[RE] sticks & stones to break your bones

do not stand at my grave and weep;

i am not there. i do not sleep

Loren boarded up the door? Charming. If only he'd listened; creatures in the night that left no trace, no bodies in their wake, who'd yet to be killed by the grounders? And he thought a few nails and boards would do the trick?

Positively adorable.

Against the Rathskeller door there came a horrific thundering shove. The hinges rattled, boards splintered, dust fell away from the ceiling. Wine spiders scurried hurriedly away. Again and again the door was struck, until all suddenly stopped. And then, just as Loren had used telekinesis to hammer the nails in, so they were similarly pushed back out.

"Don't let them in! It—I'm still alive, but don't let them in." The professors voice rang out. It was edged with fear, but also a metal so strong that had the door been made out of the stuff Cera was, it likely would have held.

A conversation, muted and in harsh tones, took place, ending with the healer yelling: "No! I won't say it! I won't tell you!" The monster laughed a dark and patient sound. Fine. It didn't need the man's voice. Only his heartbeat. With one last garbled scream, Cera's throat was torn out, blood splashing against the door. As his heart furiously pumped, so was his hand placed on the panel.

Click. Thunk.

The door swung open.

In fell Cera, the monster's claws carving him from top to bottom. Behind the healers eyes however were thoughts of blood-red sands, an island surrounded by the sea, magic and fire. There was laughter and light, creation born by magical flames, and of course, so very much love.

But there was nothing behind the fallen man save for endless darkness and softly falling snow.

do not stand at my grave and cry;

i am not there, i did not die

LONGNiGht

there's light at the edge of the darkness

Yeah Loren thought a few nails and boards would do the trick, because that’s what he’d been told. That’s what had done the trick in years past. Of course, he’d had misgivings about this heartbeat door since he first heard about it. He’d even raised those concerns, asked for help securing it, and went to secure it, so he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to have done here. Still, if he’d known that the monsters could just undo his work so easily, he would’ve done more. Somehow. Something.

But it was too late for regrets. If he survived this, though, he was going to have a long, hard conversation with Wessex about the thought process behind not sealing this place securely, and opening it at the last minute, and about basically this entire clusterfuck. However, as soon as he’d heard the commotion coming from the Rathskellar, he’d run over, glasses on his nose, Astra at his heels. Although he tried not to fear the worst, it was hard not to under the circumstances.

Emerging into the tavern, he was just in time to see Cera’s body collapse into the room, door ajar. There was nothing to do for the dead professor, though the summoner felt a pang. However, there were the living to consider, and the monsters now had a way in. Which meant that someone needed to close the door, and he was probably the best suited for it, whatever Remi might think about the Launceleyn’s magic. He was terrified, obviously, but he’d faced death before, and he needed to keep people safe.

So he summoned a full sized luxere and sent it walking before him, stepping carefully over the fallen man's body. The summoner had to do it, but he wasn’t going to be stupid about this. Having it walk into the street, it stood sentinel there as he walked cautiously forward. Astra pressed against his side, and he was grateful for her support and the extra light she provided. His heart was pounding and his eyes strained for any sign of a monster. Granted, they could take many forms, so basically he was looking for the first sign of danger. Or just anything, really.

loren

Coding base by Sky!

if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

i know you wanna go to heaven

Again?

He hisses under his breath, hearing the pounding, hearing the words as he stands behind the bar, likely having helped Lusea with something when it wasn’t his shift to watch the door. His head raises to the sound, the clink, the thunk and the fucking door opening. “Fucking gods.” He rumbles, to himself mostly, hopping over the bar to watch as Cera’s body falls to the floor, blood everywhere and the door ajar. Well, that certainly solved his earlier dilemma if this was real after all.

And so he moves toward Loren, watching the man summon a Luxere to walk before him. Loren steps over the body, and Sunjata can’t help but to clench his jaw, wondering if the creatures within could be in Cera too. Hissing, he reaches for Cera. “Can the monsters get in him?” He asks to Loren’s back, gritting his teeth and aiming to lift the body of the poor man. Blood pouring over arms and clothes, just another amount to add to the rest.

