8. Heavenly Encounter

[Nikiah29]

((Yeah people like to pair up Winry with Ed, and I was never a fan lol. I just can’t like Winry. She’s unlikeable for me. Idk why. I wish Berry the butcher had chopped her up in early episodes. Just something about her I can’t like. Over the years however I’ve come to accept it and realize that it doesn’t bother me. She doesn’t bother me as much anymore.))

((Ok so for Clover I’ll just post a small bit and move on.))

Clover: “What! Why on earth would she do this? What has come over her? We simply just find her. Please say you’ll help me!” -distress and worry fill her voice as she holds herself together long enough to think this whole thing over.-

((We can just leave it there for now until something else comes along.))

Iris: “Curse?! What curse?! I’m cursed?!” -her face now holds one of horror. The pain of her leg forgotten as she stares at the panicked white haired guy. It’s hard to say if her face always looked that pale, but she sure looks pretty white at everything that’s going on. Her leg is bleeding but she doesn’t feel anything as she’s worried she is now cursed and what the curse is.-

*clearly his reactions are a bit dramatic lol*

((Also, I can’t remember if you showed me a picture of Critias, what does he look like? You don’t need a pic if you don’t want to look for one.))  

[Roxafox]

(( he did post a pic of Critias. go back to Page 2 at the top of the post where Critias appears in the story for the first time. it's under the spoiler tag.

I guess I'll do Damien later but he's not there yet. I'd like to put Flare in but I need to think about it and we've been so busy lately it's been the last thing on my mind, lol.

let's say they're both in the same section of time right now. in the time they spent looking for Iris was the time she spent running around looking for information and getting attacked. from this point forward, we'll do them side by side, everything is happening at the exact same time. ))

Pegasus: "Of course I'll help you! Iris was such a sweet girl, I wouldn't want to see her thrown into Hell!" gonk

(( we'll just not do anything that skips time anymore, keep everybody together and go minute by minute since it's not like we have a lot we have to hurry and get done lol not like we got newborn kids we want to age-up or anything lol ))  

[Riku Redeemed]

Critias says to Iris, "No, I'm cursed. We needed that jewel to lift it, but now you've absorbed its powers. You are the jewel now." He turns to his over-dramatic friend. "She's bleeding. Hurry and pull it together and heal her. We have to get out of here. We were almost to Heaven but it won't do us any good now. We'll have to find a way to separate her from the jewel, before the people after us catch up with us."

(( Critias is on Page 2. ))  

[Sora with Wings]

sage: *GASP* D8 *stares at her leg* "oh no!! " *stands up and waves staff with eyes closed, chants magical spell and glows, gets her leg to stop bleeding but it can be up to you if she's crippled now or not or whatever u wanna do there *  

[Nikiah29]

((I went back and there it was. It eluded me somehow. I think it was Bc it was at the top of the message box.))


Ok so we just post and say that they are on the same time. Gotcha.

Clover: “How do we even go about finding her? Surely you know someone who can cover ground quickly. I don’t care what I have to do, I’ll do whatever it takes to get to her.” -determination flares in her voice. When it comes to her sister, it’s clear she will do whatever it takes to find her. She has always been protective of her.-


Iris: “You’re cursed? I’m so sorry, I was just trying to give it back.” -she watches as this mysterious yet over dramatic shape shifting unicorn heals her. Her eyes widen at his power and she Oooos when he’s done. She examines it and frowns.- “I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk.” -she sighs loudly.- “That’s just my luck, spent my whole life bedridden, why not my afterlife as well?” -talking to no one in particular. She remains quiet almost as if she’s thinking for a moment.-  

[Roxafox]

Pegasus: "don't worry, I'll take you." -puffs out heroically- >Bl -then slumps helplessly with wings drooping to the ground- "but where do I take you TO? that is the question." :/ "I suppose we have to think like Iris. if she were looking for information about a forbidden crime, where would she go?"  

[Riku Redeemed]

Critias brings his hand to his mouth as he thinks, looking down at Iris's injured leg. He glances around the area for danger. "Well, you'll just have to ride on Sage. We can't leave you behind."



