nexus_crossings | Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

Bringing in Spring with a worthy revel

[With the changing of seasons, many Nexus visitors are very happy to see the snow melt away and life returning to their beloved home. Spring is here!

It appears overnight: a large pantheon in the center of the Nexus forum, and once can only guess how such a great building was erected without anyone noticing. Atop the Patheon are two golden thrones, adorned with gemstones of great value. No one seems to be sitting there, but they seem to hold a great deal of importance to the cloaked humans who guard the Pantheon entrance.

The land in front of the Pantheon is paved with smooth, old stones in the shape of a large circle. Lush flowers and grass grown along the outskirts of the cropping, full of beautiful and exotic plants. Truly the host of this revel wants even nature to bend before their whim.

On the left and right sides of the sides of the circle are two long marble tables, where different food and drink await those who enter. Freshly cooked meat. Ripe fruits and unsullied wine. Whatever your heart desires, be it simple or sweet, you will be hard pressed to not find it on one of the tables. Near the tables is also a large group of tents, adorned with many plush chairs and sofas for those who like to relax while indulging.

The center of the circle has a large bonfire pit, carved of fine stone, lit with a brilliant (almost unearthly) red fire. Comforting to those seeking warmth or invigorating to the souls of the weary: it carries an important symbol for the revel: let your soul burn as hot as the flames inside. Which, to the satyr, it means that everyone present should be partying and indulging with one another. There seems to be plenty of space for dancing and socializing alike, whatever your preference may be.

The entrance into this festivity is monitored by a group of half-human, half-goat satyr. They don’t seem to be picky about who gets let in, assuming you’re not here to ruin the fun, but it would be wise to check it with them first. This is a masquerade-style party, so all of the guests need masks.

But there can’t be anything possible wrong with such a wonderful party, right? Perhaps things are not all as they seem….]

((Here's your OOC guide guide to this event. Post when you can as you like, no worries. Have fun!))

((The second half of the event is live link here Please read the OOC thread so you know the details!))

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"Sure you did." Caspar's dry tone hides his worry over what other tricks 'Josh' has hidden up his gaudy sleeves. "Trust me, you are vastly overestimating your presence here. If anyone bothers to bring you up, it'll only be as the flavor-of-the-week megalomanic. And you'll be in shitty company."

He takes a step back when the other man descends. A quick glance towards Adia when she squeaks in fright at being hoisted like a baby animal, but she settles quickly once she realizes what Hydreigon is trying to do. Wrapping her arms around the dragon's main neck, she tries to keep her eyes on the impending fight below. It's a relief to see that Persian isn't interested in fighting, but what does that truly matter, now that 'Jeff' is possessed by a dark god? "Caspar, look out!" she cries out when the other man starts swinging.

Caspar raises his sword and blocks the blow, grunting with the effort, then takes a swing of his own, attempting to push the other man back towards the stairs.

The two swords clash, echoing loudly in the room, as 'Jeff' smirks confidently. He does step backward when Caspar swings, but manages to put one foot back on the stairs easily. So much for tripping him up, as 'Jeff' skillfully steps up the stairs, giving him the high ground.

"You're wrong. The chaos can't be stopped, and to be honest, once Adia dies...It'll spur many people into despair and hopelessness." It's as if the God possessing Jeff knows what will piss off Caspar, expecting the Cylon to make a fatal mistake or movement.

It's perhaps not the wisest tactical move to give 'Jeff' the high ground, but Caspar is only concerned about getting distance between the possessed man and Adia. He presses on, attempting to herd 'Jeff' up the stairs, his blows strong and sure.

At least until 'Jeff' taunts him. Caspar snarls and overextends his reach, trying to stab the other man in the face to get rid of that insufferable smirk. Only at the last moment does he realize his mistake and draws back on his swing. "To be honest, once you die, no one's going to give a frak!"

Each blow is indeed powerful, despite 'Jeff' blocking each swing with his own weapon. The Cylon strength is showing, and despite having supernatural powers, Caspar is willing out. At least, until he nearly overextends, which gives him enough time to evade the swing and lunge forward with his foot, trying to push Caspar back to the center of the room.

