linkingup | FOR THOSE WE HAVE LOST

[ Let's say he's used to grabbing people with large weapons on the job and trying not getting hurt in the process, don't worry about it. ]

It's okay.

[ The guilt that tugs at him too, like Sayaka... Here they were too late. If they had arrived sooner, perhaps there would be survivors. If you had done more, things wouldn't have happened like this. Your friends would be happy and still frien—

... Are these his thoughts? Or... Fray's? ]

This is Fray's memory... So we must be feeling what he did. [ Going by the gear, she is close to him. At least, more than he is. ] Can you keep going?

[ There's no point in looking here any more than needed, he feels. ]

[They shouldn't have taken so long. They should've been here sooner, they should've stayed. Maybe they could have done something--

Sayaka's not sure about this, but she nods her head, firm though still pale.]

...I can. I need to. But...thank you for checking. This must have been what he felt... [If she can't handle this, can she truly help Fray?] Let's...let's see what's ahead, okay?

[She says it grimly, but she is ready. Let's proceed beyond the bodies.]

Edited 2024-10-14 17:37 (UTC)

[The room itself doesn't have anywhere else to go - you've seen all there is to see here. Would you like to return to the door back at the fork in the path?]

[WHOOPS.

Let's double on back then, yes, apologies friend--]

[Back to the door it is! Entering it reveals an office of sorts - you look around for a familiar face, but she doesn't seem to be present. You're so used to seeing her here every time you enter that it's almost odd enough for you to miss the small body on the ground.

Almost.

Noraxia is a Sylph who came along to help. She's crumpled on the ground near the wall, looking for all the world like ~~a bruised vegetable~~ she's already dead, but...

Well, before you can go to her, you're suddenly struck by a memory. It overtakes you suddenly, and gives you all the knowledge you need of what happened here.

Soldiers entered, led by a woman in white armor. Garleans, you recognize them as. They claim they are looking for the Primal-slayer, the Warrior of Light. That's you. They came here looking for you. They killed all these people because they couldn't find you.

When they entered the office, they found your friend, Minfilia. She surrendered, and agreed to accompany them as long as no one else would be hurt. The woman in white fired a warning shot, and Noraxia leaped in the way to try to help... only to be kicked into a wall. Minfilia and several others - more friends of yours - were taken by the Garleans, which explains their absence.

As you shake off the memory, Noraxia silently reaches out one tiny hand to you - she's still alive!]

[There's a pause as Sayaka considers this, and the guilty feeling rises up again in her own mind--she never did press too hard about Fray himself, did he? She always assumed he'd be able to talk to her about things as they came up, as they always have, but she never asked too deeply about his memories. About where V'rhas ends and Fray begins, no matter how she's tried to help him find that. About how those memories...

The memory attacks and Sayaka's guilt only increases. V'rhas--Fray, they experienced this. They were the ones being sought after, they were the ones being killed. And their other friends...they...

Sayaka's thankfully back into herself by the time she sees that tiny little Sylph, still alive, and she rushes towards it. She attempts a Dia knowing it's likely fruitless, but...]

What happened? Are the...Garlean's, are they still...?

[She needs to try and make sure this one's okay, but even so...]

Edited (ignore the small nonsequiter, wasn't sure if noraxia's name was known and i forgot to delete that part) 2024-10-14 18:07 (UTC)

I can check. Please, tend to this one.

[ He's turning back towards outside Minfilia's office for any sign of the Garleans, even if he has a strong hunch they'd be gone.

Go and comfort the... wilted cabbage. ]

Edited 2024-10-14 18:21 (UTC)

Understood--thank you, Yi Sang-san. Please be careful and call us if you need help.

[She will gladly comfort the wilted cabbage.]

[Thankfully, there are no signs of the Garleans at all. It seems they came and went, and took their captives with them, leaving only carnage behind.]

[It is fruitless, unfortunately. The Dia lands, but it doesn't seem to do anything to ease Noraxia's pain. Her voice wavers as she responds.]

They're... They're gone. They took... they took Minfilia! And the others! Please... please save them...

[Her hand wavers in the air. Then it drops as her head falls back, limp and lifeless.]

