshroud]

[Originally he was going to keep quiet. But after he received so many concerned messages checking on his wellbeing? The guilt is getting too much]

It's my fault.

When she came on the ship, I ended up provoking her.
I thought she'd just target me so I left the area.
I was careless and didn't consider she'd target Dan Heng too.

un: silverrose

[fionnuisce]

nightroad the correct time to admit to this was 'later'

action

[crisantemo]

[ The last hour or so has been a blur, a panic-stricken and furious blur from the moment Jing Yuan called her and she heard Blade's fury in the background. From the moment she reached for Jinwoo, needing to get to the Jackdaw, right now, Dan Heng's hurt please and he teleported her there in a swirl of shadow; from that moment, her focus has been on Dan Heng.

Lapis' healing couldn't do anything about the blood already lost, but at least she could knit up his wounds so there was no further risk. He's breathing, has a pulse (faint but there) and alive, and it's enough to ease the fury and fear roiling in her chest however briefly. Throughout this, she only vaguely listens to Blade and Jing Yuan speaking to the others, eyes focused on making sure every wound is healed completely before moving to the next.

And eventually, she lifts her hands away, the last of her magic - darkened wisps that knit and soothe - finally fades. Lapis has done what she can, so she pushes herself to her feet and leaves Dan Heng to rest. Goes to find Blade.

Wherever he may be, whether in the same room or elsewhere, she gravitates to his side; only speaking up once she's close enough. ]

... He's just resting now. He lost a lot of blood, but he'll be okay.

[unreachableside]

[Blade is just outside on the deck with a little knife and a block of wood. Even now, he has to keep his hands busy. He straightens up when Lapis draws near.]

That's... good. [He looks relieved, and then the exhaustion settles in. He's covered in blood still.] Thank you, mèimei. I'll have to pay you back later.

[...]

Oh. [He didn't mean to call her that.] Sorry. I meant—Lapis... [His cheeks flush and his ears pin against his head, and he doesn't make eye contact for a minute.] Do you know when he'll wake up?