[sermon ?] —if you wanna cry, use my heart

[asipofbride]

WHO: Nicholas D. Wolfwood and you.
WHERE: the Metaverse - Noman's Land
WHEN: the month of May
WHAT: sọ̸͒m̷̥̽ĕ̷̛̜̺t̶̐̃ͅ𝔱𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰

the Eye of Michael and Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Pastor of the St. Michael's Church, do hereby enter into the following contract with respect to their work. the Pastor agrees to faithfully perform all duties as commanded in the Eye of Michael, effective ████ ███, █.█. ███, and to abide by all rules and regulations swearing in the name of the two Angels sent by God.

the Pastor agrees to receive immortal glory from the Priest ███████ through the Suffering of the Holy Angels.

in the event of abandonment of his duties, or in the event that the Executive Board determines that there is sufficient cause, the Pastor shall be permanently expelled from the Eye of Michael and St. Michael's Church, and the family members of the Pastor shall be Subject to the same punishment.

WARNINGS: medical experimentation, insects, body horror, needles, religious trauma, gore, death.

??? — NOMAN'S LAND — summaries and links

♫ HUNGRY!

Are you ever going to be fast enough to outrun everything, Judas?

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOPELAND;

The Dormitories and the Laboratories

Hopeland Orphanage, in its good and not so good days. Shadow Wolfwood will tell you to go the Laboratories; the Eye of Michael's enforcers wait to inject you with the drugs in Wolfwood's vials and make you better. Livio wants you to find the other children and bring them back to safey, but will eventually leave to find Wolfwood himself no matter how fast you go. Fight your way through the lab or save the children; both choices deliver you to the belly of the Eye.

CHILD OF BLESSING;

The Eye of Michael HQ

The Eye of Michael's training facilities and Plant storage. Once you're far enough in, you'll meet another Wolfwood who wants nothing more than to shoot you dead; you can either confront him or go around him. Going around him leads to a repeating looping of classrooms and expendable young Eye of Michael goons; going through him will be a battle to not get shot by a skittish, defensive little gunman who's very good at what he does. Both paths will lead to Legato Bluesummers and an older, enhanced Livio. Disabling or killing Legato and Livio will let you out into Julai in the middle of its last hour.

HIGH NOON AT JULY;

Julai

The city of Julai in its final day. You're emerging from ground zero of the Eye of Michael's weird cult tower and the city is being overrun by a giant plant organism that looks like Vash's mother. The military think you're part of it and will try and stop you, and the people of Julai are being menaced and mulched by the plants. Help them, or run. If you linger for too long, Millions Knives will find you and attempt to reduce you to fertilizer despite the best efforts of the Humanoid Typhoon that Wolfwood remembers. Eventually, the twins will go up--and everything will go white when they come back down.

HUMANITY;

In Kaisou

Trying to enter the Metaverse immediately after the July Incident is an exercise in futility. Wolfwood's space is just white static and the phantom feeling of coarse sand and unrelenting heat on your skin. You have been returned to Cathedral Hill for at least a night.

THE RUNNJING MAN;

THE the Outskirts of Julai;

Julai City is a hole that seems to span forever and all that's left are clouds of glimmering Worms and a rusted metallic scrapyard. In the center of the scrapyard, you'll find Nicholas D. Wolfwood at odds with Nicholas the Punisher. They're bound to the duty that they can't put down, the Cross Punisher standing like a tombstone in the middle of a sandy arena. The bigger, hungrier Worms will try their luck with bringing down all of you fresh hunks of meat. Save Wolfwood. End this.

Comments

HUMANITY;

[asipofbride]

♫ NICHOLAS THE PUNISHER ♫

Maybe you made it to the desert. Maybe you stood your ground as the light got closer and closer, as the raw heat got even more unbearable, as hundreds of thousands of voices raised around you to cry to a God that wasn't listening to begin with--

As quickly as it comes, it goes silent. When you open your eyes, you'll find that you're back in Kaisou, outside of the cemetery on Cathedral Hill. If you try to re-enter No Man's Land during the same Dark Hour where you witnessed the end, you'll find that you can't. Everything is white static and the feeling of sand rasping over your skin, hot and dry and empty.

