[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vC3QHdp.png[/img] [h3][color=slategray]Mie Yukima[/color][/h3][/center] Below Ground - Tell me, what is happiness? [hr] The spell hit, but Vertti kept running. Mie wasn't slowing down either however, and a noble with almost no athletic ability had no hope of simply outrunning a trained assassin. She would catch her soon enough - she was just delaying the inevitable, and as soon as she tripped her fate was sealed. She fell hard, and Mie took her chance. She slammed into Vertti's back, pining her to the cold, stone floor. Wings bound, its fate was presumably sealed. [color=slategray]"Why?"[/color] Mie chuckled, though she wouldn't be able to hear as long as the spell persisted. [color=slategray]"You just answered your own question, my little butterfly."[/color] Normally, Mie would just slit throats and be done...but there was a bigger issue at hand here. Vertti was currently more valuable alive than dead. There was a hawk roaming the plains, thinking a little fox would be its meal? Or was it a bear laying in wait when the workers were all gone to fell a beehive? Those were questions Mie was going to need answered, whether Vertti wanted them to answer or not. A subtle twitch of her ears made Mie leap backwards, a spear barely having missed her throat. Ah. The little adventurer that was looking for Vertti. How annoying. Couldn't she just have not done her job? So tiring. Perhaps she should have sabotaged her earlier. Well no matter...she was in quite the predicament, wasn't she? [color=slategray]"...Happy, my pretty little butterfly?"[/color] Mie was smiling, but there was no joy in her voice. [color=slategray]"I don't think I've felt such a thing since I was a child...and quite frankly my dear, I no longer can bring myself to care about anything."[/color] A dry chuckle. Whatever she was speaking of, Vertti wouldn't know. Mie wasn't one to talk of her past so easily. Not because she was trying to make herself seem more tragic or as a victim. She'd be the first to admit she was a pathetic waste of air. Just like everyone else. Every other dishonest soul that claimed otherwise. But now wasn't the time for a monologue. Mie turned her attention back to Aer, body tense and ready to respond with a shamak should her opponent attack. Concerning. The guard was on their way here. [color=slategray]"When I was given this job, for the first time in a while I hesitated. It's a shame really. I did so love our visits and playing with little Grisaia...and since I doubt you'd be willing to come along peacefully and tell me of the rat trying to fight a fox den,"[/color] A toothy, predatory grin formed on Mie's face. [color=slategray]"I suppose I am going to need to plan how to inform him of your death. [i]Shamak[/i]"[/color] Mie fired another spell towards Aer. Her skill with magic was by no means good, but she could at least do this much. She sprinted towards the adventurer, intent on first disarming her. She couldn't spend too much time on this. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fpkngGI.png[/img] [h3][color=Chocolate]~Chieko Okawa~[/color][/h3][/center] ????? Death count: 1 Reset Count: 4 [hr] ...? Chieko turned back to face Aerith. What was she going on about? Aerith certainly did like to talk, didn't she? Chieko was only half listening at this point. She was tired. Exhausted. Emotionally drained. She just wanted to flop down onto a bed and take a nice, long nap, so why was Aerith wasting their time with this - Wait, what? Nothing? She thought she was nothing? Family back home? Chieko blinked, unsure of how to respond to all of this as she finally began listening in full to Aerith's rant. She wasn't taking anyone's side, was she? She just wanted to...not get anyone else involved. She wasn't blaming Aerith for anything! If anything she and Hiro were the only ones she had trusted completely. After what happened the first time...how could she not? She was about to say as much as well. It was then she noticed the tools in Aerith's hand. Her eyes widened, but she was far too slow. [color=chocolate]"AERITH!"[/color] Her legs felt weak. Her hand shakily reached out for the now dead girl as her body fell to the ground. Why? Why had it all gone so wrong again? Why did she fail? All she tried to do was help...why... Chieko's shoulders slumped. She stared at Aerith's lifeless body, tears quickly forming in her eyes. What could she have done? Her mouth got the better of her again, hand't it? She should have just not said anything. She should have just...faded into the background. Like always. Not be heard or seen. At least then, Aerith wouldn't have...wouldn't have... Chieko couldn't register what was going on with the others. Her knees gave out, all she could do was cry. She was tired. She wanted to go home. She just wanted her bed. Her little sister. Her games. Her instant ramen and junk food. Were the others fighting? She couldn't tell. Some pathetic hero she was. She couldn't even protect her friends, let alone herself. Was someone talking to her? She couldn't tell. She just. Wanted this to all be over. [color=chocolate]"A-ah?"[/color] She suddenly found herself being picked up, slung over the shoulders of the Elder Sibling. She was too tired to fight or to even do anything. She could hardly even see anything through the watery tears in her eyes, but she could see one thing as she was being carried away by the Elder Sibling. Ashton stabbing Hiro. [color=chocolate]"H-HIRO!"[/color] The next instant, she felt herself fall, slamming into the ground on her stomach. She didn't move, she didn't want too. She just wanted to lay there. For the first few exchanges of conversation, she did just that. What could she have done differently? Why had they all done that? Why? The question Chieko had only one obvious answer too. But she couldn't lay here forever, could she? Chieko slowly pushed herself to her hands and knees, tears still flowing. Sloth? Was that someone's name? The next name dropped was Lust...and it was from a person that Chieko almost couldn't believe existed in the first place. Chieko gazed up at the various figures from her position on the ground, mildly awestruck by their appearance. Just...who? Gods? Angels? Demons? Those were her first assumptions. There was something unsettling about them, but as the hand was held out by the one who soon introduced herself as Gluttony, Chieko took it weakly as she pulled herself to her feet. [color=chocolate]"D-delicious...?"[/color] Chieko had no idea how to respond, other than to blush profusely. Inappropriate? Just a bit, but Chieko didn't entirely mind. Not at the moment at any rate. Her mind was still trying to process everything that just happened. Aerith...Hiro...she flashed a dead gaze towards Ashton as Lord Talus showed back up. That was a wound that was never going to heal. Chieko turned her attention back what Lord Talus was saying. Sentinels? Authorities? Checkpoints? A ton of valuable information was being dumped here. Gluttony released her hand, but Chieko couldn't help but to wish she didn't...and the Fairy? She 'Loved her'? ...This was a lot to take in at once. But for the moment, things seemed to calm down. Chieko looked to the beauty in front of her, letting her words sink in more as her mind had a moment to catch up to the events. Game? Lovers? Delicious? [color=chocolate]"D-Delicious?!"[/color] Chieko quickly used her jacket sleeve to wipe away her tears, trying to make herself look slightly more presentable. Was she being hit on? And she was pretty sure they said that 'wrath' loved her too. What should she do here? Or say? Honestly, she still wasn't feeling her best after all of that...but honestly? This Gluttony was the most welcoming thing she had seen since this whole mess started. And you know what? She just really needed a hug right now. She leaned forwards, silently burying her face right in Gluttony's chest, not thinking much of it. For the next few moments she just stood there, not thinking about anything as she slowly got her mind working back in proper order. [color=chocolate]"...sorry. I'm really just...tired. And I don't really get what's going on right now."[/color]