[Sayaka doesn't hold back the tears a bit for this one. She finds herself shaking, honestly, as she watches that hand raise up, only to drop limp and lifeless.

Sayaka rubs at her eyes fiercely, but she nods her head. It's without thinking that she winds up hugging the poor lifeless creature, gentle and careful, in the hopes that some sort of feeling can come through.]

We will. We will save them. We won't let...your death be in vain, I promise.

[...They should find a place to bury her. That's the first thing on Sayaka's mind, and she ends up lifting up Noraxia's body as she looks to Yi Sang and Sunrise. Is there anything else to check out here?]

[No. While you two attend to Noraxia, the place is still, the silence oppressive. For a long moment, it seems as though you'll simply be left here with your thoughts and that crushing feeling of guilt.

Then, a voice breaks through the silence. It is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time - almost as though you could place it as the people you care about, while never quite sounding right for any of them.]

Would you fight on knowing others will die for you?

[Do you answer truthfully?]

[Sayaka pauses, briefly, at hearing that voice. It sounds like...

...Fewer voices than she'd expect. Fewer from home at least. Naegi, Fray, Argenti, Soujuurou, Izou, the others here--maybe it sounds different for the others...

But despite it all, Sayaka answers truthfully.]

Yes. [...] Even if it hurts...even if the pain gets unbearable, someone has to for them.

Edited (wording) 2024-10-14 19:03 (UTC)

[ For him too, the voice sounds like voices he knows but can't place a direct attribution to. Any of the League of Nine, or perhaps any of his Limbus Company coworkers. But his answer is firm. ]

Yes. If that is the price of moving forward— and companionship of others who hold you close, then it must be accepted.

[ Sunrise goes quiet for a moment. It's a mix of people she knows back home and people here, people she's close to and less so.

...Eventually, she says firmly, honestly: ]

Yes. If I do not press on, then everything will have no meaning.

[ After all, in a sense, she exists because someone else died. ]

[The voice does not respond. The world around you slowly begins to fade to white, with the corpses blinking out of existence first, sheets and all.

You blink and find yourself back in the Vault, standing before the stained glass window. It is now broken, leaving five more.]

[ Sunrise catches up with Yi Sang and Sayaka, only to find herself going still at the feeling of how this is somehow her fault, if only because this is a little more familiar to her. When her presence or lack thereof means dire consequences for someone else.

It's why she stays quiet and watches Sayaka talk to Noraxia. She knows that the Sylph won't make it, but... ]

[Surely enough, she doesn't. Sayaka can't very well leave the little critter to her fate, admittedly, but she will look over to Sunrise as she tries to gently pick Noraxia up.]

Sunrise-san. Did you...find anything else in there?

[She unfortunately didn't quite register the things Sunrise was doing, but...]

Just some sheets.

[ It probably doesn't take a genius to figure out what she used those sheets for. ]

...I think she can rest with the others.

...Let's get her over there, then. It's the least that can be done, though I've...never done this before.

[It definitely doesn't, though Sayaka is definitely a little more blank after all of this. But she wants to do what she can, at least. For Noraxia, for the others.

For those they lost.]

[ For those they lost.

Sunrise reaches out to take Noraxia, if Sayaka will let her. ]

...You did your best, Sayaka.

[ And she means this earnestly. Sunrise can handle this because death is inherent to her. Yi Sang seems unfortunately experienced with facing gruesome situations. But as far as Sunrise knows, Sayaka had a relatively mundane life where these morbid matters were not meant to be a regular occurrence. That she can face them at all is already a lot. ]

...Thank you. I'm sorry if I concerned you all at first.

[Sayaka chuckles a bit, though there's no humor to it. No warmth, no real life to it. Nothing but the determination to see this through.

...And maybe a little bit of pity for the people who fell here. Sayaka will hand Noraxia off to her, though she ends up lingering near Sunrise nonetheless.]

...It's one thing to come from the situation I did, but I...I guess I have gotten somewhat used to this.

[ She holds Noraxia's body carefully.

...

Perhaps Sunrise had been mistaken in her assumption. ]

I hope you do not have to become too used to this.

[ It would speak a lot of the state of the world, if so. ]

FOR THOSE WE HAVE LOST | FRAY'S PALACE

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