Time to regroup. Try again tomorrow night, if you still think there's something left to save.

[doubledollar]

[ ...he didn't miss being on Noman's land. He'd almost forgotten how much he hated the sand, the worms, the overbearing heat, and worst of all

the reminders

of what he did.

When they're kicked out of the gate for the night, Vash is immediately distant. Going quiet, not a word coming out of his usually very chatty mouth, and he has a long and distant look on his face.

He doesn't want to be seen right now.
And yet,

And yet.

He can feel that every single eye in the room is on him.

All he can hope is
that he can quietly start walking towards the exit
without anyone stopping him. ]

We'll come back tomorrow.

[ he says so quietly

it's a strain to hear it. ]

[advivo]

[ dante had been one of the first to try and force his way back in, only to be met nothing but white static and hot sand against his skin. he tried to find his way, to find something sort of sign of wolfwood or anything only to end up not actually moving at all and leaving as empty handed as he went in.

by the time he finally emerges dante feels drained, exhausted, covered from head to toe in a sand determined to burrow deep underneath his skin. he honestly expected vash to be gone by now, leaving dante to make his way home on his own but... well. it seemed the others hadn't quiet let the humanoid typhon leave just yet.

or maybe what felt like hours back inside that gate was mere seconds out here?

whatever, it doesn't matter. he doesn't want to be here anymore.

silently the devil hunter walks up beside vash, reaching out to take his hand like he had done earlier tonight before resting his head against the plant's shoulder. ]

Let go home, yeah?

[whiteshroud]

[To say this was a rough night would be an understatement. All of Jun hurt. From living through experiments, to getting shot, and all to cap it off with watching a disaster that was just like the Twilight Disaster. The devastation, the countless lives snuffed out by an apostle that wasn't supposed to be in this world- it was just like that day.

Except this time.... he knew the Apostle. He had broken bread with him. Had vouched for him, again and again, even to the god of contracts-

And now, he was trying to slip away without any attempts to check on anyone who just went through hell. Somehow, that angered him more than anything. ]

Wait.

[His body wants nothing more than to lie down and not move for while, but he forces himself to stand. ]

At the very least, tell us it won't happen again. What we saw in there.

[Tell him... he hadn't been wrong to put faith in Vash. That he hadn't damned his home by going against his training and giving Vash a chance. ]

[end_singer]

[Nito is tired.

He is tired, he has sand in his fur and joints, he knows enough about how Vash views himself and how stupid people get when they're tired and emotional, and he has been reminded far too much of the fates of two of his dearest friends and the cities they brought down with them to not interject.]

If we truly must have this discussion, we are not having it here, and we are not having it without at least a glass of water in your systems, if not food. I can make a portal to my realm or we can find a place like Denny's, I just...

[He struggles to his feet, feeling the weight of time beyond measure and of friends gone in the wake of it.]

...I need you to take care of yourselves, just for a moment.

[doubledollar]

[ he should have paused; he should have put on that smile he always manages to put on in front of others so they don't worry. He should have masked up and pretended he wasn't so in a storm of his own feelings, selfishly only thinking of his own guilt in this moment.

Dante's arm around him feels heavy--wrong, like he doesn't deserve the gentle gesture, the kind emotion that comes with it. His eyes close and he brings his hands up to his face--

Only to freeze entirely in place when Shroud speaks. ...Shroud. Shroud, the same man who'd told him plainly that he'd kill Kni if he got out of control. The man who'd both made him uncomfortable and yet, at the same time, something about him made him feel somber.

And when the man asks him to stop, he does indeed, slowly turning his head to look at Shroud with a look that's... pained, but quiet.

He opens his mouth to respond, but. Nito brings up his own feelings on the matter, and he tries to laugh. The sound coming out as more of a tired sigh more than anything else. ]

Nito.
You're right. We all need some respite.
But I think Shroud deserves an answer. So. We can go get something to eat. To drink.