~~



An event that happened last night, elsewhere in Purgatory:

After nightfall in a rural farming village, Valkyrja patches up a woman who'd been brutally beaten. She wouldn't tell anyone what happened to her. She kept insisting that she tripped and rolled down a hill. She seems very nervous. After taking care of her, Val sits down squarely in front of her and looks into her eyes. "Tell me, lovely, who does this to you?"

Val has an accent and doesn't always speak languages correctly but in this case he means exactly the words he chose. He can tell she's been beaten before and has new bruises over old. When the woman looks into his amber eyes, for some reason she can't explain she feels compelled to be honest with him. She feels as though it's safe to tell him anything, even things she's never told anyone before. "My husband," she says, and busts into tears.

He pulls her close to his shoulder and pats her gently as she cries. When she calms down he pushes her back slowly and moves his hands from her shoulders to the sides of her face. "It is not the fault of you," he says. "People find the punishment of their own sins. You are not to blame. You deserve to be happy. Let yourself do so."

She isn't sure exactly what he means but she feels a sense of hope for the first time in her life either here or before she died as she leaves his ambulance where it is parked on the edge of town. When she arrives back home, her husband angrily demands to know where she's been. She says she was seeing a doctor and he gets even angrier, wanting to know what she said. She swears she never told anyone about his violent temper, that she told everybody she fell, but he knocks her around the house anyway.

He throws her onto the floor, calling her a stupid worthless whore as he turns away from her to reach for a stick of firewood to teach her a lesson with, but perched on the woodpile by the fireplace is a massive owl with glowing yellow eyes, smoldering in the glow of the fire like a bird from hell. It suddenly lunges toward the man, spreading out its great wings as its sharp talons reach for him. It slams him onto his back on the floor. He thrashes and screams but his voice falters into gargled choking.

The woman runs out of the house blindly into the dark. Long she's thought about running away from him but she was always afraid he'd come after her. He won't come after her now. She sprints down the dirt road as fast as her legs will carry her, her heart pounding in her chest, finally free.

Val's black stallion walks around the corner of the house when she is gone, his black hooves sinking into the dark grass. He snorts and lifts his head, pinning his ears as Val comes out of the house carrying something that looks very much like a body wrapped in a sheet.

"What's all the commotion, doctor!?" cries the neighbor from across the yard.

"Seizure, probably," he says as he lobs the bundle over his horse's back. "To do autopsy for make sure." He climbs onto his horse and pulls lightly on the left rein to turn the stallion around.

"Ah. Shame you didn't get here sooner," says the neighbor uncomfortably, watching him.

"Shame it is," says Val with a tip of his hat. He lights one of his expensive cigarettes as his tall stallion walks calmly down the road, the darkness enveloping them as the soft clip-clop of his hooves slowly fades away into the night.  

[Sora with Wings]

sage: * sad that he couldn't fix iris completely * :c " it wasn't ur fault. " sad

* looks at criti *

" do u need me to be a unicorn again ? but where will we go? what will we do? "

* all worried n stuff *  

[Nikiah29]

Clover: “Hmmm.” *she brings her hand up to her chin to think.* “It seems like she might seek out someone who would help her. But where would she even know to find someone?” *She looks around for a moment and turns toward the direction of the way they came from.* “Who do we ask or seek out about this....forbidden ritual? That’s where I’d start.” *She turns her attention towards Pegasus.*

((Oooo I enjoyed the post from Riku for Val. Although I can’t really post anything. I’m going to anyway lol.))

Another Neighbor: *peeks out from curtains of their little shack as they watched the woman run free. They had known about the abuse and did nothing. What could they do? The man would have beaten them up too. He nods to his wife and heads out after the woman to make sure she is ok. It’s dark out there and she seems afraid.*

(( Don’t have to do any thing with this, just wanted to be part of that post. Hope that was ok))

Iris: “You’ll take me with you? But where is it you’re going? I can’t go back to heaven. I left to find my sister. I need to seek out someone who can help me get back to the living world. My sister will surely be torn without me. I need to find out how to do a forbidden ritual.” *She talks wihout too much worry as to what she says. She’s made her intentions clear and plans to help them get the jewel back and hopes that they will help her.* “Also, I’d love to ride the unicorn. I’ve never ridden one before. Let alone seen one.” *The idea of riding a mystical creature sure makes her happy. She perks up a bit, and helps however she can.*

Like if criteria’s lifts her up, she hangs on to him. She has experience with riding a horse, so mounting shouldn’t be too hard to manage.  

