AUBREY'S PALACE

[moodwrecker]

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[moodwrecker]

As Eli flips another pew, the sounds of dissent grow louder. The pressuring gaze begins to feel crushing.

Sou manages to slip in with a stab, and as she raises her sword to strike him on the spot, a swell of whispers distracts her.

“That girl is a threat to this neighborhood. There’s no hope for sinners like her!”

Everyone who was on the floor has an opportunity to get back to their feet! They can take action again this round!

Turning her attention to Kaine, she focuses the brunt of her attacks on her - striking her with two Giant Slices for medium damage (12, 11). Soon after, she darts back and casts Dia on herself, preparing for the attacks to come.

She is beginning to look haggard.

[ledbythewind]

[Ah, anger, his old friend... it's so easy to embrace it, let it wind itself into his mind... it's a good thing that he was immediately knocked off his feet by that Mabufu or else he may have tried to give in to it.

Fortunately, Arven's Energy Shower prevents it from getting a solid hold, and a moment later he finds he can stand again. Ugh. He may not be enraged now, but he sure as heck isn't pleased.]

How dare you...

[That's all the warning he gives before darting in with a Tiger's Prowl (13) to strike at her with his Electric-infused rapier.]

[beathollow]

( with the anger relieved, she can focus again...

wordlessly, she commands snow white to use media, healing three other people and herself. )

[supherb]

You're wrong! [The pressure is getting to Arven, angering him as much as Eli.] If you're not gonna help her, then just get out and let us do it instead!

[He charges to help Eli with knocking over the remaining pews (20).]

[pointzeropercent]

[He's glad to be sane again at least. He steps back and tries to act like nothing crazy just happened and he's completely sane.

He'll go ahead and crush that card from before to send some ice damage (8) at Shadow Aubrey that misses entirely whoops.]

[bloodandstars]

[ Maika's finally picked herself up off the ground by now — and she doesn't need a status effect to be full of rage, but her head is clear of supernatural influences... for the moment. ]

And who the fuck decided she had to be hope for you? Spit on that.

[ She doesn't literally; but with the clumsy swipe (6) she tosses towards the Shadow, she may as well. ]

And you! Are we really the ones you want to be fighting right now?!

[moonshaded]

[She's not sure how much she buys the peanut gallery being the real enemy thing when she's the one who has a giant twisted rabbit Shadow wailing on her, but the condescending, encroaching voices aren't getting any quieter, and she's not taking any less of an ass beating.

With Eli already doing the job of telling everyone to shut the fuck up, she'll just bust out a very forceful Mapsi (20) for light psy damage to all enemies. If it splashes the accumulated congregation and gets them to zip it, then fine.]

[strawsandals]

And that makes you any less of a threat how?!

[ He says it to the Shadows, but now that he's feeling like himself again (thanks Jesse), he'll cover the rest of the party with a Media of his own.

Being here, though, has told him way more about Aubrey than he ever thinks he needed to know, but he understands her more, now. ]

Aubrey, please! You don't need to keep doing this, look at how tired you are from fighting the people who should be your allies!

[moodwrecker]

SHADOW AUBREY isn't quite able to defend herself in time - Richard and Kaine manage to score hits on her, though Kaine's attack ripples through the crowd. Between that and Arven helping to flip the pews, the pressuring gaze feels nearly unbearable, and the whispers are now a dull roar of judgment.

“Ah, ever since her father left... ...She’s so uncontrollable... ...Disrespectful... ...I feel bad for her mother...”

The sword and shield once meant to defend and counter against any attacks against her falter.

SHADOW AUBREY has fallen into despair!

SHADOW AUBREY cannot move this turn!

[beathollow]

HER MOTHER DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING. NONE OF YOU DID! NONE OF YOU TRIED TO HELP HER AT ALL, DID YOU? And you did this, talked about her like this, hurt her in the house of God! What would your God say about all of this? You're all HORRIBLE!

( telling, isn't it, that that is what sets mafuyu off. how dare these people! how dare these people look at a struggling family, a struggling child and scorn her! did they even bother trying to extend a hand? or was it funner to judge!

mafuyu isn't sure what to do right now. so she might act in a little bit- )

[supherb]

[He should be focusing on the fight, but that shout pierces right through all the noise coming from the shadows. She must know, too.]

Mafuyu...

[beathollow]

I- ... I don't...

I had help. Who's helping her? They're all horrible, Arven-

[supherb]

[He did too. If he didn't...would he have just stayed this angry and resentful forever?]

...I don't think she has any. I think that's the reason why this is all here in the first place.