But I'll at least offer this to take some of the ... tension off. [ he raises his hand up--his real hand, curling his fingers into themselves as dozens of pure white, curling feathers all but explode out from it; curling around his arm, but--

...That's where it stops. His arm doesn't turn furthur than that, and you can even see how there's... a hard attempt to continue the transformation. His fingers almost shifting to fuse together as it becomes some city-ending weapon.

But they shift back, refusing. ]

...Since I got here.
I haven't been able to use the Angel's Arm.

And if that ever changes.

You can cut this off yourself.

[whiteshroud]

[He doesn't acknowledge what Nito says right away, not wanting to snap at the god. He knows Nito is just trying to keep things peaceful. Gods had a different perspective on matters, and they typically had much more patience. Normally he'd understand, but right now? He was too human to be willing to embrace that divine patience.

Thankfully Vash seems to understand that much. Shroud watches him silently as he gives his explanation, but utterly a word or a sound. He's observing the arm, reading the energies as Vash demonstrates. Sure enough, there isn't enough power there to cause a calamity.

He lets himself breath out, ever so slightly, knowing his own wanting to believe in someone didn't damn his home.

But that almost sigh of relief stops mid-breath as Vash states that plan, catching Shroud off guard and suddenly torn. On one hand, it's an extreme but logical plan. If cutting off the arm would eliminate the threat, then that would be better than killing Vash.

On the other hand... Vash sure just did request Shroud to do this in front of a bunch of Vash's friends. And his husband. And the kids. Even he had enough social awareness to understand they are not going to see it that way, and he was about to earn a lot of dislike. Thanks for that, Vash. Truly.

But he knows how he must answer. Do what must be done and all that]

... Very well. If it comes to that, I'll do it.

[Welp. Now that he's gotten his reassurance and possibly pissed off some folks - now he'll address Nito]

Thank you for your concern. I'll go own my separate way, but I'll make sure to get food and water.

[And with that, Shroud is turning to go in the general direction of the cathedral. He doesn't have the energy to teleport home, but at least maybe he can get some food there and sleep on a pew. ]

[advivo]

[ dante clicks his tongue behind his teeth annoyed. the last thing they need is to hash shit shit out, the last thing vash needs is for people to start looking at him like he's some sort of monster. he shouldn't have to prove himself, shouldn't have to force himself to even try and active his arm. he shouldn't have to do any of this.

the frown on the devil hunter's face only deepens as vash continues, the feathers retreating back into his arm, laying flat his plan in front of them all. he can't say he's surprised by it, he isn't. vash would sooner cut off his own arm than allow something like that to ever happen again, he understands the logic behind it even if he doesn't like it. ]

Thanks but not thanks big guy. I'm taking the this one home. [ he jabs a finger towards vash. ] But I've only got space on the bike for the one. Do us a favour and drop the kids off at the cottage and be sure to let Vergil know he's a shitty babysitter.

[ pressing his lips together dante whistles though no sound really follows, not for a moment. but then the rumble of a riderless motorcycle pulls up beside him. ]

[end_singer]

[Well, this entire conversation is... turning out better than he'd thought, if he's honest. (And he is, of course. He doesn't know how to be anything but.) Not precisely well, but...

A promise for if something happens rather than doing something drastic right now to try and prevent something that's only a possibility is a good start. A good place to grow from.

So he will stow away any further input he might have had for later and let Vash and the little ones let out whatever feelings they need without interference, keeping most of his attention on Dante.]

Aye. I can do that. [A brief pause, then with slightly more humor:] Would that message be exact words, or...?

[advivo]

[ wolfwood is probably gonna kill him for doing this, but he's only got two hands and he knows vash needs some space to just decompress. besides, this giant skeleton man is vash's friend so it should be fine. dante's got a good feeling about him.

he looks to vash then the kids before his gaze settles on nito again. ]

Yeah, those exact words.