"As if a God can die. But if you're referring to this body..." 'Jeff' holds out one hand. "I was prepared to sacrifice this form anyways. If it dies, then it doesn't matter to me." Those words alone cause Persian to snarl, frustrated at the situation.

Even Hyrdreigon, who still keeps Adia on his back safely above the battlefield, grumbles in discontent. Something has to be done. What can they do without hurting their master? Both Pokemon seem to be hinging their bets on Caspar's abilities for now.

Caspar stumbles back, but keeps his footing. The fact that he can't make any headway with this guy is discouraging, made worse by the words he speaks. He doesn't care whether 'Josh' lives or dies... well, okay, he'd prefer it if 'Josh' bit the dust, but a rogue Chaos God doesn't sound like much of an improvement, especially if Adia's life remains in danger.

A weakness. Nyarlahotep must have a weakness. Everyone does. Athena killed herself by plunging from the Gates of Hera, but that doesn't seem to be an option here. "Hey, Adia!" he calls out, blocking more pushback. "Any ideas on stopping this asshole without setting him loose?"

The question snaps Adia out of her tense silence. Despite everything, she doesn't want to see Jeff sacrificed any more than his pokémon do. "Try disarming him!" she shouts back. She can't articulate why, but that sword has been tugging at her subconscious this entire time. There's magic involved, clearly. Whether that's relevant to Jeff's possession is not something she can tell, but it's worth a shot.

Without missing a beat, Caspar changes the aim of his swing, this time going for the hilt of the sword, and the hand holding it.

Neither of them seems to be getting anywhere, and it's apparent that exhaustion or a minor mistake will be the thing that costs someone their life. The conversation between Adia and Caspar falls on deaf ears, as 'Jeff' is more preoccupied with trying to take Caspar out once and for all.

The swing at his wrist is ultimately starts the landslide of problems for Nyarlathotep. His grip is weakened, but he takes a last ditch swing at Caspar's arm, before stumbling backwards. Without warning, Hydreigon flies closer, his body glowing purple, and a stream of black and red chunks of rock appear out of nowhere. The powers Pokemon possess are truly scary as the Draco Meteors fly past Caspar, aiming directly at the feet of 'Jeff', sending the sword flying out of his hands.

The blade slides across the floor, well out of grabbing range, as Jeff hits the floor. Looks like the monster has been stopped for now.

Forced to dodge rather than risk losing his arm, Caspar has little time to react to the cosmic-like attack other than to look up at Hydreigon in wild surprise. Who knew that pokémon could even do that?

A quick check on Adia, who is hanging onto Hydreigon for dear life but otherwise unharmed, and then his gaze rests on the fallen God. "Not so tough now, are we?" he grits out, although there's a hitch in his step when he heads towards the other man, stepping between him and the sword. He'd never admit it, but this fight has worn him down, and he's not eager to start another round until he can at least catch his breath. With the stairway now clear, he gestures for the three-headed dragon to head up that way and fly Adia to safety. It's the only escape, so long as the temple's entrance remains covered in flames.

Hydreigon seems to understand that Adia is shaken up, so he manages to land back on the ground instead of flying away. There's also the fact that smoke has started appearing near the ceiling and the Pokemon fears more danger is above them rather than on the ground floor.

Persian, meanwhile, rushes over to the blade and puts the handle of it in her mouth. She drags the blade behind Caspar, keeping it well out of the hands of her master. 'Jeff' is only laughing out loud to himself while the whole situation plays out.

"For a machine that imitates man, you've mastered the attitude of an arrogant worm. If you truly think this is the end, you are wrong..."

Three-headed dragon or not, Caspar is about to give the pokémon an earful when he lands nearby instead of getting Adia to the roof, but then he catches sight of the smoke rolling down the stairs. Well, shit. Both avenues of escape are blocked off by fire. How the hell are they going to get out of here?

