Initiative.

[trustwellness]

With your course of study officially completed, for better or worse, there isn't much left for you in the courtroom itself; the elevator will take you back down to the first floor, where you'll be left off – it won't take you any lower than that. But then again, perhaps it doesn't need to. Take some time to reorient yourself, to be grateful that you didn't die, to do whatever it is you need to do – however, if you return to the main part of the building, away from the dorms... Well. There's something waiting for you in the foyer.

Comments

[trustwellness]

[Or, well. Perhaps "something" is a bit of an understatement; honestly, it's more like "someone."

Several someones, as a matter of fact – some of which you haven't seen in a very long time. But however much you may or may not have wanted to see them, it's difficult to say that you wanted to see them like this.

Twenty-two people – all of the dead that have passed here – are bound to the wall of the foyer.

They're split into two groups, in the order of death, eleven on either side of the clock; they're standing, but obviously not of their own volition – rather, they're being held in place by the familiar dark tendrils belonging to Angra Mainyu, wrapped tightly around their wrists, legs and necks, pinning them back against the red-painted walls as some of that silt flows heavily down their bodies. They appear to be whole and unharmed, but they also appear to be rather unmistakably dead - there's no fight in them, no signs of life.

It's a display, really; there's no way it isn't.

There's someone else here as well, however, standing between you and the deceased; she's short, with straight, shoulder-length black hair that seems as though it would normally be neatly arranged – but it seems to have grown out of its usual style a bit, lying wild and piece-y around her face. In combination with the tight black turtleneck and black pants...well, let's say she looks very much like someone that you would reasonably call Noir.

When she speaks, her voice is high and cold; she's smiling, but it's not a nice expression.]

It's good to finally get to speak to you all in person.

[acherontiastyx]

...

Um. Ah. Erm. Hi, Noir.

[...............]

Yeah, same, but this is creepy as hell.

[feistytrader]

[...Yeah, that's exactly what he expected to see when he- what the fuck?]

[iaspis]

W... what's going on?

[JESUS, WE JUST SPARED THE PRIEST, DO WE NEED TO GO... GET HIM....]

[sportadork]

[...]

Why?

[firstaid]

[Going to the foyer and seeing... everyone there. Her first instinct is to run up to Killia or Mikazuki, but it's clear that without coming closer...

...a miracle may not have happened.

She has a hand clasped over her mouth as she backs away, shaking her head and trying not to cry.]

[blackmass]

[hanyuu is way ahead of you]

[matchbreaker]

[ Same tbh ]

[trustwellness]

Hello, Guzma.

[She seems pretty placid about this whole thing, wall of corpses behind her aside.]

It'll be all right, assuming that all of you meant what you said upstairs.

[elepe]

[.............................

THIS IS NOT FINE, WHAT THE HELL.

Lusamine is. Trying not to scream here, jesus.]

Wh--what is going on here?

[oyashiromama]

[sup guys what's up i've got the prie- oh my fucking--]

Wh-what...is the meaning...?!

[trustwellness]

[God, she is not doing a damn thing with her face. Just the most placid little smile.

She'll glance over at Kirei for a moment - just the briefest darting of her eyes, not even enough to be proper acknowledgement, before returning her attention to Jasper.]

That's a good question! It's a very good question, isn't it.

[acherontiastyx]

...well, huh. Yeah. I...

Fill a dude in. What are you... doing on this side of things.

[trustwellness]

Why not?

[That's not...helpful, none of this is helpful, her lack of expression that isn't just weird smiling isn't helpful, her face is literally not helpful - ]

You guys seemed so sincere upstairs. You should be able to handle an~y~thing...

[trustwellness]

[Well, I mean.]

[sportadork]

... Why are you talking like that? [THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE...]

Of course we meant everything! We are not liars-- what do you think we didn't mean?

[trustwellness]

[Look, if you think she's gonna be helpful here-]

[blackmass]

Don't look at me.

[Kirei folded his arms, looking at worst slightly inconvenienced.]

I've nothing to do with this.

[trustwellness]

I'm here to see what you're going to do now.

[oyashiromama]

[thanks you're a champ bud-]

What is Angra Mainyu doing?

[firstaid]

We're... going to go home... right? I... I mean...

[She wants to say 'with her friends', but uh... yeah...]

[acherontiastyx]

Um. Okay. We're gonna. See about our friends? You... told us the gummy tails are important probably.

[feistytrader]

And we're taking them with us.

[He points at some of the corpses. ...If Noir could come back somehow, then maybe...?]

[oyashiromama]

Do you...want something from us...?

[Hanyuu's on edge but trying to be...generous, careful.]

[trustwellness]

You all agreed - so strongly! - that you're not here to stand on the backs of your friends. That you bear their sacrifices with you, that you'll carry on their hopes.

Did you mean that?