[Roxafox]

Pegasus: "I have no idea! I'd never do such a thing!" D: "I suppose it would have to be someone who specializes in illegal activities... she might have to go all the way to Hell to get back to you, and you're not even there!" gonk "oh, what will we do!?" -clops anxiously in the street-  

[Riku Redeemed]

"Do not speak of such a crime so openly," Critias says sternly to Iris, looking serious, almost angry. "When you were alive, you wouldn't publicly talk about planning a murder, would you? The balance between this world and the living world is delicate. No one leaves here except by the will of a god. Angering them will land you in the bowels of Hell. You cannot imagine its horrors. Nothing you have lived through can compare to that terrible place. It is beyond your capability to imagine." She's seen Heaven firsthand and knows how wonderful it is beyond description; Hell is probably as evil as Heaven is beautiful, and Heaven is indeed far greater than any living person could have imagined.

He turns to Sage and tells him to turn into a unicorn, then looks back to Iris. "I am Sir Critias, and this is Sage. We must have that jewel back. I can't let you leave this realm until we've separated it from you. Only a certain god can restore it to its original form, and to find him we'll need to speak with a certain man. I don't know if we can trust him, but I know of no one else who could take us there. After that, you can do as you please."

He doesn't want to get involved in her shenanigans, he just wants the jewel back and he doesn't intend to let her out of his sight until he has it. But he said only a god can restore the jewel and only a god can grant her request, so it looks like their goal and hers may lie in the same destination anyway.  

[Sora with Wings]

sage: " UR GONNA WHAAAAT?!?" gonk * then critias's part, then he turns into a white unicorn again and his clothes turns into a saddle set with similar appearance / a lot of the same details, like the ribbons and armor and stuff *

* he kneels down by her so she can get on easier *  

[Nikiah29]

Clover: “Surely you know of a god or someone who can lead us in the right direction. You’ve been here how long?” *she raises a brow quizzically at him.* “I’m sorry.” *she sighs.* “I really just want to get my sister back. Come, let’s head back to the town and see if someone may know something.” *She doesn’t move however. She just continues to stare past Pegasus.*


Iris: “You have a good point. Sorry, I was never really good with people. Been cooped up in a room most of my life.” *she frowns when he talks about Hell. She doesn’t want to end up there. Perhaps she should be careful of what she says. With her injured leg, she manages to climb up Ok by herself. She slips only once but since Sage knelt down, she manages after that.* “Hi Sage, I’m Iris.” *She beams a bright smile feeling better about her mission.* “It seems we have the same goal then, to a point at least. I promise to help so long as I can seek out what I need.” *She gently touches Sage’s neck and then grabs hold gently.* “So, who is it we are going to see then?” *She asked the question she wanted to know.*  

[Roxafox]

(( is she looking at something that's behind him? or are the characters themselves deliberately waiting and giving me time to post lmao

sora is taking a nap and not going to post tonight ))

Pegasus: "I am a servant of Ragnarok, the Divine Dragon. one does not simply walk up to a GOD and ask them for personal favors! it's like walking up to a king! a king of kings! an emperor of the world! by the time we got through the guardians and passed all the tests to prove we were worthy, your sister will already be on her way to Hell for doing the unthinkable. no, my friend, gods do not exist just to grant wishes for mortals." >A> - he would follow her but she's not moving, so I guess he glances back to see what she's staring at?-  

[Riku Redeemed]

Critias reaches for her when she slips but then backs off when he see's she'll be fine alone. "His name is Valkyrja. He assisted us once before. I don't particularly like him but there's no one else to turn to." He trudges off, glancing around as he goes for signs of danger, and just assume the unicorn follows him because Sora went to sleep for a while.

(( This is more fun when the characters have met Val first before meeting his brother. He's supposed to run into Clover's group, not Iris, right? I guess at least Clover can still have the "Meet Val first then his brother is nothing like him" experience. And I guess for Iris it will be the other way around and still be a surprise either way. ))