THE TOWN SQUARE.

[atrueheroine]

[Page silently watches the church burn for a little while, once she's emerged safely from it, before turning away and heading to the town square to meet up with everyone else. It makes sense to rest here, as they did last week, after another town with another tragic story to tell.

At least that time, however, they'd all survived it unscathed.

Once she's made it over to the group, she drops her pack onto the ground and collapses next to it, staring at her feet. It's going to take a bit to...process all of that, and while she'd love to get up in front of everyone and make some kind of rousing speech, she just doesn't have it in her at the moment.

Instead, she'll look up from the stone of the square, eventually, casting her eye over everyone and saying (almost to herself)-]

...I hope everyone is all right.

[That is likely far from true, but...well. They're all alive, Wesker is dead, and that's something. She's trying her best not to look at that little tree-sculpture with the key around its neck.


OOC: Second verse, same as the first! Here's our post-event mingle post, to talk about what the hell just happened in there, lick our wounds, and beg forgiveness from...from Flower Girl. Top-level away; Page will have her own up, if you'd like to talk to her.]

Comments

[atrueheroine]

[After that comment, Page turns her attention to her pack for want of...something to do; she'll make her way around to check on the wounded in a moment, but for now, she's gently placing what look to be grenades on the ground in front of her, counting them as she goes.]

...four, five, six...

[...seven. Seven left. Hopefully she'll be able to use the others as effectively. Feel free to come and talk to her; she already knew how many grenades were left in the set, this is just...de-stressing.]

[selfsacrificial]

[There were plenty of things that were not really all right. The least they can do right now though is check upon one another.

He waits until she's finished counting before gently speaking up.]

How are you feeling?

[He won't ask if anyone is alright-- he knows well enough. He's spent enough time being not alright to know.]

[blunders]

[Felicia's first priority is going to be helping those who have been injured; in whatever's been designated as a medical area, one can find Felicia hard at work in making sure that everyone who's been injured here is taken care of. Say what one will about some of the clumsiness she's exhibited before, but when the going gets tough, she's laser focused and working her ass off to help. If anyone needs anything at all, she'll assist; just ask her!

Eventually--either when the condition of our shot friends has improved or just whenever someone tells Felicia to take a break or something, one will also just...find Felicia around, checking in on people. She's doing her best to sound like her usual self, but there is definitely an undercurrent of tiredness in her tone--]

Hey--how are you doing? Are you going to be alright?

[It's a simple thing at least, but...she's here for people, okay.

It's much later in the night that Felicia's gonna go by where flower girl is, hoping for some privacy and just kind of...babbling at nothing. It looks like Felicia's picked more flowers from around here, though, and seems to be trying to weave them.]

...I never really did thank you properly for teaching this to us, did I? I...I know I was all thumbs, and I messed up a lot, but...I really appreciated you going out of your way for me like that. I thought...maybe we'd get the chance, one more time, before we left, but...

...Well, I guess you got what you wanted in the end. I just hope you found happiness in it.

[...Yeah, it isn't long before Felicia just. Starts to sniffle, and sniffling goes into very quiet crying and rubbing her eyes at her sleeve. It's. It's been a rough day, okay.]

[abysstery]

[Heinwald is around, but doesn't seek anyone out for a while. He sits quietly on the edge of the town square, watching the church burn and reflecting on what happened today.

Occasionally, he glances down at the notebook that he came in with. Its origin is no longer a mystery, but the truth that came out of it was a harsh one. Not only that, but with one mystery solved, another has revealed itself.

What made him decide to leave with a part of the Shimmer? And was it the right choice?]

flower girl

[skelkro]

[Emma is also here, and while talking to Jean she had been... vaguely entertaining taking flower girl with them because listen, why stop at one arboreal sculpture when you could have two, but seeing Felicia cry has at least realigned her priorities somewhat.

She hesitates momentarily, before she silently reaches out and puts what she hopes is a comforting hand on Felicia's shoulder here.]

[atrueheroine]

[She doesn't look up from her toys immediately, but Page doesn't let the silence linger long enough to give Rean the impression she's ignoring him.]

Tired, mostly. That wasn't quite how I thought that experience would go.

[To put it mildly.]

Yourself?

[selfsacrificial]

I can't blame you. Things escalated pretty quickly back there.

[His own eyes have a tired droop to them as he sighs.]

I had hoped it wouldn't come to this-- but I can't say I'm surprised. From the moment he began speaking with us, there was something about the way he spoke that bothered me.

[blunders]

[...Oh. Felicia doesn't really jolt at the hand, but Felicia does lower her hand after rubbing her eyes a bit just to see who it is--

Ah. Felicia's smile is a little...tired, but it's still there.]

...Thanks, Emma. I really, really appreciate it.

[planetary_bonds]

[Yusei mechanically lays out the perimeter around the group. It might not be necessary, given that they're still in the town square. But who knows what this town is going to be like after being bereft of Wesker's "protection," if he'd given any. And he doesn't want to take any risks, when they have two people recovering from dangerous wounds.

When he's done, though, Yusei doesn't rejoin the group immediately. Instead, he sits down at the edge of the group, head in one of his hands. The other hand is still gripping his handgun - he hasn't quite brought himself to let go of it. Thankfully, the safety is on, so he wouldn't accidentally shoot himself while laying the perimeter out, but...]

All of this...what could it mean...?

[And the question he really wanted to ask himself, but can't bring himself to voice right now...

Will I fail this time, too?]

[selfsacrificial]

[Considering everything that came out back there, he can't blame Heinwald for wanting some space and quiet. So Rean gives him some time before he comes to check on him.

He sits a small ways away when he does join him.]

Hey.