'Jeff' taunts him again, and Caspar glares down at him. The irony is that this machine-made-man is feeling the very opposite of arrogant. The sword quivers ever so slightly as his hands start to tremble, truly at a loss over what to do. What satisfaction would he get from killing the possessed man before him if he and Adia remained trapped?

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Adia sliding off Hydreigon's back and coaxing Persian to come over to her. She's close enough to touch, but he doesn't, worried that it will attract Nyarlahotep's attention. His girl is up to something -- she wants the sword, maybe? But why?

He recalls the way the gems glowed right before the flames appeared and suddenly he understands. He points his short sword at the other man's face and hisses, "Big talk from someone lying on the ground,"

Let this off-brand deity assume that Caspar is a foolhardy idiot. Anything to keep him distracted.

Persian quickly trots over to Adia, dropping the sword at her feet, then rests her eyes on Jeff carefully. Hydreigon isn’t letting Adia get any closer than she needs to be, especially since someone can be visibly seen near the top floor.

From the staircase, a girl no more than ten years old emerges from the rooftop, holding a brown and red colored spear. She gets a quick glance at the people and Pokémon standing in the Pantheon, before jumping off the stairwell, spear held tightly in one hand.

The smile on her face is horrific, as she quickly lunges towards Caspar with the spear. If she can kill him, Adia will be a pushover. One stab is all Chara needs…

She immediately frowns upon seeing Jeff get back up on his feet, quickly running towards her to intercept the attack, pushing Caspar out of the way. Instead of getting to skewer Caspar’s back, the spear plunges into Jeff’s stomach by a few inches. Surprisingly, the child laughs, quickly retracting her weapon and stepping away from her former ally. Jeff merely falls on his back, one hand covering the bleeding wound.

”Good riddance. You’re an acceptable sacrifice as well.” Chara retreats back to a corner, where Sara is standing with a frown on her face.

”You lived a pathetic life and now you die a pathetic human, Jeffrey. But this is what you wanted, after all. Just not as you dreamed.” She nods, before moving her hands in a circular motion, creating a blue portal out of thin air. Both disciples of Nyarlathotep step through the glowing gate, which vanishes behind them.

“Neither of you were hurt by that spear, right?” Jeff’s voice returns to normal, his skin is now a pale white and his brown-colored eyes are back.

"Thank you," Adia whispers to Persian. She bends down and gingerly picks up the sword by its hilt, but when she tries to give it to Caspar, Hydreigon blocks her way. She peeks around his girth in time to see a young girl descend the stairs. If that terrible smile weren't enough of a clue, the spear she wields is warning enough. When the girl lunges, she screams, and Caspar turns instinctively, short sword raised --

-- and promptly gets shoved out of the way. Tripping over his own feet, he falls to the ground. Not his finest moment, but fortunately the only part of him that's wounded is his pride. By the time he scrambles to his feet, Sara is wrapping up her little speech. Guessing that she's the witch, or perhaps simply frustrated that the two disciples are getting away, he chucks his sword at her, but it only sails through the space that they once stood, clattering against the empty wall and landing on the ground.

Jeff speaks, and Caspar glares at him furiously. "Oh, now you care if we're injured or not?!" he snaps, ready to unleash his ire on an easy target.

"Caspar."

Adia's voice is soft, barely above a whisper, but the way she says his name cuts through his haze of indignation. He turns, and she's standing before him, offering him the hilt of the bejeweled sword. With a more subdued expression, he nods, then takes it from her.

"It's the jewels, isn't it?" he asks Jeff. "I need to destroy the jewels to stop the magic. And don't lie to me or I'll be using your body as a riot shield."

"...Reasoning with you isn't going to be easy, is it? You think I wanted this to happen? Save me your anger, Caspar, this isn't the time or the place for it." Jeff just shakes his head, one hand is covering the injury around his stomach. Something about it looks off, the size of the wound is growing and a lot of blood is dripping onto the floor. "You've got it in one. Destroy the gems and things will go back to normal. Your PINpoints, the magic and curses. It'll all fade away..."