[ornamentals]

["If it comes to that, I'll do it."

kni is moving before he even realizes it, still dizzy and unaligned after being spat out of the dungeon. his, vergil's, backpack is left abandoned in the cemetery behind him as he all but runs after shroud.]

Wait! Stop!

[breathing hard as his heart races, vash's offer ringing in his head, kni stops a short distance from shroud. his hands clenched at his sides, posture tense.]

You can't... it isn't his fault! You can't punish him for something that wasn't his fault! [he presses a palm to his chest, fingers shaking as he clutches at fabric.] It's my fault, I'm the one who should be responsible for what happened. You can't hurt Vash for, for something that I did!

[whiteshroud]

[Christ Almighty he's sure wishing he could teleport right now, this is exactly what he wanted to avoid by leaving-

But he will stop, looking down at Kni as he says his piece. His heart sinks as he's confronted with the fact he'd been mentally avoiding this whole time. Kni was there, Kni saw what they all saw. The sins of his future self, put on full display. That'd be a sobering reality for anyone, much less a child.

There's a long silence before he answers, trying his best to collect himself.]

It's not a punishment.

[He'll kneel down, so he's more on Kni's level. ]

I'm a servant of the Lord - the true Lord. My role is to do what needs to be done to protect this world. If that means removing that Angel Arm if it becomes a threat, then so be it. But I'm no punishing angel. I cannot carry out any sentence you feel you deserve right now.

[Believing you are qualified to enact the Lord's punishments is too far slippery a slope for Jun to even want to go near. That's how you get true monsters.]

And even if I could... it wouldn't be what He'd want. The Lord is a god of salvation. If He's allowed you to be here, then I believe it's because He thinks your fate isn't set in stone. The sins of Million Knives aren't destined to be the sins you'll bear.

[He moves to stand up again once more]

So live well, Kni. However that may look like. That's what I'll ask of you.

[doubledollar]

[ while, later, he might feel like an asshole for selfishly being plain about what should be done if his body ever DID take a turn into becoming a weapon--but it's Shroud. A man who he... still hasn't made the connection to Jun.
The man who'd promised to kill Kni if he ever got to a point where he became Millions Knives. He was a savior to this city, even if it meant making the hard choices. And while Vash really didn't enjoy the idea of losing his second arm, he truly did think it was the best idea.

...Even if it meant upsetting those present with the reality of the situation.
He'd apologise to Shroud later, maybe, for putting him on the spot.

Surely Shroud would understand; after seeing the state of Julai once it was over and done with.

He does, however, stop and startle when Kni runs to the man, to stop him. His hand coming up to try to catch the kid--going dead still when Kni blames himself. For this. For everything. His stomach silently dropping to his knees as he grits his teeth in witness to this.

He did once agree to never lie to Kni. But. The reason he'd never wanted Kni to enter this dungeon was for this exact reason.
So he'd see in detail exactly how bad for Noman's Land Kni truly had been. ]

....Kni.

What Shroud is saying is true.
You... aren't him. You have a different chance, in this life. To be someone else.

To leave this world better than the way we found it, instead of trying to tear it all down in our grief.
A second chance. One I'd always wished for you to have.

[ornamentals]

[it isn't a punishment, he says, but it sure feels like one. he can't hear those promises, offers of sacrifice, and not feel sickness curdle in the pit of his stomach. coming from one nightmare kni finds himself standing before another, only this one he knows well. not even the idyllic and near peaceful life in the countryside could erase the images of floating dismembered limbs that followed him into his dreams. the color red bathing everything in the light of their sisters' decay. he hadn't known how true that was until now, after seeing so many of their sisters lined up, glowing bright in their suffering. there was nothing he could do then and still nothing he can do now.

shroud kneels at his level, but kni can't bring himself to look at him. not when he knows the look on his face is one he can't twist under his control. he settles for glaring down at the grass, eyes burning with furious tears.]

I can't do that.

[his voice is twisted with emotion, jaw creaking with the effort not to spill out the hot, angry coals burning away inside his chest. kni lifts his head to look back at vash, eyes shining.]