He really hates this. And he doesn’t know what to do with the body. He looks to Loren with a sharp edge to his jaw, lifting Cera the best he can, pausing just enough to look to Loren for confirmation. As much as he hates the idea, there’s nothing they can do for him here. He’s already gone.

but you're human tonight

SUNJATA

LUSEA

Oh. So there are fucking monsters, and they do want to get in and kill us. Cool.

"What a mess." I'm still behind the bar, a nice safe distance, watching the whole scene unfold like it's a normal Tuesday. But honestly? A body breaking its way through the door and exploding into blood is terrifying, and beneath the calm my heart is beating a thousand miles a minute.

At least Sunny has a good head on his shoulders. Gods, I used to love it when he'd get like this: strong and knowing what had to be done, dealing with shit without falling apart. The Deluge, the Food, the rain on my heart- where have you been all this time? Do we really need danger to make this thing work, monsters to become the people we're meant to be?

Oh well, there will be time to wax poetic later. Right now there's a body to dispose of, and a door to shut, and a life to not lose. "Throw it out and light it on fire," I suggest, striding around to stand behind Sunny and the skinny stranger. "Then we won't have to find out."

By the grace of the fire and the flames

You're the face of the future

The blood in my veins

do not stand at my grave and weep;

i am not there. i do not sleep

CaN ThE MonStErS GeT HiM? the big one wonders. But what would they want with a dead body? They've already got what they wanted: the door has been opened, and left open you idiots.

But don't even worry. Loren with his big strong luxere, Lusea with her ideas of fire and dismissal. It's all really very good and thought out.

Only...

it's

        all
                             
                         too

                                   late

do not stand at my grave and cry;

i am not there, i did not die

LONGNiGht

if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

i know you wanna go to heaven

They have to close the door. Lusea’s suggestion is a good one, and he acknowledges it enough to feel the bite of the chill outside, brushing past Loren briefly. Because the doors to this drafty place aren’t exactly the best, and while nothing has gotten past them they could see, doesn’t mean that nothing is fine. Gritting his teeth, he hauls Cera’s body near the door, sending a silent apology in Korofi mentally to the man. “Close the door.” He tells whoever, Loren more than likely with the amount of magic the man has. And before Loren can somehow find a way to close the door, he tosses (yeets) Cera’s body out into the cold.

In all things, Sunjata’s rather unhelpful, with that blue bird shift and not much else other than a boxer rebel child beneath the outer exterior. “Luci, distract whatever could be out there.” Stepping back from the entrance, he wipes the blood from his hands onto his clothes, reaching for a table, prepared to help the rest of them try to block it off.

but you're human tonight

SUNJATA

WESSEX

Go
deep throat
a cactus

“Close the damn door!” comes fiercely down to the door as Wessex hurries into view, Monster Repellant at hand. Why not? It’s as good of a try as anything. Disregarding pretty much anyone in her way, the Queen darts around the offending bodies and pushes the door shut.

“All of you, back to the Rathskellar. Get everyone out of there and into the Temple for now. Shut the door behind you.” Making sure she’s the last one down (are you really going to disobey her?), Wessex stills once they all leave.

Hoping her eyes or her upgrades or something, fuck it, even the Monster Repellant spray - laughable, yes, as she sprays it in front of her, in front of her people and the way into the Rath. Blocking it. Theoretically - because how to do you block shadows? She may be too late. Their stupidity, their wondering instead of acting, may have cost them.

-------------

Wessex uses the Moster Repellant to uh, repel and her optical upgrades to try and see if anything got in.

LUSEA

I wish I could say it was that easy. It's not, it never is. Even as Sunny starts saying to close the door I'm flipping over a table, shoving it with all my rather diminished might to block off that gaping entrance to the outside. Or at least, that was the plan, until some lady comes running in fast as lightning and barking orders and closes the door herself.

Frankly, I'm fine with that. I didn't want to get to close to it.

But even as she tells us to go away I keep pushing the table, because honey, this is not my first rodeo. "The door didn't work last time. We need to fortify it. Help."

Glancing over at Sunny, blood drenched and glorious, I flash my Flood a bright, grim grin, sharp as steel. "Remember the summer riots? It really is beginning to feel like home." My shoulder is still on the table, which is now against the door. Hopefully one of the others will have had the foresight to grab a chair and prop it under the legs, wedge the thing in place like we used to do.