Jeff coughs, red blood is now dripping from his mouth. His eyes drift from Caspar to Adia, struggling to even stand. Laying down sounds nice right about now. "I'm a dead man walking, and if any of can truly stop the future from going to Hell, it's Adia." His brown eyes rest on her calmly, his other bloodied hand is extended to her while holding a PINpoint.

“You have to trust me, Adia. We have to go. You’re the only one with the potential to stop this insanity from truly taking over the Nexus.” Persian and Hydreigon both walk / float next to Jeff, visibly distressed at what’s going on. They know he’s dying and there’s nothing that can be done to stop it. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you, not in these last few minutes while I'm alive."

Edited 2018-06-10 04:55 (UTC)

Getting lectured by a serial killer is low on Caspar's list of priorities, but Jeff has a point. Better to break the curse now and save the snappy comebacks for later. Using all his Cylon strength, he slams the hilt of the sword onto the ground.

The gems shatter as if they were made of glass. Though the air remains still, all the fire is simultaneously snuffed out. From outside, the sounds of violence fade into murmurs of confusion. There are calls of distress here and there, but they are quickly met with offers of help. Perhaps some of the damage cannot be undone, but at least for now, things are peaceful.

Caspar looks around in the mild surprise. "Huh. That actually worked." He tosses aside the broken sword, just in time for Adia to throw her arms around him in an relieved embrace. He hugs her back as tightly as he dares, a hand curled up in her disheveled locks, grateful that she's safe and unharmed.

And then, naturally, Jeff has to start talking again and ruin the moment. “You cannot be serious. After all the bullshit you’ve put her through —“

“No… Caspar, it’s okay.” Adia keeps her arms around him while looking at Jeff sadly. It’s not the love that he had desperately wanted from her, but her compassion might be a decent consolation prize. He’s not a good person, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he tried to be one. For her, he tried.

The least she can do is not let him die alone.

Caspar looks at her, incredulous at first, then with a reluctant nod. Jeff did save his life, and Caspar has seen enough death to know that the other man doesn’t have much time. “I’m coming with you,” he says, even as he lets go of her.

“Of course you are,” Adia replies. She walks up to Jeff, but doesn’t take his hand. “I’d like my PINpoint back first, please. And you need to tell me what’s going on.”

Seeing the sword break into two pieces gets a sign of relief from Jeff, as the Pokemon come over to his side. Good. One less chaotic thing to worry about for now. Hydreigon is saving to keep his body pressed against Jeff, just to keep him standing. In fact, when Adia and Caspar hug, he doesn't turn away, only burying his hands into Hydreigon's fur tightly for support.

"I'll give you the quick version, I did some research and I think I've found a way to kill Nyarlathotep. It was where I wanted to take you, before I truly lost control of myself." Jeff can't help but glance down at the floor, where a pool of blood is starting to form, covering his shoes. "Only someone with a pure heart can attain the blessing of a higher being. Adia is that person..."

Jeff looks at Persian, who gets up on two paws and sticks her nose into Jeff's suit pocket. Within seconds, she removes Adia's PINpoint with her mouth, thankfully the device is not bloody. The cat Pokemon takes the device and offers it to Adia calmly.

The quiet resolve on Adia's face crumbles into uncertainty. "Jeff..." It was one thing to keep him company in his final moments, but how can he expect her to go up against something as terrible as a god of chaos? Even if it's only to seek out someone else's blessing... "Jeff, i'm not a heroine in some prophecy. I'm just a person..."

But to give up without even trying seems worse. Not with Sara out there, and that girl with the slasher smile.

"Okay," she says finally, with a soft sigh. It seems that despite her best efforts to avoid entangling herself with higher powers, they have found her once again.

She takes her PINpoint from Persian, then gives Caspar back his. Both appear to be working, and she looks at him a moment, wondering if he'll argue that they should go home instead and leave Jeff and the Nexus to their fate. She's surprised when he takes her hand instead, without complaint. He's remembering something that Professor Madrone said once about the pure of heart. He has faith in his girl.

Besides, he'll be with her. He's got his other hand on his PINpoint, too. It doesn't hurt to be prepared.