I can't just let them- butcher you! [he's so tired of it by now, his loved ones ripped apart, and he's powerless against it. how is that supposed to be fair?] You deserve better, Vash! You don't deserve this!

[his attention snaps back to shroud, this sanctimonious stranger who seemingly knows more than enough about kni, of what he is and isn't deserving of yet.]

I don't care what happens to me, but I won't ever let you or anyone hurt my brother.

[jackdawvision]

No one is hurting anyone right now, [comes a very tired voice from somewhere near the back of the group. Edward lets out a breath as he steps forward, glancing at Shroud.]

Look—we’re all tired. We’re bloodied and bruised, and I personally feel as if I’ve come fresh off prison. Let’s—Let’s all go home, first.

[He—can’t even begin to understand what the argument in front of him is all about, still a little out of it to really process much beyond the fact that tensions are running incredibly high, at the moment. Usually he’d be fine with a little escalation, but there’s a kid involved and he feels like shit, so:]

If you lot want to have this argument at a later date, that’s fine by me, just. Not now, not after everything, and not while we’ve yet to rescue Wolfwood.

[whiteshroud]

[Shroud was praying he had said the right thing. And when Vash responds positively, he feels a bit of hope that maybe he had. That this could be a sign that Jun won't need to act. That the positive future Vash wants for Kni could be a reality and his blade won't be needed.

But then Kni responds. Calling him a butcher. Dismissing the reality of the situation, the lives they just watched get snuffed out. The torment and suffering that happened to everyone else.

He's so tired.

There's thoughts that race through his head, but Edward speaks up before any of them can reach his mouth. Probably for the best.

He'll turn his back to them, and once again start walking away without a word. He's done here.]

[playtag]

[Eve has been in the back this whole time, sitting on a bench in what she hopes looks like a casual manner. She's used her powers quite a lot today, and her legs might give out on her any minute now. Something that'll be obvious once she has to get up, but hopefully that'll be after Dante and Vash leave.]

[Her mind was already swimming with what she just saw, dots being connected. Then Jun approached Vash, Vash offered his arm, Jun agreed, and Kni ran off to pick a fight. This is too much right now, too much. They haven't even gotten Wolfwood back.]

[Why are they all fighting]

Ah-

[And Jun is leaving. Her half raised arm drops, and Eve looks over to Nito with a dejected expression. She appreciated his attempt! But-]

Your plan... it didn't work.

[end_singer]

[Nito looks to the sky for a moment, gathering himself.

My friends, were it that you were here to aid these beings whose hearts you would understand better than I, he thinks to himself, knowing both witch and man are far beyond where his sentiment can reach.

Then he returns to the moment, giving Edward a grateful glance before he limps over to sit next to Eve.]

...Alas, I suspected it may not. Living things are... complicated in ways I could never truly understand.

[A moment's hesitance, and then his hand is placed atop Eve's head in hopes that it will be a comfort.]

Nonetheless, I have been charged with seeing you and Kni home, and I mean to be sure that you, at least, are hydrated.

[doubledollar]

[ his chest feels hollow. He knows what needs to be done, he'd do anything to prevent a second incident, but of course, kni doesn't understand that. He's too young, hasn't experienced the things he has--and worse, he... quietly realises why the kid is reacting so violently. His memory flickers to their Sister, floating quietly in that red room, silent like the grave that it was.

He closes his eyes to shake the image from his mind. Having a good memory like this wasn't always the best, especially when remembering things like... that.

He watches shroud's back as it retreats and he lets his head sink down for a moment. Hand on the back of his neck as he shakes his head gently. ] Edward's right. We need to go home, rest, and then come back to this tomorrow.

We still need to rescue him. And standing around making a mess of this argument isn't going to do much.

...Sorry. I know I shouldn't have said that so thoughtlessly. [ he should have waited and told Shroud in private. But he really was never the sort of person to think ahead of certain things when it came to protecting human life. ]

I appreciate you all for being here. [ he turns his head to look down at Kni. ] ...It's okay. So long as my Angel Arm doesn't come back. Noone needs to hurt anyone.