---

Lusea flips a table onto its side to wedge against the door

By the grace of the fire and the flames

You're the face of the future

The blood in my veins

there's light at the edge of the darkness

Well. So far so good. Not really, but only one person had died, and that had happened before the door opened and he’d arrived, so there was nothing he could’ve done. He’d feel bad about it later, but for now he had to keep Sunjata and the unknown woman stay alive, close the door, and retreat back down the tunnel just to be safe.

The Launceleyn honestly didn’t know if the monsters could hide in dead bodies, but he wouldn’t put it past them; before he could order the other man to toss the body, though the unknown woman did so. Then Cera’s corpse was sailing out the door. The summoner dismissed his luxere, since it was in the path of the body, but immediately called more magic to his fingertips, ready at a moment’s notice to summon another luxere. Or something else.

He was just about to reach for the door when there was a blur of motion and Wessex arrived from only the gods knew where. Trust the queen to make a dramatic entrance and immediately start issuing orders: not for the first time, Loren felt his jaw tense as she showed a complete lack of trust in her subordinates. Well, this door thing was her fucking problem, as far as he was concerned, so he let her close it.

What he would not do, however, was leave her to face the potential monsters alone, especially since Sunjata and the unknown woman stayed, like the queen ordered. They really all were going to disobey Wessex. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, which was clearly something the queen had taken to heart. Except maybe the forgiveness part.

Besides, the unknown woman—who, from her comment towards Sunjata the summoner was going to assume was Lusea—was right. They couldn’t trust the door to hold a second time. So instead, of retreating, he grabbed a chair next to him and wedged it under the table legs, which would hopefully keep it upright when they left to get to safety. All the while, he kept his currently illusion-proof eyes peeled for any sign that something had come through, magic at the ready. Astra pressed against his back, keeping an eye on the rest of the room.

---

Loren dismisses his luxere and grabs a chair to prop up the table.

loren

Coding base by Sky!

WESSEX

Go
deep throat
a cactus

It may not be her first rodeo, but it is the Outlander’s first LongNight. All of them. Except her.  

“That door has a panel operated only by a heartbeat and it was barricaded shut. What the fuck do you think an overturned table is going to do?” Wessex asks, nay, demands of them. Do they think? Do they ever think? Wessex picks up the nails from the ground, one by one - straight as they were the couple of hours or so when Loren put them in. “How were these taken out? They have powers that won’t be stopped by a table.”

Why was that so difficult to understand?

Maybe she should let them all die. Maybe she should stand back, slip out into the night, board herself up in the Ascended safe house, and wait it all out. If they’re so smart, they can save themselves.

if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

i know you wanna go to heaven

A repeat of his own words are heard as Wessex rushes in, right as he tosses Cera’s body out the door. Wiping the blood from his hands onto his clothes, he moves to help Lusea with the table, catching the steelish grin she gives him, and it manages to quell the devouring feeling within him. “Not enough blood.” He comments quietly to her, before helping Lusea and Loren with it before Wessex starts to make demands toward Lusea’s own suggestion.

Pushing another stool up underneath to prop, he turns to her. “And a heartbeat opened the fucking door.” He rumbles to her, jaw clenching after as the queen picks up the nails from the ground. “The door opened, and he fell in. I don’t know about you but whatever was barricading this door, did not work.” He challenges. Because it was true, it hadn’t worked. And if Wessex thought that Sunjata was simply going to follow that order and let her handle it all, well, she could certainly try.

But Sunjata has always been a rebel at heart, and following the wishes of the monarchy at every beck and call absolutely are not in his priorities. Regardless of where he is.

but you're human tonight

SUNJATA

there's light at the edge of the darkness

Alright. Enough. Wessex was in charge, sure, that was so awesome of her, yay. But that didn’t make her fucking right all the time. It just meant she’d been in the right place at the right time, and no one else who wanted the job had been at all suitable. In fact, they'd elected three leaders because they didn't trust having just one in charge. But even a queen couldn’t act as she wished all the time and expect people to hop to without getting a chance to voice their opinions. Indeed, Wessex would do well to remember the lessons of the first queen of the Hollowed Grounds: Zariah had probably started out similarly, making demands of everyone all the time instead of the occasional request, and the people had rebelled against her. Indeed, Loren was getting pretty close to mutinying.