Adia pockets her PINpoint, then places her free hand on Hydreigon, forming a chain. It crosses her mind that he and Persian will be alone after this, but that's a concern for later. At least she'll be there to comfort them.

"I think Caspar would agree with me that you're special. Even if you choose not to fight, you are the only one that can find the answer..." Talk is great and all, but Jeff staggers a bit, Hyrdreigon being there to catch him. When Adia agrees, he seems relieved, not even in the least bit concerned that Caspar has to come along for the ride as well.

Once everyone has connected, Jeff presses the button on the PINpoint, sending the group elsewhere...

And by elsewhere, it's a completely surreal world.

The PINpoint teleports everyone to the top of a mountain; the skyline above is painted a deep blue, full of pink and purple clouds, while stars twinkle above them. There doesn’t seem to be a sun or moon in the sky, but the area is lit up by some unseen force. Surrounding the group is a large circle of statues depicting the strongest legendary Pokemon of lore. In the center of the open shrine is a large statue of Arceus, which is staring down at those who dare set foot in this hallowed ground. The source of light and all power seems to stem from the statue.

Gengar can be seen waiting at the steps of the altar, and when he sees Jeff and company show up he floats over and...Wait, why is Jeff bleeding? The Ghost Pokemon seems upset, scrambling and pointing to the Arceus statue. It’s pretty clear that the mission was to get here without dying.

“Sorry Gengar...I kept you waiting…” Jeff seems to be playing off the fact that he’s been stabbed and is bleeding to death, even keeping up a friendly smile. Gengar gimes an unamused look to Caspar and Adia, while the other two Pokemon try to nudge the group forward.

Not sure what to expect, Adia tightens her grip on Caspar's hand when they teleport, but the new location only fills her with confusion. Her attention is caught up in the strange twilight sky, and it's only a second or two later that she notices the statues. "What...?" she whispers in awe.

"Legendary pokémon," Caspar murmurs. He's done his research. His gaze lands on the statue in the center. "That's Arceus," he tells Adia, who stares at the statue in fascination. She can feel its power from here, or at least the power of what it represents.

Looks like Caspar's memory of Madrone's words was more on the nose than he had assumed. He spots Gengar and gives the ghost pokémon an unamused look in return, not wanting a repeat of their previous interactions.

Watching Jeff try to put on a brave face for his pokémon breaks Adia's heart a little, and without further prompting, she approaches the center statue, not wanting to waste time. "What do I need to do?"

Edited 2018-06-12 02:11 (UTC)

Gengar would normally give Caspar some sort of crap, but not when his adoptive 'dad' in standing there in a near dying state. The ghost floats back to the altar, when Jeff takes a few steps forward, following Adia and Caspar. He honestly doesn't know what to do here, mainly because he just stole random numbers and ended up finding this place. But he knows it's special, and if anyone can discover the secret. it's Adia.

"You need to..." Saying this is merely a bluff, because Jeff just fears what will happen if Caspar knew that he has no idea how to get a Pokemon god to talk.

It seems like the altar react to Adia's presence when she steps into the middle of the room, the floor of the temple lights up and the statue somehow comes to life. The area glows with a warm light, as the celestial deity steps off the pedestal he was standing on.

"Humans. Thou are not permitted to step foot on this land, but I sense despair and trouble in your hearts." Telepathy is unfortunately the way Arceus speaks, which might bother someone in the room. The Pokemon rests his eyes of Jeff, then Adia. "One who is tainted by darkness, desiring light. Another is full of light, but cannot comprehend darkness. Thou are similar in this sense, kindred spirits who desire answers. Tell me what you desire, envoy of the moon."

Caspar grits his teeth and looks away from the deity. Other Cylon models were attuned to the spiritual, but all he feels is exposed. He stays by Adia's side, however, her protector no matter the cost to his own comfort.

This is not the first time that a god has communicated with Adia, but she is no less humble for the experience. Her gaze slowly rises from Arceus' gold hooves to his hooded, alien face, her heart light but her head full of confusion. What should she ask of The Original One? Is it presumptuous to request its help? What does it care of the Nexus?