[strawsandals]

...

[ Yoon sees her fall. She doesn't even attempt to attack. The voices are growing louder, and he decides to take a risk. He'll leave himself vulnerable to an attack, and he'll try to get out of the way if he can, but -- there's so much fighting and noise. He can't stand it. He's upset at her but also upset for her, someone he's only known for a few days, someone who wanted nothing to do with him on their first meeting.

He approaches with the beach ball and lightly tosses it towards her. ]

Hey. You said your friends -- they're not in your life anymore, are they? One of them is gone and the others have aggravated you. Your mother clearly wasn't there for you when you needed someone. These people are calling you a threat but haven't even bothered to understand you.

[ I couldn't protect Yona...but maybe, here, things can be different. I have to at least try.

(If it looks like his eyes are watering, well, no they aren't.) ]

Come on. Ignore them. Ignore your neglectful mother. You may have lost your old friends, but a new one is here, standing in front of you right now.

[supherb]

[...

They may have stunned Aubrey's shadow for a time, but in no way does it feel good for Arven. It hits so damn close to home, way too close for comfort. One parent not in the picture, and the other may as well be too.

He lashes out at the shadows with Mafuyu.]

Stop it! You don't know anything!

[pointzeropercent]

[Hearing that part, Sou hesitates. This is stirring up feelings in him that he doesn't really like, but maybe he needs to be uncomfortable to end this.]

You're not alone in this. I...

[He still can't quite say it, even now.]

People say all sorts of things when they should just keep their mouths shut.

Instead of fighting us, how about we shut up those voices instead?

[fullmoonmutt]

[ That pressuring gaze, those words... They hit home for Eli as well, one amongst the others who know this same feeling here. How could she adopt such a beastly child, they should have put him down, it would have been a mercy, he's too wild, he's too aggressive...

He could easily hear these things saying all of that to him, too, and it pisses him off all the more if that's even possible. ]

I told you all to shut up!

[ Sadly, Eli fails to flip any more pews (4), so he's just yelling at the shadows now. ]

You don't get it! People like you never do! Fucking useless gossips, sitting on your asses and running your shitty mouths!

[ledbythewind]

[... ah. Richard's grip on the hilt of his sword loosens, the blade lowering. People really are all the same, aren't they... they don't see. They don't understand, because they don't care enough to try. They don't care about anyone but themselves.

They're all the same in the end, and that's why...

Behind him, Lambda stands motionless, as if awaiting his command.

But Richard doesn't move, doesn't act, doesn't do anything but bow his head in silence, his eyes squeezed shut.]

[moodwrecker]

The dull roar of anger and judgment cannot be stopped. The pressure has become unbearable. Though Yoon does try to toss the beach ball to her, it only bounces sadly off her shield, having no effect.

"I saw her by the lake... She pushed that poor Basil boy in... First she and her friends bullied him... Then she stole from him... And now she’s killed him...”

“This isn’t a place for murderers... ...Someone call the police...”

She lowers her sword and shield. All of the fight in her, all of that furious energy... it's all being sapped away by her despair.

SHADOW AUBREY has fallen into despair!

SHADOW AUBREY cannot move this turn!

[beathollow]

( mafuyu is going to look for any other potential enemies in any form first. )

[moodwrecker]

[There's only Aubrey and the apparently untouchable Churchgoers.]

[fullmoonmutt]

...crap... this is going to be embarrassing if it doesn't do anything...

[ Rrgh, with a growl Eli turns and charges back across the church towards the unmoving Shadow Aubrey. He lunges towards her, arms coming up! To!

Give her a hug (13). Haha, wow, he hates this. Everyone's going to be watching. ]

Aubrey! Stop listening to them! They don't know how it is. They're full of crap.

[beathollow]

( mafuyu approves! )

[supherb]

[What in Arceus's name are these shadow people talking about?! Arven doesn't want to hear any of it unless it's from Aubrey herself.]

Is there seriously no way to stop them? She doesn't deserve this!

[Nor does she deserve to get kicked while she's down, even if it's her shadow and not really her.]

[bloodandstars]

[ Thank whatever she doesn't pray to that Eli is doing the hugging thing so she didn't have to. She'd probably catch fire. What shitty advice has Kippa given about situations like this? Let's see...

"A hug can be with your words"? Right, that's... fucking fine. Alright. ]

You're really going to just let them say whatever the fuck they want? Did it happen that way, or not? Fuck what they think. Fuck what your mother wanted. Get up off your ass and face what you did yourself. You don't owe any of them shit. But you owe yourself the truth.