Which was why, while the supposedly infallible Wessex stood around and did jack shit, the summoner kept helping Lusea and Sunjata barricade the out door as best he could. The Launceleyn grabbed another stool, adding it to the growing pile of furniture. So far, nothing had come at them, but he kept a tight grip on his magic all the same. Astra stayed at his back, her eyes wide, darting around as if she could spot something they couldn't.

Sunjata spoke first, but Loren was right on the other man’s heels. ”I have no fucking idea. Maybe because I used magic to put it together. But stone and wooden walls kept them at bay for centuries, something you and the other Naturals drilled into my head. If that’s going to fail us now, we’re all dead. But we have to assume they’re not all powerful, and obviously your heartbeat panel failed, so I’m going to go back to basics and put together this barricade with my bare hands.” The queen could issue all the commands she wanted. However, she was in the wrong, here. Even if she wasn’t, Sunjata and Lusea showed no signs of leaving, and the summoner wouldn’t abandon them.

It might've been his race, but it wasn't his way. Besides, the monsters could be fought. Which meant they could be stopped. And they were most certainly stronger together than they were apart.

loren

Coding base by Sky!

WESSEX

Go
deep throat
a cactus

Stone and Wood and Luxere and staying quiet and not gathering in large groups in a massive building. So perhaps her error was in sanctioning a large building for use with too many entrances. Perhaps she should have insisted on small units in houses. Perhaps she should have done a million other things, but whatever she should have done, she didn’t. And no one suggested otherwise.

They don’t want a tyrant but then act in ways that creates the need for one. There’s nothig wrong with questioning, but when you’ve never experienced a LongNight, maybe, uh, don’t pretend like you know shit.

What is becoming increasingly clear is that no one respects her. They want all the perks of someone else making the decisions and doing the preparations and then when it comes time to actually listen, they want to be rebellious for rebellion’s sake. They want trust in their abilities when they do things she never ordered, don’t comprehend the fuss about LongNight, say that they, themselves, don’t trust her - which, newsflash, is a two way street.

For all her dramatic entrances out of nowhere (remember those night-special senses, her speed, her hearing?), for all her work, for all her various ways to survive, for all that she is the oldest Natural they know well, that has more life experience in the Hallowed Grounds than any of them, doesn’t have mental breakdowns,, she is still wrong. Clearly. Ok. Let her be wrong then.

Let Loren waste his energy. How is he going to continue to cast spells and summon when he doesn’t sleep? Or eat? When he has offered himself as a blood fountain to the Ascended and is also running around and appearing out of nowhere, at every single door opening.

There’s no point in talking any more. No matter what she does, she will be wrong and the one thing Wessex doesn’t do is try to change people’s assumptions about her and her motives, or whatever. The Queen (for how much longer? Who knows!) drops the nails, steps aside, to continue to be useless, and turns back towards the Rathskellar. “Since you all are the experts now, I’ll leave you to your barricading and make sure something didn’t get in. Because that was the actual point of why I told you to leave. To warn the others of another door breach and to take precautions.” The many over the few. It’s what she’s always said when it comes to LongNight.

And now? Now who knows. Wessex could have barricaded the door herself - it doesn’t take three people. Could have potentially held them off. But on the off chance that something slipped in, they’ve now wasted precious time arguing instead of doing. With a disappointed shake of her head, and serious thoughts about leaving them all to their own demise, to fly solo again and focus her efforts on the Voice instead of worrying about everyone else, Wessex heads back to the Rath and the Temple.

do not stand at my grave and weep;

i am not there. i do not sleep

Wessex' upgrade doesn't allow her to see anything more than normal, for these are not illusions that slip into crevices and cracks. Even so, she might catch sight of flashes of teeth, fingers bent and broken, long-haired skeletal things that morph and shift. Loren might have too with his glasses, could he see in the dark as the queen can. The repellent is clever, for indeed these are monsters. Fine. They saturate floorboards and sink into the earth. They will disperse until the gas does, though it hardly matters.

What the fuck do you think an overturned table is going to do? the Reborn shouts, and indeed, she is right. What the fuck indeed.

On the floor, in Cera's blood that has pooled into the floor boards, the words slowly form: too late.

do not stand at my grave and cry;

i am not there, i did not die

LONGNiGht