"I..." She glances at Jeff briefly and clears her throat. "That is, we... we're here to request a blessing. There's a god of Chaos threatening a place called the Nexus. It's a crossroads of reality, and... well, it's not terribly stable on the best of days, and Nyarlahotep only wants to make it worse." She bites her lip, clearly worried for the future. "Many of your... people? Your creations. They call the Nexus home now. They could use your benevolence."

Think of the pokémon, Arceus. They don't deserve this.

Jeff just gives Adia a sympathetic, yet confident look on his pale face. He knows that she can convince Arceus to help them in some way, regardless of how trivial their problem might seem. Arceus pauses, thinking over her words, then looks out at the statues of the different legendary Pokemon.

"To defeat a God, you must wield the power of a God. Those of the moon shall bless your journey." As if on cue, the statues of Cresselia and Darkrai light up in a swirl of pink and black energy. Arceus takes a step backwards, and in a flash of white light, a scythe appears on the floor of the shrine. It carries a pink and blue aura, but the metal is dark like the night. Three dull-colored gemstones are embedded near the blade of the scythe.

"Reap the three corrupted essences from the disciples of Nyarlathotep: wisdom, emotion and willpower. Thou can then slay the God of Chaos with his own power. Whether you wield the weapon or pass it along to another soul, you must return here once Nyarlathotep has been slain, Adia Costas." He stares outward, eyes focusing on two statues: one of Dialga and one of Palkia. "Return to me with the completed weapon of the moon and I will bestow the power of time and creation to you."

What does that mean? There might not be that much time to question it, as Jeff falls to his knees quickly, losing his grip on Hydreigon's fur. His breathing is getting worse by the second...

Another scythe. She'd smile at the coincidence -- if it even is a coincidence -- if the situation weren't so surreal.

Slowly, she bends down and take the scythe into her hands. She knows how to use one, but not to kill a God. At least Arceus gives her the option of passing that duty onto someone else. "I'll do my best," she says to the deity, bowing her head in a gesture of humility. She almost adds that she doesn't need any sort of powers in return, but thinks better of it, not wanting to offend his generosity.

Jeff collapses and she almost drops the scythe. She holds it in one hand while reaching out with the other, not quite touching him, biting her lip worriedly. "Jeff doesn't have much time," she says to Arceus. "We... we should take him somewhere."

Caspar, who had been entering the pokémon temple's coordinates into his PINpoint, looks over at Jeff and frowns. "The witch and that creepy kid are two of Nyarlahotep's disciples. Does that make you the third?"

The silence in the room is cut short by the sudden dip in Jeff's health, causing Persian and Hydreigon to scramble by his side as he lays his back on the cool, smooth tile of the shrine. Gengar looks at Jeff, then Arceus, as if subtly pleading to the Pokemon God for help. Arceus merely lowers his head in sadness.

"Thou wishes to perish is this place of sanctity. There is nothing that I can do to help one who was pierced by a cursed weapon." His eyes rest on Jeff solemnly. "You will die. It is inevitable."

Jeff just laughs a little, still wearing a smile on his face. "I've done a lot of bad things. It's finally time it all catches back up to me." From the mess of Pokemon fur, Jeff looks at Caspar calmly and without hesitation. "Nothing slips by you, does it, Caspar? Yes, she made me her pawn...years ago...but that's not important now. One of you needs to handle this, before time runs out."

She had already accepted Jeff's fate, but having it said out loud by an ultimate authority makes her drop her gaze in resignation. She kneels, scythe resting against her knees, and places her hand on Jeff's wound. But there is no glow of moon magic, no last minute heal to save him.

The multiverse's judgement is final. No more miracles.

The scythe pulses gently with its pink and blue aura, as if understanding its purpose, but it takes a moment for Caspar and Jeff's words to catch up to her. When they do, her eyes widen anxiously. "No," she whispers. "No, I can't --"

"I can do it," Caspar says smoothly. The truth is, this isn't how he imagined taking out Jeff, and now that the opportunity is upon him, he feels no satisfaction. But he won't let the burden fall on Adia.