[atrueheroine]

I would have been surprised if he'd let us leave, without requiring us to earn the privilege. It was like he was sizing us up, for his own amusement, while waiting for the chance to unleash at the smallest opportunity.

[Seriously, what an asshole.]

I can only hope that Krauser was right, and he stays dead this time. The last thing we need is him popping up while we're camping.

around

[selfsacrificial]

[While doing his own rounds to check on the others, he sees Felicia doing the same. It's only a matter of time before they eventually run into one another.

He can see her pushing herself and it hurts, in it's own way. Reaching up, he softly pats the top of her head.]

I'll be fine. [It's much easier to suppress his own feelings and focus on others. It's what he's always done-- this is no different.] What about you?

flower girl

[scythegun]

[Yeager eventually comes over to greet Felicia. He isn't trying to be quiet as he approaches, so she'll likely hear him. He moves to sit beside her easily, sweeping the back of his coat out of the way so he doesn't sit on it as he does.]

Here. For you.

[It's a flower crown! It isn't exactly a masterpiece, but he's got the basics down well enough even though it doesn't look nearly as fancy as the ones the girl was weaving earlier. It's light purples and pinks mostly.]

It's a neat little skill, ja?

[scythegun]

[Yeager wanders over glancing over Page's shoulder at the grenades and inclining his head a bit. He's wearing a flower crown?? Oh my god, he wasn't even in the church for like, over half of that, he checked out real early.]

So you're the one to thank for setting that horrid place on fire, ja?

[He sounds just as carefree as always...]

[selfsacrificial]

Yeah... I had a feeling from the beginning-- even if it hadn't happened now, this was inevitable. He was planning on getting rid of us from the beginning.

[It's... a familiar feeling, in the worst sort of way.]

...that makes two of us. But I wouldn't rule out the possibility.

[It wouldn't be the first he's seen it. Assholes be like that.]

[atrueheroine]

[....Yeager, are you actually serious with that flower crown right now-]

That would be me, yes. I have my friend from the first town to thank for the fuel.

[....seriously, the napalm...worked. Shit is scary.]

I can't say I'm sorry to see the place burning.

[armamenta]

[So that's it. After all of this, it's over.

Krauser doesn't join the group - there's no reason to. He meant what he said about not picking a fight with them, and he's not going to get near anyone right now. He's not moving far from the church at all, and he'll be here until the flames have run their course and burnt the entire place down.

He doesn't move from the spot he's standing in, and he doesn't pay much attention to anyone who may approach. You're welcome to talk to him if you want, but he doesn't particularly care either way at this point.

Regardless, he's still here for the time being. He'll be here until he's sure Wesker's dead, and only then is he going to leave this town behind.]

[blunders]

[...You know, it probably says something that Felicia doesn't seem to mind the headpatting, honestly. It's actually kind of nice; it reminds her of what Lady Corrin did with the people she likes sometimes, and it actually manages to pull a bit of a genuine giggle out of her.]

I'm...well, I'm doing as well as I can be. But I'll be fine too, I think. Today's just been...well, a lot.

[...]

I can't say I was expecting their God to be nice, but Wesker sure proved himself to be horrible really quick.

[pr159]

[ Huh. Well, Rideaux had been out relocating the wounded during the church's grand finale, so he's not sure of all the details, but it sounds like Krauser may have earned those meaningless points from him after all. Interesting.

That aside, he's predictably going to be mostly in the medical area, checking in on the patients and supervising as needed, because he's pretty much designated himself the senior medical officer at this point. And after demonstrating how well he can keep his shit together in an emergency situation today, he's not expecting anyone to challenge him on it.

Some time later, when things seem to be under control, he'll eventually come take a seat in the square himself, and let out a sigh. Even after everything that's happened, he doesn't seem all that shaken -- just tired and like he's probably got a headache, because it has been a long ass day that now spans three log posts, and he's pretty done with it. ]

[atrueheroine]

All the more reason to make sure we're prepared for it.

[...apparently he doesn't like fire??? So like. let's make a big-ass campfire every night. That'll work.

...]

If this is the sort of thing we have to expect from these towns, I've half a mind to avoid them, in future. I know we can't, but...we're very lucky we didn't end up with more people shot.

[klematis]

[ As always, Hugh(?) sticks to the outskirts of the group, not really wallflowering but skirting close to it ironically enough. He finds some place to sit, looking nonchalant as ever as he examines his new really nice gun. You might find him writing in his notebook too, but it's not a language anyone recognizes.

Later you can find him in the vicinity of the flower girl, seeming to be arbitrarily hanging around. Stick around for more than a beat or two and you'll hear him ask a simple question. ]

Well, are you happy with your choice? [ Who the question is poised to may be a little less clear. ]

[scythegun]

[of course he is?? he's always serious????]

That certainly was useful. I think it's for the best that the church is gone now.

[And more importantly, the mossman is also gone.]

How are you holding up?

[scythegun]

Heinwald.

[Hi, Heinwald. Yeager greets him as usual with a wave before joining him, taking a seat nearby. He's wearing a flower crown?? He absolutely ditched this whole confrontation fairly early on, but that's probably fine.]

I take it you learned some interesting things today?

[It's light, as it always is with Yeager, but he does sound genuinely interested.]

[planetary_bonds]

Page.

[His voice is soft and solemn, but also hoarse. It's like he's been trying to keep himself from crying this whole time.]

Are you...alright?

[You did have a gun pointed at your face, and all. Not to mention having others being shot in your stead...]

[pr159]

[ Rideaux will probably end up wandering around for a bit in between medical check-ins and when he finally sits down with the group, so-- well, look who it is, he was just thinking of you.

He's a little surprised to see him again at all, actually. ]

Somehow I thought you would have gone down with the ship.