She nods reluctantly, but when she tries to offer Caspar the scythe, she feels it resist, a gentle tug on the back of her mind. She concentrates on that feeling, trying to suss out the source. "No, it... it needs me to do something else." Turning the staff in her hands, she points the blade at Jeff, but not in an intimidating manner, and focuses on the energy she feels within him, the energy that resonates within the scythe itself, letting it do what it was designed to do: harvest.

Jeff doesn't really understand why Adia is experiencing grief, especially after all the things he's done. Murder. Stalking innocent people. Tricking others into doing his dirty work. In fact, he can't hide those thoughts any longer, placing one bloodied hand over hers.

"Where's your pretty smile? Don't look so sad for me..." How can he still be smiling this entire time? Coming to terms is the only logical explanation. "Goodbye, Adia..." He closes his eyes, taking slow breaths of air while she points the scythe blade at his chest. The room grows dark, but the sensation is only something Adia can see or feel. Caspar and the other Pokemon are still there, but it feels like the space around Adia is different because she's wielding the scythe.

A glowing pink outline hovers over Jeff as the scythe pulses with blue, pink and yellow energy. Mesprit is holding a small orb in its hands, which is the harvested soul, no doubt. Without saying a word, the Pokemon gently places Jeff's soul onto the blade, where it vanishes in a sparkle of light.

Without being overwhelming, Adia might find herself catching the inner visions and emotions of her stalker. The memories of his life, as an outsider looking in. Curiosity of a young Jeff playing in the garden; the confusion of a young boy whose father and mother are yelling at him, while he cradles a bruise on his face. Loneliness experienced by a teenager while walking though the halls of his high school. Anger while staring at a torn up red doll, a knife grasped tightly in his adult hand.

Another blink. Mere seconds pass in the dark shrine.

Tranquility can be felt while staring out at the Nevada landscape full of horses as Jeff holds a cell phone in his hand. Happiness in walking the vibrant streets of Las Vegas, Josh Washington at his side. Despair, as a visibly distraught and crying Jeff sits on the edge of a hotel bathtub, staring down at a woman's dead body. Fear as Jeff stares out a destroyed Japanese city, clutching his PINpoint tightly in one hand, the shadow of Nyarlathotep can be seen in the distance.

Hope. The last emotion in the heart of a man who only wanted change.

A mere minute has passed since the harvest: the room is lit once more by the twilight skies that hover over the shrine. One of the gemstones on the scythe is no longer cloudy, replaced by a beautiful pink color, revealing the Rhodonite stone and all its glory. As for Jeff, well...the sad expression being worn by Hydreigon and Persian is enough to say something.

He's gone.

"I wish it hadn't ended like this," she answers honestly, turning her hand over so he can hold it during his final moments. She can't bring herself to smile, but there is a kindness in her eyes, the last thing he sees before he shuts his forever.

Keeping the scythe level, she doesn't move when it darkens around her. This is her task to complete. She does look up at the strange rabbit-like pokémon who harvests the soul, but says nothing to interrupt its work. She lets Jeff's memories and emotions wash over her, not judging, merely reacting as they pass. Sadness for his lonely childhood. Worry over the torn doll. A small smile as she experiences the running horses from Jeff's point of view. A flicker of astonishment at the appearance of Joshua Washington. Regret and sympathy for the death of the woman who did love him, and the city brought to ruin.

When the light returns, she lowers the scythe and whispers, “Goodbye, Jeff.” No one needs to tell her that he’s gone. She can only hope that his final sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

Caspar steps over to her and helps her to her feet. He looks solemn, but relieved — at least until his gaze falls on the other two gems. Then his expression turns grim. “We should go,” he says quietly.

Leaning against Caspar, she nods absently, but can’t seem to tear her gaze away from the three grieving pokémon. “I can take you to Professor Madrone’s lab,” she offers them. As for Jeff’s body, she has no idea what to do…

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